Hi, I’m Lisa – the well-fed redhead.

I’ve been lucky to grow up in a family of people who are (very) keen on their food and cooking*.  My mum is an amazing cook, my granny a brilliant baker.  My siblings can turn their hand to most types of cooking.  Nothing makes me happier than a great meal, and my travels are built around food.

Still, when I moved into my first house, I realised I didn’t really know how to cook.  I knew what I liked and didn’t like to eat, but didn’t have a clue how to cook it in my own kitchen.  Instead of watching and learning from my mum, I had opted to lock myself into my bedroom and listen to cassettes of New Kids on the Block.  Stupid decision in many ways.

This blog is about the trials and tribulations of my attempts to become a half-decent cook.  It’s a ‘warts and all’ blog – I promise to always ‘fess up when I make horribly stupid mistakes.  I’ll also share the good stuff, like recipes, experiences and pics.

Also, there are, and always will be times that I just cannot be bothered cooking, or I fancy a night off!  We’ve all had those days….  If that’s the case, I eat out, provided I have enough pennies that month.  I also plan holidays around good food (I’m miserable otherwise!)  So, I also blog on eating out – where’s worth checking out, where I wouldn’t return again and so on.

My other (working!) life is one to do with responsible business, sustainability and corporate responsibility (yes, very different from food!)  You can find out more about that stuff here: http://www.lisamcilvenna.com

I hope you enjoy this blog – I’d love to hear any comments or ideas you have – as well as brilliant recipes, tips and restaurants you’d recommend trying!

Enjoy! x

*My dad is a woeful cook.  His idea of cooking for us when we were kids was putting blocks of cheddar on a cocktail stick, along with a pickled onion. He does, however, make a mean G&T.