Rules, especially arbitrary, self-imposed ones, are made to be broken. I am flouting a founding principle of the blog today in choosing to share this recipe, because we’ve only eaten it once, two months ago, and it therefore does not qualify – by any stretch of the imagination – as an established family favourite. I’mContinue reading “Chicken shawarma pie”
Tag Archives: years of practice
Scrambled harissa tofu
Even when we’re not conducting a flirtation with veganism, I like to wheel this out for a weekend brunch. A delicious alternative to eggs, it might be considered a ‘Gen Z rántotta’, because it recalls the paprika-spiced scrambled egg-and-onion dish Babú would cook on those rare occasions when family supper was left up to him.Continue reading “Scrambled harissa tofu”
Sweet potato rösti with coriander pesto
These make terrific vegetarian canapés – or you could make them bigger and serve two or three as a starter. The recipe comes from a Times feature on ‘speedy canapés’ back in 2017 and has been wheeled out for two or three Collier parties since then, so definitely qualifies for inclusion here. The rösti andContinue reading “Sweet potato rösti with coriander pesto”
Moules Marinières
Google this dish and you’ll get a competing array of recipes claiming to be ‘the best’, ‘original’ or ‘the real sailors’ version’. Really, it’s up to you whether you use onions or shallots, add a leek or some lemon zest and finish with butter, cream or crème fraîche. The essential elements are a large pileContinue reading “Moules Marinières”
Eton mess
This is a pudding redolent of summer and incredibly easy to make. You can buy your meringues ready-made or whip up your own with any spare egg whites hanging around (from making hollandaise sauce or mayonnaise or custard, say). There are all sorts of meringue recipes out there and I’m not claiming my version belowContinue reading “Eton mess”
Stuffed eggs
Today’s recipe, a memorable component of our summer picnic lunches in Hungary, is introduced by a guest contribution from your father, king of the holiday morning routine. He has thrown in as many original Hungarian words as he can muster – presumably in a bid to convince the Consulate that he knows enough of theContinue reading “Stuffed eggs”
Piperade
Variations upon a stew of onions, peppers and tomatoes are found across a range of cuisines. The name we use for our version, Piperade, is of Basque origin, although in a departure from the traditional template I would usually choose red and yellow peppers over green. In Italy, the dish is called Peperonata, while inContinue reading “Piperade”
Lamb koftas three ways
Lamb koftas or kebabs invariably get an outing during barbecue season. They go well with a range of sauces and sides: houmous, aubergine dip, tsatsiki, tabouleh and Greek salad. We’ll often have a spanakopita and skewered vegetables as well, to keep the vegetarians happy. Our go-to lamb kofta recipe – the first one below –Continue reading “Lamb koftas three ways”
Mango fool
After a slight hiatus on the pudding front, here is a recipe for a straightforward but richly aromatic fruit fool. It comes from Sophie Grigson’s Food for Friends (see Aubergine Parmigiana and Chickpea & tomato soup) and makes a great end to an Indian-themed meal, thanks to the cardamom and the orange-flower water, which transportContinue reading “Mango fool”
Pea, feta & mint fritters
It’s useful to have a range of vegetarian starters up your sleeve. This one tastes of early summer but has gone down a treat in December too. The recipe comes from Simple by Ottolenghi who, though not vegetarian himself, has revolutionized vegetarian cooking during the last decade. His newspaper columns and beautiful cookbooks have inspiredContinue reading “Pea, feta & mint fritters”
Years of Practice 