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Recipe Index

Here, for your convenience and viewing pleasure, is an index of all the recipes available on CookSister! Some of the posts are quite long, but to get to the recipe just scroll right to the bottom if you want to skip the story. I have arranged them according to course (starter, main, etc.) and broadly into fish, meat or vegetables, as well as separate categories for breakfasts, soups, baked goods and drinks – click on a picture below to go directly to the relevant section.

 

Main Course - MeatMain Course - PoultryMain Course - FishMain Course - VegetarianBraaiPasta and RiceStartersVegetablesSaladSoupBreakfast and BrunchDessertBakedDrinks

MAIN COURSE – MEAT

Afghani lamb pulau

Beef & Guinness stew

Beef & Guinness individual pot pies

Beef brisket and BBQ sauce potjiekos (casserole)

Beef, broccoli & udon noodle stir-fry

Beef mince-filled courgettes/zucchini

Blindevinken (beef olives) braised in Grimbergen beer

Bobotie (South African spiced mince)

Boeuf Bourguignon (beef Burgundy)

Bunny chow (South African lamb curry in a bread bowl)

Butternut and boerewors risotto

Chickpea and chorizo stew

Chilli con carne (easy)

Chilli con carne with a cornbread topping

Cottage pie

Gammon (smoked pork) steaks baked, on cabbage apple and onions

Gammon (smoked pork) steaks, pan fried with spicy caramelised pineapple slices

Gem squash stuffed with savoury mince

Glazed gammon with a whisky gravy

Lamb Stroganoff

Lamb breast on rosemary & wholegrain mustard flageolet beans

Lamb breast slow-cooked with Moroccan spices on herbed cous cous

Lamb crusted with lavender and herbs

Lamb shank tagine (Moroccan) with ras el hanout and apricots

Lamb sosaties (lamb kebabs)

Lancashire hotpot

Mutton (or lamb) rack glazed with marmalade and Drambuie

Pork & cider hotpot with prunes

Pork fillet (tenderloin) glazed with mustard and stuffed with apricots

Pork chops with a creamy mustard caper sauce

Pork chops with sherried mushrooms

Pork chops with a tomato, chorizo and olive relish

Pork fillet (tenderloin) stuffed with pear and sage on the barbecue

Pork medallions in a creamy chanterelle sauce

Pork pibil (Mexican)

Rib-eye steak (bone in)  cooked sous vide with a pepper sauce

Sausage and bean casserole with herb dumplings

Sausage and cannellini bean gratin with kale and Parmesan

Sausage and fennel risotto

Schweinsbraten (Austrian slow-roast shoulder of pork)

Sirloin steak with creamy Tasmanian pepper sauce

Slow-roast spicy leg of lamb

Spaghetti squash and mince baked casserole

Steak on a blue cheese, spinach & pecan risotto

Tartiflette

Oxtail stew, twice-cooked

Venison pie with dried peaches (wildsvleispastei)

Venison steaks with a red wine, balsamic & shiitake mushroom sauce

Waterblommetjie bredie (traditional South African lamb stew)

MAIN COURSE – POULTRY

Butter and honey-roast chicken

Chicken a la King and again here

Chicken Biryani

Chicken breasts in a mushroom marsala sauce with roasted beets

Chicken breasts with tomato and chickpeas on couscous

Chicken, broccoli and mustard bake

Chicken fajitas in a chipotle, lime & tequila marinade

Chicken in a creamy mustard, preserved lemon and rosemary sauce

Chicken jalfrezi curry

Chicken with tomato, olives and capers

Curried chicken salad

Duck l’orange

Duck breasts sous vide with a charred orange & Cointreau sauce

Fennel, spice and cream chicken

Feta-filled chicken breasts wrapped in bacon

Nasi ayam nanas (Indonesian chicken & pineapple rice)

Pheasant, pot roasted with pancetta, apples & a bread gravy

Roast duck with pancetta and potatoes

Sun-dried tomato, mozzarella and basil chicken breasts

Thai green chicken curry (easy)

MAIN COURSE – FISH

Cod fillets with a pesto and almond crust

Cod with a miso glaze a la Nobu

Cod loin with a blackened Cajun spice crust and a creamy avocado dressing

Fish pie

Fish fillets baked with a mustard crust

Gurnard, rolled and baked with a mustard cream sauce

Gesmoorde snoek (snoek in a tomato onion sauce)

