Godinton House

During our visit to England we managed to go to Godinton House. For those that are not familiar with Godinton House, it is a lovely English country manor house, situated in Kent, with lots of history and vast grounds. After our guided tour we made our way to the tea room where we all enjoyed a round of cream teas. The scones were absolutely divine! I highly recommend a tour and the cream tea.

To find out more about Godinton House click *here*

- JD 

Mustard, Seasonings and Gravy Mix

During the summer break we hopped the pond to England and brought back these culinary goodies we all enjoy. Some of the usual suspects made it home with us. What is great about these souvenirs is that they are edible! The only things missing from the photo are the Marks & Spencer's Lime Pickle and their Earl Grey tea, the one in the purple box. We had a lovely time and will enjoy these in the months to come.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Seems like summer is making a reappearance as the temperatures are swinging back to the warmer side. - JD    

Food Photo of the Day ~ Ploughman's Sandwich

This is one of my favourite sandwiches as it is fairly simple and so satisfying. I enjoy many ploughmans while in England and when I am feeling the need here, I create this for an afternoon lunch. Multigrain bread with a nice spread of Ploughmans pickle, a hefty bed of spinach and arugula, a good strong English or old cheddar, juicy tomato slices and a nip of Colman's English mustard. I serve it with a sprightly pickled onion and crisp apple slices. So delicious and it keeps me going until dinner. 

Hope everyone is good. I have packed quite a bit into this week so far and it is only Wednesday. - JD 

Original Canadian Cookbook

This isn't the original copy from 1958, this is the new edition print from 1975. It reads like a household management cookbook would. I have only a few Canadian cookbooks and what peaked my interest besides the snowy landscape scene through the window on the front cover was the culinary choices it offers... 6 Canadian menus, French-Canadian cuisine and Canada's Multicultural kitchens. I think the latter of the three is more prevalent today. At the time Helen Gougeon was the leading authority on Canadian food since the 1950's when her cookbook, Good Food was publish. Each recipe had to be easy to follow, economical to make and sufficiently different to give variety to a meal. Something that today's home cooks are still striving to achieve.  

Many recipes come to mind when one says Canadian cuisine. Of course this cookbook has the classics like French - Canadian Pea Soup, Tourtiere, Quebec Baked Beans, Sugar Pie, Succotash, Tomato Relish, Bacon Corn Bread, and Canadian Salmon. In this cookbook there are recipes that haven't even crossed my mind at being a part of Canadian cuisine. Like the Zucchini Crêpes and the Casserole of Onions. 

Zucchini Crêpes
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3 cups grated zucchini, coarse or fine
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
melted butter
grated parmesan cheese

Combine grated zucchini, egg, salt and pepper in a boel. Sift flour and baking powder over zucchini and mix thoroughly.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto a lightly-oiled frying pan or griddle and cook till brown on both sides.
Serve with melted butter and grated parmesan cheese. These make delicious hors d'oeuvres in which case you should make them very small. Serves 6.

Casserole of Onions
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2 lbs. onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon basil or sage
3 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Mix salt, pepper, paprika, celery seed and basil or sage together.
Place layers of the sliced onions in a shallow greased casserole and sprinkle the mixed seasoning between the layers.
Dot top of casserole with butter or bacon fat and pour hot water over mixture. Cover.
Bake in a 400º oven for 1 hour. Then sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and a little melted butter to taste. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown. Serves 4 to 5. 

And thirdly Apple Cider Pie...

Apple Cider Pie
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6 medium tart apples
1 to 2 cups cider
flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pie shell

Peel and core apples and cut into eights.

Place apples in a pot and cover with cider. Cook over slow fire for approximately 30 minutes, or till soft. 
Remove from heat and if the sauce is not thick add a little flour.
Add sugar and spices.

Bake a pie shell for about 5 minutes, then pour apple filling into it. Cover top, lattice-fashion, with uncooked pastry strips and bake at 450º for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake 25 minutes longer. 
 

Copper Kettle

Lately everything copper has been catching my eye. So when our demure yellow kettle started showing it's age I went searching for a replacement. Kettle choices are abundant and can leave one reaching for a pot to boil water in. 

During our search we came across Simplex Kettles. Beautifully crafted and Victorian by design I was completely enamoured! I can get that way about kitchen wares. They are a bit on the pricey side. However when you factor in the use, every day 2-3 times a day 365 days a year, it becomes deeply justifiable. Deeply justifiable with much consideration. Until deeply justifiable given to you as a gift! 

It was exciting receiving this. And looks ever so smart on the black cooker. It boils leisurely and the whistle is a low modest one. Unlike the unassuming yellow kettle which would scream like a banshee. There are special care instructions due to the copper. The water seems to retain the heat better and even the tea we make seems to taste a bit better. Who knows what other copper items may show up in the kitchen. Enjoy your weekend! - JW