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The Emporium – Go Shopping

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Astrid

The Emporium Go Shopping: Emma Bridgewater/Sarah Raven

Fabulous New Summer Collection,  and fun Jubilee Party Products from Emma Bridgewater.  Tableclothes, Paper Cups, Cup Cake Stands – everything for that Jubilee Weekend.  Click Here to have a look

The New "Flotilla Mug" - Emma Bridgewater

Diamond Jubilee Paper Cake Stand

 

Emma Bridgewater has added many new products to both her Summer and Diamond Jubilee Collections.  It’s just a pleasure browing her website, so have a good look, and enjoy the creativity and inventiveness of Emma and her husband, Matthew Rice.

Sarah Raven’s site is also one of my favourite sites to browse – apart from having the most incredible flower and vegetable collections, Sarah also has come up with great fun and stylish products  for Summer and the Diamond Jubilee.  To have a look at the whole Sarah Raven site, click here.

Union Jack Table Candles - Sarah Raven

Acrylic Wine Glasses - Sarah Raven

Just love these Union Jack table candles, and Sarah’s idea of ‘potting’ them up in tiny plant pots.

Also I’m not a lover of plastic wine glasses, but I think Sarah’s style of acrylic glasses, with a silver effect band around the top, are the most stylish I have seen.  These are going to have pride of place on my table outside.

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Favourite Food Blogs (& Cook Books on Wish List)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Astrid

Favourite Food Blogs ( & Cook Books on Wish List):  There are many Food Blogs to read, some brilliant, some not so.  And Books. Especially Cook Books (for me).  I just wanted to share my recent favourite Food Blogs (and Cook Books on my wish list).  These two food blogs are completely different, one day-dreamingly beautiful with spectacular photography, and the other warm, earthy and very down to earth. Just click on the blog name and make your own mind up.  I love them both.

The first blog is one I somehow just chanced upon, titled ‘Cannelle et Vanille’.  (Click on the title to see the site). This is written by Aran Goyoaga, an amazing lady who hails from the Basque area of Northern Spain, but now lives in the USA.  She is a freelance journalist, a photographer and a food-stylist.  Last year she held a food-styling course in France, detailing the course, the people, the French countryside and food in such a glorious way that I wished I could have been there.   Aran is the most amazing photographer, filling her blog pages with breathtaking photos of food, life, ingredients and her children with pictures so delicate, ethereal and beautiful that you almost feel as if you are in a fairy tale of food.

When Aran returns to her roots, and parents, in the Basque countryside, she details her adventures with words, foods and pictures so tempting and irresistible that I, for one, was tempted to pack my case there and then to visit that fierce but beautiful part of Spain.  Her absolute love of the country of her birth pours out of her Food Blog, and her tales of everyday life are both inspirational and a delight to read.

A great deal of Aran’s recipes are gluten-free, and she has now compiled what looks like a stunningly photographed cookbook, out in October 2012.  This book is entitled “Small Plates & Sweet Treats”, filled with gluten-free, superb recipes, and, in Aran’s words, “Small plates as an homage to the raciones and pintxos which we eat in the Basque country when we share with friends – just like I share with you.”

This is definitely a book that is well-worth waiting for, and will find a space on my bookshelves, even though I don’t necessarily need a gluten free diet.  Aran’s recipes look amazing, and so incredibly tempting, so I will be getting my ‘pinny’ on in my kitchen.

To see more about Aran’s book, and pre-order it from Amazon, click here.

The next blog I enjoy is ‘Eat Like a Girl’, written by Niamh Shields, an Irish ex-pat with a very big smile (and I bet a big laugh) whose been living (happily, she says) in London for over 10 years. Totally different to ‘Canelle et Vanille’, Niamh’s blog is full of warmth, down to earth humour, and lots of comforting recipes. Niamh has won numerous awards for her food and travel blog, probably because she writes entertainingly about food and her travels.  Whatever country Niamh visits, she samples and photographs and documents the local foods and eateries with relish.  A very good blog to follow if you, too, travel a great deal.  Couple this with an extensive knowledge of all things culinary, and you realise why it is an award winning blog.

Niamh travels a lot, in fact a great deal, and the posts she wrote recently about her travels to Croatia (or Istria) were enlightening. The people were friendly and welcoming, the countryside looked magical and Niamh was at one with the earthiness of the local foods    So much of her recipes are fairly low-cost comfort food, but the influence of her travels washes over to her food, and some interesting combinations appear on her plate.

