I made my first curry tonight.
Not a completely from scratch one, but a Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food one, so better than some fried chicken and a jar of Sharwood’s finest.
It was chicken tikka masaka and it was rather nice!
Coconut Jam Sandwich Bars
Flicking through The Hummingbird Bakery: Cake Days book I was transported back to school days. These biscuitty, jammy, coconutty, yummy things kept me going through many a maths lesson when I was at school and I was desperate to make some and see if I could re-enact days gone by.
Judging by the fact I have already eaten four, you will guess that they were every bit as scrummy. And fairly easy to make. The only tricky bit would be the meringue, but as I am blessed with a kitchenaid, this was not a problem.
I urge you to try them. And if this means buying the book, then do so. It is worth it for all the other delicious recipes that lie within, including the best vanilla cupcakes I’ve come across.
Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter
I don’t often do reviews and this is not sponsored or anything like that, but I wanted to write about Lisa Faulkner’s new recipe book ‘Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter“
Lisa Faulkner is a model/actress and recently(ish) won Celebrity Masterchef. It was during this series that I thought how nice she was and such a good cook!
Anyway, it was with great excitement that I saw she has recently released a book and last week Amazon duly dropped it at my door.
The introduction brought a tear to my eye. The book is a testimony to her mother who died when Lisa was 16 and for her daughter, Billie, who was adopted after three failed IVF attempts. It is this that, for me, makes the book so poignant and although a recipe book, as you read it Lisa makes you feel like you are sharing a real history as well as some very well-loved dishes.
Aside from all this, the book is beautifully set out and full of very accessible recipes. It is important for me that a recipe is ‘do-able’ for the everyday cook like me with a small kitchen and a temperamental oven. And that the recipes are not too ‘cheffy’. The recipes are something I could serve to the whole family without rasied eyebrows!
My first attempt was the Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pies. Except I didn’t have any pots, so I served it as one big pie! The result was tasty, looked good and was consumed with gusto.
Next stop, Rice Krispie Chicken!
Poached Eggs #2
Yesterday was my birthday and I got a fabulous Imperia pasta machine and also the Julia Child cookery Bible ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’. It was to this I turned for poached egg advice. Ah, Julia! She came up trumps! Following her instructions to the tbsp my results were much improved, in fact Husband said his egg was perfect!
 |
| Looked better ‘in the flesh’. Honestly… |
Julia Child’s recipe is:
- Pour 2 inches of water into a 8/10″ frying pan and bring to a simmer. For every pint of water used add a tbsp of vinegar.
- Break a fresh egg into a saucer and as close to the water as possible, let it fall in. Immediately and gently push the white over the yolk with a wooden spoon for 3 secs. Maintain the water at simmering point and repeat with any other eggs.
- After 4 minutes remove egg with slotted spoon and test with finger – the white should be set and yolk soft to touch.
- Place egg in cold water. This washes off the vinegar and stops the egg cooking.
Hope this is useful!
The greatest testimony One could ever Wish for
Empty Bowls.
Like what my pasta was.
Poached Eggs
I don’t know what possessed me to try and cook poached eggs for breakfast. Well, I do. It was the Waitrose magazine coaxing me into trying one of those cheffy, swirly poached eggs that look so elegant.
Mine looked like this.
And this was my second attempt. I did actually eat the first one, but it was practically hard boiled and in much the same stringy state as this one.
I am not sure what I’m doing wrong. This frustrates me. When I follow a recipe to the letter, why doesn’t it work? Water was simmering, water was swirled to the point of spinning over the sides of the pan, drops of vinegar in egg, egg slipped in to the middle….and instantly it dissipated throughout the water looking like I’d just sneezed egg white into the pan.
No doubt on another misguided day I will try again, but until then I will stick to these:
They might come out looking like a pair of boobs *sniggers* but at least they cook properly.
Packed Lunches
What is it about packed lunches that make me want to shut my head in the fridge? At school they were a treat saved for school trips. The trepidation I felt as I peeked inside my tuppaware box to see what my mother had rustled up, was second to none. It was never anything to write home about, but to me it was wonderful and integral to the thrill of the the trip (only floored by the visit to the gift shop).
 |
| seriously? |
Today, packed lunches are the norm. And I now have to make them for my 2 year old to take into nursery. This is the same 2 year old that only eats weetabix. She spent the last 5 months at nursery having their cooked lunches and never ate a thing. I am sure they blame me for poor dietary habits, but the other two children were the same at that age, except with shreddies. The health visitor assured me it was fine. I was not so sure…
Anyway, undeterred I saw a book entitled ‘Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids’ which I guiltily bought in order to revolutionise my lunchbox packing skills. Shouldn’t have bothered. I am a mother of three and I defy anyone to get their kids to eat 3 bean soup or pepper stuffed wraps for lunch, let alone have the time and equipment to prepare and store it all. The only redeeming feature was that they used the same Cath Kidston tins that I have and they looked better than I thought. I need a book entitled ‘Packed lunches for kids who refuse to eat anything but wholegrain cereal’. Now, that would be a useful addition to my heaving recipe bookshelves. I’m afraid the other one is destined for next week’s NCT sale….
If you have any normal suggestions to help me out please let me know!