Dad's Cuisine

Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf Sweet and savoury come together in this chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf. A delicious, seasonal cake that's perfect for those chilly autumn days. Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf Autumn has crept up on us. It's hard to explain why we are constantly surprised by the changing of the seasons, but every year we exclaim and complain how chilly and dark it's getting, as if this is the first time it's happened and the universe is pranking us.  But this year, we aren't complaining. In a time where everything is uncertain and we're all having to adapt to a new way of living, it can be comforting to honour the season's rituals and welcome a change that is familiar.  In our family, autumn heralds a period of long walks and foraging in the forest for mushrooms and chestnuts.  After all, eating seasonal foods is good for your health and great for your wallet.  Now, I'm not overly confident when it comes to mushrooms; I can't...

Caramelized onions and Camembert tart with hazelnut pastry This sweet and savoury tart with caramelized onions and melted Camembert is just the ticket when you want to indulge yourself on a cold winter evening. While preparing this recipe for caramelized onions and Camembert tart , I was transported back to my Mum's kitchen. I would often wander in to find her leaning over the kitchen counter, crying her eyes out and brandishing a sharp knife - no, she wasn't about to carry out a crime de passion ; she was merely chopping onions. And although I did shed a few tears making this, I think I may have found the best way to chop onions without crying - or at least to stem the flow of tears as much as possible.  I really love to make dishes with caramelized onions: they add a delicious sweetness to any savoury dish. I was inspired to make this recipe after my uncle visited my father recently. We hadn't seen him for about ten years, and Dad was thrilled to be ab...

CHRISTMAS GINGER CAKES Looking for an alternative to traditional mince pies at Christmas? Spice up the holiday season with these mini ginger cakes. These ginger cakes are part of my rebellion against mince pies. I hate mince pies. There, I said it. I don't hate them completely: I really love the buttery pastry, I love how they smell, and I love the mulled wine that often accompanies them. But I loathe the sticky, sweet stuffing of a mince pie. Despite all my best efforts - and there have been many - I can't bring myself to enjoy them, much to my mother's despair. But these ginger cakes are a fantastic alternative - or even a complement - to mince pies. They're not overly sweet, have a nice spicy kick and combine orange zest, ginger and cloves for a real Christmas flavour.  A few years ago, I offered to host Christmas on the condition there were no mince pies or Brussels sprouts. Mum, being a stickler for tradition, was aghast. I explained that I would be ...

BAKED FALAFEL Packed with tasty herbs and spices, falafel is the ultimate vegetarian finger food that'll have you reaching for more!  I distinctly remember the first time I had a falafel . I would love to tell you it was in a tiny Lebanese eatery tucked away in a hidden backstreet, but it was in the food court of a brightly-lit shopping mall a few miles out of the city. I must have been about 11, and Mum and I were having a girls' day out shopping. (I loved shopping with my Mum. Even if we were just doing a supermarket shop, we always had a great time pointing little things out to each other and people watching.)  As lunchtime approached, we found ourselves uninspired by the usual offerings of Chinese and Italian cuisine, so Mum suggested I try some Lebanese food at a little stand, insisting I would enjoy it. At 11, I knew what I liked and I liked what I knew, so I wasn't thrilled at the idea of trying something different. But I was hungry and tired, so we took ...

BROCCOLI AND PARMESAN MUFFINS Fancy some finger food? These gluten-free broccoli and parmesan muffins make a healthy vegetarian appetizer or side dish.  Gluten-free broccoli and parmesan muffins Neither Dad nor I follow a gluten-free diet (I enjoy bread, pasta and cakes far too much), but I know quite a few people who do, and I like being able to offer dishes that friends can enjoy whatever their dietary requirements.  I use the word 'muffin' loosely. It's a bit of a misnomer because these don't contain any flour, and I think everyone can agree that muffins - both the English and American kind - generally have flour in them. But whether we're calling them muffins, broccoli balls or vegetarian meatballs, the absence of flour also means they're really quick and easy to prepare. You can serve them as appetizers or as a side dish to a main meal, and they make a great addition to any picnic basket. Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, brocc...

SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS Get the most out of your pumpkins this season by roasting and spicing pumpkin seeds, and enjoy all the health benefits they have to offer.  One of my abiding images of Dad is him sitting in his favourite armchair, eyes glued to the cricket or rugby match on TV, cold beer in hand, and surrounded by discarded packets of crisps or salted nuts (cashews are a particular favorite). Dad is a snacker extraordinaire. Of course, we're all guilty of snacking, and it's rarely on healthy, reasonable foods like fruit. During these colder months, there's nothing I enjoy more than snuggling up on the sofa under a warm blanket, watching a favourite movie or reading a good book, and enjoying a good old snack. And no matter how much I enjoy it, I always end up with a snack-induced guilt hangover. But these healthy  spiced pumpkin seeds are just the thing to satisfy my cravings and not feel too guilty about it afterwards. This Halloween I had a couple of pumpk...

CELERY PESTO  Celery pesto is a fantastic alternative to traditional pesto. Using cheaper, readily available ingredients, this is a cost-effective and healthy twist on a classic recipe.  Pesto is one of those recipes that I have always found particularly intimidating, and to be honest, a bit posh. Its ingredients - parmesan, pine nuts, fresh basil and olive oil - are on the expensive side. As a busy working Mum, most of those items are not a part of my staple diet (which generally includes pasta, rice, chocolate and wine. Lots of wine.) But I came to discover the joys of making pesto because I was making tomato soup for Dad. The recipe called for a single stick of celery. Now, we are not big celery eaters in my house, but Dad really wanted tomato soup and I really wanted him to eat some vegetables, so I dutifully bought a bunch of celery. Having detached the single stick required and chucking it into the pan to make the soup, I started munching m...