I was recently sent a beautiful cookbook . . . Great Homemade Soup's, a cook's collection, by Paul Gayler.  I am no stranger to Paul Gayler's cookery books.  I already own three of them, and love them so I was really pleased to have been given the offer of this one.  I knew I was in for a real treat and I was not disappointed.

In this gorgeously presented book Paul shares a comprehensive collection of over 100 of his most appetising soup recipes alongside recipes from guest chefs including Daniel Boulud, Antonio Carluccio, Chris and Jeff Galvin, Tom Kerridge, Atul Kochhar, Pierre Koffman and Susan Spicer.



It brings you through the whole range of soupery, from basic equipment and stocks, broths and consommes, smooth and creamy soups, hearty soups, traditional soups, exotic concoctions and chilled soups.  There is something in this lovely book to suit any taste and budget, with clear and concise instructions and beautiful imagery.



Each recipe has a full colour and mouth watering photograph to accompany it (photography by Lisa Linder.)

I found the first chapter which included a brief introduction to soups, their classification, the equipment needed, some information on garnishes, accompaniments and soup toppings before detailing in step-by-step Masterclasses how to make perfect homemade soup stocks, the fundamental base to every good soup to be very informative and my favourite chapter.   There was so much to learn about soup in there . . .  and I like to think that you are never too old to learn something new.



Amongst the many soups on offer you will see such tasty delights as . . .

• Cauliflower soup with brie toasties
• Roasted pepper and aubergine soup
• Carrot, pineapple and ginger soup
• Jamaican pepper pot soup
• Soupe a l'oignon gratinee

And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Of course the proof of the pudding is always in the eating and I would never recommend a cookbook to you if I hadn't tried at least one of the recipes included.  It was really difficult to make up my mind with this book as everything looked so delicious, but I finally narrowed it down to one.



I chose his recipe for Italian Wedding Soup.  Not only did it look beautiful, but I had everything in the house that I needed in order to make it.   I had never had Italian Wedding Soup before and I was keen to try something different.



The instructions were concise and easy to follow.  Even though it was not something I had ever eaten, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do.  None of the ingredients was outrageous or difficult to find.  In fact I already had all of them in the house, although I did substitute Cavolo Nero for the lettuce, because that is what I had and what I thought would look prettiest, and I think food should be pretty don't you?



It went together beautifully . . . and the end result was a lovely soup.  Hearty enough to be a main meal once I added crusty bread on the side.  The Toddster who usually loves his soups creamy and thick, declared it to be one of the nicest soups he had ever eaten.  So in short . . . this was a real winner!




First make the meatballs.  Combine all of the ingredients, mixing well with your hands, in a bowl.  Season to taste and then place in the fridge to chill for an hour.  Remove from the fridge at the end of that time and then using wet hands roll into 1 inch balls.

Heat a large frying pan with 2 TBS of the oil over medium low heat.  Add the meatballs and cook, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden all over.   Remove with a slotted spoon to some paper towels and set aside.

Using a clean pan, over medium heat, heat the remaining oil.  Add the onion, garlic and chilli flakes and reduce heat.  Cook, stirring until softened, for about 10 minutes.  Pour the stock over all, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Add the pasta and the escarole and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.  Add the meat balls to the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes longer.  Sir in the parsley.

Whisk together the egg and Pecorino Romano in a bowl.  Slowly pour this mixture into the soup, stirring continuously and always in the same direction with a wooden spoon as you pour..  Simmer for 30 seconds over the lowers heat to cook the eggs and thicken the soup slightly.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Divide between heated bowls and serve immediately!



This was an amazing collection of soups in just one place. The author has done a great job at collecting and sharing a wide array of soups from every part of the world that will warm you inside and out.  All-in-all this is a comprehensive cookbook with amazing images throughout that will leave your mouth watering.  I give this book 10+ and highly recommend it for anyone's cookery book collection.  It would make a fabulous gift for the foodie in your life, especially if you are wanting them to make you some tasty soups to indulge in!

Book: Great Homemade Soups: A Cook's Collection
Author: Paul Gaylor
Publisher:  Jacquie Small LLP, 74-77 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF
ISBN: 9781909342231
Publication Date: 17 October 2013
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25 UK, $30 US

 

Did you notice that beautiful cast iron casserole I was using to make my soup in???  I know isn't it gorgeous.  It is a part of the Pro Cook line of cast iron Casseroles. 



