The Creaking Table

If anyone mentions the word “buffet” it makes my blood run cold! Drama queen ish I know but there must be some of you out there who remember the 1970ies classic buffet – here's a few reminders :

• sandwiches made at 9am in the morning when the buffet begins at 7pm – curled up or soggy – take your pick
• sausages on sticks – wrinkled and resembling something too unpleasant for words
• the classic hedgehog design spiked with cheese and pineapple or, if you were really posh, those tiny, slimy silver skin onions
• equally posh – the vol-au-vent – filled with either chicken or mushroom in a cream sauce – they were almost always too big to pop into your mouth – consequently when you took a bite the filling splodged down your new frock – is this ringing any bells?

No self respecting buffet table would be complete without everyone's favourite - a Quiche Lorraine – or bacon and egg pie – NOT!

I'm scarred for life!

My version of a buffet is “a creaking table”. The vision is simply that your table is full of different, tasty bits and pieces that everyone wants to eat. This vision isn't difficult to produce provided you're happy to plan a little. With luck, and a following wind, it should just be a matter of pulling boxes and bags out of your fridge and freezer with minimum fuss.

Whilst it might not seem of any consequence, years ago a close friend of mine said, on arriving for lunch, “you should have been a cook in the Forces - there's enough food to feed an army” She was absolutely right of course – I can't help it – mainly because I'm terrified that there won't be enough food. Now I can turn that to my advantage and the next post shows the first of my suggestions for Christmas Eve, which is, you've guessed it, a creaking table.

Toodle Pip!

The dreaded “C” word!

I'm sorry – I can't put it off any longer. By the time the following missives are posted you'll be building up to the festive season – back to atom splitting.

I realise it's not everyone's strong suit but a little planning will go a long way. Rather than turn this into War & Peace we'll toss around some ideas beginning with Christmas Eve supper which tends to get lost in the melée and then the following three days to Sunday 27^th.

There's always so much to do - you know what I mean - doing your excellent impression of a circus juggler - last minute shopping in more than one location – wrapping - and in many cases probably work too. I am trying to avoid spontaneous combustion – you know how it goes, you've been on the go since 6am and when you arrive home, errands completed, some bright spark says, “did you get ….....” “*****” if you get my drift.

Do I have your attention – gather your pad, pen, chocolate, wine, or both - sit down, relax and ponder for a minute or two.

Everyone's family dynamic is different – for example – do you have family and friends at yours or do you visit and contribute food-wise, or is it a mixture of both?

How does your day go :

is it a posh breakfast and Christmas Lunch later in the day?

do you need to produce canapés – will people be dropping in?

do you bolt the door, pull the blinds and “veg” out with that boxed set you've been promising yourself for months – are you a bah humbug kinda person – even a humbug needs a treat.

Whatever combination, the following postings set out to help you plan and give you ideas for all sorts of options - a supper party, a breakfast, a creaking table, late-night snacks, leftovers etc., and some stuff that's a little outside the box.

Letter to Santa, North Pole – Page 2

Best of the Rest

Sorry if I rambled on about Ms. David – if you haven't already realised she is a favourite of mine!

Moving on, now for the best of the rest :

If you are a lover of Indian cuisine and want to learn how to cook it from scratch, then I'd highly recommend “Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery” first published in 1982 – yikes! What is brilliant about this cookery book is that it speaks to you in language that is uncomplicated.

I'd have this book in my collection for three stand-out dishes – cocktail koftas – Mughlai chicken with almonds and sultanas and finally, samosas. These days we take snacks like samosas for granted, mostly because they come ready-made. As I look at my edition of this book the marks around this recipe are there to be seen. I make no apology for these marks – I earned them, struggling with making samosa pastry and then following a diagram to complete them. Please don't be put off – nowadays it it more than acceptable to make samosas with filo pastry – easily I might add. I still refer to this book from time to time – 33 years on!

Ms Jaffrey has published heaps of cookery books over the years – I mention this one because it's close to my heart – Ms. Jaffrey is not only an accomplished cook and author but an established and successful actor too.

If you like a reference book then you might want to add to your collection “The flavour Thesaurus” by Niki Segnit. This book is invaluable, whether you are an inexperienced cook or an old hand. The book contains “Pairings, recipes and ideas for the creative cook”. It's informative and entertaining, cleverly written and a definite “must have”.

