tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129102132011-12-19T16:13:55.974Zfamily cooking, from scratch, every dayJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.comBlogger6431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-80704983070388553662010-12-08T08:37:00.004Z2010-12-08T08:50:32.170Z

An early Christmas present from Celia at Purple Podded Peas. The most cheering sort of present ... continue reading, at my new blog, An English Kitchen

Joannahttp://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+01:00

Luxurious 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+01:00

Because 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+01:00

Last 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+01:00

The 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+01:00

Lovely 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+01:00

I'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+01:00

I 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+01:00

This 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** tin

Joannahttp://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+01:00

My 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 my

Joannahttp://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+01:00

I'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+01:00

I'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-31899282773255550222010-03-27T15:15:00.006Z2010-03-27T15:42:43.142Z

Here'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-3950697218685910422010-03-26T15:11:00.006Z2010-03-27T15:43:26.359Z

Karen 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-85839256208364967392010-03-26T12:03:00.007Z2010-03-26T13:35:52.501Z

I'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-62302769430501361272010-02-10T08:53:00.006Z2010-02-10T09:02:36.080Z

... in case you've ever wondered about the other 56Thanks to Posterous

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-13325274216422965392010-02-09T11:58:00.004Z2010-02-09T14:30:21.887Z

This 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 lump-free

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-60863042588563810622010-02-09T10:29:00.005Z2010-02-09T15:10:12.428Z

All 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-19744010426856081322010-02-06T09:40:00.003Z2010-02-06T09:50:41.698Z

Five 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-58733354836125154262010-02-05T11:46:00.005Z2010-02-05T15:53:36.980Z

I 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 tarte

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-43388555744565208442010-02-04T09:36:00.008Z2010-03-26T12:41:55.227Z

I 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-70291723317754576392010-01-29T12:54:00.004Z2010-01-29T13:01:34.933Z

We 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-66528632569923571392009-12-27T12:54:00.005Z2009-12-27T13:52:52.575Z

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.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-34439269708570965972009-12-25T10:47:00.005Z2010-02-05T15:59:38.509Z

We'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-69135001180502649362009-12-22T19:00:00.003Z2009-12-22T19:37:44.089Z

We'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.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-13638050756143100702009-12-19T11:18:00.003Z2010-02-05T15:58:52.663Z

My sister brought Meyer lemons from her garden in California. It's impossible to buy a Meyer* lemon here, so it was a wonderful gift - they have a scented taste quite unlike other lemons. So, something special. But my sister's only here for a few days, and I don't want to spend them chained to the stove.These little citrus pots take moments, although you'd never guess. They're rich, so tiny

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-16334979993980281312009-12-16T16:39:00.009Z2009-12-16T17:30:59.694Z

Lunch was an elegant protest in a flurry of snow in Trafalgar Square. Delicious fruit smoothies, vegetable curry, all the fruit you could find. Supermarket waste. And all of it would otherwise have ended up in landfill. Not even composted.This lovely fruit made thousands of smoothies, full of goodness. Why don't supermarkets TRY selling less-than-perfect fruit, and see what happens? Why don't

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-23128937860450658972009-12-10T09:45:00.002Z2009-12-10T09:51:00.159Z

Breakfast this morning: yoghurt with stewed plums. Bliss. The plums were slightly past their best, but fully revived with a little muscovado sugar. So much flavour there's no need for spice. 20 minutes, covered, in a moderate oven.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-49099709566306716392009-12-09T10:38:00.006Z2009-12-09T11:30:58.709Z

I've never been very good at making Yorkshire pudding. Years of cooking on an Aga meant that by the time the meat was perfectly roasted, there wasn't enough heat left for the puds. Years of pudding failure = deep-seated belief that my Yorkshires would always be a flat soggy mess.But now, I have a foolproof recipe. I first came across it when I was cooking on the Miele stand at the BBC food show;

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-75093359141552300582009-12-04T17:33:00.005Z2009-12-04T17:51:58.610Z

Mushrooms, like aubergines, soak up oil if you give them the chance. Here's a way of locking in taste without using any fat at all.Put equal quantities of wine* and stock** in the pan - just enough to stop your mushroom slices burning. Add a few drops of Worcester sauce, or soy sauce, or balsamic vinegar. Put the pan on a medium heat. Watch and stir. The mushrooms will exude their juices after a

