foodlifefood

slowly slowly ...

2010-10-22T17:07:00.002+01:00

So, how do you get back into writing a blog when life has successfully managed to get in the way of food for the last few months? (fear not, I have been eating, just not writing about it ...)

A first step, perhaps is to post a link to a nice article about men and women's 'taste' in food from the Guardian this week ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/17/gender-eating-men-women. Chatting to the girls at supper last night we all agreed our fellas have a culturally constructed need for meat, which is a bit of a pain when you're trying not to spend your entire disposable income in the supermarket.

Cue more vegetarian recipes - last night's pumpkin and chickpea curry could be a good start.

the curry phase continues ...

2009-11-16T21:36:00.005Z

We ended up with curry for ≤ten last week following a visit from the butternut squash fairy. I feel drawn towards spicy food at this time of year. The desire for something hearty and hot wins out repeatedly, and I find myself influenced by Coz's taste for Indian food even when she's not here.

I've also fallen back in love with rice. In spite of all the gung-ho cookery, I confess rice and I are not friends. It's usually an after thought quickly chucked in a pan while the rest of the meal is more lovingly cared for. I'm often suspicious of everyday products which seem to have an unnecessary premium on them, but I've been converted by pure Basmati rice. Basmati is apparently like champagne, only deserving the name by being grown in a certain area. Pure Basmati, sifted to remove broken starchy grains and aged slightly to bring out the delicate flavour is even better.

Anyway, I'd been considering the fate of the squashes since their arrival, and spotting a coconut curry sealed the deal. Gone, but nowhere near forgotten, She is now living with Mr B in Wapping, and working in London Bridge. After escorting me home She pottered and made bhajis while I tended to the curry, which went a little something like this ...

Squash and coconut curry

For six, with suitable leftovers ...

2tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 cardamom pods
1 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp dried curry leaves
2 tbsp gram flour
1 tbsp light olive oil
2 x 400g tins of reduced fat coconut milk
1 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tbsp chopped coriander
salt

Toast the cumin and coriander in a dry frying pan, before grinding in a pestle and mortar.

Pour the oil into a big thick based pan, and once hot add the crushed cardamom pods (you can do this lightly with the side of a knife), allowing them to sizzle for 30 seconds.

Add the curry leaves, coconut milk, tomatoes and ground spices. Bring to the boil, then add the squash and sweet potatoe, bringing up to a simmer until tender. If necessary, to thicken up the source sift in two level tablespoonfuls of gram flour towards the end - you can use cornflour if you don't have any.

Season to taste, then stir in the coriander when you're ready to serve up.

This was wonderful actually, and the Brave was only slightly disappointed about the lack of meat. It's a sweet velvety curry, you could probably add more chilli to give it a bit more of a kick, but it was perfectly respectable for a Wednesday night.

fritta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta ...

2009-11-05T19:55:00.005Z

I'm sure I remember some halycon days where making a frittata was as easy as slicing a few potatoes, whisking a few eggs, and basking in the warm feeling generated by using up struggling spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and whatever else is lying around.

Tonight's offering has taken a little more attention, but the principle is the same.

A frittata, as I'm sure you know, is a little bit like a Spanish omlette. I'm not sure what the real rules are, but I tend to use a base of eggs, onions and sliced potato ... and then throw in anything else which needs eating. For me this covers mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, bacon, ham, spinach, broccoli, cooked peppers ... and at a stretch bits of chicken ... and cheese to put on top.

This evening I used ...

6 eggs
250g baby spinach
big handful of new potatoes, sliced
handful mushrooms, sliced
handful baby plum tomatoes, quartered
half an onion finely chopped
cheddar to grate on top

It's pretty simple ...

You need to parboil the potatoes, slicing them first makes this pretty easy.

Meanwhile, fry off the onion in a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt to stop it burning. When it's starting to go translucent, add the sliced mushrooms and fry gently.

I like to steam the spinach very slightly before this goes in to the pan - this evening I stuck it over the potatoes for a couple of minutes.

When your potatoes are ready, add them to the onions and mushrooms in the pan, then add the spinach. The mistake I made this evening was to add the eggs to this too early, without giving it all time to really warm up. I had to take evasive action to make sure it was cooked all the way through.

Once this is all warm together in the pan, you can add your whisked eggs (seasoned with salt, pepper and mixed herbs if you like), then sprinkle the tomatoes over the top.

Cook the frittata on a low heat on the hob for as long as you can - you need to let it cook through without burning the bottom. Keep an eye on it (by sneaking a spatula underneath), and when it starts to go take the pan off the heat, grate some cheese over the top, and stick it under a low grill. This should melt the cheese, and help cook the top.

And it's as easy as that. This should do enough for four of you for lunch (says she who has just eaten half of it for dinner ...).

cake bakery ... and other things

2009-10-04T22:20:00.003+01:00

Cake baking should be enacted on calm Sunday afternoons listening to Radio 4, with plenty of care taken over weighing, mixing and pouring. Rushing back from supper and throwing ingredients into a bowl, then into a tin in the oven seems at odds with the quiet ritual ... but this is what we've done.

The Brave and I have spent an entirely relaxing and unexpected evening in Buchans, drinking wine, eating supper and discussing the pros and cons of the military. Needless to say we didn't agree on all counts, apart from crème brûlée being a superior dessert and my fillet steak being not quite buttery enough ... but an evening snatched together five weeks before his designated return can only be a pleasure.

And so to the cake ... the first episode of Cake Club, my new office style looms tomorrow, and as founding member I have gladly, if hurriedly, made Nigella Lawson's honey cake this evening. It's not your straightforward mix-in-a-bowl-and-bake cake, but the extra faff is worth it I think.

Honey cake
500g plain flour
200g light soft brown sugar
250g butter
500g (or one tin) golden syrup
2 eggs
300ml milk
3 tsp baking powder
3tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, gas mark 5. Grease and line a 25cm round spring form tin.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and spice in a big big bowl.

Melt the butter and syrup together in a saucepan on a low heat, remove from the hob, stir in the milk, and leave to cool.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.

Once cooled a bit, stir the butter and syrup into the flour mix, then add the eggs at the end. Stir this all the time you're adding, at the end it should be smooth ... if not then give it a good whisk.

Pour the mixture into the tin, then bake for 75 - 90 minutes - test it with a skewer. If you poke it in and it comes out without any mixture on then your cake is done. This cake will rise when it's cooking, but drop a bit afterwards so don't worry. You want it a bit sticky in the middle so it's fine if your skewer is not absolutely clean as a whistle.

My 22cm cake tin is of course too small. I end up filling it with and inch and a half to spare round the top, then putting the rest of the mix into cake cases, and baking these in the oven for the first 25 minutes - a lovely cook's perk which we're just about to enjoy.

When the cake is done, take it out and let it cool in the tin completely before you take it out and serve.

Easy-ish. Looking at the ingredients, it's a shamefully rich cake, but that rich syrupy sweetness will hopefully make a lot of people happy on a Monday afternoon. Cross your fingers for me.

long time no see

2009-10-02T19:38:00.002+01:00

that girl has been busy. In the months since I last wrote I have snuck away to a little gîte, got a new job, gained a new appreciation of Windsor, found out what absence does to the heart and most recently travelled from gay Battersea to gay Paris powered by two wheels and Mars bars.

She has moved out, and in her place Coz brings with her curry, kitchen items and superior audio visual equipment.

I have of course been cooking and eating all the while, far too much to mention in fact. Highlights have got to include a full on curry from a new book, the big spag bol which gave us fuel for our ride and pâté made from the pigs in the garden at the back of one of our hotels en route. ≤ten continues to flourish, with an ever wider circle of interesting people and some very special cakes, books and lovely flowers finding their way into my lucky hands as recompense for what is really no trouble.

I resolve, again, to cook more, to take more photos, and above all to write more about it. In honour of my new flatmate I have established a cake club at work, so expect posts about baking, and plenty of new recipes. Judging by the horror of a brack I sent to the Brave a couple of weeks ago my efforts may not be up to much.

I'll be back soon ... I promise.

A lamb obsession

2009-07-13T20:48:00.006+01:00

An idle thought that it might be cool to spit roast a lamb one day finally became reality on Saturday night ... not my thought I hasten to add, I merely came along for the ride. I've spoken about this friendly little festival on the blog before, so finally, after what felt like months of waiting and talking, the Brave and I high-tailed it from London on Friday night and made our way to Worcestershire for a couple of days of lamb, camping, music and beer.

Our home for the weekend was a field in Malvern, a little encampment centred around an enormous round marquee. Friday night brought tent pitching, chickpea and spinach stew cooked on the fire ... beer, more beer and heart to hearts. By the time tea arrived on Saturday morning work was a mere twinkle in my eye.

But on the the important stuff. The lamb was cooked over a huge fire spread into a halved oil drum. The spit was elegantly crafted from scaffolding poles ... which were inelegantly rammed into the lambs with a sledge hammer and pure effort of will.

Total cooking time was around 7-8 hours, the lamb was turned on the spit, and basted diligently with all the usual suspects - olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon juice. The scene when the lamb arrived revealed the basest elements of human nature. Take twenty or thirty ravenous revellers and present them with wonderful fragrant meat after several cans of lager, and you can imagine what happens.

My contribution to the weekend was to be Sunday lunch, so after seeing off the Brave we got cracking. There was always going to be far too much food. Numbers for the festival were lower than expected, but though we only fed sixteen in the end, the meal described could easily have fed thirty of us.

I get told off for saying things like this, but cooking lamb stew which could feed thirty is really really not that much more difficult to cooking it for four of you. The principle remains the same ... make stock with the bones of the lamb, remove them, reduce it ... and add lentils, spices, chopped tomatoes and diced cold lamb, then bring the thing slowly up to a simmer again and serve it with hunks of bread.

More details then ...

Lamb stew

2 lamb carcasses
2 heads celery roughly chopped
4 onions roughly chopped
Bulb of garlic peeled and chopped
2 kg red lentils
4 cans chopped tomatoes
40g cumin
20g paprika
salt
pepper

Into a very large pot place one of your stripped lamb carcasses, add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, cover with water and place on the fire for around 90 mins – it should be on a good rolling boil for the last 30. It’s worth mentioning here that our ‘stripped’ carcass in fact included the whole haunch of one of our lambs which had been a little too pink for comfort the previous night.
Set about the rest of the cold lamb from the night before. Our ravening hoards had been less than thorough, and I managed to rescue a very large mixing bowl full of diced meat to add to the stew.

Once the stock is ready, the hard part – removing the bones. On a small scale this is a relatively simple task, involving perhaps some straining, maybe a colander or a slotted spoon ... and perhaps even a second pot. On a large scale it involved four people, a washing up bowl, two cheap kitchen knives and a set of 99p bbq tools form Asda. And a ladle. It’s a miracle we emerged unscathed.

Into the stock then went the lentils, the diced lamb, the chopped tomatoes and the spices. I turned my attention to stripping the stewed haunches of all the remaining meat, before adding this to the pot. If I’m honest there was an awful lot more meat to be had, but the numbers and the awkwardness of dealing with the lamb with very few tools ... not to mention the effects of the previous evening slightly dampened my enthusiasm.

The result? Not a thing of great beauty, but hearty and wholesome enough to make hung over people happy ... which after the weekend we'd had was all we needed.

≤ten - the bbq edition

2009-07-01T23:14:00.004+01:00

Well. We had our first bbq edition of ≤ten this evening, with fair to middling success. Having been delighted at how enthusiastically the bbq was going initially I quickly realised (when my 'blackened' peppers became charcoal in the blink of an eye) that excessive amounts of heat were not necessarily going to be a good thing.

The theme of the evening was home grown. The mint in the lamb burgers was plucked from our hanging baskets, and the lettuce, rocket and potatoes were from Lulu's allotment delivery yesterday. The menu was simple - lamb burgers, green salad, tomato salad and early potatoes. Instead of canapes we shelled fresh peas which had been plucked only 36 hours previously. Luckily my guests are not faint hearted ... I will confess to spotting the odd baby caterpillar in one or two.

