Sugar Free Parkin

The Smiths once sang that "rain falls down on a humdrum town". The days before Remembrance Weekend 2019 neatly fitted that particular bill as I piloted the freshly MOT'd and serviced Panda through storms and floods and along roads linking several forgotten ex-mining villages. 

On the evening of Remembrance Friday a trip to a local venue to see a first rate Rush tribute band with equally first rate company was equally dark and damp, but certainly much more enjoyable than the drives through floods the previous day.

By the time the weekend proper had rolled round and the parents had dropped the Dogg off at mine thoughts turned towards making some seasonal comfort food. My mind turned back to my childhood and dark November Nights after tricky days at school where I would often binge on bonfire toffee while watching Champions' League Football on the TV. It's funny how certain flavours and tastes stick in your mind from days gone by. The burnt and earthy taste, punctuated with shards of sweetness, of that bonfire toffee was something I wished to replicate. 

This said I decided to make a type of Parkin that would resurrect this taste of the past. On the player while making this recipe was Kiss' 1975 breakthrough live album "Alive!". Kiss' first three albums are a marvellous mix of catchy, hard rocking numbers that cover a surprising amount of different territories. However at the time of their release they barely sold enough to recoup their advertising costs. "Alive!" changed all that, sold millions and set them on the road to stardom. The performances, which take the pick of the tracks from the first three albums, sound fresh, energetic and have lots of warmth. 

So to the recipe. When I do baking I tend to divide the ingredients up into "dry" and "damp" ingredients:

Damp Ingredients:

200 grams of Golden Syrup.
85 grams of Treacle. 
200 grams of Unsalted Butter, melted in a saucepan. 
1/8 of a pint of Whisky. The whisky used was a supermarket own brand blend. My followers from the Highlands will be pleased to know I didn’t waste a genuine single malt on this recipe.
1 beaten Egg. 

Dry Ingredients

200 grams of Self-Raising Flour. 
100 grams of Ground Almonds.
1 tablespoon of Ground Ginger.
100 grams of Oats. 

Method

1. Stir together all the Dry Ingredients in a mixing bowl until they are combined. 

2. Add the Melted Unsalted Butter, Whisky and Egg and stir into the Dry Ingredients until you have a thick paste. 

3. Stir in the Treacle and Syrup. 

4. Place the mixture into a greased baking tin that is too high sided. 

5. Bake for one hour in the oven on Gas Mark 3 (170 degrees) for one hour. Then bake for a further half an hour on Gas Mark 5 (190 degrees). Pierce with a skewer to ensure it is cooked and not runny in the middle. 

6. Remove from the tin, leave to cool then cut into cubes prior to serving. 

The combination of the Treacle and Whisky in this recipe gave it the tar-like and fiery taste I was looking for and the Syrup and Ground Almonds made it sweet and almost taste like freshly produced fudge. A baking project to bring back long lost memories. 

South Coast Cod

At the end of September I joined the parents on their tour of the South West Coast. While there the Dogg and I uncovered the mysteries of an Island containing much War History, two prisons and lots of quarries. We also discovered lots fine seafood including oysters and crab. 

Perhaps the most remarkable dish we discovered however was at a pub hidden in a valley near the South West Coast Path where we helped my mum celebrate what she reckoned was one of her most memorable birthdays. 

That area of the South West Coast has numerous links with the Smuggling Trade of years gone by and the name of this pub referred to these often romanticised links. 

The pub in question served me a tandoori Hake on a bed of Potatoes, Shallots and Spinach. It was that dish that inspired me to make recently my own take on this recipe which used fresh Cod Fillets in lieu of Hake. 

The ingredients were as follows: 

Two Large Cod Fillets.
Two tablespoons of Turmeric.
Two tablespoons of Fenuguk
Three Carrots, peeled, topped and tailed and cut into baton shapes. 
Three Shallots, peeled, topped and tailed and cut into halves. 
One White Potato, peeled and cut width-ways into circles. 
One White Onion,peeled, topped and tailed and cut into pieces width-ways. 
Five Lettuce Leaves. 

On the player was one of the discs of Fleetwood Mac's Epic collection of Live Radio Broadcasts known as Gold Dust Radio 1975-1988. The collection showcases a number of incarnations of the band and illustrates that whoever was in the band at the time each gig was recorded, they were always a top drawer live act. 

The method to make this dish is:

1. Marinate the Cod in the Turmeric and Fenuguk using Olive Oil to bind the spices to the Cod and a plastic brush to ensure the Cod is covered in the mixture. 

2. Steam the Carrots and the Potato for twenty minutes. 

3. Fry the Shallots and Onions on a medium heat in Olive Oil in a Le Cresceut Dish for ten minutes until they are translucent. Stir them regularly to stop them sticking to the bottom of the dish. 

4. Add the Carrots and Potato ,once they have been steamed, and fry the ingredients for a further five minutes. 

5. In the meantime wrap the marinated Cod loosely in foil to form a parcel and cook in the oven for twenty minutes on Gas Mark Four. 

