I like the way you move

Victorians loved its obscene nature, Heston and Nigella have all tried to tempt us, and I made a dessert with the stuff for a Ready Steady Cook challenge at college. Now it seems, jelly is coming back. And it's big people, oh my is it big.

Jellymongers is the brain child of jelly entrepreneurs, Sam Bompass and Harry Parr. They've made it uber-trendy and became prolific in the food world after Mark Ronson commissioned a £30,000 centrepiece for his birthday bash- a mould of St.Pauls. These guys have even mastered glow in the dark jelly and for the discerning bride, a jelly wedding tower.

I must say, these two look like they are having loads of fun and I can't think of another job I'd love to have more. It's up there with Ice-cream taster and toy tester. I'm definately going to be serving up jelly at my next dinner party. Jelly Spinaker Tower anyone?

Christmas@SouthDowns College

I have faced my fear this week and went back onto mains. It was OK. Not my favourite section but I got back on and my sea bass was pretty good-looking.

The previous week I was on starters and it was great because everything was plated and ready to go before service. We were serving:

Smoked Salmon and Prawn Tian with a Tomato Chutney and garnished with micro leaves
Deep-Fried Brie in a Parmesan Basket with Pear Chutney
A Trio of Melon and Poached Fig with Spiced Syrup

I took charged of the melon and managed to slice through my finger and nail with a carving knife-it was swollen cartoon-stylee, red and throbbing and eventually last weekend became INFECTED! It's OK now though, it looks like I won't be losing it.

I also prepared a million Parmesan Baskets which made the whole kitchen smell of sick, but I can honestly say, apart from their bad feet/sick aroma, they looked really pretty.

Parmesan Baskets:

Finely grate Parmesan. On a piece on parchment paper or baking paper, using a metal ring, sprinkle grated Parmesan. Carefully remove ring and put in microwave for 20-30 seconds. It will bubble and smell. Oh will it smell. Then remove, cool for a couple of seconds and then carefully peel off paper and mould over an upturned ramekin or similar. Simple.

On Mains this week we were serving:

Christmas Turkey with all the trimmings including pigs in blankets
Fillet of Beef with a veal jus and fondant potato (which tastes like heaven by the way-extremely fattening though)
Grilled Sea Bass on crushed new potatoes and a dill buerre blanc sauce.

I took care of the Sea Bass, which meant descaling, gutting and filleting, proving I'm not a wuss or squeamish in the kitchen. Next week I'll be on desserts so I'll let you know all about it.

I also have to let you into this tip, especially if you're having lots of people over on Christmas Day.

Christmas Dinner can be crazy so when it comes to your turkey, cook it hours in advance and rest as usual. Then carve it into slices in the calm before the storm and arrange in a roasting dish, with your slices of stuffing. Cover with water, so there is a film over the turkey (not immersed) and tightly cover with foil. When you are nearly ready to serve, pop the turkey into the oven. This will reheat the turkey but keep it incredibly moist and make it so easy to serve.

On the subjects of Turkeys, I now have the skills to de-bone one! Again, a messy job but I loved it. After two goes now I feel confident I can do it more quickly and apparently it's the same for lamb, chickens etc so another bow to my string.

Next week is my last week at college and then we break up for the holidays. And it will be Christmas before we know it.

I had a chat with my tutor and he has planted some seeds into my head about what direction I could take. I can't say about them now as I have to discuss them with my husband and our lifestyle means it may not be possible but I will reveal more when I know more.

TA-DAH!!!!

So what do you think? Does my blog look big in this?

How amazing does this look? I have to give major props to Ellie at Rainy Day Templates (see footer or previous post for link). I gave her a few directions like 'erm, yes I like cooking and retro things and stuff' and she produced this. I am in danger of falling into the river as I fall in love with my blog. Massively happy and now I just have to write the posts to live up to the shiny new look. Please let me know what you think.

Adele xxx

High up in my blogosphere

So I have told you I hate my job right? Well, that kind of subsided on payday this friday which means I guess I am a filthy capitalist at heart and not at all the commie I pride myself on being. Ah well.

Anyway, the point is, I have decided to reward myself for all my hard work (who am I kidding?!) with a makeover. A blog makeover! I have been following Elliequent nee The Lucky Nest blog for a while since it featured on Blogs of Note, and the girl has got writing skills. And we all know people like bloggers with skills. She has also just started up a blog template company, which you can view here http://www.rainydaytemplates.blogspot.com/.

I contacted her and she is going to get started on something for me in the near future, so watch this space!

****UPDATE****

You can get a sneak preview of my shiny new template if you click here...
http://rainydaytemplates.blogspot.com/2007/12/sneak-previews.html

Very excited!

Here Come The Girls

I am writing this with a bit of a hangover which can only mean one thing- I had a good night!

Finally, the WAGS got together for a night of wine (quite a lot of wine actually- lying on the cold lino floor at 4am amount of wine...), food and gossip. Sometimes you just need to get it all off your chest and these girls know better than anyone else what I am going through right now.

Menu was as follows:

Starter: A trio of mini starters- The 70's classic Prawn Cocktail, a quenelle of hot smoked salmon pate and filo wrapped king prawns with a sweet chili dip

Main: Beef Wellington with a Madiera sauce, roasted parsnips and carrots, and peas.

Dessert: Chocolate fondant with a Cornish ice-cream and orange crisp.

