I was once whizzing down from the top of a mountain in Argentina in a rather antiquated cable car when its operator fixed with me an evil grin and said: “Remember the Malvinas!” Fortunately for me he was only joking and in spite of any lingering feelings (on either side) about the Falklands War I met with nothing but warmth and friendship as I travelled around the country.
For a month I lived almost entirely on steak. Continue reading
Ok, making this takes slightly longer than pouring boiling water into a plastic pot, but not by much. And just wait until you taste these utterly unctuous noodles, Continue reading
According to Catalan cookery expert Rachel McCormack, when a Spanish man cooks rice, it’s called a paella. When a woman does it, it’s called a rice dish. Humph.
This is closer to a Spanish-style stir-fry, a version of what my in-laws call a chuck-in rice. It is nonetheless delicious and it’s very quick to make, assuming that you have some cooked basmati sitting in the fridge. If not, it’s worth cooking some just to make this. Continue reading
What do you cook when you’ve got a streaming cold, can’t smell anything and don’t have the energy to spend ages standing over the stove? This worked for me, so if you’re a fellow sufferer you might like to try this succulent, seriously spicy way of cooking salmon. Continue reading
There are some things I always try to have in the house: tins of beans and tomatoes, jars of roasted peppers, a spicy chorizo, fresh tomatoes, eggs, cheese, onions and garlic, fresh herbs. That way, I can always knock up something tasty to eat even if I haven’t made the trek to the shops, which for me involves a 20 minute drive in both directions.
Sometimes it means we’ll have a simple omelette for supper. At other times, I crave something fresh and spicy and pungent. This intensely garlicky one-pot tray bake is quick to prepare and cook. Continue reading
Most of us don’t eat enough fish. The UK government guidelines say (and I know we don’t trust them after they cut our recommended booze allowance, but still) we should eat two helpings a week, one of which should be an oily fish. This is a good place to start. Continue reading
This is a variation on a favourite theme – salmon fillets with a herby, lemony, cream sauce. Sometimes I fry the fish but mostly I bake it. Often I use parsley and chives but this time I chucked in plenty of dill because I like its fragrant aniseedy taste with salmon. Continue reading
I was lucky enough, earlier this year, to be given a pot of red peppercorns by friends who had been travelling in Cambodia. Apparently, in the days before the Khmer Rouge ravaged the country, these peppercorns were highly valued by French chefs. Continue reading
My sister in law calls them ‘fridge orphans’. You know, those leftovers you find lurking at the back of the refrigerator. Sometimes you emit a faint shriek and throw them straight into the compost bin. Sometimes though they earn their keep and combine to make a very good meal. Continue reading
A quick and easy weekday supper dish, this takes only a few minutes to prepare and cook. Try it with new potatoes boiled in their skins and steamed green veg – minimum effort, maximum flavour. Continue reading