The only recipe worth passing on is for the lamb burgers, though this I suspect could be much improved upon - I'm not sure cooking on the run with guests arriving while trying to save charred peppers is the ideal setting for creating new dishes - but they were fresh and tasty, which is surely the main thing.

Enough for 6 hungry people ... or 8 with other things.

1kg minced lamb
1 large red onion finely chopped
large handful of fresh mint finely chopped
2 small eggs or 1 large
salt and pepper (I forgot this)

It's easy ... combine all the ingredients in a bowl, then shape into 15 or so small-ish burgers. Let the bbq commence.

My guests this evening were especially helpful. Jacs's suggestion to put foil on the grill underneath the burgers saved us another charring incident, and Amy's burger tending and liberal interpretation of the three second rule should not go unmentioned.

We ate outside from our laps, drank plenty of rose (tis the season) and covered duck rape, the merits of qualitative research and telepathic / psychopathic exes. All in all, a lovely evening.

summer risotto

2009-07-01T00:32:00.004+01:00

My wonderful sister came this evening to help me sort out some long overdue paperwork, bringing with her the spoils from our father's allotment. The parents are on holiday so it is with heavy hearts that we harvest and tuck into the fruits of someone else's labour. In fact role is that of end consumer, even the harvesting is taken care of.

Stashed away and ready for ≤ten tomorrow night are ... a round lettuce, early potatoes, rocket, a hispi cabbage, courgettes green and gold and a bulging bag of peas.

Our supper tonight was similarly summery - it's late, so this is more of an idea than a recipe. Pea and mint risotto. I've written a previous post on risotto basics ... this evening I used the usual formula, substituting a red onion and a glass of Prosecco which needed looking after, then added in two large handfuls of fresh peas, and a large handful of chopped fresh mint from the hanging baskets. Perfect for alfresco dining on a humid evening.

a mini harvest

2009-06-29T22:48:00.007+01:00

I was feeling a bit gloomy after yesterday's realisation that I might have been the author of my own misfortune as far as the beans were concerned so I came home from work, poured myself a glass of Prosecco (in my defence, the only cold drink we had in the house ... and it was very warm) and set about tending the plants.

Part of the watering problem is about the logistics of getting to the pots inside the aviary beneath the jungle of leaves. I decided to make a watering device - not the technical term I know - for the courgettes.

Firstly cut the end off a plastic drinks bottle and remove the lid. I've used a litre bottle here (San Pellegrino dahling), but a bigger one would be better I think.

Then up-end the bottle, and push the neck into the soil near your plants. You can fill this with water easily, and they will drink as much as they need. I'm considering developing a more complex version for while I'm away at Lambfest.

I’m already using these with good effect on the tomatoes, so hopefully they’ll be just what I need. I’ve also been spraying the beans like a crazy person trying to keep them moist enough to set. It’s amazing what a girl can get up to without any distractions of an evening.

I mentioned I’d planted nasturtiums as companions to my tomatoes, sort of sacrificial plants offered up to the aphids. As it happens they’re going from strength to strength. It was a handful of these peppery leaves and a few scant French beans which went along with the first cut of spinach beets to make our first salad supper from the terrace.

I’d practically given up on the spindly spinach, but encouraged by the little tender crop above I’ve moved it out of the shade of the courgettes, and given it a pretty vigorous chop in the hope it will come back stronger. I’m slightly dubious, and feel guilty about the sullen stumps which remain, but surely they don’t call it ‘cut and come again’ for nothing ...

trial by triffid

2009-06-28T18:43:00.004+01:00

The plants have been unhappy. I mentioned a while ago that I'd been neglecting them, and though I've upped my game slightly, all is not well in our aviary-cum-vegetable patch.

My most pressing problems are the runner beans and the courgettes. Each of them are flowering beautifully, but failing to set. The bright red runner bean flowers can be seen in abundance, but as yet only four skinny baby beans have developed, the rest of the buds fall off without having quite gained the enthusiasm to produce. The courgettes too remain unconvincing, after reaching around an half inch in length they wither and fall off the stem.

Internet research tells me that the beans problem at least is my fault, insufficent moisture on the leaves and buds. Henceforth I'll be spraying them with a little sugar water every day to keep them sweet. I'll let you know how I get on.

It's not all bad news mind. She and I sampled a little taste of our first Battersea potatoes earlier this week which were sweet, firm and slightly peppery. By rights it should be harvest time very soon. The tubers need a couple of hours in the sun before being bagged up, and I've not yet managed to find a suitable chunk of time to do this. I'm insanely curious about how many there are tucked down in the soil.

Finally the hanging baskets are a great pleasure. I planted two up with English thyme, garden mint and alpine strawberries a month or so ago, and another with a tumbling tom and they're going great guns. I am envisaging a summer of G&Ts with thyme syrup and mojitos to come.

thai-ish ≤ten

2009-06-18T12:40:00.006+01:00

I have learnt from previous experience that food shopping under the influence of alcohol is a Bad Idea ... but having accidentally consumed too much beer I found myself wandering the aisles of Asda in Clapham Junction at midnight on Tuesday, searching for inspiration for last night's ≤ten. I'd been meeting Lu out east for her new Mister's gig at the Slaughtered Lamb ... I can recommend both the music and the man himself. Top marks.

Anyway, the resultant malteaser-fuelled shopping trip yielded a supper of coconut poached salmon, pak choi and jasmine rice. Which ended up a little something like this ...

Coconut poached salmon ... for 8

2 tins coconut milk
small cup water
1.25kg salmon fillets cut into large cubes
2 stalks lemongrass roughly cut diagonally
2 inch piece of galangal roughly sliced
4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly sliced
big pinch of sugar
4 small red chillis chopped
handful of basil leaves (it should be thai basil really, but I had some ordinary stuff spare so in it went)
5 kaffir lime leaves
juice of two limes
3 tbsp thai fish sauce
handful chopped fresh coriander

Infuse the coconut milk with the lemongrass, galangal, garlic and sugar in a large pan - I had this just beneath bubbling for about 20 minutes

Add the kaffir lime leaves and the chillli, and infuse for a further 10 mins - to be honest, we were waiting for latecomers, so I must have had this going for about 45 minutes in total, but less is fine
When you're good to go, put the rice on, and at the same time add the fish, the lime juice and the fish sauce to the coconut milk

Bring it up to a simmer, keep an eye on it adding a little more water if you need to ... and it should be ready by the time the rice is cooked and drained. Throw into the chopped coriander and you're there.

It's hardly worth writing a recipe for the pak choi - 2tbsp sesame oil in the wok, four finely sliced cloves of garlic ... once the oil is hot, add the pak choi which is cut into thick ribbons (I think I used five heads, two red and three green). It'll only take five minutes, so if you're making the full menu then just start it off once the salmon is poaching.

In theory it should be hot, sour and salty. I'd been expecting a non-meat eating contingent, hence the salmon, but I think chicken could probably stand up to the flavours a little better. I'll confess the quantities were a little off, had the late (and brave) addition to our party not already eaten a starter I think we might have struggled, as it was there was just enough to go round nine.

Apart from the slightly mean portions, the night was lovely, plenty of catching up ... a small amount of grilling, and some very kind gifts from my guests.

notes on a detox ...

2009-06-05T12:53:00.006+01:00

Firstly, I have been absent of late. A combination of the detox diet and the arrival of Miss Jones from SA has set my cookery slightly off plan. Happily ≤ten has kick started me again and I am busily plotting tonight's supper.

I'm pretty anti-fads when it comes to healthy eating etc, and though I'm not sure that a detox actually cleanses your body of toxins, it did give She and I an opportunity to think about what we were eating more carefully. I won't be continuing with avocados and rye bread for brekkie, but there are a few favourites which have worked their way onto our menu for good. Essentially the plan revolved around no wheat, little dairy, much less caffeine, and plenty of fresh raw food

The best of all was a simple salad - smoked mackerel, beetroot, asparagus, avocado and watercress with a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoon of hummus.

Also scoring highly was the porridge. I'm definitely a porridge for brekkie kind of a girl, but had noticed that the pinch of salt and spoonful of sugar I mix into mine had gradually become larger and larger. The recipe I'll be using from now on follows ...

2tbsp porridge oats
splash milk
2tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
1/2 grated apple
sprinkling of cinnamon

It's pretty self explanatory, I make the porridge in the microwave - one minute on high then a stir, then another 20 seconds - then mix in the yoghurt, apple and cinnamon. I didn't think I could eat it without salt, but this does me just fine.

The spirulina will also be staying, as will decaf tea with soya milk ... out of character I know, but there's something about the combination which makes it acceptable. Less successful were buckwheat noodles, which appear to just be a massive pain in the neck to cook with, and risotto with neither wine nor fat.

All in all, a 7/10.

green goddess

2009-05-26T14:18:00.002+01:00

She and I are on a health kick. It came to me this weekend (possibly over cheese and saucission from the French market, or maybe while we were eating rhubarb upside down cake with creme fraiche, or was it while we were making pizza yesterday ...) that an unintended consequence of my love affair with food has been the arrival of love handles. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way. I firmly believe is possible to enjoy food, wine and the good life and look good naked. This week is about rebalancing that.

So, the green goddess ... spirulina. Spirulina is a kind of blue green algae which seemingly exists for two reasons - to photosynthesise, and to be packed full of things which are ridiculously good for you. It contains an incredible variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients with everything from vitamin B to magnesium ... protein, antioxidants and essential fatty acids.

She and I are tucking in for the energising, cleansing, and immune system boosting qualities, and I'll be whizzing up the following juice for us every day.

300ml pressed apple juice
2 big handfuls berries / soft fruits - I use a frozen mix
2 tsp spirulina powder

The result is an alarming very dark green juice, which looks like it would be absolutely vile. It isn't. It's actually alright, I'd even go so far as to say I'd recommend it.

So apart from the blinding headache from caffeine withdrawal, and the small fortune in Whole Foods yesterday it's not too bad. I'll keep you in the loop.

double rhubarb solution

2009-05-22T22:05:00.006+01:00

I've had some folorn looking rhubarb in the fridge this week, waiting for someone to take pity on it. There was a bit more than I thought so I ended up with a double rhubarb solution.

Firstly, I'd been having rhubarb upside-down cake thoughts, as my mother and Lulu are coming up for lunch tomorrow ...

Rhubarb upside-down cake

50g butter

200g soft brown sugar

350g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

200ml buttermilk - I used a mixture of sour cream and natural yoghurt as that's what I had around, either will work alone instead of buttermilk if you can't find it

2 medium eggs

80ml vegetable oil

2 tbsp finely chopped crystallised ginger

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4

Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in half the sugar, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat

Arrange the rhubarb in the bottom of a 24cm springform cake tin, and pour over the melted sugar and butter the rhubarb

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt

Whisk the remaining sugar with the buttermilk, eggs, oil and ginger. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Pour over the rhubarb and smooth the surface

Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed in the centre

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes then invert on to a serving plate

As you can see, it's not a thing of great beauty, but I have high hopes in the taste department.

With the rest of the rhubarb, and half an eye on the pork I was cooking for supper (with the other half on the cheese at the French market tomorrow morning) I decided to make a little quick chutney.

Rhubarb chutney

250g rhubarb, chopped into smallish pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

50ml cider vinegar

1cm fresh ginger, grated

100g soft brown sugar

good pinch salt

Very easy this ... everything but the rhubarb in a thick bottomed pan, bring to a rolling boil for five minutes

Add the rhubarb, take it down a little, and simmer for 20 minutes

This can either got straight into a sterilised glass jar - about 250ml, or into a pot to cool a bit to eat straight away.

Despite an insatiable desire to cut myself a slice, the cake will have to wait for tomorrow's guests. I can however vouch for the chutney, which I am still wiping off my plate with a finger.

gardener's delight

2009-05-21T18:51:00.009+01:00

The squirrel defences are here ... and my goodness it was worth the wait. I have in the past come in for a bit of ribbing for being a princess. In most circumstances I'd say this was wholly inaccurate, but every now and again you get the feeling you're being spoilt - the construction which arrived today was utterly above and beyond the call of duty.

