Still Alive And Cooking

Red velvet cupcakes

Hmm, it's been ages since I last posted and for that I apologise. I've spent most of the last week huddled up on the sofa, tissues and lemsip to hand, watching food network and Gilmore Girls reruns. I have, however, still been cooking, though somewhat half heartedly. Also, on Friday, I had an early 21st birthday party (less than a month until I actually turn 21!) at Cloud 23 in Manchester, where we had a cocktail masterclass that was So. Much. Fun!!! As well as the excitement/illness I've also had a few essay deadlines but they are no more! Unfortunately it's now procrastination, I mean, exam revision time.

My 21st

I have a list of recipes that I need to share with you over the next week or so: if I get my act together I'll write them tomorrow and set them to post a day at a time, so keep checking back - I'll set them for 11am each day so you have something to look forward to. The recipes include: macarons; red velvet cupcakes; fougasse (a type of French ciabatta that I made for a uni food evening); pizza; more bread; the ever promised and half written about chicken and cashew nuts; and pork potsticker dumplings.

She's making a list and checking it twice

I've also just ordered a food box that Grace put me on to, called degustabox, so I'll let you know when it arrives how that goes (on a random side note I also ordered a french beauty/lifestyle box so I might share the contents of that too). After Christmas (sorry it can't be before but it'll ruin the surprise) I'll tell you about a few food themed presents I'm giving this year - maybe it'll inspire presents for your friends for the year ahead. Before then I really recommend Sous Chef for presents - I've been buying stuff from them since September and it's great for hard (read impossible) to find ingredients. Dumpling flour, anyone? I couldn't even get that in Singapore! They also have lovely hampers that I've got my eye on for my birthday (hint hint, mum!).

Ready to go in the oven

Christmas is coming up, a time for indulgence and mass pre-cooking of food, at least according to all of my foodie magazines! I'll share a few recipes closer to the festivities - you already have my roast potatoes recipe from a few weeks ago and I'll post some suitable side dishes too. As next weeks christmas meal actually involves homemade pizza for easy of dietary requirements/space, I can't give you a recipe for a roast that I've made myself - you'll have to use your own or look a recipe up, I'm afraid, but there will be crackers!

Potsticker dumplings

Given this is the season for eating lots (especially if you had Thanksgiving the other day) I thought I'd try doing a themed weekly post from the new year onwards - Don't Say Never Trust A Skinny Cook - of healthy and quick midweek recipes, I'm not yet sure which day I'll do them but I'll make sure you can buy the ingredients after work or at lunch in your local shops if they're not already in your store cupboard. Have you any suggestions to start this theme off with a bang?

Fougasse

I hope this whets your appetite and let me know what you think of the new layout and tabs!

I also have a new tinyURL which is http://tinyurl.com/makingagourmet so feel free to use this instead