The ultimate American comfort food: how to make meatloaf
Meatloaf has some obstacles to overcome: it has an unprepossessing appearance, and an uninspiring, slightly off-putting name, which it shares…
Hot, cold, sweet, salty, boozy, spiced: Bananas Foster has everything
I’m a sucker for a challenge. I absolutely cannot resist a little competition. Throw down a gauntlet, and I am…
Moules mouclade, as big a hit as Beyoncé
Mussels were probably the first thing I ate as a child that I knew at the time was ‘an acquired…
The sweet satisfaction of a burnt Cambridge cream
If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, then a Trinity or Cambridge burnt cream must taste…
The ultimate chicken pie recipe
Laurie Colwin wrote: ‘No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is…
How to make a true apple strudel
It’s possible that, like me, your first encounter with the Grande Dame of the Austrian pastry world, the apfelstrudel, was…
Sole Véronique: there’s no need to fear fish and grapes
One of the joys of writing about old-fashioned food is coming across dishes that are new to me, and turn…
How to poach peaches (and why you should)
I’ve never been very good at leaving things be. I tend to gild the lily. I may plan to do…
Sundae best: how to make a knickerbocker glory
I grew up by the seaside. More precisely, I grew up near South Shields, on the north-east coast – somewhere…
Why you should never buy 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…
The secret to baking the fluffiest hot cross buns
What makes a hot cross bun a hot cross bun? Is it in the bun: the spice, the dried fruit…
The magical kitschiness of 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: the perfect date-night dish
Cooking for romance is no laughing matter. The stakes are high. Get it right and woo the love of your…
Lardy cake: a royal favourite
Lardy cake has a branding problem. We don’t mind puddings or cakes which explicitly announce their richness or decadence —…
The sheer joy of a sherry trifle
Christmas brings out the best and the worst in me. It’s a chance to give in to my inclination to…
Recipe: 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.…
French connection: how to make cherry clafoutis
My daydreams at the moment follow a predictable theme. I am on holiday somewhere balmy, with a carafe of cold…
