Back again

A couple of years off due to all sorts of personal circs. Including at the moment recovery from shoulder replacement surgery - which is making typing difficult. Will write more in the next few weeks once the sling comes off. Thought I might post about coming back to cooking and how much I'm missing it and its role in my future rehab.

Minestrone time

Minestrone is a kind of everyman, everything soup. I got the basic recipe from a Nigel Slater 'Observer' cookery column years ago. The dog-earedness of the page it's on is testament both to longevity and frequency with which we have it, especially during autumn and winter. The brutal cold spell of the last few weeks is finally over - for a while, but it still feels cold and damp though positively tropical at 5-7 degrees C compared to the double-figure sub-zero temperatures of the recent past. So hot minestrone is the ticket.

I think the key to making this a special soup is the addition of a parmesan rind and pancetta (or chopped, smoked bacon). Nigel says you can use water instead of stock but I like to use our own chicken stock if we have it (see blog for 22nd October 06).

Take a medium sized potato, two carrots and a large onion. Peel and finely chop them up then cook in a couple of tablespoons of oil and a large knob of butter or margarine on a low temperature in a large saucepan until they soften. Be warned, this takes much longer than most professional cooks allow for. They usually reckon on about five minutes but I think it's often nearer twenty, remembering to stir every few minutes to stop the vegetables sticking. When softened add a pack of pancetta, or chopped bacon, about 50g/2oz and let it brown a little. Pour in 1 litre of stock or water and half a litre/1 pint of passata. Passata is basically a kind of thick tomato juice - you can get it from most good supermarkets or deli's. Put the parmesan rind in now. Bring all this to the boil then simmer gently for an hour and a half. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and leave the lid of the saucepan slightly askew to let the steam out. Remove the parmesan rind after 1 and a 1/2 hours and add a drained tin of cannelini beans.

Then you can pretty much put anything else in. Chopped savoy or white cabbage is nice, so to are green beans. I like to add a torn bay leaf at some point as this adds that indefinable depth which bay gives to soups and stews. If you want a bit of a kick add some chilli paste or sauce to taste. After a further 20 minutes ladle lots in to warm bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread and cheese and pickles if you like.

Cheap, soothing, delicious and very filling.

Cold Cuts

Yes it does. Cold really does cut. Britain is in the grip of a major freeze as we grapple with weeks of sub-zero temperatures and snowfall measured in feet rather than inches. The snow began a few days before Christmas - just a few inches but it stuck around until the New Year. then, around the fourth or fifth of January it dumped on us. My teenage daughter came down for breakfast after a night of snowfall, looked out of the window and declared that she had never seen so much snow in her life.



Of course, the massive disruption to transport and travel caused by the weather concentrates the mind wonderfully on food. Because the forecasters had been on the ball we all knew that the bad weather was coming so supermarkets were ransacked as panic buying started before the snow. People were fretting over crazy things instead of laying in supplies of basics to see them through the next few days. Overheard at the supermarket: Man on 'phone to wife who is at home obviously worrying, ' Don't worry darling there's plenty of Chablis in the garage', or the woman heard yelling 'Prawn crackers, I've got prawn crackers!!'. And someone else heard telling her husband through gritted teeth - 'We must have floor cleaner'.



Anyway, what's nice, cheap and warming to eat when it's cold outside? For lunch canned soup is good with a cheese and pickle sandwich. Believe it or not, even Cup-a Soup does the job. You can pep it up by adding the same amount of milk to the soup that you would to a cup of tea. The milk makes it creamier and richer and if you have some parsley or basil knocking around a few torn shreds on top gives the Cup-a Soup a lift. I also find that in the cold, even with a warm, heated house - after a while outside digging out the car, sledging, whatever, everyone wants extra carbs. I bought packs of hot cross buns and crumpets which are great with tea. I also made my own scones which are very satisfying to make and scarfed up by everyone in the vicinity, especially if they're (the scones that is) still warm from the oven. Here's the recipe which I admit is lifted from an ancient copy of "The New Art of Cooking", published by the Stork Margarine Cookery Service. So, an early piece of product placement - can you still get Stork? I use Flora or similar these days.



What you will need:



A flat, metal baking tray.



A mixing bowl.



A measuring jug and scales.



A rolling pin or something to flatten the pastry/dough with.



A small pastry cutter shape (circular or a tea cup or similar sized glass).



A table knife and a fish slice or flat wide knife.



A mesh cooling stand or something else to rest the scones on whilst they cool without sticking.



Ingredients:



225g (8oz) self-raising flour.



50g (2oz) Flora margarine or similar.



25g (1oz) Caster sugar.



1 teaspoon baking powder.



105ml fresh milk.


Strawberry/raspberry jam, creme fraiche/cream (optional).





What to do:



Heat the oven to gas mark 7 (Electric 220 C/425F). Grease the baking tray with a thin layer of margarine - this stops the scones sticking to the tray.



Mix all the ingredients except the milk in a mixing bowl until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Then add the milk and using a table knife stir it around until the mixture binds together. Then using your hands knead the dough until it's firm but elastic. If it's too sticky add a little more flour; too dry, add some milk until the texture feels right.

