If you look carefully you might be able to make out the face of our Blessed Virgin Mary crying a garlic tear. It seems every house I visit these days has a copy of ‘Jamie at Home‘ lurking in or around the kitchen. Personally I am not a great fan of the ‘celebrity chef’ cookbook, although truth be told this …
The weekend started with a nostalgic ‘The Only Ones‘ gig at Koko, and ended with a boozy tapas extravaganza of which this was the main attraction. Between the two the sun shone on Bethnal Green, a traveler returned and Thunderbirds Were Go. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Skill level: Easy/Medium Ingredients For the aioli 2 egg yolks …
Serving suggestion: Souffle and wine not included I’ll tell you what bugs me, people who travel to work in the morning drinking their tea/coffee from those aluminium thermos mugs. They’re designed for camping in the woods, not commuting from Forest Hill. Are we supposed to look on enviously and wonder at the cool, impulsive, incandescent lives led by these urbane …
The British asparagus season starts on 30th April and ends just eight short weeks later on 25th June, midnight – roughly. Fortunately it must be in season somewhere else in the world at the moment as the shops are awash with the stuff at £1.50 a bunch. Generally I prefer it as nature intended, au natural with a sprinkling of …
In the U.S. the sweet potato is incorrectly referred to as a yam. But there again it’s the land where they call aubergines – eggplants, courgettes – zucchini, biscuits – cookies, jam – jelly, jelly – jello, and torture – water boarding. That said, it’s not technically a potato either. It’s sweet though. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 …
If you came here in search of an American-style muffin to accompany your tall caramel macchiato, then you’ll be disappointed. They’re not muffins, they’re cakes. If however you are in search of an English muffin which is light and yeasty and perfect for toasting and smothering in butter, then you’re in luck. A word of warning though, this recipe is …
WARNING: In order to prepare this dish you’ll have to master the subtle art of crumbling feta cheese. But don’t worry, if you find this daunting and would like guidance, there is a website to help you. If you need help with grating the courgette or holding a spoon then I’m afraid you’re on your own.
Cauliflowers are very much in at the moment. Plus, like snow flakes, crystals, mountain ranges, lightning, river networks, pulmonary vessels and broccoli, they are a fine example of fractal geometry in nature. So when you’re cooking this remember to keep in mind D = Log N(L) divided by the log of 1 over L. Enjoy.
My fellow blogger recently bought me ‘Roast Chicken and Other Stories’ by Simon Hopkinson. Voted the ‘most useful cookbook of all time’ by somebody or other, it’s a superb book which is not only packed with inspirational recipes, but also makes excellent bedtime reading. It doesn’t have any photographs (usually a prerequisite for any cookbook), but it doesn’t seem to …
This recipe (as well as the three side dishes posted below) were in the current issue of the Observer Food Monthly. Looks good in the photograph doesn’t it? A succulent pan-fried fillet of bass sitting on a vibrant dish of coconut curry and scattered with various decorative bits of shrubbery not mentioned in the list of ingredients. If you cook …
Be Proud. ‘Onions are an essential, healthy food for the modern consumer. And because of our ideal climate and the expertise of British Onion growers, packers and processors, British Onions are the world’s finest!’. So says the British Onions website. Be triply proud. This recipe uses THREE different types of onions.
And talking of the end of the world, ‘Enjoy life while you can’ is an interesting and alarming article about James ‘Gaia’ Lovelock and his thoughts on climate change. Subsequent meandering research on Mr Lovelock somehow lead to this great ranting podcast by Bill Oddie. ‘Spring Watch’ will never be the same.
Inspired by The Observer Food Monthly we cooked up an Indian spectacular at the weekend. This is the third and final side-dish of a meal still waiting to be written up.
I have to be in the mood for mussels and that mood strikes about twice a year. Even when I’m in the mood I still find them slightly revolting and try to avoid looking too close at what I’m eating. I think that’s part of the pleasure.
I’ve made two exciting discoveries recently. One is the existance of a Waitrose only ten minutes walk from where I work, and the other is the cheapness of calamari. The two are connected as the former sells the latter. In fact this Waitrose is off Whitecross Street which has an excellent food market … a third exciting discovery.
I love these little beasties. Fried and salted and accompanied by a cold tube of Cruzcampo. Tradition and statistics dictate that 29 out of 30 are mild and sweet with the remaining rogue being hot and fiery. I’ve never seen them sold in this country before but have recently discovered them tucked away on a stall in Borough Market.
Among other things in the fridge there was half a cabbage and six eggs. Not ordinary eggs you understand, but eggs generously laid by Dolores, Fifi, Jolene and Daphne. Perfect fresh eggs with deep yellow yolks and firm whites – the likes of which you’ll not find in any supermarket. The cabbage in contrast was ordinary.
I intended to use sole for this recipe but when I saw the £26 a kilo price tag I nearly bolted in panic. Fortunately my fellow blogger calmed me down, took control of the situation and purchased two splendid (and considerably cheaper) fillets of plaice instead.
On 14th February I became the privileged owner of this ‘Imperia Raviolamp 12’ ravioli mould. It’s made from lightweight anodised aluminium with an enameled steel base and stands on four non-slip rubber feet. It comes complete with a miniaturised rolling pin turned from the finest Italian beechwood. This weekend I took her out for a test drive.
