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03
Jan 13

My favourite cookery books of 2012

FOS

The Food of Spain, by Claudia Roden, (Michael Joseph) filled me with a strong surge of excitement and nostalgia as I looked at Claudia Roden’s new hefty tome The Food of Spain for the first time.  Excitement to finally set eyes on this book, the result of five years of research and the latest in a long line of supremely detailed, sociologically fascinating cookery books written by Claudia Roden. I also felt a strong rush of nostalgia reading this book, having lived in Spain and being a devout hispanophile. I am convinced that anyone who is interested in Spanish food and culture will also feel the same looking through this very evocative book, packed with well and lesser known recipes and stunning photographs.

I am particularly excited to see such a definitive book on Spanish food, as I have believed for many years that the food of Spain is, at its best, absolutely unbeatable, with flavours and ingredients still deriving from every region. This is something which has been explored in Italy many times over, but much less so in Spain. I immediately wanted to read this wonderful book from cover to cover and soak up every detail and indeed enjoyed every page.

LE

Let’s Eat, Tom Parker Bowles, (Pavillion) is probably the biggest surprise of 2012. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Filled with plenty of favourite recipes and some interesting new things to try, particularly in terms of Asian-inspired recipes from his travels, initially, I wasn’t blown away by the selection of recipes in this book. The revelation was, in fact, when I started cooking from this book. Every recipe I have made from Let’s Eat has been utterly delectable and loved by everyone who has tried it. I would go as far as saying it’s a pretty essential kitchen companion for every keen home cook. Yes, the recipes do involve proper cooking – it’s not the book to go for if you are looking for ideas for supper on a weeknight from shopping bag to table in under half an hour, but what it does, it does very well. The cover sleeve features Tom’s scribbled notes, stained with wine rings and splatters. I’m sure yours will look like this on the inside very soon, like mine. A great book to cook your way through.

SSS

Salt, Sugar, Smoke, by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley) is the much-anticipated latest book by Diana Henry, which focuses on preserving. I am a devout reader of Henry’s books and this one does not disappoint. The first chapter focuses on jams, jellies and chutney, and I have been particularly struck by the gorgeous combinations of flavours – I can’t wait for next summer to come around already so that I can get preserving. Greengage and gewurzstraminer jam and the Italian mostarda particularly appeal. There are also many pages devoted to preserving meat and fish, which I hope to attempt next year – they require some planning and preparation, for which, sadly, I have not had an abundance of time of late. It is a book to read, then to plot and to plan. It is one that requires you to stock up on equipment and ingredients to cook with and savour every moment of.  As Henry so rightly states in the introduction, and I paraphrase wildly, to start a day with a slice of toast and to spread it with a very special homemade jam, turns any old morning into something much, much better. Here, here.

 

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03
Jan 13

Pea and ham soup

Pea and ham soup

It’s cold outside. It’s raining and it’s the perfect day for snuggling up indoors. On these days, I love to make soup. Homemade soup is cheap, nourishing and soothing to make. It makes such a tasty lunch, too.

One of my favourite soup recipes is pea and ham. It’s so easy to make and takes around half an hour from cupboard to table. I use frozen peas as I love their flavour and colour. This recipe is a great one to make at this time of year, as the ingredients are very easy to source – if you don’t have them, you can most likely pick them up at the corner shop.

Here is my recipe:

Pea and ham soup

Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

50g butter

1 small white onion, chopped fairly finely

500g frozen peas

800ml hot vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

4 tbsp full-fat yoghurt

100g excellent quality thick ham, shredded

Method

1)   Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently over a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes until the onion is softened, slightly translucent but not browned.

2)   Add the peas and stir well, followed by the stock, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Stir again and leave to bubble away for 10 minutes until the peas are tender

3)   Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth using a blender or a stick blender

4)   Add the cream, crème fraîche or full-fat yoghurt, whatever you are using and stir well.

5)   Taste the soup to check the seasoning and serve immediately with the ham on top. Any leftover soup freezes well in individual portions

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20
Dec 12

Christmas food and drink: my top picks

Clementines at Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favourite food and drinks to enjoy at this time of the year.

