Food for Love ~ a new ebook wot I have written!

Just a quick post – rather busy!

Ever since I started writing my father in law (who passed on 18 months ago … but see here for a picture of him in his magnificent youth!) said that I shouldn't waste my time writing about food, I should write about sex as that it what sells.  I have very slightly taken his advice and written a short ebook on aphrodisiacs …

Click here for more info!

I did a fair bit of research (or “sitting on the settee” as my real man calls it) to come up with what seem to be the 17 most-likely-to-be-aphrodisiac foods and have given some background on each one, some ideas of what to do with them and a little bit about their nutritional benefits and a mention of other, seemingly lesser, aphrodisiacs. I have also included a few rather suggestive food photos (sadly I couldn't muster one for all 17 foods), some rude comments and some double entendres.

In Other News …

~   I seem to have gone up in the world quite considerably …

~   My next post will be from far far away – we are off to the Caribbean, where we used to live, to sell our boat and sort out all the stuff we left there! I am both looking forward to it (especially to see my friends) and not, I think I will be sad but warm!

Seriously Useful Soup Recipe

I'd like to introduce my excellent, incredibly easy, flexible and all round good guy soup recipe. Almost every soup I have made in both my professional capacity and at home has been based on this recipe which needs no soup maker, no slow cooker, just a knife, a board and a pan with a lid!

Genius Super Flexible Soup Recipe

This wonder-recipe is basically a potato soup with a very friendly disposition, this quantity makes enough soup for 4 people as an appetizer or 2-3 as a meal in a bowl, depending on what additions you add and how hungry you all are.

2 med onions (about 500 g) – thinly sliced

1 ounce butter OR 2 tablespoons of olive oil, to be healthier and still delicious

2 med/large peeled floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper – thinly sliced

Stock or water and stock cubes as necessary and appropriate

~   Cook the onions my favourite way (this is important, I absolutely insist that you see the best way to cook onions here!) till they are sweet and tender.
~   When they have achieved this desirable state add the potatoes and enough water (or good stock if you have any) to just cover the top of the potatoes. You will probably need to add more liquid later but less liquid makes the process easier.

~   Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover with the lid and cook till the potatoes are tender.
~   Taste and season including stock cubes, if using, and make delicious.
~   There are several way to finish the soup and they are …
~   Leave as it is for a chunky effect.
      - Mash the potatoes into the stock for a rustic texture.
      - Use a “liquidizer on a stick.
      - Use a food processor to for a purée.
      - Use a liquidizer for a sophisticated smooth purée.
~   Now add extra liquid till the soup is to your liking, good additions are water, stock, milk or cream although if you have something else runny and appropriate that you fancy (leftover gravy for instance or coconut milk) then go for it. 

~   Re-taste and re-season if necessary.

Et wulla, as the Americans say, you have a very good, cheering soup but there is so very much you can do with this recipe.

Quick and Delicious Soup Variations …

~   Use a different fat eg. bacon fat, schmaltz or coconut oil …
~   Add another layer of flavour when cooking the onions; add celery, carrot, fennel or similar at the start of cooking, add garlic when the onions are almost cooked or stir in a little curry paste just before adding the potatoes.
~   Use a different root vegetable together with or instead of the potato - sweet potato, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichokes, etc. spring to mind.
~   Vichyssoise – just use leeks instead of onions, finish with cream and serve chilled.
~   Just before serving stir in some cheese – a dollop of Boursin is yummy or try blue cheese and leftover broccoli, cheddar and crispy bacon so on.
~   Stir in leftovers of your choice to reheat when the soup is finished – cooked veg, meat, fish, sauce, gravy, herbs and so on.

But even this is just a start! 

Soup ~ (almost) The Only Recipe You'll Ever Need!

As it happens I have written a book giving over 60 recipes based on this one method plus every bit of information I can think of including  instructions for stock making, guidance on adding herbs, spices and other flavourings plus additional recipes for roasted garlic, pepper coulis, frazzled leeks, compound butters and other garnishes and accoutrements and lots of hints and tips. 

Great Preview Here

The idea is that by using the key recipe and the helpful suggestions in the book you will soon be serving your own spectacular creations. 

Here’s a recipe to get you started …

Mushroom, Garlic & Clotted Cream Soup

If you don't have access to real clotted cream then double or heavy cream will be a good substitute in this recipe.

Why not Pin this for later?

1 x basic recipe but only 1 potato

1 tbsp olive oil

200g-ish mushrooms - sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

splash of white wine if available

100g clotted cream

~ Follow the basic recipe.
~ Meanwhile and in a separate pan heat the oil and sauté the mushrooms until they start to brown.
~ Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so then add the wine and simmer till it has reduced away to nothing. 
~ Set aside a few of the prettiest mushrooms to garnish the dish and add the rest together with any juices to the basic soup when the potatoes are completely tender. 

