Let’s be honest: a lot of us can’t cook turkey

Some people will eat any old muck at Christmas. The Caribbean island of Dominica echoes to the slurping of tripe soup. The Inuits of northern Greenland treat themselves to kiviak, made by sewing hundreds of auks inside a seal skin and burying the lot for up to 18 months, after which the birds' heads are bitten off and their guts squeezed out. In the UK, the undiscriminating can tuck into a pizza topped with chicken, roast potatoes, brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce. Asda, the supermarket behind this abomination, describes it as "a festive feast with none of the fuss".

So you may be feeling smug if you're planning to cook turkey. This is a bird that for centuries has represented taste and luxury in British cuisine. First brought to the country in the 16th century, and said to have been enjoyed by Henry VIII, turkey was a rich person's food, replacing peacock at royal banquets and eventually goose in commoners' Christmases.

As recently as the 1930s, one bird cost as much as a week's wages. Even today, when Iceland flogs frozen turkeys for just three quid a kilo, you could still spend six times as much on something fresh and free range. When a single piece of poultry can cost £100 or more, splashing out says that you are serious about Christmas, about good food, about showing your friends and family a good time. It's not just the money. Even if you don't brine your bird, which can add another half-day to the process, you could spend seven or eight hours prepping and cooking a turkey and everything that goes with it. Because, of course, turkey isn't turkey without the trimmings – at the very least stuffing, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and overcooked brussels sprouts, and ideally also roast parsnips and carrots, red cabbage, gravy and/or bread or cranberry sauce.

I come from a big family, and my mother believed in feeding us until we couldn't move. She would set the alarm and start Christmas dinner at 5am. Was it worth it? To a child who'd get three more hours in bed, yes. Her turkey was always tasty and moist, fragrant with sausagemeat-and-onion stuffing. The leftovers lingered for ages, but eating them never felt like a chore.

I'm in my 50s now, and a few years ago I was lucky enough to marry a woman just like dear old Mum (at least where poultry skills are concerned). But between these two marvellous women I spent decades in the wilderness, always eating turkey at least once over Christmas in a spirit of nostalgia and affection, but never sure what awaited me. Throughout my 20s, 30s and 40s, I had at least as many dull dishes as brilliant ones, in pubs, canteens, restaurants and friends' homes. Perhaps because turkeys grow so fast, their flesh is often bland, or tainted by the suspect substances they are fattened on. Because they are so huge, and everyone is terrified the legs will be undercooked, the white meat is often dry. There are ways round this, not least hacking up the bird and cooking the legs separately, but that feels like cheating. And so we carry on, following the letter of Christmas hospitality but not its spirit.

Let's be honest: a lot of us can't cook turkey, but insist on doing it all the same. We'd be better off making something more forgiving but still fancy, like rabbit in cider, or slow-cooked shoulder of pork, or even a Christmas favourite from another country, such as bigos or baeckeoffe. I'm not letting myself off the hook here: I'm a decent cook, but I've never tackled a whole turkey, mainly because I suspect I'd make a balls-up of it.

I don't think I'm particularly fussy, or that I've had uniquely bad luck. Take a close look at the adverts for Christmas food, and the horribly desiccated-looking birds suggest that even professional chefs and food stylists struggle to turn out something palatable.

So, here's my suggestion. The die is cast this year. If you're planning to cook turkey on the 25th, you'll already have the bird, the brussels, the bacon, the bangers and so on. Ask yourself honestly if your past attempts have been up to scratch. If they haven't, do some research. Find a recipe you like, from a cook you trust, and give it one last go. Once your turkey is in the oven, watch it like a hawk. Baste it like mad; do whatever it takes to stop the breast from drying out. Ask your parents for tips if you have happy memories of childhood meals and you're still lucky enough to have them with you. And then, when the bird is ready to serve, judge it as if it had been cooked by a stranger, and all you could taste was the flesh and not the effort that went into the cooking. This is probably the most important meal you'll cook all year. Did you make a good job of it? And if the answer's no … for god's sake, give up. Let someone else take a turn in the kitchen next year, or try something different.

How to Cook in Someone Else's Kitchen

 Thanksgiving draws ever nearer, bringing with it the annual "oh God, I have to cook in Grandma's kitchen on Thursday with three other people" panic attack. If you're cooking in someone else's kitchen this year, here's how to make it less stressful.

