Thecelticcook

A NASTY SURPRISE!

2012-01-26T05:37:00.003-06:00

Once again it was time to serve up haggis for Burn's Night. Anyone who reads this blog regularly may remember last year was a bit of a disaster due to a very hot pan coming into contact with my hand. My eyes still water at the memory.
However the pain forgotten, and determined to make this year's dinner an altogether more pleasurable one, I bought my haggis and neeps, and planned to keep it very simple and very traditional.

Aforementioned haggis was bought from Waitrose, a product of McSween, a very reputable haggis making company. I was so looking forward to it.

Tatties and neeps ready. Removed haggis from oven and much to my surprise it didn't looked cooked, it was altogether too pale. It was hot, so I decided to give it another 15 mins. But again it looked the same, but now piping hot. I started to dish up, and it was at this point I spotted traces of carrot and nuts, amongst other things that have no place in a haggis.

I couldn't have, surely not! I retrieved the packaging from the bin and scoured the labelling. No obvious reference to what I suspected, but there, on the ingredients list, confirmed my worst fears. It was a vegetarian haggis. So wrong on so many levels. I did eventually find it written on the packaging but it was not obvious. I had made a horrible mistake.

I served it up anyway, and to be honest, it was as I had suspected. Not at all haggis like. The texture was all wrong and the seasoning wasn't doing it for me. I was so disappointed.

So this leads me to something that I have been saying for a long time

"Vegetarians please get your own name for foods. Leave our food words for us. We have the sausage, the burger and the haggis to name a few, you must find your own words"
Then maybe no one else will make this dreadful mistake.

Whew! Good to get that off my chest.

So once again a Burn's night which didn't go to plan. Oh well there's always next year. Maybe I should do a few practice runs during the year. I have to get it right eventually.

PASTA CARBONARA

2011-10-04T08:04:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it's good to revisit old recipes. Sometimes, I get so caught up in trying something new, I leave some of the oldies out in the cold. I've decided it's time to remedy this and go back to some of the meals I used to cook regularly, and more than that, we enjoyed.

The first dish I decided to revisit was PASTA CARBONARA. This was one of my husband's favourites and I knew he would be pleased to be reacquainted with it. I had watched him order it many times in Italian restaurants so I knew he was going to be very happy tonight.

With just six ingredients and a cooking time of around eight minutes, it's a wonder I stopped cooking this at all. It is everything I love about cooking, easy, quick and tasty.

SERVES 4
400g spaghetti
100g pancetta
butter
1 garlic clove, halved
4 egg100g parmesan, grated

Cook pasta according to instructions on packet.

Put pancetta into a cold frying pan and slowly bring to a high heat. Once it starts giving up it's oil add the knob of butterand halved garlic clove..
Fry until pancetta is browned but not crispy. Remove the garlic and keep pan warm.

Beat eggs with most of the cheese. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving a couple of tbsp of cooking water. Tip back into pot and add egg and cheese mixture and pancetta..

Mix together. I find tongs the easiest way. Add plenty of black pepper and enough of the pasta water to make it look "saucy"

Pile onto plates and sprinkle over rest of grated parmesan.

I sometimes add a handful of peas to the last couple of minutes of pasta cooking time. Don't know why. Just like it I guess.
Serve with garlic bread and, or a crisp green salad for a tasty supper dish.

So now I will be revisiting chilli, bolognese amongst a few of my old recipes. A bit of a trip down memory lane in this household for a bit. Not to say I won't still be in there experimenting with something new.

"

A JAMMY PAN

2011-09-19T09:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, in the knowledge that my husband would be spending the day watching football, added to which it was raining cats and dogs outside, I decided this would be a good day to make some jam.

I had bought the plums, I had the sugar so I was good to go.

I pulled out my preserving pan and got started. I cooked down the plums with the water, as per recipe instructions, after 40 mins added the sugar brought it to the boil, turned it down and was soon greeted with the smell of burning sugar! This seemed wrong, no, I knew it was wrong. All was not well. Burning sugar is not altogether an unpleasant smell, but not one I had expected with jam making. I turned it off immediately but still it kept bubbling away. I couldn't pour it down the sink, so I sat it in cold water.

Soon I was scraping molten sugar from the bottom of my pan. I was left with a crust of burnt on sugar. I actually considered at this point about just throwing the whole thing in the bin. But this seemed a bit drastic so I set to work on it. This was going to be a long job. Then I remembered having read somewhere about putting some water into the bottom of a pan and to add a dishwasher tablet, and then bring to the boil. It was worth a try.

I watched in amazement as the burnt on crust started to come away and float to the top. I had to repeat it but the result was fantastic. A quick wipe with a cloth and my pan looked good as new. I was so happy. As I thought I would be waving goodbye to it.

So this blog has not provided you with any cooking instructions, but instead, an easy and amazing way to rescue pans. Tuck this away for a day when you might need it.

Decided the problem I had was the pan was too large for amount of jam I was making. So next time I'm going to use smaller pan, I'm not risking losing twice the amount of fruit and sugar. I'll keep you informed.

Well I guess you can't win them all, and you can buy pretty good jams, so maybe I won't be making another attempt at it.

COCONUT,BLUEBERRY and LIME CAKES

2011-09-16T08:58:00.009-05:00

Friday at last! I love the weekend, a time to be with my husband and to relax, to do whatever we want. I don't want to be tied to the kitchen all weekend so I like to try and prepare a few things to leave in the fridge, ready to be eaten when we feel like it.
It has to be food which won't spoil after a few days in the fridge, so pates, soups, quiche and casseroles are all favourites. I also like to put something tasty into the cookie jar or cake plate.

Today I put together a soup. Minestrone. I made it from the bits and pieces in the fridge which needed using up before I put fresh stuff in. So courgette, carrot, potato, leek and cabbage were all used up. Added a tin of haricot beans and a handful of orzo and some frozen peas, that was all it took to produce a nice pot of soup. I know I am not blogging the soup recipe but thought you might like to see it bubbling in the pot. Wish you could smell it!

For a sweet treat I made some delicious little cakes. Couldn't find the tin I wanted so used a muffin pan. Meant I got fewer, but bigger cakes. Good or bad, you decide.

115g softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2tsp finely grated lime zest
2 large eggs
5 tbsp double cream (Heavy cream) I had none so used creme fraiche.
1 cup plain flour (all purpose)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 180c (350f)
Butter and flour 9 muffin cups

Beat sugar, lime zest and butter until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time until well combined. Beat in the cream. Slowly mix in flour and salt.
Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and blueberries. Mix well together.
Spoon into muffin cups. I use an ice cream scoop.
Sprinkle tops with remaining coconut and bake for 20-25 mins or until edges are golden.
Turn out onto a rack and cool.

I couldn't resist sampling while they were still warm. I loved the lime and blueberry together, although I was struggling to taste the coconut, perhaps the lime was a bit too intense. But I liked the favour and will cook these again. Not sure how long they will last but something sweet and delicious for the weekend, check.

Now I just have the weekend to look forward to. There will of course be some cooking but i know I won't be spending all my time preparing meals.

Have a great weekend everyone. Happy cooking.

COURGETTE FRITTERS

2011-09-14T09:28:00.005-05:00

Spent a lovely day in the kitchen today. The sun was shining outside but it is definitely an Autumnal sun, not a lot of warmth in it. A perfect day to potter around in the kitchen.

I had planned to make some mushroom soup, and once again I am surprised how little time it takes to produce a pot of fresh healthy soup. It was ready for me to have a small sample bowl for lunch. This would be supper tonight, served with chicken baguettes. I was looking for marinade ingredients for the chicken when I came across some courgettes I had bought at the farmer's market. I decided I should do something with them that was more exciting than my usual offerings.

I remembered seeing a recipe for COURGETTE FRITTERS fairly recently, and remembered thinking I must try them out. This seemed the perfect time. I had scribbled down the recipe and knew, for once, just where I'd put it.

A quick check to make sure I had all the ingredients. No problem, anyone will have the few things needed in their kitchen.

I set to work. I was amazed at the amount of liquid that I was able to squeeze out of the grated courgettes. This prevents them being soggy. They were quick, easy and delicious. I made 8 from the mixture with a little sample one, or should I say misshapen
one for me to test them out. A dab of sour cream made them even more delicious. I was struggling not to work my way through more. However, I was good, and left well alone, as who knows how many I would have made my way through!

2 medium Courgettes (about 500g)
1tsp course salt
2 Spring Onions ( finely chopped)
1 Large egg (beaten)
S&P
1/2 cup of SR Flour
!/2 tsp baking powder
Oil for frying.

Grate courgettes and place in a bowl with the salt. Leave for 10 mins then transfer to clean tea towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You will be surprised at the amount. Put back into bowl add egg, spring onion, S&P and mix well.
Now add the flour and B.P and stir to combine.

Heat oil in frying pan and drop spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Make the about 5cm (2") round. Cook until browned on one side then flip over and cook on other side until cooked through. About 4-5 mins in total.

They can be eaten immediately or re- heated in a hot oven at 170c (325f)for 15mins.

This amount of mixture should make 8-10 fritters depending on size. Serve with a drop of sour cream and enjoy this delicious little snack.

Now that summer is over I expect that there will be a lot more days to come when I will be found pottering around in my kitchen. A good time to try out all these recipes I've promised myself I'll make. In summer the kitchen really isn't where you want to be spending your time. So I look forward now to cooking my way through winter. Lol.

WHO'S BEHIND THE NAME?

2011-09-10T08:13:00.004-05:00

Don't you feel cheated when something fails to deliver, doesn't offer what it says on the tin!

This happened to me recently when I walked into a "Maison Blanc" patisserie. The promise of something backed by the famous Raymond Blanc was very appealing. I was not naive enough to think he would actually be there, or in fact had ever stepped over the threshold. However, I did expect it to deliver his reputation for good service and good food. Sadly it failed miserably on both counts.

As we entered the shelves were full of Raymond Blanc cookbooks, most of which adorn my bookshelves, his merchandise filled the area. This it seems is where he stops and Maison Blanc takes over.

Staff were indifferent, and the food we ordered was so bad we returned it. Lettuce was brown, cucumber way past being edible and bread so thin in sandwich it couldn't be persuaded to be lifted away from the filling without falling apart.

The waiter removed the food, said he would only charge for the drinks. Very kind of him! When we explained the problem he said he would speak to the kitchen. He returned saying they were now putting out fresh salad. Since when did a kitchen need to be told by customers that it was time to put out fresh ingredients?

On arriving home I went on to the website and lodged my complaint. A message came right back saying I would be contacted within 72 hours. A week passed, nothing. I was feeling really cheated by Monsieur Blanc so decided to write directly to him at
"Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons"

Within a few days I had a reply. I was excited to see the envelope, but the excitement was short lived, as basically what it said was "Maison Blanc has nothing to do with me!" I was shocked. How can he allow his name to be used in a way that can only undermine his reputation. Has he no regard for people who assume because of his name they will be assured of good service and good food? Obviously not in this case. He did not even make an attempt at an apology.

Apparently he sold them on in 2007. Now he acts only as a consultant in a limited capacity. And no doubt still makes money from them.

He did pass on my complaint and I received an apology from head office of new company, along with £15 in vouchers, and a promise to look into the problem. However I doubt if I will ever use them as the experience has left such a bad taste, but at least some attempt at putting things right was made.

I am sorry that my opinion of Raymond Blanc has be spoiled in this way. He has gone down in my estimation.

I know he is not the only chef who puts his name to establishments and merchandise, but surely they have some responsibility to customers who think they are paying for something they are not.

Chefs seem to have been elevated to superstar status over the last few years. Maybe it's time for them to stick to what they know best. I have no doubt Raymond Blanc is a first class chef, but sadly for me that is where he ends.

SALAD CREAM

2011-08-15T07:26:00.007-05:00

Enjoying the memories brought back after our weekend picnic I began to think how the simple things in life had been replaced with more complicated and sophisticated tastes in life.

When I was young I had never heard of mayonnaise, it was always salad cream we would have. Our salad too would be so simple, usually containing only cold ham, lettuce, tomato, spring onion and hard boiled eggs. Never cucumber because my dad didn't like it. There would of course be chips with it, or sometimes boiled new potatoes. Beetroot and coleslaw would be on the table for those who wanted it.I had never heard of croutons or dressings. There would be a plate of white sliced buttered bread, and we would drink tea. How things have changed.

The next time you serve a salad be amazed at the changes time and fashion have made to your plate. Continental meats, salads of pasta, rice, and couscous to name a few. A whole host of salad leaves adorn our plates, and there are so many choices of tomatoes and peppers that it would take a whole blog to do them justice.

I wonder do we have too much choice?

I thought it would be nice to make my own salad cream. To pay homage to days gone by. As I write this I am realising by doing so I am indulging in the pretentiousness of the foodie world. I can just hear myself say "Of course I do make my own salad cream" LOL. Therefore negating the simplicity of bygone days. None the less I am going to blog the recipe after all we should know what is in our food. Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Also it made for a, hopefully, good blog.

I don't say this tastes exactly like the bottled stuff but it's pretty good.

The recipe states olive oil but I found this too powerful and used instead a light oil, something like sunflower would do. Or you could try a very light olive oil.

SERVES 4-6

1 tsp English Mustard
1tsp white sugar
203 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
150 mls Evaporated Milk (yes this is right!)
150 mls Oil ( either a very light olive oil or a vegetable oil)

Mix mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar together in a bowl.
Add in evaporated milk and mix well.
Gradually mix in oil until you have a creamy texture.
Check seasoning and chill until ready to use.

How easy is that?
A trip down memory lane. In a few minutes, with a few simple ingredients you too could be making that trip.

THE BRITISH PICNIC

2011-08-14T10:17:00.009-05:00

Having some friends arriving from USA, and as they are Scots, I wanted to make their time back here a British as I could. Make them realise some of the good old things they'd left behind. I knew it was going to be a fun weekend, and wanted to make it a fun weekend to remember.

I decided to have a picnic on the beach on the Saturday, weather permitting. Given the weather in recent weeks I knew I would have no trouble keeping sandwich fillings moist as the chances of hot sunshine were few and far between.

I decided to make Scotch Eggs, but with a difference. I wanted to make the filling with black pudding instead of the usual sausage meat. However I had a bit of trouble making it stick to the eggs, don't think it was moist enough, but eventually I mixed half sausage meat and half black pudding, this resulted in a good moist mixture which moulded perfectly around the eggs. The end result was delicious, and they went down well.

A quiche, sausage rolls, some sandwiches, salad cream and a jar of Branston Pickle made the picnic uniquely British. I put in Banana Bread and some fresh fruit for dessert. Of course we needed a flask of tea, Twinings of course. I packed it all up in a disposable, but very beautiful picnic hamper from Cath Kidston. It had matching containers, napkins and paper plates all includes. We packed the picnic rug and off we went.

Soon we were at Mudeford, a beautiful beach, only 40 minutes away.

Then the fun began. The wind was blowing but eventually we secured the blanket, unpacked the picnic, and as predicted sandwiches had retained their moistness and everything else was as it should be. Soon we we tucking into it all. I can safely say the sandwiches were truly SANDwiches by the time we ate them. There was sand in the tea and the pickle, but hey it wouldn't be a real picnic if this didn't happen.

We laughed a lot. Paddled in the sea. People must have thought we were crazy, and I have to say they weren't all that wrong. It is so good to laugh and have fun with people.

The obligatory ice cream cones were eaten with relish. We were all transported back to childhood I suspect. I was happy I had remembered to pack the moist wipes, as just like children we needed them to clean up the mess we had made with the ice cream.

It was a wonderful day, spent with wonderful friends, and one which will remain in my memory for a while.

Sometimes it's good just to let your hair down and go a little crazy. Try it. You'll like it for sure.

Sadly our friends left today and the house seems ever so quiet without them. We miss them, but don't tell them that lol.

AFTERNOON TEA

2011-08-08T09:49:00.008-05:00

Last week I had a friend staying with me for a few days and thought it would be nice for her to meet some of my new friends. So I contacted a few of my supper club friends and arranged an afternoon tea at a local restaurant. Formerly Dock Gate 4, it has gone under a remarkable makeover, and is now called Grand Cafe.

I loved the new decor. Lots of black and white zebra covered chairs, jewel coloured cushions, fantastic eclectic styled lights and I was happy to see the wallpaper I have on my guest room wall adorning some of the walls of the restaurant. How cool must I be?
The decor divided our group. I think you either will love it or hate it. I loved it.

But the decor was not why we had come, it was to enjoy an afternoon tea with friends. There is something really nice sitting around a beautifully set table, chatting and catching up with old friends, while at the same time meeting new people. One of my friends had a Spanish lady with her and she was just loving the very English experience of enjoying afternoon tea. I think we forget just how special traditions like these are. I think it is important to keep them going, and I am happy to see they seem to be very much in fashion at the moment.

We were seated in a lovely alcove at a large table covered in white linen. We were seven ladies in all and all eagerly looking forward to our afternoon tea. A couple of the ladies requested coffee, so wrong, so UN- English but it was brought without fuss or questioning. The rest of us had pots of tea brought to the table, and of course we all enjoyed a glass of champagne. Just to make the event really special.

The sandwiches, scones and cakes arrived on traditional tierd plates. Bowls of clotted cream and fresh strawberries sat alongside the scones. Smoked salmon, egg, prawns, ham and mustard and cheese sandwiches adorned the bottom tier, cakes and pastries the middle tier and the scones and accompaniments on top. It all looked very tempting. Soon we were all tucking in. So now we were doing what we girls love doing best, enjoying lovely food with good friends and loving every minute of it.

As we were leaving we decided we must make a habit of continuing this tradition of taking afternoon tea together. I look forward to doing it again soon.

Maybe I will even organise one in my home. Break out the white table linen and best china for the occasion. Yes I think I will, and soon.

WOODEN SPOON UPDATE

2011-08-08T04:29:00.005-05:00

Thanks for all the comments on wooden spoons. Seems opinion is divided, but love them or hate them it seems we all recognise we need them in the kitchen.

I am now in possession of some new spoons thanks to Amazon. Don't know why that isn't always my first port of call. I can now go and cook up a storm.

Have a great week cooking everyone and think of me when you use your wooden spoons, ha ha.

WOODEN SPOONS

2011-07-28T09:51:00.002-05:00

Has anyone recently tried to purchase good wooden spoons?

I have just had a clear out and thrown away all my wooden spoons and spatulas, mainly because they were cracked and probably not at all hygienic. I was feeling very pleased with myself until I went to replace them. Ikea, no, they did have some wooden salad servers but not what I wanted. I was in a store in town where I was sure I would be able to buy them, again no. Lots of plastic or silicone brightly coloured ones, but not a wooden spoon in sight.

Today I was in ASDA and eagerly snapped up the one wooden spatula they had left in stock. Can this be true?

What is the deal with this? Are they an endangered species or what? Are they no longer considered practical or useful. Or maybe they have simply gone out of fashion. All I know is as much as I love my coloured silicone spatulas and spoons I do love my wooden spoons.

So I will continue the hunt. I will track some down somewhere. In the meantime I must be careful not to melt, again, one of my expensive fashionable utensils. The worst that ever happens to my wooden ones is a bit of charring, lol Adds to the flavour.

Wish me luck..

CHINESE WEDDING FEAST

2011-07-24T13:27:00.011-05:00

Five hours after arriving in Shanghai we were heading out to a Chinese wedding reception. We'd had a few hours sleep, a nice shower, and put on our best clothes. We hoped we could give the evening our best shot, hoped we had left the jet lag behind in the hotel room.

What would lie ahead? We had no idea.

As we entered the venue tables were laid out ahead of us, draped in red, and looking quite beautiful and inviting. We were surprised to be seated at the table of the bride and groom. We felt very honoured indeed. The groom is a colleague of my husband's, and a native of Newcastle, the bride a born and bread Shanghai girl who speaks English with a distinct Geordie accent. Very amusing. Soon we were seated, and the food began to arrive.

Plates of food were brought to the table, and each one looking more delicious than the other, with a couple of exceptions. I just could not have partaken in the chicken head and feet combo!

Also a whole duck displayed from head to tail on the plate, and for some reason unknown to us, tied with a red ribbon, made us move quickly onto something more palatable. And there were certainly no shortage of delicious looking dishes.
Later when we heard the beak and anus had to be eaten, we were relieved we had missed out on this delicacy.

Shrimp and lobster, chicken and pork, a bowl of hot pepper soup were a few of the offerings. Everything coated in tasty sauces, and more than a few of them a challenge to our chopstick skills. By the end of the evening we were becoming quite proficient and by the end of the holiday were managing without any problems at all. Well, we did eat Chinese twice a day for 15 days! Except for a couple of falls by the wayside, once, when one lunchtime Subway called our name, and on another evening when the food on offer was of an international flavour. But apart from that we certainly embraced the Eastern Cuisine with open arms.

As soon as one plate was empty it was replaced by another plate, just as interesting and inviting as the one before. The arrival of food went on for several hours. People got up and socialised, then would come back to eat some more. It was all very different from what we were used to, but very enjoyable.

One plate which had just been brought to the table was looking very appetising. I wasn't sure what it was, it looked like pork fillet covered in a sauce. I was now getting very brave, maybe it was the few glasses of wine, or the jet lag kicking in, but I decided on this occasion to just go for it

.

I struggled to hold it between my chopsticks, it felt slippery. But also aware of eyes on me, I realised I had gone beyond the point of no return! I managed to lift it to my lips and as it entered I could feel the weirdest texture fill my mouth. The only way I can describe it is as lying somewhere between spongy and gelatinous. Not great. However, I managed to overcome the textural issue and realised there was no real flavour to it. When I finally asked what it was I was told it was sea cucumber. So, nothing awful, but not the most pleasant thing I'd ever eaten. However I was told this was not the best one and I really should try it again. Maybe not just yet!

Dessert arrived in the form of fresh fruit plates piled high. Melon, watermelon, dragon fruit and lychees. A delicious end to a delicious feast.

I was so happy to have been part of this celebration. It was a wonderful start to our Chinese adventure. Travel is a wonderful way of broadening the mind and of appreciating other cultures, and to be part of this special day will live with me forever. I fell in love with China, the people, the food and the culture, and hope to go back one day.

I want to end this blog with a picture of the happy couple and to wish them a long and happy life together. Also to thank them for including us in their celebrations and starting our holiday out with a bang, and I am not talking about the amazing firework display at the end of the night. Thank you Albert and Wen.

Chinese Food

2011-07-20T05:22:00.007-05:00

Just returned from a wonderful holiday in China, and of course enjoyed some wonderful cuisine.

