This luscious stew is distantly related to caponata but instead of red peppers it’s made with canned chopped tomatoes. Gently softened red onion, garlic and a decent seasoning of dried chilli flakes and cumin tune up the flavours but the last minute addition of capers, pine kernels and chopped green olives ensure every mouthful sets…

One of the things I love about my local fruit and veg stall on Chiswick High Road (just ajacent to Henry Harris’s The Crown), is their £1 table. It’s been a bit cramped since The Crown put tables with big parasols in front of its pavement railings, but it’s still flourishing. I often buy tomatoes…

This is the sort of soup everyone wants to come home to; rich in flavour, interesting to eat, every mouthful different whilst managing to be both satisfying but light and lively. The starting point was the remains of a jar of Navarrico lentejas, outstanding creamy little Spanish lentils in a jar and leftover passata (see…

A last minute garnish of finely chopped lemon zest and flat leaf parsley does wonders for this simple yet simply delicious Italian stew. Spezzatino means stew (spezza means to cut, so literally spezzatino means cut small). My version is blessedly modest, seasoned with a hint of rosemary, chopped carrot, celery and onion, white wine and…

I am a huge fan of cocktail sausages but only if I know their heritage; I want meaty ones like the Cumberland variety I buy from my local butcher (www.mackenbrothers.co.uk). The size makes them ideal for stewy dishes like this one. They are relatively fast to cook and mean portion control is easy. This blessedly…

Duchesse potatoes look like little pointed meringues. They’re made with stiff mashed potato whipped with egg, baked briefly until crusty but soft within. They go with anything and everything, from poached eggs to fish, chicken or steak. Any of these go well with a quick garlicky green butter sauce. Serves 4 Prep: 25 min Cook:…

This way of cooking red cabbage has become a favourite. It’s got quite a kick, an aniseedy tang from caraway and is surprisingly interesting with pasta. It would be good with sausages, chicken or red meat but is possibly best of all eaten cold as a relish with cheese. Remember it too for sandwiches and…

Nduja is a fearsomely hot, spreadable pork and roasted red pepper paste. Originally from Calabria and once peasant food, its versatility, low cost and deliciousness has caught on, now at Waitrose and M&S. Think of it in the same category as harissa and chorizo, something to liven up all kinds of foods. I first cooked…

These little tarts are made in a muffin tin. Think Portugese custard tarts; the pastry similarly flaky and the filling equally wobbly. As they cool, a deceptively pale thin crust might split allowing a glimpse of the tempting dark mousse beneath. Use your fingers or serve with forks and lemony crème fraiche or fromage frais….

Any mince, from goat to sausage, lamb, beef or veal, duck or chicken makes deliciously different ragu. I used good quality minced beef for this one and the background hint of spicy nduja gave soul and a hint of heat. As I happened to have some wrinkly cherry tomatoes in need of eating up, they…