what we eat & drink – the recipes

(Neal Street, Covent Garden, and the FOOD FOR THOUGHT vegetarian cafe in the 1980s, where we were first inspired to stop buying meat & fish)

Life, as I have only just begun to realise (why did it take this long?), is all about becoming more and more inquisitive about the natural world around us, the one we really depend on, and less all the virtual crap that we can otherwise get immersed by. Life is also about acquiring new skills.

For example, at the age of 67, teaching myself to play the drums (rumba & flamenco), and how to create tasty and healthy meals.

This page is dedicated to the more successful recipes we have created, and each time there’s a new one I will photograph it and post the recipe here. First though, some basic information.

None of these contain fish, meat, dairy, eggs, or ultra-processed ingredients. They are though generally on the spicy side, so if you don’t like yours hot simply reduce the amount of cayenne pepper/ chilli to suit.

There are no specific instructions on how to prepare the vegetables, that’s for you to decide, we all have different ways of doing these things, but for newbies out there the thicker it is the longer it will take to cook.

Preparation can take up as much as 75% of the time to prepare a meal, so make sure your knives are always kept sharp. I use a flat 6″ chainsaw file for this.

You’ll soon realise I am a big fan of curly kale and cavolo nero. When preparing these it is best to discard all the hard stuff (stems and veins more than 1 mm thick). But with cauliflower and broccoli you can eat virtually all of it, including the thick stems, just cut them into smaller pieces so they cook in the same time.

Unless stated all the cooking is done on a mid-low heat.

Most of the recipes here are for six servings (ie batch cooking). Neither of us has the time to prepare meals one at a time, so this is what we’ve settled on. You can refrigerate after cooking for 48 hrs or freeze what you don’t need. A tip on re-heating, always do it slowly on a low heat, that way it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. We also buy (all our non-fresh ingredients) in bulk, which is not only a lot cheaper, but if you buy enough are usually delivered free of charge. For example, the organic spelt and rye flour we use we get in 25 kg sacks, as the shelf-life for these is at least 6 months.

With regards to kitchen implements, we like to keep it basic here, so really there are only two recommendations.

A cast-iron wok, which we do most of our cooking with and has the benefit of staying hot longer than stainless steel, plus is large enough for the batch portions (6 or more) we prefer. Ours measures 37 cm in diameter and holds 4.5 L.

And a cast-iron manual meat mincer. Not a big fan of electrical kitchen gadgets, this is perfect for making the burgers and hummus with. You can either find them second-hand on eBay, which is where we got our first one, or buy new. I personally recommend going for an all stainless steel model and a 4.5 or 5 mm disc.

Where tinned beans are mentioned in a recipe this is solely as a convenience for those just starting, we actually prefer to use dried beans and cook them in a pressure cooker. This way they have much more flavour/ nutrients and do not contain any harmful preservatives. As a very rough guide (worth checking on the internet), one 400 g tin of beans is the same as 1/2-3/4 cup of dried beans. Always soak them the night before.

Rice is featured a lot. I’ve listed it here as basmati, but actually we prefer brown/ whole grain. Basmati is a lot simpler though. If you wash it thoroughly (to get rid of the starch) first, then soak in a bowl of boiling water for an hour, followed by cooking, the taste is better. Or, as I prefer, wash/ soak for an hour in cold water/ then cook for two minutes in a pressure cooker. 1/3 of a cup to 1/2 a cup per person is a good portion.

Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can afford, it will make all the difference to the taste, and is much healthier than cheaper oils.

If you’ve not come across them before, apple cider vinegar, plant-based sweetner, tamari and miso all help to impart the food with a unique unami taste. For apple cider vinegar (ACV) we recommend an organic type and make sure it includes the Mother. We buy ours in 5 ltr quantity. Sweetner is Agave syrup. Tamari and miso we buy in 2.5 ltr & 1 kg sizes.

And now, finally, to the recipes. Please free to adapt and hone, and let me know what you think. I will also be updating them regularly.

