quiet time

Sorry about the lack of recent posts on this blog, I have been baking a bit, but I haven't generally been as happy with the results.
Non the less I did a coffee and blueberry cake a week or so ago that i really enjoyed.
Basic Principles, y'know flour, margerine, sugar and eggs, but I used demerara sugar, dark and soft. I then poured hot water on instant coffee, only about 1/4 cup of water with plenty of coffee and mixed it all in. Then stirred in some dried blueberries and threw it in a loaf tin and into the oven. I am not sure if I took pictures of this one, i will look later and let you know.

On the subject of food, The White Hart where we stayed on our Jaunt at the weekend served fantastic food. At lunchtime we just had baguettes with cold fillings, I went for cheese and onion, M had ham, but they warmed the bread, it was lovely and soft and tasty!! Then at dinner, we had a proper meal. M's ribeye steak dissapeared completely and the fries he had were the best ever, I think they must have just washed, chipped and deep fried the potatoes with out peeling them, at any rate i may well purchase a deep fat fryer this weekend, they were that good!!! I went for spicy meatballs on spaghetti, the meatballs were wonderful, real pieces of meat, fresh and delicious!! i am dubious about meatballs and burgers and the ike, although i love them occasionally for a really grubby sort of treat, but these were perfect, and then we shared a piece of white chocolate cheesecake with blueberry compote, yummmmm. I am sorry to say i didn't take pictures of this meal. But we shall be eating there again soon and I shall try to get photos for you.

In the meantime, check out this blog by the author of The Julie/Julia Project.
http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/

Pizza

I love Pizza, takeaway, frozen or fresh, but I lve to make pizza too,I can't think why i didn't do it for so long.

All you need for the base is 450g flour, 1/2 pint of warmwater, yeast, and a litle salt and sugar.
So, here's the dough, one still balled and the other thoroughly kneaded



and here are the pizzas ready for the oven, i used chilli oil instead of tomato paste,


and here is one fresh from the oven


I use a blend of half and half, plain white and plain wholemeal flour, gives it abit more depth of flavour, but I found all wholemeal too heavy. This time I loaded them down with a variety of spicy sausages and chicken tikka and went easy on the cheeses (by my standards). The boys were appreciative and two large pizzas were devoured between the three of us, with much lipsmacking and little finnesse. It's quick and easy, 10mins to prepare, leave somewhere warm for half an hour for the easy bake yeast towork and the bases to rise, slap on your toppings and bake for about 20 mins at a moderate temp.

assorted musings....just add mayonaise

I have been thinking a lot about bolognaise. It's a perennial in my kitchen, and I have come across a lot of recipes for it recently. There seem to be as many variations as there are people who cook it, maybe more, apparently this is poften the case with Italian food, maybe that's the appeal for me. The same meal being made in a hundred different ways, it's free and easy cooking, just the way i like it. I even saw a recipe for Gothic Spag Bol, where you have a very red bolognaise anddye the pasta blackwith squid ink. I know what i'm cooking this Halloween then.
I make bologanise because I can do it in 15 minutes and create something delicious when my cupboards a nearly bare, i need mince, tomatoes, whatever else and my spice rack, on pasta. I did it last night for Mark and Phil, and it was delicious even tho i had no veggies to throw in it, the spice combination and quantities, no doubt never to be perfectly replicated, gave it a lovely flovour and we all enjoyed the meal, on the other hand i saw a fabulous recipe for bolognaise that requires simmering for three hours, never going to happen in my kitchen, but if anyone wants to invite me over i am happy to try it. :)

Someone posted on their blog about Jam the other day, how she's got so many pots qand loves it, but prefers her bread savoury. I am in the same boat. As I result i set about finding other uses for jam, and i reckon i've nailed it, Heat up some banana cake, out some cold jam on it in a dollop and devour.
I took a photo of my selection of sweet spreadables.


Last random thought today I promise.

I have been sorting and moving things inthe house, trying to tidy up, sort things for car boot sales to clear space in the house for Mark who is worrying about where all his things will go when he moves in. well he has a point if i'm honest. Anyway, the one thing I haven't tried to rationalise as yet is my cookery book collection, in fact the sneaky devil seems to be expanding.
Are you too addicted to cook books? How do you control your habit?
Here is the evidence of mine.
That's about 2 metersof cook books, and my booze cabinet. The bottomshelf that isn't fully inpicture is books i ammoving out of that room, hence the mess.