In recent times I have mentioned my love of Hispi cabbage or Sweetheart Cabbage as it is often called.

I have in fact only this last year started to eat cabbage. My memories from childhood basically forbad me to eat it and as for Himself it was the same. Cabbage boiled in an inch of its life, until it was a slimy soggy mess. I think this is how everyone in the UK ate cabbage and as a result I have never bothered ( apart from making coleslaw that is) ! Now here I am talking about pale green or white cabbage, this was the norm and not red cabbage, which I have cooked and loved for years, but White slimy cabbage definitely a No No.

These cartoon recipes from about 1946, epitomises the way the British cooked cabbage!

I do have oodles of cook books, periodically I have a sort and there are some which I get rid of, having never used then at all and others I keep, some for sentimentally and others because I love them and others? Well just because! A couple of years ago we went to a restaurant in London called KRICKET, ( yes Kricket with a K) and though it only so-so but then I bought the book ( Oxfam books is a good source) and was definitely only so-so about the book ! Doesn’t anyone have proof readers anymore? And I ask this question because one of our favourite meals from Rajasthan is Laal Maas. Traditionally made with venison, or other game but latterly with lamb. The brilliant red could comes from the excessive use of red chillies. Atul Kochar ( Michelin starred chef) uses just 3 tablespoons of Ghee for 800 grams of meat. However in the Kricket version , he has 500 grams of meat and a hefty 400 grams GHEE!

Fortunately I know it is wrong but one could end up with a very oily, fatty inedible dinner. However, he does “Do” Hispi cabbage by grilling it on a BBQ, so certainly in summer months, instead of grilling in an oven, throw it on the Barbie !

Once upon a time, lettuce was also boring. It came in the shape of ( and dare I say it…… a wet lettuce) but ideas abound for cooking lettuce albeit Baby Gem or Romaine. In high end grocery stores, the choice of lettuce is much better these days and yet the one thing that I find truly better, even in the run of the mill French Supermarket is the choice of lettuce. They are predominantly green, some with a tint of red, and others which are red and others which are not lettuce but are used with or in place of lettuce, either as decoration or part of a sauce ( eg watercress).

I have omitted several as there are about 26 different types of salad greens and that is not including Spinach or Kale. Himself is not a fan of kale, definitely not cooked and not even in a salad. I actually like it as a salad. It can be made in advance and will keep without going soggy and Oh so easy to make! Great for lunch boxes or lunch or simply because !

• Remove the thick stem
• Rinse the leaves on cold water and spin dry or wrap in a clean tea towel
• Tear or chop the leaves .
• Place the kale in a bowl or container ( even a plastic bag if making ahead of time)
• Extras for the salad are things like baby vine tomatoes cut in half, mandarin oranges with the segments cut in half, , hazelnuts peeled and toasted and chopped into chunky bits, Avocado slices rinsed in lemon juice to maintain their colour, pomegranate seeds ( buy them already done )blue cheese cut into smallish bits, like wise with feta cheese. Little chunks of cucumber, sliced red onion or chopped salad onions, chopped green or red peppers and even a chopped mild chilli, some fresh chopped coriander.
• For a yummy dressing whisk together
• 3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil , avocado oil or I like nut oil
• A response of runny honey
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 1tablespoon white wine vinegar ( don’t have any, then a dash of white wine will do just as well) or rice wine vinegar.

Shake or whisk well and serve on the side of your salad!

Another week, and another place, in-fact another country! This week saw us in Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands. Such a pretty place, a truly lovely island.

Sitting last week in the lounge at Heathrow Airport, I have to admit to being a little surprised . Some travellers were simply stuffing their carry on bags with Tyrell’s potato crisps but the best was filling ones water bottles ( this is after security) with white wine ! I guess it takes all sorts!

We were here with a group of good friends for a week of golf and food! The last time we were here was 7 years ago, all of course pre Pandemic! The Pandemic certainly played havoc with one’s memory! We stayed in the lovely Sheraton Arabella, with great views over one of their 3 golf courses. We played all three, to mixed acclaim and then the pièce de resistance was Alcanada. Maybe not the best of the four that we played but it certainly had the best views.

