What a topping idea

Boy o boy, the dude who invented pizza must be rolling in his grave right now. Looks so wrong but tastes so right.

For my friend Nat's birthday (who you may remember from this post) we had a ladies night in with lots of good conversation, pizza and red wine. Perfecto!


Tune
Appetite for Destruction Guns n' Roses

Post-Halloween gloopy soup

Mental note: don't use sticky Charlotte potatoes for Potato and Leek soup, tastes great but ends up looking like a beige Ghostbusters slime

Leaf to Root eating

When I was little, my dad told me that every grain of rice I left on my plate would be a spot on my face when I was older. As a result, I have developed an obsessive aversion to throwing away food.
Very little went to waste in our household, any leftovers would be used for dinner the next day, and our fridge was always full of little dishes covered in cling film...and if you take a peek in my fridge today, it's still the same.

I'm now not embarrassed to admit this because this week experts have been saying that our wastage is now pushing up food prices in the developing world. So now I'm not just a tightarse just a concerned citizen of the earth.

Concerned Citizen Chew's tips to do your bit:

- Use your freezer. If you don't think you're going to get around to eating that bag of carrots, steam or boil them and freeze them for another day. Same goes with fruit - berries can be frozen straight and cooked or used in a smoothie for another day. Other fruit can pipped or cored then stewed to be eaten with ice cream or used in a crumble. Or if you are super organinsed, buy up big and spend a couple of hours cooking up a big batch of soup, curry or pasta sauce to be frozen.

- Make stock. Tired looking veg and scraps can be thrown into a pot and boiled up for a lovely stock which can make a risotto sing. Don't forget to throw in the rind from Parmesan cheese into the stock pot too.

- Plan your shopping. Have a quick think about how much cooking you will be doing at home for the week. Not much point in buying a weeks worth of veg if you'll only be home one or two nights to actually cook it

- One bad apple can spoil the barrel. Remove bad bits of fruit or veg and the rest of the bag/bunch will last a bit longer

- Change the water your tofu sits in and it will last much longer


BEETROOT PEARL BARLEY RISOTTO
This risotto takes twice as long as normal risotto, so it's one you might want to attempt when you aren't in a starving rush. It is definitely worth the wait though, the earthy beetroot pairs very nicely with the graininess and bouncey texture of the barley - and the colour is quite spectacular. If barley isn't your thing you can use good old Aborio rice and shorten the cooking time to 20 minutes. Serves 4.

What you need
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g pearl barley
1.5 litres vegetable stock, hot
1 bunch of baby beets with stalks or if you can't get this you could use fresh beets with a few handfuls chard or spinach to replace the beetroot leaves
optional garnish: a chunk of goats cheese or fetta

The do
Wash the beetroot thoroughly. Grate the beetroot and chop up the leaves into 4 cm pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until softened. Add the pearl barley and grated beetroot and cook for 1 minute.
Add a quarter of the stock to the pan and simmer, stirring every now and then, until all the stock has been absorbed. Barley doesn't need as much TLC as aborio rice so you can do other things and come back to it every now and then. Add another quarter of the stock and continue in this way until all the stock is absorbed – it should take about 40 minutes for the barley to be tender but still al dente. Add the stalky bits and cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the leaf. Cook for a few minutes until wilted and dark green. If you have it, serve with a sharp crumbly goats cheese or feta sprinkled on top.



Tune
Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State Sufjan Stevens

Stop press

This post has nothing to do with food, but I just want to say a quick bye bye to the newspaper that I worked very hard to help start up. Make sure you grab your last copy today!

In other news...illustrator/designer for hire. Please email chew.chingli@gmail.com

Chew of Greengages

We just spent a blissful weekend in Bath - warm sun, blue skies and fine, fine foods. I have discovered a new favourite past time too... hanging around in Denise's front garden under the greengage tree with my legs in the sun eating greengages and napping.



We also christened Denise's new ice cream maker with an incredibly rich chocolate ice cream from David Leibovitz's book The Perfect Scoop, which has some crazy flavour combinations like orange and sichuan pepper (we weren't game enough to try that one). We added some fresh cherries at the end to give it an extra edge, but could only manage small amounts at a time as each spoonful brought us closer to an ice cold coronary.




And of course a visit to Bath isn't complete without a visit to the Fine Cheese Co. This time I was very restrained and came away a chunk of Le Gruyère Premier Cru, aged in caves for 14 months, and celebrity cheese Little Wallop made by Alex James - washed in cider brandy and beautifully wrapped in vine leaves, I loved the oozy bits on the outer edges. While you're there grab a loaf of bread and butternut squash ravioli - best pasta I've had from a packet.

4pm is cupcake 'o' clock

A woman just arrived in our reception at work with a big basket full of glittering cupcakes for sale. This lemon and poppy seed number is just the little pick-me-up a girl needs after a hell week on a dragging friday afternoon.

The Lake District: Currying flavour

Curry night: Lauren and Theo

Whooo! A most excellent hearty curry banquet complete with specialist beers (Cobra). A rare treat to be able to indulge in Indian cuisine without feeling like I've eaten my body weight in ghee and MSG.

Pumpkin & Apple Curry (serves 4)
What you need
Vegetable Oil
large onion
500g of pumpkin/squash, cubed
800g of baking potatoes, cubed
1 large cooking apple, cubed
2 tsp curry paste
1 tsp turmeric
root ginger (2.5cm)
bay leaves
500 ml vegetable stock

The do
Heat oil in pan. Add onion and brown.
Add chilli, curry paste, turmeric, ginger, bay leaves, apple, pumpkin, potato to pan.
Immediately after add vegetable stock.
Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until cooked.
Serve with fromage frais or yoghurt.



