Here’s what the papers produced this weekend:
The Independent.ru
One of the best recipe sets was by Deborah Robertson in the Independent on Sunday. It featured food inspired by her shopping trips to the local Turkish supermarket (though all still achievable for those who can only get to an Asda). The likes of: grilled lamb chops with blood orange, whipped feta and sumac; Turkish grilled onion salad (which is one of my favourite things); and halva ice cream (halva is like a nougat) made with mascarpone, yoghurt, double cream, orange blossom and cardamom. Great photos too.
Mark Hix went with Eastern Mediterranean cuisine in Saturday’s Independent: roast quails in pomegranate and sumac; saffron and pistachio bread and butter pudding; and pumpkin (or squash pieces) cooked in a sugar syrup – to use as a dessert or next to cheese.
Murdoch’s lot
I somehow missed that GBBO winner Nadiya Hussein was now a cookery writer for The Times. This week she produced a recipe for olive and chocolate biscuits (plus 3 long paragraphs on why olives and chocolate isn’t really a surprising match).
If it’s not EASY, for Donna Hay, it’s FAST. And this week saw five quick family suppers, though nothing to really tempt.
Jamie, however, went down the EASY route in The Sunday Times with a fairly standard chicken tray bake (bacon, toms, balsamic).
Alice Hart had Florence Knight’s Sunday Times spot, and presented 3 vegetarian dishes to feed a family. Interesting spiced paneer in semolina dosas; and a good looking artichoke frittata with watercress pesto and slow, slow baked tomatoes.
The Nikkei Weekend
Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer suggested FT Weekend readers assembled a lentil stew with burnt aubergine, eggs and zehug – a green chilli sauce. I likey.
The True Blue Bugle
Strong column on cardamom by Diana Henry for The Sunday Telegraph – with an interesting and informed intro, plus recipes like date and cardamom butter to go with lamb; braised fennel with orange, cardamom and honey; and a lime, coconut and cardamom cake. Lush stuff.
A good read from Stephen Harris on the subject of not keeping things in the fridge. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have a stone flagged larder which stays around 12C all year round. But no doubt his lemon posset and sable biscuits will be good.
I liked the look of lamb cutlets with spicy peanut sauce among the recipes from ‘Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen’ in The Telegraph.
The Grauniad
Where to start in the myriad Graun / Observer offerings?
The OFM was a good one, with strong pieces about chefs and their suppliers, street food in LA, ramen, and a new feature on classic cookbooks (this month, Margaret Costa’s ‘Four Seasons Cookery Book – check out the marmalade pop overs).
Nigel Slaters 5 slow-cooked winter warmers were closer to home, but no less welcome, in particular pot roast pork with star anise and ginger. Yet not actually as tempting as his recipes in the normal magazine, in particular poached chicken in broth with herbed creme fraiche.
In fact, I’d say the Saturday Guardian’s recipes generally trumped (God, that’s got a whole new meaning now, hasn’t it?) the Observer’s.
Thomasina Miers’ prawn bun cha and Japanese rice bowls looked banging, and Yotam put out a strong set of party bites – much braver than your average honey and mustard glazed mini sausages (but all achievable): home made beef jerky; lemon and sage almonds; roast padron peppers and sticky garlic etc. etc.
Over in ‘Cook’ (consistently the best food supplement), there were top missives from Tom Hunt (4 things with pickled turnips), Claire Ptak (deep fried jam ravioli and bakewell tart fingers), and Rachel Roddy (on pasta and chickpea soup).
Also in Cook but worth its own paragraph, I missed Sumayya Usmani’s first Residency last week – but was glad to catch her second on Saturday. Sumayya’s Pakistani food looks superb (lamb shank sunna gosht; saffron enriched bread), and is exactly the kind of ‘discovery’ cooking I personally crave. i.e. cultures, cuisines and specific dishes that we haven’t seen written about much before.
From the internet
Good collard greens info and recipes on Food52.com. I guess use spring greens if any of the dishes really take your fancy.
#Supplemental cooking
I’m struggling for time to follow specific recipes at the moment, but will get back on to the ‘testing’ element of these posts next month. Did any of you try a particular dish from the supplements this weekend (successfully or otherwise)??
Weekend Menu, 20 and 21 February 2016
Lemon and sage almonds
Yotam Ottolenghi, The Guardian
and
Beef kofte, turnip and yoghurt dip
Tom Hunt, The Guardian ‘Cook’
and
a cold beer
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Lamb with cardamom and date butter; orange and honey braised fennel
Diana Henry, The Sunday Telegraph ‘Stella’
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Halva ice cream and sesame brittle
Deborah Robertson, The Independent on Sunday
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