I BEHAVED IMPECCABLY.. I EVEN SURPRISED MYSELF!

Dear Readers.. this will be very short.. as norty iPad is NOT behaving and is crashing.. ugh.

So I will tell YOU very quickly that the lunch went well, the food was yummy and all eaten up! Not a morsel for ME.. 

And I did not crash land on the table nor try to throw coffee over OUR guest.. such a shame MY human can still remember that shameful episode.

They talked and ate and then left ME to MYSELF whilst they went off to the British Library.

SHE did not get home until thirty minutes past six of the clock, the Library was very busy with lots of people and things to go and see.. SHE is going again next week, SHE is very pleased SHE joined!

A quick bite to eat, emptied the magic wet cupboard.. aka dishwasher.. and put china and glass ware away, why, it looks as if no one was here.. WE like to get up to an immaculate flat, it puts a big smile on HER face. Which is a nice way to start the day. 

Now it is time to play Catch the Grape and Chase the Almond.. so I will bid YOU all adieu, SHE has to take norty iPad to Apple in Covent Garden.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 29th, 2014.

CONSTANCE'S BIRTHDAY AND SPANISH ORANGES..

WE are having a slow start to this day.. why? 

Well, everything is ready! The only place that will need a scrub and a dub being the bathroom after SHE has used it!

I was awoken by the sound of kisses that SHE makes in the morning before MY curtain is drawn.. during the day it is much more likely to be raspberries, SHE can be very cheeky sometimes.

But not as naughty as HER mama, MY granny Constance, whom apparently was very cheeky sometimes. I did not know her, I was born after she died but Dagga-the-Parrot knew her. 

WE have had slurps of Lappy-Sand tea, such a nice way to start the day.. in bed with a cup of hot amber nectar! That norty Monkey on television calls Amber Nectar, he is right, it is nectar!

But now it is shamefully late.. so it is time to rock & roll out of bedroom towards YumYum HQ, to prepare for lunch.

Next WE will head for the bathroom, clean and tidy there and back to Yumyum HQ to make the pudding.. Poached Oranges.

They are in the markets.. the sight of boxes of these glorious fruits always reminds HER of life in Spain.

Constance had a great friend called Maria la Gorda, who was the butcher's wife and truly very adorabubble.

Constance asked her one day.. "why does no one do anything with all the Oranges that grow in the village, they should be picked and made into jam or marmalade and sold".

Before she knew it.. Maria spoke with the Priest, organised some of her friends and Constance found herself teaching several local women how to make proper old fashioned Seville Marmalade.

The local Spar shop donated the sugar, everyone donated glass jars and money was raised for the 
village.

I believe that the tradition has been continued as those trees are, apparently, apparently well maintained by a local family who grow fruit themselves.

So.. in HER mind.. January signifies Constance's birthday and glorious Spanish Oranges.

Time to rock & roll.. flapflap.. I will be back.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 29th, 2014.
Postscript..
Did YOU know that Neroli, one of the most beautiful perfumes in the world, is the essential oil from the blossom of the sour Orange.. aka.. the Seville Orange.

THE METAL CUPBOARD WAS HOT..

Menus are lovely things because they can change if there is something else delicious in the market.

And today there was some really crisp looking calabrese just sitting there waiting for a cook to pick it up and take it home and turn it into.. what?

HoHoHo.. a Calabrese and Stilton Souffle!

SHE had metal cupboard, aka oven, already hot for another dish, so a couple of little souffles would be able to slip in there easily.

The following amounts will feed six.. in ramekins.

Ingredients.

50g Butter plus extra for greasing the ramekins.

3 Tbsp of Breadcrumbs.

300g of Calabrese florets. YOU know it as Broccoli!

60g plain Flour.

300ml semi-skinned Milk.

1/4 tsp freshly grated Nutmeg.

100g crumbled Blue Stilton.

4 medium sized Eggs.. separated.

Preheat the oven to 200c Gas mark 6.

Grease 6 large ramekins with butter and sprinkle in the breadcrumbs, move the ramekins around so that the sides and base are evenly covered with the crumbs.

Cook the florets in salted boiling water for 5 minutes until tender.

DRAIN VERY WELL..