Mallorca has its own specialties when it comes to food. The first that springs to mind, which is often served with drinks or as part of Tapas, is Pa Amb Oli, which very simply means bread and oil, but in Mallorca it is much more than that. The simplest extra is with tomato. One has to have good rather solid bread. Bread has been around in Mallorca since before Roman times, but try using a good baguette which has been lightly toasted. Rub the bread with good olive oil and then cut a tomato ( preferably a Vine tomato, and preferably home grown or at least from a local market …… flavour is everything) and rub the tomato cut side down hard over the bread. And that is it ! Sprinkle with sea salt. Sometimes, some manchego cheese is added or iberico ham, but that is not traditional, BUT there is a world Pa AMB OLI championship which takes place on Balearic National in March.

Another traditional dish is called Samosas Mallorquines con Sobrasada and also Huevo Al Horno con Sobrasada. Translated as, Samosa with Sobrasada and Eggs with Sobrasada. But what is Sobrasada?

Sobrasada is a cured pork product mixed with various spices, a simple comparison would be Chorizo or Nduja, both being pork and spices.

Of course Mallorca being a Mediterranean island one would expect lots of Olives, Pork, Almonds and of course FISH. Fish in all shapes and sizes , ranging from Chipirones ( baby squid) fried in a tempura type batter, Cuttlefish, Eels, Salt Cod as a meal or as fritters, Frito de Pescado, ( Frito Misto) mixed fried fish, whitebait, baby squid, octopus, prawns and Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Halibut and Turbot. One of my favourites and I had on two consecutive evenings was grilled Octopus. Both days were good but the first served in a little restaurant in Soller ( pronounced more like Soy à).

On the day that we went to Soller, we went by tram, actually although you can drive, this is the best way to go over the mountain. The little tram trundles along and it reminds me of The Little Train that Could! Clunkity Clunk .

Once in Soller ( the journey takes about an hour), it is possible to take another smaller tram ride, down to the sea. We didn’t this time around but searched for a small restaurant for an early dinner. Soller is not huge, but the main square was heaving. We walked past the square and along Carrie de sa Luna, where we found Rest Carre Luna 36. A small place with a little courtyard and a few inside tables.

This is where we had Shrimp baby squid and Octopus! Had to be the best ever! We both had Octopus in Abu Dhabi last year which, was inedible actually even a steak knife wouldn’t cut it! Why? Because Octopus has to be precooked, either via Sous Vide or gently stewed until tender. Then it can be thrown onto a Barbecue to finish off.

We as a group ate in a very typical fish restaurant down a back street on the outskirts of Palma. The last time we ate here was in 2017, and I have to say that the atmosphere was not so good this time round, but there was nothing wrong with the food.

I was shopping the other day, in an American food store in London. Whole Foods, has a reputation of being upmarket and very good quality. I checked out the fish counter and the frozen fish counter. Here I found Octopus ! With the price they were asking, I think I will just have to settle to eat it, when I’m someplace where it is readily available.

We have just spent a couple of days in The Lakes. You might well ask” Where’s That” Actually I have only ever been there twice before, once many years ago, whilst at College in Manchester and once more recently to have dinner at a wonderful 3* restaurant. But you still have no idea where it is. Well, if you look on a map, go to the West side of England, almost in Scotland and there are the Lakes. It is a beautiful Wild, traditional part of England, rolling hills, very green grass, the highest mountain in England , lots of sheep And the wettest place in England. It certainly lived up to this reputation during our visit.

The Lakes and the villages which surround them have the most wonderful names, such as Ullswater, Coniston Water, Derwent Water,Grasmere, Foxes Tarn, Windermere, Grizedale,and Satterthwaite,there are loads, some are big others not so, but many are named, Water, Tarns and Meres! We went to Windermere, which is the longest of the Lakesat 11 miles long. Some intrepid swimmers rise to the challenge in the summer to swim the length of some of these lakes, including one of my daughters! Not content with the smaller lakes of Coniston and Ullswater she will be “Doing “ Windermere this summer !

