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!