A Slice of Cherry Pie

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2009-11-25T21:30:00.004Z

Thanks to this blog, Facebook and Twitter I have had the fortune of being able to communicate with so many wonderful people in America who, although we've never met, I consider my extended friends. It's to all of you who I dedicate this post to and wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Someone who messaged me today on Twitter said "Julia, I know you do not observe Thanksgiving in the UK, but I'm sure you see the beauty of the celebration. I wish for U happiness!". And they were spot on; although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here I am thinking of all of you who do. Thank you for reading, befriending, following and being there x

Turkey and Cranberry Parcels

These little parcels are quite delicious. The crispy, flaky filo pastry gives way to reveal an unctuous, gooey turkey filling with sweet, plump cranberries and a mild cheese taste. Perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration.

Serves 2 as a main meal and 4 as a starter

Olive oil
400g turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 shallots, finely diced
100ml double cream
A handful of mature cheddar cheese
2 handfuls of plump, dried cranberries
12 sheets of filo pastry (270g packet)
A knob of butter, melted
Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the turkey and fry it until completely cooked through then remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add the shallot to the pan and sauté it for a few minutes then add the turkey back to the pan along with the cream, cheese and cranberries. Season the mixture well and simmer it, stirring, until it turns thick and gooey then turn off the heat.

Lay out a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with the melted butter then lay a second sheet on top. Repeat with a third sheet then put a quarter of the turkey mixture into the centre of the pastry. Pull up the edges of the pastry into the centre and press them together to form a sealed parcel. Brush the top of the pastry with a little more of the melted butter. Repeat for another 3 parcels.

Carefully place the parcels onto a baking tray then cook them for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Thanks to my friend Vanessa for the inspiration.

For the Love of Crumpets

2009-11-21T23:55:00.002Z

Who doesn't love a good, hot, buttered crumpet?

I'm talking about the snacks, you naughty things.

English crumpets are irresistible at any time of the day. They're great smeared with Marmite for breakfast, topped with fried, scrambled or poached eggs for lunch, or served with a little honey or jam for afternoon tea. They're one of those foods that are like a great big culinary hug; especially good for a grey, drizzly day.

Crumpets are similar to pancakes but more like a bread - they're made with yeast - and they have a sponge-like texture with deep holes in the top; perfect for soaking up delicious butter as it melts into them.

But back to the innuendoes. I could forgive you for thinking bad thoughts when you read the first sentence of this post, crumpets are, after all, just full of smutty and comic possibilities. Just think of their hot, rough tops slathered in melting butter that oozes over your lips and dribbles down your chin as you bite into them. OK, I'm sorry, I'll stop. But just to prove my point I asked my friends on Twitter to give me their best 'food porn' words about crumpets and told them to do their worst. And my goodness, did they! Many were unprintable, but here are the rest (bordering on ok!):

@direbonappetit unctious, drizzling, hot butter

@france_normandy Moist and ready buttered.

@glamah Cant resist... There once a Strumpet that loved Crumpets. The holes filled with butter, made her heart all aflutter

@johnonfood fulsome and unctuous

@MoreMangetout how about some softly yeilding flesh? Or warm butter dribbling down chins? Now I want some crumpets!

@goingwithmygut I trumpet that a hot oily salty crumpet could turn me strumpet (how's that for abysmal poetry)

@ginandcrumpets Crumpets are a bread sieve for butter, which fortunately does not sieve that well. So more of a butter sponge really.

@MaisonCupcake Poke 'em with your toasting fork!

@josordoni Ooh Matron your holes are all buttery...

@goingwithmygut There once was a young lady food strumpet // Who from restos and kitchens would trumpet // Said a hater "she's a 'ho"... Said a fan "Oh I dunno..." // "I think she's quite a thinking man's crumpet"

@johnonfood squelchy

@meemalee Big, oozing holes.

@suzler Haha! Hot buttered buns to sink your teeth into ...

@Farctum spreadable, juicy, just waiting for the application of a little honey (ooo er missus did I really just tweet that?)

@oliverthring Rumpy-pumpy with my crumpy.

@suzler Ooh, smearing butter into every nook so it'll dribble out all over your fingers with the first bite.

