Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Delia's flapjacks, soaking in butter and totally yummy!
I went out to work for a few hours this morning in my taxi, but because London was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, there were no passengers! So I popped home for a warm cup of coffee and some comfort food.
What to cook? A few days ago I baked Masterchef style flapjacks and was a little disappointed with how dry they were.
As you know, Im a rubbish cook. The only way I am going to get better is to keep trying. So I chose a different recipe for flapjacks today. Enter the Queen of butter, Delia Smith.
I picked a recipe from her 'Baking' book, (page 117.)
Ingredients
110g light brown sugar
175g butter (I used I unsalted President)
1 desert spoon golden syrup
175g porridge oats
2 drops of almond essence
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together.
Off the heat and mix in the oats and essence.
Place the mix into a baking tin, pressing down, (just like the Masterchef recipe).
Put in a preheated oven 150C for 40 minutes.
Leave it 10 minutes and cut into slabs or squares, but keep in the tin until cold.
Initially I was worried I had completely cocked this up.When I first took it out the oven it was swimming in butter!!
Had I not cooked it long enough? Had I misread the instructions? So in true masculine style, I thought if I ignore the problem - it will go away! Haha, and it did. I left them to cool for half an hour, and the butter soaked into the flapjacks.
These flapjacks were really gorgeous gooey sweets, but probably too heavy on the butter.
My sister-in-law loved these flapjacks. Unfortunately she is currently tied up and locked in the cupboard. It was the only way I could stop her from eating them all.
Be lucky, and you stay classy..... wherever you are!
What to cook? A few days ago I baked Masterchef style flapjacks and was a little disappointed with how dry they were.
As you know, Im a rubbish cook. The only way I am going to get better is to keep trying. So I chose a different recipe for flapjacks today. Enter the Queen of butter, Delia Smith.
I picked a recipe from her 'Baking' book, (page 117.)
110g light brown sugar
175g butter (I used I unsalted President)
1 desert spoon golden syrup
175g porridge oats
2 drops of almond essence
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together.
Off the heat and mix in the oats and essence.
Place the mix into a baking tin, pressing down, (just like the Masterchef recipe).
Put in a preheated oven 150C for 40 minutes.
Leave it 10 minutes and cut into slabs or squares, but keep in the tin until cold.
Initially I was worried I had completely cocked this up.When I first took it out the oven it was swimming in butter!!
Had I not cooked it long enough? Had I misread the instructions? So in true masculine style, I thought if I ignore the problem - it will go away! Haha, and it did. I left them to cool for half an hour, and the butter soaked into the flapjacks.
These flapjacks were really gorgeous gooey sweets, but probably too heavy on the butter.
My sister-in-law loved these flapjacks. Unfortunately she is currently tied up and locked in the cupboard. It was the only way I could stop her from eating them all.
Be lucky, and you stay classy..... wherever you are!
Eggs in pots, so much better than Egg McMuffin!
My wife is struggling at the moment, 39 weeks pregnant today! Tired, and ready to regain her body back from incubating an alien.
The only way I can help is to make us some breakfast.
Enter stage left, the Queen of French home cooking, Rachel Khoo.
Breakfast - great idea, but worked my socks off this weekend, so the cupboard is bare... nearly!
What could I make with creme fraiche and eggs? Eggs in pots, yes!
Ingredients
Creme Fraiche 150g
salt and pepper
nutmeg (I didn't as I had none.)
Chopped dill (again - none. Had enough parsley for one pot.)
Sadly, I couldn't follow Rachel's recipe, had to improvise with what I had.
Started with two ramekins, (one for my wife, one for me.)
One teaspoon of creme fraiche in each pot.
Crack an egg open in both pots.
For my wife's pot I added parsley, for mine I used paprika.
Add another generous spoonful of creme fraiche.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Put the ramekins into a baking dish and pour warm water into about halfway.
Preheat your oven (180C) and bake for 15 minutes.
15 minutes gave me enough time make us a mug of coffee each and some toasted brioche, (to dip into the yoke.)
