The feast before the fast … my pre-Lent indulgent recipes
In terms of religious food festivals, this week is kind of a double whammy.First up was pancake day, which is always a whole-day affair in our kitchen, with both sweet and savoury stations, crepe pans and all the toppings (you can always rely on Felicity Cloake for a foolproof recipe).And, because of the way the calendars fall this year, we are also celebrating Orthodox Maslenitsa, or cheesefare, week at the same time.OK, so the sentiment is pretty much the same (it’s the week before the start of Lent, when people ease into their strict fasting period), but these two celebrations can often be weeks apart (blame the battle of the Gregorian and Julian calendars).For those of Orthodox faith, last week was all about eating meat, and this week is all about dairy.
Essentially, you are trying to consume all the animal products and get them out of the house in preparation for the 40-plus-day fast.And, whether or not you are religious, in my book any tradition that means you get to eat loads of cheese is a win.The third factor I am having to account for this week is that it is half-term, so any cheese and dairy consumption has to also consider small palates.Thankfully, my girls love halloumi as much as I do, so first up we made these za’atar and halloumi scones by Reem Kassis, which were a huge hit with everyone and, now that I think of it, would also be great in the freezer for an emergency snack or light lunch.We’ve also had a wonderfully messy time making Blanche Vaughan’s potato, thyme and taleggio galette, which was messy only because of the small hands involved, plus I find free-form galettes one of the most satisfying things of all to bake.
The slight nuttiness from the wholemeal flour is glorious, and if you are truly using up remnants from the fridge, a mixture of whatever strong, oozy cheese you had would work well here.Another crowd-pleaser is my own recipe for simplified pimento cheese and pickle-loaded crisps, which is fun for playdates (and for guests young and old).I also love tubbing up the cheese spread for that, so it’s ready as a last-minute sandwich filling or bread topper.There is also all the yoghurt and milk to get through this week (and we have a lot of yoghurt in our fridge).Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley’s recipe for ma’caroneh bil laban is a staple for me, not least because it is after-work quick to make and so very deeply delicious; I highly recommend giving it a go if you’ve never tried a yoghurt-dressed pasta.
It is also a week for baking, and Benjamina Ebuehi’s grapefruit yoghurt loaf cake is bang on seasonal trend: it ticks the February citrus box, as well as the need for yoghurt usage and dealing with the constant moans for an afternoon snack.I also have a batch of frozen yoghurt in the freezer pretty much at all times (and thanks, again, to Felicity Cloake), because it is an excellent, quick, delicious dessert.You can make it as elegant as you like (honey and pistachios for me, please) or as playful (smashed-up Smarties and strawberries for the small people).However you adorn your froyo, it is well worth rustling up a batch for the freezer, cheesefare week or otherwise.Wibble wobble | Not a particularly serious contribution, but one that seems to have got a fair bit of attention for its silliness and fun, is this layered rainbow jelly.
I’ve wanted to have a go at one of these for some time, and have made variations over the years, but after a bit of research, I found Sanza, an online shop that specialises in products from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand,And, excitingly for me (and you), they sell Aeroplane jelly in a range of colours, which is perfect for this impressive layered effect,To have a go yourself, be sure to use a good-quality bundt tin: Nordic Ware has an amazing selection of shapes and patterns, and you can get them from many online cookshops,New fave storecupboard staple | I recently came across Sunfly’s sunflower seed butters, and they have become a permanent fixture on our breakfast tray, for spooning on to everything from toast and waffles to yoghurt and pancakes,Not only do they taste great, but they are perfect if you are an allergy-aware household such as ours.
Made in a nut-free factory, the butters are a great source of protein, fibre and lots of other good stuff, and you should be able to find them in most large supermarkets.That’s amore | Having been privileged enough to work with Gennaro Contaldo for many years, I look forward to any book he writes, and his latest, Gennaro’s Hidden Italy, which is published next week, is everything you want from an insider’s guide to Italian food.Even if you think you know Italian cusine, I guarantee that there are recipes in here that you won’t have tried before.It is colourful, engaging and will leave you hungry.Spaghetti all’assassina has already become a regular on our weekly menu.
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