What a treat rice pudding is. It’s one of those desserts that you never spend much time thinking about until something triggers a memory. Perhaps a conversation about the past, or a phone call with your mother. Then you suddenly find yourself desperately wanting some. As far as I am aware, you can’t at present …
The simple purchase of a waffle iron has ensured that my Sundays will never be the same again. Ok, perhaps this is an exaggeration. I’m not spending every Sunday making waffles, but I am now doing it quite often and with great enthusiasm. My son, previously used to the packet variety, is also greeting this …
Pilau is a tantalising rice dish that is cooked in with stock and, in our case, vegetables. These days a lot of Indian food is easy to make vegan, and the pilau is no exception. This one has the earthiness of butternut squash, in combination with the sweetness of dried dates and cranberries (or raisins, …
One of my first full time jobs was in Dunkin Donuts, back in 1994. I was nineteen years old and had just moved to London. Kurt Cobain had recently committed suicide and John Smith was coming to the end of his Labour party leadership as a result of a fatal heart attack. This wasn’t my …
This is a great Christmas dessert, or something you can have any time of year, especially if you’re having dinner guests. Poached pears have long been a favourite of mine, so this time I wanted to do something with them that captured the essence of the winter season. Mulled pears seemed the obvious choice, using …
Here’s something for the coming festive season. If I’m going to have carrots as a side dish, then I usually like to have them roasted. This version gives them a real Christmas feel but with a little bit of a kick (which, of course, is optional of chilli isn’t your thing). The chilli oil used …
I grew up with egg bread. It was a thing in my house. My sister and I would come downstairs after we had been put to bed, walking as quietly as possible to prevent our footfalls creaking on the stairs and ensuring our discovery. We knew we would be caught eventually, my father would still …
With barbeque season in full swing, it can be difficult sometimes to know what to shove on the coals. Burgers and sausages are great (I’ll be doing some later today), but we do want a little variety on our summer plates. Desserts are particularly tricky. Barbecued pineapple steaks are an obvious choice, but there are …