The Guesscipe Book

Chilli Chocolate Mousse

There is something truly phenomenal about a chocolate mousse – like a ganache that’s holding it’s breath, filled with air. The gentle crackle as the spoon pops the thousands of tiny bubble suspended beneath the surface is one of those delicate sounds that just brings pure joy. It derives, of course, from the whipped egg…

Cinnamon Roasted Pork with Parsnip Purée

Cinnamon is one of those spices which is grossly underused in savoury cooking – we all know the familiar taste of a posh Autumnal coffee with cinnamon spicing, or Christmas baked goods offering a warming feeling inside. This delightfully snappy bark often appears as part of a spice mixtures of food from the subcontinent too,…

Chilli, Lime and Feta Potato Salad

Potato Salads are a classic for a reason – the robust potato, a friend for all occasions, is the perfect vehicle for the creamy, slightly sour dressing that comes with a potato salad. There’s room for plenty of other vegetables in there – pickles, capers, sweetcorn, onions. The sauce can be adapted for greater decadence…

Grilled Lemonade

That’s right, you read it – grilled lemonade. While it may initially sound totally impossible, you’ll soon see that not only is it possible – it is THE way to drink fresh lemonade. Fresh lemonade has a delicious mix of sweet and sour that provides a cool, crisp freshness on a hot day. By dipping…

Banoffee Pie

Desserts are something I rarely tackle – I’m not a huge lover of baking and have always favoured savoury food over outright sweetness. However, it suddenly dawned on me just how long it’s been since I had this classic dish and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The name – a rather obvious…

Black Pudding Scotch Eggs

Scotch Eggs are perhaps the greatest picnic food ever made. The delicious, multi-layered treat with savoury sausage, a gorgeously soft egg and that crunchy exterior. Eat them hot or cold, as part of a meal or as a snack, breakfast, lunch or dinner. This particular version utilises the deep, gorgeous richness of black pudding…

Vegan Lasagne

There are so many reasons why somebody may choose to stop purchasing and consuming animal products, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they dislike the taste of these things. Particularly in the early days of veganism, the cravings for a sausage roll or cheese sandwich may be very strong. While not a vegan myself, I’ve…

Beef Lasagne (My First YouTube Recipe!)

That’s right! I’ve finally decided to bring The Guesscipe Book to YouTube. This first ever episode was very much a test activity for myself and as such there are still plenty of rough edges I’d want to shave off before attempting another one of these. But, overall I quite enjoyed the experience! The full ingredients…

Buck’s Fizz (Mimosa) Cake

For a fair while in my adult life I wondered what these “mimosas” that I kept hearing about – usually in relation to American brunches – were. It was only a year or two ago that I discovered it was nothing more than ordinary Buck’s Fizz – the official drink of Christmas morning here in…

Rum Flambéed Pineapple with Berries and Ice Cream

There is such a joy to flambéing food – perhaps it appeals to that inner neanderthal in all of us that feels innately proud upon creation of fire. Perhaps it’s just because it feels cool holding a pan of flaming food. However, it must be remembered that it is so much more than just showiness,…