Bish bash bosh squash

It's cooler weather and time to hunker down with some comfort food. This is where the seasonal pumpkin or squash comes into its own as variety really is the spice of life. There are many to choose from and they can be used in a myriad of ways.

The first recipe I'm going to share is for a savoury dish.

Squash and Spinach Orzo

1 Butternut squash
250g Cherry or baby plum tomatoes
Large pinch of dried thyme
200ml Vegetable stock
360g Orzo
Splash of white wine vinegar
Large pinch of chilli flakes
Bag of baby spinach leaves
150g Creme fraiche
Parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese)
Chives

Put the chopped squash and tomatoes in a shallow tin and roast in the oven with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, dried thyme and oil and roast for 20 mins.
Cook the orzo in the stock as per the packet instructions. Drain, reserving the cooking water.
Heat the white wine vinegar, chilli flakes and drained orzo gently for a minute then add the reserved stock and spinach until wilted.
Stir in the creme fraiche and keep stirring for 2-3 mins and gently heat through.
Either fold in the roasted vegetables, snipped chives and grated cheese or serve separately. Season to taste.
Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with more chives, cheese and chilli flakes if desired.

Awesome Autumn

Autumn, or Fall, is meant to symbolise the end, the decline, the decay. It is a time to gather in the harvest of summer and preserve and store edibles for the winter ahead.

For me it is a time of beginnings too. It's that "back to school" feeling we all remember. The mornings are cooler with a low golden light breaking through the fine mist. Spider webs can be seen in all their intricate glory as their creators search for food and begin to invade our homes. The leaves are turning and detaching themselves from the trees as conkers come crashing down to the delight of children (and squirrels.)

The hedgerows are jewel studded with rose hips, blackberries, elderberries and sloes. Go nuts collecting walnuts, sweet chestnuts, hazelnuts and beech nuts. Autumn is a great time for foraging if you know what you're looking for. It is time to be the Hunter Gatherer.

Whilst sad to bid farewell to summer, the Autumn months offer celebrations to anticipate. Harvest Festival is a time to reap the rewards of your hard work and draw in your bounty of produce. Halloween is a great excuse to host an All Hallows' Feast followed by Bonfire Night and Thanksgiving. 

These months offer the chance to eat warm, comforting foods. Think earthy mushroom gnocchi and risotto, hearty pumpkin soup, fiery vegetable curries and chillis and indulgent Sunday dinners. For extra comfort go for steamed sponges and fruity crumbles and pies served with creamy custard.

Kraków

Just spent a long weekend in Kraków, Poland, a rejuvenated city full of beautiful squares, interesting back-streets and a whole lot of fascinating history.

The food was, on the whole, better than expected. If you want traditional fare, try the beetroot soup followed by pierogi ruskie (dumplings filled with cheese). These looked a little anaemic but were quite tasty.

One night I was given roast vegetables served with black rice which wasn't great and I did succumb to breaded Camembert one night and a pizza another.

Hamsa was a great find; an Israeli restaurant in a courtyard with the quote "Make Hummus Not War".  It was lovely to find this quiet oasis in the Jewish Quarter, something that would have been hard to imagine 75 years ago. Here we enjoyed a selection of dips, falafel, cheese, grains and olives served with pitta bread followed by Shakshuka (eggs baked in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce).

After a visit to Auschwitz we all felt in need of something to lift our spirits and found a wonderful cake and coffee stop, Ciastkarnia, supported by tourists and locals alike.

The word on the street is to try the food on the street. Cheap and tasty zapiekanka is an open crispy toasted bagel with melted cheese and mushrooms traditionally although other toppings are available.

Many tourists go to drink in Kraków and vodka, invented in Poland, flows freely. There are hundreds of flavours to choose from. "Nostrovia!"

My Big Fat Greek ... Holiday

Holidaying in Mykonos, Greece, I have probably eaten feta each and every day. Feta is a brined curd white cheese made from sheep's/sheep and goat's milk. It has a crumbly texture and salty taste.

