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A Slice Of Cherry PieA Slice Of Cherry PieA British food blog. To me, cooking and good food is about comfort, pleasure, indulgence, relaxation, looking after body and mind, creating a home and welcoming friends. Articles
In the Bag: Christmas Special
2009-12-09 23:55:00 Whoo hoo, we're back with another bag! My co-host, Scott, has been away for a while, busy with his gorgeous new baby girl (I think we'll let him off) but he's back on the food blogging scene and all fired up to host an 'In the Bag' Christmas special. This month's special bag contains:CranberriesClementines, mandarins or satsumasNutsHead on over to Scott's for the entry details. Happy cooking! More About: Special
November 2009 Book Update
2009-11-29 10:28:00 If you follow me on Twitter you'll have heard lots of tweets over the past few months about the development of 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' the cookbook, along with various conversations and banter with my publisher 'Absolute Press' who are also now on Twitter (www.twitter.com/absolute_press). You’ll therefore probably have a fair idea of where I am with the book, but I thought it was about time I updated everyone on the blog and gave a little more insight into the publishing process and the journey I'm on, as I know so many of you are interested this aspect.So, where am I? Well the manuscript, which is in fact called a typescript these days but that’s far less romantic so I’ll stick with tradition if you don’t mind, has been completed and sent off. But have I left it alone? Not in the slightest. I keep reading and re-reading it, making little amendments here and there, and then I print it off, read it again on the train on the way to work, and make yet more amendments. "I... More About: Book , Update
Thanksgiving Thoughts
2009-11-25 22:30:00 Thanks to this blog, Facebook and Twitter I have had the fortune of being able to communicate with so many wonderful people in America who, although we've never met, I consider my extended friends. It's to all of you who I dedicate this post to and wish you the happiest of Thanksgiving s.Someone who messaged me today on Twitter said "Julia, I know you do not observe Thanksgiving in the UK, but I'm sure you see the beauty of the celebration. I wish for U happiness!". And they were spot on; although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here I am thinking of all of you who do. Thank you for reading, befriending, following and being there xTurkey and Cranberry ParcelsThese little parcels are quite delicious. The crispy, flaky filo pastry gives way to reveal an unctuous, gooey turkey filling with sweet, plump cranberries and a mild cheese taste. Perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration.Serves 2 as a main meal and 4 as a starterOlive oil400g turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces2 shallots, finel... More About: Thoughts
For the Love of Crumpets
2009-11-22 00:55:00 Who doesn't love a good, hot, buttered crumpet?I'm talking about the snacks, you naughty things.English crumpets are irresistible at any time of the day. They're great smeared with Marmite for breakfast, topped with fried, scrambled or poached eggs for lunch, or served with a little honey or jam for afternoon tea. They're one of those foods that are like a great big culinary hug; especially good for a grey, drizzly day.Crumpets are similar to pancakes but more like a bread - they're made with yeast - and they have a sponge-like texture with deep holes in the top; perfect for soaking up delicious butter as it melts into them.But back to the innuendoes. I could forgive you for thinking bad thoughts when you read the first sentence of this post, crumpets are, after all, just full of smutty and comic possibilities. Just think of their hot, rough tops slathered in melting butter that oozes over your lips and dribbles down your chin as you bite into them. OK, I'm sorry, I'll stop.... More About: Love
Discover the Origin - Winner Announcement
2009-11-15 00:55:00 Thank you to everyone who entered the 'Discover the Origin' competition to win a fabulous hamper. Earlier today I put the name of everyone who entered into a hat and pulled out the winner......Claire Packham!Many congratulations Clare. More About: Announcement , Winner
Embracing Autumn
2009-11-08 23:55:00 I do love this time of year. The colours outside are so incredibly beautiful, it's sometimes hard to believe that they come from nature and not a painter's palette. On my morning walk to the station my path is carpeted with russet leaves and the tree outside my office window has slowly turned through greens, golds and reds over the past few weeks. We've been blessed with blue skies and bright sunshine on some days and seen darkening grey clouds and rain on others. It's been a glorious autumn.As the nights draw in I like the gradual retreat back indoors, the closing of the curtains, the pulling out of the blankets and the lighting of the candles. It's time to snuggle up in oversized jumpers and read classic books. And I've started one of my favourite autumn and winter hobbies: jigsaws. I can lose hours on a Sunday afternoon pondering over the pieces as the rain hits the window.The festivities of Halloween and Bonfire night bring fun for children young and old. Little witches a...
Farewell Floyd: The Round-up
2009-11-01 22:33:00 James and I have had such a hard time choosing three winning entries from all the fantastic ones that came in for our tribute to Keith Floyd, the 'Farewell Floyd' food blogging event. We asked you to cook a classic or adapted Floyd recipe or a recipe of your own design inspired by Keith Floyd. Here's a round-up of all the posts:'White Onion Soup - A tribute to Keith Floyd' from Annes Kitchen'Chicken Breast with Beetroot Sauce - Farewell Floyd!' from Maison Mattmoo'Keith Floyd tribute: Welsh rarebit makeover' from Weekend Carnivore'Shrimp, Mango and Ginger Stir Fry' from Apple Crumbles'Floyd's Tabbouleh' from A Wee Bit of Cooking'Farewell Floyd' from The Princess and the Recipe'Keith Floyd's Beef Bourgignon' from Them Apples'Farewell Floyd - Jambalaya' from Foodycat'Farewell to Floyd' from Jo's Kitchen'Chicken Tagine with Butternut Basmati Rice' from Pan Gravy Kadai Curry'Coq au Vin - A Tribute to Keith Floyd' from Anyone for Seconds?'Kenyan Goat Feast - ... More About: Round Up
Chilli Beef and Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry
2009-10-25 22:50:00 Now that the clocks have gone back and the night's are drawing in it's time to turn up the heat and spice up our evening meals.Serves 4Approximately 1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped,2 garlic cloves, crushed500g beef steak, sliced into bite sized pieces100g tenderstem broccoli6 baby courgettes, sliced3 spring onions, sliced100g oyster mushroomsA handful of beansprouts (optional)400g fresh egg noodles1 tablespoon dark soy sauce1 tablespoon light soy sauceA few drops of toasted sesame oilHeat a wok over a high heat until very hot then pour in a little vegetable oil. Add the chilli and garlic and stir fry for a minute then add the beef and stir fry if for a minute or so until browned.Next, add the broccoli to the wok and stir fry it for a few minutes then add in the rest of the vegetables and stir fry everything for a further 2 or 3 minutes.Finally, add the noodles to the wok, along with the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, and stir fry them, mixing... More About: Chilli , Beef , Broccoli
Discover the Origin and Win a Hamper
2009-10-22 14:00:00 'Discover the Origin' is a new three year campaign, led by the European Union, Italy, France and Portugal, designed to raise awareness around five key European products: · Parma Ham· Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese· Burgundy· Port· Douro Valley winesThese products all carry a guarantee of their provenance and quality: the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Parma Ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, AOC for Burgundy wines and DOC for Port and Douro Valley wines. These guarantees are defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods, so if you see these labels on any food or drink products you can be sure of their authenticity and quality.Certainly 3 of these products are regulars in my kitchen: Parma Ham (a favourite of Rob's, in particular), Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese and Port, the latter 2 being must-haves for me as I use them so regularly in cooking (and I do enjoy the odd tipple of Port, especially when the weather turns colder!).A few ...
Farewell Floyd
2009-10-18 22:36:00 James and I have been getting lots of brilliant entries into our 'Farewell Floyd' food blogging event. For my own part I decided to cook Keith's Welsh Rarebit. It's certainly a classier version of cheese on toast and well worth the extra effort.The closing date for the event was yesterday but we've decided to extend it for a week after Absolute Press offered a fantastic prize: a copy of the recently republished 'Floyd's Food' - Keith's first ever book - for the best 3 entries. Absolute Press published this very first book of Keith's after its founder, Jon Croft, met him in his restaurant in Bristol and collaborated with him on the book. I feel very proud and humbled to be working with the very same publisher who will be printing 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' next year.To be in for a chance to win a copy of 'Floyd's Food', pour the wine, get the pan out and cook up a tribute to the one and only Keith Floyd. Closing date Sunday 25th October. For more details click here click ...
Changing Seasons
2009-10-10 22:42:00 Autumn seems more glorious than ever this year. Summer is lingering a little longer than usual, stopping to have a dance with autumn, leaves falling through bright, golden sunshine as they twirl together, before it leaves us for another year. On the last weekend of September it was so warm and sunny that Rob and I took off in the car with our old dog Charlie and a small picnic and drove to spot near Lullingstone castle. It was late afternoon when we arrived and we watched the sun set behind the trees as we lay out on the rug. It was quite perfect.But at the start of this week it felt like autumn had truly taken hold. We had grey, rainy days and cold evenings, prompting the turning on of the central heating and the lighting of candles to keep us warm and snug. Yet the week is ending on a sunnier note. Today I’ve been out in the garden, sitting on cushions on the old, weathered bench, mug of steaming Earl Grey tea in one hand, Nigel Slater’s new book, 'Tender: A Cook and His Vege... More About: Seasons , Changing
Does your Cooking Deserve an AA Rosette?
