Fair Trade Fortnight
It’s Fair Trade Fortnight again so to celebrate I’m suggesting you make yourself up a batch of chocolate fridge cake, as in the photo this week. Check out the recipe on the Divine Chocolate website. It tastes great and it’s perfect for anyone who doesn’t have access to the best of kitchens. As the name implies, there’s no cooking involved. It’s great for sharing so get housemates to chip in and it won’t even cost much. This stuff is rich so a little goes a long way. Maybe get some free trade tea to drink with it and get some mates round.

I use Divine for two reasons. It works brilliantly for cooking. Not every chocolate has a good melting quality and depth of flavour but theirs has both. And it’s 100% Fair Trade. 45% of the profits goes straight back to the growers. The people from Divine and a number of the farmers will be touring the UK over the next week or so, demonstrating, giving out free samples, cooking and talking about the whole ethical trade issue. If you’re passing an Oxfam shop, drop in and get a couple of tubs of hot chocolate and you’ll get a free Divine mug to remind you what’s going on.

If you’re in London and fancy a free concert check out the Barbican at 2.30 on Sunday 7th March (box office 0845 120 7550) for music composed by young people from all over the city inspired by the Free Trade idea. Well, got to get on. Two essays down, one to finish and a presentation to write.

Enjoy your fridge cake! Sam x
Pancake Day
I love pancakes! There are a million different varieties of filling and recipe, but made well, they’ll all taste great. I will be using Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) as an excuse to make a truckload of them with my mates and putting on loads of different toppings. Personally I’m quite traditional. My favourite’s a thin crepe served with maple syrup and lemon ( I don't think you can beat it) but some of the boys love nutella, golden syrup, ice cream, chocolate sauce. Anyway, I’m sure there will be loads of different tastes going around. Make some yourself pancakes – savoury or sweet – flat or flapped – rolled or stuffed. They’re filling, they’re cheap, and easy to make. Try tossing them. Have a great day xx

Basic Pancake/Crepe Recipe

110g/4oz plain flour

Pinch salt

1 large egg

300ml/1/2 pint milk

Splash of water

1 tbspn sunflower or vegetable oil or melted butter (not compulsory)

Extra butter for frying

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl

2. Make a hollow in the middle with a whisk or wooden spoon.

3. Crack the egg into the hollow and add a drop of the milk.

4. Start to mix it all together with the whisk or spoon.

5. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking and beating hard as you go to avoid lumps.

6. Beat in the water and oil or melted butter if using.

7. Leave the mix to rest for an hour for a lighter batter although you can use it quite successfully immediately.

8. Brush a flat frying or crepe pan with melted butter or melt a blob in there and swirl it around.

9. When the butter is sizzling (not burned) pour in enough batter (while tipping your pan) so it swirls to cover the surface thinly.

10.Cook for 1 minute or until it browns underneath and sets. Toss to turn it or flip it with a spatula. The first pancake often sticks if the pan wasn’t hot enough. Just abandon it if that happens and start again with another crepe as the pan will be hotter and it wont stick this time. Cook for another minute.

11. Serve immediately with your topping of choice or stack pancakes between greaseproof/baking paper until ready to use. You can re-heat them in the microwave or on a plate over a pan of simmering water.



TRY

Filling with grated cheese and/or ham

Filling with apples you have fried till soft in butter. Add caster sugar

Fill with berries and yoghurt or whipped cream or ice cream. Roll them up. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Stuff with mushrooms and cheese sauce. Roll. Cover with more sauce or just grated cheese and bake in the oven.

TIP

Pancake mix can be prepped the night before if you want them for breakfast but the mix separates a bit. Just beat it with a fork before frying.

You can freeze cooked pancakes between sheets of paper as above.


Back to Uni!
The first couple of weeks back at uni have been pretty good fun but it’s been a massive shock food wise. I got used to my sweet kitchen at home again with all its gadgets, space and proper equipment. Not forgetting to mention how clean it is! But I’ve been making do with the uni set up and have been turning out some pretty good meals. Last night’s effort was a gorgeous caramelised ginger pork fillet stir-fry. Tonight it’s lamb koftas, falafel, pitta breads and a few salad things. When everyone chips in and helps it’s done pretty quickly and it’s not that expensive.

Other news. Over Christmas I became an uncle for the second time so I have to say massive congratulations to my sister Polly, and Rob, for creating the gorgeous character that is Daniel.