The number has grown so large it would take to long to scroll down them all, so I’ve headed them with a list, which has links on you can click to take you to a particular recipe. Theses are in two groups, the first are the more regular items:

The second the meal recipes, most recent first:

african sweet potato stew

click here to download recipe

pauline’s cashew paella-risotto

click here to download recipe

cauliflower curry

click here to download recipe

pauline’s hearty sweet potato soup

click here to download recipe

bean ragout

click here to download recipe

dal makhani

click here to download recipe

chickpea curry

click here to download recipe

jalfrezi

click here to download recipe

moroccan chickpeas

click here to download recipe

hungarian goulash

click here to download recipe

biryani

click here to download recipe

nduja aubergine & chickpeas

click here to download recipe

green pulao

click here to download recipe

mumbai potatoes

click here to download recipe

spicy moroccan carrot soup

click here to download recipe

hearty lentil, butter bean & greens soup

click here to download recipe

quick curried salad

A salad that you can eat at any time of the year.

click here to download recipe

north indian kidney bean curry (ramja)

click here to download recipe

vegan sobrasada

This is without doubt the best breakfast spread I have ever had, sublime on hot toast.

click here to download recipe

beetroot bourguinon

click here to download recipe

chilli sin carne

click here to download recipe

smoky butterbean and orzo soup

click here to download recipe

spicy lentil bean stew

click here to download recipe

goan vindaloo

Despite the name this is a very mild curry, though you can simply increase the red chilli flakes to make it hotter.

click here to download recipe

borscht

click here to download recipe

white bean balls in garlic tomato sauce

click here to download recipe

aubergine & bean stew

click here to download recipe

korma

click here to download recipe

kale pesto pasta with mushrooms

click here to download recipe

curried pumpkin & ginger soup

click here to download recipe

cuban black bean soup

Teamed here with spelt & rye sourdough bread (recipe below).

click here to download recipe

rogan josh

click here to download recipe

tomato & bean soup with noodles

click here to download recipe

saag aloo

click here to download recipe

pauline’s curry

This is one of our staple meals. Served with Naan bread.

click here to download recipe

curried cauliflower and sweet potato soup

The photo doesn’t do justice to the amazing taste of this soup. It can also be used as a curry.

click here to download recipe

irish stew

A very warming recipe for a cold day. It does contain beetroot, so if you are not a fan then just substitute your favourite root vegetable(s). Same goes for the smoked paprika (not to everyone’s taste), simply use the ordinary kind of paprika. For more information about making cashew cream, visit the chapter make your own plant milk & plant cream.

click here to download recipe

spaghetti bolognese

click here to download recipe

rice and beans

I got the idea for this from a wonderful Peas & Rice dish we had in an authentic (ie not for tourists) Bahamian cafe in the back streets of Nassau. The only time on that trip we felt comfortable eating out.

click here to download recipe

fresh herb tea

For at least six months of the year in Shetland it is possible to go out and pick fresh herbs to make tea. Not only does this taste so much better than dried herb tea, every day is a different selection. This one was the fresh new growth of rose petals + catnep + blackberry leaves + nettle + three types of mint + daisy + mugwort + yarrow + valerian + tarragon + common figwort + silverweed. Always pick the newest part of the plant and steep in boiling water for 10 minutes.

mushroom stroganoff

click here to download recipe

pan con tomate

This is one of the many things I really miss not being able to live in Spain any more, tomato on toast. It doesn’t look that special, but paired with an espresso (or cafe as it is properly called) this makes for the perfect breakfast.

