Three little pigs

For the last week or so, the wind outside has been blowing fiercely, bringing to mind the big, bad wolf from the 'Three Little Pigs'. "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in." Today, the wind is howling in defeat. No doubt it will try again. Rain has been swooping in every time the wind laid down to gather its strength. Cold pinpricks of icy water steadily falling down to soak everything, only relenting when the wind picks up again. Grey, ominous looking skies. Every morning for the past week. Temperatures are dropping lower every day and people are donning hats, gloves and warm, woollen scarves to complement their warm, woollen coats. Winter is fast approaching.

'The novelty of numb fingers', 'clothes that are more water than fabric', 'gale-force makeovers' and a 'wind that blows you backwards'. 'Umbrellas making their great escape', 'puddles that lie in wait under wobbly slabs, just waiting to pounce up your leg' and 'tidalwaves from errant cars'. A romantic description from Heinz (yes, the one from the soup advert). But the novelty wears off after about thirty seconds and it takes forever to get warm and dry. I could curse any driver for their lack of compassion; I swear some of them see the puddle and wait for unsuspecting pedestrians... And who doesn't hate it when you have to walk for the rest of the day with soaking wet feet because of the unnoticable puddle??? But still, looking out (all warm, cozy and comfortable) to the wind playing with the leaves, rain making beautiful patterns on the windows or perhaps even snow dancing on the wind; I have to admit, I love Winter.

Part of that is that I can, finally, bring out my favourite dishes without being made to feel that I am 'weird'. Even my husband is doubtful when, in scorching heat, I tell him that we are having beef-stew-and-dumplings for dinner. But right now I can safely bring out the bread-and-butter-puddings, casseroles, warming winter soups, 'wigwams' and the aforementioned stew-and-dumplings. Not to mention cinnamon hot chocolate, devil's coffee (or chocolate), mulled wine and hot cider...

My all-time favourite vegetable is now at its prime: Brussels Sprouts. Growing up, I didn't like sprouts. At all. Bitter. Weird looking. Horrible. I did, however, like (strike that and make it 'love') 'leprechaun-cabbage mash'. Now, if you do not know what leprechaun-cabbages are, here is a picture... Yes, my mother was cruel... I remember one Christmas where the entire family was sat around the dinner table. My mother had four rules when it came to food. 1) It is absolutely normal not to like one certain food, not liking two is acceptable (if not preferable), not liking three is being fussy. 2) You have to try everything at least once (every ten years, or so). 3) No dessert if you don't finish your plate of food. 4) You will eat your number of years in those vegetables you do not like (on top on rule #1) (for instance: 5 brussels sprouts at age 5, 10 brussels sprouts at age 10, and so on). Like I said, we were sat at the Christmas dinner table and part of our meal were sprouts. I cannot remember how old I was but, for ease, let's say I was thirteen. Therefore, I had thirteen sprouts on my plate. My dad, feeling sorry for me, decided to eat my sprouts. I felt so bad for him having to eat his own sprouts and now mine as well that I decided to help him and I (sneakily) ate the brussels sprouts that were on his plate (way more than thirteen...). They were actually not that bad but, from then on in, I could never get away from a full plate of sprouts again...

But, I never planned on writing about sprouts... That was meant for another day. Today is all about one of my favourite soups. It is just the thing I fancy when the weather turns as it has: warming, rich, comforting, luxurious in feel, cheap in making, easy as can be, and always a crowdpleaser. My advice is to double the quantity; you will come back for seconds and thirds.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of rapeseed or olive oil (or butter)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely sliced (or 1 extra onion)
• 1 medium potato (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 litre vegetable stock (homemade or low-salt version from the shop)
• 1½-2 heads of broccoli (including the stem)
• 140 grams of blue cheese (Stilton is traditional but any blue cheese works)
• black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil or butter in a large saucepan and add the onions
2. Cook on a medium heat until soft
• add a splash of water if the onions start to catch
3. Add the celery, leek, (potato), and the tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter is melted
4. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 5 minutes
5. Remove the lid and pour in the stock and the stalk of the broccoli and cook for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft
6. Add the rest of the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes
7. Carefully transfer everything into a blender and blitz until smooth
• place a folded tea towel on top of the blender (over the hole in the lid) before you start blending
• you can use a stick blender instead but be careful
8. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese and season to taste with black pepper

If you prefer to use seasonal vegetables, this recipe works equally well with cauliflower. In that case, use a white Stilton, brie or camembert and white pepper and make sure not to let your vegetables colour in the oil or butter. This way you will have a beautifully snow white soup.

