The recipes in this book are a fair reflection of what has been going on in my household during the last two to three years. The food I cook is still very much the result of my heritage, hunger and curiosity - as I said in my first book, Where the Heart Is. These days, however, I find organisation is as important as inspiration when it comes to creating new dishes.

The biggest change in my life has come with the rival of my daughter, Stella, in 2006. I no longer have time for much leisurely contemplation. Instead, I scribble my ideas in point form on the backs of dockets, tiny scraps of paper or the upper left corner of my diary. Shopping, once a casual cruise of the market or supermarket aisle, is now a precise journey, usually involving a list or two.

As in most households, the end of each day brings the almighty question of what to have for dinner. On a good day, I have my strategy mapped out; on a not-so-good day, I might have six marylands of duck defrosting in the sink, waiting for me to transform them into a new dish - which may or may not hit the table by 10.30pm - to be eaten by my very hungry and long-suffering husband, Michael.

Cooking at home and eating in most nights has helped me to understand how much thought and effort is required to come up with something different for dinner, day in and day out. I have a massive repertoire of recipes, yet I still struggle to produce food that is varied. Like most people, I am tempted to stick to my favourites - those dishes I know I can whip up without a fuss. I do always try to experiment, even just a little. I'll make the Bolognese sauce I have been making for years, but may use, say, veal and pork sausage instead of beef mince to keep things interesting.

This is the feedback I get constantly from readers and viewers. Most stress the need for simplicity - no one wants to have to rifle through cupboards looking for sixteen pieces of equipment to make a meal that needs thirty exotic ingredients. But people are also interested in variety, in how to add that twist to please the eye and surprise the palate. The recipes in this book - recipes I have cooked for friends and family over the last twelve years - are all about taking familiar food and making it special.