A Beginners Guide to Making Quince Paste

Our young quince tree pretty much doubles the amount of fruit it produces each year. This year there are plenty for quince paste, jelly and poached fruit, next year I may be setting up a factory!

Single Use Coffee Cups

Matt Morris Takeaway culture has meant that the volume of disposable packaging in our global waste stream has increased to staggering levels; estimates vary but perhaps 500 billion disposable cups are thrown away annually across the globe (58 billion in … Read more »

Lovely Faces of Vietnam

  Vietnam is a land of fabulous food, beautiful flowers and lovely people. I don’t pretend to be a photographer but I couldn’t help but try to capture some of the faces we saw along the way. I love the … Read more »

How to Make Vietnamese Pancakes – Banh Xeo

After a few weeks of travelling Vietname enjoying light and crispy Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancakes) stuffed with masses of herbs, salad leaves, sprouts, prawns, crisp dried onions, a dash of fish and hot chilli sauces, my meals at home don’t have … Read more »

Take them Food!

  6 weeks ago today (and counting) I had a fall outside at home (on wet concrete) which resulted in a gash to my head, elbow and also concussion. For an A-type personality that is used to organising work, family and charity, … Read more »

A Free-Range Hens Life

The recent furore around free-range eggs has prompted me to write a bit about a genuine free-range egg farm and also about egg farming  in general. Despite a company looking like they were not being ethical there are many credible free-range egg farmers … Read more »

Turmeric Latte, the new craze

  In a world where we are constantly searching to find the elixir of life, turmeric is the latest health food trend, following on the tail of the coconut oil craze. Turmeric grows as a rhizome and is from the same family … Read more »

I Found Nemo – Vomo Island Fiji

    Yes this is a food site but there are times when I experience something completely unrelated to food that I just have to share. On an extraordinary trip to Vomo Island Fiji with Tourism Fiji, a huge highlight for me – … Read more »

Cooking with Galangal

Galangal is a knobbly rhizome that looks a little like ginger and although they are related their flavours are vastly different. Galangal is used almost exclusively in recipes from SE Asia where its pungent earthiness yet also citrus notes, gives a depth and interest to … Read more »

Fishing in Sri Lanka

The waters surrounding the island of Sri Lanka are literally teaming with fish and while you can of course charter a boat and head out with rod and reel, you can also experience plenty without having to leave the shore. Typically flights … Read more »

Seriously Delicious Persimmon Marmalade

  The thing about persimmons The thing about persimmons is that they’re not only beautiful to look at, but delicious in so many ways. The tree itself is really attractive, too, especially in Autumn. I’ve baked them in cakes, but … Read more »

A Proper Chip

  There are many treats I can forgo in life but chips (as in crisps as opposed to the fish n chip variety) are not one of them. My passion for various gourmet treats waxes and wanes but chips remain … Read more »

Umami and Miso Paste

For years I have been making soups that seem to be missing something in their flavour component but it is something hard to define.  While the soups are no doubt nourishing unless I add lots of spices and feisty herbs, … Read more »