Carpaccio di Courgettes

Carpaccio was originally only used to refer to a dish of thinly sliced red beef, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, capers and onions. It was first served at Harry's bar in Venice and named after the  16th century venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio  who loved painting with red pigments.
Now you will often see a dish described as Carpaccio on a menu in Italy and it might not be meat, it could be anything that is served raw and thinly sliced then dressed with seasoning.
If you are lucky enough to have a friend who grows their own courgettes then make a refreshing Carpaccio di Courgettes. You can serve it as a main course salad or just a side dish.

Carpaccio di Zucchini, courgettes

Serves 4 as a side dish

4 courgettes, preferably organic, washed well and dried
juice of one lemon
olive oil
pine nuts, very lightly browned in a non-stick pan
slices of parmesan cheese, optional


Slice the courgettes as thinly as you can and arrange them on a pretty dish

Drizzle over some lemon juice, then the olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Scatter over the pine nuts and thinly sliced parmesan if using.

Pappardelle with prawns and courgettes

Pappardelle with courgettes and prawns

Smoked salmon and avocado salad

.


The ingredients for the pasta dish.

Today I made this light lunch for four.

Pappardelle with prawns and courgettes

250g pappardelle
200 g prawns, shelled
9 courgettes, washed and coarsely grated
1 white onion, finely chopped
white wine
salt and pepper

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil for the pappardelle. In another saucepan gently fry the onion in oil and butter until soft but not coloured. Add the prawns and sprinkle with white wine, stir well together and gently simmer until the prawns are cooked. Adjust the seasoning. In a non-stick frying pan , melt a knob of butter and some oil and gently cook the grated courgettes for about 5 minutes.
Cook the pappardelle and then drain and put back in the saucepan, add the prawn mixture and the courgettes and toss together gently.


As this pasta dish uses a lot of saucepans, the second course is a smoked salmon salad of lettuce, smoked salmon, avocado pear, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Olive bread goes well with this meal. As a starter we had Hummous and crackers. For desert strawberries . It wasn't such a light lunch after all.
 

Seasonal delights

Even in the supermarket you can tell spring is here by the seasonal displays. Yesterday I saw one with asparagus,eggs and Vespaiolo white wine, I m not sure why but its " name comes from the Italian word vespa which means wasp.This was the  inspiration I needed to make  a light lunch to  shrug off the winter layers.

There are two types of asparagus in Northern Italy, the green ones also found in Britain and the white ones grown in the Bassano area, also in France. I chose the white ones knowing that I would please my husband with a lunch like that. Not everyone likes asparagus, it has to be put in risotto with loads of parmesan cheese to get unnoticed by my children.

But today with just the two of us it was a sure success.

A few years ago in England we discovered asparagus grown at Dorney court and English white wine from

Luxters near Henley - on-Thames.They are linked romantically and both well worth a visit.

Sunday specials

Insalata Tricolore
This is always a firm favourite in our house and brightens up any meal
 

Whipped cream, strawberries, raspberries and demerera sugar, what's not to like?

My sister- in- law makes the most delicious desserts and one of our favourites is her Fruit of the Forest crème brulée . She insists it is really easy, just fruits of the forest covered with a mixture of Greek yoghurt and whipped double cream, sprinkled with a thick layer of demerera sugar and caramelized under a hot grill. Today I tried to make it for my daughter- in-law , a slightly different version, using the ingredients I had in the fridge.

Strawberries, washed and hulled and sliced

Raspberries , carefully washed

Spread them on the bottom of an oven- proof dish in a thick layer and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Whip 800ml fresh cream until stiff and spoon over the fruit mixture to cover.

Sprinkle a thick layer of demerera sugar over the top and then put under a very hot grill  for about 5 minutes. Then put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

It was a great success but didn't look quite like my sister- in- law's owing to the grill part of the procedure. I' m thinking of buying a blow torch ... My son said I could just call it something else...