I was recently sent the ProCook Turquoise Cast Iron Casserole20cm / 2.9L Round Casserole Dish to try out and I have to say I am loving it.  I already had a much higher priced "luxury" brand cast iron casserole dish and I was keen to compare the two.  I have to say in all honesty, I can't see a difference . . . except in the price.  Seriously.   I can't speak for it's value over long term use as I have only had each of these casseroles a short time, but so far they have both performed equally.

The Pro Cook traditional cast iron range is built to last a lifetime. Hand cast from molten iron giving incredible strength and durability, topped with smart, stainless steel knobs, cast iron handles and enameled inside and out with turquoise and cream for a stunning, self-basting finish and excellent heat retaining properties.

Suitable for hob and oven cooking and for all cookers including induction, this range is ideal for long, slow cooking so you can just pop it into the oven.

One of the drawbacks would be that they are not suitable for dishwasher use.  But even Le Creuset recommend that you only wash in the dishwasher with caution.  They come with a full 25 year guarantee. (Le Creuset offers a lifetime guarantee.) Right now you can purchase this same one on their page for £32 a reduction from the regular price of £64 on the high street.

The Pro Cook Oven to Table line of Cast Iron Cookware comes in a wide range of sizes and colours and I truly feel they are good value for money spent.   I could honestly see NO discernable difference in performance between the more expensive brand cast iron cookware and this reasonably priced brand.   I highly recommend.

Do you know what time of year it is? The Holidays are almost upon us. The shop shelves are filled with mincemeat pies, stollen, and Christmas Cakes. Holiday chocolate selection boxes and every ingredient you could possibly use to make your own from scratch holiday goodies.



I love mincemeat and every year I try to come up with new ways to use it in my Holiday Baking. I have a great recipe for making your own, which you can find here. It's nice to have lots of it ready to use in a variety of ways!

In the past I have come up with:



Christmas Morning Dougnut Muffins



Fruity Chocolate Fondant Puds




Baked Holiday Custards



Open Mince Pies



Traditional Mince Pies



Holiday Split Seconds



Mincemeat and Marzipan Teabread



Mincemeat and Apple Jalousie



Spicy Cranberry, Almond and Mincemeat Eve's Pudding

This year is no different. The Mincemeat fest has already begun. Today I baked some lovely Mincemeat Rolls.

They were quick and easy and quite, quite delicious.



Each mouthful was fruity and buttery and spicey scrummy.



All you need is a jar of mincemeat (or your own homemade stuff) and a tin of refrigerated Croissant Rolls. (Crescent Rolls)



You can have a deliciously different and welcome Holiday Breakfast or Brunch bread sitting on the table for your family in less than 20 minutes, counting the time it takes to open the tin and roll them up.



It seriously is very easy and they are seriously quite lovely. Well, so long as you like mincemeat that is . . . and as you can clearly tell . . . WE DO!!

Oh sure . . . you could make your own Crescent Rolls from scratch . . . but this is about INSTANT Gratification baby, or darned close to it!



*Mincemeat Rolls*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Fluffy buttery cresent rolls filled with tasty mincemeat, baked and then dusted with icing sugar and served warm. A delicious holiday breakfast addition!

1 (250g) tin of refrigerated croissant rolls (Jus-Roll. They come in a tin you crack open and unroll, separate, and then roll
up into croissants. There are six in the tin. You will find them in the chiller cabinet at the store. In North America you could
use Pillsbury Cresent Rolls)
6 heaped dessertspoons of jarred or homemade fruited mincemeat
Icing sugar to dust



Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

Crack open the tin of rolls and separate them into 6 triangles. Spread each triangle with a heaped dessertspoon of mincmeat, leaving the edges free. Roll up from the wide edge to the point. Place onto the baking sheet and curve gently to form a crescent.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool somewhat before dusting with icing sugar and serving. (Be careful as the sweet filling will be very hot when fresh out of the oven. I let mine cool to lukewarm before serving and eating.)



Cooking in The Cottage today, a delicious Steak with a Mushroom and Stilton Sauce.

