15 SEPT 19

This is my birthday week but it begins with Sunday’s unprecedented closure of Turnham Green Terrace, a Together on the Terrace initiative to help revive business on the Terrace. We have a newly restored fountain with new benches by the edge of the Green and today is the unveiling of what turns out to be…

8 SEPT 19

The lovely Indian summer weather is holding out, hot like summer during the day but chilly in the evening, so comfort food and lighting the fire, is starting to change the way we think about what we want to eat. I’m thinking sausages, writing notes to myself and popping into Macken’s (www.mackenbrothers.co.uk) to get more…

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This soup looks deceptively like Heinz tomato soup from a can. It’s blessedly simple to make, no chopping or frying, just roast tomatoes, red peppers and small red onions, the latter two peeled, then everything liquidized with stock. I tend to use chicken stock for vegetable soups (a cube is fine) but vegetable stock will…

Beyond Bangers and Mash

There was a fantastic turn out of friendly people for my sausage cookery demonstration as part of the Chiswick Literary Festival, Cook Book division on Saturday 14 September. The lovely ladies from Cook Book Festival, who did all the preparations and planning for all the events, were so supportive and helpful. Sadly Rodney from Macken’s,…

Smoked Paprika Chicken

When one of my twitter followers posted my mug shot and this recipe today from my old column in the Evening Standard, several people wanted the recipe. So here it is, published Friday 1 March 2002. No photo or illustration I’m afraid but my usual style of writing the recipe in real time and maybe…

1 SEPT 19

It’s worse than back to school in my house, it’s Diet Week; no booze, no potatoes, no pasta, no rice, no bread, no cheese and Small Portions. I decide to give up breakfast, having read Anna Murphy, the Times fashion supremo, claiming she lost a stubborn half stone by doing just that. My breakfast is…