My first piece of advice, glib as it sounds, is to avoid it if you possibly can, especially if you have a strained relationship with the kitchen's owner. Hosting Thanksgiving is hugely stressful, and having people poking around your kitchen looking for a knife while you're trying to get turkey on the table just makes things worse. Offer to help with dishes—and follow through, you monster!—but otherwise, stay out of the kitchen. Your hosts will thank you.

But let's say Aunt Cindy insists you make your famous stuffing, since last year you wouldn't shut up about the stuffing your friends from college made, which must be just so divine if her great-grandmother's recipe isn't good enough for you anymore. Don't panic! Thank your past self for deciding to offhandedly mention a dish that can be made ahead of time in the privacy of your own home, and do just that. There's a reason Thanksgiving hosts tend to task guests with bringing sides and pie: unlike turkey, they can be made ahead, travel well, and usually taste great at room temperature. If you must contribute a dish, choose something that ticks all of those boxes—and bring it fully assembled, preferably in a dish you can stand to never see again.

Sometimes, though, you can't wriggle out of prepping a meal in an unfamiliar kitchen. If this is the case for you, here's what you can do to make everyone's lives easier:

Ask the host when they want you to arrive, and be on time. Mild lateness is one thing—like house shows, Thanksgivings run at least an hour behind—but do not arrive early unless you're explicitly asked to at the last minute.

Do 100% of the prep at home. This includes chopping onions, mincing garlic, and measuring out your baking ingredients. Put everything in Ziploc bags or soup containers and bring them with you, like a mobile mise en place.

Bring your own knife and a steel or sharpener. Adapting a recipe to fit whatever cooking vessels you find isn't too bad, but never rely on your host to provide you with a sharp chef's knife unless they've confirmed otherwise. If your hosts are known to use dull knives, you can offer to run ‘em through the Accusharp and be the hero of the day.

Communicate. Scope out the kitchen, ask all your questions, and get necessary permissions before you start cooking. Once you begin, speak in short, declarative sentences, and err on the side of over-communication.

Finally, find some chill. I'm not a "chill" person by any means, but I gotta pretend I am when I'm cooking in someone else's kitchen. Try to resist your control issues—if you have them—and do whatever you need to stay calm, be it five minutes alone in the guest room with a meditation app or judicious consumption of booze (read: don't get so hammered you throw your mobile mise on the floor). Everything is going to be just fine, I promise.

Cooking Off The Cuff: Ignoring My To-Cook List And Making The Best Sausage Ragù Instead

Last week I undertook to cook some of the wonderful things Jackie and I ate in Modena and Parma. And I’ve started, but not with a dish that was on my to-cook list. Rather it was a variation on a richly delicious pasta dish: Gramigna con salsiccia, a fresh extruded (not rolled) vermiform egg pasta served with sausage ragù. I had all the ingredients in the house - apart from the gramigna itself, so I substituted a similarly worm-shaped thin dried macaroni.

I often make an appealing sausage ragù that owes more to Naples than to Modena: it uses plenty of tomatoes, herbs and aromatics, and a little garlic too. For me, it’s a shortcut, because the Italian-style sausages are already seasoned and flavor develops quickly. The sausage ragù of Emilia Romagna (we ate ours at Trattoria Pomposa in central Modena) is both richer and simpler, which sounds paradoxical; you’ll see what I mean when I describe the cooking, which is based on a recipe in Alessandro Molinari Pradelli’s La cucina dell’Emilia Romagna (Newton & Compton, 1998).

To make enough ragù for two or three main-course portions, I finely chopped a medium onion (it weighed 3 ounces – 85 grams) and cooked it, sprinkled with salt, in a generous amount of olive oil and butter (the mixture is for flavor, not because of any belief that the oil prevents the butter from burning, which it doesn’t) over medium-low heat until it had softened and just begun to turn golden, maybe five or six minutes. Meanwhile, I slit the casings of about half a pound (225 g) of coarsely ground “sweet” – i.e., not chili-hot – Italian sausages, removed the meat and broke it up with my hand.

