Cardamom & Dill

For an entire week I have been a ‘cook without kitchen’ but, for a few days at least, I have a gorgeous little vintage oven and a beautiful table to adorn with simple home cooked food (a blessed relief after eating out for too many days). The simple act of washing little local tomatoes whilst listening to ‘50s blues this evening as I prepped organic pasta with tomato sauce, fresh pesto, mozzarella pearls and peppery arugula filled my heart with joy. By the way, have you seen our cute apartment yet (if not, check it out on my Insta Stories). I am so in love with it. Honestly, right now, I have all I need to feel totally happy...

After three days in San Marcos I had actually called off the search for delicious, interesting and well executed vegetarian food. Until this evening that is when the kind people of Industry gave me ‘The Bouldin’, a smoked beet Reuben on Texas toast with 1000 island dressing (I had totally forgotten that I love 1000 island dressing), grilled caraway cabbage and swiss served alongside THE crispiest fries with parmesan, herbs and smoked ketchup. Those in the know say that San Marcos is the coolest small town in Texas that everyone want to move to, a better Austin. With innovative kitchens like this, I’m beginning to see why. Thank you to Harlan for giving us such a warm welcome when we came by this afternoon. We came back and we’ll be back again

Yesterday’s breakfast at the delightful @crystalriverinn was this classic southern brioche bread pudding literally oozing with butter, eggs and toffee-hued maple syrup with highlights of pecan, vanilla essence, warming cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s traditionally topped with a bourbon sauce - I’m slowly reading through Thomas Jefferson's fascinating collection of recipes and he mentions two different sweet butter sauces to accompany the dish. Well, that would have been a step too ...far for me. As it was, I was very quickly rendered useless as I slid into a sugar-induced coma which was fitting for a studious morning of researching and recipe development in the library. It’s freezing here in San Marcos with a freak cold front registering the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Texas so our breakfast was actually perfectly judged and kept us going until supper...
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Whilst it seems all kind of crazy to be away just before opening my little restaurant at Spark:York CIC, I'm kind of cool with it because this precious time is giving me space to think, plan and develop ideas for the pop-up kitchen aspect of the Cardamom and Dill food concept which will provide a space for other cooks and chefs without a place of their own to express themselves. Not only is this a great opportunity for them, it's great for us too because it means that our men...us will be constantly changing as we invite people from all over the world to share their food with you. Our first guest first chef is booked in for Saturday 1st December and I will be revealing who that is and their menu when I get back from the US. In the meantime, due to a cancellation, I have two places left for the November Supper Club on Friday the 9th so please let me know if you would like to reserve your place at our beautiful long table (you’ll find the menu on my website). I am also super happy to talk to you about hosting your private events in the restaurant so, if you fancy exclusive use of my cute dining room with a beautiful Mediterranean-inspired menu designed just for you and up to 15 guests, please get in touch...
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Last night, we shared our last ‘fridge purge’ supper before we leave for the US. The remains of my twist on Ottolenghi’s roasted aubergine with curried yoghurt topped with caramelised onions, toasted pine nuts, Medjool dates, pomegranate arils and spices (all the better for sitting in a cool fridge for a few days); minty stuffed vine leaves; a bowl of my funky lemony hummus and beautiful folds of pillowy lavash bread. Perfect. Ciou ciou beaux amis 😘

Occasionally, I bake sweet things. Not very often because I don’t possess a sweet tooth but this classic Italian ‘bustrengo’ - a traditional Italian cake featuring a heady mix of fresh apples, figs, golden sultanas, Tuscan honey, Umbrian olive oil, polenta, organic spelt flour, sourdough breadcrumbs, cinnamon and the zest of several lemons - is one of my favourite slices to serve up alongside a glass - yes, I said glass - of strong and gutsy black coffee (or, in this case, li...moncello). There will always be a simple cake or tarte on the table at my little restaurant because I know that you love such things as this and I love you. We’re fitting out today so keep an eye on some of the details on my Stories. And, if you’re passing by the incredible Spark:York CIC later, come on by and get excited with us. I have lots of lovely things planned for you including a rota of exciting guest chefs and a weekly changing menu so there will always be something new to try. What’s not to love 🤷🏻‍♀️
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So, my fridge-purge suppers are hitting a new level of bonkersness. Last night I mixed left over basil gnocchi with steamed broccoli, stir-fried cavolo nero, garlicky caramelised red onions, chopped Medjool dates, toasted pine nuts and fiery peperoncino. I then bound it all together with a lightly curried creamy sauce before topping said dish with a pangrattato-style crumb. Somewhat to my relief, it worked (just). Good job. There was no back up plan 🤣

