A glorious end to a glorious weekend, filled with friends, fun and far too much food.

Friday night started with dinner at friends, and they had made, with drinks, a sweet and sour spiced nut mix that was AMAZING. I will give you the recipe here. I made it on Satuday with roasted pumpkin seeds instead, which was good, but not quite as gorgeous as the pecans.

Saturday we had friends for dinner here, and I turned to Diana Henry for inspiration. An English food writer, her books are my absolute favorite. If ever I don’t know what to make, I turn to Diana Henry. In Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons, she uses a fair amount of Moroccan and Middle Eastern food, mixing the sweet and sour, all delicately spiced which is the sort of food I adore. And more, I adore that it’s all food that can be prepared in advance - comforting tagines and casseroles, no last-minute fiddling.

I made Moroccan chicken with tomatoes and saffron-honey jam, then berries for dessert, with figs stuffed with marzipan and almonds, dipped in chocolate, also courtesy of Diana Henry. It was delicious.

And yesterday we wandered over to Greenwich for a book party for the Countess Christina de Vogue who has written a sumptuous book called Decadent Desserts. Tall, ridiculously elegant, with dramatic make-up and swept back hair, a permanent cigarette in a long, thin cigarette holder, and a throaty French accent, the Countess was mesmerising. She stood and told the story of this book, which contains her own story, of how she came to be lady of Chateaux Vaux-le-Vicomte, 50 km outside of Paris.

She told of her mistakes, of the time their restaurant hosted a party from IBM, and they had requested strawberry meringues. Making them in advance, she asked the chef how to ensure the meringues would stay stiff. ‘Use lots and lots of sugar,’ he advised.

She did, whipping the egg whites and sugar into a frenzy, relieved that they came out just as perfectly as the chef had said.

At the end of the evening the representative from IBM asked to see her. ‘Why is it,’ he asked, ‘the meringues are so salty?’

Whoops.

The party was held in the home of her cousin, extraordinarily gracious and comfortable, stacks of books everywhere, an exquisite collection of Majolica wherever you looked, and fascinating people, many French and Italian. It reminded me of home, of living so close to Europe, of dipping into French naturally as part of the conversation (not that I could possibly do that anymore - my french these days is terrible), and it was all topped off with a table of delicious, and truly decadent desserts.

Sweet & sour nuts

1/2 lb pecans (or other nuts)
packet of sweetened cranberries
1 large orange, rind and juice
1 lemon, rind, and half juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
3 or 4 good shakes of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together, except nuts and cranberries which you mix together in a separate bowl.
Combine two bowls, spread mixture flat on cookie sheet, and toast in a 350 oven for around 20 minutes - check.

Moroccan chicken with tomatoes and saffron-honey jam (serves 4)

8 pieces of jointed chicken
seasoning
olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 3/4 lbs diced tomatoes (I used canned)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
5 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon orange flower water (I order mine online, but you could substitute orange juice)
handful of toasted flaked almonds
small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped.

Season chicken pieces and quickly brown them in a casserole dish. Remove, and cook onion in same pan until soft and just coloring. Add garlic, cinnamon and ginger, and stir for around a minute. Tip in tomatoes, mix together well, turn heat down and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring from time to time.

Boil stock and dissolve saffron in it. Pour over onions and spices and bring to boil. Set chicken pieces on top, together with any juices from chicken, and spoon liquid over them. Turn down to gentle simmer, cover and cook until chicken is tender, around 30 minutes.

Remove chicken pieces, set aside, cover and keep warm. Bring juices to boil and simmer until well reduced - there should be nothing sloppy about it. Add honey, continue to cook until well-reduced and jam-like. Check seasoning, add orange flower water. Put chicken pieces back and warm through in sauce.

Serve scattered with toasted almonds and chopped cilantro, with couscous or flatbread on the side.

Stuffed figs dipped in chocolate

20 figs
whole almonds
marzipan
dark chocolate

Make small knife slits to form a cross in the base of the fig. Fill with pea-sized ball of marzipan and whole almond.
Melt chocolate (supposed to be in a bain-marie but I always do it, very slowly, in the microwave), and dip entire fig in chocolate.
Put on wax paper and leave to set in fridge.

This is for Marilyn..

1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 cups good stock (I use 2 telma stock cubes, either vegetable, or onion)
seasoning

Heat the butter, and when foaming, add the parsnips, apples, and onions. Soften them but do not let them color.

