In this region of Portugal people bake a type of bread which I adore. Fluffy, light, like a cream cloud. Usually it is served during Easter, baked in fierce wood ovens, but nowadays can be found all year round in the village bakery. It’s taste is so evocative of this place in the country, the olive harvests and reminds me of my Grandad who loved it and would crumble some slices when stale, in more olive oil and garlic.

Following the health-related research that the British Egg Industry Council released, here are some recipes that the happy egg co and top Chef Mat Follas have got together to promote the versatility of eggs to get people using them in dishes beyond the breakfast table. the happy egg co. is committed to producing great tasting eggs laid by the happiest free range hens. All of the happy egg co. farms exceed the standards required for free range hens. the happy egg co. producer base comprises of specially selected British Free Range farms.

If you can’t make the Bompas and Parr event at Harvey Nichols, the Jelly Mongers have also provided us with some Pancake Day recipes for your own kitchen.

When you think of sensual experiences, porridge might not be the first thing that comes to mind, unless it involves nudity and spatula. But that might change when you try Rude Health’s Valentine’s porridge recipes.

The makers of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Ale have recently launched a range of non-alcoholic ginger drinks. And to show them off, Wayne Collins from BBC’s “Something for the Weekend” has created some spectacular cocktail recipes to help you really enjoy them.

This is a rich almond cake from the Convent of Vidigueira, in Alentejo. to which I have introduced two things that make the cake stand out and taste even nicer: some sheets of filo pastry on top which add extra texture and a honey-orange blossom syrup which give extra scent and moistness.

A healthy tasty dish, from Filippo Berio, for those of us trying to lose some of that festive season weight.

January is surely the time to cut back on luxury items like meat and focus on fruit and vegetables. Winter ingredients can seem a little boring at first but the way to get around this is to try different ways of cooking them. Grated beets make a gloriously red fritter with earthy chickpeas, sharp feta and herbs. They’re very simple to prepare too, particularly if you use ready-cooked beets (just avoid the ones preserved in vinegar).

Fragrant Spanish persimon are in season from October until mid January. It has a sweet, firm, orange flesh, similar to a peach or mango and can be eaten fresh, or used in sweet and savoury dishes. Here are three great recipes including one from Sam and Sam Clark at Moro