I know everything should start with an onion, or so the saying goes. Most of my cooking does. But not always. Sometimes just garlic will do and occasionally not at all. When I made this dish I started with minced beef not sure of what I would add next. The final result was a tasty speedy supper that required little work or preparation. I call that a winner!  Continue reading

I am a regular visitor to Canada. I love the vast expanse of it. The people, the calm, the lakes and forests, the cities with the quickly expanding and inspiring culinary scene. Excellent cocktails, terrific Canadian wines, a booming craft booze scene and lovely restaurants and bars to sample them. Canada is an excellent place for a road trip, especially a culinary one.

A Culinary Road Trip of New Brunswick Starting in Saint John

New Brunswick was the scene of my most recent Culinary Road Trip, packed with snow crab and lobster, lush produce from the farmlands and foraged seaweeds and sea greens from the seashore. It is one of four of Canada’s Atlantic provinces on the east coast. 83% of New Brunswick is under forest, and the cities are small by international standards. It is a perfect relaxed spot for a break and to unwind. I flew into Saint John via Halifax, Nova Scotia. A short flight in a small plane with excellent views of the landscape below brought me to Canada’s oldest incorporated city. I started my culinary road trip here. 

New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada with English and French being commonly spoken. The indigenous population has been established there since 7000BC (at the time of European contact these included the Mi’kmaq, the Maliseet, and the Passamaquoddy). Populations arrived from Europe from the 1600s included French, British and Irish. The city of Miramichi claims to be the Irish capital of Canada and was one of the points of arrival for many of Ireland’s coffin ships during the famine. It is home to a large Irish Festival now every year. New Brunswick was almost called New Ireland at one point until it was vetoed by King George III. Which, of course it was. 

Where to Eat and Drink in Saint John and What to Do

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I cooked this at a supper club for 30 people recently. The fourth course of five – all containing black pudding – and as much as I love this dish, I fully did not expect every plate to come back clean. But they did! And so I think we can all agree that it is a winner. They told me so too. 

You see the thing is when so many of your days revolve around cooking and you are generally the only person eating it, it becomes easy to question every bite and wonder if it is enough. Should it be more, bigger, brighter? Everyone who works alone has this problem in one way or another. It would be perfect to have someone to bounce things off, a recipe tester, a friend. A room full of 30 people eating your food with enthusiasm? Perfection.

Many were surprised that I would add black pudding to ragu. It works so well. Already I have a recipe for black pudding ragu that is pure black pudding, no other meat. It is a popular recipe on here, called (tongue in cheek) Corkese. I use Irish black pudding and would suggest that you seek it out for this too. It has a different texture to British black pudding, made with oats and spices, it crumbles and almost bursts when you roast it. 

Using Traditional Tagliatelle with Ragu from Emilia Romagna as a Base 

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The more that I cook, the more I desire simplicity. Fresh bright flavours delivered without fuss and with speed. Food that is healthy and bright. 

There was a time when I would devote much of my evening to delivering the meal that I would eat, often too late. Increasingly my cooking becomes simpler, fitted into tighter timeframes. I desire food that is fast and that delivers on flavour and that will sustain me too. Food that is healthy and balanced and that changes day to day. This way I always enjoy it, and my nutritional intake is varied too.

I generally cook for one but I usually cook enough for two meals each time. Borrowing time from the night before for the next day. Leftovers are terrific and the second iteration will usually have a twist so that it is different. This didn’t. I loved it so much the first time I kept it the same. 

Coconut and Coriander Prawns with Pumpkin – a speedy delicious and nutritious meal

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Today is Pancake Tuesday / Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras. What a happy eating day! Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, the day to clear your cupboards before 40 days of Lenten fast. Every day can be pancake day but Pancake Tuesday is the one. I have gathered my favourite pancake recipes for you. Get stuck in.

A Brunch Classic: American Style Pancakes with Bacon & Maple Syrup

Let’s start with the classic fluffy pancake stack done American style. Always with bacon and maple syrup for me.

A Brunch Classic: American Style Pancakes with Bacon & Maple Syrup

Dal Pancakes with Curry Leaves, Coconut Milk and Chilli Oil

These dal pancakes were originally made with leftover dal but you should absolutely cook up a batch to make them. They are a cracker and enlivened with the gorgeous aromas from the crisped curry leaves and the punch of bright chilli oil.

