Food is language

The metamorphosis of simple ingredients to finished dishes requires more than time and heat, it requires a little magic….and that magic is love. Food cooked from scratch, be it a complex three course meal, or simple mushrooms on toast is a universal love language. Far removed from page long ingredients list or complex technical skill, sometimes it’s just the time you devote that infuses your cooking with a certain je ne says quoi.so taking every component and beginning from scratch is a big deal. 

That’s probably the reason why I so love homemade mincemeat. A million miles from its ‘suet maggot’ jarred counterpart, you have complete control as to what fruits you include. You control the sugar ratio, along with the alcohol content (which I assure you is entirely for preservation purposes). And don’t get me started with the pastry. As a child I Just loved the idea of mince pies, sanatasfavourite treat, but the realism fell flat, I would scoop the mincemeat from its flabby shell and leave that soggy puck untouched. So, my mission as an adult it’s to make that pastry as moreish and wholesome as possible. All the nuts, wholegrains and spices have my heart.

So, forego that ready rolled pastry, it has its place, t when you are wanting something special. Homemade is the way to go. And the mincemeat…. this year I have thrown a curveball with coffee liqueur, but it Is the perfect foil to the sweet caramel muscovado notes. Adjust it as you wish, all I ask is that you inject it with all the love you have spare….