I’d been warned that the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles wouldn’t be especially scenic. Though Highway 101, which meanders along the coast, is spectacular, the fastest route is the I-5, which cuts a straight line through hundreds of miles of the Central Valley. For most of the way it’s a dual carriageway, and… Continue reading Pea soup with roast potatoes & a soft boiled egg
Mac & cheese with roasted cauliflower
We’ve been cooking this delightful mac & cheese at home for a couple of years now. We’ve tinkered with it—different cheese mixes, with mustard, without mustard, with veg, without—but this version is our favourite. At a time when comfort feels a little out of reach, this dish comes to the rescue. The kale is very optional,… Continue reading Mac & cheese with roasted cauliflower
Banana & hazelnut loaf
For me, there is a brief moment when a banana is at the perfect ripeness for eating, and more often than not, I miss it. That’s when I leave them in the fruit bowl to get deeply overripe, the skins blackening, and the fruit inside slowly melting into a fragrant mush. Perfect for making banana… Continue reading Banana & hazelnut loaf
Red lentil soup with harissa & lemon
As we head into chillier days, soup is back on the menu. We love having a big pot of this in the fridge for weekday lunches when there isn’t always time to make something from scratch. This recipe uses very modest and cheap ingredients, but the whole thing is elevated by the spicy harissa and… Continue reading Red lentil soup with harissa & lemon
Gnocchi with roasted butternut squash, spinach & sage
I’ve been trying to make perfect gnocchi for years. Somehow I never quite hit on the perfect formula. They were either too springy, too chewy, or so soft they almost disintegrated. I’d always made them with egg yolk, but when I left that out, I realised I’d made exactly the gnocchi I’m always craving. Soft… Continue reading Gnocchi with roasted butternut squash, spinach & sage