For The Love of Food

Boys Christening Cake

2011-07-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

OK, I realise I'm a little late with this boastful blog post, but you'll be pleased to hear it's another short but sweet entry. It's so late because I was waiting for my wonderful husband to give me the SD card for the camera on which I was sure to find some glorious pictures of my creation. But no, while I was carrying out my Godmotherly duties, he forgot. How lovely. So, All I have is this terrible picture of the case I made for my gorgeous Godson on his Christening.... It doesn't do it justice, I know....

(The Gin in the background was to sterilise the cake board.... I don't have a problem, honestly!)

Until next time...

Baby Girl Christening Cake

2011-07-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's a Girl! Actually, it was three girls for my friends sister and she asked me to make three cute christening cakes. How could I say no!?

I didn't of course, and I spent a good while over the last month or so fashioning the decorations for three identical cakes, the only difference being the flavour of each, and the names.

It was a labour of love, but just to show off, here's one of them.

And that's if from me today! This is nothing more than a post to show off something I'm proud of.... and there is another show off post tomorrow.

Until next time.

I'm alive! And living the dream with the Ultimate Chicken Sarnie

2011-07-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a good couple of weeks, maybe more, since I lasted posted - very unlike me. I've been a bit poorly with a kidney infection and feeling well and truly sorry for myself and, frankly, just not in the mood for food (shock, horror I hear fellow foodies exclaim!).

I'm still quite poorly but am missing my blog, so I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm actually fancying something to eat rather than eating to basically to survive, and writing about it.

I was quite dissapointed with myself to realise that what I really, really, really wanted was a simple chicken sandwich. Not only would I not be able to write something decent about a humble sarnie, but it wouldn't satiate my desire to ramble on about the food I dream up and cook. So I got creative. What if I make the ULTIMATE chicken sandwich?

With an idea forming, I reached for the yeast and made a basic sandwich dough, made to the adapted recipe of Michel Roux Jr. that can be found here, but instead of plonking it in a loaf tin once risen and knocked back, I made a large round... what!? Now this is where the arguments start.

Is it a Muffin? Bun? Cob? Barm Cake? For arguments sake, I'm going with bread roll, but do let me know your regions variation in the comments below.

This Ultimate Sandwich was made for Sunday tea time using left over roast chicken and served four, but the possibilities are endless. Imagine this - You’re hung over. The bread is fresh and stuffed with bacon, sausage, friend egg, tomatoes, mushrooms…. Mmmm… A perfect hangover cure.

This sandwich does mean you end up with a hunk of bread from the middle of the roll that could potentially go to waste. I either make breadcrumbs and freeze, bake it to make croutons, dunk it in soup or make Nigella’s bread salad.

I know you don’t need a recipe for a sandwich, but please, indulge me. Traditional, wholesome, fresh, English. What’s not to love? Read it and weep my friends. And could you ask for more when trying to get your appetite back?

Bea’s Best Bap – My Ultimate Sandwich

Ultimate Chicken Sarnie - perfect for a pick me up or a picnic

Half of Michel Roux Jrs Bread recipe, shaped into a large roll, baked and cooled

Half a bag of spinach, rocket and water cress salad

250 ml tub of crème fraiche

Leftover roast chicken (Mine has lemon, garlic and herbs up its bum before being covered in butter and roasted at 180 for 1 hour 20 mins for a 1.5kg bird).

2 tomatoes, sliced

Avocado, sliced (only if you are serving immediately)

4 slices cooked smoked bacon

1. Cut the top off of the large bread roll off and dig the bread from the inside to leave you with a bowl.

2. In a food processor, whizz the salad with the crème fraiche (adding lemon juice to taste if you have some to hand). Spread a third of the mixture over the bottom of the bread.

3. Layer the chicken and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, spread another third of the crème fraiche mixture over the tomatoes and finish by layering the avocado and finally, the bacon.

4. Place the ‘lid’ back on the bread bowl and carve into wedges.

Enjoy!

For The Love of Nutella - Chocolate and Hazlenut Muffins

2011-06-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Nutella, nothing makes my heart warmer, my teeth stickier. It's my not-so-guilty secret and I'll let you into another secret. A confession, if you will.

Imagine this. It's a bad day at work and thankfully I'm working from home and it's about 5.25pm when I'm thinking about packing up and going for a walk. The phone rings. Last call of the day, I tell myself, then I'm off.

So I answer it and the shouting begins. Let me be clear, it wasn't at me as such, more in my general direction about the general state of the World in which we work, but clearly it's all my fault. Throw in world hunger and poverty and we'd have had the full set, apparently. Much as I tried to get a word in edgeways, it was never going to happen so, I put the phone on speaker and raided the cupboards to dig out my trusty jar of Nutella and a very big spoon. I sat back down and I ate. I ate, listened (ish) and took responsibility as I consoled myself in the depths of the nutty, silky, so-bad-it's-good jar of spread. I don't know how much I got through but needless to say that 1kg jar of Nutella didn't last the household very much longer. And it hadn't been open for long before my 'episode' either.

Nutella-gate 1 with Tess

I know. It's bad, but worse is that, this wasn't my first time. The first time this happened I wasn't alone. It wasn't even sparked by the need to console myself. This time it wasn't personal. This time it was a joint effort. I hate to name and shame, but my friend Tess and I got through a whole 1 KG jar. In one night.

It all started with a few drinks one sunny day in Dusseldorf. That German beer is strong and by the time it came to get ready to go out for dinner, frankly, we just couldn't be bothered and decided to make the most of the weather with a barbecue on Tessa's sunny balcony. We went off in search of meat and along the way, we found waffles and, 'Oh Look, Nutella! Wouldn't they be lovely together!', we exclaimed? (Waffles and Nutella that is, not meat and Nutella... although.... - another day, another post). And would you know, the 1kg pot was on offer and it seemed daft not to. And that's always how it starts.

Along with our meat, waffles and Nutella, we grabbed a couple of bottles of wine and sensibly had a lovely meat barbecue. Not so sensibly, we dismissed the waffles with the flick of a wrist and hit the Nutella with a spoon, while we sat on the balcony, talking, laughing, eating, drinking.

We Ate. The Whole. Blimmin. Thing.

But what can you do? We all have our weaknesses. And Nutella's mine!

So when I was flicking through the new Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days book and clumsily dropped it, I just had to make the Hazlenut and Chocolate Cupcakes the booked opened at as it hit the floor. Surely it was a sign?

So the recipe below is not mine. It's adapted from the book (and only ever so slightly changed to be fair). They are cupcakes in the book but to all intents and purposes these are muffins in my mind, and muffins they shall be.

And how indulgent a muffin can you get!? I think they are actually made of magic - certainly my husband thought so when he couldn't figure out how the squidgy Nutella got in the middle of the muffiin in the first place (tut, roll eyes. Men.) And please, please serve these warm - the Nutella is gorgeously runny then.

Please don't judge me. I licked the spoon. And the bowl. And ate four in one go.

To save my soul from Fat Camp, I made only six (otherwise I'd have eaten more), and the recipe below reflects this.

Chocolate and Hazlenut Muffins

150g plain flour
55g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
125ml whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
40g melted butter
75g Nutella
15g hazelnuts, left whole of chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line a muffin tin with cases

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a mixer, with the paddle attached,

3. Whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla in a jug and, with the mixer on slow, add the wet ingredients into the dry. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to catch all the ingredients then mix on medium - high until combined. Add the butter and mix a little more.

4. Add 40g of Nutella to the batter and mix thoroughly.

5. Spoon the batter into the cases until a quarter full. Put a teaspoon of the remaining Nutella in each case, on top of the batter and then add the remaining batter so each case is 2/3s full.

6. Sprinkle over the chopped nuts and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are risen and bounce back when pressed.

Enjoy!

Let Us Eat Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes, and the Story of a Beautiful Wedding

2011-06-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

I love the summer. I love lovely summer weddings, even more lovely when they are for your brother-in-law and his gorgeous fiancée-now-wife. They are even more lovely (if it were possible) when they are held in France in the beautiful countryside of Brittany, Dinard to be precise. And that's where I've been and explains my lack of blogging and tweeting. I'm sorry, but then I did have a good reason. I was eating cake and drinking champagne.

And so with a lovely summer wedding comes a blog post.

Dave & Barbara

What was't so lovely was the weather, which was just as temperamental as it is here in Blighty (I was quite pleased that it's not just us afterall!). My word did it rain. It rained when we got off the plane, as we were driving through Brittany, as we were climbing the steps into tree houses (yes, you read that right - although hubs and I were in a hotel room - relief! Running Water! I'm not a girl that takes kindly to camping in a tree). It rained as we ate a wonderful dinner in a creperie with our friends and family.... but as the owner of the hotel said that night, 'for every rain drop that falls today, it will not fall tomorrow'. Was he going to be right?

It seemed so; we woke the following day to clear blue skies and glorious sunshine. Would it hold so Dave and Babs would get the French countryside wedding they dreamed of?

The wedding in the Town Hall of Dinard was followed by a marriage ceremony in the local church, only a five minute walk away. Yes, you are guessing right dear reader. It rained as we were leaving the town hall. Actually, It THREW it down. I had no cover, no brollie, no cardi - but I was soon warmed by the sight of Barbara walking down the aisle; what a sight! A Babs was beautiful bride, looking stunning and chic. The rain slowed and held off throughout the most beautiful wedding ceremony I've been to, and we were warmed by the thought of these two people celebrating their love, committing themselves and growing old together. The rain that threatened the rest of the day ceased to matter.

The rain came back as we drove to the reception venue but it became clear that someone was looking over this pair. The sky cleared as they got out of the car and the sun shone for their photographs. And the guests? Well, we were soon warmed through with the wonderful fare laid on for us.

Sushi, Prawns, Squid, Oh My!
Champagne, Cocktails, Oysters, Oh My!

Champagne at the reception

And that was just to start whilst mingling with other guests looking at the frankly stunning table settings, resplendent with pink and white flowers intertwined through the spokes of vintage bird cages, with little pots of strawberry jam made by the brides mother for favours (needless to say, I cleared the tables of leftover jam the next morning!)

Champagne soaked, we took our seats for the Wedding Breakfast of Veal, and we munched our way through mountains of fresh French bread. Yes, yes, it was delicious, but I was impatient for the cheese that was to follow. Oh how I love cheese. Brie, goats and emmental cheese were served with yet more fresh bread. For the first time that day, I was quiet as I munched and savoured. So. Good. Finally, Wedding cake and fruit rounded off a delicious meal. The slice of cake I ate was almost embarrassingly large. But not quite embarrassingly enough as I polished the lot off, complete with an icing rose..... I was sure my dress would split.

So there you have it, the tale of a Wedding in France where the rain didn't dampen our spirits and the beautiful couple had the time of their lives.

And I ate cake.

Speaking of cake (seamless link), I was chuffed to see that Random Recipes this month from Dom at Bealleau Kitchen was to randomly choose a recipe from the cookery book most recently given to you as a gift. What wonderful luck it was that it was my birthday in May and my gorgeous friend, Ellen, gave me the new offering from The Hummingbird Bakery 'Cake Days' as a part of my gift (thanks Love, it's gorgeous!).

My way of choosing randomly is to flick the book and get my hubs to shout 'STOP'. It was at this point that I happened across these delicately beautiful looking Raspberry Trifle cupcakes, leaving hubs grinning - trifle is his favourite. I then managed to drop the book and it fell open on the Chocolate Hazelnut cupcakes. Oh what a shame! Clearly, in the spirit of the challenge, I had to make both! Any excuse eh?

So we'll start with the trifle cupcakes, not only because they were first I randomly chose, but because they go beautifully with the pink and vintage colour scheme at Dave and Barbara's wedding.

Congratulations Darlings x

Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes

Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days'. I made a couple of changes from the original recipe. I can't help myself. In addition, the recipe below makes 6. The original recipe makes 12.

For the Cake

40g soft unsalted butter
140g caster sugar
120g plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
pinch salt
120ml whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg

For the Filling and Topping

250ml whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
15g plain flour
15g cornflour
100ml double cream
12 fresh raspberries
50g raspberry jam

Note: the first 6 ingredients of the 'Filling and topping ingredients make a custard. You could cheat and buy ready made fresh custard... which when I make these again I will do.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line a cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers.

2. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a slow speed until the ingredients are mixed and look like breadcrumbs.

3. In a jug, whisk together the milk, vanilla, and eggs by hand and pour 3/4 into the dry ingredients with the mixer on a slow speed. Once incorporated add the rest of the liquid. scrape the sides of the mixer bowl with a spatula to make sure it is all mixed and beat until combined and smooth.

4. Divide between the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and bounce back when pressed. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

5. If you are making your own custard, place the milk and vanilla in saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste, adding a little hot milk to thin if needed.

6. When the milk has boiled, remove from the heat and mix 2 tablespoons of milk with the egg mixture and then pour it all back into the remaining milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking continuously and continue to boil for another minute to cook the flours. Pour the custard into a bowl and leave until cool covered with cling film (about 40 minutes).

7. Nearly there. Beat the cooled custard to get rid of any lumps and in a separate bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the custard.

8. Make a hollow about 2cm across and 3cm deep in the cakes, keeping the cut out sponge. Place a raspberry in each hole, top with half a tsp of jam and half a tsp of the custard mixture. Trim the cake and place back in the hole so it is level with the rest of the cake. Top with a swirl of the custard frosting and top with a fresh raspberry.

Enjoy!

Let Us Eat Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes, and the Story of a Beautiful Wedding

2011-06-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

Dave & Barbara

Champagne at the reception

Speaking of cake (seamless link), I was chuffed to see that Random Recipes this month from Dom at Bealleau Kitchen was to randomly choose a recipe from the cookery book most recently given to you as a gift. What wonderful luck it was that it was my birthday in May and my gorgeous friend, Ellen, gave me the new offering from The Hummingbird Bakery xxx as a part of my gift (thanks Love, it's gorgeous!).

My way of choosing randomly is to flick the book and get my hubs to shout 'STOP'. It was at this point that I happened across these delicately beautiful looking Raspberry Trifle cupcakes, leaving hubs grinning - trifle is his favourite. I then managed to drop the book and it fell open on the Chocolate Hazelnut cupcakes. Oh what a shame! Clearly, in the spirit of the challenge, I had to make both! Any excuse eh?

So we'll start with the trifle cupcakes, not only because they were first I randomly chose, but because they go beautifully with the pink and vintage colour scheme at Dave and Barbara's wedding.

Congratulations Darlings x

Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes

Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook'. I made a couple of changes from the original recipe. I can't help myself. In addition, the recipe below makes 6. The original recipe makes 12.

For the Cake

40g soft unsalted butter
140g caster sugar
120g plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
pinch salt
120ml whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg

For the Filling and Topping

250ml whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
15g plain flour
15g cornflour
100ml double cream
12 fresh raspberries
50g raspberry jam

Note: the first 6 ingredients of the 'Filling and topping ingredients make a custard. You could cheat and buy ready made fresh custard... which when I make these again I will do.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line a cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers.

2. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a slow speed until the ingredients are mixed and look like breadcrumbs.

4. Divide between the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and bounce back when pressed. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

7. Nearly there. Beat the cooled custard to get rid of any lumps and in a separate bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the custard.

Enjoy!

A Berry Happy Breakfast - Part 2 - Berry Bread.

2011-06-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bread. Berries. Breakfast.

Need I say more?

No, but I will - this is me after all and I don't think I've ever written a short post.

This is the second recipe from my berry haul at the weekend, of course not including the not insubstantial amount of blueberries I ate on the way home.... ahem. And my second entry to the Breakfast Club, ran by FussFreeFlavours and hosted by Simply Food. Told you I like berries!

When I look at this recipe I think it's more of a cake than a bread, but to eat bread for breakfast makes me feel better than if I scoff cake first thing (mentally that is, not necessarily physically!). It doesn't have much sugar in it, the berries are sweet enough - and it's perfect for those berries that have seen better days. In fact, my major berry haul went bad quite quickly (well the strawberries and blackberries did, raspberries are still perfection in a punnet) which I guess is why they were so cheap - another reason to not feel guilty for eating cake bread for breakfast! I feel a list coming on.

There is no yeast in this recipe either, but I don't believe you need yeast to make a cake bread (See bacon and cheese bread here). What do you think?

To be fair, it's irrelevant; it was gorgeous for breakfast with a cup of string tea and yes, I'll admit it, I dunked. Who wouldn't? It was still warm and slathered with salted butter, which ended up creating a little film on my tea. Sounds gross. It wasn't. I guess the guilt factor evens out the health factor of A Berry Happy Breakfast - Part 1. Everything in moderation I say!

So, enjoy baking this cake bread... then please, please enjoy eating, guilt free as a Sunday morning treat (or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday....)

Look at that. A short post after all.

Berry Bread

Breakfast Berry Bread... Cake... Bread.
Whatever!

250g plain flour
150g vanilla sugar (or add the seeds of 1 pod)
200g chopped nuts (I used walnuts and pecans, very roughly chopped)
2.5 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
40g butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
200ml milk
150g mixed berries, chopped to the size of a raspberry if needs be.

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 and line a loaf tin (min is approx 8" long).

2. In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk all the wet ingredients with a fork before pouring into the dry ingredients and mixing until combined.

4. Stir in the berries.

5. Bake in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean

6. Eat warm

OK, I realise this second to last instruction makes it a cake. I give in.

Enjoy anyway!

It's a Berry Happy Breakfast! Part 1 of 3 - Berry Breakfast Trifle

2011-06-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

One of the best thing I've found about blogging are the Events and Challenges other bloggers have devised (and I may do my own one day - who knows!?) because they challenge you to try new things and blog about recipes you wouldn't normally blog about. And that's why FussFreeFlavours Breakfast Club challenge is one I look forward to - My brekkies are generally boring - and when I saw that this months host 'Simply Food' had chosen Berries for their theme, I jumped with joy. I love 'em!

Juicy, tender, sweet, in season, and most excitingly, LOCAL! Best of all this adds up to CHEAP! Sadly, this also meant I went a bit mad at the grocers at the weekend and bought:

3 punnets of juicy, shiny red strawberries,
2 large punnets of dusky dark pink raspberries,
3 punnets of juicy blackberries
2 punnets of blueberries.

That's a lot of berry goodness. And how much did I pay!? Well, if I'd have been in Sainsburys, I would have closed my eyes at the check out and just handed over my credit card. But no need with my local grocer, as the whole lot came to a very tidy £6.50! That won't get you far in Sainsbury's I tell thee.

