tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37655483595839783222024-02-19T01:50:51.219+00:00Food for ThoughtThe day to day ramblings of a food obsessed London man.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-40562855485000021032009-07-13T17:13:00.005+01:002009-10-07T12:11:36.871+01:00Breast of Lamb<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ-dLJ9mkgXIiLo732gCdMHRlVT-3J60WKeRXh6Hamri16eccDZn1hacb12HPfZWKMd4hNl9D9FgB8YNORgLwrVEue1NhjWMSR8xkEvhKNHyAQ_T6DoI5lyM3teKnvA8-uql-3Hp4lK8/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358227888897996386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ-dLJ9mkgXIiLo732gCdMHRlVT-3J60WKeRXh6Hamri16eccDZn1hacb12HPfZWKMd4hNl9D9FgB8YNORgLwrVEue1NhjWMSR8xkEvhKNHyAQ_T6DoI5lyM3teKnvA8-uql-3Hp4lK8/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div>Fired up by all the frugality that abounds at the moment, I was delighted to come across breast of lamb in my local Sainsburys at the weekend. It is a cut of meat that I remember from my childhood. My mother would cook it coccasionally rolled and stuffed with a sage and onion stuffing. I have not eaten it since.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The joint was priced at £1.99 and was already rolled. As I was partaking of a pub lunch yesterday, I rubbed some oil, lemon juice and mint into the lamb and popped it into a very low oven (about 100 degrees) before I left for lunch. Upon returning home I found a slightly shrivelled roll sitting in a large amount of fat. I was not encouraged. However, I removed it from the oven and let it cool.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The following evening I sliced the lamb very thinly. It looked like a meat doily - with small gaps where the fat had been rendered away. It also looked slightly dry I have to say although it tasted like the best crunchy bits of a roast leg of lamb. I therefore made a cucumber, mint and yoghurt dressing and piled the whole lot into a pitta with some coriander and tomato salad - almost a fat free doner kebab substitute !</div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-39575636590774524282009-06-03T17:17:00.008+01:002009-06-03T21:10:12.590+01:00Here comes the sun!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOehzi2J-0gN19QVZ58a8L6iO1xPPTew27CAa8ed5nMTWrRhC5hZQks7tygOdZoxXhklaDm7j51gvSeeNN3g6BchjK3pKMCCBbDDhQQgqCNTzMXrDRg0fPa1lUOGG0Bq1g0rYo-FMayk/s1600-h/IMG_0199.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOehzi2J-0gN19QVZ58a8L6iO1xPPTew27CAa8ed5nMTWrRhC5hZQks7tygOdZoxXhklaDm7j51gvSeeNN3g6BchjK3pKMCCBbDDhQQgqCNTzMXrDRg0fPa1lUOGG0Bq1g0rYo-FMayk/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343188409724865314" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In fact by the time I have got around to finalising this post it is more like "There went the sun". However, we Brits are well used to the phenomenon of the three day summer and making the most of what little sun Mother Nature throws at us. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>So, on the second of three consecutive sunny days last weekend, the barbecue was dusted off and I set about collecting some of my favourite summer(ish) foods. Amongst my favourite barbecue items is the (shell and head on) king prawn. I usually just marinade the raw prawns for a short while in some oil and lemon juice but on this occasion, as I had a bunch of coriander on the verge of wilting in the fridge, I chopped this up too and added it to the marinade. Prawns cooked like this are a full on sensory experience - you get the crackling spit of the barbecue and the sizzle of the prawns, you get the sight of the prawns turning from dull shiny grey to a papery pink, you get the amazing smell as the prawns singe here and there, you get the tactile delight (or chore in the view of my son) of peeling the shells and pulling the heads off the hot, cooked prawns and the delight of licking your sticky, lemony, oily fingers (enhanced on this occasion by the coriander) - and all this before you even get to the main event of tasting the prawns themselves! Whilst they are not cheap, you get a lot of bang for your buck in my view.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Usually I eat these prawns just with some nice, crusty bread (torn not cut), a green salad and some garlicky mayonnaise. However on this occasion I had also bought some <a href="http://www.jerseyroyals.co.uk">Jersey Royal</a> new potatoes. I don't know what it is about these potatoes but they always remind me of what new potatoes used to taste like when I was a child. When they are in season I find myself eating them several times a week, whereas at other times of the year I can resist the lure of a new potato with little difficulty and seldom, if ever, find myself blown away by them when I do eat them - give me a chip, a roast potato, potato dauphinoise (or practically any other form of potato) any time. Not so, however, with the Jersey Royal. I can, and often do, eat vast quantities of these little beauties, so it is probably as well that the season for them is rather short. By far the best way to enjoy them, in my book, is simply boiled for about 15 minutes and then drizzled with (ok, I admit it, "drowned in" is often a better description) melted butter and some chopped mint. With the butter, I tend to avoid the usual spreadable Lurpak I keep in the fridge as there seems to be too much water in it - what you want is the potatoes bathing their bottoms in a golden oily layer at the bottom of the saucepan rather than paddling in a watery oil slick! </div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-53026822144600855032009-05-18T12:21:00.011+01:002009-05-23T16:04:07.822+01:00A Useful Find<div>Recently, on my way home from the train station after a long day in the office, I called into my local corner shop (think mostly fags, newspapers and tinned food rather than some amazing NY style Korean deli). I was looking for something quick and easy to eat when I got in as I was not in the mood for major cooking. On the shelves I came across this bottle:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMnIuI66RKJY4zjKOVGOkVkLODTnzXA57_qap7-WDu9N4WkGeZuq_TMuNeRIiMkemT9tzJ4nA9LjE9k-zIakkOHHGhqMj5f0MW7hskDGwtfEWUIehcefPI92xey11sCpPEz44C-ULS2s/s1600-h/IMG_0155.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMnIuI66RKJY4zjKOVGOkVkLODTnzXA57_qap7-WDu9N4WkGeZuq_TMuNeRIiMkemT9tzJ4nA9LjE9k-zIakkOHHGhqMj5f0MW7hskDGwtfEWUIehcefPI92xey11sCpPEz44C-ULS2s/s320/IMG_0155.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033124046991666" /></a><br /><div>At only £1.09 I thought it was worth a go and, with no great expectations, bought a bottle together with a tin of coconut milk and a pack of chapatis. At home I had some raw prawns, a bag of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chinese</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">stirfry</span> vegetables from the supermarket and some basil and coriander in the fridge. Being slightly unsure of how <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">successful</span> this sauce would be, I firstly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sweated</span> some chopped ginger, garlic and red <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chilli</span> in some sunflower oil to ensure some kind of fresh flavour. I then quickly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">stirfried</span> the vegetables for a few minutes and added the prawns for the last two minutes. When the prawns were turning pink I added a good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">glug</span> of the Thai ketchup, gave the whole lot a good stir and added about a third of a can of the coconut milk. I then let this simmer for a minute or two whilst I drained some plain boiled rice and chopped up the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">basil</span> and coriander together.</div><div></div><br /><div>The whole thing took no more than 20 minutes and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">results</span> were, quite frankly, amazing. The ketchup gave a really authentic, fresh Thai red curry taste without any sense of "cook-in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">saucery</span>". I am sure the fresh basil and coriander sprinkled over the top helped in this regard but, from subsequent experimentation, the sweating of ginger, garlic and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">chilli</span>, was completely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">unnecessary</span> - the magic bottle has got all of those fresh flavours aplenty. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLi27aBqSPXm6XIWe1v7YIdIBKJTExMRYDoj-zwCe4EY_Yd6Nx-IBDKsVsJ5GVw-2QhkzRPsHB06ACQMHPZ-rYBa1fq_uL3cPhcB5CpnyFeVaAPEHODFk54QzwmR7TveUzVTD5RTSMlc/s1600-h/IMG_0160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLi27aBqSPXm6XIWe1v7YIdIBKJTExMRYDoj-zwCe4EY_Yd6Nx-IBDKsVsJ5GVw-2QhkzRPsHB06ACQMHPZ-rYBa1fq_uL3cPhcB5CpnyFeVaAPEHODFk54QzwmR7TveUzVTD5RTSMlc/s320/IMG_0160.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339034197432742242" /></a><br /><div>This bottle, and the two others I subsequently bought, have resulted in me eating delicious home cooked food on evenings when, after a long day at work, I might otherwise have been tempted by the delights (sic) of one of my local takeaways. Regrettably my local shop has run out of the sauce but, if anybody else out there comes across it, I would recommend picking up a bottle or two and giving it a go.