As the famous quote goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single fennel bulb. For far too long, I lived my life without fennel. I was poorer for it. When fennel was introduced, a whole world opened…
Chocolate Mousse in a Cup
The photo of the mousse in a champagne glass is not my photo. Alas. This professional photo shows the PINNACLE of chocolate mousse in a cup. A chocolate mousse Everest, if you will. However, the other photo on the left…
My Mother’s Garden – A Poem
The movies would have us believe that childhood is a series of adorable and wacky Home Alone moments. That’s why it’s the movies. It’s fantasy. The reality is usually simpler, and less spectacularly Christmasy. Looking back now, I never realised…
Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Chicken
Big tip for my younger self – be at peace with buying home-made gnocchi at the market. World’s best shortcut (apart from puff pastry) when you want something fast. (It also freezes well, and cooks from frozen.) And if you…
One Sausage, One Tomato, 100g Pasta, Meal Deal
This is exactly what it is. Per person, one sausage, one tomato, 100 grams of pasta, parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Sounds too easy to be true? Walk this way. The pasta may not look like it’s coated in sauce,…
Easy Spice Lamb Backstrap Dinner
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The vast majority of dinners cooked by home cooks like me day in, day out, aren’t Instagrammable. They’re nutritious, simple, practical, and hopefully quick. But not the stuff of reels and pins….
The Sweet Potato Salad Spot
Hands up who knew that the sweet potato was cultivated before the white potato? That Columbus pretty much introduced them to Europe? That sweet potato was considered an aphrodisiac, hence why extremely popular with serial philanderer Henry VIII?? Well, I…
Oranges and Sunsets Poems
Posting these purely for the love of oranges and sunsets. Brought to you by the colour orange. Oranges Come buy my fine oranges, sauce for your veal,And charming, when squeezed in a pot of brown ale;Well roasted, with sugar and…
The Tomato Tart You Can Take Anywhere
I come from a generation that inhaled the sweet-basil promises of the book Under The Tuscan Sun which ensured that, for rest of our lives, we’d indulge in the fantasy of starting afresh in Italy, renovating villas, pressing olives, and…
Jelly Shots and A Poem
I’ve only made these once, and every time I see this photo, I’m reminded of Covid lockdowns. These red, white and blue jelly shots were a novelty treat, enjoyed in September, 2021, to mark a football match. Our city was…
