Picota Cherries and Red Wine Sauce

I always start the festive season by making homemade Gingerbread Mix Spice. The preparation takes only a few minutes, and all I have to do is mix all ingredients. The Gingerbread Mix Spice is a blend of seasonal spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. You can make the spice mix milder by cutting the ginger amount or adding more if you need an extra punch. The Gingerbread Mix Spice is very aromatic, fresh, warming and great for gingerbread of all kinds and muffins. It should be kept in an airtight container. Find the recipe here…

Simple courgette fritters are perfect for a quick lunch or light supper, and they are very seasonal. I know the courgettes are available all year round in the grocery shops, but they now have a lot of flavour, and this is the time for many beautiful dishes with this humble vegetable. Although the word fritters conjures up deep frying and greasy dishes, the patties are light, and the cooking uses little oil. The courgette fritters can be eaten straight out of the pan or warm with a dollop of crème fresh. Find the recipe here…

Rich, creamy and super fresh cream cheese that tastes heavenly. You can’t buy this little wonder, but you can make it home. It only takes two ingredients- full-fat milk, lemon juice, and a dash of salt (if you like slightly salty cheese). Homemade Cream Cheese is super delicious and can be eaten plain, topped with fruit jam or mixed with herbs, dill, chives, spring onion and spices for a different flavour. Spread it on a bagel, a slice of sourdough bread, a bun or toast. Find the recipe for Homemade Cream Cheese here.

Having a bottle or two of this ruby liquid in a pantry is fantastic; in winter, its flavour and aroma will remind me of hot summer days. Homemade Raspberry Vinegar is a unique condiment perfect for salad leaves, asparagus tips, in marinades or vinaigrette dressing. It’s easy to make it at home with just a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience. Allow the raspberries to sit in the vinegar for a week, and then let the vinegar rest for a couple of weeks in a pantry, and your patience and work will be rewarded. Find the recipe here.

It is an effortless recipe for homemade Vanilla Extract that requires only two ingredients of excellent quality: vanilla pods and 95% rectified spirit. This strong alcohol is an ideal choice for vanilla extract. Although it has its specific taste and odour, unlike rhum or bourbon, it allows the vanilla to centre stage and the colour of the extract comes entirely from the vanilla, not the alcohol. The Homemade Vanilla Extract is quick and easy to make; however, extracting flavour from vanilla pods takes time. Allow at least six months up to a year for the extract to mature, and you will end up with a homemade wonder that will fill your bakes with a fantastic aroma. Find the recipe here.

In the summertime, I literally can’t live without this bright green sauce made from fresh basil leaves, pine kernels, garlic olive oil and parmesan cheese. I can eat it daily, spread on fresh white bread, tossed with pasta or gnocchi. Pesto originated in Geona, the capital city of Liguria, the region in Italy and was traditionally made in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. I find making the pesto easier and faster by using a food processor. Don’t be tempted by a ready sauce from the store, The ingredients are available all year round, and any other ready-to-eat sauce can’t be compared to a homemade version. This recipe shows you how to make pesto at home. Here...

This is the most delicious summer dessert: crisp outside and fluffy inside waffles, slightly sweet whipped cream and summer berries dusted with icing sugar. You can use any summer fruits of your liking: strawberries, raspberries or blueberries. The recipe is easy and quick, and the payoff is enormous. How long you cook the waffles and how many you get depend on your waffle machine, but the portion of the batter makes about 16 delicious squares ready to be paired with sweet fruits and cream. Find the recipe here.

