I’m trying to make a selection of strawberry desserts: a tart using a sweet version of the hot water pastry; a cream tea with a super-fresh strawberry “jam”; a classic French compote with Cointreau; the orange and Cointreau ice-cream. …
Feeling that life is worthwhile and means something is key to happiness. Just doing something helps. If I’m feeling miserable, wretched, depressed or distressed, baking is great comfort. Pork pies seem an odd way of dealing with feeling miserable but…
Aunt Hilary decorated another Coronation cake for the weekend’s local neighbourhood lunch. Masses of delicious dishes contributed by all for a long happy session of talk and laughter. I’d cooked a vacuum-packed gammon joint (skin removed but trussed with string)…
Hot water pastry makes less mess for blind bakers but also works with commercial “wheat/gluten-free” flour as I tested this week. Just adding a teaspoon of xanthium gum to the flours and we made individual pork pies and a “baked…
Sound effects. The sous-chef has been away for days at a bee convention. We know he’s getting older, but technology really helps. His hearing aids connect to his mobile phone so I’m talking direct into his ears. On the other…
I am just like that talking tea pot in the film: round and warm and producing lots of hot air – in “Received Pronunciation!” That’s what they say in this clip: I was recording a long podcast with Mark and…
Delight this week. Brother Peter’s new laser cutter and fabulous skills have transformed our whimsical wedding crest (Commando dagger, WRNS fouled anchor, crossed white canes and Anjou fleur de lis – drawn by professional illustrator nephew Toby ) into a…
Yesterday I was compared with a talking teapot! The one in “beauty and the Beast”. Apparently, to transatlantic ears, I sound like the late Dame Angela Lansbury whom the older of us will remember from “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and “Murder…
Too pathetic. bemoaning the problem that I brought on myself. Not enough storage space for new cooking containers, pans, and more bought on an utterly wicked day at the Gunwharf outlet centre in Portsmouth. Now I need to find new…
Some ideas to avoid food going “off” before you can eat it: Vegetables. Head of celery. Cut a very fine disc off the bottom, trying to avoid the stalks detaching. Place upright with the cut end in about an inch…