Cover a clean work surface with a thin dusting of flour then place the dough on the floured area and roll it out with the rolling pin or something else to flatten it until the dough is about 1 centimetre (1/2 inch) thick. Get the pastry cutter (small glass or cup) and put a little flour around the cutting surface then cut out as many discs as possible from the dough. One-by-one lift the discs on to the baking tray making sure there is about 1 centimetre between each disc, because they will rise and expand to become oh-so-yummy scones. Gather up any leftover dough roll it in to a ball then flatten again as above. Do this until there is no dough left and the tray is covered with discs. There should be enough to make 6 - 8 discs.

Put the tray in the heated oven for 10-14 minutes. I usually check to make sure the scones are rising after about 8 minutes and sometimes turn the tray through 180 degrees to avoid burning some of them, but that's a personal thing. After 10 minutes keep checking and when the scones are a nice golden-brown on top; they're done.

Remove the tray and using the slice or flat, broad knife carefully lift each scone on to the cooling rack and leave to cool. They'll still be warm but edible after about 10 minutes if you can't wait.

To serve: Slice them in two and spread each inside half with butter or Flora. Then add the topping of your choice. In our house jam is favourites and if you feel like spoiling yourself put a dollop of cream or creme fraiche on before the jam. Eat with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee. Keeps the cold out.

Hola!

Just back from a few days in Spain. The food there is incredible. Unlike stupid Tapas served in the UK I got the real thing there. I was in Andalusia one of the southern provinces which does fine Tapas.Tapas are small plates of food served with drinks. So we would order a few beers or wine and after they were served some food would arrive - free. One evening with one round of drinks the most outstanding Tortilla arrived. Tortillas are egg and potato fried and sliced. These ones were fried to perfection with a healthy hint of garlic added to the potato and eggs served up on a slice of bread with olives on the side. With the next drinks came the most excellent Chorizo sausage it's ever been my privelege to munch. Hot, fried, spicy and again served on a slice of bread to soak up the oil - not at all like the weedy slices of Chorizo served up in local UK supermarkets.

Must go back.

Good Fish

I absolutely love fish and would happily eat it two or three times a week. However, we also need to think sustainably and so I try to make sure I only cook fish which is plentiful and hopefully, line-caught. In the town where I live we are also in the happy state of having our own fishmonger, despite major league supermarket(s) presence.

This week I bought three good sized Mackerel for a barbecue. Mackerel are lovely fish, beautiful to look at and easy to cook. You can judge their freshness by the eyes, clear bright eyes = fresh, cloudy or dull = don't bother. They are also cheap, I bought three for £6.50. They are quite pungent-smelling when cooking so I like to cook them outside but you can do them inside under a grill or fried, just open the back door and keep the door from the kitchen to the rest of the house closed.

What you need:

1. A Mackerel per person. Ask the fishmonger to fillet (gut) the fish but to leave the heads and tail on. This looks nicer. If you're brave and don't mind the blood you can gut them yourself - you'll need a very sharp knife and a chopping block or board. Most good cook books will explain (with pix) how to gut fish.
2. A barbie or good sized frying pan or grill which can accommodate all the fish - or cook in batches of two and keep them warm in the oven on a low heat whilst you cook the others.
3. Lemons - 1 each.
4. A fish slice or pallet knife
5. Olive oil
6. A salad, tomatoes smothered with olive oil are good, plus potatoes of some kind or hunks of strong white bread if you want carbs.
7. Fresh parsley for garnish and bay leaves (optional).

What to do:

Check the fish to make sure the guts have all been removed and run the cavities briefly under running water. pat the outside of each fish dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel.

Get the heat good and hot, if it's a barbie let the coals go white and no flame. If you are frying instead put the frying pan on the heat for at least five minutes on high. Brush the mackerel with olive oil all over and put three or four diagonal knife-cuts in to each side of the fish from backbone down to the belly - this ensures the fish cook through evenly. If you want to, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in his book 'Fish' suggests putting a few bay leaves in to the cavity of each fish, this gives a nice deep smokey flavour which I like. Put the fish under or on to the heat - they will pop and smoke or even flame a bit as the oil heats up. Let them cook for three or four minutes then gently turn over. There is a knack to this which comes with practice, the trick is to try not to leave fish skin on the cooker and off the fish. They'll be done when you can pierce the flesh and it comes away easily but is not dry or collapsing (overdone) or still soggy (not done). Pop them on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon quarters. Serve them up. Boffo.

Eat Right for Young People

Despite our efforts my youngest daughter (15) feels very under-confident about her cooking skills. This is - I have to admit possibly because I do most of the cooking at home and although when she was younger we did all the usual - making cakes, scones, boiling eggs and so on I hog the food department. I hope this blog will help her out but I'm determined to a) help her to cook if she wants and b) put some easy recipes on this site for her an our son for when they leave home to become students. Here's one:

An Omelette and Tomato Salad.

