Gingerbears

Gingerbears hibernate in tupperware,
where they sleep until teatimethen out come the gingerbears,
out from their tupperware
with spiced winter warmth to share...
...and then the cupboard was bare!

We don't do gingerbread men in this house, as you might have noticed. Just bears. Or moose, or cats. I whipped these up last night when I realised that N didn't have a nice little something ready to go in his lunch. Plus, I was in the mood for something cute like cut-out biscuits. I only made a half batch, and even though I didn't half the ginger they still felt like they were missing something. I might have to track down a different recipe and give it a go. Then I'll get to cute out more sleepy bears, yay!

Sweet oniony goodness

I didn't used to be a big fan of onions. I wouldn't mind them chopped up in a sauce, but offer them to me on their own and I was likely to refuse, quite possibly pulling a face whilst doing so. Then I met N, and he showed me some magic things. The first was his onion gravy. Now gravy was another thing I would spurn, I think because I have never liked meat juices, and the out of the packet alternatives didn't seem to have anything to offer except cloying pasty saltiness. I was much more likely to smother my mash in brown sauce and mustard. Not anymore. N's onion gravy, made very simply with stock, fried onions and red wine is the business, I had it for the first time last Christmas and I've never looked back.

Which is how I discovered fried onions. Oh yeah! Veggie sausages with fried onions, makes my stomach rumbling just thinking about it, and would make me reconsider tonight's dinner plans if it wasn't for the fact that we have no more onions!

Why are we out of onions? Because last night I made a caramalised onion topping for the focaccia we were going to have with the soup. And it was delicious. I might have to make it again, soon, like as soon as the box comes with more onions on Wednesday!

It's really simple too...

caramalised onion topped focaccia - Serves two, generously. (It would probably stretch to four, but we're not sharing!)

bread:

250g strong white flour
10g course semolina (or 10g more flour if you don't have it)
7g yeast
5g salt
25g olive oil
160g water

topping:

4 small onions
1 tbsp oil
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch brown sugar

Mix the dry ingredients so they are combined and then add the water and olive oil and form into a sticky dough. Knead for a few minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth, leave to rise for an hour in a warm place covered with a clean dry cloth.

Meanwhile make the topping: Chop the onions into round slices. Heat the oil over a low heat in a non-stick deep frying pan that has a lid. (I find this dish the best for the job, but a small saucepan with lid will do), add the onions and stir to keep the cooking even. The aim is to gently cook them so they go soft, and at no point get it hot enough to burn or char them. They should be translucent, then golden, rather than brown. Once the onions are very soft (about 20 mins) add the vinegar and sugar and stir to coat the onions. Place the lid on the pan and cook for a further 10-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the onions are caramalised. Remove from the heat and allow to cool,

Preheat the oven to 200C

Once the bread has risen to twice it's size place on a baking dish and spread out into a rectangle, add the topping and leave to rise for 45 mins. Place in the oven on a middle shelf and cook for 25-30 mins, until the edges are just browning, but before the onions get too dry. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Sunday soup

Sunday seems like the perfect day to make soup. It's lazy, easy and comforting. A November Sunday is even better, because chances are it's cold and wet too. So it was that I found myself copying out a recipe my Dad had sent and suggested; carrot and ginger soup.

I love carrots. I quite often have one chopped up raw with my lunch, and I remember loving stir-frys when I was a kid because of the carrot, the sweetness of which matches perfectly with the saltiness of soy sauce. However, despite my love for them, it's hard to get through how many inevitably arrive in the organic box. They may be a staple during this time of year, but there are only so many I can get through in a week when I don't cook a roast dinner for six on a Sunday! It's just the two of us, and the cat - who quite frankly would rather another carrot never crosses his path - and so when the haul of carrots arrive occasionally a sinking feeling comes with them (although not as badly as when the Jerusalem artichokes get on the scene, which no doubt you'll start hearing about in a few weeks!).

Given the carrot overflow imagine my pleasure when my Dad suggested this soup. I waited all weekend to do it, admiring the stock of carrots in the fridge with gleeful satisfaction. "I know what I'm doing with you" I thought in their direction. This evening, I copied out the recipe and started organizing the ingredients: 1Kg of carrots, no problem. Oops! It seems my mid-week nibbling was a little premature, only 500g remained. So I did the only thing possible. I upped the bread quota!

In the end the halved soup recipe was just enough for one normal and one small portion, which when topped up with onion focaccia, was perfect. If I'm honest the soup was a little too sweet for me, and the ginger was only a subtle residual heat. I think next time, when I make a full batch, I will probably taste it and then add some more ginger. Other than that I hightly recomment it. I think a sharp piece of vintage cheese would have gone down very well with it too, but as it happened the bread was enough for us, with the burnt caramelly flavour of the onions a perfect accompaniment.

Christmas in a jar

Yes, I know, I know, it's only the middle of November, but there are some things that need to be done early in order to be ready when the festivities begin, and who am I to argue when it's going to make the flat feel all warm and smell of oranges, brandy and sugar.

