Treacle Chocolate Ice cream

My previous attempt at ice cream was not too successful, I lost patience with having to stir it regularly for hours to break up the ice crystals so it became too hard and the flavours weren't right. To be honest, this is second try is not really ice-cream, more like a frozen pudding, the end result is much smoother and denser than ice-cream, but until I get an ice-cream maker, it will do quite nicely. Of course, the condensed milk makes this very sweet and I recommend a chocolate with a high cocoa content so that you get a more chocolatey and less sugary end result. The treacle or molasses adds a great depth and nice liquorice aftertaste. This makes enough for two, I put them in two separate plastic containers as individual servings.

1 can of condensed milk

Fresh milk – enough to fill the empty condensed milk can

90g of dark chocolate

2 dessertspoons of treacle/blackstrap molasses

• Combine the milk and condensed milk in a pan over a moderate heat
  


• Add the chocolate broken into pieces
  


• Stir until melted
  


• Add the treacle and blend well
  


• Continue to heat the mixture until you have all the ingredients combined well with no streaks
  


• Simmer for a few minutes
  


• Pour into you plastic container or containers
  


• Wait for it to cool before popping into the freezer
  

Leave for at least 6 hours

My Xmas Breakfast

On Christmas morning I usually have the ubiquitous smoked salmon on a bagel or maybe in scrambled eggs. But how about something a little different that is equally as yummy and luxurious?

This really is a posh Welsh Rarebit and it is absolutely delicious!

2 slices of granary bread

1 egg

About ½ a cup of finely grated cheese – gruyere, strong cheddar or a combination. I added a little parmesan for an extra strong cheese taste

A dash of cream, about 1 dessertspoon

¼ cup Finely chopped wild mushrooms

¼ cup wilted spinach finely chopped

A pinch of mustard powder

Salt and pepper

Toast the bread on one side.

Mix all the ingredients together, the mixture should be stiff and not at all runny

Season

Spread onto the untoasted side of the bread, cover as much of the bread as you can so none of the bread singes

Put under a low to moderate grill – if the heat is too high it will cook on the outside and be raw and liquid inside

It's done when it's lightly brown on top and when you press it, no liquid comes out

*make sure there is something under the toast to catch drips*

Delicious Christmas Stuffing

I made this stuffing after having some sausage meat left over from something else. It has a wonderful, complex flavor which goes really well with chicken and turkey but would probably be great with goose too. The amounts here are for a chicken of about 1.3kg which should serve at least 2-3 people. This stuffing is so good, you could use to stuff vine or cabbage leaves or make a meatloaf. I didn't add any salt to my mixture but it may depend on the sausage meat you have.

• 1 dessertspoon of canola or light olive oil
  
• A teaspoon of ground fennel seeds
  
• A teaspoon of cumin
  
• 1 large, good quality pork sausage
  
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
  
• 1 dessertspoons of walnuts
  
• 1 dessertspoon of raisins
  
• One dessert spoon of balsamic vinegar
  
• A large handful of fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, basil, tarragon), roughly chopped
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Under a low heat, lightly fry the cumin and fennel in the oil

Next add the onion and soften

Add the walnuts and sausage meat (remover the sausage from its skin)

Fry until the sausages starts to brown

Add the raisins and vinegar and reduce

When the sausage meat is cooked add the fresh herbs and check for seasoning

Nursery Beef Stew

I call this nursery beef stew because it tastes like the food my mum used to make for me when I was little and that I loved. I would imagine many children would like this because the taste is very 'safe' - not spicy, no garlic and everything is soft and mellow. The stew has incorporated two cooking ideas I have recently been turned on to – slow cooking meat for tenderness and using fewer ingredients to intensify flavours. I made this in the morning to serve in the evening. Real comfort food.

Serves 3 – 4

• 1 tablespoon of oil
  
• Shoulder of beef (wonderful dark meat with a little fat and some bone for flavor) cut into bite sized pieces
  
• ½ cup of white flour
  
• 2 heaped teaspoons of mild or smoked paprika
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 large onion slice
  
• 2 large carrots split lengthways then cut into 3 inch pieces approx
  
• 1 litre of stock ( a mixture of beef and vegetable works really well)
  
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
  

On a large plate combine the flour with the paprika and a good grinding of salt and pepper

Coat the beef in the flour, massage the flour into the meat

Heat the oil in a large, heave based saucepan over a moderate heat

Sweat off the onions and carrot, turn up the heat

Add the beef and brown on all sides

Turn the heat to moderate and add the hot stock and mix well

Add then the tomato puree and mix well

Simmer covered for half an hour then turn down to the lowest setting

Leave to barely bubble, covered for about 1 and a half hours - until the carrots are soft and the meat is very tender (can be easily pulled about with two forks or chew a piece)

If it is still chewy leave to cook for longer, don't be tempted to reduce the cooking time.

