tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41798413382354348002012-02-17T05:32:29.992+13:00Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-61537609283890555442011-04-26T16:02:00.004+12:002011-04-26T16:10:27.247+12:00

You can put anything onto bread. This one is for Autumn.- Make some dough. I have a bread maker but it is easy enough to do by hand. I use about two cupfuls of flour to make a smallish loaf for two people.- Slice a pear and gently fry the slices in a frying pan with some butter and a little oil, until golden brownish on one side. When I made pear bread the first time I didn’t cook the pear first

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-61073030435573619462011-02-08T19:19:00.002+13:002011-02-08T19:23:17.987+13:00

I don’t know about the rest of the world but down here it has been 33 degrees for the last few days. That is hot even for the kiwis, let alone somebody still used to Scottish temperatures. On the plus side I can get a watermelon bigger than my head for $2.99 - perfect to cool and rehydrate my melting body.- Start by making a cardommon suger syrup. Bring to the boil 00ml of water and 200g of sugar

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-71435765090230038192011-01-01T19:24:00.003+13:002011-01-01T19:25:51.966+13:00

A new year has begun and what do I fancy to eat? - Walnuts, just walnuts. I suppose I could have just had a handful of them on their own but the children are having spaghetti and bacon and whilst gazing into the supermarket cold cabinet yesterday a sauce of cream and parmesan caught my eye . . . Being tight fisted of course I did not buy the sauce (2011 will be a frugal year as we, along with the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-656207488860607522010-12-28T18:59:00.003+13:002010-12-28T19:04:12.982+13:00

Continuing my current obsession with onions how about a sweet and interesting curry, not the usual curry flavour and probably one of the cheapest dishes out there . . .- Put some oil in a frying pan to heat on high.- Peel and slice some onions into biggish slices. You’ll need lots, for myself I used four smallish onions.- Pop the onions into the hot pan and cook stirring now and then until the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-6202449420678043922010-09-13T13:56:00.001+12:002010-09-13T13:58:59.944+12:00

Intensely savoury, dark and interesting this one, quite salty from the feta and with a depth that if you look into it for too long will show you your future . . .- Put the oven on to hot, say 200 centigrade.- Peel and slice some onions. Mine were a little bit smaller than an apple so for a pint of soup ( 2 peoples worth ) I used 5. Slice them to the size you want in the soup.- Put the onions

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-11046092723117909112010-09-02T19:14:00.003+12:002010-09-02T19:20:44.888+12:00

I had a vision. A vision of leeks slowly cooked in butter and mixed with cheese, fragrantly relaxing onto my plate like a hippy earth mother at peace with the world. So I made a pie.- Make some pastry. Take a cup of plain flour, a cup of wholemeal flour and 4 ounces of butter and a pinch of salt and rub them together with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs. Mix in a teaspoon of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-49125761805829632612010-08-25T17:24:00.004+12:002010-08-25T17:32:47.161+12:00

Vegetable boxes are great. Delivered to your door, you never quite know what will be in there until you open it, a birthday every week ! As well as the joy of finding unknown vegetables I find it also encourages me to use up what is there as well, if only to make room for the next lot. Like the big green pumpkin (well squash to be strictly correct) that has been in the larder for a week. But what

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-65255323125379880132010-08-19T19:45:00.001+12:002010-08-19T19:48:18.287+12:00

Sometimes your tastebuds need comforting, like sitting too close to the fire on a frosty day.I have a terrible habit. When I clear up after mealtimes I dispose of any leftovers. Into my mouth usually. This could be my upbringing (“think of the starving Africans”) but is more likely because I am a bit of a greedy pig. But when you have leftover bread cooked with crunchy sea salt and chilli oil,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-27264826641519868982010-08-04T18:20:00.008+12:002010-08-05T20:44:36.116+12:00

Kiwis love banana loaf. I can’t say I do - to be honest it comes a close second to pasta salad as a pointless use for leftovers. But I am not a kiwi and that many of them cannot be wrong, and . . . I quite often make a Nigel Slater recipe of bananas roasted with cardamom, sugar, butter and orange juice ( which is delicious ) and . . . I had some ripe bananas and . . . needed to make something

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-41881684918659704192010-07-15T21:26:00.003+12:002010-07-15T21:30:42.904+12:00

