Can be bribed with food

I don't. I do. I don't. Maybe I do - Winter slaw

2012-01-13T08:56:00.001Z

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with hazelnuts. Well, mostly hate. OK, pure hate. It’s been frustrating watching hordes of people dunking spoons or fingers in Nutella jars, licking the innards of a Ferrero Rocher, snapping big bars of chocolate jewelled with the offensive little fuckers for all these years. I felt left out whilst staring from the side lines; desperately trying to

The wonders of granola. Homemade that is.

2012-01-06T09:58:00.000Z

Why on earth have I never written about granola before?! I mean, I have been playing with the idea for over a year and did lots of research for the perfect recipe in the form of scoffing endless boxes of the stuff and always decided I didn’t like them at all so I had to make my own. HAD TO. And I finally did – For bloody Christmas 2011. Better late than never. I mean, what could go wrong

Goodbye 2011 - Hello 2012. New Year's Lentil Soup

2012-01-01T13:58:00.002Z

It's 1st January 2012 and my plan was to get up at a decent hour, have a bowl of lentil soup and start writing, because I'm hoping that starting with a post will mean more writing throughout the year. It's time for me to reflect on the past 12 months with their highs and lows and what I would like the next 12 months to shape into. I will admit that 2011 has been a far better year than 2010

I love Christmas - Improved Banana Muffins

2011-12-30T12:25:00.002Z

This post was due about 2 weeks ago, but because I was more concerned with eating than writing I never published it. Now the story is a little out-dated, but I'm still going to make you read it, because I frankly have only 15 minutes before I have to go back to consuming my turkey leftovers. So, at the beginning of December I was standing on the platform, waiting for a train to take me to

I'm not a sweets person - Flan de Tia Lesy

2011-11-24T21:10:00.001Z

I’m not a sweets person. Given the choice I would only have savoury foods at the dinner table and would repeat a starter instead of having dessert. I do, however, have the odd bout of craving for sticky cakes and cookies and yesterday was one of such occasions; I went from wanting a cookie, to wanting apple crumble to wanting a chocolate fondant; and when I got to the supermarket and stood

It's that time of year - Tagliatelle with butternut squash and rosemary

2011-11-07T13:19:00.000Z

"It's that time of year" - I repeat this to myself over and over again, between bouts of cough and blowing my nose. Come October an annoying cold takes residence in my respiratory system and I shall not be rid of it until at least May or June next year. Thanks mum for my lousy immune system and The Doom of The Phlegm. And of course because of it do have this thing about complaining about the

Trying to avoid motorbikes and donkey poop - 4 nights in Marrakech

2011-10-29T18:48:00.004+01:00

My only experience with Morocco up until last week was a trip to Agadir with dad 10 years ago and all I could remember was getting a henna tattoo and scaring him into thinking it was real. Goes to show how much father knows about tattoos. It also goes to show how much I knew Morocco. I was then very excited when J and I decided to visit Marrakech for a long weekend. Here's the trip in about a

A friendship - Spaghetti with courgette flowers and goat's cheese

2011-10-03T21:15:00.001+01:00

This post was going to be all about how I’m happy there is a Farmers’ Market near my office on Thursdays now and how excited I was to find that one of the stalls had courgette flowers and how I bought some and made the plate of pasta pictured above and of which I give the recipe below. I was also going to bemoan the fact that in Italy you can buy courgette flowers at the supermarket, but here

Sometimes I just don't want to cook (too much)

2011-09-26T20:41:00.002+01:00

This post is what it says on the tin: sometimes I just really really really don’t want to cook. Take the past couple of weeks as the perfect example: I started off excited about a weekend all to myself and the prospect of cooking just what I wanted like I wanted it and when I wanted it and then descended into a spiral of self-pity caused by my first bout of flu for this marvellous Autumn/

Revisiting the classics of my youth - Chicken Fajitas

2011-09-02T22:44:00.002+01:00

When I was at uni I ate fajitas a lot. And when I say “a lot” I really do mean A LOT. I must admit that I was totally oblivious to them until my first year in Grenoble when my friend Starfish (real nickname, but sadly not called so on birth certificate) invited me over for dinner one night, produced an Old El Paso fajita kit et voila!Dinner was ready in under 20 minutes and it was farking