I've spent an entirely pleasurable afternoon with my father assembling and filling our new rodent proof vegetable patch, the photos probably won't do it justice but it's an absolute beauty. To keep the potatoes, garlic, onions, herbs and spinach beets company we now have runner beans, french beans, green and gold courgettes and four different types of tomato including wonderful tumbling toms in a little hanging pot.

I am completely delighted.

great expectations

2009-05-21T09:22:00.005+01:00

After forgetting to write She a list of French goodies to bring back from her recent trip, I had thought it might be a little while before we managed to fill our cupboards with Gallic treats. Not so.

Battersea High Street will be home to a French Farmers' Market on Friday and Saturday of this week. I will of course be there, squeezing baguettes and sniffing cheese. I can hardly wait.

guest's eye view

2009-05-20T23:05:00.004+01:00

What a lucky girl I am. Not only have I had a wonderful houseful tonight, but unusually for me I haven't had to lift a finger. Coz played guest chef for tonight's ≤ten, cooking up a storm of coconut dhal, marinated lamb chops, veggie curry, rice and chappatis. I spent most of the evening on the terrace with two lovely new guests and the rest of the crowd drinking prosecco and making use of the outdoor tables. And very nice it was too. After such a wonderful supper, Coz had to rush off without divulging her recipes so I'm still left guessing, I'll be sure to prize them out of her and post them up as soon as I can.

On another note, there is very exciting news afoot. Yonsalot and friends are running a private party this year in Malvern. 75 revellers, one acoustic tent, one dance tent ... and two lamb spit-roasts ... what more could you want? They're looking at 11-12th July, and of course I'm there with bells on. The idea is organic food centred around the roasts, good music and a very chilled weekend, it's £40 a ticket, with any profit going to charity. Buoyed by a few glasses of wine I've volunteered to help co-ordinate the food, and at the very least ensure that Saturday night's spent roast becomes spicy lamb and lentil soup for Sunday lunchtime.

Am very excited, holler if you want more details.

how does your garden grow?

2009-05-19T12:00:00.013+01:00

Our little terrace, like thousands of plots of various sizes around the country is starting to spring into life. The potatoes planted on Easter Saturday (one day late, by rights it should be Good Friday) have shot up. You plant them in about seven inches of compost around three inches below the surface, and as the green shoots come poking through you earth them back up so the tops are just showing, raising the surface of the soil, and creating more room for the fruits of your labours. Once the plants flower, you are pretty much ready to harvest.

I am so excited I have actually been dreaming about them. As with everything we plant outside their life began enclosed with a chicken wire cage. If tomatoes and runner beans were interesting enough for our squirrels to vandalise last year, I feel sure that the juicy little tubers of my potatoes are under threat.

My newest project are spinach beets. Growing ordinary spinach is apparently a bit tricky, spinach beets are a good solution to this - as a 'cut and come again' variety, you can harvest the outside leaves and leave the rest of the plant to continue growing. I planted them last weekend, and was delighted to see little yellow green shoots poking through yesterday.

My father has been working on a solution to the squirrel problem. Last year's cursory effort ultimately provided little protection against our furry adversaries but after an advanced viewing at the weekend I can confidently say that this year we are fully armed. We have very kindly been built a cage of such magnitude it will house a grow bag full of beans and two decent sized tomato plants. As with many ambitious creative endeavours, progress is being hampered by boring practicalities - the construction is so large we stand no chance of transporting it with an ordinary vehicle. There are van plans. Watch this space.

asparagus quiche in a rush ...

2009-05-17T19:24:00.006+01:00

So after the craziness of buying and cooking food and finding Estonians for Eating Eurovision, I was up early yesterday morning to make a quiche to take down to the coast for a family get together.

Raynsford's were nearly out of British asparagus - surely the season can't be over just yet - but I managed to pick up a couple of choice bundles, some lovely looking jersey royals and half a dozen eggs amongst other things ... as well as a chat about what I was cooking. Sometimes I feel they think I secretly have a houseful of children with all the produce I buy there.

Anyway, asparagus quiche - my mother's recipe. Pastry isn't something I've ever worried about. I will confess I've never made puff pastry, but shortcrust and to a lesser extent pâte sucrée haven't caused me any problems thus far. As well as fat and flour, you need two other things ... the cold, and an aloof Gallic attitude. The secret to good pastry, especially shortcrust, is to pretend you're not really making it at all.

the pastry

As a general rule, you need half as much flour as fat. So, 8oz flour to 4oz fat, 6:3 etc etc. The kind of fat you use will depend on what kind of thing you're making, but combinations of Stork block margarine, butter and lard are all acceptable. I'm not sure whether using Stork is incredibly plebeian or not, but it makes such easy, really 'short' ie slightly crumbly pastry that in this case I am happy to be down-market. More lard is great for meaty things and true indulgence, butter has a great flavour for lemon, rhubarb or tart apple tarts, but adding Stork will make your life easier and your pastry shorter promise. Also, I'd happily use this savory crust for a sweet flan but you can add sugar a couple of tablespoons of sugar if you like

For my 28cm non-stick, loose-bottomed flan tin I use the following

7oz plain flour
3 1/2 oz fat - half butter, half Stork ... straight from the fridge
good pinch salt
a little water

Put the sifted flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl, then add the cold fat in little cubes

Using just your finger tips, rub the fat into the flour gently, it should end up have a consistency like breadcrumbs. If you are one of those people with perpetually cold hands like my mother, you have found your calling in making pastry. If you have warm hands, run them under a cold tap and pat them dry before you start, open a window ... just keep it cold. If the fat melts you don't have all those tiny little pockets of air which are the reason for the crumbliness

Once you have your bread crumbs, mix in a tiny bit of cold water - maybe 2 tbsp - with a metal fork. Keep adding the water a tiny tiny bit at a time, adding just enough to bring the pastry into a ball. At this stage it should only just be sticking together. Touch it as little as possible, working pastry activates the gluten in the flour ... good for bread and pizza, bad for light crumbly pastry

Wrap your pastry in clingfilm, and stick it in the fridge to relax for at least half an hour

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 190 degrees C, 375 degrees F, and grease your flan tin, even if it's non-stick

When your pastry is ready, roll it out on a floured surface to the circumference of the tin plus one inch all the way round. I use a wooden rolling pin, but I have been eyeing marble ones lately for pastry making purposes

Line the tin with pastry, then roll the rolling pin over the edge of the tin, taking away the excess

Line the pastry case with foil taking care to cover all the edges so they don't catch in the oven, then fill with dried haricot beans or ceramic baking beans before placing in the centre of the oven for 10-15 minutes - I go for 10 in my fan oven

Baking the pastry case 'blind' in this way prevents your crust from ending up too moist and helps the bottom cook. The baking beans or haricot beans prevent the pastry from rising up into bubbles, providing a smooth evenly cooked surface for your filling

the filling

2 bunches slim asparagus spears lightly steamed
4 eggs, one separated
100ml milk or cream
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper

Brush the inside of the flan all over with egg white to seal it and stop it going soggy, and leave it to dry

Mix the eggs, including the remaining white and yolk with milk and seasonings then stir in the grated cheese

Arrange the spears artfully in the pastry case. My mother's tradition is to lay them like spokes on a wheel. The spears will probably be a little long so snip the ends off with scissors and either use the bits to fill in the gaps or sneak to one side for cook's perks, or more virtuously for risotto

Pour the egg mixture over the spears, and bake for 30 mins, checking after 20 to see if it needs a spin around to brown evenly

As a quick aside, I also made an Estonian salad from a recipe given to me by one of the many Eesti I bothered on Friday ...

3/4 cucumber cubed
two large ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1.5cm cubes (ish)
6 radishes thinly sliced
a few sprigs of dill finely chopped
sour cream
salt

Put everything bar the sour cream and salt into a bowl and mix well .. then add enough sour cream to coat it, and salt to taste

Estonia, how hard can it be?

2009-05-16T08:52:00.010+01:00

Many many things happened to me yesterday.

I made several Estonian friends over the internet, including the lovely Pille Petersoo (http://www.nami-nami.blogspot.com/ - more on her later). I discovered that there isn't a single Estonian restaurant or cafe in London, I lost a carefully written list of ingredients, got lost on my bike and visited two closed shops. I was been rained on.

I also shared a homecooked meal around my dinner table with two lovely Estonians, Evelin and Helena ... for which I am truly thankful.

Estonian cuisine is similar to what you'll find in many other Eastern European countries ... Pille Petersoo, Estonian food blogger mentioned above describes it as 'a mixture of Scandinavian, Russian and Germanic influences. Rather rustic, but also seasonal and tasty. Pork & potatoes, rye bread, forest fruits and wild mushrooms, etc etc. Dill, parsley, chives for herbs, caraway seeds, cinnamon for seasonings'.

The challenge then is to end up eating Estonian food, rather than something like Estonian food. For this reason Baltic near Southwark tube was out, though I did swing by there and pick up a few bottles of Estonian beer Viru on my food buying odyssey.

Estonia is by no means a bleak Baltic state, my dinner guests reassured me that peasants in headscarves and in your face poverty featured minimally. Instead there are good jobs, swimming pools and nice cars ... at least for some. The trouble it appears is a lack of things for young people to do, and comparatively low wages. Evelin and Helena came here for a year. In 2004.

I found my guests via Facebook through putting out a plea to anyone connected with the Estonian community, and messaging countless 'Eesti'. They seem a friendly bunch, and knew only too well how much trouble I'd have with the challenge ...

'I've been trying to find an Estonian restaurant or shop for the last four years that I've been in London, but to no avail, so if you discover something yourself, let me know. :-)'

'The national food is weird to say the least. Also rather burdensome to cook. Meat jelly i.e. sült, pea soup, i.e hernesupp - I'm sure you won't get your hands on that'

'Well, it would have been easier if you had drafted Sweden or Spain, for sure ...'

The only solution was to cook it myself, and invite some Estonians for supper. So after work there was a flurry of e-mailing, tweeting, cycling, face-booking, shopping and cooking. Topped off by the arrival of my guests at gone 9pm.

We ate ...

Cabbage rolls (I was advised that green cabbage was more authentic so made the switch)

http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/03/cabbage-rolls-only-blue.html ...

... mushroom loaf

http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/04/waiter-theres-something-in-my-bread.html ...

... Estonian potato salad and cucumber salad brought by Evelin, and beetroot, sauerkraut, sour cream and rye bread. Evelin's goodies were doubtless the winners. The potato salad is made with tiny cubes of pork sausage, organic white potatoes, Estonian pickles, sour cream, egg, a little mayo and salt. The cucumber salad is simply cucumber, tomato, salt and sour cream.

So, what was it like? Well, the photos clearly don't do it justice, so many apologies on that score.

It was good. I've never been a fan of dill, but it's addition to the cabbage rolls gave a slightly aniseedy spiced flavour, and the mushroom loaf was sticky (my bad?), stodgy and savory. I tend to use a lot of lemon to lift dishes when I'm cooking off piste, the acid of the sauerkraut and the sourness of the cream have the same effect here ... cutting through the heavy carbs and as Tetley might say, letting the flavour flood out.

Conversation round the table covered cycling, food shopping, living in Battersea (Evelin is round the corner), and of course Estonia. I must again say thanks so much to our lovely dinner guests, who I hope will come to ≤ten day, to Pille Petersoo for her lovely blog and tips, and to the long suffering She ... who had an e-mail at 6pm the day before going on holiday saying 'I think we have some Estonians coming to dinner'.

Evelin has promised to help me cook more Estonian food for everyone involved in the challenge if her home nation win tonight ...

... suddenly the Eurovision song contest has become a lot more interesting.

Eating Eurovision

2009-05-14T17:38:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note. This weekend I’m teaming up with a few other people who quite like cooking in a challenge run by a journalist and food blogger Andrew Webb where 25 food bloggers try to eat the cuisine of all 25 finalists of the Eurovision Song Contest, in 25 hours within the confines of the M25.

