Cooking for one

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Chickpeas, chilli, ricotta and tomato

Those who have read the blog for a while now will be well acquainted with the oatmeal squares that frame each photo. They’re bland, boring… safe.  For those who haven’t guessed, it’s not a speciality prop from my extensive supply; it’s the the carpet adjacent to the window; up here in our castle in the …

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Zucchini and spinach omelette (and a glass of wine...

Is there anything more welcoming than an omelette and a glass of wine? To make an omelette is a life skill. Elizabeth David may have her detractors, but she was right about its steadying properties. I’ve been making a lot of omelettes lately. I’ve been teaching a goat cheese and basil version to my neighbour …

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Brown lentils with parsley, mushrooms and peppers

Brown lentils. To be brutally honest, there isn’t a lot that’s sexy in those two words. Yet, to be fair, that’s not what a lentil is supposed to be. They’re sturdy and strong. They’re what you keep in the back of the cupboard in the event of nuclear winter or biblical weather. In this kitchen …

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Chickpea, tomato and spinach curry

This is curry in a hurry. It’s nutty and warming, earnest, yet lazy. It lolls about in your bowl and calls for nothing but an errant pappadum and some yogurt, chilli and cucumber on the side.  If I skip the softened onion threads I can have it on a fork half way to my mouth …

Peas, fennel, mint, parmesan and lemon salad

Peas, fennel, mint, parmesan and lemon salad

  Spring should have sprung by now. Seriously. This is getting silly. Wind is lashing the window like a strident horseman and the sky is downright grey. Welcome back to London, Tori. This is the kind of dish I make when there are clouds lazily bobbing across a blue sky and it’s warm enough to …