Hello friends and cookbook lovers! I’ve been exploring Nisha Katona’s latest work, Bold. As the visionary behind the Mowlgi chain of restaurants and the Mowgli Charity, Katona truly embodies the spirit of courage and innovation. The book begins with a poignant Shakespearean quote:
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures
The quote simply means that that fortune favours the brave, the bold and those wise enough to seize life’s opportunities as they occur. Now, I was interested in this quote because part of it forms the title for Agatha Christie’s Taken At The Flood. which, coincidentally, I was reading around the same time as I picked up Bold. I love that Katona has used it as a metaphor for her work and for this book!
Bold – The Look
Bold is a beautifully styled book. The cover is bright red with gold lettering and a pink plate. It is both gorgeous and bold! Certainly eye-catching! The cover is also slightly padded which gives it a luxuriant feel when you hold it. It’s so inviting, you can’t help wanting to open it and flick through the pages.
And that flick will not disappoint, either. The photography is beautiful! Just look at these and tell me you don’t want to start cooking now!
From Top Left: Crunchy Nut Chicken Burger, Liquorice and Almond Chicken Satay, Speckled Spiced Scotch Eggs, Beetroot Pannacotta
Bold – The Book
You will notice that some of the combinations within the book are, well…bold! This is not a book for the unadventurous cook, and for that, I am grateful! I feel that recently, there have been a plethora of books where the contents have been pretty much the same-same. This is so creative, and for that, I 100% applaud Katona! But there is also enough that feels familiar – burgers, fish cakes, pasta, spanakopita, Welsh Rarebit, that it is not so different as to feel alienating. These are meals for the home cook but have a little twist to keep things interesting.
Would I have ever thought of a Cod and Popcorn Gratin? No. Do I want to try it? Hell yes! As soon as I get my hands on some venison I will be making her Landed Gentry Potickers. The recipes in Bold for Simla Salmon Fishcakes, Cashew and Mushroom Stroganoff and Chilli Crab Mac and Cheese are right in my wheelhouse. I also really want to try the Roasted Corn and Elderflower Iced Tea! I have mentioned my dislike for beetroot many times on this blog, but the look of that beetroot panna cotta in the photo above has made me want to give it another try! And how much fun does that Full English Cassoulet look in the photo below?
Pink Peppercorn Pavlova, Cassoulet de Full English, Kashmiri Crusted Cote De Boeuf, Caper Puttanesca
Bold – The Cook
I’ve made two things from Bold, the first was Thai Tequila Trout
This was delicious, bright, and zingy with citrus, and some really nice punchy flavours coming through from the herbs!
The second was the Singapore Sling Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I adore Pineapple Upside Down Cake, it is probably my favourite tasting cake and it also has a kitschy retro appeal that delights my soul! This one was exceptional. So delicious!!!
To be honest, the recipes I made did not take me too much out of my comfort zone. However, trying them, seeing and tasting the results has given me the confidence to try some of the more out there recipes – Miso Parmesan Doughnuts and Butterscotch Brussels Sprouts, i’m coming for you! I think this is a book that will delight anyone who wants to try something a little bit different but does not want to be overwhelmed or daunted by recipes that are too “cheffy” or have a load of ingredients that you have to source from specialty shops!
You can find more of Nisha’s recipes from Bold here
Hello, crime readers and food lovers! Today’s Dining with The Dame takes us on a culinary journey from the bustling streets of Iraq to the quaint English country village of Chipping Cleghorn. And, as we all know, the English country village is the natural home of one Miss Jane Marple! Our delectable companion for today’s reading is Delicious Death – a delightful and delovely chocolate cake that is sure to satisfy both your taste buds and your thirst for a good mystery. However, it’s important to note that this Delicious Death is not the same one created by Jane Asher in 2010 to celebrate Agatha Christie’s 120th anniversary. I had some difficulty in finding all the necessary ingredients for that particular recipe so as Fleetwood Mac famously suggested, I went my own way on this one!
A Murder is Announced – The Plot
When the inhabitants of Chipping Cleghorn read the following in the local paper, they mostly think it is a joke.
A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th at Little Paddocks at 6:30pm. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.”