Niamh has also written a cook book, “Comfort & Spice”, which is full of her recipes, which vary from comforting Irish classics, recipes featuring slow cooking of the more reasonable joint of meat, such as Pork Belly, and the more exotic recipes Niamh has chanced upon when travelling the world extensively. There are also some tasty dessert recipes such as Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberries, which sounds so fresh and tangy.

To have a closer look at “Comfort & Spice” on Amazon, or order, please click here.

Next, Cook Books.  What am I putting on my ‘Wish List’?   Well, “Mugaritz” is one I would love.  Mugaritz, the Restaurant, is in Northern Spain, not far from San Sebastian.  Not long ago I watched a small video promoting this book, and it looks so beautiful, and the food superb.  “Mugaritz” is by chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, who trained under Ferran Adria at el Bulli, and Andoni’s restaurant was recently voted the third place in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Award, so it must be very special indeed.

This book is the chef’s story – the early years and trying to attract customers, then a traumatic time when Mugaritz caught fire in 2010, which totally destroyed his kitchen in one night.  I’m looking forward to Adoni’s story of how they re-built Mugaritz, and must have worked so intensely in such a short space of time to become the No 3 restaurant in the world. There are, apparently, great pictures of both the food and the setting.

There are about 70 recipes in this book, and because of the modern culinary techniques used by Adoni, I’m not sure I will even attempt them in my kitchen, but to read and learn from such a talented chef, who works in such a beautiful setting, will be pleasure enough. And maybe, one day, I will pressure Erik into taking me to Mugaritz, the resurrected restaurant.

To read a review of “Mugaritz”, or have a closer look on Amazon, please click here.

Another book on my wish list at the moment is “Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood”.  Nathan Outlaw has appeared on UK TV over the last few years, and is the most ‘uncheffy’ chef I have ever seen.  He always looks cheerful and gently happy, more like a big, gentle, ruddy-cheeked farmer or rugby player, but his love of food pours out of him, and now that he has not one but two restaurants in one of my favourite areas of Cornwall, this man can do no wrong for me.

I was amazed when I saw how many topchefs Nathan had trained under (including Rick Stein in Padstow).  Nathan has set himself up on the other side of the river, opposite to his old mentor, Rick, and is at The St Enodoc Hotel, in Rock, near Daymer Bay in Cornwall.  Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, very much a fine dining experience, was the recipient of 2 Michelin stars in 2011, and has received many accolades. Diners can enjoy Nathan’s Tasting Menu, and Wine Matching is also available.  But Nathan and his team decided to open a second, more informal restaurant at the hotel.  This is ‘The Seafood Bar and Grill’, overlooking the Camel estuary.  Here you can have  a snack and a drink during the day, or indulge yourselves and eat a wonderful, relaxing dinner. Sounds like a dream to me.

Nathan’s cook book has received a brilliant review by Ron Laity on Amazon, and includes the words “… and if you love fish cookery, buy this book, it’s the only one that smells of the sea.”  “Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood” sounds very much like a book that will teach me everything about choosing, preparing and cooking all the main groups of fish, and he has generously shared over 100 recipes, which range from his own comforting family favourites to his superb signature dishes.  Plus food pictures guaranteed to get your taste buds working overtime. I’ll hope I will be a bit more of an culinary expert in the fish department after reading this book.

To read Nathan’s 5 star review, have a closer look or order from Amazon, please click here.

Well, those are my Favourite Food Blogs (& Cook Books on Wish List) for now.  Do have a look at the blogs, they are so very different, but each one has something very special to say. And as for the Cook Books …… have I got room on my books shelves for more? You bet!

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Roasting Lamb Shoulder in our Beehive Oven

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Astrid

Roasting Lamb Shoulder in our Beehive Oven:  This was only possible due to horrendous weather conditions in East Yorkshire after a traumatic but successful attempt to move the oven under cover, so that no matter what the weather throws at us in the future, I can cook in it to my heart’s content.

Shoulder of Lamb roasting in the oven

On Sunday, a few weeks ago, the early morning misty sun gave us a hint of just maybe a better day, weatherwise. Erik and myself put on our ‘gardening’ clothes with the intention of having a ‘serious’ gardening day (weather permitting).  But Erik didn’t realize what was about to hit him.