It is wet, wet, wet here in Hawkes Bay, it has been raining for what seems like weeks now. Cold as well or at least what we call cold here - 5 degrees C . . . a day then for sitting inside by the fire watcting the world outside with a good book to hand. And very much a day for soup. The shops here are full with huge piles of fat Kumara so what better than Kumara soup served with bright green

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-38325489026002451862010-05-02T16:39:00.000+12:002010-05-02T16:42:13.975+12:00

Wintertime is almost here and what is one of the best things about Winter? Parsnips. Yet while I love the taste, it is so distinctive that I find a whole bowlful or dish of it just too much. So here I have married together the beautiful compination of parsnips and apples whilst keeping the flavours seperate as well. And as there was a chorizo looking at me from the fridge, left over from earlier

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-35486333279159066162010-02-16T17:37:00.002+13:002010-02-16T17:42:39.075+13:00

We don’t eat a lot of fish in our house, mainly because I am the only one that relly likes it. So when we do have fish it either comes in batter from the fish and chip shop or I will spice it up a bit - there is a lovely fish curry in Appetite by Nigel Slater. Mostly though it is just me that gets a sudden craving for fishyness and so I’ll make something just for myself for lunch perhaps.This

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-70364899527585557752010-02-06T15:31:00.003+13:002010-02-06T15:33:36.125+13:00

Born and brought up as I was in the 60’s, tomato soup for me has always come from a can. And even recipes I have tried have that same thick creamyness to them. But it does not have to be. Tomatoes are after all a fruit - you can eat them raw, and it is quite easy to quickly put together a simple fresh tomato soup. Like this one . . . - Peel and chop a small onion and a clove of garlic into

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-52889548153431866102010-01-15T14:48:00.002+13:002010-01-15T18:32:11.560+13:00

Sometimes what I need is a pure and simple soup to revive the soul, and that is when I turn to an Asian style of soup. I have mentioned before that I see two different ways to make soup. One, the western way involves cooking your ingredients together slowly until deep complex flavours develop. The other, what I would call the asian way involves quickly heating stock with added flavourings and

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-42399382102816772652009-12-27T16:23:00.002+13:002009-12-27T16:36:16.904+13:00

An Autumn salad, for that is when the pears ripen. But of course nowadays we can get just about anything we like all year round and my pears came from the United States. - Start by frying some bacon slices. I had some pancetta that Nicola’s brother kindly sent us as a Christmas present but unsmoked Streaky would be nice as well.- Make a dressing. I used three tablespoons of olive oil (not extra

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-13714486171851168972009-11-29T21:00:00.000+13:002009-11-29T21:03:33.631+13:00

I struggle with Iceberg lettuce. It goes nicely with chicken or bacon, but on it’s own all there is crunch and then dissapointment. I think the problem is that I have tried to gee up the emptyness of the iceberg with strong flavours when what it needs is quiet companions that will not overpower its subtle green bitterness. And that is what I did today - kept it simple and came up with a lovely

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-56470465380664723122009-11-08T15:19:00.003+13:002009-11-08T15:26:45.935+13:00

I have never been to Morocco, and chances are I never will. To be honest it is quite far down my list of places I would like to see, and although I have eaten several dishes described as “tagine” I often doubt that they have been anywhere nearer to Morocco than I have. So the influence here is my attempt to recreate that feeling, that taste and smell I have in my head of what Morocco is all

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-322990560061561992009-10-10T17:12:00.001+13:002009-10-10T17:15:28.567+13:00

Australia has decided to send a storm across to us and as Spring has gone into hiding, I have gone back to Autumn for inspiration today. Something warm, heavy and comforting is called for and mushrooms and bacon fit the bill here for me, along with some marscapone to add a thick, creamy comfortness. Oh, and a touch of thyme as well, just to remind us that Spring will soon be back again. I used

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-22826358423983663032009-09-19T14:21:00.000+12:002009-09-19T14:24:10.104+12:00

Pretty obvious combination really - celery and walnuts and it does make a lovely mild and creamy soup. Some grated cheddar would be lovely on top but on the way to the cheese I found a jar of ploughmans pickle and so . . . - Peel and chop half an onion and a clove of garlic and pop in a saucepan with three or four chopped celery sticks and leave to cook slowly in a little olive oil for ten

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-26908026705681676592009-09-06T15:57:00.004+12:002009-09-06T16:04:17.425+12:00

It is officially Spring down here in the Southern hemisphere and here in Hawkes Bay we have had some glorious days. But it doesn’t do to get too complacent because September usually has a few surprises in store. I am prepared though with a Winter soup made with the last of the seasons Kumara (sweet potato) that I found at the farmers market. Teamed up with the lemony tang of coriander seeds it

