"Letter 'C' Is For..."

June 01, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

A few weeks ago JaySon2* messaged and asked for a copy of something from the ‘Poppy Book’, our collection of notes, cuttings and print-outs of tried and tested recipes. He wanted to bake some treats for his work colleagues and knew he could rely on this one to make the right impression.

So much can be assembled and stored electronically but it’s very comforting to have access to a few real pieces of paper which have become family friends over the years. Some are dishevelled, dirty and smelly enough to count as actual family members!

The particular recipe being requested was for the cookies which I started making almost ten years ago when I was fending off the cup-cake craziness which was trending at the time.

I had printed off an Annabel Karmel recipe from BBC Good Food and it's been used very regularly - just a couple of hours notice that someone is popping round for a chat means that you have time to treat them to these on arrival. The closest recipe is now available on Annabel's site as she appears to have taken most of her work away from Auntie Beeb. You will need to join and log in for access. If that doesn't suit, an internet search will reveal loads of ideas. Choose one which tickles your taste buds' fancy. Mine contains no oaty element.

These 'White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies' follow on the same lines as most recipes. Butter, sugars, flour and eggs are your base. Baking powder, salt and vanilla essence get added here and, in this case, the chocolate is white and the fruit is dried and cranberried. Go your own way but be assured that you will end up with a batch of goodness which might seriously test your restraint!

There will be weighing, creaming, blending, folding, stirring and adding of various quantities of various ingredients. None of the processes is demanding unless your butter is not quite soft enough. This could lead to the recurrence of an old tennis war-wound such as my strained shoulder muscle... ouch! All in a good cause.

Once you have made the cookie dough you must decide on the size of your final product. My preference is for the more generous dimensions that supermarkets sell in bags of five. Therefore, I have never restricted mine to suggestions of walnut-sized lumps of dough. My balls are the size of large plums (Editor will surely revise that before publication!) Make sure there is room for relaxed expansion when placing them on a parchment covered baking tray.

The one thing you need when it's time to bake is a little bravado. Well, you do, as far as I'm concerned. That's because I like my cookies with 'squidge'. This means that the baking tray is removed from the oven before you think, believe or have any faith whatsoever that the cookies are baked! I still struggle to follow that advice but it does the trick every time. The surface is still very soft to the touch but will change to a thin sugary crust as it cools. The base should appear utterly half-baked and only just release from the parchment. After a while this resolves into the sort of texture which is close enough to eating raw cookie dough without feeling any guilt.

It depends how you like your steak really. If you have experimented with rare, medium and oops I've incinerated it, I'm sure you can achieve the cookie equivalent! Whatever your results, you will have sweet, sticky goodness of some sort to enjoy.

Oh... if there are others in the house, it might be a great idea to leave your cookies on the cooling rack for the shortest time possible! ;)

*JaySon... the numeral will tell you to which of our two initial ‘J’ sons I’m referring! Pleased, but hardly surprised, to say that his efforts were very well received next day at work.

Comment 0 Likes

A Quick One, While She's Away!

May 30, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

The ‘She’ of my title refers to my wife. Please don’t take offence… I am very well aware of the tutting which ensues over the likes of ‘The Other Half’, ‘Er indoors’, ‘The old trout’ and any number of terribly dismissive terms which are too often given to dearly loved partners. I will immediately revert to the all-enveloping ‘Mrs. Cheoff’ which is used here as a veil of relative anonymity and, of course, for tax-dodging purposes!

Last week these words formed the basis for this post: “Just have whatever you fancy for lunch… I’m off with a friend for a double birthday celebration and catch-up.” We spend huge amounts of our life together but when Mrs. Cheoff is otherwise occupied I take full advantage.

The solo lunch was needed for Thursday… Thursday morning being Dean’s Fish Van Day, I walked the six hundred metres to my maritime meals supply unit with purpose and a little excitement. It was my chance to have something with which Mrs. Cheoff might struggle. A Grimsby (Grimsby; once ‘the largest fishing port in the world) lass, she has a fish preference for haddock alone!

I found myself coming away with what I’d had in mind more or less before setting out… a lovely filleted mackerel.

All was set for my midday indulgence… once I’d fired up the barbecue!

While the coals were getting to temperature I whisked up a marinade of

Zest and juice from one lime

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 finely chopped green chilli

1 tablespoon olive oil

(add sugar if the mirin doesn’t add enough sweetness for you)

The mackerel was laid in the marinade and turned over after ten minutes.

I had already parboiled some slices of baby potatoes and these would be the only accompaniment to the fish. They were finished off by flashing around in a little olive oil until golden.

