5 Things I Love About Wales and Yes there will be Dragons

The National Eisteddfod officially starts today, so I thought I'd share a blog post about 5 Things that I personally love about Wales.  

Actually there are lots of things that I love about Wales but...today I will start with 5.  

First and foremost, I love our Welsh flag, the Red Welsh Dragon standing proud on green lush land.  It is a flag that does not intimidate but boasts pride, strength and stance.  

We love our Red Dragon so much we stamp him on everything to remind you where you are just in case you forget your in Wales; and if your not - its to remind you of Wales.

I have Welsh flag bunting in my garden, in the kitchen on my apron, pint glasses and mugs I drink out of  and even a cookie cutter.

Second the fantastic and magical Castles, whether it's raining or shining, Welsh castles light up naturally against the beautiful glorious Green lush backdrop of spectacular scenery found all over Wales.  

In the past I have  shared 5 Welsh Castles: Harlech Castle, Caerphilly and Chepstow.  There are so many castles and ruins to explore in Wales.  Did you know that Wales has more castles per square than any other county in the world.

Now onto number  three: Welsh Dragons.  Welsh Dragons come in many magnificent shapes and sizes and guess what?! Some of our dragons do actually breath fire - for real!

Meet Dewi the Dragon: Guardian of Castle Harlech, Dewi is 16-foot long, 11ft high and 10 ft wide metal sculpture. 

A little while ago, I stumbled upon  the fantastical  Ebbw Vale Dragon in Blaenau Gwent.  This steely dragon was part funded by the European Union.  He is made from thousands of individual stainless steel scales.  He certainly does have a presence in the town centre, just look at those claws.

Recently Caerphilly Castle welcomed a new reptile like red and black scaled dragon which measures four metres long , he has an outreached claw and smoke flaring nostrils.   This dragon was sadly only temporary making an appearance for the Welsh v England Six Nations game, so I have not met him yet, but I haven't given up yet.

Now I introduce you to more gentler dragons that have come and gone are these Super Dragons spotted in Newport Gwent a few years back.

This is a Canary Dragon inspired by Tweety Pie a Loony Tunes character. 

I am sharing this particular photograph of a Punk Welsh Dragon with My Sunday Photo hosted by One Dad 3 Girls.

The Welsh are happy to even laugh at themselves, check out these not particularly good graffiti art sprayed dragons, but humorous nonetheless.  

Even our first money saving boxes are shaped like dragons (not piggy banks).  So you can see why I marvel at Welsh dragons. 

Now onto number 4 and one of my reasons for loving Wales: The Warm Welsh Welcome!

As I said at the beginning its the start of the National Eisteddfod.  The Eisteddford is a celebration of Wales and Welshness, of our culture, priding ourselves on our countrys achievements and of the notion of belonging  to a community.  The Welsh are the best when it comes to showing 'A Warm Welsh Welcome' and a poignant moment in history of this Warm Welcome was the way Welsh Miners in south Wales embraced Paul Robeson.  

Paul Robeson was a black American actor, singer, civil rights campaigner and lawyer who moved to Britain in the 1920s and his love affair with Wales began.  Robeson met with south Wales miners and realised that the struggle and oppression in Wales was just the same as that being endured by Black people in America. 

The Welsh, especially the miners embraced Paul Robeson's version of Land of My Fathers which he was invited to sing at the Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale, 1958.  Just listening to Paul Robesons rendition of Land of My Fathers takes my breath away. 

My interest in Hidden Black history was peaked and I was well on the way to my chosen vocation in life: Welsh ethnic and cultural diversity.  I never got to write my own book on hidden black history in Wales and the contributions of people of colour in Wales as I moved to Scotland, but am proud that one was finally published: Cymru Ddu: Black Wales: A History. 

Cymru Ddu: Black Wales: shares the hidden history of of black presence in Wales since the 16th century, the Welsh involvement in the slave trade and the emergence of minority ethnic communities at Wales many ports.   Although the majority of Wales voted out of the European Union: BREXIT,  I would still like to think that most of is welcoming, if not tolerant. 

And finally - number five,  a good Welsh Cakes - how can you not love a proper bakestone Welshcake! 