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-55417870268202499222009-08-16T08:01:00.003+12:002009-08-16T08:18:26.248+12:00

You have been working late but have finally arrived home. Tired and hungry you gaze hopefully into the fridge, but there is nothing that interesting there . . . so what do you do?Open a tin? Of course you do, but not of some preprepared foodstuff that probably tastes like every other ready food out there. No you are a creative individual and so open a can of the best invention ever . . . tinned

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-77633541757980454992009-08-13T19:42:00.001+12:002009-08-13T19:45:35.133+12:00

Definitely a Winter soup this one. Potatoes, onion, bacon and cheese - all good things that are warming, filling and go together beautifully. Tie that all together with rosemary and saffron and you know that whilst it may be cold outside Summer will soon not be far away . . . - Pop a pan on to heat with some butter and olive oil.- Pop in half an onion, a clove of garlic (peeled and roughly

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-60860365055722619152009-08-08T16:59:00.001+12:002009-08-08T17:02:28.862+12:00

I spent today thinking of Tuscany. I am not sure if this is exactly true but I seem to remember reading that in Tuscany they use a lot of bread in cooking. The reason for this is because the powers that be at the time decided to raise some money by taxing salt. Hence to save money the Tuscans made bread without salt. But the downside of this was that the bread went stale more quickly resulting

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-85195753545063026852009-07-20T20:43:00.007+12:002009-07-23T07:44:11.446+12:00

A simple restorative soup for when you are all bunged up with flu and feeling miserable.Like me.Fry a chopped leek slowly in some butter and olive oil until soft, translucent and faintly golden brown, ten minutes at least. Add in a good handfull of rolled oats, stir about a bit and leave to cook for a few minutes. Pour in a pint and a quarter of vegetable stock and simmer gently until the oats

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-50530195524258995202009-07-12T16:12:00.001+12:002009-07-12T16:15:17.237+12:00

Another Thai inspired soup today. It wasn’t supposed to end up that way but it is wet and rainy here so I thought some ginger would help keep us warm. Then I overdid the chilli a little and so added coconut milk to cool it down a little and the whole thing headed east . . .- Simmer a small onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and a thumb sized piece of ginger root (peeled and chopped or sliced)

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-84964599897192423522009-07-05T15:55:00.000+12:002009-07-05T15:57:58.825+12:00

Chilli, ginger and lemongrass complement the lemonyness of the spinach and add a zingy background to this creamy soup. It is also a classic example of the way i make a soup from three parts, the base the thickening and the main ingredient. If you want to know more it is all explained in my book which is absolutely free and has been downloaded over 2000 times now! (If you would like a copy just

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-40890676366609769142009-07-04T09:33:00.005+12:002009-07-04T09:45:08.683+12:00

"Nowadays we are so used to getting food pre-prepared, ready to eat,that we hardly consider how it gets there.You order it over the phone or internet, or you open the tin and warm it through, or you take it out of the freezer and microwave it, and hey presto or “ding” should I say, there it is on your plate ready to eat. Even recipes are pretty foolproof, you could probably go from start to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-37366746667569154962009-06-21T17:20:00.003+12:002009-06-21T20:46:35.148+12:00

Nicola found some fennel bulbs at the farmers market and brought a couple home for me. At the same time I really enjoyed the garlic in the mushroom and garlic soup last week and so decided to combine the fennel with garlic and cream aiming for a creamy consoling soup. When cooked fennel has quite a subtle flavour so I have roasted the garlic which mellows it beautifully. You could roast the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-16037802060076111462009-06-14T21:24:00.006+12:002009-06-14T21:41:50.910+12:00

My soup making has gone off lately, nothing seems to taste right. Being bunged up with flu probably has something to do with it. So instead of making soup this weekend, my youngest and I built a small trebuchet.And then spent the afternoon throwing walnuts around the garden.Lunch was Courgette, Cumin and Chick Pea soup from the freezer.If your cooking mojo seems to have left you, don't worry,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-8874148484306544402009-06-07T21:32:00.006+12:002009-06-07T21:45:06.696+12:00

Upping the amount of garlic in the base and a pinch of nutmeg makes for a comforting and very tasty soup that might just drive away the flu that is just lingering on inside my head. The garlic is cooked slowly to bring out it’s sweetness and flavour. You could roast the garlic as well if you have the oven on anyway for something else. If this doesn’t work I’ll just have to blast it away with some

