Really, this should be Risotto ai funghi e prezzemolo, but the prezzemolo means parsley, and this ain’t got none. This is a Jamie Oliver recipe, from Jamie’s Italy, and it’s fab. I’ve made it four or five times now, it may even become my “signature dish” as it were. Maybe. It’s takes a little bit of time. I did read that risotto is actually supposed to be a quick and easy dinner for busy Italian mamas to cook up for their bambinos. I’ve not really got the quick and easy bit down, but it’s well worth the time and effort.
Archive for November 2010
Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto
Posted 30 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Cheese, Italian, Mushroom, Parmesan, Rice, Risotto, Thyme, White wine | Categories: Dinner, Recipes | Leave a Comment
Sticky Chocolate Brownies
Posted 27 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Brownies, Chocolate, Dark chocolate | Categories: Baking, Recipes, Treats | 1 Comment
Mmmmm…. brownies. Is there better way to satisfy a chocolate craving? If so, I’d like to hear it! This recipe comes from a book of chocolate recipes called Chocolate (imaginative, no?) published by Parragon. The book has two brownie recipes: one for “Sticky Chocolate Brownies” and one for “Chocolate Fudge Brownies”. The fudge brownies had icing on top, which I don’t really approve of, so I went for the “sticky” ones.
Homemade Butter
Posted 27 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Butter | Categories: Recipes | Leave a Comment
I made butter! And it was really easy. One day, I will make butter from cream milked from my own roaming goats. Until then, I must make do with shop-bought cream. Just about every blog I read while researching this started off by defending butter, explaining that actually it’s very good for you, and that those scientific theories on saturated fat aren’t really proven. I’m not even going to try. Let’s face it: it’s not great for you. I’d rather eat it than synthetic margarine-type spreads; it’s natural and it can be organic. However, it also has a lot of saturated fat, which is not good for you. As always though, moderation is the key.
Fingerless Sock-Mittens
Posted 26 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Fingerless gloves, Sewing, Socks | Categories: Craft | Leave a Comment
Brrr… it’s freezing. Winter has arrived. It’s a fact, I have too many socks. I love socks. I also love fingerless gloves / mittens, so I decided to repurpose one of my oldest pairs of stripey socks into fingerless mittens.
Pumpkin Pie
Posted 26 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: American, Autumn, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Pie, Pumpkin, Pumpkin pie, Tart | Categories: Dessert, Recipes | Leave a Comment
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s Thanksgiving (well, yesterday!), the day when we all give thanks for… well, er… getting rid of those pesky pilgrims? Just kidding! Ok, so it’s not Thanksgiving round here, but there’s an American in this house, and there’s also a pumpkin, so it must be time for pumpkin pie.
Cornish Saffron Bread
Posted 24 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Bread, English, Loaf, Saffron | Categories: Baking, Recipes | Leave a Comment
Like most people, saffron is not exactly an everyday ingredient for me. I came across a half-used packet of saffron in the cupboard with a use-by date of, well, a little while ago. I’m not about to discard such a luxury item, so I had to use it somehow. I bought it in the first place (years ago) to make this bread. I remember it worked out quite well, so thought I’d have another go. This recipe is from Country Bread by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake. Their recipe calls for dried fruit, which I believe is traditional, but my version is non-fruity.
Spaghetti with Lemon, Goat’s Cheese and Thyme
Posted 19 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: Garlic, Goat's cheese, Italian, Lemon, Parmesan, Pasta, Spaghetti, Thyme | Categories: Dinner, Recipes | 2 Comments
This is a quick, simple pasta dish: cheesy, lemony comfort food. I adapted the recipe from In Erika’s Kitchen (mostly just added thyme). If you like a refreshing, citrussy pasta dish, this is great. It would probably be particularly nice in the summer-time.
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Soft Pretzels
Posted 17 November 2010 by DebbieTagged As: American, Bread, Pretzels, Salt | Categories: Baking, Recipes | Leave a Comment
So for some reason I decided to make pretzels. Soft pretzels, no less. My recipe was inspired by, and adapted from, the recipe for soft pretzels at Sugarlaws. Here’s the thing: not only have I never made pretzels before, I’ve never actually eaten one either. So who knows how these will turn out? Pretzels are a German speciality and are usually dense and chewy. These, however, are going to be soft pretzels.










