When I was fifteen I got my first mobile phone. Not your standard smart phone with fancy apps, a camera or even a colour screen; just a pink-cased Nokia brick which I used as a sort of portable telephone box to call my parents. Friends were contacted using our good old-fashioned landline and the internet (including the joy of MSN Messenger) accessed by via our clunky home PC. I didn’t spend much time online and any baking we did was inspired by my Mum’s extensive collection of recipe books, magazine cuttings and a little bit of imagination. Continue reading
Author Archives: thelittleloaf
Folegandros, Greece
We spent the last week under alternating blankets of sunshine and stars on an island that, in places, resembles the moon. Barren, sun-baked yet somehow incredibly beautiful – with views across the Aegean sea which make you feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world – Folegandros was exactly the antidote to everyday life we had both been craving.
The second Homemade Memories cookbook shoot + a Yummy Supper cookbook giveaway!
Writing a cookbook while you have a full time job is a lot of hard work. Over the last month I’ve spent alternate weeks in the office and at the studio in Acton, with the weekends spent writing lists, shopping and prepping for the shoots whilst somehow also managing to squeeze in a trip to Yorkshire, a family wedding and our first year anniversary celebrations. You know what they say about giving a job to a busy person . . . Continue reading
One Year On
One year ago yesterday, this happened. In front of 150 of our nearest and dearest, I promised my favourite person in the whole wide world that I’d love and be there for him forever. We kissed and ate and drank a lot, danced ourselves silly and ended the night running from the room through a tunnel of arms, the love of friends and family so tangible that I couldn’t help bursting into hot, happy tears in the taxi on the way to our hotel. The next day we jetted off to Bali and two weeks later we returned from one adventure to embark on this brand new one, as husband and wife.
The Little Loaf: Homemade Memories cookbook photoshoot (behind the scenes)
While I don’t have a new recipe for you this week, what I do have is a little insight into what I’ve been up to during my absence from this space. Last week we spent four days shooting the first set of photographs for The Little Loaf: Homemade Memories (my first cookbook (!), coming out next year). With four photoshoot days down and six to go, I’m by no means any kind of expert, but am learning a lot, fast, so I thought it would be fun to share a few photos, insights, observations and general excitement about the whole process. Continue reading
Caramelized pineapple, ginger + sour cream cupcakes
On Wednesday, I turn thirty. Being a summer baby is wonderful in many ways, but with weddings and holidays it’s always been tricky to get everyone in one place at one time to celebrate. This year – the one so many of my friends have been hitting their third decade, deciding to get married or embarking on exciting adventures abroad – is no exception and my thirtieth celebrations seem to have extended to about six weeks worth of dinners, parties and weekends away. I’m definitely not complaining. Continue reading
Dark Chocolate Coconut ‘Bounty’ Bites
This time one week from now I’ll be hundreds of miles from home, sitting by the side of the pool at my parents’ house in Italy. We haven’t left the country since our honeymoon in Bali last year and I’m itching to get out of London, away from my daily commute and into the holiday swing. This year we’re spending the week with both my parents and big brother as an Italian family warm up to my 30th birthday at the end of July. There will be barbecues and sunbathing, amazing food (made by both my Mum and restaurants like this) and plenty of wine enjoyed over meals where we wonder for the umpteenth time if we might prefer a permanent life in the Tuscan hills over London. Continue reading
Lately . . .
. . . I’ve been working on the first round of edits for my book. Most of my spare baking time has been spent in front of the computer or scribbling myself notes and any time spent in the kitchen (beyond what we eat on a day to day basis) has mostly focused on re-testing any recipes then testing again. It might be a couple of weeks before I post anything new, so in the meantime here are some more iPhone snaps of what I’ve been working on.
There was also a nice little feature on the little loaf from Sorted Food last week. If you’re new to this space it offers a lovely little recap of my last few years blogging. Just don’t look too closely at those early posts please: they’re a little like a disastrous past haircut in terms of cringe factor.
Grain-Free Fruit, Nut & Seed Breakfast Bowls
If there’s a meat-eating man in your life, you’ll likely have heard of the Paleo diet. My carnivorous husband is a fitness fanatic, always looking for new ways to incorporate protein into every meal and the Paleo approach of eating enormous quantities of meat, eggs, nuts and seeds is endlessly appealing to his inner caveman.
In theory there are benefits to eating in this ancient, natural way. In practice, there’s so much I’d miss – pulses, whole grains and dairy, not to mention flour, chocolate and all sorts of sweet things which, while less immediately nourishing for your body, are one of the pleasures in life and, arguably, good for your soul. Continue reading
Honeycomb Ice Cream
A little while back I mentioned our plans to buy a bigger flat which, unfortunately, have now fallen through. Rather than getting stuck on what just wasn’t meant to be, we’ve decided to stay where we are, do some renovations and make the place as perfect as possible for the next few years. With two comfortable bedrooms and a good sized garden you can guess what the the focus of our attentions is going to be: the kitchen. Continue reading