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-33835365065976190862009-06-04T20:40:00.005+12:002009-06-04T20:54:55.771+12:00

A simple plain soup for those Winter days when Summer seems a long way off.- Warm some olive oil in a pan and add half an onion and a clove of garlic or two, peeled and chopped.- Add in a small potato, peeled and chopped into chunks.- When the onion is soft and translucent add in say four handfulls of frozen peas.- Pour over a pint and a quarter of half strength vegetable stock.- Bring to a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-17723203594358140172009-05-28T14:43:00.001+12:002009-05-28T15:03:03.017+12:00

After the recent rain it is now one of those clear bright days of Autumn going into Winter. The sun is streaming through the windows and bouncing around the room with a cold intensity that a lazy Summer day could never match. Ever the perfect earth-mother, Nicola has made some stock from the remains of our Sunday roast chicken. It is absolutely delicious, fresh and clean and deserves a starring

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-18767236646101442252009-05-24T20:02:00.001+12:002009-05-24T20:06:20.454+12:00

It is wet and very wild here this weekend. Not the sort of weather you want to be out in. Not unless you have something warm and filling to come back to. Like a broth made with barley and dried peas. I was brought up on Scotch broth that my mum would make in the pressure cooker with a small bit of lamb flank or neck. It was fatty, glutinous and tasted delicious on a bitterly cold day. But down

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-18059156336610326822009-05-10T21:43:00.002+12:002009-05-10T21:47:08.090+12:00

Every now and then I get the urge to make some particular thing. Today it was something pure, delicate and white. A brief look in the pantry and fridge revealed a small collection of white things - a tin of cannellini beans, some ground almonds, celery, garlic and white onions. Oh, and some white bread. And the result? A white bean and celery soup. I did not use everything I had found and the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-5425720353150370942009-05-04T16:41:00.000+12:002010-08-05T16:49:56.382+12:00

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-69319643343294914842009-05-03T18:12:00.003+12:002009-05-03T18:21:05.611+12:00

Always the bridesmaid, potato rarely gets the starring role in a soup. This is a bit unfair because it has a lovely texture, smooth and creamy with a stickiness about it that is as comforting as porridge is on a cold day. And a potato is a true friend as well, no matter what dire straights I have found myself in there has always been a potato or two in the larder somewhere to make sure I am fed.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-77506335156967607602009-04-26T08:40:00.004+12:002009-04-26T08:58:01.021+12:00

This is and old recipe of mine, from the days when I was realising that what I ate didn't have to come from a tin or packet but could be made from real things that were actually growing all around me! In this particular case it was the discovery of fresh herbs. The joy I got then of going out to the garden, picking a bunch of leaves and dropping them into my soup has never left me. French

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-35161097558368549562009-04-18T17:58:00.005+12:002009-04-19T12:16:09.415+12:00

Nothing new or startlingly different from me here, just a mildly spiced creamy soup. And you know, amidst the hectic bustle and stress of the modern grown up world don't we all need a little comforting familiarity sometimes. Like returning home after a journey this is the type of soup that I look for when it all gets too much out there . . . - Peel and chop an onion, a clove of garlic and a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-5522649755541854582009-04-12T18:16:00.003+12:002009-04-13T19:32:36.176+12:00

Recipes evolve in strange ways. This soup started as an idea - Leek and Coriander soup. Coriander seeds that is not the green stuff that has all died away now anyway. These two make a beautifull combination especially in a pie with halved or quartered boiled eggs popped in. And as I was stirring the base of leeks, onion and celery whilst they cooked I kept smelling the strangest thing - coconut,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-77770723020856132142009-04-05T21:28:00.002+12:002009-04-13T21:30:43.964+12:00

Intense earthy flavours for Autumn here. This is a time of the woodlands and fields, of rich earthy smells and sight of your misty breath coiling away into the chill air. It is a time time for slow cooking, for deep complex flavours that echo the world outside and fill the house with enticing smells. You cannot get much more earthy than beetroot of course and paired with cumin forms a sublime

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-64884483604162476062009-03-28T16:26:00.003+13:002009-03-29T16:24:08.752+13:00

Broccoli is now available pretty much all year round, which is a shame I think because it's time is Autumn. When it is getting cooler and your body starts looking for heavier more filling but at the same time nutritious food - Broccoli shines in my opinion and if we were not all so bored of seeing it every week for the rest of the year it would be celebrated much more.- For Autumn soups I like a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-87766720110372240402009-03-12T21:00:00.003+13:002009-03-12T21:11:21.981+13:00

