tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70500067642775772362011-11-09T17:36:31.211Za blog mostly about foodgoodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-65787430532573784902009-08-11T21:38:00.007+01:002009-08-21T07:54:21.641+01:00

This is just a quick post to say that I've moved my blog to my own domain. Please come and check it out at:www.withknifeandfork.comAll the posts that are here on blogger are there too but all new posts will be on the new domain. The most recent post is on the #BPRSummit on Monday 10 August where UK food bloggers and PR's met to discuss how they might forge better relationships. Read it hereHope

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-13627963360170278192009-07-27T09:02:00.011+01:002009-07-27T09:29:22.791+01:00

Last week I took part in Dan of Food Urchin’s dinner blogging challenge (called ‘Where’s my pork chop?’). Basically I cooked him some dinner and in return I got, well these:There loads of potatoes, beans and courgettes hiding under the kaleI’m going to be blogging what I cooked for Dan in a separate post so check back for that in the next few days. Here I want to tell you some of what I’ve done

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-70408770601679957692009-07-24T10:53:00.016+01:002009-07-24T11:45:23.646+01:00

About a month ago I was contacted by the PR firm for Abel & Cole asking if I’d like to try one of their veg boxes for free, well in exchange for doing a review of it on my blog, after all nothing is truly free; although I figured they’d have a hard time trying to enforce the contract if I just scoffed the food then did nothing.Legal matters aside there was, of course, the issue of whether to

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-74409675409245955002009-07-12T17:36:00.041+01:002009-07-16T11:44:15.395+01:00

Of what? Of cherry plums. What are they then?The simple answer is they are plums that look like cherries and the trees can be found planted in many a street and garden mostly across the southern half of the country.But you want to know more than that don’t you? Well then if you are sitting comfortably I shall begin.© Danielle Harlow - Fotolia.comWe’ve lived in our house for nearly 12 years and

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-10450322143759309682009-06-24T09:37:00.010+01:002009-06-24T09:55:25.412+01:00

Early in May I took up the #livelocal challenge. I learnt lots in the first week some of which I’ve already blogged about. A big part of taking up the challenge was not just to do it for a week but try to think more about what I ate, where it came from and so explore food options closer to home. And so to one of my favourite foods – CHEESE.England has a great history of cheese making, we came a

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-56337373373758005362009-06-16T10:30:00.007+01:002009-06-16T11:12:25.628+01:00

Tomatillos (anytime)And can Karen cook asparagus tart? Asparagus spears (early evening)It’s a kind of recipes at dawn this, Chile Verde vs. asparagus tart, one blogger pitched against another. Masterchef without the cameras, or the publicity, or the random commentary, or the…….well almost any of it. Just a bit of fun.You might remember back in early May I was ‘adopted’ by Karen over at ‘Karen

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-68806522483887021512009-06-10T09:12:00.006+01:002009-06-10T09:23:53.238+01:00

Yesterday when I was catching up with posts on a few of my favourite blogs I spotted a pasta blogging event that Mangocheeks at Allotment2Kitchen was taking part in. So I followed the links and ended up at Presto Pasta Nights, which this week (PPN #117) is hosted by Katie at Thyme for Cooking. The concept is that you blog about a pasta dish (well anything that has pasta or noodles in actually)

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-65040068610380641112009-06-09T09:15:00.004+01:002009-08-06T22:02:10.047+01:00

“Here, turn right here, this has got to be it”.We swerve round the corner and bounce along the driveway. “Nice pond, but where’s the big house?” There’s plenty of rolling parkland and a cluster of outbuildings but no grand house to be seen.There’s also a tall affable looking chap wearing wellies and a big chunky jumper so we slow up and roll down the window. “Here for the food foraging?” he says,

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-8793331419433330422009-06-07T11:21:00.017+01:002009-06-07T22:54:19.743+01:00