My go-to light lunch was a Greek salad made with feta, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, olives and peppers, dressed with a little olive oil and some dried oregano.

For dinner, I might have a "pie" of feta and honey wrapped in a filo pastry and served with salad. 

I also enjoyed toasted feta, fried feta and baked feta which I had never tried before. Accompaniments may be honey & sesame seeds or tomatoes, peppers, oregano, chilli and paprika.

On the menu feta was also used on pizzas and as a stuffing in aubergines, tomatoes and peppers.

Meat-eating friends quite often ate souvlaki (meat on a skewer served in a pitta). In one restaurant I was pleased to see they had a vegetarian version. I ordered veggie souvlaki and chips, only to find the  main component of the souvlaki was chips! Haha! It was basically a chip and coleslaw butty! 

I had some good meals though. Delicious pastas and pizzas. Ranked top was JackieO' restaurant who did an east meets west aubergine dish, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious.

Planet Potential

This week marks the 93rd birthday of global treasure, broadcaster and natural historian, David Attenborough. He has brought wildlife and plant life to our screens for many decades and his most recent Netflix series, Our Planet, is both fascinating and frightening. When Sir stands in front of us and declares that we have only a matter of years left to protect and save our world, we had better pay attention.

Series producer Keith Scholey tells us that the next 20 years are critical and that it's not just about saving our wildlife, it's about saving ourselves.

At the same time Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg has told MPs that her future has been "stolen" and has rallied other students to protest about climate change. 

So, the elderly and the young seem to understand the need to act, and fast, but what about the middle ground? Extinction Rebellion, the climate change activists, have also increased public awareness with their peaceful protests in London.

So we have just had local elections in the UK and the results are a real shake-up for the two main parties, the Lib Dems being the biggest winners and the Green Party making progress. Brexit is probably the main culprit and the public honestly don't know which way to vote.

For those of us wanting to save the planet, we need clear leadership. We need someone at the helm to make recycling compulsory and consistent, someone to ban the production of non-recyclables, someone to give us clear rules to follow. If we are all singing from the same (bird)song sheet we can reduce our carbon footprint.

If you want to vote this week, try this, from Michael Pollan, author, journalist and activist;

"The wonderful thing about food is you get three votes a day.
Each one has the potential to change the world."

Kitsch Christmas Cocktails

Trip to London✅ Girls Only✅ Black Friday✅ Nearly Christmas✅ Cocktails✅

All of the above and more. We didn't have to search for Christmas Spirit. London was illuminated in glorious twinkling fairy lights whilst fake snow sprinkled the shoppers and chestnut stalls did brisk trade.

My veggie food highlights were meals at The Ivy and Dishoom; both in Covent Garden. Whilst in the area, we visited the pop up bar Miracle in the Henrietta Hotel and Restaurant, currently a Christmas winter wonderland.

Cheesy festive music✅ Fake snow✅ Staff wearing Christmas jumpers✅ Twinkly lights and decorations✅ Fabulous menu of Seasonal cocktails served in kitsch glasses and mugs✅

Oh YESSS!

Feeling Festive✅

Easy in Ibiza

In Ibiza my day starts with homemade yogurt served with muesli and fruit kebabs followed by a choice of breads, pastries and eggs.

After catching some rays and swimming a few lengths it's time for lunch. I've enjoyed a quinoa and beetroot salad, avocado burrito and asparagus risotto. 

Yesterday I chose a simple dish, so easy to replicate back in Blighty and so refreshing in the current heatwave.

Chunks of watermelon and feta, chopped mint and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Done! Easy as that!

Delicioso.

Trick or Tr(eat)!

When I was younger pumpkins were associated with two things; Halloween and Cinderella. Now Cinderella based stories have been told in folklore for many years in many cultures but the version we know was written in 1697 and brought in the glass slipper, fairy godmother and the magical pumpkin to carriage scenario.

