Random Recipes#6 - my favourite cook book...

After my last catastrophic attempt at Dom’s challenge, I was really pleased to see that this month’s ‘Random Recipe Challenge’ is from "your favourite cook book".

Which cookery book would I choose as my favourite? A no-brainer? Actually it’s harder than you might think.

If you’re like me, that is. That’s because I have groups of favourite cookery books. For example, the ones with hand-written inherited recipes collected over time. Ones that you’ve had to coax out of friends or relatives. Secret family recipes that they may not really want to share until their deathbed, and even then, you may not have been the first choice for the legacy...

Then there are my favourite informative ones, those that have the 'how-to' recipes, the diagrams, conversion charts and tables; the well used reference books that you can’t do without.

Finally, my most-read books, the beautiful ones, or those written by my favourite cookery writers. Interestingly, non by chefs (unless you count Jamie.) Books like ‘Falling Cloudberries,’ or ‘Apples for Jam’ with the cute little pair of red shoes on the dust jacket, both written by Tessa Kiros, that I coveted for ages until I had my own copies. Then poured over the pages a hundred times reading the text and the recipes, admiring the colour images and cute illustrations; but for some reason have only ever tried making one…!

My much loved, and well-used copy of Nigel Slater’s ‘Real Food’ that I know would randomly open at the page for Green Chicken Curry. I love that book and use it all the time. I think I love him too. Watching him with people on TV he just seems like such a nice guy, someone that you would want to have as a friend…you just know that he’d be a really good one.

I can’t miss out the kitsch nostalgia of Nigella’s 50’s and 60’s inspired, retro family recipes, which I can find in any one of her books that inhabit my shelves. I’m always making her Keralan inspired spicy breakfast omelette and watching re-runs of ‘Nigella Bites’ or ‘Forever Summer’ (I prefer those earlier TV shows) they have brightened up many a rainy day, encouraging me to get out the baking bowl!

But at the moment (and I know that may sound fickle) my favourite cookery book is 
‘Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights.’ I love reading SD’s story, I love the images, I love the food and her style of cooking…and I love her too...it’s just perfect for me…

And the random recipe is…da…da…:-

"Baked eggs with Swiss chard"

You can find the recipe on page 40. It’s in the ‘autumn lunch’ section. I have to say that on randomly opening the page I was a little disappointed. This didn’t sound the most exciting or attractive dish to make for the challenge.


But not-one to give up easily I persevered and I’m so glad that it took me to this page. It's really worth making. If you don't have copy you can link to it here.


Basically you:

• Caramelise red onions in olive oil. Then place them in an oven proof dish along with chopped chard.
• Crack in eggs. Season and then bake in a medium oven until the eggs are cooked.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with goats cheese and grill until it's melted.

I used lovely Persian ewe's milk cheese, just because we've had some relatives over that brought us some, and it's delicious. The finished result didn't look very much and the cheese was a bit pongy when I took the dish out from the oven...but it tastes amazing, especially with a good dash of Tabasco sauce.

This is the 17th recipe from Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights’  that I've tried and tested to date. I will make this often.  Another resounding thumbs up...10/10 from me.

I think that although in the autumn lunch section, this is a great vegetarian alternative to an English cooked breakfast. It has as much flavour and is just as substantial. In fact it's Saturday morning and pouring with rain...

so I think I'll go and cook some up now...mmm....can't wait

My creative Space

It seemed like a shame to relegate this cute little kitchen bin to be all mashed up and made into something new. It still had so much more life left in it.

So when a friend asked me if I would drop it off at the recycling centre on my way home, I asked if she minded if I recycled it myself.

I filled with homemade compost, Planted dill seeds and it’s made a perfect portable raised bed to grow herbs like this luscious dill to add to my edible garden.

You can check out some more creative spaces here

A Couple of things in common with Nigella

When it comes to food, like Nigella I am sometimes extravagant but never wasteful, and I love leftovers. I also love when the two pairs of shoes kicked off in the hall turn to seven or more and the old school table actually gets fully set and I can lift the big white charger off the wall and fill it with food.


I can think of tons of times when I've been helping people clear up the dishes after some kind of foodie get together and rescued a tasty morsel from being thrown in the rubbish or compost bin in the nick of time...It's amazing how many people don't know that roasted vegetables make the best sandwich with houmous (and cold chicken too if you have any) and there something so indulgent about left over desert for breakfast.  Especially if you've spent two whole days cooking and can't be bothered doing any more for a bit.

