Sunday, June 17, 2012
Cakes
Have finally made it to Bachmanns (http://www.bachmanns.co.uk/), a cake shop in Thames Ditton which we have known about for months but which, for some reason or another, we have not visited before. First bit of news was that there was a little car park just off to the left, just before you get to the cake shop on the right. Second bit of news was that they did not do eat in but they did have a couple of tables outside where you could have coffee & cake (or whatever). It was warm, which was fine, but also a bit windy, which was not so fine.
Cakes, however, were very good. We had a yellow danish and an apple strudel while we were there and took away a couple of tarts and a fruit loaf. The tarts were the size and shape of Bakewell tarts but were described as Italian and were full of a sort of nut based mince meat. Very good they were too. The fruit loaf was light brown with fruit and tarted up with a little rosemary. Also very good. Maybe we shall be back next week to try their version of Linzatorte (see April 27th for alternative spelling), BH having had some words with the enthusiastic baker about composition & finish.
Followed up today with a new recipe for the cheese sauce we serve with back to basics, bogoff boiling bacon from Sainsbury's. Fry two cloves of finely chopped garlic in 1.5oz of butter. Add a couple of finely chopped onions and gently fry until soft and translucent. Add 1.5oz of a special blend of flour involving rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat. Stir it in and continue to fry for a few minutes. Stir in a pint of goat's milk, keeping an eye on the heat. Easy to have a stuck down job at this point. Stir in 1.5oz of grated cow's cheese (Heritage Mature Cheddar, courtesy of our local Costcutter. Not bad at all for the price). Keep stirring over a low heat for a further 5 minutes. Serve with the boiled bacon, boiled potatoes (slightly too back to basics for my taste. Rather a lot of darker bits) and boiled white cabbage. Sauce excellent, with the added convenience that the small amount left will microwave up to be had with the small amount of bacon left tomorrow.
For afternoon stroll, to Nonsuch Park where we find that somebody has been busy, maybe the Nonsuch Volunteers (http://www.friendsofnonsuch.co.uk/), and in the warm afternoon sun the place was looking as good as I remember seeing it. Great display of summer flowers, nicely set off by the lawns, bushes and trees. They had even laid on some late season's tadpoles. Tea and cakes served by a bevy of cheerful Polish girls, who even managed a touch of the gluten free for FIL.
DT tip top.
Cakes, however, were very good. We had a yellow danish and an apple strudel while we were there and took away a couple of tarts and a fruit loaf. The tarts were the size and shape of Bakewell tarts but were described as Italian and were full of a sort of nut based mince meat. Very good they were too. The fruit loaf was light brown with fruit and tarted up with a little rosemary. Also very good. Maybe we shall be back next week to try their version of Linzatorte (see April 27th for alternative spelling), BH having had some words with the enthusiastic baker about composition & finish.
Followed up today with a new recipe for the cheese sauce we serve with back to basics, bogoff boiling bacon from Sainsbury's. Fry two cloves of finely chopped garlic in 1.5oz of butter. Add a couple of finely chopped onions and gently fry until soft and translucent. Add 1.5oz of a special blend of flour involving rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat. Stir it in and continue to fry for a few minutes. Stir in a pint of goat's milk, keeping an eye on the heat. Easy to have a stuck down job at this point. Stir in 1.5oz of grated cow's cheese (Heritage Mature Cheddar, courtesy of our local Costcutter. Not bad at all for the price). Keep stirring over a low heat for a further 5 minutes. Serve with the boiled bacon, boiled potatoes (slightly too back to basics for my taste. Rather a lot of darker bits) and boiled white cabbage. Sauce excellent, with the added convenience that the small amount left will microwave up to be had with the small amount of bacon left tomorrow.
For afternoon stroll, to Nonsuch Park where we find that somebody has been busy, maybe the Nonsuch Volunteers (http://www.friendsofnonsuch.co.uk/), and in the warm afternoon sun the place was looking as good as I remember seeing it. Great display of summer flowers, nicely set off by the lawns, bushes and trees. They had even laid on some late season's tadpoles. Tea and cakes served by a bevy of cheerful Polish girls, who even managed a touch of the gluten free for FIL.
DT tip top.
# posted by Jim @ 10:10 AM 
