Main Event

Unusually for the Italian countryside, we are lucky enough to live in an area of Divieto di Caccia, or a no-hunting zone here in Italy. This means that there are plenty of happy hare and rabbit bouncing around in our fields at dawn and dusk and no hunters and dogs trampling through the forest. The […]

It is POURING outside. Huge gusts of wind are sweeping the yard and rattling the shutters as Storm Alex batters Europe. With rain coming in sideways, you can guess where I am, right? Absolutely! Cosy and warm in the kitchen with the fire going. I’m also cooking up a storm in here (ha!) and today […]

How did it get to the middle of the month already? Talk about blink and you miss it. I’ve been so busy this month that I’ve hardly had time to sit down. I’ve got a great, speedy, foolproof recipe for you today: Baked Fish en Papillote. It’s just as suitable for a weeknight dinner as […]

It’s still chilly out there today, so I’m cosied up in the kitchen cooking one of the most warming and comforting dishes that I know. That’s right, I’m talking that classic of the Greek kitchen: Moussaka. This is the sort of recipe to cook when you want to spend a bit of time in the […]

When people imagine German food, they often think about only one thing. Meat. Yes, Germany is the home of gigantic schnitzels and plate-sized pork knuckles, but it is also the land of many different dumplings (knödel). Spinach and ricotta dumplings, which are full of delicious greens, creamy ricotta, and salty Parmesan cheese, are definitely an […]

Living and working in East London fueled my serious addiction to curry, with the multitude of amazing restaurants around Brick Lane tempting me daily. The incredible aromas drifting out onto the street would nearly hypnotize me, and before I knew it, I’d be seated at a table for one with a three-course curry spread before […]

In my opinion, there are very few savoury foods that can’t be improved by being wrapped in pastry. From good old Kiwi and Aussie mince pies to Cornish Pasties, from Moroccan Pastilla to Indian samosas, it seems the whole world agrees. There is something so incredibly satisfying about a flaky, buttery crust hiding a deliciously […]

Who doesn’t love a good stir fry? With stacks of punchy flavour, healthy vegetables and lean meat, a stir fry is always my go-to when I want to get dinner on the table fast. My recipe for Pork and Ginger Stir Fry, full of fresh herbs, gentle spice and sweet pineapple is a real family […]

We are still working our way through the seasonal surplus of delicious zucchini, not that I’m complaining! I adore this abundant and healthy summertime vegetable and I’m always looking for interesting ways to cook with it. Mostly in the warmer months it ends up threaded onto kebabs and grilled on the barbecue, though I also […]

Light, fresh, and full of delicious vegetables, Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls are fun to make and the perfect light meal for a hot summer day. Mix and match fillings to suit your tastes, but don’t forget the spicy peanut dipping sauce!

I love Thailand, and one of my favourite memories is of attending a cooking school in Bangkok, where we shopped for fresh ingredients at the markets, before cooking meal after meal in a beautiful old colonial house. We practised all the well-known classics of the Thai kitchen and got plenty of exercise grinding up curry […]

I love mushrooms. Truly, mushrooms would have to be one of my desert-island foods. Whether fancy shiitake, the prized porcino, colourful pfifferlinge or plain old button mushrooms, they are all delicious, with their earthy flavour and delicate texture. Whatever time of year it is, mushrooms will find their way into my shopping basket, ready for risotto, a salad, a quiche, […]

I am declaring barbecue season officially open! To get the ball rolling I have a truly delicious recipe for you, one that I have on rotation all summer long. Turkish chicken shish kebabs (Tavuk Siş) are tender, tangy, and so easy. The chicken is marinated in yogurt, lemon, and spices, tenderising the meat while giving […]

It’s a sunny Sunday, still and quiet here. The clouds and blustery winds of the last few days have finally departed, leaving a bright blue, cloudless sky in their wake. It’s the ideal day to get some work done on the house, a pleasure rather than a chore when the sun is shining. After all […]

It’s been a real spring day today, with bursts of brilliant sunshine interrupted by squalls of rain. The mountain opposite the house has been disappearing periodically behind a veil of clouds, then suddenly appearing again, green and lush with all the new growth. The thick stone walls are still keeping the house cool, a blessing […]

It’s Friday! The arrival of the weekend in these unusual times is somehow not quite as exciting as it used to be. When we’re all working from home the eagerly awaited 5 pm escape from the office has lost its urgency. We’re not plotting how we can stuff those 48 hours of freedom with outdoor […]

It’s a day for another comforting meal. Something nurturing, wholesome and flavoursome. Who could resist Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pies? Crumbly short pastry cases, filled with chicken, mushrooms and vegetables in a creamy sauce. All topped with a layer of buttery puff pastry… are you hungry yet? You can take the boy out of New […]

I am looking out the kitchen window watching huge fluffy snowflakes drift down from the sky. Just two days ago it was so gorgeously warm and sunny that I thought maybe, just maybe we’d escaped winter and spring was on the way. It’s not that I mind winter, but as it reaches the tail end […]

More delicious Cypriot food for you today! I’m obviously longing to go travelling again, as I’m busy cooking recipes that evoke memories of faraway places, good times and mouthwatering food. The food and produce on Cyprus will always be very special to me, as each dish brings back a particular encounter or experience. The local […]

The weekend has landed, the sun has been shining over Munich, it’s wine-o-clock and time for one of my favourite meals – Spicy Tomato Garlic Mussels. These are the ultimate quick-fix dinner. Healthy sustainable, and delicious, the heady aroma of tomatoes, garlic, Mediterranean herbs and fresh mussels always makes me happy and as it drifts through […]

Easy sweet corn fritters are so quick and simple to make and are full of delicious vegetables. Bursting with zingy, fresh flavour they’re always popular for breakfast, brunch or a light supper.