If you want to 'dress' your bowl of soup, hold back a couple of small florets of the broccoli (or cauliflower) and a little of the cheese. Blanch the florets in seasoned, boiling water for about 1 minute and place on top of the soup with a little of the cheese.

Serve with warm, crusty rolls and butter or buttered toast.

Enjoy

King Creole

It has been a while since I last wrote a post. Life has been busy and writing suffered for it. That doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking and baking, we still need to eat after all, but proper inspiration had failed me and I reverted back to cooking the standard go-to recipes. Today, however, I got to talk with a dear friend who is thinking of moving to New Orleans. And that got the juices running. 

New Orleans: exotic, relaxed and frantic at the same time, artistic, good music and (even better) food. A place I would love to visit, to taste its diversities and to hear its history. When I think of the food in New Orleans, the first thing that jumps to mind is their gumbo. To you and me, this is a stew. The locals, however, would say that gumbo is a whole food group on it's own. Who am I to argue...

But New Orleans is more than gumbo. Think about Po-Boys, King Cakes (served from 6th January through to Mardi Gras Day), beignets (those soft, fluffy, deep-fat-fried balls [squares] of dough, served with mounts of powdered sugar) or Jambalaya. But my favourite has got to be:

Crawfish Étouffée

Ingredients:

• 125 gram butter
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 pepper (red, yellow or green), diced
• 500 gram peeled crawfish tails or prawns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 300 millilitre water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium to high heat
2. Add the onions, celery and peppers and fry for 10 to 12 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the onions are turning a light golden colour
• the holy trinity in all Creole cooking are onions, celery and peppers: much like onion, celery and carrot is in French cooking
3. Add the crawfish tails (or prawns) and the bay leaves, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the crawfish until they start throwing off a little liquid
• this will be about 10-12 minutes, but less if you are using prawns
4. Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the crawfish
5. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste
6. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken, about 4 minutes
7. Add the parsley and spring onions and cook for another 2 minutes
8. Remove the bay leaves and serve over cooked rice

This is not my longest post ever, I am still trying to catch my breath, but I do hope you will

Enjoy

=

Combative mode...

Like most people, I have my good days and my bad days. Fortunately, my good days far outweigh my bad days. But I do know what it's like when the bad days keep piling up and everything becomes too much of a chore. When a couple of bad days turn into a week of bad days, into a month of bad days and all of a sudden you find yourself in a spot where nothing matters anymore. For me, that stopped when I said to myself 'enough is enough' and started talking with people, started taking more interest in the things around me. It wasn't easy; I had to force myself to do it.

Some people still think that depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They are wrong. Depression is a real illness with real symptoms, and it's not a sign of weakness or something you can 'snap out of' by 'pulling yourself together'. Sometimes it takes a concerted effort of medication and therapy but there are things you can do to help yourself. If you are feeling depressed, don't struggle on. Talk to someone, anyone. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear. It's important to seek help from your doctor if you think you may be depressed. If you've been feeling low for more than a few days, take this short test to find out if you're depressed. Depression is quite common and affects about one in 10 of us at some point. It affects men and women, young and old.

Trying to find a diet to ease depression? Unfortunately, there's no specific diet that works for depression. No studies have been done that indicate a particular eating plan can ease symptoms of clinical depression. Still, while certain diets or foods may not ease depression (or put you instantly in a better mood), there is something to be said for a healthy diet in relation to mental health, as much as in relation to physical health. The healthier you feel, the more likely you are to go out and do something, which is the first step in dealing with, and overcoming, depression.

Damaging molecules, called free radicals, are produced in our bodies during normal body functions and these free radicals contribute to aging and dysfunction. Antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E combat the effects of free radicals. Antioxidants have been shown to tie up these free radicals and take away their destructive power. Studies show that the brain is particularly at risk for free radical damage. Although there's no way to stop free radicals completely, we can reduce their destructive effect on the body by eating foods rich in antioxidants as part of a healthy diet. Below is a list of foods that can help because of their antioxidants:

Apricots, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Collard Greens, Peaches, Pumpkin, Spinach, (Sweet) Potatoes, Blueberries, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Oranges, Peppers, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Nuts, Seeds, Wheat Germ, Whole Grains, Beans, Pulses, Peas, Lean Meat, Cheese, (Fatty) Fish, Milk and Yoghurt, Poultry, Soy, Seafood.

A bowl of yoghurt with some wheat germ, seasonal fruit (apricots, peaches, blueberries, strawberries) and flaxseeds or crushed brazil nuts makes a tasty breakfast. Top it with some grated dark chocolate (75% cocoa) for an extra boost in endorphins (the 'happy' hormone). Or replace the yoghurt with some cottage cheese or ricotta and whole grain bread or cracker bread. Have it with some freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice (with pulp) for an extra little lift.

