A (Short) Diary of a Foodie

Ask one hundred people what their idea of a perfect weekend is, and you will get one hundred different answers. This weekend is fast becoming one of my favourite, packed with celebrations, catch ups with old friends, girl time, cosy nights in, brilliant news from long-distance friends, and, underpinning all of the above, food.

Friday night started with a hen party for my lovely Auntie, who is tying the knot with the loveliest man, and making a lot of people very happy. The only slight glitch in the whole evening was that a whole collection of accidents on the M1 meant I had to drive direct to the venue, and therefore had to endure the very surreal experience of being the only person sober at a hen party... It was such a lovely evening, with dinner and dancing on a cruise boat on the River Trent in Nottingham, courtesy of Princess River Cruises. The crew on board were fantastic, and endlessly patient, the carvery was great, and a good time was had by all, (except maybe the young couple that obviously had not expected not one, but two raucous hen parties on their romantic boat trip!!!) If you are interested in knowing more, here is the link to their site http://www.princessrivercruises.co.uk/


Nottingham Trent Bridge at night from the water.

The upshot of not drinking Friday night, was being able to wake up Saturday morning clearheaded and embark on a mammoth baking session. I have trips planned for Sunday and Monday to see very special friends, and wanted to be able to take some treats (in true Stepford wife fashion - remind me to get some wicker baskets to complete the look!) I'm not ashamed to say I spent a solid 12 hours yesterday baking, decorating, experiment and cooking in my kitchen, and loved every minute. Evidence of these toils will be posted soon, but not until certain people have had their surprises!

Gary and I then settled in for a Saturday Night In, complete with bad 'entertainment' TV, snugly blankets, and good winter comfort food - Steak and Dauphinoise Potatoes. Dauphinoise Potatoes is one dish that I never ever cook from a recipe, preferring to utilise whatever is in the house, sometimes onions, sometimes garlic. Last night, I went for a simple option, and layered very thinly sliced potatoes with grated parmesan cheese, and double cream, more potatoes, more cheese, more cream, and so on. I then covered the dish with foil, and baked for two and a half hours on a medium heat (about 180 degrees). The parmesan slowly created a cheesy crust on the bake, and infused the cream and potatoes, and made possibly one of the best Dauphinoise I have made to date. If you do want a recipe however, I have always found this one from the BBC to be fairly foolproof http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/dauphinoisepotatoes_90205

So as the weekend rolls on, today I am making a 200 mile trip to meet a beautiful little boy that came into the world on Friday, before heading on to spend some quality girl time with a far away friend tonight, and the promise of a Sunday Roast. I have a car laden down with goodies, and an especially light heart knowing that my weekend doesnt finish until Tuesday night! Like I said - Best. Weekend. Ever!

V x