Here's a snippet :

“Parsnip & Banana: When bananas weren't available in Britain during the Second World War, mock bananas were made from parsnips....Now that bananas are no longer threatened by U-boats, a mock parsnip might lend a Caribbean lilt to your Sunday roast”.

Despite the fact that it is a reference book it is eminently readable and, as so often happens, you dip into it for help in one direction and finish up in a completely different place!

I hope Santa is in a good mood and you receive all that you wish for – failing which you could always ask for a “book token” - it's like getting a present twice.

Happy reading and cooking!

Letter to Santa, North Pole

If you are writing to Santa with your wish list this year here's some culinary book suggestions.

These days we are drowning in a sea of celebrity chefs and more so at this time of year. I know we all have our favourites, however, in recent years I have to confess disappointment. Style over substance is the expression that springs to mind. So, here are a few that you might like to include. You won't find any of them on any best seller list but they are still available.

This could take some time!

Elizabeth David takes the first spot. I know that I've mentioned Ms. David in a previous post and in particular the first two recommendations but I make no apology for repeating myself!

If it's an introduction that you'd like to Ms. David and not too heavy a read, try “An Omelette and a Glass of Wine” - not a vast tome – it was originally published in 1984 and contains bits of her articles written for various publications and recipes too.

If it's biography then “Writing at the Kitchen Table” - The Authorized Biography of Elizabeth David by Artemis Cooper is compulsive reading if you're into the nitty-gritty – I promise you will not be disappointed. Choose your favourite guilty pleasure, be it a sweetie, a chocolate, or a glass – feet up, snuggle down and be entertained.

If it's not biography but cookery/recipes that is your passion, hold hard!

“French Provincial Cooking” was first published in 1960 and contains everything that is about French food from the different areas of France and the speciality food that each region produces to the basics, like equipment, weights and measures, timings etc., to the specifics from sauces to left-overs and absolutely everything in between.

“At Elizabeth David's Table” is a collection of “Her very best everyday recipes”. For me the glory of a good cookery book is not just a reference or a guide for a recipe, it's personal and has to be received as if the person who wrote it is speaking directly to the individual - surely the secret of great writing about any subject. This book is interspersed with culinary history from “Italian Fish Markets” to “The Markets of France” - an absolute joy.

Finally “Elizabeth David's Christmas” edited by Jill Norman was first published in 2003. It does what it says on the tin, to coin a phrase – everything related to the festive season, from beginning to end. The book is also beautifully illustrated – unusual these days.

I hope your appetite is suitably whetted!

To be continued … you might need two sheets of paper for Santa's letter.

Loop the Loop: Classy Chowder

There's a theme here – like the Vichyssoise. Where does the chowder originate? What is a traditional version? We could be here for some time! I must confess I'd always thought of the chowder as American and as far as clam chowder is concerned I think that's true. Originally it was a fish chowder or, if you like, a fish stew made with milk or cream. New England Clam Chowder uses crumbled crackers to thicken it. There are different types – I'd always thought of it as that delicious creamy white soup – but you can have clear and tomato versions too.

The word is thought to have originated firstly from the Latin word calderia – meaning a place for warming and later to mean cooking pot, that then evolved to French – chaudiere, meaning stew pot, moving on to Northern French and English – cauldron and then finally an old English word jowter, meaning a fish peddler. It was a popular with Northeastern American Indians, again principally because they made use of the fish they caught.

Before you get bored, here's a recipe which is vegetarian and uses the potato and flour to thicken.

Sweetcorn Chowder

50g unsalted butter

1 potato, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced,

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 cobs of sweetcorn or 175g canned

1 tbsp flour

1 litre of milk

salt and black pepper

chopped flat leaf parsley

Sweat the vegetables in the butter for 10 minutes – covered. Add the flour and seasonings. Pour on the milk. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Check seasoning. Blend a ladle or two and add back to the soup to thicken and enrich. Sprinkle with parsley.

Traditional accompaniments to a chowder are Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, both should be served at the table.

Whilst it isn't authentic I'd serve the chowder with dumplings. If you wanted to add pieces of cooked chicken breast for the non-veggies, there are no rules!

