Again another delay in posting the blog...I think we all know what one of my New Years' resolutions is going be! I will try harder and blog regularly.
Such a lot has been going on in the last few weeks...so I'll begin at the beginning. Annette and I had another company day out, this time to the BBC Good Food show. We went together a couple of years ago when we were at the beginning of our wots4supper planning when we thought that the launch of our site was imminent. It's a useful place to make contacts and also to do a bit of culinary shopping! This time we came back with some delicious curry pastes and pickles for Indian Meals - one of the things we always do when we've tasted something like that (a ready made paste/sauce) is try and unravel the spices and ingredients that have been used, we're always looking for new ideas and recipes and this helps us research new ones!
At the moment I'm looking out of my study at an incredibly snowy scene. In our part of the country the snow has decided it's not going anywhere - which is fun but (and now I'm starting to sound my age) ever so slightly disruptive! Isn't it funny though how with the cold weather you just want lots of filling, warming dishes - comfort food.
I am so looking forward to Christmas dinner, all the turkey and stufffing, little chipolatas with their bacon jackets, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes too if you're my Mum, all those veggies - although to be honest I can take or leave the brussel sprouts. This year I've grown my own and am feeling ever so slightly smug about it, however I'm taking them to my in-laws and am hoping for a little Christmas miracle - that the sprouts won't have any form of bugs in them! I've been saving myself for my annual Christmas pudathon. I LOVE IT! It is just as good gently fried the next day in butter with a sprinkling of icing sugar. I try not to have puddings in the run up to Christmas just so I can overindulge, I know binge pudding eating is probably not good for me but I can't help it. Then of course there's all the other food that we gorge ourselves on, turkish delight, chocolates, mince pies - sometimes I feel like I could eat enough for the year in one week. I do also love the fact that the clementines are at their best , when you peel your first one in the run up to Christmas doesn't it just transport you back to the days when you found one rolling around in the bottom of your stocking? Who can resist a pomegranate? I know there are lots of recipes now with them in salads etc but my greatest pomegranate memory is sitting next to my brother who painstakingly deseeded his onto a plate and ate them one by one with a pin (health and safety nightmare - my brother and pins), I had scoffed mine already, with a good helping of the bitter pith but it was still delicious. Funny how there are so many memories caught up with food...I can see another blog topic coming up for the New Year.
We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year!
The wots4supper team.
Monday 21 December 2009
Monday 16 November 2009
It is such a long time since we last posted on our blog, but so much has happened to keep us busy and away from blogging.
I just heard on the radio that a survey concluded that mums get stuck in a rut of nine meals, and off the top of my head I'll try to remember them...spag bol, cottage/shepherds pie, pizza, curry, roast dinner, another pasta dish, meat and two veg ( I assume a variation on the roast and two veg..,casserole or stew, sausage and chips/mash.. Don't think there's anything new there then! That's just why we're here to provide people with recipes easily, and to show them it's not hard to cook different meals from scratch. I did notice there wasn't any fish in there.... not that I've become the fish police or anything. Also, and here's just a little thought to mull over...it doesn't take much thought and not a huge array of extra ingredients to turn that casserole or stew in to a delicious tagine, with lamb and apricots, gently spiced with a Moroccan influence. (We've got such a dish in the menu this week!)
I love this time of year, not least because it brings everybody back home, and I find it a great delight sitting round the table with my family, having a meal and discussing what's happening. Topics range from the ridiculous, to the political, we also do the odd bit of teenage myth de-bunking ( the last was how long it takes alcohol to leave the body and when it's safe to drive after you had a beer or two - we decided never, especially when you're 17 and only just passed your test, his friends - not him). The best thing about eating together is that you keep up a connection with your kids and they with one another, and you laugh a lot!
We've come across some wonderful new dressings and essences, the range of flavours are brilliant and they are amazingly versatile - you can use them on salads, to marinade meat or as a topping for ice-cream! If you want to take a look, the web address is www.suzannesvinegars.co.uk.
I promise to blog sooner next time, Christmas is coming and the preparations will soon be in full swing, but just for the time being I'm still avoiding the seasonal aisle!