To make at home all you need is a good quality sweet tomato, small to medium size. Simply grate it into a bowl and spoon on. That’s all.

hummus

Have you noticed that shop-bought hummus doesn’t taste like it used to? That’s because the food industry has dramatically reduced the amount of chickpeas and tahini they use, replacing them with a lot more water, then whipping it into a foam. Luckily, making your own is simplicity itself.

click here to download recipe

Featured here on sourdough toast, recipe to make your own bread further down.

veg makhanwala

click here to download recipe

selma’s basmati rice

This is a very tasty alternative to simply cooking the rice. It’s from Selma, who owns the amazing Seabreeze Guest House on the seafront at Portobello, near Edinburgh. Well worth staying at if you are visiting the area, especially for her breakfasts!

click here to download recipe

brussels sprouts curry

click here to download recipe

spicy bean burger

click here to download recipe

minestrone

click here to download recipe

sourdough recipe (tried & tested)

Regardless of what the books tell you, there are no rules to making bread and the sooner you embrace that the quicker you will become a great (intuitive) baker. Experimenting is the only way to understand and succeed.

I currently make my sourdough as follows:

With two jars (originally they came with pickles, the 900 gm size). A long-handled metal spoon for stirring right down to the bottom of a jar. A 1/4 cup measure. Large mixing bowl. And finally a Pyrex dish with glass lid (or Dutch Oven) to bake it in (internal measurements of mine are 300 mm x 200 mm x 85 mm).

The term sourdough, I think, refers to using live yeast instead of an instant or dried one. You make this yourself (or if you live in a bakery the yeast is in the air, so no need to add) and it’s also known as a starter or mother. To get one of these going is really easy. You simply put a 1/4 cup of flour (organic wholemeal spelt is the best, as it is already full of natural yeasts) in one of the glass jars, along with enough water to make it into a porridge-like consistency (which is around 1/8 cup). Repeat this every day, for seven days, by which time the jar will be about half-full and you are ready to start baking.

Water. Using the mains supply, stuff straight from the tap can kill the yeast (if it has a really strong bleachy smell), so I draw off what I need a couple of hours beforehand to allow the chemicals to evaporate.

Now to the bread making part. Again, this is really simple, but you will need to allow a lot more time than with ordinary bread making.

On the last morning making your starter (day seven), at the same time set aside 400 ml of water. Allow enough time for the contaminants of the latter to vent off (a couple of hours), then stir the starter and decant enough of it into the clean jar to cover the bottom. This will be Day One for the starter of your next loaf, and you repeat the making a starter process for another seven days. Or you can refrigerate it (with a lid on) until you want to start again.

Next you add the 400 ml of water to the rest of the starter (the majority), stir thoroughly then pour into a large mixing bowl. Then gradually add spelt flour (or any other type of flour at this stage) until the consistency is becomes like extremely thick sticky porridge. Then leave it in a warm place until the following morning. This period is known as the first stage of rising.

Next day the consistency will be a lot looser. Add more flour, mixing it in first with the long-handled spoon, then one hand only. When the dough begins to form a cohesive ball, but is still very elastic and moist, tilt the bowl and keep it in that position, making sure flour covers the dough sufficiently to lift it out without it sticking to your hand. Then leave it in the bowl for a couple of hours. This is the second stage of rising, and now you should begin to see some (it might not be a lot) increase in volume.

Please note that salt is not required in this recipe. Sourdough spelt has enough flavour of its own, and will keep fresh for ten days, without it.

Around mid-morning, using the long-handled spoon, lever out the ball (which will have become sticky again, but do not add any more flour) into the pyrex dish (which does not need to be greased). Level it flat and smooth using the back of the spoon. Put the lid on and place back in the warm again, for at least a couple more hours, at least until it has risen almost to the top. This is the third stage of rising, and will ensure a perfect chewy crust and light texture. Keep an eye on the rising, as you don’t want it to rise into the lid. As soon as you think it might then either start the next stage (below) or move it to a colder place.

Next comes the baking. I think this is the only difficult part, getting the temperature & timing exactly right. Because all ovens are different, and some are not as accurate as they should be. Ours for example is 20 C degrees hotter than it says on the dial, it’s also fan assisted so bakes quicker. I find that 140 C (on the dial) is what works best for me, which works out at 160 C in real temperature, and for a non-fan-assisted oven add another 20 C, ie 180C. Don’t worry if the first time it doesn’t work, eventually you’ll discover what does. Just don’t try adjusting both the temperature and the time, stick with one or the other.

