As a child excited by the arrival of an ice cream van to our quiet cul-de-sac, whether I ordered Flake 99 in a cone or a bubble-gum toting Screwball in moulded plastic, I knew that at the heart of both was pale-as-snow, smooth-flowing, soft-serve, vanilla-flavoured Mr Whippy ice cream. There were actually two variations of ... Read more »
You know that thing when you come up with an original recipe idea, and it’s utterly brilliant, and you’re so so pleased with yourself, and it’s so damn tasty, and you’re really excited about sharing your genius new idea with the world… …and then you search the internet and realise that the old adage “there’s ... Read more »
When Gloucestershire company Selsley sent me some of their syrups to try, I was keen to think of some different ways to use them. I played it safe with the mulling syrup, using it to create warming winter drinks. It combines beautifully not only with red wine but with apple juice, cider and even beer. ... Read more »
When I’m feeling poorly I always long for the foods of my childhood. Suddenly the familiar holds a much stronger appeal; there’s deep comfort to be found in the things we’ve loved the longest, and that applies tenfold to food. My shortlist is an assortment of my mum’s home-cooked Indian food, typical English school-dinner comfort ... Read more »
Do you ever envisage a new dish in your head, hoping it will be as delicious as you imagine? And when you make it, it’s even better? I can’t pretend it’s something that happens all the time – more often there are tweaks to be made… or rarely, the idea is quietly binned and never ... Read more »
Ask an Argentinian or Brazilian to recommend their favourite cut of beef and there’s a good chance they’ll choose picanha. Most commonly it’s barbequed or grilled, and is a core churrascaria menu item. With it’s thick layer of fat comes lots of flavour, and it’s tender too. Yet this prized South American cut is one ... Read more »
In this recipe from Rejina Sabur-Cross’ book, Gastrogeek, macaroni cheese is given a facelift with the unexpectedly delicious addition of smoky roasted aubergine, smoked cheddar and smoked paprika. To say we liked the recipe is an understatement! Not only did the textures and flavours of the dish come together to create a whole that was ... Read more »
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 »
Cep aka porcini is such a prized mushroom that it is often showcased as the key ingredient in very simple dishes like the tagliatelle ai porcini I enjoyed in Parma a couple of years ago. It’s fêted in porcini festivals; there are recipe books dedicated to it; even children’s stories! But fresh porcini is expensive, ... Read more »
Having challenged myself to make a savoury ice cream, I decided on blue cheese as my flavour, melting strong blue cheese into the no-churn condensed milk and double cream ice cream base that I discovered a few months ago. It was a bit of a nightmare! I slowly melted 100 gram of Roquefort into ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]