We are enjoying being home for a few days and hope all our readers/customers & friends are enjoying the same.
The shop will be open from 12pm to 4pm Wed to Fri this week . Closed Sat and Sunday.
Just drop me an email or give me a call if you need to get something outside these hours.
What a great weekend, the sun was shining and it felt like summer (a bit weird with no leaves on the trees) Anyway I got stuck into a bit of baking and it was definitly worth all the effort. A couple of years ago I did an Italian cookery course with Christine at Tasteworks and it was money well spent. Each week she covered the basic staples of the Italian kitchen and I learned how to make yeast dough and gorgeous focaccia bread. Following the classes I was full of enthusiasm and baked loads but slowly got out of the habit of making yeast dough. Anyway this Sunday was the day to get back into it, I needed a refresher from YouTube on how to knead dough but it came back to me once I got stuck in. It tasted fab and worth all the effort…..
BASIC WHITE YEAST BREAD
1lb/45og strong white flour
300-320 mls warm water
1.5 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 sachet of easy blend yeast
Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and add the water and oil. Mix and then turn out onto flowered worktop and knead for 10-15 mins. Place in an oiled bowl cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm kitchen with no draughts for about 1 hour until it doubles in size. Knock back and leave to rise for again, then press out air and leave to rest for 10 mins. Flatten out into a rect. baking sheet, then dimple with your fingers. You can use whatever toppings you want, I put olives, red onion, basil and garlic on one half and on the other I put fresh rosemary, sprinkled it all with rock salt and drizzled lots and lots of olive oil.
Bake in hot oven for 20 to 30 mins….eat while hot
I served the focaccia with baked potatoes, tomatoes and herbs. Put chopped potatoes, tomatoes and fresh herbs in a oven proof dish with some red onion, chopped garlic, olive oil and a little water (enough to cover the the bottom of the dish) Bake for about 45 mins. yummy….
We recently got a new kitchen, well a new element with plenty of old mixed in. The challenge was to do it on a small budget and yet have a artisan feel to it. I would have loved to have gone for a locally made kitchen but had to compromise, so in the end we went for a flat pack with solid wood worktop. A friend Mark from Bridge Pottery, made the knobs which I love and think they add a handmade feel to the kitchen. The floor is cheap pine which I whitewashed and then sealed, it reflects so much light and makes the room appear light and airy. The subway tiles were a real success, I love them….the other bits and pieces are collect and made over the years.
Andy made these utensil holders a couple of years ago, I think I need some more….I have a weakness for wooden spoons!
None of our chairs match, I have picked them up over the years at auctions and the cupboard in the corner was a fab find in Eclectic Interiors. It acts as a pantry and takes up very little room.
Another great buy from Eclectic Interiors was this dresser which holds all my crockery (a bit of a crazy mix from all over the place, not much matching here) the lovely plate on the side is another beautiful piece from Bridge Pottery.
