A day of unbroken cloud was the opportunity to stay inside and go through a pile of cuttings and food related articles. I kept none but did come away with ideas and some tips. Simon Hopkinson recommends adding a little sugar to horseradish sauce as it does ‘something to the enzymes’ and makes the sauce…

I dont think there is a recipe in Diana Henrys book, From the Oven to the Table, that isn`t tempting. Now that it is well into the asparagus season, finding simple ways to prepare asparagus is always a treat. This recipe deserves the best ingredients; the ricotta should be fresh and our Somerset pecorino is…

This was a great dish to take to a Sunday lunch party and proved to be a very popular first course for six. Oven at 190° 1 roll of all butter puff pastry2 bunches of carrots2 medium sized, raw beetroot2 medium sized red onions, chopped2-4 tbs olive oil2 star anise1 sprig thyme1 tsp granulated sugar1…

A discussion with Mike, my local greengrocer, and the subject turned to carrot tops. He reminded me that Rachel Demuth, who ran the legendary vegetarian restaurant in Bath, had served carrot top pesto. Rick Stein made it too. Indeed pesto doesn’t just have to be basil (though that remains my favourite); kale is good and…

This recipe worked well for me. I made eight jars. 1.25kg Seville oranges5 -7 cm piece ginger1.5kg granulated sugar (unrefined if possible)1x 200g jar preserved stem ginger Wash the oranges and, if they are not organic, scrub them using warm water to remove wax. Put them into a preserving pan with 2.25 litres water and…

I really enjoy shopping for fish when I just choose whatever appeals and start planning the meal for the evening from that moment . Recently it was the rainbow trout that caught my eye and, as trout is a delicate fish, I decided to give it vibrant flavour.  The salsa sauce could be made in…

I am a fan of Epiphany. It’s the time to make Galette des Rois and have a last flurry of celebration before Christmas is truly over and all the decorations come down. Brussels sprouts are long lasting and a pack in the fridge not used on Christmas Day has been central to a most delicious…

A very good pastry for pies and quiches Which pastry to make for a quiche or pie is very much a personal choice.At the moment this is my favourite. Inspiration came from ElizabethDavid’s recipe for Tarte à L’Onion in French Provincial Cooking. 250g plain flour125g butter, chilled1 egg yolkChilled waterPinch of salt Put the flour…

Madhur Jaffrey is legendary. Not only did she win the best actress award at the Berlin film festival in 1965 for her role in Merchant Ivory’ s Shakespeare Wallah, but wrote what remains my ‘go to’ book on Indian cookery. A new edition has been published with the addition of a few new recipes of…

It’s not usually wise to try a new recipe over the Christmas season. There is enough stress – so best to stick to tried and tested menus. However, there is one new vegetable dish that I had to try. It is Ottolenghi’s recipe. The name of the sauce is jurot and in the recipe he…