Book Book Book

You’ve heard the joke about the chicken who goes into a library and says “book, book, book”, right? No? Eventually the chicken is discovered delivering the books to a frog, who tosses them aside saying “reddit, reddit”…

Now, I love books. Especially cookbooks. Particularly if they’re vintage cookbooks. When I first published this post in 2019 there were 81 books actually on the shelves, There’s probably way more now, I never stopped buying them and J’s books are now there too; but right this minute I’m drinking tea and typing and don’t want to get up and check. There are more under the coffee table, on the coffee table, and languishing in corners. I know that I’m a bit lightweight compared to some; one blogger confesses to having around 10,000! Idk, but that seems a bit excessive…

It would be great to have enough to organise them by colour, which would have the added bonus of really annoying the rest of the family!

Anyway, like many cookbook addicts I buy books on a whim; maybe the cover looks nice, or you flick through and find a couple of recipes that you fancy. I love big pretty pictures that seem to promise a lifestyle that can be achieved, if only you try the recipes. Do we use the books? Sometimes. Too often we try one or two recipes from a book (sometimes none at all), then never pick it up again.

Oh, the guilt! Maybe I’ll feel better if I buy more books?

I really want to go through every single book, trying something different, or just trying something. It’s going to take a while though. Then we have the problem with Pinterest…

Sigh. I had started going through the books and reviewing them before the previous version of the blog went belly up. Rather than recreate those reviews I think I’ll just carry on where I left off. Let’s do this!

The oldest cookbook ever printed on a mass scale (but by no means the oldest collection of recipes) is ‘De honesta voluptate et valetudine’, written around 1465 by Italian Renaissance writer, Bartolomeo Platina.

Ice-cream of the Month: Kendal Mint Cake

Also known as mint chip-mint choc chip-mint. It’s a bit minty.

Experiments with Earl Grey flavoured ice cream did not work out, so instead I’m sharing my all time favourite ice cream.

If you like mint/chocolate combos this is the ice-cream for you. Creamy, mint flavoured ice cream, studded with chunks of mint fondant and minty dark chocolate chips. Perfect for the hot weather we’ve been having…okay, hot compared to winter. We are having one of the wettest summers on record; meanwhile, the rest of Europe is literally on fire…

For the mint chips I used to use Clarins mint creams (made by Bassets), now sadly discontinued. Any firm fondant or mint cream could be used instead eg. Bendick’s Bittermints or Lutti mint creams (if you can get them, they’re the closet to Clarins). For the chocolate I chopped up a bar of Lindt Mint Intense, though you could substitute any other brand of dark, mint chocolate.

After trying online, and by asking my local wholesale sweet seller, to see if I could get hold of any actual mint fondant creams (they have to be firm not runny), I was about to give up. Then, while searching for the millionth time, Kendal mint cake came up in my feed. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Kendal mint cake / Mint chip mint choc chip mint Ice cream

  • 300ml milk
  • 300ml double cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 100g chopped mint creams
  • 100g chopped mint chocolate
  • 2 tsp peppermint essence

Beat together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. Heat the milk to boiling point.

Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking continuously. Pour it all back in the saucepan and stir briskly over a medium heat untill the mixture has thickened to the consistency of cream. Remove from the heat.

Pour into a jug. Add the double cream and peppermint essence. Put in the fridge to chill.

Chop the mints and chocolate into smallish pieces (see photo) Chill the pieces in the freezer.

Following the instructions for your machine, make the ice cream. Add the chocolate and mint pieces right at the end. Scrape into a tub and freeze until firm.

Kendal mint cake’s glucose hit is popular with hikers and mountain climbers. In 1953 it was taken to the top of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary.

We all scream for ice-cream

Basic ice-cream recipe

I’m very fond of ice-cream. Good ice-cream. The stuff made out of cream, not dried skimmed milk and vegetable oil (check the ingredients on the packet, you’ll be surprised). However, as I’m sure you’re aware, that stuff costs a packet these days, and for increasingly small portions…or should that be decreasingly?

Anyway, the good news is that ice-cream is easy to make at home; and for a fraction of the price. You don’t even need an ice-cream machine, though you will get better results if you do use one. I’m lucky enough to have a super-duper, self freezing ice-cream maker. It’s ace, best kitchen gadget ever, even plays a tune when it’s finished. It took a lot of saving up for though. There are other, less expensive, machines out there, usually the type where you have to put the bowl in the freezer overnight. I used to have one of those; it was fine, but you had to take out one of the freezer drawers to get the bowl in, which was a nuisance.