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-11074122466278285472009-04-07T09:16:00.005+01:002009-05-13T15:10:58.479+01:00Therapeutic CookingAfter many weeks of posting absolutely nothing on this blog I have today decided to get my a*se into gear and do some writing. On opening up the blog I found this part-written post dating from the beginning of April- the opening words sum up my reasons for not posting of late!<br /><br /><br />Work at the moment is a complete nightmare. I have been in the same job for nine years now ("<em>time to move on</em>", the voice in my head says - "<em>yeah brilliant, pick a recession to come up with that idea voice</em>!!" I reply) and I have never known it so busy (and irritating) - hence the absence of recent posts on here. So, last weekend (when I was not reading documents) I felt the need to cook. What I had in mind was some kind of cooking that was gentle and comforting. Something that bubbled and simmered and that needed the odd poke or stir every now and again - something, in short, that would counterbalance the frenetic pace of work. I originally thought of something like pasta e fagioli and so made a simmering, bubbling (tick) chicken stock on Saturday evening in readiness for the main event on Sunday. I also soaked several handfuls of dried Borlotti beans in water overnight. The beans had been picked up in a Co-op supermarket in a little town in Italy which I visited last autumn (the town you understand - even I am not deranged enough to travel that far specifically to visit a supermarket - well, not a Co-op one anyway). For some reason I took great pleasure in the fact that the beans had been bought whilst on holiday in Italy (tick) - that is my kind of holiday shopping.<br /><br /><br />The following day, after a busy morning and early afternoon out and about, I returned home to begin cooking. The afternoon did not get off to the best start when Manchester United came back from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 thereby leapfrogging my team Liverpool to the top of the Premier League - there is a reason why that team are called the Red Devils! (The previous sentences are about football, not cooking, in case anybody from overseas is confused).<br /><br /><br />Putting the football behind me, I headed for the kitchen for the usual survey of the fridge and storecupboard. My friend Louise had bought me three fat tomato and basil Italian sausages from her favourite Italian deli - Gazzano's in Clerkenwell - and so I decided to skin and crumble them and use them as the base of a sausage and bean stew - a dish that, for me, ticks all the boxes.<br /><br /><br />I set the beans to boil for an hour and, while they were cooking, I made a <em>sofritto</em> of onions, carrots and celery (see the <a href="http://tonym-adayinthelife.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-favourite-chicken-and-vegetable-soup.html">favourite chicken soup posting </a>earlier on this blog) to which, after about an hour of combining TV viewing and the odd stir (tick), I added the raw sausagemeat and cooked it for a further 15 minutes or so. I then added the cooked beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes and several ladles of the chicken stock. A further hour of simmering (tick), with the lid off the pan, and the addition of some black pepper and broken up penne pasta about 15 minutes from the end, resulted in a thick stew with a pronounced flavour of the (rather small amounts of) Italian sausage.<br /><br /><br />I served the stew with some sea salt, chopped basil and grated parmesan sprinkled over the top and let the flavours carry me away from the pressures of work and back to Tuscany.<br /><br /><br />The stew was even better the next day - which was fortunate given that it was Monday and time to head back to the office!TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-41684384904843838022009-03-25T12:06:00.006+00:002009-03-25T15:55:10.520+00:00Empanadas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDVm3KV-JZRT8bfpsGIrcRMmB6uO6Umy524VmT3XKfOGrk6fLIyqUDmYwO5kQtbUokPNG29xz2eEDmL6Sq89M1FZodQ4So3OlnhC1nofmBcSzMAYj8HX6d9ugaAepXbvuCGaq4f-oiTY/s1600-h/empanadas.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317095954587531298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDVm3KV-JZRT8bfpsGIrcRMmB6uO6Umy524VmT3XKfOGrk6fLIyqUDmYwO5kQtbUokPNG29xz2eEDmL6Sq89M1FZodQ4So3OlnhC1nofmBcSzMAYj8HX6d9ugaAepXbvuCGaq4f-oiTY/s320/empanadas.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I recently went for lunch to an Argentinian restaurant with my son. The restaurant is one of a chain called <a href="http://www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk/">Gaucho</a> and the particular branch has an amazing view of London's Tower Bridge.<br /><br />Steak is clearly the mainstay of the menu at Gaucho and very excellent it is too. The waiter brings you a wooden board with all of the various cuts of steak on offer and then you choose your cut, the weight you want and how you would like it cooked - as simple as that. I usually just head straight into the main course when I go to Gaucho as the steaks are so huge. However, my son (whose middle name should be A la Carte) looked aghast when I suggested this route and so we settled on a selection of empanadas to set us on our way.<br /><br />The empanadas were filled with cheese and ham, beef or corn. We had some of each and, in particular, the corn ones were unexpectedly delicious with lovely chewy pieces of corn in a rich sauce. They were served with a tomato sauce on the side.<br /><br />The very next day on my way in to work I was reading the free London paper "The Metro" and I came across an article on Argentinian food which included, to my delight, the following recipe for the Gaucho Grill's empanadas (makes 10) :<br /><br /><strong>Pastry</strong><br /><br />450g plain flour<br />2tsp baking powder<br />70g butter<br />50g vegetable shortening<br />pinch of salt<br /><br />Rub the butter and shortening into the salt, flour and baking powder. Then sprinkle water in slowly and mix with your hands until the dough forms a ball. Rest for 30 mins and then roll out fairly thinly and cut out 10cm rounds.<br /><br /><strong>Filling</strong><br /><br />50ml corn oil<br />50g diced shallots<br />1 chopped garlic clove<br />50g corn off the cob<br />100g tinned corn<br />100g mozzarella diced<br />50g cream cheese<br />50g diced red pepper<br />1/2 bunch of chopped chives<br />Salt and pepper<br />1 egg yolk for glazing.<br /><br />Heat the oil in a pan and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté gently for 5 minutes then add the two kinds of corn and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the two cheeses, peppers and chives to the pan, then mix well and season.<br /><br />Place a dessert spoon of the filling in the centre of each pastry disc then wet the edges of the disc and fold it over to make a small pasty shape, pinching the edges closed. Brush the empanadas with the egg yolk and place on a non stick baking tray in an oven at 175 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden. Serve them hot with the sauce.<br /><br /><strong>Sauce</strong><br /><br />Peel and grate five plum tomatoes and mix with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.<br /><br />If anybody has any other favourite fillings that are good in these little golden parcels it would be great to hear from you.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-3860576499044493922009-03-16T11:58:00.012+00:002009-03-16T19:05:31.897+00:00A Chip Off The Old Block - Not!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwk3OyBACJpQ8IQq1cuU1lfgMm1QUwwTSmQxdjnxy9VGWyrjPOqz6dJ5_GeoG6oz_gIt6ORqT5PYTCfRTgFAeTX5qhlBAdBlRjlvRtVTeKmOKZPNTAaB3kUrq4URFKh6l0P5MMh9TBe8/s1600-h/IMG_0135.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwk3OyBACJpQ8IQq1cuU1lfgMm1QUwwTSmQxdjnxy9VGWyrjPOqz6dJ5_GeoG6oz_gIt6ORqT5PYTCfRTgFAeTX5qhlBAdBlRjlvRtVTeKmOKZPNTAaB3kUrq4URFKh6l0P5MMh9TBe8/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313861353138708674" /></a><br />I know I resolved to cook meat at the end of my last post but the Whitstable Mackerel from a few posts back have been burning a hole in my pocket (metaphorically of course as they have literally been frozen solid in the freezer). So, on Saturday I decided to cook two of them and very delicous (and huge) they turned out to be. <br /><br />I defrosted the fish and then made some deep incisions into the flesh and marinated them for a while with a mixture of fresh herbs and lemon juice. Then I baked them in a fairly hot oven for 25 minutes wrapped loosely in foil parcels which I opened for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pIdAo_lgRMK-kC5OhI1arjL8k4Sa5JRmZNP1uwe5Bv9ESYKTBovKlgFYuMEJggLAp5Jl09a9IepqeDoQ1pEIolrYi90r6ioOhLc_vvawBo6aBmHl_TwH1itRL76lJZ1RK7byNn5ZxYg/s1600-h/IMG_0136.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pIdAo_lgRMK-kC5OhI1arjL8k4Sa5JRmZNP1uwe5Bv9ESYKTBovKlgFYuMEJggLAp5Jl09a9IepqeDoQ1pEIolrYi90r6ioOhLc_vvawBo6aBmHl_TwH1itRL76lJZ1RK7byNn5ZxYg/s320/IMG_0136.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313861606305917778" /></a>Mackerel being an oily fish, I decided to serve it with a fennel and blood orange salad (nothing more than finely sliced fennel and segments of blood orange with a little olive oil, blood orange juice, salt and pepper as a dressing). The aniseedy sharpness of the salad worked very well with the fish.