We have already had one Christmas dinner, another one coming up!

Another triumph! Well, anyway, I didn't set the oven on fire like I did last weekend and I only forgot the chestnuts for the sprouts and omitted the perfectly formed and fried onions for the stuffing... but I thought last year's Christmas pudding from Monsieur Tesco was rather good considering it was 6 months out of date. The stuffing was a marvellous rescue,due to a brain wave of mixing all the left-over odds and ends of chutneys that I had made this year: rhubarb and ginger, pear and spice and mango and cardamom and bashing them into the mixture, totally made up for the lack of onions and chestnuts!
We had left-over cranberries of course and so I made some delicious cranberry and cream cheese muffins this morning and so as promised, here is the gluten free recipe but simply change the flour to your preferred kind to suit you. This can also be made lactose free too! Enjoy....
LEFTOVER CRANBERRY AND CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS
100g soft cream cheese or lactofree cream cheese
250g caster sugar
150g fresh cranberries or frozen
200g Doves Farm gluten-free or wheat-free plain flour mix
2 generous teaspoons baking powder
2 large free range eggs
75ml sunflower oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 190C/170Cfan/gas5; line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
Beat the soft cheese with 25g of the sugar and chill until needed.
Heat the cranberries together with another 25g of the sugar until they start to pop. Squish them a bit but not much!
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the remaining 200g sugar, baking powder and pinch of sea salt. Stir in the eggs, oil, vanilla and cranberries. Divide the lumpy mixture between the cases. Make a small dip in the centre of each one and gently push in a blob of the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25 mins or until firm and springy to touch. Cool on a wire rack and eat warm or cold.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and I will be back with more recipes for the New Year

Rodent pedicures!

To my horror, a friend came round for coffee yesterday and on viewing our resident rodents, Noodle and Doodle, declared that they needed pedicures. I have come to terms with small rat-like things in The Pink Lovely's playroom but nail clipping was not really on my list!  In fact it brought back fraught memories, as I am sure all mothers will agree, who can remember, the anxiety and stress of cutting a new born babies' and todlers' nails. For some mad hormonal reason we seem to forget that we have been giving ourselves manicures and pedicures for the past 15-20 years and go to pieces just at the thought of it,......pictures of missing fingers and toes!
Bribing my friend with a large piece of chocolate fruitcake, which alas, has not made it to Christmas as expected, she heroically clipped the little treasures nails for me. Saint or What!
The excitement of my days never ceases to amaze me as this morning, you would have thought yesterday was enough excitement for one week, I made a cup of tea and on discovering that we had no more milk, hastily retrieved my tea bag and plopped it into a tumbler with a bit of water in the bottom. Lurking in the back of my cupboard was some historic, almost neolithic milk powder and I made up enough to hopefully not poison me but to give me an acceptable cuppa. It tasted disgusting! So, I retrieved the teabag and left it to stew for a few minutes hoping to save the situation. One gulp and OH MY what a surprise, Vodka and tonic flavoured tea! Not a glass of water then but an unfinished tipple from last night! That will teach me to be so slovenly!
As promised I am giving you the recipe for bacon and cheese straws for all your hundreds of guests this festive season. Indeed I may even have a party myself!
I am entirely hopeless at making puff pastry and have never succeeded  in making a gluten-free version so this is not an allergy-free recipe but I shall make amends in the next blog with another recipe that is and will certainly be helpful for  Christmas entertaining.
One big tip: Always buy the most expensive all butter puff pastry you can find. The taste is superb and it is far lighter with crispier layers. The top Michelin Star chefs in the country use it and every chef I have ever met has admitted to baking with bought puff or flaky pastry. So, brazen it out and quote me!
BACON AND CHEESE TWISTS
Heaps of them!
1x large packet Tesco finest or other flash all butter puff pastry
for ultimate cheating use the pre-rolled out pastry sheets!
Very thin long strips of rindless yummy bacon and not the watery cheap stuff! You can use middle cut or streaky, smoked or unsmoked or maple cure is perfect, ditto Parma ham cut into long strips
Mature or Vintage Cheddar cheese,grated on to a huge pile on a plate
Your favourite mustard, Dijon or grain but not made-up mustard powder as it is too strong
1-2 eggs beaten until smooth
flour for dusting

Place the rolled pastry onto a floured board or clean surface and brush it with mustard. Use a sharp knife to cut very long strips from top to bottom about 1inch or 2.5cm wide.
Take each strip and place a line of grated cheese along it, place the strip of bacon over the cheese and then twist gently all the way up into secure straws. Cut into 3 or 4 lengths depending on your preference and how many mouths you have to feed.  Brush them all with beaten egg and place on a non-stick baking tray. Bake them in batches, leaving room for them to expand until golden, puffy and crispy. I suggest 220C or 200Cfan oven or the hottest oven in the Aga. Serve warm or store overnight and then reheat for about 10 minutes in the same oven temperature the next day.

Where is my Christmas Spirit?

Not easy to make a Christmas Cake on crutches but then I figure that it is a wee bit early, I would rather take it to the limit of the allowed panic time before starting the annual fraught search for recipes and ingredients! Now off crutches and gamely leaping across the kitchen again, we decided to make the cake last night. We found nearly all the ingredients and swapped a few here and there, no dried sour cherries, so natural glacé will do! but alas, at the vital moment: Where is my Christmas Spirit? Nor brandy or Cognac, not even Calvados or Whiskey. Dismay all round; but then Aha! lurking at the back of the cupboard is the very last dribble of  Romanian Peach something... So, we chucked that in and we will see! In fact that should go nicely with the chocolate.....Chocolate you say, in Christmas Cake, Yuck! Actually the cake not only looks perfect but it tastes far less sweet and cloying due to the organic cocoa powder and 70%dark chocolate. Even better it was the easiest fruit cake that I have ever made! So a big thank you to Lara Savill who has a brilliant blog on baking for this recipe idea which I have now adapted.
IDEAL FOR BIRTHDAYS,CHRISTMAS,SHOOTING LUNCHES, RACING PICNICS, LUNCH BOXES, A HEARTY TEA AROUND A ROARING LOG FIRE AFTER A LONG WALK.

 Chocolate Fruitcake (gluten-free/dairy-free or traditional wheat/spelt flour)
200g Pure Sunflower spread or butter of course
200g dark brown soft sugar
100g 70%dark continental (DF) chocolate, broken into pieces
80ml good brandy, Cognac or Calvados
A good dash or two of pure vanilla extract
250g raisins
250g sultanas
100g  each dried cranberries, natural colour glacé cherries and mixed        peel   
200g Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour mix or a spelt flour or wheat flour
100g ground almonds
3 tablespoons organic cocoa powder
1 teaspoon mixed spice
3 large free-range eggs, beaten with a fork in a jug
Preheat the oven to 150C/fan130C/gas2
Use a deep rubber cake mould for ease about 20-21cm round or prepare a cake tin in the normal way.

Put the fat,sugar,chocolate,brandy, vanilla and all the dried fruits in a large pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally until all melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spice together in  big bowl. Stir the eggs into the melted chocolate mixture and then scrape it with a spatula into the flour mixture. Fold ingredients until mixed and then scrape into the mould or tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hrs.(An inserted skewer should come out clean when cooked).
The next day stab it all over the top with a skewer and drown it in the chosen alcohol.Wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container until needed or time to ice it. Remember to feed it with some Christmas Spirit again a few weeks before Christmas.
A few weeks ago I met Janet Woodward of Wellfoods at the Hereford Coeliac Society fayre. The Wellfoods stand looked tempting with piles of breads, rolls, pizzas and our own brand of gluten-free flour. I hobbled around on my crutches, chatting to the other stall holders and tasting their products. There were 4 stunning products: Muddy Boots: Caramelized Onion and Mozzarella Aberdeen Angus Beef Burgers which melted in the mouth and were truly scrumptious in the Antoinette Savill(Wellfoods) burger bun, I shall be ordering some of those today. They are also available in Waitrose.
Cake Angels: Julia's cup cakes, brownies and other goodies where delicious beyond belief and she has an amazing website which is located on my website. You can order Christmas cupcakes with astonishing decorations as a gift box but the brownies are heaven... So which to  choose?
Christine's Christmas Puddings:Gorgeous tiny puds for gluten-free guests or family in about 3 flavours.They are made in Dorset with a variety of different flavours. See my website www.antoinettesavill.com
Farabella: This has to be the best Italian gluten-free pasta around. Shapes and sizes never before seen in UK, they cook perfectly and tastes great. Again check my website.
I have dusted off last year's mincemeat and am now on a quest to find some interesting recipes other than mince pies for the festive season. I shall report back. Next blog will have delicious mini BACON and CHEESE STRAWS for festive drinks and show-off MINCEMEAT AND CINNAMON PALMIERS also ideal for parties.



                                          

Out of the provinces and into Provence!