It was a welcome return to ‘Mezze Monday’ last night - a term I use loosely to describe my weekly fridge purge (even more vital right now because we’re off the US. I kid you not, our timing could not be more bonkers if we’d planned it. Oh wait, we did plan it. Months ago when all thoughts of opening a little restaurant were but a sparkle in my eye). So, here we have a twist on Ottolenghi’s roasted aubergine with curried yoghurt topped with caramelised onions, toasted pine nuts, Medjool dates, pomegranate arils and spices; a bowl of sumptuous baked Bursa black figs with feta and pul biber: a super-lemony hummus and the ubiquitous Arabic bread. Just another manic Monday. Thinking like it’s Sunday. I didn’t really think the colours through but, you know, it was a purge not a surge...

‘Italian food is all about the ingredients, and it’s not fussy and it’s not fancy‘, so says Wolfgang Puck and this classic dish of Naples is a testimony to that. Zucchini alla Scapece is a zesty salad which, whenever I taste it, immediately transports me back to long lazy lunches sitting around a table heaving with brilliant seasonal produce and lovingly created dishes to share; the classic Tuscan al fresco setting we all dream of. I first tried it at Volume Library, Cafe & B...ar on Piazza Santo Spirito in Florence where we sat for a couple of hours one evening, sipping cocktails all busy doing nothing and listening to the chattering hipsters as the working week slowly transformed into a long weekend of partying. It was high summer and we needed something bright and uplifting to eat following a visit to the Basilica di Santo Spirito which is easily one of the most macabre and depressing churches in all of Italy. This lovely dish is the perfect accompaniment to chunks of rosemary focaccia, thinly sliced pecorino and a glass of full-bodied wine. Here, I’ve simply paired it with creamy mozzarella and buttery borlotti beans...
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Gourds. So very beautiful but a complete faff to prep. I’m often tempted but I know myself too well. They would end up in a pretty bowl, admired for several weeks and then chucked away only to be replaced with golden orbs of new season citrus fruit. That said, I’m a sucker for beauty and these would make a perfect backdrop to a sexy little Sambar, a traditional South Indian dish made with roasted lentils, fiery whole red chilies, pungent fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, fresh curry leaves and vegetables. Oh, be still my beating heart! Coming soon, a monthly curry night at my little restaurant at Spark:York CIC...

As you might imagine, with a little restaurant to open next month, things are pretty busy over here so our evening suppers need to be fast but not at the cost of nutrition and beauty. This über simple dish of white beans and spinach gently sautéed together with a quick basil and pistachio pesto and garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate arils delivers everything I need it to. It's inspired by a dish I ate in a tiny taverna in Corfu which was actually made with a tangy fresh vine leaf pesto. As we're not exactly blessed with those, I've given you a quick recipe for my gorgeous basil and pistachio pesto. The taste and the textures in this dish are lovely and it's on the table in less than 15 minutes. What's not to love? The recipe is newly published on my website. Have a glorious weekend!