A little while back I set a sourdough starter running. The first ten days to two weeks you are just supposed to leave the mix of flour water and grapes to get on with doing its own thing although the urge to peek, tweet and blog about progress got the better of me. In the process I experienced the joys of seeing the starter come to life and also its unique and pungent smell!After 10 days it was

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-71733099609774658402009-05-31T18:52:00.014+01:002009-05-31T19:16:16.644+01:00

Ahhhhhh its barbecue time of year and barbecue kind of weather: smell the grilling food, hear the chink of glasses, the laughter, the fun, the delicate aroma of firelighters, the burnt food, the lobster tinged neighbours. England, the summer.But it's be a shame not to join in with at least some of this, right? Correct.Here's the easy chicken (well poussin actually) we did last night:2 poussin

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-57483900309510113852009-05-30T17:45:00.010+01:002009-05-30T19:31:26.078+01:00

This week it’s been English Wine Week, as you might imagine an event set up to encourage greater recognition (and consumption) of the wines produced in old Blighty. Its fair to say that even five years ago most people would have choked on their glass of Sauvignon at the prospect of a wide range of drinkable English wines being available, but even though many still might, they should perhaps think

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-46857684050506144812009-05-27T21:08:00.009+01:002009-05-27T21:27:35.385+01:00

I love it when things just seem to come together in the right way and its one of the things that I'm starting to love about blogging and tweeting. You swirl around the blogosphere, you play about on Twitter and suddenly a whole bunch of influences collide to make you spot a new dish that resonates for you or triggers fond memories of something you haven't had in simply too long.And so it was

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-959729968310054712009-05-24T19:27:00.005+01:002009-05-24T19:34:15.665+01:00

Since Wednesday I’ve been trying to live a more local existence on the food front. The challenge I set myself had 4 parts to it and centred on using up things I already had in the store cupboards, buying local produce, thinking about the provenance of what I ate and trying not to nip to the supermarket in the car unnecessarily.So how have I been getting on?Well I’ve not even been taking a

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-79217039723692387162009-05-20T18:15:00.013+01:002009-05-20T18:46:08.480+01:00

By Karen, and she’s in Harve, Montana! Go on, go check the map like I had to.Now lets get a few things straight here I don’t mean I’ve been orphaned all this time and finally found someone to adopt me at the fine old age of, well lets just leave my age out of this shall we…. I mean that as a relative ‘newbie’ to the world of food blogging I’m taking part in Kirsten’s (over at Dine and Dish)

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-67246084712863011842009-05-20T08:33:00.006+01:002009-05-20T08:45:20.481+01:00

Err, hello, um, what’s all this #livelocal thing??? I’d seen a bit of twittering about this (hence the # tag – used in twitter to make searching easier) and wondered what it was so I headed over to Becca’s blog to find out more. Here I saw that Becca was about to spend the next 7 days (she's started today I think) trying to only eat foods that had been grown with 100 mile radius of where she

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-5136168504445140952009-05-17T17:02:00.015+01:002009-05-17T17:32:40.707+01:00

They’ve got a lot to be happy about in Norway today.Firstly its national day when they celebrate their declaration as an independent nation in 1814 with parades, parties, flag waving and plenty of food. And to add to the festive atmosphere their Eurovision entry, Alexander Ryback, stormed to victory last night with the highest ever score recorded and over 150 points clear of his nearest rival.

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-45231856917981304152009-05-16T15:15:00.014+01:002009-05-16T15:53:08.581+01:00

They say you should breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. And today I am trying pretty hard….I’ve breakfasted like King Harald V of Norway on brown cheese and flatbrød and now I’m about to lunch like a Tsar (or Roman Abramovich) on blini and vodka. Its all good stuff and in aid of Eating Eurovision (a rather mad project thought up by journalist and food blogger Andrew

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-54775999550895060432009-05-16T11:38:00.017+01:002009-05-16T12:15:57.710+01:00

What did you have for breakfast today? Cereal? Toast? Fry up? Nothing?Whatever you had I know it can’t have been as interesting as my breakfast was. Why’s that? Well I was Eating Eurovision and you, unless you are one of the other very mad food bloggers taking part in this caper (each with our own country to sample), you weren’t. Today for you was probably just a normal day with a normal