6. Place the Lettuce Leaves on a plate. Add the Shallots, Onion, Carrots and Potatoes by placing them decoratively atop the Lettuce. Then place the Cod Steaks on top of everything else. 

This dish was a clash of exotic near eastern flavours with the Cod while the fresh vegetables were more at home on a traditional Sunday Roast Menu. Either way this contrast made this a varied an enjoyable dish that revived memories of some wonderful adventures on the South West Coast. 

Mystery; Pumpkin

I woke up on the morning of 12 October feeling a little tired. It had been an action-packed week. 

After I drifted to the hairdressers, to celebrate my twentieth anniversary as a customer there, the Dogg and I ran to the hills. Ever since I was a teenager it's something that I've always done to regain my energy with I'm faced with challenges.

In the hills I saw in the middle distance an old classmate and her young family silhouetted against a high rocky outcrop. They appeared to have been harvesting pumpkins at a nearby farm; no doubt for the children to carve into lanterns. Still not feeling like much the Dogg and I drifted on and thoughts turned to a visit being made to a  house in the suburbs of a midland city for a murder mystery night that evening.

By the evening I had brightened up and we set off in our fancy dress costumes, which mixed glamour, comedy and surreal subversion, along the well-lit roads which cut through the city buildings frozen by mellow, artificial electric light. Surveying the scene as the Panda sped along the gridiron roads I noticed tall blocks of flats and offices that formed the local university buildings. It put in mind depictions of this part of the twenty-first century that are often found in the 1980s action films of my childhood. I almost felt that were like time travellers on this journey.

We arrived at the house hosting the party and found lots of wonderful company, tasty homemade fajitas, high drama, intrigue, enthusiastic acting and capital memories. 

Waking up a little fresher the next morning I realised that it was time to create something seasonal and new. I had recently been provided with a large Pumpkin acquired from a rudimentary farm shop in a former mining town that possesses a controversial cricket team. 

In spite of intense warnings from a close family member that Pumpkin might have been for display and not consumption; I soldiered on and used it as a key ingredient in a flavoursome but seasonal casserole. 

On the player was an album by an artist, some might say that's a loose term for this gentleman, who has enjoyed massive success in 1980s but also polarised individuals. The album was the formerly ubiquitous Phil Collins' 1985 smash hit "No Jacket Required". For my generation Collins is quite a divisive figure as when we were younger we often dismissed his work as bland and uncool pap that our equally uncool parents listened to. 

However, as happens so often when we grow up and review our relationships with our parents, a reappraisal of opinions has taken place. I recently saw some footage of Collins' current tour and his voice was still in good nick. However he cut a sad figure with the way he walked to the stage with his cane and sat down on a special chair to sing his songs for the duration of the set. He is a similar age to my parents and his slowing down and health difficulties struck a chord with me that we are all getting older and he, like my parents, is no longer as invincible as he appeared to me when I was a child in 1980s.

Despite some very dated production and synthesiser sounds  "No Jacket Required" holds up well and has some surprises. "Sussudio" with its uptempo funk and oblique lyrics is entertaining enough. However although "One More Night" was a massive hit it is by no means the best track on the record and when you look passed this you'll find the catchy "Inside Out" and "Long Long Way to Go". Both are well arranged and have a good depth. 

However the highlight is "Take Me Home" which is all about a dementia patient who can understand all that is happening to them but cannot communicate this to those around them. It reminded me of a summer visit to a family member. She was once a sharp, witty lady who kept me on my toes when I was an earnest misfit of a youngster. When I saw her in the summer I sat next to her. Initially she stared at me from her wheelchair with a look of puzzlement and a half-smile as if she didn't recognise me. However on closer inspection it was almost as if that half-smile really was meant to convey to me "don't worry; underneath all this it's still me and I still recognise you". Since that day "Take Me Home" has had a real resonance with me as no doubt it has to others in this age of longer lives and the resulting rise of dementia. 

So the ingredients of this recipe which were as follows:

Twelve Ounces of Diced Beef.
Twelve Ounces of Pumpkin Cubes.
Three Fresh Tomatoes cut into Cubes. 
One diced Shallot.
One diced Red Onion
Four Ounces of Sun Dried Tomatoes.
Eight Ounces of Pui Lentals. 
A bunch of Fresh Basil. 
A teaspoon of Tomato Puree. 
An Ounce of Garlic Salt. 
An Ounce of Harissa Seasoning
An Ounce of Barbecue Seasoning. 
An Ounce of Paprika.
A can of Butterbeans. 

The method was the following: 

1. Boil the Pui Lentils in water for forty five minutes. 

2. While the Pui Lentils are cooking fry in Olive Oil in a Le Cresceut the Shallot, Red Onion, Tomato Puree, Spices, Half of the Basil for ten minutes on a medium heat on the hob.

