Category Archives: Uncategorized

Earlier this week, with the impending arrival of our favourite daughter, I made a batch of Brownie and posted a picture of it on Facebook along with a cryptic comment. Brownie has figured large in her years at University and was even requested for their wedding feast. Our younger nephew rarely posts on FB butContinue reading “Curved balls”

Way back in March we spent many moments listening to the experts who advised us about life during the pandemic. I felt so sorry for these people suddenly thrust into the public eye and trying to explain the science to us all. As the weeks went on my faith in them grew, especially when oneContinue reading “A new normal”

Teaching Food Tech to the under-11’s within the constraints of timetable blocks was quite a challenge. In addition to the practical activity there was always some science, often maths, invariably geography and history…..never mind the interruptions by visitors or just curious colleagues. Inevitably organisation was key. Planning ahead meant time spent before the lesson weighingContinue reading “Be prepared.”

We’re very lucky to live so near to the coast and my regular exercise is usually taken walking by the sea. The first decision is whether to turn right at the bottom of the road where I’m soon to be on the prom heading in the direction of town and the pier with all theContinue reading “Care and share”

Quails, pullets, hens, ducks, goose, ostrich. Speckled ones, white, cream,brown, blue/green ones. So many to choose from, but my guess is that we mostly choose hens eggs and in this country they are mostly brown these days. The amazing thing is that with all that variety, their structure remains the same – shell, membrane, thinContinue reading “Eggs!”

Sugar, not jewellery. Most of the sugar beet grown in the UK can be seen in the fields of East Anglia. Harvested in the late autumn, great lorry loads trundle to Bury St. Edmunds where they are processed in the steam-belching plant next to the A14. It’s a process that uses vast quantities of water,Continue reading “White gold”

I remember going into a restaurant in Hatfield in 1980 where we were met by a bank of microwave ovens behind the refrigerated display. All the starters and desserts on the menu were cold, whilst the main courses had been cooked ahead and frozen, so our conversation was punctuated by frequent pings as the chosenContinue reading “Microwave magic”

A; When it’s a sponge! As someone who grew up in the sixties and seventies I was taught by very straightlaced ladies in an all-girls school. The consequence was that every subject was given an equal footing. Housecraft included. We learned the traditional rules behind food production and presentation, with the end of year examsContinue reading “Q; When is a cake not a cake?”

It’s a question I’ve often been asked and sometimes I can remember exactly where I found them. One of those is the Flapjack recipe. I was working at a school in Hertfordshire, job-sharing with a lovely lady called Judith. In those days we taught commodities – meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese etc and methods –Continue reading “Where do my recipes come from ?”

We were lucky enough to be living in northern Italy and found wonderful shopping opportunities – silk factories, Armani outlets and the Alessi factory , which required a car ferry across Lago d’Orta. There we had a chance to survey all the wonderful kitchenalia, mostly stainless steel but some plastic. On the bottom of eachContinue reading “Remember the lemon squeezer ?”