Sloe Gin Coming

At the start of September I was wandering round a wide playing field that had two smaller than average goalposts at either end. To those of my generation it was known as the "Playscheme". A place where many of us would go on hot summer evenings after a day at Primary School to play football and many other things. During my recent trip there I was reflecting on a very memorable summer that I had been lucky to be a part of.

The Playscheme is bordered on one side by lots of red brick council houses with steel frames hidden beneath the brickwork. One such house was the scene of one the most exciting, yet dangerous, house parties I ever attended back in the summer of 2009.

Nine years on I found the Playscheme and the Council Houses to be separated by thick hedges containing wild Sloe Berries. These wild berries prove a fantastic ingredient for festive Sloe Gin and with some foresight I was inspired to procure fifteen ounces of them from a local source.

When the Dogg and I returned home I stuck onto the player Jethro Tull's difficult yet rewarding effort "A Passion Play". If you want to tackle this album then why not have a listen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZFlq3zQhQ0 

It's an album that was willfully obscure in terms of the concept behind it and the lyrics. However it contains some of the band's best playing and strong musical themes even if the interlude, which sounds like it was meant to emulate Monty Python, "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" can grate a little after several listens. Nevertheless like all the best albums you hear something new every time you listen to it.

I took a one litre plastic bottle and added the Sloes to it with five ounces of Caster Sugar and two thirds of a litre of Gin. I screwed on the bottle cap very tightly and shook the contents well. I then left it for three months and two weeks, in the back of one of my kitchen cupboards, apart from making sure I shook the bottle once every week or two weeks and then replacing it back in the cupboard.

I also made some Elderberry Gin by taking six Ounces of local elderberries and added them to a  half a litre plastic bottle with three ounces of caster sugar and one third of a  litre of Gin. I stored this bottle of Gin for the same time and in the same manner as the Sloe Gin.

When the Gin was opened it was the Christmas Holidays. After bottling it up in September I had returned briefly to the North Country to take the ashes of a close relative back home. Then after closing that part of the book I had achieved three big victories in my professional life and been partying and socialising non-stop since the start of the month. I was a lucky man to have done all this. The holiday season and the month of December had reminded me of the many good people in my life.

As I type this I've got Mike Oldfield's 1982 record "Five Miles Out" on the player. It's a record that shows how an artist who had been requested by his label to make a 'pop' album was able to come up with something that ticked that box while still having one track that is a twenty-four minute opus as well as two big hit singles. It is a good metaphor for life in the sense that; you should be sure you have plenty of memorable moments that you can share with many others but don't forget to create things that are uniquely yours. Have a butchers at this album and then, if you like it, buy it to support the artist. Here's a link to the record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiEZhVPekI&list=PLfimnwaZdumhjRFkLSiHSB0y9ag5XJUw5

The Sloe Gin was tested on my Dad at the inaugural family Boxing Day Gathering at my home. Although he's usually a beer and whisky fan he enjoyed the Gin and it contributed to many new memories that were made that evening on what could have been a day of melancholy for the family.

The girlfriend of a very good friend of mine also thought the Sloe Gin was a hit when the pair of them visited me the day after Boxing Day. As she is a genuine connoisseur of Gin this was a great compliment that was as kind as the wonderful Christmas Presents they presented to me on their visit.

Sloe Gin with some Tonic, Juniper Berries and a Lemon

The Dogg looks on as I prepare to sup a glass of Elderberry Gin

Red and White Christmas

"Christmas comes but once a year, relatives come from far and near" so starts the famous song by the Two Ronnies that covers the ups, and downs, of the Christmas. Also made once a year for this occasion is Christmas Cake. In my family for as long as I can remember it was the job of my grandmother to make the Christmas Cake. However these days although she's still here in body, her mind has long since started its final journey into the sunset.

That said I volunteered to step into my Gran's Shoes and make a family Christmas Cake this year. Preparation began early in November by soaking the Sultanas and Raisins used in the recipe in whisky for around three weeks. I got round to making the cake towards the end the last working week prior to the Christmas holiday.

