What to eat on a hot summer’s day? I can’t think of anything better and more refreshing than this chilled Polish beet soup (‘chlodnik).
First of all, this Polish classic is incredibly simple to make and very forgiving. You just can’t get it wrong. Because it’s chilled, you don’t have to serve it immediately which makes everything more relaxing. It can also easily be prepared the day before….
I love the traditional madeleines, with their vibrant golden colour. They are good any time, anywhere and I have to say they are very hard to beat. However, when I came across a recipe for madeleines that combines chocolate, hazelnuts and my favourite Seville orange marmalade, I knew I had to give it a go.
…
I made my first Seville orange marmalade almost 8 years ago. It was the second week after our son was born and we had just brought him home after a few days in the neonatal unit. Despite no sleep and the stresses of being a first time mum I remember finding the whole process very calming and relaxing. The result was several jars of bright, shining happiness, full of bittersweet flavour and a house that was filled with the delightful scent of orange nectar. I’ve been making marmalade every year since then.
…
One of my favourite ingredients to forage are the rosehips of the wild dog-rose bush. They grow in abundance all around where we are and they have an excellent flavour.
As with sloes, they say that rosehips should traditionally be harvested after the first frost but you never know when frost is going to hit, it’s either too early or too late. The best way to mimic frost is to pick your rosehips when they are nice, red and fat, even if they appear hard, then take them home and put them in your freezer for 24 hours. Then defrost and use in your rosehip recipes. This will allow for maximum flavour.
…
Remember that soggy and green pulp that they served at school for lunch? I do. It’s like that scene from the ‘Horrid Henry’ movie when Greasy Greta (Jo Brand) is pushing a trolley of the most unappetising looking bubbling vegetable stew in the school canteen.
I’m sure we all had some sort of unpleasant experience with cabbage at some point of our lives but you should leave it all behind you now because the truth is cabbage, if prepared with love and care, can be the star of the show.
…
The plan was to make a cardamom, pistachio and marmalade drizzle loaf from Sarah Randell’s book “Marmalade: A bittersweet cookbook.” I had my very precious pot of homemade Seville orange marmalade next to me, ready to be used. I immediately fell in love with the picture of the cake which looked so appetising. Besides, anything that has pistachios or Seville orange marmalade written on it already has my undivided attention. And then I ended up making quite a different cake!
If I were to name just one food that stands out from my childhood it would be all sorts of sweet buns and rolls that my mum was making for us. Years and years later, I have to say I still have a bit of a soft spot for these pillowy buns. I associate them so much with my childhood and the way they smelled every time I walked into the kitchen. I have very vivid memories of my sister and I glued to the oven and impatiently watching the dough rise and turn golden. We thought it was taking forever! There would hardly be any leftovers left, all gone within minutes distributed within family members and friends.
…
Going through the freezer late last night, I realized I hardly used the berries that I’d meticulously frozen at the end of summer. Too good and precious to be wasted, I decided to put them to good use!
With the abundance of fruit and all sorts of berries and currants, pie makes for a perfect summer treat but I have to say it’s even better on a cold winter day. Nothing pleases more than digging into a juicy berry pie to reveal its hidden purple treasure and the deep scent of summer. It will immediately make you long for a hot summer day.
A new recent addition at Gail’s, my local artisanal bakery, has recently caught my attention. A sea salt caramel banana and pecan cake. I know! It tastes like a delicious piece of spiced banana bread but with a salty caramel difference and topped with sticky and crunchy pecans. I had to try my own version, of course, but with apples. I used my sister’s recipe for a spiced apple loaf and made an upgraded version thanks to the addition of pecans and salted caramel. All I can say is these flavours are just meant to be together. When you’re in need of an easy but delicious piece of cake with a cup of tea this will do the trick.
Of course, you can buy caramel sauce from the shop but homemade version tastes so much better and trust me when I say this – it is easy to make. Don’t be intimidated by frightening warnings to absolutely not stir and to use the thermometer. You just simply have to trust your judgement and the sugar will melt.
…
This fluffy, tender, cardamon and cinnamon-scented cake is a great way of using abundance of fresh and juicy plums when in season. Plus, it tastes fantastic. What more do you want?
I love the warm, bold and floral aroma of freshly ground cardamon but if you’re not a big cardamon fan, just leave it out – the cake will still be delicious. Also, other juicy stone fruits (peaches, apricots, nectarines or cherries) work well in this versatile recipe.
…