A homely, rustic atmosphere at Pip's Dish

Pips Dish is a little bit of barnyard heaven, popped up in London’s Islington. Serving lovingly homemade food on trestle tables, with a BYO policy, this venue feels more like eating in someone’s rustic home than anything else. Housed in a disused barn (yes, there are disused barns in Islington!) the front section of Pip’s Dish is a verdant farm shop, run by Farm Direct, a local seasonal food delivery service. Piles of fresh onions, sturdy green kale, organic eggs and English fruit juices and cheeses greet you as you follow the trail of straw down the cobbled street off Upper Street.

Pip (also known as Philip Dundas) is one of those cornucopian-type hosts; the plate will always feel half full with him around. “This is a three course feast” he explains, smiling with genuine enthusiasm at his hungry guests perched on hay bales, “but I just cook from what I get from the farm shop. So you never know, there may be more; last night I did seven courses by mistake.”

We only had four courses in the end, but they were plentiful and delicious. A sprouted purple broccoli soup, garnished with infused oil, warmed us up as a starter that was followed by an impromptu walnut and apple salad. Main course was farm-reared pork roasted with fennel seeds and served with the most crackling of cracklings and rich potatoes and greens. Dessert was a classic bread and butter pudding, layered with marmalade and dosed with a good ladleful of fresh cream.

Pip has previously run a supper club in his home, and he now finds himself running this event until May 2012 with the view to perhaps opening something more permanent later. An entrepreneur who also manages a social project to train up disengaged, unemployed young people, Pip was a BBC producer before embarking on his culinary career. His recently published cookbook, Cooking Without Recipes, is a recipe book with no recipes at all; instead, Pip gives you the principles of cooking techniques and ideas of what to do with ingredients (“slightly browned in butter and then blended with lemon juice, fennel brings magic to any soup combination”), so that the home cook can experiment with confidence on their own.

As we sit drinking the last of our wine, a trio of fresh faced, bearded young men serenade us with acoustic guitar and violin; we wonder why all Sunday dinners aren’t like this when you eat out. “Some people don’t like the fact that you can’t choose what you eat from a menu,” – but we didn’t even notice the lack of menu! “It’s like being a guest; you just get what you’re given” says Pip. With that in mind, we’ll certainly be going back to get some more.

For more information, see the Pip’s Dish website. You can also follow on Twitter @pipsdish, or see the latest news on Facebook.

Pip’s Dish is open Friday and Saturday lunchtimes 12-3pm, with a policy of pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth. You can reserve a place at the regular Friday or Saturday night Supperclub or at Sunday Lunch with live music (3 courses, £25 BYOB). Pip says that if you want to have a party any other night of the week, he can usually work something out. Email philip@pipsdish.co.uk or call Pip on + 44 (0) 7764 336 220

Piles of vegetables, fruit juices and cheeses greet you as you follow the trail of straw down the cobbled street off Upper Street

Lentil and Sausage Stew

Ideal for mid-week dinner parties, this spicy one-pot dish is easy to prepare and leave to cook while you chat with guests and have a glass of wine or two. It’s home-cooking at its best; filling, flavoursome and warming. For a few extra vitamins, try adding a handful of fresh spinach or some cavolo nero five minutes before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 or 4 mushrooms, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin green lentils (you can use 2 tins if you want to stretch this further)
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 pork sausages, cut into chunks
3 or 4 rashers of bacon, chopped

● Heat some oil in a pan. Add the onion, bacon, sausage and garlic, and cook for about seven minutes until the meat is cooked through. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.
● Stir in the tomatoes, the paprika and the cayenne pepper, then add the lentils, cover with water, and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes to an hour.
● Serve with warm crusty bread.

Sausage and lentil stew: comforting, tasty and delicious. We suggest serving with warm crusty bread and a large glass of red...

Brolliflower Cheese

A twist on traditional British cauliflower cheese, ensuring you tick all the five-a-day boxes with an array of wintry vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower and leeks. For the ultimate comfort food fix, add crispy smoked bacon – sinful, but truly delicious.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the cheese sauce

● Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the broccoli and cauliflower for five minutes, then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the leeks and bacon for about five minutes, until the bacon is browning and crispy.
● Make the cheese sauce; melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the milk a little at a time. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time, until the sauce thickens. Add in about three quarters of the cheese, and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
● Arrange the broccoli and cauliflower florets in an oven dish, and spread over the leek and bacon mixture evenly. Pour over the cheese sauce, and top with the rest of the grated cheddar cheese. If you have any stale bread, you can crumble it up into breadcrumbs and scatter them on top for a satisfyingly crunchy finish.
● Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is temptingly golden-brown. Serve with garlic bread.

Our saintly twist on classic cauliflower cheese, with extra added seasonal veggies and a delicious crunch of crispy smoked bacon

Cottage Pie

Thought cottage pie was stodgy, unhealthy and crammed with calories? Think again. Our recipe is made with turkey mince and topped with mashed sweet potato, making for a lighter version of the classic winter dish. For an even more virtuous meal, serve with leafy green vegetables or a fresh side salad.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 or 3 carrots, chopped
450g turkey mince
2 tbsp flour
300ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp HP sauce (if you prefer a sweeter flavour, you could use tomato puree instead)
500g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
25g butter

● Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat some oil in a pan, then add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook over a low heat for about five minutes.
● Add in the turkey mince, and turn the heat up slightly. Use your spoon to break up the mince as you stir; once cooked through, stir in the flour.
● Add the stock, herbs and HP sauce, then stir well and simmer for five minutes, before pouring the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish.
● Meanwhile, boil the sweet potato until tender, then drain and mash with the butter and a little seasoning.  Spread the mash evenly over the mince and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes.

All the satisfaction of a traditional cottage pie, but with less calories, substituting tasty sweet potato and virtuous turkey mince

A failsafe cure for the dreaded hangover?

Pounding headache? Mouth like a cat’s litter tray? Feeling of self-loathing and pity? Vowing never to drink again? It must be December-over-indulgence-hangover-time. To help ease the pain here’s a selection of Europe’s best hangover cures, road-tested and rated.

Italy – Coffee

Is it surprising that Italians have the most stylish hangover cure? After a night on the tiles, a short, strong espresso is an instant pick me up.

The Verdict: The caffeine buzz is fantastic, though the crash is possibly worse than the initial hangover.

UK – Prairie Oyster

James Bond’s hangover cure of choice, the prairie oyster is made from raw egg, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and tomato juice mixed together and downed in one.

The Verdict: If you possess the mental facilities to knock up this concoction, you are not hungover.

Ancient Greece and Rome – Deep-fried Canaries

Urban legend (i.e. the internet) has it that Romans and Greeks chowed down on deep-fried canaries when they’d over-indulged in the old vino. For those unwilling to shell out £10 for a pet shop canary, the 21st century equivalent – a three-piece chicken meal – makes an ample substitute.

The Verdict: Oh-so good at 2 a.m (isn’t everything), but as a preventative hangover measure, the effects are negligable.

Poland – Pickle Water

Perhaps discovered accidentally by a hungover fool confusing a jar of gherkins for a carton of milk.  Nonetheless, the combination of salt, sugar and water is second to none at replacing those all-so-important electrolytes.

The Verdict: The juice tastes as bad as you would imagine but the pickles are surprisingly soothing.

Scotland – Irn Bru

Anything that was banned in the US until 2002 must be good for you, right? Or maybe processing the colossal amount of sugar and colouring in a 330ml can momentarily distracts the body from its raging headache and inability to stand.

The Verdict: A pleasant alternative to cola. Goes well with crisps.

Turkey and Romania – Tripe

The mere thought of a soup made from cow intestines is enough to have those in a delicate state heading for the sick bucket but the slightly acidic pH aids digestion and it contains essential fatty acids.

The Verdict: Salty, garlicky goodness works a treat. Just try to not think about the ingredients.

Russia – Banya

The Russian take on a sauna, a warm banya comes with the added distraction of birch branches to beat your friends with. If sweating the alcohol out doesn’t work, you can up the ante by rolling around in snow or jumping into an icy river between stints in the sauna.

The Verdict: Top-notch.  Never underestimate the power restorative power of perspiring ethanol in the company of semi-naked friends.

UK and Ireland – Fry-up

Best served in a greasy café or by mum, the gut-busting British and Irish staple includes beans, eggs, hash browns, toast, mushrooms, tomatoes and as many pork products as it is possible fit on a plate, washed down with a mug of tea.

The Verdict: Scores points for flexibility to omit or add ingredients depending on what’s in the fridge/likelihood of vomiting.

And if all else fails? Try ‘hair of the dog’ in the form of a Bloody Mary!

Kusmi Tea Chest – Parisian tea purveyors, Kusmi have been around for 140 years, and the brand’s delicate blends and eye-catching packaging have made them a firm favorite in French store cupboards. This beautifully presented gift set contains 45 muslin tea bags and nine varieties of green, black and herbal teas. Best sipped with a crisp pistachio macaron – or two!

