Month: February 2017
-
Pancake Day
Although Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is late this year, it has inevitably started early for me seeing as Fiona and I have just polished off two large crêpes each, having demolished the same amount yesterday, and will no doubt achieve the same tomorrow. Pancake ‘Day’ is very limited terminology. Does anyone ever have a […]
-
A perfect ingredient: eggs
Our fridge is always overstocked with eggs. Sometimes we may have as many as twenty-four, a twelve-pack on top of the other creating a double-decker army of yolks and whites behind their amour of shells. Within hours this number depletes. How, I really don’t know, either we love them or we have an egg-stealing ninja […]
-
Favourite Combinations: Apples and pastry
Apples and pastry. And with that, I take my leave. I doubt I am the only one with a weakness for this combination. The comforting, familiar taste of juicy apple softened by the heat of the oven, enclosed in pastry, has always been my go-to treat. The days when my parents took Fiona and I to a […]
-
Midnight feasts
Isn’t it interesting how most treats are a night time indulgence? Post-dinner, once the kitchen is quiet and gleaming it is time to creep unashamedly back to raid the fridge and prepare the illicit midnight feast that will satisfy those nightly cravings. Food becomes furtive and the recklessness of a pre-bedtime munch encourages us to believe […]
-
A guide to kitchen knives
For many years cooking for me would include selecting a knife from the block then patiently saw away at whatever I chose to cook. I never considered which knives were the most suitable for different ingredients, or that sharpening a knife is a blessing, turning a cook’s tasks from a chore to a joy. Instead, […]
-
Sticky plum meringue cake
I’m noticing a recurring theme with my blog posts. A majority focus on the sweet side of life, and what could be more sweet than sugar? Ah, how blessed you are you sweet granules which transform many a dish into something magnificent. Let’s see what you can do with this sticky plum meringue cake. Last […]
-
Sleepy Sundays
A fish dinner with salty samphire and sweet potato chips followed by some kind of wondrous pudding that is still half-formed in my brain. It’s snowing outside albeit half-heartedly. This calls for cosy food so you can feel safe and sound inside as the trees and sky fade from the numb ice-white haze reminiscent of The […]
-
The Breakfast Club
‘How d’ya like your eggs in the morning?’ This single sentence instantly triggers memories of the Tropicana advert – happy New Yorkers settle down to eggs sunny-side up and I can’t shake off the craving for crisp toasted bagels slathered in cream cheese. All I can say is Tropicana know how to sell themselves; if buying orange […]
-
Guacamole
My dad works away from home, spending most of his week near Birmingham. Every Thursday he drives back to be the out-numbered male in a house of three women and spends the weekend cooking up a storm. He is a very good cook – throughout our family life he has taken the reins of providing […]
-
My issue with Valentine’s Day
So Valentine’s Day is approaching. Many people probably don’t remember until the 13th February and run out to the nearest Clinton Cards in a panic but I’m aware of its impending presence because of the sheer bombardment of merchandise. Similar to other card-sending ‘holidays’ the shops are packed with cards and trinkets – Tesco has an […]