Gordon donates his bollocks to Channel 4

This may be a bit old, forgive me I don’t watch TV very often, but I saw an ad on the BBC Lifestyle channel for Gordon Ramsay’s ‘new’ series, Gordon’s Great Escape. As the ad went on showing Ramsay spontaneously zipping around India on a scooter and delighting in everything he sees and tastes, I thought to myself, what utter crap.

Warning: Eating this will make you very very happy

Ever craved something so ridiculously decadent it's slightly embarrassing to tell anyone? Like a deep fried Mars bar (will have to try one of these while I'm in the UK), or deep fried chips smothered in cheese sauce (quite happy to never try this one thank you very much)?

A few weeks ago I made the queen of all cupcakes; in looks it passes off as pretty and appealing, in theory it is simple and one of man's basic needs... but the lavishness and decadence of it would have your skinny jeans running back to that changing room where you spent 2 hours trying to squeeze into them and not look like a sausage. That said, if this cupcake were an actual queen, it would be a fat little American kid with melted chocolate on her face and crown. It is...... the chocolate and peanut butter cupcake!

If you love peanut butter, you will feel no shame wolfing these down. If you've always feigned shock at the wicked combination of peanut butter and chocolate, you will politely decline a second cupcake only to find yourself returning hours later for a third and fourth. If you're on diet, well, I warn you: this contains butter, cocoa, peanut butter, cream, and loads of sugar- and you won't even care.

Man vs. Meat

Meat-free Monday (MFM) - the obvious choice for some, and the impossible for others. After growing up with a vegan brother, living with a vegetarian digsmate, and having spent a year trying out pescatarianism, eating meals without meat has never been a big deal for me.

I often forget the South African culture of mighty meat: blerrie good braai, dop and chop, biltong, dry wors, kudu, ostrich, wild boar- you name it, we ate it- and how attached Saffas are to their meat.

Butternut Soup Threesome

 I’m yet to meet a person who loathes butternut soup; it’s always top on my pick of soups, and is so versatile! Here’s a basic recipe, with three variations.

Roast Butternut Pasta

It’s simple, but always tastes so good and is a real crowd pleaser!

Butternut Fritters

Great as a starter or snack, these fritters are creamy and delicious with a hint of spice.