Recipes from Carina Contini, who is embracing change in lockdown, plus Rose Murray Brown on the Italian vineyard that does things a little differently
The world has gone mad, which is why I have relented to let Rocco the cocker spaniel into our lives
The word Groundhog Day seems to be on everyone's lips. A series of unwelcome or tedious events appear to be recurring in exactly the same way! From a business creativity point of view, we’ve been anything other than groundhog. We’ve never had to be so agile. The rules the government has presented us with have challenged our imagination and resilience like never before. Personally, like many of you I’m sure, we have been drained by the relentless demands and changes. I've said to Victor, if I was asked to run along George Street naked, I probably would. Nothing seems impossible. You’ll be glad to hear nobody is asking that of anybody in hospitality, so we’ll spare you but at home the impossible has happened.
Victor has been after a dog for years. I was swapped for one as a child, so I’ve never been a canine lover. But the children have been as desperate as he is. Ari’s best friend Amelia has four dogs and with sleepovers curtailed my wee one has been missing out on fun with her pals and that includes the four- legged varieties. So, in my nothing is impossible space, I’ve conceded and this weekend Rocco the cocker spaniel will officially be welcomed to Casa Contini. I’ve known for some time that I was going crazy, but this is final proof that I’ve lost the plot. This time last year if you’d said we’d have a puppy in the middle of a pandemic, never mind during normal times, I’d have thought you’d gone mad, but no it’s me that's crazy.
Always looking at the bigger picture this is as much for Victor as for the children. Morning walks, afternoon fresh air and a change from the seven day a week relentless day- to- day will give him a spring in his step and a new smile on his face. If it all goes pear shaped, I’ll be silent on the subject, but I’m keeping optimistic that good things will happen. For the family this will be the best November ever I’m sure.
Parsnip and chestnut soup Serves four
100g unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 400g onions, coarsely chopped 1kg parsnips, coarsely chopped 1 stick of celery, finely chopped 1 pear, skin and seeds removed, and finely sliced salt
1 litre hot home- made stock or 1 litre boiling water 100g fresh chestnuts, blanched and peeled
1. Cook this soup either on the hob or in the oven. If cooking it in the oven, preheat the oven to 200C/ 390F/ Gas Mark 6.
2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large casserole dish over a low heat. Add the onions and celery and sweat slowly until they are soft and look as if they can’t absorb any more butter. Don’t let them caramelise or brown.
3. Add the parsnips, season with a good teaspoonful of salt, then add the hot stock or water. Either simmer for 45 minutes with the casserole dish half covered with a lid or cover completely, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
4. When the vegetables are tender, add the pear and transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Add salt to taste, if necessary, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve with crumbled chestnuts.
Cranberry and rosemary soda bread
There is nothing better than the smell of warm bread and this is a new variation on a classic. This version of soda bread is simple and tasty. It’s much cheaper than an artisan loaf from a fancy bakery and has a great deal of self- respect when served with lashing of unsalted butter or dipped into good olive oil.
Serves four
180g of plain flour
180g of wholemeal flour
50g dried cranberries
1 dessert spoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda 300ml of buttermilk
10g of butter, melted
1. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the middle. Pour the butter and buttermilk into the well and mix all the ingredients together. The mixture should be dry enough to handle.
2. Knead for a few minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Form into a circle and flatten slightly. Cut a cross on the top of the bread and brush with milk.
4. Bake at 200C/ 390F/ Gas Mark 6 for about 30 minutes until golden and hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool on a wire cooling tray.
Gingerbread
This is a new cake for Christmas that we have on The Scottish Cafe cake trolley.
Serves four to six
225g self- raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup grated
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 50g light brown sugar 100g unsalted butter
225g treacle or golden syrup 150ml milk
2 free range eggs
For the ginger icing
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
450g icing sugar
3 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp stem ginger syrup
1 tbsp ground ginger milk to loosen the mixture
1. Heat the oven to 150C/ 300F/ Gas Mark 2 and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Melt the butter, treacle, ginger and bicarbonate of soda until melted.
3. Remove from the heat and add in the milk in a large mixing bowl. When cool add the egg and flour.
4. Pour into the baking tin and bake for about one hour until the cake is cooked. Allow to cool.
5. To make the icing, beat all the ingredients together for about five minutes until light and fluffy, then add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture.
6. Generously dress the cake with the icing.
7. Finish with slices of stem ginger.