food, reviews and of course coffee
Over Christmas I ate a fair bit of cheese and tried some new cheeses out. One I particularly enjoyed the Cenarth Organic Caerffili from Sainsbury.
It was a mild lemony cheese with a buttery and silky texture. It came in a (proper) wax layer and was delicious.
If you read this blog you will know that I am a fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipes (and his books
However I did not think much of his recent breakfast column in the Guardian today.
Fruity, nutty bread, herby baked eggs and savoury drop scones invite you to linger, put on another pot of coffee, read all of the paper, throw more logs on the fire. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it so much you’ll make a date with yourself to do it more often.
Sorry didn’t appeal to me.
I do agree with Hugh over rushing breakfast, it is important not to eat a hastily spooned bowl of cereal or a slice of toast nibbled as you walk to the car.
As I got a decent pancake pan for Christmas, I have been using it to make omelettes for breakfast.
In order to make an omelette you need to break some eggs, whisk together. Some people add water, others add milk, I add nothing. I also use organic free-range eggs as they taste much better than cheap eggs.
Heat the pan, add a little oil or butter. Add the whisked egg (three eggs if you must ask). As the eggs set add a filling if you so choose. I normally grate a little cheese on, sometimes some lightly cooked mushrooms.
Once the eggs are nearly set (they will continue to cook on the plate) slide and flip onto a plate.
Serve with some granary toast and fresh coffee.
Now that’s what I call a breakfast!
Nice and simple dish.
Take some good quality salmon fillets, remove the skin. You don’t need to remove the skin, but I prefer to do so.
Place in a roasting tray. Add some finely chopped parsley and place a knob of unsalted butter on each fillet.
Roast in a hot oven for about ten minutes.
Serve with steamed new potatoes and a side salad.
Currently roasting a chicken.
Chicken is an organic free range bird, stuffed with a sausagemeat stuffing and draped with pancetta bacon.
Going to serve it with traditional accompaniments including roast potatoes, roast parsnips and steamed vegetables.
This is the dish I made today for putting in the freezer. It can be a stew or the basis for a beef and ale pie.
I took some diced organic beef. This is browned in batches in a very hot pan. It is vital for the stew for flavour and colour that you brown the beef and don’t initially “stew” or “steam” the beef. So keep the temperature of the pan high and brown small batches.
Once the beef is browned I added diced carrot, parsnip and onion. These were softened in the pan I used for the beef. Once this was slightly softened and coated in the juices from the pan I added back the beef.
I then poured in a bottle of ale, I used Old Speckled Hen and a pint of beef stock.
Add herbs and seasoning to taste.
Simmer and cook for three hours or until the beef is tender.
I’m not one for staring at people as they eat their breakfast in a supermarket cafe, but this morning I couldn’t help myself.
There were a couple who had ordered two English Breakfasts. They arrived, and the man started to move the mushrooms from his plate to hers.
Fair enough I thought, he probably doesn’t like mushrooms.
She then started to move (what I initially thought) her egg over to his plate. I then realised she was just moving the fried egg white.
He then started moving the yolks from his plate to hers.
I am sure that they probably think their behaviour is “normal” to me it was very bizarre.
After he tried to put a whole fried egg white into his mouth and half fell out, she didn’t bat an eyelid, I knew I had seen too much and looked away and focused on my cup of tea.
Well we had a really nice Christmas Dinner. We had roast chicken, roast saddle of venison and a boned and stuffed roast duck.
The chicken was a free range corn fed bird which I stuffed with a homemade herb and sausage meat stuffing. I also added butter under the skin to keep the breast meat moist. The venison I wrapped in pancetta and simply roasted on a bed of chopped veg. The duck was purchased from Sainsburys and was boned and stuffed with an apricot stuffing.
All were delicious.
I served the meats with roast potatoes, roast parsnips (which were coated in an olive oil and honey), steamed vegetables, a variety of additional stuffings, chipolatas and yorkshire puddings.
Having been woken up early I am about to start some of the preparations for our Christmas Dinner.
Last night I peeled the potatoes and the parsnips.
I now want to make some stuffing for the chicken we are having.
Alongside the chicken I have a boned and stuffed duck and a saddle of venison.
Pretty much on top of things.
I was recently up in London and stayed at the Ambassadors Hotel in Bloomsbury. Staying with friends we had the Christmas dinner at the Number Twelve attached restaurant. I started off with the Chestnut Pasta and had the Ribeye steak for my mains.
For my desert I had the cheese.
Well don’t get me wrong it was a very nice cheese, but as that it? Three small (half) slices of Stilton.
Hmmm.
Well my plan for a Christmas Four Bird Roast was scuppered this year. I had intended to order one from Marks and Spencers which consisted of Turkey, Goose, Duck, Chicken.
However when I went to order it was apparent that many others had had the same idea and it had sold out! I am guessing that a) a lot of people were like me and liked the concept b) the Marks and Spencers version was good value for money at £100. There was no way you could even do it yourself for £100. Waitrose’s version was £120 and only consisted of a three bird roast.
So instead…
We’re going to have (separately) chicken, duck and venison.