WAKE UP TO A 'FARMHOUSE BREAKFAST'

Today marks the start of 'Farmhouse Breakfast Week', and a great excuse to enjoy good old-fashioned breakfast staples such as bacon, eggs, sausages and relishes.

We don't often have "fry ups" or proper cooked breakfasts in this house, tending to prefer "healthier" options such as cereal or yoghurt with fruit. But there's nothing quite like a good "full English" is there? When we go camping (rarely) a cooked breakfast is obligatory, a reward for having got through the night on airbeds and something to set us up for the rest of the day.

Thanks to Denhay Farms Ultimate Breakfast Box, we have enjoyed not one but two Farmhouse Breakfasts this weekend, consisting of Denhay's sweet hand-cured bacon (which my son declared "very very tasty!", Spoilt Pig sausages, and Burford Brown eggs with the most wonderful marigold-yellow yolks. Alongside these hearty delicacies, some delicious Tracklements relishes and real tomato ketchup. Rather than sit around a farmhouse kitchen table (we don't possess such a thing because a) we don't live in a farmhouse and b) we prefer 1960s retro furniture!), we ate our farmhouse breakfasts in bed, with big steaming mugs of tea (me) and coffee (he), and Radio 4 purring away in the background. The cat felt he should share in the feast, and secured a few morsels of sausage by standing very close to us and looking pleadingly into our eyes. We mopped up the runny egg yolks with hunks of my homemade focaccia. All in all, the Farmhouse Breakfast was a great start to the weekend, and perfect fuel for these cold snowy mornings.

Never understimate the value of a good breakfast. Even if you, like me, are following the 5:2 Fasting Diet, you should always start the day with breakfast. For more on the benefits of a good breakfast and Farmhouse Breakfast Week, please visit the Shake Up Your Wake Up website

Some of my favourite breakfasts include:

• Toasted sourdough bread with French unsalted butter
• Scrambled eggs on Marmite toast
• Soft-boiled eggs with Marmite soldiers
• Sliced, fried tomatoes on toast
• Toasted homemade Stollen slices
• Toasted panettone
• Spanish breakfast of cured meats (Serrano ham, chorizo etc), queso fresca (a young fresh white cheese like Ricotta) and fresh strawberries

LUNCH AT NOPI

inside NOPI (picture source: The Observer)

Yesterday I fulfilled a long-held wish, to eat at an Ottolenghi establishment. I have been intrigued and delighted by Ottolenghi's food ever since I first walked past the deli/cafe on Ledbury Road in trendy Notting Hill, where I work on Mondays. The window was filled with delicious-looking confections, including pillows of snow-white meringues. When I bought the first Ottolenghi cookbook a few years ago, I was able to indulge my love of this simple, flavourful and colourful food at home: it's a book I often cook from. A good friend, who is a regular at my dinner table, kindly gave me Ottolenghi's latest book Jerusalem when it was published a couple of months ago. I wallowed in Yotam's Mediterranean Feast, recently aired over four mouth-watering episodes on More 4, declaring at regular intervals "I could eat all of that!".

After a rather frantic morning at work, during which the aged laptop decided to conspire against my need to be on the tube, heading towards Oxford Circus, by midday, I dodged the Christmas shoppers on Regents Street and ducked down a backstreet, skirting the edge of Carnaby Street and Soho. My lunch companion was waiting for me at a window table in the cool white and gold interior of NOPI. Soon after I arrived, two tall glasses of Prosecco arrived. A perfect start.

First, the name. NOPI. Assuming it was Middle Eastern in origin, I quizzed the Maitre D', who offered a far more prosaic explanation: "it is named after the location, madam: North Of PIccadilly". Ah, so simple. Like the decor.....

