RADISH & ROSE

Radishes dipped in butter & rose petal salt

The roses and picket fences were superseded by a more masculine approach.

BLOOD ORANGE & GINGER

Blood orange & ginger steamed pudding

(Adapted from Ruby Tandoh's recipe for Guardian; cook)

He would perform the same magic trick, hiding something under his hat.  He had teased us with that all those years ago. Nothing & everything seemed to have changed in that moment.  

PEANUT & LIME

Peanut, miso & lime dressing

* 2tbsp chunky peanut butter

* 1tsp white miso

* 1tsp brown rice vinegar

* ½ lime, juice

* 2tbsp water

* Black pepper

Mix together & drizzle over roasted vegetables or salad leaves 

He discovers that in being simple, honest, and straightforward, nothing much happens: he speaks the speakable, whereas what we are looking for is the as-yet unspeakable, the as-yet unspoken.

Donald Barthelme

GOOSEBERRY & SAFFRON

Roasted saffron red gooseberries

Put the gooseberries, a knob of butter, pinch of saffron & a drizzle of honey in a baking dish & roast at 180ºC for 15 minutes. Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraiche.

“And what’s more, when they finish, it’s a rite of passage. You’re finished with school. You’re no more a child, and therefore anything that reminds you of school — reading books, having ideas, asking questions — that’s kid’s stuff. Now your’e an adult, you don’t do that sort of thing anymore…”  

Isaac Asimov

MANCHEGO & PEACH

Manchego cheese & dried peaches 

He even proposed that the Colosseum was more attractive in ruins than it could ever have been.

Alan de Botton;Status Anxiety

LAPSANG SOUCHONG & SHERRY

Lapsang and sherry noodles with pigeon

Recipe from Readers' recipe swap, The Guardian Cook 

Poets & academics have given it their all over the years – but there is still room to have new light shone on the subject. Perhaps it is the surprising combination of approaches that gives it an edge over other points of interest.

BUCKWHEAT & SAGE

Buckwheat & sage pancakes    (Serves 2)
Adapted from David Tanis

* 80g buckwheat flour

* 30g white spelt flour

* 1 egg 

* Pinch of salt

* 25g buckwheat groats, finely ground 

* 300ml milk 

* Chopped fresh sage leaves

Whisk all together & rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours 

I have cotton or flannel sheets, depending on the weather.  They have to be ironed, & I get my bed changed nearly every day.

Martha Stewart 

CAULIFLOWER & COCOA

Roasted cauliflower with cocoa, paprika & hazelnuts

* Cauliflower florets

* Cocoa powder

* Paprika

* Crushed hazelnuts

* Olive oil

Par boil the cauliflower in salted water for a couple of minutes.

Drain & allow to dry.

Sprinkle over the ingredients & roast for 20 minutes at 200°C.

The clouds looked weighed down, as if they could no longer hold themselves up there – it was to be a stormy night by all accounts.  

GREEN TEA & PINK GRAPEFRUIT

Steamed Green tea & pink grapefruit sponges

(Serves 5)

* 2 tsp green tea,finely ground

* 100g spelt flour

* 1 heaped tsp baking powder

* 1 egg separated

* 50g caster sugar

* 90ml water

* 5tsp pink grapefruit marmalade

Sieve the tea, flour & baking powder into a bowl

Whisk the egg yolk, water & sugar together

Whisk the egg white till stiff

Fold the yolk mix into the flour, then fold in the egg white

Put a teaspoon of marmalade into the bottom of 5 small glasses, top with 1½tbsp of the cake mix

Steam for 10-15minutes.

Glen was not the type to belt out a karaoke number, so it came as a complete surprise when he & Ruby went all out on the duet.

EGG & SEAWEED

Egg salad with amarme & rice   (Serves 4)

From How to boil an egg; Rose bakery

* Handful dried arame / hijiki seaweed (rehydrate in warm water)

* 2 tbsp soy sauce

* 1 tbsp sesame oil

* 3 spring onions

* Toasted sesame seeds

* 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

* 3 cups cooked brown rice

* Splash of brown rice vinegar

Keep some the water by from the seaweed

Fry the seaweed in sesame oil, add the soy sauce & enough of the reserved water to cover, simmer till it is evaporated.

Toss all the ingredients together.

Mr Rose claimed to be the inventor of the quiff, he wouldn't hear of it any other way.