Editor's February Pick #15: Saturday Night Supper - Shepherd or Cottage?

Editor's note:  Lately I've been using a lot of Quorn mince in the kitchen as it's perfect for CBA cooking - freezer to the pan and you're halfway there - one of the best bits is that the majority of recipes meant for real deal mince translate perfectly. So for this selection I (re!)present one of the Grumpy Old Men recipes - a Snug Shepherd or a Cosy Cottage. Take your pick, or go for a meat-free option, the real gold for me personally is the 'extras' that accompany the base. By the way, don't forget to check out the 'GOM' label for more travel writings and recipes!

Saturday night supper

For the GOM, in front of the football (soccer USA)

Depending on what you fancy, the following is either a “Snug Shepherd” or a “Cosy Cottage” – minced lamb for the shepherd and minced beef for the cottage – pie that is!

A Shepherd or a Cottage

700g minced lamb or beef

1 tbsp rapeseed oil (Canola USA)

2 tbsps Madeira

2 tbsps Ruby Port

2 tsps Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsps tomato paste

2 lamb or beef stock pots

50-100 ml water

Using a large frying pan and preferably one that is suitable for transfer to the oven. Heat the oil and then add the mince and brown, turning until thoroughly browned. Add the Madeira and the Port and bring to the boil for 2/3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the stock pots and mix well until absorbed and melted.

Your filling should not be too dry but not too wet either. You should be able to see tiny puddles of liquid. If you need to add water then add it gradually – you can add more you can't remove it!

It's difficult to predict how much fat there'll be in minced meat. Lamb, generally speaking, will have more than beef.

You can transfer the filling into a foil tray or, as I did, leave it in the frying pan.

As a guide, my frying pan that is suitable for hob and oven is 28cms in diameter – 3 very large appetites or 4 normal.

I feel the need to describe the “puddles” :

See them glistening – not too wet but definitely not too dry.

Next - to mash or not to mash, this is the question!

Food critics …

… come in all shapes, sizes and ages.

When I began the blog way back when, I wrote about the GOM – almost always when we were in South Carolina. GOM sounds like a character that would sit well in a Tolkein novel - nothing so literary – it's simply “grumpy old men”!

For those of us of a certain age GOM don't need an explanation. They do however have their uses. My GOM are ardent cruciverbalists – they love crosswords and not just your ordinary garden variety such as appear in newspapers - they are what I refer to as “Chinese crosswords” - they may as well be written in mandarin!

These days the GOM could be in South Carolina or Northamptonshire in the UK – geography doesn't really matter - they are totally absorbed in their craft and for me it's an ideal time to “taste test” any new recipe.

Bring on the tandoori chicken salad.

No ceremony, no explanation just “please clear the decks – lunch is ready”.

One thing is for certain there's no sitting on the fence with an opinion from these two, thumbs up or thumbs down!

Well that went quite well – three things – silence, an empty bowl and “excellent” - I'll take that. Silence implies “I'm busy, this is great”, an empty bowl speaks for itself and the spoken comment is the cherry on top of the cake or in this case the dressing on top of the salad – that's terrible – I do apologise!

Lunch went so well that there's another new dish for supper, thank you boys.

I realise, by the way, that the word “salad” means cold and boring to many. I hope this salad will be an exception since it has heat in the tandoori tikka element but perfectly balanced with the Italianesque dressing.

Give it a go, I don't think you'll regret it.

GOM Chapter 25 : A quart into a pint pot!

Cast your mind back to GOM Chapter 9 when I mentioned the GOM going off into the wild blue yonder to do battle changing a car. I should have finished the story and said that my friend ultimately sold his car – the good cop/bad copy routine worked a treat – and he got a great deal. Erm, the one thing that no-one thought about at the time was that the new car is a coupé, somewhat smaller than his former vehicle.

“So what” I hear you say. It now dawns on us that we're all driving North – including Choo Choo who will be staying with my friend's daughter and son-in-law whilst he is away.

Common sense prevails and we have a committee meeting and decide that we should have a “dummy run” to see if we can actually fit everything into the new car.

What follows is like a scene from a Brian Rix farce (I hope there are some of you out there who will remember his brilliantly funny theatre!)

Here's the list:

3 cases to stow, 3 carry-on bags, Choo Choo's cage (which thankfully does collapse flat), her bed and food for two weeks. Miscellaneous bits – i.e. Choo Choo and me – plus a survival kit for the journey, blah, blah, blah.

To make the dummy run authentic Choo Choo and me decide the obvious place for us is in the car – a very good move on our part. We are keeping schtum (say nothing – especially in circumstances where saying the wrong thing may get you into trouble). We are keeping our heads well below the parapet.

After much huffing and puffing (and the obligatory strong language) surprisingly the dummy run works although Choo Choo and me now have several additional bits and pieces that wouldn't fit in the trunk.

It's a good job I'm vertically challenged!

I think they deserve a beer after all that work and I can return the tea towel to the kitchen which I used to stifle my giggles.

We are ready to roll tomorrow.

GOM: Chapter 24 - It's that time again!

It's always with mixed feelings – sad to leave but will be great to be home – my restaurant is now closed!

This year our departure is different – we are closing up the house and all of us are going North to Indian Land to visit my friend's Daughter and Son-in-law prior to flying from Charlotte to London.

On my first “sweep” of the house, collecting all the bits and pieces for packing, a passing thought, wouldn't it be perfect if I got a final hide surprise today – I live in hope.

Here's another thought - if you are ever in this neck of the woods you might be interested to know you can sign up for a Culinary Tour of Charleston and eat your way round, sampling Lowcountry cuisine to two hour tasting of desserts or even a Chef's Kitchen Tour – if food is your bag then this suggestion is right up your alley.

Taking a break from the enormity of how to fit all my fab purchases into suitcases that I swear have shrunk since we arrived – an impossible task – I take a coffee break. Am I glad I did – I spend a happy hour watching a family of vultures (mum, dad and baby) perched on next door's dock – it looked for all the world like they were taking junior out for the afternoon and were in no hurry to fly off. Long enough for me to observe up close and personal with the binoculars – with or without them it's the nearest I've even been to vultures!

