An essential lubricant at this time of year, mulled wine always fills the house with evocative smells. After literally years of experimenting with different versions, I’ve concluded that Jamie Oliver’s recipe is the best. Follow this and you can dispense with those ghastly sachets of spice mix or – even worse – the pre-mixed bottlesContinue reading “Mulled wine”
Author Archives: motherrach
Christmas Day Brunch
A slap-up brunch on Christmas morning evolved as a family ritual after the grandparents moved to Garde. The kitchen is always a hive of activity, with one person (wo)manning the egg-poaching station, others grilling bacon, laying the table, picking at beigli or sneaking off for last-minute present-wrapping. Liverpool tops, Bloody Marys, chocolate coins from stockingsContinue reading “Christmas Day Brunch”
Hollandaise Sauce
Rosa and Zita are already dab hands at hollandaise sauce but the recipe merits recording because it is a key component of Christmas Day brunch – and indeed gets wheeled out as often as our arteries can stand it when we gather en famille. There are quicker ways to make it than the method detailedContinue reading “Hollandaise Sauce”
Christmas pudding
You might question whether this meets the criteria for inclusion as an established family favourite: although it’s served every year at Christmas, some of you eat it only under sufferance and I’ve made it just twice myself. Nonetheless, it is traditional British fare, an important piece of culinary history, a cultural artefact, and pretty impressiveContinue reading “Christmas pudding”
Spaghetti & meatballs
As a cash-and-time-poor working mother I have always been on the hunt for quick, cheap supper dishes to sling together after a busy day at school. This recipe entered the repertoire when we were living in South Croxted Road – I think it was inspired originally by a two-minute TV ad. You can make theContinue reading “Spaghetti & meatballs”
Colcannon potatoes
Your father’s recently-confirmed Irish heritage justifies the special place this dish touches in our collective stomachs. We’ve been eating it, typically with sausages and a tomato salad, since 1995, when Delia Smith published her Winter Cookbook, and it has reappeared regularly since we signed up for Oddbox deliveries and found ourselves obliged to experiment withContinue reading “Colcannon potatoes”
Frangipane
This is a really useful recipe to have up your sleeve. The basic almond filling is simple to make and all kinds of fruits combine well with it. Depending on the fruit you use you can play around with complementary flavours (orange zest would go well with figs, for example) and the alcoholic spirit –Continue reading “Frangipane”
Mediterranean Cod
Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery (1987), a well-thumbed volume in Granny’s cookbook collection, is the source of this recipe. Roden herself attributes it to an Egyptian hotel chef – the north African influence is evident in the raisin-almond garnish. The first time I remember making my own version was in Brantôme (Dordogne) in 1994: baby SamContinue reading “Mediterranean Cod”
Fajitas
Like so many of our family favourites, this meal was inspired by Granny, who wheeled out a luxury fajita spread for an Aldwych summer party at Garde over a decade ago. It was, however, only after realising that fajitas were a staple of several GWOD households that I bit the bullet and started making themContinue reading “Fajitas”
Chicken, leek & saffron pie
Lindsey Bareham’s daily recipe columns (first in the Evening Standard, later in The Times) have inspired many of our family meals over the years. This one stems from her recipe for a ‘pasty pie’ (Evening Standard, March 1998 – we were living in Rouse Gardens at the time) and has evolved into just a pie,Continue reading “Chicken, leek & saffron pie”
Years of Practice 