Lunch in Windsor

I’ve been meeting my friend Nina for lunch in Windsor fairly regularly for a few years now; sometimes she comes to Richmond. It’s only recently that I’ve realised it’s just as quick to go by train as car – and certainly easier, especially as the Windsor & Eton Riverside station is so central that as you […]

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Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Well just the title tells you all about the weather in London! Summer has gone back into hiding and we have rain and a chill in the air. I took the Tube to South Kensington this morning; an umbrella to hand. I wanted to buy some coffee pods from the Nespresso shop in Knightsbridge; supermarket […]

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Carluccio’s Caffe Launches New Sharing Plates

I spend quite a lot of time in various Carluccio’s Caffes – though mainly my local Richmond branch. I buy most of my pasta there (especially my favourite orecchiette), polenta, olives, panettone at Christmas, colomba at Easter and wonderful baci di dama biscuits (to which I am seriously addicted). I probably meet friends there for […]

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Carluccio’s Caffe, Covent Garden, London

When I was at Carluccio’s party for their Christmas 2014 press release recently, it occurred to me that while I frequently speak of my affection for Carluccio’s Caffe and talk about how I always buy their wonderful orrechiette and trofie pasta, have a strong addiction to their Baci di Dama biscuits from Piedmont, and like […]

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Roasted Red Peppers with Salsa Verde & Pine Nuts

It was lovely to have my daughter Nicola with me for the night, en route from Birmingham to a week-long course in Tunbridge Wells starting this morning. Birmingham to Tunbridge Wells for a 9.00am start isn’t great; Birmingham to Mum’s in Twickenham for a night and supper and on to Tunbridge Wells the next morning […]

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Trofie with Pesto, Green Beans & Potatoes

What I decide to cook is often more of an evolution than a decision. I spied a bunch of parsley in my fridge yesterday while seeking something else and thought, Hmmm, how about making a pesto with just parsley tomorrow to go with pasta? But then I thought, I don’t think I’ve made a classic […]

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