You will need - A frying pan, a salad plate or small bowl, plate(s), knife and forks, a spatula, a mixing bowl and a dessert spoon and a teaspoon.

Ingredients: (For one person). Two free-range eggs, a little milk or cream, a filling for the omelette - let's make this one a ham and cheese one - so a piece of ham roughly chopped and about a handful of grated cheddar cheese. Two good-sized tomatoes, a few basil leaves - two or three torn up. Olive oil.

What to do:

Thinly slice the toms on to a small plate and sprinkle the basil over them. Drizzle a little oil over them - one dessert-spoonful is enough. Add a little salt and pepper if you like. That's the salad.

Crack the eggs in to the mixing bowl and beat them with a fork until the eggs and whites have blended, add a spoonful of cream or milk and beat that in too. Have the chopped ham and grated cheese ready to hand.

Heat the oil - again a dessert spoonful should be fine in the pan until it starts to bubble and spit. Pour the egg mixture in and then pull the sides of the mixture in to allow the runnier mixture to get to the edges of the pan and cook. It's really important to make sure the pan is hot as this prevents the mixture sticking. Put the ham and cheese on one half of the mixture whilst it's still soft and turn the heat down. When the egg mixture hardens a bit - it's nice if it's still a bit runny and the cheese is beginning to melt get the spatula and fold the empty half of the omelette over the cheese and ham so that it's covered. Let it cook for another minute or two. Slide the spatula under the omelette and carefully slip it on to your plate. Add the salad and eat whilst the omelette's still hot. Tomato sauce is fine with the omelette although not nice with the tom salad. If you want, you can add carbs by heating up some oven chips first and then cook the omelette when they're ready.

Omelettes are a fantastic cheap and delicious meal, but only once or twice a week as too many eggs, especially fried are a bit heavy on cholesterol. You can pretty well put anything you like in as a filling, chopped mushrooms, smoked fish pieces - whatever. If you like herbs you can chop fresh parsley, basil and rosemary (about half a teaspoon each) up and add it to the egg mixture before cooking. This gives the omelette a luxurious herby hit to go with your filling.

The wonderful cook and writer, Elisabeth David entitled one of her cookbooks 'An Omelette and a Glass of Wine'. What's not to like?

Beef on the Bone

We went to a beautiful, classic English pub for my birthday. Set on a wooded hillside complete with its own trout ponds (sadly they don't let you fish your own out to be bopped on the head and served up for lunch anymore) we had ordered beef for 4 for lunch. You have to order a few weeks in advance but o.m.g. it's worth doing that. The huge rib - two ribs actually - was served on a chunky carving board accompanied by a pile of excellent roast potatoes and and Yorkshire puddings. The vegetables were a simple but superbly cooked mix of green beans and carrots - al dente; that means they were not too soft and had 'bite' to them. Plus a huge jug of gravy and pots of English mustard and what seemed to be home-made Horseradish sauce. The beef is served up to be carved by the eaters (me in this case) and served on to warmed plates with the above. It was great, tender melting beef which I have to say we thought we couldn't finish but we ate the lot. No pud though, too full. It reminded me of the two ways you can roast beef well, one is the Delia way which is good for beef not on the bone and one is by Heston Blumenthal for beef on the bone. In my my view on the bone is always better but if you can't get it then the Delia is good for a boneless joint.

Boneless:

You will need; a good sized roasting pan big enough to take the joint. That's it.

Beef: a rolled joint of topside is best but pretty much any good (not cheap) joint will do, Ask the butcher or the staff how much you need for the number of people you are feeding, but 2-3 lbs or 1,5 kilos should do for 4 - 6.

What to do: heat the oven to max temp, gas mark 9 or its equivalent in electric oven numbers. Fahrenheit 475 /Centigrade 250.

475

240

Very Hot

Put the beef (having brought it out of the fridge about an hour earlier to allow it to come to room temp) on a bed of crumpled cooking foil in the roasting pan. The foil stops the beef over-heating through conduction from the pan. Put it in the hot oven for 20 minutes. You can dust it with a little flour, mustard powder and pepper if you like. Lower the heat after the 20 mins to gas mark four or five and cook for 15 - 20 minutes per pound/half kilo for rare. Longer for medium, say another 20 to 30 minutes. Well done beef is a food crime. It should be pink and bloody in the middle so carve a bit off the end to check for pinkness.

Take it out and let it rest on a carving board covered in foil for twenty minutes or so - this makes it really tender.

On the Bone:

A two-rib joint on the bone is more pricey but much yummier. Just ask the butcher or meat counter for a two rib joint.

Put the meat in the pan with the foil as above. Switch on the oven to the lowest possible setting - slow cook setting or 1/2, whatever. Put the meat in and let it just cook away. It may need between 4 and six hours so you might have to get up early to put it in the oven if you're having it for lunch but believe me it's worth it. HB suggests testing it with a meat thermometer and says it's ready at around sixty degrees. or you can just carve little bits off and test after four hours or more, you decide. Again, remove from the oven, let it rest as above then serve.

We'll deal with veggies and gravy another time.