Do you ever see a recipe and just know that you have to make it? I do it a lot. But there are some that have a bigger hold on me than others. Recipes that take a hold on my mind generally tend to be difficult or take a few days to make to perfection….

While wandering around Reigate with my friend, she guided me to the local Oxfam shop. I’m not usually one to venture through charity shops, although I will be the first to admit that you can find some great stuff in them (especially when looking to furnish your home on the cheap). However, this Oxfam was…

I’d never had a drop scone before making this recipe. I’ve had scones, I’ve had pancakes. But never a drop scone. Having said that, it’s basically a mini pancake so I don’t think there is much achievement in finally having one. The past 10 days have been spent visiting friends in the UK, and given…

I’m not sure why, but stuffed seafood has always been intriguing to me. I’ve loved the idea of stuffed squid for as long as I could cook for myself. I love stuffed crab when I see it on a menu in Portugal. There’s just something great about having a whole meal within a sea animal….

The word ‘involtini’ in Italian translates to ‘rolls’ in English, but refers to any form of bite-sized food that is wrapped in meat or veggies. Now before we go any further, I am aware that pasta is not a “roll”, but I did have a reason for making a pasta version of this dish. Just…

Porchetta is something you’ll find in every Italian cookbook, and it looks extremely impressive. And while it can take some skill to roll the pork loin properly, and make sure it’s tied up so that none of the stuffing falls out, it’s not as hard as it looks. I’ve only made porchetta once or twice,…

Being at my parents’ place for part of the summer has been great. More so because both of my parents love to cook, especially with all of the fresh ingredients that they can find around their local supermarkets, fish markets and farmers markets. Today’s recipe comes from my mum, as it’s something she’s made a…

Following on from the fresh pasta recipe a few days ago, I had to make a delicious, refreshing dish in order to justify the making of said pasta. The beauty of being in Portugal, and so close to the coast, is the fresh seafood that’s (mostly) locally sourced, but also super affordable! Never in Hong…

I’ve never made pasta before. Mum used to make it quite a lot, back in the days before you could easily buy fresh pasta from the supermarket. I remember the pasta roller, clamped to the kitchen counter, and the strands of pasta hanging everywhere as it dried. Over the years, I’ve stopped eating pasta that…

What to do with a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, a green pepper, half an onion and half a carton of chopped tomatoes? Buy some white wine, make some veggie stock, and pull out the arborio rice. It’s risotto time. Risotto is usually creamy and heavy, but this version is much lighter and is a taste…

Potatoes and carrots are such a traditional combination. You can have them both roasted, you can have them boiled, mashed, “bubble-and-squeaked”, shredded. They are great together, and work well in many dishes. So it’s only natural that I looked into carrot gnocchi for the blog. I could have used up my potatoes and carrots as…

I grew up on tuna sandwiches. They were a staple in our household for lunch, both at school and at home on weekends. In fact, they’re still a staple in my parent’s household when I visit them. When you have good bread, good quality mayonnaise and tuna, along with some avocado – you really can’t…