2009-09-28 21:40:00 I'm very pleased to be able to tell you that 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' and the 'UK Food Bloggers Association' are sponsoring an exciting cooking competition from the AA in association with Galvin at Windows. The competition, aimed at talented amateur cooks, is in two stages: first, participants create a recipe from a list of ingredients chosen by Chris Galvin and André Garrett of Galvin at Windows, second, eight finalists - selected by AA inspectors and Chris Galvin - meet for a final cook-off to be judged by Chris, André, Gary Rhodes and AA inspectors. The winner will receive an AA Rosette award plate, a break in France as a guest of Pommery Champagne, and the opportunity to cook with Chris and André. Interested? Find out more on the competition website. More About: Cooking
Falling Leaves
2009-09-23 22:13:00 Isn't Autumn the most wonderful time of year? It's so interesting, with so much change and something new happening wherever you look: on the trees; in the ground; in the weather; on the landscape. As sad as it is to say goodbye to summer there's a sweetness in saying "hello" to a new season and a new chapter.There's a lot of newness about autumn. There's the new school term, with children changing classes or starting school for the first time with new books, new uniform, new pens and new pencils. Even now I love new stationery; there's something nostalgic and exciting about the smells of blank exercise books waiting to be written in, felt tip pens, new rubbers and pencil lead. Then there's a whole new wardrobe to worn, with new colours and new fashions for the season. Even if you're dusting off last year's coat, scarf and gloves they feel new, having waited patiently through the spring and summer until this time when they're pulled on once again. And new boots; I have to h...
Farewell Floyd: Food Blogging Event
2009-09-17 23:24:00 In place of this month's 'In the Bag' I've teamed up with one of the newest bloggers on the block, James from Back to the Chopping Board, to bring you a food blogging farewell to Keith Floyd.James came up with the brilliant idea of us all cooking a meal in tribute to the much-loved chef and so between us we've come up with this event, which we hope you'll all want to be a part of.So, here's the idea:Cook up either:- a classic Keith Floyd recipe- an adapted Keith Floyd recipe- a recipe of your own design inspired by, and in tribute to, Keith Floydthen blog about it, with a link back to this post and James' post, then we'll do a round up at the end.Email: farewellfloyd@googlemail.comClosing date: 17th October 2009UPDATE: Closing date extended to 25th October and the best 3 entries will receive a copy of the newly re-printed 'Floyd's Food ', courtesy of Absolute Press.Have lots of fun and don't forget to raise your glasses to Keith. More About: Event , Blogging
A Final Farewell to Keith Ffloyd, Legend of the Culinary World
2009-09-15 21:52:00 I was very saddened by the news today that Keith Floyd has died of a heart attack at the age of 65. Back in the 80s the flamboyant, one-of-a-kind television chef breathed new life into cooking shows with his fantastic, somewhat eccentric, personality, taking the stuffiness out of cooking and making it fun and accessible. He was much loved by the culinary world and will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.Here's a clip of classic Floyd in action, courtesy of the BBC: More About: World , Final
The Tail End for the Cook
2009-09-13 23:04:00 Despite the name, these days oxtail doesn’t necessarily come from an ox, it can come from any beef cattle. The name is, however, reflective of the part of the animal it comes from: the tail. But don’t let this put you off; it’s incredibly tasty and meaty and if you didn’t know what it was and you ate it off the bone you’d think it was no different to any other cut of beef, except perhaps more flavoursome.I’d never cooked oxtail - never even come across it as far as I can remember - until the other night and now I can’t wait to catch my next tail. It has the most deliciously intense, beefy flavour that you wouldn’t believe and the gelatine in the bone gives you a wonderfully gelatinous broth full of heart and soul. If you’re looking for comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather this is the real deal.I started off making a stew with my oxtail but the broth was so good I decided not to reduce it down and turn it into a soup. All it took was some slow bubbli... More About: Cook
In the Bag: Cooking the Month of August, the round-up
2009-09-07 23:09:00 In August we turned up the heat with chicken, chilli and garlic. Here are your entries.London Foodie in New York:Yum in Tum:Going with my Gut:Gin and Crumpets:Gastronomical G-spot:Back to the Chopping Board:Apple Crumbles:Thanks so much to everyone who took part. More About: Cooking , Round Up
Ship Ahoy!