Preheat the oven for five minutes, then place the dish with the lid still on, on the middle shelf (this will give you the benefit of steaming the bread, using the trapped moisture in the dough) and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the lid (which is why it shouldn’t be allowed to rise too high, you’ll never get it off) and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Then switch off the oven, but leave the loaf inside with the door closed for another 15 minutes. Take out and allow to cool in a cold room for at least hour, so it starts to shrink a bit and naturally peel away from the dish, after which you should be able to slide a knife around the edge and the loaf will tip out. Place upside down on something like a sieve, to allow the air to dry the outside thoroughly, which will still be very damp and soft. The drying process can take a couple of hours or all night. But it is very important. If you forget to do this the loaf will stay damp and go mouldy. When it feels totally dry, store in a cotton drawstring bag. It should then keep fresh/ soft/ and chewy now for at least seven days, and still edible for several days after that.

This recipe makes a loaf that weighs around 1.45 kg, which incidentally is 650 g heavier than a similar sized artisan loaf bought from a shop. Because the lighter one will be full of holes. If you want to make a smaller loaf simply use less water. Nothing else needs to be altered.

Then, when you feel confident with all that, you can start improvising. Having recently tasted a Spelt & Rye loaf I am now using organic rye flour for my starter. It doesn’t seem to make a massive difference to the taste but the rye is certainly a very active starter. You can also substitute beer or stout for water, the possibilities are endless.

pizza dough recipe

I love proper Italian soft, thick crusts on a pizza, so if you do too this is the recipe. Makes enough for four proper servings.

The night before heat 220 ml of water and pour into a large mixing bowl. When it is cool enough (body temperature) add one teaspoon of dried yeast (or sourdough starter – 1.25 cups) and one teaspoon of honey. Stir. Then add Type 00 flour until the consistency is like porridge. Cover with a plate.

In the morning, with a long-handled spoon, add more Type 00 flour until it is no longer sticking to the bowl but is still elastic/ sticky inside. Cover and leave until the afternoon.

An hour before cooking oil a large tray and roll out the dough into it in a round pizza shape. Add your toppings then place in the middle of a pre-warmed oven. Mine is set to 200 C (actual 220 C/ fan-assisted). Bake for 10 minutes.

dundee-ish cake

4 bananas

1 – 1.25 cups of olive oil

2 tablespoons of treacle or molasses

1 lemon, grated to include skin, pith & juice

(25 ml)

1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate

(or baking powder)

30 gm ground almonds

230 flour (we use spelt)

300 gm sultanas

150 – 230 gm glace cherries, cut into

quarters

140 gm walnuts, broken into small pieces

120 gm dates or prunes, chopped

10 almonds, to decorate (optional)

Squidge the bananas in a bowl until they become completely liquid. Then add the treacle and lemon juice. Mix together. Sieve and fold in the flour. Add bicarbonate of soda and almonds. Add sultanas, cherries and walnuts. Mix well. The consistency should be like treacle, add a little more olive oil if it seems too dry, otherwise it will end up crumbly.

Pour into a greaseproof paper lined cake tin (we use one which has a removable base and side which unclips), 24cm diameter, 6.5cm deep. Decorate with whole almonds if you want

Bake in an oven, on the middle shelf, for 50 minutes at 115C (20C higher if not fan-assisted). You may have to experiment with this as most thermostats are not that accurate and size of ovens differ. Our last oven was gas and we set it to Mark 2.75 for 75 mins.

When the time is up test with a needle, or see if it still wobbles when shaken, if it does then put back for another 5 minutes.

The amount and proportions of nuts, fruit and treacle can be varied to taste.

A dish of water on the bottom of the stove will help to stop drying it out during cooking.

easy sauerkraut

This is really easy and not only much tastier than shop-bought, healthier (shop-bought has been pasteurised, killing off any goodness). Both as a natural probiotic (you need this for good stomach bacteria) and its anti-cancer properties.

I make enough each time to fill two one litre jars.

