Bella Roma

Immortalised in wonderful films such as the Audrey Hepburn classic "Roman Holiday", Rome is one of those fabulous cities that simply gets better with each visit.  Having just enjoyed a glorious few days there with my sister, niece and nephew we hadn't anticipated such warm weather (70 degrees F) each day, perfect for walking everywhere and indulging in daily gelati.  So many ice cream flavours and only so many chances to try...Two particular favourite places being the Gelateria San Crispino near the Trevi fountain and Giolitti just a short walk north of the Pantheon.  Italians seem to have a genetic love of ice cream and one of the most amusing sights was to see suited business men purposefully striding along, busy talking on their mobile phone in one hand, alternating with devouring a fully loaded ice cream cone in the other.  Ice cream seems to hit the spot at any time of day and is a delicious treat which simply doesn't compare to the general standard of ice cream available in England.  Perhaps my new business venture should be to open a gelati emporium full of all the exquisite flavours that provide so much affordable pleasure whilst on holiday, because as yet I haven't found anything in the same league in the UK.  Who could resist the allure of creamy zabaglione made with authentic Marsala; zingy lemon; or chocolate-studded stracciatella... Watch this space! 

Pumpkin Festival

Every October in the National Trust village of Slindon tucked away in the West Sussex countryside, the colours of Autumn glory are used to create a vast display of hundreds of pumpkins and gourds of every size.  This labour of love draws visitors from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle and have the chance to buy such unusual bounty to take home.  With Hallowe'en approaching, the festival celebrated by the Celts for centuries and rather more commercialised these days, it's the perfect time of year to make a delicious soup.  My favourite is made using a medium size Butternut squash, peeled, cut into chunks (de-seeded) and roasted along with a medium size sweet potato, also peeled and cut into chunks.  Drizzled with a little olive oil this can be popped into the oven when you're preparing another meal, as the purpose is to roast them ready for when you want to make the soup.  For the soup use one or two chopped onions, softened in a little olive oil, two or three cloves of garlic peeled and chopped, plus a peeled and chopped piece of ginger (I use roughly a 1.5cm cube).  Once these ingredients have been gently fried together add the roast pumpkin and sweet potato then cover with your choice of stock (either chicken or vegetable based).  Simmer gently for around half an hour.  To finish off I then add a tin of coconut milk, blitz everything in the liquidiser to give a smooth texture and serve with lots of freshly chopped coriander and a scattering of natural cashew nuts (which I dry roast in a small frying pan).   There's an old Scottish prayer for this time of year:  "From ghoulies and ghosties; And long-legged beasties; And things that go bump in the night; Good Lord, deliver us!"
Wishing you a happy and safe All Hallows Eve for 31st October.

Arundel Farmers' Market

Inspired from watching the Great British Bake Off television series I decided to follow my own passion for baking and take a stall at my local farmers' market in Arundel on Saturday.  Sewing bunting at 6am on the morning wasn't quite what I had in mind, but as it was my first foray as a stall holder I was keen to make a good impression and had inevitably run out of time to be more organised ahead of the day.  The day dawned crisp and bright, the perfect Autumn weather for spending the morning outside.  After my two-day baking marathon at home it felt good to be outdoors.  My fabulous neighbours kindly came at 7.30am to help me to set up in readiness for the 9am start and kept me fuelled with hot coffee, plus the task of packing away at the end. Such wonderful support and much appreciated, as was the promotional e-mail my friend Linsi sent to her extenstive address book. Usually the market finishes at 1pm, but Saturday ran until 2.30pm with the launch of this year's Arundel Food Festival.  Being a stall holder was truly enjoyable and quite an experience, although totally exhausting.  The tactical swoop like gannets by people keen to devour all the samples only to move on just as quickly with no intention to buy became quite a game.  Thankfully they were in the minority and entertaining to say the least with no eye contact and so swift, clearly a well-practised move before anything could be said.  I hadn't anticipated the market being as sociable, but seeing a constant flow of friends and local residents was lovely.  Flipping roles to be behind a stall rather than a customer at the market did feel strange at first, but I plan to give it another go next month.  Thank you everyone who came and bought my cakes and biscuits.  I never knew rock cakes had such a nostalgic following, or that gingerbread would be a sell-out; and am glad that the gluten-free; egg-free; and dairy-free options turned out to be such a hit.  I've long been convinced there are lots of people with food intolerances who usually miss out on home baked treats, but now they know where to come...I look forward to seeing you next time.  My top tip to anyone on their feet for hours on end: wear flight socks!  They will revolutionize how comfortable you feel.  

