Recent Posts

La Belle Assiette; Reading

La Belle Assiette; Reading

When it comes to research, my curiosity knows no bounds especially when it comes to food. So, when private chef agency La Belle Assiette asked if I’d like to review their services of course, I said yes. But I was a bit anxious about it […]

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

It felt like autumn suddenly happened last weekend; the weather, the light, the leaves and that certain something in the air… This is one of my favourite times of year to be sure. I’m guessing pumpkins ripen around this time, which is why they became […]

Satay Chicken Pizza

Satay Chicken Pizza

Pizza has the potential to be incredibly divisive. There’s the pineapple situation. There’s the question of whether you put your cheese underneath or over the toppings. And of course there’s fusion pizza. It seems I’m a bit of a bandit for messing about with my […]

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

I’ve had this recipe pinned to my kitchen cork board for weeks, waiting for appropriate weather for a cinnamon apple loaf. I got sick of waiting. So I grabbed a couple of apples from the fruit bowl and got busy. Seeing as the ingredients are […]

Renovation at HQ

Renovation at HQ

I recently had my kitchen renovated. Well, it was a couple of months ago now but I’m still tweaking and styling, and a little bit traumatised by the whole experience. The spiritual and practical HQ of our household, I don’t think I was truly prepared […]

Local Food Hero: Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar

Local Food Hero: Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar

I’ve known about the Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar since I moved to Cookham. They’re on the High Street and every now and again their name will come up in discussions with friends and local businesses and producers, and it’s not surprising because they seem to […]

Laksa

Laksa

I used to follow a liberal version of the paleo diet, and it was very successful for some time. But I got sick of carb-shaming and I don’t think any diet that excludes anything is one I can get on board with. Everything in moderation […]

Spring Chicken Stew with Herb Dumplings

Spring Chicken Stew with Herb Dumplings

Sometimes I think know everything when it comes to food and eating. This is one of those recipes that I thought might not be very tasty, due to the simplicity of ingredients. But I love it when I’m wrong, because it means I’m learning new […]

Priya’s Chicken Masala

Priya’s Chicken Masala

This is not so much a recipe, but rather a guide to using local dynamo Priya Tailor’s (of Priya’s Kitchen) home-made masala paste. As some of you might know, Priya is the woman behind the pop-ups that everyone is talking about, and the maker of […]

Portobello Road Gin – Local Heroes : Mark Knopfler

Portobello Road Gin – Local Heroes : Mark Knopfler

Many moons ago (some time last year, my recollection is hazy), I attended the launch of an exciting addition to the Portobello Rd Gin repertoire, Navy Strength Gin. Like a bolder, more commanding cousin of the flagship London Dry No. 171 blend including juniper, coriander […]