The coals were now fit for work and after a generous grind of pepper the mackerel began its final journey across the grill. I'm a coward when it comes to delicate fish so this one was neatly trapped in a sausage cage!

Some of the marinade was drizzled over during a sizzling, smoky seven(minutes)-a-side cooking.

The sun made a timely appearance and shone its rays on the remnants of my meal in what I can only imagine was a mark of respect. I had certainly grasped my opportunity. Those bones would have made Mrs. Cheoff shudder. I was happy to allow them to slow down my progress through one of the tastiest and most enjoyable of lunches I've taken alone. All cooking smells were dispersed outdoors and all the evidence below was in an outside bin before 'The one who wears the trousers'... MRS. CHEOFF (!) returned. ;)

Lovely stuff - all the better for being a very occasional delight. One which will be repeated if I can encourage someone to go out and leave me alone on her next birthday! ;)

What?... Oh, please... you surely don't have to ask! Yes, as soon as I took the first photographs of that splendid mackerel I knew perfectly well how all this would finish. So, this is for one and all - the doubters and those who know me so well!

1 Comment 0 Likes

O Sauce, Where Is Thy Sting?

May 29, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

Here’s a recipe which I've known of for seven years… since getting a copy of Diana Henry’s ‘The Gastropub Cookbook: ANOTHER HELPING’

If you don’t have the book you can find a recipe including the sauce accompaniment here.

I’ve referenced mint sauce before but never until now used this version. A trip to The Pipe and Glass Inn on Mrs. Cheoff’s very recent birthday provided the oomph to get back to my kitchen and reproduce at least one of the elements of the rather lovely meal we enjoyed there.

My main choice at the Inn was lamb rump with a mutton belly fritter. It demanded a certain sauce and the chef did not disappoint. Mint made its appearance but brought along its very welcome mates... some young nettles!

Please don’t be put off by the thought of a little foraging. This will take you into the fresh air for a few minutes (at least it forced me to go further than the herb pots outside our kitchen door)

I reckon you should find nettles pretty close by. A clump away from a busy road and traffic fumes would be ideal.

After tearing off the leaves with gloved hands I put them in boiling water for a minute. This blanches them and takes away any trace of ‘sting’.

Plunge these soggy greens into cold water and then drain them. An excess of water will remain so a salad spinner or a good hand squeeze will drive off more. Don’t despair on watching the bright liquid disappearing down the sink - there is still plenty of green left!

The nettle leaves join the roughly chopped mint, olive oil and wine vinegar. Pulse in a blender until you get a smooth mix.

You now have a delightful addition to almost any lamb dish. The vibrant emerald green seduces the eye and the flavours should make you wonder why you haven’t made this before. Mint impresses as usual but then the nettles underscore everything with a clean and deeper hint of grass and hedgerow.

I’m sure the science would explain this with reference to photosynthesis and chlorophyll but I prefer to lean towards the more fundamental senses of sight, smell and taste. This sauce asks for no understanding - it just pleases all those senses in abundance.

Please don’t wait as long as I did before you make your own.

You should know that there will be more here about our meal at 'The Pipe and Glass' pretty soon.

2 Comments 0 Likes

Risotto... Mrs. Cheoff's Comfort

May 20, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

My wife has been under the weather recently. A drop in her appetite ensued. This was understandable but we still made our weekly menu plans together even though some of the meals would be scraped off her plate after a mere nibble.

The recipe here signalled a turning point and was the first that Mrs. Cheoff had really enjoyed for some days. I lay no claim to providing any cure. I’m just glad she was finally able to relish something so full of flavour.

I’ll give the ingredients which I used. That’s for two, of course, so you can do the maths and multiply or divide for the number you are feeding.

Courgette, Pea and Herb Risotto

1 large shallot, chopped

30g butter

400g courgettes, coarsely grated

A handful of frozen peas

200g Arborio rice

1 small glass of white wine

900ml vegetable stock (use chicken stock if you like)

Your choice of herbs, finely chopped

40g grated Parmesan cheese

Put the stock in a pan over low heat with a ladle at the ready.

Choose another roomy pan with plenty of space for thoughtful, loving stirring. Put in the shallots and soften them gently in the butter. I would normally use garlic as well but I just wanted to concentrate on creamy rice and fresh herbs with this one. Add the grated courgettes and turn up the heat a little to drive off some of their moisture. The rice joins the mix and needs stirring in until shiny with buttery glaze.

Keep with the heat, tip in the glass of wine and stir until the alcohol is gone and the rice has absorbed most of it.

Reduce to a gentler heat. For the next twenty minutes keep adding hot ladlefuls of stock, stirring the rice around to absorb the liquid and release starch. This will make a sticky, creamy world of indulgence. You might not use all the stock or you might need to add a little extra water.

With five or six minutes to go, add the peas and some pepper for seasoning. Stock will often provide enough salt but check and use more if you like.

The stirring goes on. Start checking the grains of rice for readiness. You should be able to feel the last bit of resistance at the core of the grain.

Italians call this ‘Al dente’… in other words, with a trace of enough inner hardness to take the lead in ‘The Godfather’.

To finish, I stir in a knob of butter and half of the Parmesan. If this creates too much stiff stickiness, loosen things again with more liquid.

Finally the herbs are stirred in.

My triumvirate of choice was mint, tarragon and chives. They really worked well... muck about and find what works for you!

You now have a glorious gloop of silky, creaminess, underpinned by a pop from zingy herbs.

Finish off by topping with more grated Parmesan. For simplicity, I left out a sauté of small diced courgette but a main course serving is great with some cast over.

Risotto demands that you spend time and slow-release effort. In return you should allow yourself whimsical or wistful thoughts and, perhaps, bend an ear to one of my ‘Kitchen Cookers’!

Your efforts will provide an almost cast-iron guarantee of success. My offering was as tasty as ever but Mrs. Cheoff’s upturned smile gave added satisfaction to the moment for me.

Stir and enjoy!

Oh dear, you didn’t think I’d be all selfless and just attend to my wife’s needs, did you!

Reader, I indulged myself.

This wine from The Wine Society would normally complement lightly spiced dishes. It certainly did that job excellently last Christmas with fish curries and a spiced parsnip soup.

I seized upon the one bottle left and poured a glass before, during and after the risotto. Delicious… guilty as charged, your honour!

Comment 0 Likes

Hurry, Or It’s Gone!

April 01, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

We live in strange times. Seasonality in my cooking is a big thing for me but I have lived long enough now to recognise that the definition of those seasons is becoming increasingly blurred.

This does have some advantages if you are sensitive to the changes. I realised that, in between high winds, heavy rains and even hail storms, there had been sufficient calmer, warmer periods in our garden and in surrounding fields to see the early appearance of fresh ingredients for one of my signature dishes.

The delicate textures, natural colours and stunning flavours of my ‘First Taste of Spring’ recipe were just begging to be brought to life.

I always prepare the first plate of the year with trembling hands. I believe in giving respect to any food ingredients and these deserve even more than most. Their transitory nature means that we have them for a precious, short while.

Botanists among you will enjoy my run-down of some of the plants which joined the throng to create vegetarian joy on a plate.

Physicalis Dimonstra

Labens Matriculatus

Hostidies Persiclestris

Merypsalium Offensites

Oxalivas Putinclipus

I have only bothered to find out and learn the Latin names of a few favourites. Their common names are just as magical. I’m sure that some of you will recognise Mumblewort, Pinch the Bishop, Strangleweed, Purple Lovelace and Pennybendover among others.

Gather your own free bounty when it makes itself available. I will not offer the constraints of a formal recipe. This should be a creation with the stamp of your personal expression. It is one offering where pleasing the eye becomes as important as delighting the palate. I have a pair of old candle-wick trimming scissors with which I ceremoniously snip and trim the flowers and stems before arranging them fastidiously on the plate.

Then you must struggle with the difficult task of moving beyond visual appreciation to the eating. I use only finger tips and never mix more than two varieties in my mouth at any one time. Truly delightful.

I rejoice in being able to share this so early in the year. The seasons really do run on apace but I still find it hard to believe that we have only today reached the first day of April!

Comment 0 Likes

Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration.

March 30, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

Rest easy - I’m not on the election trail. This concerns things happening in and within a few metres of my kitchen.

A meal cooked for friends is something my wife and I enjoy planning together but I have become increasingly bossy in the production department, very often claiming all the kitchen duties. The fact that cooking gives me such great pleasure can leave me shame-faced when I realise that I’m sometimes giving in only to offers of help with the washing up! So, this also concerns my effort to relent and allow the proper expression of my wife’s wonderful cooking abilities.

We have enjoyed a spot of North American input for the last couple of years. One of our sons has brought his Canadian girlfriend into our family. We are all enriched by her and she loves cooking! After she had made us a second pumpkin pie and given us her favourite recipe we decided to include it as dessert for a visit of old friends. And I decided to give in gracefully and let my wife make it!

