Salad Days

Shakespeare coined the term, in 'Antony and Cleopatra' when the Queen uses it to describe her time of carefree youthful pleasure. Nowadays it is often used to mean someone's heyday, or prime. 

For me the phrase Salad Days conjures up thoughts of sunny weather, impromptu picnics, or meals at the table in the garden. Those lovely salad ingredients - Cool cucumber slices, fresh leaves, sweet juicy tomatoes, crisp radishes, crimson beetroot, grated carrot, red onions, peppers in jewel colours, grated red and white cabbage

And extra pops of flavour - olives, cooked potatoes, cornichons, sweetcorn, beans, snippets of spring onion or crispy bacon bits

Sprinkles of nuts, seeds, juniper berries, sumac powder, chopped herbs, crispy croutons, grains, cress

Unexpected fruit - strawberry, kiwi, blueberry, avocado, apple. 

Drizzles of oils, vinegars, pomegranate molasses, balsamic glaze, vinaigrettes 

Creamy mayo, yogurt, creme fraiche, houmous, tahini. 

There are so many possibilities out there, an infinite number of combinations of veg, toppings and dressings. So why do some eateries offer 'with side salad' on the menu and then fail to deliver? A sad little heap of cucumber slices, wedges of woolly tomatoes, and an eye wateringly sharp slice of red onion, balanced on a limp lettuce leaf, accompanied by a plastic sachet of mayo does not count imho.

And I haven't even started on the accompanying carbs

[potatoes, rice, pastas, breads] and proteins [meat, fish, eggs, cheese...]

Salads have been on the English menu for centuries. This one is over 600 years old. Tradition has it that at medieval banquets, the woman with the most beautiful hands was invited to mix and toss the ingredients in the great salad bowl.

Whether everything is combined beforehand, or diners assemble their own bowl from an assortment of ingredients, I think salads are wonderful things.

Do you have a favourite salad ingredient?

Do you make your own dressings?

The 1940's Experiment

Have you come across this blog? Carolyn started blogging in 2009, the year we purchased Cornerstones. At that point, living in Canada, she was really struggling with weight loss, and also with some difficult personal circumstances which meant money was tight. Things had to change...

Her aim was to live in a WW2 Wartime Rations Diet, which she hoped would prove both frugal and effective. After all, the scientists and historians frequently tell us that the British Nation was healthier and fitter in those years than in the years since. Lots of exercise and little processed foodstuff. 

In the years since she has moved back to the UK, lost around 7 stone. She's blogged diligently through the years, celebrating success and honest about lapses. 

She ran the London Marathon, raising money for the British Legion [WW2 connection] And she has posted some fabulous, economical WW2 recipes along the way, started a YouTube series and more

Her latest, brave venture, is to give up her job, in order to fulfil her lifelong dream of producing a book. 

If this sort of thing is of interest to you, do check out her blog or YouTube channel, and watch out for the book. There is far more to living on rations than Woolton Pie, and Potato Pete!

I have enjoyed her writings, I applaud her efforts and wish her every success.

Love Your Leftovers

There is not much Christmas cake left.  So the little resin figures have been carefully washed and dried and replaced in the box till next year. After the near disaster 4 years ago I don't soak Pauline's angel anymore [*she is sugar not resin]

How have we been managing our leftovers? I had bought a chicken which didn't get served as a roast dinner, so Bob put that with leftover ham** and veg into a splendid pie. That was served up on New Year's Day to Liz and family, along with lots of veg. We all like mash, so we had sweet potato mash, celeriac mash, and regular mash, alongside roast pots and parsnips, plus carrot coins and Yorkshires. 
The pie made 10 servings so kept us going for a few days. 

Bob mixed the various leftover mashes together. I took eight scoops, and some breadcrumbs [leftover crusts] to make a tray of croquettes for the freezer. 

Meanwhile Bob blitzed the remaining mash along with a can of chopped tomatoes, and we have plenty of delicious soup in the freezer. We had a bowl each on Sunday evening with homemade whole meal bread. Very warming!

