A Dish Served Cold
“I want the bastards that tortured my grandmother to bleed” spits Susan, her face contorting and reddening to match the hue of our food. “I want them to feel just…
Cafe Kaati
Living around the corner from Brick Lane means I’m always getting hassled for decent curry house recommendations. Despite being surrounded by a multitude, there really aren’t many in this area…
Potato and Lentil Patties
Mark Hix certainly seems to know his Asian food – I’ve had my eye on the mutton chop curry recipe in his latest cookery book for some time now. I…
Miso Mackerel
There was once a time when all you’d ever hear about was Nobu and that black cod miso dish. That was until “The End of the Line” exposed it to…
Roasted Tomato Shorba
tough day in the office? Repeatedly sneezed on during the central line rush hour? Feeling a bit sniffly? Had your favourite pair of Cheap Monday’s tsunamically and indeed deliberately drenched…
Katsu Curry
You wouldn’t catch your average Japanese housewife faffing around making a curry roux from scratch. Not when there are dozens of excellent ready made versions requiring little more effort than…
Ottolenghi’s Caramelised Garlic Tart
This is Incredible. Make it for someone you love kind of incredible. Can’t wait to make it again and again kind of incredible. Make it in the afternoon and watch…
POPPIES
There’s something irresistible about good fish and chips. What is it about that maddening waft when someone brushes past with a steaming bouquet? My death row meal would definitely feature…
Stichelton Dressing
There’s only so much cauliflower cheese you can take before you start to feel a bit peaky. Awkward bride that I was, I’d demanded one of those cakes made up…
Fire and Knives – issue 6
So, I’ve written another piece for the wonderful Fire and Knives food quarterly. It’s on the subject of Halal and Kosher slaughter, and sadly the following conclusion didn’t quite make…
Spring onion and Red Leicester scones with roasted garlic cream
I’m still working my way through that final truckle of Red Leicester. As I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth, these savoury scones are my cunning twist on…
Triple coconut and squid curry
Tangy, aromatic and fresher than a boxfresh pair of hightops, this is a lovely little springtime cuzza. Based on a Keralan pal’s recipe, the layers of nut do make it…
Roast Duck A La Yuzu
There’s no anticipation quite like the build up of a long, languid roast, and for me that’s especially the case when we’re talking roast duck. This one gently crisps up…
chilled spinach, avocado and pea soup with crab
If like me, you managed to OD on mini-eggs and treacle tart over the weekend, you might be thinking about injecting something a little bit healthier into your poor, saccharine-addled…
strawberry and grilled feta salad
It’s the scent that yanks me back, pinching at my nostrils and dragging me helplessly by the nose. A fat, fragrant double-taker of headiness. The brain doesn’t quite compute at…
chilli-cumin lamb skewers
Cumin isn’t really a spice you’d associate with Chinese cooking is it? However, head for the more Islamic districts of North West China and these cumintastic lamb skewers are all…
Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Cake
For me there are few things more rewarding than cooking for others, so I was super chuffed when those nice people at farm:shop asked me to start regularly supplying the…
Pea, Spring Onion And Smoked Cheese Quiche
I’ve churned out so many quiches this year I actually started dreaming about the things at one point. The other day (IRL, not my dream) a woman stopped me outside…
Bombay toast with peach and tomato salsa
Creamy, oozing with comfort and addictive little stabs of chilli this savoury French toast with an Indian twist is just the dish to take refuge in whenever you’re feeling hungry,…
Pot roasted lamb and turnip curry
I’ve got really into pot roasting lately and had been thinking about making this dish for ages. I wanted to experiment with the combination of robust curry spicing and the…