There ought to be a re-play holiday for lost holidays, or a saint: Saint Second Chance for lost opportunities. Holidays have sometimes passed me by in a blur. Work, all the cooking and whatever, and they can go before I catch up to being there – … [Read more...]
Cambridge in March: English asparagus and rhubarb
Skip to recipes This has been one confused winter: daffodils rehearsing in December, snowdrops extending their run into March, then actual snow just as the daffs get into full costume. It’s as though winter had stage-fright and only roused itself … [Read more...]
A Valentine’s menu, and musings on love’s labours
We are all in search of easy ways to eat well, but when I see recipes that claim to be ‘effortless’, I raise my eyebrows. Feeding ourselves is a basic need that requires effort, even when it’s pleasurable, creative and appreciated. Preparing a … [Read more...]
Mimosa salad, crunch crunch
I am a fan of winter salads. This one is an old favourite my mother used to make when we were kids, using her cast-iron skillet to fry the bacon and deglaze its dripping with cider vinegar for the dressing. I can still hear that dramatic sizzling … [Read more...]
Special pancakes
It's Thanksgiving week and family are assembled. Breakfast today is "special pancake", which my mother started making back in the sixties when we kids were picky as hell about the most important meal of the day. This we all loved, and still … [Read more...]
Late-summer recipes
Skip to recipes The dog days are passed, but we hope for one or two last barks. We know it’s coming, but we’re not yet ready to hand over to autumn. No need, just yet, for summer’s exuberance is still here in the late-summer harvest that is … [Read more...]