This blog post is being shared with Amy who is hosting Five on Fridays over at Love Made My Home. 

Butterfly Cake

I've been taking some evening classes in cake decorating.  I really wanted to sign up for the cupcake decorating ones, I especially wanted to learn the skill of piping those swirly ice-cream swirls, but unfortunately  I was unable to sign up for them as all the dates were a Saturday and I had been scheduled to work those particular Saturdays.   So I opted for this evening class instead.

It was a six week course that ended last week.  I have to admit, I started off not particularly enjoying it and at the end of every class I had decided not to go back, but I did.  And I am glad I did, as  I have picked up a few new skills in cake decorating that I know I can develop and enhance in the future, should I choose to do so.

As well as learning to cover a Victoria Sponge cake or a Madeira Cake with icing, not easy as it seems.  Its got to be even, no lumps and bumps and no air bubbles too.  Its got to be smooth.  We were also taught to emboss and paint our cakes with edible food colouring,  I must add all of which are suitable for vegetarians. Its so amazing how a simple cake covered in white icing is suddenly transformed with a few tools and tricks of the trade.  Here is a photograph of my embossed Butterfly Cake.  

I have to admit, I did get a little tired after painting the fifth small butterfly on the side (so please don't look too closely at the paintwork).  I found them a little too fiddly, but the end result was worth it.

I was really pleased with my embossed Butterfly cake, even though the burgundy ribbon I picked out was a little to on the fat side.  Still, not bad for a first attempt.

A2KShaheen on Twitter

I have finally changed my mind and decided to open an account with Twitter - see my side bar, if you would like to follow my occasional tweet...and I promise, it will be occasional. 

I hope to be back tomorrow with another recipe.

60th Birthday Bash

My father turned 60 about a week ago, so I thought I'd share just a handful of photographs from the day.  

Of course, there was plenty of food and drink - but this time I decided to focus on the decour. 

My mother decided to coincide my Dad's Birthday party with the family's Christmas Party, hence the Christmas party paper crowns.  It was a wonderfully noisy, yet a laid back family affair.

Some toy guests invited by the nephews and nieces.

Nephews and nieces posing for the camera. 

A very cool gingerbread man flower bouquet adorns my mothers living room.  There was also a snow-man bouquet, but I didn't manage to get a picture of that, maybe I'll get to snap a picture of it on New Years Eve.

Shaheen's September Soup

I thought I'd better share with you something I guess I should really be boasting about, but I just don't have the energy or time.  So instead I thought I'd better write a short post to bring it to my loyal readers attention. 

A soup I created this time last year when I was living in Scotland was picked up by New Covent Garden Soup Company for their Suitable for Vegetarians theme.  For those of you who don't know New Covent Garden are one of the largest companies in the U.K that creates and markets fresh soups for the supermarkets.  Fro the past few years, they have been encouraging the public to submit some of their favourite recipe creations.   

So may I present to you one of my soup recipes that is being featured by the New Covent Garden Soup Co. for the September month edition.  It is Butternut Squash and Black Turtle Beans with Jalapeno Peppers.  The soup hit the supermarket shelves early this month.   

I have to say with work commitments and distractions its all gone over my head and passed me by.  The only people who seem to know about it are family and friends.  Everyone who knows me, looks at me and says the picture featured  on the carton looks nothing like me. Hey what can I say, I can be a little bit of a poser as I did take my specs off for the photograph used on the carton packaging and show rather a lot of teeth. 

I have displayed some cartons of the soup in the chiller at work both for sale and as means of promotion for the veggie cafe, but to be truthful, having my name on the carton has not brought me : any extra hits on either of my blogs; extra customers to my vegetarian cafe Hunky Dorys; or local media attention.   It truly has come and gone and had I not mentioned it here, perhaps you my lovely readers would not know about it too. Anyway, it's still something to smile about on the inside, I mean how often do you see your name in print and in a positive light?!

 

You can find my original recipe here if you wish to make it at home from scratch.  And for those of you who live in South Wales, I will soon be featuring it at the cafeteria.  To read more abotu the soup see here.

