It's not the most perfect crusty loaf, but it's all mine for the munching! Jam and bread for lunch!
(Recipe; https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-white-loaf)
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It's not the most perfect crusty loaf, but it's all mine for the munching! Jam and bread for lunch!
(Recipe; https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-white-loaf)
Was it here I saw Ching-He Huang's name mentioned recently? Her book Asian Green has come on my radar and trying to decide whether to invest - are her recipes usually successful and delicious? I don't eat nearly enough Chinese and Chinese-adjacent food even though a lot can be easily veganised or is already vegan.
Bisous <3
Bisous <3
That looks awesome! I haven't baked bread in so long, but there's something so satisfying about it.
Thank you! I caught it at it's best angle, it got a bit too crunchy on top
(I proved it overnight in fridge came out really good)
I use pretty much the exact same recipe - looks like you’ve mastered it!
That books looks good! I've used a couple of Ching He-Huang's recipes before but it might have been even pre-vegetarianism. I learnt most of what I know about Chinese cooking from Ken Hom (specifically Ken Hom's Illustrated Chinese Cookery from 1993). Ching He-Huang and Ken Hom actually did a fascinating four part documentary series together in 2012 called Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure which it looks like at least the first episode is available on dailymotion.
Ching used to be on a show with James Cracknell’s wife (Taste I think) and she was lovely on that. The show with Ken was also really informative. Is her husband vegan? I think he might be and her cooking might have altered slightly since.
She is definitely (not H definately
) high on the cooking fangirl stakes. Ina is high priestess obviously.Ooh I will try and check that out. I'm liking that the book includes seitan/tofu as some of the focal points and I am very tempted to pick it up*. Its all very well chucking either of them on top of a dish to up the filling/protein but its so much better when they are intended to be integrated. Having essentially never eaten meat I don't actually have a great understanding of when to add a veg equivalent to a recipe and have to guess if I'm adapting and sometimes it is...not good
*Along wth the Masala Lab and book about veggie recipes from Himchal Pradesh (me, chasing a dish that I will never recreate since 2017)
Now that you mention it @Into_the_tunnel I'm sure I read something recently about Ching's husband being vegan. I used to watch a lot of Barefoot Contessa with my mum who was scandalised by the amount of butter in Ina's recipes. Now she watches it by herself and waits until the next time I see her to say 'she made a pasta dish and GUESS HOW MUCH CREAM WAS IN THE SAUCE???'. Then she tells me about Ina's bridge night or whatever the occasion in the episode is. In return I tell her about the latest slop we've slagged off which now that I think about it doesn't seem a fair trade.
In response to the MT and somebody using a tin of chopped tomatoes as a sauce just wanted to share a simple tomato sauce I do. I've mentioned before I suffer from chronic fatigue and unfortunately in the past have lived off tinned soup, toast, fruit (tinned, fresh and frozen) with Greek yogurt.
One meal I regularly fall back on now is pasta and tomato sauce. I can make a better tomato sauce, frying onions etc. This one is still tasty and good enough when my energy is low.
My easy tomato sauce (4 portions)
Add two tins of chopped tomatoes to a large non stick frying pan. Heat until bubbling then reduce to a medium low heat. Add garlic (I used frozen chopped garlic, about 1 tablespoon) and about a tablespoon of olive oil or about the same of butter. I also add a couple of bay leaves, 2 tsp of oregano, a veg stock cube and black pepper.
Cook for about half an hour until well reduced, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
About 20 mins into the cooking time boil around 300g of your chosen pasta, cook for the time suggested on the packet, when done use a mug to remove about half a mug of pasta water, drain pasta then add to the tomato sauce. You can use some of the starchy pasta water if you think the pasta/sauce combination is a bit dry.
I usually stir in some grated parmesan/Italian hard cheese and serve extra cheese on top.
Extra portions last in the fridge a few days and also freeze well.
ETA I also add chilli flakes
One meal I regularly fall back on now is pasta and tomato sauce. I can make a better tomato sauce, frying onions etc. This one is still tasty and good enough when my energy is low.
My easy tomato sauce (4 portions)
Add two tins of chopped tomatoes to a large non stick frying pan. Heat until bubbling then reduce to a medium low heat. Add garlic (I used frozen chopped garlic, about 1 tablespoon) and about a tablespoon of olive oil or about the same of butter. I also add a couple of bay leaves, 2 tsp of oregano, a veg stock cube and black pepper.
Cook for about half an hour until well reduced, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
About 20 mins into the cooking time boil around 300g of your chosen pasta, cook for the time suggested on the packet, when done use a mug to remove about half a mug of pasta water, drain pasta then add to the tomato sauce. You can use some of the starchy pasta water if you think the pasta/sauce combination is a bit dry.
I usually stir in some grated parmesan/Italian hard cheese and serve extra cheese on top.
Extra portions last in the fridge a few days and also freeze well.
ETA I also add chilli flakes
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I'll put this here instead of MT but I''m watching Chetna Makan's aloo paratha video and I'm almost crying (see previous pages as maybe can blame my whacked out hormones?) she's filming it with her Mum and translating and there is so much warmth. I have a very soft spot for a Mum guest spot on a video (hey Ranveer Brar)
Afternoon Fraus! Really interesting mini grunk. Thank you all for sharing.
Totally OT but was wondering if any cabal members out there had a go-to recipe for carrot cake?
