Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
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 you’ll …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
Homemade Christmas Mincemeat is incredibly easy. Just stir up the ingredients, soak overnight and in the morning put it in a low oven for a couple of hours. All that’s left to do then is pot up into jars! Start my delicious spicy and fruity …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 method to create a loaf full of rich flavour. Dried fruits are steeped in honeyed black tea and orange zest and the soaking liquor replaces water in the dough to add even more flavour. Baked in a covered …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