As we were away for 6 days, I have fewer Christmas leftovers this year. All there is now are a few mince pies. I might make this recipe later. * the angel, not Pauline! **Liz took the final piece of ham to add to a rice based meal.

How have you managed with your leftovers? 
Do you have a favourite 'leftover' dish?

Fancy Festive Foodstuffs

I am so very traditional when it comes to my Christmas Cake. I made it in October, on the same days as Bob's birthday cake. If the oven is on for hours I might as well have two cakes cooking. My kit is rather old...

• Good Housekeeping Cookbook 1978 [Book Club]
• Salter Scales 1988 [Holiday bargain purchase in Yorkshire]
• Kenwood Chef 1994 [from Bob]
• Mason Cash Mixing Bowl 2002 [from Steph]
• Red Melamine bowls 2009 [from SIL Denise]
• small M&S Mason Cash bowl [2015, CS]

But it is reliable, and used every year to produce my cake. Some years I have pushed the boat out a bit and tried making fancy Christmas foods.

In 2013 for our 'Open House' I made a wreath, rosemary from the garden on a round tray - with red and green grapes, cherry tomatoes and cubes of feta cheese in petit fours cases.

I note that this year Aldi have a recipe for a charcuterie wreath
This looks truly amazing, 40mins prep time, serves two [is that all?] It does look glorious.

M&S have a recipe for a mincemeat tree [serves 4, 35 minutes to prep and cook]

Costa are serving 'festive cherry bakewells' Methinks with some green marzipan and a holly leaf cutter, and I could pimp up a pack of regular supermarket ones...

I haven't decided how to decorate the Christmas Cake yet. Something simple. One year I made a croquembouche as well as a fruit cake. Stacks of choux pastry balls, drizzled with caramelised sugar. Never again! The kitchen floor felt sticky for days! 

For about 10 years we had Snowy Mountain Pudding  -it looks impressive but is incredibly rich

Kirsten  makes Speculaas as a nod to her Dutch heritage [My Belgian calls them speculoos] My FIL used to cook and press a tongue.

Do you have a go-to Christmas recipe in your family?

Thrifty Thursday

 My apple peeler is still at my friend's house. Her family are using it daily and eating more apples than usual. The youngest particular likes the fact that the apples are corked [ie cored!]  So I am back to using my traditional corer and potato peeler.

But last week I saved the bits into a lok'n'lok which I kept in the freezer till it was full. Then I used them to make a true ZeroWaste preserve; "Compost Heap Jelly" This recipe comes from HFW's 9 years ago on Sue's Blog [THIS Sue - there are so many Susan's in Blogland] Thanks Sue

I made four little jars of jelly from the cores and peelings which would normally go into the compost. That's Thrifty Tip #1

I do the initial stage by putting peel etc in a pan, covering with water and bringing to the boil. Then I tip everything into the slow cooker, and simmer for a couple of hours. TT#2

And when I finished, I put the resulting slushy brown purée into the compost anyway! TT#3

You need a jelly bag to drain everything. Spend £10 or more on a metal one from Tala or a red plastic one from Lakeland. I make jelly about once every five years - so I have improvised my own jelly strainer from stuff in the house. No cost! TT#4

Begin with an old, clean teatowel. Place a stool upside down on the worktop, and drape the teatowel over the top, fastening the fabric  securely over each leg with an elastic band. Put a bowl underneath. Let it drip for a minimum of 3 hours.

Do be patient [500ml came through in first hour - but by the evening, it was almost 700ml. Do not be tempted to squeeze or push - that will make your jelly dull and cloudy.

Final kitchen tip is about vinegar bottles. I like my Sarsons 'table' bottle with its sprinkler cap. But that costs five times as much as vinegar in a large bottle with a plain top. Unfortunately the Sarsons cap does not unscrew. The trick is to stand the empty bottle upside down in a jug of boiling water for 5 minutes. Then wrap it in a teatowel and carefully ease off the plastic cap. Refill the bottle and pop the cap on again.

This is such a simple thing and can save you £10 or more per litre! Thats TT#5

And now - totally unrelated - I enjoy flicking through glossy magazines - especially ones relating to recipes, gardening or crafts. But they cost upwards of £5 a time. And I don't want to keep them. But because I belong to Norfolk Libraries, I can download the Libby app free and borrow loads of magazines to read on my tablet or phone. 

A different free magazine every week = £300 a year saved. And not just magazines- there are books and audiobooks too. 

Absolutely brilliant. TT#6

That's half a dozen tips to help you save money this autumn.

Have you got any good moneysaving tips to share?

Just Desserts?

According to the charity English Heritage, unless Somebody Does Something, the British Pudding will become extinct in the next 50 years. My immediate reactions were

1 - not in this family, mate - I know children who love puds!

2 - why are you worrying us about steamed puddings during these hot summer months?
The answer to #1 - here are their [dubious] statistics...

62% of British households stated they made puddings once a month or less [27%] or never [35%].
36% of people named steamed puddings [10%], fruit crumbles [19%] or pastry-based baked pies or tarts [7%] as their favourite puddings.
17% percent of 18-24 year olds named steamed puddings [4%], fruit crumbles [10%] or pastry-based baked pies or tarts [3%] as their favourite puddings. 45% of respondents over 55 named steamed puddings [11%], fruit crumbles [27%] or pastry-based baked pies or tarts [7%] as their favourite puddings.
838 people eat homemade traditional puddings at home, in comparison to 1405 people saying they ate ice cream at home. Ice cream is therefore eaten 68% more than homemade traditional puddings. Bad maths, and what happens to those of us who eat BOTH? or put i/c on their pies and crumbles?

The answer to #2 is - EH are about to launch "The English Heritage Baking Book" in a couple of weeks time. Cynical old me thinks they are 'scare-mongering' to get grannies to buy the book as gifts for their fruit&yogurt eating daughters-in-law.
Even though we do frequently have fruit and/or yogurt as dessert, I regularly serve up baked, home made puddings, like rice pudding [Rosie loves it] sponge puddings, fruit pies and crumbles. Luz made an excellent blackberry cobbler on Monday. Bob likes almost all puds [except lemon meringue pie] Any leftover cake is often turned into a hot pud, with the addition of fruit, custard etc. On Saturday I said "Well done, Jess, you have eaten all your first course" she replied "And is there  pudding, Grandma?" It was a hot day, so I'd prepared fresh fruits, sponge fingers and ice cream for a DIY Sundae. But often I give them something&custard.

EH name a few puddings which have already 'died the death' namely

Twelfth Night Cake - a fruity Tudor post Xmas pud. If your portion contained The Bean, you got to be Lord of Misrule for the day. It survived the Reformation, but was supplanted by our modern Christmas Cake [and the bean replaced by a silver 6d in the festive pud]

Cabinet Pudding a steamed sponge with glacé fruits and custard. Also called Newcastle or Chancellor's Pudding. In the 1970s this was regularly on the menu at The Lamb in Norwich, I always chose I if Dad took me there for lunch. I must make it for Bob sometime*

Soul Cake  a spiced roundel of flour, butter, sugar, spices and currants. Dating back to 1511 or maybe earlier, these were given to poor people and children who went from house to house singing and reciting prayers at Hallowtide [the days surrounding All Saints/All Souls Days, Oct 31/ Nov 1st] A more wholesome Trick or Treat reward than a bag of Haribo...

Anglo Saxon cake honey, oats, butter and dried fruit, mixed and cooked over an open fire. Sounds like fruit flapjacks to me.

I checked out my older cookbooks and found lots of puddings I'd forgotten about. I think many modern women can't hang around the kitchen all day topping up the boiling water round the steamed Pudding. I do make puds, but avail myself of the modern technologies.

Microwaving sponge mixtures, happily leaving things unattended in the slocooker where they don't boil dry, using my pressure cooker, and air fryer...batch baking and freezing to eat later. 

I shall share some favourite pudding recipes in another post. 

Do you still eat puddings?

It Started With A Book...

Liz taught me the phrase cascade of chores when one task leads to another, and another...and eventually,  maybe, some of them get completed.  A few weeks back, I said I would lend a book to someone. I put it on the table - then left the house without it. I have apologised to her now, because neither Bob nor I have seen it since July. "I must sort the bedroom bookcase" I declared "It is really overloaded" But it was too hot for housework

It has been baking in our bedroom "The fan is not very efficient" said Bob. I pointed out it was rather old, dusty, and tired [like me] We have had it 20+ years. He looked at it, and declared the the back of the grill looked rusty. But when dismantled, the brown rust proved to be a thick layer of dust. Bob cleaned it all up, it works much better. Back to the book sort. 

Technically the top 2 shelves are all Terry Pratchett, the bottom 3 are craft and cookbooks, and in between, "current reading" with ½ a shelf designated "borrowed" [from library or friends]

I cleared 5 shelves onto the top of the drawers for sorting. And soon realised it was a dusty task. I grabbed an old washing up brush and brushed down each book in turn [just like the NT conservators in Blickling Hall library]

Oh so very dusty! And there were far more books which were not craft or cookery than I'd realised. Some have come from the lounge "fiction" selection and need to go back there. Some need to leave the house forever. And that missing book is still missing [sorry, Heather!]

This is still a WIP, as I have realised there are cookbooks in the study and kitchen. But only 5 in the borrowed pile.  I am embarrassed to have found three CS books bought in Essex in March which I'd forgotten about. I'm giving books a good shake, dislodging all sort of random cards and clippings. Some to be recycled, others will be kept as bookmarks because they bring back happy memories. Like these from 1992!

How often do you sort or dust your bookshelves?

I know some of you are former librarians,  so I'm sure you are more diligent than I am!

Long Ago, Before The Great British Bake Off...

Next month marks 15 years since GBBO started. I was looking back and found this post from 12th July 2010. Long before I had grandchildren. I think I shall make some of this for them this summer... The post was originally called Super Saucy!

In Mary Berry’s “Real Food Fast” I came across this easy-peasy recipe for toffee sauce. It gets my vote because it is made from store cupboard ingredients [no need to rush out for fresh cream] and has a sensible method for measuring the golden syrup.

I have enjoyed MB’s no-nonsense approach to cooking ever since the 70s when I used to read “Home and Freezer Digest” – where she often had “Half-Term Bake-Ins” which I think were designed so mothers could stock up their freezers and larders for hungry children, but also jolly useful for a busy teacher with a hungry young husband! One intense Saturday in the kitchen provided us with loads of pre-prepared meals and snacks for weeks.

The sauce is very rich and you don’t need much – but it keeps well in the fridge and is lovely over ice cream..

or sliced bananas…

or chocolate sponge…

Toffee Sauce

50g butter
150g light muscovado sugar
150g golden syrup
1 x 170g can evaporated milk

• Weigh 150g sugar in the scale pan – spread it out, and then gently spoon syrup on top till it all weighs 300g.
• Tip the sugar and syrup into a pan, add the butter, and heat gently until melted and liquid. Gently boil for 5 minutes [stirring like crazy!]
• Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the evaporated milk. The sauce is now ready.
• Serve immediately, or leave on one side and reheat to piping hot to serve – or allow to cool and serve cold. Keeps in the fridge for a month [unless eaten first!]

I got this book out of the library last week – there are some interesting recipes in it – this is the only one I have tried so far. But MB seems to have developed a passion for mangoes- about 1 in 8 of the recipes appears to list mangoes or mango chutney among the ingredients.

Does Mary still like mangoes?

Do you have a favourite sauce for ice cream?

