Deluxe scrambled egg recipe
Last Saturday morning I discovered that we had run out of bacon. I unearthed a pack of streaky from the back of the fridge. Weekend breakfasts are important at the cottage. They tend to be indulgent. Danny covered his disappointment with a practical suggestion. “Let’s crisp it under the grill and scatter it over scrambled eggs. It would enhance the eggs.” He stared at me for a second and quickly added. “I’d offer to make scrambled eggs but you are so much better when it comes to scrambled.” It’s true....
read moreBunty’s half remembered Asparagus and Ham bake recipe
Five years ago my friend Bunty mentioned this recipe to me. “If you are pressed for time. This asparagus dish is lovely. It is classy.” She twinkled so much that I knew that this was a good dish. I was not tempted. I love asparagus. Plain and steamed to a point where it still has a bite. Served with hollandaise sauce or melted butter. Why would I want to try a dressed up asparagus dish when I prefer my asparagus naked? Today I visited Fred Fitzpatrick’s and bought some excellent thinly sliced smoked ham. I grabbed the last...
read moreGreat Uncle Frank’s tip for broad beans: don’t throw away the tops of this delicate vegetable
My great grandparents took their chances in the California gold rush. It didn’t work out and they saw their four children die of scarlet fever. They returned to England and had four more children. Three girls and a boy. Those four children would have been extra special. Boys were best in those days as they carried on the family name. My Great Uncle Frank was the one and only boy. He contracted consumption (tuberculosis). His mother was told that he wouldn’t live beyond 21. She didn’t tell him. At twenty and 10 months he...
read moreEasy rack of lamb baked in a tasty sweet savoury sauce recipe
Fred’s racks of lamb are always chubby, tender and a real treat. Yesterday I drove back from Essex to find Danny creating a new sauce for a chunky rack. We like to make our sauces in the same pan as the roasting meat. If we get the ingredients right it’s a lazy way to make a sauce and sometimes the sauce also tenderises the meat. This sauce has soul. It was a treat at the end of a long day. Combined with spinach and creamed potatoes (champ) it was superb. If you prefer a thick sauce, a little corn flour or potato flour could be...
read moreBlogs worth visiting: Writing at the Kitchen Table
We’ve had rather a gruelling time recently. Just wall to wall work plus projects, blog and garden. It’s very easy to get things out of proportion. I found myself driving down to Essex, gripping the steering wheel and fretting about not getting all my seeds in on time. So I earmarked Sunday to catch up. Not with a frenzy of seed planting but a lazy long morning in bed with the Min Pins and the laptop. I find that catching up on relaxing is often the best answer for stress. Somehow, miraculously, everything falls into place. So what...
read moreKohinoor: the best home cooked rice that I have ever tasted
A few weeks ago I was padding around Tesco and decided to look at what was on offer rice wise. We always used to use Tilda. Then, feeling a bit tight, I started buying budget rice. This was fine until I cooked some one evening and it ruined the meal. I found this 2 kilo plastic jar of rice with a natty handle for carrying the jar from the larder to the stove (it folds flat for storage). The label proudly states that Super Kohinoor is India’s premium Basmati rice. It’s fantastic. A doddle to make and the lightest fluffiest rice that...
read moreHow to avoid making a soggy bottomed quiche
I was given a really good tip today from a quiche maker. She sells quiches to her local deli. “Do you know how to avoid soggy pastry?” No, I didn’t. I never make quiche as D is not a fan. I love it and occasionally buy one for a girly lunch. Mysteriously Danny always vanishes with the remains. “Well there is no need to bake the pastry blind (pre-bake). All I do is make my pastry and line the buttered dish. Using a fork, prick the base in several places. Then brush the pastry with beaten egg. Let this harden until it is...
read moreDanny’s Wonderful Gratin Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe
Finally Danny announced that he would make his fabulous Gratin Dauphinoise Potatoes to accompany the roast beef this evening. These are a more traditional recipe than my Cheesy Dauphinoise Potatoes and are delicious. Gratin dauphinoise reheat well. In fact, when I worked in a restaurant years ago, they were made in advance and reheated and browned under the grill on demand. Robert (pronounced Rob-bear) was French and longing to toss away his hat and paint (pictures) full time. He smoked cigars in the kitchen and cooked like a dream. His...
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