

A British classic - custard tart
"This is not a dessert that can be rushed, either in the execution or the enjoyment." Felicity Cloake This is sort of a postscript to my look at Delia classics. As I was flipping through her books I came across this in book one of Delia's How to Cook, which she calls Old-fashioned English custard tart. I had such a rush of nostalgia when I saw this picture for we sometimes had them at home. I say 'them' because, of course, you can get individual ones as well as large ones
Aug 4


Some Delia classics
"They are not so much the recipes that people dream over; this is the stuff they actually cook." Nigel Slater Indeed they do - as I did yesterday for my older son's birthday party. I made her Piedmont roasted peppers as part of an antipasti spread. I did cut out the stems - against her advice not to because: "they're not edible, but they do look attractive and they help the pepper halves to keep their shape." Well I was cooking for twelve and had decided to cut my large Au
Aug 3


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


Into the frying pan
" If we have only one pan, then it should probaby be a frying pan." Nigel Slater/Eat At the beginning of his section on food cooked in a...
Aug 12, 2024


Zabaglione, Sabayon, Delia ...
"a fragile whip of cream contained in a little glass, concealing within its innocent white froth a powerful alcoholic punch." Elizabeth...
Apr 19, 2024


How basic can you get? Bread sauce
"Bread sauce: pure, holy, special, gentle, and kind." Ruby Lott-Lavigna/Vice (The version above is Easy bread sauce from James Martin,...
Jan 16, 2024


The gentrification of the sausage
"even at the crummiest of supermarkets, [they] come in at least a half dozen flavors." J. Kenji López-Alt So very true. According to The...
Dec 8, 2023


Two English experiments
"We would be foolish not to try everything at least once." Nigel Slater I seem to have been on a bit of an English kick of late. Is...
Sep 30, 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


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


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


Delia let me down!
"although it looks luxurious, it's actually quick and easy to cook." Delia Online Team No it's not. The comment that I have written at...
Jul 23, 2023


Carrot soup
"a recipe designed to be as fluid as the weather" Nigel Slater Yesterday I wrote about boredom and looking at the title of this post you...
Apr 29, 2023


In passing
"done or said when your main focus is something different" Oxford Learner's Dictionary "briefly and casually" Google? My main focus in...
Mar 9, 2023


Summer's end
"Moods, like seasons, change and the anticipation of something new and different is what gives life an edge." Delia Smith It's my guru...
Mar 7, 2023


Tonnato - not what it used to be
"It’s like that Dr. Seuss book everyone gets when they graduate—Oh the Places You’ll Go!—but for a mayo-based sauce. Inspiring." Alex...
Aug 20, 2022


Frugality - Delia versus delicious.
"we never knew how much we loved broccoli until we couldn't afford it." delicious. Yesterday was to be our family birthday party for our...
Aug 1, 2022


Scrambled eggs - I think I've been here before
"everybody has his own method, which is invariably the right and proper one." Elizabeth David I feel sure I've done all this before, and...
Jul 26, 2022


Vegetarianism then and now
"Time was when a vegetarian was just that: someone who ate no meat or fish, but only vegetable products. Nowadays there are many shades...
Apr 13, 2022


So - to Delia
"If you hang about, Delia will show you how to make something slightly exotic – but not before you are thoroughly schooled in the...
Jul 2, 2021

