Crumbs on the Table

Stories about food

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What you will find here

Crumbs on the Table  is a food blog with tested recipes, and stories about food.  I aim to share the best recipes I know, and something of their context: the places they come from, the seasons and occasions that inspire them, the producers who bring food to our tables, the significance a particular dish has for those who prepare and eat it, and how the recipes themselves are handed on.

What kind of food will you encounter here? I am a migratory omnivore, and the stories come from many places: cherry orchards, the south of France, my English village, New Jersey asparagus fields, memories of  Texas apricots… With the recipes themselves, I aim for a balance between savoury and sweet, and have organised them in this way as many of us now eat less formal meals, often on the go; but I also include some menu ideas for the satisfaction of a full culinary performance.

I’ve tried to make the recipe indexing as useful as possible.  In addition to a complete recipe index of all recipes on this blog in alphabetical order, and the separate indices for savoury and sweet recipes, there is also an index by ingredients. There are also ‘Categories’ and ‘Tags’ at the end of each posting, which allow you to search for other categories, such as ‘Autumn Recipes’, ‘Easy Recipes’, ‘Cake Recipes’, ‘Vegetarian Recipes’.  If you click on any of these categories or tags, you will be taken to a list of all relevant recipes, with a thumbnail photo and brief description of each.

I bring a hodge-podge international perspective to this blog as I am myself a cultural mutt. I am especially interested in what “local” means in many places. I care as much about what women, mostly, have traditionally cooked at home, as in the work of culinary artists who work magic in the most original restaurants.

I have professional cooking experience, and have taken classes over the years from good teachers, but much of my working life has been outside the culinary profession, and most what I’ve learned, I’ve learned by doing — and by eating, reading and being inspired by others (reading list here).  Like most people, I am always looking for recipes that are delicious and simple, and I will share the best of these with you; but I am also someone who will make my own puff pastry.  Not all these recipes are quick, but I believe they are good, and hope the instructions will be clear.  I aim to be honest about what’s involved in a dish so you can decide whether you want to invest your time and ingredients in making it.

This blog is a consolidation of many years’ experience as a cook and a writer, and I am excited to be bringing the two together. I look forward to this journey and the company of fellow travellers. I hope you will share your experiences and comments along the way.

Thank you for reading.

More about Laura and Crumbs on the Table.

 

 

 

What you will find here

Crumbs on the Table  is a food blog with tested recipes, and stories about food.  I aim to share the best recipes I know, and something of their context: the places they come from, … More

guild-of-foot-writers-logo

Finalist
Guild of Food Writers
Food Blog of the Year 2019

guild-of-foot-writers-logo

Finalist
Guild of Food Writers
Food Blog of the Year 2018

Best Food Writing Book

Published in
Best Food Writing 2016

guild-of-foot-writers-logo

Finalist
Guild of Food Writers
Food Blog of the Year 2015

Pink Lady Food Photographer of the year 2019 - Highly Commended
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the year 2018 - Commended
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the year 2015 - Commended
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Recent Posts

  • Wholesome carrot breakfast-muffins, and a finely textured carrot cake
  • Chicken breasts with black olive tapenade, roasted red peppers & prunes in puff pastry — and other ideas for a different Christmas
  • Caramel cake distraction bake
  • Tamale pie
  • Sicilian pasta ‘ncasciata: pasta bake with aubergine
  • Rose and violet shortbread biscuits

Featured recipes

Napoli bream with pink peppercorns, coriander seeds and rosemary

Tuscan-style grape and walnut harvest bread

South African malva pudding with coconut and rum

Citrus jelly with passionfruit

Sweet potato quesadillas

Rhubarb sponge crumble

Asparagus and pea ravioli

Coffee crème caramel 

Apricot pie

Garlic soufflé

Fish with grilled cucumber

Baked gooseberry caramel pudding

Chocolate rose cake

Sicilian vanilla gelato

Celery, stilton and sage tart

Fresh coconut cake and cream pie

Duck legs braised with beans and herbs

Roasted tomato soupRoasted tomato soup with coconut milk

Chez Panisse almond tart

Dobosh torteDobosh torte step-by-step

IMG_9245Baked chicken with potato, tomato and parmesan

Chocolate pots de crème

Peach and prosciutto panzanella

banana chocolate chip barBanana chocolate chip bars

Roast potato, chicken and bacon salad

Norwegian waffles

MK's Profiterole PontresinaProfiteroles Pontresina

Bong's chicken with artichokes

Books and Blogs

I share with you here some of the cookbooks, blogs, food memoirs, and other culinary writings I have found most delicious, intriguing, and helpful over the years.  This … More