Despite this, most of them turn up to Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock and Dora “Bunny” Bunner on the 29th at the designated time to find out what is going on.
At exactly 6:30, the lights go out. In the darkness, a gun fires twice. And dead body is found on the ground.
The body turns out to be that of a young man who worked in a hotel in the local town. But why was he there? Who put the weird notice in the paper? And why? Is someone really trying to kill Leticia Blacklock?
We have:
Forged cheques
An unused door being oiled
A missing revolver
A missing lamp
Missing photos
A host of people who might not be who they say they are
More murders
And EVERYBODY being utterly horrible to Mitzi the maid
Thank goodness for Miss Marple! Sir Henry Clithering might bizarrely call her the ‘Super Pussy of all old Pussies,’ but she’s the one who’ll solve this mystery and bring peace back to Chipping Cleghorn! Here is a somewhat less unhinged quote from Sir Henry on Miss Marple:
“She’s just the finest Detective God ever made. Natural genius cultivated in a suitable soil…remember that an elderly unmarried woman who knits and gardens is streets ahead of any detective sergeant. She can tell you what might have happened and what ought to have happened and even what actually did happen. And she can tell you why it happened”
A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie
A Murder is Announced – The Covers
There are some absolutely cracking covers here. I couldn’t find as many foreign covers as usual which was disappointing. However, I feel the calibre of the ones I did find make up for it. Even the weird French one at the bottom which looks like people in a doctor’s waiting room has its own charm!
The Recipe: Delicious Death
“Death!” said Patrick in sepulchral tones. “Delicious death.”.
“Be quiet, Patrick, ” said Miss Blacklock as Miss Bunner gave a little yelp.
“I only meant the special cake that Mitzi makes,” said Patrick apologetically. “You know we always call it Delicious Death”
“Ha, ” Patrick cried dramatically as the party took their places around the dining room table. “What do I see before me? Delicious Death.”
“Hush” said Miss Blacklock. “Don’t let Mitzi hear you. She objects to your name for her cake very much.”
“Nevertheless, Delicious Death it is! Is it Bunny’s birthday cake?”
“Yes, it is, ” said Miss Brunner. “I really am having the most wonderful birthday”.
A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie
Links to the Christieverse
Edward Swettenham wrote a play called “Elephants Do Forget”. Christie later wrote a novel called “Elephants Can Remember”.
Dermott Cradock, the investigating officer in “A Murder is Announced”, is Sir Henry Clithering’s godson. We previously met Sir Henry, the former head of Scotland Yard, in Murder at the Vicarage and The Body In the Library.
Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in “A Murder is Announced”
Hello retro food lovers and welcome (back) to November 2003! This month I am using Delicious Magazine to prepare a menu where we use the oven for each component. I know a heap of people who never use their oven so I was hoping this might inspire some people to do so. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite turn out as I was a bit disappointed with a few items on the menu. There were many items to choose from, so maybe I just chose badly. But before we get there, let’s take a little look at what was happening in the world in November 2003.
The War on Terror, the occupation of Iraq, and Paris Hilton’s sex tape were big news in November 2003. There were also some cracking movies out. Matrix Revolutions was number 1 at the box office, followed by Elf at #2 and Love Actually at #7.
The DaVinci Code was still the best-selling book and Baby Boy by Beyonce was #1 on the charts. Personally, Outkast’s Hey Ya (#3) is a much better song but each to their own!
The Menu – November 2003
Crab and Gruyere Tart
I was very surprised to find that the Crab and Gruyere Tart (I made one large tart instead of a few small tartlets) was largely tasteless. This was a Rick Stein recipe and I normally find him very reliable. This is not what I expect from a Rick recipe. I feel this needed a herb or something to liven it up a bit! Neither crab nor gruyere is a cheap item so this also did not rate on value for money.
Interestingly, Nathan Outlaw who, apart from having an amazing name, has worked with Rick Stein and, like Stein has a restaurant in Cornwall, has a recipe for a Crab and Cheddar Tart. His recipe also contains spring onions and leeks. I wonder if this would provide the flavour boost I felt was lacking in the Rick one.
