Spaghetti with Garlic & Mushroom Sauce

It’s been a long day and we’re both tired. The boy has even got into his David Beckham pyjamas. He looks so handsome. This needs to be quick and easy.

250g spaghetti

360g mushrooms

90g butter

4 spring onions. Chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

60ml dry white wine

300ml chicken stock

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1tbsp cornflour

1tbsp water

2tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Get your priorities right and open the wine first. We have a bottle of Gavi in the fridge. It’s nice to have a mix of mushrooms in this but we just have chestnut mushrooms as there was a double helping in this week’s organic box. I would like to go mushrooming one day and pick my own, though I’ll need a guide or take my River Cottage book.

Get a pan of salted water on the boil and cook the spaghetti in the usual way. It should happen at about the same time as you make the sauce.

Heat the butter in a sauté pan and add the spring onions, garlic and mushrooms. I was tempted to use smoked garlic but have decided to use a strong variety instead, to cut through the buttery pasta. Once all is soft, add the wine. Burn off the alcohol and pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce.

When it’s boiling, stir the cornflour into the water (called slaking, which is a wonderful word!) Pour it into the sauce, which will thicken it up. Give it a really good stir so the flour cooks and thickens the sauce evenly.

Drain the spaghetti and toss it in the sauce. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley and some black pepper.

Bowls, forks, wine. Done.

Smoky Sausage & Veg Stew

The boy isn’t keen on the sound of this when I told it was veg stew. We have some cavalo nero in the veg box and it’s too good to waste. He warmed to it when I changed my mind and suggested a spicy sausage and vegetable stew.

The ingredient list is based on what we have in the fridge and the cupboard – apart from the sausages which I had to go out and buy especially. Didn’t mind the shopping trip as I wanted to get some really good bread to have with it.

70g smoked bacon lardons

6 thick decently flavoured sausages

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper

1tsp ground cumin

¾  tsp chilli powder

3 good handfuls chopped Cavolo nero (though would sub for kale, cabbage, greens)

½ Green pepper

1 bottle passata (usually 750g or so)

4 or 5 leftover roast potatoes (We had these but tinned boiled potatoes would work)

½ tsp smoked paprika

2tbsp sour cream to serve

Any additional veg you have would I’m sure, be welcome. So would chorizo.

The sausages I’ve gone for are a Harissa infused pork variety. So start with a big frying pan and fry off the bacon and sausages with a splash of oil. Cook on a high heat to brown it rather than cook it through, as it will cook further in the stew. The reason I cook, rather than give the boy the recipes is that he will think a high heat means “the hottest you can get it” and will fill the house with black smoke.

Once brown (or nearly brown, or brown in places), set aside. Cut each sausage into 4 pieces. The cat wants a piece of sausage. The harissa isn't going to be good news so he's having a couple of bacon lardons.

Add the onion and green pepper to the same pan so it picks up the meaty flavours. Once soft, tip into a deeper pan. Stir in the cumin, chilli powder and smoked paprika. A good grind of fresh pepper would be good too.  I wish I’d added some garlic but too late now.

The boy has chopped the greens for me. I’ve asked him to treat it has two vegetables and give me two piles – one of chopped stalk and one of roughly chopped leaves. The stalks go in for a minute . Then add the passata. As always use a decent one. I always add another 3 inches of water to the empty jar and swirl it go get all. Then add the chopped leaves and give it a good stir. It shouldn’t be too thick if you’ve added the water to the empty passata bottle.

Add the roast potatoes – they will break up of their own accord. I think potatoes work best here but if you have cooked pumpkin or squash, use that instead. If not, tinned potatoes would be okay. The sausages and bacon goes back in now. Pour in all the juices they have leached.  Despite the spices, give an indiscriminate twist of salt.

Warm it all through. Check the thickness and add little more water or bubble for another minute or so. Serve with a tablespoon of sour cream

I’ve warmed the bread in the oven so the butter will melt on it. I thought that even if the boy only had the stew as an excuse to get the bread and butter it would have been worth it. Turns out I needn’t have worried.

Butter Beans & Chard

This is a side dish we’re having with pork chops. I think it would work equally well with crispy skinned chicken though. The boy agrees with this and thinks we don’t have crispy skinned chicken nearly often enough.

1 x 400g tin butter beans

1 handful Swiss chard, leaves only, stems removed

A healthy glug of olive oil

A splash of white wine

1 red chilli, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½  a lemon, zest and juice

A splash of Balsamic vinegar

Chop the chard leaves, chop the garlic, chop the chilli. Rinse the butter beans.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the chilli and garlic. Add the chard and give it a good stir. Pour in the beans, including the starchy water they come in, which will thicken it.

