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This is soppressata toscana. It is made with ‘waste’; the parts of a pig which, these days, most people don’t eat. It came to us from Francesca, who runs the organic farm up the hill with her husband. . It tastes delicious. . I adore the fact that I live in a place where nose-to-tail traditions are very much alive. . And I want to learn how to make this :-)

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This is soppressata toscana. It is made with ‘waste’; the parts of a pig which, these days, most people don’t eat. It came to us from Francesca, who runs the organic farm up the hill with her husband.
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It tastes delicious.
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I adore the fact that I live in a place where nose-to-tail traditions are very much alive.
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And I want to learn how to make this 🙂

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Instagram

The crust. Is it the best bit? Or is it the place where the juicy topping meets the dough? Or maybe the crispy bottom?! . All of those places on the wholegrain spelt sourdough pizza I make are gooood. . What’s your favourite bit?

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The crust. Is it the best bit? Or is it the place where the juicy topping meets the dough? Or maybe the crispy bottom?!
.
All of those places on the wholegrain spelt sourdough pizza I make are gooood.
.
What’s your favourite bit?

… Read More

Instagram

Pancakes are my absolute favourite breakfast. I like them simple. Flour and water. I cook them in a cast iron pan. And then I top them most often with miso and a sprinkling of ground linseed – yet to come on this morning’s golden beauty, which is two-thirds einkorn and one-third chestnut flour. . Pancakes without eggs in cast iron can be so simple (and quick), providing you get two elements right: . 1 – Heat up the cast iron pan for longer than you think. I put mine on medium heat and then walk away and do something else for 6/7 minutes. . 2 – Use a lot of fat. To stop your house being full of smoke, use a high heat oil. Tallow is best. Lard is good. Ghee better than butter. And good olive oil works too – the high polyphenol count counters any potential oxidization. Don’t be afraid of using ample fat. . Pour the batter in. Spread it with the back of a spoon. Leave it till the top surface is no longer wet (it will change colour). Flip it. Leave it another 5 minutes. . Then slide onto your plate and top in whatever way you see fit.

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Pancakes are my absolute favourite breakfast. I like them simple. Flour and water. I cook them in a cast iron pan. And then I top them most often with miso and a sprinkling of ground linseed – yet to come on this morning’s golden beauty, which is two-thirds einkorn and one-third chestnut flour.
.
Pancakes without eggs in cast iron can be so simple (and quick), providing you get two elements right:
.
1 – Heat up the cast iron pan for longer than you think. I put mine on medium heat and then walk away and do something else for 6/7 minutes.
.
2 – Use a lot of fat. To stop your house being full of smoke, use a high heat oil. Tallow is best. Lard is good. Ghee better than butter. And good olive oil works too – the high polyphenol count counters any potential oxidization. Don’t be afraid of using ample fat.
.
Pour the batter in. Spread it with the back of a spoon. Leave it till the top surface is no longer wet (it will change colour). Flip it. Leave it another 5 minutes.
.
Then slide onto your plate and top in whatever way you see fit.

… Read More
Italy

Where I Live

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I live in a town that nestles itself in the hills that surround Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It’s lively and vibrant, yet verdancy and stillness are on all sides, so easily accessible. We often go for a walk on a … Read More

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Do you have a pestle and mortar? I used to have a huge one that I bought from a curiosity shop. Somewhere along the line it got lost and I often pine for it! . Now I have is this tiny one, inherited from my father-in-law. It’s simple, but does a good job. Here we have thyme, rosemary and oregano from the garden being pounded with olive oil and garlic. It’s going to be drizzled on a pizza :-) . Tell me about your pestle and mortar. Better still, send me a picture! Make me jealous. I wonder if there’s a hashtag #pestleandmortarlove …

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Do you have a pestle and mortar? I used to have a huge one that I bought from a curiosity shop. Somewhere along the line it got lost and I often pine for it!
.
Now I have is this tiny one, inherited from my father-in-law. It’s simple, but does a good job. Here we have thyme, rosemary and oregano from the garden being pounded with olive oil and garlic. It’s going to be drizzled on a pizza 🙂
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Tell me about your pestle and mortar. Better still, send me a picture! Make me jealous. I wonder if there’s a hashtag #pestleandmortarlove …

… Read More

Instagram

Fermented barley and rye cakes baked in cabbage leaves. These are an #anccestralfood version of a recipe in the Russian cookbook ‘Beyond the North Wind’. I soaked the flours in #rawgoatmilk kefir overnight and then added in some melted ghee. Baked in a very hot oven, the cabbage crisps and the cakes are creamy and gorgeous.

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Fermented barley and rye cakes baked in cabbage leaves. These are an #anccestralfood version of a recipe in the Russian cookbook ‘Beyond the North Wind’. I soaked the flours in #rawgoatmilk kefir overnight and then added in some melted ghee. Baked in a very hot oven, the cabbage crisps and the cakes are creamy and gorgeous.

… Read More

Instagram

I used to live in Penzance (where the pirates come from!). The supernatural is big there…something to do with the sea air and the rugged landscape. Whilst in my old kitchen, I often felt like a kitchen-witch, making magic with whatever I happened to find in the fridge that morning. . This month’s #ancestralcookup is a true kitchen-witch recipe….the inspiration for it comes from a recipe the Mommas on Italian island of Sardinia used. It’s a ‘lasagna’ made from bread. . I’ve written it up in a way that’s super-easy for you. You need only three things: . 1 – old bread 2 – a filling (enter leftovers stage left!) 3 – some stock . Wanna have a go? I’d love to have you cook it a long with me this month. Click on the link in my profile for all the details.

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I used to live in Penzance (where the pirates come from!). The supernatural is big there…something to do with the sea air and the rugged landscape. Whilst in my old kitchen, I often felt like a kitchen-witch, making magic with whatever I happened to find in the fridge that morning.
.
This month’s #ancestralcookup is a true kitchen-witch recipe….the inspiration for it comes from a recipe the Mommas on Italian island of Sardinia used. It’s a ‘lasagna’ made from bread.
.
I’ve written it up in a way that’s super-easy for you. You need only three things:
.
1 – old bread
2 – a filling (enter leftovers stage left!)
3 – some stock
.
Wanna have a go? I’d love to have you cook it a long with me this month. Click on the link in my profile for all the details.

… Read More

Instagram

My first attempt at making wholegrain spelt sourdough pasta was…shall we say…interesting! Here is the tagliatelle with a courgette, onion and mushroom sauce, topped with nutritional yeast. Those kinda curly ends sticking out are my pasta. . I need a bigger pan, I need to leave the pasta to dry for a few hours before boiling, I need to roll it more thinly. I have hankered after a hand-crank pasta machine for ages and have settled on the reasonably priced Imperia which should arrive soon. I mean, it’s gotta be fun to feed sheets of dough through the rollers while my hubby and little one catch it the other side?! . …this sourdough pasta story is to be continued ;-)

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My first attempt at making wholegrain spelt sourdough pasta was…shall we say…interesting! Here is the tagliatelle with a courgette, onion and mushroom sauce, topped with nutritional yeast. Those kinda curly ends sticking out are my pasta.
.
I need a bigger pan, I need to leave the pasta to dry for a few hours before boiling, I need to roll it more thinly. I have hankered after a hand-crank pasta machine for ages and have settled on the reasonably priced Imperia which should arrive soon. I mean, it’s gotta be fun to feed sheets of dough through the rollers while my hubby and little one catch it the other side?!
.
…this sourdough pasta story is to be continued 😉

… Read More