End of week 1

It has been an oh so long week. So long in fact, that I'm sure that more than a week has passed and everybody around me is just pretending that it is the same week.

I haven't slept enough, partly due to nerves. Partly due to excitement…you can't win can you?! And then when I have nodded off in to the world of supposed slumber, I have been tormented by dreams of bread too soggy, cutting my fingers off, lobsters chasing me. Need I continue or do you get the picture?

I find myself ill and glad it's the weekend so I can recuperate and gather strength for the next week. If we found this week intense it will only get worse as recipes get more intricate, our palettes become more snobby and we generally want to push ourselves to do more in less time.

I won't share recipes with you. Ok, go on then, I will when I'm cooking them! And maybe in the coming weeks I will write less and less, probably about 2 or 3 times a week but, what I will share with you is some handy little wonderful tips…just to keep you on your toes. So please, tell me if they help or if there are any other things you'd like tips from and I'll see what I can do!


1) Always buy seasonal produce. And to help with this lack of produce over the unavailable months, freeze as much as you can.

2. Freeze tomatoes whole (stalks and everything). To use, simply place in cold water for a couple of minutes and the skin comes right off. I saw this with my very own eyes and gasped in awe! Chop and use immediately to make sauce…No sandwiches though!

3. Cook jam for as little as possible. 5-10mins should do it. This holds the flavour and will make it more intense in every which way…Cook the sugar in the over whilst fruit is going a little liquidy and coming to the boil (5-10mins if frozen, less if not) then add. This will make it come to the boil quicker therefore doing the above!

I'm sure there a lots more little tips and tricks that I haven learnt over the last week, the truth is they are all in my notebook which lies about 5 long metres away. Did I mention I'm so tired??? And of course being so tired I forgot to mention I received two, TWO 9's for my cooking today. Chuffed and tired…winning combination.

Knives at the ready!