'Pick me up' before you go-go

Tiramisu is quite possibly my favourite dessert. If it's on the menu I HAVE to have it. The name literally means "pick/pull me up", more than likely due to the espresso coffee that it contains.

It is bloody easy (and cheap) to make and very adaptable too, in fact there are many versions most containing alcohol. I don't bother adding any to mine as I just don't think it's necessary. You can however add a splash of Tia Maria, brandy or dark rum. Just make sure you know where to find the 'Savoiardi' biscuits as they can be tricky to get hold of.

Makes 4-6 depending on how you serve

3 egg yolks (you'll need the white of the eggs too)
75g caster sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
250g tub of Mascarpone cheese
250ml of espresso coffee
cocoa powder for dusting
and a lot of whisking action!

Start by making the coffee and allow this to cool.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then add the vanilla extract and Mascarpone cheese.

Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, I do this by hand because I still don't have an electric whisk......I should really sort that out.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the mixture and you're almost done!

You'll need to decide how you want to serve this dish in advance, you can use espresso cups, cappuccino cups or just a perspex container. Whatever you choose just make sure it has some depth as you'll need to make a couple of layers.

Dip the Savoiardi biscuits in the coffee without letting them get too soggy or they'll just turn to mush. Carefully place a couple in your chosen serving vessel (you may need to break them up a little). If you haven't already eaten it all carefully pipe or spoon over the creamy mixture and then add a small splash of coffee, repeat the whole process again and just before adding a dusting of cocoa powder tap the dish lightly on a surface to achieve a level finish. Job done.

Seriously, if this doesn't rock your world you need help.

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A weekend obligation

Saturdays and Sundays are the only days that really offer me the opportunity to fully enjoy breakfast. During the week it's all about a quick cuppa, a crumpet and a piece of fruit on the way to the station. The tea usually goes cold, the crumpet becomes too dry and the fruit I tend to forget in my pocket for the whole day.

On a weekend however it's a different story. Get up late, put the kettle on, check the headlines, watch TV for bit, realise how hungry you are and then prepare something ridiculously tasty to start a day of fun and frolics (drinking).

My cooked breakfasts have evolved over the years but the basic ingredients have always remained the same. Weekends just wouldn't be the same without eggs & bacon but simply frying everything doesn't always give the best results. Poaching and grilling are just as easy and can turn your "morning" meal into something much more rewarding.

Serves 2:

2 Portobello mushrooms
2 ordinary tomatoes
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 eggs
4 rashers of streaky bacon (smoked)


First of all fill a medium pan with water, add the vinegar, a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Vinegar is simply used to assist the coagulation of the egg white.

Halve the toms and season, brush the mushrooms with olive oil and place all of these onto a baking tray. Slide under the grill (200 C) for eight minutes.

Meanwhile fry the streaky bacon in a pan until crisp, no need for oil as the bacon is fatty enough. Leave to drain on some kitchen towel and demand another cup of tea.

Turn the Portobello mushrooms over and place back under the grill for a few minutes more.

While the mushroom are getting their last blast you can crack on (pun unashamedly intended) with the eggs. Using a spoon stir the simmering water until you've created a gentle whirlpool, crack your eggs one at a time into this, you'll see how the movement of the water will help the white of the egg wrap around the yolk to give you the perfect poached egg. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. When ready drain on a slice of bread or kitchen towel. Job done.

To plate up pop a mushrooom on plate (no need to season, the rest of the ingredients will impart so much natural flavour), position 2 rashers of the crispy bacon on top (these should be crisp and curly from frying) followed by a poached egg. All you need now is a twist of pepper and the toms. I sometimes also add a smear of brown sauce around the mushroom.


Breakfast done, just make sure you have someone on tea duty....

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EPIC FOOD FAIL

Be afraid!!! I can't believe this is for real! Meatloaf is certainly not the most appealing thing at the best of times but this just takes the piss. Would love to know what it got served with! LOL!!

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Mamma mia! It's a Margherita!

Find me a person who doesn't like pizza and I'll show you a fool...A FOOL I SAY!

Pizza's have been knocking around for a long time now, the original interpretation allegedly dates back to 1889 when, during a visit to Naples, Queen Margherita was served one by a team of chefs who had been tasked with creating something original to honour her stopover. The flat, disc-shaped delight carrying the colours of the Italian flag was born and the name of the original classic lives on to this day.

As with most Italian cooking the success of the pizza is largely down to its inherent simplicity, it takes next to no time to make and only requires a handful of ingredients that are accessible pretty much everywhere.

Makes 6 pizza bases:

800g strong white bread flour
200g semolina flour
15g yeast
2 very generous pinches of salt
650ml lukewarm water

Stir the yeast in with the water, leave to rest for a couple of minutes then mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Work the mixtures with floured hands to prevent it from sticking until you have a nice ball of dough.

Remove from the bowl, place on a floured surface and begin to knead the dough for roughly 10mins in the same way as if making bread (see here). This will help ensure that your dough has a lovely elastic texture to it.

Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 15-30 mins for it to rise.

With your dough now ready you can do what you want with it; divide into six, freeze some, leave some in the fridge for the next day or just use them all. Whatever you choose to do you will need to make a basic tomato sauce:

1 bottle plain tomato passata
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 bunch of basil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (balsamic works well too)
1 small pinch of sugar

Pour a little extra virgin olive oil into a pan and throw in the whole clove of garlic (this will flavour the oil without overpowering the sauce). Finely chop the basil stalks and add to the pan. Pour in the passata, add the vinegar, season to taste and add the sugar, cook this for 10-20 mins max. Sauce done.

Now roll out your dough and ladle a little sauce from the middle outwards. You really don't need a lot just enough to form a thin layer. Oh and leave enough space to allow a crust to form.

Tear some buffalo mozzarella (don't use cheap shit) over your pizza, garnish with a few basil leaves, a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a twist of black pepper and unless you have a wood fired oven (I'm coming round if you do) slide into a preheated oven at 250 degrees for 7-10 mins, ideally on a pizza stone. It should come out looking pretty damn fine, if it doesn't just call this bloke! LOL!

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How to open a bottle of wine with a shoe

Absolutely GENIUS. Now where's that 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild?

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Tea or coffee?

For me it has to be coffee, recently however I have found myself drinking more tea at home, probably because it's so bloody convenient but also because despite the choice it seems quite hard to find the good stuff, especially filter coffee. That was until this morning when I opened a stupidly good packet of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. I never really associated Jamaica as a source of high quality coffee, from now on I will always go out of my way to find it.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica (funny that!). It is renowned for having a silky full body and none of the bitterness usually associated with coffee. The main reason for this is the location - at 7,000 feet above the capital Kingston the berries are shrouded in mist allowing them to ripen very slowly and develop their flavour to the max. The climate of the region is cool with high rainfall and the rich soil provides excellent drainage, ideal for coffee production.

It is precisely this combination that contributes to the smoothness and flavour that has earned Blue Mountain coffee the reputation of "best coffee in the world" (can't believe I've only just discovered it!!). It also happens to be one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world with over 80% of it being exported to Japan, clearly fans then!

Basically, if you see some just buy it, you really won't be disappointed. Oh and don't even think of adding milk or cream, you don't need anything other than a teaspoon of sugar if you like it a little sweet.

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Chickpea this out!

Who doesn't like chickpeas!?? To me they are without doubt a "superfood" in that they go well with so many other ingredients. Have 'em with squid, Moroccan dishes, lamb, chicken, beefy stews, curries, falafel, salads, soups or even just hummus. If you don't like them you're a freak...

That many people don't associate chickpeas with Italian cooking has always surprised me as they do tend to figure in some really tasty dishes. Admittedly you don't see a lot of them in Southern Italian cooking (they tend be associated with the North) yet this is a really simple dish that takes me right back to Sorrento. Pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) is a Tuscan dish but as a kid I used to get served a basic version of this at school once a week, school dinners needless to say, are far superior over there than they are over here...

Easily serves 3 (4 at a push):

1 small white onion
1 clove of garlic
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
1/2 dry red chilli
2 tins of chickpeas (drained)
700ml of vegetable or chicken stock
150g of Ditalini pasta (any small shell like pasta will do)
1 handful of parsley
1 handful of celery heart leaves
Parmigiano Reggiano

Finely chop the onion, celery, garlic and carrot and gently fry in a little extra virgin olive oil for 10 mins making sure that they do not take on too much colour. Add the bay, rosemary and chilli and cook for a further 5 mins.

Tip in the drained chickpeas, stir well and cook for a few minutes before pouring in the stock. Cover and leave for 25-30 mins until the chickpeas are nice and tender.

At this point remove the bay and rosemary then ladle roughly half of the broth into a separate bowl.

Blitz the rest with a hand blender and return the whole chickpeas to the pan, season, add the pasta and cook to your liking (I like mine with a bit of bite).

The last thing to do is to chop your parsley and celery heart leaves (these provide a refreshing bitterness to the final dish). A good tip is to never chop your herbs too finely, you'll leave all of their delicate flavours on the chopping board...

Grate over some Parmigiano, drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and serve with torn crusty bread. Despite its basic appearance you will not believe bloody good this dish tastes! Oh and a nice glass of medium/full bodied white will go down a treat, try a white Burgundy. Sweet.

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