Travel tips-Restaurant reviews-Recipes
Given my love of Italian food and because I’ve been writing this blog for over nine years now, it’s a bit surprising that I haven’t given a recipe for a traditional Lasagna al Forno before. I’ve given a vegetable version and have talked about making – and eating! – lasagna, but have not given an […]
Read MoreWho doesn’t like meatballs in tomato sauce? Well, vegetarians of course. But they are the ultimate comfort food and with Storm Gareth raging across the UK in the last few days, bringing damage-threatening winds and a bitter cold in the air, something warm and comforting was definitely needed. I usually take an Italian route to […]
Read More‘Simple’ and ‘Ottolenghi’ aren’t words that I’d instinctively put together. I love Yotam Ottolenghi’s food but it has to be said that his recipes are often complicated and contain many ingredients, even though a lot of them are ½ teaspoon of ‘this spice’ and ¼ teaspoon of another. So I have to confess I was a […]
Read MoreI had a wonderful Christmas at my daughter’s in Worcestershire and came back to London on Boxing Day. The following day my brother was due to come with my niece and nephew and a friend. I thought a good break from Christmas food – much as I like it – would be a fish pie. […]
Read MoreThis is a ‘bolognese’ sauce in essence, but of course we are better informed in 2018 and know we must never talk about ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’, especially to an Italian – and particularly one from Bologna! Certainly you will find meat ragù in Italy though and the first recorded version of a meat sauce served with […]
Read MoreSometimes creating a great meal isn’t about spending hours in the kitchen ‘slaving over a hot stove’. Sometimes it’s just about buying top quality food and more or less putting it together. Well, in the case of brilliantly barbecued steak, it also requires a good cook who knows what they are doing. Fortunately for me […]
Read MoreI’m a committed carnivore, hence tucking into Beef Tartare at the Duck & Waffle a couple of weeks ago, not to mention foie gras in Bilbao last weekend. However, I don’t eat meat every day; indeed many of my meals are meat free. But I had a rare but strong fancy for some steak today and […]
Read MoreWhen I was in Nice a few weeks ago, I had the most wonderful Boeuf en Daube one evening at Lou Pistou. I’d been looking for typically Niçoise food to eat while I was there and a daube captures much of the essence of Provençal cooking. When I ordered it, I wondered what made this […]
Read Moreé I’m still cooking meals for the new family and it’s great to have this practical way to help as Jonathan and Lyndsey adjust to the new baby’s arrival. It’s challenging me in a nice way to come up with different meals each evening; meals that are hearty and full of goodness. It reminded me […]
Read MoreIt’s still unseasonably warm in UK for the time of year but it’s been relentlessly wet since my return from Crete a couple of weeks ago and I’ve had a cold (it’s that time of year!). I had a packet of organic mince (10% fat) in the freezer I wanted to use up. I use mince […]
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