I felt pretty punch drunk but was aided in being motivated to make the cake by listening to "Christmas" by Low. The album is one of the most mellow Christmas Albums out there and offers a different and enjoyable musical take on the holiday season. A link to this great album is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IippcraBPKA&list=PLPaztBWnatcifcyPsq5cymXi4V8kYhXab

The ingredients for this rich cake were as follows:

Cake Mix

Five hundred grams of Unsalted Butter.
Five hundred grams of Brown Sugar.
Five hundred grams of Plain Flour.
Four hundred grams of Sultanas.
Four hundred grams of Currants.
Four hundred grams of Raisins
Two hundred grams of Glace Cherries.
One hundred and fifty grams of Mixed Peel.
Eight Eggs.
A tablespoon of Mixed Spice.
A tablespoon of All Spice.
A tablespoon of Vanilla Essence.
One hundred and fifty grams of Ground Almonds.
Five Tablespoons of Black Treacle.
Five Tablespoons of Syrup.
A quarter of pint of Whisky.

Decoration

One Kilogram of ready to roll Marzipan Icing.
A quarter of a Kilogram of Red Icing.
A tablespoon of Icing Sugar.

The way to make this cake is as follows:

1. In November at some point towards the middle of the month soak the Sultanas, Currants and Raisins in a bowl with the Whisky. Cover the bowl in clingfilm and leave in the fridge until the third full week in December.

2. When preparing the cake pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark Two and grease a twenty-five centimetre wide and ten centimetre deep cake tin with Unsalted Butter.

3. Stir the Unsalted Butter and Brown Sugar together until they become light and fluffy.

4. In a separate bowl or measuring jug beat the eggs together.

5. Once the Eggs are beaten together add them gradually to the Butter and Sugar and stir them in carefully.

6. Add the Glace Cherries, the Fruit soaked in Whisky, Mixed Peel, Vanilla Essence, the Ground Almonds and flour and stir them all together. Once this is done add the Black Treacle and Syrup and stir them in thoroughly.

7. Carefully pour the ingredients into a the Cake Tin and bake in the Oven for around five hours on Gas Mark Two.

8. Remove from the oven and remove the Cake from the tin and leave it to cool overnight.

9. The next day roll out the White Marzipan Icing and cover the cake in it. Add the red icing to decorate the top and sides accordingly with it and then dust with Icing Sugar.

This cake was extremely rich and heavy with the Treacle and Whisky giving it a smoky and burnt taste that took me back to Bonfire Night and the taste of Bonfire Toffee and the smell of smoke in the November Air.

A cross section of the finished cake. Don't mistake the Red Icing for uncooked Sirloin Steak.

Chili Cheese Calzone

A very close friend of mine got me a wonderful birthday present recently. It was an afternoon making street food at a leading local restaurant. At the course he and I learned a number of new recipes and tips to improve our cooking as well as having a lot of fun in doing so. I can safely say that it's one of the best birthday presents I've ever had. One dish we learned to make, while I sported an extremely ironic "Vegan Chef" hat supplied by my friend, was Calzone. The version we made contained Rocket, Mozzarella Cheese and Mushrooms. I'm not the biggest fan of Mushrooms but I saw the potential of the concept of calzone and decided to do my own take on it.

There was more Clapton on the player when I started the project. This time his landmark 1992 offering "Unplugged". In common with many other contemporary music legends the record sees Clapton treating some of his most famous numbers, plus some newbies and lesser known pearls, with acoustic instruments. Along with Neil Young's, Rod Stewart's and Kiss' take on this genre, Clapton's is one of the best. For those who wondered if Clapton, after a turbulent creative period in much of the 1980s, was still God, here's proof that the epithet remained justified.

If you fancy a taste of this record you can do worse than click on: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQL8vLGlM3mmh0vEpglq9x2LAPThDj19T

The ingredients of this dish were the following:

For the filling:

Five tomatoes cubed.
Ten leaves of Fresh Basil Shredded thinly.
Five Spring Onions cut into thin pieces.
Eight Ounces of Chili Cheddar Cheese cut into four equal pieces.

For the Dough

Two Hundred Grams of Wholemeal Bread Flour.
Four Ounces of Garlic Salt.
One Hundred Grams of Olive Oil.
One Sachet of Yeast.
One Hundred Grams of Water.

