July 2009
9 posts
Gooseberry Fool
One of the nations finest flavours - the mighty gooseberry.
Traditionally I would advocate a harvest of gooseberries to be slung straight into a crumble, but this time I thought I’d have a go at making a fool. If successful, this should open the door for all manner of fruit fools through the summer months.
A bit of research suggests that fools fall into two main categories - the proper...
The Best Italian Cookbook
I’m a sucker for buying cookbooks. Whether a £50 fancy bound thing from the internet or a scruffy old £1.50 charity shop book, I’ve got them all.
My favourite kind of cooking is by far Italian so naturally they represent the larger proportion of books on the shelf.
I recommend three -
Giorgio Locatelli ‘Made in Italy’ - a beautifully bound, hardbacked, 600+ masterpiece....
“There are few things in the home-cooks kitchen more pleasurable than cubing...”
How To Make The Perfect Burger According to the... →
June 2009
15 posts
Seeds of Italy 2009 Catalogue Download →
Still time to plant lots of lovely things if you have the space. Otherwise, download the catalogue anyway - it’s a great read and an inspiration for next year!
The World's 50 Best Restaurants →
Nice to see Heston flying the flag still!
June Sowing, Shows and Fathers Day
Here’s a missive from Paulo of Franchi Seeds of Italy.
These guys are the real crossover for me. They offer the vesy best selection of Italian seeds that you can find in the UK and they are passionate about good food and cooking.
From Paulo………
A good weekend to you all and one with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we really need the rain, but why at the weekend when...
ahhhh bliss
Just settling in to watch the first of the new River Cottage series, sipping on a Cotes Du Rhone and even better - the world’s greatest cooking mag, ‘Cooks Illustrated’, just dropped through the door today too.
May 2009
22 posts
Wild Rice With Seaweed and Miso
Just had a takeaway lunch at work from the local wholefood store ‘WIld Oats’ in Bristol.
Admittedly - it’s not something I’d think of making myself but all their stuff is home made and tends to be packed full of flavour.
The rice was no exception - delicious.
And I can feel smug all afternoon for having had such a healthy lunch.
UItimate French Toast
A weekend treat for my wife is a lie-in, a cappuccino and some french toast.
Up until now, I’ve made it the basic way of just dunking a couple of slices of butter brioche into beaten eggs then frying it. Tastes fine - nothing wrong with it. But I always think it should be so much better.
Having turned to my trusted ‘Cooks Illustrated’ mag for inspiration I have now developed...
Good tip for planting peas
One for the mouse; One for the crow; One to rot; And one to grow
Sow them thick! They don’t mind and they support each other nicely. Make sure you have plenty of peas sticks.
Off outside to throw a couple of late packs of Hurst Greenshaft in the ground.
The Honolulu Surf Museum →
(via earlyadaptor)
whipping up 2.5kgs of jonnyburger mix for...
Pizza on a BBQ?
I’m giving it a shot this evening providing the weather holds.
Theory being by using my gas BBQ and a pizza stone, I can emulate the high temps and atmosphere of an wood burning pizza oven.
Dough has been made and is ‘slow fermenting’ for the afternoon - the way proper pizza dough should do.
April 2009
10 posts
Muscat Rosada Grapes - Now In Season - yum yum
Everybody loves a grape.
But have you ever tried a Muscat grape? One of the oldest varieties of grape and interestingly one of the only grape to produce wine with the same aroma as the grape itself. According to Wikipedia, Muscat grapes were a key component of the alcoholic beverage served at the funeral feast of King Midas and practically all families within the Vitis vinifera grape family are...
“There are 18 animal shapes in a box of Animal Crackers. Can you name them all? ...”
– Foodimentary