The white-tiled walls are reminiscent of a pristine Art Deco bathroom, or a newly-refurbished Underground station, but, having watched Yotam Ottolenghi visit cafes serving hummus and falafels in Jerusalem, the decor also hints at eastern inspirations. The clean white lines are offset by brass coat hooks, pendant lights (also Middle Eastern in inspiration) and a gorgeous giant flower light over the reception area. The tables are trimmed with brass, and the detail continues down to the simple napkin rings. The simple design values continue into the tableware and linen, and the menu which is not extensive, though by no means limited either. In fact, like the dishes featured on the TV programme, I wanted to eat everything.

I selected pea, broad bean and manouri fritters for my starter, while my companion had mackerel with fennel, white grape salsa and tobiko (fish roe). The service was slick and the food arrived quickly, served on neat little wooden platters. It was distinctly "Ottolenghi" - colourful and flavourful. The pea and bean fritters were delicious, crisp on the outside, and soft in the middle, with a pleasing texture and a hint of cardamom. They were served with a lovely, creamy yoghurt dip. Other Half declared the mackerel delicious and "that's why I didn't share any with you!".

For mains we had whole twice-cooked baby chicken (he) and duck breast with quinoa and hazelnut beer. The duck was cooked exactly how I like it: pink inside with a crisp skin, and the accompanying quinoa was nutty. We had baby potatoes with preserved lemon as an accompaniment. Other Half set to work demolishing the whole baby chicken, once again refusing to part with a tiny bit for me to try. I did manage to cheat him of some of the accompanying chilli sauce, which was piquant and fresh, and not overpoweringly hot.

Too full for pudding and coffee, we tottered off to the shops, and on the train on the way home, I browsed the web for recipes for those wonderful pea and broad bean fritters. Drawing a blank, it's apparent I will have to devise a recipe myself......

The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers a pre-theatre set price menu. Lunch for two with wine c£80. The restaurant is conveniently located between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly tube stations.

More about NOPI here

Recipes and more from Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast TV series

RIDICULOUSLY EASY COFFEE ICE CREAM

I'm throwing my hat into the frenzied ring of Christmas food preparations by offering a quick and easy method for what is possibly the best coffee ice cream I've had outside of Italy. It comes from the kitchen of the Domestic Goddess par excellence, Nigella, and is great for a dash of Italian style to finish a meal. (It is in her new book Nigelissima). It is delicious on its own, or paired with something naughty and chocolatey, like flourless chocolate brownies. The basic recipe contains only two ingredients - double cream and condensed milk - and can be adapted to incorporate other flavours.  And because of the high fat content (from the cream), it requires no churning, and the end result is luscious and melt-in-the-mouth. It never lasts long in my house.....

Makes 800 ml (serves c6)

300 ml double cream
175 g condensed milk (about 2/3 of a standard can)
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tbsp coffee liqueur (such as Tia Maria - optional)

A plastic box to freeze the mixture in

Whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture forms soft peaks. Put into a plastic box and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve straight from the freezer.

 Variation: add crushed chocolate covered coffee beans for an extra "crunch"


Variations on a theme:

Amaretto Ice cream

100g hard amaretti biscuits, crushed into fine 'breadcrumbs'
2 tbsp Amaretto liqeuer OR a couple of drops of almond essence

Fold into the beaten cream/condensed milk mixture and freeze.


I tried a chocolate version, using cocoa, but I found the end result rather cloying (though my son liked it). I think Nigella's best chocolate ice cream recipe (from the Cipriani Hotel in Venice) is hard to beat. Recipe here.

PEAR & ALMOND TARTE TATIN

I'm hooked on The Great British Bake Off (GBBO), a competition for amateur bakers which is aired weekly on BBC2. It's tense and funny, mouthwatering and imaginative, with a great cast of characters and a fine cavalcade of cakes, buns, muffins and loaves to enjoy each week. The two judges, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, are well-matched. Paul is strict, and his soft brown eyes belie his harsh criticism of undercooked pastry cases or bread that was not prove properly, while Mary offers a kinder form of critiquing of the contestants' offerings (hopefully not burnt offerings!).