ABC of A2K

A couple of weeks ago, Choclette asked fellow bloggers to volunteer and join her in writing down '26 words that are meaningful to them'. Other than shopping lists, I don't do lists or tags, but this one for some reason called out to me and I volunteered.  I have to admit though, I did struggle a little.

A – Allotment2Kitchen – the name of my blog and why I am in blogosphere.
B - Blogging and Blogosphere, and how I have come to 'meet YOU, my readers'.
C –Coriander and Cumin my favourite herb and spice
D – the initial of my first ever boyfriend, eventually the man I married.
E - Excited about my new upcoming venture.
F – Family and friends.  I come from a small family and have a small circle of friends.
G - Growing our own food; or at least trying too.
H – Harlech, North Wales.  One of the worlds most beautiful beaches and the place I felt the most free.

Harlech Beach 1996

I - Indian Sub-continent - roots of my ethnic heritage.
J - Jackie and Jane, two good friends that I have lost touch with over the years.  I will forever be Thankful to them for encouraging and supporting me on the path of independence.  I am a stronger person today because of their faith and belief in me. 
K - Kitchen
L – Leah – my best friend who lives in America and whom I miss so dearly.!
M - Mangocheeks was my pseudonym.
N - Nephews and nieces, I have 3 nieces and 6 nephews. and November - the month I was born.
O -Ordinary
P – Pet.  I am still wishing for a pet dog, maybe one of these days we'll actually adopt one...
Q - Qualm, a word I use often.
R -  Regrets 
S –Shaheen, my name - it's unisex and means eagle or falcon. 
T -Troubled Water - a song a friend of mine would sing to me to make me feel better when I was really down. It reminds me of her whenever I hear it.
U – University, I am the first person from my family to go to Uni.
V – Vegetables – how I have come to appreciate and cook them creatively.
W - Wales, where I was born, raised and have recently returned to.
X - xxx Simply kisses
Y - YOU, my readers - past and present - to whom I am thankful for the success of my blog
Z - Zindigi - Urdu and Hindi word for 'life'. 

Feel free to join in if you so wish.  Let me know if you do so, and I will link up to your ABC page.

My Tiny Eclectic Kitchen

Many of my readers understandably have assumed that I have a mighty big kitchen, especially as I tend to cook from scratch a lot.  The fact is it is quite a small flat kitchen  Its about 6 foot by 6 foot.  When there are two people in the kitchen, it’s a bit of a squeeze shall we say. There have been many times, when I have been frustrated by the lack of space and its restrictions.  D has understood many of my frustrations and has done his utmost to make the kitchen space as functional as it could be. He utilised the space - height wise, so that I've been able to store cooking pots and jars, although I do need a step ladder to reach these.  However even with all his efforts, there are indeed still limits that hinder the experimental cook in me.  I've never been able to bake large cakes, decorate them with fancy piping and then leave them on the side to look pretty, as they would take up the only available surface that is used for food preparation. Also I cannot display the gadgets that I have accumulated over the years, moreso use them - such as the food processor, hence the reason I end up making shortcrust pastry by hand often...well you get the point I am trying to make - its a tiny kitchen. 

In spite of its size and my grumbles, this cooking space has served us well over the years and I have come to appreciate its individuality.  I made this short video about of my eclectic kitchen about 3 months ago.  Since then I have had to remove some of the decour.  The food related artwork, as well as the dangling things, such as chilli lights that may look messy to potential home buyers, but for me they have made the kitchen quirky and personal.    

Still like many homely cooks, I dream of that big open space (or even a country kitchen), when I will be able to leave out my kitchen gadgets and actually be able to use them! Be able to share the joys of cooking and baking with others in the kitchen space, and be able to open the door to my kitchen garden and pick fresh herbs…Oh I dream of my of my own space.  Part of this 'dream' has begun, as the house we will be renting offers some of these opportunities to me.  But before I say 'goodbye to this tiny space' this year.  I have to remind myself that I have made some delicious diverse world vegetarian cuisines here.

Here are some recipes from my kitchen in 2011.  Enjoy.

 Of course, I have to begin with these Welsh Red Dragon Chilli Shortbread.

 February - A Scottish recipe that I will always keep close to me - Potato Scones.

