Let’s Start Cooking!…
(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)
Welcome to Menu Mistress…
I love cookbooks and have an extensive collection! The idea of Menu Mistress is to share recipes from these books that I’ve tried and tested. This blog is essentially for people who love food but don’t have the time, energy or patience to find that winning recipe – that’s the job of Menu Mistress! Naturally I also enjoy eating out, so I’ve turned my hand to restaurant reviews too – check them out here!..
(Recipes are updated every week – scroll down and sign up at the bottom of this page to receive a weekly reminder)
Tuesday Treat
Coffee Semifreddo with Salted Caramel Pistachios
This is one of those recipes which you will want to make time and time again. Not only is it delicious, but it’s super easy to make (despite the long recipe!), plus you can store it in the freezer for a ‘sweet-boost’ after a long day! I adore the caramelised pistachios; I usually double the quantity, so I have one portion to mix into the semifreddo and another for sprinkling over. They’re also great as a sweet treat with an espresso!
For the caramelised pistachios:
*(if you like, double quantities for sprinkling or snacking(!) – see note above)
100g pistachios (shelled)
100g caster sugar
A good pinch of flaky sea salt
For the semifreddo:
5 egg whites
200g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
300ml double cream
30ml cold, strong espresso coffee
*You will need a terrine dish or bread tin, roughly 25cm x 10cm, lined with two or three sheets of cling film – this is vital for getting the semifreddo out later on (leave an excess of cling film for folding over the semifreddo).
- Place the nuts on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Place in a preheated oven, 180’c (fan), for 10 minutes – put on a timer as they burn easily!
- Meanwhile, place the 100g sugar into a wide pan, ideally silver-coloured so that you can see the colour of the caramel as it changes. Shake the sugar about so that it spreads out evenly and place the pan over medium-high heat. Leave the sugar to melt; Do Not be tempted to stir it to help it melt evenly, if you do it will crystallise. You can give it a gentle shake, just no stirring. Watch the colour – you want it to caramelise to a reddish colour.
- As soon as the caramel is ready, turn off the heat and pour in the nuts while they’re still hot. Having the nuts hot gives you time to quickly stir them through the caramel without it setting too quickly. Add a generous pinch of sea salt, stirring to coat the nuts completely, then quickly pour on to a lined tray and leave to cool. When set, bash with a rolling pin to break apart the caramelised nuts, you don’t want big clumps but instead individual nuts and halves.
- Now you can make the semifreddo. Simply place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until they are foamy and just forming stiff peaks – be careful not to over whisk. Gradually add the sugar, whisking to create a light meringue.
- In a separate bowl, scrape out the vanilla pod and add to the double cream. Whip until it thickens and just begins to leave little ribbons behind the whisk.
- Carefully fold in the cold espresso and the pistachios into the cream (If you have doubled the quantities of pistachios, only add half!). Then, gradually fold in the meringue, little by little, trying to retain as much air as possible. Pour the mixture into your prepared dish, fold over the cling film and place in the freezer until it sets (6-8 hours).
- To serve, simply turn the semifreddo out of the mould, peel off the cling film and thickly slice on a bread board. Quickly wrap up any leftovers and place in the freezer for a treat at a later date!
July 2026
Summer holidays!..
I’m off to Italy soon, and so pasta has been on my mind! This month I’m sharing two pasta recipes. Both are super simple, so you won’t have to slave over the stove for too long. Let’s hope we can also enjoy them al fresco…
Menu one is Salmoriglio & Seabass Linguine. I hadn’t heard of Salmoriglio until recently; simply put, it’s a Sicilian sauce made from dried oregano, olive oil, garlic and lemon. In this recipe from the cookbook ‘The Farm Table’, Julius Roberts combines it with Sea Bass to create a delicious, super-quick dish. Menu Two is Casarecce with Lemon, Olives & Parsley. Athena Calderone created this recipe for her cookbook, ‘Cook Beautiful’, it’s her take on a pesto sauce. It’s delicious, more robust than a classic pesto and all the better for it!