And if you don’t have a machine? You’ll be pleased to know that it’s perfectly possible to make ice-cream without anything more complicated than a plastic tub and a fork. There are many recipes out there that claim to be ‘no-churn’; alternatively, you take the mixture out of the freezer every hour and beat it up with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Repeat until the mixture is too firm to beat. It won’t be as smooth as machine made, but if you don’t mind the occasional chunk of ice, that’s you sorted. It will also set a lot harder, so give it time to soften before serving or you’ll end up bending the spoon!

Cornflake flavour ice-cream

What about food allergies? My go-to recipe contains milk and eggs. If you are allergic to dairy, you can replace the milk with whatever alternative you prefer. If you are vegan, or allergic to eggs, you can thicken your custard with extra cornflour. I can’t promise the results will be the same, but at least you will have some ice-cream.

Basic custard based ice-cream recipe

Makes approximately 1 litre

This is the recipe I use for most ice-creams. It’s fairly simple and gives good results.

  • 300ml milk or milk alternative
  • 300ml double (heavy) cream or cream alternative
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1tsp cornflour (this stabilises the custard)

Separate the eggs. You can freeze the whites to make meringue or angel cake later on.

Beat the yolks with the sugar and cornflour, in a heat proof mixing bowl, until pale and creamy.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, or milk alternative, to boiling point. Turn down the heat to medium low.

Whisk the hot milk into the egg yolks (not the other way round or it will curdle).

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir briskly, preferably using a spoon or spatula with a flat edge. and making sure you are scraping the mixture off the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, heat in a double boiler; you ought to anyway, but it takes a lot longer.

When the custard has thickened to the consistency of single cream, remove from the heat. Pour the custard into a jug, and add the cream. If the custard is a bit lumpy, whisk it and strain through a sieve.

Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge until really cold. The success of your ice-cream machine depends on all of the ingredients, even extra bits like chocolate chips, being chilled.

When it has been chilled for a few hours you are free to use it in your machine, or by your preferred method.

The first patent for an ice-cream maker was granted to Nancy Johnson, of Philadelpia, in 1843.

Vintage is the new modern

Cook books are a weakness of mine. Eldest son rolls his eyes and tells me I have too many and I can’t possibly need them all. What does he know? I NEED THEM! As much as I like new shiny ones with lots of pictures, there’s something about the vintage ones. A step back in time, a glimpse of the real day-to-day lives of ordinary people, and a slice of social history that you can recreate and experience for yourself.

In an attempt to prove that I do use all of the books I tried, week by week, choosing a book had been pulled out of a hat (yes, I assigned them all a number and category) and that became the chosen one to provide family meals for a week. Some were more successful than others; some had to be quietly put back on the shelf because of certain fussy eaters. Ex-Husband wouldn’t eat fish, small-boy wouldn’t eat white sauces, potatoes or eggs, Eldest wouldn’t eat onions, mushrooms and various other vegetables, so finding something to please everyone with minimal bits to pick out was a trial. Things have improved a bit since; we can now eat as much fish as we like, and ‘small boy’ – now a teen – has relaxed his stance on potatoes.

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to share some of the highs and lows from my vintage collection, sometimes you find something really good that you go back to again and again. Even better, J. is just as keen on vintage cook books as I am and we now have more than ever!

Cookery in Colour, edited by Marguerite Patten, is a collection of recipes from various food councils, marketing boards and bureau’s. First published in 1960, and easily recognizable by its bright blue cover, if you grew up any time between 1960-1980 the chances are that your mum or gran had a copy on the shelf. The pictures are mainly in a glorious technicolour so garish that reading the book for any length of time is apt to give one a headache!

We tried sausage roly-poly and it was pretty good. We served it with veg and gravy one day and heated it up with some baked beans the next; good honest nursery food. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly for modern  households.

Sausage Roly-Poly

Serves 6-8

  • 8oz (240g) self raising flour
  • 3.5oz (105g) beef suet
  • a pack of 6 good quality sausages
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 slice of bread, crust removed and whizzed into crumbs
  • milk for brushing

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over a baking tray.

Mix the flour, suet and salt with enough water to make a soft but not sticky dough. Knead briefly then roll out on a floured surface to make a rectangle roughly the size of the baking tray.

Brush the upper surface with milk, lift the dough and put it MILK SIDE DOWN onto the crumbs.

Squeeze the filling out of the sausage skins and spread evenly over the dough.

Starting at a short end, roll the dough up like a Swiss roll.

Bake in the oven for 40 mins. If it looks too brown before the end of the cooking time cover with a piece of baking paper.

Marguerite Patten (1915 – 2015) was a British economist, food writer, and broadcaster. She first rose to fame during WWII, sharing recipes that could be used with rationing, on BBC radio.

Socrates was wrong

Some people think they’re being clever when they quote that man must “eat to live, not live to eat”. Personally, I believe it’s silly to pretend that we are above such animal concerns.

Really, all mankind can ever do is live to eat (try living without it!). From our earliest beginnings the four basic driving needs of man: water, food, shelter and reproduction, have governed all we do and will continue to do so. Even the wealthiest oligarch must still consider “what is for luncheon and when will it be served?” All we have done is cover our basic needs with a thin veneer of respectable civilization.

If you think about it though, it is only a steady supply of food that allows civilization to exist. Without it we would quickly descend into chaos and anarchy. Without it we would never have risen above being hunter gatherers; always on the move looking for the next meal, without time to consider the science, art and music that we think makes us so clever. But, we trick ourselves into believing we are above such matters. We are 21st century people, doing great and noble things; “look at what we have achieved, how far we have come. We can live for science, love, beauty, ideals. we can do anything, be anything…oh, and what’s for tea tonight?”

Wondering where your next meal is coming from or planning your latest fad diet, we live to eat. The minutiae of our lives revolve around mealtimes. Whether we abstain, indulge or do everything-in-moderation, it’s all about food. Socrates was probably no fun to cook for; no wonder his wife nagged him*

So eat to live or live to eat? I believe in a middle ground.

Eat well to live.

*Xantippe, Socrates wife, had a reputation for being argumentative. Can you imagine though? You spend all day slaving over a hot…um, slave (?) while your husband is at the Areopagus philosophising with his mates; and when he gets back he acts like he’s too morally superior to eat his dinner. Can’t say I blame her for that chamber pot incident…

“Writing destroys memory and weakens the mind….it is an inhuman thing”- Socrates

” ‘The only wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing’. Dude that’s us!”- Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Extra Breakfasty Muffins

As a child, I often wondered why mum never joined us for breakfast. Now I know. The hectic struggle every morning to get to work or school on time, when sleep is precious and time short. So much easier to skip breakfast or opt for a dose of caffeine and a bowl of processed cereal. After all, what difference does it make? Quite a lot, or not at all, depending on which research you read https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181126-is-breakfast-good-for-your-health

I’m sure we can all agree that if you are going to eat breakfast, it shouldn’t be a bowl of Sugar Puffs, though I confess that as something of an insomniac all I usually feel up to is something sweet and sugary, a quick fix with as little effort as possible; however, I am interested in the benefits of constructive comfort eating. Muffins are a great choice because you can make them whenever, and have them in a tin ready for bleary eyed people to grab in the morning…or early afternoon if you have teenagers. They also make a quick lunch, partnered with a chunk of cheese and a piece of fruit.

The first recipe I ever posted on the earlier incarnation of this blog was during a, now largely defunct, campaign encouraging people to be more inventive at breakfast time. I am a big fan of Susan Reimer’s muffin recipes. Here I have souped up the oatmeal yogurt muffins, a family favourite.

Breakfast Muffins

Makes 8 large or 12 small muffins

  • 6oz (170g) plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3oz (85g) rolled oats
  • 8oz (240g) natural yogurt
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 egg
  • 4oz (120g) of soft, light brown sugar
  • 3fl oz (90ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 2fl oz milk (60ml)
  • Marmalade 8-12 tsp
  • Granola or muesli for sprinkling

Line a muffin tin with paper cases and pre heat the oven to 180°c/160 fan/gas mark 4. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Set aside.

In another bowl stir together the oats, yogurt and bicarbonate of soda. Beat in the egg, oil and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Stir with a fork until just combined. NEVER OVERWORK A MUFFIN BATTER! Resist the urge to beat it, it’s not a sponge cake!

