Hello and welcome, come on in. Yes the kettle is on and the teapot is all ready, so make yourself at home.
A little bit about me. I’m Susanne, sometimes known as Witch Hazel, and if you’re here then I guess that, like me, you love to cook. It wasn’t always so for me, however. Although I helped around the kitchen growing up, I somehow lacked confidence in the catering department. Mum made sure I knew the basics before I went off to university, and I longed to experiment, I just had a fear of ruining everything. My first home of my own came at a time when I was working in the pub trade, so I was rarely home to cook which meant I relied on student staples like spag bol and bangers and mash.
Relocating to Devon meant moving back in with Mum and Dad, and though it was easy to fall into the old behaviours of letting Mum do the cooking I realised I needed to pull my weight, and with her on hand to avert disaster I gained in confidence.
Fast forward to today and I have been married for some time and love being in the kitchen. My style may not be fancy and chefy, but I try to do good food to the best of my ability. We have a small veg patch to provide us with fresh produce, and I try to shop locally and seasonally where I can.
The recipes you will find on here are all things I’ve cooked and (usually very inexpertly) photographed and so you know it has passed the deliciousness test. I’ll also share my kitchen tips, ideas for preserving the harvest, and even the odd cookbook review.
Why “Witch Hazel’s Kitchen”? Well I am a witch and though you may not find a recipe that includes eye of newt, I will include the magickal associations of the ingredients where appropriate.
Perfect timing: the tea has brewed. Let’s grab some cake while it’s still warm and talk about food.