tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72467320508158261892024-03-12T23:22:53.960+00:00ScandiliciousCooking and Feasting with Scandinavian FlairSignehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-15111229583063411632010-04-30T09:51:00.002+01:002010-04-30T09:53:49.009+01:00Hello...and goodbye!For those who follow this blog please note I've moved from blogger to wordpress, you can find a less emasculating, though no less delicious version here: <a href="http://signejohansen.com">www.signejohansen.com</a>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-24301795749393167462010-03-28T12:18:00.006+01:002010-03-28T12:28:52.811+01:00Hot buns full of heresy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuRkkqCKEauB-Hn3vgXr3g8PT_TU6A_Dm86GMYxUkHFHhAH7xRslG8wCI3P_n0sPskXi8VqIlJtl4r8NlMNuStNwRSJFIHJpDzZqX7ZAAfOU6F4Ak2qgbPQfW9483x7GR8Hd4dDln8w/s1600/DSCF4437.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuRkkqCKEauB-Hn3vgXr3g8PT_TU6A_Dm86GMYxUkHFHhAH7xRslG8wCI3P_n0sPskXi8VqIlJtl4r8NlMNuStNwRSJFIHJpDzZqX7ZAAfOU6F4Ak2qgbPQfW9483x7GR8Hd4dDln8w/s400/DSCF4437.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453644703130767842" /></a><br />Last year's holy buns (photo by Fiona Beckett)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww9EdBRfbH48owucpIKaIoemNjvYNAp4usiCnZJR64fQTImB7eRR6Ot0AbmQ1XQ6zS7dbErGg9LT4OwymDlr-qizxbJgb-xCFjNz2KRJ-t0UpEkJ97rjnb39uZZSVAp7d-iPubP_Arg/s1600/DSCF1014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww9EdBRfbH48owucpIKaIoemNjvYNAp4usiCnZJR64fQTImB7eRR6Ot0AbmQ1XQ6zS7dbErGg9LT4OwymDlr-qizxbJgb-xCFjNz2KRJ-t0UpEkJ97rjnb39uZZSVAp7d-iPubP_Arg/s400/DSCF1014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453625503996383858" /></a><br />This year's hot cross loaf (the buns were all snaffled up before photos could be taken)<br /><br />Being of Norwegian-Irish-Scottish-Jewish-Lithuanian-German extraction I've stopped crossing my buns. <br /><br />What inspired such subversive behaviour in the week leading to Easter? Misplacing my piping bags. And out of sheer laziness I decided to forego making my own piping bag from silicone paper and just skipped the wobbly white crosses altogether this year. Not Cross Buns taste just the same as Hot Cross Buns, and come to think of it a pinch of heretical cardamom made its way into this spiced spelt dough. Hot cross bun purists will tut and shake their heads but I go by what tastes good, not some arbitrary notion of culinary tradition. Besides M&S are putting apples and cranberries in their buns so I'll stick to my cardamom thank you very much.<br /><br />Anyway! These slow-fermented Not Crossed but rather tasty buns are suitable for lazy Sunday breakfasts so I hope you'll give them a whirl, with or without the crosses, the spelt, the cardamom...<br /><br />Not cross buns (adapted from the Leiths bible standard hot cross bun recipe)<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />200ml milk, scalded (ie, brought to boiling point and then allowed to cool)<br />85g butter<br />300g refined spelt flour<br />150g wholemeal spelt flour<br />55g caster<br />1/2 tsp salt (1 tsp if using unsalted butter)<br />1 generous teaspoon mixed spice<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp cardamom (not strictly kosher but who cares)<br />20g fresh yeast or 7g sachet dried yeast<br />2 medium eggs, lightly beaten<br />100g sultanas<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />I slow ferment this dough overnight before baking off the buns/loaf. You can of course make them in a few hours but I find the slow fermentation adds a complex flavour and reputedly the slower the fermentation the more digestible the buns or loaf...<br /><br />First, scald the milk along with the butter and cool to less than 50°C. Above 50°C and the heat will kill off the yeast so if you don't have a digital thermometer stick your finger in and the milk should feel lukewarm but not hot.<br /><br />Meanwhile sift the flours, spice, salt and sugar in a large bowl. If using dried active yeast add it at this stage. If using fresh yeast, mix with 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. It should dissolve after a few minutes, and foam slightly - this is a sign the yeast is active. A good sign!<br /><br />When the milk has cooled sufficiently, make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and add the milk, butter, eggs, and (if using) fresh yeast.<br /><br />Stir through and bring together with a large spoon. The great thing about spelt is it doesn't require much kneading. The dough should be quite sticky but simply stir through with your spoon for 5 minutes. You should see the dough become pliable and a little stretchy from the gluten strands forming.<br /><br />Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, large enough to allow the dough to double in size, and then cover with oiled clingfilm and refrigerate for 12-18 hours, depending on when you're ready to bake the buns.<br /><br />When the time comes to start shaping the dough into buns, take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to 'come to' temperature. Ie, let it warm up for 1 hour. <br /><br />Meanwhile, soak the raisins in enough water to cover and drain the excess liquid off after 15 minutes.<br /><br />Roll your dough out into a rough square or rectangle shape and scatter the raisins over. Bring the dough together like a parcel, sealing it off, and then just give it a couple of kneads to seal the dough and make sure the raisins haven't all clumped in one section of the dough.<br /><br />Using a sharp un-serrated knife, slice the dough into 12-16 bun shapes of equal size. I weigh mine to 60g portions so they all bake evenly but you don't have to be as fastidious a fuss-pot as me.<br /><br />Roll the buns into as round shapes as you can by gripping each bun in the palm of your hand, cupping your whole hand over it and then swirling around on your work surface in tight circles for a few seconds. This creates a tight;y structured bun and a round, even shape. I found I had too much dough to make buns for one tray to fit in my small oven so the remaining quarter of the dough I shaped into a mini loaf and baked after the buns were finished.<br /><br />Place the shaped buns a couple of centimetres apart on the baking sheet and cover with a sheet of oiled clingfilm on top, allowing the buns to double in size in a warm place. This should take 30-40 minutes, but keep checking after 25 minutes. The buns will be ready to bake when you poke one and the imprint of your finger remains, ie. it doesn't spring back.<br /><br />Finally, preheat the oven to 220°C. Brush each bun with a little milk - this will help to make a soft crust when the buns bake. <br /><br />Place the baking sheet on an upper-middle shelf of the oven and turn the heat down to 200°C after 5 minutes, bake a further 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. The buns will be done when they're golden brown, and sound hollow when you tap them. For the loaf allow an extra 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the loaf.<br /><br />That's all there is to it. Freeze the buns or loaf for future use as they refresh really well in a 150°C oven for 10 minutes...Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-37111041734470260962010-03-17T11:46:00.001+00:002010-03-17T11:49:55.491+00:00Peter's Yard Crispbread: more than the sum of its parts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.petersyard.com/productimg/2/Crispbread-Stor-Burk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.petersyard.com/productimg/2/Crispbread-Stor-Burk.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYy-jkURALpZFMbiEVKe_0O2uxGN_0JOdLtQf3gPWkoAiIiHZ_9waq0Ik8psMJtcA1mJQxEuOE_kbAMhAZEN9OLMIiJQ2N-aHJmmWMr0DckwQjjD91GDTeobUoGT7B4v4QXcIXgT44g/s1600-h/DSCF1051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYy-jkURALpZFMbiEVKe_0O2uxGN_0JOdLtQf3gPWkoAiIiHZ_9waq0Ik8psMJtcA1mJQxEuOE_kbAMhAZEN9OLMIiJQ2N-aHJmmWMr0DckwQjjD91GDTeobUoGT7B4v4QXcIXgT44g/s400/DSCF1051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447731998661385570" /></a><br />Those who know me will tell you few things make me happier in life than good bread slathered with indecent amounts of butter. When time permits the ritual of baking and breaking of bread is one of this cook's favourite pastimes, but more often than not I'm racing around like a whirling dervish and the bread baking goes by the wayside. <br /><br />So it was with some breadgeek joy that I chanced upon <a href="http://www.petersyard.com/">Peter's Yard</a> wholemeal crispbread this time last year. Served with smoked salmon as a canape at a Scandinavian dinner hosted by "Denmark's Delia" <a href="http://trinahahnemann.com/en/">Trina Hahnemann</a> at the emporium of pong <a href="http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/">La Fromagerie</a>, I may or may not have snaffled more than my fair share of these canapes.<br /><br />Why the excitement at finding a new crispbread? To a Scandinavian wholemeal crispbread is practically a birthright, we love it so much it's rare a storecupboard is without a packet of <a href="http://www.wasa.com/en/">Wasa</a> rye or sesame. Suffice to say I was mildly horrified when I first bought Ryvita as a university student back in the pre-Peter's Yard 1990s. Just a glance at the oesophagus-busting Ryvita in supermarkets still makes me shudder, it's very existence constituting a singular crime against gastronomy. <br /><br />So when I tasted Peter's Yard sourdough crispbread and was reliably informed this was made solely with wholemeal flour, milk, honey, and a smidgeon of butter (oh yes!) I was transported to crispbread nirvana. The pure wholemeal taste, enriched with a touch of sourdough goodness and a gentle sweetness from the honey... it's hard to convey how delicious this crispbread is. It's Wasa for grown-ups, even those like me who suffer from periodic arrested development.<br /><br />As I was soon to discover, the nascent crispbread business is run by two of the most generous and lovely people I've met in this hard-boiled industry: Wendy Wilson-Bett and Ian Tencor. We met one fine day at the Real Food Festival last year and I've been an advocate for their awesome crispbread ever since. Unpaid of course, lest you think this is a PR-led product placement. I do it because Peter's Yard is a bona fide sourdough crispbread and if it were up to me I'd mandate that every restaurant, deli and cheese emporium up and down this country serves this glorious product alongside proper homemade bread. <br /><br />Peter's Yard deserve to be successful and I do what I can to help them, so when they asked me to join on a two-day innovation session at Shipton Mill in the heart of the Cotswolds I had to pinch myself. Recipe-testing is something I never tire of, and gallivanting around the English countryside is great but getting to see a MILL IN ACTION! My cup runneth over...<br /><br />In the coming weeks I'll be sharing recipe ideas for crispbread, which of course you can easily apply to open-faced sandwiches. In the meantime, here are a few snaps of the Peter's Yard and Shipton Mill team in action:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04kNRis5OL9VcMSGV4So9sJtpxYqaMQIDvXLwrHJCS38dVFqKr9ha0wwbPXRpLioEJN4o8x9EupZ2tCACrzelUxLI_HGC7boyitam5Xx3lEgIyouOxb-ijUhraMhChC1PeMDL8jYoJw/s1600-h/DSCF1078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04kNRis5OL9VcMSGV4So9sJtpxYqaMQIDvXLwrHJCS38dVFqKr9ha0wwbPXRpLioEJN4o8x9EupZ2tCACrzelUxLI_HGC7boyitam5Xx3lEgIyouOxb-ijUhraMhChC1PeMDL8jYoJw/s400/DSCF1078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447731442547176274" /></a><br />Swedish guru of baking and patisserie <a href="http://www.janhedh.com/artisan.htm"> Jan Hedh</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXZKDDCOGCKjRgDWvh6xvfdtG2BuIh3CV_bbj0eOLphOmoc3z5OwbDmYTDF2wBgZE-ThF7sHXkoZZIos9MXj8Oebq5oQfFIU6_wOnP4iVCZdKGSsPZGExL44STx2_pdY9Wni3YuF7rw/s1600-h/DSCF1089.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXZKDDCOGCKjRgDWvh6xvfdtG2BuIh3CV_bbj0eOLphOmoc3z5OwbDmYTDF2wBgZE-ThF7sHXkoZZIos9MXj8Oebq5oQfFIU6_wOnP4iVCZdKGSsPZGExL44STx2_pdY9Wni3YuF7rw/s400/DSCF1089.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552761100193938" /></a><br />Peter's Yard baker-in-chief Troels Bendix <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bdg9vkKHAdi6OlDwRr_tYS3KAkXtfmuYLI2Sb4dEcRK-GdklsJzotigMRcYjxVdXpiTWKEEo0aoybBmTIJFAMSNZnnTcCM8DOA0J690mD9gveboSk7JcOIv0lySP5ZQQGXgRI03M9Q/s1600-h/DSCF1109.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bdg9vkKHAdi6OlDwRr_tYS3KAkXtfmuYLI2Sb4dEcRK-GdklsJzotigMRcYjxVdXpiTWKEEo0aoybBmTIJFAMSNZnnTcCM8DOA0J690mD9gveboSk7JcOIv0lySP5ZQQGXgRI03M9Q/s400/DSCF1109.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447728431562876498" /></a><br />Dough!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71IpAKqrHBNQB926GGvGC2b_FqRQA9rnlodpEH6xTziPKAxCzS26si0MAM099F6T3USq9PGNNFQ_3UvnRL3psSC3d6MgX9duv4zlxVhbsM_Xx4FayE1YE2KfiH1MKOczRSPvHNbZKFw/s1600-h/DSCF1106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71IpAKqrHBNQB926GGvGC2b_FqRQA9rnlodpEH6xTziPKAxCzS26si0MAM099F6T3USq9PGNNFQ_3UvnRL3psSC3d6MgX9duv4zlxVhbsM_Xx4FayE1YE2KfiH1MKOczRSPvHNbZKFw/s400/DSCF1106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552751766267122" /></a><br />Tools of the trade<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fR_hkpuig4ScdOchLnFXE19nTYGJPJAGIXh6rb0GY8eugt_Sk5TQVN3t5AZUD4GQ_RYAL5l50v34X0nGy0Zd85shkxWxvIr__hvN5UEcbgNKofQmdJmyYOgSeqkVuAH0AussK3DQcA/s1600-h/DSCF1036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fR_hkpuig4ScdOchLnFXE19nTYGJPJAGIXh6rb0GY8eugt_Sk5TQVN3t5AZUD4GQ_RYAL5l50v34X0nGy0Zd85shkxWxvIr__hvN5UEcbgNKofQmdJmyYOgSeqkVuAH0AussK3DQcA/s400/DSCF1036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552773049134722" /></a><br />Troels rolling the crispbread<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREtBBeymIf3t7v_QWLsPpMyqSU6gdNFU4kIGemmP-Wt-Fsfu1vzJwj5ChdpjkmBRKzxbSdhVtJVUPF4VYSO1yhijqC2eKEXRKzlXGuDaOILRRQ_0_aKD9Dnld9gq6Q1nosFNfoLvibQ/s1600-h/DSCF1007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREtBBeymIf3t7v_QWLsPpMyqSU6gdNFU4kIGemmP-Wt-Fsfu1vzJwj5ChdpjkmBRKzxbSdhVtJVUPF4VYSO1yhijqC2eKEXRKzlXGuDaOILRRQ_0_aKD9Dnld9gq6Q1nosFNfoLvibQ/s400/DSCF1007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447728444793573890" /></a><br />Wendy and Jan discuss recipe ideas<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEHQgywFqpe782_h4CpYtw7gE7ByFHscPMivWyzY301sE0aEhZtK4QlT7e1U2rQ6DnOLP4CZiOfnSUkF5a5yeLMYSoLJTSkHcRD0G_UYGMbXTOhvebMLTPvRF_3QYlNECreUgRX6uRQ/s1600-h/DSCF1099.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEHQgywFqpe782_h4CpYtw7gE7ByFHscPMivWyzY301sE0aEhZtK4QlT7e1U2rQ6DnOLP4CZiOfnSUkF5a5yeLMYSoLJTSkHcRD0G_UYGMbXTOhvebMLTPvRF_3QYlNECreUgRX6uRQ/s400/DSCF1099.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726665121154802" /></a><br />Ian tentatively checks the sourdough starter, or Mother<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSU_bkjoq_U9pnZFYaqC8kFq308Wk48TZ3VJdiOVYIMFFY88De6jISMYzErV7hGADvOyUp7dIHMjUkDBLE-eyxk2wDdaXxb78-Z8PFkRpzI-1HZWwaH-GAOTQtsj2WpchBj49zc4s2w/s1600-h/DSCF1101.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSU_bkjoq_U9pnZFYaqC8kFq308Wk48TZ3VJdiOVYIMFFY88De6jISMYzErV7hGADvOyUp7dIHMjUkDBLE-eyxk2wDdaXxb78-Z8PFkRpzI-1HZWwaH-GAOTQtsj2WpchBj49zc4s2w/s400/DSCF1101.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726648742967202" /></a><br />Mamma Mia! (sorry, had to be done)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KpXdjf49k-qC2oCsFeLu1H5E8Kkgas_n4W8dPoako8GZF4JYXTVGrIh2cjDltu5aY3aHtXifqyzLPXFmJBrTnNstrJ8uiTcwRycDrTCEoIDH6dydi6PTQT85s0NsmoWypOhqjLHsAg/s1600-h/DSCF1014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KpXdjf49k-qC2oCsFeLu1H5E8Kkgas_n4W8dPoako8GZF4JYXTVGrIh2cjDltu5aY3aHtXifqyzLPXFmJBrTnNstrJ8uiTcwRycDrTCEoIDH6dydi6PTQT85s0NsmoWypOhqjLHsAg/s400/DSCF1014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447731421774181282" /></a><br />Clive of Shipton Mill, if you want to learn about bread he's your man<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC1Htsq8yjwrMj1SnJgaKaJQGFGKr83kLIztM_b5YAGdfou-3qg3vmewF7vf_2ps7fowYfgEYPpLpZzh8I9fnNv_WJpCDJgG9PDxGi-KbPeOutgwPYoadERtd-XIiBPlQaUiDhvy8Ow/s1600-h/DSCF1020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC1Htsq8yjwrMj1SnJgaKaJQGFGKr83kLIztM_b5YAGdfou-3qg3vmewF7vf_2ps7fowYfgEYPpLpZzh8I9fnNv_WJpCDJgG9PDxGi-KbPeOutgwPYoadERtd-XIiBPlQaUiDhvy8Ow/s400/DSCF1020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447731431019441378" /></a><br />Clive's delectable scones, best I've tasted<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCxfC5rTJpt8L4viQrNFK-TRDknLfbQYj2CqHGbars89dVS-rNZjXe1p740HTCCZjsDjYjB-WQ8HYLJ-OeBweNG55B_PsdSUsNLVLKVAQbmpD0mfTmfY5xE0WcJRPSfb1vNXYMa-AYQ/s1600-h/DSCF1057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCxfC5rTJpt8L4viQrNFK-TRDknLfbQYj2CqHGbars89dVS-rNZjXe1p740HTCCZjsDjYjB-WQ8HYLJ-OeBweNG55B_PsdSUsNLVLKVAQbmpD0mfTmfY5xE0WcJRPSfb1vNXYMa-AYQ/s400/DSCF1057.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726632415996498" /></a><br />Clive gave me a lesson in sourdough<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8neu2gXA7Avb0LObCzVdutcykggLSNSCJaDDX7G4ek2ahCWRCxGV4JYISIfG7eC3Uikx7WnDZzOi8lG4ylqKeJqB-F0RUzGfPiPJrIDenUGyLDombVgenouqJpOKsclVOiKOHOER-Rw/s1600-h/DSCF1072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8neu2gXA7Avb0LObCzVdutcykggLSNSCJaDDX7G4ek2ahCWRCxGV4JYISIfG7eC3Uikx7WnDZzOi8lG4ylqKeJqB-F0RUzGfPiPJrIDenUGyLDombVgenouqJpOKsclVOiKOHOER-Rw/s400/DSCF1072.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726645998139298" /></a><br />springy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaxNTIXLovQAQ0N1JKFKmNg1GOcmFhGYUA4XG8FcrP2aINCHqpf-5gk6tSvTfq8Highbd7AL7l8IS1Bu1uQvkSVG-L-KAQUesV90SbX8Bxyk1c2ls5HL1zl7vYYu7UIzRQvIiSzRmQQ/s1600-h/DSCF1108.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaxNTIXLovQAQ0N1JKFKmNg1GOcmFhGYUA4XG8FcrP2aINCHqpf-5gk6tSvTfq8Highbd7AL7l8IS1Bu1uQvkSVG-L-KAQUesV90SbX8Bxyk1c2ls5HL1zl7vYYu7UIzRQvIiSzRmQQ/s400/DSCF1108.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726630921024754" /></a><br />Check out the soft lighting *bread porn*<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgrLfdsU2QTVuMWAydFnCaiyDClr9WzwnXp-4UgVPyLbDkJgROk1VSvetReyQo972D0GN9tEXLHDn4z5W8Z4oxCa2TIbAQda9uF4cmmBeDbprOXmFZduBhm3OY88RssWEs_5xYvvM1g/s1600-h/DSCF1060.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgrLfdsU2QTVuMWAydFnCaiyDClr9WzwnXp-4UgVPyLbDkJgROk1VSvetReyQo972D0GN9tEXLHDn4z5W8Z4oxCa2TIbAQda9uF4cmmBeDbprOXmFZduBhm3OY88RssWEs_5xYvvM1g/s400/DSCF1060.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552779585389042" /></a><br />Sacks of Shipton Mill flour from the original Shipton Mill<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWJN-qBxgL1Y5Qne1WPAkV6301QlOK9-BRhFgDTirhHEoioYpaIwALAiWEt2g9Rg3i7r7PgNNgrJsAdE-Gj9adrzUSf0PhmioY-6EbosQH4r0BAOcwAG7ZkPA-7W2PK9uoVGyXUPdmg/s1600-h/DSCF1069.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWJN-qBxgL1Y5Qne1WPAkV6301QlOK9-BRhFgDTirhHEoioYpaIwALAiWEt2g9Rg3i7r7PgNNgrJsAdE-Gj9adrzUSf0PhmioY-6EbosQH4r0BAOcwAG7ZkPA-7W2PK9uoVGyXUPdmg/s400/DSCF1069.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447728425715626978" /></a><br />Visit to the old mill<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbvIzGBwUV8BoI5t8W2az-57acP_lqIkjy1ovwz36GVQ56802glkVbJ47DaO2lZxxgOEefOfEO8oMjMvhyPkCGydxgVxSI7pwIL1YM8RKrz_o9c3FT7SwqHyK4xl8Hj-8KfCkROLHDA/s1600-h/DSCF1058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbvIzGBwUV8BoI5t8W2az-57acP_lqIkjy1ovwz36GVQ56802glkVbJ47DaO2lZxxgOEefOfEO8oMjMvhyPkCGydxgVxSI7pwIL1YM8RKrz_o9c3FT7SwqHyK4xl8Hj-8KfCkROLHDA/s400/DSCF1058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447728411396628354" /></a><br />Grain being processed<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.britishandirishwalks.com/media/siteImages/short_breaks/bibury/bibury_main.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 535px; height: 376px;" src="http://www.britishandirishwalks.com/media/siteImages/short_breaks/bibury/bibury_main.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />After all the excitement of that day's recipe testing at Shipton Mill with Clive, Troels and Jan we had an excellent dinner with Shipton Mill owner John Lister at his hotel <a href="http://www.biburycourt.co.uk/Home.aspx">Bibury Court</a>.<br /><br />And then it was back to the big smoke. Thanks to Peter's Yard and Shipton Mill for such a fantastic experience, the future of sourdough crispbread is a bright one indeed.Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-62681912924194555672010-03-02T12:54:00.003+00:002010-03-02T19:27:47.996+00:00The *sweet* taste of success<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2010/01/18/lund-svindal-584.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 584px; height: 329px;" src="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2010/01/18/lund-svindal-584.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/files/morethanthegames/gimaritbjoergen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 513px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/files/morethanthegames/gimaritbjoergen.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I want a log cabin. <br /><br />A modest Norwegian log cabin of course, heaven forfend none of those plush Alpine <span style="font-style:italic;">chalets</span>. Just a quaint log cabin with a few basic amenities: workable kitchen, a fireplace and a sauna. Moose antlers to grace the front door, a polar bear rug on the floor and a few choice pieces of vintage Norwegian furniture to lend the cabin authenticity. There will be books scattered all over the place, and comics, lots of old comics. Under-floor cable heating installed throughout the cabin will mean I can scamper around barefoot from sauna to kitchen, foregoing the thermal and fleece socks I've been wearing all winter back in London. A requisite fat sofa will sit in front of a window with a magnificent panoramic view of the local fjord, the surrounding forest and the little woodpecker nest hidden in the nearest tree.<br /><br />In this cabin I'll retreat from the world, read books and comics, drink aquavit, and take in the breathtaking vista of my fatherland, all whilst having exceptionally warm feet.<br /><br />There's only one problem. <br /><br />In order not to be lynched by the locals I need to ski. It's no good retreating to a cabin in Norway and not ski. Norwegians are fierce ski enthusiasts and some wise scribe once irritatingly claimed we Norwegians are all born on skis, suggesting we're pre-destined to be superhuman skiers. My parents met when dad was a ski instructor in Breckenridge and mama johansen was a voluptuous snowbunny, so I had no choice but to ski from a young age:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodUlMCO4lruQt8Z8TZ7TT3UstMxDMN55jJZlM_79cJb3C57GwUBHHIg_gJTLFmVcaj9y6qyon8HoR0HZf0Imp-8AtvfsiUXnK5p8UbNQ-2kMZTC9M9H2oCRqXzdXfn8xShHtkcswEQw/s1600-h/n754635507_4108514_800.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodUlMCO4lruQt8Z8TZ7TT3UstMxDMN55jJZlM_79cJb3C57GwUBHHIg_gJTLFmVcaj9y6qyon8HoR0HZf0Imp-8AtvfsiUXnK5p8UbNQ-2kMZTC9M9H2oCRqXzdXfn8xShHtkcswEQw/s400/n754635507_4108514_800.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442793756158227938" /></a><br />Snowbunny junior ca.1984<br /><br />But there is a grain of truth in the notion that we're born to ski: one of my earliest memories is of dad holding me carefully as we skied slowly down gentle slopes in Oslo. From the age of five I was racing both cross-country and downhill in the local <a href="http://www.skiskole.com/">Tomm Murstad</a> ski school. It was practically the law. Back in the '80s there were no plump Norwegian children playing on their playstations. We were all skiing six months of the year, eating wholesome sandwiches, fruit and the requisite kvikk-lunsj (akin to a kit-kat but somehow cannily marketed as an essential foodstuff for skiers). It was the Norwegian Ideal and a perfect parenting strategy: expose children to crisp winter air all day and total exhaustion will render us sweet and placid. <br /><br />Living on top of a mountain in Oslo, our house was near a ski jump called Holmenkollen where the winter olympics were held in 1952. As I was musing on the abovementtioned log cabin fantasy I discovered the beloved Holmenkollen ski jump of my childhood had recently been renovated:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/01/holmenkollen-ski-jump-by-julien-de-smedt-2-squ-2-jds_hop_elevation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 450px;" src="http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/01/holmenkollen-ski-jump-by-julien-de-smedt-2-squ-2-jds_hop_elevation.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Yowzers. The world's fastest ski jump on your door step. Times have changed.<br /><br />While I watched the winter games last week it occurred to me how spoilt we are in Norway: you walk out the door, put on your skis and simply set off into the wilderness for a day's cross-country, or head for the nearest slope to go downhill. The easy access to nature and great ski terrain is a constant reminder of how achingly beautiful Norway really is, thus making die-hard patriots of us all. Despite my better instincts I get pangs of nostalgia when I think of <span style="font-style:italic;">Nordmarka</span>, the national park behind our house, and of course Holmenkollen. <br /><br />Being contrarian I decided at a young age that downhill was for adrenaline junkies, and adrenaline junkies who are co-ordinated at that. With cross-country you have time to absorb your surroundings and it also means you're less likely to ski into a tree, as I was prone to with downhill. As you might imagine, this didn't go down so well with the parents. Dad's visions of my becoming an olympic downhill champion were shattered, and to this day he still ribs me about my dislike of downhill. Sadly I haven't skied cross-country with any regularity since moving to the UK ten years ago. For shame!<br /><br />Norway goes bananas during the winter olympics, and as I watched the games I found myself thinking the following: <br /><br />1) I need a log cabin <br /><br />2) I need to swallow my fear and start downhill skiing again <br /><br />3) why the frack is Norway always doing do well in the winter olympics? <br /><br />Canada with their 14 gold medals may have reigned supreme on home soil, but Norway had its moments of owning the podium, matching that sporting colossus the U.S. with 9 gold medals. We're talking about a nation of 4.7 million people versus 300 million in the U.S.<br /><br />For a time last week the most read article on the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704188104575084093472505542.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read">Wall Street Journal</a> was one which asked the same question, what lay behind Norway's success in the games? I suspect the reason it was WSJ's most-read feature that day was 4.7 million Norwegians were clicking on it. <br /><br />Pondering this question I wondered if it might be related to diet. Not the celebrated Nordic Diet, but something specific to Norway. Could it be the large volume of fish we eat? If that were the case, Japan, Iceland, Spain and other piscine-loving nations would surely do just as well as Norway in the winter games. No, that couldn't be it. What about our love of smoked fish and cured meat? A lot of top Norwegian skiers come from the west Norwegian town of Voss, where the local tradition is to serve smoked sheep heads to guests. <br /><br />No, this wasn't it either. Icelanders eat things like sheep buried in the ground and other weird cured meat. They hardly gained a medal in the winter games. <br /><br />Then suddenly...Eureka! It struck me as I was nibbling a slice of this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cheesestorebh.com/common/images/products/Large/geitoso.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 327px;" src="http://www.cheesestorebh.com/common/images/products/Large/geitoso.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It must be our <span style="font-style:italic;">geitost</span>, or goat's cheese! <br /><br />Lest you think this is any old white goat's cheese, it's known in Norwegian as <span style="font-style:italic;">brunost</span>, or brown cheese. Made from pasteurised goat's whey mixed with either goats' or cows' milk, this cheese is cooked in large vats over a long period until the lactic sugars in the milk start to caramelise. During the slow cooking process, excess liquid evaporates and the cheese turns brown and firm. It's ready to eat and requires no maturation. Think dulce de leche with a salty twist. It's sweet and savoury cheese, with the consistency of firm yet creamy fudge. <br /><br />The most popular variety of <span style="font-style:italic;">geitost</span> in Norway is actually Gudbrandsdalsost which has the right balance of goat and cow's milk, but you can get pungent, artisan versions that are made from unpasteurised goat's milk, such as this Slow Food one from <a href="http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org/eng/presidi/dettaglio.lasso?cod=288">Undredal</a>, a village near my grandparents' farm that we used to visit when I was growing up. Today the artisan brown cheese appeals, but as a kid I found it too intense, and I remember watching my grandmother cook with it. Oh yes, brown cheese as you might have guessed is full of umami, making it an excellent flavour-enhancer in sauces and stews.