Heart Attack Potato Salad

I’d never made a potato salad before this one. Well… actually I had made warm salads that include potatoes… but never the classic version I think of when hearing “potato salad” – new potatoes bound together in a mayonnaise-based dressing. Several years ago, the American Head of IT where I worked shared his potato salad advice ... Read more »

Pea, New Potato & Goat’s Cheese Frittata

I remember very clearly when the all new Sainsbury’s magazine was launched back in May 1993. Back then, supermarket magazines were pretty wretched; thin and cheaply produced with a dearth of compelling content. The Sainsbury’s magazine pumped oxygen into a stagnant pond and I loved it from the get go! Delia Smith and husband Michael ... Read more »

Upside Down Caramelised Flat Peach Tart aka Flat Peach Tarte Tatin

I adore flat peaches. As I’ve written before, they’re also known as doughnut peaches, saturn peaches and even UFO peaches, because of their flattened disc-like shape. Usually they’re superbly sweet and impossible to eat without dribbling copious sticky juice down chin and arms. In recent years, I’ve found them easier than ever to find; my ... Read more »

Naamyaa: A Bangkok Cafe in Islington

I am in the minority; I never warmed to Hakkasan, underwhelmed by all three of the holy trinity of food, service and setting. Sitting in nightclub-like gloom, eating overpriced food served by poorly trained staff just doesn’t appeal and I’ve been at a loss to understand either the Michelin star or the multitude of fans. ... Read more »

Diana’s Stir Fry 1-2-3

This evening I had dinner by myself and made a dish the way my grandmother would have done – simple, nourishing and delicious. We are Cantonese, from the south of China.  After living many years in Europe I have observed that the Cantonese and Italians share a common approach to good food – take the ... Read more »

Introducing Guest Blogger Diana Chan

Back in June I spent a lovely weekend attending the Oxford Food Symposium, held in St Catherine’s College, Oxford. It’s very remiss of me not to share the experience here on the blog, as I had a wonderful time attending delightfully diverse lectures, meeting fellow delegates and appreciating the excellent catering. But I made few ... Read more »

HyperJapan 2013: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Hyper. Adjective: Obsessively concerned; fanatical; rabid (about a given item, idea or activity). Prefix: a loanword from Greek, usually implying excess or exaggeration. Noun (American, informal): a person who promotes or publicizes events, especially one who uses flamboyant methods. Japan: An island nation in East Asia. An archipelago of 6,582 islands of which the four ... Read more »