Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sandwich. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sandwich. Sort by date Show all posts
I do so love my computer. Having a computer has added such a special dimension to my life. I have met some really special people via this medium and been able to experience a lot of really wonderful things that I might not have had I not been the owner of a computer and the author of several blogs!
I have always stored my photos on photobucket and pay a hefty price for the priviledge. That is where I keep all of my food photos and normally it's worked very well for me . . . until a couple of days ago. I literally have not been able to get the site to load for me, which is very frustrating for me as almost all of my food photos are on there, and I can't get at them! Grrrrrr!!!! I am really hoping and praying it is a temporary blip!
Anyways, all of the recipes and reviews I have in my queue to post will have to wait until I can get access to my photos and I am really hoping that will be soon, or else I will be spitting feathers . . . and trust me, you do not want to see that! It ain't pretty!
Thankfully I had the wherewithall to upload a few photos to my google account the other day and so I can show you this fab recipe here today. It's like a type of strata . . . a bread and egg pudding, sort of like a savory bread pudding.
They make excellent use of stale bread and other bits. The other day I decided to make it like a BLT sandwich and it worked out fabulous! This was soooooo tasty.
I simply made some sandwiches with some stale bread, filling them with crumbled bacon, grated cheddar, finely sliced leeks and some slices tomatoes . . . place them into a baking dish and then poured a savoury egg custard mix over top.
It was so delicious and went down a real treat with a nice mixed salad with a French Vinaigrette. Super duper tasty! I love that it was also quite thrifty and I made good use of a stale loaf of French bread, and a few other bits that needed using. I love it when that happens!
*Bacon, Cheese, Tomato & Leek Pudding*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Kind of like a savoury bread and butter pudding made with Bacon, Cheese, Tomato and Leek sandwiches. You can use sliced onions if you don't have any leeks. It's quite delicious!
a stale french loaf
(You will need at least 14 slices)Kind of like a savoury bread and butter pudding made with Bacon, Cheese, Tomato and Leek sandwiches. You can use sliced onions if you don't have any leeks. It's quite delicious!
a stale french loaf
2 ounces (1/4 cup) butter, softened
1 large tomato, thinly sliced, and cut into half moons
6 slices steaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 medium leek, washed, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 pound of strong cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
3 large free range eggs
1 TBS Dijon mustard (can use grainy if you have it)
1 pint of whole milk (2 cups)salt and pepper to taste
Butter a 10 inch glass pie dish.
Spread each slice of the bread thickly with butter on one side only. Mix together the sliced leeks, grated cheese and crumbled bacon. Divide 3/4 of this mixture between half of the slices on the unbuttered sides. Top each with two half moons of tomato. Place another slice of bread, buttered side up on top. Cut in half and place into the pie dish cut side down, to fill the dish. Sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese mixture.
Beat the eggs together with the mustard and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over top of the sandwiches. Allow to stand for half an hour before cooking so that it can absorb as much as possible.
Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Bake the pudding in the heated oven for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve. A salad goes nice with this.
Here's hoping that photo bucket is working tomorrow!
I am so excited to be able to tell you this morning that I have finally finished my fourth Cookbooklet. Entitled Recipes to Keep it is a little goldmine of my all time favourite recipes, the ones that I turn to again and again, indeed my family favourites, gleaned from a lifetime of cooking for my family and loved ones.
40 pages containing over 40 new, never before posted recipes from my big blue binder that contain some of my all time favourites. Recipes such as Cindy's Portuguese Gumdrop Cake ( a must for our Christmas larder each year for over 20 years!) , Runny Butter Tarts (a fail proof recipe I have been using for over 30 years for the best butter tarts you could want to eat), Onion Patties (who needs to go to all the faff of making onion rings when you can just drop them as simple patties!), The Best Ever Tomato and Meat Sauce, and a whole lot more. Destined to become your family favourites too . . . in short, recipes to keep.
It's available now as a PDF Download, mailed right to your home, and at the same low price as all of my other cookbooklets. You will find the link up there on underneath my header on the page called Cookbooklets!