Killing two birds with one stone.

I'm a great believer in economy. Especially of time and labour. There are a number of Persian dishes that I make quite often that require poached chicken. Whenever I cook the chicken I add a few little extras like a stick of celery and some carrots, season well and once the chicken is tender I remove it and I'm left with chicken stock to freeze ready for the next time I make risotto or soup.

One of the dishes I make regularly at this time of year is a kind of chicken, gherkin, egg and lemon, potato salad called Salad Olivier. It's great to keep in the fridge for packed lunches.

Yesterday I made this chicken Tachine by covering two chicken breasts with water, poaching with a whole finely sliced white onion before draining and placing all day in a marinade of yoghurt, two beaten eggs, salt and liquid saffron. It's best left overnight but I didn't have time. I then cooked two and a half cups of Basmati rice in boiling water for a few minutes, until al dente, drained it and then placed in an oven proof dish. I then mixed all the ingredients together with the rice and a little oil , covered and then baked in a hot oven for two hours, with a few knobs of butter added in the last few minutes.

The rice is golden and crunchy on the outside and soft inside and the chicken moist and tasty.

A Creative Use of Space -

My ‘creative space’ recently has been more about a creative 'use' of space and ideas, swapping things around a bit . I upcycled this old wooden cupboard a couple of months ago to hold a piece of artwork for an exhibition. It was part of the installation, with some text projected over it. I painting it in a dark grey matt paint and then papered inside with a patchwork wallpaper samples.

We desperately needed more storage space in our small bathroom so I decided to try out the cupboard. It had been living in the garage with a plinth and lots of other things ever since the exhibition finished. I didn't think it would work, but gave it a go. I'm so happy we did I now have lots more storage space.

He He... I'm now going to do a 'design sponge' type

'before' and 'after' image!!

before

after

...and afterwards I found this Ben and Pepper cupboard on the 'mengsel design blog' and I think it's a little bit similar...except that my paper applique is on the inside instead of outside...

linked to our creative spaces

Black or Purple Peruvian?

Potatoes that is. You expect something special when you cut into a black potato and see all that lovely purple flesh don’t you? Even the idea of black potatoes has something a little bit exotic about it, like Black Russian cigarettes. I don't smoke them, or anything else for that matter... but I've always thought they look so cool...( I know they're not good for you)

So when ‘A’ actually brought some home from school that some of his students had grown, I couldn’t wait to try them out. My first inclination was to find a very special recipe as the potatoes looked so unusual. But then I thought no...as I'd never cooked with them before maybe it would best to do something really simple that wouldn't obscure the flavour. So I simply baked some and seasoned with a good sprinkle of sea salt and knob of butter and ate with a plain salad and poached egg.

The potatoes kept their colour really well, but the flavour was disappointing. They were just a very bland floury potato. I'm not sure what variety they are...I think possibly Purple Peruvian also known as Black or Blue potatoes. Novelty wise they are fun to use and would make a cool purple mash...great for Halloween, but the flavour has to come from other ingredients.

Par-boiled Black potatoes worked well in this tortilla style omelette with sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, chilli and little anchovies. I’ve only just discovered the ones from the delicatessen that you buy by weight, not the tinned variety. They are so much tastier, almost like a different food. They make tiny soft little melty explosions of flavour.

Possibly the best way to use them for me was in this salad I made last night of boiled cubes of sweet and black potato, baby gem lettuce, cucumber, sliced red onion, some tangy Persian feta cheese (I think it’s made from ewes milk) and nice big butter beans…mmmm…simply dressed with pumpkin seed oil and Balsamic vinegar and a little bit of seasoning. The colours and flavours were amazing…

top image via

Oxford Carnival

Oxford Carnival - not on the scale of Notting Hill but usually has a cool cosmopolitan vibe...this year it was in South Park not Cowley Road...awesome setting but a shame it didn't have quite the same buzz as usual...

The Turf Tavern Oxford

We'd lived in Oxford a long time before we discovered The Turf Tavern hidden away down a little passage, under the Bridge of Sighs. It's great in the summer when you can sit outside and eat lunch, but the best time of all is on a frosty autumn or winter Sunday when all the braziers are lit and you can toast marshmallows and drink mulled wine or hot chocolate...