I’m not much of a pudding eater…kind of prefer to save my calorific intake for savoury treats. But I am a huge fan of this traditional South African dessert called Malva pudding. It’s a pretty youthful pudding, allegedly served for the first time at the restaurant at Boschendal, near Stellenbosch in the late 1970s. I’ve…
In summer I manage to grow most of my own salad leaves. I pick what I need and never have leftovers (or if I do, the snails are just very grateful. But, with no greenhouse, once autumn kicks in, I’m forced into buying salads from the supermarket – bags of rocket and mixed salad, little…
One of the things I love most about travelling is all the new flavours you discover. And never was this more true than on our trip to Kerala in Southern India two years ago. I was constantly delighted by the array of delicious dishes that appeared as we explored this beautiful country. And a lot…
If like me, you’ve succumbed to sourdough baking, you’ll be searching for more ways to use up your frothy starter. Beyond the basic sourdough boule, there are a host of things that you can use a sourdough starter for – including focaccia (which literally means ‘flatbread’). While making focaccia isn’t tricky, it’s certainly not just…
I spend a lot of time in Spain (though not this year obviously!). I love the food – often it’s the simplest of dishes that are the tastiest. The key is choosing your ingredients carefully and this combination of flavours makes for such a beautifully rich Spanish-style paprika sausage stew that takes no effort to…
While I am not a great baker, in my view there are certain essential recipes that everyone needs in their portfolio. A good recipe for muffins and cupcakes, one for brownies, one for cookies and one for sourdough bread. I can promise that, if you’ve never tried making your own cookies, once you do you…
Today I’m making pan con tomate (bread with tomato), one of my favourite Spanish dishes. I first tasted this harbourside in Cabo de Palos when I was on holiday in Murcia in South East Spain where I spotted people ordering it for breakfast. I have it every time I visit now, with a glass of…
Possibly the best cheese on toast in the world – Goats Cheese and Grilled Pepper Tartine. What is a tartine? Originally made with a long slice of baguette sliced horizontally then spread with whatever happened to be leftover in the house (the word tartiner in French means to spread), today’s tartines are made with a…
Posh Potatoes in a Jiffy – Parmentier Potatoes. This is one of those recipes you need to know about. Delicious and mouthwatering, laced with herbs and garlic, crispy Parmentier Potatoes will posh up every meal from sausages to salmon – and if you are really in need of comfort food, just grate a little cheese…
Easy Soup for Chilly Spring Days – White Bean and Cauliflower. Throughout the winter I generally have a bowl of soup in the fridge. It’s usually made with a concoction of leftover cheese, vegetables and some good stock – this broccoli, stilton and celery soup is a good example. If all else fails I resort…