What does seem to be a common thread, whoever the chowder belongs to, is that there is obviously a connection to fishing and making use of what was plentiful from the villages along the French and Cornish coasts to America.

There's plenty of room for everyone to take a share!

Loop the Loop: Training Days

Remembering the invention tests keeps me in the “Cordon Bleu training days” and so, whilst we're on the subject of soup, here's another :

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 onion, finely chopped

225g mushrooms, finely sliced

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp flour

1 litre of milk or vegetable stock

120ml double cream

grated nutmeg

chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and black pepper

Sauté the onion and mushrooms in the butter. Cook slowly with a lid for 10 minutes. Add the flour. Pour on the liquid. Simmer for 15/20 minutes. Season well. Add the cream.

If you wish you can purée the soup if you prefer a smoother texture.

A tip or two for mushroom soup. You can use mushrooms that are past their best – they have a great flavour. A drop of either dry sherry or red wine enhances the flavour of mushrooms – in soups and in sauces – my personal favourite is the dry sherry, but don't be too heavy handed.

The ladle trick. If you are ladling soup, dip your ladle ¾ full, lift out of pan, count to three – hey presto - no drips.

These days we live in a world where we expect perfectly formed, pristine fruit and vegetables, sadly to achieve this result they are “forced” i.e. grown artificially, the result of which is there is little or no flavour. I have a vibrant memory as a child on holiday with my family. Grandad Jack went mushrooming every morning – some days slim pickings, others not. I can still smell those mushrooms cooking and mouthwatering - you bet!

By the way - DON'T PICK MUSHROOMS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

Here's a thought - if you live near a market selling fruit and vegetables, check out whether you can get hold of a box of mushrooms – I say box, it actually is a basket shape made out of cardboard. Weight-wise probably about 1–1.5kg. Usually these mushrooms are a bargain because they are not what we'd call Grade 1 – in other words past their best.

Turn that box of mushrooms into a stock and freeze it – freeze it in small amounts – it's much more convenient. Freezing intensifies the flavour and you can use the stock for soup or a mushroom sauce. If you're a lover of steak then a mushroom sauce is a perfect partner.

The “Jaws” moment, or ...

Loop the Loop

“just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” …... later the same week as the invention test, here comes another. Unlike the previous challenge, this time the core ingredients were raw – leeks, celery and onion. I apologise for the dramatic film quotation – it just seemed to fit!

I had a “light bulb” moment and the ingredients brought to mind Vichyssoise soup. The previous challenge produced a soup with texture and I wanted to produce a smooth soup. Classically a Vichyssoise “style” fits the bill – a smooth, thick soup made with leeks, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. Most people think of Vichyssoise served cold and indeed it is usually – but it can be served hot too. This is not a classical version it's more a “thinking on your feet, variation on a theme” version.

Here's the result :

Soup de Ssoise

(i.e. not quite Vichy!!!)

One old potato, 2 leeks, remains of a bunch of celery

- approximately 4 sticks and one medium onion

One litre of chicken stock + half a litre later, when thickening

As with the previous invention test, Knorr Touch of Taste was used

but Knorr stock pots would work well

Large pinch of Marjoram

Large pinch of Fines Herbes

Salt and black pepper.

Glug of rapeseed oil

Peel the potato, cut into cubes. Peel the leeks, celery and onion - chop finely.

Sweat the leeks, celery and onion in rapeseed oil with the herbs and salt and pepper until softened. Add the stock and the cubed potato and simmer until the vegetables are cooked – they should retain texture.

Blend until smooth, taste, and adjust seasoning. Blend your soup in batches. To achieve a smooth consistency you may have to blend more than once. Test with a dessertspoon spoon. In each blended amount, dip the spoon into the soup, when removed the back of the spoon should be coated with a lump free liquid. Blend again to achieve the smooth consistency if necessary.

The finished soup should be thick and smooth.

As seems to be the case these days, there seems to be conflict as to who invented Vichyssoise - the jury is most definitely out – French or American – if I were a gambling person, my money would be on French probably because the history seems to lean that way but don't take my word for it!

I hope I get a point or two, or at least a smile for the title of the soup – never take yourself too seriously!