Hooray, it’s nearly the weekend. Here in Munich it is a blue sky day, bright and sunny and a balmy -3°C! The temperature doesn’t bother me in the least and during these darker months I crave sunshine so I’m soaking up every possible ray. I’m also thinking about breakfast for the weekend, and what could […]

Rich, filling, and supremely comforting, this Classic Hearty Chicken Stew is the perfect winter warmer. This recipe feeds four people easily and any leftovers are delicious the next day.

As tempting as it may be, we can’t live just on delicious Christmas sweets and treats alone, though, at this time of year, I also want my savoury meals to be beautifully spiced, pungent with enticing aromas, and what better recipe than this Creamy Fragrant Chicken Korma? I adore curries of all varieties. Years of […]

As soon as the weather turns cold I turn into a comfort-food-carboholic, which is why we have been gorging ourselves on some truly tasty Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells this week. Pasta loaded up with cheese, meat, herbs, zesty lemon and cooked with a spicy tomato sauce – yes please! I love using giant pasta shells, […]

I think the very best cure for homesickness or wanderlust is to cook something to remind you of a certain place, so today we are having one of my favourite light, bright and summery meals: Spicy Shrimp Cocktail Salad. ‘Oh no!’ I hear you cry, ‘Not one of those sad, bedraggled 60’s monstrosities, a few […]

It’s raining again, and forecast to do so all week. Honestly, this has to be the wettest spring in Munich since I’ve lived here! At least the balcony plants are looking nice and green, but I am ready for some sunshine! Not to worry though as being housebound is always a nice excuse to spend […]

While the undisputed champion of food smoking in my family is definitely my dad, New Zealand is an awfully long way from Munich when the craving for some delicious smoked fish hits. As I live in the city I also only have a tiny balcony, so no room for a dedicated smoker which means when […]

I’m back! Did you miss me? I’ve been travelling in Cyprus and Italy, soaking up the sights, sounds and most importantly flavours of those beautiful places, and giving myself a bit of a digital detox along the way. Back in Munich the sun is shining (finally) and I’m busy cooking and creating again. Best of […]

It’s a bit of a grey Wednesday here in Munich, with no sun to tempt me to go wandering outside, it’s a perfect day to stay in the warmth of the kitchen, where I’ve got some bread in the oven and a pot of soup on the stove. At the moment I’m lucky enough to […]

Something I often crave is my favourite quick and easy stir fry, and Chinese restaurant menu staple dish, Spicy Cashew Nut Chicken. This much-loved dish is available in virtually any restaurant, but I find when you make it at home it is lighter and fresher than any you will get while dining out. Best of […]

The sun is shining, the beer gardens have tentatively opened for business and the cool air over Munich is beginning to carry the sweet smell of the countryside to the south. The chestnut trees are still absolutely bare, but it won’t be long before they burst into fresh green leaf and the springtime will properly […]

While I love Munich, my mind is already drifting off to our next holiday location – the magical island of Cyprus, where I was lucky enough to spend several years living in the tiny village of Bellapais. When I think of Cyprus I always imagine the pomegranate trees laden with fruit, the great tall almond […]

Pork and Cider Stew, rich with chopped apples and pungent with aromatic sage, is an absolute winner. Meltingly tender pork coated in a thick and flavoursome sauce will warm even the most wintery of hearts. Best of all, it is minimum effort for maximum flavour.

I like my burgers juicy, spicy, and loaded with toppings and this delicious recipe for Spicy Pork and Bacon Burgers hits all my buttons. Flavoursome pork mince, bacon, jalapeños, cheese and in a clear nod to my Antipodean roots, a big slice of sweet pineapple – all served up with a big side of Asian […]

There are mangoes everywhere at the moment. We are bang in the middle of the summer mango season and they are so perfectly ripe, sweet and juicy that I can’t resist picking them up whenever I’m at the shops. Obviously, the best way to eat mangoes is simply sliced, greedily, with the juices running down […]

I love a crowd pleasing meal. I mean, really, what is nicer as a cook to put a meal on the table that everybody likes? Especially after a long week, when my nerves can be a little frayed anyway, it is always good to have a recipe up your sleeve that never fails. Cheesy, meaty, […]

Summer is trying SO HARD to arrive in Munich. We have one day of sweltering summer heat, where the hot winds of the Föhn come rushing over the alps from Italy, the skies are clear and deep Bavarian blue and the beer gardens are heaving with people enjoying the cool shade under the spreading chestnut […]

Spring is heralded in Munich not only by the sudden explosion of green leaves and spring flowers, but by the arrival on every market stand of the the highly coveted spargel – or thick stems of white asparagus. While everybody has a favourite region or supplier, it is roundly considered that the cream of the […]