Sticky Toffee Cupcakes

 These sticky toffee cupcakes are my husband’s absolute favourite. They are my slight variation on the ones in The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days. In the normal run of things, I decorate them with chopped dates, as I tend towards things being decorated in a way that lets you know what they are. However, I was going to make these for Father’s Day for him, so bought a box and edible rice paper pansies and leaves.  Just getting round to making them now, but I though I might as well use the bits and pieces I bought.  Thinking the rest of the flower decorations will be pretty on a cheesecake or something.   

Rose Eton Mess

 This one isn’t from a book, but from The Sunday Times Magazine. 

A couple of weeks ago, Skye McAlpine’s column was about edible flowers. When I saw her recipe for strawberry and rose Eton mess, it had to be done. I’d actually meant to make it for Father’s Day for my husband, but we were too full, so saved the berries for tonight.  I made half the quantity and only used 300ml of cream. Perfect for the 3 of us.  

Rigatoni with Mascarpone and Pancetta

 A Table For friends by Skye McAlpine was one of my most favourite books that was published last year.  It’s just such a joy to read - and cook and plan from. As is her previous book A Table in Venice. 

Tonight we had Skye’s rigatoni with mascarpone and pancetta. It’s like an easy take on carbonara, and as she says it’s very comforting. I’ve made one of her no-churn ice creams today as well, but it’s in the freezer setting, as I didn’t get my act together in enough time! More on that another day. 

Ina’s Baked Raclette

 Ina Garten’s new cookbook last year was called Modern Comfort Food.  It’s a brilliant book, I love what she has done with the favourites of a nation. Actually, wider than a nation, several nations. 

I’ve made a number of recipes, and this one is her baked raclette, well sort of, what I made is definitely inspired by Ina’s recipe. Where I live I can’t always get raclette or reblochon.  Earlier this year I had my first trip to Waitrose, which is 2-3 hours from me. We were there, in Edinburgh, to view a car and there was a Waitrose close by! What luck!! I bought a number of cheeses especially, that I would not normally (be able to) buy. Anyhow, there, in all it’s glory was some reblochon, which I have used before in tartifilette.  However, it’s definitely a winter dish, and it’s June, so I used it in Ina’s Baked raclette. Also changing out her chorizo for a sprinkling of cooked sliced ham, which I already had. It worked well, lightened it up for a Summer lunch.  I’ll definitely try her actual recipe with chorizo next time I can lay my hands on the cheese. 

Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Capers and Feta

 To me, this is Greek Salad by another name.  Love to eat it when the days are warm.  We had it for lunch with some Italian salami and pimento stuffed olives, garlic bread too. An actual summery feast! 

This recipe is from Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher Kimball. Only change I made was to add a touch of honey to the dressing, primarily to make the vinegar soaked onions more digestible, as although I love vinegar, I’m not sure it loves me back! 

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

 In 2018 Donal Skehan came out with a new book called Meals in Minutes. It’s a great inspiring book too. 

I found myself in a ‘lost my cooking mojo’ round about that time, and for a good while before that too, after the passing of my Mother. Donal’s enthusiasm for cooking is infectious and it was this book that made me want to cook again. Not that I hadn’t been cooking, just hadn’t enjoyed it much at that particular time in my life. For that I’ll always be thankful to Donal and his lovely family, who are great fun to follow on Instagram. 

Anyhow, back to tonight’s supper, lemon and garlic chicken with couscous salad and hummus. The latter two are cheats ingredients, as they are bought, just leaving you to butterfly chicken breasts, then cooking them in garlic butter and finish off with lemon juice. It’s a lovely recipe, hubby and I both liked it a lot. Definitely keeping this in mind for the hot days of summer, you know the ones where it’s too hot to do anything, but the family still needs fed! 

Celebration Trifle

 This is my new favourite trifle. It’s from Simple Comforts by Mary Berry. Celebration trifle has a ring to it, doesn’t it? I made it first not long after the book came out, then again as a double sized one for Christmas Day last year.  

Now, in Summer, here it is again! The fruits are fresh raspberries and tinned pears, a really good combination. The only change I make to the recipe is I miss off toasted almonds from the topping and use shaved chocolate instead. The business! 

Milk Street Pasta alla Silana

 A new book for me a couple of days ago was Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher Kimball and team Milk Street.  It’s a cracking book.  So many great ideas for any cook who likes interesting meals during the week. 

First make, last night was this, pasta alla Silana.  Pasta, tomato sauce, a little bacon and salami plus onions, chilli and basil.