This afternoon I had my first bash at homemade mincemeat. Mince pies are one of my favourite things, and last week asked N just how soon I could get away with making them. I could eat them all year round, and would, except then they would feel less special in December and I would probably gain quite a few pounds all year round as opposed to just stacking it on at the end. I do however try and make the best of the season and make and consume as many as possible. I have my favourite commercial ones (Pret's shallow ones being the nicest in my opinion) but absolutely nothing beats making your own, and this year I wanted to go all the way and make the mincemeat too.

I spotted a suet-free cranberry mincemeat recipe in Nigella's new Christmas book, and thought it would be perfect, especially as she gave an ordinary version too. The instructions looked amazingly simple and apparently it would take no time at all. Plus, I had all the ingredients to hand, having done a sneaky pre-Christmas shop during the week.

Off I went and in twenty minutes had a glistening jar of cranberry mincemeaty goodness. A quick wash-up of the pan and in another 30 mintues I had two jars of a more traditional mincemeant. Now that's the kind of Christmas prep I like; done in less than an hour with all the more time to potter about basking in the results.


I have to confess that I did lick the spoon, and I think that in about three weeks time when I can finally justify starting the great mince pie ressurgence it's going to be very good indeed.

Nigella's "Cranberry-studded mincemeat"

Makes about 600g.

60ml ruby port
75g soft dark brown sugar
300g cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
75g raisins
75g currants
30g dried cranberries
zest and juice of one satsuma
25ml brandy
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 almond essence (I ommited this because N doesn't like it, and I don't have any as a result)
30ml honey.

In a large saucepan dissolve the sugar in the port. Add the cranberries. Then add the spices, along with the currants, raisins and dried cranberries and the zest and juice of the satsuma. Simmer for 20 minutes or until everything looks pulpy and has absorbed most of the liquid, bashing the cranberries helps release their juice. Take off the heat and, when it has cooled a little, stir in the brandy, essences and honey and beat to turn into a more pasty mix. Spoon into sterilised jars.

It keeps for up to a month.

To make the traditional version just substitute the fresh cranberries for a small cooking apple, grated and replace the dried cranberries with 15g raisins and 15g currants.

NB: I kept the cranberries in our traditional version because I like them a lot and thought it would make it slightly different. I also used an orange rather than a satsuma.

A photo essay: it's time for the weekend

It's been a very long week. It's definitely time for a sleepy weekend.

Fixing things

I have been feeling very zen today. It might be because of these:



the nine blackberries I found whilst out walking this morning. I found a back route into the park, and I was kicking myself for having spurned the idea of carrying my camera. It was so wonderful to stumble across a wooded path that could so easily have been in the countryside rather than the city. Along the path were numerous bramble bushes which must have been laden with fat juicy berries a month ago. Alas I only managed to get nine (well ten actually, but in retrospect one wasn't edible). Next year though I shall be staking out that spot with my preserving pan at the ready!

The park too looked beautiful in it's dressing of gold and amber. I will have to go back before the wet winter truly settles in and take some photographs.

The rest of the day has been split between trying to rescue my newest chapter, and trying to rescue the cassoulet, alternating between brandishing a red pen and a red spatula. I think both tasks have been successful. I know this picture doesn't look all that exciting, or appetising for that matter, but believe me the rich spicy smell that was emanating from the pan when I boiled it to soften the beans was just marvelous. I think this, with a glass of the rich red wine that arrived yesterday, is going to be the perfect end to the day. I will post the recipe at some point, but I thought it would be better to at least get mine edible first!


In other random news I have been pondering this, as inspired by this. I was thinking of producing two, one of things to do and a separate thing of baking/cooking challenges. Hmmm. I have a month and a half to sort it out...I'd better get started!

How to break things and eat chips twice in a week.

Arsenal won again last night. This time our youngsters took on the mighty Wigan in the Carling Cup. We trashed them 3-0, and looked pretty darn good doing it.

Which is more than can be said for the things coming out of the North London kitchen these past two days. I mean look at this:


Its supposed to be a pain au chocolate. Not quite the effect I was going for. I think the milk I added the yeast to was too hot. Oh well. The pastry is lovely and flaky, just not as puffed up as I had hoped. Oh well. I'm sure we'll cope, it'll just have to be a very dense pastry with our coffee on Saturday morning (and the following seven mornings!).

That wasn't the beginning though, oh no. Yesterday I began the experiment with dried beans, and dramatically underestimated how long they would take to cook. I'd soaked them for 24 hours, and yet after 40 mins cooking in my cassoulet they were still rock hard. This would have been fine any other night, but last night we were against the clock and had to dash out of the door to the match.

So yes, it was chips for dinner and cookies at half time. A nicely rounded meal of carbohydrate. I won't knock it though, it keep us warm through the cold November night. No wait, I think that was all the jumping up and down celebrating goals. Cassoulet tomorrow, after hours of boiling in the afternoon.

I did however make one nice thing tonight. Homemade baked beans, this time boiling the butter beans rapidly before actually making the dish. Note to self: boil the beans forever before you add to a dish, that's the answer!

Hopefully the next couple of days will be more successful. I'm afraid there probably won't be any more baking, at least not for a while, but I shall be out and about with the camera, so hopefully I'll have something to tell you about to keep up my blog-a-day November habit.