However sometimes all was not clear as these photos will prove!

I'm still a bit jet lagged so I thought I would keep it simple so, this is just a small taster of a better blog to come, I hope!

The local Chinese will never be quite the same again.

I hope you find this as funny and as intriguing as I did. In case you are wondering, no we didn't order any of the above lol. Well what would you have chosen?

VEGGIE PATCH

2011-06-30T08:52:00.006-05:00

Before I head of on my holiday I want to share with you a few examples of my home grown veg. Bemoaning the fact I had left a beautiful vegetable garden in the US, and finding myself with no more than a deck, I decided to see if I could do anything with it.

On my main deck, the bigger of the two, I have filled with flowers and planters. I have plants growing up trellis and hanging down from baskets and an abundance of pots and planters. On the rare days of sunshine it is a pleasure to sit out there with a glass of wine and admire what can be done on a small area.

On the smaller deck I decide to plant some veg. Some more successful than others. The asparagus shot, but I was away for a few days and that was when it decided to grow.

However I have harvested some potatoes, strawberries and peppers so far. The courgettes are looking healthy, and tomatoes in full flower. I have a patio plum tree and 2 patio cherry trees, all doing well. I'm not so confident about my blueberry bush but time will tell. Sadly my radishes failed to flourish, don't know why.

My lettuce and herbs are a regular feature in our meals, so all in all I am pleased with the results.

So now as I head off for two weeks I am leaving the watering to a neighbour. She also is growing on her deck, so hopefully will nurture my plants as well as she does her own. Hopefully I'll come come home to some delicious tomatoes and courgettes.

China is my destination so I hope to come back with some good blog stories. In the meantime I will not be posting for a couple of weeks, but look forward to sharing my foodie tales on my return.

FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER

2011-06-25T09:07:00.003-05:00

For us Friday night has always been a night for relaxing and chilling out. The end of a week comes with an expectation of relaxation, and the prospect of a fun weekend together.

Often my husband will have been travelling all week and is happy to return home and unwind. By Saturday he will be ready to do whatever needs to be done.

So for this reason supper on Friday has to be simple affair. He will have been eating in hotels and restaurants while away, and he longs for something homely, and hopefully delicious.

One of his favourites is something we were given as children, but I don't remember it quite so fondly as I do now. I guess our taste buds grow and our taste in food develops. So now a piece of smoked haddock poached in milk with toast and a poached egg fits the Friday night bill perfectly. I also look forward to this supper dish. Sometimes I do kick it up a bit and make a fish soup, but it is in it's simplest form that serves the purpose on a Friday night after a hard week at work.

This is not a recipe, I couldn't insult you with a recipe. It is simply a look into my life, into how we eat, what we eat and the reason behind my choices. So all I will say is take your smoked haddock, cover it in milk, add a grind of pepper, a pinch of salt and a knob of butter. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer for 10-15 mins depending on thickness of fish. A few snips of chives into the finished dish is all that is required. A piece of toasted french bread with a poached egg on top is all that is needed to make it a filling supper dish.

A nice bottle of wine and Friday night is complete.

Sometimes we do eat out, but deep down I know this is my husbands preferred option. So what's a girl to do?

CHERRY DELIGHT

2011-06-15T09:31:00.005-05:00

There is nothing nicer than a delicious dessert to finish off a meal. The only thing is sometimes I find them just a little too sweet, so when I was given this recipe I was delighted to find that it provided the perfect end to a meal without too much sweetness. However, don't be put off by this it is really delicious.

The ricotta mixed with the cream cuts through the sweetness, and when the cherry juices soak through into it, it not only tastes good but looks good too. Easy enough for a mid week treat but also special enough to serve at your next dinner party.

200g cherries (170g) stoned weight Serves 4
4 tbsp sugar.

Cook the stoned cherries in a pan with the sugar on a low heat until softened, about 10-15 mins. At this point I add a splash of brandy but it is optional!
Leave to cool in pan.

250g ricotta, 200ml double cream
piece of vanilla stick.

Whip cream until stiff. Scrape out vanilla seeds and whisk into the ricotta with the icing sugar. Mix into the cream. Refrigerate.

Meanwhile put 70g sugar into a pan with 50g almonds. Put on low heat and leave until sugar melts, DO NOT stir. You will tell it is ready when the sugar is dissolved you can smell the caramel. Pour out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper and spread out. Leave to cool.

When cold put another sheet of greaseproof paper on top and and pound until you have shards of praline.

To make up put a some cherries into the bottom of a glass, add ricotta mousse and finish with a cherry. This can be done up to an hour before serving. Just before serving add the praline, if you do this earlier it will melt into the mousse.

So easy you will be making it a regular dessert in your home too. Hope you enjoy it.

NEW COOKBOOK and a WET SUNDAY

2011-06-13T08:00:00.010-05:00

Yesterday was wet! Very wet, rain poured down all day. So having been browsing a new cookbook all week, ORIENT EXPRESS by SYLVENA ROWE, there seemed no better time to put it to the test.

I have other books of hers and love them. They are Eastern Mediterranean dishes, covering Turkey, Istanbul, Beirut, Damascus and all places between. The spices and herbs used in these recipes are aromatic and absolutely divine. I love the way she writes the book. A cookbook with a bit of history and background into the food and recipes. I find myself looking more and more towards books like this.

I hope you will enjoy my first efforts.

I decided I would make the hummus followed by Spiced Lamb Filo Cigars with Za'atar and Pistachio Cream.

The hummus was easy to do. I had soaked the chick peas overnight, I so often forget this when planning, so already I was off to a good start.

HUMMUS Serves 10 to share.

500g dried chickpeas ( soaked overnight )
1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
4-5 ice cubes
4 tbsp tahini
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon

Drain chickpeas and put into a pan with fresh water and bicarbonate of soda and bring to a boil. Turn to simmering until peas are soft. About 40mins. Skim off water from time to time.

Drain and put 1 tbsp to the side. Blend rest of peas in processor, dropping in ice cubes one by one. It will produce a smooth white mixture. I had to coax it a bit but it was worth the extra time,

Add tahini garlic and lemon juice. Mix and put into serving dish. Scatter the reserved peas on top.

Before serving drizzle with a little olive oil. This was my addition.

Serve with toasted pita bread.

First attempt successful. Onto next recipe, which was a bit more complicated, but did not put me off.

One of the ingredients for the recipe is za'atar which can be bought in some stores, but a recipe is given so I decided to make it up myself. This I will give you before the recipe in full.

ZA'ATAR Makes 6-8 Tbsp

8 fresh oregano sprigs, roughly torn
8 fresh lemon thyme sprigs roughly torn (luckily I have both of these in pots on my deck)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp ground sumac
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin

Simply combine all ingredients. Store in jam jar in fridge for up to a week.

SPICED LAMB FILO CIGARS Serves 8-10 sharing

1tsp olive oil
350g lamb neck fillet
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery sticks finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and very finely diced
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
100mls lamb stock, I used a cube here
1 tsp ras-el-hanout, available in some supermarkets or halal stores.
S&P
12-14 sheets of filo pastry
2 tbsp of melted butter

Pre heat oven to 180c (350)
Heat oil in ovenproof casserole and brown the lamb all over
Add ginger, celery, carrots, garlic and chillies. Saute for a few minutes then stir in stock.
Cover and put into oven for 45 mins until tender. Leave in pot until cool enough to handle.

Once cooled shred the meat, mash the veg and add to lamb with the ras-el-hanout and season to taste.

Cut filo into 10cm x 10cm squares

Spoon some of the filling along one edge, fold over sides and roll. Brush butter over end to seal. Place seam side down on baking sheet and brush with melted butter.

Cook in oven for 10-20 mins, until brown. Serve with pistachio cream.

Now for the pistachio cream.

100 mls double cream
1tsp za'atar
50g fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
25g pistachios, finely ground
25g pistachios roughly chopped.

Whip cream then add all the other ingredients. Easy as that.

I served it with mashed sweet potato with lemon juice, garlic and ground almond. This is called SKORDALIA in the book.

The meal was delicious and well worth the effort. Next time it won't take so long as I now know the steps. It has made me interested and excited about these flavours which are new to me, and also happy to have found a very helpful young man in a local Halal store who is happy to help me source the ingredients, and who is also vey knowledgable about the products, and interested in the outcome of my endeavours. Perhaps I will pop in a jar of hummus for him!

However I will not be stopping there as I have many recipes flagged with stickers and I plan to work my way through each and every one of them.

My husband loved it and is looking forward to the next attempts at my Eastern Mediterranean cooking. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This book is so worth seeking out.

SUMMERTIME SNACKS

2011-06-06T05:12:00.004-05:00

When summer arrives, and I'm sure it will, I love to have food in the fridge ready to eat when we want it. Often I don't want to be cooking when the sun is shining, I want to be out there enjoying it while it lasts. Anyone who knows what a British Summer can be like will agree with me on that.

I like to make up various pasta dishes, pates, usually a salmon or mackerel, or perhaps a chicken liver pate. With the help of fresh salad ingredients chutneys and breads you can have a delicious summer plate ready in minutes. Everyone getting something they like.

Quiche is often on this summer menu but last week I decide to go with a summer frittata, basically a quiche without the crust.

I had courgette, or zucchini depending which side of the Atlantic you are on, some broad beans and I guessed with the help of some frozen peas and spring onions I had the makings of a frittata.

At the last minute I added some goats cheese and I am happy to say managed to turn out a very nice "crustless quiche". No risk of soggy pastry which is always a blessing.

It would languish along side the salads and pate ready to be eaten when anyone was hungry. Happy to have nice new addition to summer snacks.

olive oil
1 courgette
handful of podded and skinned broad beans (fava)
handful of frozen peas (defrosted)
2-3 spring onions
6 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
S&P
goats cheese crumbled.

Heat oven to 180c (350F)
In a 10" (20cm) frying pan heat oil and lightly fry the courgette
whisk eggs and add chopped spring onions, salt and pepper, peas and beans
pour over the courgette in the pan
stir around as you would for an omelet
when it starts to set sprinkle over goats cheese and pop pan into pre heated oven for 15-20 mins.
when golden and puffed remove and allow to cool for a little bit.
turn out onto a plate and leave to cool completely.

Now you have something ready to eat when you want. Delicious cold and sliced, or can be eaten warm too.

So I call it a frittata, some may call it tortilla, or perhaps just an omelet but whatever you call it, make it and enjoy it.
Fillings can of course vary according to what you have to hand. But it is a good way to use up some leftovers in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.

MY ITALIAN EXPERIENCE

2011-06-01T11:45:00.002-05:00

Just back from a week in Bologna, Italy, and what a week it was. A week of over indulgence in every sense of the word. Eating, drinking, lazing the days away strolling around food markets and upmarket stores. Even spent a day at an Italian cooking School. It was a wonderful week, and more than enough material for one blog, so I will probably become an" Italian bore" over the next few weeks.

First I have to tell of my cooking school experience. My husband booked it as a surprise. As he would be at work he knew a one day class would keep me not only busy, but make me very happy indeed. Gee that guy knows me so well!

It was a one to one class. Just myself and Carmelita. We e-mailed each other a few times before the day. She wanted to know what I would like to cook, if I wanted to make fresh pasta, yes please, and if I had any foods I did not like. It was arranged we would meet @ 8-45 on the Friday morning in Cafe Terezi. She would be in the back room. A busy Bologna rush hour made me wonder if I had left enough time, but with the help of a crazy Italian cab driver I just made it. As arranged there she was. We had coffee, the best in the area according to her, and set about writing a shopping list. We then headed to the food markets to pick up our ingredients. On route we managed to take in a Balsamic tasting, Mmm! before heading to her apartment to prepare the menu.

We would be cooking:

Involtini di Pesce Espada
---
Ravioli de Pesce al Pomodoro e vongole
---
Coppa di Ciliegie e Ricotta al Croccante di Mandorla

So a filled, rolled swordfish to start, homemade pasta filled with shrimp and fish with a tomato and clam dressing, and to finish a layered cherry and ricotta cream with almond praline. Although on this occasion as I do not like almonds we used hazelnuts

.

Carmelita lived in a lovely Bologna apartment and her small but very practical kitchen seemed to hold everything needed to produce good food. The vibe was good, she was good company and a good teacher. As we worked our way through the starter I was eager to get started on making the pasta, and soon we were ready .
.

It was a very long and laboured proccess, different to what I had seen on TV or read in books. It was however very satisfying. After a few falters and good natured telling offs, I started to get the feel for it. I couldn't possibly give instructions here it is way to complicated. It's not so much the steps but the way it feels and reacts which just cannot be explained. All I can say is we used 2 whole eggs, I had always thought you only used egg yolks, to 200g of flour. Simple ingredients which produced a delightful course to eat later in the day. There was still work to be done.

As the pasta dough rested we made a very important trip to the local wine store to pick the wine for the meal. A chat with the owner and we were sorted. He wanted to know what we were eating and suggested a Riesling, Italian not German!

I was so impressed by the passion and knowledge everyone had for their products. We have lost this here in Britain and it really is so important. I think it is the passing of small independent stores which has caused this. We all rush to giant supermarkets here, we are all too busy to take time and really think about what we are buying. How can you ever tell how fresh a tomato is if it is covered in plastic, or how fresh a piece of fish is? It was a real treat to wander round the stalls with everything laid out temptingly, and the assistant on hand to impart their knowledge of their product. I know with Farmer's Markets on the rise here we all want this food shopping experience but this is still a long way from what I saw in Bologna.

I know it would be a luxury to be able to shop every couple of days for the freshest results instead of filling freezers and fridges. I think that it is because generally kitchens are much smaller over there they have less space for storage or huge fridges, forcing their shopping habits to be as they are. Perhaps this is how most of us would dream of shopping given the time, I do hope so.

So back with the wine. Popped into fridge while pasta was filled. There is definitely a knack to this and even in the short time I was able to pack in more filling than I could with the first lot. Time is of the essence to stop it drying out. By rolling out just small amounts at a time this should help, but you still need to be quick. Thanks for your patience Carmelita.

Job done. Dessert prepared. Water on to boil, dressing ready and wine opened. Now the big test.

Carmelita set her table and we sat down, for the first time in the day, to try and hopefully enjoy what was before us. The starter was delicious but we both agreed it could have had slightly less breadcrumbs in the filling, but a great starter non the less.

Time for the pasta. I was so excited about this and was not disappointed. Slightly al dente, a nice fishy stuffing and light fresh tomato and clam dressing. I loved it. Hopefully I will be able to reproduce it in my own kitchen at home. Don't call for a reservation just yet as it will take a bit of practice lol.

The dessert finished the meal off perfectly. We chatted and put the world to rights over the table. We had shared interests, more than just our love of cooking, and I felt I had made a friend in Bologna who hopefully, if I am lucky enough to go back some day, will share a cup of coffee with me in the same little cafe.

This was a wonderful experience for me, I highly recommend it. It will live with me for a long time.

All that is left is for me to put to use the instructions and be able to put a plate of freshly made made pasta in front of my husband as a big thank you for his thoughtfulness.

STRAWBERRY TART

2011-05-02T09:58:00.004-05:00

First strawberries of summer have appeared, still a bit early for the delicious full flavour of summer, but I had to buy some.

Decided alone they were not quite yet flavoursome enough, so thought I would put them into a tart.

I had some pastry in the fridge, a carton of double cream, so with little effort we would be tucking into a nice Bank Holiday dessert.

Really there is no recipe here, so I will not insult anyone by trying to give one. I'll just pass on a few instructions on how I got them to the plate, and ultimately into our mouths!

All I did was roll out pastry, put into well greased and floured fluted individual tart tins. I baked blind for 10 mins, removed beans and finished off for another 15 mins.

Meanwhile I whipped cream with some vanilla essence, chopped some strawberries and put on some strawberry conserve to warm.

Tarts cooked and cooled and ready to be filled with cream. A few sliced strawberries on top and brushed with the sieved warm conserve.

Hey presto a delicious summery dessert to remind me of the warm days ahead, to farmer's markets filled with produce ripened in the sun, and begging to be turned into salads and dishes to be enjoyed whilst fresh, and hopefully to be eaten al fresco with the smell of BBQ in the background.

In celebration I served on my best Herend Hand Painted China, just to give it that really special feel. It doesn't get brought out often enough, maybe I need to stop thinking of it just for best and start to use and enjoy it.

I love the summer, and for now the anticipation of it is growing. So hopefully weather will oblige and I can soon be enjoying all the best British farmers are producing

PB&J SANDWICH

2011-05-01T13:51:00.004-05:00

This is not really a proper blog just something I heard and loved, and it is food related so for that reason it earns it's place on thecelticcook.

Whilst tuning into an American sitcom, "Modern Family" I laughed when an order of PB&J sandwich was delivered. Peanut butter and jelly, of course not, much more interesting it was a pear, brie and jamon! Pretentious or what? I love it.

So what could a BLT become? Any thoughts anyone? I need to think on that one.

SALMON RILLETTES

2011-04-25T13:39:00.007-05:00

I have been enjoying cooking over this Long Easter weekend. I have an American student with me, an 18 year old girl, so it has pushed me to brush up on some new recipes and not rely on leftovers lying around in the fridge. Sometimes it takes something out of normal routine to make you take a look at what you cook and to start thinking of new and interesting meals.

I had ordered a couple of new cookbooks, one being "THE SKINNY FRENCH KITCHEN" by Harry Eastwood. I had seen this book reviewed in numerous magazines and knew I wanted it. I then saw a review by a fellow blogger, cookbookqueen.blogspot.com and decided I must add it to my collection. So thanks Kelly-Jane.

One of the first recipes that caught my eye was for Rillettes du Saumon. It sounded delicious and I had bought some salmon with the holiday in mind. As my herbs are all alive and healthy on the deck at the moment, and with lemons in the bowl and creme fraiche in the fridge I was good to go.

I love recipes with just a few ingredients, and this was so simple, and I could have it ready fairly quickly. What was really impressive was that it had been worked on by the author to keep the calories to a minimum without losing any flavour. Always welcome as the sun shines and less clothes are required!

I had bought some new kilner type jars, small, just perfect for serving this dish in individual servings. This was the opportunity I had been looking for to use them.

Makes 10 servings.

500g salmon fillet
100g 1/2 fat creme fraiche
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
a small bunch chopped dill
small bunch chopped chives
grind of mixed pepper ( I used white as I had no mixed to hand)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 200c (400f)

Roast fish on baking sheet for 8-10 mins, depending on thickness.
Combine creme fraiche, lemon juice and herbs in a bowl.
When fish is cooled flake it and fold into mixture. You don't want the pieces to be too small so fold carefully.
Taste then season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to serving dish and refrigerate until required.

The recipes serves it on toasts, but I had some crackers and this worked well. You can decorate with dill fronds for presentation.
It will be a regular summer starter for anyone visiting us over the summer. I hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

THE BLACK RAT

2011-04-11T07:17:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my husband and I enjoyed the most delicious Sunday lunch. Not cooked by yours truly, but in a Michelin star restaurant no less.

THE BLACK RAT in Winchester has this year been awarded a Michelin Star. We were both anxious to visit, but were finding it difficult to book a Friday or Saturday evening. So I decided as a birthday treat I would take my husband for Sunday Lunch, which offers a smaller version of the evening menu.

So we set off to see what all the fuss and reviews were about. We were not disappointed. The building itself does not give anything away about what lies within. The restaurant is housed in an old pub dating back to 1700's although there is apparently stonework which could be as far back as the 15th century.

On a sunny day it was full of happy diners. A huge open fire would be a welcome site on a cold winter's night, but thankfully unlit on our visit. The decoration is interesting with an eclectic collection of prints and paintings. Anatomical prints juxtaposed with nautical themed pictures. The well proportioned wooden tables around the room gave a relaxed air to the place.

We were shown to our table swiftly by a very pleasant young man, and brought a plate of warm bread while we sipped our pre lunch drink and read over the small, but delicious looking menu. I noticed the eclectic theme went on through to the cutlery. Old pieces mixed and matched were perfect for the setting. No stuffy white tablecloths and hushed tones, instead a warm welcoming room which promised an interesting experience.

Finally I chose a ham hock terrine and my husband went for the gnocchi in a wild garlic sauce. Both were delicious. A taste of the gnocchi pleased me so much, it was soft and pillowy with the lightest of garlic flavour.
For mains we plumped for line caught sea bass with a croquette of pigs trotter and a pea puree. Mmmm fabulous. Croquette at first seemed small but the richness of it would have prevented me from eating another nibble more than I had been given.

My husbands roast chicken with a black pudding mash also delivered on taste.

We were now full but couldn't leave without at least a small dessert. Unusually we both went for the same one, a rhubarb fool. This was the lightest imaginable and was sitting on a rhubarb jelly with little pieces of still crisp rhubarb. It was served with turkish delight. A coffee later we were very happy by what we had eaten.

The staff were were polite and had a great knowledge of the food.They chatted easily and interested interested in your opinion. There were plenty of them around but not overwhelming. They wore casual clothes which once again was the perfect choice for the ambiance of the dining room.

Lunch was reasonably priced at £23 for 3 courses but I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to try it out in the evening.

Great having a place like this practically on your doorstep.

ORANGE JELLIES

2011-04-06T08:17:00.006-05:00

I love jelly. There I have said it.

It might be a thing from childhood, but I'm not sure. I just know that the site of a nice wobbly jelly fills me with delight. I am perfectly happy to eat one made from a commercial packet but there is nothing nicer than a real jelly made from fresh ingredients.

Recently recipes have been popping up all over the place, it seems the humble jelly has become, dare I say trendy. For me it has never been out of fashion, and to be honest people did look down their noses at me when I confessed my love of it.

But who's sneering now? It is popping up on menus everywhere. There are some delicious combinations too. Gin and tonic for one. Have made this in the past with good results, but still prefer sipping this one from a glass. Cider and buck thorn was one I tried recently and it was really good.

But one of my favourites is one made from real orange juice. It is lovely and refreshing, a good one for the nice summer ahead. It can be made more adult by replacing 100mls of the juice with vodka but do warn people if you do this.

It is easy to make and results are very rewarding. I think it would be fun to make with children using their favourite fruit juices, and for me knowing exactly what is in their food is well worth any mess.

Basically it's easy, it's delicious and there really is no limit to what flavours you can make.

Recipe

5 gelatine leaves
100mls hot water from a kettle
700mls of smooth orange juice ( or juice of your choice )

Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for 5-10 mins to soften
drain and squeeze out excess liquid from leaves and add to hot water.
Stir until dissolved
Add to warmed juice and stir.

