John Hooton Photography

4 or 5 good sized Onions
25g/1 oz Butter
1 ltr/1 1/2pts Beef Stock
50g/2 oz Cheddar Cheese grated
Toast or Croutons
Salt and Black Pepper to season

The secret to making this soup really tasty is to sauté the onions on a fairly high heat so that they go golden brown and caramelise.

Peel and slice the onions whole so they are in rings then add them to a large pan with the butter. Turn the heat up to almost full, give them a good stir to coat with the melted butter and put a lid on the pan. Give them a stir now and then and you will find that they stick to the pan and burn slightly which is just what we want to get them nicely caramelised.

After about 15-20 minutes when they are nicely browned, add the beef stock, salt and black pepper and simmer gently for another 20 minutes.

Pour the soup into a bowl and float some croutons on the top. Spoon a few onions on to the toast and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Place under the grill until the cheese has melted.

Serve with some more toast, grated cheese and a smile

1 Butternut Squash peeled and cut into cubes
75g/3oz Saint Agur blue cheese roughly chopped
300g Pappardelle
25g/1oz Butter
150ml/6oz Thick Single or Double Cream
½ Tsp of Grated Nutmeg
Black Pepper
Sprig Fresh Parsley

Serves 2

Bring some salted water to the boil with a dash of olive oil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook it according to the instructions, usually 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the cubed squash and cook over a strong heat until soft and golden brown. Stir in the cream and St Agur cheese, season with black pepper and the grated nutmeg, keep warm.

Drain the pasta and place it on your serving dishes. Pour over the sauce, garnish with parsley and serve immediately

1 Onion
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Long Sweet Red Pepper
12 Medium Size Tomatoes
2 oz or 50g Butter
250ml Chicken Stock
75ml Double Cream
1 Desert Spoon of Dried Basil
Some Fresh Basil
¼ Tsp Ground White Pepper
1 Level Tsp Sea Salt

My original recipe:
Peel and chop the garlic cloves and the onion. De-seed and chop the long sweet red pepper. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic and sweet red pepper. Cover and simmer gently stirring now and then until the onions are soft – about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half, splitting where the stalk was. Cut out a V to remove the hard stalk remnants and roughly chop the tomatoes. Add them to the other ingredients and bring everything back to a simmer. Add the dry basil, salt and pepper, cover, and let it all stew gently for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock and simmer gently for another ten minutes.

Remove from the heat and now blend all the ingredients in a liquidiser or with an electric hand blender. Return it to the saucepan, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Stir in 50ml of double cream saving 25ml for presentation. Serve with some torn fresh basil leaves and a swirl of cream. Revel in the taste, consume luxuriously then relax for ten minutes. Take the dog for a walk.

To Make the Marinade
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Lime, squeezed for Juice
2.5cm/1inch Fresh Ginger, peeled
½ tsp Ground Coriander
½ tsp Chilli Powder
½ tsp Ground Cumin
½ tsp Ground Turmeric
¼ tsp Salt
75ml/2½fl oz Plain Yoghurt
2 Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces

To Make the Curry
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Red Onion peeled and finely sliced
2 Tomatoes, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
Splash Water
75ml/2½fl oz Double Cream
150g/5oz Baby Spinach Leaves

To Serve
100g/3½ oz basmati Rice, rinsed, drained and cooked according to packet instructions
Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
Cumin Seeds

1. To make the marinade, finely chop the ginger and garlic, add the salt, chop a little more, place in a bowl. Add the lime juice, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and the fresh yoghurt and stir to coat all the pieces of chicken. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or if you prefer, overnight.

2. To make the curry, heat the oil in a large frying pan over low heat and add the onion. Fry for about 2 minutes then add the tomatoes and tomato puree and cook gently for about a minute. Add the chicken to the pan with the marinade, and a splash of water. Pour in the cream, turn up the heat and simmer for about 12-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until just wilted. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander.

3. To make perfect rice, use 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Heat some butter in a pan, toss in the rice and fry it over medium heat for about a minute. Add the water and a couple of pinches of salt, stir briefly, cover and bring to the boil. Once it is boiling, turn the heat right down and simmer for ten minutes. Then remove the cover and simmer on lowest heat for another five minutes. There should be no water left in the pan, the rice will be separate and not sticky because of the butter. It is ready to serve. For extra fragrance, add a good pinch of cumin seeds, a few cloves, and a squeeze of lemon during cooking.

These are rather like broad tagliatelle and I prepared the dish like this...

My Original Recipe: Roast about 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half, in olive oil with 5 garlic cloves and a sprinkle of dried chili for twenty minutes. Halfway through the roasting, add some small whole mushrooms. I used oyster, buna-shimeji and shiro-shimeji varieties. Meanwhile bring some water to the boil, add salt and the pappardelle. After 5 minutes, add a handful of baby spinach leaves and cook for a further 6 minutes.
Serve the pasta with the roasted, tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms.
Total preparation and cooking time 25 minutes.

