I’m going to share two very important facts relating to Britain: Latin ingredients aren’t always easy to find (and only in recent years have I found semi reliable sources), and the locals begin to empathise with residents of Siberia when there’s a fraction of a millimetre of snow on the ground. At least they think they can.

But this time we actually got more than that- a good 12-16 inches I’d say (of snow, that is). You’d think this would mean public mayhem given my previous analogy, but it’s in fact the opposite; everything comes to a quite literal standstill. Cars remain stationary, trains stop running, planes don’t fly, and people just stare quietly and eerily out of their windows (whilst I apparently stare inappropriately in).

In a way it’s nice to have something that forces us to stop already, chill out, be forced to just sit down and do diddly, but more than that it’s the sort of event that evokes a determined craving for hot comfort stews. More to the point, it’s an excuse to binge on big pots of yum. And dumplings! Who the heck makes a stew without dumplings?

Recipe Notes

Traditional flour dumplings would work fine here, but there’s something about black beans that screams latina! That and I found a big ol’ bag of masa and I don’t want to cause Paul to OD on tortillas. Plus he’s quite possibly the biggest fan of dumplings ever (imagine, upon their mention, glazed over look in eyes, goofy smile, memories of yesteryear).

Naturally I made a huge mistake, that being such a small quantity of dumplings, so feel free to double that part of the recipe. If you use a sauté pan or good enough sized frying pan, you’ll fit them all in there no problem!

Also consider, as mentioned in the recipe below, how moist and gooey you want your dumplings. I like mine to be fairly dry, but if you like a slightly more mushy dumpling then increase the fat and/or liquid content a little bit. Keep in mind, however, that masa dumplings won’t ever have exactly the same spongy texture as their all flour equivalent.

Some days I wake up, look out the window, and know before I even set foot out of the bedroom it’s going to be one of those kind of days. Those kind. You know exactly what I mean.

What inevitably follows is a morning of attempted work, one which can be more appropriately summarised as moping. By the time lunch rolls around I give up; all the desire in the world won’t make this British winter metamorphose into a Thai autumn. The best I can do at this point is scoff something warming, something comforting. From then on in my day I can look forward to an afternoon which will, at the very least, progress from the aforementioned mope-fest into slightly more upbeat brooding.

Sike. I’m a happy bunny after I eat awesomeness.

Recipe Notes

What can I say about this? It’s ridiculous easy and tantalisingly good (well I think so anyway). If you’re making this in the summer and are using succulent in-season tomatoes, you could perhaps get away with losing the sugar (especially if using a Roma-esque variety).

This is perfect with or without pasta. Without pasta it’s a nice snack; with it’s a filling meal.

Cannellini beans are a Tuscan white kidney bean, smooth and nutty in taste, also known as fazolia beans. Perfect for a cold summer salad, comforting as a relaxing winter warmer, this simple vegan recipe is suitable year-round.

Sweet white miso paste adds a creamy texture and combined with white wine creates a hearty salty-sweet flavour which is sure to go down well with just about anyone (anyone who isn’t a crazy cretin anyway).

Recipe Notes

The use of rosemary isn’t set in stone. Think bold herbs which roast well- rosemary, thyme, sage, and the like. The incorporation of a bay leaf into the cooking process may also yield good results!

Serve either as a side, with salad, or on toast (this is a great alternative beans on toast recipe, seriously). Come to think of it, eat it however you bloody well like.

Chili is just one of those foods which is, you know, well it’s just one of those foods. It’s always there, in the back of my mind, waiting for the weather to change or for leftovers to need using. It’s a meal I don’t exactly crave, yet it needs to be had on a somewhat regular basis during the cooler months. Everyone has their own recipe and no one (save my mother in law) is opposed to a steaming bowl of chili. It’s delicious fresh and only gets better over time.

So it’s my turn to share my own version, my own secret ingredients to make the perfect chili to soothe you on those cold winter nights.

It helps that it’s also ridiculously easy to make.

Recipe Notes

Regarding my use of espresso and chocolate, note that the measurements are vague. You could add up to a tablespoon of espresso and up to the same of cocoa, though I would advise not getting too liberal. Also know that when I say espresso I mean a finely ground dark roast coffee, so anything from a Turkish to espresso grind will be appropriate.

If you’re using fresh tomatoes, something I rarely use in chili because tomatoes aren’t in season during the months in which I enjoy this dish, you could might get away with omitting the sugar.

