There seems to be a feeling around that snow may be on the way…
Like it or hate it, Winter has only just started on 21st December, so at some point or other, we may get a flurry of snow, some frozen pipes and a few icy roads.
Doubtless, the youngsters will get a day or two off school thrown into the deal.
So, has anyone been out to squirrel away supplies in case of bad weather????
I bought my coarse salt from LIDL the other day as I have steps that become glacial when the temperature drops, and I freely and openly admit to tossing an extra thing or two into the trolley today.
So, how many bricks of UHT milk, candles and part baked baguettes did other SF members get today?
Some, none, any?
Come on, confession is good for the soul........!!
It used to be "bread, milk and toilet rolls" when we lived in the States so that's what we think now when snow is imminent. Also bought some Seville oranges from Grand Frais so that I can keep warm making marmalade.
Re the BBB: Oh yes they are tomatoey enough but you can always add more or stick in your soffrito instead (sofregit in catalan) and a bit of piment d'Espelette (the ground smoked one is good) I am not a very precise measurer so I gave you the recipe as it was in the book - you can play about with it. When you dish it up I think it is improved by lots of chopped parsley & a bit of minced raw onion (à la tinned lentils for a salade de lentilles, so delicious) but some people might prefer other things!
Jane, there is nothing like homemade Stollen though, especially with added almonds and spice in the bread dough and far too much marzipan in the middle. Even bakeries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are not as 'generous' with those as I am. It is incredibly easy to make as well.
One of the great things about Lidl apart from the price is they have "foreign" food-sorry to put it like that, but you all know what I mean! Mexican, Spanish, Scandi,and of course the UK.
They also love to feature their own regional delights too. Husband is eagerly awaiting the next Mexican promo,for the spicy tomato juice.
In our part of Wales we called them Bakestones,as they are cooked on an iron griddle, and prior to that I hot stone.
Wonderful things-again served with cheese in trendy Welsh restaurants, also great cooked in a big "round", split and filled with jam! Obviously, it is meant to be shared.....
I had to open a new folder in my files for these recipes, keep them coming. I suspect we have the Welsh cakes, but not in English, so life made easier for me!
Basic quantities (translated to metric by me) as per recipe: 500g haricots, 1 big chopped onion, 125g salt pork belly, 4 tablespoons black treacle, 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons tomato purée, 1 teaspoon salt
soak beans overnight , the next day boil them for 5 minutes in soaking water then rinse in cold water
put pork in bottom of casserole dish, put onion on top. pour in the beans, mix the other ingredients with a litre of water & pour over beans : 6 hours in a gentle oven adding water if necessary
at the end you fish out the bit of pork & shred it & mix it in
I do them in a slow cooker I got as a present one year & it saves the looking & topping up & I can put them on in the morning & they are ready when I get back from work & they smell lovely. & they arent that hideous red the tinned ones are.
@Veronique-I would love that recipe if you can post it somewhere??
I have a "conserves" boiler, and have toyed with the idea of making my own in the jars-I have done other things before and it works really well. In our area you can get mojettes and cocos de Pampol , locally grown white beans which are sold by the sack, so ideal candidates for this process.
Beautiful picture Helen - v satisfying! My war cupboard is, um, less aesthetically pleasing! I make my own Boston Baked Beans from a 1940s cookery book - I loathe the tinned ones because we used to get them for breakfast at school UGH UGH urrrrrgh. Actually I don't much like the ones I make either but my children seem to & I do try not to transmit my personal food hates to them.