little chocolate tarts 

Mention the name Jamie Oliver at a dinner party and I can guarantee pretty much everyone will have an opinion. Love him or hate him, he really is one celebrity chef that gets under people’s skin. Recently I was at such a dinner and while most of the other cookbook junkies like myself, admitted to owning at least one Jamie book and being a fan of his recipes, the not-so-into-cooking contingent were surprising in their response. Read the rest of this entry »

paella & a shiny new pan

When it comes to cooking I’m a sucker for shiny things. Actually if the truth be known, my love of pretty shiny things goes well beyond food…my newest favourite shoes: red patent leather stilettos, are a case in point. But back to food, some of my most treasured kitchen equipment has the double bonus of being good to look at. For my dream kitchen there are a few items that I’ve always lusted after, a heavy duty dishwasher, plenty of space for guests to mill around and share in the cooking process, and a large collection of shiny copper saucepans. Read the rest of this entry »

spiced slow roasted leg of lamb with tarator

Spring is a pretty special season. Not only is it prime time for asparagus and artichokes, it is a time for reawakening from the cold of winter, for dappled daffodils and more importantly, it is the time for little lambs to be frolicking in the fields. As I’ve mentioned before, lamb is pretty much my favourite meat. While shanks are my cut of choice for the winter months, come spring time there’s nothing quite like a slow roasted spiced leg. Read the rest of this entry »

stuffed baby squid with pistachios and currants

As I’ve mentioned on a few occasions, I am fascinated by people and their dietary preferences and in particular what motivates their choices.  From my flat mate of many years ago who thought that being a vegan would cancel out the effects of all the illicit substances that he partook of on an alarmingly regular basis, to my colleague who gave up eating seafood after she became a scuba diver, to my dear old Dad who is convinced that he is afflicted with pretty much any food allergy that doesn’t result in anaphylactic shock. I find it endlessly intriguing. Read the rest of this entry »