#43 Butterflies

An apology

Firstly, I owe you all a massive apology for an error I made in last week’s newsletter. I made a typo in the flatbread recipe, listing 1 TBSP of baking powder instead of 1 TSP. I meticulously check my recipes each week, Mum then reads over my articles, and I correct them based on any errors she notices. I was MORTIFIED, (albeit slightly relieved that I noticed it very shortly after posting the newsletter so could amend the online version), to see that I had listed the wrong measurement, and am so sorry if anyone made said flatbreads and ended up with… well, presumably a VERY well risen and potentially slightly bitter tasting bread situation. Anyway, as I said, I have now edited the online version of the recipe, and sorry again for any inconvenience caused!

… A sky full of stars

Secondly, Coldplay - they were bloomin BRILLIANT! I kinda hated the build up - there were obviously a LOT of people there, which felt overwhelming - and, ahem… when did concerts become quite so LOUD? (I know, I know, I’m so old, but my ears ACHED), it was also a right palaver getting away, BUT, whilst the band were on stage… I was completely mesmerised by the whole spectacle - oh, and I really want Chris Martin’s trainers! Whether you are a Coldplay fan or not, if you ever get the opportunity to go and see them, YOU MUST; it’s an experience you won’t forget! Favourite song… tough one, probably ‘Fix You’…. wait, I’m not committed to that selection, loads of their songs are epic! Oh, and one final magical moment on Saturday evening was the moon - I’ve never seen it looking so radiant!

Week 23 of 2023…

As for this week.. I’ve had butterflies. I don’t mean literal butterflies, although that sounds quite fun, but the tummy type, and I’m not quite sure why, which has made it all the more frustrating. It’s been a low level, ‘scary things are going to happen to me’ and ‘I’m useless/everyone hates me’ unsettled feeling, which has been a pain in the bottom to put it mildly.

In fairness - I do believe I had significant reason to feel nervous on Monday morning when I unscrewed the lid of my new tin of Illy coffee (I’m an Illy coffee virgin by the way) to find it had a second ‘ring pull’ lid, and thus presented a potential finger severing situation. I ended up using pliers to get the lid off because I had visions of serving up finger tasting coffee which didn’t appeal. Serious question, WHY on EARTH do Illy use this method of sealing their tins? Surely there is a better, less hazardous, method? Anyway, the coffee tasted good, so I’ll forgive them, and be grateful that I still have 8 fingers, (2 thumbs), remaining. I was, however, victim of a cottage cheese pot attack - I somewhat savagely used my finger to extract every last morsel of cottage cheese from a pot, and in doing so managed to lacerate the same finger that I almost lost to the coffee tin. It was a surprisingly bloody affair despite not being an especially bad cut. Honestly, there’s jeopardy everywhere you look!

Besides dodging finger fate, I’ve also, (not for the first time this year), lacked the enthusiasm and motivation to do ANYTHING, I’ve flip-flopped around ideas, recipes, reasons to put myself down, and worrying about all of the above. Then when I have eventually approached a task, it’s taken more than one attempt because I’ve been distracted or made mistakes along the way. I guess I’ve just slipped back a little into my ‘pit’, and I’m not overly pleased with myself for doing so.

As a consequence, I also have very little to report; I’m embarrassed and ashamed to say that this week has been a bit ‘empty’ - also very probably the reason why I’ve not been feeling too chipper. Nevertheless, as I sit here and reflect on the past few days… there are a few things I am extremely grateful for.

Some little nuggets of joy:

• A chat with pastry chef, (and wizard), Sarah Johnson about her career and profession, how it works in professional kitchens and the possibilities out there. Sarah was utterly delightful, but I must admit, I was somewhat overwhelmed to hear just how intense the job is - the hours are insane, and obviously precision is paramount, so to say it’s ‘high pressure’ is an understatement. Nevertheless, I’m keen to maybe see whether it’s something I would enjoy in the future, so may dip the nail of my little toe into the environment at some point, and see what I think… if I can muster some confidence to do so… watch this space.

• I had messaged the hotel that Mum and I used to Holiday at in Gran Canaria over on Instagram with possibly the most random question EVER... with hindsight I’m *slightly* embarrassed but hear me out. Basically, as the weather has been milder, I’ve developed a real penchant for a cold breakfast - Bircher/overnight oats being the breakfast of choice. As I was tucking in to my own rendition a couple of weeks back, (which, don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy), I had a vivid recollection of the one that the hotel served up at breakfast - it was fairly simple: oats, apple, sultanas, flaked coconut and almonds, coated in some sort of yoghurt-y milky concoction - but it tasted GREAT. So I messaged them to ask what their recipe is… is that weird? Anyway, I hadn’t heard anything and actually had forgotten all about it, but on Thursday, they came back to me!!! They have put a request in with the kitchen, and will try to get me a copy of it - honestly, them just replying was SO uplifting… it felt like I was reconnecting with old friends! If they send it across, I’ll try to replicate it, and share it with you if it’s a success!