2009-09-03 22:53:00 When I was invited to the inaugural celebrations on board a new cruise ship I was somewhat hesitant. Cruises have never appealed to me; the thought of being ‘stuck on a boat’ for weeks has never been my idea of a good time, particularly as I can barely swim (and even then only in shallow water) and I have an, let’s call it uneasiness on rather than outright fear of, the open sea when I can’t see land. Especially at night (shudder). So not exactly the ideal candidate then. Nevertheless, I saw this as a good opportunity to leave my preconceptions behind, get a grip on my irrational nervousness and see just what these cruise ships were like. And I was intrigued by the invitation to dine at the chef’s table; just what would this floating restaurant be like? So with blow up life belt packed in my overnight bag and scenes from ‘Titanic’ pushed firmly from my mind I stepped on board for an overnight sail.The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the ship. With 16 d...
Sneak Peak at the Cookbook
2009-08-31 21:49:00 I thought I'd share with you one of the recipes from my forthcoming book. I hope you like it! Watermelon, Blueberry and Mint SaladThis is a sweet yet refreshing salad, quite lovely when the sun is shining. The orange flavour is fairly subtle, you probably wouldn’t even taste it if you didn’t know it was there, but it helps to bring out the flavour of the watermelon and blueberries and gives them a delicately sweet, glossy coating.Serves 4-61/2 watermelon200g blueberriesJuice of 1 orange2 tablespoons of caster sugarA handful of fresh mint leaves, choppedUsing a sharp knife carefully remove the skin of the watermelon. Chop the flesh into bite sized pieces and put it into a big bowl along with the blueberries.Heat the orange juice and sugar to bring it up to a boil and then gently simmer it, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by half and is a little syrupy. Allow it to cool and then pour it over the fruits, tossing them to cover them all in it. You can serve the salad straigh...
Checking In
2009-08-22 21:07:00 I’ve been conscious that it’s been a while since my last blog post but I was rather taken aback when I saw that it’s been almost two weeks. Where on earth has the time gone? It’s most definitely time for a quick update.Aside from being incredibly busy at work, I’ve of course been working hard on the book, writing and testing recipes and weaving them together with words in the chapters. The other day I printed out the manuscript, or rather, typescript, as the Art Director at Absolute Press pointed out to me that it's now known as (sorry Matt!) and as I read through it I, dare I say, quite liked what I'd written. Not all of it, naturally, and the pen was busy with crossing out and adding words, but nether the less I felt that this was a book in the making that I, at least, would like. And I guess that's the best I can do. I'm something of a perfectionist and as such I'm my own worst critic, so this was a rare and nice moment for me.I have more blog posts somewhere in th...
In the Bag: Cooking the Month of August
2009-08-09 23:19:00 This month's bag is full of heat, even if the British summertime isn't. What can you come up with using these ingredients?ChickenChilliGarlicEntry DetailsMake a dish using the ingredients and blog about it then send an email with ‘In the Bag in the subject line to asliceofcherrypie AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk by Monday 31st August with the following information:your namea link to your posta picture of your dish RulesHere are the loose rules - but ultimately remember the objective is to have fun whilst highlighting seasonal food: 1. Participants should attempt to use all the ingredients 'in the bag' for that particular month, but may leave one out if they prefer. 2. Participants can include any extra ingredients that they see fit. 3. Entries should include a link back to the host for that month, and the post should be tagged "In the Bag". 4. Entries can be written any time during the month, as long as the URL is emailed to that month's host before the closing date. 5. Particpants f... More About: Cooking
Swirling Caramel
2009-08-02 22:35:00 I’ve been making lots of delicious caramel lately, whilst testing recipes for my forthcoming book. Caramel is made by heating sugar until it melts and takes on a deep amber colour. There are two ways of making it: wet and dry. Wet is heating sugar and water together and dry is heating just the sugar. I’ve been using the dry method.Making caramel can be a tricky business but I’ve learned that if you follow a few golden rules, if you’ll forgive the pun, you’ll have little trouble with it. It’s a great thing to know how to make and it can transform desserts into quite spectacular dishes.Golden rule # 1Be careful and never touch or be tempted to taste hot caramel.Caramelisation occurs when sugar reaches around 170c - much higher than boiling water - and it can quickly get a great deal hotter, so never take your eyes off sugar or caramel that’s on the heat. Caramel sticks to everything, including skin, and is scalding hot so will burn you terribly. It will spit and splutter...