Love Music Love Food: the Rock Star Cookbook – Foodies inevitably have a plenteous collection of cookbooks, with titles by everyone from Mrs Beeton to Mr Blumenthal. This coffee table tome takes a slightly different tack, injecting a litttle rock’n'roll into the kitchen, and presenting insights into the culinary quirks of stars including Noel Gallagher, Kasabian, Siouxsie Sioux and Paul Weller.

Wool and the Gang Snood Dogg DIY wool scarf kit – The knitting collective’s kit contains needles, a pattern and best quality wool from Peru – all you need to fashion a wear-with-everything snood in charcoal grey.

Neals Yard Remedies Energising Aromatherapy Candle – After hours slaving away in the kitchen, even the hardiest domestic goddess can tire. NYR’s pretty candle is handmade in Cornwall, using organic wax which is blended with rejuvenating essential oils of orange, grapefruit and garden mint. The fresh, zingy scent will banish heavy cooking smells, while the elegant glass votive is bound to take pride of place in any domestic setting.

Sea Salt Caramel Course Voucher – When it comes to sugary treats, award-winning master chocolatier and patissier William Curley certainly knows his stuff. The course promises over two hours of hands-on fun – resulting in the creation of some very, very moreish salted caramels under the expert guidance of Curley’s staff. And you get to take them home – elegantly gift-wrapped and ready to savour at leisure.

Gifts for the domestic goddess from favourite rockstars, Kusmi Tea, Neals Yard Remedies, Wool & The Gang and William Curley

The Kir Royale Box – What could be simpler and more pleasurable than a sophisticated sparkling cocktail? Fortnum & Mason’s splendid box set offers Brut Reserve bubbles and the finest English cassis, all ready to crack open and serve at festive soirées.

Talisman Hexagonal Sommerso Vase – Fresh flowers are a must-have for house-proud pals, and Talisman’s cut glass vase will certainly show them off in style. The ineffably chic Murano vessel will be an item she’ll want to put on display; the stylish 1930′s design really is indicative of excellent taste.

Incanto Hamper – Natoora’s selection of delectable gifts will have foodies tearing off the wrappings to get tasting pronto. Boasting prosecco, panettone, pork rillettes, a selection of cheeses and accompanying biscuits, this box of wonders really ticks all the boxes!

Queen of Crafts – Too-cool-for-school crafter Jazz Domino Holly’s guide ‘for Modern Girls’ offers tips on how to get creative with a whole raft of hands-on pursuits. If you know someone who might like to try their hand at preserving, knitting, gardening, sewing or baking, this is a brilliant compendium for getting to grips with the basics.

Festival Espresso Set – This espresso set was commissioned by London’s  South Bank Centre to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain. Decorated with abstract motifs in primrose and dove grey, the set may ensure less spending in Starbucks and more at-home invitations,

Creative and culinary goodies from Natoora, Fortnum & Mason, Talisman, Jazz Domino Holly and London's South Bank Centre

Who can resist a sweet, chic cupcake?

When it comes to the trends kicked started by Sex and The City (we’re talking the TV series here) many of Carrie and co’s favoured looks have well and truly fallen by the fashion wayside. The girls’ beloved Red Velvet cupcakes and Cosmos, however, are still very much with us, having long proved their staying power as the chic city girl’s treats of choice. So when RIH was invited to Fancie’s Cupcake and Cocktails evening we couldn’t resist.

The glitter-dusted, pastel pink beating heart of the Sheffield cupcake scene, Fancie offer everything from Raspberry and Almond to MintChoc cakes. Having already run cupcake decorating classes at their Sharrow Vale Road café, combining them with gorgeous cocktails for an indulgent evening seemed like the natural next step.

The evenings themselves are based at The Wig & Pen, in the private dining area and bar, and are a great idea for a hen do, birthday celebration or just a night out with a difference. On arrival everyone gets into the mood with a glass of Prosecco and delicious Wig & Pen cocktails, before dividing into two groups – one that starts with decorating cupcakes and one with mixing cocktails.

Keen to unleash my inner Nigella, I started out with the cupcake decorating. On seeing the table we would be working at resplendent with different couloured icing, fondant, sprinkles, chopped nuts, and most importantly glitter I was forced to stifle a squeal. Set before us were also all manner of tasty toppings and fillings imaginable from caramel to fruit jam, chocolate spread to marshmallows.

With four cupcakes (two chocolate, two vanilla) ready for each of us to decorate, we were given expert guidance from the Fancie girls in how to ice (steady hands needed for that piping bag), cut out fondant shapes and what flavours worked well together. Then came the tricky part – deciding what to go for.