3. Add the Diced Beef and stew for a further twenty minutes stirring regularly on a low heat. 

4. Add the Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Sun Dried Tomotoes and remainder of the Basil and cook for another twenty minutes stirring regularly on a medium heat.

5. Introduce the Pui Lentils and the water they were boiled in and simmer for twenty minutes until the ingredients have softened  and the water absorbed.

6. Add the Butter Beans and warm through prior to serving. 

There was a lot of flavour in this recipe and the freshness of the Basil is offset by the smoky fire of the Harissa and Barbecue Seasonings that warmed through a wet Autumn lunchtime. The Butterbeans and Lentils meanwhile, together with the Beef, gave much needed protein while the Pumpkin was strongly enlivened by the strong flavours. 

Satsuma Rhubarb Adventure

The penultimate Saturday in September was a warm, sticky affair. The preceding week I had obtained some Rhubarb from my local dealer, who is a mad-keen horse-rider, at one of our branch offices. 

Having once before made a Rhubarb and Yoghurt Cake I settled upon a similar recipe that involved stewing the Rhubarb with some fresh Satsuma Juice for a unique taste.  

As preparation ensued I listened to "Cookin' at the Plugged Nickel" Miles Davis, excellent live album culled from a mid sixties gig, which was compiled and released officially in 1990. It is interesting to note the much better sound quality in this live Jazz offering than in live Rock albums of the time such as the Kinks' Live at Kelvin Hall and the Stones' Got Live if you Want!. Both the latter albums are a lot of fun and remain listenable but their production is muddy. What sets out Miles Davis' "Cookin' at the Plugged Nickel" is the strong production and clear mix in which typically powerful trumpeting, kick ass drumming and mellow pinging on the piano are all rife. Davis' other sixties live albums "Miles in Berlin" and "My Funny Valentine" are just as good as this one and worth seeking out. 

The Ingredients for the cake are: 

Eight Ounces of Fresh Rhubarb.
The juice of One Satsuma.
Five Ounces of Icing Sugar
Two Ounces of Caster Sugar. 
Five Ounces of Unsalted Butter.
11 Ounces of Self- Raising Flour.
Two Eggs, beaten.

The Method that can be used for this recipe is as follows:

1. Cream the Butter and Sugars until light and fluffy. 

2. Add the Eggs and stir them in gradually to the Butter and Sugar.

3. Stew the Satsuma Juice and Rhubarb in a saucepan with some Butter for five to ten minutes on a medium heat until soft.

4. Add the Satsuma Juice and Rhubarb to the Cake Mix and stir in thoroughly. 

5. Fold in the Flour gradually and stir until you have a fairly thick paste.

6. Spread the mixture into a greased cake tin and cook on Gas Mark Four for one hour.

7. Pierce with a skewer to ensure it is cooked.

Rhubarb and Orange often go together and in this case they went together like Cider and a hot summer night. The Satsuma juice added a sweetness to a cake that felt, much like a peripheral figure in my life, light and fluffy. 

Taking a slice- a cross section of the cake. 

Golden Brown- fresh out of the oven and cooling down.

Pie Precedent

The Late September heat was trickling out of the tarmac and rising to waist height. It was already going to be a hot Saturday. Treading carefully and still feeling scratchy from an attack of heatstroke towards the end of an action-packed working day on Thursday, I lurched through an alleyway towards the doorway of my local greengrocer. As those of you who regularly read this blog will know, the greengrocer in question provides lots of excellent fresh ingredients for recipes on this blog. Indeed some of his food is fresher and more flavoursome than the "fresh" fruit and veg that's on offer at the two nearby supermarkets. 

When I reached the door of the shop, I blinked twice and checked my watch. It was after opening time, yet the stands that normally displayed fresh fruit and veg, retro crisps and puddings had not been put out and there was no sign of life within the shop. Squinting through the windows I could see a few stray bananas hanging motionless from their hooks like convicts swaying gently from the gallows pole. Many shelves looked quite bare. I turned away hoping that this was just a temporary closure.

Luckily I had salvaged some Beetroot and Pickling Onions from the shop the week previously. That said after a sunny walk, which saw the Dogg get subjected to an impromptu obedience class by two middle aged women seemingly obsessed with fibrous cereal, I employed these vegetables as ingredients in a pie.

I have previously made stir-fried beef marinated in Chilli and Ginger as well as Beetroot, Ginger and Chilli Soup. I thought therefore it would be a good combination to put into a pastry pie. 

The ingredients to make this dish are as follows:

For the filling

One pack of Diced Beef from the Supermarket. 
Eight Ounces of Root Ginger, peeled and sliced thinly.
Six Pickling Onions, topped tailed and thinly cut. 
Half a Teaspoon of Chilli Powder.
Half a Teaspoon of Chilli Flakes. 
Ten Juniper Berries. 
Four Beetroot- topped, tailed, peeled and sliced into cubes. 

