Comfort Food

Sunday night comfort food.

Milk (UK)
Mushrooms (UK)
Potatoes (home grown)
Leeks (UK)
Brocolli (UK)

Thai Curry

Yes we were slobs last week- second take-out in a row and I forgot to take a picture until after we'd eaten.

All ingredients unknown origin.

Sag Paneer/ Brinjal Bhaji

Yup, it's from Saffron on Smithdown Road again.
All ingredients unknown origin.

Tuna and Rocket Salad

Rocket (UK)
Tuna (‘Packed in Mauritius)
Peppers (UK)
Olives (Spain)
Red onion (home grown)

Stuffed Salmon

They've turned one of our local pubs into an extremely trendy wine bar/flash harry restaurant (which they describe as a 'bar/kitchen/bodega- ' sheesh). It's a beautiful old Victorian folly with mock turrets which means that the bizarre gothic surrealist theme they've gone with for the refit is actually in keeping with the original weirdness of the place. So instead of a massive Sky TV screen and drinks promotion signs we've now got a massive monkey's head and religious frescos. Anyway, the food was pretty good- really nicely cooked salmon followed by a cookie and ice cream thing. Mind you, I did have an inner voice throughout dessert saying 'Five pounds for a chocolate biscuit. Are you quite mad?' Perhaps I'm turning into my dad.

Mealy Pudding with Yorkshires

Something of a heritage Sunday lunch what with me being a Yorkshireman of Grampian descent. This was a version of the mealy pudding that I remember eating on my cousin's croft in the North East of Scotland when I was a kid (except without the beef fat and intestine).

Potatoes (home grown)
Chard (home grown)
Eggs (UK)
Turnip (home grown)
Oats (Scotland)
Lentils ('product of more than one country')
Onions (home grown)
Flour ('product of the EU')
Gravy (Bisto)

Butter Bean Stew

Courgette (home grown)
Runner beans (home grown)
Turnips (home grown)
Onion (home grown)
Potatoes (home grown)
Garlic (home grown)
Cider (UK)

I also had a bit of this apple and prune cake from the brilliant Daphna's cheesecake factory. Daphna is the don of South Liverpool cake distribution. She runs a firm of old ladies across the Allerton and Hunts Cross area who's home baking is as addictive as crack cocaine. Anyway, this was the first time I'd ever actually eaten a prune and I was pleasantly surprised. It's not that the laxative associations had put me off- it's just that in my adult life there have been loads of things I've discovered that I had refused to eat as a child. For instance, I didn't eat an orange until I was 22- in some people's worldview this is considered a bit odd.

Stuffed Vegetables

Pumpkin (home grown)
Cheddar cheese (Ireland)
Onion (home grown)
Red pepper (home grown)
Parmesan (Italy)
Potatoes (home grown)
Coriander (unknown origin)

Scampi and Chips

Had to dash out really quickly after work as we went to see Ian Forsyth and Jane Pollard's Silent Sound happening at St George's Hall. I didn't like it very much but the small concert hall is newly renovated and an absolutely beautiful space. Liked the scampi and chips though.

Scampi (UK)
Oven chips (UK)
Peas ('Product of the EU')

Pizza and a gentleman's cape

Pizza in the Quarter on Falkner Street tonight for my friend Sam's birthday- always a pretty reliable place (although I'm not convinced by the concept of a 'Greek Pizza'). On a more remarkable note Sam's partner had an exquisitely tailored Victoran cape made for him as a birthday present. He is pictured giving a well chosen reading from David Hasslhof's biography.
All ingredients unknown origin.

Risotto All' Ortolana

Carnaroli rice (Italy)
Runner beans (home grown)
Courgette (home grown)
Pumpkin (home grown)
Peas (UK)
Broccoli (UK)
Garlic (home grown)
Onions (home grown)
Sage (home grown)
Parsley (home grown)
Stock cube (unspecified)
Parmesan (Italy)

Pasta night

Flour (UK)
Egg (UK)
Courgette (home grown)
Yellow tomatoes (home grown)
Parmesan (Italy)
Rocket ('packed in the UK')
Red tomatoes (UK)

Thai bites

These corn cakes are one of my favourite things to cook.