When the onions were done, I added the sausage meat to the pan, slightly raised the heat and fried it for six or seven minutes until it had browned but not dried out, continuing to break it up with a spoon as I stirred it. Then, I added 1/3 cup (80 ml) of white wine and reduced it by half, or until it stopped smelling like raw wine. Next, 1/2 cup (120 ml) of whole milk and a tablespoon of tomato paste out of a tube – it’s the milk that makes this such a lush sauce, along with the sausage juices. For this sauce, I don’t recommend using tomato sauce or chopped fresh tomatoes instead of the tomato paste: that would alter the character and intensity of the dish for the worse. I lowered the heat to a slow simmer and cooked it, loosely covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure there was enough liquid in the pan. About half-way through, I felt it needed moistening. I had some chicken stock, so added 1/4 cup (60 ml) of that (which I think is what an Emilian cook would do); water would have done the job too but not quite as well.

The result was a creamy, richly delicious sauce with lots of chunky sausage meat. It tasted far more complicated than it was.

For two slightly too-big portions, I cooked 200 grams (7 oz) of those skinny little macaroni until they were nearly done, then added them to the ragù over low heat, along with a good handful of grated parmesan and a generous grinding of black pepper. I stirred for 20 seconds or so to amalgamate everything. I checked for salt, but it needed none. What it did need was a splash of the pasta-cooking water to loosen it up.

Resist the impulse to add parsley or any other herb. You can succumb to the temptation to add extra grated parmesan, but do not do so until you’ve tasted the dish. Anyway, once you’ve tasted it, you’ll lack a free hand with which to reach for the cheese bowl: you won’t be able to stop spooning it up with one hand, and the other will be best occupied with a glass of wine.

Winter Love – The Exclusive New Collection From Missy Dress

Oh well goodness me, this is the most perfect weekend treat! As you might already know, we're huge fans of New Zealand boutique, we've often said that owner Missy Dress is the font all knowledge when it comes to bridal fashion.

So, can you imagine how thrilled we are to share Missy Dress' latest collection, Winter Love, here on Love My Dress? We're more than a little smitten with the new designs from them.

My new collection for Missy Dress is called ‘Winter Love' and it features a beautiful selection of less formal dresses for today's modern bride who's looking for a beautiful dress as a celebration of her love!

I wanted to produce a collection that inspires women who are looking for a dress and I wanted my designs to reflect more of their personality and personal style. You'll see that these new dresses have a relaxed feel and individuality that translates to today's modern fashions. They're perfect for the trend-inspired bride.

For this collection, Russell was totally inspired by fashion and trends so you'll notice plenty of modern styling cues that have been translated into the dresses themselves. There's a real focus on key features too and I'm in love with the neckline shapes and the silhouettes of the dresses – can you just imagine how flattering these will be to wear? I can and the thought is making me very happy indeed.

There are so many standout features in the collection in terms of fabrics and embellishments and again, these have all been selected with care by Russell to meet his exacting requirements and to create even more personality in each dress.

I've used delicate lace applique and textured embellishments in the Winter Love collection. There are also delicious fabrics such as chiffon, silk crepe and soft silky tulle couples with a cool mix of modern styles that have just a touch of tradition! The bride I have in mind for these dresses is a woman in LOVE! I think this translates through the whole collection and into the images too.

I focus on the design of each dress first and then I source the fabrics and embellishments that I feel match the look and style of each dress. I love to design dresses that reflect a woman's personality therefore each gown is unique and tells its own story.

Cook this: Spicy beef tacos transform into easy enchiladas or couscous stuffed peppers

Our cookbook of the week is The School Year Survival Cookbook: Healthy Recipes and Sanity-Saving Strategies for Every Family and Every Meal (Even Snacks), by Laura Keogh and Ceri Marsh of Sweet Potato Chronicles. Over the next four days, we'll feature recipes from the book and an interview with one of its authors.

“We weren't always fans of leftovers. Now we live for them,” Ceri Marsh says.

In The School Year Survival Cookbook, Marsh and co-author Laugh Keogh take an inventive approach to extending leftovers in a section called Transformers. With minimal extra cooking, meal components such as spicy beef (recipe follows) and pulled pork form the basis of two new meals.

“As much as leftovers are great, we all know that sometimes your family can push back against eating the leftover in its original shape again,” Marsh says. “We have a mother recipe that we start with in each of (the Transformers) and that's one meal. And then there are two more choices that can be made from those leftovers.”

In this recipe, spicy beef becomes tacos with roasted sweet potatoes. With the rest of the seasoned meat mix, you can then choose between making easy beef and black bean enchiladas or couscous stuffed peppers (recipes are in the book). “It helps you when you're meal-planning,” Keogh says. “It's one less idea that you have to come up with for a meal.”

