Grazing on ‘picky’ food is absolutely my favourite way of eating. It’s possible this stems from Sunday tea when I was a child, not being a character that enjoyed the rituals of 1970’s mealtimes or what they had to offer…I did love Sunday tea. This would be a selection of small plates of seafood, some salads, a little bread a little cheese and so on… or on occasion it would be some nice ham, and celery, always celery. Continue reading Meanwhile in London…
Cabbage with potatoes, bread and cheese
Looking out into the misty London morning, makes me think of and long for the Mountains near our home in the Pyrenees. There is something magnetic, I find, about proximity to those majestic peaks, peaceful, ethereal and magnificent…
Some time ago, I was watching Antonio Carluccio cooking up a soup, whilst on a misty mountain, it looked fabulous, in the tradition of the best peasant dishes and on this day, it was the only thing that would would do. Continue reading Before the mayhem, a little goodness
Crab, chilli, potato hash
Orginally, the idea was to have masala omelettes for our weekend breakfast last week, those delicious spicy, thin ones, of which we both have such fond memories. Us being us, it didn’t stay like that and soon we had remembered the crab claw languishing in the fridge, surely that would have to go into the mix?
Another cup of tea later and we had arrived at a masala crab hash…using some lovely heritage potatoes (Duke of York variety) that a friend grew in her garden. The flavour of Goa with lovely British crab and potatoes. Continue reading Kennington hash
Baked Camembert, pistachio, fig, sultana, pomegranate, thyme and honey.
There are definite moments for a proper pudding and there are times when grazing an assortment of cheeses is the perfect thang…
On occasion, I satisfy my desire for both and there are a mix of ways in which I might achieve this – baking a camembert is one … Continue reading A little milk and honey
My mind is drifting to the pale golden glow of Jaipur and floating through the misty morning is a remembrance of breakfasts past.
Maybe it’s the warmth of the spring weekend, or maybe I was last night dreaming of elephants, tigers and Maharajas, perhaps they whispered in my ear. Who knows, but this day, I crave something to remind me of those delicious Rajasthani repas. Continue reading Breakfast, with added spice
It’s fair to say that November and December 2015 were a bit of a struggle following Rocket’s recent accident in India, but a new year beckons and we are not down hearted, it could have been an awful lot worse and he is at least on the mend now.
The food season has changed, the tide has already turned from richly abundant to the austerity of January but just before that happens…we have been reliving some of the best bits via the medium of left overs. Continue reading For Auld Lang Syne
I’m torn between rushing around to straighten up the detritus of my life that has accumulated throughout the house while I’ve been ill, or cuddling up on the sofa in my pyjamas while the wind and rain lash against the window panes. Continue reading Snack and Saturday Story
When I was a child, the Christmas holiday period was the gift that kept on giving. The overwhelming excitement of Christmas eve with it’s rituals such as new pyjamas (or indeed a highly flammable pink nylon nightie) and ham and eggs for tea from the gammon mum would be cooking in readiness for boxing day. Morecambe and Wise would be on the telly and just the distant jangling of sleigh bells in the distance? Continue reading 3rd day stew – family, friends and food
Pan Roast Gnocchi, Cavolo Nero, Chanterelle and Walnut Cream Sauce, with aged Emmental.
(Otherwise known as Italian dumplings,London Cabbage, Scottish Mushrooms, French Walnuts and and Swiss Cheese!)
There are a collection of ingredients that evoke ‘the mountains’ for me. Despite huge cultural and gastronomical differences between the various cuisines of say the Pyrenees and th
e French Alps, the north of Italy and the majestic peaks of Switzerland, in my mind and experience there are some common themes and these are best characterised by cheese, cream and butter, mushrooms, and some sort of cabbage, at times sausage…but not this time. Continue reading Mountain Food
I use to work near a pub where they did a comfort dish of penne in an Italian sausage tomato sauce. It was rich and very moreish – the sausage sort of melts into the sauce and enriches it in a delicious way. Continue reading Bang On!
In Search of the Catfish Café... 