Thanks for visiting and have a great day!
One thing my Todd has always wanted to do is to go to a diner to eat. You know . . . just like the ones on the telly that you see in all those American movies.
All chrome and formica . . . and juke boxes, waitresses named Sally, and a coffee cup that has no bottom.
Club sandwiches, gravy fries and mile high pies.
I thought I would try to recreate a Diner meal for him here at home tonight, but in as low fat as possible. One of my favourites back home use to be the Hot Hamburger Sandwich Platter.
A big oval platter, loaded up with hot fries, a huge hamburger pattie on a toasted bun, with oodles of gravy slathered over top and a small bucket of coleslaw on the side. Washed down with an ice cold soda pop. It can't be beat!
It might not be much to look at, but what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavour. I used extra lean ground steak, which I flavoured with onion powder, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper . . . lots of onion and garlic. I then divided the meat into four equal shapes and then flattened them as thin as I could into a huge flat irregular sized burgers, so they had lots of little nooks and crannies on the edges.
You can make your own pan gravy if you wish. (I tell you how) or you can just open a tin of beef gravy. Me, I opted for Bisto, coz there is not much fat in it., and it's as easy as boiling the kettle.
Even the coleslaw, my own homemade, was low in fat . . . as I used a fat free mayo and low fat creme fraiche. The only thing I didn't do was to put on a short dress and ask him to "kiss ma grits!" (I also didn't ask for a tip!) Oh, and there was no pie . . . sigh . . .
*Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
It's diner food for the UK! A delicious well flavoured hot hamburger patty on a toasted bun half, topped with gravy and served with crispy fries and coleslaw!
1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 TBS flour
1 litre of beef broth
4 large baking potatoes
oil
seasonings for the fries (I like the smoked paprika, sweet red pepper and thyme mix from M&S)
salt and black pepper
Toasted Bun halves
Coleslaw, your own or purchased (See my recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.
Wash the potatoes and dry well. Cut into thin chips. Toss them onto the baking sheet. Pour about 1 TBS of oil over top along with some of your chosen seasoning and some salt and black pepper. Toss together with your hands. Place into the heated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Mix together the minced steak, garlic, onion powder, seasoned salt and a bit of salt and lots of black pepper to taste. (You can pinch off a little bit and fry it in a pan to see if you have the seasoning correct if you wish.) Shape into large flat irregular shaped patties.
Place a large skillet over mediium high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry the patties until well browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Reserve any drippings in the pan. There probably won't be much. You will need about 4 TBS. You can add some butter to the pan drippings to make this up. Once the fat is melted and hot, stir in the flour, whisking it in well. Slowly whisk in the broth a bit at a time, whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer for several minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Divide the fries between 4 heated plates. Place a toasted bun half on each and top with a burger. Spoon over some of the gravy, making sure it covers the burger and some of the chips. Serve with coleslaw on the side. Enjoy!
This isn't the greatest photograph, but it is a coleslaw recipe that I use often. This is how my mom always made it.
*Creamy Coleslaw*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe
A delciously cream coleslaw that has just the right amount of crunch and flavour! There is no sogginess here!!
10 ounces of white cabbage, trimmed, cored and very thinly cut
(about 1/2 of a medium cabbage)
5 ounces of carrots, peeled, trimmed and julienned
(1 medium carrot)
4 inches of an English Cucumber, trimmed, seeded and cut into small dice
(Do not peel)
2 - 3 large dessertspoons of good quality mayonnaise
1 TBS of Dijon mustard
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder
Place the vegetables into a large bowl. Whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, sugar, celery salt, black pepper and onion powder. Mix well. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Note - the amount of mayonnaise you use depends on the cabbage, some cabbages take more mayonnaise than others. It also depends on how creamy you like your coleslaw!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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About two months ago when I was staying at my sisters, she made the best oven barbequed ribs I have ever eaten. They were tender and delicious and really succulent. It was love at first bite for me!
I love spare ribs! They are something I only ever rarely eat. A lot of that has to do with having to go through a lot of pallaver to get them really tender, and then of course there is the fat content. They are a rare treat!
