JK's kitchen

 "A Summer Stew" This dish takes me back into a part of my history that feels almost dreamlike.  It takes me to the tiny kitchen of an artists house in Tatabanya (a small city built around a mine, about an hour away from Budapest). I had gone with my friend Tibi to meet his father, look at some art and accept some hospitality (my friends mother was also in the house but she was asleep on the sofa after having worked in the hospital for more than eighteen hours) I remember the small kitchen, not being allowed to cut the tomatoes or peppers, the smell of the paprika and caraway. I remember Tibi's dad shouting at the excess of liquid in the pot then laughing at me trying to figure out what was wrong (we didn't share a language).  It was the kind of good natured chaos that made me feel at home.   Ingredients  Hungarian wax peppers (not the red ones, not the green ones, if you cant get the pale ones don't bother making this it will be too sweet and cloying I've ...

 "It's been sweltering."  This is absolutely not how you plate this to eat it but it does look pretty right? Some days its too hot to cook but that doesn't mean you don't want something good to eat. the problem is that even in England, where the heat is rare but genuinely oppressive, turning on the oven or standing in front of the hob seems like an exorcise in machoism. In these cases you can absolutely reach for a sandwich or you can do something that hits a little harder and feels more like a meal. thes crostini take me back to sundrenched lunches in Naples.  Crostini  Bread (A baguette is my preferred choice but go for good bread over the correct shape. the bread is the meal more or less) Olive oil Garlic  (one clove, peeled) Drizzle your bread with olive oil then put it under the grill until it's toasted to your liking.  While the bread is still warm rub garlic over the toast. (trust me the flavor is very present and this is a good way to cheat your way...