Tom Cooks!

I have two apologies for this dish. Firstly, while it may be a staple in many households, it’s something I had never made before. Secondly, it’s laughably simple. Lest you had forgotten how basic my culinary skills are, read on. This was a Ready Steady Cook thing which I made at the weekend. Our shopping…

Last week we had rhubarb in a savoury dish. This weekend we’re back to its more normal use as a dessert ingredient. I invited the very lovely and very talented Sue Lawrence to contribute a recipe. What sort of recipe, she asked? Anything, I replied, but seasonal would be nice. Easy, she said, has to…

Has the man finally lost it? I hear you ask. When I was young mackerel were viewed with much suspicion. Scavengers of the sea, my parents’ generation would describe them. Following that logic you could say exactly the same about crabs, lobsters and many other delicious marine life. The same generation would also consider coley…

Many thanks to the very lovely Beth Stone, our guest cook, for this very quick ceviche recipe. As you will see from the photo, the finished dish is as elegant as the author herself. Many of you will know that ceviche is a technique for “cooking” fish by marinading in citrus juice. Needless to say,…

It’s Wednesday morning, and I’m both starving and bereft of inspiration. Later we’re collecting an old, in every sense of the word, friend, to take her out for lunch. I made some soda bread, which both exacerbates the hunger and makes me realise that neither of this week’s blogs even has a subject, never mind…

Saturday 9 February 2019 is National Pizza Day. Yes, it’s official. Who thinks these things up? I have no idea, but I have a sneaky hunch that the British Society of Pizza Restaurateurs may have some involvement. It’s fun to make your own, though the BSPR won’t thank me for sharing this recipe. When you’ve…

It’s amazing how one thing can lead to another. And even more amazing (and wonderful) to discover a kindred spirit who shares my love of completely useless pieces of information, and the sharing thereof. Some of you may know that my culinary repertoire has extended to the field of teaching. The Retired Big Financial Whizz…

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…