As I walked home (feeling rather sumg... again), I began to think about recipes as I picked away at my purchases, munching my way home. There would be a lot of berry goodness in my kitchen that afternoon (hence why this post is Part 1 of 3)!

I'll save the other two for later in the week, but I planned a gorgeous breakfast for hubs and I of Berry Breakfast Trifle followed by Blueberry Pancakes.

I got home and unpacked my shopping, planning to make the pancake batter to rest overnight and... oh dear. I'd eaten ALL of the blueberries (except a sorry looking few left in the punnet that I quickly wolfed down when I saw them - does anyone else feel sorry for foods left behind so have to gobble them immediately? Or is it just an excuse for gluttony?).

I digress. But the pancake idea fell as flat as a.. well a pancake. So, we are left with just a Berry Breakfast Trifle. Not a bad consolation prize bad though - it was a real treat and a half, a healthy one at that. Perfect for healthy breakfasts that look like you've put a lot effort into - they look great. The only downside I can see to these gorgeous breakfast treats is that you can't make them in advance - if you do, you get gooey granola, and no one wants gooey granola.

This recipe uses my Gorgeously Good Granola (available for sale on Etsy too, I'll have you know!), so make a big batch and it'll last you the week (or just buy some of mine - yum!)

Berry Breakfast Trifle

Berry Breakfast Trifle

One big handful of Granola per person (do you like my precision here?)

Selection of juicy berries, large ones chopped. (I used raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. Sadly not blueberries).

A large pot of natural yoghurt (you'll need 150g-200g per person

Drizzle of honey

1. In a large glass (I used a chunky wine glass, but squat tumblers would looks fantastic), put roughly 2cm of granola in the bottom. Top with yoghurt (just a small dollop) and sprinkle generously with berries.

2. Continue to layer until you have filled the glass, finishing with yoghurt, and topping with more berries, a sprinkling of granola and a drizzle of yoghurt.

And that's it! I feel a fraud calling this a recipe; let's go with an assembly, an idea to create a filling, impressive low fuss, low fat, full flavour brekkie.

Enjoy!

The Spice Club Manchester

2011-06-12T04:04:00.000-07:00

It was a cold Saturday in June (yes, June. Summer. I know.) Hubs and I made our way to North Manchester for dinner with friends. But this wasn't any old dinner with friends. We had just discovered The Spice Club, an underground Indian restaurant ran by Monica, with her mum Anita doing the cooking and brother Anjay the ever attentive Maitre'd. Opening in September 2010, The Spice Club is going strong, starting out with Clubs once a month, now increasing to once per week and always a sell out. They're now moving onto Sunday Brunches too!

Monica and her family welcome you in to their lovely home in the leafy suburbs, with introductions and a welcome drink as they show you to the large and lovely dining room, table perfectly set for dinner for 13 with a menu to guide you through the evening. A lovely touch to keep referring back to, but as we were given the dishes, Monica introduced them so we knew exactly what we were eating, how it was cooked and the traditions behind the food. But more on that later.

I always worry that, with Supper Clubs, you are in someone elses home so could feel rushed - after all of that cooking and hosting wouldn't you just want your bed? But not at The Spice Club. The evening was wonderfully relaxed and by sitting around the large table we met some truely lovely people who were enjoying the experience just as much as we were. And that's why there are no photographs in this post. So carried away were we with the evening and enjoying a shared experience, it wouldn't have felt right to whip my camera out. So I didn't.

Monica invited any foodies to have a wonder around the kitchen if they felt the need to see what was going on. How could I resist! So after our starter, an indian street snack I'd never come across before but can't wait to try again, I up and left the table expecting to find, if not panic, then a hub of activity.

I was wrong.

Monica and her mother were stood chatting, enjoying the sound of laughter coming from the other room. The plates and bowls were being heated as Monica stirred the entrees. Salivating with anticipation I fought the desire to jump on the food and chatted with Monica and Anita, not once feeling in the way, mainly because everything was prepared and they had the time to chat. I may have just stumbled upon the Actual Hostess With The Mostess (Damn it, I was going for that crown!) with the most fabulous food (ditto).

So onto the menu. I want to describe every dish but I won't, can't, do it justice. I only cook the odd curry at home keeping everything easy so I don't have any authority on the style of cooking or indeed the ingredients, but what I will say is That Was The Best Indian Meal I Have Ever Eaten. Officially.

No grease; no orange fingers; no chicken-that-could-be-other-animal; no lamb-that-probably-came-from-the-floor-of-the kebab-shop-next-door; no 'My mouth is on fire' syndrome synonymous with that 'Indian' (read 'English Lout') favourite, Vindaloo.

But we did get tender, juicy chicken slowly roasted in aromatic spices; Food cooked in olive oil; Spices so beautifully toasted the aroma was like expensive perfume filling the house; lamb so juicy, tender and flavourful we asked for seconds (and thirds. And we got them). We enjoyed traditional Indian, home-cooked fare, a delicious starter and five entrées, with salad, rice and fresh steaming chapatis followed by delicious fruity sorbets and chai cardomom tea to wash it all down with, nicely rounded off with a raspberry biscuit and an Indian sweet I wish I knew the name of.

The menu, in full, was as follows:

Welcome Drink: Fresh Orange & Mango Juice
Appetiser: Papdi Chaat
Entrées: Keema Mattar, Murgh Masala, Aloo Gobi, Sukhi Urad Dal, Raita
Dessert: Mango & Raspberry Sorbet with Mint Sugar
Cardamom Chai served with traditional Indian biscuits

All in all, a fantastic night; fantastic hosts, fantastic friends (old and new) and, most importantly, fabulous food (and the best bit? Unlike every Indian meal I've ever eaten, it's now 4 hours after eating as I type and I've not got Delhi Belly. Fabulous).

If you want a curry in Mancester, forget the Curry Mile and call Monica at The Spice Club to find out what a real Indian meal should taste like.

The Spice Club
Upcoming Events
Monica's Blog 'Spice Diary'

Top 10 Father’s Day Foodie Finds

2011-06-07T03:32:00.000-07:00

Blimey, shopping for boys is hard. Even harder when it’s a man of a certain age who just had a big birthday and got everything he wanted. So I’ve scoured the t’interweb for a foodie gift for my fantastic Father…. And here’s what I’ve found

I hope it provides you with some inspiration and saves you the hours I’ve spend searching….

DIY Dads - Tool Kit Biscuit Tin by Biscuiteers I defy any handy dad, or just hungry dad, not to be pleased as punch when given this box of edible tool treats. Having been the very lucky recipient of a box of biscuits before I can vouch for their sweet deliciousness.

www.biscuiteers.com

Working Dads – Perfect for the 9-5 foodie dad who’s bound to be out when postie arrives. This cake embedded card from The Cake Nest will slip right through the letterbox. Let’s just hope he doesn’t stand on it when he walk through the door.

http://www.thecakenest.co.uk/

Skillful (or not) Dad – Give your dad something to look forward to and a new skill to boot by booking him a course at a Cookery School. The Cheshire Cookery School has ‘A feast From the Far East’ course on 26th June – a week of anticipation for him, brownie points (and a good meal at a later date) for you.

www.thecheshirecookeryschool.com

‘BYOB’ Dad – If your dad loves wine but doesn’t know his Chablis from his Chardonnay, get him vouchers for the Manchester Wine School, or tickets to a tasting. A full day course with lunch thrown in? Be a good son/daughter and accompany him along. I know I will.

www.manchesterwineschool.com

Beer Swigging Dad – If your Pops likes his real beers, turning his nose up at Carling/Stella/insert other well known brands of lager here then this Fathers Day Case from Real Ale is just the ticket. A selection of hand chosen beers will hit the spot and widen his drinking choices down the pub on a Friday.

www.realale.com

Posh Dad - Posh it up with a hamper from Fortum and Mason. This ‘Gentlemans Hamper’ is pricey, but if he’s a gentleman, he’s worth it, right?

www.fortnumandmason.com

Green Fingered Father – If your pops likes to potter in the garden, tickets to the RHS Flower Show in Beautiful Tatton Park would be a great gift. With vegetable competitions, garden displays, hints on tips to grow your own and endless foodie shopping opportunities, it’s a great day out for dad and family.

www.rhs.org.uk

Connoisseur Pops – Treat your dad to these beautiful Cognac glasses from Bodie and Fou. I may get these chic glasses and hope he hates them so I can keep them. He won’t though – who would!?

http://www.bodieandfou.com/

‘Grow Your Own’ Dad - I’m not suggesting you plant your dad in amongst the carrots and onions, I’m talking about dads who grow their own and would love this Wine and a vine crate from The Gluttonous Gardener. I’ve bought my dad a couple of these over the years. It takes time to grow, but rewarding when you pick your own English grapes (and have half an hour on the phone hearing all about it afterwards).

www.glut.co.uk

Tea and Papers Dad – Personalised Tea in a Personalised Tea Caddy from The Tea Palace– could it get more personal than that for Fathers Day? Take Dads favourite tastes and let the Tea Masters (I want that job) do all the work while you take all the credit.

www.theteapalace.co.uk

A Bonus Entry!

Some Dads Like it Hot – If you want to make your own gift – and why not - make it special with a chilli hamper containing a chilli plant, a big jar of homemade chilli jam and some chilli chocolate lollies – stay tuned, recipes to follow…

I have used the photographs from the websites I have linked to in the post. I have emailed every website/seller referenced. Please let me know if you would like me to remove the photograph.

Secret Vintage Afternoon Tea Party

2011-06-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Supper Clubs, old hat in London, new to Cheshire, is the name given to underground restaurants hosted by food lovers in their homes. I’d always fancied going to one, so when I found that there were two in Manchester, I immediately signed up, pleased I’d found some close by. And yesterday, I was thrilled with the text message of the secret location - just how a supper club should be.

But If I thought I was pleased then, you should see me now having just arrived home from my first supper club experience, The Secret Vintage Tea Party, beaming like the cat that got the cream. And I did get the cream, lots of it, clotted, in a gorgeous bowl and spread on scones.

Beautiful table setting

As I pulled up at the home of Gwyneth Brock of Vintage Afternoon Teas in South Manchester, I had butterflies in my stomach, not sure what to expect. I met my gorgeous friend Kate outside and knocked on the door as we stood in the drizzle South Manchster is famous for. But we were greeted by a burst of sunshine as Gwyneth threw the door open and welcomed us into her home, beaming from ear to ear, resplendent in a flowery dress and Cath Kidston \pron. After being greeted like old friends we were introduced to the two other Supper Clubbers already in the dining toom as Gwyneth pressed a glass of ice-cold home made lemonade into our hands. We made polite chit chat as we surveyed the scene in front of us inside Gwyneth's 400 year old farmhouse, a table set with the most beautiful vintage crockery I’ve ever seen - mis-matched linen, tea cups, saucers, plates, napkins, jugs, sugar bowls… I was in vintage heaven. I’m not into stealing but if I could get my hands on some of this I’d have managed to make peace with myself.

Sandwiches

Just one of the many
vintage teapots

Kate and I hung our noses over the menu and place settings, tummies grumbling and mouths watering. The dining room soon filled up and the tea party began as we took our seats. Gwyneth introduced herself, told us it was her first supper club (you’d never have guessed – Gwyneth was the perfect, unflappable hostess) and welcomed us to her lovely home before bringing vintage tiers of delicate sandwiches, plates of tartlets and pots of tea in stunning vintage teapots. We all waited for someone else to start, politeness of the English stopping us from diving in as we wanted to, but once we started, we couldn’t stop. Kate and I sipped our tea chatted to other guests as made our way through the never ending pile of sandwiches – no one was going hungry here!

Vintage cup and saucer

The bread, so soft and sandwiches freshly made, so fresh in fact that Gwyneth let us into a secret – only half an hour before she was still in her jammies making sandwiches! You’d never have guessed; the atmosphere was friendly, light and very, very relaxing. What better way to spend a Sunday Afternoon? The sandwiches were delicious – smoked salmon and cream cheese, Cheshire ham and mustard, Lancashire cheese and onion marmaldade, and free range egg and watercress – fabulous, classic and local.

As the sandwich plates were taken away, we waited with breath that was baited for what we were really there for.

The Cakes.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Macaroons,
Scones, Guinness Tea Cake

And we weren’t disappointed, as I knew we wouldn’t be. All the guests were seated around a large farmhouse table and I was opposite a devout fan of Gwyneths Afternoon Tea business, who had my mouth watering with talk of macaroons, brownie and sponge cakes (oh my). As they arrived the room silenced as we watched cake stand after cake stand make its way into the dining room, the table groaning with the delights. No fear of politeness this time as we pounced upon the cakes like people who’d never seen the bubblegum pink of a raspberry and white chocolate macaroon before, never tasted the delights of a rum and mint brownie before, never gotten covered in clotted cream as they ate their scone before.

Rum and Mint Brownies, Lemon Victoria Sandwich

And we hadn’t. Not in this way, with lust and greed over taking the desire to merely satiate hunger, with lust and greed quickly giving way to the desire to gorge on these beautiful home baked delights. And then there was the Guinness Tea Cake smothered with butter, a not-too-sweet exception to the sugar laden cakes surrounding it.

Have you ever seen a more
amazing sugar bowl?

Last but not least, taking pride of place in the centre of the table… a Victoria Sponge cake, fit to burst with lemon curd and fresh cream. And the cake wasn’t the only one fit to burst. I just couldn’t manage another bite and I could have cried with disappointment.

As the chatter died down and we all made promises to see Gwyneth in July for her next party, the magic words were spoken ‘Would anyone like to take some cakes home?’. Immediately, the room was alive with chatter again as we made our requests. Brownie and a macaroon for hubby, and thanks to Gwyneths hospitality, kindness and generosity, a piece of lemon Victoria Sandwich cake for me. Tears no longer necessary.

Lemon Victoria Sandwich

Thank You Gwyneth, for a wonderful afternoon in your lovely home.

You can find out more about Vintage Afternoon Tea's here and more supper club dates here. This supper club had a suggested donation of £12. A bargain in my book. I gave what it was worth - more!

Friday Night Chinese - Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce

2011-06-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

Why is it that a four day week can feel longer than a five day week? Personally, I think it's because we expect it to be short, the days flying by and before you know it, it's Friday. But not for me and certainly not for hubs.

I stumbled through the door last Friday, heels kicked to one side, hair askew, ready for the weekend. Now, know this. I ALWAYS cook on a Friday night, stemming from the days when my husband would work Monday to Friday in London, coming home only at the weekends and I'd welcome him home with something with a nutritional value higher than zilch. And this weekend was no different, except for one little thing.

Hubs called at lunchtime, knowing I was knackered, and said, 'Let's get takeaway. Chinese? The Dragon do that one I love.' And yes, The Dragon does do good food, BUT I ALWAYS COOK ON A FRIDAY! Does he not realise he is breaking my moral code to feed my husband (and anyone else who passes over my threshold for that matter!)? Call me old fashioned, but I like a tradition.

So I got to scheming, what if I made him think he was getting a Chinese takeaway, that I picked it up just before he got home, only to have cooked it myself, feeding my obsession of knowing exactly what's going in our food and knowing that it's actually chicken we're eating, not re-constituted animal X.

So I made Chinese, knowing what he'd order and having most of the ingredients at home, just a quick stop off for chicken and veggies. I opened all the window so any cooking smells could be passed off as takeaway smells and set to it.

I even went so far as to put it in old takeaway tubs that I save for leftovers and dumping the food into a big bowl as I would normally do with a Chinese takeaway, spooning from bowl to mouth without removing my eyes from whatever rubbish happens to be on the TV.

But he knew.

The first comment was positive 'Oh God that smells good, I'm starving!'

But then, his second comment, upon spying the meal was 'oh, there are normally more onions than anything else, but this has peppers and mushrooms in it. Was it more expensive?'

And then 'The chicken's good. It's different. Not as stodgy. It tastes... less over the top Chinesey... you know what I mean?'

Busted.

But was it as good?

Yes, but rather than a takeaway, it tasted like it had come from a proper Chinese restaurant. It tasted like it was freshly-made from scratch with real ingredients with the love and attention food deserves. Funny that, because it was.

Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce
300g chicken thighs cut into bit sized pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into strips
Large handful mushrooms, chunkily sliced
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp maggi seasoning
scant 1/2 tsp sugar

1. Marinate the chicken in 1 tbsp soy sauce for 10-20 minutes

2. Heat a wok and oil, and stir fry the onions for 3-4 minutes on a high heat. Add the pepper and mushrooms, cooking for another 2 minutes before adding the black pepper, chicken and marinade.

3. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

4. Add the remaining soy sauce, maggi seasoning and sugar, cooking until the sugar begins to caramelise, just a minute or two.

Serve with rice or noodles

Enjoy!

A Taste of Sunshine - Courgette and Prawn Risotto with Courgette Flowers

2011-06-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Courgette plant - going strong!

I’ve got to admit that I’m feeling rather pleased with myself, smug, if you will. I’ve turned my overgrown, sorry excuse for a small urban garden into a little kitchen garden, basking in the sunshine, bees hopping from plant to plant and scented by sweet peas and growing all manner of edible delights by day; romantic hideaway, lit by twinkly fairy lights and scented by garden candles by night. Tomatoes, runner beans, carrots, beetroots (oh my), but most pleasing to me are those foods that money just can’t buy – radish tops, onions stalks (to be used instead of chives) and most excitingly, courgette flowers. And these are they bits most people throw on the compost heap. Not me, everything I grow that’s edible I eat. Tight? Maybe. Imaginative? Definitely.

You can’t buy courgette flowers in the shops – well not that I’ve seen anyway – and even if you could, they would be ridiculously expensive. They need to be picked at the right time (just after their work on the plant is done and just before they wilt and fall off the courgette). When picked, you have only hours before they wilt and turn brown – how on earth would you get them to market, I wonder?

But don’t let that stop you! Find a friend who grows – we all have one – and pinch your flowers from them (make them dinner if guilt sets in).

Beautiful flowers, bad picture.
Rainy day outside, sunshine inside

Courgette flowers aren’t substantial. They don’t taste of much. But their texture makes up for it, amazingly smooth and silky, adding another dimension to a dish, not to mention the wow factor. And they’re beautiful, so beautiful that they bring a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise dull day. And these reasons are exactly why I do not, will not, absolutely refuse, to stuff and deep fry them. These delicate little flowers should be wilted into food, not fried to a crisp, losing their special texture and dulling that gorgeous sunshine yellow. There must be a better way?

