Chilli jam

July 25, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’ve been boring my boyfriend to death for weeks, telling him I want to make my own chilli jam. In my head, I’d already dreamed up my small business venture, selling preserves and sauces, all made by me, at London farmer’s markets and making a fortune. The fact that I’d never made jam, or anything […]

REVIEW: No.5 Bridge Street, Winchester

October 5, 2016.Reading time 16 minutes.

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The eating scene in Winchester is pretty darn good, and the sweet cobbled city is easy to get to from London (57 minutes from Waterloo, to be exact), offering a more tranquil but no-less-delicious alternative to eating out in the Big Smoke. I’m a big fan of The Black Rat (read my review of The […]

Pork and apple risotto with truffle balsamic and avocado

March 12, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

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I’ve always wanted to be the kind of cook who can walk into the kitchen, not having been to the supermarket, and rustle something up from whatever’s in the fridge or on top of the cupboard. I’m also a budding leftover enthusiast, whether that means taking last night’s tea to work or using up extra […]

REVIEW: Jason Atherton’s Little Social, Mayfair

March 9, 2016.Reading time 16 minutes.

I’m writing this the morning after the night before. The night before being the evening we visited Little Social, one of chef and serial-restaurant-opener, Jason Atherton’s places in Mayfair. It was one of those restaurants that you find yourself thinking about way before you get there – not least in our case, because Jason had […]

Mini pork Wellingtons

March 7, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

You’ve had beef Wellington, but have you had pork Wellington? If not, I’d implore you to rectify that immediately. It is a taste sensation. A cheesy, buttery and ever-so-slightly crumbly pastry, encasing a juicy but firm piece of pork and a layer of sweet apple and garlic – what more could you want? With the […]

REVIEW: Sunday lunch at The Dartmouth Arms, Forest Hill

February 28, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

The Sunday Roast. It’s a British Institute and one I’m keen to uphold in my two-person home – but there’s rarely the time, patience, mouths to feed or available work space. It’s such an effort for just us and it more often than not results in a war over who gets the top oven rack, […]

Chicken, chorizo, sweet potato and orange tray bake

February 25, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

Easy, peasy, orange squeezy! Consider your Thursday night tea sorted. My chicken, chorizo and sweet potato tray bake with a healthy helping of orange, is perfect for busy people and it’s great for tea one night, leftover lunch the next day. Hearty, wholesome and zingy, it’s a taste sensation. It’s not too pricey either. Basically, […]

Chicken and pomegranate stew

February 22, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

Chicken. And. Pomegranate. This is a taste sensation, believe me. This is one of my go-to Saturday night dinners and a favourite when we have people over. It impresses every time, even the time the screw from the casserole dish top came loose and was served to one of our dear friends in his chicken […]

Creamy carbonara

January 24, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

I read a really great article recently about how you shouldn’t put cream in your carbonara. Then, I went to the shop, bought Sainsbury’s finest double cream, and put it in my carbonara. And that’s what cooking is all about for me. Reading and researching, looking and learning – and then doing it my own […]

Red chilli sweet potato mash

January 12, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

Cooking ain’t all about the schmancy. My everyday cooking is so far from schmancy. And I know from pre-5.30pm chats with co-workers, that knowing what to have for tea, something that’s not too bad for you but not too tricky, or a ‘something’ to go with the standard chicken or pork or Quorn main, is troublesome. […]

Lemon and garlic roast chicken (aka my first ever roast chicken!)

January 11, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

I can make my own pasta from scratch, make brownies that are the perfect combination of fudgy and firm and tell whether an avocado is ripe just by looking at it. But I’ve never roasted a chicken. I’m a hardened meat eater but I’m yet to earn my stripes when it comes to dealing with […]

Wild boar ravioli with truffle pesto

January 5, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

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It’s a new year, and for me, my new year’s resolution is more of a new year’s realisation. At a time when kale sales are through the roof and once beer-boozers and chocolate-chuggers are banging down the doors of Fitness First (I admire their gusto, but I give them a week), my new year’s realisation […]

2015 food round up: My favourite plates and places

December 31, 2015.Reading time 15 minutes.

