Spring Feeling Cocktail

Cabin fever... Spring fever, call it what you will, this fresh spritely cocktail will certainly give you those Spring vibes.

Spring Feeling Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

1 oz Dry Gin

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake well. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass.

Warmer temperatures, above 0ºC, are a bonus. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Chestnut Soup

This is an excellent soup. The perfect fall and winter or mid-winter warmer. The recipe comes from a memoir of sorts called The Wood: The Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempel; who is also the author of Where Poppies Blow. The Wood, gives us insight into the woodlands in remote Herefordshire with just a few recipes scattered throughout, a great nature read. 

  

Chestnut Soup 

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Serves 4

675g chestnuts

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

30g butter

1 sprig rosemary

chicken or game stock

150ml single cream

parsley, finely chopped

Cut crosses in the ends of the chestnuts, place in a pan with enough water to cover and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, peel, scrape off the papery inner skin, and put them to one side.

Sweat the onion and carrot in the butter until tender.

Add the chestnuts and rosemary and continue sweating over a low - medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour the stock, then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Liquidize the soup, then strain into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Bring up to almost boiling and season to taste. Serve with a scattering of chopped parsley on top. 

Notes: We found chestnuts and boiled them only to find our effort derailed, most were rotten inside... so back to the shops we went and fortunately found packaged roasted chestnuts, which we used instead. Although no measurement was stated in regards to the stock we added about 2 pints of chicken stock and that was perfect. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We did! - JD

  

Prestonpans Biscuits

A sweet salute to Robert Burns Night. These biscuits have a hint of sweetness and will be greatly consumed with a wee dram of Scottish whisky. Our ode to the Scotsman will be a humble toast to him.

Prestonpans Biscuits

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8 oz flour

8 oz corn flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

8 oz white sugar

8 oz butter

2 beaten eggs

Sift all dry ingredients into a basin. Rub in butter. Mix to a dough with the eggs and add a little milk if required. Roll out on a lightly floured board. Cut into rounds. Bake a little apart on a lightly greased baking sheet in a moderately hot oven, 375ºF., for 10 to 12 minutes. Dredge with caster sugar. 

Notes: This recipe comes from a vintage Scottish cookbook and is typed as printed in the book. The flour I used was unbleached all purpose flour, the butter was softened. I lined the baking sheet with baking parchment paper instead of greasing it. I found the dough to be quite soft therefore I was more generous with the flour when rolling the dough out. As for the baking time... I found 10 minutes was perfect.

One reference I found that mentioned Prestonpans was a book called The Battles of Dunbar & Prestonpans: And Other Selected Poems New and Old, by James Lumsden, published in 1896. Which I believe the Bodleian Library of Oxford may have online in their Catalogue (SOLO). 

Happy Robert Burns Day and Night! - JD 

Devil's Cocktail

A surprising hint of sweetness to entice you and with all the smooth and warmth of a classic crisp cocktail this one is moreish however it may creep up on you. 

Devil's Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/4 oz Port Wine

1 1/4 oz French Vermouth

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail pitcher with cracked ice. Stir well and strain into 3oz. cocktail glass. 

It has slightly warmed up here in E-town. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Savoury Galette

I make plenty of sweet dessert galettes so why not add a savoury one to that list. A breeze to whip up and delicious this is suitable anytime... for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You may want to adjust the vegetables according preference or season. 

Savoury Galette
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1 medium eggplant, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
200g sliced mushrooms
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings
fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
5 to 6 small tomatoes, halved 
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Summer Savoury or Herbs de Provence 
dash of balsamic vinegar

ready made puff pastry, thawed, according to package
passata sauce

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the oil, onions and crushed garlic. Sauté for a few moments then add the remaining vegetables, except the halved tomatoes, and seasoning. Continue to sauté until just tender. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool, slightly.

Roll out the ready made puff pastry according to package directions. If no parchment paper is provided, place a piece of baking parchment paper, on a clean flat surface, before rolling the puff pastry out, and roll the puff pastry on top. Once rolled to a relaxed and desired size, place with the parchment paper on a baking sheet; spoon passata sauce in the middle spreading out towards the edges, making sure to leave about an 1 inch gap between the sauce and edge. Place the vegetable mixture over top of the sauce and fold the edges inwards; towards the centre of the free formed pie. Randomly place the halved tomatoes on top. 
If you forget to place the rolled out dough on the baking sheet before assembling, not to worry, carefully and quite possibly with help, gently glide the now formed pie with the parchment paper onto the baking sheet.  

