So, I had this post all typed out about fears in the kitchen and me overcoming the dreaded yeastiness that is required for all things fluffy and bready and risen (very inspirational etc etc)…
…and then I remembered why I ended up making this batch of pizza to start with.
This post is sponsored by Nuffnang (cos a girl’s gotta pay hosting fees somehow).
I’m a bit of a faux-foodie. Actually, scratch that. I’m a lot of a faux-foodie. I smile animatedly when told about developments in the preservation of cheeses I’ve never heard of and throw “insightful” comments into conversations about tomato varietals. I love a robustly flavoured, home cooked meal – but often don’t know how to balance herbs and spices so that it tastes the way I imagine it should.
But (and here’s my little bit of authority when it comes to writing this blog of mine) I love food. I love eating it. I love learning about it. And I love creating new (and sometimes exciting) things for people to eat.
Studying and working in the advertising / marketing industries has turned me into a somewhat cynical consumer. Will that face cream really reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in only eight hours? I don’t know, but I’d highly doubt it. So when I opened my inbox to see the words “Make an Italian Beef Casserole to feed two people in under 15 minutes with Leggo’s”, I almost (almost!) laughed. But I didn’t. And, because I’m try to be as fair as I am cynical, I decided to give it a shot. (And, as a sidenote, I’ll be giving some of it away too, so you can have a shot at it yourself…)
…continue reading italian beef casserole – a Leggo’s challenge
“I’m cooking lunch for five” I said to M & Zo over a food court lunch “and I don’t know what to make.” The boys looked at me quizzically. “Surely it isn’t that hard,” said M. “just go with something you’re comfortable with.” “Yes,” said Zo “but if you’ve invited them over, it has to be something a little bit special.” And so I variously groaned, threw my hands in the air and wrinkled my nose distastefully at their suggestions. Until, that is, M suggested pasta. “Pasta,” he said, with the gesture of an 80 year old Italian papa “is so simple, but the fresh stuff? Ah! You can make a person very very happy with that”.