Discover the Origin - Winner Announcement

2009-11-14T23:55:00.001Z

Thank you to everyone who entered the 'Discover the Origin' competition to win a fabulous hamper. Earlier today I put the name of everyone who entered into a hat and pulled out the winner...

...Claire Packham!

Many congratulations Clare.

Embracing Autumn

2009-11-08T22:55:00.011Z

I do love this time of year. The colours outside are so incredibly beautiful, it's sometimes hard to believe that they come from nature and not a painter's palette. On my morning walk to the station my path is carpeted with russet leaves and the tree outside my office window has slowly turned through greens, golds and reds over the past few weeks. We've been blessed with blue skies and bright sunshine on some days and seen darkening grey clouds and rain on others. It's been a glorious autumn.

As the nights draw in I like the gradual retreat back indoors, the closing of the curtains, the pulling out of the blankets and the lighting of the candles. It's time to snuggle up in oversized jumpers and read classic books. And I've started one of my favourite autumn and winter hobbies: jigsaws. I can lose hours on a Sunday afternoon pondering over the pieces as the rain hits the window.

The festivities of Halloween and Bonfire night bring fun for children young and old. Little witches and ghouls cry "trick or treat?" as carved pumpkins glow in the dark night, and cold, pink faces light up by the glow of the bonfire as electric fireworks explode in the sky.

I'm baking potatoes and I'm caramalising onions, pot roasting game birds and stewing beef. I've made pear and blackberry tarts and baked apples stuffed with brown sugar and sultanas. I don't think I want this autumn to end.

Farewell Floyd: The Round-up

2009-11-01T21:33:00.008Z

James and I have had such a hard time choosing three winning entries from all the fantastic ones that came in for our tribute to Keith Floyd, the 'Farewell Floyd' food blogging event. We asked you to cook a classic or adapted Floyd recipe or a recipe of your own design inspired by Keith Floyd. Here's a round-up of all the posts:

'White Onion Soup - A tribute to Keith Floyd' from Annes Kitchen

'Chicken Breast with Beetroot Sauce - Farewell Floyd!' from Maison Mattmoo

'Keith Floyd tribute: Welsh rarebit makeover' from Weekend Carnivore

'Shrimp, Mango and Ginger Stir Fry' from Apple Crumbles

'Floyd's Tabbouleh' from A Wee Bit of Cooking

'Farewell Floyd' from The Princess and the Recipe

'Keith Floyd's Beef Bourgignon' from Them Apples

'Farewell Floyd - Jambalaya' from Foodycat

'Farewell to Floyd' from Jo's Kitchen

'Chicken Tagine with Butternut Basmati Rice' from Pan Gravy Kadai Curry

'Coq au Vin - A Tribute to Keith Floyd' from Anyone for Seconds?

'Kenyan Goat Feast - For Farewell Floyd: Food Blogging Event' from Going With My Gut

'Keith Floyd's Lapin aux pruneaux (Sauté of wild rabbit with prunes and Armagnac)' from Joanna's Food

Aren't they all brilliant posts? We found it incredibly difficult to judge, I can tell you. I wish we could give prizes to everyone but we can at least give three people a prize. The winning entries are:

'Kenyan Goat Feast - For Farewell Floyd: Food Blogging Event' from Going With My Gut

'Farewell Floyd - Jambalaya' from Foodycat

'Coq au Vin - A Tribute to Keith Floyd' from Anyone for Seconds?

Well done to everyone. The winning bloggers will receive a copy of the newly re-printed 'Floyd's Food', Keith Floyd's first ever cookbook, published by Absolute Press. With thanks to Absolute Press for donating the prizes.

Whitstable

2009-10-27T22:54:00.001Z

A trip to Whitstable earlier in the summer.

Chilli Beef and Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry

2009-10-25T21:50:00.005Z

Now that the clocks have gone back and the night's are drawing in it's time to turn up the heat and spice up our evening meals.