It was all my fault, really.  I’m not sure if it’s just a women thing, but I like to change the garden round in the same way I change the furniture in the lounge.  I know better than to ask Erik (men aren’t into these things) so when he was busy on the Friday,  I decided to not say anything but just quietly  get on with it and move the garden tables and chairs and planters and …… just about everything …… in every direction until I was satisfied. (He didn’t even notice.)  I’m a dab hand with the sack barrow as well.  Then I suddenly came up with the (I think) brilliant idea of moving our wood-fired outdoor oven to a place where I could cook with it, whatever the weather, under our outdoor tent/pergola, only a matter of 20 feet, uphill and through thick gravel!!

So on that Sunday morning, I nervously put this to Erik. Bless him, he didn’t argue.  His only words were “What? Today?”  I nodded.  But in between the sudden heavy showers and minutes of sunshine, we did it, and although it was difficult, we were quite surprised that we actually managed it without screaming at each other or dropping the terracotta oven from its stand.  We had a few heated discussions about where its  final destination would be under cover – which way the smoke would go – how close it could be to the tent – and then it was sorted.

Now that we had moved the Beehive oven under cover, I was determined to cook the evening meal in it, whatever the weather.  The day before, Erik had bought a shoulder of lamb, and trawling through recipes for use with a ‘Wood Fired Oven’ I had found a great one for shoulder of lamb, which involved marinating it overnight in a paste made from Red wine, Olive Oil, Garlic, Rosemary and Thyme.  The aroma in the kitchen was incredible.  I decided to cook the Lamb Shoulder on a bed of quartered onions and springs of Rosemary, in a Tierra Negra roasting dish that is perfect to use in such as a Wood Fired oven. (Click here for details of Tierra Negra cookware). I also decided to cook one of our favourite recipes, Greek Lemony Potatoes, to go with the Lamb.  And good fortune shone on us as the weather cleared up mid-afternoon, so we lit up the oven.

A roaring fire warms up the Beehive Oven

If you’ve read my other articles on the Wood-fired Oven (also called  Beehive or Pizza or Terracotta oven), you will know that once lit, the oven has to get very hot, then depending on what dishes you are cooking, you either keep adding a log quite often to keep up the temperature, or you allow it to gradually get cooler, and add a log every so often just to keep it going.

I started roasting the Lamb Shoulder on the iron trivet, as seen in the picture at the very top.  The flames were licking up the back of the oven wall, into the center, with the ashes gradually  going grey.  Then after about 15 minutes, I transferred the dish to the floor at the front of the oven, a cooler heat, to carry on cooking (see below).  Not long after, I covered the dish loosely with strong foil.  Depending on the size of the joint, and the heat of the oven, this dish can be left to cook for 4 – 5 hours, so that is falling apart and so incredibly tasty.  The temperature in our Beehive Oven can reach as high as 750 degrees F, but as you let the heat decrease, the ideal heat for roasting joints is when the oven has reached approximately 550 degrees F /300 degrees C. But some huge joints can be left in overnight (or all day) to cook in the residual heat of the oven. Very important: make sure your thermometer is heat-proof. I’m hoping to get a Laser thermometer one day so that I can just point at the oven to find out the correct  temperature.

Shoulder of Lamb roasting nicely

The next step was preparing the Greek Lemony Potatoes.  I’m not sure where I found this recipe, but it’s one of our favourites.  It goes so well with Lamb, Chicken and Pork, and can be started off in an ordinary oven then finished off in the Wood-Fired oven to crisp up the potatoes and give them that special flavour, or cooked totally in the Wood-Fired oven if you wish.  Which I did (see picture below). The potatoes are cut in extra large chip chunks, and I prefer the peel left on, then mixed with olive oil, Oregano, Rosemary and Garlic, Lemon Zest plus juice and just taste gorgeous. Click here for the Recipe for Greek Lemony Potatoes.

Greek Lemony potatoes crisping up

Our meal was incredible.  Roasting Lamb Shoulder in our Beehive Oven was a perfect way to cook it.  It was so succulent, and literally fell to pieces when we touched it, so full of wonderful flavour.  The Greek Lemony Potatoes crisped up, and after absorbing all the liquids and herb flavours tasted just superb.  To keep up the Greek food theme, I also cooked some Aubergine slices, topped with slices of Beefsteak Tomatoes and scattered with Buffalo Mozzarella which melted in the residual heat of the Beehive Oven.  What a great meal we had, and hopefully, now the Oven is under cover, we will have many more to come.

