Frozen in Time

Britain under a blanket of snow and ice. Photographs taken on Sunday 10th January 2010.

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!

It's a New Day, It's a New Dawn

Well actually, it's a new decade. Welcome to 2010! On New Year's Eve I caught a little of the BBC's run down of the last 10 years (at least, I think it was the BBC, things were getting a little hazy at that point) and as I watched scenes from some of the key events - the Sydney olympics; September 11th; the end of Concord; The Spice Girls reunion (humour me); the election of President Obama - I simply couldn't believe how quickly the years have gone by. A reminder, perhaps, to cherish each and every moment because they will be gone in a flash.

Every year just after midnight on New Year's Eve I open the front door of whichever house I happen to be at (this year it was my own, the past few at my cousin's) and I let out the old year and let in the new. It's a quaint little tradition and one that I'm really rather fond of. There's something quite therapeutic and philosophical in that little act. I thought I'd extend that to this tiny piece of the worldwide web that I call my own and where I spend so much of my time. So, in a metaphoric act of opening the door to let out the old year and let in the new, here's a look back through the last 12 months on 'A Slice of Cherry Pie'.

January



I started the year with a skiing holiday in the Austrian alps with Rob and friends. We had a wonderful time, enjoying the scenery, the snow and lots of good food.

A Week in the Austrian Alps Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3


February

In February I was able to share with you my very good news; that I had secured a book deal to write my very own cookbook based on this blog. I was in for an exciting but busy year!

'A Slice of Cherry Pie': The Cookbook


March



These incredibly fruity jellies that I made for February's 'In the Bag' event were so good that I've included them in the cookbook.

Pomegranate and Passion Fruit Jellies


April



I adore duck eggs and use them all the time. They have a larger, richer yolk than hen eggs which is perfect for dipping asparagus soldiers into. What a way to celebrate the start of the British asparagus season!

Soft Boiled Duck Eggs with Asparagus Soldiers


May



In May Rob and I enjoyed a fun bike ride with my cousin, his wife and our Goddaughter.

(Not-So-Famous) Five go on a Bike Ride


June



June saw the UK Food Bloggers Association take on a stall at the Covent Garden Real Food Market with different bloggers running it through the summer.

First Day at the First Ever British Food Bloggers Stall

July



Last year I branched out further into video blogging and in the height of the summer I made a short movie showing how to make Pimm's. In the same blog post I shared a spicy Chorizo and New Potato Salad.



If You Can't Stand the Heat...


August



In August I got to grips with the sticky business of making caramel.

Swirling Caramel


September



September saw a first for me; getting hold of oxtail and making a delicious soup with it. I've made it many times since and I've included the full recipe in the cookbook.

Tail End for the Cook

October



October saw another video, this time of my favourite seaside town, Whitstable.

Whitstable


November



In November I gave you an update on where I am with the cookbook and an insight into the publishing world.

Book Update


December



My 'In the Bag' co-host, Scott, from Real Epicurean, came back in December to join me for another 'In the Bag' food blogging event, after taking some time out spent with his new baby girl.

In the Bag: Christmas Special


Here's to the next 12 months! Happy new year to all of you, may it be full of health, happiness and prosperity.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

The presents are wrapped and under the tree, the turkey is sitting in the fridge and the ham has been cooked and glazed. I've change into my pyjamas and am about to watch 'The Polar Express', as I have on the last few Christmas Eves (it's becoming something of a tradition). But before I do I wanted to write a little Christmas post.



This Christmas Eve we're missing a much-loved pet, our little Benji, the dog we lost earlier in the year to cancer, but we still have our old dog Charlie, and we've welcomed a new family member to our home, Ben, the bounding and loveable 9 year old labrador who we adopted only a few weeks ago. We love our dogs dearly and they bring a lot of fun, happiness and warmth to our home.



Christmas is a time for family and friends, whether they be furry ones or not, and as I sit here I'm thinking about those who we've lost and those who are still with us. No matter what's going on in our lives, no matter how hard things sometimes are, when we have loved ones, be they near or far, we really are truly blessed. As Clarence, the guardian angel, wrote to George in that very special film, 'It's a Wonderful Life', no man is a failure who has friends. And to all of my friends I wish a peaceful and very happy Christmas.