I have to say that the amount of wine consumed meant that my timings were a teeny bit off and the fondant was a bit more cakey than I would have liked but I wasn't worried, the conversation and company were the main event anyway.

In the morning, after everyone showered and had that oh-so vital morning cuppa, we headed out to Wickham and had lunch in the most gorgeous tea and coffee house called Lilly's. AMAZING hot roasted beef and horseradish sandwich on doorstop white, home-made Yorkshire pud on the side and REAL gravy. Divine!

All in all, a great weekend with the girls, an excellent opportunity to catch up, laugh and moan!

So Monday is upon us again and in a few hours time, once I have got some much needed sleep, I will be getting into my chef whites and getting prepped for a busy festive service. I am praying I get starters or desserts!

Anyway, off to Bedfordshire, my eyes are bloodshot and I am in danger of looking like Amy Winehouse if I don't get some sleep, in a BED! x

College Update

You've all seen MasterChef, where you first meet the contestants and the generic comments are ' I love food, I love feeding people, it's the only thing that makes me happy' etc etc.

And they get through to the professional kitchen round and they crumble. It's too chaotic, it's hot, they have a head chef telling them their dish is crap. A 1000 miles from pottering around in their own kitchen, making steak and chips for a dinner party.

Well, last week I felt like that. Previous times in service I had been on the dessert section, I loved the buzz, the pace, making everything from scratch, and the admiration for our dishes from the other chefs. Last week I was put on mains. I hated it. It was chaos.

My head chef will probably say I'm being too hard on myself but I felt like I sank. I know it was my first time on mains but it was awful. I couldn't remember how many mains I had on order, I had to keep asking. It was hot and fast and unforgiving. I felt deflated. There were tears in the locker room.

Next week sees the start of the Christmas Menu. It is going to be bloody busy. I will have no other choice but to step out on mains again. And that's OK.

A journey wouldn't be worth taking if it was easy. No lessons learnt along the way you see. What I have learnt in that it doesn't pay to panic during service. You have to have fun, relax and enjoy it. I knew it was going to be difficult, I knew I would struggle but you never achieve anything if you stay in your comfort zone. I going back on mains and this time I will be focused. I will let you know all about the Christmas menu when I get that information myself.

For now, I am getting ready to do some baking. A little precision needed with measurements but on the whole a relaxing venture. A lot of love will be going into the biscuits, cakes and slices as they will be sent off for action men to enjoy. Ha, I didn't think of it like this before but my cakes will be shipped into a country in conflict, hopefully raising morale for a few moments. Morale Cakes. I'm seeing a window of opportunity here!

Delia's Classic Christmas Cake

I cannot claim this recipe as my own unfortunately so here I must redirect you to Delia's website and give props where they're due. There is pretty much EVERYTHING you need to know on here. Also the recipe is like, a mile long (just look at the ingredients list!) so I think it is best I leave it to the experts:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-classic-christmas-cake,1293,RC.html

I am still feeding my cake every couple of weeks or so with cherry brandy, man it smells good. I am still wondering about how to decorate- arty things not really being my forte. I shall keep you updated nevertheless.

Changing the subject, my father-in-law and partner are coming to visit this weekend and have kindly offered to take me to lunch (fantastic, seeing as since husband has been away I've been living on things very much toast-based). Instead of the uber expensive 36 on the Quay, we are trying Fat Olives this time, still in the gorgeous town of Emsworth. I will also probably bake some Double-Ginger cake for Maureen as it went down well last time (see September 2008 post, A Cake Fit For A King, for recipe).

The lack of food posts on my foodie blog can be attributed to a few dents in my soul since my husband left for a sandier-terra. My passion for food deserted me for a while there, but I can feel my interests being pipped once more as my eye was caught by a Vietnamese cookbook in the library the other day. Hopefully we will see the return of more food orientated posts here at TwentyFour Blackbirds, just want to say thanks for hanging in there.

Star-Gazey-Pie Struck

Heston is coming to South Downs.

*hyperventilates slightly*

Heston is coming to cook. At. My. College.

There is a charity dinner being held at the college, in aid of ARC, the charity that helps rehabilitates chefs that have fallen into drugs and alcohol as a result of their job. There is going to be a whole posse of celeb chefs cooking in the college kitchens including Heston, Marcus Wareing and Angela Harnett. Jamie Oliver is coming as a guest (£200 a ticket!) and the best thing of all is that the students will get to help out. Not everyone will get to cook but either way I will go and meet them.

I am very excited.

It will be a chance for me to meet some of the best chefs in the business. Marcus Wareing, (is it two or three Michelin stars?) is a personal favourite of mine. I am going loaded with my books and getting them signed. Oh and talking of books (husband take note!) if there is anything I would like to find under my tree this year (or more likely Gary, my Yukka plant) it would be the Fat Duck cook book r.r.p £100 but on Amazon a whopping bargain of just £60. It is THE definitive cookbook for all foodies. Heston is a legend. And all from the man that had no formal training.

Remember, Remember the 11th of November

In my last post, I said how I hoped for the British people to come together when the time came to stand up and have a voice. Well, I know we can do it because all across the UK people are wearing their red poppies, in support of the Royal British Legion charity, and in Remembrance of the men and women that fought and died for our country. As an Army Wife I know only too well the fear of widowhood,on a daily basis, as my husband packs his things and heads to a country deep in conflict. My life is very different to my civilian sisters, they may have to contend with their husbands or partners working long shifts, at night or away for a few days but I am separated from the love of my life more than we are together. I entered the military world not knowing how hard it would be, and I soon came to realise that the rest of society have no real concept of the sacrifices made by 1000's of families. Do people realise we are living in a time of war?

