

"Worth a write-up" said David
"Little joys illuminating an increasingly darkening world. They feed the soul and nourish the spirit." Nigel Slater A somewhat overblown, even, pretentious some would say, quote from Nigel, and although it probably overstates how I felt about last night's dinner, the dinner itself and David's comment did indeed induce a feeling of quiet satisfaction and maybe even pride that at least keeps me going. So here is my not very good photograph of a meal that I suppose could be ca
Dec 19, 2025


Wasabi with tahini?
"Embrace the wasabi and think of it as a hot mustard." Sue Li/New York Times The above photograph of Chicken and celery salad with Wasabi-tahini dressing by Sue Li comes from one of my desktop calendar pages, the recipe for which and a longer introduction, can be found on the Seattle Times website. As you probably know by now I'm not really into salads, but this one looks like a possibility - but wasabi and tahini? My first reaction was 'weird'. Why would you do that?
Dec 16, 2025


Old-fashioned asparagus
"No good will come from matching asparagus with anything that might overshadow its gentle nature. Any accompaniment needs to know its...
Oct 2, 2025


Thickening with bread - a ramble
"Where there is stale bread there is home." Juls' Kitchen This was going to be a blog about the different ways you can thicken things. ...
Aug 29, 2025


Samples
"a small amount of something that shows you what the rest is or should be like" Cambridge Dictionary Samples is perhaps particularly...
Jul 19, 2025


A riff on a riff on a riff - tuna mornay
"Even the recipes you thought were canonical often started with a riff." Alice Zaslavsky I've gone back to my Ideas list with tuna...
Jun 24, 2025


Tfaya
Above is Tfaya baked chicken from Nargisse Benkabbou - now British, but born in Brussels to Moroccan born parents - chef and food...
Jun 20, 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


Mouthfuls
Mouthful "an amount of food or drink that fills your mouth, or that you put into your mouth at one time" Cambridge English Dictionary...
Apr 24, 2025


Boujee (not bougie), XO sauce
"Boujee is hip-hop slang for something “luxurious in lifestyle yet humble in character,” influenced by and often interchanged with the...
Feb 17, 2025


Pasta, butter, cheese
"the ultimate 'I can’t believe this came from only that'" Alison Roman "Heat the butter in a skillet until it's as dark as you want,...
Jan 17, 2025


Gravy soup? Why didn't I think of that?
"This is the fridge's finest hour" Nigel Slater I've given up for now ignoring NIgel and Yotam - it's just too hard at this time of the...
Dec 27, 2024


When you've got nothing to do - mantı
"According to Turkish legend, if you really want to impress your guests, your mantı should be small enough so that 40 of them can fit in...
Dec 13, 2024


A green sauce for almost everything
"There are no green sauce rules — only what tastes good to you." Margaret Eby/Food and Wine Today I'm back to Nigel Slater's batch of...
Oct 10, 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


Simple essentials - Nigel's first recipes
"Small details that make a big difference" Nigel Slater It's first recipe time and working my way through my bookshelves I have come to...
Sep 3, 2024


Pumpkin gnocchi
"As for the gnocchi family, their merits as inexpensive, attractive, and original little dishes will be quickly perceived" Elizabeth...
Jun 22, 2024


Hot wing rambles
"One cannot fix one's eyes on the commonest natural production without finding food for a rambling fancy." Jane Austen I do have the...
Jun 2, 2024


Poutine - trendy junk food
"when seen for the first time, poutine looks like a culinary catastrophe." Rebecca Nicholson/The Guardian Indeed it does, but then...
May 29, 2024


Soupçons
"soupçon - a very small amount." Cambridge Dictionary In French it also means a suspicion. So let's stay French - well only in that...
May 20, 2024

