green apple sorbet

beautiful buns, and Easter egg update

4 April 2010

Stories abound about the origin of the hot cross bun. According to the book Holiday Symbols, “The pagans worshipped the goddess Eostre (after whom Easter was named) by serving tiny cakes, often decorated with a cross, at their annual spring festival. When archaeologists excavated the ancient city of Herculaneum in southwestern Italy, which had been buried […]

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Carluccio!

3 April 2010

Today’s planned post has been superseded by the news that I met Antonio Carluccio this evening. He walked into the Fulham Road branch of his eponymous restaurant whilst I was there enjoying a family dinner. What a lovely, lovely man. The food wasn’t bad either (especially the mandarin sorbet). 😀

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nesting, and the start of the Easter egg challenge

2 April 2010

These little chocolate treats are irresistible to adults and children alike. They take about 10 minutes to make and are absolutely idiot-proof. What’s not to like? Make some now or enlist someone else to make some for you. Chocolate Krispie Cakes, adapted from Nigel Slater’s Real Food 50g butter 4 tablespoons golden syrup 100g good […]

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Easter biscuits

1 April 2010

Easter. A time of redemption, regeneration and new hope. And food. I’m kicking off with some Easter biscuits, recipe courtesy of Hobbs House Bakery via the Toast newsletter (aspirational lifestyle bits and bobs for people with oodles of cash – so not quite sure why I’m reading it, but nevermind…). Quick and easy to make, […]

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poor man’s caviar

27 March 2010

A reader has requested a recipe for pulses and I’m only too happy to oblige. I am still mindful of the predominance of baked goods on this site and do need to do something to redress the balance. So, I have a couple of beanfeasts up my sleeve and thought I’d start with this one […]

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simple sake baked sea bream

26 March 2010

Here’s an easy Friday night supper that’s worth trying if you fancy something more exotic than good old fish and chips. The harusame sauce (recipe from the fabulous YO! Sushi cookbook) was a rather random addition to the meal, but it worked really well. And you can’t go wrong with a drop of sake. So […]

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macaron mission

25 March 2010

Last weekend, encouraged by the delectable cover of the latest issue of delicious. magazine, I finally decided to tackle macarons. When I later discovered that 20th March was also le Jour du Macaron (as declared by Pierre Hermé…surely not a marketing ploy?), it seemed fated. These little confections have been hyped to the hilt, and […]

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taste testers required

19 March 2010

No recipe to share as yet, but I am working on developing the ultimate dairy-free éclair. It’s going to be spectacular. Today’s first effort pictured above. I do like a challenge.

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sesame street(food)

18 March 2010

Hooray – FINALLY, a recipe for something savoury. It has been pointed out to me that I have been focusing solely on desserts and sweet treats lately, and whilst that is all very well, we must also have some proper food. I’m fairly sure this fits the bill, although it’s more of a home-cooked streetfood […]

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Mayan mystery biscuits

15 March 2010

Dark chocolate? Check. Warming spices? Check. A hint of orange? Check. These cookies are just the thing for making the transition from the long and freezing winter we have just endured through to the first days of Spring. Not long to go now… I played around with this recipe until I got it just right, […]