Cream horns are the kind of thing I used to be given as a treat when I was little – a posh and indulgent cake from the local bakery. Sugar-encrusted puff pastry filled with whipped cream is a simple thing, but done well it’s a thing of beauty. Cream horns in themselves are not complicated: […]
GBBO week 8 – pie: chicken and leek pie
I had never made puff pastry before, but following some recent success with Arlettes (made with reverse puff pastry) I decided to give it a go so that I could make a pie for this week’s Bake Off challenge, and also make some cream horns for next week’s challenge, as I’ll be in Las Vegas […]
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Week 38 – lunch with Nathan Outlaw
Here’s another week where there’s not much to share by way of menu planning as we’re off on holiday (yay!), so instead I want to tell you about my brilliant lunch with Nathan Outlaw a couple of weeks ago. I first came across Nathan Outlaw on Great British Menu, when he cooked to represent the […]
GBBO week 6 – frangipane: Chocolate Crunchie Frangipane Tart
Frangipane, frangipane, frangipane. How I want to like you, but I just don’t. The combination of sweetened ground almonds reminds me too much of the detestable marzipan. But as the GBBO alternative challenges this week were a complicated and difficult looking pudding, and a selection of vol-au-vents which I love but my tummy doesn’t need […]
Week 37 – lunch with Gennaro Contaldo
Once again there is no point planning my foodie week as I am home alone for a couple of days while Andrew goes to see Wales play in the World Cup; off to Paris for a couple of days with work; and out and about for a couple more. I am going to have a […]
GBBO week 5 – sugar free cake: table sugar free, gluten free, dairy free coconut and pineapple cake
First, before we go any further, let me just be completely clear that this cake contains coconut sugar instead of cane sugar. To me that’s not really sugar-free, although it does comply with the rules of this week’s Bake Off challenge. It may not be table sugar – the white, granulated stuff that we know […]
Week 36 – potato and courgette rosti (new recipe)
During the last week I have for various reasons been buying breakfast and lunch instead of making my own. And it’s bloody expensive! A fruit salad for breakfast, soup and yoghurt or sandwich for lunch, throw in a coffee and you are looking at £7-10 per day in the City of London. An expensive way […]
Foodie penpals – August 2015
Thanks to a pretty horrendous workload at the moment, I am only just getting around to sharing my latest Foodie Penpals update. My parcel from Anne of Les Recettes du Panier (“Recipes from a wicker basket”) was awesome, so I have been desperate to post … so annoying when work gets in the way! So […]
GBBO week 4 – baked cheesecake: Speculoos biscuit cheesecake (Lotus Biscoff)
Have you ever tried speculoos biscuits? If you have ever been to a little coffee shop on the continent and been served a lightly spiced, caramel biscuit with your coffee then chances are you have tried one. Or maybe you tried to recreate my homemade speculoos biscuits? My point is, if you haven’t tried them […]
Week 35 – lunch at Ottolenghi’s (review)
As I explained last week, due to travels to Paris for work I didn’t have much luck in the way of planning. I did indeed have pork chops, salmon and faggots, a tasty crab sandwich, plus a delicious Sunday lunch with local pals Isi and Michael earlier today. I made a speculoos cheesecake for pudding […]