Gotta go – quick change for a return match at the Outback restaurant – decisions, decisions – hey, go out in a blaze of glory I say – Crab and Avocado Stack with Garlic Parmesan Fries. Ribeye and Filet Mignon for the GOM – worth every inch around my already expanded waistline – must get on that treadmill tomorrow!

Back to the packing, groan.

GOM Chapter 22: Roast beef and Husk.

By request it's roast beef with all the trimmings for Sunday lunch – in particular roast potatoes – not something you see in the US – since I won't be able to source semolina in it's natural form I'll improvise and use all purpose flour (plain to us Brits) to toss my little beauties in. I may even accept a mission and try and find a parsnip or six, you never know your luck. Yorkshire pudding here I come.

Since it's our last weekend it's appropriate to push the boat out (sorry!). I'll also do a “rib-sticking” pudding. Banana cake with sticky toffee sauce, spiked with a drop of banana liqueur.

Harris Teeter beckons.

Now it's time for the Husk bit - a treat – lunch at a restaurant called Husk in Queen Street, Charleston. This restaurant has long been on my list of places to visit so I'm very excited at the prospect.

Husk is famous for Southern food using Lowcountry ingredients. First impressions are wonderful the restaurant is bright and inviting and the staff attentive as is the norm hereabouts. The menu does not disappoint – it is changed twice daily although there are two exceptions – its cheeseburger and shrimp and grits remain steadfast. We begin with snacks of Southern Fried Chicken Skins and Crostini with Cheddar Pimento. Cheeseburgers and wedges for the GOM, Fried Catlish “BLT” with spicy mayo for me (although I don't include the bacon I'm afraid) with a side of cornbread.

You won't be surprised to hear that there'll not be a big meal this evening – expanding waistlines – phew - a truly memorable experience, hopefully to be repeated next time.

Hold the front page – roast parsnips for Sunday lunch, mission accomplished!

GOM Chapter 21 : What lurks beneath or the one that got away

Fishing is a very popular sport in this neck of the woods. My grumpy old man friend is a keen fisherman and very often sets out his stall on the bottom dock. His nemesis is the gar – aka garfish. This monster has proved to be a slippery customer. We would know it as pike. It is found in brackish water so the creek is perfect - they live close to the water surface and feast on the small fish. You can eat gar – but you'll need to catch it first!

Weekends produce a steady stream (sorry!) of boats that “park” and fish, some lucky, some not. The boats vary from a “Jon Boat” - which looks like a basic rowing boat but with a small motor added – to mega smega very expensive larger vessels. Photograph attached of the largest I've ever seen on the creek which came past and “parked” next door – gob-smacked is the word I think! You will by now have gathered that I am not in any way nautical.

Tonight it's supper at home and so am going to try something new – a cheeseless pizza! I do like pizza but unless you are fortunate enough to own a pizza oven in your back yard (garden) they vary so much. Making your own pizza base is a definite plus but it's not always convenient. If you don't want to be bothered you can buy a ready-made 12inch base or a mix that will do the job.

What's certain is that it will not take long to cook, so, pre-heat your oven as per the instructions.

You'll need :

Sour cream (half cup) or 4 fl oz

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

6oz smoked salmon – slices or these days you can buy packets of the trimmings which would be perfect for the pizza topping

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp capers, drained

6 baby cornichons, finely chopped

Cook your pizza base according to the instructions and allow it to cool.

Mix the sour cream with the lemon juice and half the dill. Spread onto the cooled base, top with the smoked salmon and then sprinkle the onion, capers and cornichons. Sprinkle the remaining dill over the top – serve and enjoy, with baked potatoes (optional grated cheese), coleslaw, a huge mixed salad and beetroot. I think that'll do the job!

some time later …..

it definitely did and I'd recommend it for the “throw it all together”, easy-peasy type supper.

GOM Chapter 20: The Gullah People and their Lowcountry cuisine

I know that this post isn't really anything to do with the GOM but I hope you'll agree that Gullah and Lowcountry cuisine is worth a mention – and my excuse is the GOM like their food!

The Gullah People are descended from African slaves, living in the Lowcountry region of the USA – in particular South Carolina and Georgia. Gullah has its own language a “pidgin” mixture of dialects of English, Scottish and African which evolved from the early settlers.

Gullah cuisine came from what the people could grow - crops that were the most reliable and plentiful – rice, corn, potatoes and collard greens (collards) to name but a few. Collards are similar to our “spring greens” or “spring cabbage”. They used pork and chicken and seafood too. Simple, humble ingredients made into dishes packed full of flavour.

I mentioned in GOM 11 and GOM 17 about Gullah cuisine and Lowcountry cooking. There are many influences in both, the African American Gullah, French Huguenot, English and Welsh, native American and Spanish.

Here's a few examples of what you'd see on a menu :

probably one of the most famous is She Crab Soup – it's a great example of fusion – a French bisque soup with crab meat added – it's divine.

grits – which always sounds so unappetising, is reconstituted corn used in all sorts of ways – fritters, with cheese and onion to make a “corn” cake and breads of course. Grits are most famously served with shrimp.

Succotash is a stew principally made from butter beans, stock and corn. Every time I hear the word it makes me smile, reminding me of the cartoon character Sylvester the cat and Daffy Duck who both used the catchphrase “sufferin succotash” - apparently the phrase replaced another, “Suffering Savior”.

Okra gumbo – a soup, thickened using a roux and then adding the okra along with either meat or seafood.

I have to include Rutabaga – just because I love the name - it sounds so exotic – it's a vegetable we know as swede, turnip or neeps.

Gullah Chef, Charlotte Jenkins used to have a restaurant, “Gullah Cuisine” in Mount Pleasant but sadly it closed in 2014 although I understand that the catering side still continues. Any collection of her recipes would be a worthy addition to your cookery bookshelf.

There's a lot of Gullah seasonings to suit every style of cooking which we'll have a look at in the future. The seasonings are easy to create yourself and share with a friend. It's different from a glass of wine although you could have both!