Crab and Gruyere Tart Recipe
Fish in a Herb Crust with Lemon Oil
In total contrast to the above, this is a Jill Dupleix recipe which I loved. Personally, I don’t rate Jill Dupleix. She hosted a night in conversation with Nigella Lawson I went to once and she came across as a bit obnoxious. I really liked this recipe though! It was quick and easy to make and was packed with flavour! It was a lovely weeknight dinner.
Fish In a Herb Crust with Lemon Oil Recipe
Madeleines
I love a Madeleine. So, as soon as I saw that there was a recipe for them in Delicious for November 2003 I knew I would have them as part of my menu. In retrospect, maybe I should have chosen something else as this was not a good Madeleine recipe. I have read many recipes for Madeleines and all, except for this one, call for the cake batter to be refrigerated for about an hour before baking. This one didn’t. It also only said to grease the Madeleine pan, not grease and flour it, again something that is in all the other recipes I have seen.
These were a nightmare to get out of the pan. They also lacked the nice crust that you usually get on the outside. I think that was mostly stuck to the pan. So another disappointment from this magazine.
Madeleines Recipe
My Nigella Moment – Turkish Pizza
For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious. In these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that does not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in because it is too good not to share.
My Nigella moment this month came in the shape of a Turkish Pizza, which is not a pizza in the traditional sense but a totally yummy combination of spinach, feta, and mozzarella in Turkish bread. I loved this! So easy to make and so tasty! I will defintely be cooking the Turkish Pizza again!
Turkish Pizza Recipe
So, it was very much a mixed bag from Delicious Magazine from November 2003. The oven did not deliver the loving I was hoping for with two of the four recipes not worthy of keeping. The fish was quick and easy and I will make it again. That Turkish pizza though? Perfection! I have already made it twice more and it continues to delight me!
“That’s great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane”…so begins the fabulous REM song, “It’s The End of The World As We Know It”. And for me, this year actually began with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake when we were holidaying in Darwin. Last month we celebrated my birthday in absolute chaos (more on that later) whilst on holiday in Port Douglas. And when I say chaos, I mean a total f*cking nightmare. So when the random number generator chose “Birthday Party, Cheesecake, Jelly Bean, Boom! I thought it might be a good chance to reset and have a little party to make up for the day that was ruined! The vehicle of choice for this month is Super Food Ideas, from September 2003 and I went in search of party food.
But first, let’s take a little wander down the memory lane to the heady days of September 2003. R Kelly’s Ignition (Remix) was #1. Less said about that the better I think. Finding Nemo was top of the box office and The Da Vinci Code was still the most popular book!
The Menu – September 2003
Margarita
Now, I can’t think of a much better way to kick of any birthday celebration than with a classic Margarita! And this one was perfection!!!!! I
The cocktail napkin you see in the above photo was one of a set of napkins I bought in Port Douglas. They are all super cute and also an inspiration to make the rest of the cocktails featured on them!
And as with the margarita, the first four days of our holiday were wonderful. Port Douglas is such an amazing place. Rainforest, reef and beach – great restaurants, perfect weather….the only downside is the crocodiles…and the murder birds!
Margarita Recipe
Seafood Pizza
As you may have noticed, I love my seafood! This nicely leads me to where our holiday turned paradise into a nightmare. Day 5 of our holiday, which was my actual birthday we had planned to move from our PD central apartment to a house around 10km out of Port Douglas. It was also the night of The Matildas v England final of the Women’s World Cup. We had been out for a lovely dinner the night before so the plan for my birthday was to grab a seafood platter from Port Douglas when we left and then enjoy the evening in our house. Dip in our private pool, , bit of football on the telly, champagne on ice, and our gourmet seafood platter…could life get any better?
Better? No. What we hadn’t figured was that it was about to get a whole lot worse!
We turned up at the house, for which we had a confirmed booking from one of the largest, if not the largest booking agencies in the world. The Fussiest Eater sends a text to the owner asking for the keypad number as the gate is locked. We are there for about 5 minutes when a woman comes out of the house. “Can I help you?” she asks. “Oh, yes, you probably just got our text. We’re here for our holiday”
Apparently we weren’t.
In the time that we had made our booking and our actual holiday, the house had been sold. It was no longer holiday accommodation.