Buon appetito!

There must be a dozen recipes for Carbonara, many of them with cream, but this is the closest to the classic dish and saves a few calories. The trick is not to add the beaten eggs while the spaghetti is too hot, otherwise they end up scrambled. Once added, toss immediately. Adding a little pasta water with the cheese is enough to cool it off slightly, and the pasta water helps it to stay creamy.

Ingredients for 4 Servings
3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
175g/6 oz Smoked Pancetta Bacon cut into short strips
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
500g/1.1lb Spaghetti
4 Eggs beaten
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley finely chopped

1. Bring 4.5litres/8 pints water to the boil in a large saucepan, add the salt and cook ‘al dente’ according to instructions, usually about 8/9 minutes.

2. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook the bacon until crispy, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and the parsley and cook for ½ minute then remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Drain the spaghetti, saving about a little of the water, and tip the pasta into the pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley. Toss together briefly, then add the beaten egg, half the parmesan and a little of the saved pasta water. Toss it smartly and the heat of the pasta will cook the egg, but still leave it moist and creamy. Taste and add seasoning then serve it in warm bowls with the remainder of the cheese sprinkled over. Garnish with a little extra parsley and black pepper.

For the Cake
150g/5oz Butter
150g/5oz Golden Syrup
150g/5oz Black Treacle
150g/5oz Plain Flour
150g/5oz Wholemeal Bread Flour
4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 Eggs, beaten
4 tbsp Milk

For the Topping
1 tbsp Apricot Jam
1 oz Exotic Dried Fruit
Mixed Peel or Stem Ginger drained and sliced

1. Prepare a long loaf tin either by greasing and flouring the base and sides, or lining it with oiled greaseproof paper.

2. Heat the butter, golden syrup and black treacle in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Mix well, remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes.

3. Sift the flour and mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the syrup mixture, then the beaten eggs and milk and beat well until smooth.

4. Pour into the prepared tin, and bake at 160° C/320° F gas Mk 3 for 50-60 minutes or until well risen, the top has cracked and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then loosen edges and lift out of the tin using the greaseproof paper.

5. Transfer to a wire rack, peal off any lining paper and leave to cool.

6. To decorate the cake, spread the top thinly with the apricot jam, decorate with exotic dried fruit. I used cranberries and mixed peel or try some sliced stem ginger.

Invite some Rasta friends round, serve with herb tea and enjoy!

175g (6oz) Butter
175g (6oz) Caster Sugar
3 Medium Eggs, beaten
50g (2oz) Glazed Cherries or Candied Lemon Peel, finely chopped
125g (4oz) Dried Apricots cut into small pieces
125g (4oz) Sultanas
125g (4oz) Brazil Nuts, roughly chopped
125g (4oz) Plain Flour
125g (4oz) Self Raising Flour
Apricot jam, sieved and melted
Zest of 1 Lemon
250g (8oz) Marzipan and Brazil Nuts to decorate

Line a 20.5cm (8 inch) round cake tin or a long cake tin with buttered greaseproof paper, or grease the inside of the tin and dust with flour.

Whisk the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating all the time.

Mix the chopped cherries, apricots, sultanas, chopped nuts and lemon zest together.

Sift the plain and self-raising flours and fold into the whisked mixture, then add the fruit and nuts. Spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) mark 4 for 1¼ hours (cover with foil after 40 minutes if the top is becoming too brown). Cool a little then turn out onto a wire rack.

Heat the apricot jam and sieve it in to a small bowl. Brush the top of the cake with the apricot glaze, and then cover with rolled-out marzipan. I found that rolling it between two sheets of cling film saves a lot of woe. Trim and crimp the edges and cut a diamond pattern. Place a sliced nut in each square. Grill the cake carefully until evenly browned.

Note that candied lemon peel can be used in place of the glazed cherries for an individual touch of lemon tang.

250g/9oz Self-Raising Flour
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
125g/4oz Butter
75g/3oz Desiccated Coconut
125g/4oz Caster Sugar
200g/7oz Glace Cherries chopped in halves.
2 Eggs Beaten
225ml/8 fl oz Milk
25g/1oz Shredded Coconut, a few extra Glace Cherries

1. Base line a 20.5cm (8 inch) round cake tin or a long cake tin with buttered greaseproof paper, or grease the inside of the tin with butter and dust with flour.

2. Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter. Stir in the desiccated coconut, sugar and cherries.

3. Whisk together the eggs and milk then briskly beat it into the other ingredients until the mixture stiffens.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin leveling the top and scatter over the shredded coconut. Add a few whole cherries in a row along the centre.

