It’s not that I don’t like Christmas cake, I do, but a few pieces are enough. This cake is much lighter and does get eaten. The ingredients can be varied. I even make it in place of a Simnel cake for Easter, replacing half the cherries with finely chopped marzipan. Oven at 160°C. Grease a…

In the summer I grew little fat cucumbers which were delicious peeled and cut into batons. They gave a crunchiness to salads. Now I am buying cucumbers and using them very differently. I am pickling them so they are soft but give flavour. I keep a constant supply in a jar in the fridge. Once…

This is a delight and a revelation. Parsley butter is given more status with its French title, Beurre Maître d’Hôtel, and it’s magic. Try it on steaks, new potatoes or carrots. Mixed with lentils it makes a great dish to serve with pheasant, venison or pork. It is also useful to serve with turkey leftovers.…

Strictly it’s rösti, not rosti, but I think this dish has been around for long enough for us to drop the umlauts. I like the classic, simple version which makes an ideal choice for breakfast when there are no left over potatoes. 2 good sized potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated1 banana shallot, peeled and finely…

This wonderfully refreshing soup started with some rich chicken stock and a few celery stalks. The sorrel on the allotment was still good in mid-November. 1 onion, peeled and choppedOlive oil1 medium potato, peeled and chopped3 celery stalks, slicedChicken stockTwo large spoons Puy (or green) lentilsA handful of sorrel leavesSalt and freshly ground black pepper…

Cooked fennel has been an acquired taste for me. Love it with leeks and fish and now I have this dish which goes equally well with fish, chicken and turkey. We especially enjoy it with turkey escalopes. 2-3 bulbs fennel0.75 litres full fat milk2 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)1 generous pinch nutmeg50g unsalted butter45g plain flour2…

This was such a delicious, easy meal that it was requested again as soon as possible. Happy to oblige! The addition of paneer made what could have been a side dish into a whole meal. There are lots of recipes for Saag Aloo. I like this one for its heavy use of spices – you…

Pontack Sauce was reputedly made in the kitchen of M.Pontac whose tavern, The Pontack’s Head, was established in Abchurch Lane in the City of London after the Great Fire of 1666. M. Pontac was the son of Arnaud de Pontac, president of the Parliament of Bordeaux from 1653 to 1673. He owned excellent vineyards, including…

It was time to invent a new cake and this has been declared a rival to my ‘winner’, the Cheltenham cake. Both are easy to make, moreish and freeze well. Try to use pears that are neither too hard nor too soft. Windfalls would be fine. Line a greased 30 x 23 cm baking tray…

‘Tarragon is quarrelsome in the company of the bitter herbs and, but for its role among the fines herbes, is best used alone. Very pleasant when handled with discretion, it can become repellent – and this is especially true of cooked dishes – if too liberally dispensed; in combination with parsley, chives, and chervil, a…