So I took inspiration from Two Greedy Italians who gently stir theirs into a risotto at the end of cooking. I once gave my risotto to an actual Greedy Italian who’d never learnt to cook and, whilst we were living in Amsterdam for work had his mother bring food for his freezer. Maybe this was why I was so bitter when he called my beloved risotto a Spanish Paella. And maybe it was more like a paella - I follow my instincts when I cook letting tastes and textures guide me, throwing chunks of vegetables in and, horror of horrors, adding parmesan to seafood. Well, I like it, I think the parmesan makes a risotto, and I won’t be told what I do and don’t like. I’m not one for rules and I’ll add what I want to (cue stamping of feet and sticking out lip).

I know this isn’t the Italian way – it’s the Bea way.

But, whatever happens, I do follow, no, cherish the basic rule of making a proper Italian risotto - I patiently stir, adding stock, and continuing to stir until my arm aches and the rice is perfectly cooked, the pain always alleviated by the glass of wine I sip as I do so (well, I open a bottle to add some to the rice… it’d be rude not to!).

But the delicate nature of the flowers had an oddly calming effect on me as I saw my knife chopping small pieces of courgette as opposed to the chunks I favour, taking my time as I went. And I was happy, the smaller pieces didn’t overtake the dish, and had less crunch than normal, making a smooth risotto that allowed the delicate flowers to shine through. OK, I get it now. The Italian way is better and The Greedy Italian who shunned my risotto would be proud, but it certainly wasn’t as mamma used to make… I still added parmesan cheese. I love it, OK?

Anyway, rules are made to be broken…

Courgette and Prawn Risotto with Courgette Flowers

Summer in a Bowl

2 tbsp oilive oil
25g unsalted butter
Onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
250g risotto rice
Small glass of white wine
2 litres (ish) of hot vegetable stock
2 small courgettes
300g cooked king prawns
Courgette flowers, stamen removed (these are rather bitter) and lightly rinsed.
Parmesan to taste (optional, but go on, break the mould, you won’t regret it)

Serves 2

1. In a wide, heavy bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and half of the butter over a medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the onion, celery and garlic, stir to coat in the oil and leave to cook over a low heat for 7-8 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.

2. Add the rice, stir to coat in the oils and cook until translucent at the edges – about 5 minutes – before tipping in the glass of wine. Pour yourself a glass and get ready to stir.

3. Stir the rice until all the liquid has been absorbed, before adding your first ladle full (you needn’t be precise) of stock. Stir again until absorbed and repeat. After 10 minutes, add the courgette.

4. Continue until the rice is cooked, but still firm to the bite, and there is a little liquid left in the pan – you don’t want dry or sloppy, just nicely in the middle.

5. Stir in the prawns, cook for a further minute then add the remaining butter, courgette flowers and parmesan (if using), put a lid on and leave for 2 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

Enjoy!

For my Nanna, and her legendary Sunday Lunch

2011-05-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

What I love about food, about eating, are the memories we get from it. I'm sat watching Formula 1 with hubs and all I can smell is my nanna's Sunday Roast; I can small the roast beef (always roast beef), the gravy that I've never been able to replicate, the perfect roast potatoes that my cousin and I used to call cheesy potatoes - they weren't of course, but somehow they used to taste that way. I remember, as we all took our seats, the once over I'd give mine and my cousins plates to make sure she didn't have more than me, my Uncle Clive pouring out the beer to make a shandy, and my cousin and I being able to have the weakest shandy ever known, but we felt so grown up! The saxa salt and pepper on the table is the reason I always, without fail, have to have white pepper shaken over my mashed potatoes. And the sound of the cars on the TV, it seemed like every weekend but of course it wasn't, as clear in my memory as it is in my living room.

Lunch was served at 2pm, without fail. My cousin Jane always mashed the potatoes, Uncle Clive always had the end of the meat but of course, my nanna always, always had the final say on who got what and when. Sunday Roast ran like clockwork,

Fast forward 10, 12 years. My wonderful, warm nanna who made the best Sunday Lunch was all of a sudden at my childhood home on a Sunday, being cooked for by my mum and dad after a fall in the kitchen, which soon led to dementia which soon led to her passing away. It was at this point I began to realise how good my mum's Sunday Roast was. Was it because the torch had been passed, almost, as she cooked for my dad's mum? Was it because my mum, like me, the black sheep of the family, took it upon herself to look after my nanna the way my nanna looked after us, by getting the family together and feeding us our Sunday Lunch? Or was it always that good but I never knew, so certain I was that my nanna was the best?

I don't know, but as I listen to the cars whizzing around the track in Monaco, I'm sat with a lump in my throat as I think of my nanna and her legendary Sunday lunches, looking back at the eight year old me and the cousins I no longer know, smelling the mashed potatoes, roast beef and gravy all covered with pepper. So I'm off now to make roast beef and yorkshire puddings, and I can because I watched my nanna in her pinny working her magic and learnt from her. This lunch is for my nanna. We miss you x

Hangover Savior - Bacon Cheesy Bread

2011-05-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Reliving their youth in Sankeys
Champagne boys!?

I'm married to a 34 year old man desperate to re-live his youth, as are the four other friends he went out with in Manchester last night in search of their teenage years. Off to Sankey's they trundled, having had to check the dress code on the website before - none of them had been since their late teens and they realised that shell suits and glo-sticks are out, but didn't know what was in. (They actually asked for a glo-stick at the bar and got blank stares in return. How I laughed).

So, feeling sorry for myself as I was meant to be in Berlin this weekend, I decided to be a good wife and make something yummy for when he got home, feeling middle aged and mourning his mis-spent youth. Having raided the cupboads and realising they were bare, I couldn't quite bring myself to go to the shops.

There was bacon, but it was streaky; If I tried to feed him a bacon sarnie with streaky bacon, I may as well have given him a fruit salad for his mid-night munchies. But maybe that'd have to do? Ah, no bread. Shall I make some?

Lightbulb moment - Bacon Cheesy bread! It doesn't need yeast, it's more like a cake in that way, so no need to let it rise which was a good thing - with Col being out and me feeling sorry for myself, I'd managed to sink a bottle of wine whilst watching SATC, so I couldn't guarantee not passing out before the oven timer pinged.

Anyway, I knew hubs would love, love, love me for freshly baked bread when he came home, warm with melty cheese inside, salty with bacon, stodgy to soak up the vodka (alas, they may want to relive their youth, but none of them can handle the lager of the '90's any more. In fact, they started with champagne - would you have ordered that at 18, lads?). It doesn't take long to make and no kneading necessary - perfect for a Saturday night.

I was wrong. As he stumbled through the front door, talking to the cats and doing elephant tiptoes up the stairs, I whiffed that distinct tangy, scraped-up-off-the-floor, garlicky-in-a-bad-way, only-attractive-when-you're-drunk kebab smell.

My husband. Had brought home. A Kebab. It was worse than if he'd brought home a random woman. Ish.

Even worse, he slopped it into a bowl and brought it to bed. To bed! The only time I've had a kebab in bed was with my fab friend Lou at uni, drunk on Morrinov vodka (that is (was?) Morrison's own brand Vodka, for those of you not in the vodka conoiseur arena). For the record, Lou was the ultimate kebab monster. She used to eat half walking home and save the rest for the next morning . Even Lou has grown out of Kebabs now. I was never a kebab girl. Chips and gravy? Every Friday night. But never kebab. So for my husband to bring a kebab home when I hadn't had one in my home for nearly ten years was bad. The fact that he'd rejected my bread? Grounds for divorce.

So, he passed out at 4am. I lay awake for hours, eventually falling asleep to the smell of kebab, the sound of bird song and drunken snoring.

But it turns out that Bacon Cheesy Bread is the ultimate hangover cure, given that he gobbled 5 slices with a cup of tea only 6 hours after kebab-gate.

So if you want to know 'How To Feed A Man' (that was for you, Sarah at Maison Cupcake), make this bread to cure a hangover; a vodka hangover and a hangover from your youth. This bread is the new, middle aged man's kebab. No Glo-sticks necessary.

*I remember reading this recipe somewhere. I don't remember where. I searched for it and ending up based this recipe on one I saw on the back of a flour packet some years ago. So if this is something to do with you, I'm sorry I've not give you any credit!

Bacon and Cheesy Bread

150g smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
320g plain flour
3 tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
100g grated cheese (I used vintage Cheshire Cheese)
200ml milk
2 eggs
50ml olive oil
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1. Pre-heat your over to 180 and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Cook the bacon until crispy and leave to cool

3. Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl, add the bacon and cheese and mix together.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, eggs, olive oil and mustard and add slowly to the dry ingredients, stirring all the time until combined to make a batter.

5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the tin and bake for a further 15 minutes to crisp up the bottom.

6. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Hubs munched this with butter, but for me, you could do a lot worse than dunking this in tomato soup. Gorgeous.

Enjoy!

Ben Vear's ice cream; It's got the 'Oooh!' Factor!

2011-05-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

I’ve been really lucky to get my hands on the introduction and three delicious recipes from Ben Vear's forthcoming book, Make Your Own Organic Ice Cream: Using Home Grown and Local Produce. I’ve been thinking about buying an ice-cream maker for some time but haven’t yet bitten the bullet, so to see that you only need basic equipment and very good locally produced ingredients for this book, I couldn’t have been happier. Ben gives instructions for both ice-cream makers and churning by hand and whilst churning by hand isn’t the easy option, it’s the way his great-granddad used to do it – if it’s good enough for the man who started the business in 1925 that now churns 1 million litres of ice-cream a year, it’s good enough for me. The book is very clear in it's message - ice cream is not hard to make, is not time consuming and absolutely does not require all types of expensive and fanciful gadgets. And you should 100%, absolutely support your local community.

Living in Cheshire, abound with local produce and local business, buying local is something I really champion, going so far as to grow as much of my own as possible. So Ben is a man after my own heart. “It's important to me to give back to the local community” Ben tells me. The family business started when Ben's great-grandfather foraged in the local hedgerows while his son's played golf on beautiful Rodborough Common. "He would pick fruit, herbs and vegetables, go home and make dinner for his sons after their round of golf from what he found. They would bring their friends, who would bring their friends and so on, creating the business - so community is important." As a result, Winstones Ice cream use local wherever possible - local farmers, growers, packaging, even down to the labels and electricians they use. However, with our tastes changing, there are some ingredients that can't be sourced in Gloucestershire - vanilla and mixed spice being good examples, but the business ensures they source responsibility at all times.

Ben is a busy boy; as well as writing his book, due for release in October, he manages marketing and communications for the business, whilst studying for an Economics degree at university. I wondered where he found the time and energy, and it became clear that his passion for food, family and community drives Ben, having left a high flying City career to go to university and to write his book. All of Ben's free time is spent with food; making ice cream, pastries, jams, marmalade, recreating his grandfathers recipes, a modern take on old family classics. And this modern take is reflected in the book, where we can expect what are sure to become modern favourites; olive oil ice cream, cracked black pepper ice cream; not meant to be served in a cone with a flake, but as part of a wider gastronomical experience.

Home-made marmalade,
next seen disguised as ice-cream

And so to the book. The recipes I’ve seen in this book so far look so delicious that I just had to try a couple. Anything that says ‘serve with lashings of cream and fruit’ gets my vote, so Winstones Chocolate Ice Cream was in my good books from the off. I must confess that, due to the lack of ice-cream maker, I’ve never made ice-cream before but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I made some marmalade (thick-cut, naturally - who has the patience!) earlier in the year for my husband; it’s one of his favourite things, spread (too thickly, in my opinion) on toast. The delightful introduction to the Marmalade Ice Cream recipe informed me that it’s also Ben’s dads favourite. That, and the fact that marmalade is taking over my fridge, made this the first recipe I tried.

To stay true to the books ethos, I dug deep and bought local and organic cream and milk, and set to it with my home-made marmalade. The recipe, clear, concise and easy to follow, turned out a soft, smooth, tangy, creamy dessert even when doing it by hand.

Marmalade ice-cream

I then turned the page to find Mixed Spice Ice Cream. I really didn’t like the sound of that, so what better reason to give it a go! So, I retrieved my whisk, created more space in my freezer and nipped to snatch some fresh eggs from under my friends hens bottoms (oooh, still warm).

Mixed Spice ice-cream

And another successful, easy to follow recipe delivered a heady spice mix, cool on the tongue, but strangely warming at the same time. I’m so pleased I tried this recipe, my husband loved it - 'mmm, aaah, oooh it's so good', were the sounds of our house tonight (and sadly, they were nothing to do with me!) He even said he 'didn't think home-made ice cream could be that good. Seriously'. Needless to say, he, and I were impressed. Ben suggests serving this with Mulled Wine, conjuring thoughts of winters by the fire with a huge slice of apple or pecan pie served with a dollop of this oddly warming ice-cream melting over the top. Odd, how a bowl of ice-cream has made me wish the summer away, dreaming of winter when I can get my hands on this book and eat ice cream in front of the fire.

Confused (by wanting ice-cream in winter and the noises emitted by my husband)? A little.

Delighted? Definitely.

Huge thanks to Ben for allowing me a sneak preview of his book and recipes, and for taking some time to speak to me. You can pre-order his book here and keep up with Ben at his Blog here

Bea's Bangers - Making my own Sausages

2011-05-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ellen trying to lick Nutella off her
nose - see what I have to put up with!?

"Now, he will push his meat into the chamber, while you, Dear, can handle his sausage."

This was said by the lovely lady from Design a Sausage at Tatton Park Foodies Festival this weekend as I stood on stage with a random man, thanks to my 'friend' Ellen pushing me up to help make sausages. I truly believe the sausage woman didn't realise what she was saying, but the audience certainly engaged in a game of Innuendo Bingo (Ellen definitely did - nearly doubled over laughing)! And I fear this experience is going to start a sausage obsession at home (not the innuendo experience you understand, the sausage making one). I'll be filling my dried cow's hide casings with combinations of herbs, spices, meats and breadcrumbs, knowing exactly what's going in them and how much of it is actual meat.

You can buy really good sausages out there but they ain't cheap. The cheap ones are full of what can only be described as crap (sorry). I learnt at the fair that you need to have a base mix (rusk or breadcrumbs) and a stabiliser so the sausage doesnt turn into mince meat when you cut it open, and it stays sausage like.

Design a Sausage Kit Contents

Taking this at face value, I invested in a sausage making kit from Design a Sausage to get me going. Having got it home and had a good look at it, I wished I hadn't bothered. It included 30cm of sausage casing (useful), a filler bag (basically a piping bag - I have a ton of these already) and a ready mix for lincolnshire sausage, which involves stabilisers, rusk base and spices. Looking closer at the mix, I saw E numbers and chemicals that I didn't recognise listed in the ingredients. Mix thrown in the bin and spice cupboard raided. I have breadcrumbs in the freezer and the stabiliser? Well, after a little perusing on t'interweb, I found that if you mix the spices and meat until sticky, the myosin in the protein is released, making the end result stick together like a sausage should (and it worked). Ah-ha! But, my £7.95 was wasted.

So, I set about making my version of a lincolnshire pork sausage, a Cheadle Sausage, if you will. Having selected my spices and mixed my mix until sticky (the easy bit) I set to filling my casing (the not so easy bit).

I now realised that I need to invest in a fan-dangled sausage filler for the Kitchen Aid, but before I do, I need to see if this catches on or if it's yet another fad of mine. So piping bag it is. For now.

I filled my piping bag half full with sausage mix, wiggled the casing over the end and squeezed. The casing flew off the end of the bag and sausage mix squirted up the wall. I started again holding the casing in place as I squeezed the bag.. And I had a sausage! I squeezed and squeezed and then... it overflowed out of the top of the casing. So I sqeezed the sausage mix already in the casing further down to make room for more meat. And then the casing split. So I started again with new casing, before it squirted out of the top. Again. So I

pushed the sausage mix down a little, carefully this time (live and learn), and re-instated the sqeezing. As it came to the top, I stopped, pushed the meat down again, started squeezing again. Split the casing... and so on I carried on in this vain and ended up with three sausages of varying sizes. But they were sausages! So I twisted them and made seven glorious, squat, pink, fat sausages the same size as my first, to look like my mistakes were intentional. Hurrah!

And the cost? Well, the organic pork mince was £2.99 (if you buy your meat and mince yourself it will be cheaper), spices, well I have those in so can you put a price on it? The casings are £4.95 for 18m strands, so pennies per sausage. In total, (not including my wasted £7.95 for the kit) these 90-ish% pork sausages were just over £3 for 7 (I'm sure I could eek out 8 next time). Same as decent sausages in the supermarket.

Would I make them again? Yes, I would. They were delicious, meaty, spicy, peppery (I love pepper), but most excitingly, I can develop flavours of my own. I'm thinking fish sausages... lamb and cherry perhaps... Now that is exciting.

And so, here you have it, my first go at my own sausages

Bea's Cheadle Bangers

500g Pork Mince
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Scant 1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp Cornflour
60g breadcrumbs
100ml ice cold water
Sausage Casing (from Design a Sausage)

1. In a large bowl, mix the pork, herbs, spices and flour together with your hands until it is sticky.

2. Add the breadcrumbs and mix with your hands before adding the ice-water. Mix it all together and leave the mixture for a couple of minutes, for the breadcrumbs to hydrate.

The start of my first sausage.

3. Fill your sausage casing. Measure 1" up a disposable piping bag and chop the end off. Half fill the bag with the sausage mixture, and place the tip of the bag inside the casing. Do not un-ravel the casing (as above). Twist the top of the bag to stop the sausage meat escaping and squeeze. If the sausage meat stops moving into the casing, gently ease it down with your fingers being careful not to split the casing. Be careful not to over fill the sausages; if you do, they may burst in the oven.

4. Once all of the sausage meat is used up, twist into links and refrigerate for 24 hours. Cook as you would with bought sausages (mine were baked at 180 for 30 minutes, served simply with lots and lots and lots of mash and onion gravy... what!? I'm Northern!)

Cooked Sausages! I'm feeling very
pleased with myself right now

Enjoy!

P.S. A massive Thank You to John and Aimee for the tickets to the festival for my Birthday - see what you've started!? x

Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Cookies... IT WORKS!

2011-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite food blogs, How Sweet It Is, posted a recipe for Candied Bacon a few weeks ago, and more recently, Peanut Butter cookies with Candied Bacon. The author is crackers. I was intrigued.

On Friday night, I was bored, faffing on Amazon, and came across the Flavour Thesaurus and promptly ordered it (it's scary how easy it is to order from Amazon. It does, however, explain my groaning kitchen shelves). Being the impatient soul I am, I downloaded the sample to my kindle, which gives you the first few pages for free. I got into bed with my hot milk (I know, I know, I'm in my 20's, only just however, but I was tired and I'm getting ill. That's this weekends excuse anyway!) Included in these first few free pages was Chocolate and, low behold, there it was - Chocolate and Bacon. It was a sign, it had to be done.

