Although I’ve made pesto many times before, I’ve generally haphazardly chucked the ingredients into the food processor and left it to chance. Despite the results usually being good, I thought it was about time I consulted the mama of authentic Italian home cooking, Marcella Hazan and see if she had an angle on this classic sauce. And indeed she did … double cheeses and butter.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Skill level: easy
Serves: 2
Recipe: ‘The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking’ by Marcella Hazan

Ingredients

• basil leaves – 50g
• 1 clove of garlic – finely chopped
• pine nuts – 1½ tbsp
• extra virgin olive oil – 4 tbsp
• butter – softened to room temperature – 25g
• parmigiano reggiano – finely grated – 25g
• romano cheese – finely grated – 1tbsp
• coarse sea salt

Quickly soak the basil leaves in water and gently (but thoroughly) pat them dry with kitchen towel.

Put the basil, oil, pine nuts and a good pinch of salt into the food processor and process to a smooth creamy consistency. (If wanted, the pesto can be frozen at this stage.)

Incidentally, have you seen the price of pine nuts these days? They’ve always been costly but struth, pound for pound they are now worth more that life itself.

Transfer to a bowl and thoroughly mix in the two grated cheeses.

Next mix in the softened butter.

Taste and season if necessary.

When serving with pasta, loosen with a spoon or two of the hot pasta water

Dogs can’t look up

Verdict: Once again another excellent recipe from Marcella Hazan – it’s almost as if she knows what she’s talking about – she ought to write a book. A perfect pesto with (unsurprisingly) a buttery finish.

Drink: A variety of 6 for £5 Polish beers.

Entertainment: ‘My Wrongs #8245-8249 And 117‘ on DVD. A very short film directed by Chris Morris about a troubled man referred to as ‘Him’, a talking Doberman called Rothko, a decapitated duck, a kidnapped baby and a Routemaster destined for ‘Shit Off’. 10 minutes of Chris Morris’ warped genius. Watch.

If your griddled halloumi doesn’t adhere to these rules, throw it away and start again.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Skill level: easy
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines – cut into 2cm cubes
• extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp
• 410g can of chick peas – rinsed and drained (or soak and cook dried chick peas)
• 1 lemon – peel and pith removed – roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic – crushed
• tahini – 1 tbsp
• fresh mint – a generous handful – shredded
• halloumi – 250g pack – cut into 8 slices
• rocket – 100g

Mix together the aubergine cubes and olive oil, season and place in a large non-stick frying pan.

Cook over a medium heat for 15 – 25 minutes or until the aubergine is soft and light brown.

Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile put the chick peas in a large bowl and gently crush with a potato masher.

Add the lemon (including juice), tahini, garlic, mint, seasoning and mix together.

Add the cooled cooked aubergine and combine all the ingredients.

Next place a griddle over a medium heat and dry fry the halloumi for a minute or two on each side. (If it doesn’t look like the diagram, throw away and start again)

To serve, place some rocket on the plate, spoon over the aubergine salad and top with the halloumi. Garnish with a few mint leaves.

Verdict: A quick, easy, tasty and healthy midweek meal which could become a regular on the menu here at Yumblog Towers… be generous with the mint.

Drink: A bottle of red.

Entertainment: ‘Celebrity Masterchef’, week 2. Mark Little is charming. Danielle ‘I shag footballers for a living‘ Lloyd isn’t.

Holding image: Photographs still being processed at Snappy Snaps

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour (ish)
Skill level: easy
Serves: 2

Ingredients*

• floury potatoes (we used Cyprus) – peeled and cut into quarters – about 500g
• 2 garlic cloves
• milk – 80ml
• butter – roughly chopped – 50g
• Cantal cheese* – coarsely grated – 200g
• sea salt and white pepper

* You can buy this at the Waitrose cheese counter

Yes, that much cheese for those few potatoes.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water and cook over a medium heat for 35 – 45 minutes or until tender.

Drain and return to the saucepan to steam dry for 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the milk and butter into a small saucepan and gently heat below a simmer for 3-4 minutes. Set aside but keep warm.

When cooked, pass the potatoes and garlic through a ricer or mouli into a clean saucepan.

Slowly add the milk/butter mixture – stirring continuously until smooth.

Return to low heat and add cheese a little at a time, stirring continuously until mixture is smooth and elastic (10-15 minutes).

Serve hot (traditionally with sausages or roast meat)

Verdict: Struth, this is a rich, smooth, glutinous cheesy delight. Less of a cheesy mash and more of a cheese sauce with a bit of potato in it. Make this once, don’t skimp on the ingredients and indulge yourself.