In my home, GBBO is required viewing. Although I'm not a great cake maker, I do make bread very regularly, and I do like looking at what other people are cooking. The episode which featured Tarte Tatin caused quite a lot of angst in my house, with shouts of "never turn your back when cooking sugar" and "that's not a proper Tarte Tatin!" at the television as the contestants produce a range of weird and wonderful versions of the famous French upside down apple tart.

My husband's premise for Tarte Tatin (his favourite pudding) is "keep it simple, stupid!". I make mine from apples, pears or bananas (for a slightly more exotic version). I do not mix apples and pears; nor do I go in for savoury Tatin, featuring onions, or figs and Roquefort and other fillings. These are ersatz in my view, and should be avoided. Admittedly, banana Tarte Tatin is a little off piste, and some dinner guests have recoiled at the thought of it, quickly won round when they try it. Do it properly and you end up with a lovely deeply burnished tarte, delicious served with a big dollop of creme fraiche. It was very nice to see a simple banana Tarte Tatin on GBBO.

Another tarte which caught my attention was made with pears and almonds, or rather marzipan. Pear and almond is one of those perfect flavour combinations, and as soon as I saw it on the programme, I knew I had to make it. Rather than faffing about trying to make the perfect caramel in a saucepan, I make everything in one pan, top it off with a disc of puff pastry and bake it until crisp and golden. While it is still warm, I turn it upside down. Et voila!

250g good-quality all-butter bought puff pastry, rolled out to slightly larger than the tin size
4-6 hard pears, peeled, cored and quartered
250g ready-made marzipan (golden or natural), rolled out to the size of the tin
About 4 tbsps sugar (granulated or caster is fine)
Approx 25g, very cold unsalted butter, cubed

Oven 200 °C

Cook's note: You need a tatin pan, or similar pan which can go on the hob and in the oven.

Put the sugar in the tatin pan and set it on the hob over a high heat. Make sure the sugar is evenly distributed over the base of the pan. The sugar will start to melt and caramelise from the edges first. Swirl it around to ensure all the sugar cooks at roughly the same time. It will turn a lovely burnished copper colour. Remember: DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM IT! At this point, turn off the heat and dot the caramel with cold butter. It will froth up a little. Then place the pear quarters on the caramel, cover with the disc of marzipan, and top with the puff pastry, tucking the edges down a little around the sides of the pan. Place in the oven and cook for about 20-25 mins or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Remove from the oven and while the tarte is still warm, put a place over the top of the pan and turn it upside down to turn out the tarte. Set aside to cool. It is best served at room temperature.

LITERARY CAKES

....those squat, plump little cakes called "petites madeleines," which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell.... (Marcel Proust)

Madeleines. Forever to be associated with the French writer Marcel Proust and the famous "Proustian rush", an involuntary memory triggered when cues encountered in everyday life evoke recollections of the past. The delicate orange-flower fragrance and flavour of these little cakes bring forth a rush of memories for the narrator, Swann, of Proust's first volume of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time). Read the whole quote here.

Madeleines are small sponge cakes, with a distinctive shell-like shape. They traditionally come from Commercy in the Lorraine region of France. They are very easy to make, consisting of equal quantities of flour, sugar, butter and eggs, with a dash of orange flower water for their perfumed flavour: the only specialist equipment required is a Madeleine pan, which will give them their characteristic shape. They are delicious served with tea or coffee as an afternoon treat, or with strawberries or other fruit. Use slightly stale Madeleines as an alternative to trifle sponges or boudoir biscuits in trifles or tiramisu. The basic recipe can be varied to include ground nuts, such as almonds, and lemon zest. I have also seen recipes for pistachio Madeleines, pistachio and rose Madeleines, and chocolate Madeleines.

Makes 24 medium Madeleines

Oven 200°C

125g/4 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g caster sugar
125 butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tbsp orange flower water

Beat the eggs with the caster sugar until thick and light. Add the orange flower water. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the egg mixture in three batches. When the last of the flour has been added, sprinkle the melted butter over the surface of the batter and fold in carefully. The mixture needs to stay light and full of volume.

