Here we have two cheesy pasta treats which are so enthusiastic they have exclamation marks. One contains real broccoli floret pieces and is good for you!, while the other in ready in 5! and makes the bold claim of being gloriously tasty. ‘Warning requires cooking – in a proper pan!’
September 2008
Yuckblog 3: Attack a Snak v Lunch Pack
It was obvious from the outset that this was going to be an unfair contest as these products are intended for two very different markets. One is a collection of processed junk cynically targeted at children and the other a holy trinity of ‘Trusted Brands’ marketed to grown-ups. ‘Delicious hot or cold’
Yuckblog 2: Dairylea Lunchables v Brunchettas
In the blue corner, weighing in at 295 calories and boasting no artificial colours or flavours we have ‘Dairylea Lunchables’. And in the red corner, 117 calories lighter but armed with a free plastic handy spreader fork ‘Brunchettas’ ‘Lunchables can make a fun change to a sandwich’
Yuckblog 1: Mug Shot v Asda Pasta Mealpot
A regular game we play to enliven the joyless visit to a supermarket is to hunt down the most ridiculous, unappetising, over-packaged or ill-conceived snack ‘food’ and snarl Duncan Bannatyne style derision at it. However, as enjoyable as this is, I sometimes feel we are just being middle-class OFM-reading wankers and so perhaps should give these products the benefit of …
Coburg Loaf
Always on the look out for novelty bread flours, I came across a packet of Doves Farm organic Barleycorn in Way’ro. It’s a mixture of wheat and barley flours, malted barley flakes and linseed. Apparently this loaf was one of two things named in honour of Prince Albert.
Chewy Light Rye Bread
I had to give this one a try, if only because it contains treacle, soggy Ryvita and onion. What’s more, it takes a whole weekend to make.
Pullum Frontonianum (Chicken a la Fronto) – Part 2
And so to the cooking of the chicken in the name research for Archaeologist T. That rainy weekend we hastened to Cirencester and having paused briefly at a local butcher selling free range chicken, we hurried on to Waitrose where we knew an organic beast would be waiting. Artist impession of how Pullum Frontoniaum may have looked in olden Roman …
Borsch
A family gathering in Suffolk this weekend meant I was able to plunder my sister’s vegetable patch and return home with a binbags worth of wonderful homegrown produce. Along with a variety of beans, carrots and onions, my swag consisted of several kilos of beetroot as big as your face. The obvious thing to do was to make a bucket …
Squid with Lentils and Preserved Lemon
A Squid (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) is a very sensitive magnetometer used to measure extremely small magnetic fields and is based on a superconducting loop containing Josephson junctions. Less well known, it is also a tasty fishy treat which it turns out, goes very well with lentils. “If animal trapped call 410-844-6286” — Baltimore, traditional.
Minestrone Soup
As 10 CC once said: “Life is a minestrone wrapped up in Parma ham/cheese. Death is an old D’Artagnan, suspenders in deep freeze”. Or something like that. Purple Podded Peas from Gwydwr’s garden
Lager Batons
After the sourdough fiasco I felt the need to purge the memory by baking something successfully. This is a handy recipe as it uses only store cupboard essentials: flour, salt, yeast, honey and lager.