Oh, and Rhubarb has to be the ingredient of the week. It’s around in all the supermarkets and markets. It’s the forced variety which has a lighter taste and texture than the later fruit. Give it a good wash then chop it into finger lengths. Put it into a frying pan or saucepan and just cover with water. Add a bit of sugar to taste. Bring it just up to boil then whack the heat down at once. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes till it’s soft but holding its shape still. Eat it hot or warm or cold. Blitz it up with a bit of custard to make rhubarb fool. Layer it up in a bowl with some plain yoghurt, honey, a few nuts. Stir it into a bit of whipped cream with a bashed up meringue or crumbled ginger biscuits. You can even team it up with a bit of fish. Eat it with a freshly fried mackerel or grill up a trout to enjoy with it. Sam x


New Year
Well, I suppose it had to happen. A nasty post-Christmas illness – so I’m not back at University. But at least I’ve managed to get out of bed. Oh well. Now it’s about recovery and fattening up again. I lost 9 lbs – in a week. Better than any diet though I wouldn’t recommend it. Diet’s definitely key to feeling better again. I recommend Chicken Soup. If you can get someone to make it. Or keep a stash of chicken stock in your freezer so you can easily do it yourself. De-frost and flavour it up with a bit of healthy and tasty fresh ginger and garlic. Bung a bit of green leaf and soy in there at the last minute. Chicken soup’s a natural antibiotic. Perfect. Get plenty of citrus fruit for the vitamin C. Chop oranges into quarters. Get easy-peel clementines or satsumas. Make up a cold-busting drink with boiling water, chopped fresh ginger, honey, fresh lemon juice. Let it all steep for a minute or two then sip slowly. Great for the throat.

Drink loads of water to push the fever through and keep hydrated. Mash up bananas for energy and easy swallowing. Get well soon.

Sam x

PS Doing exams? Good luck.
Merry Christmas.
It’s so good to be home. You really can’t beat it. Sometimes all you want is clean stuff - and for someone to bring you a cup of tea now and then. Currently I need to wash everything twice in my flat. Cups, plates, pans, dishes, trays – you name it, it’s dirty, which is a bit of a nightmare for me as I love to work in a clean kitchen. Things are so bad I even feel the need to wash my hands after I’ve used our oven gloves. Don‘t go thinking I’m some sort of a weirdo needing everything to be hyper-hygienic – I just don’t want to get ill every day! Oh, and it’s a beautiful thing when every shelf you look at is yours. At uni, you have to be sharing.

Anyway, I’m home and it’s on with the planning for Christmas dinner. The turkey’s ordered from our favourite farm shop and there should be enough to feed the masses. The only bad thing about this Christmas is that my sister Polly won’t be here. She’s popping out a baby at some point. So good luck! It’s a boy – user name, Baby David (after the baby in ‘The Royale Family’) though we don’t know what they’ll be calling him.

Before the big lunch I’ve got another dinner to prep. This weekend a couple of good mates from Uni are stopping off in York on their way back home for their festive events. I’ll be cooking up a nice little treat for them. I won’t say what as they’re likely to read this and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. One of the great things when you’re entertaining mates is to put the unexpected on the table. Anyway I gotta go decorate the house and dress the tree. If you fancy making up some spicy xmas biscuits to hang on yours – here’s my recipe. They look great and are well tasty. Happy Christmas – have a great one. See you in the New Year.

Sam xx

Iced Christmas Star & Tree Biscuits

250 g self raising flour

Pinch salt

125 g butter

125 g caster sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

1 small egg, beaten

1 tablespoon runny honey

icing

icing sugar (sifted)

lemon juice

1.Sift flour into a bowl. Add salt and butter.

2.Rub lightly together between your fingers.

3.Fork in sugar, spices, egg, honey.

4.Pull mix into a ball with your fingers.

5.Knead lightly on a lightly floured board.

6.Chill, I hour, wrapped in clingfilm.

7.Pre-heat oven 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease two baking trays.

8.Roll biscuit dough out to 3-4 mm thickness – cut into star and tree shapes without twisting cutters. Lift dough onto trays with a palette knife – it’s soft so take care.

9.Cook for 10 plus minutes till golden brown (watch them).