<br /><br />Divisive as Marmite, you either love or hate this cheese, and I'll admit it's an acquired taste, but every child in Norway grows up eating brown cheese sandwiches as part of their school lunchpack. Nothing tastes better on freshly baked wholemeal bread than a pat of butter and a couple of thin slices of <span style="font-style:italic;">brunost</span>. The <span style="font-style:italic;">ski queen</span> equivalent you find over here is powdery and crumbly compared to the real stuff back in Norway. <br /><br />As brown cheese is something of an acquired taste, babies are often weaned on Prim, a spreadable buttery version of brown cheese that isn't cooked as long as the firm cheese version. It's a sort of nutritious caramel:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3680517551_b2b0ce8fe4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 499px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3680517551_b2b0ce8fe4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Forget being born on skis, we're born with the taste of this cheese in our mouths. Everyone in Norway eats it. At the Lillehammer winter olympics in '94, then prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland was asked why Norway did so well despite being such a small country, and she replied in all earnest "It is typical Norwegian to be good" to howls of laughter from my father, who to this day still quotes Brundtland's nugget of jingoism.<br /><br />Sorry Gro, it's not typically Norwegian to be good, it's typically Norwegian to eat mounds of brown cheese. It's our secret to olympic success, I promise you.<br /><br />And now I'd better stop musing on log cabins, skiing and cheese. Time to start plotting how to acquire that log cabin, find a hot ski instructor to re-introduce me to the joys of downhill, and make myself a sweet brown cheese sandwich for lunch... ;-)<br /><br />---<br /><br />photo credits: <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Top photo of Aksel Svindal CBC Canada, <br />Second photo of Marit Bjoergen www.morethanthegames.co.uk<br />Third photo: my parents<br />Fourth photo of the new Holmenkollen www.dezeen.com<br />Fifth photo of ekte geitost www.cheesestorebh.com<br />Bottom photo of synnove prim http://www.flickr.com/photos/synnovefinden/3680517551/</span>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-27907661080344389732010-02-17T11:11:00.003+00:002010-02-25T09:18:24.038+00:00Fastelavensboller, or Lenten cardamom buns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8dMBx2p8OIbwiDTAyLAEN0ATnfrN50Wx09nQwmtpkkP2hswCUztVPSZrgcS81F47z-06pHcP_SniQwuJfjsHTyQ3Zq4_rvG7lbyNaYPTrXu0jmle_dRqtxogzwkEIXo2On_Zr1FxhA/s1600-h/DSCF1112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8dMBx2p8OIbwiDTAyLAEN0ATnfrN50Wx09nQwmtpkkP2hswCUztVPSZrgcS81F47z-06pHcP_SniQwuJfjsHTyQ3Zq4_rvG7lbyNaYPTrXu0jmle_dRqtxogzwkEIXo2On_Zr1FxhA/s400/DSCF1112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439159388048809090" /></a><br />spelt cardamom bun with vanilla cream and marzipan<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOT7pJHdGx7c2ARbPVMPYiiIlz4M60X-iz4S9hnUUc8fgYEM3xtsuhLZaIN23gs7euWhXNzwhS1IvhKNlQJYHb3KQTfFQlnz2eBFJ2js4TUSx1weK83oNiAti8Y21ucTyWLBBWBsK7g/s1600-h/DSCF1097.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOT7pJHdGx7c2ARbPVMPYiiIlz4M60X-iz4S9hnUUc8fgYEM3xtsuhLZaIN23gs7euWhXNzwhS1IvhKNlQJYHb3KQTfFQlnz2eBFJ2js4TUSx1weK83oNiAti8Y21ucTyWLBBWBsK7g/s400/DSCF1097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439159385991518722" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6xNCMM_2YNALgw3FDaZ_g1A87k32B1FrcSUhyphenhyphenfIuC-i_B6q8tYXucQt1wW8hvyABlPj6dnXEwcGHu2_MtfSZZ8x72NWMzue1mbhJpM-ghddYnUnMGCzgwaU_cU8-SNOxn99-n0Hjgg/s1600-h/DSCF1083.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6xNCMM_2YNALgw3FDaZ_g1A87k32B1FrcSUhyphenhyphenfIuC-i_B6q8tYXucQt1wW8hvyABlPj6dnXEwcGHu2_MtfSZZ8x72NWMzue1mbhJpM-ghddYnUnMGCzgwaU_cU8-SNOxn99-n0Hjgg/s400/DSCF1083.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439158925942386770" /></a><br /><br />It's Ash Wednesday and even a girl of Lutheran-Jewish-Catholic-Heathen extraction understands the basic human need to mark certain days in the calendar with a confectionary blowout. There's much talk of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday but I already checked that 'Heathen pleasure" box on Sunday when I made plump American style spelt and buttermilk pancakes replete with blueberries, crispy streaky bacon and indecent amounts of organic maple syrup. There may have been a few pats of butter involved in this pancake feast. You can tell I'm in urgent need of a Lenten fast. <br /><br />In Scandinavia we mark the arrival of Lent with fastelavensboller (Norwegian), or semlor (Swedish). These are cardamom buns sliced in half as you see above, and filled with marzipan and lightly whipped vanilla cream. Simple but utterly irresistible, cardamom buns are so easy to make and they remind me of my Norwegian grandmother who made the most fluffy, light fastelavensboller ever. Mine are a close approximation to those buns of yonder, except without the raisins Granny Johansen used to include in the buns. Raisins are a little too virtuous for these confectionary gems!<br /><br />The recipe I've used is one adapted from Trina Hahnemann's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scandinavian-Cookbook-Trina-Hahnemann/dp/1844006131">Scandinavian Cookbook</a>. I've simply exchanged plain flour in her recipe for refined spelt flour which I find more digestible and delicious than plan wheat flour, and upped the caster sugar content slightly. Do try making them, cardamom buns aren't just for Shrove Tuesday and make a great weekend brunch treat (when you tire of pancakes) with or without the cream and marzipan filling...<br /><br />Ingredients: (makes 14)<br /><br />25g fresh yeast<br />375ml lukewarm whole milk<br />25g butter, melted<br />500g refined spelt flour (Sharpham Park and Shipton Mill are both excellent)<br />1 tsp ground cardamom<br />3 tbsp caster sugar (you can increase this by a couple of tablespoons if you like a sweeter bun)<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 egg, beaten<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />1) Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir through. In a large bowl sift the spelt flour, cardamom, sugar and salt together and add the milk mixture to this. Add the egg and stir with a large spoon until a dough has formed. Turn it onto a floured work surface. It should be quite a wet sticky dough and I find the easiest way to knead it is to lift it with a dough scraper to stretch the gluten and distribute the yeast:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUVIyWkGkBWQqPIY0Hq_73ZC_yvq_WFFGaBS1_2ksEaEQHEKmJorNTa75RgSf9vwW6B6i-FrXy6C3PrQvLEwXww4QTx44bAVXd4GdvuQpOcdScXVdSTZyHL_fkVm3i1i-Xmx01tF0kA/s1600-h/DSCF1047.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUVIyWkGkBWQqPIY0Hq_73ZC_yvq_WFFGaBS1_2ksEaEQHEKmJorNTa75RgSf9vwW6B6i-FrXy6C3PrQvLEwXww4QTx44bAVXd4GdvuQpOcdScXVdSTZyHL_fkVm3i1i-Xmx01tF0kA/s400/DSCF1047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439158889710551330" /></a><br /><br />Do this for 5 minutes until the dough starts to feel smoother and a bit more elastic. Place this back in the mixing bowl:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdf1OpTi6FPuvdsYlmNMfEFfI9ocJi2dUDFHMEVOzN5q-BDQ8dMKAKNO9ZqjBvV3iKf8HkpozVf1pLIzmut9u_pEcpjOluC4iHzdrx49iumuFLCNN2cKgaGIzXJDG0TBeT9HUr2g6x0A/s1600-h/DSCF1053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdf1OpTi6FPuvdsYlmNMfEFfI9ocJi2dUDFHMEVOzN5q-BDQ8dMKAKNO9ZqjBvV3iKf8HkpozVf1pLIzmut9u_pEcpjOluC4iHzdrx49iumuFLCNN2cKgaGIzXJDG0TBeT9HUr2g6x0A/s400/DSCF1053.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439158901481940162" /></a><br />And cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a warm place and allow to double in size. This should take 1 hour but given the enriched nature of the dough it may take 1 1/2 hours:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcYvfme9yK5Z96G6u5d0e-ZgNnjCxQjM_eo670EZAiNzeRayiKMZtGB9PXjEaJf_71d3n7HXohF7Ddckru9JealF14h4iZlfZgEdj9bTb5jaSKW3ZqaQ5IcHwfabwfR9ywsVXwupksQ/s1600-h/DSCF1063.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcYvfme9yK5Z96G6u5d0e-ZgNnjCxQjM_eo670EZAiNzeRayiKMZtGB9PXjEaJf_71d3n7HXohF7Ddckru9JealF14h4iZlfZgEdj9bTb5jaSKW3ZqaQ5IcHwfabwfR9ywsVXwupksQ/s400/DSCF1063.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439158907782752930" /></a><br />Tip the dough out on a floured work surface and punch the dough to knock it back. Knead into a log and slice off 14 pieces of equal size. Shape the buns into round balls and carefully place them on a large baking tray on some parchment paper. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to prove and double in size again in a warm room/cupboard. This should take 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 C while the buns are proving<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM_rk2L4wtG0Yewa0zyX-gnrePuz6rxp2irwp4WZ1_yFtp6FeyFwtiDljHOjLPi9X_j-MC0RGP4oSzIFMm8n4bnsfH9H_pYTxv3_oEvK2Wc7-gvOoQUVhBiUTv9K4dRAbzbvi5H9LoA/s1600-h/DSCF1068.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM_rk2L4wtG0Yewa0zyX-gnrePuz6rxp2irwp4WZ1_yFtp6FeyFwtiDljHOjLPi9X_j-MC0RGP4oSzIFMm8n4bnsfH9H_pYTxv3_oEvK2Wc7-gvOoQUVhBiUTv9K4dRAbzbvi5H9LoA/s400/DSCF1068.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439158918166502850" /></a><br />Finally, lightly glaze each bun with a little beaten egg and bake on the upper shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes.<br /><br />Allow to cool on a wire rack before lightly whipping 300ml whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp caster sugar. Slice the bun in half, then place thin slices of marzipan on the bottom of each bun. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the marzipan and carefully place the bun 'hat' on top. I defy you not to get vanilla cream all over your face!Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-77705080537276204782010-02-10T16:58:00.007+00:002010-02-25T09:20:55.203+00:00Food is the best medicine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOiRpIvQHcTz6UQ5sBl0940oU-DOW1Tk9zGUFISkMnhyqaSJcIf8UoBo1wTGasUH1VQpXbSK-Pqz95DcaCHq9Cf97i_nE4b2CW5fElEEmJ4AZkwdVAa2MJLY8sYBUu-7GvZ8BxsVMnw/s1600-h/DSCF0932.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOiRpIvQHcTz6UQ5sBl0940oU-DOW1Tk9zGUFISkMnhyqaSJcIf8UoBo1wTGasUH1VQpXbSK-Pqz95DcaCHq9Cf97i_nE4b2CW5fElEEmJ4AZkwdVAa2MJLY8sYBUu-7GvZ8BxsVMnw/s400/DSCF0932.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436644577418389106" /></a><br />An apple a day they say, keeps the doctor away. Be it the common cold or a nebulous norovirus, everyone seems to be down with some debilitating ailment at the moment. As far as I'm concerned, winter can end now. Much as I love Nordic skiing and the winter <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/default.stm">Olympics</a> snow does not belong in London, and I would quite like to pack away my thermals, ear muffs and wool scarves thank you very much!<br /> <br />If you're finding yourself beset by recurring sniffles here are a few tips on eating your way to good health. Inspired by helpful responses I received after asking on twitter what foods help boost the immune system, I've incorporated the tweets with tips in each section, along with a few basic recipe suggestions too. Sipping endless cups of Lemsip and taking antibiotics when you need to might seem the easiest route to recovery but trust me after having been on antibiotics twice this winter I definitely recommend pre-empting future illness with healthy eating. The best strategy I've learned is eat a balanced variety of the following foods for optimal health and you'll feel - and look - better in no time :-)<br /><br />1) Spices<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70SCG0sWWIG1BMGKO3qU5bbDb3Nj-VQOQXC7vT-uZaijUo4ciue8C0iMMKbCjxBT7Mlf4xfB0DmsqJyFQkYuozU81b_QHP27EVL6e7JVh2AGqNqg1EvSQDMZxCmvXumttTeaD6YIcdA/s1600-h/DSCF0861.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70SCG0sWWIG1BMGKO3qU5bbDb3Nj-VQOQXC7vT-uZaijUo4ciue8C0iMMKbCjxBT7Mlf4xfB0DmsqJyFQkYuozU81b_QHP27EVL6e7JVh2AGqNqg1EvSQDMZxCmvXumttTeaD6YIcdA/s400/DSCF0861.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436180438019347922" /></a><br /><br />foodieguide<br />@scandilicious you can boost immune system with teaspoon or 2 of good quality honey (manuka) & teaspoon of cinnamon with it, twice a day.<br />9:02 PM Jan 14th from Tweetie in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />This was a brilliant suggestion, cinnamon and honey tea not only tastes delicious but cinnamon is a potent weapon against pretty much everything from colds to diabetes. I sprinkle it on my daily porridge and try to bake with it as much as possible.<br /><br />XXorcist <br />@scandilicious Ginger Increases the body temperature to help fight off infections ...Gingerale contains some ginger or add ginger to food.<br />12:17 PM Jan 14th from web in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />Ginger is another top immune boosting agent, and one I've been incorporating into my raspberry & ginger smoothie, recipe of which you can find <a href="http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=64497529733">here</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86iuMWnQUVuUMdcvT0C0-tIdrakcHx-4wBgdLgbnxMqR5BaGRRy82pD9VzXtSfji18bSNECw9s33EYtCb6QM333nmjtG608MzTDbvbVaidDLpCISDfgDCkMEj1XV24b4pOD744GUQ5A/s1600-h/DSCF1662.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86iuMWnQUVuUMdcvT0C0-tIdrakcHx-4wBgdLgbnxMqR5BaGRRy82pD9VzXtSfji18bSNECw9s33EYtCb6QM333nmjtG608MzTDbvbVaidDLpCISDfgDCkMEj1XV24b4pOD744GUQ5A/s400/DSCF1662.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436184541188543746" /></a><br /><br />Niamh of <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Eat Like A Girl</a> also posted a gingery note today on the healing powers of Lemon, Ginger and Honey Tea <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/2010/02/10/for-what-ails-you-lemon-ginger-honey-tea/">here</a> a drink I'm trying to have every day to strike back at all dastardly bugs!<br /><br />2) Vitamins (and the sun)<br /><br />XXorcist <br />@scandilicious Get Fresh Air and some Sun every day. Eat foods with Vitamin ..( A / C / D ) every day.<br />12:12 PM Jan 14th from web in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />Sensible advice from the somewhat fiersome sounding XXorcist. We tend to hibernate in winter, and I don't know about you but a few rays of sunshine on a cold, crisp winter's day make all the difference to my mood and outlook on life. Interestingly enough, food writer <a href="http://www.the2fionas.com/">Fiona Beckett</a> also came across research <a href="http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/">here</a> that correlates vitamin D deficiency with a compromised immune system, so up your fruit, veg and dairy intake to increase the level of vitamin D in your body. And get outside as much as you can on sunny winter days! <br /><br />3) Probiotics<br /><br />Tamarizzo <br />@scandilicious Probiotics :-)<br />12:09 PM Jan 14th from Gravity in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />LucianaBianchi <br />@scandilicious yoghurt(with live bacteria!!) And royal jelly!<br />12:06 PM Jan 14th from UberTwitter in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />Kate_Q <br />@scandilicious Eat live yoghurt (doesn't have to say pro biotic, it's all the same). Try not to take painkillers.<br />11:38 AM Jan 14th from Gravity in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />brockhallfarm <br />@scandilicious probiotic yoghurt, smoothies with real fresh fruit. I add Innocent to the smoothie mix. Get well soon!<br />11:36 AM Jan 14th from Tweetie in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />All great tips from the probiotic crowd! We hear much about the healing powers of probiotics, but steer clear of gimmicky probiotic drinks that are packed full of sugar, and probiotic supplements in health food shops. <a href="http://ascotinlondon.blogspot.com/">A Scot in London</a> gave excellent advice on buying probiotics that have to be chilled, they are the only ones potent enough ('live' enough if you will) to survive the acidic environment of our stomachs. I picked up some at my local health food shop Alara and am amazed at how much better I felt within a week of taking them. Ask for refrigerated probiotics in your local health food shop and eat plain bio yoghurt from brands such as <a href="http://www.yeovalleyorganic.co.uk/">Yeo Valley</a> and <a href="http://www.rachelsorganic.co.uk/">Rachel's Organic</a> on a daily basis. Royal Jelly and bee pollen are also meant to be excellent for perking up the immune system.<br /><br />4) Citrus<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdRRgUR7ammvF7UYibZJyUPtoTZy5B6xWVaZi5pTFzoh5xFsSY4_6zUL-tEWSmV9yEMBtWzegIy15IH1akKdQeT6WIuYm6wTR4VzQcHyGyDoRW0MTsM_ysYPYWfr_pF2nQjHmuINGNw/s1600-h/DSCF1342.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdRRgUR7ammvF7UYibZJyUPtoTZy5B6xWVaZi5pTFzoh5xFsSY4_6zUL-tEWSmV9yEMBtWzegIy15IH1akKdQeT6WIuYm6wTR4VzQcHyGyDoRW0MTsM_ysYPYWfr_pF2nQjHmuINGNw/s400/DSCF1342.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436184565409348498" /></a><br /><br />Citrus fruits are famously good for upping your vitamin C intake, try blood oranges which are currently in season and taste delicious drizzled with a bit of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon and some scattered walnuts on top.<br /><br />theimpishscribe <br />@scandilicious 'Orange' juice- satsumas, oranges, clem, mango: ginger, peach, dried apricots, oats, echinacea. 1 tsp of PB - Blend, drink xx<br />11:58 AM Jan 14th from web in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />goodshoeday <br />@scandilicious vit C, zinc, echinecia (or however its spelt) and don't forget to eat some protein with all the veg and fruit & carbs pls ;)<br />11:43 AM Jan 14th from TweetDeck in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />5) Echinacea <br /><br />RosieFoodie <br />@scandilicious echinacea?<br />11:35 AM Jan 14th from Echofon in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />R_McCormack <br />@scandilicious Echinacea<br />11:34 AM Jan 14th from web in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />Another well-known cold and flu fighter, the easiest way to take this is in supplement form...<br /><br />6) Spelt <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Om9t7JxyeANe45Zr1JfJIocbvuETCG31LXd3P1GuD-bg2cXTiyzA8VLI6nWs-pOT0yTVp2KgZmiDpwkvNtqR91iU5ePX3I6dRNYTjXkVIWVSIfy3JFE-rumP9jc-93TuELdVgFazxg/s1600-h/DSCF0897.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Om9t7JxyeANe45Zr1JfJIocbvuETCG31LXd3P1GuD-bg2cXTiyzA8VLI6nWs-pOT0yTVp2KgZmiDpwkvNtqR91iU5ePX3I6dRNYTjXkVIWVSIfy3JFE-rumP9jc-93TuELdVgFazxg/s400/DSCF0897.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436182073443849490" /></a><br />Easy spelt bread with fennel seed, recipe <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/beyond-baked-beans-student-cooking-page/easy-spelt-and-fennel-seed-bread/130462639733">here</a><br /><br />aforkful <br />@scandilicious spelt contains immune-system boosting properties<br />11:31 AM Jan 14th from TweetDeck in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />DiscoveryDay <br />@scandilicious @aforkful I'm working on a spelt-ish (in fact it is the old Roman grain - Farro) risotto mix. More bite than rice, love it.<br />11:39 AM Jan 14th from web in reply to scandilicious<br /><br />This intrigued me, being an avid spelt fan! I knew spelt was more digestible and I've been using it in bread baking for ten years now as diabetes runs in our family and spelt is better for maintaining steady blood sugar levels than plain wheat. It's also chockfull of flavour and I've taken to using refined spelt for cinnamon buns, cakes and pancakes recently. Try it, you won't be disappointed. <br /><br />7) Garlic and chilli<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0cAU7j2iYbp3e2gk2Nby932RN5rFlmuFJ9yJJAAFNkxjjqsBe4rnkmdFp-MJjSQgIbHIL9F907xJktWGTV1ZHY6ARo2t5iOp3bNL96Iw-LfF6-bvbqnz0aT49ByBHF3F-Hzwfsuuyg/s1600-h/CROW2829.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 354px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0cAU7j2iYbp3e2gk2Nby932RN5rFlmuFJ9yJJAAFNkxjjqsBe4rnkmdFp-MJjSQgIbHIL9F907xJktWGTV1ZHY6ARo2t5iOp3bNL96Iw-LfF6-bvbqnz0aT49ByBHF3F-Hzwfsuuyg/s400/CROW2829.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436180407922565122" /></a><br />Moroccan spiced chickpeas with spinach (photo courtesy of Andrew Crawley and the Daily Telegraph) recipe <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6132330/Student-recipes-Moroccan-spiced-chickpeas-with-spinach.html">here</a>This recipe is from the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Student-Cookbook-Fiona-Beckett/dp/1906650071">Ultimate Student Cookbook</a> and one I <span style="font-style:italic;">never</span> tire of. It's quick to make, frugal and extremely tasty. You've got all the wonders of aromatic spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli, the latter of which has brilliant antiseptic properties. Garlic is well-known for its immune boosting properties, so you could up the quantity from this recipe if you're in dire straits and if you're feeling extra brave, try crushing a clove and eating it raw. I'm not a huge fan of raw garlic, but love it with seafood such as prawns:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3slDLPgO1M6zuJ9Jg1hJ2rkWxqAqqBGoX0WUa-0v3PIZBH9131ZP6xdDQBScY6sDIXeohUrjWiDA5dtrPfRYvFUzpuyXkg7g7mG-ehS8Cx78y7aDJIzfUvnDktxOKpQpZkKI8Sx384g/s1600-h/DSCF0498.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3slDLPgO1M6zuJ9Jg1hJ2rkWxqAqqBGoX0WUa-0v3PIZBH9131ZP6xdDQBScY6sDIXeohUrjWiDA5dtrPfRYvFUzpuyXkg7g7mG-ehS8Cx78y7aDJIzfUvnDktxOKpQpZkKI8Sx384g/s400/DSCF0498.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436180424025904802" /></a><br />or just gently sauteed with some anchovies, chilli flakes and tossed with broccoli in pasta... <br /><br />8) Soup<br /><br />Or more accurately, chicken soup. Known as <span style="font-style:italic;">Jewish penicillin </span> chicken soup is the apotheosis of immune boosting soups. Nourishing and delicious in equal measure, a simple chicken soup requires little embellishment and is worth making in large batches and sipping (slurping?) throughout the day. Anthony Silverbrow's post on <a href="http://www.silverbrowonfood.com/silverbrow_on_food/2006/02/healthy_does_no.html">chicken soup</a> is brilliant - as a South American proverb goes "good broth resurrects the dead" and chicken soup will do exactly that!<br /><br />9) Protein<br /><br />This wasn't tweeted so much as just an instinctive reaction I had to feeling unwell. I craved eggs, salmon and basically anything out of the sea. Protein is needed for strength, simple as that. Try an open sandwich of soft-boiled egg, Swedish kaviar from a tube and dill on sourdough crispbread such as <a href="http://www.petersyard.com/">Peter's Yard</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWR7eOqoBbbeOGS5jbmtBOOQfUMjhFsQKf2buEunlKKt3ROHQ2ZC2pD8d63H6f0xOkHywaYebmTA3Tmy7v34aUG6EWKEvLbBtZyPBGS3bSUppnwLndAYPCYbD6NL7oSfZAFoK_kMuAA/s1600-h/DSCF0204.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWR7eOqoBbbeOGS5jbmtBOOQfUMjhFsQKf2buEunlKKt3ROHQ2ZC2pD8d63H6f0xOkHywaYebmTA3Tmy7v34aUG6EWKEvLbBtZyPBGS3bSUppnwLndAYPCYbD6NL7oSfZAFoK_kMuAA/s400/DSCF0204.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436647509942770578" /></a><br /><br />For more boiled egg recipe suggestions check out Foodista: <a title="Soft Boiled Egg on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/recipe/QR7FPD6F/soft-boiled-egg" style="display: block; padding: 5px; border: 5px solid #C44F50; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; background-color: #fff; width: 100px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0;"><img alt="Soft Boiled Egg on Foodista" src="http://cf.foodista.com/static/images/widget_logo_md.png" style="border: none; width: 84px; height: 18px; padding: 0; margin: 0;" /><img src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/z1.png?foodista_widget_WX5LZ4P7" style="display: none;" /></a><br />Or indeed a few slivers of smoked salmon with black pepper on the same crispbread (you can tell I'm addicted to crispbread!):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BpXYa_iKEVMnRryfk7dnx6ACsiVmM3nWYzAxUEqbAhRH-EL-7YghNMCYmDvBK_kjVviLHLYJo7FmfP7elrRHHi-m22Gn0qtVQ6NP4tVgdwLdCeUxxA_JRaI9Cw5TveFpCN1KOpVCGg/s1600-h/DSCF1026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BpXYa_iKEVMnRryfk7dnx6ACsiVmM3nWYzAxUEqbAhRH-EL-7YghNMCYmDvBK_kjVviLHLYJo7FmfP7elrRHHi-m22Gn0qtVQ6NP4tVgdwLdCeUxxA_JRaI9Cw5TveFpCN1KOpVCGg/s400/DSCF1026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436647505158808610" /></a><br />Mackerel is not only cheap but endlessly versatile and full of essential omega fatty acids. My favourite way to eat mackerel is with either a gooseberry compote or rhubarb, such as this recipe from <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/07/nigel-slater-rhubarb-mackerel-recipes">Nigel Slater</a>. Aim to eat oily fish at least two or three times a week.<br /><br />10) Miscellaneous<br /><br />Well, these are tips I picked up from an excellent book on nutrition<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735"> Nourishing Traditions </a> lent to me by the good people at <a href="http://www.rudehealth.com/">Rude Health </a>:<br /><br />* Coconut oil contains lauric acid, an essential saturated fatty acid that boosts the immune system and protects against viruses, funghi and other pathogens<br /><br />* Tea is full of antioxidants that help the cells in our body fight off damaging free radicals, thus keeping the cells in robust health<br /><br />* Pickles such as kimchi, sauerkraut and umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) are amazing immune enhancers. The fermentation process allows probiotic lactobacilli to develop in the pickles and these act as natural pathogen fighters. Kimchi, the Korean spicy cabbage has been linked to fighting off SARS in Korea, which you can read more about <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4347443.stm">here</a>. Whether or not you believe kimchi will protect you from dastardly viruses, it certainly tastes good.<br /><br />Finally, it goes without saying that aside from eating well a few behavioural habits really help fight off lurgies:<br /><br />* Wash your hands with soap after you've been on public transport, in the shops, out and about in town. My Norwegian grandmother was a nurse and she always complained that people's hygiene changed dramatically after antibiotics and medical care improved in the second half of last century. Hand hygiene is the first line of defense in combating germs!<br /><br />* Have a lymphatic drainage massage. This was suggested by <a href="http://aforkfulofspaghetti.blogspot.com/">A Forkful of Spaghetti</a> and it makes perfect sense. Our lymphatic system fights off pathogens and if it becomes congested then one of the most effective ways to reboot the lymph nodes is to massage away toxins trapped in the lymph nodes. <br /><br />* Learn to say no. This might seem banal, but I learned to my cost towards the end of last year that saying yes to everything depleted my energy and enthusiasm for going out. Be selective, ruthless even, in how often you say yes to a favour, to going out or to events. <br /><br />* Calm down! Adrenal fatigue is now recognised as a significant factor in the weakening of our immune systems. It seems we're all too stressed, all the time and the constant surge of adrenaline through our bodies - be it from working in stressful jobs, not sleeping enough, taking too many drugs, or in personal relationships - is seriously detrimental to our health. Relax as often as you can, try yoga, pilates or meditation. Chamomile, lemon verbena and valerian teas are all fantastic alternatives to boring old water to keep you hydrated and calm throughout the day. Hot baths, good novels, cooking a delicious meal - whatever it is that helps you unwind, do it. Ignore the maddening crowd and you'll feel so much the better for it. Exercise, curiously enough, can be calming as you vent all your frustrations through a game of footie, or on a run. My resolution is to dance more as I'm easily bored with gyms and running!<br /><br />* Incidentally painkillers are also thought to <a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091104/Common-pain-killers-may-blunt-the-effect-of-flu-shots.aspx">weaken</a> the immune system, but of course use them if you're feeling rotten and can't function. See your doctor if you're feeling utterly miserable and showing symptoms beyond just a cough or temporary food poisoning. Antibiotics are essential when you're seriously ill.<br /><br />What are your top tips for eating your way to good health? Feel free to comment below, and dispute any of my suggestions of course.Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-11500558172629820222010-02-05T15:44:00.003+00:002010-02-05T15:58:16.582+00:00Make mine a T'a: Chocolate breakfast at Maze with Jason Atherton and T'a chocolates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRmkDdQQ5r6aWzcH3PFln95jd21esXbXi_JFggiMSAgzTVUeu41dksXogN3w0oQBubLdqzAwzsw4ETJwmCPz-J5hB8SP-VZOG_3rAiFYhEK3gXRns0FMvMvBKISDI0TW7jvb5lDbnsg/s1600-h/DSCF1006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRmkDdQQ5r6aWzcH3PFln95jd21esXbXi_JFggiMSAgzTVUeu41dksXogN3w0oQBubLdqzAwzsw4ETJwmCPz-J5hB8SP-VZOG_3rAiFYhEK3gXRns0FMvMvBKISDI0TW7jvb5lDbnsg/s400/DSCF1006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434721136218160690" /></a><br />Chocolate is high on the list of essential foodstuffs in this household. Along with good bread, butter, porridge oats, yoghurt, anchovies and brown cheese, dark chocolate is <span style="font-style:italic;">always</span> in stock. I began my love affair with the dark stuff when I needed all the help I could get for a dastardly International Baccalaureate maths exam in 1998 and scarfed an entire bar of 70% Lindt before going in for the trigonometry kill. Armed with a ruler, plenty of sharpened pencils and a nifty Hewlett Packard calculator I was as wired as a nerd could get. <br /><br />Needless to say it wasn't the most brilliant idea and in the pantheon of hairbrained ideas I've had over the years this was sheer lunacy. I could <span style="font-style:italic;">Not. Sit. Still.</span> and was acutely aware that as my mind whirled around like a demented dervish I was losing precious time. Forget Pythagoras' theorem, I could barely scribble my own name. <br /><br />So maths was never going to be my forte, with or without the ill-fated inhalation of Lindt's 70%. But the kick that ensued from this act of theobromide madness was a salutary lesson: dark chocolate makes you alert. I mean, <span style="font-style:italic;">really really</span> alert. I may not have been able to write anything for the first ten minutes of the exam, but then I suddenly nailed it. Why snort the Columbian white stuff when you can have an instant hit of adrenaline from good dark Venezuelan chocolate I say.<br /><br />So when I received an invitation to a chocolate breakfast held at Jason Atherton's restaurant <a href="http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze/">Maze</a> to launch snazzy Milan brand <a href="http://www.tamilano.com/en/index.php">T'a Chocolate</a> I did a little dance. After a gloomy and illness-laden January I was ready to enter the land of the living and what better way to welcome February's arrival than with a chocolate breakfast at Maze?<br /><br />It may have been a grey and damp day in foggy Londontown yesterday but I virtually skipped all the way way to Mayfair from Bloomsbury. Upon arrival, <a href="http://www.andredang.com/Site/Welcome.html">Andre Dang </a>who organised the event as part of T'a Chocolates' launch at Selfridges introduced me to the lovely Jason Atherton. I'd heard much about Jason and how great he is to work with from soon to be <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601099&sid=aUSnfYsbX0x0">Iron Chef </a> and all-round great gal Judy Joo. Judy knows Jason from her time working as a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123267953432909107.html">pastry chef</a> at Gordon Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road restaurant and speaks highly of him so I was curious to chat to Jason about the chocolate breakfast he'd concocted for T'a. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIah2GVTckfj3Dm_yGj4LU7JCzb6gK_6hE1J0rd7sffDhaRdYxbRVfVaBKOyjfLVvaATJnyc0qryvEdWW3FgyiC0nD20sQacrQORacC7yYKuUU-RGcRW1iS_jnhQDichfG9DMdTKs0aA/s1600-h/DSCF1001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIah2GVTckfj3Dm_yGj4LU7JCzb6gK_6hE1J0rd7sffDhaRdYxbRVfVaBKOyjfLVvaATJnyc0qryvEdWW3FgyiC0nD20sQacrQORacC7yYKuUU-RGcRW1iS_jnhQDichfG9DMdTKs0aA/s400/DSCF1001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434721127794918370" /></a><br />Along with the T'a chocolates on display at the tasting, there was a table replete with four delectable chocolate spreads. Some food connoisseurs turn their noses up at chocolate spread but it's a cherished part of my childhood and in recent months I have been known to slather both chocolate spread and peanut butter on <a href="http://www.petersyard.com/">Peter's Yard</a> crispbread as a mid-afternoon snack. The good people at Peter's Yard no doubt wince at my desecration of their delicious crispbread, but trust me it's amazing.<br /><br />All of Jason's chocolate spreads were inspired by his time spent cooking and training in Spain, Dubai, France and of course here in the UK which was a thoughtful approach to creating four distinctive flavours. The British ale vinegar and winter berries chocolate spread (picture above) was mellow and tangy at the same time, a real treat using the very best of British ingredients. Sampling his Middle Eastern-inspired chocolate spread with saffron, Greek thyme and Arabian honey I thought "Saffron and chocolate, it works!" and I can imagine this spread would knock the socks off regular chocolate spread on pancakes this coming Shrove Tuesday. We then sampled an Iberico ham and sherry vinegar chocolate spread which was subtle in its porcine and sherry flavour, inspired by his time at <a href="http://www.elbulli.com/">El Bulli</a>. But the star of the spreads was undoubtedly this baby:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vu-UrcXyACbjA3XB6krOxJp-T25F6byDU3xRsYkUs8mqrAVQwTyiQv6cfY9ZmSnMYBfKVflNXQdpHh4jnbgryc9Zbu5LiurLokxphsCLCHYUgAXF6IXEj_D6yQ1aXyzhEH5qTngZYA/s1600-h/DSCF1002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vu-UrcXyACbjA3XB6krOxJp-T25F6byDU3xRsYkUs8mqrAVQwTyiQv6cfY9ZmSnMYBfKVflNXQdpHh4jnbgryc9Zbu5LiurLokxphsCLCHYUgAXF6IXEj_D6yQ1aXyzhEH5qTngZYA/s400/DSCF1002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434721131480393954" /></a><br />Holy mackerel! I had seconds. Being the incorrigible magpie that I am I may even have contemplated sneaking the entire jar into my handbag. Mediterranean sea salt, lemon and chocolate: this is the <span style="font-style:italic;">ne plus ultra</span> chocolate spread. If it isn't on sale soon in Selfridges alongside T'a's chocolates I shall have to do a <a href="http://www.stieglarsson.com/">Lisbeth Salander </a> and hack into Jason's laptop to nick the recipe. It's quite possibly the best way - other than porridge, smoothies and eggs benedict - to wake up in the morning: a light and refreshing lemon, sea salt and chocolate spread on sourdough toast. Or so I imagine. We had it with baguette. <br /><br />But it wasn't all spreads and creative flavours, there was the serious business of chocolate tasting too. Selfridges has a history of launching hot-to-trot chocolate brands such as Willie Harcourt Cooze's <a href="http://www.williescacao.com/">Cacao</a> bars, so I expect we'll see a lot more of T'a Chocolate soon enough. While it may be unknown over here, T'a is owned by Tancredi and Alberto Alemagna, two brothers who come from a long line of celebrated confectioners and patissiers in Milan. Tancredi told me Alemagna was the first place to make panettone way back when, a claim I'm not entirely convinced of but I learnt never to argue with an Italian about the origins of panettone. We chatted more about the origin of the cocoa beans in his chocolate bars and the varying degrees of cocoa percentage. Nibbling my way through the 55, 60, 72 and 80% samples I found the smoothness of T'a chocolates comforting and the flavours not nearly as intense as some artisan chocolate brands such as Michel Cluizel or Amadei. Having just reprised yesterday's sampling as I type this blog post I reckon the mellowness of the 40, 55, and 60% T'a chocolates makes for a perfect afternoon lift. <br /><br />Having tasted the best molten hot chocolate ever in <a href="http://www.pasticceriacova.com/">Cova</a>, an old-school pastry shop and cafe in Milan's fashionable Via Montenapoleone, I have absolute faith in the Milanese brothers Tancredi and Alfredo's ability to craft fine chocolate, and one that is more accessible than some of the complex terroir-laden big guns out there. <br /><br />Not that terroir is irrelevant to T'a, they source cocoa beans from single estates in Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Ghana and Tanzania and there's a selection of small tasting chocolate pieces, pralines and dragees to showcase the best of those countries' cocoa beans. <br /><br />It just wouldn't be Milanese if it weren't stylish, and I have to confess I love T'a Chocolates' style with its vivid colours and clever packaging. It's bright, enticing and pretty. If you're looking for a gift for a chocoholic this Valentine's day then you might want to swing by Selfridges in the next week and pick up one of these eye-catching T'a Chocolate boxes:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN11SHZ7m2H1YJKJTBaVNHPm6gh2oOOvSXWPpPXrqK9yog7cnfPmbIDtEJ6Uotc67W0AGdHtoMwdOYVrW9Pg-lNt8mflunqUWA9_kDJiRdHYtoROkNLxHS6AV-eL0fv_lU5zcatfVbvw/s1600-h/DSCF1009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN11SHZ7m2H1YJKJTBaVNHPm6gh2oOOvSXWPpPXrqK9yog7cnfPmbIDtEJ6Uotc67W0AGdHtoMwdOYVrW9Pg-lNt8mflunqUWA9_kDJiRdHYtoROkNLxHS6AV-eL0fv_lU5zcatfVbvw/s400/DSCF1009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434721144471064722" /></a><br />What can I say? Good design and good chocolate do it for me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hack into Jason Atherton's computer for that lemon sea salt chocolate spread recipe ;-)Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-36273686583841803652010-02-01T09:48:00.000+00:002010-02-01T09:50:11.918+00:00Chocolate Beetroot Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AXzPxznUKTJPv3mytuFxuZ1pmbxaCLhu3F5rs0zdA_sF_l-ev4OlnYoUUtm58J2RVfdQBi8xgyaxLPmAD7b_5HtH4coKhnRr20bvWalYwVP6tMFMls-lwerqmG7tq0-jdeCnUNAAig/s1600-h/DSCF1002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AXzPxznUKTJPv3mytuFxuZ1pmbxaCLhu3F5rs0zdA_sF_l-ev4OlnYoUUtm58J2RVfdQBi8xgyaxLPmAD7b_5HtH4coKhnRr20bvWalYwVP6tMFMls-lwerqmG7tq0-jdeCnUNAAig/s400/DSCF1002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433188385072741170" /></a><br /><br />Beetroot is as mighty as vegetables come. Admittedly I spent half my life thinking it came only in pickled form as my family used to eat it with chicken liver pate and mayonnaise on an open rye sandwich. Occasionally my mother would add the same pickled stuff to salads. Otherwise I had no real conception that it existed as a vegetable until I came to the UK and saw it sold with leaves and all. Imagine my excitement! <br /><br />It's still a mystery why my parents, otherwise great advocates of root vegetables in both their raw and cooked form, didn't expose me to the humble beetroot. They did an excellent job exposing me to carrot and potatoes, just not beetroot.<br /><br />Endlessly versatile, beetroot I've since discovered, can be roasted with thyme and garlic, or shredded raw into winter salads. It makes a great risotto, as <a href="http://jamesramsden.wordpress.com/">The Larder Lout</a> will tell you. And beetroot works a treat in cake.<br /><br />I found a recipe in the Telegraph which I tweaked slightly, reducing the sugar slightly and adding more chocolate. you can see the original <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6981533/Chocolate-and-beetroot-cake-recipe.html">here</a><br /><br />Use raw beetroot as you would use raw carrot in a classic American carrot cake. I opted for the cooked stuff to save time on this chocolate cake; the beetroot's subtle in flavour and you'll hardly taste it with all the chocolate and cocoa in this recipe but it lends a wonderful moist texture to chocolate cakes. <br /><br />Do try it, but whatever you do, steer clear of the pickled beetroot for baking and save instead for open sandwiches!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />250g cooked beetroot<br />100g dark chocolate<br />125g butter<br />250g light brown muscovado sugar (I used Billington's)<br />3 medium eggs<br />50g cocoa powder<br />225g self-raising flour (or the same quality of refined spelt flour with 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda)<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 22cm cake tin <br /><br />In a medium bowl weigh the diced butter and dark chocolate chopped in small pieces. Place this over simmering water in a medium saucepan and allow the butter and chocolate to melt completely. Set aside to cool.<br /><br />Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to distribute the raising agents, cocoa powder and salt.<br /><br />In a medium-large bowl place the eggs and sugar and beat until pale and mousse-like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8PFBQb7YsAqEPIZN2C5XGE0frQa1DphYwRCVioieljbRMvPViZC440yreCkGcJ2L-bn-O5OxN0UakT1rPYORwde7-NaXs0zcWR4AhjCuKpQA1jVkx7gEdTjYonQtha2eUQO6tFPw6Q/s1600-h/DSCF1007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8PFBQb7YsAqEPIZN2C5XGE0frQa1DphYwRCVioieljbRMvPViZC440yreCkGcJ2L-bn-O5OxN0UakT1rPYORwde7-NaXs0zcWR4AhjCuKpQA1jVkx7gEdTjYonQtha2eUQO6tFPw6Q/s400/DSCF1007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433207206562353122" /></a><br /><br /> Blitz the beetroot:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38DRQ-0aOyh4osuB_W154eJWRMyUzvPeddNBjsPDbwOCI_6kOq0Z9r1_69Rpr6hAGWKEoO1vqdOnqD-qqAhGQ8v1OJ2uUUEuCYpT-pdqglHFCmVJIf-l6Sr1_H5RYLeagnZzSfmP3NA/s1600-h/DSCF1003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38DRQ-0aOyh4osuB_W154eJWRMyUzvPeddNBjsPDbwOCI_6kOq0Z9r1_69Rpr6hAGWKEoO1vqdOnqD-qqAhGQ8v1OJ2uUUEuCYpT-pdqglHFCmVJIf-l6Sr1_H5RYLeagnZzSfmP3NA/s400/DSCF1003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433207202245302482" /></a><br /><br />Add half the beetroot and half the dry ingredients to the bowl with the egg and sugar and fold through 4-5 times. Add the remainder of the beetroot and dry ingredients and again fold through 4-5 times until the mixture is smooth.<br /><br />Finally, pour this into the cake tin and bake on the middle oven shelf for 40-50 minutes (depending on how reliable your oven is. Mine isn't!) Insert a skewer to see if the cake is cooked through. The skewer should have no wet mixture when you remove<br /> it. When the cake is done, allow to cool 10 minutes before removing the tin and placing on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before icing with equal parts melted dark chocolate and butter, with a few tablespoons of icing sugar to sweeten the icing. If you fancy a fruity twist, pierce the cake all over with a skewer and drizzle creme de cassis over before icing.Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-24440473028788370692010-01-24T19:04:00.005+00:002010-01-24T20:36:53.770+00:00Mac n' Cheese baby!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EbUOyqq8dw-uuiBEh8sFOhhdeKxq1VC16c9naC8Y3HkjgBujTRM554Kp_79EgUpHHEPj6hVA4X7FpmMzUQriRSQ4EC-wudMCOxpbVxHyP6IXGI3OczZMsN0f4bZbboSF_TEIDgZkmQ/s1600-h/DSCF1034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EbUOyqq8dw-uuiBEh8sFOhhdeKxq1VC16c9naC8Y3HkjgBujTRM554Kp_79EgUpHHEPj6hVA4X7FpmMzUQriRSQ4EC-wudMCOxpbVxHyP6IXGI3OczZMsN0f4bZbboSF_TEIDgZkmQ/s400/DSCF1034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361612592195906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGY2GgF96YBIOVpvtETLkr9kxNGJqjHH-4Qb4lTjnnv_4az_5rx4Nc1BRD2uVZ6oTTjqbh0nXauT28X70d4LhNKOKAsC3QDcOZJKPs_7p7r0_8PS_ODR3MQ9vDMDdAOguGMA-Pe8KMg/s1600-h/DSCF1032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGY2GgF96YBIOVpvtETLkr9kxNGJqjHH-4Qb4lTjnnv_4az_5rx4Nc1BRD2uVZ6oTTjqbh0nXauT28X70d4LhNKOKAsC3QDcOZJKPs_7p7r0_8PS_ODR3MQ9vDMDdAOguGMA-Pe8KMg/s400/DSCF1032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361608580184706" /></a><br />"To soothe the inner beast or quell the pain of a broken heart, make macaroni and cheese"<br /><br /> -Marlena Spieler <span style="font-style:italic;">Macaroni and Cheese</span> (2006)<br /><br />Whenever someone mentions mac n' cheese, or what you preposition-averse Brits call macaroni cheese, I do a little dance. There are few things more delicious in life than the union of starch and cheese, and done properly, this is comfort food of the highest order. So when Fiona Beckett, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiona-Becketts-Cheese-Course-Beckett/dp/1845979168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264356542&sr=8-1">Fiona Beckett's Cheese Course </a>announced on her blog <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/">The Cheeselover</a> she was running <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/2009/12/ultimate-macaroni-cheese-challenge_28.html">The Ultimate Macaroni Cheese Challenge</a> after Christmas I thought hot diggity dog, I am entering this competition or else.<br /><br />Except I was beset by swine flu. And then when I returned to London the elements conspired once again and I was bedridden for the first two weeks of the new year. My body did not appreciate returning from a balmy 25 degrees in the Canaries and the warm embrace of my parents to arctic winds and snow back here in the Big Smoke. Paradoxically for someone who lived 15 years in Norway I don't really love the cold except when temperatures drop to -5 degrees celsius and the air is dry and crisp. Idiosyncratic, I know.<br /><br />At any rate, I didn't recover in time to enter by Fiona's stated deadline of January 18th and promptly forgot all about the mac n' cheese challenge, but discovered the literary joys of Raymond Chandler and Stieg Larsson so all was not lost while I was ill.<br /><br />I was happily ploughing my way through brilliant books the last two weeks whilst recovering from flu when I realised Fiona's deadline had been extended til 11:59pm January 24th. Today.<br /><br />Gulp! So off I traipsed to <a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/">Neal's Yard Dairy</a> in Covent Garden yesterday morning contemplating the world, well contemplating cheese after deciding on entering the 'Best Use of Artisanal Cheese' category in Fiona's competition. It was a no-brainer; I'm obsessed by cheese and was even quoted in the Telegraph as being a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6127402/The-art-of-student-cooking.html">cheese anthropologist</a>, something for which I have to confess is not actually a discipline of anthropology. Though it damn well should be, the world of cheese is a fascinating one! You learn more from a person talking about cheese than you ever will discussing Foucault or Bourdieu in seminars. <br /><br />But that's another story.<br /><br />So I wanted to enter this competition with the express intention of celebrating the best of British artisanal cheese. I may only be 1/4 British but it's enough to stir my patriotic loins when it comes to British cheese. These Isles have some of the finest cheeses in the world and compared to the moribund French artisan cheese industry, British cheesemakers are storming ahead of their continental peers. Artisan cheese here is in robust health and that is excellent news.<br /><br />In I went to Neal's Yard and stated my intentions, much to the bemusement to Charlie, one of the fellas working there who was extremely patient with my request. I said I was hoping to marry some of my favourite unpasteurised artisanal cheeses: Gorwydd Caerphilly, Montgomery's Cheddar and Stichelton in this mac n' cheese experiment. And out I came with Gorwydd Caerphilly, Montgomery's Cheddar, Stichelton and a Wensleydale which Charlie thought would work well in the cheese sauce. I also snaffled 12 oz. Neal's Yard creme fraiche at an eyewatering £4.40 for the cheese sauce and a new cheese called Danegold to try for lunch one day next week. A jar of pepper jelly sauce concluded my puchases for the day and I skipped back to Bloomsbury, warning my Man that he'd better be in the mood for mac n' cheese.<br /><br />Thankfully my better half is a cheese man so he didn't need persuading, though much like young Charlie of Neal's Yard, he was somewhat bemused by my fixation on creating an artisanal mac n' cheese dish. What happened to using good old cheddar they probably wondered.<br /><br />Anyway, without further ado here's the recipe I created and let me warn you - it's exceptionally cheesy. The combination of Caerphilly and Wensleydale with the creme fraiche sauce is the perfect base for the more robust Stichelton crumbled haphazardly on top with the final flourish of Montgomery cheddar generously scattered to cover the dish before allowing the mac n' cheese to bubble and ooze and crisp up in the oven. We both hoovered up indecent portions of the stuff, along with salad as a digestif. You'll need greens of some description to digest the mac n' cheese whether you're using hefty artisanal cheeses or not.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Recipe for the Ultimate Artisanal Cheese Mac n' Cheese/Macaroni Cheese January 2010:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br /><br />Neal's Yard creme fraiche<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcYNQcFe24B6HtonOIJ9t4PNsgltD-aMtGehDrpiXlYF7Is-6Or2kZeSnKiaNqd9ZVxbv6fJVFF0StxiYvCG0z6-h4dvbG9JwkC8Uqm0U21-ySDsejXHfAFljYVy8SemzcrjjVFlIrQ/s1600-h/DSCF1004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcYNQcFe24B6HtonOIJ9t4PNsgltD-aMtGehDrpiXlYF7Is-6Or2kZeSnKiaNqd9ZVxbv6fJVFF0StxiYvCG0z6-h4dvbG9JwkC8Uqm0U21-ySDsejXHfAFljYVy8SemzcrjjVFlIrQ/s400/DSCF1004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361240778572274" /></a><br />Wensleydale<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTVd35uT5XE746n3MJTl_U4WcCPi6Osd9LQLHRbcw5zz_VvXBHWvUa4c7JADuZF9ljMg_vxT_bBcGwqj4eQSWDKo0OsUy4qCejTW-KoTzKEqgHMTl0o8SfBF6J4oKu92kQpxWFCbvXw/s1600-h/DSCF1018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTVd35uT5XE746n3MJTl_U4WcCPi6Osd9LQLHRbcw5zz_VvXBHWvUa4c7JADuZF9ljMg_vxT_bBcGwqj4eQSWDKo0OsUy4qCejTW-KoTzKEqgHMTl0o8SfBF6J4oKu92kQpxWFCbvXw/s400/DSCF1018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361255292927602" /></a><br />Gorwydd Caerphilly<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ8fRTvDNG9qYmU0bhaed3xPmtK-lyUD_gxcwt5WvCjvOXeZoeoPo-9Uv7OEDpMkD0VgUPCW4daJ3FjNiRLG0PgNERDiXeKoQtoa20Ye02Kril322Jfzo7JlLXfKf5H9Wvpd48S-jww/s1600-h/DSCF1007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ8fRTvDNG9qYmU0bhaed3xPmtK-lyUD_gxcwt5WvCjvOXeZoeoPo-9Uv7OEDpMkD0VgUPCW4daJ3FjNiRLG0PgNERDiXeKoQtoa20Ye02Kril322Jfzo7JlLXfKf5H9Wvpd48S-jww/s400/DSCF1007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361245174577986" /></a><br />Montgomery's Cheddar<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4xXSkfWnaDJ3O_KT9q3Xygd5A8u1b48N2jyFTKcNSaBC_ryaanykzgb2qYdcCBlYhb9q1ypZlS56hcuqoAtq-JmgROABANcDMuWRCvC4jyEXQuIOCT7JhUUasXW3RyHgnXCOFtJKNA/s1600-h/DSCF1016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4xXSkfWnaDJ3O_KT9q3Xygd5A8u1b48N2jyFTKcNSaBC_ryaanykzgb2qYdcCBlYhb9q1ypZlS56hcuqoAtq-JmgROABANcDMuWRCvC4jyEXQuIOCT7JhUUasXW3RyHgnXCOFtJKNA/s400/DSCF1016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361251765584018" /></a><br />Stichelton<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwkF83BCDrU32M5mEr4M1dOmz8Fy3fvLl0ff0oRJNTVJ47LacSqGAYqWu0iuXXAvuETNhgAEm-aQOXGXg5cb_or2MQcI31UJ0mcPD7MFFOUi-Hn_NzZxpuG9jJZP-wGOVgDHWKNK7oQ/s1600-h/DSCF1029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwkF83BCDrU32M5mEr4M1dOmz8Fy3fvLl0ff0oRJNTVJ47LacSqGAYqWu0iuXXAvuETNhgAEm-aQOXGXg5cb_or2MQcI31UJ0mcPD7MFFOUi-Hn_NzZxpuG9jJZP-wGOVgDHWKNK7oQ/s400/DSCF1029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430361258658636002" /></a><br /><br />(This technically serves 4, but be prepared to fight over it)<br /><br />250g macaroni<br />75g Wensleydale<br />100g Gorwydd Caerphilly<br />100g Stichelton<br />100g Montgomery's Cheddar<br />250g creme fraiche<br />150ml single cream<br />1/2 clove garlic<br />salt & pepper<br />worcestershire sauce (optional) <br /><br />This recipe is basically a hybrid of Heston Blumenthal's and queen of mac n' cheese Marlena Spieler's recipes, the former a Gratin of Macaroni from Heston's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Food-Approach-Cooking-Penguin/dp/0140295399">Family Food </a>whereas Marlena's is the quintessential yankee doodle dandee Mac n' Cheese from her book titled - appropriately enough - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macaroni-Cheese-Marlena-Spieler/dp/0811849627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264359124&sr=8-1">Macaroni & Cheese</a>. I wanted to make this with creme fraiche for extra tanginess and opted to forego a roux-based sauce in favour of this dairy bombshell of a dish. Do not scrimp on the creme fraiche or the cheese. What the heck is the point of eating this dish if it's not oozing with cheesy goodness?!<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 190 C/Gas Mark 5/375 F<br /><br />Bring salted water in a saucepan to a boil, add macaroni and boil til al dente (5 minutes should do the trick). Run cold water over the macaroni - soba noodle style - when you've drained the cooking water to stop the pasta from getting too claggy and continuing to cook.<br /><br />Coarsely grate the cheddar on a plate and crumble the stichelton next to it. Set aside. Finely grate the wensleydale and caerphilly and in a small saucepan heat the creme fraiche and single cream. Take off the heat when the cream starts to bubble, and add the wensleydale and caerphilly, stirring to distribute both cheeses and allow the sauce to thicken. Season to taste.<br /><br />Rub the inside of the roasting dish with the half clove of garlic. Mix the cheesy sauce with the pasta, pour into the dish and sprinkle with stichelton. Finally top with montgomerys and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Drizzle with worcestershire sauce for that welsh rarebit (rabbit?) effect, not strictly necessary but the slight sweetness and umami effect of the worcester sauce doesn't harm the dish.<br /><br />What do you reckon - have I done British artisanal cheese justice?Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-80901443954219437162010-01-22T13:24:00.005+00:002010-01-23T08:52:14.380+00:00The Vikings are coming!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bullspress.dk/Global/Comic%20images/Hagar2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 410px; height: 255px;" src="http://www.bullspress.dk/Global/Comic%20images/Hagar2.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hagar the Horrible and his merry band of Vikings (photo courtesy of King Features Syndicate)<br /><br />Having seen <a href="http://www.henningmankell.com/">Henning Mankell </a>- author of the popular detective series <a href="http://www.inspector-wallander.org/">Wallander</a> - speak last night about his novels and his Swedish detective hero Kurt Wallander I was intrigued by the question someone in the audience posed about the 'gloomy' nature of Scandinavians. Musing on this question over my morning porridge today I asked myself how gloomy are we Scandis really? Yes, the suicide rate is famously high in Nordic countries (no doubt higher in Iceland since those banking cowboys bankrupted the country) but when I think of the fifteen years I lived in Norway my lasting impression of Norwegians and other Scandis is not one of gloom. <br /><br />The weather can be gloomy, yes. And Scandinavians can seem reserved, austere and frankly a bit odd. My aunts in Norway certainly evince some demented behaviour but that's because they're vain ageing models and can't accept they are now wrinkly. I don't think it's a coincidence that said aunts have been on numerous diets for the past thirty years, and certainly the exclusion of butter from their lives is a likely cause of their lunacy. But I shall save that for my next blog post on the virtues of butter ;) <br /><br />There's no doubt Scandinavians and our Nordic brethren the Finns and Icelanders are peculiar. Eccentric even. I suspect, as many do, it has something to do with the lack of daylight in winter and then an overdose of it in the summer. Leads to some imbalances in the system. <br /><br />Seriously though, we Northern Europeans - along with the Japanese - have the longest lifespans on the planet, the highest standard of living and are top of the countries donating aid to help developing countries. And yet other than a vague image of gloom and doom and the idea that Scandinavians are quite virtuous citizens, most Brits I know haven't got the foggiest what goes on in Scandinavia, or for that matter, what the food is like. <br /><br />So it was with some excitement this time last year when I discovered Danish chef and food writer <a href="http://trinahahnemann.com/en/">Trina Hahnemann</a> had published <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scandinavian-Cookbook-Trina-Hahnemann/dp/1844006131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264163228&sr=8-1">The Scandinavian Cookbook</a> (Quadrille). Finally, a book that transported me back to Scandinavia through beautiful, evocative photography and unfussy recipes using seasonal produce, game and a LOT of fish, my favourite food. Trina's <a href="http://scandilicious.blogspot.com/2009/11/spelt-cinnamon-loaf.html">cinnamon bun</a> recipe has been tried and tested a dozen times in the past year and she is a very very good recipe writer, an accolade true cooks will appreciate.