Pumpkins originate in North America and were the foodstuff pilgrims lived off during the 1600s to see them through the winter months.

Halloween has its origins in Celtic Ireland with the festival of Samhain (meaning end of summer) when autumn signified death and it was thought that spirits wandered the earth in search of a soul to inhabit. The Celts would dress as goulish creatures so the spirits would think they were one of them and leave them alone. Turnips would be hollowed out and candles placed inside to ward off evil spirits and warm good spirits to bring good luck into the household.  During the 19th century Irish immigrants brought their stories with them to America and celebrated Halloween (meaning All Hallows' Eve which was the day before All Saints Day on November 1st.) Pumpkins were then carved and lit rather than turnips. The Americans turned it into a holiday for communities with the emphasis on fun and games rather than pranks and witchcraft. During the 20th century it became more popular with trick or treating and pumpkin carving and has become the 2nd largest commercial holiday in the USA.

Whilst pumpkins are good for carving and illuminating, their flesh can make a tasty meal. They can be steamed, boiled and roasted, baked into muffins, fried in fritters and tempura and bashed into mash.

They make delicious soup, curries, bruschetta, galettes and, of course, Pumpkin Pie (best made using the green kabochahas variety with its vibrant orange flesh). The seeds can be scooped out, rinsed, dried, seasoned, drizzled with oil and roasted for 10 mins before cooling and storing for use in soups, salads and as a healthy snack.

This week I have embraced all things pumpkin (and squash and gourd). At Jamie's Italian I feasted on roast squash bruschetta and pumpkin ravioli, in Starbucks I enjoyed a comforting mug of pumpkin spice latte and at home I roasted squash with red onions, pine nuts and sage before adding tiny cubes of salty gorgonzola. All delicious and a warm welcome to winter.

Let them eat cake!

I have reached that time in life when the offspring of old friends start to find their way in the world, meet partners and settle down. Yesterday we attended a beautiful church wedding followed by a decadent reception at a picturesque venue. Everything went swimmingly with everyone wearing their best bib and tucker, the bride and groom clearly in love, the food being delicious (including my special vegetarian meal) and the speeches hitting the right notes. It was a fairly traditional affair with the symbolic cutting of the cake at the end of the meal.

At least this groom did not hit his bride over the head with a loaf of barley bread as the Romans did! Nor did the couple have to stand on tip-toe over a pile of buns and attempt a kiss without bringing them toppling down like a stack of jenga bricks!

Food, and particularly cake, has played a big part in wedding celebrations around the world. For instance, in Canada they would hide a nutmeg inside the cake and the person who found it would be next in line for being wed (possibly less of a scrum than trying to catch the bride's bouquet). In Brazil they give cake as favours to guests; we were given iced biscuit dresses and waistcoats as favours.

At yesterday's wedding the Best Man said it had been a very emotional wedding - "even the cake was in tiers!" Haha! In the UK it has been traditional, since Victorian times, to have a tiered icing covered fruit cake. Fruit, nuts and marzipan represent fertility and good fortune. The smallest tier was often saved for the christening of the couple's firstborn (in my case it was eaten the following Christmas which was a good thing as a baby didn't follow for 9 years and the cake would have been mouldy by then!) 

In Ireland, as well as the fruit/irish whisky cake, the couple are served mead, a honey wine beverage, believed to bring virility and fertility. In times past they would have been given a supply of mead to drink until the first moon of marriage and that is, allegedly, where the phrase "honeymoon" comes from.

Nowadays people often have other cakes in their tiers such as sponge, chocolate or red velvet as many people do not like dried fruit. The ritual of the bride and groom smearing each others faces in frosting is not one I like to see; never mind that they've just spent a fortune on hair, clothes, makeup and photos to capture their perfection, what a waste of cake!! 

Whatever the flavour, it's good to see some traditions continue and cake, and hopefully marriage itself, will last until infinity and beyond!

