Lotte was last seen......

..........in the back of an army truck with a bunch of squaddies. If you have seen her, perhaps you can email her cat, who is a little worried and hungry.

(Just been clearing out some old photos from my computer and found these. Taken five years ago with the fabulous British Army in Germany on a TV shoot.)

I just LOVE my job!

FABAROO THE NOO

Or something.

You know I went to bed last night on such a high.
So often, the day can be irritating and the people in it, pains in the bum.

On occasion, I find that even though the work day has gone well with all the results expected, and clients or directors are pleased with what I've done, I still feel bugger all satisfaction!

Yesterday however I just the best time.

Okay, it was exciting because it was the first photography day for my book. A book I have been waiting years to write and a book that will eventually contain all the recipes I've been stuffing down my friends and family for years!

And of course the weather held out, my food behaved itself and my pimped up charity shop trolley looked great on camera. (although we did have wheel casualty a couple of times as we rolled it across the lawn!)

I really mustn't forget my fat cat Honey lying in the sun on cue, stretching a paw and looking direct to camera as cute as can be just as the shutter closed. A terrible media tart.

I really would however, like to forget my other wretched cat trotting through the garden from the field with a dead rabbit in her mouth, just when we were all admiring the early summer evening. (note to self - no need to feed The Woozle today)

Everything about the day was wonderful.
Matt, the Art Director from Absolute Press, Lara Holmes the photographer and I, all had the same vision and we worked together as though we had been doing so for many years.

I was chuffed to bits with the final set of pictures and knackered beyond belief.
But I went to bed on such a happiness high, with a huge feeling of satisfaction and that's something I will treasure for a very long time.

Enjoy my, not-quite-as-good photos of the day. (don't give up the day job Lotte!)

March Plum Cake in May

I made this cake for the first time in March.

I know, I know, plums aren't in season in March, but I had a couple of them kicking around, looking a bit dodgy in the bottom of my fridge.

Some friends were popping by for tea,including the 2 year old twins from next door.
Whenever my name is mentioned to the twinnies, they say 'Lotte Cake'; so under considerable pressure to perform and be the cake queen/mistress/doyenne of the lane, I used the shriveled old fruit, crossed my fingers and March Plum Cake was born.

Tension was in the air as Olive and Alice picked up a slice of cake with their chubby fingers. A small bead of nervous sweat emanated from my brow as I watched them closely for their reaction. All eyes fell on their befuddled expressions as they bit into the dense almondy cake and got squidgy plums down their best dresses.

No pressure girls, but...do....you... like...my...cake?

They didn't answer as, in a split second before any of us could react, they had buried their entire faces up to their necks in the rest of the cake.

I'll take that as a 'yes' then!

(Apologies for gratuitous shot of my cat asleep amongst the chives, she just looked so sweet the other day!)


March Plum Cake
4 large plums – halved and stoned
8oz (225g) butter
8oz (225g) soft brown sugar
Grated zest of half an orange
4 large eggs
6oz (175g) self-raising flour
2oz (50g) ground almonds

Grease and line a 9 inch cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180c or Mk4

1. Place the plum halves skin side down on the bottom of your cake tin.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add 1 tsp of flour to the mixture between each addition.
4. Fold in the rest of the flour and the almonds and pour over the plums in the cake tin.
5. Spread evenly and place in the oven for 25 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 150c or Mk2 and cook until the cake is set in the middle and comes away from the edges. This may take another 40 minutes or so.
6. If it goes a little too brown, cover with some foil.
7. This is a lovely moist cake, so don’t over-cook it.

( This picture of March Plum Cake was made by friend Jacqueline when she came to me this week for her monthly cooking day. )

Happy Days...

Yesterday we celebrated the christening of my baby brother - Jamie.

Here are some photos from the day. The sun shined, he smiled (a lot) and we all had a fabulous time.

Surrounded by friends and family - it doesn't get much better than that.

Obviously the only reason I got an AGA!

I'd like to introduce you to The Woozle and my AGA - the most expensive cat tummy warmer in the world.

Why else would you buy one?

It's a Fish Cake Frenzy!

Actually it's not really.

I just fancied fishcake the other day for lunch.

So I threw together a little smoked haddock with some mashed potato, added some capers and gherkin, tossed in some chopped red onion and leek, shaped and then rolled the little beggars in oatmeal.

I then fried them in some groundnut oil and we ate them in the sunshine with a little salad and a lot of wine.

Hic.


Smoked Haddock Oatmeal Fishcakes
Serves 4

12oz (350g) smoked haddock - cooked
12oz (350g) cooked new potatoes in their skins
1 tablespoon of chopped gherkins
1 tablespoon of chopped capers
1 small red onion- chopped
1 small leek - chopped
1 heaped tsp of wholegrain mustard
2 eggs – beaten
6oz (175g) pin head oatmeal
6 tablespoon ground nut oil for frying (might need more if your pan is large)
Salt and pepper

1. Roughly mash the haddock with the potato, so it still has flakes in it. Stir in the gherkins and capers. Mix in the red onion, leek, mustard and season with black pepper.
2. Shape into 8 flat cakes. Place them on a plate, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. Can be over night. Make sure all the ingredients when mixed together though, are cold.
3. Tip the beaten eggs onto a large flat plate and spread out the oatmeal on another. Dip the fishcakes in the egg, covering well and then into the oatmeal
4. It is really important that you make sure the sides are well crumbed too.
5. Heat a shallow film of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fishcakes, in batches of 4 and fry for 4 minutes or so on each side until golden brown.

Big Sausage Roll

Any of you taking advantage of this lovely weather and going on a picnic this weekend?

Is there anyone silly enough to fight with wasps, flies, rain or perhaps with each other to eat in the open air?

I do hope so, because I've just made this scrumptious Big Sausage Roll for a picnic I'm embarking on tomorrow, and I wanted to share it with you.

Cheap to make, lots of flavour, easy to wrap and eat on a walk, ride, punt or possibly in the car in a traffic jam on the M25!

I hope you have a lovely weekend, wherever you decide to go.

A Big Sausage Roll

12oz (350g) pork sausage meat
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp dried chilli seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 dessert spoon of Oxford Sauce (or Worcestershire)
Salt and pepper
2 hard boiled eggs - chopped
½ small onion - finely chopped
1 small leek – finely chopped
8oz (225g) puff pastry
1 beaten egg to glaze

Preheat the Oven to Mk6 200C

1. Mix the sausage meat with the cumin seeds, chilli seeds, ground cumin and Oxford sauce. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Press the sausage meat on a floured surface until it is about ¼ inch thick.
3. Sprinkle over the chopped egg, onion and leek. Roll up like a Swiss roll.
4. Roll out the pastry and place the sausage in the middle of it. Brush the edges with some beaten egg.
5. Tuck the edges in at the side, and then roll the pastry up making sure you keep the sausage meat well tucked in
6. Place on a baking sheet, fold side down and then brush with some more egg.
7. Make diagonal slits across the pastry to decorate.
8. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. If it browns too quickly, cover with some tin foil and continue to cook for the required time.


By the way, the knife in the picture is from my Lotte Duncan cookware range available at QVC.
http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.828775