mosaic road

Luxe Fishcakes

I was lucky enough to get a sample of M's exceptional fishcakes today. This is one boy who should give up his day job and go into catering. And luxe they were with ling, lobster and sweet potato all rolled in panko crumbs. Omigod !! I am not a huge fish eater but I could eat these on a daily basis.

Salted Caramel - all the way from the UK

A lovely friend bought me a lovely gift from London. It was a little salted caramel and nut bar purchased at Ottolenghi a culinary boutique, pantry and cafe. Salted caramel is all the rage just now and justifiably so !! The salt cuts the sugary sweetness creating a mouthful of perfection. Ottolenghi looks perfection too. What a store !! In itself it warrants a trip to the UK. I can only hope we see a franchise here !!

Morocco in a Bowl

I am getting inspired by my upcoming trip in 7 weeks so dinner  took a distinct Morroccan turn last night. Couscous, peppers and eggplant make a delicious melee.

Loving Lentils

They are so useful and so peppery and delicious, no matter the colour. I always have dried red ones and tins of brown ones in the cupboard. I recall as an early cook avoiding the dried variety as I worried about the soaking and fiddling. Well, now I don't soak or fiddle but I do rinse and then add them to my soup base along with everything else. Within 30 mins they are usually done to perfection. I love the way they thicken on sitting and a soup can become a dahl or a dip the next day. This simple lentil and kale soup was enjoyed over the weekend.

Midweek Mainstay

I am talking about the stirfry. Countless people across the world quickly whip this 'meal in a bowl' up, with or without meat, with or without fish ,every day and night. It did not seem to exist when I was a child. My mother made a close relative called Kai Si Ming, a mince and cabbage based dish, heavily doused in soy sauce to give it that Asian feeling. It was made in an electric frypan. A wok, back then, was an exotic and unavailable item. This meal seems to be a perfect in every way. It is quick to make, a great way for everyone to eat their vegies and has unlimited possibilities depending on your palate and is cheap as long as you are not slicing Wagu beef strips into it . And you feel so virtuous  about eating it that you can justify dessert. What's not to love, I ask ??

Spring is Nearly Sprung

18 C today, my snow drop bulbs are shooting up and pink  blossom is just on the verge of turning my nectarine tree from a sad brown bunch of twigs into a a glorious pastel vision !! Roll on springtime !!

Christmas in August

I have made a delicious light fruitcake, a Christmas Dried Fruitcake . It is a Scandinavian recipe and as we know they do  christmassy things very, very well. It is not overladen with heavy dark fruit but has a generous smattering plus the fruit can be of your choice. I went with diced prunes and dried cherries. It is for my co workers. Our miserable wintry day will be in keeping with traditional European December weather conditions so perfect timing for this cake.

From Tree to Plate

A couple of years ago I moved house to downsize my outdoor area, leaving behind a massive and ancient lemon tree. It bore so much fruit that the branches had to be propped up by the gardener to stop them breaking. I was sad leaving it but exchanged it for 11 much younger trees at my new house. They flank the whole of one side of my property and bear copious amounts of fruit.

The possums of course love them which drives me and the dogs crazy. I have both lemons and limes and today put a couple of limes to very good use. What joy there is in using "local" produce.

A Caribbean Banana Cake

I like banana cake but I don't love it. It is easy to make and was always a popular standby for the school lunches. As I don't , thankfully, ever have to make school lunches again, I don't make banana cake very often. This variation really tempted me as it is not sweet and has a fabulous texture to it. Oatmeal, chopped nuts and cornmeal are the main ingredients plus of course the mashed banana. It is a Bajan Banana Cake, a speciality of Barbados.