What you need:

a two-litre sauerkraut crock or two-litre Kilner jar. A large mixing bowl. A long wooden spoon. A pestle or something similar. Two one-litre jars with lids (optional for storing the sauerkraut).

2 kg of vegetables (cabbage, carrot, turnips, parsnips, garlic, spring onions, radishes, chillies, whatever you want). 40 gm of sea salt (or 2% of the weight of the vegetables).

Allow up to an hour to do the first stage. Start by weighing out the vegetables to calculate how much salt you need. Then prepare the vegetables. Grate the carrot. Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Then set aside a whole clean leaf, in one piece if possible. Slice and dice the rest of the cabbage as finely as possible.

All the cut/ grated vegetables go in the mixing bowl (I used two as I don’t have one big enough). As you do this, sprinkle salt evenly throughout.

When this is done let it rest for half an hour. Then the hardest part begins. You need to break down the vegetables so the water trapped inside them is released. Start by using the pestle, then go onto squeezing the mixture with your hands, until the level of liquid is higher than the vegetables.

Now decant everything into the two-litre crock/ jar. Using the long wooden spoon to pack the mixture down as tightly as possible, there shouldn’t be any pockets of air.

When you are finished the water level should be above the vegetables. If not top it up with some water from the tap that has been allowed to stand for a couple of hours.

Place the whole cabbage leaf (or pieces) on top to form a seal.

Then using a glass or cup, weight it down (in my case with stones from the beach).

Finish off by sealing any gap with muslin or similar to keep the dust out.

Now all you have to do is wait, anything between 9-28 days (the longer you can wait the better the taste), keeping the jar at room temperature. When you are ready, decant into smaller jars and store in the fridge. Should last 6 months.

even easier kimchi

I thought the sauerkraut was amazing but then went on to discover Kimchi, which is even better. Really sweet & spicy, plus even simpler to make.

This is what you need to fill 2 x 500 gm jars and 1 partly-filled one.

2 kg of vegetables (peeled & chopped weight) Of which approximately 600 gm is any kind of cabbage including curly kale, 500 gm is beetroot, plus a selection from the following: carrot, leek, sweet potato, red pepper, swede, parsnip, pumpkin, turnip, celery, green beans, plus anything else you think might be tasty….

40 gm salt (2% of the total weight of the vegetables) 1 dessertspoon of sweetner (eg agave syrup)

For the paste

1 tsp of coriander
2 tsp of cumin
1 tbsp of korean chilli flakes
1 tbsp of tamari
1 dessertspoon of sesame oil or tahini
1 tbsp of miso
4 garlic cloves
1 thumb of ginger
1 small sweet apple (Fiji are good)
4 spring onions (chopped)
virgin olive oil

Wash & peel the vegetables, then weigh them to make sure you have the 2 kg in total (remember this is just for the vegetables, not the paste ingredients) and adjust the salt quantity accordingly.

Cut everything into french fries sized strips (approx 5 cm long by 5 mm thick), discarding the tough root and stalk bits.

Now put them all into a large stockpot and add the sweetner & salt. Then using a mortar, pummel everything until it starts to soften. This can take 10-15 mins, so be patient. When they begin to soften you can use your hands to squeeze them instead. You will know when to stop, when liquid appears at the bottom.

Next, transfer to a saucepan, put a lid on and place in a fridge for 24 hours.

The following day start by preparing the paste. Grate the ginger, apple and garlic into a bowl. Add the coriander + cumin + chilli flakes + tamari + miso + sesame oil + spring onions, mixing well and adding olive oil if necessary to create a paste-like consistency.

Cut the spring onions, the white bits finely and the green bits into strips. Then take the vegetables from the fridge and using the lid of the saucepan drain off any liquid into a bowl and save. Then add the paste to the vegetables and using one hand squeeze everything together so it is thoroughly mixed and further compressed.

Then decant everything into the 500g jars, using a pestle as you go to make sure it is packed down as hard as possible and there are no air pockets. When the jar is nearly full add some of the liquid to cover the vegetables and wait for a few minutes to make sure it isn’t absorbed (top it up with some more if it does).