Of friendships, trust and bad English weather - Hug in a Bowl Casserole

2011-08-23T21:25:00.002+01:00

I have been pondering about friendships and trust lately. I think I give far too much of the latter out and I should be more guarded especially when it comes to things I don’t want advertised. I should specifically remember to not share secrets with friends who tend to open their mouths a little too much after one or two drinks down the pub after a long week at work.I like to give people the

Oopseridoo - Sweet and sour onions

2011-08-17T09:59:00.002+01:00

What's that? A month without posting? Where was I? Erm... I have been busy? Oops! I was actually going to post about these sweet and sour onions, one of my favourite snacks for aperitivo, last Monday, but I got distracted by scenes of London burning and under siege by a minority of criminals and it seemed inappropriate. Many a post have now been written about that and I will not go into

Stopping the waste - Back of the Fridge Spelt Salad

2011-07-14T20:45:00.001+01:00

I remember being told over and over again as a child that throwing food away was sinful and disgraceful.That with all the people dying of starvation in the world I had to consider myself lucky to have such food abundance at my disposal. As a child I knew I should eat what I had asked for, but I also knew I would get what I asked for easily; I knew that putting food on the table was not a

The weekend where 2 things disappointed me, but then other things made it better - Potato (and chorizo) salad

2011-07-08T20:56:00.001+01:00

One would be led to believe that because I haven’t been posting recipes for the past month I haven’t been cooking either. Truth is I have been cooking, but not as much as I’d normally do – It happens when the weather is nice and one wants to go enjoy a glass of Pimm’s or an ice cold glass of white wine on a terrace, because, you know, one lives in England and God knows for how long one will

To Lowri and Dave - This is not about food.

2011-06-10T00:24:00.000+01:00

To Lowri and Dave who get married this weekend. To Lowri and Dave who are the example of true love. To Lowri and Dave who are famous amongst London cabbies... Oh no, wait, that's just Lowri... To Lowri and Dave who fill the lives of those around them with happiness. To Lowri and Dave who have stood by me through my ups and downs. To Lowri and Dave who WalkUsAbout on school nights. To

A gastronomic fairy tale - Coffee ice cream

2011-05-31T20:36:00.002+01:00

Do you believe in fairy tales? I do... I always have... I still dream of a knight in shining armour coming to my rescue and sweeping me off my feet. Of course, I am still sitting, waiting and wishing and distracting myself with whatever else nice life has to offer. Yes, that would be food. And shoes. Nevertheless about a month ago I got to feel a little like Cinderella minus the prince - The

The sun is here! - Spring panzanella

2011-05-15T10:44:00.002+01:00

" Here comes the sun little darling lalalalala" - I won't sing, because, let's face it, if I did they would hear me as far as China and they would not be best pleased. But, yeah, SUN! I come back from 2 1/2 weeks in Panamá (of that trip more at a later date - I need to process and stuff and think the post in my head and all that) and I'm welcomed by sunshine.Ok, a slight chill in the air still

Of old friendships - "Mediterranean" zaalouk

2011-05-04T05:50:00.002+01:00

Initially, this post was going to be dedicated to the weekend I spent in Paris with my friend Mathilde a month ago since it was there that I decided to make zaalouk. However, a few weeks have gone past, I have just come back from my yearly trip to Panamá and I want to talk about that instead which is fine because I made zaalouk there too. I shall talk of visiting Mathilde another time as

One more use for chipotles - Breakfast casserole

2011-04-03T15:51:00.008+01:00

I am pretty sure I have spoken of my love for chipotles adobados: smokey bearers of flavour and pleasure. The first time I had one was in a little cafe in Puebla: I was visiting my aunt who at the time worked in Mexico City and I recollect it being a relatively muggy and grey day. We had walked down side roads, exploring, watching locals go about their daily life, looking curiously at the

What's with the assumptions? - Polenta-crusted lamb kebabs

2011-03-20T20:13:00.004Z

If there is something that really hacks me off are people who judge you for enjoying your own company.People who consider you strange for wanting to spend an evening in with good food, good wine and not having to talk to anyone else. So when this weekend some guy who was at uni with me for one semester and hasn’t seen me for over 7 years deemed appropriate commenting on my Facebook status and