Ok, so gourmet cooking this isn't, But it earned me lots of brownie points with my wife.
Be lucky, and you stay classy… Wherever you are!
The only way I can help is to make us some breakfast.
Enter stage left, the Queen of French home cooking, Rachel Khoo.
Breakfast - great idea, but worked my socks off this weekend, so the cupboard is bare... nearly!
What could I make with creme fraiche and eggs? Eggs in pots, yes!
Creme Fraiche 150g
salt and pepper
nutmeg (I didn't as I had none.)
Chopped dill (again - none. Had enough parsley for one pot.)
Sadly, I couldn't follow Rachel's recipe, had to improvise with what I had.
Started with two ramekins, (one for my wife, one for me.)
One teaspoon of creme fraiche in each pot.
Crack an egg open in both pots.
For my wife's pot I added parsley, for mine I used paprika.
Add another generous spoonful of creme fraiche.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Put the ramekins into a baking dish and pour warm water into about halfway.
Preheat your oven (180C) and bake for 15 minutes.
15 minutes gave me enough time make us a mug of coffee each and some toasted brioche, (to dip into the yoke.)
Ok, so gourmet cooking this isn't, But it earned me lots of brownie points with my wife.
Be lucky, and you stay classy… Wherever you are!
What to do when you're waiting to go into labour? Cook Jamie's Fantastic Fish Pie
Waiting for anything isn't pleasant, waiting for a baby to be born is excruciating.
However, we all have to eat.
Jamie Oliver's fantastic fish pie from his 'The Return of the Naked Chef,' does what it says on the tin.
Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled and diced (I wanted more mash so I used 6)
salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach (I used 3)
1 onion, finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
285ml double cream (the pot I bought was 300ml - so I used it all)
2 good handfuls of mature Cheddar/Parmesan (you guessed it - I used 3 of Cheddar)
juice of 1 lemon (again, I used 1.5 to 2)
1 heaped teaspoon of English mustard
1 large handful of flat-leaf, finely chopped
455g haddock/cod fillet, skin removed,
pin-boned and sliced into strips (I used cod)
nutmeg
I also added a handful of cooked prawns.
Put the oven on to 230C and peel the potatoes.
Diced potatoes into salted boiling water. Wait for them to come back to the boil for 2 minutes.
Place the eggs in with the boiling potatoes. Be careful, I nearly cracked one of my eggs. Cook for 8 minutes then take off the heat. Drain the potatoes and put the eggs into a glass to cool.
Jamie steams the spinach in a colander above the potatoes, I don't. Didn't want the starch from the potatoes onto the spinach.
Instead, put the spinach into a glass bowl and cling film the top. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute.
Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze the moisture out of the leaves. I love the sensation from this.
Grab a frying pan, and put some olive oil, the onions and carrots into fry for 5 minutes.
Add the double cream to the frying pan and once it starts to bubble, remove it from the heat.
The cheese, lemon juice, mustard and parsley should now go into the frying pan.
You now need an ovenproof dish. Place the fish, spinach and eggs into the dish.
The sauce from the frying pan should now be poured into the ovenproof dish. Give it all a jolly good stir.
Mash the potatoes, and if you remember, (which I didn't), add a little bit of nutmeg to the mash. This makes the mash have a lovely fragrance.
You now need to add the potato to the dish. Start by added small amounts of potato, remembering you need to cover all of the dish.
I added some extra cheese on top, just to give it an extra crunch.
Dish into the oven for 25-30 minutes and pour yourself a glass of wine. I didnt as Im on call, hoping to take my longer suffering wife to the maternity ward soon.
Be lucky, and you stay classy.... Whoever you are!
However, we all have to eat.
Jamie Oliver's fantastic fish pie from his 'The Return of the Naked Chef,' does what it says on the tin.
Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled and diced (I wanted more mash so I used 6)
salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach (I used 3)
1 onion, finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
285ml double cream (the pot I bought was 300ml - so I used it all)
2 good handfuls of mature Cheddar/Parmesan (you guessed it - I used 3 of Cheddar)
juice of 1 lemon (again, I used 1.5 to 2)
1 heaped teaspoon of English mustard
1 large handful of flat-leaf, finely chopped
455g haddock/cod fillet, skin removed,
pin-boned and sliced into strips (I used cod)
nutmeg
I also added a handful of cooked prawns.
Put the oven on to 230C and peel the potatoes.
Diced potatoes into salted boiling water. Wait for them to come back to the boil for 2 minutes.
Place the eggs in with the boiling potatoes. Be careful, I nearly cracked one of my eggs. Cook for 8 minutes then take off the heat. Drain the potatoes and put the eggs into a glass to cool.
Jamie steams the spinach in a colander above the potatoes, I don't. Didn't want the starch from the potatoes onto the spinach.
Instead, put the spinach into a glass bowl and cling film the top. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute.
Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze the moisture out of the leaves. I love the sensation from this.
Grab a frying pan, and put some olive oil, the onions and carrots into fry for 5 minutes.
Add the double cream to the frying pan and once it starts to bubble, remove it from the heat.
The cheese, lemon juice, mustard and parsley should now go into the frying pan.
You now need an ovenproof dish. Place the fish, spinach and eggs into the dish.
The sauce from the frying pan should now be poured into the ovenproof dish. Give it all a jolly good stir.
Mash the potatoes, and if you remember, (which I didn't), add a little bit of nutmeg to the mash. This makes the mash have a lovely fragrance.
You now need to add the potato to the dish. Start by added small amounts of potato, remembering you need to cover all of the dish.
I added some extra cheese on top, just to give it an extra crunch.
Dish into the oven for 25-30 minutes and pour yourself a glass of wine. I didnt as Im on call, hoping to take my longer suffering wife to the maternity ward soon.
Be lucky, and you stay classy.... Whoever you are!
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Breakfast with lovely Lorraine Pascal - Bacon and Cheese Twisties with my own twist
Still no baby! My wife had loads of contractions last night and then they stopped. Neither of us slept well, so we need a quick, easy, hearty breakfast. Lorraine Pascal's Bacon & mature Cheddar cheese twisties are just the ticket.
Ingredients
375g puff pastry
Plain flour for dusting
English mustard 1tbsp
Black pepper
14 x pancetta (you can use good quality bacon or prosciutto.)
1 egg
Put some baking paper on a tray.
Roll out your pastry into a rectangle, (5mm thick.) I bought my pastry, far too tired to make it.
Put the long side of the pastry nearest to you and spread the mustard. I don't have a palette knife, so I improvised.
Now add some pepper.
First time I made these the pancetta was a little rare and they needed an extra spice. This time I have added some paprika and I part cooked the pancetta.
Lie the slices of pancetta on the pastry next to each other.
Lorraine uses a knife, but I used a pizza slice to cut the pastry between each piece of the meat.
Pick up your cut strip and twist 3-5 times.
Now twist all the strips and place on the tray.
We need to firm up our twists, so put the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Don't forget the twists are in the freezer, I nearly did!!!
Egg wash the twists and cook for 15-20 minutes.
I had to turn them after 10 minutes.
I hope all your twists were eaten as fast as mine.
Be lucky, and you stay classy..... Wherever you are!
Ingredients
375g puff pastry
Plain flour for dusting
English mustard 1tbsp
Black pepper
14 x pancetta (you can use good quality bacon or prosciutto.)
1 egg
Put some baking paper on a tray.
Roll out your pastry into a rectangle, (5mm thick.) I bought my pastry, far too tired to make it.
Put the long side of the pastry nearest to you and spread the mustard. I don't have a palette knife, so I improvised.
Now add some pepper.
First time I made these the pancetta was a little rare and they needed an extra spice. This time I have added some paprika and I part cooked the pancetta.
Lie the slices of pancetta on the pastry next to each other.
Lorraine uses a knife, but I used a pizza slice to cut the pastry between each piece of the meat.