My fella is visiting this bank holiday weekend and I want to make us one. Ideally one that doesn't need to stay in the tin or isn't as dry as a Nun's chuff (i.e a Jack Monroe cake)
You are my food gurus and I know this would be better if this were in F&D but I don't go there
Totally OT but was wondering if any cabal members out there had a go-to recipe for carrot cake?
My fella is visiting this bank holiday weekend and I want to make us one. Ideally one that doesn't need to stay in the tin or isn't as dry as a Nun's chuff (i.e a Jack Monroe cake)
You are my food gurus and I know this would be better if this were in F&D but I don't go there
@Emmapism - the Paul Hollywood ultimate carrot cake recipe (on the Delicious magazine website) is lovely. Not massive fan of his, but his recipes work.
Ooo. Me. I do. I was sad for a minute because I've packed a load of my recipe books away, including the one that has the best carrot cake recipe in it, but I've remembered I've posted it in F&D before. So, with no extra typing effort, here you go.Afternoon Fraus! Really interesting mini grunk. Thank you all for sharing.
Totally OT but was wondering if any cabal members out there had a go-to recipe for carrot cake?
My fella is visiting this bank holiday weekend and I want to make us one. Ideally one that doesn't need to stay in the tin or isn't as dry as a Nun's chuff (i.e a Jack Monroe cake)
You are my food gurus and I know this would be better if this were in F&D but I don't go there
Recipe for an 8" round cake tin.
150g self raising flour
150g plain flour
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp bicarb of soda
175ml vegetable oil
200g soft light brown sugar (muscovado is best but normal light brown sugar is also fine)
4 eggs
100ml golden syrup
450g grated carrot
75g chopped walnuts or pecans (I prefer pecans, but you can make your own choices)
Preheat oven to 170c (GM 3). Grease your tin.
Sift flour, spices and bicarb into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs and golden syrup.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together (just with a wooden spoon is fine) until combined. Stir in the carrots and chopped nuts. (Note here: sometimes I also add a handful or so of raisins, which I've soaked for a while in hot water to plump them up, because I have a lot of people who like raisins to cater for).
Spoon/pour mix into tin. Bake for 1hr 35mins, a skewer in the centre should come out clean. I would check after 45/50 mins as it has quite a high sugar content so the top can catch. If it looks v brown when you check it, then a bit of tin foil over the top of the tin will stop it going any further.
Once it's cooked. Leave in the tin for 10-15 mins until it's cooled a little, then cool completely on a wire rack (ideally a wire rack, but let's not get too hung up on that).
I split the finished cake and fill and top with either lemon buttercream, or cream cheese icing (recipe here, but I would sub a couple of tbsps of lemon juice for the vanilla: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/best-ever-cream-cheese-frosting/). Either way, I like them very lemony.
If you do the cream cheese one, then it will need to be kept in the fridge before eating.
150g self raising flour
150g plain flour
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp bicarb of soda
175ml vegetable oil
200g soft light brown sugar (muscovado is best but normal light brown sugar is also fine)
4 eggs
100ml golden syrup
450g grated carrot
75g chopped walnuts or pecans (I prefer pecans, but you can make your own choices)
Preheat oven to 170c (GM 3). Grease your tin.
Sift flour, spices and bicarb into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs and golden syrup.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together (just with a wooden spoon is fine) until combined. Stir in the carrots and chopped nuts. (Note here: sometimes I also add a handful or so of raisins, which I've soaked for a while in hot water to plump them up, because I have a lot of people who like raisins to cater for).
Spoon/pour mix into tin. Bake for 1hr 35mins, a skewer in the centre should come out clean. I would check after 45/50 mins as it has quite a high sugar content so the top can catch. If it looks v brown when you check it, then a bit of tin foil over the top of the tin will stop it going any further.
Once it's cooked. Leave in the tin for 10-15 mins until it's cooled a little, then cool completely on a wire rack (ideally a wire rack, but let's not get too hung up on that).
I split the finished cake and fill and top with either lemon buttercream, or cream cheese icing (recipe here, but I would sub a couple of tbsps of lemon juice for the vanilla: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/best-ever-cream-cheese-frosting/). Either way, I like them very lemony.
If you do the cream cheese one, then it will need to be kept in the fridge before eating.
Thank you 
Oooh, looks good - I got a bit addicted to the Tesco Easter carrot cake muffins and am devastated that they're not around any more, so might have to try that.
Eighth set of twins arrived at 10pm last night. In theory I have one more ewe to lamb and then about five days with no one due, but they don't necessarily read the vet textbooks What I'm now really excited about is it looks like some of the older lambs are starting to change colour - as they grow, the Shetland influence is coming through and their fleeces are changing. Been trying and failing to get a good picture of one who now definitely has fawn legs, but a couple of the others are showing signs of colours coming through as well.
Eighth set of twins arrived at 10pm last night. In theory I have one more ewe to lamb and then about five days with no one due, but they don't necessarily read the vet textbooks
What I'm now really excited about is it looks like some of the older lambs are starting to change colour - as they grow, the Shetland influence is coming through and their fleeces are changing. Been trying and failing to get a good picture of one who now definitely has fawn legs, but a couple of the others are showing signs of colours coming through as well.
I think it’s Loppy and 406, Nibbles just rides their woolly coat tails
@Falkor Nibbles, Loppy and 406 are they a throuple? Sorry for calling you in the middle of lambing, Diva magazine needs to
Do anyone else's cats bring them live bees as presents or am I just unlucky?
yes! I am terrified one day she will end up being stung in her mouth
, on the plus side she is good at catching flies wwhich is useful in summer when they are in my flat - Status