Music drifting in modern sounds

clinking glasses as wine was found,

laughter filled the balmy air

the girls looked pretty sitting there.

Delicious smells in smoky night

candles shimmered in dimming light.

Roasted lamb with chopped mint leaves

sweet green salad with feta cheese.

Crispy chicken with succulent sauce

happy faces but of course!

Barbecuing with such flair.

I almost saw you standing there…

Such a simple Summer choice. Prawns with Marie Rose Dressing*  Green Salad  with a simple French Dressing and Summer Jersey Royal Potatoes . With a nice glass of chilled Sancerre what could be nicer.

*Marie Rose Sauce for Prawns. Hellmans Mayonnaise, Tomato Paste and a little Cayenne Pepper, very little Salt all blended well with the  Prawns.

Wash and cut two aubergines length-wise and place in oven-proof dish face down and sprinkle with a little olive oil, and cooked in oven for twenty minutes. Meanwhile dice one medium onion and cook in saucepan with two cloves of garlic until nice and soft and transparent add some mince beef as much as the size of the aubergines will allow. Fry off and then add some tomato concentrate a generous tablespoon will do it, a good amount of basil, a desert spoon of cumin, a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper.  Now you can at this point add some cooked rice or as I do on occasions, some cooked pasta to the meat mixture. Check your cooked Aubergines in the oven and when a fork will pierce easily, bring from the oven and scoop out the insides carefully as not to damage the skins including the little seeds as well, they are very good for you. Add this pulp to the meat mixture and blend well together, then transfer the mixture back into the skins. Top with the Cheese of choice I like strong cheddar or Lincolnshire’s Poachers cheese or of course Parmesan. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes and serve with love.

Olive Oil  Roasted Chicken with new Jersey Royal Potatoes and Beefsteak Tomatoes, a little Basil, some good Mayo, and a Fresh Green Salad, just as simple as that!

Or how about a very tasty often forgotten Caesar Salad, with good green leaves, I like rocket  which is so great with  left over cooked chicken. Add  nicely baked multi-seeded wholemeal bread croutons, popped in the  oven with a sprinkling of  olive oil and baked until perfectly crunchy. Add some finely cut onions and chopped tomatoes and with a good Caesar dressing dribbled over the top, you can buy such good ones these days, hardly worth making and then with a generous amount  of finely sliced parmesan cheese, this salad is quite perfect, served with a nice cold white wine for a summer  meal what could be better?

Beetroot, onion, celery, nuts and slices of Parmesan cheese with garlic olive oil croutons – delicious lunch for a hot summer day.

Shown above: Two simple fruit cakes with a little touch of  brandy in each. One ‘old fashioned’ Apple-pie, and Two,  Ham, Mustard, Egg and Cheese Flans.

How delightful afternoon tea is. Not much beats this, in my opinion. Yes of course  it should be the real deal, of  tiny thin crust-less sandwiches filled with such delights as salmon and cucumber or potted paste. Then to follow a nice slice of rich homemade fruit cake, all serve-up with a good quality pot of  tea. It is such an English tradition, that still works well, even if  only during the weekends of  our busy lives.  But what about  the humble scone, which is often neglected, still cheap to make and can turn in a minute, into the most delicious tea-time treat, with a good portion of whipped cream and topped with some really wonderful  strawberry jam. When the need for a full high-tea is not  required, this little humble cake can been perfect. It  is also such a useful stop-gap when having a house full of  weekend guests, particularly if you are to eat out or perhaps later in the evening. It makes a focus to the afternoon, gathering  guests together for a cosy afternoon chat.  Always remember, that the not so humble scone, makes a very reasonable quick and scrumptious tea time treat which never seems to stay on the plate for long.

1 lamb shank per person, some rosemary and thyme – fresh is best.1 clove of garlic per shank, carrots and onions , a good rich stock and at least half a pint of good red wine about 50/50, to cover the entire shanks.

Dust shanks in a little flour and brown on all side in a little olive oil, place in good large casserole pot. Then fry the onions in the same pan until a lovely golden brown  add the sliced carrots and chopped garlic and stir in with the onions and cook for a min or two further, then add generous amounts of rosemary and thyme, salt and black pepper.

Place this mixture on top of the lamb shanks in the casserole, add stock and the  red wine to cover and place in a pre- heated oven cook on high for  10 min’s then turn down to a low temperature about 150c and cook for as long as possible -  I usually cook them all afternoon. If you are doing a large number – separate into two dishes and use  appropriate amounts of carrots and onions.

Serve with love and a good bowl of  fresh spinach, lovely creamy mash or Baked potatoes , it makes a great hearty supper dish for colder days.