SPICY BEEF TACOS WITH ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Makes: 4 servings

GET AHEAD: Save 10 to 12 minutes by completing step 2 in advance; store the potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Save another 5 minutes by completing step 3 and storing the onion mixture in the refrigerator. Save a further couple of minutes by mixing up the spices in step 5; store in an airtight container.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt, divided
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed in very warm water
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) rice vinegar
2 lb (900 g) organic lean ground beef
2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 mL) pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Monterey Jack cheese
Handful of chopped cilantro
Salsa
8 corn tortillas, warmed according to package directions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2
In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil and 1/2 tsp (2 ml) of the salt. Spread potato pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Toss, then bake for another 5 minutes, or until fork-tender. Transfer potatoes to a bowl; set aside.

Step 3
In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and a pinch of salt in the vinegar and then add the onions; set aside.

Step 4
In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Step 5
Meanwhile, in another small bowl, blend the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano and pepper.

Step 6
Stir the garlic, spice blend and remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) salt into the beef; cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer half the beef to a serving dish. Put the other half in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator to use for another dinner.

Step 7
Place the beef, sweet potatoes, onions, cheese, cilantro, salsa and tortillas on the table for taco assembly.

Grilling and Roasting are Not the Same: Here's the Difference

History has it that millions of years ago, when there was nothing known as civilisation, humans cooked meats and foods over an open fire, which is what we call grilling and roasting. Grilling and roasting foods are two closely related concepts; however, both methods differ in some ways or the other. Both methods are widely accepted amongst the health wizards because they use indirect heat to cook the food. Have you ever wondered what really the differences are? We shall tell you some of the important distinctions that make grilling and roasting unique and different.

What is Roasting?

According to Celebrity Chef Sadaf Hussain, historically, roasting meant cooking foods (usually meats) in front of an open fire. But with the invention of oven, the method of roasting also changed. Roasting now means cooking food in an insulated box over a set temperature. This box utilises the hot air inside the box and cooks the meat till perfection ensuring the meat juices don't get dried up in the process.

What is Grilling?

Chef Sadaf tells us, "Grilling is a method which involves cooking over a charcoal (gas) flame. This was one of the early food cooking techniques. Food is placed on a grill rack over the open flame and it utilises the intense heat to break down the meat and cook it nicely." A lot of people consider this method more suitable because of the added health factor and it also doesn't require any oven and practically anything can be grilled.

What Foods to Grill and What to Roast?

Grilling is a fast cooking method and gives a nice brown charred colour to the meat. It is best suited to cook steak, lamb chops and other thin cuts since the intensity of fire is high. On the other hand, roasting is a slow cooking process and hence it is best suited to cook the bigger pieces over a period of time.


You can grill chicken legs or lamb chops over the open fire very easily, considering the seasoning is perfect, but if you are planning to cook the whole chicken or whole lamb then roasting is the best method. The cooking in this method will be slower and will result in a much more flavoursome treat. Although you can use both the techniques to cook vegetables or meats, but you will know the difference in the taste and flavour.


Grilling and roasting may be closely related and may have different ways to prepare food, however, each of them rely on a careful technique, precision and time that should be taken care of.

‘Pressure cook’ food waste to make fuel faster

A two-step method that includes hydrothermal liquefaction and anaerobic digestion can speed up the process of making biofuel from food waste while reducing carbon use, new research suggests.

"Food waste should have a high value. We're treating it as a resource, and we're making marketable products out of it," says lead author Roy Posmanik, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. "Food waste is still carbon—a lot of carbon."

The researchers show that by using hydrothermal liquefaction before anaerobic digestion, virtually all of the energy is extracted from the food waste. In hydrothermal liquefaction, the waste is basically pressure cooked to produce a crude bio-oil. That oil can be refined into biofuel.

The remaining food waste, which is in an aqueous state, is anaerobically digested by microbes within days. The microbes convert the waste into methane, which can be used to produce commercial amounts of electricity and heat.

"If you used just anaerobic digestion, you would wait weeks to turn the food waste into energy," says Posmanik.

"The aqueous product from hydrothermal processing is much better for bugs in anaerobic digestion than using the raw biomass directly. Combining hydrothermal processing and anaerobic digestion is more efficient and faster. We're talking about minutes in hydrothermal liquefaction and a few days in an anaerobic digester," Posmanik says.