<br /><br />But perhaps before I go on I should confess my aversion to diet books. Between the crazy dieting aunts and the fact that I can still wear the same clothes as I did back in the '90's (yes snort away, I accept this is unfair!) I've never been too bothered with my weight. I walk a lot, go skiing when I can, swim in the summer and generally keep quite active throughout the year. In fact there have been phases when I've been less active and it shows - my mood becomes unpredictable, I become listless and grumpy and no amount of prozac will lift me from my oxygen-deprived slump. The cure is always fresh air and gentle exercise. Scandinavians are famous for our love of the outdoors and I reckon that has an effect on our health. Who needs the gym? So I choose to ignore fad diets, taking the long view that it's more important to enjoy your food and avoid excess as much as possible whilst getting outdoors as much as possible. Yes, that makes me quite dull. And yes I own a thermos. Hardly the spirit of the vikings I grant you! For that you'll have to meet Papa Johansen.<br /><br />Anyway. Having enjoyed Trina Hahnemann's The Scandinavian Cookbook so much over the past year I was curious to see if her follow-up <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844007960/ref=s9_simi_gw_s0_p14_t2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0VD0JGB2NQXEP572KHXB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294">The Nordic Diet</a> would match its predecessor for tasty dishes and evocative photos. And of course, dispel my snottiness about the word 'diet'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://estb.msn.com/i/35/653BCF2518F642ED3FF8952E912A1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 375px;" src="http://estb.msn.com/i/35/653BCF2518F642ED3FF8952E912A1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />(Quadrille 2010)<br /><br />Thankfully Trina isn't the hectoring kind. There is no counting of calories in the Nordic Diet and as a concept it's more about adopting the <span style="font-style:italic;">habits</span> of healthy eating, eating as much fresh fish, game, fruit and veg as possible, avoiding processed and refined food and balancing meals so you have a variety of health-boosting ingredients throughout the day. Cut down your sugar intake. That is a major health imperative, one which I sometimes forget. Refined sugar is the source of more chronic health problems such as diabetes, obesity and even cancer than we realise. <br /><br />Recipes in the Nordic Diet are pared-back and easy to follow, in keeping with a distinctly modern Scandinavian ethos that regards too much fuss or embellishment as a vice. <br /><br />I like this book, despite my initial scepticism about the 'diet' word in the title ;)<br /><br />Arguably the most important point Trina makes in her introduction to the Nordic diet - aside from the key point that our food choices have ecological consequences - is that eating meals together, whether with family, friends or strangers is essential to a good quality of life. My Mother insisted on this when I was growing up and it was one of the reasons she never sent her errant daughter to a boarding school. Sitting down to eat a meal together every night was non-negotiable, and my parents included me from a young age in their dinner parties. This probably explains my middle-aged sensibilities! <br /><br />Commensality is essential to social bonding, you don't need a food anthropologist telling you that, and I hope Trina's message that sitting down regularly with family and/or friends to eat together, discussing what's going on in each other's lives and the state of the world, laughing, crying, commiserating, arguing and telling stories together. If a reader of the Nordic Diet who thinks she or he doesn't have the time to cook and sit down for a proper meal anymore is convinced of the merits of cooking a meal from scratch and enjoying good Nordic food then that's a Very Good Thing.<br /><br />So the fundamentals of the Nordic Diet include:<br /><br />* Balanced meals with an emphasis on whole grains and seasonal vegetables<br />* Home-cooking with fresh ingredients, including <span style="font-style:italic;">home-baked bread</span><br />* Eating less<br />* Eating fish twice a week at least<br />* Eating game, chicken or meat only 3 times a week at most<br />* Taking time to eat with friends and family on a daily basis<br /><br />(my italics)<br /><br />If you still need persuading that Nordic food is the way to go then let me assure you Trina's recipes are packed with punchy, robust flavours. There is nothing bland about this book, the flavours work and you won't get bored eating food such as:<br /><br />* rye and beer porridge<br />* spelt pancakes with blueberries <br />* mussel soup with potatoes and leek <br />* smørrebrød with salmon tartare <br />* beetroot burgers with barley salad<br />* monkfish cheeks, fennel and mash with dill and spring onion<br />* mackerel with baked rhubarb and cabbage<br />* goose breast with apples and celeriac salad<br />* venison meatballs with baked root veg<br />* elderberry soup with rye bread croutons<br />* spelt bread with rhubarb and strawberry jam<br /><br />You get my point - Trina's recipes rock, they are nutritious and delicious and won't leave you feeling deprived or reaching for a cheap chocolate and yo-yo-ing in your weight. I've long been convinced of the virtues of spelt and rye, two grains Trina bakes a lot with. If you can, start switching from plain wheat flour to spelt, rye, oats and barley - you'll be doing your digestive system and overall health a huge favour. <br /> <br />I'd say the only thing I would have liked to have seen more of in this book is recipes for cured and smoked meats and fish, a staple in the traditional Nordic diet. Perhaps these would have been too intimidating for most British home cooks? If you're interested in making your own gravadlax though, Trina provides a reliable recipe in the Scandinavian Cookbook. As a final caveat to my otherwise two thumbs up for the Nordic Diet is Trina's assertion that one should use low-fat yoghurt or skimmed milk in her recipes but I'll get to that in my next blog post, they don't call me the full-fat dairy queen for nothing...<br /><br />Overall, at £12.00 (and currently a bargainous £6.49 on Amazon) The Nordic Diet is a great investment. Nothing gloomy about this diet I'd say ;)<br /><br />On that note, I'm looking forward to seeing Trina again tonight at a dinner she is co-hosting with the good people of <a href="http://www.madsenrestaurant.com/">Madsen</a>. As we say in the Northerm climes, <span style="font-style:italic;">velbekomme!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">With thanks to Quadrille for sending a review copy of the Nordic Diet</span>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-28347606852322732492010-01-11T14:54:00.003+00:002010-01-11T15:05:24.091+00:00A return to baking: raspberry and cinnamon crunch muffins made with Jordans Country Crisp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpGETkaoi8EnnbXwpHxY5Jz3S31kqoz-hk2gYIttRU193HXxFsg58o67ai3K53EbvYCUzx7QO9xMQDwWKLV8eGIfUXnkoYXgOlPZhZXogd7LhgPLN5iX12Fe6D92hxhq0a-tArKiCBA/s1600-h/DSCF1039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpGETkaoi8EnnbXwpHxY5Jz3S31kqoz-hk2gYIttRU193HXxFsg58o67ai3K53EbvYCUzx7QO9xMQDwWKLV8eGIfUXnkoYXgOlPZhZXogd7LhgPLN5iX12Fe6D92hxhq0a-tArKiCBA/s400/DSCF1039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425455060743184210" /></a><br />Raspberry and cinnamon crunch muffins<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaeQfPaYnw4RyYmDKiuZvVZ00RtI5rK8hfCUxPSlJqCG_p8hRJzosTggI7xyft4H6Kd-hXGQiECZSH41pu5yoLSdHkLUNsIJYVZn-9Fo21kJDucC1EEhjxXB4Rb9jbTV1DTR7VaQT7w/s1600-h/DSCF1061.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaeQfPaYnw4RyYmDKiuZvVZ00RtI5rK8hfCUxPSlJqCG_p8hRJzosTggI7xyft4H6Kd-hXGQiECZSH41pu5yoLSdHkLUNsIJYVZn-9Fo21kJDucC1EEhjxXB4Rb9jbTV1DTR7VaQT7w/s400/DSCF1061.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425455052454894578" /></a><br />Lovely juicy, tart raspberries inside the muffin<br /><br />Being a contrarian sort I tend to steer clear of predictions, resolutions and diets of any description in the new year. January is a month to hunker down indoors, savour these cold winter nights hiding under the duvet with a hot water bottle and a good book whilst nursing a whisky or three. And of course with this cold snap we're experiencing - the <span style="font-style:italic;">perfect</span> excuse to eat carbs, glorious carbs...<br /><br />Having been beset by a dastardly bout of swine flu over the Christmas holiday and only just surfacing for air last week after a slow recovery, I finally mustered the energy to bake these raspberry and cinnamon crunch muffins over the weekend. Being a baker at heart, it pained me not having the inclination to bake during the festive season, and while I was preparing a batch of raspberry muffin batter on Saturday morning inspiration struck: out of the corner of my eye a box of<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.jordanscereals.co.uk/"> Jordans</a></span> raspberry crunch cereal beckoned me to open it. After chomping on some of the crispy crunchy goodness and feeling ever so slightly guilty foregoing my daily porridge, I whisked and folded the raspberry muffin batter, adapting the recipe by sprinkling cereal on top of the muffin batter thus making 'streusel' raspberry muffins. <br /><br />Eureka! <br /><br />OK, so it was hardly a Eureka! moment, more like thank the gods - with apologies to the inimitable Johnny Nash - I can see clearly now this flu has gone.<br /><br />And then it occurred to me this wasn't the first time I'd baked with crunchy cereal. One Saturday morning just before Christmas I pootled along to <a href="http://www.leiths.com/">Leiths School of Food and Wine </a>in deepest darkest West London for a morning of Jordans crunchy crisp appreciation, along with Ginger Gourmand, Kavey Eats, Food Urchin, Mathilde's Cuisine, Apple & Spice, the Mueslilover, amongst others. It was one of the more enjoyable food blogging events I'd been to, Jordans enticing us along with the promise we could create our own cereal and take it away in a bespoke Jordans cereal box with our names imprinted on the box for posterity, photos of which you can see on <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177878&id=188963483851&ref=mf">Jordans' Facebook page</a> </span><br />When we arrived at Leiths Bill Jordan, who runs Jordans with his brother David, talked us through the story of Jordans and explained the importance of using conservation oats in the cereal and the extensive testing of recipes that takes place at the company:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIXLZGKeAbzFa8UntVBXDTF3mLrgDVD0PxOUKXZINzcAFfJdSkn5-BuWAG5elC11CgnRwkrNeOJbM9cLNV9nJmpUegvZtECMdkZwWlJiC5zeHqe-zAB-lY2I9lMo_wFeKO4fbVqeXRg/s1600-h/DSCF1012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIXLZGKeAbzFa8UntVBXDTF3mLrgDVD0PxOUKXZINzcAFfJdSkn5-BuWAG5elC11CgnRwkrNeOJbM9cLNV9nJmpUegvZtECMdkZwWlJiC5zeHqe-zAB-lY2I9lMo_wFeKO4fbVqeXRg/s400/DSCF1012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425458678693839634" /></a><br />But we weren't just there to make our own cereal, we were there to bake cake:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezzIjXgSwNOGQPYc0Vgf-ZT-rgWrb4mbSU3sR0J9nYtwMcHEH76z3lrsMcIFIHoP5GRPHIRvHsrKcImKFKyOyEAieJuUqultH2d2p0ZxaCCTO6lh-ONdx9P_4lIF1JZgO2nShUNuUVg/s1600-h/DSCF1013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezzIjXgSwNOGQPYc0Vgf-ZT-rgWrb4mbSU3sR0J9nYtwMcHEH76z3lrsMcIFIHoP5GRPHIRvHsrKcImKFKyOyEAieJuUqultH2d2p0ZxaCCTO6lh-ONdx9P_4lIF1JZgO2nShUNuUVg/s400/DSCF1013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425455074333713538" /></a><br />The cake was a delicious pear and chocolate crunch sponge, full of the good things in life - mainly butter and sugar - and a real hit with all those who attended.<br /><br />As for the cereal - we tasted different varieties of Jordans, of which the strawberry is a firm favourite. It was my sweet treat from studying when I first arrived at university here in 1999, tasting sweet and crunchy and with a hint of acidity from those freeze-dried strawberries. I loved it then - and still do - with ice cold whole milk. <br /><br />So when we were given the run of the Jordans crunchy crisp flavours table I ran erm, a little amok with the freeze-dried berries. And the coconut. And chocolate. I may have been a little over-zealous: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50ZsMtiXPCVX42vn-2Xv4WElY_VUk8J05l3ZJzAckv1z9bf5HTw_8gjgPiKcuj3n_TxUIvGDWRPKj00DCZFifXX8b9vYV6A5nmVsj9eSigX50X18IdXUlTvvk8NNAMBn_xUoRDxpC8g/s1600-h/DSCF1022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50ZsMtiXPCVX42vn-2Xv4WElY_VUk8J05l3ZJzAckv1z9bf5HTw_8gjgPiKcuj3n_TxUIvGDWRPKj00DCZFifXX8b9vYV6A5nmVsj9eSigX50X18IdXUlTvvk8NNAMBn_xUoRDxpC8g/s400/DSCF1022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425455064732822066" /></a><br />As a yuletide twist I tossed hazelnuts in a cinnamon and mixed spice mixture and roasted them at 180 C for 10 minutes to add to this decadent confection, I mean cereal, I had created...<br /><br />But back to the raspberry and cinnamon crunch muffins. If you're curious, here's the recipe I drummed up on Saturday:<br /><br />Recipe:<br /><br />250g sharpham park refined spelt flour<br />50g porridge oats (small, not jumbo)<br />85g light muscovado sugar (I used billingtons)<br />85g golden caster sugar (waitrose)<br />150ml whole milk<br />50ml plain wholemilk yoghurt <br />100g melted butter<br />2 medium eggs<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />170g frozen raspberries<br />100g Jordans raspberry crunchy crisp cereal for topping<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />The key to light, fluffy muffins is not to overmix the ingredients. An American friend once told me never to stir more than 12 times when combining dry and liquid ingredients and that trick has never failed.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a 12x muffin tin with paper cups or parchement paper.<br /><br />In a large bowl sieve all the dry ingredients together:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKwKdt_lYUVEYbBZxaEqhCFZa7huardjfTCxql8HraHMuhG2paKosCPlmRO_gXFXqsYiZIYyl_CxX3ohXx1dbu6G7K-2AtrQ8cAFenSYa0tn7xwmQhk3Ahe0tigdi3FwvFwEgEFLbyQ/s1600-h/DSCF1003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKwKdt_lYUVEYbBZxaEqhCFZa7huardjfTCxql8HraHMuhG2paKosCPlmRO_gXFXqsYiZIYyl_CxX3ohXx1dbu6G7K-2AtrQ8cAFenSYa0tn7xwmQhk3Ahe0tigdi3FwvFwEgEFLbyQ/s400/DSCF1003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425458664827315154" /></a><br />Make a well in the middle and add all the liquid ingredients:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxYDam43F80MXR4y5_xdATpp0Jb740qEavR3wahZ8Z6f-TY9Yopr4qqcDDFd6g9DiCc69Ck-ltvDXYvl1wKDPnA9j5U145OFai6lbF06Gp9DSi2hOxp5njec2KeuboJ7qGzncmzwYNw/s1600-h/DSCF1006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxYDam43F80MXR4y5_xdATpp0Jb740qEavR3wahZ8Z6f-TY9Yopr4qqcDDFd6g9DiCc69Ck-ltvDXYvl1wKDPnA9j5U145OFai6lbF06Gp9DSi2hOxp5njec2KeuboJ7qGzncmzwYNw/s400/DSCF1006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425458675904464930" /></a><br />Add the frozen raspberries and stir:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszC7Dq0Rw6i73CCorIgY-9XdMPDvIKk3Xj05g0tqC7dgU1WrEM2lMh-G_C0OrfmgBrE0zY5VRAaxaxQCITdC216O2wThLhwmb15nBul23bL2IZzGo1i3vzFTgEVm9gl5OImUgCOOcYA/s1600-h/DSCF1016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszC7Dq0Rw6i73CCorIgY-9XdMPDvIKk3Xj05g0tqC7dgU1WrEM2lMh-G_C0OrfmgBrE0zY5VRAaxaxQCITdC216O2wThLhwmb15nBul23bL2IZzGo1i3vzFTgEVm9gl5OImUgCOOcYA/s400/DSCF1016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425495040093936258" /></a><br />Finally, using an ice cream scoop or teaspoon, fill each muffin case 3/4 full and top with raspberry crunchy crisp (a tip though, leave out the freeze-dried raspberries as they incinerate when baked!) if you wish, dust a little extra cinnamon on top of the crunchy crisp<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsV4QzW9ImtRJVbk2MBPus1m8E8vcJ59CVKqZWkP2QVqKiWCqVX5ojbcvW2p_zI_G306GOeaSdqwGnc5_Xg-nEV4CCFk0J7273kndI5olYkzgmaq_58WMtws0SbHPXZQ0BZi5xofRpQ/s1600-h/DSCF1020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsV4QzW9ImtRJVbk2MBPus1m8E8vcJ59CVKqZWkP2QVqKiWCqVX5ojbcvW2p_zI_G306GOeaSdqwGnc5_Xg-nEV4CCFk0J7273kndI5olYkzgmaq_58WMtws0SbHPXZQ0BZi5xofRpQ/s400/DSCF1020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425455071438131810" /></a><br /><br />Bake on the upper middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, insert a skewer and if it comes out dry the muffins are done. <br /><br />Many thanks to Jordans and Wild Card for organising an executing a thoroughly enjoyable morning for us all. It won't be the last time I bake with crunchy crisp cereal.<br /><br />Have you been baking during this cold spell? If so, what have you been making?Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-28449486014807313562010-01-08T14:59:00.006+00:002010-01-09T07:01:25.093+00:00Reason # 1 to be excited about 2010: The renaissance of artisan food in Britain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WJHzA5xpRXq6JqScqu2acAZjnbWgzf3HPTfMjG-0twAhgE2OvP2GgTNJveybDT6TSgNumfw4U6iYHaRyWHLhjZNIl2QbcBZzsLdHJ-v_21volkdv5mH6HYjpxXxh3TvkZLCxVTxm0g/s1600-h/DSC_1564.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WJHzA5xpRXq6JqScqu2acAZjnbWgzf3HPTfMjG-0twAhgE2OvP2GgTNJveybDT6TSgNumfw4U6iYHaRyWHLhjZNIl2QbcBZzsLdHJ-v_21volkdv5mH6HYjpxXxh3TvkZLCxVTxm0g/s400/DSC_1564.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423974196201393906" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The School of Artisan Food<span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/"></a></span></span> </a>(SAF) in a newly renovated 19th century fire station on the Welbeck Estate (photo courtesy SAF)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWHLbCgQO6BXTfqgD1PZ00NXw7-ewb0o7k48M8XGtge5esB-vS_IBivgpW2SYMYFG8hrSzlUTgR0SciuV47QLeX-2XuyefrFAHSGihL8z1tmOcWRpC5yN7X4FHlJ4wXXV4_jgmT05zw/s1600-h/DSC_1572.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWHLbCgQO6BXTfqgD1PZ00NXw7-ewb0o7k48M8XGtge5esB-vS_IBivgpW2SYMYFG8hrSzlUTgR0SciuV47QLeX-2XuyefrFAHSGihL8z1tmOcWRpC5yN7X4FHlJ4wXXV4_jgmT05zw/s400/DSC_1572.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423960407925358962" /></a><br /> Breadmaking class at the school (photo courtesy SAF)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3uVXEFfPi8AZcZBzU7AsPqtvgg36O85z9DhIYX9f3Onff4WUNHFbEn92x_ZfgMSHTy0cy2o4q7Ed5kc3wEhkf28HN763Qo-i4wTrfkVhvLl9bI0XF7GhTEjF-jnWWANIgqXtqYhL7Q/s1600-h/DSCF1094.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3uVXEFfPi8AZcZBzU7AsPqtvgg36O85z9DhIYX9f3Onff4WUNHFbEn92x_ZfgMSHTy0cy2o4q7Ed5kc3wEhkf28HN763Qo-i4wTrfkVhvLl9bI0XF7GhTEjF-jnWWANIgqXtqYhL7Q/s400/DSCF1094.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423960399679696114" /></a><br /> Freshly baked bread in the classroom (my photo, beautiful eh?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NPzsNC33s0mews0plWTgjQvYbO5wqXCi_HO40pk_HAeTT3dTeSJO0fyfwQK060AbkJJRfwPSXGClyQzYiBYSgC66AJvVcC-iX_MwY0PRUvhmeagO8pT04KvBhORDXSkBrlHyt4xKLg/s1600-h/DSCF1091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NPzsNC33s0mews0plWTgjQvYbO5wqXCi_HO40pk_HAeTT3dTeSJO0fyfwQK060AbkJJRfwPSXGClyQzYiBYSgC66AJvVcC-iX_MwY0PRUvhmeagO8pT04KvBhORDXSkBrlHyt4xKLg/s400/DSCF1091.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423960415333958498" /></a><br /> I want this oven, sadly it would take up my entire Bloomsbury kitchen (same classroom as above)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLjsvEeQiLl3z1X8FC3ONHU0VoAMfBoDkOegtnZnbqHb7P04P8La4LU8AArMj_qwgDkx9HOO8IOhJLrXd6P784am3daYYX682tQZuybTzzMWeCmuXchwxZYPzL28l1AySsHc5KOMG1Q/s1600-h/DSCF1109.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLjsvEeQiLl3z1X8FC3ONHU0VoAMfBoDkOegtnZnbqHb7P04P8La4LU8AArMj_qwgDkx9HOO8IOhJLrXd6P784am3daYYX682tQZuybTzzMWeCmuXchwxZYPzL28l1AySsHc5KOMG1Q/s400/DSCF1109.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423960427681728754" /></a><br /> Wood-fired oven for bread baking, toasty to stand next to during this cold snap I imagine<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7B6zJDE1G-AzFO-tw4j7Tu1s8Zwmbynokfh3OvnWn_GEKukgt1a0Holvede6KNodu_ADVYlEm1PuRw4eA5OpEiVM7VvPNCnqO_4r_Ot2K84BZf6x_Sc5iGg_esIGqYyvyTeGFI1nJg/s1600-h/DSCF1093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7B6zJDE1G-AzFO-tw4j7Tu1s8Zwmbynokfh3OvnWn_GEKukgt1a0Holvede6KNodu_ADVYlEm1PuRw4eA5OpEiVM7VvPNCnqO_4r_Ot2K84BZf6x_Sc5iGg_esIGqYyvyTeGFI1nJg/s400/DSCF1093.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423960425306109362" /></a><br />Spik and span classroom kitchen - check out the marble surfaces!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTkguvTcvtjfNhnknHuK49vNXDOv4K4FQTB7yIZWiQ9Tc1hTyeHBSZbiKuq0COxjMfzFV_4CJF6UU1quIX2u2TsB4HJC8lMt16poI2tsNWOtp0yEh-QpETntf1At7nQOsBvZu0ZiQkA/s1600-h/DSCF1097.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTkguvTcvtjfNhnknHuK49vNXDOv4K4FQTB7yIZWiQ9Tc1hTyeHBSZbiKuq0COxjMfzFV_4CJF6UU1quIX2u2TsB4HJC8lMt16poI2tsNWOtp0yEh-QpETntf1At7nQOsBvZu0ZiQkA/s400/DSCF1097.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423974206134261442" /></a><br />Delicious SAF sausages and homemade buns<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xjm8Y5CgC9m0x3BLyg5OPsvKVmIIcL7BYkrV6kI0N386uAhR-hmYeSw7GIVSz5k7pBCLGOVda4igKVNLbuKarZ9jm0Q_lROhPTBZmRcMQk_6li3iXGT4iKUYEnuTyM85gvW-m7YrCQ/s1600-h/DSCF1105.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xjm8Y5CgC9m0x3BLyg5OPsvKVmIIcL7BYkrV6kI0N386uAhR-hmYeSw7GIVSz5k7pBCLGOVda4igKVNLbuKarZ9jm0Q_lROhPTBZmRcMQk_6li3iXGT4iKUYEnuTyM85gvW-m7YrCQ/s400/DSCF1105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423974224898227714" /></a><br />A big block of Stichelton - who needs canapes when you can have cheese?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2Pw9_xK4ZPhREdwEBbQMepx3HR-QLDTQjU9NcK5QWduwbEdDGZGNpJTtFMASZjI_2EnJDGZHOJ6jdKGFWWb0_EetEsehxetVo6m5PQUsNw3jcM5tEYtU6TC2XWGhugQJyOnOS292hg/s1600-h/DSCF1098.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2Pw9_xK4ZPhREdwEBbQMepx3HR-QLDTQjU9NcK5QWduwbEdDGZGNpJTtFMASZjI_2EnJDGZHOJ6jdKGFWWb0_EetEsehxetVo6m5PQUsNw3jcM5tEYtU6TC2XWGhugQJyOnOS292hg/s400/DSCF1098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423974210869429922" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/about-us/our-teachers/ray-smith"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ray Smith</span></a> butcher of <a href="http://www.rivercottage.net/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">River Cottage<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></a> fame who teaches charcuterie and butchery at SAF<br /><br /><br />When Camilla Barnard of cereal company <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://rudehealth.com/">Rude Health </a></span> and I trekked up one frosty November's day to the opening of the School of Artisan Food we were both struck by <br /><br />a) how good the SAF sausages were<br /><br />b) how perfect a big block of stichelton was in lieu of canapes<br /><br />c) how much tweed was in attendance (and what magnificent tweed it was)<br /><br />and<br /><br />d) how conspicuous the absence of London food writers, bloggers and journalists was<br /><br />While I love nothing more than a good artisanal sausage and we both thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to SAF, I couldn't help think metropolitan foodies had missed a trick in not attending the opening. <br /><br />My adopted homeland has a food heritage we should all be proud of, and I hope 2010 will prove to be the year British artisan food gets the credit it deserves. Central to the burgeoning renaissance of British artisan food will be the <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/">School of Artisan Food</a></span>, a new project which <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/contact-us/whos-who">Harry West</a></span> my SOAS anthropology tutor is principal academic advisor of. Harry asked me to teach at the school when the diploma programme starts this September - a daunting task! - and I'll be doing my PhD fieldwork on the state of artisan bread in this country so I am embedded and therefore totally biased. Objectivity is certainly not part of my DNA when it comes to artisan food!<br /><br />Why does a school of artisan food matter? I've had more than a few snide remarks from those who claim to love food that SAF sounds as if it will merely cater to posh twits with a seemingly unhealthy interest in posh twit (ie. artisan) food. Or give bored, rich housewives something to do in between painting their nails and bleeding their banker husbands' accounts dry. In a country still lamentably obsessed with class, an interest in food is curiously frowned upon - even by those who ostensibly love good food. <br /><br />Suffice to say the mind boggled when I first arrived in 1999 to study in a country so class-fixated and snotty about food. I grew up spending summers foraging and fishing whilst helping my grandparents on their farm in western Norway. My parents firmly believe good food and commensality is essential to health and happiness, not to mention a good quality of life. It was inculcated in me from an early age that proper food is a right, not a privilege. <br /><br />That's why the School of Artisan Food is so exciting: the first not-for-profit school of its kind in Europe which will teach the practical skills of baking, brewing, cheesemaking and butchery alongside business and management courses essential to creating a viable artisan food business. The academic component of SAF's diploma will give meaning and context to the artisan food world by teaching the history of industrialisation of food, terroir in the 21st century and food anthropology, amongst other subjects; luminaries from the food world such as Randolph Hodgson of <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/">Neal's Yard Dairy </a></span>are involved in SAF, along with master baker Emmanuel Hadjandreou and butchery supremo Ray Smith from the River Cottage. This is not a school for romantics, but for those with fierce ambition and - excuse the pun - a real hunger for success in the artisan food business.<br /><br />Whilst the diploma is a rigorous vocational degree that will train the artisans of the future in both the practical and academic skills they need, SAF also offers short courses such as the fundamentals of cheesemaking, basic brewing, game in a day, butchery and baking techniques, etc. The <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/courses/findcourses/short-courses">short courses</a></span> are perfect for those of you keen beans who want to delve a little deeper into your favourite food subject but can't necessarily take the time off to do a full diploma. Go on, forget the expensive gym membership - spend your money on a mould and maturation course!<br /><br />You don't have to be a nerdy fermentophile like me to be excited about this, though if you still have doubts check out Rose Prince's article on SAF in the Telegraph from last summer <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/5494072/A-new-artisan-school-opens-in-Nottinghamshire.html">here</a></span>, the Guardian dispatched Emma Sturgess to join a breadmaking class at SAF in the autumn, which you can read about <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/03/artisan-food-training-school">here</a></span> and finally if you remain unconvinced the New York Times features SAF in this piece <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14welb.html">"British Artisanal Food Gains New Champions"</a><br /></span><br /><br />As I've always maintained, what the world needs is more bakers, not bankers. Get thee up to SAF and find out for yourself why!<br /><br />--<br /><br />The School of Artisan Food<br />Lower Motor Yard<br />Welbeck<br />Nottinghamshire<br />S80 3LR<br /><br />Email: info@schoolofartisanfood.org<br /><br />Phone: 01909 532171<br /><br />Nearest train station: Retford (on the London King's Cross-Leeds line) train journey takes ca. 1 hr 40 minutesSignehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-77283904961130409392009-12-18T11:48:00.011+00:002009-12-21T07:55:14.319+00:00A booklover's wishlist for Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDRGH8dM2k8F9ngXaKQNbwjcbs_0xbSW2SgnmcDgHm8MFMnllPj739JjCQ2oiHR_rVT5LUJjs_vp2Arn6tAO5UD6_ydZxDxsFD4nVdHwwmQs7dGwvTVhIcMbW8ZO0aYmoQCK98aX40w/s1600-h/DSCF1036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDRGH8dM2k8F9ngXaKQNbwjcbs_0xbSW2SgnmcDgHm8MFMnllPj739JjCQ2oiHR_rVT5LUJjs_vp2Arn6tAO5UD6_ydZxDxsFD4nVdHwwmQs7dGwvTVhIcMbW8ZO0aYmoQCK98aX40w/s400/DSCF1036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415794642169567986" /></a>
<br />Friends and family have stopped giving me cookbooks
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<br />As you enter our Bloomsbury living room you can see why: a flimsy IKEA bookcase groans under the weight of hundreds of cookbooks - well our demented boiler is gurgling like a gremlin at the moment but that's another story - the flat seems to be tilting precariously to one side under the weight of so many books.
