About me

 



Hello. I'm Annie.
I live in the Cambridgeshire Fens; a flat but beautiful region in the east of England.

I love cooking. You can often find me with my head buried in a cookbook, most likely by Diana Henry or Nigel Slater.... or in the kitchen, with wooden spoon in one hand and camera in the other.
Welcome to my journal of thoughts and recipes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Collection

Image
    I have a book on my bookshelf, one of many now, which has been with me for decades. A book which has moved house with me over the years; packed into a box, along with other volumes, to re-emerge into its new position, on a new shelf, in a new home. Firstly in halls of residence at university, then in a rented flat when I started my first job. Next, after I was married, it found a spot on a shelf in our first home. For a while, it was relegated to a box in the attic when space was at a premium, but for the last 15 years, it has been on the bottom shelf of a wall of bookshelves in our little snug. The book in question is Good Housekeeping's New Basic Cookery. A certificate glued inside the cover states it was awarded to a young girl in her second year of secondary school as Eaton House prize. The young girl was me; the prize was for all round achievement for the previous year. I was asked what sort of book I would like as my prize and I requested a cookery book. To be honest, it&
Read more

summer solstice

Image
 June 21st 2023: the summer solstice. The garden is blooming and the sun is hot. Time to enjoy our meals: breakfast, lunch and supper in the garden. Here's a recipe for a beetroot and halloumi burger, a delicious plant based alternative to a regular burger. 100g bread 1x400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained 250g beetroot 1 clove garlic handful fresh parsley 1 tbsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt ground black pepper 1 egg 1-2 tbsp oil for shallow frying To assemble: 250g halloumi cheese 6 brioche burger buns lettuce mayonnaise or relish of choice Peel and halve the beetroot and steam or microwave until tender. Place the bread into a food processor and whizz to form breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. Place all remaining burger ingredients into processor and whizz again until just mixed. It's nice to have a few chunky bits in the mixture to give texture. Add to bowl with the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Shape into 6 patties and chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in pan
Read more

Autumn thoughts: memories, traditions, blackberries ....and cake.

Image
When my girls were small, we would often stay with my mum in the West Country, usually at the end of the long summer holiday, just as August slipped away into September. Long, slow days, bathed, it always seemed, in soft summer light. Little people are creatures of habit and a walk along the length of Warmley Brook, to the local wildlife centre for pond dipping and a drink in the café was always a must. The brook was at the bottom of a steep hill and following its course took you past the church, perched high up on a mound, where mum and dad now lie buried, over stiles, and through ancient woodland, with a steep, rocky bank on one side and the babbling brook a constant companion on the other. Invariably, we took a container or two in which to collect blackberries. Maybe it’s the hunter/gatherer instinct buried deep in our DNA, but foraging of any sort is always accompanied by a frisson of excitement. With a handy stick to beat back the worst of the thorns, the containers soon filled up
Read more