Salt and pepper tofu

Tofu is one of those foods that people seem to love or hate, with the coda that most people who claim to hate it have never tried it. I love it, especially in black bean sauce with lots of red chilli. But I have to admit that I’ve had it cooked in ways that it…

A tale of two quiches

You know how on cookery contests people are always asked what their signature dish is? Mine is cheese and bacon quiche. I hesitate to call it Quiche Lorraine as I’m sure a French person will leap up and castigate me for inauthenticity, but I guess that’s what it’s based on. I’ve been making it since…

Bitter orange marmalade

One of my bestest friends is known in these parts as The Jam Lady. She’s built a successful small business selling small-batch, artisan-made jams. It’s lovely stuff, beautiful flavours like Blueberry and Lemon, Rhubarb and Ginger, Blackberry and Apple, Plum and Mulled Wine. She has made Mulberry Jam from the mulberry tree at the infamous…

Silencing the little voice

I haven’t blogged as much recently as I’d hoped to do. I’ve told myself that there have been good reasons for this. We’ve had Christmas and several family birthdays to keep me busy. I’ve also had a lot of medical issues involving hospital visits – minor but time-consuming. I’m trying to establish a new working…

Less-mess pork Milanese

Who doesn’t love crispy, juicy pork with tomatoey spaghetti? Who doesn’t hate having a kitchen covered in flour, breadcrumbs and egg with a side order of sticky fingers and several plates that need washing up? It’s a big problem for me: the good-evil cooking-eating balance. This recipe solves the problem and seriously reduces both mess…