Ingrediants you don't like!

Hope all had a good Christmas, and celebrated in what ever way you wanted.

It is always strange for us to close for a day, but it is lovely to be back, and we are planning a few detox type soups, and specials after the over indulgences of the last week. To start this off we are putting a North African spiced soup on the board. It is vegan, made with chickpeas, tomatoes and lemon amongst other things. Beautifully warming on these cold days, and very good for you, while tasting scrummy. Jodie has voted it one of her favorites.



After having dinner cooked for me by my cousins husband- does that make him a cousin-in-law?- and having a chat with him I thought I may put in a word about ingredients that you don't like.

Now, he made a Thai green curry, and lovely it was too. He doesn't eat fish- a childhood hatred- so he didn't put any Nam Pla (fish sauce) in his curry. A lot of Thai dishes call for this, and it does add a really good base flavour. If used in small amounts it will add a lot to a dish, and will turn it from "that's nice" to "wow". It is a seasoning more than anything, and enhances flavours, rather than overpowering them.

Another really good base is anchovies. Particularly in risottos. Add a couple- just a couple chopped up in to the onions of a risotto as you sweat them off. This is a genius idea, taught to me in Italy by a blacksmiths wife who didn't speak a word of English. It was an interesting day.
You won't taste the anchovies in the risotto, but if they are not there you will notice the dish is not finished. This happens with lots of things, and unless you are allergic to an ingredient, and the recipe calls for a small amount of something, be brave and give it a go, it may turn out to be the ingredient that has alluded you for ages.
Happy new year to all, here's wishing for a peaceful, cheerful and prosperous 2009.