Where does the time go?

I can't put it off any longer - if I'm to make life easier for you I have to start writing about Christmas.

It only seems five minutes since last Christmas yet here we are again. The familiar merry-go-round of shopping, cooking and feeding family and friends. Cancel “merry-go-round” since I associate it with being happy and carefree – substitute with hamster wheel!

We are bombarded again with posh catalogues from the supermarkets encouraging us to spend a mortgage on food that in all probability won't get eaten. However, the one good thing about them is that it allows you to peruse in the comfort of your own chair – complete with a glass of something festive and fizzy – anything from Prosecco to lime juice and soda!

I'd venture to suggest that you'll discover that some are considerably cheaper and more reasonable than others – to prove my point, here are three prices ...

… if you want to roast a goose this year

£8.99 per kg (2.2lbs)

£12.00 per kg

£15.00 per kg

taken from three different catalogues – yikes!

What they omit to mention, despite the fact you've done as asked and ordered and paid for your food ahead – to save time – yeah right – is the queue to get into the car park and another to collect your goodies on the day – result – meltdown!

Okey dokey enough grumbling, lets get started. My antidote – be resourceful and creative.

Sort out your freezer so that you've space to refill it.

Family dynamics vary as do the number of friends you'll have passing through. You may not be at home for the holidays but you'll still need to eat when you return home! Liberate yourself – make lists – in fact make several, they'll change your life and save your legs too, not to mention the risk of panic buying – do you really need four boxes of 12 canapés just because it's an offer you can't refuse?! You'll be a much happier person and less likely to bankrupt yourself.

Back to resourceful and creative – my contribution to relieving the pressure is to suggest you have the elements ready to produce different dishes - a starter that can morph into a lunch or a supper – whatever is most appealing.

Hold those thoughts …

P.s. Don't panic I've not forgotten the desserts.

The Italian – stuff you need to know

There's a Two Course Special at £12.95, check it out :

There's a Children's Menu too.

If you're thinking of having a private party The Italian has private dining/function room facilities - it would be the perfect venue.

I think that just about covers it!

Oh, just remembered, an added bonus – we ordered a pizza to take home for Nathan – so everyone was happy. Nothing is too much trouble.

If you want good food in a happy atmosphere go see Julia – you'll be glad you did.

Spoilt for choice

There's all the favourites on the menu, plus a few new dishes too. Old habits die hard as they say – here are our choices :

Tagliatelli

Pasta ribbons cooked in cream, tomato, ham and mushroom sauce – without the ham for me, perfect for the vegetarian!

Pollo Pepe

Chicken breast cooked in a creamy peppercorn sauce.

One word – delicious!

Coming up, stuff you need to know.

Fancy a weekend away?

If you like the Autumn colours and enjoy a walk, or even a hike if you're really fit, then there's nowhere better than the Peak District. I admit to bias – it's my home turf. The Peak District National Park begins in South Derbyshire in Ashbourne, Matlock to the East, Buxton and then Glossop further North West. The Park spans 555 miles, mostly in Derbyshire but does extend into Staffordshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and South and West Yorkshire. If you should venture near Glossop then I've got the perfect solution for your evening dining.

I should explain that our favourite restaurant has been sold – a sad day. However, I'm thrilled to say that Julia Ballone has opened a new establishment The Italian in High Street West, Glossop. When I visit my Sis we always treat ourselves to supper out. We decided to go say hello – it would be rude not to!

Apart from trying to enter through the wrong door – never could get my bearings – we were greeted by Julia and welcomed into a contemporary yet at the same time cosy setting – not easy to achieve.

Here's what you see :

Food choices on their way!

A message to my friend in America ...

… it occurs to me that it's coming up to Thanksgiving.

Before I begin can I just say that “I'm not trying to teach my Grandmother to suck eggs” a strange English saying which means “a person giving advice to someone else about a subject of which they are already familiar – probably more so than the first person”.

I know that Thanksgiving has its strong traditions and that two of the most popular desserts served are Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie.

This year Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 22^nd November – I wonder whether you're expecting family and friends for more than one day? If the answer is yes you might be interested in what follows.

What about a dessert “up your sleeve” that benefits from being made ahead. This dessert does come with provenance.

My very good friend and student in the USA was sceptical when we were planning a dinner party many moons ago. I convinced him that an orange tiramisu would be a great choice despite his misgivings because of his dislike of chocolate - it has just a sprinkling. He watched me make it.

He loved it and thereafter it became his signature pud.

Up to date … “Neil made your orange tiramisu for me last weekend … he's making it again when friends visit … it was wonderful”.