Chinese five spice gravel

Since coming back to Zambia, I have developed certain cravings (and no, I'm not pregnant!). This is because some things you just can't get here or they are not as nice as back home or they are so expensive. I have been in mourning for cheese, good quality chocolate, mozzarella di bufala (*sigh*)Thai and Chinese food. My yearnings were only exacerbated after watching a programme about the Cantonese food traditions. I have really missed 5 spice powder which I used to use a lot back in the UK. Thanks to the aforementioned programme however, I was able to have a go at making my own. I couldn't get all of the spices needed, but did my best with some biryani mix and my trusted sense of smell.

My powder isn't really a powder, more like gravel as I had to pound my spices with a little pestle and mortar!

I used fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, some black peppercorns and cloves. I ground each spice up separately then combined them gradually until it smelled about how I thought it should smell! I have to say, it worked out quite well and was used for this following dish.
Five Spice Soy
I love soy pieces and they are so cheap in Zambia, they also keep forever. In past I remember making the mistake of storing my dry soy pieces in an airtight container that also contained a bag of cloves. The soy pieces tasted pretty awful but showed just how effective they are at absorbing flavours!
My thought was then, that if I soak the soy pieces to rehydrate them, in a mixture of water, spices and soy sauce, they should taste pretty good.

• So in a small bowl I emptied enough soy for 2 people (about to big handfuls)
  


• Add a mug of cold water
  


• A generous dash of soy sauce
  


• A heaped teaspoon of my 5 spice gravel
  


• I also added a small teaspoon of honey.
  
  
• After soaking for abou 1 hour, I added the pieces to stir fried vegetables and cooked for about 10 minutes.
  


• Serve with rice, mmmm!
  

Savoury Cheese Pastry

You can use this pastry as a base for vegetable tarts, or add herbs to the dough, bake on its own and cut into pieces to make nibbles.

The measurements used make a crispy pastry, for a softer one use more fat. Use a dry and strong tasting cheese, I used Parmesan 'style' cheese since we would need to take out a loan to afford the genuine imported delicacy here in Lusaka. You could also use that dry cheese you get in a carton if you can get over the smell of feet!

3 cups of plain flour (white or wholemeal if you want to be healthier)    

¼ tsp of salt

½ cup of strong grated cheese

250g salted butter – cold, cut into small cubes

235 mls iced water

 

Mix the dry ingredients then rub in the fat until you have a bread crumb – like consistency.

Add the water teaspoon by teaspoon and mix with you hands until you have a smooth dough.

Refrigerator for a while to make it easier to handle or freeze to use at a later date.

 

Key Ingredient: Cream

Modern life has a lot to answer for. Due to our obsession with weight and health, cream, salt and butter have pretty much been demonized. This is a shame because, in moderation, they really bring food alive – salt especially. My argument is – cut out all the process rubbish in your diet, cook from scratch with vegetables, meat and grains and you never have to worry about too much salt.

As for cream, it is a wonderful ingredient – any sauce you make with wine and cream is sure to impress. Yes, it has cholesterol in it but it also has fat soluble vitamin D in at as well, and I am not suggesting you eat it everyday. I feel exonerated in my use of cream because I use scant amounts, and I am a female who doesn't drink milk in tea or coffee so think it is a good way to keep my bones healthy and stave off osteoporosis in the future!

Try:

• Melting good quality chocolate with a small pat of butter and whisking into cream,chill and you have chocolate ganache
  


• After cooking meat in a pan, deglazing you pan with wine, reduce, add a swirl of cream and you have an instant sauce accompaniment
  


• Melting a blue cheese like gorgonzola in some cream for a sauce for pasta or steak
  


• Puree rip fruit and whip through double (heavy cream) with sugar to taste for a luxuriant but vitamin packed dessert
  


• Mix some cream through sautéed white cabbage that was fried with garlic and spritzed with lemon juice – mix through pasta or as a great side dish

Spaghetti with Easy Meatballs

We had a friend over for dinner and to show off our new Tv by watching some American football. Well, they watched and I fell asleep! I had been busy all day and decided on this low maintenance dish made extra special by the addition of wine and cream. Add some dried herbs if you want, I didn't have any. Make sure the sausages are cold when you make the meatballs, they are easier to handle.

Serves 3

6 pork sausages
Large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tablespoon of oil
A large glass of red wine
1 tin of tomatoes
Salt
Sugar
450 grams of spaghetti
3 dessertspoons of cream

Soften the onions and garlic over a moderate heat.