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-19718983995265474582009-12-04T10:15:00.002Z2009-12-04T10:24:34.265Z

Fabulous sticky ribs last night. Easy, you just need a bit of time. As it was a last-minute decision, I didn't marinade the meat, and it didn't seem to make any difference. We made proper pigs of ourselves.Sticky ribsfor 4-51.5kg pork ribs6 tbsp redcurrant jelly (or whatever jelly is to hand)2 tbsp honey2 finely chopped cloves garlic1 knob of grated ginger2 tbsp soy saucechilli jam to taste (I

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-65690063210321704352009-11-28T11:06:00.004Z2009-11-28T12:10:21.718Z

I'd forgotten, til I made it in front of an audience of about 200 at the NEC on Thursday, how easy it is to make custard. If you use a double boiler, which takes longer, you don't have to stand and stir continuously.As custard is the unctuous basis of many a good pud - trifle (which is what I'm making today), ice creams - it's worth taking a little trouble. And not much point in using cornflour:

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-54661897580556370822009-11-27T22:31:00.001Z2009-11-27T22:31:00.926Z

Masterclass with Thomasina Miers yesterday. Lovely thrown together prune and armangac layers. Making it again for dinner tomorrow, so more detail soon. Fun at BBC food show.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-49946200107364386632009-11-26T05:21:00.001Z2009-11-26T05:21:41.513Z

Narrow shelves in a cool corridor ... see everything at a glance.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-45118327207373359262009-11-24T09:58:00.003Z2009-11-24T10:01:49.881Z

I love this new take on Brussels sprouts ... Alice Waters' new recipe in time for Thanksgiving. We don't just save sprouts for Xmas eating, so I'll be giving it a try in the next few days.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-73588441400423222152009-11-23T18:02:00.003Z2009-11-23T18:11:25.964Z

As usual, commonsense from Joanna Blythman, this time on the meat vs vegetarian argument.The absurd last-century idea that eating limitless piles of cheap, low-grade meat and dairy was some sort of democratic entitlement needs to be looked upon as an aberration in world history. We have to reverse the meat-and-two veg expectations of the last half-century. A correction is long overdue. Eating

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-78316571587478973522009-11-19T11:28:00.007Z2009-11-19T13:11:57.685Z

Delicious, with a hint of cinnamon. Eat warm from the oven as pud, or cold for breakfast/elevenses. Much nicer than the appley-cinnamony pastry I had in Selfridge's yesterday. There's a strong taste of almonds, even though they're cut 50:50 with flour (so economical).It's from Hugh FW's new book, Every Day; he made it with pears on his show last week (you may need to be in the UK for this link to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-344633551397562942009-11-17T14:34:00.004Z2009-11-17T15:13:17.390Z

Have you seen the ad where the mouse escapes from hundreds of traps protecting a slice of cheese on toast? Well, Kerry, the makers of LowLow, sent me some to try.As the name suggests, it's low fat cheese; all they say is that it's made with semi-skimmed milk. I'm not a great fan of diet foods: in general I'd rather buy proper food. We don't eat much cheese, so when we do, I like it to be really

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-72967712853567519532009-11-16T14:53:00.003Z2009-11-16T15:25:48.131Z

Partridge for dinner last night. Roasted for 20 minutes at 220C. Could have done with a minute or two more, I think. Slightly disappointing, we both thought, just a little too like chicken to be worth bothering with. But it was red legged partridge, which is not so tasty as the native grey partridge.I'm posting my method for making bread sauce because Lettice rang up from university last week to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-3766410899857852202009-11-12T18:42:00.003Z2009-11-12T19:00:12.229Z

These are seriously more-ish, so I've made them very small to avoid over-doing it. The recipe appears in various guises in virtually every recipe book that has a chapter on party food. I'm making them tonight for a community party on Saturday evening; there won't be another opportunity to make my plate of nibbles. These also have the advantage of being quick and easy.You'll need equal quantities

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-30589993698984598302009-11-12T09:16:00.006Z2009-11-13T10:14:46.071Z

Last night's dinner was supreme de poulet aux morilles. Except that it wasn't, because there were "only" porcini in the larder. And although I was notionally following the recipe in Raymond Blanc's A Taste of My Life, I don't think he'd have given me the keys to a restaurant, because I couldn't help but disobey some of his orders.The recipes in A Taste of My Life are fully explained; on top of