<br /><br />To accompany the fish and the salad I wanted to make some fat chips. Now, I have to confess that I cannot remember the last time that I tried to deep fry food - that kind of thing is reserved very much for treats whilst eating out. I, therefore, had absolutely no idea how to cook a fat chip. <br /><br />This is doubly shocking when I think back to the omnipresent chip pan that was a major part of my childhood and adolescence. It would be kept ready charged in the pantry with its milky contents of solidified lard (no poncey vegetable oil for us hardy Valleys folk) and would be brought into use at least two or three times per week. I have happy memories of chips being cooked by my mother on Summer evenings and then handed out to me and my friends (who would inevitably be playing on the street somewhere nearby) wrapped in newspaper and liberally sprinkled with biting salt and stinging vinegar to create the authentic chip shop experience (at presumably a fraction of the price).<br /><br />Notwithstanding this impeccable pedigree on the chip front, I have lapsed I regret to say. These days I take my (well diluted) chippy pleasure at home from oven chips or microwave chips. In relation to this last category I limit myself to the thin chips that come individually packaged in a little grid within a box. My standards have not slipped so low as to countenance the microchips that come in a box with a lid you have to leave ajar whilst a series of microwave blasts, interspersed with frantic shaking of the box, result in a soggy pallid excuse for a chip. <br /><br />I was not therefore wildly optimistic about my fat chip experiment. This pessimism was well founded I regret to say. I opted for the twice cooked method (which I assumed would give me the crispy, crunchy exterior and fluffy interior of a good, home cooked chip). I peeled the potaoes and cut the chips, which I then let soak for 10 minutes or so in cold water. I then drained the chips and heated about 3" of vegetable oil to 170 degrees and cooked the chips for 10 minutes or so. Then I drained them and let them cool. When the fish and salad were ready I put the (now cold) chips back into very hot oil (200 degrees) for about another 3 minutes. They browned very quickly and my hopes were high! The end result, whilst being cooked and looking not too bad, had nothing of the crispy exterior to it that is the hallmark of a fine chip.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyHYrYh3OMAys7KE99itGJiTF8WQJFNDY9p9FD9knvVeBvAOGyHIS0yvB9YlG0p_Kv3O7_FGWninJVJAZyXr0Z8sM-oruYgt2RAy7savhkMeZ0ro9kWINR9x6zAvWKugsWY7QRyxlW6s/s1600-h/IMG_0138.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyHYrYh3OMAys7KE99itGJiTF8WQJFNDY9p9FD9knvVeBvAOGyHIS0yvB9YlG0p_Kv3O7_FGWninJVJAZyXr0Z8sM-oruYgt2RAy7savhkMeZ0ro9kWINR9x6zAvWKugsWY7QRyxlW6s/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313862379607299426" /></a><br /><br /><br />If anybody out there can spot my (no doubt obvious) error in preparing and cooking these chips I would be grateful to hear from you because, if I am going to the trouble of cooking real chips (with the resultant cost in terms of calories and fat intake), they need to be perfect. Any suggestions gratefully received.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-39523025914973717202009-03-11T13:38:00.007+00:002009-03-16T10:29:15.481+00:00Spicy Ricey Herby Prawny Thingy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7ymS2p2-UCdWXCcwEz79e4UYwrAWAiQWsnek-lAuTLlr0TnYFjYy__7KXfa1Zj71BaHffC_b2weWmuUUAySeDKbRVD26UpxhoNSlu9ZUkhphlOUHurCRd0v32nQASynlIFdpxhdwt1o/s1600-h/IMG_0137.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7ymS2p2-UCdWXCcwEz79e4UYwrAWAiQWsnek-lAuTLlr0TnYFjYy__7KXfa1Zj71BaHffC_b2weWmuUUAySeDKbRVD26UpxhoNSlu9ZUkhphlOUHurCRd0v32nQASynlIFdpxhdwt1o/s320/IMG_0137.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312017078096699026" /></a><br />When clearing out my freezer recently I came across a sorry looking plastic bag containing about 6 medium sized peeled raw prawns. They were hardly medium sized enough to constitute a single portion on their own so I decided to make them into a starter for two people.<br /><br />A further root around in the fridge and storecupboard came up with a bunch of fresh herbs, a tomato, some basmati rice and some chilli infused olive oil (part of a hamper from Carluccios that I received as a Christmas present a few years back(!) as I recall).<br /><br />I cooked the rice in my customary way (twice the volume of water to rice, a little salt, bring to the boil then reduce to the lowest heat for 15 minutes with the lid on). Whilst the rice was cooking I chopped each of the defrosted raw prawns into about 5 pieces then quickly stir fried them in a combination of the chilli oil and sunflower oil. To this I added a very generous amount of finely chopped mint and coriander and the cooked rice and continued to fry for a couple of minutes. Tasting it showed that the chilli oil had lost little, if any, of its kick and so I made a tomato and basil salad to sit it on. The cool tomatoes worked really well with the spicy rice and prawns. <br /><br />I think I need to go searching in the furthest reaches of my freezer more often, although it does occur to me that this dish bears more than a passing resemblance to an inverted version of the post stomach bug cod loin dish in an earlier post. Note to self: cook some meat!TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-77242061285716216322009-03-10T13:07:00.007+00:002009-03-12T09:39:31.931+00:00Cherry and Almond Pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjV8Jhwgi5m-9pCZNr35_CQYbh25IhyphenhyphenMZXgv8K5znIJltZWbg0N68BmRkMkE1rf_oMlu3R01HiRUCqZYLiRb7smfnXsbZ8hI66NwYp66UqPib-caZi2GdQsBXV6SGRbIWlP4nxHAa00w/s1600-h/IMG_0139.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjV8Jhwgi5m-9pCZNr35_CQYbh25IhyphenhyphenMZXgv8K5znIJltZWbg0N68BmRkMkE1rf_oMlu3R01HiRUCqZYLiRb7smfnXsbZ8hI66NwYp66UqPib-caZi2GdQsBXV6SGRbIWlP4nxHAa00w/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312016332366706066" /></a><br />In the wake of the stomach bug referred to in an earlier post, I found that my fridge was more or less completely empty (if you don't count beer) on Saturday. So, as my son was spending the afternoon with me, we called into a local independent supermarket on the way home to pick up a few supplies. As I was perusing the shelves my eye was caught by a tin of Epicure stoned black cherries in syrup. I don't know what it is about Epicure, but their products and packaging put me in mind of food from the Fifties. Needless to say, the tin found its way into my shopping basket even though, at the time, I had no firm idea to what use I would put the cherries. It is not just cookbooks and kitchen equipment to which I am addicted - I am also something of a storecupboard food hoarder.<br /><br />Once back home I had a quick flick through some cookbooks and happened upon a recipe in a Delia Smith book (and there is a whiff of the Fifties about Delia too in my opinion) for an Almond and Apple pudding. Almonds and Cherries being a fine combination too as far as I am concerned, I decided to adapt the pudding to incorporate the cherries. I drained them of their syrup and then let them sit for 30 minutes or so in a little kirsch. <br /><br />Whilst they were drinking up the kirsch I made the almond sponge by creaming 4oz of softened butter with 4oz of caster sugar. To this I gradually added 2 large beaten eggs and finally folded in 4oz of ground almonds. I then put about a third of the sponge mixture in an ovenproof pudding bowl. On top of this I put the cherries (with a little sugar and lemon juice) and then the remaining pudding mix. <em>Is it just me or do other people also think that uncoooked pudding or cake mix tastes even better than the cooked pudding/cake?.</em><br /><br />Delia states that you then put the pudding into a preheated fan oven at 180 degrees for <strong>exactly</strong> one hour (she can be quite masterful at times!). However, being the brave, rebellious type (and having tried a similar pudding before) I reduced the temperature to 140 degrees and it was fine.<br /><br />The resulting pudding, which I served with double cream, was delicious and the kirsch somehow seemed to bring out the egginess of the pudding mix. However, for me, it fell someway short of the sublime combination of almond sponge and tart damsons which truly is, in my book, a combination made in heaven.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-87645951115423761862009-03-09T16:56:00.011+00:002009-03-10T17:00:23.192+00:00I'm just an occasional user<div>My name is Tony and I am an addict - there, it is out! </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>According to the AA (and I don't mean the Automobile Association) website the first step to recovery from addiction is: </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>"<em>We admitted we were powerless over alcohol</em> (for me read all things foody) -<em> that our lives had become unmanageable</em>".</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I am struggling a little with the "<em>unmanageable</em>" bit, but if I could substitute <em>bloody expensive </em>I pretty much fit the bill for Step 1.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>This realisation dawned upon me after my recent visit to Leiths School of Food and Wine. I have to confess that this was not the first time I had visited such an establishment, but up until now I was very happy to characterise myself as an occasional user. OK, I did go overboard a bit when I did the week long course in Tuscany (get over it - it was a holiday!) but, apart from the odd occasional lapse since then, such as a Borough Market Saturday cooking course at the <a href="http://www.italiaperte.com/italian-cooking-enrica-rocca.htm">Enrica Rocca school </a>, I have left the Class A stuff pedalled by the cookery schools to those that were powerless to resist them and kept myself happy with the more socially acceptable addiction to cookery books and cooking implements. You know the kind of thing - innocuous looking brown parcels from Amazon.com delivered to the office and the occasional furtive visit to <a href="http://www.booksforcooks.com">the kind of places</a> that social users like me call into for a fix when they have told everybody they are off to town to get their hair cut. I am not proud to admit that my kitchen is littered with the paraphernalia of this clandestine world.