Listen to Laura's podcast of this food essay by clicking the arrow below: Summer has certainly been elusive this year, but it’s still summer. Its exuberant harvest is glutting our fields and markets despite the weather’s ups and … [Read more...]
Chili time: and that means enchiladas
After our long, hot summer, a sudden cold snap a week or so ago came as an unwelcome surprise and inspired me to make the first comforting pot of chili in a while. Now that summer has re-asserted itself, however briefly before autumn takes over, I … [Read more...]
Sicily, part 2: Sicilian caponata
This is where I share the treasured recipe and insider tips for making traditional Sicilian caponata, as we learned it from two wonderful cooks in Noto, in the south-east of Sicily (read more here). It's the real thing -- exquisitely vibrant, … [Read more...]
August pickings: peach and prosciutto panzanella, and chocolate marbleised cheesecake with summer fruits
It seems most of us have vivid memories of August and its edible treats, thanks no doubt to the power of school holidays. For me, a countryside childhood in hot climates instilled a fearsome respect for this month, which my peers and I cherished in … [Read more...]
When it’s too hot to cook: easy ham-stuffed tomatoes
This may be England, but it's as hot here today as it ever got in a South Jersey summer in the days before air-conditioning. On days when it was too hot to labour in the kitchen, my mother used to make a delicious ham filling for tomatoes, picked … [Read more...]
Easter recipes: brunch baked eggs with chorizo, potato, tomato and spinach; and carrot cupcakes with a touch of whimsy
Easter brings out the child in me. It was always the time when we five girls had a huge amount of fun with springtime ramblings, colouring Easter eggs, and of course waking up on Easter Sunday to our Easter baskets – no such thing in the States as … [Read more...]