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-39451571586496836532009-11-11T12:38:00.004Z2009-11-11T13:49:21.881Z

I'm not sure why I chose the beetroot burgers. It wasn't as if there were beetroots rotting at the bottom of my veg box; I had to go out specially to buy them.And then I didn't have the courage of my convictions: I felt embarrassed at serving beetroot burgers, and it's taken me so long to write about it that I've forgotten what else was on the plate.But they were delicious. Really delicious. Both

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-86629735743237066962009-11-07T16:54:00.002Z2009-11-07T17:06:19.536Z

These are the oatcakes I've been making recently; crunchier, shorter than the ones I posted the other day. I'm about to make them with a little parmesan grated into the mix, so that we can eat them before dinner (actually, it will be with a glass of wine in the interval of Turandot at the cinema).300g oatmeal (just blitz some porridge oats if you don't have oatmeal)seeds - I generally use

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-83208319205969080682009-11-07T12:51:00.003Z2009-11-07T13:15:10.308Z

This is Sarah Raven's list of new dahlias to look out for next season; I've torn the page out of today's Telegraph, but I'd rather the paper was in the bin and the information somewhere I can be sure of finding it.Blacks, crimsons and deep redsD4 - a decorative group, small black dahlia which has not yet been namedKarma Choc - waterlily, 2-3ft, Winchester Growers had it at ChelseaTamburo -

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-35703417845153008992009-11-06T14:59:00.008Z2009-11-06T17:00:59.067Z

Five huge quince from the Italian deli: time for a serious look through the recipe books for some ideas. My grandmother Buzz made quince jam every year, and her manuscript book - parts of which date back to the 19th century - is still my best source of inspiration on all things quince. Their scent takes me back to her kitchen in Oxford, to the enamelled kitchen table where she taught me how to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-24206271147915863022009-11-04T12:46:00.006Z2009-11-04T13:22:35.662Z

Who would have thought that pepper boiled up with a little sugar, water and lemon juice could be so delicious or so useful? 20 minutes to make my latest larder must-have. And that's including time to find a jar for it.This concoction has 101 uses: lunch was a slice of gorgonzola drizzled with this peppery nectar; the pork I'm cooking for dinner will be glazed with it. Kate Hill, whose recipe this

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-36064654577135552452009-10-30T10:40:00.000Z2009-10-30T10:40:24.344Z

Confirming what we already know: anything with corn syrup is likely to be bad for us. That's most manufactured food then ... from Coca Cola right through to basic bread. Not just type 2 diabetes, but also high blood pressure.High fructose corn syrup: A recipe for hypertension

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-43841040327184141422009-10-28T11:37:00.004Z2009-10-28T12:07:28.165Z

It's hard to believe that a simple two-egg cake could be so full of flavours and richness. I've been wanting to make gingerbread for ages, but have lost my cousin Rosemary's recipe - it's her signature piece. Sadly, she's too ancient to bake these days, and wasn't too sure about the recipe when I asked her a few weeks ago. So, time to try something new.This one's from Hugh

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-32266316832006503302009-10-27T08:15:00.004Z2009-10-27T08:42:09.121Z

This post is really for my children, who insist on eating salted/sugared packet cereals at breakfast.Here are links to research originated at Yale: a list of the 10 most nutritionally empty commercial cereals, the 10 best manufactured cereals, and the 10 cereals most marketed to children. Some of the names are slightly different in the UK, but they're still recognisable.Last night there was a

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-12542963559391920122009-10-23T09:41:00.012+01:002009-10-23T11:34:37.104+01:00

Okay, so this is homage to Keith Floyd. Actually, it's straightforward French regional cooking, but when I think of Floyd, I think of fish and France. Whatever, it was utterly delicious.In the 70s, my husband, an unlikely restaurateur, came back from Harvard Business School and started what he hoped would be a small chain of American hamburger joints (in the days when hamburger was, in Britain,

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-21308509648188010762009-10-22T10:56:00.007+01:002009-10-22T11:41:28.175+01:00

This is the early-morning view from my kitchen window .. not surprising that we're no longer eating much salad, and that I'm thinking of braising vegetables and making soups.I'd never heard of the American food writer Deborah Madison until my sister (who is now an American) gave me Local Flavours, a celebration of farmers' markets. Even then, I didn't twig that it's a vegetarian book (I'm still