First, you may be thinking about stocking up on drinks a few days ahead.  If you fancy something warming to keep the cold away, I really like Drambuie, which is made with fifteen year old Speyside malt whisky. It’s a very nice drink to sip by the fire on a cold night.

Drambuie 15 year

For something more refreshing, you can’t beat a good gin and tonic. Using a good gin and a good tonic makes a real difference. It’s also a great to have up your sleeve for unexpected visitors over the festive period. I always buy Bombay Sapphire, which is, amazingly, celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. Fevertree tonic is, in my opinion, the tonic to serve with gin, and, to my delight, is now sold in larger bottles. Just add a slice of lime and some ice for the perfect G&T!

Gin and tonics all round

Last year, I tried Vanessa Kimbell’s recipe for orange and cinnamon brandy. It is just gorgeous. I’ve made it again this year, and have used it in the Christmas cake and homemade mincemeat. It makes a delicious drink on its own or in a cocktail, too.

Making orange and clove brandy

If you are steering clear of anything alcoholic, or perhaps if you have drawn the short straw and are designated driver, I like to serve freshly squeezed clementine juice. It takes around three fresh clementines to make one small glass of juice. I am lazy and use my Magimix to extract the juice, but as clementines are quite small, you can juice them using a citrus juicer very easily.

Freshly squeezed clementine juice

And, if you fancy something hot, Steenberg’s Christmas hot chocolate and tea are just lovely. Gently spiced and very warming. Highly recommended.

Steenberg’s Christmas drinks

And now, to food. Firstly, if you have not made your Christmas cake, do not panic. It’s not too late! I always make Delia Smith’s last minute Christmas cake, which also adapts very well to gluten free/dairy free.

If you like cheese at Christmas, try and buy the very best you can afford – you can tell the difference. We love Colston Bassett stilton and Spenwood with quince cheese most of all.

My final tip is not to buy too much food. We never buy large boxes of chocolates and snacks, as the temptation is just to snack all day. We keep our meals delicious, and that is more than enough. You can also feel comfortable and happy after Christmas, rather than bloated and regretting having eaten so much.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Charlotte x

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13
Dec 12

Christmas at Trelowarren and a chocolate cake too

Trelowarren estate

Christmas is not far off now. 2012 has been a whirlwind of a year for me, having written my first three cookery books amongst other things this year.

We’re actually going away right before Christmas is year. Not only am I looking forward to a good break, but it will be particularly nice to get  away at this time of year. There is so much build up to Christmas, that when it actually arrives, it can feel something of a let down, so it will be great this year to be somewhere different.

I thought I’d share our plans with you as I’m sure it will appeal to many foodies alike. We’re off to Trelowarren Estate in West Cornwall. Its right down in the south west of Cornwall in a very remote spot between Helston and the Helford River. The Trelowarran estate is ancient – with 600 years of Vyvyans, 1000 acres leading down to the Helford River and a house that was Daphne du Maurier’s inspiration for Navron in Frenchman’s Creek.

Eco cottage at Trelowarren

Ferrers and Victoria Vyvyan have spent more than twenty years restoring, renovating and building  high spec eco houses, an organic Walled Garden Spa and the ozone pool – all of which are warmed by a giant biomass boiler which burns coppiced wood from the land.

Trelowarran estate

We are staying in one of their very lovely looking cottages. What particularly appealed about staying here, was the New Yard restaurant and pizza pop up on the Estate, so it will be a real treat to have our own space, but not have to worry about cooking and shopping whilst we are away.

New Yard restaurant at Trelowarren

I’ll let you know how we get on. We go at the weekend. Before then, I’ll be back to share some great food and drink ideas for Christmas with you.

And for now, I’ll leave you with a cake recipe we’re really enjoying at the moment, a dark, bitter chocolate and orange loaf cake. It’s very good warmed with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Chocolate and orange loaf cake

Chocolate and orange cake

Adapted from a recipe by Signe Johanssen

 Ingredients

  • 200g chestnut flour (I use Shipton Mill, although it is not gluten free)
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
  • Pinch bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 7 oz dark brown soft sugar
  • 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)
  • 1 tsp orange extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp Cointreau
  • 200g chunky orange marmalade
  • juice and zest of 3 clementines
  • 100g butter, or dairy free margarine melted
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (I like Montezuma 73% here)

Method

1)     Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin

2)     Mix the flour, ground almonds, raising agents and salt together in a large bowl.

