Moderator Or Abstainer

Moderator Or Abstainer

   November 09, 2020       Vussey

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 Which Are You?

Because it is said that you are one or the other.  Me, I am a moderator, whereas my husband is an abstainer, and that in itself can make things a little tricky in our household. You may have noticed the same in yours, however may not have realised, up until now perhaps.

Habits 

It’s not just a matter of a habit, although an habitual routine is very important when we look at how we want to change our lifestyle, and even then we haven’t formed a habit until we have repeated the sequence over a period of 90 days at least.  Any new change becomes a habit when we have been doing it for at least 3 months, sometimes a habit won’t take hold until anywhere up to 8 months! However, abstaining and moderating, being one way or another is nothing to do with habit, and is not something we can learn to do or change.

What we need to do is adapt our lifestyle once we understand which we are and how we go about conforming to it.  That’s where the habit starts, not the other way around.

Everything In Moderation

How many times have you heard that?  For some it’s certainly true, but not for everyone, so that saying can not always be helpful and yet sometimes hurtful. ‘A little bit of what you like does you no harm’?  Perhaps, yes, but only in a moderator is this absolutely fine. 

A moderator is someone who can have a little bit of what they desire, because they know they can stop there. A moderator, for example, can keep that pack of biscuits in the house and eat one or two every now and again, or have one square of chocolate when they need a chocolate fix. They can have a glass of wine or two when they would like some without polishing off the whole bottle. The important point to remember here is that a moderator knows when and how to stop, without finding this difficult. They’ll know when they’ve had enough, or when they shouldn’t have any more even if they want to because they are trying to cut down, so it’s the right thing to do. There is this reasoning which tells them that it’s OK to want more, but not OK to have more, so it’s time to stop and they can always have it again another time.  Conversely, they will get panicked by the thought of never being able to have something. 

One key point to note with moderators, the reason they can have ‘everything in moderation’ is that these actions do not set them down a cravings path.

Moderation in all things, especially moderation - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t Deprive Yourself 

For an abstainer, that couldn’t be more wrong as that’s exactly what they should do. If we are talking food or drink for example, just a taste of something they shouldn’t have leads them into wanting the lot! An abstainer simply cannot have ‘just the one’!  One glass of wine and they have to finish the bottle, one square of chocolate and they have to eat the whole bar.  In fact, everything they have will be to excess - salt, pepper, chilli, alcohol, even their behaviours, they will enjoy to spend to excess too. For this group, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, if they want to cut down on something, they need to cut it out completely. It must be an all or nothing discipline, and because of that, they are not tempted by things that they have made the decision are off limits to them.

Someone who chooses to abstain because this is the path of least resistance for them, often find that it can be easier for them to succeed when going on strict regimes, like cutting out carbs, or the carnivore diet for example, anything where a particular food group has to be cut out completely will not only be easier for them to follow because they don’t have to be careful how much they are having, and be tempted, but also because they can relax knowing that they don’t need self control. An abstainer will always wrestle with themselves, but they never win, temptation must be avoided.

Abstaining is favourable both to the head and to the pocket - W.C. Fields

Where Does Harmony Sit?

So which one is preferable?  Would you prefer to be one or the other if you could choose?

I’m not sure if two of the same type lived together if it would be better for the household, perhaps I could be enlightened on that point. My guess is that it would be easier for the relationship, and easier on the shopping. When you have opposing types, is where you might have conflict. 

An abstainer who likes to drink for example, should not drink at all as they will always drink too much.  However, if they live with someone who is a moderator it can be extremely difficult for them as that person can happily enjoy one or two glasses and stop there. The question in that household then is, should there be alcohol in the house or not?  The same questions can be posed with chocolate, biscuits, so on and so forth. Is the answer to take the temptation out of the way,  then one will suffer, is that fair, or is it about compromise?  These are difficult questions, and perhaps why some partnerships ultimately don’t work, could that be possible?  They say opposites attract, however, I am not so sure when it comes to living together in harmony.

The options are these: -

• the moderator must go without, so temptation is not there for the abstainer
• the abstainer must go without, regardless of what is going on around them
• they both decide to partake, which means the abstainer will inevitably overindulge 

I am not sure any of these are feasible options which make for a truly contented environment, however this struggle goes on and on, around me, you, us, every day. After all, until we learn to understand and then accept how we behave and what motivates us, we will forever wrestle inwardly with those challenges.

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Two Of My Favourite Things Come Together - Prawn Couscous

Two Of My Favourite Things Come Together - Prawn Couscous

   October 25, 2020       Vussey

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 Versatile, Tasty, One To Share.

This is such a great recipe because it is so versatile, and I love anything where I can switch it around depending on what I have or how I’m feeling, and this is exactly that kind of meal.