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In no particular order (just the order that things came to me on one hungry December commute home from work..), here are my favourite dishes from 2015. Some are from restaurants, many in London, some further afield and some are from pop-ups and food stands and one is even from Dominos. Some aren’t even edible, […]

Three cheese pork and beef lasagne

December 22, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

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I would never choose to eat lasagne. I’ve never made it because I’ve never eaten one I really enjoyed and I don’t like to ‘waste’ my choices when we go out to eat on something I’m not convinced I’ll love getting my chops around. In theory, I’m well-suited to the Italian classic – I’m a […]

Cookbooks to buy this Christmas

December 21, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

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There’s nothing quite like the smell of a new book. Or a homecooked meal, constructed with the help of a new cookbook. What a lovely gift to give someone. And, for the less organised amongst you, a lovely gift you can order today from Amazon and have tomorrow. Christmas is a comin’ people! Know a […]

Goat’s cheese, asparagus and red onion risotto

November 29, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

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I love love love risotto. It’s a fail-safe dish I can cook without any recipe or rules, and often with whatever’s left in the cupboards. I’m a big fan of the fact that it takes a while, but is pretty low maintenance, and it’s where I founded my fond tradition of ‘one glass of vino […]

5 easy peasy dinner ideas

September 10, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

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For those nights you’re late home from work, as well as the ones where you just can’t be arsed and think about giving Mr Hut a call, here’s five super simple suggestions for your supper. And they’re all possible in well under an hour… Melon, proscuitto and mozzarella salad What I like about this salad […]

REVIEW: NADA, Cologne

June 6, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

Cologne. The home of beer in tiny glasses, Bratwurst, sauerkraut and the Lindt Chocolate factory (who knew?). And it turns out, the home of some of the best red wine and fine dining to have ever passed these, albeit eager-to-eat, lips. Our intention wasn’t to visit Cologne in pursuit of tasty grub, though that’s often […]

Chilli con carne with chorizo and red wine

May 12, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

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I love cooking and it was a chilli con carne that first got me into the kitchen. I remember, when I was still living at home and couldn’t have been more than 14 (and completely incompetent in the food department), rustling up the closest thing to ‘chilli con carne’ I could with the items in my […]

Chicken itame (like Wagamama’s!!)

July 30, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

Well, it’s pretty close anyway. And so so delicious! And it is saving us a fortune when my Wags craving strikes! I think everything tastes better the fresher it is but with Chicken Itame it’s even more important and will really change the dish for the better. Oh and cooking the chicken this way is […]

Overnight oats with goji berries, cranberry, banana, apple and pumpkin seeds

July 28, 2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

It’s a bit of a mouthful, I’ll give you that. And to be honest you can top your overnight oats with whatever you want but this plentiful combination is my favourite for energy and taste at the beginning of a busy day. If you’ve never tried making overnight oats before give the below recipe a […]

Baked egg in avocado

July 27, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

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A hearty and healthy breakfast or a fuss-free lunch I have this dish at least once a week (availability of free range eggs at our terrible local Tesco depending). You only need a few main ingredients and then you can really make your avocado and egg combo as snazzy as you like. I’ve popped some […]

Tomato and basil bruschetta

July 13, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

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One of the simplest starters or snacks you can make and very quick to do yet so effective and requested time and time again in my house. It’s great sharing food too – I often serve it with my fiery chicken strips and plenty of dips. Makes more than enough for two 2 handfuls of […]

Watermelon, ham & feta salad

July 11, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

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Writing this I realise that even my salad-y type dishes involve a bit of meat – I am a meataholic! Often a home-made meal doesn’t feel right to me without at least a slither of the hard stuff, I promise to do something a bit more veggie-friendly soon though! Anyway, I digress. This week we […]

Greek couscous with chicken, feta, olives & tzatziki

June 11, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

I can’t take credit for this one as this was one of my boyfriend, Alex’s creations. And he can’t wholly take credit for it either because it was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recipe here. I’m sure Alex’s would give the Naked Chef’s a run for its money though as it really was delicious! It’s a […]

Plates and Places

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