It was now 3:00pm on a Saturday, we had no place to stay for the next four nights and we had a rapidly warming seafood platter on the back seat of the hire car.
Seafood Pizza Recipe
Party Pies
You know this is an Aussie Meat Pie because the secret ingredient is a spoonful of Vegemite! I made mini versions of this pie – in Australian we call these Party Pies so they were perfect for my Birthday Party Menu!
Now back to Port Douglas. The Fussiest Eater began calling the owner of the house. He confirmed that he had sold the house and had told the booking agency to cancel all future bookings. I started trying to find us accommodation. The first place I found wanted $15,000 for the four nights. The second $6000. Finally, we were able to find a studio room back in Port Douglas for the four nights for a price that we could actually afford. And that had a fridge in which we could put the seafood platter! From there we called the booking agency who offered to not only refund the cost of the house but also to pay for the emergency accommodation.
The following day we were also able to move into a one-bedroom apartment in the same complex which was a lot better than the studio but still how we had wanted to spend the last few days of our holiday.
As of today though, the booking company have yet to refund us the money for the second Port Douglas Apartment. We are idiots who did not get their OG offer in writing and they are now saying that as the second apartment was cheaper than the housetechnically we are not out of pocket.
Technically they ruined my birthday and did not deliver on the holiday we paid for and expected.
TechnicallyI could have chosen the house that cost $15000 instead of that studio apartment as our alternative accommodation and technically they would have had to refund us the difference.
I didn’t want to be an arsehole.
I’ll leave that up to them.
Meat Pie Recipe
Chewy Almond Crescents
We now turn to the sweet part of our birthday party menu. These were great! Really tasty and not overly sweet. You couldn’t really taste the apricot jam which was a shame. When I make these again, I will maybe add some chopped-up dried apricots into the mix. Or maybe add a glaze with the jam. They were delicious regardless. These would be great with a cup of tea or coffee or equally with a little glass of Baileys! This was probably my favourite thing on the menu. I also loved the butterfly cakes but they were similar to cakes I had made before. These were all new and I was so happy to discover them!
Accomodation saga continued….As of today though, the booking company have yet to refund us the money for the second Port Douglas Apartment. We are idiots who did not get their OG offer in writing and they are now saying that as the second apartment was cheaper than the housetechnically we are not out of pocket.
Technically they ruined my birthday and did not deliver on the holiday we paid for and expected.
TechnicallyI could have chosen the house that cost $15000 instead of that studio apartment as our alternative accommodation and technically they would have had to refund us the difference.
I didn’t want to be an arsehole.
I’ll leave that up to them.
Chewy Almond Crescents Recipe
Lemon Curd Butterfly Cakes
These were so pretty and also delish. I loved the tanginess of the lemon curd with the sweetness of the cupcake!
The one-bedroom apartment was great. However, on the first night, I was woken at around 2 a.m. by the sound of what sounded like a woman screaming. Channelling my inner Nancy Drew, I got out of bed and looked out the window but the side street the room looked out on was deserted. I was just getting back into bed when I heard it again. This time I went to the main room to look out of the front windows but the main street which we overlooked was also quiet. I went back to bed. I heard the same noise once again at around 5 a.m. This time I wondered if maybe someone in the neighbouring rooms was having an argument as again there was no movement on either street.
There was no mention of any attack on the news the following day so I went about my business. As we were walking back to the apartment from dinner I heard the same noise. This time though I was able to see that it was coming from a bird that we had just walked past. A quick Google Search identified these murder birds as Bush Stone Curlews. Thankfully no Nancy Drewing needed for me on the second night. Or thereafter.
Lemon Curd Butterfly Cakes Recipe
My Nigella Moment – Passionfruit Glazed Shortbread
For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious. In the context of these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that does not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in either because I made it and it was really good, or I just didn’t have time to make it but it was one of the most appetising things in the mag!
I love shortbread and passionfruit so these were high on my list of things to make. They would have also fit in nicely with my birthday party theme but I ran out of time and had to choose between the Almond Crescents and these. In the end, I have eaten Passionfruit Shortbreads before whilst the Almond Crescents were something new to me so I chose them. These though? High on my list of things to make! And believe me, when I do…I will definitely be popping back to the biscuit tin, Nigella Style, for just one more!