Pour into dish or mould of your choice. If you plan to turn out lightly rub mould with vegetable oil.
I like to use glasses of varying sizes giving guests a chance to choose how much they want to eat. However if I am making it for ourselves I just pour into a dish.

So have fun making it with your own favourite combinations. My next experiment is going to be with coffee!

Heinz Tomato Sauce with a Twist

2011-03-29T13:02:00.005-05:00

While wandering around my local supermarket at the weekend my eyes were drawn to an end of aisle display. There was stacked bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, but with a twist. This was no ordinary ketchup, it has balsamic vinegar added. I was intrigued. At first I though why? Then I thought, why not? Surely vinegar and ketchup, a popular choice for our french fries, would be a perfect marriage. And balsamic would surely take it a little bit up market.

I then saw the look on my other half's face. A look of, surely your not going to buy it, but also with a resigned look of, I know you will, lol. He says I am an ad man's dream. A sucker for a nice label or fancy bottle. Well I don't want to miss out on anything! Also, the fact that it said it was a limited edition product meant I had to have it. Panic set in, what if I missed out?

With it safely in the trolley I could relax. I wondered what would be the best use for it, and surprise surprise I came up with the idea of putting it on fries, or chips, depending what side of the Atlantic you are from. Not experimental, or out there, but it seemed a good place to start.

When I got it home it sat temptingly on the worktop. After a couple of days, with husband out of town I decided the time had come. I would cook some chips. I would dearly have loved to make real fat ones, but having thrown out the chip pan many years ago I would have to be content with oven chips.

I waited until they were ready before unscrewing the bottle. And oh yes, it refused to come out. With much shaking and banging, and eventually with the help of a knife it poured out on to the plate. Slighter darker than the original, and I could smell the balsamic.

Now the big test. A quick dip of a chip into the pool of ketchup, and then it was in my mouth.

My opinion? Very nice indeed. A slightly BBQ flavour, think I could get hooked. It was a really delicious alternative to the original.

Then I remembered it was a limited edition. Must rush out tomorrow and stock up. With husband still away I can hide my multi buy before he gets back.

If you can get it I would recommend you try it out, I think you will be impressed. It's always good to try something different, and with the Heinz name behind it how bad could it have been?

Winter's End

2011-03-22T04:17:00.003-05:00

With winter on it's way out I look forward to eating fresh, in season, salads and delicious summery soups and light desserts, all of course enjoyed with a glass of suitably chilled white wine. Aah these days are so close I can almost smell them!

However last week, on a cold rainy and generally miserable night I decided to cook up some sausages. What is more comforting than a plate of sausage casserole with mash and red cabbage?

I had bought some venison sausages which would give some great flavour.

I fried an onion added the sausages, browned the off then added a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan then topped up with stock. A pinch of dried thyme some S&P and they were ready to sit and simmer for around 25mins. The smell was amazing and I knew this meal was going to go down well with my other half.

The mash......... We all know how to make that, I won't insult you with a recipe. All I will say is that on this occassion I stirred a spoonful of grainy mustard in before serving.

Now the red cabbage. This is one of my favourite winter vegetables, braised until sweet and delicious. I find my recipe changes by what ingredient I have in the cupboard but will give the basic recipe and you can experiment by adding bits and pieces of your own choice.

1 red cabbage finely sliced, core removed
1 red onion finely chopped
2 apples peeled and sliced.
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar ( this sets the colour)
1/2 cup sultanas
3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, S&P
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cabbage and quickly toss until oil is absorbed. Add all the other ingredients, except apple, and cover tightly. On a low heat cook for 30-40 mins, stirring regularly to stop it sticking. Add a splash of water if you feel it needs it.

About 10mins before end of cooking add apple to pan and finish cooking.
You can stir in a tablespoon of redcurrant or cranberry sauce at this point but not essential as it will taste delicious anyway.
Remember to remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves, the cloves will be harder to locate!
This will serve 4-6 people but will freeze and reheat really well.

So as we tucked into what would probably be the last sausage casserole of the winter we savoured every bite knowing it would be a while before we enjoyed this dish again. It's always a favourite in this house.

So now I will think about using red cabbage in a different way, perhaps a red cabbage coleslaw, don't see why it wouldn't work and the colours would look great on a plate. Food for thought................

BUZZ CAKE

2011-03-14T09:11:00.005-05:00

Don't let the title of this blog mislead you, it is merely an innocuous birthday cake for a two year old! The two year old in question is my grandson Archie. Hard to believe two years have past since I posted his arrival, a very happy day in our family. Two years on he is a happy lively little boy with a great love of Toy Story, and in particular for Buzz Lightyear.

So with the big birthday coming it seemed a Buzz cake would be the perfect cake. However on this occasion I would not be making the cake instead my daughter, Archie's aunt, known affectionately as Carrie Cupcake, would produce the goods. I was hugely grateful as this was going to be quite an undertaking. Looked like a lot of work, but nothing is too much for our little guy.

A trial run was done, pics texted to me for approval. I was delighted by the first attempt and would have been happy if this had been my final cake! She was concerned he had, how shall we put it............. a gay look to him, but I could not fault it, and her colleagues in school certainly enjoyed the fruits of her trial run.

The big day arrived, the pressure was on. She worried about him not recognising Buzz. Silly girl this was most definitely Buzz in his full glory. She arrived with the cake and of course it was a big hit. Everyone loved it and asked if she would take orders. Her panic was over and she took the praise in her stride.

I was so proud of her and a little bit of me wants to think it was my genes that passed on this talent.

So well done Auntie Carrie you made Archie the envy of his little friends, made me a very proud mum and made people take notice of your talent. Keep making those cupcakes and making people happy.

PANCAKE DAY

2011-03-08T07:54:00.006-06:00

Not sure I need an excuse to cook up a batch of pancakes, but it's nice to think you are sharing something with a lot of people across the world.

I know on Shrove Tuesday, here, we traditionally make pancakes, but in Eastern Europe it's doughnuts, and the same down in New Orleans, only there they are known as beignets, and delicious they are too drenched in icing sugar.

Today I have made a batch of thin pancakes to be eaten simply with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of sugar. I also made some which I will fill with a fish mixture, pour over a sauce and serve with asparagus for supper. And what would pancake day be without some Scotch Pancakes? For those of you unfamiliar with this kind of pancake it is a thicker pancake, suited to serving with maple syrup and bacon, or with fruit or jam. I love blueberries sprinkled over then a trickle of maple syrup.

On what other day could you eat pancakes three times a day without feeling guilty?

The recipe..................
This is one when I don't bring out the scales, measure or weigh. I have been making pancakes since I was a little girl. I used to stand beside my Gran as she made up batch after batch of pancakes and I guess somewhere along the line I have got to recognise the consistency needed to produce my pancakes.

As a rough guide I would use 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of milk and an egg. A thicker batter is required for my Scotch Pancakes so I just add extra milk until I get a thick cream like mixture, and for thinner crepe style pancakes just add some more milk. It works every time.

So have fun making and eating your pancakes as today they have no calories or guilt attached, lol.
HAPPY PANCAKE DAY

FAJITAS

2011-02-18T09:04:00.005-06:00

Faced with another night eating alone I decided a sandwich really wasn't going to cut it. With my husband regularly out of town I was finding myself more and more eating soup and sandwiches, more than was good for me, or indeed than was really necessary.

Don't get me wrong I love a nice bowl of soup and it is a great way of eating lots of veg without too much effort. But I was feeling like something really tasty but still wanted to keep it easy and quick......I find it really soul destroying spending lots of time cooking only to eat it in 5 minutes. It really is very difficult to eat a meal slowly when you are eating alone. No conversation to break up the mouthfuls.

I love chicken, in any form, so I had pulled some from the freezer earlier in the day and it was now ready for cooking. I cut the chicken breast into strips and after a 10 minute marinade in lime juice, crushed garlic, S&P and a pinch of crushed dried chillies this would be the basis of my supper.

I had also pulled some tortillas from the freezer so now all I had to do was turn an avocado into guacamole and with a spoonful of sour cream I would be tucking into Fajitas. I now am thinking a Fajita could be called a sandwich. Basically food wrapped in bread. Oh well what can you do? It doesn't feel like a sandwich so that will do for me.

To make the guacamole I mash the ripe avocado with crushed garlic, a chopped, deseeded tomato, some finely chopped red onion, a squeeze of lime juice, pinch of chilli flakes, S&P. Mix it all together, check for seasoning and it's ready to go.If there is no onion or tomato to hand then you can leave them out, this is just the way I prefer it and usually I have these ingredients in the fridge.

I put the wok on add some oil, when it is hot I stir fry the chicken. It only takes about 6-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. I then pour on the remaining marinade and a handful of chopped coriander which I found in the fridge. Usually I will also stir fry a red or yellow pepper with the chicken but today I was all out. But as this recipe is fairly relaxed it doesn't really matter.

I now heat the tortillas. The way I like to do this is to heat them over the gas. Holding then with tongs I flip them a couple of times until they start to bubble and go brown at the edges, the smell is amazing.

All that is left to do is serve. Although I am only cooking for myself I still like to make my food look nice on the plate. This is no time for laziness. I love well presented food. I place some chicken down the middle of the tortilla, add a spoonful of sour cream and guacamole, I wrap the chicken and I now have, yes I know a sandwich! But a great one. It tasted really good and I found myself preparing a second one. Great result.

So as you can see it is simple and quick, ingredients can be added or omitted, lemon juice can be used instead of lime, as long as the garlic and chilli is in the marinade then you will be able to create your own Fajitas whenever you want.

VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIES

2011-02-15T03:19:00.005-06:00

Who doesn't like receiving a nice sweet treat to celebrate Valentine's day? On Sunday I found myself in the kitchen deciding between cakes or cookies. In the end the decision was easy as I had a wonderful new book called "Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits" It was full of great iced biscuits for every occasion.

They basic biscuit recipe could be adapted by adding different flavourings, however I decided to go with the basic Plain Biscuit Recipe. For the first time I was going to make royal icing using egg whites. I was eager to get started.

Everything, I'm glad to say, was simple. The icing a bit messy and sticky, but that's part of the fun. The hardest part was waiting for the biscuits to cool down before I could start icing. The icing wasn't perfect but quite acceptable. I was happy with the finished product and I knew my husband's colleagues would enjoy the fruits of my labour. I made up a basket for him to take to work. I also handed a few out to my neighbours. I was so pleased to see how happy this simple act made people feel. Smiles all around.

So here is the recipe you can try it out for yourself.

This will make 24 biscuits, depending on size.

350g plain flour
100g self raising flour
125g sugar
125g cold salted, diced butter
125g golden syrup
1 large egg lightly beaten.

Sift flours into bowl and add sugar. Mix well.
Add butter and rub in until fine breadcrumb stage is reached.
Make well in centre and add syrup and egg.
Mix until mixture starts to form a ball.
Put onto floured work surface and mould into ball. Divide into 2 and wrap and put into fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out and cut out required shapes.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 14-18 minutes at 170c (350f) or until biscuits are starting to turn golden
Remove from oven and cool on a rack. They are fragile at this point so be gentle.

ICING
2 egg whites
450g icing sugar
Add icing sugar to egg

Whisk together, slowly at first the mix for 5 mins with electric whisk.

At this point you can divide the mixture up and colour as required.

I outlined the biscuits the flooded with a different colour. To flood you need to add some water, drops at a time until it is runny enough to fill in.
Any other decoration can be added as you wish. A steady hand seems to be the main requirement here.

In order to harden the icing set oven to 70c and pop decorated biscuits back in oven for 30 minutes. This will help biscuit from going soft and stop icing sticking to other biscuits. This for me was a great revelation I was always disappointed when my biscuits would stick to each other.

So a belated Happy Valentine's day to everyone and Happy Cooking.

STICKY CITRUS SPONGE CAKE

2011-02-07T13:20:00.007-06:00

Each month I await eagerly for my food magazines to arrive. The day they arrive in my mailbox I clear the morning, abandon household chores, and sit down with a big cup of coffee to browse through them. I drool over the recipes wondering what I will choose to recreate, or at least try out. I stick notes on my favourite dishes and plan to cook them in the coming weeks.

Sometimes however I never get around to it. I am full of good intentions but somehow they get buried under all the other magazines and books and it is weeks, or months later when I find that dish that I really wanted to make.

I have decided the only way to make sure I try out the recipes as I intended, is to deal with them quickly. Cook the dish within a few days, and that way if it is good I cut it out and file it, if it disappoints I bin it. This not only cuts down on the piles of magazines but keeps meals interesting and varied.

This month's GOOD FOOD magazine had a delicious looking orange cake on the front cover. I knew immediately I wanted to try this out. All the ingredients were store cupboard basics and there were plenty of oranges in the fruit bowl. So within a couple of days I was ready to go.

It was a simple recipe to do, the longest bit was peeling and chopping the oranges. The rest of the ingredients were all mixed together in one and poured over oranges. 45 minutes later I was pulling it from the oven.

The result was impressive, and most certainly will be laminated and filed, as it delivered a beautiful moist citrus cake perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee or as a dessert with a dollop of creme fraiche.

I love a successful end result in the kitchen.

4 Medium Oranges
6 tbsp golden syrup
200g (7oz) softened butter
200g (7oz) soft brown sugar
200g (7oz) SR Flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g (4oz) ground almonds
4 large eggs

Heat oven to 180C (350f) and grease the base of a 23cm (10") cake tin
Into a large bowl finely grate zest from 2 of the oranges. Remove pith and peel form all 4 oranges and cut into quite thick slices.
Pour golden syrup evenly over base of tin. Lay sliced oranges on top. Chop up remaining slices and put into bowl.
Put all the remaining ingredients into bowl with orange zest and mix well.
Pour over oranges in cake tin and with the back of a spoon make a hollow in middle, this will ensure cake rises evenly. Bake for 40-50mins until cooked through. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning out.

I sprinkled over some pomegranit seeds, only because I had one needing to be used up. I also thought it might be nice to sprinkle with pistachio nuts. You can pour over a little golden syrup before serving but I felt it was sweet enough and some creme fraiche cut nicely through the citrus.

On the next page was an onion soup recipe. It was a long time since I had cooked this dish. So I decided I would also make this on the same day.

Tonights supper? A delicious warming bowl of Onion Soup followed by Sticky Citrus Sponge Cake. Went down well. Think I hit a winner in this months magazine.

Roll on next month.

CUPCAKE CARDS

2011-02-04T10:21:00.005-06:00

Not much cooking going on here at the moment due to burned hand. But glad to report it's much improved and normal service will be resumed pretty soon.

In the absence of a recipe or cooking story I thought you might like to take a look at my other hobby, card making.

Thought this one seemed appropriate for a cooking blog.

Have a great weekend everyone and happy cooking.

BURN'S NIGHT

2011-02-02T06:25:00.005-06:00

A bit belated, but my Burn's night this year didn't quite go to plan.

It was to be a quiet one, just myself and my husband, it was a Tuesday night, so we were not celebrating big style. I was however going to cook a delicious supper for us both to enjoy together. My husband is spending a lot of time travelling at the moment, so a nice supper together mid week was quite a treat.

Of course haggis neeps and tatties were on the menu, but with a difference. Neeps, as usual, bashed, or mashed to non Scots. The potatoes were to be roasted until nice and crispy which would be a perfect match for my chicken stuffed haggis in a whisky cream sauce. I have cooked this on several occasions. I think it is the perfect way to let "haggis virgins" try it out for the first time. If they find they don't really like the haggis then at least there is still something there for them to eat.

All was going well, table set, hubby arrived home, had his shower and I was happy in the kitchen. Potatoes were roasting nicely, neeps were bubbling away, chicken stuffed and browned and was now cooking in the oven. I was so looking forward to sitting down and enjoying the meal to come.

I bashed the neeps and removed the pan with the chicken from the oven. I put the chicken on a plate ready to flambe the whisky, and with a splash of cream and seasoning we would be ready to go.

Well go we did, but not as planned! As the hot pan slipped from the stove top believe it or not I caught it! Remember it had only just come out of the oven! A loud scream sent my husband running to my aid. I plunged my hand into cold water, and although not usually a crier, the tears poured. This really hurt. Also part of me was angry for being so stupid. As I stood there for quite some time with cold water running over my hand I decided an ER trip wasn't needed, although it was very painful. At this point my husband decided he would finish off the sauce.

I had no appetite at this point but rather than let it all spoil I sat down with my hand grasping a bag of frozen peas. I had to have my food cut up for me to allow me to eat it, enjoy it, no. But my husband said it was very nice.

So not the night I had hoped for. No photos of the meal to post. I do have one of my badly blistered hand, but not a pretty thing.
I spent the night making my way through all the frozen bag of veg, at one point I was down to a bag of frozen chips. The smell was not good.

One week later blisters healing but think there will be scars left.

So for me this Burn's night did exactly as it said on the box!

DAMN YOU HAGGIS

JACKET POTATO FISH PIE

2011-01-25T07:59:00.006-06:00

Still emptying out the freezer I came across some smoked haddock. As I always have prawns on hand I started to think of a fish pie. The smokiness of the haddock would give it a lovely smokey flavour, and it is always a hit here for supper.

As I waited for it to defrost I came across a recipe in a magazine for Jacket Potato Fish Pie. My monthly Olive Magazine had just arrived so I took this as a sign that this was what I was meant to cook for supper that night.

Basically it was the same recipe as a fish pie, cooking the fish in milk but instead of making a sauce you used some of the milk to mash with the scooped out potato, added a bit of cheese and spring onion, then mixed in the cooked fish. I piled it into the potato shells and popped back into the oven.

Served with a salad this made a great supper. Only thing is if you microwave the potatoes then the skins will be too soft. They really need to be baked in the oven.

2 baking potatoes
400g smoked haddock,( you could use salmon)
300ml milk
knob butter
50g cheddar cheese, grated
100g cooked prawns
2 chopped spring onions

Heat oven to 220c and bake potatoes until cooked through and soft, about 1 1/2 hrs
Put haddock into shallow pan and cover with milk, add butter and pepper.
Simmer for 5 mins, turn off heat and leave to cool in the milk
Flake fish, keeping the milk.
Cut potatoes in half, and scoop out the cooked potato. Mash with some of the reserved milk and a little bit of butter until you have a nice smooth mixture.
Mix fish, prawns, cheese and spring onion in with the potato.
Pile back into shells and bake for 20mins or until to brown on top.

This dish could be prepared ahead and re heated when needed.It is simple but due to time taken to bake potatoes, it is not quick. One you have to prepare ahead for.
Could become a regular supper dish in this house. Hubby loved it.

COFFEE CRAZY

2011-01-17T05:55:00.003-06:00

Just to prove new coffee machine is in operation. Now did I leave one of those cupcakes somewhere? LOL .

STICKY TOFFE CUPCAKES with SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

2011-01-17T05:16:00.010-06:00

It's been a while since I made a cupcake. My younger daughter has become the cupcake Queen, making me redundant in the roll. She has become known as "cupcake Carrie". She makes the most wonderful cakes for family occasions and also for friends and colleagues.

However when I saw these I knew I had to get back in there and make a batch. For a while now I have been fascinated by the salted caramel thing that seems to be going on everywhere. So this was my chance to try it out for myself.

I loved the simplicity of the recipe as it used a yogurt pot as measurement. And using oil instead of butter I knew they would be very moist, and stay moist for several days.

I had never used Carnation Caramel before, and it certainly saved boiling the tin of carnation milk. So with all ingredients in place I got to work, or maybe I should say play, as baking is not really like work. I worked my way through the stages and before too long delicious looking cupcakes emerged from the oven. Problem was now waiting for them to cool so I could ice them.

Time passed, cakes cooled and I set to icing them. OMG, these were so delicious. I don't pretend they were healthy or low fat, quite the opposite. So if you want to ditch the diet and sink your teeth into something soft and delicious, salty and sweet, then this is for you.

I sent them with my husband for his colleagues the next day as I couldn't trust myself with them around the kitchen, especially when with my new coffee machine it would be so easy to sit down with a frothy coffee and STICKY TOFFEE CUPCAKE with SALTED CARAMEL BUTTER CREAM. See where I'm coming from?

Makes 12
120g pot natural yogurt
1 x yogurt pot sunflower oil
2 x yogurt pot light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
3 x yogurt pot of self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

FROSTING

100g (4ozs) softened unsalted butter
75g (3ozs) full fat cream cheese
150g (5ozs) icing sugar (I had to use a bit more as icing was too soft)
3 TBSP Carnation Caramel or Dulche de Leche
1tsp sea salt

Heat oven to 180c (350f).
Beat yogurt,oil and sugar together, add eggs, then fold in flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt.
Divide between 12 cupcake cases and bake for 15 mins, until risen and springy.
Remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.

Cream butter, cream cheese and icing sugar together for at least 5 mins. Add Caramel and sea salt and whisk in well.
Transfer to piping bag and swirl on to cooled cakes.
Decorate with some a sprinkle of sea salt and muscovado sugar.

Try if you can to resist. Feedback from husband's colleagues, excellent! So they're happy I'm happy.

COFFEE CRAZY

2011-01-13T08:27:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I took delivery of my long awaited new coffee Machine, a Gaggia Brera. This was going to be the centre piece for my kitchen. Way too big for my tiny kitchen, but I hope it will prove worthy of the space it takes up.

When it arrived, I quickly unpacked it in anticipation of that first cup of perfection. I got it all plugged in and all the bits in the right place. Then I had to go through a rinsing programme before it would be ready to use. A neighbour arrived in the middle of this, and although I am always happy to see people this time I was itching to get back to job in hand.

Finally I was alone again with my machine! Then it was all ready to go. Yuk! First cup was almost water. Never mind I'd try again. Not much better. I had by this time realised it was going to take a bit of time to get a good cup of coffee and considerably longer to reach the perfect cup.

Sometime later, a lot of knob twiddling and adjusting, and many cups of strong black coffee later, I was pretty close to achieving my aim. The bean to cup setting seemed to be right, the right amount of coffee was appearing in the cups and the crema was looking good. More importantly it was tasting good. One more espresso just to be sure. Ooops need to refill bean hopper!

Now time to try out the milk steamer and frother. This would deliver me the perfect cappaccino. All according to my own taste of course. No problem with this function. Now it was time to sit down and enjoy that first relaxing cup. Ha, ha. I had drunk so much coffee there wasn't a hope in hell of me relaxing!

Several hours later with bed time looming I realised sleep might be a stranger. I was so full of caffeine I lay and watched the clock tick round. 1-00am, 2-00am, 2-48, 3-12. Was the night never going to end?

So here I am in the afternoon finding lack of sleep catching up. I have a supper club meeting tonight and want to be fully awake
to enjoy it. I know, more coffee, lol.

