Snow Days

Unless you've been underground with no access to television, newspapers or the internet for the past few weeks you don't need me to tell you that the UK has been experiencing something of an ice age with snow and ice causing widespread disruption, some misery, but also, let's be honest, lots of fun!





I absolutely love the snow but when you have to travel anywhere, as most of us do, whether it be to work, to do the school run, to stock up on food, it can make the journey quite horrendous (particularly if you have to rely on public transport, I might add). Even so, whilst I've not enjoyed that aspect of it, I've still loved seeing the thick flurries of snow falling as the snow piles up deeply outside, the beauty of the winter wonderland we now find ourselves in, and snugging up warmly and cosy indoors on the freezing cold evenings. I've been surviving on hearty soup, roast dinners and hot chocolate with rum. It's been tough.



On cold, snowy days you want proper, hearty food to warm you up and keep you insulated, and what better than slow roasted belly of pork? It certainly did the trick for me last night, along with some delicious Puy lentils.



Slow Roasted Belly of Pork with Puy Lentils

Belly of pork is, as you would expect, cut from the underside of the pig and is used to make streaky bacon and the Italian pancetta. It's also the cut that spare ribs come from. It is a fatty cut but when you roast it slowly over a few hours most of the fat renders away leaving you with wonderfully succulent and flavoursome meat.

Serves 4

For the Pork
A large slab of belly of pork, approximately 1.5kg, skin scored
200ml Marsarla
300ml chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, halved and sliced
A sprig of thyme
Sea salt

For the Puy Lentils
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g Puy lentils
500ml chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 230c.

Pat the skin of the pork dry and then rub it generously with sea salt. Put it into a roasting tray and into the oven for ½ hour. After this time add the Marsarla, chicken stock, garlic, onion and thyme to the tray and turn the oven down to 150c. Cook the pork for a further 2½ hours. You shouldn’t need to top up the stock during the cooking time but check it once or twice and if it does run low top it up with a little more stock or water.

If the cracking isn't as crispy as you would like at the end of the cooking time carefully cut it away from the pork, turn the heat back up to 230°C and put the crackling back into the oven to crisp it up.

Start making the lentils about 20 minutes before the end of the pork cooking time. Drizzle a little olive oil into a pan and heat it over a low medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté it for a minute then add the lentils and chicken stock, along with a little of the liquid from the roasting tray the pork is in. Bring the stock up to the boil and simmer the lentils for approximately 20 minutes, until they are al denté – still with a bite in the middle – and then drain them of any excess liquid.

Serve slices of the pork on a bed of the lentils.

Note: the lentils with the pork are very filling so you don't really need a large amount, but if you prefer more simply double the recipe.


There, that will warm your cockles. And when you're full up and warm through and you've rested for a bit, you can go back outside and play in the snow!

If you Can't Stand the Heat...

...make a jug of Pimm's and a Chorizo and New Potato salad.



Wow, what a scorcher it was last week! Temperatures hit the 30s, official health warnings were issued due to the heatwave and the UK was declared hotter than the Mediterranean. It was fabulous at the weekends and even the brief shower we had on my birthday barbecue didn’t spoil things: we just made a dash for the house carrying plates of food and cutlery while a few of the boys picked up the garden parasol and brought it over the barbecue to shelter under while they finished cooking the sausages. Us Brits have become experts at dealing with rainy barbecues; you have to in this climate.

But despite the shower still the heat didn’t let up. The trains to and from work were roasting and even with the windows open it was hard to sleep at night; my poor dog was panting and drinking lots of water.

So meals were light and drinks were refreshing, with plenty of Pimm's on offer. I made a how-to video for you to take a look at, not that you need it, it's so simple to make:



And I enjoyed this Chorizo and New Potato Salad I cooked up for lunch one day, it was perfect for the Mediterranean heat.

Chorizo and New Potato Salad

Serves 2 as a main meal, 4 as a starter

400g new potatoes
120g uncooked chorizo, diced
1 red pepper, diced
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
A handful of rocket
Sea salt

Cut the potatoes into equal sizes, or keep whole if very small, and boil them until tender. Once they’re cooked drain them and set them aside.

Fry the chorizo over a medium heat until it releases its oil then turn up the heat a little and add the peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Fry the mixture, turning it as it cooks, until the potatoes turn golden and the chorizo is cooked through.

Put the new potato and chorizo mixture onto plates then top with the rocket and sprinkle over some sea salt.


But as the good old British summertime goes, we’re now back to rain. And with the wind blowing up outside today you could be forgiven for thinking it was a sunny Autumn day. Anyone for hot chocolate?