Gilthead bream, baked whole with clementines & thyme butter

Haddock and Parma ham parcels

Kingklip fillet with a crispy herb crust

Mackerel (whole) with an orange butter stuffing

Mahi-mahi parcels with sweet chilli, ginger and spring onion

Moules mariniere

Mussels in a green Thai curry broth

Pizza fish

Portobello mushrooms stuffed with crab

Salmon Caesar salad

Salmon en croute

Salmon fillets baked with beetroot and dill

Salmon fillets, pan fried, with a blood orange and beetroot salsa

Salmon tournedos with spiced lentils, fig jam and foie gras

Salmon (whole) on the barbecue

Seabass (whole) stuffed with fennel and olives

Seafood paella

Smoked haddock with flageolet beans in a creamy mustard sauce

Smoked mackerel, beetroot and potato salad

Snoek (whole) on the braai

Spicy salmon fillets with a fresh herb salsa

Spinach and feta cheese fish fillets

Swordfish steaks with a honey-mustard marinade

Tomato saffron fish stew with anchovy pesto

Tilapia baked whole with flat-leaf parsley and garlic

Tuna steaks with a red pepper and satsuma salsa

Trout with almonds and samphire

Yellowtail and aubergine “sandwiches”

MAIN COURSE – VEGETARIAN

Broccoli, cherry tomato & Brie tart

Butternut squash, feta cheese and rosemary quiche

Caprese bread and butter pudding

Chanterelle quiche with a wholewheat and thyme crust

Cheesy vegetable quesadillas

Chickpea, spinach and zucchini curry

Courgette and feta terrine with a roasted red pepper coulis

Curly kale risotto

Eggplant parmesan

Lentils with roasted pumpkin & chilli-marinated feta

Mushroom, Mozzarella and chive omelettes

Mushroom Stroganoff

Paola’s pasta primavera

Pea, feta cheese and basil frittata

Quinoa bowls with edamame beans and peppers

Ratatouille bake with feta cheese

Roasted butternut and sage risotto

Sage and Parmesan gnocchi in a browned butter and chilli sauce

Scrambled egg, feta and olive pita pockets

Scrambled eggs with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan

Slow-roast tomato and zucchini pasta

Tabbouleh a la Cooksister

Three cheese fondue with champagne

Vegetable quesadillas

Wild garlic risotto

Yellow pepper tarte tatin

BRAAI (BARBECUE) & SIDE DISHES

Beef fillet stuffed with smoked oysters on the braai

Braai sarmies

Cecil’s lamb sosaties (lamb kebabs)

Chakalaka (Southern African barbecue relish)

Hasselback potatoes

Pork fillet stuffed with pear and sage on the barbecue

Pork loin stuffed with Prosciutto and Parmesan

Potato & mushroom bake

Roasted butternut stuffed with spinach and feta

Roosterbrood/Roosterkoek (rolls on the barbecue)