The Prawns can be baked in the oven as I have done here, I prefer them done that way, though be careful to not overcook them, or pan fry them if you prefer, it really doesn’t make much of a difference to the final result. I prefer to keep them in the same dish, marinade them, then pop them straight in the oven.  That’s easier and also less washing up! Plus, you get to drizzle on all those lovely juices. If you want to devein the prawns, you can do this either before the marinating process, which I do as this allows the marinade to get deeper into the prawn itself, or you can do this as you eat - this is entirely subjective.

The couscous too can be changed for anything else you might prefer, salad would be a nice alternative. I personally, love couscous, it is one of the easiest and quickest dishes to prepare in the kitchen which means it’s great for a mid week meal when you’re busy.  With the couscous, I have added some pretty basic flavours, however you can add anything you fancy, anything which compliments the prawns, which of course, asparagus does.

Now you might have wondered why my recipe mentions asparagus ends? Whether it was a mis-print and no it wasn’t. I love to use as much of the food I buy as possible with very little wastage. To this end, asparagus is a perfect example. Like most people, I snap off the ends and use the tips in most recipes, however I don’t then chuck those ends, but put them in the fridge for another meal like this one for example. So for this, I take those ends, peel them, and thinly slice from the best end until I get to the very dry and woody part. That’s good for stock.

So those are my asparagus ends - still sweet and lovely and great to cook with.

And this, this is a great dish, try it.

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As A Nation We Hanker For Good Food, Yet Do We Know What It Is?

As A Nation We Hanker For Good Food, Yet Do We Know What It Is?

   October 11, 2020       Vussey

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 Let Me Ask, Do You Dilly-Dally In The Deli?

I love them myself, always have, and I can’t resist walking into one wherever they are, but the problem I have is that I’m nearly always, if not always, disappointed.  They are never quite what I’m expecting, or hoping for. They never have what I want, and they never surprise me, which for me is the most disappointing thing of all. Frankly, I rarely dilly-dally, and if I do, it’s nearly always because I’m, dare I say, awkward as I have walked in there and am now going to have to walk out with nothing and it’s definitely not going to go unnoticed because invariably I am the only person in there!  That’s another thing about these deli’s here in the UK, they are nearly always empty. Just how do they continue to survive?

Keep Trying

However as a nation, we keep trying, we open up yet another, I always see one on the high street, and again get excited (what the hell for I don’t know), so I’m guessing the research must be there. 

In my opinion we all like to think we want to eat good food and we all like to think we know about good food, yet when it comes down to it, neither is true of the majority of the British.  If you have ever had the opportunity to visit a deli in any other county in Europe then you will understand where I am coming from. When you step into a deli here in the UK your heart starts to sink when you catch a glimpse, immediately upon entering, of those familiar products and you sigh under your breath, thinking to yourself, ‘here we go again’! 

The produce

What we are looking for when we go in is produce which is fresh, new, interesting, pure, tasty, unique and both local & international. What we see when we enter is a cabinet filled with exactly the same kinds of cheese we can source at the supermarket, only less of a selection. There are the plastic vacuum packed meats we can get anywhere, along with the usual suspects in the meat counter. We see bags upon bags of pasta of all shapes, sizes and colours, there are tins and jars which upon first glance might appear interesting, but which are in fact easily sourced from the specialist sections at any large store.  Boring! All so predictable and boring!

The cost

There is one thing I do find unique when shopping at these deli’s - that’s the price!  They purely overcharge for everything, I should imagine to pay for their overheads. These are invariably independent sellers, so If they’re selling the same goods as the supermarket, you can’t expect them to be able to sell it at the same price?  Exactly the reason why they need to offer something different - give the customer something unique and you’ll not only give them a reason to shop with you, but you can charge them accordingly as they can only purchase that product from you in that area. Be different. Be deliciously delicatessen for a change!

If you know of a good, different deli in your area which you would recommend, then let me know as I would love to visit them, be surprised and delighted, and if I am I will add them to My Recommendations.

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Another Old Favourite, Chilli Con Carne

Another Old Favourite, Chilli Con Carne

   October 10, 2020       Vussey

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 Some Like It Hot!

But here’s my version, and it is less hot, but really good.  In my household, I have to cater for many tastes, some like it hot, and some not so, therefore, I give my Chilli Con Carne a bit of a kick, so it defines the dish, but for the more discerning fire eaters, I lay the table with some Jalapeño’s to top it off. I also like to serve with small sides of homemade salsa, and guacamole.

As always, I like to use really good ingredients in this Chilli, and the tinned tomatoes are not only tasty, but are the perfect consistency. I use these ones from Mutti you can get them from good supermarkets. The smokey tomato and hot chipotle chilli pastes are from the Marks & Spencer Cook With range, its a fabulous collection. I notice that more and more cooks are adding chocolate now to their chilli, though I have used chocolate in my recipe for as long as I have been making it. It adds the depth of flavour and a richness that you can’t get from anything else when you’re making the flavours from scratch, it really is not the same without it. I use mostly Galaxy which is soft and silky and melds into the dish perfectly, and when I can’t get hold of it, I will use a good Belgian chocolate, but always milk chocolate.