The Galvin Cup Cocktail Extravaganza

On Monday 15th June I had the honour of helping to judge The Galvin Cup, the cocktail mixology competition organised by Galvin at Windows and hosted at The Dorchester Hotel. The competition saw competitors in two categories, professional and student, mixing up their own creations in order to win first place and some fantastic prizes, with the top one being £1,000 and the silver Galvin cup.



It was a hard afternoon’s work for me, which started after a rather fabulous lunch with my fellow judges, who included Salvatore Calabrese, Silvano Giraldin, Peter Dorelli and Chris Galvin himself, and then moved onto the taxing task of tasting lots of delicious cocktails. OK, it wasn’t that much like hard work.



It was, however, an extremely difficult task to judge the cocktails. The talent and hard work that had gone into each was clearly evident. Each contestant had to create a vodka martini and then a cocktail of their own choice and I was really blown away by the creativity and excellence on display. I could quite happily have sipped cocktails all afternoon and into the evening but to avoid a messy exit and monster hangovers we used straws to taste the cocktails and had just a few drops of each. We also rotated so that we only tasted 3 cocktails in a row, to avoid killing our taste buds and finding the judging even harder than it already was.

















All of the contenders, both professional and student, were incredible but at the end of the day there could only be two winners and they were:

In the professional category, Riccardo Semeria of The Connaught



In the student category, Jeoffrey Anthony Warmerdam-NHTV



Many congratulations to them both, and thank you again to Chris and Fred for inviting me to help judge the competition.

Think English Summer, Think Pimm's

After the snow in April we now have a heat wave in early May. It’s all very bizarre but I’m not complaining. For a start I’m enjoying lunching in the garden, slathered in sun cream; wearing sandles and strappy tops; and having every window in the house flung wide open. I’ve also enjoyed my first Pimm's of the season; a bottle picked up on my way home from work yesterday and poured into a tall glass with lemonade, ice, fruit and mint.

Pimm’s is surely the quintessential English summer drink and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s wonderfully refreshing with a hint of spiciness and is absolutely delicious laced with summer fruits and mint. And here’s a random fact for you; it was the very first alcoholic drink I had as a married woman! We said our vows on a gloriously hot summer’s day in June on the terrace of a beautiful Kentish house in front of our friends and family. We signed the register and then descended the steps onto the green lawns and were offered the most welcoming glass of Pimm’s I’ve ever had. I’m smiling now just thinking about it.

For the perfect summer Pimm’s fill a glass with ice and pour in 1 part Pimm’s No 1 with 3 parts lemonade (which I forgot in my haste and excitement last night, so my cocktail was a rather large 1 part Pimm’s to 2 parts lemonade...cheers!). Mix well with a stirrer and add a sprig or two of mint, some cucumber if you like (although I don't usually), and pieces of fruit such as lemon; apple; strawberries; orange. Or better still mix up a large jug-full and take it into the garden to enjoy with friends.

Wake up and Smell the Coffee

The British cuppa this tea-loving nation has always been famed for has grown out of favour in recent years with the rise and rise of the American-originated coffee shop. Coffee is now the number one fix of the bleary-eyed London worker - count the number clutching lidded cups of it during the morning rush and the percentage of those with is highly likely to be higher than those without. Skinny; wet; triple-shot; tall, there’s something to suit all tastes. And now we’re even buying our very own espresso makers so that we can get the real thing at home. You can see the attraction; it hits the spot, it wakes you up, and it tastes good too. But what exactly is all this coffee doing to our bodies?

The affects of caffeine on our health is often brought into question and many hours of research has gone into scientific studies to establish just how bad, or good, it is for us. But Jasmine Willis, 17, carried out her own unintentional study with horrifying results. The teenager drank seven double espressos, thinking they were single shots, in just four hours, resulting in her overdosing on caffeine and being rushed to hospital. Her symptoms included crying and laughing uncontrollably, palpitations and hyperventilation. Thankfully she is fully recovered but the experience has left a bad taste in her mouth, if you’ll excuse the pun. So remember, dear reader - everything in moderation, everything in moderation.

Super Pomegranate Juice!

Not only are pomegranates beautiful and sweet, but with their juice bursting with antioxidants and vitamins they are hailed as one of the ‘superfoods’. Studies show that pomegranate juice helps to combat prostrate cancer, decreases the risk of heart disease and is better for you than red wine, orange juice and green tea. Of course, with claims like this it's widely popular and has a cult celebrity following. And in addition to the fantastic health benefits, the juice is light, refreshing and could be quite addictive - particularly if served over ice through the long, hot summer days.