Heat the butter until melted, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisk to get rid of lumps, bring to the boil, simmer for a further 2 minutes until it has thickened. Remove from the heat.

Add the florets to the pan and using a handheld blender, puree the mixture until it is smooth.

Beat in the nutmeg, cheese and the egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff, gently fold into the floret mix.

Spoon into the ramekins and bake  for 15 - 20 minutes until risen and golden.

Serve asap! 

WE did and it was delicious! I had to wait for it to cool down as I can't eat very hot things but then it was just as good as SHE had said it was when SHE slurped HERS.

In fact.. they were so delicious.. they are going to be the first course at tomorrow's lunch.. yes.. I know it took a long time to get to the point but.. hey.. things change.. it's only a menu!

GeeGee Parrot.
January 28th, 2014.
Postscript..
But dates never change.. 
For it is Constance's birthday tomorrow, she would be 97 and SHE has remembered that HER mama lurved this souffle.. so SHE is very happy to be able to serve it for lunch on January 29th.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN..

But sometimes they have to do housework first!

Which was the case today but the end result was brilliant! 

Being the daughter of HER parents, SHE knows exactly how to polish furniture and metal work properly, a bucket full of good quality cleaning materials went with HER into the sitting room. 

Along with clean, ironed dusters and new micro fibre cloths for the window and mirrors and a feather duster for the high places.

Scrub-a-dub-dub and the room sparkled! 

Then SHE laid the dining table for lunch, polished the glasses, pulled out damask napkins, very old and huge, they were probably FJ's, aka HER grand mother.

Watered all the bulbs, the Hyacinths are beginning to show their form and there is one tiny, very skinny white Scilla who will be in full bloom on Wednesday, they have such a lovely perfume.  

The magic basket that contains pens, Sellotape, thank you cards etc, etc is back in the cupboard, SHE has sorted out which books are going to be donated and the library ones are by the front door to go back.

Everything was put away in its' proper place..

The same proceedure happened in the hall, the wood work was washed, mirrors shined, furniture dusted, waxed and polished.

The YumYum HQ and bathroom were already tidy.. all WE have to 'play' at tomorrow evening is in one area.. going through the paper work.. SHE thinks paper rubs together and makes babies.. for it surely multiplies!

But never fear.. for under a small table in the hall lives that very fierce mr.shredder.

On wednesday morning SHE will fire up mr.dyson and vacuum and sweep the outside steps.

But now it is late.. SHE has a busy day tomorrow doing stuff that humans do, so it is bed time for US both and so WE wish YOU all "Good night".

GeeGee Parrot.
January 27th, 2014.

PEAR - POIRE TARTE TATIN.. slurp!

Burp.. excuse ME! But such yumyum was offered and has just been consumed.. WE are now settled quietly reading papers with the most delicious smell wafting towards us.

It is the smell of the meat from three large Spare Rib chops of Pork.. the lubbly-jubbly butcher deboned them, and knowing HER, put the bones into the bag with the chopped meat.

The bones equal proper stock.. meat and bones are now in a Slow Cooker cooking very slowly, with sage, orange peel, a bay leaf and other scrummy things.. some sweet potatoes and julienne strips of celeriac.

WE were thinking about what to have / make for a pudding on Wednesday for lunch and eureeka.. the following solves US having to have even the littlest of thinks!

Pear Tarte Tatin.. yum.

WE forgive YOU if YOU buy ready made pastry, WE don't but YOU can.

Ingredients.

375g ready rolled Puff Pastry chilled.

Plain flour for dusting.

50g softened good unsalted Butter.

100g Golden Caster Sugar.

2 tbsp of Poire William Liqueur OR 

Lemon Juice.

6 RIPE Pears.

1tsp of Juniper berries.

Pot of creme fraiche.

Preheat oven to 220C / 425F / Gas mark 7.

Have ready a 24cm tarte tatin dish or an oven proof omelette pan.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface, using a plate that is slightly larger than the dish, cut out a circle of pastry, lightly prick this with a fork and chill.

Place the liqueur or lemon juice in a bowl, peel the pears one at a time, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Toss in the liquid.

Take the tarte tatin pan, coat it with butter using your fingers, sprinkle the butter with sugar.