For the Stock

Quarter of a Pint of Beef Stock, made thick using two or three tablespoons of Plain Flour and half a teaspoon of Ground Ginger.

For the Pastry

Sixteen Ounces of Plain Flour.
Eight Ounces of Unsalted Butter.
One tablespoon of Unsweetened Soya Milk. 

Stevie Wonder's early 1972 album "Music of My Mind" was on the player. This unjustly overlooked record regularly dwells in the shadows of it's well-known successors "Talking Book", "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life". However it shares much in common with them in that Wonder plays most of the instruments save some well-chosen appearances by guest musicians. 

It is also the first in a line of works by a mature artist who was no longer merely the accomplished child prodigy of yesteryear. Save from the fourth track the songwriting, arrangements and guest appearances are all out of the top drawer and it deserves the same recognition as the albums that followed it. I first acquired the album in my mid-twenties when my dad and I went on an all-to rare father and son outing to the record shop at a local mall. 

The method for this recipe was as follows:

1. Sweat in a Le Cresceut the Pickling Onions, Ginger, Chilli Flakes and Chilli Powder in Olive Oil for five minutes. 

2. Add the Beef Pieces and stew on a low to medium heat for fifty minutes turning regularly to avoid sticking. 

3. Simmer the Beetroot Pieces in a pan of boiling water for one hour.

4. While the ingredients for the filling are cooking make the Pastry by rubbing in the Flour and Butter in a mixing bowl until the mixture resembles golden breadcrumbs. Add the Milk gradually and stir it into the pastry. Manipulate it together and knead well into a ball.

5. Put the ball of pastry in the fridge for twenty minutes. 

6. Make the Stock by adding a quarter of a pint of boiling water to a measuring jug with the Beef Stock Cube and Ground Ginger. Dissolve the Stock Cube with the water and gradually add the flour. Stir it in steadily to make a thick gravy.

7.Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll half of it out so that it covers the bottom of a twenty-five centimetre wide and five centimetre deep pie dish. 

8. Spread the Beef Mixture and Beetroot evenly throughout the dish.

9. Distribute the Gravy evenly in the dish. 

10. Roll out the rest of the Pastry and use it to cover the top of the pie. 

11. Brush the top of the pie with Soya Milk.

12. Cook in the oven on Gas Mark Six for thirty minutes before serving. 

Earlier in the week I had discussed the ingredients of this recipe with my venerable colleague. She had questioned the wisdom of putting them in a pie together. I too had reservations that the Ginger would make the Pie too sweet. However it turned out to be a real revelation that was rich, healthy- thanks to the Beetroot which is good for your heart, and with sharp flavours that were not sweet enough to undermine this delicious savoury dish. 

Pie Cut- a cross section reveals the purple hue of the Beetroot. 

Late Summer Soup

There was a freshness in the air on Saturday Morning. It permeated into the house and froze my bladder in doing so. I rolled out of bed at 6am and woke the Dogg up to start the day. We went a walk near a leafy wooded hill, that once was home to notorious toilet traders but is now a local beauty spot. From the top of the hill one can see a long way towards the Mysterious East, while closer to the hill is a ruined chapel from the nineteenth century which hides in plain sight in the nearby pine forest. 

Also rife there at this time of year are berries; especially bilberries and blackberries. The sight of these berries coupled with the fresh cold of the mornings always makes me realise that Autumn is coming close, the cricket season is near an end and suddenly Winter will rear its head. 

With this in mind I decided to prepare a soup for the occasion as I was playing host to two close friends and, after a spontaneous message, was lucky enough to play host to two other good friends on top of that for good measure.

The local greengrocer, in addition to stocking retro model vintage cars and DVDs, retains its share of quality fruit and vegetables. It already has the first English Apples of the season available and these, together with the arrival of a new stock of Carrots, inspired me to make a soup featuring the fresh juices of summer and hint of the colourful Autumn to come. 

On the player was the first effort by Bruce Springsteen; 1973's "Greetings from Ashbury Park N.J" . Aside from containing "Blinded by the Light" and "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City"; both of which were covered very expertly by Manfred Mann and David Bowie respectively, the record is outstanding for gritty quasi-acoustic numbers like "Mary Queen of Arkansas". It is a song my neighbour, and Springsteen Devotee, rightly rates as one of The Boss' best songs. 

The ingredients of this recipe are as follows:

5 Carrots- peeled, topped and tailed and cut into small circular slices. 
2 Sticks of Celery- cut into small pieces and divested of their string.
1 Apple- topped, tailed, de-cored and cut into cubes. 
5 teaspoons of British Coriander Leaf.
3 teaspoons of powdered Coriander. 
2 teaspoons of White Pepper. 
The juice of a Freshly Squeezed Orange. 
Olive Oil. 
Quarter of a Pint of Vegetable Stock.
Pumpkin Seeds. 

