Combining eggplants (or aubergines) with cream shouldn’t really work, it’s not one of those natural food pairings and if anyone other than Mr Slater had suggested otherwise I would never have tried it. I’m so glad I did though because this is one of the best eggplant dishes I’ve made and it’s such a nice […]
The Roman dish of spaghetti carbonara is one of the most adored pasta dishes in the world and rightly so. It has all the elements that make for perfect comfort food – a silky cheese laced sauce, salty pancetta and of course pasta. This version whilst not really traditional in that it incorporates crab meat, is still authentic […]
For me one of the most exciting things about cooking is finding a recipe or a technique that I haven’t encountered before. Who would have thought there’s an Italian veal recipe out there that is executed so differently from the usual scaloppine style dishes. The title would have you believe that the veal is accompanied by […]
It never ceases to amaze me how many different methods there are for roasting a simple chook. Fast, slow, stuffed, marinated – the list goes on and on, and just to add to that list here is my new favourite. Italians have a way of roasting a chicken which is […]
For the second post in the Cooking with Le Creuset Series I’ve decided to road test a lidded casserole from their new stainless steel collection. Now when you think Le Creuset and casserole the first thing that springs to mind is their enamel cast iron pans which are famous the world over. Most people are familiar […]
Pork belly for me is a magical cut of meat. It’s one of the few cuts that can be roasted or braised with equally excellent results. My favourite way of cooking pork belly is to roast it, and of course roast pork just wouldn’t be the same without crispy crunchy crackling. Pork belly is a fatty cut […]
As much as I love eating spinach I don’t like all the tedious washing involved to ensure it’s grit and sand free. My normal method for washing spinach is to fill the sink with plenty of cold water, take all the spinach leaves off the stem, place them in the water and give them a […]
Red Cooking in Chinese cuisine, Hong Shao, refers to food (normally pork, chicken or duck) that has been braised in a mixture of soy sauce, Chinese rice wine and whole spices. The soy sauce and long braising imparting the meat with a lovely mahogany hue. It’s a wonderful warming and comforting dish that’s great for colder […]
Sometimes you just feel like pasta and nothing else will do. My plan was to cook osso buco one night last week, which I love with a passion, and I had all the ingredients ready to go but when the time came I just felt like pasta. I didn’t want to team up the osso buco […]
This recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich an Italian American chef who owns several restaurants in the States, has written countless cook books and made a number of television shows – she’s sort of the Barefoot Contessa of Italian food. I find her recipes to be very approachable and totally authentic, despite her many years living in the […]
Mustard With Mutton 