 

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Addicted to Cookware? ‘fraid I am.

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Astrid

Addicted to Cookware?  ‘fraid I am.

Addictions are normally known as dangerous, bad, even evil.  But I think my addiction has helped me, fulfilled my urge as a ‘homemaker’, a provider to those I love, and also given me a great deal of fun.

Since I was a little girl, I just loved all the odd gadgets that my Mum had stashed in her kitchen drawers and cupboards.  I used to rifle through them, and play with all the weird and wonderful implements I could find with pastry off-cuts, bake tiny bread in tiny bread tins or bash some poor food to smithereens with a wooden spoon or something similar.

Ecology Kitchen Utensils – with Bamboo Handles

As I grew older, I used to trot around Hull with Mum and the biggest thrill was going up the stairs to an ‘Aladdin’s  cave’, a shop called The Balloon Stores (for more about my early influences in Cooking and Cookware, see “About Us” in the Menu bar).

Then as a teenager, on the odd adventure to London, I discovered the shop that to me seemed the cook’s cook shop, Divertimenti.  Whenever we went to London, I always popped into this wonderful cook shop, and purchased tiny wooden spoons, little pastry moulds, just anything I could afford, because I was addicted to cookware.

Mini Porcelain Vessels – just can’t resist these

Years later, as a cookware addict I entered the realms of dreams, as the owner of my very own cook shop,“Kitchen Emporium”, in Beverley, East Yorkshire.  Whenever Erik and I visited London, we would do a retail ‘recce’ to Harrods Cookware department, Peter Jones in Sloane Square, David Mellor, (the Designer, not the politician), The Conran Shop, and the best of all, Divertimenti.  Erik had to tell me off, because I couldn’t stand untidy shop displays, and I would start to straighten up the pans on the shelves, as if it were my own shop.  And he also had to drag me out of Divertimenti – I just loved it so much.  But as we travelled back to Beverley, we would muse over what we had seen, and take pride in the fact that our “Kitchen Emporium” had more ranges of pans than Harrods, was better displayed than Peter Jones, but “Divertimenti”, now, that was the real cook’s cook shop.

When I worked at The Aga Shop in Beverley, Aga were just beginning to enlarge their own cookware, and only recently I discovered that Divertimenti is now owned by AGA Rangemaster Ltd., which makes sense.  Included in their vast range of cookware, they also stock the cookware specifically made for Rangemaster, AGA and the superb La Cornue ovens.  Although their products are of a very high quality, and therefore not the cheapest,  they do have frequent Special Offers – in fact, on their website they have ‘Subscribe to Offers’ section.  With over 4,500 products (and growing all the time) the range of goods at Divertimenti is just incredible for cooks, whether professional, a talented home cook or a cook complete with L plates.

Knife Block and Stand – Very Handsome!

So imagine then my thrill at Divertimenti agreeing to become one of our Merchants for our Shopping Emporium.  With their amazing collection of quality Cookware, Kitchenware, Knives & Boards, Bakeware & Sugarcraft, Electricals, Tableware, plus Cookery classes, some with top chefs, this is a dream come true for me.  (If only I lived in or near London I think I would live in this wonderful shop).

Cuisipro Rasps – Graters for 2012

Take the Cookware, for instance.  Names like Cristel, All-Clad, Fissler and SKK, Le Creuset, all well-designed, practical and top quality Cookware.  Then add my favourite, Copper Cookware. Loved by professionals, this substantial cookware is, obviously, made of Copper, most pieces lined with Stainless Steel, which lasts a lot longer than the tin that used to line it years ago. But if you have old Copper cookware that does need re-tinning, Divertimenti will do it for you.  This Copper Cookware is quality, and the quality is reflected in the price, but a piece of this cookware is an heirloom piece, it should last for ever.  Erik bought me a small Copper Sauteuse a few years ago, and I love using it for reducing sauces.  This picture on the right is a Saute Pan, part of Divertimenti’s vast collection of Cooper Cookware, which from my own experience is absolutely brilliant to use.