Take a sausage, squeeze a third of the meat from the case, it should be kind of ball shaped, but you can mould it a bit with your hand and drop it into the frying pan

Repeat with the rest of the sausages

Cook until sealed though not necessarily brown on all sides

Add the wine and reduce for about five minutes

Add the tomatoes and break them down with a spoon

Add salt, about half a teaspoon, but taste carefully, some tinned tomatoes are saltier than others.
Add a scant half teaspoon of sugar.

Simmer gently for about 40 minutes until you have a thick, rich sauce and tender meatballs.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of well salted water.

Divide the spaghetti into three dishes

Add the meatballs and sauce (there should be six, good size balls per dish)

Spoon over a little cream and serve.

*When I made this, I think the meatballs were a bit too big, they should be bitesized.*

Key Ingredient: Lemons

I use lemons like a condiment, squeezing them into food whenever I feel it needs a lift. If you do this, it never tastes lemony, simply adds a bit more depth to a ho hum dish. I especially like it with cheese sauces. Try it with salads as well, or in curry. I am lucky that lemons are plentiful here, and the new season isn't far off.

For a quick pasta dish,

Mix grated pecorino or parmesan and an egg into just cooked spaghetti. Finish off with some cooked chopped spinach and as much lemon juice as you like.Delicious.

Project Zam-Cuisine

Moving back to Zambia has had many challenges (failing to find decent cheese being one of my biggest). Due to the vicious visa circle of not having a work permit and not having a job to sponsor because I don't have a work permit, I am 'enjoying' an extended break. I have found it difficult not to feel lazy because my husband is the only one earning, but have to accept that many people would kill for the opportunity to take some time off.

Instead of moping, I am using the time to develop my cooking and crafting skills. So far I have been decorating our house (see my blog: For the Love of) and working on new recipes so that my breadwinning husband is well fed – and myself too of course!

I have become addicted to the food programs that are on all day on TV and I have been researching and trying pick up new tips and ideas for using local ingredients. After some exploring I have found fresh herbs, great vegetables and fruit, spices and meat all plentiful and nearby. My search for cheese that is good and not hideously expensive continues.

My first project is to develop a method for making delicious ice-cream using local ingredients. So stay tuned for the results.

Zebra Crossing Cafe in Lusaka

This cafe is in a really great compound that has a craft shop and other shops and it's just minutes from my house.

I am addicted to their iced tea, I'm not sure how they do it, but it has a minty flavour that's really lovely.

Anyway I had lunch there - a really nice mushroom tart and my friend had a great pumpkin salad. The portions are a bit small, but the staff are very welcoming. It's also nice to find a place that doesn't something different.

A Perfect Tomato Sandwich

I used to hate uncooked tomatoes. Then I realized that I just hated cold, unripe, tasteless and watery tomatoes. When I moved to Italy soon changed my opinion face I was with tiny pomodorini bursting with flavour. On my return to the UK my love affair with the tomato ended – why? Because most of the tomatoes available in shops were from Spain, Holland even Israel, meaning that with the intense farming and refrigeration you end up with perfect looking tomatoes all year round and zero flavour. The thing is, tomatoes are not that difficult to grow, but we have become so insistent on having every ingredient possible available all year round that we are sacrificing on quality.

Now I am in Zambia and local tomatoes, farmed non intensively and locally are bursting with delicious, acid-sweetness. Juice from the tomato is think and red not thin and watery. Perfect for a fresh, healthy and irresistible tomato sandwich.

To make the perfect tomato sandwich, try following my method and see what you think.

• Use locally produced tomatoes that are deep red and really soft.
  


• The tomato should be room temperature; I keep my toms in the fridge but bring one or two out before I use them and allow them to lose that horrible bland chill
  


• Thinly slice the tomato with a serrated knife on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the water, remove seeds if the tomato is particularly watery, or you plan to eat the sandwich later (Eg. In a packed lunch)
  


• Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise onto a hotdog/burger bun, crusty cob or roll. This bread is dense so absorbs additional moisture without going pappy – white is best because it is slightly sweet and brings out the flavour of the toms
  


• Put your slices of tomato onto the bread and sprinkle with salt
  


• Shred some basil leaves and add, don't be stingy
  


• Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil over
  


• Serve.
  

Coriander (cilantro) and Lemon rice

Although maize is the staple in Zambia, rice is also cultivated here in places like Chama and Mongu, where they get more rain. I love the local rice, it is very fragrant and quite sticky. I know I should eat brown, and I do quite often, but white is still my favourite.

The rice here is packaged and shipped in less time so still is full of taste and fragrance when it's cooked.