They are absolutely scrumptious, soft, sweet and moist, packed with fruits with aromatic lemon icing and bilberries on top. These amazing Bilberry Muffins with Lemon Icing are perfect for breakfast or teatime, delicious when warm, and taste even better the next day. Bilberries are in season now, and although they’re not as popular as blueberries, stores with European (Polish deli) or Scandinavian food make them available sometimes. Frozen bilberries also are great for this recipe; you can find them easily online. Recipe for Bilberry Muffins with Lemon Icing here…

Open-faced Spanish Omelette is one of the best-known and universally liked Spanish dishes. It’s also my signature dish loved by customers of a small coffee shop, The Haven, based in Ealing, (W5) London. Often served as a tapa in Spain along with other nibbles and drinks, this little dish also can be the best meal any time of the day. Spanish tortilla is made with eggs, diced potatoes, onions and meat such as chorizo. If you are vegetarian, you can skip the sausage. The tortilla tastes best at room temperature or cold, served with salad or garlic mayonnaise. Find the recipe here…

There aren’t many contemporary sources that confirm the origin of this condiment. Bread and Butter Pickles were allegedly a Depression-era staple due to their high availability and low-cost ingredients. They can also most likely trace their roots back to the early 1920s and Cora Fanning from Illinois, who made the pickles with the surplus of little cucumbers and exchanged them with a local grocer for household staples like bread and butter. Whatever the story is, these tangy and sweet crunchy cucumbers are an excellent addition to sandwiches, burgers and wraps. They are a great summer condiment when cucumbers are in season. Find the recipe here...

Crostini, called in France Croutons, are small slim slices of toasted bread. They are served with different toppings: pâtés, rillettes, and spreads and make a fabulous canape or aperitivo with a drink. Ideal crostini are bite-size, made from a stale baguette, brushed with olive oil or butter, and baked in the oven until golden. Once you discover how to make crostini/croutons, you will never again resort to store-bought varieties. I serve my little crusty rounds with homemade Vegetable Spread, Pork Pâté and Duck Rillettes. Find the recipe here…

A classic Mexican quesadilla consists of corn tortillas filled with Oaxaca cheese - low-fat cheese with a texture similar to mozzarella. It’s cooked on a dry skillet until the cheese melts and served with guacamole and red salsa. But the quesadilla is such a versatile dish that you can substitute the corn tortillas with the flour tortillas, and fill it with whatever you like: vegetables, meat - chicken or beef, and cheese of your choice. It can be served with sour cream, spicy sauces, guacamole or cold condiments such as Picco de Gallo. Great for lunch, dinner or supper. Find the recipe for my Vegetable Quesadilla here.

Steak Bavette or a flank steak is a beef cut, sourced from the underbelly - a well-worked part of the cow,  just below the bottom of the sirloin. It’s sometimes called the butcher’s cut as it’s known to be reserved by butchers, due to its rich flavour, excellent texture and quite a low price. Steak Bavette is great marinated - some treatment before cooking is always a great idea, and then cooked quickly on a very hot pan, served medium rare with sweet potatoes, hummus and fresh herb salsa. Find the recipe here…

A great burger starts with good-quality meat. Head to your local butcher, buy your cuts of choice and mince your beef for the burger. You will have full control over fat content and know where the meat is coming from. Fat provides moisture and flavour, so your cuts should have at least 20% of this. A binding agent as an egg is not needed because fat also holds the patty together. Grind the beef coarsely and don’t push down on the patty when it’s cooked as you’ll push away all the precious juices. Serve with a homemade bun, sauces and if possible, fresh veggies. Find the recipe for the best beef burger here....

This is my last culinary discovery and a favourite among other sauces. I’ve actually known Tartare Sauce for ages, but never eaten a homemade version so delicious like this. The sauce is great for fish – fried or steamed, fish and chips, amazing with sandwiches, cold cuts and perfect for homemade beef burgers. It’s not the condiment for people on a diet or those, who don’t like rich dips. It’s only for those who love full flavours. The Tartare Sauce consists of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, cornishons, flavourful shallot, with a pinch of black pepper and homemade mayonnaise. It’s very easy and quick to stir up.  Find the recipe here

I’ve never eaten such superb and tasty tomato sauce as this BBQ wonder. Smoky and a little hot, can be used for bbq chicken, pulled pork, tacos, and burritos; it also goes great with pizza and burgers. You can adjust the flavours to your liking – it can be more tangy or sweet, smoky or hot. You can have it thinner or thicker- just keep it simmered longer on the hob. Homemade BBQ sauce tastes better than a store bought product, and its ingredients are known to you. Fine the recipe here…

The meatballs hold together better if you choose quite fatty pork such as pork shoulder. Cook the whole batch even though you don’t intend to eat them all at once – they reheat nicely and also freeze very well. Fry the meatballs over medium heat until golden brown, served over creamy mashed potatoes, with easy apple and beetroot salad. This dish can make a perfectly satisfying dinner after a busy weekday, it's tasty, warming and very comforting. Find the recipe here.

They usually are engaged in architectural grand designs but also are food enthusiasts and home cooks. Two amazing ladies and architects on a daily basis attended my first sourdough bread baking course.  It was a great pleasure to share with them the knowledge and experience I’ve gained for over last eight years, show them a technic of how to make sourdough lavain, feed and care for sourdough starter, and finally make bread. My keen students rolled up their sleeves to put all theory into practice and got their hands dirty while stirring and mixing, so they created their first sourdough bread we could enjoy. More about the course here…

Look at this bowl of goodness, full of aromatic and spicy flavours that will warm you up, fill you up and give you a lot of energy. This dish originated in Northern Mexico or Southern Texas is known as Chilli (in the US and Canada) or Chilli con Carne (in Australia and the UK) and is a beef stew cooked with onion, tomatoes, spices and beans. The latter has been disputed by chilli fanatics as the earliest chillis did not contain beans at all. Chilli con Carne should be cooked for at least 45 minutes, however the longer it simmers on the hob, the better it gets – its flavours develop, the meat is more tender, and the sauce becomes richer. I serve chilli with fluffy rice, a dash of sour cream and avocado, but you can eat it with tortillas or tacos. Find the recipe here..

Their shape symbolises prosperity and luck, so by serving these little golden dumplings at Lunar New Year’s dinner, you may hope to have lots of good fortune in the coming year. Money Bag Dumplings can be filled either with vegetables, meat, seafood, and tofu – anything delicious you can think of, then steamed or fried. But they always have the shape of little money bags and yellow-golden colour. My Money Bags Dumplings are made with homemade dumpling wrappers, filled with flavourful pork and vegetable mixture, steamed and served with sour-sweet garlicky dumpling sauce. Find the recipe here…

Dumpling wrappers, usually frozen, are now easily available in stores with Asian food or online. They can be used for Japanese Gyoza, potstickers or Chinese Wonton dumplings. Flour, salt and water are the main ingredients of the wrapper's dough, but I add the egg yolk to the mixture for extra flavour. This recipe is for those who like to get their hands dirty, have spare time and want to make dumplings from scratch. The dough is very stiff at the beginning, so it requires plenty of kneading and rolling to get the almost paper-thin wrappers. A stand mixer and pasta machine are a great help here. Find the recipe here

Traditional stolen often contains marzipan – a confection made mainly from ground almonds and sugar. I don’t use marzipan because the fruit blend and a thick coat of icing sugar that covers the bread are sweet enough, so extra sweetness is overwhelming for me. Stollen is a yeasted bread baked with dried fruits and spices that's originated in Dresden. It’s traditionally served at Christmas time in Germany, Austria and parts of France. Stollen symbolises the baby Jesus blanket, and the fruits in it represent gifts of the Three Wise Men (called the Three Kings or Three Magi as well). Find the recipe here…

Red Onion Marmalade goes well with pâté, charcuterie platter, hard cheese, on a burger, with roast pork or beef steak. It’s sweet, soft and aromatic as it was cooked for some time in red wine and balsamic vinegar. Red Onion Marmelade is great freshly made, however, it gets even better the next day as the flavours have time to combine.  It takes only one hour to have it ready so make a double portion as it disappears quickly. Find the recipe here…

Panettone, sweet enriched bread comes originally, according to many sources, from Milan and is a true symbol of Italian Christmas. It’s more bread than a cake, although brioche-like dough of slightly sweet flavour is studded with dried fruits, almonds and raisins. The most traditional panettone is made by wild-yeast fermentation, augmented by a small amount of commercial yeasts. Making of this Christams sweet bread is a lengthy procedure, but the result is well worth it: you will end up with a golden, aromatic, and delicious Christmas bake that melts in your mouth with every bite.  Find the recipe here…

This is an easy vegetarian dish, very soothing and comforting. You can whip it up in 20 minutes, so it’s great for a quick dinner or lunch. All you need is a small courgette, a few mushrooms, green peas small onion, chicken or vegetable stock and the orzo. Orzo is small pasta shaped like a large grain of rice, usually made with semolina. It’s available in most supermarkets and very handy when you are out of ideas for a homemade meal. Top the orzo pasta with parmesan, fresh parsley, and serve warm.  Find the recipe here..

This is a classic dish served in the United Kingdom and Ireland as an accompaniment to roast turkey for a Christmas dinner or as a side dish. Pigs in Blankets, also called kilted soldiers are small chipolatas wrapped in bacon, and baked in the oven until crisp. I used the chipolatas of the usual size and divided each sausage into half to get ‘pigs’ that can be served as finger food or a one-bite size dish. And honey drizzle made this staple of the festive season super sticky and shiny. Find the recipe here...

My, oh my! These buns are so light, delicate and pillowy that you can’t stop eating them! They’re St Lucia buns, served in the run-up to Christmas across Scandinavia. The sweet rolls are eaten traditionally on the 13th of December, St Lucia’s Day (also known as The Festival of Light), in celebration of Lucia, the patron saint of light and the victory of light over darkness. These golden-hued saffron buns are formed into an S shape that resembles a curled-up cat and two raisins are added to represent its eyes. The slightly sweet rolls taste best warm with butter. Find the recipe here…

Baking biscuits is definitely a winter activity, especially during the Christmas season. We love the scent of freshly baked goods that circulate the house and boost our festive spirit. If you are looking for inspirational baking ideas, you should try Christmas Almond and Strawberry Biscuits. They are delicious and delicate, very easy to make and can be made in any size and shape. Use any fruit jam you like: strawberry and raspberry jam have red festive colour, however orange jam with a pinch of ginger and orange zest smells very Christmassy. Find the recipe here…

Gingerbread Biscuits of different shapes can easily replace traditional glass baubles and stars on the Christams Tree. They also can be an excellent edible Christmas present and great fun for children in the festive season. This gingerbread dough has a perfect balance of spices – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, all spices, and plenty of honey. It’s soft and may be a bit difficult to handle at the beginning, however make perfect and delicate biscuits that snap when break. The dough develop its flavour and makes better biscuits when left for a few days in the fridge. We decorate our Christmas tree with homemade gingerbread biscuits every year. Find the recipe here…

This creamy dip is not for those who love super spicy Mexican food. Ancho Crema Cold sauce is a condiment that complements a dish and adds a smoky, earthy, sweet flavour. Ancho Peppers are a heart-shaped variety of dried Pablano Peppers. They are the mildest of chile peppers which grow on the vine longer. They are allowed to turn red and ripe for developing sweetness and then are dried. Find the recipe for the dip here.

I like to keep it simple: a ripe avocado mixed with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. But you can add whatever you like: hot peppers such as jalapeño or serrano, finely chopped onion, coriander and tomatoes. The secret of good guacamole is a perfectly ripe avocado smashed with the fork or pestle in the mortar. It's best eaten right after being prepared because the avocado oxidizes and turns brown. Guacamole can be prepared in advance but must be refrigerated in an airtight container, sprinkled with lemon juice, and covered with a piece of plastic wrap. Find the recipe here

This is a type of relish-like salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. A simple combination of fresh tomatoes and onion, serrano or jalapeno chilli peppers, lime juice and coriander, generously seasoned with salt, is also called salsa fresca, salsa Mexicana or salsa cruda. You can enjoy Pico de Gallo with tortilla crisps, Totopos, tacos or quesadilla. Make it a few hours in advance to let all-natural juices combine and marinate together, providing the salsa with more flavour.  For those who can’t stand fresh coriander - use parsley instead. Find the recipe here...

This is a simple side dish, full of Mexican flavours and heat, cooked from ingredients everyone has on hand. The delicious, albeit quite an apparent combination of black beans and tomatoes has been enhanced with spicy chilli flakes and aromatic ground cumin. Mexican Black Beans with Tomatoes get more flavour with time, so prepare this dish in advance and keep it in the fridge at least overnight. Reheat and serve warm with tacos or Mexican crisps Totopos. Find the recipe here.

Mastering the art of making homemade wheat tortillas requires some time and many attempts; however, the whole process is worth trying. Flour tortillas are much better than store-bought, even organic ones. Although sometimes not perfectly shaped and circular, they’re always fresh, soft, tender and full of flavour. Tortillas keep well, so they can be made in advance and warmed before serving. Try to make them once, then eat with guacamole, meat, refried beans or your favourite sauces - you will never look at ready unleavened flatbread in the shop. Wheat Tortillas - depending on the size, are great for burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. They also make delicious Mexican crisps, Totopos. Find the recipe here…

These beautifully golden fishcakes are great with Rémoulade – a cold condiment similar to Tartare Sauce, some green vegetables and freshly baked buns. I usually serve them at lunch or dinner when we want to have something a little bit different than usual. Boneless and skinless fillets of hake or cod are best for the fishcakes, however any other fish of firm and white meat would be good as well. The best mixture for frying the cakes consists of unsalted butter – for better flavour, and oil- for a crispy golden skin. Find the recipe here

This cold sauce is perfect for fish, seafood cakes, cold cuts and sandwiches. It consists of mayonnaise, cream, and mustard combined with pickles and flavoured with powder curry. Remoulade, which originates in French cuisine, is a little bit similar to Tartare Sauce, has a thick, creamy consistency, and finely chopped gherkins and capers add sharp and savoury flavour. The condiment goes well with French fries or baked potatoes. Find the recipe here

There are plenty of recipes for this French classic. Some bakers use puff pastry, thinly sliced sweet apples but no caramel; others - rough puff pastry, firm, crispy fruits and a vanilla pod. This recipe for Tarte Tatin comes from the book “Le Cordon Bleu. Pastry School”. It calls for a slightly sweet shortcrust pastry, beautifully caramelised apple halves with a pinch of cinnamon baked in a Savarin form. Big, lightly brown apple pieces that create a ring on the crisp, buttery base are soft, juicy and sweet. This upside-down fruit tarte looks absolutely fantastic and tastes divine. Find the recipe here….

These little buns are light and fluffy, and their dark sweet-sour filling makes your fingers and smile dark blue. I always bake them in summer when wild blueberries are in season. Sweet little cushions are made with yeasted, buttery dough, stuffed with aromatic wild fruits, and a little crumble on top. They are the best straight from the oven, dusted with a pinch of icing sugar, for breakfast or as a dessert. Find the recipe here…

The secret of excellent gazpacho is fresh, natural vegetables at their season’s peak: yellow tomatoes, melon, bell pepper and cucumber. You can keep the gazpacho wholly vegetarian, and vegan using only olives and diced vegetables as a garnish or serve it with chorizo, cured ham and shrimps. The chunky soup is easy to make; it comes together quickly in the food processor. Refreshing chilled Golden Gazpacho is perfect for lunch on hot summer days. Find the recipe here…

Baked Aubergines stuffed with Mushrooms is a beautiful and delicious summer dish, a must when this humble vegetable is in season. The excellent dish can be served with roast, grilled chicken, baked fish or as a separate vegetable course. The preparation takes some time; however, it’s not complicated, and you may have it ready hours ahead. The aubergine skins are soft and hold the creamy and delicious filling perfectly. Find the recipe here...

This smooth and creamy dip of vivid green colour pairs well with a variety of dippers such as tortilla crisps, crackers or crudités. It’s not at all like the chunky guacamole most people love. It’s excellent as a salad dressing for fresh lettuce, spread for sandwiches and toast, or dolloping onto nachos, burritos, quesadillas and tacos. The avocado dip is simple to make, with just a few ingredients and the aid of a food processor; it only requires very ripe avocados. You can spice the dip up by adding, e.g. cayenne pepper, chilli pepper or chipotle paste, finely chopped spring onion or coriander. Find the recipe here...

This is one of the most popular walks tourists go for when they arrive to admire Seven Sisters Cliffs. The trail of 3.5 miles that takes about 2 hours starts at Seven Sisters Country Park, in the valley alongside the Cuckmere River, climbs the hill and heads towards the cliffs. The first of the Seven Sisters, Haven Brow, meets you at the top of the hill. Here begins a picturesque route where white chalk dramatic cliffs drop into the blue waters of the English Channel. More...

I could live on this beverage this summer. Watermelon Lemonade is delicious, naturally sweet, refreshing and has a beautiful vibrant pink colour. It’s better than anything you will find in the store! The lemonade is easy and quick to blend up. You need fresh and ripe watermelon, lemons, sugar or agave syrup for extra sweetness and sparkling water. Use sparkling wine instead of water, and you will get a fantastic watermelon cocktail.  Find the recipe here…

You will need a bit of practice rolling the waffle cones - most of them will crack or break at the beginning. But don’t give up; the whole process is worth trying because the homemade ice cream cones are divine. They are crunchy, flavourful, aromatic, not too sweet and totally free of food additives. An electric waffle cone maker is necessary for this recipe, but these machines are now relatively cheap and available online. The cone waffle batter is easy to prepare and consists only of a few simple ingredients. Find the recipe here.

Ratatouille is a traditional Provençal vegetable stew, fragrant with garlic and thyme. It is excellent to have it on hand for a quick lunch or as a side dish for dinner. You can serve it warm or cold, on rice, with roast meat or a baguette. Aubergine, courgette, onion and pepper must be cooked separately in olive oil before being combined with diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped garlic, and herbs and stewed until all vegetables are tender. Use the vegetable at the peak of the season; then, you will get the perfect flavourful Ratatouille. Find the recipe here

The Isle of Wight is the largest and second-most populous of English Isles. The roughly rhomboid in shape island covers an area of 380 km² and is situated in the English Channel, just off the south coast of England, only 1.5 hours by car from London. The Isle of Wight is mainly famous for mild oceanic climate, coastal scenery, wide sandy beaches, beautiful small towns and villages. We get there on a ferry from Portsmouth and spend there only a few hours, but we will definitely come back to the island soon. More...

The Summer Galettes are equally delicious hot or cold. They make a delightful picnic appetizer and can be served with meat, fish or vegetables, with cold toppings like tzatziki. The Galettes are great for a quick lunch accompanied by green leaves salad with a dash of vinaigrette. They can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until served. You even can reheat them on the barbecue. Find the recipe here...

This round flatbread with a pocket inside originated within communities west of the Mediterranean Sea and is considered the oldest type of bread in the world. Pita Bread is made from yeast-leavened wheat dough and baked at high temperatures in the oven or on a cast-iron skillet. It goes well with meat, cheese, and grilled and raw vegetables. The pita also makes an excellent starter when served with sauces and dips such as hummus, baba ghanush, and tzatziki. My homemade Pita Bread puffs up beautifully and forms the signature interior pocket you can fill with anything you like. Find the recipe here…

You can vary the vegetables according to your taste or what’s in season and make this Tarte Tatin a great starter or accompaniment to any meat meal. I’ve used new root vegetables, onion, and chicory, a few pieces of chilli pepper, thyme leaves – as simple as that – and homemade rough puff pastry. Serve Roast Vegetables Tarte Tatin warm, with a glass of cold white wine. Find the recipe here...

It's said to be a cheat version of puff pastry, but in my opinion, this is just a more straightforward and quicker version of the French classic. Rough puff pastry calls for strong bread flour, a pinch of salt and, unlike the classic puff pastry, chilled cubed unsalted butter and cold water. Making the dough is simple but takes a little time because the dough needs chilling in the fridge between each round of folds. Once baked, quick puff pastry is flaky, crisp and buttery. It's excellent for Tarte Tatin, sausage rolls or vol-au-vents. Find the recipe here..