The method is the following:

1. Lightly fry the Carrots, Celery, Apple, British Coriander Leaf, Powdered Coriander and White Pepper in Olive Oil in a saucepan on a lowish heat for fifteen minutes stirring regularly. 

2. Add the juice from the Freshly Squeezed Orange and stew for another five minutes. 

3. Add the Vegetable Stock and simmer for a further twenty five minutes. 

4. Leave to cool and once cooled blend on the highest setting. 

5. Return the soup to the saucepan and warm through before serving in bowls with a topping of Pumpkin Seeds.

This soup perfectly summed up what mid to late August is all about in that the Juice of the Orange gave it a fresh taste of hot late summer days drinking on the patio while the earthy tastes of the Celery and Apple pointed towards the smells, feelings and tastes that Autumn brings with it. 

The taste of this soup is rounded off well with the Pumpkin Seeds

Gammon Raise

The first of June had seen me involved in one of the most exciting games of cricket of my career. This time it was a close finish that saw the team I was playing in get home off one of the last balls of the game thanks to an athletic diving catch by my stocky Sri Lankan Teammate. 

After a steamy night at a Far Eastern Restaurant, a revitalising boiled Goose Egg the morning after followed by a walk to one of the highest local hills it was time for another cooking project. 

I stepped a long way back in time to the mid 1980s and remembered the times when my mum wasn't a quasi-vegan and used to cook delicious Gammon Steaks that were salty yet juicy. It was those memories that inspired me to cook a Gammon Steak with some adventurous ingredients that were barely heard of in the 1980s. The ingredients were:

1 joint of Gammon.
Honey to glaze the Gammon with.  
Mustard Seeds. 
Purple Sage Leaves.


For the Prune Chutney:
3 Shallots 
12 Ounces of Prunes. 
Quarter of a Pint of White Wine.

A side of New Potatoes.

At this point I'd give a big shout out to my local green grocer "Strawberry Box" who supplied the Shallots and New Potatoes. 

On the player was Roy Harper's 1988 effort "Garden of Uranium". Harper didn't release many albums in the 1980s but when he did he certainly hit his straps. Garden of Uranium combines atmosphere, emotion and dry wit and although there are some very 1980s touches to the record they are restrained enough for the album not to sound dated.

The method for this dish was as follows: 

1. Cut all excess fat from the Gammon.

2. Mix together the Honey, Mustard Seeds and Sage Leaves in a mixing bowl and then glaze the Gammon Steak with them using a brush. 

3. Cook the Glazed Gammon in the oven for ninety minutes on Gas Mark 4. 

4. While the Gammon is cooking make Prune and Shallot Chutney by topping and tailing the Shallots and slicing them thinly. 

5. Melt eight ounces of Unsalted Butter in a saucepan and add the Prunes and Shallots. Once the Shallots are cooked add the White Wine and then boil it away on a medium heat until the melted butter, residue of the White Wine and Prunes and Shallots have formed a thick paste. Leave on one side to cool. 

6. Peel the New Potatoes and Steam for 25-30 minutes until they are soft. 

7. Once the Gammon is ready, cut it into slices and serve with the Prune and Shallot Chutney and New Potatoes. 

The combination of Prunes, Shallots and Gammon isn't necessarily one I'd have put together before making this recipe. However the chutney that contained the Prunes, Shallots and White Wine had a rich and earthy flavour that complemented the sweet, rich glaze that encrusted the Gammon Steak. 

Kedging a ride

The weekend after the May Day Bank Holiday seems a time away now; a little like looking at a distant landmark through the wrong end of a telescope. At that time I was still basking in the afterglow of my career best bowling performance in league cricket a week earlier. I had been lucky to follow this up in the next match, after a controversial last minute selection, with another strong performance on a wet wicket. I bowled tightly to remove the opening batsman of a team who are based in the industrial midlands. 

Their home ground , which that particular game was played on, sits in a park in the middle of rundown housing estate where, in a previous life several years earlier, I had walked through on a one-off date with a local mattress saleswoman. 

After the game I headed east for some spontaneous frames of snooker  with a fellow law professional before hitting the sack.

The Dogg woke me early the next morning, by pawing me in the head, and to help recover from my sporting adventures the day before I cooked up my own take on Kedgeree. 

The ingredients were as follows: 

2 Banty Eggs hard-boiled sourced from brilliant local greengrocer The Strawberry Box.

2 Bay Leafs.

2 Smoked Haddock Fillets.

1 Bunch of Broccoli- also sourced from the Strawberry Box. 

2 Shallots.

8 ounces of Rice.

3 ounces of Pine Nuts

3 Spring Onions.

4 sprigs of Fresh Parsley.

2 tablespoons Curry Powder. 

The juice of 1 Lemon.

On the player was Robert Cray's funky and bluesy album "Strong Persuader". I was introduced to this talented and witty blues guitar man at a gig last October and following the gig was inspired to buy this album which stands as the high watermark of his recorded output. 