Easy-peasy-pizza!

I can't believe that National Vegetarian Week has passed me by. It was 18-24th May and, had I known, I might have forced the family to unite and support me in my quest to make just one meal for tea! Ha! I think I have already mentioned a very useful book I was given when I first became vegetarian and needed to cook myself a meal alongside the meat dishes for my family. It's called "No meat for me please!" by Jan Arkless and was, quite literally, my bible!

Actually the family do sometimes eat vegetarian food, particularly pasta dishes. The meal I have made since the children were little is Naan Bread Pizza originally taken from a Nigella recipe and, like all pizzas, can be adapted to suit the recipient's taste. Here is my basic recipe:-

Naan bread (plain or the garlic and coriander ones/small ones are good for parties)

Pasta sauce (I use Seeds of Change organic tomato and basil)

Grated cheese (I like cheddar but mozarella would work too)

That's it really. You spread the sauce on the naan with a sprinkling of cheese on top and bake in a moderate-hot oven for 10-15 mins.

The wow factor will depend on what you put on it before it goes in the oven and the possibilities are endless for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. They can be sophisticated or childish but, most importantly, tasty!

Here are two of my favourites; one with caramelised onion and basil, the other a face of caramelised onion hair and roasted pepper eyes, nose and tongue. Go on and give it a go! 

Well, I may have let National Vegetarian Week pass me by but I have made sure that National Gin Day is highlighted, ringed and starred on my calendar - roll on Saturday June 13th!

Eat what it says on the tin!

Funny how we call meats by certain names and not others. For example, I've never heard anyone say "let's have pig for dinner" or "the cow was delicious" yet we do refer to chickens, ducks, rabbits and lambs. When my animal loving nephew and niece were small they were simply told "it's meat". My own children quite often ate "dinosaurs", courtesy of Bernard Matthews! Before that they had been Milupa babies with the odd exception when I would try and puree fruit and vegetables. On one of these occasions my son refused his pureed brocolli whilst his grandpa mused how it looked like grass cuttings!

As the children grew I began to make more of my own food and give them less processed stuff. They and my husband are not vegetarian so I have always cooked meat for them. (I have tried to put my husband off steak and kidney by calling it "cow and wee" 'though it hasn't deterred him!) This means cooking more than one meal at a time. I like us all to be eating a similar meal, i.e. meat and veggie chillis, curries, lasagnes, pastas etc. but when they eat a roast dinner I often fall back on a quick and convenient bought breadcrumbed camembert. These can get a bit tedious so I have found ways of livening them up by inserting a slither of garlic, a sprig of rosemary or a squeeze of honey.

Home made, 'though not really healthy, flapjack has been the staple sweet treat in our family. It's so quick and easy to make and everyone seems to enjoy it's satisfying oaty sweetness. My son is called Jack and when he was little he used to ask for "flap" having been frequently asked "would you like some flapjack?"

Most of you will probably have a much healthier recipe for flapjack but I'm going to share mine with you anyway. It was given to me by a friend in the 1970s and I have recently tweaked it a little.

Fiona's Flapjack:

9oz Stork Margerine

4oz Demerara Sugar

3tbsp Golden Syrup

12oz Porridge Oats (I use 2oz thick milled oats & 10oz wholegrain rolled oats) 

Melt margerine, sugar and syrup together then stir in the oats. Pour into a greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins in a moderate oven. Cut into slices whilst warm then allow to cool before removing from the tin. Enjoy!

Pasta Zucchini!

Exactly four weeks ago I was in Capri with husband and friends having taken the hydrofoil from Sorrento. We were like the Famous Five (without the dog) and, rather than take the funicular up to town, we climbed the endless slopes and steps, pausing to look back at the bay we had left behind. After a quick coffee we charged back down to the harbour to meet our boatman at the allotted time. We then experienced a wonderful two hour boat trip around the island courtesy of our wonderful guide, Salvatore.

