Introduction

I don't cook that often. It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just don't get in from work until after 6pm, and my wife, who works from home, usually has my dinner on the table by the time I get in. Now isn't that every man's dream?

At weekends or on days off I do sometimes feed the family - the arcade chip shop's number is 028 9446 5249 and the China Court is 028 9442 8513.

When I do actually get my hands dirty it's more often than not to do something with the kids or because I've taken a notion for something that's not already in the house.

I'm not a cook, and I don't like recipes that say things like "pour in 127.3ml of water and stir for 18 seconds" so amounts in here are approximate and the dough will not come to life and eat you if you overshoot a bit.

One more thing, I was born in the mid seventies in Northern Ireland so everything I learned at school was metric, while everything I learned outside school is imperial, so don't be suprised if the ingredients have a mixture of both. Part of the reason is that I choose amounts that I can remember without looking them up every time.

What makes these recipes stand out from the millions of cookbooks that have already been published? Only one thing; they're mine.