Saya Ingen Shira-ae | Green Beans with Tofu, Miso & Sesame Dressing

Traditionally, the key ingredients in the Japanese dish shira-ae are white – white tofu, white miso and white sesame seeds; shiro means white in Japanese and the ae suffix denotes a vegetable dish with dressing. What’s unusual from my European perspective is the low amount of liquid ingredients in the dressing; the silken tofu provides ... Read more »

Recipe Video | Chorizo, Spinach, Onion & Potato Frittata

An affordable recipe perfect for alfresco dining, making use of British ingredients. That’s what I was asked to create when vouchercodes.co.uk invited me to film another recipe video with them. (For my first, I shared the recipe for my mum’s tandoori roast lamb, an alternative suggestion for Christmas dinner.) This time, I made a frittata, ... Read more »

I Eat My Books, Do You Eat Yours?

I have too many cookery books. There, I’ve said it. Despite two major clear outs in the last couple of years, when lots and lots of cookery books were given away to charity shops and fundraisers, the assigned shelves are overflowing. Books are stacked two deep, with extra ones squeezed on their side above the ... Read more »

Three Fantastic Vietnamese Cookbooks

The Food of Vietnam by Luke Nguyen

When I think of Vietnamese food I think of balance. Balance between five fundamental flavour elements – spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet –  and balance between the physical senses, with dishes designed not only to delight the tongue but also to provide pleasing aromas and an appealing appearance. Even sound and touch are considered, ... Read more »