Blogging the Culinary Everyday

So unless you've been living under a rock in the last 6 weeks you'll know that as a country we have been in lockdown because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. 

My patience is getting thinner, my waist line is getting bigger and I'm feeling down in the dumps. The only things I have found that gets me out of this slump is cooking. This is something that my 8 year old daughter, Miss L, is finding too. It breaks up the day and you get to eat wonderful things you've made (hence the growing waist line). We've had to have been resourceful with our ingredients, though, not knowing what we're going to be able to get hold of. It's been a culinary mystery tour! 

The enormity of the situation is overwhelming, but with cooking we feel like we have some control. 

But then again, maybe this is exactly the right time to learn some new skills and develop ourselves. There are so many skills that are going to be learnt with this blogging venture, for me a Miss L. That's why this blog is called Cook Bake Teach. Firstly, for her, she'll be learning to cook and bake. A vital skill as we all know. But it won't just be Miss L that will be taught new skills. I'll be improving my writing and photography skills (I hope!) and as we do this together we'll also be able to have a sense of accomplishment. Lots of benefits.

The downside.....the obvious waist line issue! But we'll just have to deal with that when the lockdown is lifted and things go back to normal! 

It's exciting starting something new, and hopefully this blog will be able to have a real community feel with lots of guest contributors in this strange and alien time. Ultimately it's a time to come together. 

So follow along with us as we delve into the great culinary unknown! There'll be #baking, #cooking, both savoury and sweet. Kid friendly #recipes that you can join in and give a go, and maybe even the odd #vlog for your entertainment.  

Thanks for reading!

Comments

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

I love #gnocchi . Little dumplings of potato-ey goodness! They're surprisingly easy to make too, but this had been the first time in ages I have rolled up my sleeves and made them. Lockdown has been great for digging out old recipes! Gnocchi is an Italian dish that is made up of plump and delicious potato dumplings. I usually serve mine lightly boiled, with a fresh tomato and onion sauce, but you can toss them in any sauce you like. Pesto is another popular option sauce wise. The traditional Italian way though if just to toss them in seasoned butter and serve with parmesan cheese. Mmmmm! It will matter which type of potato you use as to the consistency. I used Maris Piper potatoes, but King Edwards or any potato which as a medium floury texture will do. Avoid potatoes like Jersey Royals or Charlotte because they are too waxy. Now how you cook them makes a difference too. The right way to cook them is bake them in their skins, then scoop out the cooked flesh. This is because you ...

Low Fat Spring Rolls

It has to be said that spring rolls are my downfall! I love Asian food anyway, but getting a delicious crispy, tasty spring roll full of veggie goodness is my absolute favourite. That being said, they're not particularly good for the waistline - as with all things deep fried! So I set out to create a guilt-free version that I could make at home, that would please the kids. Now this recipe makes large spring rolls, but you could always cut the pastry into four and, using the same method outlined in the recipe, make smaller spring rolls. You can also use whatever veggies you like, but just make sure they're really thinly sliced. You could also add vermicelli rice noodles - just soak them in boiling water until cooked, then drain and allow to cool before adding to the mix. Also, we just use a soy sauce dressing, but why not experiment? Lime, ginger and honey with soy sauce would make a good dressing, as would sweet chilli sauce mixed with soy. You don't want the vegetable ...

Guest Recipe - Nonna's Pavlova

When I was younger my Mum (or Nonna, as she's affectionately known to the kids) used to ask me what I wanted for my birthday meal. Every year, it was always the same answer. Prawn Cocktail, Coronation Chicken and PAVLOVA. I was classy for sure. My Mum makes the best pavlovas though. There I said it. Every year on my birthday I looked forward to that creamy, sweet, crunchy, chewy, bowl full of pavlova goodness. It's one of the highlights of the birthdays of my past. Time goes on though, and despite loving them I rarely make a pavlova...in fact this one was only my second attempt! It came out well, though I've noted a few things to improve it next time. I got a bit scared of over-whisking and the egg white collapsing, so I don't think I whisked enough. I did do the 'tipping the bowl over' tip (see below) though which worked, so it couldn't have been that loose! I topped the pavlova with fresh fruit such as strawberries, nectarine, pineapple and kiwi. My Mum a...

Cook Bake Teach

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