However, we will quite by chance be there, as we have rented a house for a family gathering and we were in Windermere to have a “Recce”, look at adventures to be done and food to be eaten.

Restaurants as such, in Windermere itself proved to be a tad difficult, cafe style or too small for a large group. However, one cafe, for which one had to queue outside in the rain, was very good indeed, small again and BUSY, and the best Bacon Sandwich EVER! I had forgotten that “Up North” it is not called a Sandwich, a roll or a Bap but a SARNIE! And I went to Cooks School in Manchester, I should have known better.!

So we didn’t find the ideal spot for a family of 13, but we did test out one small eatery called “Hooked”, and yes it was a seafood restaurant. On the menu was Soft Shell Crab and mussels, and even though we generally try order different dishes from one another, this time we did not. We both love Soft Shell Crab and Mussels and the crabs are rarely seen on the menu in the UK, so for us, this was a first. The Crabs were wonderful but a little disappointed with the mussels, they needed some oomph! Garlic onions, chilli or something to lift it, as such a bit bland, but great chips!

So what are Soft Shell Crabs? They are Blue Swimmer Crabs, which have shed their hard shells and are waiting for their new shell to harden. Their habitat has traditionally been the USA eastern Seaboard but nowadays also in the Mediterranean. Given that the period of going from Soft to hard is a mere 24 hours it is imperative that they are shipped quickly, hence the normal way to buy Soft Shell Crabs is FROZEN! And this is what I was able to do this week in London.

The most important thing before cooking the frozen crabs, is to let them throughly defrost and drain them in a sieve or colander. Very simple to cook though, the ones we had in the restaurant were cooked in a traditional batter, but I decided to cook mine in a lighter batter, a Tempura batter. Tempura batter is easy to make but even easier if you buy a packet ! Then all you need to do is to add the correct quantity of water and whisk. It always say ICE COLD, but given that it comes from a steamy hot country no sure that they would use Ice Cold ( I just run the tap and get Cold water).

Heat some oil in your deep pan or wok, test by throwing in a bit of bread, and when it sizzles the oil is ready to use! Keep an eye on the oil ( and beginners at oil frying should keep a damp towel on hand just in it should over heat and burst into flames…….. just a word of warning)! When the oil is ready, dip the crabs into the batter and pop into the oil. Fry, turning once until a golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve as they are or on salad.

Having decided to make my Fried Soft Shell carbs, I got to thinking about Po’Boys! Simply because soft shell crabs are readily available in Louisiana and so are Oyster Po’Boys. Basically a sandwich to you and me but here they are made with fried oysters or shrimp is another favourite. And not what we in Europe call Shrimp! Shrimp in the southern USA are large, but are not prawns. ( the word prawn is almost obsolete in the USA).The most delicious shrimp are the small brown ones very common in Belgium, but here in the UK ridiculously expensive! However, Shrimp / prawns are readily available frozen, especially in the Asian food stores and it is these larger ones that are used in Louisiana for Shrimp Po’Boys. However, I bought frozen oysters, which are readily available and are perfectly suitable for any cooked oyster dish.

Very simply, defrost the oysters, in a sieve so that they drain. Pat dry on paper towel and repeat the batter / drying as before. I bought “Posh” hot dog buns, ie brioche hot dog buns.

Fill them with some mayonnaise or spicy mayonnaise ( Nando’s Perinaise) chopped lettuce, sliced tomatoes etc and then top with the fried oysters ( shrimp)! Oysters nowadays are considered a luxury, whereas they were once the food of the poor. There is a myth that Oysters are spawned out of the Thymus gland of mating Whales! And as Whales are very passionate when mating, that has given rise to the myth that Oysters are an Aphrodisiac! Not true I’m afraid, but Oysters can change their sex?? Yes they can! They start of as males, after about a year they decided that being a female is the better deal, AND if they live long enough, then decide it is better to be Male! And if they live in warmer climes, they simply can not make up their minds and change quicker than I can change my socks! The Oysters life is a bed of Oysters, but unfortunately not a bed of Roses! As well as humans , Starfish, Rays and Crabs, just love eating Oysters ( their own little oyster bar !