Arancini in oatmeal

Half of the arancini rolled in rice flour, beaten egg and finally coarse oatmeal.....

..... all ready for the oven :), also the fantastic oatmeal and the Cherry Tomato Jam pan......... I'm getting hungry now!

Baked Arancini with Cherry Tomato Jam

From the ashes of last nights meal, tonight's arises like a phoenix..... well more like little orange balls but hey :)

Arancini are traditionally deep fried but I rarely deep fry if there is an alternative that seems suitable. I have kept the aracini simple and not given them a filling; they are balls of risotto chilled then rolled in rice flour, then egg and finally oatmeal. If you eat gluten then using flour and bread crumbs would be more 'normal'.

One of the reasons for not stuffing them with mozzarella or other filling is that the accompanying Cherry Tomato Jam is moreishly intense so I wanted to pair it with a less complex flavour. The other reason is that these are my first arancini and I'm keeping things simple!

We will have these with green beans cooked so they still have a bit of crunch - I hate overcooked vegetables  but am sometimes guilty as life rudely intrudes on cooking at times!

At present the arancini are at the chilling stage and the Cherry Tomato Jam (below) is finished and just needs reheating.

Sweet Corn Risotto :)

Well the risotto was a success, gorgeously creamy and gently piquant with the chorizo. The photography, however, left a lot to be desired. I forgot and then grabbed my iphone and snapped a very poor out of focus shot. Will have to keep the trusty olympus handy if I'm going to manage decent foodie pictures!

Sweet Corn Risotto - with Pork Spare Ribs

Just a Taste » Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

Just a Taste » Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread



Been wandering around some of the foodie blogs I have bookmarked and came across this - looks yummy. However, what I particularly love is her suggestion at the end for a "bread rising cupboard". Previously known as your tumble dryer! Love it :)

Life changes.... it would be boring if it didn't...?

This post isn't actually about the changes but is more a result of them! (more of changes later!)

This is about food - well tonight’s dinner to be precise. Inspiration was needed. I had promised risotto last night with an added extra treat, for the kinder, of spare ribs (waiting in fridge to be roasted off) but that damn life stuff intruded. So back to the risotto idea, a day late.

Great, we're having risotto...... well that's a very broad statement, in this household at least. Hmmm (she ponders), looks in vegetable boxes, onions, hmmmm, thought intrudes (they do this randomly all the time) what am I going to do with those long-life corn on the cob (yes a very odd purchase - seemed like a good idea at the time). A marriage comes to mind: risotto and chowder....

So we will: sauté onions, add garlic, add chorizo, add white wine, add mild stock (chorizo and parmesan if I add later will add enough saltiness) a ladle-full at a time............ add corn kernels, a little more wine possibly..... Herbs? hmmm .... Please at this point note (and remember for future reference) that by this time the addition of wine includes adding it to the cook :)... oh yes where were we....ok I admit I'm actually at the ladling point (brb), this also means the first glass of wine has been added to the cook. I think I will ladle in the stock (could have used the corn husks, milk, water and possibly a little vecon to boil up into stock - but I thought of this after I threw the corn husks away) until 2/3 done then add the sweet corn.

So that (plus the barbecue spare ribs - mustn't forget the spare ribs) is going to be dinner. I might manage pictures! And I will manage a review and write up the final recipe if it's a success.

Simple, seldom and sad

Simple, seldom and sad

We are;

Alone on the Halibut Hills

Afar,

With sweet mad Expressions

Of old

Strangely beautiful

So we're told

By the Creatures that Move

In the sky

And Die

On the night when the Dead Trees

Prance and Cry.

Sensitive, seldom and sad -

Sensitive, seldom and sad -

Simple, seldom and sad

Are we

When we take our path

To the purple sea -

With mad, sweet Expressions

Of Yore,

Strangely beautiful,

Yea, and More

On the Night of all Nights

When the sky

Streams by

In rags, while the Dead Trees

Prance and Cry,

sensitive, seldom and sad -

sensitive, seldom and sad.

Mervyn Peake

My career.......?

I have done something for the last 30 years, wow 30 years! I feel rather successful at it; it includes teaching, caring, learning, managing, finance, logistics, counselling, tears, laughter, illness, alcohol, cakes, toys, failures, successes, food, buying, selling, parties, loneliness, creativity, warmth, snowballs, gardening, anger, sadness, joy, calm, patience, lots of patience, smiles, hugs, kisses and lots and lots and lots of love (and nearly as many nappies but those are back in the mists of time.)

Yes, I have been a mother for nearly 30 years, I don't think of it as a career, I'm very much my own person and not defined by my children, partner or anything external. I am just ME and my children are utterly themselves and they are pretty damn wonderful at it! Thank you Shelly, Tim, Rob, Oli - I love you x x x

Possible return of Elite!!!!

Ooooh I might just have to play:

Article on Elite: Dangerous in the Guardian

 

Walter son of Herman - sourdough cake (potential!)

Walter (son of Herman) arrived 12 days ago - you are meant to look after and feed him for 10 days then split him into three; one to give away, one to continue feeding and one to add ingredients to and bake (slightly cannibalistic but...)

Well we don't find rules easy to stick to.... so.....

We took 12 days instead of 10 and didn't follow the recipe we were meant to (all fruity and healthy) and made 2 chocolate cakes with chocolate chips in! Very good :)

We have a new sourdough fermenting away which we will name Albert and one to give to a new home, Alice, or place in suspended animation (freeze).

The next one will be fruity - getting tempted to sacrifice Albert or Alice straight away......
...... and inspired to make my own starter from scratch but gluten free.

Apologies for the poor picture forgot to take one yesterday when there was still two cakes; had to hurriedly grab this photo while there was something more than crumbs left!

Pumpktris!! Wow!