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>However, after the knife skills lesson, I have found myself unable to stop thinking about the sordid delights that these pushers of cooking skills offer those people not strong enough to resist them. The pull of these dealers in culinary knowledge is almost overwhelming. Indeed, I am not sure that Leiths alone will now be able to satisfy the cravings that have surfaced. I am ashamed to admit that I found myself looking at really hardcore stuff on the website of <a href="http://www.manoir.com/web/olem/raymond_blanc_cookery_school.jsp">Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons</a> cookery school when nobody was around at work recently. So far I have succeeded in remaining just a voyeur of these top end dealers' seductive blandishments (I hope the Government moves swiftly to nip them in the bud before we end up with the Pru Leith World Darts Tournament or Cordon Bleu McClaren F1 teams) but am not sure that I will be able to resist for much longer. The re-runs of Masterchef are just not hitting the spot any longer. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>There is a day long course on sauces coming up at Leiths soon - I might just go to that one and then stop - what harm can that do? </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-35907378654067205922009-03-09T15:59:00.010+00:002009-03-09T19:47:29.451+00:00Stomach Bugs and Knife SkillsWell, as they say, the best laid plans......<br /><br />Following on from my Borough Market trip, my plans for kedgeree (and indeed anything else of an edible nature) were put on hold for over a week by the onset of the stomach bug from hell. I awoke on Monday morning (after a friend's birthday lunch party on Sunday) feeling decidedly dodgy. I initially put this down to a certain level of over consumption on the Bouillabaisse (delicious!) front or, more realistically, the red, white and pudding wine fronts at lunch on Sunday. However, over the coming hours and days, I realised it clearly had nothing to do with any of that and was indeed a virus or bug of some kind. The end result, when coupled with possibly my busiest week of the year at work, was a week when, for once, food did not appear anywhere near the top of my priorities.<br /><br />By the following Monday I was beginning to feel a little more human again and on the Tuesday I had a morning off work to attend a knife skills course, at <a href="http://www.leiths.com/">Leiths School of Food and Wine</a>, that I had been bought as a Christmas present. The course was the first in a series of three that aims to teach students how to choose, sharpen, store and use knives of various sorts. The morning was very enjoyable and, whilst nothing we were shown was rocket science, it was useful to be reminded of the correct way to handle the various different knives and, most importantly, the need to keep them sharpened - something I am very bad at remembering to do. The first part of the three session course focused on vegetables and fruit, so by the end of the morning the 16 or so students had generated an impressive pile of chopped vegetables, herbs and fruit. The staff prepared some of the vegetables as a soup which the class ate before leaving and they also prepared a caramel sauce which the students were at liberty to pour over their segmented oranges to take away with them. I took them up on this kind offer!<br /><br />Inspired by all the chopping, and with the first real appetite I had encountered in over a week, I set about looking for an idea that would allow me to cook something using some of my newly practised skills but that would not reverse the gastric progress that I had achieved over the last seven days. A dash to Marks & Spencer (which made a pleasant change to the dashes I had more customarily been making in the preceding few days) on the way home resulted in roasted cod loin (marinated in lemon juice and olive oil) with brown rice and a tomato and basil salsa. Whilst it was hardly the deconstructed kedgeree I had been planning the week before it was at least food that I could fancy eating and that, I am pleased to report, had no dire consequences!<div><br /></div><div><br />And that salsa contains diamond shaped pieces of tomato I will have you know!</div><div><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6csNgyj6G_skCJ2sQs4YWyklTAVHo7QPVb9weahka9hfiWFjfvtqxSXTCP2S8vmzrNga_fnzQX7aF4sBNNgIXcP2PsPSw4k2Uf1BcZqk2tg1qZaVqPe5CwnQ7L1iW-nhIn7QmNz48g0/s1600-h/IMG_0131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6csNgyj6G_skCJ2sQs4YWyklTAVHo7QPVb9weahka9hfiWFjfvtqxSXTCP2S8vmzrNga_fnzQX7aF4sBNNgIXcP2PsPSw4k2Uf1BcZqk2tg1qZaVqPe5CwnQ7L1iW-nhIn7QmNz48g0/s320/IMG_0131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311275208017424722" /></a>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-25841116841788890082009-02-22T13:37:00.007+00:002009-02-23T10:52:00.259+00:00London<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhIAFzHNwnDp3BZDX-yjYFTgnEsW6cZeRnqmt7LfmEKfqnGQ_VoTAjXsrVuD8hhDuok-_PPaO2JihvRf2rFuTW47TG_s4VqUyZJI94I-zwTkEyljB2SRQ3SWDzgyto1o9SKjsDMIJniI/s1600-h/IMG_0120.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305616201587576850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhIAFzHNwnDp3BZDX-yjYFTgnEsW6cZeRnqmt7LfmEKfqnGQ_VoTAjXsrVuD8hhDuok-_PPaO2JihvRf2rFuTW47TG_s4VqUyZJI94I-zwTkEyljB2SRQ3SWDzgyto1o9SKjsDMIJniI/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUVgIY1ri7Gjh6gGRRhX8-uoA3eA7A4wg07jOSrjA3ultJdyYHH9kKpbVC_KCColAbcWkjSUByHR5MKT2VNOcaohoSJMXKIYpqUqU5ZLxGVKMsTCSu0e1M84r0kcKayAew3njCbLNKhM/s1600-h/IMG_0118.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305616001897675538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUVgIY1ri7Gjh6gGRRhX8-uoA3eA7A4wg07jOSrjA3ultJdyYHH9kKpbVC_KCColAbcWkjSUByHR5MKT2VNOcaohoSJMXKIYpqUqU5ZLxGVKMsTCSu0e1M84r0kcKayAew3njCbLNKhM/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know about you, but I often fail to appreciate the place in which I live. It is all too easy, in dealing with the everyday drudgery of getting to and from work and the demands of everyday life, to forget that I live in one of the greatest cities in the world. Yesterday was one of those days that reminded me of how great my home town really is.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a quiet morning I set off with my son and one of his mates on the train to London Bridge. Our destination was to be Tate Modern where there was an exhibition entitled "Rodchenko & Popova - Defining Constructivism". Now, I am no Art buff but my son is studying Art as one of his GCSE subjects and so I was doing the dutiful father thing. It was not exactly a selfless gesture however for, as those of you familiar with London will know, to get from London Bridge to Tate Modern involves passing through one of my favourite London landmarks - Borough Market. Borough Market is a foodie nirvana with a host of fantastic retailers and producers selling everything from ostrich eggs and burgers to smoked tomatoes, from Bottarga to the finest acorn fed pata negra ham. You do need a fat wallet (and, on a Saturday early afternoon, ideally a large club to beat off the hordes of tourists) to take full advantage of the market but to me it is one of the places I am happiest in London. There is an excellent post on the Larder Lout blog - <a href="http://thelarderlout.blogspot.com/2009/01/undone-in-london.html">here</a> - which details his culinary and alcoholic adventures in the area. I am in awe of his stamina!</div><div><br /></div><div>I picked up some smoked haddock and some free range eggs as we passed through the market as I was planning on making a kedgeree like dish which I had concocted whilst watching an episode of Masterchef on TV during the week. Unfortunately I got home too late to do that last night - otherwise you would be hearing about that rather than generic ramblings about London. I hope the deconstructed kedgeree will make it into a posting soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, back to London. After the market and a quick souvlaki in a restaurant called "The Real Greek" we headed off to Tate Modern. It is renowned for its bizarre installations in the Turbine Hall (it is a former power station). Yesterday did not disappoint with a giant plastic spider and a series of yellow and blue metal bunkbeds (about 60 of them) each with a paperback book tied to the metal bedstead. Crazy but kind of fun. As we were passing through one of the galleries I caught sight of the first of the above two views and (without wishing to be too poetic about this) my spirits soared. It is views such as this that remind me that I am so lucky to live in London - after all where else can you find bottarga and bunk beds in such close proximity and with a view like the above to add the cherry to the cake. It is good to be reminded how fortunate we are from time to time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Any art lovers out there would be better searching for a blog with more expert views when it comes to the exhibition. As with so much Art, I know what I like when I see it and really liked the soviet trade union posters but the rest was a little over my head. Still, if it involves passing through the market on a regular basis, I shall be encouraging my son to undertake regular research at Tate Modern as any dutiful parent would!</div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-59140404987895512332009-02-20T14:07:00.005+00:002009-02-23T10:53:50.213+00:00The Omnivore's HundredI spotted the following post on the <a href="http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/">Very Good Taste Blog</a> and thought that I would give it a go. I have therefore cut and pasted it from the blog (together with instructions) as requested and completed it below. Where I have no immediate idea of what the item is I have just assumed I have never eaten it. Feel free to cut, paste or comment as the mood takes you.<br /><br />"Here’s what I want you to do:<br /><br />1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.<br />2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.<br />3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.<br />4) Optional extra: Post a comment at <a href="http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/">www.verygoodtaste.co.uk</a> linking to your results. "<br /><br />The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:<br /><br /><strong>1. Venison<br />2. Nettle tea<br />3. Huevos rancheros<br />4. Steak tartare</strong><br />5. Crocodile<br /><strong>6. Black pudding<br />7. Cheese fondue<br />8. Carp<br />9. Borscht<br />10. Baba ghanoush<br />11. Calamari<br />12. Pho</strong><br />13. PB&J sandwich<br /><strong>14. Aloo gobi<br />15. Hot dog from a street cart</strong><br />16. Epoisses<br /><strong>17. Black truffle<br />18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes<br />19. Steamed pork buns<br />20. Pistachio ice cream</strong><br />21. Heirloom tomatoes<br /><strong>22. Fresh wild berries<br />23. Foie gras<br />24. Rice and beans<br />25. Brawn, or head cheesepepper</strong><br />26. Raw Scotch Bonnet<br />27. Dulce de leche<br /><strong>28. Oysters<br />29. Baklava</strong><br />30. Bagna cauda<br /><strong>31. Wasabi peas<br />32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl</strong><br />33. Salted lassi<br /><strong>34. Sauerkraut</strong><br />35. Root beer float<br />36. Cognac with a fat cigar<br /><strong>37. Clotted cream tea<br />38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O<br />39. Gumbo<br />40. Oxtail<br />41. Curried goat<br />42. Whole insects<br />43. Phaal</strong><br />44. Goat’s milk<br />45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more<br />46. Fugu<br /><strong>47. Chicken tikka masala<br />48. Eel<br />49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut</strong><br />50. Sea urchin<br />51. Prickly pear<br />52. Umeboshi<br /><strong>53. Abalone<br />54. Paneer<br />55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal<br />56. Spaetzle<br />57. Dirty gin martini<br />58. Beer above 8% ABV</strong><br />59. Poutine<br />60. Carob chips<br />61. S’mores<br /><strong>62. Sweetbreads<br />63. Kaolin<br />64. Currywurst<br />65. Durian<br />66. Frogs’ legs<br />67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake<br />68. Haggis<br />69. Fried plantain<br />70. Chitterlings, or andouillette<br />71. Gazpacho<br />72. Caviar and blini</strong><br />73. Louche absinthe<br />74. Gjetost, or brunost<br />75. Roadkill<br />76. Baijiu<br />77. Hostess Fruit Pie<br /><strong>78. Snail<br />79. Lapsang souchong<br />80. Bellini<br />81. Tom yum<br />82. Eggs Benedict</strong><br />83. Pocky<br /><strong>84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.</strong><br />85. Kobe beef<br />86. Hare<br /><strong>87. Goulash<br />88. Flowers</strong><br />89. Horse<br />90. Criollo chocolate<br /><strong>91. Spam<br />92. Soft shell crab<br />93. Rose harissa</strong><br />94. Catfish<br />95. Mole poblano<br /><strong>96. Bagel and lox<br />97. Lobster Thermidor<br />98. Polenta</strong><br />99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee<br />100. SnakeTonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-80690269340718735932009-02-10T17:47:00.004+00:002009-02-11T09:49:25.433+00:00Oh I do like to be beside the seaside ...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-ZEtJPwhqb9H4i0wQcleX7MhutM-NoGZFrDjnoiX7KO0KAIthWBtI_yr-z-NEQ9ZhTXzthY9ciPkdz9zS3_K00XKTABlcEjCmIndwWgWsJi2cgy-MuvdkmcRRJenez8TiI6YfObNTd8/s1600-h/fish-market.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-ZEtJPwhqb9H4i0wQcleX7MhutM-NoGZFrDjnoiX7KO0KAIthWBtI_yr-z-NEQ9ZhTXzthY9ciPkdz9zS3_K00XKTABlcEjCmIndwWgWsJi2cgy-MuvdkmcRRJenez8TiI6YfObNTd8/s320/fish-market.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301227124070954034" /></a><br /><br />Well the snow finally disappeared but last weekend was bitingly cold with bright clear skies and a sharp wind. What better time for a trip to the seaside? I was not after a bucket and spade experience however but, rather an oyster and seafood pick me up. I had never previously been to Whitstable which, for those of you unfamiliar with UK geography, is a small fishing town on the Kent coast, not too far from Canterbury. It has apparently been famed from Roman times (according to the information in the car park) for its oysters.<br /><br />I set off from the outskirts of London at around 11am on Saturday with my son in tow. He was not madly keen on the trip but the other option was rowing on a practically freezing Thames – Whitstable was definitely the lesser of two evils. Driving there was a little like driving through a Dutch winter landscape – the sun was low and bright and the leafless trees were silhouetted black against the horizon like some survivors of a forest fire. It really was lovely (save in those moments when I was driving blind because of the glare).<br /><br />It took about 75 minutes to get to Whitstable. It is clearly a town where food is important. Whilst I am sure they are lurking somewhere, I did not see one supermarket. Instead, the high street of Whitstable appears to contain a selection of independent shops with butchers and greengrocers well represented. Also there is a lovely old fish and chip shop (V.C. Jones) with a sign advertising “Fish Luncheons and Suppers”. Whilst I didn’t eat there it looked fantastic and as if you could step back in time simply by crossing the threshold.<br /><br />Having parked the car we headed for the harbour and the fish market. The inner harbour is very compact and sheltered about three or four fishing boats. Not that the boats looked like they were in need of much shelter. They were small but stocky and reminded you of boxing gloves that would have little difficulty punching through any waves that the English Channel could throw at them. <br /><br />The fish market was relatively small and housed, on the harbour side, in a black painted, two storey wooden building. The market itself was on the ground floor and above it was the Crab and Winkle restaurant. Fortunately, as we did not have a booking, the restaurant was not busy on a freezing February Saturday and so we easily secured a table near the window overlooking the punchy little fishing boats. The restaurant serves both a set and à la carte menu comprised almost entirely of seafood. There were also one or two specials on the board and a separate blackboard of shellfish options. We ordered some Whitstable native oysters (both raw with shallot vinaigrette and battered) to get us in the mood. They were small but perfectly formed – possibly the best oysters I have tasted and definitely best when eaten raw. <br /><br />Next we were brought some delicious home made breads with butter and a smoked fish paté. Again, delicious and the paté was a lovely touch. I was by this point half way through a glass of St. Veran and rapidly beginning to regret having driven!<br /><br />After the bread the first courses arrived. I had ordered a shellfish bisque with rouille, croutons and gruyere cheese. It was warm, salty and reviving but I don’t think the French or the Belgians need worry too much about the competition from Whitstable on this course. My son had a salmon mousse wrapped in smoked salmon which was rich and light at the same time – a good choice by him. For my main course I had grilled mackerel served with braised puy lentils and tiny roasted carrots. The fish was absolutely delicious and the lentils were perfect as an accompaniment to the oily fish. My son ordered the battered Coley fillet. This had seemed a bit safe to me but when it arrived I realised he had again hit the jackpot. The batter on the fish, which took up most of a large serving plate, was perfectly crisp and golden and the fish inside was pure white, flaky and moist. This was served with a small bowl of fries, mushy peas, tartare sauce and a piece of home pickled cucumber. However the fish was the definite star of the show and the accompaniments, though each individually delicious, were only ever going to be, at best, in a supporting role. I can confirm that the pickled cucumber was delicious. It was the only thing that my son did not eat in its entirety.<br /><br />To end the meal I had a plate of three farmhouse cheeses (chosen from a list of about six) with oatcakes. Whilst delicious and from interesting smaller producers, I am afraid that I did not do them justice after the large main course, and the bread, and the oysters …. My son had a white chocolate pannatone bread and butter pudding which he declared to be delicious. Again, I have to take his word and contented smile for this.<br /><br />All in all the meal was delicious and a treat for an otherwise boring, freezing cold February Saturday. We ended our stay in Whitstable with a quick visit to the fish market to pick up some mackerel for freezing at home and a brisk trot along the high street before fashionable, but hardly warm, youth clothing dictated we return to the car and home.