By simply salting the water when it comes to the boil the rice becomes wonderfully fragrant and tasty, but here's another way of serving rice, especially if you find your rice is lacking in deptrh. Luckily, most lemons bought here are not waxed – thank goodness, but if you're buying from a supermarket, make sure they are unwaxed. If you're not sure run your nail firmly along the skin without piercing it to see if you can gather any of the wax or not.

This makes enough for about 3 – 4 people and is really good with fajitas or chili con carne

• A large bunch of coriander
  


• The rind of a lemon - unwaxed
  


• 2 coffee mugs of your favourite rice
  


• Salt
  

To cook the rice, either rinse the grains first if you don't like your rice too sticky – until the water is clear

Add the rice to the pan with twice the amount of water.

Bring to the boil. Add salt – half a teaspoon or thereabouts as well as the coriander and lemon rind.

Stir once with a fork then cover and turn off the heat

Wait for rice to absorb all the water.

Check for seasoning and serve.

*Try also adding dried rosemary to the water when cooking, about 2 teaspoons*

Chickpeas with mint and chili

I love markets. The energy, the assault on the senses, voices shouting, the colour bursts of the produce, the smells. I was excited then by the prospect of the Tuesday Market here in Lusaka. It is held weekly (I don't need to tell you the day) in a covered area of some church grounds. It was crowded and noisy and had a remarkable variety of produce. I was most excited by the fresh herbs I found – coriander (cilantro), mint and even dill! All priced at less than 10p for a bunch. I bought tomatoes deep red bursting full of juice and tasting sunny, crisp peppers and more. The market was full of buyers of many races all stocking up on everything from fresh peas to the massive spikey jack fruit that taste sweet and fragrant (a little like custard apples) and look like grotesque, overgrown sea urchins. I have never seen them growing in Zambia so assume they were brought down from Tanzania.

The market also sold spices and pulses and I bought a massive bag of chickpeas for very cheap. Along with the mint I made this delicious dish which we ate with rice but you could also eat with chapattis, on baked potatoes or cold in wraps with some salad. It's versatile and healthy as it can be eaten hot or cold. Make a large amount and keep it in the fridge or freeze it. How much chili you use depends on the potency of your chilis and how spicy you like it. Start of one or two (especially if they bigger as they tend to be milder) and add more if you like extra kick. The heat of the chili with the mint and yoghurt is incredibly seductive. If freezing or planning to reheat, add the yoghurt when serving, separately as it doesn't do well when reheated or frozen.

This makes enough for 4 greedy people.

• 350g of chickpeas
  



• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
  



• A large onion, sliced
  



• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
  



• 2 large, very ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
  



• 1 large potato cut into 2 cm slices or you can use small new ones. Try to get waxy potatoes as they hold their shape better when they are cooked
  



• Two teaspoons of medium curry powder
  



• 1 -2 large dried chilies
  



• 1 heaped teaspoon of garam masala
  



• 2 teaspoons of vegetable powder or half a stock cube
  



• 2 teaspoons of tomato puree
  



• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
  



• Several dessertspoons of natural yoghurt to drizzle before serving
  



• Salt
  

First cook the chickpeas in a coverd pan after soaking them overnight.

After they are soft but still hold their shape (about 30 – 40 minutes) drain half of the water away, add a teaspoon of salt , stir well and set to one side.

In a deep frying pan or wide bottomed saucepan, fry the onions on a medium heat until they start to colour and add the garlic.

After a minute or so add the potatoes and fry for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chili (broken into pieces), curry powder and garam masala and a pinch of salt

Cook until the tomatoes start to break down.

Add the chickpeas in the water you saved, and the vegetable powder or stock cube.

Cover and simmer slowly until the potatoes are soft all the way through but still hold their shape (about 20 minutes)

Add the chopped mint and tomato puree and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Check for seasoning.

Before serving spoon some yoghurt on top (1-2 dessertspoons) and remove the chili pieces.

Orecchiette Zambian Style

It's funny the things you find in supermarkets here. You cannot imagine how excited I was to find orecchiette. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a type of pasta native to the Puglia region of southern Italy and means 'little ears'. It's quite a dense and creamy pasta when cooked and is traditionally served with broccoli sprouts or 'cime di rapa'.

Cime di rapa isn't available here, but another, similar green vegetable 'rape' is. As you can see, it's a lot like spring greens or kale. It has an irony, mustardy taste and is a common dish here. You can use in salads as well, though I doubt many Zambians ever eat it raw.