Lucky me, just as school is full-on I decide to leave the provinces and disappear to Provence. From 13degrees to 26C, two hours from Birmingham. The aquamarine swimming pool twinkled in the sunlight as the last swish of the Mistral flew by, I lay there soaking-up the rays, finally getting to the last chapter of the Hare with Amber Eyes. I must move.
The heavenly market at Lorgues was surprisingly similar to Beaulieu market, Nice market and Ventimiglia market but was washed in dappled light from the plane trees and full of smiling faces unlike any of the above. We purchased 2 small smoked hams, 4 salamis for 20 EURO. A kilo of lavender honey which glistened like a pot of liquid gold and 2 heavenly goats cheeses. Back home for lunch: a salad of goats cheeses drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar and wafer thin slices of ham, fresh figs and of course a bottle of rose. We had stopped on the way home at the local château and purchased a case of the lightest and most delicious rose I have ever tasted. Gone are the days of dark pink, slightly sweet rose d'Anjou! Our wine was fresh and easy but still had enough body to enjoy. We had a triumphant lunch party the next day that started at midday and ended at midnight and I made a lavish Lemon Risotto to go with roast Sea Bass. This recipe is easy but takes a bit of time so make sure you have something else to divert you in the kitchen otherwise you may  loose the will...
Lemon Risotto ( about 4 lemons)
Take a large non-stick frying pan and melt some butter and olive oil together and then chuck in a small, finely chopped onion and cook gently until softened but not browned. Add very thinly pared lemon  rind, cut into very thin strips. I suggest 2 un-waxed lemons for 6 people. A good pinch of fresh thyme leaves and about 4 cloves of garlic, crushed. Cook for a few minutes more. Add a handful of arborio rice per person and cook together for a minute or two. Pour in some white wine, vegetable or chicken stock to cover and simmer slowly, stirring frequently. When the rice in about halfway through cooking, squeeze the juice of two to four lemons into the pan, season with sea salt,  freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Add more stock whenever you need to, until the risotto is creamy. At the last moment stir in a big knob of unsalted butter and finely grate some lemon zest (1 lemon should do) into the risotto. Serve immediately with any roast fish, fowl or pork. Lemons vary hugely so if they are small and dry then you will need heaps of them but if large and juicy just a few should do.

Rumour has it that a certain château is looking for someone to run it for a season....TEMPTING!

I am sure I turned into a Chorizo sausage

I never for a moment thought that I could actually feel like a chorizo sausage but after 14 glorious days of a little slice or two before lunch with a glass of chilled dry sherry and then well, a few more  of both to be honest. Hitting the chorizo as soon as we were back from the beach with a glass of red wine, demolishing large quantities of both so that I could hold out until 9.30pm when we went out to dinner in the harbour. Of course there were scallops and chorizo and also beans and chorizo and last but not least potatoes and chorizo!  By day 9, I was flagging a bit and by day 14 I never wanted to see a sausage ever again! But it was addictive, I don't dare think what goes into it but now I am addicted to baby cherry tomatoes from my garden which I can only imagine is a huge improvement calorie-wise.
Gallicia was a triumph of unexpectedness! Lush green forests and gardens, fields full of .... ah well - houses.... but all very rural and pretty. Endless mountains or were they big hills and zig-zag bends that had The Pink Lovely (now aged 8!) in paroxysms of motion sickness the entire time. The very first day we found out why it was so green and lush, it rained.... and it rained.... and it rained... a lot! but when it was sunny then wow was it hot and we rushed down to the magnificent beach and absolutely freezing Atlantic ocean. The Pink Lovely who is undoubtedly made of sterner things than me, was to be seen body surfing without a wet suit for hours on end. A total Mystery where that comes from!
As we were staying in a fishing village we indulged every day  in fresh squid, octopus, mussels, fish and some weird looking seafood in 6inch shells like a big nail file. Sometimes cooked with rice but mainly fried with wedges of local lemons. Fantastic. As for the wines, well, I had no idea! My kind host liberally picked the finest of his wines and they were all delicious. Ribera del Duero amongst many others were so good that we never needed to have a  Rioja. This just goes to show that it is best to be adventurous when ordering wines from a wine dealer or supermarket and try wines from different areas instead of playing safe!On my return I order 3 cases of different Spanish wines and NO Rioja!

The Pink Lovely calculated on our return that she had eaten 28 ice creams in 2 weeks, this rather horrifying statistic was mainly due to the fact that we were not tempted by the puddings and cakes. Having said that, we found the most spectacular St. James Cake in Santiago de Compostella. It is a concoction of ground almonds, butter and sugar, baked and dusted with icing sugar which has the symbolic knife in the middle of the cake. Our kind friends made the cake for The Pink Lovely's birthday lunch and it was rather delicious and looked perfect as you can see from the picture.

Driving me Cuckoo!

You will be glad to know that Shropshire cuckoos are alive and well in Mortimer forest. One resonant cuckoo abounding through the forest is charming. Half a dozen is driving me cuckoo on every walk this week! Of course it could be the time of year when the males are desperate for a bit of action and calling out for a willing Mrs.; bragging their assets with cheerful repetition and nonchalance! But the charm did ware off after the first half an hour! The dogs didn't raise an ear between them, they were far too busy chasing squirrels!
Back at home now and I can give you the two ice cream recipes. Both easy and ideal for plan ahead dinner or lunch party. Serve with florentines or tiny macaroons.
It is very easy to make ice cream but the only possible danger is over heating the custard so that it curdles, if this happens, do not panic! Immediately, put the custard into a liquidizer or failing that a food processor and beat it into emulsifying once again. As long as you have not actually made scrambled eggs this always works!!!!!!!!!!!

Elderflower Ice Cream (to make in the next 2 weeks before the season is over)
300ml home made elderflower cordial or make up about half cordial recipe and leave out the citric acid, you will easily drink the remaining cordial in a few weeks but I do suggest keeping it cool in the fridge
300ml full fat organic milk
300ml organic double cream
6 free range large egg yolks
100g unrefined caster sugar

Make a custard by heating the milk in a small pan over medium heat until simmering point is reached. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy with the sugar in a food processor or by hand. Pour the hot milk gradually into the eggs, beating all the time.Transfer the mixture to a thick based sauce pan over very low heat and stir with a wooden spoon pretty often in order to avoid the custard curdling. The custard needs to be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. When it is, pour it into a plastic container and leave to cool. Stir in the elderflower cordial and chill in the freezer until it is thickening up. Beat thoroughly before folding in the whipped cream and leave in the freezer until nearly frozen. Beat thoroughly again, I put it in my food processor. Seal and freeze until needed.

Chocolate and Chilli ice cream
350ml organic full fat milk
1 heaped tablespoon high quality cocoa powder
6 large free range egg yolks
125g unrefined caster sugar
a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes
120g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
300ml double cream

Heat the milk with the cocoa in a thick based saucepan over medium heat until it has all melted. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together either in a food processor or by hand in a bowl. Beat in the hot chocolate milk and a sprinkling of chilli flakes. Then put the custard into the pan over very low heat and stir from time to time until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Add the chocolate pieces and stir until melted. Pour the hot custard through a sieve into a plastic container and discards the chilli. Leave to cool and then freeze until becoming thick. Fold in the whipped cream and freeze for an hour. Beat the ice cream thoroughly to get rid of any ice crystals. I use my food processor. Freeze and beat again a few hours later and then it will be really creamy. Seal and freeze until needed.