Chili is a dish which, no matter who’s cooking it, how many times they’ve made it, and how confident a cook they are, should be tasted constantly throughout the cooking process. This opinion stems from more than an excuse to snack before dinner hits the table; a good chili holds a bold and robust flavour and a pinch of chili or a dash more salt can make or break a good turn out. That’s what I think anyway. Experiment until you find your own perfect spice blend!

Like most other veggie lovers in this dear world, I am capable of consuming hummus at a rate to surpass even your granny’s incessant tirades about kids today.

Okay, I know, I know. As if the four billion alternative preparations out there aren’t enough, this is just what the world needs: another hummus recipe. Variation upon variation of this chickpea paste exists, but this one contains delicious caramelised onion as an added ingredient. Make this by the truckload and share it with everyone you know; even the aforementioned grandma will be impressed.

Recipe Notes

The reason onions caramelise is because they contain some sugar. Perhaps this is a common sense fact, but for most people sugar isn’t what comes to mind when they think of an onion. Try to use onion with a fairly high sugar content, like sweet onions or vidalia, but the standard yellow variety works too. If you’re using a really strong onion, feel free to add a bit of sugar a few minutes into the cooking process in order to aid in caramelisation.

I always use dried chickpeas and soak them overnight, but that’s not to say you can’t cheat and use a can of ‘em. But if you’ve never followed the soaking method I suggest you try it because, in my opinion anyway, it produces a superior taste. It really doesn’t take much extra time (especially if you have a pressure cooker), and it’s also a lot cheaper than buying tins! If you’re using chickpeas from a can then you may not need to add any extra salt to the recipe (depending on whether the beans are in brine), so just be mindful of what’s in the tin.

I once battled meal worms and moths in my kitchen for well over a year. In the end I threw away many grocery bags full of food, much as I hated to do so. My cupboards, from that point on, became storage receptacles for storage receptacles. Tupperware-style containers were the solution, and any remaining foods with eggs were contained in air tight plastic, making it easy for me to eliminate any further pests without them contaminating more food stuffs.

The point I’m getting at is I have a lot of plastic tubs. A whole lot. So many, in fact, that there’s just not room. This means that when a certain grain is running low, I try to use it up in order to make space for another which is waiting for its new sealed home. I discovered the chana dal in the way back of the stack, and decided it was time to make space for some Israeli couscous, so this recipe was hence born. So as promised, here’s a recipe for chana dal cutlets!

Recipe Notes

Burgers versus cutlets? I intended this recipe to be for cutlets, but as an experiment I tried burgers as well. My preference is still for the latter, but that’s just me. The cutlets are good served with a nice rice dish, like a veggie biryani or pilau.

Don’t use hot broth and don’t over knead the dough. Both of these things will change the texture of the dough, specifically interacting with the gluten to create a more stringy and chewy texture. Of course if you want it to be chewier then knead for longer, but the hot water will make the dough tough from the start.

By the way, a pressure cooker is great for dals!

I have a confession. This is the first time I’ve ever knowingly tried broad beans. It is most certainly the first time I have ever cooked them.

Result? Good, I think. I decided to try something relatively simple, and as my husband ate it I can assume it was a relative success (ignoring the “why is there chocolate sauce on the plate?” comment)! And he claims he doesn’t even like goat’s cheese!

I recently discovered Edamame (by “recently” I mean within the last 6 months) when walking through London’s Victoria mainline station toward the tube station. England, unlike the U.S., is not generally a land of free samples, so imagine my delight when a young woman shoved a free sample of frozen Birds Eye brand Edamame in my hand (complete with complimentary freezer bag!). I brought the little packet home, shoved it in the freezer, and promptly forgot it was there until a couple of months later.

Then along came one of those nights where my imagination just couldn’t come up with any clever dinner ideas, and at the same time I didn’t feel like doing much at all. That’s when I remembered the soy beans in my freezer and decided to check out some recipe ideas quickly online. In the end I ended up serving them with fried sage leaves and garlic and both my husband and I were impressed with the results. The texture of the beans are lovely and they taste nice, too.

Since then I have cooked them up with margarine (try Vitalite) and garlic (yum!) but wanted to have them as a side to a Japanese-style noodle dinner. That’s where this simple but delicious recipe comes from (and yes, I know it’s not very original… but who cares about originality so long as it tastes good?!)