Just a Quickie to say …

... I sent my manuscript off this morning (but see below for News from the Future) a day early!  

Bit of a bugger really because now I have no excuse for avoiding all the other things that need doing.  For weeks I have been saying “Well I’d like to help but …” and now I have to sort out cupboards and clean things.

So the first thing I did was have lunch …

~  Menu  ~

Potato & Salmon Hash

Bit of Salad

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Small Glass of Secret White

I bought some bargain potatoes the other day called Blue Belle.  They put me in mind of the Apache potatoes I had a few months ago but l are not the same. 

The label said they are excellent for baking and how right it was.  

I baked several, specifically so that I could play with them once cooked, but they had such lovely creamy, fluffy interiors and such tasty crispy skin that  things didn't go according to plan; we ate all but one small one. 

Today I made a hash with it together with a little leftover salmon.  It was dead simple I just diced and crushed and mashed the potato in a little oil, added the salmon when it was crisp and served it in a terribly fancy way so I could take a photo (which I am not very pleased with!).

I’m just watching Nigel (Slater of course) on the telly – he’s one of my absolute favourite famous cooks but I think he must have been reading Sudden Lunch!  He’s making sudden suppers from what he finds in the fridge!  Good man.

Incidentally I saw poppies in flower yesterday - in the snow!  

News from the Future

My book was published in March, 2013. Originally titled The Leftovers Handbook a second edition is now available and is called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.  In it I give all the information, ideas and recipes I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers. 

Read more here!

Frittering my Lunch Away!

I feel that if I am serious about being a writer I need to have these punny titles occasionally, I do apologise.

~  Menu  ~

Fritter Testing Platter

Fizzy Water

Nothing Else!

Some while ago I suddenly made Cauliflower Cheese Fritters and wrote in the relevant post that I supposed 100g of any leftover could be similarly treated. Today I put it to the test with random stuff out of the fridge.  

Pin for future reference!

Useful All Purpose Fritter Batter

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

seasonings ~ sweet fritters, require sugar, of course

1 egg

a little milk 

approx 100g of leftovers

~   Mix together the dry ingredients.

~   Stir in the egg and enough milk to make a thick batter.

~   Stir in the leftovers.

~   Fry by the spoonfuls in a little hot oil till crisp and golden on both sides.

I divided the batter in four and added the following - from the back ...

1.    25g of grated Cornish Crackler and a pinch of mustard powder. 

2.   25g of diced courgette cooked with garlic and a spoonful of Parmesan.  It is drizzled with balsamic glaze.

3.   A few more bits of diced courgette which I cooked with about 20g of finely diced chorizo and Exotic Peppercorn Mix (as it says on the grinder!).

4.   25g mashed chickpeas and ¼ teaspoon curry paste.

Doesn't look bad, does it!  Conclusion – yes, that works.

As you can see in the last few days running up to my book’s deadline I am busy checking a few things here and there.  I did find a recipe which I had inexplicably written in a combination of imperial, metric and American measurements.  It reminded me of my funny brother-in-law once saying something was an inch yard and a thick wide. 

All this picking at the thing is daft really because I think it’s about as good as I can do. Once I've sent it off I think I shall have a meal entirely made of brand new ingredients just to celebrate!

News from the Future

My book was published in March, 2013. Originally titled The Leftovers Handbook a second edition is now available and is called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers. In it I give all the information, ideas and recipes I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers.

Read more here.

A Delicious Sandwich of Roasted Things!

~  Menu  ~

Toasted Duck & Butternut Squash Sandwich

Grattons 

White Wine Spritzer

We had roast duck for dinner the other night, duck is my favourite meat and I wasn't disappointed. My real man ate both its legs and I ate one of its breasts.

The following night I made Roasted Butternut Squash and Duck Risotto which worked out well (for how to make risotto see here, and for how to roast squash see here) which is more than I can say for its photo – not shown!

Today’s lunch was obvious as soon as I opened the fridge; a toasted sandwich filled with leftover squash in roasted garlic mayonnaise and the last of the duck breast.

