Today, to finish our long weekend in style, I made this lime and ginger cheesecake – my take on the classic recipe made with cream cheese, condensed milk and lemon juice. What makes this recipe a bit different is the use of ginger biscuits and pecan nuts in the crumb crust, which adds a little bit of spicy…
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Grilled pears with ricotta, pecans and runny honey
This simple, but beautiful recipe was inspired by the abundance of fresh pears in my part of the world now that autumn is fully upon us. The mornings and evenings are chilly and we are looking around for something warm to eat in the morning. This dish is a great alternative to porridge or eggs for…
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Carrot cake – seventh time’s a charm
This classic – the carrot cake – is simple to make, full of sweetness, spices and walnuts, and covered with a glorious cream cheese icing. I’ve been making it since I was about twenty (a very long time) so why it took me seven goes to get it cooked and photographed and onto this blog…
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Zucchini, mint and corn fritters – farewell to summer
“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James It’s officially the first day of autumn in our part of the world. We love autumn and the beginning of a different season, but we’re not quite ready to let glorious, long summer afternoons go…
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Zucchini with currants and pine nuts
When I was growing up zucchini was the most uninspiring green vegetable served at our table. My mother, bless her, would boil it until it was very soft and then serve it with a little butter and salt and pepper – squishy, flaccid, and bland. It was the way most people cooked green vegetables in…
Read MoreNectarines, prosciutto, mozzarella and mint
I’ve been thinking a lot over the last week or so about what to feed my family this Christmas time, experimenting with ideas and recipes old and new. We need joyful, bright food this year, to counter the almost savage sadness of another empty place at the table. My sister-in-law Lesley died quite suddenly in…
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Roasted balsamic onions
Onions are an integral part of my cooking, and their sweet, aromatic flavour adds depth and intensity to so many dishes. But in this dish they shine on their own. I saw something like this on Nigella Lawson’s Nigellisima Italian themed cooking show, and have been itching to make a version of my own ever since.…
Read MoreMushroom risotto
Some people might look at a recipe for risotto on this blog and rage at me, “This is not simple food! Risotto is complicated” But, at the heart of the matter, risotto is a simple dish – rice, stock, flavourings and love. People get all caught up is how to make the perfect risotto and…
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Tangelos and oranges with lime and vanilla syrup
Tangelos have a short season which makes them all the sweeter, to me, at least. I just love the intense citrus taste that is like an orange, and like a mandarine, but also uniquely tangelo. I’m salivating even as I write this. When I made this ultra simple dish, I wanted to celebrate the beauty…
Read MoreYoghurt cream with strawberries
Strawberry season has started early where I live and these beautiful, luscious, sweet and juicy strawberries were just begging to be eaten. I read in a wonderful book by one of my favourite authors, Helene Hanff, of 84 Charing Cross Road fame, a 19th century quote about strawberries – “Doubtless God could have made a…
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Simple food 