A special guest issue by the award-winning food writer
| | By Diana Henry Today's Lifestyle newsletter has been guest-edited by Diana Henry. Diana is an award-winning food writer who has been working for The Telegraph for 20 years and is the author of 12 cookbooks – a new edition of her classic Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons has just been published – with the 13th in the works. | | A few years ago I took part in a discussion on The Today Programme about how many dishes the average person knows how to cook. Apparently it’s six. Despite cookbook sales, food magazines and newspaper supplements providing more dishes than you can make in a lifetime, most people have a limited repertoire. In some ways this isn’t surprising. Despite my job, I can be stuck at 5pm on a Friday wondering what to make. Even with a head full of dishes you can’t always summon the one that you have the time and the appetite to make.
Before I worked from home I went from the office via a small supermarket at the end of the day. I needed dishes that weren’t time consuming – at least in terms of hands-on time – and that were a bit out of the ordinary. I didn’t want to go home and make shepherd’s pie. I wanted what I cooked to cheer me up (and many of the homeliest dishes, including shepherd’s pie, take too much time). I started a notebook in which I wrote the names of dishes that were achievable even when short of time. I also listed the main ingredients that are around in the different seasons. With sections on pasta dishes, pilafs, risottos, sausages, chops and chicken dishes that could be shoved in the oven, I’d consult my notebook every day.
What you need are useful recipes; dishes cooked from the building blocks of everyday food but made special. Here are dishes that will make your mouth water as you cook, including a pudding in case you’re having friends round for dinner. Five really useful recipes.
Happy cooking!
Diana
P.S. To browse all The Telegraph's recipes, click here and make sure to subscribe to the new-look Recipes newsletter for more.
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