Autumn is officially here in the southern hemisphere so what better way to celebrate than with a soup that includes a real autumn ingredient - nuts. Walnuts in this case. Nuts add texture and flavour and of course don't require cooking, just grinding up and softening a little by soaking in some stock - lovely!- Slowly fry a small onion (peeled and roughly chopped) in some olive oil and a piece of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-68056640253164511152009-03-08T20:52:00.005+13:002009-04-19T19:07:37.959+12:00

My friend Linda (The Souper) has sent me her own special soup recipe for a roasted vegetable soup. So I made some today and I must say she has managed what I have never been able to do, make a mixed vegetable soup and get all the different flavours to balance. Basically you roast all your veg. then blend them with stock and add some spices as you reheat it. I particularly liked the fun and

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-13050043792286047132009-03-05T21:17:00.004+13:002009-03-05T21:28:39.826+13:00

Sometimes when your wife has been ill for over a week with a stomach bug and is now bunged up with flu and rather grumpy, it's best to do what she says. And so when she said leek pie instead of the suggested pumpkin and bacon thats what I made. Luckily leek and bacon is my favourite pie . . . .First make some pastry. I use two cups of plain flour to 4 ounces of butter, salt and a couple of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-48630459465115738742009-03-01T19:16:00.003+13:002009-03-01T21:38:29.511+13:00

It is late in the evening. You have just returned from a few days away, been picked up at the airport and have not had time for anything to eat on the way. So what is it you want? Well something easy and quick of course, but if you are anything like me, after a few restaurant meals what you really crave is some comforting home cooking. Such a thing happened to Nicola recently on her return from

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-23300764652794283332009-02-22T16:13:00.008+13:002009-02-22T19:33:39.415+13:00

Is it cold where you are? Here is a plain soup with the comforting warmth that only ginger can give and with a kick as well caused by adding just a little too much chilli . . .- The base begins with an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or squashed and left cooking slowly in some olive oil.- Grate a thumb sized piece of ginger root and add to the onion along with half a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-90100411327946365772009-02-19T20:31:00.003+13:002009-02-20T07:18:45.032+13:00

I have grown up not liking beetroot. To me it was always something that came in a jar tasting of vinegar and earth. And then one day I had it roasted, in a salad I should think, and everything changed . . . . - First roast your beetroots, I like to speed things up by boling them first, so scrub a couple and pop them in a pan of cold water.- Bring to the boil and boil for fifteen minutes or so

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-91747802342001870462009-02-15T15:40:00.004+13:002009-02-15T15:49:40.306+13:00

Bread of course, is the ideal accompaniment to any soup. There is a lot of mysticism attached to bread making, but a simple flat loaf is fairly straightforward to make. A couple of ingredients will make the result more predictable. Firstly, use a strong or breadmaking flour. This has more gluten and makes a more springy dough, so trapping more bubbles and giving a lighter loaf. Secondly use a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-13770051258467030952009-02-06T15:21:00.009+13:002009-02-06T20:51:08.944+13:00

I love cookery books but they also frustrate me. Being a visual person the pictures always catch my eye first and draw me in, but then the words often disappoint. Sometimes all you want to do is look up a quick recipe and get on with making it and there are books for that but I want more. I want a book I can lie in bed and read. I want to know who wrote the book, why they cooked this or that and

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-51625676904800991712009-01-25T09:29:00.002+13:002009-01-25T09:34:28.939+13:00

Mid summer and the courgettes are growing like magic beans. I like courgettes but they are very plain and I tend to mix them with other flavours - roast tomatoes, onions, and brie all go well but one of my especial favourites is cumin. And if I am going down the middle eastern or indian flavour route then chick peas are a great choice because cumin also goes with most types of beans as well. I

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-4698496352857635832009-01-23T21:36:00.002+13:002009-01-23T21:42:52.741+13:00

My favourite foods all seem to be white.Rice, pasta, bread, couscous, noodles. I can happily eat a bowl of any of them on their own with nothing but some salt and pepper. Seeing as the oven was already on, lunch today was left over rice heated with some butter.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-84377388855675843132009-01-18T16:41:00.002+13:002009-01-18T16:47:27.535+13:00

