Thursday 18 December 2008

Thursday 4 September 2008

Sunday 3 August 2008

Thursday 3 July 2008

an extract from Ben Marshall's blog on the guardian website

Daily web trawl: fish dressed as people
A website showing photographs of fish dressed as people recalls the art of Bosch, Bruegel and Hirst to covey a sense of wonder - and even horror.
April 19, 2007 11:16 AM



The appearance of fish in art is mostly confined to kitschy watercolours of anglers sitting beside Cumbrian lakes. These do little to convey just how thoroughly alien fish are. For that, one needs to look at the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, or Pieter Bruegel, or latterly Damien Hirst, all of whom recognised that something that breaths through its gills and lives under water can convey a special sense of wonder and even horror. All three of these artists lent their work a further level of discomfort by literally taking the fish out of water. With Bruegel and Bosch they appear flying backwards through the air or emerging from the orifices of the damned, with Hirst's sharks float lifelessly in formaldehyde. Well now a website is attempting to do something similar.

'A series of photographs of sardines, anchovies and all manner of other aquatic species are seen dressed as people. Initially this seems fairly funny, but as you trawl through the pictures of fish dressed in dinner jackets, or pink nylon stoles, or diamanté bracelets, the cumulative effect borders, if not on the disgusting, then certainly on the disturbing, I have no idea what the purpose of this site is, but I am reasonably sure that if Bosch were alive today he would recognise his legacy. I would be interested to know if there are any other sites out there that are equally as disconcerting. Let me know.'

Monday 28 April 2008

Sunday 6 April 2008




Mackarel is oh so good roasted with rosemary, garlic and onion served with some fine green beans and new potatoes.

Thursday 27 March 2008

A Caspar and Leona collabration



Cashew and coconut biscuits

140g butter, softened
140g dark muscavado sugar
85g creamed coconut, grated
140g unsalted cashews toasted
175g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 180c/Gas 4/fan oven 160c. Split some cashews in half; leave the rest whole. Mix with the coconut and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar, then add the dry ingredients and egg. Half of the nut mixture saving the rest for a delicious topping. When ready make about 12 tablespoon mounds, flatten them a little and sprinke with the nut mixture. bake for 10-12 mins until golden and set at the edges. cool and then enjoy. plus they keep for up to a week in an airtight tin. Yum yum x

Sticky Toffee Pudding is so nice



This is lovely

you need
150g unsalted butter, at room temp extra greasing
150g dark muscovado sugar
1tbsp golden syrup
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g self raising flour
100g dates, chopped
1/2 jar rich caramel toffee sauce
50g walnut pieces

grease a 1 litre pudding basin with a little butter. beat the butter and sugar together until its pale and fluffy. Pour in the golden syrup and whisk unti combined. Gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, along with 1 tbsp of the flour

using a metal spoon fold in the remaining flour and dates. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover the basin with tin foil and string to secure. Put in a covered pan of boiling water for 2 hours. don't let it boil dry.

When its ready remove from basin turning it upside down and pour over sauce and serve.

Thanks marks and spencers mmmmm

Sunday 9 March 2008



Hope you got to taste fat clubs delicious treats at FixyrFayce's launch night at the Redstar. Watch this space for fixyrfayces next appereance and our next stall. Yum yum bubblegum x

Thursday 24 January 2008

Banana Cake



The Ultimate Banana Cake - this reciepe which was in the guardian baking guide is yummy and moist
250g caster sugar
250g banana flesh, chopped into 2cm pieces
1tbsp unsalted butter
2tsp vanilla extract
175ml sunflower oil
2 large eggs
150g plain flour
75g wholemeal flour
2 level tsp mixed spice
2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 level tsp bircabonate of soda
50ml palin yoghurt

Butter a 20cm square tin and line the base with non stick baking paper. Tip 150g of the caster sugar into a frying pan with 25ml water, bring to the boil, then cook over a high heat until the sugar turns to a dark reddish caramel. Add the banana pieces, butter and vanilla, and simmer until the bananas break up in the caramel and the mixture is thick.

Spoon on to a plate and leave to cool. beat the remaining 100g sugar with the oil and eggs until thick and slightly aerated, then beat in the banana and the yoghurt. Sift the flours, spice, baking powder and soda together two or three times (throwing the bran back in), then fold this through the banana mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the tin, heat the oven to 180c (160c fan assisted) and bake for about 50 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.