March -  Cauliflower and Red Lentil Cobbler

 April - Wild Garlic Oatcakes

 May - A new challenge for me - making Banoffee Curd and White Chocolate Roulade

 June - Radish Leaf and Root Tart.

 July - Savoury Seitan Faux Roast 'Meat' (vegan)

August - Plum and Almond Tart with Plum Syrup

September - Creamy Cabbage Pie - Perfect for those rainy Scottish days!!!

October - Another new technique to me - Sweet Potato Wontons Stickers with Sweet Chilli Sauce - absolutely delicious.

 November - Beetroot and Gingerbread Muffins

And finally,  December - Date and Coconut Bars.

Oh I should also mention, that I will not be returning back to blustery gale force windy Scotland with D later in the week. I had applied for a job in Wales and guess what I have an interview next week. Sounds promising and it may be a welcome start to the new year, so I have made the decision to stay behind. First for the interview, second for the outcome.  If all goes well, then it will be 'ready set go' for moving, if not...well I will blog about that later.  Anyway, whatever happens, You will have to forgive me in advance as there may be very little in the way of proper foodie (and growing) blogging until mid to late February.  So instead I thought that I would begin sharing with you some things from my kitchen - starting of course with the kitchen itself. 

A2K Collage and 1000th Blog Post

My husband designed and put together this collage of fruit and vegetables, as well as dishes that have featured on my blog over the past two and half years. It took him a little while to put it together and get it colour co-ordinated, but the final outcome was worth his time. I really like it and think its pretty cool. Please do click on the image to see it a little more clearly. I've dubbed it as 'Allotment2Kitchen's Food Wall'.

When we move to a bigger place, we are hoping to get it printed out large and have it displayed on the wall somewhere. I think it will look pretty spectacular.

I also have to mention that this is my 1000th blog post. I want to say a heartfelt Thank you to all my supportive followers and readers, especially those who started blogging around the same time and still continue to show kindness and warmth towards me. I am truly humbled by the ongoing support and just want to say Thank you so very much to you all.

Goodbye Mangocheeks

Well now that I am no longer using my pseudonym.  I thought I better post this too, as I won't have a reason to use it again in the future.

A little music tonight

Sorry no cooking...

Instead I have some music to share with you. I was looking at my Music CD rack earlier and noted that I had only purchased two music albums last year: 'Mumford and Sons' and 'Stornaway'. So I thought instead of plate of food, I'd share two songs I really like from each album. I hope you like them enough to go out and buy the albums, that is of course if you don't already have them.


Despite the Bands name 'Stornaway', which is taken from a town in the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, there is nothing Scottish about them at all.

peeking through snowy windows

Its snowing heavy in the U.K, for those of you in warmer climates follow this link and you will see how snow white Britain is right now. I can hardly call it walking in a winter wonderland. Its dark, its cold, its industrial and its sludgy that is what it looks like around me. Trudging through the snow, bobbing along like a penguin to keep my balance, (so not to slip) and then scuttling as fast as my little feet would go ...
to catch the bus to the train station into the city centre. I wish I was like this bulldog on the skateboard.
After just catching the bus, my next mission is to get the train home on the outskirts of Glasgow (that is if it doesn't get cancelled) - Phew I make it! I am absolutely exhausted both mentally and physically when I get home and just want to crash out.
Getting to and fro work this week has been frustrating. Added to this I am finding work utterly depressing. I am at a hard place right now, but I am trying to put on a brave face. Thank goodness for the weekend ahead. All this is way of saying, that it should not be a surprise to say that I have not cooked a single meal all week. D has taken charge in the kitchen and has done me proud. He created a Mojo Potato and pea dish. Shame he did not take a photograph as it certainly was worth sharing. So I am hoping he will make it again to share with you all. I’ll prod him, I promise.

On a different note, Emma of Sunflower Days kindly requested if I could share seven things about me. To be honest, it was quite hard to come up with things that I thought others would find interesting.

1. I am the first person in my family to attend University.
2. I rebelled against my mothers efforts to transform me into a domestic goddess.
3 In my youth, I used to wear a lot of black (now its purple)
4. I always seem to have cold hands and cold feet
5. I am 5 foot 2 ¾ and wear size 4 shoes
6. I've lost my Welsh accent, but when I am passionate or very angry it comes back with a vengeance.
7. still thinking...