I hope you've enjoyed this small insight.

GOM Chapter 19: A welcome visitor and know your onions!

In GOM 7 I reported my hummingbird heaven and since that magical time, whenever possible, I've been present and correct on morning stakeouts around 11am. Patience rewarded at last, and this time I had witnesses - the GOM! In all honesty I can't say it was exactly 11am, nor that it was the same hummingbird - I'd like to say it was my original bird popping in to say hello but I think that's taking the realms of fantasy a little too far – hey, who cares, a morning treat – the sound from the beating of the wings is remarkable all the more so because the bird is so tiny, there's no better way to start the day.

Now for a little onion history - all hail the Vidalia onion.

There's a place called “Vidalia” in Georgia. The city is known as the “Sweet Onion City” and each spring heralds the Vidalia Onion Festival. First grown in 1931 and expected to be a hot onion crop it was a surprise that they were sweet! It is pale yellow, slightly squat, has a crunchy texture and better yet a sweet flavour with very little bite.

My first introduction to the Vidalia onion was years ago in Portland, Oregon. For those among us who don't like the archetypal onion ring, soggy and disgusting, please note that rings made from Vidalia onions are a unique experience and would convert the most sceptical. Since my first introduction in Portland every place I've visited in the USA has always included a search (mainly on restaurant menus and the markets) for the said vegetable, with little success.

In recent years visiting this wondrous place I've been able to get Vidalia onions and use them all the time, raw or cooked. I have driven my grumpy old man friend bonkers – he's an excellent and efficient shopper, consequently when the GOM are out and about on a quest of their own, they shop en route. If onions are on the list, it is specific, look for Vidalia. I can also reveal that when I mentioned my visit to “Edna's spice stall in GOM: Chapter 4” I bought granulated Vidalia onions and Vidalia onion spice mix – another result!

In recent times I've found Vidalia products, for example, a relish which is fantastic either as an accompaniment to BBQ or in that inimitable British favourite, a cheese sandwich – the simple things in life are the best. There's a selection of vinaigrettes, marinades and dressings not to mention a batter mix for the blooming onion (mentioned in GOM Chapter 12 The Outback).

You never know, on your travels, when you might come across a Vidalia onion and then you'll be glad you've read this potted history!

GOM 18 : The Olive Garden

Great day planned – it begins for me with a hide report with a difference. This morning I'm a “roving reporter” and am off round the corner to Palmetto Islands County Park. When I say round the corner it is – head out down the drive, turn right and you've arrived.

This park is huge and caters for everyone - you can hire a bike or a pedal-boat or a kayak - you can even fish if the mood takes.

For me it's the nature trails and because I like the quiet life, mid week and out early is just the ticket for a gentle jog, although I have to leave the binoculars behind - jogging can be quite painful otherwise!

The birds are beautiful – bluebirds and the cardinals – vivid, strong colours the like of which you only see in zoos or books. I've never seen a hummingbird in the Park but, come to think of it, I've not seen the colourful feeders to encourage them either. Yet another piece of useless information – did you know that the Carolina wren is the state bird of South Carolina? Neither did I – you learn something every day.

It's really stunning to see the creek at high tide from a completely different vantage point.

Note to self – don't lean on a tree – you never know what might be above you or around the corner!

Back home for a quick change - lunch out at The Olive Garden, a great Italian restaurant in North Charleston near Northwoods Mall – very convenient for a spot of retail therapy afterwards – is there anything better. Eager anticipation, for a I know that I shall be indulging in my absolute favourite, Pasta in Alfredo sauce. What The Olive Garden does do however, better than anywhere are what they call garlic bread sticks – do not be deceived – these are not the garden variety (sorry about the pun, couldn't resist) bread sticks that are the table decoration. These do not snap, they are eight inch warm bread rolls (similar size and shape to a hot dog roll, or a scaled down sub) deliciously soft, glazed with butter and garlic salt, truly a giant amongst breads and the best I've ever had.

I discover that they are now serving a signature bread stick sandwich – chicken parmigiana or meatball with marinara and alfredo sauces – wow – you'd need a run afterwards!

When we get to bread making, we'll include the “bread stick” - I just happened to acquire the recipe.

Off now for that retail therapy and to walk off my lunch, another great day.

GOM 17: The sod hunt and my Charleston Cooks! Class

The GOM go shopping today, however, it's not your normal expedition. They are on a “sod” hunt – or, in the UK, garden turf cut into rectangles. Lawns in this part of the world are not like ours - the grass is sparse and the intense heat doesn't help – hence the need to patch from time to time.

Apparently sod is as rare as hen's teeth so you've got to be in the right place at the right time, i.e. when a delivery is due. This could take some time – and a beer or two to recover on returning home. Just in time for the golf.

Here's another piece of useless information – a sod buster in the US is a farmer who works the soil - you never know when this may come in handy!

Me, I'm off for my treat. The class I've chosen is on low country cooking. To explain, low country includes mostly anywhere in South Carolina that has water or marsh nearby – which would mean pretty much everywhere.

My idea of the best afternoon out – the chef was brilliant. It's a small demonstration room which creates a great atmosphere. There's a screen above the bench where she's working so you can see everything. Here's a snapshot,

We watched as she produced Lemon Buttermilk Pie, Carolina Aromatic Rice, Vegetable Sauté and Blackened Fresh Fish. I left the class inspired and with a tip or two – worth every cent.

Set down below in my version of the Blackened Seasoning used with the fresh fish, devised on my return to the UK.

Blackened Cod

Blackened fish in the UK usually means a base ingredient of

balsamic vinegar or a teriyaki sauce. In the USA blackened

seasoning is very much part of the Low Country style of

cooking.

Blackened Seasoning

2 level tsps paprika

4 tsps dried thyme

2 tsps onion powder

2 tsps garlic powder

1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsps salt

2 tsps black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sumac

1 tsp oregano

¾ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp nutmeg

Place all the above in a jar, shake and store in a cool dark place. Use for fish, chicken or seafood.