3)     Mix the eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and orange extracts and Cointreau together in a smaller bowl.

4)     Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add all the remaining ingredients.

5)     Gently mix until smooth, then pour the batter into the tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-50 minutes or until firm to the touch.

 

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06
Dec 12

Plum and hazelnut zabaglione from the Dessert Deli

Laura’s plum and hazelnut zabaglione

Laura from the Dessert Deli is a former chef, who has worked at some of London’s top restaurants, with many world-famous chefs.  In 2008, Laura decided to leave it all behind and go it alone, setting up her own luxury handmade dessert company, The Dessert Deli.

Starting out with a stall on the popular Northcote Road Market, near Clapham Junction, Laura’s exquisite creations are now sold in many of London’s prestigious Food Halls, and to many VIP customers.

This is all well and good if you live in London, but the good news is that Laura has very recently published the Dessert Deli cookbook, which shares the recipes for her bestselling desserts and cakes for you to try at home.

The Dessert Deli makes a very touching read, sharing the story of how Laura set up her business, and through sheer hard work and determination, has made it into the thriving success it is today. Packed full of tips and recipes for familiar favourites and something different to try, there is something for everyone here, and what I particularly like, is that you know the recipes will be utterly delicious.

Laura has very kindly agreed for me to share a gorgeous seasonal recipe with you…enjoy!

Plum & Hazelnut Zabaglione

Zabaglione is a light custard which can be paired with a variety of fruits and accompaniments. In France it is referred to as a sabayon.

TIP: The zabaglione must be served as soon as it’s made. It can also be glazed under the grill for a more caramelised flavour.

Serves 4

Base

6 firm plums

25g demerara sugar

50ml Marsala wine

25ml water

50g shelled hazelnuts

Zabaglione

8 medium free range egg yolks

150g caster sugar

25ml Marsala wine

150ml double cream

The Base

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
  • Slice the plums in half, remove the stone and place face-down on a tray pre-lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar, water and Marsala, place in oven for 5-8 minutes, before allowing to cool.
  • Pour the syrup from the cooked plums into a cup.
  • Place the hazelnuts in the oven on a tray pre-lined with greaseproof paper for approximately 5 minutes until toasted. Allow to cool then crush slightly.

The Zabaglione

  • In a bowl whip the double cream into firm peaks, then set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar over a pan of simmering water (a bain-marie) making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the mixture has tripled in volume and is a thick, frothy consistency.
  • Remove from the heat, whisk in the Marsala, then fold in the whipped double cream to form the zabaglione.

To Serve

  • Place 3 halves of plum into each plate or bowl and spoon the zabaglione over the top of them until they are covered. Sprinkle with some of the crushed hazelnuts and a drizzle of the syrup from the plum juices

The Dessert Deli by Laura Amos, published by Paperbooks, Hardback, £20. Recipe reproduced with kind permission from the publisher

Laura’s new book

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14
Nov 12

Eating out in London – No 67 Restaurant

 

No 67 Restaurant is based in the South London Gallery in Camberwell, South London. It is open throughout the day, and has, more recently, started opening into the evening, enabling visitors to stroll around the gallery and stopping for some food. With the quality of catering on offer in galleries and museums variable at best, I was interested to see what was on offer here.. Although you are able to stroll easily from the galleries into the restaurant, it feels separate and cosy, unlike the canteen feel of so many gallery eateries.

It was early evening when we visited and the lighting was most atmospheric, with bare-bulb lights dangling down over each table providing the only light source. The dining room has a very intimate feel, and the modern, slightly edgy interior feels in keeping with this area of London.

