Archive for January 2009

tamarind

Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb and Redcurrants

Sous-vide cooking has brought a lot of joy to me. I love to discover and experiment with new ingredients and equipment.I received the water bath as a gift from Ross  …

cumin_butternut_soup

Cumin Roasted Butternut Squash and Cracked Wheat Soup

Choosing the right butternut squash has always been an important and precise task for my mother. It has to be elongated with the smallest seed cavity as possible. She believes …

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El Bulli’s Test Kitchen with Albert Adria

Anthony Bourdain visits Albert Adria at El Taller,which is the test kitchen and workshop where all the new ideas are generated for El Bulli. Albert Adria and brother  Ferran,  are …

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Spiced Red Lentil Soup

The fragrant but subtle tones of the spices and herbs make this soup incredibly moreish. I love the natural vibrant orange red colour which is bright enough to make a …

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Sweet Short Crust Pastry

Following recipes word for word has been one of my weaknesses in life. However I love to add my own twist and take on recipes, I suppose it’s all part …

crab_apple_jelly

Wild Hedgerow Apple Jelly

Visiting the in- laws and walking Duke the Labrador puppy on Christmas day was an experience in itself. We came across a wild apple tree that had just about dropped …

oxtail_soup

Oxtail and Roasted Onion Broth

Oxtail is a classic old British favourite and I found a recipe from 1922 in Mrs Beeton’s  New Edition cookery book. It is one of the forgotten cuts that should  …

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Pastry Cream

Every time I make pastry cream or as it is better known – Crème Patissiere, it takes me back in time. As a young chef in Paris, I use to …

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Date and Rum Bon Bons

Naughty but nice comes to mind when I make these Date and Rum Bon Bons. They do remind me of Christmas with their alcoholic kick and the fruity fudgy texture …

strawberry_crunch_marshmallows

Strawberry Crunch and Pomegranate Marshmallows

I learned how to make marshmallows at college and the memory of the sticky mess has stayed with me for many years. So one day,when my good friend Fabien and …

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Chocolate Fudge Spread

Yum, yum I love this recipe!! It’s brilliant, no additives or preservatives. This chocolate fudge spread recipe takes pride of place amongst my recipe collection. Mum gave it to me, …

pickled_beetroot

Star Anise and Cinnamon Pickled Beetroot

Growing vegetables has been a new and humble experience for me.It has given me a new found respect for the food we eat. I had a good harvest last summer …

Cauliflower and Shallot Piccalilli

Piccalilli is the king of the pickles. Once a year in a rather ceremonial fashion there is an official piccalilli making date in our household calendar.This occurs just before Christmas …

pheasant_pie_raw

Pheasant, Aegean Prune, Girolle & Chestnut Pie

The Game season and autumn is in full swing. The joys of walking in the woods on a crisp autumn day, seeing the chestnuts falling from the trees and a …

roug_puff

Rough Puff Pastry

Making puff pastry has always been one of those things that I just simply do not do. Purely because it takes for ever and then I have the fear that …