The Homemade Heart

Cookery Calendar Challenge- March

Welcome to the Cookery Calendar Challenge for March. For the Cookery Calendar Challenge page click here; and to read all previous Cookery Calendar Challenge posts, click on the Cookery Calendar Challenge category in the sidebar.

My recipe book of choice for February was 'A Love for Food: Recipes and Notes for Eating well from Daylesford' . This book felt like a 'single source' cookery book, if I can put it that way. It explained the vision of the Daylesford founders to run an organic farm, and café, and the recipes within are wholesome, varied and genuine. I really enjoyed handling, reading, and using this book, and I think it will become a favourite. Although I had previously glanced through it admiringly, I hadn't cooked from it. The Cookery Calendar Challenge encouraged me to read it in a systematic manner, and I am happy about that.

The two recipes I chose from the book were 'Corned Beef Hash' and 'Chicken and Apricot Curry'

The corned beef hash was an unexpected favourite with the family (being vegetarian, I didn't eat it, though I did taste some of the crispy potato, which was delicious). The recipe suggests home made corned brisket, instructions for which are elsewhere in the book, but I took the lazy cook's shortcut and used good quality tinned corned beef.
Having committed to following the recipes for the Cookery Calendar Challenge to the letter, I must here confess my sins, as I slightly altered the recipe from individual patty cakes, to one large patty, frittata style, with crushed potatoes, not mashed as the recipe states. I cooked it first on the hob, then browned under the grill. I scribbled a note in the recipe book to remind myself of these changes next time I make it. (Do you scribble in your recipe books too?) The corned beef hash was served with a fried egg on top. Jacob couldn't believe his luck; I always reject his requests for fried eggs on every other occasion. This was a very tasty, savoury, family style dinner.

My second choice was Chicken and Apricot curry. This was a very easy dish, and tasted delicious; another recipe I will add to my repertoire. As I am now cooking a greater variety of family meals, I have refreshed my spices cupboard, and am enjoying the colours and aromas of different spices as I cook.

My book choice for March is 'Simply Nigella'. This was a Christmas gift from Jacob, and I have been looking forward to cooking from it.

Thanks to those who joined the link up last month, I hope you enjoyed it and will continue the challenge with me. If you haven't joined before, and would like to, here's how to take part.

How it works:

The challenge is simple: the first week of every month, select a cookery book from your shelf and cook two new recipes from it. The recipes can be for any meal. Cakes and bakes are excluded, but puddings are included. At the beginning of the following month, blog about the recipes you have used, and announce your chosen cookery book for the month ahead. This is an ongoing project, it's never too late to get involved, and everyone is very welcome.
I would appreciate a link back to this Cookery Calendar Challenge post in your post. Grab the Cookery Calendar Challenge badge to display on your blog too if you like. (Just copy and paste the code into your blog dashboard to display) You can also join via Instagram using hashtag #cookerycalendarchallenge (you will find me on Instagram @penny.homemadeheart).

 

 

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the Famous Five

Enid Blyton books will always hold a place in my heart. As I child I loved her nature stories, mysteries and adventures, but even as a very young child I also noticed her distinctive signature, which I thought, then, as now, beautiful, with its boldly inked, evenly spaced letters, lovely rounded 'E', and most enchanting of all, the short, double line under the 'd' of Enid. 
The first Enid Blyton book I clearly remember reading myself, was 'The Adventures of Pip', a series of short stories about a mischevious elf interacting with the natural world. I read and re-read my copy,  the cover of which showed Pip dressed in a red tunic. (The first edition, from 1948, is even more charming, showing Pip airborne on a swallow's back.) Looking now at the list of contents, some 45- plus years later,  I can still clearly remember what some of the stories were about; quite a testament to Enid Blyton's story telling powers.
I remember making a concious decision to move on to her more 'grown up' stories when I was about eight, when started the enduring love affair with the Famous Five series in particular, which I read over and over. I adored them; the exciting plots, the freedom the characters enjoyed, and the presence of Timmy, the dog, who was as big a character as Julien, Dick, George and Anne, hence 'the Five' (four humans, one dog).
I was not alone in greedily reading Enid Blyton's books. Many have never been out of print, and as recently as 2012, Enid was the second most popular 'classic' childrens' author to be borrowed from libraries (second only to Roald Dahl).

