Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
I knew I had to eat at Little Seeds Bar & Kitchen in Stone when a series of delicious-looking dishes kept popping up in my social media feeds. Run by co-owners Jake Lowndes, who’s also Head Chef, and General Manager Sophie Hardman, Little Seeds describes …Read more
This post is the first in a series where I’ll show you how roasted vegetables, accompanied by a range of tasty mix and match dressings, are a great way to help you reach your recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. In this post I …Read more
I wasn’t planning on writing a review of Leek’s latest restaurant and bar, Bread + Batter, just yet. After all, when I went there for lunch, they’d only been open four days so it seemed fairer to let them settle in a bit. Even the …Read more
My contribution to the Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-Along, celebrating the publication of Cooking with Columbo. There’s a word for the effect on my brain of watching Swan Song, episode seven of season three of Columbo: an earworm. An ear worm is a piece of music …Read more
I was quite surprised when I received a tip-off about how good the food was at The Duncombe Arms in Ellastone. Because I hadn’t even heard of this country pub before. Perhaps it had escaped my notice because, with the nearby market town of Ashbourne …Read more
We’d been meaning to lunch at the Plume of Feathers for a while before we actually got around to it. We really had no excuse as, located in the village of Barlaston near Stone in Staffordshire, it’s not far from Downs Banks which is one …Read more
Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café is undoubtedly one of the great meccas for anyone seeking out local produce in Staffordshire and Derbyshire. In this post I want to tell you why I think it’s such an important local asset and, if you’ve haven’t visited …Read more
Winter is traditionally the time for slow-cooked stews, and oxtail with its rich flavour and soft, silky texture teased out by long cooking, is understandably a contender for this sort of comfort food. But for me, oxtail evokes thoughts of warmer climates; specifically the southern …Read more
Staffordshire Savoury Scotch Eggs are a superior Scotch egg, made in a huge variety of flavours. Produced by a family run business that started at the kitchen table, I recently put a range of their Savoury eggs to the test. Can the classic Scotch egg …Read more
If you’re looking for a quality dining experience in Staffordshire and search online for David’s Brasserie, you might conclude, with its location including the words ‘Shopping Village’ and ‘Stoke-on-Trent’ that this really isn’t for you. But I think you’d be wrong. Because David’s Brasserie isn’t …Read more
The first time I made this Kale, Spinach, Apple, Celery & Lemon Juice I was rather new to green juices and smoothies and a bit dubious about how it was going to taste, despite its beautiful deep emerald colour. With a hefty dose of our …Read more
If you’ve seen my post about Dry January you’ll know that I’ve set myself the goal of drinking no alcohol for a month. In that post I talked about how I’d recently found that deeply ingrained drinking habits, developed from a young age and which …Read more
Cranberry & Orange Scones are so quick and easy. To make them, I take the classic British fruit scone and give it a twist by using dried cranberries soaked in orange juice plus orange zest. To make them even more orange-y, serve them with a …Read more
Are you one of those people who’ve set themselves the goal of a ‘Dry January’? Dry January is a campaign run by Alcohol Concern to encourage people to drink no alcohol for the 31 days of January. And I’m going to be one of them …Read more
Parmesan & Cheddar Biscuits might just be the best cheese biscuits you’ve ever tasted! Intensely cheesy and buttery, but so light and melting. Great as an indulgent nibble or wow your guests by serving with drinks. These cheesy biscuits as so good that …Read more
Thai Spring Rolls with Pork & Prawns are crispy, crunchy, and absolutely delicious. Inside is the perfect mix of rice noodles, mushrooms, prawns, minced pork, carrots, bamboo shoots and beansprouts. All flavoured with garlic, chillies, coriander and fish sauce. Fantastic with some sweet or hot …Read more
Turkey, Sage & Cranberry Dog Biscuits are an easily made Christmas treat, full of natural ingredients that your pooch will love. I’ve posted quite a few Christmas recipes for us humans, including Mincemeat, Mince Pies, Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding and Turkey Stock. …Read more
Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup is creamy, warming but with fresh, vibrant flavours. In this easy but satifsfying soup, red lentils are simmered with tomatoes, vegetables and spices then made creamy with coconut milk. To finish, whole spices are fried and stirred through the soup, …Read more
Although I’ve put this post in the ‘recipes’ category, it’s hardly a recipe at all. To make turkey stock, or any other meat stock really, it’s simply a case of putting the bones plus any scraps of meat, skin and fat plus selected vegetables in …Read more
Forget those over priced, palm oil laden packet stuffing mixes. My Homemade Sage & Onion Sausagemeat Stuffing is so much better and contains just a few simple ingredients: onions, garlic, dried sage, fresh parsley and crumbs made from leftover bread. Delicious mixed with pork sausagemeat …Read more
One day last week I had the best brunch I can remember in a while. Leftover pizza. Yes, you read that right. After a bracing walk with the dog, a chill in the air with expected snow to come, it was with great pleasure that …Read more
Fancy something a little different to the traditional Christmas pudding this year? I love Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding as a delicious, light and easily made alternative. Good for using up leftover panettone after Christmas too. CHRISTMAS CAKE, MINCE PIES & CHRISTMAS PUDDING: A …Read more
THERE IS A NEWER VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE There’s no mystery to making light, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth sweet shortcrust pastry at home. So much better then any ready-made pastry in the shops, if you haven’t made it before, you might be surprised how easy it …Read more
We’d been bowled over by our last visit to the Lighthouse Restaurant in Boylestone, Derbyshire and wondered exactly why we’d left it so long between previous visits. Admittedly, it’s a 45-minute drive each way from the Staffordshire Moorlands where we live but if you’d read …Read more
Food – dogs – books – films It’s always satisfying when I come across something that combines at least two of my major passions. And, for the record, my major passions include: food (obviously), dogs (especially English cocker spaniels), books and films. For instance, as Ernest …Read more