My almost-first cookbook and spaghetti bolognese

What was your first cookery book? Can you remember? Have you still got it?

Those were the questions posed by Foodie Quine on her blog; I thought if I could find my first cookery book I would also make something from it.

I don't think I had any cookery books growing up but I loved my mum's main cookery book that all her cakes seemed to come from; some pages were coming loose as she had had it for a long time. I can't remember what that book was called or if she still has it, perhaps she will be able to remember?

I didn't really cook at all even when I left school and went off to Germany to be an au pair; I started collecting recipes then, but I wrote them down in a little notebook, which my au pair 'mum' Gila bought me in a local bookshop, and which I have still got today. I guess in that sense, this is my first ever cookbook:

The first recipe in it is a pasta bake. The entire recipe runs: "Melt grated cheese in 3 tbsp. marg and flour, half litre milk. Cook and drain pasta. Grease oven-proof dish. Fill with pasta, pour sauce over top. Cover top with breadcrumbs and dot with flakes of butter. Can also add ham. Bake for 30 mins at 200C." I actually remember making this for the children I looked after - they liked it (which is why their mum told me how to make it) but I think it must have tasted very bland, especially without the optional ham!

I'd completely forgotten until just now that my first 'real' cookery book was given to me as a gift by Gila when I left her employment at the end of my gap year to start university (I was going to study German so had deferred my place for a year to spend some time in Germany first). The book is called "Artusi" and is a book of Italian recipes, but as it is entirely in German I am ashamed to admit that I have never actually used it. It got put to one side when I went off to university (I lived in catered halls and didn't really cook for a few years) and then was at the bottom of my cookery book pile for a long time. It's only now that my cookery books have a nice new home - my boyfriend built me a bookcase just for cookery books while I was away on holiday, how amazing is he?! - that I saw it again and realised with shame that I had never used it.

I assumed it was a random German book and just looked it up and am even more horrified that I've never used this book - according to Amazon,

"First published in 1891, Pellegrino Artusi's La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangier bene has come to be recognized as the most significant Italian cookbook of modern times. It was reprinted thirteen times and had sold more than 52,000 copies in the years before Artusi's death in 1910, with the number of recipes growing from 475 to 790. And while this figure has not changed, the book has consistently remained in print. Although Artusi was himself of the upper classes and it was doubtful he had ever touched a kitchen utensil or lit a fire under a pot, he wrote the book not for professional chefs, as was the nineteenth-century custom, but for middle-class family cooks: housewives and their domestic helpers. His tone is that of a friendly advisor - humorous and nonchalant. He indulges in witty anecdotes about many of the recipes, describing his experiences and the historical relevance of particular dishes. Artusi's masterpiece is not merely a popular cookbook; it is a landmark work in Italian culture."

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 I never realised Gila had given me such a significant cookery book - so I pledge here and now to use the book very soon! It may take a while - and a dictionary- to figure out some of the recipes as I haven't spoken German for a while but the book can no longer sit neglected on my shelf. I'd be interested to know if any of my readers have come across this book before?

So, when I started planning this blog post I hadn't actually spotted Artusi so made something from a different cookery book. I had a student cookery book towards the end of my time at university, which for at least a year was my only recipe book. I can't remember the exact name or who wrote it, but it had very simple recipes. One thing I remember making, that I particularly enjoyed, involved pouring a can of cream of chicken soup over a chicken leg and cooking it in the oven - I think that was it! After I left university I decided I didn't need the book any more so no longer have it in my collection.

This book, "Cookshelf Italian", is the first cookery book I think I actually bought and my first 'proper' i.e. non-student, in English (!) cookery book that I actually remember using and cooking decent meals from. I bought it in Woolworths - which shows how old it must be! - I think towards the end of my undergraduate degree. In fact the date inside the front cover is 2000 which sounds about right - I would have been 21 at the time.

There are a few recipes that I remember making a lot from this book; one is the original version of the recipe that developed into this and the other is spaghetti Bolognese. Now I make spag bol in different ways depending on the ingredients and time available, but when I learnt how to make it, it was from this recipe. So I thought I'd make it again and share the recipe with you all.