Fruits of the forest crème brulèe, a perfect dessert for Sunday lunch

Carnival Fun

 

 

The children are all on holiday from school to celebrate Carnevale. There 's a queue for the swings and slides in the playground, grandparents are having fun taking their small charges to buy the bread. Everyone is looking forward to feasting on crostole,fritelle. We have bought jumbo packs of coriandoli, stelle filanti, confetti and streamers. In our house we have pancakes and I had another dummy-run today to the delight of the children. I thought I'd throw in another couple of treats to add some spice for the grown-ups.

Strawberries dipped in chocolate
 

Simply wash and dry carefully some strawberries, leaving them whole. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan that fits over another with hot water. Pour into a bowl, put the strawberries on long cocktail sticks and enjoy the sensual pleasure of the creamy chocolate and the first strawberries of the year.

 

Baked Apples

Serves 4

4 golden delicious apples, perled and cored and left whole

4 heaped tbsp condensed milk

4 tbsp sultanas

4 tsp pinoli, pine nuts

2 tbsp rum or sherry

2 tsp sugar

Butter an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with sugar. Arrange the 4 apples and fill the cored centres with the pine nuts and sultanas.spoin over the condensed milk and sprinkle over the liqueur of your choice and flecks of butter. Bake in the oven at 180 for about 20 minutes until apples are soft.if liked sprinkle with cinnamon. You can also cook these in the microwave. Cover with clingfilm and cook for 10 minutes. Decorate with walnuts.

 

Greens are good for you

Broccoli soup with mascarpone and toasted almonds

My mum, probably like most mums, wanted us to eat our greens. She was convinced they were as essential as the air you breathe. We were  a generation that watched 'Popeye the sailor man', and every time he ate spinach he became magically super strong and got his girl, Olive Oil.

I'm Popeye the sailor man

And I live in a caravan

I'm strong to the finish

Cos I eat my spinach

I'm Popeye the sailor man.

My children, like me, were more keen on peas, tomatoes and carrots. I managed to disguise most vegetables in risottos with lots of parmesan cheese, or in Torte Salate.

I have two favourite recipes for broccoli, one with pasta and one that is a soup. This evening we had Broccoli soup. This is a recipe that works just as well with carrots or courgettes.

Broccoli Soup
 

1 onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic- optional

700 g broccoli florets or carrots peeled and chopped or courgettes washed and sliced

2 potatoes peeled and chopped

400g cannelini beans - optional-

Almonds - toasted - optional

Dollop of creme fraiche to garnish - optional

900ml stock or water

Salt and pepper

Melt a knob of butter in a large saucepan

Add the prepared vegetables , put the lid on and cook gently for a few minutes so the flavours develop.

Add the stock and bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer gently until the vegetables are cooked.

Add the beans if using, they go well with the broccoli.

Puree with a hand held blender.

Serve in bowls and garnish to taste.

This evening I used  mascarpone and toasted almonds.
 

Some of the ingredients for Broccoli soup

Practising for pancake day

 This year Pancake day is on Tuesday 9th February  otherwise known asShrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Martedi grasso, L'ultimo di Carnevale, or Pancake Day.

For us it was above all Pancake Day. It was the only day of the year that our Mum made us pancakes. We never thought to have them any other time. They were absolutely delicious. I have never tasted pancakes like hers. We would sit at the kitchen table with our knives and forks poised, on red alert to tuck in to our pancakes. She would make them one by one, carefully and expertly. We would watch in wonder as she deftly tossed them up in the air. We had them with lemon juice and sugar.

In Italy Carnevale starts as soon as the Three Wise Men have left their gifts. the enticing aromas of fritelle and crostole, put paid to any hope of losing the pounds that Christmas, New Year and the Befana  have brought. So all through Carnevale in Italy there are many opportunities to enjoy these special treats and it all comes to a grand finale on Shrove Tuesday. Then, on that day we have our pancakes, English style. This weekend we will have a practise run. It is very important to have the right pan, non stick and with the sides not too steep. My husband  is in charge of the tossing. We have a variety of fillings,like nutella, jam and cream, but nothing can compete with lemon juice and sugar. There are lots of recipes for pancakes, this is a simple basic one for practising.

