fruit and veg don't have to look perfect

Hurrah for Waitrose – according to this story from the Independent, they are ” launching a range of “ugly” looking seasonal fruit at discounted prices for use in cooking. The “class two” produce will be either visually flawed or oddly shaped, according to Waitrose, but otherwise perfect for eating.” Now – if only the great…

quelle horreur!

From today’s Times comes an article about how some French chefs are “spraying an omelette with a truffle-flavoured chemical and injecting fake wild-mushroom drops into a duck filet” more here.

how to soften brown sugar when it goes hard

Saw this in passing, and thought it might be useful. To soften hard brown sugar, place an open bag of sugar in the microwave with a cup of water next to it. Microwave on high (100%) for 2-3 minutes. If your microwave doesn’t have a carousel, turn the bag after each minute. NOTE: This worked…

a guilty lunch

I baked a couple of those Sainsburys part-baked baguettes for lunch – they are a godsend when you work at home, and have forgotten to put bread in the machine. Chopped up a shallot and some Red Leicester to make a cheese and onion-y sandwich, then added some cucumber. And then, the final flourish –…

risi e bisi is fab!

just a note to remind myself how gorgeous this was – so gorgeous, in fact, that I have instructed Pete to save all the pea pods from his bag ‘o’ peas, and I will simmer them down with the rest of the chicken stock, and put it in the freezer. I’m sure frozen would be…

hard to find foods

May be found at www.hardtofindfoods.co.uk … providing, of course, you’re looking for what they sell. And if you don’t mind the spelling errors. But useful, nonetheless.

bureaucracy run amok (again)

A woman who baked a cake for a friend at a day centre was told it breached health and safety regulations. Elaine Richards, 75, from Braunton in north Devon, was told the Age Concern centre in Barnstaple only allowed people to eat bought cakes. More here …

what's in season?

Roots and sprouts available be Throughout Jan and February. Leeks, cauliflower and cabbage, too, Can be enjoyed ere winter’s through. Then colours come with March’s thaw: Rhubarb, carrots (and beets from store). But April’s menus are a riddle, As stored crops run out in the middle; Mere salads must your table dress With lettuces and…