10.Cool on trays. Transfer to racks. Mix icing ingredients. Ice and leave to set. Store in tins.


Festive Food - To get you in the mood for Christmas!
So, December’s coming up and the build up to Christmas has begun. The Edinburgh lights were turned on a few days back and everything’s buzzing with the Xmas spirit. Incidentally, I saw my first DFS sofa sale advert today so that’s a sure sign that we’re heading for a New Year.

In the meantime, my mates and I are planning a Christmas gathering. We’re thinking mince pies, brandy butter and mulled wine and I’ll be turning out a few top bites like a batch of Chicken Liver Pate.

Chicken livers are pretty cheap. Get them from your butchers or supermarket freezer compartment and defrost them. Soak them in a bit of milk for 30 minutes then drain and roughly chop. Fry up a small diced onion or 3 shallots in a bit of butter until they’re soft and translucent. Add 3-4 cloves crushed garlic, a bit of thyme and 4-5 chopped rashers of bacon. Cook for a few minutes till the bacon fat starts to run. Chuck in your chicken livers and turn for a few minutes until they’re cooked but still a bit pink inside. To deepen the flavour, add 2-3 tbspns red wine, brandy or JD. Turn up the heat to evaporate the alcohol. Remove - season with salt, pepper, more thyme, a bit of fresh lemon juice. Blitz till smooth adding ½ a pack or more of cream cheese to lighten the texture. Pour into one big bowl or ramekins/bowl/cups. Leave to cool. Cover to seal with melted butter. Chill. This keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks. Spread on bits of toast – crostini – French bread – melba toast – crackers.

I’m also thinking ahead about Christmas dinner once I’m back home. Beef, turkey or duck? I’ll have to get my brother’s approval as he’s pretty picky about his xmas food and deciding who gets to cook what. Anyway, I’ve got to go sort out a shopping list for a batch of mince pies. Why not make some yourself? Have a good week!

Pastry doesn’t take well to too much handling, so, keep it light. And wash your hands in cold water before making it. Hot hands make for tougher pastry.

Traditional Mince Pies - for 18

225 g plain flour

50g ground almonds

125g butter, cubed

100g caster sugar

zest ½ lemon

1 egg yolk, beaten

3-4 tablespoons milk or water

½ jar good mincemeat

A little cream cheese or marzipan (optional)

Icing sugar for dusting

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the almonds and butter.

2. Rub the butter lightly into the mix using your fingertips, holding you hands well above the bowl to keep it airy.

3. Add the sugar and zest. Mix with a fork. Add the egg, and milk or water until the pastry holds together when you pull it into a ball. If it’s too dry, add a drop more liquid but too much will give you tough pastry. Use as little liquid as you can get away with.

4. Place the dough on a lightly floured board or clean surface. Knead it very gently and quickly till smooth Wrap in clingfilm/foil. Chill for 1 hour.

5. Pre-heat the oven 200C/400F/6. Grease 2 x 12-hole bun tins.

6. Roll the pastry out thinly on the board/surface. Cut into 36 circles with a floured 7.5 cm cutter or glass. You’ll use these for 18 bases and 18 lids.

7. Line 18 of the holes with pastry circles. Place 1 heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each. Top with a little cream cheese, marzipan or grated apple if you fancy.

8. Brush the edges of the pastry lids with a little water. Place these onto the pies, moist side down, pressing to seal firmly.

9. Brush the tops with a glaze of milk or milk beaten with egg yolk. Cut 2 small slits in the top of each pie to release steam.

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes till golden. Cool 3-4 minutes in the tins. Remove pies with a spatula. Transfer to cooling racks. Dust with icing sugar – serve warm, cold or re-heat.
The Winter of Soups
Winter has definitely struck in Edinburgh. Bonfire Night was a hat, scarf and glove occasion! My friends and I (Dom, Laurie, Johnny, Rich and others) headed up to the top of Arthurs seat (a massive hill overlooking Edinburgh). It was ace to see all the fireworks from such a great viewpoint. The freezing cold certainly brought me around to thinking about winter foods and soups are permanently on my radar. They’re perfect to warm you up, they’re cheap and they’re healthy (full of minerals and/or from the stock and veg used) and of course, get them right and they’re bound to be tasty! Soups are perfect for students as you don’t need loads of fancy equipment to make them.

