Herby roast violet and pink fir apple potatoes

Roasted violet potatoes

There I was, sat there glumly swooshing my spoon back and forth through the pale white sludge. It was somewhere between mashed potatoes and parsnip soup and was the consistency of slurry. This was proof, as if I needed any, that I’d lost my cooking mojo.

I searched for it high and low, far and wide. I set a course for the heat and aromas of SE Asia with an aubergine and coconut curry. But it failed to excite. I stayed in the east – usually the source of so much inspiration – with some spicy prawn cakes. But they were only so much salty rubber. Continue reading

A “simple” steak dinner

Steak dinner

Do you ever have one of those nights where you think: “hmmm, i’ll just do something simple tonight, I have some steak, some veg, perfect.” Are those famous last thoughts or what?

To spin an unsubtle, allegory, I remember my parents deciding to redo their bathroom. They did it, and in the process realised that if they did that to the bathroom, then they should do this to the bedroom. And so on. By the time they finished the winds of change had well and truly swept through the house leaving nothing untouched. Nothing.

This is what happened to my *ahem* “simple” steak supper. Continue reading

Spicy, piquant and sweet roast quail, basmati rice and Japanese salad

Spicy roast chicken & quail

Having read Fernandez & Leluu’s mouth watering recipe for roast chicken, I was determined to recreate it for last night’s dinner. Accordingly I assembled all the ingredients and fished out of the freezer some drumsticks and wings left over from various fowl dismemberings, and two quail that were lurking at the back.

The only thing missing was Teppanyaki marinade. So I improvised. Adding a dash of this and glug of that, tasting and adjusting is one of the most fun things about cooking. It feels like alchemy – turning seemingly unrelated ingredients into a coherent and tasty whole. Continue reading