KB's Joyous Things

KB's Joyous Things

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KBJT food quiz #6
Fifteen questions covering a range of topics from ingredients, geeky knowledge and history to films and quotations, all with food at their heart. Test…
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Karen Barnes
A sublime whipped confection for boozy pies and Christmas pud
Say hello to the fluffy stuff: my mum's orange brandy butter. It's light, it's boozy, it's orangey and, once tasted, I'm hoping it will become part of…
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Karen Barnes
The glossy one: my mincemeat recipe, cooked low & slow
Bundle everything into the oven on a gentle heat and leave the flavours to meld and glossify. The mincemeat keeps for months, given a chance (unlikely…
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Karen Barnes
December's Joyous Hotlist
A sprinkling of sparkle-dust to kick off the month: good stuff to do, a peppering of gifts (not too many), music, inspiration, ideas…
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Karen Barnes

November 2025

KBJT food quiz #5
Fifteen questions covering a range of topics from ingredients, geeky knowledge and history to films and quotations, all with food at their heart. Test…
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Karen Barnes
My 2025 address book of online artisan cheese shops, bakeries, meat & fish suppliers
A tested collection to bookmark, curated and added to over years. Not a definitive list and not just for the upcoming festivities but a joyful cluster…
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Karen Barnes
'Live, laugh, labneh!' A manifesto with gusto and an exceedingly good guinea fowl recipe
SLICE OF LIFE #11 Meet chef Ayesha Kalaji, who'd rather write a list of achievements than join a gym, loves snuggling with her cats and has a tribute to…
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Karen Barnes
KBJT food quiz #4
It's chilly! Get that fire lit or heating on, make a cup of tea/gin and tonic/pour a glass of wine [delete as applicable], then give those end-of-week…
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Karen Barnes
Our family Christmas pudding recipe brought to you with a promise: it wins people over
This weekend is Stir-Up Sunday, the traditional day for making the traditional pud. My mum's recipe differs from dark, stodgy offerings: it's lighter…
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Karen Barnes
If a cosy blanket were a potato dish…
Sounds like a crone; eats like a hug. Here's how to make pan haggerty, enhanced with citrussy spice. PLUS a reading by the recipe's creator, Mark…
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Karen Barnes
"I owe my career to a tutor who met me for five seconds and gave me a chance"
Mark Diacono was on a slow-track to nowhere. Then, just for something to do one day, he tagged along to a friend's college interview, where a chance…
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Karen Barnes
How far would you go to write a book?
Storms, ice-rink roads and fallen trees, numerous photo shoot days cancelled and seemingly impossible logistics… The result? A work of art, with stories…
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Karen Barnes
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