

Tomato and corn pies (and tarts)
"The problem more often than not is a basic one: tomatoes are very wet and tart crusts need to stay fairly dry" Deb Perelman/Smitten Kitchen I needed something that wasn't going to take long because I had already used up half of the day on reading a book group book and trying to speak Italian in my Italian class. Very depressing. So I decided I would pick a recipe - and then just ramble - and this was it - Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen's Tomato and corn pie I'm not exactl
Nov 11
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Bagatelles
Bagatelle: "a thing regarded as too unimportant or easy to be worth much consideration." Oxford Languages So yes 'bagatelle' is a French word for a trifle: "The French word bagatelle , from the Italian word bagatella , means a trifle or little decorative nothing." Wikipedia And this is an oddments post - full of trifles. A bagatelle trifle is also a specific French Canadian dish of which the magazine Saveur says "The typical bagatelle in La Beauce is a child's delight o
Oct 27
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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
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Intangible Mexico
"perhaps the most misunderstood country and cuisine on Earth." Anthony Bourdain Mexican food is huge. It is one of just four cuisines...
May 26
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Baked oats
"Everything looks like cake, but is not in fact cake." Emily Gerard/Today This is one of those posts that began with me thinking I was...
May 17
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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
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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
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Polenta pizza
"It’s not a pizza, ... It really is a happy-looking pie, with its yellows and reds and wonderfully golden edges." Ottolenghi Last year,...
Jun 21, 2024
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Variations - granola
"There is no real recipe for it, as it is made to the taste of the person preparing it." Family Spice Yes I know - this is not granola. ...
Apr 8, 2024
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Gubbins
"gubbins - various things that are not important" Oxford Dictionary "gubbins - another word for stuff" I Swear English Gubbins Yes...
Oct 23, 2023
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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
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From world's worst to best - Scotland
"Scotland has undoubtedly gifted us with the weirdest and most wonderful combinations of foodstuffs the world has ever seen." Rosie...
Oct 21, 2023
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Cornbread - I'm confused
"Everyone at least agrees that the best cornbread is made at home" Felicity Cloake "all cornbread is authentic, as long as it's good,...
May 30, 2023
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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
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Grains in a salad - ancient or new?
"The vast array of grains marketed as ancient—from quinoa to millet to spelt—are, yes, old. Maybe 3,000 years. Maybe 8,000. Who knows?...
Apr 25, 2022
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An unlikely mild disappointment
"These impressive looking peppers are deceptively easy to put together" Shelf Love On the left Ottolenghi, on the right mine. It was a...
Jan 21, 2022
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Breakfast is on the move at Coles - literally
"Supermarkets regularly move items around the store in an attempt to make customers walk around the store longer. Supermarkets also place...
Aug 28, 2021
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Malt
"Through all of these centuries, malt as a finished product has changed very little, probably only to the extent that better grades of...
Jul 7, 2021
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Ancient is modern
"The rise of ancient grains is, above all, a feat of marketing." New York Times This is not going to be a post about what you can do with...
Jun 8, 2021
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Quintessential Middle-eastern
This is a lucky dip post - I would have written about fish and chips because we were out for a pub lunch today - a commemoration for one...
Mar 11, 2021
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