Cookbook Confidential

This hearty bean stew with its US roots is right up there on my list of go-to family favourites. The traditional version uses cans of baked beans as the base, but by using haricot beans […]

One-pot cooking is a joy, and this little beauty never disappoints. From a cook’s perspective, nothing could be easier than this recipe, and from the diner’s perspective, it’s ridiculously juicy, tender and packs in plenty […]

I always associate smoked aubergine with the East. Most Middle Eastern nations seem to have a version of them, and the roots of many of these recipes relate to the world’s most simple and primitive […]

If you’ve never experienced a savoury cheesecake, you’re in for a treat. Matjes are a pickled herring traditionally spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and dill. With contrasting flavours from the sweet and spicy herring, fresh zesty […]

Serves 4   A Cretan salad is in fact very similar to the well-known Greek salad, but has goat’s curd instead of feta as well as broken Cretan barley rusks. Sometimes you may also find […]

The combination of mushrooms and cashew nuts might sound unusual but I promise this could easily become your favourite veg curry. Gram flour slightly thickens the mixture while also adding flavour. Enjoy with rice, chapatti […]

Swede is scrumptious roasted whole, however, coating it with sugar and mustard makes it irresistible, tipping the level of satisfaction to the extreme. This dish makes a great centrepiece for any table and is perfect […]

My sobriety is obviously extremely important to me and I am extremely proud of it. But I would be telling porky pies if I said there weren’t elements of my old life that I miss. […]

Imagine how easy dinner could be if you mixed – right on a chopping board – a handful of raw ingredients that play well together and then dragged your steaks through that spontaneous ‘sauce’. Feel […]

Ah, the antipasti platter – grazie mille, Italia! This is probably the perfect way to eat while you’re drinking and ideal for a party. A little bit of ham, a little bit of cheese, olives, […]

We Parsees are not known for our vegetarian dishes. Eggs, yes. Vegetables, no! I know many that will not even touch a green pea and in many cases we destroy  the very element of a vegetable by […]

Although it doesn’t fit with the three-ingredient drinks in this book, our favourite Negroni is the Sloe Negroni, made with 4 equal measures: Sipsmith Sloe Gin, Sipsmith London Dry Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Countless […]