Place pan on to a medium heat and as the sugar begins to caramelise, remove from the heat and put the juniper berries into the caramel.

Take the pears from the juice and pack them tightly in a circle in the pan in the caramelised sugar with the outer edge facing up.

Place onto a medium-high heat, the pears will shrink slightly so make sure to add extra slices if you have the space.

Keep cooking for 10 - 15 minutes until they are a good colour and feel a little soft when pressed.

Remove from the heat and quickly press the pastry circle on top of the pears, tuck the edges down the side of the pan.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and well risen.

Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 5 minutes.

Take a pre-warmed larger plate, hold and press it against the pastry and quickly invert it, giving the tarte tatin pan a shake as you do so.

Serve with lots of creme fraiche.

Very Scrummy indeedy  and YOU all know I never tell gross porkies.

GeeGee Parrot.

January 26th, 2014.

Postscript..

Gross porkies is Cockney slang.. 

A Porky means Pie which rhymes with Lie.

Pies.. Lies..

BABIES & GOATY FOLK ARE EXCELLENT STORM WARN'ERS!

Hello Dear Readers. Having said to Debbie, aka Goaty Mum of Ellie's Dairy, that SHE would be at the Marylebone Farmer's Market and not wanting to miss the diced Kid meat, off SHE went by bus.

The weather was far too unpleasant to ask old wheelie to trundle across Hyde Park and all the way up to Marylebone High Street, he is very old and needs a little bit of tender loving care. 

So SHE donned multiple layers of clothing, one being a Swedish woollen parka with a hood, so HER ears and throat would be warm. These are HER weak spots, which dates from childhood days when the medical establishment argued back and forth over the removal of HER tonsils and adenoids.. would they, would they not.. the end result being permanent and extensive damage to HER ears, nose and throat. 

And set off in the dismal, driving, blustery rain, a lovely red number 137 bus took HER almost all of the way, a wiggly walk through to the back of Cavendish Square and the little streets brought HER to the big street.. but where was that market? 

There came towards HER a woman walking with a purposeful gait and carrying a basket, "excuse ME, are YOU heading for the farmer's market" she asked the nice smiley woman who replied "come with me".

Which saved the day.. For all the kiddly-diddly meat had been sold, except, for one bag, HER bag,
kindly kept by Goaty Mum because SHE had said "yes, I am coming". SHE was glad that SHE had.

A zoom in and out of a paper shop, a very quick trot down onto Oxford Street and a 137 bus came along in no time. SHE considers that the city's transport system (most of the time) is beyond brilliant. 

Have YOU ever looked at how far the buses and tubes take YOU beyond central London? It is quite staggering, SHE goes to stay with friends in Epping.. by underground! Which, of course, goes overground for the section when it leaves the city proper. 

Or if YOU are going to Stansted Airport, go to Tottenham Hale by underground and catch the train there, YOU don't have to go all the way to Liverpool Street Mainline Station.

Not this week but the week after, SHE is going to a strangely named place called Barking! There is a wonderful property out there which SHE has made a promise to HERSELF that SHE will go to.. this will be a serious jaunt as SHE intends to take a little snacket in the basket.

Next week, WE have all manner of exciting things happening! Monday, tomorrow, is home cleaning day, SHE used the dining table as a desk over the Christmas holidays, I regret to sneak on HER to YOU but it is still lying about, so zoom, back into the relevant baskets have to go cards, ribbons etc. 

Tidy and dust.. the rest of the place is ok. Why the work, well, WE have a guest coming for lunch on Wednesday and as SHE is busy on Tuesday, SHE does not want to have to be doing house work on the morning before the guest arrives at thirty minutes past midday.

Yes, I know it is a strange time to have lunch at home but they are off on a major jaunt! To see The Georgians Exhibition at The British Library.

Now to the strange title of this post.. whilst talking to Debbie this morning, she said that half an hour after WE, in London, had experienced that very scary electrical storm, it hit Noth Kent.

Here, it was Karen's baby grand-daughter who, by feeling that change in the air pressure, became unhappy and very, very grizzly.

With that BANG of lightening, the Goaty folk shot to the back of their barn and within a short space of time, the thunder roared and the rain started.

