All recipes, both our own plus those reprinted with permission from cookbook publishers

Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Ice Cream (No Churn, No Machine)

I love Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.   I can’t remember a time when I’ve not loved them, having come across them in the USA during childhood trips. I didn’t know their history until now, though. The company that makes them was born back in 1869, when two German brothers emigrated to America and set up ... Read more »

Making Glazed Vanilla Bean Doughnuts + A Review of Pure Vanilla

When you think of foods that benefit from deep frying, what springs to mind? For me, the list was long… fried chicken, battered fish, proper chips, pakoras, tempura, tortilla chips, sesame prawn toasts, whitebait, crisps – not just potato but courgette, parsnip and beetroot, fried tofu, onion rings, samosas, calamari, gulab jamon, even deep fried ... Read more »

Home Preserving: How to Can Apple Pie Filling

I posted recently about different methods of preserving food, with a particular focus on home canning. My first experiment last year was salmon, new potatoes and shallots in olive oil but as I was only able to heat treat at 100°C, I’m not confident about having eradicated the risks of botulism, so will likely discard ... Read more »

(No Bake) Mini Lemon Ricotta Cheesecakes

I recently found myself with some beautiful fresh buffalo ricotta and a plump Amalfi lemon. Courtesy of The Sauce, they were part of a Campania taster box that also contained buffalo mozzarella, fennel salami, sopressata di Gioi (a cured pork sausage with a core of lard) and a Bagnoli truffle. I wasn’t sure how best ... Read more »