• About

diaryofagreedygirl

~ Just another WordPress.com site

diaryofagreedygirl

Monthly Archives: April 2012

Rosy apple cake truffles

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

apples, cake bites, cake pops, cake truffles, Diary of a Greedy Girl, egg carton, gifts, lustre dust, mint leaves, pretty, rosy apple, rosy apples, white chocolate

2nd November 2011

Image

Rosy apple cake truffles as a thank you gift for our cider-making hosts.

Truffles are made with chocolate chip loaf cake, dipped in coloured white chocolate, then decorated with apple stalks and mint leaves. Bottoms are trimmed with a scalpel and polished with gold lustre dust.

Experimenting with loaf cake was fine but not as smooth a texture as a chocolate sponge (slightly grittier).

I also think it’s time to invest in proper chocolate colourings since the white chocolate kept seizing. Still happy with them though.as they’re mighty pretty!

Image

Above: The apples/cakes all packaged up and ready for their journey to Somerset.

I can’t stop using egg boxes as packaging, they kept the cake truffles safe throughout hours on the train and they just look so lovely and rustic. Mint leaves needed replacing (as you can see here) but that was no biggie. For longer periods of time perhaps I could make coloured chocolate leaves or candy them. Hmm…

Advertisement

Happy Halloween!

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Diary of a Greedy Girl, halloween pumpkin, house number, seasonal

2nd November 2011

Image

A quick photo whilst I wait for the kettle to boil…
This year’s Halloween pumpkin. A bit of a cop out in the scary stakes, I know, but with house viewings very appropriate (and much more grown up, I think).

An ice-cream at the seaside

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

clotted cream, devonshire fudge, ice-cream, lyme regis, seaside, the cobb

1st November 2011

Image

Clotted cream ice-cream with a Devonshire fudge stick -local loveliness by the Cobb, Lyme Regis. 
Best eaten on a wet and windy day by the sea, as illustrated here!

Cider pressing and a trip to the seaside!

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

british seaside, cider making, crewkerne, Diary of a Greedy Girl, fresh fish, hix oyster and fish house, lyme regis, mark hix, seafood platter, the cobb, the harbour inn, zider

1st November

Image

A seafood platter overlooking the sea at the Harbour Inn in Lyme Regis on Sunday.

Last weekend was one of those that the British autumn was made for. 
My friend, Andrew MacDonald, invited a large group of us down to his house near Crewkerne, Somerset for the weekend to help him press his orchard apples for cider. So on Saturday, armed with wellies and waterproofs we all left the noise of London for the joys of the country. Hosted by Andy’s lovely mother (in the most beautiful home you might imagine), we were treated to two days of excellent food and drink as well as chocolate-box views and smashing company. Picking, washing, smashing, pressing and bottling the MacDonald family’s apples was followed by a Saturday night supper of cider-roasted pork stuffed with figs and Caerphilly cheese stuffing. Dessert was a ‘Maman-Blanc’ style apple and custard tart served with homemade gooseberry ice-cream. Not to mention lunch, breakfast, the veg and Bex Macdonald’s amazing blackberry jam, this weekend was a foodie heaven.
(More about the cider making later)

On the Sunday we all squeezed into the cars and drove for 30 mins to Lyme Regis. Lyme is one if my favourite places in the UK, if you can prize me away from the sea view then I’ll almost certainly be diving headfirst into one of the rock shops or the fishmongers, lost for hours and never to be found.
After much wandering and debating we ended up at the Harbour Inn, a popular but not inexpensive bar/restaurant with a seating area on the beach itself. For the prices I would expect no less, but I have not yet had a bad meal here, and this platter was no exception. Not to be fobbed off with a few defrosted prawns and some mediocre salmon, this was the most varied version I’ve had so far. You could tell that the fish was fresh and local. It included:
•Potted prawns
•Fresh mackerel pate
•Pickled seafood salad
•Rollmops
•Marinated anchovies
•Smoked salmon
•A huge mound of freshly picked crab.
Plus all the usual accompaniments, bread, salad, coleslaw etc.
The Boy had a huge bowl of mussels that were also good. Our friends mainly had fish and chips which I cannot comment on (although at twice the price of the nearby chippies I hope it was good). Washed down with a pint of local cloudy cider in the salty October sunshine, this greedy girl was in her element!

A little hindsight now has reminded me that Mark Hix has recently opened a restaurant in the Lyme area, Hix Oyster & Fish House. Given my never-ending appetite for seafood and Hix’s reputation for food provenance I would have jumped at the chance to sample the menu. Which is probably why it’s a good thing we missed it otherwise we’d all be going home with full bellies and empty, grumpy wallets! With the upmarket Rumours, the traditional fish bars and the Devon tea rooms, you really are spoilt for choice here.

 

Below: Apple pressing in Andy’s garden. Photo lovingly pinched from Miss Lizzie Gardner

Image

If cupcakes weren’t already girly enough…

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

buttercream, cupcakes, floral, freeze-dried raspberry, girly, rose water, roses

23rd October 2011

Image

Today’s baking spree #2…

Rose water cupcakes with freeze-dried raspberry buttercream. Super-girliness!

The last Pimms before winter!

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

blackberry buttercream, cupcakes, pimms

23rd October 2011

Image

Had a bit of a baking spree today…

Pimms flavoured cupcakes with Pimms and fresh blackberry buttercream.

Welsh rarebit beefburgers

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beefburgers, griddle, simple suppers, sunday, welsh rarebit

23rd October 2011

Image

Simple Sunday supper -Welsh rarebit beefburgers.

To make, flavour beef mince with rarebit seasonings (Worcester sauce, mustard, cayenne pepper, splash of Guinness/cider etc). Mix in salt, pepper and egg. Shape into patties around a small slice or lump of good mature cheddar. Cook and serve with the whatever takes your fancy (inc the rest of the cider/Guinness)

*Apologies for the quality of the picture, my iPhone camera never recovered from it’s little swim in a pint glass!

Secretts Farm Shop

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aladdins cave, heritage, local produce, milford, secretts, secretts farm shop, surrey

22nd October 2011

Image

I was ushered into this place as we passed it today by my grandmother. What an incredible surprise (I’m trying hard not to make a bad joke about it being a Secrett gem…)!
Not only does it sell squeakily fresh farm produce, it’s also packed to the rafters (literally) with really interesting speciality produce. I can honestly say that the variety and quality easily rivals Harrods food halls and even the best supermarkets. It’s an overused phrase but this really is the epitome of foodie heaven. If you like your food and hapen to be in the area don’t pass this place by!
www.secretts.co.uk
 
 
A few more additional points:
1. The Boy and I often bemoan the fact that you can’t buy anything from a farm shop for under £3. This place bucks the trend and is remarkably cheap in comparison to Windsor Farm Shop/Newlyns.

2. I managed to buy 3 different sizes of silver balls from their pick n’mix cake decorating section. Even in Squire’s Kitchen I only found two sizes.

3. It’s also worth checking out the PYO, the veg boxes for delivery and the tea rooms. There’s also been a garden centre/farm on the site for over 100 years. It’s great to see a traditional family business diversifying to keep up with the modern market.

 

Chinese steamboat -super social eating

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chinese steamboat, friends, hot pot, sharing, social meals

22nd October 2011

Image

A Chinese steamboat (or hot pot), courtesy of my fab friend Michelle Daley’s lovely mother, Janet.

A steamboat is a sort of Asian fondue-stew, with similar ingredients to a Japanese ramen. It’s a fantastically social meal where meats, vegetables, fish, dumplings and noodles are all simmered in a communal pot of stock on the table. The various bits are fished out and eaten with or before the broth they’ve been cooked in, often with some yummy dipping sauces.

This was my first steamboat and I was crazily eager to try it. I was not disappointed. Healthy, delicious and super-social, it was great fun. Thanks Janet!

 

My first taste of Korea

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Katie T in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bibimbap, bibimbap soho, greek street, korean cuisine, leftovers, time out

20th October 2011

Image

Korean Bibimbap – This week’s new food-to-try

Wikipedia says:
‘Bibimbap… is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means “mixed meal.” Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot.’

As you can see from my photo, it’s not the most glamorous of dishes but super tasty and healthy (a rare combination!). Also a great way to use up leftover ingredients. 

If you want to try this but don’t want to make it yourself try visiting Bibimbap on Greek Street in London’s Soho. It’s an inexpensive, casual restaurant with a huge following. Time Out has listed it as one of the best ‘cheap eats’ in the area. and I have it on good authority that it’s good quality grub (just don’t expect fine dining)
http://bibimbapsoho.com/

← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • A photo journey from Fort William to Skye…. Inverlochy Castle, the Commando Memorial & some characterful wildlife
  • Rosy apple cake truffles
  • Happy Halloween!
  • An ice-cream at the seaside
  • Cider pressing and a trip to the seaside!

Archives

  • February 2015
  • April 2012
  • March 2012

Categories

  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • diaryofagreedygirl
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • diaryofagreedygirl
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar