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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.

June 6, 2020 by

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 ;-)

June 4, 2020 by

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.
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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 :-)

June 1, 2020 by

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.
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And then come cook with me this month 🙂

… Read More

Instagram

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 :-)

May 31, 2020 by

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.

May 30, 2020 by

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…) :-)

May 28, 2020 by

Me with my boys in the room which is our cooking, eating, playing, sitting, reading and colouring space!
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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.

May 27, 2020 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

Instagram

There’s pizza in my story today; this one! It’s wholegrain spelt sourdough topped with onions, lardo and herbs from the garden. My hubby made me smile by telling me it was the best pizza he’d ever tasted :-) . Check out the story to watch it coming to life. My dough is mixed by a pro and we shoot it into a super hot oven using our new pizza-professional toy!

May 26, 2020 by

There’s pizza in my story today; this one! It’s wholegrain spelt sourdough topped with onions, lardo and herbs from the garden. My hubby made me smile by telling me it was the best pizza he’d ever tasted 🙂
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Check out the story to watch it coming to life. My dough is mixed by a pro and we shoot it into a super hot oven using our new pizza-professional toy!

… Read More