My absolute favourite is French Onion. It’s easy to make (see below) and the flavour’s beautiful. Top tip: it works out best if you don’t rush your onions. The richness develops and improves over a few days so make sure to make enough for leftovers.

For serving – I always bang some toasted crostini with harissa mayo and gruyere cheese on top (it’s a dream to eat) but plain crostini or bits of toasted cheese will do if you’re on a budget. Serve it really hot and this combo works as a complete meal.

This weeks Tuesday dinner gathering is another winter warmer, classic mash with sausage and onion gravy. Everyone is very excited! On that note, I’d better start cooking. I’m salivating at the thought of it all.

Hope you all had a great Halloween and Bonfire Night. Sam x

French Onion Soup

STOCK

A successful soup’s all about the stock. Homemade’s best. For chicken stock – you can boil up what’s left of a roast chicken with a carrot/onion/fresh or dried herbs for an hour. Drain, cool, chill or freeze. Or boil up a couple of chicken thighs or a chicken joint for 30 minutes.

Onion soup’s traditionally made with beef stock (roast the bones before boiling up into a stock) but that’s not always practical to do.

For vegetable stock – boil up a washed onion (skin on) with a carrot, bit of celery if you have it, fresh or dried herbs – for 30 minutes.

No homemade? I use Knorr chicken stock cube or a bit of Marigold Bouillon but they’re salty – so watch your seasoning.

RECIPE

1 tbspn olive oil (or what you have)

2 tbspns butter

5 very large onions (I try to get brown skinned but any)Peeled, thinly sliced across into rings

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tspns sugar

300ml white wine (or extra stock)

1.8 litres chicken or veg stock (or water but season it up)

Salt and black pepper

Croutons

6 slices baguette or rough bread

Cheese – grated gruyere or cheddar

A bit of mayo mixed with garlic and a little harissa paste (optional)



1.Prepare your stock.

2.If you’ve only got the one pan, decant the stock. Wash and dry pan.

3.Heat the oil/butter combo over a low heat in the pan. Add the onion and garlic.Stir well to coat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to a minimum.

4.Sweat the veg slowly for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Too much heat and the onions will burn and taste bitter – ruined soup.

5.Add the sugar and a bit of salt. Stir. Let the onions melt down further for 30 minutes or until they are reduced, soft and brown. This caramelisation gives your soup it’s deep flavour so don’t burn and don’t rush.

6.Increase the heat then add the wine. Boil the mix for 2 minutes. Add the stock and a bit of seasoning. Boil then reduce the heat. Cover the pan. Simmer for at least 20 minutes or until the soup tastes deeply flavoured. Season. The time taken will depend on the first processes and the quality of your stock and onions.

7.Toast the baguette or bake on a tray in an oven till crisp. Top with grated cheese. Place in the bottom of bowls and pour the soup on top. Or float on the soup.Or drop bits of toasted cheese on top. Your call…….
Seasonal Delights
Cooks are always banging on about eating seasonal food but they do have a point. When something’s available for just a bit of the year you appreciate it. When it’s around all the time (like strawberries or tomatoes) you take it for granted. Added to that, the taste out of season just isn’t the same.

Apples and pears always eat best in September/October – that’s taste and texture. English Asparagus is brilliant in May. Then you’ve got your special ingredients like the October/November pumpkin.

Every year since I can remember we’ve carved one out at home, stuck candles or tea lights inside, enjoyed the scary bits then cooked up the flesh. Don’t chuck it away. This stuff is great for soup, pies, muffins, purees. I like to roast or boil up the flesh till soft then puree it with lemon or lime, a bit of ginger, loads of garlic and butter then stir it into a basic risotto mix (see the Student Cookbook) just 3 minutes before the rice is ready. Adjust the liquid till it’s thick and soupy. One of the easiest things to do with it is to turn out a lovely soup – which is great for treating loads of people for Halloween or your Bonfire Night parties. This recipe makes enough for 4 so just up the quantities if you’re cooking for crowds. Pumpkin and other squash have sweet flesh which would make for bland results without added acidic ingredients. So, lemon and lime juice work as does ginger.

700g cubed pumpkin

Slug of Olive oil (other if you’re out of olive or don’t cook with it)

25g butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 fat cloves garlic

A piece of fresh ginger (10 cm ish), peeled and grated.

