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Jan Hendrik says to use skinned chicken thighs for this recipe for roasted red pepper and chicken soup. They are then drizzled with olive oil and cooked at 200° Celsius for 1 hour. All I can say is the result was not great as the chicken was so dry! And even adding it to the … Continue reading Roasted Red Pepper And Chicken Soup
Using broccoli, green beans, baby cucumbers, avocado and baby spinach, this green salad is full of good things. Topped with an Asian salad dressing, seeds and sprouts, this is the perfect lunch option in summer. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Green Salad ♥ Green salad Every couple of months I meet a … Continue reading Green Salad
Following on from How Many Ways Can You Say Goodbye?, Sara is back in the hot air balloon to learn How Many Ways Can You Say Thank You. This is the third book in the series, with the first one being How Many Ways Can You Say Hello?. How Many Ways Can You Say Thank You … Continue reading How Many Ways Can You Say Thank You
I mentioned in my review of Klein Jan that there were not a lot of food photographs in the book. And that some pages had plenty of recipes on them. Under preserves, page 89 has four recipes, one being this spicy tomato chutney, as I have called it here. And, the photograph on the opposite … Continue reading Spicy Tomato Chutney
October 2025 was manic. We got back from overseas on the 1st and I hit the road running! I felt like I was playing catch up for the first two weeks with so many things needing my attention. And for the first time in months, we had a few really busy days at work. With … Continue reading October 2025 Showcasing In My Kitchen
Wolf Hour opening lines: 'And what is the purpose of your visit, Mr Holger Rudi?' The CBP officer looks at me without interest as he scratches his upper arm just below the emblem of the US Customs and Border Protection service. My blurb: Holger Rudi is here to tell a story about Mike Lunde. But, … Continue reading Wolf Hour, Jo Nesbo
This recipe book pays homage to Klein Jan, the restaurant, and Jan Hendrik's experiences of growing up on a farm. Jan-Hendrik embraces the concept of creating something from nothing and leaving this world better than he found it. The inspiration behind Restaurant Klein JAN did not come from a desire to create a fine dining experience … Continue reading Klein Jan, Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen
I have future plans for these confit chickpeas. Not only to make a more substantial meal with chicken added to the dish. But also to turn the chickpeas into hummus. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Confit Chickpeas ♥ Cooking for family When we first met Eva, she was vegan which meant being … Continue reading Confit Chickpeas
The Picasso Heist opening lines: Tennis anyone? Growing up, I remember my mother really wanting me to learn how to play the sport. My blurb: Halston needs to play the long game. She has everyone on her side including the most important players in her scenario. And to succeed she needs to make sure everyone … Continue reading The Picasso Heist, James Patterson
Biscuits are a weekend must have to go with the countless espressos we drink. I made several batches of these chocolate pistachio biscuits to ensure I got the perfect level of crispness. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Chocolate Pistachio Biscuits ♥ Being influenced by trends The first time Dubai chocolate appeared on … Continue reading Chocolate Pistachio Biscuits
When Yotam Ottolenghi was living in Amsterdam he would stop and have apple cake at Villa Zeezicht. Using this memory, and the ones of Verena's gedeckter apfelkuchen and boterkoek, they created this Dutch apple cake recipe. It is so worth the effort and hopefully one day I will get to share this with Mark and Eva. … Continue reading Dutch Apple Cake
She Didn't See It Coming opening lines: Bryden Frost is running late. She has to pick up her daughter, Clara, from day care within the next few minutes or she will get a reprimand and a lateness fee. My blurb: To others, Bryden has it all. The successful, good looking husband, a job that takes … Continue reading She Didn’t See It Coming, Shari Lapena
Making your own meatballs is a cinch if you have time. These chicken meatballs are seasoned with dill, and served in a sauce that is flavoured with miso. Double the recipe and freeze half for the next time you need a quick and easy dinner. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Chicken Meatballs … Continue reading Chicken Meatballs
I could not resist trying Yotam's recipe for tomato and aubergine one-pot baked pasta. It was adapted from a recipe Noor Murad created, who in turn used Marcella Hazan's recipe for tomato butter sauce as inspiration. According to Yotam, you can omit the aubergine, but to me, this is what makes the dish. Head straight … Continue reading Baked Pasta
Never Say Die opening lines: Jimmy Cunniff and I are inside the shooting range at the Maidstone Gun Club a little after seven in the morning. My blurb: Jane Smith has four months to live and she is battling on a few fronts. One is against her cancer, which is being treated very aggressively. And … Continue reading Never Say Die, James Patterson
These carrot cake rusks are not only delicious, they are a healthy treat as well. I am sure the combination of carrots, almonds and raisins in a snack form will be perfect for a lunch box. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Carrot Cake Rusks ♥ Keeping traditions Growing up, birthday celebrations were … Continue reading Carrot Cake Rusks
I was looking for something different to make for dinner, and decided on Yotam's recipe for summer chicken cacciatore with herb salsa. The recipe comes from Jake Norman who works at the Ottolenghi test kitchen. This is not a traditional recipe, but rather one that takes inspiration from a few recipes. Head straight on to … Continue reading Chicken Cacciatore
The Summer Guests opening lines: On the last day of his life, Purity police officer Randy Pelletier ordered a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin at the Marigold Café. My blurb: How is a car piling into strangers linked to a missing girl over 40 years later? The retirees, a group of spies, need … Continue reading The Summer Guests, Tess Gerritsen
September 2025 arrived so quickly, and it was manic up until the moment we left for the airport. I started this blog post on the 12th and came back on the 17th to edit it, as our flight to Amsterdam was cancelled. We ended up flying out one day later but before we could go … Continue reading September 2025 Showcasing In My Kitchen
Comfort can mean many different things to many different people, based on the path they have trodden. In Ottolenghi Comfort the recipes "take on (and take in) the culture and cuisine of the places we have moved to and we keep hold of and preserve the culture and cuisine of the places we have left". … Continue reading Ottolenghi Comfort