In a small bowl, beat an egg with with a teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush the egg wash over the folded pastry edges, to seal any cracks and to create a lovely golden colour once baked. Sprinkle seasoning over the egg wash, if you wish. Place in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and is nicely golden brown. Remove from oven allowing to rest for 1 minute. Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese or crumble cheese over top.  

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Out with the extreme cold and in with some warmer winter temperatures, so to speak. - JD 

Deep Sea Cocktail

This strong but smooth cocktail has an icy sweetness that is a bit bracing like winter weather. 

Deep Sea Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz French Vermouth

1/4 teaspoon Absinthe or Absinthe substitute

1 dash Orange Bitters

1oz Dry Gin

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a 3 oz cocktail glass.

Stay warm! and have a nice weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Blueberry Pancakes

Plummeting temperatures equal comfort food. What better, than stacks of blueberry pancakes being devoured on a cold and snowy day. Taking our minds off the bracing weather outside. -40ºC! and counting... - JD 

Curried Coronation Chicken Cups

Melt in your mouth goodness with plenty of flavour these tasty morsels are simple and easy to whip up for any occasion. 

Curried Coronation Chicken Cups

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6 tablespoons mayonaise 

2 to 3 teaspoons mild curry powder, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons mango chutney

1 to 3 tablespoons sultanas

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

500g cooked chicken, diced
1 to 2 packages of fully baked mini Phyllo shells

Mix the mayonnaise, curry powder, cinnamon, chutney, sultanas and dried cranberries together and season with black pepper.

Add the diced cooked chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. 

Warm the fully baked phyllo shells according to package directions. Spoon the mixture into the warm pastry cups. Serve.  

Notes: You can make the mixture ahead and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight allowing the flavours to mellow however if pressed for time use once made. 

Crimson Cocktail

A vibrant and refreshingly sweet but dry cocktail. 

Crimson Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz Dry Gin

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Grenadine

Port Wine, for topping up

cherry, for garnish

Place all ingredients into cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass, leaving enough room on top to float 3/4 oz Port Wine. Garnish with a cherry, if you wish.

The temperatures have plummeted and more snow is on the way. Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Nigella Lawson's Cosmo Cocktail Sausages

I made these cocktail sausages during the holidays and although they are a great get together nibble; you will think of any excuse to make and serve these bitsy morsels.Even though I have shared the recipe with you, feel free to view this recipe and other recipes  of Nigella Lawson by visiting her website by clicking  *here*  

Nigella Lawson's Cosmo Cocktail Sausages

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yields 50

3 heaping tablespoons fine cut or shred less marmalade

2 tablespoons cranberry sauce, from a jar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 splash of vodka, optional

50 skinny breakfast sausages (uncooked)

Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas mark 6/400ºF. Line a shallow roasting tin with foil.

Put all of the ingredients, (apart from the sausages) together in a bowl or jug and whisk to combine.

Unlink the little sausages and drop into the lined roasting tin. Pour over the mixture and smoosh about a bit so that all the sausages are covered with the marinade, then bake for 50 minutes to an hour, giving the pan a shake after 25 minutes. The marinade will seem alarmingly liquid but this liquid with thicken to a sausage - burnishing the syrup by the time they are cooked through. 

Seems as though I have been recreating a few Nigella Lawson recipes. Nothing wrong with that as they are delicious and reliable recipes. - JD 

Leftovers #47 ~ Cornish Hen Hot Open

Holiday time can mean having plenty of leftovers and that means pulling an assortment of things to make a meal. This hot open sandwich was a great way to use those Christmas leftovers into a hearty meal with all the trimmings during the festive week.  

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Cream Puff Cocktail

This light and airy drink is quite unique and is one I would never gravitate towards. It  tasted as though it was missing a bit of flavour. Like it needed something to revive the blandness. A different beverage to try, if only once!  

Cream Puff

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makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Rum

1 oz Sweet Cream

1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar

Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 8 oz highball glass. Fill with carbonated water and stir. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD

New Year's Eve 2019 & New Year's Day 2020

New Year's Eve we did some nibbling and noshing on a ploughman's inspired dinner that was made up of festive leftovers. We enjoyed more Fortnum and Mason's Sparkling Tea beverage to sip on and ring in the new year.      

New Year's Day for dinner we kept it very simple with oven roasted ham and vegetables. The vegetables were parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and yams lightly seasoned. 

... and for dessert we devoured a slice of clementine cake with added mixed citrus peel for an energizing, cleansing pudding.


Hope everyone had a fabulous and celebratory New Year's Eve and that the first day of the year was a relaxing one. Wishing everyone the best in 2020! - JD