~ Puree the soup together with most of the cloWtted cream (keeping back a little to garnish). This soup is nicest done in a processor or liquidiser but chunky is good too!
~ Taste and adjust seasoning.
~ Serve topped with a spoonful of clotted cream and the reserved pretty mushrooms. A sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley would be good too.

Proviso when making soup ...

6 New Year (or any time) Resolutions to help you Love your Leftovers

I love leftovers, they inspire me, and every day I eat really well by using scraps, trimmings and remains creatively. 

As I  have said before, using leftovers tackles not only the waste of money and resources but also of good eating opportunities.

So, here are 6 rules you might like to adopt this year which are certain to help you make the best of whatever leftover food you have.

1.  Act Quickly with Leftovers

       Deal with leftovers before they have deteriorated – eat, cook and eat, cook and freeze or just freeze but don’t ignore them.

2.   Be a Leftovers Collector

       Group together similar scraps and leftovers in the freezer till you have enough to make something delicious.  Here are some of my freezer collections and what I do with them…

Bread Scraps 

These are great for bread pudding, French toast pancakes, stuffing, bread sauce, and lots of exciting things such as Curried Cashew Fritters.  

Loads more ideas where they came from!

Raw Meat Trimmings   

When there are enough I make stock, soup, add them to stir fries, risotto, pasta dishes etc.  Sometimes if the meat is all of good quality I make burgers, not necessary beef burgers, however.  Here is a great recipe using pork trimmings ...

BBQ Pork Burgers

2 rashers bacon – I like smoked

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dark brown sugar

½ tsp salt

500g good quality pork scraps – minced or fairly finely chopped

1 tbsp oil

BBQ sauce

~   Coarsely chop the bacon and cook, preferably in its own fat, till crisp.  Drain on kitchen roll.

~   Mix together the next 3 ingredients.

~   Form the chopped meat into two or three burgers.  People sometime ask me what I add to burgers to keep them together eg. egg or breadcrumbs but the answer is Nothing. Just munge it lovingly together and all should be well.

~   Rub the burgers with the sugar mix.

~   Brush with a little oil and grill or pan fry till crisp and golden and cooked through – it’s a bit risky under cooking pork.

~   Brush with a little BBQ sauce for the last minute of cooking.

~   Serve on buns drizzled with more BBQ sauce and a great addition is a spoonful of coleslaw on each burger.

Seafood Bits and Pieces - raw and/or cooked  

Fish pie is the obviousest thing to make once there are enough, topped with mashed potato or scraps from my pastry collection.  Less obvious but a really gorgeous use of varied fish scraps is my Seafood Chowder.

Pastry scraps 

Here are lots of things to do with pastry scraps from crunchy pie topping to Napoleons, Tatins, Turnovers and more.

3.     Be Prepared for Cooking Spontaneously

        Keep a well-stocked store cupboard.  I don’t just mean flour, sugar, oil, salt, pepper and so on although they are crucial but also the flavourings, seasonings and accoutrements you most like to add to a dish. I always have chorizo, black garlic, panko crumbs, chilli pickle, balsamic glaze and one or two other oddments so that I can eat really well whenever I want to.

4.     Be Selfish!

          If your leftover is too small to share and unsuitable for freezing then have yourself a Cook’s Treat, it’s traditional!  There are loads of great ways to enjoy yourself with a little something from simply scraping the bowl to this idea if you have one or two livers just removed from a fresh chicken.

Luxurious Chicken Livers on Toast for the Cook

 ~   Season and sauté in butter till brown outside and pink in the middle.

~    Flame carefully with a touch of Brandy and add enough cream to make a sauce.

~    Mash all together and eat on toast as a lovely sudden lunch.

(Of course you could collect all your chicken livers in the freezer, so long as they are not from a frozen chicken, till there are enough to make a pâté.)

5.     Be Creative with Leftovers

          Leftovers are ideal for playing with as, in the unlikely event that you mess up, well - it was only a leftover so hasn't cost you much. The  more you know, however, the more confidently creative, and less wasteful, you can be so ...

6.      Keep Learning more about Cooking

            Learn about proper storage, learn about best before dates vs. use by dates, learn what goes with what so that if two or more complimentary scraps occur simultaneously you will know what to make.  Above all, however, Learn To Cook, it has one of the greatest boons my life.

Oh, and here's another good idea!  Allow me to present my book on leftovers ...

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers

In Other News ...

I should just like to make my annual joke! 

Xmas leftovers ~ too busy eating!

