tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129102132024-03-07T07:06:06.080+00:00Joanna's Foodfamily cooking, from scratch, every dayJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.comBlogger643125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-80704983070388553662010-12-08T08:37:00.004+00:002010-12-08T08:50:32.170+00:00An early Christmas presentAn early Christmas present from Celia at Purple Podded Peas. The most cheering sort of present ... continue reading, at my new blog, An English KitchenJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-37417427468026011602010-10-14T12:49:00.005+01:002010-10-14T12:56:32.376+01:00Creamy Puy lentilsLuxurious way with lentils. We ate this with chunks of squash roasted with herbs and orange zest. Horatio said it would have been nicer with chicken, but he's a well-known lentil hater.200g Puy lentils1 finely chopped onion1 clove finely chopped garlicjuice of an orange1 tbsp balsamic vinegar2-3 tbsp creme fraicheCook the lentils (about 20-30 minutes, depending on their age). Drain, but keep the Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-73630637583379258982010-09-15T14:11:00.004+01:002010-09-15T14:22:21.201+01:00Pastry, and a frangipane fillingBecause my blog is my kitchen notebook, and because I keep having to look up these recipes ... and because, if you think you can't make pastry, these just may transform your baking (they have mine).1. Shortcrust pastry200g STRONG flour100g unsalted butter1 egg1 tbsp waterBlitz all in the processor until it forms a ball.This is enough to line a 23cm tart tin, but it goes a great deal further if Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-58557096020375003812010-08-22T10:17:00.004+01:002010-08-22T13:56:28.759+01:00Top 25 cookbooksLast week, the Observer Food Magazine published its top 50 cookbooks. This week, Joanna's Food presents its own top 25. Very difficult indeed to choose - in the final cut, I lost Elisabeth Luard, Michael Smith, Sarah Raven, Claire Macdonald of Macdonald, Ballymaloe and Pomiane. AND I've had to cheat by including more than one book by some people. Also, the order at the bottom end is a little Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-78150532952523119612010-07-30T10:11:00.003+01:002010-07-30T10:16:51.999+01:00Eliza Acton's redcurrant jellyThe quickest and best way to make redcurrant jelly, so that the flavour of the fruit shines through. Can't believe I've never posted this before, but I couldn't find it when a friend asked for the recipe. It comes via Jane Grigson, from her Fruit Book, so I'm quoting her direct:Run a thin layer of water over the base of the preserving pan, then put an equal weight of red currants - no need to Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-31497583344094737672010-07-26T12:23:00.016+01:002010-07-26T18:04:00.794+01:00Food photography at the Irish Embassy with Alastair HendyLovely party in the beautiful ballroom at the Irish Embassy in London, a house which used to belong to the Guinness family ...A group of bloggers was given a masterclass in food styling and photography by Alastair Hendy - author, chef, photographer, stylist (he doesn't seem to have a website so sadly I can't give you a link to his wonderful photographs).Here's Alastair's "holy trinity" of things Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-73571322167179879342010-04-22T15:45:00.008+01:002010-04-22T15:52:27.628+01:00An English KitchenI've started a new blog, An English Kitchen. I'm not abandoning this one, I'll be using it exclusively for recipes. An English Kitchen will cover all the stuff that goes on here in the heart of our home. Today, there's baking, and I've been eating primroses. Yes, really.Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-73399555570505069722010-04-19T12:19:00.003+01:002010-04-19T12:22:01.058+01:00Tulips in my studyI often think I like them better when they're half dead ...Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-40313130707499627082010-04-05T12:37:00.008+01:002010-04-15T17:23:13.743+01:00Pastry ... and a watercress tartThis weekend I have cracked pastry-making. Perfect every time (4x). And, of course, it's not rocket science; but it's satisfying, all the same, to be able to write it down.Put into a processor bowl:200g strong* white flour100g cubed butter, preferably straight from the fridge, but, actually, it doesn't matter1 egg1 tbsp waterBlitz until it forms a ball.Roll it out until it will cover a 23cm** tinJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-49231590856882919712010-04-02T18:07:00.001+01:002010-04-02T18:19:36.266+01:00Blue OrpingtonsMy beautiful blue Orpington hens laid their first eggs this week, just in time to help with the Easter baking. I bought them in October, a sustained moment of extravagence at the end-of-season auction - the first lot went for slightly more than I wanted to pay, and so I bought the second lot for a little more than that.They live in an Eglu just outside the kitchen window, where they anticipate myJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-20334655788369490752010-04-01T08:18:00.004+01:002010-04-01T08:56:13.633+01:00A new take on flapjacksI've always had trouble making flapjacks that don't flake into a hopeless mess of crumbs, never quite managing to achieve the chewy texture that make flapjacks so appealing. So I wasn't at all surprised when this recipe didn't work first time. I say "didn't work" - the resulting crumbs were the most delicious flapjacks I've ever tasted. It's just that if the oats don't stick together, you can't Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-6732839174740525432010-03-29T13:09:00.004+01:002010-03-29T13:21:51.756+01:00Peas and beans in the gardenI've just planted out some peas and beans. Sadly, the autumn-sown peas and beans didn't survive the winter, mainly because I was too idle to cover them through the harsh weather. The rotting remnants of the plants stayed in the ground just outside the kitchen window all through February, causing one visitor to remark on how well my compost heap was doing.So I went to the garden centre and found Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-31899282773255550222010-03-27T15:15:00.006+00:002010-03-27T15:42:43.142+00:00Garlic pasteHere's a worthwhile time-saver: garlic paste on hand in the fridge, no need to fry off before adding to - well, anything you're cooking, really. You just need a food mill, unless you've got strong arms and a sieve. Keeps well.8 heads of