So here it is, try it!

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Disastrous Lunch, Corporate Norm

Disastrous Lunch, Corporate Norm

   September 27, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Explain...

Actually there will be those out there reading this to whom there needs no explanation, you know who you are, and those who don’t, well, you either don’t visit the corporate hotels very often, or you still don’t know what good food and good service is.

It is about time these hotels and restaurants were brought to account, but for now they get away with it, asking top rates for a second rate service.

Let down

I have learnt enough, over time, never to go to these corporate hotels for lunch or dinner, unless they’re places which have surprised me positively in the past, however on this occasion I had a business meeting at this particular hotel.

Started with the drinks

We ordered coffees when we arrived, and though nothing major, they were not great. I ordered the flat white, I like it, and who can get that wrong, but it was massive! Isn’t the flat white usually smaller than the cappuccino, latte and all the other gallon sized coffees? Another reason why I order it.

The drinks with lunch didn’t get any better. I ordered tonic water, and when it arrived in a pint glass when I hadn’t ordered a pint I guessed something was a awry.  I took a sip and although I had known anyway, swiftly asked if it was tonic or was it actually soda water he had given me. It was soda he had given me! Two orders down, waiting for the meal, I was wondering by now quite what that was going to be like, I had been nervous of ordering anyway, as I always am in these places, but the signs were already there.

Downhill From There

We ordered our food. The menu wasn’t extensive actually which is a good thing, right? This means they can keep on top of the cooking and the ingredients. My colleague had chosen already, then I decided to have the sourdough toasted sandwich. At that, my colleague changed their mind, saying they loved sourdough so this sounded great. We both plumped for that, I also ordered the sweet potato fries. 

The food arrived, and I looked at it in disbelief. The ‘sourdough’ was normal white bread! Not even home baked crusty loaf, uncut, thick cut, granary, wholemeal - Normal basic, cheap, white bread!!! He placed the plates down and walked away. Is this the state of the British nation that we have mug stamped on our foreheads when we dine out so we can be served anything and they don’t have to explain or take ownership for what they are serving up?

When I questioned the bread he told us that they had run out of the sourdough, simple as that - are we to believe that a top hotel (this is a very exclusive international chain) can change the main element of a dish and not even bother to inform or ask the diner? Absolutely unacceptable.

I wonder too, what their stance on wastage would be if it were published?

Service

And what about the service? If that wasn’t enough to give you an idea about the hotel ethics, their food and their service anyway, I would like to add again that the hotel this day was very quiet. The person serving us had made many mistakes, when asked for pepper for the table, he forgot to bring it. We did not bother to ask twice, the mistakes by now were becoming tedious, however I clocked him walking past our table at one point and he glanced over at us, we had nearly finished our meal, and at that point I said to my colleague ‘the penny has just dropped’. A moment later, not better late than never though, he came over with the pepper!

And, for the record, my sweet potato fries were hard in the middle, they couldn’t even get those right, so all in all, they scored a hat trick! Truly an awful meal, and an equally awful experience, and one that is becoming all too common.

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Food For Thought

Food For Thought

   September 14, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, Does Fast Food Leave You Fasting?

I travel around the country a lot and guess what? I am really fed up with the kinds of food, fast food, which is available to me on the go!

Food on the go has stayed pretty much the same for years now - the same suppliers in the market, the likes of burger restaurants, fried chicken drive-thru, coffee houses (Which now have drive-thrus), and these are just a few where you needn’t even leave your vehicle and can order your meal through your window!  There’s a problem though, they are not really for the discerning foodie or the health aware are they, I mean lets face it. Though, admittedly, the burger joints might have introduced the odd salad here and there and the chicken places have a rice bowl, but made with the same gusto as their chicken and burgers, they are not!

What’s the alternative?

Are we asking too much for good food which is also healthy, tasty, accessible and quick? I don’t think so, and how about a drive thru which could offer juices, smoothies or soup? I suppose what I personally am looking for is not the current fast food restaurants to offer me second rate salads as a spin off, but a new and exciting one offering what I believe should and could be a bigger demographic, a tasty alternative. Don’t knock it until you try it.

But that’s my point - I want it (by the way, I am screaming this point). I want an alternative to these high fat, high sugar foods on the road that make me feel tired and sluggish when I’ve eaten them.  What they don’t do is make me want to continue to drive and work, which is not good, so ultimately I don’t stop and have them, which ultimately means I go without food on the days I don’t take something from home, which ultimately means I go hungry most days!