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-50032522276461980462009-10-16T10:08:00.005+01:002009-10-16T10:39:35.688+01:00

Cricket club committee meeting last night. Three-hour marathon (yes, I know you'd think 22 people just turn up for a game of cricket, but, believe me, a lot goes on that most of the 22 haven't begun to get to grips with). I took homemade digestives and someone asked for the recipe. It's from Hugh FW's new book, Every Day, and it's the first thing I've tried.Two things: the instructions say to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-47277620376236941802009-10-15T10:06:00.003+01:002009-10-15T11:24:58.125+01:00

Last week, looking at the butcher's display, I realised I have never cooked grouse. Now, it will be hard to resist ... delicious, an easy treat ... but, of course, ruinously expensive. Cheaper than a restaurant, and much much nicer - I've been off restaurants for years*, really. It began, I think, when I saw Gordon Ramsay making something on telly with a slice of processed "bread" from a plastic

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-9389184337187435242009-10-13T09:01:00.003+01:002009-10-13T09:22:40.332+01:00

Last night I made oatcakes. Easy peasy. Delicious. Far cheaper to bake at home (also no plastics or other wrapping). I'm ashamed it's taken me so long, and that the impetus was laziness: it was easier to make them than to go out and buy some.Oatcakes250g rolled oatsa pinch of bicarba pinch of salt1 tbsp buttervery hot waterBegin by making oatmeal from the rolled oats; blitz them in a food

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-83619698476764279112009-10-11T14:06:00.003+01:002009-10-11T14:16:19.822+01:00

Here's an interesting twist to breathe new life into an old favourite ... a little white wine in a milky potato gratin. Gives the sweetness of the milk a sophisticated twist. Nigella's idea, unsurprisingly. Here's my version:Potato and mushroom gratin1kg thinly sliced floury potatoes500 ml milk100 ml white winea large handful of dried mushroomsgarlic, butter and oilTurn the oven on to 200C.Soak

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-5942344837220046252009-10-10T15:49:00.005+01:002009-10-10T16:08:12.260+01:00

This cake is based on one of Nigella's cheating recipes, using shop-bought marzipan as one of the main ingredients. I started by making the marzipan, which probably added about two minutes to the total time spent in the kitchen.I'm taking it to give my hostess (and best friend) when we go out to dinner this evening, but I really made it to comfort myself with familiar kitchen rituals after a

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-12004677677957459962009-10-09T11:35:00.006+01:002009-10-09T11:51:48.240+01:00

This has to be the best hour on the fourth plinth this summer ... an Anthony Gormley sculpture made of BREAD, which everyone ate in St James's Park when time was up. Fabulous!PS these are my favourite pictures of the Angel of the North

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-7604622803241546102009-10-08T07:37:00.004+01:002009-10-08T07:42:48.607+01:00

We've been lighting the occasional fire for a couple of weeks, but it's only in the last two days that we've kept the stove in overnight. Those wisps of smoke are a welcoming sight on the way back from a cold early morning trip to the station ... a warm kitchen (our house has no central heating), a hearth ready to bake.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-20857775534583325582009-10-06T13:35:00.004+01:002009-10-06T13:45:51.077+01:00

I recently made this delicious preserve with peaches ... I'm posting it now so that I don't forget, and because it can also be made with prunes for a winter alternative. It's from Picnics for Motorists published by Hilda Leyel in 1936.We ate something pretty similar with ham at my goddaughter's wonderful 21st birthday party in Somerset at midsummer.Spiced peaches6-7 peaches (500g soaked prunes)

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-9782993136338526192009-10-05T17:36:00.004+01:002009-10-05T17:51:31.178+01:00

We went to the ploughing match yesterday, where it was the old-fashioned ploughing that caught our attention:We met friends, we tried on waxed jackets and sturdy boots, Lucius bought a pair of telescopic loppers. And I bought two blue Orpington hens in the poultry auction. They are very nervous at the moment, and only come out when it's raining. I'll post better pictures when they've settled down

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-82926567881886190922009-10-04T18:27:00.005+01:002009-10-04T18:57:57.554+01:00

I wish I could blog the eggy buttery smell in my kitchen since I took this cake out of the oven. Here's the recipe, so you can make it yourself - one to have and one to share. It's Fergus Henderson; this version once appeared in the Telegraph cookery section, and is not quite the same as the seed cake in Beyond Nose to Tail.St John caraway seed cake250g butter250g caster sugar5 eggs350g