I just heard on the radio that a survey concluded that mums get stuck in a rut of nine meals, and off the top of my head I'll try to remember them...spag bol, cottage/shepherds pie, pizza, curry, roast dinner, another pasta dish, meat and two veg ( I assume a variation on the roast and two veg..,casserole or stew, sausage and chips/mash.. Don't think there's anything new there then! That's just why we're here to provide people with recipes easily, and to show them it's not hard to cook different meals from scratch. I did notice there wasn't any fish in there.... not that I've become the fish police or anything. Also, and here's just a little thought to mull over...it doesn't take much thought and not a huge array of extra ingredients to turn that casserole or stew in to a delicious tagine, with lamb and apricots, gently spiced with a Moroccan influence. (We've got such a dish in the menu this week!)
I love this time of year, not least because it brings everybody back home, and I find it a great delight sitting round the table with my family, having a meal and discussing what's happening. Topics range from the ridiculous, to the political, we also do the odd bit of teenage myth de-bunking ( the last was how long it takes alcohol to leave the body and when it's safe to drive after you had a beer or two - we decided never, especially when you're 17 and only just passed your test, his friends - not him). The best thing about eating together is that you keep up a connection with your kids and they with one another, and you laugh a lot!
We've come across some wonderful new dressings and essences, the range of flavours are brilliant and they are amazingly versatile - you can use them on salads, to marinade meat or as a topping for ice-cream! If you want to take a look, the web address is www.suzannesvinegars.co.uk.
I promise to blog sooner next time, Christmas is coming and the preparations will soon be in full swing, but just for the time being I'm still avoiding the seasonal aisle!
Sunday 18 October 2009
Our first radio interview
Sorry for the delay in posting this blog but we have been mind-whirlingly busy this week. Not only have we been firming up our sping recipes, but we've had a little brush with our local radio station! Annette and I battled the traffic into Cambridge and had a very nice chat with Jeremy Sallis. He made us feel at our ease and asked us all the right questions. It's great when things go to plan ( well kind of to plan). It was nice to be able to talk to him all about wots4supper and tell him what we're up to. Annette, I have to say, is a born saleswomen, and got all the right bits in at all the right times.
We managed to fit in a latte before the interview, in a very nice French cafe across the road from the studios (yep - it wasn't just a phone interview, we were actually there, in person). It felt kind of strange to be sitting in a French cafe having a latte in a quintessentially British town - the world is a very small place. I suppose that's why we have so many different influences on our food these days, and how cooking and recipes have changed from when we were younger. I don't think I'd even seen a fresh lime until one appeared in the top of my bottle of lager (more years ago than I care to mention), and now I wouldn't dream of being without one in my veggie drawer.
We like the idea that the tide is turning back to British food and recipes, and how important it's becoming to know where our food comes from and how it's produced. It goes without saying that food that is fresh and in season tastes better than food that's flown thousands of miles (can I make an exception for my limes, which I can't live without, oh and fresh ginger).
We were discussing some of our recipes recently and liver and bacon popped in to the conversation, which I distinctly remember eating as a child and I have to say quite liking (I'm not just saying that because my mum might read this). We wondered if people do still eat liver and bacon? I'm pretty sure that's one thing I couldn't get past my lot, although when it's cooked well it's lovely (honest Mum).
We managed to fit in a latte before the interview, in a very nice French cafe across the road from the studios (yep - it wasn't just a phone interview, we were actually there, in person). It felt kind of strange to be sitting in a French cafe having a latte in a quintessentially British town - the world is a very small place. I suppose that's why we have so many different influences on our food these days, and how cooking and recipes have changed from when we were younger. I don't think I'd even seen a fresh lime until one appeared in the top of my bottle of lager (more years ago than I care to mention), and now I wouldn't dream of being without one in my veggie drawer.
We like the idea that the tide is turning back to British food and recipes, and how important it's becoming to know where our food comes from and how it's produced. It goes without saying that food that is fresh and in season tastes better than food that's flown thousands of miles (can I make an exception for my limes, which I can't live without, oh and fresh ginger).
We were discussing some of our recipes recently and liver and bacon popped in to the conversation, which I distinctly remember eating as a child and I have to say quite liking (I'm not just saying that because my mum might read this). We wondered if people do still eat liver and bacon? I'm pretty sure that's one thing I couldn't get past my lot, although when it's cooked well it's lovely (honest Mum).
Friday 9 October 2009
Company Outings!
