Retro Tastes

Well, been while hasn't it? Entirely my fault!

Things have been busy, busy and not had a lot of time really (and I am tired, so veeerrry tired!), but there has been a distinct flurry of activity in the kitchen; a brief outline is below:

Christmas Cakes - after the sugar flies decided they wanted a nibble in the summer, two large expensive fruitcakes were packed of to mother with the instructions 'Eat the frozen one or it will go off, I don't want it wasted!' and 'I'll ice the other one nearer Christmas, I promise'

Then the other week I made some more Christmas cakes in my lovely new multisize pan from Alan Silverwood (purchased on ebay) - they had goji berries in them as well as some great rum from Havana, which is used to cook specifically (tastes delicious though!!). That was a culinary gift from a tutor and I promised I would give him a cake so maybe there was an ulterior motive. I now have 6 cakes to ice and decorate (eek!!)

Then I made my first ever mincemeat - a great Delia recipe except I forgot the nuts and made up my own fruit quantities (again goji berries) - stuck in some nice orange brandy that I bought in France and hey presto! A dark jar of alcoholic fruit ready to tantalise the tastebuds of my friends. I'm thinking about adding more booze as I'm worried the fruit may be a little dry (I added it during the cooking process - I can be so dim!)

Then, I have been batch cooking bolgnese and chilli - I am super busy at the moment (who would have thought?) and it's easy to pull food out of the freezer!

Phew, and.....

D and I (yes we are trying to get on, but we keep having our moments) made a Pineapple Upside Down cake from a Marguerite Patten cookbook. Now she is one of the original doyens of revamping Bristish food in post war Britain and was an essential voice for British housewives trying to make it all go that little bit further! After some big whisking, the cutting up a a fresh pineapple and the addition of three tablespoons of coconut milk to replace the normal milk indicated (I reckoned it needed the higher fat content and would add a tropical taste!), I was rewarded with a lovely, tight crumbed cake. oozing stickiness and tasting great!! Recipe will be posted!

I have also made some chicken liver pate but added way to much cream so now it looks like spread! Oh well, we can't be domestic goddesses all the time.

Embroidery in the Bower

Being a tart in the arts (see my very early postings way back when), I joined an Arts Agency that delivers project across the rural county to all sorts of people. Some of us are inspired, some of us not, and the rest, well they can be inspiring. My lovely friend, who wears fab shoes, has fab bags and now writes fab books, is a tour de force of energy and laughs so ,is one such person. I love books - she is Mrs Book! Everything you need to know in one brain. Fantastic. Her name is Sarah Bower.

Sarah has written a book - a historical novel all about, well, history, battles, blood and sex with a bit of needlepoint popped in. This book is called The Needle in the Blood and it is fab. I don't normally write stuff about other people but S listens to me witter on and anyway, the book is a romping good read (I'm on chapter two - if I review it later and it's not such a good read, I'll have to change my blog address). As is always the case, when you hear a voice that connects to a book you usually start reading in that voice - I was worried that I would hear my workplace zooming through the pages in which I imgained S talking to me and the clatter of computers in the background. This would detract from my overall enjoyment. I didn't hear a thing.

The book opens on a very bloody battle where Harold, the defender, loses an eye. Well that's what I was told in school but the book is far more graphic. Whilst the characters of Odo and his brother, the invaders develop on the page, I must admit I struggled. It was late, I was tired and there was history involved. Next night, I dove into the story of Gytha who was on the battlefield that day and has a job to do for her lady. I was captivated. Whilst I could occaisonally see Sarah shining through in the language, I fell into the story of what this woman has to do to survive and now I am hooked. Always the sign of a good read. Other people at work are reading it and they agree, and anyway, where else do I get to talk to the author and say 'Oh hang on, you know that bit.....did you mean...?'.

If anything else, the cover of the book is so beautiful, you just have to own it.It looks like embridery and has that lovely glossy finish that makes you want to touch it, like when you want to touch an embroidered sheet or pillow. I think the crew at Snow Books designed it and I have to say, it appeals to my girlie side.I have a little note in mine about me standing S up whilst I went to a cookery class - unavoidable but I ended up moving house. Which reminds me, I owe S a cake!

Sarah energetic and this shines through in the energy of the book (every page so far). She knows all these lovely people at Snow Books too who have lovely beginnings to their books, such as ..'proudly presents'.... which I enjoy finding. The devil is in the detail.

I am biased, I admit it, but Sarah's great, the book is great, and the cover is great. You can judge a book by it's cover after all (I am cliche girl today) Give it a go....Sarah is available fro chats at book groups etc.....

ps. did you notice how I managed to squeeze a food reference in? Till next time...