Courgette Shawarma

Ok, it's not actually shawarma. I haven't spiked extra large courgettes, and grilled them on an upright spit. No. But I have taken some of those shawarma spices, and rubbed them all over some beautiful white Turkish courgettes. I love all of the courgette family, but the white ones do seem to hold up better …

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Carrot and Pistachio Pilaf

I signed up to Oddbox when Lockdown 2.0 started. The thrill of getting a small mystery fruit and vegetable box was only outweighed by knowing I was rescuing items that would otherwise have gone to waste. I wish this was available all over the country, as there is absolutely nothing wrong with the produce. All …

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Easy Baked Aubergine

Aubergines/eggplants are much maligned. I know that. But I love them so much! Here is a very simple way of cooking them, no fuss, and not a lot of mess. My friend Liese in Athens still makes this, many years after I gave her the recipe, and that makes me smile every time I think …

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Plantain Not Quite Brioche Swirls

I follow many channels on YouTube, quite a few of which are food based. Surprising, yes? [/irony] There is one channel whose owner has such a relaxing voice, that I could probably listen to her reading the phone book to be honest, but when she's talking about her cooking, that's much better than Smith, Jones …

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Caponata Fritters

I saw Sabrina Ghayour's Halloumi and Carrot balls in Bazaar, but had no carrots. Or dill. I did have halloumi, but I needed that for something else. Then I remembered an aubergine that needed using, so I switched from the island of Cyprus to the island of Sicily.Caponata is a vegetable stew, sweet and sour …

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Kolokassi Kebabs Cypriot Style

Kolokassi is a tuber of little renown in the UK. It’s also called Taro, and it used a lot in Asia, even for cake making, and is what they call poi in Hawaii, where it is a staple. I know it’s hard to find here, and I apologise in advance for that.I freely admit that …

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Calcutta Cabbage Tangles

This is not my recipe, but one borrowed from Nisha Katona, founder and powerhouse behind the Mowgli chain of Indian restaurants. I say chain, but they are the furthest from the bland, corporate chain than anything could be. There’s a beating heart in each one, and each one, like siblings, retains the looks, but the …

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Artichokes with browned butter and Hilopites noodles

You know how sometimes a cooking method can escape you time and time again, and then one day you read one more account of how to do it, and it all makes sense? Today I had that with artichoke prep.Not the big globe ones, but the smaller, purple ones. Perfect little flower heads that, nonetheless, …

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Leftovers Live To Feed Another Day

I’m not one to throw much away, unless forced to by mould (and then not always) or circumstance, so when I have not quite one serving of a really good dish, I want to make it into something equally as satisfying, and maybe have enough to freeze some. I’d made a Lamb, Leek and Chickpea …

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Istanbul and Beyond: Inspirations. Lamb, Leek and Chickpea Stew

I’m currently reading Istanbul & Beyond. There’s so much more to Turkish cuisine than the meat and salads that we usually see here. “Standing at the crossroads between the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia, Turkey boasts astonishingly rich and diverse culinary traditions. Journalist Robyn Eckhardt and her husband, photographer David Hagerman, have spent almost …

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