Obviously I should, can and do take homemade food to work, but not always and anyway, why can’t I have the pleasure of finding good food out and about. It is crazy how much easier it is to get a pasty, burger, fried chicken, fish & chips, pizza, sandwiches, subs, rolls (they all come under the same bready category) - a bakery can be found in every village or town, but try and find something in there which is light and even slightly healthy.  Some may have a pre packed salad or two sitting in their chiller, or just one flavour of soup on offer but to be honest the ones that do, well, lets say no more.

Desperation

The truth of the matter is this, having driven past fast food outlets deciding against going in, but deciding instead that upon entering the town they lay on the outskirts of I will find something more suitable there, I have actually been bereft of anything after walking up and down the high street searching for something ‘nice’.  Just ‘nice’.  I try to be less fussy than usual on so many occasions so I can at least be satisfied, but all I find is that well known bakery chain, or an independent which fares no better, a local supermarket or a deli which, come on, that’s a whole other story - when did we put a few jars of chutney on a shelf and a couple of hams in a cabinet and call it a deli in this country?

So hungry I go until one of two things happen - 1) either I get desperate (unusual), or 2) I come across a gem, a small independent cafe usually, where they have actually thought about the food they want to offer, make fresh salads with great ingredients, have an interesting appetising take-away menu and soups which are homemade and taste it! 

If you too have found this all a bit of a problem, then let me know what you have found, and more importantly, let me know about the little ‘gems’ you have come across, it would help me a great deal when I’m out and about.

So keep watching this space as I will be making note of these little gems, yours and mine, along the way, so keep following to find out where they are.

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A Real Crowd Pleaser, Pulled Pork - Perfect!

A Real Crowd Pleaser, Pulled Pork - Perfect!

   September 02, 2020       Vussey

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 No Time For Faff?  No Problem, Make Pulled Pork

Easy yet so satisfying and a versatile dish too. If you have a busy day, the oven does all the cooking and the end result is a dish which tastes as though you have been slaving away for hours! 

Exceptional flavours that can only come from long low slow cooking - those flavours you put together with the pork is up to you, but I have given my recommendation below in the recipe here for Spicy Pulled Pork.  I like a hit of heat to cut through the unctuous melting pork.

For more information on the added ingredient I chose to give a twist and depth to the mix, look at Daily Dose, the 60ml cold pressed ginger, which is actually a blend of ginger, lemon cayenne and agave. This is lovely and fiery, which is why I decided to add it, though this is entirely optional. 

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Victory Tower

Victory Tower

   August 31, 2020       Vussey

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Standing Elegantly Tall It Gave Me An Idea...

Walking through the grounds of the beautiful Blenheim Palace, I felt inspired to make my very own Victory Tower - the Victory Plait.

I felt what I made should remind me of the tower, have some elegance about the flavours and be popular with everyone.  

So that being said, If you make nothing else from this blog then make this Victory Plait. You will find you’ll make it time and again, not only to snack on at home, for lunch or dinner, but also to take to friends, parties, or make for a special occasion. It truly is versatile, as it looks good and has flavours which elevate it to the next level. 

Try it for yourself, find the recipe below.

For info:

The sausagemeat I have used was really good quality packet sausagemeat however, depending on where I shop, I might buy really good quality sausages and skin them.

For those of you that are disappointed I haven’t made my own pastry - I really like to use puff pastry for this, and ready made is best unless you have loads of time on your hands.

 

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You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

   August 29, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, Do We Know How What We Eat Is Affecting Us?

Brain Health

Did you know that your brain uses more energy than any other organ!  

Did you also know that what we eat affects how we feel and who we are, especially our emotions and lifestyle, like depression, anxiety, and our memory functions like dementia for example.

Many foods can affect our brain function, even in their most simple form. An additive which we are all aware of, is MSG, Monosodium Glutamate.  Myself especially, as you will by now know, I am a Migraineur, and as such, MSG is my nemesis!  Why is this?  It is actually a poison, a toxin which acts on the nervous system, which in turn encourages nerve cells to fire more rapidly and more frequently. Basically, the brain cells are overstimulated, and all this rapid firing means a migraine may result.  In children this could mean an emotional outburst perhaps, which is where ADHD comes in.

However, as with many things in food these days, these ingredients are very difficult to identify as they come in all different guises.

What should we do? 

Bottom line is we want to protect our brain and brain health so we need to eat more protein.  Protein breaks down into amino acids, and in turn makes a key neurotransmitter called dopamine which is incredibly important for focus and memory.

In addition, the brain is approx. 65% fat, so good fats, omega 3 especially, are very good for our brains, so we need to support this by eating good healthy fats. Egg yolks are perfect for our brains, as well as nutty butters and avocados.

Gut Health

“Death begins in the colon“ - Élie Metchnikoff

Extensive research shows that Children with brain, immune and gut disorders which are interlinked, are also being affected with disorders such as ADHD, allergies, depression, delays in learning, behaviour problems, and some chronic illnesses. There is no surprise then, that these groups are also found to have a poor diet, low in nutritional values.

I have to admit, I have seen on many occasions scenes such as a young child mis-behaving with the parent struggling to keep control and though the child is very young, they are drinking ‘liquid candy’ as I like to call it, a sweet fizzy drink, and I have seen very young toddlers in pushchairs eating crisps and sweets. Is it really no surprise then that obesity hit an all time high among 10 and 11 year olds in 2019, over 20% being obese, when we are conditioning our very young children to these very high in sugar treats? What are we doing to our children?  

What If We Set Ourselves A Task?

The next time you talk to a young person, ask them what they ate last, it’ll give you an idea of what is going on and, if you would like to go a step further, quiz them on some foods, I guarantee they’ll not know what you’re talking about. It’s very sad, and we need to determine what our priorities are, I think as a nation we focus on all the wrong things.

What does it all mean?

 

 

What it comes down to it, what you put in, is what you get out - the basic philosophy for everything. When we load our bodies full of carbohydrates which are high in starch and high in sugars, it makes us sluggish and tired, and eventually too much of these bad carbohydrates, turn into sugars which in turn cause us to be fat. 

Fats, good healthy fats, don’t cause us to be fat. Sugars cause us to be fat. A high intake of bad carbohydrates, and especially sugar, will weaken our immune function too, and now more than ever we need to ensure our immune systems are functioning at their optimum levels.

It is my opinion that we should eat everything in moderation. Good carbs, like fruit and veg are good for us, and even the breads and the pastas can provide energy for the body. We will know when we’re not burning the sugar into energy and it’s getting turned instead into body fat as it will sit in the tummy area, as this is where the problem will first start.  Our bodies not using those carbohydrates as they should leads to obesity, because it means we are not using the insulin hormone efficiently, leading to insulin resistance, therefore leading to obesity.

It’s not difficult to follow a good healthy lifestyle and its not boring at all. In fact it is absolutely scrumptious (can I use that word and still keep my credibility?) - the problem is discipline actually. If we don’t get ourselves into a good enough cycle, eating the right foods at the right times then we crave the wrong foods. Our body, brain chemicals quite literally crave sugar and encourage us to grab the nearest junk food we can get our hands on for energy and satisfaction.  That’s when we look for that food, buy it, and eat it as usually this is a quick fix alternative.

The good thing about protein is it keeps us fuller for longer and stops us from craving those high sugar foods throughout the day.

So if we are what we eat then we need to seriously start to think more about the foods we are putting into our bodies because the food industry are too slow to act for us, so we need to take ownership.

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Really Satisfying, This Soup Will Please For Any Occasion

Really Satisfying, This Soup Will Please For Any Occasion

   August 16, 2020       Vussey

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 Not Just Comforting, So Good

Soup is probably one of my favourite meals to make as I find it an incredibly easy and interesting dish to do, not to mention that you can change it up each time so it’s an experiment and you never know how it’s going to turn out which makes it all the more exciting. 

There are so many different flavour combinations you can try, it is endless, so it really is a good meal to make when you have leftovers in the fridge.

I like to add a little twist each time too, something I have in my store cupboard or fridge, so this time I have added the Pelagonia aivar which I really like as an accompaniment with all different foods, and something I use occasionally in dishes.

Thought I would share this particular soup with you this time as it has a great depth of flavour I think you’ll love!  By the way, the sweet stands for the sweet potato, for those who haven’t guessed, and the soup is not sweet, just succulent. Try it.

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Fantastic Potato Mash Topped Fish Pie

Fantastic Potato Mash Topped Fish Pie

   August 12, 2020       Vussey

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Piled With Fish and Packed Full Of Flavour

This is one of my favourite dishes and is a family favourite too. Fish pie is one of those recipes which most people will have done at one time or another and I’m  almost certain that most will make it differently - one thing is for sure though,  when thinking of making this dish, ensure the following:

• The ingredients are easy to come by
• The method is easy enough to follow
• The end result is fabulous

If you want to ensure all those three points, then look no further, and follow my recipe, you will not be disappointed. 

Once you have tried and tested it, you may then want to change up the fish - occasionally,  when I feel like making more of a luxurious version, I will use monkfish and when I can’t get hold of undyed smoked haddock (I don’t like to use the dyed, yellow smoked haddock), I will use smoked cod.  I will also change the sauce and herb variation on occasion. 

I like to add the sweet potato to my mash as white potato has no real flavour all on it’s own, and if I were making it for me only, I would make the mash with just sweet potato and butter beans.