Dal Pancakes with Curry Leaves, Coconut Milk and Chilli Oil

Socca (Chickpea Pancake) with Tomato & Aubergine

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It was 17C in London today. In FEBRUARY. That is completely bonkers. Still, it is February, so soup weather. I lightened this one a bit, basing it in a light garlicky broth with beans (chickpeas, but use whatever bean you like), streaky bacon, crumbled sausage, cavolo nero, a pinch of chilli and a twist on gremolata on top.

Let’s talk about gremolata! I love it and it is perfect for brightening things, especially anything meaty, like a rich slow cooked ragu. It is simply lemon zest, flat leaf parsley and raw garlic. Chopped and chopped and chopped together, until really fine. I said this was a twist, and so it was. I used preserved lemon and added some chilli also. It really lifted the bowl. Continue reading

I know this looks dark and messy, but truly, aren’t many of the best things? I love crispy beef and I love black bean sauce. I am working on a gluten-free version of crispy beef which makes no compromises. It is almost there! For now, my speedy black bean sauce is good to go, so I will share it with you now. 

I use Chinese salted fermented black beans which are a cupboard essential for me. You can get these in any Chinese food store, usually in small plastic bags or a yellow cardboard tub. Fermented foods are a way of borrowing time from before and adding fast flavour. How lovely is that? I soaked the beans briefly and then simply blitzed all of the ingredients together, then cooked it for 10 minutes. Done! Continue reading

Once you start making taramasalata, you can’t go back. It is so delicious, so fast and easy to make and much more economical to make at home. It takes minutes and provides so much pleasure.

Most taramasalatas are lightened with bread, but on my current gluten-free diet I have been playing around and adding lots of different things to my tarama. Don’t be horrified, these are just as delicious and sufficiently different to be very interesting. I still love the original of course, and fondly remembered trips to Greece are my inspiration. If only I had the sea lapping nearby as an accompaniment!

Tarama means salted and cured cod roe, that being the egg sack of the fish. It is luscious and rich and is used to great effect in many food cultures, notably Japanese cuisine. In Japan cod and pollock roe are cured with chilli and called mentaiko. The colour is bright red and it is the perfect partner to many things. I love mentaiko in Japanese fusion dishes like Mentaiko Mac and Cheese. My friend Luiz Hara has a bright new cookbook The Japanese Larder, that will educate you all about that and I have shared a lovely mentaiko recipe from his first book before also: Mentaiko Spaghetti with Clams and Parmesan.

Using smoked cod roe to make taramasalata 

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Jump straight to the Braised Haricot Beans with Chorizo and Cavolo Nero recipe.

It is never too soon for another bean recipe. This recipe has braised, chorizo and cavolo nero in the title too, so let’s get stuck in!

Chorizo and kale are the best of friends and I cook them a lot together. Cavolo Nero is just a glamorous kale complete with Italian accent. I make a chorizo and kale carbonara too which you should definitely check out as you are here. Added to braised beans, this makes for a super gorgeous comforting dish that eats so well on its own. You can also add some protein, I recommend a nice piece of roast chicken or pork, or a chunky white fish like turbot. Continue reading

Jump straight to the Warm Winter White Bean Salad with Black Pudding, Sage and Radicchio recipe. 

Bean salad conjures images of sad tins and limp mixed beans presented to vegetarians after a last minute panic before a dinner party. Yes, I was a vegetarian once! A long time ago. Beans that have lived too long in saccharine sweet syrupy and salty water. Beans that once had flavour but that is now mainly erased. Beans too soft to be interesting.

Yes. Beans? They can be so much better.

The thing with beans is once you try them cooked from dried or take the time to cook them yourself, you spot immediately that there is a world of difference. It is also an incredibly frugal way to cook. A 500g packet of dried beans can cost as little as £1 and it will feed you for a week. Of course you won’t want to eat beans for a whole week, they would quickly lose their lustre. They freeze so well though, and I freeze them in 250g portions, the approximate equivalent of a tin. 

But they take so long! Nah. Soak them overnight even if strictly speaking you don’t need to, or are told you don’t. It takes no effort and it saves on cooking time and improves on texture. Importantly it makes them more digestible and massively reduces any gaseous effects. Most small beans will cook in half an hour. Larger, in 45 minutes. Easy. 

