Starting a new Starter and other early year activities

Hello there! I just wanted to pop in before this years blog content continues apace to say Happy New Year. I hope everyone got through the end of the year in good spirits and the new year has started well. I never know quite where the first weeks of the year go and this year is no different. We were in the UK for Christmas and France for New Year, with family in both places. … More Starting a new Starter and other early year activities

Pan co’ Santi – Time for a little traditional seasonal baking

I was reminded when I was doing the grocery shopping that it’s Pan co’ Santi time of year again. Like many seasonal items, it’s appearing in the shops earlier and earlier each year, but what the heck, I’m not sure you can get too much of it and if you make your own it doesn’t really count as out of season does it? Traditionally made to mark all souls of the the Festa dei Morti … More Pan co’ Santi – Time for a little traditional seasonal baking

Rhubarb Shortbread; My very own food love story

Do you ever have those days when you’re just getting on with things, doing chores while your mind wanders, and then you’re stopped in your tracks by the sheer joy of something. A joy you’d forgotten about. I had this feeling today about, of all things, rhubarb! I was making my ever popular and much requested rhubarb shortbread. I do it every year and that’s perhaps why I wasn’t thinking much about it until I … More Rhubarb Shortbread; My very own food love story

Fudge: A simple recipe and the perfect edible gift

Sweet and simple, fudge is a festive tradition rooted in my teenage years when I was learning to cook and bake. It’s one that I return to most years and in which I find in it a sense of continuity and comfort. Some years those things are more important than others and I really hope that this year I can share these traditions with the people with whom they were made and to who they … More Fudge: A simple recipe and the perfect edible gift

Candied Peel: A simple seasonal tradition we can all get behind

When the first new citrus of the season comes in, winter doesn’t feel so bad. In fact it feels pretty amazing. One of the things that always provides a lift is home made candied peel. Not only does it taste fabulous but it’s the perfect no-waste treat, practically making something out of nothing. All it takes are the peels you’d normally compost, sugar and a drop of water. I’ve shared the recipe in the past … More Candied Peel: A simple seasonal tradition we can all get behind