New Year's Resolutions

It's the end of the year, the end of the decade and time to look forward to whatever the 2020s bring us.  

Nearly 4000 years ago Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

So here are a few thoughts about resolutions again. Resolutions so often "inspired" by Social Media.  Yes, SM.  Well, we have a few more SMs for you to ponder at this calendar crossroads.
Smoke and Mirrors, Stylists and Make Up Artists - beware the captivating images of polished perfection pervading your timelines.  Spoiler alert - THEY ARE NOT REAL, they are no more real than operation close ups in any TV hospital drama.   These beautiful images are carefully crafted and constructed, the result of hours of work in themselves and more hours in the gym and the stylist's hands than most of us spend in front of a mirror in a whole month!
SadoMasochism - not a phrase I would have expected to type into our blog and not what you would normally expect to read when you see this phrase.  This refers to the subtle, probably subconscious sadism of the "influencers" parading their idealised lives and showing us what we could all be experiencing, if only we were as beautiful as them.
The masochism of us mere mortals, with our feelings of inadequacy as we view these images, wilfully or blindly ignoring the Photoshopped Stage Management of it all. 
So our best SM advice is to Smile More - A New Year's resolution that we hope to keep.

In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year's Resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants didn't keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; about one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions. 

So how do you go about keeping yours?  How do you stay resolute in your resolutions?

1. Work out WHY you have chosen your resolution. If there is a good reason, there is more chance of sticking to it.
2. Be positive - don't think in terms of giving things up.  Forbidden fruit is always harder to resist, just ask Eve.
3. Be realistic - don't set yourself targets that you cannot meet.  Make the terms of your resolution fluid.  "Read more books" is better than read a new book every month, then finding yourself staying up til 3 in the morning on November 30th, just to say you're on track!
4. Don't beat yourself up if you slip - if you have given up sweets (see point 2), it's not the end of the world if you accept a jelly baby!  Eating a whole bag of them at 2am raises rather more questions!
5. Remember, sometimes it's enough just to be your best self, rather than striving to be a better you

There are going to be challenges next year, of that there can be no doubt, but we will have to face them, come what may.

So in the words of the Serenity Prayer:

Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference.

.....to which I would add:

the perspicacity to see beneath the surface and not be beguiled by social media's falsehoods.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

The spun iron casserole

You have been patient, we have been busy.

We are pretty sure that you are going to be as pleased as we are and consider the wait worthwhile.

We have been giving a lot of time and brain power to our larger casseroles and slow cookers and listening carefully to your comments, compliments and criticisms.

We have been making the cast iron version for over a decade and as it was the very first Netherton product to be introduced, we hold it in a lot of affections.

However, although we take our inspiration from the ironmasters of the past, those giants of the Industrial Revolution, we have no desire to dwell in the past and we review and refine our designs to meet the rigours of 21^st century life.

“The past is another country; they do things differently there” (L P Hartley; The Go-Between)

And the future, for better or worse, is constantly evolving.

The rise in popularity of induction hobs has been phenomenal.  It is also heartening to see the increasing interest in the beautiful, British made Esse and Everhot range cookers.  And, it seems the two can go hand in hand, with an induction hob fitted to a range cooker, but both demand flat based pans to work efficiently and effectively.

To meet the clamour and call for induction and range appropriate cookware, we decided it was time to bring our casserole into line with the rest of our cookware range.

Thus was born the heavy duty, spun iron 4 litre casserole.

Our large, deep casseroles, which were previously cast,  are now made by the same process as our frying pans and saucepans, bringing the whole range together and better meeting the needs of modern kitchens.

Specifically designed to be used an anything from embers to induction, the flat based, spun casserole performs just like a cast iron casserole.  And we have taken the opportunity to add a beautiful new lid, with a brass highlight to complement the prospector pans.

As ever, we have retained the essentials of the cast design, so that you can mix and match old pieces with the new – the cast and tagine lids will fit the new bowls, the new lid will fit the old bowl.   

Metal spinning is one of the oldest techniques for the production of circular hollow metal components. History records show that the Egyptians were metal spinning nearly 3,000 years ago, during the reign of the Pharaohs. Up until the First World War, only nonferrous metals as gold, silver and brass were being spun. Wartime needs brought about new designs and stronger machines.

Metal spinning involves spinning a flat sheet of metal — usually in the shape of a disk — at a controlled speed. A “spinning mandrel” or tool is used as the basis of the spinning process. The mandrel is made to the shape that corresponds with the contour of the part to be spun, in our case imagine a solid bowl or pan body. A blank is placed between the mandrel and the tail stock of the lathe. Spinning tools, often called spoons,  are used against the blank to shape it around the mandrel or tool.