To see so many people in support of the services, at this time of year, lifts my heart. Unfortunately, the government have made no effort whatsoever to unite military families with the rest of society, we are the outsiders. The BBC as well, on many occasions reporting deaths of soldiers before the families have been informed. Why can't they use their resources to promote the services, to inform people that men and women, just like their brothers, sisters or sons and daughters, or parents are being killed and shot at, because the government will not even give them equipment that works or protects them.

The Royal British Legion is a charity. It is not run by the government. And like Help for Heroes or the Army Benevolent Fund it relies on the public. Ultimately we, we look after the troops that risk everything for us. On the 11th Hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, be silent for all those who died, for us, for freedom and peace, and remember those that today are fighting, forgotten by their government, but not by us.

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon (1914)

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day.

Last night I was moved by a nations politics that wasn't even my own. I stayed up until 2am, despite having work the next day, to see the votes come in for Barack Obama. Only when it looked like a landslide did I go to bed. I had goosebumps. I awoke feeling positive and buoyant, and so, so hopeful that when it comes for Britain to have a voice, we shall look to the States and KNOW that anything is possible.

Last Night, a country built on war and slavery, elected a black man as their 44th President. 53 years after Rosa Parks refused to giver up her seat to a white passenger. 43 years after African Americans were given the right to vote. 40 years after Martin Luther King was assassinated. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Race relations in the US have a deep and colourful history, but now bigots and racists are the minority as people queued for hours and hours yesterday for their voices to be heard.

Barack Obama certainly seems to be an assured, cool and calm person. He treated his opponent, John McCain with grace and did not stoop to his dirty tactics of mud-slinging throughout the campaigns. He promises that he can bring change, and I believe him. His victory speech was so inspiring and instilled a strong feeling of hope, and the belief that anything is possible.

''I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington — it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth. This is your victory.''

''...And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.''

It is also an astonishing fact that Barack is the only anti-war candidate to have ever been voted in during war time. So what happens now? Will he expand the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or will he finally send the young men and women, fighting for Bush's administration, home? I hope so, and I hope Parliament is sitting up and taking note. Gordon Brown, our PM by default, witness this change, the British people have seen what people power can do and the raping of our financial system, the neglect of our elderly, infirm and sick, and our failing education system will not be tolerated anymore. We will not accept sending our men and women to war zones with equipment that does not protect them, when they give the ultimate sacrifice so people can sleep safely. But we can look to America and see that we CAN bring change. WE choose.

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day

And I'm feeling good.

I'm dreaming of a quiet Christmas

This is a posed and cheesy picture of husband and I, last Christmas, our first Christmas as a married couple. The lead up to Christmas was fantastic, I planned a meal for my friends, I decorated the house, I was making the hampers and spending a fortune. The day itself, well it is never as good as the anticipation. Husband was only around for the morning, after dinner he left, I had Eastenders to keep me occupied and depressed and it soon felt like a normal day.

Christmas as a child is a magical experience. The excruciating waiting and waiting, the threats of Father Christmas not coming to try and make us behave actually having some effect, the writing of present lists (receiving, not giving!), the post box at school where you posted your cards, teachers being nice, the carols and then on Christmas morning, when you kicked the end of your bed and felt the weight of your stocking, feeling wide awake despite it being 5am, the excitement almost exploding in your chest.

Years later, family fractures soon made Christmas something to dread rather than enjoy. Arguments in those early years of separation over who was spending Christmas where, and resentments coming to head destroyed any festive spirit I had. Me and Christmas fell out. Big Time.

Years later, things have settled now but there is always that moment where you have to tell one parent you're not spending Christmas with them. I thought getting married would put a halt to that but with husband away this year, I am having to choose once again. I am getting some pressure from one party (you know who you are!) and it's making those old feelings of guilt resurface.

I was a Scrooge for a long time but I suppose it was my husband that reignited my joie de vie for the festive season. I am not really into that materialistic crap that is forced down our throats as early as September, instead I find the old magic of Christmas in moments, tastes and smells.

Smells: Mulled wine, Mince Pies, the bird roasting packed with sage and sausage meat.
Sights: Oxford Covered Market, very Dickensian, steam billowing from the roasted chestnut stand as cold Christmas shoppers, looking exhausted pass by. The bright pinks, blues and golds of the Quality Street wrappers as you open the tin for the first time.
Sounds: The popping of Champagne corks and the clinking of glasses, the snap of a wish-bone, the jingle of bells and the groan of someone refusing another turkey sandwich.

Christmas is all of those things and more. I am disgusted by the amount of money that is thrown away when people have completely lost the meaning of Christmas. I am not religious so Christmas, to me, should be about seeing friends and family and either having a good piss-up and eating a feast, or just enjoying their company that you miss the rest of the year. So honestly, when I say, do not buy me a Christmas present, I mean it. Instead, open a bottle of something, preferably with bubbles, we'll pull a few crackers, and in our cheap paper hats I will do the magic trick and you can tell my fortune with that perceptive red fish.

Oh and for the record, I like sprouts.

Ring-ting-ting-a-ling-ting

It's Christmas time.

