Where I Live

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

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 …

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!
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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 …

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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.

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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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.

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.

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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 ;-)

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 😉

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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 :-)

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 🙂

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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 :-)

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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