Posts by Tom Johnston

Happy New Year, dear reader. I did tell you that Tom Cooks! would resume later in the month. A couple of reasons for the change. Firstly, we are still within the 12 days of Christmas, so festivities are still allowed. Secondly, I cooked a particularly fine routine masterpiece for the current Mrs J on Hogmanay,…

For the last Tom Cooks! of the year, let’s end up with a sumptuous show stopper of a dish, one which will grace the table of a festive, or indeed any other, party. This features choux pastry, almonds and a rich filling of praline cream. This recipe is from the uber talented Sarah Mellersh of…

Where did Christmas markets start? Do I like them? And are they all the same? You’ll probably be relieved to know that I have no idea of the answer to the first question. We see them in paintings from centuries gone by, or from depictions of Merrie England (or Holland, Germany or whatever). I’m beginning…

Winter is now officially here. You can tell, because the shops have run out of de-icer just before you get there. And winter, more than any other season, calls for hearty soup. I have it on excellent authority (I heard one of the Hairy Bikers say it on the telly the other day) that we…

I’m grateful to Michael Greenlaw for alerting me to this rather nice confection and providing a couple of recipes. Michael is also this week’s guest reviewer in the Tom Cooks! column, so more about him there. As many traditions lose sight of their roots, it is interesting to do some research into their background. In…

OXTAIL STEW WITH HORSERADISH MASH The Slow Food movement was formed in Italy in 1986 in protest at the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome. Our ancestors, of course, knew all about slow cooking. It is wonderful to see that more and more people are rediscovering its delights. This has been led, in part, by…