Back on dry land and in need of sustenance we went to the nearest restaurant (L'approdo) overlooking the small harbour and sat down to a glass or three of rose. Whilst the guys went for fish and meat dishes, we girls opted for a delicious courgette pasta which was one of their specialities. We were hungry after the boat trip and fresh sea air and were definitely seduced by the island with its colourful boats bobbing in the deep blue sea and the overhead cries of the gulls. The food was heavenly much, I suspect, like the rest of Capri.

Back home I have since tried to recreate that wonderful pasta dish. I had a courgette, some pasta and a block of parmesan. With the aid of a clip from Nigellisima I succeeded in making a delicious courgette pasta (almost) as good as my Capri experience.

Cook casarecce pasta according to instructions (used by Nigella, L'approdo and myself but any pasta shape would do) 

A large courgette peeled in stripes then diced

A couple of spring onions sliced (or finely chopped onion/leek)

Cook in garlic oil until soft and squidgy

Splash of vermouth (I used dry white wine)

Chopped parsley (I didn't have this)

Put the lid on the pan and cook gently.

Add a little grated parmesan (enough to add a bit of goo and a lot of flavouring)

Melt in a knob of butter

Add the drained pasta, stir and serve

The Nigella recipe states chilli flakes but I didn't see her add them nor did I detect any in Capri.

And there you have it (although Nigella eats hers out of the pan); a little bit of Capri in a bowl.

Hello Petal!

Now is the time when much of our food is grown; vegetables, fruit, salad, herbs and flowers. Yes that's right, flowers!

Amazingly many of the pretty flowers we grow in our gardens can be eaten; nasturtiums, violas, marigolds, roses, primroses, geraniums, cornflowers, fuschias, phlox, tulips, sunflowers ... an endless list.

From the vegetable garden the flowers of peas, pumpkin, squash, marrow, onion and courgette. From the herb garden the flowers of chives, borage, lemon balm, basil, fennel, oregano, bergamot, dill, mint and coriander. Also blossom from citrus and apple trees and strawberry flowers.

Whilst fancy restaurants and TV cookery programmes have made this fashionable, flowers have been used in cookery as far back as 3,000BC and was a particular favourite in Roman Times and by the Chinese.

Mandy, a girl I worked with in the 1980s, would eat the carnations off the table in any bar or restaurant! My own sister has sprinkled a handful of nasturtiums and pansies in her salads for the last ten years or so. I thought she was a bit of a crank but it turns out she was way ahead of the game with her edible flowers, homemade chutneys and jellies and herb infused oils and she was certainly the first person I knew who recycled on a regular basis 30 years ago!

Whilst flowers can be sugar frosted to go on cakes they can easily be used in salads and sauces, desserts and biscuits as well as being used as a garnish in a cocktail.

If you decide to eat flowers you should ensure that no chemicals or pesticides have been sprayed on them. If you haven't a garden to grow them in you can buy online, visit a farmers market or bob to your nearest Waitrose where they are sold in 5g bags to add to your salad leaves. 

Or, "if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair" - you never know when you're going to need a quick snack!

The Merry Month of May!

Bread and cheese; no not a sandwich, nor a ploughmans, a pizza or a fancy foccacia. I'm talking about the young leaves and leaf buds of the native hawthorn. My father grew up in the then rural village of Robin Hood, near Wakefield in Yorkshire and he and his family and friends would refer to this hedgerow delicacy as a little bit of bread and cheese. 

I have done some research and it turns out that this was quite a common practice amongst country folk who would enjoy this slice of greenery, especially in times of poverty and famine throughout history. It is said to have a nutty taste although, as part of my research, I have tried a few pieces and, to be honest, they taste like leaves to me.

May celebrations go back a long way and the hawthorn has been quite central, symbolising fertility, new life and the start of the growing season. It is meant to be good for the heart when the dried berries and dried blossom are used in herbal remedies and good for affairs of the heart when the wood is turned into a talisman, wand or charm ball.