Blackened Cod

Allow 4-6oz cod per person and cut into portions. Using kitchen roll, pat the fish dry. Coat the fish heavily on both sides with the seasoning.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add either vegetable or rapeseed oil enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

When the oil is hot add the fish to the pan. Cook until the spices have blackened on the bottom, cooking times will vary according to the thickness of the fish.

Turn the fish and allow to cook through, reduce the heat as necessary.

Serve on a bed of samphire.

Samphire is a sea vegetable – there are two types, marsh and rock. It's similar to baby asparagus and is crisp and salty to taste. Wash thoroughly and then steam. It's fantastic with fish. If you have trouble locating it, I can save your legs and eyes – Waitrose and the fish counter!!

Here's one of the tips that I brought away from the class – if you have a portion of fish that includes the tail, fold it over so that it sticks – it won't dry out and looks neater.

The sod hunt bore fruit and by the time I returned everything was planted and refreshed - water for the sod – beer for the GOM!

GOM: Chapter 16 The Dinner Party and Mobilising the troops

Busy day, best foot forward – of course the day begins as usual with the GOM doing their morning thing and I'm in my hide. It seems ages since I've been on duty but my efforts are rewarded. Perched on the top dock is the bluest bird I've ever seen – if I didn't know better I'd think that someone not a million miles away was playing tricks! You may not be surprised to learn it really is called a bluebird – I forgot to mention it also has an orange breast. Size wise in the UK – similar to a thrush. Another glorious addition to my every growing wildlife list. I'm sorry there's no photograph, you have to sit still or they tend to fly off!

Let's get the party started and mobilise the troops, washing the best china and crystal, laying the table, organising the wine and anything else I can think of. There's no show …... even though dress is absolutely casual, it doesn't mean you can't have a great looking table – how very Martha Stewart.

Whilst the GOM are doing their chores I prep the mash and poach salmon for the fishcakes so that they can cool in readiness for the “class” later on. Peel potatoes and carrots for the main and prep trays for the Tarragon Chicken.

Organisation is the key ….... not really sure why but I always work backwards, dessert first and my friend observes as I assemble the Orange Tiramisu – cover and refrigerate. This dessert came from my Cordon Bleu Course and is really useful – not everyone is fond of coffee.

Next step is to assemble the fishcakes and again student observing – cover and refrigerate together with the “instant” tartare sauce.

All done, can now rest up and return to the hide for an hour before glad rags on.

You'll be pleased to know that all went well, but probably the best comment came from my friend, who – like me, is not a dessert eater. High praise indeed for the Orange Tiramisu and he's adding it to his reportoire – phew!

Well done to all the troops, a good night was had by all.

Here are the recipes:

Fishcakes

(a la The Ivy)

(makes 8 – freeze what you don't use)

800g dry mashed potato, no cream or butter added

650g salmon fillet poached in fish stock and flaked

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp anchovy essence

3 tsp English mustard

salt and black pepper

Plain flour for coating

Mix together the potato, half the salmon, the ketchup, anchovy essence, mustard and seasoning until smooth. Fold in the rest of the salmon. Mould the mixture into 8 round cakes and refrigerate.

When you're ready to serve preheat the oven 180fan/200c/gas 6. Lightly flour the fishcakes and fry them until they are coloured on both sides. Bake for 10/15 minutes.

There will be more to follow on “The Ivy The Restaurant and its Recipes AA Gill” soon.

Quick tartare sauce

Hellmann's mayonnaise – approximately two

heaped tablespoons

Caper paste – 1 teaspoon

Cornichons – two, finely diced

Capers to taste

Mix the caper paste with the mayo and fold in the

diced cornichons and capers

et voila!!

Tarragon Chicken

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approximately 2 tbsp

160ml Vermouth or white wine

Half tsp of sea salt flakes or quarter tsp of pouring salt

120ml double cream

White pepper

4 chicken breasts

Drop of canola oil (rapeseed in UK) and a knob butter to seal. (You could use a flavoured oil i.e. garlic or tarragon if you wish)

Optional

One Knorr chicken stock pot melted in 250ml of hot water and 2 tsps garlic paste, mashed together.

Heat oil and butter, add the onions, then dried tarragon.

Add the chicken fillets, seal on both sides, put on one side. (Add mashed garlic and stock**see below) Add the vermouth, let it bubble up, add salt. Pop the breasts back in the pan and cook on the stove or in the oven – 20/25 minutes (depending on size of the breasts). When ready to serve, remove the breasts, bring the liquid to the boil, add cream and fresh tarragon, then white pepper.

**You can vary your sauce by adding roasted garlic paste, mashed into concentrated chicken stock. I've tried adding this element and it's great - obviously you have to like garlic.

Roast Potatoes

I use either Maris Piper or King Edwards in the UK but here I'd use either Russet or Yukon Gold – as a rough guide 2lbs gives you 12 small to medium roasties – parboil them – just so you can insert a paring knife and take it out with some resistance. Drain well, sprinkle 1 heaped tbsp of semolina over the potatoes and then shake well – don't forget to put the lid on the pan!!!! Your aim is to coat the potatoes.

Pre-heat your oven 210c/190fan/Gas 7

It's important that your fat is hot before the spuds go in. You can use 1-2 tbsps size lumps of goose fat or beef dripping or, in my case, either vegetable or rapeseed oil. They will take an hour and straight from oven to table is best.

This is Nigella's way and it has never failed me. Taken from “How to Eat” p281.

Lemon glazed carrots

I would suggest 6-8 medium to large carrots. Peel, top and tail and cut into batons, approximately 5cms long x 1cm thick (or in old money 1 ¾” long x ¼” thick). Try and keep them a similar size. Lay a sheet of foil onto a baking tray (large enough to be able to wrap into a parcel) lay the carrot batons on the foil add salt and black pepper, a couple of slugs of lemon juice and 2/3 generous knobs of butter. Wrap tightly and pop into the oven after your roasties have been in for 30 minutes. This recipe came from my sister, Whizzer - thank you!