Home food hauls and indulgent brunches - Panettone "French Toast"

2011-03-13T18:19:00.006Z

Whenever I go see my parents in Italy I come back with as many food stuffs as I can cram in my suitcase.My haul will be the result of a well-planned trip to the supermarket where I'm known for putting on my best Only Child show - "But muuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm! They don't seeeeeelllll capers in Englaaaaaannnnndddd" *insert here sulky pout* - or my rummaging through my parents' cupboards and deciding

It now comes with music - Mum's chicken ballotine

2011-02-20T22:58:00.003Z

So Can Be Bribed with Food comes to you with a brand new feature – Music.It is glaringly obvious to everyone that I am truly obsessed with food – I think about food all the time, right? I wake up and I think about food.I go to my non-food-related job and I think about food.I leave work and I think about food.I get home and I think about food.I go to bed and I think about food.I sleep and I dream

The Carles' Special - Pasta with Philadelphia cheese and other stuffs

2011-02-15T22:22:00.014Z

Exactly 8 years ago I lost someone I loved very much.One day he was texting me excitedly from his friend’s car on their way to the slopes and a weekend of snowboarding and the next he was gone. Just like that.No proper goodbye. No explanations. No reason. No justification.He was gone and the last thing I told him was “Don’t get too drunk and go playing fool with other girls!” Normally I don’t

I like it deep-fried - Torrejas de maiz

2011-02-13T18:41:00.000Z

A few weeks ago it was brought to my attention that Panamá had been listed amongst the Top 10 Food destinations for 2011 by the Huffington Post (if you don’t believe me you can read all about it here).And, YES! We have been recognised for what we do best: FRITANGA! I mean, who doesn’t like to be woken up with a nice deep-fried breakfast? Well, apart from the bore who commented on the HP piece

Of birthday cakes of my childhood - Tres Leches Bites

2011-02-05T22:35:00.011Z

Mum and me on my 1st birthday - "YeahYeah. Leave me alone. Is that cake I see over there?"One of my mostest favourite memories from Panamá are the birthdays. I’m not just talking about mine even though the fact that the presents would be all for me in such occasions was a bonus (still is), but about kids’ birthdays in general.They were filled with colour, food, clowns, magicians and big massive

The Forman's Love Cook-Off: An indulgent menu for one and a give away!

2011-01-31T07:00:00.004Z

Let me make something crystal clear: I hate Valentine’s day.I hate it with a passion.I swear this has nothing to do with the fact that I’m currently single (yes, boys, form an orderly queue), but with the fact that I’m baffled by the concept that you should do something special with a loved one only once a year.And don’t get me started on the cheap cuddly toys, the plastic hearts, the bad set

Feeling fine at home again - Pig cheeks with orange and chipotles

2011-01-22T11:04:00.005Z

A couple of weeks ago we got burgled.They only took valuables from one room as clearly had no time to have their way with our lovely flat, but nevertheless they came in. No one was hurt and most things will be replaced with ease, but they came in.Strangers. Uninvited. Looking to take away things we worked hard to be able to afford. Gifts from loved ones. In our home.A home that we have worked

Sometimes I like it simple - Guacamole

2011-01-18T15:57:00.006Z

I must say I have been ridiculously lazy of late.I cook, I enjoy it, I go out to eat, etc, etc. but I do not write about it. Bad blogger. In my defence, though, I can say that I do this as a fun thing. Not a job (I already have one of them thingies and it’s a demanding one). A fun thing. So if I don’t want to write for a few weeks then whatever. Anyway, a few days ago I was watching “90210”

The (very) late post about what to have with great steak - Balsamic chimichurri and origanata

2010-12-07T21:24:00.005Z

I hang my head in shame - I've been due to write this post for weeks and I have been sidetracked so many times that I have quit counting them.And what's worse is that the 2 recipes I have come on the back of a sample pack I was sent by Pampas Plains after a conversation about Argentinean beef with the lovely Andre Dang.I know that some people didn't enjoy the meat much, but I did grow up eating