Enid Blyton's books have, however, been criticised almost since she started writing; as early as the 1930's her books were considered 'bland'. In  later years, they were heavily criticised as being racist, sexist and xenophobic, and were extensively edited in the '80's and '90's by Chorion, the publishers, to reflect current mores and attitudes. Few would disagree with the removal of 'gollies', and similar characters which now jar uncomfortably. However the fact remains that children love them, albeit modern editions have some characters  removed or altered, and certain wince-making phrases re-written to make them acceptable in today's society (some think with perhaps an over zealous red pen, see here for comment) .

I had no hesitation in reading Isaac all twenty one Famous Five books a few years back. We read the series in order, and in its entirety (a luxury not available to me as a child). We both thoroughly enjoyed the plots, the characters, and the straightforward assurance that good would win out over bad, and of course the many mentions of food, which Enid Blyton describes with regularity, and enthusiasm, never allowing her characters to feel hungry in pursuit of adventure. 
When not tracking down dangerous criminals; escaping from underground caves, or seeking solutions to mysterious happenings, the Five enjoy many mouth watering meals, and in every Famous Five book there are appetising descriptions of farmhouse tables groaning with crusty bread straight from the oven, gleaming pink joints of ham, freshly made sticky buns, home made cakes, and delicious puddings with plenty of custard. Picnics also feature frequently, with an abundance of tasty sandwiches, tomatoes eaten in the hand, and hard boiled eggs, with a twist of salt in a little paper alongside, and of course, bars of chocolate to finish off the feast.

It is unlikely that many current authors would write a character like Anne, the gentle youngest sister, who delights in home making, and spreads cheer and comfort through her kindly domesticity whenever 'the Five' go camping, or  caravanning, or find themselves setting up home on an abandoned island, or in a cave. I stoutly applaud Anne's right to play to her strengths as a domestic goddess in the making. She is also clever, often working out clues first, and bravely faces her fears many times throughout the series.

Enid Blyton's writing is in and of her era, and could not be otherwise, but there is such affection for her creations that she is likely to be read for many generations to come. Isaac's 'Famous Five' books are still on his bedroom shelf, I am sure in the next big 'room tidy' they will be relegated to the loft. I do hope though, that if a time comes when he is looking for an exciting story to read to children in his care, he will remember about his old books, dust them off  and enjoy reading them aloud, perhaps also remembering when a loving mother read them to him.                                                                

Looking back, I squirm...

 

As a young teenager, Valentine's Day represented nothing less than psychological torture: would anyone send me a card, anyone at all? Flowers and chocolates were unheard of; no-one had the budget for such extravagance, but cards were occasionally exchanged. When I was about fifteen, I remember giving one card, and receiving one card. Saint Valentine slipped up a little, as the card I gave was to a boy I was hopelessly infatuated with, who wasn't remotely interested in me. The card I received was from a very sweet boy I was not remotely interested in, but who was (perhaps) infatuated with me. When I read his card, I just laughed, and showed it to my friends.
Looking back, I squirm at my indifference.

In my very early twenties, I was in a relationship with a very clever, very cool, very self assured young man. I followed him around in a state of wide eyed adoration. I couldn't believe he was interested in me; I never felt good enough for him. On Valentine's Day I rose at dawn, in my shabby shared flat, and made him a Valentine's packed lunch. I made heart shaped sandwiches, I wrapped heart shaped cookies in greaseproof paper, I polished up a perfect red apple, and made a hand drawn label, decorated with little hearts, for his bottle of juice. I tucked in a napkin decorated with hearts. I packed everything in a heart shaped box I had spent the previous evening constructing from red card. I took two buses across town to leave it at his front door so that he would find it when he left for work.
Looking back, I squirm at my neediness.

