I have been flat out this week.

On Monday, I had a friend to stay, and this is what I gave her for supper.

Crab au gratin.
I large crab (not large enough in my opinion)
the same weight of breadcrumbs as the crabmeat
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup
1 hard boiled egg
3 pickled onions,and 3 small pickled gherkins chopped small
for the topping,breadcrumbs ,grated cheese and  a litle butter to dot on the surface.
First soak the breadcrumbs in a little milk,,,,,,,,,I would say only use half the weight of crumbs rather than the same weight as the crabmeat, then squeeze the milk from the breadcrumbs
Chop the egg, mix together the egg, ketchup,  onions and gherkins and Mayonnise and breadcrumbs and then fold in the crab.Season with salt and pepper.Put in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over ,then the cheese, and dot with the butter. Cook in a moderate oven for half an hour.
The result was quite pleasant, but could definitely have done with more crab!

Then the next day, 4 for supper.
First course was simple ,as I had made Raymond Blanc's Chicken Liver Parfait some time before ,and there was some in the freezer. We had that with sourdough bread toasted, and onion chutney,also made some time ago, and thus nothing more  to do, bar plate up and make the toast!
Next I had some really good fish bisque (frozen again)  to which I added some tomato and red pepper that I had pureed. Chopped and fried an onion, cut up a   a few potatoes FROM THE GARDEN  added a can of chopped tomatoes, some Pernod,and saffron threads.Fresh salmon, tuna and large prawns were waiting to flash fry and be amalgamated at the last minute. Flaked the fish, added a little chopped parsley, and as Gordon Ramsay would say.... job done.
 It was delicious.and there was enough for me to have the following day, but then disaster struck! I put the lefover fish into a bowl, but it was slippery and fell to the floor with a crash, I was covered, the floor ,walls too. had to clear it all up ,and no food for the next day! I really should not try and do things when it's late and I'm tired..

We had good cheeses and then caramelised oranges.
Drank Sauternes with the Pate, a Chardonnay with the fish , and some Beaujolais wit the cheeses.
Yesterday, 4 for lunch ,so I  made a ricotta tart,as oneof the 4 is Vegetarian

Ricotta  at forno.
500grms of Ricotta. 3 eggs ,3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan,about 6 chopped and stoned black olives and the same of green ones. some basil, chopped finely. salt and pepper.
Breadcrumbs enough to cover the loose bottomed  greased tin in which you are cooking the tart.
Mix together all the rest of ingredients, add a slug of olive oil,season,andpour into the tin.
Put in the  oven  at 180 degrees for about an hour, take out when the top is nicely browned and leave to cool before unmoulding it
This is good served either warm or cold. If served warm, just a drizzle of best Olive Oil, if cold some Balsamic vinegar
We had it with a salad of beans, peas and broad beans,dresed with some basil oil , a green salad and some Piedmontese Peppers, cut in half and filled with garlic, basil leaves ,small  tomatoes cut in half ,plus  a  chopped anchovy fillet, drizzled with oil, and then baked in the oven at the same time as the Ricotta tart.

I also managed a tea loaf, as I found some dried fruit that definitely needed to be used up.
Soaked the fruit in a cup of builder's tea overnight, Then added 125 grms of brown sugar, 250 grms of plain flour and an egg beaten in. Forgot to say, a teaspoon both of baking powder and Bicarbonate of soda should be added  with the flour, otherwise it would be very heavy and not rise at all. 
That was in the oven for the same time, Good use of heat!

Pride comes before a fall.

Just to let you know that not everything I cook is a complete success.
Yesterday I thought I would make a  brioche.  First problem was my scales had broken, so I had to guess the ammount of flour needed. Then I tipped in too much dried yeast,which was imopossible to recover,as it had amalgamated with the flour! Luckilly it still rose well.

The recipe is brilliant, but there were several disasters still to come.
 I used too deep a tin in which to bake the brioche, asI like to be able to slice it (it's one of the few things I can actually cut quite reasonably)
Then I took it out of the oven too early,the top cracked into pieces and it was still very undercooked in the middle, so it had to be  returned  to the oven for a further 10 minutes! AND  it wouldn't come out of the tin...
Recipe below.....I've had this recipe for ages, and it's always worked a treat, but there you go!