(photo above from a different batch, with beetroot)

Then screw on the lids and store in a fridge for two weeks, after which it is ready to use. Keep refrigerated after opening.

espresso off-grid

If you love coffee like I do then you probably would like to know how to make it off-grid, ie without electricity.

I grew up around coffee. My parents had an electric percolator and Cona Coffee maker back in the 1950s and 60s, and I remember clearly then there were coffee bars, my mum worked in one. My favourite as a teenager was Bar Italia in Soho, which opened in 1949 and is still there and still looks relatively unchanged. All these establishments had proper Italian espresso machines. It was also commonplace to buy your coffee freshly roasted/ ground from a local coffee & tea retailer. Most areas of London had one.

Then instant coffee arrived, and that killed it off immediately, save for a couple of Italian coffee bars in places like Soho.

After that it wasn’t until the 1980s that real coffee begun to make a comeback again. Spearheaded, like everything else at the time, by corporate chains opening their new-style cafes on every high street. Though it wasn’t good coffee, and still isn’t, but the younger generation didn’t know that. So the rest of us still had to wait, until this century and the emergence of micro-roasters, offering something a lot better. Today, 50 years later, it is finally possible to buy decent coffee beans wherever you live, and drink decent coffee in a few cafes. The only problem remaining has been how to make it taste as good at home as it does on a proper Italian espresso machine in a cafe. Who not only know how to grind it precisely, weigh the dose exactly, and the espresso machine is able to generate a massive head of steam at a specific temperature. To be able to copy this at home would require spending over £1000 on the equipment and acquiring the know-how that most people would find too daunting.

Luckily I spent 19 years of those dark days in Portugal and Spain, where instant coffee never caught on and the bars served consistently good coffee, as they had been doing for the previous 400 years, all at a much more reasonable price too. A fraction of what is being charged in the UK now. Sadly BREXIT ended that. So since then I have been trying to find a way to make a decent coffee at home.

It is possible. Not as good as from a bar with a proper Italian coffee machine, but definitely acceptable and certainly affordable.

My set-up was as follows:

A stainless steel Bialetti New Venus – 2 cup Moka pot. Which we bought when we were living in British Columbia, back in 2007/8, but is still as good as new today. It’s called a 2 cup, but this is confusing as it really only makes the equivalent of one (double) espresso. To buy one of these today will cost about £30.

An Elma coffee grinder. Which cost me 13 euros new in Spain.

And a Duraflex LE PICARDIE 130ml insulated glass tumbler (about £1.65 new).

And this is how I made the espresso:

When we moved back to the UK in 2019, I hadn’t heard of micro-roasters, so foolishly bought my beans from the local supermarket, which stocked what I thought then were the big brand names. But after working my way through all of them, none tasted anywhere as good as the Delta coffee used in the bars of Portugal & Spain. Which at the time I put down to not having a decent coffee machine at home. Then we made a quick trip to Edinburgh and there I discovered not only some excellent cafes selling unbelievably good coffee, but had the sense to ask what the beans where they used and where they bought them from.

They also told me about the shelf-life of roasted beans. Up ’til then I thought buying in bulk was the most economic option. Wrong. As soon as beans are roasted their unique taste starts to dissipate, so you have to use them up very quickly, preferably within one or at the most two weeks of roasting. The beans you buy in the supermarket, regardless of price/ brand, will always be past this and so of poor quality.

The answer then is to buy direct from micro-roasters, in the smallest amount possible (250 g, which will make about 16 espressos). It took me a while to adjust to this idea, as it was so much more expensive, but when priced out, per cup, this way is still a lot cheaper than buying it in a bar, even back in Spain & Portugal, where it is typically about 90p compared to £3.30 in the UK.

How to make those beans taste as good at home took me a bit longer, but I’m getting there. It wasn’t easy, a very steep learning curve actually (for me anyway), so I’ll describe it two ways: the simple explanation first, then the more complex one.