Add the curry powder, the spices and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring well. Pour in the stock slowly, stirring until well mixed. Cover and simmer gently for about half an hour, or until the parsnips are quite soft. Puree with hand-held blender, and add more water/stock if too thick.

You can also add cream for a less-healthy version, and garnish with chopped chives.

Last night I flicked through the Junior League cookbook for inspiration, and settled upon French onion soup for dinner, because it’s freezing, and there’s nothing quite like French onion soup, with oozing gruyere cheese, to warm you up.

I added some thyme and red wine. Many recipes call for the addition of cognac, brandy, sherry, or white wine, and you work with what you have, and it is also fine to leave out the alcohol altogether. I wish I had put the thyme in a small bag of cheesecloth (or one of those gauze bandages we all have in the back of the first aid cupboard), tied up with string. I ended up fishing it our rather carefully, as I realised it felt a bit like crunching down on pot-pourri.

Speaking of working with what you have, I decided to adapt a Jamie Oliver recipe for the main course - In Jamie’s Italy he has a recipe for pork chops with sage, and he stuffs the pork with a heavenly flavored butter, which uses apricots, prosciutto, garlic and sage.

I realised however, standing in the pantry frantically scouring shelves, that I had no apricots. This is only surprising because The Sherpa has said, not unkindly, that heaven forbid there were to be an emergency and there was no food available, we could all quite happily live off the food in my pantry for a good year. This is not untrue. I have cans and cans, and jars and jars, and boxes and boxes. I seem to have this fear of running out, and heaven forbid there are no anchovies when you need them…

But there were no apricots, and I am lazy, so I did what I so often do, and searched for a substitution, which is sometimes wonderful, and sometimes beyond Godawful terrible. Last night I used dried figs instead of dried apricots, and it was magnificent - I even, dare I admit it, preferred the figs to the original recipe.

I also used dried sage instead of fresh, as had no dried, and my friend The Artist had brought me round a ’smudge stick’, to clear my house of bad energy after the incident with Knife-Wielding Maniac. I haven’t got round to using the smudge stick, which now looks like a smudge stick that has been on a starvation diet for about six months, thanks to me throwing half in to dinner last night.

And as a side, braised red cabbage, the cabbages being the last of my crop from the vegetable garden. Have no idea what the gopher has against red cabbage - he seemed to bloody well like everything else in the garden, but I’m rather glad he left the cabbages for us.

This is a sweet and sour dish that I remember my mother making in my youth. I drew on a number of different recipes for inspiration, because the first round was incredibly bland, and it needed some oomph, which I found with Allspice, and cinnamon.

It was quick, it was easy, and it was impressive - always a good thing for a lazy gourmet like myself. I haven’t got the time or the patience to fiddle around for hours with hundreds of ingredients. I want quick, easy, but I want it to look like it took me all day.

The pork loin truly was the easiest thing in the world, and would have been eminently suitable for an evening far more formal than a casual kitchen supper.

My boyfriends, Beloved and I went through the plans with a fine toothcomb. We all agree on the changes, and there is only one major one, which is moving the staircase in the main house. I felt like we were so close, and it’s so hard to go back to the architect and ask her to change something as important as a staircase, but necessary.

One of the things I am learning is that this is a process that has to take time. The longer we live with the plans, look at them, talk about them, the clearer our needs are, and those niggling little doubts, that something could be better, leap out in sharp focus after a few days, and you know you have to make it right.

One last thing. In flicking through the Junior League cookbook, I notice there is a recipe for Narcissa Titman’s curried pea soup. I love curried pea soup. It’s one of my most favorite recipes in the world, mostly because I make it with an onion, a bag of frozen peas, stock, and flavor it with curry, cumin, ginger and coriander.

(Could not be easier: soften a finely chopped onion in butter and oil, add bag of frozen peas, add stock, simmer, puree with a hand-held blender, season to taste with the spices, simmer on very low heat to let spices absorb. Serve with dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche).

Narcissa Titman makes it with a french base called a ‘mire-poix’, which is the standard base of all French stock, and the foundation of most soups: finely diced onions, carrots and celery, but I wasn’t interested in the recipe (although I’m sure it is delicious). I was interested in the name.

Isn’t it the most fabulous name you’ve ever heard? I’m now dying to use it for a character, but of course I can’t because, um, she exists, and she’d probably sue me.

(Whoops. Just back from googling Ms Titman. She is friends with Amanda Hesser who is a fabulous food writer - I have all her books and recommend them hugely - and seems Ms Titman is a wonderful cook. May now have to - gasp - roll up my sleeves and get working, finely chopping those vegetables for the mire-poix to try out her recipe.)