 

4 rounded tablespoons of plain flour

pinch of salt

1 egg

250 ml milk

butter for frying

sugar and lemon juice for serving.

 

Find a bowl for mixing, a wooden spoon, a sieve and a small frying pan or omelette pan. Choose a plate for serving and put it to warm. Cut a square of greaseproof paper or foil, sprinkle it with sugar ready for the pancakes and put it near the place where you will be working.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a hollow in the centre. Crack the egg into the well and add about one third of the milk. Using , a wooden spoon stir gently starting in the centre of the bowl and mixing first the egg and milk and then gradually drawing in the flour from around the sides of the bowl. as you mix, gradually add a little more milk until about half has been added. Beat the batter very thoroughly and then add the remaining milk. Stir well and then pour into a jug.

Place the frying pan over a moderate heat and add a small piece of butter. when hot, pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter and tip the pan so that the batter runs al over the base of the pan to make a thin pancake. Fry until the underside is brown, then turn with a knife or toss and cook the second side for a moment. Make sure they don't get too brown, just golden.

Tip the pancake out flat on to the sugared paper. Add a little more butter to the hot pan and cook the next pancake. Continue until all the batter is used up- you should get 12 small pancakes, depending on the size of your pan.

As each pancake is prepared, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice or jam and roll up. Arrange on a hot plate and keep warm.

Serve with wedges of lemon.

 

  

Super soups and simple rules

There is so much talk about what sort of foods are good for us. It used to be simple. Every day have some form of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Fruit and vegetables are all good for us. Once eggs were bad, now it seems we can have 4 a week. Our mothers were probably the wisest when they said just have a bit of everything. There are now the so-called super foods, like broccoli, kiwis and avocados. I found a little leaflet tucked in the pages of one of my cookery books that summed up the five main rules to optimise your sense of wellbeing.

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Be active every day
3. Drink alcohol  in moderation
4. Shrug off stress, do this by going for brisk walks, breathing deeply, shaking your arms and legs, listening to calming music.
5. Get enough sleep.

That all sounds quite sensible and simple.

There were also some recipes that I had forgotten about and so tonight I am going to make Canellini bean soup with olive oil croutons. It is a great recipe to make on a Friday because it keeps for 2-3 days and is ideal for lunch or supper, with a glass of wine and calming music...

Serves 4

1 onion finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, chopped, plus a few of the leaves washed and dried to decorate

600 g cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

olive oil

500 ml stock or water

handful of parsley or rocket, washed and dried

croutons, made by cutting bread into cubes then sprinkled with rosemary and olive oil and baked in the oven  at 180  for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onion and celery until soft and translucent, but not coloured, about 15 minutes. Blend with  a mini primer, then add the parsley or rocket and blend briefly so the soup is speckled green. Check the seasoning, adding salt or pepper as necessary. Serve sprinkled with the croutons and a few celery leaves.

Add the beans and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Enjoy.

Torte salate, quiches or pie

Whenever we have a get- together there is always someone who offers to bring along a Torta salata. My son's mother-in-law and I often remark that the ones made by the other taste better. She has a theory that it's because someone else made it. She prefers mine and I prefer hers.

There are so many variations on Torta salata. In English they are called pies, flans or quiches, as in French.

Here is my favourite recipe for a Spinach Pie. You can vary it according to what you have on hand. You just need the ready-prepared puff pastry and a couple of eggs to start .

Spinach Pie

1 packet of ready to cook puff pastry
300 g frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
250g ricotta or feta cheese
2 eggs
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
pine nuts


















Set the oven at 180 degrees and put the pastry lined pie dish in while it is heating up, so the base dries out a bit. Mix the spinach, eggs and cheese in a bowl, then add the seasonings to taste. Take the pie dish out of the oven and fill it with the spinach mixture. scatter some pine nuts over the surface and return to the oven when it has reached the right temperature for about 30 minutes.
If the pastry starts to brown too much before the filling is set, cover lightly with foil.
This is a great dish for any time of year, warm or cold. 

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly,
ask me a riddle and I reply:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.