For this quick pasta dish, simply cook the orecchiette in lots of well-salted water while you fry a little garlic in oil (preferably olive). Add to this a finely sliced tomato (I use a cheese grater) which you fry until it starts to soften, then add a good handful of slice rape – it shrinks like spinach so add quite a bit, season with salt. Wilt in the pan, conserve some of the water from the pasta to add when draining and add to the rape, you can spritz with some lemon juice for a bit of a kick, but it isn't essential. Return the pasta to the pan and add the vegetables, add pecorino or parmesan if you have it, but it's good without too. Enjoy!

Aubergines

Vegetables are plentiful and cheap here and I am happy to finally buy aubergines again. I didn't in the UK very often because they were expensive. Aubergines are so versatile and because of the porous flesh, are great to marinate. I marinated these slices in a store bought marinade, which was really a waste of time and should have kept to my own concoctions.

Try:

White miso paste, dashi, rice vinegar and spring onions.

Ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey , sesame oil and five spice powder.

Lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and parsley.

I haven't given measurements as I usually just keep adding until I get the taste I want. You can slice the aubergines lengthways and marinate them in larger slices, or cut them small like I did here. Then, either grill, roast or fry.

Zam - Eats

Lunch Idea

Making lunch isn't easy these days, sandwiches are not cheap to make. Nice bread costs a lot more as does cheese, ham etc. cooking is often easier, hence this concoction which was really tasty. I don't have a very catchy name for it, but it took just a few minutes to make as I had cooked the lentils the day before. The lentils I used are green, they cook quite quickly I did soak them in water for about 30 minutes first but doubt I really needed to. After cooking 250g of lentils in unsalted water for about 20 – 30 minutes, drain and return to the saucepan. While still hot add salt, a good slug of olive oil, the juice of a lemon and small slivers of garlic. Replace the lid on the saucepan and leave to steep for a couple of hours.

The lentils can then be used in salads, added to other dishes or used for the recipe below.

• Sausage with lentils and cabbage for 1.
  


• 1 dessertspoon of olive oil or vegetable oil
  


• 1 sausage
  


• 1 handful of shredded cabbage
  


• About 50 grams of cooked lentils.
  

Remove the skins from the sausages.

Heat the oil in a wide bottomed saucepan and add the sausage meat, break it down with a fork.

When browned, add the cabbage and fry for a minute.

Add the lentils cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted.

Taste for seasoning (the lentils will have salt and lemon already) if necessary add some salt and more lemon juice.

Learning to Cook in Zambia – again!

Mykitchen, for the moment.

Coming back to Zambia has required a re-awakening of my culinary memory. A trip through the main supermarket here revealed what I had forgotten: if you want Western food, be prepared to pay Western prices. Tinned goods, which in the UK are seen as basics are luxuries here, a tin of tomatoes costs over £1 as opposed to as little as 9p back home. So we need to reassess our eating habits a little, pasta, rice and potatoes are fine so that's a good base to start from.

Another problem is that we are in temporary accommodation, so as you can see from the picture, my cooking area is rather basic. I have two cooking rings but no surfaces to speak of or an oven and not cooking utensils, those soufflés and roast dinners are on hold for the moment!

My next aim is to start frequenting the 'Tuesday' market where fruits and vegetables are cheap and plentiful – so I hear. There is a large Indian-Zambian community throughout Zambia and therefore spices are plentiful and cheap as they come from neighbouring Tanzania.

When I lived here before we were not in the capital so my diet was much more traditionally Zambian, meaning – nshima, staple starch eaten here made from maize. It has little nutritional value but fills you up quite efficiently. Ironically now we are in capital, nshima is harder to come by as Lusaka is more cosmopolitan. If you do want nshima, it is quite expensive because many restaurants cater to tourists.

There is however an array of restaurants serving Western style food and also Indian and Chinese restaurants. Again though, prices are about the same as in the UK, fine if you're on an ex-pat wage, but the average Zambian wage is ...

Zambia Here I come!

Market and village life in Zambia.

Top picture: Kapenta, dried fish

Middle picture: cooking oil for sale

Bottom picture: shelling maize to make mealie meal (flour)

I am flying out today to join my husband in Zambia. I hope my next blog post won't be too far behind this one, but we don't have internet yet because we don't even have a place to live! Still there are internet cafes so I hope to make good use of those.

Stay tuned.

Mm's Apple Pie II

Here are the last two videos with finished pie! MMM

Mum's Apple Pie I

A while back I filmed my mum making apple pie.For thirty years or more she has made an incredible apple pie and I have not found a better one. She doesn't follow a recipe and improvises where necessary and it still comes out perfect every time. I hope I have picked up some of her genes. Now I must apologise for the videos, they are a bit cobbled together and I am still learning how to video well.Nevertheless I hope you will enjoy them. First 3 parts follow.

Derbyshire Ice-cream

I have been accused of not liking ice-cream. This is not true, I just like good quality ice-cream that is thick, full of natural flavours and is actually made from cream. Nowadays, this is hard to combine and then it's not cheap.

