Before Melton's

Getting excited now…we’re off to Melton's tonight with Claire and Jeremy.  Can’t wait…I’ll report back    

Milk McBurglar

I am trying very hard to blog in a positive fashion.  I have been really pleased, a real feel-good factor, with our milk and OJ deliveries.  This morning’s delivery seems to have been robbed from our doorstep.  WHY? It costs them so little to buy milk.  It is a hell of an inconvenience when there is no milk and two hungry kids for breakfast.  We might also have to come up with some complex locking thing to stop further theft.

Roast carrot soup

We had a ton of carrots.  They were big n’all.  So I roasted in butter and olive oil for about an hour, with a tomato.  Then whizzed with water and a dash of stock.  It is very creamy, by really whizzing for a long time.  The kids and enjoyed it with the nice ciabatta bread from Thomas bakery and butter.  One way to get one of the five-a-day.

In the box

In the box:

• Celery


• Carrots


• Potatoes


• Leeks


• Cabbage


• Pumpkin


• Onion


• Avocado

    

A little sad, but alot true

I am quite excited about the what the new vegetable box will bring.  This is traditionally the time of year with the most food – after all it is harvest festival time.  Although, so far, I have really enjoyed the asparagus (June), broad beans (June-July), chard (June-Sept) and courgettes/squash (Aug-Sept), times the most.

Tea for 2 adults and 4 children

N made one of the kids’ favourites.  Drum roll….fish pie.  With salmon, cod, smoked haddock, cauliflower, broccoli, cream.  Topped with potato and cheese and baked for 30 odd minutes.  Nice.  Could have done with a little extra cram.  Served with corn-on-the-cob.

Go to Graham for a quick-recap

At this three month juncture, how is the blog Mainly Eaten going?  I think it is doing very nicely.  It is slowly roasting, gaining in sweetness and taste.  It will be consumed with enjoyment and nourishment.  Let’s see what produce the autumn brings.

Potato tortilla

Boiled some fluffy potatoes.  Fried in butter some onions, a green pepper, garlic and then added the potato to crisp.  Four eggs, beaten, were added to the pan and allowed to cook on a low heat.  Then added cheese and grilled (gently) the top side.  Served with loads of Savoy cabbage.  Weirdly, S loved the cabbage, and ate all of her tortilla.  N loved the tortilla, after finding out that it wasn’t a flour tortilla (she thought she was getting a chilli), but took some convincing over the cabbage (threatened to eat her yoghurt).

Half-full

I’ve realised that much of my blogging, except for the food boxes, may come across as quite negative.  I think I need to resolve this.  I guess it partly represents the poor nature of much food (from restaurants and take aways) and produce (from the national chains).  Sorry – lapsed into negativity again.  But, dear reader, I will try harder (100 times).

New positive G.  It is a beautiful sunny autumn day.  I am going to try to describe the sort of food the weather and time of year make me feel like.  Definitely hot food.  Seems good for aubergine, curry, rice, cous cous, potato, onion.  The squash is good at this time of year.  Bread also.  I am going to try to make a sourdough starter soon.  Should be fun!

Not a great success

Not a great success.  I went to the local convenience outlet and bought mainly cheese (stilton, cheddar clone and cottage).  Then fried onion and garlic in butter, added small amount of cream, stilton, cottage cheese and mixed with spaghetti.  Not very exciting, and rather a dairy-overload.  Oh well, better luck tonight.  We’ve still got some vegetables left to use up, so must get down to that.

On a happier note, N sanded and oiled the worktops which now look great.  Then I did some of the really small jobs that were bugging me (removed old boxing and put a screw in the hood).

Landlords, flats and compost

In our family we think composting should be practically mandatory.  I mean, why are the residents of York complaining about food waste, when they could put it into a compost bin and forget about it?  But I did think of a problem.  How can we move forward with either flats, or rented houses?  It is likely that, due to landlord disinclination, a compost bin would not be provided.  Any lessee will not be particularly enthusiastic about setting up a bin, especially when a lease may only cove a few months.  That is one to ponder.  I guess the best way would be to have local collections of food waste.  But I think we should still think very locally (i.e. no more than 2 miles) for the composting of this material.