Steam the snow peas at the last minute.

Orange Tiramisu

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

20fl oz whipping cream

4tbls Cointreau (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4tbls caster sugar

8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

2oz plain chocolate (grated)

Mix the orange rind and juice with the Cointreau. Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Grate the chocolate. Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge and sprinkle with chocolate.

GOM: Chapter 15 – Easy down East Bay Street

Today is doing the tourist thing – a wander down one of my favourite streets Downtown Charleston, East Bay Street. It suits all of us. I drop the GOM off at their watering hole – the wine and cigar shop – looks really tiny from the outside but inside opens up into a lounge big enough to house large squidgy leather sofas and a wide screen television (you know, the sort that only shows sport) with wall to wall, floor to ceiling wines. It's a serious business wine tasting.

I'm off across the road to Charleston Cooks! - I mentioned in Chapter 7 I visit this store at least twice - today I'm spending dosh. I wouldn't describe myself as a gadget/gizmo person but now and again I come across a piece of kit that is not destined to join the box, already full to bursting, of junk that, when purchased, the mantra was “this is brilliant, I'll use it all the time”......tell the truth - how much stuff have you got stashed away gathering dust.

My purchase, I can confirm, has not been committed to the junk box. A corn stripper. The best way to describe it, is similar to a potato peeler, it has a blade in the same way and strips a cob evenly and easily without any danger of inflicting multiple stab wounds. Photograph attached so you can see what I mean. I threatened previously to book a class at the school and so pick up information.....a tempting treat for next week.

Collect the GOM and grab a fizzy water whilst they finish their Merlot. Off for a spot of lunch.

Welcome to the Brown Dog Deli - garden salads, deli salads, wraps, specialty (their spelling, not mine) sandwiches, deli classics and sides. The “specialty sandwiches” - mainly burgers, were truly inspirational, two examples, Carribean Black Bean Burger with pineapple mango salsa, 3 pepper cheese, red onion & raspberry chipotle sour cream, Broad St. BBQ – pulled pork on a brioche bun with Cheerwine BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar, coleslaw & pickles.

The best “side” I've ever eaten - potato salad like no other. I tried very hard to isolate various flavours both with eyes and taste buds. As is the custom in the USA your “server” (not an attractive term in my view) returns to ask if you've enjoyed your meal. Our server turned out to be a guy who knew his stuff and so consequently I was able to extricate the recipe (or at least the bare bones thereof) for the potato salad. The twists to the norm were three different types of potato, new, baked and sweet. Minimal mayo, a touch of American mustard, salt and white pepper but the crowning glory, sour cream – heavenly – so much so that I rapidly made notes on a napkin before my aging memory gave out and stuffed it into my handbag, (for future translation into a recipe on my return home). Nobody does a deli better. Btw, they used small brioche buns for the burgers, it might sound weird but it works, the combination of slightly sweet but quite light in texture with the savoury burger works for me. We now know it works in the UK too for we now have brioche buns/rolls at BBQ/summer time – another excellent BBQ side or slider!

Need to walk off the lunch and so we browse a few art galleries along East Bay Street. I just love the Gullah art, it is simple and straight forward using bold and in your face colour. Should anyone visit Charleston - Lowcountry Artists, a gallery on East Bay Street is a joy, and Lynne Hardwick is one of its local artists. We had a great time chatting and exploring.

Lower down East Bay is “Marion's in the French Quarter” - photograph attached – tee hee, I wish!

How good was that.

GOM Chapter 14: The menu and the crossword.

Menu approved for Saturday's dinner party.

Fishcakes (a la The Ivy) with tartare sauce to begin - Tarragon chicken with good old fashioned roast potatoes, lemon glazed carrots and snow peas for main and dessert will be Orange Tiramisu (translation for tiramisu, “pick me up”). Not only is the menu approved but my friend wishes to be a student for the fishcakes and the chicken – he isn't fond of desserts but, at the age of 72, wants to expand his culinary repertoire and includes the tiramisu too. More of this to follow nearer the time.

Now a word about crosswords. I'm not talking about the coffee break “quickie” - these are complex, high velocity full on “slowies”. For some time now I've referred to them as “Chinese crosswords” because they might as well be written in Mandarin. You get my drift.

The GOMs day begins with sudoku and other miscellany and they then move on to the big stuff. Imagine an ordinary grid – normally you're given a list of clues, down and across. With the Chinese version you're given a title, plus a set of instructions that on their own would defeat most mortals but become clear when the puzzle is successfully solved.

The GOM spend hours pouring over their quest. Did you know there is a specific crossword language, for example the initial “r” can mean “take”, “right”, “rule”, I could go on!

This particular day is an easy “go with the flow” day. I am on hide duty watching all my regular friends, the herons, the jumpin' fish, the swallows et al. There is a faint background bickering from the GOM but nothing out of the ordinary.

Moving on 2 hours and critically close to a very important sporting event – can't remember which - either golf or soccer on the widescreen – but the pressure is on, suddenly there's some colourful loud language – they had solved the puzzle but weren't too pleased – the correct reading of the instructions resulted in the completed grid being totally empty – best to keep my distance.....I'll stick with dinner party planning!

GOM Chapter 13: Edgar Allan Poe, dinner and all that

Post crossword “meeting” with the GOM this morning and we've decided to invite the neighbours for dinner this coming weekend. One quick phone call later and it's arranged for Saturday. I'm left to ponder what to serve so, back to the old drawing board – another meeting scheduled with proposed menus for approval tomorrow morning. How very business like!

Gotta run – next dance class - it was great, but I have to say it would make life a lot easier if I was twenty years younger and had any sort of coordination! Not helped by the fact that our instructor is drop dead gorgeous, a professional dancer and about 25 years old – do you detect a shade of green creeping in – absolutely!

Exercise over it's back home to relax – no cooking today, looking forward to another visit to Sullivan's Island – this time to eat.

