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…

This is a perfect salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas,  inspired by Nigella Lawson (who had used chestnuts). It is festive, colourful, refreshing, and great to take to a party.  The dressing can be made in advance.  1 or 2 radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces 100g pecans 100g crumbly blue cheese, such as Dorset Blue Vinny…

It wasn’t the meal I intended to make but it has been a crazy weekend and, by mistake, I had put the chicken I had planned to use in the deep freeze and not the fridge. Chicken tikka will happen another time but, as I had started its preparation by straining Greek yoghurt overnight, I…

The clocks have gone back and it’s time to have a final check on the allotment. The onion sets are planted, the ground prepared for planting the broad beans and it’s time to take stock. Looking around, I thought I could find enough ingredients for a salad. Nasturtium leaves, a few of the last tender…

Beetroot and spinach are still in good supply and provide simple suppers for a quick mid week meal. Chard could easily be substituted for the spinach. The quantities can be varied – depending what you have to hand. 150g spinach, shredded if the leaves are big1 red onion, peeled and finely choppedOlive oil2 plum tomatoes,…

In the US this recipe is known as Bread and Butter Pickle – an off putting title which must be explained. It describes a cheap and cheerful pickle to accompany the simplest of food served in American homes during the Great Depression. Of course, there can be many variants as the recipe is intended to…