  

As most of my readers are aware, I recently made the decision to return to my home country of Canada to live.  As you can imagine, this was not easy amidst a World Pandemic!!  Only I would make a decision like that at a time like this! haha

•  1 loaf of whole wheat bread
• some kind of butter spread (I am watching my cholesterol so Benecol with olive oil was my choice)
• 1 small jar of peanut butter (a great source of protein)
• A box of breakfast cereal (I like cheerios)
• Eggs
• Milk
  
• A carton of Orange juice
• A carton of Prune juice (don't ask, lol)
• A package of luncheon meat
• Dijon mustard
• Salad stuff (mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions)
• A packet of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Fresh vegetables (not a huge amount, some broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
• Baby new potatoes
• A bottle of good salad dressing (my choice was blue cheese, but pick your favourite one)
• a small block of good cheddar
• dried figs
  
• a few apples
• a few pears
• Vanilla pudding pots, or yogurt
• Plain pretzels to snack on 
• Plain sparkling water 

My sister very kindly asked me ahead of time were there any treats that I missed from home that I might enjoy when I got here.  Of course there were!  She picked me up some of my favourite Coffee Crisp Bars, a package of Crunchy Doritos, a bag of Dill Pickle Chips (yumm!!), some Bran Muffins,Diet Coke and she threw in a few surprises, including some ordinary plain bottled water.  Plus I had a lovely bouquet of flowers waiting my arrival. She even had the fire turned on. 

One thing I did not think of, and you might want to consider is Salt and Pepper.  DUH!  Such a simple thing. 

You won't be having any herbs in your room/flat and if you are going to cook anything at all a little bit of seasoning would go down well. Of course it is not practical to have a whole assortment of seasonings and spices. 

Last night my sister brought me over some salt and pepper and a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. BONUS!! (Isn't she sweet!) 

So, don't forget some seasoning!

If you are really lucky you will be in an area that has good takeaway/delivery meals. I am not in one of those aareas,  so I will very much have to rely on my own abilities to provide for myself. 

My daughter did drop me off one of my favourite Sour Cream Doughnuts on her way back from Tim Hortons yesterday which was a real treat! 

A few things you will want to bear in mind: 

1. You will not have top cooking tools/knives/eating utensils/pots/pans. Prepare for bare bones cookery.

2. You will need to be somewhat inventive with what you cook and eat. 

3. This is not forever. Its only for two weeks.

4. Keep it simple.

With all of that I managed to cook myself a fairly delectable main meal yesterday, which I will be sharing with you next time. In the meantime, here is a photograph of just what you can do with a minimum of ingredients and equipment. 

Do take note that cooking in quarantine from a hotel room will be vastly different from cooking in quarantine from home.  This is a completely different experience, but can be just as delicious!

See you tomorrow with the recipe from above! 

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There are an abundance of fabulous baking products available to us these days.   The mind boggles at the variety.  I wanted to show you today a few recipes which highlight the new Surprise Inside Cupcake Centers from Dr Oetker.  They come in three flavours . . .  Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate and Zingy Lemon.  Yum yum! Hang onto your hats because there is about to be a lot of deliciousness coming your way this morning!

What you have here is a delicious casserole, perfectly sized for the smaller family, jammed with plenty of chicken, bacon, cheese, green beans (to be healthy) and a few other odds and sods, topped with delicious brown tater tots.

There are some lovely looking cauliflowers in the shops at the moment. This is the season when those lovely tightly knit curded plentiful heads are in abundance, fresh and localy grown. A member of the Brassica family, it is one of my favourites and is at it's very best at this time of year. You can also get the Italian variety, or Romanesco, which whilst green in colour and very ornamental looking, is quite similar in flavour and texture.



You want to look for nice, heavy heads of cauli's, with fresh green leaves, not leaves that look wilted, yellowing or dry. Your cauli's should have fresh looking white or cream coloured curds, with no sign of mildew or rot, and the buds should be tight and crisp, and not at all rubbery. A rubbery cauliflower is one that's been picked for some time and not been kept properly stored! Pass any that are not perfect by! (I'd ruther have frozen cauli's than one of those!)

Cauli's can be kept loosely wrapped and stored in the refrigerator. A relatively fresh one from the garden or market will keep for up to two weeks, properly stored in the refrigerator, whole . . . or about a week, if broken up into florets.