In which I don't follow a recipe (again) - Penne with salmon and walnuts

2010-12-07T20:38:00.008Z

Sometimes I wonder if it's rude to blow one's trumpet and tell the world how good one's dinner was and how clever one was at making said dinner when missing pretty much all the main ingredients of the recipe they had originally intended to follow.Rewind: earlier today I decided that I wanted to have pasta for dinner and after much pondering (all during my lunch break of course... Ahem!) I settled

It's just really simple - Sancocho

2010-11-24T07:47:00.006Z

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a work friend and he seemed somehow surprised by the fact that I was ill and had made chicken soup from scratch. I fail to see how one could not have chicken soup made from scratch: does he just put an Oxo cube in boiling water and has that? Because if that’s the case then that’s totally grim.But, seriously, are there people out there who do not make their

Brunch with The Secret Ingredient - Corned beef brunch

2010-10-21T11:44:00.002+01:00

Who would have thought that I’d end up posting “mum food” twice in a row?! Not moi! But the thing is that a few weeks ago I went to an event with Paul Rankin in central London and all dishes were prepared with “the secret ingredient” and said secret ingredient turned out to be Heinz ketchup – You should have seen my face after I spent the evening confidently assuring everyone else that I knew

One for mum (for once) - Caserecce alla carbonarina di porri

2010-09-29T21:18:00.004+01:00

I never give mother culinary credit, do I? I associate food, cooking and the wonders of a kitchen mostly to my dad.We spend lengthy amounts of time discussing knives, pots, frying pans, braising techniques.We argue about the re-invention of classics and all with a passion that could start wars if it was only based on a subject that, in my opinion, can’t do anything but make life better and bring

Just a little patience - Cañones de guayaba

2010-09-02T17:36:00.004+01:00

I never learn. I see something that I really-really like, I know it’s really-really hot, but because I’m really-really impatient I shovel it into my mouth with glee and pay my burnt tongue dues with a grimace, I mumble “I have just burnt my soul” and proceed to smile fulfilled. Patience and the art of waiting are just not 2 of my traits and I always end up regretting it, but somehow manage to

Courgette overload? Then make grilled courgette salad

2010-08-16T20:44:00.003+01:00

Lately a lot of people have been asking for recipes on how to use up a glut of courgettes.Truth is, the only way I can think of having them in at the moment is grilled and then tossed with a tangy red wine vinegar dressing.The mix is one inspired by memories of dinners at my parents' flat on Lake Garda and one of my favourite recipes from Moro.My mum used to grill courgettes and aubergines quite

Remembering the cart bell - Chicha de tamarindo

2010-08-09T17:43:00.006+01:00

People tend to associate tamarind with Asia rather than Latin America, but let me tell you – We love tamarindo too.Tamarindo is, in fact, pretty big in Panama.As big as the tree it comes from.And I should know how big a tamarind tree can be, because there was one in the front yard of my primary school and I was put in the naughty corner many-a-time after being caught climbing it to retrieve a few

Nom Wars Part 1 - Panfried pork with apple and chili sauce, roasted saffron potatoes and green beans

2010-07-26T07:04:00.011+01:00

A couple of months ago, my friend TehBus convinced me to team up with him and enter Nom Nom Nom 2010.But what IS Nom Nom Nom 2010?Well, it's a sort of Masterchef for food bloggers... Or at least that's the best explanation I can come up with.Bloggers pair up in teams, come up with a 3-course menu and submit for the first round of selections.At the end only 10 couples go through to the final

There's no place like home - Edda's fish and rice and peas with coconut milk

2010-07-06T11:13:00.011+01:00

Yesterday I went to the supermarket and I almost cried in front of the fishmonger guy.Yes, I was hormonal, but I was tired, coming out of a 48-hours hangover (yes, mum, I do drink excessively on occasion) and he didn’t have the fish I needed for my dinner and I am a woman and it's part of my human rights as such to behave irrationally if I feel like it.Live with it or go read a blog written by an

A peaceful week - Poached chicken, yoghurt sauce and fresh couscous

2010-06-28T20:24:00.017+01:00

A few weeks ago I handed in my notice after working for the same advertising agency for 4 years.It was, in a way, hard to take that decision as I had grown accustomed to the ways of the company, my weekly routine and the idiosyncrasies of those I worked with for so long... I had been, after all, the only girl in a testosterone filled environment for all that time and disagreements or not was

