Fat Club

Bolivian Field Trip

2010-07-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nice Things I've Eaten

2010-07-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few delicious summery things I've had the pleasure of eating over the last week or so at various barbeques, and in a lovely cottage in Cornwall:

* Watermelon, basil, feta and pine nut salad expertly made by Ben. No dressing, just watermelon cut into ice-cube sized chunks, fresh basil, crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts. So simple and delicious.

* A salad of small pieces of grilled halloumi, watercress, little gem, baby spinach, various seeds, kiwi and cherry tomatoes, made by Max. with a Yummy honey and mustard dressing.

* A tabbouleh with lots of mint, parsley and coriander, chilli and mango, served with lamb koftes and lots of tzatziki, courtesy of James.

Phwoar

2009-02-21T06:40:00.001-08:00

Nigella's Custard Cream Hearts

2009-02-20T05:10:00.000-08:00

From Nige's lovely book 'Feast'...

*For the biscuits:

175g plain flour
3 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp baking powder
50g unsalted butter
50g vegetable shortening
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk (or more, to bind)

*Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees
*Mix flour, custard powder, baking powder.
*Add the butter and shortening in smallish cubes and mix to a crumbly mixture
*Add the sugar and mix again.
*In a separate bowl, mix the egg and milk, then add this to the main bowl, and mix it until it clumps into a ball. You may not need all the liquid so go slowly, (or you can always add a little more flour, or more milk if it's too dry)
*Form the dough into a ball , press it into a flat disc and wrap in clingfilm. Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
*Flour a clean surface, and roll out the ball to about 4mm thickness. Use a 5cm heart shaped cutter and cut out as many as you can, putting them on a lined baking sheet as you go along, and re-rolling the scrap bits of dough until it's all used up.
*Prick the outside edge of the hearts with a fork or other such pronged device.
*Cook on lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until golden.
*Cool on a wire rack.

*For the custard cream:

1 tbsp custard powder
100g icing sugar
50g soft unsalted butter
1 tsp boiling water

*Mix the custard powder and the icing sugar. Add the butter and mix until you get a smooth cream. Add the teaspoon of boiling water and combine again.
*Sandwich each biscuit with about one teaspoon of the cream. Gently spread a layer of the cream on an unpricked side (once the biscuits are cool), then wiggle a matching heart shape on top of it. I found there was enough cream to be quite generous with the filling, and that it made about 20 finished biscuits altogether.

*I thought that half a teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of the custard cream filling would have made a rather delightful addition, also next time I will add a tablespoon of rosewater to the cream filling.

Soul Food

2009-02-20T04:21:00.001-08:00

The Herbs

2009-02-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

2008-12-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

Mr. Carrot man the official fat club mascott

2008-11-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

talitha's infamous jellies

2008-09-04T04:17:00.001-07:00

Fine rich meat, Vietnam

2008-08-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

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.'

2008-04-28T03:43:00.001-07:00

2008-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

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

A Caspar and Leona collabration

2008-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

2008-03-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

2008-03-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

2008-03-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

2008-03-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Buckwheat likes Ice cream

2008-03-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

Teeth

2008-03-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Steph's Fish

2008-03-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Rosa's Berlin Field Trip

2008-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

2008-03-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

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

Banana Cake

2008-01-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

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.