You need:
serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped (though I left it out this time)
1 stick celery, chopped (I also left this out)
50g cubed pancetta
350g minced beef
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
125ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
salt and pepper
350g dried spaghetti

Heat oil and fry the onion and garlic then add the carrot and celery if using.

Add the pancetta to the pan and fry until browned

Then add the mince and fry until browned.

Add the tin of tomatoes, puree, herbs and red wine and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-45 minutes until most of the liquid has gone. Season to taste. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti.

Serve on a bed of spaghetti.


I am sending this to My First Cookbook hosted by Foodie Quine.
I'm also sending it to Pasta Please as the theme this month is long pasta like spaghetti. The challenge is hosted by Green Gourmet Giraffe this month on behalf of Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes.

Vegetable Curry with Coconut Mullerlight

I got the idea for this curry from someone at my Slimming World group, who had seen it online. It's an interesting take on a low fat curry - as a korma usually uses creamed coconut, which is high in fat, instead use a coconut Mullerlight yogurt. And yes, that is the one with the chocolate sprinkles - but the sprinkles dissolve and you don't notice or taste them!

I decided to make a vegetable curry for myself and a chicken curry for my boyfriend (I'm not vegetarian so there was no problem with cooking it in the same pan). I had roasted some butternut squash the previous day so as it was already cooked, I cut it into cubes and put it into a frying pan with some large chunks of red onion and yellow pepper. I also fried the cubes of chicken at the same time.

Pour some chicken stock into the pan and wait for it to reduce

I was going to make a korma but I found this bag of tandoori masala spice mix in the supermarket reduced from about £3 to just 45p, so decided to try this instead. I added 1 heaped teaspoon to the pan.

As I mentioned, the secret ingredient here is a coconut Mullerlight. They also happened to be reduced in the supermarket, making this meal a real bargain!

Stir the yogurt into the curry. The original recipe also called for low fat natural yogurt but I felt the curry had enough sauce - if you were making it to serve 4 I would recommend adding the natural yogurt.

I'm sending this to Let's Cook with Coconut, a new food blogging challenge for September hosted by Simply Sensational Food.

I am also sending this to Credit Crunch Munch, hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All. Vegetable curries are usually cheaper than meat-based dishes, and it's a good way to use up any odds and ends of veg; the reduced yogurt and spice mix also made this a bargain meal.



Restaurant Review - The Old Vine, Wadhurst

Restaurant name: The Old Vine Inn

Location: Wadhurst, East Sussex

Description: Pretty country pub established in 1515 with a nice restaurant and garden and rooms if you want to stay overnight.

Reason for visit: My boyfriend took me llama trekking as a treat - we went to Bluecaps Llama and spent an hour walking through the woods with two very friendly llamas in tow. We went here for lunch afterwards as it was nearby and had been recommended by the owner of Bluecaps.

Me and my llama

I ate: seafood platter, that was designed for sharing as a (large) starter, but I had it to myself as a main course. It came with crusty bread and butter, mackerel pate, prawn and crayfish cocktail, smoked salmon and prawns in filo pastry, anchovies, capers and salad. I think it cost £15.

My companion ate: ham, egg and chips.

The food was: Mine was a really nice change from what I would normally order as a main course. I know it was designed for sharing but I thought there was too much smoked salmon and I would have liked a little more bread - you can see four pieces in the photo but they were tiny. The crayfish cocktail was served in shot glasses which was a nice touch; the prawns wrapped in filo were very nice but I would have liked something to dip them in. I tried a little of the anchovies but didn't really like them. My boyfriend enjoyed his main course but said it was so filling he would have been happy with just egg and chips without the ham.
The service/atmosphere was: Very good, the bar staff were friendly and when I asked if we could sit outside - having noticed they had a few tables out front near the road, though people were smoking - they showed us to a pretty garden out the back.

ham, egg and chips

Price range/value for money: Good value as portions were large and the food was very good quality.
Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely if you are in the area or fancy a drive in the country. I also recommend Bluecaps Llamas!

Apple Cider Crumble Traybake

 

 

 

Today my work colleagues and I spent a day volunteering at a children's centre as a team building day - we worked on the centre's garden, making raised beds, weeding, planting a sensory garden and treating wooden fences. I decided I would take along some cake for elevenses, as I knew we would want a break and would be hungry from all our hard work - and I was right, my colleagues were really pleased when we stopped for tea and I produced some cake!

 

I wanted to make something that would travel well and would be easy to eat so some kind of tray bake. One of my team doesn't eat chocolate so I found this recipe for a cider crumble slice on the Caked Crusader. It also seemed perfect for autumn with the apples and raisins.

 

I adapted the recipe slightly; this is what I did:

 

You need:

For the base:

20g butter

2 tbsp. golden syrup

150ml cider

250g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp ground ginger

50g brown sugar

75g raisins or sultanas

75g walnuts

1 egg

 

For the topping:

2 apples

40g butter

2 1/2 tbsp. caster sugar

60g plain flour

 

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a square tin with baking paper.

 

Place the butter and golden syrup for the cake base into a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Stir in the cider and remove from the heat.

 

In a bowl mix the flour, ginger, sugar, raisins and walnuts. Fold in the golden syrup and cider mixture then add the egg and stir until well combined

 



To make the topping, peel and chop the apple. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the sugar, flour and apple.

Spread the cake mixture into the base of your lined baking tin and spoon the apple mixture over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes and leave to cool.

 

Slice into squares and serve

 

I'm sending this to Feel Good Food, hosted by Victoria at A Kick at the Pantry Door, as the theme this month is apples.

 

 

 Tea Time Treats has as its theme this month flapjacks and tray bakes so I am sending this to Karen at Lavender and Lovage, who is hosting the challenge this month. The challenge is hosted in alternate months by Kate of What Kate Baked.

 

 

I am also sending this to Baking with Spirit as the ingredient chosen by Janine at Cake of the Week is cider. I do enjoy an occasional cider but think this is the first time I have used it in baking; I think it gives the cake a lovely flavour and of course works perfectly with the apples.

 

 

 

Finally the theme for this month's Four Seasons Food is 'sliding into autumn'; I think the flavours in this tray bake are very autumnal. The challenge is hosted by Anneli at Delicieux and Louisa at Eat Your Veg.

 

 

Meal Planning 2013 - Week 39

I've been on holiday for eight days so was really pleased to weigh in at Slimming World when I came back and find I'd lost a pound! It must be all the walking.... I also didn't have particularly big meals while I was in Cambodia, and I was so busy sightseeing in Singapore - and so hot, that I drank lots but never really felt hungry, that one day I skipped both breakfast and dinner, and only had lunch! But it was a good lunch, in the famous Raffles Hotel... I'll have to write a review soon!

Anyway I'm trying to catch up on everything now I'm back and am still in the middle of unpacking but thought I had better work out what I'm going to eat over the coming week (and do some food shopping!).

Monday
Breakfast yogurt
Lunch Tuna roll
Dinner Out at choir rehearsal so I will take leftover pizza from my weekend treat - the amount I ate the weekend I got back, I will probably have put back on the pound that I lost!

Tuesday
Breakfast cereal
Lunch out on a teambuilding day with work colleagues
Dinner toad in the hole

Wednesday
Breakfast yogurt
Lunch sandwich
Dinner salmon and veg for me, chicken kiev or similar for the OH (he doesn't eat fish)

Thursday
Breakfast cereal
Lunch baked potato
Dinner out at a colleague's leaving do

Friday
Breakfast yogurt
Lunch sandwich
Dinner Minute steaks marinated with Nando's hot sauce

Saturday
Breakfast yogurt
Lunch bacon sandwich
Dinner formal dinner at Christ's College, Cambridge - it's my 15 year university reunion!

Sunday
Breakfast in college canteen
Lunch possibly a sandwich on the train, not sure what time I will be back
Dinner chicken/pork schnitzel

Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Pasta - Two Recipes and a Review

 

 

When Hotel Chocolat offered to send me some of their cocoa pasta I was intrigued; I had no idea whether it would be sweet or savoury and what you would even do with pasta that tastes like chocolate. Luckily they had two recipes on their website so I decided to make both and write about my experience here.