Out early doors which suits us all – off we go back to Sullivan's Island to Poe's Tavern. As mentioned previously Sullivan's Island is just as you imagine a typical small seaside place to be – one main street – each side with small shops and restaurants. An easy, laid back atmosphere and you feel it as soon as you get out of the car. The veranda has tables and chairs and people are sat having a beer, chatting – informality is the key, together with the anticipation of good food. We were not disappointed. The restaurant's history surrounds Edgar Allan Poe. He was stationed at Fort Moultrie at the western end of the Island for thirteen months in November 1827 and his time there inspired “The Gold Bug”, a story about a mystical beetle that led to buried treasure.

I should perhaps explain that my husband is not a burger fan but, there are burgers and there are burgers – that famous name that everyone knows - this is not! All the burgers are half pounders, ground in-house and cooked to order. Everything else is freshly made too. To tempt you with a burger or two, you could have The Pit & Pendulum – with applewood bacon and cheddar cheese, or the Starving Artist, bunless with a choice of pimento, roasted garlic bleu, sweet pepper goat or jalapeno jack cheese, served with marinated bacon-bleu cheese coleslaw. I could go on, suffice it to say that the Gold Bug – a cheeseburger with either Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese was a huge hit. The fries (not chips!) were the thin variety but clearly cooked in their skins, excellent, nay outstanding.

Back home for a night-cap – have a good one.

GOM Chapter 12: Slob Sunday

It's a good job we have an easy day today - sleep interrupted during the night by a spectacular thunderstorm – the noise is so loud it's scary – even if you're not generally bothered. I should explain that we have the guest suite which is on the ground floor – Choo Choo sleeps in the kitchen in her cage (not locked) and is terrified of storms. When my grumpy old man got up to visit the bathroom, there sat Choo Choo in the doorway to the suite – well it would have been cruel and unkind not to invite her in to spend the rest of the night.

After our visitors depart for home the boys decide to continue their vehicular quest and so depart late am for a couple of hours. Yippee, since it's overcast I'm going to find myself a film and settle down to veg out for a couple of hours with Choo Choo for excellent company. You've heard the expression “the best laid plans.......” no less than 5 minutes after the boys left and I'd chosen said film, blank screen – power cut, sorry power outage in USA speak. Absolutely typical. Didn't last long though - about an hour so all's well with the world.

Some things in life are meant to be and if you are patient long enough, then you get your reward. 5.30pm two baby dolphins came down the creek searching for their tea. What a display, right in our own back yard, a truly magnificent sight. The tide was low and if you've ever watched how dolphins feed one will circle around, driving the small fish so that the other meets and hence the feeding frenzy. I appreciate that in this day and age seeing dolphins is quite commonplace. For me, to witness these truly beautiful creatures, free and doing as nature intended is beyond special. As the Richter scale is used to express the magnitude of an earthquake from 1-10 I have my own Hummingbird scale – seeing a hummingbird 12 inches away and the sound that wings make rates 10 – but this spectacular display is up there with the hummingbird!

Out for dinner tonight and we are off to The Outback, yep an Australian restaurant complete with boomerang décor. The reason for the visit is twofold, a fantastic reputation for steaks and The Blooming Onion. Hey if you are going to eat something that is really bad for you then make a good job of it. This onion is approximately 8” in diameter, looks like a lotus flower, except that it is coated in spicy seasoning, dipped in batter and deep fried. The onion is served with a dip. The comparison, ridiculous though it may sound, is similar to pulling the leaves from an artichoke – a truly decadent experience. The boys loved their steaks and for me, stuffed mushrooms, wonderful.

I hope you realise how seriously I take getting the absolute best out of my stay!

GOM 11: Salsa and Tanger (as opposed to tango)

Busy day today, friend's daughter and son-in-law arrive this evening. A busy week at work and then they drive 3 hours in rush hour traffic. Priority is supper for the weary travellers when they arrive. Out of the freezer comes the cheese, potato and onion pie prepared earlier this week. I hadn't forgotten that, although I'd mentioned the pie, I hadn't mentioned the recipe. Here it is, the fastest pie ever. Use baked jacket potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks, 2 large onions, chopped and soften gently for 5 minutes with a knob of butter and a drop of Canola oil. Quick onion sauce, double the quantity, salt and black pepper and 12oz of strong cheddar cheese, grated. Mix it all together, place into a foil tray, add a puff pastry lid and egg wash. Bake in a medium oven for 40 minutes until golden brown, check after 30.

I'm serving this pie because I know it's a favourite – unpretentious comfort food. In times gone by I've seen the “young adults” demolish this pie for breakfast, having had, shall we say a great night out. May be I should market it as an aid to recovery after a heavy night.

Moving on, off we go to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio (established 1947) – I kid you not. Hey, whilst I may never aspire to the dizzy heights of Strictly Come Dancing (aka Dancing with the Stars in the USA) I'll give it my best shot. 45 minutes later and we are completely exhausted – I'm not sure whether it's the dancing or the potential stress of looking a complete klutz – appropriate US slang for clumsy or a dull-witted person – in this case probably both would apply! Great fun nevertheless and I look forward to the next one. P.S. Shoes were amazing.

It's weekend, and we girls are off for a spot of retail therapy. GOM and son-in-law settled in for soccer (from the UK) everyone's happy.

We begin at Town Centre, which is not a town centre, but the name of a small shopping area with good quality shops, ranging from Barnes & Noble (bookshop) to Victoria's Secret, famous for fantastic ladies underwear, leisurewear et al.

I have to collect a book I've ordered from Barnes & Noble but first breakfast in Starbucks – so civilised – it's inside the store and, confession time, my indulgence, a chocolate chip cookie – it's the size of a frisbee. My book will be cherished, “Gullah Cuisine By Land and By Sea” by Gullah Chef Charlotte Jenkins. More about Ms. Jenkins and Gullah cuisine later.

Onward to Tanger Outlet – this place is similar to Bicester Shopping Village in the UK, with Designer outlets like Ralph Lauren and a new edition since my last visit, a Michael Kors handbag shop. Second only to food is my passion for bags of all shapes and sizes. My purchase today is small, but perfectly formed, a wallet in gold leather – hey, a girls gotta do.

