

BTW
"BTW - by the way: used, for example in emails, when you are writing something that relates to the subject you are discussing, but is not the main point of the discussion" Cambridge Dictionary It's also the name of an Indian food company that has fast food outlets, a catering service, and a whole range of snack foods, based in New Delhi. I'm not going to go into it in detail. Suffice to say that there are amazing people in the world who come from nowhere and build an empir
Jan 13


A medley
Medley: "a varied mixture of people or things." Oxford Languages In a post-Christmas lazy lull, and on a hot day, I am resorting to little bits and pieces. I feel a bit like this quote I found in the Smitten Kitchen newsletter: "confused, full of cheese and unsure of the day of the week." So oddments from here and there ... 'Medley' implies some sort of organisational process behind the combination of this and that to me. A selection has been made with an overriding t
Dec 31, 2025


Capsicum stuffed with tomatoes
"an Italian idea that has been put into words well by Elizabeth David, Simon Hopkinson and Nigel Slater among many others. And no wonder – it is such a good idea" Rachel Roddy I spent another happy almost hour with Nigel today, checking out his book Tender volume 1 for my lunch party on Sunday. If you remember I had forgotten to check this volume out. And of course there were heaps of other possibilities in addition to what I wrote about the other day, but I think I will
Dec 12, 2025


Beetroot mezze - well small things?
"For me, a mezze dish has to be completely self-contained - fully flavoured and ready to go without needing anything else to make sense." Yotam Ottolenghi Ok - this is not really a small thing. It's Beetroot and red onion tarte tatin by Elena Silcock on the BBC Good Food website and I'm in the process of making it - or something like it now. Why? Well it's our last local book group meeting tonight, for which we all bring a plate. I'm hosting, and my particular challeng
Dec 3, 2025


Old-fashioned canapés - first recipe
"If you don't have the time to prepare something good then just serve some olives or nuts." Beverley Sutherland Smith Well you would perhaps wouldn't you? - or just open a bag of crisps because canapés - the retro kind - often take a lot of work. This is a photograph of some of Beverley Sutherland Smith's canapés, styled in a very old-fashioned way on a silver platter with the bottle of champagne in a silver bucket. The kind of thing you would get served at a fancy cocktai
Oct 30, 2025


Eggs flying off your TikTok app
"There is ultimately more shopping than cooking involved." Tim Dowling / The Guardian This lady's name is Alice Choi, a Korean American...
Sep 29, 2025


Mushrooms and Chinese costermongers
This is a first recipe post - one from Beverley Sutherland Smith in her book simply called Vegetables . In this case, however, I first...
Aug 12, 2025


The mysteries of authenticity
"While the concept of a fried roll originates from China, the specific combination of chicken and ham is not a traditional Chinese...
Jun 20, 2025


Jottings
"Jottings: Quickly written short notes" Cambridge Dictionary I'm making a batch of marmalade because David has run out. It's time...
Jun 18, 2025


Mouthfuls
Mouthful "an amount of food or drink that fills your mouth, or that you put into your mouth at one time" Cambridge English Dictionary...
Apr 24, 2025


Amuse-bouches
Amuse-bouches: "a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre sent out at the whim of the chef, to whet diners’ appetites (or “amuse the mouth”) for the...
May 2, 2024


Fermented herring to taco Fridays - Sweden
"The backbone of Nordic cuisine comes from dealing with challenges" Rachel Khoo Back to my foodie tour around the world with the third...
Apr 7, 2024


Crudités extremes
"the main object of an hors-d'œuvre is to provide something beautifully fresh-looking which will at the same time arouse your appetite...
Mar 20, 2024


The internet does not know everything
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." Daniel J. Boorstin This was just going to be...
Nov 9, 2023


Deconstructing Tomates Provençales
"Why mess with perfection?" Jamie of Jamie and Julia I began with this Baked tomatoes, crumbs and herbs from Nigel Slater in a recent...
Sep 21, 2023


First
"Presentation of the first course is of especial importance; owing to its place in the menu it should give a favourable impression both...
Jun 12, 2023


Canapés
"food art in one bite – there to be moreish, to satiate, and to look as classy as its setting. Anything less, and it’s the guest who...
Nov 18, 2022


Scraps
"Winging it with what's to hand can be so liberating - flinging in this or that with the joyful abandon that comes from not trying too...
Apr 14, 2022


Hors d'oeuvre variés - a first recipe
"The real purpose of the hors d'œuvre cours is to stimulate the appetite, not to drown it." Robert Carrier The picture at left is from...
Nov 28, 2021