However, I will always use raw fish. I never cook the fish beforehand, as I find that this way I end up with the fish perfectly cooked and not overdone as it’s cooked twice, and the juices from the fish whilst cooking blend in with the sauce - for this reason, keep the sauce very thick. 

So, try it, taste it, and let me know what you think.

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If The Cap Fits...

If The Cap Fits...

   August 09, 2020       Vussey

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 Let Me Ask, How Do You feel About Sauce In a Jar?

Now I am not talking about condiments here, or dipping sauces, I’m talking about cooking sauces.  It’s something I wrestle with every now and again when making a dish which I’ve had and loved for many years. Then, the readymade sauces were relatively new, exciting and enticing, they added an additional element to a dish which was difficult to replicate, and still are, even now without using a plethora of ingredients and multiple steps. However, similarly, then I wasn’t aware of all the ingredients in the sauce that now, I am not as happy about having in my food.

What’s my Problem?

I can’t be sure whether these products have got better or worse over time, but I can be sure that my tastes have changed, and my opinions most certainly have too.

However, why I wrestle, is there are still some recipes where I long to use these jars of sauces, as without them, no matter what I try, the end result never tastes the same. In fact not nearly as good.

Clever cooks or laborious cooking can do it, making these tastes, pastes and sauces from scratch, and do it well.  However, the sauce would take as much time and effort as the main dish and sometimes that is not the point, and although fairly good it is not the same result, and memories are memories.

There are also some amazing companies out there who produce some excellent sauces which add that certain je ne sais quoi to lots of recipes and the recipes wouldn’t be the same without it, which kind of makes you ask, apart from making it your own, why not add it if it’s that good? But for me I think it’s about a couple of things, it’s knowing what I know now about sugars, salts and other additives which are in these sauces, there are some mean old jars and cans of stuff out there on the shelves, and when I say mean, I don't refer to that in a good way! Also, I prefer to cook everything myself from scratch, ideally - I go back to what I have said before, when you cook it yourself, you know what’s in it, you can be a confident cook about your ingredients.

What Do We Know?

I have come to the conclusion that, if the ingredients are good then it is okay to cheat. Someone has gone to great lengths to perfect that product. I do check what is in it, and I will only buy quality products, which is the same for everything I buy, so that’s no exception, and though I do feel slightly guilty when using it, though I still don’t know why, I allow myself the pleasure of doing so occasionally.

The hardest thing, is there are so many of them on the shelves, it’s become a minefield. If you take pasta sauces alone, there are hundreds! Tomato, tomato and basil, tomato, basil and garlic, on and on it goes.  Personally, I have used Homepride sauces many times as I can always trust their consistency and love their depth of flavour which I find difficult to replicate. Their Sweet & Sour sauce is top drawer when slow cooked with belly pork.

My favourite are homemade from farm shops or deli’s here and there, so I never miss an opportunity to stop and shop when I see one, and researching on the internet is also a good source. 

A Tasty Addition

If you wanted to find out the best overall sauces, look online as there will always be a survey comparing them, however, I like to go with my own opinions on this. I look first at the origin, and then the ingredients, then try for myself. 

Another good thing about jar and canned sauces are their versatility. It’s good to use them in different ways that mixes things up a little, just because they say pasta sauce for example, it doesn’t mean it has to be used with pasta, try pouring over chicken breasts and sprinkling with cheese before baking in the oven for a bubbling succulent oven baked Chicken dish.

So...Does the cap fit? Is there a place for these sauces and pastes? My answer is yes there is, take the cap off and use them, now and again, and only now and again. Don’t lose your own cooking identity and flare in the kitchen, keep experimenting. But once in a while, you will know when you need to use it, and if you’re like me you will love finding the ones which are really good, so as long as it is, then use it.

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Try My Tiny Twist on The Classic Bruschetta

Try My Tiny Twist on The Classic Bruschetta

   August 05, 2020       Vussey

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A Game of Two halves

My take on the Italian Bruschetta, closely linked, however I sometimes like to change it up according to what I fancy and this is an example of one of those times. With this particular recipe I swapped out the oil and garlic rub on the toasted bread for butter.  I love to taste the silkiness of the melting salty butter on hot griddled bread, and no more so than when it is topped with freshness and a burst of flavours! With butter, though, how could I have called it Bruschetta!

The two dishes, the bacon and tomato dish are best served together on the bread, however can be served separately, making the two halves.

I don’t like food waste, and try to use as much as I possible can. The asparagus ends are the pieces that you would normally throw away, the ends you normally snap off, however I save them, once snapped, in the fridge, and then use as much of that end as I can. You will find they are a perfect little addition to this dish.

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Teach Them About Food, Then Teach Them To Cook

Teach Them About Food, Then Teach Them To Cook

   August 01, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, What are Cookery Classes in Schools These Days?