In the Bag: Cooking the Month of June - The Round up
2009-07-27 22:52:00 Last month's bag was quite a challenge with its contents of mint and watermelon. But these bloggers rose to it with some great dishes:eCurry:Breakfast Lunch Dinner and Punch:Apple Crumbles:We also had a suggestion for a cocktail from AbbieAsadi on Twitter: "Hi Julia. My suggestion for the monthly ingredients: watermelon, mint and vodka for cocktails, maybe a dash of sugar syrup or classic sorbet." I love the sound of watermelon, mint and vodka cocktails, anyone fancy giving it a go? More About: Cooking , June , Round Up
July 2009 Book Update
2009-07-22 01:55:00 An update on how my book is going and my thoughts and advice on the publishing process.Part 1Part 2 More About: Book , Update
An Encounter with a Lobster
2008-06-09 00:13:00 I feel I should warn you, out of respect for my more sensitive or vegetarian readers, that this post is about cooking a live lobster and it is rather frank in places. I won?t be offended if you choose to skip it.I?m a real seafood lover, I love shellfish in particular and lobster is probably my favourite. I say probably because these days I?m having a wonderful love affair with oysters, of which I can?t get enough. But this post is about lobster, not oysters and so I won?t go down that road this evening. Loving lobster as I do, and being such a passionate home cook, it?s only natural that I would want to cook it. It?s something I?ve thought about on and off over the years but what?s stopped me from doing so, up until now, is the fact that lobsters have to be cooked live or immediately after killing because, like all crustaceans, they deteriorate rapidly. For the same reason it?s preferable to cook a lobster rather than buy a ready cooked one as the texture of the flesh changes very ... More About: Lobster , Seafood , Encounter
In the Bag: Cooking the Month of May - The Round up!
2008-06-04 00:30:00 We had a great selection of gorgeous asparagus recipes submitted to May's 'In the Bag' event. Go check them out over at Scott's blog! More About: Cooking , Round Up , Round , Month
England Meets Italy...Nom, Nom, Nom!
2008-05-30 08:55:00 When Walid from TrustedPlaces asked Sara and I if we would like to participate in a fun Cook-A-Thon that would bring together bloggers (food and others), TrustedPlaces members, food photographers, everyday cooks, chefs, food journalists and media personalities we were thrilled. The event, organised by TrustedPlaces and Annie of Going Underground, would be similar to MasterChef and teams would compete to create a 3 course meal to be judged by a panel of expert judges. Eek! We were even more delighted when we found out that we would be teamed together. We know each other through our blogs and met last year on the Gastro Tour of Borough Market also organised by TrustedPlaces.Having signed-up for the cooking-fest the next step was to decide what to cook. The rules were simple: cook a three course meal for four people in two and a half hours. We would have 1 and a half hour?s use of the cooker and at least one of the dishes had to be cold and uncooked. Being in different countries it was... More About: England , Italy
An Apple a Day gets Thrown Away
2008-05-25 00:25:00 Well actually 4.4 million* to be precise. That's 4.4 million whole apples thrown away every day in the UK. Pretty shocking, isn't it? According to research* a third of the food we buy is thrown away. I'm sure many of us are often guilty of buying too much food, letting it sit in the fridge and then throwing it out, I know I am.I've been thinking a lot about recycling lately; my borough has recently introduced an improved recycling system whereby householders are encouraged to recycle everything they can, supermarkets are charging for plastic bags and our carbon footprint is in the news more than ever. When it comes to our food waste recycling is great, but even better to cut down on the waste in the first place.The "Love Food Hate Waste" campaign aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce the amount of food that we throw away, and how by doing some easy and practical things in the home we will benefit our purses and the environment. The campaign is run by WRAP, who is also re... More About: Apple , Thoughts
Asparagus, White Wine and Crème Fraîche Linguini
More articles from this author:2008-05-19 23:50:00 Ingredients2 shallots2 garlic clovesA glass (about 300ml) of white wine4 heaped tablespoons of crème fraîcheEnough linguini for two people12-16 asparagus spears (depending on thickness)SaltBlack pepper1. Simmer the linguini in boiling salted water2. While the linguini is cooking finely chop the shallots and crush the garlic and fry them in a knob of butter for a few minutes3. Add the white wine and allow to sizzle so that the alcohol burns off4. Stir in the crème fraîche and simmer until it thickens and reduces by about half5. Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus and slice each spear into bite sized pieces. Add the asparagus to the sauce, put on a lid and cook for just a couple of minutes until the asparagus is cooked6. Once the linguini is cooked drain it and stir it into the sauce. Season to taste.Serves 2 More About: Vegetables , Wine , Pasta , White , Asparagus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
