Tools For the Job - Part 1

 If you do anything remotely kitchenish then you will undoubtedly have favourite tools for cooking with; I sure do. However, if you are looking to start then you will need some equipping. Not long after I started cooking, my wonderful parents bought me Jamie's Kitchen which became the start of a collection but also had a list of things at the beginning that a kitchen must have. Our kitchens have always been pretty well stocked with various pots, pans, bowls, trays, etc, but it turned out as I read that we were missing some essentials. The first object I already knew about: a chef's knife. So, I began my search. See also 'Curry: The British Staple...Really?'. In the past I had used ones that were a naff blade inserted into even naffer plastic which in time often detach themselves so I knew that a full tang knife was a must. 

That's a cool colander

 A food festival held not far from us was where I found the first knife I bought. It was everything I was looking for and a real bargain too. I couldn't wait to get home and put it to use. At this time, the only thing I knew about how to use a knife came from watching Jamie on videos, my Mum, (who admits she's terrified of knives in the kitchen hence our then lack of a decent one!) or from instinct. I didn't do bad with only cutting myself once I think but I would soon learn the importance of possessing knife skills. Anyhow, a few other things that were needed were, for one, a salad spinner. These things aren't just another kitchen gadget from what my family have come to call "betta-be-ware" magazines but are very useful.

Joe's studio picture taken as part of a secret, birthday
 present for my Mum

 At home I have a good few people to cook for so most of my equipment is for larger proportions such as my saucepans which I soon learned a bit about. The two main ones that we had were on the thin side on their bottoms so when it came to using them, you really had to keep an eye on things to stop anything sticking such as soup. The best saucepan that I now own is an aga saucepan given to me by our friendly neighbour, who I began a cooking journey (another post) with. At the time we had an aga, which is another story, and so our neighbour, who didn't have one and didn't use the saucepan anymore as it is quite a monster, gave it to me and I'm using it as I write. Also, not so long ago, my Mum got an IKEA, which I love for kitchen gadgets, set of saucepans from the 365+ range. They are awesome and really do the job. The oven trays I use, also very large, are from IKEA too along with my chopping boards, speed peelers (which are better then those metal ones personally), and the biggest mixing bowls you've ever seen so I highly recommend any of their stuff for your kitchen. 

 I would absolutely love to purchase a Kitchen Aid sometime but at the moment that is a bit out of my price range so I use my trusty Kenwood which my Mum used before me and has never shown any signs of breaking down. This leads me to my next point: the older stuff is the best. Back then, it was built to last and to do the job. Looking smart and trendy seems to be the priority with making stuff nowadays but I say don't be deceived. If you are on the hunt for kitchen equipment, keep an eye out for things that are going to withstand everyday use. If you live near a Lidl then they often have some really good stuff sometimes. My blender, scales and heavy-base pan were all Lidl and are brilliant. However, I would not recommend getting every gadget out there but instead research what your kitchen should have and look around to see what it doesn't have.

And that is a very cool shirt!

Stay tuned for part two,

Jacob

Together, We're Turning the World Green!

 OK, if you know me, you'll know that I have a strong liking for the colour green so to see my blog stats going greener everyday is quite cool. Whoever you guys are out there, keep it coming! So far I have viewers in over nine countries and this blog has only been going twenty six days. You do the math to figure out how long it will take before there is a view in every country! If I can somehow bring colour and joy to people's lives through this blog then I am succeeding.

 So, to the people of United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and counting...

I thank you one and all and hope to hear from you soon; I take my very cool hat off to you,

Seasoned with Awe,

Jacob

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

The Big Church Day Out - Part One

 Time passed during which I started to take charge of meals for when friends visited, parties, etc, so the food got bigger and better. Summer came along with the barbecues for seventy odd people sometimes! I began making bread regularly and perfected a method for amazing bread every time. The kitchen was fast becoming my domain.