Here's a decent ice-cream I found in Tissington in the Peak District, in a bit of a dark tearoom. It is made on the Chatsworth estate and has a great name. They make the traditional flavours as well as more unusual ones. I had mandarin and ginger and flavour which was creamy, not too sweet and the mandarin worked very well - I think the ginger was a bit too light.

My husband has strawberry which has lovely pieces of real strawberry in and tasted subtle. Nice.

Sorry about the photo, but you get the idea!

Pizza in London

Pizza Naplolitana - Da Mario's


Pappadelle with spinach, cream and pine nuts - Da Mario's

When looking for a decent pizzeria in Britain I have certain criteria.

Is there a wood burning stove?

Are the staff, mostly Italian?

Does it smell like the places I used to go to in Italy?

And finally, perhaps more importantly:

Are there any Italians eating in there?

If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then you can be confident that the pizza will probably be pretty good.

Pizzeria Pappagone in Finsbury Park marks 100% on the above check list and makes good sized pizzas not like those piddly ones at Pizza Express (which I don't rate at all.). Plus their staff are really nice and the service excellent

Then there is Da Mario on the Gloucester Road, a favourite of the late Princess Diana, also does great pizza albeit slightly smaller. And yes, they got a tick for every aspect of the checklist, as well as having a rather interesting oil painting of the late Princess looking saintly as chef makes a pizza.

So keep the above quetions in mind and you can't go far wrong.

RIP Mr. Floyd

What kind of amateur foodie would I be if I did not pay homage to the wonderful Keith Floyd! If you are vegetarian, you probably won't be too bothered by his passing as he was a committed carnivore.

I loved Keith Floyd for one reason in particular - he was ENTERTAINING. He cooked in daft locations on camp stoves, bellowed at the camera man and other crew members on a regular basis, drank heavily, set things on fire and still managed to produce sumptuous dishes. I never really felt I could cook what he was cooking, but that didn't matter, he was all about loving life and food is the quintessential element of that.

I will miss him because now we have such aself-satisfied group of TV chefs who make great dishes, but the programmes are so obsessed with their own style. Mockney barrow boy Jamie Oliver is not a patch on Floyd, Nigella Lawson's erotic munching is all very well but this new tradition of the staged social event where fake friends sit around enjoying the food, while we the viewers are left watching like orphans with our noses pressed against the window is insulting.

Their offerings are anaemic compared with Floyds full-throttle, full-blooded delivery and Britain is a slightly poorer place now.

Maybe the recipes have improved but the delivery has not.

This video is a perfect example of Keith Floyd, a salad full of posh offal, on a boat, bossing the camera man and despising the noisy river traffic - and there is the ubiquitous camp stove.


Floyd in a more subdued mood and looking a little frail, but making a fantastic cassoulet with half the gross domestic meat production of France in it.

Zanzibar Inspired Fish

Soon we'll be returning to Zambia and I cannot wait to share with you all the little known cuisine of this part of Africa, as well as some of my favourite recipes!

In the mean time, here is a kind of stew/curry/soup that was inspired by very little being left in the cupboard, and a desire to cook something that would remind my husband and I of the spectacular food we had when we visited Zanzibar.

I use river cobbler for this dish simply because it is incredibly cheap and keeps its shape when cooked. Try cod, or another firm fish that will not disintegrate when cooked.

Serves 2
- two fillets of river cobbler, or other firm white fish
- 1 meduim onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil or a mixture of vegetable and sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
- 4 cardomom pods
- 1 heaped teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspon of ground cumin
- a 2 cm pieces of fresh ginger, unpeeled and finely grated
- the grate rind of a lime
- the juice of a lime
- half a can of coconut milk
- a tablespoon of thai fish sauce
- half a pint of chicken stock
- 2 fistfuls of frozen french/green beans
- a large handful of coriander


Mix together the lime rind and ginger and cover the fish with it, leave to one side at room temperature.

Fry the sliced onion in the oil until soft

Add the garlic and cumin, fry for a minute or so.

Press the cardomom pods lightly so they split a little then add those

Add the fish and seal on each side

Pour in the stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, turmeric and half the coriander and green beans

Simmer for about 15 minutes or until fish is tender - do not overcook!

Check for seasoning, add the rest of the coriander

Serve over rice or thick white noodles, chipattis would also be good

Ways with...yoghurt

A few years ago I was teaching in China, everyday I had a very healthy breakfast of yoghurt and green tea, and then would buy fresh fried dough rings on the way to work which I dipped in honey (not so healthy, but very good). I am convinced that eating this yoghurt is the reason why I was one of the few foreign teachers at the school that did not get any major stomach problems. In Zambia I used to make my own using a flask and fresh local milk.

