I Agree with Baroness Jenkin ~ a bit!

I agree with Baroness Jenkin that “poor people do not know how to cook”...

... or at least quite a few of them don’t but I’d go further than the Baroness.  I don’t think all rich people know either, nor many of the middling sort of chaps and this is something I’ve been banging on about for some while.

Several years ago I remember some “fact” in the media stating that people (it didn't say how rich they were) can’t cook these days because my generation was the last to learn by watching their mothers do it. I sometimes watched my Mum and probably picked up a few ideas but for the most part I am self-taught and I have to say it was a piece of quite easy and I have written several blog posts on this very subject, such as ...

~   10 (+ 2)Commandments of Cooking Well
~   Do Yourself a Favour ~ Learn to Cook!
~   In Defense of Jamie Oliver! 

I am also trying in my very humble way to get some helpful info out there in the form of ebooks – this one is free, the others are just cheap - see them on Amazon for kindle versions or Smashwords for all sorts of formats including pdf.

Just Click Here

In an interview by Marks and Spencer, no less, I was asked what had been the inspiration behind my blog and writing. I knew the answer immediately – irritation.  I am amazed, discombobulated and yes, irritated by all the things people don’t know about food, eating, cooking, best before dates and so on.

I often joke that cooking is just cutting things up and making them hot. I realise there is a fair bit more to it than that but cooking really is not at all difficult. I am not suggesting that everyone should learn to cook like … I dunno … Heston Blumenthal or Ottolenghi (or me?!) but it would be time very well invested indeed to learn how to feed yourself quickly, easily, economically, deliciously and to your very own tastes.

I take on board that, as Jack Monroe points out, some homes don’t have cooking facilities other than a microwave and do sympathise (very much) with people in such a situation.  If it was me, though, I would put that microwave through its paces because you actually can cook some pretty good meals in them.  I haven’t written anything on this but lots of people have, a quick search on Amazon for “microwave cooking” revealed 3,221 results. There’s got to be some useful info there and, of course, you can get most of these books from the library so even if you are poor you can afford to read them.

As Baroness Jenkin also said ...

"Life is considerably cheaper if you are able to cook."

... to which I would add that it is also considerably more pleasant and more healthy.

In short, if you like yourself and want to make yourself healthy, happy and maybe a little richer – stop making excuses and get cooking! (Oops I hope I don’t have to resign after saying that!)

I am assembling a collection of useful articles to help with cooking in a Flipboard Magazine entitled "Learn to Cook"! (did you guess?)

Moose Milk, an Endangered Cake and a Moving Quote from Guy Fawkes.

I’d like to start this with a moving quote from Mr. Fawkes himself ...

I'm not sure if this is historically accurate and don’t know where I first read it. I have tried to find out because it is so very, very lovely. If anyone know the origin can you please let me know.

And now a few ideas for Bonfire Night which I am posting a day and a half early so really a little late, if you know what I mean!

Moose Milk

A lovely quick easy warm drink, mainly for adults but you could leave out the good bit and add some vanilla or a little coffee or something.

I have read all sorts of recipes for this from just condensed milk in hot water to ice cream mixed with rum and Kahlua to a liquid that comes out of a mummy moose’s nipples, would you believe!  My version is really easy; just 50:50 condensed milk and dark rum (although I’m pretty sure Kahlua would also be good) topped up with hot water.  Absolutely perfect to keep your hands warm whilst watching the fireworks and good to drink too!

Mulled Ale

This is taken from my grandmother’s copy of Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery Book which now lives with me.

'Nuff said!

Bloody Mary Soup

Basically add some vodka and Worcestershire sauce to tomato soup!  Here is a great recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup but you may have a favourite which you’d rather adapt. 

Incidentally ...

Here, however, is some useful information for American chaps – in the UK we usually just say Wooster Sauce which makes life much easier.

Baked aka Jacket Potatoes

These are traditional and a good idea but I have to say that cooking them in the microwave really doesn’t do them justice so cook them in the oven if you can.  And another thing, if you wrap them in foil they will end up with soft skins but if you do them this way they will be crisp and salty.

large, clean dry and evenly sized potatoes
(floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Desiree are best)

~   Preheat oven to 220ºC/425ºF/200ºC fan/gas 7.
~   Put a little olive oil and a little sea salt in a bowl and rub each potato thoroughly with this mixture.
~   Prick the potatoes several times with a fork.
~   When the oven is hot either lay the potatoes directly on the oven rack or put them on a baking tray, this second way results in an extra crispy bottom.
~   Bake till soft in the middle and crisp on the outside – timing depends on the size of the potato but say 45-60 minutes.