Add lots of salt and pepper and the lemon juice and zest. I’m adding a splash of Pinot Grigio and a very small dash of Balsamic. The boy is pouring the rest of the wine into glasses before I can use too much of it.

He thinks this is far too much fuss over what he calls “posh cabbage.” He just wants to know if I’m going to get the pork chop fat nice and crispy. I am.

Get him to taste once the alcohol has burned off. It often needs a little more chilli, which can be a good brand of chilli powder. This needs to sing, and should have a sharpness and heat to contrast with the fat in the pork chops. You could buy fat free pork chops but why would you?

British Raj Cucumber Salad

This is from a book about the British Raj. The book says cucumbers were native to northern India and that the rainy season varieties were the best. As it is always the rainy season in Britain, I’m assuming the kind we usually get will be good.

1 cucumber

1 onion

¼ inch ginger

1 green chilli

1 salt spoon pepper

Vinegar

Peel the cucumber and slice it. This came with the organic box so I might as well make the most of it.  Sprinkle with salt to draw some of the water out. The recipe recommends pushing a plate down on the cucumber to speed this up. Pour away the water that gathers. It doesn’t suggest that you get rid of the salt, but I think you should give the slices a wipe with some kitchen towel.

Slice the onion into thin rings. Red onion is preferable. Mince the ginger and chilli. The ginger and chilli is what makes this really interesting.

Mix the cucumber with the ginger and chilli and sprinkle the pepper over. No idea what a salt spoon is but assume it’s tiny. Maybe 2 big pinches of pepper. I think white pepper.

Layer the onion rings on top and sprinkle with vinegar. A whole onion seems a bit too much so adjust as you see fit. I’m using white wine vinegar.

The boy thinks this would be nice as a picnic salad with egg mayonnaise or cheese and tomato sandwiches. I think he sees all food as falling into one of three categories:

 1) A Sandwich.

 2) A potential sandwich filling.

 3) Something that would be nice to have with a sandwich.

Pumpkin & Sweetcorn Chowder

Pumpkin soup is the boy’s favourite. I’m not working today and he is working from home so I want to make him a nice lunch. I’m not sure where in the US this recipe is from but I like to think it’s from the cold north east. I know it’s not long since I last made a chowder, but these rainy, windy days are just right for it. Sweetcorn is the perfect partner to the pumpkin.

500g pumpkin, peeled and deseeded

1 large can sweetcorn

4 rashers streaky bacon

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 litre chicken stock

8 small potatoes, cubed

1tsp salt

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp white pepper

250ml single cream

250g cheddar cheese

The worst part of this recipe is peeling the pumpkin and cutting it into chunks, with the fibre and seeds removed. Rub the pieces with oil and bake in a hot oven (190g) for 35 minutes. Put Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony on the kitchen CD player.

The boy is busy working in the study but the cat has joined me in the kitchen. He’s not used to these non-meat-based recipes that I’m making for the boy, though he appreciated the bacon rind. I'm soft so I have fried them for a minute for him. The wind and rain are keeping him inside. He seems to like the Mozart though.

Get a big pan out. Chop the bacon and fry it until crispy. The cat looks interested but he’s had all he’s getting. Scoop it out of the pan and add the onion and pepper, and cook until soft. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and stock. The boy has been sent to pick some thyme from the pots on the patio. The stock is made with Knorr stock pots.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. I’ve gone for Yukon Gold potatoes which are floury but not too much so. They will break down nicely but not disappear.  Add the pumpkin and corn. Give it another 10 minutes.

Put through the medium blade of a Mouli. Put it back in the pan and add the cream. Check the seasoning. I almost always find it wants more pepper. Put the bacon back in and pour into bowls and sprinkle over the cheese.

Serve it straight away while it is still thick and unctuous (What a great Dickensian word unctuous is!)  Have it with warm soda bread and salted butter. Ideally warm enough so the butter melts. I can’t think of a better way to show the boy I love him. 

The Bullshot

I’ve long been intrigued by the Bullshot - the boy loves them. It’s perfect for taking on long winter walks in a flask. This version comes from a North Yorkshire ‘shoot’ and is interesting as it is very specific about the ingredients and uses sherry rather than vodka. It makes a lot! I would scale it right down but this recipe is epic so I’m giving it as it stands.

2 x 400g cans Heinz oxtail soup

5x 415g cans Baxter’s Beef consommé

1 x 200ml Schweppes tomato juice  or V8

2tbsp Geo Walker Mushroom ketchup

A few drops Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

A few drops tabasco

A pinch each cayenne pepper and Paprika

Mix all of the above and leave it overnight. Before your walk, bring it up to a simmer. Stir in a heaped tbsp. Knorr beef bouillon paste and a twisted forkful of Marmite. This is a bit of a parade of brand names but they got to be where they are for a reason. Trust me, I’m a market researcher. The only one I’m not convinced about is the Schweppes tomato juice. I’m assuming the pinch of cayenne is a huge pinch, given it’s going into nearly 3 litres of broth. Similarly the ‘few drops’ of condiment.

The author then suggests Crofts Original Sherry to taste, but gives no idea how much. I think quite a lot given the amount of broth this is going into. Frankly this can’t be less than half a bottle – and then some. Interestingly this doesn’t use vodka. Into flasks it goes.

I think I prefer the ever dependable Sarah Raven’s recipe. She served it at her wedding which took place one January. I like that thoughtfulness. It comes in more manageable portions. This is the version the boy and I take for our Boxing Day walk.

330ml tinned beef consommé

1tbsp lemon juice

Celery salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco to taste

175ml vodka

Heat the consommé and add all the seasoning. I tend to use Campbells.  I’m happy to see the lemon juice here. Lots of Tabasco I think. Finally add the vodka – one with higher alcohol content will work best as there will be a bit of evaporation – Absolut or Stolichnaya would be good.

Finally a version I’m really not sure about, that I came across in The Guardian. It’s a cold version which it describes as “The Marlon Brando” of cocktails. The recipe serves one which doesn’t seem right so I have doubled it up. If I have to try this the boy has to too.

180ml beef consommé

90ml vodka

A good dash Worcestershire sauce

A good dash Tabasco

A squeeze of lemon

Black pepper

The Consommé needs to be pretty much zero fat. Baxters qualifies.  Put in a shaker with ice. Give it a shake and then strain. Pour over more cracked ice. This is meant to have more alcohol than a bloody mary. I think a really decent squeeze of lemon is the only way this would work for me.

The Bloody Bull combines pretty much equal amounts of consommé, vodka and tomato juice, and again can be served hot or cold. Naturally it needs all the extras -Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice etc. If having it cold, tomato juice doesn’t like being shaken, so stir it. I’ve seen some exciting recipes that include ‘creole spice mix’ or “Essence” as it Is sometimes known, and a pickled okra garnish. I’m not attempting to find pickled okra (though I would love to)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

This recipe suggests lime juice as well as lemon juice It’s 175ml tomato juice, 120ml beef bouillon, 100ml vodka, Stir in ½ tsp of Essence 2tsp lime juice, 1tsp lemon juice, 1 ½  tsp Worcestershire sauce, a shake of hot sauce, a shake of celery salt, a twist of black pepper . This version actually sounds appealing, The “Essence” will keep in a screw top jar.

Preserved Salsa

We both like dipping kettle chips in salsa. I say dipping, but mean loading them up. This isn’t the fresh pico di gallo kind. It’s preserved, to keep us going through winter. You can buy it anywhere but this is made from the last of this year’s tomatoes. We don’t have quite enough so we have added a few ripe vine tomatoes from our local Turkish grocer. We’re also using scotch bonnet peppers as we like it spicy, though it will calm down in the jar.

2kg ripe tomatoes

4 green peppers

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

4 scotch bonnet chillies

A handful chopped coriander, stalks included

2bsp salt

1tsp cumin

1 litre vinegar

1tbsp sugar

The only painful part is peeling the tomatoes.  Cut a cross into each one and pour boiling water over. The skins should split and shrink back so you can peel them. Send the boy to the compost bin with the skins. Deseed the chillies- they will be hot enough and they will add a fruity flavour to the salsa.

Roughly chop the onion, garlic, pepper, chillies and coriander and place in the food processor. Whizz to break everything up and add the tomatoes. Blitz again but keep it chunky.

Pour into a pan along with the cumin, salt, sugar and vinegar. Stir and bring to the boil. It needs to reduce to salsa thickness. Maybe an hour.

Once it’s done ladle into sterilised jars and wait to hear the satisfying pop as the jars form a vacuum.

We both like fresh salsa and this is different, but equally good.  It’s perfect for watching black and white films on a rainy February afternoon. The boy likes It as a base for bruschetta, before topping with fresh tomatoes. Either way, having half a dozen jars in the cupboard to see us through the cold months is a comfort. Highly recommended for watching DVDs of Casablanca or Citizen Kane with a bowl of salt and black pepper kettle chips for scooping.

Coriander & Pecan Pesto

I think this recipe is Australian. It’s wonderful, though it means getting the food processor out.

450g ricotta and spinach tortellini

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

1tbsp chopped coriander stems

½ cup firmly packed basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1tbsp pine nuts

1/3 cup pecans

2tbsp grated parmesan

½ cup olive oil

The boy has coffee and The Spectator. We fancy an early lunch. Put the pasta on to boil. This would be equally nice with plain tagliatelli.

In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts, and then the pecans. Process the coriander leaves, stems, basil, garlic, nuts and cheese. While it’s blitzing, slowly pour in the oil until you get a sauce consistency. Get it really smooth.

Drain the pasta, and spoon the sauce over generously. I think another sprinkle of grated parmesan wouldn’t go amiss.

The boy likes “bowl and fork” meals and is very pleased with this. I ask him what he thinks is in it and interestingly he can’t work it out.

Burmese Dry Chicken Curry

This is from a 20 year old Sophie Grigson book. I don’t cook much chicken. I’m alone in finding it unexciting but the boy loves it. This isn’t even my sort of curry as I prefer a lot of sauce. However it intrigued me so I have given it a go.

2 onions, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1cm ginger, chopped

2 sticks lemongrass, chopped

3 red chillies chopped

2tsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1tsp turmeric

4tbsp oil

1 chicken, jointed

4 cardamom pods

4tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt and pepper

Make a paste from the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chillies, fish sauce, turmeric. I’m using our mini processor though I’m amazed at how much noise it makes. Let it scream away at top volume until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan, and start to fry off the paste. Add the chicken pieces. I asked the butcher to do this for me, though most supermarkets will happily do it for you these days. There is no excuse not use good chicken that has had a happy life here. Stir it well so the paste covers it and doesn’t stick to the pan.

The chicken should give this enough juice but I add a splash of water anyway. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes or so. Give it a stir from time to time.

Bash the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Stir them in, along with the coriander leaves.

Serve with rice.This has an unusual taste - more like Thai food than a curry. But it's good. The boy is happy to be having chicken.  I’m always amazed at how much meat he manages to gnaw off a chicken bone. We joke that he has vampire teeth.

Ham & Parsley Terrine

I’ve been wanting to make this for the boy for ages. It looks so elegant. It’s like a terrine, except the ham is in pieces, rather than minced. It’s traditionally made in France for Easter, but better late than never.

1kg really decent ham

1 onion

4 cloves

2 pigs trotters

2 carrots

1 leek

1 celery stick

125g parsley leaves, finely chopped, stalks reserved

1 bay leaf

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bottle chardonnay, preferably French

3 shallots, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic. Finely chopped

Black pepper

The boy is out and I’m deliberately making this while he isn’t home. He will love it but I don’t want him to see me putting in the pigs’ trotters. They’re easy to find these days. Our supermarket has them and they are unbelievably cheap.

Cover the ham in water, in a deep casserole dish  and cook for 30 minutes. Drain it and rinse it. This will get excess salt out.  I’m thinking Verdi’s Falstaff will bring the right amount of happy heartedness to this dish, so on the CD Player it goes. Put the ham back in the casserole and add the trotters, carrots, leek, celery, parsley stalks, thyme, bay and wine. Season well.

Simmer for up to two hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ham and cut it into large pieces, about finger sized. Bring the stock back up to the boil and reduce it down to just over half a litre. Strain it and let it cool. This is where the magic happens, as it starts to become jelly. Mix the shallots, garlic and parsley in a bowl. The finer it’s chopped, the better.

I was about to throw the pigs trotters out, but the boy’s cat has been waiting patiently and is now purring majestically. He wins. I think only a cat could navigate all those bones. He’s in heaven. The boy doesn’t notice that his cat isn’t interested in his dinner when the time comes. It’s our secret.

In an oiled loaf tin, place a layer of ham, followed by the shallot and parsley mix. Add some of the carrot from the ham’s cooking water, finely diced, Layer it up. Ham/Parsley mix/Ham/Parsley mix.

Pour over the cooled stock. Refrigerate for 48 hours so the ham is suspended in parsley-green gelatine.  The boy will be amazed something so elegant can be cooked at home. Its white and green layers do look good. Cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife. Traditionally this would be served with a mustard vinaigrette spooned over.  This is how we’re having it, along with a radish salad and  some crusty French bread and Breton butter. He doesn’t seem curious about how the jelly was made. Just as well, as I really don’t want to tell him about the trotters.

Minestra di Verdura, Erbe e Crema

The boy loves soup on a cold day. I think some recipes are all the better for being old. This one is from a classic cookbook, called Leaves from Our Tuscan Kitchen. It was published in 1899.

Updating the measurements to metric would be defeating the object but an oz is roughly 30g, a pint, half a litre and ¼ lb is about 125g. These were meagre times so feel free to increase the amounts. I did, but I reproduce the original amounts here. Just don't try to be exact with this.

2oz butter

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 carrot chopped

3 pints chicken stock

1 lettuce, roughly chopped

¼ lb spinach, chopped

3tbsp chopped herbs

Salt and pepper

Cream to serve

I love the simplicity of this dish. It reaches back in time and its ingredients suggest it’s a Tuscan peasant meal. All the better for that.

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the celery, leek and carrot. Cook it very gently so it all softens but doesn’t brown. Season with salt and pepper.

The boy has called to say he’s on his way home. Ask him to pick up some fresh soda bread on the way home. He asks if we’re having soup.

After 20 minutes, add the stock, lettuce and spinach. I love recipes that include cooking lettuce. I can’t imagine why we stopped doing this.

Bring it back to the boil and cook for 6 minutes. Pass it through the medium plate of a Mouli. If you don’t have one, blend in a food processor until it’s smooth. The boy bought me a mouli for my birthday. As he loves soup I assume he sees it as an investment.

Put it back in the pan and get the boy to check the seasoning. I can’t help thinking a handful of peas or broad beans would be perfect to give the texture some contrast.  He’s home now, with the soda bread. He’s buttering thick slices with salted Breton Butter.

Add the herbs. I’m using a mix of parsley, marjoram and thyme, as it’s what we have in the window boxes – though the authors suggest chervil, chives or tarragon as equally welcome.

Pour into bowls and add cream to serve. Jersey single cream is perfect for soup. The boy comments that it’s light and rich at the same time. He jokes that having lettuce in the soup is my ultimate attempt to get him to have a salad every day.

I think an old Italian movie would be right for after lunch, so we’re on the sofa together watching Rocco and his Brothers.

Vietnamese Poached Chicken with Dipping Sauces (and leftovers)

I think this is an “occasion dish”. The boy is moving the coffee table back and laying a rug down so we can eat this on cushions on the floor.

1 whole free-range organic chicken

A handful coriander, roughly torn

Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce

1tsp chopped garlic

3 small chillies, chopped

3tbsp sugar

3tbsp ginger, minced

1tsp fish sauce

2tbsp lime juice

3tbsp water

Sweet Soy Chilli Dipping Sauce

3tbsp sweet soy sauce

2tbsp water

1tbsp ginger, minced

1tsp chilli paste

2 red chillies in very thin rings

Steamed rice to serve

Steamed pak choi to serve, hoi sin sauce to dress it

The chicken is the star here so it needs to be better than good. Free range organic is expensive but it is so good you will end up stretching it over several meals.

Put about 4 litres of water into a large pan and once it reaches a rolling boil, lower the chicken in. Let it cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover with the lid. Leave it for one hour to poach very gently. Nothing goes into the water – this will taste only of chicken; the rest of the flavours come from the dipping sauces.

Meanwhile make those dipping sauces. For the ginger/lime sauce, mash the garlic, chilli, sugar and ginger with a pestle and mortar, and then mix with the lime juice and water.  For the Sweet soy and chilli version, first make sure you have sweet soy, which contains molasses. I guess ketjap manis would do if you can’t find it but it may need more water to loosen it. Combine everything. Serve both dipping sauces in small elegant bowls.

Listen to a drama on Radio 4 with the boy. Get him to put the rice on while you steam the pak choi and sprinkle with a little bottled hoi sin sauce.

Lift the chicken out of its broth and wrap it in cling film so it doesn’t dry out. Juiciness is everything here. Let it rest and get cool enough to handle. While you could shred the meat off it’s more authentic to keep the bone in. Use a heavy cleaver to chop the meat into small, slightly larger than bite sized pieces. Garnish with the coriander.

To eat, pick up a piece with chopsticks, peel off the skin and dip into whichever sauce you prefer. I also have a small bowl of sriracha, though the boy isn’t touching it.

I’m doing three things with the leftovers, as the chicken is too good to waste.  Start with picking all the meat off the bones. The cat can have the bits that you can’t easily glean meat from, like the knuckles and wing tips.

1)      Some of the shredded chicken is making fried rice, with the leftover rice and pak choi, with finely sliced spring onion and light soy. Add anything else you have like canned sweet corn, peas, mushrooms, sliced chillies or chopped green beans.

2)      Some of the chicken is being marinated in the ginger sauce and going in a baguette for the boy’s lunch, along with mayonnaise, grated carrot, diced cucumber, a deseeded chopped chilli  and coriander leaves

3)      The carcass and any remaining chicken is going back in its cooking broth with the green bits of the spring onions, above, more garlic, chillies, ginger, coriander stems and lemongrass . Strain. Put any obvious big bits of chicken back in the broth. Chuck in any finely chopped veg you have to hand.  Add king prawns and shitake mushrooms, with a good splash of soy  and garnish with coriander leaves for a warming soup.

I love the way the boy doesn’t notice this is 4 meals spun out from 1 chicken.

Peanut & Sweetcorn Chowder

The boy will love this. He likes most soups and will appreciate the thickness of a good American chowder. This recipe is from the deep south and comes from a book I picked up in a thrift store in California.

½ cup chopped onion

2tbsp groundnut oil

2 17oz (2x 400g) cans of creamed sweetcorn

½ cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup milk

1tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup mature cheddar, grated

I have been longing to try this recipe – there is something earthy about it. Try a Chinese grocer for the creamed sweetcorn if you can’t easily find it. I’m buying the peanut butter especially for this as the boy prefers smooth so that’s all we have at home. I’m going for Whole Earth Brand, as I think it’s good- you can see the peanut skins flecked through. American peanut butter is often sweetened so it may need a pinch of sugar to make it taste right. The creamed sweetcorn may be enough though. Get the boy to taste it and decide.

Sauté the onions, without browning. When soft, stir in the cans of creamed sweetcorn and peanut butter. Much stirring. Keep going until it starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in all the other ingredients, reducing the heat slightly. The only liquid is from the cans of sweetcorn and the milk, so you may need another splash of water.

The boy will love you forever if you serve this with cheese straws.

350g frozen puff pastry

3 handfuls grated parmesan

1 handful grated mature cheddar
A decent pinch Cayenne

 1 handful flour to stop things sticking

Let the frozen pastry unfreeze. Roll it out, using the flour if you need it. It should be as thick as a pound coin. Scatter most of the cheese over. Cut  into strips and twist each one 3 or 4 or times. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Cook in a hot oven for 12 minutes.

I think this dish is from Georgia. What I do know is that he loves it. Sweet and earthy. Turns out he has never seen Gone With the Wind. Going to fix that.

Mum's Kachumber

This is something my Mum always made with curries, and I love it. I imagine she learned it in Malawi, where it is called Sumu. I think it originally had chillies in it, but I’m making it as Mum made it. In later years in London we became big fans of making Lamb Jalfrezi, with a jar of Sharwoods sauce. It’s a happy memory of Mum visiting me in my tiny studio flat, just north of White Hart Lane. Mum buying me a pound of lamb to make this was a real treat and it’s a way I like to remember her. We'd pad it out with courgettes from the market, as they were cheap but we both liked them. This is her version of Kachumber, and it takes me back every time.

2 tomatoes

1 red onion

A handful chopped coriander

Malt vinegar to cover

A memory of making this with Mum. We have a lamb Jalfrezi bubbling away. Mum is stirring chopped cucumber into a small pot of Safeway yoghurt, We’ll have it with Safeway naan bread when it’s ready. There is a Vanessa Mae CD playing. She was the star violin player at the time though she has since vanished, her style a bit mannered now. It’s August. The windows are open and my thin peach coloured curtains are billowing in the wind.

Chop the tomatoes. Juice will run everywhere but try to get as much of it in the bowl as you can. Finely chop the onion and then the coriander and mix. Pour in malt vinegar to half cover and stir from time to time so it all gets covered in turn. I use malt vinegar as Mum did. Not sure if this is authentic, or whether it was all Mum could get in Malawi, or if it was just what she was used to from growing up in 1950s Yorkshire. Anyway she used it so I do.

This should have chillies, but Mum didn’t and so they now don’t seem right in this.

This does well to rest for an hour but it won’t keep overnight. It needs its fresh sharpness and it goes well with the lamb Jalfrezi. Spoon it on, leaving the vinegar behind.  The yoghurt goes on the other side of the plate as it will split if they meet. They usually find each other anyway but by that time we are spooning up the lovely gravy, infused with both the grainy yoghurt and vinegar. For some reason Sharwoods stopped making their Jalfrezi cooking sauce for a few years. We missed it. Mum had died by the time they brought it back. The square shaped jar with the black lid still takes me back.

I usually make curries from scratch now, but occasionally go back to this to remember her. She loved food. I loved and love her still. I do think the way we hand down our cooking through the generations is the best legacy we can hope for. Neither of us being elegant eaters, we would change out of white T shirts, knowing the likely consequences.

Lebanese Spaghetti with Tomato & Almond Sauce

It’s dark and rainy. The boy says it’s the kind of weather to have canned Heinz spaghetti. I get what he means but we’re not going that far. This has the same kind of comforting effect though.

2 x 400g chopped tomatoes

2tbsp tomato puree

3 garlic cloves, grated

1tsp light brown sugar

1tbsp olive oil

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch allspice

Pinch grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

Pinch pepper

200g spaghetti

50g flaked almonds

2tbsp finely chopped parsley

You could use any pasta but I think only spaghetti will have that really satisfying nursery effect. Normally I advocate only using Cirio tomatoes, but chopped ones are usually okay, whatever the brand. Just try to avoid using supermarket budget brand as they will be more watery.

Start by toasting the almonds in a dry frying pan. Keep them moving so they don’t burn. Set aside once they start giving up a toasty aroma. The boy is chopping the parsley, which is also set aside for later.

Bring a big pan of salty water to the boil, for the spaghetti. Meanwhile put the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic and sugar into another pan. Add a little water to the tomato can and swirl to get extra tomato juice out. Simmer and stir frequently to reduce it down to a sauce consistency. After 30 minutes add the olive oil, cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper and nutmeg. The nutmeg really needs to be freshly grated. It smells a bit like Christmas.

Pop the pasta in the boiling water and cook according to the instructions. Give it the bite test after 8 minutes and every couple of minutes after that until you’re happy with it. Drain, but leave about 3tbsp of the salty, starchy cooking water behind. Add the tomato sauce and toss well.

The boy’s cat is not allowed to beg from the table but will often wait patiently in the kitchen for a treat. The boy gives him a couple of long strands of sauce covered spaghetti. The cat pounces on it, trying to kill it but then surprisingly, eats it, purring and trying to catch the wriggling ends in his paws.

Serve in deep bowls and sprinkle on plenty of the almonds and parsley. Give it a light toss to mix them in a little bit before handing the boy his.

Much as he’d love to, he’s not getting away without some veg. His side plate has lightly steamed green beans, dressed with olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper. He doesn’t complain and slurps contentedly. He’s wearing a black T shirt so we’re okay.

The Boy's Panini

I’m handing the blog over to the boy today as he’s making his favourite, Panini. Did you know Panini means two sandwiches – one would be a panino. Anyway, over to the boy.

4 panini rolls or ciabatta rols

8 Slices Emmental cheese

8 slices thick cut Wiltshire ham

½ an onion chopped

 A handful mushrooms chopped

Some tomato puree in a tube

1 very ripe tomato

A sprinkle of oregano
1tbsp double cream (optional)

This is great when it’s raining and you’re at home and feeling all safe.

Cut the rolls open. I would have bought ciabatta rolls and put them into our new sandwich maker but they didn’t have any so I’m using Panini rolls and the George Foreman Grill instead.

Open the rolls out so you have two sides on each to adorn with love and artistry. Cut the cheese to fit both sides of each roll. I chose Emmental, but Edam, Gruyere,Jarlsberg etc would also be cool. Overlapping is good. Add some to both sides of the roll. If you have it, spread the cream over the cheese for extra ooze.

Cut up the ham slices so they fit on the bottom slice, on top of the cheese. Layer some mushroom slices and onion pieces on top of the ham on the bottom half. Ideally I’d add another slice of cheese on here, but I’ve run out.

Try to squirt a smooth even squiggle of tomato puree onto the cheese on the top slice.

Slice the tomato and sprinkle the slices with dried oregano and maybe a little black pepper. Tuck in the tomato and squash it down into a sandwich, slowly, tucking anything back in that might need it.

I like to wrap these in cling film to tighten up for half an hour. I’ll give them a light squeeze, pushing anything that is seeping back out, every few minutes.

Heat whatever you’re using. In this case the George Forman Grill as I don’t want it being cut into sandwiches. Get it hot first and put the drip tray in front. It’s always horrifying how much fat pours out! When it’s done, ignore and hope someone else will wash it up. I’m told some of this will actually just be water from the ham and mushrooms but even so.

I think this would be great served with strong flavoured potato crisps like Prawn Cocktail or Worcestershire Sauce, though I seem to have ended up with a small salad of dressed Cos lettuce and avocado .

Before I go, my other top Panini filling. Ham, mozzarella, sun blush tomatoes from the deli and pesto. Spread each side of bread with pesto, then add layers of mozzarella and ham. Stuff chopped sun blush tomatoes in between (Sun dried are a little bit too strong).  Serve with coffee, celebrate the good life.

Or (and I should stop soon), Pastrami, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced pickled gherkins and Dijon mustard in ciabatta. Great with well drained sauerkraut on the side. Pretend you're in New York

Or small beef meatballs with some thickened marinara sauce, with extra garlic spooned over and topped with Provolone cheese and sprinkled with oregano before it goes under the grill. Pretend you have a Sicilain grandma. Great for watching The Sopranos on DVD.

Or mix some grated cheddar with Marscapone to get a gooey mix. Sprinkle in some well drained and chopped jarred jalapeños. Grill, listen to Maria Callas and tune the world out.

Caribbean style Pumpkin Chutney

We’ve been lovingly growing Turk’s Turban pumpkins this year. They are pampered things, each one sitting on its own little nest of straw to keep it off the damp ground. We’re making soup with some but we also thought we’d make some chutney with the rest. This is a Caribbean inspired version, made spicy with ginger and scotch bonnet chillies.

450g pumpkin, peeled, stringy middle stuff and seeds removed, and diced

50g fresh ginger, chopped

450g light brown sugar

300ml malt vinegar

3 scotch bonnet chillies, chopped

25g garlic, finely chopped

100g raisins

25g fresh ginger, chopped

100g finely chopped onion

1tbsp salt

I love pumpkin but hate peeling it. Need an epic soundtrack so Un Ballo In Maschera is on the kitchen CD player.It’s a live recording from The Met, 1940. Summer is gone. It’s windy and getting cold. Having watched the pumpkins swell over the summer it’s almost a shame to pick them, but we’re cheered by being able to enjoy this at Christmas. I persuade the boy that the chilli really will have mellowed down by then, and he does like a bit of kick in his sandwich chutney.

It takes much of Act 1 of Ballo, to get the pumpkin prepped. It’s worth doing all the prep up front I think. Onions, garlic, ginger, chillies. Chop-chop.

While you’re prepping the other veg, (and Amelia is seeking the herb that will cure her of her love for the king), bring 600ml water to boil and simmer the pumpkin for 15 minutes. (The conspirators are going crazy by now).

The boy has had a look at the chillies – I’ve chosen yellow ones to complement the pumpkin. I also swapped the raisins for golden sultanas for the same reason. He’s persuaded me to remove half the chilli seeds.

Add the vinegar and sugar to the pan. Stir well, bringing back up to the boil. When the sugar is dissolved, add everything else. Let it carry on at a furious blip for 45 minutes or so. (This should bring you easily to Act III, with the king being warned of the murder plot, but could take you as far as the stabbing).

It’s thick enough when you can run a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and see a clean line for a few seconds. Let it cool a little and ladle into clean jars. (The king, dying, declares Amelia is innocent, the crowds adore him)

The boy is looking forward to this with some Christmas York Ham and some Cornish Yarg cheese. He’s positioning it near the front of our pickle cupboard so it doesn’t get lost amongst the 50 or so other jars in there.

A Summer Memory of Vichysoisse

I prefer this hot, though the boy likes it chilled. His tastes are more traditional.

50h butter

450g leeks, finely sliced

225g potatoes, peeled and sliced

570ml water

2755ml milk

75ml single cream

Salt & white pepper

Chives to garnish

This is one of the boy’s favourite soups. We made this on midsummer day when it was all he wanted. Our flat was baking hot. Shostakovich was on the radio. Amazing music. Stalingrad fighting back. Don’t bother weighing anything – 4 leeks and 5 potatoes should do it.

Heat the butter – We use salted Yorkshire butter from the farmers’ market, so it needs to be heated slowly so it doesn’t separate. Add the leeks. All of the white parts plus the pale green. The potatoes too. These shouldn’t be the waxy kind. You want them to fall apart. Pour in the water and boil for 15 minutes or so. Blend. I like it not too smooth - kind of grainy.

The boy appeared in white boxers and a red and white stripy t-shirt. He made himself a coffee and disappeared.

Put the soup back into the pan and add the milk . It needs to be whole-milk really preferably organic. Turn the heat right down. Add the cream. Stir in a really decent pinch of salt and lots of white pepper. Once it’s cooled, put in the fridge to chill.

I’ve found a New York recipe from the Ritz from 1911 that adds about 450ml tomato juice. The acidity should cut through the cream but it needs to be very cold to work, I think.

The boy suggested things he’d like with this. I love it when he takes an interest. Still in his undies and a t-shirt though. –he said he wanted hot brown toast with more of the Yorkshire butter, sun warmed tomatoes from the garden, sliced, white grapes and thinly sliced Milano salami. Predictably he piled this up into a toppling open sandwich.

Green Juices

The Juicer is about to be put away for another year. The boy isn’t generally keen on vegetable juices though he does like these ones. Two of them are from Gwyneth Paltrow, though I’m not sure whether that has influenced him or not. One thing I am sure of is that it will be me cleaning the juicer.

10 large kale leaves

2 lemons, peeled

2 large apples

A finger of ginger – maybe an inch

A couple of sprigs of mint

Remove and discard the ribs from the kale and cut the apple if it won’t fit down the chute of the juicer. The boy has never asked what is in this. Just as well, as I doubt I could persuade him to drink kale juice. Juice the lot and serve over ice.

I love the mineral hit of organic celery and the sweetness of white grapes is a match made in heaven.

4 stalks organic celery

A big bunch white grapes

I think the greener the celery, the better, and you really will notice the difference with organic. This one is the boy’s favourite green juice.

Finally, this one makes the most of the last of our basil plant. It’s getting cold now, so it’s use it or lose it.

2 handfuls basil leaves

2 cucumbers

1 lime

2 apples

Again just push everything through the juicer and serve cold. If your juicer has a slower speed, this would work best. I like a splash of cold water just to let it down a little but the boy is happy with it as it comes. He’s reading The Observer, I’m washing the juicer.