My first chapter is live: Down on his luck, journalist Jack Sutherland pitches a profile on famous foodie Serendipity Brown, tasked by his editor to uncover her husband Richard's disappearance. Jack arrives at her art nouveau-style estate, Bishops Ridge farm, and is boisterously welcomed by the flame-haired chef. Serendipity settles Jack into her missing husband’s former study, fueling his investigative instincts. Over strong drinks, she invites him to her upcoming cooking demonstrations at her home. My novel: A week-long demo by a famous cook has four guests hide links to her missing husband. A romance with a visiting journnalist uncovers the truth. I'll be posting a chapter at a time on my site. (I hope I'm allowed to post this here, @Lowell Lane?)

I’m new here, and I really appreciate the focus on making the most of what you have. There’s something powerful about cooking with creativity and intention — turning simple, affordable ingredients into something genuinely satisfying. It also makes me think about how much skill and story sit behind everyday meals like these. I write about food, so going to have a careful look around the classroom! 😎

Ever made a salad in a jar? Very portable and makes a great make ahead meal. I made my wife and I a salad last night for our lunch today. Here’s how I did it. You start with what you want on top so when you put it onto a plate or in a bowl it comes out correctly. Tomatoes Diced Feta cheese cheese crumbles Bacon bits Diced ham Carrots Yellow pepper Celery Cucumber Chopped green leaf lettuce on top Put a lid on it and refrigerate. I put mine in a bowl and served with Western dressing. So good!!

Not fancy. Not expensive. Just… surprisingly good. Because great food doesn’t come from spending more. It comes from knowing how to use what you have —how flavours build, how simple ingredients come together, how small tweaks make a difference. That’s something I think about a lot in my Skool too —how to notice those moments and actually put them into words. 👉 I'm sincerely curious: what’s your go-to thrifty meal that never disappoints? Would love to hear.