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A couple of weeks ago I discovered Pinterest.  I'd looked at it before, about a year ago,  but couldn't figure out what to use it for.  But, now I'm hooked! I like the fact that it's very visual - its a bit like bookmarking things but done with a photo. At the moment my boards are either a collection of bookmarks of things I like - music, comedians, places I've eaten -  or new things I've seen on web pages and want to to save. Lots of fun things to do with food, recipes and cocktails!  Lots of people seem to use it for collecting "crafty" things to do, and I've just started looking at that.

One thing that has interested me, is if you look at the food related pins, how many of them especially from the US use mixes or processed food. Someone commented on twitter recently that a joint of meat put in a slow cooker with a tin of soup poured over the top doesn't count as the "best recipe ever". I am amazed how many recipes, which look good in the picture, start with "take a packet of cake mix", or cheesecake mix, or ranch mix (whatever that it).

But on the plus side, I've discovered how to make a chocolate bowl using a balloon, how to make a Goblet of Fire cocktail, and some great recipes for parties.

Recipe of the day - Jersulam Artichoke soup...

Fry an onion and some cloves of garlic in a tiny amount of olive oil. Add some Jerusalem artichokes and fry until golden and getting soft.  Add some stock, (I use chicken), or water and a stock cube, or white wine, or a combination.  I don't bother with amounts - just use your eyes and tastebuds. Slowly simmer until everything's soft - about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and anything else you feel like.  Blitz in a food processor or use a hand held blender thing (that's what I do).  Put some rashers of smoked streaky bacon on the grill and cook till crispy. Add some Philadelphia cheese to the soup - a tub full. Stir gently, add some chives, and heat gently till boiling.  Then crumble the bacon in.

Yum!

Weekend eating

Our weekend eating habits are becoming a bit predictable. Friday night is curry night at our favourite place, the Saffron Club, which also happens to be only a couple of minutes walk away. An ice cold bottle of King Cobra is usually brought to us by the very friendly staff without us having to ask as we always start with it, and sometimes we manage a second...  We have our favourite starters - channa chockpot for Stu and flame grilled chicken livers or jinga puree for me, and our favourite mains. Stu usually has Machi Biran (spiced seabass)  or Kofti (small meatballs) in a variety of sauces, and I usually have lamb, but try to vary the sauce, My favourite at the moment in karai. Then we head back home and collapse in front of the TV. Saturday I cook, and we usually have steak, plainly grilled with a jacket potato and either salad or veg. I like to experiment a bit with starters which are often fish based, and tonight made up  a mango salsa from a fresh mango,  onion, chilli, coriander, tomato, lime juice and a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. Some scallops on top pan fried in lime infused oil - gorgeous.  Sunday is a full Sunday lunch. Well I say lunch - we usually have it at about 6.30.  Beef, pork or lamb usually with Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. Best meal of the week!

New Year's Resolution.....

....is to post more on this blog, in the way that I intended when I set it up. More often, briefer, and more of what interests me and less of what did I do on my holidays. My mobile app, Blogpress which has been broken for over 3 months is now mended so that might make it easier.

So, what better to start the new year than two of my favourite things - cats and food!  My stupid (but hugely loveable) cat Rocco, still thinks our kitchen sink is his bed. Here he is watching me trying to rinse a load of vegetables without wetting him. In the end I gave up, turned the taps on, and he very reluctantly moved, slowly giving his legs a shake. Within a couple of minutes he was back in....

I was rinsing vegetables because I realised I had a glut of them in my veg boxes from the last two weeks, and there's another one due on Thursday. So, curried vegetable soup it is! Everything I could find  - peeled, diced, and cooked in a mixture of wine and stock, with a teaspoon of curry paste to give it some oomph.  A quick whizz with my hand held blender, and a dollop of philly right at the end and voila!   I love veg, but now there's only two of us, I'm not getting through them as fast as I should. Perhaps it's time to downsize.