Gather Food, Flowers & Friends
Strongly emblematic of Asian-American cuisine, handmade dumplings make for a deliciously flavoursome & impressive starter, party snack or meal, and are surprisingly easy (if admittedly not enormously speedy) to make.
Roasting grapes brings out a beautiful, complex richness in their flavours which works perfectly alongside slow cooked pork chops.
Light, fluffy & richly flavoured, these muffins feel very cosy and autumnal and would be ideal for serving up to friends with coffee for brunch or late in the afternoon, or packed up and brought with a thermos of chai tea for a walk at the beach.
While this mushroom, mozzarella & sage meatloaf is fabulously impressive in all its beautifully burnished, pancetta wrapped, glory, it is also a very cost-effective, easy & delicious roast dinner option for feeding a crowd.
While in Copenhagen recently, my father and I taught ourselves how to use a wood-fired pizza oven through trial, error and eventual success. Here’s what we learned, along with some of my other food focused explorations around the city.
For a brilliantly memorable brunch or birthday gathering, simply make up a batch of these lovely rye everything bagels and some homemade dill pickles; set out some fillings, stand back and just let your guests make their own filled bagel just how they like ’em.
Serve these fabulously flavoursome sesame & thyme dukkah crackers with homemade herby labneh for a stylish & delicious laid-back starter or snack.
When temperatures start to climb, this Roman-style rice salad with tuna, vegetables & hard boiled eggs is my go-to recipe for feeding a crowd. As well as being deliciously full of flavour and easy to prepare, it’s also a handy option for bringing on picnics, walks or long car journeys.
Looking for a dessert that even your health conscious pals will enjoy? Although this blueberry & yogurt cloud cake is made with no butter or oil, barely any sugar and just a sprinkle of flour it somehow becomes a magnificent, towering cake with a wonderfully fluffy texture and a beautiful subtly sweet, lemony flavour – a triumph by any standards.
Deliciously satisfying, richly savoury & almost caramelised from its time in the pan, fried halloumi is great for making all kinds of salads & vegetarian meals a bit more substantial. Case in point, this delicious halloumi & green bean combo, which I expect will swiftly become part of your regular meat-free repertoire.
Made in a free-form style and loaded with juicy seasonal fruit, this rustic apricot & cherry tart makes for a stunningly pretty dessert for a relaxed summer meal. It even uses pre-made pastry because June is no time to be rubbing in butter in my book.
With sunshine on tap over the last few weeks, I’ve been broadening my BBQ repertoire with new flavour combinations for the grill. One of my best discoveries was this delicious beef kofta burger with crunchy veg; tangy pickles, lemony houmous yogurt & crumbled feta; AKA a full Middle Eastern feast in a bun, and it’s exactly as good as that sounds.
Taking inspiration from the restaurant-style kievs I love so much, and adding a little extra ooziness just because, I recently came up with these very yummy mozzarella, rosemary & chilli breaded chicken cutlets. I would call them Kievs, but that term is somewhat sacrosanct to me, so cutlets it is. Give them a go, I think you’ll love them too.
With its glossy, colourful top and crisp, flaky base, this tomato tarte tatin is a gorgeous way to elevate a glut of tomatoes into an elegant & eye-catching seasonal showstopper for a summertime feast.
Newly trendy or not, there’s no classier snack to start a celebration than a platter of devilled eggs. I’ve pickled mine pretty, pink and ready to party in a beetroot & vinegar brine.
