Aspiring academic and self professed foodie (or – let’s be honest, greedy person), I spend many of the hours when I should be huddled over dusty tomes in the British Library leafing through the pages of cookbooks and experimenting with flavours in the warmth of my kitchen and in the company of my tiny dog, Coco. I love cooking; I love filling the house with fresh flowers for a party; I love eating at restaurants where it’s all about the food and the mere mention of garnish is tantamount to blasphemy; I love travelling to new places; and I love returning to familiar and favourite places on the quest for that elusive dish that just wouldn’t taste the same anywhere else; I love the smell of a cake baking in the oven – especially when it’s chocolate…

This blog is a record of the things which have made me smile – recipes that have worked out for the best, tall tales from the cheerful chaos that is my kitchen, a collection of happy memories, and so much more – I hope that it makes you smile too!