Clever baby and clever goaty folk. Debbie says that they all behave 'badly' when the weather is like this, they fight and head butt each other! So she watches out for butting Billies and Girlies and keeps the rain jacket by the door!

ME? I am very happy that SHE is back, I had a peak in basket and saw very edibubble things! A celeriac and some greens, I lurve all types of greens, especially little Brussel sprouts, it is funny the way they try to escape old Beaky by rolling off the work surface.

No rolling about now, SHE is heading to YumYum HQ and I must go too.. flapflap Dear Readers, WE will be back tomorrow.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 26th, 2014.

DON'T PANIC.. DON'T PANIC.. HERE'S THE RECIPE FOR PATE SABLEE

WE didn't know YOU didn't know how to make it!

'IT' being Pate Sablee, Constance always made her kids laugh by calling it The Sandy Pastry.. it is very sweet and crumbly.. and what YOU need for the Yellow Lemon tart

Work from these amounts..

180g / 6oz sifted flour to 120g / 4oz GOOD quality unsalted butter, 60g / 2oz icing sugar and 2 egg yolks.

Put the butter, sugar and egg yolks into a food processor and blitz together quickly. Blend in the sifted  flour and work the mix into a paste.

The paste needs much longer chilling than normal pastry, at least 90 minutes before rolling it out.

Now YOU can make the Yellow Lemon Tart! So off YOU go.. and enjoy YOUR Saturday.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 25th, 2014.

DEAR READERS IN UK.. ARE YOU ALL OK?

Dear Readers.. WE ask this because of the horrifying electrical storms that rampaged over the country in the late afternoon and are still continuing now as SHE taps.

SHE had done HER fruit shopping in the market, went into a shop to get dishwasher salt and was just walking out with old wicker, when BOOM!

The end stall of the market was hit by lightening.. it seemed to explode and then collapse.. fruit and tin bowls flew everywhere! 

The police were there in a nano second.. and all of the traffic was frozen to the spot as the skies opened and rain fell in torrents but then horrors of horrors, SHE realised it was OUR much beloved Karen's stall that had been struck.

SHE ran down the road to see if everyone was alright, the firemen were pulling the canvas down off the shattered gazebo frame. 

No sign of Karen.. SHE spoke with Jim who was looking, as YOU can imagine, pretty whacked about the head.. Karen had left at four of the afternoon clock.. taking her grand-daughter home leaving her daughter-in-law, Laura, and Jim in charge of the stall.

Laura had been directly underneath the metal gazebo when the lightening struck.. but was ok.

SHE had been laughing with Karen and her crew 
just before Karen left, apparently Baby Jenny had started to grizzle so granny had said she would take her home.. 

WE have said this phrase before "Meant to be". Everyone was safe. Thank goodness.. Yes, thank goodness for babies who grizzle.. now and again.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 25th, 2014.

TARTS.. TWO TARTS.. ONE YELLOW & ONE BLUE & GREEN!

Here they are.. they would have been here sooner but WE got frozen out of MY Blog by 'Error 503'.

Ok.. first up is a Lemon Tart amd it serves LOTS of people!

Ingredients.
6 Lemons.
9 Egg Yolks.
325g Vanilla Caster Sugar. 
300mls Double Cream.
Extra Caster Sugar for the top
YOU should have a 240g pate sablee chilled.
30cm Tart Tin.
Preheated oven to 200C / 400F/Gas mark 6.
A jug and a mixing bowl.

Roll out your pastry and line the tin, bake blind of 10 minutes, then remove the baking beans and bake uncovered for a further 10 minutes.

Grate (finely) the zest of 2 Lemons, then squeeze the juice of all 6 & set aside.
Whisk together the 9 Egg yolks + vanilla sugar until mixed properly.
Add the Lemon juice, the Zest, whisk again, then add the Cream. Taste and add a little more sugar if it is not quite sweet enough.
Transfer the mix to a jug.
As soon as the pastry is cooked, turn the heat down to 120C/250F/ Gas mark 1/2.
Very carefully pull the baking tray towards you, do NOT take the pastry out of the oven, carefully pour in the Lemon mix as high as possible and then gently push the tray back into the oven.
Cook for a further 30 minutes.
The Tart should be barely set but do not fret! As it will continue to go on firming up out of the oven. 
Let it sit to cool and set properly for at least 30 minutes.
Shake a very thin layer of caster sugar over the top.
Protesting the pastry rim with a ring of tin foil, 
give it a blast under a hot grill until the sugar browns. 

