An Ode to Inspiration.

Welcome, welcome, delicious deviants in the depths of Internet slurry, into 2011!

I have a good and reliable feeling that this is going to be very much the same as last year, full of work and hopes of winning the lottery.

Alas! I jest, it will be a difficult year. It might have something to do with the fact that I may (or, equally as likely, may not) graduate University this year, and be flung into the world of work in what I can only describe as a state of pure and utter terror. I have visions of trawling over endless job applications reading "Experienced Writer...", sighing, sending emails to receive either nothing or the classic "I'm sorry but because of the lack of professional experience, we feel it is not right to take you on at this point in time". At this point it would seem I am already prepared (or just pessimistic) in the anticipation of my own defeat, i'm not entirely sure whether that puts me ahead or behind my fellow graduates this year.

These thoughts (and suggestions from various friends) prompted me to debate the idea of simply getting a separate generic job and writing my own works and maybe get something published. I would hope, with my almost 6 years of slavery to retail, that I would manage at least something in the manner of assistant manager, dragging in at least a little income. This led me to thinking of expanding my *ahem* extensive writing repetoire to that of cook books. Now I know that I am but a fledgling still in the grand scheme of all that is cookery, but next to Fantasy it is my favourite genre. I reckon that with a lot of practice and a few years of testing out recipes I could make a half decent collection to publish. 

So flicking through my stack of cookery books and internet bookmarks, it prompted me to pick out my top seven of literary masterpieces and online culinary havens that I have taken a personal loving to! Something that I might someday achieve. I know some may not really be applicable because they are collections of hundreds of different people's recipes, but the concept is generally the same. 
This is not a top ten, nor a top five, but yes, top seven. I'm not one for rules, and I refuse to include numbers that aren't my complete favourites...plus, i've still alot to learn, and I want to leave space, just in case. So nyah!

7) All Recipes:

This website is a nice little addition to my go-to selection when looking for general ideas for stuff to eat. It is entirely community based, but i've found a few gems in here. If you have a little patience, it can really pay off!

Allrecipes

6) Nigella Lawson:

Like many people before me, and many after I do not doubt, I do have a rather questionable love for Nigella Lawson. She may not have the most amazing credentials in regards to other TV chefs, but she sure can put on a cracking spread, and spread a 'mysterious' rise in interest in the culinary arts for teenage boys. I have been a follower of her for a good while but only recently acquired my first book, and she makes for an awesome read, if I may say so myself. 

5) Hummingbird Bakery:

This teeny little gem is something for someone who is seriously addicted to sugar. It is not for the faint hearted, if you want to reduce yourself to a calm sugar-induced coma-esque state, this book is for you. It's very unlike me to really like this one, apart from it contains many cupcakes, but it's girly and pretty and glitter galore in there. One for the kitsch and for people visiting kids, although I do warn you, it'll take several hours and a few broken brooms to get little ones down from the ceiling after these. Utter delight!

4) Green & Blacks: Unwrapped

Quite possibly this will be one of the favourites upon first glance, it is chocolate. And in keeping with the whole stereotypical 'Female=Obsession with Chocolate' that I don't fully understand, here is the answer to your chocolate-related questions. It's quite a skinny little book but if you like proper chocolate - not just the sweet bars you find littering every shop - it is a good choice. If you buy this simply for the one recipe of chocolate mousse, it is £8 well spent my friends. 

ps - I very much wish I had that apron!

3) BBC Good Food:

Good old BBC, you never fail to entertain me in some manner. This website is pretty awesome, but unlike it's lesser-loved sister up at number 7, it has a little quality control! And it has a selection from loads of different TV chefs, which is always fun and sensational.

BBC Good Food

2) Gourmet Traveller:

I have to admit, I am quite into experimenting. And jumping into something inexplicably complicated is a trait that I am no stranger to. Sometimes stupid, and many mistakes later I finally get something that I can be really proud of. This website is a new addition to my top list of loved literature, and it truly deserves it's place. Thankyou Auntie!

Gourmet Traveller

1) James Martin Desserts:

I know I shouldn't favouritise when it comes to cooking, but I do love me some cake, and if you have a sweet tooth (or, consequently, gum) this book is one of the best out there. And it may seem a little much to have three numbers dedicated to cakes and sweet things but hey! It's not exactly a brick, but the recipes in there are easy, and though common, they are just impeccably executed. Without meaning to sound like a mindless spam machine, this book is immense, and I would not mind gaining 20 stone if the reason was this. 

