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COMFORT FOOD


my mother's christmas mince pies
My mother’s mince pies are like no other I’ve ever tried. Her mincemeat is far more how I imagine it tasting to a Medieval palate. Made...
Madeleine Pierard
Dec 8, 20203 min read
523 views
0 comments


feijoa and apple shortcake
My gorgeous friends and fellow ex-pat musos, Jeroen Speak and Dorothy Ker sent me a bag of feijoas they'd grown in their allotment here...
Madeleine Pierard
Nov 14, 20202 min read
1,111 views
0 comments


comforting mushroom soup with buttered oyster mushrooms and fresh thyme
This delicious and hearty soup is perfect for a rainy autumn day - and there are a fair few of those happening at the moment here in...
Madeleine Pierard
Nov 14, 20202 min read
170 views
0 comments


creamy dijon tarragon chicken
I adore the traditional Dijon chicken with flambéed with cognac, heavy cream and tarragon. It is SO rich though. I wanted to replicate...
Madeleine Pierard
Oct 14, 20202 min read
284 views
0 comments


blueberry and lemon pie
Latticed pies are always wonderful to look at. The one pictured is a bit rushed and rustic, but still drew gasps when I presented it at...
Madeleine Pierard
Sep 24, 20204 min read
125 views
0 comments


walnut crescents
Every year, my mother would make walnut crescents as part of her annual Christmas baking repertoire - a formidable collection of recipes....
Madeleine Pierard
Jul 29, 20202 min read
108 views
0 comments


smoky chicken and chorizo traybake
A lovely friend of mine sent some beautiful smoked tomatoes from The Tomato Stall in the Isle of Wight, and this dish was born. I've done...
Madeleine Pierard
Jul 13, 20202 min read
151 views
0 comments


the best vanilla cupcakes
I've based my vanilla cupcake recipe on the Hummingbird Bakery recipe as I haven't encountered a better one, quite honestly! However I...
Madeleine Pierard
Jun 24, 20202 min read
584 views
3 comments


zucchini, corn, feta and mint fritters
There’s something about vegetable fritters that screams summer to me. My mother made the most extraordinary fritters. Her specialty were...
Madeleine Pierard
Jun 17, 20202 min read
874 views
0 comments


te kuiti chocolate cake - the best ever
I'm often asked for my favourite, most versatile, never-fail chocolate cake recipe. This one always wins. It was given to me by my...
Madeleine Pierard
Jun 10, 20203 min read
462 views
0 comments


bolognese 'tutte le verdure' sauce
I’m always keen to create meals packed with veges for my kids and this one packs a punch with or without meat. It’s a beautiful base...
Madeleine Pierard
Jun 6, 20203 min read
141 views
0 comments


smoked mackerel pâté
Now that picnic weather is starting in the UK (though admittedly the weather has taken a turn today for the grey and rainy), I’ve been...
Madeleine Pierard
Jun 4, 20201 min read
80 views
0 comments


linda's cucumber and pineapple pickle
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve been craving another childhood favourite: my Aunty Linda’s Cucumber and Pineapple Pickle. An absolute...
Madeleine Pierard
May 30, 20202 min read
2,624 views
0 comments


cheddar and rocket scones
This recipe is from one of my favourite eateries in New Zealand, Floriditas. I decided to make them a few weeks ago because my...
Madeleine Pierard
May 29, 20202 min read
1,698 views
0 comments


diva kitchen ginger kisses
I am proud of these. It’s taken a lot of tries but I’m happy to sacrifice my waistline for culinary perfection - and I reckon I've nailed...
Madeleine Pierard
May 21, 20203 min read
3,786 views
3 comments


marie lee's czechoslovakian cake
This is a wonderfully nostalgic cake from my childhood - known in our family as ‘Czechoslovakian Cake’, the recipe for which was given to...
Madeleine Pierard
May 18, 20202 min read
96 views
0 comments


velvety zucchini and lardon quiche
This is definitely the most luxurious quiche I've ever made - I usually make it just as a traditional Quiche Lorraine (my favourite...
Madeleine Pierard
May 18, 20203 min read
280 views
0 comments


braised puy lentils with red wine (and 'post-roast soup')
This recipe is Nigella Lawson's (bar a few tweaks), from her book, 'Feast'. It is utterly marvellous with pork or lamb and makes a...
Madeleine Pierard
May 10, 20203 min read
123 views
0 comments


maddy's best belgian biscuits
Belgian (or 'Belgium') biscuits are a Kiwi classic - spiced cookies sandwiched together with raspberry jam and iced. In NZ, we sprinkle...
Madeleine Pierard
May 2, 20203 min read
761 views
0 comments


comforting creamy chicken pie
I have spent quite a few years perfecting this recipe, which was made up, but fairly traditional in that the flavours are those that...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 26, 20204 min read
240 views
1 comment


ginger crunch
Ginger crunch - a Kiwi classic. I like it gingery and hot with oats for extra texture with an espresso on the side! The base is a bit...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 21, 20202 min read
524 views
0 comments


walnut and pecan slice
I really, really, really love nuts. Especially walnuts and pecans, as you will come to notice, if you haven't already. The pecan pie is a...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 19, 20202 min read
511 views
2 comments


homemade tomato 'soup from a can'
This is a household favourite - so easy and so delicious, and it only uses tinned tomatoes, though you can use the equivalent weight in...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 19, 20201 min read
152 views
0 comments


easy one-pot macaroni cheese
(Vegetarian if lardons are omitted) This is brilliantly quick and easy and you don't have to cook the cheesy roux sauce separately! I...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 9, 20202 min read
102 views
0 comments


nourishing chicken soup
One of the most satisfying things to do when you're trying to live frugally is turn one meal in to several. Roast dinners are perfect for...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 1, 20202 min read
54 views
0 comments


easy pecan pie
I had an old tin of Carnation sweetened condensed milk and a half-eaten bag of pecans in the pantry that needed using, so I researched...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 1, 20202 min read
212 views
0 comments


fried sea bass with asian greens
We had four fillets of sea bass in the freezer and needed omega 3 for our Netflix-fried brains during the COVID-19 Lockdown. This is such...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 1, 20202 min read
52 views
0 comments


hearty beef 'storecupboard' stew
I usually just put whatever I have in to a stew so every time is different but this one was a winner! I served it with potato and spinach...
Madeleine Pierard
Apr 1, 20202 min read
60 views
0 comments
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