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-17681822516308275922009-10-01T17:05:00.006+01:002009-10-01T17:29:02.607+01:00

Today is the first day of the pheasant season. In anticipation of joys to come, I'm reading Norman Tebbit's The Game Cook. There's lots of basic information for people who've never cooked game, but also some new ideas for ways to cook pheasant. It'll be a week or so before there are any pheasant fit to eat, and then I'll be forced to choose: Highland pheasant (with haggis and a slug of whisky),

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-17878341239129513092009-09-30T18:46:00.007+01:002009-09-30T19:03:11.822+01:00

Parsnips are just beginning to appear in the shops (although they'll be sweeter once there's been a frost). Lettice made dinner last night, a very good slow roast of pork (1.8 kg took three hours at 140C). She chose to make her favourite winter vegetable dish, creamed parsnips, and she'd be the first to admit they weren't a great triumph.It's often best to go back to the beginning when you've had

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-45766962839053114332009-09-16T20:59:00.002+01:002009-09-16T21:13:58.091+01:00

Just back from seeing the film of the book of the blog, Julie and Julia. At last, I understand about J Child - a sort of American Delia, but human, and a better cook. Funny how she doesn't figure at all here.I liked Julie better than in the blog or the book. And there were moments for bloggers to treasure - the first comment, the who's-reading-this-rubbish-anyway, the decisions about what to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-86177284879042534062009-09-16T16:38:00.003+01:002009-09-16T16:49:38.853+01:00

Last night was the last time until Christmas that all six of us will sit down together to eat. So I made a quick pudding - I went into the garden in the gloaming, picked a few sticky-sweet Victoria plums, halved and stoned them and put them on a sheet of puff pastry which I'd brushed with jam made from last year's crop. 15 minutes in a hot oven. Mmm ... except for one thing: those fabulously

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-36468795607333719662009-09-15T10:03:00.009+01:002009-09-15T12:13:01.368+01:00

We had a delicious dinner last night, courtesy of ideas from Nigel Slater's new book - although I probably could have made something similar after reading one of his old ones.I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Slater - it irritates me that he treats himself as one of the immortals in the Observer Food Monthly magazine that he edits. On the other hand, his journalism keeps him in the

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-37360933347168983782009-09-08T14:15:00.002+01:002009-09-08T14:24:22.945+01:00

The sun's shining hot today, perhaps we'll have an Indian summer, so then we'll need something lovely to drink ... and here's the method for making a Venetian spritz:Mix1 part white wine1 part Campari1 part sparkling waterAdda little ice and a slice of lemonThere's masses more about this traditional treat from the Veneto at Living Venice. Thanks for the reminder, Nan

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-88896670487411209272009-09-03T15:08:00.005+01:002009-09-03T15:20:53.067+01:00

Lettice and I went to the market this morning. I found damsons and Kent cobnuts; Lettice found mussels. We ate them for lunch - quick, easy, delicious. Cook the mussels as if you were making moules marinière. Cook the spaghetti. Soften a few halved tiny tomatoes in a frying pan with some oil (and perhaps a little basil). When everything has finished cooking, serve it together in hot soup plates:

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-83362248304844201412009-09-02T17:37:00.003+01:002009-09-02T17:56:31.409+01:00

Lettice asked for scones. I made these, following the recipe used at the Lanesborough Hotel in London. As you'd expect from somewhere so swank, this is an extravagent version of a homely classic ... but the egg makes a particularly soft dough - and uses up some of the glut we've got here. Well worth trying.Rich scones225g plain flour (I used 00 pasta flour, as it was all I could find)2 tsp baking

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-1053637054399019552009-09-01T14:35:00.005+01:002009-09-01T15:32:49.217+01:00

Back from Scotland to find a HUGE glut of plums, despite thinning the tree when the fruit set. The Victoria plums are good to eat, but can't begin to compete with the greengages on a neighbouring tree, which taste as sweet as any fruit I've ever eaten. So the gages are all being eaten where they grew, only the purple plums are getting as far as the kitchen.I made this very good sauce to go with

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-45275452765283882842009-08-21T19:07:00.003+01:002009-08-21T19:20:35.139+01:00

Tessa made the most delicious shepherd's pie for dinner - tasty mince with a horseradish-tinged mash. You don't need me to tell you how to make mince, except to say that it's lamb for a shepherd's pie, beef for a cottage pie. Tessa uses more flour than I do, which makes a good thick sauce.Horseradish mashThis amount will cover about 1.5kg of mince made with plenty of vegetables and put into a

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-19359003161510753512009-08-21T18:53:00.004+01:002009-08-21T19:07:10.097+01:00

... but I'm on holiday in Scotland, and it's been pouring with rain for days ....... so in Mull they have to put a tent over their washing if they've any hope of getting it dry!

