Rumpy Pumpy Soup

In the Hairy Bikers' cookery book " Mums Know Best" there is a recipe intriguingly called Rumpy Pumpy Soup. It turns out that this is not what you may think but refers to the well known flatulence causing effect of lentils.

This is my version of a very tasty and economical soup

2 onions
3 carrots
2 sticks of celery


Add more or less any other veg you like, I had a leek and some raw swede left over so added that.

2 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup red lentils, washed
salt and pepper

Finely chop all the vegetables

Sweat off the onion carrots and celery in a little oil for about 5 minutes add the other vegetables, the lentils and the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently to make sure the lentils don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste. Either leave the soup as it is or whizz it up with a stick blender to form a smooth soup.

You could spice up the soup with curry powder or add left over ham or chicken, the possibilities are endless.

Holly Bell’s Cupcake Course

Back in October I became aware that Holly was running classes via a friend on Facebook. I’m not sure if I decided that I needed to get in touch with my feminine side or just wanted to meet Holly, who had really impressed me on the Great British Bake Off. Whatever the motive, I did book for the last course before Christmas on 13^th December 2011.

I travelled by train to Market Harborough and stayed 2 nights in the Premier Inn just outside the town. I needed to book a taxi to the Bridge 67 Cookery School where the course is held, since it is somewhat off the beaten track and not accessible by public transport.

When I arrived at 9 a.m. I was warmly greeted by Holly and a friend who was helping run the day. Coffee was provided in the dining room above the kitchen, while the rest of the group arrived, together with croissants for those who were hungry. I had already eaten a full English breakfast so the coffee was enough for me. Introductions were made and we were all made to feel very welcome and put at our ease. Holly is a warm, open, friendly individual with a charming manner and gave no sense of considering herself to be a celebrity.

After the general house-keeping and safety chat, we moved down to the kitchen. There were only 5 of us on the course and Holly explained that she keeps the numbers low so that everyone gets the most out of the day. As the day progressed we made cupcakes and learnt to make really delicious butter icing and how to use fondant icing. Holly is a very good teacher and has structured the day so that each technique builds on a skill you have already used.

Before I attended the course, I did wonder how it could take so long to make 12 cupcakes, but the time just flew. We were kept supplied with drinks throughout the day and a very pleasant lunch was also provided.

I did have some difficulty getting my cakes home since the box provided is quite large and I did not take a big enough bag to hold the box horizontal. Fortunately my only luggage was a backpack so I did manage to get my cakes home more or less in one piece, via two taxis, three trains, a double-decker bus and a walk in the rain.

As my wife predicted, I was the only male in the class on the day I attended, but I felt very much at ease with Holly, her friend, and the other members of the group. I learnt some skills that I have already used at home and no doubt will use again in the future.

I can thoroughly recommend the course but if you are dependant on public transport, I would suggest teaming up with a like-minded friend to share the taxi costs, and take a big bag, I would suggest one of those large supermarket ones.

Update

I haven't done much in the way of new dishes recently. I did make a mushroom risotto based on a Jamie Oliver recipe last week, using dried ceps and a selection of supermarket mushrooms. It was very tasty.
I was going to make a rabbit dish tonight from the Two Greedy Italians' Cookbook but our supermarket didn't have any polenta in stock. So I've reverted to Plan B. Bangers and Mash. That is always a good back-up.
I'm looking forward to meeting Holly next week and learning a few baking and cake decorating skills.