<br /><br />I shall be visiting Whitstable again very soon (possibly without a car or overnight!) and commend you to do so too.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-64378768007472662422009-02-02T09:41:00.011+00:002009-02-02T21:45:05.464+00:00It really is freezing in London<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1j-x2018L0RS2hSuQUGsRfChdcT8vuuSRCS0Cp-SGAmzIwZ-Jjlng-13VpEW3VkQe5Sy6nxVGG9cbJczByacpwtRzw0JQwHGPe-KLCoFmMExIfLNldsCpsactRkFI4eTlyq9UK5swfw/s1600-h/IMG_0079.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1j-x2018L0RS2hSuQUGsRfChdcT8vuuSRCS0Cp-SGAmzIwZ-Jjlng-13VpEW3VkQe5Sy6nxVGG9cbJczByacpwtRzw0JQwHGPe-KLCoFmMExIfLNldsCpsactRkFI4eTlyq9UK5swfw/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298135308398960450" /></a><br />Well, for once the weathermen got it right! No trains, no buses - no work!! Weather like this calls for some comfort food methinks!<div><br /></div><div>And still the snow comes down! The back garden is a complete no go area for the cats save in extremis.</div><div><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngcuc-MJze5ywSqYLZZkfmPaaPACLv6Nlk-aoV03KKooZn-eru8MTURm7R2LTTo8tfNmFbFjbG9cr5w9lCVTTmFup3CsMrvvsIw-wXXcAOWJAj3c2KZbwREEFY_OGQ7DqdjG_jspHIY8/s1600-h/IMG_0087.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngcuc-MJze5ywSqYLZZkfmPaaPACLv6Nlk-aoV03KKooZn-eru8MTURm7R2LTTo8tfNmFbFjbG9cr5w9lCVTTmFup3CsMrvvsIw-wXXcAOWJAj3c2KZbwREEFY_OGQ7DqdjG_jspHIY8/s320/IMG_0087.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298191389216007298" /></a><div> </div><div>I have perused the contents of the fridge and freezer and have found the following ingredients:</div><div>- two onions</div><div>- 6 Cumberland sausages (again courtesy of Moens Clapham)</div><div>- A Swede</div><div>- Some Maris Piper potatoes</div><div>- Savoy cabbage</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUbyxLqu6DhBsjUUAgE1RhsxdojXrbHBRfdA0l8cEQkKraKySUcO6KjYR8CmnTBbLPQHK1Cx07AgROfmKCH7mzlbac9kx_ScIhUiOg6pzaENvrftEuLyod9iUaQAOZiZjI71z8jzLLes/s1600-h/IMG_0084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUbyxLqu6DhBsjUUAgE1RhsxdojXrbHBRfdA0l8cEQkKraKySUcO6KjYR8CmnTBbLPQHK1Cx07AgROfmKCH7mzlbac9kx_ScIhUiOg6pzaENvrftEuLyod9iUaQAOZiZjI71z8jzLLes/s320/IMG_0084.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298196380437521570" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I also have some eggs and was contemplating making a toad in the hole with onion gravy but have decided instead to roast the sausages with some onions and thyme and then make the onion gravy in the roasting pan (tricky if you are doing toad in the hole unless you want to wash up another roasting pan - which I do not). I will have the sausages with some buttered savoy cabbage and a mix of mashed potato and mashed swede or, as my mother used to call it, "potch".<br /><br /></div><div>I read somewhere recently that eating even one sausage can increase your risk of cancer by X%. When sausages are as good as these bad boys I will take that risk! Happiness is clearly the key to a long life and these are little packets of happiness on a day like today!</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL-z8zgiE_m9yCAFrnZE_XmfIN3qxUTZEuJO27Yg2CBw_ewHY4JOOlD2gm8lZNvj6bHfbnqSjFwIPwuNNCNxowM4JvA5JeOreV1FUuKGjrLQRrJE0EgiJqilvSvS2E8oLa_RJsIeppyk/s1600-h/IMG_0092.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL-z8zgiE_m9yCAFrnZE_XmfIN3qxUTZEuJO27Yg2CBw_ewHY4JOOlD2gm8lZNvj6bHfbnqSjFwIPwuNNCNxowM4JvA5JeOreV1FUuKGjrLQRrJE0EgiJqilvSvS2E8oLa_RJsIeppyk/s320/IMG_0092.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298206499051645090" /></a>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-42680110500794387562009-02-01T16:06:00.008+00:002009-05-18T12:55:34.803+01:00A late lazy sunday lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWEnUhcL29yWIpCuLZCwuWVUAlnbEbRIe1n-Cho4r4m5j9lhunCT6CBQi0FKOBv9pgYez9JYeyzfPSpdkQ-tgiK3aFtUWEz2ShM6NR8gGmZFJjwFuIQFLmHD9NUtZU53pOKnws-o2xUM/s1600-h/IMG_0073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297881211944567314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWEnUhcL29yWIpCuLZCwuWVUAlnbEbRIe1n-Cho4r4m5j9lhunCT6CBQi0FKOBv9pgYez9JYeyzfPSpdkQ-tgiK3aFtUWEz2ShM6NR8gGmZFJjwFuIQFLmHD9NUtZU53pOKnws-o2xUM/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEqVZsbHmdM48h1K515A5q4PVCUISuQUSeFJzuWwKyq68gIvh4Uv5Owaef8a6UX5jBtcIiEyr7N5xW0I7CoM0hxkOblJu2HlVi-CNLuwmdGQmuRGCLxTRuhSRavf3nyNF9OIQcWrc9V8/s1600-h/IMG_0071.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297863623560491282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEqVZsbHmdM48h1K515A5q4PVCUISuQUSeFJzuWwKyq68gIvh4Uv5Owaef8a6UX5jBtcIiEyr7N5xW0I7CoM0hxkOblJu2HlVi-CNLuwmdGQmuRGCLxTRuhSRavf3nyNF9OIQcWrc9V8/s320/IMG_0071.JPG" border="0" /></a>After some months of inactivity I have decided to get back into this blog It is freezing here in London and a battle is raging between my need for food, which is slightly hangover induced, <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297863367841826290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmA6e12BlwUymRqUo72GpyWCrdDb6Uy9qfl1DqeZOojV7n_hGf3q82oCG33aWf2vKLbeTBJO6useakBb-2aX_6Unj6Q3NIfhjcKqyML8ziEcywBu1uVidLXVUwr0PNWkl3ZykhPPaxzU/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" border="0" />and the need to watch Liverpool v. Chelsea live on the TV. As a compromise I have put two porchetta chops, some onions and par boiled potatoes in to to roast with a tray of butternut squash with sage and butter. The chops have been in the freezer for a few weeks since I last visited Moens butchers in Clapham - just off the Common and well worth a visit. I noticed, on unwrapping them, that the chops had been labelled Porketta - which for some reason raises thoughts of an overweight Southern Belle! I am sure they will taste good whatever! <div><br /></div><div>I am also cooking some smoked bacon lardons which I will then stir fry quickly with some green beans and savoy cabbage that I have already blanched.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, for minimal effort, very delicious and just what was called for - as indeed was the sending off of Frank Lampard!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-41300130010371894362008-09-15T15:00:00.002+01:002008-09-15T16:03:21.791+01:00Fruit Picking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo6702bf-1gF151J1SlVRfcolpqC97i2AXBiWerYtbZy_k-NAFVsws4O2rmS6aGeSprZXPsd4UzlqcWdMfu24YuQmnb_q7Yk3SN8NIpn8VQlCgJfIYAvgMYxRxI0wEfifMQz-9n-6BKA/s1600-h/IMG_1287.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246244927028783986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo6702bf-1gF151J1SlVRfcolpqC97i2AXBiWerYtbZy_k-NAFVsws4O2rmS6aGeSprZXPsd4UzlqcWdMfu24YuQmnb_q7Yk3SN8NIpn8VQlCgJfIYAvgMYxRxI0wEfifMQz-9n-6BKA/s320/IMG_1287.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Believe it or not we had some sunshine in London this weekend. It has, or course, now gone but it was good whilst it lasted. I decided to take advantage of the good weather on Saturday by going to Hewitt's Farm in Kent to pick some damsons. My 14 year old son came with me. Being 14, fruit picking is not top of his favoured activity list but even he had to admit it was nice to be out in the sunshine. Unfortunately, it appears that "it has not been a good year for plums" and damsons, therefore, were few and far between.<br /><br />We did however manage to pick some runner beans and pick up (from the farm shop) some cooking plums (of which more to come in the next post) and some baby squashes.<br /><br />If plums were in short supply, the same could not be said of apples. There were row upon row of apple trees all heavily laden with fruit. Unfortunately this week is a busy week for me and I knew that the apples were likely to go to waste if I picked them as I will not have the time to cook or store them. However, I will keep them in mind for a few weekends' time.</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246242150822586018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDxMplcYkZ8471_VLiTWy9TKrUVxIqWG6lLzk6wjG3iOwUY5aXtvePosH3N2wn1HgdA8fwRXfBdgd2vo2LK_Oe-Ac3iEgAB6zd0aHsmI4jKEDfQNPsJU7AGLkBPRSvuKoFfhO93J8hKM/s320/IMG_1285.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>In addition to the cultivated fruit and veg on the farm the hedgerows were full of various wild fruiting plants such as elderberries, sloes and rosehips.</div><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfI0Z0QSdYABlLErLp-05Lt0M8hokxAml_0wZt8v_1xjlmoZNu5wUjqOmYln4WKdL8ixdhXGtzblomJSGdadp19Hh-xdgzVF0NDCcEpZsfXWgRxImW7rfxzacSXzTzhEF3Yqec-397lI/s1600-h/IMG_1288.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246243452916827186" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfI0Z0QSdYABlLErLp-05Lt0M8hokxAml_0wZt8v_1xjlmoZNu5wUjqOmYln4WKdL8ixdhXGtzblomJSGdadp19Hh-xdgzVF0NDCcEpZsfXWgRxImW7rfxzacSXzTzhEF3Yqec-397lI/s200/IMG_1288.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfIkOdREVfazr29A3c2xeMXn9NjY7fwHbzOERY9nSPFaSTY7KDoPiESUmRzIS2l9mUjoU4OG-BRXwYupvhU0VHJo1s0iXSt36xBxzykRzeXRoVgfawwZb7jc8ygnF4ehAK0Ir1CvaDVc/s1600-h/IMG_1289.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246243951231619202" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfIkOdREVfazr29A3c2xeMXn9NjY7fwHbzOERY9nSPFaSTY7KDoPiESUmRzIS2l9mUjoU4OG-BRXwYupvhU0VHJo1s0iXSt36xBxzykRzeXRoVgfawwZb7jc8ygnF4ehAK0Ir1CvaDVc/s200/IMG_1289.JPG" border="0" /></a> <p align="left">However, again, commitments this week meant that I was unlikely to find the time to research and make something from any of these things - even assuming you were allowed to pick them and they were for sale.</p><div align="left">All in all it was a very enjoyable hour or so (notwithstanding constant enquiries from my son as to exactly how much longer we were going to be).