As we took our seats, we were brought the menu and offered a drink right away. The wine list offered a good choice of bottles and we chose the Sauvignon de Touraine by the glass, which was very drinkable. The dinner menu is short, and changes daily. Starters are around £4-6 and mains around £12. Wine starts from around £5 per glass to £25 for a decent bottle. The kitchen opens into the dining room and the smells of cooking wafting out into the dining room were most enticing. Upbeat jazz played softly in the background, punctuated by the clatter from the kitchen all lend themselves to the cosy and warm feeling as we perused the evening menu. As I gazed around the room, I noticed all tables were taken by 8pm, which seemed pretty busy for a wet Wednesday night. With couples chatting and friends giggling, it felt as though everyone was having a good time.

My sister and her boyfriend accompanied me for the evening. Lucy is vegan and I had been rather disorganized and not given the restaurant much notice that she would be coming. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit, I only called them an hour before our reservation. We were very pleased that they had taken the trouble to prepare her a special menu. Not only was there a good choice, but also we took it as a good sign that the kitchen staff are able to be creative and cook from scratch.

To start, I had a very tasty dish of thinly sliced raw pumpkin, topped with a delicious minty yoghurt dressing, which was very well seasoned. Andy had the rarebit, which was very intense and dark, flavoured with Guinness and Worcestershire sauce. It was a little intensely flavoured for me, but much enjoyed by Andy. Lucy had a very thick and gorgeously coloured beetroot and tarragon soup, which she thought was nicely flavoured.

Moving onto the main course, Lucy had a specially created barley risotto, topped with chargrilled aubergines and artichokes. It was very pleasant main and was much more creative than the vegan offering at so many restaurants. For my main, I had a grilled leg of lamb with polenta and braised runner beans. The portion was enormous and quite well executed. I would have liked to have seen the runner beans de-strung, as they were rather tough, although very tasty in a rich and flavoursome tomato sauce. Andy had the braised leg and cured breast of duck with courgettes and mint, which we struggled to find fault with.

Desserts at No 67 were a highlight of the menu. Lucy and Andy chose a chocolate sorbet, served with salted caramel and toasted hazelnuts, which was very good indeed. The sorbet was dark and intense, and lifted with the salty caramel and crunchy nuts. I went for the selection of English cheeses. I only wish I had not been so full, as it included Bragstone, Colston Bassett and Lincolnshire Poacher.

No 67 is a very pleasant place to eat if you live locally or are visiting the area. The food is very good, and the atmoshpere is most enjoyable. Dinner and a gallery visit is a most enjoyable way to spend an evening and is strongly recommended. The restaurant is also to be commended for its flexibility when it comes to catering for guests with specific dietary requirements.

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04
Oct 12

A very nice chocolate cake recipe

A dense, moist chocolate cake which keeps well. It’s a great cake to make for a celebration, or a dessert for a dinner party, or just because it tastes amazing. It’s naturally gluten free and is delicious eaten chilled.

Gluten free chocolate cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 200g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 150g butter, cubed
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 200g ground hazelnuts

To finish the cake

  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • 50g dark chocolate
  • Fresh raspberries

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm/8″ round springform cake tin. Line base and side with baking paper.

2) Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

3) Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick and creamy. Add chocolate mixture. Beat to combine. Add hazelnut meal. Beat to combine.

4) Place egg whites in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, stir one-third of egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining egg white through chocolate mixture.

5) Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

6) Make Chocolate icing: Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Spread over top and side of cake. Stand for 10 minutes or until icing has set. Decorate with fresh raspberries

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18
Sep 12

A day of seasonal jam making with Vivien Lloyd

Fresh damsons, ready for preserving

It’s that time of year again. Time to get preserving! If you read my blog regularly, you may recall how unsuccessful my last attempt at jam making was. If you missed it, you can read about it here. My last attempt at jam making however, was my gooseberry jam, which was really rather good. I have even given away a few jars, and had some very nice comments about it. I actually wish I had made more.

But I am not a confident preserver, having never made chutneys or jellies before, and it is something I am keen to learn more about. And I think it is fair to say that jam making is one of the few areas in cookery which does actually require you to learn a bit about the process. You can just pick up a good recipe and attempt it (assuming it is a good, reliable recipe, that is) and it may well work. But preserving does require some knowledge and sound advice to get you well on the way to truly successful preserving.

