chocolate hazelnut birthday cake with frangelico poached prunes

There has to be something to be said for hosting a house party in your own place. Sure there is the downside of having the mess to clean when the guests do depart, but to my mind the positives far outweigh that little inconvenience. I mean there’s no need to worry about traffic or taxis or getting there on time. And with easy access to your own wardrobe you can adjust your outfit accordingly if you find that you’re too cool or too warm. Or for that matter if you happen to be like my flatmate Dr Kate and find yourself to be a little indecisive when it comes to choosing from your recent shoe purchases (8 pairs on a recent trip to San Francisco) you have the option of mixing things up with a regular shoe change. Read the rest of this entry »

the pizza love salamino

As a girl who tends to move house on a regular basis and a girl who seems to attract kitchens in the more shoe box end of the size range, over the years I’ve developed a policy of avoiding kitchen appliances that only have a single use. OK so I do have a  kettle and a toaster and I am the proud and loving owner of an icecream machine and there is a shiny Italian pasta maker but pretty much everything else can be used for a number of purposes. When it comes to making kitchen acquisitions, I’m wary of anything that doesn’t multi task. Read the rest of this entry »

bread & butter pudding 

Short on time this week folks, so just dropping in to quickly tell you about my latest favourite mid-week dessert. Yep good old bread & butter pudding. It has to be up there as one of the most comforting sounding foods. I mean there aren’t too many other desserts that have such a warm, cosy feel to them. A dessert that combines the classic partners in crime: bread and butter in the form of a custardy pudding… .what more can I say but all good things….. Read the rest of this entry »

raw beet salad Well there’s no secret around here that I love beetroot. A quick scroll through the stonesoup recipe index bears testament to that: From roast beet soup with dukkah and yoghurt, to a beetroot puree to accompany a salt baked leg of lamb, to the ever versatile beetroot pesto which to my mind is a strong rival to the traditional basil based version, to a simpler spiced beet puree this time partner to crispy skinned duck, to a shaved beet and pear salad, to a warm salad of golden beets pancetta and pecans, to roast baby beets with yoghurt, I’m definitely a beetroot girl.

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