St Patrick's Day Irish Stew

It's St Patrick's Day! They say that Irish blood runs in many of us (and even those who don't have any Irish in them claim to have some Irish ancestry on St Patrick's Day!)Apart from donning a silly green hat, and pretending to like Guinness, this year I'll be having a go at making this Irish Stew.Irish Stew is rather simple to make, you just need a good chunk of cooking time. That's the art of the stew, allowing it to have the time for all the flavors of the meat and... Read more +

Why Is It So Tough To Find A Good Can Opener?

The can opener. A kitchen essential. Needed by every household. And yet so many of us, after buying SEVERAL can openers, wonder “Why is it so TOUGH to find a good can opener??” Now, what is a good can opener will vary from one person to the next. But there are some basic aspects that are universal, no matter if you are a teenager venturing off to college and fending for yourself for the very first time, a parent cooking meals for a busy household, or someone who has mobility or arthritis... Read more +

Cheat Pears Helene

It's National Pears Helene Day! If you've ever had Pears Helene at a restaurant, you'll know that it is one of the most sophisticated of desserts. Legend has it that a French culinary master created it in dedication to his love of the opera. La belle Hélène (trust the French to take sophistication to unprecedented heights!). Recreating it at home, however, takes time and skills, as the pears have to be poached in homemade syrup. Read more +

5 Clever Ways To Use A Kitchen Timer

Perhaps you're one of these strange people that can look up at the sky in any part of the world, and accurately tell what time of day it is, or how long you've been at a task? Chances are though, you're like most normal humans where time whips by fast when you're having fun, and stretches to infinity when we're bored out of our minds. This can play havoc when you're cooking! Many recipes call for strict time-keeping, otherwise you risk ruining your meal. So a handy kitchen timer is... Read more +

Easy Coconut Cake From Scratch

Both my mother and my grandmother were real cake baking fans. You'd think it should be in the genes. But I'll be honest. My attempts at baking my own cakes from scratch have had limited success.

From drying out cakes by over-baking them, to soggy bottoms and sunken middles – you name a cake disaster, and I've had it!

I remember by grandmother giving me this sagely advice. “Baking is alchemy. What you can produce from just a few eggs, flour and sugar is the food version... Read more +