

An earl, history and recipes
"Tea, Earl Grey, hot" Picard/StarTrek Well the above quote has nothing to do with this post really, but not being a Star Trek follower I...
Jul 23, 2025


Are we British ashamed of cream buns?
"The fisherman fishes as the urchin eats cream buns, from lust". T. H. White I actually started out with the idea of doing an oddments...
Jul 18, 2025


Rather wonderful but mostly unseen
" Language is a funny thing. Most of us know what good writing looks like, but few of us can actually write good." Ellie It's time for a...
Jul 16, 2025


Upping my sandwich game
"No offence, but I find sandwich recipes pointless. Who needs a recipe for making a sandwich? It’s like looking up a manual before taking...
Jun 2, 2025


Genteel eggs
Coddled, baked, shirred, en cocotte, moulded eggs, egg-in-a-cup - not poached - but I'm confused This all began with this rather lovely...
May 27, 2025


From Aberdeen to Ottolenghi
"At first glance, a rowie looks a bit like an unfortunate croissant that you find in the bottom of your bag, crushed by a bag of apples...
May 10, 2025


A template - scones - savoury ones
I love templates of all kinds. This entire blog is made from a template. Alas it is no longer in Wix's vast library of templates, so I...
May 9, 2025


Onions, potatoes, carrots - comfort
"the heart-warming glow that comes from cooking cheap ingredients slowly." Nigel Slater I'm determined to be better at emptying my...
May 7, 2025


Oatcakes
"are they one step up from the dreaded rice cake in your pantheon of worthy but dull foods?" Felicity Cloake After yesterday's...
Mar 28, 2025


Words in a recipe lead here and there
"Dice a little onion, carrot and celery to the size of Dolly Mixtures." Nigel Slater A typically wry kind of simile from Nigel and the...
Mar 20, 2025


New year - old thing - English muffins
"You don't get tired of muffins, but you don't find inspiration in them." George Bernard Shaw It's January 1 2025 and a quarter of a...
Jan 1, 2025


Apple dumplings
"The crust, unhindered by a heavy filling, expands and flakes like puff pastry. When you cut into each, a trickle of buttery brown sugar...
Nov 12, 2024


Apparently my shepherd's pie is all wrong
"The best cottage pies and shepherd’s pies are made with leftover roast meat, not mince. In fact, the whole purpose of these pies was to...
Oct 23, 2024


"A warm pumpkin scone for a winter's afternoon"
"Sono una merenda scalda cuore" (a heart-warming snack) Profumi e Colori I'm going simple today because time is running out, but I am...
Sep 11, 2024


Egg and chips for tea
"Two perfectly fried eggs and a huge side of chips cooked by someone who loves you. It’s the ultimate comfort food: crispy fried potatoes...
Aug 3, 2024


Why don't I cook pancakes more often?
"Its surface is the softest canary yellow evenly dimpled with pale gold. Its edges are as frilly as old French lace. It is so delicate...
Aug 2, 2024


75 years ago - the food view from here
"We're Keele and we're different. Founded 75 years ago to meet the demands of a new kind of society, economy and world, our principles...
Jun 29, 2024


Panackarty, Pan Haggerty ...
"If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers." Doug Larson I have just...
Jun 10, 2024


Beans, toast, an expanding world
"On toast, they are nothing short of sheer culinary genius. They are, I would argue, at their point of perfection when you can catch them...
Jun 1, 2024


Spotted Dick
"as British as it gets" Jamie Oliver Again I am starting with Delia, because I came across this as I trawled through the third volume...
May 4, 2024