I'm sure I'll soon find the balance, but in the meantime I aim to enjoy my new coffee machine to it's full

LUNCH TIME FAVOURITE

2011-01-10T07:55:00.011-06:00

Monday mornings, oh how I dread them. Seems to take me forever to get myself going. I can spend Sunday night thinking of all the things I'm going to do. The jobs I'll start, the cleaning, the ironing and maybe even tackle that drawer I've been promising myself I'll clear out. Who knows whats lurking in the back! and then morning arrives and I struggle to get going.

This morning after my 2nd cup of coffee didn't appear to be hitting home, I decided to take myself out for a walk. The sun was out, it wasn't too cold and this might be what was needed.

During my outing I picked up some bagels and started to think of the delicious salmon and cream cheese I would eat for lunch. Not what my plan had been at the outset, but was sounding good.

My love with smoked salmon bagels began when I lived in Amsterdam. There was a local cafe/deli called the Lunch Room, there I was tempted by the bagel which was served with a small bowl of capers and a small bowl of finely chopped onion on the side. I still serve it with capers but don't do the onions.

The smoked salmon lurking in my fridge was from a smokehouse on west coast of Scotland. The Marrbery Smokehouse We had visited it at Christmas and I had stocked up on some delicious products. This really is one of the best smoked salmons I have tasted.

So with the thought of what was ahead for me I picked up my pace and was soon home putting together my lunch. I felt better for the walk, and better having eaten my bagel. A nice glass of white wine would have set it off but at
1-00pm thought that was pushing my luck!

Rest of day went well. Proving that a little bit of what you fancy does you good!

OATCAKES

2011-01-08T10:09:00.007-06:00

When out shopping today I just couldn't pass up offer on smoked trout in M&S. I would make some pate, and to go with it I decided I would make some oatcakes, a healthy snack, which I'm sure everyone is looking for this time of year.

I had never made them before but had always intended to. This was the perfect time. A lazy Saturday afternoon, hubby watching football on TV, raining outside, so I headed into the kitchen to begin. I decided I would get the oatcakes in the oven before I made the pate.

Ingredients were simple and few, so in no time I was rolling and cutting and popping them into the oven for 12-15 mins. They were out cooling before I knew it. I wondered why I had never made them before.

As they cooled down I couldn't wait to try them. They were deliciously crumbly, not as dry as the commercially bought ones. They would work well with my pate, as they would with a nice piece of cheddar, or indeed with some good butter. Seems I'd waited too long to make these and will be doing again whenever an oatcake is needed.

50g (2oz) plain flour
150g (5oz) medium oatmeal
2tsps coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, plus extra of both to sprinkle on top
125g (4 1/2oz) cold unsalted butter, diced
milk to glaze.

Heat oven to 200c (400f)
Put all ingredients except milk into food processor and mix until it starts to bind. Add 3tbsp cold water and mix again until it all comes together.
Roll out thinly on a floured surface. Using a 7cm (2 1/4") pastry cutter cut out biscuits. You should get about 18. Re- roll extra pastry and cut out more rounds.
Place on baking tray and brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with the extra salt and ground pepper.
Bake for 12-15 mins. Remove and put on drying rack.

As you can see no big deal with these. Easy and quick and as an added bonus delicious. Think I'll take some pate and oatcakes to my neighbour who has just come home from hospital.

A NEW YEAR

2011-01-06T12:33:00.007-06:00

2010 saw me MIA from blogging. It was a busy year, new home in another country, a daughter married, a new hip for my husband and a new baby granddaughter. Phew! So please forgive me.

As 2011 arrived I found myself celebrating in Poznan, Poland. I also found myself resolving to give more care and attention to my blog. So as this is my first day back home and back in the kitchen, what better time to begin.

I've enjoyed a really long break over the festive season and as a result have come home to an empty fridge, and bare cupboards, so something would have to be concocted out of not very much. There was some pancetta, which was wavering on best before, and an onion in the fridge. Red lentils, a tin of tomatoes, some garlic and stock, and I had the makings of a pot of soup.

I fried off the pancetta, onion and a clove of garlic, added the lentils, tomatoes and stock. With the addition of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper my first soup of the new year was already smelling good. Lentil and tomato soup on the menu tonight.

I am always amazed at how easily a good hearty meal can be made without too much effort, or indeed with very few ingredients. How many of you I wonder have fridges and food cupboards overflowing with ingredients we might just need? Lots of you I'm sure. I am going to try and use up some of the stuff at the back of the freezer and cupboards over the next few months.

This won't stop me trying some of the new recipes from all the lovely new cookbooks I got for Christmas, and yes I will buy ingredients on he off chance I'll need them. But that's the fun of cooking. Always thinking ahead, imagining delicious meals you can cook and enjoy with family and friends.

I am so looking forward to getting back to my blogging, and to trying to think of dishes using up these impulsive buys. Some I know will be a success, some will be just okay and maybe one or two will go straight to the bin. But then if you never try you never know, and there will be space waiting to be filled!

A HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR to all my fellow bloggers. I look forward to following your blogs in the coming months.

FOODIE WEEKEND

2010-09-29T04:12:00.009-05:00

I have just returned from a wonderful weekend away. My husband is now back to fighting fit after hip surgery, and with a very busy time ahead work wise for him, we decided to give ourselves a nice treat to set us up for the busy months ahead. We booked a B&B in Dorset and planned to discover the Jurassic Coast. Lots of walking during the day and treating ourselves to nice eateries at night.

First on the list was Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage. I have watched him on TV and was excited at the thought of visiting his HQ restaurant. I am still looking forward to it! Hubby managed to book his Canteen place in by mistake. Not that this was a problem as it was really good. A lovely relaxed atmosphere, excellent service by a team of young staff who all knew their stuff.

An amuse bouche of mutton heart croquette was served to us. Not something I have ever eaten but have to say it was very tasty. Very much the texture and flavour of kidney I thought. Starters of mushroom soup and fish chowder went down very well. For mains we both chose an indulgent duck confit with the creamiest mash I've ever eaten. Greens always are tough and didn't really work for me, but everything else was delicious. I had to back away from desert as I was full, but hubby had a plum compote with homemade vanilla yogurt. Of course I had a spoonful, mmm! A great success and would recommend it to anyone.

Next night we headed to Hix Oyster and Fish House. Wish I'd had a look at the position of it before I put on the high heels! I knew it was on the coast, what I hadn't bargained for was the taxi being unable to drive down to it, leaving us with a very steep walk down. The heels were very high, the hill very steep, so it was a precarious walk, or should I say stumble down, but nothing was going to keep me away.

Another relaxed and informal place. Menu reflects seasonal and local produce, mainly fish. Who can resist local hand dived scallops, sweet and succulent. Mackerel with squash sounded interesting, and the fish was really delicious but unfortunately squash was way undercooked, however staff acted well when I pointed this out, and after dinner drinks were brought to us with chef's apology. I looked on as my husband tucked into a beautiful sea bream. Worth the effort of it being on the bone. Messy but not a problem.

This time I couldn't resist a jelly made with cider and blackberries. It was so good. A bread and butter pudding was also really yummy but step too far for hubby as he just couldn't finish it..

So all in all another successful night. Pity it was dark as Hix's has the most wonderful views over the water. Note to self, go earlier next time.

Third night saw us head inland to a beautiful 13th century coaching inn. tuckersarms.com. It came with thatched roof and inglenook fireplace. A classic English pub with a beautiful traditional interior.
We had been recommended this by the B&B and they were not wrong.

The food choices were mouthwatering. But by now we were down to one course. The past few days had taken there toll. Especially when you factor in the cream teas and lunchtime crab sandwiches, well you have to don't you? Fish pie sounded good and hubby settled for that. I had scampi which was good, but on reflection should have opted for a seafood salad, I think I had just overindulged all weekend. But hey it was fun doing it.

All in all a successful weekend. Relaxed, fun and of course full of delicious food. What can be better. We justified all the walking offset some of the calories, not.

MADELEINES

2010-09-20T06:49:00.005-05:00

A friend popping in for a coffee is all the excuse I need to switch on the oven, pull out a recipe and set to baking something tasty to enjoy over our coffee.

This opportunity arose last week when a neighbour was looking for a place to hide as the decorators had invaded her home. My door is always open for just such an occasion. I pulled a recipe for Madeleines from my file, and then began to wonder where I had put the baking tin when I moved..... All the stuff I use regularly was easy, things I don't use everyday, a bit more difficult to trace. However, with a bit of thinking and logic I soon found it, and I was ready to go.

I love to bake Madeleines, they look so professional, they take only 10 minutes in the oven, and everyone loves them. Today I was going to make lemon ones but the flavours are easily changed, and a favourite of mine is rose flavoured. Of course chocolate ones always go down well.

All the ingredients weighed and ready, a bit of mixing and before I know it the wonderful smell of baking was filling the kitchen. This in itself makes me reach for the kettle. Preparing for the moment when I can bite into my efforts and hopefully be happy with the result.

Eventually they were ready, I did a quality test before my neighbour arrived. Thumbs up. Now all that was left to do was make the coffee and sit down and enjoy an afternoon chatting with a friend. As the rain was pouring down outside I couldn't think of a nicer way to pass a few hours.

One comment I would like to make about baking Madeleines is that this is the one case when the right baking tin is important. Without it you cannot achieve the nice shape of the Madeleine. But then I am probably preaching to the converted.

A 12 hole Madeleine tin is needed for this recipe.

90g (3 1/4oz) unsalted butter, plus 2tbsp melted for greasing tin.
90G (3 1/4oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2tsp clear honey
40G (1 1/2oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting.
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs
grated zest of large lemon.

Preheat oven to 180c (350f) and brush tins with melted butter and dust with extra flour.
Melt hone and butter in small pan. Leave to cool.
Sift flour, icing sugar and baking powder together. Stir in cooled butter,add eggs and mix carefully. Do not over mix. Finally fold in lemon zest and spoon into tins.

Put into oven for 10 minutes or until golden and risen. leave in tins for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Finally dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

CORNBREAD

2010-09-08T09:17:00.006-05:00

One of the things I grew to love while living in US was cornbread. There is some differing opinions on whether it is indeed bread, or is it cake! I give that it is sweet, but with chilli and cheese added, it is to me, the perfect bread to serve alongside a BBQ, with soup or stews. I guess it can be compared to savoury muffins, but still sweet. Sounds weird but it does work. Well for me anyway. Hope you'll agree.

I have tried several recipes but this is the one I prefer. Its easy to make, always a good thing in my book, its fast and ready to eat straight from the oven. Nothing better.

Americans do tend to butter it and some even put maple syrup on it but for me it is sweet enough as it is.

This recipe is for cornbread with jalepenos and cheese but of course you could vary the added ingredients to suit your tastes.

3 cups SR Flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (polenta)
1/4 cup sugar
2Tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Salt
---------------
2 cups Milk
3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb unsalted butter, melted, plus more to grease pan
---------------
8oz (250g) grated cheddar, divided
1/3 cup chopped spring onions
3 Tbsp finely chopped jalepenos

Now the easy part. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix together wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients and mix until dry ingredients are dissolved. Do not over mix, mixture should be a little lumpy.
Now add 2 cups of the cheese and the onions. Mix through. Leave for 20mins.

Pre- heat oven to 180c (350f) and grease a 9"x13"x2" baking pan.
Pour mixture into pan and sprinkle over remaining cheese.
Bake for 30-35 mins.

As you can see it is a simple recipe, just have all ingredients laid out before you start and you will have no problem.

LEMONADE

2010-08-28T03:46:00.008-05:00

There is nothing nicer than a nice glass of cold lemonade on a hot summer day. On saying this lemonade varies greatly and I do like to make my own with freshly squeezed lemons.

However there are times when I'm out of lemons, or want it asap, in which case I like to have a back up in the fridge ready for these very moments.

I have been amazed at how the quality and flavours vary. First of all it has to be what is called "real" lemonade. Sometimes it is referred to as cloudy or old fashioned. It has taken me some time to find one which finally has satisfied my palate. Some are just way too sweet, some too bitter and some, well, just bad.

I was delighted when a few weeks ago I came across FENTIMANS TRADITIONAL VICTORIAN LEMONADE in the supermarket. The label looked promising, but I've been fooled by that before. I took it home poured a glass and was immediately wowed by the flavour. Lovely and lemony, not too sweet, but the interesting thing was the hit of ginger. This was really pleasing to my palate and not at all expected, but if I had read the label properly I would have seen ginger quite clearly indicated.

I knew at once I had found my choice of bottled lemonade and all I needed to do now was to find the best way of adding the ginger to my own recipe. Still working on it and will post if I manage to get a good result. Hopefully it won't be too long before I manage it but I will be keeping a couple of bottles of FENTIMANS in the fridge as a standby.

CLASSIC SPONGE CAKE

2010-08-23T10:30:00.008-05:00

Sometimes I think I get so carried away trying out new recipes I forget the old favourites. The ones which always work, which taste good and I can bake without even getting the recipe out.

I don't think I will ever give up on new recipes which stare temptingly at me from magazines and cookbooks, begging me to try them, but I should not put the old ones to the back of the cupboard quite so readily. It's like ignoring an old friend, but one who will be there for you when you need them.

This recipe for a Victoria Sponge Cake is a classic recipe. It requires equal amounts of flour, butter and sugar and you can even use the eggs by weight too, yes they too are equal to the other ingredients. Add some Baking Powder set your oven to 180c (350f) mix everything together put into 2 x 20cm (8") tins and bake for 25 mins. What could be easier?

Once cooled spread raspberry jam on one half, put other half on top and sprinkle with icing sugar. Hey presto a lovely cake to enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

Here are the ingredients and method. Really it is this easy.

250g (8oz) SR Flour
250g (8oz) softened butter
250g (8oz) caster suger (superfine)
4 eggs
2tsp BP

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together until creamy.

Put into 2x20cm (8") baking tins and bake for 25 mins at 180c (350f)

DO NOT OPEN OVEN during baking time as this will cause the cake to sink in the middle. However if this happens don't worry it will still taste good.

Sandwich with raspberry jam and sprinkle top with icing sugar.

Put the kettle on and settle down and enjoy your cake and tea. if you have a friend you haven't seen for a while give her a ring and invite her to join you. You'll be happy you did.

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

2010-08-02T10:48:00.012-05:00

Any recipe which calls for 4 ingredients certainly has my approval, especially if it ends up tasting as good as this recipe does. I love lemon in cakes and desserts so I was initially attracted by the ingredients, and then when I the saw 4 items listed I knew I had to give it a go.
Method is so easy too.

Beat sugar and butter until creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, mix in. Add the sifted flour and lemon zest until completely mixed.
Pour into loaf tin and bake for 40-50mins until a skewer comes out clean.
Mix together lemon juice and sugar while cake cools in tin. Pierce cake all over with a skewer and drizzle over cake. Leave until cold. it will have a crisp topping.
Slice and serve. This is one of the easiest recipes I have made in a long time and I can see it quickly becoming a family favourite.

........and I'm sure it could become a favourite in your family too.

SUMMER BERRY JELLY & WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNACOTTA

2010-07-23T10:34:00.007-05:00

I just love all the beautiful summer fruits filling the shops at the moment. The gorgeous reds, purple and peach colours instantly make me feel happy and energised. A real colour burst, an explosion of smells and tastes. I am constantly on the lookout for new and different recipes. Although I enjoy them in great quantities, as is, I also enjoy producing something out of them. I will preserve them in jams and jellies to enjoy during the dark winter months, but for now I just want to use them as often as I can, in as many ways as I can.

This recipe really appealed because as well as the berries it contained other loves of mine, chocolate and wine! What could be more perfect. A complete meal. Ha,ha. Although not a white chocolate fan I at once could see the appeal of this dessert. It looked delicious in the picture and I was imagining the mix of not only flavours, but also textures in this recipe.

I hope you agree this looks good and that it just has to taste good. Go on give it a go.
Just remember you need to start this the day before as it has to set overnight.

SUMMER BERRY JELLY & WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNACOTTA
Serves 6

7 gelatine leaves
1tsp lemon juice
150g caster sugar
250ml sweet rose wine
250g mixed berries

500ml double cream
1tsp vanilla essence
75g white chocolate (chopped)
3 gelatine leaves

Soak 7 gelatine leaves in cold water for 5mins to soften.Bring 350mls water and lemon juice to boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Squeeze water out of gelatine and add softened leaves to mixture. Stir to dissolve then stir in the wine. Put aside to cool to room temp.
Divide the mixed berries between 6 200ml moulds, or a 1.3ltr loaf tin. Pour the cooled jelly over berries to come 1/2 way up moulds.Chill for a least 2 hrs.
Once jelly has set make pannacotta. Heat cream over a medium heat. When it starts to come to the boil remove from heat and add vanilla and chopped chocolate. Stir until melted.
Soak gelatine leaves for 5mins until softened, then squeeze out water and add to 4tbsp of boiling water. When dissolved add to cream and chocolate and allow to cool a little.
Pour on top of jelly mixture and leave to set overnight.
Turn out and serve with more berries.

I find dipping moulds briefly into hot water helps to turn them out more easily.
I made them in varying mould sizes as I like to give guests a choice of the size of dessert they want to eat. And if one isn't enough they can also have another. I also think they would look good served in pretty glasses if you don't want to turn them out.

VEGGIE SANDWICH

2010-07-14T05:48:00.005-05:00

I love a sandwich. It's easy, it's quick and it can be as boring or as interesting as your mood takes you. As I have a husband who is often out of town a sandwich is often on the menu on these days. Add a salad, and, or a bowl of soup and in no time at all you can have a delicious supper, very quickly.

Last week while deciding what to put between two slices of bread, or in this case a sliced pannini, I like to keep different breads and rolls in the freezer for ease and variety. I knew I wanted something hot, so that was a starting place. And I wanted something very tasty and light. Now a look into the fridge to see what I could come up with.

Luckily I had some left over roasted vegetables. I had roasted up some peppers, courgettes and red onions at the weekend. I love cooking vegetables like this. They can be eaten hot, or cold later in the week. The choice of vegetables is entirely up to you. Just chop them up add salt pepper and herbs, a slug of olive oil and stick them into the oven at 250c for 35-45mins. half way through give them a stir. As they come out of the oven I add a splash of balsamic which is sucked up into the vegetables. The smell is amazing. The only things I don't add are tomatoes and mushrooms as they give off too much water. They can be roasted separately and added later.

So I now had the base of the sandwich. A jar of pesto and some goats cheese would complete my supper.

I spread the pannini with the pesto and layered on the vegetables and cheese. As I am without a sandwich maker at the moment I popped it into one of my toasting bags, they're wonderful, and popped it into the toaster.

Soon I was tucking into a really delicious and satisfying supper. I was happy.

Sandwich fillings can often be boring but they don't need to be. They are only limited by your imagination. I have done brie, parma ham and melon and it was so good. Not something you might think of when you reach for the bread, but stop and think, check out leftovers and experiment. You never know what you might turn up.

STRAWBERRY SPONGE DROPS

2010-06-28T07:41:00.005-05:00

With Wimbledon in full swing my thoughts turned to strawberry recipes. Wimbledon and strawberries, well, they just go together. You can't think of summer without thinking of our wonderful British berries. I truly believe in eating them when in season, when they are so sweet and juicy.

Make the start of Wimbledon the start of your strawberry eating season, they will never taste better. Also I think the anticipation of the first British strawberries makes them taste all the better. Who hasn't been disappointed by those berries we eat in depth of winter? Perhaps we are trying to capture a bit of summer, but the flavour just isn't there, and our plan fails. Strawberries for Christmas, no, no, no. Seasonal eating is the way to go.

These delicious sponges were looking at me from the pages of a summer magazine. They looked so good I knew I wanted to make them for the weekend. I hoped they would look as good as they did on the pages of the glossy magazine, but more than that I hoped the taste would would be as good as I was imagining it to be.

SPONGE DROPS (makes 24 sponges)

4 medium free rage eggs
100g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
150g self raising flour

Heat oven to 180c (350f) and line 3 large baking tins
Put eggs, sugar and vanilla into large bowl.Whisk with electric mixer for about 7 mins until mixture has tripled in volume and is very thick and pale.
Sift in flour then mix in gently with a metal spoon.
Drop exact tablespoons of mixture 3cms apart on baking sheet, they will spread out.
Bake for 8-10mins until puffed and golden.
Leave to cool on sheets and peel away from paper.

FILLING

Strawberry Jam, sieved.
Double Cream
Strawberries approx 350g hulled and sliced.
Icing sugar

Spread jam over half of the sponges. Then spoon over cream and spread out. Then place slice strawberries over the cream. Another little dollop of cream can be added on top of strawberries but this is optional. Now place other sponge on top and sprinkle over icing sugar.

So I now had my strawberry sponges to enjoy while watching the tennis. Perfect. They tasted yummy and even better Andy Murray, a fellow Scot, is still in there with a chance. Could be a very good Wimbledon for me.

I can always dream!

CRAB CAKES

2010-06-22T08:01:00.007-05:00

While flicking through a food magazine last week I was delighted to see an article on American Diner food. Having just come back from living in USA for 6 years it was good to be taken back, to remember the wonderful times we had spent there. Isn't it funny how food has the ability to take you back to times and places in your life. Might not remember what I did last week, but I can clearly remember how good that stew was I ate 15 years ago while on holiday! Strange but true.

When I saw the recipe for crabcakes I knew before the end of the week I would be tucking into them. They had been one of my favourites during my time over there. However, I do not associate them with diners, more with restaurant dining, but that wasn't going to stop me from trying out the recipe.

The next day saw me at my local fishmongers buying the crab. When I explained to him what I wanted it for, he suggested I buy crab claws, they were cheaper, and I figured I could deal with them easier than I could with whole crab. Also, the best crabcakes I ever ate had big lumps of crab throughout the cake, and I knew I could extract big pieces from the claws, or at least hoped I could! Driving home I was already thinking ahead to supper when hopefully I would be tucking into my own homemade crabcakes, and hopefully recounting a few memories.

I was surprised how easily I managed to remove the meat from the claws. After carefully checking for any shell that may have gone astray I was then ready to get started. The recipe is simple, and after an hour, which allowed them to firm up in the fridge, I was frying up my supper. Husband was out of town so this was a treat to be enjoyed alone. I was so happy with the result. They tasted so good. They will definitely be a regular in our house. I am always delighted when a recipe lives up to it's expectation. This is not always the case but in this instance it really did.