The method:

Prepare the filling by frying the Tomatoes, Basil and Spring Onions on a low heat in Olive Oil for around fifteen minutes stirring regularly. Once this is done leave the ingredients on one side to cool down.

Next make the Dough by adding the Bread Flour into a large mixing bowl with the Garlic Salt and Olive Oil. Stir these ingredients together and then form a hole middle of them.

In another bowl stir the Water and Yeast together and try and ensure the yeast is fully blended in with the Water. Add the Water and Yeast to the Bread Flour and the Garlic Salt and stir the ingredients together.

Then knead, which you may find very cathartic, the ingredients together until you find you have made a large ball of dough. This should take you around five to ten minutes. Then cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough in the fridge for one hour to rise.

After one hour remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into two equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough out into a large circle. Add one part of the mixture each to the two circles of dough and  two pieces of the Cheese.

Put the Calzones on a foil-covered baking tray and bake in the oven on Gas Mark Seven for fifteen minutes. After that remove them from the oven and consume or leave in storage to eat cold no more than two days after cooking.

These Calzones had plenty of freshness from the Basil, Tomato and Spring Onion while the Chili Cheese added a real fire and richness.

All Hallows Soup

The reason the Pumpkin has become associated with Halloween in this country is that it is usually hollowed out to look like a skull and then a candle is inserted in it to create a Jack O'Lantern. It wasn't always like that. In fact until the Pumpkin became widely available, following influence from the United States, the Turnip was the vegetable of choice for making such Lanterns. The legend of the Jack O'Lantern originated in Ireland where it is said an individual made a bargain with the Devil and as punishment is forced to walk the Earth with only a hollow turnip to light his path.

Less well-known on this side of the pond are Pumpkin's qualities as a source of food. Over in the States it is used in the sweet Thanksgiving Dish Pumpkin Pie. Here however it is often overshadowed by its more flavoursome counterpart in the squash family, the Butternut Squash. The taste of the Pumpkin is certainly not as accessible and immediately likable as the Butternut Squash, but when combined with the right ingredients it can make some wonderfully comforting Autumn and Winter dishes.

The clocks had just changed and the crisp winter sun crept through the park like the rust of red and gold over the green leaves of the trees it contained. I was having a spot of downtime having in the space of less than week taken in a gig by legendary blues guitarist Robert Cray, Tuesday Tapas, Snooker and Darts through work, a cookery class with a very good friend of mine, a night out in a midland city, a meal in another midland city with a close friend and a buffet tea with my parents. To follow up I had the christening of the first child of some other friends to look forward to,plus a possible midweek game of pool and a lot more.

The temperature had quickly dropped and some heat was needed which inspired me to make a Pumpkin Soup.

I had acquired the only studio album by Eric Clapton's side project Derek and the Dominos. It's not only one Clapton's greatest works, either solo or as part of a working band, but also one of the best records of all time. The record, called "Layla and other Assorted Love Songs", features not just the timeless title track but lots of other country blues classics generated by a man seemingly at war with himself emotionally.

The ingredients for this soup were:

One Pumpkin, de-cored and de-seeded and cut into cubes.
Five Pickling Onions diced.
Two Cloves of Garlic diced.
Four Tomatoes cut into cubes.
Eight Ounces of Red Lentils.
One teaspoon of  Dried Basil.
One teaspoon of Ground Cumin
One of teaspoon of Black Pepper.
Two Birds Eye Chili Peppers ground down very finely.
Six Pumpkin Seeds.
Pine Nuts.

The method is as follows:

1. Warm some Olive Oil on the hob in the bottom of a deep sauce pan or Le Cresceut.
2. Add the Pumpkin Seeds and cook them for ten minutes turning regularly. Then remove them and set to one side.
3. Add the Pumpkin Cubes and heat for fifteen minutes.
4. Add the Pickling Onions, Cloves of Garlic, Chili, Lentils and all spices and heat through for a further twenty minutes stirring regularly.
5. Add the Tomatoes and stir them thoroughly to allow their juices to soften the mixture- especially the Red Lentils. Stew on the hob for another twenty minutes then leave to one side to cool.
6. Blend the soup and return to the Le Cresceut dish.
7. Warm through and serve topped with the Pumpkin Seeds and some Pine Nuts.

The Tomatoes and Spices gave this soup a rich yet fiery taste that brought the taste of the Pumpkin Flesh to life. Meanwhile the seeds added an extra crunchiness that made the Soup something out of the ordinary.

HOLY FLAPS!

It was a wet Sunday and therefore a day for doing some baking. However I’d already enjoyed an action-packed weekend with an evening of whisky on the Friday Night, followed by a sly game of Darts in the Amber Valley and a catch up over a cup of the not so hard stuff in the industrial suburb of the town I reside in.

The record on the Player was Seal’s excellent sophomore effort “Seal II” . There’s something extremely uplifting about listening to this album on a wet Sunday Morning. The captivating voice and powerful arrangements, which somehow combine mild rave, trance and easy listening, are more than enough to motivate. The pick of the tracks are the storming opener “Bring it On” and the ubiquitous love song “Kiss From a Rose” . I say ubiquitous, it certainly was in the summer of 1995 when it was constantly on the radio during a holiday I took to Canada that summer. For me the record also brings back memories of long-gone, wet Sunday mornings lying half conscious on a sofa in a flat in Huddersfield while staring out of the window at the distant, dark hills of the Northern Peak District. It was during this experimental period in my life that I first picked up my copy of this wonderful album.

The ingredients of this recipe were as follows:

195grams of  Unsalted Butter.
195 grams of Caster Sugar.
195 grams of Porridge Oats
50 grams of Sultanas and Mixed Peel.
2 tablepoons of Honey.
1 teaspoon of Nutmeg.
1 teaspoon of Almond Essence.

The method to make this recipe is as follows

1. Mix together the Butter and Sugar until it is fluffy.
2. Add in Porridge Oats, Honey, Nutmeg and Almond Essence.
3. Stir together until there is a thick paste.
4. Pour into a high-sided, thoroughly greased baking tray and cook in the oven on Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes.
5. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool down for 5 minutes.
6. Put in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
7. Remove from the fridge and cut the mixture into bite size squares to serve.

Initially I thought I’d blown it in making this recipe as when I took it out of the oven it was too runny. However by putting it in the refrigerator for a time I was able to make the ingredients solid again. The Honey and Almond Essence gave the flapjacks a genuine sweetness while the use of the Oats made the flapjacks high in fibre to create a sweet but healthy treat.

Crunch time- the flapjacks are neatly arranged on a plate for serving 

Smoked Shepherds

It was heavy cloud but there was no rain. The trees retained almost all their leaves and were very still in the slight breeze. Whether trying to make sense of the week at school, a term at university or, latterly, the events of the working week, I've always come back to the same wood over the last twenty years. Normally it's been with a Dog in tow. Various Dogs over the years have joined various incarnations of me in wanderings through the quiet security of the wood. It's the best place I know to switch off from the cares of professional life.

On this occasion the wood and the Dogg were aiding me in stepping back from a challenging, but not insurmountable, hurdle in my professional life that had raised its head that week. One the difficulties of doing the job I do is switching off from events at the office when I'm away from there. As I've got older I've learned to be less neurotic and anxious and learned to let go. On the last Sunday in September I found three ways to do this. The first was the walk in the wood.

The second way was music. On the player  when I got home was Dire Straits' superlative live album "Live at the Majestic San Antonio 16 August 1985". The album finds the band well into their record-breaking tour in support of their best-selling 1985 smash "Brothers in Arms". They are on form with strong versions of classics such as "Sultans of Swing" and "Walk of Life". However the pick up of the tracks is the deliberate, gritty opener "Ride Across the River".

The third way was creating a new recipe in the kitchen. I hit upon a vegetarian version the classic dish "Shepherds' Pie". I aimed to give the dish a smoky and earthy taste to reflect we were well now into the Autumn Season.

The Ingredients of this dish were was follows:

For the Filling:

One tablespoon of Caraway Seeds.
One tablespoon of Smoked Paprika.
One teaspoon of White Pepper.
One tablespoon of Tomato Puree.
One Leek, topped and tailed and sliced thinly.
One Red Pepper, de-cored and de-seeded and cut into small squares.
Two Shallots, topped, tailed, peeled and then diced.
Six Spring Onions, topped, tailed, peeled and then diced.
Three Hundred Grams of Quorn Mince.
Three quarters of a pint of Carlsberg.
A quarter of a pint of Vegetable Stock.

