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 …
Coconut Fish Curry (Meen Molee)
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 …
Spicy Onion (Kande Ki Subzi)
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.
Stir-Fried Spinach (Keerai Poriyal)
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.
Tadka Daal
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.
Moules Marinières
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.
Pesto Calamari with Steamed Vegetables
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.
Pimientos de Padron
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.
Bubble & Squeak Cakes with Poached Eggs
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.
Plaice wrapped vegetables with Salsa Verde
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.
Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli
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.
Soda Bread
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 …
Teriyaki Salmon
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.
Calamari with Baked Beans
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 …
Sunburst Rolls
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.
Shetland Black Vintage Potatoes
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 …
Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup
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.
Tuna & Tomato Empanadillas
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.
Japanese Brussels Sprouts with Tofu
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.
Sushi – Maki-Zushi
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…
Piccalilli
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 …
Anchovy, Rocket & Lemon Linguine
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 …
Roasted Vegetable Agrodolce
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?
Carp
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. Along with voting Tory, ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ and felching, it is an experience best avoided. There is a reason why carp is an anagram of crap
Blue Cheese Oat Biscuits
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.
Minted Pea & Lettuce Soup
Happy New Year. It’s 2008 and it looks like the year ahead is going to be shit.
Preserved Lemons
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.
Triple Chocolate Biscotti
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’ â„¢
Cheddar & Parmesan Biscuits
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 …
Double Chocolate Truffles
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.
Butternut Squash, Spinach & Mushroom Lasagne
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 …
Anchovy Breadcrumb Spaghetti
Anchovies. Along with avocados, tomatoes, asparagus, olives, prawns, marmite, facon, cheese, oranges, garlic, toast, squid, potato salad, humous, peanut butter, roasted peppers, gherkins, cashews, mustard, pasta, eggs, butter beans, smoked salmon and beer, anchovies are my favourite food.
January King Cabbage with Ricotta Toasts
‘Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms. In the most convenient definitions. …
Seafood Tagliatelle
If you’re lucky enough to live by the sea or a Waitrose, then use fresh seafood for this recipe. If you live anywhere else on this island, you’ll have to use frozen.
Celeriac & Chestnut Soup
This one goes out to VJ ‘Mr Prudence‘ – anarchist, transphormetic blogger, psychic geographer, algorithmic obsessive and occasional ActionScript guru. The other day he confessed he was in possession of a celeriac and asked what he could possibly do with it. I’m afraid my advice was a dismissive “either mash it or chuck it in the bin” A melancholic celeriac …
Chickpea & Aubergine Casserole with Preserved Lemons
I preserved some lemons in brine a few months ago, but to be honest they started to scare me as they lay suspended in their jar like some jaundiced medical exhibit. So what to do with them? Well you could do a lot worse than making this simple but admittedly time-consuming casserole.
Spicy Lentil Soup
Now there’s a thing. If you go to lentil.com you just get a crappy illustration of ‘Lenny the Lentil’ and an email link, lentil.co.uk doesn’t seem to have been registered, and lentil.org is the blog site of a senior network engineer called Robert Lister. I mention this only because I can’t think of an introduction to this recipe.
Delia Smith’s Quick Wholemeal Rolls
Now I’m a big fan of Delia, although I appreciate that some people are less enthusiastic. Whatever your opinion, compared with the current crop of TV cooks whether they be two hairy geordies on bikes, a simpering goddess on prozac, or a Michelin starred narcisist on EVERYbleedinTHING, Delia shines out as a beacon of understated modesty and professionalism.
Herby Potato Gratin
Last week a report by the ‘World Cancer Research Fund’ found that among other things, bacon gives you cancer. The media gave this saturation coverage. At around the same time the German-based ‘Energy Watch Group’ concluded that global oil production peaked back in 2006. This barely got a mention.
Terroni & Sons, 138-140 Clerkenwell Road – RIP
So farewell then, Luigi Terroni & Sons, one of the best Italian delicatessens in London. Where the staff were friendly and knowledgable and you could buy a vast array of tasty foods. Cooked meats, cheese, bread, cakes, wine and pasta of all imaginable shapes and sizes. Now sadly ceased trading for reasons not explained, although doubtless yet another victim in …