My first creation was a chocolate frosting with peanut butter filling and caramel drizzle. Then I decided to indulge my inner eight year old, and create a concoction Barbie would be proud of – an explosion of jam, pink frosting, cute cut out bows and glitter and err, more glitter. Many giggles and tough decisions later (lilac or baby pink frosting, just how many sprinkles were too much?) it was time for the groups to swap around and we carefully packed our cupcakes away before heading to mix up some cocktails.

Lined up at the bar with the Wig & Pen’s award-winning Mixologist, we learnt all about the basics of making a good cocktail, before we started on two very quaffable, easy to make drinks. The first was a light and refreshing gin number with elderflower and apple juice, and the second was a classic Amaretto Sours. Both easy to make and recreate at home, both totally delicious.

All too soon, it was time to leave. Slightly tipsy, with four cute cupcake to devour in the morning and armed with plenty of new skills I headed out into the night.

Cupcakes and Cocktails nights costs £35 each and are held at The Wig & Pen in Sheffield on the last Thursday of every month. The evenings also run at Toast in Leeds. For more information, see Fancie’s website.

Working with The Wig & Pen’s award-winning Mixologist, guests learn all about the basics of making a good cocktail...

Dan Lepard's indulgent baked creations

“Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”– Queen Marie-Antoinette (allegedly) on learning that French peasants had no bread to eat

In these hard times, the desire to make do and be thrifty is stronger than ever. Given that more and more people are cutting back on luxuries and doing what they can to save money, it’s no wonder that the popularity of baking is on the rise – cake may be a princely treat but there is no reason why the normal folk must suffer under austerity measures whilst the rich continue to gorge on Victoria Sponge and Black Forest Gateau.

Baking, alongside other retro handicrafts like knitting and embroidery, has been enjoying a revival for some time now. Two years ago, the Daily Telegraph went so far as to label it the ‘new rock ‘n roll’ and these days it is something of a national obsession: Fearne Cotton regularly waxes lyrical about her baked creations on her Radio One show, Marian Keyes has a forthcoming book about how making cakes saved her from depression. Clearly, having once been dismissed as old fashioned and unfashionable, baking has been fully embraced by popular culture again. Now, having gone beyond its self-consciously ironic ‘not cool it’s cool’ phase, the question is: can the craft be practical and popular and still hang on to its trendy tag?

Although Dan Lepard laughs heartily at the rock ‘n roll comparison, he happily confirms that, “baking is still cool.” The award-winning baker, author and Guardian columnist, is at the forefront of the craft’s current regeneration in the UK. In person, he comes across as genuinely delighted, if a little surprised, by the rise and rise of the homemade cake. He considers it incredible that there are six books about cake making in the top 100 Amazon bestseller list on the day of our interview.

“At this particular moment, baking is appealing because of the aspect of self-sufficiency, the idea that you ‘do it yourself’,” he explains, explicitly linking the trend to the economic downturn. “This aspect is found more in baking than in other types of cooking because you take very basic ingredients and transform them into something really delicious,” he continues.

Alternative Therapies

The reason baking has such appeal at the moment may, however, have less to do with its economic viability and more do with what it offers from a psychological and emotional perspective. “The transformative quality is inspiring,” Lepard asserts. He goes on to describe the baking experience as “life affirming” and “positive”. The fact that you share your creation with others adds to the thrill: “Cutting a cake into slices and watching others eat it is a kind of therapy. It provides you with a huge sense of achievement.”

Lepard was caught by the baking bug as a child and took it up professionally in the early 1990s, when he started working as a junior chef in a kitchen’s pastry section. He says that one of the things that appealed to him most about the discipline was the vast amount that he needed to learn. “I still am learning, it’s never ending,” he adds with glee. He spends a lot of time walking up and down supermarket aisles coming up with new ideas. “It often comes down to how to use two ingredients together and how the ingredients will change when you bake them,” he explains.

Going back to the ‘cool factor’, Lepard points out that with baking it all depends on what you’re making and how you’re making it. Cake mixes, he imagines, are not cool, whereas birthday cakes, cupcakes and bread all hit the necessary style notes. “I’d also say that baking appeals to young people at the moment because their parents didn’t bake much. Often young people become interested in the crafts that their parents’ generation, in their mind the unfashionable generation, deemed unfashionable.”

You Are What You Eat?

Life affirming, rebellious and cool, baking is starting to sound like a Class A only without any of the nasty side effects. Well, perhaps not completely without side effects… “You only get fat if you eat a lot, not if you bake a lot,” Lepard laughs in his infectious, hearty way. “Besides,” he concludes, “when you’ve made something yourself, you have a relationship with what you’re eating and you therefore do so slowly, thoughtfully, little-by-little and with care. As a result it is a much healthier approach to eating and food.”