The rhyme "Here we go gathering nuts in May" probably refers to the "knots" of hawthorn blossom which were used to decorate the May-time celebrations. Maypole dancing was a favourite and I remember my sister doing it in the 1960s at a local park on quite a grand scale whilst my grandma made the dresses for the May Queen and her attendants. From the hawthorn being a sign of good luck and fertility it changed through time to become a tree of misfortune, abstinence and chastity. There would be no weddings held in May and the May Queen was a symbol of purity and innocence.

The hawthorn tree has many other names, the most common being the May Tree. Folklore has always held the tree in high regard and it is still to be respected today. There are stories of sewers and traffic having to be diverted around old hawthorn trees rather than them being cut down. The saying "Ne'er cast a clout til May be out" is probably a reference to the hawthorn blossom being out rather than the month of May ending.

So May has arrived but, as yet, the blossom here in Yorkshire has not. Whilst we wait we can always enjoy a little bit of bread and butter; for poor country folk and vegetarians everywhere. 

Carry on camping!

 Spring marks the start of the camping season. I began my camping life at the age of 8 months and this continued until the age of 30. It was a very happy period spent with family and friends, at home and abroad, and was how I met my husband.

In the early days camping was under canvas with my parents and sister. It was the 1960s and we had the freedom to roam fields, woods and streams. Once, whilst paddling in a stream I found two bottles of milk and toddled back to my parents carrying my finds. Of course the milk belonged to another family who were keeping their milk cool and was duly returned to them.

In those days we rarely camped on campsites as Clubs would arrange to use farmers fields for the purpose. This meant that a milk churn would be given to the stewarding family to ladle out pints of milk to those wanting to purchase it. Eggs and other produce were sometimes on sale too. Friendly farmers would allow us to play in the barns, collect eggs or watch cows being milked before being allowed to taste the fresh, still-warm, milk. Den building was a popular activity and we were only limited by our own imaginations. We would wake up to the smell of bacon frying in the open air as people cooked and ate al fresco.

We had many camping friends we called auntie and uncle and one of my "aunties" asked me to wash the cabbage for her. It took several trips to the water tap to collect enough water to rinse the rather soapy cabbage which I had washed using Stardrops washing up liquid!

By the 1970s we had a caravan, although my sister and I still preferred to sleep in our own little tent. We had a coolbox which dropped through a hole in the caravan floor and kept everything chilled in the shade of the chassis. Cheese and wine gatherings became popular as, it seemed, everyone made their own wine. There was plenty around and we children could always manage to surreptitiously sneak a drop. My friend's father made a delicious elderberry wine which we took as reward for helping him to pick the elderberries!

By the 1980s campers went barbecue crazy and the campsites were shrouded in plumes of smoke from charred burgers and sausages. As I became vegetarian in 1990 it was a struggle to keep my corn on the cob separate from everyone else's meat and utensils so foil wrapping was the order of the day. Things had moved on apace and by then everyone had refrigerators in their caravans, cassette toilets and gas barbecues.

Camping in the 1960s = freedom

Camping in the 1990s = flashdom!

La dolce vita!

I am just sitting on the hotel balcony overlooking the beautiful bay of Sorrento in Italy. The people, the sights, the shops and the food have all been amazing. Whilst there is always an abundance of fresh fish and some meat on the menu, there is also a good choice of vegetarian food and the waiters are eager to provide whatever you may wish for. Grilled vegetables, pastas, pizzas and salads are made with the freshest of ingredients and taste delicious.

One of my favourite dishes (of all time) is a Caprese salad made with sliced mozzarella (made locally here in Sorrento), tomatoes and basil with a seasoning of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. The red, white and green are the colours of the Italian flag and look wonderful served on a plain white plate. To wash this down I enjoy a glass of rose - in Sorrento Lacrima Christi!

