the Grubdaily Grotto

My sister gave me a set of traditional enamel pie tins for my birthday, and as I was planning to do some classic home-made dishes I felt obliged to test them out. The mechanics of making a pie can be so simple; just make a stew, top with pastry or mashed potato and bake. A British institution; sheph

Macaroni cheese is a classic home-made dish for me. It was a firm favourite for us three at home especially for Rob who would devour mountains of it with lashings of tomato ketchup. We were so particular about the consistency of the sauce, being adamant that it had to be "nice and sloppy". These day

I often think that I'm very lucky to have grown up on a sheep farm, as I have a reliable supply of delicious organic lamb to create tasty delights with on a regular basis. I received a delivery of half a lamb a few weeks ago to replenish my supply. All of a sudden the drawers of the freezer were hap

I have an obsession with apples; I will on a daily basis fill my pockets with them so that I have a handy snack to enjoy when I am out and about. I love that amazing balance of sweet and sour that an apple provides. Of course it differs from apple to apple, and there are so many types! It would be a

      Pork belly is a favourite of mine; if I had to choose a favourite cut of meat from any animal then this would be a strong contender! I bought a whole belly the other day, used half of it to make some dry-cured bacon and planned to cook the rest of it, slowly braised to create that unctuous mel

As you may know from my kitchen adventures with rabbit, I am lucky enough to be provided occasionally with some game from the farm at home, and when my parents came to visit last week they brought three wild teal that had been shot from over the game pond. A teal is a small duck, barely larger than

      Until recently I hated eating liver. One of our regular meals at home was a bacon and tomato pasta sauce which was finished with sautéed chicken livers. I would always baulk at the livers and have just the pasta sauce instead. The flavour has grown on me recently though and I actually love it

      The only way I've cooked rabbit until now was to cut it up into pieces and make a rustic stew with cider and bacon, with the meat still on the bone. It's an excellent way to treat the meat and, as a rabbit dish, is hard to beat. I wanted to try something different this time though, and I read

      I got the idea for this recipe when I was in India with Jack and Claire. We were in Goa and, growing tired of curry, were craving some western food for our dinner. We came upon an Italian restaurant on the edge of the beach, with plastic tables and chairs arranged under palm trees. Reputedly t