Smoked chicken on the BBQ with a curried stuffing

Sticky BBQ chicken sundowners

Tomato onion relish (“train smash”) and krummelpap

Vegetable kebabs on the braai

Vegetable potjiekos with a cheesy topping

Venison loin wrapped in bacon on the barbecue

Whole salmon on the barbecue

Whole sea bass on the barbecue

Whole snoek on the braai

PASTA & RICE

Artichoke, lemon and caper risotto

Asparagus and smoked salmon pasta

Bacon, chicken liver and sherry pasta sauce

Beef, broccoli & udon noodle stir-fry

Beetroot risotto with goat’s cheese and pine nuts

Blue cheese, spinach & pecan risotto

Broad bean, bacon and mushroom pasta

Chanterelle and toasted almond pasta sauce

Chicken, pea and pesto pasta

Chicken, roasted butternut and feta lasagna

Chicken, sun-dried tomato and wholegrain mustard cream sauce

Chorizo and broad (fava) bean pasta

Cous cous – jewelled with pomegranate & almonds

Crab, chilli & rocket pasta

Creamy mushroom pesto sauce

Fregola Sarda with a tomato, anchovy, olive and chilli sauce

Kedgeree

Luxury mac ‘n’ cheese pots

Nduja, bell pepper & basil risotto

Paola’s pasta primavera

Papardelle with goat’s cheese, beetroot, rocket and pine nuts

Pattypan squash pasta with capers, chilli and Parmesan

Prawn & lemon pepper risotto

Prawn, mange tout and sake pasta sauce

Purple sprouting broccoli, anchovy and Pecorino pasta

Ragu Bolognese

Sage and Parmesan gnocchi in a browned butter and chilli sauce

Salmon tagliatelle

Slow-roast tomato and zucchini pasta

Spaghetti squash, feta and chilli risotto

Spaghetti with chorizo meatballs and a homemade tomato sauce

Squid ink pasta with chorizo, basil and baby tomatoes

STARTERS & CANAPéS

Boerewors mini sausage rolls

Boerewors, peppadew & haloumi skewers

Broad bean, green bean & mozzarella salad

Broad bean and feta crostini

Celeriac soup shots with crispy bacon

Cheese olives

Cheese bites with chile or caraway

Chicken liver and cognac pate

Chickpea & paprika crostini

Feta and chive stuffed peppadews

Griddled halloumi cheese with caramelised fennel, shallots and flat-leaf parsley

Hummus (homemade) with chakalaka spice

Nectarines, roasted and wrapped in Prosciutto

Pea, feta and mint crostini

Peppadew cheese puffs

Pesto palmiers

Pissaladiere

Red pepper roly-poly skewers

Roasted aubergine dip

Scrambled egg and caviar toast rounds

Smoked salmon pate moulds

Smoked salmon-wrapped mackerel pate parcels

Smoked scallop and sea-trout pate

Smoked snoek pate

Sun-dried tomato pesto puff pastry twirls

Three cheese terrine

Tomato, basil and marinated feta skewers

Tomato, olive and basil bruschetta

Yellow pepper tarte tatin

VEGETABLES

Asparagus a la Flamande

Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella

Boereboontjies (peppery green beans with potato)

Broad beans with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil (foul mudammas)

Broad beans with Spanish ham (habas con jamon)

Brussels sprout gratin

Brussels sprouts roasted with ginger & sesame

Brussels sprouts sauteed with shallots & garlic

Brussels sprouts sauteed with caramelised garlic, lemon and chilli

Brussels sprouts sautéed with ‘Nduja sausage and preserved lemons

Brussels sprouts, shredded with pine nuts and pancetta

Butternut squash bake

Butternut and beetroot roasted with rosemary

Cauliflower steaks

Clapshot (traditional Scottish potato and yellow turnip mash)

Corn, roasted with lime and chilli butter

Carrots roasted with cumin and caraway

Curly kale with wholegrain mustard

Curly kale sauteed with garlic and Parmesan

French beans roasted with miso and cherry tomatoes

Gem squash with a cheesy, spicy creamed sweetcorn filling

Gestoofde soetpatats (stewed sweet potatoes)

Green tomato & apple chutney

Green tomato salsa verde

Hasselback potatoes

Mediterranean vegetable and cheese terrine

Jerusalem artichoke & potato gratin

Pak choi with peppadews

Potato & mushroom bake

Radishes, glazed, on garlicky radish greens

Ratatouille bake with feta cheese

Roasted butternut squash stuffed with spinach and feta

Roasted corn with lime & chilli butter

Roasted green beans with red onion and almonds

Rozenhof creamy gem squash

Rumbledthumps (traditional Scottish mashed potato and cabbage)

Runner bean and feta cheese gratin

Samphire

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with shallots & garlic

Savoy cabbage, courgette and runner bean stir-fry

Sherried mushrooms

Slow-roasted tomatoes in olive oil

Spaghetti squash roasted with thyme and sage

Spring greens with blue cheese

Stuffed black mushrooms

Turnips and radishes (baby), braised

Vegetable potjiekos with a cheesy topping

Wrinkled potatotes with green salsa (papas arugadas con mojo verde)

