Category Blog

Smile with the last of the summer harvest?

I’m hoping that these were the end of the windfall cooking apples.   Although I can manage the peeling and coring, I need someone who can see to chop out the bruises etc.   Thanks to a glut of discount ramekins snapped…

French cuisine.

The talk at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, a cooking demo, plus a short trip to France have kept me busy for the last few weeks. France was utterly splendid: autumn colours, 25C temperatures and masses of delicious food.   I was particularly entranced…

Cheap as chips.

Bread and butter boards seem to be the latest food fad.  Dipping bread in oils at the restaurant table is being overtaken by “butter boards”: whipped butter spread and piped with different flavourings (salts, edible flowers, smoke, chicken crackling and…

Very nearly award winning honey.

Utterly freezing!   The Great Hall in Winchester was the chilly venue for the Hampshire Beekeepers’ Honey Show last weekend and my small contribution was (wo)manning the Asian Hornet stand. In this 13th century massive edifice, main doors and side door…

Trying to get my head around it.

Whatever is happening to our economy?   I don’t really get too bogged down in politics but just want to understand the financial implications of what is going on. First, we had the soaring cost of gas and electricity.   Here the…

Kitchen tips.

This week’s speaking engagement is at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton – the home to the “Saints” football club.   Visually impaired people from all over Hampshire will be discovering ways of making life easier. I’ll be talking at 14:15 on…

Summer Harvest 3.

Listening to the committal of HM the Queen, I remember St George’s Chapel at Windsor from several conferences at Windsor.   One could visit the Chapel for Evensong at the end of long days and it was daunting to realise one…

Comfort in history.

St Peter’s Church at Titchfield is truly ancient (originally built in 680 AD and the oldest church in Hampshire) when the village was an important seafaring centre. Last weekend, supporters of the precious building held their annual jazz event at…

Summer Celebrations

Two great chocolate mousse recipes feature in my world tour cookbook and I used the simplest (just chocolate and eggs) for this summer party. Friends were with me to celebrate two very mature birthdays and at least four wedding anniversaries (from…

Guide Dogs need sorting

Even being totally blind for over 20 years, the prospect of a guide dog was never persuasive.   A warm, cuddly companion who could give me new freedom to roam was very attractive.   I could bear the costs if the hound…

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