Nigella Lawson's London Cheesecake

I said on my food blogger's welcome dinner post that this cheesecake is my standard one. There’s a very good reasons for this; quite simply it’s fantastic. Totally and utterly. It tastes wonderful and the texture is perfect, creamy and velvety. It never fails to impress, friends and family love it and Rob asks for it more than any other dessert I make. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Nigella, thank you, you are my heroine.

Click here for the recipe

Lamb Shanks

I used 2 lamb shanks when I made this but you could use the same quantities for 4, as this makes plenty of sauce.

Brown the shanks in olive oil over a high heat, then remove and set aside. Add to the pan 2 celery sticks, 4 shallots or a small onion and 2 carrots all roughly chopped, along with 4 peeled garlic cloves.

Cook the vegetables until they start to take on some colour then put the shanks back in the pan. Now add a tablespoon of flour and stir well, then pour in half a bottle of good red wine and add 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf. Add 500ml of beef stock and season well. Bring to the boil then reduce the temperature right down to barely a simmer. Put a lid on and either cook on the hob on the lowest heat or in the oven at about 150c for about two hours, turning the shanks occasionally.

When the lamb is almost falling off the bone remove it and then sieve the liquid into a pan and discard the vegetables and herbs. Now simmer the liquid to reduce it to a sauce and serve with the lamb.

Christmas Is coming

The signs that Christmas is fast approaching are all around. The shops are bustling and full of decoration and gifts, our family are sending gift lists to and fro, yesterday saw the launch of our ‘Secret Santa’ in the office and today I had an email from a friend telling me that it’s only 34 days until Christmas. Oh yes, you read that correctly. I did a double take too.

So, love it or hate it, it really is that time of year again. Personally, I love it. I embrace Christmas fully and still see it through the eyes of my childhood. My Mum used to make our house up like Santa’s grotto, full of tinsel, paper chains, balloons and twinkling lights. The anticipation and excitement was fantastic and has stayed with me.

This year, however, the buzz seems to have passed over me and I haven’t been swept up in it yet. I’ve not really felt the excitement. Perhaps it’s age, or walking through Oxford Street every day on my way to and from work and having to fight my way through endless crowds - surely that’s enough to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.

But today I started to go with it. I popped into a supermarket for a few everyday bits and came back with chestnuts, clementines, brandy laced mince pies, a Christmas edition of a food magazine and a tin of goose fat. How did that happen? Yes, yes, I know. I’m weak. I think I’ll go and console myself with a mince pie.

Simplicity At It's Best

Light, fluffy eggs sprinkled with seasoning and just-cooked to perfection, folded over to encompass melting cheese and sautéed vegetables. Who can resist?

Omelettes are one of the simplest meals you can make. They are quick, filling and versatile. Have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serve them simply as they are or dress them up with herbs, cheese, mushrooms, bacon, peppers, or whatever takes your fancy. The possibilities are endless. Whip up a simple cheese omelette for an unexpected visitor when the cupboard is bare, in no time at all. Serve an omelette with a little rocket and a glass of white wine and you have a rather wonderful dinner with a touch of class.

Lightly combine 2 or 3 eggs with seasoning and pour into a hot non-stick pan containing oil and a little butter if you like. Butter on its own will burn at high temperatures so it’s always best to use it with a little oil too. Pour the egg in and wait a few seconds for it to fluff up around the edges. Now drag the edge of the omelette into the middle of the pan and swirl the pan around so that the egg that is still liquid fills the gap and the bottom of the pan is covered in egg again. Do this a few more times if necessary. I use a wooden fork for this purpose, so that I don’t scratch my pan.

When the bottom of the omelette is set and lightly golden, take the omelette off the heat (the egg will continue cooking so don’t worry if it’s still a little liquid on top) and add your filling, if you’re using it, to one half (today I used grated parmesan and sautéed peppers). Then fold the other half over and slide onto a plate. Enjoy.