Much ado about Nothiing

The spring had arrived in full heated glory and for a moment there I was convinced that the time had come to entertain again. Cocktails in the garden by the stream, gazing lovingly at my fine and blossoming weeds and undergrowth. Lists were  made of  friends around the country who might be lucky enough to enjoy the bucolic moment, emails were sent, menus devised, seating plans puzzled over, wines and prosecco purchased in large quantities when................whooooosh, Bang, Crash and darkness!............The biggest storm here for 13 years and the farm power box is hit by lightening. No phones, no broadband for 10 days. We will gloss over the "no electricity for 48 hours", that is just not news worthy in these parts.
Then comes the rain, albeit very welcome, but it doesn't stop and then the sun goes behind dark and doom-laden clouds for 2 weeks. If I had been hit by lightening this might have been more useful as it would have undoubtedly given me a bit of a buzz and in fact may well have energized me for the next 40 years but, no, just my entire communication system! My mobile being a sensitive object only works half way up the hill and as you can imagine this was not entirely tempting in cold, damp, wet and windy days and impossible in the evening. So my glorious soirées were much ado about nothing and evaporated in a puff of smoke!
However, fate is a divine thing and having had a month of rain, summer is here, my garden is indeed looking rather cute. Not a weed in sight, the bank of the stream now has large clumps of blooming yellow flag iris and all the roses are having to be secured once again due to the enormous and heavy blooms. Enthusiasm is swift but brief and therefore a new list of dinner dates speed through the ether to my friends from near and far.
Now the fun starts, practising some new dishes for these culinary feasts over the next 6 weeks. Looking around I spy lofty branches swaying in the wind and huge elderflower blossoms heavy with rain but still smelling wonderful. So I searched for an elderflower ice cream recipe and have made it for dinner no.1.. I used the 6 egg whites to make a huge pavlova in which to put the ice cream and then will decorate it with fresh berries and mint leaves. I came across a recipe for Chocolate and Chilli Ice Cream and as all these ingredients were technically free ( woman's logic as I had them in the pantry and anything paid for with the previous month's housekeeping is free!); I proceeded to make pudding for dinner no.2...
The Pink Lovely aged 7 3/4 was hauled into taste them both to give her seal of approval but much to my surprise spat out the elderflower ice cream and gobbled up the chocolate and chilli which was a little confusing as she loves elderflower spritzer and hates chilli! I adored them both and so I shall give you the recipes ASAP.
The Pink Lovely by now totally suspicious at the number of dinner parties being planned became alert and interrogated me in a truly professional way. What do they teach them at school? Under duress, I finally admitted to FOUR. Are you MAD Darling? is her retort, you barely have time to bake cakes for the school summer fete the next day, have you forgotten my birthday party for 7 girls sleep-over the day after the next one? You cannot have forgotten that we are going to London that weekend ..no.3 and last but not least no. 4, you are already going to a party that weekend MUM. Do I need a diary, NO. My daughter is my diary, what an extraordinary brain she has.. I wonder why it has such marvellous recall for social activities and absolutely no recall on homework!
So, not entirely thought through, I would admit this is one of my most frequent moments of scattiness but why not juggle life a bit and create so much fun and amusement for your friends...............
How can life get any more exciting, it can and it does. Whizzing around Ludlow, I am accosted by a dear friend who tells me that a baby grand upright piano is lurking in the back of the auction house at that very moment. I have been searching (not very hard it would have to be said) for such a desirable object for going on 2 years. Off I speed forthwith and see this huge but first class piano that is actually in tune and in good condition. I fill in the forms, I find some friends already there and so sit down next to them. Butterflies abound, panic is near, actually total panic is here! bidding is not my thing at all. My neighbour kindly thumps me when the number comes up and my moment of triumph is near. Some joke is made as to how popular these antiquated monsters are, (missed that one!) and the first bid goes in at the highest price I had scribbled on my list. O.M.G. panic or what, so up goes the hand and Yes I did get it at the highest price because... no one else bid...........OOOOOOOOOOps. Oh well, that is the first and only time I will ever bid in an auction. The auctioneer was trying not to laugh unlike my friends who were spluttering into their brochures. Feeling rather aghast at the speed of everything my neighbour consoled me with the fact that she had actually bid against herself in her first auction until the kind auctioneer had informed her that he really was going to let her have the chest of drawers!
Four days later three burly men delivered the piano on the night that The Pink Lovely boards at school and I decorated it with balloons and left it for her return. The headmistress entered into the spirit of things and arranged for a surprise piano lesson that day much to the Pink Lovely's confusion.  "Your birthday present has arrived, it is in the office". The Pink Lovely bursts into the room and stands there absolutely dumbfounded. She cannot believe her eyes!  Mild panic as I translate this into disappointment that it wasn't actually an Ipod but then I see the smile spread across her face as she takes it in. I have recently invested in ear plugs but it is coming on nicely!

Simmel Cake and Fish Pie but not together!

I have not made a simnel cake for about 20 years, so it was very exciting to be baking one this morning. It had a slightly unfamiliar look about it and I couldn't think what was wrong. 13 balls for the apostles and the naughty J.
In the end I had to google the recipe and see what I had forgotten. No wonder it looked strange... I hadn't grilled it! As you see from the photo, it came up a treat and was utterly delicious. We had afternoon tea in the garden, which I had been wrestling with all afternoon (the garden-not the tea!) and it looked rather good.. all be it temporally!
Having spent 1 1/2 hrs making a fish pie, it dawned on my why I had not made one since last August! Never mind, everyone loved it and even The Pink Lovely ate it which was a miracle..... Which reminds me that I must endeavour to get to church on Easter Sunday, in the village this year. 09.30am is a trifle early for me as this prevents a lingering breakfast but a serious attempt will be made. When I was telephoned last week to ask if we would like to attend, I answered in my sweetest voice, that if their service was going to be a thoroughly depressing and chilly affair, then frankly No!...As I can guarantee to have both  in my catholic church. The lady was not sure if I was joking or not.........but after some consideration, laughed and assured me that it would be a light-hearted and warm service.............................................
Today, I have planted my peas, sweet peas and beetroot. My veggie garden looks like an Indian Reserve with all the can wigwams! Sadly, I have managed to massacre my French beans which have died an early death in their little egg boxes, actually I not sure they were ever alive having been given to my by The Pink Lovely who had them in her school home work bag for some weeks before explaining what they were! I seemed to have deprived all the lettuces of life too.... Oh.. Well.. Hope over adversity or is it "hope over triumph"? Not sure................

It's the Silly season for Chocolate!

How many more Easter eggs do I need to buy? The Easter Bunny has to have a large bagful of eggs to hide when he arrives at Fox Barn on Easter Sunday! The entire length of the Lunch table has to have brilliant chocolate and fresh flower decorations. I have little bird nests with birds and eggs in them (from the garden centre in Sydney Street, London in about 2000!)...We were given a spectacular arrangement of wiggly pear branches which we have arranged in a huge vase and made lots of Easter chick, egg and flower decorations to hang on the wobbly branches, with guess what, hidden chocolate eggs in! Every drawer I open I seem to have hidden another packet of mini eggs or cute bunnies! My two extremely dead bay trees on either side of the front door, have now been pruned into need stick-balls, devoid of all the frazzled, brown bay leaves. They look rather cool and minimalist, so I am going to hang Easter eggs all over them for my guests on Sunday...rather fun!
As usual we will be thoroughly over-egged, so on 7th day of Easter week, ready for the Royal Wedding Day, we will be having my annual "Easter chocolate sauce" with vanilla ice cream. Simply gather up all the unwanted remnants of chocolate eggs, include if you have any, some small eggs that are too sweet, caramel or fudge style chocolates, pralines or even bits of those astonishing, excessively large bars of chocolate. Break the chocolate into small pieces and chuck them all into a  bowl ready for action. Judge how much chocolate you have, then in a suitable sized saucepan, over the lowest possible heat melt a few knobs of unsalted butter, a good sprinkling of dark brown soft sugar, vanilla extract and a good sprinkling of Brandy and black, fresh, warm coffee. Always, be cautious with liquids and chocolate, you can add more when you can see that the sauce is too thick. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove from the heat and gently stir in the chocolate. Best to use a spatula. Stir occasionally as it melts and return the pan to the heat to help it along if you are making a large quantity. When all the chocolate has melted then give it a brief simmer and bubble on the low heat, stirring in a good dash of double cream to get it to a thick pouring but smooth and glossy consistency and then serve warm with the ice cream. As I have no idea what sort of chocolate you will be using, I cannot predict what sort of sauce you will have but generally it will be either quite fudgy or soft and silky!
Now I must go and make our Easter chocolate cake and Nigel Slater's chocolate cookies although I am not sure that they will last to Easter, rather a blessing really considering how much chocolate is located around the house! Then I shall attempt an olive oil and chocolate mousse which sounds rather interesting for a birthday dinner at the weekend.
Lastly, our fresh eggs all get painted with patterns in fun colours for breakfast on Good Friday,  so I must walk up the Goggin and see if my friends have a spare half dozen for us. That is it for our Easter celebrations, unless of course you count the roasting of spring lamb with our garden herbs and wild garlic from the woods and the baking of hot cross buns dusted in cinnamon sugar!

Fox on the wall and Victorian shortbread

Sitting at the kitchen window on the 3rd floor of a London flat yesterday I observed with astonishment the capers of a dog and a fox in the garden below.Feeling slightly dazed which of course had nothing to do with the bottle of wine the night before......I thought I must be hallucinating. But no,the dog was running up and down the garden,barking madly all the time in the excitement of heading off this urban fox from his patch. The fox,obviously totally oblivious to the concept of a chase decided after about 10 minutes that this was rather tiresome and gracefully leapt up onto the top of the very high garden wall and proceeded to run daintily along it for 5 minutes until he got bored of bating the dog and leapt into the adjacent garden and disappeared. The dog looked rather disappointed and retreated for breakfast and so did I.
Back in Herefordshire today and it is the much longed for Red Nose Day. Not by me I hasten to add but by the Pink Lovely aged 7, who had, I am told, carefully laid out all her clothes, red nose and £1.00 coin for school today at least 3 days ago! She had been on count-down ever since! Apparently, the excitement of not wearing school uniform was almost more than she can bear! Sweet!  When we arrived at school this morning you will not be surprised to hear that nearly the entire year 3 was in......yes..... PINK.  Rather a shock to the system at that time of the morning.
Sunday morning,a day of rest............Well not exactly! Having watched the Royal Upstairs Downstairs last night on iplayer the Pink Lovely had decided that we should make the exact shortbread that was made in this Scone Palace episode for Queen Victoria's visit. She dutifully copied down nearly all the recipe while watching a repeat and this morning on entering the kitchen I was haled by the entire set of ingredients and utensils all carefully laid out ready for immediate action! This is not easy before breakfast but when you have to translate ounces into grams and guess the amount of butter to use,it is quite nerve racking! My 1936 copy of Mrs Beeton was ceremoniously brought down off the shelf and the recipe located for Scottish shortbread to give me a clue as to how much butter to use. Rather surprisingly, we have a huge tray of gorgeous shortbread but unfortunately I cannot remember how much butter I lobbed in! So it can never be repeated! A Royal Treat indeed!........................