350g white crab meat (claws work well)
1 small red onion finely diced
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp crushed red peppers
150g fresh white breadcrumbs
125mls mayo
1 beaten egg
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1tbsp grated lemon zest
1tsp tabasco
s&p
oil for frying

Drain any liquid from crab.
Put into large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, holding back 50g of the breadcrumbs for later.
Mix together using your hands. Shape into 12 "cakes". Now dip the cakes in reserved breadcrumbs and put into fridge to firm up for 30mins.

Heat oil until moderately hot and fry cakes for 2-3 mins on each side being careful not to let them burn. Keep warm in oven while you cook them all.

Serve with a slice of lemon and green salad and enjoy.

A BACON SANDWICH for BREAKFAST

2010-06-13T09:54:00.013-05:00

I wonder how many of you reading this have not been seduced by the smell of bacon sizzling in the pan. There is something about the aroma that makes it irresistible. As it sizzles away I prepare the bread, buttering carefully in preparation for what's to come. I bring the HP sauce out, well it has to be brown sauce for me, but I know the jury is out on this, and some people actually prefer ketchup! Although I do not understand this peculiarity.

The kettle is boiling, teapot at the ready. Before long it's all systems go. Tea is brewed, bacon placed on to the waiting bread, the sauce dribbled over and finally the top piece of bread is in place. Even writing this is making me want to rush to the fridge for the bread and bacon.....
At last I am savouring a delicious bacon buttie, mmm! what better start to a lazy Sunday morning.

One good thing about coming back to live in UK after 6 years in USA, was the choice of bacon. In USA you get streaky and nothing else. It does taste good, but I like choice. I especially enjoy "air cured" bacon. There is no white leakage from the bacon as it fries. My preference is also for back bacon. So nothing complicated in this blog just a delicious bacon sandwich. Well within even the most novice of cooks, but one which will have people asking for more.

HOT APRICOT SOUFFLE

2010-06-07T09:13:00.008-05:00

Can't believe it has been so long since my last blog. Time has run away with me. New house, a daughter getting married in July and added to that a kitchen full of appliances that need replacing. However all is in hand, new appliances purchased, wedding organised and new house almost where I want it to be. So I am raring to go.

What really tempted me back to the kitchen was a delicious, and easy looking recipe for a Hot Apricot Souffle. Also a visit from my daughter, and son in law to be, prompted me make something to impress. I hoped! I know you should never cook something for the first time to serve someone, but I figured if it worked, then great, if not, well he would be seeing his future mother in law was not perfect, not that I think for one moment he thought I was,my daughter would have seen to that! But boy did have my fingers crossed!

Thankfully it was as easy as I had anticipated. It rose beautifully, and tasted delicious. Only thing I wasn't too happy with was texture. Think it could have been a bit smoother, but it didn't spoil it at all. I think everyone was suitably impressed, although there was a panic trying to photograph the souffle before it collapsed. I didn't manage to get the top sprinkled with icing sugar as I was afraid I'd lose them. Eventually everyone had their own souffle to enjoy and I could sit back and feel happy with my effort.

HOT APRICOT SOUFFLE
250g (9oz) dried apricots
200g (7oz) fresh orange juice
4Tbsp single cream
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
75g (3oz{ caster sugar

6x200ml (7oz) ramekin dishes

1. Put apricots sugar and 100mls (4fl oz) of boiling water into a pan and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 30 mins.
When most of the water has been absorbed and apricots are soft blitz in a processor until you have a puree. Cool and then stir in cream.

2. Heat oven to 200c (400f) Fold egg yolks into cooled puree. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks. Add sugar and beat until glossy. Fold into puree a third at a time, using a rubber spatula.When fully incorporated divide evenly between ramekins. Fill to the top then run your finger around rims to create a ridge.

3. Set dishes onto a metal baking sheet and cook for 10-12 mins, or until golden and puffed. Serve immediately dusted with icing sugar.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched everyone enjoy my efforts. They seemed to love it, or otherwise were being very polite. But, knowing my family, I belief they did enjoy it as we all tell it as it is in this house.

It is so good to be back in my kitchen and I have a stack of new recipes to try so watch this space.

SALMON PARCEL

2010-03-29T06:28:00.004-05:00

Saw a recipe on TV this week for salmon baked in foil parcels. It looked delicious, simple and healthy. And with summer on the way and the shedding of the baggy winter clothes, I thought I should give it a try.

I was lucky enough to buy some Scottish Organic Salmon fillets. It was farmed, but that doesn't worry me. Also it was a pale pink not the bright colour we normally see in salmon. I was looking forward to putting this together.

Serves 4

200mls (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
zest and juice from 2 oranges
2 tbs dark soy sauce
2 red chillies finely chopped
6 spring onions
4 salmon fillets, skin on
1 head pak choi
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
oil for brushing

Pour orange juice and zest and juice from the 2 oranges into a bowl
Add chillies and spring onion
Lay 4 30x30cm (12"x12") double layers of foil. Lay salmon on foil and add two leaves of pak choi to each parcel. Form a foil parcel leaving space for steam inside.
Season the fillets and divide the juice mix between the parcels. Seal tightly.
Oil bottom of parcels and put in hot a non stick frying pan for 5-6 mins. The parcels will puff up and you will hear them simmering.

Carefully remove the parcels and cut open. A delicious aroma will hit you.
I served the salmon with sesame egg noodle with sliced spring onions.

It was a really quick simple dish and I hope you will enjoy trying it. The main thing is not to overcook the salmon. If you see white liquid coming from the fillets then this is the proteins escaping, a sign of overcooked salmon, not very palatable.

I thought this would be a great dish to do on the barbecue now that summer is on the way..

A NICE SURPRISE

2010-03-22T07:32:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't been spending too much time in the kitchen lately, therefore not blogging as much as I would like, but something happened the other day which immediately made me think of sitting down at the computer to blog.

What was this great revelation? Nothing really, just a simple thing which reminded me of how cooking can be full of surprises. Some good, some not so good.

I'm sure we are all excited when something we cook turns out exactly like the photo in the book, or something tastes way better than you could have hoped for. Also the other side of the coin is when something comes out of the oven looking dreadful and even worse, tasting dreadful. We all have those ups and downs. But how wonderful is it when it's a good result as opposed to a bad result?

Well my surprise was way more simple than that. It was something I had not come across in a long time, but it brought an almost childlike smile to my face. The reason for this, quite simply a double yolked egg! I know it's not a big thing, but I cannot remember the last time I saw this. My mum always used to call for us to come and view a double yolker, and there seemed to be more of them around in those days, or maybe I'm just remembering it this way.

Then strangely enough a few days later there was an article in the paper saying it is a 1/1000 chance. Although some breeds produce more than others, and also some supermarkets sell boxes of "double yolk"eggs. I have never seen them and think it is so much better to find them unexpectedly.

So a simple story which instantly brought back a childhood memory. Proving life in the kitchen is full of surprises, irrespective of how long you've been cooking, this one much easier to take in on a Monday morning than a tale of a weekend disaster in the kitchen.

Happy double yolk hunting.

OUT of THE KITCHEN

2010-03-18T08:50:00.003-05:00

I have been out of my own kitchen for some time now and because of this my posts have been fairly few and far between. As I so miss my blogging I decided to start up a new blog, to sit alongside my exsisting blog. I have not given up on the celticcook, I enjoy it too much and hope to soon be back as a foodie blogger.

However if anyone is interested in finding out a little bit more about me and my everyday life check out, daysinthelifeofafiftysomething.blogspot.com
I hope you enjoy this look into my other side.

I keep reading your blogs and enjoying them as much as ever. Look forward to hearing comments form you on my new blog.

SUPPER CLUB

2010-02-12T09:43:00.003-06:00

Last night I joined a group of girls on our monthly Supper Club outing.This was to be my second meeting of the group.
When I moved back to UK it was to an area I had never lived before and knew I was going to have to make new friends. Both an exciting and anxious time. Makes you think of all the people you have left behind but also of what lies ahead. Sometimes I wonder if my luck will run out. I have always met wonderful people wherever I've lived. Some life long friends and many more passing acquaintances. With all of them I have had so much fun and so many wonderful experiences.

When I saw the Southampton Ladies Supper Club on a forum in a magazine I saw this as my opportunity to put myself out there, to start and build a new friends network.

It was with trepidation I attended the first gathering. Deep down I knew that the love of food would be a common thread throughout the group, otherwise why would they be there. So immediately there would be shared interests,and who knows a wonderful friendship may be lying behind just behind the restaurant window.

Arriving at the restaurant I looked around for signs of the group. One lady, Norma, was already there and we shared a few words before everyone started to arrive. Immediately I felt relaxed, there was lots of chat and laughing. I knew this was a group was going to work for me.

Everyone has varying interests in food, some love to cook, some don't, but one thing for sure we all enjoy the social aspect of sitting around a table with like minded people sharing our experiences and views. Some people like myself have lived in different cultures and I look forward to hearing all about their experiences.

I think these groups are such a good idea. A wonderful way of meeting people. I am so happy I took the plunge and signed up. I now look forward to all future get togethers, to finding new places to eat and yes, I do think there is a friendship or two waiting to blossom. Can't wait for the next night out with my newly found friends.

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

2010-02-03T03:39:00.008-06:00

Sunday afternoon arrived, and it was now time to make my marmalade. The ingredients were all laid out and a new preserving pan, kilner jars and all the other bits and pieces needed to make the jam had been newly purchased. I am still not reunited with my kitchen equipment, it is now somewhere on the Atlantic ocean! My 6 jars of SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE was going to be a very expensive product costing approx £74. It was going to have to be a prize worthy batch.

I set to work squeezing, removing pith and chopping. The pot was simmering away nicely. My pips and pith were nestled in the muslin bag I had lovingly tied. In two hours I would add the sugar. The time passed and I stirred in the sugar and turned down the heat to let it dissolve slowly, lest it should burn. Sugar fully dissolved I turned the heat back up and knew that soon it would reach setting point. As I don't have a jam thermometer, I was relying on the "cold plate" method of testing setting point. After 15 minutes I eagerly checked it, not quite there, gave it another 5 minutes. Still not there so another 5 minutes. I was sure it would now be ready. No, another 5 minutes. This was puzzling me as I knew it shouldn't be taking this long. I went over all the stages in my head and knew I had done everything correctly. So I gave it another 5 minutes and then poured it into my 6 jars, except there was only enough for 3 jars. This was turning out to be mega expensive.

Now I couldn't wait to spread some on to a nice piece of buttered toast.

Fast forward. Toast ready. I eagerly unscrew the lid and slide in the spoon. Well when I say slid what I meant to say is when I hit a solid mass in the jar! Yes the setting point had come and gone and I was left with jars filled with a gooey, sticky toffee like mass. What a disappointment. I coaxed, persuaded and cajoled the mass to leave the jar. Not an easy task. Perhaps, I told myself, that once it was out it would taste fine. Who was I kidding. Didn't matter how good it tasted it was a useless mass of goo.

What to do but laugh, beats crying. I should have trusted my instinct and not my "cold plate" test. I'm not beaten. I'll try again, maybe not soon. I'm beaten now by the Seville Orange Season, it is now over, so next year.

Thought you might like a look at the finished result. I did manage to dig some of it out. For now the jars sit on the kitchen counter, they look okay, and are a reminder to me to never become complacent in the kitchen.

Yes the spoon could stand in the marmalade!
And in case you are wondering I won't be submitting it for any awards!!!

NEW FOUND INSPIRATION

2010-01-28T12:01:00.011-06:00

I was just about ready to retire "thecelticcook". Inspiration for creating meals, and indeed something interesting to blog about, seemed to have deserted me, but here I am back to the printed page ready to share once again my kitchen endeavours and culinary experiences with anyone willing to listen.

What has caused this sudden reawakening in all things foodie? Simple the delivery of my first seasonal fruit and veg box from a company called Abel & Cole. It arrived full of seasonal produce, fresh and dirty as nature intended. I had also ordered some cod and fresh scallops. The scallops were picked only the day before and came with the bright orange coral still intact.
Suddenly I was excited again about what I could produce with the given ingredients. I had in front of me, onions, leeks, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, potatoes and blood oranges. I had included in my order organic eggs, Seville oranges and lemons so any day now I will be happily stirring my my marmalade into a nice sticky slightly bitter consistency. I look forward to the first breakfast where I spread it onto nice hot buttered toast and enjoy the fruits of my labours. Will keep you updated on that one.

Today I spent going through books and magazines, hunting seasonal recipes, my creative juices were flowing. Leek and potato soup would be a must, a tasty leek and potato frittata might also fit the bill. Parsnip soup? A recipe for duck with Seville orange and savoy cabbage gave me food for thought. Then I remembered a recipe for a carrot and orange cake which I hadn't cooked for a long time. That seemed a great place to start.

I decided I would serve the cod for supper. Served on a bubble and squeak cake. For any of you who do not know what that is, it is, in it's simplest form, a way to use up leftover vegetables from Sunday lunch. Always mashed potato and the whatever else you have. Today I cooked a little bacon and fried a leek until soft in the bacon fat, stirred in the shredded cabbage, mixed with the mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper and when cool enough to handle I made into little cakes. Bacon is always good with cabbage and a perfect accompaniment for fish. Then it would be fried in a little oil and the roasted cod was placed on top. I did wonder if I might put a poached egg on top. I would wait and decide later.

So in one meal I would have used several of the ingredients which had been delivered to the door early this morning. Also I would be busy thinking of what to do next. It made a change from knowing what I am cooking and then going out to buy the produce needed, certainly made me think about our supper tonight, and for the rest of the week. Thank you Abel & Cole for reawakening my interest in cooking. My husband was a very happy man tonight.

Here is the recipe for the carrot and orange cake.

175g (6oz) light muscovado sugar
175ml (6oz) sunflower oil
3 large eggs lightly beaten
140g (5oz) grated carrots
100g (40z) raisins
grated zest of one large orange
175g (6oz) self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 180c (375f). Oil and line the base of a 18cm (9") square tin.
Put sugar, oil and eggs into a bowl and lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Add carrots, raisins and orange zest.
Mix flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift them into the mix. Gently mix. The mixture will be loose.
Pour into the baking tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until it springs back when you press the centre.
Cool in tin for 10 minutes then put on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping

175g (6oz) icing sugar
1-2 tbsps orange juice.

Mix together until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.

My icing has a pink tinge as I used blood oranges in the cake. These are one of my favourite fruits and I am always sorry that the season is so short.

KIPPERS for BRUNCH

2010-01-10T08:33:00.006-06:00

This morning we had kippers for Sunday brunch. Already I can hear cries of "what are kippers?" and have to say outside of UK I have not come across them on any menu. Usually they are served for breakfast or at teatime.
So let me enlighten you. They are quite simply smoked herrings. They come in pairs, and I think the reason for this is in the old traditional way of smoking, two, or a pair of kippers as they are referred to, would be tied by the tails and hung over a pole to be smoked in a smoke house. Some of these traditional smoke houses still exist, but due to new food laws, sadly fewer and fewer remain. Nowadays they will be smoked in a factory and come vacuum packed. All that needs to be done is to boil them in the bag for 15 minutes. Easy and delicious. They are soft, smokey very very tasty.
I like them served with scrambled eggs, cooked tomatoes and hot buttered toast. A perfect way to cheer up a grey Sunday morning.
One thing I am really fussy about is my scrambled eggs. They have to be soft, cooked slowly until just set. So often when out I am served hard overcooked eggs. Horrors of horrors are scrambled eggs cooked in a microwave. There should definitely be a law against this practice. It is so easy to cook them properly, there can be no excuses.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

2009-11-07T15:11:00.008-06:00

Anyone who has been recently reading this blog recently will realise cooking has been taking a bit of a back seat over the past few weeks. So on Friday night I was determined to cook my poor long suffering, and very understanding husband a proper supper on his return from work. Nothing would stand in my way.

One of his favourite dishes is SHEPHERD'S PIE. So this is what I would be cooking for him. It would be sure to make him happy. A good start to the weekend. As turnip, if you are in Scotland, swede, if you are in England, is one of his favourite vegetables I would serve this alongside. I was pulling out all the stops.

I have made this so often I have no need to turn to a recipe. It is so simple to make and prepared ahead of time means it can be reheated whenever you are ready to eat. I like dishes with no last minute preparations. There would be time to sit down with a Friday night cocktail while the oven did the work, and discuss our weekend plans. I love a Friday night. They are meant for relaxing after a busy week.

Glad to say it all went according to plan. No missing ingredients, no faulty equipment just a huge sense of relief on my part knowing that I could still manage to put a satisfying meal on the table. I was feeling good. As I don't really follow a recipe for this I have done my best to give you all the ingredients and instructions. You can of course use whatever vegetables you have to hand.

SHEPHERDS PIE (serve6)

500g (1lb) minced beef
1 onion finely chopped
1 large carrot
beef stock
handful frozen peas (optional)
salt & pepper
worcester sauce, a few shakes.

4 large potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1/4 cup milk
knob of butter
1 egg

First soften the onion and carrot in some olive oil.
When soft add the minced beef and stir until browned all over. Add salt and pepper and a few shakes of worcester sauce to taste.
Add beef stock to cover. Put on a lid and leave to simmer for about 30 mins.
Add the peas, stir through and turn up heat until it bubbles. Check again for seasoning adding more if necessary.
Put in into an ovenproof dish and leave to cool.

Boil potatoes in salted water.
Drain and pour over warm milk and butter. Mash until smooth.
Add egg and quickly beat into the potato. This will make a nice brown topping on the potato when it comes out of the oven.

I find it easier to add the warm potato mixture to the mince base once it has gone cold. It makes for a smoother covering.

Leave to cool in the fridge and before serving heat the oven to 190c (375f). Heat for 45 mins until you can see the bottom starting to bubble up through the potato topping.

As I pulled the dish from the oven and was able to smell the wonderful aroma coming up to meet me I felt a sense of achievement. I was back.

THE CAN OPENER

2009-11-04T04:23:00.004-06:00

Can't believe my cooking blog is being reduced to a complaining blog! It seems I am being thwarted at every turn in my attempts to produce meals from my new kitchen. The kitchen I love. It is small but perfectly formed. It has wonderful red units which makes me want to be in there cooking. However the love affair with it really has not taken off. Thankfully this is just a temporary residence for us.

Believe it or not it was the humble can opener that left me frustrated this time. I had started to make soup, the onions were sweating, the vegetables chopped and the stock bubbling away happily. A tin of tomatoes and and a tin of cannelloni beans sat waiting to be opened. Well, in theory they were to be opened! That is where it all started to fall apart. No matter how hard I tried I could not open the cans. I tried all ways. Kept thinking I must be doing something wrong, but let's face it how hard is it to use a can opener? I stopped short at throwing it out of the window and hoped that maybe my husband could do the job when he got home. This was going to be a very outside chance I realised, but I was all I had. In my defense it did take me a month to find out it didn't work. Either I have been cooking only fresh ingredients, or, we have been eating out way too often! What do you think?

My instincts were confirmed, my husband could not make it work, it was well and truly broken. So no soup tonight. Luckily we are surrounded by lots of good eating places and once again supper was abandoned, I would buy a new opener tomorrow, so for now we would simply eat out once again. The soup could be finished off tomorrow.

Hopefully I will soon be publishing a blog which focuses on a successfully completed dish. For my self confidence this has to happen soon, although it won't be happening tonight as we are off to a wine dinner hosted by a local restaurant. Maybe this city living isn't so bad. How important is home cooking anyway? HELP did I just say that. Don't worry I will move out of this mood soon and will once again be enjoying my kitchen exploits.

NEW BEGINNINGS

2009-10-21T08:49:00.003-05:00

Here I am again, now settling back in UK. I have missed my blogging and thankful to at last have my Internet back once again, so I can once again catch up with all my fellow bloggers, finding out what you have all been up to in your kitchens all these weeks, or has it run into months?

Travelling almost 4000 miles across the Atlantic meant leaving behind all my kitchen"things", food and equipment. I will be reunited with my gadgets eventually, but had to start from scratch with my pantry. No foodstuffs allowed to cross the pond. Friends fell heir to my pantry items, and I sadly let go of my wonderful collection of salts, beans, pastas, vinegars, oils and balsamics, as well as the more basic tins of tomatoes, artichoke hearts and tuna to name but a few. There was even a tin or two of haggis hidden way in the back.

The thought of restocking my pantry seemed a great opportunity to do it "properly", which meant days of writing lists, going over recipes to make sure I wouldn't be starting something only to find an essential ingredient missing! There would be no impulse buys, no products lurking "just in case" But would this mean missing out on exciting products, missing out on a wonderful food experience? Already my resolve is slipping, but I would do my best to stay on track. The treats could come later. It would be great just to be able to cook once again, albeit with a limited collection of kitchenware, I can always pick up bits and pieces. A break form eating out and making do with preprepared foods was a huge incentive to get going.

The day arrived. My husband and I set off for Tesco, a huge supermarket giant in UK. There was no rush, no hurry, we would spend our time carefully picking all the items to restock our pantry, which I have to say is a much smaller space than we are used to, but we knew that would be the case.

The trolley was piling up. Herbs, spices,vinegars, oils, pastas, rice, flour, sugars, jams, sauces, coffee, mustards, etc,etc, food for the freezer and even the boring cleaning products were being picked with care. And then it all went so terribly wrong! We heard an announcement which we thought said that alcohol could not be purchased after 4-00pm. We knew there were some odd rules about purchasing alcohol on a Sunday so, reluctantly my gin went back on the shelf, and we continued. However, if you thought the alcohol rule was crazy, things were just about to get much worse. A further announcement made it clear that the store was actually closing at 4-00pm. It seems in England there is some strange law which means food stores can only trade for 4 hours on a Sunday!!!!!! We couldn't believe it. My list was only half way complete, there was smoke coming out of my ears. I couldn't believe some ancient law still existed. From being able to shop 24/7 here I was being reduced to only a space of 4 hours on a Sunday. I was losing all reason and the gin bottle might have been a bit of comfort, if I only had it in the trolley!

Eventually I calm down, and realise it isn't really the end of the world, just on this occasion a huge inconvenience, and in the future I will be able to avoid Sunday shopping. However, it still leaves me with a half empty pantry and another trip to the supermarket.

I guess it will take a bit of time to re adjust and I know before long the disastrous shopping trip will become a funny anecdote at parties, but for now I continue restocking, and yes there were a few things I had forgotten to put on my list but slowly I am accumulating everything I need plus a few things that have sneaked in "just in case!" Well don't we all have a few of these purchases?

