Dinner party dreams

The last (and only) time I threw a dinner party, the unfortunate end result was lukewarm soup, cremated roast salmon and a droopy pavlova. Perhaps it was the pressure of entertaining for a crowd that made me forget the browning meringue in the oven; or maybe the ever-flowing vino was to blame...

Read my latest Good Food Channel blog post here. 

Super guide to superfoods

Anyone know what a superfood is? "Something you eat which makes you lose weight", "any food that's colourful" and, my personal favourite, "snacks that make you feel like a super hero" is what our office came up with...

Read my latest Good Food Channel blog post here.

The Hungry Reporter: honey

I’M with Winnie-the-Pooh when it comes to honey. Whether it’s slathered on thick white toast, swirled through a bowl of steaming porridge, or even paired with banana in a sandwich (trust me, it’s great), we both can’t get enough of the sweet stuff...


Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey...read all about my date with the bees here: http://bit.ly/9HLFqj

(all pics taken by Herts Ad snapper Krishan Bhungar)

The Hungry Reporter: supermarket style

Bakeaholic that I am, our family cake cupboard is very rarely bare and withdrawal symptoms kick in if I go more than a week without creaming, sifting and whisking...

Ever wondered how they fill those jammy doughnuts? I reveal all in this week's Hungry Reporter: http://bit.ly/9rYGq1

What are your thoughts on supermarket bakeries?

(All pics courtesy of Herts Ad snapper Krishan Bhungar)

The Hungry Reporter: baking

FRESHLY baked bread: is there any better smell in the world? Magic happens when flour, water and yeast meet – three simple ingredients and a hot oven make an aroma so dangerously intoxicating that lips smack and tummies rumble as soon as that first waft hits you...

Read all about The Hungry Reporter's day at the bakery here: http://bit.ly/9k7STw



(All pics courtesy of Herts Ad snapper Krishan Bhungar)

The Hungry Reporter: trout smoking

Forget the fish 'n chips shop; why not catch your own supper? Read all about my encounter with a slippery rainbow trout here... http://bit.ly/9jWyCI

(All pics courtesy of Herts Ad snapper Krishan Bhungar)

The Hungry Reporter: goats cheese

For those of you who don't already know, I'm a news reporter on a local paper just outside London (www.hertsad.co.uk) and when I'm not searching for stories, I vent my passion for all things edible in a fortnightly column - The Hungry Reporter.

Grab the crackers Gromit; it's time for goats cheese! Read all about it here: http://bit.ly/9liRV5

(All pics courtesy of Herts Ad snapper, Krishan Bhungar)

Freshly baked and smelling good...

Cakes I know; bread I do not. But how can you call yourself a baking addict without giving it a whirl? My gran recently passed her (slightly vintage) bread machine on to me and when lazy hazy Sunday rolled around, I seized the opportunity to power it up. 

Picked from the crinkled recipe book that came with it, a hearty currant bread was to be today's experiment. I chucked all the ingredients (bar fruit) into the 'bread bin' - powdered yeast, strong white flour, cubed butter, salt, sugar, water and powdered milk - and pressed GO.


15 minutes passed and, bar a low rumbling sound which may or may not have been my tummy, nothing had happened. But patient chefs make the best cooks and when 30 minutes struck, kneading finally began. The rhythm was mesmerising and through the little viewing window I watched as an untidy collection of ingredients transformed into a bumpy, stretchy dough. Once I'd added the fruit (boozy prunes and mixed peel livened up the mixture) the dough started to colour beautifully.

Four hours later (fast food it is not!), my golden brown loaf had risen and we were all drunk on the smell of fresh bread.  I carved myself a thick slice straight away (isn't bread best straight from the oven?), dowsed it in butter and sunk my teeth into the crispy crust. It was soft, warm, fruity heaven and far lighter than its supermarket counterpart. How can I have waited this long to bake my own?! Next time, I'll add dates, apricots and a sprinkle of cinnamon - and I'll toast it on prongs in the fire, to make it all the more authentic.

*New* restaurant review...

Wimpy, anyone?


Check out my review of a British burger bar under the 'Reviews' tab...


How do you rate the bender sausage?

Cracking brandy snaps

The crunchiest bake in the world...brandy snaps. A perfect accompaniment to ice cream, these bad boys are super fun to make and if you don't roll them up whilst the molten caramel is still scorching, they'll never stay in shape! 

I add a teeny tiny teaspoon of brandy to my mix (just to bring out the flavour and make them worthy of their name), and a dash of powdered ginger gives them an extra kick. If I'm feeling decadent, I'll fill them with brandy-laced whipped cream, mmm...

We ate ours with the Armagnac ice cream I made yesterday - now that's one boozy pudd.