Vivien Lloyd busy making damson jelly

I’ve been tweeting with Vivien Lloyd for some time and own a copy of First Preserves, her indispensable preserving book. Needless to say I was thrilled when she very kindly invited me to her gorgeous Somerset house for a day of jam making with her and my very, very lovely fellow bloggers Karen and Sue. Vivien organised three recipes for us to make, which were, dauntingly, at the more advanced level of the spectrum as Karen is a confident preserver. I was actually really glad this was the case, as I tend to learn more quickly through observation. Watching someone do something and then attempting it at home is an easier way to learn for me than simply reading instructions when it comes to attempting a complicated recipe.

Having negotiated a catalogue of roadworks, road blockages and the diabolical Monday morning traffic through Bath city centre, I arrived at Vivien’s farmhouse embarrassingly late, but was very warmly welcomed with a much-needed hot cup of fresh coffee and one of Vivien’s renowned chocolate biscuits. Yes, these biscuits are so good, they even helped secure her daughter a job! Vivien is not only a leading preserves expert, judge, teacher and demonstrator, but also an excellent home baker. Putting her 25 years experience of traditional jam making to good use, Vivien published her first preserving book last year, entitled First Preserves, and also has published three very highly recommended iBooks on jam, chutney and marmalade making, which can be downloaded on iBooks on the iPad for £2.99 each. Vivien worked closely with Rob from Big Blu design, based in the South West, to created these iBooks, which feature demonstration videos showing Vivien making jam at home, and, as I said earlier, are a great way for the novice preserver to feel confident at attempting preserves at home.

Our first recipe of the day was damson, ginger and cardamom chutney. We started off by cooking the damsons lightly and extracting the stones from the softened fruit. Whilst we were doing this, we spent some time discussing the common pitfalls of jam making and how to achieve the best results. The pectin content of the fruit you use is really important. The skin, seeds and pips in fruit contain vital pectin, which will affect how the jam sets. Use fruit that is only just ripe for the best results. Ensure that you use the whole fruit, for example when using apples – just cut them into eighths and throw them in the preserving pan without worrying about peeling and coring them. Warm your sugar in the oven on a low temperature before using. Interestingly, Vivien is a strong advocate of cane sugar for the best results: it does produce a superior end product. Vivien also suggested on this subject that granulated cane sugar is all you will need, not jam sugar or preserving sugar. As a novice preserver, I had read recipes listing granulated sugar amongst their ingredients, thinking jam sugar would be what you need to make jam. Not so!

When the fruit for the damson chutney had been prepared, we started to cook it slowly. The sugar is only added at a later stage for the best flavour to avoid caramelising and affecting the overall flavour of the chutney. We then let the pan bubble away very gently, stirring occasionally, until there is no remaining surface liquid. This does take time.

Damson, apple and cardamom chutney cooking down slowly

Whilst the chutney was slowly cooking away, we started on the damson jelly by preparing and cooking the fruit and setting up the jelly bags to strain the juice to form the jelly from the fruit. High pectin fruits are ideal for jelly making, but even more crucial to making the perfect jelly is the jelly bag itself. It is very important to use a bag with small holes. Many bags on sale surprisingly have holes larger then is ideal, and therefore let some pulp run through with the juice. This produces a cloudy jelly, which will taste fine, but wouldn’t score you many points in a competition.

Vivien preparing to strain the damson and apple jelly using a jelly bag

As a veteran preserves judge, Vivien has judged a great number of competitions and is a fountain of knowledge on what makes the perfect preserve to enter into a competition. When running preserves masterclasses from her home, Vivien invites guests to bring a jar of something they have made for her to taste and evaluate. I must confess wimping out of this and not bringing a jar of my jam along for fear of harsh criticism, but having heard that is surprisingly common for people to enter mouldy jam in competitions, I did rather regret my decision, as I think my gooseberry jam would have scored reasonably well.

