Wednesday 29 December 2010

creamy prawn curry


sources
creamy prawn curry - Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah, A Little Taste of... India, p104

Tuesday 28 December 2010

vegetables in black bean sauce


sources
To be honest I mangled a number of recipes to use up a lurking packet of black bean sauce. It was alright though...

Tuesday 21 December 2010

chick pea and tomato soup with chorizo


sources
chick pea and tomato soup with chorizo and green chilli - Bill Granger, Delicious, February 2008 p68

Sunday 19 December 2010

spinach and parmesan meatballs

Is there anything better than a snow day? Personally I think Milo is some sort of snow goose made human because it's properly belted down each year since he was born.

With time on our hands we potter around Barnes in the snow, have a snowball fight with our neighbours, make a snowman and inspired by Mr J Osborn esquire, we make a snowball lantern thingy:


Snowballs aren't the only thing on the menu today, as monkey gets another chance to make his favourite dinner, spinach and parmesan meatballs. Although curiously having made them, tonight he decides he doesn't like them any more. He is a fickle jade...



sources
spinach and parmesan meatballs - Angela Boggiano, Delicious, December 2007, p46

Saturday 18 December 2010

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Monday 13 December 2010

Thursday 9 December 2010

ana's birthday

The lovely Ana's birthday dawns bright and beautiful, but our plans for a day spent shopping and lunching are dust in our mouths because the boiler man coming to fix the heating at 1300...

So with limited time we offload Milo onto Julia and head into Richmond for some light shopping, however we discover a spanking deli instead. Giuliano's is next to our usual Richmond Pub of Choice, and looks a bit intimidating, but in fact the staff are really nice and everything looks brilliant. I would have quite literally had everything but made do with bolognese with cappelletti pasta, whilst Ana had basil and cheese ravioli, as well as four pannetone. These were gifts you understand.

We also had some fizz to drink with our take away back home where "hey presto!", our heating is back online. Can there be any better birthday gift?

Sadly Milo lucked out of this culinary glory, and had to make do with broccoli and macaroni cheese, not that he was complaining. Apparently the trick is to grill the cheese at the end:


With him done we head out for dinner with Kendra and Brian at the brilliant About Thyme in Victoria/Pimlico. Seriously, go there it's fab and still a secret just about, although apparently the concierge at the Manderin Oriental is now recommending it...

For the record we had:
  • Fizz - lots
  • Piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese, fillet steak with fries, and creme brulee (Ana and Kendra)
  • Beetroot and mozzerella-stuffed courgette flowers, steak and poached pear & ice cream (me)
  • Piquillo peppers, sea bass and espresso (Brian Bolger esquire)
  • Red wine - lots
  • White wine - a surfiet
It was marvelous. Hurrah for birthdays!

Tuesday 7 December 2010

yellow chicken curry with pineapple

We haven't had this for ages, probably since living in Lacy Road, almost entirely because I'd managed to lose the recipe. However a sudden burst of tidying reveals it hidden down the back of my bedside table, so we finally have a reason to buy pineapples again that isn't simply because Milo thinks they're funny.

Not only do we have old curry friends in the (freezing cold because the heating doesn't work) house, we've also got an old college friend in the form of Miss Eleanor O'Brien, pictured here trying to absorb as much heat as possible from the plate of curry:


Doesn't she look happy? Anyway, here's the dish. It's actually a thai curry, which I'd forgotten about although it does explain the pineapple and the lemon grass. It's quite fragrant and whilst you can make it super hot if you like, the fruit does take the edge off. I'm glad it's returned to us...


sources
yellow chicken curry with pineapple - Oi Cheepchaiissara (no, really), Fresh Thai c/o Zest Magazine

Saturday 4 December 2010

jamie oliver's proper bloke's fusilli

Despite the stupid name - does he have to dumb everything down? - this is a remarkably tasty and punchy dinner. There's too much chilli in it for Milo (although I may tone it down next time, but I wonder if he'll be challenged by the amount of fennel in it?

If he takes after his mum, probably, if he takes after me there won't be enough, let the nature/nurture debate begin!


sources
proper bloke's sausage fusilli - Jamie Oliver, Cook With Jamie, p72

Wednesday 1 December 2010

zanzibar chicken



sources
zanzibar chicken - Paul Merrett, Delicious, November 2010, p64
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