 However, the next step in my evolution was undoubtedly this. A huge milestone and sculptor of who I was to become. A friend of the family was again going to be in charge of a catering team who would be taking care of the main Tea Tent at a major music event in Sussex. They would be serving thousands of cream-teas over the weekend and would need the extra hands. Some of my favourite bands would be playing there too so there's me thinking, "Awesome! Let's do it." It would be camping which I don't have a problem with and it was a good six hour drive too so my two older brothers, Tom and Joe, and I packed our bags and we were away!

Prepping the kitchen

 We got tents set up after arriving and had a look around. The venue was the grounds of a stately home so it was huge. The tent was massive as well and could hold hundreds so we were going to have our work cut out. We got the kitchen in the back of the tent sorted after numerous trips to where a lot of the equipment was stored and got it up and running.  (This itself was fraught with misadventure but I would never be able to write everything!) We were shown how to use the ovens, mixers and, most importantly, how to make scones. A rhythm was found and then we set about making hundreds, thousands of scones for the next day. Joe and I clocked off around midnight with our friend and Tom closing the little kitchen after half-past one in the morning! I think by the time we we clocked off that day, we had made easily into the thousands.

One of the tens of thousands made.
 P.S. Who nicked all the cream? I know I piped it sky high on all of them!

 At just after six A.M. the next day, Joe and I got the ovens and on and started making more scones. Mix, roll, cut, cook, cool. The big boss arrived and we got cracking again. The next step after we had made a good dent in getting a whole bunch of scones done, was to start filling them. We were going to use piping bags (which I had never used before) filled with jam or cream and splirt it in there. At first it was a little messy but we had to get the hang of it. Soon the whole tent was beginning to fill with that irresistible aroma of hot scones. (I was thinking of putting a scone recipe up but I've had a lifetimes worth of anything to do with them!)

The three big marquees in the background are the tea tent.
Yeah, there were a lot of people!

 When it came to selling, the deal was that we were the kitchen behind the scenes and out the front was a separate organization who would be making and selling hot drinks and other cakes along with our hot cream-teas. All we had to ensure that we just kept on cranking them out. There was also another tent at which we would be selling them but that was on the other side of the campus so we also had to keep filling crates with filled scones for that too. 

My awesome, older brother, Tom

The delicious man himself

 People started arriving, the madness began and we were working like a well oiled machine, however, the big boss was often not able to be there all the time as he had to do announcements on the big, main stage and meetings with the organizers. To ensure that everything stayed ticking properly in the kitchen, he put me in charge! As you can imagine, I felt out of my depth by a few fathoms but there just was not time to take things like that in. Something clicked inside and we put things up a gear. Joe was put in command of ferrying scones to the other stall and selling them from there while we, Tom, the bosses son, another friend and I, kept the kitchen ticking. Mix, roll, cut, cook, cool.

 There were so many other mishaps it was unbelievable but, as I said, it would be nearly impossible for me to be able to recount everything. You'll just have to take my word for it that the entire weekend defined with ease organized madness! For instance, Joe cut himself really bad while he was cutting scones but to find out more you'll just have to wait. Part 2 coming soon!

People started arriving before we were even ready!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 
of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

NYC Baked Cheesecake

The dogs pyjamas

 Oh, delicious! Cheesecake, man, I'm telling you. The first proper dessert I ever made. Again, I saw Jamie do this recipe so easily and it looked positively incredible so that was that; to the kitchen I went. We were having friends whose Dad was a military chef for a while so what better opportunity for testing? 
 I was not alone in this endeavor as Rhiannon, my older sister was in the kitchen too as there was a lot of other stuff to be done also. Unfortunately, we neglected to take any pictures of our creations which is a bit of a nuisance so I suppose you'll just have to send in yours! 
 Here is the recipe that we used though it has a good deal of room for improvising flavours wise so I've put in where I would recommend adding certain things. Use your imagination, let your tongue do the dictating! 