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<br />Some are blatant food "porn" purchases from days when I didn't know any better, others are more conventional glossy cookbooks nestled in between the Elizabeth David classics and battered old baking books replete with indecipherable doodles. Inspirational tomes such as Olivier Roellinger's Seafood book and Heston's Big Fat Duck Cookbook are there to remind me that being creative is no bad thing, and I have yet to really sink my teeth into McGee on Food and Cooking in a systematic way, save his chapter on dairy.
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<br />But seriously, does a girl really need hundreds of cookbooks? I'm more than a little embarrassed by my bulging cookbook collection and perversely found myself calculating how many pairs of killer heels I could have bought in lieu of all those snazzy cookbooks. After all, a girl can never have too many shoes.
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<br />So in order to save you and your family or friends from accumulating quite so many cookbooks - and to save all that money for buying pretty shoes in the new year sales! - I've compiled a Christmas wishlist for bookish food fiends; a list that sprang out of friends asking me from time to time which books I would recommend from my cookbook collection.
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<br />For the purpose of this exercise I enlisted my pal Will Knightley - a rogue foodie with a penchant for martinis - to help whittle down the books. It's not a definitive list, We've left off some notable culinary giants and included a few unusual books which might appeal to a foodnerd who is interested in learning more about the history and anthropology of food. There are also a few recommendations for food magazines and journals that would make fine Christmas gifts for a fussy foodie.
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<br />I'd be curious to know which books are your favourite ones to cook from, which have proved inspirational, and which ones looked promising but ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Needless to say I'm on a self-imposed ban from buying any more books and if anything a cull is long overdue. Still...there are invariably gaps in my collection so please let me know in a comment below which food/cookery books you'd add to this list :-)
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The cookbooks:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781845979164&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=fiona+beckett%27s+cheese+course&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">Fiona Beckett's Cheese Course</a></span> (Ryland, Peters & Small)
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<br />Perhaps this should have been called 'The Joy of Cheese' as it's a caseophile's delight. I've worked with Fiona for two years and recently wrote my MA thesis on the anthropology of cheese so I'm completely biased, but I genuinely love this book. You learn how cheese is made, examples of the different types of cheese and how to taste and compare them. Fiona being the doyenne of <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/">food and wine matching</a> you get a comprehensive cheese and wine matching guide, and also alternatives such as cider, beer, port and whisky to name a few. I could really have used the tip about not matching red wine to oozing Epoisses the other night, and Fiona explains in detail why red wine - a traditional match for cheese as a whole - can be a minefield when paired with many cheese varieties. There are suggestions for seasonal cheese plates and recipes to keep even the greediest of cheeselovers happy.
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<br />Try the tartiflette, the buckwheat galettes with parma ham and emmental, and the stichelton steak with winter salad of onions and roquette. If you're a real curd nerd check out Fiona's <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/">Cheeselover</a> blog for updates on cheese finds, and her <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/2009/12/ultimate-macaroni-cheese-challenge.html">'Ultimate Mac n' Cheese Challenge'</a> which kicks off December 28th
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://">Moro East </a</span> by Sam & Sam Clark (Ebury Books)
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<br />Fans of the restaurant Moro will love this book which extends east to Levantine shores via their East End allotment. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. What more can I say - buy this book along with the two original Moro cookbooks and you won't be disappointed. Up there with the Scandinavian Cookbook and Ottolenghi as my everyday favourites.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780701180980&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=risotto+with+nettles&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">Risotto with Nettles: A memoir with food</a></span> by Anna del Conte (Chatto & Windus)
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<br />This is<span style="font-style:italic;"> the</span> food memoir of 2009. Del Conte shares stories from her childhood in Milan, giving the recipes she cites at the start of each chapter meaning and context through a tightly-written narrative. Her style of writing is self-effacing and ever so slightly patrician, a legacy of her Milanese roots I suspect and what fascinates me about her story is del Conte's liminality as a child raised in Mussolini's Italy and her transition to an adult who married and settled in Britain - she evinces both Italian (or rather Milanese) and British characteristics in her writing yet in some ways is rootless...
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<br />Any book that opens with a chapter on Toscanini and La Scala will appeal to the cultured Italophile foodie; a real gem of a memoir.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781844006137&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=the+scandinavian+cookbook&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">The Scandinavian Cookbook</a></span> by Trina Hahnemann (Quadrille)
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<br />One of the best cookbooks published in recent years. Beautiful photography couples with clear, easy-to-follow recipes and the best cinnamon bun recipe this side of Copenhagen. Trina's evocative book sends me straight back to my Scandinavian roots and I can't think of a better introduction to the seasonal cooking of game, fish, fruit, veg grains and aquavit (kidding, aquavit is not a foodstuff) of where I grew up. A book I never tire of.
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<br />Look out for Trina's <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://trinahahnemann.com/en/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nordic Diet</span></a></span> book - due to be released in January - of which I'll be giving a sneak preview here very soon. If you're curious about Trina's recipes and Scandinavian food in general I did a <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20090408_1">menu</a> earlier this year based on her book which includes a fabulous gravlaks or gravadlax recipe.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br /><a href="http://www.absolutepress.co.uk/">Game: A Cookbook</a></span> by Trish Hilferty & Tom Norrington-Davies (Absolute Press)
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<br />Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a penchant for game, and I instantly fell in love with this book when it arrived last month. The fact that it's co-authored by Tom Norrington-Davies, head chef and co-owner of Great Queen Street, one of my favourite restaurants, adds to its 'must-have' appeal.
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<br />Recipes that stand out:
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<br />* confited pheasant with fennel and satsuma salad
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<br />* potroast mallard, quince and star anise
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<br />* rabbit braised with prunes and beer
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<br />In sum, a brilliant, modern cookbook on game - buy this for a <span style="font-style:italic;">bona fide </span> foodie and they'll love you forever
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781921259029&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=snowflakes+and+schnapps&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">Snowflakes and Schnapps </a></span>by Jane Lawson (Murdoch Books)
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<br />This book has proved curiously divisive. Will and I love it, other foodlovers aren't convinced.
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<br />Jane Lawson seems detached from the recipes and there has been criticism of the broad geographical layout spanning Scandinavia, Germany and Eastern Europe. Frankly that's what appeals to me - there is a common thread of cooking throughout cold Northern European countries: hearty, ribsticking fare with dishes such as beer cooked bratwurst, which is what gets me cooking on a cold winter's day. I was born in Germany and my first word was most likely "wurst" so I'm totally biased - a book with sausage recipes is always going to send my into nostalgic daydreaming mode! The liquorice lamb appeals to the Scandi in me and I love Lawson's baking recipes - reminiscent of the ones I grew up with in Norway. Great recipes and gorgeous photography make this a winner. Buy this book for the Northern European who loves to ski and eats carbs and meat with gusto!
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780956408907&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=a+very+honest+cook&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">A Very Honest Cook</a> </span> by Stephen Markwick and Fiona Beckett (Culinaria Press)
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<br />More of a magazine or journal than a hefty cookbook and therein lies the appeal of 'A Very Honest Cook'. I'd hazard a guess that this slimline book of a few choice recipes from Stephen Markwick of <a href="http://www.culinariabristol.co.uk/"><span style="font-style:italic;">Culinaria</span></a> fame might prove to be a publishing model for 2010. When I met Stephen and his wife Judy at Abergavenny food festival earlier this year everything Fiona had told me about Stephen was spot-on: he's a self-deprecating cook who represents the best of British cuisine. With a foreword by Simon Hopkinson that praises the 'stylish simplicity' of Stephen's cooking, and clear, concise recipes this is a book I'll be cooking often from and can't wait to visit Bristol again so I can sample Stephen's provencal fish soup, loin of venison with celeriac and potato mash and honeyed parsnips... and a devilishly good treacle tart ;-)
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781741964653&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=songs+of+sapa&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=2&dc=2">The Songs of Sapa</a></span> by Luke Nguyen (Murdoch Books)
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<br />Will claims this is the book for gap-year kids who read 'The Beach' on their travels throughout Asia during the '90s. I did neither of those things yet I love this book, perhaps because Vietnam is on my list of places to visit. This book transports you to Nguyen's home country with sumptuous recipes and fantastic photography. Recipes such as Hanoi beef noodle soup, roast pork and crisp snapper just work. The only drawback is the book is a tome of the coffee-table variety thus slightly tricky to place in the kitchen while cooking, but still - a book worth owning.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780091922344&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=ottolenghi&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=8">Ottolenghi: The Cookbook</a></span> (Ebury)
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<br />My favourite deli in London and a cookbook that is high up on my list of favourites. The partnership between Israeli Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian Sami Tamimi works on so many levels: the delis are an aesthete's delight with their white backdrop and an array of colourful food tempting you in. I spent a day in the Upper Street branch of Ottolenghi as part of my Leiths training and witnessed first-hand the care and attention Ottolenghi chefs take in creating both pastries and savoury food. It may be expensive but the food at Ottolenghi is worth every penny.
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<br />Buy this book for the foodlover who is curious about the Middle East and loves eating at Ottolenghi's delis.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780140466096&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=the+book+of+jewish+food&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=13">The Book of Jewish Food</a></span> by Claudia Roden (Penguin)
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<br />Not a recent publication but this should be on every serious foodlover's bookshelf. Roden's vivid account of the Jewish diaspora, enriched with stories of her own life and comprehensive descriptions of Ashkenazi and Sephardic cooking is a classic. The recipes are foolproof and delicious.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781846077166&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=rick+stein%27s+far+eastern+odyssey&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey</a></span> (Ebury)
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<br />A confession: I have a real soft spot for Rick Stein. Perhaps it's his love of seafood, or his gentle, ambling manner when he's cooking. I was fortunate enough to work as a stagiere in his Seafood restaurant down in Padstow when I was training at Leiths and loved every minute of my stage there, learning more about seafood in a week working for Stein's band of merry chefs than I did anywhere else. Stein's most recent book represents the best recipes of countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia. Every recipe is enticing and foolproof and somehow captures the rich diversity of food across Asia; this is the book for the globetrotting gourmet who loves telling stories and cooks with confidence and flair!
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781856268295&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=adventures+with+chocolate&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=6&dc=7">Adventures with Chocolate</a></span> by Paul A Young (Kyle Cathie)
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<br />Quite simply the best chocolate book of 2009. Paul trained under Marco Pierre White and I've posted on this blog before about his dedication to the <a href="http://scandilicious.blogspot.com/2009/10/crafting-of-chocolate.html">crafting of chocolate</a> because that's exactly what he is - a craftsman. His shop in Camden Passage is one of the few chocolate shops in London which is suffused with the scent of chocolate as everything is hand-crafted on site.
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<br />The book is comprehensive and teaches you how to buy chocolate, what types of beans there are and the methods of tempering and how to make a truffle (an art in itself). There are tips on how to combine flavours with different types of chocolate and recipes such as:
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<br />* chocolate water biscuits for cheese
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<br />* passionfruit and coconut truffles (two of my favourite ingredients!)
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<br />* blackcurrant and liquorice truffles (ditto)
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<br />* chocolate, ginger and cardamom tea bread
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<br />* hot chocolate and basil fondants
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<br />A perfect gift for chocoholics, especially if they can't get to Paul's two stores in Camden Passage and Threadneedle Street this Christmas
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781845334871&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=what+to+eat+now+more+please&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">What to Eat Now More Please!</a></span> by Valentine Warner (Octopus)
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<br />Having met Valentine Warner through the lovely people at <a href="http://www.petersyard.com/">Peter's Yard</a> I can vouch that he's utterly charming and a real cook's cook. This is the book to buy girls. Boys don't really get the appeal of Valentine so make sure you save this for your sister, cousin, girlfriend or foxy aunt.
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<br />Recipes that appeal:
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<br />* barbecued bavette steak with anchovies, red wine and garlic (is there a better combination of ingredients?)
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<br />* coconut lamb
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<br />* gravadlax: having seem Valentine make this at Abrgavenny food festival earlier this year I can attest to this recipe's deliciousness. Plus Valentine looked a bit like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets when he waved bunches of dill above his head
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<br />* prawn tangiers: I made this over the summer and it's now a firm favourite
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<br />* baby courgettes and chanterelles with basil: simple, clean flavours with not much fuss. Perfect.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780600620426&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Larousse+gastronomique&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=3&dc=3">Larousse Gastronomique</a></span> (Hamlyn)
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<br />Everyone should own a copy of Larousse. It is the bible of cooking technique and classical French cuisine. Enough said.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340831496&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=harold+mcgee&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1">McGee on Food and Cooking</a></span> by Harold McGee (Scribner)
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<br />I love McGee's chapter on dairy, you might love his chapter on the four food molecules - every serious cook worth his or her salt should have McGee's encyclopedic masterpiece on their shelves. Failing that at least read his <a href="http://curiouscook.com/cook/home.php">Curious Cook</a> musings on food science ;-)
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coco-10World-Leading-Masters-choose-Contemporary/dp/0714849545/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261044389&sr=8-3">Coco: 10 world-leading masters choose 100 contemporary chefs</a></span> (Phaidon)
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<br />This is the most <span style="font-style:italic;">zeitgeisty</span> book of 2009, and what a tome it is. Chosen by gastronomic big guns Ferran Adria, Mario Batali, Rene Redzepi, Alice Waters, Jacky Yu, Gordon Ramsay, Fergus Henderson, Shannon Bennett, Alain Ducasse, and Yoshihiro Murata the hundred chefs featured in Coco are all fascinating in their own right. Some have commented on the title and I have to admit 'Coco' does strike me as an odd choice for this book, albeit a catchy one.
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<br />No matter, the book is a feast for the eyes and is <span style="font-style:italic;">the</span> book to buy your serious gourmet friend or relative who has a keen interest in sampling the cooking of the hottest chefs today. When I first read about Coco in the Evening Standard earlier this year I was thrilled to see some of my favourite chefs such as <a href="http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/">Anthony Demetre</a> of Arbutus and Wild Honey fame featured alongside Theo Randall and Skye Gangell. When <a href="http://gastrogeek.wordpress.com/">Gastrogeek</a> invited a few fellow food bloggers to join her and the team from Phaidon and Sauce PR for a Coco Gourmet Gallop around <a href="http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze/">Maze</a>, <a href="http://www.theorandall.com/">Theo Randall </a>and <a href="http://www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk/">Launceston Place </a>last month I nearly fell off my chair at the itinerary for the gallop. We were treated to a fantastic evening of decadence, sampling the recipes each chef had included in the book. You can read brilliant reviews of the gourmet gallop from <a href="http://gastrogeek.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/coco/">Gastrogeek</a> herself, Dan of <a href="http://essexeating.blogspot.com/2009/11/coco-eating-book.html">Essex Eating</a> and Dan of the blog <a href="http://foodurchin.blogspot.com/2009/11/night-in-life-of-food-urchin.html">FoodUrchin </a>amongst others including twitter's funniest food blogger Mimi of <a href=" http://meemalee.blogspot.com/2009/11/coco-by-phaidon-worth-missing-last.html">Meemalee's Kitchen</a> who concluded: the Coco gourmet gallop was worth missing the last train for (and she did!)
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<br />A few snaps from the night:
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<br />Theo Randall's wood-roasted Cornish monkfish with parsley, capers, roseval potatoes, globe artichokes and prosciutto di Parma - a humdinger of a dish. Full of flavour and culinary skill. Theo himself came out to speak to us which was much appreciated by all of us attending the gallop
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fTH_ogDeiYn2xujdC0WZH3C7n8mCMfCyVBPCREtlN_izU0vZGXhce6JtIk3ivQqdYoLnVc-MU2mRBuxBiCkKLmLt7S0fUk9RZjZsq5pyC_rcVS-XWrZDsb7zZb4S4T2wiJb1j3UpQg/s1600-h/DSCF1093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fTH_ogDeiYn2xujdC0WZH3C7n8mCMfCyVBPCREtlN_izU0vZGXhce6JtIk3ivQqdYoLnVc-MU2mRBuxBiCkKLmLt7S0fUk9RZjZsq5pyC_rcVS-XWrZDsb7zZb4S4T2wiJb1j3UpQg/s320/DSCF1093.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416494283146772946" /></a>
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<br />Tristan Welch's dessert platter (along with several huge tarte tartins) was the best dessert experience I've had since being left with the dessert trolly at <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20080610">Guy Savoy</a> a 3-star michelin restaurant in Paris. Tristan and his staff looked after us with immense generosity, and like Theo Randall, took the time to speak to us about their cooking and Launceston Place. An epic way to end an epic gourmet gallop...
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQXhyphenhyphen1iOQeDaOfLkXB4P6Ll4z6kAK7-qlSA-6PYngkoasijijzWbIfL6vLnSq7SJDjclYtLuLMY8viUjDNHnYb_ldTzWfAonHwOnkw88ZgyMQ_SzfAqCZ6taxQFmM1xA7SV2cbeK3Xw/s1600-h/DSCF1104.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQXhyphenhyphen1iOQeDaOfLkXB4P6Ll4z6kAK7-qlSA-6PYngkoasijijzWbIfL6vLnSq7SJDjclYtLuLMY8viUjDNHnYb_ldTzWfAonHwOnkw88ZgyMQ_SzfAqCZ6taxQFmM1xA7SV2cbeK3Xw/s320/DSCF1104.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416494288783259698" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The books on food but not necessarily cookery:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tsukiji-Market-California-Studies-Culture/dp/0520220242/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261044486&sr=8-1">Tsukiji </a></span>by Theodore Bestor (University of California Press)
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<br />Harvard anthropologist Theodore Bestor has twenty years of ethnographic fieldwork in Japan under bis belt. The man knows Japan and he writes well which are two key features in the appeal of this book about Tokyo's legendary fish market Tsukiji. One for the food anthropologist, or someone who loves big fish and the ocean in general.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780099531685&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=hungry+city&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=11">Hungry City</a></span> by Carolyn Steel (Random House)
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<br />A lecturer in architecture at Cambridge, Steel is a formidable speaker and passionate advocate of how food shapes cities. Not one for the glossy food porn admiring reader, but one for serious foodies with a sense of history, an interest in the development of cities and architecture. Check out her <a href="http://www.hungrycitybook.co.uk/">Hungry City</a> site for an idea of what the book is all about.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780520261723&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=amy+trubek&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=4&dc=4">The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir </a></span>by Amy Trubek (University of California Press)
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<br />Trubek asks why terroir and place matter. You may be wondering why the question even matters and if so I suggest you read Trubek's Taste of Place, an accessible and informative account of why terroir is important: we live in a highly connected world in which food is subjected to the forces of globalization like any other industry. Place becomes a powerful symbol of cultural and national roots, not to mention identity. Terroir evokes authenticity, particularly in wine, but increasingly now in food such as cheese and Trubek's book is for those who are bored by cookbooks and want something profound to sink their teeth into over the Christmas holiday.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catching-Fire-Cooking-Made-Human/dp/1846682851/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261044683&sr=8-2">Catching Fire</a</span> by Richard Wrangham
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<br />For the foodie who cares about evolution, anthropology and understanding how cooking makes us human, this is the book to buy them for Christmas. Wrangham has a breezy style of writing virtually unseen in academia and his argument is elegant and provocative in equal measure. Brilliant. By far the most interesting anthropology book I've read in years.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Magazine/Journal Subscriptions to get discerning foodies:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.fireandknives.com/">Fire & Knives</a></span>
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<br />Brand-spanking new food journal from editor extraordinaire Tim Hayward. Great writing, great photography, great design. Looks like a small book which makes it ideal for popping in your handbag. At a bargainous £20 per year for a subscription this is the gift to give the foodlover who has all the cookbooks they need.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.artofeating.com/">The Art of Eating</a></span>
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<br />Edward Behr's pared-back style of writing is true to his Vermont background and I can't wait for The Art of Eating to arrive by post every few months. Excellent pieces on real food, unfussy and spot-on in its analysis. You should see the cheese collection. Another one for the foodie who has everything and loves that New England salt-of-the-earth way of seeing the world.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1421521393/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE">美味しんぼ or Oishinbo</a></span> (The Gourmet)
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<br />What can I say? if you know someone who loves Japanese food this is the publication for them. The ultimate 'foodnerd' gift this Christmas!