</div><div></div><div><br />But now the sun has gone again and it is time to turn my thoughts to something autumnal to do with the plums.<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-55917704635953933722008-09-14T17:00:00.000+01:002008-09-15T15:07:12.286+01:00I gotta gotta gotta stop making pannacottaSpending the weekend with my mother and my two sisters led to me reminiscing about the food that I ate as a child. It was always delicious food and, given the number of wide angle photographs of me as a youngster, there was clearly always plenty of it. However, one thing it was not was varied. Each week the menu was more or less identical - my father knew what he liked and we all got it week in and week out. Saturday lunch, for example, was lamb's liver and mashed potatoes with onion gravy. I remember once suggesting that we have something different when I came home from university for summer holidays - but I think they thought it was just me getting above myself with my new fangled university ways and the liver made its weekly appearance as usual.<br /><br /><br />The reminiscing in turn led me to wonder whether this repetitive food issue was perhaps genetic. A few weeks ago I had about fifteen friends over for a summer party. Puddings are not my forte in the kitchen nor my favourite part of the meal. I made a panna cotta which, on this occasion, I had flavoured with coconut and I served it with a mango and pineapple coulis. When it was served, one of the party mentioned that, when they had last come for dinner, they had also had a panna cotta (on that occasion flavoured with lavender and served with a strawberry and rhubarb coulis). To be fair this comment was made with kindness as the person concerned was extolling the virtues of the aforementioned lavender panna cotta. However, no sooner was the comment made than almost everybody else in the party said something along the lines of "Ooh yes I have had that here too". Now, given that many of the fifteen guests had never met each other before the evening in question, it was clear to me that I had rolled out the old lavender panna cotta on at least five or six occasions.<br /><br /><br /><br />Whilst my motives may have differed from my father's, I am in danger of becoming a serial server of panna cotta! I hope that this is a case of nurture rather than nature and in an attempt to break the habit I think a stint of panna cotta cold turkey is in order. It is however an (almost) failsafe pudding and can be prepared in advance so, whilst I will not be making it again in the near future, I commend it to you:<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Lavender Pannacotta with Strawberry and Rhubarb Coulis<br /><br />600ml Double Cream<br />150ml Full Cream Milk<br />2 or 3 sprigs of dried lavender<br />4 sheets of leaf gelatine<br />60g of caster sugar<br /><br />3 or 4 stalks of rhubarb<br />1 small punnet of strawberries<br />20g caster sugar<br /><br />Pour the cream and milk into a small saucepan and add the lavendar sprigs. Bring this mixture to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.<br /><br />Whilst the milk/cream is simmering, soak the gelatine sheets in some cold water.<br /><br />Strain the milk/cream mixture into a bowl and add the sugar. Take the gelatine out of the water and squeeze it to get rid of excess water then add to the hot milk/cream mixture and stir thoroughly until dissolved.<br /><br />Pour the mixture into 6 individual moulds, allow to cool and then place in the fridge, covered in cling film, for at least 3 hours to set.<br /><br />To make the coulis, chop the rhubarb into 1 inch pieces and put into a small saucepan with a little of the sugar and a tablespoon or two of water. Cover the pan and put on a medium heat. When the rhubarb has started to soften add the strawberries (washed, hulled and halved). Cover the pan again and simmer further. When the fruit has softened and the juices are running add further sugar to taste (personally, I like the coulis quite sharp). Once the sugar is added empty the pan into a sieve and press the fuit through with a wooden spoon. Let the coulis cool and then refrigerate until needed.<br /><br />When the panna cottas have set, loosen them by running a sharp kinfe, which you have run under hot water, around the edges of the mould, then briefly but carefully submerge about 2/3rds of each mould in a shallow bowl of hot water. When you upend the moulds onto a plate the panna cotta should easily slide out. Decorate the top of each panna cotta with a sprig of lavender and either pour the coulis around the base of each or into a jug to be served separately.</strong>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-75922666941048947522008-09-03T11:00:00.000+01:002008-09-03T11:06:50.212+01:00My Favourite Chicken and Vegetable Soup<p>This weekend I am travelling to Wales to visit my mother. She is 87 and has been unwell for a little while. As she has little appetite I am planning to make her my favourite chicken and vegetable soup. I think I originally found this recipe in one of the early River Café cook books, but over the years it has, as a result of me forgetting to revisit the recipe and being unable to find some of the original ingredients, morphed into the following:<br /><br /><strong>Chicken and Vegetable Soup<br /><br />Firstly, get your stock underway by putting the following into a large pot of cold water:<br /><br />about 10 chicken wings,<br />one onion halved (with the skin left on as this gives the stock a great golden colour),<br />3 carrots (scrubbed and roughly chopped),<br />three sticks of celery (again scrubbed and chopped),<br />some parsley with stalks and<br />about 10 black peppercorns.<br /><br />Bring it to the boil and skim the surface and then let it simmer for about 2-3 hours.<br /><br />Whilst the stock is simmering, chop into quite small cubes:<br /><br />6 carrots,<br />A head of celery (with leaves if possible), and<br />2 large onions<br /><br />Sauté the vegetables very, very gently in some good olive oil for about 60 – 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they do not catch on the bottom of the pan. By the end of the cooking period the vegetables should be very soft. This is called a <em>sofritto</em> in Italian cooking I believe.<br /><br />When the stock is ready, strain it into the <em>sofritto</em> and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Retain the stock vegetables and wings. After 30 minutes add about half a large savoy cabbage (or even better a head of the Italian black cabbage <em>cavollo nero</em> if you can get it) which you have roughly chopped, and simmer for a further 30 minutes.<br /><br />At the end of the simmering liquidise half of the soup (or stir one of those wand blenders through the whole pot for about 15-20 seconds) and then season it with sea salt and, if necessary, black pepper before adding some of the chicken meat from the wings used to make the stock (shredded roughly).<br /><br />As a final touch, though probably not for an ailing mother, a good dollop of home made pesto is a perfect addition when serving.<br /></strong><br />The above may seem like a long winded process for a bowl of soup – but believe me it is worth it and it freezes beautifully too.</p>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-49602270006930386042008-09-01T10:17:00.000+01:002008-09-02T13:33:57.284+01:00Rain Stopped PlayFirstly I have to fess up that I borrowed the heading for this post from one of Louise's emails!<br /><br />The salad is made, the rucksack is packed, the pop up tent is, well, just sitting in the hallway in a no doubt highly coiled state, the car battery is charged (after a visit from Greengflag and 40 minutes aimless driving around Camberwell and Dulwich) and we are ready for some culture!<br /><br />We pick up Louise on the way to Dulwich village - at least I believe the apparition in bright orange waterproof gear is Louise! She emerges from her house with the words "Not looking bad is it?" as she peers up at the steely grey sky. At this point you have to remember that Louise originates from Aberdeen and spends a good deal of her time in the Arctic. She is also undertaking an Open University Course on understanding the weather and so is able to assure us that the 3 hour forecast from the Met Office is not looking too bad.<br /><br />We drive to the Crown and Geyhound in Dulwich Village where we are soon joined by Lucy who has come on her bicycle with a golf umbrella somehow attached. She also is in full wet weather gear. After a swift pint, during which I only just manage to avoid a major faux pas by enquiring whether Lucy has a bread maker (she was in fact up at 6am hand making the bread!), we head off to the park.<br /><br />It is by now around 7pm although the level of light would lead you to believe it was later - maybe November. We find the "stage" (really just a platform with some steel poles from which electrical cables are swagged with a series of lightbulbs attached). If you are having difficulty envisaging this, find a 10 year old and ask them to "draw something that would be really dangerous in a thunder storm".<br /><br />Unperturbed, we settle ourselves down on some rugs and set out the food. The salad is well received and Lucy's bread is just fantastic - banish all thoughts of breadmakers. She has made granary rolls which are glazed with some poppy seeds. With these she has brought some lovely Stilton and Cheddar cheeses to which I add some Gorwedd Caerphilly that I had bought a week or so ago but not got round to using. Lucy has also brought some home grown radishes which are great with the hummus from the salad.