If it was a clambake in Alaska fifty years ago we would have been digging right now. But this is a hot day in Norfolk: two older ladies; one cooking over charcoal, the other doing all the work. Ground Aberdeen Angus, homemade relish, pickles and game chips. Music? Only America's finest will do - Ain't …
Category: Lunch
Focaccia made with pumpkin and red onions
These non-authentic focaccie make a tender-hearted snack ... Ingredients: For the dough: 10oz/285g plain flour, one sachet of dried yeast (7g), 150ml crème fraîche, about 30ml/2Tbsp olive oil, a little salt and some warm water. For the toppings: half a small pumpkin, one yellow pepper, one large red onion, one beefy tomato, balsamic vinegar, 75g/3oz …
Mackerel stir fry
Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are so much part of traditional Britain that they are used to name a type of cloud pattern - Mackerel sky. They can be caught off beaches and piers, like this one at Cromer. Mackerel popularity goes up and down - once used for bait and now a pretty trendy item, they …
Smoked haddock soup
I was checking to see when smoking fish became a thing. Several references to medieval Poland but surely it must go back further than that? This is another soup made from leftover bits and pieces. Definitely tastes better than its parts, a very warming bowl. It could be considered a chowder, or maybe a bisque? …
Butternut squash and turnip curry
Another simple vegetable curry, the sort of thing I don't get tired of eating: Ingredients: Half a butternut squash, one turnip, two red onions, one red pepper, one chilli, one tomato, a small handful of kale, another of red lentils, 1tsp of ground cumin, coriander and half of mustard seeds. Several cardamon pods, 1Tbsp oil …
Tuna on rye for Inauguration Day, Virginia
I am on record as declaring that English cheese is best. But I would maintain to my dying day that American sandwiches are the very best. What is a sandwich without lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, french fries and hand made mayonnaise? So here is my fleeting advice for you.Virginia Ingredients: Sliced brown bread (rye or pumpernickel …
Beetroot curry
Regular readers might notice similarities between this and other earlier posts. I thought that too, but there is a difference in that here beetroot is the star ingredient and needs to have a bit of bite in in still, unlike the softer biryani version. If like me your vegetable choices are now ruled by a …
Christmas salad
Method: Make a simple olive oil and lemon juice salad dressing. Put it into a bowl. Wash, dry and slice the peppers and apple. Leave the tomatoes whole. Slice two or three thick slices from each breast quarter. Add these all to the bowl with most of the parsley and toss. Then garnish with chunks of feta (this is Graceburn, once made in Bermondsey but now in Kent) and more parsley. Serve with a quiche, or with seeded volkornbrot.
Salmon en croûte
Something a bit different for Christmas week. Light the fire, put on Ski Trails* and imagine you are holed up in a little Alaskan cabin with snow to the door, Arcturis in the sky and plenty of this season's salmon in the cache.
Pumpkin risotto
Well, actually onion squash was used here. But any squash or pumpkin you like to eat is fine. A warm evening mouthful to comfort one during difficult times, or a great lunch for two in happier days. Ingredients: one smallish squash or several pieces of pumpkin. One large onion, two tomatoes, a small glass of …
Cooking for one 