Food waste is the single largest component going into municipal landfills in the United States, according to the US Department of Agriculture. About one-third of the world's food—nearly 1.3 billion tons—is lost or wasted, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

For all industrialized nations, food waste accounts for roughly $680 billion annually. In addition, composting and digestion of food waste are inefficient and slow.

Putting hydrothermal liquefaction first in an engineering process and finishing with anaerobic digestion completes a food-water-energy nexus, Posmanik says.

"We must reduce the amount of stuff we landfill, and we must reduce our carbon footprint. If we don't have to extract oil out of the ground to run cars or if we're using anaerobic digestion to make green electricity, we're enhancing energy and food security," he says.

Memorial Day 2017 Cookout Ideas: The Healthiest Ways To Cook These 6 Foods, Based On Science

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start to the breezy summer lifestyle, which means it's time for open beaches, outdoor drinking, and grilling. Everybody loves a backyard barbeque with lots of food offerings, but unfortunately, many are notoriously high in fat and calories. However, we can still enjoy our summer cookouts without sacrificing our waistline, or our tastebuds.

Grilling can be a healthier alternative to pan frying, deep frying, and even sauteing, depending on how the food is prepared before and how it's being cooked. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, dialing down the heat; cutting the fat; marinating meat for at least 30 minutes before grilling; mixing it up with fruits and vegetables; and keeping the grill clean all make a cookout tasty and good for us. To keep grilling healthy, it's best to avoid high-fat meats and sausages.

So, what's the healthiest way to cook Memorial Day BBQ staples?

Medical Daily wrangled the best ways to cook these six foods, from burgers to fish, to satisfy the tastebuds of all.

Burgers

Burgers are a popular BBQ food staple that can be good for us if cooked properly. A study conducted at UCLA found topping a burger with avocado — rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats — can ease some of the negative effects red meat has on our heart health. The researchers observed 11 healthy males between 18 and 35 eat hamburger patties plain, and then again with half an avocado spread on top. When the participants ate the burger with avocado, their levels of inflammation were lower hours afterward compared to when they ate meat alone. Moreover, avocado led to less reduction of blood flow in the arteries compared to after they ate the plain burger.

Hot Dogs

A Memorial Day Weekend BBQ wouldn't be complete without hot dogs. However, as a processed meat, it's difficult to think of them as healthy. Choosing a healthier hot dog is not easy, but it is possible. It's best to choose hot dogs labeled "nitrate/nitrite free" or "uncured."

These hot dogs contain natural sources of nitrate, often celery juice, extract, or powder, according to Berkeley Wellness. It's not clear whether this will cut the health risks, since they're too new on the market to be studied. But, opting for hot dogs that are made with turkey or chicken instead of beef or pork, or made with organic meat can be good options. It's best to check the label to view its sodium, saturated fat, and nitrate/nitrites.

Chicken

A skinless cut of chicken is known to have less fat and calories, while a skin-on cut can have similar nutritional value if the skin is removed before eating, according to a study conducted by Chicken Farmers of Canada. For example, skinless chicken breast has 146 calories and 1.73 grams of fat compared to chicken breasts cooked with skin and skin removed, with 134 calories and 1.37 grams of fat per 100 grams; this means chicken breast cooked with skin-on, and then removed, has less fat and calories than a skinless breast. Plus, skinless chicken breast has less moisture than chicken with skin and skin removed at 64.96 grams vs. 67.47 grams, respectively.

Fish

Cookouts are not just for meat lovers, they can also appease non-meat eaters. Fish is considered one of the healthiest foods; it's rich in omega-3, vitamin D, and essential oils, but how we cook it matters. A study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found participants who regularly ate fish had larger brain volumes in regions associated with memory and cognition, but only if the fish was baked or broiled, and not fried. Cooking fish on the grill can also help lock in flavor, without removing much moisture.

Mushrooms

This fungi is an excellent source of fiber and vitamins, but this is all dependent on how they're cooked. A recent study found microwaving and grilling mushrooms are the best ways to help preserve their antioxidant properties, and even increase their antioxidant activity. Moreover, mushrooms are also very low in calories and fat, making them a diet-friendly food.

