January King cabbage is ready to eat just after Christmas and the season lasts until the end of March. The leaves of the cabbage are tinged with an inky blue and purple stain which makes it one of our most beautiful cabbages. They can be grown in the north of England and when I see them in our local shops I always buy one.
Read MoreHand tempering chocolate
If you love food and live in Yorkshire you will probably have visited one of the six Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Bettys was founded in Harrogate by the Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont in 1919 and since then grown to be one of the most highly respected and admired establishments in the country. It remains a family run business and over the years I have got to know the company quite well.
Read MoreSumptuous meringues, junk shop finds and Bettys
I love junk shop finds. This old jam spoon and pickle fork were languishing in the Oxfam shop in Ilkley and their aged beauty made me gasp. My fantasy is they came from one of the fine, old houses in Ilkley where meals were served with care and attention and the daily rituals around good food were observed. It was love at first sight and I had to have them.
Read MoreLoving beetroot
Last week I found myself in WH Smith's, on Leeds Station waiting for a train. I flicked through some lifestyle magazines in the minutes I had to spare and came across some beautiful charcoal sketches of vegetables by an artist called Natasha Clutterbuck. Monochromes of achingly gorgeous bunched carrots and beetroots languishing in sheds waiting for their time to be cooked.
Read MoreSmoked salmon and lemon risotto seasoned with sea lettuce
This is one of my favourite risottos. The flavour and zing of lemon juice and zest cuts through the salmon and the creamy, cheesy risotto. A pinch of dried sea lettuce seasons the dish perfectly. I would love to try this dish with lobster instead of the salmon. I think it might work.
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