TV chefs: Rick Stein, Raymond Blanc and eating out at home

At Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow

In our house TV chefs fall into two categories: those to be admired and those to despise.  Rick Stein and Raymond Blanc are in the first group but we switch channels when Delia or Jamie Oliver appear.  Actually that's not quite true: I've watched Jamie's 30 minute Meals when my personal chef is out of the house, but I do feel Jamie spends more time assembling expensive ingredients than cooking.  It was refreshing therefore to watch a repeat of Raymond Blanc's latest series this morning ('How to Cook Well' I think it's called) and see him give instructions on how to poach an egg properly and then making clever little cling film parcels of salmon and dill and poaching them.

One upon a time, pre-child when we had two full-time salaries coming in, we visited Raymond Blanc's 'Manoir au Quatre Saisons' restaurant, though we didn't stay in the rooms but in a more modest establishment down the road a bit.  It was a fabulous meal - we had the 'Menu Gourmand' - though I can't remember the details.  Was it worth the £177.40 it cost?  In 1996? (Kept the bill in a scrapbook)  Maybe for the memories, the experience, but not the food itself, no matter how delicious it was.

So last week in Padstow we thought we'd visit the restaurant of another food hero, Rick Stein.  I suppose it's because of Rick Stein that we went to Padstow in the first place.  Like many others, I loved his original programme based there.  We watched the series; bought the book; envied the lifestyle and admired his dog Chalky.  Padstow has no doubt benefitted from his influence but I'm not sure he's that popular there now.  It seems he's divorced now and has moved to Australia with his new family.  Yet Padstow is full of Stein's establishments- hotel and bistro, cafe, fish and chip shop, deli, patisserie, gift shop: he's certainly done very well as a TV chef.   He's back in Padstow next week to do signings of his latest book on Indian cooking and is doing the rounds - on Woman's Hour the other day.

We booked in at lunchtime as it's cheaper then and had the £38.50 menu.  With a fruit cocktail for Kate and a bottle of wine it cost around £160 for the three of us.

I liked my starter best  - lobster and fennel risotto with lemon oil.  Didn't take a picture of it as it looked a bit like porridge.  I love lobster but was disappointed to have only a few minute pieces.  But it was absolutely delicious.  Below is Kate's starter of sardines which she liked too.  My main course of cod in a butter sauce with samphire was also perfectly cooked and the puddings tasted as good as they look.  Worth it?  Maybe.  But then the Salt and Pepper Squid I had in the 'Old Ship' down the road was just as good.  And cost less.  And they welcome dogs.

Kate's Berry Pavlova

My Key Lime Pie

I'm just as happy eating at home.  Last night we ate outside with a friend who was visiting and had Goat's Cheese and Red Onion Tart, followed by Chicken Caesar Salad all lovingly prepared by my superstar chef husband.  Absolutely lovely and a match for the TV chef restaurants.  My contribution was growing the Little Gem lettuce which formed the basis of the salad.  And doing the washing up.  The only downside of eating out at home.

Bats!

C

Free Google image this time.  Camera playing up and won't upload my pictures

4.30 am and I'm in the garden.  Too hot to sleep and have a bit of a headache - too much birthday Pimms yesterday. Garden wonderfully cool; trees silhouettes in early morning light; cockerel crowing in the distance.  And bats!  Swooping silently, half invisible, there and then not there.  I love watching bats on warm summer evenings.  And mornings.   Anyway D. H. Lawrence says it better than me so here's an early morning poem.  Or a bit of one.  Though unlike me and most people I suppose,  Lawrence doesn't like bats.

From 'Bats'

Look up, and you see things flying
Between the day and the night;
Swallows with spools of dark thread sewing the shadows together.

A circle swoop, and a quick parabola under the bridge arches
Where the light pushes through;
A sudden turning upon itself of a thing in the air.
A dip to the water.

....

Dark air life loping
Yet missing the pure loop
A twitch, a twitter, an elastic shudder in flight
And serrated wings against the sky
Like a glove, a black glove thrown up at the light,
And falling back.

Doris's Day: (Or week really) In Padstow

Inspired by the many lovely photos on blogs I've been reading, we choose Cornwall for our summer holiday this year, renting a cottage in Padstow last week.  The sun shone; our cottage was clean and comfortable and Padstow not too busy it being a couple of weeks before most schools are off.  Term ended really early for us this summer so we took advantage of the slightly lower prices and headed off right away.  Back now and ignoring ironing and messy house to reflect on our holiday and record some memories.

What did we do with our week? Surfing on the beach at Newquay? Fishing trip? Nah... a whole lot of this....

Yes - eating;  (crisps are usually a banned food at home), drinking wine; and reading.  I read Kate Atkinson's 'Life after Life' on my Kindle.  Admired it; didn't love it.  Kate hiding behind second in the 'Noughts and Crosses' series - hates having her photo taken. The more active member of the family explored the area on his bike (lots of steep hills) and when he wasn't doing that watched the Tour de France on the TV.

We weren't entirely sedentary.  We took the dog for evening walks on the coastal path.  He doesn't like the heat much but did have a great time in Padstow as there were lots of other dogs to bark at and sniff.

Suspect my outfit here is accessorised by a doggy poo bag... lovely.  Can't believe he took a photo of me with it.

The beaches were deserted in the evenings and very beautiful.   