Time: 40-45 mins (2-3 hrs chilling)
Serves: 12

RECIPE:

 1) Take a pop-up-bottom tin around 24cm, grease it well and then begin the fun part of smashing up a packet of digestive biscuits. (Wrap the packet in a tea towel and bash away!) Put your crushed biccies, (chocolate lumps and even some chopped nuts if desired) in a bowl with 120g of melted butter and mix before spreading evenly and firmly in the bottom of your tin especially the edges. Cook in your oven for ten minutes and then allow to cool before fridgeing. 
 2) Preheat your oven to 160-180 and beat 900g of cream cheese in a bowl until silky. (An electric mixer will help.) Gradually add 150g of caster sugar, crack in three eggs, mixing after each one, and then pour in 75ml of double cream If you are looking to add orange, lemon or lime juice and/or zest, do it now. A swig of Baileys, vanilla seeds of one pod or 1/2 a tsp of extract could go in here too.

Never a frown with golden brown...

 3) Pour the mixture into your base and smooth the top. You could plop in some lumps of chocolate if desired. It makes for a nice surprise when cooked! Bake for 44-45 minutes until slightly wobbly in the middle with a good, golden colour. (Foil should stop it browning too much.) Leave it to cool, fridge it for a bit. Dust with icing sugar or cocoa and grated chocolate depending on your chosen flavour and it's ready to be served. 



 TIP - Freeze your plates and forks before serving

Is that just not so cool? Mini cheesecakes are great for portion control

 Another option is to make a meringue topping to take it to another level. When the cheesecake is nearly done, bake the meringue on top of the cheesecake at a higher heat until it starts to brown. Leave to cool as normal.

Apparently this is my Toby Stephens, Mr. Rochester picture.

 Compotes really make a good cheesecake too. Whether it's blueberries, cherries, etc, it's completely up to you. Use 440g of fruit to 3 tsp of caster sugar and a splash of water in a pan over a medium heat. If brandy is your thing, by all means add a swig! Let it simmer for 10 mins and add another splash of water if dry. Spoon over the cheesecake slices with a dusting of icing sugar.

Seasoned with Peace,

Jacob




P.S. Feel free to comment and 'follow' this blog

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

The British Staple: Curry...Really?

This had me in hysterics! I play drums too so watching
him cooking and doing this was super cool.

 You would be forgiven for thinking something along the lines of, "This dude only cooks Italian!" Well, let me put you at rest. The next thing that I started to experiment with took me to the next level: curry. Intense flavours like garlic and chilli mingling with all the subtle flavours of coriander, cardamon and coconut. Curry really would change my way of thinking in the kitchen. 

 Yes, I have Jamie to thank for inspiring me to try this dish but also my older brother, Joe, who first led the expedition in making it for real. Once done, it truly was amazing. Since I had only helped out with this one, I knew that one day I would have to try it for myself, by myself.

 Over the next few days, I tried making a roast dinner for the family (which I thought was the British staple!) which worked really well but my hands hurt quite a bit from forcing a blunt knife through all the veg that needed preparing. I soon learned the importance of having a good, sharp knife and so I set out on a search for one. (See 'Tools For the Job') At a food festival I came across this one. 

And here it is, my very first knife!

I still have it today and it is sharper than ever. Another lesson learned quickly was that you cannot make a jus from frozen lamb steaks. (If you read the first post it will have forewarned you that you would end up laughing at my mistakes!) There I was trying to scrape stuff out of the tray in which they had been baked along with some garlic cloves, roasted carrots and potatoes which I blended together to create this disgusting gloop. Let me tell you now, it does not work!
 Anyhow, what does this have to do with curry?
 This dish has seen some evolution over the years also with a good deal of freedom for variation too but I'll get to that later. I will also add that this particular recipe is enough to serve fourteen or so people which, for my family, does perfect but for yourselves it may work better for using at dinner parties or something synonymous. To the cooking!