Back at home in the UK we have Italian restaurants on every high street. Once, whilst enjoying a girls weekend in York, a dear friend asked the waiter for a mozzarella and beef tomato salad. When he brought her dish she asked where the beef was!! How we laughed and have re-told the tale many times. It's quite ironic given that we vegetarians normally are given meat or fish as a garnish when we don't want it; an anchovy here and some chorizo there, especially abroad. It would seem that no one can ever win!

On the dark side!

Like most parents, we have endeavored to entertain our children on long car journeys. Games of I spy, counting coloured cars and mini-punch have all featured over the years. Of late, whilst driving around our local town with my now teenage daughter, we have invented a game counting "Biddies in Beige". Seriously, take a look around and you will see many elderly people dressed entirely, from head to toe, in beige. There must come a point in people's lives when black is deemed too strong a colour for greying hair and pale complexions and, although many would probably love to wear purple, they err on the safe side and go for non-offensive beige.

Whilst in London last year with said teenager and friend, I spotted what I thought was the perfect gift for her grandparents; Beige Chocolate. The girls went into hysterics and it turns out I am the Biddy who can't see without her glasses; it was in fact Belge Chocolat!

Anyway, when it comes to chocolate the only colour to eat these days is the very dark brown -at least 70% cocoa content - and only then in moderation. The good news is that this kind of chocolate has the added benefit of actually being good for us, as opposed to milk and white chocoate which is full of sugar, fat and calories. Studies show that dark chocolate can actually improve our health, lower the risk of heart disease and improve our memory.

Easter has just been a bonanza time for chocaholics like myself but none of that will have been beneficial, being bad for my figure, my complexion and my teeth. When my daughter was aged about 5 and had lost the first of her milk teeth I explained how she would get a second set and must look after them. She turned to me and, in all seriousness, asked when she would get her yellow teeth, like me! Aaagh! From the mouths of babes eh?

Well it's not game over for chocolate nor, for that matter, my sweet tooth. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants which fight tooth decay and the cocoa butter coats the teeth and stops plaque from sticking to them. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Be A Good Egg!

Today is Easter Sunday which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and that is the reason we have Easter Eggs. 

Eggs have long been a symbol of fertility and new life in many customs and cultures. Christians adopted the egg as it is a reminder that Jesus rose from the tomb (symbolised by the empty egg shell) and brought new life. 

During Lent people would abstain from eating eggs but the fast was broken on Easter Sunday. The eggs would have been hard boiled to preserve them and so the tradition of decorating them with dyes, paints and decorations began during the middle ages. After the austerity of Lent this led to competitions for the best Easter Egg and games such as egg rolling and the Easter Egg Hunt.

Chocolate eggs were made during the 19th century in France and Germany but it was here in the UK that the Cadbury family made them available in the 1870s. They were initially made of dark chocolate but in 1905 the first milk chocolate egg appeared. Nowadays there is a glut of Easter Eggs lining the shelves of every supermarket and confectioner, even before the pine needles of the Christmas tree have had time to drop!

Chocolate aside, are eggs acceptable as part of the vegetarian diet? Personally, I do eat eggs, meaning I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian as I also eat dairy products. There is an argument that eating eggs destroys a developing embryo but as most egg farmers keep roosters apart from egg-laying hens, they have very little chance of becoming fertilized and will, therefore, never produce. For me, eggs and dairy are a big part of my diet. On a Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food course the first lesson taught me how to cook the perfect poached egg and I always enjoy a soft boiled (tap-down or dippy in my family) egg with toast soldiers. Another favourite is eggy-bread (also known as witches toast). When my twin niece and nephew were very young they used to come and stay with me. My niece loved eggs whilst her brother was a pizza-eater. I would cook separate teas for them whilst they chanted "pizza's best", "eggs are best" in turn.

Whether you're eating real eggs or chocolate ones on Easter Sunday - enjoy! My tip would be to keep your chocolate ones somewhere safe. We once got home from an Easter skiing trip to find a scattering of brightly coloured foil paper and nibbled eggs ... mice love chocolate too!