Serve with a selection of fillings – butter, sour cream, grated cheese, chilli, bacon beans, crispy bacon pieces; whatever you and your guests fancy really.

If you cook too many rejoice - lots of ideas for leftover baked  potatoes here.

Sweet potatoes are also lovely cooked this way, good toppings for them include all the above plus sweeter things such as apple sauce, toasted nuts and caramelised onions. Leftover sweet potatoes make great Fartes de Batatas!

Turf Cakes

These were traditionally baked in a covered pan in the ashes of the fire and, cooked this way, are now considered to be an endangered species! An example of a turf cake is Fat Rascals from Yorkshire

225g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
60g cold butter or margarine
25g caster sugar
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp milk
the finely grated zest of half an orange
the finely grated zest of half an lemon
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
75g mixed dried fruit
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water and a pinch of salt – to glaze
a few slivered almonds and glacé cherries to decorate

~   If you are using the oven (which I wholeheartedly recommend) preheat it to 200°C/400°F/180C fan/gas 6.
~   Prepare the dough adding the zests, spices and fruits together with the sugar.
~   Mix to a soft dough with the egg and milk.
~   Divide into 6-8 portions, roll into balls and place on a lightly greased baking tray.
~   Brush with the egg and water mixture.
~   Decorate with almonds and cherries.
~   Bake for about 15 minutes till risen and golden with hollow sounding bottoms!

This recipe appears in “The Secret Life of Scones” which gives all sorts of delicious tihngs to make from the one key recipe, such as ...

And here’s a quick, easy idea which you could conceivably cook in the embers if you are careful.

A Banana Gently Opened and Stuffed to Within an Inch of its Life 

Don’t peel the bananas but open up lengthways, fill with coarsely chopped chocolate, wrap the whole thing in foil and bake in a hot oven or hot embers for ten minutes or so. Unwrap carefully and spoon the melting chocolatey flesh directly from the skin into your mouth. (I've sold a fair few of these!)

So have fun, keep warm and take care.

Barking Mad Choccy!

Oddly enough today is the last day of both National Chocolate Week and of National Curry Week so when better, I ask you, than to write about, ta da ...

I kid you not, I saw this mentioned on Twitter a few days ago and made a comment of some sort – I think I may have said “you buggers!”, and shortly afterwards was offered an opportunity to try a sample. After my happy acceptance I received a message saying ...

"3 flavours of choccy have left the building. Don't worry they are all barking mad but do work, enjoy!"

I was a bit nervous but like the staunch foodie I am gave them my best shot!

With each flavour I put a bit in my mouth (did you guess?), closed my eyes and concentrated on the texture and flavour as per the chocolate tasting instructions given by the Independent Newspaper here.  The only thing I didn't do was try tasting with others as this sort of interesting, exciting food is really not my real man’s sort of thing.  Luckily.

The Results

The chocolate in all three bars is lovely high quality Belgian chocolate and melts smoothly and lusciously in the mouth.

Pina Colada – the most normal of the three

As the chocolate melted I immediately thought "Rum" (mind you I often do!!) which was followed by a pleasant fruity taste, I couldn't quite identify coconut and pineapple (the other pina colada ingredients) but the overall effect was a bit tropical and certainly very pleasant. 

Bubblegum

I’m afraid I don’t like bubblegum and I didn’t really like this but I didn't chicken out. I think that it is pretty true to the taste I remember as a child and if you like bubblegum then maybe this is for you! 

Orange Jalfrezi 

This was gorgeous – honestly!  A very orangey start with a hot spicy curry finish which sounds incongruous and wrong but certainly isn't.  It contains cumin, coriander, paprika, onion, salt, chilli, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, bay leaves, turmeric, garlic, ginger and black pepper no less and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

These surprising chocolate are made by Choc Amor award winning chocolatiers with tea rooms, The Chocolate Rooms, at Tarleton in Lancashire. They also have a shop at Botany Bay and luckily it’s the Botany Bay in Chorley just off the M61 rather than the Australian version.  I don’t have a list of their flavours but have read that they include things as chilli & lime, peanut butter, banoffee pie, salt liquorice & lemon meringue.  All very good ideas but nothing to rival the lovely Orange Jalfrezi Chocolate

By the way ... Two for the Price of None!

"219 Cooking Tips& Techniques you might find useful!" 

(Especially as it’s Free)

plus link to “Easy Ways to Pimp your Food” which is also free!

A Rant & a Very Funny Thing!