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-40780756786615682532009-05-14T15:05:00.014+01:002009-05-14T15:58:44.788+01:00

Apparently, according to Jonathan (aka @Browners) who writes a Sandwichist slot, its National British Sandwich Week this week. Right. Yes. You already knew that didn't you?Anyway Mr Browners is fed up with pre-packed sandwiches and I'm fed-up with look-a-like Pret's all over the place. Pret was good once (honestly) back in the days when it was just starting and only had a few stores, it was a

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-74896991110731101292009-05-14T08:30:00.001+01:002009-05-14T08:40:20.265+01:00

A few weeks back Julia at 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' was offering 5 Mayan Magic Chocolate kits to food bloggers who promised to blog the experience. Sounded like fun and as I love chocolate I rushed in and bagged one. It arrived a few days later but it sat untouched for a while - I was busy and wanted to do it justice and also blog as much of each step as I could.....so here is what you get and do:1

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-5813105104122962152009-05-10T17:15:00.008+01:002009-05-10T18:05:19.521+01:00

A few weeks ago I treated myself to a 'Tarte Maison' tin from John Lewis. Its a lovely thing, 3 times as long as its wide and calling out to have something pretty made in it. Initially I'd intended to make a rhubarb tart that I'd seen Jonathan (aka @Browners), over at 'Around Britain with a Paunch' mention on Twitter. I've not got to the rhubarb tart yet - mainly because we don't eat that many

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-86133197534558508832009-05-06T09:15:00.021+01:002009-05-13T17:34:09.824+01:00

On Sunday Monday I finally decided to make a sourdough starter. It takes FOUR weeks of patient waiting and 'feeding' before you get to make a loaf.Blimey.I'm not a patient person so each time I pass I have to try very hard to resist taking a peek to see what's happening under the lid. Sometimes I just manage to leave it alone others I succumb. So I thought I'd share these peeks with you so you

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-59272183576844553792009-05-04T19:01:00.016+01:002009-05-04T19:38:33.484+01:00

I love sourdough bread in all its varieties and I've always quite fancied making it myself. Looking around some of my favourite food blogs recently I saw that sourdough is of those things people are trying out - maybe its the credit crunch that makes us all want to bake bread, I don't know, but it certainly seems to be on the rise (!).A  bit of looking about, a bit of tweeting and it seemed that

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-69863381271450561152009-04-30T19:28:00.007+01:002009-04-30T19:46:38.758+01:00

Yesterday I had an assignation at Liverpool Street Station in London with a man I'd never met before called Dan (at least that what he said his name was). We agreed to meet at 11.30 BST.He said I'd recognise him by the flowers and the gentle aroma of garlic. How he was going to identify me we didn't establish. Gave me plenty of get out but not him.Fortunately there aren't that many people just

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-80010498029807832812009-04-27T19:53:00.006+01:002009-04-27T20:00:26.459+01:00

The asparagus season has been going for a week or so now and so far I’ve only had one tasting just over a week ago and none since. It was great but once only is not good enough, there are only 6-8 weeks of the season, I refuse to buy asparagus out of season and I love the stuff so I really need to get focussed – I mean I’d eat it everyday if I could! So today, despite the heavy rain and blustery

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-3846384907102354612009-04-19T10:46:00.023+01:002009-05-01T09:48:24.156+01:00

After enjoying the ‘In the Bag’ challenge so much I thought it would be good to join in another blog event. I spotted the ‘No croutons required’ event over at Tinned Tomatoes run by Holler.It’s a vegetarian challenge, I’m no vegetarian but I do like a bit of a challenge.One of the things I’m finding so great about food blogging is checking out the other food blogs and from that getting the grey

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-5530478364750813122009-04-18T22:58:00.006+01:002009-04-18T23:01:58.358+01:00

Lets hope that it all turns into quinces and the squirrels don't steal them this year.....