Making them in the past had always involved simmering them in a liquid for a long period of time. Then I would have to brush them with BBQ sauce and cook them some more in the oven or on the grill.
I didn't always have the time or the patience for all of that. My sister's method is so much easier and results in perfectly cooked juicy ribs!
It really was simple and I asked myself afterwards, why had I never thought to do the same! It was so easy and they were so tender.
How could I not have thought of this myself? I mean, if you look at them they are literally falling apart, they are so tender and there was no boiling, simmering involved at all.
First of all she only ever uses back ribs. She says there is too much bone in the side ribs, and I have to agree with her. You are paying for a lot of bone when you do ribs anyways, why pay for even more!
The side ribs almost always include that huge breast bone and there is not an awful lot of meat on them. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, you get a lot more meat for your money if you buy back ribs.
That is probably why back ribs are so much more expensive than side ribs. It makes sense. This past week the local Foodland had back ribs on offer so I took advantage of the great price and bought some for me to cook at home.
I decided to cook them just as my sister had.
First I started by creating a delicious, nicely flavored rub to season them with. This involved quite a few different spices, as well as some brown sugar.
Sweet and smoked paprika, dry mustard powder, ground cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, etc. to just name a few. I have given you the exact quantities and spices in the notes section of the printable recipe below.
I am actually a huge fan of making my own mixes, spice blends, and rubs. I have a whole page dedicated to them here.
Today I only had one rack so I only used a portion of the rub. You will need to keep to the cook time no matter how many ribs you have. This tasty mixture got rubbed into the ribs all over.
You will need a deepish roasting tin large enough to hold a rack that you can place the rubbed ribs onto in a single layer. You may want to line it with foil to make cleanup a bit easier.
Place the rack in the roasting tin and then lay the spice rubbed ribs on top of the rack in a single layer, leaving room around each for the air to circulate.
Pour a bit of water in the bottom of the roasting tin. You want it to come up between 1/2 to 1-inch in depth. You DON'T want it to touch the ribs. These ribs are steamed not stewed.
Cover your tin tightly with aluminum foil and then leave them to roast for a few hours at a low temperature. At the end of that time you will find that they are lovely and tender and moist.
You could leave it right there and continue to roast them for a further half an hour uncovered. But I chose to add even more flavor by brushing them with barbeque sauce.
Roasting them uncovered and slathered with sauce gives them a nice sticky surface and makes them really finger-licking good! Just use your favorite brand of sauce.
I like the Jack Daniels BBQ sauce myself, but I couldn't find any of that here. I ended up using Bulls Eye for ribs and chicken.
I think this is the best ribs recipe I have ever used and yes, it is more of a technique than it is a recipe! But that doesn't matter. What works, works.
Just look at how tender and juicy they turned out. The meat literally falling off the bone. No hint of dryness at all, and they were so simple to cook.
Succulent doesn't begin to describe them. You could of course serve them with additional BBQ sauce. I was quite happy with them as they were. No extra sauce needed.
I enjoyed them with a nice baked potato, topped with some sour cream and chives from my back garden, along with a tasty tossed salad. Yummilicious!
Of course there was a lot more meat on the ribs than I could enjoy in one sitting. That's one of the hazards of being only one person.
What to do, what to do.
It was simple really. I used a fork and removed all of that tender succulent meat on the remaining bones and tossed it into the refrigerator.
Today I warmed it up with a bit of stock and some additional BBQ sauce and enjoyed a delicious Pulled Pork Sandwich of a sort, with some sweet potato fries. It was delicious!!
There is no reason why a single person can't still enjoy delicious and yet simple meals the same as anyone else! Bon Appetit!!
Yield: 4 depending on appetites
Best Oven Barbequed Ribs
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 35 M
These ribs turn out beautifully tender, succulent and filled with amazing flavors, every single time.
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds of pork back ribs
- 1/2 cup of your favorite spice rub (see note below)
- BBQ sauce for brushing (use your favorite kind)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300*F/150*C. You will need a deep roasting tin large enough to hold a rack. Line with aluminum foil.