Which beans? Any and all. The ever present chickpea, adopted by so many cultures. As happy in an Italian soup bowl and a Spanish stew as in a Middle Eastern hummus. Butter beans! Small plump luscious ones from Greece and once twice the size from Spain called Judion de la Granja. Spain in particular has an enormous love for beans and sells them from enormous sacks in markets. Yes, Italy does too, but in Italy the selection is more focussed. I find new beans in Spain all the time.  Continue reading

Chocolate, olive oil and salt were a combination that I hadn’t imagined together until I first went to Barcelona and started to see it everywhere. In lots of ways, and in one of my favourite desserts too, chocolate mousse. Then I spotted it in one of my favourite London tapas bars, Morito, and I wasn’t alone, Nigella is a fan too.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the secret ingredient in this lovely chocolate mousse

Like me, I am sure that you likely always have extra virgin olive oil in your kitchen. You likely use it for cooking and salad dressing, as I do too. It brings a lightness and a freshness to cooking which I love.  But chocolate mousse?

It seems an unusual thing to add but ultimately it is fat, just like cream, and so it gives a beautiful texture and a gorgeous flavour too. Extra virgin olive oil acts as a seasoning too, a peppery extra virgin olive oil works beautifully with dark chocolate which loves all things spice like pepper, cardamom and chilli. It is a dairy-free dessert so perfect for people who might otherwise have had to avoid chocolate mousse. With extra virgin olive oil, eggs and chocolate all being quite good for you, all you need to worry about is the sugar. Of course, you don’t need to worry at all as there is only a small amount in it. This is all about the chocolate and the olive oil with the eggs providing richness and fluffiness. Continue reading

Lamb, sour sumac, citrus coriander, pops of pepper, smoky aubergine and buttery pastry. Can’t you just see that propping you up through Christmas? By an open fire? That is one of the many things that I miss and that I love when I go home. That raw heat and pure joy of a roaring open fire.

This recipe is a firm favourite was originally an adaptation of the rolls that I used to sell at my market stall in Covent Garden (all those years ago!). In Comfort & Spice, it is adapted so as to be a use for leftover lamb shoulder meat. This is the original recipe which uses minced lamb and it is perfect for Christmas celebrations.

Use shop-bought pastry if you wish, and I often do, but I love to use homemade butter-rich shortcrust when I have time. Shortcrust pastry is speedy and needs little attention. I like to make big chunky rolls that would satisfy for a whole meal with a big salad. They make terrific picnic lunches, pack some for a festive walk with a flask of mulled wine or cider.

This recipe is one of 157 recipes from my first book Comfort & Spice, published in 2011, 7 years ago now! Most of these recipes are not online anywhere. After 7 years it is being retired by my publisher. and I have the last copies which I am selling signed in advance of Christmas for readers in the UK and Ireland. International readers have been in touch and I am checking postage for them. I have had enquiries from the US and Canada so far but I can check for where you are, if you are happy to wait to receive your book after Christmas. Please email me on hello@eatlikeagirl.com. 

Buy your copy of Comfort & Spice here and let me know who to sign it for when you order. Last postage dates are Tuesday so please get your order in before noon on Tuesday.  

https://eatlikeagirl.bigcartel.com/product/comfort-spice-recipes-for-modern-living

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Many of you will have Comfort & Spice already, but for those of you that don’t, these are the last copies from the warehouse and your last chance to buy this edition.

Published in 2011 it has had a good run, and I feel happy and a little sad, it is bitter sweet. But it is clearing the way for Bacon (the first Brunch ebook will be with you very soon, with five others following and a bumper print book). 

It was a passion project, all heart and soul, a way of sharing how I love to cook in print, from Speedy Suppers to Long Weekend Lunches with Friends and Big Dinners. And of course, drinks! Almost all of the recipes were created for the book and were not on the blog – all 157 of them! (I signed a contract for an 80 recipe book, I just never know when to stop). 

I feel when I look back at that time that it was a world away, but then I read the book and I immediately connect with the person I was then, and the food is still true to what I cook now. 