Inspired by the crazy nature of How Sweet It Is (and not exactly a fan of peanut butter), I made the candied bacon and added it to my adapted Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as a little Sunday afternoon experiment and taste test for hubby.

I'm in love.

I made the bacon, coated it in chocolate, and handed a piece to hubs as I couldn't keep my little secret any longer. Liquorice? he guessed... erm nope, guess again! I couldn't wait and let the cat out of the bag. He pulled a face then realised he was enjoying what he was eating before stating in an authoritarian way 'Oh yes, that works'. Funny how the brain tells us what not to like when our taste buds tell us differently.

It's really important to use smoked bacon here; it really adds another dimension. What I love about this is the classic sweet and salty contrast that works so well - salted caramel anyone? You can't really recognise the bacon - you know there is something different but you can't put your finger on what. And the texture! The crunch of the bacon, the chewy cookie, the smooth chocolate combined creates a sensation for the senses.

Anyway, here it is. Thanks, How Sweet It Is, for the candied bacon and for planting the seed. This is a keeper.

Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Cookies

For the bacon

6 slices smoked streaky bacon
2.5 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
150g dark chocolate

For the cookies

225g unsalted butter
150g brown sugar
150g white granulated sugar
2 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla essence
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

Note, if you don't want to use the bacon, substitute with nuts of your choice, or just leave them out altogether. Also, add 1/2 tsp salt to the flour.

1. Pre heat your oven to 180, line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper and leave a third un-lined

Chocolate covered candied
bacon - what's not to like!?

2. Mix together the 2.5 tbsp brown sugar and the cinnamon and coat your bacon slices. Bake for 25 minutes, turning once half way through. Leave to cool on kitchen paper and resist eating a piece (or make extra so you can munch while you wait).

3. Melt 150g dark chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, ensuring the water doesn't touch the bowl. When melted, cover your bacon in the chocolate and place on greasproof paper to set. If it's a warm day, place the covered bacon in the fridge to set whilst you make your cookie dough.

4. Cream the butter and sugars together in a mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly in between. Ad the vanilla and mix again until weel incorporated.

6. Mix the flour and salt together, add to the mixer and mix until combined. Do not over mix.

7. Break your set chocolate covered bacon into smallish chunks (scissors make this job easier). Fold the chocolate bacon and chocolate drops into the dough. If the dough is loose, leave in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm.

8. Using an ice-cream scoop, place balls of the mixture on the baking trays. These are very large cookies and you will only get three per tray (the mixture makes 12). Bake for 15 minutes. The edges will be golden and the middle won't feel set. Don't worry, they will firm up as they cool. Once cool enough to handle, transfer to a wire rack.

You can either bake the remaining cookie dough or freeze for a later date. I can only eat one of these bad boys at a time, so I scoop the rest of the mixture into balls, freeze on a tray and, when frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. They can be baked from frozen but may take a few minutes more.

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Wine. Together. In a Bottle!

2011-05-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and Wine are two of my favourite things, sometimes together, sometimes not, but always delicious and indulgent. So imagine my delight today when, at The Foodies Festival in Tatton Park, Cheshire I found Chocolate Wine. Together. In a Bottle. You did read that right.

'The Secret' Chocolate wine, created and bottled in Ramsbottom, Bury, is an English (no less) fortified wine infused with real chocolate essence. It's well knows that port works well with dark chocolate which, with a high percentage of cocoa solids, can help reduce some of the bitterness. Chocolate also adds an extra layer of silkiness to port and both of these traits shine through in this delightful tipple.

I probably should have taken the picture before
breaking into it... but I couldn't help myself.

In the glass, this wine is cherry red, not dark like an aged wine - it looks young and fruity. As you swirl the glass and hold it to your nose, the aroma is Green & Blacks Cherry Chocolate made into ice-cream form - wow, heaven. As you taste, the first sensation is velvet, followed by smooth chocolate, with a lasting cherry and strawberry note, all compliemnted but not overpowered by the wine itself. Perhaps this is due to the alcohol content - not shudder inducing 20-25% of port, but a nice wallowing 12% proof, making this warming, not burning.

I can imagine a glass of this in front of the fire at Christmas, but it wouldn't be out of place at the end of a meal for those not partial to cheese and port. In fact, I'm drinking this now at 4.15pm (it's a Saturday, don't judge me, and please don't tell anyone).

My only concern with this wine is it's shelf life of 6 months after purchase, and 1 month after opening. It's a real shame, but then again, I'm not sure this wine will make it that far. I have recipes planned!

You can buy a bottle of this wine from The Vineyard's Online Store, or in person from Ramsbottom in Bury. But whatever you do, buy a bottle soon, you won't regret it.

('The Secret' Chocolate Wine, £9.95 from The Vineyard Wine Shop)

Bea's Fruity take on Nigella's Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad

2011-05-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty new to blogging, both reading and writing, and a week or two ago I came across Maison Cupcake, a lovely, warm, honest blog I'm now following. I saw the Blogging Event, Forever Nigella (click here for more details), and this month Belleau Kitchen chose the theme of 'Salad Days'. I just had to take part for two reasons; I LOVE Nigella (who doesn't!?) and my garden is being taken over by lettuce and mint that needs eating!

Me and Nigella at her signing.
Yes, she looks, and is, beautiful? Me? I look like an idiot, all excitable.
Picture was taken on my mobile by my mum, hence the quality!

I met Nigella, once upon a time, at a book signing for Nigella Express, so I chose a recipe from MY SIGNED COPY, (that I've tried so hard to keep pristene but is now covered in food - Nigella would be proud) that I've adapted to suit my taste, cupboard and garden. Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad has lots of lovely greenery, perfect for my lettuce overflow and also allowed me to use the chilli's from my chilli plant. Instead of the lamb loin suggested by Nigella, I spoke to my butcher who had a lovely piece of leg fillet that looked so tasty, I brought that home with me and sliced it in the middle to make it a little thinner.

To make the salad more summery, I added some blanched sugar snap peas (a favourite of Nigellas) and some fresh raspberries; I love fruit in a salad and the market didn't have my original choice of pomegranate, but now I'm rather pleased; the raspberries worked a treat. Finally, I played with the dressing, making it fresher by using lime instead of rice vinegar. I didn't have any fish sauce, so used a tablespoon of soy sauce instead of the teaspoon Nigella uses.

I was nervous about changing Nigellas recipe for this feature in case everyone hated it; perhaps it'd be too much change? But I have to say, I loved it; the raspberries made it really fresh and took some of the spice of the chilli away and the sugar snap peas gave it some crunch. GORGEOUS.

Bea's Fruity take on Nigella's Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad!

Not a great picture (the storm outside was
against me, light-wise!) but look at those colours!

For the Salad

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 lamb leg fillet, approx. 250g, about 1 inch thick (or slice a large fillet in two)

2-3 large handfuls of mixed salad leaves

3 x 15ml tablespoons chopped mint

150g Sugar Snap Peas

100g raspberries

For the dressing

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Juice of two limes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely sliced

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and pan fry the lamb for 5 minutes on one side and two minutes on the other. Remove from the pan and place the lamb on a piece of foil and make a loose parcel, allowing the meat to rest. This will give you nice pink meat.

2. Whilst the meat is resting, boil the peas for 1 minute then drain and rinse in cold water.

3. In a large bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients.

4. Prepare your plates with the salad leaves.

5. Open the lamb parcel and add the juices from the meat to the dressing. Slice the meat, toss it in the dressing and then place the lamb on top of the salad leaves.

(Nigella's tip - if you want your lamb more well done, leave in the dressing for longer. The acid in the dressing will cook the meat. My dressing is very acidic with the lime juice and cooks it very quickly, hence why I cook the lamb for 6 minutes and Nigella cooks it for 7 and a half).

6. Top with sugar snap peas then drizzle with the remaining dressing.

7. Finally, scatter the raspberries over the salad.

You can find the original Nigella recipe here.

Enjoy!

Time for a fridge clear out - Random Cheese Tart

2011-05-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

I opened the fridge to have a root around for lunch. My Husband wandered in, took one look at me and said ‘phwoar!' (not in the good way) 'What’s that smell!?’. Delightful. ‘It’s the cheese!’ I insisted, ‘It’s starting to pong and there is so much of it!’

I love cheese, but I get very over-excited once I enter a cheese shop, it’s quite embarrassing. I always tend to buy more, so much more than I actually need and then it goes pongy, then furry before I can eat it all. I love the pongy nature of cheese, but it’s when it starts to pong out the fridge that, when I'm out, hubs goes in and chucks the lot away.

To stop this amount of crazy (and ridiculous waste) in my house I took action. I pulled out of the fridge:

A few wodges of cheese of varying types in various states
A few slices of ham going a bit curly at the edges and a couple of prosciutto
Half a jar of sundried tomatoes

After a further root around, I found some cream that was about to start to pong too – and not in the good way that cheese does.

So I came up with this cheese and ham tart. It’s a proper fridge clearer of a recipe (which is exactly what inspired this in the first place). The next time you buy cheese for a dinner party and only one person nibbles on the corner of the cheddar, try this baby for lunch the next day.

Random Cheese, Ham and Tomato Tart

250g Plain Flour
125g Cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp Cold water
280 - 300ml double cream*
2 eggs
250g (roughly) of mixed cheeses
4 slices of smoked ham
6-8 sun dried tomatoes

Please note - the eggs, ham and tomatoes are just a guide. If you have other hams, cheeses, fresh tomatoes, a bag of spinach etc, use these instead! For the cheeses, I used a herby boursin, a strong cheddar and edam. I'd have loved a blue but didn't have any in.

*300ml is ideal, but if you have less, that's fine, but try not to go lower than 280ml. If you do your filling will poke over the top cream mixture.

1. To make the pastry, tip the flour and butter into a food processor and blitz to fine breadcrumbs. Add most of the water, and blitz again until it forms a dough (do not over mix). Add a little more water if necessary. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, shape into a disk and leace to chill in the fridge, wrapped in clingfilm, for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180.

3. When chilled, remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface until your pastry is about the thickness of a pound coin. Take an 8" loose bottom flan tin and lift your pastry into the tin. Immediately place the edges inside the tin and then edge and mould to the sides. The alternative is to place the pastry on top of the tin and push inside with your fingers. If you do it this way, you will stretch the pastry and it will shrink whilst cooking.

4. Line the base with a circle of baking paper and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the beans and paper, and return to the over for another 10 minutes.

5. To make the filling, lightly beat the eggs and the cream. Tear or chop the cheeses into small-ish pieces (I do this by hand - if you have rough chunks of the harder cheeses you get pockets of gooey goodness when you bite through the tart) and tear the ham into lengths.

6. Throw the ham, cheese and sundried tomatoes into the tart case and pour over the egg and cream mix. Give it a shake to make sure the egg and cream are evenly distributed.

7. Bake for 40 minutes until set (but a little wobbly in the middle) and golden.

Enjoy!

Sowing Sunday Week 8…. On a Monday Again!

2011-05-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Quite a short post this week given as all that's happened is my garden got drenched by the rain! The plants love it. I, on the other hand, do not. No pottering for me this week and you know what? I've really missed it. Just thinking about all the healthy plants and gorgeous food to come.

Things are looking very healthy (and smelling very.... fresh!) out there, and no plant bereavements this week - hurrah, an improvement on last at least.

My radishes began to take over and I was sick to the back teeth off nibbling on them just to get rid of them, and it was too cold for salad. But, I found a way to use my glut, enter Radish Top Soup with Tempura Radishes (click to see recipe).

All other veggies are shooting up, it won't be long before I have other types of gluts on my hands.

My courgettes are going ten to the dozen, with new flowers popping up and the bees swarming round. I'm waiting for enough to get a courgette flower risotto going. I've never tried them before so I'm getting impatient.

And the strawberries! I spotted my first British grown strawberries in the shop last week, and by the looks of things mine won't be far behind. I feel an Eton Mess coming on....

As per usual, my herbs are growing crackers, it seems I can't use them fast enough, which is never a bad thing... I may have to get going on the old drying.

Until next week...

Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte – German Black Forest Cake in honour of Eurovision

2011-05-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

I loved Eurovision last night. Husband and I laughed until we cried, until our bellies hurt, and how better to celebrate Dusseldorf hosting this event than a traditional German Cake.

Tess and I at one of the many Gluwein stands in Germany

One of my best friends, the lovely, gorgeous Tessa has lived in Dusseldorf for nearly three years and oh, I’ve missed her terribly. But I can’t say I haven’t loved my visits to this wonderful city that completely took me by surprise with it’s café culture and wonderful, wonderful people. I was going to visit for Eurovision but you should have seen the price of the flights! I could have bought a plane for that!

My favourite memory of my trips to Dusseldorf is visiting the Christmas markets, a magical day and evening full of snow, Gluwein, market stalls, Gluwein, singing Christmas songs, friendship, food and er, more Gluwein. We had a wonderful day, but we drank nearly 13 glasses of the stuff, purely to warm ourselves through you understand! Well, we were a little worse for wear, singing Christmas songs far too loudly (given we were two of the very few people that knew the words to the English songs) and we got chatting to some very, very nice German people, one of whom, Cathrin, has since become a good friend of Tessa’s (and who wouldn’t want to be a friend of Tessa’s?)

I asked Cathrin if she had a traditional German recipe I could try and her mum has been kind enough to give me her Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte recipe, a German Black Forest Cherry Cake for me to bake this weekend in honour of this fabulously fun event.

I was so pleased when I saw this! No only are cherries coming into season (I bought my first punnet yesterday) but this cake is the taste of childhood, when my Auntie Val used to defrost a Black Forest Gateaux just for me on special occasions. Oh how I loved it, the chocolate cake, cherries and gooey cream. Especially when it hadn’t quite defrosted enough and I got a cold cherry to bite through in the middle!

This version is so much better. I made mine with Cherry Brandy (the recipe says Kirsch, but to all intents and purposes it is the same thing). Don’t be put off by the length of the recipe. Whilst a little complicated, this cake is delicious, light, fluffy, alcohol soaked. Never will a Black Forest Gateaux find its way into my freezer again.

This is so fabulous, I'm entering it into English Mum's Bake Off... wish me luck!

Thanks Cathrin’s mum – I owe you one.

Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte recipe, a German Black Forest Cherry Cake

(The recipe below is for 3x7” layers. I used the exact same recipe but did 2 x 8” layers in the picture)

For the cake

140g unsalted butter + 1 tbsp for greasing

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g caster sugar

65g self-raising flour + 2 tbsp for coating

40g cocoa

For the Syrup

150g sugar
250ml cold water
80ml kirsch or cherry brandy

For the filling and topping

500ml chilled double cream
50g icing sugar
60ml kirsch or cherry brandy
1 tin of cherries drained and rinsed
Fresh sweet cherries with stems
100g Dark chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 180. With some greaseproof paper, lightly coat the bottoms and sides of three 7-inch round cake pans with the 1 tbsp of soft butter. Sprinkle the flour into each pan and tip them from side to side to coat, discarding any loose flour.

2. Clarify the remaining butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter slowly over low heat without letting it brown. Let it rest for a minute off the heat, then skim off the foam. Spoon the clear butter into a bowl and set aside. Discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.

Cake batter after step 3

3. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and 1 cup of sugar together at high speed for at least 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fluffy.

4. Sift the flour and cocoa together and add to the egg mixture a little at a time, folding it in gently with a rubber spatula. Finally, add the clarified butter 2 tablespoons at a time, being careful to not overmix. Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pans dividing it evenly amongst the three.

5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes. Then run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake and turn them out on racks to cool out completely.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by placing the sugar and water in Combine sugar and water in small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Boil briskly, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. When the syrup is lukewarm stir in the kirsch or brandy.

7. Prick each cake in several places with a skewer. Sprinkle the layers evenly with the syrup and let them rest for at least 5 minutes.

8. Drain the tinned cherries and rinse in cold water. Dry completely with paper towels.

9. Whizz the cream until it thickens slightly and sift the icing sugar over the cream. Continue beating until the cream forms firm peaks then pour in kirsch or cherry branding in a thin stream, beating only until the liquid is absorbed.

10. Make the chocolate curls but running a vegetable peeler down the side of the bar of chocolate.

11. Assemble the cake. Place one of the cakes in the center of a serving plate. With a spatula, spread the top with a 1/2-inch-thick layer of whipped cream and place the dried canned cherries over, leaving about 1/2 inch of cream free of cherries around the perimeter. Gently set a second layer on top of the cherries and spread it with 1/2 inch of whipped cream. Then set the third layer in place. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cream.

12. With your fingers, gently press chocolate curls into the cream on the sides of the cake and arrange a few chocolate curls and fresh cherries on top.

Enjoy!

For The Love of Fellow Foodies

2011-05-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

I’m less than two months, eight (was 10 until Blogger miss-hap) blog followers and 190 Twitter followers into my Blogging Life and last night, in a typical female tantrum way as I watched Blue’s great start in the Eurovision song content fade to oblivion, I nearly deleted the whole thing and gave it up for a bad job. I hadn’t been drinking (for once I hear you cry), I was just being self-centered and feeling utterly sorry for myself.

I’ve spent the last 8 years of my life, since leaving university, looking for my passion in life. Food was always there as a passion, it wakes me up, cheers me up and gets my creativity flowing, but it wasn’t until I decided to put pen to paper, inspired by a decidedly retro pot of vanilla, that I felt like I’d truly found my vocation. I love it. My friends, when I dared to show my blog to a couple of them, were full of encouragement, support and compliments.

But last night, as I read the many, many blogs I follow, I felt very, very insignificant. I was proud of my 10 followers (one of which is me, the other is hubby), of my 194 hits in one day (not bad for a blog less than two months old), but last night, I felt like I, it, wasn’t good enough, that perhaps I was being laughed at. Did these 194 people not like what they see? But then they do keep coming back, with 50 hits per day on the days on don’t post (sadly, I’m addicted to the stats button). Either way, I was blue. No one else wanted to follow me. That 8 (or 10) is going nowhere. I felt like the last kid to be picked for the team.

I woke up this morning feeling the same, and went to my kitchen to make Granola for a lady who won it in a Bake Sale. I tipped the maple syrup in my tea instead of the mixing bowl and burnt the oats. Sod it. I chucked the lot in the bin.