The plan is this … tonight we’re heading to BBC TV Centre to hear the details of the remaining Eurovision finalists, then drawing lots to decide which country we’re assigned … tomorrow night we’ll scatter, seeking out our chosen cuisine and eating our fill … then each of us will try and find something intelligent to say about it via our blogs before midday on Saturday.

More details here - http://eatingeurovision.co.uk/

I'm not above eating alone, but if anyone fancies dinner tomorrow night, location tbc, get in touch.

pandemic party

2009-05-06T23:29:00.008+01:00

Never one to pass up an excuse for a theme tonight's ≤ten was all about celebrating Mexico. On the menu was pork with lentils, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, rice and watercress and orange salad with tequila dressing.

My lovely guests bought wine, good conversation, and opened my eyes to the wonders of the After Eight game. It's pretty simple - remove After Eight from packet, tilt head back 45 degrees, place After Eight on forehead and then attempt to move After Eight down face and into mouth using only facial expressions ... no head shaking allowed. Amazing.

Back to the food. Mexican isn't really my forte, so I turned to the internet for inspiration and found the below. The salad is pinched directly from the wonderfully named 'Cooking with booze', but the pork is half me half 'Recipes 4U' ...

Pork with Green Lentils and Chilli

1.25kg diced pork shoulder (1 inch cubes)
400g green lentils
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 medium onion chopped
2 fat cloves garlic minced
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
2 plantains sliced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
tsp dried chilli flakes

Put the diced pork in a big pan, cover with boiling water, salt, and simmer for 25 minutes - DON'T THROW THE STOCK AWAY!

In the meantime, stick half the tomatoes, the chilli, oregano, cinnamon and cloves in a blender and whizz into a smooth paste

When the pork is nearly done, start browning the onion in another heavy based pan with a pinch of salt to stop it catching. Then add the tomato paste, and cook for a few mins to reduce it down a bit

Add the pork, stock, lentils, plantains, pineapple and extra tomatoes, then simmer covered for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste

I'd never cooked with plantains before, and I did have a shocking moment of doubt about half an hour before I was going to serve this, but it was pretty good. The salsa and guacamole were pretty standard - the guacamole was a Nigella Express I think, and the salsa from Simon Hopkinson's 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'

Watercress and orange salad with tequila dressing

for the salad ...
2 bags of watercress
4 spring onions sliced
6-8 radishes finely sliced
2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments

for the dressing ...
50ml orange juice
50ml vegetable oil
juice one lime
2 tsp honey
1 clove of garlic crushed
2 tbsp gold tequila

Put all the dressing ingredients in a jam jar, and shake well

Toss the watercress in most of the dressing, sprinkle the rest of the elements oer the top, and then drizzle on a bit more of the dressing

ice cream revisited

2009-05-04T00:15:00.003+01:00

Okay ... so it was good. Arguably had I not given up at 2.15am it would have been a touch smoother, but I am happy to report that we have a litre or so of homemade vanilla ice-cream in the freezer. And rather nice it is too.

at times, life is too short

2009-05-03T01:30:00.003+01:00

I'm sure I'm doing it wrong. I have been making ice cream this evening. All evening. The infusing of the milk, the cooling, the making the custard, more cooling ... I am now on the freezing and hourly stirring (I am paranoid about ice crystals) ... at 1.30am I will confess to being tempted to throw the damn bowl out of the window.

We each have our own threshold where some things in the kitchen (or indeed in life in general) cease to offer a sufficient return on investment. There are also a few things which you will only make once or twice, just to be sure you can. I suspect ice cream will shortly come into this latter category. The one thing I really do think is worth it is pastry, no doubt with the warmer weather I'll be getting into quiches and tarts imminently, and will of course let you know how I get on.

the asparagus rush ...

2009-05-02T21:48:00.008+01:00

Tis the season. Asparagus prospectors can be seen at weekend farmers markets and making illicit lunchtime trips to the grocer, scouring stalls for the purple-green glint of the spears. I am no exception. The British asparagus season begins, by tradition, on the 23rd April. Having been marathoning last weekend, today was my first opportunity to join in the fun. Rather than jostling with the bugaboos on Northcote Road I headed to Raynsford's on Battersea High Street who didn't disappoint.

As with peas, the longer you leave between picking and eating asparagus, the more of the sugars will have turned to starch. This is one of the many reasons to buy British asparagus, and an excellent excuse for eating it as quickly as possible.

There are many wonderful things you can do with asparagus, usually the simpler the better. The below was today's chosen route. River cobbler is a sustainable white fish from Vietnam. I'm well aware that for someone who refused to buy Spanish tomatoes the other day fish all the way from Asia is faintly ridiculous. Little by little I am trying, I promise.

Grilled asparagus with prosciutto and river cobbler

big bunch of asparagus
prosciutto
2 fillets river cobbler (or one large one cut in half)

Asparagus spears are sold longer than you need them, the woody ends should be taken off before cooking. There is a lovely trick here which enables you to remove just the right amount - just bend them and the spears snap in the right place. Magic.

Once you've finished being delighted by the simple beauty of snapping each spear, wrap little bundles of them with a strip of prosciutto, three or four stalks in each.

The next steps aren't rocket science ... hot griddle pan, about 7 minutes on each side. I made a little tent of foil over the top to enable the asparagus to steam a little as well as grill, grilling the fish in the other side of the same pan. We ate this with lovely Maltese new potatoes.

I love it when a plan comes together.

post-marathon munchies

2009-04-26T21:11:00.004+01:00

If I never see another carb again, I will be a happy woman. Three days of constant eating before the run today left me grumpy and full. This evening I have finally cooked a carbohydrate free healthy supper. The last of the lovely spring greens and some salmon, oriental style.

Sesame salmon - no real need for a lot of explanation. Greased baking tray, salmon fillets, brush with honey, salt, pepper, cover with sesame seeds and a little sprinkle of chilli flakes. Bake in the oven at around 200 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

oriental greens

1 head spring greens
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 inch grated fresh ginger
soy sauce
50 ml vegetable stock (I just make up half a cup full with a little Marigold bouillon)
tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper

Warm the sesame oil in a wok, and fry the garlic and ginger for a few minutes.

Add the greens and a good slash of soy sauce, coat well before adding the stock, mix up again, then cover.

Steam for about five minutes.

There you have it. Fresh clean flavours ... and not a twirl of pasta in sight.

≤ten IV

2009-04-23T22:38:00.008+01:00

Following my lamb antics on Tuesday night I had a quick look at the joint (is it still a joint when you've taken the bone out?) on Wednesday morning before yoga, turned it over, and put it back in the marinade.

We had it with spring greens - which I've never had before but loved, and white haricot beans.

Firstly the lamb ... dead easy.

Take it out the fridge and leave it to rest while you heat up the oven to 210 degrees C. It could do with at least half an hour if you have the time

Once the lamb is back up to room temperature, pour the excess marinade off and then stick the meat in the oven. I had it spread out flat, with what would have been the skin side up. You can conserve the marinade and cook potatoes in it if you like

After 40 minutes, remove the lamb from the oven. Check to see how cooked it is, and before you pop it back in splash a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over the top

After another 15 minutes or so, remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes

Rosemary beans

4 x 440ml cans of white haricots beans
8 springs of rosemary
3 handfuls fresh mint
300ml white wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (and a glug to finish)
splash balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Chop the herbs finely, and add to a saucepan with the drained beans and the olive oil

Add the wine, and bring up to a simmer on the hob

Cover, and cook for around ten minutes

Season to taste, and stir in a glug of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar

spring greens with mushrooms

three medium heads of spring greens, washed, stalked and roughly shredded
two big handfuls mushrooms sliced
large onion chopped
250ml chicken stock
dash of vegetable oil
salt and pepper

In a large pan, fry the onion and mushrooms in the oil for 5 minutes until soft

Add the spring greens, coat with the oil, then add the stock

Cover, and allow to steam for about 5 minutes

So, a lovely fresh spring supper for what ended up as seven of us.

Dessert was an amazing chocolate cake brought by wonderful Coz, who may even be making an appearance as a guest chef on May 20th. Watch this space.

late night lamb antics

2009-04-21T22:26:00.009+01:00

It's like this ... I accidentally bought a leg of lamb this evening. I'd intended to buy chops or steaks for ≤ten tomorrow night, but I'm a sucker for a good deal as we all know and I couldn't just leave it there. Getting on the train on the way home it dawned upon me that I didn't have a hope of getting it cooked for a reasonable hour of the night.

Cut to me 45 minutes later in the kitchen, leg of lamb in one hand, knife in the other, phone tucked between the ear and the shoulder and laptop balanced on the hob (which was off). Reader, I butterflied it. On the other end of the phone was my father, who I'd hoped would have some special insight being a butcher's son ... on the laptop was the following video clip - http://www.showmehowtodothis.com/meat/cooking-how-to-butterfly-a-leg-1.html . If I'm honest neither shed a great amount of light on the task.

Butterfly-ing the lamb enables you to cook it quicker, you can even stick it on the bbq. The idea is you cut the bone out, and spread the meat out flat into what ends up as a kind of butterfly shape, slashing into the thick sides and turning the flaps out. I referred briefly to Nigella to see if she had any pearls for me, I can now reveal that at the time of writing How to Eat, Nigella Lawson had never attempted to butterfly a leg of lamb. My attempt was fair - neither a disaster nor a thing of great of beauty.

It's currently sitting in a marinade in the fridge made with about 200ml extra virgin olive oil, five cloves of garlic bashed, 2 handfuls of fresh rosemary finely chopped and the zest of a lemon.

I will report back soon.

how to clean a wok

2009-04-19T12:45:00.003+01:00

I vividly remember scrubbing my mother's wok 'clean' when I was little, and feeling slightly confused by the lack of congratulation when I showed her its gleaming surface ... woks (not the non-stick kind) need gentle treatment and love rather than abrasive soap and elbow grease.

What you are ultimately after is the delicious patina which builds up over time, adding flavour to cooking and preventing food from sticking. I think the aforementioned wok has now passed into my hands, and I'm doing my best to handle it with due care and attention to make up for my past transgression.

So, how to clean a wok ...

Always wash the wok by hand in plain hot water, never in the dishwasher or with soap
Use a soft sponge or cloth to remove any food, soaking the wok in hot water to get the stubborn bits if necessary
If you really have to, you can use a tablespoon of salt rubbed in with a damp cloth to gently scrub off anything which isn't shifting. This is a last resort mind
Rinse any salt off thoroughly, wipe with a paper towel then put the wok over a low heat to dry it out completely
Once dry, rub a little bit of light oil - sunflower, sesame or whatever - around the inside of your wok. Et voilà

the first meal on the terrace

2009-04-13T22:19:00.004+01:00

Finally the Easter break obliged with just a little bit of sunshine, just enough for Jingles and I to have our late lunch on the terrace. We had chicken tricolore salad - chicken fillets grilled with a little bit of sweet chilli sauce and balsamic vinegar with avocado, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and mixed leaves. I made some honey mustard dressing to go with it. The below was more than enough for two large salads.

Honey mustard dressing

juice of half a lemon
twice as much olive oil, more if you need it
teaspoon wholegrain mustard
teaspoon honey
salt and pepper

Put the lemon juice into a bowl and whisk in the oil gradually. Taste it, and if it tastes really overly lemony add some more oil. Then add the mustard, whisk in, then add the honey and whisk some more. Season to taste.

avocado warning

2009-04-12T21:00:00.003+01:00

As well as an excellent recipe for shoulder of lamb I came away from Easter lunch with the family with the following interesting fact.

Avocados are the most dangerous of all fruit.

Apparently it's the preparation which is so hazardous. Having halved and stoned the fruit there are those among us who tend to cup the it in the palm of a hand, using a knife the slice the flesh ... you can guess what happens next.

My own sad tale involves using a knife to get the stone out of a baby avocado on Friday night while weakened by running and yoga. I won't go into detail, luckily She is quite good at first aid.

