Guest spot: Quick Banana Chutney recipe for Christmas and beyond by Kate(uk)
“Fiona, would you be interested in a recipe for banana chutney? It sounds odd, but I can assure you that it is the very, very best chutney with cold turkey and if made this week will be ready for use on boxing day. As long as it is kept secret or you will find family members standing with empty jar in one hand, dessert spoon in the other and a guilty look on their faces” “Yes please.” Just reading her email made me desperate to get my hands on the recipe. A superb chutney that only takes 10 days to mature. This would be...
read moreSeduced by homemade butter
“Have you got to Sainsbury’s yet?” “No.” I was curious. Why was Danny ringing me? I had run out of tea bags and was combining a trip to Sainsbury’s with a trip to Ridgeons to pick up some more paint. Tea is fuel. Without it all work would quickly grind to a halt. “There has been a small domestic disaster.” I imagined the worst possible scenario. The fridge freezer had finally died. A Min Pin had discovered how to lift the lid of the bread bin. A visit from a Davisdstow cheddar enthusiast. I said...
read moreBest Vegetarian Recipes: Delia’s Egg and Lentil Curry with coconut and pickled lime
We have finally decided to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly repertoire. “I’m happy not to eat meat twice a week,” Danny glanced over the newspaper. “If the meal is delicious. And I don’t have to wear opened toed sandals in Winter.” Ahh! There’s the rub. How could I produce great vegetarian meals with no experience? In an effort to fast track this and avoid turning D off the idea forever, I mentioned in a post last week that we needed recommendations for great vegetarian food. We were...
read moreEasy chicken stock recipe
It’s worth making friends with your butcher. Especially if you are like me and don’t know a lot about meat. Fred Fitzpatrick (Exning Road, Newmarket) is our favourite local butcher Fred loves meat. Loves talking about it, handling it and cooking with it. He is a man with a mission and wants to spread the word. I once overheard him talking to a young couple who were buying their first joint of pork together. He took a few minutes to explain the cooking time, how to test if the meat was ready. Gradually building up their confidence....
read moreSpicy cauliflower and broccoli cheese with a parmesan and dry breadcrumb crust recipe
“It turns out that eating red meat is even more dangerous than they thought.” Danny was pensive. “What can we do?” Danny is a Carnivore with a bold, capital C. When we first met the suggestion of a tasty pasta bake had him lunging for the whisky bottle. I haven’t mentioned it again but gradually I’ve been working on reducing the meat in our meals and upping the vegetables. We eat pork, lamb, beef, chicken and fish. Despite my tweaks, still too much red meat. Last night Danny gave me the green light to start...
read moreSunday Roast: Traditional rare roast beef lunch for my mum’s 88th birthday with experimental Yorkshire puddings
Turning her car in the road my mother’s foot slipped from the brake to the accelerator and hit a row of parked cars. Just days before her 88th birthday she climbed out of her car for the last time. Although her car is slightly older than Jalopy, my mum had cherished it for 15 years. Recently she had begun to think about giving up the car. But this would have such a drastic impact on her independence and freedom she had kept on putting off the decision. “The insurance company has written it off.” Her voice trembled on the...
read moreMaking Mildred’s homemade butter using an electric whisk
At the age of six I almost came to blows with my best friend’s mother. This lady was elegant, French and chic. She had one of those woven basket shopping trolleys (2 wheels and a handle) and wore espadrilles. Her fridge was full of mysterious ingredients. I remember examining a jar of capers. Trying to imagine how any food could be improved with these small reptilian greenish greyish balls. Looking back this rather distant lady probably considered me a bad influence on her youngest daughter. We were very wild. But the big altercation was...
read moreJelly set too hard
I had promised Margaret a jar of our Sloe and Bramley Jelly – great for adding to casseroles, brilliant with game. The sloey edge gives it more bite than a conventional jelly. I gave her a large jar of our Apple Chilli Jelly instead. She looked flummoxed and examined the label. I explained in one embarrassed word. “Iwasmakingthesloeandbramleyjellyanditfailedit’slikerubber.” It was probably a mistake to ring my mother when I was making sloe and Bramley apple jelly. She likes to chat and muse about life. Usually I am...
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