Drink: Some Interflora ales followed by a bottle of red.

Entertainment: ‘Surrogates’ on DVD. Bruce Willis stars in what could have been a great sci-fi film but ended up as just an enjoyable distraction.

Actually we’ve never been to Mexico or a ‘shoot’, but it seems in all likelihood plausible to imagine that this might seemingly be quite like the sort of thing we could have possibly done, perhaps.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Skill level: easy
Makes: 4

Ingredients*

• 4 corn on the cob
• parmesan cheese – grated – 2 tbsp
• mayonnaise – 3 tbsp
• 1 lime
• sweet paprika – ½tsp
• chilli powder – to taste
• sea salt
• plus 4 wooden skewers

* Quantities are vague and down to personal taste

Strip down your corn cobs (assuming they are leaf-clad) and cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, or until done.

(Alternatively, if it’s sunny, cook outside on the BBQ)

Meanwhile mix together the mayonnaise with half the lime juice and spread on a plate.

Mix together the cheese, paprika and chilli and spread out on another plate.

When the sweetcorn is ready, remove from the water, dry with a clean tea towel and ‘skewer with a skewer’.

First roll your cobs in the mayonnaise and then the cheese ensuring they are coated thoroughly.

Sprinkle with a little more sea salt and paprika.

Serve immediately with a wedge of lime.

S’gone

Verdict: There was never really any doubt that these were going to be anything other than delicious. It’s dirty food, but it’s good food.

Drink: M&S Belgian lager.

Entertainment: ‘Celebrity Masterchef’, episode 2. Little has changed (Brilliant!) although Gregg and John are no longer allowed to say a dish needs more salt… they have to say it needs more ‘seasoning’. No, really.

Jack and Victor: …and stick them up your shiter.

Preparation time: 10 – 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 – 25 minutes
Skill level: easy
Makes: about a dozen, depending on the size of your pastry cutter.

Ingredients

• plain flour – 200g
• baking powder – 2tsp
• Colman’s mustard powder – 2tsp
• butter – soft – 25g
• fresh parsley – small bunch – finely chopped
• mature cheddar – grated – 175g
• 1 large egg – separated
• cold milk – 100ml
• cold double cream – 50ml
• linseed (or other seeds) – 25g
• salt – ½ tsp

As always, preheat your oven to 220c (gas mark 7)

Sift the flour, salt and mustard powder into a large bowl.

Rub in the butter and then add the parsley and cheese. Stir together.

In a separate bowl mix together the egg white, milk and cream and then add this to the dry ingredients. Mix together with a fork to form a wet, sticky dough.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and give it a gentle knead.

Pat out the dough to a thickness of 3-4 cm and lightly flour the top.

Cut into circles with a pastry cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking parchment. Space 3-4 cm apart to allow for spreadage.

(Take your time as the dough is sticky and a bit tricky to handle.)

Brush with egg yolk slightly thinned with water and sprinkle with your choice of seeds.

Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter or leave to cool and fill with anything you like – we chose salad and more cheese.

Verdict: These were very very popular here at Yumblog Towers as they were easy to make and utterly delicious.

Drink: T and/or K4e.

Entertainment: ‘Still Game’ obviously

Anyway, it was the weekend when yumblogger junior was due to arrive*, so what better distraction from impending parenthood than cooking up a selection of tasties for a relaxed and informal evening of tapas.

Incidently we tried out this recipe for ‘Fried green asparagus with garlic, vinegar and paprika’ which was in the same issue of the magazine. I’d humbly suggest you do not attempt this dish under any circumstances – the resultant schlem is a soggy mess of overcooked asparagus coated in a vinegary bread slop. Not good at all.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Skill level: medium
Makes: 24
Recipe: Silvena Rowe

Ingredients

• 3 leeks – finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves – crushed
• sugar – ½ tsp
• butter – 10g
• vegetable stock – 200ml
• 1 bay leaf
• feta – crumbled – 200g
• fresh oregano – finely chopped – 50g
• filo pastry – 8 sheets
• olive oil
• melted butter for brushing
• sesame and/or poppy seeds – 2 tbsp

OK, start by preheating your the oven to 220C (gas mark 7).

Heat the butter and oil, add the leeks, garlic and sugar and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the stock and bay leaf, season and cook until reduced to a pleasing mush.

Take off the heat, remove the bayleaf and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, transfer to a bowl and mix in the feta and oregano.

Now for the tricky bit…

Spread out a filo sheet and cut in thirds lengthways. (Cover the remaining filo sheets with a damp towel to prevent them drying out and cracking)

Brush with melted butter and spoon (1tbsp) some of the leek mixture onto the corner at one end.

Carefully fold the filo over and over again at 45 degree angles to form your triangular parcels. I know this makes no sense so I’ve drawn this helpful diagram.

With any luck you should now have 24 perfectly formed boreks … and if not don’t worry, they’ll be tasty whatever shape they are.

Place on an oiled baking tray and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Verdict: We liked these Borek a lot. Sweet/salty bites of leeky/feta loveliness.

Drink: A selection of ales delivered by a nice man from Ocado.

Entertainment: We watched ‘In Which We Serve’, and no mistake. It started with ‘This is the story of a ship…’ and ended with one of us with tears in his their eyes.

* Still waiting.

The recipe below is very tasty … but does it show enough cookery skills …?

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 – 30 minutes
Skill level: Easy
Recipe: Based on a recipe from Wa’Ro magazine

Ingredients

The quantities stated here are vague/non-existent – the balance of ingredients is entirely up to you so just use your imagination.

• mushrooms – halved or quartered depending on size – some
• garlic – thinly sliced – 1 clove per person
• spring greens (or other dark green cabbage such as Savoy) – shredded – some
• good bread – sliced – some
• Lincolnshire Poacher or strong Cheddar – grated – some
• milk – 1 tbsp per person
• grain mustard – 1 tsp per person
• olive oil – some
• s and p

Pre-heat the grill.

Heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan until very hot.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or so until softened and golden.

Remove from the pan and set aside (keeping warm).

Pour a little more oil in the pan and add the Spring Greens. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until softened.

Add the cooked mushrooms, taste, season and keep warm over a low heat.

Toast the bread on both sides.

In a bowl mix together the grated cheese, mustard and enough milk to bind.

Pile the mushroom mixture onto the toasts and then spoon over the cheese.

Place under a hot grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serve immediately.

Verdict: Garlic Mushrooms? Melted Cheese? There was never going to be any doubt that this would be anything other than very tasty. Makes a great weekend brunch/lunch/greedy snack.

Drink: Beetroot Juice.

Entertainment: Nemone on 6Music.

Freelance Writer Alex, Paediatrician Children’s Doctor Tim and NuDadDhruv fight it out in the final of MasterChef.

Preparation time: A long time
Cooking time: 80 – 90 minutes
Skill level: Medium
Makes: Enough for four
Recipe: Rick Stein

Ingredients

For the pastry

• potatoes – peeled and cut into chunks – 350g
• self-raising flour – 225g
• butter – cut into small pieces – 175g
• 1 egg – beaten
• cold water – 2tbsp
• salt – 1tsp
• pepper – 15 (exactly) turns of the pepper mill

For the filling

• milk – 600ml
• fish stock – 300ml
• haddock fillet – 750g
• cooked, peeled prawns – 100g
• leeks – 275g
• carrot – finely chopped – 50g
• celery – finely chopped – 50g
• onion – finely chopped – 50g
• Cornish Yarg cheese – grated – 100g
  (or mature Cheddar if the Yarg eludes you)
• butter – 65g
• nutmeg
• s & p

For the bouquet garni

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of parsley with stalks
• the leaves from the centre of the celery
• 1 small sprig of thyme

Ok, this is quite a long and involved process, so don your MasterChef apron, turn on 6Music and let’s get started.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft. Mash and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, pour the milk and stock into a large pan, bring to the boil, add the haddock and simmer for 5-7 minutes until firm and opaque.

Lift fish onto a plate and when cool enough, break into large flakes. Discard the skin and any rogue bones.

Clean the leeks, finely chop 50g of them and set aside. Finely slice the remainder.

Melt 25g of the butter in a large pan and gently fry the sliced leek for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside

Add the diced leek, onion, carrot and celery to the same pan (adding a little more butter if necessary) and gently cook for 10 minutes without browning.

Add the rest of the butter and once melted stir in the flour and cook for a minute.

Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the haddock cooking liquid to form a smooth creamy sauce. Bring to the boil stirring constantly and add the bouquet garni (tied together). Simmer gently for 30 minutes and then remove the bouquet garni and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Stir the flaked fish, prawns, reserved leeks and Cornish Yarg* into the sauce and then spoon into a deep 1.75 litre (3 pint) pie dish. Push your Pie Bird into the centre of the mixture and set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 200c (gas mark 6)

Now for the pastry. Sift the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Next stir in the cold mashed potato. Add the water and stir everything together with a round bladed knife until it forms a round ball of pastry.

Turn out onto a floured surface and quickly knead until smooth. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is slightly larger than the top of the pie dish. Trim off any irregular bits, roll into a strip, brush with water and press onto the rim of the dish. Brush with some more water.

Cut a slit into the top of the pastry lid and gently lay over the pie with the bird sticking its head out of the slit. Squeeze and crimp the edges to form a seal.

Brush with the egg and decorate with shapes made from any pastry trimmings.

Place in a pre-heated oven and cook for 35 – 40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve, congratulate yourself, pour a glass of wine and eat.

Verdict: The many elements that make this dish are to be savoured, very tasty indeed and wholly approved of by Archaeologue-J-P and Potkicker-T. The potato crust is so much more than just a pastry and has something of a dumpling about it – those 15 turns of pepper certainly help. Really very delicious indeed.

Drink: A cheeky provençale rosé.

Entertainment: Endless sweeping statements about the English for the benefit of a Frenchman.

* If your cheesemonger says Narp to Yarg then say Yarp to Cheddar.

Yarp

The offer of some Valentine themed goodies from our friends at Interflora and a cooking apron from our latest chums at The Last detail, prompted us to cook up something which would make an ideal romantic dinner for two. Besides, it was the day before the day before Blogger-D’s birthday – reason enough to dig out the pasta maker, dust off the Royal Doulton and open up the Imperial Banqueting Suite here at Yumblog Hall.

If you would like to win an Interflora hamper, enter this competition

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 – 45 minutes
Skill level: Medium. This recipe assumes some knowledge of making fresh pasta and ravioli as I was too lazy to explain everything in detail.
Makes: Enough for 2 although you will probably have some of the filling left over

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• pasta flour – 115g
• 2 eggs
• salt

For the filling:

• ricotta cheese – 150g
• 1 egg yolk
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese – grated – 65g
• parsley – chopped – 4tbsp
• nutmeg
• salt

For the sauce:

• 400g tin of tomatoes
• celery – finely copped – 2tbsp
• carrots – finely copped – 2tbsp
• onion – finely copped – 2tbsp
• butter – 40g
• double cream – 50ml
• s & p

To make the sauce, put all the sauce ingredients apart from the cream into a saucepan and cook uncovered at the slightest simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the cream and adjust the seasoning.

Turn up the heat a little and simmer for a further minute stirring continually.

The sauce is now ready to serve.

…and here are the flowers which went with the chocolates

To make the dough, combine the flour, eggs and a pinch of salt to make the dough. Add more flour if too wet, or a little water if too dry.

Knead for 8 minutes, wrap in cling film and set aside until needed.

For the filling put the parsley, ricotta, parmesan, egg yolk, salt and a pinch/grating of nutmeg into a bowl and mix together with a fork until fully combined.

Use your pasta machine to roll out the pasta.

Cut out small circles using a pastry cutter.

Spoon a small amount of the filling into the centre of half of the pasta circles.

Wet the edges and lay over the rest of the pasta circles and gently squeeze together to form a seal.

When finished, set aside on a floured surface until required.

Cook in plenty of salted boiling water for a few minutes.

Spoon the ravioli into the serving dishes and pour over the sauce.

Verdict: Great pasta. Great sauce. Great meal. Happy Valentines day.

Drink: A little for her, considerably more for him.

Entertainment: Part 1 of the totally absorbing ‘Mesrine‘ on DVD. Buy it, rent it, steal it, kick a journalist to death for it, but just watch it. Vincent Cassel is superb.

Pan Heggerty is one such combination and makes a delicious and warming side-dish (or indulgent lazy supper/hangover brunch) perfect for these Arctic times.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes
Skill level: Easy
Makes: Side dish for 2 hungry people.

Ingredients

• potatoes – 500g – thinly sliced
• cheddar cheese – a good grating
• butter – 50g
• 1 large onion – very thinly sliced
• s and p

Preheat the oven to …

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions until they are soft and golden.

Remove and put aside.

Now put the potato into the pan and sauté until they are beginning to soften and have a little colour.

Find a suitable ovenproof dish and add the potato and onion in alternate layers, seasoning each layer as you go along.

Pour over a little more melted butter and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the potato is cooked.

Sprinkle with a generous layer of grated cheese and grill until melted and bubbling.

Serve whilst still bubbling.

‘You don’t eat meat and dumplings? How about deep-fried Edam with boiled pototoes?’

Verdict: Puts the yum into yumblog.

Drink: A sip of wine for her, the rest of the bottle for him.

Entertainment: ‘Après vous’ on DVD. Some would say a gentle poignant screwball romantic French black comedy. Others would say it’s over-long but has a superb central performance from Daniel Auteuil and is generally very watchable. They might even go on to say that it is twenty times better than any subsequent Hollywood kooky remake probably starring Hugh Grant, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.