Sweet and nutty we just love this vegetable.  We have it in soups and curries, lovely cauliflower cheese's and gratins, stir fries, and raw with creamy dips. In any way shape or form, if cauliflower is on the menu, that is a happy day for us! I've never tried to grow my own, but may do one year, you just never know!



This is a lovely soup which perfectly showcases the lovely flavor of this beautiful vegetable. If you are a fan of cauliflower, then you will love this.  It's easy to make and also freezes well,  without the brioche crumbs.  In the freezer it will keep well for up to 3 months. (Defrost completely and then re-heat. You can make fresh crumbs while it is heating up.) The crumb topping adds a delicious crunch, but you must eat it right away before the soup makes them sog up.




*Cauliflower Soup with Brioche Crumbs*
Serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main
Printable Recipe


This is a very simple soup which really showcases the lovely flavour of Cauliflower. I think the Brioche Crumbs are the perfect topping. It is quite simply, a lovely dish.

50g butter (1/4 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
500ml hot vegetable stock (2 cups)
300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
300ml single cream (1 1/4 cup)
sea salt and white pepper to taste
1 small brioche roll
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 TBS finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley



First make the Brioche Crumbs. Pre-heat your grill to high. Place the torn Brioche roll into the food processor along with the garlic. Blitz to form bread crumbs. Spread the crumbs out on a baking tray and then place under the grill. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring from time to time and keeping a close watch on them, until toasted and golden brown. Remove from the grill and toss together with the chopped parsley in a bowl. Set aside while you make the soup.

Place the butter in a large saucepan. Melt over medium low heat. Add the onion and saute for several minutes, stirring, until softened. Do not allow to colour. Add the cauliflower florets and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the hot stock and the milk. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Using your stick blender, if you have one, blend until smooth. Otherwise you will have to use either a food processor or a regular blender. (Be very careful as hot things in blenders and food processors can be quite explosive! I always cover mine with a towel to be on the safe side and also only blend in small batches.) Return the soup to the saucepan, stir i nthe cream and then heat through. Season to taste with some sea salt and white pepper.

To serve, divide equally amongst heated soup bowls, and sprinkle with the Brioche Crumbs. Serve immediately.



This soup was the perfect way to test my new Breville 2 in 1 hand blender which was sent to me from Littlewoods.  I have long been a fan of the hand held stick blender and when I was asked to test this one out I jumped at the chance.  Stick blenders are so much more convenient to use than regular blenders, and a lot easier to keep clean.



This Breville 3 in 1 hand blender is like the Cadillac of hand blenders.   With a powerful 400w motor, it has the oomph and strength of a professional model hand held blender.  It has two speeds, and with it's professional quality stainless steel leg it's very hygenic.



It comes with a nicely sized 500ml plastic beaker, which is ideal for blending smoothies and liquids and making salad dressings.  Today I used it right in the soup pot to blitz my cauliflower soup to an ultra smooth puree, lickety split.

 

It also comes with a 500ml chopper attachment, which is perfect for chopping meats, herbs, nuts and vegetables.  This is going to be a real favourite of mine.  I have been wanting to buy myself a small size food processor for a time now, for when I only want to chop an onion or a few odd bits, without having to drag out the whole huge food processor.



This nice piece of kit came in very handy the other day when I was making my cookie crumbs for the parsnip tarts I made.  It worked like a dream and in no time at all and with very little hassle I had perfect cookie crumbs.  And it was a breeze to clean up after.

I also used it today for the brioche crumbs for the soup and the garlic.



Another wonderful feature is the stainless steel whisk attachment which is perfect for whipping up some cream or egg whites.  Not strong enough to beat cake batters I don't think, although it would probably also work very well with pancake or Yorkshire pudding batters as they are quite thin.  Just make sure you do them in a deep bowl, or you will end up with it all over the kitchen (as I did today).  It's a pretty powerful little whisk!

The handle is very easy to hold onto as well, with a comfortable rubber grip.  Easy to operate and comfortable to use, this Breville hand blender has a powerful 400watt motor, two speed levels and a detachable end for easy cleaning.  I give this a 10 out of 10 for ease of use, performance, looks and ease of cleaning.

Many thanks to Littlewoods for having sent me this beautiful piece of kit!

The Breville 3 in 1 hand blender

selling for £89