my favourite gadget

a guzzini lemon squeezer

cherry and almond cake

the flu and cures

have been really ill last week so no posts really bad flu ,though could'nt cancel driving lesson (bastards) so have been dosed up on paracetomal.
found some herbal recipies and teas(http://consciouschoice.com and http://toaherbfarm%20.com/ have some tips)that seem to alleviate the symtoms a little although rest and bed seem to be the only cure.i always find a really hot curry seems to do the trick our local is called the kushroom koly and its great for vege food they do this really good hydrebade hake/cod dish which we had on friday it is battered fish but it has a spicy batter i will try to find the recipe and experiment with it.last night i made a leek and lancashire cheese crumble with braised red cabbage with some leeks my brother brought me from his allotment
i sort of borrowed and adapted the recipe from "leiths vegetarian bible" i book i highly recommend if you are a vegertarian or grow lots of vegetables

• leek crumble serves 2
• 3 -4 leeks depending on size
• 100grms good strong lancashire cheese/or stilton or cheddar
• 1/2 pint bechamel/white sauce made with 2-1 ratio fat to flour and milk
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon of english mustard powder
• sea salt /black pepper /nutmeg
• crumble topping
• 120grms flour
• 60grms butter
• 1-2 tblsp. herbs sage ,parsley thyme etc.
• 1 tabls. sesame seeds
• braised red cabbage with apples and cloves
• 1/2 red cabbage sliced thinly
• 3 tablespons red wine vinegar/can use red wine or balsamic v.
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• i apple cored and sliced
• 1/2 tsp.cinnamon /3 whole cloves
• 1 red/white onion sliced
• 30 grms. butter
• 1 clove garlic
• sea salt/b.pepper

make red cabbge ,first toss all ingriedients together put in ovenproof dish dot with butter & wrap in foil .Bake in oven 150-180c/gas 3-4 for 1-2 hours stir after first hour to see if its done

Fry& soften leeks in pan (add a little water to stop burning ) add bechamel/cheese /salt/pepp/grating of nutmeg

make crumble topping

rub flour and butter together to a crumb add sesame seeds & herbs.Pour leek & sauce into oven proof dish top with crumble mix put in oven gas mark 180c/gas 6 for 20-30 mins

relax open wine

have got the allotment going thanks simon for new spade which i bought with the £20 pound note you gave me here is proof /evidence if you look yes it is your £20 note .

nothing growing yet though will keep you posted only took us a year waiting for a half plot long story.it was on tele though the blind allotment gardner on that grow your own vegetable porn show with that horrible carole -----from gardeners world which reminds me did anyone see monty on fri talking about allotments i missed it any links?

great local cheese in stockport market

was shopping in stockport at weekend and found some great cheese in covered market dek's i think the stall was called .will get some more info next time i think he's been there a while had some legh?/leigh toaster fantastic tasting strong lancashire type as well as good brie and a mature isle of arran cheddar (i think) best cheese i've tasted from a market stall and not wrapped up in plastic sweating like other stalls they also let me taste a melton mowbray stilton which was great so i will get some next time. and in the market hall got some local(new mills oatcakes) and real oven bottoms (flat barmcakes)from a stall selling bread cakes,and some good looking biscuits.

my email address is now ajhoyle@hotmail.co.uk

back to blogging life is really to short for blogging

well i'm back 1 year and a bit months later didn'nt really get blog started after initial inpiration from choclate and zucchini et al.then forgot password username etc. now spend what little time reading other peoples blogs.

did'nt get cafe started in manchester but did get busines off the ground well 2 actually one making cakes for the cafe that we took over from kro bar www.kro..co.uk in reddish and the same cafe franchise at broadstone mill .here is a picture of cafe with one of our employees who's birthday it was feb 14 valentines day.here is a picture of me doing a rik stein looky likey chef pose note the breathing in without showing holding me breath trick!

made some real belgian chocolate cookies well say i me partner rachel actually made them i had a hand in the shaping so to speak.got recipe from guardian on saturday (can't remember who though)so hopefully will try and publish more often once a week thats not pushing it too much