I turned to twitter, always some fun ramblings on there to cheer me up. And there I found the kindness of folk. I didn’t moan (well, not much), just interacted with other foodies and realized just how lovely they are. What I have stumbled upon is a group of people, so fun, friendly and talented. People who are happy to read my ramblings on food, and chat back. I’ve been struck by just how fabulous these people are. And to say it is a hugely competitive area, to get your blog noticed and read, and mostly written by women, it’s not bitchy at all. It supportive, helpful, friendly, we promote one another, we make each other laugh, think, ponder. I’m going to make a cake to celebrate.

So I’m going to keep writing my little blog. I’m so over the mardy I had last night (not from the Midlands? It means I had a sulk). I love the followers I have and other followers will come. Those who already read will hit that little button in time. And if not? Well, I’ll continue to bake cakes, roast meats, potter in my garden and eat in restaurants. And I’ll continue to write about it. But here’s hoping they follow one day. And here’s to cake.

A Glut of Radishes? Try Radish Top Soup with Tempura Radish Croutons

2011-05-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

What can I do with a Radish Glut? My garden is over-grown with radishes - I planted a row of seeds together, not really thinking about what would happen when, 8 weeks later, I would be inundated! You can't keep them, chutney them, like you can most other gluts, so what's a girl to do!?

Chatting to my dad earlier, he told me I could eat the tops in a salad, but to be very careful as they can sting... but unfortunately, I'm not a fan of food that hurts but I got to thinking. You can make nettle soup, so why not Radish Top Soup? It's worth a try right? I won't be using part of the radish I planted the seeds for, but it's better than nothing? So I ran into my garden, pulled up a load of radishes and got to creating this smooth, peppery soup, reminiscent of watercress soup but much more flavourful. It really is lovely. It needs a fair it of seasoning to bring out the earthy taste, but my word, it's delicious, and made from something that you'd normally throw into the compost bin! I'm just sad I threw so many tops away before I realised what a joy these leaves could be.

But then I was left with 6 little red cherry like bulbs of tender peppery-ness; I couldn't throw them away, couldn't face chewing on yet another radish just because it was there and needed eating; it was raining outside and I didn't fancy a salad for lunch. I thought about slicing them and sprinkling them over the soup... a bit boring though.

My eyes fell on the bag of flour I had out for the pastry I was making afterwards and, ding! light bulb moment, inspiration struck for Tempura Radish Croutons, a little bit of crunch on top and none of the plant wasted - perfect!

Great hot as a starter or at room temperature as an amuse bouche served in a shot glass (in this case without the tempura - good thinking hubby).

So here we go; Radish Top Soup with Tempura Radish Croutons (hubs wants to call this soup Radish-tastic - thoughts? Please let me know what you think in the comment box!).

Radish Top Soup with Tempura Radish Croutons

By the time i got this outside for the photo, the Radish
Tempura had begun sunk, but it looked lovely!

For the soup

Don't worry, I washed the
mud off the radishes!

35g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 potatoes, roughly chopped

1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock

150g radish tops (this for me was 6 radishes)

1 tbsp creme fraiche or cream (optional but really tasty)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Radish Tempura

Radishes from the radish tops, sliced

100g plain flour

1 egg

100ml ice cold water

Pan with 1-1.5inches of hot sunflower oil, about 180 degrees centigrade

1.In a large pan, heat the oil and the butter on a medium heat and add the onions, sweating them from 5-10 minutes until they start to go translucent.

2. Add the potatoes and coat in the butter and oil, and leave to cook for 5 minutes.

3. Pour the stock over the onions and potatoes and bring to the boil.

4. Add the Radish Tops, bring to a simmer, and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

5. Blend until smooth, then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cream, keep warm.

6. Mix the egg and water, together, and pour into the flour. The water must be ice cold to keep the batter light. Mix into the flour briefly; do not over mix, it doesn't matter if it is lumpy.

7. Dip your radish slices into the batter, covering the slice and drop into the hot oil. If it sinks to the bottom, the oil is too hot, or too cold.

8. Leave until the batter is golden brown (about 4 minutes), drain on kitchen paper.

9. To serve your soup in bowls, swirl with single cream and top with radish croutons. To serve as an amuse bouche, serve in a shot glass with a radish (complete with top).

If you have any tempura batter left over, it won't keep, so grab some other veggies and fry away! I had a courgette left over, hubby's favourite!

Enjoy!

The story of 131 Little Pink Sparkly Cakes. Never underestimate a professional!

2011-05-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not a buttercream swirler. I've mentioned this before. I've dabbled, I've played, I've bought the nozzles, but it's just not me. I'm more rustic, a slap bang wallop kinda girl (just ask hubby - ahem). But when Cancer Research asked me to make some pink cakes to raise awareness for Race For Life (which, incidentally has fewer runners this year than ever before), I couldn't, wouldn't say no. Donating time is something I love to do and the ingredients never cost the earth. And I love to cook (ya think!?) and this is a great excuse, so said 'of course, when for? How many?'. The reply came 'Thursday (two days away) and 500'. Blimey! I couldn't do 500, I work full time, but my employers allow us to work from home, so I agreed to 100, getting them baked at lunchtime (2 x 24 hole tins and I'd be, and was, done in an hour) and iced at night (a big batch of buttercream and quick piping, I'll be done in an hour). HA!

So, feeling altogether altruistic, I baked my cakes, finished my work and got down to the task of making the buttercream. A doddle.

Now, it's been a while since I made buttercream and it conveniently slipped my mind how icing sugar gets everwhere. Everywhere. Floor, ceiling, hair, eyes, nails, nose, toaster, cats. Really. However, I took a deep breath (choking on the stuff at the time), cracked on and whizzed my way to a perfectly smooth, creamy, bright pink, strawberry flavoured cream. Nozzle in, piping bag at the ready and I created my first swirl. Wrong nozzle. Buttercream and nozzle out, new nozzle in. Buttercream off original cake, ready to start again, I thought this was a good time to make some more to get ready. Clever girl I am, didn't wash the bowl out in between, new buttercream goes lumpy. Didn't realise, squeezed the bag of new, lumpy buttercream onto cake, lump of sugar stuck in nozzle, pink buttercream goes flying off in all directions. Hair, cupboards, shepherds pie ready to go in over for dinner, other cat, all covered in pink buttercream (cat likes it by the way).

Rant on twitter.

(Quick note. I have an open plan kitchen with a dining room. Cat was in dining room under a chair at the time. How? I mean.... how?).

So, start again with the buttercream, it goes well and I select the correct nozzle. At last, we're away, 131 cakes creamed up with a sprinkling of edible glitter. What fun. What pain.

And then, the dilemma. How to transport 131 tiny cakes to work, to be picked up from the lady at Cancer Research. A quick question on Twitter, and I'm advised egg boxes will do the trick and my local deli obliged. They look very quirky in their little egg box holes.

I now, after the trauma of this evening, have a new found respect for professional cupcake bakers, actually, for the decorators to be precise; the lady who normally does this for Cancer Research makes 500 at a time! I'd be at my wits end swirling 500 times over - nuff respect!

Those shrewd mathematics amongst you will realise that 24 does not go into 131. Now, you see, I assigned myself as chief quality tester; we don't want to be putting people off running the Race for Life, so ate I 12 to make sure - I'm proud of my reserved nature (and threw one at the wall in frustration. This is now in the bin. And I have pink buttercream up the wall. Good thing hubby is out late tonight).

They tasted great. So good, that I've given the recipe for vanilla cupcakes from The Hummingbird Bakery below. The best recipe I've found, and because it only uses 1 egg and 40g butter, it's cheaper than most. The buttercream recipe is adapted slightly. The only downside to these cakes is that they don't come away cleanly from the cases, but they are so good that I'll forgive them this little misgiving.

Now back to cleaning the dining room carpet....

Vanilla Cupcakes with a simple Strawberry Buttercream topping

131 little treats for the people of Liverpool. Yummy.
Not a great picture, but carting them into natural light now may be the end of me.

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

120g plain flour

140g caster sugar

40g unsalted butter

1.5 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream

250g icing sugar
85g unsalted butter
2 tbsp whole milk
Strawberry flavouring (couple of drops to taste, or other flavouring)
Pink gel food colouring (or other colouring)

1. Line the tins with cupcake cases and Pre-heat your oven to 180.

2. Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and salt on a low speed until it is a rubbly, crumbly texture.

3. Add half of the milk with the mixer still running.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the milk with the egg and vanilla. Once the flour mixture and milk is combined, add the egg mixture and mix on a medium speed until combined and smooth. Do not over mix of your cake will be heavy.

5. Bake for 20-25 mins for cupcakes, or 10-12 mins for mini cupcakes.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

7. Whilst your cakes are cooling, make the buttercream. Sift the icing sugar into a mixer and, using the paddle attachment on a very low speed, mix with the butter until combined. Prepared to be covered.

8. Add the milk and flavouring and whizz on a high speed for 5 minutes to ensure you get light and fluffy buttercream. Add a little colouring half way through, adding more as you go for higher intensity of colour (taste here too to see if you need more flavouring).

9. Spread, swirl, swipe or slip your buttercream onto your cakes.

Enjoy!

P.S - Thanks to Laura's Little Bakery for the opportunity to do this.

Black Pepper Meringue with Strawberries and Cream

2011-05-09T00:54:00.000-07:00

We all know about the classic black pepper and strawberry combination, the delicious sweet juicy strawberries combined with hot, spicy, coarsely ground black pepper; the conflicting tastes with conflicting sensation; the crunch of the pepper, the soft strawberry, juice running down your chin. The perfect introduction to summer, before it gets really warm and all you want are the delicious red berries plucked straight from plant.

With summer hitting those of us quite unexpectedly and square in the mouth, I decided it was time to celebrate with a glass of champagne with the neighbours (get us; actually, the main reason was their daughter getting into a very good, highly competitive school - you go girl!), followed by a taste of summer. But I wanted a dessert, not something to nibble on. So, I took the classic combination and merged with another classic - strawberries, cream and meringue and, by just adding a teaspoon (or more, to taste) to a simple meringue, you get a smart dessert that assaults the senses and and allows you to revel in the delight of your guests at being so smart to combine the two. And, if you aren't so keen on the punch of the pepper, this gives the taste whilst keeping it sweet.

Now, before I give the recipe, I have to fess up to two things here.

1. I forgot to take it to the neighbours with me. I had every intention and completely forgot. I kept thinking, 'I must go and get the meringue', but alas, they poured another glass of something sparkly and I just forgot. Whoops (if you are reading this J&J, I promise I'll bring it next time).

2. I meant to macerate the strawberries in balsamic vinegar, or add orange zest, but I had one glass too many and just gobbled the lot once I got in, without strawberry consideration. This also accounts for the less than impressive, very un-styled photography (what's my excuse the rest of the time eh?). But actually, I think by leaving the strawberries au naturel you really get the simple pleasure of the strawberry/black pepper combo. The colours were just stunning, but I didn't do a great job of showing it off. Well, you'll just have to try it and see for yourself!

As an aside - this is my favouite, simple meringue recipe, without the pepper, and works everytime. Try swirling some pink food colouring, with a toothpick, through the meringue once piled onto the baking sheet, before baking. Doesnt add to the taste but looks fabulous served with berries.

So, here it is - Black Pepper Meringue with Strawberries and Cream

4 Egg whites (save the yolks for deliciously rich scrambled eggs the next morning)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
150g caster sugar
1-2 tsp of black pepper to taste (I go more towards 2tsp, sometimes even more).
Strawberries
Double cream
Icing sugar to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 120. If you want to be precise, draw 6-8 circles on baking paper and place on a baking tray, pencil mark down. To be honest, I rarely bother with this as I love the rustic look.

2. Whisk the egg whites on slow speed until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar.

3. Increase the speed to medium, and with the mixer on, add the sugar slowly. Increase the speed to medium-high and keep going until you have a think shiny, shaving foam like meringue. It will be at stiff peak (when you pull the whisk away the mixture will stand to attention and not flop over).

4. Your meringue is now done. Add the pepper and give it one last whizz to distribute.

5. Pipe or pile your merangue on the paper, inside the circles you drew if using. If you pile in, make a dent in the middle with the back of a spoon for your cream to nestle in.

6. Bake in the oven for 2 hours. After this time, the meringues should peel away cleaning from the baking paper. If not, give it another 15 minutes and check again.

7. Turn off the oven and leave inside until the meringues are cool.

8. When you are ready to serve, whisk the cream to soft peak, dollop onto your cool meringues and top with strawberries (and caster sugar if you have a sweet tooth. If you have a very sweet tooth, add icing sugar to taste to your cream before whipping).

Enjoy!

Sowing Sunday Week 6

2011-05-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Don't the weeks go by so fast? I can't believe I'm writing week 6.

My Radishes!

Quite a lot has happened in my garden this week. I've been eating radishes, chilli's and lettuce by the truckload, it's a good thing that they are actually good for you! I have to admit, I still get a thrill plucking a radish from the earth, rinsing it off and popping it in my mouth like a savoury peppery cherry, and comparing it to the white and long varieties I'm growing too. And then to grab salad that's not been washed in chemicals and sat in a bag under flourescent lights for a month... well you can't beat it. I did find out that if you leave radishes out for a day, they shrivel like currents - this only leaves me feeling more smug - look how natural they are, I shouted with glee, pointing happily at my shrivelled salad vegetables. Very satisfying, there's nothing quite like it.

To avoid salad and radish monotonicity, I'm going to come up with a recipe that's a little out of the ordinary this week to keep the fun of picking the salad alive and well (especially since I planted some more lettuce in my guttering and the rain and sun combo means they have started to pop through already!)

Where the radishes have come up, I've been replacing them with more carrots and beetroot.

Sadly, I had my first garden casualty this week. Bye bye cucumber. I was going to take a picture but it felt quite morbid. Perhaps it went outside too early. Perhaps it had too much water. Maybe it didnt like the wind. I don't know, but it's not there any more, but it's in a nicer place now, in the compost bin on it's way to creating a loving home for new seedlings next year.

Very exciting news. I have courgette flowers! Two to be precise but I know there are more to come. I'm hoping they will show their sunny selves by next weekend for a courgette risotto I've seen a recipe for.... watch this space.

Courgette Flower

Runner Beans
(with Broad Beans in the troughs)

In other news, the broad beans from my mystery sprouting box are 6" high, and the runner beans are spiralling 4 foot high reaching for the sun each day. Sadly, one of my dwarf bean seedlings shrivelled, but the other two are going strong. I've only had 2 come up from 10 planted, and I have no idea why - any thoughts, garden fans?

Finally, I had to resort to slug pellets around the bottom of my blueberry bush. They've worked but every time I see those baby blue pellets, I feel a horrible guilt. But I'm sure once I taste my first blueberry that'll all disappear in a flash (fickle, moi?)

Before I sign off, I've been taking pictures of my garden from the same spot each week (the view of the troughs my dad and I built). Just look how things have changed in 5 weeks!

Week 1

Week 6 - What a difference 5 weeks makes

Until next time....

Dinner Parties Made Easy at The Cheshire Cookery School – A Review

2011-05-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of 2010, and I'm googling ‘Cookery Schools Cheshire’ to try and find a cookery course that would not require expensive trips to London and B&B accommodation. I was given a very disappointing list in return, except for glimmer of hope that lifted my heart – ‘Opening soon, Cheshire Cookery School, Altrincham, Cheshire’. Hallelujah! At last, somewhere for us North West foodies to retreat and to learn!

I waited with baited breath for the opening and in March, I found myself signing up to ‘Dinner Parties Made Easy’ on 5th May, for the princely sum of £75.

The Cheshire Cookery School - not as expected,
but wait till you get inside

Knowing the school was in Altrincham, I stupidly expected a Victorian building in lush grounds, but as I pulled up to The Cheshire Cookery School, an hour early not really knowing what to expect, I drove into what could only be described on first glance, as an industrial estate. I double checked (and re-checked again) my sat nav and my confirmation letter – this couldn’t be right, surely? Every cookery school I’d been to was either a modern establishment in Central London, a converted barn in the country side, or in peoples home, restaurant or shop kitchens. I checked again - the school was inside COD Electricals. Not as expected, but, as I was to discover, there was a culinary good time lay behind those doors.

I entered the school through a kitchen showroom (alas, COD Electricals) that made me weep with longing; none of your Cooke & Lewis at B&Q, oh no, these were granite, gadget and glory filled kitchens, the things dreams are made of (at least mine are anyway). After being greeted by two very friendly salesmen, I made my way through the showroom-of-dreams into the schools demonstration area – a black granite and shining chrome sight to behold. At that point I didn’t want to leave and could quite happily have spent my days there. I was distracted from the fully loaded champagne rack I was drooling over by the sound of voices chatting enthusiastically, and followed a distinctly Mancunian accent to find Jason Palin, Chef Director, chatting away with Claire, Cheese Extraordinaire, in the schools kitchens (more on this in a later post, but for now, please, please go out and buy Burt’s Cheese. Hey, that rhymes).

The Demonstration kitchen

Feeling shy and being very early, I loitered by the rows of champagne bottles (a good place for me to be. I felt content, warm, happy. Anyway). Jason sounded so friendly that I went in and introduced myself. I was greeted with a kiss like a long lost friend and, after being offered a cup of tea (or something stronger?), Jason and I sat down to chat about food, the school and life in general.

It became clear that The Cheshire Cookery School is the realization of a dream and an extension of a family kitchen business ran by Andrew Warnes, whose father started the business before him. A foodie himself, Andrew saw the opportunity to create something special in what use to be the unused area of the kitchen showroom and has since created a magnificent space to be enjoyed by all who cross the threshold. The kitchen showroom and industrial frontage made sense now, an asset even. Jason, a regular face on the North West foodie scene, joined the school from day one and helped create the open, friendly, relaxed atmosphere with his open, friendly, relaxed personality.

Jason Palin - Chef Director at
The Cheshire Cookery School

Jason has cooked in some 42 countries and managed to name drop Raymond Blanc’s legendary Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saison as a kitchen he's worked in without a hint of arrogance (surely a little would be allowed) – I was impressed. He also represents Roberts Bakery at the annual Cheshire Show, designed all the recipes featured in the bakery’s 2011 calendar and is on the judging panel for Roberts Bakery competition to win a lifetimes supply of bread, to be judged at the Cheshire Show.

The School Kitchen

As Poppy, Andrew’s angelic daughter (who can’t be more that 6 years old) directed guests who’d lost their way and handed out aprons, Jason chatted to me about his love of teaching and creating dinner parties in people’s homes, indulging me in amusing stories of situations he’d found himself in. (I’d love to repeat some here but I’d hate to incriminate anyone – perhaps you should book yourself a place to hear the tales first hand!). My nerves had disappeared. Jason has a way of relaxing attendees the second they step through the door - maybe it's his ever pleasant giggle (I wish I could put it in a jar to open up when I feel sad).

