Here is a proper recipe for chilli con carne: ‘proper’ not necessarily because it’s authentic but because it takes time, uses good quality ingredients and avoids the convenient shortcuts (tinned beans, minced meat) that make chilli such a popular meal with students. You need to plan ahead, soaking the beans overnight and setting aside enoughContinue reading “Chilli con carne”
Author Archives: motherrach
Pörkölt
The Hungarian word pörkölt simply means ‘roasted’ but it has evolved to refer to a meat stew, which in most parts of Hungary is made with beef or pork, with or without the addition of vegetables. Our family version, consisting of pork and mushrooms, is very much my own invention but nonetheless redolent of Hungary.Continue reading “Pörkölt”
Cheesy Leeks
This is so basic that it hardly warrants a whole post to itself, but no collection of family favourites would be complete without it. Cheesy leeks were created out of a need to disguise the vegetables accompanying Sunday roasts when you were small and fussy fussier. Cauliflower was never on the cards, that excellent vegetableContinue reading “Cheesy Leeks”
Crab mac ‘n’ cheese
In the book she published last year (Cook, Eat, Repeat) Nigella rails against “the insidious encroachment of the American appellation of mac ‘n’ cheese over here”, but then admits defeat and offers this take on an opulent, defiantly American pasta dish. We’ve eaten it twice, most memorably for lunch on Christmas Eve 2020, the plagueContinue reading “Crab mac ‘n’ cheese”
Pears in Marsala
Here’s another trusty old recipe from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection (see blinis, colcannon potatoes, mushroom risotto, hot citrus pudding, pumpkin soup). It’s a 70s classic that has stood the test of time, perhaps because as a fruit-based dish it offers a lighter alternative to the heavy sweetness of other traditional puddings. The original is madeContinue reading “Pears in Marsala”
Pumpkin soup
A chance encounter in Gunnersbury Park last month prompted the recording of this recipe. Running – or rather shuffling – along on my first Park Run since March 2020, I spotted a stall setting up for the fortnightly artisan market and returned to purchase four tea towels on my way home: you can see KateContinue reading “Pumpkin soup”
Vegan apple pudding cake
Stretching the blog’s rules again, I’m recording this brilliant recipe because it’s hard to believe it is completely vegan. It comes from Meera Sodha’s column in the Guardian’s Saturday food supplement Feast, and I’ve made it three times this year – every time to astonished acclaim from family, friends and colleagues. It has enough appleContinue reading “Vegan apple pudding cake”
Lentil rissoles
During my flirtation with vegetarianism in the early 1990s I learned to make these by experimenting with a recipe from a cookbook in Granny’s impressive collection (I think it was in the Sainsbury’s vegetarian food paperback). The Hungarian paprika flavouring has crept in because we’re often faced with a glut of piros arany, which BabúContinue reading “Lentil rissoles”
Grilled pepper salad
This is very much a family invention and therefore open to as much variation as you like. It’s a colourful accompaniment to a summer barbecue and can be made well in advance. Just save the addition of the basil until just before serving. Red and yellow peppers are easier to peel than green ones (whichContinue reading “Grilled pepper salad”
Strawberry Truffles
Before this year, I had only tried my hand at truffles once: they were (allegedly) Earl Grey flavoured and, frankly, a bit meh. Then your father gave me a terrific little book called Amaze Balls full of sweet and savoury recipes for round, bite-sized snacks. The strawberry truffles (or my raspberry variation) have proved aContinue reading “Strawberry Truffles”
Years of Practice 