In the meantime, here are my recipes from last night, which are very little work, do not involve any fine dicing, but taste wonderful, nevertheless.

French Onion Soup

1/2 stick butter (8 Tablespoons)
4 onions, thinly sliced
4 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 cup red wine (or brandy, cognac, sherry or white wine)
seasoning
dash of Worcestershire sauce
thyme
grated Gruyere cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
one baguette
olive oil

Melt the butter in a large heavy pan (I use a Le Creuset which are perfect) and add the onions, stirring constantly on a low heat until they are soft and caramelising - around 20 minutes.

Add brown sugar. Stir. Add stock, wine, seasoning and booze. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 1/2 and hour to an hour. Add Worcestershire sauce.

When ready to serve, slice baguette, toast, ladle soup into bowls and cover each with thick handful of Gruyere. Top with slice of toast, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan then run under broiler to melt and brown.

Loin of Pork stuffed with figs, prosciutto and sage

1 loin of pork, around 1 1/2 lbs
6 dried figs
1/2 stick butter
4 slices prosciutto
1 clove of garlic
8 fresh sage leaves, or about 1 teaspoon if using dried which is far more pungent.
Seasoning
Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
olive oil

Cut a pocket along the length of the pork, almost going through to the other side, but being careful not to. Think of the Muppets, and you will get the idea.

In a cuisinart, pulse the butter, figs, prosciutto, garlic, sage, and seasoning, until a paste.

Fill loin with paste, and wrap with string to keep it together.

Mix mustard and honey together, covering meat with the paste.

Drizzle with oil, cook on 350 for an hour.

Braised red cabbage

1 large red cabbage, thinly sliced into strips
1 apple, peeled, cored, thinly sliced into strips
1 onion, chopped small
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped small
1/4 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Olive oil
Knob of butter

Sautee onion and garlic in oil and butter, in shallow casserole dish with lid.

Add cabbage and apple, stir until softened.

Add rest of ingredients, stir well, cover with lid, and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

I quite often make fish cakes, even though the Smalls are extremely undecided about fish, unless it comes battered and fried, with chips on the side (English version of chips, i.e. fries)

The other day I decided to make fish balls instead. I Googled a recipe as I wanted to use a white fish rather than my usual fish cakes of either tuna or salmon, and I had no idea how they would turn out.

It was a major winner. They are so completely delicious, I urge you to try them.

I had them cooling on the counter and the Smalls went bananas. I didn’t, obviously, tell them they were fish balls. I just said nothing. Mention the ‘f’ word and I think they would have gone running, but as it was, they recognised it was something fried, ergo, unhealthy, and proceeded to swipe about half of them.

(Even the Maniac, who generally eats nothing but cheese and pasta)

FRIED FISH BALLS

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Lb Haddock Fillet Skinned
• 1 1/2 Lb Cod Fillet Skinned
• 1 and 1/2Medium Onion
• 3 Eggs
• 3 Tsp Salt
• Pinch White Pepper
• 3 Tsp Sugar (I actually ended up adding much more - am guessing around 5 to 6, but you want it to taste slightly sweet and salty)
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (Again, I used tons more - it was far too wet so I kept adding until the mixture was firm enough to roll into loose balls).

Method

1. Wash fish and leave to drain.

2. Peel and chop onion into 1″ chunks. Put into food processor with the eggs seasoning and oil. Process until mixture is a smooth paste

3. Pour into large bowl add flour, stir and leave to swell.

4. Cut fish into 1″ chunks and put into the food processor half at a time. Process for 5 seconds until the fish is finely chopped.

5. Add to onion mix puree and blend by hand.

6. The mixture should be firm enough to shape into a ball about the size of a large meatball. If not firm enough add a little more of the breadcrumbs, if too firm add a little water.

7. Add enough oil (about 1″ deep) to a frying pan and heat. Carefully lower fish balls into oil and fry turning often over a moderate heat until they are an even brown. Remove when cooked and drain on kitchen roll. Can be served hot or left to cool.

I also need to show you a picture of these flowers. Only because I picked them up in Stop and Shop, and it just goes to show you that grocery store flowers can look gorgeous. The trick is to arrange them in your hand, adding each flower at an angle, then cutting the stalks short. Also, make sure the colors blend - no purples with oranges please.