The moral of the story - avocados - tasty but deadly. Don't be an idiot, get the stone out with a teaspoon and use a board to slice them.

the Manchester method

2009-04-11T10:01:00.003+01:00

Poaching eggs is much easier than you think. She is celebrating her birthday today, so this morning we've had Eggs Royale, which are like Eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon instead of ham. The combination of the elements - English muffins, smoked salmon, eggs and hollandaise sauce is of course very simple, it's the poaching of the eggs people have trouble with.

There are whirlpool theories which work brilliantly for some, but that method is completely beyond me. Instead I have Jones to thank for this, and by extension Mrs Jones - the originator of the Manchester method.

So here it is ...

Get a saucepan of water on a low simmer - so bubbles are coming up from the bottom, but it's not going crazy.

If you have some vinegar (I've ended up using some cheap white balsamic which turned out to be too acidic for dressings) then add a splash to the water.

This is the moment where you put your toast / muffins in ...

For each egg, crack it onto a saucer, or into a ramekin, or a plastic jug or something which gives you more control of it. Then slide the lip of your vessel just under the surface of the water, and gently slip your egg in. The chief things which make the whites explode everywhere are water boiling too vigorously and the force of the egg yolk sploshing into the water. Guard against these and you're there.

Cover, and make sure they don't start bubbling too much. While you wait stick the kettle on for your tea, and butter your toast. They need 3-4 minutes in total.

On the hollandaise ... we had it from a jar. One day I'll attempt to make it properly, but for the moment life is too short.

finger lickin' good

2009-04-10T11:27:00.006+01:00

Once again Wednesday saw our little flat full of lovely people. I'm working at home for a couple of weeks so had a little more time than usual to slow cook something for ≤ten. I've been cooking slightly middle eastern and asian food a lot lately, so I turned back to Leon for a bit of new inspiration. As usual, Allegra McEveady didn't disappoint and we ended up with ribs, beans and rice.

I'll confess to being a little obsessed with the latest Leon cookbook. Their fondness for food that tastes good and is good for you fits in with my own. I like a bit of hearty comfort food as much as anyone else, but eating until you're uncomfortably full saps your energy and just makes you want to sleep. I want to feed people things that make them feel good.

On to the food, this managed seven of us comfortably.

Leon 'Love Me Tender' Ribs

2kg pork ribs
6 heaped tbsp tomato puree
1 heaped tsp chipolte chilli powder or ordinary chilli powder (I used ordinary)
8 tbsp honey
12 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Chinese five spice
salt

Put all the ingredients, except the salt into a bowl and add the ribs, moving them around until they are coated. Leave to marinate overnight.

Next day, season the ribs well with sea salt and put them in a smallish shallow roasting tray (or two!) and add water until it comes half way up the ribs, taking care not to pour it directly over the meat.

Cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven at 120 degrees C / 250 degrees F / gas mark 9 for around 5 hours. Check on the every couple of hours or so, turning them over. You shouldn't need any more water, but if you do just add a little bit at a time. You can do this bit up to a couple of days in advance and keep the ribs in the fridge until you want to cook them fully.

Take the ribs out the oven while you heat it right up to 240 degrees C / 475 degrees F / gas mark 9. Cook for 15 minutes-ish, give a couple of rolls around in the sauce and sprinkle on the sea salt.

Leon's 'Hippy Farm Beans'

Olive oil
1 large aubergine cut into rough chunks
ground cumin
1 1/2 onions, roughly chopped
5 big cloves garlic roughly chopped
4 firey chillies, more if you like, roughly chopped
500g cherry tomatoes
2 tins chopped tomatoes
3 tins of beans - I used kidney beans, pinto beans and borlotti
apparently the 'secret twist' is Linghams Garlic and Chilli Sauce which you can get from Tesco and Waitrose ... I used sweet chilli sauce
300g fresh baby spinach washed
salt

Heat plenty of oil in a pan and fry the aubergines and peppers for 15 minutes until golden crisp and lovely. Season with salt and cumin, then take them out, cover and put to one side.

Get the pan good and hot again. Fry the onion in a bit more olive oil for a few minutes (brown it), then the garlic and chillies. Few more minutes, hot. Then add the cherry tomatoes. Few minutes. Then add the tinned tomatoes and the aubergines and peppers.

Bring to the boil and add the drained beans. Now add a good glug of the sauce. Low heat, simmer covered for half an hour, uncover for a further hour; stir regularly. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach well until wilted.

We had this with fresh baby avocados, creme fraiche (because we didn't have any sour cream), lime wedges and brown rice. Tex mex magic.

butternut squash and sage risotto

2009-04-08T12:58:00.010+01:00

Just to guard against any possible allegations of impropriety, I want to let you know that I ruined this risotto last night. Risotto is dead easy, it just requires a bit of focus, and a certain stubbornness ... neither of which I had at the time.

Anyway, I'll tell you how it should be done in a minute.

Once you've got the basics down, you can make risotto with whatever you like. I've put a few ideas at the bottom of the post but first of all, a couple of tips.

Rice - I tend to use Carnaroli, it's a large grain with a nutty white centre. Arborio is good too, a bit starchier, and apparently the thing for classic risotto Milanese, Vialone is a shorter, rounder grain, good for more soupy risotto and with seafood. It's worth buying good rice, the whole dish rests on it.

Still on the rice, don't rinse it. I don't seriously imagine you would, but wet rice grains repel the fat, which is not what you want. Also, at that crucial end point, don't wait for the rice to be 'perfect' - by the time you get it to the table it will be overdone. That's what I did last night. Take it off the heat when there's still a little bit too much bite to it.

Go for a heavy based pan for even heat distribution.

Heat the stock while you're adding it.

Last tip, be attentive, watch the pot, stir it rhythmically, keep tasting. I love making risotto, but I do need to resign myself to half an hour stood at the hob without distraction. Maybe other people can be trusted to keep half an eye on it, but I'm a bit all of nothing I suppose.

butternut squash and sage risotto

320g carnaroli rice
1 litre hot chicken stock - by all means use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
medium onion, finely chopped
40g butter
125ml white wine
medium butternut squash, roasted and diced
handful chopped fresh sage
parmesan
a lemon
salt and pepper

This should do four of you

Get your two pans on the hob, one full of stock gently simmering or just below a simmer, and the other a thick based saucepan ready for your risotto.

Melt the butter in the risotto pan, and gently cook the chopped onion until soft. Add the rice, and coat well in the fat until transparent.

Add the glass of wine and stir into the rice, gently but continuously until it's all absorbed.

Add the stock to the rice gradually, ladle by ladle, waiting for each one to be absorbed before adding another, stirring gently. Keep doing this for about 15 minutes, tasting, stirring ... thinking, adding stock until the rice is ready. You want it to have a good bit of bite to it still at the end. Also, the consistency should be slightly soupy. I'm not talking swimming, but if you can put it in a fancy mould and pile it up then it's too dry.

Once the rice is there, stir in the chopped squash and sage. Taste it. Add a generous grating of parmesan ... taste it again. Add salt and pepper if you need to, and a squeeze of lemon.

The sage was from the terrace. I'd been meaning to cook with it, but not quite managing to. Apart from the dreadful rice, the taste was really very good - the sage and lemon cutting though the starchiness, bringing lightness to the dish.

The more I cook with lemons and limes, the more I become obsessed with that little citrus lift, that little extra freshness and complexity they give to cous cous, risotto and things ... the difference a bit of zest makes to a crumble or to steamed beans. It works perfectly here.

If you don't fancy sage, or squash, you could try these ...

A pure lemony risotto with zest and juice to serve with chicken
Peas and lots of fresh mint
If you've made it with chicken stock, chances are you've got a pot of all the little picky bits off the chicken carcass - throw them in
Dried wild mushrooms - porchini and the like - conserve the water you used to rehydrate them and use it half / half with the stock
Pheasant. I've only done this once, and it was great. I used pheasant stock and flesh, but do watch out for shot (I didn't)
Spinach - another of my favourites. Baby spinach particularly is such a versatile thing, you can stir it in right at the end here

That really is just a starter for ten. I'm sure there are a whole host of seafoody, tomatoey type things too.

tomfoolery

2009-04-07T16:25:00.008+01:00

I've never attempted rhubarb fool before ... I'm not even sure I knew what it was until I decided to make one. I have since discovered that it is customarily made with stewed rhubarb and brown sugar mixed with either custard or double cream. Precocious as I am I decided to use half fat crème fraîche instead, insubordination sanctioned by a tip from my mother. I also added some ginger, which combines with rhubarb particularly well, orange zest would have been another fine partner.

The below makes buckets, enough for ten normal people as a sweetener after dinner ... or seven normal people and Freddie, who practically licked the bowl on Sunday.

Rhubarb fool

6 stout stems of rhubarb

3 tbsp demerara sugar

small handful crystallized ginger, finely chopped

75ml water

1 1/2 pints crème fraîche

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C

Chop the rhubarb roughly - I only halved it - sprinkle with the brown sugar and ginger and bake in the oven for40 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft.

Leave to cool, separating the rhubarb from any remaining syrup.

One the rhubarb is cool, blitz it with a hand blender. You can sweeten it a little more here if you'd like, but it should still be on the tart side.

With the crème fraîche in a large bowl, swirl in the rhubarb puree. Try not to mix it up too well, I think it looks prettier sort of raspberry ripple-like.

Just before you serve it, take the leftover syrup and reduce in a little saucepan right down until it really is a dark red syrup. You can then cool it a little, and drizzle artfully over the fool.

gardening in the face of adversity

2009-04-04T18:19:00.005+01:00

You wouldn't think that squirrels were interested in runner beans, or indeed tomatoes, but I can tell you categorically that they most certainly are. Not, you understand, as a foodstuff - but more as a symbol of their resistance to our dictatorial claiming of their space. I won't dwell on this, I will say simply that I have a terrace which I seek to grow vegetables on and my neighbourhood squirrels systematically vandalise anything I plant which is not wrapped in protective chicken wire.

However, buoyed by the success of some tentative herbs - you can see rosemary, thyme, sage and mint on the right - and a trip to my father's allotment this morning, I have today planted (and protected) a pot of garlic and spring onions, and a big planter of potatoes. It's not so much the frugality of it, rather the satisfaction at being able to just nip outside, pick what you need and carry on cooking.

Cross you fingers for me, I'll let you know how they get on.

chicken stock

2009-04-04T17:56:00.003+01:00

A quick note.

I have a pot of chicken stock on the go, and it occurred to me it might be useful to let you know what went into it. People who write cookery columns keep telling me I can fresh chicken carcasses from my butcher, which I'm sure is an excellent theory. However, I'm not sure the man in the van selling vacuum packed meat on Battersea High Street would be too impressed with me asking for them, neither am I quite virtuous enough to join the half hour long queue outside the posh butcher on Northcote Road for this purpose ... what I'm saying is I always end up using the carcass from a roast chicken. This way, you're never going to get the clear French consomme you want to be really swish, but stock it is never the less. Secondly, stock has three great friends - carrots, celery and onion. There are a whole host of other close acquaintances which will get you pretty far, but those three are a good place to start.

On my hob at the moment is a pan containing the following:

chicken carcass - skin off, visible fatty bits off
roughly chopped large carrot
two echalion shallots in lieu of a chopped onion
no celery - we haven't got any
two peeled and bashed cloves of garlic
five peppercorns
decent pinch of salt
two small bay leaves
handful of fresh parsley
small handful fresh thyme

All this is covered with boiling water, and I'm just going to let it simmer, covered for an hour, then have a look at it, then probably leave it for another half an hour. Strain it, leave it to rest, skim off any fat, then freeze it in batches of about 250ml.