<br /><br />By now the play has started - as has a light drizzle. There are probably about 40 people in the audience and they all look like they are used to this outdoor entertainment lark. Not a tent in sight however but there looks to be plenty of room to pitch one should the need arise.<br /><br />Within 15 minutes the need certainly arises and Bren unleashes the beast that is the pop up tent. I have to say it certainly does what it says on the tin and within seconds there is a dry haven erected at the back of the, now thinning out, audience.<br /><br />We all crawl into the tent which meant we are now dry - yay. We have however failed to realise that heavy rain falling on a tent makes quite a din so, whilst we are dry and (at least three of us) can vaguely make out the actors through the downpour, we can hardly hear a word. 10 minutes later the second clap of thunder and flash of lightning leads to the performance being abandoned.<br /><br />My worst fears on the popping down of the pop up tent are realised and any advantage it has afforded in keeping us dry is wiped out by the drenching we get trying to get the thing down. In the end we crumple it up as best we can, ram it into the boot and slam the boot down before it can escape. It is currently still fully erect and drying off in a spare bedroom at home!<br /><br />Having packed things away we head back to Louise's for a delicious fruit salad of strawberry, nectarine and passion fruit with meringues and whipped cream. Louise is now trying to drum up support for a second visit to the play later in the week (heavy rain forecast all week). I find myself unable to attend for various reasons - not the least of which is the need to pop down a tent.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-60619358961922720522008-08-31T19:08:00.000+01:002008-09-03T11:08:58.488+01:00Is that a Lebanese Cucumber in your salad or are you just pleased to see me?Saturday 30 August - and believe it or not the sun is shining. In fact it is beating down on an unsuspecting London. Shorts are immediately donned and the pubs make proper use of their outside seating for the first time in a long while. I head into central London to get my hair cut and Bren joins me later. We head into Soho and spend a lengthy period quenching our summer thirst at a number of the local hostelries. As a result of this I waken on Sunday (late morning) not feeling at my sharpest and without any of the required ingredients for the salad I have promised for the theatre picnic this evening. I resolve to head to what I believe is a Middle Eastern grocers on the Walworth Road in the hopes of being able to source everything I need there. My mood and hangover do not improve when I discover my car has a flat battery. Thinking it wise to get the salad done first, I leave the car and take Bren's car for the short drive to the shop - noting as I go that the sun has disappeared and been replaced by low cloud! <div><br /></div><div>The shop turns out to be something of a treasure trove of things Middle Eastern (or possible Turkish - but I am not in the mood to be picky at this point!). The pavement area has a brilliant display of fruit and vegetables and I am soon collecting huge bunches of mint, dill and coriander which each cost considerably less that the rather pathetic plastic bags of herbs available in the supermarkets. They even appear to have Lebanese cucumbers (probably). I have researched them and they are described as smaller and sweeter than normal cucumbers and with a thinner, less tough skin. Wishing to avoid further disappointment and delay I convince myself that the small cucumbers on display are indeed of Lebanese origin and throw a couple into my basket. In fact the only thing I can't pick up at the grocers is the lamb fillet I need but at least I will have the satisfaction of looking disdainfully at the pathetic bags of herbs in Sainsburys when I call in there to pick up the lamb.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scornful looks having been thrown at the supermarket herbs I arrive home and make the following:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><strong>Cucumber, Pepper and Lamb Salad.</strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><strong>Marinade the lamb fillet in some olive oil, lemon juice, ground cumin and ground black pepper for about 30 minutes in the fridge.</strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><strong>Meanwhile, chop one red and one green pepper into very thin strips lengthways and then cut two Lebanese (!) cucumbers into thin batons (having discarded the watery seeds in the middle by scraping them out with a spoon). Combine these ingredients with one very finely chopped red onion, a cup of chopped mint and a half cup of each of chopped dill and coriander. The smell at this point is amazing!</strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><strong>Next cook your lamb fillet in a very hot griddle pan for about 2 or 3 minutes on each side (it should still be pink in the centre). Don't be tempted to turn the fillet or move it too soon but feel free to press down on it to get those nice chargrilled marks. When it is cooked, leave it to rest for 5 minutes and then slice it very thinly and add it to the salad. </strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><strong>Finally make a dressing with the juice of one lemon (add another half lemon if there does not seem to be much), some very good olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Season the dressing with sea salt and black pepper, pour over the salad and toss.</strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><br />I propose to serve this piled onto Turkish bread spread with some fantastic hummus that I picked up at the Middle Eastern grocers.<br /><br /></span></div><div>Now all I need to do is get my car to start.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div>TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-83545766260674861662008-08-26T14:51:00.000+01:002008-09-01T15:38:38.260+01:00The MenuThe tickets have been ordered for the outdoor performance of "A Winter's Tale" and thoughts have now turned to the food (and the weather). Louise has managed to rope in Lucy to join us for the evening. Lucy is a sculptor and landscape gardener and has agreed to bring some Neal's Yard cheeses and home made bread to the event. Louise has gone for the pudding option and is promising fruit salad, meringues and cream and I am going to make a salad of pink lamb, peppers and cucumber (Lebanese cucumbers if I can work out what exactly they are and where to get hold of them in Camberwell) to be served with Turkish bread and hummus. A perfect menu for a balmy summer's evening. This is the good news.<br /><br />The bad news is that the BBC weather site has now come to its senses and has changed its "light drizzle at worst" forecast to "Thundery Showers" for Sunday 31 August. I do not have the heart to enquire of the Globe theatre whether thundery showers constitute the extreme weather conditions in the face of which performances will not go ahead. Instead I resolve to buy a pop up tent even though I am not at all sure I can bring myself to overcome the embarrassment of erecting the thing should the need arise. I am also slightly un-nerved by the fact that there is no mention in the product description of the tent "popping down".I do however feel that the tent, combined with the rucksack picnic hamper that I have had for some time but never used, will give us the edge over other theatre goers should things turn ugly!TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3765548359583978322.post-3790793629429264032008-08-22T13:37:00.000+01:002008-09-01T14:10:08.440+01:00A Cultural Culinary idea"There are so many things on locally, and we never seem to get round to doing any of them". So began the conversation in the local pub (The Phoenix at Denmark Hill Station, London SE5 for those of you that like to place these things in a geographic context) when I met my partner Bren and my friend Louise for a post-work beer last week. Within the space of 30 minutes it had been decided to introduce a little oasis into the desert that was our cultural social life, by booking tickets for an open air production of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" to be performed by a touring cast from the Globe Theatre in Dulwich Park.<br /><br />Culture having been decided upon, Louise's thoughts immediately turned to the food we would all be preparing as, in Louise's book, no outdoor event, whether cultural or not, could be attended without an interesting food offering in tow. It was agreed that further thought would be given to this issue - food not being a subject to be rushed! Victuals having been put on the back burner, thoughts turned to the weather. Anybody reading this in the UK will know that Mother Nature has decided to dispense with Summer this year, preferring instead to replicate November on a monthly basis. However, there were rumours of a "nice weekend" and so with confidence levels high, it was decided that we would go to the first performance in the park which was to take place on Sunday evening.<br /><br />We were buoyed to discover from the Globe's website that performances would take place in "all but the most extreme weather conditions" and that the BBC weather forecast promised no more than light drizzle at worst on Sunday.<br /><br />We left the pub with promises of liaising on the food offering and with Louise intent on drumming up some further recruits for a balmy evening with the Bard.TonyMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05075746187457585998noreply@blogger.com0