A Vagabond Life - Food

Cepes are one of the most famous foods in France, it is a delicacy and quite expensive.. This wild edible mushroom is a large bolete with a dull brown cap, dirty white pore and stout and swollen stern, it is usually found during the summer through to autumn, solitary or in small groups on soil under broad leaf or coniferous trees. In Italy it is known as the Porcini mushroom. You can use fresh or dried mushrooms in this dish. Serves 4 Ingredients 1kg of fresh Ceps 2 tablespoons of nut oil  1 slice ham, chopped 2 large onions,  finel y chopped  1 clove of garlic,  finely diced 1 handful of parsley, finely chopped    75g of butter,  chopped   Salt and pepper to taste Breadcrumbs Method Ceps normally require long slow cooking to bring out their flavour, ideally before you use them in a dish, dry them out in your oven to get rid of the moisture, then stew them slowly in some oil....

Before roasting chestnuts they should be rinsed and dried, and a small slit or cross must be made in the skin or they will burst. Pre-heat the oven to 200°CC. Roast prepared chestnuts, in small batches, for 10-20 minutes. Transfer to a tea-towel. Alternatively, you can cook the prepared chestnuts in batches, in a saucepan of simmering water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a tea-towel. Whether you roast or boil, chestnuts are very difficult to peel once cold. Wear heat-resistant gloves, or use a tea-towel, and peel them as soon as possible.

Ceps with Potatoes and Garlic or Cépes à la Sarladaise This is a very traditional recipe from the beautiful and historic region of Perigord. This popular dish is normally served with a meat or game dish. Ceps normally require long slow cooking to bring out their flavour, ideally before you use cepes in a dish, dry them out in your oven to get rid of any moisture, then stew them slowly in some oil. Then they're ready to cook with. Serves: 4 Ingredients 750g cep, chopped and prepared for using as above 1-1.5kg of potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, then into 2cm chunks 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely 4 tbsp of duck or goose fat Freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt A handful of chopped parsley Method Warm the fat in a large non-stick frying pan Place the potatoes in the pan and cook on a medium heat until they are just tender.  Add the cepes and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper cook for another ...

Crepe Ingredients 2 eggs 100 g chestnut flour 250 ml milk, at room temperature 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 30 g melted butter Mushroom Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled 225 g mushrooms 4 sprigs thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or whole-milk sour cream 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley Method Make the crêpes Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until a thin batter forms. Chill the batter for at least 1 hour before using.  Heat a nonstick crepe pan or shallow frying pan over medium heat. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter. Stir the chilled batter. Add about 2 tablespoons of batter to the pan and let the crêpe cook for about 30 seconds or until it lightly golden. Flip the crepe over and finish cooking. Transfer it to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter stacking the crepes on each other. Metho...

Ingredients   400 ml coconut milk 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 3 tablespoons palm sugar  4 tablespoons fish sauce 5 kaffir lime leaves 3.5 kg fresh mussels 4 limes, 2 juiced 1 bunch coriander Method Place a heavy based saucepan on a medium heat. Add 100 mls of the coconut milk and curry paste and fry until the coconut milks spits and smells fragrant. Add sugar and fish sauce then cook for 5 minutes. Add lime leaves and remaining coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, reduce the heat to medium then cover saucepan with a lid. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the mussels open, add the lime juice and coriander and give the pot a shake. Divide between plates and Por save over the top.

Ingredients 2 leeks white part finely sliced 1 small onion diced 1/2 cabbage finely sliced 2 teaspoons cumin powder 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed 250 grams goats Fetta  150 grams ricotta Cumin seeds Phyllo pastry sheets Melted butter Mint leaves Flesh of half a lemon Juice of half a lemon Olive oil Method . Melt a dob of butter in a large frying pan and then add some olive oil ( the oil will stop the butter burning). Onion the onion, cook until in softens and then add the leeks and soften. When the leeks are soft add the cumin powder and crushed fennel seeds stir in well, cook for a further one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 - 30 minutes When cool add the ricotta and about 200 grams of the Fetta and stir well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required (Fetta is quite salty so be careful when adding salt). Mix it all together well. While the mixture is cooling prepare the dressing by  mixing th...

The Bellini was invented sometime between 1934 and 1948   by Giuseppe Cipriani the founder of Harrys Bar in Venice, Italy. Because of its unique pink color, which reminded Cipriani of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini he named the drink the  Bellini . The drink consists of puréed white peaches ( although yellow peaches can be used) and prosecco or champagne.  It is very simple to make...just purée the peaches and put into a champagne flute then pour the prosecco or champagne over it. Delicious!