Tea for One

I’m not a big tea drinker. I don’t like heavy, strong teas and I can’t stand tea with milk. But the one tea I really do like is the light and aromatic Earl Grey. A few years back I was very much into aromatherapy and it was the essential oil of bergamot in Earl Grey that enticed me.

Rob is a fan of the stronger English Breakfast tea, which he likes milky with sugar, so we have opposite tastes where tea is concerned. To make things easier and to accommodate our different tastes we use tea bags. Most mornings I have coffee anyway.

But every now and then I like to indulge in a small pot of loose Earl Grey tea. I bought myself a pretty china ‘tea for one’ pot which makes me feel rather elegant. I like the ceremony of counting out the spoonfuls of tea into the pot, pouring on the hot water, stirring it, popping the lid back on the pot and leaving the tea to brew. I feel like I’m winding back the years and embracing the very English tradition of making and drinking real tea. On these occasions I like to sit back in the afternoon with a book and the tea pot on a table beside me, taking a little time out to be still whilst sipping the soothing drink and inhaling its beautiful scent.

A Recipe to Evoke the Spirit of Christmas

Ingredients
A slab of good chocolate
Contreu or brandy
1 Cinnamon stick
Sugar
Pyjamas
Bed socks
1 blanket
A Christmas film such as ‘A Christmas Carol’

Recipe
1. Put on pyjamas and bed socks.

2. Pour a mug full of milk into a pan and heat slowly.

3. Add squares of the chocolate to taste, the cinnamon stick and a generous dash of contreu or brandy.

4. When the chocolate has melted and the milk has heated through pour the hot chocolate into a mug.

5. Add a little sugar.

6. Put the film on.

7. Wrap self in blanket and sit back with the hot chocolate.

Can You Keep A Secret?

Lately I’ve been having a little indulgence of an evening. Not every evening. Oh no, that wouldn’t be right. Too often would spoil it; it wouldn’t be as special then. No, this is something for every now and then. A delicious little treat just for me when the night draws in and I turn the lights down low.

In actual fact it started back in the summer. One of my good friends bought me this little something for my birthday. She saw it and thought of me. Oh how well she knows me!

I thought it was one of those one-off special editions, so imagine my delight when I saw it on the shelves the other week. I just had to have it.

So, are you ready to hear what it is? OK.

May I present to you - Marks & Spencer Chocolate Ruby. ‘An opulent red fortified wine infused with natural chocolate essence'.



Oh my, this is good. It smells wonderful; I love to inhale it deeply. And better yet, it tastes every bit as good as it smells. It’s sweet, chocolaty, deep and warming. Perfect for after dinner.

A small glass is enough as a little goes a long way, and it will keep for up to a month, so you can push the cork top back in and put it away like a hidden treasure until the next time.

The label on the back of the bottle tells you all you need to know ‘An opulent ruby red dessert wine with luscious berry notes layered with natural chocolate flavouring creating the perfect marriage of food and wine’. Who can resist a description like that?

I wanted to share my secret with you so that you can have a little of this indulgence too. But shhhh.....don’t tell anyone.....some things are best kept to yourself.

Change With The Weather

Yesterday was an unseasonably hot, balmy day with beautiful blue skies and a light breeze. London was lit up with sunlight and I had a very pleasant walk to the office in the morning. It was one of those days that makes you feel so very alive, and in love with the city. But by the evening the wind was picking up and there was change in the air. Today it rained non-stop until late afternoon, in total contrast to yesterday.

The reason for this unusual weather is that the UK has caught the tail end of hurricane Gordon. And it seems that I too was caught up in this change.

I made a rather impulsive decision today and had my long hair cut short. I’ve only ever done this once before when I was a child so we’re talking a very big change. It’s very different and I’m getting used to it but I think it really suits me and overall I’m loving it. I feel like a new woman!

In order to keep some consistency in this whirlwind and to celebrate my new look, I’m now kicking back with the music channels and a drink I started making myself this summer - Crème de Framboises (raspberry liqueur) topped up with cava. Cheers.

The Ultimate Hot Chocolate

I’ve tried a lot of hot chocolate drinks. Cadburys, Green & Black's, Galaxy, Charbonnel & Walker. They have their place but for the ultimate in luxury you can't beat the real thing.

Simply melt squares of your favourite chocolate in a pan of warm milk. Add a dash of brandy or your favourite liquor for a grown-up version. Try whipped cream and grated chocolate for decadence, cinnamon for spice, honey or vanilla sugar for nursery sweetness, or even a dash of orange flower water for scent.

Sit back and enjoy.