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-9786083877533394342009-08-20T16:57:00.009+01:002009-08-20T17:37:27.738+01:00

Yesterday, Tessa and I went to the mussel farm at Loch Spelve to buy a big bag of moules for supper. I'd never been to one before, so was unprepared for the sight of a JCB pouring mussels onto a conveyor belt leading in to the packing shed. There, six or seven nimble-fingered people were sorting the shells - picking out the small or cracked ones, letting the rest go past and into a holding tank,

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-22365641509425116762009-08-20T10:16:00.003+01:002009-08-20T10:37:16.959+01:00

At Beamish they were making Parkin the old-fashioned way:Fabulous coal range .... and did you notice the bread oven to the right? If you want to make Parkin - a kind of north country flapjack - just mix the ingredients together, shape the biscuits (or spread into a tin to cut into squares when it's cooled), and bake in a hot oven. Mmm

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-76562481487911198862009-08-11T13:21:00.003+01:002009-08-11T13:26:42.843+01:00

Traditional English crumble mixture uses equal quantities of butter and flour, and a bit more sugar (say, 4oz butter, 4oz flour, 6oz sugar). Last night I put a lighter crumble topping on some very sharp stewed plums ... using ground almonds meant I could use less butter, and gave the crumble a pleasing nubbly texture too.These were the proportions I used:125g plain flour85g butter cubed4

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-26143133232192379232009-08-11T12:33:00.006+01:002009-08-11T13:20:20.421+01:00

The boys made roast potatoes for dinner last night. The theme was (clue: stars and stripes in roasting tin) largely American, in honour of their cousins ... a Golden Gate bridge, a Grand Canyon, a few Bart Simpsons, a Micky Mouse, a fabulous hamburger. Alfred tried to make a tractor with moving parts, but it wouldn't reassemble after the potatoes were cooked. They did, however, manage a working

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-23158978001157937202009-08-10T09:11:00.010+01:002009-08-11T13:13:59.513+01:00

My sister and two of her sons are visiting from California, so we're at least eight for every meal - more often, though, into double figures, and fetching chairs from all over the house, even when we're eating in the garden.The tomatoes in the greenhouse are a tangle of good intentions thwarted, but even so, there is lots of fruit to pick if you can find it in the jungle of untied plants. And so

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-87515763839633481332009-08-09T12:04:00.005+01:002009-08-09T12:58:56.967+01:00

Last night at supper, talk turned to the topic of thank you letters. I have just received a particularly effusive one from a friend of Horatio's: a real pleasure ... incredibly kind of you to provide such a feast both for supper and for breakfast ... no better place to be ... etc etc. This was regarded as both a very good letter to send to a mummy AND as a little over the top (but probably

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-29904169378498141112009-07-05T12:59:00.009+01:002009-07-06T11:41:32.021+01:00

When families gather together in the summer, the most convenient way to picnic is for everyone to bring a plate of food ... and even if there's no-one co-ordinating, there's rarely much duplication. Yesterday 11 families brought a picnic lunch to share at the lunchtime break of the school cricket XI v the old boys. First to go were the onion bhajis, made by the mother of the captain, who also

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-33222929215224776882009-06-17T14:12:00.005+01:002009-06-17T14:25:35.864+01:00

Vichy carrots are a great way to use up old carrots. Simply slice them fairly small, put them in a pan with a knob of butter, a sprinkling of sugar or honey, and a little water. Cook on a high heat, shaking occasionally, and add more water if necessary. You need to be cautious with the water, because it should all have evaporated when the carrots are ready, covering them with a syrupy coating.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-23138369487303248682009-06-17T10:22:00.006+01:002009-06-17T12:40:52.355+01:00

