Love All!

What thoughts does Wimbledon conjure up? For some it may be the starched white outfits or the twang of the ball hitting the racquet; for others the tears, the tantrums, the triumph, the trophy!

For me it's all about the food and drink. Even as a child I would watch the players sipping their Robinsons barley water between games or having a nibble of a banana for energy. Of course, for the spectators there's much more on offer with hospitality, restaurants, fast food and picnics.

The quintessential ingredients for a day out at Wimbledon have to be a glass of Pimms (or a flute of Lanson Champagne if you prefer.) Finger sandwiches should be classic cucumber and cream cheese followed by a dish of strawberries and cream. Later you should move on to Afternoon Tea with a good old cup of English tea served with scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream.

There are many ways to serve Pimms and here is my version:

1 part Pimms No.1 

3 parts lemonade or ginger ale

Lots of ice cubes

Sage, mint and thyme leaves

Borage flowers

Lemon, cucumber and strawberry slices

 

Sir well and serve!

It really is ace!

Who's the Daddy?

Today is Father's Day; a day in which we celebrate fatherhood and male parenting. In our household it has been put on the back-burner due to exam revision and therefore our fathers have been given cards and gifts but are invited for dinner next Sunday. 

My husband and son did participate in a "lads and dads" competition at the Golf Club with my daughter and I joining them for Sunday Lunch. Whilst the Clubhouse has been given a thorough overhaul during the last 5 years and is now a lovely venue combining 125 years of tradition with a new modern edge, today felt like a step back in time for vegetarians!

I say Vegetarians but I believe I may have been the only one there today. We were asked several times "who is the vegetarian?" What I heard was "who is the awkward vegetarian?" Once I had admitted my disability (!) I was then given a choice:-

1) An omelette - surely we've moved on from the unimaginative 1970s?

2) A stir-fry - yes, just throw some prepared veggies around in a pan!

3) Mushroom Stroganoff - again a bit of a 1970s throwback.

As everyone else was having food from the carvery I went for the Stroganoff, expecting it to come with its usual accompaniment of boiled rice. No. A dish of button mushrooms in sauce arrived at the table. I was then asked to go to the carvery to get my roast potatoes to go with it. 

Vegetarian food has come a long way in the last few years with inspired and exciting dishes being created all over the world. Sadly, it would appear that inventive chefs have not yet arrived at old institutions like the Golf Club! Thank goodness it isn't Mother's Day!

The (Royal) Icing on the Cake!

IThis weekend, 10th, 11th, 12th June 2016 has been quite phenomenol. Her Majesty the Queen celebrated her (official) 90th Birthday. On Friday 10th she attended a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Saturday 11th was the Trooping of the Colour on Horse Guards Parade plus the balcony appearance by the Royal Family with the RAF flypast. Today, Sunday 12th, she has hosted The Patron's Lunch which was a huge street party picnic along the Mall. Wow! I imagine by now she'll have her feet up in front of the telly. It's only when you stop to really think of her, with Prince Philip at her side, that you realise just how amazing she is.

On Friday I was invited to a Royal Bake-Off afternoon tea at a friend's house. The 20 or so guests were asked to bake something, wear patriotic colours and turn up at 2pm prompt! The house, as well as the guests, was dressed to impress in red, white and blue. After a glass of fizz and a rousing rendition of God Save The Queen, we strolled out into the garden to complete a Royal quiz whilst the host's mother judged the baking. Winners of both the quiz and the bake-off were declared and we could then dig into Pimms, cake and tea! How very civilised! We then bagged some goodies to take home whilst making a contribution to charity AHC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMlEtKk2RE&feature=player_embedded

This was my cake:-

Saturday night we watched the Euros; England v Russia, with friends. A lovely evening 'tho' sometimes it's hard to feel patriotic when you read about the minority of "so called" fans behaving badly!

Today has been a day for celebration in England. Even more so in Yorkshire. Even more so in my home city of Leeds which was hosting the Triathlon World Series. GB's Vicky Holland got a Bronze in the women's triathlon. Even better, our local lads Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, secured Gold and Silver in style!

Perhaps it's time to bake some Brownies for the Brownlees!

Baking Hot near Bakewell!

Hurrah! It feels like summer has arrived! Walking with friends and dogs in the Derbyshire Dales this weekend, under huge clear skies past wind smoothed rocks, we worked up a fine appetite and dined at local hostelries. The food was good pub grub and menus included Bakewell Tart and Bakewell Pudding.

Bakewell is a small town in Derbyshire and the Pudding was accidentally invented there. It consists of a puff pastry base with layers of raspberry jam and frangipane. I ordered a portion at lunchtime and, 'though not particularly attractive, was delicious served with custard. I am more familiar with the Bakewell Tart, consisting of shortcrust pastry with layers of frangipane and jam with a topping of flaked almonds which can be eaten warm or cold. Apparently there is also a Bakewell Cake which is similar to the tart but has a top layer of icing and, sometimes, a cherry on the top! 

Bakewell Tart:-

I am guessing the Pudding is the most authentic:-

Recently I followed a recipe for Apple Bakewell which cut out the pastry altogether and used a biscuit base topped with a layer of Bramley apples and frangipane with flaked almonds. The people of Bakewell will be turning over in their graves at the very thought but, in the words of Plato, necessity is the mother of invention!