Drop Scones or Scotch Pancakes & National Pie Week

Drop Scones are by far the easiest of pancake to make so we often have them for breakfast or tea with butter and honey or maple syrup. They are rather good with poached fruit with liqueur and crème fraiche as a pudding too. I use very alcoholic black cherries or brandied pears.
RECIPE
115g self raising flour or Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour mix
30ml caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
150ml milk (goats or cow, fresh soya or Arla lactofree)

Lightly grease a frying pan. In a bowl mix the flour and sugar, make a well in the centre and stir in the egg with enough milk to make the bater the consistency of thick cream. Fold the mixture as quickly and lightly as possible. Heat the pan over medium high heat and drop a spoonful of the mixture into the pan. They should be small and neat, no bigger than the size of a slice of lemon!  Cook until bubbles rise to the surface (couple of minutes) and then flip over and cook until golden. Serve immediately or keep warm in a pile on a warm plate,under a clean cotton cloth until they are all made. The devour them with great pleasure!

National Pie week this week and my all time favourite pie is home-made steak and kidney pie with plenty of rather good sherry and mustard in it. A wiff of puff pastry that is as light as air! Well definitely not my puff pastry then...............I have tried out half a dozen frozen and chilled puff pastries from various supermarkets and I have to say that without doubt that even on this occasion you definitely get what you pay for. So,double the price, All Butter Puff Pastry really is gorgeous, it literally melts in the mouth. The Pink Lovely, aged 7, supreme judge of puff pastry awarded it 5* and had seconds. Quite an achievement as she hates pastry.

The filling I was taught, one hung-over teenage morning by Madame Russell, our Diploma Cookery Course Teacher in a minuscule kitchen in Pimlico in the 1970s. Madame Russell was, let it be said, the second most terrifying women that I have ever met in my entire life. This could be due to the fact that she knew my French Grandmother, who was, indeed, the most terrifying lady that I have ever met.  Madame Russell's husband had been captured in Germany in the second world war and my Grandmother and her team had rescued him and then looked after him in her special hospital wing of her house in Surrey for a year until he was well enough to leave. Stern words about being as amazing as my Grandmother was not really the most encouraging thing for a 17 year old and I spent the entire 3 months in dire trepidation of being ask to make anything in front of the class!  Amazing, that I survived it and went on the cook all around the world and write 14 cookbooks!
For your filling, cook plenty of sliced onions in a half-half mixture of butter and olive oil and then when they are soft add plenty of crushed garlic, seasoning, grated nutmeg, a couple of cloves, Dijon mustard, very nice sherry, mixed herbs and toss it all around in the pan for a few minutes. Toss your steak and kidney, in any balance of mix that you prefer in flour and then chuck it into a very hot frying pan with some hot oil and seal it and toss it until evenly browned. Add the your onion mixture to the steak mixture in a casserole dish, stir in a bit of tomato puree and stock and cook in a medium oven until tender. Transfer the steak and kidney mixture to your pie dish and cover with the puff pastry. Brush with beaten egg and decorate if you enjoy it. Bake for about 35 minutes until the pastry is golden and puffy.

Not an excuse to be late for School & Blueberry Pancakes

Saturday morning, not quite sure why I promised to make Fresh Blueberry American Pancakes before school this morning. The Pink Lovely, aged 7 1/2, briefly looked pristine in her school uniform but then turned her hand to beating the mixture. Some of it stayed in the bowl, most of it went down her, but being A Domestic Goddess is never easy and best she learns this early on.  We made enormously thick pancakes which puffed up joyfully but then would not cook in the middle. Darn, I thought, this is tricky.. too little heat and they don't cook and too high and they burn. Never mind, we will eat them in the car, not my best idea as they are drizzled with maple syrup and the blueberries are oozing very hot and sticky, purple juice. Revert to kitchen table. Clock now says 08.20. Ooops! due in at 08.15am
Can one actually sneak into a full class room, with teacher in full flow, without being noticed? Not really. As I am bestowing my most winning and apologetic smile, I notice to my horror that I had forgotten to wipe The Pink Lovely's angelic little face. Now, I love the colour purple, don't get me wrong, but possibly not all round my daughter's mouth. Hands much the same colour. My brief moment of Domestic Goddess-dom evaporates and I retreat to ponder if I really am cut out to do Saturday School.
This is a SUPER EASY RECIPE, ideal for breakfast or afternoon tea.
Fresh Blueberry American Pancakes
Serve with Maple Syrup or Golden Syrup
Makes 12
150g plain flour or gluten-free Doves Farm plain flour mix
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1teaspoon baking powder
Large pinch fine sea salt
250ml buttermilk or 110ml St. Helen's Farm goats yoghurt with 110ml goats milk
1 large free range egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
200g fresh blueberries
sunflower oil for greasing

Put the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and add half the buttermilk, the egg and the vanilla. Whisk everything together, add the remaining buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Add the blueberries and fold in. Lightly oil a frying pan and drop 2 tablespoons of the mixture per pancake. Cook each one until dark golden underneath and bubbling on top. Flip over and cook on the other side. Serve immediately.

I have to cook lunch and we are, as you know, busy saving the oceans at the moment! So, we are having Whitebait for the first time in 20 years.  Pubs in Shropshire and Herefordshire in 1970s, I recall, usually had a choice of 4 starters. These never seemed to vary which was part of the charm. Rather less exhausting than wading through a page of Pacific fusion or retro French or confused Italian starters that are so often listed nowadays on every pub menu.  Prawn cocktail (in various forms), Avocado vinaigrette on a sad piece of Iceberg lettuce, Melon and Parma ham and last but not least, Fried Whitebait with a wedge of lemon. So, reassuring, no big decisions.  I think we have too much choice nowadays not just in menus but in every shop and store. Things we didn't even know we wanted.
Whitebait was an old English term for tiny fish. They are transparent fishes that migrate into our rivers during spring and summer. They drift out to sea and feed on algae and other fish eggs.  The pinkish-white flesh is low in fat and has a fine texture with a mild and sweet flavour and edible skin. This is fast food at its best.  Choose fish that are pristine and smell fresh. Fish should not have bellies torn open. This is due to enzymes within breaking down the flesh-yuk!

Here is my recipe for Kathy who requested one yesterday
Chilli Fried Whitebait with Aioli
Serves 2 main course of 4 starter
Make Aioli first: either cheat or make the real thing! Cheat: Mix Helmans Mayonnaise with one egg yolk, plenty of crushed garlic(4-7cloves), a pinch of freshly chopped oregano leaves and season to taste. For the real thing: make mayonnaise and beat in the garlic and herbs. Transfer to a serving bowl.
In a polythene bag combine 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper and a good sprinkling of chilli powder. Add the fish and shake the bag around so that the fish are evenly coated. Deep fry in oil until golden and crispy (about 5 minutes) and drain on some absorbent kitchen paper towels. Serve immediately with wedges of lemon, the Aioli and a big bowl of mixed salad.

The Pink Lovely's pink bicycle has been collected from the repair shop on a rather circuitous return trip from school this morning. To celebrate, we are going to Croft Castle to bike the length of the fish pools along the valley, up into the fields and down to the castle tea rooms where rewards will justly be given. Scones and tea have been requested! The word "we" is the royal "we" of course.... due to the fact that I have never successfully ridden a bicycle. Actually, never ridden a bicycle would be more accurate. I have of course ridden an elephant in Sri Lanka, a camel in Morocco, my childhood ponies and even a donkey in Greece but I have never managed to stay on a bicycle. So, when we go for a bike ride, I walk the dogs and inevitably end up pushing the bike up the near vertical path through Mortimer Forest to the gate at the top. This in itself is worthy of scones and tea and I have absolutely no guilty conscience what so ever!

Eating Small Fry and a Few Recipes

Save the Seas: Eat small fry like sardines, herrings and anchovies instead of tuna, shark and other predatory fish such as cod. According to a new report from scientists, the sea's ecosystem has been turned upside down by us guzzling down vast quantities of these fish. This I would have thought, could fairly easily have been deduced, but no, it has taken piles of money and a large team of super brains to work this out. Call me old fashioned but surely it is blindingly obvious that if you kill all the big fish that there will be an explosion of little fish. The resulting imbalance will as sure as eggs are eggs, endanger the precarious balance in our oceans. The claims of total decimation of our oceans by 2050 is pretty awful, not due to the fact that we will no longer be able to indulge in our passions for eating fish and seafood but because we will loose everything that is beautiful under the waves. Presumably, all our gorgeous coral reefs will die and the oceans will be taken over by a dreary green soup of plankton.
For this reason I am now trying out lots of new recipes using sardines, herrings and anchovies and I enclose the easiest of the recipes so far.  The Pink Lovely (aged 7) is not amused. Brain food, she calls it. Not very popular and she is hoping that this interest in small fry is only temporary! So for brief relief to her already brainy brain we are having Macaroni Cheese and Sticky Toffee Pudding for dinner tonight. Or maybe I could sneak a few anchovies and sliced tomatoes along the top of the Macaroni Cheese!
Deep-Fried Stuffed Sardines
24 fresh sardines, gutted
1/2 tablespoon butter or dairy-free spread
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or gluten free bread
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped very finely
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain or gluten free flour
2 cups vegetable or sunflower oil
Lemon wedges, to serve

Clean the sardines, rinse well and pat dry.
Melt the butter, combine with the breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic. Season.
Stuff the sardines with the mixture and close the opening by pinching it firmly. Roll the fish in a plate of  seasoned flour and deep-fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes. Serve immediately with the lemons and a delicious mixed salad.

Norwegian Sardine Pate
225g cream cheese, mashed with juice of 1/2 lemon, fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2 cans of sardines, drained and then mashed in a shallow bowl with a dash of hot chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley.
Combine the ingredients until fairly smooth. Make toast and cut into fingers, spread with plenty of pate and serve them dotted with capers and sprinkled with more parsley and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Great with a mixed salad for lunch.

Both these dishes are super cheap and highly nutritious, what more could we want for a healthy and easy lunch!


Warm Fresh Anchovy and Asparagus Salad
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and warm through a tablespoonful of olive oil per person. To this add one finely chopped clove of garlic per person and a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes. Heat for about 1 minute. Add plenty of very short asparagus tips and tender stems along with as many anchovies as you fancy. Season with fine salt and  freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with the zest of 1/2 lemon.  Shake the pan around until all the asparagus is coated and glossy. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender but still slightly crispy. Serve warm with hot pita breads (gluten-free available in supermarkets) and a green salad.

Tapenade
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups whole, pitted kalamata olives
1 can anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon of both fresh thyme and chopped rosemary,
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor and as you blend the mixture, drizzle in the oil. Blend until a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and serve with hot pita bread (gluten free available in super markets) and a mixed salad. Alternatively, spread the tapenade over lamb chops or over sustainably caught salmon or mackerel fillets and grill.  Serve hot with a bowl of cooked French  green beans which have been tossed in olive oil and crushed garlic and fried for a couple of minutes. Delicious.

A few verses with original spelling!

Half-term at last. Major lie-ins required after 5 weeks of early rising and the daily unfathomable miscalculations of timings that arise between 8am-8.14am, when we never quite get out of the door at the required moment. This is a total mystery to me. What happens to space and time in these 14 minutes? Slow motion? Is this part of the theory of Quantum Physics? Is there a parallel universe where we are actually on time for school and even quite possibly in the relevant classroom but we just think that we are late? I must consult a scientist!
This week we have a project afoot. The school frequently endeavours to raise large amounts of money for charity and one of our regular charities is: "The Clock Tower Fund". This charity helps families of soldiers who have been severely injured or lost their lives while serving their country. Living in Herefordshire, we do have plenty of army families at our school and so it is a charity close to our heart.  A sponsored spell has been organized and the children have to learn 40 spellings in order to achieve their sponsorship goals. Luckily, we had an influx of generous Godmothers and friends last weekend and so we have a worthy goal for which to aim. A bulletin will be released on 21st February as to her success.  Nail biting stuff... (if I did, which I don't!)
To celebrate the onset of half-term The Pink Lovely had a sleep over here with a friend. They have set up a "pop group" at school and they wanted to compose some songs for the next meeting. I left them to it.  A sheet of A4 paper was duly produced at the end of the evening and The Pink Lovely, aged 7, stood up on a chair with her Pink microphone and sang her first ever lyrics in soft and gentle Folk Music style. This was somewhat surprising as I was expecting something more akin to Lady Gaga who is currently deemed the queen of pop and worthy of imitation. This is what my little angel had written and sang..... with original spellings!

To Women and Men in the Surfis (Services)

I know ther are lots of  you in the surfis,(services)
You risk your lives helping the country,
Thanc you, Oh thank you for helping the world,
You may not see your kids very often,
and we are sorry to hear that,
The mony we rase will go to you,
to help you and care for you,
and maybe even see your children more,
Thank you, Oh thank you for helping the world.

by a little girl aged 7

It struck me right in the heart and tears trickled down for her sweetness and the joy of her generous spirit. I am indeed a lucky mother.

Moments later, composure resumed, I am madly calculating the possibilities of untold wealth in my retirement from millions of copies of my teenage daughter's first NO.1 in the "pop charts". Rock on!....

An easy menu for a relaxed St.Valentine's Day

The Pink Lovely, aged 7 is already in a state of high excitement that she will undoubtedly receive at least two St. Valentine's Cards. I saw in the post office yesterday, two for the price of one....this astonished me as I presumed that most people only send one card to their dearly beloved or  possibly to the most recent hot-date! I wondered who takes up this offer and now I know............ I have seen little envelopes with hearts on, hidden around our house and so I presume that these will be offered on a tray with a delicious, if unspeakably early breakfast! But maybe, they are for a sweetheart class mate? We shall see....
Gorgeous flowers abound and romantic dinners are enjoyed all over the world but it is not always possible to go out if you have children, so here is an easy menu to enjoy making at home.  Once the little treasures are safely asleep then you can enjoy the rest of the evening in the sure knowledge that the food is prepared and ready for a few last minute attentions with a glass of something you enjoy in your glass.  Tweeting away the other day, I was delighted to receive a request from THE FOOD BEAT to conjure up a St. Valentine's Day main course.  So I have decided on something quick and easy but slightly fun and different. An inexpensive starter and pudding to make up for an expensive main course. The menu is not too rich but it can either be prepared earlier in the day or when you get back from work. So, The Food Beat, I hope you enjoy your dinner and have a lovely evening.


Smoked Mackerel and Tomato Pots
Serves 4 (keep two for the next day!)
2 fillets (about 200g) skinned smoked mackerel in crushed peppercorns
(for a milder taste use plain smoked mackerel and season with your own quantity of  freshly ground black pepper)
12 mini vine tomatoes, halved
125ml organic or local double cream or thick Jersey cream
(you can use Elmlea light for those who prefer less fat or St. Helen's Farm goats' double cream/ soya dream for those who cannot take dairy)
A sprinkling of cayenne pepper
2 oven-proof china pots (very large ramekins or mini-gratin/pie dishes, failing this use 4 little ramekins)
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas6
Break up the mackerel into bite-size pieces and arrange haphazardly with the tomato halves in each  china dish. Pour the cream over the mixture and sprinkle with a dusting of cayenne. Chill until needed.
Bake the mackerel for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling and serve with warm breads.

Steak with Parmesan and Mushrooms
Serves 2-4
680g middle cut fillet beef
crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
255g mixed mushrooms (wild and cultivated), sliced
2 tablespoons sherry or Madeira
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon full fat crème fraiche or dairy-free Tofutti Sour Supreme
1 free range egg yolk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or dairy-free Parmesan substitute
Trim the fillet and roll in the fresh peppercorns. Warm one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sauté the meat until it is browned on all sides.  This might take about 10 minutes if you like it medium rare.  Leave it to cool on a wire rack over a plate.  Add the remaining oil to the pan, add the onion and cook gently until soft. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms. Increase the heat and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the sherry.  Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid has been absorbed.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and leave to cool. Stir the crème fraiche or Sour Supreme into the cold mixture with the egg and parsley, cover and keep chilled until needed. Wrap the meat tightly in clingfilm and chill until 15 minutes before eating.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas6
Unwrap the beef and cut into 4 even-sized pieces. Place them on a lightly greased baking tray or oven-proof dish. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the top of each one, flatten slightly and sprinkle with the grated cheese.  Cook for about 8 minutes until the tops are golden and bubbling and serve.
Any leftovers can be eaten the next day in a sandwich! Yum......

