The notebook: 40 dishes I cook, and what changed this season

On the radar

Dishes I am cooking for the winter edition. A dish needs three good cooks before it goes in.

• Cooked 2 of 3 timesA winter stew for a long eveningBeans, smoked meat and a bay leaf, cooked all afternoon.
• Cooked 1 of 3 timesDried fruit and nut cakeA dense, sticky cake that keeps for a week.
• Cooked 3 of 3 timesBarley soup with mushroomsA thick soup for a cold lunch.
• Cooked 1 of 3 timesWalnut-stuffed datesA sweet to put out with tea.
• Not yet cookedBeetroot dumplingsA pink dough, and I am not sure it works.

1. Edition 5Autumn 20268 Nov 2026

   • AddedPumpkin soup with dried apricotsSweet and sour in one bowl, thickened with nothing but the pumpkin.Cooked 6 times · serves 4
   • AddedBean stew with plumsSlow beans with a handful of dried plums that melt into the sauce.Cooked 5 times · serves 6
   • AddedBread with cheese baked insideA round loaf with salty cheese folded in before the last rise.Cooked 4 times · one loaf
   • AddedQuince, slowlyQuince cooked for two hours until soft and pink, served beside roast meat.Cooked 4 times · serves 4
   • AddedCabbage salad with pomegranateRaw cabbage, pomegranate seeds and a walnut dressing.Cooked 7 times · serves 4

   6 more

   • ChangedDumplingsA thinner dough and a shorter steam: eleven minutes, not fifteen.Cooked 20 times
   • FixedPepper stewThe printed copy said 20 g of salt for the whole pot. It is 8 g.Page 31
   • DroppedSummer cucumber saladOnly good in the heat, and I stopped making it in September.Last cooked in August
   • DroppedCold herb soupLovely twice, then I never wanted it.Last cooked in July
   • DroppedAugust tomato dishIt only works for three weeks of the year.Last cooked in August
   • DroppedBaked fish with herbsI never made it a second time.Cooked once
2. Edition 4Summer 20269 Aug 2026

   • AddedCold bean saladBeans, onion and walnuts, better the next day.Cooked 5 times · serves 4
   • AddedPlum jam on toastTart plums boiled down with a little sugar and a bay leaf.Cooked 4 times · one jar
   • AddedGreen herb omeletteA thick omelette, mostly herbs, cut in wedges.Cooked 8 times · serves 2
   • AddedGrilled aubergine rollsSlices rolled round walnut paste and served cold.Cooked 4 times · makes 12
   • ChangedPickled peppersLess vinegar and a week in the jar instead of three days.Cooked 3 times

   5 more

   • ChangedFlat bread with cheeseA hotter pan and a thinner base.Cooked 15 times
   • FixedWalnut sauceThe method said to add the water at the start. It goes in last.Page 12
   • DroppedSpring onion soupThe onions are gone by June, and so is the soup.Last cooked in May
   • DroppedRice with raisinsToo sweet for what I cook now.Last cooked in March
   • DroppedLamb and herb stewA winter dish that I forced into summer.Last cooked in April
3. Edition 3Spring 202610 May 2026

   • AddedNettle soupA first soup of the year, green and a little sharp.Cooked 5 times · serves 4
   • AddedRadish and herb saladRadishes, soft herbs and sour cream.Cooked 6 times · serves 4
   • AddedSpinach with eggsCooked spinach, cracked eggs and a lid.Cooked 9 times · serves 2
   • AddedCheese pastryLayers of thin dough and soft cheese, baked on Sunday.Cooked 4 times · serves 8
   • AddedChicken with walnut sauceCold chicken under a thick walnut and garlic sauce.Cooked 6 times · serves 4

   6 more

   • ChangedBean soupSoaked beans, and a spoon of vinegar at the end.Cooked 12 times
   • FixedMeat dumplingsThe filling is 400 g of meat, not 500 g.Page 24
   • DroppedWinter cabbage stewThe cabbage turned bitter in April.Last cooked in March
   • DroppedDried fruit compoteI stopped making it once fresh fruit came in.Last cooked in April
   • DroppedLentil soup with spiceReplaced by the nettle soup.Last cooked in March
   • DroppedWalnut cakeToo heavy for the season and I never made it twice.Cooked once
4. Edition 2Winter 20268 Feb 2026

   • AddedBeef and prune stewA long stew with prunes for a short day.Cooked 4 times · serves 6
   • AddedPotato dumplings in brothSoft potato dumplings dropped into a clear broth.Cooked 4 times · serves 4
   • AddedBeetroot with garlicRoasted beetroot, yoghurt and plenty of garlic.Cooked 7 times · serves 4
   • AddedOrange and walnut loafA dense loaf with orange peel, for the tea table.Cooked 3 times · one loaf
   • ChangedBread doughFewer kneads and a longer rest.Cooked 30 times

   3 more

   • ChangedPickled cabbageSalt by weight, not by the spoon.Cooked 5 times
   • DroppedCucumber picklesThey need summer cucumbers.Last cooked in September
   • DroppedFried fishI do not like the smell in the flat.Last cooked in November
5. Edition 1Autumn 20259 Nov 2025

   • AddedPumpkin dumplingsSweet pumpkin in a thin dough, with sour cream.Cooked 5 times · serves 4
   • AddedGrape and walnut sweetsWalnuts dipped in thickened grape juice, hung to dry.Cooked 3 times · makes 20
   • AddedChestnut soupA creamy soup for the first cold evening.Cooked 4 times · serves 4
   • AddedSage and bean breadA heavy loaf with beans mashed into the dough.Cooked 4 times · one loaf
   • AddedApple and cheese plateHard cheese, apples and bread, with nothing to cook.Cooked 20 times · serves 2

   6 more

   • AddedStuffed peppersPeppers filled with rice, herbs and a little meat.Cooked 6 times · serves 4
   • ChangedPlum sauceMore sugar, less time, and a cleaner colour.Cooked 8 times
   • ChangedRice pilafSoaked rice and a tighter lid.Cooked 14 times
   • DroppedTomato soupToo ordinary next to what I cook now.Last cooked in September
   • DroppedMushroom pieTasty, but I never cooked it a third time.Cooked twice
   • DroppedFruit leatherBetter to buy it.Last cooked in October