Doris's Day: on teaching and a trip to Shakespeare's Globe

Last week I took a party of kids from school to London for the day to tour Shakespeare's Globe theatre.  It was a great day out for everyone including my daughter, though to be honest she was more interested in the section of the day that involved shopping.  I loved the Globe: the smell of the wood and the thatch, the way it's open to the elements, how the wood has weathered, the simplicity of the stage set for a production of 'Macbeth' later in the afternoon.  Unfortunately we weren't seeing it - decided that the year 7s we'd brought wouldn't cope with a full length production.  But our guide was wonderful  - full of interesting anecdotes and facts about the theatre and speeches from the plays. He was an actor earning a bit extra from doing tours I suppose.

We also went on a riverboat trip to see some of the sights - a few of the kids had never been to London.  Fantastic views of the Shard, Tower bridge, HMS Belfast, Big Ben and of course the Globe itself.   The highlight of the day for many of the kids was Trafalgar Square where they joined other tourists to climb on the plinth of Nelson's Column and in some cases onto the backs of lions. It was a lovely day which even the staff enjoyed as the students were almost without exception polite, cooperative and appreciative all day.  Ok they were a little loud on the train on the way back, but other passengers were tolerant.

So one of those days when I love my job.   It's not like this all the time of course: this time last year for reasons too complex to outline here, I was ready to resign.   And then a few days ago I checked Facebook to find a message from a pupil I taught nearly 30 years ago in 1985 at the beginning of my career.  A lovely surprise - she said I was one of her favourite teachers and helped cultivate her interest in the English language and writing.  I think I remember her too.  Makes it all seem worthwhile if I am remembered like this.

Writing this in sunny Cornwall with dodgy wi fi signal on the iPad so not many posts this week.  And can't even upload pics so an imageless post.  Never mind - will get back to more regular logging now that hols are here.

Doris's Day: Back Blogging and a Day in the Garden

Never again!  Just emerged from a month of marking exam papers.  Huge piles of ironing; garden overgrown; journal unwritten and blog untended.  But weeks of holiday coming up soon and I tamed the garden today.  Ironing can wait.

I love these flowers which I've put in pots on the patio - we called them Livingstone Daisies in Ballyronan.  This white shrub which we called Bride's Blossom is also flowering,  but over here it

is Mock Orange.  Whatever - it smells lovely.

Peas also doing well and so much lettuce.

And the elderflower is eventually out, about a month later than usual.  Our hedge is full of this and really needs cutting but it looks great for a while with all this frothy blossom.  Considering trying elderflower champagne again but last time one of my bottles exploded in the garage so I'm a bit wary.  This is another childhood tradition.  It was made in May/June and we were allowed a glass of the sweet, slightly alcoholic fizz at Christmas.

52 Weeks of Happy 6/52: A Flower-y Post

 

Blogging on the back burner for now as I'm still marking poetry papers.  Just about halfway now.  So just a quick happy post. Joining with Jen again at little birdie 

1. Tea - sustained in my endeavours by many cups of tea from my favourite Emma Bridgewater flower mug.

2. Long evenings of daylight.  Ten o'clock and the birds are still singing.  We took advantage this evening and walked the dog late.  A bit chilly but at least the rain had gone.  And it's so lush and green everywhere.  Cow parsley, buttercups and those big daisies that we used for playing 'he loves me; he loves me not', tearing the petals off to find out the future!

3. Noticed also the dog roses are beginning to flower on the hedges around the village.  Love these - delicate, simple beauty

4. Planning our holiday, the reward for all this marking misery. Currently considering Cornwall (a spot of alliteration there - still in poetry mode) as I've been inspired by pictures on some my favourite blogs. (Today's Stuff by Leanne which features St Ives for example)  Perhaps Padstow (there I go again), if we can find a cottage which accepts dogs.  But after last year's UK holiday in Northumberland (below, cold and wet by Warkworth Castle) I'd really like some sunshine.... 

There's some flowers in this picture too - daisies on Kate's headband if you look closely. 

Happiness is: the perfect strawberry

Misery of marking relieved by trip to Morrison's for supplies: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, large bar of Fruit and Nut and these: strawberries which are just perfect - ripe, but not mushy or too big; and shiny which shows they are fresh. Half price too supposedly at £2. (As if anyone who shops in Morrrison's would actually pay £4 for a box of strawberries.)  They taste delicious.  I'm on a constant quest to find strawberries as good as the ones my granda grew Northern Ireland when we were children.  Of course we weren't allowed to eat them: they had to be made into jam by Granny.  Going to make some at the weekend  - it's worth it for the smell alone. Anyway a short post -not much time for blogging at present.

Thought I'd also share a strawberry poem by Scottish poet Edwin Morgan.  Love this.

Strawberries

There were never strawberries
like the ones we had
that sultry afternoon
sitting on the step
of the open french window
facing each other
your knees held in mine
the blue plates in our laps
the strawberries glistening
in the hot sunlight
we dipped them in sugar
looking at each other
not hurrying the feast
for one to come
the empty plates
laid on the stone together
with the two forks crossed
and I bent towards you
sweet in that air
in my arms
abandoned like a child
from your eager mouth
the taste of strawberries
in my memory
lean back again
let me love you

let the sun beat
on our forgetfulness
one hour of all
the heat intense
and summer lightning
on the Kilpatrick hills

let the storm wash the plates

Edwin Morgan