Back to food! I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm a fan of Australian Masterchef - one of the celebrity chef contributors is native Curtis Stone. Mr. Stone is very popular in the US and imagine my surprise to find him, giving a cookery demonstration at Tanger Outlet, perfect combination – two passions for the price of one. So much better “in the flesh”.

Takeaway Chinese this evening – please note, anyone reading a Chinese Takeaway menu in the US should be aware (as in Crispgate!) that you have to be specific when ordering noodles – you have to ask for soft noodles, if you don't you'll get the crispy version. The food is also produced in pints, as in the cartons we all know from watching the US police dramas. Can't say that the quality is that much different to the UK, just lots more of it.

A lovely day with a lovely young lady as my retail partner – perfect symmetry.

GOM: Chapter 10 - Pork tenderloin and Salsa

Supper at home tonight so it's early morning prep. Menu today, pork tenderloin, with peppers and mushrooms, Dijon mustard and heavy cream (double in English) with Tartiflette using the Douceur du Jura, the alternative for the traditional Reblochon cheese, acquired from Goat.Sheep.Cow. Tartiflette is my favourite potato dish – French, as you may have guessed - usually you would include bacon (dry cured if possible) but I am the spanner in the works and don't eat meat and so I'll make it without - the boys will be more than happy with their pork tenderloin. My friend hit 70 recently and is a keen cook and student and he's asked to observe today.

Tartiflette

1.5kg all purpose potatoes e.g. desiree, peeled and cut to

a similar size

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 thick dry cured smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped

50g butter

1 garlic clove

250g reblochon cheese, rind trimmed and removed

(US Douceur du Jura alternative)

Pre-heat oven 180c/160 fan/gas 4 (UK)

for US see below

Boil the potatoes until cooked, cool, then slice.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and bacon

until softened.

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of an

ovenproof dish.

Place some of the potatoe slices in the bottom and

season with salt and black pepper, then layer with the

onion and bacon, repeat until all the potato slices have

been used, seasoning between each layer.

Chop the cheese and scatter over the potatoes and cover with foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, remove foil for remaining 15 minutes

so that the tartiflette crisps around the edges.

This can be prepared ahead and feel free to use 2 tsps of garlic paste

when cooking the onions and bacon – rules are made to be broken.

For the pork tenderloin, prep ahead by inspecting the loin and removing any pieces of sinew by using a sharp paring knife, slipping the knife just under the sinew so that you have an edge to hold onto, lift the edge with your thumb and index finger and then gently run the knife away from your fingers and the sinew will come away easily – if you leave the sinew on the loin it will contract when you cook it and will be tough and not good to eat. Slice the loin into similar sized portions – medallions. You can use any vegetable you like, today it's thinly sliced peppers, red and yellow, and sliced portobellini (smaller version of portobello) mushrooms. All ziplocked (every kitchen should have them, an essential piece of kit) and refrigerated, ready to roll when the mood takes.

Now I am excited, tomorrow is my first (together with my friend) Salsa dancing class. A girl needs the proper footwear and guess who left her dancing shoes at home. Not a problem, off we go to Mister Don's shoe shop in Folly Road and I am now the proud owner of some seriously beautiful navy leather dance shoes – don't ask how much they were – the shoes come in their own soft cotton bag - advertising the shop of course, there's no show without punch and the salsa in the title is the dance!

Back home to the Hide – breaking news. For some days now I've been watching swifts - they seemed to be concentrating on a particular area under the dock and, as time passes, it becomes apparent that they are actually nesting. They work so hard backwards and forwards, their display is very much appreciated and I am grateful that they chose their nesting site conveniently for me. Their nest is tucked right underneath the bottom right-hand corner near the lawn. Perfectly safe for them against predators and thieves!

Supper at 7pm – preheat oven 325 degrees (170c). It's strange when at my age it has taken me ages to teach myself centigrade and metric weights and measures. I've now got to reverse because in the USA everything is Fahrenheit and imperial – keeps you on your toes. Pop your tartiflette in the oven at 6pm and set your kitchen timer for 30 minutes – your tartiflette needs 1 hour.

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pay with a little Canola oil (the nearest product I could find to rapeseed oil) add a generous knob of butter. Seal the medallions, season with sea salt and black pepper, set aside in my favourite cooking utensil – an appropriately sized foil tray – saute the portobellinis and then the peppers. Add two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, gradually add approximately half a pint of heavy cream, tip over the pork – pop into the oven when your timer sounds, for 30 minutes, after 15 minutes remove the foil from the tartiflette.

Serve with green salad.

Happy days.

GOM: Chapter 9 Class day – no pressure.

Before we begin I would like it known that I remain vigilant on hummingbird watch.

Okey dokey, a lot to get through today. First priority – give the GOM a task for the afternoon. It's easy when they have a mission and today it's car related – one of their favourite hobbies is getting the best deal possible when wanting to change a car. The GOM may not be in the first flush of youth if you know what I mean, but nobody plays “good cop, bad cop” better than they do – essential qualities during negotiations.

First up “mise en place” - in English translates to “put in place”, or, get all your ducks in a row. If there is preparation you can do ahead of the game whether it's for a Class or generally at home you will save so much time and effort by weighing ingredients, grating cheese etc., and for today I'm making a batch of chocolate mousse so it will be set when required later. The funky containers will be perfect.

Wave goodbye to the GOM and on goes the white jacket – a few minutes later my two students arrive and off we go.

They are impressed with the Croque Monsieur, served with a sweetcorn relish, it's a winner.

Croque Monsieur

4 slices of medium sliced wholemeal bread

2 tsp Dijon mustard

75g (3oz) Gruyere cheese (grated)

2 slices of ham

30g (1½oz) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350f/180c/160fan

Spread ½ tsp of mustard over each slice of bread. Spread half the cheese on two slices of bread followed by the ham, remaining cheese on top. Sandwich together with the other two slices of bread and cut into triangles.

Heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming – fry your festive croque monsieur for 1-2 minutes on each side. If your frying pan is suitable for the oven then pop in for 4-5 minutes. If not then pop the croque onto a baking sheet.