CHEDDAR BISCUITS

2009-09-15T16:34:00.004-05:00

Red Lobster is a chain of seafood restaurants found all over the US. All Americans are familiar with them, and I suspect, although they won't always admit to it, most people will have eaten there at some point. For me, I don't mind them. I have always had perfectly well cooked and tasty food, at an affordable price, very important in today's economy. Okay, they are not serving line caught wild salmon or hand dived scallops, but then neither are they pretending to be something they are not. Any night of the week there will be lines of people waiting for tables. So they must be doing something right.

One thing they definitely do right is the basket of warm Cheddar biscuits they bring to your table on your arrival. They are delicious. Warm, soft and very moreish. It would be easy to eat your daily calorie intake in these alone. I have tried to recreate them, and have gotten pretty close, but there was always something not quite right. So you can imagine my delight when Food Network Magazine printed the recipe.

I immediately scanned the recipe for details on where I was going wrong, and then set to work making them. Could they possibly turn out just like the real thing? After the 20 mins in the oven, the wait was killing me, I pulled out a tray, which to the eye looked pretty authentic. and then I bit into the first one, and yes, to my utter delight here was the illusive cheddar biscuit I had tried so often to copy. I was so happy.

Where had I gone wrong? Sorry to say it was vegetable shortening! I know. We don't want to use it but there is no doubt it makes for tasty cooking and baking. Also a brush with melted garlic butter while still warm put the finishing touch. So I can be happy now I have the recipe and I am delighted to be able to share it with you.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour(SR)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp vegetable shortening at room temp
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/4 grated yellow cheddar
3/4 cup whole milk

GARLIC BUTTER
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed 1 tsp parsley

Heat oven to 425f (220c) and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Pulse flour, baking powder, sugar and salt on processor. Add shortening until combined then add butter and and pulse until you have pea sized pieces throughout the flour. Add cheese then pour in milk and mix until it just comes together. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Turnout and gently bring it all together.

Drop onto baking sheet in 1/4 cup size, I use an ice cream scoop, place 2" apart.

Bake for 15-20mins until golden brown.

When they come out of the oven brush with the melted garlic butter.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. They go well with soup, chili, salad in fact they will go well with just about anything.

FOOD on a STICK

2009-09-07T18:27:00.005-05:00

Today is Labor Day here in US and I have honoured it by giving it the American spelling, that is, no letter "u". It also marks the unofficial last day of summer, and although the sun is still shining and it is hot and sunny, the kids will all return to school tomorrow after a really long break, all the summer attractions will close as will open air pools and believe it or not it is now a fashion faux pas to wear white trousers. This is one thing I will ignore as they are my summer uniform, I plead ignorance on the fact that I am a foreigner here!

Here in Minnesota it is the final day of the Minnesotan State Fair. This annual event is a huge deal here. In fact all over the mid west such fairs are held throughout the summer months. As well as the usual attractions of farm animals and equipment, food competitions, which by the way one of our fellow bloggers managed to win a blue ribbon in the blueberry jelly section. Check out acraftylass.blogspot.com for her story.And then there is the most famous of all attractions, and that is, food on a stick. Almost any kind of food you can think of is served on a stick. From corn dogs to pork chops, bacon covered in chocolate, mac'n'cheese, fresh fruit, spag bol, all of course deep fried before being mounted unceremoniously onto a stick. I have even seen deep fried cheesecake, twinkie bars and milky ways on a stick. In my defense I have to say I have never been to the State Fair and therefor have not been party to any of these delicacies. I'm sure they are delicious. What amazes me is the new things they come up with every year. Our local paper prints lists of what you can consume from a stick. Also if you are the lucky girl who wins Miss Dairy then you will have a bust of you carved in, wait for it, BUTTER! Who says old traditions are dying out. Here in the mid west tradition is King.

I think these events are important to a community and I know thousands of people look forward to them every year. It is easy to make fun of them but without ever having been to one I will reserve my judgement. I'm sure they are lots of fun with something for everyone.

So farewell to summer and hopefully we will be rewarded by a beautiful fall, although this year I will miss most of it as I am returning to the UK at some point. I will now never be able to attend the Minnesotan State Fair but Minnesota will live on in my heart and every time I see any food served on a stick I will think fondly of it.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

2009-08-25T18:07:00.006-05:00

I so want to finish today's title with "at the whistle stop cafe" and if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, then I suggest find one or other and prepare to enjoy it.

Anyway, I digress. I have been amazed by my abundant harvest of tomatoes this year, especially the cherry and grape varieties. I have had so many I am giving them away. No bottling or chutney this year as soon I will be heading back across the Atlantic to resume my life in UK, and don't want to carry them all the way over there. My husband has already left, so way too many tomatoes to eat by myself, although I am getting through a fair amount of them. I love tomatoes, freshly picked and eaten while still warm from the sun is by far the best way, but cooked is also good.

Today I decided to try my hand at fried green tomatoes. This is a very Southern dish, and I once enjoyed them on a trip to Nashville some 9 years ago. I always remember them as being delicious, and I always said I would cook them but somehow never got around to it. However, today I picked a few green tomatoes and set to work to recreate the recipe. It wasn't going to be difficult.

I can't even call this a recipe as it is so simple. I sliced the tomatoes thickly, dipped them into seasoned flour, then into beaten egg and finally into breadcrumbs. I heated some olive oil and fried them until they were brown on one side then turned then and cooked the other side. Total cooking time was about 3-4 mins. The result was a delicious crispy outside and a soft, slightly tangy inside. All I did was sprinkle on some sea salt before settling down to enjoy.

Whilst eating them I was wondering if a dip or relish was would improve the dish, but decided it didn't need it as they stood up perfectly well on their own. Later I thought a basil mayo might be an nice, although not a necessary accompaniment to the tomatoes.

I do love these quick easy dishes. Perfect as an appetiser, for lunch or as a light supper. I'll definately cook these again. Perhaps the next time will be when I am cooking "American style" for my friends back home in UK.

COFFEE CAKE

2009-08-19T16:35:00.007-05:00

One thing that puzzled me on my arrival in the US was the coffee cake I was being served in cafes. Every time I ordered it I was amazed at the lack of coffee flavour in my offering. It was some time before I realised that here in the States, coffee cake is merely a cake served with coffee! Puzzle over. I now know to ask what flavour the coffee cake is. Strange question. If you asked the same question at home people would think you had gone crazy.

I have a fond memory of coffee cake and that is why I think I am drawn to it when I see it on a menu. My gran used to make the most delicious coffee cake. It always would taste better the day after it had been baked as the coffee flavours seemed to develop. The recipe was passed on to me, and today as the rain poured down and warnings of tornados and severe weather filled the TV screen, yes it is summer here, I decided to find comfort in my kitchen and what better to bake than my Gran's wonderful coffee cake.

The reason I like this recipe so much is that it is a one step process. Everything is put in the mixer together and then turned into the pans. It couldn't be easier.
Today I took the liberty of baking individual cakes, in little dariole moulds. My gran was a modern thinking lady and I am sure she would approve of my change. My reason behind this was that I have some friends coming for coffee tomorrow and thought it would be nice to serve individual portions instead of a slice of cake.

1tsp instant coffee granules
1/2oz(100g) self rising flour
3 1/2oz(100g) demerrara sugar
3 1/2 oz(100g) softened butter
3 med eggs.

For the Icing

2tsp instant coffee granules
3 1/2oz(100g)icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 3/4oz(50g) softened butter.

Pre heat oven to 350f(180c)
Disolve coffee granules in 3 Tbsp boiling water.
Tip all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Divide between 6 well greased dariole moulds.
Place moulds on a baking tray and put in the centre of the oven for 20-25 mins until they have risen and are firm to the touch.
Remove from oven and turn out on to a wire rack.

When cool mix together the icing ingredients and spread on top of the cakes. I put a chocolate covered coffee bean on top and sprinkled with a little coffee powder.

How easy is that?

As I had cooked them in the dariole moulds they had a muffin top on them. I cut these off and sandwiched them together with some of the icing mixture. Mmmm, a little sample for me. I hope Gran is proud of me carrying on a family recipe and also pleased that I have updated the presentation. One day I hope my daughters will pass down this recipe to daughters or daughters-in-law.

My sample.

A BIT OF A RANT

2009-08-11T12:53:00.004-05:00

I have just spent a wonderful weekend in New York. This was a surprise trip for my grandson's birthday. We had a fabulous time savouring the sights and enjoying the hustle bustle of a big city.

However, one thing set me thinking, and that was the inclusion of the calorie count of a dish on the menus. I first saw it when we were buying some take out sandwiches from a healthy sandwich bar and I didn't think too much of it. But when I later saw it on a KFC menu board I remembered having read that it was a state law in NYC to have the calorie count included on all menus! Is this really necessary?

For one if you are eating at a KFC, McDonalds or any one of the many fast food restaurants does the inclusion of the calories next to the price affect what you eat? I am thinking not. We all know what we are eating when visiting these places. Secondly when enjoying a nice meal out do we need to be constantly reminded of how many calories we are consuming? I found the whole thing very off putting. I cannot imagine choosing my meal based solely on the calorific content, what about salt content, saturated fats, corn syrup and all of the other bad things likely to be contained in the meal? Are we one day going to find all of these things printed alongside the price?

Sometimes I think things are going too far. We are a generation who needs o be spoon fed, who are unwilling to take personal responsibility. Is there really anyone out there who doesn't know what is good and what is bad for them? We all know, and we all have the choice to make. I think we are the most informed generation, just open any magazine or turn on the TV. We are bombarded with, facts and figures, the latest health scares connected with food, with what is good for you and what is bad, what to eat to stay thin, what to eat to get thin. There is a whole TV channel all about food.

Come on let's just accept we are a food obsessed generation. We have choices to make and a never ending source of knowledge available to us. We do not really need to see the calories of everything we eat laid out in front of us when we eat out. Let us enjoy our food, not make us feel guilty about it. It is surely a case of everything in moderation. And a trip to KFC one night doesn't mean we do this every night. am a proponent of a little of what you fancy.......

So eat, drink and be merry, all in moderation of course.

ANTIPASTI

2009-08-05T14:58:00.005-05:00

During the summer months I enjoy the flexibility of eating. No one seems to mind if the BBQ is running late as there is always something tasty in the fridge to nibble while waiting. I always have cold meats, cheeses pickles, salads, and there is an abundance of fresh tomatoes and peppers in the garden. This is one of my favourite ways to eat. Everyone sharing a platter of tasty nibbles. With good salt and freshly ground pepper and a selection of dressings even the simplest of foods become quite a feast, and not only for your taste buds but also for the eye.

So when asked to bring along an appetiser to a friends BBQ what could be easier than a nice antipasti plate. I had parma ham, bressola and mortadella, so that was a good start. I picked some tomatoes opened jars of artichokes and peppers added some buffalo mozzarella, I also had some sweet pickled onions to add to the platter, not fogetting some tasty olives. I also decided to slice up a cantaloupe melon to add a sweetness to the salty meats. So without too much effort I had a very acceptable appetiser to take along with something for everyone to enjoy.

This is a staple of our summer entertaining. Good simple, tasty food fast, leaving me plenty of time to enjoy with my friends.

DELICIOUS DESSERT

2009-07-17T17:34:00.005-05:00

Can't believe it has been so long since I last blogged, but with summer here and a house full of family life is pretty hectic.

However at the request of my grandson, who is here with us for a month, and what fun we are having with him, I got to work on a dessert he had spied in one of my magazines. It was for PINK MARBLED MERINGUES. I have made meringues many times before and I enjoy the results from what is really a fairly simple recipe.

Once cooked I realised I had no cream for the top so instead substituted strawberry yogurt and with the sliced strawberries on top the finished product was a resounding success. I am always happy to please my grandson and this was an easy way of doing so.

He has challenged me to a cooking showdown next week, so we will pit our skills against each other. Will let you know of the outcome. I think it will be a fajita cook off. Should be fun, but stressful for my husband and daughter who will be judging. Guessing whatever the outcome it will be a lose, lose for them.

MERINGUES
3 large egg whites
165g (5 1/2oz) superfine sugar
pink food colouring
100mls (4fl oz) whipping cream
300g (10oz) berries of your choice

Preheat oven to 150c (300f)
Whisk egg whites until they become stiff. Now add sugar a tsp at a time, keep whisking until mixture is stiff and glossy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large spoon dollop the mixture into 4 circles, making a slight dip in the centre of each one. Dip a skewer into the food colouring and make swirling patterns on outside of meringue mixture.
Put baking sheet into oven and immediately turn down to 130c (250f). Bake for 40mins.

Turn oven off and leave meringues to cool in there for a few hours.

When ready to fill whip cream and spoon onto meringues and pile fruit on top.. They will stay happily for a couple of hours after which they will become soggy but still taste fantastic. I prefer to fill just before serving.

BEAN SALAD

2009-06-26T16:15:00.005-05:00

During the summer months I like to try and keep the fridge stocked with salads and sides which can be pulled out at anytime. Dishes that can, with some crusty bread, become a nice lunchtime meal, or can be served alongside our BBQ'd food. Having them ready and waiting means that summer meals become easy and stress free.

One of my favourite salads, which I make time and time again is simple, but tasty and it will last for several days, is a bean salad. I vary the beans, depending on what I have in the pantry, and or, freezer. This week I made it with kidney beans as the main bean, I added sweetcorn, edamame beans and green beans. I always try and have a nice mix of colours. They say we eat first with our eyes.

Here is the basic recipe but of course you can vary the bean mixture and herbs, I am such a cilantro (coriander) lover, I would eat it in everything, but if this is not a favourite of yours then you could replace it with basil, mint or any other herb you fancy.

1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sweetcorn kernels, tinned or defrosted
1/2 cup edemame beans & 1/2 cup green beans
2 spring onions finely chopped

3tbsp olive oil
juice 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro (coriander)

Mix beans together making sure the are free of water. Add spring onion.
Make dressing by mixing together the rest of the ingredients. Check now for seasoning you may want another squeeze of lemon or a pinch more salt. When you have it to your taste pour over the beans and mix through.
Now put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

THE MONKEY CAKE

2009-06-22T13:50:00.008-05:00

Seems like so long since I have blogged. It's not because I'm not cooking, I just seem to be so busy, and, of course in summer there is a lot of BBQ'ing being done.

When, last week when I received an E- Mail from my friend Joey saying she had found the perfect cake for her baby boy's 2nd birthday, I was slightly surprised when she asked if I had the correct sized cake tins for her to borrow. Why was I surprised? Well because I usually do the cakes for neighbours kids. However, I fully understand a mum wanting to make her child's own cake and I was willing to help if she wanted me but didn't want to take over the task. But on speaking to her it became clear that she would be happy for me to do the cake but hadn't wanted to ask as she knew I was busy. So make it I would. I am never too busy to make a cake especially a fun one one like this.

The cake was to be like a monkey!!! We had looked on the Internet for ideas and had come up with our favourite shaped cake, not however the preferred flavour. But that would be no problem I would just make my trusted old chocolate cake in place of the one featured.

The cake was to be baked in a pudding basin, a 3qrt (6pint) one. The first one I did came out way too flat, so I changed to a smaller 3 pint basin reduced my cooking time and this time it was a success.

Now to the fun bit, decorating. After my last attempt at a theme cake, the Trivia Cake, which I blogged, I was keen to redeem myself with the monkey. The picture looked simple enough, let me say at this point I was only producing a monkey head, not the whole body. So with a lot of chocolate frosting, a few toothpicks, to secure the ears, and with the addition on some yellow frosting I did manage to produce something looking remarkably like the picture.

I was so happy. Bobby, the birthday boy arrived to inspect my creation and to my complete delight he squealed the word "monkey" as soon as he saw it. My day was complete he had recognised the cake and now I could look forward to the party later in the day safe in the knowledge that Bobby was happy with his birthday cake. Later we would find out how it tasted but for now I was happy with the way it looked.

The party was lots of fun and the cake went down a treat.

ICE CREAM

2009-06-10T12:06:00.008-05:00

With summer here what is better than a nice plate of ice cream? For me lots of things, but for my husband, ice cream is his all time favourite dessert. I feel pretty guilty when he searches the freezer for a tub of ice cream, and I know there is none there. Because I don't really care for it I often forget to buy it. It's not that I never eat it, there is nothing better than some good vanilla on a warm apple pie or fruit crumble, but for me that is about the only time I'm tempted by it.

So this year I thought I would step up to the mark, be the perfect wife, and keep a supply of ice cream in the fridge for my wonderful husband. Not just any ice cream of course, but home made, and hopefully delicious.

I have made it in the past but now I plan to get serious. My first batch was to be mint chocolate chip. As I have lots of fresh mint in the garden this seemed a good choice. I had actually forgotten how easy it is to make, and how great the rewards are.

2 cups heavy (double) cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
4 large egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
iced water
green food colouring(optional)
1 cup chocolate chips, chopped

In a medium pan , heat the cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and the mint. Over a medium heat stir until almost simmering. Remove from heat, cover and leave for 15 mins.

In a bowl whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the hot liquid to to the mixture in a slow stream whisking constantly. I like to use my hand mixer for this. Pour back into the saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat stirring until mixture starts to thicken to a custard like consistency. It takes about 6-8 mins.

Strain custard into a bowl set in an ice bath. Stir in 1-2 drops of food colouring if you are using. Cool in the refrigerater for about 4 hours.

Using an ice cream machine process according to instructions. Fold in chocolate chips, and transfer to and airtight container and freeze until ready firm, about 4 hours.

I have the ice cream attachment for my kitchen maid mixer and find this works really well.

It tasted pretty good, even to a non ice cream eater,I think I will be making a lot more of it this summer now I have the bug. Maybe I'll even be tempted to eat a bit more of it too. Who can tell.

ANGRY TROUT CAFE

2009-06-04T20:08:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know this is a strange title for a blog, and you are probably wondering what it is all about, well let me enlighten you.

Last weekend my husband, myself and an aunt, visiting from Scotland, took a trip up to the north shore of Lake Superior. Although summer has arrived here in Minnesota it certainly hadn't arrived where we were. In fact it actually snowed on Sunday, ever so briefly but snow it did. It was during this time whilst browsing in a store that my husband came across a cookbook called, yes, you've guessed it, ANGRY TROUT CAFE NOTEBOOK. It was a signed copy, and obviously local. We made enquires as to where it was and it turned out we could actually see it from where we were standing.

Cold and getting colder by the minute we hurried over to warm ourselves with some hot coffee. What a treat lay in store for us. The building was nothing more than an old fishing shanty. Inside was a simple but comfortable eating place, and we were met by very friendly staff. As we read through the menu we realised that we had stumbled over something special.

The fish they serve is caught on the lake, all the food is sourced locally. The furniture, also made by a local, even the mugs are from a local potter. It seems the whole town in some way has made it's mark here. From wood carvings to stained glass, the list just goes on.

The menu is simple, fresh and delicious. These people are really serious about recycling and sustainability. The menu covers are from cardboard boxes in which produce has been delivered, the napkins a mere 6"x11" to cut down on water, energy & detergent needed to launder, and of course they are made locally, and support organic cotton farms. Take out mugs are proper mugs bought at a second hand store for a dollar each.

No commercial sodas here, they make there own from locally made maple syrup and seltzer water. I could go on and on. I was so impressed by the effort which goes into this place, and how unpretentious and welcoming the place is. I know many of you reading this will never have the opportunity to visit but I felt I wanted to include them in a blog, to tell everyone how good it was. I hope business continues to grow.

You would have problems eating fresher fish than served here. It is served by happy staff who are paid fair wages for the work they do. It was a whole experience and I hope I get the chance to visit again sometime.

And the name, well it was the result of a doodle the owner's boyfriend used to scribble on his letters. A simple thing, but a great name for a wonderful cafe.
So check it out on www.angrytroutcafe.com it is worth a look.

SAVOURY MUFFINS

2009-05-26T11:15:00.008-05:00

With a holiday weekend stretched out before us and the promise of good weather, I knew for sure that we would have people dropping bye, just to say hello, and of course to share a glass of wine on the deck. I love when people do this and always like to have something to serve with a cocktail.

I found this recipe in my new book, which I have mentioned before, The Hummingbird Bakery. I am slowly baking my way through it. So I thought I would bake up a batch of Spinach and Cheese Muffins. The recipe said it would make 12, but in fact I had enough left over for 10 mini ones, which would be perfect for my cocktail snack.

They were a bit on the hot side, due to the cayenne pepper, but as we like hot this wasn't a problem. But I do remember as I added the cayenne thinking 1 tsp seemed like a lot. If you prefer a milder flavour use a little less. I thought I would also substitute the cayenne with red chilli flakes. I will also play around with different cheeses and herbs. I thought sage might be a nice option, with perhaps Parmesan. The book offers recipes for ham and mushroom and carrot and zucchini both of which I thought sounded interesting. Really the options are pretty endless.

2tbs butter
1/2 small red onion finely chopped
2 3/4 cups all purpose(plain) flour
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups finely grated cheddar
1 cup milk (I used buttermilk)
1 egg
4oz baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350f(180c)
Melt butter in saucepan and gently fry the onion until cooked. Set aside.
Put flour, baking powder, cayenne and cheese in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the milk and egg together, then slowly pour the into the flour mixture and beat with a hand mixer.

Stir in the onions and spinach with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed.

Spoon the batter into muffin cases until 2/3 full and bake in oven for 30-35mins, or until deep golden and a skewer comes out cleaned.
Let the muffins cool slightly in the pans before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

So although the recipe said for 12 muffins I was happy to also get 10 mini ones which I was able to serve with my drinks. A few seconds in the microwave heated them up nicely. Only problem was that they were very moreish, and I found it hard to stop nibbling on them, if that can be called a problem.

PAV BHAJI

2009-05-20T16:18:00.011-05:00

We are experiencing some weird weather here, yesterday it soared to 97f and it is the same again today. Problem is it is very windy. Chairs blowing off the deck windy, not nice at all. I feel as if when I step outdoors I am standing in front of an open oven door. Still should be back to normal mid to high 70's over the weekend.

So last night,with my husband out of town, and in no mood to cook, I found myself staring into the fridge for sandwich ingredients. However my neighbour, Avni, arrived in the nick of time with some Indian food she had cooked. Being Indian, Avni is bringing me the real deal, authentic Indian cuisine. I was so happy she had thought of me, especially last night.

What she brought was PAV BHAJI. Bhaji, being the word for vegetables, it was a delicious vegetable curry. I heated it up warmed some naan bread I had in the freezer and with a few minutes I was tucking into a perfect supper dish. It was fairly hot, but not too hot.

I asked her for the recipe, but as with all family recipes there are no set ingredients, quantities or timings. So here is a way to get all the instructions you will need, just go to youtube.com/watch?v=y5KiTE_oTN8pe you enjoy this as much as I did. I also thought it might be nice to swap the vegetables out for chicken or shrimp. Enjoy experimenting.