Corn (California)
Coriander seed (home grown)
Coriander leaf (UK)
Chard (home grown)
Spinach (home grown)
Vegan Thai 'fish style' bites (unspecified) The moral of this product is 'fear the fish replacement'. Deeply unpleasant.
Chilli sauce ('bottled in the UK')

Aubergine

aubergine (UK)
spinach (Belgium)
onions (home grown)
shallots (home grown)
garlic (home grown)
Parmesan (Italy)
Cheddar (West Country)
Mozzarella (Italy)
tomatoes (home grown/UK)
rocket (‘packed in the UK’)

Mushroom Burger

This was a bit of a failed experiment. I think I used too much flour in order to thicken up the burger mixture and they consequently ended up being a bit doughy.

Mushrooms (UK)
Potatoes (home grown)
Onions (home grown)
Broccoli (UK)

Cauliflower Cheese

Thursday was a very long, quite horrible day so quick comfort food was in order. This was a Tesco’s own- too much vegetable oil and not enough cheese- bleuugh.

Cauliflower Cheese (‘manufactured in the UK’)

Leftovers

I was on my own this evening so it was leftover Indian takeaway for me. As you will note it’s served on a ‘ring of rice’ in homage to the Vesta curries for one phenomenon of the 1970s.

Leftovers (Saffron, Smithdown Road)
Rice (‘produce of several countries’)

DInner

My friend Karin always makes the most amazing food every time I go round to her house. Tonight was no exception with home-made rye-bread, ‘yogic’ vegetables (which you have to chant over or something), a great lasagne and one of the tastiest salads I’ve ever eaten. She did tell me the origin of pretty much all of the ingredients but there were so many of them (and I had several glasses of wine) that I’ve now forgotten. Here’s a selection but maybe you could fill in the gaps with a comment Karin?

Courgettes (home grown)
Various vegetables (Rice Lane City Farm, Liverpool)
Herbs (home grown)
Erm… that’s it… I really have forgotten.

Salad leaves with sausage and tomato

Sausages (the same Sage and Marjoram Vegan ones from the other day. Tasted much better today, I think I overcooked them last time)
Chard (home grown)
Spinach (home grown)
Lollo Rosso (home grown)
Yellow tomatoes (home grown)
Chives (home grown)
Potatoes (home grown)
Mint (home grown)

Pasta Arrabiata

Flour (UK)
Egg (UK)
Shallots (home grown)
Garlic (home grown)
Tomatoes (Italy)
Vegitalia cheese (Italy) despite appearances this is no substitute for Parmesan. You clearly can't beat a good bit of calf's stomach when it comes to Italian hard cheese.
Chilli pepper sauce (Jamaica)

Haddock Bearnaise on Bubble and Squeak

This was goodbye to an old friend, the Old Mill in Baginton, Coventry. It's my in-laws local and I've enjoyed many a good pub meal and a pint of Directors bitter in here. They're moving away from the area so we probably won't be back.

All ingredients of unknown origin.

Atonement

To make up for yesterday’s globe spanning, air mile gulping, dolphin worrying guiltfest here’s a meal primarily drawn from our allotment which is about 150 metres from our house.

Aubergine (UK)
Yellow courgettes (home grown)
Chard (home grown)
Spinach (home grown)
Onions (home grown)
Garlic (home grown)
Shallots (home grown)
Potatoes (home grown)
Cheddar cheese (UK)

Freestylin'

This was a bit made up- a tuna and okra hash with Quinoa or something. Tasted OK though.

Tuna (Republic of Maldives)That really is a very long way. An island nation whose capital Male looks totally bizzare and space age when viewed from the air. Have a look here
Okra (unknown origin)
Red onions (home grown)
Pepper (UK)
Quinoa (Bolivia)