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<br />* an addendum: one book I completely forgot about is Simon Hopkinson's <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780091871000&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=simon+hopkinson&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=10">Roast Chicken and Other Stories</a> </span>and thank you to Helen aka<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://helengraves.co.uk/"> Food Stories</a></span> for reminding me about Hopkinson's other brilliant book <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9781844007455&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=simon+hopkinson&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=4&dc=10">Week in Week Out</a></span> both books of which I own and love. Roast chicken had slipped down behind the bookcase and the latter I haven't used much recently but shall revisit when I return from the Canaries after Christmas. Add both to the neverending list of must-have books ;-)Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-81465570556448468482009-12-12T16:55:00.004+00:002009-12-16T14:08:51.128+00:00Scandi Christmas stall at Covent Garden: Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWqKgCy00uHPqNvcg4yZYMqZ1m1iyAhmvUpEOkXIZE4xGrRpmG0BDqoYrfahDutOl1WnKIaaGV4aBJqOjTeNWMKza4XJh6GfIb6FDR4uc3azvKk0b03Z5wj7fIT4HeWvADBS1xrJjyA/s1600-h/_MG_6186.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWqKgCy00uHPqNvcg4yZYMqZ1m1iyAhmvUpEOkXIZE4xGrRpmG0BDqoYrfahDutOl1WnKIaaGV4aBJqOjTeNWMKza4XJh6GfIb6FDR4uc3azvKk0b03Z5wj7fIT4HeWvADBS1xrJjyA/s400/_MG_6186.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414350275548903394" /></a><br /><br />Niamh aka <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Eat Like A Girl </a>and I larking around at Covent Garden on Thursday - photo courtesy of <a href="www.lucypope.com">Lucy Pope</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1HPJteL24l9fYi0iOkIxzGTs8kB6ts0sBQcOJRuBfi4AveTguukaaUcHK1GNhgNAA3JSiirmaFrkS7E3rCFnNZ_z3LG9fDreqaefVX7HpIwfg29TQz9UWA4eldbOhFygTxuh4EJceQ/s1600-h/DSCF1001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1HPJteL24l9fYi0iOkIxzGTs8kB6ts0sBQcOJRuBfi4AveTguukaaUcHK1GNhgNAA3JSiirmaFrkS7E3rCFnNZ_z3LG9fDreqaefVX7HpIwfg29TQz9UWA4eldbOhFygTxuh4EJceQ/s400/DSCF1001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415833588669090354" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMbNyCuOnlOBOiM6wg9fBTxe5Ez_ezVDUQwUPEabmbw8Bsqk9RL9Czw937tMF1ZK7a8lCaEz3XpdjUTl99gY96qHzLkIQ96MmFZVEUkQDkN82gBqpRGOzCZqzVyOKTay6u-MsXFdmNg/s1600-h/2009_12111112090066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMbNyCuOnlOBOiM6wg9fBTxe5Ez_ezVDUQwUPEabmbw8Bsqk9RL9Czw937tMF1ZK7a8lCaEz3XpdjUTl99gY96qHzLkIQ96MmFZVEUkQDkN82gBqpRGOzCZqzVyOKTay6u-MsXFdmNg/s400/2009_12111112090066.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414350256480690338" /></a><br /><br />Re-arranging cinnamon buns with Lucy Pope - photo courtesy of <a href="http://aforkfulofspaghetti.blogspot.com/">A Forkful of Spaghetti</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8yZ-o9GpXTPDxzGuolfmdMwuBR-_3rtvk7d2eIHNRmKU2IUs9BahyYDjutpQruOtUmMwIFI8jKuqpr3bv0DOchYdg6JahSTxufqJdzRRvyBVOhqe04xUfLqmOHYPYM04TbE9KXwhNw/s1600-h/2009_12111112090062.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8yZ-o9GpXTPDxzGuolfmdMwuBR-_3rtvk7d2eIHNRmKU2IUs9BahyYDjutpQruOtUmMwIFI8jKuqpr3bv0DOchYdg6JahSTxufqJdzRRvyBVOhqe04xUfLqmOHYPYM04TbE9KXwhNw/s400/2009_12111112090062.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414350263737487250" /></a><br /><br />The Scandi Christmas baking spread...photo courtesy of <a href="http://aforkfulofspaghetti.blogspot.com/">A Forkful of Spaghetti</a><br /><br />So market day at Covent Garden came and went, and what fun it was. The gods provided with sunshine and a balmy 10 degrees celsius throughout the afternoon, and I was lucky to share a stall with the lovely Niamh - also known affectionately as the "pork mistress" for her mighty pork sandwiches with lashings of the BEST crunchy crackling in all of WC1! Niamh's a dab hand at this market melarkee as she's been manning a stall twice a week since the summer and her pork sandwiches fast became a staple lunchtime treat for those who work nearby Covent Garden this autumn and I can see why - having sampled her fare I'm now a pork sandwich addict<br /><br />We had lots of visitors throughout the day, both punters looking around the market on a Thursday afternoon and friends and food bloggers who came down to support us by saying hello, and of course to sample the food! Niamh very kindly proffered a glass of prosecco mid-afternoon and we chatted throughout the afternoon, marvelling at the friendly visitors and the occasional cheeky passesrby - you see the extremes of human nature at a market Niamh said and I completely agree, fascinating stuff to an anthropologist. Believe it or not, someone asked Niamh if she did 2 for 1 on her sandwiches, and when I put out samples of cakes mid-afternoon two modellesque girls came round not once or twice but five times to nibble on samples. The cheek! Having two crazy aunts in Norway who used to model let me repeat my maxim in life here: <br /><br />"Never trust a model as beauty corrupts the brain"<br /><br />Anyway, it was a brilliant day and I wish I could do it again next week as Niamh was such fun to pal around with. From Tuesday though I'm off to Lanzarote for yuletide holiday frolics with my Ma and Pa so any reprises down at Covent Garden will have to wait til 2010<br /><br />Below are recipes from the most popular cakes and biscuits of the day, if you have any specific queries about them drop me an email or leave a comment<br /><br />Happy holidays to you all :-) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrumtU6zfvfm2jyFI3S9D6ML77xixTXWOlJUXWj0G-QyhTPpCe-7gVD3J-WY3_w104WAjSsrydVFmVwvAXnIvTaC8fCr7Qk0B6YpTJdCnG7nBCMflVu7IC_Dp6zjIv7RWhixhYIGTqOA/s1600-h/DSCF1017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrumtU6zfvfm2jyFI3S9D6ML77xixTXWOlJUXWj0G-QyhTPpCe-7gVD3J-WY3_w104WAjSsrydVFmVwvAXnIvTaC8fCr7Qk0B6YpTJdCnG7nBCMflVu7IC_Dp6zjIv7RWhixhYIGTqOA/s400/DSCF1017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414350269596531874" /></a><br /><br />Let's start with the three chocolatey cakes:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">tropisk aroma</span> or spiced chocolate marble cake with nutmeg and cinnamon. The nutmeg dominates and with a coffee-chocolate icing I this is a firm family favourite which keeps up to a week and can be frozen if need be for future cake scoffing<br /><br />Recipe:<br /><br />Cake:<br /><br />250g refined spelt flour<br />250g golden caster sugar<br />150g butter, softened<br />2 medium eggs<br />120 ml whole milk with 2 tbsp plain yoghurt<br />2 tsp grated nutmeg<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />3 tbsp cocoa powder<br />2 tbsp strong coffee or espresso<br />pinch salt<br /><br />Filling and icing:<br /><br />200g icing sugar<br />200g butter, softened<br />4 tbsp cocoa powder<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1-2 tsp coffee powder (depends how much coffee you like)<br />pinch salt<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly oil 23cm round cake tin and fit the bottom with baking parchment<br /><br />In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar til pale and fluffy (circa 5-8 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time along with a spoonful of flour to stop the mixture splitting, whisking after each egg to incorporate it into the mixture. Add the spices, remainder of flour and alternate this with the milk and coffee to create a thick cake batter<br /> <br />Take 1/3 of the cake mixture and place in a smaller bowl, add the cocoa powder and stir through until the mixture looks even <br /><br />Place half the plain mixture at the bottom of the cake tin, then layer the chocolate mixture on top. Cover with the remaining half of plain mixture and using a fork, swirl through the two mixtures to create a marbled effect. Bake on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer is inserted and no wet mixture remains on the skewer<br /><br />While the cake cools on a wire rack, make the filling: cream the butter whilst adding the icing sugar, coffee and cocoa powders, and vanilla extract, taste as you go along as icing is subjective - some like it very buttery, others intensely sweet. I like a balance of butter, sugar and chocolate/coffee myself<br /> <br />When the cake is completely cool, spread the icing all over. Sprinkle extra cocoa powder on top if you like a cocoa hit or simply leave it plain. Savour with a cup of tea or coffee<br /><br />Cardamom-Chocolate Cake<br /><br />There was a run on this cake, definitely a hit with both punters on the day and food bloggers who came down to visit Niamh and I. Cardamom and chocolate is a match made in heaven - grind the cardamom pods yourself if you have the time and inclination, I like to coarsely grind them so you get a few small seeds of cardamom rather than fine powder. The occasional cardamom crunch when eating this cake is an unexpected treat I find. This recipe is an adaptation of Nigella's dense chocolate loaf in 'How to be a domestic goddess' but I've substituted plain flour for spelt and reduced the sugar and syrup quantities and upped the chocolate<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />250g softened butter<br />350g dark muscovado sugar (light will do fine)<br />250g refined spelt flour<br />150g dark chocolate, melted<br />2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder<br />2 medium eggs<br />200ml boiling water<br />1 shot espresso or strong coffee<br />1 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />1-2 tsp cardamom<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 190 C. Lightly oil a 23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf tin<br /><br />Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time along with a spoonful of flour to stop the mixture splitting. Add the melted chocolate and incorporate fully before adding coffee, cocoa powder, flour, the boiling water, cardamom, bicarb and salt. It should be a thick liquid batter<br /><br />Pour this into the prepared loaf tin and bake on the middle oven shelf at 190 C for the first 1/2 hour, then reduce the oven temp to 170 C and bake the cake for a further 15 minutes. The cake will rise, but once you remove it from the oven it will shrink slightly and look like it collapses. This is normal. <br /><br />Cool on a wire rack. Needless to say this is great on its own but also good with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side. As Nigella says, this is like gingerbread in that it improves as it ages so worth making up in double batches if you can<br /><br /><br />Gingerbread with lemon icing<br /><br />another Nigella classic. What can I say, the woman can bake<br /><br />It's worth making this in double batches, it's VERY popular!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />300g spelt flour<br />150g butter<br />125g dark muscovado sugar<br />200g golden syrup<br />200g black treacle<br />2 teaspoons fresh ginger<br />1 tsp cinnamon (and I add 1/2 tsp clove, 1/2 nutmeg)<br />250ml milk<br />2 eggs<br />1 tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed with 2 tbsp warm water<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Icing:<br /><br />200g icing sugar<br />zest of 1 lemon<br />2-3 tbsp lemon juice<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 170 C. Lightly oil a 30 x 20 x 5 cm rectangular cake tin<br /><br />In a large saucepan melt the butter, sugar, syrup, treacle, spices, ginger. Add the milk, eggs, bicarb off the heat. <br /><br />Add the liquid to the flour in a large bowl and beat well until the mixture looks even. <br /><br />Pour into cake tin and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour<br /><br />As the cake is cooling, make the icing:<br /><br />sift icing sugar in a bowl, whisking in the lemon juice and zest. The icing should be thick not runny so don't add too much liquid...<br /><br />spread over cooled gingerbread with a palette knife and leave to set before cutting slices. Keeps for a good couple of weeks if you can resist eating it in one go<br /><br />Kokosmakroner or coconut macaroons<br /><br />these mallowy macaroons are dead-easy to make and the coconut acts as a humectant so they stay soft for ages. Dip in melted dark chocolate for that 'bounty' effect or eat plain as they're moreish on their own<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />4 egg whites<br />180g caster sugar<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />250g shredded coconut<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Meringue the egg whites and sugar til stiff peak, then fold in the coconut. Bake at 170 degrees celsius for 10-15 minutes and allow to dry on a wire rack before eating<br /><br />Almond Raisin Cake with Manzanilla Sherry<br /><br />Manzanilla may seem an odd choice for cake as it's bone dry, but I love that ozone savouryness to Manzanilla and had half a bottle languishing in the fridge so I thought I'd bake a sherry-fied cake with it. Thanks to A Forkful of Spaghetti for tweeting me a recipe! This is my version:<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />200g raisins<br />200g manzanilla sherry<br />150ml plain yoghurt<br />150ml melted butter<br />150g light muscovado sugar<br />3 medium eggs<br />150g spelt flour<br />100g ground almonds<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly oil a 20cm round cake tin. Whisk the eggs and sugar til pale and fluffy. Add the melted butter, the yoghurt, flour, almonds, salt and raising agents to the mixture and combine til evenly incorporated. Fold in the raisins, adding some of the sherry too if you fancy :-)<br /><br />Spoon the cake mixture into the cake tin and bake on the middle oven shelf for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Drizzle with icing sugar, or skewer the cake a few times and use up the remaining sherry liquid to pickle the cake...<br /><br />Needless to say, great with a glass of sherry<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWh0ReD0VyO3m6dQCIIW4yQdqRgqopbsSqs4u1SFDzm9xdEBBhtAXCU4Je0YUFipJRV7KHOpdLXzwf1sZPJmF-eSwy3PPc2oAY_KakAjLf311IjEM4yijZOupk0rdJGHDA_LCpFDotw/s1600-h/lefse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWh0ReD0VyO3m6dQCIIW4yQdqRgqopbsSqs4u1SFDzm9xdEBBhtAXCU4Je0YUFipJRV7KHOpdLXzwf1sZPJmF-eSwy3PPc2oAY_KakAjLf311IjEM4yijZOupk0rdJGHDA_LCpFDotw/s400/lefse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414352307345115650" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">lefse or potato pancake</span> - cheat's version available at <a href="http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/">Scandinavian Kitchen</a><br /><br />This is usually served with a cup of coffee in Norway and a childhood favourite of mine. I love lefse, which is a soft potato-wheat pancake filled with cinnamon buttercream and folded like a book. <br /><br />For 10 lefse you'll need 5 sheets of the pre-fab stuff you get at the Scandinavian Kitchen plus:<br /><br />150g butter<br />100g creme fraiche<br />150g icing sugar<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Cream the butter til pale then add the creme fraiche, whisking til its incorporated and add cinnamon, sugar, salt. Taste to see if it's right for you - remember the potato-wheat lefse is quite bland. Place a dollop of mixture on a sheet of lefse, spread evenly and then fold in the sides. Keep in an airtight containerSignehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-55021767092277226652009-12-09T10:36:00.001+00:002009-12-09T10:38:07.767+00:00Sugar & Spice - A Scandi Christmas Stall in Covent Garden 10.12.09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGjpkmZi0yFltwixBSa-3SrtavvhrponsUx2ssT6GbK2Fj7zvfzNi0Wr1LiZBC7KarVJbrKDMuSk3qDlSZV_djzmiLp-DL4FTniHZtwEb3yQlEdSLYPrUnj4zdPXN15qrjjLV2B_bZA/s1600-h/julebakst.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGjpkmZi0yFltwixBSa-3SrtavvhrponsUx2ssT6GbK2Fj7zvfzNi0Wr1LiZBC7KarVJbrKDMuSk3qDlSZV_djzmiLp-DL4FTniHZtwEb3yQlEdSLYPrUnj4zdPXN15qrjjLV2B_bZA/s400/julebakst.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413169472020780306" /></a><br /><br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"> Traditional Christmas biscuits from Baker Brun - bakery in Bergen where Papa Scandilicious grew up </span><br /><br /><br />In recent years three of my flatmates have each declared Christmas to be their favourite season for food. And I can see why - all the roast meat, the sprouts (yes I love sprouts), the mince pies, the brandy butter, mulled wine - or in my case as I'm Germanic at heart - <span style="font-style:italic;">glühwein</span>...<br /><br />In Norway we always had smoked lamb ribs which were steamed over birchwood and water for a day, served with creamy and buttery mashed swede (not a pun I promise), steamed potatoes and carrots. It was simple country fare and utterly repellant to anyone who hadn't grown up in Norway. My English grandmother tried it once and came away convinved my Mother had married a barbarian. Well, the volume of aquavit consumed during a Norwegian Christmas meal certainly lends credence to her conviction but I love<span style="font-style:italic;"> juleribbe</span> and frankly think the simplicity of it is more in keeping with what Christmas is all about. Forget 14 types of vegetables to go with a roast bird, this meal is as low-maintenance as cooking gets. My Mother loved it as she didn't have to slave over a stove for an entire day and I like the fact that <span style="font-style:italic;"> juleribbe</span> harks back to Viking days when smoked meat was a vital foodstuff for survival<br /><br />Anyway as a child my parents always dispatched me to Bergen for the requisite pre-Christmas family gathering before we'd escape the mad Johansen family to our house in Lanzarote. At the time I thought this was normal, and in fact it is normal for families to gather before Christmas and then to run away, no? My Norwegian family aren't entirely normal, they argue constantly and a lot of hysterical shouting goes on for no particular reason. It's hilarious for an outsider to witness but a little terrifying for a 6-year old and my Mother made a pact with my Father when we moved to Norway that we escape to the sun as we all needed the Vitamin D. Or so she says. At any rate, instead of listening to the aunts' madness I would hide away in the kitchen with my Norwegian grandmother and help her bake<br /><br />I'd marvel at the huge quantities of biscuits, breads and cakes she baked at the start of advent. Much like here in the UK, the run-up to Christmas in Scandinavia is a sociable time, everyone gathers, eats and gets pickled from too much aquavit or mulled wine and that's really what the festive season is all about. My grandmother only stopped baking the "<span style="font-style:italic;">syv slag</span>" or seven varieties of traditional Christmas biscuits you see above when she reached her 80's<br /><br />So tomorrow I'll be down at Covent Garden piazza manning a stall that will feature some of the yuletide favourites I grew up with. A few recipes are from my grandmother, others are favourites I've discovered since moving to the UK and having an experimental streak I've baked a couple of new things like the chocolate cardamom cake because I love cardamom. If you're in the area feel free to come by and say hello between 12 and 7pm, and while you're at it you can try author <a href="http://youngandfoodish.com/">Daniel Young's</a> potato latkes and Niamh Shields aka <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Eat Like a Girl'</a>s roast pork sandwiches too!<br /><br />Available tomorrow at the Scandi Christmas stall:<br /><br />* Tropisk aroma or spiced chocolate marble cake replete with nutmeg, cinnamon and a hint of coffee<br /><br />* Cinnamon buns which may or may not be glazed with marmite salted butter caramel (am looking at you <a href="http://twitter.com/Aforkful">@aforkful</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/youngandfoodish">@youngandfoodish </a>)<br /><br />* Peppernøtter or spice nuts (strictly speaking pepper but there's clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger aplenty in these biscuits)<br /><br />* Serinakaker or butter biscuits with toasted almonds<br /><br />* Kokosmakroner or coconut macaroons (gluten-free)<br /><br />* Nigella's gingerbread - not Scandinavian but so good it merits inclusion<br /><br />* Cardamom chocolate cake <br /><br />* Almond Raisin cake with Sherry - recipe courtesy of A forkful of spaghetti :-)<br /><br />* Whisky cake (gluten free)<br /><br />* Marmite salted butter caramel - not Scandi but a personal favourite of mine<br /><br />If you can't make it tomorrow but fancy trying something from this list drop me an email or tweet me @scandilicious and I'll see what I can do to help ;-)Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-8739490547131478192009-12-04T11:06:00.006+00:002009-12-04T12:49:08.081+00:00旨味 Umami - get used to hearing that word folks<a href="http://www.umamiinfo.com/what_exactly_is_umami?/">Umami</a> an amino acid that constitutes the fifth taste after sweet, salt, bitter and sour, is the Next Big Thing. Don't take my word for it, food scientists such as <a href="http://www.curiouscook.com/">Harold McGee </a>and <a href="http://hervethis.blogspot.com/">Herve This</a> and chefs like <a href="http://www.fatduck.co.uk/heston.html">Heston Blumenthal </a>are all avid proponents of umami, translated into English as 'deliciousness' though frankly it sounds a lot more sexy in its original Japanese form.<br /><br />I first learnt about umami during my gap year spent in Japan where umami was discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. Perhaps not surprisingly, umami is commonly known amongst the Japanese and without getting too nerdy, three key substances are now understood to comprise this 'delicious' taste: glutamate, inosinate and guanylate. Different foods have varying degrees of these three substances, and according to last year's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=pd_lpo_ix_dp_am_us_uk_en_dashi.020and.020umami_gl_book?keywords=dashi%20and%20umami&tag=lpo%5Fixdpamusukendashi.020and.020umamigl%5Fbook-21&index=blended"><span style="font-style:italic;">Dashi and Umami,</span></a>they act synergistically, thus augmenting the depth of flavour in foods we eat and giving that moreish taste<br /><br />As a food anthropologist and as a cook with an experimental streak umami is endlessly fascinating to me. I consider it the universal super taste that amplifies even the most humble dishes to something memorable and have been known to bore friends and loved ones to tears with my nerdy enthusiasm for umami. One French friend refuses to accept umami even exists, but that could be because he is French<br /><br />Pairing umami-rich foods is a brilliant way to create tasty dishes - fermented, dried and cured foods are especially rich in umami hence Japanese, and Asian cuisines are known to be umami-rich. But as you will see there are plenty of familiar European ingredients, sauces and condiments that give an extra bit of umami flair to your cooking. Think marmite, worcester sauce and ketchup to name but a few storecupboard staples. Needless to say, Scandinavian food is replete with umami - that's why we love our pickled herring, smoked salmon and fermented food in general<br /><br />Here's a few examples of 旨味 umami hall-of-famers:<br /><br /><br />* Kombu has the highest natural level of glutamate of any foodstuff, followed closely more familiar ingredients such as:<br />* Parmesan Cheese (and other mature cheeses such as cheddar, blue cheese, etc)<br />* Ketchup (tomatoes, and especially the seeds are very high in umami)<br />* Marmite, Vegemite, Bovril<br />* Anchovies<br />* Nam Pla (Thai Fish sauce) and all fermented fish sauces for that matter<br />* Soy sauce<br />* Mirin<br />* Miso<br />* Chicken bouillon <br />* Dried mushrooms such as shiitake, porcini and morel<br />* Cured meat such as chorizo, pepperoni, proscuitto<br />* Cured fish such as smoked salmon<br />* Sauerkraut<br />* Human breast milk (oh yes, squirm away)<br /><br />Fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables also contain umami, but the key with fruit and veg is how ripe they are. The riper the tomato the higher the umami content. This is why 'Italian' food is so delicious (excuse the generalisation, I appreciate there's a lot of regionality to Italian food) -in the south they grow plump tomatoes and eat them or cook these when they're at their ripest, and cook with umami staples such such as anchovies, parmesan, capers and mushrooms<br /><br />Cheese is another umami bomb - as a general rule of thumb, the more fragrant (read pongy) the cheese, the more explosive the umami. Try experimenting with these ingredients to see if the overall flavour of a dish is boosted. A mushroom risotto will be irresistible even to most committed carnivore if you use loads of parmesan or other mature cheese, and if you're generous with the dried mushrooms like porcini, all the better<br /><br />So when <a href="http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/2009/11/tsunami-of-umamibreast-is-best.html">MsMarmitelover</a>, or doyenne of the Underground Restaurant asked me to sous chef for her on an umami-themed night recently I relished the chance to experiment with different ingredients. You can read about umami night itself on her <a href="http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/2009/11/tsunami-of-umamibreast-is-best.html">blog</a> but suffice to say it was great fun working on the menu together and the guests loved what we concocted for them <br /><br />It seems this dish I came up with was the guests' favourite - MsMarmitelover and I both concur, we considered this our best dish of the night:<br /> <br />Yuzu and shiro miso sea bass ceviche with pickled ginger<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqUw_baV29xbSyzHmKcNJ0VdUwAPev0pYJoIWnXCLlgJNNTSzXasDX5HlD5jobK1vsn9eG1sC0yVzHbR46PgGvkJwXCi6gcRi-fLyk6djj8NWE5FmKQpqnq6_DODCTzE6uext6VgZ6w/s1600-h/IMG_4050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqUw_baV29xbSyzHmKcNJ0VdUwAPev0pYJoIWnXCLlgJNNTSzXasDX5HlD5jobK1vsn9eG1sC0yVzHbR46PgGvkJwXCi6gcRi-fLyk6djj8NWE5FmKQpqnq6_DODCTzE6uext6VgZ6w/s320/IMG_4050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411360380024250578" /></a><br /><br />Serves 30 as a canape<br /><br />4 large skinned sea bass fillets<br />1 cup ponzu sauce (yuzu-infused soy sauce)<br />1/2 cup tbsp shiro miso paste (white miso)<br />juice of 8 limes<br />juice and zest of 1 kaffir lime<br />handful of chopped umeboshi plums<br />red pickled ginger julienned for garnish<br /><br /><br />Method:<br /><br />Mix the ponzu, miso paste and juice of the limes in a medium bowl. Add the kaffir lime zest and juice. Slice the sea bassinto bite-sized slivers and place in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve with pickled ginger and julienned shiso leaves if you have some<br /><br />Easy-peasy, and that's umami's magic ;-)<br /><br />We served it with <a href="http://www.akashi-tai.com/eng/">Akashi Tai </a>sake courtesy of the lovely WakanaSignehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-79765916375346339902009-12-01T10:48:00.001+00:002009-12-01T10:50:51.561+00:00Recipe from the Blaggers' Banquet - a sumptuous chocolate fondant from Trish Deseine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihv0_Wrn4fGoaEEKIEYBpGyWemUZyGHl2XUFLI551Vm0ezKdiCwbPEfprkcjMnlGeeATGa7STrhczebP9ryiJ11T2TZXw8ywVUE-TKaxwsD_T7ueyAgiiiCA9rd8K-EzXvyCFFr-kO6Q/s1600/4110649116_8f4f902a1c_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihv0_Wrn4fGoaEEKIEYBpGyWemUZyGHl2XUFLI551Vm0ezKdiCwbPEfprkcjMnlGeeATGa7STrhczebP9ryiJ11T2TZXw8ywVUE-TKaxwsD_T7ueyAgiiiCA9rd8K-EzXvyCFFr-kO6Q/s320/4110649116_8f4f902a1c_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410214550295421010" /></a>
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<br />Much has already been written about the <a href="http://blaggersbanquet.wordpress.com/">Blaggers' Banquet</a> so I thought I'd share the recipe we were given by chocolatier <a href="http://www.chocolatebytrish.com/index.html"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trish Deseine</span></a> for this sumptuous chocolate fondant I made for the dessert component of the banquet. Trish very kindly also donated her moreish 72% chocolate for us to use in the fondants which you see in the photo above
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<br />Trish's chocolate fondant is a brilliant mise-en-place dish in that you make it up the day before and it actually improves with time, so if you're wondering what to do for Christmas or New Years I'd recommend foregoing more complicated desserts for this easy-peasy fondant
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trish Deseine's favourite Chocolate Fondant Cake Recipe:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br />1) Melt 200g Chocolate by Trish 64% cooks chocolate buttons with 200g pure, semi-salted butter in the microwave (honest). Add 180g sugar, stir a bit and let it cool before breaking 5 eggs into the melted chocolate one by one, stirring well after each one.
<br />
<br />2) Add a tablespoonful of plain flour and cook at 180° in a floured 22 cm cake tin for 20 minutes or so. Take it out of the oven when it's still wobbly in the middle.
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<br />Trust me, it's a chocoholic's bombshell of a dish - I made 10 of them the night before the banquet and I swear the smell of sweet chocolate still suffuses my Bloomsbury flat...
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<br />As a final word on the banquet let me extend a huge thank you to the food and drink suppliers I dealt with in the run-up to the banquet who were generous and helpful in equal measure:
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<br /><a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Abel & Cole</span></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.barbers1833.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Barber's 1883 Cheddar</span></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.billingtons.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Billington's</span></a>
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<br /><a href="http://brockhallgoatscheese.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brockhall Farm</span></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.fireflytonics.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Firefly Tonics</span></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.fishforthought.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fish for Thought</span></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.lahlootea.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lahloo Tea</span></a>
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<br /><a href="http://www.laverstokepark.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Laverstoke Park Farm</span></a>
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<br /><a href="http://www.petersyard.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Peter's Yard </span</a>
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<br /><a href="http://www.riverford.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Riverford Organic</span></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/index.jsp"><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />Sainsbury's
<br /></span></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">St. John Restaurant</span>
<br /></a>
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<br />The fundraising for <a href="http://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/">Action Against Hunger</a> continues online, so if you want to save yourself the tedium and stress of Christmas shopping why not bid on some of the fantastic prizes we've blagged for the Ebay auction <a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/blaggersbanquet/m.html">here</a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />Blaggers Banquet Menu: 15 November 2009<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br />Menu conceived by Signe Skaimsgard Johansen with Charlie Nelson, Neil Rankin and Danny Kingston
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<br />Canapés and table nibbles:
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<br />by Danny Kingston aka<a href="http://foodurchin.blogspot.com/"> Food Urchin</a>
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<br />Fresh goats’ cheese and pomegranate crispbreads with a salty vanilla twist and fresh chives
<br />(Brockhall Farm, Abel & Cole, Peter’s Yard and Halon Mon)
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<br />Buffalo mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil brochettes with a pesto dip
<br />(Laverstoke Park, Abel &Cole and Purely Pesto)
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<br />Crispy chicken skin bites
<br />(Silfield Farm)
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<br />Cheddar Gougeres with thyme
<br />(Barbers 1883, Abel & Cole)
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<br />Spicy Bar Mix
<br />(Munchy Seeds)
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<br />The canapés were offered with a choice of the following (also available throughout the evening from the bar):
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<br />Apple Wood Badger Cider was via Positive PR
<br />Chapel Down Pinot Reserve 2004
<br />Albarino Laga de Bouza 2007 (The Wineaux )
<br />Sipsmith’s Gin martini
<br />Sipsmith’s Vodka Martini
<br />Sipsmith’s Gin or Vodka and Fevertree tonic
<br />The Blaggertini (Sipsmith’s vodka, Chegworth Valley Apple and Raspberry juice. Galliano Balsamico)
<br />Cornish Cocktail (Bramley & Gage Quince Liqueur, Chapel Down Sparkling Wine)
<br />Black Velvet (Chapel Down Sparkling Wine and Porter)
<br />Marston’s Pedigree
<br />Innis & Gunn
<br />Fullers London Pride
<br />Daas White
<br />Chapel Down Brut
<br />Chapel Down Porter
<br />Firefly Tonics
<br />Chegworth Valley Apple Juice
<br />Chegworth Valley Apple and Blackberry Juice
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<br />Starter:
<br />
<br />by Charlie Nelson aka <a href="www.eatmynels.blogspot.com ">Eat My Nels </a>
<br />Monkfish and beetroot tartare with tomato salsa
<br />(Fish for Thought, Abel & Cole)
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<br />Paired with:
<br />
<br />Brewery Hill Chardonnay/Viognier 2008 (Naked Wines)
<br />Main Course:
<br />by Neil Rankin aka <a href="www.thewaroncookbooks.com">The War on Cookbooks</a>
<br />
<br />Grilled buffalo steaks with bearnaise sauce
<br />(Laverstoke Park)
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<br />Spiced winter beef stew
<br />(Donald Russell)
<br />
<br />Lamb hotpot
<br />(Donald Russell)
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<br />served with a selection of seasonal vegetables from Riverford organic and handmade sourdough bread from St John Restaurant
<br />
<br />paired with:
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<br />Quinta do Lagoalva 2004 (Casa Leal and Viniportugal)
<br />The Pastor's Blend Journey's End 2007
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<br />Dessert:
<br />
<br />by Signe Skaimsgard Johansen (yes that would be me)
<br />
<br />Golden Chocolate Fondant served with Crème Fraiche
<br />(Trish Deseine, Easy Tasty Magic and Sainsburys So Organic)
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<br />Titillating Jellies from Bompas & Parr
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<br />Paired with:
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<br />Lorca Fantasia Malbec 2008 (Naked Wines)
<br />Castello Romitorio Morellino di Scansano 2007 (The Wineaux)
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<br />Cheese:
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<br />Barbers 1833 Vintage Cheddar
<br />Brockhall Farm Chive Goats Cheese
<br />Trethowans Dairy Gorwydd Caerphilly
<br />A selection of deliciously fragrant cheese from Pong’s (each table had a different cheese)
<br />
<br />Served with Peter’s Yard crispbread and a selection of seasonal fruit from Abel & Cole
<br />
<br />Paired with:
<br />
<br />Albarino Laga de Bouza 2007 (The Wineaux )
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<br />And to finish:
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<br />Coffee from Square Mile, with milks from Sainsburys and Brockhall Farm
<br />Lahloo Tea
<br />Chocolate truffle by Lahloo tea and Damian Allsop
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<br />We also used ingredients throughout the menu donated by the following:
<br />
<br />Abel & Cole – herbs
<br />Billingtons – sugar
<br />Halen Mon – flavoured salts
<br />Hill Farm – extra virgin rapeseed oil
<br />Maldon Salt – salt and pepper
<br />Riverford Organic – assorted vegetables
<br />Sainsburys – all dairy produce except cheeses and goats milk
<br />Silfield Farm – chicken used for stock
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<br />A final word of thanks goes to Danny, Charlie and Neil for being so unflappable on the day of the banquet - they made a stellar team and I hope we'll get to work together again on the next Blaggers' Banquet!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbvGiCUozVAYXKY5qGfcr_NuPU_w3POBiOqM007DZrtHBVHv-wjNdP6yrL2VPvPb8gLlW2HiDDQKOUyFKSRdsABs2YObfLzDlYo_AKL1VjFX2kVT961KPx_qz4tlSukUvqmbs8TUMxQ/s1600/Action+Against+Hunger+Logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbvGiCUozVAYXKY5qGfcr_NuPU_w3POBiOqM007DZrtHBVHv-wjNdP6yrL2VPvPb8gLlW2HiDDQKOUyFKSRdsABs2YObfLzDlYo_AKL1VjFX2kVT961KPx_qz4tlSukUvqmbs8TUMxQ/s320/Action+Against+Hunger+Logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410216431823223058" /></a>
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<br />Photo at top of page courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodbymark/">FoodbyMark</a>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-46858445437985913782009-11-18T13:24:00.010+00:002009-11-18T20:31:21.141+00:00Preparing for the Blaggers' Banquet and musings on the power of Twitter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS43HmOlnewAJp9huBH1sZzIu83EVix2VZXipyhu4JbjZnpABVc4E16aw3G77ypsHkIKDKlW7hd4bn_9yrW_-LMFeclObTStluDDQA7ZB811KTiytIkyati15kgkLGY24Fpl6Dtifpw/s1600/wonderwoman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS43HmOlnewAJp9huBH1sZzIu83EVix2VZXipyhu4JbjZnpABVc4E16aw3G77ypsHkIKDKlW7hd4bn_9yrW_-LMFeclObTStluDDQA7ZB811KTiytIkyati15kgkLGY24Fpl6Dtifpw/s400/wonderwoman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405368443305344882" /></a>
<br />
<br />"There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns"
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<br />Donald Rumsfeld, that old rogue, may have uttered these words in a rather different context but there were moments last week when I thought I was planning a military campaign, not a fundraising banquet. And believe me, there were a scary number of known unknowns in the run-up to the philanthropic feast that was the <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/2009/10/21/the-blaggers-banquet-details-at-last/">Blaggers' Banquet</a>
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<br />Amusing as Rummie's comment is, in writing this blog post it seemed apt to turn instead to the image of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Woman">Wonderwoman</a> for inspiration. I can't convey to you how much I wished I had superhero qualities like hers last week, yet lo and behold it turned out the team of Blaggers' Banquet organisers evinced some of their own action hero qualities resulting in a banquet that has thus far been universally praised
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<br />Planning the banquet was a team effort, led by:
<br />Niamh of <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Eat Like A Girl </a>
<br />
<br />and pulled together by:
<br />
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/KaveyF">Kavita Favelle</a>
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/mathildecuisine">Mathilde Deville</a>
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/thewinesleuth">Denise Medrano </a>
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/sosusie">Susie Sandford Smith</a>
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/Ailbhetweets">Ailbhe Phelan</a>
<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/Goodshoeday">Linda Williams</a>
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<br />When Niamh asked me a few weeks ago to be in charge of the Blaggers' Banquet kitchen I naively assumed all I had to do was put together a menu and gather some ingredients. "Piece of cake, time for a cocktail!" I thought
<br />
<br />Then Niamh told me what had already been blagged in terms of ingredients. And then I heard the price tag for each ticket:
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<br />£75 for a 4-course meal including wines
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<br />Gulp. So no ordinary dinner party then
<br />
<br />Rather than share with you the complete picture of what happened in the run-up to the banquet (trust me, it's a long story) I thought I'd proffer a few anecdotes from this past week of preparations to give you an idea of how we pulled the event together, focussing especially on those suppliers I worked with
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<br />As an anthropologist I've been keeping a close eye on Twitter in recent months and last week the potency of this "new media" really hit home for the first time. Twitter became the single most useful medium for us to galvanise banquet volunteers, tempt guests to part with that £75 and crucially from my perspective as head chef for the event - a brilliant tool in sourcing ingredients at short notice. Below I've done a chronological countdown to D-Day, or B-Day as Niamh might say, and have copied in a few tweets to give you an idea of how dynamic the process of planning this banquet became. Click on <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23blaggersbanquet">#blaggersbanquet</a> and you can see for yourself how many thousands of tweets the banquet generated
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Friday 6th November:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold;">meet with Niamh at Borough Market to discuss strategy. Umpteen cups of coffee later and glares from Monmouth staff as we take up their table, we've got a spreadsheet to assign roles to all the bloggers. Somehow I manage to double-book myself and the inimitable <a href="http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/">MsMarmitelover</a> joins us for part of the strategy session when she and I are meant to be meeting discuss the menu for her forthcoming Umami Night
<br />
<br />I tweeted that Niamh and I have a plan of action in place:
<br />
<br />Great plans afoot for #blaggersbanquet the fun part of creating a menu now begins!