Super Food Ideas really came through for my birthday-themed menu! As did Port Douglas for my birthday holiday. Despite the…ahem…hiccup with the accomodation, PD remains one of my favourite holiday destinations!!!!
Hello food lovers and crime readers! Today on Dining with The Dame, we are taking a look into the Hercule Poirot novel One Two Buckle My Shoe. And to snack on while we read, we have a lovely fruit filled cake called a Summer Berry Buckle. Yes, not much food in this one so again, I had to use some creative thinking for the food component. And the Summer Berry Buckle is a delight! I loved that you got a different berry in each bite!
One Two Buckle My Shoe -The Plot
Leaving his dentist’s office, Hercule Poirot bumps into the delightfully named, Mabelle Sainsbury Seale, a former actress. He picks up a buckle that has fallen off her shiny new shoe and gives it to her.
Before you can even start to get any creepy dentist vibes aka Norman Gale in Death In The Clouds, we find out via Inspector Japp that sometime after Poirot’s visit, the dentist Hector Morley apparently killed himself. Morley’s clients between Poirot and his death included Ms Sainsbury Seale, a banker called Alistair Blunt and a rather shady Greek gentleman called Mr Amberiotis. Another man, an American activist called Raikes leaves the office without a visit to Morley’s Partner (who is a bit of a drunk).
We have
Mr Amberiotis dying not too shortly after Dr Morley from an overdose of adrenaline and novocaine – both commonly used by dentists. Are the death’s connected?
A secretary called away from work on false pretenses. Was it so she did not recognise the killer?
A fiance annoyed with Morley’s interference in his love life – did he kill Morley?
Mabelle going missing
A body in a trunk with her face bashed in.
Two murder attempts on Alistair Blunt, one supposedly by the aggrieved fiancé. Has he moved from killing dentists to bankers?
And what of the left-wing activist? The one who left before seeing the drunk dentist?He has no love of bankers or members of the bourgeoisie. Might he be the murderer?
And what of that drunk dentist? Did he bear a grudge against his more successful partner?
We also have Poirot revealing himself to be a leg man! How else would he know that a ten-inch stocking equates to a size six shoe?
Good thing we have Poirot around to sort out who did the deed! We also have Inspector Japp in his last appearance in a novel. 😔
There is a lot going on in this book and the plot seems quite convoluted at times. The nursery rhyme felt far more wedged in than in “And Then There Were None” too. While this was not my favourite novel it did give an insightful look into power and privilege and the importance of one life versus another.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe – The Covers
I was able to find a lot of covers for this one, primarily I think because it has three names. It was originally called The Patriotic Murders in the US but they changed this to An Overdose of Death in 1953.
So many great covers here. I think my favourite is the shoes second row second from the right which also is our very first Finnish cover!
The Recipe – Summer Berry Buckle
I used the recipe from the New York Tmes as my recipe and I can highly recommend it.
I served my Buckle with some labne that I had made for something else and wanted to use up and some fresh raspberries.
Whipped cream or yoghurt could easily sub in for the labne.
Poirot shrugged his shoulders. He said:
I t would seem that death selected, most inartistically, the wrong man. The Mysterious Greek, the Rich Banker, the Famous Detective – how natural that one of them should be shot! For mysterious foreigners may be mixed up with espionage and rich bankers have connections who will benefit by their deaths and famous detectives may be dangerous to criminals”.
Whereas poor old Morley wasn’t dangerous to anybody, ” observed Japp gloomily.
“I wonder.”
Agatha Christie – One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Links to The Christieverse
Poirot speaks of Countess Vera Rosakoff who we last saw in The Big Four and is the closest thing we come to Poirot having a love interest
The Case of The Augean Stables is mentioned. We haven’t got there yet but it is one of the stories in The Labours of Hercules
Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Also, apologies for this post being nearly a week late! I dropped my laptop, and thankfully whilst nothing major was damaged, the pin on the charger bent making it impossible to charge so I had to wait for the replacement charger to arrive. I’m going to try really hard to get the post that is due tomorrow out on time or just a little late to get back on posting track!
July’s read is Evil Under The Sun which is a great read and I have something very special planned for it.