For a light dinner try mixing some smoked mackerel with crumbly feta or young goats cheese, finely cubed red pepper and tomato, quinoa, couscous or chickpeas and some spinach that has been sauteed with one finely chopped onion and two cloves of minced garlic. Add loads of fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano or mint to taste. For something that looks more filling, try adding a soft boiled egg or fried mushroom.

Fancy a snack, a pick-me-up, or a refreshing drink later on in the day? Try making a smoothie/milkshake with some fresh strawberries or blueberries, bananas, vanilla ice cream and some finely chopped pieces of dark chocolate (70% cocoa). Add in some wheat germs for a more filling drink.

This drink is full of antioxidants and endorphin increasing properties; brilliant if you are feeling 'a bit low'. Make sure that you drink plenty throughout the day (1.5 to 2 litre per day) but try to avoid great quantities of coffee and alcohol.

For a simple and quick tea, try this One Pot Pasta: add 350 gram pasta, 350 gram chopped tomatoes, chopped yellow pepper and finely sliced leeks, 1 finely chopped onion, 3 cloves of grated garlic, pepper and paprika and oregano or thyme (to taste), 2 sprigs of basil, a good splash of olive oil, 1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken) and 750 millilitre of water to a large pan. (Yes, one pan.) Bring to a boil on medium to high heat, stirring regularly. Once it comes to the boil, cook for a further 10 minutes whilst stirring. By the time the pasta is cooked it will have taken on all the flavour and the water should be reduced to form a nice sauce. Serve with some grated cheese and fresh basil. If you want to use wholemeal pasta, cook the pasta for slightly longer.

No meal is complete without a dessert and there are some wonderful options out there. One of my favourites combines sweet potato and pecans but you could substitute the sweet potato for pumpkin, if you want.

Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Crumble

Ingredients:
For the pie crust

• 150 gram self-raising flour
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 115 gram butter
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 700 gram (2-3) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 centimetre chunks
• 2 large eggs
• 60 grams of light brown soft sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 175 millilitre double cream

For the topping

• 100 gram light brown soft sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 125 gram pecans
• 1 tablespoon double cream

Method:

For the pie crust

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs (it's okay if some of the butter is still slightly bigger in size)
2. Add the ice cold water and bring the dough together, add some more water if necessary (one teaspoon at a time) until the dough is crumbly but holds together when you squeeze it
3. Turn the dough onto some clingfilm, pat it down to a disk, cover with more clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least one hour
4. After one hour, place the dough on a floured piece of baking paper and roll the dough out to a 35 centimetre circle
• use your knuckles to press the edges of the dough firmly to prevent the dough from cracking when you roll it out
5. Pick up the baking paper and flip it over onto a 23 centimetre pie plate or flan dish and gently fit the dough into the bottom and along the sides of the dish, being careful not to stretch or tear the dough, before removing the baking paper
6. Trim the dough to a 2½ centimetre overhang and crimp this to form a rim
7. Prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork and place in the fridge to cool for another hour
8. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, place the pie crust in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is firm and golden and leave to cool completely

For the filling

1. Cover the sweet potatoes with water in a large pan, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes)
2. Drain the potatoes, puree in a food processor until completely smooth and leave to cool completely
3. Preheat the oven to 190ºC
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth
5. Add the sweet potato puree, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream and whisk until completely smooth
6. Pour the filling into the fully cooled pie crust and bake on the lowest rack in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the filling is set
• transfer the pie to a cooling rack after baking to cool for one hour, then place in the fridge to cool completely

For the topping

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the sugar and pecans
2. Cook the mixture until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is 'smooth' (this will take about 3 minutes)
3. Stir in the tablespoon of cream and leave to cool for a couple of minutes
4. Pour the pecan mixture over the cooled pie and spread it evenly out with a knife or spatula
5. Leave the pie to cool for about 30 minutes until the topping has hardened
• Do not place the pie back into the fridge but leave it in a cool place for up to 6 hours (if you last that long...)

You might feel as if you are all alone in the world, but trust me when I say: 'You are not, there are people who know and understand exactly how you feel. Talk to them.'. The food I have mentioned will not magically 'cure' your depression but it might help you to feel better, more capable, more energetic. It will not happen overnight but stick with it.

