I had much the same thought as Melissa…. it’s been all quiet on the northern front of late. No doubt you must be brewing Christmassy ales and bottling up exotic preserves, preparing your own haggis etc. If Santa asks me, I’ll say GD wants an Italian haggis drying rack…. not something one encounters every day

Bread pudding where art thou?

Cid

p.s. If it’s flu then I’ll brew a noxious smelling potion… fear not, it won’t be quite as noxious as Stinking Bishop on a warm day, close though

Just checking in on you. I hate to be a nosey blog reader, but I’m starting to wonder if all is well with you. I’m missing your feisty blog posts.

Melissa

Shelled hemp seeds have a nutty flavour and texture, they’d be perfect for sprinkling over breakfast cereals or yoghurt, even savoury dishes… lots of omegas.

I’m simmering a pan of quinces at the moment…. now there’s a strange fruit but some folks have this for breakfast too. Bread pudding is a favourite of mine GD, in fact I prefer it to Christmas cake, can’t wait to read about yours… I’ll allow myself a ‘virtual’ slice. Real custard is one of life’s luxuries and I love that too. As for parkin, I’m fighting the urge to bake one right now… even bought the ginger but alas it’s going to have to wait until I can justify it My plan is to eat a spoonful of hemp seeds immediately before reading your next seductive recipe…. bit like never go food shopping on an empty stomach!

Cid

Yeah, I missed a trick there. When I started all of this I did intend to loosely stick to seasons and occasions. I’m a massive fan of parkin too! I trust you’ll already be by the Thames watching the Millenium Wheel go up like the world’s biggest Catherine Wheel. As for me, early start tomorrow so I’m hitting the hay reasonably soon, though I’m still intruiged to find out what this very sectarian part of the world makes of a celebration marking the foiling of a Catholic uprising. I suspect essentially they’re not that bothered and just enjoy setting fire to stuff!

GDave

I had to run ‘elastane control-wear’ through Google Images. I started the day a boy and I’m finishing it a man!

I’m still pretty much in the dark regarding hemp seeds. I’m imagining a very earthy flavour which would just have to work with bread pudding. I’ve got to warn you though, it’s not the bread (and butter) pudding that you might be thinking of. But rest assured, there will be real custard!!

GDave

Not bread pudding…. how cruel when I’m trying to be good and avoid temptation and the inevitable neck to knee elastane control-wear As for Melissa…. do not concern yourself, I’ll create a smoke screen which could take the form of absolutely anything (so what’s new you cry ) and promise her lots of macaron when she visits this shore.

Wonder what shelled hemp seed sprinkled on bread pudding would be like…. I’ve taken a real shine to hemp seed and am starting to worry that a habit may be forming?

Cid

I’ve got to admit it was the first time I’ve bought yeast in ages, if you discount brewer’s yeast . I think I’m trying to get out of the rut of us Brits only eating pancakes one day a year. A complete coincidence but I came upon a recipe for Welsh pancakes today, though for variety’s sake I think I should sit on it for a while.
Meanwhile, can you think of any way to gloss things over with Melissa that I’m blogging a bread pudding next???

GDave

I always feels rather guilty about cooking with flours and breads, knowing that you are so generous to stop by regularly. It’s just that cooking/baking with wheat is so ingrained (pardon the pun!) in our culture.

You and me both with Masala Dosa. I deliberately held back the recipe for the spiced potatoes because I fully intend to blog the real thing in detail in the near future. I’ve seen the pancake (or dosa) deep-fried into a perfect crispy tube ready to be stuffed with all manner of fillings and I would love to learn the skill to make this. In real terms though, it was just a teaspoon of each spice with about 1½ pounds of cooked potatoes.

Tamarind is quite a curious one. It hasn’t been widely available in the UK for so long. Now we can buy it in paste or block form quite easily, though I’ve never seen it on sale as beans, its natural state. I had a check with WhatamIeating and it doesn’t seem to have an American nom de plume so I guess it’s an ingredient that you guys are yet to do amazing things with… if Wylie Dufresne hasn’t already!

Thanks so much for your input, Melissa. Maybe we can start a trend for eating chillis for breakfast, like they do in the subcontinent.

GDave

I too like the sound of these oatcakes and would be happy with a savoury or sweet filling…. better stick to the savoury or I could go wild with syrup like Melissa As a matter of fact I haven’t cooked with yeast for quite a while but this recipe could change all that and will make a pleasant change from bread and crackers…. the way you display these oatcakes looks wonderful, who could resist?

Cid