Lamb & Feta Meatballs

July 24, 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

I had some lamb mince in my freezer that I wanted to use up; there was an aubergine in the fridge, delivered by Waitrose a week ago, that also needing using up. My first thought with the mince was kofte – this is what I mainly buy it for, kofte to go on the barbecue. […]

A Visit to Buckingham Palace Garden

July 18, 2021.Reading time 13 minutes.

My daughter-in-law Rachael is a self-confessed Royal Family fan so when she saw that Buckingham Palace was opening its garden to the public for the first time this summer, she couldn’t resist buying tickets. Happily she included me, so with my daughter Nicola and their son Rufus (2¾) we set off to the palace on […]

Hazelnut, Peach & Raspberry Cake

July 18, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

I saw this recipe in Ottolenghi Simple ages ago and thought it looked and sounded wonderful. But of course it’s not a recipe for the winter. Well unless you’re happy buying out-of-season fruit that’s been flown in from the other side of the world. This isn’t just an environmental point; out-of-season fruit really doesn’t taste […]

Scones with Jam & Clotted Cream

July 10, 2021.Reading time 11 minutes.

It’s a very long time since I’ve made scones; so long I even wondered if I ever had. But I’m pretty sure I made them reasonably often years ago but of late I’ve left the scone making to my daughter Nicola who gets the most amazing results in her Aga and I always refer to […]

A Ratatouille

June 27, 2021.Reading time 13 minutes.

I’ve carefully called this post A Ratatouille. Emphasis on the ‘A’. Ten years of food blogging has taught me to tread carefully when it comes to classics and people get very upset if they think you’ve got it wrong. To be honest, I don’t like people messing with the classics too much myself; there comes […]

Travelling by Book

June 18, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

I’ve insatiably devoured books since I first went to school. I started school late due to a family house move; I was five and a half and should have begun school a year earlier. I skipped quickly up two years within a few months and certainly by the age of eight was a serious reader. […]

Fennel Risotto with Roasted Tomato

June 8, 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

Regular readers will know I have a bit of an addiction to risottos. Well, there are worse addictions! I love risottos for their taste of Italy and for their versatility, for you can make them with pretty much anything – vegetables, fish, meat – and they can be comforting winter dishes, like my Mushroom and […]

Rosemary Marinated Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto & Freekeh Salad

May 30, 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

Here we are, a couple of days away from June, and finally the weather has decided to be summery after a month which felt akin to March rather than May. It had a brief flirtation with summer a month or so ago, but since then we’ve had endless days of rain and unpredictable weather and […]

Stein’s on Staycation

May 25, 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

It was a late celebration for my birthday last month. My daughter Nicola couldn’t be with me then due to Covid restrictions (she lives in Worcestershire; I live in London) and this weekend was the first time I’d seen her – and her 2½ year old son Rufus – in over five months. Definitely celebrations […]

Waste Not, Want Not … the Quandary of the Leftover Pastry

May 3, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m not a great waster in the kitchen but I have to confess I usually just throw leftover pastry away; the small amount of pastry such as was left over after making the Rhubarb Tart yesterday. Sometimes, I’ll leave the little clump of leftovers in the fridge, promising myself I’ll do something with it in […]