The Guesscipe Book

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,…

Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Cornbread

Cornbread! So named for the cornmeal that gives it that vibrant orange colour. Not a true bread, in the sense that it isn’t a dough so much as a better, but it serves some very important purposes. It also comes together far quicker, taking only about 40 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for mopping…

Garlic and Herb Crushed Potatoes

Potatoes are just the best. Can we all agree on this? There are about a thousand different things you can do with them, boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew! And yet one of the simplest ways of cooking these delightful apples of the ground is by far one of the best. This…

Slow Braised Leg of Lamb in Red Wine Gravy

Spring has sprung once more, and while at the time of writing it’s unlikely you’re going to be spendin time at any family gatherings, there’s still no reason you and your household can’t get together and enjoy the beautiful, rich flavour of a slow cooked lamb. It is of course the time of year where…

Cider Braised Sausages

There’s something so reliable about a delicious portion of bangers and mash – the full, meaty sausages with smooth, buttery mashed potato smothered in a warm helping of gravy. As far as weekday dinners go, it’s simple and effective. However, even the most humble sausage could even do with a bit of posh dress…

Cottage Pie (Packed with Vegetables for Fussy Eaters)

While I am absolutely a lover of food and enjoy trying out new things, I am also undeniably a fussy eater. Particularly when it comes to the textures of vegetables, I have a whole list of things I can’t generally stomach, even if I like their flavour – banana, mushroom, cooked tomatoes, courgette, aubergine, peppers,…

Goats Cheese and Broccoli Quiche

I believe it was Jaime (private school girl) who once said…quiche! I recently developed, through a cooking friend of mine, a real interest in custards and the links between them. Crème brûlée or crème caramel, cheesecake or ice cream – what a fantastic, simple, versatile thing. And to think, it’s nothing more than dairy thickened with…

Haggis En Croute

Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit. No, I’m not Scottish (though in recent years, I think I’d rather be.) However since coming to London and encountering a variety of wonderful Scottish friends, I have…

Shakshouka with Beans

Say it – go on. Say it. It’s fun. 1…2…3…shakshouka! It’s even more fun to eat it, and delightfully easy to make it. An ancient dish that has come in many forms, we’re essentially talking about a spicy tomato stew with some protein in it – most commonly, eggs. The eggs stew directly in the…

Boxing Day Pie

For those lucky ones among us, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without an obscene amount of surplus food. Notice, however, I do not say unnecessary food – there are plenty of ways to make use of it. From the famous assortment of boxing day sandwiches, to the more modern turkey curry – I myself decided to…