The vibrant and colourful Souk el Tayeb – literally translated as ‘the good market‘ – in downtown Beirut is famed for the way it showcases the produce of local farmers and the very best of Lebanon’s organic ingredients. They are justifiably proud of their ancient tradition of community growing and small-scale agricultural production which means that you can be sure that pretty much everything you buy in the market will be grown with a deep sense of pride, passion and love. Fo...r me, like most of the Middle Eastern markets I’ve visited in my life, to meander through it on a slow Saturday morning is a thrilling experience that renders me pretty much speechless with excitement and respect. The super simple farro salad I prepared for supper last night is a celebration of all that. It’s perfect during the cooler months as the satisfyingly chewy texture of the nutty grain is beautifully offset by the sweet sourness of the pomegranate molasses and the vibrancy of the super fruity pomegranate arils, toasted almonds, dill and parsley. I served it alongside my coriander and lemon-baked feta which provided a yielding umami sexiness that is hard to describe. A much calmer Wednesday. Properly celebrated...
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After a beautiful day driving through the vineyards of Umbria we arrived at the ancient hilltop town of Assisi just as the sun began to go down burnishing the valley below with a soft gold. We flung open the doors of the house we had borrowed and - a bottle of Baiocchi Montefalco Sagrantino and two glasses in hand - we walked barefoot onto the terrace to watch and listen to the darkness as it gently cooled the air. Shivering, we returned inside to a candle-lit table and a sup...per fit for a king. Three years later, I recreated part of that feast last night and we were immediately transported back to that magical evening. It’s my basil gnocchi gratin with new season broccoli, cavolo nero and spinach smothered with a light cheesy sauce with subtle highlights of lemon and freshly grated nutmeg and topped with a sourdough and Parmigiano-Reggiano crumble. A mind-frazzling Tuesday. Gently soothed...
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It’s October and my heart slowly meanders towards spices. I don’t know why. Perhaps because we honeymooned - in October - at Pal Haveli, a grand, rambling townhouse built in the 18th century by the Thakur of nearby Pal. Surrounded by high walls, the Haveli lies in the heart of jodhpur’s ancient walled city where we dined on ancient rooftops talking with the present owners about love, heritage and food whilst listening to the call to prayer and dodging low flying bats. Last ni...ght, in a subconscious nod to all that, I prepared a huge pan of split chickpea, cumin-roasted sweet potato and wilted spinach dhal which I garnished with the remains of last week’s black venus rice and pomegranate salad, gently stir-fried this time with popping mustard seeds, deeply aromatic curry leaves and an insane amount of fresh lime juice. A decidedly chilly evening. Warmly spiced...
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During the winter months, the beautiful Istanbul suburb of Bebek sits quietly on the European shore of the Bosphorus as if waiting for an errant lover. It was once the favourite resort of Ottoman aristocrats who built their grand summer houses here, dozens of beautiful white jewels glittering against a backdrop of verdant jade. Not many remain today save for the deeply romantic white art nouveau mansion that was commissioned by Abbas Hilmi II, the last Khedive of Egypt, but i...t is still universally regarded as one of the few places that one can completely shrug off the increasingly frenetic pace of the city. As the mercury rises, the waterfront cafes throw open their shutters and move their tables outside to provide a place in which to sit, to share lunch with friends, to catch up on news and to discuss pressing matters (there are always pressing matters). Early last spring, we were two faces in that crowd, marvelling – as we always do – at the easy elegance of the people and their ability to live in the moment. We ate creamy cheese and spinach filo pies still warm from the oven alongside bowls of hummus, a fresh herb salad and pickled beets and, of course, tall thin glasses of Raki in which a single ice cube rattled. I am happiest at times like this, when there’s no plan but there are endless possibilities...
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A cute close up of Thursday’s sumptuous roasted red peppers with a generous dollop of my punchy crunchy cacık - salted Greek yoghurt with cucumber, herbs and spices - garnished with finely grated ricotta salata and fresh dill. This is definitely going onto my autumn menu at the restaurant...

A bright complexly-spiced tomato and coconut curry - featuring coriander seeds, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, black mustard seeds, cloves, star anise, turmeric and curry leaves - was destined to pack a sumptuous punch for a late Friday night supper. I served it up with a black venus rice salad with pomegranate arils, fresh mint and lemon, the remains of my Greek yoghurt with mint and pul biber and a couple of lime and coriander naans. Friday night. Done right...

On our supper table last night was a feast inspired by recent visits to our beloved Istanbul. Here we have my Bebek börek stuffed with gently sautéed leeks, feta and freshly chopped dill alongside roasted red peppers dressed with cacık (salted Greek yoghurt with cucumber, herbs and spices) garnished with finely grated ricotta salata - a dish inspired by the inspirational @dianahenryfood - the remains of my garlicky hummus and a lemony salad garnished with pul biber. A weird and wonderful Wednesday. Won over...

Last night’s mezze table was a cracking cornucopia of flavours and textures. At the centre was a simple dish of white beans and spinach gently sautéed with a pistachio and basil pesto garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate arils; served alongside was my favourite coriander and lemon-baked feta all golden around the edges; a garlicky, lemony hummus; zing-fresh Greek yoghurt with mint and pul biber and some fluffy Arabic bread. Feasting on a Tuesday evening, it’s quite the thing...