A year or two later, I fell head over heels for a dark eyed architecture student. He was older than me, the handsomest man I had ever seen. On our first date, he brought me a little cake. I was utterly smitten. On Valentine's Day, I kept my head. A beautiful, shop bought Valentine's Card was selected with care. None of that needy, hand made card stuff. He blew my expectations (downwards) by giving me a joke Valentine's card. I hate joke cards; they make me uncomfortable at the best of times. Given by him, the card represented our very different hopes and expectations for where this relationship was going, i.e. nowhere.
Looking back, I squirm at my naivety.

When I met Derek, I was not indifferent, needy, or naieve, but nor was I very romantic. It had been kind of knocked out of me, and, though undoubtedly in love, I didn't show it in a romantic way. I still don't. On Valentine's Day I will dust off my heart shaped baking tin and bake him his favourite cherry cake. That's about as romantic as I get.
But I never, ever, look back on our 27 years together and squirm.

The Cookery Calendar Challenge- February

Welcome to The Cookery Calendar Challenge for February. For  the Cookery Calendar Challenge page click here; and to read all previous Cookery Calendar challenge posts, click on Cookery Calendar Challenge category in the sidebar . 

My recipe book choice for January was 'Mary Berry Cooks', which accompanied the 2014 television series of the same name. Everyone who has ever held a wooden spoon knows Mary Berry, and I know I am not alone in my immense respect for her and her work. I find her books excellent; the recipes are clearly laid out, easy to follow, with each stage explained and any trickier steps detailed carefully, to instil confidence in the cook.

 

The two recipes I chose from the book were 'Lamb Dhansak', and '15 minute pasta'.

Although by nature a careful person , I can be slapdash when it comes to making savoury dishes, so one of my personal commitments to The Cookery Calendar Challenge is to follow the recipes with care, and use all the ingredients listed. The Lamb Dhansak recipe listed several different spices, which in turn necessitated a general purge of the spices cupboard (4 half empty jars of cinnamon anyone?), and a swift cleaning and reorganisation exercise, as well as a bit of stocking up, all of which I regard as very positive, and in keeping with the general ethos of trying to be more organised and prepared for family cooking.

The Lamb Dhansak tasted very authentic (as a vegetarian, I had to take Derek and Jacobs' word on it). The particular blend of spices didn't suit Jacob's taste unfortunately, so although the recipe turned out perfectly, I am unlikely to make it a second time.

My second recipe was Mary's 15 Minute pasta. This is a simple pasta dish, where penne pasta is served with a sauce of crispy (fried) parma ham and small chestnut mushrooms with crème fraiche. This is the sort of recipe that I would not have used prior to the challenge, as it is so simple (and anyone can throw some pasta in a pot after all). However, following the recipe carefully, using the chestnut mushrooms specified in the recipe, and taking the time to finely chop parsley to add to the sauce, and scatter over the top gave a very specific flavour and appearance to the dish, and this time, everyone enjoyed it. This one will be added to the family meals repertoire.

My recipe nook choice for the coming month is 'A Love For Food: Recipes and Notes for Eating well from Daylesford' 

For anyone wishing to join The Cookery Calendar Challenge  (and you are most welcome to do so),  here is a quick reminder of how it works.

The rules are simple: the first week of every month, select a cookery book from your shelf and over the course of the month, cook a minimum of two new recipes from it. The recipes should be broadly seasonal, and can be for any meal. Cakes and bakes are excluded, but puddings are included. At the beginning of the following month, report back on the recipes you have used, along with any thoughts you'd like to share about the recipes, the book etc, and announce your cookery book choice for the following month (no need to announce your recipe choices at this point, unless you are uber-organised of course, in which case, go ahead!)

Please remember to link back to this post on your blog when you write about the challenge. Use the Linky below to add your blog.

An InLinkz Link-up