Hats off to you, Mr Martin!

That was fun.

Right, onwards. To all of you scouting through and finding only pickings of food-related knowledge, I do apologise, but it's all about the writing at the moment. Things are becoming very real at Casa del Field and I have lots to think about! So tonight, seeing as i'm feeling a little uninspired on the culinary front (she says, after scoffing a hefty piece of home-made lasagne and salad), I will let you stew in your (hopefully) inspired juices for another few days and I will return with a double dose of sexy recipes!

Peace

JR

Nadolig Llawen!

(...that's Merry Christmas in Welsh!)

First of all, I would very much like to apologise for my lack of posts in recent weeks! For those dedicated few who enjoy reading my blog, i've had an unfortunately large amount of work to do.

So Christmas time is almost upon us, I have scoffed most of my advent calendar, i'm living next to my open fire, and I am very looking forward to visiting the Birmingham German markets to top off my Christmas spirit. Some of the best things in life come from this market, bratwurst hot dogs, wheat beer, mulled wine and german cinnamon donuts make me über happy.

 My vat of tea, accompany my home-made gingerbread hearts.

So everyone is ready at my house to get started with my Christmas dinner, and it's all about the traditional! Every year I always eat with my family, always home made, with me attempting to help make the Christmas dinner while my mum cusses me for getting in the way. But this year, this year is the year I will finally get to help!

For one, this year, it's all about the home-made presents! So i've got some crazy-yummy gingerbread cookies going on! Along with some baba al limoncello, which, in English, are little balls of vanilla sponge soaked in a limoncello (Italian lemon liquor) syrup. And also some Gravadlax, you know, for a savoury option, which is an alternative to smoked salmon, and, in my opinion, actually a little bit nicer! I do have some none home-made stuff mixed in with it, unfortunately I didn't have the time to soak my fruit for Christmas cake/pudding, but it's the spirit that counts!

So wishing everyone a Merry little Christmas here is my recipe for the week:

Jess' Gingerbread Biscuits

Makes about 20 reasonable sized biscuits

225g plain flour, sifted well!

A pinch of salt

2 tsp bicarbinate of soda

1 heaped teaspoon of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

55g unsalted butter

115g soft brown sugar

115 golden syrup

1 tablespoon evaporated milk

Preheat oven temperature - 190C degrees, Gas Mark 5

- First of all sift your flour very well, there's nothing worse then getting lumps of flour randomly stuck in your biscuits, you can sometimes get away with it in cakes, but in biscuits, it's really noticeable, so big no no just chucking it in! Then add the salt, bicarbinate and spices together with the sifted flour. 

- Next, heat your butter, sugar and syrup until everything's well dissolved then leave to cool a little.

- Once all finished and cooked, mix the dry ingredients with the cooked mixture and evaporated milk and work into a dough. To make your life a little bit easier, rub your hands with a teeny little bit of an unflavoured oil (groundnut if you have it, if not, vegetable is fine) so the it doesn't stick to your hands too much.
 

- Cover it in a bowl and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes, this is important to do! It doesn't keep it's shape very well if you don't do this, so have patience!

- Grease 2 good sized baking sheets while you're waiting for it to chill and set aside.

- To roll out your biscuits you'll need the following, a rolling pin, a relatively big flat surface, a little extra flour, some cookie cutters, or some imagination and a small knife.

- Sprinkle your surface with flour and the rolling pin and roll out your dough until it's about 5mm thick, then cut it. I think I may have mentioned this in an earlier point, but, as tempting as it is. Do. Not. Twist. The. Cutters! Even though they don't rise a massive amount, they do rise, and they'll rise crooked if you twist. Also, it'll bugger up the rest of your dough and they won't be all pretty and flat and stuff!  With regards to shapes, you can do anything, if you're feeling unimaginative, you can just do round biscuits, if you're feeling festive you can do Christmas trees, if you're feeling geeky you can trace the white tree of Gondor...not that i've ever done that. Hmm!

 All rolled out ready to go!

- The point is, you can do literally anything you like, which is why I like making them for presents, you can personalise them! 

- But back to the baking! Stick them on your greased sheets and bakes for 10-15 minutes, remove from the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes, and turn out onto a wire rack. Sprinkle with a little sugar and a ground ginger and you are sorted. Voila!

- Perfect every time! And damn sexy if I may say so myself.

Spread a little too much, oops!