• I’m HOPING to join my friend on the shoot for her new book the week after next, and I cannot WAIT. I love watching professionals working their magic… especially in the creative fields of photography, food styling, and of course patisserie/baking.

• Dining alfresco for almost every meal… what a pure JOY that is!

• A bottle of Olive oil from Honest toil - I really LOVE to see people doing amazing things in the world of food production. None more so than the legends behind this unbelievable oil. Read more about their story here and if you like olive oil, let this be a sign to buy yourself a present.

  

Aside from the ‘life’ stuff… this week’s batch of recipes are a selection of savoury delights, meanwhile, over on TCC+ you can indulge in a strawberry dream in the form of a Strawberries and cream dacquoise - it’s a bit of a project but totally achievable and soooo worth the effort.

Without further ado, lets get cracking with these recipes eh?

Edamame noodle salad with Thai style peanut dressing

I made this on Thursday without the intention of sharing it… then, even mother who seems completely averse to salads of this kind, couldn’t stop eating it… so I made it again on Friday just to check and now, here I am sharing it with you too. It’s incredibly fresh, vibrant and punchy with flavour, the dressing is the perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, umami and a little creamy from the peanut butter; I could drink it!

Serves 4

Ingredients

280g Frozen Edamame beans
140g Dry soba noodles
~ 1/2 small red cabbage shredded (~ 200g prepared weight)
1 red pepper seeds removed and sliced into thin strips (~ 120g prepared weight)
2 x small Carrots peeled and sliced into thin strips (~100g prepared weight)
1 small cucumber roughly chopped
5 x Spring onions peeled and roughly chopped
Large Handful of fresh Coriander

Thai-style Peanut dressing
75g Smooth Deep roast Peanut butter
45ml Soy Sauce
15ml Rice vinegar
1.5 tsp sesame oil
35ml Maple syrup
35ml lime juice (approx 1 small lime)
~ 15-20g grated ginger (I’m a ginger fan so went for 20g)
1 clove garlic grated or crushed
1.5 level tsp Sriracha
1.5 level tsp white miso paste
~20ml cold water to loosen

A handful of seedy salad topper (see below) or toasted peanuts to serve.

Method

Cook the edamame and soba noodles according to the packet instructions. Refresh both under cold water once cooked and leave to drain.

Next combine your prepared veg/salad items in a large bowl and set aside.

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients (bar the water) in a small bowl, then slowly add the cold water, a little at a time, to loosen slightly - you will need to judge how much you add here - you are looking for a double cream consistency.

Now to assemble. Add the thoroughly drained noodles and edamame to the chopped veggie bowl, pour over the peanut dressing and toss until everything is well combined. Add a couple more coriander leaves and sprinkle over the seedy salad topper (see below) or toasted nuts for a bit of crunch.

Seedy salad topper

This recipe is a riff on my friend and fellow baker, David’s recipe - it may not sound like much but it’s so addictive if you like a savoury snack, and obviously incredibly nourishing. It is also perfect for adding a little crunch to your salad!

Ingredients

25g Golden Linseed
65g Mixed seeds
½ tsp Nigella seeds
½ tsp Fennel seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Pinch of flaky sea salt

5g olive oil
5g maple syrup
5g Soy sauce

Method

Place the seeds in a bowl and cover with water – leave to soak for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150C/130C fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Once the seeds have soaked, pass into a sieve and allow to drain thoroughly. Once drained, add to a bowl (I get a weight of 190g here), add the nigella seeds, fennel seeds, salt and (optional) chilli flakes. Stir to combine. Next add the oil, soy and maple syrup, stir once more until homogenous, then spread out onto the prepared baking tray into a neat sheet – about 20x30cm. Bake in the oven for around 45-50 minutes* or until golden, mostly crisp (a few bits may still be a tiny bit bendy still) – and smelling nutty and fragrant. You may need to use your intuition a bit here – as long as it’s not catching you can leave this in the oven longer to ensure a good crisp. When it looks suitable golden, I turn the oven off and leave the baking tray inside the oven for a further 30 minutes before removing and allowing to cool on the baking tray.
*I very carefully flip the sheet of seeds halfway through the cooking time, I find this helps the underside crisp up quicker, but this is optional.  