Enjoy your summer… I’ll be back in September with more recipe inspiration!..
Menu One
Salmoriglio & Seabass Linguine (Serves 3)
Salmoriglio is a Sicilian sauce which is dried oregano, olive oil, garlic and lemon. In this recipe from the cookbook ‘The Farm Table’, Julius Roberts combines it with Sea Bass to create a delicious, super-quick dish. It’s particularly good on a summers evening. The only downside of this recipe is that it only serves three people so you might want to double it!..
300g linguine (gluten-free if required)
300g fresh seabass fillets, skinless
A bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the Salmoriglio:
2 cloves garlic
120ml olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 60ml)
A generous pinch of dried oregano
A pinch of chilli flakes
- Put all the ingredients for the Salmoriglio in a food processor and whiz until smooth.
- Meanwhile cook the linguine according to the packet instructions until al dente.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking cut the sea bass fillets into small pieces. Place the fish into a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
- Just before the pasta is ready, place a shallow pan over a medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and add the fish. Toss it in the oil and let it sizzle. When the fish has begun to turn white, add the drained pasta and a little splash of the pasta water and the chopped parsley. Finally, add a generous amount of salmoriglio (not all of it), mix well, taste, adding more sauce if needed and seasoning.
- Eat immediately, with extra sauce at the table for anyone who wants a splash more.
Menu Two
Casarecce with Lemon, Olives & Parsley (Serves 4)
Athena Calderone created this recipe for her cookbook, ‘Cook Beautiful’, it’s her take on a pesto sauce. It’s delicious, more robust than a classic pesto and all the better for it. Whilst big on flavour it requires very little time at the stove!..
55g hazelnuts, blanched
1 large bunch of parsley, chopped (about 65g)
280g Nocellara green olives, stoned and roughly chopped
2 large lemons, grated zest and juice
120ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more to drizzle
455g Casarecce pasta, or another short pasta shape such as gemelli or fusilli (gluten-free if needed)
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 anchovy fillets, depending on your taste, finely chopped
100g grated ricotta salata, plus shavings to serve
¼ teaspoon finely chopped habanero chilli or green chilli, finely chopped
Aleppo pepper for serving
Sea salt and black pepper
- Firstly, spread the hazelnuts on a lined baking tray, place in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 10 minutes, until lightly lightly golden.
- Roughly chop the toasted hazelnuts and place in a bowl, toss with a generous drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the parsley, olives, lemon juice,, zest and 120ml olive oil. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 120ml of the pasta water.
- Mix the garlic and anchovy together so that they form a paste. In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic-anchovy paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low.
- Pour the drained pasta into the frying pan. Add the grated cheese and reserved pasta water and toss until the cheese is evenly distributed. Stir in the parsley and olive mixture and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve topped with the toasted hazelnuts, chopped chilli and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper.
A Little Bit of Housekeeping…
To find all the recipes from my blogs go to the Recipes page where there is a link to print them off.
Oven Settings – All my recipes presume that you are cooking with a fan oven, increase the temperature by 20’c for conventional ovens without a fan.
‘Staple Side Dishes’ – when you see this note beside a recipe, it indicates that I have previously published this side dish on Menu Mistress. I have re-published it so that you don’t have to trawl through my old recipe blogs to find it – Menu Mistress is about making your life in the kitchen easier!
Gluten-Free – I eat gluten-free, so all of my recipes have gluten-free options, although I must stress that if you have an allergy please double check all ingredients. If flour is used you can substitute it with gluten-free flour (I use Dove’s Free From range) and likewise with other ingredients such as pasta or soy sauce, you can use gluten free options.
Most of the recipes on Menu Mistress are courtesy of the creativity of cookery book writers, old and new. The recipes are an ‘amuse-bouche’ of those available in their books. Please go to my Cookbooks page for more information.
Music to Cook to….what I’ve been listening to in my kitchen!….Click on this link to listen to my playlists (listen without judgement – it’s just a bit of fun!)
Any feedback or recipe ideas? Leave your comments at the very bottom of this page… or feel free to contact me personally here!…
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