It smells pretty good so far, the bay leaves are from S&J's trees on their terrace, the parsley from my father, and the thyme is original Battersea produce from outside my own back door - more on growing your own to follow.

red cabbage and lanterns

2009-04-01T00:40:00.004+01:00

My first day off work since Christmas started exceedingly well. Having listened to Radio 4 from 9am I didn't get out of bed until midday. Sadly it all went downhill from there and I've been inappropriately industrious ever since. Included on the long list of things organised, posted and created are both lanterns and red cabbage. The lanterns are probably of little interest, but the red cabbage I will discuss.

I make no claim to it, it's Nigella's recipe but it's pretty special which is why I've recorded it here. I've tweaked it a little bit according to what I had in the cupboard, but it remains largely as she suggested. I always do the whole cabbage as suggested below, as I've said previously it freezes perfectly.

Nigella's red cabbage

whole red cabbage shredded*
3 banana shallots, finely sliced
2 eating apples
250ml red wine
150ml orange juice
150ml water
3tbsp light muscovado sugar
1tbsp light olive oil
1tbsp Maldon salt (1/2 tbsp normal salt)
1/4 tsp mixed spice

*If you are very lucky, you have a food processor with a clever attachment for shredding, if you are moderately lucky you have some kind of slicing plane like what they demo in shops. If you are me you have a sharpish knife, patience, and purple hands. Try to cut out the really stalky bit in the middle and away you go.

Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, add the finely sliced shallots and the salt, then stir round until soft but not coloured

Add the cabbage and coat with the oil, cook gently

Peel, quarter and then slice the apples - I didn't actually peel them today, and it was fine, but it doesn't look so good. Add to the pan with all the other ingredients, stir well

Bring back up to a simmer, then turn to the lowest possible heat, cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours

I actually made this at home, then took a bucket of it round to Jingles for supper. We had it with salmon and half and half mash, but I left She a lamb steak for hers back at the ranch.

On the lanterns, I've been stockpiling jam jars to decorate the terrace with lanterns when She has a birthday barbecue in a couple of weeks. I'm so chuffed with them I can't help myself but tell you how to make them. Take a length of garden wire (£1 or so from the supermarket or wherever), wrap it round or underneath the screw part of a clean jam jar, and make a handle over the top. I'll be hanging them from 'S' hooks on a criss-cross chain canopy outside, but for the moment they are lighted and twinkling on the coffee table.

my grocer

2009-03-28T10:34:00.006Z

Just quickly. I've made peace with my grocer. I'd felt slighted after he sold me four plums which were so over-ripe I had to eat them virtually instantly. This morning I nipped out to get breakfast bits and ended up with some lovely free range eggs with bright yolks, a couple of punnets of sweet Esanta strawberries (I wouldn't usually bother with Spanish ones but these were really tasty) , some rhubarb which I've been coveting and a chat.

Raynsfords on Battersea High Street - all is forgiven.

wet puppets

2009-03-28T10:07:00.007Z

Three days later I'm still smiling from dinner on Wednesday night. Again, the house was full and the food was plentiful - if not superbly assembled. Loretta and Mr L, the Bolt-Palmers, Sal, Dr Dan, Em joined She and me for chilli-miso salmon with stir fry vegetables and noodles.

I'm not sure the stir fry was anything to write home about, but it's worth mentioning the salmon. I had ten fillets, skin on, which I marinated for an hour or so before grilling.

Chilli-miso marinade

3tbsp miso paste
4 green chillis finely chopped
2tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

This will make vast quantities. The miso paste is pretty pungent so don't overdo it. You want the fillets under a hot grill to sort of crisp up the top of them a bit.

The stir fry contained, amongst other things grated ginger. I only have two experiences of ginger - it's either absent from the fridge at the crucial moment or if I do have it, it's wrinkled and suspect looking. I'm sure there are people who are so wonderfully organised that they reach ginger nirvana and have just the right amount when they need it, but not I. IB gave me a marvellous tip for this which I will duly share.

Freeze it. Silly isn't it, but I wouldn't have thought of it. Just buy a big root, peel it - or not as you will - and freeze it. You can then grate it straight in. Bree Van de Kamp eat your heart out.

While I'm here, I may as well mention a few of the other things I freeze ...

All fresh herbs, and lemongrass, and chillis, which you can just chop frozen and use. Ailing strawberries for smoothies later. Stock of course, spare mash, chopped onion, and finally red cabbage. I make this according to a Nigella recipe and it freezes beautifully. If you're interested in pulling off the domestic goddess look having a stock of it standing by to match with salmon, lamb or sausage and mash for surprise visitors is a real boon.

Back to dinner. Luckily the quality of the company exceeded that of my cooking. My over-riding memory of the evening is She performing a kamikaze retelling of being splashed with water during a sex scene in a puppet show. You had to be there.

chinatown

2009-03-25T13:18:00.003Z

As is always the way, it's only now I have just a few days left working in the West End that I've started to fully appreciate the location.

The quick visit I made to Chinatown yesterday to pick up supplies for tonight was undoubtedly the best thing about a bad evening (gents, if you're reading this - never give a girl a greetings card on a first date).

Anyway, the reason I'm writing is that I went into SeeWoo supermarket on Lisle Street for the first time. It was packed on a Tuesday night, but worth the shuffling about. I didn't have time to have a proper look around, but what I did see looked brilliant - all manner of weird and wonderful asian foodstuffs. I sometimes leave things like oyster sauce and fish sauce off my shopping list these days because of the expense, but here they are as cheap as chips. I'm sure the same goes for most asian grocery stores.

Well worth a visit.

www.seewoo.com

credit where credit's due

2009-03-24T23:05:00.006Z

The notion that we should all have our fifteen minutes of fame is not without merit, but when something is truly good you can't help but think that a little special treatment is deserved. I'm embarrassed to say that when She first cooked me the following dish I was more than skeptical. In the six (is it six?) intervening years it's become my absolute favourite.

Grandpa Luckham's Anchovy Pasta

As with everything, the quantities here are fluid. I'll just tell you how much I used on Saturday night for She, Jingles and me. Also, a quick comment on the anchovies - cooking them like this makes them a million miles away from the salty sting on top of a pizza, not a hint of fishy-ness I promise.

medium sized head of broccoli
five cloves garlic finely chopped
250g wholemeal pasta
tbsp olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
tin anchovies

Cut the head of broccoli into florets, then thinly slice each on lengthways - so you have little flat looking tree shapes - does that make sense?

Very gently fry the garlic in the olive oil, meanwhile chop the anchovies finely before adding to the pan, you just want to cook this slowly for a bit to get rid of any bitterness in the garlic.

I tend to stick the kettle on for the pasta, and get that going on the other hob in the meantime.

Anyway, once the pasta is on, add the broccoli to the anchovies and garlic and coat well.

When your pasta is done, drain it, and return to the pan. Pour in the broccoli etc - making sure you get everything in there, add a glug of extra virgin olive oil and stir it all together.

I've said wholemeal pasta. We actually ate this with an accidently discovered thing called pulse pasta, which is basically pasta made with things like chickpea flour and red lentil flour, as well as wholemeal durum wheat. If I'm honest, it's all a bit jesus sandals for me, but the packet looked so similar to the regular pasta in Asda that it sneaked in the basket. As for the taste - it tastes the same.

But back to anchovy pasta, my favourite pasta dish. It's the only one I cook with any regularity ... and I have the Luckham's to thank for it. My only other tip is that if you are making it, you should definitely serve it to your nearest as well so you can share in the garlicky wonderfulness together. Vampires be damned.

solving a butternut glut

2009-03-17T22:16:00.004Z

Over-baking, over-buying and over-cooking - acceptable side effects of attempting to feed lots of people. I hasten to clarify that I mean over-baking/cooking in the 'excess' sense, rather than the 'burnt to a crisp' sense, though that does happen to the best of us.

Anyway, this evening I dealt with the butternut squash glut in the traditional manner for leftover vegetable items. Soup. In fact a very similar soup to the pumpkin one I've also noted down before ...

1 1/2 medium butternut squashes, peeled, cubed and roasted
half medium onion, chopped
pinch salt
pepper
small teaspoon black onion seeds
small teaspoon chilli flakes
teaspoon ground cumin
half tin of tomatoes
650ml vegetable stock
squeeze lemon juice

Brown the onion in a little oil with a pinch of salt

Add the squash and the spices, and cook for a couple of minutes

Stir in chopped tomatoes, simmer for 5 mins, stir in the stock and simmer for another 15

Blitz with a hand blender and add more water, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste

On the onion seeds ... I just threw these in because we have them, but you can manage without, Try it with black mustard seeds, popped in the oil before the onions, or ground coriander.

s-mashing

2009-03-17T21:27:00.004Z

Poor She. Over the last few months without her consent, white carbohydrates and potatoes have gradually become strangers to our cupboards. White pasta and rice I can do without, but I sometimes feel I am a little harsh on the humble potato, overlooking it for its glitzier sweet cousin - which in any case is a cousin only in name, belonging to an entirely different family by birth.

Rebellion arrived in the form of a bag of new potatoes, presumably bought to feed the man. I plundered them this evening for an accompaniment to our sausages and peas, and smashed them, skins on.

So, a few thoughts on mash.

New potatoes smashed with their skins on like tonight, either with a knob of butter and a glug of milk, or extra virgin olive oil ... salt and pepper.

Stir spoonful of pesto in regular mash, or cream cheese.

Colcannon - mash with savoy cabbage or leeks, with butter and pepper

Mix and mash regular potatoes and sweet potatoes ... or just opt for the low GI sweet option.

Sweet potato and swede mash (to please She) is a great friend of sausages, lamb and salmon, and has a wonderful golden orange colour.

Use leftover ordinary mash to thicken soup or make fishcakes, even better use the sweet potato mash for magic meatballs.

Bubble and squeak (a mythical entity in the house I grew up in)

There are many many more, but these are the ones I return to.

post-beer chilli

2009-03-16T23:13:00.004Z

Not that I would consider IB, She and myself precious or delicate in any way, but I was slightly shocked at the speed with which we inhaled the quick post-beer chilli we knocked up this evening.

Leaving the pub at a very respectable 8.45pm I was determined to get something quick on the table by half nine, though we hadn't actually made any plans for dinner. She has a new boyfriend, who has so far evaded my cookery. He narrowly avoided capture this evening - I'm not sure he understands the significance of food in our household but I'm sure that She will communicate that offers of dinner are a Good Sign.

The below chilli is neither sophisticated, an amazing culinary delight, or even traditional. What it is is easy. From fridge to plate in 30 minutes flat, and you cannot say fairer than that after one and a half pints.

simple chilli

500g lean beef mince
medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
tin chopped tomatoes
tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
tsp ground cumin
tsp medium chilli powder (more to taste)
tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato puree
oxo cube

Soften the onion in a little oil until translucent - adding a pinch of salt will stop it catching

Add the garlic and mince to the pan and brown gently

Add oregano, spices, crumbled oxo cube and tomato puree and stir in for a couple of mins

Add the tomatoes and kidney beans

Simmer for 15-20 minutes

Et voila.

30 minutes in the making - including chopping. Our plates were clean in 11 minutes. We didn't eat all of it, I hasten to add. This would probably do for five of you.

a note on quantities etc

2009-03-15T23:03:00.003Z

So much of cooking from scratch (apart from the alchemy of baking) relies on adding a little bit here and there according to taste. I'm convinced that recipes start as ideas which are much more fluid than their final published versions, and are in turn altered and augmented in the making - the death of the food writer of course.

Pounds, ounces, grams and kilos ... it really is all academic to me. Despite being part of the new metric generation an ounce of butter is still somehow easier to judge than 25g, conversely visualising a Ribena carton provides the most useful reference for judging liquid in units of 250ml. To be honest I'm appalling at estimating, so most of my cooking relies on handfuls, spoonfuls and ratios. This relaxed attitude to quantities is all very well in my own kitchen, but I am aware that the resulting muddle of grams and pints, of teaspoons and millilitres is probably a little confusing.

So, the things you need to know - teaspoons and tablespoons - I measure these with the metal spoons from the cutlery drawer, and use them slightly heaped. My pinches of salt are big, as are my handfuls of herbs. Temperatures - my oven has a fan, so the temperatures listed work for that I'm afraid - 150 is low, 190 medium and 220 high - I have no idea of the gas mark or Fahrenheit conversions (I can hardly even spell it for a start).

