In the Bag: Cooking the Month of September

Scott over at Real Epicurean is hosting this month's 'In the Bag', the montly food blogging event where you create inspirational dishes using the seasonal ingredients we put in the bag. And what better ingredients for September than fruits and nuts, which are in abundance? You can choose any combination for any dish and once you've created it you just need to head over to Scott's to enter.

Roast Belly of Pork, Mashed Potato and Savoy Cabbage

I’m sitting here at the desk in my study looking out of the open window that overlooks the garden. It’s a beautiful morning and the trees in the gardens beyond ours are bathing in diluted sunshine. Every now and then they’re disturbed by the breeze blowing through them, like children running past dozing grandparents, and they shoo it away with their rustling. They’re starting to yellow at the edges but for now they’re more green than gold, as the weather this weekend is more late summer than autumn. But still, the telltale signs of are there, the most notable, aside from the turning of the leaves, being the early morning and late evening drop in the temperature.

Last night’s dinner was most definitely an autumnal one. It was the kind of warming, comforting meal that makes you welcome the change in season and the darker, longer nights with open arms. I slowly roasted a slab of pork belly in chicken stock and water with some root vegetables thrown in to flavour the pork and the liquid. To accompany it I steamed some Savoy cabbage and made buttery mashed potato to soak up the juices from the pan. It was late when we ate and the warm glow from the lamps that permeated the room, the dogs sleeping soundly in their beds, and the simple, honest food made me curl my toes with unadulterated pleasure. In that moment there were no worries and no cares; everything was right with the world.

The Sweetest Sin

There’s a fine line between pleasure and addiction. So fine in fact that you often don’t know you’ve crossed it until it’s too late. And this evening I’ve realised I’m so far over the line that I can't see it anymore. It’s time to confess.

It all started one sunny lunchtime a month or so ago when I went to Marks and Spencer for some lunch. As I stood in line waiting to pay for the virtuous salad I’d chosen I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me want to look a little closer. It was right there in the stands those evil supermarket managers put close to the checkouts in order to tempt you as you wait to pay. I took in the pink, plastic packet and ran my eyes over the word on it. As soon as I took it in I look away again quickly, guiltily. Marshmallows. Marsh. Mallow. What a delicious word. The queue moved on and I moved closer; my eyes darting back and forth to them. My mind worked quickly. Marshmallows. Full of sugar. A thing of childhood. Not for adults. I couldn’t. The line moved on again and I was close enough to reach them. I thought of their soft, airy textures. I thought of their sugar content. I thought of their pink and white fluffiness and their sweet taste. The queue moved again and I passed them. I had to make a decision. If I delayed they’d be out of my reach; which of course would be a good thing. Yes, a very good thing. OK, so my mind was made up then: I wouldn’t buy them. The queue was about to move on again. And in that moment I panicked and quickly snatched a packet.

So there I stood, salad and marshmallows in hand, wondering guiltily if anyone had seen. I wondered what the cashier would think. But it was ok, I told myself, I’d take them back to the office and share them with my colleagues. Yes, they would eat most of them, I would have done a good deed and I would have nothing to feel guilty about. After all, one or two little marshmallows could do no harm...could they?



But as it happened my colleagues didn’t eat that many of them; they clearly had more self restraint than me. At the end of the day I was left with a good half a packet. Well, I just had to fold it over and take them home with me, didn’t I? I mean, I couldn’t just leave them there going sticky. They could be a hazard. They could….attract mice! Yes, they could attract mice. It was my duty to take them home. And so it was that I sat on the train home and ate half a packet of marshmallows. My God, I’d forgotten just how good they are.



Of course now I can’t pass the marshmallows in Marks and Spencer without picking a packet up (and of course they’re always near the tills so I always pass them and I always pick a packet up). OK, so I know what you’re thinking: just boycott M&S and their underhand 'in your face' marshmallow tactics. Well it’s not that simple because they’re EVERYWHERE. Well ok, not everywhere exactly, but certainly in every sweet shop I just happen to find myself in (just happen to, you understand; it’s really not intentional). Not only that but I’ve seen James Martin making them on UKTV Food and, let me tell you, watching the very lovely James Martin make marshmallows is enough to make any girl’s heart beat fast enough to make her faint. Oh. My. God. He pours the thick, liquid marshmallow mixture into a baking tray heavily lined with a snowdrift of icing sugar and I start to shake and crave my next hit.



So you see there’s nothing to be done; I can’t be saved now. I’m far too gone down this sinful road of sugar. All I can hope now is that I can save you all from the same fate. Run, run, as fast as you can, away from branches of Marks & Spencer and away from the sweetshops. And if you do ever come across an innocent looking pink or white marshmallow don’t even think about it. Because it only takes one squidgy, sugary, melting mouthful to have you hooked.

If you need anymore convincing of the dangers let me show you what haunts a marshmallow addict's dreams:

A Feast of the Literary Kind

I have a few books to share with you today. It’s that time of year of course, when lots of new books are released and, let me tell you, we’re really being spoiled on the foodie front.

Firstly, very exciting news for those who don’t already know, Nigella Lawson has a new book due out next month! And it is surely the ultimate in food porn for us home cooks – a book completely dedicated to Christmas! My heart is all of a flutter. I'm about to pre-order it but I just can't wait - it’s so exciting! Goodness, only a Nigella book about Christmascould bring about so many exclamation marks in one paragraph.



Next up is Jamie Oliver, targeting the ‘can’t cook, won’t cook’ market with 'Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours'out on 2nd October. Gordon Ramsay is inviting us round to eat at his table with 'Cooking for Friends: Food from My Table'due out on the 15th September, and Rick Stein is going 'Coast to Coast'next month.

One of the many nice things about obsessing over cook books and writing a food blog is that you sometimes get sent new books to take a look at, like 'The Edible Mushroom Book'I was sent recently. There seems to be a bit of a fad for mushroom books lately. I can’t say I’ve actually flicked through any of them so can’t compare them with this one, but can only review it in its own right. It’s a cute, hardback book with thick, full colour pages in a handy A5 size for carrying around as you explore the wilderness in your hunt for edible mushrooms. It’s a concise book with a visual guide to the different varieties, identification notes, and then a page long information page on each type. There are details on where to look, how to pick and, most importantly, the poisonous ones to avoid. The second part of the book is full of cooking methods and recipes. A great little book and the perfect present for foodies and mushroom lovers.



Finally I must tell you about a little trip down memory lane I’ve recently taken. My mother in law gave me some old cook books to take a look at (aren’t mums and mum in laws great for that sort of thing?) and one of them was ‘The Dairy Book of Home Cookery’. Some of you must remember this book; the milkman (remember him?) sold it on his rounds back in the 70s and 80s. I distinctly remember my mum’s copy, which I don’t think she has anymore, and looking through it as a child. Flicking through my mother in law’s book and looking at the pictures has brought the memories flooding back. It’s a really good book, packed with traditional recipes along with then-contemporary ones, and the great news is that there are used copies on sale at Amazon.co.uk. I remember the scones and the Victoria sandwiches, the risottos, the pastries and the biscuits. And then there was the stuffed peppers, the banana splits and the crown roast of lamb decorated with cherries (yup, cherries) and cutlet frills. Ahh retro cooking at its best! Prawn vol-au-vent, anyone?