<br />9:02 PM Nov 6th from TweetDeck
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<br />Off I totter back to Bloomsbury, confident that we can pull this off in ten days' time. A quiet weekend beckons and that evening the Man and I get drenched in monsoon-like rain going to the cinema. Spend weekend lurgified. Awesome
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Monday 9th November:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> time to tackle the Google spreadsheets the bloggers have set up for the banquet:
<br />
<br />two university degrees and proficiency in four languages are clearly of no use in dealing with excel spreadsheets, am totally befuddled
<br />2:38 PM Nov 9th from TweetDeck
<br />
<br />Baking bread is one of my core skills, Excel spreadsheets most definitely not. Start tackling recipes for the menu instead. What's going to be most effective on the night both in terms of mise-en-place and for the kitchen team? Hawksmoor's kitchen reputedly tiny so we need a menu that won't collapse under the stress of serving 50 diners
<br />
<br />Having a dyslexic's nightmare reading through recipes for Sunday's #blaggersbanquet resorting to ruler to read each line!
<br />3:52 PM Nov 9th from TweetDeck
<br />
<br />In a moment of mischief I think to myself "what if we made the front of house bloggers wear catsuits for the banquet?" I suspect that might bring in the punters and tweet:
<br />
<br />Contemplating whether I can get away with asking bloggers to wear catsuits while serving at Sunday's #BlaggersBanquet
<br />5:36 PM Nov 9th from TweetDeck
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<br />To which I receive almost immediately several tweets from the bloggers telling me mutiny is nigh if I enforce the catsuit rule. Spoilsports
<br />
<br />Have sourced delicious fresh goat's and chived goat's cheese from Sarah at <a href="http://brockhallgoatscheese.wordpress.com/our-cheeses/">Brockhall Farm</a> being a curd-nerd this is fantastic news
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tuesday 10th November:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> still grappling with menu and spreadsheets, trying to figure out which ingredients have actually been blagged and are confirmed, which have just been inserted by the bloggers but not yet confirmed. Turns out we have a major problem: where to store large quantities of meat and other ingredients in need of refrigeration. Hawksmoor's fridges are full to the brim so Niamh tweets:
<br />
<br />RT @eatlikeagirl: We urgently need somewhere that can offer us some refrigerated storage for lots of meat for a few days #blaggersbanquet
<br />1:45 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
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<br />This evolves into an ongoing problem all week. Next time the banquet shall only feature chestnuts and mushrooms
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<br />I talk to the good people at <a href="http://www.fishforthought.co.uk/">Fish For Thought </a>about sourcing seafood for the banquet. They prove to be so helpful that they hand-deliver monkfish to Hawksmoor on Sunday AM. More on this in the next blog post about the banquet itself
<br />
<br />Good news about desserts that Tuesday afternoon:
<br />
<br />#blaggersbanquet dessert is now in the bag! Thanks to lovely @TrishDeseine for donating chocolate and her favourite chocolate cake recipe
<br />1:54 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
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<br />Being in charge of the banquet puddings I do a little dance. And pop a piece or three of chocolate in my mouth to celebrate
<br />
<br />The question of non-alcoholic soft drinks then comes up. Some confusion as to whether this has been blagged. Google spreadsheet not giving clear answer, so I tweet:
<br />
<br />#BlaggersBanquet we're looking for non-alcoholic soft drinks for Sunday. DM me if you have a contact for cordial/soft drink Co. Thanks!
<br />4:43 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
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<br />Again, almost immediately I receive three replies. I choose <a href="http://www.fireflytonics.com/">Firefly Tonics</a> and within minutes we have soft drink supplies for Sunday sorted. Emma Dalglish at Firefly offers to donate 144 bottles to the event and is nothing but helpful throughout the day as we discuss deliveries and quantities. Makes a contrast to some suppliers I had been dealing with up to that point
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<br />The question of bread arises. Sourcing cheese isn't proving problematic, but bread is. Chris Young at the <a href="http://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/">Real Bread Campaign</a> kindly offers to contact Real Bread suppliers to see if any will donate
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<br />I ask my friend Wendy at <a href="http://www.petersyard.com/index_v3.jsp?id=81&akt=81">Peter's Yard</a> if she could spare us some crispbread for the banquet and within minutes she's replied saying yes. Not only does she say yes but offers two fantastic bread books as prizes for the banquet, and goes to bat asking some of her contacts for further ingredients. I tweet:
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<br />Oh the wonderful people @PetersYard have promised their delicious crispbread for #blaggersbanquet * thank you *
<br />8:14 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
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<br />We also hear from Kate at <a href="http://www.lahlootea.co.uk/">Lahloo Tea</a> that she will donate green jasmine tea and a tea chocolate by Damian Allsop to the banquet. Close of play on Tuesday I tweet this to thank them all
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<br />Many thanks to @brockhallfarm @PetersYard @lahlootea @FireFlyTonics + @foodforthink for helping this non-blagger out w/ #blaggersbanquet !!
<br />9:05 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
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<br />Wednesday 11th November: the final push I had hoped would be today. How wrong I was, we would still be sourcing ingredients up to the last minute:
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<br />Good morning all, putting in final orders this morning for #blaggersbanquet VERY excited about Sunday :)
<br />11:32 AM Nov 11th from TweetDeck
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<br />Some banter by fellow tweeters at my accepting deliveries of Brockhall Farm cheese in the next few days - apparently I have a reputation for being a greedy cheesemonster:
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<br />@goodshoeday you're suggesting I would eat all of @brockhallfarm 's cheese before Sunday?! Do you know how much we're getting?!
<br />12:25 PM Nov 11th from TweetDeck in reply to goodshoeday
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<br />The remainder of Wednesday was spent locked away in a film studio near Kentish Town as part of filming for the final of Gordon Ramsay's F-Word. Predictably, I turned my phone off for the day and all hell broke loose with sourcing the main course for the banquet. Some suppliers just didn't getting back to me, others insisted on being the sole supplier. Rather shockingly I fielded several enquiries for free tickets, requested without a trace of irony. Erm, this may be the Blaggers' Banquet, but isn't it somewhat shameless to blag tickets when it's for charity?
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<br />Thursday 12th November: Catching up on emails from Wednesday, now having to scramble for supplies. Increasingly grumpy at how problematic it is dealing with some PRs when earlier in the week the PRs and suppliers I dealt with were straightforward and incredibly helpful
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<br />Unduly excited by email from the <a href="http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/">School of Artisan Food</a> - they offer a short course in either baking, cheesemaking, brewery, butchery or preserving as an auction prize for the banquet. Result! I might just bid on that prize when it goes online
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<br />Pong cheese arrives, and boy is it a pongy selection:
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<br />Pong cheese for #BlaggersBanquet has arrived thank you good people of @PongCheese the flat is rather fragrant ;)
<br />12:57 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />It takes every ounce of willpower not to tuck into Pong's finest - I love stinky cheese. As soon as I've cleared space in my little fridge the next delivery comes:
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<br />And lovely goat's cheese from @brockhallfarm has just arrived, along with fresh goat's milk for the #BlaggersBanquet *thanks Sarah*
<br />1:32 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />Earlier in the week I realised we had hardly any dairy products and emailed the bloggers to see if they might have contacts for milk, cream, butter, eggs and creme fraiche. This was tweeted a number of times when suddenly I had a DM (direct message) from Sainsburys who follow me on Twitter. I couldn't believe it - they offered to source all our dairy supplies, no questions asked, no demands made. Phew!
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<br />A HUGE thank you to Rhona @sainsburys and Tim Whirledge for helping us source dairy for Sunday's #BlaggersBanquet !
<br />3:19 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />Most of the Sainsbury's dairy arrived in increments and much to the bemusement of my flatmate - clearly if I ever design my own kitchen I should have a walk-in fridge for storing dairy if this banquet becomes an annual event
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<br />In the midst of sourcing ingredients, there were also generous offers from food producers and the likes of the lovely Petra Barran of <a href="http://www.chocstar.co.uk/home.html">Choc Star Van</a> fame to donate their time for "experiential" prizes in the online auction:
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<br />RT @ChocStarVan: Experiential #blaggersbanquet prize - special Choc Star dessert delivered in choc-mobile to dinner of 12 anywhere in LDN
<br />6:20 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />That auction started yesterday and Petra very kindly offered to drive to a lucky winner's house anywhere within metropolitan London to supply them with a dinner party chocolate bonanza from her van of chocolatey goodness. You can bid on this brilliant prize <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Blaggers-Banquet-2009-ChocStar-Home-Visit-London-UK_W0QQitemZ120494127904QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Tickets_Trave_Vouchers_Coupons_LE?hash=item1c0e027b20#ht_500wt_1132">here</a> and all proceeds go directly to Action Against Hunger!
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<br />Thursday's other huge problem was sourcing fridge space:
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<br />Urgent request for fridge space to store 20kg meat for this Sunday's #BlaggersBanquet !! Please RT
<br />6:59 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />Which proved frustratingly elusive. We'll know that for next time
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<br />Then <a href="http://indiaknight.posterous.com/blaggers-banquet">India Knight</a> of The Times very sweetly plugged the banquet on our behalf:
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<br />RT @eatlikeagirl: thanks @indiaknight for your posterous link & RT - http://bit.ly/2fD5mQ - we'll be doing it again! :) #blaggersbanquet
<br />8:13 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />The boyf did a requisite tweet at my behest about getting his ticket for the banquet (in exchange for some cinnamon loaf I believe) :
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<br />RT @twilliams81: have my ticket for Blaggers Banquet. SOOOOO excited to go #blaggersbanquet (envious of you feasting while I'm cooking!)
<br />8:21 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />Sadly he was ill over the weekend so didn't make it which was a real disappointment :-( Next time Thomas!
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<br />The question of sourcing bread was proving to be as problematic as sourcing fridge space and out of the blue I decided to contact <a href="http://www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk/">St John Restaurant</a> to see if they could spare us some. I DM'd the restaurant and within minutes had a reply. One phone call later and we were promised 12 loaves of St John's finest sourdoughs, and they went down a treat on Sunday night with the main course stews! I tweeted:
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<br />Excellent news, we have delicious sourdough bread from @SJRestaurant donated for Sunday's #BlaggersBanquet - thank you so much :)
<br />8:23 PM Nov 12th from TweetDeck
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<br />That night I dashed over to Marylebone and took a break from the banquet planning to be inducted into <a href="http://www.marmarati.org/">The Marmarati</a> a society of Marmite lovers which turned out to be the most brilliant PR event I'd been to in a long time. Was good to get away from thinking about the banquet for a few hours, and I raffled off a copy of the brand-spanking new <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bumper-Book-Marmite-Cookery/dp/1906650128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258552275&sr=1-1">Big Bumper Book of Marmite</a> (Absolute Press) at Sunday's banquet to boot!
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<br />Friday the 13th proved to be the most testing day of the week. There was still a fair amount of menu planning going on at this stage as several supplies we'd been promised didn't pan out, or the offers rescinded. The main course supplies were resolved, and we had guarantees from both <a href="http://www.riverfordorganicveg.co.uk/">Riverford Organic</a> and <a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/">Abel & Cole</a> to supply us with all the veg and fruit we needed for Sunday. I took delivery of <a href="http://www.billingtons.co.uk/">Billington's</a> sugar for the banquet dessert and coffee
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<br /><a href="http://www.trethowansdairy.co.uk/Trethowans_Dairy_Shop/TRETHOWANS_DAIRY.html">Trethowan's Dairy</a> had generously donated a 2kg Gorwydd Caerphilly for the banquet cheese board, but the question arose of who could collect it from Borough Market:
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<br />RT @goodshoeday: We need someone to go collect a 2kg cheese from borough today or tomorrow for #blaggersbanquet volunteers pls
<br />11:57 AM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />Simon Majumdar, one half of fraternal blogging duo <a href="http://www.doshermanos.co.uk/">Dos Hermanos</a> offered to go collect it for us, even though he couldn't attend the banquet and delivered the mighty cheese to Hawksmoor on our behalf, which we're incredibly grateful for
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<br />The Follow Fridays flooded in that day, and Niamh tweeted a shout out to the banquet team:
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<br />RT @eatlikeagirl: OK! My first #FF @scandilicious , @MathildeCuisine, @KaveyF & @sosusie - the stellar organisers for the #blaggersbanquet
<br />12:32 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />Meanwhile I was still fielding comments about my cheese obsession from these two jokers:
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<br />@josordoni @goodshoeday are you two casting aspersions AGAIN?! Cheese induced coma? Jar of marmite and sourdough in my tiny hands?! Sheesh..
<br />1:11 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck in reply to josordoni
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<br />Then disaster struck:
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<br />About to get in shower betw/deliveries of #blaggersbanquet ingredients when door rang, ran downstairs+locked myself out. In dressing gown.
<br />5:26 PM Nov 13th from web
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<br />Yes, I was in my dressing gown in the middle of the afternoon (all times on the tweets incidentally are Tehran time!) as I had been taking deliveries all morning and hadn't had a chance to shower or get dressed in between the emails, phone calls and tweets about the banquet. Needless to say this was hilarious for everyone on my street, not so hilarious for me
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<br />Anyway, I owe Jeni, my lovely flatmate and <a href="http://www.kennardsgoodfoods.com/home.html">Kennards</a> a big thank you:
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<br />Phew, back in flat! owe flatmate who ran home from work and the lovely people at Kennards, local deli next door a massive favour *thank you*
<br />5:47 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />More deliveries ensued throughout Friday:
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<br />Barber's delicious 1833 Vintage reserve Cheddar occupying top part of flatmates' fridge - very tempting to break into before Sunday ;)
<br />6:15 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />just taken delivery of @PetersYard 's fabulous crispbread we're using for canapes and cheese course at #blaggersbanquet *thanks Wendy + Ian*
<br />6:38 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />Billington's sugar arrived for #blaggersbanquet now need to meet w/cooks @HawksmoorLondon and collect @TrishDeseine 's 72% chocolate !
<br />8:14 PM Nov 13th from TweetDeck
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<br />And then it was time to dash down to Hawksmoor to meet with the cook's team (who I'll be writing about in my next blog post), Niamh and Tom of Hawksmoor to go through the plan for Sunday. We came away feeling confident but there was still much to be done and last-minute supplies to source...
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<br />Saturday 14th November: woke up with butterflies in my stomach, a long list of things to do, more deliveries to accept and a ferocious storm outside:
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<br />last day before #blaggersbanquet - collecting 5kg of @TrishDeseine chocolate, baking 10 chocolate fondant cakes for tomorrow! Bring it on
<br />12:36 PM Nov 14th from TweetDeck
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<br />My cup runneth over....have just taken delivery of many many kilos of organic butter for #blaggersbanquet Nom nom! Thanks to @sainsburys
<br />12:59 PM Nov 14th from TweetDeck
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<br />Off to Mayfair I went to collect chocolatier <a href="http://www.chocolatebytrish.com/">Trish Deseine's</a> 72 % chocolate for the banquet fondants, a recipe she had also kindly supplied. Let me tell you Mayfair is a curious place on a Saturday morning, virtually empty bar the occasional Bentley or Rolls. Was relieved to scamper back to safer realms of Bloomsbury where the Man was waiting for me, ready to bake:
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<br />RT @twilliams81: @scandilcious' flat helping with #blaggersbaquet. She is very bossy. Good job it fr charity ;0) (hah! bossy, me?)
<br />2:53 PM Nov 14th from TweetDeck
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<br />Bossy! Well I can't complain, as I don't know many men who would sacrifice their Saturday afternoons to break big catering blocks of chocolate for making ten large fondants. In the process I tweeted:
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<br />loving @twilliams81 evident gusto in bashing up enormous block of @TrishDeseine 's chocolate for the fondants!
<br />10:58 PM Nov 14th from TweetDeck
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<br />Yes, my Man is secretly a baker, he just doesn't know it yet
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<br />Not much sleep was had on Saturday night as there was still work to be done for Sunday, but you'll have to read about that tomorrow..
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<br />Hopefully this post has given a sense of what the preparation was like, and how down to the wire we were in many respects. It was a fascinating experience and we all learnt so much in a short period of time. I'll be posting thoughts on the banquet itself tomorrow, but in the meantime for a reviews have a peak at this one from food and drink writer Fiona Beckett <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20091116">here</a> and see some fantastic photos capturing the event <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/blaggersbanquet/pool/">here</a>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-68596352109499442552009-11-15T08:23:00.003+00:002009-11-15T08:45:39.296+00:00Getting ready for the Blaggers' Banquet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttdaqTmM4LSeCJyHJqYo2BzUUkP7MdI2rqEm4q1cs8XhMRIGE-uvHh71uz-u6dOhKfgbMjOVol7nwVT4RIonGvG_n7s3AeSIoDG43wXu-_Zy5z5dkA_ZY4Ud6fAjzrhDkjFypwLMOLg/s1600-h/blaggers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttdaqTmM4LSeCJyHJqYo2BzUUkP7MdI2rqEm4q1cs8XhMRIGE-uvHh71uz-u6dOhKfgbMjOVol7nwVT4RIonGvG_n7s3AeSIoDG43wXu-_Zy5z5dkA_ZY4Ud6fAjzrhDkjFypwLMOLg/s320/blaggers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404243263640590578" /></a><br /><br />It's all systems go for London's food bloggers - we've blagged far and wide for the finest ingredients to showcase at tonight's epic Blaggers' Banquet, held at legendary Shoreditch steakhouse <a href="http://www.thehawksmoor.co.uk/">Hawksmoor</a>. Inspiration for the banquet came from Niamh Shields aka <a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Eat Like A Girl</a> and we're doing it all in aid of<a href="http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/">Action Against Hunger</a>. That's right, every single penny goes straight to a worthwhile cause, more of which you can read on Niamh's blog and of course in the coming days as we tally up the initial proceeds from tonight's fiestanza! <br /><br />Having come to this late and blissfully unaware of the brouhaha earlier in the year when bloggers gained a reputation for supposedly "blagging" free meals I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Working with fellow bloggers, food suppliers and PRs the past few weeks has been a fascinating exercise both in military-style planning and a total revelation in how extraordinarily generous people are. I'll be writing more about the experience after tonight's event as now is the time to start hauling all the food supplies I've blagged downstairs to drive over to Hawksmoor. The cooks and prep team, of which I've been given the daunting task of leading today, are all meeting at 11am sharp and we've got a day of serious work ahead of us to honour both Action Against Hunger and in treating 50 banquet guests to a feast they'll remember. I'm confident the team of cooks and prep will triumph, they've been nothing but cool, calm and collected in the past week as I frantically organise a banquet menu and make last-minute demands on a Saturday night to come up with brilliant canape recipes. They shall all feature in blog posts next week so you can get to know the team :D<br /><br />Follow our progress throughout the day and into next week on Twitter using the hashtag #blaggersbanquet and come join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=175283148667&ref=ts">Facebook </a> There will be an auction online to raise more money for Action Against Hunger, so if you can't be with us tonight but would like to bid on a fabulous foodie prize then please do so. Details will be up soon, I promise<br /><br />Time to don the chefs' whites and get cooking. Wish us luck!Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-4892330435220050462009-11-06T11:21:00.000+00:002009-11-06T11:22:22.824+00:00Spelt Cinnamon Loaf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsV8MB9SpxjZBZeHgip-n-ojY-yWmeleWjnj3PsWLz4jCfJ1wMDKc-mcFjo9lmV8uDzM_lHZJxxheIqLJ-Au_MudAapZckG3g2ZbxQSGXAqHHSKbkP1uG3xUaqK4PLL4mj-Ml-uiRyaQ/s1600-h/DSCF1093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsV8MB9SpxjZBZeHgip-n-ojY-yWmeleWjnj3PsWLz4jCfJ1wMDKc-mcFjo9lmV8uDzM_lHZJxxheIqLJ-Au_MudAapZckG3g2ZbxQSGXAqHHSKbkP1uG3xUaqK4PLL4mj-Ml-uiRyaQ/s320/DSCF1093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400941036509214706" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUdpLwRB1XAT1-ysSsmgkH8LSPs3tbFDCLSAsDpKNzpiU4FFlwM8_2utHKMiWnpyq41GyzavZlFXQNXvPLalQpD-bu3NqMdfdyOyp3TNFL_0NcqtGuce11Vu-iDbfK1iLpWk3Ed7WRA/s1600-h/DSCF1216.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUdpLwRB1XAT1-ysSsmgkH8LSPs3tbFDCLSAsDpKNzpiU4FFlwM8_2utHKMiWnpyq41GyzavZlFXQNXvPLalQpD-bu3NqMdfdyOyp3TNFL_0NcqtGuce11Vu-iDbfK1iLpWk3Ed7WRA/s320/DSCF1216.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395353879182615810" /></a><br /><br />The Germans like to say that "Alles geht durcheinander" when things aren't going right, and that about sums it up this week - actually that's not strictly true, this week's been fine, I'm just grumpy due to lurgy/porcine flu. So instead of having multiple tantrums I returned to my favourite kitchen activity - baking<br /><br />Yes, those who follow this blog will no doubt express their bemusement, after all I renounced baking last week but Scandi softie that I am I just couldn't help posting a recipe for this spelt cinnamon loaf. A Johansen favourite if there ever was one<br /><br />The recipe has been adapted from a tried and tested cinnamon bun recipe in Trina Hahnemann's 'The Scandinavian Cookbook' but I've made it a bit easier - with spelt flour all you have to do is give the dough a good thrashing with a large wooden spoon for five minutes, and I chuck the dough in the fridge overnight to slow-ferment. Perfect for lazy weekend brunches, and even though my nose is blocked I can just about detect the heady scent of cinnamon, sugar and butter <br /><br />Try it and let me know what you think<br /><br />As we say in 'Weegieland, god helg!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Recipe:</span><br /><br />I've halved the original recipe, but used 2/3 of the original filling recipe as I like butter and sugar. Instead of only using refined flour I toss in some wholemeal spelt flour to add a bit of texture and nuttiness. Feel free to use plain wheat flour as the original recipe suggests. There are photos below the recipe to show method and how to make the bun version<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />300g refined spelt flour<br />125g wholemeal flour<br />70g caster sugar<br />20g fresh yeast <br />1 tsp ground cardamom <br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 egg, beaten<br />250ml whole milk scalded<br />75g butter<br /><br />Filling: <br /><br />100g soft butter<br />75g caster sugar<br />2 tsp ground cinnamon<br /><br />In a small saucepan, scald the milk along with the butter and allow to cool while you assemble the other ingredients. In a large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together - if you want these less grainy, then leave out some of the bran from when you sieve the wholemeal flour - and stir through using a large spoon<br /> <br />Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the egg, then the milk. It's important the milk/butter is below 50 Celsius degrees when you do this, otherwise the yeast will die when it comes in contact with the hot liquid. If you don't have a thermometer to measure the milk's temperature, use your fingers. The milk should feel warm to the touch, not hot.<br />Mix the ingredients together until the mixture comes off the sides of the bowl and looks - for want of a better word - doughy<br /> <br />Place in a lightly oiled bag or bowl and refrigerate overnight<br /><br />The next morning, take the dough out of the fridge and place in a warm room or cupboard (not the dryer as I once did...forgetting that it tumbles. Yes I am an idiot) and let it come to room temperature<br /><br />Make the filling by mixing butter, cinnamon and sugar together. Using a rolling pin, make a rectangular shape of the dough, about 40cm x 30cm. Place the filling on the center of the rectangle and spread out. If the kitchen's a bit cold - as mine was this morning - and the butter is firm, use your hands to spread the filling. Not only does the heat from your hands help to smooth the butter over your dough, but it's immensely satisfying getting your hands all sticky. Butter makes an excellent moisturiser, and the sugar acts as a great exfoliatiant ladies!<br /><br />Once you've finished making a mess with the filling, and - crucially - tasted it, start rolling the dough into a wide cylinder so it looks like an uncooked swiss roll. Ie. roll from the longest part of the rectangle, not the shortest<br /><br />Using a sharp, uncerrated knife, cut the log into 1.5cm/1 inch slices if you want buns, or slice the log in half and bake in two lightly oiled bread tins. Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes in a warming cupboard until the loaves have doubled in size. Gently poke one with your little finger and the indentation should stay put. In other words, there is no 'spring-back'<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius (400 Fahrenheit) and before you place the buns in the oven, glaze with a little milk. Bake on the upper-middle shelf of the oven for 30-45 minutes. The loaves are ready when you tap them and they sound hollow<br /><br />Cool on the kitchen window sill as I did and risk the loaves falling off or being nibbled by pigeons. Or do the sensible thing and allow the loaves to cool on a wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing<br /><br />Needless to say this keeps for a number of days and makes excellent toast ;-)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCCXR5gWekRx6l9_OvtsTwC5fygB5H7TsoWZmUdRsbVlufrU3mgclO7dm2P60qvcrdJy_jh6lbv5JU7aR9IUxno5SrPRLq83d1yKrzImM_TAL1H05rbGvAvLHEMV5fLEBFxdNqw8G3w/s1600-h/DSCF1160.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCCXR5gWekRx6l9_OvtsTwC5fygB5H7TsoWZmUdRsbVlufrU3mgclO7dm2P60qvcrdJy_jh6lbv5JU7aR9IUxno5SrPRLq83d1yKrzImM_TAL1H05rbGvAvLHEMV5fLEBFxdNqw8G3w/s320/DSCF1160.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395353883176067394" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0SzNuVGywQwuSx0U4ueFjLPb1LY75E25fF55huG8Y48lbATLzdN9SWe2UcpZKGpitHKf-iYdNNY4X6Z1myzPtJ7W5HjHHxDEI9L2jOpZ1CMDSYUwj4KtgPDqi0DCkepo06FBWEJMzg/s1600-h/DSCF1164.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0SzNuVGywQwuSx0U4ueFjLPb1LY75E25fF55huG8Y48lbATLzdN9SWe2UcpZKGpitHKf-iYdNNY4X6Z1myzPtJ7W5HjHHxDEI9L2jOpZ1CMDSYUwj4KtgPDqi0DCkepo06FBWEJMzg/s320/DSCF1164.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395353897079030114" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoTofrxnZvhHZZumzUI8N2jJQ6sFeEqBU3DOuwsLi5K40avx14AnxalG26TaDBahn9335TnkVWJiQP7daW1bYyRkx7it2u6inmj6GB9kSAQCARtt8mY7I2nXQgxLCNj1zm6QrZxtlXg/s1600-h/DSCF1169.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoTofrxnZvhHZZumzUI8N2jJQ6sFeEqBU3DOuwsLi5K40avx14AnxalG26TaDBahn9335TnkVWJiQP7daW1bYyRkx7it2u6inmj6GB9kSAQCARtt8mY7I2nXQgxLCNj1zm6QrZxtlXg/s320/DSCF1169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395354881029441410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK2oFBhU2N6P1TxbUdyaAte1ulOGhaymzU3wRg-J69z44gWJOEnfCNLWP5FzoGM-Rx5oIVC3CIEoEhX-Z89pGi21Cvvn8aMvdcH5CzST0aYAW3xu6TG-G3Siv4yF2GVhodYZNaJ8cQA/s1600-h/DSCF1173.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK2oFBhU2N6P1TxbUdyaAte1ulOGhaymzU3wRg-J69z44gWJOEnfCNLWP5FzoGM-Rx5oIVC3CIEoEhX-Z89pGi21Cvvn8aMvdcH5CzST0aYAW3xu6TG-G3Siv4yF2GVhodYZNaJ8cQA/s320/DSCF1173.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395354885235045826" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhbgrt0-Yy2EUQ1HNDEvW_2miDQLoFivibj1Tb9_4JyYzFvoDHx76a27OaJy3ZjnTBCTIVAZIg3gX0rJ53a67qsHeyUED2Ayr86eCZgIx_Wyqi01dm8ls-xrWNIZCumHeI-Av3883_Q/s1600-h/DSCF1174.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhbgrt0-Yy2EUQ1HNDEvW_2miDQLoFivibj1Tb9_4JyYzFvoDHx76a27OaJy3ZjnTBCTIVAZIg3gX0rJ53a67qsHeyUED2Ayr86eCZgIx_Wyqi01dm8ls-xrWNIZCumHeI-Av3883_Q/s320/DSCF1174.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395353902436888978" /></a>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-66552300693645626772009-10-24T11:10:00.003+01:002009-10-24T11:20:56.047+01:00Scandinavian Meatball MenuFor those who have been following the Scandinavian meatball banter on Twitter and are curious about next week's dinner at <a href="http://www.madsenrestaurant.com/">Madsen</a> here is the menu courtesy of owner Charlotte Kruse Madsen:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Starter:</span><br />to choose from<br />Onion marinated herring with Akvavit jelly, curry cream and rye bread croutons<br />or<br />Toast Skagen - Greenland prawns in house dill mayonnaise served on toast with lumpfish roe<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Main course</span>:<br />served on trays at the table so people can pick their meatballs and sides<br /><br />Danish and Norwegian meatballs served with gravy and small potatoes, red cabbage and mashed root vegetables. Homepickled beetroot and cucumber.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dessert:</span><br /><br />"Rodgrod med flode" - Danish red porridge with cream<br /><br />Price per person is £28.50 incl. service charge.<br /><br />There are still some places left so email me or if you are on Twitter, send me a DM @scandilicious and I'll get back to you with confirmation of a place. Please let me know by Monday the 26th October if you are coming, and any last-minute flakeouts expect rustication from future meatball dinners. Just kidding (not really)<br /><br />It promises to be a fun evening, and hopefully the start of many a meatball-themed dinner :D<br /><br />If you'd like to know more about Madsen, Matthew Fort wrote a review in the Guardian <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/09/matthew-norman-madsen">here</a> and The Epicurean wrote one <a href="http://dailyepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/10/madsen-london.html">here</a>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-7428822004608403612009-10-23T11:48:00.008+01:002009-10-23T12:13:22.849+01:00Bye bye baking...Hello cooking and feasting with Scandinavian flair<br /><br />Yep, change is afoot folks. I've been mulling over the remit of this blog and came to the conclusion that baking with Scandi flair has run its course. Much as I love whisking and folding in my Bloomsbury kitchen, certain baking tropes seem to have reprised themselves in past weeks - this month has seen several cinnamon loaves and two batches of very gooey brownies baked, and that's it. The oven in my flat is temperamental which precludes me from baking with any sort of flair at the moment and you really don't want a grumpy Scandinvian baker sharing her thoughts on her demented oven<br /><br />So from now on Scandilicious will be broader in scope - I'll be foraging and featuring recipes inspired by the seasons and the outdoors. My Scandi roots lie in nature as we Johansens seek fresh air like junkies seek their next fix so I'll be fishing and hunting - though I am prone to clumsiness so hopefully won't shoot my foot off - and cooking Scandi favourites such as meatballs, venison stew and grilled crayfish whilst scoffing the occasional <a href="http://scandikitchen.typepad.com/scandikitchen/">Scandi Kitchen</a> hot dog for sustenance when lack of time mandates it :D<br /><br />Channelling my nerdy love of fermentation I'll also be curing fish and experimenting with bacteria. Nothing untoward with bacteria of course - just making yogurt, cheese and other dairy treats. As my friends will tell you I'm an insufferable curd-nerd so expect to see more recipes featuring cheese here. There will of course be baking recipes, especially for bread and buns, but fewer recipes for cakes and other sweet things - scroll through the blog and you'll find 70 baking recipes from the past year<br /><br />Needless to say the Scandi open sandwich will feature on occasion, an example of which you can see here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aVhEn_iGcvMTitaMnhCwL522MtybPJSlt0qouYOevZevZJdEwrPVHvzsNnuhxKtW6B4Vum9Vfj1Vu8DqZqh9bSqtFB8mSBuWQW4InRCs3O8w1zNz7-y1NVX4ptwtkQ0ngj2DI-qizA/s1600-h/DSCF0204.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aVhEn_iGcvMTitaMnhCwL522MtybPJSlt0qouYOevZevZJdEwrPVHvzsNnuhxKtW6B4Vum9Vfj1Vu8DqZqh9bSqtFB8mSBuWQW4InRCs3O8w1zNz7-y1NVX4ptwtkQ0ngj2DI-qizA/s320/DSCF0204.