In the interests of market research we had a bit of light relief half way through the week, and went on our first company outing.....to the movies! We saw 'Julie and Julia', which is very relevant in so many ways! Firstly, it was about Julia Childs - a very famous US chef/cook, who spent some time in Paris with her diplomat husband, and secondly about Julia Powell, a writer and blogger who set herself a task to cook all of the recipes in Julia Childs' definitive French Cookery book, in the space of a year. Now, I don't think we'd say it would necessarily be of interest of those of you who don't like rom-coms, but it did have some glorious food sequences and some enlightening tips on Cordon Bleu cookery. I was inspired to cook enough to cook Coq au Vin, watch out for it on our menus.
Of course an important aspect of cookery is the equipment, and in particular pans! We use Gastrolux pans, they really are fantastic - you barely need any oil or fat , and when you've finished they wash up easily and come up like new. It's quite a heavy pan, so very good for toning those muscles, you won't see any bingo wings on us!!As with most things that are brilliant, they are a bit of an investment - but will last for along time. We got our first one from a very nice man called Dan, who had a stall at The Good Food Show (another company outing), he runs a business called www.kitchenfanatics.co.uk - a great web-site with lots of cool kitchen gadgets and equipment.
Pumpkins and squashes seem to be everywhere at the moment, and although they make excellent lanterns, they also make delicious soup and other dishes too. Roasted with other Autumn veg or used in a risotto - watch out for them in your w4s recipes coming up, they're always delicious.
Of course an important aspect of cookery is the equipment, and in particular pans! We use Gastrolux pans, they really are fantastic - you barely need any oil or fat , and when you've finished they wash up easily and come up like new. It's quite a heavy pan, so very good for toning those muscles, you won't see any bingo wings on us!!As with most things that are brilliant, they are a bit of an investment - but will last for along time. We got our first one from a very nice man called Dan, who had a stall at The Good Food Show (another company outing), he runs a business called www.kitchenfanatics.co.uk - a great web-site with lots of cool kitchen gadgets and equipment.
Pumpkins and squashes seem to be everywhere at the moment, and although they make excellent lanterns, they also make delicious soup and other dishes too. Roasted with other Autumn veg or used in a risotto - watch out for them in your w4s recipes coming up, they're always delicious.
Monday 28 September 2009
This week at w4s HQ
We heard about a brilliant new web site on the radio the other week www.vegswap.co.uk. A great idea if you've been growing your own veggies - if you have a surplus then you register on vegswap and see if anybody close by has anything that you'd like to swap with them (don't talk about runner beans and courgettes in my house). This probably appeals to those of us who can remember Saturday Swap-Shop, it's a grown-up, veg growers version! We're going to try to feature new relevant websites in the blog when we come across them, so if you've any that you think will be relevant send us an email.
Annette and I are very lucky to have a fantastic fruit farm in the village - they grow delicious plums, apples and pears. The apples my family are into at the moment are called Red Devil, a heritage variety. They're so sweet and crispy - I can't understand why they aren't more widely grown.
We've a bit of local media exposure this week, a photographer's coming out to take photos of us in the kitchen. Keep an eye out for it if you live locally, of course we've got our outfits sorted - company T-shirts, just deciding on the shoes!!
My bedtime reading has been a few old cookbooks that belonged to my Granny, amongst them Mrs Beeton. There are some really interesting recipes and ingredients, one that stuck in my mind was cow-heel soup! Yum, yum....
If there is ever a jam shortage I'll be OK - as I'm going to call 2009 the year of the preserves! My cupboard's bursting with damson, plum and blackberry jam. I haven't held back on the chutney making either, red onion, apple and cider and then spicy damson chutney. Annettes youngest loves the red onion one (I'll give her the fiver soon)! I'm toying with the idea of rosehip syrup, who knows it may go quite well with the cow-heel soup.
Annette and I are very lucky to have a fantastic fruit farm in the village - they grow delicious plums, apples and pears. The apples my family are into at the moment are called Red Devil, a heritage variety. They're so sweet and crispy - I can't understand why they aren't more widely grown.
We've a bit of local media exposure this week, a photographer's coming out to take photos of us in the kitchen. Keep an eye out for it if you live locally, of course we've got our outfits sorted - company T-shirts, just deciding on the shoes!!
My bedtime reading has been a few old cookbooks that belonged to my Granny, amongst them Mrs Beeton. There are some really interesting recipes and ingredients, one that stuck in my mind was cow-heel soup! Yum, yum....
If there is ever a jam shortage I'll be OK - as I'm going to call 2009 the year of the preserves! My cupboard's bursting with damson, plum and blackberry jam. I haven't held back on the chutney making either, red onion, apple and cider and then spicy damson chutney. Annettes youngest loves the red onion one (I'll give her the fiver soon)! I'm toying with the idea of rosehip syrup, who knows it may go quite well with the cow-heel soup.