Allow the batter to stand for 20 minutes or until it is slightly stiffer. Pour into the Madeleine pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and cook on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin.

STAGE 20: RAMBOUILLET - PARIS-CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES

The Tour de France has finished on the Champs-Élysées in Paris every year since 1975. By this point in the race, the overall classifications are usually confirmed, and the stage is more show-case than race, though for the sprinters there is huge kudos in winning on the Champs-Élysées.

The final stage starts with champagne served by the race leader's team, on-the-road photo-opportunities, and plenty of joking around. As the riders approach Paris, the racing heats up as the sprinters and their teams begin the real racing of the day. When the riders reach central Paris, they enter the Champs-Élysées riding up the Rue de Rivoli, on to the Place de la Concorde and then swing right on to the Champs-Élysées itself. The riders ride now a total of 8 laps (up towards the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Élysées, round les Tuileries and the Louvre and across the Place de la Concorde back to the Champs-Élysées).

For the final stage of the Gastro Tour de France, rather than post a recipe, I would like to review the last three weeks of my culinary journey around France. When I started out on this randonée, I wasn't sure if I could keep up the momentum (clearly, not an issue for British cyclist Bradley Wiggins!), but, with a few exceptions due to work commitments, I have cooked a regional French recipe every day. Highlights include chicken cooked with chicory, from one of the early stages, Ficelle Picarde, choux pastry, Pate en croute from Lorrain, Tartiflette pizza, and Cassoulet. None of the dishes I have cooked have been particularly complicated, nor use unusual or hard-to-come-by ingredients. Where I couldn't get the exact ingredient (wild mushrooms), I simply improvised - as any good cook would.

In terms of food, Paris is, for me, synonymous with sampling lambs' brains for the first (and last) time in my life (I misread the menu), eating fresh baguette and creamy unsalted butter with a chocolat chaud in a cafe for breakfast, dining at the famous Belle-Epoque Chartier restaurant, buying crisp, freshly-made quiches in a little deli in Montmartre, and wandering the food and flower markets (as I do whenever I visit France).

When I first started these blog posts, a friend said that I couldn't possibly blog about French food without mention Croque Monsieur and Steak Frites. Which I now have.....

Au revoir, mes amis. I'm off to the French Alps (Haute-Savoie region) to enjoy Tartiflette, fondue, and more....

Croque Monsieur

STAGE 19: BONNEVAL - CHARTRES

A hilly time-trial for the penultimate stage of the Tour. For Bradley Wiggins this stage should be a mere formality, with victory in Paris more than confirmed by his performance in the Pyrenees.

The stage finish is in Chartres, 60 kms south-west of Paris, a city which boasts a fine gothic cathedral and a rich food heritage of flour-milling, brewing, and distilling, game pies, macaroons, Mentchikoffs (a chocolate and praline confection covered in meringue), beer and pâté, Sablé de Beauce biscuits (wheat & butter cookies), cochelins (a sort of fruited scone), poule au pot, and edible flowers.



Today's recipe is for a classic poule au pot, a dish associated with Henri IV of France, whose ambition was that every family in his kingdom might be able to afford to eat this dish every Sunday. There is no standard recipe for poule au pot for it varies according to the seasons and what is available. It is literally "chicken in a pot". Delia Smith recreates a simple poule au pot in her recipe. My own version is even more minimalist: a whole chicken sat atop quartered lemons, onions, whole unpeeled garlic cloves, a sprig of thyme or tarragon, a few bay leaves, and a dash of white wine. Sometimes I add waxy Charlotte potatoes. I cook it in my chicken brick to ensure it stays moist, and by cooking it this way, it also makes its own gravy. You could also add bacon lardons, carrots, leeks, celery, and turnips. Serve it with a dollop of homemade aioli, nothing more. And a glass of chilled white wine (French, of course).