I will endeavour to stick to one system or the other within the limits of a particular recipe, but I can't seriously contemplate going fully modern. I don't think pastry was ever made without the reassurance of ounces.

the bread project - part deux

2009-03-15T19:32:00.006Z

To say that I've cracked it would probably be a bit strong, but the loaf of bread I've just cut myself a slice from is arguably the perfect end to a near perfect day.

It was a slow start this morning, but eventually we rose and shone, donned running gear and burst out into the day. KW, She and I ran to Kew in around an hour and 40 minutes, the longest run so far. What with the sunshine and the company we couldn't really have asked for more, even the super awkward journey home on the bus and train didn't take the edge off. After a fruitless search for a disposable barbeque for dinner, and a little while relaxing at home, it was bread time.

I've been gathering tips this week - knead for longer, different wholemeal/plain flour ratio, quick yeast, single proving etc etc. Consequently, the credit of the below should be shared amongst my sister, father, uncle, and Yoni ... with a bit of freestyling from me.

Easy bread I promise

400g strong plain white flour
250g strong wholemeal flour
2 good tsp salt
tsp caster sugar
15ml vegetable oil
sachet of quick yeast (I used 7g Allinson Easy Bake Yeast)
450ml warm water - 1 part boiling, 2 parts cold

You'll need a 2lb loaf tin, a big bowl to mix in, a tea towel and crucially - and I really think this is crucial - a big dish to use as a bain-marie.

I'd decided that amongst the tips from everyone about how to get the bread rising, part of the problem was the temperature. The loaf which had risen beautifully last week after double proving sank on the way through the cold lounge into the kitchen, never to rise again. Without a warm spot to prove the loaf in, and a plastic bowl to mix in (earthenware remains chillier) this afternoon I plumped for a bain-marie - resting the mixing bowl in a pyrex dish filled with boiling water, and proving it in the same fashion.

From the beginning then.

In a large bowl placed in a dish of boiling water, mix flour, sugar salt and stir in yeast. Add the vegetable oil.

Add the warm water gradually into a well in the middle and mix to form a soft dough, the knead for 15 minutes on a warm floured surface. I actually moved the bain-marie to one side, and kneaded the dough on the warmed surface where it had been sat

Transfer the kneaded dough into a warmed, greased loaf tin, sat in the refreshed bain-marie, cover with the tea towel and prove for 30 minutes, or until double the size.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C - bear in mind this is me and my fan oven

Put the bread on the middle shelf - making sure the journey from bain-marie to oven is as short as possible - and bake for 25 mins. You can check it's ready by taking it out of the tin, and tapping on the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it's done.

Remove from the tin, and cool on a wire rack.

Or transfer directly to the bread board momentarily, cut the first steaming wodge and slather it with salted butter.

It's that easy. I'm off to eat more bread.

haphazard dinner

2009-03-15T00:44:00.009Z

It was always ambitious - I somehow managed to end up with a whole weekend's worth of things to do in just one day, culminating with having 9 of us for supper.

I did make a vague attempt to get ahead of myself on Friday, by nipping into Asda after curry with the BR girls at Coz's. Curiously my after hours logic pointed me towards parsley, spring onions and Marigold bouillion powder. A valiant attempt, but a complete failure to purchase sufficient ingredients to enable me to actually prepare anything when I got home.

My 8am alarm dragged me from the sleep of the dead this morning, and I was up, nosing in cook books, dressed (in the loosest possible sense of the word) and out the door to the supermarket by 9. The reason for all the rushing - having invited my aunt, uncle, parents, sister, cousins and of course She for dinner at 7, I had also managed to book a hair appointment at 11am, and commit to rugby spectating in Oxford at 1.45pm.

The menu was composed based on the path of least resistance, both on the way to the shops, and indeed mid aisle.

We ended up with ...

tabbouleh
chicken skewers with sweet chilli
lemony green beans
balsamic roasted tomatoes
and my favourite Leon 'open sesame slaw'

along with watermelon and baklava for desert

Before my haircut I quickly sorted the beans, started off the tabbouleh and marinated the chicken. Cut to 6.15pm - I flew back in the door after Oxford nearly an hour later than I'd planned, with 45 minutes until the family were due. While I skewered chicken, diced vegetables and prepared the toms She laid the table, before indulging in extreme benevolence and making the dressing for the coleslaw.

I love cooking for large groups of people, especially when the food ends up in great bowls, swapped up and down a long table. In spite of the great pleasure I take in it, there are those moments when you look at the clock, look at yourself in the mirror, remember how long it takes to shred half a cabbage ... or the potatoes aren't cooked ... or you haven't got any ginger, and it dawns on you you're about to be exposed as a charlatan - the confidence to serve interesting, tasty food at the right time, for the right number momentarily deserts you. Luckily at this very point She stepped in sensing a revolt - see above .

Suffice it to say it was lovely, we have leftovers, there was wine. As with any repeated act, the more you eat together, the more natural and relaxed you become - and that of course is where the magic happens.

On to the serious bit, the recipes. I'm not including the open-sesame slaw because it's not mine, but the others are adaptations and creations, so worth a mention. The quantities are rather large here, but you get the general idea.

sweet chilli chicken skewers

1.5kg chicken breast, cut into thick strips - I used mini fillets cut in half lengthways
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp light olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

sweet chilli sauce

bamboo skewers - you should soak these in water, they shrink back when they're cooking, making it easier to get the meat off them in the end

Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil, and add the garlic

Marinate the chicken in the mixture overnight - though I left it 7 hours today and it was fine

Wiggle the strips onto the bamboo skewers, then suspend over a baking tray and put in the oven at 200 degrees C for 25 mins or until cooked and starting to brown. You could of course do these on a barbeque. Mmmm.

Serve with a good drizzle of sweet chilli sauce

lemony green beans

750g green beans
zest and juice of one lemon
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt

Blanche the beans in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and place immediately in a bowl of cold water / under the cold tap

Place in a large bowl, and stir in the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and a seriously generous pinch of salt

I only use Maldon salt, and have done for a couple of years now. I'm not one for using branded, trendy or expensive things just for the sake of it, but it really does make a difference here. The salt brings out a greater depth of flavour, and tastes less, well - less processed than table salt.

tabbouleh

350g bulgar wheat
650ml boiling water
3tbsp olive oil
juice of one lemon
good handful parsley, chopped
slightly less fresh mint, chopped
even less fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 sweet peppers - so red, orange or yellow ( I don't like the green ones)
5 spring onions chopped
1tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put the bulgar wheat in a bowl and add the boiling water and salt, leave for 20 mins, covered

This is the point where I warn you - bulgar wheat smells. When you put water on it like this it stinks, or at least it does to me. In fact the first time I made tabbouleh, at the water pouring stage I thought 'oh God, this is going to be disgusting'. Trust me it isn't, it's lovely.

Stir through the olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and a really good grinding of black pepper, then leave in the fridge overnight, or in my case for the seven hours I was out today. At this point you could add sultanas if your housemate doesn't have an irrational dislike of them in savory dishes. Ahem.

Add the diced vegetables, toss well and season to taste if you need to - you shouldn't.

balsamic roast tomatoes

cherry tomatoes on the vine
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, bashed but not skinned

I'm not going to insult your intelligence here. Tomatoes and garlic , in a dish, drizzled with oil and vinegar and a pinch of salt, roasted in a moderate oven. It's absolutely worth using on the vine tomatoes because they look so pretty. Serve them straight from the dish.

I'm knackered. It's mad to write this now, but I'm still feeling warm and full of the contentment of an evening happily spent with my nearest, hopefully I'm transmitting a little bit of that to you.

flapjackery

2009-03-12T19:14:00.002Z

Nigella-ish flapjacks ... these need little explanation

425g rolled oats
250g unsalted butter
75g light muscavado sugar
150g golden syrup
40g mixed seeds
40g sultanas / raisins
sesame seeds to sprinkle

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup gently

Add the oats, seeds and sultanas, spread out, and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

Bake at 190 degrees C for 20 mins

Empty mixture into 23cm square tin

I actually turned these down in the end as the top was catching. Lovely. Flapjackery rhymes with snackery for a reason.

the first ≤ten

2009-03-12T08:30:00.006Z

In tandem with writing this blog, I'm also embarking on another project, ≤ten. Every two weeks She and I are hosting dinner for ten or fewer people on a Wednesday night. I've been trying to start a supper club since I arrived in London, and uni people will remember 'whine and dine' - girls' dinners with good food and gossip on the menu. I finally feel settled enough to commit to cooking for a decent number of people with a degree of regularity.

It's simple, everyone is invited, whether that be friends, family, friends of friends, strangers, and especially waifs and strays. Cooking is such a pleasure, and having a houseful of people even more so. Hopefully as well as providing food an a small amount of wine, it's a chance to meet different people, and maybe start something interesting. At the very least it's an excuse to meet, eat and speak- my favourite things.

So last night was the inaugural attempt, a couple of late drop-outs left us at 8, still a hearty number. I made curry in honour of Coz, who deserves special treatment - cauliflower and sweet potato, and my favourite lentil and spinach. The cauliflower curry was in fact Leon Gobi, so I have Allegra McEveady to thank for that one. I might transcribe the recipe when I have more time, but for now the lentils.

I've spoken a little about the current trend for heartbreak. I cooked this dish the first time around to dry tears. The gulf between the friend in question and her ex was evident in the way they approached food. She's another cooker and a baker, and he never seemed to need soul food. To be fair, soul food becomes special by association as much as anything else. I was reading recently that during the recession sales figures show us returning to our old favourites - shepherd's pie, fish fingers etc - there is security to be found in repetition, retracing our steps through food, and cooking on auto-pilot. Allowing yourself to be comforted through food can give you warm reassurance.

I think we are scared of mixing our food with our emotions because of the disquieting associations the modern understanding of 'comfort eating' brings, but there is a time for food as a crutch, food to evoke memories and feelings, and food to seal a new moment.

So, back to lentil and spinach curry. The genesis of the recipe is the back of a lentil packet, though I can no longer remember where that ended and this began.

This managed eight of us easily ...

1 1/2 medium butternut squashes, peeled and cut into one inch cubes
360g baby spinach
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
400g green lentils washed and drained
6 cardamon pods, bashed
2 tsp black mustard seeds
tsp chilli flakes
4 tbsp medium curry powder
75g butter
salt and pepper
little water
little vegetable oil

Brown the onions in the oil in a heavy based pan (this needs to be big!) before adding the spices and garlic

Cook for a moment to combine the flavours and add the cubed squash, stirring for a couple of minutes

Add the lentils, coats with the spices before adding just enough water to cover them. It's the same principle as cous cous here - you can add more water later, but if you add too much they'll just turn to mush

Bring this to a simmer, then cover and leave for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. The lentils should be softening, so keep tasting until they just have a little bit of bite to them, then stir in the butter and fresh spinach

Season liberally with salt and black pepper

And that's it. Soul food. It's the butter that does it, and the final seasoning of course. The dish just slips from something and nothing to refining the lentils into a creamy velvety base for the spices and spinach.

swap shop, and the start of the bread project

2009-03-11T13:07:00.003Z

I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that I have it on good authority that the lamb/mint/cumin version of the magic meatballs works beautifully. See the previous recipe, and substitute beef for lamb, and the other spices for a teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, and either a teaspoon of dried mint, or a good handful of chopped fresh mint.

The bad news is that as I suspected, I cannot make bread. I've had an inkling that this was the case, and even swapping the above recipe for tips from my successful breadmaking sister has done little for my skills. Despite extensive kneading, double proving, and a lot of faith, I created a half and half loaf which could easily stand in for a breeze block without anyone being the wiser.