Oh yes people, in the culinary world, this time is spent making mincemeat, Christmas cake and Christmas puddings. Basically all good domestic goddesses are buying dried fruit and mixed peel by the truck load. The people with any good sense just buy the lot from Marks and Sparks but I like to get a little festive in the kitchen. The Christmas Food magazines have already been scooped up from my doormat.

Have I mentioned that I HATED my Home Ec teacher (don't worry, the feeling was mutual)? Well, the ONLY good thing we ever did in our class was making a Christmas cake. It was warm and cosy and the old bitch even put on a tape of Christmas songs. We made it months in advance and kept feeding it alcohol every so often and then we got to design the cake decorations. I think there was some competition. I made an igloo out of icing and had father Christmas' legs coming out of the little entrance tunnel. I loved it.



Last Christmas ( *I gave you my heart* Ahem) I decided it would be fun to make some hampers. I made chutney, Christmas cakes, cranberry and white chocolate cookies etc. All to save money and make the presents personal. Well, it actually ended up costing a fortune, was pretty stressful and I still have jars of bloody chutney in my cupboards. This year I have decided to focus on one project (and give people gifts they actually want) and this year, I am making a Christmas cake. A big square one.

First of all, I had to decide on the recipe. My recipe books are full of Crimbo recipes, as are all the magazines I have bought over the years and keep coming through my letterbox every month. Every book I opened was different, they varied A LOT. This one used almonds, that one used rum, this one used dried cranberries and this one used figs. It was so confusing. I started to feel like Dumbo when he gets drunk but instead of pink elephants I was seeing marching mince pies and talking fruit cakes. I eventually resolved that there were three ladies I could trust. Do I go with the traditional (some would say original) DG Mrs Beeton or do I want a sexy Christmas cake and opt for DG Nigella? Or do I go to the mother of all DG's, Delia. It had to be Delia didn't it? So, I went to Sainsbury's with her recipe in my paw, picked out the finest dried fruit I could finD and set to soaking it over night. Here is where I totally diverted from the recipe. I'm sure she wouldn't encourage it (Nigella probably wouldn't of minded) but instead of Rum I went with Cherry Brandy. It was all I had. And cooking is all about having the confidence to stray and find your own way. So there we go.

The next day I was meant to finish the cake but I was busy so the fruit got a longer soaking. It just meant they were plump with alcohol, no worries there! The cake did eventually get made and the house was filled with the smell of nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. The scent of those Christmas spices are so magical. It could be the height of summer, and I smell cinnamon and nutmeg and I am instantly Christmas shopping, bags full, nose and cheeks red with cold, Canterbury Cathedral lit up and the steamed up windows of Casey's pub as I walk by, the drinkers inside warming themselves and having a good time.

I will keep you updated on the cake. I am still not used to taking pictures of my culinary endeavours but I will make a concerted effort to include some during the decorating process.

Stop *&^%I$£& Swearing!!!

Jamie's Ministry of Food. Or should I say Fucking Jamie's Fucking Ministry of Fucking Food. And apparently I'm not the only one that has picked up on it, the Sunday papers were all over the story, after 100's of viewers complained. And yes, faithful readers, I was one of them. Look, I've already been called Mary Whitehouse, so I don't need to be told I'm middle-aged, complaining about nasty words, but I did it because I'm a massive fan of the fat-tongued idiot. I support his campaign, I really do but when I tuned in it was really off-putting because in every segment it was fuck this and fuck that, whether he was talking to health officials or little old ladies. Pretty poor, especially as what he has got to say, once you strip back the obscenities, makes sense. It's important that the issues he is highlighting in the program are dealt with but are the people that matter going to listen to him if everything he says is littered with Fuck/Shit/Bollocks? No! That's the point people! It's frustrating to watch because he's shooting himself in the foot. And those that know me, know I'm not a prude, I can make a sailor (or army officer) blush. It is just as the saying goes, there is a time and place.

Anyway, the reply I got back is that Jamie is passionate and he gets caught up in the moment, it is after the watershed etc Fine. I am not disputing that. I think they just missed the point of what I was saying, which sadly is what will happen with Jamie. Fucking idiots.

When the husband's away...

I am starting to look like this...

The Restaurant

Having missed the first series of this culinary equivalent of The Apprentice, I am hooked on series 2 of The Restuarant currently showing on BBC2. Raymond Blanc, seen here, takes Alan Sugar's role as Big Cheese, and will open a restaurant with the winning couple. The couples,who have been given some very challenging tasks, including cooking dinner for some Oxford Colleges and running an outlet in a motorway service station, have been truly awful and most of the series so far as provided cringe worthy Gervais-esque comedy.

Alistair and James, how they are in the final three is beyond me. This Fawlty/Brent combo, (I think Ali has the hots for business partner, James, lots of homosexual undercurrents going on) bumble through each challenge, making shocking errors of judgement which have you laughing and screaming at the TV. In last night's episode, it was highly amusing to watch this passionate, successful French man talk about heart and passion, (concerning their cookbooks), becoming very animated and well, very French. The stiff, English lady replies, 'oh, I thought it was rather nice'. She later commented that she made an 'excellent number 2', the irony not being lost in translation for Raymond, or the viewer. Needless to say, she did get the boot in the end. The great thing about this programme, as well as with The Apprentice, you have no idea who is going to win. Personally, I have no favourites, they're all pretty weak!

