• Blog

    Cacio e Pepe

    14 May 2021 - By 

    I messed this up throughly, yet still ended up with something quite tasty.  First the parmesan refused to melt in the pasta water; a problem brought on by, I think, a combination of not using the finest grater for the cheese and perhaps by adding too much water at one time.  I attempted to rectify this by a quick blast in the microwave and succeeded only in creating clumps of inedible palme-plastic.  However, clumps aside, the residue of the cheese and pepper left on the pasta was quite delicious. From Felicity Cloake

  • Blog

    Soy Roast Veggies & Ginger noodles

    4 May 2021 - By 

    Extra tasty and very straightforward. Wonderful treatment of the vegetables. Fresh and sharp noodles.  Important to get the veggies crispy, so don’t overwhelm with soy and oil dressing, they should be coated rather than marinated. From Doctor’s Kitchen, pg. 162

  • Blog

    Dal of Bengal gram

    4 May 2021 - By 

    A great dal, lots of flavour without being in any way overpowering. Not too hot. Made with yellow split pea here. Certainly one to return to. If the peas are old, soak them for as long as you can and be prepared for the boiling to soften to take multiple hours. Don’t be afraid of mush up a little with the stick blender. Or a pressure cooker could help. From 50 Great Curries of India, Camellia Panjabi, pg. 193

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    Korean bean stew

    1 May 2021 - By 

    Lovely, again in the mapo tofu/gumbo mold and I’m a fan. The gochujang chilli paste is delightful, gently hot, fruity and a touch sour. I’m going to look to use this more often as a very simple way to inject flavour. From 1 2 3, pg. 220

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    Hot and sour Thai soup

    26 April 2021 - By 

    Just the quickest possible meal, particularly with a pre-made stock of fish stock gel as I had to use here.  No more than 15 minutes and you have a delightful, spicy, sour soup.  Made here with noodles, not in the recipe, but an easy addition to turn it into a full meal. Really excellent.   From Thai Food, David Thompson, pg. 256

  • Blog

    Circassian Chicken

    19 April 2021 - By 

    A very gently spiced, richly creamy sorry sauce with some resemblance to a korma. Would be both too much and too bland, oddly, without the sweet pepper sauce, which could be splashed over any number of dishes to great effect. From Rick Stein – Venice to Istanbul, pg. 190

  • Blog

    Pearl Barley, Mint Risotto

    18 April 2021 - By 

    Barley is such an under utilised grain and it has so much going for it. This is a good version of a barley risotto, something I’m doing with increasing frequency, and the asparagus is a nice touch, and as was speculated in the pea, mint and feta barley risotto, adding the green veg just a couple of minutes before serving is the way to go. Beautiful creaminess combined with spot of levels of acidity from the lemon. From 3, 2, 1, pg. 126

  • Blog

    Chicken Gumbo

    18 April 2021 - By 

    Really lovely, comforting and warming. There’s something of the mapo tofu about this and I can’t get enough of either. Added some sardine fillets for the final 10 minutes and they were a good addition. The dill garnish really lightens it and is well worth it. From 1, 2, 3, pg.202