leon + stroganoff

Leon saved the day with its ham, lentil and chunky vegetable soup. I had a flat bread to dip in, too, and somehow it felt completely different to the soup-and-bread I can get so bored of. Top marks, too, for making swede, celery and lentils into something so very tasty: to me the epitome of skilled cooking is to take something wholesome (and perhaps somewhat boring) and make you want seconds! My grumpy mood lifted like a sea mist in the sun.

Last night I dashed together a mushroom stroganoff to use up left-overs, which turned out better than expected. Shallot, garlic, celery softened in a pan, then I added a sliced brown cup mushrooms and a field mushroom or two and a teaspoon and a half of spicy smoked paprika. We really must get some sweet paprika in! After it had cooked a bit, I added just a little vegetable stock (about 100ml) and let it bubble away. Lastly in went some double cream, a squeeze of lemon and some seasoning... and we had it over rice.

Actually the 'proper' or classic recipe escapes me: I have made or eaten so many variations that I am only certain that it is supposed to contain beef and sour cream! In my top three remains the delightful kidney and mushroom, from Delia's 'Frugal Food'. I must re-visit that before I even pick up Larousse to find out how a proper cook would create it...

never were there such devoted sisters

And this is why.

It is hard to be grumpy after raspberry pancakes with yogurt and extra raspberries. Or watercress soup with buttered, toasted cheese scones from 'Ginger two' in Winchester.

Or a supper of smoked salmon on rye and cream cheese, with gherkins; pigs in blankets; devils on horsebacks and rocket salad. And a great cava.

I really love our almost-annual sister weekend: thank you Andy, Alex, gingers and the gent for giving up your wimminfolk! x

sobrasada

Most wonderful breakfast EVER!

Despite a late night of dvds I bounced out of bed, keen to get in the kitchen.

Anun gifted us a pot of sobrasada, that bright orange paste from Spanish heaven. Or Garcia & sons, as it is otherwise known.

Spread over toast and topped with a poached or fried egg you will want for nothing more bar a cup of tea.

home alone

Two days off work - a mid-week weekend, if you will - and I am having a wonderful time. You see here that I made the best of a guilty scoot round H&M's home department. The pseudo-rustic little bags charmed themselves home with me and it didn't take me long to put them to a good use, to whit: holding 4 or 5 different bags of flour on the top shelf (the naughty shelf, as in a newsagent, dedicated here to baking goods), and containing a several half-finished bags of rice and pulses on the bottom shelf.

After a shuffle-tidy I felt as if this had actually been a virtuous move. Note the famous nutmeg enjoying its bamboo throne on the middle shelf!

Oh dear, and here is evidence of my less-virtuous side when home alone: lunch for one. I was ravenous after a morning swim so had an early lunch. Broccoli and stilton soup straight from the saucepan with some bread; the extra delicacy you espy is a cold sausage with mustard. If I'm to be honest, a completely blasted, burnt stump of a sausage. I know it is a bad craftsman who blames his tools, but before this oven I'm sure I never managed to burn a sausage: I couldn't have done that if I had tried!

I won't be snobbish about shop-bought soup as it is really handy and I just love the pea and ham from *ahem* Waitrose. This broccoli and stilton soup reminded me how very lovely my own version is, too: I'll add a note to my 'foods to cook' list and make it soon.

oven: conquered

Finally! After 8 cross months, a half decent cake.

I used to bake frequently, however since moving to this flat I have wrestled with this oven. This Freakin' Temperamental Stupid Oven, to give its full name. Cakes are either blasted in 30 mins or completely raw inside with a hardy crust outwith.

The gent's family are in town this weekend and I thought a cake would be cheering for anyone stopping by. By happy coincidence my favourite cake is easy to tweak, to make it gluten-free so everyone can have it: I hate having separate foods for different people, it feels so mean spirited. And anyway this is such a wonderful cake I would have this over a sponge any day. It is Nigella's 'damp lemon & almond' with adjustments. Easy, easy:

cream together 225g butter and sugar (I always use the unrefined, or golden, caster sugar. It is mad how set in your ways you can get with ingredients). Add in 4 big, free range eggs, one at a time; after each egg shake in a little brown rice flour. Just a scant tablespoon or so. At this point I was cross-eyed with love for my food mixer: hands free to work while someone else stirs!

Now add 250g ground almonds (if you grind them yourself the quantities will be a bit different); zest and juice of two unwaxed lemons; a little almond extract. Nigella uses almond essence, so Im not sure on measurements for essence: I used 'a tiny splash' then tasted to check.

50 mins in an unreliable oven, or whenever a knife comes out clean.

Very unfortunately trains seem to have major problems today so the gent's aunt & uncle are delayed for tea. This photo is evidence that, although a bit scorched, the cake did all right. We are sitting on our hands so there is some left for tomorrow.

rainy days and thursdays

And November begins! Rain and wind and gloom. Luckily my friend Deb really inspired me and autumnal breakfasts in this tiny thimble of a flat now consist of porridge. Warming, blanketing porridge. Podge, as a sister calls it.

I like it best with fruit - maybe plums or apple thrown in at the start - but more cupboard-friendly for the busy, is jam. Home made in Cornwall, Sussex, Hammersmith or Hampshire, if you have productive and generous relatives!

And here is my fabulous coffee, the beans ground in my new grinder a moment before brewing.

I think I am ready to face the day now!