And talking of weak businesses, put the word out that 8 Kings Road in Southsea, Portsmouth is crap. I haven't had a reply to my complaint, and I've since heard a number of times that people have had similar experiences. 8 Kings Road=Rubbish

Choux Gal

Here as promised is the recipe for Choux Pastry. It makes about 70-80 profiteroles, obviously I was dealing in commercial quantities! You can easily halve this but you can also freeze them for a couple of months.

Choux Pastry

1/2 litre of water (1 pint)

250g strong flour

200g marg

8 eggs

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar.

1. Bring the water, sugar and marg to the boil in a saucepan

2.Remove from heat

3. Add the sieved flour and salt and mix quickly with a wooden spoon

4.Return to a moderate heat and stir continously until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan (Panada)

5. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

6. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well

7. When the mixture is of dropping consistency, put into a piping bag. Pipe onto greased and floured baking trays, put into a pre-heated hot oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp.

8. Cool on a wire rack. Pipe cream into the bottom of the profiteroles (drilling a hole with a knife or if you're like me, your thumb) and serve with your favourite choccy sauce: I like melted milk chocolate, but you can have dark, mixed with cream and golden syrup. Heaven. Or devilish, whatever way you want to look at it.

Yikes

Cheffing is HARD work. I am absolutely knackered and have a new found respect for anyone that is a full time chef. I have completed two full days of college and have the scars to prove it (burn on wrist-ouch). My first restaurant service went well, in fact, it was a lot better than expected, although I can't deny there were moments I thought it was going to fall apart. (or me, or more likely, the souffles)

I was on the pastry section; the menu had profiteroles, cold lemon souffle and chocolate meringues (choux pastry recipe coming soon). I have to say, me and Caroline (the only other woman in the group) worked so hard and it showed in the results. There was choux drama when I realised head chef's calculations for the profiteroles was so not near the quantity we needed, I had to whip up some more-quickly, I am now an expert in panada!

Today I lost my fish virginity as I filleted not one, but two plaice! I really felt at ease with the task, I think I was a fishmonger in a previous existence (it would explain my natural affinity with cats). We cut the fillets into goujons, floured, egged and breaded them (with Panko, a Japanese breadcrumb) and deep fried them. With the bigger fillets, we rolled them into a delice (basically, a posh, french, cheffy was of saying folded over) and then poached in the fish stock we made from the bones of the plaice, wine, lemon juice and dill.

I have loved it all this week and feel like my self-esteem is rocketing through the roof. That is what life is all about, learning something new, doing something out of your comfort zone. I was in an emotional black-hole for so long that I forgot what a rush it is to be doing something, and I am in the lucky position of doing something I LOVE. Not many people can say that. I am taking this opportunity with both hands, (and saying Thank You to husband for being so supportive while I found my way here) And despite being so utterly tired and exhausted I am sleeping with a smile.

Spiritualized 14/10/08

I can't remember the last gig I went to, shame on me. A few years ago I used to work just to buy tickets to gigs, amongst others I've seen the legendary James Brown, The Cinematic Orchestra, Biffy Clyro, Beastie Boys, Roisin Murphy, Jamie Cullum, Coldcut, Kid Koala, Blackalicious, Boom Bip etc etc You know what, I used to be pretty cool. My life was all about seeing live music, getting pretty wasted and having an amazing time. Those days seem like a far off distant memory but luckily I have a brother that has his finger on the pulse and he has bought me and him tickets to see Spiritualized in the Wedgewood Rooms on Tuesday. I really need a good night out, although i'll leave getting wasted to the Portsmouth Uni students on their fresher week. I have no clue what to wear and I'm sure I'll stand out amongst the crowd of skinny jean-wearing-sticks (hail the new Flare phase, skinnies are just not my friend, I have curves, like real women should). I'm just listening to their A&E album, it is amazing ( or AMMAAAAAZING, as said by all teenage girls), I recommend you all download the song Soul on Fire now. Do it. xxx

A Post of Two Halves

I write this post with a heavy heart, those closest to me will know the reasons why and for those that don't, higher powers prevent me from talking openly, hence the self censorship.



I will just say that what may have seemed Romantic to me years ago, now just seems so terribly tragic and utterly heart-breaking. I am trying to apply a positive attitude using the metaphor of being stuck in the forest. You would aim for the spaces not the trees to find your way out, it is the same in life, why would I focus on the obstacles? I am embracing the good points I have scrabbled together and occupying myself with goals, organising get togethers and ploughing my energy into the things that will produce positive outcomes.



Last week I felt incredibly supported and will use my blog to publicly thank them-you know who you are. Unfortunately, personal dramas caused by people stuck in their own bubble, one of confusion and spite ,meant some of our precious time was stolen from us. However, it resulted in feelings of pure vindication; it wasn't me after all and I feel I can finally put the whole drama to bed. I had reached out and at some point that friendship could have been saved, but it has been totally broken now. A strong relationship destroyed by so called feelings of 'perception', manipulation and pure dishonesty. I just hope they can build the confidence to form their own opinions and become less impressionable; it's a dangerous vulnerability to have.

On to brighter things: I have a friend over tomorrow night, I have some crap girlie films to watch (Russell Brand in St.Trinians, yes please) and Ben and Jerry's on stand-by. Me and Aimee are sharing a similar experience and if I have learnt one thing recently, it is that it's good to talk, to share feelings and basically connect with people. Otherwise you can feel very isolated and create false situations. There are friendly people everywhere, you just have to be open to them.