Friends in need

Thursday and Friday were written off as I went down with the D&V that the rest of the family have suffered from.

Friday evening the Philips cooked for us - a very nice bake with a yellow pumpkin, Swiss chard, peppers, onions, pasta and cheese sauce.  On Saturday we cooked two courgettes, garlic, pine nuts, fried in butter, with spaghetti and pesto.  Everyone ate loads.  On Sunday we went to see Liz, Jim, Max, Grace and Wilf in their new house.  They cooked a very nice bake of aubergines, cheese and tomato sauce with cumin and coriander.  Very north African.  This was with some greens and roast potatoes.

It is true that a friend in need is a friend indeed.  Our friends have been great.

Kitchen again

I spoke too soon about finishing the kitchen. Fitter is still with us. Here are the problems:

1. He hasn’t fitted the cable thermostat before fitting the floor.


2. The tumble dryer does not fit, despite us telling him repeatedly to check.


3. The waste plumbing was in the wrong place.


4. The waste plumbing leaked from 5 of the 6 joints he did.


5. The tiles were put down wrong and had to be taken up.


6. The electrician put a socket behind the oven, we told fitter it was in the wrong place, he said it would be covered, but the electrician said it should have been moved.


7. He fitted the wrong type of drawer – indeed was unaware of there being a different sort at all!


8. The hob ignition blows the electrics in the house each time it is put on (not his fault).


9. The under floor heating will heat the water pipe feeding the freezer.


10. He has put both worktops on upside-down, and one (hob) back-to-front.


11. Doors for washing machine on wrong way round.
12. Drilled hole for cat-flap in the wrong place.
13. Windows has been put in upside-down

Apart from that, everything is perfect!

Box again

Last box had

• Savoy cabbage


• Broccoli


• Potatoes


• Carrots


• Onions


• Pointed cabbage


• Yellow pumpkin/gourd

Kitchen turns a corner

I’m still pretty stung by Nigel Slater’s new book. I read some more excerpts from this Sunday’s Observer and I think it is similar to this one. One obvious difference is that he seems to have a lot of time at home to potter, do his garden, go food shopping, make food. I’m at work five-days per week, and we don’t have a garden to speak of (roll on allotment).

Anyway, yesterday the kitchen took a real leap forward, the fitter did a good job and we can, at last, see progress. Still the kitchen is out-of-action so we went to Hot Pot Café. The man was nice to the girls this time. Scampi and chips twice was the order of the day, followed by a cup of tea.

I’m really looking forward to getting back to proper cooked food. Should be this weekend I think. We’ll just see what is in our veg box this week. We’ve pretty much used up all of that from last week, just half of the chard and a few tatties.

All up in the air

We have been living in limbo.  The kitchen man is still working, with little prospect of finishing this week.  We had no water, no dishwasher and no washing machine last night, and I doubt we’ll have that back today.

On a lighter note, we had a great fish pie on Saturday.  Since the lurgy struck our Field fish-pie off the menu on Monday I’ve wanted to make one of these.  We went to the fish woman on the market (the left-hand nicer one) and she suggested cod cheeks – these were small pieces of meat, no bones, and cheap.  They were great for a pie.  Added salmon, smoked haddock, cream and broccoli, topped with potato and cheese-a classic.  The eating was a little distracted by a vomiting child and ill grandma, but we soldiered on.

I then did a roast tin full of steamed Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced potato, cream, butter.  Roasted in new oven – nice…

Beetroot and new appliances

I like the idea that beetroot is having a rebirth, a renaissance, a comeback.  I cooked it (remember boil whole and then skin falls off), chopped it, and added a little stock and lots of honey.  Served in pancakes.  I think it down well with N and me Grandma.  Had roast potatoes with some spring onions added at the end of the cooking.

