Cooking by osmosis

Do you ever come out of a movie and still feel as if you are in the story? Yesterday I went to see Mr & Mrs for a bit of eye candy and some light relief and found myself wondering if the car would blow up when I put the key in the lock to go home! I even get it with good books.

Actually it can happen whenever I immerse myself in something. Recently I have been working on a web site for vegetarian chef and recipe book author, Nadine Abensur. I have been so absorbed in Nadine's world, and in particular her recipes and lifestyle, that I swear my cooking has improved. I whizz around the kitchen being a gourmet vegetarian chef with delectable results. Maybe it all comes down to attitude.

I am also totally in love with the way Nadine writes. She lent me a copy of one of her books "The Cranks Bible" and I keep "forgetting" to give it back. How can you resist someone who talks about onions with this sort of passion ...


"White onions have an almost unbelievable sweetness to them and so are not as sharp as regular onions, though still unmistakably, tear-jerkingly pure onion."

White onion tart with parmesan

or confesses ...

"I have an unending passion for fennel. Even here, where it is covered in cream, I feel sure that its digestive properties shine through. "

Braised Fennel Gratin

and lays it on the line ...

"There is a mantra that those of us who ever did home economics (was there ever a more alienating name for the art of cooking?) at school were taught - pastry equals half fat to flour. Mediocre pastry perhaps. Good pastry equals at least 60 per cent fat to flour. Now that's worth getting your fingers sticky for."

Nadine's Pecan Pie