A friend cut this recipe for Martini prawns and pasta out of the Standard about a thousand years ago. I  lost the actual details ages ago so I cook it from memory. The original called for chopped smoked salmon instead of prawns and Martini rather than white wine, but this version works just as well. I'm having it for my supper.   Serves 2.   Ingredients: 6 RipeTomatoes Fresh pasta About 20 or so large prawns, peeled (I buy … [Read more...]

DH doesn't cook that much these days, now that he has a full-time wife. But every so often when the will takes him, he forcibly evicts me from the kitchen, makes all kinds of mess and produces something wonderful, as with Potatoes a la Rustique. Ingredients: As many potatoes as you need, cleaned. Handful fresh rosemary Handful garlic cloves Olive oil and a little butter Method: Put a good glob of olive oil into ovenproof dish. Pop in … [Read more...]

  I am a fan of (pretty much) all things French, and whilst I don't know whether Nicolas Sarkozy will be the change that France really needs (in itself embarrassing, since I studied politics in a former life,) I do know that Confit de Canard should always be served with Dauphinoise potatoes and greenie beanies. The recipe for Confit rather depends on how close you are to France and whether you care about how many days your house will … [Read more...]

Generally speaking, a well-used recipe of unknown origin, or an experimental recipe bears the title ]insert name of primary protein source] Thing in our house. Chicken is a popular protein, thus this is imaginatively entitled Curried Chicken Thing recipe. To differentiate it from all the other Chicken Thing recipes I use. If I were writing a recipe book, I'd have a whole chapter entitled Chicken Thing. 4 chicken breasts, skinned and chopped 4 … [Read more...]

There's been a story in the press about two girls fined £80 for drawing on the pavement in chalk. Yet there are plenty of street artists across the world who chalk masterpieces on walkways and get money for doing so. It's amazing how such a simple thing can cause such debate. Nursery food is another example. Do you put carrots in your Spaghetti Bolognaise ? Do you eat Shepherd's Pie with ketchup? I met a girl at Uni who wouldn't eat macaroni … [Read more...]