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24.01.2022 I recently spent a few days in hospital. As I ate the unimaginative, tasteless hospital food I watched the SBS food channel and made notes. This is one of the delicious recipes I wrote down which we had for lunch today. Why can’t hospitals do better?

23.01.2022 If you have a packet of miso paste in the fridge, bought for a recipe which only required a tablespoonful or two and you’re wondering what to do with the rest, this is the recipe for you. If not, go and buy some.

20.01.2022 Made pesto with all the fronds on my fennel, plus walnuts, garlic, pinch of salt and extra virgin olive oil. Going to mix it into pasta for lunch and top with grated Parmesan.

20.01.2022 Hill House is a dairy farm located on the heather-clad moors of County Durham, in the very north of England. I learnt to make this sponge cake when staying there in my early teens. Unlike a Victoria Sandwich, an egg sponge doesn’t contain any butter.

18.01.2022 This famous Australian recipe for scones was invented decades ago by a rural country women’s association. I’ve often wondered what they taste like...

18.01.2022 I adapted this recipe from one by Noor Murad. She uses fresh coriander as the green herb in the pesto. I used mint and am confident that basil would work equally well. This recipe raises the humble old carrot to amazing heights. Serve as a side dish or as part of a buffet.

16.01.2022 The Middle East’s answer to cheese straws, these feta and spring onion bouikos are delicious. The recipe, slightly tweaked, came from a UK restaurant called Honey & Co.

15.01.2022 Everyone has a favourite recipe for beef stroganoff, but if yours doesn’t use brandy to flambé the meat, give this recipe a try. It makes all the difference. It comes from a restaurant just outside Geneva which we frequented in the 1970s. Beef Stroganoff was one of the dishes you could order and watch them make on a trolley they brought to the table.

14.01.2022 We bought this antique copper dish in a market in Damascus in the late 1970s. The photo shows the back of it. I’ve always used it as an ornament and it never occurred to me to use it for cooking.

14.01.2022 Yotam Ottolenghi has taught me that all vegetables taste better roasted rather than boiled in water, the way our mothers and grandmothers cooked them. Maybe not yours, but certainly mine. They knew how to roast potatoes, parsnips and pumpkin, but anything green went into boiling water. Roasting Brussels sprouts, asparagus and cauliflower takes them to a whole new level.

13.01.2022 Laurie is a massage therapist who works with my osteopath. He’s a keen cook and follower of this blog, so while he’s digging into my back with his elbows we talk about food, to take my mind off the torture. This is one of Laurie’s recipes. I have changed the method slightly, cooking the corn kernels after they have been removed from the cobs, rather than while still on the cobs. If you’re a fan of risottos and smoked trout you will love this recipe.

12.01.2022 This soup is one of our favourites. If you have wild mushrooms growing where you live and you know they are edible, then this is a perfect way to use them. If not just buy some mushrooms, preferably the larger ones which are dark underneath and have more flavour.

11.01.2022 Chia seeds are very healthy, apparently helping to lower cholesterol. I’m not a big dessert eater, but sometimes it’s nice to have something sweet in the fridge in small portions. Made these Raspberry, Chocolate and Chia pudding’s this morning. Find six small glasses. Place half a tin of coconut cream or milk in the food processor (half the solid bit and half the liquid) with 2 Tbs maple syrup (or honey), 1 cup fresh or frozen thawed raspberries, a dash of vanilla essence. Bl...itz then mix in 3 Tbs Chia seeds. Divide amongst the glasses. Rinse out the food processor, then put in the other half of the coconut milk, 2 Tbs maple syrup, 2 Tbs cocoa powder and a dash of vanilla essence. Blitz then mix in 3 Tbs Chia seeds. Pour on top of the raspberry layer then refrigerate until set. I decorated with some raspberry coulis but that’s optional. They're not very sweet so add more sweetener if you like. Serve as they are or with a dollop of cream. See more

11.01.2022 These hot chocolate puddings can be made and cooked in just under half an hour, making them perfect for a last minute gathering or a family treat. You can also make them up to a few hours ahead and leave them in the fridge until you’re ready to pop them in the oven. There’s no flour, making them gluten free.

07.01.2022 Delicious as a snack with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a dessert with cream and berries, everyone needs a good chocolate brownie recipe. The last time I made this with my granddaughter Natalia, we swapped the chocolate chips for M and Ms, at her suggestion. She rushed off on her bike to buy a packet.

05.01.2022 Asparagus goes very well with smoked fish and with eggs. This recipe uses both and ties all the ingredients together with a delicious herby hollandaise sauce, which takes no time at all to make.

02.01.2022 Serve these tasty burgers as a mid-week family dinner, with or without French fries, and I guarantee you will be asked to put them on the menu on a regular basis.

01.01.2022 This recipe comes from Anna Olson. The conical paper cups you need to make ice cream cones can be found on eBay. The ones I bought come in a pack of fifty, weren’t expensive and arrived within a few days. Just look for Conical Disposable paper cups on Google.