Serves 4

Approximately 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped,
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g beef steak, sliced into bite sized pieces
100g tenderstem broccoli
6 baby courgettes, sliced
3 spring onions, sliced
100g oyster mushrooms
A handful of beansprouts (optional)
400g fresh egg noodles
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
A few drops of toasted sesame oil

Heat a wok over a high heat until very hot then pour in a little vegetable oil. Add the chilli and garlic and stir fry for a minute then add the beef and stir fry if for a minute or so until browned.

Next, add the broccoli to the wok and stir fry it for a few minutes then add in the rest of the vegetables and stir fry everything for a further 2 or 3 minutes.

Finally, add the noodles to the wok, along with the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, and stir fry them, mixing them in with the vegetables, for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Discover the Origin and Win a Hamper

2009-10-22T13:00:00.005+01:00

'Discover the Origin' is a new three year campaign, led by the European Union, Italy, France and Portugal, designed to raise awareness around five key European products:

· Parma Ham

· Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

· Burgundy

· Port

· Douro Valley wines

These products all carry a guarantee of their provenance and quality: the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Parma Ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, AOC for Burgundy wines and DOC for Port and Douro Valley wines. These guarantees are defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods, so if you see these labels on any food or drink products you can be sure of their authenticity and quality.

Certainly 3 of these products are regulars in my kitchen: Parma Ham (a favourite of Rob's, in particular), Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese and Port, the latter 2 being must-haves for me as I use them so regularly in cooking (and I do enjoy the odd tipple of Port, especially when the weather turns colder!).

A few years ago I learned that only Parmesan cheese labelled as Parmigiano-Reggiano is true Parmesan cheese, the others being imitations, and so ever since I've been sure to look out for this label. And this is precisely what this campaign is helping to highlight, not only for Parmesan cheese but for the other products too.

I was recently sent some samples of the products and have to say the quality really shines through. The wines were quite delicious and I was particularly taken with a bottle of Roy Marc Clos Prieur, from a villiage family vineyard in Côte de Nuits.

'Discover the Origin' has teamed up with 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' to offer you the chance to win an incredible hamper containing these products. The hamper includes top quality Port, a bottle of Burgundy, 250g of the best Parmigiano-Regianno cheese, a packet of mouth-watering Parma Ham, and a recipe book. To be in with a chance of winning just answer this simple question:

Q: What does PDO stand for?

Email your answer, along with your name, location and web site address (if applicable) to cherrypiecompetition@yahoo.co.uk by 8th November and leave me a comment to let me know you've entered so that I don't miss any because of spam filters, etc. Open to UK residents only.

For more information about the campaign visit www.discovertheorigin.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of 'Discover the Origin'.

Farewell Floyd

2009-10-18T21:36:00.009+01:00

James and I have been getting lots of brilliant entries into our 'Farewell Floyd' food blogging event. For my own part I decided to cook Keith's Welsh Rarebit. It's certainly a classier version of cheese on toast and well worth the extra effort.

The closing date for the event was yesterday but we've decided to extend it for a week after Absolute Press offered a fantastic prize: a copy of the recently republished 'Floyd's Food' - Keith's first ever book - for the best 3 entries.

Absolute Press published this very first book of Keith's after its founder, Jon Croft, met him in his restaurant in Bristol and collaborated with him on the book. I feel very proud and humbled to be working with the very same publisher who will be printing 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' next year.

To be in for a chance to win a copy of 'Floyd's Food', pour the wine, get the pan out and cook up a tribute to the one and only Keith Floyd. Closing date Sunday 25th October. For more details click here click here.

Changing Seasons

2009-10-10T21:42:00.007+01:00

Autumn seems more glorious than ever this year. Summer is lingering a little longer than usual, stopping to have a dance with autumn, leaves falling through bright, golden sunshine as they twirl together, before it leaves us for another year.

On the last weekend of September it was so warm and sunny that Rob and I took off in the car with our old dog Charlie and a small picnic and drove to spot near Lullingstone castle. It was late afternoon when we arrived and we watched the sun set behind the trees as we lay out on the rug. It was quite perfect.

