I used to work as a freelancer on various food magazines – when I was allowed to write something, I loved it. But most of the time I did sub-editing and proofreading of recipes and supplement sections – it could be the most toe-curlingly-dull work ever. Not least because everyone typically ignores the freelancer, stuck […]
Last night I was gripped by a food memory that I hadn’t had since I was an angst-ridden teenager. I thought I wanted macaroni and cheese for dinner, and while I was going through the list of what I needed to buy, I suddenly recalled a recipe that my mum had made at my […]
I have long harboured a realisation which I’ve felt too ashamed about admitting for years, but now I’m going to come out into the open with it. In a nutshell, I absolutely HATE sharing small plates of food with other people – ie tapas style dishes. It really drives me round the bend and ruins […]
We all have different experiences of the working lunch. Above is my typical lunch in the office: lentil soup eaten while hunched over the keyboard. The soup was lovely but the scenario is pretty dire huh? In an ideal world I’d be sitting in the sun in some kind of picturesque piazza, wolfing down a […]
Argh. Something is afoot in my world as a lover of dark orange-flavoured chocolate. Yes I know that’s a pretty niche type of interest, but I feel compelled to vent! Above, you will see my favourite chocolate bar ever. It has been killed off. Montezuma Chocolates, who in my opinion make some of the most […]
Argh – why is it that jelly is such a royal pain in the arse to make? Every single recipe I’ve tried gives a specific number of gelatine sheets to use, and the jelly never EVER sets. The recipe I tried below (tsk tsk Nigel Slater) was no exception – it took three attempts to […]
Last night I watched ‘Hugh’s Fish Fight’ on Channel 4 – where Hugh Fearnley Whittingtsall lifted the lid on the shocking state of the UK fishing industry. He interviewed fishermen on their boats around the UK who were furious at having to throw around HALF their catch overboard, also known as ‘discard’, to meet absurd […]
I recently chanced upon a fantastic ice cream kiosk in West Bay, Dorset, manned by twinkly husband and wife team, Margaret and John. They’ve been selling ice cream in this very spot for the past 42 years, whatever the weather. (I think the Bassett Hound wants an ice cream). Don’t Margaret and John […]
I couldn’t resist sharing this image with you from the old Fail Dogs website: Are the dogs about to share an iced Pedigree Chum? I think my favourite one is the podgy golden laborador looking puzzled, his fat head jammed into his green cornet hat. Durrrrr. Anyway, hope this brings a smile to your face. […]
I am in the rather disconcerting position of having completely lost my sense of taste and all cravings for food after a nasty bout of winter flu. It’s the strangest sensation ever – I don’t feel hungry or want anything that tastes exciting. My palate is currently as developed as a wet piece of […]
Toast & Butter 