This is why it is best not to oversweeten the rhubarb, so you get a pleasing hit of both sharp and smooth in the mouth. Towards the end I finally get rid of these two people in my life I did not like [his father and stepmother, who had been the family's cleaning lady] - and to be honest I was really very jubilant - and thereafter all I wanted to do was cook.

You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here. But do you know the different sorts of toppings the different areas of Great Britain like on its chips?New York, late autumn, and I have just taken the short walk from Central Park to Carnegie Hall, where I am being interviewed for a radio show. One of my favourite books this year that I’ve dipped into and drooled over time and again is Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen. For me, it was especially nostalgic because I lived in the UK for a short while, and seeing him talk about some of the things I used to eat there but can't get in the U.

British cakes have a certain wobbly charm to them, and what might be missing in terms of finesse is there in lick-your-fingers stickiness. But there are also recipes for the adventurous and for the culinarily confused, and, at its heart, it’s a celebration of the local and seasonal. It hits the spot when you’re hungry for something a bit more substantial than a raw salad but still want to see a rainbow of goodness on your plate. It’s thought the meal stems from the hard-working farmers of yesteryear, however the origin of this ‘traditional combination’ only go back as far as 1956 and may simply be reflecting on the sort of food available due to rationing. As ever, Slater is also very funny; why, indeed, do the British puddings syllabub, flummery, blancmange sound like they are being enunciated under water?

Delicious, with zero fat and almost no calories (if you’re good and don’t reach for the biscuit tin). As ever, Slater is also very funny; why, indeed do the British puddings syllabub, flummery, blancmange sound like thye are being enunciated under water? Imagine having three life-coaches who had been through the toughest mental and physical challenges; a crack team of problem-solvers who knew in their day job that one mistake could be the difference between life - and death. One of my first stops was at Sally Lunn’s Eating House established in 1680 and is apparently the oldest house in Bath.

Even if you can resist the assortment of the, frankly rather sweet, chocolate toffees and fondants themselves, there is much pleasure to be had in simply rustling through the box. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. A grown up Nigel - played by Julian Rhind-Tutt, looks back on his childhood while caring for a now elderly, yet ever sparkling, Aunt Elvie, played by Celia Imrie.It is a collection of short, affectionate and occasionally mischievous essays about our relationship with food. The taverna is the only place that Kostas and Defne can meet in secret, hidden beneath the blackened beams from which hang garlands of garlic and chilli peppers, creeping honeysuckle, and in the centre, growing through a cavity in the roof, a fig tree. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. A much-used word, karma is loosely understood as a system of checks and balances in our lives, of good actions and bad deeds, of good thoughts and bad intentions.

Eventually though, you’ll wonder what classic cuisines you might experience while you discover the history and culture of England. Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. These short sharp essays are all food-focused and are full of bone dry humour and razor-sharp insights. If you’re travelling England and wander into a pub for lunch, you may see ploughman’s on the blackboard. There’s so much evangelising about food out there in internet land and I don’t have much interest in throwing my hat in that ring.

It's unknown for me to be in two minds about a book by Nigel Slater, where other reviews have occasionally been closer to hagiography. From mashed swede, home made gingerbread, funeral teas and dinner parties to washing up, tipping and Heinz ketchup, Nigel Slater celebrates the eccentricity and diversity of the British attitude to food, cooking and eating.