These are just supercheap Alstromeria (which lasts forever), lilac roses, and green Hypericum berries, arranged in a tight bunch, short stalks in a simple square vase. Aren’t they gorgeous? And for around thirty dollars, they look like a fancy floral arrangement that should have cost an awful lot more.

I have been instructed to drop all important activities and write something immediately “about the debate…please…” also.

So, my apologies for not blogging today. Also, sick children, doctors, playdates that went horribly wrong (of course it involved The Maniac. He phoned this afternoon from his playdate’s house and said sadly, ‘Mum, I am having a bad day. Can you come get me.’ It reminded me that Friday afternoon, also, is probably not the best time for the Smalls to have playdates - my fault entirely). Also.

And honestly, I don’t have much to say about the debate, other than, also, how much more interesting was it than Obama/McCain? Also. Honestly, I fell asleep after about twenty minutes of the Presidential one, but last night was riveting. Also. All I’ll say was Palin was far better than I expected, also did far better than in the Katie Couric interviews (although, darn! Can that woman talk…), also, and Biden? Well, let’s put it like this. I may now be in love with Biden. Also.

‘Wouldja?’ Beloved asked, as we lay in bed and I kept going on and on about how wonderful he is.

‘Well…yeah, maybe’ I said, at which point Beloved started making disgusted faces and saying, ‘Oh my God, you want to sleep with a man older than your father, that’s just horrible.’

Also, I should have pointed out that I don’t want to sleep with anyone other than the gorgeous hunk a’ burnin’ love lying in bed next to me, but I didn’t. Also, I just continued to point out Biden’s pearly whites and twinkly eyes. Also.

The End. (also)

The Smalls have just left, and we have a - relatively - kidless weekend. The eldest daughter is staying tonight, and all of us are feeling under the weather so we are having comfort food for dinner, and I will confess, I did not cook today, I have bought. We have this fantastic pasta store - Villarina’s - and everything is fresh, and I just whizzed over there on the way back from dropping The Smalls at The Republican, and picked up eggplant parm and broccoli rabe.

I don’t normally like buying prepared food, but it feels like it’s been a long week, and honestly, what I really want to do is soak in a hot bath for a while and crawl into bed.

But before I go, I have tracked down the recipe for the Venison Stew from the other night. Whilst it was was amazingly delicious, it’s not my kind of recipe as it seems like a tremendous amount of work. I’m all about the easy recipes that take no work at all but taste like you’ve been slaving for hours. In this, you will have to slave for hours, but worth it for a special occasion perhaps?

Venison Stew (from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins)

2 cups chicken stock
2 cups Madeira
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
8 juniper berries, crushed
1 bay leaf
3 pounds boneless venison shoulder, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
8 oz bacon cut into 1″ pieces
3 tablespoons flour
1 rutabaga (about 2 1/2 lbs) peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
12 small white onions
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups pitted dates
1 large fennel bulb, julienned
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

(Cor Blimey. I’m exhausted already just typing all of that…)

METHOD:

* In a large bowl combine the stock, Madeira, red wine, vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon of pepper, juniper berries and bay leaf. Stir well and add venison. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
* Preheat oven to 350
* Drain venison, reserve marinade. Pat meat dry.
* Place a large flameproof casserole under medium heat, add bacon, and cook until lightly browned and fat is rendered. Using slotted spoon remove bacon and set aside.
* Add venison to casserole in batches and brown quickly over medium-high heat, adding more oil if necessary.
* Return all meat to casserole, sprinkle with flour and stir well. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add reserved marinade, cook another 2 minutes.
* Add rutabaga to casserole and bake on center rack for 45 minutes.
* While venison is cooking, place onions in pan of cold water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain onions, rinse in cold water, slip off skins but leave root end intact. Cut in half lengthwise
* (I’m thinking, at this point, my neighbor deserves a medal for making this…)
* Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add onions, cook for 2 mins, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and cook 1 more minute until caramelised. Remove onions set aside, also set aside skillet.
* Kill yourself
* (Kidding)
* Add onions and dates to venison, stir gently. Cover casserole and continue baking until tender. They say another 15 minutes. Our experience the other night says you might wanna try a little bit longer, say…45? Not for the meat, but those rutabagas can be bastards if they’re not soft enough…
* Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet. Add fennel, cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook until caramelized, 2 minutes, and set aside.
* When the venison is cooked, gently fold in the cooked fennel, adjust seasonings, and sprinkle with parsley.

Okay, if any of you actually can be bothered to make this recipe, and send me a picture, I will send you a prize. Honest. You’ll deserve it.

I may even send you a signed book. Also.