Purchase your copy here, and I will be in touch shortly after to see who you want it signed for!

https://eatlikeagirl.bigcartel.com/product/comfort-spice-recipes-for-modern-living

Available only to the UK and Ireland for now, as Royal Mail can’t guarantee delivery before Christmas anywhere else. Apologies international readers. All future books will be available digitally also.  

Note for Kickstarter backers: I know that many of you are also waiting for Comfort & Spice. If you backed so that you would receive Comfort & Spice also and would like your copy now, and the Bacon book in Spring (with the ebooks in between – I will be emailing you all soon), please email me to advise! hello@eatlikeagirl.com – thanks always for your patience. Things are going well with this now. 

Comfort & Spice published by Quadrille, 2011. All photography copyright Georgia Glynn Smith. 

REVIEWS FOR COMFORT AND SPICE AND A LOOK INSIDE

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This recipe is from my first cookbook, Comfort and Spice. I was a little pork belly obsessed at the time. I still am. How could you not be? It is the best bit. It feeds well into my next book which will be out very soon, all about bacon, the most famous bit of bacon being streaky, made of pork belly (or as some say, belly pork).

This recipe works well each way but if you have 6 hours, do it. You will likely worry about the crackling, we all do. Ensure the skin well is scored and scored just to the fat and not the skin. If you score to the skin, the skin will lose moisture which will not only dry out the flesh but also make the crackling soft. Make sure the skin is dry before you put it in the oven. If you have the time, pour the boiling water over the belly the night before and let it dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. A hair dryer is your best friend for good crackling. Give it a blast before you put it in the oven. If all of this fails (it shouldn’t be we all have those days I know), give it a good blast under a high grill once cooked, watching it all the time so it doesn’t burn. In a matter of minutes the skin will blister and crisp.

Two and Six Hour Roast Pork Belly Recipe from Comfort & Spice

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I have definitely flicked that Christmas over eating switch. I need to reign it back in as it is only December 6th! I also want to lighten what I eat a bit. I absolutely want to make and eat food that denies the weather and speaks of brighter times. 

These meatballs are a perfect start. Have them with your carb of choice – pasta, rice, potatoes (pile them on a baked potato!), cous cous, or have them with your brunch eggs. I love meatballs with my eggs, they are the perfect vehicle for dragging through a runny egg yolk. These would be great in a sandwich too! Add some cheese and make a toastie or have them in a baguette. 

I originally made these with wild boar which I get from my farmers market but I fully understand that wild boar is not an easy meat to source. It is great if you can though, so do use it, but I also make these with pork. I make these gluten free and so the lightness that would normally come from bread, I add with some chickpea flour. The real joy of that experiment was that it gifted the meatballs a lovely crust.

Gluten Free Meatballs – use chickpea flour in place of soaked breadcrumbs 

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Jump straight the the Crown Prince Squash, Ginger and Coriander Soup

Jump straight to Ten Terrific Soups from My Kitchen and My Travels

Well hello darker evenings. How is it that you always descend so quickly? We bounce from summer to chilly to dark in a matter of weeks. I do love the seasons but this time of year requires care and adjustment. I feel like I have the hibernation instinct of a bear. All I want to do is cook and eat (well, always I know but more so!). With the best of the season that usually means a cosy collection of soups front of centre.

I love a pumpkin, that isn’t new. Within the pumpkin (and squash!) family there is much to explore. I have a few favourites, at this time of year Crown Prince Squash and Delicata Squash are two favourites. Today we are going to talk about Crown Prince. With rich dense orange flesh and a deep flavour it is the perfect starting point for many things. Pancakes, waffles, soups, stews, pilaf, gnocchi. You name it, I have probably made it with Crown Prince Squash recently.

Who doesn’t love pumpkin soup? 

Today I am going to share this simple recipe for Crown Prince Squash, Ginger and Coriander Soup with you. It is so bright and full flavoured. As much as coconut milk loves this squash, I dar say as much as I do, I only add it on the top allowing the squash to shine in the soup. Continue reading

I was in Dublin last week and, as I always do, I popped in to Picado Mexican to see Lily Ramirez Foran. Except this time I was armed with my microphone and laptop to record my podcast. We had a great chat about Lily’s life in food and favourite dishes. Her family were third generation tortilla makers but Lily rejected a life in food for a career, only to turn this around to a career in food when she moved to Ireland to be with her husband Alan. Lily is now the Irish authority on Mexican food, and I am delighted to share our chat with you. 

