This is my method for the best fried egg and involves steaming them in their own glass dome. Soft but set whites with cooked but runny yolks. Perfect.

A lovely way to start the day. These light pancakes are so easy to make, requiring little more than the ability to mix some ingredients in a bowl and heat them up.

One of the most simple things a cook can make. As well as being delicious served with buttered toast they also provide an instant crack-at-the-table sauce to finish dishes and soups.

A simple recipe that even the most inexperienced cook can make. Unlike most soda breads this uses beer rather than buttermilk to react with the bicarbonate of soda.

Banana bread - every cook's go-to recipe for over-ripe fruit. But if, like me, you can't wait a week for them to "mature" - or don't plan your baking that far in advance (shame on you) - then baking in a low oven makes even the greenest banana deliciously sweet in minutes. This version is amazingly moist and tastes even better the following day - if you can wait that is...

One of the better results of our colonial past, kedgeree is thought to be a descendant of the much older lentil dish "khichri". It is equally delicious hot or cold, so you can still enjoy it later in the day if too much smoked fish defeats you at breakfast!

I'm not sure this even constitutes a real recipe but frozen garlic bread makes me mad. This will taste better and cook quicker than any pre-made version, so please try it and I guarantee you'll never go back!

For people who need to wake their taste buds with something more exciting than a bowl of cornflakes. It's also great for a hangover...

One of my absolute favourites, although I don't often see much after the kids have discovered it on the cooling rack. Perfect with an after dinner cheese board or great as it is.

There is nothing quite like homemade bread. If the smell and taste don’t convince you, just take a look at the ingredients in your standard supermarket loaf. The UK’s four largest supermarkets all include “mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids”, “mono- and di-acetyltartaric esters of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids” and “flour treatment agents”. I rest my case…

This recipe is a great introduction to bread making as there is no kneading or prooving. Rather than yeast to make the bread rise, the lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with bicarbonate of soda to create carbon dioxide. This bread will be ready to eat in less than an hour.

The best focaccia has a light, airy crumb and a golden crust, it's moist with extra virgin olive oil, has a slight sourdough taste and is topped with crunchy flakes of sea salt. Try this great version of the classic Italian bread.

Eggs Benedict is the ultimate breakfast. Using smoked salmon, technically making it an "Eggs Royale", adds a hint of luxury. The keys to a great result are simple: fresh eggs, creamy hollandaise and the best smoked salmon you can afford. Use this blender method to guarantee your sauce does not split.