The biggest problem I had was I really couldn’t decide on red or white wine but was a good girl, I didn’t have both.

My real man and I also enjoyed nibbling on a few grattons – duck skin cooked in its own fat till crispy, at which stage I did wish I'd gone for the red.

My Leftovers Cookbook

As you may know I am nearing the deadline to submit my book manuscript and so was um … disappointed to discover that the word count on my computer has been ignoring all the words in text boxes which is how I have chosen to display my more major recipes. This has put me 12,000 words over the limit. On the plus side (slightly) I also find that bullet points count as a word so I can offset some of these against the other problem.

Apart from saying rude words I am dealing with this situation by editing the duck out of it. Not really, more like editing the bottargo and jackfruit out of it.

I have always fancied being a food writer – working at home, cooking and eating and sitting around writing about it. The reality is a little different; this constant typing has given me bursitis in both shoulders and a squint!

Read more here.

However ...

News from the Future ... my book was published in March, 2013. Originally titled The Leftovers Handbook a second edition is now available and is now called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.  In it I give all the information, ideas and recipes I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers. 

In Other News

I would just like to say how very, very, very (you can see why I fancy myself as fluent!) pleased I am to hear that Paul Ainsworth has received his first Michelin star. His restaurant, No. 6 in Padstow, is my favourite place to eat out of a more than our fair share of excellent restaurants. Congratulations to Paul and his staff.

The Sheer Sausaginess of Glamorgan Sausages!

Today I had something I haven’t eaten for years – Glamorgan Sausages. Despite the fact that back in the day we put them on the menu quite frequently I was surprised at the sheer sausaginess of them.  Although made almost entirely of just cheese and bread the texture is decidedly meatesque.  So here’s the cheap, quick, easy and sausagy recipe.

Glamorgan Sausages - for 2

120g fresh breadcrumbs

100g grated Cheddar

2 spring onions – finely chopped

1 egg yolk

a pinch of mustard power

salt and pepper

another egg - beaten

more breadcrumbs or, even better, panko crumbs

~   Mix everything together and munge into 6 small sausages.

~   Dip in the beaten egg, coat in the crumbs and shallow fry till hot, crisp and golden.

I ate them with a goodly dollop of my favourite tomato and chilli pasta sauce which I use for a myriad of things.

And then I had lunch pudding.  I bought a cheap bag of salty popcorn in the supermarket the other day so just melted butter, brown sugar and tad of vanilla essence together, tossed in the popcorn to coat and ate the result with a cup of coffee.

See here for a gorgeous thing to do with popcorn plus some appropriate

music to listen to while making it!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

~  Breakfast  ~

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Maple Syrup

Coffee

Yesterday we suddenly and almost inadvertently went out for the day into the wilds of Northumbria – which are FAB! 

We had intended a quick trip to Barter Books in Alnwick (we have been there before – see here  – and if you like books so should you) which is the bestest second hand bookshop in the whole wide world with open fires, a model railway, interesting quotes and its seriously huge.

After a satisfying browse the weather was so glorious it seemed a bit daft not to go and look at the scenery.

We found (not that it was lost) the remains of a lovely old fortified house and had a wander about. I stood in the kitchen bit for while trying to commune with cooks of the past and we walked up what was left of the staircase and touched the old stones and thought about history. 

There is a strange old church right next door to the house with an Italian looking tower and a flat roof although evidence of a pitched roof.

The trouble was we forgot to have lunch and so, when we got in about 5 had toast and chocolate and stuff and ruined out appetites for dinner.  What pratts!

I was hungry to say the least this morning so tried an idea I’ve been pondering for a while; stirring crunchy peanut butter into pancake batter.  It worked.

For my standard pancake recipe see here and stir in a tablespoon or so of crunchy (or smooth I suppose) peanut butter. The frilly edge to the pancake is caused by naughtily cooking it in a tablespoon of oil rather than a lightly greased pan; this makes the edge fried and crisp.

I'll try to be more foodie next time-  life is still a bit strange and busy (apart from yesterday!).

Tomatoes from the Jungles of Holland!

