Puddings

Hot Cross bus are traditionally made to be served on Good Friday. The story  goes that the  first buns were made by a 14th century monk who then distributed them to the poor  on Good Friday. So it really bothers me is to see these sweet and spicy buns on sale at Christmas. The story also goes that Queen…
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A few years ago, my younger daughter, Olivia, spent the Wimbledon fortnight hulling and counting out strawberries while working in the members’ restaurant the All England Lawn Tennis Club. In fact I think her job included a few more jobs besides. There she discovered and passed on a really great tip for hulling strawberries. Hulling strawberries using a…
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Easter is nearly upon us and with it all the fare of Hot cross buns and Simnel cake and Roast Lamb and not to mention Easter Eggs Beyond these traditional Easter foods there are a whole range of favourite fun foods and platters – with or without preserves -that children can not only enjoy in the holidays and…
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It is that time of year when Seville oranges arrive on the stalls. I still aspire make a trip one winter to the orange groves of Spain and the renowned Ave Maria Seville orange farm For now, the time has come to transform these fruits into that wonderful tart and bitter golden preserve. Marmalade has many more uses, however, than just…
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I realised I had been dragging my heels a tad in starting to prepare preserves and fare for Thanksgiving and Christmas and the coming months. Well  I have been a little busy and  it is only the beginning of November after all. Then a few days ago I was brought up short when someone mentioned that…
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If asked to choose ONE food that I could not live without, it would be a very close call between an apple and cheese. That is not to say that I am planning on living on solely one food. It is just that without that one food I would be devastated, lost, mourning . And the apple wins….
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When my daughters were small and would come back from school at about 3.30pm they were generally absolutely famished and often totally ratty. A small sandwich would smooth everything out until their evening meal. By the time they were aged about six or seven, I would put out the sliced bread, spread and filling for them…
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It is something about the fact that Thanksgiving is purely about the thanks and the receiving and enjoying  food, about the gathering as a family for the meal that it so appeals to me and I envy the Americans having such a holiday to celebrate. There is none of the commercialism to be found (I…
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      Well Mrs Patmore would be proud of me – even dewy eyed – as I get the mincemeat mix ready now  to enjoy later. I may not have the residents of Downton to feed although it sometimes seems like it. I chose the simplest of Beryl’s six mincemeat recipes just substituting vegetarian…
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It is another bumper year for cherries and I am glad to have so many ways of enjoying them. Sadly my neighbour with the abundant morello cherry tree, who supplied me so well last year, has just moved house. The newcomers have delayed moving in, so I have not met them yet let alone become on cherry…
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