The method for this recipe is as follows:

1. Fry Haddock 8-10 minutes turning regularly then place on the side once cooked. 
2. Boil Rice for 15 minutes while the Haddock is frying. 
3. Boil Eggs for 5 minutes to make them hard boiled while Rice and Haddock are cooking. 
4. Steam Broccoli 20 for minutes while above ingredients are cooking.
5. Fry in a frying pan in Olive Oil the Shallots, Spring Onions and Bay Leafs for 15 minutes stirring regularly. Add Pine Nuts, Curry Powder, Parsley.
6. Once they have been cooked, using the method above, and cut into pieces add the Haddock, Rice, Broccoli and the Eggs once their shells have been peeled from them and the Eggs quartered.
7. Warm all the contents of the frying pan through and place in a Pyrex dish to serve.

When I'm holidaying, Kedgeree is one of the luxury breakfasts that I plump for. I really enjoy the smokiness of the Haddock coupled with the curried flavours. My take on it was motivated by my cricket adventures and promise to the Dogg and others to walk in a wider range of more taxing terrain which in turn required me to improved my fitness. Part of improving my fitness naturally means watching my diet. That's why the fresh Broccoli and rich Pine Nuts ended up in the recipe and they in turn made the dish rich yet healthy. 

Colourful Kedge- bright Haddock and lots of greens give this recipe a healthy glow. 

Screw the diet, have a Stuffed Pepper

Friday Night. I had taken in some hard travelling at two offices where I found lots of good company. One office was located in an ex-mining town, the other near a former steel mill. Then I hit the road in the Panda and took the Dogg to my pad to kick off an action packed bank holiday weekend. 

On the player was Miles Davis' underrated and quite wonderful 1986 effort Tutu that finds Jazz's greatest artist duet-ting on his trumpet with numerous overdubbed instruments including drum machines and other, at the time, modern instruments. However, unlike some 1980s efforts by other great artists to embrace contemporary fashions Davis' effort hasn't dated and still sounds fresh today.

It genuinely was the first full game of cricket the following day and I needed to cook something quick and easy to give me some energy. I settled on a stuffed pepper recipe. The ingredients used were:

One Yellow Pepper, de-seeded with the top removed. 

One Clove of Garlic, peeled, topped, tailed and cut finely.

A tablespoon of Smoked Paprika. 

A tablespoon of Onion Salt. 

Three Fresh Basil Leaves. 

Six Spring Onions, topped, tailed and sliced thinly. 

Three Fresh Tomatoes cut into cubes. 

Eight Ounces of Quinoa.

A tin of Butter Beans.

The method to make this recipe is:

1. Line a Le Cresceut or Sauce Pan with Olive Oil. Add the Pepper, Garlic, Paprika and Onion Salt.

2. Warm through with the lid on the pan or Le Cresceut on a medium heat for ten minutes turning the Pepper regularly to make sure each side is done properly. 

3. Add the Tomato, Basil, Spring Onions and stew on a medium to low heat for a further twenty minutes stirring regularly. 

4. In the meantime boil the Quinoa in a separate saucepan of boiling water for twenty minutes.

5. Drain the Quinoa with a sieve and add to the ingredients in the Le Cresceut or Sauce pan with the Butter Beans. 

6. Warm through for five minutes and serve. 

There's lots of fantastic protein in this recipe with the Quinoa and Butterbeans while the herb and spices give the whole recipe a real kick and make it a meal of goodness and eclectic flavours. It certainly gave me some energy to take five wickets in the cricket match the following day and help our team win in a match where every team member contributed something positive. 

Stormy Soup

The storm quickly closed in on Friday as we left work. A colleague hurried quickly to her stables so as to move her horses to new pastures. I meanwhile pushed the Panda to the limit to retrieve the Dogg from a local safe house and do the shopping before the worst of the weather hit. 

I had been selected for the first game of cricket of the season, which was supposed to be taking place the following day. That said I had the usual mix of excitement at the promise of good cricket and making more memories, slight nerves and burning anticipation that comes before the first match of the season after long months of practice in Winter and early Spring. If the game was going to go ahead I realised that I needed to be fortified with a warming homemade soup as the match temperatures would be Baltic and the wicket and outfield a sodden glue pot fashioned from the hordes of local clay and buckets of rain. 

I went for a Leek and Potato Soup recipe but decided to put a bit of a twist into it in order to make it more flavoursome and avoid the blandness this recipe can create if it's not done properly.

On the player was, appropriately in light of the weather outside, Bob Dylan's 1977 live album "Hard Rain". The record documents Dylan's legendary 1975/76 Rolling Thunder Tour and while there are better recordings of that tour available, this album still packs a primal power that makes it essential listening. 

