My English country garden is more abundant with the native, pale yellow primrose this year than I have ever known it. Suddenly the insignificant volunteer seedlings I half-remember seeing in unpromising places have plumped into blooming clumps that … [Read more...]
Tuna, anchovy and caper sauce for pasta
This is offered as a "transitional" recipe, as requested by my east coast family who still have winter weather to face on the second official day of spring. It's a comforting, richly flavoured sauce, quick to make, with a healthy crunch of … [Read more...]
Edible equinox: early spring on a plate
It is cold here in rural Cambridgeshire, but undeniably spring. The snowdrops and crocuses are long gone and the daffodils are just entering their glory phase, with the best still to come. Primulas are in fancy dress, and violets are blooming in … [Read more...]
Another way to boil an egg, and something simple to make with it
My Derbyshire mother-in-law, who lived through WWII and its subsequent rationing, appreciates the beautiful simplicity of a fresh egg, and accords a good one high status. "If you have an egg, you have a meal". Some of the best ways with eggs are … [Read more...]
Moist and sticky banana bread
I got this recipe thanks to the minor misfortune of a good friend many years ago, and it remains my absolute favourite version of banana bread -- gooey and moist and very banana-y. It is worthy of my best Texas pecans when I want to add nuts … [Read more...]
Scandinavian smørrebrød
I can't describe the excitement I felt when I encountered my first true smørrebrød. I was a student in Denmark, at the University of Copenhagen on a semester abroad scholarship. It was the first time I'd travelled out of my own country as a … [Read more...]