Life, friends, food and good times

Presenting food is sometimes just as hard as preparing it.   We all cook, not only for ourselves and the pleasure of it, but also for frie...

I thought re-introducing some favourites from a couple of Summers ago wouldn't go amiss. Who likes black olives, the ones which are st...

Travelling around the mediterranean, most countries have their versions of topped toasted bread, whether tapas from Spain or bruschetta in I...

Red ripe tomatoes are the epitome of Summer to me.  The bright red and the fresh taste.  Joy, especially when another colour, or colours, c...

I thought I would start my series of inducing an early Summer with one of my favourites. There is nothing quite like ripe tomatoes, but ...

Roll on my early Summer Now for some tricks and suggestions to make your fresh ingredients taste a little fresher. Try buying your fresh...

I'm writing this in blazing sunshine in mid April, sitting in a park in Beckenham, on the fringes of the South London.  So forgive me fo...

Mung beans, either sprouting or cooked as a bean itself, are rather fresh tasting. The mung beans are soaked overnight and then need to c...

Turmeric is one of the three spices I must admit to over using in my youth.   I learnt early on not to roast vegetables with it because it...

Falafel , for me, conjures up quickly caught lunches by Leather Lane when temping back in the late 80s.  It was cheap and tasty and, as a ...

My falafel recipe has developed over a number of years.   Influenced by my neighbour Dara , mainly because she taught me that no recipe,...

Buttered potatoes - should they be fried or is the butter just supposed to dress the potato? I've looked through my food diaries and ...

These are highly spiced and a great alternative to meatballs. Preparation time is just 15 minutes and cooking time is for a similar le...

Lentils with roasted beetroot One of my favourite accompaniments, although I love mashed potato, sometimes a lentil or three hits the spot...

Leftover Monday, such a treat after the weekend!   Ingredients: 8oz of dried trompetti pasta 2oz of salted butter one large clove of...