May Books - Some Maybe, Others Maybe Not

 

My first stash of library books for May - 

200 recipes, reviewed on Saturday 3*

The Folding Lady, reviewed Friday 2*

Stunning Stitches,see May 5th fun read, very detailed, but too complex to be of practical use to me. 4*

Nordic Knits for Children- again, a good read, excellent patterns, I can see Ro in that cover dress - but the patterns would take hours to knit, and I think the cost of wool would be prohibitive, so not for me. Still 4*

Upcycle - by Annie Phillips,  Sewing Bee winner. Some good patterns and instructions about technique. But you have to have the right things in the wardrobe to remake, and a desire to wear the new garment.
Do I want a balaclava made of crocheted granny squares? Or horrid orange fluffy cuffs on a pink blazer [I would dye it, and change the buttons!] The jeans skirt looks slightly strange. The floaty tablecloth dress is ok - but there are no quantities given just "adjust it to fit the tablecloth you have" 2*

Finally the OTK Extra Good Things. I admit to bias. I really like the stuff produced by Yotam and his team. I have two books already [here and here] I bought the first OTK book 2nd hand, and Julian gave me Simple for my birthday [thanks, I love it!]. This is an 'inspiration' book - every recipe includes the 'extra takeaway' - a sauce, sprinkle, topping or rub which you can make up and keep half in the fridge for a couple of days the use to "zhuzh up" a completely different recipe. It is big on adding flavour to your dish.  Ways to incorporate all the spices in my new kitchen drawer into exciting 'Ottolenghi-style' recipes. 5*

Senior Moments

Oh dear, I have done some daft things lately. I am so looking forward to getting my new glasses. There we were at the tile place buying tile trim. How thick are your tiles? asked the helpful assistant. Bob guessed, and I scrabbled about on my phone trying to find the details of the product. "75 millimetres" I announced brightly. Bob suggested quietly I had missed the decimal point. I should have realised that three inches is rather thick for a wall tile!

On Sunday, in his closing prayer, the Pastor prayed that God would "marinade our hearts in his love" I have no idea what he meant, but I realised that I'd forgotten to deal with my chicken before we left for church. The recipe said "marinade for at least 30 mins, preferably longer" I was able to sort them out once we got home, and lunch wasn't really delayed. A good recipe from my library book.

You remember that disturbing Corsodyl advert with the girl with the missing teeth? I was brushing my teeth late the other night,[in pjs, sans specs] and was horrified to see the sink was full of  bloody foam. 

Now I am 70, should I expect to lose all my teeth? I squinted at the new toothpaste. I was so relieved to discover it has a red stripe, and that was the source of the incarnadine froth!

This book was wedged between two origami books in the library 'papercraft' section. I liked the title. Only when I got home did I discover it is about a woman who makes her living producing videos of herself folding all her possessions!

I will review the airfryer book and this bizarre little tome later. 

What's Cooking?

The first air fryer was not around f9r the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux Tapestry.  It was made of wood, and aluminium, with a chicken-wire basket - and it was as big as a dog kennel. The inventor was a Dutchman, Fred van der Weij in 2006. I know this because I watched Hannah Fry [who seems to be all over the BBC TV and radio lately] in this programme

I have a confession...having declared very firmly back in November that I didn't need one, I must tell you that one arrived at Cornerstones at the beginning of March.

Liz and Steph had suggested it might be useful once the Kitchen Project started. Who knew how long I'd be without my oven? 

After much discussion and research, we settled on the Tefal Dual Drawer model, agreeing it should be counted as part of the Kitchen Project. I was still dithering, then discovered it was on offer in John Lewis. [I think the reduction was because it was about to be rebadged as part of their Jamie Oliver range]

Four weeks in, I have to report I'm getting on better than i expected. Sunday breakfast croissants are delicious. Jacket potatoes are quick and easy.  Salmon fillets, and other fish pieces are moist and flavourful. The two baskets with synchronised finish time are a good idea. Fish and chips, meat and potatoes, all work well. I got a small chicken and produced a proper Sunday Roast Dinner. I did pork steaks with Aunt Bessie's bake-at-home Yorkshire puds, combined with veg from the microwave...all good. I've not tried any cakes yet.

"We lived on sandwiches for over a week when they were doing our kitchen" said a friend, most concerned that our DIY plan, with a longer time frame would mean uninspired cold meals. I assured her we were enjoying a varied, flavourful cooked diet, and not splurging on meals out or takeaways.

