Dominique Eastwick

by Susan Lodge This easy recipe, that serves two, is ideal for Valentine's Day dinner with your special someone. Add a crisp salad, dry white wine, and candles then let romance flow. Photo by tiramisustudio . ROMANTIC RISOTTO 75g (3oz.) butter 1 small onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped 200g (7oz.) Arborio risotto rice 150ml (5 oz.) white wine 75g (3oz.) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced A few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stalks 500ml (18oz.) fish or chicken stock 1 lemon 100g (4oz.) green string beans, cooked and halved 200g (7oz.) prawns (large shrimp), peeled and cooked 3 - 4 thin slices of salami or chorizo, chopped, for garnish 1 sprig of basil for decoration Melt half the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for about 3-4 minutes over a moderate heat. Stir in the rice and mix well to coat the grains with the onion mixture. Add the wine, mushrooms, and thyme. Stir well.  Let the wi...

My guest today is Susan Lodge , noted Regency romance author. Susan appears to have guest with her. Who do you have here, Susan? I have brought along Hetty Avebury who is the heroine of Only a Hero Will Do . She wishes to share some advice about travelling at sea in the nineteenth century. Hetty unfortunately found herself trapped on a naval ship, uninvited and...  Excuse me, Susan. If I am not mistaken, you did say I could do this blog - after all I am the person who experienced the stressful, but enlightening, voyage and I don't want you to say anything indelicate. Perhaps you can go and arrange the refreshments. I will look after the visitors. Oh! Where are my guests precisely? Okay, Hetty, you carry on. Trust me, they are out there listening, just talk – you’re good at that. But don’t give away too much of the plot before I come back.  Good! She has gone. Good day - are you there? Well I shall continue even though I fear my author has become quite addle brained...