"It be reet"

That's the phrase de jour at the moment in these parts. Initially it was a phrase uttered daily, but now it creeps into conversation up to two or three times at every tea break chat. "Who utters is?" I hear you cry and "Why, pray tell?" and for those of you who do not live in close proximity to the Yorkshire border "What on earth does that mean?". To answer, in order, (I like order):

- it is Big Al (our very lovely builder's) favourite phrase

- because the build is not yet finished but it will be, oh yes, and very likely this year

- a translation would be "do not fret my dear, everything will be alright, fine and dandy. Be assured that one day soon you will have actual running water, central heating and there will no longer be a gale force wind blowing through the holes I made in the wall"

Whilst a positive person who can usually find the bright side in most things even I am struggling to with this. Before you start tutting and decrying me as a drama queenie queen I wish to put forward the evidence.

Exhibit A (wow that takes me back) my rather lovely kitchen. The slightly jaunty angle of the sink may be seen as a design feature in some circles but does not exactly make washing up easy). You can see that even Cooper, the bandy psycho serial killer puss looks slightly perturbed). Making dinner know is a rather complex process involving utilising the dining room (which currently has half the bathroom fittings in it), the living room and on occassion the hallway. Lovely.

Exhibit A: Boho chic?



On the bright side I am becoming quite the little expert in one pot cooking.

Exhibit B the bathroom, well this is of course the true shocker. Discovered just after midnight on return from a trip to Dublin. In terms of toilets I have always been of a slightly sensitive disposition. This girl doesn't do camping or portaloos and whilst environmetally conscious and a lover of eco friendly housing don't even say the word compost toilet unless you want me to break out in hives).

The toilet had been moved to where the new one would be and the sink removed, yes removed as in no sink. I think its then that the panic attack started (breath, remeber to breath). The old toilet waste pipe which I have to say looked slightly crusty was still there, oh joy, giving us an interesting air conditioning system (aka howling gale). The skylight will be lovely of that I have no doubt, but it is unnerving to have a breeze coming through (it plays havoc with a girls scented candles humph) and the occassional plopping sound from manky bits of plaster dropping into the bath bubbles causes me to sulky pout (which isn't good for a girls wrinkles).

Exhibit B bathtime au naturel



It actually doesn't look as bad as it truly is, but out of shot is manky waste pipe, which I have put a bag over to kill some of the breeze coming through, which unfortunately has created a sort of mini bagpipe type thing. Trust me it is a little unnerving when you are happy on the throne and a gust of wind inflates the bag. I may draw a little face on it to make it friendlier.

Bright side, people pay thousands for the hot/cold buzz of the hammam an effect which can be acheived by simply stepping out of my bath into the breeze. Equally mud baths are very de rigeur and platers plopping into the tub is similar right?.

As for the heating system, at the moment we're still shovelling coal, good for the abs obviously but hardly glamorous. Still I must confess I do like a nice coal fire, very cosy.

But don't worry people because "It be reet".

Speaking of which, I guess I should make more tea. Strong enough to stand brushes in appears to be the preference and I may also hand over some of the choccies (Miniature Heros) not the Creme Egg twisted ones though (yum), ooh and I do like the Twirl's too - but otherwise I will share.

I know in the end it will in fact "Be reet" in fact and don't worry I won't be "avin a Benny".

TTFN xx

Feeling cheesey

Cheese for me has always been a very special thing. Let's face it as a vegetarian there are few culinary joys in life (in the minds of meat eaters anyway). For me though cheese has always been a source of comfort. My dad used to make me cheese and pickle sandwiches (with the crusts cut off) when I was little, (not a big cook my dad but most engineering types aren't as a rule). He also introduced me to the chip and cheese butty of course which in the true spirit of pushing the boundaries I evolved to include chilli sauce and mayonnaise. As an aside which just popped into my head I also discovered that the best vinegar for application to homecooked chips is that taken out of the pickled onion jar (Mamma Clowes got me into that one).

Macaroni cheese I remember being a massive revelation, (the Midlands during my childhood were not exactly a hotbed of cosmopolitan eating you see) but I remember being truly happy with my first one, eaten at a Bernie Steakhouse if I recall correctly. To this day it is still my comfort food of choice for those rubbish days when its dark and grey and the coal man hasn't delivered and the dog's decided to investigate the dirtiest ditch in the dale and the cat of course has decided to bring me a semi dead sparrow as a special present).

I could go on forever about cheesey oatcakes (a Staffordshire delicacy) of oozing cheese and onion loveliness which never fails to conjour up home, scuffed knees and scratches from tree climbing and wanting to dash out again to make a den with childhood chums. Listen to Kate Nash's Pistacchio Nut poem and you'll get the same vibe.

Cheese scones (another recipe from the ever fabulous and sorely missed Miss B). Cheese fondue with the girlies after far too much chardonnay and cabernet, those fondue forks can be slightly tricky when a little too much vino has been inbibed.

More recently happy memories of Borough Market perusing a yummy selection and thinking its nice to know there are other people as nutty about cheese as me.

Lincoln I must admit is a hotbed of cheesy loveliness with its Farmers markets, numerous purveyors of cheese and the fabulous Cheese Society which is a wonderful place to people watch and wonder about what people do.

Before I run the risk of driving evryone nuts on the subject of cheese it may be best to end this post, especially as I am now pondering cheese and trucklement combos, a debate that could go on for hours. Here however is my favourite recipe for a particularly lovely cheese souffle. I like it with watercress salad drizzled with a balsamic dressing (sorry if that makes me sound pretentious I'm not) and buttery new potatoes on the side.

