Sharing a love of good food - recipes from my kitchen - eating out - great producers & suppliers
The Knot Inn Rushton Spencer, close to the Staffordshire-Cheshire border, reopened under new owners just before Christmas. I paid my first visit on the New Year Bank Holiday and had a tasty, enjoyable lunch that represented great value for money for good quality cooking. Read …Read more
Cheese and Onion Soup features a classic flavour pairing in a simple, lightly creamy, cheesy broth. But simple doesn’t mean dull. Top each bowl with bubbling, golden brown cheese toasts and you’ll see what I mean. MAKE A MEAL OF CHEESE I …Read more
Fruit and Nut Chocolates are easy, no-bake treats that are incredibly good. Cut into squares or made into bars, they’re the perfect homemade gift. Simply mix melted chocolate with your favourite nuts, dried fruits plus any other flavourings you fancy. Stir in some alcohol for …Read more
Mince recipes are some of the most useful to have in your repertoire. Whether it’s minced beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, chicken, or turkey, minced or ground meats are so versatile. Often quicker to cook than meals using large cuts of meat, in many mince …Read more
I’d love to be able to write full blog posts about all the great local, independent food and drink I enjoy. But, if I did, I’d have no time for anything else. So, here’s one of my occasional round-up posts: this time featuring my autumn …Read more
Porter Cake is a fruity and spicy cake that’s traditional in Ireland. It takes its name from the inclusion of dark porter beer which adds complexity of flavour and a hint of the pleasant bitterness ale drinkers love. If you don’t have porter, swap in …Read more
Venison Bourguignon is inspired by the classic French bœuf bourguignon. Delicious and surprisingly easy to make at home, my version replaces the traditional beef with chunks of venison. Slow cooked with bacon, red wine, stock, garlic, and herbs, plus mushrooms and whole baby onions, the result …Read more
Plum Cinnamon Batter Pudding is an easy, sweet and fruity take on old favourites, Yorkshire pudding and toad-in-the-hole. Just add chopped plums to a baking tray of sizzling butter then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour over a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk …Read more
Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls are a delicious, easy treat or foodie gift that need no baking. Oats combined with rich peanut butter, pieces of chocolate, roasted peanuts, vanilla and coconut, are sweetened with maple syrup and rolled into balls. Dipped and completely covered in melted …Read more
Spice Merchant opened last month in the Staffordshire Moorlands market town of Leek. I ate dinner there on Saturday night and found Indian and Bangladeshi dishes of a high standard with beautifully judged spicing. With a combination of old favourites and not so familiar dishes, …Read more
Northumberland seafood is some of the best available. And I ate lots of it when I spent a week’s holiday there earlier this month. In this post, I share the highlights from eating out in this seafood-lover’s heaven – and include a heartfelt thanks to …Read more
Salmon and Vegetable Soup is inspired by the fish soups of the Nordic countries. Easy but delicious, it features leek, potato, carrots, and salmon. These are cooked in a lightly creamy, buttery broth of stock and milk flavoured with fresh dill. With simple, everyday ingredients …Read more
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce are easy but delicious. Similar in flavour to traditional Moroccan tagines but cooked in a fraction of the time. Juicy, browned lamb meatballs flavoured with a Moroccan-inspired spice mix nestled in a rich tomato sauce imbued with the …Read more
Seeded Scottish Oatcakes are easy, wholesome savoury biscuits or crackers packed with nutritious seeds and oats. But not only are they good for you, I think you’ll love their toasted, nutty flavour and crunchy texture. Great with cheese, pâté, nut butters, or alongside soup, they’re …Read more
Haslet is an old fashioned but much-loved English pork meatloaf flavoured with sage and onion. It’s usually served cold in sandwiches, with pickles, or salad. Great fried until golden brown and eaten as part of a cooked breakfast too. These days, it’s less common to …Read more
Little Dumpling King in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, serves up its take on well-loved East Asian favourites: Chinese dumplings and bao buns with tasty fillings. On my first visit to this casual bar and restaurant I found reasonable prices and good flavours alongside a truly memorable, lip-smacking dish. …Read more
Fruit Soda Bread is a quick and easy teatime treat or snack. I love slices of this soft and light loaf spread with butter and sometimes jam too. With no yeast, no proving, and no kneading, you can put it together in less than 10 …Read more
Cheese Soda Bread, with no kneading, proving time or yeast required, is a super-quick, soft, and moist cheesy loaf. It’ll take you less than 10 minutes to put together and bakes in half an hour. If you’ve never made soda bread before, or if you’ve …Read more
Mushroom, Lentil & Kale Stew is rich, thick, and tasty. Packed full of veg and pulses in a lightly creamy, garlic and thyme flavoured broth, it’s a comforting bowlful. Using tinned lentils, this easy vegetarian (and vegan adaptable) stew is perfect on chilly days. Serve …Read more
Spicy Carlin Pea Soup with Roasted Peppers is easy, satisfying, and full of flavour. Using everyday vegetables, tinned pulses, and jarred peppers, this warmly spicy soup cooks in around thirty minutes. I’ve used British grown carlin peas, but you could swap in chickpeas or your …Read more
I’d love to have been able to write full blog posts about all the great food and drink I enjoyed this summer. But, if I did, I’d have no time for anything else! So, here’s one of my occasional round-up posts: this time featuring my …Read more
Coconut Cake is an indulgent treat that’s so easy to make. Two layers of coconutty, moist sponge cake sandwiched and covered in a rich coconut buttercream icing. Perfect with a cuppa, as part of an afternoon tea or a dessert, I think this gorgeous cake …Read more
Andalucia, a Spanish tapas restaurant, opened this month in the centre of Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Not entirely new to the area, Andalucia had a former life as La Casona out on Buxton Road. Last weekend, I paid my first visit to their new …Read more
Iced Tea is one of the most refreshing, cooling drinks there is. But there’s no need to buy expensive bottles because it’s so easy – and cheap – to make at home. Brew a litre of your favourite tea (black, green, fruity, or herbal) then …Read more
Pork Kebabs: minced pork flavoured with toasted fennel seeds, garlic, orange zest, and oregano. Eat these juicy full flavoured kebabs, inspired by the flavours of Greece, in a flatbread, with a tahini-yogurt sauce, salad, plus grains, flatbread or cauliflower ‘couscous’. Based on a recipe by …Read more