

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, 2025


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, 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


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, 2025


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, 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


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


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


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


Gubbins
"gubbins - various things that are not important" Oxford Dictionary "gubbins - another word for stuff" I Swear English Gubbins Yes...
Oct 23, 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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