Put a spoonful of mixture into the bottom of each muffin case, put a teaspoon of marmalade on top. Divide the rest of the mix between the cases, covering the marmalade. Sprinkle with granola, muesli or seeds and pop in the oven for around 20 mins, though it’s best to check after 15 mins if you are making small ones.

Cool on a wire rack. Best eaten fresh, but will keep just fine in an airtight container for three days.

These are, of course, American muffins. English muffins are a yeasted bread, something like a flattened bread roll. They are split, toasted on the cut side, and buttered. Yummy!

Sources of Tea

The sources list is compiled from a combination of personal experience and online catalogues of vendors. It’s never going to be comprehensive – there are way too many distributors – so the object is to limit the list to a selection of what are hopefully the best.

Probably the best online catalogue is on Reddit. This has many more vendors on it, but Reddit is going through some upheavals at the moment.

This is a list of suppliers of tea, by country. These are specialists, concerned with teas produced in the same country. In principle, they should be cheaper than those who curate teas internationally, although you obviously have a much greater time overhead when selling overseas. They should also be able to work directly with a wider range of individual tea gardens than is practical for vendors collecting their teas across the globe.

Chinese Teas

Indian Teas

Taiwanese Teas

Vietnamese Teas

Japanese Teas

For broader access to tea, it’s usually better to work with local tea importers/traders that stock teas from around the world. Of course, they don’t always have the sheer range of some of the specialists. Long international shipping times and international bureaucracy mean the teas would need to be stored locally – just-in-time reselling would be almost impossible – and that means they’re either stuck with a smaller range of teas that sell very well or with higher costs to cover the overheads.

American Tea Vendors

British Tea Vendors

French Tea Vendors

Indian Tea Vendors

Norwegian Tea Vendors

This list is maintained by J.

Edit: J really likes his tea…

Apple and Walnut Bircher Style Muesli

Occasionally, I attempt to rein in my waistline, which after three children and a dodgy thyroid is perhaps larger than it should be. Unfortunately, going on a trendy diet or indeed any diet, is virtually impossible to maintain.

The 5:2 diet is appealing because you only have to suffer for two days a week and the rest of the time you eat normally (or hopefully slightly more sensibly than normal). It’s tough sticking to 600 calories for a day, but you do get that first-day-of-a-diet-aren’t-I-doing-well feeling twice a week, without having to keep it up forever and ever amen.

I think the principle involved is tricking your metabolism into thinking you need to burn MORE calories to search for food rather than trying to shut down and conserve calories which is what happens in a normal diet. I tried it, but it wasn’t for me. One of the key issues of ADHD is a general inability to keep up any routine, especially one you’re not enjoying.

Anyway, you can try this Bircher style muesli, if you like, and see how you get on, while I will most likely be heading for the box of Weetos as per usual.

Apple and walnut Bircher muesli

  • 30g rolled oats
  • 80ml apple juice
  • natural yoghurt
  • 1 apple, grated
  • 5 walnut halves, chopped and toasted
  • honey or maple syrup for drizzling

Soak 30g the rolled oats overnight in the apple juice. Top with a dollop of natural yogurt, the grated apple and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup. Healthy and filling (if you can get it together to put the oats in to soak).

Invented by physician Maximillian Bircher-Benner circa 1900, for treatment of his patients; the word muesli comes from the root “Mues”, to puree or mash up.

Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?

Well, yes. This is not a new blog as such, but the original died due to not being updated (posts can still be viewed on internet archives). The choice was backing up the new hosting site with the old content, or starting again…

A lot has changed in my life since beginning the blog in 2015. I went back to school and got a degree, I came to the realisation that I was autistic and ADHD, my health went down the pan, I got a divorce, and – inexplicably – found love again in my mid-forties. It’s been quite a journey!

So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that who I was then and who I am now, are completely different people; with different hopes, dreams, and a better grasp of the English language (my degree was English and TEFL). Some of the old posts simply do not reflect my current system of values, so I am taking this opportunity to weed out the sick and the lame, upload new pictures, and to do some Ministry of Truth* style editing.

Enjoy!

*The Ministry of Truth, featured in George Orwell’s 1984, was responsible for updating records, to show a Government approved version of historical events.