- Rub the pork ribs all over with the rub and then lay them out onto the rack in the roasting tin in a single layer. This allows the air to circulate around them.
- Add about 1/2 to - inch of hot water to the bottom of the pan. You don't want it to touch the ribs.
- Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast the ribs in the preheated oven, tightly covered, for about 2 hours. Check periodically to make sure that the water hasn't totally evaporated.
- At the end of that time the ribs should be well on their way to being tender. Remove the foil and brush the ribs all over with BBQ sauce.
- Roast for a further 1/2 hour, brushing them with some more BBQ sauce once or twice. At the end of that time the ribs should be deliciously glazed and tender.
- The ribs are done when a sharp knife slides easily into the thickest part of the meat.
- Allow to rest, lightly tented for about 10 minutes. Cut into portions and serve immediately with or without additional BBQ sauce for dipping.
Notes:
This makes a great rub for pork or chicken: Measure the following into a spice grinder and grind to combine well. 1 1/2 TBS paprika, 1 TBS smoked paprika, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 1/2 TBS sea-salt 1/2 TBS ground ginger, 1/2 TBS chipotle powder, 3 TBS dark brown sugar, 1/2 TBS black pepper, 1/2 TBS ground nutmeg, 1/2 TBS ground oregano, 1/2 TBS ground thyme, 1/2 TBS ground coriander, 1 TBS dry mustard powder, 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 1/2 TBS onion powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Once mixed store in an airtight container in a dark place for up to six months. This makes approximately 1 cup and can be used on all sorts of things. Its delicious!
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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I first saw these burgers a few years back on a delicious blog that I like to visit from time to time entitled Full Bellies Make Happy Kids.
Sandra is a stay at home mom and she cooks the most delicious things for her family. Reading her page reminds me of what my life was like at the same stage in life . . . when I had a whole houseful of hungry kids (Five to be exact!) . . .
I was so very busy preparing delicious and interesting meals to tempt their palates! (In between doing laundry, laundry and um . . . more laundry!!)
Anyhow, I first made these burgers a couple of years ago now and I thought it was time I made them again. After all Ariana hasn't had them, and some things are just so good they bear repeating.
They were every bit as tasty this time around and I like the thought that I am feeding us something that is a tad bit healthy.
I adapted them a bit by using low fat evaporated milk, which gave them a bit of richness without any extra calories. I also used half fat cheddar cheese slices, which cut back on the fat again.
I only ever use extra lean steak mince . . . it's a lot better for you and I think it tastes pretty good. I also added some creamed horseradish sauce which added a bit of zip, which we loved.
Garnished with some fresh rocket leaves and served with some oven baked sweet potato fries, these were fabulous!
I think mine got cooked just a tad bit too long . . . next time I will take them out about 5 minutes sooner, so do check on them after they have been in the oven for about 15 minutes, if you don't want yours to get overdone.
Delicious open face burgers, easy peasy, with no frying or the mess that goes along with frying. Adapted from a recipe found in Cook's Country.
3 to 4 finger rolls, split in half lengthwise
150g fine dry bread crumbs (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 small onion, grated on a fine grater
125ml evaporated milk, undiluted (1/2 cup)
4 TBS ketchup
1 TBS prepared horseradish sauce
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
680g extra lean minced steak (1 1/2 pounds)
6 to 8 slices strong cheddar cheese (sandwich size)
a couple handful's of fresh rocket leaves (arugla)
Steak sauce to serve
Preheat your oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Place your finger rolls, cut side up on a baking sheet. Bake in the heated oven for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown.
Place the beef into a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder, egg, evaporated milk, horseradish sauce and some salt and black pepper to taste. Mix together with your hands, kneading gently until well combined. Divide this mixture into 6 or 8 (depending on how many bun halves you have) equal portions and spread the raw beef mixture on to the tops of the toasted roll halves, making sure you cover the bread right to the edges.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cut the cheese slices in half diagonally. Place two halves onto each burger and return to the oven to bake for a further 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted over top. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Top each with some fresh rocket and serve. Pass the Steak Sauce.
