Madi and her kitchen

THE JOY OF COOKING

I have always enjoyed cooking for family and for friends. Small children become big ones and tastes and fashions change but the love of providing good food and happy, shared moments are timeless. There is a sense of creativity and a real satisfaction which amount to joy. Home life is always centred on the kitchen. Who cannot admit that, returning after a long day at school or in the office, their spirits do not lift at the sound of activity coming from that quarter and the smell of an apple pie or meaty stew cooking in the oven? Without the kitchen and the cook the house is not a home and there is no soul.

New worlds open when researching recipes; one learns social history, folk lore and customs, one can bring this new knowledge to one’s own table and share its wonders.

Cherish your cook and appreciate her! Otherwise, as Saki, that brilliant writer of wicked short stories so cleverly put it. “She was a good cook as cooks go and as cooks go, she went”

• Santiago Cake For ten days every February, the Sicilian town of Agrigento celebrates almond blossom. The gorgeous pale pink blooms in the Valley of the Temples are a sign that Spring is not far behind and that the farmers may turn their thoughts to sowing and plan...
• Apple Crumble This is one of the most basic and yet most satisfying of puddings. One of my favourite cookery writers, Margaret Costa, remarked that puddings ( by which I mean any dessert) make a family feel loved. Whether in men’s clubs where the restaurants ar...
• MALTAGLIATI PESTO Mix 600 g of "00" flour, 250 g of chestnut flour, 4 eggs, salt. Roll out the dough and cut into small diamonds "maltagliate" and irregular.
• Risotto with fresh salmon and curgettes As with all risotto dishes, heat the oil and half the butter in a pan and gently fry the onion and courgettes until soft. Add the rice, stirring all the time, until the grains are coated in fat and slightly translucent. Stir in the wine and then a...
• Spring Roll Beef and mozzarella Method for these great spring rolls of beef and Mozza. Wash, dry and finely chop the fresh herbs. Add them to the olive oil. Mix with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slice the mozzarella into sticks. Cover with half the marinade.
• Apple Fritters We have been staying in a delightful family-run hotel in the Italian Tyrol, surrounded by the high mountains and forests of this beautiful region. After a day of climbing and walking in the invigorating air, we look forward to our dinner with pleasu...
• Butternut Squash Flan Roast the squash for about 90 minutes at 160 degrees. Purée when cold: add cheese, nutmeg salt and pepper to taste. Add cream, eggs and beat.
• COOKIES of CHIARA Make pastry by combining all the ingredients; eggs last to make a fairly firm dough.
• Avocado cascade On a trip to Dresden we spent a night in the charming little Swiss town of Chur. A delightful discovery as was the hotel’s excellent restaurant. This is what I ordered and it inspired this variation. I love the way the avocado shell is used as a deco...
• Pesto-chicken tray bake Heat the oven to 200° C/fan 180° C/gas. Put the carrots in a large ovenproof dish and spray with oil, then roast for 25 min.
• BAKED SARDINES Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7 and oil a baking sheet with some of the olive oil. In a bowl, mix the garlic, herbs, chilli, pine nuts and raisins with salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice ...