It's easy to get into a bit of a rut with breakfast, and some people need encouragement to eat this first meal of the day at all. If you find yourself in that situation, some tempting yet wholesome breakfast muffins might help. These muffins are … [Read more...]
The British apple and its orchard heritage
Listen to Laura's podcast of this food essay by clicking the arrow below: In rural south New Jersey, where I mostly grew up, apple orchards surrounded us with miles of fruitfulness and roadside stands. I remember the openness of the … [Read more...]
Apple butter and ginger cake
For an island that’s grown an enormous variety of apples with pride and distinction for centuries, I'm surprised apple butter isn’t better known in Britain. A quintessential taste of autumn, this silky, sweet/tart apple-spread is taken for granted … [Read more...]
Chicken braised in cider with buttered apples
This is such a lovely dish I’ve chosen it for my seasonal offering to any readers who still have a meal to plan at this busy time of year and need some ideas, and perhaps more than anything, need an excuse to slow down. Now, this is not a quick dish … [Read more...]
October in Cambridge: apples and squashes
"All this colour and crunch. It’s better than living in an Impressionist painting.” October is the golden month, its honey sunlight on a blue-sky-day giving even ordinary scenes a radiant glow. Grasses, leaves, nuts and berries: everywhere there … [Read more...]
Slumped dumplings, and other lessons from the kitchen
Knowing how to recover when things don't go to plan is a useful skill in the kitchen, as it is in life. Sometimes it’s a matter of routine: slowing down the vegetables because the meat needs longer, correcting the balance of a dressing or sauce, … [Read more...]