A hearty, warming risotto for these freezing winter months, making the most of the squash season and its diversity.

As aubergine season is in full swing at the moment, there is nothing better than a simple parmigiana. The zingy caponata sauce cuts through the cheese and adds something slightly different to this recipe.

It is very easy to rustle up, yet feels like you have made a big effort. I have adapted and tweaked the recipe a little but it really is a rough guide as it is best suited to your individual tastes.

I love making focaccia - I think it is the easiest and safest bread for a beginner to start learning and also very satisfying to make. It can be spruced up with any given topping or made simply with olive oil, salt and herbs as an accompaniment to a meal.

These hot cross buns are made with Earl Grey soaked sultanas and currants, orange and lemon zest, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and a hint of nutmeg. This is a very fruity mixture with 300g of dried fruit to 400g flour, which I think is the way that a hot cross bun should be.

This recipe is a real labour of love but they are so very worth it, as I think there is nothing better really than having homemade, freshly baked croissants for breakfast!

My love of smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels are associated with buying our Christmas tree from Columbia Road. We would go there early in the morning and have a bagel and a hot chocolate, before going to select our Christmas tree. As we were unable to do our family tradition this year, I thought I would take it upon myself to learn how to make bagels.

This is actually a Vegan recipe, which I hadn’t quite realised until I started writing out the ingredients! It is an easy mid-week meal to rustle up and throw together with whatever is in your fridge, so very adaptable.

Another all-time favourite meal - this recipe is very adaptable as I am sure that most people have their own family chicken pie recipe.

A zesty curry made for those warm summer evenings with its assortment of spices and wonderful yellow hue.

Originating in Indonesia and Malaysia, there are many, many different versions of this dish, with more variants from other Southeast Asian countries too, with recipes being tweaked as they have been passed down through the generations. This was the first time that I had cooked a properly authentic Southeast Asian curry and what a curry it was - super punchy and fragrant and very straightforward to cook.

This is the perfect accompaniment and my favourite. It goes with lots of things but it really lifts those everyday work sandwiches, adding something a little extra.

I think this is one of the ultimate comfort foods, as everyone loves pasta and this dish is a more spruced up version of pasta and tomato sauce. It is great in the summer for an easy light(ish) lunch or supper or even better when it is cold and very autumnal and you need something to lift your spirits!

What makes this crumble the best one that I have either made or eaten is the 50:50 ratio of blackberries to apples, along with the salted butter (which was actually a mistake, I thought it was unsalted!) in the crumble topping which balances out all of the sweetness.