Time:
Serves: 14-15

RECIPE:

 1) Preheat your oven to 220 degrees and place 2kg of chicken breasts in a large, roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and crack some salt a pepper over them. I also sprinkle some tikka spice blend over them too. Add a splash of water to the tray to stop the chicken drying out and bung them in. 
 2) Take a small saucepan and boil in salted water four, peeled potatoes chopped in small chunks while you add some olive oil to a large pot. Take three onions and three garlic cloves, dice away and then add these to the hot oil with a tablespoon of mustard seeds and a little crushed cardamon. When the seeds start to pop then dump in two cups of red lentils with another splash of oil. Stir and boil your kettle to make 600ml of chicken stock. Take a teaspoon each of fenugreek, tumeric, paprika, tikka spice, and a little ground cumin and stir that in. Add half of the stock and then drain your potatoes. Wait a few minutes before plopping those in and adding the other half of the stock with two bay leaves. Let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
 3) Open two cans of chopped tomatoes, pour those in and stir. I do have a few Jamie recipes for curry pastes but if I haven't made one of those then I use a jar of Balti or Tikka Massala for a good cheat. Your chicken should be done so you can now cut that up into whatever size you like so strips, cubes or not at all even. Let this really simmer away, keeping it on the stir so that it doesn't stick and then you can add either single cream, coconut cream or even Yeo Valley yogurt. Garnish with some coriander and you should have before you a pretty darn good curry!

Point to note: I do not profess for a moment that this curry is a hundred percent authentic!

My finished result with a healthy dollop
of  really thick coconut cream

 You may be wondering where all the heat in this curry is. Well, I have to cook for quite an age range so I have to insure that it stays mild and spices are added individually. If you are looking for something a little more stomach-lining removing, tongue dissolving or look-at-it-and-your-eyes-boil then by all means add some chillis with the onions or some cayenne with the other spices; you get to decide.
This curry is delicious (like me!) with garlic and coriander naan breads topped with cheese. Most rices would go well too though if you are looking for the easiest rice then I would recommend a good quality basmati of some sort. However, when I was at this Indian restaurant a while back, I had this wonderful rice with fried chicken and prawns. It really was a meal in itself!

Are the colours not amazing? You
can almost smell this stuff...

 Whatever happens, remember to have fun while you are doing it. If you lose the enjoyment then there is little point. Mistakes happen, endeavor to carry on.


Seasoned with Contentment,

Jacob

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

How to Get the Goods

Guess where I'm shopping...

 To get good quality products to work with you may be thinking that you're going to have to spend monster amounts of money. Well, if you are looking at buying white truffles then it's kind of inescapable, however, shop around a bit. Try veg stalls at markets, get pally with the dude behind the stall and build a relationship with your local butcher. Just having a bit of a friendly chat with people sometimes leads to being given discount prices plus it really brightens up their day. How do I know? I've been both sides of the stall. (I have a lot of admiration for anybody who gets up that early to stand out in the the cold and rain for a living).

 I shop regularly at Lidl as you may have guessed. Seriously, Lidl is cheaper than most cash-and-carries. Those places are only cheap if you are used to buying name brands which don't really bother me but quality, however, does. I've tried loads of different pastas, olive oils, bread flours, etc, and nothing really does the job better.

It's so much more fun at a market

 Everyone is on a budget these days but I want to prove to you that you can still cook good, nutritional, tasty, fun food though funds may be tight. It just takes a wee bit of exploring, putting your nose about a bit. Jamie encourages to really get in there at markets and have a grope and feel of whatever products you're looking at. Keep season in mind too as some fruit and veg is much better and more plentiful at certain times of the year.

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

Pancakes!

Now that's how to do it!

 Just a bit of fun really. There's pancakes being advertised everywhere so what does everyone want? You guessed it. I think I made close to thirty...

 It is amazing how they are consumed all the way around the globe all nearly exactly the same in every culture. Savoury or sweet these things are delish no matter what. These flat treats have quite an interesting history too being some of the oldest recorded food because the Greeks even ate pancakes with their name for them, Tagenites, coming from their word for 'frying pan'. The word pancake first appeared in our language in the 1400's. 