I'm sending you my tweaks and secret weapon so that you can “zhuzh” to your hearts content! This recipe stands the test of time and some might say, myself included, that if it ain't broke don't fix it. I'm also fond of saying that rules are made to be broken. Judge for yourself – have a look at the original recipe - The dessert … for the birthday dinner, The Tiramisu Tweaks and Your secret weapon.

I can tell you that I served the Tiramisu to six guests on two separate evenings and it was a huge success on both occasions.

A definite crowd pleaser – more converts – my work here is done!

Thinks … not just for Thanksgiving but for Christmas too – hmm.

Your secret weapon ...

... an optional extra – serve a syrup with your Tiramisu. The syrup can be made ahead and fridged. You can serve it in tiny jugs or add it to a portion before serving.

Here's the recipe :

Orange Syrup

200g icing sugar

9 fl oz/250ml orange juice (no bits)

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Cool the syrup then box and fridge.

The syrup freezes well too.

Here's the finished product :

If you'd like to see an individual Lemon Tiramisu take a look at “A Tiddy Tiramisu– Desserts – Tuesday”

Just before I go, here's another trivial piece of information - Tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up” - you never know when trivia might come in handy!

The Tiramisu Tweaks!

I don't know whether you've come across this product but you can buy orange curd. It's delicious and an excellent addition to your store cupboard.

I added the orange curd – 2 tablespoons - to my Mascarpone mixture, folding it through to give a rippled effect and extra zing!

In addition to the sprinkled chocolate I added 4 Amaretti biscuits, crushed to a crumb. Set aside the crumb and sprinkle with the chocolate just before serving.

I've discovered a new version of Cointreau liqueur – Blood Orange – one for the Christmas List I think!

Don't forget to omit the alcohol, substituting with orange juice when catering for the kiddies.

You have serving options – one large Tiramisu or a tiddy – meaning small or individual servings.

A little help – if you opt for the tiddy set your stall out – choose your size of glass or dish and an appropriate cutter to fit – here's a photo of the glass I use :

The glass has a capacity of 160ml – it measures 7 cms in diameter and 7 cms deep - the cutter I use measures 4cms in diameter and I slice the cake in 1cm slices. The method is exactly the same as the recipe given in The dessert … for the birthday dinner. One final tip – complete your tiddy with a circle of cake - add a teaspoon of the orange curd to the cake top and then sprinkle with the chocolate and crushed Amaretti biscuits – the curd “glues” the chocolate and Amaretti biscuits in place.

The tiddy benefits from being made ahead – time to soak up all that orange loveliness – and the alcohol too if you are indulging in a grown-up version.

A perfect party pud!

The dessert … for the birthday dinner

Desserts are a risky business for me – did you realise “desserts” is “stressed” backwards!

I'm going out on a limb here and have decided to serve a tiramisu. Tiramisu is a bit like “Marmite” you either love it or hate it, no sitting on the fence.

If I had a £1 for every time I've heard “I don't like coffee in desserts” or “I don't like chocolate in desserts” I'd be a rich girl.

It's very much the case too that coffee flavoured desserts are not popular with kiddies.

Here's my answer – an orange version. For the purists out there I give no apology I want to please all my guests, whether they are 5 years old or 75!

Here's the recipe :

Orange Tiramisu

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

20fl oz whipping cream/1 pint/570ml (heavy)

4tbls Cointreau (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4tbls caster sugar

225g/8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

50g/2oz plain chocolate (grated)

Mix the orange rind and juice with the Cointreau. If you'd prefer an alcohol free version then omit the Cointreau and add an additional 4 tbsp of orange juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. A small tip – place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Once combined add the cream gradually.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge.

Grate the chocolate and set aside. Sprinkle over the tiramisu when you are about to serve.

Stand by for the “Tiramisu Tweaks”!

The jus and a pie too

You can be posher still if you'd prefer – save your delicious gravy and serve your venison with a redcurrant and port jus. I don't think I could be accused of being “cheffy” but there are some occasions when you have to push the boat out. Oh and by the way this is the quickest and most delicious jus you'll ever make. The other major bonus here is that if you have a pesky vegetarian to cater for – in this case me – then the jus is suitable for said person!

Redcurrant and Port jus

227g jar Redcurrant jelly

200ml Port

Melt the redcurrant jelly in a pan over a gentle heat, add the port and boil, uncovered for 10-12 minutes until syrupy. If you are freezing the jus let it cool - it will freeze for a month. Defrost the sauce at room temperature and reheat to serve.