Now I can’t speak about every school but I do know that when my children were growing up their experience of cookery class at school was more a mockery than cookery. These lessons were a waste of time and a disrespectful waste of money for us parents who had to purchase the ingredients, only for their child to be making nothing but a fruit salad here, fairy cakes from a cake mix there, and some cornflake cakes in between!

Where to Start?

Where would you start if you were to go into a school and look long term at making a difference? I mean really long term. Let’s look at the obesity that is prevalent right now, the government is trying desperately to prove they can come up with a solution to this problem, and yet again, it’s  another case of ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’.

To solve a long term pain, you have to go back to it’s rotten roots - in this case, nip this in the bud early.  Jamie Oliver did a sterling job with this when he went into the schools and took to task with the dinner ladies, no mean feat I am sure! The problem with the school dinners, apart from the budget they were working to, is if you offer children an unhealthy option, they will nearly always choose it because they not only prefer that kind of food, but also, when you are hungry, your body craves sugar therefore you will automatically opt for the refined carbohydrates.  Having those food groups on the menu meant that they were not only going to present a health problem now but also also later on in life.  In addition, children eating these foods in the middle of the day were affecting their sugar levels and making them unnecessarily tired, therefore any afternoon classes were stilted before they started!

But I digress - though the school dinners are important and the government are looking at these now, I believe that the cookery classes in school are just as, if not more important and something that has not been addressed.

Fruit or Fish

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime. - Anne Ritchie

Teaching someone about food, and how to cook means ultimately they will rely less on take-aways, processed foods and oven boxed meals. 

How many young adults, or even adults do you meet that don’t know anything about food, and can’t recognise certain fruits, or vegetables these days? Where does this stem from and what’s the answer?

When my daughter was 14 her cookery class equivalent was called ‘Food Tech’.  By the name it would lead you to believe that the lesson has evolved and become one which not only teaches them how to cook but also teaches them all about food groups, nutrition, production and processes etc. No. Fruit salad. That was what they had to learn to do on one occasion. Fruit salad!  Not a special fruit salad with exotic fruits that might have followed on from some kind of fruit identification class, it was just an ordinary, very simple fruit salad. No skill, no cooking, and in my opinion, nothing a 14 year old needed to learn. 

After many more pointless cooking sessions such as that, I refused to allow her to attend the class, on the grounds that not only was she learning absolutely nothing from them, but it was also costing me money buying needless ingredients. I can honestly say that not one class did she ever cook anything that resembled a meal.

What Could we Learn From This?

How about a lesson looking at fish, including descaling, skinning and deboning. Fish is such an important part of our diet and something that is being eaten less and less as more people are becoming unsure of how to treat and eat this wonderful food.  Also, Identifying fruits and vegetables, tastIng and discussing their similarities or how they might compliment each other. Looking at meat maps, learning about different cuts, and what this means to the cooking process and taste? Another really important lesson is about store cupboard essentials and why it’s good to have these to hand.  All these things are necessary skills to take with you as you get older, but more importantly this knowledge is the basic footing we all need before we start to think about cooking, what to cook and how we want to cook it.

So, What About Obesity?

There are so many confusions around food, diets and nutrition. Too many mixed messages. Without pointing fingers and preaching, without advocating or contradicting, when it all comes down to it, if you ‘know your onions’ you will literally make better food choices in life, which will result in a better you. After all, you really are what you eat, so make sure you know what you’re eating. Cook it yourself and then you know - but without the knowledge it simply is not possible, and this all starts from an early age.  Both school and parents have a big part to play, the children who learn from their parents are lucky to have that guidance however not all children have that as we know, so if schools have cooking classes, why not start teaching them to cook. 

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More Heaven Than Hell, This Simple Eggs In Purgatory Is Delightful

More Heaven Than Hell, This Simple Eggs In Purgatory Is Delightful

   July 29, 2020       Vussey

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A Quick Comfort Dish - You Have To try This Old Favourite

It really is comfort food at its very best. I have enjoyed this most when tired, at the end of a long day when there is nothing I want to cook, I cant think what I want to eat and then I remember this dish!   It’s also great for breakfast when you fancy something a little different, and instead of bread on the side, some crispy bacon compliments it fantastically.

The beauty of this dish is that it’s made solely from store cupboard ingredients, so truly is one of those dishes which you can whip up whenever you are lost for anything to cook.  On the flip side, you can give it a twist by adding a whole host of different ingredients to the tomatoes. 

A real winner!

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These are a Few of my Favourite Things...

These are a Few of my Favourite Things...

   July 26, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, What Would Be Your Last Meal?

Difficult question isn’t it? One I have been asked many times, and it always gets me thinking. However, on reflection, I think some of the most satisfying meals I have eaten have been dishes like these, foods you prepare rather than cook. They take little or no effort, they have nothing to do with skill, yet they have everything to do with great quality produce.  That’s what it’s all about. Find something you love and put it together on a plate to make it sing!

