We were on holiday in Krakow in Poland last week, arriving back in the early hours of this morning, so I spent the week eating Polish goodies and drinking Polish beer and dangerously alcoholic spirits. Although I was keen to try Polish food, I admit I wasn’t expecting anything special: stodge, lots of meat, rustic […]
Eating in
Cookbook Challenge – Ferran Adria’s The Family Meal: Peas & Ham, Roast Chicken
I was a bit worried that Andrew was being too ambitious when he chose The Family Meal cookbook by Ferran Adria – he of El Bulli fame. The book is called The Family Meal because it focuses on meals cooked for staff at the restaurant as opposed to those cooked for paying guests, which at […]
Three ways with Tabasco in a #Funwithflavour challenge
A few years ago, if anyone had ever suggested to me that I would be using Tabasco in a starter, main course AND pudding I would have reminded them that I am weak around chilli, and when I was younger used to find tomato ketchup too spicy. However, times change, and although I am still […]
Week 16 – pizza, curry, a slap-up meal with the Canadians and Star Wars
This week has truly been a week of delicious food, despite almost all my plans going to pot. I started the week properly with beef curry and brown rice as planned, cooked as my plumber started working on the installation of a new boiler. I had forgotten that not having hot water extended to the […]
Week 15 – an All Blacks themed 40th birthday cake
It has been a busy old week this week with some birthday baking for our friend Danny, who just turned 40. His wife Monika asked me to bake him a birthday cake for his party, something chocolate-y, and as I had the perfect chocolate cake in my repertoire from Henry’s christening cake, I was happy […]
Cookbook Challenge – Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food: irresistible pork buns & potted custard
When I originally started my Cookbook Challenge I said it was because I wanted to avoid always picking recipes from my favourite stand-by books, generally by Nigella and Jamie. But when Andrew is picking the book each week and happens to have seen a TV show with Jamie Oliver making ‘irresistible pork buns’, there’s not […]
Week 14 – did somebody mention CHOCOLATE? And a trip to La Patisserie des Reves
Well, I am pleased to say that Andrew wisely listened to my pleads (demands) and bought me a lovely – and huge – Cocoa Loco egg again this year, so I’ll be munching on chocolate for a few weeks (even I can’t get through 1.2kg of delicious rich chocolate that quickly). Of course that means […]
Week 13 – and a few kitchen disasters
I am a bit late posting up my plans for this week … mainly due to my first kitchen disaster: a bout of food poisoning. As much as I hate to blame my own culinary skills for anything, I fear that a night of intense sickness during the early hours of Sunday morning – from which […]
Cookbook Challenge – Two Greedy Italians: classic lasagne
Who doesn’t love lasagne eh? Most home cooks will have their own version, whether it’s made using a jar of sauce (which is how I first started making mine years ago, and I used to love eating the white sauce out of the jar with a spoon!), or a skinny version with leeks instead of […]
My #PerfectPorridge with Flahavan’s Irish Organic Porridge oats
I do love a nice bowl of porridge in the morning. It’s quick to make, warming, lines your tummy and is generally a healthy start to the day. So when Flahavan’s, the porridge people, contacted me to ask if I would create three ‘perfect porridge’ recipes for them if they sent me a few goodies, […]