Friday, September 28, 2012

Tea with Diana Henry

Autumn with it's mists and mellow fruitfulness (though sadly this year it's more fruitless than otherwise) is when the lure of the kitchen really kicks back in, that there are so many tempting new cookbooks on the market is only further encouragement. My favourite new book of the season so far is Diana Henry's 'Salt Sugar Smoke' that I first wrote about last week. After that post Diana sent me an email - it was one of those rare occasions that feels like a daydream come true; she asked if I would like to come to afternoon tea at her house with about a dozen other bloggers. Would I? Yes indeed I would.

'Salt Sugar Smoke' is brilliant, Diana Henry is the sort of writer I love to read, her books are full of possibilities that go far beyond cooking; food is such a vivid way into other peoples lives and way of life. Books by chefs are all well and good but they are generally more concerned with the mechanics of cooking - I'm interested in the technical stuff, but it doesn't always feed the imagination in the same way that the likes of Claudia Roden and Jane Grigson do when they include all those bits of history, legend, and anecdote. I discovered those two at about the same time - my copies of their books are battered penguin paperbacks that I used to read on the bus. Before that it wouldn't have occurred to me that you could read recipes for fun. For me Diana Henry is very much in this tradition - I have no higher praise to bestow - she really is that good.

It could then have been terrifying to go to her house - I'm not good at meeting new people, especially ones I admire. I'm not to worried about saying anything stupid so much as being able to talk at all. Happily Diana was amazingly welcoming, I still can't quite believe she was willing to turn her kitchen over to a dozen bloggers, but she did and it was a treat. Food bloggers are a slightly different tribe to book bloggers - mostly they have better cameras and aren't afraid to use them. Everything was very well documented before it was eaten which felt mildly surreal from my point of view and makes me wonder if there's an etiquette to this kind of thing along the lines of kissing someone's cheek on greeting?  
I should probably have taken more pictures myself except that I was mesmerised not so much by the food as the books - hundreds of wonderful books, many of them in reassuring piles on chairs and the floor (just like mine) I could have spent hours browsing the titles looking to spot familiar spines. It was a wonderful collection - and apparently only the half of it - I have serious book envy.

The food was excellent, a selection of things from the book which has confirmed my desire to make the fig and pomegranate jam without delay as well as to acquire a suitable bit of salmon to turn into gravlax. Whilst in London I managed to pick up some Quinces as well - they've proved even more elusive than usual here in Leicester - so I also have the very agreeable prospect of deciding what to do with them, it's a bit of a toss up between jelly or a liquor at the moment. Altogether it was a fun and very inspiring afternoon - definitely a privilege to have taken part in, and you can probably guess what most people will be getting from me for Christmas this year.   

15 comments:

  1. What a wonderful invitation! Tell me what the little meringues have in them? The cheese platter looks amazing.
    Helen

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    1. It was all lovely Helen, the meringues were hazelnut with late raspberries and blackberries on them and I think white currant jelly. Delicious.

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  2. Hayley - I have just embarked on discovering my inner baker again and have just started a new food blog which will chart my ups and downs and 'soggy bottoms'. Please do check it out - link is over on Random. I envy you this day, sounds wonderful

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    1. It was really interesting Elaine, I've never been in such a well appointed kitchen, maybe one day I'll have one as well organised... I'm looking forward to following your exploits and definitely think you should Preserve as well as Bake.

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  3. I wish I could be on your Christmas list, Hayley! Am trying to get up enough nerve to try the fig & pomegranite jam, but I've never made jam in my life!

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    1. Kate - give jam a go. If you make sure your pan is big enough so as not to overflow when everything is boiling away, that you have a sugar thermometer (cheap and worth while because it takes a lot of the doubt away) or a cold plate (jam will wrinkle on a cold plate after setting point is reached) and that your jars are thoroughly sterilised than not much can go wrong bar burning. There is something immensely satisfying about stirring a cauldron of boiling, jewel coloured jam, and even more satisfying about sharing it around. It's quite cost effective as well, especially if you're making more exotic flavours or have home grown or foraged fruit.

      Sorry for the essay but I love preserving, especially the sugary kind, mostly because it really is quite easy and the results are so good.

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  4. Ahh, I finally found you! It was such a pleasure meeting you. Are you preserving, curing and smoking yet? You managed to get your blog up fairly quickly. I have just gotten around to it today! I am looking forward to reading yours. Here is mine! http://comeconella.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/salt-sugar-smoke-afternoon-tea-with.html

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  5. It was a pleasure meeting you too - such a good afternoon. I'm heading to the market for figs on Wednesday to make that jam, have finally sourced some quinces to make jelly with, and made some great damson jelly too - it's been all go. Hope you don't mind but I pinched the photo I'm in from your blog...

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  6. Help! We are in the process of following Diana's Sweet William Pear recipe and after 2 weeks the pear is begining to go brown and looks as though it is softening. When we come to add the sugar and shake in 2 weeks time we are sure that the whole thing will become a sludge. Are we meant to remove the pear? Should this be happening? Any help gratefully received.

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    1. Hello, I'm asking around for you, I've never tried anything with pears so am not sure what's normal. However I would expect them to go a little soft and for the colour to change slightly. Please check back (or email me directly - you'll find my address in the profile section) and I'll let you know if I find anything helpful.

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    2. Having asked here's the information... Actually the pear does go darker - and it may even look as if it is going brown and a bit 'off'. It gets softer too (it's the alcohol) but it shouldn't look as if it will disintegrate. I have just stuck a knife point into mine (put in a jar and forgotten about over a month ago). It is soft, and quite dark (quite like the colour of autumn leaves) but it isn't about to fall apart. If that is the case perhaps the pear was over ripe?? But it should be okay. If the pear looks as if it is about to disintegrate then remove it, sieve the liquid through a coffee filter to get rid of particles and then add the sugar (if it disintegrates you will have to discard the pear). IT won't be as good but at least it will rescue the booze you have. Obviously shake GENTLY if you leave the pear in.

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    3. Many thanks - we'll see what happens in 2 weeks time when it's time to add the sugar - maybe we will just add the sugar and not shake but let it dissolve slowly in the liquid.

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    4. Good luck, and please let me know how it turns out. Hopefully the pear will hold together...

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  7. Great post, sounds like a wonderful afternoon. Salt Sugar Smoke is wonderful isn't it - it's inspired me to make quince cheese and pumpkin achar already and got me planning a big spread of beetroot cured gravlax and various preserves over Christmas. But agree with you that it's a wonderful book just to read and look through too.

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    1. I think it's brilliant, quite possibly my book of the year. I've been eyeing up bits of salmon with that gravlax in mind - just so much to enjoy.

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