Kitchen Envy

My friends all seem to be in the process of having stunning new kitchens, the latest completion as featured in the photo taken on Saturday.   Seeing previously dated spaces transformed has given me scope for daydreaming about how my ideal kitchen would look.  Spanning the full width of the back of my house and opening onto a courtyard garden, the generous scale of my current kitchen was one of the clinchers for me deciding to buy my home.  On the first viewing I loved the size, but made a note to self that I'd need to change the decor (namely the country-style curtains and pelmet) along with the tiles which are not my style.  Over six years later and guess what, they're still the same.  The cherry wood cupboards are lovely and in the scheme of things I couldn't justify changing everything as it's all in perfect condition, but with no holds barred I'd go for a sleek contemporary look with a stand-alone island, great for preparation and entertaining.  First I need to win the Premium Bonds and even then I wouldn't be able to extend to incorporate a utility room and walk-in pantry (on my wish list ever since I lived in Australia).  But in life it's essential to dream and one day they may just come true.  In the meantime I know I'd like to have more shelves for my ever expanding cookery book collection; a comfy sofa so I can browse at my leisure; a dedicated baking zone complete with marble top counter for pastry; a temperature controlled drawer for dough to rise (I didn't know such a thing existed until watching the Great British Bakeoff recently), added to which I'd like to swap my single oven for a double one, or two double ovens with more scope for cooking.  Last but not least, although totally unrelated to it's design, my dream kitchen would be in a fabulous house by the sea...  

Simple Pleasures

Beautiful weather when least expected is such a joy. Even though this is the first weekend of October the bonus of glorious sunshine as the last hurrah to Summer is to be celebrated.   I'm making the most of being outside, having enjoyed two trips to the Witterings for walks on the beach, breathing in the fresh ozone and the rhythmic sound of the waves, as well as spending precious time in my garden, soaking up the warmth.  This transition of the seasons is a wonderful time to reflect, relax and recharge ready for the colder months to come.  A chance to have a sort out in every sense, to throw out the old and make way for the new to enter.  I love harvest time, the total abundance and Autumn's glorious colours.  One of the books on my bedside table is Jane Alexander's "The Natural Year".   Covering a month per chapter it's a wonderful companion through the year. Now is the time to review, take stock and set personal goals, in other words to be your own Life Coach.  Jane asks the questions: "Where were you five years ago?  What were you doing?  Who were you with and what were your dreams? And where are you now?"  Awareness brings choice.  Why not take the time to think about some personal goals and establish what you'd like to achieve.  So here I am, feeling reaffirmed with the choices I have made and planning a new baking project which is all very exciting. 

There may not be so many roses in the garden now, but at least it's possible to wake up and smell the coffee, to make the most of your day and do what makes you happy...

Mexican Memories

On Saturday I couldn't resist another visit to Pallant House Gallery to see the wonderful artwork by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.  Chichester is the only UK location to benefit from this major touring exhibition from the Gelman collection.  Originally scheduled to finish on 2nd October the date has been extended to 9th October, so I may just manage one final trip before the vibrant and thought-provoking exhibition moves on.  I'm no art afficionado, but these paintings were reminiscent of a fabulous holiday I had in Mexico, starting in Mexico City and seeing the huge Diego Rivera murals in situ at City Hall, experiencing the largest and oldest cathedral in Latin America with the heady smell of incense, to exploring the ancient city and archaeoligical site of Teotihiacan.  After the intensity of Mexico City flying to Cancun to meet my dear friend Tim and collect a hire car meant we were then free to experience the delights of the Yucatan Peninsula.  From the pyramids at Chichen Itza, to the colonial architecture of Merida and glorious coastline complete with Mayan ruins at Tulum, one particularly special place to stay was the Hacienda Temozon.  Wealthy sisal plantation owners used to have amazing properties built, some of which have been converted to luxury boutique hotels with stylish accommodation.  Offering total comfort, authentic cooking and the best Margarita cocktails you'll ever taste, the Hacienda Temonzon provides hospitality in the same way guests would have experienced in the heyday of the Mexican southeast.  Consequently I'm inspired to dust down my Lourdes Nichols cookery book and prepare some suitably Mexican dishes to recreate the flavours of the sunshine and happy memories.  As a more recent advocate of Mexican cookery I'm a fan too of Thomasina Miers, but Lourdes is the mother of Mexican food in the UK and originally blazed the trail that introduced the British to the delights of Mexican cuisine.  With some unseasonally warm weather forecast for this week, it's the ideal opportunity to cook up a personal fiesta and make the most of it.

British Food Fortnight

British Food Fortnight runs from 17th September to 2nd October to coincide with Harvest Festival and the traditional time of year for celebrating our food.  I've been musing on this lately, as an appreciation of UK-produced seasonal produce should ideally be ongoing and not just a marketing initiative, although perhaps it is a timely reminder and provides focus.  The ancient festivals of Lammas in August marking the beginning of the harvest season, followed by September's Harvest Moon we experienced with last week's full moon, then culminating in Michaelmas at the end of September, provide much opportunity for giving thanks.  Our ancestors would have been far more in tune with the rhythms of the year and working together as a supportive community to ensure farmers were able to successfully bring the harvest home, thereby ensuring food supplies through the Winter months.  Re-connecting with this wonderful natural cycle provides a sense of being centred and grounded in life.  The abundance at  my local farmers' market on Saturday was wonderful.  I always get carried away and buy too much, added to which I've recently been given a glut of damsons, as well as a basket of green tomatoes, so have been busy making jam and chutney for the first time in years.  Something about the simple process of preserving nature's bounty is such a rewarding experience, especially being able to share the outcome for family and friends to enjoy.  I felt inspired to bake some bread too and the uplifting smell of the loaf in the oven was a simple pleasure that I shall recreate more often.  We are truly blessed that everything we could possibly want to eat is available in the shops or online, but even better to be mindful of where it has come from and give thanks for the joy and sustenance that good food lovingly grown and prepared provides.