So Much To Tell.....

A hell of a lot has changed since I last posted on here....

I've put down the axe and picked up the Global full-time...So I guess I can now call myself a chef! I've been working very hard for the past year. So much so, that I am about to take my first head-chef post at The Bathurst Arms in Gloucestershire.
It's been a bumpy ride and I've been on the steepest learning-curve known to all mankind.

I have so many recipes that I want to put up on here and I'm going to make a point of spending a part of one day each week doing so.

I hope I can share some cool ideas with you and in-turn, get back into the whole sharing recipes thing that works so well using this 'ere thing they call the interweb.

I'll be back shortly.

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I have decided that I am indeed going to post on here again...I find myself with a little time and use of an AGA and so I think I shall put up some new recipes and photographs soon, so...

Watch This Space !

X

Egg Shaped Fred

Fred: "I can't believe how dirty your cooker is Dennis. To be honest, I'm surprised you don't mind people seeing a photo of it".

Dennis: "Excuse me, I think you'll find I've been really busy over the last week, doing band stuff, playing shows...really busy, so keep your comments to yourself".

Fred: "I was only saying".

x

Garlic Mushy Peas

Mushy Peas....I absolutely love them. I get chips and mushy peas from the chip shop quite frequently, maybe 2 or 3 times a month. Admittedly they're not the healthiest, but my word, aren't they good?

Tonight's dinner was just going to be salmon and peas; tasty, quick and easy, nothing to write home about. Once the peas were boiled though, I thought I may as well have a bit of a play around and I accidentally came up with something that I'm definitely going to do again.

My Garlic Mushy Peas:

Frozen Garden Peas (boiled and drained)
3 tbsp Good Balsamic Vinegar
1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
3 tbsp Double (heavy) Cream
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
Salt

Method:

• Place the boiled peas in a saucepan and mash roughly with a potato masher (you could use a fork if you wanted), over a medium heat.
• Add the garlic and balsamic vinegar, stirring for 1 minute or so.
• Add the cream, allowing it to bubble for a further minute.
• Take off the heat and throw in some parsley and season to taste with salt.

Very simple but really very good indeed.

x


Archaeologists and historians have unearthed peas in ancient tombs and have found dated pictures and writings discussing the virtues of the pea. They think the garden pea originated in either China or Egypt.

The Chinese believed that their emperor, Shu Nung, discovered peas 5000 years ago. Called the Chinese Father of Agriculture, he is said to have wandered around the countryside observing and collecting plants, looking for those which might be suitable for food or medicine. Potential edibles were fed to a dog, then a servant and, if both survived, the emperor himself would taste the new food....read more.

Yorkshire Puddings - Revised

With this little blog 'o' mine, what tends to go on it actually reflects what I want/have to cook and eat each day. I generally let that which I actually want take priority, and so the blog follows. Obviously I occasionally choose something to make and go out and buy the ingredients, but for the most part, I go with what's in the fridge.
Inevitably what this means is that, at times, I cook the same things or I cook the most very basic of foods that really aren't worth writing about.
One of my first posts was for Yorkshire Puddings; something I really like to make and also something that can bit a bit hit-and-miss. I made some today, to the same recipe I always use, only with 2 differences:

• After the batter is chilled for 30 mins or so, I added 1 egg yolk and whisked, before sticking in the oven.
• At the end of cooking, I briefly turned each pudding over (cooking for a further 3 mins or so)

The first is taken from a Jamie Oliver tip that I saw on t.v and seems to help the bad boys rise up a bit more, as well as adding to the colour and improving the texture.

The second tip is one I saw recently done by Gordon Ramsay, on The F-Word. This little trick ensures that the bottom of each pud is fully cooked and crisp, instead of being a bit soggy sometimes.


I thought I might share these tips as well as taking the opportunity to actually post a pic, now that I have the means to do so.

x