This rhyme comes from Winnie-the-Pooh. I think Cottleston pie is made with a filling of bacon and eggs.

Sunny Sicily, friendly faces, fantastic food

Everyone I know that has visited Sicily comes away with two overwhelming impressions. The  kindness of the Sicilians and the amazing food.  Food is treated with passion and respect. It is a land blessed with lots of great local produce. Some of my favourite Sicilian dishes are arancini, cassata and cannoli. They all seem a  bit difficult to make and  the desserts especially rely on top quality ingredients hard to find outside Sicily. I think you need to have a Sicilian mamma or nonna At this time of year, when the almond trees are already in bloom on the Sicilian hillsides, the artichokes in our local shops all come from  Sicily every day. The greengrocer sits in the shop preparing them. He cuts away the dark outer leaves and puts them in a big bowl of water and lemon juice . It is a great help to find them there ready prepared.

Here is my recipe for Sicilian artichoke and pasta minestrone. It brings some Sicilian sunshine to our table on a February evening. 

Minestrone Siciliana con pasta e carciofi

Serves 4

1 onion finely chopped

3 sticks of celery finely chopped

6 sprigs of parsley chopped

500 g passataor pomodori pelati 

3 artichokes , each one sliced in quarters

100g short pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated pecorino cheese

Gently saute the onion and celery in 2 tbsp olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the tomato passata and simmer for ten minutes. Add the prepared artichokes and then pour over 6 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for a few minutes.add the pasta and cook for about 15 minutes until pasta is tender but firm. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add some of the grated cheese and serve the rest separately.

Everyone out for lunch, tutti insieme in trattoria, coccole and cuddles

 In our local paper, there was a photo of a couple celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary. They were asked what had made their marriage so happy. Their reply was lovely, "Lots of cuddles and then everyone out for lunch on Sunday". I really liked that. It conjured up a picture of everyone working hard and busy all week, maybe hardly time to speak, but every Sunday there was a chance to reaffirm their love and care for each other. I have always loved Sunday lunch, it is easy to make it a special meal, either at home or taking everyone out for a treat. There is time for conversation, for everyone to show their support for each other and to have some fun together.

In Italy it is always a special occasion to go to a trattoria on a Sunday. There is always a great atmosphere, lots of family groups and couples, the buzz of conversation and no-one has to do the washing up. Any tensions gathered during the week can disappear. The latest news can be discussed and everything can be put back in perspective in the warm atmosphere of a pub or restaurant.

Around the walls there are often plates depicting local dishes or witty sayings, like the one in the photo. In the one we went to today there were all the months of the year, I chose February, with a drawing of a cockerel. Many of the sayings are in the local dialect and to do with food and love.

a tola no se vien veci ("you don't get old sitting at the dining table")

amore e tosse no se sconde ("love and cough cannot be hidden")

maio piovoso, vin costoso ("rainy May, expensive wine")

amore vecio no fa ruzene ("old love doesn't grow rusty")

chi magna salata fa vita beata ("who eats salad, has a blessed life")

Just to link up the "Lots of cuddles" part of the answer, to being happily together, here is a wonderful recipe for chocolate mousse, guaranteed to perk up any simple meal of soup or a sandwich. So if you don't go out for lunch, this will make it a special Sunday.

Chocolate Mousse 

170g dark chocolate

3 tsp. strong coffee

2 eggs, separate the yolks from the white and beat each in a different bowl

half a cup of thick cream

1 tsp. favourite liqueur

                                    Melt the chocolate and coffee together over a low heat. Add the beaten egg yolk and continue cooking gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, when cool add the beaten egg whites, cream and liqueur. Spoon into two bowls and refrigerate until firm. Decorate as you please with nuts or cream.

This is just right for two to share... And enjoy ..

Chocolate Krinkles, Crispy Kisses, Rose del deserto

This is my Rose del deserto  just after I have added some water. Children are quite amazed by what happens to it. It is fascinating to watch how it unfurls and blossoms.