Passion Cakes with Passion Sauce
Serves 2-4
4x Heart-shaped tins/baking moulds are available from good cook shops or department stores. Line them with non-stick paper
60g ground almonds
30g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour or organic plain flour, sifted
2 large free range eggs, separated
75g caster sugar
1 teaspoon bitter almond extract
Flesh and fruit of 6 ripe passion fruit (the more wrinkled they are the riper)
Sprinkling of sifted icing sugar
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
4 tablespoons Archers Peach Schnapps or other similar liqueur
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas4
Mix the ground almonds with the flour in a bowl. In the food processor, beat the egg yolks and sugar with the almond extract until pale and thick. Scrape the mixture out of the food processor and stir into the flour.        Quickly slice open 2 of the passion fruits, scoop the filling out and into the flour mixture. Beat the egg whites into soft peaks and fold into the passion fruit mixture.  Divide between the prepared heart moulds and bake for about 15 minutes until golden and springy to touch.  Leave them to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack. (Store in air-tight container until needed later in the day).


Wishing absolutely everyone who reads this blog a peaceful day and a contented evening, wherever they are and what ever they are doing.

Shrewsbury hits the spot and a Tipsy Duck

I am undergoing a conversion, not of the religious kind, you will be glad to hear! but to shopping in Shrewsbury! I discovered an Aladdin's cave of sugarcraft goodies and cake decorations and could be heard squeaking with delight at the sight of a tube of edible fuchsia coloured gel, a glistening edible gold dust, sparkling edible cobalt blue glitter, all for my cakes. The Pink Lovely aged 7.5 yrs will expire with delight and excitement when they are produced for our next batch of cup cakes at half-term. So, if you love fun cake toppings then do go and find "The Icing Tip" in Shrewsbury's covered market on the top floor. However, if you don't like baking or don't have time to bake then there is nothing better that "Cake Angels" in Hereford.  They make up the most exquisite gift boxes of cup cakes, brownies and tray bakes that I have ever seen and they are all gluten, wheat and dairy free. Fabulous gifts to be delivered to your friends or family to celebrate anything or just as a big "Thank You". £1.00 from each standard order goes to The Haven Trust in Hereford which helps ladies recover from breast cancer by giving them lots of advice and therapies. There is also a Haven in Leeds and in London and they do a magnificent job in guiding so many women. This reminds me of a very funny email that the Chief Executive of the Haven sent me last week, asking me to go around my area collecting old bras from all my friends and acquaintances. These bras will be recycled and the money raised will help towards the £1000.00 cost per person to be treated by the Haven.  So, with hundreds of bras in my bag tomorrow, I set off to Hereford to deliver these aged and wondrous delights!  Friday night dawns, actually, that cannot be right, it must drawing-in or something...must be loosing my concentration and needing a large Vodka and Tonic and ice and lemon.....................(quick exit!).................Ahhhhh....OOps it is only 6pm - Oh well it is 7pm somewhere in the world.  Gorgeous Godmothers descending on Fox Barn later this evening and have not yet decided on what I should create for dinner tonight.  I have been lusting after duck for the past week, cannot get enough of it! Could this be a lack of iron and the need for red meat or could this be that I never usually buy duck and my culinary senses are starved of this sublime game bird? Having said this: I have already had duck three times this week! Duck and Pomegranate stir-fry: exceptionally good! Duck Soup and Duck and Roquefort Salad. Weird or What...but this makes up for not eating duck for 11 months, mainly due to The Big Issue, which is of course: Does one buy ready-to-cook duck from some unspeakable supermarket chiller cabinet, wrapped in layers of plastic and un-recyclable packaging for under a tenner? OR does one go to the gasp-making game counter in the local butcher, down a windy lane half-way to Leominster? I shudder as I bring out my credit card (think of the extra point rewards!) but I am sure it is better to eat a happy duck and make a yummy stock afterwards and prepare a Chinese duck and rice noodle soup with lots of coriander, chilli, lime and spring onions for the next meal.  As it happens we made some rather good damson vodka in the autumn and as I have already enjoyed a sip or two of this spirited companion, I think that I will use this liquid gold to make a sauce for the roast duck.
Recipe for Tipsy Duck
1 very large and fat duck, rubbed with olive oil so that chopped sage, thyme and bits of bay leaf , sea salt and freshly ground black pepper stick to the skin
A few peeled onion quarters and bits of carrots and chopped garlic
1 large wine glass chicken stock
Damson Vodka
Some left-over stewed plums or damson from out of the freezer

Scatter the onions and carrots over the bottom of a deep roasting dish and plonk the duck on top. Pour the stock around it and roast in a hot oven until the skin looks crispy and golden. Top up with more stock if necessary. Remove from the heat and remove excess fat, add some splashes of damson vodka and the plums or damsons. Return to the oven and cook the meat until it is just how you like it. It should really be pink so that it doesn't dry out. Remove bird and leave to sit for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, boil up the goodies in the pan over a medium flame and stir in some more vodka.  Sieve the mixture into a jug, adjust the seasoning to taste and then transfer it to a gravy boat or whatever you fancy serving it in. Carve the duck and before you  have any gravy, make sure that you are not driving home that night!

Oh How Exciting!

Pop the corks, I am going to Shrewsbury! You may laugh....but it is 12 months exactly since I last went in the vain hope of finding a suitable outfit for my sister's wedding. Naturally, I came home with something entirely un-suitable and far more fun!  The quest today: hunt down the new gastro-idea; vanilla paste in a squeezey bottle, I mean how cool is that, no more scraping the pod with a murderous knife and boiling up the beans for a syrup that then gets left in a safe corner of the fridge never to be seen again.  Well not for 6 months anyway by which time it looks like something by Damian Hurst!  Next quest is to find tubes of gel colouring for cup cakes and other cake decorations, apparently, entirely natural and no nasty "e" or other additives. I have yet to discover these delights and have a feeling that once I find this market stall full on incredible edibles that there will be no turning back and I will be hooked on cup cake decoration for decades to come.  Shrewsbury is only 70 miles round trip, a mere nothing in this neck of the woods but I hesitate to go North.  I don't know why but I prefer going South or West. Cheltenham Yes. Hereford Yes. So this epic journey of discovery will be the highlight of the week and of course I will have to go to the very famous and enticing wine shop that Tanners have hidden in an Elizabethan warren of beams and exciting little corners of temptation. Their very old and delicious sherry is my favourite treat but to allow myself this extravagance, I feel that we should have a trifle for Sunday lunch this weekend. A dear friend, Fiona and myself have always had a secret passion for sherry before lunch on Sunday, this comes of having a Colonel as a father I suspect.  We have felt for the past 30 years that we were a bit vintage ourselves in our choice of aperitif but NOW, can you imagine our delight to hear that Sherry is the new "IN" aperitif in London and that Sherry Bars are opening instead of more wine bars.  Astonishing news and by all accounts (The Times, so it must be true!) these are a huge success.  Excellent Sherry has always been cheaper than excellent wine and hence the current popularity as an aperitif. So, bin the Prosecco and start buying Sherry!

Stylish Blogger Award

Oh My! What fun, I have been awarded the stylish blogger award and I had absolutely no idea that there is one!

Exciting times for us in cyber space!  I shall relish telling The Pink Lovely that this "Aged" mother of hers is "up there" with the cyber babes!...................Today, Alas, I was also introduced to Tweetdeck. What can one say? I have recently just got to grips (rather than I just recently got to grips....!) with my twitter account on my website. An internal groan at the thought of  a new tweet technique to be learnt but the Dear Friend, Bless Her, who enthusiastically showed it to me, over a yummy bowl of Thai Green Curry Soup at lunch time was adamant that it is the only way forward. So, I will prove that I am indeed a technobabe and cast my eye over the site this evening! Well, I have done it...not the tweet deck actually, but I have just phoned a couple of friends and bribed them lavishly with the lure of food and wine to come and set it up for me....

cup cakes and treats

The Pink Lovely, my 7yr old daughter, woke me at 6.30am this morning sure in the knowledge that we could bake before school.  Her beaming face and pleading eyes melted my hard old heart and we found the kitchen in darkness and started making cupcakes and treats which astonished the dogs and the neighbours!The reason for this display of enthusiasm was that a school friend has his birthday tomorrow and his Mum has been called away to Alaska to a very sick relative. The class and their teachers decided that we should all do something to help make the day a bit more special. The Pink Lovely said she really missed her Dad every birthday and knows just how he feels. Very touching and I think she is a sweetie. So we whack it into the oven: never fails to work: this is my prize recipe for any cake at any time with any flavour and it makes 12 x cupcakes, or a loaf, square or round cake.
Recipe
Weight either 2 (small cake or cupcakes) or 3 large eggs and set aside. Remember the weight (difficult at 06.30am!) and weight the same in granulated golden sugar, butter or dairy-free margarine, self-raising (Doves farm gluten free is perfect too) flour.  In food processor or in big bowl with wooden spoon, beat the sugar and fat together until soft and pale. Add 1 egg at a time, with a spoonful of the flour and stir in. Add the remaining flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and fold in. Flavour with a dash of vanilla, grated citrus zest, chocolate powder etc etc and fold in. Scrape the mixture into prepared tin or cup cake cases in a tin and bake until firm and golden on top. I usually bake at 180C and they don't take long- about 25 minutes for a cake and 15 for cupcakes but times vary.  Leave to cool before removing from the tin to decorate.
Now back to my pheasant, onion, bacon, thyme, white wine, celery, creamy white sauce pie that I am making for dinner tonight.  I am going to top it with ready-made frozen puff pastry (not allergy-free).  I shall roll out the pastry to twice as big as I need and then grate mature cheddar cheese all over it.  Fold the pastry in half and top my pheasant pie filling, crimp it down, score it with a nice pattern and air vent and the shove it in the oven for 35 minutes. When it is puffy and golden it is ready to eat - that is the theory anyway but I have never tried this out before! I will let you know... you can also make this pie with chopped cooked chicken or rabbit.

