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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.

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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.
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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:
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1 – old bread
2 – a filling (enter leftovers stage left!)
3 – some stock
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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

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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 ;-)

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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?!
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…this sourdough pasta story is to be continued 😉

… Read More

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Like bread? Like lasagna? Then you’re going to love this month’s new Ancestral Cook-up: Bread Lasagna! . Seriously, there is something magical about layering the (already darn yummy) sponge-like substance that is bread with tasty filling, covering the whole thing in stock and then baking it up. . You can do this any which way. It’s designed to suit your tastes, your kitchen and your creative whims. Check out my profile for the recipe where I talk through the options and give you loads of ideas to play with. . And then come cook with me this month :-)

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Like bread? Like lasagna? Then you’re going to love this month’s new Ancestral Cook-up: Bread Lasagna!
.
Seriously, there is something magical about layering the (already darn yummy) sponge-like substance that is bread with tasty filling, covering the whole thing in stock and then baking it up.
.
You can do this any which way. It’s designed to suit your tastes, your kitchen and your creative whims. Check out my profile for the recipe where I talk through the options and give you loads of ideas to play with.
.
And then come cook with me this month 🙂

… Read More

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Have you ever roasted radishes?! Until today, I hadn’t. But here they are, with garlic and caraway seeds as per the recipe in Beyond the North Wind by @darra.goldstein . I gave my son one to eat whilst I was prepping them. He did not like it (very unusual for him!). After I’d done this to them, he asked for more :-)

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Have you ever roasted radishes?! Until today, I hadn’t. But here they are, with garlic and caraway seeds as per the recipe in Beyond the North Wind by @darra.goldstein
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I gave my son one to eat whilst I was prepping them. He did not like it (very unusual for him!). After I’d done this to them, he asked for more 🙂

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I get a horrid feeling any time I am faced with throwing away food. So, when my first lot of beet kvass was well-fermented and I decanted it, I just couldn’t consider throwing away the beets. Instead, I roasted them with some mushrooms, onions and courgettes. . And I am so glad I did! Talk about delicious. The kvass mix also had garlic, black pepper, coriander, cumin and caraway seeds. Those went in to the roasting dish with it. Their smell – along with that of the fermented beet – filled my little kitchen with an aroma that was totally new to me. . . I topped it with ricotta. And I topped the ricotta with black pepper, some zested lemon and a generous drizzle of olive oil. . Zero-waste tasting amazing.

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I get a horrid feeling any time I am faced with throwing away food. So, when my first lot of beet kvass was well-fermented and I decanted it, I just couldn’t consider throwing away the beets. Instead, I roasted them with some mushrooms, onions and courgettes.
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And I am so glad I did! Talk about delicious. The kvass mix also had garlic, black pepper, coriander, cumin and caraway seeds. Those went in to the roasting dish with it. Their smell – along with that of the fermented beet – filled my little kitchen with an aroma that was totally new to me. .
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I topped it with ricotta. And I topped the ricotta with black pepper, some zested lemon and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
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Zero-waste tasting amazing.

… Read More

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Me with my boys in the room which is our cooking, eating, playing, sitting, reading and colouring space! . The big boy is Rob, my husband and twin flame. We’ve been together since 2008. He followed me to Italy a few months after we started our courtship and we’ve rarely been apart since. He’s washer-upper, sous chef #2, chief taster and the love of my life. . The little boy you’ve seen here before. He’s Gabriel, our 6 year-old son. He was born after doctor’s told us I’d never conceive naturally (which I didn’t believe) at home in water. He’s a bundle of joy, my greatest teacher, and has replaced Rob as sous chef #1. . These two are the only people that I’ve been able to share my culinary creations with over the last two and a half months. I am so grateful they are in my life. And I’m grateful I can share with you here, even if it is only virtually (for now…) :-)

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Me with my boys in the room which is our cooking, eating, playing, sitting, reading and colouring space!
.
The big boy is Rob, my husband and twin flame. We’ve been together since 2008. He followed me to Italy a few months after we started our courtship and we’ve rarely been apart since. He’s washer-upper, sous chef #2, chief taster and the love of my life.
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The little boy you’ve seen here before. He’s Gabriel, our 6 year-old son. He was born after doctor’s told us I’d never conceive naturally (which I didn’t believe) at home in water. He’s a bundle of joy, my greatest teacher, and has replaced Rob as sous chef #1.
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These two are the only people that I’ve been able to share my culinary creations with over the last two and a half months. I am so grateful they are in my life. And I’m grateful I can share with you here, even if it is only virtually (for now…) 🙂

… Read More

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Soda bread anyone? Here’s my latest version: wholegrain, ancient grain – this time baked in a tin. And it’s nutrient-dense, by that I mean the flour has been given time to soak in the sour milk, removing the phytic acid that stops you digesting all the minerals. . Soda bread, made in this way, is this month’s #ancestralcookup. You can use any flour you like – wholemeal, white, wheat, gluten-free…whatever you can find, whatever your body loves. You can use whatever ‘milk’ you like – kefir, soured, oat, barley…whatever works for you. . I’d love to have you cook along and enjoy the super-delicious outcome. Link to the recipe is in my profile.

by

Soda bread anyone? Here’s my latest version: wholegrain, ancient grain – this time baked in a tin. And it’s nutrient-dense, by that I mean the flour has been given time to soak in the sour milk, removing the phytic acid that stops you digesting all the minerals.
.
Soda bread, made in this way, is this month’s #ancestralcookup. You can use any flour you like – wholemeal, white, wheat, gluten-free…whatever you can find, whatever your body loves. You can use whatever ‘milk’ you like – kefir, soured, oat, barley…whatever works for you.
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I’d love to have you cook along and enjoy the super-delicious outcome. Link to the recipe is in my profile.

… Read More