There are lots of versions of this quick and easy recipe. We are going to a children's party today, and so I ' m taking these. In Britain we called them chocolate krinkles or crispy kisses, in my Italian cook book they are called Rose del deserto, because they look a bit similar. It is a little girl's party so I have used pink polka dot cup cake cases.

100 g cornflakes

180g best quality chocolate

50g butter

2 tbsps. sultanas (optional)

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan that fits over a larger one filled with hot water.

remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cornflakes and sultanas, if using. Stir gently with a metal spoon until all the cornflakes are coated with chocolate. Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mixture into about 12 paper cases. Set aside in a cool place, until firm. This will take about 3 hours at room temperature, or you can speed things up a bit by putting them in the fridge for a while.

Risi bisi, kisses risotto

It's a great day for romance here in Italy this Valentine's Day.

The sun is shining, the flower shops are full of men queueing to buy red roses, red heart-shaped balloons gently swaying above the market stalls, the radio full of talk about love at first sight.

Just for those of you that cant go out, haven't got a babysitter, or are just too tired after a week's work, here is a great recipe called risi bisi. It means "rice and peas" in Venetian dialect, but some fancy that bisi comes from the French bise, which is an affectionate term for "kiss". It is economical and nutritious, children like it too. 

Risi Bisi

Risi Bisi
500 g frozen peas

1500 ml of stock

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsps butter

225 g rice for risotto

1 glass of white wine

100g parmesan  grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion until soft and transucent. Add the peas and stir, let it cook gently for awhile and then add the rice. Give it all a good gentle stir then add the wine and let it evaporate. Keep adding stock and let it simmer gently, stirring now and again to make sure it doesn't stick. When the rice is cooked add a knob of butter and some parmesan cheese. Give it a good stir, turn off the heat and put the lid on for a few minutes. Serve in bowls with more cheese to sprinkle on the top.

You could make a quick starter to eat while the risotto is cooking. Cut out heart shapes from slices of bread and decorate with whatever you have in the fridge. Olives, maionnaise, baby tomatoes ...

Torta Paradiso

My husband's Grandma taught me how to make Torta Paradiso, it 's very similar to the sponge cake my Mum and I used to make together. I always like to make it for a special occasion and it easily adapted to the seasons. In Winter it becomes a coffee and walnut or chocolate cake, in Summer freshly whipped cream and strawberries make it a lovely birthday cake. For little children it's best just plain. Whatever I decide, I put on one of my favourite CDs and always use the same method. Cream, beat and fold. No electric appliances to drown out the music, just the pleasure of some quiet time to think and create a family friendly cake.

Torta Paradiso

5 eggs

250g sugar

250g butter

250g flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt

Beat the softened butter and sugar with a wooden spoin until light and creamy. Add the eggs slowly , whisking with a fork. If the mixture curdles add some of the flour, between whisks. Fold in the flour with a metal spoon,mixture gently.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 180 in a well- buttered 24 cm cake tin. 

Check it is cooked through by inserting a knife in the middle. If it comes out clean it's ready. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Sunday: Walk, Brunch, Plum Cake & Rugby

Today there were just the two of us for lunch. The bright sunshine was calling us outside so we had a quick brunch for two to make the most of the beautiful day and be back home in time to watch Karolina Costner's brilliant performance.It was really moving, she glided around to Schubert's Ave Maria wearing a dress that all little girls would dream of. Then we watched the France-Italy Rugby match . I made a Plum cake for the Italian friends that I have persuaded to become enthusiastic about watching Italy play. Plum cake has nothing to do with plums and as far as I know only Italians call it like this. It is a sort of sponge cake baked in a loaf tin.

Sunday brunch for two

Scrambled eggs on toast

Smoked salmon on toast

salad and tomatoes

two glasses of Prosecco

the last of the mandarini,

Shy violet found on our walk

Plum Cake

3 eggs

80 g butter

50 g cream or ricotta

190g sugar

140 g flour

grated rind of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

2 tsps. of baking powder

A handful of sultanas or raisins, rinsed and sprinkled with flour

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs and lemon rind, until light and fluffy. Add the cream or ricotta and the softened butter, beat well. Fold in the flour and baking powder and the salt.Stir in the raisins or sultanas.

