Food In My Home

I decided that I would tick off some of my to do list this year and go live in Paris for a couple of months with the plan of hopefully becoming fluent in the language of love, and to learn how to make food the French way. Well so far there is nothing lovely about the way I attempt to speak le French but I can now make croissants…C’est Bon! I have been working at my uncle's restaurant Maceo over the last month learning all sorts of tricks and different styles of cooking in the kitchen. I have mainly worked in the pastry section as the puddings are the most fun to make and prettiest to present and also the hot section meant sweating next to the grills and ovens which I je detested. Every Sunday me and my uncle go to the market for our weekly food shop and scope out which grocer has the best vegetables that day, at first i thought it was a silly way of shopping as it takes a long time and you have to go to all kinds of different stalls to get everything you need, however the differenc

Well since I’m in Paris I thought I should learn some very traditional French recipes. So I befriended the Patisserie chef at Maceo and we have been making all sorts of treats. Last week we baked away and made brioche, croissants, eclairs, profiteroles and my personal favourite the choux swan! Below is the recipe for the Macaroons, the rest are top secret and very unhealthy so you wouldn't want them anyway. Macaroons 110g Egg whites 115g Ground almonds 225g Icing sugar Preheat the oven to 150c Line a baking tray with baking paper Whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak. Mix the icing sugar and the ground almonds together. If adding colouring use a powder colour and add to the almond mix, also if making them citrus flavoured add the zest in with a little food colouring. Pour half the almond mix into the egg whites and fold adding the other half in gradually until everything is mixed. Put the mix into a piping bag and pipe small round discs all the same size and not too close together.

Serves 2 as Starter 1 Sea Bream, filleted, skinned (has to be very fresh)  Small bunch of Coriander 1 Lime 1/2 juiced and zested and other ½ into wedges to serve 1/2 red Chilli 1cm piece Ginger 1 Spring onion or ¼ red onion finely sliced Little bit of Cucumber ¼ Red pepper ½ Avocado Finely slice the fish into little slithers cutting on a diagonal so it’s nice and thin. Place the pieces on a big plate overlapping each other like petals until you have finished all the fish. Cling the plate and keep cold in the fridge. The mix that goes on top is very variable and you can use most things that you have in the fridge, or just keep it simple and use the lime, chilli, coriander, olive oil. I mixed the veg a bit like I was making a salsa but finely sliced everything then very gently tossed it together with the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. To serve sprinkle the salsa style mix over the top of the fish, pick off lots of coriander leaves and toss over the fish. Put a few lime wedges

Summer is here and this is the perfect light fruity pudding. serves 10 For the base 200g digestives 100g butter For the mousse cake 4 sheets leaf gelatine 142ml carton single cream 
500g carton fromage frais 
 140g golden caster sugar
 finely grated zest 1 small orange
 4 tbsp orange juice 
400g raspberries 284ml carton double cream Coulis a large handful of frozen berries around a tbsp of icing sugar Base For the biscuit base crush the biscuits in a plastic bag using a rolling pin. Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuits. Tip the mix into a loose bottomed round cake tin that is around 24cm. Press down the mix evenly and firmly and place in the fridge. Mousse cake Submerge the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes.  Heat the single cream in a small pan until it just comes to the boil then take off the heat. Take the gelatine out of the water and squeeze to get rid of the water. Stir into the hot cream and leave to cool slightly. Beat to

This potato dish is also from Ottolenghi and is super tasty, and a good alternative to normal potatoes. It is great served with roast lamb or beef. serves around 5 6 medium sweet potatoes 5 tbsps roughly chopped sage 6 garlic cloves crushed generous amounts of salt and pepper 250ml whipping cream Preheat the oven to 200c. Scrub the sweet potatoes but do not peel them and cut them into discs about 5mm thick. In a large bowl mix the potatoes, garlic, sage, salt and pepper together. Arrange the slices in an oven proof dish, tightly in rows standing up. Sprinkle any leftover garlic sage mix on top. Cover the dish in foil and roast in the oven for 45mins. Remove the foil and pour the cream over evenly and place back in the oven uncovered for around 25 mins. By this time the cream should have thickened and the potatoes be totally soft. Serve hot out the oven in the dish.

This is an Ottolenghi salad that I make lots, its served at room temperature so is perfect for picnics and to go with BBQ's. serves 4 3 medium aurbergines, sliced lenghtways about 2 cms thick olive oil for brushing pine nuts pomegranate seeds bunch of basil Saffron yogurt a pinch of saffron strands 3 tbsps hot water 180g greek yogurt 1 garlic clove crushed generous squeeze of lemon juice 3 tbsps olive oil Prep Infuse the saffron in the hot water in a ramekin for 5 mins. Pour the infusion into a bowl with the yogurt garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and season to taste. This sauce can be kept for up to 3 days in fridge. Place a griddle pan on a high heat and brush the aubergine slices with olive oil. When the pans hot grill the aurbergine until they have clear lines on them and are soft and not spongy. If you don't have a griddle pan they are great cooked on the bbq or in the oven for around half an hour at 220c. To serve place the aubergine at room temperature on a large plate, se

This is the most simple salad to make and the combination of the basil, goats cheese, fig and prosciutto is amazing. Another nice thing to do is turn it into a canape by quartering the figs, putting a small dollop of goats cheese on, season, add a basil leaf and wrap in prosciutto. serves 5/6 as a Starter 1 bag Rocket 2 tubs of soft goats cheese/goats curd 1 Bunch of Basil 1 pack of Prosciutto/Parma ham 10 Figs For the dressing I just make a basic vinaigrette with a little bit of mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. And for the final touch you can either buy a bottle of balsamic reduction or make it yourself by boiling it in a pan until it becomes thicker, but still runny enough to squeeze through a bottle. Then do a swirl over and around the salad.