Mother Focaccia

We all headed over to my mum's on Sunday again en masse. Plagued with the usual 'what's for tea?' questions from all us (we must have asked her this every night when we were kids) she downplayed what would be on offer, muttering something about bread and quiche. What arrived on the table was hardly done justice by the build-up. She had made a incredible loaf of rosemary and sea salt infused focaccia and a wonderful loaf of plain white which were the anchor to a buffet style meal with cheese, salads and dips.

The focaccia was far to superior to anything you would be fleeced for about £10 for in an artisan bakery and the white bread had a lovely crust that had bite but wasn't at all dry like the supermarket kind can be. It was also superb toasted and eaten with fresh coffee for elevenses (a neglected meal opportunity which we enjoyed thanks to the luxury of a long bank holiday weekend).

The recipes were both Mary Berry and were, according to mum, typically simple and easy to follow. They proved that if you have something of real quality on the table, even the most straightforward of meals can be really quite special.