Bake in a well-buttered loaf tin for about 30 minutes at 180.

I served my Plum-cake on my Jubilee china plate. It is the perfect size. My Auntie Dora and Uncle Cyril gave it to me, and they liked to say "It's jubilee, do you believe it? "  Jubilee-Do you believe. I'll tell you about them some other time.

Italian Jam Tart

(Music to listen to while preparing the crostata  - Bryan Adams' HD, The Best of Me)

A very popular Italian dessert is the crostata. This is like a big jam tart and was not part of my repertoire of cakes and desserts when I first came to Italy. I soon got to discover how delicious it is.

When my children were small I was very aware of the responsibility of giving them healthy food. I got down to the business of nourishing meals rather than cordon bleu. That doesn't mean that only healthy food got into my supermarket trolley. My daughter reminded me today of the oven chips with ketchup inside that I had a thing about. Once my son and I munched our way through what felt like hundreds of chocolate rolls just so we could get a wigwam with the points. On the whole however I was quite scrupulus about the quality of their meals.

I bought a cookbook way back in 1984 that I still use today. It is called Mille ricette per vivere sani, "A thousand recipes for a healthy life". My favourite recipe for Crostata comes from there.

Crostata

1 pie dish with 22 cm diameter

250 g  flour

125g butter - softened

100g sugar

1 whole egg and 2 yolks, beaten lightly

Your favourite jam, up to a whole jar

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter cut in pieces. Rub in gently until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix gently. Make a well in the centre and add the egg mixture. Work together carefully until it has formed a ball. Roll out on a floured surface. Use two thirds of the pastry to line the pie dish. Either butter the pie dish well or line with grease-proof paper.
Cover with the  jam , making sure to leave a border. Roll out the remaining pastry, cut into strips to make a lattice pattern. As it's near Valentine's Day, I made heart shapes.
Bake in the oven at 180 for about 35 minutes.

This is perfect after minestrone or any substantial soup or for breakfast for people in a hurry. My brother was shocked, when he first came to stay, to discover we sometimes had cake for breakfast. He was lost without his All-Bran.  Well you could always add a few prunes ...

Some Like It Hot

 

Marilyn Monroe - Some Like it Hot Trailer

One very nice date to look forward to in February is Valentine's Day. Whether you think it's just a commercial trick or an excuse to show someone how much you care, it is an occasion for fun and a chance to add some spice to life.

Here is a great store cupboard recipe with a naughty name in Italian, to get you started.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

(serves 2)

200g spaghetti

400g pomodori pelati o passata

3 anchovy fillets

10 olives, sliced

10 capers, rinsed

Teaspoon of basil

Sprinkle of dried chilli

Clove of garlic - optional

Put on a large saucepan of water to boil for the spaghetti. In another saucepan gently cook the anchovies, chilli, and garlic (if using), stirring to a creamy paste.

Add the tin of tomatoes and simmer gently for ten minutes.Add the olives, capers and seasonings, simmer gently while the spaghetti is cooking.

Drain the spaghetti, when cooked, then return to the saucepan, pour over the sauce, stir gently, adding a tbsp of olive oil and some black pepper.

This goes well with green salad and a glass of red wine.

Sell by dates

My Dad used to pay my  brother and me, threepence to scratch his back. He would take down his braces and roll up his sleeves with a silver elasticated band and lean forward in his chair. we would pummel away, scratching and rubbing, while he gave instructions. Left a bit, right a bit, further up. We put all our energy and  enthusiasm into this task. He was always very grateful and we got our threepence.
This was a lot of money for us. In those days, where we lived, you would often find, a little shop, that looked like all the houses around it, except for the Walls ice-cream sign, hanging outside. They were like Aladdin's caves for us. My Mum would go to buy things like tins of tomatoes, stock cubes or  corned beef and we would go along with her. On the shelves at the back, there were huge, glass jars of sweets. These were weighed out and put into in little bags, which the shopkeeper wrapped up with a flourish and a twirl of the corners. At the front, at our height, were all the penny sweets, displayed in all their glory, a veritable, treasure of delights. With our threepence, we could have, a whole load of sweets with enticing names, like flying saucers, shrimps, wagon wheels, sherbert lemons.

