It’s never too early…
Forgive me for jumping the gun, but it’s the beginning of October, and it's never too early to make your Christmas cake.
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Recipes & more...
Kate Atkinson does it again - review of Death At The Sign Of The Rook
I’m more at home reviewing cookbooks than crime fiction, but I was so impressed by Kate Atkinson’s latest offering, Death at the Sign of...
Behind the scenes of taste testing
Like many food writers, I’m frequently invited to be a judge at food awards – most recently the Food Drink Devon Awards, held at Exeter...
The Knife Skills Recipe Collection
Christian Wagner's recipe diary contained the recipes that he held most dear to his heart, which Paul's students made for their final...
The Cult of the Air Fryer
Where do you stand on air fryers? I recently wrote about this gadget in my monthly column for Waitrose Weekend, commenting that many...
Canadian Capers
‘While wandering downtown I saw this cute bookshop, and lo and behold – a copy of your book.’
Babywatch
I had the best fun on a recent visit to Westbank Community Health and Care in Exminster, on the outskirts of Exeter.
This is my kitchen
When I left the hotel business I made a vow that I had done enough entertaining to last the rest of my life; therefore my kitchen...
My writing room
I've been busy at work on the sequel to Knife Skills For Beginners, specifically on 'edits'. Until I officially became an author, I had...
Crow Moon Sundae
An ice cream extravaganza I’ve created in honour of the publication of the publication of Crow Moon, by my fellow debut novelist Suzy...
Live at the Apollo
Now that Knife Skills For Beginners is out in the world, life has changed in several important ways. First of all, whenever I go near a...
And finally…
I’ve calculated it’s exactly 31 months since I first started writing Knife Skills For Beginners. It sounds a long time – it feels a long...
Calling North American readers
If you’re in Canada or the United States, you may be wondering when and where you can get hold of a copy of Knife Skills For Beginners....
'Love Theme' from Cinema Paradiso (1988)
The music credit for this much-loved film goes to Ennio and Andrea Morricone, but the main theme was written by Andrea, Ennio's son. I...
Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
The denizens of Exeter are lucky enough to have an excellent food shopping street – Magdalen Road. It’s a five minute walk from where I...
In praise of bookshops
Over the last three weeks I’ve driven 433 miles and visited 31 bookshops in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and London. The reason? To deliver...
The Best Apple Cake
Like all the best recipes, this one has a story behind it. Last year I wrote an article for a magazine lamenting the fact that apple...
Six things you never knew about me
I stole the idea of this from the website of a fellow author. At first I worried it seemed a bit vain, but then I started making a list...
Behind the Scenes at 41 Chester Square
Author's note about Chester Square Cookery School and 'the smallest house in Belgravia'. Knife Skills For Beginners is set in the real...
Why you don't need to preheat your oven
Recipes instruct us to preheat our ovens even though it's unnecessary and a waste of energy. Why is this still happening – and when is it...
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