Pick up your cut strip and twist 3-5 times.
Now twist all the strips and place on the tray.
We need to firm up our twists, so put the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Don't forget the twists are in the freezer, I nearly did!!!
Egg wash the twists and cook for 15-20 minutes.
I had to turn them after 10 minutes.
I hope all your twists were eaten as fast as mine.
Be lucky, and you stay classy..... Wherever you are!
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
London's Top 5 for Afternoon Tea/Indulging a Pregnant Wife. Afternoon tea with cheese and chive scones, cake and tea.
39 weeks +3 pregnant, and my wife is tired needing indulging. She requested Afternoon Tea, so that is what she shall have. Using my cabbie knowledge, I will list my top 5 places in London for Afternoon Tea at the end of my blog.
My challenge here was the scones. I've only made them once before, yesterday. They were a disaster, (picture below.) I sulked like a schoolboy all afternoon. Most of my baking so far have been relatively successful - this wasn't. You think you have everything licked and all of a sudden you are brought back down to earth with a bump.
Just so you don't repeat the mistakes I made above:
* Don't roll your dough out too thin, (at least 2.5cm thick)
* Use self-raising flour and baking powder
* Keep an eye on the oven...... obviously I didn't, played with my daughter in the garden instead.
Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder (my scones tasted great, but didn't rise. Wish I added 1.5tsp)
0.5tsp dry mustard
30g unsalted butter, (chilled and cubed)
25g grated Parmesan
90g grated Cheddar (use the larger grater as you will achieve a stronger cheese flavour.)
250ml milk
2 big handfuls of chives
Start by putting the oven 220C.
Sift the flour, baking powder, mustard powder and a little bit of salt into a bowl.
Rub the butter into the mix with light fingertips. Imagine the mix is pipping hot and you can barely touch it.
Now stir in the Parmesan and most of the Cheddar, along with the chives.
In the centre of the bowl make a hole, (see above photo.) Pour half milk into this well.
Mix with a flat-bladed knife, making cutting motions until it starts to come together. Add the rest of the milk and continue to mix with your knife.
Flour the worktop and your hands. Bring out the dough and form it into a ball in your hands.
Now roll out the dough until it is 2.5cm thick, (no thinner - remember my disaster yesterday.)
Use a 5cm cutter, (which I didn't - probably also why my scones didn't rise.) Cut them into circular shapes and place on a baking tray.
Add the remaining cheese to the top of the scones, (as below.)
Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them instead of playing in the garden with your daughter.
So my scones didn't rise, and I think it was either because it needed 1.5 tsp of baking powder instead of 1, or when cutting the scones I didn't use a cutter, but I don't care because they were delicious!!!
My Top 5 places for Afternoon Tea in London.
1. The Berkeley Hotel, (pronounced The Barclay.) Their afternoon tea, 'Prêt-à-Porte', is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. Changes every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. Make sure you have a glass of champagne.
http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/
2. The Wolseley. This restaurant is next to The Ritz. I love this restaurant. This building has been a car salesroom, a chinese restaurant - but now a decadent restaurant that you would imagine Bertie Wooster, or the cast of Downton Abbey would visit. The pastry chef here is superb. Try the Opera cake.
http://www.thewolseley.com/afternoon-tea
3. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason. Formely called St James restaurant, it was renamed after HM the Queen, HRH Duchess of Cornwall, and the fantastic HRH Duchess of Cambridge visited on 1st March 2012. So if it is good enough for royalty......
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-209-afternoon-tea-fortnum-and-mason.aspx
4. Claridges. This is my favourite London hotel, Art Deco and stunningly stylish. Afternoon Tea is taken in the Foyer/Reading Room. You could imagine Hercule Poriot resting here between cases.
http://www.claridges.co.uk/london-mayfair-afternoon-tea/
5. The Promenade, The Dorchester Hotel. Sumptious luxury is an understatement. I could live the rest of my life in this beautiful room. The Promenade is the same length as Nelson's Column.
http://www.thedorchester.com/afternoon-tea
My challenge here was the scones. I've only made them once before, yesterday. They were a disaster, (picture below.) I sulked like a schoolboy all afternoon. Most of my baking so far have been relatively successful - this wasn't. You think you have everything licked and all of a sudden you are brought back down to earth with a bump.
