Categories
Baking Bread Recipes Vegetarian

Walnut Bread

Baking bread is one of those ironic acts that everyone wants to do, but very few actually go ahead with. Yet, despite the evident irony, the state of laziness in which we find ourselves is understandable; there is something magical about the smell and taste of freshly baked bread, hence the desire; yet the process itself can appear rather time consuming. Indeed, those of us who do occasionally succeed in baking a loaf of bread do so on days on which one has the luxury of being able to potter around the house. We all fall foul of such lethargy from time to time, myself included, so I shall try my utmost to instil within you an overwhelming compulsion to leaven on a regular basis. That is, assuming indolence isn’t the reason behind your lack of freshly baked bread.

Categories
Desserts Ice Cream Recipes Summer Vegetarian

Creamy Raspberry Ice Cream

As you might have heard, the weather in Britain has brightened up in rather balmy fashion. I’m sure that in the last week we have experienced our hottest weather of the year, though that isn’t saying very much at all. Such delightful weather declared unequivocally that I must make my first ever attempt at homemade ice cream. So, after procuring a relatively aged ice cream maker (one that works surprisingly well), I set about simultaneously using up our left over raspberries and cooling myself down.

Categories
Asian Coley Fish Recipes Thai Vegetarian

Thai Red Fish Curry

Fish is something only very rarely eaten in our house. One reason for this is because it tends to be relatively expensive. However, one must remember that there are always cheap ways of eating most things (see my advice section). For instance, if one is looking for a fillet of succulent white fish, why not use coley instead of cod? There is always a reasonably priced alternative to that which is most in vogue. Trout is much cheaper than salmon and one must never forget the varieties that most don’t like the look of, such as gurnard. Remember, in the world of fish, it doesn’t have to look good to taste good; use the misplaced shallowness of other’s to your advantage.

Categories
Greek Healthy Eating Italian Recipes Summer Vegetarian

Roasted Vegetable, Feta and Olive Orzo Salad

Every settlement has its own benefits particular to that specific area. However, As Newton’s Third Law of Motion tells us, every object that exerts a force on another object, itself experiences an equal, but opposite, reaction. This quote may appear a little tangential at first, but it is a general law that can be applied to where one is situated. For instance, though one may say that it is a great benefit that Aberystwyth is, to all intents and purposes, relatively isolated from any British metropolis since it means that one may lead a peaceful and stress-free existence, it also ensures that travelling is problematic and that holiday-makers flock to the town in the summer. Still, you must be wondering what on earth this has to do with food – fear not for I am about to make an incredibly important point. As you might imagine, Aberystwyth is surrounded by a rural landscape, most of which is owned by farmers, as a result local food isn’t particularly difficult to come by (except seafood, ironically). This is great, but it means that more interesting and exciting items of food can be extremely difficult to find, the orzo pictured below being just one such example. It is sold nowhere – that particular jar of pasta was purchased just outside of London.

Categories
American Baking Doughnuts Recipes Vegetarian

Cinnamon Dipped Doughnuts

Cinnamon Dipped Doughnuts

Two years ago I’d never have thought of making baked doughnuts, the treat we Britons are led to believe provides the sole source of nourishment for every police officer in North America. However, the effect of a couple of individuals upon my gastronomic sensibilities has been catastrophic to the point at which I now find myself, unable to tell right from wrong. All is not lost – you may have invaded my kitchen, Yanks, but I shall never let you sully my grammatical skills.