As I have already said, buy your beans in the smallest quantity (200 g or 250 g), from a small independent roaster.

Then if the sheer choice offered seems too overwhelming, not to mention the different roasts (there are three basically – light/ medium/ and dark), then opt for the house espresso blend (it’s what most cafes offer anyway, so reliable), which is usually medium roasted.

You can either buy single (200/ 250 g) packets to try out various different roasters or opt for a subscription. I would suggest the latter, but make sure it gives you the option to change the frequency of delivery, which is very handy if you run out of beans or don’t use them fast enough.

Store in an airtight/ opaque container, or even better a vacuum cannister.

making a coffee with a moka pot (with grateful thanks to zoeed arshad)

To keep this simple, there are four variables to get right:

amount of coffee beans

the grind setting

amount of water required

and brewing time.

This is what the professionals call dialling-in.

Starting with the beans. For a standard espresso (a double) you generally need between 14 g – 20g, unless it’s a 2-cup Bialetti Moka pot, which only takes up to 16 g.

In order to achieve consistency with every cup I suggest investing in a good quality coffee scale, to weigh them out, one that reads in tenths of a gram.

Now on to the grind setting. For absolute beginners, who may have only a basic grinder, there’s not a lot of choice, you just have to try and get a texture somewhere between granulated sugar and wholemeal flour.

With a more advanced grinder there’s a lot more choice. In fact there’s so much it can prove overwhelming, so I suggest simplifying the process whilst you get used it.

First, calculate where your roast lies on a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is the lightest and 10 the darkest). Then match that against a similar division of your grinder’s settings (for a Moka pot).

Which all probably sounds totally confusing, so here’s an example. My current beans are roasted medium/ dark, which is an 8 on the 1-10 roast scale, so I started with the 8th division on my grinder’s range (for a Moka pot). If the taste turns out too intense I need to grind coarser next time, or finer if it tastes too weak.

Now the amount of water.

First off, it has to be hot, just under boiling. If it isn’t the coffee beans will be exposed to the heat for much longer and this will over-extract the coffee, giving it a burnt taste.

A standard (double) espresso is 60 ml of coffee. However, to achieve this you will need to put in more, at least 40%, to compensate for the fact the coffee grinds will absorb some and there will always be a residue left in the bottom chamber. The easiest way to calculate how much water you need is to fill the bottom chamber to just below the brass pressure valve, then weigh (1 gm = 1 ml) or measure how much this is.

As with measuring the beans, to achieve regular consistency it is important to be as precise as possible every time, so I suggest for measuring/ poring the hot water investing in a 150 ml heatproof glass beaker marked in 10 ml graduations.

Having ground the coffee you now transfer it to the filter funnel (see photo above). This has to be done in a way that doesn’t compress the coffee but avoids lumps and pockets of air. To do this I suggest you balance the funnel on the worktop, and as you spoon in the coffee, tap the filter hard each time to spread the grinds evenly. When you reach the top, stop. Do not be tempted to tamp. If you have any coffee left over save it for the next time and deduct it from the amount you need each time.

Now pour the measured amount of hot water into the base, place the filter funnel on top and screw together firmly (you may need to use a cloth for this as the base will heat up quickly).

Which just leaves the brewing and brew time. If you are using a 2-cup Moka pot on a gas cooker you will need a trivet or even better a stainless steel (Bialetti) heat diffuser plate.

To calculate how hot the flame/ temperature needs to be, it should take no longer than 2-3 minutes from start to finish, and the flow should be steady, so adjust the heat accordingly.

As soon as you start the heating, lift up the lid and watch for the liquid to appear through the central column. When it starts to bubble lift it off the heat.

Pour your coffee (you can do this on the scales, if you want to know how much coffee it makes).

If everything was done correctly you should not only have a 60 ml espresso, but which tastes exquisite.

If not, then a bit more experimenting is required.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Not enough coffee means you probably lifted the pot off the heat too early.