Rather than being beaten, I have resolved to commence the Bread Project. To make a loaf every Sunday, trying different yeasts and recipes, until I have something resembling baked goods more closely than building materials. So pity She, who will doubtless be dwarfed next to mountain of rubbery loaves for the next little while. I promise I'll let you know when a breakthrough occurs.

dinner at the Heartbreak Hotel

2009-03-08T10:05:00.006Z

There's been rather too much heartbreak of late for my liking. Seemingly with Christmas and New Year safely tucked away for a few months Spring is being pre-empted with breakups and let downs. While That Boy is intent on reducing me to fury, others are faring little better. Our perpetually ajar door has been pushed wider on its hinges as I cook away my frustration and some of my favourites join us to eat away their sorrows.

I'm not sure that quinoa is sufficiently push-the-boat-out decadent for the day you move out of the flat you once shared, but stirring and toasting the grains and the diversion of making something new took our minds off things at least for a while.

The following supper scores highly in the virtue stakes - turkey is a natural source of seratonin, the feel good hormone and quinoa contains nearly twice as much protein as other grains, not to mention calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E, several of the B vitamins ... and a whole host of other things which I'm sure are very good for you.

Moroccan turkey with quinoa

225g quinoa
30ml vegetable oil
tsp black mustard seeds
2 shallots finely chopped
medium carrot diced
small green chilli finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
450 ml vegetable stock

430g turkey breast diced (only such a bizarre amount because that's how big the pack was)
1/3 pint of natural yoghurt
3 tsp moroccan spice mix*

Coat the turkey well with the moroccan spices and set to one side

Toast the quinoa for a few minutes in a thick bottomed pan, remove and set to one side

Warm the oil in the pan, and add the mustard seeds, cook until you start to hear them popping, then add shallots, carrot, chilli and cumin and fry gently for 2 minutes

Return the quinoa to the same pan, coat well with the oil then add the hot stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 mins stirring occasionally an and adding more liquid if need be

Meanwhile, add a little oil to a high-sided frying pan, and brown the spiced turkey. add the yogurt, and simmer gently until your quinoa is done

The quinoa should have absorbed all the liquid. If you're waiting for it to become completely soft, you'll be there a while. The grain should still have a bit of bite to it - just on the other side of a crunch if you know what I mean. With plenty of green vegetables, this is probably enough for four if some of your party are lovesick, three otherwise.

*Moroccan spice mix ... a great staple to have in a spice jar just in case
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric

The quantities here should be scaled up and down as you need them - I try and make a big batch, then store it in an old jar.

Toast the cumin and coriander in a dry frying pan to release the flavours, then grind well in a pestle and mortar. Mix with the turmeric and paprika ... voila.

heavy on the wine

2009-03-07T11:55:00.006Z

... fittingly this is an accurate description of both the casserole recipe I'm about to note down, and yesterday evening's activities.

Save boiled eggs and toast very little has been conjured from the kitchen these last few days with Lubu's birthday on Thursday and a trip to Galapagos last night. Consequently I'm taking the opportunity to write up a little bit of my paper journal, starting with the below.

As I'm feeling slightly jaded (jade green), I almost wish I was cooking this again instead of just noting it down. She loves swede, so I duly oblige from time to time and veer between mash of various kinds and something a little more hearty.

Lazy chicken casserole

2 chicken thighs
2 drumsticks
4 carrots chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 medium swede
4 - 5 small potatoes
2 bay leaves
a few peppercorns
pinch mixed herbs
500ml vegetable stock
pinch salt
1/3 bottle of white wine - I know this is too much (see above) but it had to go in to be tidy

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C

Brown the chicken in a heavy based casserole dish in a little oil, remove from the pan and set to one side

Soften the onion in the same pan, then add the celery and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes

Add the other vegetables, coat with the fat/oil and return the chicken to the pan, add the wine and cook for 5 minutes

Throw everything else in

Bring to a simmer on the hob, then transfer to your hot oven for about 2 hours, checking regularly and adding more liquid if required

This did us twice, on account of us being frugal and going easy on the chicken. I imagine if you were feeding boys you'd want more meat, but the above is just a skeleton to hang your casserole on, if you will. You could add chopped tomatoes instead of wine ... or indeed go for red wine rather than white - although using less would probably be a good idea.

However you make it, be prepared for that wonderful smell which will seeps under doors and into all the rooms of the house, an almost smug odour of immense satisfaction. If you can't feel slightly pleased with yourself on a Sunday afternoon when there's a casserole bubbling away in the oven, when can you.

important learnings ...

2009-03-04T22:25:00.002Z

1. the time it takes me in the shower in the morning is exactly equivalent to the time it takes to hard-boil eggs for egg mayonnaise sandwiches for lunch

2. as well as refreshing the parts other meatballs do not reach ... sweet potato meatballs have the power to inspire She to spontaneously fill the dishwasher

pottering lentils

2009-03-04T21:57:00.007Z

I'm a great potterer, whether on a Sunday afternoon, or on a quiet night in the kitchen when She is elsewhere. It's a good opportunity to take time over cooking something which you wouldn't usually lavish attention on, like something lovely to go with meat or fish. Standard pottering fayre for me includes red cabbage, and the lentils below, which are loosely based on a Jamie Oliver recipe I think.

6oz puy lentils, rinsed
good handful of pancetta
small chopped onion
3/4 pint stock
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped rosemary

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
splash balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C

Warm the oil in a casserole dish, add the pancetta and onion and fry for three minutes or so

Add the rosemary, fry for a couple of minutes then ad the lentils and coat with oil

Boil the kettle for the stock - if you're using Marigold .. which I tend to ... use half the amount of powder suggested, the pancetta is salty enough to carry it

Add the stock and bring to the boil, then transfer to the oven

Bake for 30 minutes, stir after 15

Drain the lentils, stir in a splash of balsamic vinegar and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin is often over used - I had a particularly pretentious ex who once fried me eggs in it - but here you need it I think.

Lovely with lamb. Even lovelier sneakily eaten straight from the pan in the kitchen while She isn't looking.

destiny's child salmon stir-fry

2009-03-03T21:32:00.003Z

Only so named because the friend who joined us for dinner needed a dose of Destiny's Child (Independent Woman), and perhaps because making it came after She and I had done our first proper training run for the marathon ... an endeavour which is gradually becoming a symbol of our friendship, and cheesily, our independence.

Healthy hearty food for three was in order. I hadn't intended there to be so many ingredients, but I was pottering, chatting and cooking so in it all went.

Salmon and vegetable stir fry

3 fillets of salmon
1/3 head of broccoli
red onion, halved and sliced
3 medium carrots sliced
3 big mild chillis sliced
3 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
150ml teriyaki sauce
3 handfuls spinach
1 tsp chinese five spice
2 heaped tsp cornflour
cold water

Marinate the salmon in the teriyaki sauce, a teaspoon of the ginger and the chilli for as long as you can

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C, then when it's hot, take the salmon out the marinade (keep the marinate to the side), and bake in the top of the oven

Fry the onion in a tablespoon of vegetable oil, add the sliced chillis, honey and five spice and soften for a moment, then add the salmon marinade, carrot slices and cook for a few minutes.

Mix the cornflour with a little cold water*, add the mix to the pan, simmer in and then add the broccoli. As the broccoli cooks, add more water to the stir-fry as needed so it doesn't become too gloopy

Add the pepper and cook for two minutes, then add cooked noodles, and stir in the fresh spinach to wilt.

We served this with the salmon fillets balanced on the top. Though I didn't have it, a squeeze of lemon would have made this perfect.

*we all have things in our kitchens which evoke memories or feelings. My mother mixes cornflour and water in a little pyrex tea cup ... my vessel of choice is a small glass - it's as close as I can get to hers, and we had a similar one at home growing up. It makes me smile to feel that little link between us as I copy her, mixing the white powder with a teaspoon chinking against the glass.

the tao of food

2009-03-03T21:27:00.002Z

written 7th January

I wonder if eating together strengthens the bonds between us because it's such a basic human function. Food and eating can be so sensual, an act which focuses the eyes on the mouth and tounge echoes the sexual. As long as we're not on ceremony then eating together- like having sex - can be a very democratic act.

veggie chilli double quick

2009-03-03T21:15:00.006Z

I'd planned to cook the wonderful anchovy pasta (more on that in another post) for Lady Mac and Lubu, but the anti salty fish lobby won out, and we settled for veggie chilli.

There are few things which it's possible to make directly from the cupboard, with no fresh ingredients - okay, so you do need onion for this - but this is nearly there.

Veggie chilli

onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery
2 cloves garlic
carton of passata / tin of tomatoes
tin of kidney beans
100g (?) red lentils
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder

Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil with a pinch of salt until soft

Add the spices, then the chopped celery ... soften for a while longer

Add the passata / tomatoes and drained rinsed kidney beans. Bring up to a simmer then add the lentils.

When the chilli at regular intervals, adding more water when necessary, and salt an pepper to taste.

When the lentils have softened, the chilli is ready. This made masses - probably enough for five of you, or four very hungry people.

As with the meatballs from the previous day, I think this is better with chopped tomatoes but if it's passata you have (as I did) then passata it is.

something fishy

2009-03-03T19:32:00.005Z

The above is misleading. Fish should never smell fishy, and there was a worrying waft from the pack I opened one evening for dinner. I always feel guilty wasting food, even when there's no choice. I suppose it's partly because we can't afford it, but partly because it seems so excessive just spending money and throwing it away s if you have no regard for it.

Anyway, the solution to the problem was meatballs.

Leftover mashed potato with sweet and normal potatoes (about one and a half tubers in total)
500g beef mince
large onion finely chopped
1 egg
oregano
salt and pepper
plain flour
carton of passata or tin chopped tomatoes
olive oil

Combine the mash, mince, onion, egg and seasoning in a bowl and mix well

Sprinkle a layer of plain flour onto a plate, and take walnut sized balls of the mixture and roll in the flour

Heat the oil in a high sided frying pan,and brown the meatballs for a few minutes

Add the passata or tomatoes to the meatballs and simmer for 15-20 minutes

We ate these with plenty of parmesan cheese, and wholemeal pasta. I prefer using chopped tomatoes for the sauce, it gives a fresher feeling ... you can also use pure sweet potato mash for an altogether sweeter meatball - I've often thought this would be lovely with lamb mince, mint and cumin. One to keep by for the spring perhaps.

pumpkin soup two ways

2009-03-03T19:10:00.004Z

To stave off seasonal sluggishness, and use up a stray pumpkin from S&J, 5th January saw me staring at a large pile of roast pumpkin, contemplating soup ... which is an entirely pleasant thing to contemplate.

We ended up with the below, pumpkin soup two ways.

#1 - Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

large onion chopped
thyme
1lb roast pumpkin
3tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 pints stock
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper

Soften the onion in a little vegetable oil for around 5 minutes, you can add a pinch of salt to stop it catching.

Add the ginger, the peeled and chopped pumpkin and the thyme, heat for a minute, then add the stock.

Simmer for 10 minutes, then take off the heat and blend

Season to taste, and add in the squeeze of lime

#2 - Spicy Pumpkin Soup

1lb roast pumpkin
large onion chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander seed
pinch dried chilli
2 cloves chopped garlic
tin chopped tomatoes
1 pint stock
salt and pepper

Soften the onion in a little vegetable oil for a few minutes with a pinch of salt, then add the spices then the garlic.

Add the pumpkin, and fry for a minute, before adding the chopped tomatoes then the stock. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, then blitz with the blender. I think I may actually have just mushed this up to get that really rustic texture, but blending would be acceptable.

For preference I'd go for the first one ... but each to his own.

the very beginning ...

2009-03-03T17:40:00.002Z

Well, strictly speaking, it isn't the beginning. The beginning was on new year's day, roasting a massive leg of lamb with rosemary and anchovies. The blog is a new development, but the writing about food has been going on since then. After a straw poll (of questionable sample size), I'll be writing up some past recipes and notes in the coming days.

As for tonight, waiting at home are two outdoor reared pork steaks, and some sweet potato and swede mash ... further inspiration has deserted me for the moment, but I'm sure once I'm standing hungry in front of the cooker with it all before me something is bound to happen.