People are always asking me what it was like to live, cook and work at the Manor. I thought I would do a post today about that experience in my life. To be honest, it was, to a humble girl from a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada, a bit of a dream come true!
When I was a child I used to dream of one day living in a pretty cottage in the English countryside, but I never ever thought that this would be a dream of mine that would come true. When I moved over to the UK in 2000 that dream came a little bit closer to coming true for sure, but it still seemed to be pretty remote to someone like me.
I decided to go to culinary school when I first arrived in the UK. This was something which I had always wanted to do, and the time seemed right. I was an empty nester without any obligations, and so I took the courses I needed to take in order to be able to work in the food industry. I had always been a very good cook, and I had run my own coffee shop at one point in my life, and I had, in fact, worked as a pastry chef (sans training) when I was a very young woman.
After I graduated from Culinary school, I started looking for a job. I did not want to work in a restaurant. At the age of 46, I reallyfelt that was too old for the fast pace of restaurant work. Restaurant work is a young person's game.
There is a magazine in the UK called The Lady. It is one of the primary places that wealthy people advertise to recruit staff. I decided that I would try to find a job working for a private school or a family cooking on a much simpler and easier pace. I began looking at adverts in the magazine and applying for jobs.
I received call backs from several positions but there was one job in particular that appealed to me. and so I went down to Kent for an interview. It was to work as a Chef for an American family living in the U.K. Kent is one of the most beautiful counties in England. It is known as the Garden of England and is host to a lot of beautiful little villages.
I went down by train for the interview from Chester where I was living at the time. This was just about the longest job interviews I have ever had. I was there for the most part of the day. I was given a guided tour of the Estate and of the cottage that would be mine.
By the end of the day I was told that I had the job, which would include a decent wage along with the cottage, which was situated just down the lane from the main house which you see above.
It was a very lovely cottage and would be my home for as long as I worked at the Manor. It was cozy and comfortable and well situated. We had a large eat in kitchen/family room down stairs, a laundry room, and a walk in larder. There was a circular staircase leading upstairs where there was a reception room, two largish bedrooms, a room we called the library/office and two bathrooms.
This was only a small portion of the kitchen downstairs in the cottage. It was quite large, with loads of cupboard and counter space.
My job at the Manor entailed cooking for a family on a daily basis, five days of the week, breakfast, lunch and supper. I got weekends off and bank holidays, unless it was a special occasion and of course I needed to work extra hours when they were entertaining.
As well as cooking, I was responsible for cleaning the kitchen, larder and conservatory.
There was a huge larder just off the kitchen which had slate shelves. It was lovely and cool in there. Stored in there were a variety of specialized dishes/platters/etc. which would be required for specific occasions.
There was a small wine/alcohol section, an area with tinned/packaged goods, and an ice machine. There was also another refrigerator which came in very handy to store things when a dinner party was planned.
The kitchen was huge. I had access to a large sink with a garbage disposal a professional sized electric/gas stove, a gas burning AGA and every electrical appliance you can imagine. On the other side of the cooking area was also a dining area which was never actually used for eating for the whole time I worked there, but served as an area to provide welcome drinks when guests were arriving for a luncheon or brunch.
There were a multitude of cabinets, some of them glass fronted, which held a variety of silver and china, crystal, etc. I was also responsible for the maintenance of these. The ceiling was oak beamed. The walls were lined with copper utensils. I was also responsible for polishing all of the silver and copper. There was not only silver in the kitchen, but a huge cupboard across from the laundry room that was filled with it from the floor to the ceiling.
Working there cured me from ever wanting to have any copper, silver, or crystal for myself. It was a lot of work keeping these things up to par, and during those years I did enough of it to last me a lifetime.
Everything was beautiful however and I have to say it was a wonderful opportunity for me to get to work in a beautiful environment with some of the finest equipment and ingredients.