A pure soup for when you need clarity in your life.This soup uses a base prepared first and then used to cook the additional flavourings so you could easily prepare a large batch of the base and freeze some to use later.- Peel and roughly chop up half an onion and peel a clove of garlic.- Pop in a pan with some oil and cook gently until the onion is soft and translucently honey coloured.- Add in

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-21808366648811335472009-01-16T20:27:00.006+13:002009-01-19T07:35:14.083+13:00

I don't know about you but in the heat of Summer my thoughts constantly turn towards strong flavours. For dinner tonight I made a punchy combination of chorizo, courgette, and apple all fried with some garlic and a sprig of rosemary, and then served with spaghetti, a salad of lettuce and spring onions and lots of salty pecorino cheese. For lunch we had a sweet potato and red (bell) pepper soup

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-38183501773804164202009-01-08T15:09:00.003+13:002009-01-16T09:19:57.243+13:00

Thursday 2.37pmIt is bitterly cold and dark - the middle of Winter. Christmas and New Year have been celebrated and now it is that dead period of the year, January/February, when there is nothing happening and nothing to look forward to. Or at least what there is to look forward to seems a long, long way off. You need something to cheer you up, something interesting to eat but your body does not

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-68866410982623044672009-01-06T21:19:00.007+13:002009-01-06T21:31:03.443+13:00

And talking about Jamie Oliver and "passing it on", over 700 people have now downloaded a copy of my book since I put the full version on scribd just 17 days ago.Pretty amazing really and quite a lot of soup!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-88405371477273739502009-01-04T10:20:00.004+13:002009-01-04T10:42:56.090+13:00

Sunday 10.21amAfter a day at the beach I arrived home with something completely new to me - a bag of shellfish. They were Tuatua, a type of small clam and it seems that collecting them is a bit of a tradition amongst kiwis, both Maori and Pakeha. But how to cook them? I have never cooked shellfish before and I suspected that my scottish upbringing was not going to help here - you cannot really

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-91821718807624082182008-12-28T15:39:00.001+13:002008-12-28T15:42:33.573+13:00

Sunday 1.20pmI love carrots, I always have. They are so easy going and adaptable. Put them with just about any other other ingredient to make all sorts of dishes from salads and soups (of course) to a pudding. And they are available all year round, in our house even if the fridge is pretty well bare there is usually a carrot in there somewhere. But more than anything else I think it is the colour

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-57194899012149076122008-12-21T20:00:00.006+13:002008-12-21T20:50:08.971+13:00

Sunday 7.42pmThe month before Christmas is cherry season here in Hawkes Bay. Usually quite short, this year there seem to be lots of cherries about and with temperatures reaching 30 degrees centigrade lately it is definitely salad weather.This simple salad is a combination of sweet cherries, dry cheese and soft bitter leaves such as mizuna, rocket, watercress and radicchio. I of course used a bag

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-22789230065564377092008-12-18T16:51:00.004+13:002008-12-20T09:04:31.690+13:00

Thursday 4.32pmA lovely carrot soup with an asian influence.- Gently saute in some peanut oil, - a chopped onion, clove of garlic, and piece of grated ginger root ( a couple of teaspoonfulls. - I grate it because I keep the root in the freezer and it is easy just to finely grate it from frozen )- Once the onion is translucent add in two or three big carrot peeled and chopped into chunks.- Pour

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-15348950827655561472008-12-14T17:43:00.004+13:002008-12-14T22:29:49.279+13:00

Sunday 5.30pmIt may be winter in most of the populated world, but here in the southern hemisphere it is 20 degrees centigrade, bright sunshine and now after a week of showers the courgettes are growing abundently huge in the garden. So I make no apologies this, a light summery soup that would be great served chilled. Courgettes, lemon and thyme three things made for each other.- Start with a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-12326981697455117142008-12-06T13:55:00.005+13:002008-12-06T14:06:50.407+13:00

Saturday 1.52pmWell actually I do not know because I have never made one before, but having been asked to provide one for a barbecue I had to have a go. Usually you would look up a few recipes, pick the nicest sounding ones and try them out first but it was the day of the barbecue by now and time was of the essence so I picked one of my favourite rice dishes ( a quick carrot and nut pilaff ) that

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-74060547628649661312008-11-23T10:17:00.002+13:002008-11-23T12:55:02.030+13:00

