The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
There is something rather therapeutic about baking pastry. It’s the stages I think. Making the dough, chilling the dough, rolling out the dough and finally baking. The stages fit rather well with my running schedule. I’m running for Action Against Hunger in the 2016 Virgin London Marathon. I’ve started training now because I’m a slow […]
So what is ‘it’ that is eating my kale? For the last two years I have planted kale at the allotment. I have given up trying to grow from seed. It’s impossible without a greenhouse so I am ashamed to say that I get a batch of six from the garden centre. Almost before I have […]
I haven’t spent much time on the allotment this year. What with opening up a cafe, settling into a rhythm of freelance work and just general family life it’s been hard to get there on a regular basis. My crops have suffered as a result but if there’s one veg that never lets me down it’s […]
Have you ever thought about why you can’t taste anything well when you have a cold? I had never really thought about it before because I just assumed that the brain switches off certain functions when we are unwell. However last week I was invited to a sensory experience with Haagen Dazs Ice Cream with […]
There is a term we Gujaratis use often and do far too often. It’s called ‘biting’. It means snacking, eating little Polpo-esque portions of something to tide you over to the next biting or meal. When you are visiting relatives the first question you’ll be asked will be if you’ll partake in some ‘biting biting’. […]
“There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. `Very […]
I think the sun is staying out now. It’s been a bit hit and miss in London. It always is as the school holidays start but I’m watching it go down over the rooftops as we speak knowing it’s going to be another glorious day tomorrow. This is a good thing for my diet. A […]
“Would you like to join a special tour at Warner Brothers Studios?” they said. “Would you like to see a preview of the new exhibition showcasing the sweet treats created for the Harry Potter movies” they continued. “Of course do bring your girls” they concluded. So that was that. We zoomed across to Watford after the […]
Today my Muslim friends are celebrating Eid. The end of the month long fast of Ramadan. I’m in awe of these friends. In awe of their willpower and uncomplaining perseverance. They bring a sense of calm to the busy-ness of London. I remember visiting Dubai during Ramadan. The month of blessing fell at the same time […]
The first time I saw sorrel was at The Eden Project in the gift shop. A stunning red veined variety which tasted as beautiful as it looked. I promptly bought a plant which sits happily in my garden for infrequent nibbles. It’s so pretty I don’t want to take too many leaves off it for […]
I am ashamed to say that prior to a couple of weeks ago I had never really thought about the different varieties of UK ‘Early Potatoes’. I’d grouped them all under ‘New Potatoes’ which is to be honest the only variety I tend to see mass marketed in the supermarkets. Jersey Royales in the main. I’ve discovered a […]
How is it midsummer weekend already? In my part of London we’ve only just started getting those balmy sunny evenings. They have been so few that we’ve savoured each one til the last trickle of light fades behind the trees and the Salvation Army tower visible from that special corner of the garden. Of course […]