Farmhouse Breakfast Week

I love a healthy breakfast and I have to admit that I also love a very unhealthy breakfast of almond croissants, pain au chocolat and cappuccino!  Preferably administered by charming people in a serene cafe somewhere, rather than in my chaotic kitchen full of dogs, children and washing up!
The word breakfast was first mentioned in 1463 in English and it meant "Breaking the Fast".  Not much fasting goes on nowadays but it is a nice thought!
Farmhouse Breakfast Week has been going on since 2000 and is trying to make people aware of just how important breakfast is.  It gives lots of great recipes and ideas and there are promotions and offers all over the countryside in local farm shop cafe and organic cafes etc.  I was surprised to hear that 1in 4 people skip breakfast and that they then are tempted by less healthy snacks so that they can get to lunch time.  So, if you live in the country, check out your local inns and shops and see what yummy breakfast deals you can get this weekend.  What a treat, I cannot wait!....

French Macaroons

Just in case you are as passionate about French Macaroons as I am and you cannot get to a London patisserie or a Waitrose where they can be found cradled in chic French boxes.  I have the very recipe that you need! page 136 in my "Learn to Cook Wheat,Gluten and Dairy Free". The beautiful picture set in the previous post accompanies the recipe.  You may think that this advanced baking but I assure you that it is so easy and simple that they cannot fail. You can tint them with any colour you like, bold, or pale and interesting! Fill them with jams, vanilla or coffee cream, chocolate or ganache. Use whipped and flavoured St. Helen's Farm double cream from Waitrose stores for the flavoured cream or ganache fillings.  If you don't have a Waitrose store then the cream is available by mail order.  So have a go and make these irresistible petits fours or tea-time treats just for fun and the pride and joy when you have produced them and they have all been devoured in minutes!

Launching into London

Well, actually, Hurl Myself into London, might be a better description.  A blast of Herefordshire swooshed into Ealing and I launched myself into the house of an amazing publishing consultant Guru. (If you want to know who, then you will have to contact me on the website).  This brain storming ex-senior editor of a renowned publishing house is brimming with astonishing ideas for me to have another best seller! Her business is going so well that she has found publishers for everyone that has come to her. I departed, happy. This time I managed to get onto the right tube train and go to the exact spot that I wished to alight for my next meeting.  This is usually pretty hit and miss and generally, it has to be said that I get off at the wrong station or onto the train that is going in the wrong direction. Triumphant, I arrive at the RA to meet with the Chief-Executive of a Fantastic Cancer Charity.  We have a hugely wicked tea in the members room and tried not to be excited by the fact that we were going to allow ourselves an enormous slice of coffee and walnut cake.  This has to be my ultimate treat as in 7 years, I have never made this, my favourite cake, due to the fact that The Pink Lovely hates both coffee and walnuts. A blessed relief to the waistline but emotionally deprived for years, this was certainly a super big hit!  A dose of culture was also administered and then I flew onto the next rendez-vous and then the next and then the next! One of the things that I particularly look forward to, apart from seeing my dearest friends of course, are my gourmet experiences whilst in London. Dinner was mystical in it's deliciousness and the poached fig in rose syrup with home-made pistachio ice cream was sublime.
Feeling somewhat delicate the next morning, we went in search of both culture and edible delights and ended up at the National Portrait Gallery and after drifting round the galleries, swooning at various 18C oil paintings we discovered the top floor restaurant would let us restore ourselves whilst gazing at the most incredible roof-top view of the capitol.  I almost felt the twitch of  a paintbrush... but no...... back to the really important subject of food.  Ladure Macaroons must be heaven sent.. who else could invent such bite sized morsels of sweetness, chewiness, subtle flavours and gory colours?  Utterly weak at the knees, luckily we were sitting down, I did my best to try out most flavours but in the end defeated at last, we had to get up and go..... onto LUNCH.........
I waddled out of the restaurant to find that a parking ticket had firmly entrenched itself under my host's windscreen wiper. How annoying but at least the congestion charge has been done away with, so he definitely saved £8.00 there. Not sure he saw it quite like that...
Finally, the last activity in the day, a dinner party in Holland Park.  I arrive only to be marched into the kitchen to rescue the pea and mint soup or should I say mint and mint soup.  Luckily, years of "saving" recipes has taught me the three basic rescue steps of almost any soup.
1) Stir in plenty of freshly grated nutmeg-taste and go onto rescue stage 2) stir in some form of liquid chilli sauce- taste and go onto rescue stage 3)stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice-taste, adjust seasoning and swirl in fresh cream and a knob of butter and reheat.  Never fails and the soup was yummy!

Easy Marmalade Recipe

You probably have a wonderful "Granny or even Great Granny" recipe for marmalade but this one is so easy that I have given up on Mrs. Beeton and gone for speed and simplicity.  I also like the fact that you can make stage 1, one day and finish it off the next day. So a very big thank you to the kind lady who parted with her recipe the other day. I filled 11 mixed size jars and had them ready, warm and clean for stage 2.
Most of all, I like this recipe because it uses a kilo LESS sugar than my other ones. Helpful for teeth and waistline alike!
You will need;
1.5kg Seville Oranges (organic are best but certainly un-waxed)
2 large lemons (organic are best but certainly un-waxed)
Put them into a huge pan and cover with water.  Simmer for about 1.5hrs until they are squidgy. Leave them until cold or until the next day.  Halve the fruit lengthwise and pull out any pips or too much pith. Give the fruit a good squeeze, cut in half again and then slice finely on a chopping board. Chuck all the stuff into a huge pan with 3 pints of the leftover orange water.  Top it up with water if there is not enough. Throw in 2kg of granulated sugar and leave to dissolve over low heat.  Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 45mins, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Test the marmalade by put a teaspoonful on a chilled saucer and leaving it in the freezer for a few minutes. If it is set then leave the pan to cool for about 10 minutes.  Pour the marmalade into the prepared jars, cover with lids and label. Hide them so that the family doesn't gobble it all up!...............

Marmalade Awards

I am bemused! I announce that my marmalade is a triumph on my Tweet and suddenly I have a tweet back from the 2011 Marmalade Awards!  Astonishing Technology! Shall I enter my marmalade for this National competition?  Maybe not, It would be mortifying not to win!
My marmalade is however, sharp and clean cut, yet just sweet enough to feel indulgent. Beautiful colour and lightly set.  For a less guilty breakfast I used 1kg less sugar than usual.  This would be brilliant except for the fact that I then smothered my toast in double the butter!  Not so good.....and then I had a second piece of toast...really not at all good! Especially as The Pink Lovely hates marmalade and that means I have 11 pots all to myself!
I shall write out the recipe tomorrow so that you can have freshly made marmalade for your weekend breakfast.
Meanwhile, I shall be taking some pots up to London, for the friends that I am dining with this week when I go up for my dose of city culture, research, PR and party, party, party!
There was a very imperious marmalade cat sitting on our stone wall this afternoon.  Peering over the tangled branches of our rather vile evergreen hedge, he sat and tried to stare out Coco and Lucy.  There was much tail wagging from Lucy who thinks that even cats should be amusing and good for a romp and a game or two. Coco only has one thing on her mind when she sees at cat and it is definitely not hugely amusing for the cat!  Now I know why there are no rats in the barn, obviously Orlando the Marmalade cat has been vigilant in his housekeeping!

Must get a grip!