Every day meals were quite ordinary. Much the same as anyone would eat. In the mornings I would make breakfast for the Mr. who usually had toast and jam, coffee, juice. The Mrs. would have 3 mini bran muffins, a glass of my homemade fruit smoothie and 2 prunes. The recipe I used for the bran muffins was this Refrigerator Bran Muffin recipe. I kept a big jug of that in the refrigerator at all times.
It was only ever very occasionally that they would want anything else for breakfast. Occasionally he would like some scrambled eggs and toast, and if they had guests I would cook full breakfasts to order. Bacon, eggs, sausage, etc.
Lunches were also very simple affairs. He might ask me to make him a sandwich, or sometimes I would make a pizza and have it in the refrigerator that he could eat whenever he wanted. A tray of Deviled Eggs was kept in the refrigerator at all times and I would often make a homemade soup for him to enjoy with his sandwich. He also liked to munch on cold chicken and there was also always a tray of crisp vegetables with homemade dip in there for snacking.
Every day suppers were also very simple. Usually just some sort of protein with some vegetables on the side. They did not eat carbs such as rice, pasta or potatoes on a regular basis. Dinner would be simply some beef, pork, chicken, duck, or fish (usually salmon), and 3 or 4 simply cooked vegetables as well as a salad. Dessert was also not an every day thing, although the Mr. did like me to cook my Chocolate Chip Cookies and Fudge Walnut Brownies on a regular basis.
On Chocolate Chip Cookie days, all the staff made a visit to the kitchen. They all adored my cookies, and would pop into the kitchen, one at a time for a freshly baked cookie.
The Ladies' Luncheons were a different matter. These were much more involved and required a lot of work in preparation. The Mrs. would entertain ladies for luncheons several times a month. They would consist of drinks served in the kitchen upon arrival, usually Elderflower cordial as well as an assortment of finger foods. Not too many, only one or two because the ladies were always watching their weight. Small nibbles only.
There would usually be a soup course to begin, with perhaps some cracker breads or tiny muffins on the side. It would only be a simple soup like Potage Crecy.
The soup was often served in these vegetable shaped ceramic soup dishes which each had their own lids to keep them warm. They were all different shapes and very pretty.
The main course would usually be a salad of some sort, sometimes grilled chicken with a few vegetables, or salmon. All very dainty, and of course, beautifully presented.
There would be a dessert to finish. A favorite of the ladies was the Frozen Lemon Souffle which would have been prepared by myself as small individual souffles and served with some berries or a coulis.
There would be iced water and a variety of wines to serve with each course and chocolates and coffee to finish.
I loved doing the luncheons. Sometimes they would be held outside on the patio, but more often than not they were held in the conservatory, which was just off the kitchen. (See photo above.)
I did all of the planning, shopping, prepping, cooking and serving. I was also responsible for setting and dressing the table, an example of which you can see above. Plus all of the clean-up afterwards. I tried to pick dishes that I could do in advance for the most part for the first and dessert courses. That way I had only to really concentrate on the main course on the day.
They involved long hours of preparation, and many hours spent on my feet on the day, but I loved the challenge of being able to pull it all together and I can tell you, they were always very happy with what I had prepared. I was right in my element, and, as tired as I would be at the end of it all, I always felt a great sense of accomplishment when it was done, and really enjoyed all of it. They were considered to be quite casual affairs.
As fun to plan and prepare as the luncheons were, the dinner parties were what I loved doing most of all! I planned, cooked and served dinner parties for as few as 6 or 8 people and as many as 25. Usually six courses, including the coffee's and chocolates afterwards.
Dinner parties were always quite a bit more elaborate and involved a lot more in terms of preparation and effort. They were silver service and consisted of appetizers and drinks upon arrival, usually served in the main reception room. I would usually prepare 3 to 4 different appetizers. Some favorites were this delicious Smoked Salmon Spread with crisp breads, boiled Quails Eggs, Toasted Cheese Rounds, Smoked salmon on little rounds of brown bread with lemon, etc.
Another favorite were these Stilton and Walnut Shortbreads which were served spread with cream cheese and topped with a dollop of Mango Chutney and a toasted walnut half. Real party fare.