As the seven other attendees (a mixture of men and women of all ages) were greeted and settled in with tea, coffee and wine, Jason began by explaining that his classes were designed to be relaxed, fun, friendly and, most importantly without pressure. In Jason's opinion, pressured, stressful environments create bad food and bad atmosphere – I couldn't agree more, a man after my own heart. Jason asked us to treat the kitchens as our own, using the facilities as we pleased and helping ourselves to wine; I didn’t need to be asked twice – this is clearly my kind of school! But I didn’t need to get the wine, the wine was brought to me as Alexander, Andrews son, couldn't have been more attentive, bringing wine and taking away dirty pots. Hmm, I wonder if I could kidnap him to come to my house?

So far, The Cheshire Cookery School had managed that unique combination of the standards of a well appointed, professional Cookery School with the warm, friendly, relaxed nature of a family ran foodie home business. It was going well and I had a huge smile on my face, like the one I get every time I’m in a kitchen, only brighter and wider thanks to the beautiful kitchens and friendliness the of the people.

With the pop of a cork on a bottle of white, we got down to work, creating a simple but stunning three course meal that we could enjoy together at the end of the evening:

Pea Soup with Burts Cheese Crumble

Roast Salmon with Caper Butter,Haricot Bean Puree and Crispy Basil Leaves

Lemon Syllabub with Shortbread Biscuits.

Dinner Parties Made Easy is definitely a beginners course and the menu was simple enough to re-create at home. Jason demonstrated his cheffy-expertise by showing us dishes that looked like they took hours to make, when in fact, they were decidedly easy. He showed us the tricks of presentation, which for me was the highlight.

Jason and cookery school attendee June frying basil leaves

As Jason first demonstrated how to make the dishes, he peppered his pre-amble with amusing anecdotes of celebrity chefs he knows, in particular those who make guest appearances at the School, including Simon Rimmer (I used the salt he left behind – swoooon) and Aiden Bryne.

Once Jason had done his thing, it was time to do ours. Jason managed to strike the perfect balance between being a helpful teacher and letting us try out for ourselves. Save for a few minor disasters that Jason quickly put right, everyone’s confidence soared and we were bouncing around the kitchen like expletives from Gordon Ramsey; in all directions and full of passion.

Cookery School attendees on the go
(although four seem to have wandered off with Jason)!

My personal favorite from the evenings dishes was the Lemon Syllabub, closely followed by Pea Soup (an eternal favorite of mine that I personally leave chunky and eat with chunks of fish fingers as croutons, in front of the TV on a cold night); it wasn’t so much the recipes themselves, it was the alternative flavor and decoration ideas that Jason gave to make these dishes dinner-party-special.

When making the pea soup, Jason gave us the recipe for parmesan crisps to serve alongside, but also demonstrated Burt’s Crumble. To make, mix a crumbled slab of Burt’s Cheese (or any Blue Cheese) with a tablespoon or two of wholemeal flour with your fingertips, to create a chunky, rubbly crumble. Dry fry the crumble over a low heat until you have cooked away all of the floury taste, but the cheese isn’t melting. Leave to cool slightly and sprinkle over your soup before serving.

For the syllabub, as well as discussing different flavour ideas (my favouite being lemongrass), Jason talked us through how to make candied lemon peel. Pare strips of zest from 2 unwaxed lemons and cut into thin strips. Place in a saucepan with about 100mls water and a tablespoon of sugar. Bring to the boil, turn off the heat and leave to cool. You will be left with candied lemon peel in a lemon syrup. Drizzle the syrup over the top of the Syllabub's with the tip of a teaspoon and top with a few slices of the peel. This little garnish took the syllabub from nearly sickly to very, very refreshing.

As the evening began to wind down and pans were being cleared (by the ever wonderful Alexander – I need one at home!), the sound of excited chatter, pans clanging and blenders whizzing lapsed into the sounds of murmured appreciation, cutlery on plates and wine sipped from glasses as we took our lovingly prepared three course meal to the dining room, allowing us to indulge while Jason entertained us with stories of foodie travels around India and Italy.

Enjoying dinner

As we folded our new (and now food-splattered) aprons into our bags, we said our thank you’s and good-bye’s and vowed to spend another evening in Jason’s company at the School in the not to distant future. The atmosphere was one of satisfied cooks who had had a great evening in this gem of a Cookery School. I can't wait to go back and a must for any Northern based foodies.

For details of courses at The Cheshire Cookery School, please click here
I paid to attend the Cookery School for my own enjoyment and all opinions are my own

Cheesy Courgette Breakfast Muffins

2011-05-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

For the first time, I have decided to take part in Fuss Free Flavours Breakfast Club, mainly because this is the first time I've come across it. This month, #11, has a theme of 'Vegetarian and Savoury', as set by Green Gourmet Giraffe. An interesting one for me as my ideal breakfasts are either a stonking great big bacon buttie smothered in butter and tomato ketchup, or blueberry pancakes covered, drenched in fact, in maple syrup. But I do like a challenge.

So I got to thinking. I've found my self pondering veggie and savoury breakfasts at all hours of the day (obsessive? Moi?), but finding a problem with each idea. I thought about (and tried - oh the things we do for our blogs!) soft boiled eggs with early British asparagus dippers - but that's hardly a recipe; cheesy french toast with vine roasted tomatoes - but I couldn't have this without parma ham; Sweet potato rosti with roasted tomatoes - likewise, but bacon; Baked eggs with spicy tomato - but Green Gourmet Giraffe isn't keen on eggs so it didnt seem fair.

If I'm on the move, a croissant or blueberry muffin is my weapon of choice for breakfast, so I started thinking about savoury muffins. If I'm going to think about and create a new recipe, it has to be something my family will also want to eat, and they are fully fledged carnivores. With this in mind, it had to suit both sides of the fence. I had a route around in my fridge and, to my delight found the right ingredients for these light yet filling muffins, that I'm sure contain one of your 5-a-day (wishful thinking?) and would be delicious on their own, with smoked salmon, with bacon or, in the case of the Breakfast Club Theme, a swipe of cream cheese and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Enough to turn me veggie? Well, it's turned me savoury in the mornings and that's no mean feat.

Cheesy Courgette Breakfast Scones

220g plain flour

1.1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

60g butter, melted

1 egg

250ml milk

1 medium courgette, about 200g, grated

80g grated cheddar cheese

30g grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 and wipe a none stick muffin tray with a slick of oil. (I tried this recipe lining the muffin tin with paper cases, as per the picture, and without. The mixture sticks to the paper so don't do it now!)

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbinate of soda and salt in a bowl.

3. In a separate, larger bowl, lightly whisk the egg then mix in the melted butter, milk, and courgette until combined.

4. Stir in the flour and mix until just combined but still lumpy and finally stir in the cheeses and herbs.

5. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly and eat warm. These can be warmed through another day and can be refrigerated.

I've frozen a few and will let you know how they are once defrosted and warmed through.

Enjoy!

Bloggers Bake for Hope

2011-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've spent a small fortune supporting fantastic causes recently (and don't regret a penny of it), and have had some fabulous deliveries in the post, posh salt and maple syrup to name just two. But I've decided it's about time to get my bake on and put my own wares up for sale in the Bloggers Bake for Hope virtual bake sale to raise money for Massachusetts Komen For the Cure, who are striving to find for a cure for cancer.

My offering had to be something I could ship worldwide - that would stand rough post handlers and the time it takes to get something across the world in snail mail. I had to be able to tailor it to taste for the winner. My choices, therefore, were limited but I came up with the goods with my Gorgeously Good Granola.

I will be sending a huge portion of this delicious cereal as well as the recipe and hopefully a surprise treat (this all depends on how my trial postage goes this week!) to the winning bidder. All items will appear on this blog at 12:01 (EST) on Wednesday, May 4th. If you would like to bid on the Granola, please leave a comment with the dollar amount you would like to bid. All bidding will start at $15. There are so many worthwhile charities out there, but I can't think of anyone who hasn't been touched by cancer in one way or another. Please, get involved and give generously. Looking forward to sending you some fruity, nutty crunchy delights through the post very soon.

Sowing Sunday Week 5…. On a Monday

2011-05-02T05:35:00.001-07:00

With holidays in Cuba, Royal Weddings, Street Parties, Barbeques, Birthday Parties, the days just ran away with me and it didn’t really occur to me until late last night that it was Sunday night and that I hadn’t posted! And I didn’t post last week thanks to holiday in Cuba… it’s a hard life.

But now, I’m sitting on the blanket my grandma knitted for me with a nice hot coffee, in the sunshine. I’m in my teeny back garden surveying all that I’ve potted, planted, sewn, spoken to, breathed on and nurtured. And I’m feeling proud. Look just how much you can get from one small space!

And this is just one small corner!

Runner beans, tomatoes,
courgette and cucumber

The runner beans my dad kicked off for me have started their ascent to the skies, twirling up the canes as they go. The tomatoes have ka-boomed in the last week since they were potted into larger homes and I have counted at least 200 buds on my strawberry plants. The cucumbers and courgettes don’t look too exciting yet, but I can’t wait for my first taste of sunshine yellow courgette flowers.

I was very pleased to see that, after the second year, my blueberry plant has a few flowers, like little bluebells, but those pesky slugs have been at them. Help – does anyone know how to stop the little blighters in an organic friendly way? What’s a girl to do?

Yesterday I was chuffed as anything to snip a chilli from the plant (to use in my Carrot and Coriander salad with Maple Syrup and Lime) and to pull two small but perfectly formed cherry red radishes from the ground. Yes, I know if I left them they would be larger, but I couldn’t resist the first sweet but peppery taste of the summer.

I’m really pleased to see flowers forming on my sage bush, attracting the bees as they hop from lavender to strawberry to sage. I need to find some local honey to complete the cycle!

I’m even more smug than usual (is it possible?); my lovely dad told me that my sowing of lettuce and spinach wouldn’t grow very well as they are too close together, and I was to transplant them into my large trough and hope for the best for the rest. Well, yesterday, I had to wave goodbye to the transplanted plants (an untimely end for the small leaves as they were snaffled by myself at 8am) as they didn’t seem to be doing too much and I basked in the triumph of my big pots of lettuce, rocket and spinach, resplendent in their bushiness, greens, reds and dark yellows wafting in the wind. To celebrate, myself and my 4 year old neighbour decided to sample some leafy delights, and we discovered that she doesn’t like the stalks and the red rosso leaves are her favourite. So now we know). I even decided to have some for my lunch today.

The seedlings in the surprise box now have identities! Green beans (more!), radishes (even more!), broad beans (thankfully, I love them) and peas (ditto). There are a couple more little seed babies poking through and looking healthy. Oh, and I now have some dwarf beans, but only 3 of the 12 planted have broken through at the minute. I’m waiting with baited breath.

Last but certainly not least, I, with the help of a man with a power tool (I’m far to clumsy and prefer to potter), got creative, inspired by a picture in a magazine of three semi-circled planters to go up high on a wall to make the most of small gardens. They were £50 in the magazine – cue creativity. To me the planters looked just like guttering, so off to the hardware store I went and created my own, drilling holes in the bottom for drainage. Perfect for lettuce, which I planted this morning. What do you think to my (our) handy work? I’m feeling rather smug. Again.

I’m certain of a great harvest this summer. I’m feeling a recipe or two coming on.

Until next time….

Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing

2011-05-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

I had a late night. The pesky white wine kept working it's way into my glass and I just wanted my bed and a lie in the next morning. I went to bed and, a pint of water later, fell into a deep restful sleep.

It was 7.30am, the sun was rising and my bed was comfy, my head ached a teeny bit - nothing I couldn't handle, when I was rudely awakened. Bang, bang, bang on the door. 'Who the hell is that at the door!' my head screamed. I rolled (yes, literally rolled) out of bed and looked out of the window.

Postie!

Headache cleared, sleepy fog lifted, either the fruits of my online shopping binge had arrived or my winning Bake Sale bid! And I hoped it was the latter.

Hopping like a crazy lady (did I mention the pint of water before bed), I chased postie down the road - we're talking Royal Mail here; the fact he arrived before midday was a miracle, I couldn't rightly expect him to stay for longer that 5 seconds, surely? I digress. I caught him. I got my package and wandered back into the house, placed it carefully it on the table while I made a cup of tea (after answering the call of nature - too much information?).

These really are the best kinds of days. Despite my grumbling, I soon cheered up and opened my parcel to find my goodies from Susan at The Spice Garden. You may have seen from previous posts that The Tomato Tart held an online Bake Sale for Second Harvest for Japan, raising over a staggering $8k! I bid on Susan's lot and won! Feeling rather pleased with myself, I tore open the packaging to find a box of home made maple fudge, a maple leaf (for coffee, I'm told), a jug of maple syrup, a magazine from Susan's area and a lovely note. All this from New Hampshire, USA straight to Cheshire, UK, from a lady I never knew until I started blogging. The power of the Internet never ceases to amaze me.

I'm ashamed to say that, even though I promised myself I would make it last, the ludicrous amount of fudge Susan sent was gone pretty quickly. It was so, so, so good. Crumbly but smooth, spicy but sweet, woody but floral. I couldn't leave it alone. Susan, I'm in awe.

This was about three weeks ago and ever since, I've been waiting for the right moment and recipe to show off the maple syrup. I didn't want to use it on pancakes - it is too special; I didn't want to cook it - it is too pure. No, it needed to be used raw, fresh and so you knew it was there, you just couldn't put your finger on the smoky but sweet taste. The moment arrived yesterday when my fabulous neighbours came for a barbeque to make the most of our early (and probably only) summer, in the shape of a Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing.

This little salad worked perfectly with the smokey barbequed meat. The sweetness of the syrup contrasted with the zingy lime, both of which take the heat from and complement the spiciness of the chilli. This dressing, poured over a classic carrot, corriander and cashew salad is really special. Carrots and maple syrup are a classic combination and this paring steals the show in this side dish that stands front and centre.

Thanks Susan, this was the best package I've received in a long time

Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing

Serves 8 as a side with other salads.

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp maple syrup

Half red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

400g grated carrot

two pints boiling water

Large bunch coriander, leaves torn

3 tbsp toasted cashew nuts, broken into pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, maple syrup and chilli with a fork.

2. Place the carrot in a colander and pour the boiling water over and then rinse with cold. Drain very well, and gently squeeze the carrot to remove any remaining water.

3. Toss the coriander and cashew nuts with the carrot in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss with a spoon to dress. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

P.S. On Wednesday my lot on Bloggers Bake for Hope goes on sale to raise money for Massachusetts Komen for the Cure. I tried to find something I could post to the US as the bake sale is held there and most likely that any winning bidder will be there too, so my Gorgeously Good Granola is up for grabs - please bid for a fantastic cause.

Review - Two Greedy Italians by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo

2011-05-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Like the food I eat, I love to devour a cookbook in one sitting with a cup of tea (or a glass of wine on a sunny day like today). I like to read it from cover to cover, taking in every picture, every word, every description. I make lists of what I'll make, and read out ingredients of my favourite recipes to my husband, trying to encourage him to be as inspired as I am. It rarely happens that he gets excited over a cookbook, but he was ooh-ing and aah-ing over some of the recipes in this book as much as I was, the Lonza al Miele E Zenzero (Pork Fillet with Honey and Ginger) in particular. But I couldn’t read it in one go. I tried, I really did, but in addition to over 100 recipes, the descriptions of the life and times of Italy in the modern, multi cultural world are enthralling. You get the impression that Carluccio and Contaldo were made to re-discover their beloved Italy (perhaps the fee for the accompanying BBC series helped) and were quite surprise at what they found – a Country that was no longer fed by Mamma, chained to the stove all day; a country that no longer sneered at food that wasn't made from Italian ingredients; a country that no longer made fun of fast, convenient ingredients. They found a modern Italy embracing the fusions, flavours and fun of real, modern food.

No soggy carbonara, limp tomato crostini or bland panna cotta to be seen here, this is a book that leaps away from the normal and regular to bring us real, regional Italian food, unusual enough to make this book interesting, simple enough to not terrify the life out of a home cook.

The descriptions and background on Italian rituals, history and ingredients, interspersed with recipes that relate back so well is a captivating mix. The pre-amble that introduces every recipe is a delight, helping the reader to understand why that recipe made the cut for the book, making you want to re-create it with the passion intended by the pair. With each recipe title translated into English and most with an accompanying picture, you really get a feel for a dish before the olive oil hits the pan.

An Italian cookbook wouldn’t be an Italian cookbook without a recipe for fresh pasta. Yes, we know it tastes better fresh (does it?) and yes, we know it’s the only way to get the tortellini you love, but these two Italian food lovers go on to say that most Italian households now only make fresh pasta on very special occasions, preferring the dried variety after a long day at work – and don’t we know it! As a tribute to this sentiment, only very special pasta recipes have been included, with Tagliatelle Al Vino Bianco con Funghi (Fresh White Wine Pasta Ribbons with Mushrooms) really capturing the imagination; taking the classic combination of garlicky, mixed wild mushrooms in white wine, and turning it on it's head - making the pasta with the wine and turning the ribbons in mixed wild and dried mushrooms slick with reduced white wine, olive oil, garlic and chilli. Not like-a Mamma used'ta make-a! What could be better? It's enough to make me want to dust off the pasta machine.

The overwhelming feel of this book is fresh, seasonal and unusual. It's a book to read, digest and learn from. Shying away from traditional Italian cookbooks, this is a refreshing view focussing on the changing face of Italy, and therefore, Italian food; What we finally have here is an Italian who (begrudgingly) appreciates that there are food influences outside of Italy! It’s a revelation! I sat, shocked, wine half way to mouth as I read the phrase ‘to make the recipe healthier’ in an Italian cookbook – do my eyes deceive me?

These two older gentlemen, (old friends they say, but I detect some rivalry if only from the cover), so intrinsically Italian, who I thought were stuck with the idealism of an Italy they left behind in the 1970’s, have managed to create a fresh, modern cookbook that is still steeped in tradition. Now where's that pasta machine...

Quadrille Publishing kindly gave me a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my own.

Love Thy Neighbour - how terribly British. Celebratory Union Jack Cake

2011-04-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not a Royalist (Kate, it should have been me), I'm a Neighbour-ist. I always cringe at the phrase 'I'm lucky enough' but I'm going to have to use it. I'm lucky enough to live between neighbours who I now count amongst my closest friends; we share wine, barbecues, bin duty, heck, even holidays. They say you can't choose your family; you cant really choose your neighbours either, but if I could have, I'd have chosen mine

So when I was asked if I wanted to attend a street party for Kate and Wills (It should have been me) Wedding, I jumped at the chance; not so much to celebrate the Royal Wedding (It should have been me), but to spend time with my friends, to celebrate being British, to eat cucumber sarnies, drink Pimms and to make a bloody good cake. And, most importantly, it's my Godson's (and neighbour's!) 2nd birthday - a right party to be had here in Cheshire.