Vegetables

In cookouts, balance is key, which means there should be equilibrium between the amount of meat, fish, and fruits and vegetables we consume. Vegetables have been tied to a lower risk of high blood pressure, macular degeneration, cognitive decline, and digestive tract cancers, among other ailments. However, cooking methods can alter their nutrient composition, and destroy their nutritional benefits, while others enhance their nutrient content.

Dry cooking methods like grilling, roasting, and stir-frying retain greater amounts of nutrients than boiling. This also debunks the myth that eating raw vegetables is healthier than cooking. For example, a 2002 study found that cooking tomatoes actually boosts the amount of lycopene in tomatoes.

Remember, grilling your favorite cookout foods can be done, without the guilt.

Recipe for an Italian Easter: egg, spinach and ricotta pie

One Easter, when I was 11 years old, I carefully stained both marzipan and my hands in orange, green and red, shaping my own oranges, apples and pears, with cloves providing a stalk for each. I then gave a box of them to my auntie. Two years later, while looking in her drawers for something, I found the box, unopened, and my face burned with embarrassment.

The marzipan fruits in the window of one of our local patisseries in Gela, in Sicily, also appear to have been there some time. Years I’d guess, judging by the almost waxy hue of the carefully moulded and painted peaches, prickly pears, figs and cherries. It crossed my mind that they might actually be wax – a Sicilian version of the sushi replicas you see in Japanese restaurant windows, but I am assured they are real. These frutta martorana shaped from pasta reale (a type of marzipan) are traditionally made in Sicily for All Souls Day in November, when the dead bring them to the children who have prayed for their souls. Nowadays you find them all year round. Even when ageing, they are exquisite things, a riot of colour and dexterity, and they almost seem real.

Inside the out-of-time shop, behind the glass cabinet doors and between the pictures and statues of the Madonna, there are also marzipan artichokes, prawns and snails. They appear younger. In fact, that first visit in May, I imagine they are from the previous autumn. There are also lambs fashioned from marzipan, covered with a fleece of white icing, their faces painted. Quite beautiful things really – a sweet sacrifice for Easter, the sort my partner Vincenzo was given every year as a child. At the front of the shop, inside the altar-like counter, are half a dozen varieties of plump soft almond biscuits, so we buy a trayful – also a lamb and a coral-coloured prawn.

Italy’s year is punctured with festivities and saint days – each one with its own dish, bun, bread or biscuit. Patisseries and bakery windows remind us almost as effectively – and certainly more deliciously – than a calendar. Easter is the most sacred and celebrated, both in religious ritual and at the table, the food seeming even richer after the austerity of lent, maybe. Each region has an Easter dish, specialty pies and the usual daily breads, but enriched, containing or encasing eggs – the ultimate symbol of hope, renewal and fertility; new life contained in a delicate shell.

Rather like Christmas, the traditions we string together are always slightly different. Some years I’ve felt the need to expatriate the Easters of my childhood, others times I’ve tried too hard to be Italian. The best times are when I settle in the middle, knowing we make our own traditions and that they are always evolving: an enriched bread from Rome, a pie from somewhere else, my son with Creme Egg in one hand and lamb in the other. I am going back to the UK this year, so will take back edible pieces of Italy: salami, cheese and colomba. Like its cousin panettone, colomba is made from dough enriched with eggs, butter and candied fruit – an augury of plenty topped with pearl sugar and almonds then baked into the shape of a colomba, which means dove. Mine possibly won’t look so peaceful after a plane and two trains, but will be enjoyed nonetheless.

It is the festive breads and pies plumped with eggs and cheese I enjoy best, so I always make one for Easter breakfast, or the picnic on Easter Monday. I particularly appreciate the Ligurian torta pasqualina: greens, herbs and ricotta encased in olive oil dough rolled so thin it is rather like filo pastry. Traditionally there were 33 layers, one for each year of Jesus’s life. The version I have adopted is not traditional and rather more pragmatic in its use of Marcella Hazan’s pastry with ricotta (instead of eggs), which makes for a pleasing and flaky crust. For the filling you can use wilted beet greens, chard or spinach, which you mix with ricotta and parmesan and then season boldly. This filling then cradles more eggs.

“Behold”, the Sicilian food writer Pino Correnti writes, about cutting into a dish and his joy at discovering an egg at its heart, the yolk shining as hopefully as the sun. Cutting this pie makes me feel much the same.

Ricotta, spinach and egg easter tart – torta pasqualina
Serves 6-8
160g cold butter, diced
250g plain flour
200g ricotta
Salt and black pepper
600g spinach or chard
300g ricotta
6 eggs plus extra for brushing
80g parmesan, grated
A pinch of nutmeg

1.Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the ricotta and a pinch of salt, mix and bring together into a soft ball. Turn the pastry on to a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Cover with clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

2.Pick the over the spinach, discarding any tough or discoloured leaves, then wash and lift into a pan – there will be residual water from the washing. Put the pan over a low-medium heat and cover for a few minutes to wilt the spinach. Tip into a colander and drain for 10 minutes.

3.Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the water then chop roughly. Mix with ricotta, 2 lightly beaten eggs, salt, pepper, parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg.

4.Butter and flour a 26cm round tin, preheat your oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and put a flat baking tray in to get hot. Cut the dough into two uneven pieces, one twice the size of the other. On a floured work surface roll the larger piece into a circle large enough to fill the tin, come up the sides and overhang. Lift the dough into the tin and press it into the corners. Add your filling, making four deep indents in the mixture, into which break the eggs.

5.Roll the smaller piece into a disc the size of the tin and lift on to the filling. Using wet fingertips, press the dough to make a firm seal and then lift and fold any excess dough into the centre. Prick or slash the centre of the tart. Paint with beaten eggs or milk, put on the hot baking tray, and slide into the oven for 50 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool a little before turning out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The weekend cook: Thomasina Miers’ pasta recipes

Coloured rice, quinoa, barley, spelt, buckwheat, freekeh: nutritious grains are so in vogue right now that it’s easy to overlook pasta when dreaming up interesting supper dishes. Yes, it contains gluten, that bugbear of so many modern diets, but I adore its silky, slightly chewy texture. It’s surprisingly simple to make from scratch, too, though if you do go down the homemade route, start with an easy, rugged type such as today’s maltagliati, where the beauty is in the misshapen. As for what to put on it, there you can go to town without spending too much. I’ve gone for a smoky, creamy sauce to complement sweet mussels and a gutsy, garlicky number with purple sprouting broccoli. Mamma mia!

Linguine with mussels in chipotle cream
Mussels are a terrific food: healthy, fast to cook, affordable and gentle on the environment. Serves four.

700g mussels, scrubbed clean and beards removed
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped
250ml double cream
2 tbsp chipotle en adobo (or 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste plus 2 tsp hot smoked paprika)
400g dried linguine
½ cup dry white wine
1 handful curly parsley, picked and finely chopped

Tap any open mussels sharply on the counter: if any remain open, bin them – they’re dead. Put a saucepan on a medium flame and, when hot, add two-thirds of the oil and the shallots, and sweat on low heat for five minutes. Add the garlic, season and cook until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the cream and chillies, and leave to simmer gently while you get on with the pasta.

Bring a large pan of well salted water to a boil, then cook the linguine until al dente, about five minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large pot and, when smoking hot, add the mussels, clap on the lid and shake the pan. Add the wine, cover again and leave to steam on a high heat, shaking the pan from time to time. After two or three minutes, check the mussels: if they are not all open, cover and cook for a minute or two more. Once they are all open, scoop out the mussels with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.

Sieve the mussel juices to remove any grit, and add to the sauce. Drain the pasta, saving a small cup of the cooking water, then toss it with the mussels and sauce, to coat. Leave for a minute, then toss in two to three tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, to loosen. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.

Fresh maltagliati with purple sprouting broccoli walnut pesto

Homemade pasta is incredibly satisfying – you don’t even need a pasta machine: elbow grease and a rolling pin will suffice. For a cheat, buy fresh lasagne sheets, snip them into rough pieces and cook as per the packet instructions. Serves four.

300g ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
6 egg yolks
110ml extra-virgin olive oil
300g purple sprouting broccoli 
6 anchovies in oil 
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 lemon, juiced and zested
30g parmesan, finely grated
40g walnut halves, toasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 pinch chilli flakes (or to taste)

Put the flour in a mound on a clean worktop. Make a well in the centre, add the egg yolks and a tablespoon of oil, then lightly beat the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating them into the flour. Once the eggs are no longer runny, use your hands to work them into the flour, then knead the dough into a ball. Clean the worktop and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, until it’s silky and springy. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Now make the pesto. Separate the broccoli florets and stalks, then cut the stalks once lengthways and once across. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, and blanch all the broccoli for four minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold water; reserve the cooking water.

Put the stalks in a blender with the anchovies, all but a tablespoon of the oil, the parsley, half the lemon juice and zest, parmesan and walnuts, blitz smooth and season.

Once the dough has rested, lightly dust a work surface with flour; do the same to your pasta machine or rolling pin. Divide the dough in four and wrap three pieces in clingfilm. Roll out the remaining piece of dough with a rolling pin, folding it over itself a couple of times, until you have a very thin sheet (you should be able to read the words in a book through it); alternatively, feed it through the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and working your way down to the thinnest, folding over the dough as you pass it through each setting.

Cut the pasta sheet into rough shards (don’t worry about making them the same) then dust with flour, lay on a floured tray and cover loosely with clingfilm. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of dough.

Heat a large frying pan, add the remaining oil, broccoli florets and garlic, and turn the heat to low. Season with a pinch or two of chilli, the rest of the lemon juice and some sea salt, and fry gently for seven minutes, until lightly coloured.

Bring the broccoli water back to a boil, salt generously, then cook the pasta for a minute or two, until al dente. Add a small ladleful of pasta water to the pesto, then drain the pasta and toss it with the pesto, to coat. Serve on warmed plates with a drizzle of oil, some parmesan, the rest of the lemon zest and the florets.

How to make heirloom tomato, puy lentil and halloumi salad

Heirloom tomato, puy lentil and halloumi salad

This is a super simple dish that has a great balance between textures and flavours – salty halloumi, earthy lentils and sweet, juicy tomatoes.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 40 mins, cooking time: 10 mins

2 heirloom tomatoes, each cut into 4-5 slices
​150g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 large courgette, julienned with vegetable peeler (or vegetable spiral cutter)
¼ red onion, sliced half moons
1 avocado, cubed
​100g puy lentils (pre-cooked)
​250g halloumi cheese, cut into 10 slices
1 large bunch chopped coriander 
2tbsp olive oil
½tbsp balsamic vinegar
½tbsp agave syrup
sea salt and black pepper
garnish
fresh coriander

Peel the courgette using a julienne vegetable peeler or spiraliser. Using a non-stick frying pan, add the halloumi in two batches. Cook on a medium heat on each side for about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a plate to cool and drizzle ½tbsp agave syrup.

In a large mixing bowl add the cherry tomatoes, puy lentils, onion, coriander, avocado, courgette spirals and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss the salad lightly with 2tbsp olive oil and ½tbsp balsamic vinegar. On a serving platter, lay out the heirloom tomatoes, place the mixed salad over the top. Scatter the halloumi around the salad and garnish with coriander.

Lisa’s tip: I always keep halloumi in the fridge since it has a long shelf-life. This recipe rewards experimentation. Try adding cucumber, pesto, olive or basil instead of coriander etc. – whatever you fancy. The halloumi and tomato are robust enough to work brilliantly with a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. Try spiralising carrots, beetroots, parsnip and maybe a daikon radish. Get creative.

Super smoothies: How to make nutritious smoothies

Grapefruit grower

This helps to curb hunger and is also high in vitamin C and betacarotene.

Makes: approximately 250 ml

1 medium carrot
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of kale
1 orange, peeled
1 grapefruit, peeled

Add all the ingredients to the blender with 100 ml filtered water. Whizz until smooth then pour into a plastic sieve set over a jug or bowl. Help the smoothie through with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Green glow

This is full of nutrients that help fight diseases.

Makes: approximately 300 ml

3 broccoli florets
½ fennel bulb
1 apple, cored
¼ cucumber
5 coriander sprigs

Add all the ingredients to the blender with 100 ml filtered water. Whizz until smooth then pour into a plastic sieve set over a jug or bowl. Help the smoothie through with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Fennel spiced nut milk

A great milk to increase your iron intake as well as reduce indigestion.

Makes: approximately 300 ml

30 g almonds
30 g cashews
30 g pistachios
2 Medjool dates, stoned
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cardamom pods
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios and dates to the blender with 300 ml filtered water. Whizz until smooth then pour into a plastic sieve set over a jug or bowl.

Help the smoothie through with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Pour into a saucepan, add the fennel seeds, cardamom pods and cinnamon and warm gently over a low heat for 3–4 minutes. Sieve again, then serve.