Here's a recipe for delicious lamb stew I made yesterday in the steam oven I am borrowing from Miele. Eleanor said it reminded her of a Thai red curry (without any spices). Definitely a keeper.You don't actually need a steam oven to make it, indeed there'd be less washing up if you cooked it on your hob or in a conventional oven. But, for me, the surprise is that you can easily do this type of

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-11617204755390236522009-06-14T15:36:00.006+01:002009-06-14T16:30:29.418+01:00

Nothing to eat at the Bristol Art Gallery, but plenty of food for thought ... various striking things about the Bristol Museum vs Banksy exhibition: there are a lot of jokes, there are a lot of people in the queue who don't normally visit art galleries, there are a lot of children roaring round the museum looking for Banksy jokes and finding other inspirations. Thoroughly recommended - Banksy

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-60726621958191242622009-06-10T18:44:00.006+01:002009-06-10T19:06:02.630+01:00

Half way to London for lunch with Eleanor the birthday girl, I realised that I had forgotten the birthday cake. So, as we were meeting in Piccadilly, Lettice and I popped into Ladurée and chose a box of macaroons to stand in until Friday, when she's home and can eat the one I made last night ... these are, from left to right: lemon, coffee, blackcurrant, chocolate, mint, raspberry, vanilla,

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-27250092898528459872009-06-09T16:14:00.007+01:002009-06-09T16:39:08.263+01:00

It's the birthday season in this house. Lettice wanted chocolate cake, but not the "usual" one. So I made chocolate mousse cake, not quite following the recipe in Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess ... very rich and delicious, quick to put together. Tomorrow it's Eleanor's birthday, and she's ordered up a different chocolate cake - I'm just off to buy the ingredients.Chocolate mousse cakefor

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-55561301942642999732009-06-02T13:13:00.006+01:002009-06-02T15:06:28.931+01:00

I've decided this year to cook my way through Elizabeth David's Summer Cooking, and I've started with this very good cold beef salad, which we ate last night for supper. ED gives this as the best use for the little bits left over at the end of a baked brisket, but I used the remains of a roasted silverside.As she says, better made into a salad rather than reheated in a hash or rissoles - but who

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-46064753025965625582009-05-29T17:02:00.004+01:002009-05-29T17:32:41.787+01:00

We went to the Theatre Royal Windsor last night to see a very good whodunnit ... disappointing that it was only about 1/3 full - normally on a Thursday it's pretty full, so perhaps everyone was at home watching Britain's Got Talent. Hope there's a better turnout for Brief Encounter next week.As usual, fantastic Beechdean ice cream in the interval .... reading the label, it's produced on a farm

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-67393753407563547452009-05-23T08:05:00.006+01:002009-08-10T10:13:23.824+01:00

Forget everything I wrote about preserving tomatoes in brine - they're good, but you've got all that salt water to chuck. No, the most delicious way to preserve a tomato - beating slow-roasted hands down - is to bottle them dry with a little salt and sugar. Really fabulous - and you can just pour the contents of your jar into a saucepan and heat it up for an instant sauce.You'll need 1tsp salt

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-1959350786375501072009-05-21T17:22:00.003+01:002009-05-22T18:45:38.433+01:00

Lettice and Charlotte made pancakes for lunch. Just because they could. I'm not sure what they did (apart from melt Mars bars to go on them), but this is Alfred's killer recipe:Alfred's pancakesfor about 6(please forgive the indecisive metric/imperial nature of what follows)100g plain flourpinch of salt1 egg1/2 pint of milkMix all these ingredients together until there are no lumps. Leave it to

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-8866436452567745522009-05-21T09:46:00.004+01:002009-05-23T08:25:17.889+01:00

Miele have lent me a steam oven to play with: until a few weeks ago, I didn't know such a thing existed; now I'm trying to work out whether I want one in the imminent re-design of a corner of my kitchen.I didn't find it very easy to use when I tried to make part of dinner with it, but it did cook the asparagus to perfection - cooked through without going soggy. It was partly my in-built dislike

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-73808360452664770112009-05-17T22:52:00.005+01:002009-05-17T23:10:34.500+01:00

We left home this morning in a shower of rain, and arrived at Wimbledon in a cold blustery wind.We saw the new roof cover the centre court - eight minutes of stop-start - then watched Tim Henman, Kim Cluysters, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff play doubles and singles.When we emerged .... yes, it had been raining. We were blissfully unaware that, for the first time, rain didn't stop play. (The roof