Yellow pepper tarte tatin

SALAD

Blackberry & Prosciutto salad

Blood orange, halloumi & pistachio salad

Brocolli and toasted seed salad

Broad bean, green bean & mozzarella salad

Butternut, feta and pinenut salad

Carpaccio of zucchini

Carrot & coriander salad

Celeriac remoulade

Char-grilled asparagus, zucchini, tomato and halloumi salad

Chickpea salad with tomatoes, basil and feta

Cilantro, cucumber and tomato salad

Coleslaw with harissa and pomegranate

Confetti rice salad

Cured ham and roast fig salad

Farro and roasted vegetable salad

Fennel and blood orange salad with toasted pistachios

Grilled goat’s cheese and pear salad with cranberries and pine nuts

Grilled salmon Caesar salad

Lentil, radish and flat-leaf parsley salad

Marinated mushrooms

Nasturtium leaf salad

Nectarine and coriander leaf salsa

Pattypan squash with a cheesy bacon stuffing

Pomegranate, fennel, pear and rocket salad

Potato salad with apple and thyme

Potato salad with chive flowers

Potato, salmon & cucumber salad

Roasted potato salad

Salade folle (salad with foie gras)

Salade Nicoise a la Cooksister

Seven-layer salad

Smoked mackerel, beetroot and potato salad

Spinach, chorizo, baby potato & sous vide poached egg salad

Spinach, sun-dried tomato, feta and toasted seed salad

Vegetable kebabs

Watermelon, feta, olive & basil salad

Zucchini blossoms, stuffed and fried

SOUP

Borscht (beetroot soup)

Butternut squash soup

Cauliflower (roasted) soup with garam masala

Carrot and cumin soup

Celeriac soup shots with crispy bacon

Chicken noodle soup

Cream of asparagus soup

Cream of celery soup

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup

Cream of mushroom soup

Cullen skink (Scottish smoked haddock and potato soup)

French onion soup with Comté cheese toasts

Leek & potato soup

Moroccan Harira

New England clam chowder

Red lentil soup with harissa spice croutons

Red lentil & roasted red pepper soup

Roasted carrot and coriander soup

Roasted pumpkin soup with coconut milk and Thai spices

Roasted root vegetable soup

Runner bean soup

Smoked haddock and leek chowder

Smoked salmon and dill chowder

Split pea soup, Dutch (erwentensoep or snert)

Sweetcorn, chicken & chipotle soup

Tomato & marmalade soup

Warm avocado soup with biltong

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

Asparagus, anchovy, lemon & caper quiche

Bacon, mushroom, zucchini and peppadew frittata

Bacon, spinach & feta quiche

Biltong, blue cheese and peppadew quiche

Broad bean, cheese and ham tart

Butternut squash, feta cheese and rosemary quiche

Featherbed eggs

Kedgeree

Margherita pizza grilled cheese sandwiches

Mirabelle and ginger jam

Roast gammon and caramelised shallot quiche

Pea, feta cheese and basil frittata

Poached eggs, spinach, mushroom & Boursin toasts

Pepper and mushroom frittata

Quesadillas with cheese, peppers and smoky chipotle

Scrambled egg, feta and olive pita pockets

Scrambled eggs with sun-dried tomato and Parmesan

Smoked haddock, spinach & egg skillet

Smoked salmon eggs Benedict

Smoked salmon-wrapped mackerel pate parcels

DESSERT

Apple and blackberry crisp

Apple and sage tarte tatin

Apple caramel self-saucing pudding

Apricot clafoutis

Apricot & pistachio galette

Asynpoeding (vinegar pudding)

Baked Alaska with Cointreau and marmalade

Baked “volcanic” apples

Bar-One hot chocolate sauce

Best hot chocolate sauce in the world

Blueberry Eton mess

Caramelised nectarines and cherries

Cherry clafoutis

Cherry dumplings (knedle wisniowe)

Cherry millefeuille

Cherry Pavlova “shots”

Chocolate, blackberry and almond torte

Chocolate cherry puddings (self-saucing)

Chocolate chestnut fondant

Chocolate orange gelato

Chocolate orange trifle in a glass

Christmas pudding semi freddo with cinnamon crumbs and a brandy sauce

Clementine & rum individual upside-down cakes

Cranberry and pear upside down cake

Cranberry ginger caramel pudding (self-saucing)

Dadelpoeding (Cape brandy pudding with dates)