But mainly this was the first use of the new ovens and hob.  Fantastic.  Oven extremely quiet and hob is great.

This week I've not mainly eaten

This week I haven’t been able to eat any decent food.  We’ve been restricted to a microwave and toaster – seriously limiting our ability to provide cooked, proper food.  I am so looking forward to the installation of the cooking parts of the new kitchen.  Anyway, hopefully normal service on this will resume early next week.

Food diaries

It’s happened again.  I get an idea.  I tell N.  Then a few weeks/months or years later I find out some massive company or famous person has also had the idea.  Well, yesterday I found out that Nigel Slater has been writing a food diary, and it is about to be published.  So, I missed the boat on that one, again.

Science and food don't mix

Heston Blumenthal – the darling of BBC Food.  Termed a culinary alchemist, part of the so-called kitchen science movement.  I don’t get all this.  I agree that, of course, while cooking you are making practical use of the laws of science, chemistry and biology.  But there is nothing, and should be nothing, scientific about the whole exercise.  Science (I’m a scientist) is built on measurement and objective study.  Why would we want to reduce cookery to an objective application of knowledge?

Almost by definition, this is impossible.  We have ‘taste’, a fickle art that varies between and within people.  Further than this, I don’t want to reduce cookery to a science.  I love the variation, chaos, subjection, variability and insanity of cooking.  I want my taste and my feelings to dictate how and why I cook.  This idea that we can apply knowledge and this improves our cooking is a little bizarre.  I’m sure that these ideas will aid cooking speed, and accuracy.  But I doubt I’ll get much use out of the methods to improve my cooking.  And I know that it will not improve my enjoyment of food and cooking.

Coffee musing

I am not one of those people that say “I can’t wake up until my nth cup of coffee” (change n to relevant value for person).  [slight diversion – n seems to be a macho value.  It seems to me that some feel that the higher the value the more ‘serious’ they are about coffee].  I’m not bothered (are you bovered? I ain’t bovered.) about caffeine at breakfast.  Don’t get me wrong- I like a coffee in the morning.  But since my espresso machine is out of order, due to kitchen nightmares, I have been surprised that it hasn’t upset me too much.  I’ve never developed a routine with coffee.  I think that must be when the cold turkey sets in.  A friend has an espresso each morning at 11am.  How would he cope in our predicament?  I’ll ask him.

Eating out

Eating out all the time seems really exciting at the outset.  But, I’m bored already.  I want something plain, not salty, nor too fatty.  We have had nice meals though.  On Friday we went to La Piazza on Goodramgate. I had a nice gnocchi with creamy tomato sauce and starter was a massive slab of mozzarella in breadcrumbs.  Kids had big, adult-sized, pizza – half taken home and devoured for breakfast on Saturday morning.  Saturday we ate at the theatre café – minging mushrooms and pasta.

After picking me Gran up from the station on Sunday we decided to go to the City Screen café.  I ordered far too much (6 main meals and chips for 3 adults and 2 kids).  We managed nearly all of it.  I secured a serviette full of blue cheese and Emmental.

Easy come, easy give away

Box number # contained:

• A red/purple cabbage


• Potatoes


• Cauliflower


• Red onions


• Lettuce


• Tomatoes


• Cucumber


• Celery


• Swiss chard

A feast! And then, because of the building work, and no kitchen to speak of, we gave it to the Fields to enjoy.  They are also cooking for us on Monday, so we’ll get to eat some it anyway!

Blog liberation

I’ve realised that if I apply myself a little, I have something to write in the TWIME blog most days.  It must be how the newspaper diarists feel.  I have experiences, on a daily basis, that I want to record, have interest for me, some are humorous (well to me anyway).  I’m enjoying this blog, and will continue to record life and food as we approach autumn.

