My mother, while a great cook, is not an adventurous one and often sticks with ingredients she is familiar with. So, when I presented the idea of serving her fish with a crust of garam masala and ‘nduja, that thick Calabrian salami and chilli paste, she was a bit cautious. My mother stared bizarrely at … Continue reading BAKED FISH WITH ORANGE, ‘NDUJA & ROSEMARY
When I was growing up, my Mam did not cook separate meals. As the matriarch of our home, if she had the ‘burden’ of preparing the evening meal, then what was being cooked was what was being cooked. If you didn’t like parsley, scrape it out, and if you didn’t like beans, eat around them. … Continue reading CHORIZO & BLACK BEAN CHILLI WITH SKILLET CORNBREAD
It has always felt so weird to me that we call a potato salad a salad. It feels unfair to other salads, does it not? It’s wildly superior if we had to rank salads. But is it a salad, though? I know a salad is ambiguous in it’s description, and to be honest, with the … Continue reading DILL & MUSTARD POTATO SALAD
I heard that sometimes, shops might sell chicken wings that are already cut up into what is referred to as ‘party wings.’ I live in Wales and have never seen this, so I’m starting to feel as though this is something that is happening behind my back? Right? Maybe butchers do it… do they? I … Continue reading HOT WINGS & BLUE CHEESE DIP
Every house needs one and this is mine. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with adorning any naked leaf with just the sacred pairing of tangy lemon and some good, fruity green olive oil but for me, my fridge feels unloved when it doesn’t contain a bottle of my house dressing. It … Continue reading MY HOUSE DRESSING, SHALLOT OIL & CRISPY SHALLOTS
This curry ticks every box I need it to. It’s packed with vibrant and warming spices and both the aubergine and sweet potato act as sponge vessels that carry them, so every mouthful is as exciting as the next. If you like it with a little less heat, remove the seeds from the chilli but … Continue reading AUBERGINE & SWEET POTATO CURRY WITH COCONUT RAITA
There are many recipes that I have taken away with me from the kitchen of my adolescence. And while the majority of these recipes include soups, stews, and roasts, I will never forget one Christmas being handed a Tupperware box of what looked like a syrupy purple coleslaw and being told to nuke it in … Continue reading COCA COLA CABBAGE
Food writers encouraging their readers to make a chutney at Christmas is as predictable as a dentist telling you to brush your teeth. I think every food writer has a bit of a sweat on in the lead up to Christmas, because if you haven’t advised your readers to make a chutney, then what kind … Continue reading QUICK HARISSA CHERRY CHUTNEY
I was in the supermarket and I saw that ham. That beautiful little spongy, vacuum-pack of pork and I knew I had to take it home. I knew what I had to do. It was like a calling. I cannot finish that sentence by saying I knew I had to go home and make the … Continue reading SPICY PICKLED PEACHES
I tend to have a sixth sense when it comes to fussy eaters. When someone tells me that, for instance, they don’t like seafood, their plight as an eater is automatically established. I know that the fussiness is strong in this one. This not a fact, just a musing of mine own experiences. And I … Continue reading FRIDGE PICKLES & QUICK KIMCHI
MIKEY AND THE KITCHEN. 