No-one had heard of Sell-by-dates, so these shops often had a sort of musty smell and some of the cans were reportedly army surplus from the war.
My Mum and Dad never took much notice of  expiry dates, sometimes my Dad would look in the fridge and ask my Mum if she was conducting a scientific experiment.

Well today, I had a litre of milk, that was about to expire, so I made Gnocchi alla Romana.It took me a long time to perfect this recipe. It is worth it though, because it has a lot of the qualities I look for in a recipe. It can be made in advance, freezes well and is nutritious. It is also quick to make and easy.

1 litre of milk
250 g semolino
2 eggs
125 g butter
100g grated parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg

Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Add the semolina and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
When it has thickened, keep stirring vigorously and beat in the 2 eggs.
Remove from the heat and beat in the butter, until it has melted into the mixture. Add the parmesan and seasoning and stir thoroughly.
Line the oven tray with grease-proof paper. Spoon the semolina mixture over, and with wet hands press it down evenly all over.
Leave to cool completely and then cut into squares diagonally. Lay the squares in a well-buttered ovenproof dish, overlapping slightly.Dot the surface with pieces of butter and more grated cheese and bake in the oven at 180 degrees, until golden.

My sister-in-law serves these gnocchi with a sauce made by slowly melting gorgonzola  together with some milk, to a creamy consistency.

A good start

Monday morning, and a whole new week ahead. So to get off to a good start, make a bowl of porridge with milk and honey. Porridge oats, are another thing found in the ethnic shops.

Then an easy peasy recipe for your weekday suppers, that is ideal for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

1 onion, finely chopped,
4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
400 g of green lentils
200 ml red wine
400 g tinned tomatoes.

For the topping
1 kg potatoes
milk, salt and pepper,
butter

Fry the onion in a large saucepan, until soft and translucent. Add the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir well and add the carrots and the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the lentils. Season to taste with stock cubes, or salt and pepper. Stir together and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding some water if it seems to dry. It must be quite compact.
Adjust the seasoning the transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Boil the potatoes and then mash well with warm milk, butter and salt and pepper.
When the lentil mixture is cool, spoon the mashed potato over the top, to cover, make patterns with a fork. When cold, this can be covered and left in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for a month.

When ready to serve, put pieces of butter on the top and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, at 180 °C, until golden.

Lastly, some inspirational words, from John Wesley, for any of you starting the week with worries on your mind. He was walking one day, in the countryside, with a friend, who had confided in him that he was in great difficulty. This is the advice he gave.

"Do you know why that cow looks over that wall? I will tell you. She looks over the wall because she cannot see through it, and this is what you must do with your troubles- look over and above them."

Smackerels

"Let's go and see everybody," said Pooh. "Because when you have been walking in the wind for miles, and you suddenly go into somebody's house, and he says "Hello, Pooh you're just in time for a little smackerel or something," and you are, then it's what I call a friendly day."

This is an extract from House of Pooh Corner. It sums up what my Mum liked best. The words "Would you like a cup of tea?", were among her favourites. She loved Winnie-the-Pooh. We knew it off by heart.

My Mum loved moments like elevenses and teatime and a little something.

As it's Friday and there may be a chance for a long walk, coffee with friends,or  any occasion to have a little something, this recipe is easy, requires no cooking and is a great success with all ages.

Rice Crispies squares

6 Mars bars
150 g butter
half a box of Rice Crispies
some Smarties  or M and Ms

Melt the Mars bars with the butter, over a low heat. Beat well with a wooden spoon to a creamy consistency. remove from the heat and add the Rice Crispies.
Line a square cake tin with grease-proof paper and sprinkle with the sweets. Spoon over the Rice Crispies mixture and press gently. When ready to serve, reverse onto a plate and cut into squares.
This is always popular at children's parties.
Have a friendly day .