Juice of 2 plump limes (or use a lemon or 1-2 tbspns of a good bottled lime juice)

850 ml vegetable stock (you can use chicken)

50g creamed coconut dissolved in 300 ml boiling water

Fresh coriander, chopped

Salt and pepper

A few shakes of Tabasco (optional)

A few drops balsamic vinegar (optional)

Chop the pumpkin into big cubes. Drizzle in olive or other oil. Roast in the oven at 220C/400F/gas 6 for 30 minutes or till soft. You can steam it if you like or boil it up till tender and drain well.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a large pan. Fry the onion and garlic on low heat till soft – not coloured. Add the ginger. Stir for 30 seconds.

Add the cooked pumpkin, lime or lemon juice, stock, dissolved coconut and water, coriander, salt, pepper. Bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Top up with more water if it looks too thick.

Blitz soup with a handblender or in a blender/processor.Taste and adjust the seasoning adding the optional extras and coriander.

If you like a hotter soup, add a diced chilli or two at step 2. This recipe works for butternut squash too.
Getting the Best Deal!
One thing I’ve learned at University is how to budget properly. When it comes to food, it’s all about getting the best deals – without compromising on quality and flavour.

Firstly you need to get to the shop – the right shop – Sainsbury’s down the road for me. And preferably at the right time – at 6.00 pm on a Sunday the bargains come out. Like cheap bread, anything that’s nudging its sell-by date, basics, the-not-so-perfect fruit and vegetables, go up for grabs at vastly reduced prices. You have to be fast or other people swoop in and get the best stuff. It’s like a club – people in the know. You get to recognise the same faces. All the supermarkets do it – so check out your local or favourite and find out what time and which are the best days to do it.

Get things that you can stick in the freezer as soon as you’re home. It helps if you’ve got a plan in your head and can imagine how you can transform what’s on offer into one or more good tasty dishes. 12 best sausages for a quid translate into a breakfast – a sausage sandwich lunch – and toad in the hole the next night. Last week a 70 pence bag of basics rice fed 12 people in my flat. A 60 pence bag of pasta basics can easily be transformed if it’s matched with a good quality but cheap homemade sauce to feed the same. Like a simple tomato sauce made with special offer Italian chopped tinned tomatoes. I’ve bought meat at huge reductions which is all RSPCA freedom food so you don’t have to compromise on animal welfare.

The same kind of deal goes on in every supermarket in the land. And their Basics range can actually be healthier than the posher taste the difference or whatever, as it’s not got so much fat or added salt and sugars.

My final top tip is go home – raid the cupboard there. I was back in Yorkshire this weekend doing some cooking, eating, and making apple chutney in-between sleeping.

Final thought – it’s Chocolate Week this week. Check out the really cool recipes on the Divine Fairtrade Chocolate website. Sam x
Eating Is A Sociable Affair
Uni is really kicking off now, lectures and tutorials are happening most days. They are good fun but hard work. So, along with a few mates I’ve devised a way of having a good time (without going out) when we have early lectures or work to do. Every Tuesday, we are taking it in turns to cook dinner for about 12 people. Result? We get a mix of home cooked food, good company and a lot of fun. We all chip in 2-3 quid for the ingredients.

The first week I cooked belly pork, a variety of roast veg, melted leeks and a cracking gravy. It went down beautifully. Just what people needed to combat the fresher’s hangover/ homesickness malaise.

Last week, I helped my friend Emily to cook a great chicken curry with loads of extras. That also went down a treat and gave us leftovers for days! That’s the way to spin out the effort and the money.

Last night I helped my mate Dom to make some BBQ Bacon Cheese Burgers with a tomato salsa, chips and salad. So much for students having a bad diet ay?! Getting down with your cooking skills and building up a repertoire before you leave home is the way to do it. Just a few easy dishes would do it for starters. Well, I have to go make some notes on a lecture now, but talk soon. Sam x

For those of you feeling adventurous, why not try this recipe.

Melted Leeks

Wash and trim 2/3 big leeks. Cut the white/pale green stalks into 8 cm lengths. Cut each length into thin strips, washing out any extra grit you find. Dry well.

Melt 50 g butter in a heavy pan. Melt gently. Add the leeks. Cover with a bit of greaseproof paper. Cook very slowly for 10 minutes or till the leeks are very soft.

Season with salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon if you like. Use the discarded green leaves, well-washed, for stock.

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