Baking with Citrus – Tammy McLeod Lemon and lime flavoured baked goods are always warmly received. Tangy citrus flavours are a delicious contrast to the sweetness of a cake or slice. It is the rare person who turns down … Read more
Cooking with Chocolate For those that love chocolate there is hardly ever a dessert decision to be made – chocolate wins every time. At this time of year I tend to look for warm puddings such as chocolate self saucing … Read more
Roast Beef – Alison McKee It can be daunting, even for experienced cooks, to ‘turn out’ the perfect Roast Beef as everyone has an opinion on the correct degree of ‘doneness.’ I like my beef to be rare – medium … Read more
It’s A Bloody Pleasure! Virgil Evetts We’re fickle, delusional creatures us humans. We like to tell ourselves that we’re risk takers, adventurers, masters of all we survey. But you only have to look at how safely most of us eat … Read more
Reluctant Barley Risotto – Virgil Evetts I’m a bit slow off the mark when it comes to fad foods. Every year a clutch of new gimmick ingredients and dishes spread through menus and magazines [beetroot and goat-cheese tart anyone?] like … Read more
Soup must be one of man’s oldest foods since it would have been discovered at the same time as boiling was used as a method for cooking. I love the versatility of soup – it can be thin, thick, smooth … Read more
There is something very comforting about an upside down cake. Perhaps it is its homely rustic qualities that differentiate it from many other cakes. I don’t know what started my fascination but this winter upside down cakes and puddings have … Read more
Chickpeas, Beans and Lentils – Lynley Ruck There are many very good reasons to eat Lentils, Chickpeas and Beans, they are nutritious, inexpensive and very versatile. Many of us feel at a loss as to how to prepare and … Read more
Balsamic Vinegar – Alison McKee Balsamic vinegar is the aristocrat of vinegars. Unlike other vinegars made from sour wine balsamic vinegar is produced from must, freshly pressed grape juice, which is boiled and reduced concentrating the sugars before aging in … Read more
Leeks – Alison McKee Leeks have a great affinity with potatoes and many traditional dishes such as Scottish Cockie Leekie soup and the Welsh Cawl Cennin are based on broths containing leek and potato. The secret to making a tasty … Read more
Last week on the Radio Live kitchen and Garden show Hester Guy and I discussed the merits of a good homemade stock and how we make them.Good stock is the basis to a well flavoured dish, if you use inferior … Read more
Hainanese Chicken Rice with thanks to Keanu Reeves Virgil Evetts So it’s not exactly high-art, but The Matrix isn’t a bad film as far as disposable fluff goes. At the very least its a fun couple of hours, crammed … Read more
A couple of weeks ago we had the parents of Daisy’s year 2 class to dinner.Often the working parent/s doesn’t get to meet the adults attached to the little people who come to play and we thought it would be a … Read more
Braising or Stewing? Alison McKee It can be a little confusing defining the culinary terms Braising, Stewing, Casseroling, Pot Roasting and Hot Pot. However, what they all have in common is long slow cooking in liquid making them perfect rich … Read more
