Sweet and sticky caramelised onions are a flavor workhorse, lending a mighty punch to anything you add them to. Toss them into salads, frittatas, pastas, quiches, you name it. Caramelised onions are a perfect example of cooking alchemy and just like regular onions which have the grace and freedom to move in all sorts of circles, caramelised onions are also happy to mingle with a variety of ingredients, ratcheting up flavours a notch or two. If you cook up a batch at the weekend you can have them hanging around for anything that might be in need of just a…
Pudding&Mess Posts
~Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders I imagined this to be a long dense novel, one which I would have to slog my way through while convincing myself I was enjoying it. So I was a little surprised to find it to be a mere 330 pages or so, many of which have very little in the way of writing on them, which makes it a surprisingly quick read for such a literary novel. It is breathtakingly original and while — strange — once you get into it, it is both poignant and wildly funny. I love books which take a…
The world of American TV and film is very different to its British counterpart. Popular American soaps revolve around the glamour of the rich and powerful. Even dramas geared for the teen and pre-teen crowd are awash in affluent kids with deep pockets…and seemingly deeper wardrobes. Based on the never ending parade of expensive outfits dressing stunningly gorgeous girls, these wardrobes must surely have, a Narnia-style hidden door in the back that leads into a department store. If, on the other hand, you’ve spent any time with British TV you will be familiar with the fact that it can be…
~Inspector Morse If ever there was an icon in the annals of British mysteries, it would be Inspector Morse. It has been almost three decades since the late, great John Thaw brought this character to life and in the process created someone beloved enough to create not one but two spin off shows. Gone, but most definitely not forgotten. Inspector Morse is nothing if not a crotchety old bugger. He’s low on patience and high on scorn, has a penchant for classic cars and crosswords and can’t stand the sight of blood — which makes things a touch awkward come murder scene…
Mirepoix is a fancy French word for a rather humble mixture of carrots, celery and onion. Like chicken stock, it’s a great thing to have on hand as it serves as the foundation for a myriad of soups and stews. I often cut up lots in one go and then freeze it in containers. When I’m ready to make soup, I can pull out a container of mirepoix, one of chicken stock and I’m halfway to dinner with very little on-the-day effort. There is one issue with freezing it. When you thaw it out it will give off a lot…
I stumbled upon this Penguin Random House post recently, lured in of course, by the desire to see if their list in any way echoes my own. Not that I have a real, written down list of such books, but there is one floating endlessly around in my head. I’ll be adding these books to this list. ++War and Peace Leo Tolstoy Ah, yes, War and Peace. Surely this book wears the crown as the classic book that everyone has been meaning to read. The granddaddy of the must-read nobility. How many people floating around in the universe have had…
By Its Cover is a series of posts wherein I read a book based solely on my love of the cover. No reading the jacket, no checking reviews! Just look at that cover. It cracks me up every time I see it. If those boys aren’t English then I’m the Queen of Sheba! I found this book in a used bookstore drawn instantly by those rascally faces and the title that seemed so appropriate. This just had to be a novel set in England. And indeed it is — Birmingham of the 1970’s. It is framed by opening and closing pages…
January can feel like a rather cruel month. The glow of the holidays has burned itself out and the warmer weather sits contentedly on the horizon. The distance between the two seems to yawn endlessly, dark and cold. Yet January also holds that promise of a pristine new year, all cleaned up, purged and organized. A time to get back to life’s simple basics after the craziness and overindulgence of Christmas. And in the kitchen it doesn’t get more basic than homemade chicken stock. I am rarely without it in my freezer as it’s perfect for homemade soups at this…
Nobody reads anymore. A wild exaggeration perhaps, but it is true that the amount we read, collectively, is on a slow and steady decline. Not that this will shock anyone. In a world where Netflix marathons have all but become an Olympic sport it is no wonder that reading time is squandered. In fairness there is so much good stuff on the small screen these days it’s hardly surprising that we are all culpable of this armchair sport (which pairs so well with a nice glass of red). It is sad though. Studies have shown that reading a good book has…
~Happy Valley If it’s grit you’re after, it’s grit you’ll get with this show. This series plumbs the depths of human nature with its heartbreak, despair and just sheer stupidity. More than that, it takes a look at the many times a few words or an action can set people off in directions they really had no intention of going. The ripple effects from these decisions leave you squirming in your seat, because…well…you can just see the disaster that’s looming on the horizon. Catherine, played by the incredible Sarah Lancashire, is a cut-through-the-bullshit, hard-as-nails cop. Her teenage daughter committed suicide after…