We were so lucky to receive many wonderful gifts at Hemingway this  Christmas. Among them all was this delightful ‘Panettone al cioccalte’ which we will enjoy so much during the coming weeks.  It is lovely just eaten as it comes, or warmed and spread with some good butter, or indeed made into the most  marvellous Bread and Butter Pudding for a wonderful Winter treat. The weather is really cold now, so how comforting this will be. Thank you kind givers X

225 grams plain flour, 75 grams of Icing Sugar, 150 grams butter, A pinch of  Salt.

Preheat oven to 160c/gas mark 4

Sieve dry ingredients into good size bowl, warm butter and pour into bowl and mix well until mixture forms a ball of dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll until about 15mm thick, then cut into shapes of your choice. Can at this point be decorated with sultanas or chocolate chips pressed into dough. Cook in oven until pale gold in colour,  Allow to cool then sprinkle with sieved icing sugar.

Great biscuits for little ones to make for Christmas. ( about 3p per cookie)

BABA GHANOUSH  3 Large Aubergines, 2-4 cloves of Garlic, a little salt,1/4 pint Tahina paste ( always sold in health food shops these days) Juice of 3 Lemons, 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin, 2 tablespoons finely chopped Parsley. A little Olive Oil. A few Black Olives to garnish.

Method: Wash and dry your aubergines and cut in half  lengthways, place in a baking tray with a little olive oil and baked in oven on a  medium heat until soft right through to the centres. Scoop out the aubergines and place in large bowl – discarding the skins.

Crush the garlic gloves with a little salt, Mash the aubergines with a fork and add the garlic cumin, salt and mash until smooth  can all be transferred at this point to an electric blender, but can certainly be done without.

Add the Tahina paste and lemon juice alternately, beating or blending as you go, you may at this point add a little more olive oil to soften further and a little more salt and cumin if  liked. It should have the consistency of very thick cream.

Pour into a nice coloured bowl, garnish with a few black olives and serve with warm pitta bread or favourite crispbreads.

So lovely for a lunch break or as as a starter, an addition to other small bowls like Humous, Tzatziki,olives etc to form the basis of a Mediterranean Mezza

Nadrat. Alexandria  1979

Method.

Mix 500 ml of Mascarpone with 200ml of Creme Fraiche and 3-4 heaped dessert spoons of sieved icing sugar ( depending on how sweet you like it and how much brandy you will be using! ). Make up your best  coffee, good and strong,  allow to cool a little, and mix with 2-3 dessert spoons of good quality brandy. Dip Boudoir Biscuits in coffee  and brandy mixture ( not letting them get too soggy) enough to fill your selected dish,  layer up with the  Mascarpone mix, to the top of the dish. Chill  and before serving with love,  sprinkle with a little coco powder or chocolate curls, and perhaps a little angelica as decoration.

Ingredients as follows:

1 kilo of  lean lamb ( cubed ),   2 teaspoon ground cinnamon , 2-3 tablespoons of ground ginger,  a little butter, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 medium onions finely chopped,  300 grams of prunes ( the lovely  stoned ones in the sealed foil bags  are wonderful), 1/4 spoon of saffron ( optional ), 2 tablespoons of honey,  a good teaspoon of ground coriander, salt and black pepper.

Turn the meat in a little hot butter (olive oil if preferred) in a heavy based pan. When lightly brown, add onions cook gently, and cook for a minute or two until softened , add ground ginger, saffron, cinnamon,coriander and a little salt, and plenty of black pepper, stir gently until nicely covered. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover with a good beef stock and cook in oven until meat is tender, approximately 2 hours, starting at 180c for 10 minutes then turn down to 160c for the remaining time. Now add the prunes and honey and cook gently for a further 20 minutes or until needed. At this point it can be turned off and  reheated when required – so  great for dinner parties – just remember to make sure it’s piping hot before serving with love.

Egyptian,and Moroccan  cooks often sprinkle a little orange blossom water ( can now be found in health food shops or delicatessen ) and roasted sesame seeds over the meat before  serving.

Nice to serve with fluffy white rice or little crispy potatoes and a bowl of freshly cooked spinach.

This is a fragrant dish and can be prepared with various fruits, apples,quince, pears, or apricots, again the sealed foil bag ones, are best for the apricots. It is a great dish to prepare the day before as the flavour enhances .

I do hope you enjoy this classic Middle – Eastern dish.    

Quick tasty supper for two, crack five medium eggs in a bowl with a little milk and a splash of water, salt and black pepper and whisk well

In a flat based frying or omelette pan put a little olive oil and a little crushed and chopped garlic, lightly sauté, then add a  good handful of  ready washed spinach and wilt gently. Turn in oil and then add the  whisked eggs and cook until firm but do not overcook.

Serve with  crusty bread with lashings of good English  butter.