Sunday 10.03amSometimes all you need is one ingredient, cooked and served simply to allow all the nuances of the flavour to come through. Especially if you have spent the day over indulging on alcohol and snack food at a Christmas outing.For me mushrooms does the trick. Any sort will do, sliced and fried in a little oil and butter until they just turn golden at the edges without being too soft.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-55149806116220619362008-11-15T15:39:00.003+13:002008-11-15T15:44:12.575+13:00

Saturday 3.05pmThe broad beans are here still going strong, so how about a broad bean soup? Broad beans often have quite a floury texture when cooked and so do sweet potatoes so I have put them together in this mildly spiced soup.- Put some olive oil on to heat gently and add in an onion, a clove of garlic and a piece of ginger root about the size of your thumb. All peeled and chopped as

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-76152440113672978862008-11-12T20:47:00.003+13:002008-11-23T21:33:29.655+13:00

Friday 10.02amMinestrone On the way back from The Round Pond yesterday we stopped to buy some strawberries and also some broad beans. the first beans to ripen in the year, you just know that Spring has properly arrived when they appear in the shops. And they are so pretty, encased as they are in their thick foamlike pods like the most precious and valuable jewellery. We were not quite sure what

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-66856072842014207152008-11-08T14:09:00.006+13:002008-11-08T16:25:07.452+13:00

Saturday 11.05amMuffins seem to have been the thing for the last few years, but having been brought up in Scotland what I like to make are scones. They are just as easy to make, can be sweet or savoury and if you started right now you could be eating warm scones in less than half an hour.How? Well put 8oz of self raising flour in a mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt and 2oz of butter or

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-45195438800728732132008-11-07T09:58:00.005+13:002008-11-07T10:41:32.987+13:00

Sunday 5.53pmFeeling out of sorts today and not keen to do anything, even cook which is unlike me. So lunch is some spiced pumpkin soup from the freezer along with some crunchy fresh chives from the garden and some undemanding reading.I freeze all my leftover soup in big yogurt pots, usually in two person servings so it is easy to defrost something quickly for lunch or whatever. It is also an

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-74668919829714523542008-10-26T21:29:00.005+13:002008-10-26T21:41:47.331+13:00

Sunday 8.48pmThe wind has turned southerly here and it cold, showery and blustery. Just the weather for a . . . . chilled soup. Well not actually but it was lovely and warm yesterday when the idea got stuck in my head so I'm making it anyway. I saw the recipe in a magazine a few weeks ago but cannot remember any of it except that the base was leeks and a potato (I think). The main ingredient is

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-38306320162615104382008-10-24T07:44:00.005+13:002008-10-24T08:05:44.233+13:00

Thursday 8.22amHave you ever watched a cat in a new home or a kitten venturing out for the first time? There will always be one that heads straight out of the door and disappears but most will explore their immediate surroundings thoroughly before venturing further. And when doing this they will constantly return to touch base, exploring it once more to refamiliarise themselves before

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-87721656651848071752008-10-17T22:36:00.005+13:002008-10-17T22:45:38.671+13:00

Friday 10.12pm Another simple soup, quite plain with the main ingredients grated for a crunchier texture.- Peel and chop an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic along with a chopped slice of bacon ( unless you are vegetarian, in which case leave out the bacon)- Fry them gently in a little olive oil and a quarter inch slice of butter - Meanwhile peel and grate 3 carrots and two potatoes- Put

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-64852518629407830042008-10-14T20:01:00.005+13:002008-10-14T20:10:53.989+13:00

Tuesday 7.28pmBack online again, and back with one of my favourite ingredients - mushrooms. As I have mentioned before Nicola does not eat the stalks of mushrooms, so I am occasionaly left with small boxes of them in the fridge. Using up left overs is a big driving force behind my cookery style, a leftover from my upbringing I think (think of the starving Africans!). So faced with mushroom stalks

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-55640814101768776662008-10-04T14:07:00.003+13:002008-10-04T19:16:09.400+13:00

Unfortunately, because of this . . . . .My computer has died . . . .In the meantime I shall console myself with "an earthy meal-in-a-bowl type soup" from here

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-81482771993419950302008-09-28T16:48:00.000+13:002008-09-28T22:14:22.681+13:00

Sunday 4.45pmWhile waiting for Nicola to shop recently, I went to a cafe with my youngest so that he could have hot chocolate and chocolate cake (yes I know, but it was my day off from dentistry and anyway, chocolate is good for you). On the menu was a thai spiced pumpkin soup which sounded nice, but when I had some was a bit of a disappointment. It was firey a bit coconutty, but that was it

