Category Archives: Starters

Black pepper prawns (Firecracker prawns)

Posted on January 12, 2013 by

You can always tell if you’re truly comfortable with someone when you’re willing to get down and dirty with a plate of sticky finger food in their company – whether it’s wings, ribs or a mound of shellfish, nothing says … Continue reading →

Posted in Main course, Seafood, Starters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chive flower tortelloni

Posted on June 12, 2012 by

Chives grow abundantly in our garden and although the plants, at 3 years old, are a bit tougher and woodier than I’d like they still put forth a beautiful crown of purple flowers at this time of year, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Ingredients, Main course, Pasta, Recipes, Starters, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chillies and Mexican Food – the Sweet Heat Chilli Challenge roundup

Posted on May 29, 2012 by

For anyone who loves chillies proper Mexican food is a real treat – the Mexicans grow and use probably more varieties of chilli than any other country, from the fiery habanero to the smokey chipotle and everything in between.  This … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, Bloggers event, Main course, Meat, Nibbles, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Seafood, Sides, Starters, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Aqua Cotta

Posted on May 11, 2012 by

This hearty soup is true Italian peasant food, born out of poverty – the name literally means ‘cooked water’ – and even if we didn’t live in increasingly frugal times it is a dish worth making for the sheer pleasure … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloggers event, Main course, Recipes, Soups, Starters, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vietnamese banana flower salad (Nộm hoa chuối)

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

In my worklife my recipe writing revolves around straightforward meals anyone can make, using ingredients that are easily available to everyone, no matter where they live.  So it is such joy to come home and write about something that – … Continue reading →

Posted in Main course, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Starters | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Beetroot tartlets with chilled pea cream

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

Despite the (hopefully sarcastic) pleas of my friends, I have no desire to ever enter Come Dine With Me – the dinner-party-show-cum-torture-device, as (quite apart from the inherent humiliation involved) dinner parties are really not ‘me’ – I simply cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, Nibbles, Pastry, Recipes, Starters, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

My ultimate hot ‘Buffalo’ wings and blue cheese dip

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Look good don’t they?  Juicy, saucy, yet crispy….I love hot wings but so often find that you can either have them crispy, or saucy, not both; and unless you’re deep-frying them saucy usually means the skin is all soft and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloggers event, Main course, Meat, Nibbles, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Sides, Starters | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Glazed beetroot with honeyed goat’s milk mousse and candied cobnuts

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

I know I haven’t blogged in a while, but let’s skip right over that as one of my pet peeves is people who apologise because they haven’t blogged recently (read: haven’t posted in 3 days), or write long tracts explaining … Continue reading →

Posted in Recipes, Starters, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Whole baked pumpkin with Comté & cream

Posted on November 6, 2011 by

Pumpkins are, of course, most closely associated with Hallowe’en but just as puppies are for life not just for Christmas, so I believe that pumpkins, gourds and squashes should be celebrated for much longer than a single candy-fuelled day of … Continue reading →

Posted in Main course, Recipes, Soups, Starters, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A right royal feast – Coronation Chicken 3 ways

Posted on April 29, 2011 by

As an ardent Republican I must confess myself a little tired of all the Royal Wedding chitchat which is currently enveloping not just the country, but apparently the whole world. Nonetheless, as a newlywed myself I can’t be totally curmudgeonly … Continue reading →

Posted in Main course, Nibbles, Poultry, Recipes, Starters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments