Gather Food, Flowers & Friends
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.
Whether diluted in cold sparkling water as a deliciously refreshing cordial, infused in syrup for lemon drizzle cake or used as the basis of a fabulous fizzy summer cocktail, elderflower cordial is the essence of early summer captured.
Like all the dishes from the River Café, the simplicity of this dish means that using the best quality ingredients is paramount. It is utterly transportative, for all that it is, and is ideal served alongside a glass of rosé and the last of the evening’s sun.
I’ve always been a fan of Welsh rarebit toasts – my parents used to occasionally make them for lunch on Saturdays when I was small and I could never understand why they tasted so good. Now that I’m older, I understand that they’re pretty much pure ‘umami’. And I also know now just how good they taste with a cold drink.
A fortnight ago, I tried Nigella’s famous chocolate Guinness cake for the first time at the Peacock Green café besideContinue Reading
The first pâté I ever loved was given to me one Christmas Eve by my friend’s mum, the same womanContinue Reading
Just a quick post with a quick recipe for my favourite ever biscuit – peanut butter cookies. I firstContinue Reading
There was never any cupcakes in our house when we were growing up, nor fairy cakes, nor queen cakes. ButContinue Reading
My mum has always used a lot of buttermilk in her baking, be it in Ulster-style griddle-cooked soda bread, cheeseContinue Reading
Peanut butter is one of the strongest flavour memories from my childhood. It tastes like the end of theContinue Reading
There was a lovely feature in The Telegraph last Saturday which featured ten or so British politicians reminiscing about their EastersContinue Reading
I always think that autumn is my favourite time of year but then January ends and February rushes in withContinue Reading
One thing I’ve learned over the last few years is that cities are a lot more fun if you avoidContinue Reading
At a Christmas party last night a friend reminded me that the Irish word for ‘December’ and ‘Christmas’ are inContinue Reading
Christmas comes, and with it the exhaustive selection of ideas for festive entertaining in every food and lifestyle magazine. ButContinue Reading
