I’ve just logged in and found 3 half written posts on here… Good intentions and all that? Hey ho, in a way, its a good thing, as it means book life has been busy. Stirring Slowly is out out and there has been all sorts of PR surrounding it – demo’s, Q+A’s, podcasts etc. It’s quite strange once you’ve written a book, for me it was anyway. I put so much love and time, sweat and tears into writing, developing and testing it, that once it got released I felt a bit lost. What do I do now? I still want to talk about it, it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done! And more than anything I just want people to cook from it and to enjoy it (seeing peoples pics of what they’ve made must be one of the best feelings). I don’t want to start writing book 2 straight away, it would feel like I was cheating on SS, does that sound strange? Not just yet anyway… [Read more…]
Elderflower jellies (and cordial)
It’s elderflower season! And I am giddy from picking this free treasure. I love that even living in a heavily built up and busy city I managed to do a little foraging. These beauties were found by the canal in East London and I’ve been back twice since (I haven’t depleted the whole tree I promise). We’ve had a quiet couple of days after a heavy few weeks and this was perfectly calming and therapeutic. So, a short and simple blog post from me today, and appreciating these beautiful little flowers in all their glory.
ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL
Classic elderflower cordial calls for just caster sugar and lemons, however I love the subtle addition of honey.
- 15 heads of elderflower (be sure not to wash them, but do pick off any bugs)
- 500g caster sugar
- 4 tablespoons good quality runny honey
- 2 unwaxed lemons
A very warming brew
Well, Christmas has been and gone (hope you all had a good one!) and I’m back on the blog. I’ve missed this place! I thought I might get a chance to share some treats with you over the festive period but alas, it didn’t really go to plan (it’s been a roller coaster of a fortnight). I do have an epic mulled pear frangipane tart to share this week, but for now a simple one, to ease back in.
Today I was on my own for the first time in 2 weeks. It was a gorgeous sunny day and as much as I willed myself to go for a walk I actually quite liked just curling up in doors, it was lovely. Being on my own and a bit chilly made me want something nostalgic though – cue Cypriot tea. ‘What is Cypriot tea?’ I hear you all ask! It is simply tea, made in a teapot, with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves thrown in. (We drink it with milk and sugar- if you like- a bit like a mild chai). I really love this stuff, it’s like a hug in a mug. I need to cut back on the caffeine though, which got me thinking about roobios, and I’m glad to say not only does it work, but its darn delicious. It takes on a different dimension, and I pimped it a little by adding some pink peppercorns (picked by my Yiayia) which adds a wonderful fruity heat to the tea. No word of a lie, this is a truly perfect wintery afternoon brew.
A VERY WARMING BREW
A perfect non-caffienated winter warmer.
Makes 1 teapot
- 3 roobios tea bags or 2 heaped tablespoons of loose tea
- A stick of cinnamon (a large one if you have them)
- 10 cloves
- 15 pink peppercorns
Place all the ingredients into your teapot and fill with boiling water. Leave to infuse for 3 minutes and then pour! Simple and delicious.