Finally some cooking!

I've failed dismally in the cooking stakes over the last few weeks. Marathon training has completely taken over my life, and has not left much time for browsing cook books to come up with interesting dishes.

However, this weekend being a 4-day weekend I actually found time to both run and cook something good! I had a little bit of a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall moment, and had a go at making (a very small quantity of) homemade yoghurt, and also a Jamaican Ginger cake from the River Cottage Everyday cookbook.

Hugh's programme was on the TV last night, which is what finally prompted me to have a go at the yoghurt. Dan had mentioned the process a few months back but we hadn't tried it out up until today. After my breakfast this morning I had a scoop of yoghurt left in the tub, so it seemed an opportune time to have a go. My jar of yoghurt-to-be is currently sitting on the hearth swaddled in tea towels to keep it warm, where it will stay until 9pm tonight: Taste test in the morning! If it works I'll buy a thermos flask to keep it warm next time - its not very practical to light the fire every time you want a bit of yoghurt!

And so to the baking. I felt I was overdue a baking session, and my old neighbour does like a slice or two of cake when I'm making it, so today I flicked through my books until I found a recipe where I already had all the ingredients. Jamaican ginger cake was the choice, although I did swap the rum for brandy because that's what we had (and surely once cooked in a ginger cake it would be pretty tricky to tell the difference anyway). Despite the industrial quantities of golden syrup, sugar and black treacle the cake didn't turn out ridiculously rich and sweet. The ginger and allspice gave it a little kick. Dan wants to try in with creme fraiche, I think a roast banana would be a yummy addition, either way its a good cake.

jackets jackets jackets

Its getting obssessional now: I must sew something other than jackets!

The latest jacket I've made, finished last week:

This one wasn't for me, so I can't vouch for fit and style as I haven't yet seen it on the person it was made for. I'm told its good though. (Not wishing to sound big headed, but she said it was amazing.)

Anyway, next up are 2 bridesmaids dresses and an evening dress, so I'm temporarily getting away from tailored styles. I'll be back with a vengeance once the dresses are finished I'm sure!

March 10 on 10

So here's the deal: take 10 photos through 10 hours on the 10th of the month. Today I was trying to be a good Aunty, and here's the evidence:

For other participants in the 10 on 10 photo project look here:

a new machine and lovely tweed

There's not much interesting cooking going on in my kitchen at the moment. In between sewing and training for the marathon I'm not finding all that much time to plan interesting meals or shop for ingredients.

However, the sewing is progressing nicely. A couple of weeks ago I finally aquired an overlocker - its a purchase I've been hankering after for years. Well, I finally bought a machine, and I've been making tentative steps towards getting to know it properly.

Here it is: Meet my Frister Rossman Knitlock

New toy - an overlocker

And the first project which I've used it for was for this jacket

Linton tweed jacket

The multi coloured material is Linton Tweed - the UK based manufacturer is celebrating 100 years in business this year and used to supply Chanel with her tweed fabrics. Illustrious company indeed! My sewing skills need some work before I'm at that level, but I'll definitely be using their fabrics again, and the overlocker was the perfect tool for the job. The pattern was from an old copy of the Burda sewing magazine. I'd need to adjust it a little around the back of the arms if I made it again, but otherwise its not a bad fit.

My other project in the last couple of weeks was to draft the pattern for a double-breated waistcoat to my own measurements. I drafted away, carefully measuring and using a set square for the first time in years. I then held my breath and made it up in fabric.

And would you believe it: It actually looks like a waistcoat, and it fits!

Double-breasted waistcoat

My clothing sewing now has its own facebook page, which can be found here:

www.facebook.com/Whimwhamclothing

Jackets

I've been mostly sewing with wool in the last few months. Its such a lovely, tactile, and malleable fabric to work with that it has been a joy.

Having signed up for some sewing lessons at the beginning of November I decided that my first project would be a jacket. It seemed a good place to start - incorporating linings, sleeves, lapels, button holes it ticked off a lot of the things I wanted help with. I chose a Vogue pattern, some beautiful heather-y green wool and was good to go.

This was the pattern I chose to make, Vogue V8543:

But then I got over-ambitious and spotted this pattern, which I thought my Mum would love (Vogue V1146):

So I decided to make that for her for Christmas. My word, it needs A LOT of fabric. And that makes it very awkward to work in the last few steps (of which there are nearly 100), as it gets very heavy. Never say I'm not up for a challenge!

So there I was, the wool was purchased, the tasks were set. Would I mess up, sew something on upside down, cut my expensive fabric incorrectly? Well, yes is the short answer. There was some unpicking and resewing, but fortunately no cutting errors, which would have been more serious.

I battled through acres of fabric to make the coat. I kept waiting for the bit that would take it from 'medium difficulty' to 'advanced' as stated on the pattern envelope, but fortunately it never came. Maybe the difficulty grading was just because of the sheer weight of material making it difficult to work at times. I completed the coat in time for Christmas and my Mum was thrilled with it. (I'll get a better photo some time soon.)

By Christmas my jacket had stalled. It was close to completion, but I couldn't find the perfect buttons to finish it, but then last week I finally found the perect ones. Hurrah!

I admit, I was scared to make the button holes. Cutting into the fabric at the final stages felt terrifying in case I ended up ruining all the hard work I had put in. But with a sigh of relief I completed them without major mishaps, and here's the final jacket:

So, onwards - what should the next sewing project be?

February Daring Cooks Challenge

The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax & Lis and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!

I make my own burger patties reasonably often as I like to know what's gone into my burgers. Also, I don't eat beef and it is often a bit tricky to find burgers made from any other meat. I  liked the idea of making patties for this month's challenge, but having previously tried out recipes for lamb, pork, chicken and turkey burgers I didn't want to make a meat recipe this time. Instead I chose to make some fishcakes - I figured they were the same shape and cooking method so technically could be counted as a patty!

I decided to use a combination of mashed potato and lightly smoked salmon fillet. To this I added some sweetcorn kernels, finely sliced spring onions, and peas, as well as an egg to bind it all together. I crushed some wholegrain crackers to crumbs and sprinkled these over my patties to make a crunchy crispy outside.

I then grilled these (the challenge was to shallow fry or bake the patties, but I hope I can be forgiven a minor transgression!) and served them with some homemade amai sauce (vinegar, ketchup, tamarind, soy, sugar), new potatoes, and crunchy vegetables. Yummy.

Thank you to the Daring Cooks for getting me to look out a new recipe: I think this one will become a regular feature on my dinner table!

The Guardian Comfort Food

So, did you collect the recipe cards in The Guardian newspaper last week?

I missed the Ottolenghi one, but my Dad is a gem, and knowing that I'm a fan he saved it from their copy for me. I love the turkey and sweetcorn meatballs recipe in the Otolenghi cook book, so it seemed a fine idea to try out the new recipe for turkey and courgette meatballs with a wasabi guacamole. It sounded a healthy and highly nutritious meal - just what I need now that I'm training for the London marathon. (About that - I may not have all that much time to cook exciting things between now and April.)

The meatballs were very easy to make. I thought they didn't sound like a meal by themselves so I served them with rice. This really wasn't the best accompaniment. I loved the flavours of the meatballs - courgette, turkey, mint and cumin are a wonderful blend - but next time I will make them into burger patties and serve them in toasted pitta breads with the guacamole on top. With some potato wedges it could be a dinner, or without the potato it would be a good weekend lunch.

So, the recipe's a keeper, but the serving needs some adjustment.

Find the Ottolenghi Comfort Food recipes here.

An update: these are WAY better as burgers - serve in a warm toasted pitta with paprika potato wedges and minty yoghurt.