Cranberry, Pistachio & Orange Biscotti

by Helen Kain | Jan 13, 2021 | Breakfast, Fall Recipes, Food Gifting, Holiday, Home, Recent, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Sweets, Winter Recipes

Our virtual baking session just before Christmas produced more than Orange Chocolate Cake. My friend Leanne had assured me her recipe for biscotti was quick and easy, and she was right. We whipped it up in no time. Biscotti means “twice-baked” in...

A Touch of Woodland Sparkle to Finish the Year

by Helen Kain | Dec 31, 2020 | Brown, Christmas, Green, Home, Recent, White, Winter Tablescapes

Let’s send 2020 on its way with a whimsical table setting, with plates featuring handpainted watercolours of woodland animals set with humble pine cones and some glitzy gold. Designed by artist and founder Hannah Dale of Wrendale Designs, they are described...

Chicken Pot Pie

by Helen Kain | Dec 29, 2020 | Fall Recipes, Holiday, Home, Mains, Recent, Winter Recipes

Claridge’s Hotel has been providing luxury accommodation in the heart of Mayfair since the 1850s; Martyn Nail, the executive chef of Claridge’s, has been overseeing the kitchens for more than 30 years. There is something very comforting about the...

Woodland Berry by Williams Sonoma

by Helen Kain | Dec 15, 2020 | Brown, Christmas, Green, Pink and Red, Recent, Winter Tablescapes

Winter greenery, in the form of holly, pine, juniper and winter berries, feature heavily on Woodland Berry plates by Williams Sonoma, The dinner plate has lots of clean white space in the centre, forming a perfect backdrop for a delicious feast. The salad plate is...

A Festive Chocolate Orange Cake

by Helen Kain | Dec 13, 2020 | Christmas, Recent, Sweets, Winter Recipes

This cake is the result of a happy collision of ideas. First, the plates (as so often happens around here). They’re Woodland Berry by Williams Sonoma – a combined gift from daughter Lauren and daughter-in-law Annie for Christmas last year. I’ve been...

Winter Vegetable Chili

by Helen Kain | Dec 7, 2020 | Holiday, Mains, Recent, Vegetables, Winter Recipes

The weeks leading up to Christmas are fraught with opportunities for overindulgence. This vegetable-packed chili is a healthful antidote to a surfeit of sweets. Our family loves it, even the die-hard meat eaters and small children. It’s warmly spiced, without...