November

Books read recently:

A pile of Dick Francis; mostly entertaining.

Between Husbands & Friends by Nancy Thayer; so-so.

On-Off by Colleen McCullough; terrible! A huge disappointment. I used to like her books.

Peter Hoeg's Borderliners; frightening and fabulously written.

Quiet Your Mind by John Selby is full of interesting insights.

Michel Faber's The Apple was a pleasure, must look for Petal book.

Now reading Being Wrong.

Monday, October 18th

My sister lent me four books that she read on a recent holiday; Second Sight by Amanda Quick, a bodice ripper, Even Money by Dick & Felix Francis, Submarine by Joe Dunthorne, that I enjoyed, and Ocean Boulevard by David Baboulene. I find Bryson funnier and more interesting.

Lamb and Mushroom Soup

Spray a large pot with olive oil.

600g Free range leg of lamb, cubed, place in base of pot

10ml Lemon salt, sprinkle over lamb

10ml Garlic, minced, sprinkle over lamb

250ml Pesto, spread over lamb

1kg Tomatoes, quartered, on top of pesto

800g Mixed mushrooms, chopped, on top of tomatoes.

500ml Cold water, pour into pot, put lid on.

Bring to the boil without stirring or removing lid. Lower temperature and leave for two hours.

Tuesday, October 12th

Gifted by Nikita Lalwani is a good read. A frightening account of child abuse.

The Architecture of All Abundance by Lenedra J Carroll is somewhat interesting.

PD James' Private Patient is too full of inconsistencies and angst for me, but still vaguely entertaining, I finished it.

The Happiness Hypotehsis by Jonathan Haidt is wonderful. He explains beautifully why happiness is found between.

Peanut beigies

275g butter

500g smooth peanut butter

Melt together

530g sugar or vanilla icing snow

6 large free range eggs, beaten well

15ml cinnamon

Beat together & stir into peanut butter

250g flour

2ml salt

300g peanut chips

Stir in with other ingredients

Pour into lined baking tin & bake @ 175° C for 45 minutes.

Friday, October 1st

I have 150 recipes, enough I think for a book. Should I could or bake anything fabulous enough to include in the next three months, I will post it. For the rest I plan to work on the book the remainder of the year.

Wednesday, September 29th

Artichokes

Boil artichokes in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain. Return hot artichokes upright to warm pot.

Pour salad dressing into each artichoke.

Leave to cool down completely before eating.

Tuesday, September 28th

Dense, dark cake

400g Dark chocolate

250ml Water

50g Cocoa butter

400g sugar

Melt together on low heat in large pot.

9 Free Range Eggs, beat for at least 10 minutes

15ml Orange liqueur

Stir beaten eggs into chocolate mixture, add liqueur. Pour into oiled or lined pan. Bake at 140C for 1 hour. Switch oven off, leave cake in for half hour more. Cool down completely before removing from tin. Top with condensed milk mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve with fresh berries.

Monday, September 27th

Adrian Fisher's The Amazing Book of Mazes is rather fun, but I was sorry to see the nasty Rosamund/ Eleanor of Aq story included. Lack of index always a black mark.

I initially disliked The Philosopher's Cookbook by Martin Versfeld, mainly because of the immense amount of footnotes, but it grew on me. I agree with his food philosophy; a meal can never really be recreated and so cookbooks are futile...

Aubergines in yogurt

250g Baby aubergines, boiled

250ml Salad dressing; pour over hot, drained aubergines and leave to steep

1kg Bulgarian yogurt, pour over cold aubergines

15ml Garlic, minced, add to yogurt mixture

30g Mint, minced, add

100g feta, finely crumbed, add

Check flavourings, add as needed. Serve at room temperature.

Thursday, September 23rd

Pea shoot Pasta

Make pesto from 100g Pea Shoots

Cook 300g Fresh Pasta, drain

Melt 300g Feta in hot pasta pot, add pesto, stir, add pasta and stir through. Serve with asparagus, lemon and black pepper.

Wednesday, September 22nd

After reading almost a hundred chocolate mousse recipes in my quest for the perfect baked mousse recipe, I noticed that old recipe books invariably melt chocolate with water. I tried it yesterday when desperate for an instant dessert and was pleasantly surprised at how well it works.

Melting Chocolate

Put about 1cm of water in small container, add lots of chocolate, any spices wanted, microwave for 60-100 seconds, stir to remove lumps.

For an instant treat, pile onto shortbread or other biscuits.

Tuesday, September 21st

I wanted to read a novel last night and started reading Brian Aldiss's Harm, but it was too depressing. In the end I read A Different Light by Elizabeth A Lynn.

Mushroom Salad

lunch for 2

1 Small cos lettuce, cut

120g Rocket, cut

100g Gorgonzola, cubed

50g Salami picante, finely sliced

250g Mushrooms, quartered, fried in butter

250g Asparagus, if very fresh use raw, chopped

4 Free Range eggs, boiled, peeled and quartered

Finish with squeezed lemon juice and ground black pepper

Monday, September 20th

Nikolski by Nicolas Dickner was a fun read.