Metal spinning ranges from an artisan's specialty to the most advantageous way to form round metal parts for commercial applications. 

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Christmas cookie swap

We have taken part in a social media Christmas cookie swap, organised by Tuscan food writer, Giulia Scarpaleggia.  Whilst this is not quite the same as meeting up social media friends in real life (which has been a terrific experience every time it's happened), this is a plan we can get behind.  We put forward our address and we received 2 additional names and addresses.  We sent cookies to our new Cookie Companions and they sent cookies to us.  And we have never knowingly said "No" to a cookie!
You can see Giulia on Instagram and you can also read here recipes and listen to her podcast here or even sign up for her cookery classes!
As this is a Christmas swap, we went all out and devised a new recipe involving two seasonal ingredients; mincemeat and marzipan.

100g marzipan
75g butter
100g sugar
2 tsp dried, crushed orange peel* or the grated zest of an orange
300g self raising flour
2 egg whites
200g mincemeat
Icing sugar 

* Tis the time of year for mandarins, clementines, satsumas.  Next time you have one, don't throw away the peel.  Dry it in a low oven, then crush with a pestle and mortar or in a spice grinder (be careful you don't end up with orange dust) and store in an air tight jar.  Add to cakes, sauces (it is especially good in a tomato and fennel sauce), hot chocolate and anything else that could do with a little citrussy kick #wastenot.

Pre heat oven to 180ºC 

Cream the butter, sugar and marzipan together and add the egg whites.  Beat well to mix thoroughly.
Stir in the flour and orange zest, dried or fresh.
Carefully fold the mincemeat through the mix.

Place walnut sized lumps of dough onto a heavy duty baking sheet or griddle plate (if you are using one of our pieces of iron bakeware there is no need to grease it, but you may need to grease other baking trays), leaving enough room for them to expand.
Pop into the pre-heated oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack - they are fragile when hot, but will firm up as they cool.

Makes 2 dozen

They can be dusted with icing sugar, if you wish.

Please allow us to introduce you to our Cookie Companions:
Sam, who writes about Life in Abruzzo where you will also find her social media links.  Christmas cookies recipes
And, what a treat,  these Italian style biscuits were what she sent us:

Sarah, already known to readers of this blog for her "tempting recipe"  and you can read a lot more of her recipes here

These blueberry, lemon and oatmeal biscuits were delicious.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Cranberry and blue cheese rolls

The Advent calendar is up and the wreath is firmly in place on the front door, the run up/countdown to Christmas is underway.

The Christmas puddings and cake are already made, the serried ranks of mincemeat jars are stashed snugly in the cupboard, so it is time for a few more ideas based around seasonal flavour favourites.

This wreath won't be gracing any doors, it will be in the middle of the table ready to be torn apart and eaten with plenty of butter (laying down our winter fat stores) and a bowl of parsnip soup.  You could make these rolls on a baking sheet or griddle plate, but the savarin ring gives a beautiful bake and makes for a great centrepiece.

325ml boiling water

50g dried cranberries

2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried yeast

500g strong white bread flour

2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

150g blue cheese, cut into small cubes. (I used Cornish Blue from the Cornish Cheese Company )

Place the cranberries in a bowl or jug and pour the hot water over them.  Leave them until the water has cooled to room temperature.

Drain the berries, reserving the liquid.

Pour the liquid into a large mixing bowl or a food processor/mixer.  Add the yeast and leave for 5 minutes.

Tip in the salt, flour and rosemary and bring together.

Either mix thoroughly with your electric device for about 30 seconds or tip out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Carefully mix in the reserved cranberries and cheese, making sure they are evenly distributed.

Place in a clean bowl (or leave in the mixer bowl) and make sure it is covered.  We use a damp tea towel to cut down on our use of single use plastic, it's a better choice than clingfilm.

Leave for at least an hour, until doubled in size.

Grease a 12" savarin ring or baking sheet/griddle plate and pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces and shape into rolls.  Place these in the ring or on the baking sheet and cover with the damp tea towel again.

Allow to double in size and then place in the hot oven.

Cook for around 20 minutes, until nicely browned and they sound hollow when tapped.

Turn out on to a cooling rack and decorate with rosemary sprigs and fresh cranberries to create a festive wreath.

Eat while still warm, although they will keep a day or two.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Books for Christmas

When we were kids, we could always guarantee at least one book token from a relative at Christmas; easy to post, not much imagination required, no chocolate overdose guilt associations and the feel good factor that literary ambitions were being kindled.
On Christmas morning we were dutifully grateful but hardly thrilled - no instant gratification here!
But the joy of rifling through the shelves of the local book shop, choosing first one and then another, before settling on a final choice and handing over our token was worth the wait.