Can I just clear up this jus and gravy thing – they are both French in origin – a jus is made from the meat juices and not thickened - gravy is made from meat juices and is thickened.

and

You could have eaten it with a spoon!

It's true to say that I have a reputation for always overdoing it and producing too much food. However there is an upside – especially when you've more friends arriving for supper the following day – yippee!

I had enough venison left – with the saved gravy this time to make a venison version of a shepherds pie – here's the base :

It turned out to be a very popular choice for supper!

The posh slow cook

Slow cooking is not just for the every day – you can do posh too.

It's a friend's birthday, so four guests for a birthday dinner. As is my usual practice I wanted to cook ahead. It doesn't matter how many times you've cooked for a dinner party the more time you can buy the better.

I had already chosen the main and a dish that is meant for cooking long and slow – a boned haunch of venison - the haunch is the back leg of the animal.

You can slow cook in red wine or fruit juice – apple or orange. You can add redcurrant or rowan jelly. Sweetness works well with venison. There are heaps of recipes out there.

I prefer to let the venison do the talking and not interfere too much.

Here's my version :

Slow cooked venison

Serves 6

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2lb/900g venison haunch, cut into generous portions

salt and black pepper

a generous pinch of oregano

8 fl oz/250ml passata

4 fl oz/125ml dry red wine – I used Rioja

4 fl oz/125ml water

Heat the oil in a large frying pan to a medium heat. Brown the venison well in batches and set aside in your slow cooker. Add the salt, pepper and oregano to the residual juices in the pan and then pour in the passata, red wine and water. Bring to the boil and tip over the venison portions. Slow cook for 6 hours.

I cooked the venison several days ahead and then froze it and the gravy separately.

One bit fat tick off my dinner party “to do” list!

Coming next … the jus and a pie too.

The moral of this slow cooking lark ...

… is that it allows you to make the most of the time you've got. If you're in your kitchen anyway why not spend an extra five minutes and slow cook either the chicken fillet or pork loin steaks and stock your freezer. It may not seem like much at the time but you might change your mind in the middle of a working week when you're worn to a frazzle and can't string a sentence together, let alone split an atom and create a meal.

The sauces given with the chicken and the pork are quick, easy and tasty - both can be made ahead and fridged.

These recipes are not set in stone – they are only a guide - not a rigid set of rules. If you have your own favourite sauces then brilliant. I'm just trying to give you an idea or two that might inspire your own creation or an old favourite that you'd forgotten.

Having ready cooked protein in your ATC will enable you to pull together your own home-cooked meals quickly – what's not to love. If you think ahead and take advantage of the deals out there you'll save even more dosh.

If it moves I freeze it – an example –a I have chicken that I slow cooked and stripped. I have the liquid gold too (the stock). Last week I bought a ham hock that I didn't have time to slow cook. Gary – my lovely local butcher – confirmed I could freeze it and cook when I had more time. I have friends coming for lunch soon. Their favourite pie is chicken and ham.

I rest my case.

Stuff you might find useful

Slow cooking – hints and tips

You can slow cook all sorts apart from meat and poultry – soups, veggies, desserts, the world is your lobster!

I have three slow cookers in various sizes and use them for meat and poultry.

I've used slow cookers for years and still apply the same principles as I've always done (which does not include the whole chicken recipe – rules are meant to be broken!). I seal my meat/poultry before it goes into the slow cooker and although these days you can buy slow cookers that are suitable for hob to hotplate I use a frying pan to seal – I know it creates washing up but the method in my madness is that I can set aside the protein and then use the juices in the pan, adding stock and whatever else I feel like, de-glazing and getting the best flavour possible. I can see what I'm doing too.

Don't overfill the cooker with liquid – as a guide half to two thirds maximum

Thickening. I'm not a lover of coating meat in flour and then sealing it. As far as I'm concerned you're slow cooking the coating and not the meat. I prefer to thicken with a teaspoon or two of slaked cornflour at the end of the cooking time.

If you're thinking of investing in a slow cooker you might be tempted to buy a small version. It's my experience that you'll regret it – if you are cooking for yourself but feed family and friends too it's the perfect vehicle for saving you time, effort and of course dosh.

I find that stainless steel and a separate hotplate is most practical for me. I can decant from the slow cooker to freeze but leave enough for a meal and then transfer the cooker to my hob to re-heat later.

There are lots to choose from so take your time!

P.s. If you're new to this slow cooking malarkey invest in a slow cooking recipe book too. There are some excellent ones out there – Lakeland publish at least two.

Here's my slow cooker :

Respect

If you think that slow cooking belongs to the “bung it all in, couldn't care less brigade” then think again.