 I also found the origins of Shrove Tuesday both fascinating and amusing. If you are interested then check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

Simply delish!

 Time: Minutes
 Serves: However many you like!

 RECIPE:

 1) One egg, one cup of milk, one and a half cups of sifted, plain flour and a pinch of salt really wisked together. Double or triple this as you need. Oil a large pan lightly (the spray stuff works a treat for these) and ladle in your mixture!

 2) As the pancake cooks, by all means add fresh sweetcorn for an American touch. If you are looking to flip your pancake then it's all in the wrist. Practice makes perfect, I dropped one too!

The expression helps

 Drizzle your finished result with maple/golden syrup, lemon juice, chocolate sauce or spread Nutella all over it. Cinnamon and apple sauce perhaps? Jamie did a NYC episode in which he did pancakes with fresh sweetcorn, crispy bacon, maple syrup and knobs of butter. Delish! Some people put stuffing in them, roll them up and eat them like that too but I can't say I've tried that. There seriously are so many ways to enjoy pancakes that you'll just have to experiment...

Seasoned with Peace,

Jacob

It's all...

Of course there are the smart Alecs out there too...

...in...

...the wrist!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

A 'Mission Impossible'

Aren't they cute?

 Hello Everyone, I've not been able to do any posts for a few days as I've been away recording an album with my Dad. Not drums this time but backing vocals instead. However, that does not mean I have not been cooking - quite the opposite. I had the perfect opportunity to prove that I am the Delicious Man by cooking for our friend and producer. The kitchen and tools were not what I'm familiar with and time was not really on my side either, however, when cooking, I really get a kick out of a 'mission impossible' as it were. So, what did I cook? Here we go: Operation Tagliatelle and beef meatballs in a sweet, tomato sauce with spinach.

Time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

RECIPE

Advertising the Combino
range at Lidl in our friends kitchen.

 1) Glug olive oil into a large, heavy base frying pan, finely chop a garlic clove and one large/two small red onions, fry gently in the oil and scrape to one side when soft. Add another glug of oil to the empty side of the pan and plop in sixteen meatballs. When they start browning, slosh in a small amount of a red wine and let the meatballs finish cooking while you start on the pasta.
 2) You will need 500g or so of tagliatelle, depending on how hungry your guests are, in a saucepan on boiling water. A pinch of salt and you're away.
 3) By now your meatballs should be cooked so you can add a jar of that wonderful Lidl tomato sauce and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle in a handful of fresh spinach but don't stir it in. Put the lid on the pan and let it bubble away. The heat inside should wilt the spinach. 
 4) Keep an eye on your pasta as tagliatelle has the habit of getting gloopy quickly. Have a taste, it should be slightly under done so that you can leave it in the water for a tad after it's off the hob. After a few minutes drain the water leaving a little still in there and add a healthy glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on and give the pan a toss around to get the pasta coated in oil. And there you have it, you are done!

A very simple salad

While away, we went to this great little Indian.
The lamb Chana Balti was delish!

 So what do you think? I enjoyed every minute of cooking this dish and I'm sure you will too. Its simplicity, again, is what makes it. I served this with some baguettes and a salad of Italian lettuces, red onion and baby plum tomatoes simply cause I had so little time but it went down a real treat. Absolute silence after serving is usually a very good or a very bad sign but, thankfully, it was not the latter. My Dad, stated while I was cooking that I am the Delicious Man! Oh yeah! One down, six billion or so to go... 




Seasoned with Joy,

Jacob

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

As-Authentic-as-You-Like Pizza

Pizza oven in the Seychelles.
See below for other holiday snaps.

 Pizza by definition is a flat, round bread, baked in an oven usually topped with a tomato sauce and cheeses. With this as your base you can embellish with whatever you fancy. Apparently, though disputed, it was invented in Naples to then become popular all over the world. Many dishes throughout cultures are similar to pizza though should not be confused such as the French Tarte flambée or the middle eastern Manakish. The Italians are so protective over their pizza that laws have even been passed to stipulate clearly what can actually be dubbed as 'authentic pizza'!