The ingredients for this soup are:

8 Shallots, topped, tailed, peeled and finely sliced. 
1 Leek, topped, tailed and sliced thinly.
1 Garlic Clove, topped, tailed and sliced narrowly. 
1 ounce of Mustard.
1 ounce of Mustard Seeds.
1 ounce of Dried Tarragon. 
1 White Potato, peeled and cubed. 
Half a pint of Vegetable Stock. 

The method is as follows:

1. Stew the Shallots, Leek, Garlic Clove, Herbs and Spices in Olive Oil in a Le Cresceut on a medium heat for ten minutes. Stir periodically and when not stirring keep the lid on the Le Cresceut dish to help cook the ingredients. 

2. Add the Potato and repeat the stewing process referred to above for a further ten minutes. 

3. Add the Vegetable Stock and then simmer the ingredients on a medium heat for forty-five minutes. 

4. Leave ingredients to cool and once cooled blend them. 

5. Once blended warm the soup through in a pan or Le Cresceut and once warmed serve in bowls with a garnish of Fresh Parsley. 

Tarragon and Mustard always make a tasteful pairing and when they were coupled with the overripe Shallots it give a richness and flavour to the Leek and Potatoes that made this a filling soup that was delicious. Although the horizontal rain put paid to the cricket match the soup proved good brain food as I used Saturday's Downtime to plot a new course. 

Fancies Allsorts

My Gran always warned us about hanging washing outside on Good Friday. Apparently it's bad luck because of what Christians believe happened on Good Friday and therefore could mean that hanging washing outside could lead to the death of someone close to you. Fortunately for me my washing remained hidden inside the house. Hopefully that meant I had dodged a bullet. 

One activity that isn't frowned upon on Good Friday however is baking and in my case during this Good Friday some Fancies. I put a twist on the traditional approach to preparing Fancies, that usually involves putting Dolly Mixture Sweets atop the cakes, by decorating mine with Liquorice Allsorts. 

As the late April Sun slow cooked the Chilli Plants in the conservatory, I commenced work on the Fancies. On the player was Rush's excellent live album "Snakes and Arrows Live". I was lucky enough to see the band on the UK Leg of the tour this record was culled from with two people who've had a very positive influence on my life. There's something about the rhythm and feel of Rush's music that tends to make me push hard to produce quality food and this cooking project was no exception to that rule. 

The ingredients for this recipe were: 

For the Cake Mix

175 grams of Unsalted Butter.
175 grams of Brown Sugar.
175 grams of Self- Raising Flour. 
3 beaten Eggs. 

For the topping

525 grams of Icing Sugar.
5 tablespoons of Warm Water.
Some food colouring.
Various Liquorice Allsorts. 

The method for this recipe is:

1. Cream the Butter and Brown Sugar until it is fluffy. 

2. Gradually mix in the beaten Eggs until you have a thick paste. 

3. Stir in the Self-Raising Flour until you have a thick paste mixture.

4. Grease 12 Bun Cases and distribute the mixture equally between each bun case. Add the bun cases to a baking tray with 12 spaces for the Bun Cases. 

5. Cook in the top shelf of the oven on Gas Mark 5 (or 190 degrees) for 35 minutes. 

6. Remove from the oven and cool in the fridge for an hour. 

7. Make the topping by sieving the Icing Sugar into a bowl and gradually stirring in the water and no more than three tablespoons of food colouring. This should result in a thick paste. 

8. Once the cakes have cooled spread the Icing evenly over each of them and top them with a Liquorice Allsort of your choice. 

9. Return to the fridge to allow the Icing to solidify and when ready to eat remove from the fridge and allow to warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 


These alternate take on Fancies proved popular both with a good friend, and intellectual giant, when he consumed one after we'd conquered a challenging local mountain on Easter Saturday. While another visitor enjoyed one with a strong glass of pale ale after an evening shift at work. 

They were tasteful cakes for a tasteful and extremely memorable Easter Bank Holiday. 

Two of the Fancies made a delicious late night snack accompanied by some strong Pale Ale.

Duck in the Canaries

The new collection of Duck Eggs had arrived at the greengrocers.Some were a pale shade of turquoise, like a cloudless sky at dawn, while others were speckled and white. I picked a speckled white egg. The day was Saturday and it was the second one in April. 

Freezing hale cut into the Dogg and I as we sat in front of a memorial, that can be seen for miles around, for our picnic dinner of raw lettuce, hummus and cheesy crisps. That said it was the case that by the evening a warm curry with the crew in town was just what was needed. 

The morning after a wonderful night, that was chock full of entertainment, insight and a variation on the Five "Megamix", my eyes were opened by the weak sunshine and I drifted slowly down the stairs to make breakfast.

I employed some ideas from my time in the Canary Islands to poach the Duck Egg and garnish it with a rich Mediterranean Tomato Sauce flavoured with a North African spice that is typically used in sauces of the Canary Islands.

The first Seal Album was on the player with the funky, energetic third track "Crazy", one of the standout tracks, leaping from the speakers. 

This is what I used:

• Three Spring Onions, topped, tailed, and sliced finely.
• Three Tomatoes cut into cubes. 
• Three Basil Leaves that have been shredded thinly. 
• A tablespoon of Smoked Paprika.
• A tablespoon of Ras-El-Hanout Seasoning. 
• One Duck Egg.
• Some Olive Oil.

This is how I did it:

1. Gently fry the Spring Onions and Spices in Olive Oil in a Le Cresceut or a deep frying pan on a medium heat for five minutes.
2. Meanwhile grease the poaching pods of an egg poacher and bring the poaching pan to the boil on the hob. 
3. Add the Tomatoes and Basil to the Le Cresceut or frying pan and stew on a medium heat with the lid on for fifteen minutes. 
4. Crack the Duck Egg and put the white and the yolk in one of the poaching pods and boil in the poacher for five minutes.
5. Serve with the sauce and you should have a runny egg that is very rich but spicy thanks to the tomato sauce. 

Microbrewery in a Stew

The heat-haze had lifted and as the Dogg and I sat at the top of a high hill with sun filtering down through the remaining clouds; it felt like we could see all of the National Park we were currently visiting. We were in the middle of a nine mile walk over familiar and less familiar terrain and were indulging in a picnic of Hummus and Onion Rings. At least I was. The Dogg stuck to her favourite dried food and the sheep dung scattered around our picnic site. 

We descended into the valley and I saw a house I had visited almost exactly nine years earlier. On that date I had a meeting that changed my career forever. The house looked the same as I remembered it. I almost wanted to go and knock on the door and say "thank you" to its current occupant. Yet something, an almost intangible and pathological force, pulled me away from doing that. 

As we drifted through the village to find our car and drive home, we took time to visit the cricket pitch that had staged three significant games in my amateur cricket career. The first was my first competitive game for the club I currently play for. The second was a memorable cup final and the third saw my return to competitive cricket after a hiatus of five years. That said I felt a number of emotions that left me fulfilled but mindful of old ghosts. 

The Panda guided me skilfully home with its windows wound down and James Taylor's underrated 1974 effort "Walking Man" booming from the vehicle's bad ass sound system. Our arrival at home saw me do my annual work of laying ant poison outside the house to stop the expected attempt by the creatures to create an infestation.

It was soon time for tea and I realised I needed something with protein and lots of iron. The recipe was inspired by my purchase of a local beer from a nearby farm shop. The beer is made by a local  micro brewery called the Ashover Brewery and this particular brand is called "The Fabrick". It takes its name from a local rock that forms a viewpoint from which you can see six counties and, on a clear day, a distant cathedral. It is amazing in this day and age you can get a beer named after such an obscure, to those not from the locality, local landmark. I say this as in my early drinking days the choice of beer was mainly restricted to the bland dross of Carling, Fosters, Heineken, Worthington and others. Luckily we,as consumers, are now spoiled for choice with great beer. 

The decision was made to put half of "The Fabrick" in a beef stew. On the player was James Taylor's polished 1976 record "In the Pocket". Tracks such as "Shower the People" prove a timely reminder to value and appreciate the friends and family in your life, while "A Junkie's Lament" pushes the envelope (at least in James Taylor terms) by charting an individual's recovery from heroin addiction. This overlooked album is one to seek out on a sunny day, stick on the player, crack open a beer and close your eyes to allow yourself to be transported somewhere special by the music. 

The Ingredients for this recipe were as follows

For the stew 

400g Diced Beef. 
1 heaped tablespoon of Plain Flour. 
25g of Fresh Parsley.
15g of Black Pepper. 
10g of Onion Salt. 
1 Bay Leaf.
5 Raw Pickling Onions, peeled, topped, tailed and finely sliced. 
Half a Pint of Ashover Brewery "The Fabrick" Beer. 

For the side dish.

5 Steamed New Potatoes, 100g Fresh Broad Beans and 50g of Rocket to serve with the Stew. 

The way to make this meal is as follows:

1. Steam the New Potatoes and Broad Beans on a medium heat for about half an hour to forty minutes or until soft and tender. 

2. Fry the Beef, flour, herbs and spices in a Le Cresceut in Olive Oil for ten minutes stirring regularly to stop the Beef Pieces sticking and to bind the ingredients together. 

3. Add the Pickling Onions and fry all the ingredients for another ten minutes. 

4. Add the Beer and simmer for around twenty five minutes on a medium heat while stirring regularly to avoid the Beef Pieces sticking.

5. Serve with the New Potatoes, Broad Beans and Rocket. 

The Beef was made spicy yet rich by the introduction of the Beer while the flour helped parts of the stew form a thick, flavoursome stock. The Beer was a light one with a sharp, citric taste made refreshing by the warm temperatures. The New Potatoes, Fresh Broad Beans and Rocket lent a welcome taste of summer to the dish and made my restless, questing mind turn to thoughts of new challenges in the coming months. These were challenges that I realised that I had numerous ways of overcoming.