Following the appetizers and drinks there would be a first course. (This photo above is of the dining room, but dressed for a luncheon rather than a dinner party. Dinner parties were always silver service.) The first course was usually a soup dish or a fish dish. She was very fond of stacked salads. I had special rings to stack things up in. You would set the salads up in the rings, on plates, and then once they were set remove the rings for service. Things like this Layered Cobb Salad would be a prime example.
Following the first course (starter) there would be a main course. This could be any number of things. Lamb, Beef, chicken, fish, etc. Accompanied with a variety of vegetables and of course the special dinner rolls that I would have baked earlier in the day. This recipe on Cooking Classy is very similar to the party rolls I used to make for the dinner parties.
I plated everything very judiciously. Small dabs of each thing, artfully placed, so as not to overwhelm appetites. It took some getting used to. I was used to family service prior to working at the manor and had to really learn to restrain myself when I was plating up. With five or six courses being served they didn't want overly large helpings of anything.
They really were very elegant affairs.
Following the main course there would be a dessert course. Typically I would prepare two to three different desserts. Usually a chocolate one, a light one and then a cake of some sort. I tried always to pick desserts that I could make well ahead of time that I wouldn't have to do for when it came to the actual day. These Baby Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes were very popular.
Lemon Possets were another favorite.
After dessert there would be a cheese course. Prior to cooking at the manor I had a very timid cheese palate. I soon learned that in order to put together a delicious cheese tray I needed to know what I was doing and so I learned to love cheese.
I would prepare a large silver tray holding a variety of cheeses and fruits with special silver scissors meant to be used to clip off little sprigs of grapes. Normally there would be a hard cheese, some semi hard cheese, a soft cheese, a conversational cheese and a variety of fruits. Perhaps some wedges of apple, grapes, ripe figs, etc.
A silver biscuit barrel would also be passed at the table for the guests to enjoy a variety of crackers and biscuits with their cheeses. Small bread and butter plates with special silver knives would have been laid for them to spread their biscuits, cheese and fruits on.
As they were enjoying their cheese course I would be preparing the coffee course.
We always used a large wooden antique tray for this with handles. A hand crocheted antique lace cloth would be places over top and then the coffee things would be placed on top of the cloth. Small demi-tasse cups with silver spoons, and a silver basket covered with a doily and filled with a variety of quality chocolates.
By that time my work would have been almost done for the day. I would be busy clearing, cleaning and washing up. Leftovers, if any, would have been covered and refrigerated. The silver and crystal hand washed and put away and the dish washer would be humming.
Normally I would clean up the coffee things the next morning. That way they were free to socialize as they wanted and I could go home and get a well deserved good night's sleep before work the next day.
All did not always run smoothly. I remember the first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked, the turkey burned. It was a really large turkey and I had it in the electric oven. I went back to our cottage for a wee break and when I returned it was to discover that the bottom of the turkey was burning. It was so large that it was too close to the bottom element . We quickly ran to the shops, picked up two smaller ones and the first one was used as a show piece (elaborately garnished with plenty of parsley) and the guests were served meat from the other two. We did have a great laugh over that one.
The Mrs. said that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if nothing happened to the turkey!
All in all I really enjoyed my years working at the Manor. I got to work in a beautiful environment with the finest equipment and ingredients. I got to stretch and expand my culinary skills more than I had ever thought myself capable, and I left there with a really good reputation intact.
So much so that a few years ago, they contacted me from their home in the Bahamas asking me could I come to work for them again. They said I had been the best Chef that they had ever had working for them. The offer included a cottage on the beach, etc. I had to turn it down though. I was very content now to just do what I am doing and to be near my family. I do admit I was very flattered to have been asked to return, however, and I was really chuffed that they thought so highly of me.
It really was a great experience and one that this simple girl from rural Nova Scotia had never thought that she would ever get to live. Living and working in a beautiful spot in the Garden of Kent. If I had my life to live over again, this experience would always be a part of it. Through it I learned a great deal about fine cooking and dining, proper service, and entertaining on a grand scale. This I will always be grateful for.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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