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-62535575293796332772009-04-18T13:24:00.010+01:002009-04-18T13:33:26.156+01:00

Some of you might have noticed that lately I’ve joined up on Twitter and I’ve been having fun seeing what its all about and chatting to like minded foodies, finding their blogs, seeing what people have to say. There’s certainly plenty of food talk going on in the Twitter-sphere.Yesterday there emerged a series of tweets about making chilli. Now I love chilli but I haven’t made any for a good few

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-78300792373125418892009-04-17T09:30:00.004+01:002009-04-17T09:33:38.617+01:00

So naughty but so lovely, lightly toasted bread with lashings of butter, what a way to start the day :)

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-50003052314489301062009-04-15T12:29:00.008+01:002009-04-15T12:36:24.503+01:00

Those who know me well know that a kir of any kind is one of my favourite drinks. When I, occasionally, run out of cassis I am at rather a loss. I’ve made it with the classic white burgundy, with any dry white wine I can get my hands on, with red wine (first tasted in Paris and known as kir communard, its good in the winter) and of course with champagne (or other dry sparkling wine) as a kir

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-29399264636129611812009-04-14T08:16:00.006+01:002009-04-14T08:45:19.439+01:00

As the sun has been out quite a bit over the last few weeks my mind turned to ice cream making. I don’t make lots of desserts or do lots of baking – I enjoy it but we just don’t eat dessert that often so it kind of gets wasted (this is not some ‘health’ or ‘no sugar’ things its just I prefer munching on savoury stuff these days); but every now and then a sweet dish is just what’s needed.There are

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-60501585522739246222009-04-13T10:02:00.008+01:002009-04-13T10:16:26.438+01:00

Wild garlic had been popping up on my radar for a couple of weeks as being very much in season and ‘very now’ i.e. a thing it seems we should aspire to be seen eating. Never one to want to miss out on an emerging trend I thought I’d best give it a go.I didn’t fancy going off to forage for it – it mostly grows in woodland and by river banks – neither of which are that common in East London (and

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-50742057453743510772009-04-12T15:21:00.007+01:002009-04-12T15:29:29.363+01:00

Everyday is a great day for eating chocolate as far as I’m concerned but today there is the extra opportunity for a sneaky bit of chocolate if the Easter bunny has dropped off some chocolate eggs whilst on his/her rounds. I haven’t found any so far but I did try out a different chocolate bar as a special treat.Today’s chocolate is “The Co-operative truly irresistible Fairtrade dark chocolate with

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-42428115640202775202009-04-10T09:52:00.003+01:002009-04-10T09:56:38.045+01:00

Just had toasted buttered hot cross bun for breakfast, very tasty. It sparked a debate at the breakfast table though – I go for the bun kept separate after buttering, so I’ve got two separate pieces buttery side up. But Ian puts his back together so he has one whole bun with a buttery middle. And of course we are both certain that our way is the best – ahhh old habits they die hard don’t

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-39678096821390270612009-04-09T18:37:00.004+01:002009-04-09T18:43:20.887+01:00

Last night I had mussels just as they should be – wonderfully fresh, plump, sweet and with a tang of salty sea-ness about them. Cooked in the classic style of mariniere – butter, white wine, shallots, parsley and served with crusty bread to mop all the delicious juices.I have to confess I didn’t cook them myself – I’ve always been a bit scared about preparing shellfish at home, maybe I just need

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-75544784986580759912009-04-07T09:34:00.005+01:002009-04-07T14:26:28.782+01:00

When it came to deciding what to have for dinner on Saturday there was quite a bit of negotiating to be done – I fancied doing a curry but hubby gets to have what he tells me is a really good take out curry once a week for his lunch so was much less keen. As we wandered up and down the aisles in the local Waitrose pondering our choices I knew that time spent in a shop would take its toll and that

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-45820774303882258882009-04-06T10:32:00.012+01:002009-04-06T10:44:19.018+01:00

Last week I got a couple (one each for hubby and me) of goose eggs via a friend. I was very excited, as I’ve never tried either duck or goose eggs before. Everyone I mentioned it to said they are much much richer than hens eggs and then proceeded to suggest the best way to have them – most favoured fried or scrambled. I umm’d and ahhh’d for quite a while and then decided that what I really wanted

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-21097628337323465962009-04-05T18:25:00.013+01:002009-04-05T19:01:02.339+01:00

When I did my G20 menu post (where I looked at whether Saint Jamie had delivered or not menu wise at the G20 dinner) I promised that I would put some resources up for you so here is a selection of recommendations:For checking out what’s in season/cooking the seasons try the following:Internet:Eat the SeasonsBBC What’s in SeasonRiver Cottage Seasonality TableWaitrose British SeasonsBooks that are

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-31216014036671265382009-04-05T13:52:00.008+01:002009-04-05T14:03:20.451+01:00

For those of you who haven’t guessed yet I’m a big fan of both coffee and chocolate and one of the highlights of each day is sitting down mid morning for a little bit of both. I like to try different pairings to see what works and what doesn’t. Mostly I like my coffee and chocolate pretty strong and intensely flavoured so some of my favourites won’t be for the faint hearted. I usually have my

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-46223637299920740082009-04-04T16:22:00.043+01:002009-04-04T17:47:32.555+01:00

I’ve been blogging now for a couple of months and I’ve been looking at some of the other food blogs out there to see what goes on in the food blogging community. I noticed that some bloggers run ‘events’ as part of what they do and I thought it might be fun to join in now that I’m starting to get used to (or possibly obsessed by) the whole blogging thing.Early on I’d seen the ‘In the bag’ monthly

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-235762119415601942009-04-01T18:01:00.008+01:002009-04-01T18:14:45.909+01:00

Police and protesters; they’re ranged up against each other outside the Bank of England spoiling for a fight about something, anything, important or otherwise.Meanwhile over at ‘Word of Mouth’ (The Guardian’s food blog) the real action is already underway with journalists praising Jamie O’s menu for tonight’s exclusive dinner at No.10 and the posting populace getting very het-up about seasonality

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-88489863446995586422009-03-30T17:25:00.006+01:002009-03-30T17:39:15.981+01:00

Today we harvested our first stalks of rhubarb this season. Coming in at six stalks it made a nice compact handful. We’ve got 3 rhubarb crowns and one seems to be slightly ahead of the others so all the stalks came off the one plant. Over the last few seasons we’ve had mixed cropping results - in the first few years after they were properly established we got a pretty good crop and then a couple

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-6381760336711024182009-03-24T21:28:00.000Z2009-03-24T21:28:17.249Z

I’d been curious for a little while about one of the products I’d spotted in the farm shop I like to use when I visit Suffolk and then a couple of weeks back two things conspired to make me get on with trying it out.First I was reading Hugh F-W’s weekly slot in The Guardian (‘Trickle treat’ on 7 March) and then I went out for dinner at ‘The Lighthouse’ in Aldeburgh and when they brought the bread

goodshoedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936131540190046671noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-56611653879991307252009-03-24T09:41:00.009Z2009-03-30T18:32:45.071+01:00

It was the first day of spring on Saturday and the weather ran exactly to form – sunny and warm but with a slight bite to the wind. We all wanted something for lunch that fitted in with the weather – salad would perhaps be too summery and at first we though that soup would be too hearty. What we needed was something that was fresh enough to keep the mood of spring and summer to come but warming

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-85150796371816186042009-03-17T21:19:00.005Z2009-03-17T21:31:39.748Z

I took this photo of the water after I’d steamed some red cabbage at the weekend because I thought it was such a beautiful colour.And then I got to wondering what chemistry is going on that means that a lovely deep red cabbage produces blue  water (with slight hints of green - it was bluer in reality than the picture shows - more photography practice for me). It turned out to be pretty simple and

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-28738423544542502622009-03-15T18:21:00.011Z2009-03-15T18:36:07.252Z

Reading several other blogs recently (particularly ‘Domestic Goddess in Training’ talking about Bara Brith) made me think it was about time I did a little bit of baking. And visitors scheduled for later this week clinched the deal. What better to offer with tea or coffee than homemade biscuits or perhaps a fruitcake?First up the biscuits – I fancied cooking something that would have a hint of

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-1313600282440271332009-03-14T15:56:00.008Z2009-03-14T16:23:45.484Z

It really is amazing how a bit of sunshine, some daffodils and lots of blossom on the almond tree can make you come over all horticultural.A few weeks ago I was thinking about growing veg from seed (its time to sow this weekend now its getting warmer), then we were reorganising the herb bed and lavishing love on the lemon tree but toady here’s a quick guide to making compost. Where will all this

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-400945677331332542009-03-11T19:46:00.006Z2009-03-11T19:54:13.508Z

Those who have been following carefully might wonder where the very last of the roast chicken went.You’ll be please to know that the cat didn't get it but instead it ended up as a quick lunch in a fresh white lovely soft floury roll with lemon mayonnaise (or salad cream for one of us) and tomato. It was breast meat – perfect.So in these credit crunch times lets see whether overall we got value

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-21892676548180047332009-03-10T20:29:00.004Z2009-03-10T20:38:08.671Z

The votes are in.We asked whether people preferred their bacon butty with ketchup, brown sauce, neither, or as the mood took them.First of all thanks to everyone who voted – this was only my second blog poll and I’m pleased to have increased the voting level by 350% (from 4 to 14 - ah well). As the week progressed I watched the poll avidly and the ‘brown sauce’ gang got off to a flying start

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-86523074467617628442009-03-09T18:35:00.005Z2009-03-09T21:27:57.433Z

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be treated my husband’s cheaty secret meatball recipe. For some reason when there’s meatballs to be cooked he always takes charge and I’m not allowed near – which is kind of great as I get to sit at the table and watch him work but means he can keep the exact recipe secret.So how am I going to be able to share it with you? Well careful watching and tasting over

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-37888183018027338592009-03-08T16:02:00.009Z2009-03-08T16:19:27.705Z

Last week I mentioned lemon curd in my Labour of love post and one comment poster asked for a good recipe.I’ve tried a few versions in the past – some come out fairly runny, some very thick. They all taste good but the texture and richness varies quite widely depending on the amount of butter and also egg yolks (some recipes use whole eggs some use a mix and some use only yolks). So there’s quite

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-24309770740889669412009-03-08T10:24:00.020Z2009-03-09T18:25:24.736Z

After cooking up a good batch of stock on Friday afternoon it was then time to use up most of the rest of the roast chicken leftovers.Subconsciously I must have known it was ‘British Pie Week’ (as created by Jus-Rol the makers of ready to roll pastry!) as I’d been thinking creamy chicken pie with mushrooms or leeks for a few days. And to do credit to Jus-Rol it was their pastry I used – there was

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-26535084801796162712009-03-06T16:51:00.009Z2009-03-06T17:38:09.311Z

The stockpot is on. And in a good few hours there’ll be a fresh batch of chicken stock to use in soups, risottos or casseroles.There is nothing quite like making stock (chicken or any other type) to make you feel virtuous, in fact there’s a danger of becoming smug about the whole thing. You’re getting maximum value from something in a way that would make your grandparents proud and you’re going

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-534767430133510762009-03-06T14:35:00.008Z2009-03-06T14:44:40.485Z

What to have for a quick and tasty solo lunch at home?Often its down to what’s in the cupboards and fridge – it doesn’t make much sense to want something quick but need to go to the shops first to get ingredients (well possibly if you live right next door to a good shop then it just might but otherwise its going to slow the whole thing down somewhat).So today we found eggs and bread and tomatoes.

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-64969688772877521782009-03-06T11:35:00.004Z2009-03-06T11:56:31.982Z

Today its time to use the rest of the roast chicken. Its going to be a chicken and mushroom pie for dinner and a big batch of stock.  So off to get any missing ingredients and prepare for a lovely afternoon of cooking (and delicious aromas filling the house). Come back later to check on how things are progressing.

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-24419236845969315002009-03-05T11:20:00.011Z2009-03-09T18:12:37.699Z

So what have we done so far with our roast chicken leftovers (apart from store them safely in the fridge of course)?Well one of the favourite options is to rustle up a quick curry - always good whether you go for a creamy or a tomato based option. Probably not very authentic but WAY BETTER than anything you’ll get in a supermarket heat and eat; and believe me I know, I’ve tried a lot of heat and

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-88792884286854292942009-03-02T21:42:00.006Z2009-03-02T21:56:11.119Z

After the gardening bug bit me on Saturday I decided it was time to see how my lovely little lemon tree was doing.It lives in the lean-to that we use as a utility room and often gets forgotten amongst the never-ending piles of washing (how exactly do 2 people create so much to be washed, its not like we wear three different outfits each day – well not normally any way!).So off I pottered to check

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-9381499004532193022009-03-02T10:26:00.005Z2009-03-02T10:32:50.348Z

Did last nights chicken live up to expectations?YES definitely.It was tasty and moist, a good crispy skin and the stuffing was nicely spiced – although my husband thought we were having a rice stuffing in homage to the cricket (England v West Indies) – quite!Cooking time wise it had 25 minutes at Gas 7 (220C/425F) followed by 90 minutes at Gas 5 (190C/375F) being 20 minutes per pound/450g of

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-31518186598946517702009-03-01T18:37:00.022Z2009-03-01T19:09:13.391Z

Wooo hooo.Roast chicken for dinner tonight. Oh yes bring it on!As you can guess I LOVE roast chicken. It’s got to be in the Top 5 and its probably right on up there at the number one slot. Soooooo delicious whatever you pair it with. And the all time favourite choice of birthday treat dish for me as a kid.Of course my grandma cooked a really top-notch roast chicken and trimmings – but who’s Gran

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-54997632952524094342009-03-01T15:46:00.006Z2009-03-01T16:17:20.178Z

For those of you unfamiliar with the term ‘butty’ the OED defines it as follows:butty (also buttie) noun (pl. butties) informal, chiefly N. English a filled or open sandwich: a bacon butty. – ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from BUTTER+-Y.Or perhaps think about Ken Dodd for a moment and the jam butty mines – or maybe don’t. Also, of course, there are chip butties and cheese butties. In essence any kind of

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-73474981334203991552009-02-28T17:51:00.006Z2009-02-28T18:43:34.505Z

Over the last few days I’ve been doing food related sort of ‘gardening’ activities. What exactly does that mean?Well so far its involved visits to three garden centres, some internet surfing, the purchase of about 10 packets of seeds and one rather nice terracotta pot, oh and a little bit of time actually in the garden. All this because some nice mild sunny weather and those daffodil shoots and

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-58615781965133309142009-02-26T16:36:00.008Z2009-03-08T11:03:29.297Z

Some days you need a lunch dish that’s fast, fast, fast.Its still grey outside so it needs to be warming and fairly robust but also bring a hint of the spring that’s coming (it seems like it is – I can see daffodils poking through the ground and buds appearing on the trees – balmy days of sipping rosé and chucking fresh basil on every dish must surely only be round the corner).So what will fit

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-91557341144856775942009-02-25T16:18:00.007Z2009-02-26T09:15:18.376Z

Recently I’ve been trying out a different coffee blend – and some different chocolate. My current coffee selection is Percol Guatemala (fairtrade and organic). Its very different from the Union Hand-Roasted I was drinking (see my earlier post) and at first I wasn’t so keen. It seems to be a weaker brew even though they are both graded as 3 so I’ve been having to use a bit more of the grounds in

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-66363111766736211802009-02-24T14:19:00.004Z2009-02-24T14:34:30.095Z

Last week I saw Pizza Express were running a 2 for 1 offer again (available until the end of February I think) and as I was meeting a friend for a quick lunch thought that in these credit crunched times we should give it a whirl. To get the voucher I had to register my email address (so that will be unending email traffic from Pizza Express for ever more I guess) and print off the voucher – all

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-28161771824757981272009-02-19T09:44:00.006Z2009-02-19T10:34:32.221Z

I've always had a bit of an on-off thing with porridge. I certainly wasn't a 'Ready Brek' kid despite my mum's best efforts; I stuck firmly with the Weetabix back then.As I got older I found that porridge was sometimes good but mostly only with a heavy sprinkling of brown sugar and the creamy top of the milk. And it was a staple on camping weekends with friends, helping stave off the damp and any

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-70536285325659779382009-02-16T21:04:00.007Z2009-02-19T12:04:32.709Z

I've been thinking about my favourite foods recently, listing, considering, adding, subtracting, juggling, testing.......although I've not quite got to my top 5 just yet I'm getting close.But one thing that has just got to be on there is MUSHROOMS.I love them in all their different guises. From elegant looking oysters to hearty portobellos and every stop in between, they are a (very) regular

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-16807588828275689452009-02-13T12:12:00.008Z2009-02-17T15:08:48.957Z

Yesterday I met up with a good friend for lunch and a catch up and we went to Vine on Gray's Inn Road. We have been there plenty of times before but not recently as it has been shut for a while due to a change of ownership. Time to see what had changed we thought.The menu has a greater emphasis on pasta and risotto dishes than previously, although there are still a good range of starters, mains

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-44151992661484071512009-02-11T10:32:00.010Z2009-02-11T11:10:48.886Z

Sometimes you just NEED to have a burger in a bun for your supper. Well yesterday that was me.A quick search in the freezer revealed some organic beef burgers that seemed to fit the bill - each quite small so it wouldn't count as sheer greed but only mild gluttony to have two. So out they came to be defrosted during the day and sit winking at me from the counter each time I passed. I thought

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-75351688290544837882009-02-09T17:40:00.007Z2009-02-19T12:41:33.459Z

Its been raining here all day so a comforting cup of coffee and a sneaky bit of chocolate has helped while away some of the time. Mind you everyday deserves a good cup of coffee and some nice chocolate. Today's pick on the coffee front was Union Hand Roasted Organic Ethiopia Yirgacheffe which a medium body and fruity brew - a good any time of day coffee. Chocolate wise it was one or two slices of

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-48826437417700976922009-02-08T12:44:00.015Z2009-02-28T18:43:55.157Z

Up on the Suffolk coast for brisk walks and tasty food this weekend. Love it up here and there is plenty to keep a food addict happy - from great farm shops to favourite restaurants, good beer and excellent fish and chips. Too much to fit into one weekend so we are pretty regular visitors.This weekend we have picked up a lot of goodies at the Friday Street Farm Shop - some to eat now, some to

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-34291726784601512502009-02-02T22:11:00.008Z2009-02-16T22:40:48.211Z

Its been pretty cold the last day or so with a snow fall of about 6 inches today - something we haven't seen for a long time (18 years according to the records). So its mostly all about curling up near the heater/fire/radiator with a warm drink and a small snack whilst contemplating which warming dish to have for lunch or dinner.Soups and stews are the order of the day and better still if there

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050006764277577236.post-55921839134987581202009-02-01T11:54:00.009Z2009-03-09T18:26:01.539Z

I've been reading quite a few cookbooks recently that have a seasonal theme to get some new ideas for different winter dishes.  I've been particularly enjoying Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's (HFW) 'The River Cottage Year' (this link is to Amazon.co.uk). I'd already tried a couple of the soup recipes and then I spotted the recipe for 'Smoky cheaty brandade' (page 49) and I just happened to have

goodshoedaynoreply@blogger.com0