Damson cheese, ready to pour into pots or ramekins

We rounded off the day by making damson cheese, which is a great favourite of mine, and something I was particularly keen to have a go at, usually buying mine from Neal’s Yard made with Brogdale damsons and purchased at an astronomical price. As with every recipe on the day, it was made using fruit from Vivien’s wonderful garden, and the fruit pulp was cooked down very slowly over a low heat, becoming stickier and thicker, until it had reached the optimum consistency and poured into little ramekins and covered with a wax disk and a cellophane circle.

Vivien placing discs on top of the damson cheese

Our day absolutely flew by, being both very informative and also great fun. Vivien is a real authority on preserving and very generous with her advice and I picked up a great number of tips along the day. Most importantly, I genuinely left feeling confident enough to attempt traditional preserving myself, with many technical issues demystified. Preserving has felt scary before, but I think a lot of it comes down to knowing you have a great recipe to follow, which I do now. I have never wanted to try any jam recipes purporting to be easy, but relying on liquid pectin and other artificial products. Nothing can compare to a traditional type of preserve, made in the time-honoured way, which does not compromise on the true flavour of the fruit, and Vivien is a true champion of this way of jam making.

Vivien has very kindly allowed me to share her recipe for damson, ginger and cardamom chutney, from First Preserves, which is perfect to make at this time of year.

Damson, Ginger and Cardamom Chutney

Makes about 2.25kg (5lb)

1.4kg (3lb) damsons, washed and stalks removed

450g( 1lb) onions

450g(1lb) sultanas

1 large Bramley cooking apple

15cm( 6in) stick cinnamon

5cm(2in) piece fresh root ginger

15 cardamom pods

30ml ( 2 tbsp) salt

450g (1lb) granulated, cane sugar

450g(1lb) dark muscovado sugar

600ml (1pint) cider vinegar

600ml (1pint) distilled white malt vinegar

1. Put the washed damsons (still wet) into a large preserving pan, cook gently, stir occasionally

and as soon as the damsons start to leach their juices cook for 15 minutes or until the fruits start to burst. Take the pan off the heat, leave to cool slightly then remove the stones.

2. Peel and finely chop the ginger, sultanas, onions and apple, using a food processor if you have one.  Crush the cardamom and remove the husks. Add all these ingredients, the vinegars, cinnamon and salt to the pan.

3.  Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook for about an hour, until the contents of the pan have reduced to a pulpy consistency, stirring occasionally. Add the sugars and dissolve them carefully. Continue to cook gently until the contents of the pan are thick and no “free” liquid remains. Stir frequently to prevent the chutney sticking to the bottom of the pan. . Place the jars in a pre-heated oven 140C/275F/Gas1 for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat, and discard the cinnamon stick. Remove the jars from the oven. Ladle the chutney into a glass or plastic jug. Pour the chutney into the jars, filling them to within 5mm (¼”) from the top. Seal the jars with new, vinegar resistant twist top lids. When the jars are cold, label them with the name, date and year made. Store in a dry cupboard for two to three months before opening.

For more information, do take a look at Vivien’s website, and I highly recommend her book and iBooks. Vivien will also be on the One Show on BBC One tonight from 7pm. Do tune in.

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12
Sep 12

Gousto

In a previous life, I worked in the City. Before making the move to working full time in food, as a food company director and also as a food writer, I worked for two very large multinational financial institutions. Working both in the city and in London gave me my first taste of just how hectic life can be. Before I took the plunge and left work to make the move into food full-time, I really did struggle with work-life balance, and particularly when it came down to cooking.

I’m sure I am not alone when I tell you that I genuinely need to cook. Okay, not every day, and sometimes I am very glad of a break from cooking. However, even after a couple of days off, I feel as though I need to cook. I need to cook for my sanity, to cook for the enjoyment of cooking, and because there is nothing quite as good as homemade food. In fact, even after eating at top restaurants, I crave the simplicity of home cooked food. I also find cooking extremely therapeutic and a very pleasurable way to start my evening. However, what I do not find enjoyable is having to traipse around the shops on my way home sourcing ingredients for a recipe, particularly when I am tired and hungry, and especially when I am on public transport and have to carry my heavy bags back with me too.