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-78976212779023987612009-05-13T10:42:00.008+01:002010-02-04T10:05:03.575Z

Some advice, please: how do you stop fresh bread going mouldy? I've found a very good webpage full of advice about using a breadbin (I probably should use more boiling water to keep the mould at bay), but I'm wondering what the bakers amongst you do.I bake all the bread we eat, and mostly we eat it up quickly ... but not always, and then we occasionally find that a loaf has gone mouldy. We keep

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-52478118341598000002009-05-10T17:50:00.005+01:002009-05-10T18:44:50.349+01:00

We've been eating blueberry muffins this afternoon. Lettice made them. This is how:for 12 muffins75g melted butter200g plain flour1/2 tsp bicarb2 tsp baking powder100 ml yoghurt mixed with 100g milk1 egg200g blueberriesHeat the oven to 200C. Melt the butter. Combine in a bowl the flour, bicarb and baking powder. In a measuring jug, mix the yog/milk with the egg and butter, then lightly stir this

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-39414780034076858762009-05-08T21:05:00.003+01:002009-05-08T21:24:03.129+01:00

Guest post from daughter Lettice, who cooked dinner for the two of us this evening. She's just back from three months volunteering in South Africa, and says she really missed cooking:Just tried this recipe and it was delicious. Few things: i didn't use the bean sprouts (couldn't find them) we thought they/cold cucumber sticks/mushrooms would have been equally nice. Also the frying pan was too

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-65510226922847869002009-05-07T11:57:00.007+01:002009-05-07T12:40:32.566+01:00

Very easy, very delicious, very fattening, very more-ish.I used dark orange chocolate, and could have improved on this theme with some orange zest in the dough. Lettice said she'd like milk chocolate next time. They took little more than an hour and a half, and only five minutes of my time.for 6 pains au chocolatPut into the bread machine:1/2 tsp yeast250g strong white flour2 tbsp vanilla sugar2

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-66308841923135295912009-05-05T10:08:00.002+01:002009-05-05T10:13:16.711+01:00

Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-71194853344508442662009-05-04T11:31:00.004+01:002009-05-04T11:40:18.869+01:00

The other day, I tried to slash dough with my 30-year-old bread knife. The dough tore and needed more time to rise again. I went out and bought a new bread knife. Very sharp. Now the young can cut bread straight, and I realise their previous inability to do this was because of the tool they were using.Now there's no problem slashing dough with a knife. I'm just worried one of us is going to end

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-65644964796790233482009-04-30T09:26:00.006+01:002009-04-30T18:54:55.049+01:00

Suddenly needed to get away for a few days. This is the view from my room by the sea. Yesterday it was sunny, but I didn't have my new camera then. (After months of humming and hawing, took the plunge, bought a Nikon D90, fell in love with the first click.)I went to Alfriston, to visit the Clergy House, the first building ever bought by the National Trust. Wonderful floor, made of tamped chalk

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-41462529246271899482009-04-27T10:10:00.006+01:002009-04-27T20:05:28.875+01:00

Last autumn, I bought The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson - I am not damning it with feint praise when I say that it is charming, also much the best of the recent deluge of books on home-making for the nostalgic.Elspeth gives a really wonderful recipe for cucumber and dill pickle, and I made a huge vat with the last of the cucumbers. I've been eking it out carefully, as it is so

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-48385688770744944342009-04-26T17:39:00.007+01:002009-04-27T11:11:28.558+01:00

I don't keep butter in the house when the young are away, which made it tricky this afternoon when I took it into my head to cheer myself up by making a lemon cake. But then I remembered Turkish yoghurt cake, and found a good recipe in Claudia Roden's Arabesque. It's a soufflé of a cake, no butter, not much flour, eggs, yoghurt and a lemon. Just the thing.Turkish yoghurt cake - yogurtlu tatlisi4

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12910213.post-2201956786164377922009-04-21T12:34:00.004+01:002009-04-21T12:47:52.967+01:00

Last week was not good. I suddenly came upon a pot of last year's tulips (Red Hunter) and they made me feel better. They are in full flower now, opening with the sunshine. Very cheering.My annual Easter arrangement consists of beech hung with painted eggs. It's crucial to pick the boughs ahead, so that they come into leaf, otherwise the decoration is just twigs. The weekend before is not too soon

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790888857849562408noreply@blogger.com0