Every dish tells a story
It was December 1972 and I’d been living in Damascus for about 3 months, getting used to the presence of armed soldiers on every street corner; taking the shortages of food, clothes, and basic necessities like bread and bottles of calor gas, in my stride. […]
Organic vegetable boxes are lovely and the veg taste as flavoursome as they look. At this time of year there’s usually a leek or two in our weekly box – untrimmed and dirty with earth sticking to them, they look as if they have just […]
Pumpkins are not just for Halloween, Thanksgiving or for taking Cinderella home from the ball. Both the flesh and the seeds of the pumpkin are an excellent source of many vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. They are also lowfat, highfibre and low in calories. In short, they […]
If you have already-cooked beetroot to hand, this ruby-coloured soup is quick and easy to make. You can also make it with ready-cooked beetroot that comes in vacuum packs. Make sure you look at the pack in case it’s preserved in vinegar. I once made […]
I first came across bamia in Damascus. Otherwise known as okra, ladies fingers or gumbo, the bamia is a green, hairy vegetable, a few inches long and tapered at one end. Thought to be a native of Africa, this strange-looking vegetable is actually the seedpod […]
There’s nothing like a well-cooked roast potato. Cooks and chefs reputations have turned on the quality of their ‘roasties’. There have been more recipes and articles written on how to make the perfect roast potato than any other food. Well, not quite but it does […]
It’s dreich in Edinburgh today. That means it’s grey, drizzly and overcast. When it’s like this, my mood usually matches the weather – not much energy. But, what do we expect, it’s only June! Seriously though, in Scotland we are used to constant variations in the […]
A winter dish in May? Surely, that can’t be right. It can if you live in Scotland. Our weather is bizarre and unpredictable most of the time. I used to complain about the heat when I lived in Saudi Arabia and Cyprus. Today, I would […]
Vibrant, crisp ruby chard, bright green courgettes, 2 firm red peppers, a few chestnut mushrooms and a small red cabbage. Plus the usual potatoes, carrots and onions.
I first came across these nutritious little beans in Paphos when I first went to live there in the early 1980’s. I thought they were like any dried bean, so I bought some from the grocer, took them home, soaked them overnight and next day put them in a large saucepan […]