But at the start of this week it felt like autumn had truly taken hold. We had grey, rainy days and cold evenings, prompting the turning on of the central heating and the lighting of candles to keep us warm and snug. Yet the week is ending on a sunnier note. Today I’ve been out in the garden, sitting on cushions on the old, weathered bench, mug of steaming Earl Grey tea in one hand, Nigel Slater’s new book, 'Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch', in the other. At one point it was so warm I had to take off my jumper but later on I had to go and get a blanket to wrap round me; such is the changeable nature of the weather at the moment.

The weather may be undecided but my food choices are very much autumnal right now. I’m baking pumpkins, eating figs with cheeses and crusty bread, and roasting pork. The markets and the shops are overflowing and my kitchen is beckoning; what a great time of year this is.

Does your Cooking Deserve an AA Rosette?

2009-09-28T20:40:00.006+01:00

I'm very pleased to be able to tell you that 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' and the 'UK Food Bloggers Association' are sponsoring an exciting cooking competition from the AA in association with Galvin at Windows.

The competition, aimed at talented amateur cooks, is in two stages: first, participants create a recipe from a list of ingredients chosen by Chris Galvin and André Garrett of Galvin at Windows, second, eight finalists - selected by AA inspectors and Chris Galvin - meet for a final cook-off to be judged by Chris, André, Gary Rhodes and AA inspectors. The winner will receive an AA Rosette award plate, a break in France as a guest of Pommery Champagne, and the opportunity to cook with Chris and André. Interested? Find out more on the competition website.

Falling Leaves

2009-09-23T21:13:00.010+01:00

Isn't Autumn the most wonderful time of year? It's so interesting, with so much change and something new happening wherever you look: on the trees; in the ground; in the weather; on the landscape. As sad as it is to say goodbye to summer there's a sweetness in saying "hello" to a new season and a new chapter.

There's a lot of newness about autumn. There's the new school term, with children changing classes or starting school for the first time with new books, new uniform, new pens and new pencils. Even now I love new stationery; there's something nostalgic and exciting about the smells of blank exercise books waiting to be written in, felt tip pens, new rubbers and pencil lead. Then there's a whole new wardrobe to worn, with new colours and new fashions for the season. Even if you're dusting off last year's coat, scarf and gloves they feel new, having waited patiently through the spring and summer until this time when they're pulled on once again. And new boots; I have to have new boots. All the better for kicking up the autumn leaves and splashing through puddles.

And, of course, there's the food. Oh, the food! The mushrooms, the nuts, the apples, the pears, the pumpkins, the game. The list goes on and on and on. How fortunate we are to be able to enjoy such a harvest. Now is the best time to be reaping the rewards of it in the kitchen.

I could go on forever about how I love autumn but instead I asked my friends on twitter what it is that they love about this season, and here's what they said:

@elleskitchen Everything! but always loved walking though piles of leaves. Love the swishing and crunching sounds.

@niltiac The best thing about autumn is that it's not winter yet.

@foodwinediarist Autumn faves - game + Pinot Noir, blackberry/apple crumble + Monbazillac, Thai pumpkin soup + Clare Riesling

@WC_Chicago RT @niltiac The best thing about autumn is that it's not winter yet.

@Wazzat The crispness of day, the chill of the night, and best of all - the fireside delights...

@Farctum all the fruits of the hedgerow

@JamesBrewer for me it has to be pumpkins & squashes, Autumn Lamb, Apples and Pears, Venison, leeks, parsnips. Just so much to choose from!

@markhammick autumn has to be the season of apple crumbles, pear chutneys, hedgerow food and deep earthy casseroles. light the fire and enjoy your labour

@cardiffbites #autumn means soup! butternut squash & chestnut, curried parsnip, sweet potato and chilli. serve with freshly baked bread

@ginandcrumpets The first, crisp coldness in the air that hints at the steamy kitchens and stews to come.

@Cherrapeno Autumn is apples and pears, crumbles and tarts - with lashings of custard!

@TheOrdinaryChef it signals time to get the stewpot out for slow cooked meals by an open fire. Or delayed trains due to leaves on the line...

@poorgirlgourmet crisp air, bright blue sky, wispy clouds, colorful trees, smell of fallen leaves & anything you could want at the farm stand.

@anyone4seconds I love autumn for all the wonderful fruits and berries that still are available to forage and get long into the autumn months

@wwwebbs Humidity and temperature drops simultaneously, encouraging my weight to do the same!