Speaking to this master baker, a man with a genuine love for his craft, it’s easy to understand why more and more people across Britain are waving their wooden spoons in the air with pride. Having recently made Lepard’s Chocolate and Sour Cream Cake myself (imagine gooey, chocolaty heaven), I certainly understand what he’s saying: sifting, beating and baking your own perfect sponge creates an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and wellbeing. As long as it comes out right, of course. And although Marie-Antoinette probably wouldn’t have been much up for making her own cake, I like to think she would have agreed with the sentiment.

Dan Lepard’s Short and Sweet is available to buy online here.

Dan talks about his latest book. Proceed with caution: this video contains images of tasty baked goods…

Foods on the menu from The Kind Diet

November 1st is World Vegan Day marking the anniversary of Donald Watson founding the Vegan Society. Born in 1910, Donald became a vegetarian at age 14, but made the change to veganism several years later, stating that ‘our present civilisation is built upon the exploitation of animals’. In August 1944, he decided, along with Elsie Shrigley, that it would be a good idea to coordinate ‘non-dairy vegetarians’, and on November 1st the Society held its first meeting.

Today veganism is slowly on the increase as people become more aware of the effects that eating meat and dairy can have on their bodies and on the environment. What started as a stand for animal rights has now come to be closely associated with the battle to reduce global warming and to educate people about healthy eating.

The China Study, published in 2005 by Colin T. Campbell, looked at the relationship between mortality rates in 6,500 people in rural counties in China. It found that plant-based diets reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases. There is increasing amounts of evidence that eating more plants and fewer animal products can lower the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and digestive disorders. And of course, there is the environmental impact of intensive livestock farming. Producing one burger emits the same amount of carbon dioxide as driving ten miles. What’s more, cows themselves can release up to 25 to 125 gallons of methane a day – each! Those cows have to eat, so as well as using land to house them, we use land to grow crops to feed them – a major cause of deforestation and an efficient way to feed the world. Bottom line: the meat industry sucks.

My own path to veganism took a rather slower route than Donald Watson’s. I have been a vegetarian for over a decade and, hand on heart, I have never once missed meat. But I never really considered veganism. I like cheese, I love cream and a world without egg custards is not a world I want to live in. Plus, didn’t vegans all wear odd clothes and sensible shoes?

Turns out the answer is no. Natalie Portman was vegan even before her pregnancy, Glee’s Lea Michele is vegan, and for any men who need convincing there are Mike Tyson, Woody Harrelson – and even Bruce Lee. It is no longer the sole domain of hemp-wearing hippies.

Add to this the compelling health and environmental evidence and I made the leap to become 80% vegan (give or take). Yes, 80%. That’s allowed now. Modern veganism is no longer about denying yourself unequivocally – it has loosened up to become more inclusive. Just as ‘Meatless Monday’ allowed people to experiment with vegetarianism rather than commit, outspoken vegan campaigners such as Alicia Silverstone are advocating starting with veganism in moderation in order to make the switch less daunting. Because no matter how virtuous you are, sometimes it is hard when the cheese, or the cream or the easy way out whispers your name from the fridge.

So, no rules as long as you give it a go and join the movement towards a healthier diet, a healthier earth and, if you make sure what meat or dairy you do eat is free range, more humane farming practices.

However, while no one ever questioned my vegetarianism, family and friends still to look at me slightly askance when I mention the other V word. How do you get protein? Isn’t vegan food brown and boring? 80%?! What do you do when you go to a restaurant?

Ok. Deep breath. Let’s take these one at a time.

How do you get protein?

The body needs 20 different amino acids to function properly (twelve made in the body, eight from food). Meat contains all eight of those we need to ingest – but it is by no means the only way to get them. Quinoa is also a ‘complete’ protein and many beans and vegetables contain a mixture of those 8 amino acids. Protein is not a problem. The two things you really need to watch out for are getting enough B12 and iron. Iron is found in foods such as tofu, pumpkin seeds, lentils etc, but B12 is little trickier. The best thing to do is to take a daily supplement.

Boring, brown and bland? Far from it!

Isn’t vegan food brown and boring?

How does this sound: mango for breakfast (colour: orange), beetroot humus and crudités for a snack (pink, orange, green), tomato soup for lunch (red) with green leafy salad and a dinner of Mexican fajitas with avocado salsa and kale (red, orange, green). Finish with some dark chocolate, which is, admittedly, brown. You will be surprised how much of what you already eat is vegan, or how easy it is to substitute. The growing interest in vegan cooking also means that there are lots of recipe books out there to help you. Check out the list below for ideas.