Shocking stuff

Picture the scene: coffee brewing, kids chatting, sunny morning, owwww! Am I having a fit? Touch the Gaggia again, ooowwww! I’m losing control of my arms, and they hurt.  I sit down and ponder this.  In a eureka moment that, had I been awake and alert, should have dawned much sooner – I have been shocked by the espresso machine.  That reminds me of a story about a friend’s grandma.  She wouldn’t have an electric washing machine because she had been told that electricity and water should not mix.  I now have proof of the sense of this advice.  N went to the kitchen and received a shock also.  So, we unplugged the thing, and I’m hoping that it won’t be another problem electrical item, of which we are plagued.

Kitchen - 2nd installment

The kitchen is at the bottom of its descent into dust and gloom – or so we thought.  Then Mr Plasterer (arrogant, young, and thoroughly dislikeable) came to look at the job.  He wants even more plaster removing, and all the walls painting with PVA glue.  Our fitter will be coming on Friday to do this – and so we descend, once again, into dusty chaos.  We have decided, after the mess last time, to unplug the fridge, and wrap it in polythene.  We will move th washing machine and dishwasher into the hallway, and seal up the door with more polythene and lots of parcel tape.

Salmon

Wild or farmed? There is no doubt farmed salmon contains more fat than wild salmon - it leaches our during cooking - particularly when steaming. I think it is rank. The kids prefer farmed, it is less 'meaty', more crumbly. N cooked some fabulous wild salmon, from the fish-man on the market. Topped with fried onions, and lots of horseradish sauce. We also had pointed cabbage, steamed, with butter and cream. it was really very tasteless.

A rant at the moaners of York

I am always surprised by people’s capacity to moan.  York city council has chosen to reduce the refuse collection, and it couldn’t have been worse.  Kate Lock, a local correspondent for the Evening Press, was also moaning that she has tried everything.  Well, I’m sorry, but Kate, you haven’t.  The words are:
1. Refuse – this should be our main aim
2. Reuse – stop having plastic containers for milk and juice, and use the glass bottles from a milkman
3. Compost – she moaned that her bin was a mess – it’s true this will happen – but persevere
4. Recycle – I think she does this – but it is the last on the list

Kitchen wish-list

For the new kitchen:

1. Mixer - with a dough hook - maybe like this one


2. Toaster (?Dualit)


3. Kettle


4. Coffee grinder


5. Magnetic knife rack


6. Scales (for N)


7. Small pan


8. Cafetiere


9. Garden trowel

Heavenly tomatoes

Nigel Slater said that tomatoes are heavenly, however poor quality (within reason I guess), when roasted.  We have no oven, but fried with butter and garlic our tomatoes were an angelic topping to spaghetti and pesto.

Shepherd's or cottage?

N made a pie, topped with potato, with onions, Quorn mince, tomatoes, brown sauce (her ‘magic’ ingredient).  Now is this a cottage pie, or a shepherd’s pie?  My M&D said that a shepherd’s pie was with lamb (get it?) and a cottage with beef (or pork?).  A dilemma. Maybe a new name – ‘gardener’s pie’

Dust down

A busy 3 hours of cleaning: cooker, fridge, freezer, floors, windows, on and on.  Then some very large dust sheets and we have a functioning kitchen again.  We’re going to wait for a week until phase 2 – the unit fit.

Aubergine fritters

We weren’t aware that this was aubergine season.  Anyway, following the example set me by Wil, with his north African styles, I have done aubergine fritters.  A light batter on aubergines, after salting for at least 30 minutes, fried in oil.  I think butter would have been better.

Dust

Not like 'Toast'. This is 'dust'. Everywhere. The kitchen is being made-over, and removing floor and knocking out front of chimney, channeling electrics, etc have made dust. We have no door to the kitchen either, so we were greeted with dust all over the dining room and hallway. We haven't cooked any food since Monday (it's now Friday), and we've been eating out all the time. Hopefully, the plasterer will finish tomorrow, and then we can clear up. There is just the kitchen units to fit then. Roll on Sunday...

We got:
- brocolli
- onions (small)
- potatoes
- lettuce
- a pointed cabbage
- aubergine
- green peppers
- tomatoes