Category Archives: Europe

This classic winter warmer from France works well with baked or mashed potatoes. A dish that predates recipe books is found all over France. In some regions, the red wine is replaced with white wine or even champagne. The recipe looks complicated but is easy to follow and results in a smoky, rich-flavoured dish every time. The addition of red chilli adds an addiutional level of flavour not found in the original, but is worth trying! It is a classic French dish in which chicken is braised in red wine. In some parts of France, white wine and even champagne […]

Yorkshire pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk. A typical English side dish, it is a versatile food that can be served in numerous ways depending on its ingredients, size, and the accompanying components of the meal. As a first course, it can be served with onion gravy. For a main course, it may be served with meat and gravy — traditionally roast beef — as part of the traditional Sunday roast, but it can also be filled with foods such as bangers and mash to make a meal. Sausages can be added […]

Parkin is a sticky cake flavoured with golden syrup, oatmeal, and ginger, which my Yorkshire-born mother used to make when I was a child. Often enjoyed on Bonfire Night, this cake from the north of England is a warming treat. Like a fine wine, parkin improves with age, so bake it up to a week before you want to eat it. This is her recipe. Sticky, syrupy ginger cake from Yorkshire

  This is a 19th-century recipe from my great-grandmother, handed down to me by my mother.

  Shepherd’s pie with a rich lamb and carrot base topped with a creamy mash, is winter comfort food at its best. It is great as a warming meal after a cold winter’s night. Either raw lamb mince or minced left-over roast lamb can be used.

After a long trip to Portugal from Luxembourg, we returned up the Rhone valley and found ourselves in Beaune, a beautiful town in the Bourgogne region. It was here that I experienced my first Beef bourguignon. Paired with a local red wine, it was a meal to remember. Class French dish of slow cooked beef with onions, mushrooms and lardons in a red wine gravy. Perfect for cold winter evenings.