5. Bake in the oven at 180° (350°F) mark 4 for about 1½ hours. Cover with foil after the first 40 minutes.

6. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

To Make the Pizza Dough
300g/10oz Strong Wholemeal Flour or Strong White Flour
Generous tsp Quick Action Dried Yeast
1 tsp Salt
Generous tbsp Olive Oil
Approx 175ml/6fl oz Warm water

To make the Tomato Topping
300g/10 oz Cherry Plum Tomatoes
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Pinch Dried Chilli Flakes
2 tbsp Fresh or ½ tbsp Dried Basil
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Topping
9 Slices Pepperoni
½ Red Pepper sliced
½ Green Pepper sliced
½ Orange Pepper sliced
½ Red Onion
50g/2oz Mushrooms sliced
75g/3 oz Fresh Pineapple Chunks
50g/2 oz Mozzarella Cheese
25g 1 oz Parmesan Cheese freshly grated

1. To make the pizza dough, sift the flour, with the salt and dried yeast into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil. Now gradually add the warm water and stir vigorously, drawing in the flour a little at a time to form a soft dough. Tip out the dough on to a floured surface and kneed it for about ten minutes, re-flouring as necessary, until it feels smooth and springy.

2. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning so the surface is coated. Cover the bowl with cling film or a cloth and put it in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

3. When the dough has risen, turn it out on to a floured surface and kneed it again for about 3 minutes. Then roll it out and place it on an oiled and floured pizza baking dish, or a ceramic pizza baking dish. I find it easier to roll it out on the dish.

4. To make the tomato sauce, peel and slice the 3 garlic cloves and place them in a small saucepan with the oil, over a medium heat for three minutes. Halve, then quarter the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add the chilli, salt and pepper, stir then cover and simmer. After ten minutes, remove the lid and simmer for another ten minutes until the sauce has reduced. Add the tomato paste and the basil and simmer for a couple more minutes until the sauce is quite thick. It should be just right to spread, but allow it to cool for ten minutes first.

5. To top the pizza, spread on the tomato sauce, and place the slices of pepperoni on top. Add the sliced peppers, mushrooms, sliced onion and pineapple chunks. Brush all the vegetables lightly with oil. This helps them to cook and stops them burning. Finally, sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan.

6. Put the prepared pizza in the middle of a preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 220°C/425°F Gas Mk 7, then reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F Gas Mk 4 and bake for a further 5 minutes. Check the colour and remove it from the oven when lightly browned. Slice up and enjoy.

The first time I made this we all thought it was the best pizza ever tasted! I used wholemeal flour which adds a third dimension in flavour and texture and it is now a firm family favorite.

You can of course make up your own favourite topping, but the slightly spicy tomato sauce in the recipe is recommended!

My Original Recipe: Springtime Fettuccine is made with spring onions, cherry tomatoes, tuna and fresh basil. A small pinch of crushed chilli just adds the right amount of tongue teaser. Roast the cherry tomatoes and chopped spring onions for about 20 minutes, and cook the pasta. Heat the tuna in a pan. Serve the pasta and add all the other ingredients including the basil, torn roughly, and sprinkle over some parmesan. For a variation, try crab meat instead of tuna.

King prawn on savoury rice presented in a palm box.

Photographed for an editorial taken in the corner of my studio in Milan 1968. £5,000 worth of silver and a boiled egg.

Photographed for an editorial in 'Arianna' magazine, taken on location, Milan 1968

Photographed for the editorial breakfast series in 'Arianna'. Shot near Lake Como 1968.

Created for an editorial on smoking (when it was OK to smoke), this was the intro shot. Milan 1967 using a 5x4 camera and sheet film.

Each smoking picture depicted a 'character' and the parafinalia associated with the lifestyle. Milan 1967 using a 5x4 camera and sheet film.

Double page spread for the smoking series.

The horseman or equine smoker Milan 1967, using a 5x4 camera and sheet film for an editorial series.

Full page newspaper ad for Winchester cartridges. Milan 1967.

The cover of a vet's Portable X-Ray Brochure that I shot for GEC in 1971. I was given a free hand to create all my own images. A year later, the factory production was 9 months behind orders, as sales were so high, following the worldwide distribution of this brochure.

The inside spread of the GEC Portable X-Ray brochure taken at Jevington Stud in 1971.

The back page of a vet's Portable X-Ray Brochure that I shot for GEC in 1971. I was given a free hand to create all my own images. A year later, the factory production was 9 months behind orders, as sales were so high, following the worldwide distribution of this brochure.

A simple shot to make salami look attractive. Shot on 5x4 sheet film, Milan 1968

Magazine ad for Citterio. Milan 1968.

Advertising shot taken in Milan on 5x4 for a trade magazine.