We’ve had a few non-pasta recipes as of late, so it’s high time that I post another one! It’s very much in the depths of autumn now, so the fresh summery produce of a couple of months ago is starting to fade from memory somewhat (even with today’s global food market you can still generally find the same stuff in the supermarket year-round, but it’s never as good as when it’s in season)...

I’ve been holding onto this recipe for a little while - we’ve had quite a warm summer here in the south-east of the UK so it didn’t quite feel appropriate to post such a hearty and warm dish while all I wanted to eat was salad and ice cream...

We’re approaching longest day territory here in the UK right now. The maximum hours of daylight in the year reaches 16 hours and 41 minutes in a matter of a few (long) days, meaning our evenings stretch gloriously out in front of us throughout the summer months (the depths of winter, where we barely get eight hours of light, is another matter)…

Spring is slowly but surely heading into summer (even if the amount of rain we’ve been having seems to suggest otherwise!) and with it comes a general dislike for putting the oven on. Since last posting we have moved from our stuffy flat into a far cooler house, but even now when it’s getting a bit toasty outside it’s better to keep the kitchen heat to a minimum…

Long time, no blog (?)! It’s been a busy few months since I last shared a recipe, and while I’ve still been cooking away (girl’s gotta eat) I’ve had the small endeavour of planning a wedding keeping me occupied. We had a fairly long engagement allowing us to get the big things booked up early and take our time on the details, however everyone was correct in saying that as soon as last Christmas was out of the way, time would fly…

Autumn is well and truly here in the Northern Hemisphere - it’s dark by 4.30pm, work Christmas dinners are in the planning stages and the leaves are very much in the process of falling off the trees and making a crunchy carpet on the floor…

Legend has it that when St. Michael the archangel kicked Lucifer out of heaven, he landed on a blackberry bush and, ahem, weed all over it. This piece of folklore states therefore that blackberries should not be eaten past Michaelmas (29th September) for this very reason, but I see it as all a better excuse to embrace blackberry season while it’s still here…

We’re onto our second heatwave of the summer here in the UK. Gardens and parks are turning a delightful shade of brown, hosepipe bans are looming, and frankly, no one’s in the mood for cooking much right now (myself included)…

We’re back on our basics journey today - our first instalment involved searching for the perfect oven chip, and we’re continuing the potato theme with this week’s post. Jacket, or baked, potatoes are a staple of many family’s dinner repertoire…

Summer is finally here in this part of the world, with the temperature slowly but surely creeping up as the days pass by. Living where I do, not far outside London, our summers can get pretty uncomfortable and humid when the weather decides to take a turn for the warmer…