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-80297340325126947162008-09-21T21:30:00.000+12:002008-09-21T21:38:00.264+12:00

Sunday 8.59pmInspired I think by our new rustic wall cabinet I decided to make a more down to earth simple soup. This was the result. Now with only a few ingredients the quality of the stock will be important, so here is where a home made stock really comes into it's own. Vegetable or chicken would work fine, I used chicken made from the roast chicken carcass that the chicken for the soup came

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-67067201876689832322008-09-20T21:15:00.000+12:002008-09-20T21:45:28.108+12:00

Saturday 7.56pmSitting as I am on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, it shouldn't be a surprise really, but people in New Zealand love sushi. They eat it just as I would a bag of chips from a fish and chip shop. That is chips as in french fries not what I would call crisps or chippies here. Here sushi bars are everywhere but in Edinburgh I only remember one, on Rose street I think, and mesmerised as

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-27329100597130363442008-09-13T20:53:00.000+12:002008-09-13T21:00:39.389+12:00

Saturday 8.20pmMention onion soup and French onion soup is what immediately springs to mind. Made with beef stock, wine and onions, and served with cheese on toast, it is a perfect winter soup. But I didnt want that. No, I wanted something a bit lighter, so this is my version - an onion soup but definetely not French.- Three big onions are peeled and chopped into your favourite shape. I like to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-45609561771883185852008-09-12T22:22:00.000+12:002008-09-12T22:40:28.055+12:00

Friday 6.22pmNicola has tagged me with this meme - "The tree of happiness" I have to list six things that make me happy. She has also stipulated that they have to be food inspired. So, in no particular order they are . . . . 1. Soup. Obviously. I liken it to painting, sketching really, with flavours.2. Traditional cooking, old fasioned recipes that make the most of what you have, especially if

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-42600375369587028202008-09-07T08:30:00.000+12:002008-09-07T09:50:28.053+12:00

Sunday 7amSpring has just begun here in New Zealand, traditionally the time to be eating over wintered root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, and leeks. In the UK supermarkets have killed seasonal eating of course with green beans flown in from Kenya and so on, but here in NZ, miles from anywhere food is still quite seasonal. I like that. My body does too and I find I crave diferent things at

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-34514334818799871502008-09-01T22:07:00.000+12:002008-09-01T22:16:28.972+12:00

Sunday 8.30amThis is a soup that I have been thinking of for a long time but for some reason have never got round to making. Shame really because it is quite delicious. Walnuts can be quite strongly flavoured but when cooked on top of bread are much milder, so I have roasted them this way first for my soup. - Put the oven on to heat, say 190 centigrade.If you are making bread as well you'll

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-18796114029865559252008-08-31T16:41:00.005+12:002010-08-05T17:39:52.616+12:00

Welcome, my name is Peter Coulter and as you have no doubt realised I write about food, soup mostly. My credentials for doing this? Well I am not a renowned food critic. I have never run my own restaurant or been food writer for Vogue. But I do like to eat. And because I eat I also cook. You can often find me cooking for an ordinary family of five in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.Oh, and whilst cooking

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-49835550150918440492008-08-31T10:25:00.006+12:002009-03-26T18:55:35.231+13:00

Sunday 7.42amWhen I'm bored I make soup - the bookThere are two main themes that run through my life. One is simplicity, the second is an intense curiosity. About everything.Having got to here you probably share this curiosity, so let me explain further. Like most people I like to eat, and because I like to eat I also like to cook. Now I learnt to cook the usual amateur way, from my mother when

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-2821402729292315772008-08-30T22:27:00.000+12:002008-08-31T09:40:05.380+12:00

Friday 10.00pmThe last post is from the inside front cover of my book and explains my love of soup. But there is more to it than that . . . So you want to make something to eat. You're standing there knife in hand, gazing thoughtfully at your chopping board and a pile of interesting vegetables and anything else you might have found in the fridge. What are you going to do? Well you could make

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4179841338235434800.post-3736367184470130792008-08-28T21:21:00.000+12:002008-08-28T21:29:16.022+12:00

Thursday 9.19pmSoup is surely the ultimate food. From the poorest of the poor standing in the street beside a soup kitchen to the richest of the rich at a posh dinner party, we can all eat soup. Be it a hot Mediterranean summers day or a cold wet Scottish autumn one there is a soup that is just right. It will match your mood – from comforting and warm to spicy and exotic, full of unknown promise

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164072459313479734noreply@blogger.com3