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ld_writer

Food writer and cook. Finalist, Guild of Food Writers Food Blog of the Year 2019, 2018 and 2015. In Best Food Writing 2016, Da Capo Press

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For the Guild of Food Writers photo challenge for For the Guild of Food Writers photo challenge for today, this is Bianca, sitting underneath the counter where Fabio and Annarella crack open the nuts from their organic trees at Zisolhouse Farm in Sicily. And of course why wouldn’t a kitten sit on a bed of almonds and hazelnuts? #thegfw2021 #theGFW28 #zisolhouse
Caramel sheet cake: one more SWEET for the Guild o Caramel sheet cake: one more SWEET for the Guild of Food Writers daily photo challenge because I’m greedy.  Recipe on Crumbs on the Table.  #theGFW2021 #theGFW27
#thegfw2021 #thegfw27 Sicilian pastries for the Gu #thegfw2021 #thegfw27 Sicilian pastries for the Guild of Food Writers word of the day. SWEET they are.... It’s nearly impossible to go on holiday to Sicily and not wear a perpetual dusting of icing sugar.
Duck legs braised in red wine with beans and herbs Duck legs braised in red wine with beans and herbs, for today’s Guild of Food Writers photo challenge. Recipe on Crumbs on the Table. #thegfw2021 #thegfw26
#thegfw2021 #thegfw25 The Guild of Food Writers ph #thegfw2021 #thegfw25 The Guild of Food Writers photo challenge for today is ‘hero’. Here are my two, celebrating, as we love to do, around the family table.  Longing for the return of those days.
#TheGFW2021 #TheGFW21 Whimsical cat cookie: my l #TheGFW2021 #TheGFW21  Whimsical cat cookie:  my light-hearted contribution to the Guild of Food Writer’s ‘animal’ theme for today.
#THEGFW21 #THEGFW20 Pasta as staple, this one wit #THEGFW21 #THEGFW20  Pasta as staple, this one with lemon, butter, parmesan... all staples in our house. Recipe: https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/sicilian-fast-food-lemon-spaghetti/
Don’t you love a carrot cake? Good old-fashione Don’t you love a carrot cake?  Good old-fashioned greedy pleasure.  This one is finely textured, and sometimes plays a three-layer stunner, and sometimes whimsical cupcakes decorated with little carrot cookies.  My family in the States loves these and I so wish I could bake for them right now.  So I asked a kind chef near them to make them for my loved ones there using this recipe, and the response was just what I’d hoped it would be:  a lift of the spirits on both sides of the ocean. : - )  win win.  Sometimes something delicious really helps!  Recipe here: https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/wholesome-carrot-breakfast-muffins-and-a-finely-textured-carrot-cake/#more-3101
The brilliant palette of colour and flavours for a The brilliant palette of colour and flavours for an exotic fruit salad to go with vegan coconut, pineapple and banana ice cream.  Recipe: https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/sweet-potato-quesadillas-with-all-the-fixings-and-dairy-free-coconut-pineapple-and-banana-ice-cream/
A bright plate of exotic fruits with a coconut, pi A bright plate of exotic fruits with a coconut, pineapple and banana ice cream that happens to be vegan.  Tastes so refreshing and cheering right now.  I love the beautiful Bermuda-blue plate, made by my very talented sister Kitty.  Makes me feel I’m diving into a beautiful sea whenever I use it.  Recipe here for the fruity pud:  https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/sweet-potato-quesadillas-with-all-the-fixings-and-dairy-free-coconut-pineapple-and-banana-ice-cream/
I love the colour and freshness of all these veget I love the colour and freshness of all these vegetables, which make the do-ahead quesadillas.  Instead of sweet potato, I’ve also used grated butternut and other winter squashes, available locally.  Recipe: https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/sweet-potato-quesadillas-with-all-the-fixings-and-dairy-free-coconut-pineapple-and-banana-ice-cream/
As well as trying to jazz up breakfast during lock As well as trying to jazz up breakfast during lockdown, I also like to put together a do-it-yourself healthy quesadilla kit we can assemble through the week for lunch.  This is one of my favourites:  spicy sweet potato, beetroot lime relish, avocado guacamole, some fresh spinach leaves, and tomato coriander salsa.  Keep everything in pots in the fridge along with some grated cheese and the tortillas, and when it’s time, everyone can assemble and toast through their quesadilla how and when they like it.  Handy, healthy, colourful and cheering.  Recipes on Crumbs on the Table: https://www.crumbsonthetable.co.uk/sweet-potato-quesadillas-with-all-the-fixings-and-dairy-free-coconut-pineapple-and-banana-ice-cream/
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