These really are gorgeous, very moreish as well, I have to keep making them smaller and smaller every time I make them because I eat so many. And at a weird cognitive stance i've not quite figured out, if I make them smaller i'll trick my brain into thinking i've had more. If you want to make them a little more special - if you're making them for presents for instance - melt a little bit of good quality dark chocolate over them, it doesn't have to be neat, in fact, it looks a little bit more arty and rustic if they aren't perfect. 

Also, as it's the time for mince pies (hooray!), i'll leave you with some interesting facts about mincemeat. As most people have probably realised, modern mincemeat doesn't actually have any meat in it - I say that, bar properly made mincemeat anyway - shop bought mincemeat doesn't have any meat in it. The original word mince comes from the Old English word to mynce (originally from Old French mincier, stemmed from the Latin minutia, which means smallness) which obviously means to crush or chop into small pieces. And the word meat comes from the Old English mete, which basically, just means food. It doesn't just mean what we characterise as 'meat' now, it meant everything that we ate. Which is where the word mincemeat actually comes from, it actually meant 'minced food'. As a bit of a kick-in-the-teeth ironic sort of thing, the original mincemeat actually did also have meat in it, even though it did just mean minced food. And it was often a way of covering up beef or pork or venison that was starting to decompose...yum.

But there ya go! You learn something new everyday. Honestly, don't know if I would be able to hack having a bit of rotting beef stuck in with my mince pies, as willing and open minded as I am, I don't know if my sweet tooth would allow it to pollute such a long-standing favourite.

To the humble mince pie!

So,

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

 Joyeux Noel

Froehliche Weihnachten

Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Feliz Navidad

and

Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Have a beautiful Christmas!

Peace
JR

Freezing it up.

Today is about Christmas. It's the 1st of December, so I get to open my advent calendar, which has been teasing me for weeks on my desk. Hooray!

I don't think i've really been a 'typical' student my entire time at University, for one, i'm a snob towards super noodles. I genuinely hate them, with a passion. And two, a ready meal had naught touched these lips until last year, of which I ate two spoonfuls, and gave it away... because it was vile. I know, I know, some may think i'm lying or turning my nose up at the standard food of a regular student, or that they think that perhaps they don't want to spend ridiculous amount of money buying 'proper' food. 

But, I can say in all honesty, since I have come back this year, I spend less on food for a week that a lot of my friends do in a day. And I guess this doesn't just go for students, it goes for everyone who thinks how they managed to spend £35 on one, regular (as in, non-dinner party) meal, or people who are trying to save money for a holiday, or a [insert random gadget here]. But there are so many things you can do to save money when you go shopping. And, to top it off, it actually helps if you're worried about putting on weight throughout the winter. This is mainly based on a non-vegetarian week for two people by the way, so if you're Vegetarian or Vegan, it'll be a little harder as the core substance of your meals will need to be a little more fresh.

First of all, one of the best things to do, is do all your shopping in one go (per week). And I know people are going to question how that can be so, things will spoil before you get to use them or so on. But, if you're clever about it, it does keep, I promise. Another tip, if you can, buy your meat from a butchers, it's cheaper, it's usually better quality than the supermarket stuff and you can choose exactly how much you want instead of having to buy an entire packet of something. Something to save you money, and to help overeating (which I completely do in Winter).

Before I say this next point, I would like to mention how unorganised I am in my general daily life, and I always have been, and it really pains me to say this, but it really helps....Plan. Your. Meals.

It's a bit geeky that I actually quite look forward to planning my meals for the week, I get bored very quickly with food, so I like to keep the variety up. If you plan what you're going to eat, you can plan what you need to buy, it's pretty logical really. So do a list before you go, it'll stop you from buying stuff you don't need, again, saving your money and your waist.

Thirdly, freeze it up, in a cheesy reference to my ambiguous title! This is kinda fun actually, as stupid as it sounds, I forget about the stuff I have in my freezer half the time, and I get all excited when I realise that after maybe two or three weeks, i've got enough food to last me an entire week in extra frozen portions. Which is always good. And i'm not a snob when it comes to eating frozen food...mainly because i've made it myself ha!

You know, this all stemmed from reading an article about these two guys who have set up a student cooking channel. But I propose every student hosts their own Come Dine With Me-esque night with a few friends instead.

As this is only a short post, I am neglecting a recipe for this week, I apologise! But I shall be back very soon and I shall make up for it with two recipes. I hope ya'll are enjoying the snow!

Peace

JR