BIRTHDAY COOKIES

2009-05-16T15:25:00.010-05:00

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Another weekend and another birthday in the neighbourhood. This gives me another chance to create something new. I have been wanting to make cookies in the shape of purses, shoes and hats for some time now and Alexa's 12th birthday seemed like the perfect occasion. No one is ever too old for a cupcake, but with the addition of these cookies it would hopefully be fitting of her becoming a young adult. No childish party for her but a fondue party for her and a few of her best friends. How quickly children grow up.

I made up my cookie dough and went to work cutting out the shapes with cookie cutters from Williams and Sonoma.When they came out of the oven I was desperate to get started on the fun bit of decorating, but I did wait patiently until they were ready to ice.

I have just acquired a wonderful new cookbook called "The Hummingbird Cafe" and it is full of wonderful American cakes, cookies and muffins, check it out. I had decided to use this book for the royal icing recipe. I'm sure this book will become well used over the years.

I then went to work. Soon realised this was going to take longer than I had thought, although it was not a problem as I had left myself plenty of time, and was really enjoying the task, and once I got into it I got faster and more confident with what I was doing. When I was finished I was pleased with the results and sure that Alexa would be happy with her birthday treats.

Although I love to cook it is always nice to have this kind of project. It is just so much fun and for a little effort it can make someone very happy.

I used a sugar cookie recipe and I'm sure you all have one of those but I will give you the recipe for the icing. I found it easy to use and it hardened to a nice finished result

1 egg white
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups icing sugar (confectioners)sifted.
food colouring optional

Beat egg white with lemon juice. Gradually add sugar mixing well after each addition to ensure it is well incorporated. Whisk until you get soft peaks.You may not need all the sugar or you may need a little more to get the right consistency. Now add any colourings.

I used a thicker icing to outline then added a drop of water to fill in the outlines. This was so much fun to do I cannot wait to try again. Perfect for my next girl's coffee I think.

TRIVIA CAKE

2009-05-10T14:33:00.006-05:00

Sadly my husband was losing a colleague last week and as usual a pot luck was arranged for his final day. James and his family had become more than a work connection we had become to think of them as friends. We will miss James, Sallie and Maddox, but wish them every happiness in their new adventure together.

James in the past challenged my husband and myself to a game of Trivial Pursuit. Never ones to back away from a challenge we agreed although for Scots to play the US version is more of a challenge, and one we were not hopeful of winning. However, to cut a long story short we won. Sorry James but the world needs to know!

So what better farewell offering than a cake in the shape of pieces of Trivial Pursuit pieces. Good idea, execution poor. It seemed a fairly straightforward task, two nine" sponge cakes sandwiched together with butter frosting then cut into six pieces each one to be covered in different coloured frosting. Hey presto in no time I would have a cake to make James laugh, or cry, wasn't sure. However in the end it was me who was almost in tears.

I made the huge mistake of trying to decorate the cake while it was still too new. Soon I had a crumbling mess all over the kitchen. Added to that I had food colouring of every hue all over me. This was not as easy as I had first thought. But I was not to be beaten. I left it all for several hours before trying again. Time was running out and I had to save the cake somehow. I took a deep breath and once again set about my task.

Eventually late that night I had something vaguely resembling the plan I had in my head. Certainly this was not one of my better creations but it had to be taken along to the party. Thankfully, as I knew it would, it tasted good. People were so kind as not to mention how bad it really looked but instead complimented the taste. Bless them all.

It just goes to show 1: Don't leave things to the last minute, 2: Never try to decorate a fresh from the oven cake and 3: Don't assume any culinary task is simple, especially when it matters most.

So James, Sallie and Maddox I guess you had the last laugh. Good Luck and keep in tough. I will keep practising my cake decorating skills and you can practice your Trivial Pursuit skills.

MAKING MOZZARELLA AT HOME

2009-05-06T14:52:00.010-05:00

I was so happy to be able attend a mozzarella making class this week. It was held by my local KOWALSKI store. For some time now I have been reading about it with varying comments. Some articles say it is simple to make at home while others reported the whole thing being unpredictable and difficult. I still wanted to give it a try.

I am happy to report that the evening was really informative thanks to Scott, the cheese manager from the store, and Dexi who was giving instructions at my station. They made the whole process very straightforward, simple and fun.

The secret, I think, is buying the curd. To make the curd would be more difficult and extremely time consuming. Perhaps that is for a later date when I feel I have accomplished this method to my satisfaction.

I was amazed that on the night I actually made cheese to bring home. It really was a simple task and I am sure I will be making it regularly. It tasted so good when it was still warm straight from the water. Only thing missing was a nice tomato & some basil. An instant caprese.

How easy is it? Very, provided you have the curds to set you on your way. If your local supermarket makes mozzarella on the premises then they will sell you the curd. Just ask.

All that is needed is your curds, and for 1lb of curds you need a large pot of salted boiling water, about 5-6 litres(5-6quarts). You will need 1/4 -2/3 cups of salt per litre depending on how you like your cheese to taste. You will work it out as you go.

First set the water on to boil and cut your curd into slices approx 1"x1"(2.5cmx 2.5cm)You will also need 2 large stainless steel or glass bowls. Fill one with iced cold water, this is where you will put the cheese once it is formed. Into the other bowl put your curds. When the water has boiled turn it off. Now pour some of this water over your curds until they are submerged. Wait a few minutes until they soften then start to gently squeeze them together. It is almost like making pastry.Treat it grntly with as little handling as possible I should say at this point to wear gloves as the water is very hot. Treat the curds gently until they form one big ball.

The next bit is the forming of the ball. Just squeeze the piece of cheese through your thumb and forefinger until it squeezes through and into a ball shape then break it off. You can make them as big or small as you want. This bit takes a bit of practice but it is worth it.You then drop it into the iced water until it cools when you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can also at this point drop it into cooled salted water and store it this way. It will keep for about 10 days.This is not a soft crumbling cheese but a perfect cheese for grating or using in salads and on pizzas.

I am so happy to have taken this class and to realise that it is not so difficult as I had thought. Perfectly doable in a domestic kitchen. Now I can't wait for the summer tomato harvest when I can invite some friends over and serve my mozzarella still warm fro the pot with delicious homegrown tomatoes and basil. a sprinkling of good sea salt a turn of the peeper mill and a drizzle of fruity olive oil. Mmmm can't wait. Hope they will be impresed.

ENGLISH TRIFLE

2009-05-03T19:10:00.005-05:00

Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day and our friends were holding their annual Derby Day party. It is always a fun day and this Saturday the weather proved to be on our side, being May it can go either way, but we were fortunate enough to be able to sit outside, a great treat for us after the long winter months.

Everyone brings along either a starter or a dessert. KFC provides the chicken. There was also a delicious ham to go along with salads, rice dishes and many other wonderful tasty bits which people had contributed. Of course there was the obligitory Mint Juleps served as always by Max, and some delicious home made lemonade.

I was struggling a bit this year with my dessert. I always do desserts and now it is what is expected from me. The reason I was having so much trouble was due to the fact that the hostess, my good friend Robin, is expecting a baby. Suddenly I started to realise that most of my offerings would contain either raw eggs, as in a tiramasu, soft cheeses, which ruled out my cheesecake and so many other desserts were ruled out because of alcohol! Being pregnant really limits your sweet intake.

In the end I settled for an ENGLISH TRIFLE, yes I know there is some sherry in it but with a tray of cupcakes I had it covered. I have been making trifle for many years now and do not have a written recipe so I will do my best to take you through the process, which is really a very simple one. I am amazed by the fact some people include jelly (jello) in trifles. This is a definite no, no. A real English Trifle contains only 6 ingredients. Trifle sponges(lady fingers) split and spread with raspberry jam, sprinkling of sherry, frozen raspberries, custard and cream. You can also use a few fresh raspberries to decorate. These ingredients will produce a delicious dessert which everyone will appreciate. I prefer to use frozen raspberries as they soak in nicely to the sponges.

Lay the sponges, spread with the jam in the bottom of a deep dish. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of sherry over the top. Add the defrosted raspberries on top. Now add you layer of custard. You will need 1 pint(500mls). You can use fresh or buy it ready made. Depends on how much time you have. On this occasion I made it fresh. The final layer is a layer of whipped cream finished off with fresh raspberries to decorate.

I'm happy to say that it went down well. I did not bet on the winning horse but the day was a winner in many ways. Good food, good friends and sunshine, what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Thank you Robin & David for your hospitality.

THE CURE ALL SANDWICH

2009-04-30T16:05:00.006-05:00

As I prepared myself a tuna sandwich for lunch I started to think about how far the simple sandwich has come over the years.

As a child a sandwich was always a simple affair, perhaps egg or cold meats and maybe even a slice of tomato would be added, and of course, always made with white bread. Mother's Pride for anyone who kows what that is. It was always simple and there would be no doubt of there being anything in there which we wouldn't like. There would be no waste.

At this point I am reminded of my mum's famous salmon sandwich. Famous, not for it's culinary excellence but for it's apparent ability to cure all. Whenever there was a family crisis out would come the tin of red salmon from the back of the shelf. I never actually saw my mum buy it, but it was always there in time of need. A salmon sandwich and a cup of tea, mum's recipe for putting all ills to right. I'm sure it was just the fact that busying herself in the kitchen, putting the kettle on to boil, buttering the bread and making up the sandwiches which made her feel that she was doing something useful. Many people benefited from her kindness in the form of her tea and sandwiches, and all were grateful of her being there for them in their time of need.

Sadly, very suddenly, 3 years ago I lost my mum. A big loss for many people. As always, and still to this day, when faced with a crisis I always wonder what my mum would have done. This was no exception, and yes, over that awful time tins of salmon were opened, but better than that the sandwiches were eaten in memory of my mum. Today we still joke that a salmon sandwich and cup of tea is all that is needed in your darkest moments.

Today sandwiches are piled high with meats and pickles, cheeses and chutneys and it seems anything else that comes to hand. Most often they are way to big to enjoy and leave you with things running down your chin and up your arms. Often I am faced with something I have no idea of how I am supposed to eat it. Maybe this is peculiar to an American sandwich?

One thing I do enjoy is the diversity of a sandwich. Who doesn't love a cream cheese and smoked salmon on brown bread, a really good egg salad or even a delicious ham and cheese. Also I love a cream cheese and beetroot, yes I know that is a bit out there as is I my fondness for a toasted brie, sliced peach and prosciutto combination. Try it it's really good. Another favourite is a caramelised onion and Gruyere toasted sandwich. There are so many options and possibilities out there,the only thing preventing another delight is the limit of our imagination, or perhaps our unwillingness to try something new.

So go on look in your pantry and see what you can come up with. I'd love to hear about them. Maybe others reading this also have a family recipe which is a cure all I am sure I am not alone with this wonderful memory.

SMOKED FISH PATE, my way.

2009-04-22T13:58:00.008-05:00

I want to share with you one of my long time favourite pate recipes. It is one I use time and time again and it is always met with good reviews. It can be made up quickly and sits nicely in the fridge, to be picked at when a snack is required, or when friends drop in.

Mostly I find recipes for pates here always start with cream cheese, but I find this makes a pate heavy, and I much prefer lighter mousse like pate. I hope you agree that this fits the bill.

350g(12oz) smoked fish. (I like to use mackerel or trout)
1/2 cup mayo (I use mayo light)
1tsp prepared horseradish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 egg whites

Remove skin and any bones from the fish. Break into pieces into a processor. I sometimes use my hand blender which works just as well. Process until smooth. Add the mayo, lemon and horseradish. Mix until well incorporated. At this point taste. Sometimes an extra squeeze of lemon or dash of horseradish will be needed. It is just a matter of preference.
Put into a bowl.
Whisk egg whites until stiff.
Carefully fold in about half until well mixed. Now add the rest in parts until you have the required consistency.
Put into a dish and chill until ready to serve.

I'm sure you will agree that it is a simple, quick but impressive dish to put out to friends. I serve with oatcakes,crackers or home made melba toast which is way better than shop bought.
Just toast both sides of white bread. Cut horizontally when ready and then toast the un-toasted side. Watch very carefully as they quickly turn golden and curl up at the edges.

MACAROON BARS

2009-04-16T17:53:00.007-05:00

Today I was so happy with myself as I at last successfully completed a recipe which had been defeating me for some time. This was not a difficult recipe but for whatever reason it just was not obliging me with the correct outcome. I had all the ingredients, not that there were many of them, and the steps all seemed simple enough, but try as I might time and time again I was met with disaster. Why did I continue? Quite simply I do not like to give up.

What was this elusive recipe? A macaroon bar. Most of you reading this blog will be none the wiser. However, if you are Scottish and reading this you will know exactly what I am talking about. A macaroon bar is a sweet treat, or sweetie as we call it. It is a fondant filling covered in chocolate and then tossed in toasted coconut. Interested? Well here is the really interesting part, the fondant is made with potato, yes, potato, and of course a few other ingredients.

When I was home in Scotland I came across a man selling it from a stall at a market in Merchant Square in Glasgow. I told him of my failure and asked if there was a secret to it. Of course there was the only problem was he was not ready to part with it. However, with a bit of sweet talking, and yes some grovelling and begging hefinally revealed his secret which I am about to reveal to you in this recipe. Hope he never reads this, or at least forgives me. I have a friend who always says, that of course he can keep a secret, it just that the people tells it to who can't!

4oz(110g)potato, peeled, cooked, mashed and allowed to cool.
1lb 10oz)approx, powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar(the secret)shh!
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
12oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes

Mix mashed potato with sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla until you have a pliable mixture.
Roll out on a powdered sugar surface and roll into a rectangle, about 6"x8" to 1/4" thickness. Allow to firm up. About 2 hours.
Cut into squares or bars, whatever you prefer.
Cover in the melted chocolate and toss in the toasted coconut.
I found the easiest way to apply the coconut was to cover a sheet of parchment paper in the coconut and lay the chocolate covered square on top and sprinkle more coconut over the top.
Leave to harden.

You will be amazed at the white filling, and also the fact that there is no potato flavour at all in this sweet treat. I have been asking some friends to guess the ingredient and no one, so far, has come up with it. Can't help thinking if they knew beforehand that they would not be so willing to try it out.

As this is a sweetie from my past I am now happy that I am now able to make it for myself. It is very sweet, and only a very rare treat, but non the less I am happy to have overcome this nemesis in my cooking skills. I knew I'd get it in the end.

EASTER DELIGHT

2009-04-13T16:17:00.006-05:00

Easter for me is a wonderful time of the year. It brings the promise of beautiful Spring days ahead followed by long hot Summer days, filling me with hope. The sun was shining, the house full of yellow tulips and daffodils and the table was set for Easter lunch with friends. What better way to celebrate the day.

The lamb was roasting in the oven and the smell of garlic and rosemary was filling the house. Rosemary roasted potatoes were waiting to join the lamb, the vegetables were all prepared and the wine was chilling in the fridge. Lunch was looking good.

Dessert had to be with lemon. A nice lemon tart to end the meal, you can't ask for more. Lemon desserts are one of my favourites. I had first thought of a lemon tart but then decided as I would have egg whites left over why not go all the way and do a lemon meringue pie. It was quite some time since I last made one but knew it would be worth the effort.

I made my pastry pie case, 9", and then set about the filling and topping. I won't give the recipe for the pie case as I am sure everyone has their own favourite pastry recipe which works for them.

FILLING (Makes 3 cups)

1/4 lb(110g) unsalted, room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 extra large eggs
3 extra large egg yolks
1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and yolks one at a time until completely mixed. Add the zest,lemon juice and salt. It will look curdled, don't worry.

Pour into a pan and cook over med low heat for 8-10 mins, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When it starts to thicken whisk briskly. Cook for a further 2 mins, stirring all the time. Do not allow to boil.
Pour into bowl and allow to come to room temp.

TOPPING

4 extra large egg whites
!/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
pinch salt

Whip egg whites until frothy.
With mixer on high speed add the sugar, salt and cream of tartar. \Beat until thick and shiny.
When filling is cool pour into pie case. Spread evenly. Pile meringue mixture over the top and bake in a 425f(229c) oven for 4-5 mins until meringue is lightly browned.

This is a dessert that never fails to impress and it tastes so good. Not sure why I don't make it more often. It is not difficult to make, just takes a little time.
A good afternoon slipped easily into a great evening. With Easter over I can now look forward to sunny days ahead.

MINCE MAGIC

2009-04-10T15:37:00.005-05:00

Arrived back from my trip loaded down with lots of new cooking magazines filled with lots of tempting recipes for sunnier days ahead. Couldn't wait to get started on them. However, after all this time away it was taking me a few days to get back into the swing and find out exactly what was lurking in the fridge and freezer. It was looking pretty good. My husband had done a great job of keeping things well stocked.

One book, a freebie with another magazine,was called mince magic, and here were lots of new and unusual dishes using, yes, you've guessed it, mince! I couldn't decide which recipe I wanted to try out first, so my husband came to my rescue by saying he really liked the look of the "Mince & Sweet Potato Frittata" This would not have been my first choice as I couldn't quite get my head around mince and eggs together. However I decided to give it a go and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It tasted really good.

I definitely liked the simplicity of the recipe, health wise it was pretty good and it didn't take long to put together. So in my mind this was a winner. Served with a green salad this is a good supper or lunch dish which I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

MINCE & SWEET POTATO FRITTATA

1lb(450g) minced beef
2tbs olive oil
8oz(225g) sweet potato,peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium leeks, finely sliced
1 small yellow pepper, finely diced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2tsps chopped chives large eggs, beaten.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan, I used a 10" pan, over a moderate heat and fry sweet potatoes until golden brown.
Reduce heat and continue cooking until tender, turning occasionally. About 5 mins.
Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper.
Reheat the pan until hot and cook the mince. Add the leeks and pepper and cook for 5-7 mins until brown. Add salt and cayenne then add the chives. Stir and cook for a further 5 mins.
Pour over the egg and gently mix through. Cover with sliced sweet potato, reduce heat and cook for another 5 mins until egg is set.
Transfer to a pre-heated grill (broiler) and cook until browned on top and egg is set in the middle. This only takes a few minutes.

Cut into wedges to serve.

I enjoyed making this, it is always good when a new recipe turns out well. I also thought that for this and the other recipes beef mince could be interchanged with , pork, lamb or even turkey mince. I also look forward to cooking many more from this book. Dishes like, Aromatic Masala Mince, Spiced Beef and Coriander Koftas, Tangy Beef and Lettuce Wraps are amongst a few. One which didn't really appeal was Beef and Rhubarb Tarts! Maybe I should give them a go before dismissing them. I may be missing out on something wonderful, or not. I'll keep you posted.

Back Blogging

2009-04-08T09:57:00.010-05:00

Can't believe I have been away from my blog for so long, almost 6 weeks. It is good to be back although it was sad leaving everyone in Scotland behind. Still won't be too long until they start arriving here over the summer.

One thing I loved being home was the ability to walk to the shops. I had forgotten just how much fun it was. The people are so friendly and know almost everyone who walks through the doors. A warm welcome always awaits you. My older daughter lives in a small town in the Southwest of Scotland and it is wonderful to make daily trips to the shops, especially as I was pushing my new grandson in his pram. I was a very proud Granny.

My favourite shop was most definitely the butchers shop. /www.dalbeattiefinefoods.co.uk/ Check it out. As I walked through the door I thought this is what a butchers should smell like. It was a memory from my childhood when everyone shopped locally. The array of meats and pies were second to none. Alongside the beef was a nice selection of local jams and pickles, marinades and sauces to accompany the produce on sale. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. Alan, the owner was a smiling, happy Irishman obviously passionate about his shop, and Linda was a most helpful assistant. The choice was amazing. Beautiful cuts of lamb and venison, pork and beef sat happily with the pies. Steak pies,pork pies, mince pies and even haggis pies. I was having a hard time deciding which type of sausage I would buy. There were pork, pork and apple, beef, haggis & pork,chicken and more I have trouble remembering.

I was impressed by the prize winning cups and certificates dotted around the shop. This is definitely a guy who knows his business and what his customers want. I so miss this shopping experience, I would swap my supermarket shopping for this any day. I think it is important to support the small local store and when they are supplying produce and service as good as this then why wouldn't you?

Keep up the good work.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

2009-03-03T19:10:00.005-06:00

At last I find myself back in the kitchen cooking. For the last few days I have been so excited by the new baby in the family I have found it hard to concentrate on anything, and as a result we have been eating out, or eating out of the freezer.

However, Saturday saw me venture once again into my domain, the kitchen. We were going to visit some Scottish friends and "wet the baby's head", which we did with consummate ease. The evening was casual and relaxed, just what I needed after the excitement of the previous few days. I needed time to wind down and draw breath. How nice it is to have friends that give you the chance to do just that.

Our friends have a grown up son Craig, who has become my number one fan since we first met almost 6 months ago. I have known his parents a bit longer. The reason for this? Well, No: 1, he loves to eat. No:2, he loves to eat Scottish food which he remembers from his childhood, and from his trips home. So who better to befriend than thecelticcook!

I have cooked several Scottish recipes for them and I decided I would take along some MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD for Craig's approval. Basically it is a layer of shortbread covered in a layer of caramel and covered in chocolate. Deliciously tempting and oh so high in calories, but a little bit of what you fancy is my motto.
Craig was happy with my offering and wasted no time in trying it out. I think it got his seal of approval.

240g unsalted butter
300g all purpose flour
120g superfine sugar.
Heat oven to 180c(350f). Blend the ingredients with a pinch of salt in a food processor until it forms a ball. Press into the base of a 23x30x6cm tin.(10x12x2")
Bake for 25mins until golden.

TOPPING

240g unsalted butter
240g light muscovado sugar
4tbs golden syrup(corn syrup)
400g tin unsweetened condensed milk.
To make the caramel put put the ingredients into a pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Whisk, and cook for a further 10mins until thickened.
Pour over shortbread layer.
Chill until firm.

Melt 200g dark chocolate. (70%cocoa)
Pour over caramel and leave until set.
Cut into squares.
Will keep for up to a week if kept chilled.

This is a really sweet treat and a small square is usually enough. However sometimes it is difficult not to keep nibbling. Hope you enjoyed it Craig.

New Baby

2009-02-26T22:25:00.005-06:00

No new recipes today. Just want to let the world know that today my daughter and her husband brought a new life into this world. My grandson was born in a time of uncertainty, but with his birth I see a new optimism for a new generation.

Cooking has dropped off my agenda for a few days as I celebrate a new life and a new generation, a continuation of our family.

