The wonders of butter puff pastry in the freezer
30 December 2024
Introduction
As it was Ottolenghi’s last column in the Guardian, I had to make one of his recipes so I did the anchovy, pecorino and rosemary straws and took some to dinner in a little clear bag with snowflakes on. The host had been looking online at exactly the same recipe when we arrived. That’s why we are friends.
They do need a lot of chilling to make them look good and so maybe not the best things to make in a hurry. The photo is the rest which I have just cooked so please do admire last year’s acorns which I foraged and then painted with a specially requested and curated selection of my younger daughter’s nail varnishes. This year, Santa put a green one in her stocking as shockingly, she didn’t have one. It might come in handy next year.
I really liked Honey & Co’s best chips and dips in the FT, including how to upgrade plain crisps by adding flavourings that you’ve ground up.
For New Year’s Eve, I am going to make the Girit Ezmesi — cheese and pistachio dip and some of the seeded crackers. There’s also a pepper and pumpkin seed dip and a butternut squash, saffron and preserved lemon dip.
If you read last week’s newsletter, we’ve booked the February trip to Florence, the M&S bread sauce was sadly lacking and the only food I’ve bought this week is radicchio, three figs, chilli, garlic and ricotta for the pistachio dip. A New Year’s resolution is to use what I already have.
Books
Second Helpings by Sue Quinn
which came out earlier this year with recipes in the Daily Mail. A tasty cheese tart made with all butter puff with chutney on the base which I made thinking we might go for a picnic and walk in the country. Then fog covered the land so we went up and down a different part of the Thames again to get our steps in as if we were back in lockdown. And a peanut and tamarind vegetable curry with dates which I am going to make tonight as I went long on the 8p bargain packs of veg from Lidl.
Restaurants
Hardly any restaurant reviews this week but
In the Guardian, Grace Dent with her restaurants of the year including Sète in Margate, the Blue Pelican in Deal and the Shed in Swansea.
In the Observer, Jay Rayner gave his culinary highlights of the year.
Travel
UK
Best new hotels in the UK and Ireland opening in 2025 in the Independent. I liked the look of Hyll Hotel in the Cotswolds, the Alfriston in Alfriston, Sussex and Ty Glyn at Aberaeron which all seem to be down the cheaper end of the market.
A perfect winter staycation in Pembrokeshire, mixing coastal walks, cosy pubs and beach saunas in the Times where they ‘popped into the café-shop Lobster & Môr at Little Haven for a portion of lobster caught just outside the door.’
‘The gentle magic of walking in Somerset’s Mendip Hills’ in the Guardian
Europe
A complete holiday booking guide and where to go for each month of the year in the Telegraph
A long weekend in Strasbourg and Paris in the Guardian travelling between them by train. In Paris, they visit the Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection. I love that building and the exhibitions change frequently.
A few days in Nice in Sawdays newsletter
Bern in Switzerland in the Times.
‘It works as a year-round city break. In winter, its medieval old town and cobbled streets take on a fairytale feel, while in summer months the River Aare, which curls through the centre, is an irresistible dip, fed by water from the Bernese Alps to the south.’
Milan in the Telegraph
‘with the long-awaited opening of Palazzo Citterio and the launch of La Grande Brera, which seeks to place Milan as one of Italy’s foremost cities of art’
Lecce in the Times.
At the Patria Palace, ‘There are platters of fluffy pistachio cornetti and mini almond and fig tarts, trays of juicy roasted tomato focaccia and several spins on the city’s signature pastry — the crumbly, custard-filled pasticciotto. I start with a chocolate and pear variety and order a coffee.’
Athens in the Independent.
‘In winter, Athens is quiet, with mild weather (10-17C temperatures in mid-December), queueless entry into monuments that charge half-price admissions from November to March, off-peak hotel deals, and locals enjoying their city.’
Helsinki in the Guardian.
‘by the time I’ve finished lunch, it’s dark outside’ says it all.
Reading the papers
People ask me how I read all the papers. I believe in paying for quality journalism and my husband and I have digital subscriptions to the Times and to the Telegraph.
The Times gives you two free articles a week as a registered user and the Telegraph gives you access to one free article each week if you register an account. The FT gives a certain number of free articles
Local public libraries often have Pressreader which gives access to over 7,000 newspapers world wide for free or you can subscribe to it.
Was v tempted by the Ottolenghi recipe. Will now try x
This substack always feels like a treat particularly when I am on holiday xxx