We’re stuffed and we haven’t managed to eat everything even though we've been training for weeks and gave it our best shot.  Here is a portrait of our leftovers …

I have of course written about seasonal leftovers before and with so much chocolate, brandy and other goodies to get through I'm a bit busy!

Today we went for a lovely Boxing Day Walk from Bedruthan Steps to Mawgan Porth and back, took a few pictures and discovered that my real man is a bit of a pin-head!

All the best for the rest of the festive season – I’ll get back to real blogging in the New Year.

More info on Christmas Food and Leftovers here ...

How to Make The Best Yorkshire Puddings Ever ~ for 26½p!

This is just a quickie because I keep seeing all sorts of tricky recipes for Yorkshire puddings and yet the way I make them is a doddle – a quick, easy, amazingly cheap and delicious doddle so I thought I ought to get it out there.  I have mentioned this recipe before but it deserves another airing so here it is.

Less than 30p the lot (see below)!

My Lovely Yorkshire Pudding Batter – makes 6 large individual puds

Before we start there are four important things about making Yorkshires …

1.        You MUST use plain flour and no raising agent or it won’t work!  Strange but true.

2.        Make the batter at least an hour before you need it

3.        The oil in the pan must be seriously hot before you add the batter.

4.        A draught will kill a Yorkshire pud so do not open the oven for at least 10 minutes.

1 heaped tbsp plain flour
a little salt
1 large-ish egg
a little milk

Please pin - so you don't forget!

~   Beat together the flour, salt and the egg till smooth.
~   Whisk in enough milk to make a runny batter, almost as runny as single cream.
~   Set aside for an hour or more (overnight in the fridge is fine too).
~   When ready to cook preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C/180˚C Fan/Gas 6.
~   Put ½ a teaspoon of oil into each little muffin cup in a muffin pan for individual yorkies or a little more oil in one dish and put in the oven for a few minutes till hot.
~   The batter will have thickened whilst resting so whisk in a little more milk till the batter is runny again.
~   Pour the batter into the pan and immediately put into the oven.
~   Do NOT open the door for about 10 minutes and even then do so gently and with caution.
~   They are ready when seriously puffed up and deep golden.
~   Serve immediately to appreciate them at their wonderful best.

Two Good Yorkshire Pudding Ideas ...

~   I like to use little silicon muffin cases for individual puds as they don’t stick and they give the puddings a pretty frilly edge (but it does ruin them for other baking so set aside some especially for this).

~   It’s a good idea to put a baking tray in the oven when preheating and stand the puddings on it to ensure you have a crispy bottom.

*** See below for more about useful cooking tips.

Incredibly Good Value!

1 egg say 20p,  1 tablespoon of flour say 1½p, 60ml (approx.) milk say 5p, a pinch of salt say 0p!  =  26½ p – ta da!  

Gravy, incidentally! 

If you happen to need a good and very easy real grave recipe to go with your Yorkshires see here. 

  

I can think of lots of good things to do with this batter and it is a great way to use up Leftovers – my favourite ingredients!  

Toad in the Hole 

See here for my Toad in the Hole Recipe.

Fruity Clafouti

Here is my Clafouti Recipe.

Add any bits and pieces you fancy to the puds - here I've tried Toasted Pecans with Maple Syrup, Granola with Honey and a melting chocky centre.

Leftover Yorkshire Puds 

These are unlikely, I know, but they make a great breakfast! Reheat for just a few minutes in a hot oven (NOT the microwave or they'll go flabby) and serve with honey or syrup.

Not such a short post after all and I'm sorry if you've read it all before but for those who haven't - woo hoo!

*** These are just two of the 500+ good ideas, tips and "hacks" in my book 500+ Truly Useful Cooking Tips ...

6 Easy No-Churn Christmas Ice Cream Recipes ~ for a refreshing change!

Add to Pinterest for easy reference!

Among all the rich, heavy, wintery rib-sticking traditional Christmas desserts ice cream can be quite a refreshing relief!

For years (and years and years) I have used a gobsmackingly easy method to make lush, rich, creamy dairy ice cream without having to do all sorts of irritating things.  

      ~   No fiddly custard making involved.

      ~   No ice cream machine needed.

      ~   No mashing of ice cream necessary whilst freezing.

I have been so pleased with this way of making ice cream that I wrote a book ...

Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine gives over 100 ice cream recipes plus ancillary recipes for sauces, syrups, inclusions etc. and some sexy presentation ideas. 

Once you have this method under your belt, understand the importance of sugar in the recipes (including in the form of alcohol, happily) and how to use it properly, plus how to marble, ripple and add inclusions then creating your own ices is easy peasy.

As an early Christmas prezzie for you here are 6 Christmassy ice cream recipes from the book.  In all cases quantities make about 6-8 portions.

Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

This is my absolutely favourite Christmas Pud ice cream recipe ever and is one of my most asked for recipes. 

225g cooked Christmas Pud

30g butter

30g dark brown sugar,

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

50ml brandy

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Crumble the Christmas pud with your fingers.
~   Lick fingers.
~   Wash fingers.
~   Melt together the butter and the sugar and then stir in the crumbled pud, the orange juice and zest and the brandy.
~   Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring a lot, and then cool completely.
~   Fold into the whipped cream together with condensed milk.
~   Freeze.

Buttered Rum & Ginger Ice Cream

50g butter

50g light brown sugar

2 tablespoons of syrup from the stem ginger jar

50ml golden or dark rum

5 pieces of stem ginger – finely chopped

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Put the butter, sugar, ginger syrup and rum in a small pan and heat together over low heat stirring till everything has melted together
~   Stir in the chopped ginger and simmer gently for 3 or 4 minutes.
~   Cool completely.
~   Whisk the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the ginger and its sauce.
~   Freeze.

Brandied Mincemeat Ice Cream

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

350g mincemeat

50ml brandy

~   Stir the brandy and the mincemeat together vigorously till completely mixed.
~   Whip the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the mincemeat and brandy mixture.
~   Freeze.

This is pretty served in a pie crust!

Marzipan Ice Cream

200g white marzipan

500ml double cream

50ml Amaretto or brandy

200g condensed milk

~   Coarsely grate the marzipan and then heat gently with the cream till melted.  Cool to completely cold.
~   Whisk together the marzipanned cream and the liqueur to thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk plus any inclusions.
~   Freeze.

Toasted almonds or, even better, crushed almond praline are good added to or sprinkled on this.

Brandied Cherry & White Chocolate Ice Cream

The dried cherries, having soaked up the alcohol, become juicy and squidgy and remain juicy and squidgy even in the midst of the sweet cold creaminess. 

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

45g white chocolate

225g dried cherries

Brandy or Cherry Brandy to cover the cherries

~   At least 24 hours in advance of making this ice cream you must soak the cherries - put them into a small container and pour over enough brandy or cherry brandy to cover them.  I can’t give exact quantities but too much brandy is not a problem really, it will still be delicious after the cherries have been removed from it.
~   Melt the chocolate as instructed here.
~   Whisk the cream together with 50ml of liquor drained from the soaking cherries.
~   Fold in the melted chocolate, condensed milk and macerated cherries.
~   Freeze

PS. Remember to drink any leftover liqueur – it is Christmas!

Alcoholic by Necessity Trifle Ice Cream

Alcohol is necessary to soak the fruit in this so that it doesn't freeze solid in the ice cream.  

Sherry is traditional for trifle but you need a spirit for the fruit so may I suggest … brandy?  The sherry can be used in the cream. 

410g-ish tin of fruit in juice
50ml brandy or other suitable liqueur

200g trifle sponges or other plain cake - crumbled

50ml sweet sherry

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Drain the fruit and discard or drink the juice.
~   Toss together the fruit and brandy or other liqueur and set aside overnight to soak.
~   The next day mix in the sponge cake.
~   Whisk the sherry and cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk and then the fruit, sponge and alcohol mixture.
~   Freeze.

Both Rumtopf Ice Cream and Blue Cheese & Port Ripple (which I have taken the liberty of serving on top of a a baked pear) are  good for Christmas too but they need ancillary recipes which I don’t have space to go into here.  Consider them a teaser!

Some people, I must admit, have been put off by the idea of using condensed milk in ice cream – well more fool them! 

This is very much a proven method.  When I worked in the Caribbean the rich visitors to the island were very pernickety and naturally, in all that lovely hot sunshine, ice cream desserts were much in demand. Unable to get hold of either an ice cream machine or a good quality ready-made product I created my own ice creams, using this method, and they were popular as ****! (*see below).  

Talking of Books ...

I would (of course) just like to mention my Christmas book Easy Festive Food for a Stress-Free Christmas!

Catering for Christmas can be time consuming, tiring and a bit stressy, so I thought I’d offer some suggestions to make it quicker, easier, more relaxed and perhaps more impressive!

This book does not contain all the information and directions that you can find everywhere in books, magazines and on the net such as roasting times or mince pie recipes. This contains a collection of useful ideas and recipes that as a professional chef I have used over the years to delight guests and customers without knackering myself!

Included are  ...

The Turkey Dinner & Alternatives!

Making the Best Gravy Ever is Really Easy!

Vegetable and Side Dishes!

Christmas Desserts

Sautéed Grapes, for instance!

Coffee & Accompaniments e.g. Chocolate Clotted Cream Truffles!

What to do with Christmas Leftovers

I have also added every useful idea, hint and tip I can think of!

(* = heck)