This Tex-Mex recipe is one I've cooked regularly for over thirty years because it's so good -- one of those dishes people ask me to make, and want the recipe for, so I guess it qualifies as something of a retro classic that's stood the test of time. … [Read more...]
Sicilian pasta ‘ncasciata: pasta bake with aubergine
These months of lockdown and Covid restrictions have brought home just how much food can transport us to places we miss when we can’t actually be there. Right now, as England turns gloomy and cold with damp, I’m longing for old haunts in Sicily. … [Read more...]
Umbrian baked rigatoni with sausage and peas
This luscious baked pasta dish was served to us as a primo piatto ('first plate' or first course) on our summer holiday in Umbria. Pasta al forno bianca con salsiccia e piselli is rigatoni dressed with a parmesan-rich white-sauce flavoured with … [Read more...]
Shepherd’s pie step-by-step
My recipe for this comforting family dish of lamb and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes is offered here by request, with step-by-step instructions. Simple and familiar as it is, it proved very popular recently with family of all ages for being … [Read more...]
Finding time in the festive season
[This is one in a series of Crumbs on the Table columns published in Cambridge Magazine. It includes recipes for a lightly curried Salmon Egg Gratin that's a do-ahead boon for lunch, brunch, dinner or as part of a holiday buffet; plus a whimsical … [Read more...]
Cambridge in November: wild venison and walnuts
November is like the little girl in the nursery rhyme. When it’s good, it’s very good – but it also has its less endearing side. A country walk may be an ideal way to spend a weekend when November’s at her best, but when she’s got her pouty face on, … [Read more...]