

Hot and crunchy - black pepper
"as with olive oil, salt and other basics we once considered boring, pepper is going gourmet." Jon Henley/The Guardian "Hot beans on...
Nov 25, 2023


Cutting up onions
"People who are knowledgable are said to "know their onions". It's a great phrase, yet nobody knows exactly where it comes from. It's...
Nov 22, 2023


Noble thistles
"The thistle is a prince. Let any man that has an eye for beauty take a view of the whole plant, and where will he see a more expressive...
Nov 21, 2023


Take five - from maths to Jamie
I began this post yesterday, inspired by the painting on the left, but I didn't finish it and anyway I was very dissatisfied with what I...
Nov 14, 2023


Leftover chicken solved - pasta
"Carbs ... they're standing by, patiently waiting for us to remember their generous, soothing nature, and their accommodating capacity to...
Oct 30, 2023


Gubbins
"gubbins - various things that are not important" Oxford Dictionary "gubbins - another word for stuff" I Swear English Gubbins Yes...
Oct 23, 2023


Tamarind can do anything
"the optimal blend of umami and tang" Marion's Kitchen One more thing from the Black Cake book - tamarind. Well in the book it was...
Oct 12, 2023


Orzo or rice? with chicken
"an urgent need for dishes that served to soothe rather than excite. " Nigel Slater Nigella gets top billing again - this time with her...
Sep 16, 2023


Flummery
"The word 'flummery' later came to have generally pejorative connotations of a bland, empty, and unsatisfying food. From this use,...
Sep 11, 2023


Classic - apple pie
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." Jane Austen The first thing to say is that this is a first recipe...
Sep 10, 2023


Too many onions - what to do?
"I wonder how many of you, when it comes to cooking your next meal, will start it by peeling an onion?" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Well...
Sep 8, 2023


Capsicum (peppers) and pasta
"The most suitable type is the variety you have, and the right quantity of it: quanto basta (or how much is enough), which is both a...
Sep 7, 2023


India and potatoes
"Potatoes seem to have become the roots of Indian cuisine, but India's relationship with potatoes is a little over 300 years." Armaan...
Sep 4, 2023


So retro, so English and so unavailable
"The prominence that American food has gained within the last century has led to redcurrant sauce being partially replaced by cranberry...
Sep 1, 2023


Herbes de Provence
"When tidying up your herbs at the end of the summer, cut lots of each, tie them in bundles, dry in a cool, dry, airy place and turn them...
Aug 26, 2023


A fridge raid tart
"There's a universal sweet spot by the fridges familiar space in which we've all stood, door ajar and locked into a staring match with...
Aug 20, 2023


Watermelon, feta, mint
"I know, I know. Yet another watermelon, feta, and mint salad recipe. Do we need one?" J. Kenji López-Alt/Serious Eats Indeed, but then...
Aug 14, 2023


Vegetable sides - beginning with petits pois à la française
"Great side dishes can really elevate a meal – and let’s be honest, when they’re good, they’re often the best bit; the thing you go back...
Aug 3, 2023


Coconut rice - so many ways
"Truly fluffy coconut rice eluded me for years. I felt like I tried every variation possible, but when I lifted the lid, I’d stare at...
Jul 27, 2023


Wee drams
Dram "a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink, especially whisky" Cambridge English Dictionary "A pour of alcohol. The amount is...
Jul 24, 2023