Things I like eating straight from the jar - Wild Garlic Pesto

2010-06-01T21:22:00.002+01:00

I was a strange child. Fact. I’ve already written about how much I liked haggis as a 6 years-old, but it was only a couple of weeks ago that I remembered how one of my favourite mid-afternoon passtimes was standing by the fridge, mum’s jar of jam in one hand, spoon in the other and... dunk. No bread, no bagels, no nothing. Just me the jam, the spoon and my greed. And how did I remember?Well,

A little peace and quiet - Spaghetti with spicy anchovies

2010-05-06T07:41:00.003+01:00

I have been feeling out of breath lately.I’ve been experiencing that sinking feeling that there is too much to do in too little time, that I need to give myself and others answers, that I need to make plans and organize life and, worst of all, that I’ve had no time whatsoever to enjoy some Me Time. Me Time is of upmost importance to me – I’m an only child and learnt from an early age to enjoy my

I'm no ballerina - Duck with clementine and pink peppercorn sauce

2010-04-07T15:38:00.003+01:00

Last week I went to see the National Ballet of Cuba perform Swan Lake with guest star Carlos Acosta - the man dances as if he was made of air and I bet he doesn’t eat as much cake as I do… The bastard.I found it beautiful and as much as I love food I am also a sucker for all things Tchaikovsky, but that’s not the point of my story.An evening at the ballet has been cause for great concern

Never say never - Warm chicken liver salad

2010-03-22T15:28:00.002Z

There’s a story my mum likes telling.For young mothers with fussy kids it’s a tale of hope, for fussy adults a reprimand.It’s the tale of how I learnt to eat everything and anything (apart from carrots, because carrots are, like, totally evil) and at the age of 30 there are few things that scare me at the dinner table.Like every child there were things that as a 10-years old girl I refused to eat

Cheese rocks my world especially with red onion marmalade

2010-03-13T14:31:00.010Z

Cheese is awesome. It has so many forms, flavours and it's made just with milk!Just milk! All that deliciousness is all made of milk.Cow's milk, goat's milk... Milk.I don't even like milk that much, but I do love cheese.It's even a sure ticket for A LOT of room on the tube in rush hour.I'm not quite sure when exactly I started with my cheese obsession.I remember the excitement at peeling back the

And then there was Lego Club - Sausage and Chorizo rolls

2010-03-02T17:28:00.007Z

Photo courtesy of Meemalee's KitchenThere is such a thing in this life as Lego Club.And what is Lego Club? Lego Club is the afternoon that managed to distract me from the widely displayed melancholy that came over me after coming back from Panamá.Grown-ups met up to snack on adult takes of play date nibbles and built interesting things with the wonderful bricks of joy that Mr. Lego invented for

This is Panamá - Pineapple and rum crumble

2010-02-23T21:32:00.013Z

Photo courtesy of See It. Hear It. Live It.I was born in a country on the other side of the ocean.I was born in a country very small, but yet very important for crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific when airplanes were just the idea of a lunatic.I was born in a country so humid that not even the best set of ghds will tame my hair.I was born in a country in which I find myself in great

Ben's challenge - Tangy turkey burgers

2010-01-29T08:27:00.002Z

I have spent the past few days trying to think of a witty introduction for these recipe.After all, that's what I do: witty.Sarcastic too and maybe sometimes a touch of melancholy, but I tend to stir myself away from sumptuous descriptions of the food since the idea is that you will take the recipe, try it and then that will give you a better experience than any description I could ever

Ups and Downs - Slow roasted lamb shoulder

2010-01-18T17:08:00.004Z

Last month my blog turned one year-old.I felt so proud that I dedicated a whole post to it and even shared the recipe for a delicious boozy warmer that my housemates and I tend to enjoy very much.I didn’t, however, do a round-up of my year in gastronomic terms: no favourite meals in, no favourite meals out, no disasters, no nothing.It didn’t really strike me as a good idea after I went through my

Vegetarian recipe for Ben's challenge! Shock! Horror! – Pappa al Pomodoro (Bread and tomato soup)

2010-01-14T16:09:00.004Z