For the Topping:

Six Red Potatoes, peeled and cut into slices.
One Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into thin slices.

The method was as follows:

1 Fry in a Le Cresceut in Olive Oil the spices, Tomato Puree, Red Pepper, Leek, Shallots and Spring Onions on a medium heat for twenty minutes.

2. Add the Quorn Mince and cook for a further ten minutes.

3. Add the Carsberg and simmer for fifteen minutes.

4. Add the Vegetable Stock and warm through for ten minutes.

5. Steam both sets of Potatoes for twenty-five minutes.

6. Spread the filling in a rectangular, greased ovenproof dish.

7. Mash the Potatoes and spread over the top.

8. Bake for twenty-five minutes on Gas Mark Four until the topping is crisp.

In making this dish I had set out to create something with the taste of the smoked and earthy stews you find on the continent. I achieved this with the use of the Caraway Seeds, Smoked Paprika and the Carlsberg. The Tomato Puree meanwhile gave the filling a real richness and the Quorn Mince provided plenty of protein.

So as to ensure the topping was a little more healthy, I mixed the Red Potatoes with Sweet Potato which meant less starch that would turn sugary when consumed. It also made the topping a little brighter.

Smoked Top- the colourful pie is fresh out of the oven and ready to serve. 

Side on- the smoky filling sits well next to a sample of the topping

Scotch Cornered

I had covered almost five hundred miles in two days but the Dogg, The Panda (the make of car not the animal) and I had made it. We had found ourselves in the far North East at a converted cooperage overlooking the bay with stunning views inland to fields festooned with hay bales. The spire of a Church, that was almost steampunk in design, jutted up from near a set of thin trees huddled on a hillside. It was picture postcard stuff no question . 

The building we were in had a conservatory with a glass ceiling and the place had almost every facility you could think of. On the Sunday Night, which was the third one in September I was cooking for challenging and specialist tastes. 

I found inspiration from a cookbook of traditional Scottish recipes many of which seemed to be stews laced with Game and/or Beef. However it was necessary to make the chosen stew vegetarian so as to make it suitable for those I was cooking for. 

On the Player on the way up, and therefore fresh in my mind while prepping this meal, was Mark Knopfler’s peerless soundtrack to the film “Local Hero” . This film was set near to where we were staying and in fact the iconic phone box featured in the film situated at nearby village Pennan was once painted by my Genial Great Uncle. 

The album itself contains lots of atmospheric synth work, trademark twanging guitars, one song sung by the late Bearded growler Gerry Rafferty and “Going Home” a tune used regularly at football matches as well as an encore at Dire Straits concerts and his own solo gigs once Knopfler binned that band. The pick track however is “Stargazing” it may be short but it has epic qualities and is a good one to listen to if you’re looking for motivation to do something out of your comfort zone. 

The ingredients for this recipe were as follows: 

10 Ounces Green Lentils 

5 Red Potatoes Cubed 

3 White Onions fully diced

3 Shallots fully diced 

2 Cloves Of Garlic diced 

4 Rainbow Carrots Sliced thinly two yellow one purple one orange 

Tablespoon of Rosemary 

Tablespoon of Thyme

Tablespoon of Smoked Paprika 

Quarter pint of Vegetable Stock

Quarter of a pint of Red Wine 

The method was as follows: 

1. Boil the Lentils in a pan of water on the hob for thirty minutes. 
2. Fry the Potatoes with the Rosemary and Thyme in a deep frying pan for fifteen minutes.  
3. Add to the frying pan the red wine, Smoked Paprika  and the carrots and fry for a further twenty minutes.
4. After this add Onions Shallots and Garlic and fry for a further ten minutes 
5. Drain the Lentils and add them to the frying pan with the Vegetable Stock and stew everything for a further twenty five minutes . 
6. Serve with some boiled Broccoli.

The Rainbow Carrots which were yellow, purple and orange respectively added a sweetness and flavour to this dish. The Lentils and red Wine also provided a richness that would otherwise been provided by the game had I made this as a meat dish.