Mums know best!

Today is Mothering Sunday in the UK when we show our appreciation and affection to our mums.

For most of us, memories are often associated with shared meals with our loved ones. I remember my mum's baking more than her cooking. I would return from school to the smell of a cooling tray of buns, ginger cake, cold tea fruit cake, rock buns or freshly baked bread. In the holidays my sister and I would help her bake and take it in turns to scrape the bowl out and eat the yummy raw cake mix.

Her meals would be the standard fare of the time - meat and two veg, a fry-up or a casserole. We always had a pudding or a slice of cake to follow. A couple of savoury treats stick in my mind; mashed potato with crisps crumbled on top (bizarrely potato with potato topping) and a salad side dish of shredded lettuce, onions, sugar and vinegar.

I grew up in the 1960s/70s and remember slightly space age food like Kellogs Rise and Shine, an orange powder which, when mixed with water, became a breakfast orange juice. Another memory is of saving the top of the milk for a few days and then whipping it to use as cream on desserts. One favourite pudding was a fruit crumble. Every September the whole family would go blackberry picking. Mum would then bottle the fruit so that we had a ready supply throughout the winter months. Once, whilst eating a blackberry and apple crumble I felt something crunch in my mouth - urgh - a snail shell! How it had escaped the picking and processing I'm not quite sure but, luckily, it was before I became a vegetarian!

Another favourite memory is of a holiday to the continent in 1970. Most time was spent in Germany where my dad tried to teach mum a few native words. My parents have always been fond of a cuppa and cake so we often frequented die konditorei. Mum walked in and in her best german called out auf wiedersehen (goodbye!) whilst dad raised his eyebrows and my sister and I giggled delightedly. On the same trip we stayed with Dutch friends who sprinkled chocolate vermicelli on their morning bread which seemed the height of decadence.

My family are fond of saying "do you remember when ..." and off we go down Memory Lane. Today, let's raise a toast to mums everywhere for making memories.

The Best Ever Beans on Toast!

An easy meal for a Vegetarian is often a baked jacket potato or beans on toast. When I was younger we used to return from a camping weekend and, whilst my parents unpacked, my sister and I would be sent upstairs for a bath and then return downstairs with rosy cheeks and damp hair to a quick and easy supper of beans on toast before bed.

I have always loved this simple meal and it's definitely my "go to" meal when I surface from a migraine, need to line my stomach before a night out on the tiles or just want a quick comfort fix.

In my early twenties I met a girl who came to temp in my office. It turned out we had lots in common and liked all the same things. One day whilst discussing what we would make for tea, she mentioned a recipe for Bean Rarebit in a Marks and Spencer Salads and Snacks book. I had the same book, given by a family friend for my 21st birthday! I rushed home to make the posh beans on toast that night and, some 30 years later, still make it occasionally. I have adapted the recipe a little over the years but it remains a firm favourite.

Bean Rarebit (or posh beans on toast) Serves 1 hungry vegetarian

20g butter

1 small onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove crushed or grated

1/2 pepper, deseeded & thinly sliced 

1 can Heinz Five Beanz

2x15ml spoons tomato ketchup

1x15ml spoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

(I use Hendersons Yorkshire Relish)

Salt & Pepper

1x5ml chilli powder

Cheddar cheese grated

2 slices hot buttered toast

Melt the butter, add onion, garlic, pepper and fry til soft. Add the beans, ketchup, W sauce, salt, pepper, chilli powder. Cook for 5 mins. Add the cheese and stir for 3 mins until melted. Place on hot buttered toast and serve immediately (like my lava latte, I like mine hot). Enjoy!

The recipe from the early 1980s used baked beans and kidney beans but I use the Five Beans now. It also states a green pepper but now, of course, we have the choice of red, orange, yellow and, I have recently discovered, black pepper!