I love yoghurt's versatility, the fact it can be sweet or savoury, can be used in cooking or just eaten on its own.

I use it as an alternative to cream, plain and straight from the fridge with some salt as a dipping sauce for spice food, mix it in milkshakes, the list goes on. Make sure you buy good quality thick, pro-biotic or Greek yoghurt. Here are some ideas.

- put a tablespoon of yoghurt with an avocado, lemon or lime juice and fresh coriander and some red chilli into a blender and whizz smooth for an amazing dip

- mix with curry powder or a little curry sauce from a jar, add to salad wraps

- use instead of cream in carbonara

- add to curry

Marinated Grilled Chicken

The weather has been pretty kind to us recently, even though we're definitely into Autumn, that doesn't mean we should put away the barbeque just yet and I have a great recipe for chicken. Chicken isn't so popular for barbequeing because it needs to be so carefully cooked. Just make sure that:
- you don't put raw chicken near cooked food or salads and keep it wrapped up until you are ready to cook it
- Use pieces that will cook quickly and thoroughly, I am a big fan of thighs. Drumsticks are dense and take a long time.
- You can make slits in the meat so it will cook through more quickly
- Make sure the juices run clear and no part of the meat is pink before eating

For a really tasty piece of chicken, marinate the meat over night in the fridge then bring out about 15 minutes before cooking. I use thighs with the bone and skin still on as they are really moist when cooked.

- For 2 People

- 4 chicken thighs with the skin and bone
- The juice of one large lemon (after juicing do not discard the lemon)
- 3 large dried red chillis
- a teaspoon of rock salt
- a teaspoon of peppercorns
- a heaped teaspoon of mixed spice
- a heaped teaspoon of garam masala
- 2 cloves of garlic cut into large pieces
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Put the spices, salt, pepper, garlic and chillis in a mortar bash with a pestle until you have a kind of paste.

Make a couple of slits in the flesh side of the chicken and rub in the spice mixture, put in a tupperware container or a bowl.

Pour over the lemon juice and throw in the lemon itself.

Add the olive oil.

Either put a lid on the container or cover with cling film

Marinate overnight in the fridge

Remove 15 minutes or so before cooking

Grill until tender and cooked through.

Peak District Eats - The Royal Oak and the best ribs in UK

Ok, so Stoke-on-Trent is not on the top of everyone's list of places to visit - unless of course you have excellent taste in ceramics. But travel north out of the city through Leek and you are soon into the wonderful Roaches and the Peak District. And here are some wonderful places to eat. Choose Tissington or Ilam for tea (which we did) and for lunch you must visit the Royal Oak near Hurdlow.
They have a great menu with lots of variety, which sometimes spells trouble, but here they know what to cook and cook it well. I had liver with red wine gravy, red onions and smoked bacon on delicious mashed potato, the liver was tender and the gravy robust and comforting. My husband opted for ribs and steak. Good ribs are difficult to find here but these were delicious, tender, a generous size and the sauce was amazing. We later found out the owner had been given the recipe to him by a friend in Nantucket, Mass.

We all ate well and would've had dessert if the mains hadn't been so big! The staff and owners were super-friendly and clearly love what they do and they are careful to source their ingredients locally. Highly recommended and they have great ales too.

Villagers fear Hartington cheese factory closure could have a knock-on effect

Villagers fear Hartington cheese factory closure could have a knock-on effect

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Autumn Flavours - Leeks

Fresh, organic leeks are amazing right now. I didn't like much leeks until I had them in my veg box, and discovered how fresh and sweet they can really be and I think they're a great alternative to harsh onions.

Leeks are great in this easy pasta dish that could use ham or smoked salmon.

For 2 people:
- slice 2 medium slice leeks thinly,
- gently fry them in 2 dessertspoons of butter with a drop olive oil to stop the butter burning.
- Add about 100 grams of smoked ham or smoked salmon cut into strips
- Add a small glass of dry white wine and reduce

- Cook enough farfalle for 2 people in lots of well salted water
- When al dente, drain the pasta and return to the saucepan, add the leek and ham sauce, stir well

Serve topped with parmesan or grana padano. For cheeky and luxuriant dish, add some cream to the leeks.

Autumn Flavours - fresh plum sauce, Chinese style

I reckon that British cooking really comes into its own in Autumn and Winter. Our climate means that Autumn crops are just outstanding, you can't beat a British apple!

In my parents' garden there is an abundance of damsons and plums, lovely fruits which make gorgeous jams and preserves, but are also great as robust accompaniments for meat. Stone damsons, cook them down with some fried onions, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and spices of your choice to make a chutney for meats and pat'es. Or stuff game meat with them after soaking them in Armagnac. I personally love gin that has had damsons soaked in it.