~  Menu  ~

A Crunchy Peanut Butter and Cheese Patty

Jungle Tomato Salad

White Wine Spritzer

I know quite a lot about food so was surprised to only recently discover that lovely tomatoes can be found in the jungles of Holland.
Quelle Surprise as the Dutch doubtless say.

These little darlings not only looked good they were sweet and delicious, I ate them as part of a peculiar little test lunch.

I have less than a  month to submit the manuscript of my book (see below) and so much to eat before I do so.

← Pin to spread this exciting news!  

Today I tried munging together crunchy peanut butter and cream cheese with grated cheddar and breadcrumbs to make a nutty cheese patty type thing.  It worked!  

I really thought it wouldn't which is why I only made one and am still a bit peckish.  Perhaps I’d  better test something else in a minute.

We are still Up North and probably will be so for a while – lots of things to sort out here.  Sometimes, however, we have time for a little relaxation and yesterday we went to Ponteland which was a very surprising village near Newcastle.  

Ponteland (pronounce pont ee land, not pontiland as some southerners think - I know, I am one) is a pretty little place, lots of grass and trees, a river, lovely buildings of old golden stone, an ancient pele tower and a Waitrose!!  

Yes, that’s what I thought - a whole Waitrose in one village! We've only got one in all of Cornwall.  Obviously the whole thing about it being “grim Up North” is a lie.

So that’s it I’m afraid – I have so much to do and have limited internet time as I’m afraid I’m on the dongle.  At my age!

My Book on Leftovers ~ News from the Future

My book was published in March, 2013. Originally titled The Leftovers Handbook a second edition is now available and is called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.  

In it I give all the information, good ideas and I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers. 

Read more here.

It's a Sloe Time of Year ...

... at least it is in Cornwall where, I suppose, things come into season earlier than they do Up North.  People are out stripping sloes from the bushes even as I speak and I can’t say I blame them; to my mind Sloe Gin is the very best possible use not only for gin, which I dislike, but indubitably for sloes too as they are yuk to eat! 

Many people insist that sloes shouldn’t be picked until there has been a frost but if you wait that long you are in danger of someone less patient having already picked the berries.  One way round this problem is to freeze them yourself before thawing and using them, another is to prick each sloe with a clean darning needle!  Do people still have such things?

Sloe Gin

Pin for future reference!

500g sloes ***

250g sugar

1 ltr gin

~   Prick or freeze and thaw your sloes and put them into a large sterilised jar – a Kilner or similar.

~   Add the sugar and the gin.

~   Seal tightly.

~   Put in a cool, dark place and give it a viddy sherrek (Cornish for good shake) every day until you can discern that the sugar has completely dissolved.

~   Leave it alone for as long as you can – a few months at least, but apparently the longer it sits the better it is and we are talking years here.

*** If by some strange chance you don't have scales then sloes weigh about 2g so count 250 of them and you should be OK!

There, that wasn’t difficult was it, apart from the waiting bit.  The trick is to make some every year so that you have some by.  Here is a bottle I have just started from last year’s batch.

I seem to have stored it an inappropriate whisky bottle, I can’t remember why. 

Sloe gin has a lovely rich sweet flavour, undisturbed by the original juniper taste of the gin and is a kind of autumnal Rumtopf and is perfectly delish on its own.  Some people who like messing with nature have come up with a number of cocktails using it, however, including one called the Hermione Granger containing pomegranate liqueur, grapefruit juice and Champagne!

Pin this!

Sloe Gin Fizz

Shake sloe gin together with a quarter as much lemon juice and a little of sugar. Strain into a chilled glass and top up with sparkling soda water. Try to do this last bit as violently as possible to encourage the fizz.

3 More Ideas for Sloe Gin

1.   Top up with Champers, which works very well as sloe gin is quite similar to Cassis.

2.   I haven’t tried it yet but I think a G & T made with sloe gin might be far more palatable to me than the original drink. 

3.   I have however tried adding a modicum of Sloe Gin to the pan juices after cooking duck and it worked very well!

Please click here to tell the World how to make Sloe Gin!