Food and Wine Matching

Crab Linguine with Chilli and Garlic These ingredients are both easy to prepare and satisfying to eat, so they make for a convenient mid-week supper. Purists use fresh crab which is great if you have access to it, but I find the prepared pots of chilled crabmeat that are widely available very convenient and easy […]

Resplendent Risotto I am indebted to Rome resident and Guardian food feature writer Rachel Roddy for her six part process for making resoundingly reliable risotto. She was told the tips by a friend so I assume she is magnanimous about my sharing them with you.   Tomato Risotto (Serves Four) 1. Slowly soften a finely […]

Salad Season As my regular reader may recall I embraced the concept of salad quite late in life. I blame my grammar school (where I was incarcerated as a boarder for interminable years) which was not known for its haute cuisine. I still contest that salad can be jolly dull if it is prepared without […]

Onion, Olive, Anchovy and Sun-dried Tomato Paste Tart As anyone who reads these entries regularly will know, I favour recipes that are straightforward and don't involve processes that are too intricate or time-consuming. This 'quick and easy' tart is simple to prepare and satisfying to eat so is something of a staple in the Yapp […]

Spears of Destiny The British asparagus season officially opened on Saint George's Day (23rd April) and runs for just eight weeks until June before it goes in to another ten month recess. We should therefore enjoy it as frequently as possible when it is readily available as it is one of the world's culinary delicacies […]

Orange and Avocado Salad I have long been of the belief that good cuisine is the child of intelligent and informed shopping and as the clocks finally go forward and we face the prospect of longer and warmer days my thoughts turn to brighter colours and lighter ingredients. This tasty salad is a happy combination […]

Rasam Soup This hot and zesty Southern Indian soup is a warming crowd-pleaser that makes for a tasty lunch on a chilly day. Ingredients: (Serves 4). 2 white onions – finely chopped 5g x Fresh Curry Leaves 2cm piece of fresh ginger 2 cloves of garlic 1 green chilli – chopped and de-seeded Olive oil […]

Spinach and Borlotti Bean Minestrone with Macaroni, Chilli Oil and Pine Nuts This month’s recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s trusty ‘Green Roasting Tin’ but her version only serves two people which has meant we’ve had to bulk it out to serve four. Also, Rukmini uses kale in the original which I replace with spinach. Either […]

Roast Salmon with Boiled Rice and Stir-Fried Courgettes My rule of thumb for a simple midweek supper is to try not to cook anything that takes longer to prepare than it does to consume. Our standard format seems to consist of a triumvirate of protein, carbohydrate and vegetables and, whilst we are not going to […]

Devilled Mackerel Fillets with Herb Mayonnaise and Cucumber and Fennel Salad I gather inspiration for cooking wherever I can and this month's recipe was inspired by one of Marcus Wareing's 'chef's challenges' on 'Masterchef the Professionals'. To be fair to Marcus, he cooked this on camera, in what looked like a single take, and made […]