@Bluesky161 I love autumn because it is the season that makes my husband so happy he is bursting. Also apple cider and crisp air

@zubeme RT @Bluesky161 I love autumn because it is the season that makes my husband so happy he is bursting. Also apple cider and ...

Tell me: what do you love about Autumn?

Farewell Floyd: Food Blogging Event

2009-09-17T22:24:00.009+01:00

In place of this month's 'In the Bag' I've teamed up with one of the newest bloggers on the block, James from Back to the Chopping Board, to bring you a food blogging farewell to Keith Floyd.

James came up with the brilliant idea of us all cooking a meal in tribute to the much-loved chef and so between us we've come up with this event, which we hope you'll all want to be a part of.

So, here's the idea:

Cook up either:

- a classic Keith Floyd recipe
- an adapted Keith Floyd recipe
- a recipe of your own design inspired by, and in tribute to, Keith Floyd

then blog about it, with a link back to this post and James' post, then we'll do a round up at the end.

Email: farewellfloyd@googlemail.com
Closing date: 17th October 2009

UPDATE: Closing date extended to 25th October and the best 3 entries will receive a copy of the newly re-printed 'Floyd's Food', courtesy of Absolute Press.

Have lots of fun and don't forget to raise your glasses to Keith.

A Final Farewell to Keith Ffloyd, Legend of the Culinary World

2009-09-15T20:52:00.007+01:00

I was very saddened by the news today that Keith Floyd has died of a heart attack at the age of 65. Back in the 80s the flamboyant, one-of-a-kind television chef breathed new life into cooking shows with his fantastic, somewhat eccentric, personality, taking the stuffiness out of cooking and making it fun and accessible. He was much loved by the culinary world and will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.

Here's a clip of classic Floyd in action, courtesy of the BBC:

The Tail End for the Cook

2009-09-13T22:04:00.005+01:00

Despite the name, these days oxtail doesn’t necessarily come from an ox, it can come from any beef cattle. The name is, however, reflective of the part of the animal it comes from: the tail. But don’t let this put you off; it’s incredibly tasty and meaty and if you didn’t know what it was and you ate it off the bone you’d think it was no different to any other cut of beef, except perhaps more flavoursome.

I’d never cooked oxtail - never even come across it as far as I can remember - until the other night and now I can’t wait to catch my next tail. It has the most deliciously intense, beefy flavour that you wouldn’t believe and the gelatine in the bone gives you a wonderfully gelatinous broth full of heart and soul. If you’re looking for comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather this is the real deal.

I started off making a stew with my oxtail but the broth was so good I decided not to reduce it down and turn it into a soup. All it took was some slow bubbling on the hob with classic stew vegetables and beef stock for 3 hours. Then I just served a piece of the oxtail in a bowl surrounded by all the glorious broth.

This may have been my first encounter with oxtail but it will by no means be my last. I can see this being made throughout the winter when it turns bitterly cold. I have a chapter in my cookbook on winter cooking and I feel it would be a crying shame to leave this out; in that one meal it earned its place.

In the Bag: Cooking the Month of August, the round-up

2009-09-07T22:09:00.003+01:00

In August we turned up the heat with chicken, chilli and garlic. Here are your entries.

London Foodie in New York:

Yum in Tum:

Going with my Gut:

Gin and Crumpets:

Gastronomical G-spot:

Back to the Chopping Board:

Apple Crumbles:

Thanks so much to everyone who took part.

Ship Ahoy!

2009-09-03T21:53:00.007+01:00

When I was invited to the inaugural celebrations on board a new cruise ship I was somewhat hesitant. Cruises have never appealed to me; the thought of being ‘stuck on a boat’ for weeks has never been my idea of a good time, particularly as I can barely swim (and even then only in shallow water) and I have an, let’s call it uneasiness on rather than outright fear of, the open sea when I can’t see land. Especially at night (shudder). So not exactly the ideal candidate then.