Wednesday 23 September 2009
So here we are - a week and a bit into our website launch. We're busy finishing off our next seasons recipes and weekly plans - it takes a surprising amount of time, but we feel it's important to get the recipes just right and the combination of recipes correct too. It's been a bit odd finalising winter meals when we're going through an Indian summer! We've spent the day cooking and tasting a whole host of fish recipes - you've got a delicious 'Haddock Chowder' to look forward to and we're sure our 'Salmon Fishcake Recipe' is a winner, and if you're fed up with the way you normally have tuna and pasta - just wait until you've tried our 'Special Tuna Pasta Bake'. There's so many Omega 3's going round our systems we're debating whether MENSA's an option!
We're still working with our web developers to make sure the site looks and behaves just as we want. If you've got any feedback just contact us by email, and we'll get on to it as soon as poss.
We're still enjoying the weather, there's been a lot of blackberry picking going on at the weekends - with crumbles, puddings and tarts!!
We're still working with our web developers to make sure the site looks and behaves just as we want. If you've got any feedback just contact us by email, and we'll get on to it as soon as poss.
We're still enjoying the weather, there's been a lot of blackberry picking going on at the weekends - with crumbles, puddings and tarts!!
Monday 14 September 2009
We're live!
At last we're live and on the t'internet!! If you've come across us on the web and not through the site - come and see us at www.wots4supper.co.uk. We're sure you'll like the recipes and our menu planning, and if there's something you don't like just let us know.
Don't forget, when you've used a recipe please rate it. There's a lot of functionality linked to the site, scalable recipes, personalised shopping list and of course you can change the recipes around as you like!
Annette and I are busy working away at various elements, trying to get the site known - please feel free to tell as many people as you can!
In between all this I've got Damson chutney to make Annettte's overseeing house renovations - but wots4supper is our priority, we really hope it'll make your life just that little bit easier and make cooking that evening family meal a real pleasure!
Don't forget, when you've used a recipe please rate it. There's a lot of functionality linked to the site, scalable recipes, personalised shopping list and of course you can change the recipes around as you like!
Annette and I are busy working away at various elements, trying to get the site known - please feel free to tell as many people as you can!
In between all this I've got Damson chutney to make Annettte's overseeing house renovations - but wots4supper is our priority, we really hope it'll make your life just that little bit easier and make cooking that evening family meal a real pleasure!
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Counting down!
We're pretty sure that we're sooooo close to launching wots4supper, we're counting down on one hand!
The children have all gone back to school, except for the eldest (who has the longest university holidays in the world) and the youngest, who can't understand why she's the only one who isn't back in the classroom! Long may it last.
Annette's been busy camping her way through the school holidays, and who knows we might even introduce some w4s camping recipes!
Jo had her 'staycation', but had her fair share of sweltering heat when the middle son 'accidentally' locked her in the polytunnel. Thank heavens for mobile phones!
Don't forget to let us know if you've any recipe suggestions, just visit us on wots4supper.co.uk., we're always interested to hear what are peoples' favourites are.
The children have all gone back to school, except for the eldest (who has the longest university holidays in the world) and the youngest, who can't understand why she's the only one who isn't back in the classroom! Long may it last.
Annette's been busy camping her way through the school holidays, and who knows we might even introduce some w4s camping recipes!
Jo had her 'staycation', but had her fair share of sweltering heat when the middle son 'accidentally' locked her in the polytunnel. Thank heavens for mobile phones!
Don't forget to let us know if you've any recipe suggestions, just visit us on wots4supper.co.uk., we're always interested to hear what are peoples' favourites are.
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Hello!!
How exciting is this? Our first ever post after months and months and months of planning, debating, planning, meeting, discussing and planning!
Annette and I have spent an age working out our menus, collating all our recipes and talking to web-designers. We're sure it'll all be worthwhile and we hope you enjoy the recipes and the cooking as much as we do!
We'll post again soon!
Jo and Annette
How exciting is this? Our first ever post after months and months and months of planning, debating, planning, meeting, discussing and planning!
Annette and I have spent an age working out our menus, collating all our recipes and talking to web-designers. We're sure it'll all be worthwhile and we hope you enjoy the recipes and the cooking as much as we do!
We'll post again soon!
Jo and Annette
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