 

Divertimenti’s choice of Tableware is vast.  Plenty of plain white Tableware, in every shape possible.  Bowls, platters, plates, jugs, flan dishes, square dishes, and one of my favourites, Mini Dishes and Vessels (pictured earlier). But of special interest is the Tulip Tableware (pictured above) by the British Designer Nick Munro, and his wife, Ali,  who have designed ranges especially for the company, based on images from Ali’s paintings.  Another Tableware range I love is the Hand Decorated pottery, (the range from Provence is especially superb),  in wonderful earthy  brown, greens and terracotta, and stunning Mediterranean colours.  Jugs,  Platters, Salad Bowls, small bowls, Oil and Vinegar jars and plates – it’s a real pleasure to browse this section.Pottery des Beaumettes – I just love all of these pieces, especially the Jug. I have a thing about jugs.

The section for Bakeware & Sugarcraft is a dream section for cooks and bakers alike.  Every shape of cutter,  cake tin, flan tin, muffin tins and cases, cake decorating tools and icing and toppings plus icing cutters and presses – plus tools for aiding bakers.  I’ve just had such fun looking through it all, and it makes your imagination work overtime just planning your next baking session. “Ummm, will it be Morroccan Orange Cake, Spiced Apple Tart or tiny Chocolate and Chilli Cupcakes. Maybe all three?”

Oil & Vinegar Jars - Poterie de Bouyon

Our site covers quite a spectrum of food-related topics.  Food, Wine, Outdoor Cooking, Kitchen Garden, Reviews, Adventures, Photography and, after we had been blogging for a while, The Emporium – Go Shopping, which just sort of evolved as we wrote blogs about subjects and people we admire.  Some companies got back to us and said that they enjoyed all the free publicity I was giving them, but wouldn’t I like to earn a tiny bit of commission if readers bought the goods by contacting them through our site.  It did seem crazy  to not take up their offers.

But that doesn’t colour our blog writing.  The Merchants we deal with are listed under the Menu title, The Emporium – Go Shopping.  Yet we write about all sorts of subjects, people and products and give you the links to find out more information even though we don’t have a financial link to them. In the blog on Pans, I mention my own favourite brand, and gave readers the link to David Mellor,  who isn’t one of our Merchants (but I wish they were).  Where we are linked to companies or people (such as my son, Anthony, of Face Publications) we feel we have to make it plain to our readers.

So there you are. You now know my secret, if you hadn’t already guessed.  Addicted to Cookware? ‘fraid I am.

To browse Divertimenti Home, please click here.

(All the Heading, e.g. Cookware, Knives & Boards etc are in the BLUE Menu bar on Divertimenti’s home page.  Just click on the title you want to look at, and have a great time looking.  I did.) 

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“Divertimenti” has joined our list of Merchants

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Astrid

We are so thrilled that “Divertimenti” has joined our list of Merchants in The Emporium – Go Shopping. With over 4.500 quality products The most amazing cookshop for cooks, amateur and professional. With over 4,500 products of cookware, gadgets, knives & boards, bakeware & sugarcraft, tableware, hand-crafted pottery from Provence (it’s beautiful) and classes to inspire and educate would-be and talented cooks.  Click here to browse the substantial Divertimenti site.

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Sunshine required in the Kitchen Garden

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Astrid

Sunshine required in the Kitchen Garden, (in between rain)……

 …… for longer than half an hour?  This was my plea this weekend in East Yorkshire.  The vegetable plants are shooting up in the greenhouse, almost ‘champing at the bit’ (or is it chomping?) to go to their final resting place outside.  And I need to plant some seeds straight into the soil of the raised beds, but the sun needs to warm up the soil (and I’m sick of getting wet).

Courgette Romanesco, hoping for warm weather

This last weekend, the third one of April, we have experienced the most …… XXXX weather. Forgive me, but this weather we are having is wierd, really wierd, and doesn’t just have us exasperated, but also the birds and the plants. 

My Courgettes, from Sarah Raven’s catalogue, are growing well, almost too well, and that’s the problem, as they cannot go outside until mid/late May.  I’ve already potted them up once, but I may have to put them into a big planter in the greenhouse to keep them happy, until it’s warm enough to plant them in the Kitchen Garden.  I’m growing ‘Romanesco’ as, apart from it having a great taste, the grandchildren love its ridged cog-like slices. But this year I’m also growing Courgette ‘Tromboncino’, a climbing Courgette, with a shape that I find difficult to describe. As Jacob, aged 12 1/2 puts it, “It’s like man’s bits, Granny.” Let’s just leave it at that! 

We love Courgettes, sauted in butter with a pinch of Tarragon, halved, oiled and sprinkled with Oregano and grilled or barbecued, sliced thinly and dressed with lemon juice and good olive oil, made into fritters, or gratins with tomato sauce and mozzarella, and the piece de resistance, Courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta (or crab meat) and deep fried.  Stunning. Gradually all recipes for these will be typed up on the blog.

At last the Wild Garlic flower unfurls its delicate petals

So in between the rain and the few minutes of sunshine, we carried on with our other chores.  Erik painted his bike in his shed, (a sort of shimmery Swedish Green – Umm …… nice), and I re-potted tomatoes, chillis, artichokes etc in my greenhouse, only to be thwarted in my attempt to sow seeds directly into the soil outside (because of the heavy showers).  But one good thing happened. Day after day, on my trek to the Kitchen Garden, I had checked on the Wild Garlic, and today, lo and behold, my ‘forest’ of Wild Garlic had decided to open up one of its delicate flowers, so in between the showers, I grabbed Erik’s camera and took the picture above.  OK, I know, the flower is tiny, you almost need a magnifying glass to spot it, but it is pretty, so pretty.  Well worth waiting for, I think.

Red-stemmed Lovage, emerging from its Winter sleep

It really was a bit frantic in our garden in twixt rain and sun. “Quick, get the camera,” I murmured to myself. “Snap the Lovage, oh, and the Apple Blossom.  And see if I can do the Herb garden.  Quick, get the camera back in the house, it’s starting again.” Dash back into the house, replace camera (very carefully) on the chopping block, put hood back on and dash back to greenhouse. This just didn’t happen once, it was two or three times.  That’s when I appealed to the weather: “Come on.  Sunshine required in the Kitchen Garden, (in between the rain).  Please.”

Our Herb Garden, a picture in Green and Blue and wet!

But no, it was not to be.  Sun. Then lots of heavy rain. Quick sun.  More heavy rain! Luckily the Lovage and the Herbs seemed quite happy with their lot.  A lot of Herbs are used to hot countries – think of Oregano, Sage, Rosemary etc growing wild in in the slopes above Greek beaches, so hopefully they will be patient and keep on growing in anticipation of our Summer.  (Lovage has had a whole post written about it a few months ago, alongside the recipe for the fabulous Lovage Soup.  To read the post and the recipe, Click Here.)

Apple Blossom, a hint of Summer

But my plea went unanswered.  The weather didn’t get any better.  At all.  This weekend our clothes have run the gamut of our seasonal wardrobe – from strappy t-shirts (me only, honest), cotton jeans and sandals right through to 3 layers topped off with a rainproof jacket, thick trousers and boots.  And because the weather changed every hour, it was on/off/on/off/on/off. On Saturday, we accepted defeat at 3.00 o’clock pm, literally hosed the mud off, showered and changed into our best smart/casual clothes, lit the wood-burner in the lounge, poured ourselves a glass of Prosecco and collapsed on the sofa to watch “The Vikings” featuring the rather beautiful young Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas.

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Cup Cakes for Kids

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Erik

I have been having a great time making scrummy, yummy pineapple cup cakes for our grandchildren. That is of course a complete lie. Astrid and I woofed down half of them before our dewey-eyed third generation even got a look in. Try the recipe yourself and you’ll see how fun and easy it is. Top tip though-use silicon cup cake cases from Divertimenti which never stick.Click here to see the recipe.

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Hummus is Yummy, Granny

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Astrid

Hummus is Yummy, Granny

“Hummus is yummy, Granny”.

At least I think that’s what my 8-month old grandaughter, Tilly, was trying to get me to understand.  I had a brilliant morning the other day, feeding her and cuddling her Twin sister, Bella, who had a bad cold.  Must confess, I must be a messy feeder, because when I got home, I realised that my jumper was covered in almost as much Hummus as Tilly’s face. Both girls are adventurous eaters, not suprising that their Mum makes a lot of their meals herself. This Hummus was going to be followed by home-made Moroccan  Lamb.  What a brilliant Mum they have. (And their Dad’s not so bad, either). To be honest, they almost eat better than Erik and myself.

Anyway, back to the Hummus.

