

Fruit fools
"Savlon for the tongue" Nigel Slater That's a somewhat weird, maybe even repulsive or at least unattractive way of describing, what to me and many other English people is the most sublime of desserts - particularly the gooseberry version. ‘Soft, pale, creamy, untroubled, the English fruit fool is the most frail and insubstantial of English summer dishes’ says Elizabeth David and even Claudia Roden - doyenne of Middle-Eastern food describes them as "one of the delights of s
Jan 3


Coq au sauvignon blanc
“This popular dish may be called coq au Chambertin, coq au Riesling, or coq au whatever wine you use for its cooking.” Julia Child Based on, based on, probably ad infinitum is the story of tonight's proposed dinner. And for want of a better description I'm calling it Coq au sauvignon blanc - or 'sav blonk' as some would say.. But of course it's not coq at all, so let's begin there on this tiny ramble around a classic french dish. For every group of chickens that actually ha
Dec 17, 2025


A recipe years in the making
"pushing the boundaries of Italian cuisine, to highlight the power food, drink and travel has on memory" Rob Hobart/Peroni Nastro Azzurro I started out today researching piña colada inspired desserts - it was a topic in my Ideas list. Somehow or other during those rambles around a couple of Google pages, I came across this Cherry and strawberry crostata with black sesame praline a dish that Ixta Belfrage had presented in her Substack newsletter, telling us that it was a re
Dec 4, 2025


A Persian comfort dish
"a nostalgic Iranian childhood snack" Naz Deravian/The New York Times It began with The New York Times' Naz Deravian and yesterday's desk diary dish Dooymaaj salad - an intriguing enough name for me as a foodie blogger, to have a second look. You may not be able to access the recipe because eventually The New York Times retreats behind a pay wall. However, I'm guessing that you are unlikely to give this a try anyway. This is one of those dishes from other places in th
Nov 29, 2025


Indian cookbooks - then and now
"Books, even cookbooks, are written for a diversity of reasons and it is often more profitable to enquire why they have been written than analyse their contents in an uncritical manner. " Shylashri Shankar/The Peepul Tree I guess this particular post stems from one of those books on my desk - The Food of India - a large beautiful book which I picked up from the op shop for a song. Like it's companions in this series from the Murdoch stable on various world cuisines, it feat
Nov 4, 2025


Disappointing
"Disappointments are inevitable; discouragement is a choice . " Charles Stanley I like to have on my desk, a desk calendar - one of those things that stands on your desk waiting for you to tear off each day as it passes. I also have a diary - yes I use a paper diary. My excuse is age. Normally I have an art based one. I like to see paintings I don't know, discover beautiful pictures and new artists, even occasional blog inspiration. However, last year as the possibilitie
Oct 26, 2025


'Vegetarian mushroom shawarma pitas' - boring
"Novelty, the most potent of all attractions, is also the most perishable." Andre Maurois Once again I'm repeating myself, and also...
Jul 20, 2025


Black bottom oatmeal pie
"Women judge a pie by its crust, men by its filling." Sue Hubbell/The New Yorker To be honest I'm on the verge of abandoning this post,...
Apr 4, 2025


The ordinariness of pasta
"Every day millions of us are united in doing the same thing. We take a packet of pasta from the shelf, we tip the shapes into boiling...
Mar 13, 2025


Baked feta pasta - Again
"It's endlessly adaptable, all but foolproof. Most of all, it's just really, really good." Mary Elizabeth Williams/Salon Uninspired as...
Mar 9, 2025


Asparagus in Hong Kong
"I can get quite excited in Hong Kong when I am served a dish of crisp asparagus that is tinged with sesame oil." Madhur Jaffrey And...
Mar 7, 2025


Roasting vegetables
"Clearly, roasting is really the only way to treat vegetables if one hopes to be modern." J. Bryan Lowder/Slate In 1993 Delia Smith...
Jan 12, 2025


Collectors and/or creators
"it’s about familiarising yourself with ingredients and understanding flavours." Alex Hely Hutchinson There are so many things that you...
Sep 20, 2024


Not quite Pasta alla Norma
"Eggplant is slowly fried until burnished and rich with olive oil, then served with pasta in a garlicky tomato sauce and garnished with...
Aug 10, 2024


Spaghetti pie, cake, slice ...
"simple, luxurious, yet slightly trashy" Jamie Oliver I didn't get to finish this post yesterday because I spent too much time in the...
Jul 18, 2024


Old fashioned magic - possets
"Posset is persistent. It’s patient. It seems archaic and impossible, but it’s also just a boozy custard which is very easy to...
Apr 27, 2024


Living in a tourist town
"culture feeding tourism feeding culture." Ros Atkins/The Guardian Before I embark on this post just a note to say that there is a...
Feb 23, 2024


Salmon and pesto
This is going to be our dinner tonight - Delia's Roasted salmon fillets with a crusted pecorino and pesto topping. I'm pretty sure I've...
Jan 6, 2024


Focaccia - very old and also new
"Of all the Mediterranean breads, focaccia (fugassa in the local dialect) - one of the great triumphs of Ligurian cooking - is the...
Nov 17, 2023


Chowder
"A velvety mélange of fresh clams, sweet cream and even fresher corn off the cob, it is definitely more than a mere pottage. It is...
Oct 22, 2023

