

Smidgens
"a very small amount" Dictionary.com "Just a smidgen" - it's one of those mildly irritating things that people say when you are offering them a treat of some kind - some cake, some cream to go with the cake ... isn't it? In this case it's going to be a number of smidgens - little things from here and there. Almost exclusively recipes from here and there this time. But isn't English a wonderful language? I looked up the etymology of this rather cosy sounding word - and var
Feb 10


Robert, Tessa or Rachel?
or maybe Elizabeth or Richard? What do they all have in common? Provence. Well every now and then not always. What do they not have in common? The years in between them all. The times. Why am I featuring them? Well this is another account of another potential meal, and how I decided on what to cook. On Friday we are entertaining friends for lunch together with my sister and her husband. Maybe, at least for some of the time my niece who is driving her mother to and fro
Feb 4


Koofteh berenji - Persian meatballs
Number 46 in the 80 meatballs from around the world are Koofteh berenji - as made here by Bunny Banyai. I made them last night for the family - we were welcoming back the European travellers - and of course I forgot to take photographs of mine. I was just glad to get it all ready for people to dive in, after working most of the day in the kitchen, so I forgot. I mostly enjoyed the day in the kitchen by the way. However, I was mildly disappointed with them, even though eve
Feb 2


Capsicum stuffed with tomatoes
"an Italian idea that has been put into words well by Elizabeth David, Simon Hopkinson and Nigel Slater among many others. And no wonder – it is such a good idea" Rachel Roddy I spent another happy almost hour with Nigel today, checking out his book Tender volume 1 for my lunch party on Sunday. If you remember I had forgotten to check this volume out. And of course there were heaps of other possibilities in addition to what I wrote about the other day, but I think I will
Dec 12, 2025


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


Cheating at cassoulet
"Sometimes in life, we have to make a choice: Idealized fantasy or achievable reality." Adina Steiman/Food and Wine I've been thinking...
Sep 16, 2025


A lot of fuss - but maybe worth it
"as I'm a pastry cook at heart, I've been making all sorts of herb-laden tarts, including this lovely tomato one. It's very simple." ...
Aug 21, 2025


Matar paneer
The dish above is not matar paneer - it's paneer pasanda - which means favourite paneer. I was about to finish my 'research' on matar...
Aug 15, 2025


Nuggets
" nugget - a small piece or lump, especially of gold in its natural state" or "something small but valuable or excellent" Cambridge...
Aug 5, 2025


The problems with first recipes
"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." Henry...
Apr 15, 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


New now old
"Vegetables are savagely beautiful things." Jill Dupleix This is a quickie - something simple to end my day of hard labour over those...
Jan 31, 2025


Chop-chop
Chop-chop - " used to tell someone to hurry." Cambridge Dictionary Well I am in a hurry today. Dentist and shopping - done, but this...
Oct 16, 2024


Fried red tomatoes
For dinner tonight I'm going to try that kefir fried chicken recipe I talked about the other day, so I have been pondering on what to...
Sep 6, 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


Feeling lazy? Puttanesca to the rescue
"Puttanesca - Although you will often see its Italian name explained as meaning “whore’s pasta” in English, the general consensus seems...
May 11, 2024


Vegetables then and now
"Vegetarianism wasn’t just perceived as a dietary choice but a lifestyle one. If you were veggie you were a hippie." Fiona Beckett/BBC...
May 9, 2024


So ordinary
This is a dish found in the last Coles Magazine. It's called One-pan prosciutto chicken with tomatoes and honestly there is nothing...
Mar 10, 2024


Swifties
"Swifty - Australian - a deceptive trick" An alcoholic drink consumed quickly" Oxford Languages "Not a valid Scrabble word" Wordnik "A...
Mar 2, 2024


I feel like pasta and I have - fennel
So - we are back from our mini adventure down in Inverloch about which I am still pondering on what to say. An end to being cooked for...
Mar 1, 2024