Tea made from St John's Wort has been proven to help with depressions and might be helpful for you. If you would like to try this, make sure to discuss it with your doctor as the herb does affect some medications. It might also be a good idea to discuss a drastic change in your diet with your doctor as this could have implications for people with certain illnesses such as diabetes.

I won't end this post with my usual 'Enjoy' (although the food is very enjoyable) but with this: If you are feeling depressed, or have been diagnosed with clinical depression, talk to people about it. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

Be safe, take care of yourself, trust in your abilities.

'Keeping it real'

When I think of comfort food, my immediate thought is pasta. From there on in I don't really mind what type of pasta; any will do... Spaghetti, lasagna, macaroni, or any other type you can think of.

What goes with the pasta is more difficult. There just are so many choices. Just the base of the sauce can provide me with a delicious challenge. Which is quickly followed by: 'Do I want a lot of sauce or just enough to coat that pasta?'. In the end there are only three pasta dishes that really bring me the comfort that I want. And one of them makes most people question my sanity.

If I am 'down and out' and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry, one pasta dish is sure to save me. And yes, I am quite sane. Don't knock it till you tried it. Macaroni with sugar, butter and cinnamon. Boil the macaroni, drain, add a decent knob of butter, sugar and cinnamon to taste, mix and let the butter melt to create the 'sauce', get the biggest spoon that fits your mouth and start shoveling... Okay, I might just have lost some (more) of my sanity...

The second one will help me when the days are turning grey, when I am not quite feeling myself and when work is starting to get to me. Pasta Romesco; a sauce based on roasted red peppers. The last one, however, will get me over just about anything: work, heartache (haven't had that in a long time), general sadness, dreary weather. But I will eat it whenever I fancy. No 'special' occasion required... Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Now, I would love to tell you that this is an ancient dish eaten by the lonely shepherds in Italy how would carry pasta with them, make the cheese there and then and only used bacon, pancetta or guanciale if they had it. I can't. I would love to tell you that it is an 'ancient' dish that was eaten by the carbonaro (charcoal miners) or that it was created as a tribute to the Carbonari (the secret society of 'charcoal men'), but I can't. Most likely it was just an urban dish from Rome. Nobody knows for sure. The romantic in me says the lonely shepherds or the charcoal miners. The more sensible part of me says: 'I don't care, I'm just glad someone gave me a taste of it.'. You can make up your own mind.

So, however you are feeling at this moment, have a go at one of my most favourite pasta dishes. It'll lift the spirits! And with the recipe below, you are hard pressed to create a dish that disappoints. Authentically you use Spaghetti for this but I like to use pasta like Rigatoni as the sauce holds better because of all the ridges and Conchiglie as this can hold the sauce and pieces of bacon...

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 225 gram (uncooked) pasta
• 4 large fresh eggs (you can use only the yolks for a more intense flavour or use 2 whole eggs and 2 yolks or use all 4 eggs whole)
• 225 gram pancetta, bacon or guanciale (Italian cured pork cheek or jowl), cut into 1 centimetre cubes
• 180 gram grated cheese (parmesan, pecorino, cheddar - which ever one, two or combination you have or like)
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Salt (to taste, if necessary)

Method:

1. Bring plenty of salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a boil
2. Add the pasta, return to the boil, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until 'al dente' (cooked but still firm when bitten)
3. In the mean time, heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat
4. Add the bacon to the frying pan and fry for about 3 minutes or until the meat is crispy and most of the fat has rendered out
• remove the frying pan from the heat
5. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and the cheese until well combined
6. As soon as the pasta is cooked, reserve about 100 millilitre of the cooking water and drain the rest of the water off
7. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add half of the reserved pasta water to the pan when the pan is hot
8. Toss the pasta into the frying pan and, whilst moving the pan continuously, wait until the bubbling subsides
• most of the water will evaporate
9. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture, stirring quickly until the eggs thicken
• the residual heat in the pan will cook the eggs but work quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling
• if the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little bit more of the reserved pasta water
10. Season liberally with freshly cracked black pepper
• taste before you add any salt: depending on the kind of pork used, it may not need any salt

Following this recipe you should never have any problems cooking the perfect pasta dish. 

Although traditionally nothing else is added (and in my book you never add cream) you can fry a little onion and garlic with the bacon if you so desire. The best eggs to use are free range, organic eggs - in this case I would only use the yolks to really taste the eggs. If you can find guanciale, please use it: you will be surprised at the difference this will make. Use whatever type of pasta you want (have lying around) but try to avoid fresh pasta as the sauce will not stick to it as easily as to the dried varieties.

Whether you use bacon or pancetta, free range or dozen-a-dime eggs, cheap or expensive pasta; this dish is great!

As they say in Italy:

Mangia Mangia

Or as I like to say:

Please, eat!

Ooh, a little twist

Earlier today I was having a chat with two of the loveliest ladies I have ever had the pleasure to meet. (Tina and Beverley, you know I am talking about you...) The three of us have a couple of things in common: we are all reasonably old-fashioned in our way of thinking, are all just a tad crazy and are all super smart... In the space of half an hour we chatted about hats, to having a party, to party-poopers, to old-fashioned foods such as deviled eggs and tuna casserole, to husband-bashing (regardless where they are, if something goes wrong they are to blame)...

At the mention of fish, all three of us independently decided that since fish was brought up in the chat we all of a sudden had a craving for fish for our tea... Fish and Tartare Sauce (nearly there for a gorgeous fish finger sandwich), Fish with mash and peas (getting close to the perfect fish pie)... But I couldn't decide on what I fancied. That was until I saw the lasagna sheets in the kitchen cupboard. At this point in time I decided that I just had to have Italian Fish Pie...

It's been nearly 20 years since I first tried this recipe. And it wasn't even a proper recipe, more like an idea in my head that I thought would work. People who know me, know that I love pasta but I am not keen on traditional lasagna as this comes with a minced-meat-and-tomato based sauce... Nothing wrong with it but I am just not that keen on the texture. But I did like the idea of layers of pasta with a rich sauce, Béchamel, vegetables and cheese. Then again, anything drenched in cheese is alright in my book...

It was then that I decided to try the standard old lasagna with fish instead. As the fish wouldn't be able to stand up to the rich tomato sauce I decided to leave this out and just use a good white sauce instead. It was an instant success and over the years I have made many variations with different types of fish and seafood, vegetables and cheeses but always sticking to the same principal; layers of pasta, good white sauce, fresh fish, seasonal vegetables and good cheese. Besides the fresh fish, I also like to use some smoked fish, like natural smoked haddock, for that little extra something. Although many variations are possible, here follows my 'standard' version as I like to call it

Italian Fish Pie

Ingredients:

• 250 gram fresh cod (cut into bite sized pieces)
• 250 gram salmon (cut into bite sized pieces)
• 250 gram smoked haddock (cut into bite sized pieces)
• enough lasagna sheets to make four layers (use dried pasta as fresh will overcook in the time it takes to cook the fish)
• 500 gram fresh spinach, washed and dried
• 4 soft-boiled eggs (optional)
• 50 grams butter
• 50 grams flour
• enough milk to make a medium thick sauce
• 4 spring onions, very finely chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
• salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• 100 grams grated cheddar cheese
• 1 ball of mozzarella

Method:

1. Use the butter, flour and milk to make the medium thick Sauce Béchamel (white sauce) and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
• For extra flavour add the finely chopped spring onion and minced garlic to the butter before you add the flour
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC
3. Add a little sauce to the bottom of a large, rectangular, ovenproof dish
4. Place lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, enough to fill the dish lengthwise (don't worry if you need to overlap the sheets slightly)
5. Divide the fish into three even portions and place the first portion on top of the lasagna sheets
6. Divide the spinach into three even portions and place the first portion on top of the fish
7. Cover the fish and spinach with the sauce and repeat steps 4 to 6 two more times
• If you are using the eggs, peel the eggs, cut into half and place them on top of the spinach after the second layer
8. After the third layer of pasta, fish, spinach and sauce; place the last layer of lasagna sheets on top and cover with the rest of the white sauce
9. Sprinkle the cheddar over the lasagna and tear the mozzarella on top of the cheddar
10. Bake the lasagna in the middle of the oven for about 20-25 minutes

For an extra luxurious filling try adding some prawns or other shellfish or add some ricotta to every layer. The vegetables can be adjusted to what is readily available or personal preference but I would stick with green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.

Enjoy

Back to the Past

One of my favourite things to do on a cold, but dry, crisp winters day is to go out for a walk in the woods. The best thing about it is, probably, coming back home into the warmth and wrapping myself in a blanket on the sofa and my hands around a steaming bowl of fresh soup. But even now in summer, with temperatures soaring, I do like a bowl of soup. Fair enough, the bowl of soup contains different ingredients but the principle is the same: stock, vegetables, protein, starch. Perhaps a noodle soup with ginger, spring onions, bean sprouts, chili and chicken. Or maybe a chilled pea soup with lovage and creme fraiche (I know, mom, who ever thought I would eat pea soup...) or a light fish soup with haddock and sweet corn.