We talked everything from Mexico to Japan (where she met Alan) to Ireland. And of course we talk about Day of the Dead, Mexican Breakfast, Mezcal and Tequila among many other things. 

(Irish folks – you will notice that I temporarily mangle the Calvita and Galtee cheese boxes in my head – before you tell me :) ). 

Enjoy and I would be so grateful if you took a few minutes to review it on iTunes – thanks!

Fingers in Pies Season 1 Episode 2 – Lily Ramirez Foran – Excerpt

I’ve been living in Ireland for 18 years. I will soon be living here longer than I ever lived in Mexico which is a very scary thought. I always think that I don’t come from a food background and I don’t know why. This is so bizarre because I would have been a fourth generation tortilla baker like my great grandfather, my grandfather and my father. Almost everybody in my family makes tortillas for a living. I grew up helping in the business. So I suppose if you want to define Mexico about one particular or one singular dish you’ll always have to say tortillas because it’s like our bread and the basics for almost everything we eat.

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Jump straight to the Mexican Style Black Beans with Chorizo recipe!

My second podcast is with Lily Ramirez Foran of the wonderful Picado Mexican in Dublin. Lily is a Mexican cook in Dublin, and the Irish authority on Mexican cuisine. She is who I go to when I have queries and I have learned a lot from Lily and her website A Mexican Cook in Ireland over the years. I always pop in to Lily’s gorgeous shop Picado in Dublin when I am home and stock up on proper corn tortillas, beans, chillies and anything else I fancy for cooking adventures at home. 

I was at home last week and I had a few days in Dublin. On the day that we recorded the podcast – and I will be sharing that soon! – I bought several things, on of which I will talk about now, a 1kg bag of dried black beans. I cooked up a batch and I have been using them since. Dried beans are a terrific and much under used ingredient. I love them. Tinned beans are only for an emergency for me (and yes, I am the type of person that might occasionally have a bean emergency!).  Continue reading

I am so very excited to tell you that my new podcast, Fingers in Pies is finally live. It has been a long time coming. I first started planning it 5 years ago, I bought the kit 4 years ago, and I invited my first guest 4 years ago too. I have spoken of it often since. Life intervened and I was never really in a space to get it moving. Until now.

I got back to my first guest this summer, Asma Khan. Asma is one of my favourite people in food in London and I have had so many great chats with her over the years. I asked Asma again if she would still be my first guest. I was keen to share her passion, joy and knowledge with you. This was before I heard that she would be the first British based chef on Netflix Chef’s Table. I am so excited for her.

Asma moved to the UK after her marriage. She moved in winter in the bitter cold. She had never experienced cold like that, and had never been so lonely. She didn’t yet know how to cook, and she shares with us her journey from cold and lonely immigrant, hungry for home and community to author, restaurant owner in Soho in London and soon to be, Netflix star.

Fingers in Pies Podcast Episode 1: Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express

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I love a second city. I live in one of the worlds great capitals, yes. And I love London. But for a weekend break I love to go to a second city. Second cities are vibrant, fun, people choose to live there for the more relaxed lifestyles but they still want city life. As a result there is often vibrant food and drink culture, and lots you can do for a weekend break. 

To Graz then in Austria. I had heard much about it but had never been. Graz is a beautiful well preserved city in the east of Austria. Beautiful architecture, entirely walkable, lots of lovely cafes and bars. Overlooking the city is the Schlossberg, a hill in the centre of Graz that is accessible by lift or funicular. There are steps too if you feel energetic! A public park and bars and restaurants overlook the city below. Many were picnicking in the park the weekend that I visited. There are lots of museums and it is a beautiful city to just walk around.

Surrounded by wine regions and ell placed for a weekend break, there is plenty to keep the food and wine obsessive busy. I I focussed on the food and drink of course! Here is my list. 

Eating and Drinking in Graz

Aiola Upstairs

Come here for the views over the city (book a table outside at the edge) and to sample contemporary Austrian cuisine with a twist and excellent local wines. 

upstairs.aiola.at/en/

Lendplatz Farmer’s Market (Bauernmarkt am Lendplatz)

This thriving local market was packed with vendors selling local produce from cut flowers to local meats and cheeses. There are many cafes and bars where you can have coffee and brunch also.  Continue reading