Just so you don't repeat the mistakes I made above:
* Don't roll your dough out too thin, (at least 2.5cm thick)
* Use self-raising flour and baking powder
* Keep an eye on the oven...... obviously I didn't, played with my daughter in the garden instead.
Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder (my scones tasted great, but didn't rise. Wish I added 1.5tsp)
0.5tsp dry mustard
30g unsalted butter, (chilled and cubed)
25g grated Parmesan
90g grated Cheddar (use the larger grater as you will achieve a stronger cheese flavour.)
250ml milk
2 big handfuls of chives
Start by putting the oven 220C.
Sift the flour, baking powder, mustard powder and a little bit of salt into a bowl.
Rub the butter into the mix with light fingertips. Imagine the mix is pipping hot and you can barely touch it.
Now stir in the Parmesan and most of the Cheddar, along with the chives.
In the centre of the bowl make a hole, (see above photo.) Pour half milk into this well.
Mix with a flat-bladed knife, making cutting motions until it starts to come together. Add the rest of the milk and continue to mix with your knife.
Flour the worktop and your hands. Bring out the dough and form it into a ball in your hands.
Now roll out the dough until it is 2.5cm thick, (no thinner - remember my disaster yesterday.)
Use a 5cm cutter, (which I didn't - probably also why my scones didn't rise.) Cut them into circular shapes and place on a baking tray.
Add the remaining cheese to the top of the scones, (as below.)
Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them instead of playing in the garden with your daughter.
So my scones didn't rise, and I think it was either because it needed 1.5 tsp of baking powder instead of 1, or when cutting the scones I didn't use a cutter, but I don't care because they were delicious!!!
My Top 5 places for Afternoon Tea in London.
1. The Berkeley Hotel, (pronounced The Barclay.) Their afternoon tea, 'Prêt-à-Porte', is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. Changes every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. Make sure you have a glass of champagne.
http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/
2. The Wolseley. This restaurant is next to The Ritz. I love this restaurant. This building has been a car salesroom, a chinese restaurant - but now a decadent restaurant that you would imagine Bertie Wooster, or the cast of Downton Abbey would visit. The pastry chef here is superb. Try the Opera cake.
http://www.thewolseley.com/afternoon-tea
3. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason. Formely called St James restaurant, it was renamed after HM the Queen, HRH Duchess of Cornwall, and the fantastic HRH Duchess of Cambridge visited on 1st March 2012. So if it is good enough for royalty......
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-209-afternoon-tea-fortnum-and-mason.aspx
4. Claridges. This is my favourite London hotel, Art Deco and stunningly stylish. Afternoon Tea is taken in the Foyer/Reading Room. You could imagine Hercule Poriot resting here between cases.
http://www.claridges.co.uk/london-mayfair-afternoon-tea/
5. The Promenade, The Dorchester Hotel. Sumptious luxury is an understatement. I could live the rest of my life in this beautiful room. The Promenade is the same length as Nelson's Column.
http://www.thedorchester.com/afternoon-tea
Be lucky, and you stay classy - wherever you are...!
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Tonight I failed! Supermarket Pizza!!!
My wife is almost 39 weeks pregnant and fit to burst! So the pressure is on me.
No fancy recipes from a celebrity chef tonight. I was just too tired to cook after driving threw the snow in London today.
So it was supermarket pizza for us tonight!
But I don't care because I know where the Easter Bunny is hiding. Southwest London!!!!!
Be lucky, and you stay classy….Wherever you are!
No fancy recipes from a celebrity chef tonight. I was just too tired to cook after driving threw the snow in London today.
So it was supermarket pizza for us tonight!
But I don't care because I know where the Easter Bunny is hiding. Southwest London!!!!!
Be lucky, and you stay classy….Wherever you are!
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