But if you, unlike a geographically distant relative, know the recipient well, then a carefully chosen book will light up their Christmas as much as the fairy lights and candles.

Food writing, as much as fiction, has a unique date stamp and continues to evolve.  The plethora of titles published annually is mind boggling and they range from the sublime to the ridiculous.  I am not going to single out any one book for nomination to the latter category, but I will not forgive anyone who gives me a book that promotes "wellness", weight loss or meals that take less than 15 minutes to prepare.

But I am prepared to share a selection of books that we not only admire, but actually use!

Disclaimer: several, but not all, of these have pictures of Netherton cookware between the covers.  That is because the authors own the cookware, the sole commercial transaction was the sale of the pan!

This list is not exhaustive, apologies to all the wonderful books that are not listed here, some of them are on my Dear Santa list.  If you have a favourite and would like us to publish your review, please send it over to us.

FROM THE OVEN TO THE TABLE

From the queen of food writing, Diana Henry, and yes, of course we are doubly biased, as not only are there photos of prospector and frying pans throughout the book, there is a 12" prospector pan on the beautifully photographed cover too.
But that aside, this is still a stunner  - making simple spectacular.  This is a collection of deeply flavourful recipes, all created as simple to make, "bung in the oven" dishes.  Our kind of cooking, especially at this busiest time of year.
Buy it here

THE BURGER BOOK and CHARRED

By DJ BBQ, aka Christian Stephenson and Genevieve Taylor respectively.

Warm yourselves with thoughts of bonfires and barbeques and settle down with a hot toddy and these two to plan your outdoor cooking adventures. The king and queen of fire cooking, this pair will have you reaching for the charcoal and itching to get outside and cooking with smoke and flames.
The Burger Book is available here
Charred can be bought here

  COCOA and SOUR

  

Two single word titles, that cover not only recipes but history, geography, politics, philosophy; quite simply engaging, informative and eloquently written
Sour, the magical element that will transform your cooking, by Mark Diacono
Cocoa by Sue Quinn, reviewed here by Nigella Lawson

We love these and, naturally, a combination of sweet and sour makes for a beautifully balanced culinary combination.  So we recommend that you head here and here and get both of them.

ZAIKA

A debut book from a talented chef, Romy Gill, sounding like it should be a minority interest book, but is, in fact, one for everyone. (Alright, I know that there are millions of vegans and vegetarians on the Indian sub continent, but I was thinking closer to home .  Ignore the fact that these are vegan recipes, although it will be a handy present for anyone heading into Veganuary after the festivities, Zaika is full of truly scrumptious dishes that just happen to have no animal products in them. Simply sublime.

SUPERPULSES

Jenny Chandler's pocket sized book for all things legume, is another handy book for those embracing a more plant based diet, although this is not exclusively a vegetarian book.  Sunshine bright dishes such as Smoked haddock, spinach and curried lentils goes a long way to dispel the lentil's reputation for boring. brown sludge.

Currently on offer at less than £7.00, this would make a great stocking filler or secret Santa gift.

GREENFEAST

Spring, Summer and Autumn, Winter

I am sure there is a law somewhere that says that Nigel Slater books should be on everyone's Christmas list and this year there are two to choose (I should say to choose from, but don't be selective;just ask Santa very nicely for both of them, after all they are a matching pair)  These two books, which encapsulate Nigel's increasingly plant focussed eating are an absolute treat.  Minimal ingredients, maximum flavour and in many case, no more than a mere modicum of effort to produce appetite satisfying and compliment inducing meals.
Spring Summer
Autumn Winter

NEW KITCHEN BASICS

In fact this is more like a New Kitchen Bible, reworking classic dishes for a new generation and for all of us with jaded palates and too ready a reliance on the same old, same old dishes we can knock out without thinking.

A re-setting of kitchen standards and ideal for everyone.

Nigella is also a fan of this book

Buy it, you won't regret it.

Here are some more ideas from food writer Nic Miller and of course, all the broadsheet papers and food magazines will have their own suggestions.
And Ed Smith throws his ideas into the ring here.

We have included links to places where you can buy these books, but would urge you first to head to your nearest, independent book shop and spend your money there and get that same tingle and frisson that we enjoyed spending our childhood book tokens.
Our favourite Shropshire book shops are Burway Books in beautiful Church Stretton, and Pengwern Books in the heart of historic Shrewsbury.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk