Month: December 2007

Mini mince pies

Instead of the normal mince pies we have had at Christmas for as long as I can remember, this year we bought a mini mince pie selection from Waitrose. They come in a pack of twelve, and are made with a soft shortcrust pastry. Each has mincemeat at the...

Fisherman’s pie revisited

Hmm. What do you do with leftover fisherman’s pie? As I said, I only ate a third of it, and put the rest in two pieces into the freezer. It occurred to me that a fisherman’s pie contains much the same ingredients as a fishcake – assorted seafood and...

Buraki crab salad

Buraki crab salad Originally uploaded by dynamist. I had a few notions about how to improve upon the wasabi crab salad (another Nigella Express recipe) we had for Christmas. My last day in London seemed a good time to try them out. As stipulated, I mixed a dressing of...

Stilton

Santa obviously knows I like my cheese, and was kind enough to deposit with me a Fortnum and Mason stilton jar. Stilton jars seem to be this years’ hit item for cheese lovers, and pop up everywhere. Madsen, ahead of the game, had one last year. Inside the ceramic...

A little Indian

I don’t often eat Indian food, so it was quite a novelty to be served it. It started with onion bhajis brought by one of the other guests. He’d made them with fried onions, flour (often chickpea), and some spices and herbs. They’re all mixed into a batter and...

Mayonnaise with seaweed

Mayonnaise with seaweed Originally uploaded by dynamist. My friend Claire makes a fast mayonnaise, to which she adds herbs and other flavours. Today, it was garlic and tarragon. I also added a couple of heaping tablespoons of nori seaweed flakes. They have no flavour, but lots of nutrients. Nori...

Ris-not-o

After a train journey back to Cambridge – some two hours late, due to the gross incompetence of all train companies involved – I was hungry, and wanted something quick and easy. There wasn’t much food in the fridge or freezer, so into a pan I threw frozen sliced...

Another fisherman’s pie

This one had cod and salmon cut into chunks, and king prawns. I added mushrooms and onion fried in olive oil, and freshly chopped thyme and rosemary, then black pepper. The sauce I made with home-made fish stock, milk and cornflour, but this time I used freshly mashed potatoes....

Plum in chocolate

I was given some Polish confectionary – Sliwka Iuksusowa w czekoladzie, or plum in chocolate. They come individually wrapped in a box, and are very pleasant. They are not too sweet, but have a distinct ‘back’ taste which I like. The ingredients say they’re about two-thirds plum, which doesn’t...

Otter Bright

Otter Bright, from Devon’s Otter Brewery, was a pleasant drnk to enjoy whilst watching yet more Christmas telly. Bright beers, as distinct from the more standard ales available, have had all of the yeast and sendiment totally filtered off. As a result, they have a wonderful golden colour and...