Toffee vodka: a tribute to EJ's wine bar

For those of a certain age, who spent their teenage years in South Devon, EJ's was the weekly stop-off point on the way to drunken oblivion (and a few messy relationship decisions).  Although I'm sure we ordered quite a variety of drinks over the years,  every single visit was accompanied by a customary tray of toffee vodka shots.

Having most of a small bottle of vodka left over from my recent beetroot cured salmon efforts, it only felt appropriate to ​pay tribute to the EJ's nectar of my youth.  To be honest I was surprised at just how easy this was, with the only ingredients being vodka, some toffee, a pinch of sea salt... and a dishwasher...

If you want something to get a ​big-night-out off to a flying start, why not try my toffee and sea salt vodka.

Lemonade thief on the loose!

There are times when simple ​is good and finding a few lemons at the back of the fridge - at the same time as the sun finally decided to come out to play - meant just one thing,  time for lemonade!  I knocked up a quick jug (click here for the recipe) and left it in the fridge to chill, only to find on my return that the Lemonade fairies had drunk it all!  After questioning the rest of the household I am no closer to finding the culprit, but there is a reward for any information leading to an arrest...

Home cured salmon - inspired by Akvavit and 6-ft blondes

Since my attempts to get in shape by eating more soup, I have discovered that countries with a penchant for raw fish tend to have the lowest incidence of global obesity.

Studying in Denmark in the 1990’s I remember the joys of rollmops and cured fish being a revelation compared to the student diet of beans on toast I was used to.  In fact, elements of the Scandinavian diet have stuck with me ever since, along with some of the other great passions that make up my life today, including lego, akvavit and 6-ft blondes. Add in the ridiculous price of central London sushi, which has been winding me up for a while, and the fact that Nordic cuisine has taken over as the next-best-thing in gastronomy, and there are plenty of reasons to be curing your own fish. As well as looking amazing, it’s also easy – very easy - although I'd suggest keeping that to yourself as home-curing is one of those techniques guaranteed to raise a congratulatory gasp from unexpectant dinner guests.

To get started, why not try my beetroot and vodka cured salmon:

Tomato soup - the route to a bikini body

This week I decided to knock up a batch of tomato soup.

It’s been a while since I fell off the new-year-eating-what’s-good-for-you-wagon.  My typical lunch now consists of mass produced sandwiches, a packet of salt & vinegar crisps and chocolate that bears no resemblance to anything that ever came from a cocoa pod.  But as the evenings get lighter and summer is on the way I’ve realised that it’s time for urgent action to get back into bikini shape.

The first lifestyle change I've decided to make is to improve what I eat when I get home late at night.  According to my not-so-scientific brain, this is the meal that's most likely to get converted to an extra inch on the hips - afterall, all you do is lie down for eight hours afterwards.  Based on this I concluded that more soup is the answer. It’s easy to make, you can control what’s in it and even the human body can’t convert almost-liquid foods into solid fat (see previous comment about lack of scientific logic).

For inspiration, I googled “best tomato soup recipes” and was surprised to find two popping up repeatedly in reviews from like-minded bloggers. The Nordstrom Café recipe, which controversially uses tinned rather than fresh tomatoes, and Marcus Wareing’s effort using Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar to add some zing.

I have to say that my experience of fresh tomatoes in the UK is variable and so I begrudgingly admit that the tinned approach gives more consistently flavourful results (although I take this a step further by adding passata and a spoonful or two of tomato puree).  I also find Marcus Wareing’s offering a little overpowering, more “balsamic vinegar with tomato” soup than the other way round, so decide to tone this down and add a little sugar to counteract the sharpness.

My version went down well with the ultra harsh food critics at home, but the new-new-years-resolution was watered down slightly by the fact that it was served with two slices of cheese on toast made with a particularly mature cheddar I found in the back of the fridge. Mmmmm…

Click here for my roasted garlic, basil and tomato soup recipe.

The answer to a harmonious family life - make your own cereal!

​I am not sure if it's just Jay, or if all "other halves" use spurious statistics to hand out thinly veiled health plans to their unwitting spouses, but I think now is the time to say enough is enough.  This week I was casually informed that "80% of all fat people skip breakfast" and that my recent tendency to take an extra 10 minutes in bed rather than gulp down a bowl of tasteless gruel makes me "80% likely to get fat".  

Whilst I accept that in matters of argument Jay is always right, I pointed out that in this case she was on shaky ground for at least two reasons:

• Statistically, this is a classic example of a false causal link

• Empirically speaking, 80% of the regular customers at my local cafe ​eat a full English breakfast every day and 100% of them are fat.

In hindsight, however, I can confirm that my good wife was correct that missing breakfast is bad for your health - although in this case mainly because she gave me a broken nose for being cheeky. 

So, after recovering from my slightly pathetic nose bleed, I decided to have a go at making my own breakfast cereal.  Afterall, if Mr Kellog can turn out so many varieties how difficult can it be?  The answer as it turns out, is not very.  If you can mix some nuts, seeds and oats, a little oil, maple syrup, honey and some dried fruits, you too can make your own.  

I have to admit that I am slightly biased when it comes to my own food, but my nine month old daughter Sophia - too young to eat the finished product - licks my lips every time I eat some. So, if you want to put a smile on the face of your children, and avoid a punch in the face from your wife, homemade granola seems to be the answer!  

Click here for my homemade granola recipe.