Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
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
Did you know that Homemade Christmas Mincemeat is incredibly easy? It’s really just a case of mixing up the ingredients, leaving overnight and then putting in a low oven for a couple of hours. Then it’s ready to put in jars! Get making my easy …Read more
Qarma Tandoori, situated in Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands, offers a winning combination. British Indian restaurant classics plus less familiar and more innovative dishes. On my first visit I was impressed by the excellent quality and well-judged spicing. QARMA TANDOORI Before moving to the …Read more
Sausage, Vegetable & Lentil Stew allows you to stretch good quality, free-range sausages by adding vegetables and pulses. Warming and full of flavour, a portion of this stew will provide at least three of your minimum five a day fruit and vegetables. Sausages: quality …Read more
Smoky Tomato Chilli Chutney, spicy with a sweet edge, is utterly addictive! Great for using up homegrown tomatoes and/or chillies, its smokiness comes from a generous amount of Spanish paprika. Delicious and versatile, you’ll love it not just with cheese and crackers, but with kebabs, …Read more
Mini Frittata make a nutritious, tasty, and easy breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. In those post I’ve flavoured them with the classic pairing of cheese, bacon and onion. But, hugely versatile and quickly cooked in muffin trays, I’ve also given you loads more ideas for …Read more
In this post, you lucky people are getting two recipes in one. Besides telling you about my ultimate meatballs and sauce for pasta, I’m also going to show you how to turn them into a fabulous pasta bake with a cheesy topping. MEATBALLS? YES …Read more
If you’ve never been to Getliffe’s Yard in Leek, then you’re missing a real treat. Through a little archway just off Derby Street, not far from where it meets the imposing Nicholson War Memorial, you could perhaps be forgiven for not even noticing it’s there. But this treasure …Read more
My Aloo Gobi with Lentils takes a favourite British Indian restaurant side dish of potatoes and cauliflower and turns it into a main course with the addition of earthy green lentils. Once you’ve built up a supply of spices, you’ll find that cooking delicious Indian-inspired …Read more
I’d been meaning to try RAWR Café Bar & Kitchen in Hanley for a while now, spurred on by their delicious-sounding, fresh-looking dishes that keep popping up on my Facebook page. One recent Saturday, we’d a few hours to spare after dropping the dog off for a …Read more
Spiced Fruit Sourdough uses my easy, overnight, no-knead bread baking method to create a loaf full of rich flavour. Dried fruits are steeped in honeyed black tea and orange zest and folded into a spiced dough made the night before. Using the soaking liquid in …Read more
It was fitting that we ate this particular tasting menu at The Lighthouse Restaurant on the last official day of summer, the eve of the Autumnal Equinox, as the theme of the menu was ‘late summer’. Although we’ve eaten at this very well-regarded restaurant in the …Read more
This Spicy Mutton Stew is inspired by the tagines of Morocco, but I’ve resisted the urge to call it a tagine. As you’re probably aware, that name comes from the conical pot it’s traditionally slow-cooked in. However, my spicy mutton stew isn’t cooked in a …Read more
Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus is a smoky and spicy alternative to classic hummus. Chunks of sweet potato are roasted with spices such as cumin, coriander and fennel seed before combining with the usual chickpeas, tahini sesame paste and lemon plus a hit of smoked paprika. …Read more
Sometimes, the most unprepossessing store cupboard and frozen ingredients can turn into an unexpected delight. That was the case last week when I created Rice with Peas, Broad Beans, Griddled Artichoke Hearts & Mint. I’d spent a fair bit of time developing my recipes for …Read more
A number of recipes on my blog use an Instant Pot pressure cooker, so I thought I’d better let you know here what they’re all about. I think it’s an excellent product with lots of uses, so it’s well worth having one if you’re an …Read more
FoodFest is being held in Newcastle-Under-Lyme this weekend and I went along on Saturday morning to see what it was all about. There’s still one day left, so here’s a quick tour of what you’ll find at FoodFest. FoodFest is a community group based in …Read more
Denstone Hall is an award-winning farm shop and café on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, set on a family-run farm. I was aware of their wonderful farm shop with its array of local produce – including groceries, cheeses, fresh vegetables as well as a stunning deli and a butcher’s …Read more
Roasted Onion Sourdough has the wonderful combination of fresh baked bread with roasted onion and a subtle hint of sage. Nutty bits of flaxseed and bulgur wheat give texture, while a blend of rye, malted and white flours give good flavour without the loaf being …Read more
Although it’s felt like Autumn’s been coming on a while now, it doesn’t officially start until 22 September. This is the 2017 date of the Autumn equinox when the sun is exactly above the equator so that day and night are of equal length. The …Read more
Cinnamon Plum Cake with Hazelnut Crumble Topping is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. But also makes a lovely hot dessert served with cream, custard or ice-cream. When I was a child, the house next door to my grandma’s had a …Read more
This easy one pot chicken dish is great comfort food. Browned chicken thighs are cooked in a buttery, cider cream sauce, made slightly tart with apples and smoky from good bacon Potatoes are cooked in the sauce to make a one pot meal, but it would …Read more
Sourdough Beer Bread is made by simply using beer as the liquid in your sourdough bread dough. Using my no-knead, overnight method produces a well flavoured bread with a hint of beer, a good crust and the classic holey structure of a sourdough. As I …Read more
I love butternut squash. And with a chilly, rainy autumn definitely arrived here in the UK, a warming soup made from this naturally sweet member of the cucurbit family is a welcome sight on many restaurant menus or home dinner table. But I find that …Read more
In this post I share my easy method for wonderful homemade no-knead sourdough bread. Let time do the work of developing gluten by creating a wetter than usual dough and letting it ferment overnight. In the morning, bake in a heavy lidded pot that will …Read more