Variety of ideas on offer with chicken

WHEREVER I am in the world I will see chickens. Admittedly that isn't true of the Tundra, but I don't go there!

I’m making no bones about a little chatter

I'VE had a very exciting time in the last few months and as this is a cookery page and not a social diary I will tell you only about two events.

Puds have stood test of time

LAST month we looked at good old fashioned puddings and as I'm a great fan of them I have lots more to share with you. Most of them have been made by our grandparents and their grandparents before them, so they must be good to have lasted so long! BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING This really is a favourite of mine as long as the top is crispy and the middle nice and soft. You need to use proper bread, not the commercial sliced, and it's a chance to use some which is a few days old. Traditionally, it is white but wholemeal can be used. Posh restaurants make it from brioche, but unless these are left over it's an expensive way of tackling a cheap dish. I also like to use butter instead of any other spread as this adds to the flavour and a few drops of vanilla extract make the custard tasty.

Memories rekindled by old fashioned puddings

THIS year I gave a friend of mine three cookbooks, which I bought from a charity shop. It was just a little something as he had had another Christmas present from us.