A BLUE TART WITH BROCCOLI & CREME FRAICHE.

Ingredients.

150g Broccoli.. purple sprouting if possible!
3 tbs of Olive Oil.
1 Chopped Onion Medium
Several sprigs of Thyme.
4 Chopped Garlic cloves.
4 Fillets of Anchovies - chopped.
90g Crumbled Gorgonzola.
1tsp of rinsed Capers.
200ml Creme Fraiche.
Black pepper.
350g Puff pastry.
Parmesan for grating onto the top.
Preheat oven to 220C/425F/Gas mark 7.

Rinse Broccoli and drop into salted, boiling water.
Cook until tender. Drain and dry, set aside.
In the hot pan, put the olive oil, garlic, onion and thyme. Leave to soften over a moderate heat, they should be golden and tender after 10 minutes.
Chop the broccoli and add to the onion mix with 
the anchovies, crumbled cheese, capers and creme fraiche, add a little black pepper.
Remove from the heat and leave the mix to cool.

Roll the pastry into a rectangle 14 x 9".
Place it onto a lightly floured baking sheet.
Score a line about an inch plus from the edge, do NOT go through the pastry, along the four sides.
Spread the broccoli mix over the centre of the pastry taking it outwards to the line but leaving a clear border of an inch plus.
This border will rise and become the 'wall' of the tart.
Scatter the grated parmesan cheese over the broccoli mix and some on the border as well.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, check at 15 minutes as it cooks quickly, the border should be golden brown and very crisp.
Serve as soon as possible with a crisp green salad.

Et voila.. mes amis.. The Two Tarts!

SHE is on a cooking roll! Yes, indeedy, yum!

This Sunday SHE will be off up to the Marylebone Farmer's Market to see Debbie of Ellie's Dairy. SHE is collecting some diced Kid and intends to cook it with new pale Apricots that are just coming into the market.

For there is, at The British Library, an enormous exhibition on The Georgians and SHE has invited a friend to go with HER on that new all singing and dancing British Library membership card.

They will lunch at home, then waddle off to the underground, to disapear down the hole and emerged the other end at St.Pancras.

ME.. I will stay at home and listen to LBC 97.3 and dream of sunny days at the garden. It won't be long now, will it?

But now, it is time for MY last little snacket of the day before WE go to bed. I hope YOU enjoy and try today's three recipes.

Apologies for length of time in getting them onto the Blog, but YOU know how Beaky hates to tap and MY toes cannot do it, so I am at HER mercy!

GeeGee Parrot.
January 24th, 2014. 

PIERNA DE CORDERO CON SALSA DE GRANADA..

That's Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Sauce for those of YOU who don't read Spanish.

Ingredients..
A boned leg of Lamb.
12 Shallots.. WE lurve Shallots!
1 glass of dry White Wine.
1 Pomegranate.
Preheat your oven to hot!

YOU can either bone and roll the leg OR more sensibly, YOU can ask YOUR butcher to do it! 
Before roasting, prick all over the top skin with a very sharp fork, put the meat into a roasting dish surounded by the peeled but not chopped shallots and pour the wine over the meat.
Cook at 15 minutes to a lb, 30 minutes to a kg.
The first 30 minutes in a hot oven, then turn the heat down to a moderate (350F) heat.
When there is 15 minutes before the meat should be ready, cut the Pomegranate into quarters, scoop out the seeds, be careful to pick out all of the bitter white membrane
Add the Pomegranate seeds to the roasting dish and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes.
Remove dish from the oven and allow the roast to relax for 10 minutes before carving.

WE serve this with either mashed potatoes or freekeh, a wild grain which has been smoked and follow it with a crisp, slightly tart salad of endive and perhaps a raspberry vinegarette. 

This dish is also scrummydumptious if YOU have access to Kid meat. WE do, from Ellie's Dairy and WE look forward to having a delicious leg of Kid in the spring for Easter, a very late Easter! Easter Sunday is not until April 20th!

Roll on Spring.. is what I say.

GeeGee Parrot.
January 24th, 2014.