Pasta Pomodoro

I think I told you that I received a delightful stash of fresh British tomatoes last week… and obviously I’ve been desperate to put them all to good use. Besides enjoying them just the way they are - honestly they’re so good - I also have had them tossed through Greek salads, on toast, and in salsas/guacamole. I simultaneously watched Eat Pray Love one evening this week and having witnessed Julia Roberts slurp up Pasta pomodoro in Italy, I felt compelled to make it too. This recipe isn’t quite as rich as those I have found online, but it IS absolutely delicious and - despite my worry that it isn’t good enough (because I’m not Italian or a ‘chef’), I really enjoy it, so I hope you do too. Just make sure you use really fresh, in season, British tomatoes for great natural sweet flavour.

*Don’t skimp on Parmesan!

Fresh Tagliatelle!

Pomodoro Sauce

Serving size: 1 large - 2 small portions

Ingredients

Pasta dough

100g 00 flour
1 Large egg (60g out of shell)
Extra flour for dusting

Pomodoro sauce

1 tbsp good quality Olive oil (I used Honest-Toil here)
1 large banana shallot Peeled and finely chopped
1 Fat garlic clove (or 2 small) grated
400g Fresh British Tomatoes (the sweeter the better here - the type you could happily eat as they are)
Pinch of Maldon sea salt
Small Handful of fresh basil leaves roughly chopped

Grated Parmesan/Pecornio to serve

Method

For the pasta, measure the flour into a mixing bowl or in a heap on a clean work surface, make a well in the centre and crack the egg into it. Using a fork, gradually mix the flour and eggs together, then knead for 5 minutes with your hands to make a smooth dough - you can also do this in a food processor, add the flour to a processor and with the mixer running, add the egg, mix until a dough forms, dump out onto a surface and give it a quick knead until smooth. Shape into a ball, cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to rest for about 30 minutes, once rested either use immediately or wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour or until required.

Remove the dough from the fridge and remove the clingfilm, flatten into a disc approximately 1cm thick and use a pasta roller to roll to a thickness of around 1mm. I then use a ‘tagliatelle’ attachment to prepare the pasta strips however this can also be done by hand - cutting strips of around 6mm width - make sure you use plenty of semolina/flour to prevent the dough from sticking to itself.
*I’m going to outsource to a FAR more experienced pro now to give you a better insight into how to prepare the pasta by hand (watch here) - side note: I would just LOVE to meet Maria, what a legend she seems!

For the sauce - if you’re using a larger tomato variety, I suggest using a sharp knife to carefully cut out the stalky bit from the top. Then add the tomatoes to a blender and blitz until smooth-ish. Meanwhile, heat the oil in saucepan placed over a medium heat, once hot, add the shallot, and cook until translucent - approx 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 30-60 seconds, don’t let it catch. Next add the blended tomatoes to the cooked onion/garlic mixture, along with a good pinch of salt, and stir to combine, use an immersion blender and blend everything together until smooth (you can skip this step for a chunkier sauce if you like) - the sauce will seem quite loose at this point. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat, and cook with the lid on for around 30 minutes or until reduced and rich. Add the basil, and stir through. Remove from the heat. I like to prepare this an hour or two in advance, and allow the flavours to intensify over time, reheating it when I come to use it, but that’s totally optional.

To cook the pasta, bring a large pan of salty water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes or until aldente. Once cooked use tongs to extract the pasta from the water and add to the tomato sauce, toss to coat. Once glossy and well combined, serve topped with a heap of grated parmesan or pecorino.

Other BITS

• I saw Martha De Lacey share THIS book of Sarah Grigson’s on Instagram (anyone read it?) and having read about Sarah (and the book) it’s rocketed to the top of my ‘to read’ list. It’s set in Italy… I was obviously sold as soon as I read this!

• I’m still thoroughly enjoying all of the sport on TV at the moment - I was especially excited to see Mercedes doing much better in last weekend’s GP, and the World record performances from Faith Kipyegon in the 1500m AND 5,000m - my wonderful pal Laura (Muir) also ran fabulously in both races, and I can’t wait to see how her season unfolds. This weekend, I am watching (some of) Le Mans which I always find quite thrilling and the tennis! I know I say it a lot, but I do LOVE Summer sport.

Right, I’m afraid that’s all I have to impart this week, as ever, I hope you’re all doing ok. I sometimes find that the Summer presents this pressure to be happy because the sun is out, and the sky is brighter etc. but that doesn’t mean we can’t still experience moments of wintery greyness seep into our psyche. Just remember you’re not alone if you feel a bit of this from time to time and, as awfully flippant as this sounds, it WILL pass, I promise you, keep being strong (avoid Illy coffee tins), and you’ll come through it.

Love and hugs as always,

Steph xxx