Yesterday morning, I landed from holiday in Cuba at 6am and, after a visit to the shops, I got down to cooking. I was floating about in the pool in 33 degree sunshine last week, trying to think of a delight for the party that would not include butter cream swirls (fiddly and so terribly American - nothing against Americans, but this is celebrating the English!), was not a cupcake (see previous) and was down right British. Enter a cake decorated like the Union Jack flag, with lots of cream and fresh fruit. OK, here I lie. I used butter cream. Whilst freshly whipped cream would have been quintessentially British, the kiddies prefer it this way - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Husband enjoying cake

With the Union Jack Flag hanging out of my bedroom window and adorning my lovely vanilla cake, I made my way into the street to celebrate my friends. Yes, to celebrate Wills and Kate's (It should have been me) nuptials - who doesn't love a good wedding? - but mainly to celebrate the eccentricity of being British, the green and pleasant land of the UK (for a change - a Pound for the person to tell me when St Georges Day is without using Google) and to spend time with my friends. Who knows, I might make some new ones who can share in bin duty!

And of course, a Big Happy Birthday to a very, very special, gorgeous, smiley two year old boy (who's had a haircut for the occasion, no less!)

I hope you all had a fabulous day, whatever you chose to do, whatever you chose to celebrate.

P.S. It should have been me.

Union Jack Cake

For the cake

280g unsalted butter
280g caster sugar
5 eggs
280g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the sugar syrup

5 tbsp water
125g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the butter cream

250g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar

To decorate

Raspberries and blueberries (about 400-500g each)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line the base of a 18" x 12" baking tray with straight sides, about 1" tall.

2. In a mixer, beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. With the mixer going on a slow setting. add the eggs one at a time, slipping in a tablespoon of flour about half way through to stop the mixture from curdling.

4. Sift in the flour and mix until just combined and then stir in the vanilla.

5. Tip into the tray and spread to cover the base, and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and the sponge springy to the touch.

6. Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. Place the water and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil over a low-medium heat. Remove from the heat an leave to cool before adding the vanilla.

7. While the cake is still warm, prod all over with a skewer and spoon the syrup over the cake.

8. Leave to cool. Once cool, you can remove from the tin, but it is tricky. You can't see the tin so I leave it - it's also easier to transport this way.

9. Make the butter cream by sifting the flour into an electric mixer and mixing with the butter for at least 5 minutes. Once it is light and fluffy, mix in the vanilla.

10. Spread the butter cream over the cake. You do not want to see any cake, as this will form the base of your flag.

11. With a blunt knife, gently draw four lines on your butter cream - right to left, top to bottom and corner to corner on both sides. on either side of the lines for the vertical and horizontal cross, place a raspberry so you have two lines of fruit going down, two from side to side.

12. Place one row of raspberries on the lines making the corner to corner crosses.
(if you want to true Union Jack representation, place the raspberries below the line on the right hand side and above the line on the left hand side).

13. Finally, will between the red lines with blueberries. This will create the blue background and the butter cream will create the while outline on the red crosses.
(Again, if you want a true representation, be sure the keep more white space below the red diagonal lines on the right hand side and above them on the left. If you are unsure, have a look at a Union Jack flag here to see what I mean).

I know it's not a competition, but....

Enjoy!

Home made Hummus with Lamb and Pomegranate

2011-04-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

I’m lucky to live in a part of Cheshire with nice restaurants just down the road. Lovely hubby and I will often come home, look in the fridge, look at the cooker and sigh. Then, our shoes will go back on and off we’ll trot. Something that always hits the spot for me is hummus topped with griddled lamb, and luckily, it is readily available within a 5 minute walk of my house – my ever expanding waist line is testament to that. I love it; the garlicky creaminess of the hummus mingling with the juicy meat just does it for me, all mopped up with some warm fluffy but crunchy pitta bread; well, you just can’t go wrong can you? Perfect.

But then I always believe you can improve on perfection so I gave it a try at home – and it’s so quick, you can go from chickpeas-in-whizzer to deliciousness-on-plate in just 10 minutes (plus marinating time). I try to use the best quality ingredients possible, this way a little goes a lot further. Homemade hummus should only be made with extra virgin olive oil and proper sea salt – you will notice the difference.

There is something poetic about lamb and hummus. The fresh tasting succulent lamb with the earthy chick peas, and add the fruity crunch of pomegranate seeds (which I might add is something my local restaurant do not do – take note) and you have all the sense and tastebuds covered.

I served this with the Salty Shortbread with lemon and thyme, purely because I forgot to get ingredients for pitta, but it works well together thanks to the thyme and lemon marinating the lamb and the salt and lemon juice in the hummus. But I’m so greedy, I ate most of it with a spoon before hubby even got a look in! Oh well, next time be quicker Col.

If you’re not drooling just reading this then get in the kitchen and make it. Barbeque your lamb tonight and pop it on your hummus for tea and bask in the sunshine as you do so – you could even be in Turkey!

Fabulous.

Home made Hummus with Griddled Lamb and Pomegranate

(serves 4 as a starter)

For the lamb:

250g-300g lamb rump, cut into large chunks.
1 tsp thyme, leaves picked
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (use the juice in the hummus)
Approx 2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper.

For the hummus:
1x 200g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
Juice of 1 lemon (use the zest on the lamb)
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tahini
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp water
Sea salt to taste

Pomegranate seeds to decorate

Note – Making hummus is a guessing game and a matter of taste. I like mine quite chunky with lots of olive oil and not too much garlic. Change to suit you.

1. In a small bowl, mix the thyme, garlic, lemon zest olive oil and a little salt and pepper Add the lamb and coat in the marinade. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes whilst you make the hummus.

2. In a blender, place the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, tahini, 1 bsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water and whizz until you have blended it all together but with a nice chunky consistency.

3. Taste the hummus and add salt to your liking. With the blade going, add more olive oil (or a combination of lemon, oil and water, if you aren’t an olive oil fan, but why wouldn’t you be?) until you get the consistency you like. For me, this is 1-2 tbsp more of olive oil.

4. Taste again and adjust the seasoning.

5. Get your griddle so hot it is smoking and add the lamb, reserving the marinade in the bowl. How long it will take will depend on how big your chunks are and how you like your lamb cooked. I like mine pink in the middle and my meat was cut into roughly inch square chunks, and it took around 5 minutes, approx 2.5 minutes on each side.

6. Tip the lamb back into the marinade dish with any juices and leave to rest, covered, for 4 or 5 minutes.

7. Place the hummus in a serving dish and top with the lamb.

8. Pour any juices and marinade left in the bowl over the lamb and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!

Salty Goodness - Salty Shortbread, with Lemon and Thyme

2011-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a simple soul who likes home and locally grown food, not only to be 'green', but also to get my little mitts on the best produce possible. But when I saw two jars of hand-harvested sea-salt from the Pacific on an Online Bake Sale to raise money for Second Harvest for Japan (from Linda at Salty Seattle), my morals went out of the window and I couldn't resist bidding high and making a purchase. The little white crystals may have had to travel far in their glass jars and bubble wrap blankets, but they made it safe and sound on Friday, just crying out to be sprinkled, pinched and shook onto my food. Does the donation wipe out the food miles? I hope so.

So I took a little time to think about some recipes in which these tangy crystals, that taste like nothing I know (thanks to a childhood of Saxa Salt), could star in. It had to be something that celebrated salt in it's own right, not just uses it to develop the taste of other ingredients. Something that would allow you to celebrate it's health giving qualities, not shy away from it, as we've been trained to do with the constant health scares of this precious mineral.

While I'm here, I might as well get on my high horse about this.

There is no doubt that too much salt is bad for you - but too much of anything isn't great!. Salt is one of the most important minerals to humans and animals - we just can't function without it. We're mostly water, but do you realise, we are mostly salt water? Each little cell is like a salty ocean in itself, which exchanges incoming energy with outgoing depleted energy. Without the salt in our cells, our energy would cease to exist. Yet we have become terrified of what this mineral will do to our bodies. We only really know salt through past generations attempting to make over-boiled cabbage and badly reared chicken taste like something we'd want to eat. And we wonder why Britain had a bad food rep.

But we aren't there anymore! We don't need to mask our food with salt! We don't need to bring out what little flavour we had with heaped teaspoons of the cheap stuff! With the quality of our food getting better and better, the best it's ever been in fact, we can begin to celebrate salt, use it with respect, in it's own right as an ingredient again - heck, the main ingredient, if you please! And we can save the Saxa to clearing the ice on our front paths (well, some things never change).

Sea salt is so special that you don't need a lot of it to be smacked with the tangy, almost spicy taste, so a sprinkling a little here and there is all that is needed, and you can buy the better, more expensive stuff if you need less (I won't tell you how much mine cost - but it was for charideee). Let's celebrate the Bake Sale for Japan, and this little condiment that does so much more for us than stop our greens being tasteless when over-boiled.

I baked these savoury shortbread in a leap of faith, with it's sprinkling of sea salt resting on the dough as if they were the rocks it was formed on.

And I did use thyme from my garden. Green points there then.

Savoury Salt Shortbread, with Lemon and Thyme.

280g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
1-2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
160g unsalted butter
2 egg yolks, mixed with one large egg and 2 teaspoons water.
Fantastic quality sea salt/rock salt

1. In a large bowl, mix in the flour, salt, lemon zest and thyme, before rubbing the butter in wit your fingertips to create a yellow, rocky, crumbly mix.

2. Make a well in the middle and add all of the egg mixture, reserving 1 tbsp for washing with later. Using your hands, bring the mixture together. It may still be a little crumbly; if so, turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead briefly until it comes together.

3. Pat into a round about an inch thick, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle, trimming the sides and cut into fingers - mine were about 4inches by half an inch. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, brush with the remaining egg.

5. Sprinkle the fingers with a little salt on each (you may want to try the salt before - my hand-harvested salt is very strong, so I only needed a little), and bake at 180 degrees centigrade until the shortbread is golden.

6. Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

These lovely shortbread fingers are great served on their own with drinks, with hummus or other dips, or just as a snack. Perhaps you could try cutting the dough into circles as a base for canapés - let me know your ideas.

Enjoy!

Sowing Sunday - Week 3

2011-04-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, all my little seeds have germinated and are currently basking in the glorious sunshine we have in the North West (as am I!)! My strawberries have started to develop what will soon become flowers, and there are little buds on my blueberry bush. My teeny little radishes are a couple of inches high now, and, very excitingly, my box has started sprouting!

Let me clarify.

As mentioned in my last post, my folks gave me a mystery box of seeds for Christmas that you plant 4" deep and wait for little veggies to appear... and appear they have! I'd really appreciate it if you could comment and let me know what you think they are. I think I spy a little lettuce (bottom left) and yet another radish (top right), but other than that, I'm stumped. Help!

My random box of seeds - but what's sprouted?

Yet again I have garlic breath (the reason for which will become clear in a following post!), but it seems my little veggie babies like the smell of garlic as I continue to breath on them (Ta Anna!), especially the lettuce - look at it go!

My oregano is starting to look like a bad afro from a 70's porn film, but I kinda like it. Clearly I need to think up some oregano recipes - my thyme and rosemary is quickly being used up, but this is out of control!

Oregano Afro

To top off my garden adventures for this week, I've planted some dwarf beans in a little bag. Nothing exciting to report here just yet, but watch this space.

No post next week, this green fingered girly will be on her holidays! I'm sure my garden will miss me.

Until next time....

Review - Bake & Decorate, Fiona Cairns

2011-04-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

I can't resist a good cookbook, especially the pretty ones that line the shelves in my kitchen, but I have to admit, I'm a bit sick of cupcake books showing plain old cake with a variety of fanciful swirls, painstakingly moulded flowers and icing decorations (who has the time? the inclination? can resist not eating the cakes whilst fiddling with the icing!?) so when this book was given to me as a gift, I marvelled at how beautiful it was, but groaned inwardly at another book load of basic cakes with fancy decorations.

I was wrong (add that to your favourites and note it down. This never happens).

Fiona Cairns has produced a book that is full of imaginative cake recipes that can be decorated any which way, as she demonstrates in the second half of the book. And whilst Cairns dares to show you how to make a delicate rose from icing, she also does it my way - get edible flowers from the garden, brush them with egs whites and dust them with caster sugar to create a stunning display for your cake, all very local. Fabulous.

Bake & Decorate by Fiona Cairns, published by Quadrille

As well as this decoration technique, I have a sweet-spot for the cake tooth-achingly decorated with all the sweets from my childhood, not to mention the fugdy chocolate cake covered in Gold leaf (surely this should be the Midas Cake?) It looks fabulous. Every page is adorned with something more spectacular, and achievable than the last. No fancy tools needed, just a little imagination, creativity and the ability to read, and a joyous cake is yours.

With the book having flown over this hurdle, I flicked with trepidation to the front of the book for the cake recipes. Not a bland sponge in sight. My particular favourite is the Sticky Toffee Cake, swirled with salted caramel buttercream. Not one for swirling, I slapped the buttercream on the first one and realised this cake needed due care and attention, so out came my icing bag and nozzle to create 11 more delicious cakes, as sweet and salty as the dessert - better, perhaps, as they don't have that cloying sweetness you can get with the pudding.

The marvel of this recipe was the caramel for the buttercream. Whilst you can buy dulce de leche in a tin, I love to experiment so gave the homemade version a whirl. I stood, transfixed as I added the cream to the sugar mixture to get a bubbling mass that turned into sweet and salty smooth caramel. Never will carnation get my money again.

This book is a triumph and to discover that Cairns is designing and baking one of the Royal Wedding Cakes was music to my ears. They've gone for the fruit cake. My plea to Wills & Kate - go for the Sticky Toffee, it will make your day.

I love this book, so much so that it's now covered in cake mixture, crumbs and icing. A hard back copy is on order to keep all pristine and nice - this one's a keeper.

For the Love of Tea - The Tea Palace

2011-04-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was always a girl who wouldn’t stray far from a cup of Tetley tea, sure as I was of it's elixir of life qualities, and the ability to make or break a girl with a hangover after overdoing it on the vino the night before. That was until we took my grandma for afternoon tea for her 83rd birthday two years ago, and they served REAL tea, with a very, very cool swively tea strainer. At the time I was having a new kitchen with fancy shelves for displaying things and I just had to get my hands on that tea strainer. So, you see, it wasn't the posh tea that got me, it was the accessories (come to think of it, wasn't it a very cute cookie cutter set and a sexy kitchen aid that got me into baking? Believe so).

I asked nicely. I flirted shamelessly with the waiter. I even tried a small crocodile tear but I could't quite bring myself to do that. Flirting has so much more decorum, don't you think? But to no avail.

I searched high and low online for that tea strainer, but google didn't return results for 'swively tea strainer.' I searched in tea shops in Cheshire. Nothing. And then, one sunny weekend in London, I happened across The Tea Palace in Covent Garden, and there, like a beacon in the window, was my swively tea strainer, apparently called a Revolving Tea Strainer. I prefer swively, much more descriptive.

Then, to compliment my new swively tea strainer I needed some loose leaf tea, posh of course... and this is where my new found tea obsession begins.

It does help that the staff at The Tea Palace are so helpful, knowledgeable and polite and that the shop itself is a treasure trove of stunning tea pots, cups, strainers and all things tea. The aroma in the shop is like nothing I have experienced before- not the headache inducing, man-made fake smell of certain cosmetic and beauty stores, but a subtle whiff of something delicious passes you by as you wander round in awe, when people open the little tester tins of loose leaf tea to have a good sniff and decide on their purchase, not to mention the glass tea pots of sample teas to try (beware the delicate nature of these tea pots - not for the faint hearted).

That first time, as I was feeling a little green around the gills from sampling the best of London nightlife the evening before, I went for Peppermint Green and Morning After teas on the recommendation of the Tea Masters (I need, no, want, that job).

I chose Peppermint Green thanks to the sensation on the nostrils of the pure peppermint leaves when you pick up the tin, just what my poor head needed. The leaves are blended with chinese gunpowder tea, which I always have at the local Chinese so I knew I would like it (told you I was a novice). I was advised by the tea master that the tea is also good for you, full of antioxidants from the green tea as well digestive benefits of peppermint! Who knew?

Peppermint Green Tea

The name of Morning After was attractive to both me and my husband at that moment in time and we were again advised, very knowledgeably, that the organic tea was a blend of ginger root, ginseng and lavendar, all of which have the medicinal properties to ease aches and pains and boost energy - just what I needed to deal with the dry mouth, achy limbs and sore head.

Morning After Tea

As I was paying for my teas, strainer and a crown tea pot (couldn't resist) I was also given a little 'Lemon Myrtle' sample tin, I'm yet to open this delight but when I do, you'll be the first to know.

I left begrudgingly (well, was dragged actually) but as the bell tinkled as the door shut behind me, a notice for Bespoke Blends caught my eye. My husband loves Chinese Tea and received a cast iron Chinese teapot for Christmas. A suitable gift for Valentines Day was a bespoke tea blend, lovingly designed by his one true love (me... just a reminder in case you read this, love). From a simple email to The Tea Palace asking for advice, a very helpful lady, Sarah Vardy, replied almost instantly with questions, advice and recommendations. With her help I decided on a blend of Gunpowder tea with lemongrass and vanilla, creatively named by me as 'Col's Blend'. The tea comes in a distinctive dark purple caddy, with a personalised label on the front and a message of your choice on the back, above the brewing instructions (which is a whole other post on it's own), all presented in a dark purple satin bag. The tea itself, whilst not really my thing (current favourite is English Rose - just like me) smells divine and is so loved by hubby there's only a little left. The whole pieces of lemongrass and vanilla (no extract is good enough for my man) give off their aroma and taste the second the not-quite-boiling water hits the bottom of the tea pot.

Fabulous tea, service, packaging and store. I love this place. Next time you are in the Big Smoke, pop in. If you live elsewhere, you can buy online or email for your bespoke blend. I still go back to my Tetley every so often, by my heart now lies with The Tea Palace.

Enjoy!

Gorgeously Good Granola

2011-04-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, for me, is the best meal of the day - the first morsel of food to pass my lips is one to behold. My husband and I make a point to have breakfast together everyday - even if it is standing up in the kitchen, so can be one of the most sociable meals, too. It's when your house comes alive from the stillness of the night; when you feed your friends bacon sandwiches after feeding them wine the night before; when the smell of coffee awakens the senses, the sight freshly squeezed orange awakens the eyes, and the crunch of granola awakens the taste buds.