Nevertheless, I saw this as a good opportunity to leave my preconceptions behind, get a grip on my irrational nervousness and see just what these cruise ships were like. And I was intrigued by the invitation to dine at the chef’s table; just what would this floating restaurant be like? So with blow up life belt packed in my overnight bag and scenes from ‘Titanic’ pushed firmly from my mind I stepped on board for an overnight sail.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the ship. With 16 decks, ten restaurants, three swimming pools, a theatre, and occupancy of 2,850 this is no small boat. And the rooms are much more luxurious than I imagined they would be, with large, comfortable double beds, nicely fitted bathrooms, small lounge areas and balconies with sun loungers. Hmm…perhaps being stuck on a boat wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

And so to the Murano restaurant. I, along with fellow food bloggers Liz, Douglas and Andrew, were invited to dine with Jacques Van Staden, Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations for Celebrity Cruises. In other words, the man behind the restaurants, from design, décor and crockery through to menus, wines and food sourcing. There have been some mixed reactions to the food served at the restaurant but I have to say, if you don’t compare it to the top end on shore restaurants (and really how can you when you think of the logistics) and consider that this is a floating restaurant with meat and fish that has to be frozen for the long cruises, you may be pleasantly surprised. I think perhaps the problem though is that the team are asking you to do precisely that in aiming for on shore restaurant standards, even reaching for a Michelin star, were it not to be restricted to on shore establishments.

Michelin star quality or not, I enjoyed the food I sampled and would be quite happy dining in Murano. This restaurant, along with the spectacular décor and facilities on board the ship and the friendly, impeccable staff, would almost be enough to tempt me to book a cruise. I said almost. Visions of Leonardo Dicaprio’s last heat-wrenching moments (ahem) with Kate, along with memories of the sea sickness I unfortunately experienced at the end of my otherwise very pleasant evening are enough to keep my feet on dry land, thank you very much.

I’ll leave you with an exclusive interview with Jacques including some rather impressive stats about the food on board.

How is the food stored?
We have a large provisions area in the aft section of the ship, over two decks. In order to maintain the cooling chain and keep the process consistent we have separate cooling boxes for a wide range of fresh vegetables, as well as other fresh produce, such as dairy, cold cuts, cheese and eggs. There are a further two separate coolers for seafood, and similar to restaurant kitchens, we have separate coolers where we store cooked or raw seafood.

For frozen foods our coolers are divided up so that poultry and meat are separated. We are very conscience not to mix produce, so also have a separate freezer for ice blocks, and one for Ice Cream.

Our provisions system ensures that we can keep fresh foods for 10 days whist catering for 4,000 people daily. We simply do not carry for any fresh food longer than this and for those voyages that exceed 10 days we always have "Top Off" loading in order to maintain the freshness.

Can you share some food statistics?
We carry approximately 4,000 people on each sailing – this means we have to provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as afternoon tea, room service and snacks which means were are providing around 12,000+ meals on a daily basis.

The average loading for a ship the size of Celebrity Equinox is 330 pallets of foods for 7 days, which is equal to around 30 metric tonnes a week.

330 standard Euro pallets would look like something like this:

4 Trucks with Fresh Produce 88 Pallets.
1/2 Truck with Baking Potatoes 11 Pallets
1-1/2 Truck with Dairy 33 Pallets
1/2 Truck with Fresh Eggs 11 Pallets
1/2 Truck with Frozen Eggs Whole, Yolk, whites 11 Pallets
2 Trucks with Meat, Poultry Proteins 44 Pallets
1 Truck with Seafoods 22 Pallets
2 Trucks with Dry Foods 44 Pallets
3 Trucks with Ice Cream and other Frozen Foods 66 Pallets
1 40" Sea Container with Speciality items 20 US Pallets.

So just how much food is consumed on an average cruise?
45,645 pounds of beef
2800 pounds of lamb
4000 pounds of pork
3600 pounds of veal
2000 pounds of sausage
8250 pounds of chicken
2000 pounds of turkey
12650 pounds of fish
250 pounds of crab
1800 pounds of lobster
39898 pounds of fresh veg.
16000 pounds of potatoes
36895 pounds of fresh fruit
105000 liters of milk
850 quarts of cream
400 gallons of ice cream
5000 dozen eggs
6500 pounds of sugar
5000 pounds of rice
1250pounds of cereal
300 pounds of jelly
1950 pounds of coffee
1200 pounds of cookies
2,450 tea bags
200 pounds of herbs and spices
18450 bottles of assorted wines
155 bottles of champagne
180 bottles of gin
200 bottles of vodka
260 bottles of whiskey
220 bottles of rum
30 bottles of sherry
450 bottles of assorted liqueurs
16000 liters of beer

Wow. Bottoms up.