Dark chocolate and orange pots

Dark chocolate mousse

Deep-fried Mars Bar

Don Pedro

Elderberry & nectarine crisp

Eton mess

Figs, honey roasted with Greek yoghurt

Fig (poached in rose syrup) and pomegranate pavlova

Figs (roasted with balsamic vinegar) with pine nuts

Flourless chocolate cake

Ginger pannacotta with a lime syrup

Individual berry meringue pots

Individual dried apricot upside-down cakes

Individual chocolate fondant puddings

Individual strawberry crisps

Gingery baked nectarines

Kaiserschmarr’n (shredded Austrian pancakes)

Lemon and Limoncello granita

Lemon brulée, easy

Marmalade bread & butter pudding

Mini pistachio tarts

Mirabelle plum and cardamom fool

Mirabelle plum and Cognac clafoutis

Nectarine & ginger tarte tatin

Nectarines, grilled with a saffron & lavender syrup

Nectarine & plum galette

Passion fruit mini-pavlovas

Peach, almond and ginger cobbler

Peach and cardamom clafoutis

Pears roasted in spiced red wine

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart

Plums, roasted and glazed

Pomegranate pavlova “shots”

Raspberry meringue pots

Rhubarb, cranberry and ginger fool

Rhubarb crumble

Rhubarb & ginger clafoutis

Roasted strawberries

Rooibos tea, dried fruit and muesli “pie”

Ruby grapefruit & Campari granita

Salted caramel & toasted pecan ice-cream sundaes

Souskluitjies (sweet cinnamon dumplings)

Spiced pear, apple & pistachio crisp

Spiced pear, blackberry and pistachio crisp

Spiced poached pears

Spicy plum crumble

Strawberry and rhubarb upside down cake

Strawberry carpaccio with balsamic drizzle and toasted pistachios

Summer fruit terrine

Summer pudding

Tiramisu

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

BAKING

Banana choc-chip muffins

Banana walnut muffins, low-fat

Berry and white chocolate chunk muffins

Black treacle scones

Blood orange & Cointreau upside-down cake

Blueberry muffins

Bread – quick wholewheat with feta, spring onions & za’atar

Brown bread – quick and easy

Brownies – chocolate mint chip

Brownies – chocolate peanut butter chip

Cherry plum (mirabelle) and coconut muffins

Chocolate crunchies

Chocolate oat and sesame cookies

Chocolate & orange cake (flourless)

Chocolate, prune and Armagnac cake

Clementine and cranberry upside-down cake

Cranberry, apple and bran muffins

Cranberry and pear upside down cake

Cranberry & pistachio choc chip cookies

Cranberry, orange and pecan nut muffins

Dark chocolate & fresh raspberry cupcakes

Double peanut butter cookies

Gingerbread cookies

Ham, cheese and paprika muffins

Lemon meringue “baked Alaska” petit fours

Lemon shortbread fingers

Mamma’s scones

Melktert (milk tart)

Nigella’s cherry Bakewell slices

Oat and cherry muffins

Orange and pine-nut cookies

Pansyshell cookies

Pear, oat & maple spiced muffins

Pears roasted in red wine

Peppadew and parmesan muffins

Persimmon cake with gingerbread spice

Plum upside-down cake

Plum & peach flapjack crumble

Rhubarb and pear muffins

Rhubarb and strawberry galettes

Raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting

Rhubarb and white chocolate baked cheesecake

South African soetkoekies (spiced wine cookies)

Spiced pumpkin (or butternut squash) muffins

Strawberry carpaccio with pistachios and a smoked balsamic reduction

Sweet potato muffins

Triple ginger cake

Zucchini, peppadew and feta cheese bread

SWEETS

Amarula cream truffles

Chocolate-caramel fudge truffles with fleur de sel

Chocolate orange truffles

DRINKS

Rassecco (prosecco & raspberry vodka cocktail)

Sloe gin (homemade) and Sloe Lovin’ cocktails

Toffee apple dessert cocktail

  1. Claudia de Lange says

    September 12, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    Good Evening – I was gifted with a bottle of Goodness! I will try to describe … it contained rolls of Orange Skin and tasted like Marmalade. But oh so good! Is it possible that you are the creator of this wonderful bottle of yumminess?

    On the label we read – Cooksisters. They were based in the Cape of Good Hope and as I live in Gauteng of our beautiful South Africa I cannot just jump in my car and go there and I could not seem to spot this specific product for sale on a website.
    So this is the reason for my enquiry.

    Reply

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🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

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