I was also tagged a little while ago by the real sumptuous Sophie of Sophies Foodie files. I don’t often do tags. Not because I am shy or anything. I just try my utmost to keep the focus of this blog on seasonality through what I cook or grow, but I’ve decided to play along this time.

1. What is your most memorable meal that you ate in your life and why?
I love my mothers cooking dearly, but I have to admit that my most memorable meal was that my father made (sorry (m)Ummy). It wasn’t the most delicious meal I’ve ever had, but fabulous as greedy children do we all went up for seconds. It was the fact that my father made a South Asian style roast dinner for us: tandoori roasted tangy chicken served with all the trimming, South Asian style with mango or lime achari roast potatoes, giving my mother the day off from the kitchen. It was very unusual for my father to cook a meal for the whole family and I think this is what made it memorable. It felt like more of an occasion – a treat, not just for my mother, but for her little ones too.

2. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to start blogging in late 2007, but I wasn’t too sure how to set up a blog so resigned myself to reading other peoples blogs. It was in early 2009, that it dawned on me how easy it was to set up and I immediately leaped into blogger world.

It began really to record my amateur allotment antics and what I cooked with the vegetables I grew there. This was fun as it allowed me to pro-actively cook from the many cookbooks on my burgeoning bookshelf, as well as some recipes of my own. The recipes I feature here are a bit like me, always diverse and sometimes a little bit spicy. I no longer have my allotment plot as I lost it in a fire early this year, but I do still make every effort to eat seasonally and grow what I can in my tiny garden plot and pots. The allotment2kitchen blog has become on on-line journal of recipes: eats and treats. I also find it a great way to switch off from the nonsense, manic and stress of the outside world.

3. What is your favourite restaurant, where and why?
I very rarely eat out and honestly, cannot answer this question. But there are a number of places on my list to eat. To list a few: Denis Cotters Café Paradiso in Cork, Ireland, Terre a Terra in Brighton, England and The Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, USA.

4. Which are your 3 most favourite chefs in the whole world and why?
Nadine Abensur was the first vegetarian chef to open my eyes to the versatility of vegetables and different ways to appreciate eating them. She shared diverse and 'ethnic' vegetable based dishes that were 'new' at the time such as falafels, sweet potato chips and dolmades, as well as ingredients. She introduced me to ingredients such as tamarind, couscous, sumac, za’atar and pomegranate molasses. For me she is what Yotam Ottolenghi is today for the Guardian New Vegetarian column readers. Her cooking style was innovative and showed that vegetable dishes should be seen differently, not just a side serving of vegetables on the plate.
Paul Gayler for catering for vegetarians and vegans and creating inventive and exquisite vegetable based meals, that even appealed to those who liked their meat and two veg. This was long before other chefs starting viewing vegetarians and vegans as clientele (rather than a nuisance). I applaud him, as other up-market restaurants (still continue to) serve mushroom risotto, vegetable lasagne or a boring cheesy pasta dish. I have a number of his cookbooks, one adapted recipe from it is this lemony couscous and chermoula mushrooms.
Finally, Denis Cotter. I completely appreciate his seasonal and creative approach to vegetables. This had undoubtedly been heavily influenced by his time in some New Zealand kitchens, but I say Thank goodness for this, vegetable based cuisine that excites my palate.

5. What is your favourite recipe on your own blog and why?
Oooh that is a tough one. I had to go through my entire blog entries to pick one. I ended up choosing this Coriander, cumin and chilli quiche. This quiche has flavours reminisce of my childhood. It came about from memories of my limited vegetarian school dinner options, which was mashed potatoes with peas, or chips with beans; or chips with cheese quiche; and then when I returned home, it was my mothers cooking which often included these three flavours cumin, coriander and chilli. So I decided to combine the two flavours into one dish and this is what we have. The pastry base reminds me a little of a samosa pastry which sometimes has cumin seeds in it

6. To which music do you listen to when you cook and bake and why?
I don’t often listen to music while I am cooking as I like to be alert of my surroundings. I live in shared building and am always conscious of the noise I make, but also of potential hazards below and above me. I usually have the 24/7 news on in the background. I know that’s quite boring. I don’t want you thinking I don’t listen to music, I certainly do and have quite an eclectic taste in music. I am presently listening to: Santigold, Kings of Leon, Amy McDonald and Stornaway.