Sneak Peak at the Cookbook

2009-08-31T20:49:00.005+01:00

I thought I'd share with you one of the recipes from my forthcoming book. I hope you like it!

Watermelon, Blueberry and Mint Salad

This is a sweet yet refreshing salad, quite lovely when the sun is shining. The orange flavour is fairly subtle, you probably wouldn’t even taste it if you didn’t know it was there, but it helps to bring out the flavour of the watermelon and blueberries and gives them a delicately sweet, glossy coating.

Serves 4-6

1/2 watermelon
200g blueberries
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Using a sharp knife carefully remove the skin of the watermelon. Chop the flesh into bite sized pieces and put it into a big bowl along with the blueberries.

Heat the orange juice and sugar to bring it up to a boil and then gently simmer it, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by half and is a little syrupy. Allow it to cool and then pour it over the fruits, tossing them to cover them all in it.

You can serve the salad straight away but it’s even better if left for half an hour or so to let the flavours further develop.

Sprinkle the mint over just before serving.

Checking In

2009-08-22T20:07:00.009+01:00

I’ve been conscious that it’s been a while since my last blog post but I was rather taken aback when I saw that it’s been almost two weeks. Where on earth has the time gone? It’s most definitely time for a quick update.

Aside from being incredibly busy at work, I’ve of course been working hard on the book, writing and testing recipes and weaving them together with words in the chapters. The other day I printed out the manuscript, or rather, typescript, as the Art Director at Absolute Press pointed out to me that it's now known as (sorry Matt!) and as I read through it I, dare I say, quite liked what I'd written. Not all of it, naturally, and the pen was busy with crossing out and adding words, but nether the less I felt that this was a book in the making that I, at least, would like. And I guess that's the best I can do. I'm something of a perfectionist and as such I'm my own worst critic, so this was a rare and nice moment for me.

I have more blog posts somewhere in the junk room that is my head: I want to tell you about the launch of a new cruise ship that I was invited to and the meal I had on board (until then you can read about it here, here) and here), new cook books I've recently bought or been sent to review, how the UKFBA market stall has been going, and what I've been cooking lately. I also have a video post to put together of a recent trip to Whitstable. So, lots coming up in the next few weeks.

And now, with my glass of white wine and the scent of vanilla floating under my nose from the candle on my desk, I bid you a good night and turn back to the book.

In the Bag: Cooking the Month of August

2009-08-09T22:19:00.004+01:00

This month's bag is full of heat, even if the British summertime isn't. What can you come up with using these ingredients?

Chicken
Chilli
Garlic

Entry Details
Make a dish using the ingredients and blog about it then send an email with ‘In the Bag in the subject line to asliceofcherrypie AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk by Monday 31st August with the following information:

your name
a link to your post
a picture of your dish

Rules

Here are the loose rules - but ultimately remember the objective is to have fun whilst highlighting seasonal food:

1. Participants should attempt to use all the ingredients 'in the bag' for that particular month, but may leave one out if they prefer.

2. Participants can include any extra ingredients that they see fit.

3. Entries should include a link back to the host for that month, and the post should be tagged "In the Bag".

4. Entries can be written any time during the month, as long as the URL is emailed to that month's host before the closing date.

5. Particpants from outside of the UK are most welcome to join in and substitute an item from their own local seasonal produce if necessary.

Swirling Caramel

2009-08-02T21:35:00.013+01:00

I’ve been making lots of delicious caramel lately, whilst testing recipes for my forthcoming book. Caramel is made by heating sugar until it melts and takes on a deep amber colour. There are two ways of making it: wet and dry. Wet is heating sugar and water together and dry is heating just the sugar. I’ve been using the dry method.

