‘We may think we are nurturing our garden but of course it is our garden that is nurturing us’ I love summer vegetables; I taste a lot of sweetness in them when they are in season. Leeks, courgettes, celery, peas. It brings forward the sweetness of the summer. This dish really utilises those veggies and …
‘Not all of us can be a truffle. Most of us are potatoes, and that is a very good thing’ – Massimo Bottura These potatoes pack a powerful punch. They are a side dish but are also the star of the show. I served them with a marinated tofu steak for half the family, whilst …
‘Do not be afraid of simplicity’ This is a lentil soup that is made by Italian’s on New Year’s Day, but I have made it a staple in our household. It is simple to make but packed with flavour. This is because you put all the ingredients into one pot and make a vegetable stock …
‘Life is a combination of magic and pasta’ Puttanesca is a pasta source from the south of Italy, from Napoli traditionally made with black olives, garlic, chilli and capers. It is known to have anchovies, but this is from a neighbouring town in Lazio and is optional. The name is often translated as ‘woman of …
Beluga or black lentils are also known as the caviar of lentils as they hold their shape well and so look like the fish equivalent. They are easy to digest and a great source of protein, iron and fibre. In the pursuit of as many non-heme sources of iron as possible, this is a staple …
‘Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race’ – Anthony Bourdain Over my lifetime I have come to realise that I like street food more than restaurant food, appetisers more than entrees and finger food more than a main course. I don’t know where this is because I like the variety it …
‘I really love the taste of smoke, because it is so unexpected. Yet when you taste it, it’s sort of familiar and otherworldly at the same time. I guess that’s what I really like about what smoke does to food’ I saw a recipe for carrot and cardamom soup in the Covent Garden Soup cookbook …
‘If you plant corn, don’t be surprised to get corn’ This recipe comes from. ‘At home with the whole food kitchen’ by Amy Chaplin and Johnny Miller I made this polenta and served it a few different ways. The first step is to cook the polenta in water. You can add salt and pepper and …
I should really call these disappearing fries as every time I make them and leave them on the counter, half of them are gone by the time I come back (mentioning no names, Mum and Mr. B) They are delicious and taste similar to normal fries, although they seem to crisp up better. I now …
‘Just say cheese’ When I turned to vegetarianism at the tender age of 13, one of the things I missed most was my mum’s roast lamb. She would make it at Christmas, Easter and on request for special occasions. One of the things that made up for giving this up was to get extra portions …
