TrendLife Food

Yesterday my friend Amy turned up at my door ready for one of my home cooked meals; and instead of producing the socially acceptable offering of wine, a tub of bubbling goo was place under my nose. "It's Herman" she explained without explaining anything.

Once inside I was told I had to look after Herman and was promptly handed an A4 set of instructions.

"Hello, my name is Herman." It begins.

"I am a sourdough cake. I'm supposed to sit on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on. You CANNOT put me in the fridge or I will die. If I stop bubbling, I am dead."

Well he (can it be nominated a gender?) is undemanding but very serious. Day four and nine are feeding days but other than that he/it only needs a brisk stir once a day and on day ten I can make, what I am assured will be, a tasty cake. But not before I divide it up into four parts and pass on three quarters of the mixture to friends.

"He's the cake that keeps on giving!" Amy exclaimed.

Needless to say I'm dubious, and slightly irritated that I ate without wine that night, but I am going to give it a go and update after 10 days with a cake review.

This simple rocky road is the perfect to make with children or for a girls night in. With quite a few ingredients this rocky road has it all sweet, salty, soft and crunchy!

Ingredients:

80g Ginger Nut Biscuits

50g Glacé Cherries

100g Milk Chocolate

200g Dark Chocolate

50g Mini Marshmallows

1 Crunchie Bars

1 Snickers

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over warm water. crush the biscuits into small pieces and cut the crunchie and snickers into half inch chunks.

2. Line a square tin with greaseproof paper. Mix the all the ingredients into the chocolate and stir till everything is coated.

3. Pour the mixture into the tin and pop in the fridge until set. When set use a warmed knife to cut into two inch squares.

If, like me, you spent your weekend tending to little brothers/nieces/children, you may have not only a tinge of green to your face but lots of pumpkins kicking about too. Try this warming soup to wash away the sugary sweetness from All Hallows Eve.This soup is so simple and beautifully bright it's sure to cast off the last of the demons from fright night.

Ingredients:

1 Onion

1 Medium sized pumpkin

Half a butternut squash

3/4 pint of vegetable stock

Cumin to season

Pumpkin Seeds

Method:

Heat the onion gently in the olive oil till soft and golden and then add the pumpkin and squash chunks. Cook for around 8 minutes or until the chunks begin to soften, stir occasionally so as not to burn.

Pour the stock into the pan and season to taste with salt, pepper and cumin. The cumin will add a nice warmth and a bit of spice. Cook for a further 10 mins until the squash and pumpkin is very soft. Take off the heat and puree the mixture with a hand held blender.

To serve I add just a little cream cheese.

Whilst the soup cooks toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan. These go great on the top of the soup or as a snack. Waste not want not!