Easy Tofu Curry (serves 4)
What you need
good swig of vegetable oil
Tofu, diced
Seasonal veg - I like to use broccoli & green beans
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 medium fresh green chillies, thinly sliced
5 cm chunk of ginger, grated
2 onions
1 can tomatoes
1 can coconut milk (use light coconut milk if you want a healthier option)

The do
Start by browning the tofu pieces in a pan until brown.
In another pan, heat the oil and add your spices and ginger.
Fry for a few minutes, then add the onions and fresh chilli.
Cook for another 5 minutes then add the tofu and tomatoes.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes then add your favourite veg (broccoli and beans are yum!)
Finally, add the coconut milk and simmer for a final 5 minutes.
Season and serve with basmati rice, raita, mango chutney and fresh tomato salad.

Fresh Tomato Salad (serves 4)
What you need
6 medium tomatoes, diced
Small onion, thinly sliced
Fresh Coriander
Juice of fresh lemon

The do
Combine the ingredients and season with lemon juice to taste

Tune
Sung Tongs Animal Collective

4.34pm Afternoon tea break

My most favourite food in the world at the moment...Ottolenghi's Cherry bread and butter pudding yummmmmeeerrrggggghhhhhhhhh

Dalston Mill

Check out this brilliant instillation on at the moment in Dalston as part of the Barbican's Radical Nature: Art and Architecture exhibition - a fully operational bread mill and wheat field where you can bake your own bread or see a theatre show. Fun fun fun!

The Lake District: Quichey quichey ya ya da da

Quiche night: Kim, Fi and Oli

The hours before dinner have been blissful with the gang either in the lounge room or front garden enjoying some reading time with a nice cold beer. It's so quiet all you can hear the babbling of the brook running through the back of the house and the song of woodland birds. Then suddenly...

WHOOOOOOOOOOOP!!WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!

The fire alarm is going berserk. I race up to our bedroom to find Jasmine still sound asleep (I swear, once that girl actually gets to sleep not even a death metal band turned up to 11 can wake her)
I look out the window and there is smoke streaming out from the kitchen windows below. While the techies in our group try to figure out the code to turn the alarm off, everyone else races around the building opening windows and fanning the air with whatever comes to hand. I head down into ground zero - site of the burning quiche - and find Kim in the kitchen enjoying a fine glass of red, a picture of detached calm amid the chaos...



At some point the peace and quiet was restored, the smoke cleared and we enjoyed a delicious spread then played petanque until the midges and mosquitoes chased us back indoors.



Leek and Stilton quiche (from BBC food)

What you need
2 tbsp vegetable oil
25g/1oz butter
350g/12oz onions, finely sliced
675g/1lb leeks, shanks only, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
2tsp soft thyme leaves
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
3 eggs
290ml/½ pint double cream
100g/4oz Stilton cheese, cubed
2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan
300g/12oz short crust pastry
seasoning

The do
1. Line a 25cm/10in flan tin or dish with the pastry. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Heat the oil and the butter in a pan until melted. Add the onions, leeks, sugar, garlic and thyme and cook gently until they have started to turn golden brown and are soft. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the flour and add seasoning.
3. Beat the eggs and cream together and add to the onion mix. Fold in half the parmesan and the Stilton cheese.
4. Spoon the mixture into the flan case and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for about 50 minutes until golden brown and set.

Spinach, mushroom and ricotta quiche with sauteed spinach (from BBC food)

What you need
For the quiche
butter, for greasing
400g/14oz ready-made shortcrust pastry
350g/12oz flat mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g/1lb 2oz baby spinach leaves
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g/9oz ricotta cheese
1 tbsp grainy mustard
3 free-range egg yolks
300ml/11fl oz double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spinach
25g/1oz butter
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
500g/1lb 2oz baby spinach leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The do
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/465F/Gas 4.
2. Grease a 25cm/10in loose-bottomed tart tin with butter.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to line the tart tin. Cover with cling film and place into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pastry tart case from the fridge, cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Transfer to the oven and bake blind for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove the beans and greaseproof paper and return the tart case to the oven to bake for a further 3-5 minutes, until golden and just cooked.
6. Turn the oven temperature up to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
7. Meanwhile, place the mushrooms onto a baking tray, sprinkle over the thyme, drizzle over one tablespoon of the olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place into the oven to bake for 5-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are beginning to soften. Remove and set aside.
8. Heat a large frying pan until hot and add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and the spinach and cover with a lid. Cook until the spinach has just wilted, then remove from the pan and drain.
9. Season the spinach well with freshly grated nutmeg and salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Place the ricotta into a bowl. Add the grainy mustard, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
11. Spoon the mustard and ricotta mixture into the bottom of the tart case, top with the wilted spinach, and carefully place the roasted mushrooms on top.
12. Place the egg yolks and cream into a bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk together. Pour the egg mixture into the tart case.
13. Transfer to the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling. Remove and cool slightly before serving.
14. For the sautéed spinach, heat a frying pan until hot. Add the butter and swirl the garlic clove around to flavour the oil.
15. Remove the garlic clove, add the spinach and sauté until wilted down. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
16. To serve, cut slices of quiche and place onto plates with a spoonful of sautéed spinach alongside.

Tune
Burning down the house Talking Heads