I am so happy and so looking forward to travelling to Scotland next week to be acquainted with my new grandson, Archie.

Life is good.

COOKING BISON STEAKS

2009-02-24T19:04:00.006-06:00

In my continuing quest for healthy alternatives I bought some bison steak to try out. I had heard it could be dry, due to lack of fat. Lack of fat good, dry not so good. In order to keep it moist I decided to marinade it in something. Initially wasn't sure what but then remembered many years ago using a simple soy sauce and five spice combination to marinade duck breasts. It was good then so thought it worth trying on the bison.

I just added a tsp of the five spice powder and about 1/4 cup soy sauce together and put the bison steak into it for an hour before cooking. I decided it best to cook it on a high heat quickly to flavour the outside and hopefully keep the inside from drying out. This seemed to be a good decision as it turned out just as I had hoped. It was nicely seared on the outside and moist inside and the flavour was good.

I served it with sweet potato mash and grilled asparagus. I like to bake the sweet potato and then mash. It has a better flavour than boiling it, which seems to take forever. With the leftover marinade I let it boil for a minute and drizzled it around the plate. A perfectly acceptable plate of food was delivered to the table. It was tasty and will most definitely be on my menu again.

It is always good when healthy meets tasty, you don't feel you are missing out on anything.

FISH on FRIDAY"S

2009-02-23T09:41:00.008-06:00

Habit makes me buy fish on Fridays. Not a bad habit I hasten to add but a habit which must have developed during my early years. Why? Because Friday was the day when a fish van would arrive in our street selling a variety of fish. Not a huge variety, but I remember, cod, haddock, smoked haddock, salmon, lemon sole and fishcakes. Perhaps there were other kinds but I have no recollection. What I do remember is the tray of bright orange breadcrumbs, or fish dressing, as it was labelled. What on earth gave it that colour? Certainly it wasn't anything which could be labelled "natural"! Does this still exist?

So Friday saw me at the fish counter of my local supermarket and my choice of fish was salmon. I wasn't sure what I would do with it but it was a few weeks since we had eaten it. Often I use it with shrimp make a tomato or basil cream sauce, and serve it with pasta. It is also delicious grilled with some lemon juice. This I decided was the way to go. Simple but delicious. My mantra.

Okay now I had to decide what to serve along side. Fish and chips. They just go together like Laurel & Hardy, salt & pepper or even gin & tonic. I'm in Friday mode so cocktails are in my thoughts. Yes, it would be chips sitting alongside the salmon. But not just any chips. I would take large baking potato cut it into wedges, pour over a little canola oil, some salt & pepper and roast in the oven at 425f (220c) for about 35mins, turning once during cooking. This produces lovely crispy "chips" without plunging them into hot oil. Must be a healthier option.

I decided to serve the salmon in a sandwich. I had bought some ciabbata rolls, and had made some guacamole the day before, so with the addition of some salad leaves this was sounding more delicious by the minute. A salmon burger & chips. Mmmm.

I heated the grill pan and cooked the salmon. I toasted the split breads in the same grill pan. Then I assembled Friday night's supper. I put the salad leaves on top of the bread, added a slice of tomato, then the salmon and finally a spoonful of guacamole. It was looking good to me and I couldn't wait to get started.

But of course first there was the photograph to be taken. This is my husbands least favourite part of my blogging. He stands at the ready, hungry after a day's work only to be told he has to wait, and wait until the photograph has been taken to my satisfaction. For the most part it is still hot when it gets to the table. Just occassionaly does it need a quick nuke in the microwave. ---SORRY FELLOW FOODIES---Well it tasted as good as I had hoped. The guacamole was great with the salmon, and most important my husband enjoyed every mouthful. A good start to what was a great weekend.

GRANOLA BARS

2009-02-20T13:58:00.006-06:00

Today I thought I would try my hand at a healthy snack. When I see what's in the "healthy" bars ie: lots of various corn syrups and additives I am not sure of just how good they are for me.

I had seen a recipe in a cookbook by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. She is one of my favourite American TV chefs, and I was so glad to find her books when I arrived here. In the 5 years I've lived here I have managed to collect all her titles. Everything I cook from them is very successful and I turn to them time and time again.

As usual with her recipes it was simple and straight forward, the only problem I had was waiting the 3 hours to let them cool down enough to cut into bars. Okay, not the only problem, as when I brought my dates from the pantry they had been there for so long they were rock hard. What did I do? I simply replaced them with some figs I had left over from Christmas. Think the dates must have been from last Christmas! I see no harm in putting in fruits of choice. Variety is after all the spice of life.

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
Set oven to 350f (180c) Mix these together and toast for 12 mins, mixing 2-3 times for even colour.

1/2 cup wheatgerm
Add this to the toasted oat mixture.

3tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Place these ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to boil over a medium heat. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Turn oven down to 300f (155c)
Add fruit to oatmeal mixture then pour over butter mixture. Stir to blend all the ingredients.

Pour into a 8"x 12" baking dish lined with parchment. With wet hands press mixture firmly into tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown.
Cool for 2-3 hours before cutting into squares.

As expected these were quite delicious. Once gain Barefoot Contessa's recipe is a winner.

COLD WEATHER COMFORT

2009-02-18T16:53:00.007-06:00

Just when I was once again able to see my deck free from snow and was starting to think of warmer days ahead, the unthinkable, but not unexpected happened. Last night a few inches of snow fell and once again everything is white. Beautiful I have to say, but cold and wintry once again. Not that winter had ever checked out, but I had been fooled by a few warmer spring like days. However I cannot forget this is Minnesota and this is what winter means so no point in complaining.

So once again I turn to my kitchen and cookbooks for solace. This time it was to be found in the form of a soup. A Lamb and Barley Soup. Sounded good, seemed pretty healthy but importantly it sounded comforting, just what was needed to help get through the snowy days ahead. Also it was an easy soup to make, so it is getting better by the minute. An easy to cook comforting soup to put an end to winter blues. I was onto a winner here, at least at this point I really hoped I was.....

1Tbsp olive oil
200g (8oz) lamb neck fillet trimmed of fat and cut into small pieces
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
50g (2oz) pearl barley
600g (1lb5oz) mixed root vegetables, cubed. I used potato, parsnip,
swede and carrot as that is what I had on hand.
2tsp Worcester sauce
1 litre (1 3/4 pints)beef broth or stock
sprig of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4oz frozen green beans

Heat oil. Season the lamb with S&P and fry for a few minutes until browned.Add onion and barley and gently cook for a minute. Add rest of vegetables and cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the Worcester sauce stock and thyme. Bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
When everything is cooked spoon about 1/4 if the mixture into a separate bowl and blend until smooth. Stir back into the soup and add green beans, check for seasoning, and cook for a further 3 minutes before serving. SERVES 4

So there you have it a soup ready to eat in just over 30 minutes. Add some delicious crusty bread and you have a hearty warming supper dish. Just what's needed on a cold day like today.

Recipe from Good Food Magazine.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

2009-02-17T16:55:00.007-06:00

Can't believe how quickly weekends fly past. Here we are Tuesday already. This weekend went very quickly as it was a busy one. Valentine's Day of course, and we had a wonderful dinner at Chambers in Minneapolis. The food was delicious, as always, and not having to drive home afterwards meant we could indulge ourselves in some nice wine, and to finish the meal a glass of Hungarian Tokaii wine. This is one of our favourite dessert wines and brings back lots of memories of our time spent there. For 5 years we lived and enjoyed all that Hungary had to offer, and I have to say we enjoyed every minute of it. The people, the culture and the opportunity to explore surrounding countries. We are hoping to return for a holiday in the not to distant future.

We were unable to linger in the city on Sunday as we had a birthday party to go to on the Sunday evening. My friend's daughter, Sophia, was turning 10 years old and I had offered my services as cake maker. I had the cakes baked and ready to decorate so that would be my task for a few hours on Sunday.

It is always an honour to "do" the cake. My only instruction was that she wanted pink and green. I thought about it for few days and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do. As it was Valentine weekend the main cake would be heart shaped. Of course no party is complete without cup cakes so I had also baked some of them. I had baked them in beautiful silicone cupcake case which were shaped like flowers. Even before decorating they looked pretty.

Soon the job in hand was complete and I delivered the cakes ahead of time. Sophia was happy with them and that is all that matters to me. I would hate to have disappointed a little girl on her birthday! We had fun at the party and everyone tucked into my offering.

Seems like I have become the unofficial birthday cake baker for the neighbourhood children. I see this as a great honour and love to see the happy faces of children as they tuck into something special to them. Sophia was having a wonderful party and I was happy to be able to share her special day.

Another weekend another party!

WHAT'S for DINNER?

2009-02-13T17:00:00.006-06:00

I wonder how many times we are at a loss as what to cook for dinner. The cooking is not the problem, it is the deciding what's on the menu that takes up your time. Sometimes fridge leftovers make the decision for you, or a meal frozen from an earlier cooking session comes to the rescue. My problem is that I return time and time again to the old favourites. The recipes I know from memory, that I can improvise if some of the ingredients are not to hand. Also I know these dishes will be good and plates left empty. With new dishes you ar always taking a chance.

However many cook books I have on the shelf, I'm afraid to count, I still find myself in the position of wondering "what will I cook for dinner"

Last week I decided to pick recipes from books or magazines for a whole week. They had to be healthy, look good and it was to be the first time I had cooked them. I shopped accordingly over the weekend and I have to say most of them were a success. The one I am going to give the recipe for was particularly good, and yes, I can see it becoming an old favourite in the course of time.

The recipe is for GNOCCHI with SPINACH and WHITE BEANS. Serves 6

2 tbs olive oil
1 x 16oz (500g) package gnocchi
1 finely sliced yellow onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
6 cups spinach
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can white beans
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup part skimmed grated mozzarella
1/4 cop grated Parmesan

Heat 1/2 oil in large non-stick skillet over med heat. Add gnocchi and cook stirring often, until plump and starting to brown. Transfer to bowl.
Add remaining oil and onion to pan and cook for 2 mins, add garlic and water. Cover and cook for 5-6 mins until onion is soft.
Add spinach and stir until wolted. Stir in tomatoes, beans and seasoning. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi, and sprinkle with the cheeses. Cover and cook until cheese has melted, about 3 mins.

I liked the fact that it is a one pot meal, that it is easy and fast. I think I may add some herbs next time. Perhaps oregano or thyme. I was really surprised at how good the gnocchi tasted after being cooked in the olive oil. It certainly added to the dish.

This was the best of my week's menus. I must try and cook at least one new meal a week. They do say variety is the spice of life so who am I to disagree.

HALLMARK HOLIDAY

2009-02-11T16:23:00.006-06:00

Valentine's Day is coming up and once again the stores a full of money making opportunities, with gifts, cards and all manner of things red and pink and covered in hearts. Do we really need this special day to tell the people we love how we feel? Or is it just a marketing ploy and why do we succumb so easily? Today I even saw them removing Valentine merchandise for Easter gifts. Seems to me that the year is one long celebration after another. Halloween runs into Christmas which runs into Valentine's Day followed by Easter, not forgetting St Patrick's Day. Where will it all end?

For me the joy of these holidays is the opportunity to fill the neighbourhood kids once again with cookies and cakes. No point in letting their sugar levels drop too far during the year, ha, ha. Easy for me having no children at home. I fill bowls with candies, of the appropriate colour for the season,of course. I then fill little gift bags for any kids who happen to visit and send them home to the joy of the parents. Wonder why the kids love to visit me?

I have also been making cakes and cookies for my husband to take to the office. Think I was a bit off my game this week as for some reason it was taking longer than usual. Anyway I managed to finish them and will send them in with him tomorrow. He is taking Friday off from work and we will have a long, and hopefully romantic weekend together. Knowing my husband it will be everything I wish it to be, and more. I know this sounds slushy but after nearly 35 years together he knows what pleases me. We will be spending the night in Minneapolis and eating at a wonderful restaurant called CHAMBERS, I will update you after the event. It is one of my favourite places to eat, on a special occasion, in the city.

Hope you enjoy seeing what I have been up to in the kitchen and that Valentine's Day is a wonderful day for you. Despite the commercialism.............

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

FUN WEEKENDS

2009-02-09T15:51:00.006-06:00

How quickly the weekends pass and before you know it is is Monday morning once again.
We had a lovely weekend. We had been invited to a colleague of my husband's for brunch and I was really looking forward to it. We have got to know Sallie, James and toddler Maddox over the last year and knew we were in for a fun time. It would be fun to see how Maddox is growing and hear how life for them in Minnesota is turning out. Sallie is from Georgia and I always feel for her during these cold winter months. She has done wonderful things promoting my blog down there and often see hits form there. Thanks Sallie for being one of my biggest fans. She also has a blog
handsomebabybug.blogspot.com
Take a look.

One thing I have come to realise since I started to write this blog is that people worry about what they will serve up. They seems to think I am all the time thinking of where my next blog is coming from and are afraid they are going to be the subject of a bad review. So all I want to say to these people is, being invited to your home, to enjoy good conversation and a meal cooked by someone else is a such a treat for me and I would never, ever criticise a meal cooked for me by a friend. I value my friends way to much. So relax I am just so happy to share a table with good friends, after all my name is not Martha!

I also sometimes feel high expectations are expected of me when I go somewhere. I usually take along some kind of treat, either cookies, jams or something I hope people will enjoy after I have gone. I decided, having just seen a food network programme called "Barefoot Contessa" one of my favourite TV cooks, to make sticky buns which I had seen her make earlier in the week. As they were made with pre bought puff pastry it was an easy offering to take along. I was so impressed at how easy they were to bake and at how impressive they looked and also at how delicious they actually tasted. This is about to become a regular food gift from me.

1 1/2 sticks (6oz) room temperature unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 package, 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, defrosted.

FILLING
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
2/3 cup light brown sugar.
3 tsp ground cinnamon.
1 cup raisins.

Heat oven to 400f(200c). Put a 12 cup muffin tin onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Combine the 1 1/2 sticks (6oz) butter with the with the 1/3 cup brown sugar until smooth.
Place 1 tbs of this mixture into the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans between the cups on top of the butter mixture.
Lightly flour a board and lay out the first sheet of pastry.
Brush with half of the melted butter.
Leaving a 1" border sprinkle sheet with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 a cup of the raisins.
Starting with the end nearest to you roll up the pastry into a snug sausage shape. Do not press too hard. Finish with seam side down.
Trim off ends and cut into 6 even slices.
Repeat with other sheet of pastry.
Press each slice into a muffin cup, pressing down lightly.
Bake for 30 mins, until buns are golden to dark and firm to the touch.
Cool for 5 mins only before inverting onto parchment paper.
You may need to spoon some of the topping out with a spoon.
The recipe now suggest you cool before eating but this will not be an easy thing to do, I say enjoy them warm if you can.

EASY STICKY BUNS

TGIF

2009-02-08T11:31:00.005-06:00

When Friday comes around I am always full of anticipation for the weekend which lies ahead. Friday just gone was no exception. My husband was back after a few days out of state, the temperature was on the rise, well to just above freezing, but we take whatever we can get here this time of year, and I had just enjoyed a lovely lunch with some other ex-pat girls who live in the area. So all was well with the world.

On the way home I would stop off at my local supermarket and buy some mussels for tonight's supper. While making the purchase I was drawn to the oysters. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows they have become my new food fad. I had never before bought and shucked them, wasn't even sure I could, but with advice from my wonderful fishmonger, Darrell, I bought 6 of them. At 99cents each not exactly a huge extravagance. I also bought soused herring and a nice dark bread to serve alongside. I was happy with my purchases and couldn't wait to try the "shucking".

To my surprise this was an easy task once I got the knack. I arranged them on a plate with the herring in the middle, cut some lemons and pulled some hot sauce out of the pantry. I think simple is the best way to go and looked forward not only to enjoying them but to seeing the look on my husbands face when he saw the treat I had in store for him. The oysters in case you are curious? But you never know as we all know the properties of oysters!!!!

They looked good and happy to say they also tasted good. Okay they weren't quite as good as the ones I had eaten in OCEANAIRE last weekend but still pretty good. We were both in agreement. I had always been afraid to serve them at home but I can see me doing this again.

A great start to what would be a wonderful weekend. Life doesn't get much better than this.

SALAD DAYS AHEAD

2009-02-05T18:49:00.007-06:00

Although it is still bitterly cold here in Minnesota and warm comfort foods are what helps get us through the long cold days, today I had the urge for a nice salad. For once the temperature was above freezing, just, but this was for the first time in a month! The sun was shining and it was easy to think spring is around the corner. It will be a couple of months before that happens, but I wasn't going to let this spoil my good mood.

Now to the salad. What would it be? I had some spinach in the fridge and some beets I had roasted a few days earlier. I would add a segmented orange, find some pecans which I was sure were lurking in the pantry, also I was pretty sure there was a goats cheese in the fridge. The only oranges I had were blood oranges but that was fine by me. So I now had all the makings of a beet and spinach salad. I collected all the ingredients, fortunately everything was there, and I put them all together. With a light red wine vinegar dressing lunch was ready in a few minutes. A tasty fast lunch which would fulfill my salad craving.

I love the flavour of the earthy beets and when combined with the sweetness of the orange, the crunch of the pecans and the soft cheese it makes a delightful combination of textures and flavours.

I have also made this salad with a warm goats cheese,which is really delicious. I breadcrumb rounds of cheese and saute them before putting them on the salad. The warm melting cheese is a nice contrast to the cool salad leaves.

I really enjoyed my lunch today and look forward to warmer days when salads will once again be a daily occurrence and I can put away the crock pot and casserole dishes for a while.

TO HAPPY SALAD DAYS AHEAD

MILK & COOKIES

2009-02-03T14:59:00.006-06:00

What is more deliciously satisfying than a glass of ice cold milk and a cookie. It takes you right back to childhood when you would dip the cookie in the glass and savour the milky taste. No skimmed or semi skimmed in those days, just full cream milk. And I have to say nothing tastes better. Sure we get used to drinking milks lower in fat but there can be no doubt full cream beats them all hands down. Maybe it is time to enjoy it once again. Perhaps half a glass of "the real stuff" which I am sure will be as fulfilling as a full glass of the alternative would be an way to enjoy it once again..

I decided to take a trip down memory lane while reading NIGELLA'S EXPRESS. Here was a recipe for "Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies." It jogged a memory, one which I was willing and ready to re-live. As a child chocolate chip cookies were not on the menu but I'm sure no-one will mind me choosing them for this recipe. I am not really a cookie baker but thought I would give them a go. It didn't look too difficult.

4oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened sifted cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4oz softened butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, straight from the fridge
2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips ( I used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350f (180c). Melt the 4 oz chocolate.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Cream butter and 2 sugars in a separate bowl. Add melted chocolate and mix.
Beat in the vanilla and egg, then mix in dry ingredients. Finally add chocolate chips.
Scoop out 1/4 cup size mounds on a line baking sheet. Use an ice cream scoop. Place about 2 1/2 inches apart.
Bake for 18-20 mins.
Leave to cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack.

Now all that is left to do is to find something to occupy you until they cool. Then pour a glass of ice cold milk, sit down and enjoy. They won't last long.

A NIGHT on the TOWN

2009-02-02T15:01:00.005-06:00

Saturday night we went out to eat with our friends, to Minneapolis. We had decided to go to the Brit Pub, for a taste of home. There is something comforting about the familiarity of a British Menu, of British decor and in this case lots of British accents. Our friends had never been so this would be their first taste of an "British pub".

First we decided to stop off for a cocktail at one of my favourite restaurants, Oceanaire. We sat at the bar which was perilously close to the oyster bar, and eventually the temptation was too much. One of the party was not an oyster eater, but the other three of us tucked into some delicious West Coast Oysters. They were sooo good. The enjoyment of them was only enhanced by the wonderful bar staff who were so knowledgeable about them. We were given a quick lesson on how to recognise a West coast v East coast oysters. We were also served some delicious warm bread and pickled herrings while waiting for the oysters to be served. This reminded me of why I like this restaurant so much. Not only is the food excellent but the staff are wonderful, friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have about the food. The restaurant is lively and bustling and it is always a pleasure to go eat there. It was a pity we were moving on but it won't be long before we return, this time for a full meal.

We moved onto the Brit Pub, also busy, but with a different vibe. I chose good old fish and chips as did my friend. Bangers and mash was my husbands choice and a burger completed the order. It was good wholesome food. We had good service and will continue to frequent this place for a casual meal.

MOST MEMORABLE MEAL

2009-01-31T13:34:00.008-06:00

While flicking through yet another new foodie magazine to hit the shelves, thefoodmag.com I was became intrigued by an article on peoples "best meal ever." This set me thinking. For a couple of days I thought about all the places we had eaten, all the wonderful meals we have been lucky enough to enjoy, but was unable to come up with just one choice. Then I realised it is not always about what you have eaten, but often location or occasion can play a big part in the memory. So with that in mind I will share with you a few of my "most memorable meals".

On our 25th wedding anniversary my husband and I were fortunate to be celebrating in Australia. We took a trip to Uluru,(Ayres Rock) and were blown away by the dining in the desert experience. We were taken out to the desert to watch the sunset behind the rock. Tables were laid with white linen and sparkling glasses. The food was bush food. I remember kangaroo being on the menu. But the food was not the reason for this being one of my choices. It was definitely the location and of course the occasion. Here I was with my husband of 25years sharing this mind blowing experience. As the sun set and the only light was coming from the candles on the tables and small bonfire which had been lit all around us, I remember thinking how this night would stay with me forever.

My husband and I were lucky enough to live for 5 years in Hungary. We lived in a small town half way between Budapest and Vienna. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to embrace the culture and enjoy everything we could whilst we were there.
I remember my first taste of foie gras, and yes I know it is no longer considered pc to serve it, and many restaurants have banned it, but this only makes the memory sweeter. We were sitting on the banks of the Danube enjoying a warm summer evening when I was first seduced by foie gras. It was served on a slice of toasted brioche with an orange chutney on the side. The glass of the famous Hungarian Tokai served along side completed the dish. Here is truly a meal to be remembered for the exquisite taste, and of course the location only enhanced the experience. Perhaps this is truly a story of the forbidden fruit tasting sweeter.

On a much simpler note. While holidaying in France I remember how delicious the french bread tasted, served with nothing more than sweet french butter and a slice of perfectly ripe brie. Simple is often the way to go.

Lastly I want to say that any meal shared with family and friends will always come top of my list. To share a table with people I love, sharing lively conversation, good wine and food cooked from the heart is, in my opinion the best meal in the world.

I would love to hear of your favourite meal.