Raw Fish 

Sashimi has to be the perfect way to enjoy fresh fish at its best. I like to take mine from the fridge a short while before serving so I get the full impact of flavour from the fish, and then serve just simply with some ginger, wasabi, lemon or soy. Even au naturel is beautiful and delicate, or make a dipping sauce with flavours which balance - whichever way, the star has to be the fish. Ceviche, another big favourite of mine, very similar to Sashimi, though traditionally you would chop up the fish and add a few more ingredients as well as citrus which then cures the fish (though I have to say I prefer to slice my fish).

Juicy Fruit

I have loved beautiful big beef tomatoes since I was a small child visiting France and I used to have these for lunch with crusty french baguette and lashings of salty french butter.  There, the tomatoes were always so ripe, but not over ripe and you could taste the sweetness. This paired with the saltiness of the butter, and when the two soaked into crusty bread, made it almost slightly pink with the juice of the tomato, was heaven on a plate, and I simply needed nothing more. In fact I went on as an adult to have this for breakfast quite often when in France, it was a great fresh way to start the day. 

The tomato I used here was from Italy and cost £4.30 for one which although sounds expensive,  as a massive meat eater, I can quite honestly say that this dish is always as satisfying and hearty as any steak meal. For an added twist, I have crumbled Graceburn cheese on top, drizzled with olive oil, balsamic glaze and sprinkled lightly with micro basil.

I guess I haven’t answered the big question either though have I? However it still remains a difficult one for me as I hope to continue to discover new tastes, more surprises so I have an even wider variety of choice - until then.....well these are two of my favourite things, and watch this space for more to come.

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Dining and Dogs - Not a Good Mix

Dining and Dogs - Not a Good Mix

   July 24, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, Why Not Leave Them At Home?

Now I get that they may have gone for a walk and then you have stopped off at the pub for a drink, but the two should be separate activities. Enjoy the walk with your dog, don’t then punish it and everyone else by taking it into the pub. 

I don’t agree with dogs in pubs, restaurants, hotels, cafe’s, in fact anywhere where they serve food of any kind.  It simply isn’t right,  is not a good mix, and quite frankly should be stopped! Talk about smoking being banned, lets put a ban on dogs! Caveat here, apart from guide dogs, of course, it goes without saying. But It is simply disgusting that they should be around people anywhere who are eating, for one, and with hotels, I stay away a lot of the time and seriously, they should not be allowed to stay in the rooms, what are kennels for?   

The owners are irresponsible as they do nothing to help the situation, if the dog is barking they won’t take it outside or deal with it, they let it bark. If the dog jumps up at someone, they say it’s affectionate and harmless! However if a small child were to behave in much the same way there would be many an upturned nose!  

The barking is very intrusive, yes, and can ruin an occasion, however it is the smell which is most off putting and in some places you can tell there is a dog present even before seeing it. If you are going there to eat, frankly it’s a right put off. I say, bring back the smoking, at least it would detract from the smell of dog!

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Who doesn’t Love a Curry?

Who doesn’t Love a Curry?

   July 20, 2020       Vussey

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This is an Uncomplicated Curry Recipe Anyone Can try, Everyone Will Love

The beauty of this recipe is that when you make it for guests they will think you have been cooking for hours, however it’s child’s play, so quick and simple, so much so I passed it on to my son when he was at Uni.  It was especially good for him because he was able to adapt it according to what meat he had leftover, or what he could afford and it became a real hit.

I have described It here using leftover chicken from the roast which is excellent for this recipe, and have loved it using wild king prawns which can be deveined, shelled and put in towards the end, so succulent. Any fresh meat, fish, shellfish or vegetables are ideal.

I use a bought ready made curry paste as this is what makes the dish easy and quick, these pastes are excellent as they have been developed using all the correct spices which would take you a lot longer to perfect, therefore all the hard work has been done for you. All you need to do is make the decision on which one is right for your recipe!

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Find Out What Makes Me Mad!

Find Out What Makes Me Mad!

   July 18, 2020       Vussey

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Let Me Ask, When Was the Last Time You Complained?

Is the lack of complaints from the British people because we are a Jolly Old Bunch, because we put up and shut up or simply because we know no better? I would guess it’s the latter, because we have become so accustomed to poor and shoddy service that we now know no better. Feel free, as always, to comment if you believe I am wrong....

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Steak Tender, Full of Flavour and Salad with Delicate Asian Notes, this Dish Really Does Take You on a Journey.

Steak Tender, Full of Flavour and Salad with Delicate Asian Notes, this Dish Really Does Take You on a Journey.

   July 17, 2020       Vussey

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How do you like your steak cooked?

With this dish there really is only one answer to that question......

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