Bread Pudding

As there's just the two of us in our household, we invariably end up with left over bread that becomes a sorry state for sandwiches, or even too stale to be enjoyed as toast. I often just blitz it in the food processor, bag it up and put it in the freezer, as breadcrumbs are useful for coating and binding.

One day, I remembered how my Mum used to make bread pudding from her bread remnants. It was a long time ago and I don't actually recall her using a written recipe, it was undoubtedly kept in her head as a passed down tradition from her own mother.

Bread pudding should not be confused with bread and butter pudding, the two are quite different concoctions. Harking back to the days of a "waste not, want not" culture, this pudding is far from boring and austere. It is satisfyingly stodgy and well spiced and has a fruitiness and aroma reminiscent of Christmas cake or pudding.

There aren't any real fixed rules as to what bread you should use, brown or white, it doesn't matter. The same goes for the fruit and sugar. The general idea is to use what you have to hand and not make a special trip to buy any ingredients.

Who would have thought frugal food could be so delicious? 

Ingredients

8oz stale bread, crusts removed

6oz dried fruit like raisins, sultanas or currants or a mixture of all of them

2oz sugar

grated zest 1 lemon

2oz suet

half teaspoon mixed spice

1 egg, lightly beaten

milk to mix

caster sugar to finish

Method

Tear up the bread into small pieces and put into a bowl. 

Pour on some cold water to thoroughly soak the bread. Leave stand for up to an hour. 

Depending on how soft or dry your bread is, the length of time will vary. The drier the bread the longer it needs to soak, but do be careful if your bread is soft to start with, as you'll want to avoid it turning into a mushy mess.

Once the bread has moistened, tip it into a large sieve and press down well to squeeze out the excess water.

Put the bread into a large bowl and add the dried fruit, sugar, lemon zest, suet and spice and mix well to combine. Then stir in the egg and enough milk to give the mixture a soft dropping consistency.

Tip into a tin greased with butter and bake in a preheated (Gas 5 / 190C / 375F) oven until firm to the touch and golden brown.

Turn out on to a plate and sprinkle liberally with caster sugar. Eat warm or cold.

Photo: ©childsdesign 2010

A Taste of the Unexpected

Growing things to eat is fast becoming a popular past time, not necessarily out of necessity, but purely for personal satisfaction, so why bother cultivating fruit and vegetables that are cheap or readily available in the shops? Mark Diacono, head gardener at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage, prompts us to rethink our gardening habits in his book, A Taste Of The Unexpected.

I grew up believing that most plants in the garden were inedible or even poisonous, except for the very obvious things of course. Like every child, I was curious as to what that shiny berry was and my parents’ solution to protect me from dangerous ingestion, was to declare most things toxic and therefore untouchable. A sensible approach, but in hindsight, it had the effect of narrowing my view on what could be eaten.

Mark’s book has opened up a whole new world to savour. Who would have thought you could eat fuchsia berries? They were definitely on my deadly list.
The main point, is that we are encouraged to grow what we’d love to eat and to compile a wish list to get started. If we can’t buy it in the shops, it goes on the list. Does it taste better the moment it is picked? Then that goes on the list too. From the familiar to the downright strange, Mark gives us a practical and comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and cooking.

Every page is enlightening as well as inspiring and I can see my kitchen garden quickly turning into an experimental horticultural playground. Who knows I could soon be growing mulberries, blue honeysuckle, Chilean guavas or the amusingly named Egyptian walking onion. I just can’t wait for the spring.

A Taste of the Unexpected by Mark Diacono is published by Quadrille.
Hardback RRP £20.00
Order yours now

Book kindly supplied by Quadrille Publishing

Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Shards

Last week I made myself a birthday cake. You may be wondering why I didn't get someone else to do it, but as it happens I really enjoy baking, so my birthday was the perfect excuse to indulge.

I whipped together a rich chocolate sponge and, spread the two halves with plum jam. It should have been cherry, but not having any to hand, the plum was a good substitute and worked very well. I sandwiched the cake together with whipped chocolate ganache and spread some over the top as well.

Feeling creative, I made some salted caramel and poured it out on to a tray to set solid, after which I snapped it into the most glorious amber shards that looked just like glass. I pushed them into the top of the cake in an artful fashion.

This cake has been nicknamed the Kryptonite Cake as its decoration resembles the cave of crystals that sap Superman's strength. Although having no real adverse affect on ourselves the richness and intense flavours can leave one feeling pleasantly giddy with delight.

Do I give you the recipe?... It'll be in the Cheeky Spouse cook book...

Photo: ©childsdesign 2010

Recipes Every Man Should Know

Just in time for Christmas, Quirk Books have brought out an ideal fun stocking filler for the man who would like to or should be able to cook.

For those hungry guys out there, this little black book has everything a man needs to get cracking in the kitchen; Hearty Breakfast Classics, Sandwiches, Burgers & Snacks, Meat & Potato Dinners, Beer, Bacon & Bar Food and to keep the women in his life happy, Chocolate, Cheesecake & more.

Anyway, why should men cook? The book puts it thus:

•  Women think men who cook are sexy.
•  It involves fire, sharp instruments and meat.
•  Women think men who cook are sexy, and it involves, fire, sharp   instruments and meat.

Although the writing style has a jokey patter, the recipes are treated seriously in that they are well set out, but I would say that an entire novice may find some to be not so obvious, they may be more suited to someone who has had some experience with food.

This is a US publication so the weights and measures may not be that familiar to UK users, for example, what is a stick of butter?

There is a good introduction to navigating around the kitchen, the right tools, preparation techniques and cuts of meat, and in the back a decent conversion chart for measurements and oven temperatures.

Don't let first impressions be deceptive, although classed as a novelty book to placed in the humour section, it is actually very useful. Not only a man wanting to impress his partner, would benefit, but I could see it being an invaluable asset to a student living away from home too.

A perfect pocket companion for a would be cooking master.

Recipes Every Man Should Know by Susan Russo & Brett Cohen is published by Quirk Books

Hardback RRP £6.99

Order yours now

Book kindly supplied by Mat Archer from PGUK