A burnt after-taste (over-extraction), is almost certainly because the grind is set too fine, simply change to a coarser one. Also make sure you aren’t over-filling the filter with coffee. It should by flush with the top, no higher.

If none of those solve the problem it could be your Moka pot needs a deep clean. Fill the base with 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Boil as usual (without coffee), then allow this to stand for up to an hour. Use a thin bottle brush to clean inside the central column. Don’t forget the deep channel around the inside of the upper chamber. Do all of this regularly.

Too watery tasting, grind finer.

When the pot is cool enough to handle, take everything apart and thoroughly wash everything. On the top part you can use a stiff brush for the underside filter/ silicon gasket, to remove any grounds. With the funnel blow through to ensure this is clear. Then leave to dry, do not reassemble before using again.

Eventually the silicon (for stainless steel or rubber for aluminium) gasket will need replacing. They last me about a year and I always keep a stock of several just in case they get hard to find. When you replace one make sure you also use this opportunity to clean the holes in the two metal filters using a sharp pin.

Epilogue.

This is still a very new adventure for me, so as I learn will be updating this chapter. As of now I am still using the same Bialetti Moka pot, but have found a Bialetti diffuser plate on offer at 50% off, which has made a big difference, and succumbed to a better quality hand-grinder (Aergrind), along with coffee scales that measure in tenths of a gram. My beans still come from the same (independent) roaster, on a flexible subscription (which means you can change the frequency of delivery to suit you), Artisan Roast. Their website isn’t very user-friendly, especially for the novice, none of them are, but after a few bad choices I have now settled for their Year-round blends/ JANSZOON blend. Next time I am in Edinburgh I will try some out other roasters in the many coffee shops they have there.

Moka pot coffee however is always going to be limited to what it can achieve, even with the best coffee beans. Capable of only 1-1.5 bars of pressure, compared to a real espresso machine which produces 9 bars, a lot of the flavour will be missed. It isn’t going to be as hot either. But for the moment I am more than happy to have achieved the best taste with what I have, it’s a useful learning exercise before moving on to something more challenging.

To give you some idea how that journey is progressing here are my latest settings:

14.9 gm of coffee beans (JANSZOON, Artisan Roast), which are a medium to dark roast, 8/10 on a scale of light to dark scale.

2.3.2 grinder setting (Knock Aergrind), which is 8/10 on the range for Moka pots.

120 ml hot water.

2 mins brew time.

make your own plant milk/ cream/ & white sauce

If you have ever bought plant food substitutes and bothered to look at the ingredients, you will know that there is very little that is wholesome or good for you, and a lot that is downright harmful (ultra processed and additives). Plus there’s all that packaging. Thankfully, making your own is a lot tastier and healthy. It’s also really easy.

Simply choose which nut or grain you want to use and soak (for example) 1 cup of that overnight. Next day drain the liquid and spoon one tablespoon of the now softened nuts/ grains into a liquidiser, adding just the tinniest amount of water to allow the blade to spin freely. If it won’t then add a tiny bit more water. When that is smooth add another spoonful of nuts/ grains and repeat until everything is liquidised. By only using the minimum of water it comes out creamy and with perfect smoothness. If you then want to go on to make milk, just add more water until you are happy with the taste/ consistency. That’s all. No straining or measuring required.

If you want to make your own version of coconut milk, simply:

soak 3/4 cup of cashews overnight (then drain)

Then in a liquidiser put in:

1/4 cup of coconut milk powder, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, 1.5 dsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp sweetner (eg agave syrup).

Start spooning in the softened cashew nuts, a few at a time, adding water as necessary (+/- 200 ml).

This will make about 400 ml, the same as in a tin of coconut milk.

If you want to make it as a cream, just use less water. For a white sauce, add 1 tsp mustard powder (and anything else you want, like a pinch of smoked paprika for more of a bite).

Please note that soya milk and any food containing soya beans, which has not been fermented, has been linked with increasing the chances of cancer in women who have had the menopause. Check with the latest medical research to be sure.