More from life

Moules mouclade, as big a hit as Beyoncé

15 October 2022 9:00 am

Mussels were probably the first thing I ate as a child that I knew at the time was ‘an acquired…

The sweet satisfaction of a burnt Cambridge cream

1 October 2022 9:00 am

If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, then a Trinity or Cambridge burnt cream must taste…

The ultimate chicken pie recipe

17 September 2022 9:00 am

Laurie Colwin wrote: ‘No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is…

How to make a true apple strudel

3 September 2022 9:00 am

It’s possible that, like me, your first encounter with the Grande Dame of the Austrian pastry world, the apfelstrudel, was…

Sole Véronique: there’s no need to fear fish and grapes

20 August 2022 9:00 am

One of the joys of writing about old-fashioned food is coming across dishes that are new to me, and turn…

How to poach peaches (and why you should)

6 August 2022 9:00 am

I’ve never been very good at leaving things be. I tend to gild the lily. I may plan to do…

Sundae best: how to make a knickerbocker glory

9 July 2022 9:00 am

I grew up by the seaside. More precisely, I grew up near South Shields, on the north-east coast – somewhere…

Why you should never buy scotch eggs

11 June 2022 9:00 am

One of the perils of being a recipe writer is that people regularly ask me why I bother making things…

Eccles cakes

14 May 2022 9:00 am

When I first made Eccles cakes, I’m not sure I really knew where Eccles was. I certainly didn’t think I’d…

The secret to baking the fluffiest hot cross buns

16 April 2022 9:00 am

What makes a hot cross bun a hot cross bun? Is it in the bun: the spice, the dried fruit…

The magical kitschiness of black forest gateau

19 March 2022 9:00 am

Kitsch is something of my stock-in-trade. And it doesn’t get more kitsch than Black Forest gateau. Pots of cream, pints…

Steak Diane: the perfect date-night dish

19 February 2022 9:00 am

Cooking for romance is no laughing matter. The stakes are high. Get it right and woo the love of your…