7. What is the strangest food that you have ever eaten and did you like it or not?
Falooda or Faluda is a traditional summer drink throughout the Indian Subcontinent. Traditionally it is mad with rose syrup, vermicelli and basil seeds along with milk or water. You can describe it as a cross between a milkshake and a tutti frutti. Its 100% vegetarian, but along with the garish pink colour, the beady balls of basil seeds with tiny black speck appears to my eyes like frog spawn floating in flavoured liquid. I just don’t like the texture and the thought of it used to make me gag. These days in place of the basil seeds you will find tapioca, still giving it that gelatinous texture in the mouth and it comes in many flavours, mango, chocolate and saffron. Please don’t let my experience of it put you off, should you ever come across this option, please do give it try. I am willing to give it another try as my tastes have changed enormously over the past 10 years.

8. What is your most lovely food destination in the world and why?
I have not travelled extensively, but through reading cookbooks and watching travel shows, it would perhaps be Northern Africa simply for flavours and colour.

9. What is your most favourite food shop in the world and why?
Sorry I don’t have one. What I would love though is a good, simple local and seasonal grocer or vegetable markets that is fairly priced. I’d be a happy woman. Every village, town and city should have one.

10. Which kitchen gadget do you love the most and why?
My swivel potato peeler - It is one of my purchases from my University days and its still peeling vegetables. Its much more than a potato peeler, peels apples, parsnip, carrots, even butternut squash...I quite like my garlic press too and wooden potato masher.

My letterbox part 4

After our visit to the West End on Saturday I opened the door to find a small packet on the doormat. It was addressed to me. I looked at it with curiosity thinking another package, I don’t remember ordering anything. Then I opened it to find this elegant book called friendship and a little note attached to it. It was a gift from Nic of Nip it in the bud. She had bookmarked a poem for me to read.

‘Shared joy is double joy, and shared sorrow is half sorrow’

Thank you so much Nic for bringing a smile to my face to end a disheartening week (last week). Your warm thoughts are, and were truly appreciated. Also last week, Kella of Kella's Musings on Growing her own listed me as one of the people to participate/contribute a favourite photograph meme. I don’t usually participate in these schemes, but this one is different, designed to reflect. This also uplifted my spirits, the question for was what to showcase and I have been thinking about it. I don’t have many childhood photos, as my parents would always forward them on to family overseas, so I don’t have many to share. Then I had decided that I was going to showcase the other men in my life, not my father or brothers, but my two dearest nephews but then thought ah this is a meme, so it should be about me. I chose this one.

This is me on Harlech Beach, North Wales when I felt my most free and where I met my husband D. We were friends a long time, before we became a couple. Now I have to pass it this Favourite photograph meme and I wondered who would I like to know a little more about and is still a mystery to me, so I chose.

FlowerPowerGirl of Plot 35
Fran of A Taste of Tottenham
Mrs Costello of Reap what you grow
FlowerPowerGirl, Fran and Mrs Costello have grown with me, I mean this in the sense we started blogging around the same time and somehow found each other.
Sarah of Our patch of earth, before I started blogging, this was one of allotment blogs I really enjoyed reading.

Debbie of Maple Spice one of my favourite vegan blogs with many innovative recipes; and finally Felicity of Thrifty Living another vegan blog and a source of inspiration and information.

Now onto something for your eyes and your belly.

Parsnip cakes with garlic borlotti beansRecipe for the parsnip cakes
Garlic borlotti beans
100ml olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 x 200g tin of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes in oil, sliced
A handful of lettuce, ripped up (yes it was grown in the U.K)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
For the beans
Heat the oil in a frying pan with the garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to turn golden. Add the beans and sun dried tomatoes and heat through. Add the lettuce, cook until it wilts, then season with salt and pepper. Divide between individual plates.