For plums, I would make a lovely fresh plum sauce for duck or for stir frying vegetables. Remove the stones of the plums, cook them with fresh grated ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, star anise and five spice powder. Don't forget to add some light soy sauce for seasoning and a little water - not too much.

Recipe - Aqua Sale (Poor Man's Meat)

This is one of the most surprising things I tried in Italy. It is an amazing dish for using up stale bread. Aqua sale means ‘water salt’ as they are the two main ingredients, it’s also known as ‘poor man’s meat’.
The bread is key here. In Puglia the most popular bread is arguably from Monte Sant’Angelo. A large round bread that is very springy, light and dry with a heavy crust. You can buy it in its full, massive, round form or buy pieces of it. It goes stale quite quickly and is therefore perfect for this.
Any kind of dry, tasty rustic bread with a good crust works well – ciabatta is fine but it must be stale. I have adapted this a little to make a more interesting salad
· 75 g stale bread grated into chunky crumbs
· Cold water, about ¼ pint but it depends
· Course ground sea salt
· Course ground pepper
· Extra virgin olive, a large slug of it, to taste
· A handful of good quality tomatoes – vine, cherry, pref. Organic
· A handful Flat Parsley coarsely chopped
· One spring onion finely chopped
Soak the bread in water, salt and pepper. Don’t make it soggy, it must absorb the water only.
Add all other ingredients and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
This salad should not be wet, it should hold its shape a little like a pate. The tomatoes and oil also add liquid so don’t be heavy handed with the water.

Vegetarian Food and Art at The Warehouse Cafe, Birmingham

Selfridges in Birmingham dominates the skyline in the north with its UFO/aquatic/futuristic - like design. But if you venture to the area of Digbeth below, you will find an interesting modern art scene, quietly growing. (More at Scrapbook )

Walking away from Selfridges towards the top of Digbeth, you will soon come across a little sign for The Warehouse Cafe. Situated on Allison street, it is a vegetarian restaurant, network centre for Friends of the Earth, and shop. It has won awards, been reviewed, but is it that great?

I went there for lunch and had refried bean tacos with potato wedges and piquant green salad
dotted with green pickled chilli slices. The tacos were crisp with a gooey mixture of well-seasoned beans and cheese, made even nicer by adding the yoghurt and coriander side sauce to it and some of the salad. The potato wedges were tasty, crispy on the outside and beautifully soft in the middle. It was a perfect light lunch and only £6.

My only criticism was that I was expecting a kind of semi-gallery feel with lots of art, but instead there were some very small examples kind of dotted around. The restaurant itself had that typical veggie character with unfussy pine and formic tables, I didn't find the atmosphere that inducive to hanging out. However I did notice they have plans for refurbishment this month. And anyway, the food was really worth it!

The Warehouse Cafe

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Healthy Banana Cake

This banana cake recipe was given to me by a student. It is wonderful and easy to make. In the original recipe Splenda is used instead, if you prefer this, do not pre-heat your oven.

2 peeled apples grated

1 sliced banana WITH skin

2 tablespoons of unrefined cane suger

1/2 tsp of mixed spice

2 egg yolks and 3 egg whites

3 tablespoons of sunflower oil

2 1/2 0z of oats

2 1/2 0z of self-raising wholemeal flour

1/2 tsp of baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180 c

Mix the oil, apple, eggs and mixed spice together

In a separate bowl, mix all the other dry ingredients

Add the the oil, apple etc to the dry mixture and combine gently

Pour into a greased baking pan - I used a square one of medium size

Bake for about 35 minutes, check after 30.

Turn out onto a rack then cut into squares when cooled.

Ways With...Brioche

This is going to be a regular feature of my blog, where I highlight a particular ingredient or favourite food that is versatile. First off is brioche which is a new discovery for me.
Brioche is a sweet bread that originates from France. I have often looked at it in the supermarket with its sunny yellow glaze and wondered whether I should try it, it looked so inviting. I eventually did and wasn’t disappointed. The slightly sweet taste makes it perfect for breakfast, but also means it’s a great base for sweet dishes. I personally love brioche spit open with ham inside like a little sandwich, or a hotdog weiner, it reminds me of the baked goods from my favourite Chinese bakery.
However if you like sweet things, try brioche in bread and butter pudding, filled with ice cream as an ice cream sandwich or covered in icing/frosting to make a simple iced bun.
For the iced buns, make sure your icing is quite thick as it often slips off the shiny brown top of the brioche, you might also have to add a couple of layers if this is indeed the case.