Making caramel can be a tricky business but I’ve learned that if you follow a few golden rules, if you’ll forgive the pun, you’ll have little trouble with it. It’s a great thing to know how to make and it can transform desserts into quite spectacular dishes.

Golden rule # 1

Be careful and never touch or be tempted to taste hot caramel.

Caramelisation occurs when sugar reaches around 170c - much higher than boiling water - and it can quickly get a great deal hotter, so never take your eyes off sugar or caramel that’s on the heat. Caramel sticks to everything, including skin, and is scalding hot so will burn you terribly. It will spit and splutter when liquid or butter is added to it so hold it at arms length, wearing an oven glove, if you need to do this and take care.

Golden Rule # 2

Be patient.

You need a medium high heat to make caramel. You don't want to heat the sugar too quickly; it needs to be controlled. I set off my fire alarm by heating it too quickly and the smoking was quite alarming. It can take around 10 minutes from start to finish so take your time. Nothing will appear to happen for quite some time but wait and watch; it will get there.

Golden Rule # 3

Get the caramel to the right point.

You need the flavour of the molasses in the sugar to come out to give the special taste of caramel and you need to be confident enough to allow it to reach a deep, golden amber colour for that to happen, so you don’t want to take it off the heat too soon – if you do the caramel will be too sweet. Equally, however, it can quickly overcook and take on a bitter taste. If you’re unsure the best thing to do is to take the pan off the heat, check the colour and put it back on if necessary. You could also have some water in the sink ready to plunge the pan into to cool it down if it starts to cook too much. Your nose, as well as your eyes, will tell you when it’s reached that wonderful caramel stage.

Golden Rule #4

Heat the sugar evenly.

Once you’ve poured the sugar into your pan shake it so that the sugar forms and even layer, and while it’s heating shake the pan every now and then so that the sugar dissolves evenly, otherwise you may end up with bits of it cooking quicker and burning before it’s all turned to caramel.

Golden Rule #5

Decide before you start if you want hard set versus liquid.

Once your sugar has turned to caramel you can use it as it is, pouring it over nuts as in the recipe on page (X) for example, and it will set hard. Alternatively you can add butter, water or cream to the hot caramel – carefully, see rule #1 – to give you a liquid caramel such as a creamy sauce. Either way make the decision before you start making the caramel; once it’s off the heat it will quickly start to cool and harden.

One final thing: to clean a pan of caramel fill it with water and bring it to the boil, which will dissolve the caramel.

I’m no expert on the making of caramel and there are more complex instructions out there and other factors to take into consideration, but these few rules should set you out on the right foot.

In the Bag: Cooking the Month of June - The Round up

2009-07-27T21:52:00.004+01:00

Last month's bag was quite a challenge with its contents of mint and watermelon. But these bloggers rose to it with some great dishes:

eCurry:

Breakfast Lunch Dinner and Punch:

Apple Crumbles:

We also had a suggestion for a cocktail from AbbieAsadi on Twitter: "Hi Julia. My suggestion for the monthly ingredients: watermelon, mint and vodka for cocktails, maybe a dash of sugar syrup or classic sorbet." I love the sound of watermelon, mint and vodka cocktails, anyone fancy giving it a go?

July 2009 Book Update

2009-07-22T00:55:00.007+01:00

An update on how my book is going and my thoughts and advice on the publishing process.

Part 1

Part 2

Here Comes the Sun

2009-07-18T10:42:00.002+01:00

Bringing the Virtual World to the Real World

2009-07-15T21:11:00.004+01:00

The UKFBA stall is going fantastically well, with everyone joining in and bloggers teaming up to share the stall. We've got different bloggers throughout the summer selling good made by their own fair hands at the Covent Garden Real Food Market.

I caught up with Rebecca of 'From a North London Kitchen' down there the other week and happened to bump into Kavey from 'Kavey Eats', who was also visiting at the same time. It was so great to meet them both.

Poor Rebecca was sweltering in the heatwave but doing fantastically well selling her home made jams. You can catch her there this Thursday where she'll be doing it all over again.

For more on the stall take a look at www.ukfba.co.uk. Hope to see you over there!