I was therefore very interested to try Gousto, a new home ingredients delivery service. Established only this year, Gousto offers an interesting new service, which aims to make cooking fresh meals at home more simple, convenient and interesting. The service works as follows: you log on to their website, choose from a weekly selection of main meals, and Gousto deliver the fresh ingredients required to make the meals, along with a recipe card to accompany each meal right to your door.

Gousto was established earlier this year by two friends who struggled with the work-life balance in a similar way to me, and decided to set up the company, to try and find a way around this daily dilemma so many of us face. All the ingredients supplied are very fresh, and as much as possible is organic and produced in Britain. The recipes change every week, and are listed on their website. They aim to feature recipes from a great variety of cuisines from all over the world.

I received a sample box to try, which contained the ingredients to make three recipes: lamb, rosemary and almond ragu, edamame, prawn and sesame noodles and chicken with raspberry and basil sauce with parsnips. All recipes were gluten free, dairy free and egg free apart from the lamb ragu, where we subsitutued the spaghetti provided with our own gluten free pasta.

The ingredients arrived bang on time via courier to my door. I was delighted to see that the packaging they used to insulate the box was all eco friendly and recyclable. The ingredients were very fresh and transported at the appropriate temperature, which was reassuring, given the fact that they send me fresh chicken and prawns down to my home in Dorset.

My Gousto box unpacked

The recipe cards were well laid out and easy to follow. All our dishes were on the table in roughly half an hour, although some were easier than others to make. What took the time with some recipes was the mise en place.

Gousto prawn noodles

 

Gousto lamb ragu (made at about 11pm!)

We all enjoyed the meals we sampled. We liked the fact that the food delivered to home is very fresh, of a high quality and thoughtfully sourced. We also thought the dishes were interesting, featuring a number of unusual combinations of ingredients we had not tried before. The meal service was very handy the week we had it. One evening, I was busy making and wrapping cakes for my friend’s wedding the next day. The following day, Tony didn’t turn up till 11pm after a long day at work, and on both occasions, it was good to know we had a quick, tasty and wholesome supper prepared, which would not take long to prepare when frankly, I was too exhausted to contemplate much in the kitchen.

We’ll definitely be logging on again to place an order to get us through a busy week. 

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22
Aug 12

Gooseberry, almond and elderflower cake

The cake, just before it went in the oven

Ah, the British summer time. One minute it’s glorious sunshine, and then next, it’s grey, gloomy and pouring with rain. Recently, I managed to get out and about one sunny afternoon. To my delight, I stumbled across a gooseberry bush and managed to pick enough berries to make this cake. The elderflower bush looks rather unpromising. With a rather scruffy appearance, like an uncared for bush, and branches spiked with nasty thorns, it doesn’t look inviting. But lift up the branches, and you will find beautiful marble-like bright green gooseberries lurking below. I like to pick them when they are soft to the touch. Grab them by the handful whilst you can. They won’t be around for long.

This is a delicious, seasonal, summery cake, which an be easily adapted to suit any dietary requirements.

Gooseberry, almond and elderflower cake

Makes 1 large cake

Ingredients:

  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g unrefined golden caster sugar, plus an extra handful for sprinkling
  • 6 large free-range eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp elderflower syrup
  • 100g plain flour (either wheat or gluten free)
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 1 rounded teaspoon of baking powder
  • 400g gooseberries, topped and tailed

Method:

1)   Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 9” round springform cake tin

2)   Wash the gooseberries thoroughly and then top and tail them carefully

3)   Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract and elderflower syrup.

4)   Next, add the flour, ground almonds and baking powder and gently fold in.

5)   Pour the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and smooth down the top with a spatula to make it level. Then, dot the gooseberries evenly over the top of the cake

6)   Place the cake in the oven and bake for approximately an hour. Test to see if the cake is cooked by sticking a cocktail into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If it does not, return to the oven for a further 5 minutes and test again.

7)   Cool the cake on a wire rack. When it’s cool, enjoy on its own with a cup of tea, or with cream or ice cream as a dessert.

 

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