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David K Smith

@professor-dave.bsky.social

York academic, chemist, gay widower, and (now) single adoptive Dad. Science, education, politics, life. Views personal. Award-winning food writer. (He/him) πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ Latest Cookbook: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967038

4,902 Followers  |  496 Following  |  1,869 Posts  |  Joined: 05.04.2024
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Posts by David K Smith (@professor-dave.bsky.social)

That looks great!

07.03.2026 18:49 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Some easy Middle Eastern inspiration for dinner - in solidarity with all those being bombed.
Lamb & Pistachio Patties
Tomato Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
Cacik (Yoghurt/Cucumber/Dill/Garlic)
Serve with flatbreads.
#HomeCooking #SoulFood #PersianFood #ChemistsWhoCook

07.03.2026 18:41 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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In Knaresborough, many of the houses along the river have a unique black & white 'chess-board' design dating back to the 1800s. We admired this house, which was repainted just last year with a very cool naturalistic mural approach with a 3D effect.
#Knaresborough

07.03.2026 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Entrance to Mother Shiptons Cave

Entrance to Mother Shiptons Cave

Statue of Mother Shipton in the cave

Statue of Mother Shipton in the cave

Petrifying Cascade

Petrifying Cascade

Wishing well

Wishing well

Mother Shipton's Cave
The UK's oldest continuously operating tourist attraction - dating back to 1630.
The petrifying cascade turns objects to stone in 3 months, dip your hand in the wishing well for luck, and visit the cave where the famed 16th Century prophetess (and 'witch') was born.

07.03.2026 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Our destination? Knaresborough. Some describe it as the 'Tuscany of Yorkshire'. Obviously they are certifiably insane, but it's a nice day trip!

07.03.2026 10:11 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today's mini-adventure is taking us off on a short 30-minute train journey on a single track branch line out of York.

07.03.2026 10:07 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Saffron & Prawn Risotto
Easy but elegant cooking for a relaxed friday evening with a glass of crisp white wine.
Recipe: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967038

#FoodSky #BookSky #SoulFood #Risotto #HomeCooking

06.03.2026 18:16 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

He's male.

05.03.2026 22:21 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Best cat buddy ever.

05.03.2026 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1451    πŸ” 52    πŸ’¬ 35    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Surface Tension and Surfactants. What’s Really Going On? For effective cleaning we add surfactants (in soaps and detergents) to lower the surface tension of water. Using a new theory, a York chemist can explain this effect more effectively, developing new i...

Was excited to teach surfactant chemistry to our 2nd year students today, as a landmark theoretical understanding of how they *really* work has just been published by my talented colleague, Seishi Shimizu.
#ResearchLedTeaching
@chemistryatyork.bsky.social @york.ac.uk
www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/ab...

05.03.2026 12:29 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

One of the joys of special school is that all such nonsense disappears to focus on what actually matters.

05.03.2026 08:50 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
a cartoon character stitch is reading a book with a mermaid on it ALT: a cartoon character stitch is reading a book with a mermaid on it

My annual reminder that on World Book Day, schools should either get kids to dress up in comfy clothes and just *read* or encourage the older kids to read stories to the younger ones. The performative dressing up competitive crap has to stop.

05.03.2026 08:48 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
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After work/school bowling trip with the 13yo.

04.03.2026 17:43 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Awww, thats genuinely lovely to hear!

04.03.2026 17:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you!

04.03.2026 15:42 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you so much!

04.03.2026 15:41 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The world might be difficult, but Bluesky can be a place of hope and optimism - something I tried to capture in my latest cookbook, which includes reflections on finding joy.
It won the Gourmand World Cookbook 'Food & Mental Health' Award.
@bsky.app
www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Reci...
#FoodSky #BookSky

04.03.2026 12:59 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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Pork / Ginger / Mushrooms / Kimchi.
With a sauce based on soy/mirin/rice vinegar, the 13yo prepared this in today's home cooking lesson.
Skills - chopping, stir-frying, using rice cooker, learning that delicious food can be made in under 10 minutes!
Recipe: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09H...

02.03.2026 18:00 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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RAF Clifton
80 years ago, this was a thriving WWII airbase, now there's a stub of a runway next to the northern edge of York's ring road - most of the rest is underneath a large 1980s shopping/industrial complex. Today, me and the 13yo went there exploring and metal detecting.

01.03.2026 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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Black pudding, Avocado, Porato Cake
Breakfast small plate for the 13yo.

01.03.2026 08:18 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Chicken Katsu Curry
Demolished by the 13yo - it's always been one of his favourites.
Recipe: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1739...

#FoodSky #BookSky #HomeCooking #SimpleRecipes #SoulFood #KatsuCurry

28.02.2026 18:07 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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We went to the brand new exhibition of Japanese Woodblock prints at #YorkArtGallery, featuring one of the original prints of Hokusai's 'Great Wave of Kanagawa'. I thought it was outstanding, and me and the 13yo both enjoyed making our own four-layer stamped 'Great Wave' at the end.

28.02.2026 14:23 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

Well, yes. We had spinach & ricotta.

27.02.2026 19:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Everything is premade here - the sauce is from a jar, the ravioli from a packet. It's super-easy, meltingly cheesy, slightly dirty, Friday night vegetarian food.

27.02.2026 19:10 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Ravioli Bake
This idea was from instagram - it's fab
In a baking dish, arrange in layers:
Tomato (marinara) sauce, premade fresh ravioli (any filling), grated mozzarella
Repeat
[Total 350g sauce, 250g pasta, 1 ball mozarella]
Finish with grated parmesan.
Bake, Fan 180, 30 min.
'It's amazing' - 13yo

27.02.2026 19:05 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Spanish Omelette
I struggle to make spanish omelette, mostly because I don't have a really perfect pan for it. But the 13yo absolutely loves it.

26.02.2026 21:07 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Manchester tickets start at around Β£80 at the very back and ho up to Β£300 for the front row.

25.02.2026 08:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It's worth saying your tumour has to be suitable, with a single well-defined zone, localised in one half of the prostate, and at one of the lower risk grades (Gleason 6 or 7). But if those apply then it is an option worth considering that should be made more available.

24.02.2026 10:59 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Having recently had focal therapy to treat prostate cancer myself, this is worth amplifying. I was lucky that my local urologist did mention it as a possibility and referred me to London, one of the only places it can be done on the NHS. But it's a lottery.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02...

24.02.2026 10:59 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

If I play for a football team, score 15 goals in the first half of the season, and then transfer to a different team, my goals do not magically count for the new team, that did absolutely nothing to put the support in place to allow them to be scored.
REF judges universities, not academics.

24.02.2026 07:54 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0