As well as being very tasty, Soda Bread is also great when you need a loaf in a hurry or can’t be arsed with all that kneading and proving. Unfortunately on such occasions you’re unlikely to have soured cream (a major ingredient) and a desperate trip to your local urban Costcutter is guaranteed to prove fruitless. Luckily for you this …
For this recipe you’ll have to invest in a bottle of Mirin which after extensive research, I discover to be a sweet alcoholic seasoning made from rice and yeast. You’ll also be needing some salmon – a member of the Salmonidae family of fishes, distinguished by its pale pink flesh and popular among humans. Salmon are of course anadromous.
This is a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe with a few minor tweaks. Out with the smoked paprika because we don’t have any, and in with a little honey for sweetness. Half a glass of Sherry is required so we had to go out and buy some specially. We opted for Tudor Rose ‘We can’t legally call it Sherry’ Cream which at …
Another recipe from the much used ‘The Bread Book’ by Sara Lewis. This time I turned towards the back where the more fancy bread-based products can be found. Essentially this is a loaf which can magically be torn into individual rolls. We live in exciting times.
We found these amongst the impressive array of fancy potatoes at Waitrose. As you can see, the flesh is yellow with a markedly blue vascular ring and as with all unusual vegetables, the packaging describes the flavour as ‘nutty’. We roasted ours in their skins in olive oil and they were very good indeed. Nutty in fact. Well worth a …
A naked Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on the cover and a long and unnecessary interview with David ‘Call me Dave’ Cameron on the inside. This month’s Observer Food Monthly had one cock too many. Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Skill level: Easy Serves: 4 Ingredients red lentils – 300g 1 onion – chopped vegetable stock – 1 litre chopped …
I had the yen to make some Cornish pasties, but not having all the necessary ingredients and not wanting to brave the ugly madness that is Bethnal Green on a Saturday afternoon to get them, I made these instead.
Every Saturday the Guardian magazine publishes a column by Yotam Ottolenghi called ‘The New Vegetarian’. His recipes are invariably interesting, often unusual, and judging by the ones we have tried, always delicious. This one caught my eye as it is a new way of cooking sprouts, which like dogs, are for life not just Christmas.
Find a Yo! Sushi…walk through door…sit down…grab nearest thing on conveyor belt…shove in mouth – what could be quicker? Certainly not making your own. However…
Just to recap, yumblog has been going for almost five months now and in that time we have picked up a readership of three – a friend, a sister and a nice man from Terroni & Sons. Quality rather than quantity I feel. So Mr Prudence, Toria and Nunzio, this recipe for piccalilli is for you. Happy New Year. x …
Like every middle-class metropolitan professional couple we lead such busy lives these days. Monday night we attend our Tibetan singing bowl music workshop, Tuesday is Pranic Crystal Healing, Wednesday – practical Feng Shui, Thursday night is of course Aura Therapy night and Friday is ‘The Power of the Pyramids’ – term 2. The weekends we usually relax and divide our …
According to my fellow blogger, agrodolce is Italian for sweet and sour. Seeing as she is a multi-linguist and I am barely a mono-, who am I to question?
If like me two weeks ago, you have never tasted carp and you think it would be interesting to give it a go, my advice to you is please don’t bother. There is a reason why carp is and anagram of crap.
I realise the photo below looks like an unappetising plateful of deep-fried Spam fritters, however they are actually a tasty full-fat medley of oat biscuits heavily laden with blue cheese.
Happy New Year. It’s 2008 and it looks like the year ahead is going to be shit.
As promised when I blogged the Chickpea & Aubergine Casserole, here’s how to preserve a lemon. Possibly a skill you could add to your CV.
Every December Dresden holds its annual Stollen Festival. It is a celebration of all things Stollen and involves among other things, electing the Dresden Stollen Maiden (Dresdner Stollenmädchen) and baking the world’s largest Stollen in accordance with the standards laid down by the Stollenschutzverband. This is a recipe for a stollen of more modest proportions although you can multiply the …
Count them. Not one, not two, but three varieties of chocolate are involved in the creation of these aptly named triple chocolate biscotti. Not only that, but they are ‘Double baked for added crispness’ !
It must be Christmas soon. Walk past any eatery at lunchtime and you’ll witness the depressing sight of work colleagues sitting around tables self-consciously wearing party hats…having fun. Not having to suffer this annual humiliation is one of the benefits of being freelance. Speaking of Christmas, this year I’ve decided to make, or rather bake, many of my presents. These …
If the true meaning of Christmas is giving gifts which credit you with the greatest amount gratitude for the least amount of effort, then these truffles are a winner.
My sister gave us a pair of homegrown, slightly hen-pecked squashes this weekend. Whether the culprit was Dolores, Fifi, Jolene or Daphne, we’ll never know. Roj Blake models the ‘Item du jour’ in rebel chic. A bat-winged action-jerkin with ruched cuffs, peek-a-boo neckline and casual below-paunch cummerbund. Generously tailored in easy-care non-shrink chantilly, this garment offers multi-season comfort both in …
