Venison Meatballs with Mushroom & Madeira Sauce

I rarely buy ready-made anything but my son introduced me to Waitrose’s venison burgers, which are great for a quick and tasty supper. So when I saw some venison meatballs on special offer in Waitrose a couple of days ago, I couldn’t resist trying them. They’re pretty much pure venison – 90% – and although […]

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Quick Apple Tartlets

Jonathan Swift used the phrase ‘life’s too short’ all the way back in 1711. Then Shirley Conran coined the phrase, ‘life’s too short to stuff a mushroom’ in her 1975 book Superwoman, aimed at busy women; it was a transforming book that liberated women and made it OK to take shortcuts and not feel they had […]

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Very Simple Chicken Curry

When it comes to Italian and Middle Eastern food – which are pretty much what I cook most of the time – I’m quite purist. I like to search for the most authentic recipe, seek out a bit of history for traditional dishes, and will spend time ‘getting it right’ as far as I can. […]

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Black Squid Ink Pasta with Salmon & Slow-roasted Tomatoes

I love salmon and try to eat it once a week, not only because I like it but because it’s full of healthy fatty acids so is good for me. I always buying organic as the poor salmon has been much abused by the fish farming industry in recent years and most specimens are chemically-infested, […]

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Fregola with Sausage & Tomato Sauce

I first came across fregola in the summer. My lovely local Italian restaurant, Masaniello, uses it to thicken their wonderful fish stew. When I asked what it was, the waiter described it as small pasta, a bit like large couscous. And once you eat it, you understand the description because it has a silky softness […]

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