Fantastic as my life at Fox Barn is, sometimes I think I must get a grip and deal with the reality of life! The one sure fact of life is that there are only 24hrs in each day and however much I would like about 28hrs,  this is not remotely possible. Unless of course, we could beam ourselves up into some parallel time of the quantum physics type for a few hours each day.  This, I imagine is unlikely for the next few decades and so I need to get a grip and plan a realistic schedule for each day and not..........1) Take The Pink Lovely to school 2) walk the dogs 3)stuff a turkey for dinner party for 10 tomorrow night 4) forget and then rush out to coffee with friends 5) make cranberry and damson vodka sauce (mainly vodka!) 6) forget to make soup and rush to make lunch  for guests arriving at 1pm 7) be nice to everybody! 8) work on the website, proof a recipe, test a recipe, and write to publisher, set up advertising deal and answer all emails, phone calls and tweets 9) attend Hotpoint service of broken down tumble dryer 10) Make a huge apple and mincemeat tart for 10  11)get glamorous for drinks party in Herefordshire tonight 12)forget to get the pink lovely,  then rush to school 13) do homework 14) cook her supper 15) go to party an then... 16) write shopping list for tomorrow 17) finish the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle before midnight 18) read the next chapter of my book club book "Sex with Kings" (absolutely no sex whatsoever!).  19) Take the dogs out 20)meditate peace, calm and tranquillity!
So, this is a what a quiet day in the country is really like...Maybe I should move back to London!!!!!!

Spelt, Raisin and Walnut Bread

This loaf of bread was the end of all my New Year self-discipline! It is gorgeous. I only use organic spelt flour now and it is available in most good supermarkets and Doves Farm do a very good one.  Spelt is not actually wheat free but it is such an ancient grain that has not been mucked about with and therefore so much easier to digest. Organic means it wont have all the dodgy sprays on it which seems to affect people with sensitive tummies.
SPELT BREAD
7g dried yeast that you just add to flour
2 heaped tablespoons local honey
255g wholemeal organic spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
55g roughly chopped walnuts
100g raisins or sultanas

Preheat the oven to 180Cfan/200C/gas 6
You will need a standard 1lb loaf tin and extra organic rye or spelt flour for kneading

In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the honey and 200ml tepid water. Add the spelt flour and salt with the oil and mix with a blunt knife until it comes together enough for you to start kneading it with your hands. On a floured surface, knead in the nuts and raisins and then place in the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm area to double in size. After about 1hr, knead the dough again, knock into a loaf shape and then place in the tin. cover and leave for 45 mins. Bake for about 25-30 mins until the crust is dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
However tempting it is, you must let the bread cool before eating! the consequence is indigestion and spoiling the bread for the next day. Yummy with cheeses for lunch or jam/honey for tea.....

A special Treat

A glorious moment this morning, I have dreamt of it often!  A little voice calls me up from the depths of my boudoir at 07.45am, I stagger up to the Kitchen where I am told to shut my eyes before I enter, well as I can barely see without my glasses, hence the staggering, I thought this rather sweet. I enter and to my utter amazement, my 7yr old daughter, who we call The Pink Lovely, is in full school uniform, the table is laid for breakfast, the dogs have obviously been out (muddy paw prints every where!) and sitting perfectly centred on a plate is half a toasted muffin with a beautiful pile of perfectly cooked scrambled eggs on top.  Wow! Speechless!
Much praise was given and she was as proud of herself as I was of her.  Next time she wants to do grilled bacon too....Gulp!.....Have I a Master Chef contestant on my hands?
I am going to try a new recipe for bread today and serve it with a selection of cheeses and the most delicious organic white wine jelly.  This amazing jelly comes from a vineyard in South Africa and is translucent to look at and sublime to taste. I hope someone decides to sell it here or even better, why doesn't an English Vineyard make it and then it would not have the air-miles.

I can feel marmalade coming on...

Something is missing from my store cupboard. Jars of damson and apple jam, blackberry and apple jam, piccalilly, pear chutney, lavender and apple jelly,  quince jelly and rhubarb chutney.  Marmalade. That deep golden glowing splodge of orange in a jam jar. None left from 2009, so I start getting that fidgety feeling that happens when you get an idea and then want to do it but have absolutely no idea whether the oranges are even in the shops yet. I missed it entirely last year as I was finishing off my latest "Learn to Cook, Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free" Cookbook.  I have not even started the next Cookbook so I have no excuse.  I can feel a trip to Ludlow coming on.  If I hover around the cobbled alleyways where greengrocers lurk or the farmers market in the square then maybe I will come across some. Or maybe it is too early?  I shall appease the fidgets by looking up recipes.

Forgot the Yuletide log so here is my kitsch Roulade

Chocolate Roulade is my happy play-time for mummy, pudding!  Not quite the gorgeous pudd that we purchased from the patisserie in Beaulieu on Christmas Eve but goes down a treat when up against more snow and unable to drive further than the five bar gate! All the ingredients are in the store cupboard and it is a doddle to make.  Having had the best Christmas of our lives in Beaulieu this holidays, I have decided that I shall die happy if I can be deposited in the supermarket and patisserie for the entire day every day, not to surface until required to cook said items! Eat them and then retire to my sofa on the veranda gazing at the stars and the bays of Cote D'azure until deep in the night.  What a way to go!..............................
However, back to reality and I must go and drop a couple of pieces of 70% dark chocolate into the venison stew with a couple of pieces of orange rind to finish it off. Candlelit dinner tonight.Totally impressive If I say so myself, but will anyone else? I will let you know.........................
CHOCOLATE ROULADE
can be with or without wheat, gluten or dairy
(for Dairy free use St. Helen's Farm double whipping cream, it is brilliant but you will need 2 pots and it is by mail order only)

• 75g Doves Farm wheat free,gluten free self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 55g x 70% cocoa powder , plus extra for dusting
• 5eggs
• 100g golden caster sugar,plus a little extra Cream Filling
• 300ml double cream 

Decoration

• 50g dark chocolate 
• 4 bay leaves 
• 8 whole almonds 

Extra pot of double or whipping cream for the decoration

• To make the chocolate leaves, melt 50g of the dark chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of water.Paint the shiny side of each bay leaf with a layer of chocolate.Leave to set, then paint over another layer.Set in a cool place,then peel off the chocolate leaves. Paint one side of each almond, leave to set, paint the other side and leave to set.
• Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.Line a 30x40cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment,butter and dust with extra cocoa.Sift the flour,baking powder and cocoa in a bowl.Beat the eggs and caster sugar with an electric mixer until thick,pale and trebled in volume,about 8-10 minutes.Quickly and lightly fold in the flour and mix with a large metal spoon.Scrape into the tin,tipping the tin so the batter is even.Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm.
• Cool the sponge for a few minutes, turn it out onto fresh baking parchment dusted with caster sugar.Peel off the lining paper and roll up the sponge using the paper underneath.It may crack,but the icing will cover it.Leave it to cool.
• Whisk the cream until soft peaks.Gently unroll the sponge and spread cream out gently.Reroll the roulade as tightly as you can without squashing out the filling.
• Fill a pipping bag with the whipped cream and decorate as much as you fancy!Arrange the chocolate leaves and nuts and dust with extra cacao.   

A Happy New Year and Twelfth Night

We didn't really get to twelfth night as by 4th January the entire Christmas tree was bare of its glossy needles and they lay knee-deep all over the hall floor.  This was more than I could bare and Mr. Henry was called upon to perform! This seemed a good moment to sort out the decorations, some of which have lurked around the nest of cotton wool and tissue paper since about 1960! Time to move on................A few swift and ruthless movements and hey ho, one naked tree!  I am already looking forward to buying lots of gorgeous new trendy decorations next autumn! I then transformed into a whirlwind and swooped on and removed all known Christmas cards, holly and mistletoe lurking around the house. Immensely satisfying and chuck all the green stuff on the wood burner, the cards however get made into an absolutely fabulous collage which The Pink Lovely and I will make one rainy afternoon in February.
New year on the other-hand was unquestionably the best for ages. A mini festive dinner with a glass of champagne at 7pm for The Pink Lovely and a truly heroic friend and babysitter, Sarah. Then on with the crown jewels and high heels and off to the most brilliant party in Herefordshire!  Surrounded by guests from New York, France, London and Worcestershire............... it was dazzling! As was the pink champagne, burgundy, port and more champagne............... You will be glad to know that B&B was on the schedule!
Not well in the morning and staggered around for a bit before going back to bed for two days!  Bye Bye 2010 - Hello 2011!!!!!!!!!  I did manage some pancakes for brunch for The Pink Lovely, with heaps of Maple syrup and butter and here is the recipe which can be made with or without wheat, gluten and dairy.
SCOTCH PANCAKES

115g  Doves Farm Organic self raising flour
30ml(2 level tbsp)caster sugar

1 large egg beaten
150ml Arla Lactofree  milk

Lightly grease a griddle or heavy-based frying pan. Mix the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre and stir in the egg,with enough of the milk to make a batter of the consistency of thick cream.
The mixing should be done as quickly and lightly as possible.Do not beat .
Drop the mixture in spoonfuls on to a hot surface.For round pancakes,drop it from the point of the spoon,for oval ones,drop from the side.
Keep the griddle at a steady heat and when it bubbles rise to surface of the pancakes and burst -after2-3 minutes-turn the pancake over, using a palette knife.Continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes,until golden brown on the other side.
Place the cooked pancakes on a clean tea towel, cover with another towel and place on a rack to cool.(this keeps in the steam and the pancakes do not become dry.)Serve with butter or with whipped cream.