BRIOCHE LOAF.
1 teaspoon of dried yeast
1 teaspoon of honey
3 1/2   fl oz of warm water
500 gms of strong plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs beaten
275 gms of softened  butter

1. Mix the yeast and honey in the warm water
2. Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl ,make a well in the middle
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring them together, it will be messy, so don't answer the phone!!
4. Knead the mass for approximately 5 minutes and then return it to the bowl, cover it and leave in a warm place to rise for around 40 minutes
5. Knock the dough back and knead some more ,and then put in your preferred tin (well greased and floured ) Brush the top with either some egg yolk or milk whichever you prefer.
6. Cook in the  preheated oven at 200o for  40 minutes.
Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

I have taken 2 photos, but don't know whether I dare put them up for you all to see!
Still, there's much more cooking to be done this coming week, as I have a  friend staying, and then others coming for supper and even more for lunch at the end of the week,soI shall be busy.

I have been so lazy.

Going to Tresco was marvellous, white sands and turquoise sea, and above the island....sunshine! If I can manage it,I will try for a photo just to show what it was like.
Now I'm home again, and not doing much cooking, ,but yesterday I  picked all the miserable red and yellow tomatoes remaining  in the garden (those that hadn't gone black due to te rain) ,and stewed tham with lots of garlic,plus half a red pepper which was looking sorry for itself in the bottom of the fridge. Then pureed tham ,pushed the mix through a sieve, and now I have a nice container of really tasty sauce in the freezer.
I am thinking hard about what I will take for the presentation to the Stroke Group in early November, they tell me there could be over 100 people there, so maybe SOMEONE  might be interested!
Quite a bit of entertaining next week, so watch this space.

The spinach Roulade.

Well, I have uploaded the 2 pictures, but ,where ARE THEY?  This I find so dificult
Here goes. we had melon and Parma ham to start with ,(easy)
Then the roulade, which I made in the morning.

4  large eggs
Spinach cooked ,drained and chopped,about a small bagfull  I then made a thick white sauce ,flavouring it with grated nutmeg,salt and papper.
 For the filling.  I used  I Trout, and  choped Prawns and some mushrooms which I had sauteed in butter and a small glass of sherry  When cool, add half the white sauce plus some Ricotta and a spoonful of Creme Fraiche to make a  mixture soft enough to handle
Separated the eggs, not an easy task onehanded!
The yolks into the food proscessor with the other half of the white sauce, the spinach,and some grated parmesan.
Whip the whites till stiff,and fold them into the mixture. .
Then pour into a swiss roll tin that has been lined with greaseproof paper .
Bake in a hot oven(180o) for 15 minutes till firm to touch ,and browned,. then remove from the oven tip it onto another piece of greaseproof paper under which you have put a tea towel. Peel off the paper,let it cool,and then fill  with whatever you want. I have used red onions.,smoked haddock cheese sauce...
Roll carefully away from you . It helps if you cut the edges before you roll it.

Then afterwards  we had baked white nectarines with Amaretti biscuits and chocolate crumbled into the cavity where the stones were. I poured a little rose wine around them and they were in a medium oven for about 20 minutes, till they were soft,but not falling apart;. no picture,as we ate them to quickly!

Absolutely delicious.
Sorry I have got the pictures round the wrong way.....and after the pudding..

Pissaladiere: This is a tart made with a pizza base and masses of softened onions spread over, you then create the criss cross pattern using anchovies and a black olive in the centre of each cross. It was cooked in a hot oven for 20 minutes and it can be served warm or cold. I have made this for my friend's party in 10 days time and so have put it in the freezer as I'm away next week!

                                         

                                          First pictures of Sibyl on her first day with me.

                                         Scotch pancakes or drop scones.

Empty cupboard!

Friends for bridge, and the biscuits I had bought were found to be completely broken on opening.
So made a batch of drop scones, or Scotch pancakes as some people call them.

Drop Scones
125g self raising flour
1 egg 20 gms of butter.
a desert spoon of sugar,asnd a pinch of salt
enough milk to make a soft dropping mix off a spoon.

Rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar and salt,then the egg.
Slowly pour in the milk until it is thick enough to drop off a spoon.
Heat a frying pan or similar,  add a small amount of tasteless oil, ( vegetable or sunflower)

Drop spoonfuls into the hot pan, leave for a minute or so,then flip over and cook the underside.
They will puff up a litle.
makes about 18, depending how large your spoon is!
Photo coming when I can work out how to do it......