Jamie's chicken and mushroom parcels looked and tasted good [with baby potatoes cooked in the second drawer, and mixed veg in the m-wave] Recipe here

It will be interesting to see if my cooking styles change when I'm back to a full size kitchen with oven and hob. But I'm managing on a small worktop with the microwave, toaster and A-F [and kettle] 

Which is a lot more than a lot of families have. So many people across the globe have one pan on a fire or single gas ring. I am grateful for good food, and so many ways to prepare it.

Oh Don't You Know, There's No Such Thing As...

 ...A Gruffalo

I was quite thrilled to read last week that Julia Donaldson has become the UK's best selling author, by volume, since accurate records began. She has beaten J K Rowling to the top spot. My family love her books [is it really five months since Jess went to see Zog at the Theatre, wearing her doctor's outfit?]

I didn't intend to do two  book reviews in one week, but when I took the Duplo into the Hospice Shop, I picked up this book for £1,

It is based on the recipes referenced in the original story, like Gruffalo Crumble and Roasted Fox. The author is not named, but it is all very well thought out.

There are breakfast dishes, and sweet treats, and in between you can find snacks and main meals. I like the fact that two thirds of the recipes are savoury, and even the sweets are not too heavy on added sugar [eg the Mouse's Nut And Date Bars are sweetened with fruit]

The illustrations are delightful, interspersing pictures from the original book with photographs of the food. And they are so inventive, and look very tasty

Snake's Logpile House is a stack of lengths of celery [stuffed with peanut butter and raisins, or cream cheese and poppy seeds]

I think these would make delightful foods to serve at a Gruffalo themed party.

There are Turned Out Toes[ mini beef burgers] Poisonous Warts [pea and feta frittatas] Orange Eyes [Cheesy Quiches] and Roasted Fox [sweet potato wedges]

Terrible Tusks are fruit skewers, and of course there is Owl Ice Cream [with bananas and almonds] And finally a Gruffalo Cake

I am looking forward to Rosie arriving for half term, and we can try out some of these recipes. Then I can give a proper review. But it will be 5* I expect

I came across a lovely YouTube clip of the story. The BBC animated film is excellent [I do not know if this link will work]

But here is Julia herself, with friends, retelling the story beautifully. She plays the part of the mouse....

Does your family love Ms Donaldson's books too?

Which food from the book would you choose to eat?

International Cuisine

I must start by saying thank you -  So many helpful comments about the curtains, I feel much more able to tackle the task. But that's next week... 

For Christmas, Steph gave me an aebleskiver pan. Aebleskiver means "apple slices" and the pan makes 7 of these  Danish snacks at a time.

The batter is light and fluffy, similar to a Yorkshire pudding batter - but you separate the eggs, folding the beaten whites into the mix so it is full of air. You cook one side then flip them - and the result is a plateful of golden globes. A recipe was printed on the packaging - it made 3 batches, I put apple slices in the first 2, and squares of dark chocolate in the rest. [the batter keeps in the fridge, we didn't eat them all at one sitting]

I looked up the history of this snack. They date back over 300 years, some people maintain that they were first made by the Vikings, cooking them on their dented shields. I think that's a little far fetched. But here's an old Danish wife with her pan

In Belgium and the Netherlands, they serve a similar sweet treat called poffertjes. In Norway, they are munker [monks' balls] and in Germany nonnenfürzle [nun's farts] I prefer the Danish name. The batter took a while to prepare, but I got into a good rhythm cooking them. I'd seasoned the cast iron pan and the little balls slipped out easily. 

I look forward to cooking them again,I think the children will enjoy them. Here's Bob tucking into some chocolate ones. Recipe HERE

My other foray into international cuisine this week was to make Jannson's Temptation. This is a Swedish dish involving layers of slim potato batons, sliced onions, tinned/jarred sprats, and lots of cream.

I've wanted to try this out for ages, and I picked up a jar of fish in IKEA.  There's a recipe HERE

My bake looked just like the picture. But Bob did not enjoy the dish at all! He said it was the wrong sort of fish, he would prefer cod, or salmon or prawns... And were he Jannson, he'd be tempted to throw it out of the window! [it is really unusual for Bob to react so strongly against a meal too] 

Never mind, you win some, you lose some...