As part of the London Daily Photo Blog, Ham posted a picture about Wa1trose and a text extolling their virtues. However, in that format he was unable to pass on some key tips to help make this a rounded shopping experience.

The main thing that keeps me coming back is the quick check system - san the stuff into your bag, no queuing, pay at a machine, straight out the door.

But first, price. The simple truth is, if you buy a shopping basket of basic products from Tesco, Sainsbury etc or Wa1trose, you will end up paying just about the same. That is only when you can measure like for like. For example, you will not find the plastic chickens in Wa1trose, so you will pay possibly 1.5 to 2 times the cost for their product. I would venture the opinion that it tastes better and has had better standards of care in its lifetime, though. Every now and then, I run through a shopping bill will an online Tesco or Sainsbury and I am always surprised how little difference exists. You can buy cheaper, by focussing on supermarket offers only, but you do have to work at it.

(Read on …)

The new crop of Pakistani Mango is here (and may have been for a week or so, truth be told) If you have seen these piled up outside Pakistani greengrocers and thought to yourself “ooo not shu-u-u-ure about those, I’ll buy my mango in a supermarket” you have been missing out. These are the best mangoes in the word. On top of that, this box of nine cost £5. Go find.

I do the theory, and Ham does the practical stuff, trotters not being what they might be for the finer stuff. This is the result of one such collaboration: a cake created for the local street party for my friend the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Fifty years on the throne is entirely edible, although I would not recommend chewing too long on the wire cistern handle, and the contents of the packets is not recommended for any with a sensitive digestion. As you may expect it won first prize. Clicky for a biggy.

I am not a pig to let fame go to my head, and along with fame comes responsibility. When I discussed an improvement for cottage pie, it was kindly pointed out to me that there was some work do be done on the background of the pie world. You will see my credentials in this field from the first chapter of my magnum opus, linked from the picture.

It was first essential to discover the truth of the pie nomenclature. There are a lot of theories around, but I believe I have got to the bottom of it. I have gone back in history and discovered that peasants used to keep their cows in their houses. It was a very practical arrangement, it kept the cow safe and the house warm. So, because a cow would be found in close proximity, the beef version became Cottage Pie. Because you can always depend on there being a shepherd in close proximity to a sheep, that version became Shepherd’s Pie. However, there has not yet been a version of the more, well, pig like consistency.

So I thought to myself, where is it that you would expect to find a pig? What would you find in proximity to a pig. There is an urgent need for a recipe for this, I therefore offer you for your edification,

Fry a chopped onion and couple of garlic cloves. Add and brown off 1lb minced pork with two teapoons of cumin and one of coriander and one of sweet smoked paprika. A good dollop of soy and worcester sauce and a shake of anchovy sauce. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and reduce to a decent consistency. Put into a pie dish and cover with garlic mashed potato.
I haven’t actually tried it yet, so if anyone does, let me know how it works out.

Quick food tip for cottage pie. In the meat mix, chuck in a large bunch of chopped fresh parsley. Over the pie grate some Emmental or similar, with a little nutmeg.

Barbie Fun

Well, a fine weekend beckons, bringing with it the potential for the first of the season’s eat outside barbecues. I have previously dealt at some length with the moral arguments for and against the consumption of CERTAIN TYPES of meat on these occasions, my eventual conclusion is that we pigs don’t really care. I thought to lead you into the weekend with the tongmaster movie, which if you have not seen before may cheer you up. Quite large, so may take a while to download. I may upload it to a video streaming site, too Now on YouTube. (original still available for download. Enjoy.

The picture was from last year’s garden party. PLEASE don’t draw attention to what is on the spit. I’ve dealt with that already. Thank you. A pig still has certain sensitivities.

Down the bottom left of the pic you will also see a TOP barbie tip. Use an electric heat gun to light your barbie. Instant success, no smells!

Oh no. Feeding Frenzy. My feed is not working. Long term this is not sustainable, it could wreak havoc with my figure. Only thing to do is to move onwards and upwards……

Syllabub is another of those words it is easy to start spelling, but difficult to stop. It is also a great traditional British pudding, one that seems to be all to frequently overlooked. Here then are two recipes, one an old and untried one, the other my favorite with a twist.

From John Nott’s “The Cook and Confectioner’s Dictionary”, 1733:

• 4oz Sugar
• 8fl oz Cider
• Nutmeg, grated to taste
• 1 pt heavy cream

Dissolve the sugar in a small amount of boiled water and allow to cool. Pour the cider and syrup into a bowl and add some grated nutmeg. Add the cream and stirr, then leave to separate for about 2 hours in a cool place. Lift off the curdled cream with a skimmer, pour the liquid into tall glasses then carefully lay the cream on top of the liquid.

And now:

Syllabub with ginger (serves 4)

• 3 fl oz sweet white wine
• 2tbsp Brandy or sherry
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 oz curd cheese
• 1/2 pint double cream
• 2oz Caster Sugar
• 1/2oz chopped stem ginger
• 4 twists of lemon zest to garnish

Pour wine and brandy into a bowl with the orange and lemon zest and lemmon juice, leave for a while. Add the curd cheese and mix to blend in. Whip the cream and sugar (soft whip) and fold. Add the stem ginger. This recipe will tend to hold together for quite a few hours, so make the day before if you want it to separate.

And another recipe and picture from Anne Willan, my favorite cookery writer.

It is SUMMER.

So you have slaved over your barbie, everyone is replete, saitiated indeed. What are your pudding alternatives? One of my stalwart standbys is the barbienana, an excellent way to round the meal (without too much rounding of the flanks).

Take one banana per person, and remove half of the skin slicing along the length of the banana, leaving the stalk attached, and slap them on the embers of the barbie skin side down before you sit down to eat. Let them cook, don’t worry about the skin blackening. The bottom will cook and the top will remain firm. To serve, take off the skin and scoop onto a plate. Shake some liqueur over it - whatever takes your fancy - Cassis, Tia Maria, whatever, and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche (or ordinary cream if you prefer).

Hello everyone. As I am spectacularly famous, I shall refrain from introducing myself and instead allow you to discover the multitudinous facets of my personality as time passes. I am helped in this venture by my able student and assistant, Ham, who has his own blog. We have been working together for so long, often people find it difficult to telll the two of us apart.

What, then, has brought me to this juncture? The truth is that there are limited platforms where a ein gebildetes Schwein, un cerdo educado, an educated pig, if you will, can be fully appreciated. The blog appears to be the ideal opportunity. As they say, on the Internet, nobody knows if you are a pig.

You may expect this diary to range freely across many different topics. Those closest to my trotters will of course be prominent - food may figure from time to time. I hope you enjoy participating.