If I ever get the chance to write a book, I think I’d call it ‘Store Cupboard Staples’, recipes with all the things I keep in the cupboard of a small galley kitchen and they would include smoked paprika, capers, anchovies, chilli flakes, thyme, vanilla pods, muscovado sugar, sherry vinegar, coriander and mustard seeds, and very good olive oil. You may be surprised just how many of these make it into today’s recipe.
Italian Cooking
My Caprese Style Salad with Black Olives and Red Onion
For just over a hundred years since its first appearance on a hotel menu the Caprese has been found in Italian restaurants around the world. Made with ripe, sweet tomatoes, creamy Mozzarella and pungent basil. It is finished with a pinch of salt and olive oil and that’s it. Simple. It is normally served as an appetiser, part of the traditional antipasto course of sliced cured meats, olives, and cheeses.
Panzanella – A taste of Summer in a bowl
Panzanella – A taste of Summer in a bowl. I found that there was so much to take away from researching Panzanella. I feel that I could almost write a book. For example, I didn’t know that originally the tomato was thought to be poisonous. Consequently, on its introduction to Europe it was grown as an ornamental plant. In fact, tomatoes were only introduced to the Panzanella in the nineteen hundreds. Panzanella is an example of Italian cucina povera or ‘food of the poor’. This a frugal style of cooking making the most of every ingredient.
Crab & King Prawn Linguine
Crab & King Prawn Linguine. Despite the nice weather and no problems with our supply boat sailing there are empty shelves in Jersey’s supermarkets. For those of you who live a long distance away there are supply chain problems. A couple of major UK operators have been hacked and as a result there has been…