Rant First ... scroll down for the Very Funny Thing!

It’s not the first time I have ranted about this; the eating habits of overweight “poor” people!

It was brought to my attention (again) by a picture on Facebook which has received, as I write, 158,939 comments. I haven’t read them all, of course, but I have scanned down for a few hundred and haven’t seen anyone supporting her. 

I thought it fair to look into the lady’s story further and it seems she may have been misquoted in the FB picture above because in an interview I read she says that her GP sent her to a gym but she just had a few sessions because she didn't have the willpower to stick to it and she was embarrassed.  I can sympathise, I’d be embarrassed too. On the other hand being slimmer and healthier would surely be worth the embarrassment.

She also said ...

"I tried swimming but it cost £22 a month and it 

meant I had to cut back on my favourite 

pizza and Chinese takeaways."

And I slightly sympathise with that too, £22 a month would certainly be a lot to me. Mind you in my thoroughness I looked up the price of takeaway Chinese meals in Wigan, her home town, and the average price of a main course for one seems to be about £5. Probably there'd side dishes too. I could cook a damn fine meal for that – and not just for one!

On the other hand Cristina (that’s her name) who gets more than £20,000 a year in benefits said in an interview ...

 "I need more benefits to eat healthily and exercise 

and it would be good if the government offered a cash incentive for me to lose weight. I’d like to get 

£1 for every pound I lose."

I don’t sympathise with that at all, at all – I think by the look of her that she has enough incentive to lose weight!

I have niece who was very overweight (caused initially by a health glitch) but in the past year or so she has worked absolute wonders. Yes she does go to the gym, every day at her own expense because she works hard to be able to afford it. She also eats only what she is allowed on her very strict diet despite belonging to a very foodie family. Even on special occasions she brings her own rice cakes or whatever instead of digging in with the rest of us. She has lost a phenomenal amount of weight looks absolutely beautiful and I am so proud of her. She has recently started writing a very honest blog Gym~Berry on her journey from overweight and unhealthy to the fine woman she is today!  I thoroughly recommend it and would do so even if I didn't know her!

She didn’t need government help, she didn't need any more incentive than her health and happiness being at stake and she had the intelligence and gumption to sort her own life out.

Having said all that I suppose that being a bit low in the IQ department is no more blame-worthy than being short sighted or hard of hearing – not sure about lazy or greedy though!

I so wish that people like this girl would learn to cook. It is said and I agree that more education is needed but information is as easy to get as logging on to online bingo so that’s not much of an excuse. On the other hand if someone hasn’t learned by the time they are grown up with kids they probably aren’t interested. What a shame, it’s mostly easy and can bring so much pleasure into your life and the lives of those you care about. 

It is to this end that I keep publishing my humble little ebooks – yes, I’d like to make some money but what I’d really like is for people to discover how easy cooking delicious food is and to have a go.  To this end my handy little ebook of hints and tips is free and includes a link for another free eBook. It's available in all sorts of formats including pdf so there is no excuse ~ get yours here now!  

And that’s enough ranting for now – it just this sort of thing really gets up my goat!!!

In Other News ...

I have completely revamped and updated my book on stress-free Christmas cooking. The contents have doubled and it now contains over 50 recipes and every helpful hint and tip I can think of.

I also changed the cover and have to say I am dead chuffed with my artwork!

And this leads me to ...

The Very Funny Thing

I was bemoaning to some friends that however hard I try, even sending out free copies, I never seem to get many reviews for my books (although those that I do are usually 4 or 5 stars). I was pretty boring so by way of changing the subject, and I don’t blame them, they asked if I had seen the reviews on Amazon for methylated spirits, Of course I looked immediately and was utterly delighted - see what you think!  

Spice Drops

I recently received something interesting– Spice Drops by Holy Lama an Indian company now branching out worldwide who are, as they say on their website …

They are really pretty impressive – read more here. 

Until recently they have mainly been in the business of soaps, hair oil and body creams etc. but have now released Spice Drops a range of natural spice extracts in oil which are packaged in handy dropper bottles. So as to be accurate when reporting to you I tried a tiny drip of the mulled wine extract neat – phew, strong or what!  But as they say on the packet, 1 drop is enough to flavour 40ml of wine so it serves me right.

I have received four out of their surprisingly extensive range; cinnamon, ginger, mulled wine and garam masala.  