I'm off shortly as I have a sudden craving for cheese on toast, with brown sauce on the side. Even the though of it makes my mouth water.

So here is the recipe, for Double Baked gruyere cheese souffle
Double Baked Gruyere Cheese Souffle

Makes 10 (approximately) depending on the size of the ramekins – but they freeze really well

Ingredients:
8 fl oz full fat milk
8 fl oz double cream
4 oz cornflour
3 oz butter
4 eggs whole
4 eggs – separated/whites whipped
500g Gruyere cheese - grated
2 heaped tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter to grease ramekins

For Sauce per soufflé

2 fl oz double cream
Dessertspoon grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
•Butter the ramekins and sprinkle the insides with grated Parmesan. Put a baking dish filled with hot water in the oven at 180oC ready to cook the soufflés in a hot water bath (bain marie)
•Gently melt butter in large non- stick pan and stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually add the milk & cream mixture until you have a thick sauce.
•Add grated cheese to mixture and stir over gentle heat until the sauce is smooth. Put to one side and cool slightly.
•Stir in beaten whole eggs and extra egg yolks. It may look like it has separated at this stage but keep going!
•Whisk up egg whites and gradually fold into the mixture.
•Season to taste.
•Finally add chopped parsley and stir through gently.
•Gently fill ramekins to the top with the soufflé mixture and bake for 20 minutes at 180oC until brown and well risen.
•Allow to cool and then turn out onto a tray. The soufflés can be frozen at this stage or kept in a fridge for 2 days.

To Double bake:
•Turn the soufflé out into an ear dish, the brown top on the base of the dish.
•Pour enough double cream over the soufflé to come to about ½” up the soufflé.
•Sprinkle the whole dish thickly with grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 180oC for about 10-15mins or until the cream thickens and the soufflé is nicely glazed.
•The soufflés can be cooked from frozen, but allow an additional 15-20 minutes in the oven to ensure that the soufflé is completely hot.
•Serve with a green salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.


I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and maybe raise a toast to me, your absent friend as you enjoy this little dish one winters eve

Scruffy's favourite chocolate brownies

Here's a recipe for a certain scruffy dogs favourite chocolate brownies. They were actually birthday brownies for my dad and don't worry she only got a tiny bit.

Ingredients
• 375 g soft unsalted butter
• 375 g best quality dark chocolate (I like the Lindt 85% stuff myself)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 500 g caster sugar
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300 g chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Line your approx 33 x 23 x 5 1/2cm brownie pan with foil or baking paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy based saucepan.

In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.

Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.

When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour.

Beat to combine and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes.

When its's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey.

Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

The Magic of Mushrooms

This little discovery made me smile, so I hope it does that for you too. On a recent walk with scruffbag I came across a field filled with mushrooms. They hadn't been there the day before but suddenly, as if by magic they had appeared overnight. Glistening little white domes, littering the field as if sprinkled on from on high.

For some reason mushrooms alwasy make me smile, they seem such improbable things that don't quite look real. I suppose I remember them from kids cartoons, the Magic Roundabout and Chorlton and the Wheelies spring to mind. (I never bought into the toadies being evil in Chorlton by the way, always thought they were being manipulated by that witchy Fenella). Well anyway, I suppose for that reason they make me smile.

Mushrooms of course are rather lovely to eat too, big juicy portobello ones with garlic and butter and parsley. Or tiny button ones just fried in butterall dripping juices over buttery toast. Yummy. Far too risky to try eating these of course, good heavens knows whether they're the edible sort or the type which may have effects on me which whilst I'm sure would be pleasant may cause the neighbours to talk (and we can't have that now can we!).

Of course I had to scamper off (slightly confused scruffbag in tow to get the camera) and then (much to aforementioned dog's bemusement) happily snapping away lying in the mud.

So here they are, a little selection of my mushroom snaps. I hope they make you smile too x

>Mushroom, with an intersting cloud behind ;-)



Experimenting with colour saturation for a spacey effect :-)




Aaah mushrooms, easily pleased me!

Dubin and the supermassive Muse

There's always been something wonderful about Dublin for me, like going home. I suppose that's because in some ways it is. So a recent visit back was just what I needed to raise a smile. We stayed at Dylans, a lovely hotel no doubt but filled with staff who look like they should be on the cover of Vogue at the very least. Yes indeed a tad intimidating for someone like me, who frankly resembles something that's been dragged through a hedge backwards and slapped more than a few times with the ugly stick. Still, a couple of medicinal cocktails got me through the first evening.

The next day was spent happily wandering around the city with regular stops for Guiness (well a girl has to keep her iron levels topped up, lunch at the ever lovely O'Neills and of course a couple of hours listening to the Guitarman at the Temple Bar Inn.

It didn't really matter that it rained, because we were rewarded with a lovely rainbow.



Muse at the O2 were fantastic, an explosion of colour and sound filling the arena and an excellent set covering all my favourite tunes from the ever fabulous Supermassive Black Hole to Uprising. A truly excellent night.



Topped off with a chilli chocolate martini at the Morgan which has still got to be one of my favourite places for a cheeky cocktail or two.

Saturday was another day of wandering around, visits to Brown Thomas and Avoca to window shop. A visit to Bewleys off course and a trip the the National Gallery where my favourites were a portrait by James Hanley and the lovely works of Paul Henry capturing the beauty of Ireland.

This little entry in no way does justice to the wonderful Dublin, but I guess I'm feeling distinctly flat today, an overshaken bottle of lemonadey kind of week, lost my fizz.

xoxo