What’s cooking?

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

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 …

… Read More

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

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

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

I tried out a new method for my 100% wholegrain spelt sourdough. It included a lot of water and some super-stretchy letter folding. Coming out of the oven, it looks and smells wonderful. I feel like a proud Mum.

… Read More

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