What ever soup it is I am making, I do prefer to make a soup with homemade stock. Using a stock cube might seem a like good, quick and easy option but I find they usually lack flavour and just add a lot of salt. Of course, there is something to be said for low-sodium, free-range stock cubes but they are more often than not very expensive.

It used to be common for people to make their own stocks but these days people think it is difficult and time-consuming. But it doesn't have to be. In principle, making your own stock is not more difficult than bringing a pan of water to the boil and letting it simmer and not more time-consuming than cooking your average meal. The benefit of making a big pan of stock is that you can freeze it. It does lose some of its taste but not massively so and if you reduce the stock to concentrate the flavour it is actually a very handy thing to have in the freezer. Besides, stock will last three to four days in the fridge, after which time you can bring it back to the boil and keep it for another 3-4 days, practically indefinitely.

There are various options for stock but the two main categories are: Fond Blanc (white stock) and Fond Brun (brown stock). For white stock you use raw bones and for brown stock you use... You guessed it, roasted bones.  Chicken bones are mainly used for white stock and veal or beef bones are mainly used for brown stock but Fish and Vegetable stock are also white stocks. (Bones,) vegetables and water in a pan + simmering = stock. The vegetables you use for making stock is called mirepoix and consists (usually) of onion, leeks, carrot and celery but for a white stock you would mainly use the white parts of vegetables.

The most time consuming of all the various options for stock is brown stock as the bones need roasting and are then simmered for several hours to get the deep brown colour. The quickest to make are fish and vegetable stock as they only need about 20-25 minutes. 

Brown Stock

Ingredients:

• 500 gram beef of veal bones
• Mirepoix
• 2 chopped carrots
• 2 diced onions
• 2 chopped celery sticks
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste
• Enough water to cover the bones
• Bouquet Garni (herbs and spices tied in a cloth for ease of use)
• Dried thyme
• Parsley stems
• Bayleaf
• Peppercorns
• Cloves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Place the bones in a heavy bottomed roasting pan. Drizzle them with a bit of vegetable oil if you like
3. Roast the bones for about half an hour
4. Add the mirepoix to the roasting pan and continue roasting for another half an hour
• Toward the end of the roasting, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste or dilute the paste with a little water and brush the bones thinly with this before you start roasting them
5. When the bones are thoroughly browned, remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the bones to a heavy-bottomed stockpot
6. Add enough cold water to the pot to completely cover the bones, about 1 litre per 500 gram bones
7. Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer
8. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon
9. Add the roasted mirepoix to the pot along with the Bouquet Garni; tie the sachet string to the stockpot handle for easy retrieval later
10. Continue to simmer the stock and skim the impurities that rise to the surface
• Liquid will evaporate, so make sure there's always enough water to cover the bones
11. After anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, once the stock has developed a rich brown colour, remove the pot from the heat
12. Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. Cool the stock quickly, using an ice bath if necessary

Some hints and tips when making brown stock:

• The best bones to use for making stock are ones with a lot of cartilage, such as the so-called "knuckle" bones in the various leg joints. The bones of younger animals also have more cartilage, which is why veal bones are so desirable
• Always start with cold water when making stock. It will help extract more collagen from the bones, which will produce a stock with more body
• Don't let the stock boil, but rather keep it at a gentle simmer with bubbles just breaking the surface. Also, don't stir the stock while it simmers. Just let it do its thing. All you need to worry about is skimming the scum off the top, and possibly adding more water if the liquid level drops too low

Glace de Viande

Glace de Viande is the fancy name for brown stock that has been reduced to an almost syrupy consistency and is used to fortify sauces. A spoonful of glace de viande is a great way to add flavour to other dishes. It stores well in the freezer, so in a pinch you can add water and turn the glace back into stock again.

Here's how to make it:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the stock (see above) to a boil and then lower the heat to medium
• As the stock simmers, you may see scum or other impurities rise to the surface. Skim these impurities off with a ladle
2. Once the stock has reduced by a little over half, pour it through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a smaller pot
3. Lower the heat a bit and continue reducing, skimming as needed
4. The glace is finished when the liquid has reduced by about three fourths and the glace is thick and syrupy
• When you stir it, the glaze should coat the back of your spoon
5. Let the glace cool, transfer it to a container with a lid and refrigerate or freeze

It might seem all a bit daunting, but I promise it is well worth having stock to hand like this. Whether it is to make a soup or light broth, a sauce or as a base for a stew, stock is versatile. Whatever you use your stock for:

Enjoy!

