Bread pudding
I am incapable of throwing anything away in the kitchen. In my fridge, there must be at least half a…
Meatloaf
Meatloaf has some obstacles to overcome: it has an unprepossessing appearance, and an uninspiring, slightly off-putting name, which it shares…
Pride and joy
Since 2011, black Africans have been the dominant black group in the UK. Many of them are the descendants of…
Bananas Foster
I’m a sucker for a challenge. I absolutely cannot resist a little competition. Throw down a gauntlet, and I am…
Moules mouclade
Mussels were probably the first thing I ate as a child that I knew at the time was ‘an acquired…
Burnt Cambridge cream
If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, then a Trinity or Cambridge burnt cream must taste…
Chicken pie
Laurie Colwin wrote: ‘No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is…
Apple strudel
It’s possible that, like me, your first encounter with the Grande Dame of the Austrian pastry world, the apfelstrudel, was…
Butter
Butter was not a major part of my childhood. In fact, I don’t remember it ever being in our fridge.…
Sole Véronique
One of the joys of writing about old-fashioned food is coming across dishes that are new to me, and turn…
Wine-poached peaches
I’ve never been very good at leaving things be. I tend to gild the lily. I may plan to do…
Knickerbocker glory
I grew up by the seaside. More precisely, I grew up near South Shields, on the north-east coast – somewhere…
Scotch eggs
One of the perils of being a recipe writer is that people regularly ask me why I bother making things…
Eccles cakes
When I first made Eccles cakes, I’m not sure I really knew where Eccles was. I certainly didn’t think I’d…
Hot cross buns
What makes a hot cross bun a hot cross bun? Is it in the bun: the spice, the dried fruit…
Crisp sandwiches
A crisp sandwich is a private and personal endeavour. In my experience (and I have considerable experience in this particular…
Black forest gateau
Kitsch is something of my stock-in-trade. And it doesn’t get more kitsch than Black Forest gateau. Pots of cream, pints…
Steak Diane
Cooking for romance is no laughing matter. The stakes are high. Get it right and woo the love of your…
Lardy cake
Lardy cake has a branding problem. We don’t mind puddings or cakes which explicitly announce their richness or decadence —…
Cooking up a storm
What is ‘immigrant food’? In America, the answer can be just about anything — from burritos to bibimbap to burgers.…
Sherry trifle
Christmas brings out the best and the worst in me. It’s a chance to give in to my inclination to…
Lancashire hotpot
Nine months ago, after a decade spent in London, I moved to Lancashire. Although I’m a northerner born and bred,…
Chicken Marbella
What is it about retro food? I don’t mean nostalgic food, from school dinner favourites to your grandmother’s signature dishes.…
Bone to pick
Why I retrained as a butcher
Cherry clafoutis
My daydreams at the moment follow a predictable theme. I am on holiday somewhere balmy, with a carafe of cold…