Kassler stir fry

200g Kassler chops, cut all fat off, put half the fat in a hot pan, leave for a minute, then add:

200g Baby spinach leaves, stir until wilted, set aside, add other half of fat to pan & add:

300g Button mushrooms, quartered, brown, set aside

Now add Kassler chops, fry for 4 minutes, remove from pan, cube, return to pan with mushrooms & spinach, stir quickly to heat, then serve with

100g Grano Padano, coarsely grated &

Persian Pomegranate Concentrate or Balsamic reduction

Friday, September 17th

I enjoyed Just Keep Breathing- South African Birth Stories, edited by Sandra Dodson & Rosamund Haden surprisingly much.

Spicy cookies

500g Butter (very soft)

75g Sugar, mix into butter

2 Free Range Egg Yolks, add to butter, mixing very well

15ml Orange liqueur, add

2ml Salt, add

Sieve the following and stir into butter mixture:

650g Cake flour

10ml Baking powder

1t Nutmeg

1t Cinnamon

1t Clove

Mix well before adding:

150g Roasted Cashews, chopped

Roll dough into fat sausages, cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour. Cut rolled dough into thin slices (2-3mm thick) place on baking tray and bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 175° C until golden. Dredge with icing sugar and enjoy.

Thursday, September 16th

Boontjiebredie

5ml Whole cumin, pour into hot, dry pot, lid on, add lamb when they pop.

500g Lamb, cubed, seal on high heat, pour boiling water over, enough to cover meat and simmer with lid on for an hour.

When lamb is tender add:

15ml Maldon salt

5ml Garlic, minced

350g Green beans, chopped

400g Tomatoes (rosa)

2 Bunches spring onions, chopped

Sprig of rosemary

Keep ingredients covered with water until beans are cooked, take lid off, reduce over fierce heat. Serve with pasta and sharp cheese.

Wednesday, September 15th

Fresh date starter

Dates, slit, pit removed

Gorgonzola, cut into squares, stuffed into dates

Streaky bacon, wrapped around stuffed dates

Bake at 180C for 20-30 minutes.

Tuesday, September 14th

Brie or Camembert sarmie

If you find yourself stuck with an unpalatable soft cheese;

Halve cheese

Spread with pesto, tapenade, harissa or other paste

Put together again, without squishing out the filling

Wrap well

Wait a week

Eat

Monday, September 13th

I tried to read Chicago by Alaa Al Aswany, but abandoned it on p 80.

Dark Alchemy, a Fantasy Anthology edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois was enjoyable.

Bacon & Asparagus Quiche

3 Free Range eggs, beaten well

250g Streaky bacon, chopped & fried

50g spring onions, chopped

230g Asparagus, cooked

400g Chunky cottage

250g Parmesan, grated

250ml Cream

5ml Garlic, minced

30g Herbed Peanuts, finely chopped for topping

Combine all except peanuts, pour into Pyrex, sprinkle with peanuts, bake for 30minutes at 180C.

Friday, September 10th

Reborn, excerpts from Susan Sontag's early diaries was a lot more dreary than scintillating.

Greenish quiche

Oil medium Pyrex.

80g Baby spinach leaves, pack into oiled dish, covering base & sides

500g Tenderstem broccoli, cooked. Arrange on leaves in base of dish.

4 Free Range Eggs, beat well

3 Juniper berries, ground

2ml Nutmeg, grated

5ml Lemon salt

5ml Honey

200g Cream cheese

250ml Sour cream

200g Asiago, grated

Mix well, pour over broccoli & spinach.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180C.

Thursday, September 9th

Salad for wraps

400g Can Italian tomatoes

5ml Lemon salt

5ml Honey

30ml White balsamic

125g Leeks, cooked

350g Courgettes, cooked

350g Green beans, cooked

50g Feta, crumbled

Freshly ground cumin

Mix together and leave to stand for an hour or more before use.

Wednesday, September 8th

Stir Fry Beef

500g Stir Fry Beef

50ml Olive oil

50ml Lemon juice

50ml Thick soya sauce

Mix fluids well, pour over meat, leave to stand for 2 hours or so. Tip meat into hot pan and fry until dry.

Tuesday, September 7th

Saw Chloe last night.

Baby Cabbage

4 Baby cabbages, take apple corer and remove center of each, leaving base intact

30g Butter

2ml chili (minced)

30g Parmesan, finely grated

Mix well, fill cabbage centers.

Place together in small pot (cabbages must fit tightly and stay upright) and bring to the boil:

100ml water

5ml Garlic, minced

2ml lemon salt

50ml Spirit vinegar

Place cabbages upright in boiling water, cook for 5 minutes on high with lid on.