My first real test was whilst making my sudden lunch. I had a little frozen pease pudding in the freezer so made a quick soup and, at the last minute and suddenly I stirred in 3 drops of Garam Masala (equal to ½ tsp of dry garam masala) which gave the soup a lovely warm, curry-ish boost and which I shall definitely do again. I quickly fried myself some poppadom shards to go with it as is only right and proper.

Next, of course, the Mulled Wine which was a good quick fix if you need a pick-me up. I warmed the wine gently, stirred in one drop of extract - which was just right for a small glass of red - together with a teaspoon of sugar. Pretty good, I do prefer my own Mulled Wine Syrup but that takes a bit of forethought and this doesn't so is good for emergencies.

I had intended adding the cinnamon extract to sponge cake mix and making a dessert with leftover roasted windfall apples but it says on the packet “For best results use just before serving” so instead I heated up the apples, added a drop of cinnamon extract to some Greek yogurt together with some soft brown sugar and had myself a sudden pudding too! Very quick, easy and good.

So that left the ginger extract and at first I was stymied until I thought of hot chocolate. Coincidentally whilst writing this “The Mistress of Spices” has just come on’t telly, how appropriate and how pleasant to snug down and watch on a cold November afternoon whilst sipping spiced Hot Chocky!

The only caveat I have with these spice extracts is they are not good for actual cooking so you still need to keep dried spices on hand too. On the other hand they are easy and convenient to use, economical, pure in flavour and composition and have a three year shelf life.  So whilst not a replacement for regular whole or ground spices they can be a useful addition to the store cupboard.  The range includes most normal day to day spices (if spices can be so described) plus more unusual ones such as, tulsi (holy basil), kesar milk masala and tea masala – read the whole list here.

In other news … 3 things

I've just published a new eBooklet "Easy Festive Food for a Stree Free Christmas" which is available here and looks like this.

Apropos of the windfall apples roasted the other day and mentioned above I also made, for my dinner last night, Roasted Windfall, Chorizo and Cheddar Pizza - my real man had minced beef and sausages on his!

Also one of my favourite blogs, Lover of Creating has reviewed The Leftovers Handbook here bless them!

Please Click to Tweet this post ~ thank you! 

"Garlic & Sapphires" by Ruth Reichl - a Review

I used to live in the Caribbean on a boat in Trellis Bay – above.  Sometimes on visits home to the UK I would mention this and people would accuse me of being lucky.  This was not the case; it was not luck that took me to the Caribbean it was a decision to go followed by appropriate action.  (And incidentally I was very poor at the time, getting there left me with just $8 in the world!)

Reading of Ruth Reichl’s wonderful sounding career I nearly said she was lucky but I think not.  More accurately Ruth Reichl is talented, hard working and resourceful.  Either way her fab lifestyle makes me jealous.  In a nutshell she played dressing up and then ate in wonderful restaurants whilst pretending to be someone else – and she got paid for it. 

Her book, “Garlic and Sapphires ~ The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise” is a lovely read; interesting, funny, informative and foodie with several recipes scattered amongst its pages.
  

Ruth Reichl was the restaurant critic for the New York Times and therefore very recognisable to restaurateurs, hence the need for a disguise.   She found her dining experiences when dressed as a “nobody” very different from those when dining as herself.  Which is, of course, reprehensible.  On many occasions when working as a chef I have been told that so-and-so was in house so to make sure to go the extra mile, so to speak.   This always got up my goat (as we say in my family!).  Surely the idea is to do your best at all times not just do second rate work unless someone “important” comes in.  It seems, however, that this attitude is not the norm in the restaurant business.

Anyhoo – I heartily recommend this book, give it a go – you can get it from Amazon. or visit Ruth Reichl’s own site here where there are details of her other books; “Tender at the Bone”,  “Comfort me with Apples” and “For you Mom, Finally” which I shall certainly be looking out for.

Speaking of books about food I have written a few cookbooks myself - here's my Amazon Author Page (just in case you're interested!).

In other news …

My friend Jenny of JennyEatwell's Rhubarb & Ginger has pointed out a rather lovely spam comment that I received in connection with my recent post on yukky gnocchi.  Very nicely put I thought.  Coincidentally it reminds me of my research into krumplinudli which are the same sort of things as gnocchi - perhaps it is a side effect

Here it is verbatim, I cannot see how it pertains to my blog but I am glad they took the trouble to write ~ enjoy …

“Going immediately after the pest on our personal just isn't a fantastic plan both. Each type of pest requires a diverse sort of approach to remove. What may well be secure to use with a single can't be claimed accurate with the other people. Possums such as need to be caught, not killed, considering the fact that they may be regarded as secured animals. The usage of chemical substances is additionally perilous. One particular compact blunder could lead to serious aftermath. The crying part the following is the fact that that you are liable to fall short since you usually do not seriously know how to make it happen. Check Out This Site around You Can Try Here okapi look what I found alder.”

“The Art of Eating” by M.F.K. Fisher – a Review

I recently bought Penguin’s Great Food series – 20 slim volumes for just £15.  No way would I (or could I) pay the list price of £140 for the boxed set, of course, but at this price they are a bargainaceous and delightful collection of food writing.  

The set includes “Love in a Dish”; some of M.F.K. Fisher’s writing, and I devoured this little book greedy for more so was delighted to discover that The Kitchen Reader’s book of the month is “The Art of Eating” by Ms. Fisher no less.

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher (1908 – 1992), must be one of the wonderfullest food writers, or even writers generally, ever.  She is interesting, funny (“Central heating, French rubber goods and cookbooks are three amazing proofs of man’s ingenuity …”), informative and writes delicious sentences.  I have, actually, read her work before, long ago, and I am so enamoured of her I shall read her again and again, I think.  In fact I have become a tad obsessive, I've even googled her to see what she looked like.

  

Brilliant woman – when I grow up I want to be just like her.

 “The Art of Eating” by Ms. Fisher is, in fact, 5 books in one volume and so far I haven’t read all of it.  Instead of ploughing through as with a thrilling novel I am dipping into it, selecting a choice morsel and savouring it; this is not the sort of thing I would want to rush.  I have read about the years she spent in Provence, “How Not to Cook an Egg” including Eggs Obstaculos involving eggs, spicy salsa and beer, how to un-seduce someone (!) and recipes for Aunt Gwen’s Cold Shape, Garum and Mouth Wash.  There are so many goodies in this book!

Read more about this amazing lady and her writing here or get her book(s) at Amazon although, of course, other booksellers are available.

"Season to Taste" by Molly Birnbaum ~ a Review

A pleasant thing happened to me the other day.  Let me explain.  For some months I have been a really pathetic member of an online book club called Kitchen Reader whose members review books about cooking (not so much cookbooks as food writing).  The reason I have been so poor at this is all the books I have attempted to get hold of have been published in America and either very expensive or take ages to get here.  (I’m waiting for one now and it’s been quite a while.)

A lady called Sarah contacted me on behalf of the club and asked if I still wanted to be a member bearing in mind my non existent input and I explained the situation.  Guess what she did!!  Only went and sent me a book she had finished reading all the way from Hong Kong, that’s what!  What a lovely lady and what an excellent book.  

“Season to Taste ~ how I lost my sense of smell and found my way” is Molly Birnbaum’s account of her sudden and complete loss of her sense of smell due to a traffic accident.  At the time of the accident she was working in kitchens and about to start training in earnest at The Culinary Institute of America.  She writes of how it slowly dawned of her that she couldn’t smell, of her worries and fears and the implication it had on her life including her exciting career choice.  It isn’t a tear jerker tho', its fascinating.

In an attempt to understand her situation (and possibly to write a book!) Molly speaks to neurologists (including Oliver Sacks), perfumiers, attends perfumery lessons in Grasse, speaks to artists who create scent collages and symphonies and to flavourists who create tastes by mixing different chemicals to reproduce natural flavours or even create new ones.  Flavourists are essential to the processed food business.  

I find it hard to imagine a life without the sense of smell because I think it often runs in the background of our lives informing us without our actually noticing.  Since reading this book I often have a good old sniff to see what I can smell!  Sometimes I am surprised at what is going on olfactorily without my being consciously aware of it.  At the same time it is easy for me (after cheffing for over 30 years) to realise how great a loss it would be in the kitchen.

Happily Molly gets her sense of smell back, if that isn’t too much of a spoiler, but her journey makes for a fascinating read.

Season to Taste was recommended to Kitchen Reader by Katherine Martinelli whose interesting blog I shall be having a wander round shortly.  

Two Coincidences …

1.   Sarah from Kitchen Reader is not alone in her loveliness.  A day or two before I received the above from Hong Kong I received a surprise book from my friend Bob in New Hampshire, the U.S. of A.  Yes he is a friend but he’s never done this before!  He had finished the book; “Spice: The History of a Temptation” by Jack Turner, and thought, quite rightly, that I would like it.  I will let you know more about it soon in a separate post (which I have now written - here!)

2.   “Season to Taste” mentions Jack Turner's “Spice” ~ I had never heard of either of these books, received both as gifts from foreign parts in the same week and they are inter-related.