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395744715521241490" /></a><br />And finally one of the things I loved most about training as a chef at Leiths and subsequently as a stagiere at the Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen was the honing of technique, so there will be more emphasis in future blog posts on the skill and technique involved in cookery. That may sound boring and tedious but real cooks will know what I'm on about - I'll be sharing tips and techniques I picked up from both my formal training and subsequent work in kitchens and as a freelance caterer. Cooking is what makes us human and as a food anthropologist I'm interested in the crafting of skills in cookery so expect some quasi-anthropological musings thrown in blog posts here and there<br /><br />That's all for the time being, let me know what you think as suggestions and advice - however critical - are always welcome and I hope you like the new Scandilicious. If you are in London next week there is going to be a meatball dinner at <a href="http://www.madsenrestaurant.com/">Madsen</a>, a Scandinavian restaurant in South Kensington and there are a few places left so do get in touch if you're curious about sampling true Scandi fare<br /><br />As we say in Scandinavia, velbekomme!<br /><br />Sig xSignehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-27055760061145598872009-10-15T16:36:00.004+01:002009-10-16T10:32:05.947+01:00Nostalgia<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOwpunqq0URdwnPS4QAHlwR_JH2nJjTb2IbwF0z4T0wVN4CFjwNkUYjQRwCgL_tZcAnY3UZb-da8u6r7IPHknfGWE8RsYsmOOz4QJJH02tXcIS374ZKXwlP8AqeXh3qurHlo7h6UoWg/s1600-h/img_43f8a5ea33dd2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOwpunqq0URdwnPS4QAHlwR_JH2nJjTb2IbwF0z4T0wVN4CFjwNkUYjQRwCgL_tZcAnY3UZb-da8u6r7IPHknfGWE8RsYsmOOz4QJJH02tXcIS374ZKXwlP8AqeXh3qurHlo7h6UoWg/s320/img_43f8a5ea33dd2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392773391511792130" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><i><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPTHF5sdkmv-AfkNBIfiyFQVgi7Nnhs6opg7XBQVa7-AXQfwr1Aue51ybdSIjCVptdsIKZTva3ufiG_oV-ib2l6EtrZZ-x7mZ4I81KR5y933JiEltTap1Mzp5wuDQ_nRddZfbjHipTw/s320/DSCF1192.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392214088705675330" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><i><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9KnhRp0mr0KEZbH1lEZGHAW3Ij2tdjWu_o9Mk8j-m-FkwApyyIm7birrYR_msNTG6h4NZ5DqanFCI7ZGQEe4V5BUlsDDvoam5Y4YMdjaKOadmxYM4I3DSozNwqWnBqUS-l0diWbE6w/s320/DSCF1197.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392214092866298114" /></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://chocolate-week.co.uk/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chocolate week</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> is in full swing and the quality of real chocolate now available in the UK - like the hilarious Boris Johnson - is really something to marvel at</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When it comes to real chocolate my adopted home has advanced leaps and bounds since I first arrived ten years ago. As evinced by the plethora of chocolate brands at last weekend's </span></span><a href="http://chocolate-week.co.uk/index.php/site/chocolate_unwrapped"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chocolate Unwrapped</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ev</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ent and a dizzying array of chocolate tastings and events taking place across Blighty this week, there is much to rejoice about if you're a committed theobromine addict. With the likes of </span></span><a href="http://www.paulayoung.co.uk/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Paul A Young</span></span></b></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">and Chantal Coady of </span></span><a href="http://rococochocolates.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rococo</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> flying the flag for real chocolate this country is finally on the right track chocolate-wise, even if the postal system is a complete shambles. Perfidious old Albion still has some way to go with real bread too but that's another blog post in the offing</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Musing on chocolate recently I found myself nostalgic for Norway. This often happens when I hear Peer Gynt, eat gravad laks or reminisce about skiing - that is until I remember my propensity to ski into trees</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Visits in the past week to the </span></span><a href="http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Scandinavian Kitchen</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">and Scandi restaurant </span></span><a href="http://www.madsenrestaurant.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Madsen</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> have ostensibly triggered my most recent bliss point of 'Weegie nostalgia. I picked up Scandi chocolate confection </span></span><a href="http://www.kvikklunsj.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kvikk Lunsj</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.kraftfoodsnordic.com/kraft/page?siteid=kraft-prd&locale=nono1&PagecRef=2317&Mid=2317"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Daim</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> from the good people of Great Titchfield Street, and tried to excavate memories of skiing that did not result in spectacular crashes with the woods and wildlife of Oslo </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For the uninitiated, Kvikk-Lunsj is akin to a Kit-Kat but addictive as crack. The Kvikk-lunsj </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kvikk-Lunsj/13690680177?ref=search&sid=754635507.1207459345..1"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">fan page </span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">on facebook boasted 15,907 fans when I last checked, a measure of how damn good this biscuity milk chocolate is. 'Weegies take with us a bar or three whenever we go on long hikes through forests and mountains, and on wholesome ski trips in winter. We don't really get fat because we're outdoors so much. Needless to say the clever marketing department of Norwegian chocolate bran</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">d </span></span><b><a href="http://www.freia.no/2009/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Freia</span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> play on our love of outdoor frolics and </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDIjsg8_mfA"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">romanticize</span></span></b></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">kvikk-lunsj to the Nth degree - as you can see in the first photo above and if you click on that last link above. I'm a sucker for buying into it of course, but this chocolate so good who cares if I'm being duped</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So imagine my total horror when I arrived in October 1999 to discover most chocolate here was crap. It was like something out of Hogarth. Norway's pulchritudinous populace may have prejudiced me somewhat, but I was literally surrounded by pasty, spotty, gin-soaked urchins who thought Cadbury's dairy milk constituted real 'chocolate' and booze was more important than food. It was a culture shock one step too far and I confess the first taste of Dairy Milk one of my mates shared still haunts me. Suitcases of kvikk-lunsj and other Freia confection were ferried over and distributed to my friends as a humanitarian act, rescuing them from purple brand addiction</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Perhaps my British grandmother had convinced me everyone knew and understood food in this country. She cooked roast beef every Sunday so </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">why wouldn't every other Brit do the same I assumed. Yorkshire pudding and bramley apple crumble were not part of my mates' repertoire I soon discovered, and when I bought organic milk and waxed lyrical on the joys of good butter this elicited some </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">very </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">quizzical looks from fellow students, not to mention when I subjected one poor soul to a rant on the evils of homogenized milk</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Apparently Welsh rarebit at Fortnums was not considered integral to every eight-year old girl's visit to London and few of my peers really rated PG Wodehouse. Honestly, I felt like Alice peering through the looking glass - the Britain I had been shown by my beloved Nana was not quite what I imagined and being resolutely contrarian I refused to snap out of my sheltered little existence, digging my heels in further after some snot-nosed little neo-Marxist called me a "posh foreign snob"</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And therein lies the rub. It's still hard today for even the most committed fairtrade, organic and sustainable food-supporting eater in this country to shake that subconscious fixation with class. Sometimes in those sunny and cool autumn days of October '99 I wondered whether Britain was still languishing in its Victorian past and if </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I wasn't just an insufferable brat for being so judgmental. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Plus ca change!</span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Thankfully a delicious Scandi lunch at Madsen and a previous visit to meet owner Charlotte Kruse Madsen </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">helped alleviate the worst of the nostalgia pangs I was experiencing earlier in the week. When Charlotte presented me with a fresh piece of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">kransekake, a classic Scandinavian dessert, I knew I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> had an excellent reason to visit South Ken, other than to see the dinosaurs and the new Darwin centre at the Natural History Museum</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwC3XmZ_IiZLplmsdE28CPsQkJvBJX4amgewjBVmACFPQRx5h1Ow6Yr4TGKmTPfUNB5evMP8NBM8YGWaWBS5eBSnL7WCENSu42efPm65cUHUNYLn5itDbQyk9WV-bOlbfTAopbk-M_g/s320/DSCF1126.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392214072154273346" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Scandinavian kransekake: a baked marzipan-rich biscuit</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What do you think? Am I imagining things - does food trigger nostalgia or is it all nonsense? The best answer gets a couple of kvikk-lunsjes in the post. Remember, you must be over 18 and recognise the addictive qualities of said chocolate. After all 15,907 fans can't be wrong...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">p.s.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_6UqXWrRV-BUb3cDzaK2iV70TbTow59xpgNTr5QW-PcWpctNmPtgXFMxrezGSg54GaPJDUrbFW2Az08brSefzBC917ehwtz8AUDkM5EneTJ4IRCwCNbF9C2sdIPkXMEqJu1s8QeXUQ/s320/blogg2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392773381278831426" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">will winter 2009 be the year I cease to crash into trees? watch this space...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-47252361929591678932009-10-01T19:08:00.006+01:002009-10-02T09:55:34.537+01:00The crafting of chocolate: Paul A Young<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd9wT1y3PfC3W9RZ1OvYpttt4WVXEXtPQkhg5YOTkwFbIya4-Ng7oqTtcmVHUUjT1gpvQOKfJ-Jr6qpnQZvJg7WapdI-3rtsuISwAaGcLmWn2k55Erq-2Def1jlFSSIcxNyrxkMiTLA/s320/DSCF1007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387525859738643490" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thought you were getting a recipe for sea salted caramel truffles there didn't you?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0XROTGDcciw-xRsUzF3bVQL9fX-Ey58jexOpxseWPCYADwKTrkpyq5yetTEko4-MlFPvdo478HiuEonno9PWnOhMT5MrrcdivhFaxLizUm6TJFdz6ihYiT2nZkaZOcqZASDn20VPaw/s320/DSCF1024.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387525854290845218" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Or perhaps some tips on decorating truffles?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_x-vXVk2B_Xghldyb8u7eV_zk2-yCG52wrT-rvSDa-Lg5Hms4ocNhmDlT6Ows7Sa55AIHRpkdLxdv7SCGKkJE5i544CBt-Hz-YBaQeCmgfs80wYguzO79vuPBLkKSROKt9vG6bDvrnA/s320/DSCF1017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387888957369236082" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marzipan: the way to a Scandi's heart</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After an extended hiatus from posting recipes a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">mea culpa</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is due: I've hardly baked since the </span></span><i><a href="http://scandilicious.blogspot.com/2009/09/julia-childs-reine-de-saba.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">reine de saba</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">featured here</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> last month. But if you're a regular reader you might have spotted I have something of a predilection for all things </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">theobroma cacao.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> This post is inspired in part by a recent tasting at </span></span><a href="http://www.paulayoung.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paul A Young</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - virtuoso chocolatier and impassioned defender of </span></span><a href="http://www.rudehealth.com/var/audio/Guest%20rants/16-Paul-Young.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">orangutans</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - and by the imminent arrival of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://chocolate-week.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chocolate Week</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Britain's biggest celebration of real chocolate</span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love chocolate so don't expect any high-minded objectivity here. The smell of it renders me giddy and grinning dementedly like a Cheshire cat - who needs opium when you can have chocolate I say. Having written features on</span></span><a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20081103"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> tea and chocolate pairing</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20081209"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">wine pairings for a chocolate-themed dinner party</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> it's safe to assume I would be happy if every week were a celebration of chocolate and since Paul opened his chocolate shop in 2006 I would occasionally pop in whenever I happened to be in Angel, which sadly wasn't that often. His marmite chocolate truffles are manna from heaven for a marmite fan, and you don't need me telling you his salted butter caramels (pictured above) are so moreish that all you really have to do is close your eyes and purr</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My musings on matters</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> theobromine </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">boil down to the profound dichotomy of "yum" and "yuck", hence this is really a cursory introduction to one of the great fermented foodstuffs in existence besides my other favourites gravadlax, sourdough bread, Riesling, anchovies, and of course cheese...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Imagine my excitement when I saw this on display at Paul's tasting two weeks ago:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fJHPNLXESn72cVAQC4a2ktXSLc_u4w4O5xfEdyPd_LqV5jN2vvi3N7ZwR61D9_1NZY23dj7IabtskEiprcP3tJNCwEOPYjF30Fqc-MovzfKPTLU714dHFGWQfdyEDMWs1_2NbQGIOA/s320/DSCF1009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387522909520744578" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chocolate and cheese may sound bonkers, but it's an </span></span><a href="http://www.umamiinfo.com/the_news/news_archive/report_'new_frontiers_of_taste'_vol._2/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">umami</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> bombshell of a combination, think of Ella Fitzgerald singing </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">fine romance </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">when you pair chocolate and cheese and you know what I'm on about. Paul isn't the only advocate of unusual pairings with chocolate, food scientist and "curious cook" </span></span><a href="http://www.curiouscook.com/cook/home.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Harold McGee</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> has a killer recipe for </span></span><a href="http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2002/newchocolate/mcgee.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">chocolate and cheese truffles</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Try it, you'd be surprised what a natural affinity good dark chocolate has with Stilton and indeed unpasteurised Stichelton</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As a Scandinavian I grew up with good chocolate. It's our vitamin shot during long, dark winters and Norway's biggest chocolate company </span></span><a href="http://www.freia.no/2009/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Freia</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is still my favourite source of milky chocolate confection that hits a certain blisspoint. Pangs of nostalgia occur whenever I eat a </span></span><a href="http://www.kvikklunsj.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kvikk-Lunsj</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Freia's answer to the Kit-Kat and nothing really says weekends spent Nordic skiing, frolicking in the snow and steamy saunas like a bar of the stuff</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So when American Kraft bought Norwegian Freia back in the mid 1990's there was a national outcry. Sound familiar? Kraft of course now have their eye on Cadbury's, that beloved British institution whose source of popularity has always eluded me. Cadbury's isn't real chocolate. They may have highly commendable Quaker ideals and social programs but they produce what should be more accurately called vegelate that masquerades as chocolate, replete with startling amounts of bleached sugar and some vague notion of cocoa. Yuck. Nothing, we discovered, makes Paul quite as hopping mad as people who claim chocolate is fattening. Cheap mass-produced chocolate is full of sugar, and that's what is so addictive, not to mention fatal to one's waistline</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The heady aroma of real chocolate suffuses Paul's shop when you enter, and this is deliberate. He wants chocolate to be a sensory experience, and since all his chocolate is hand-crafted on site there is no other escape for the intoxicating aromas unleashed by tempering chocolate and freshly baked brownies. Automation is strictly </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">verboten. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Instead marble slabs are used downstairs in the kitchen for tempering, and there is no outsourcing at any stage in the chocolate production</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paul and his business partner James Cronin's enthusiasm for teaching us about real chocolate is clear as soon as we arrive. A tasting programme is planned for the evening in which we methodically work our way from bean to bar. Everything from malty Valrhona milk chocolate to silky 75% Amedei 9 and fiendishly tart and bitter 100% Valrhona manjari pate is sampled, the latter resolutely my favourite. Akin to a wine tasting, we diligently take notes and compare thoughts on what each chocolate evinces in terms of nuance, texture and aroma. Ultimately whether we like it or not is to some extent irrelevant. Real chocolate is an education in taste, not an exercise in expressing opinions of "yum" or "yuck' as I normally do</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTi4avhX4TzKIy1OdLW3v2mHzwgYTy0nbREH67MWHMYDOwDbbms0D1_k_lAsGsAoQl0mwYmpr454UJRCJiYB7_1bitb4E5pX2KrUIloUEMgrII0cbTAYxO0VKfu_6Ypm95PVMPG5Hvg/s320/DSCF1015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387522899845043698" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">James Cronin talking to us about the business of chocolate</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">True chocolate lovers will already know the three main cocoa beans are Criollo, Trinitario and Forastero, Criollo being the elite bean and Forastero being the banal bean used in Cadbury's, Nestle, Kraft, et al. or as part of a blend. Being a fermentation nerd with an acidic palate I was intrigued to learn fermentation determines the acidity of cocoa beans, and if done properly releases all the inherent aromas of the bean. As Paul told us, it can be tricky discerning which bean is used for which chocolate with the Big Three </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amedei.com/jspamedei/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amadei</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.valrhona.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Valrhona</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.cluizel.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Michel Cluizel</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> diverging in the way they reveal the bean's provenance, or what blend of beans they use</span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What struck me about Paul and James is how passionately they believe chocolate is a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">craft. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">C</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">raftsmanship is not really part of the noughties' vernacular - w</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">e live in an age of instant gratification and mastering a craft requires a singular attention to detail, not to mention years of training, experience and embodied knowledge. Paul told us he had trained under Marco Pierre White, a chef who certainly does not suffer fools lightly. I can only imagine how character-forming it was to work for Marco, and as Paul told us the most salient lesson he learnt from him was that the product is king. To some extent I agree and I appreciate that Paul and James are running a business so the product is key, but the anthropologist in me would of course argue the product is nothing without the people. Cooks, chefs, chocolatiers, cheesemakers, winemakers, brewers all practice a form of craftsmanship, and you can't divest what they make from who they are. I suspect we'll be hearing more about this subject in the coming years as artisanal food producers hit their stride. At any rate, if you're a craft nerd then have a look at Richard Sennett's inspiring book </span></span><a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780141022093&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=the+craftsman+richard+sennett&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'The Craftsman'</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for more profound observations on the matter</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paul and James wrap up the tasting by introducing us to San Francisco-based chocolate brand </span></span><a href="http://www.tcho.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tcho</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, a company channelling the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">terroir </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">of beans into their chocolate. By breaking down each variety to their flavour profiles of nutty, fruity, chocolatey, earthy, citrus or floral, you have a clear choice depending on your own taste in chocolate. It's a fascinating concept, and certainly the first of its kind amongst the elite chocolate brands. With Paul being the first retailer to stock them in Britain, Tcho are a brand to watch</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWGrS24CFFGMeL5qJmMxJFbXSwwP6k6HEvRVnS0xBSQD2IlEwSZ60x1szslzM-R3yfDepVxaboZxpg_t_b6b4I8VDhYpcbtdbw0jN9yEzqaEseOqFWPfUSeI3d0Td5Njs92dHf-XN6g/s320/DSCF1022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387522874605837602" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To complete the evening we're given a tour of the kitchen downstairs, as spotless and spatious as they come. In the photo above is Paul clutching a delicious block of pure cocoa butter, chocolate's most prized ingredient. Remember that. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> As Paul explained, cocoa butter i</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">s the key to real chocolate, and ersatz ingredients such as </span></span><a href="http://www.orangutan.org.uk/latest-news/105-one-in-ten-supermarket-products-linked-to-orangutan-extinction"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">palm oil</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> are to be avoided at all costs - not merely for fiscal reasons but for conservation ones. The demand for cheap palm oil leads to serious deforestation of rainforests, the natural habitat of both cocoa bean trees and the mighty orangutan. Eat cheap, mass-produced chocolate and not only will you get fat but you'll be contributing to the decline of rainforests and orangutans</span></span></span></span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you love proper chocolate, start reading the ingredients on the back of the label. Go to tastings, masterclasses, be a nerd and start swotting up on the subject. There is a </span></span><a href="http://www.chocolate-week.co.uk/index.php/site/chocolate_unwrapped/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chocolate Unwrapped</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> event in London on the weekend of October 10/11 where you can sample a whole range of brands, beans and varieties of chocolate. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Honestly, if you like eating chocolate it is worth investing a bit of time and effort in learning the whole ecology of chocolate-making from bean to bar, and I can't recommend Paul's tasting highly enough</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtelTs9l3WuE33dPFlkoWsBHj9QIqFFxX6xYx58AHEt0iISeBbNT-XcTc8ELUPgbQ-Z_-xL41b5YLcFVdy6b-pAR6vlNwFEzQtGVpACL6iJ83VU4b7AcKByBmjGdVoPmbgEOWKj0aPsA/s320/DSCF1018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387522879976798722" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On that note, I leave you with a word of advice: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">theobromine </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is a stimulant so as tempting as it is to make hot chocolate before bedtime you'll find yourself rather more wound-up than wound-down </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Doesn't stop me from dreaming about that fiendish Valrhona 100% manjari pate though...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Paul A Young</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>33 Camden Passage</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Islington</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>London N1 8EA</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.paulayoung.co.uk">www.paulayoung.co.uk</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>'Adventures with Chocolate'</b> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">by Paul A Young published by Kyle Cathie 2009</span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246732050815826189.post-16388880294314041032009-09-07T13:08:00.004+01:002009-09-30T17:15:17.517+01:00Julia Child's Reine de Saba<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilf09-6wPZ2a8NwHvyrv6KiH31skzRD-ya0P5nI-HfFUY9nwm4EZapB3KgFO8EmO7ou9SBKp04ecE0tz2Kjzs_e6AyFjDV2zlCOqtdN-fBDDIKjAK44p43l-ejIwI4N9HSCM0FvWqj8w/s320/DSCF0968.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378678488252544738" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGUbdir7nSCnvb_quUv1vvYRTARD8vIRVi5CaDVT_cmQOnydj4xOIxOg4-XxbDXvW-JQOISvaQgEGtEjYp6A6nTT55Sx2nUyFo_9_u9jlpTN5pFFj-DMJCINrUJmppC3YqbGlrfcwoA/s1600-h/DSCF0946.jpg"></a></span></span><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGUbdir7nSCnvb_quUv1vvYRTARD8vIRVi5CaDVT_cmQOnydj4xOIxOg4-XxbDXvW-JQOISvaQgEGtEjYp6A6nTT55Sx2nUyFo_9_u9jlpTN5pFFj-DMJCINrUJmppC3YqbGlrfcwoA/s1600-h/DSCF0946.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGUbdir7nSCnvb_quUv1vvYRTARD8vIRVi5CaDVT_cmQOnydj4xOIxOg4-XxbDXvW-JQOISvaQgEGtEjYp6A6nTT55Sx2nUyFo_9_u9jlpTN5pFFj-DMJCINrUJmppC3YqbGlrfcwoA/s320/DSCF0946.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378678510069948882" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UzCzDVQi3BLVIjqIhDYvbY0dhDxxXwHlfEjeJuyVaXoCpYPdbFgYU_WDUOXy4QgWa5yu8r9aswBoXO1D6oTpr3d3q_3D43_lh4cJlmdZfAa7hcMYhTLXb_YRccbKY5jhjA8VveAK2g/s1600-h/DSCF0960.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UzCzDVQi3BLVIjqIhDYvbY0dhDxxXwHlfEjeJuyVaXoCpYPdbFgYU_WDUOXy4QgWa5yu8r9aswBoXO1D6oTpr3d3q_3D43_lh4cJlmdZfAa7hcMYhTLXb_YRccbKY5jhjA8VveAK2g/s320/DSCF0960.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378678496631812530" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">They don't make them like Julia Child anymore</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Yep, I'm officially on the bandwagon of Julia enthusiasts. Spank me with a spatula but I grew up reading cookbooks from the 60's so Julia was a familiar figure in our family - my Mother's vintage edition of that other doyenne of American cookery Fanny Farmer sat alongside the Great Scandinavian Cookbook - an ersatz Larousse with some gravlax and smoked sheep heads thrown in - and a signed copy of the Ballymaloe Cookbook (OK, not from the 60's but from the 70's) summers spent in New England meant we accumulated quite a few classic American cookbooks, but Child really was in a league of her own </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Patrician, francophile and in possession of an extraordinary voice that bordered on comical, Julia Child was a salt-of-the-earth sort of woman, that breed of tough cookies who were unconventional and ever so slightly eccentric. I like Child for what she represented: a smart, self-assured woman who was didactic and a true enthusiast for all things French, her integrity as a cookery writer lay in her singular dedication to a craft and perfecting the techniques inherent in classic French cooking. This is rather quaint in our age of instant gratification, in which food is entertainment and we're constantly bombarded with bland cookery books and banal TV programmes </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A lesser woman would have accepted being placed in a class of bored housewives at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but Child aimed higher and evinced a diligence and work ethic in the professionals' class that paid off - her determination meant she literally did master all the skills integral to French cooking, and eventually she wrote her magnum opus</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> "Mastering the Art of French cooking" a book now in probably it's 200th re-print </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So when Niamh of the blog </span></span><a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Eat Like A Girl</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> emailed the London Food and Drink Bloggers last week asking if anyone was interested in attending a screening of the forthcoming film 'Julie & Julia' I jumped at the chance. You can read plenty of reviews about Nora Ephron's film about blogger Julia Powell re-creating every recipe from Julia Child's masterpiece, my only comment on this otherwise well-executed film is why did Julia Child's life not merit a film in itself? Why did it take a simpering, narcissist blogger desperate for a book deal to resurrect the unfashionable, warbling Julia? Meryl Streep stole the show as Child and I suspect that's not merely down to her skill as an actor. Child is the compelling character in this film, and I have to admit that despite my enjoyment of the film as a whole I left the screening with a sense of disappointment that this formidable woman wasn't the main focus</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Anyway, enough eulogising about Julia Child. You can read more about her in the following features: AA Gill's piece </span></span><a href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6810771.ece"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> in the Sunday Times, </span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Michael Pollan'</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">s New York Times article and another Times article on the </span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/business/24julia.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">business of cookbooks</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> finally this piece in last month's </span></span><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/julia-child200908"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Vanity Fair</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> is well worth a read. If you're a keen bean have a look at Child's cookery programmes on YouTube</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Without further ado, here's a recipe from 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' for her favourite chocolate cake: the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Reine de Saba </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">or Queen of Sheba...a cake as robust and full of character as the 6ft 1" Child was </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ingredients:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">110g (4 oz) butter, softened</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">110g caster sugar or light brown sugar</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">110g dark chocolate (70% or higher)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">55g plain flour</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">55g ground almonds</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3 medium eggs, separated</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2 tbsp strong coffee, rum or brandy</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">pinch of salt</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Method:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly oil and dust with flour a 20cm diameter cake tin</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, allow to melt and cool</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In a large bowl cream the butter and add the sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add the melted chocolate and coffee/rum/or brandy. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, then add a spoonful of sugar and whisk to stuff peak again. Add a spoonful of the egg white to the chocolate mixture to break it up and then add the flour and ground almonds. Add the remainder of the egg white mixture to the large bowl, stirring through with either a large spatula, a la Child's method, or with a large metal spoon. Use figure of eight motions and fold in the eggwhite to the cake mixture with a gentle motion. If you're heavy-handed you'll knock all the air out. Better to have some pockets of flour or egg mixture dotted through the mixture then to be over-zealous about distributing all the ingredients</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pour this into your cake tin and bake on the middle oven shelf for 25-30 minutes. The cake is ready when it's spongy to the touch, doesn't wobble anymore and a skewer inserted comes out clean</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Let the cake cool on a wire rack, then decorate as you wish. Child made a rich chocolate and butter icing which goes well, but I just dusted some cocoa powder on top</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">* If you're gluten-intolerant simply substitute the flour with the same quantity ground almonds, or about 40g gluten-free flour </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><i>Julia Child's <a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780715639009&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=my+life+in+france&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=10&dc=14">"My life in France" </a>published in the UK by Duckworth 2009</i></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Signehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16032391536696950157noreply@blogger.com8