The man himself likes slices

 Now, with this said, you may be as surprised as I was when I read Jamie's Italy, that when he went to the restaurant where the famed Margerrita originated from, he stated that the service and quality of everything was pretty dire. But, when you take into account that the most iconic of all Italian foods is actually considered by them to be 'junk food', one might understand clearer. Put it this way, you wouldn't go into your local kebab joint and request a truffled balotine of quail would you? It's not all stories either because my parents, who spent their honeymoon in Italy, have often said that they were probably the worst pizzas they've ever had but the ones they had when staying in the Seychelles were among the best. Yeah, you tell me! Jamie also said in his book that Italians consider you a prat if you eat pizza with a knife and fork. It's supposedly meant to be eaten folded over and stuffed in your mouth. (I personally do prefer slices.)

 Anyhow, enough jabbering. To the food!

 Time: 30 mins prep, 15 mins cooking

 Serves: 6 to 8

 RECIPE:

Simple does the job

 1) Oil or flour three/four pizza trays now as you won't want oily hands later and preheat your oven to 250 degrees/gas 5. Take a large mixing bowl and dump in there two sachets of dried yeast, a handful of sugar and a good sprinkling of salt. Pour in a small splash of warm water and gently swill the bowl around. This wakes the yeast up a bit. Place your bowl in some scales and weigh out 750g of flour. (I use 500g white, 250 spelt for a really nice flavour). At this point you could add paremsan, dried basil, dried chilli seeds or any other seeds for that matter. if you want. Make a well in the center  take a fork and slowly pour in some warm water as you stir it in. Don't incorporate all of your flour yet but take a little bit from the sides of the well at a time and don't let it get dry either, keep it fairly wet until it's all coming together. Add a bit more flour to your bowl and get your hands in there. The next bit is easy: if it's wet add some flour, if it's dry add a little water. Turn your dough onto a floured surface and, as Jamie would say, let all your emotions out. Really give the dough some loving for five, ten minutes until it's soft and elastic and then divide into three/four portions. Now you're ready to roll it out.

 2) Firstly, ensure that your rolling pin has not been caked in salt dough or is speckled with multi-coloured Plasticine. (I love my little siblings!) Flour your surface and rolling pin and roll your dough out. Flip it over and roll again. Toss it in the air even if you like! Repeat this process until you have flat, pizza base and then you can put this on tray for trimming. Press your finger into the dough all the way around the edges to give a small crust and then slop on some of that Lidl pasta sauce, (See previous post), leaving about an inch or so at the edges.
 3) When it comes to cheeses, I personally like like something strong but feel free to have an explore: Buffalo mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Provolone are all awesome. Sometimes mixing cheeses really works and if you get it right, no other toppings are needed. A few, fresh basil leaves and you are away. Before you should be an amazing creation.

Egg. Told you.

 Now, there are no rules to toppings so I won't class this as a step; go with what your tastebuds dictate but just don't go too crazy as you will end up with a sloppy, cheese pie. Get some sliced parma ham, meatballs (I have a recipe for those too) on there with a bit of fresh chilli and red onion or some olives, peppers and sweetcorn. Even a cracked egg in the middle with sliced, mixed grapes is quite common in Italy. If you want some anchovies in there, I'll forgive you. No, seriously, fish can be amazing on pizza too.
 So there you have it. Pizza is somehow such a joy-bringing dish it really does put a smile on your face just looking at one...unless yours has become a flop like my first few attempts. Don't sweat it, it's all part of the learning curve. I've lost count of how many times I have criminally burnt a pizza or taken it out too soon to find I have lovely melted cheese sitting on top of stodgy, very uncooked dough. Learn from your mistakes, adjust where needed and just keep giving it another go. 

Seasoned with Hope,

Jacob

P.S. I don't want to see anyone using cutlery!

My Mum eight or so years
before having me

My Dad in some suspect glass

Another holiday snap of a creole
 display in a boat.

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly