The leaves have started to change, the hedgerows are laden with berries and the trees heavy with fruit. Squirrels scuttle past, busily collecting for their hibernation and the sunlight has changed to a golden hue. Despite the Indian summer, there are definite signs of Autumn all around. For decades the Wye Valley and The Forest…
Category: I recommend….
My Recipe for a Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is so important, much more so than ever thought possible. A time to heal, process information, and deeply relax. A bedroom should be a calm, neutral and most importantly, a safe space. I have dedicated the last couple to years to really nailing down exactly what makes a good night’s sleep for me, and…
Historic Bites: Butterly Delicious
“With enough butter, anything is good.” Julia Child For decades, butter has been demonised, labelled an artery-clogger contributing to high cholesterol and obesity, and replaced with low fat spreads and margarines. An ingredient at the very heart of western cuisine for centuries, butter is one of the purest fats available, tastes ambrosial and now, rather…
Midweek Musings – Nourishing the body and soul under lockdown living.
So, it has been over year since I last added to my blog. It’s been a difficult year, but now, more than ever, I see the need to use technology, not only to communicate with others but also to hold myself accountable. These past few weeks have been challenging for everybody. We have been forced…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: ‘Vegging’ out at Christmas
I personally find the Christmas standard veg offering rather boring, ‘boiled’ or ‘roasted’ (aside from potatoes) seems so unimaginative and it doesn’t take much more time to ‘pimp’ those everyday vegetables up to new heights. I enjoy all veg, I try and stick to seasonal choices, however, aside from the somewhat more exciting spiced red…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: the cheesecake of cheesecakes.
Many of us will look to that extra cheese course after Christmas lunch, and then there has to be enough cheese in the house to take you through to the new year. I have already covered the history of stilton in my diaries but now I’d like to share with you a few of my…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: Getting ahead with Christmas, a Duo of Sublime Stuffings
Things which are time consuming relating to the Christmas Lunch are far better done early and the advantage of a good sized freezer makes preparing for Lunch extremely simple indeed. I like to serve two stuffings. One meat, and cooked separately from the bird, and one to stuff in the neck cavity, to take on…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: Driving Home for Christmas.
Traditionally, the ‘Designated Driver’ has not been terribly well catered for, an orange juice and lemonade, glass of coke or coffee is the usual choice however, now there are dozens of alcohol free choices out there, waiting to be discovered – so, even as the driver you can enjoy some seriously festive drinks. With almost…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: Kitchen Essentials
Over the past few years, I have accumulated a huge amount of kitchen equipment. Aside from all the pieces brought for styling shoots, there is a core of ten or so items which I couldn’t be without, items which are used every day and make working in the kitchen much more pleasurable. Christmas is always…
The Pheasant Philosopher’s Christmas Diaries: top tipples
Stocking the drinks cabinet is a chore we must all undertake at this time of the year, whatever your personal preference, relatives and friends’ preferences must also be taken into account and that bottle of Creme de Menthe hidden at the back of the under-sink cupboard surely cannot last another year. Interestingly, some…
Seasoned with Slow from The Pheasant Philosopher 