I remember eating mantı (pronounced maantuh) when I was really little while on holiday visiting family in Turkey, watching as hundreds of teeny tiny parcels of yumminess were origamied into existence, kind of like the smallest ravioli you can imagine. And yes, that’s an i without a dot, one of the many vowels in the… Continue reading Manti / Mantı
Author: jo_tofts
Pistachio Pesto Pasta
I do love a bit of alliteration, and for those of you with small children that have watched Mr Popper’s Penguins as many times as I have (which is a lot), this would be the perfect plate for Pippi Pepennopolis, Mr Popper’s assistant who pretty much only speaks with words that start with a P.… Continue reading Pistachio Pesto Pasta
Smoked mackerel pâté
So easy to whip up, I sometimes wonder why I don’t always have some of this in the fridge, ready to be eaten for lunch or as a dip. Not so much a recipe as a reminder of what to throw into a food processor. A recipeminder if you will – which is basically the… Continue reading Smoked mackerel pâté
Simnel Slice
Or, as I like to think of it, simnel cake without the cake for those who don’t like fruitcake, but still want the utter excellentness that is marzipan at Easter. Making your own pastry is entirely optional and will save you an hour ish of making / chilling time (but it’s not hard to make).… Continue reading Simnel Slice
Easter nest cake
🎵 Oh I wish it could be Easter everyday 🎵 Wait, sorry, wrong holiday. However as my husband is a complete chocoholic I suspect this song is in his head most of the time. He looooooooves this cake, because it is a chocolately delight. It’s a flourless sponge which rises in the oven then falls… Continue reading Easter nest cake
Hot cross bun loaf
This bread is a-ma-zing, and seriously shouldn’t just be eaten at Easter – feel free to leave off the cross bit and just enjoy the buttery fruity loaf. Yes it takes a bit of effort and time to make, although the actual hands on time isn’t extensive or tricky at all, so I try to… Continue reading Hot cross bun loaf
Chick cookies
As you can see from the bottom of this page, I’ve been making these almond cookies every Easter for literally half of The Teen’s life, and Easter just wouldn’t be Easter without them. They always look like a curious bunch of weirdos, tiny as they are, with their characters really emerging as they bake. Makes… Continue reading Chick cookies
Veggie bean chilli
The Teen has declared that she not only prefers this to a meaty chilli, but she also thinks it may well be in her top 10 favourite meals. So far we’ve eaten it with rice, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, in a wrap like a burrito, and with tortilla chips to create nachos with all… Continue reading Veggie bean chilli
Doner kebab
Please please please can lockdown end soon (and summer arrive) so that we can have a whole bunch of friends and family over and feed everyone with these incredibly simple and tasty kebabs? Pretty please? Until then, we’ll just keep making them and dreaming about better times. This is most definitely something I wish I’d… Continue reading Doner kebab
Rose + pistachio macarons
It’s the return of one of my favourite flavour combinations here, rose + pistachio, this time in macaron form as a present for my wonderful Mother on Mother’s Day, because she’s really lovely (and also reading this. Hi! 💕). If you look at the photo you’ll see that a) I can’t get the tops of… Continue reading Rose + pistachio macarons
From My Kitchen 