garlic2-3 bay leavesa bunch of thymepeppercorns and salta little oilwaterBreak the heads into cloves, but no need to peel them. Put in a single layer on a baking Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-3950697218685910422010-03-26T15:11:00.006+00:002010-03-27T15:43:26.359+00:00Quick real bread - a new take on Jim Lahey's loaf 2Karen at Cornflower baked the original Jim Lahey bread today ... it's a two-day process that makes good bread. If you need bread on the table NOW, just bake your usual dough in a covered Le Creuset pot (what Americans call a Dutch oven) in a hot oven. The fastest I can manage this is 90 minutes start to finish (45 minutes in the breadmaker on dough setting), straight into the hot pot without a Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-85839256208364967392010-03-26T12:03:00.007+00:002010-03-26T13:35:52.501+00:00Bread - a new take on Jim Lahey's loafI've been baking a lot of bread recently. I haven't bought a loaf for a couple of years, and these days my homebaked bread feeds not only the family but also the chickens and the dog. I use a bread machine for days when there isn't the time or inclination to bake by hand; in the winter in this cold house it's the most reliable place to nurture the yeast, so I often use the dough setting and then Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-62302769430501361272010-02-10T08:53:00.006+00:002010-02-10T09:02:36.080+00:00Heinz 57 varieties ....... in case you've ever wondered about the other 56Thanks to PosterousJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-13325274216422965392010-02-09T11:58:00.004+00:002010-02-09T14:30:21.887+00:00Oven-baked polentaThis wonderfully easy new-to-me way to cook polenta comes from Paula Wolfert's terrific new book, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking. There's none of that strewing cornmeal onto fiercely boiling water, followed by constant stirring. You just mix cornmeal, oil and cold water, put the resulting mess into the oven & let time do all the work for you. Amazingly, it comes out of the oven entirely Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-60863042588563810622010-02-09T10:29:00.005+00:002010-02-09T15:10:12.428+00:00Greater spotted woodpeckerAll through the winter I've seen this greater spotted woodpecker feeding in the garden. In the last few days he's been boring holes in one of the finials Lucius made for the rose pergola. It looks like a toy our children used to have years ago.Photographed through my study window. No chance of getting much work done, particularly as he announces his presence with short bursts of drilling.Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-19744010426856081322010-02-06T09:40:00.003+00:002010-02-06T09:50:41.698+00:00Raymond Blanc's tomato essenceFive years ago, when I started this blog, I posted two recipes on the first day. One of them has reappeared in the Telegraph, which is where I think I got it in the first place. It is Raymond Blanc's truly wonderful tomato essence ... glamour without much effort, haute cuisine without the high price of Le Manoir**. Although it's a little shocking that Monsieur Seasonality is suggesting tomatoes Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-58733354836125154262010-02-05T11:46:00.005+00:002010-02-05T15:53:36.980+00:00Tarte tatinI made Tarte tatin for pudding the other night; it's an indulgence, but an enjoyable one - Lucius said it was the best thing I'd ever cooked, and he was still talking about it the next day. It's very rich, so not for everyday .... but it's perfect for friends, as you have to make it early so that you don't burn your mouth on the caramel.I followed the instructions on the box of the de Buyer tarteJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-43388555744565208442010-02-04T09:36:00.008+00:002010-03-26T12:41:55.227+00:00A rustic rye bouleI tried a couple of weeks ago to make a rye loaf, but it was fit only for the hens. They loved it, but they're connoisseurs of good grains and flours, rather than bread. This one is a success, because 75% of the flour is white, giving the dough enough gluten to rise. I'm still on a mission to make a loaf which is mostly rye - and I'd also like to find some darker rye meal than the very pale Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-70291723317754576392010-01-29T12:54:00.004+00:002010-01-29T13:01:34.933+00:00Fabulous lemon risottoWe eat risotto at least once a week, as I always have plenty of home-made stock & we're not great soup drinkers.This is a good way to give flavour to a plain risotto (which I usually scent with saffron), using ingedients which are generally found in my kitchen, unless I'm unusually disorganised.Lemon risotto Melt finely chopped onion, carrot, celery in a little oil. When all is softened, add Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-66528632569923571392009-12-27T12:54:00.005+00:002009-12-27T13:52:52.575+00:00Food books of the decade?The Guardian has made a list of the best food books of the decade. Interesting overview, and, of course, there's always room for a few more decent cookery books (especially if I cull some of the second-rate ones).Some are staples here ... Fergus Henderson's Nose to Tail Eating; Michael Pollan's two food books, In Defence of Food and The Ominivore's Dilemma; Elisabeth Luard. Hugh Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-34439269708570965972009-12-25T10:47:00.005+00:002010-02-05T15:59:38.509+00:00Happy ChristmasWe've been snowed in for most of the week, so Christmas has taken us a little by surprise ... not many decorations, not much shopping. But all the family is here, there's plenty of good homemade food, and we've had time to enjoy doing not very much. A six-foot igloo was built, and then collapsed in the night in a rainstorm before anyone had a chance to take a photograph. Lots of laughter. Happy Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-69135001180502649362009-12-22T19:00:00.003+00:002009-12-22T19:37:44.089+00:00Brussels sprouts with caramelised garlic and lemonWe're snowed in here, so it's been a day of quiet pleasures: a walk round the wood, a little photography, some bird watching, a game of croquet in the snow, and Horatio is building an igloo which he plans to sleep in (shades of his father, for those with long memories). I had time to make a complex three-stage recipe, which in the ordinary way I wouldn't have bothered with: the most delicious Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2