Hummus is a very popular Middle Eastern dish, a type of dip, and is eaten avidly by both adults and children (see photo of my granddaughter above). Tilly and her twin sister like their Hummus served with a mini dipping stick, and no doubt will love crunchy carrot fingers  as well when they have a few more teeth.  Hummus is a great dish to get children used to, as all sorts of vegetable sticks and chunks can be added, such as raw broccoli, cauliflower, baby sweetcorn, mange tout and sugar-snap peas, and peppers of all colours.

For us adults, serving Hummus with Crudites, sticks of carrot, celery, peppers etc, and crusty bread chunks, toasted or freshly made wholemeal pitta, makes a great, healthy snack or lunch.  Erik and I love popping up to the Kitchen Garden a few minutes before lunch to pull up a few baby carrots.  Just give them a swish under the tap, a gentle scrub if necessary, and you’ll be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the carrots mixed with the savory flavour of the Hummus.

So Hummus is definitely yummy, and healthy too.  For the recipe, please click here.

 

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Emma Bridgewater – Only 50 Days to go to the Diamond Jubilee

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Astrid

Emma Bridgewater’s range of products for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is vast, with something to suit everyone for this momentous occasion. To take a look at this colourful collection, just click here.

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First firing up of the Wood-Fired Oven for 2012

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Astrid

First firing up of the Wood-Fired Oven for 2012:  

Well, what wierd Spring weather.  Sunshine in March, then April! Literally one minute the sun is shining, the next minute the rain and even hail is thundering to the ground.  But I wanted to spring-clean the Wood-Fired oven, and give it it’s first firing of this springtime.  So in scruffy clothes (you get very dusty and grubby doing this – or is it just me?) I took off the insulated cover from my lovely terracotta Beehive oven, crossing my fingers that it had survived the winter.  Thank goodness it was, as they say in Yorkshire, in ‘good nic’.

Oven swept out and clean (Me, covered in dust!)

Next step was preparing to light up for the first time this spring. The first firing of the wood-fired oven (after a long rest) must be gentle, just a warming up of its walls.  Not too fierce, which could crack the double-skinned walls, but a gentle teasing of heat to remind it that it has work to do.  It’s a great way to use up all the old newspaper. Just roll it up and tie into ‘knots’, place in the centre of the oven floor, pick some very dry kindling and have ready some medium pieces of seasoned hardwood. (Thank heavens for our lovely friend, theatrical designer/engineer turned Tree surgeon, Matt, who has supplied our Wood store with wonderful wood recently).

Wood-fired oven all ready to go!

Next job, lighting the paper. (Never used firelighters or liquid, it will taint the brick or clay walls, and leave a taste on your food.)  Light 3 or 4 ‘knots’ of paper, and watch whilst it takes hold.  Place one or two medium pieces of seasoned wood gently on the paper and kindling, using long tongs.

Me, lighting up the Wood-Fired Oven

Generally, if all the kindling and wood is dry and well seasoned, the oven lights up quickly. Very soon you need to have fire-proof gloves and long tongs to place more pieces of wood in the centre of the oven.  Keep the fire small, not fiercely roaring .

The first firing up of Spring – the Wood-Fired Oven is alive.

Before long, the fire is going well, and I let the ashes go gray before I add just another log on, and let it blaze gently for an hour or so.  If I was going to cook with it, I would push the fire towards the back of the oven, so that the flames would curl up the back and into the centre, that way giving you a great heat.  But this was just its first warming up fire, to get it used to being warm. (The white crack is where the outer skin developed a tiny crack, so although it doesn’t look too pretty, the fire cement has done its protective work.)  The heat from the fire was welcome on a miserable day – see below.

Fizzy keeping warm in front of the Wood-Fired Oven.

Fizzy took a liking to the oven, especially the warmth.  And no doubt when we cook pizzas (take only 1 minute 30 seconds for one pizza to cook) she will be snorfling around for anything dropped on the ground. So the Wood-fired oven is now ready to go, and this year we are going to cook everything we can think of in it, and experiment like mad.  After all, this way of cooking is the original way, and food does taste incredible cooked in the oven.  Erik is going to make his bread in it, and I will cook meat, fish, vegetable, desserts ….. and anything I can put my hands on.

So, the first firing up of the Wood-Fired Oven for 2012 was a success.  No more cracks, and a gentle fire to wake it up.  Roll on warm spring and summer days, and look out for flavoured smoke signals and amazing aromas rising up into the East Yorkshire skies. Can’t wait!!

Also if you want to see an AMAZING oven that travels the country check this out; http://www.thepizzafarm.co.uk/

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