Erm, hang on. Granola? Dry, bland, rabbit food, I hear you cry? How about Delicious? No? Well, read on.

My husband swears by this granola, eaten like other cereals at breakfast with milk, will see him through to lunchtime without reaching for the biscuit tin. He swears this is how he lost weight. For me, with a dollop of yoghurt and some fresh fruit, it's the perfect start to a summer morning. For my friend at work, by the handful to stop afternoon munchies.

This granola works wonders for a gorgeous breakfast with no artificial colours, flavours or annoying adverts and, best of all, you can completely customise it. Pecans, sure! Dried Blueberries, why not!? Chocolate drops? Well, everyone deserves a little (a lot?) of what they fancy. It's so good in fact, that I've put it up for sale in Bloggers Bake For Hope Bake Sale (well, it is delicious. That and the fact that a lot of the people taking part are in the USA and I needed something I could ship!). The sale goes live on 4th May and lasts until 6th May. This, taken from the Bloggers Bake for Hope blog:

All items will appear on this blog at 12:01 (EST) on Wednesday, May 4th. If you would like to bid on an item, leave a comment with the dollar amount you would like to bid. All bidding will start at $15.

So, give it a go, tell me if you like it or not and what combination of ingredients you used. If you can't be bothered to get your bake on, then just bid on this item.

So, to the flavour combinations. The basic recipe will stay the same, but the nuts, seeds and dried fruits can be tailored to your taste. My favourite combination is in the recipe below, but chop and change to suit yourself and your loved ones. It does cost a little to buy everything you need the first time you make this, but you get so much from the ingredients, it does work out so much cheaper than buying ready made granola, not to mention tastier and healthier.

I've no idea where this recipe came from. I've been using it for years and adapted it to my taste. Thank you to whoever inspired this recipe (and sorry I cant acknowledge you!)

Granola

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml maple syrup
300g rolled oats (invest in the rolled oats - a little more expensive but make all the difference).
140g seeds (I use 50g sunflower, 50g pumpkin and 40g sesame, or a bag of mixed seeds is cheaper and just as nice).
100g nuts (I like use a mixture of flaked almonds, whole macademias and chopped pecans, but I generally go for whatever is in the house at the time)
100g dried fruits (for me, a combinations of raisins, dried blueberries and dried cranberries).
50g dessicated coconut

1. Pre-heat your oven to 140 degrees celcius

2. In a large bowl, measure out the vegetable oil, honey, vanilla and maple syrup

Quick Tip - measure out the oil first, then the honey will slip right off the spoon and into the bowl. It's a little bit sexy when it does that!.

3. Add the oats, seeds and nuts and mix until combined. Spread onto two baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes, until going slightly golden.

4. Remove from the oven and mix in the dried fruits and coconut (note, if you are using chocolate, add once the granola has been taken from the oven and is cool). Return to the over for a final 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and place in an airtight container.

Quick Tip - when you remove from the oven, place the baked granola into a different tray to cool. This will stop it sticking as the melting sugar won't bond with the hot tray. If you don't do this, don't worry - you can scrape it off the tray with out detriment to the granola).

Breakfast - the best meal of the day - Enjoy!

Sowing Sunday

2011-04-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a gorgeous weekend here in England, so pleasantly surprising for April. I've seen my friends, eaten fabulous food, drank far too much wine and vodka (I didn't even realise you could get a magnum of vodka!) and have just spent the last few hours pootling around my garden, breathing on my veg (my German friend, Anna, who came for the weekend, is convinced that breathing on your plants encourages growth; I'm not sure the radishes and lettuce appreciated my garlic breath, but it's worth a try).

I love the summer and the fresh, local produce it brings. How fresh and local can you get than from your own back garden? I don't have a large garden, but my lovely dad made me a 'trough' for my baby seedlings to grow in. I blogged about this trough when it was built two weeks ago, here, and I'm going to document the progress of my veg garden on a Sunday, Sowing Sunday, ending with some dazzling recipes when it all comes to fruition.

So, to us start this off, here is a definitive list of how my garden grows:

Oregano
Thyme
Mint (perfect for those Pimms afternoons)
Coriander
Parsley
Basil
Bay
Chives
Sage
Tarragon
Rosemary
4 types of lettuce
Rocket
Spinach
Radishes
Onions
Spring onions
Beetroot (this is especially exciting as it's a stripy variety!)
Carrots
Runner beans
Dwarf Beans
Strawberries (where would the English be without strawberries in our fields and gardens?)
Blueberries (should be the first year these babies fruit. Very exciting).

Phew, that's quite a list, add to this the tomatoes and cucumber plants that are currently being kept warm in my Uncle John's greenhouse and you have a complete list of my summer garden, and I can't wait. I also have a 'surprise' box of seeds, I have no idea what will come from that, so watch this space.

Please let me know if there is anything else you think I should be planting, and what your recipe ideas are. I may have a veg gardening giveaway coming up and I'm really looking forward to hearing from you all.

So let me give today's update with photographic evidence of my growing success to date. My radishes are coming along at quite a pace, already nearly 2 inches high - not bad for two weeks work!

Radishes - growing at a pace, from a seed only two weeks ago.

The beetroot are on their way up and the carrots and onions are peeking through the cracks of the soil to reach that delicious sunshine. The lettuces and spinach are bursting through and the strawberries and blueberries are beginning to reveal their bright flowers. The herbs are springing back to life, making the most of the gorgeous weather.

I've got a bit of a thing for herbs, the way they can transform something relatively basic, normal and even bland, into something that is a feast for the senses. The same can, and should, be said of spices, but then the fragment leaves in my garden are just begging to be picked, I can't help but bring a few into the kitchen and let my creative side take force. The orange and rosemary cake worked a treat, and I have an idea for a savoury, salty shortbread that would work wonders sprinkled with thyme.... More to follow, as I hope you will follow me on my culinary, green fingered journey.

Until next week....

Rosemary and Orange Yoghurt Cake

2011-04-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and a little walk around my garden and a gust of wind in the right direction blew the scent of the rosemary right in my direction. I have so many herbs growing in my garden that, this year, I'm determined to find something different to do with them, starting with this aromatic, delicate and light cake. Made with yoghurt and olive oil instead of butter, scented with the zing of orange zest and the aroma of finely chopped, fresh rosemary, it really is a feast for the senses and very, very easy to make.

Go on, impress your friends with this sophisticated little cake.

Rosemary and Orange Yoghurt Cake

2 eggs , lightly beaten
200g plain yoghurt
150g caster sugar sugar
125ml olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
250g self-raising flour

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and grease an 8" cake tin with a little butter.

2. Mix the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, vanilla, orange zest, and rosemary together.

3. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix together, until just combined.

4. Pour into the tin, making a small dip in the middle of the batter to ensure it doesn’t ‘dome’ too much in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

5. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with yoghurt or orange buttercream, with fresh orange segments on the side.

Please do leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Perfect Roast Lamb

2011-04-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day in my house calls for a perfectly roast leg of lamb, my mums favourite. Of course, there was something white and dry for me, cooks privilege!

You can't go wrong with a traditional Sunday lunch, unless, of course, you go wrong! Lamb was the order of the day and a full leg, organically reared, was sat waiting in my fridge. To give the lamb extra flavour, I pierced the meat all over and filled each hole I made with a small sprig of rosemary. I'd usually add a slither of garlic too, but my dad really doesn't like it. Make sure you take the meat out of the fridge for at least an hour before it goes in the oven.

To ensure your lamb is cooked to perfection, just follow the timings guide below (all temperatures are degrees centigrade).

220 for 20 mins plus:

For rare meat, 190, for 30 mins per kilo (internal temperature of 52 when cooked)
For medium meat, 190 fr 40 mins per kilo (internal temperature of 60 when cooked)
For well done meat, 190 fr 50 mins per kilo (internal temperature of 70 when cooked)

These timings also apply to veal, beef and venison.

Following these instructions will mean you end up with something looking as delicious as this:

Be sure to cover with foil and leave the meat to rest for at least 20 minutes before you carve.

Science Warning :-) You must the allow the meat to rest to ensure it is juicy and tender when you serve it. The muscles and fibres in the meat tense when hit with heat so by allowing it to rest, the muscles relax making the meat more tender. You'll also notice that when the meat is transferred to rest, a lot of juice will be released. When you look again, after 20 minutes, the meat will have re-absorbed all those lovely juices, making it more juicy when you serve.

This gorgeous piece of meat was served with all the trimmings - cauliflower cheese (secret ingredient - a little mustard powder in your cheese sauce goes a long way!), carrots, long stemmed broccoli, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes (roasted in goose fat) and honey roasted parsnips... not forgetting the mint sauce!

This will also be perfect for Easter Sunday - enjoy!

Bake Sale for Japan - Update!

2011-04-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

You may have read my post Bake Sale for Japan, about a wonderful lady, The Tomato Tart who took on the mammoth task of creating an online Bake Sale to raise money for Second Harvest Japan, who give food to those that need it most as a result of the awful events in Japan.

Well, she rose an amazing $8,269!

I really wanted to bake something for the sale but, as a newbie to blogging, I was a little late in finding out about it. However, I joined in by bidding on some delights and won! I can't wait to receive my wares of Maple Walnut Fudge and Maple Syrup (from Susan of The Spice Garden) and Homemade Sea Salt (from Linda of Salty Seattle). Thanks Ladies, and I'm looking forward to joining you in the next sale!

Oh la la! I couldn’t possibly…. OK, maybe just one….

2011-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Skinny French Kitchen By Harry Eastwood.

I’m not one for low calorie cooking, and, if we’re being honest, I only bought this book for one reason: the author was in Selfridges signing when I popped in for a couple of bits, and I love a signed book. Eastwoods first book was a triumph, but a book on being skinny? Where’s the joy in that?

But joy there was.

Be taken, firstly, with the stunning, elegant cover that suggests anything but ‘Low-fat’ - you shouldn't judge a book by it’s cover, but a quick scan of the pages shows you that, in this case, you can. The recipes looked and sounded like a butter covered dream; even if the book fails in low-fat, it would succeed in stunning photography of delightful recipes to make you drool.

The Skinny French Kitchen is more like a food memoir of a girl who, through her own

admission, tends to pile on the pounds, but loves French food. Leaving England, she moved back to Paris, having grown up there, in a 7th floor flat (with no lift!). The aim was to create recipes traditionally French in taste and nature, but without the traditional fat content. And Mon deur, has she done it!

And how has she done it? By bringing French recipes into the 21st Century. By keeping true to the recipes but not going overboard – by not using 2 tablespoons of cream when a teaspoon will do, by using 50g of strong cheese instead of 200g of mild. By not trying to change something that can not, should not, be changed (Eastwood refuses to include a proper tart tatin – it should be rich, sticky with sugar and slick with butter; it would be sacrilege to change it and to her credit, she doesn’t try). Clever tricks that, when it all adds up, makes slimmer food without compromising on taste. In short, she has made traditional French food modern and light (and, if we can take her word, has converted the French too as only recipes approved of by her butcher/grocer/concierge made the cut!)

Secondly, the warm, friendly nature of an author who loves food comes across in this book, aided by the wonderful photography throughout; however, as lovely as the photos of Paris and Eastwood are, they out-number the photographs of the food itself, particularly the savouries. A real shame, particularly given how lovely the photographer has made these delightful recipes look – like you could just eat them from the page.

Even if you are not dieting, invest in this book. It will give you the ability to create menus that read like they’re heavy and coronary inducing, but in fact will allow you to eat your meal and continue to polish off that (case of) Burgundy without having to go off for a nap. And I'll be testing this theory out over the next couple of weeks when I cook the quintessentially French Boeuf Bourguignon followed by Crème Caramel.

This isn’t a diet book; this is delightful, elegant, modern book on French food.

Easy Welcome Home Dinner - One Pot Pan Fried Duck

2011-04-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

10 months after we were married, my husband moved to the big smoke for work, coming home on Friday nights and leaving again on Monday mornings (at 5am!!). Tonight, he moved back home for good. I'm a happy girl, and to welcome him home, I decided to cook his favourite - duck.

Duck is very often overlooked in the butchers, but I urge you to think again. Duck has to be free range; it isnt suited to intensive battery farming, but this makes it more expensive than, say chicken, but is comparable in price to free range chicken (especially the legs). It's also amazingly high in all of the B-Vitamins so surprisingly good for you, especially if you remove the skin and stir fry the breast.

But we wont be doing that here; we will be pan frying those lovely duck breasts and then making the side dishes in the same pan, in all those lovely juices; the ultimate one-pot dinner party meal and perfect for tonight - who wants to do lots of washing up after a house move!?

One Pot Pan Fried Duck

(Sorry for the not-great picture; it was taken on a phone as my camera battery went - I couldn't let the duck go cold whilst I waited for it to charge).

Ingredients

New Potatoes - 500 - 600g
Two Duck Breasts
1 fat garlic clove
Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
6 rashers smoked, streaky bacon
Savoy cabbage washed and shredded
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Cook the potatoes, drain and slice thickly. Warm the over to 100 - 120 degrees.

2. Score the skin of the duck breasts and season.. Place a heavy bottom,. none stick frying pan over a low heat, and, when hot, place the duck in the pan, skin side down and leave for 15 minutes, then turn, meat side down and leave for 5 minutes. Cover with foil and keep warm. When you come to serve the duck it will be perfectly cooked - a little pink in the middle.

3. Turn the heat to high and, in the same pan, add the sliced, cooked potatoes and cook in the duck fat until hot and browned. Keep warm in the oven.

4. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy. Add the cabbage and put a lid on the pan for a couple of minutes. Add a spash of water, cover again until cooked through - just a couple more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, slice the duck breasts and place on a plate. Mix the juices from the rested duck with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

6. Place the potatoes in a pile next to the duck and serve the cabbage, again in a neat pile.

7. Dress with the duck juice mixture and serve.

This will serve the duck warm. You have a couple of options.

To keep the skin crispy, cover with baking paper whilst resting, but expect meat to be cooler.
Cook the bacon and cabbage at the same time as the potatoes, in a different pan. You will use more than one pot but you will be finished quicker, resulting in warmer meat.

The recipe I've written is what I prefer to do, but let me know what you prefer.

Looking forward to the feedback!

Wine

Tonight we had a Spanish Rioja with our duck, from Naked Wines Burgo Viejo Rioja Tinto 2006. It went perfectly with the duck, complimenting the rich flavours with a blackberry undertone (and we all know how well fruit goes with duck!) It's light but oak-ey characteristics were complex enough to compliment the duck but didn't over power it. Delicious and the perfect companion to the meal. And my husband thought so too!

Milk Chocolate Trees!

2011-03-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hotel Chocolat Blog revealed TODAY that they have devloped the worlds first Milk Chocolate tree by watering the cocoa trees with Milk! However, this caused a problem with attracting cats (they say the mewing got them down, I think it is the stench of cat wee myself!) but the lactose intolerant dogs chased them away. More details below about this exciting development.

http://talesfromtreetobar.com/?src=egg311
Scientific Breakthrough – Milk Chocolate Cocoa Trees Developed at Rabot Estate

Chief Executive, Angus Thirlwell, said, “This is a much more efficient way to make milk chocolate and I’m delighted to reveal it to our customers first. There has only been one minor downside to date, but we think we may have overcome that problem already…”

Estates Director, Phil Buckley, who has been the driving force behind this huge step forward said, “It’s very quiet here in Saint Lucia during the off season, so we started experimenting to pass the time. Unfortunately, the rum-fed cocoa trees are looking a bit worse for wear, but the milk-fed trees have flourished.”

However, as already mentioned, there is a downside to watering cocoa trees with milk – the creamy aromas have attracted quite a number of cats to the estate.

Phil Buckley explains, “I’ve nothing against cats, but the mewing was driving us all mad. Luckily, it turns out our neighbour’s dogs are lactose intolerant, so they’re more than happy to chase the cats away. I’d like to say a big thank you to our neighbours up at the Poisson d’Avril Estate.”

For The Love of Food

Boys Christening Cake

Baby Girl Christening Cake

I'm alive! And living the dream with the Ultimate Chicken Sarnie

For The Love of Nutella - Chocolate and Hazlenut Muffins

Let Us Eat Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes, and the Story of a Beautiful Wedding

Let Us Eat Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes, and the Story of a Beautiful Wedding

A Berry Happy Breakfast - Part 2 - Berry Bread.

It's a Berry Happy Breakfast! Part 1 of 3 - Berry Breakfast Trifle

The Spice Club Manchester

Top 10 Father’s Day Foodie Finds

Secret Vintage Afternoon Tea Party

Friday Night Chinese - Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce

A Taste of Sunshine - Courgette and Prawn Risotto with Courgette Flowers

For my Nanna, and her legendary Sunday Lunch

Hangover Savior - Bacon Cheesy Bread

Ben Vear's ice cream; It's got the 'Oooh!' Factor!

Bea's Bangers - Making my own Sausages

Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Cookies... IT WORKS!

Chocolate and Wine. Together. In a Bottle!

Bea's Fruity take on Nigella's Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad

Time for a fridge clear out - Random Cheese Tart

Sowing Sunday Week 8…. On a Monday Again!

Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte – German Black Forest Cake in honour of Eurovision

For The Love of Fellow Foodies

A Glut of Radishes? Try Radish Top Soup with Tempura Radish Croutons

The story of 131 Little Pink Sparkly Cakes. Never underestimate a professional!

Black Pepper Meringue with Strawberries and Cream

Sowing Sunday Week 6

Dinner Parties Made Easy at The Cheshire Cookery School – A Review

Cheesy Courgette Breakfast Muffins

Bloggers Bake for Hope

Sowing Sunday Week 5…. On a Monday

Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing

Review - Two Greedy Italians by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo

Love Thy Neighbour - how terribly British. Celebratory Union Jack Cake

Home made Hummus with Lamb and Pomegranate

Salty Goodness - Salty Shortbread, with Lemon and Thyme

Sowing Sunday - Week 3

Review - Bake & Decorate, Fiona Cairns

Bake & Decorate by Fiona Cairns, published by Quadrille

Photography ©LAURA HYND

For the Love of Tea - The Tea Palace

Gorgeously Good Granola

Sowing Sunday

Rosemary and Orange Yoghurt Cake

Perfect Roast Lamb

Bake Sale for Japan - Update!

Oh la la! I couldn’t possibly…. OK, maybe just one….

Easy Welcome Home Dinner - One Pot Pan Fried Duck

Milk Chocolate Trees!