I'm a secret lemonade maker..

This is such a simple recipe... lemons, sugar, sparkling water.  Quantities vary (which makes it fun) and it tastes SOOO much better than your average shop bought stuff.  All it takes is just a little time and prep.

I say it's a recipe its more an explanation as there are no clear quantities given but stick with it :)

The Ladywell Tart

What's a Ladywell tart?  A Bakewell tart made with rhubarb instead of raspberries.  What's a Bakewell tart?  For those who don't reside in the UK a Bakewell tart is a sweet shortcrust pastry base with cooked down raspberries (raspberry jam) topped with a frangipane (a sort of cake mix made with almonds).  There is the Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding.  Is there a difference?  Yes, a tart is made with a short crust pastry topped with an almond sponge mix and pudding made with a flaky pastry topped with an egg and almond paste.  Both contain raspberry jam.  Oh the stuff you see with a fondant on top.. most people would not consider it a true Bakewell anything.  I say "meh".

So I am making a Ladywell tart (I made up the name, but it is a place not too far from where I live), and I will be going through all the steps and giving you the final verdict.  There will be a separate comparison on a different page.  Is this something that could be easily bought out?  Or is it an exercise of ease itself?

Two sides to every tail

After my rather (but hopefully not too preachy) rant in " Pig of an issue", I came across this article and made my heart sing!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22014346

This is a UK initiative (very early days) of 100 farms that are attached to their local primary schools.  The aim, to educate children about where their food comes from, what it takes to rear animals and what happens to them afterwards.

As it was reading the article, I was thinking to myself....this is what I want to see!  Kids, from a young age, are learning where meat comes from and what veg looks like.  They are encouraged  to eat peas straight from the pod, muck out and feed the animals, and, while they probably don’t go to the abattoir, help to sell their products back to the community.

World baking day 19th May 2013

This date nearly slipped me by, given the embargo on cookery channels when my beloved it at home.  Well I  caught an add a couple of days ago but did nothing about it.  I had even gone on Twitter the Saturday before, saying "do I or don't I bake" - at that time I had decided not to bake.  But I was going to make curd and said as much (again on Twitter), I used the hash tag World baking day.  In a stalkerishly short amount of time I had a Twitter from World baking day stating I had the bake brave spirit - dare I take the ultimate challenge.

Rhubarb curd recipe

Well after my first attempt last week I was not going to be beaten with a rhubarb curd.

I did a little thinking and changing of quantities, and I think I have created a nice little recipe to share with you all!

Curds and whoa!

News flash - first attempt at rhubarb curd as failed dismally, I mean it didn't go wrong.  But it tasted too sweet, it was the wrong colour and there was too much scrambled egg at the bottom.

I have made curds before, lemon, and lime - both worked beautifully, the only thing I would say is I could have made them more tart.  I love that sharp mouth watering, mouth pucking feeling you get when eating a small spoonful of lemon or lime curd.  Creamy, buttery, sharp, fresh.... I could go on!  So I got to thinking about what else would work as a curd.  It would need to be full of sharp vitamin c taste, so that opened up a world of grapefruit, passion fruit, even pineapple (but would need to work on that last one a bit, pineapple  can be temperamental.  Not to mention, rhubarb.  That tart, pretty pink and green vegetable that would strike fear into heart of any child at lunchtime.

But we have grown up and our tastes have changed and it's time to give rhubarb a chance.

Tinned tomatoes

Well now, I feel its time to get another comparison on this blog, and I want to go with a good staple food.  Tinned tomatoes.  These babies can make an amazing yet simple sauce *see the cupboard love series* but they can either cost the earth or cost peanuts.  Is it really necessary to pay nearly a pound ($1 something) for one tin?  Is there really difference in taste and quality in the cheaper "no fills" version.  Join me on this little adventure - personally I don't know if there will be a discernible difference, I reckon there will be more water in the no frills one but essentially the same.  But we shall see :)