

A classic in so many ways
"Along the way I was reminded of a kind of cooking which, in the pursuit of the new, I had all but forgotten. And I fell in love with it all over again." Jay Rayner/The Guardian This is a lucky dip post. David picked out the large format revised copy of Robert Carrier's Great Dishes of the World and the page I randomly chose included a recipe for Coq au vin - accompanied by a short essay and this old-style arty photograph of the dish - well the ingredients. Although now th
May 15


Chasing culinary white whales
"It’s not until you come to make it yourself that you see what’s not written down.” Felicity Cloake This is my culinary white whale - and I apologise for it not being one of my mother's dishes. Which is not to say that I don't make things that my mother did, and that I don't remember those dishes with all those warm and cuddly feelings the cooking world would like us to have when we think of mum's cooking - or even better - grandma's cooking. And I will come to mum and gra
May 4


Memory rambles over lunch
"Nostalgia - the vice of the aged." Angela Carter Same old, same old. Another ramble about memory and nostalgia. I know, so apologies, but I couldn't really let our wonderful Friday lunch with our regular lunch friends go unacknowledged. I mean look at it - in spite of my awful photography. Not my cooking this time. In the last few years we have fallen into a pattern with two old friends, of entertaining each other - turn and turn about - with an invitation to lunch. Bo
May 3


Handwritten
"a small labour in these copy-and-photograph times." Rachel Roddy She means copy and paste surely? Yesterday I was a bit uninspired and so I started looking through the Ideas pages in my little notebook of various nudges into blog posts and there at the top of the page on the right is an idea from Rachel Roddy, which I wasn't really up for yesterday, although I did check out the article, which was, as always with her, an interesting one. So today, having survived the threa
Mar 2


Fried bread
"Not to be confused with fry bread." Wikipedia I sat for a while at my desk trying to think of something to write about but gave up and...
Sep 24, 2025


"You just need a starting point"
"If you don't know where you're going Any road will take you there" George Harrison Yet another day of dithering over what to write...
Jul 9, 2025


The nostalgia of mundane meals
"Mundane nostalgia refers to the sentimental longing for ordinary, everyday aspects of the past." Google AI The title of this particular...
Jun 16, 2025


Everyday and old things - my kitchen
"Napery - Napery refers to household linen, especially table linen. It includes items like tablecloths, napkins, placemats, and table...
May 20, 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


Pumpkins, fairy stories and recipes
"A fat round pumpkin is used both as a candlelit ghoul at All Hallows and as a fairytale stagecoach to whisk Cinderella to the ball" ...
Apr 27, 2025


French village moments
Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life....
Mar 19, 2025


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


Past, present, future - reminders
"A reminder helps you remember, whether it's an appointment, an acquaintance's name, or a grocery list." Vocabulary.com I have spoken...
Oct 9, 2024


You've got to eat a peck of dirt before you die
"there isn’t enough hand sanitiser in the world to keep a small child clean" Homa Khaleeli/The Guardian I continue to be uninspired so...
Sep 27, 2024


The frustrations of lucky dips
“I tell my students there is such a thing as ‘writer’s block,’ and they should respect it. It’s blocked because it ought to be blocked,...
Sep 24, 2024


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


More mayo - this time with pineapple
"a pineapple sandwich is one of those foods that it seems only Southerners love and appreciate." Southern Living This one began with a...
Sep 17, 2024


The joy of meatballs
"I don’t have the evidence to back this up, but I am convinced that meatballs are the greatest food on the planet." Stuart Heritage/The...
Aug 5, 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


My kitchen bit by bit - 2
"Anything can be a lodestar in a person's life, I suppose, and for some fortunates like me, the kitchen serves well." MFK Fisher Which...
Jul 23, 2024