Here are the recipes which formed the menu we offered to our friends:

Eggs in Pots (Oeufs en Cocotte)

Braised Pork with Plums

Chef John's Pumpkin Pie

Please, do watch Chef John’s video - it clarifies things but, best of all, it lets you hear his lovely, lilting, reassuring voice.

I said that I would reference my recently made Chorizo Jam again soon. I discarded all but a simple salt and pepper seasoning for the eggs and served with sourdough toasts and butter… and a goodly helping of the savoury sensation. The combination was just as successful as its first appearance shortly after Christmas.

The main course contained my usual ‘deliberate’ mistake - I forgot to sprinkle on the other half of chopped spring onions before serving. All, including me, were ignorant of this while eating so we were only crest-fallen later! Mum cooked this for us on a recent visit and I’d been keen to try it out myself. Served with rice and green beans. Another must-make dish.

We knew that our friends had recently visited family in Canada and they had tales of China Town cuisine, sushi and meaty meals but no trans-Atlantic experience of the pumpkin pie which was about to appear. Of course, I’m not quite vulgar enough to enter into a discussion about the merits and success of each course but will concede that the pie was perfectly delicious. And, just to prove that my wife still has her touch, this was the one course where our guests asked for seconds!

The recipe is reasonably simple but very rewarding. The velvety texture of the filling is given just enough edge from the spices.

Here is the pie in all its glory. How smashing that we each had at least two more helpings to enjoy after our guests had left.

Over the years, my wife and I have done some amazing things together in the kitchen (and I do mean that in the best possible taste!) Planning, preparing and producing meals are collaborative processes which strengthen the bond between us. I think that getting in each other’s way is essentially more productive than avoiding each other. After her latest foray, I reckon it’s safe to say that my wife’s pie has broken down any last silly jealous thoughts of mine that the kitchen might be my domain.

Now what should I do with these floury hands of mine… ;)

* I don't own a snazzy camera. Some shots look half decent but I'm aware that taking them in the middle of 'service' doesn't always produce the best results - my apologies.

Comment 0 Likes

We're Jammin'

March 27, 2015 / Geoff Griffiths

Last Christmas was no exception. As usual, I succumbed to the purchase of the bumper-bundle, two week edition of the Radio Times. There are so many on-screen guides available that it is fast becoming an anachronism but, whatever the schedule, it still holds a huge wodge of festive nostalgia for me. After careful insertion into the leather RT cover which came as a gift many years ago, it provides, at the very least, a fine, sturdy surface for thank you letter writing!

The BBC is usually under fire from some quarter but that doesn't stop me adding another of their licensed magazines to my Christmas shop. The December 2014 edition of ‘Good Food’ provided the recipe to which I'm linking here:

Chorizo Jam

Such stuff as bacon jam and bacon and cola jelly have their undoubted merits but the kick of chorizo spice here adds a little more wake-up zing to proceedings.

I made this and tried it out on my family for our last breakfast together before sons and girlfriends headed back to their homes for respite from six day assault on their digestive systems. Served with fried eggs and freshly baked wholemeal bread and toast, it went down a storm.

Meaty, sweet, spicy and tangy combine to leave a delicious, flavour-packed imprint, even in small quantities. This is a really simple recipe with guaranteed success in the taste department. Your only consideration will be which side of chunky or smooth you go to in the food processor.

As post-breakfast goodbyes were said I did a most honourable thing and divided the remaining jam into two portions which were duly transported to Hull and Nottingham homes. This meant that the fleeting delight of a newly found recipe could not be enjoyed again here until I made another batch last week.

Here’s where I must show you one of my amazing Christmas presents from son number one (that’s chronologically speaking… we have two inseparably awesome sons!) and his girlfriend. One hundred 116 ml jars and a custom made Cheoff stamp with tie labels was their obvious hint for me to go into filthy commercial production, cornering the market in quaint, but tasty, tracklements. I have resolutely resisted this suggestion so far!

However, the new-made supplies of Chorizo Jam were ideally suited to storage in half a dozen of these dinky containers. I think they look splendid in the picture. I'm so glad I took it because within days I’d halved the supply by giving jars to friends. I often think some of them have developed a sixth sense which tells them when I've been at work in the kitchen!

I do know that previously mentioned son found at least one good use for the ‘jam’ he took away; here is his baking later in January with a certain spicy topping crowning his rolls!

My remaining three jars are already under attack with small amounts used for a starter course, details of which I'll share here soon. So much flavour in just a spoonful... Chorizo Jam is really worth making!

Comment 1 Likes