Anyway, I know I promised you a recipe for profiteroles but this chef is tired and must rest her weary head. Manana, manana. xxx

Desert Island Dishes

A play on Desert Island Discs, here are my Desert Island Top 5:

1. Caesar Salad

Hold the chicken, I could eat this salad everyday for the rest of my life. I can make the dressing and do sometimes but there are plenty of good makes at the supermarket, so why bother? I buy Cardini's-I schush it up with freshly grated Parmesan and lemon juice. I also believe that quality smoked bacon is at the heart of any good Caesar.

2. Oysters

I love all seafood but I LOVE oysters. For a long time they didn't appeal as I was terrified of my gag reflex being triggered in some posh restaurant but I finally got the courage and experienced a little bit of heaven. My husband instantly regretted encouraging me to broaden my tastes - I already had expensive tastes, this was going to cost him. You can't get a closer taste of the sea, I love mine with just a squeeze of fresh lemon but I wouldn't say no to a good shallot vinaigrette either.

3. Beef Wellington

I was going to say Roast Beef because it seemed wrong not to include it but actually, a good Welly takes it a step further-Meat wrapped in pastry-yeah baby. I love this old-school classic with a Madeira jus, roast parsnips and glazed carrots and peas.

4. Sushi

I could eat this every single day, unfortunately Portsmouth and the surrounding areas are devoid of decent sushi bars, in fact there are none. Whenever I go to the US, I make sure to eat as much sushi as I can, because one, the bars are great and two, it is so much cheaper with an amazing range of fish. My husband and I, before we were married went to Memphis, famous for BBQ, Blues and The King. We turned our backs to the sticky ribs, monster-sized burgers and smokey, pulled pork and had sushi instead. We drank way too much sake, leaving us to crawl back to our hotel and missing the blues down in Beale Street. But the sushi was amazing. From what I can remember.

5. Lemon Tart

I don't have a sweet tooth really but I had to squeeze a dessert on here somewhere. It was a toss up between chocolate mousse and this one. The pastry has got to be home-made and if there is a slight wobble on the filling, then all the better.

I am salivating as I think of all those dishes! Here are the dishes I'd leave at home:

1. Fois Gras

Not an ethical stand, I just really hate the taste, surprising because I am a massive fan of offal.

2. Spaghetti Bolgnese

Every man I have ever met reckons he can make the best Spag Bol. They can't. To me, this dish brings back very bad memories, as a child there were a lot of meals based around mince, a cheap meat-this was a weekly staple. We had that fake Parmesan cheese that looked and smelt like the hard skin grated from someone's foot. It was also the one dish my parents always choose to throw during an argument, the messiest dish to clean up. But to be fair to them, we had it so often the odds were stacked against them.

3. Bird's Trifle

The most disgusting concoction on the planet, I don't even know if they still make this but my heart sank whenever I saw my mum soaking those concrete cubes of sponge, with a similar texture to florists foam, in the unset jelly liquid. Everything about that trifle was wrong.

I tried my hardest to think of other foods but I couldn't, I guess I'm just too greedy.

I put my hands up

I was wrong.

First impressions can count for a lot but there comes a time when you need to let go and live in the present. I let my first encounter with someone cloud my judgement on that person for the last couple of years. It was a huge mistake, I could have developed my relationship with them, instead I was the arsehole, not willing to move on. I have been stubborn and short-sighted, two traits I critcise others for. I can only apologise and vow to make an effort to make up for lost time.

Notice anything different?

The Runcible Spoon is no more! I'm quite sad to see it go but at the same time very excited at the re-naming of my blog to TwentyFour Blackbirds. If you are wondering, it a reference to the nursery rhyme: Sing a Song of Sixpence, in which four and twenty blackbirds were baked in a pie. So now you know.

Fringe Benefits

I need to talk to you about Ringo. He currently works for Toni and Guy in Canterbury and I worship his hairdressing skills. The thing I worried about most when I moved away? Finding a decent hairdresser. Did I find one? No. Did I have to experience haircuts that had me in tears for days after? Yes. Did I actually cry in the hairdressers chair, while Mark from Toni and Guy in Chichester cut my hair? Yes. The title of my epic journey to find a half-decent hairdresser in Hampshire and West Sussex is going to be called The Cow-Lick Chronicles: One woman's journey through split-ends hell and back.

One round trip from Portsmouth to Canterbury later (yes, my husband does love me) and I am in hair-do heaven. Ringo actually looks like the fifth Beatle from their Ravi Shankar days but he has done wonders with my waves. Boy, I had missed him. Next it is off to the college for some colour, any suggestions?

8 Kings Road

Yesterday my generous and I must say, rather gorgeous husband, surprised me by taking me to a restaurant I had expressed an interest in a few months ago- brownie points to him for listening and taking note. So we spent a morning in our nest (IE our bed with hundreds of pillows and an extra blanket) reading the Sunday papers (him The Times, me the News of the World, just for the outrageous reporting and puns) eating toast and drinking the essential tea and coffee (him, white, one sugar, me mint tea). We then lazily got ready and drove down to Southsea to eat over-priced roast beef and drink flat champagne. I am definitely getting old because this morning, still feeling disgruntled, I wrote them a letter. Wanna read it?



Dear Mr Simon


I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction of the food and drink at your restaurant on Sunday 5th October, 1pm.