80% Vegan?!

Sometimes a girl’s just got to have an egg custard. And every so often, why not? There are no rules and no one is judging, I simply try to be as vegan as I can. Every meal I manage without animal products is a step in the right direction. If that’s seven days a week, fantastic; if it’s only five days, it’s a good start and I’ll try harder next week.

What about when you go out?

Don’t be afraid to ask what they can substitute in a dish. Combine side orders, or take your friends to a delicious veggie restaurant. Thai food is often vegan, as is a lot of Indian and Japanese cuisine. And if it just seems too much, have whatever you want on that evening and be good the rest of the week. No rules, remember.

So go on, give it a try. Here are a few helpful sources to get you going…

● Chef Chloe – Chloe Coscarelli won the Food Network Cupcake Wars – against non-vegan chefs.

● The Kind Diet -  Alicia Silverstone’s book is a compelling argument for veganism and a gentle introduction to 80%. The accompanying website is a good source for vegan products and tips.

● Abel and Cole – UK veggie box people Abel and Cole have lots of recipes that’ll have you getting inventive with your vegetables

● Skinny Bitch – If you need more of a push than a gentle shove, Rory Friedman and Kim Barnouin’s no-nonsense book tells it like it is.

● Vegan Diner – Who knew that a burger and chips could be deliciously vegan? Or hollandaise sauce and scrambled ‘eggs’. Julie Hasson has all your comfort foods veganised!

● The Leon cookbook is not strictly vegan, but has lots of vegan-friendly recipes helpfully labelled.

Chloe Coscarelli’s Avocado Pesto Pasta

Satisfying even the sweetest tooth...

Ingredients

For the chillies

Equipment: lightly buttered baking tin (deep is best) lined with greaseproof paper, sharp knife, saucepan, whisk, two large bowls, pallet knife and wooden spoon.

● Finely slice the chillies diagonally, and mix them with 150g caster sugar and the water. Simmer them for four and a half minutes – no longer or they’ll become too soft and lose their spice.

● Melt the chocolate (in the microwave, with blasts of 30 seconds, stirring in between, or over a pan of simmering water). Take care not to burn the chocolate – it should be smooth and liquid. Once it’s melted, take off the heat.

● In another bowl, beat together the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Don’t add too much vanilla – it makes things too sweet. Slowly beat in the melted chocolate and then fold in the sifted flour and salt.

● Drain the chillies and add most of them to the mixture, leaving some to decorate. Pour the mix into the baking tin and smooth with a pallet knife. Chuck the rest of the chillies on the top and, if you’re feeling naughty, add any left over cubes of white chocolate.

● Bake for 25 minutes at 180C in a pre-heated oven. The top should be firm and lightly golden. Dust with icing sugar to make them rock.

Elizabeth David's Med cuisine classic

Nowadays we’ve got celebrity chefs coming out of our ears; if it isn’t the likes of model and ex-BFG character Sophie Dahl, it’s a pair of badly-groomed, leather-clad motorcyclists preparing puff pastry. The former I welcome with open arms, the latter make my skin crawl. Sorry fellas! Cooking is most definitely the new black – in recent years, especially. More and more people are baking; cookery books are flying off the shelves; you’ll need a remortgage just to get a whiff of one these new cookery courses, let alone actually attend one. This trend has definitely been egged on (if you’ll excuse the food pun) by the lovely ladies featured below and they still have a very firm grip on that ladle. So sink your teeth into our delicious top ten women food writers.

Elizabeth David

Elizabeth David is something of a household name, especially in the kitchen. Born in 1912, she was writing long before many of our top ten were even old enough to hold a wooden spoon. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, Elizabeth spent her time living in France and the Mediterranean. Finding herself far from the Med’s culinary delights when she returned to Post-War Britain, she started writing, somewhat nostalgically, about Mediterranean cookery. Her first book – A Book of Mediterranean Food followed in 1950, and others swiftly followed. Needless to say, we owe a lot to Elizabeth David for easing Mediterranean foods such as olive oil, pasta, salami, and (my favourite) the courgette, into the average Briton’s diet. She spruced up dinner parties in the melancholic haze of post-war rationing and set high presentation standards with her illustrated cookbooks. She has influenced and inspired many. Toques off to her.

Madhur Jaffrey

Recently awarded a CBE for her ‘promotion of appreciation for Indian food and culture’, best-selling cookery author Madhur Jaffrey is widely regarded as the world-authority on Indian food. Madhur has written for various magazine titles and produced plenty of books. In Curry Easy (2010) Madhur sets out to do exactly that: make Curry Easy. She simplifies instructions and reduces ingredients, making her recipes the most accessible yet. Beautiful cover too; a pattern of fuchsia pink and orange, it’s worth buying just to put up on the shelf with the others. Her most recent book My Kitchen Table: 100 Essential Curries forms part of the My Kitchen Table series, where the nation’s favourite chefs have joined forces to bring a compilation of mouth-watering dishes. One of my favourites has to be Madhur’s ‘Scrambled Eggs, Indian-Style’. Yum.

Delia Smith

A lot of this goes without saying, so I’ll keep it brief. She is the mother of all food writing after all. Delia has sold over 21 million books worldwide, teaching us how to boil an egg and offering economical alternatives to the la-di-dah ingredients of her counterparts. Her critics accuse her of playing it too safe and making Britain unadventurous in the kitchen. But 21 million book sales show that Delia’s might be just the approach people were, and still are, after. Decide for yourself.

Niki Segnit

Niki’s Flavour Thesaurusoffers an innovative, almost scientific approach to cooking. She groups foods into 99 flavour subgroups such as ‘citrussy’ and ‘earth’, and offers hundreds of ingenious pairings that will offer hours of fun for even the most experienced cook. She’s gone out of her way to make combinations that will surprise you – both in their seemingly ludicrous nature and in the fact that they actually work together. It’s written pretty well too, sharp-witted and honest. She describes globe artichoke as ‘serious’ and grapefruit as ‘standoffish’. Both, when you take a minute to consider her choice of words, ring pretty true. So, even if you don’t fancy her concoctions (which I’m sure you will), it’s well worth a read. With a colourful pie-chart on the cover, it makes a thoughtful and pretty present for any friend who fancies themselves as a bit of an whizz in the kitchen. Just make sure they invite you round to sample. “Like a puppeteer’s black velvet curtain, dark chocolate is the perfect smooth background for cardamom to show off its colours.” Segnit has an imaginative way with words.

Showing us how to be a Domestic Goddess

Nigella Lawson

Seductive and coquettish, Nigella has been crowned the ‘queen of food porn’. But when she’s not licking the spoon or wiping chocolate from round her mouth, it seems she’s not too bad at food writing either. Formerly a journalist and deputy literary editor of The Sunday Times, it’s no wonder she’s a bestseller. She’s sold over three million books worldwide and was named Author of the Year for her second book, How to be a Domestic Goddess. She’s even got her own iPhone app. So as her website says: ‘Bon-app-etite’.

Skye Gyngell

Skye is best known for her work as head chef at Petersham Nurseries. But in her most recent book, How I Cook, she welcomes readers into her very own kitchen showing us how she cooks for family and friends. Arguably more intimate and straightforward than her other books, Skye starts at the beginning, breaking down complicated techniques and making the tricky more manageable. As the front cover suggests, she literally spoon feeds us. A good thing for doughnuts like myself! She retains the distinct style that we have come to love from A Year in my Kitchen. A la fond of all her recipes lays her ‘culinary toolbox’: her own idiomatic groupings of certain flavours. ‘Sky’ flavours mean citrus zest and leafy green herbs, where ‘earth’ flavours relate to nuts and spices. An interesting touch.

The Grigsons – Jane and Sophie

As mother and daughter, I thought I would kill two birds with one stone; after all, we certainly wouldn’t have one without the other. Mummy Grigson aka Jane wrote as a food columnist for the Observer until her death in 1990. Her first book Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery was translated into French – unusual for the French to take cooking tips from a Brit.  Not that we’re complaining! A compilation of her best recipes was published in 1992 under the title The Enjoyment of Food. Daughter Sophie has followed in her mother’s footsteps and is a well-established cookery writer and broadcaster. She has written for the Evening Standard, The Independent and The Sunday Times, with her first article ‘Fifty Ways with Potatoes’ published in the Sunday Express Magazine. Like Mr J Oliver, Sophie is keen on making the youth of today eat more healthily and is a patron of the Children’s Food Festival.

Rose Prince

The reason Rose Prince features in this top ten is because of what she stands for: quality. Her philosophy and the subsequent focus of Rose’s work center around the origins of food and offer advice on how to get the best ingredients -this can be seen in The Savvy Shopper and Kitchenella, as well as in her newspaper columns. Rose is amazed at how dishonest vendors can be about food. At how words can be twisted. At how much vital information can be left out. She wants to set the record straight and, in her own words, show that ‘food is much more than being ‘full’’.

