Recipes (my own and from reviewed recipe books), reviews of cookery books and cookery classes, food and kitchen equipment product reviews – if it’s about cooking or eating at home, it’s here!

Mussels Three Ways by Mat Follas

Mussels with Cider and Samphire

Mussels are a really versatile ingredient which well with a wide range of flavours. Best of all, they are grown around the UK and are still one of the most affordable seafood ingredients. Here, Mat Follas shares one base recipe featuring variations based on three different alcohols – cider, white wine and beer. Read our ... Read more »

Which Cuts Of Beef Are Best For…?

Beef Cuts (British)

It’s been a gradual (and on-going) learning process over the years to work out which cuts of beef are best suited to which dishes or cooking methods. Although I’m pretty confident about the cuts to buy for my favourite meals, I am still getting to grips with others and constantly on the look out for ... Read more »

Microwave Magic | Easy Microwave Salted Caramels

I wrote recently about why I (and many others) love our microwaves, and also about how we’ve been getting on with our new Heston for Sage Quick Touch. To put it through it’s paces, we’ve not only been defrosting, softening, melting, reheating, sterilising, steaming… we’ve been pushing it a little further and seeing how else ... Read more »

A Happy Chinese New Year from Amoy

I grew up in Luton, which may not sound like a hotbed of multiculturalism but our personal corner of it always was – our family friends included Chinese, Jewish, Indians, Irish, Malaysians, Scottish, Sri Lankans amongst others. When it came to New Year, we celebrated according to both the Gregorian and traditional Chinese lunar calendars. ... Read more »

Kintan Restaurant | Yakiniku in London

Pete and really loved yakiniku dining during our two visits to Japan; I have written previously about our yakiniku experiences, along with the history of yakiniku.  Considered a Korean import, the Japanese version is no longer an exact copycat of its Korean inspiration, not least in the range of meat cuts and marinades and the ... Read more »

Recipe | Cider-Braised Pheasant with Shallots, Apples & Thyme

I recently received a delivery of game birds – hung, plucked, gutted and ready for cooking. After chatting to friends about their favourite ways to eat pheasant, I decided to make an apple and cider braise. Braising the pheasant in cider helped keep the meat moist – pheasant is a fairly lean bird and prone ... Read more »

Indian Street Food Cooking Class at Demuths | Bath

Making an Indian spice blend

Ready to get started, 12 eager students hop onto stools arranged around an island within the large and bright custom-built school kitchen. Rachel Demuth, our class tutor for the day, starts by reminding us that “India is a huge country with thousands of different recipes and different ways of cooking“. Key to the cuisine is ... Read more »