My Husband surprised me by booking a table at your restaurant after reading such good reviews on your website; he is working abroad for 6 months so we are making the most of our precious time together. We decided to make lunch special by ordering two glasses of champagne as an aperitif. Unfortunately the wine we ordered was not cold enough and was lacking in fizz, we thought that maybe it was opened during the previous nights service. This did not bode well for the meal ahead, and we were very disappointed.

We were also thinking that the Sunday lunch menu was good value for money so we were a little surprised to see there supplements on some of the dishes; I ordered the scallops and would like to ask, why there was such a large supplement? The scallops were tiny; the large portions of black pudding overwhelmed the delicate flavour of the seafood, and as they were not hand-dived (or certainly not advertised as such) I felt rather ripped off. We both followed with the roast beef (again, with a supplement) and I regret to say that the plates were not warm and the food cooled very quickly, not helped by having to wait too long for the side of vegetables. Needless to say, we skipped dessert.

I would also like to draw your attention to another problem. We loved the idea of the jazz piano, however, the heavy-footed waiters running up and down the stairs beside us drowned out the music for us. I would appreciate if you look into this matter so other people, hoping to enjoy a relaxed, romantic lunch, do not have to experience the same noise we did.

When the bill came, we both had to admit that we felt over-charged for a dining experience that just did not excite us. A lunch that was meant to be special for us fell short at the final hurdle. We will tell our friends that the surroundings are beautiful (just ask not to be seated next to the stairs), the staff are excellent but the food is unworthy of the hefty bill: no value for money, a factor more important now than ever.

Thank you for reading my letter, I will look forward to a response.

Yours Sincerely,


Adele Jackson

I know, I sound about 50 right? Well, as you all know by now I am passionate about food and I am passionate about eating out. I am not crazy about restaurants parading as fine dining, charging you the price for fine dining, and then receiving something on par with a chain restaurant. The mark up in restaurants is astonishing, I'd tell you all about it but you may not want to eat out again, I don't mind handing over the money as long as what you are getting is decent and justified. Paying £60+ for a meal that would cost less elsewhere and be just as good, if not better, leaves a very nasty taste in my mouth. People in all over the world wouldn't put up with this so why do we Brits? Maybe it's my ancestral Mediterranean blood that is boiling or maybe I'm just sick and tired of second rate food. Either way it is time to say no to crap food. Will I get a response from 8 Kings Road? I will keep you posted.

Family Affair

I've seen a quite alot of this motley crew recently; I'm a big bundle of love for all of them: Dad(come visit me soon), Nan and Mole who are as entertaining as ever, the sandwiches and wine were much appreciated, Michele and Chris (hope you liked the cakes!) My sister Bridie and her lovely boyfriend Chris ( just let him join the army, think of all of the parties you'll go to!), I got to speak to my Maltese cousin James on the phone and I was wishing Adam luck for the Great North Run last weekend. And I've been thinking of the ones who aren't around, especially Nan Finch who is probably up there right now gossiping about the going-ons from cloud 12. From Andy's side we have seen them all, Sonia, Pip, Lillian, Terry and Sam (remember that Gap Year, Sam, the 'real world' can wait), Martin and Maureen, (thank you again for your hospitality) and for the first time in ever such a long while, Tim, Siobhan and their very beautiful and hilarious children, my niece and nephew, Hugo and Amelia.

I know more than anyone that families can be a pain in the arse; my family (and other animals) are particulary good at letting you know if their unhappy but over the years, I've come to love their quirky ways, that were oh so embarrsing in those tender, formative years. I love that fact we can scream and shout and then make up, all water under the bridge, and laugh at the stupid things we said. We've known divorce, betrayal, adultry, death, addictions and depression (Shakespeare has nothing on us, seriously, Hamlet is a light-hearted jaunt in the park to my clan) BUT we all do really love each other and come together when we really need to. We talk about things, we try to be honest with each other, because really, when it all hits the fan, you need someone who's got your back-these people HAVE to love you, you're related! :)

And then there is extended family. The ones you choose to let in and become part of your tapestry. I miss her loads but seeing Jem last week really perked me up, it is a friendship that you can pick up however many years along the line and it'll be business as usual. I love her so much and it's great to see her so happy with Jay. The Kings who have just welcomed newbie Riley James Orson into their brood. He is so tiny! Very happy for you guys, but seeing the tiredness has curbed my broodiness for a while! Amy and Jamie (nice ring to it eh?) who are miles and miles away in distance but never in my thoughts. Phil- One of the best, he has seen me through the tough times and is still pretty much the funniest guy (not including the man I married) I know with the best taste in music. Happy Birthday Amanda for Sunday!! Thanks for the love, you are too kind, I hope the wedding planning is going well, you have someone here who was shopping for invites until 2am some mornings, so if you need any help, I'm here. Lisa-My best friend from school, praise Facebook. We need to meet up sometime this year and get properly pissed! Aimee Todd- We need to stick together, sisters are doing it for themselves, lol!.

Sorry to anyone that feels left out, these people are just at the fore front of my mind and felt they deserved a special mention. I still love you!

Adele xxx

Apologies!!!

For some reason, whenever I publish a post, it ignores my paragraphs and bunches everything up together, which is very annoying, especially as the Larkin poem is meant to have Stanzas! I am going to contact blogger and find out what is wrong. Until then I can only apologise-sorry guys!