Summertime, and the livin' is easy

Gone is the time for hearty stews and stodgy pies. It's too warm. Too humid. But hey, it beats freezing temperatures and rain... Still, the last thing I want to do is stand in a kitchen for hours trying to come up with a meal. I want something quick and easy. And it has to be fresh and light. Something that screams 'Summertime is here!'. The livin' is easy, fish are jumping (preferably onto my plate) and cotton is high fashion in high temperatures...

The first things that spring to mind are barbeque and salads. I love to bbq. But... our back yard has a 45º slope; not ideal when trying to cook something over hot coals... Salads are perfect. Every colour of the rainbow can find it's way onto your plate: Red tomatoes, Pink radishes, Purple beetroot, Blue cornflowers, Green cucumber, Yellow peppers, Orange carrots. And you can be as adventurous as you want with the starch: potatoes, couscous, bulgur wheat, quinoa, rice, pasta, noodles. The same goes for protein: beef, pork, chicken, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish, tofu. You can add crunch in the form of nuts and seeds or fancy croutons. And the dressings... The same vegetables, protein, starch and crunch can taste completely different depending on the dressing you use... From 'simple' vinegar and oil to 'fancy' soy sauce and sesame oil, the options are near endless.

But, today I don't want to talk about salads. Let's face it: there is only so much 'rabbit food' you can eat. Even if it is summer and the rainbow has found it's way onto your plate... And the oven will never be able to replace the bbq, no matter what anybody says. But, every now and then, I do fancy something 'proper'. Something to fill my belly, not too healthy but high in flavour and satisfaction. But it does have to be easy and it would be even better if it can be made in advance so that I only have to heat it up come tea time.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 700-800 grams ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 240 millilitre ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 200 grams cheese (grated or sliced)
• 6 slices of toast or 3 bread buns

Method:

1. Cook the ground beef with the onion and the salt in a shallow frying pan
2. In a saucepan, mix together the ketchup, sugar, mustard, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and cook over low heat for 15 minutes
3. Drain the fat from the beef and add the meat to the sauce
4. Leave to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time
5. Serve on toasted bread or buns, topped with cheese

So there you have it, quick and simple. Easily made during the weekend, stuck in the fridge or freezer and simply reheated when you want a slightly more filling meal during the summer. Serve with coleslaw, fries and pickles.

Enjoy

I know, it's a bit cheesy...

After a couple of gloriously sunny days, the heavens opened yesterday and my backyard looked like an aquarium: loads of plants, all standing in 3 feet of water... I just needed to add the goldfish...

The temperature has dropped slightly and, with every drop of rain, the 'closeness' slowly dissipated. And so did my lethargy. When the temperature is too high I don't fancy eating or cooking/baking. As a matter of fact, I don't feel like doing much of anything until the temperature drops below 20ºC. And so, I had a crazy run of baking: wholemeal bread with rye flakes, rye flake buns, cheesy rye flake buns, chocolate chip cookies, mini fruit and walnut scones, fresh garlic bread... I think I might have gone a bit overboard...

As England was playing last night (gotta pretend that I am keeping up with the World Cup...) I was looking for a nice snack as the match started at 11 p.m. The night before we had 'kroketten' as Spain was trying to hold back The Netherlands (what a marvelous score, 1-5). So, for yesterday, I wanted something typically British but also something typically me. A cheese board is too simple, although tasty, and pasties are too heavy for this type of weather. What is a girl to do???

Eventually my brain started spouting out all kinds of typically British fare: crumpets (really??? as a snack???), Broccoli and Stilton soup (it's not that cold), Welsh Rarebit (not quite the kind of snack I had in mind). That was cheese twice... I love cheese, so does hubby. I might be onto something here... The UK has some lovely cheeses but 'plain and simple' cheddar does remain one of my favourites when it comes to snacks. Don't get me wrong, baked camembert with raw vegetables and boiled new potatoes to 'dip in' is good. So are breaded brie bites with jalapeño relish. But, sometimes, nothing beats 

Ooey-gooey baked cheddar cheese dip

Ingredients:

• 1 punnet grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 340 gram cream cheese, I used plain but you could choose a flavoured version)
• 225 gram mozzarella, torn into little pieces or freshly grated
• 225 gram extra mature cheddar, grated
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• 4 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
• ½ tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the tomatoes in a single layer on the sheet
3. Sprinkle the olive oil, salt and pepper over the tomatoes and place in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes
• the skins on the tomatoes will start to split
4. Whilst the tomatoes are roasting, mix the cream cheese with 200 grams of the cheddar and mozzarella and the parmesan
5. Add the herbs, garlic and the roasted tomatoes and mix well
6. Transfer the cheese mixture into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella on top
7. Bake the cheese for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling

Serve with a little sprinkling of parmesan and crusty bread, fresh veggies, crackers, boiled new (or baby) potatoes, or whatever you fancy.

Perhaps I should have gone for cheddar and Wensleydale with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, or English mustard and ale: the Italians beat the Brits 1-2... Oops, my bad... Still, I can only tell you to...

Enjoy

Too good to be true

Every now and then you come across a recipe that is so good that you just cannot believe it. It is everything a recipe should be: easy to follow, easily available ingredients, perfect for when living on a budget and the result is so tasty that you just keep going back for more. The other day, I found just such a recipe.

I had bought two tins of apricots but hadn't really thought about what to do with them. In principle, all they are good for is serving them with some yoghurt but, for some reason, it made hubby think of upside-down cake. If I am honest, it is not my favourite cake and I was... hesitant... to use them in that way. But it did make me think about baked apricots, which is something I like to do with fresh apricots that aren't quite ripe enough to eat out of the hand. I just didn't have any almond paste... Or vanilla... What I did have was loads of cream... And walnuts...

And so I went looking for a recipe that could combine these three random ingredients: apricots, walnuts and cream. I didn't quite find what I was looking for so I 'adapted' an old French recipe for Apricot Clafoutis. Traditionally, a Clafoutis is a baked French dessert of black cherries (stones and all), arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. Over the years, many different varieties of fruit have been used but the best fruit to use is 'stone' fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, and so on. Technically, when you use a different variety of fruit the dish is not a Clafoutis but a Flaugnarde. But that just doesn't sound as nice...

Remember how I said that a good recipe is not only tasty but also contains easily available ingredients and can be made living on a budget? This entire dessert costs £1.50 for four to six people. And yes, I do realise that some of the ingredients, such as the vanilla, are not necessarily things that you would call 'cheap' but ...a little goes a long way; in most recipes you will only use about a teaspoon. Another option is to buy some fresh vanilla pods, use the seeds for one dish but stick the pods themselves into a jar of sugar: vanilla flavoured sugar that will last as long as you keep the pods in the jar, even if you add more sugar... This way you can use the sugar every time a recipe asks for vanilla...

But, like I said, I didn't have vanilla, nor did I have the desire to go out in the rain to get some. Instead, I decided to crush up some walnuts that I had lying around and use those to flavour the custard.

Apricot Clafoutis

Ingredients:

• 250 gram fresh, ripe, apricots (halved and pitted)  or 1 tin of apricot halves, drained
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 25 gram plain flour, sifted
• 50 gram caster sugar or 50 gram vanilla sugar (then don't use vanilla extract)
• 150 millilitre double cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or 50 gram vanilla sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease a shallow, ovenproof, dish with a little butter. The dish should be large enough to fit the apricots in a single layer
2. Place the apricots cut-side down in a single layer in the dish (there should be a little space between them)
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk and the flour together
4. Whisk in the caster sugar (or vanilla sugar)
5. Add the cream (and vanilla extract if using) and whisk thoroughly to form a smooth custard
6. Pour the custard over the apricots so the tops of a few are just visible
7. Place the dish on the top shelf in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed up and golden brown in places
8. Remove the dish from the oven and leave to cool for at least 15 minutes

Dust the cooled down Clafoutis with a little icing sugar and serve with a little lightly whipped cream or creme fraiche.

If you don't have apricots (or don't like them) try one of the options below:

• (black) Cherries and Kirsch
• Toss the (pitted) cherries with 3 tablespoons of Kirsch and 2 tablespoons of sugar and leave for 30 minutes. Strain the cherries and whisk the Kirsch in with the eggs. Place the cherries into a buttered dish and pour over the custard (you still want to see some of the cherries). Bake immediately for 30-35 minutes
• Plum and marzipan (or almond paste)
• Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place a dot of marzipan or almond paste into the hollow of each plum before placing them cut-side down into the dish. Pour over the custard and bake for 30-35 minutes
• I like to add little dots of almond paste on top of the custard, before it goes into the oven
• Plum and (plum) Brandy or Kirsch
• Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place the plums cut-side up in a single layer in a buttered and sugared dish, pour over the batter and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of Brandy or Kirsch. Bake immediately for 30-35 minutes
• Fruit and ...
• If you don't want to use vanilla (or like me don't have any), try flavouring the custard with some nuts that are crushed very finely or some spices or ...
• Apricots and walnuts or almonds
• Cherries and macadamia nuts or hazelnuts
• Plums and pecans or almonds
• Cherries and cocoa powder and/or cinnamon
• Plums and ginger

You know what they say:

Bon Appetit

Or

Enjoy