Mrs Beeton

It was difficult knowing whether to start or end with Mrs Beeton, as she is arguably the most famous cookery writer and is something of a legend. Her Book of Household Management was first published in 1861. Although it includes over 2,000 entries covering everything from childcare to servants’ wages, it is the 900 or so recipes that the book is best known for; hence it’s better known title Mrs Beeton’s Cookbook. From ‘Raised Pie of Poultry or Game’ to ‘Very Plain Bread Pudding’, Mrs B has it covered. Regrettably however, recent editions have seen more and more of Mrs B’s original work left out of the book – this is most probably due to recipes getting a little out of date or ingredients becoming no longer available. What we have retained however is the formatting of Mrs B’s recipes. It is thanks to her etchings that we have such beautifully illustrated and photographed cookery books today, and that we shy away from the heavy prose of those without. RIH thank her for her style and for such a historically accurate insight into domesticity in Victorian England, whether we chose to sample her ‘Very Plain Bread Pudding’ or not!

Rose Prince demonstrates how to make a truly delicious ‘Picnic Pie’

Summer pudding makes a delicious dessert

The season’s awash with delicious summer fruits from delicate peaches and nectarines to sweet strawberries and raspberries; we look at some ways to cook with summer’s delights.

Raspberry and Mint Summer Pudding

Discover this refreshingly light summer dessert, incorporating some of summer’s top seasonal treats.

● Place the apple juice and icing sugar into a pan over a low heat and add the raspberries. Simmer then cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chopped mint and set aside.

● Using the base of an individual ramekin as a template, cut out 8 equal circles of bread. Remove the crusts from the remaining 4 slices of bread and cut each slice in half. Gently flatten the strips of bread using a rolling pin.

● Line the base and sides of 4 ramekin dishes with 4 bread circles and the strips, reserving the remaining 4 bread circles.

● Spoon the raspberry mixture into the lined ramekins and top with the remaining circles of bread. Cover each ramekin with clingfilm, then place a saucer on top and secure in place with a heavy weight or an unopened.

● Leave the puddings for at least telve hours in the fridge.  Serve with  fromage frais and decorate with extra fresh fruit and a sprig of mint.

A Traditional Twist

Add seasonal fruit for a twist on traditional dishes, such as apple crumble made with frozen berries. Or if you are feeling really adventurous, try incorporating summer fruits into savoury dishes. Paul Welburn, head chef of Gary Rhodes’ restaurant W1 told London newspaper Metro that ‘blackberries, blueberries and even raspberries go very well with meat’. This is because fruits which are high in acidity complement oily and fatty foods beautifully. Summer fruit coulis and pulped berries are the perfect accompaniment to meat such as duck and beef, and even go well with salmon. See more of Paul Welburn’s sweet and savoury combinations here.

Pimms O’Clock!

Drinks are an important part of summer barbecues! Pimms, the traditional fruity summer drink, tastes great with the usual cucumber and mint combo, but how about adding summer berries, chopped apple and sliced oranges too? Or if you’re popping open a bottle of bubbly, drop a couple of frozen berries in for a sophisticated finishing touch.

BBQ Fruit Kebabs

Whilst the BBQ is cooling down, pop on some fruit kebabs for a healthy, tasty way to get your five-a-day. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, blueberries and nectarines soften and sweeten particularly well in the heat. Try wrapping fruit kebabs in foil and popping them on the barbecue for a couple of minutes to really intensify the flavour. They taste great served alongside a dollop of crème fraiche sprinkled with chopped mint leaves or grated orange rind.

Sensory, sweet summer pleasures...

Iced Berries drizzled with Warm White Chocolate

Play with your senses by making a hot and cold dessert of iced berries drizzled with warm white chocolate.

● Pour the cream into a small saucepan and break in the chocolate. Heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate melts into a smooth sauce.  Remove from the heat and stir in the rum, if using.

● Scatter the frozen berries on four dessert plates or in shallow bowls. Pour the hot chocolate sauce over the fruits and serve immediately, as the fruits start to defrost.

Nostalgic Niceties

Evoke those fond childhood memories by trying your hand at some deliciously indulgent ice lollies. Simply chop your choice of seasonal fruit and whizz in the blender until the ingredients reach a smoothie-like consistency. Add extras such as cream, yoghurt, cinnamon or ginger to boost the flavour. Pour the mixture into lolly moulds and leave to set in the freezer overnight.

Seasons Pickings

Summer is the season for picking your own fruit, so which fruits should you be indulging in? Summer’s fruitful offerings include plump peaches, juicy raspberries, succulent strawberries, immune-boosting blueberries and sumptuous raspberries. Top British chef Sonia Kidney demonstrates how to turn your picked fruits into a tantalising pudding: