The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
“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 […]
It’s been almost Spring like today. I woke up before the sun and sat with a cup of tea watching it come up over the garden. A rare opportunity with children in the house. I’ve been distracted by the sky ever since. It’s been so vividly blue I couldn’t help stopping and staring out into […]
January is a time to be virtuous after the excesses of Christmas. I’m drawn to vibrant, ‘green’ food to cheer myself up from the dreary drizzle outside. Thankfully my baby spinach has survived the weather in my garden. The leaves may be a little smaller and the bugs may have nibbled here and there but […]
I came to this country (that is to say the United Kingdom for those of you who may be reading this blog elsewhere) in 1976. I was very little and spoke barely any English. I had been privileged enough to attend an English speaking Kindergarten in my birth country of Tanzania but it wasn’t enough […]
I must admit I get rather cross with all the Christmas hype on the high street and how it all seems to get earlier every year. In our house, we cannot, I mean we are not allowed to, get excited about Christmas until after my birthday which is on the 11th December. Having grown up with […]
This week I have been experimenting with Lurpak Cooking Liquid. It’s a blend of butter and rapeseed oil that comes in a handy squeezy bottle that sits nicely in our fridge door or lies sideways without dripping all over the place. I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure at first. Why do I need a liquid […]
It’s Diwali today. The day when light conquers all. The day when Rama and Sita returned home after having defeated the evil Ravan. A day when you truly feel that you can conquer anything. This year has had its challenges but I think we have indeed conquered most. We head into the new Hindu year on a […]
It’s Chocolate Week in the UK and what a chocolatey week it has been. I have been using every excuse to eat as much chocolate as possible. And why not?! It contains endorphins – those lovely little feel good hormones and I need a few thousand of those at the moment with all the cold […]
I have a little secret to tell. I’ve been feeding my girls pink mash and green mash since they were little. For years they thought fairy dust made it different colours. In fact for birthdays we did have a touch of the edible glitter on top. Little did they know I mashed in beetroot and spinach […]
It’s getting decidedly chilly in North London. Oh yes it starts off all sunny and warm through the window but as soon as I open that kitchen door in the morning it’s a little bit nippy. Porridge is what that signals. Porridge. There are a myriad of different types of grains or cereals you can use […]
Afternoon tea is one of my favourite pastimes. How luxurious to sit and simply drink tea. From a pot. In a cup and saucer no less. However as an Indian I find it rather strange that it is a luxury. When I was growing up tea was always fussed over. Making a brew of chai […]
We are having unsettled weather in the UK at the moment and that means lots of allotment time. Either to sort out the mess after heavy rain or to bask in the sunshine while it lasts. This year, we’ve extended our allotment ever so slightly but chopping down all the nettle and bramble growth to the […]