

Lessons from a family feast
“If you can eat with mates or friends or family, I mean, it's such a brilliant thing isn't it? If you feel really rubbish and you have a...
Feb 20, 2023


Entry level pleasing pickles
“There is a reason we have pickles, and it is the same reason we crave good art: we are in it for the pleasure … we are in it for the...
Feb 18, 2023


Wedge salads
"America's silliest salad. It's built upon the back of the least flavorful and least nutrient-dense lettuce available and blanketed in...
Feb 16, 2023


Black garlic
"And the taste? Out of this world. Sweet, earthy, minus the allium’s characteristic heat—think of it as garlic’s umami-packed shadow. " ...
Feb 15, 2023


Baking sole with Jamie
"If I've learnt anything from the Italians about fish, it is definitely 'less is more'" Jamie Oliver It's lucky dip time because it's...
Feb 13, 2023


In the middle of France is Berry
"a province unharmed by too many visitors in spite of the reputation of Georges Sand, Alain Fournier and Bourges Cathedral - and of the...
Feb 9, 2023


En passant
"if you say something en passant, you mention it quickly while talking about something else" Cambridge Dictionary So not really 'this...
Feb 7, 2023


Eggs - what's in a name?
"The variations on this simple dish are infinite" Robert Carrier Indeed they are and it is perfectly easy to become completely confused...
Feb 5, 2023


Brown but so much more
"Colour fades as flavour deepens: a metaphor for much of life I suggest." Nigella Lawson Which is, indeed food for thought. In her book...
Feb 4, 2023


The potential of ice cube trays
"Ice-cube trays are your new best friend." Alice Zaslovsky That's one of the many throw away lines of tips and foodie information that...
Feb 3, 2023


Mashed potato
"The topic of mashed potato started a heated debate among my colleagues. Half of them insisted it had to be creamy, buttery and have...
Feb 1, 2023


Robert Carrier, tomatoes and indexes
"Cook dinner with Robert Carrier and you’ll need butter, cream, wine and quite a lot of cognac" Jay Rayner It's guru week - by which I...
Jan 30, 2023


Whim whams
"This kind of thing is more a delicious mouthful at the end of a meal, than a pudding." Jane Grigson It's not the end of a meal - I'm...
Jan 27, 2023


French/Indian - did it happen?
"even while the European powers ruled, none of them had any effect on the basic diet of the local people. Rice, mainly 'boiled' rice ,...
Jan 26, 2023


A new favourite thing - baked polenta
"While these days polenta often appears on menus, I don't think I'm the only one who's struggling to get round to cooking it at home....
Jan 21, 2023


Grilled fish Bali style
"Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start." Anthony Bourdain This is a lucky dip because I am completely uninspired...
Jan 15, 2023


From peas to plin and a cookbook
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." Douglas Adams The eternal question -...
Jan 14, 2023


The umami battle of the 'mites' (mar,vege,pro,aussie...)
"Marmite is a British icon. Vegemite is an Australian icon. Since Brits and Aussies have sporting rivalries, mischievous senses of humour...
Jan 12, 2023


By the way
"By the way - used to introduce a new subject to be considered or to give further information" Cambridge English Dictionary Yes it's one...
Jan 11, 2023


A summer afternoon with Elizabeth David
"After all, it is summer. You are on holiday. You are in company of your own choosing. The air is clean. You can smell wild fennel...
Jan 10, 2023

