Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
Refried Beans or frijoles refritos are so easy to make at home. And super-quick when you start with tinned pinto, borlotti, kidney, or black beans. In this tasty version inspired by the traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dish of mashed beans, there’s loads of spicy favour …Read more
Blackberry Brandy is a satisfying, easy project made with seasonal, foraged fruit. The spirit is flavoured with blackberries and sweetened with sugar to make a delicious, liqueur-like drink. Swap the brandy for gin, vodka, whisky, or dark rum if you prefer. Made using fresh or frozen …Read more
Green Bean and Roasted Pepper Salad is subtly flavoured with garlic, parsley, and olive oil. It’s lovely served on its own with bread, served as a side, or eaten as one of several little dishes to enjoy together mezze or tapas style. This simple salad …Read more
Sicilian Semolina Bread is a flavoursome, beautifully golden-coloured loaf with a chewy crumb and crispy, sesame-topped crust. It’s made with the hard durum wheat used for pasta which is also excellent for baking bread once it’s double-milled. In this post I offer a choice of …Read more
Cucumber & Sesame Noodle Salad is quick, refreshing and utterly delicious. The only cooking required is your choice of noodles, making this salad especially good during hot weather. The noodles are tossed with shreds of cooling cucumber plus spring onions, whole coriander leaves and a punchy …Read more
Picnic food doesn’t have to be all about sandwiches. In this post I share more than seventy of my favourite recipes for a tasty, varied picnic. From fresh salads, savoury bakes, pies and dips, to sweet treats, you’ll find lots to tempt you outdoors. As …Read more
Looking for great places to eat this Summer? In this post you’ll find some of the independent restaurants and pubs I’ve enjoyed recently and highly recommend. Focussed on my patch of north Staffordshire, but with forays into Buxton and northeast Wales, highlights include an imaginative …Read more
Chai Masala Loaf Cake is a warmly spicy sweet treat that’s wonderful with a cuppa. This light cake is flavoured with the blend of spices used to brew the Indian tea masala chai, is studded with chopped walnuts, and has a streusel-crumb topping. Finished with …Read more
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is healthy and delicious. With nutritious chickpeas, crunchy and juicy veg like red pepper and tomatoes, plus herbs, feta cheese, and a garlicky-lemon dressing, it’s perfect for an easy lunch or light warm weather dinner. This so-simple salad also works well as a …Read more
Simple Wholemeal Bread is a one hundred per cent wholemeal loaf that’s nutritious and full of flavour. Easy enough for beginners, it’s a versatile, everyday bread that’s great for sandwiches, toast, or eaten with soup and salads. Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. If …Read more
Banana & Chocolate Muffins are light, fluffy, packed with banana flavour, chocolate pieces and a hint of cinnamon. Perfect for using up those very ripe bananas in your fruit bowl, these delicious cakes are easy to make and bake in less than 20 minutes. Best …Read more
Rosemary Scottish Oatcakes combine the aromatic Mediterranean herb with the traditional and well-loved savoury biscuit or cracker. Incredibly easy to make at home with just a handful of everyday ingredients, the oatcakes are the perfect partner to cheese, dips and spreads or alongside soups and …Read more
Crusty Potato Bread has a soft and bouncy crumb that stays moist and fresher for longer. Easy to make with my no knead, overnight method, this substantial, tasty loaf is cooked in a covered pot for a great rise and crispy crust. Perfect for sandwiches, …Read more
Triple Chocolate Tiffin is a wonderful indulgent treat with milk, dark, and white chocolate that’s incredibly easy to make. Simply stir up the ingredients for the base (crushed biscuits and juicy raisins bound with melted butter, golden syrup, sugar, and cocoa powder), top with melted …Read more
Savoury Quick Breads include a wide range of bakes, most notably loaves, scones, and muffins. But what they all have in common is that instead of yeast, they’re made using raising agents like baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, or self-raising flour which already has them …Read more
Beetroot Bread is a beautifully coloured loaf with a crusty exterior and open crumb. While the red pigment in beetroot is notoriously fickle when heated and can result in dull coloured bakes in this recipe I use only every day natural ingredients to create a …Read more
Country Slices are cut from a buttery, light and fruity traybake with a hint of spice. A homemade version of the popular British favourite, this moist bake is quick and simple to make with everyday ingredients but tastes so good alongside a cuppa or as …Read more
Easy Homemade Nut Crackers are crispy and crunchy with a subtle nutty flavour. Perfect with cheeses, dips and spreads, these savoury biscuits have a combination of hazelnuts, almonds and pecans, or you can swap in your favourite nuts. With both white and wholemeal flours plus …Read more
If you’re looking for great places to eat this Spring, I’ve brought together some of the independent restaurants, pubs, and cafés I’ve enjoyed recently that would be perfect for the rest of the season. I also look ahead to food and drink events happening in …Read more
Cheese and Vegetable Muffins are full of cheesy flavour and packed with courgette, carrot, red onion, and chives. If you want a crunchy element, there’s optional nuts and seeds too. With a wonderfully fluffy texture, these delicious savoury muffins are so easy to put together …Read more
Main course salads are a great way of eating. Packed with veggies, proteins, and flavourful ingredients, they’ll keep you satisfied for hours. So forget relegating salad to a side dish and take a look at my round-up of favourite main course salads. Tap on a heading …Read more
Santiago is a tapas restaurant, bar and deli in an historic building in Buxton. Highlighting authentic Spanish food including ingredients sourced from Spain, the menu offers an enticing mix of familiar and not-so-familiar dishes. On my first visit I ate a faultless tapas feast that …Read more
Savoury Mediterranean Quick Bread is an easy but delicious loaf packed with classic Mediterranean flavours: courgette, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, herbs like basil, plus nuts, seeds, feta and Parmesan cheeses. Made with self-raising flour and eggs, there’s no kneading and no proofing. …Read more
Shokupan Hot Cross Bun Loaf is a wonderful combination of super-soft, fluffy Japanese-style milk bread and the traditional British fruity and warmly spiced Easter treat. Whether cut into slices or pulled apart and eaten as buns, you’ll love this surprisingly easy loaf spread with butter. …Read more
Smoked Salmon & Egg Salad is delicious, nutritious, and so quick and easy to put together. Protein-rich smoked salmon and boiled egg sit on a salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion and radish dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Adding lots of punchy flavour are …Read more