Currently making rice pudding, or Danish risgrød to be precise.

1 cup pudding rice
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
whole almond
vanilla stick

Put everything in and cook very gently for 2 hours. Ideally put the mixture in a steamer, until it is thick.

Serve with your favourite jam and leave the almond in. Apparently the lucky finder of the almond should get a prize, maybe a trip to the dentist if they aren't forewarned.

I've got to make mine really thick so that it travels well. I'll loosen it up with a little milk later on.

Here's an old recipe I made up some years ago. We had it tonight and I'd forgotten just how easy and lovely it is.

Pasta & Meatballs

Meatballs

1 lb Best Beef Mince - preferably not lean.

1. Place mince in large mixing bowl (preferably with all the blood).
2. Knead mince until smooth and homogenous.
3. Form into 1 inch diameter balls and place on tray.
4. Fry in a little oil on a medium heat, turning occasionally until all of outside is slightly browned.
5. Place in oven tray (see below)

Slow Tomato Sauce

1 Large Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1tsp Dark Brown Sugar
2 Large Peppers, coarsely chopped
6 Medium Mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 Spring Onions, in 5mm cylinders
1kg Passata
4oz Tomato purée
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 rasher Bacon cut into 4mm squares
2 oz diced Salami (proper salami, not that sliced sh!te)
Oregano, Basil, Smoked Paprika, Pepper
1/2 Beef stock cube
1 dessert spoon Soy Sauce
4 dessert spoons red Lentils
Lemon juice

Your Meatballs should be just started frying. Turn your oven on to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (Conventional), 180°C (Fan)

1. Very gently fry onion, 2 cloves of garlic and sugar. Cover and sweat until onions are translucent.
2. Add Peppers, Mushrooms and Spring Onions. Cover and sweat again, being careful that nothing burns.
3. Add Meatballs and vegetables to oven tray and place in oven on top shelf - it doesn't matter if oven isn't at temp yet.
4. Heat Passata in now empty pan (do not clean!). Once hot add Tomato purée and 4 cloves of Garlic. Whisk vigorously and simmer gently for 5 mins.
5. While that simmers, in a separate pan, gently fry Bacon squares and Salami dice in a little oil. Add to sauce.
6. Add 2dssp Oregano, 1dssp Basil, 3tsp Smoked Paprika and stir. Add Pepper to taste.
7. Add Lentils, Soy and stock cube. Stir thoroughly
8. Cover and simmer for 2 mins.
9. Pour sauce over meatballs. Gently agitate mixture to ensure even distribution of sauce, meat and veg.
10. Cook on top shelf for 20-30 minutes depending on how dry you like it.
11. Immediately before serving, stir gently and sprinkle with Lemon Juice.

Notes:

If you change the meat, change your stock accordingly.
Best served with Tagliatelli, Chianti and grated Parmesan.

For vegetarians, use Falafel instead of meatballs, vegetable stock and sliced mushrooms instead of the Bacon & Salami.

Oops, making flapjacks but may have added a bit too much syrup. Win or fail?

What does the taste test say?

Very good. The excess syrup has sunk to the bottom, giving a nice crispy to gooey gradient.

Flapjacks you can core sample, nice

Recipe?

330g oats
pinch of salt
200g butter or margerine
150g golden syrup

Preheat oven to 180 C
Add oats and salt to a mixing bowl
melt butter and syrup in a pan and then add to oats
mix thoroughly and then place into a 20cm x 20cm or equivalent baking tray that has been greased or lined with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
Bake until golden, somewhere between 30-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and slice, and then allow to cool/set.


I think using paper or parchment helps them cook better. The base doesn't fry and makes removal and cleaning much easier. Also even though I thought I added too much syrup they aren't too sweet, but I should probably have made twice the amount as they aren't going to last long.

I've just been to Sainsburys and 280g of premium smoked fresh kippers are only 1.5GBP. So I'll be having these with brocolli sprouts/shoots and either mashed potato or fresh oven chips. Not made oven chips fresh before but I've found a recipe that sounds good.

Although I've just realised that I may not have any vinegar.

I've got the idea of having a Dim Sum into my head and I can't get rid of it.

So I went to Jamie's Italian restaurant in Brum Central.

Seemed good fare. Nothing amazingly spectacular. It was only a brief lunch, so no zillion-courses or anything.

Had the Turbo Fusilli Arabiatta, which was made with Scotch Bonnet chillies. Frustratingly, only very spicy if your forkful of food had a bit of the chilli on it, but it was generally nicely cooked. The crunchy salad was nice given that I'm not much of a salad person. The funky chips were quite nice too. Dessert - always the highlight of any meal. Of the three of us, one had the chocolate browny which was very lush. The tiramisu was uninspiring. The lemon curd was awesome. It reminded me of a custard slice, only nicer. Can't recall what the others had - I think one had a crab risotto and the other had a pumpkin ravioli. Was it worth the £60+ bill? Um, no - I'd have priced it at maybe £40-50 for the food, but there's the added premium of it being "Jamie's".

EDIT: Would I go there again, on a date, or just with friends or family? Most definitely.

If you like Dim Sum then this is highly recommended.
http://www.dimt.co.uk/
Had lunch in the Winchester one on Saturday.

Jimmy Spices
http://www.jimmyspices.co.uk
Its an interesting experience with a great selection of foods.
English - Roasts, selection of vegetables and salad bar.
Italian - Pizza and Pasta mix your own cooked in front of you
Chinese - stir fry and noodles mix your own cooked in front of you
Thai
Indian
Mexican - Fajitas mix your own cooked in front of you
Deserts well seriously different.

I'd guess 12 chefs working the food court maybe 200 seats.
Really busy and lively I counted about 40 main courses.

Yeah I've been to Jimmy Spices a few times in Solihull.

It's okay - there's a variety of food, but I don't think any of it was particularly outstanding.

I've had the chinese stir-fry (you choose the ingredients from the selection in front of you), some indian starters and foods (which are standard fare), and some pasta (TBH I can make better), and pizza (which is meh). The desserts are better - namely the ice-cream machine. It comes out like Mr softee/whippy ice-cream and you have things like smarties, sauces etc to put on. There are also mini jellies, mini cheesecakes etc.

Good if people have different tastes but it's more like a "jack of all trades" and average at everything rather than excelling at any one thing in particular.

Exactly the need I had.