Adele x

Arundel - The prettiest town in the South East

Philip Larkin is one of my favourite poets, so I was surprised, when My Dad reminded me of his very famous poem from his Whitsun Wedding Collection, An Arundel Tomb, that I did not think of it when I visited there yesterday. I was obviously just so taken with the town and the Castle that I had no room for other thoughts. Nevertheless, here is Larkin, with his jaded tones, describing how our human intentions always fail at the last hurdle:

An Arundel Tomb

Side by side, their faces blurred,

The earl and countess lie in stone,

Their proper habits vaguely shown

As jointed armour, stiffened pleat,

And that faint hint of the absurd -

The little dogs under their feet.

Such plainness of the pre-baroque

Hardly involves the eye, until

It meets his left-hand gauntlet, still

Clasped empty in the other; and

One sees, with a sharp tender shock,

His hand withdrawn, holding her hand.

They would not think to lie so long.

Such faithfulness in effigy

Was just a detail friends would see:

A sculptor's sweet commissioned grace

Thrown off in helping to prolong

The Latin names around the base.

They would not guess how early in

Their supine stationary voyage

The air would change to soundless damage,

Turn the old tenantry away;

How soon succeeding eyes begin

To look, not read. Rigidly, they

Persisted, linked, through lengths and breadths

Of time. Snow fell, undated. Light

Each summer thronged the glass. A bright

Litter of birdcalls strewed the same

Bone-riddled ground. And up the paths

The endless altered people came,

Washing at their identity.

Now, helpless in the hollow of

An unarmorial age, a trough

Of smoke in slow suspended skeins

Above their scrap of history,

Only an attitude remains:

Time has transfigured them into

Untruth. The stone fidelity

They hardly meant has come to be

Their final blazon, and to prove

Our almost-instinct almost true:

What will survive of us is love.

Our human intentions did not fail yesterday, we had a great day. Mother Nature decided once again to grant us a day of glorious sunshine, I believe we're having an Indian summer, however, I think I'm just going to call it summer seeing as the months of May to August were pretty poor. Coincidentally, as my husband and I were waiting at the traffic island to cross the road, we saw my mother's car, her driving, and my sister and her boyfriend as passengers. We welcomed the company and spent the afternoon strolling through the castle and the grounds and then later through the town.

The Castle is absolutely gorgeous: As a Briton I think we take castles and stately homes for granted, but even with hundreds of historical based school outings under my belt, i was still in awe of the stately rooms. The Duchess of Norfolk and her family still live in the castle for some of the year! It it's very reminiscent of Hogwarts, I felt envious as I reached the never-ending library, my imagination would have run riot if I had my hands on it as child. The gardens were beautiful, the Rose Garden in particular had the scent of summer with fuchsia pink roses still in bloom.

As you know I am a devout foodie and Arundel turned out to be quite a find in culinary terms. I found a fantastic deli, that had an abundance of cheeses, meats and wines. As it is National Cheese Week (yes, it is strange I know that) husband and I opted for some very pungent Stinking Bishop and some Smoked Goodwood, with fennel crackers from The Fine Cheese Co. There was also a butchers next door but sadly that was shut, I will return however, and recommend a trip to Arundel for anyone looking for somewhere with character and not a Burger King in sight!

Today being Sunday I have decided to cook a roast dinner, this week we will be having pork and crackling, homemade apple sauce and of course crispy roast potatoes and gravy. Then we'll settle down, tipsy on Riesling and eat our cheese with promises of going to the gym tomorrow. Hope you are having a great weekend

Adele xxx

Minestrone

I haven't added any recipes for a few posts, so here is the recipe I followed at college for Minestrone.

300g Mixed Veg (onions, turnips-note to northern readers, a turnip is what you call a white swede, celery, carrots, cabbage, leek)

Olive Oil

3/4 litre chicken stock

Bouquet garni-see note

Seasoning

25g spaghetti

25g peas

25g french beans

1 potato

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tomato, skinned, de-seeded and diced

50g fat bacon

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

Parmesan to serve

This amount served both me and my husband, this can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled etc

1. Cut the peeled and washed veg into paysanne (small dice or triangles, see Ready Steady Cook post, it has a video) and crush 1 garlic clove

2. Sweat the veg in the oil, you want the veg translucent and al dente, not brown.

3. Add the stock, bouquet garni and seasoning, bring to boil and then simmer for approx 10-15mins

4. Add the peas, beans cut into diamonds.

5. Add the spaghetti in 1 inch lengths (see note 2), the potatoes cut into paysanne, the tomato puree and simmer until the veg and pasta is cooked.

6. Meanwhile finely chop the fat bacon, parsley and garlic and form a paste.

7. make little meatballs, about the size of a pea and drop into the soup.

8. Remove bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper.

9. Serve with shavings of Parmesan.

Note 1

Bouquet garni is a term used to describe a bundle of herbs and spices, wrapped in muslin or in this case a leek leaf. Take the green outer leaf of a leak, place a bay leaf, some fresh thyme, some crushed parsley stalks and about 5 or 6 peppercorns into the middle of the leaf. Fold the leaf over into a square and tie with string, it is a bit tricky and the leaf will crack but trust me, it all comes together. Then place into your pot with the string over the side so you don't have to play hunt the bouquet garni.

Note 2

Wrap the spaghetti in a tea towel, when done with both hands, hold each end of the tea towel. Still holding each end, pull one end down over the side of the work surface, do this a couple of times and voila, broken spaghetti.