Now for the mousse. I know this appears to be out of flunter but my students have an appetizer and a glass of wine or beer to enjoy so they can watch me work, relax and enjoy.

I make no apology for singing Nigella's praises – this is her recipe. The purists will poo poo the use of condensed milk, however for those of us who have to exercise caution with uncooked eggs (the traditional way of mousse making) it's brilliant. You can also omit the alcohol and increase the orange juice if you prefer. My personal preference too is not to top the mousse with whipped cream – it's rich enough for me without - it's personal taste. Childhood habits die hard, no matter what part of the world, and the mousse bowl is taken to be scraped out with spoons – apparently it would be rude not to.

Nigella's Instant Chocolate-Orange Mousse

(Taken from Nigellisima – page 148)

Recipe serves 6

150g dark chocolate – minimum 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped

175g condensed milk

500ml double cream (heavy USA)

pinch of salt

2 x 15ml tbsps Aperol, Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand

Marnier or other orange liqueur

2 x 15ml tbsps orange juice and the zext of half an orange

Melt the chocolate carefully either in a microwave (following instructions) or over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water). When almost melted stir with a rubber spatula to scrape down and to help the last bits of chocolate to melt. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little. Pour the condensed milk and 250ml of the double (heavy) cream into a bowl, add the salt and whisk until thickened but only just – the beaters should leave a trail of ribbons. Stir a third of the whipped cream mixture into the cooled melted chocolate – “you can be fairly brutal about this”. Now, slowly in 2/3 batches, fold the lightened chocolate mixture back into the rest of the whipped cream mixture. Then gently stir in the liqueur and orange juice. When combined fill 6 glasses of 150ml leaving space below the rim. Place the mousses in the fridge for 1 hour – you could serve sooner as they are edible straight away. Whip the remaining 250ml of cream until thickened but still floppy, before peaks begin to form (refrigerate too). When ready to serve divide the cream between the glasses of mousse and top with the orange zest.

Now for the Fish Pie. I've been asked to demonstrate a mornay sauce (cheese sauce) and a perfect showcase for a mornay sauce is as part of a Fish Pie. Instead of the traditional pastry top I'm using baked potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly.

Sauce making is a form of therapy and students enjoy watching the process, truly a labour of love. It's worth all the time and effort. The recipe below is scaled down – for a giant size double the quantities.

500g fish fillets of your choice

(would recommend mixing smoked and unsmoked fish)

30g unsalted butter

1 tbsp plain flour

black pepper

500ml milk (or a mixture of milk and cream

if you'd prefer a richer sauce)

150g cheddar cheese, grated – reserve

50g to sprinkle over your potato topping

Poaching the fish. Warm the milk in a large frying pan and then add the fish fillets and poach for 5-7 minutes. Remove the fillets and drain on kitchen paper (placed on a tray). Strain the milk to remove any pieces of skin etc., from the fish.

Use a medium size saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour making a roux. Gradually add the liquor from poaching the fish until you have a stiff sauce. Add the cheeses and add black pepper. ** Taste. There is no salt in the recipe – if some of your fish is smoked and there is salt in the cheeses there should be sufficient - however tastes differ, you may feel you need a sprinkle.

Gently remove any skin from your fish fillets and break into large pieces and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Combine the sauce with the fish and top with the sliced potatoes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper, a knob of butter and a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese to finish off. I baked the potatoes this morning and poached the fish too.

All your ingredients are cooked, so 30 minutes in the oven will be perfect.

Options

If you are using plain milk in your sauce, you could enrich by adding 2 egg yolks and 2 tbsp cream, beaten together, off the heat at ** above.

You could use a mixture of Cheddar and Gruyere and sprinkle the top with Parmesan.

The students enjoyed their pie, taking some home for supper, along with the mousse I prepared earlier (sorry for the pun). Two happy bunnies and we had the best time.

Just in time the GOM return - “what's for supper?”

GOM Chapter 8: Choo Choo & Goat. Sheep. Cow

This morning it's a drive to Sullivan's Island, a small beachside resort nearby. It has one main street with bars, restaurants and shops on either side, very pretty – must come back for dinner. The reason for our trip this morning is to visit the beach with Choo Choo. Beaches are sensible here, there are hours within which you may walk your dog and outside of those hours the beach belongs to everyone else. It's great, complete with lighthouse and lots of friendly “doggie” people. Nothing like fresh air to bring the colour to a girl's cheeks and the best way to start the day and Choo had the best time.

Later I'm on a mission – I've discovered a new gourmet cheese shop in Charleston called, “Goat.Sheep.Cow”. I think it must be a sign of age when retail therapy for designer handbags takes second place to gourmet cheeses and posh kitchen shops – how sad.

Specialist cheeses are quite difficult to find in this part of the world, you can get what I would call straight forward varieties like Gruyere, Brie, and may be Camembert in the posher supermarkets like Harris Teeter – for a price, but you won't see anything more exotic. It does make you realise how fortunate we are at home.

Goat. Sheep. Cow does not disappoint, cheeses to die for. I'm after a couple of my personal favourites, Reblochon for a tartiflette, (French potato dish (with bacon traditionally) the original comfort food, which is why it was served as apres-ski food). It's hopefully going to be part of my menu tomorrow evening. Success – Douceur du Jura an outstanding alternative for the Reblochon and finally a Tremblaye Camembert (stapled box imperative). I want this for tonight's supper. If you intend to bake Camembert a glued box is not a good idea for obvious reasons. Tonight, it will be infused with garlic, baked and served with bowls of chopped nuts and fruit and loads of fresh crusty bread. It would have been easier on my wallet if I'd opted for the designer handbag - $55 plus tax! – it probably didn't help that I can't buy cheese without good black olives and apricots not to mention the fennel biscuits and rice crackers – a perfect aperos.

P.s. I have to confess I did some research before I set off. Typing in “alternative for ...” in your search engine is so efficient, especially if it's going to save you time although certainly not money in this case – it's a treat.

Delicious.