 



 

They also sent me some of their cocoa pesto, which is part of Hotel Chocolat's new Cocoa Cuisine range - other items in the range include cocoa mayo, white chocolate horseradish, and cocoa and chilli oil. The pasta costs £5 for 250g and the Cocoa Pesto, which costs £8 for a 190g jar, contains rough-chopped basil, crunchy pine nuts, Italian cheese and nutty roast cocoa nibs.

 

 

There are two recipe suggestions for the Cocoa Pasta on the website, firstly Chocolate Pasta with Pesto, Ricotta and Broccoli, and secondly a Nigella Lawson recipe, Chocolate Pasta with Caramel and Pecans. I decided to make them both, on different days.

 

 

Chocolate Pasta with Pesto, Ricotta and Broccoli

serves 2

175g Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Pasta

100g Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Pesto

100g ricotta cheese

25g grated parmesan cheese

75g broccoli florets

salt and pepper

 Bring the pasta to the boil in a saucepan and cook until al dente. Drain but reserve a little of the cooking water. Meanwhile cook the broccoli - you could do this at the same time in the same pan as the pasta.



 

Here's the Cocoa Pesto, it looks very interesting!

Return the pasta to the pan and stir in the pesto, ricotta and half the parmesan and season. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water to loosen the sauce.

 Return the pan to the heat and add the broccoli; toss until combined and heated through. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan.

I actually used thinly sliced parmesan (using the wide blade on my cheesegrater) to put on top. This was an interesting dish with a slightly bitter flavour - I'm not sure if that comes from the pesto or the pasta. To be honest it wasn't entirely to my taste but it wasn't bad and was certainly different - I think it would be fun to serve at a dinner party and see people's reactions to the idea of chocolate pasta!

The other recipe was a dessert recipe and as I have a sweet tooth I had high hopes for this one.

Chocolate Pasta with Caramel and Pecans
serves 1
75g Hotel Chocolat cocoa pasta
pinch of salt
25g pecans, chopped
25g butter, softened
25g brown sugar
50ml double cream

Cook the pasta with a pinch of salt until al dente. Drain but reserve some of the cooking liquid.
Dry fry the pecans over a medium heat then transfer to a bowl.

Add the butter and sugar to the frying pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour in the cream, add the pecans and pinch of salt and remove from the heat.

Toss the drained pasta with the caramel sauce with a spoonful or two of the cooking sauce if needed.

I really enjoyed this dish, I imagine largely thanks to the caramel sauce, and it didn't seem strange at all eating pasta as a dessert. I guess if you can have bread pudding and rice pudding there's no reason you can't eat pasta as a pudding!

Overall I found the chocolate pasta very interesting and more versatile than I imagined; I wasn't so keen on the pesto and probably wouldn't buy that again and the pasta is a little expensive to buy every week but I would try this again. If you haven't already checked out Hotel Choocolat's Cocoa Cuisine range then I urge you to have a look at some of their more unusual ingredients!

Simple Thai Green Beef Curry

 

 

This is more a suggestion than a recipe but it's a good way to use up leftovers from a roast that might not occur to you. I had a joint of beef that I had cooked in the slow cooker a day or two earlier and there was a lot left over:

 

I decided to make a Thai green curry. You can make the curry paste from scratch and I will have a go one day, but in the meantime for a quick midweek dinner, I cheated and used a jar of Thai green curry paste. You can add whatever vegetables you like to this; green peppers are good, and I think butternut squash or green beans would work well, though I was making this for someone who didn't like any of those! So all I did was heat some Fry Light in a frying pan and add a tablespoon of the Thai green curry paste, then half a can of coconut milk and heat through.

Slice the beef, add to the pan and heat through.

Serve with rice

Jen from Blue Kitchen Bakes hosts an ongoing blog challenge asking "how do you use up leftovers from a roast?" so I am sending her this suggestion. You could actually use any leftover roast meat or even roast vegetables in this curry.

Chris at Cooking Around the World hosts a monthly blog challenge asking bakers and cooks to make something from a particular country each month. This month is Thailand so my Thai Green Beef Curry fits the bill.