Two of the greatest words in the English language are “happy” and “hour” (jokes). These salami puff pastry pillows are an excellent accompaniment. They have just enough salt to be moreish, and just enough chilli to stop you eating too…
Visiting Renoir – A Poem
Another in my ekphrastic series. Visiting Renoir I called it a blue and white ceramic.You called it a faïence jardinière.I called Paul Berard’s home a farmhouse.You called it a pied-à-terre.The tapestry, you noted, was crimson red.Did you notice, like my…
The Philosophers’ Meal – A Poem
Continuing my ekphrastic poetry series. The Enlightenment At the Thursday night dinner of philosophers,it was Voltaire, Innkeeper of Europe,(self-dubbed)who raised his handto quiet the debate betweenle père Adam, Laharpe,l’abbé Maurice, CondorcetDiderot and d’Alembertregarding the nature of truth and tolerance;separation of…
Blonde Bolognese
This dish is more properly called bolognese bianco (white bolognese) or, even more properly, a ragù bianco (bolognese is a style of ragù from the Bologna region). I just think Blonde Bolognese sounds more fun 😂. It’s a perfect alternative…
Apple and Sultana (Pantry) Cake
I’m calling this apple and sultana cake a “pantry cake” because it’s excellent for those days when you want to bake, but don’t want to shop. Surely we all have a couple of apples lying around? Brown sugar? Maybe some…
A Haiku
I don’t know what it was about this boy’s face that caught my eye. Or maybe it was the apple on the floor? The half-eaten cake? That gesture which seems to declare, “Mine!”. I just tried to have fun with…
Still Life with Ham – A Poem
I love the challenge of ekphrastic poetry, responding to works of art with words. This is the start of a series of poetry posts, some more serious than others, in which I engage on food-related themes. I ensure all the…
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Don’t expect a big, bouncy sponge. The pineapple upside down is quite a flat cake. But what you can expect is a beautifully moist cake with a heavenly syrup. I wrote about the history of the pineapple here, and how…
Raspberry Brownie Tart
I tend to prefer fruit-based desserts to chocolate. But this raspberry brownie tart is one I make an exception for. The contrast of tart raspberry and rich dark chocolate works exceptionally well with the soft brownie texture. Here is the…
Teeny Chocolate Chip Cookies
These bite-sized chocolate chip cookies come under the same heading as my coconut raspberry jam slice. In other words, they’re exactly the kind of treat you might find being looked at longingly by cats through a window, or enjoyed by…
Once upon a time …
No-Cook Mango Mustard Sauce
There’s honestly not a lot I can say about this terrific mango mustard sauce. It takes less than ten minutes to throw together, and you can just use a fork to mash it up. The no-cook mango mustard sauce is…