Whatever method of cooking you choose it is true what they say – if you treat your ingredients with care, attention and respect it shows in the finished dish.

I get a great sense of satisfaction in getting the absolute best out of old fashioned cuts of meat that were renowned for being as tough as old boots – it's why the slow cooking method works so well.

To prove my point, here's the steak pie filling – browned and ready to slow cook :

before,

and after,

Happy Autumn Days!

Meat for slow cooking

Cheaper cuts of meat take longer to cook to become tender and flavoursome.

For example, beef cheeks (or pigs' cheeks) are now popular, braised for 8 hours I promise you'll never look back. Cuts of meat like shin and skirt make great casseroles or pie fillings. You're using cuts that come from the hard working muscles of the animal.

Two other cuts I'd recommend :

Lamb shanks

Shanks are fashionable these days so easy to source. I slow cook 4-6 (depending on the size of the shank) at a time. You can either leave in tact or strip and then freeze. Place a defrosted whole shank in a pre-heated oven so that the outside can brown.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6. Wrap the shank in foil and bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the shank brown for a further 15 minutes.

The meat from the shank falls away and is tender and sweet. Bear in mind that when you slow cook meat containing a bone it will take longer.

Ham hock

Is another cut that is perfect for slow cooking and its uses are many and varied. If you want to be cheffy you can turn it into a terrine. Strip it and leave in sizeable chunks – perfect with your slow cooked chicken as a pie base. Pea and ham soup anyone?

Keep it simple – let the meat speak for itself!

When you have another 5 minutes spare

… try this and before we begin can I suggest that if you're cooking a roast this weekend, cook extra veggies – par boiled or part roasted parsnips, carrots and potatoes would be excellent choices.

Slow cooked pork loin steaks with

Calvados cream sauce

600g/1lb 5oz pork loin steaks – 6 steaks, trimmed

glug of rapeseed/Canola oil

salt and black pepper

generous sprinkle of dried herbs – sage or

thyme

2 tsps of garlic paste – optional

500ml/1 pint approx vegetable stock – use a stock pot if you're

not using your own stock

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. Seal the loin steaks on both sides, add salt and black pepper, garlic and herbs. Set aside the steaks in the slow cooker then add your stock to the residual juices in the frying pan, bring to the boil and slow cook for 3 hours.

Before you begin to make your sauce, time for the leftover veggies – try and make sure they are of a similar size. Place in a foil tray and drizzle with rapeseed or similar oil and season with salt and black pepper. Pop into a pre-heated oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6 for 25 minutes to allow them to finish roasting and become crisp.

For the sauce, you'll need approximately 200ml of stock from the cooked pork steaks - strain, cover and fridge until cold and ready for use. Freeze the remainder of the stock.

Calvados cream sauce

15g/¾ oz unsalted butter

15g/¾ oz plain flour

1 tsp garlic paste or 1 clove, crushed

glug of Calvados

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

200ml/7 fl oz stock

300ml/½ pint/10 fl oz double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2/3 mins, stirring continuously – add the garlic paste and mustard and then, on a high heat, add the Calvados and cook for 1-2 mins. Add the cold stock straight into the sauce and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve in large bowls, veggies first then the pork and drizzle with the sauce.

It looks just like this :

Feeling peckish?

Your choice of pie lid

This is not the pastry police - you can take the easy route and use a ready-made pastry sheet, either puff or shortcrust.

If you choose this option, use square foil trays or a casserole dish – approx 24x24x6 cms – 9½x9½x2¼” Wilkos sell the foil trays.

Cut the pastry lid to size and glaze with beaten egg. Pre-heat oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 30/40 minutes depending on whether your meat is still hot from the slow cooker or has been left, say, until the next day.

Depending on the depth of your foil tray you may have enough meat left to freeze for another pie, or you could just serve the slow cooked meat, casserole style, with cheese and onion mashed potatoes for a change!

Make your own shortcrust pastry lid – with or without the cheese as mentioned in “Do you like making pastry?”

Make your own “pot” pies – you can decant the filling into your pots, cover and freeze. Make your pastry when you have time. You don't have to make lids that are an exact fit for your pots – cut out pastry circles, or hearts or whatever design your cutter collection inspires. Bake the pastry tops on a baking sheet and place on top of your pie filling. Perfect for a dinner party.

Create a dish that is designed for “feet up” in front of your favourite “guilty pleasure” viewing – three elements – mashed potato, ladle the steak filling, top with a pastry lid, serve with veggies of your choice.

No pressure – do whatever suits you!