Charlotte's Newsletter | Issue 2
Issue 2 | Friday 25th February 2022
Welcome to Charlotte's Newsletter, Issue 2
Thank you all very much for such a huge response to last week’s newsletter.
So many of you have kindly written to me, shared the link to subscribe and enjoyed the recommendations within issue one. I truly appreciate your generous support.
Your response has been so uplifting and has really spurred me on as I navigate a much-changed professional landscape. COVID has decimated much of my business, and as I look to find new opportunities, I feel a huge sense of excitement and optimism, thanks to your support.
In this issue, I wanted to focus on sharing some really fundamental advice with you on taking your cooking to the next level, answering some of the most asked questions I receive. I firmly believe that good cooking comes from paying close attention to the simple details and getting them right.
I do hope you will enjoy reading and possibly some gentle cooking over the coming days.
I'll be back in a fortnight. Until then, take care,
Charlotte
Seasoning is very often the missing piece of the puzzle with home cooked dishes. Almost all savoury dishes do need seasoning to taste good and bring balance to a dish. Salt is absolutely essential to build a delicious dish.
So many people spend time cooking lovely meals with good ingredients, taste them and find they are missing something they can’t quite pinpoint. It is so often salt. It’s really important to taste food as you cook, and when the seasoning is right, you should immediately think that it tastes delicious. If you are underwhelmed by the flavour you taste, try a little salt and taste again. Repeat if you need to. Some sweetness and acidity can also help. That could be a little sugar or honey, a squeeze of lemon juice, or a dash of vinegar, for example. Properly seasoned food should simply taste fantastic, and not salty.
Remember too, that when you cook a dish, it needs to be seasoned from the start, rather than as an afterthought, so it's a habit to try and get into when you cook if you don't already.
My preference is to cook with sea salt. I use Maldon, Cornish Sea Salt, Halen Môn and Blackthorn sea salts, always in flake form. I also like to serve flakes in a little dish or cellar on the table.
Don’t forget the pepper. Freshly ground is by far the best. Consider the peppercorns you use. It is worth buying something good. You will likely be surprised by the flavour. I strongly recommend trying these peppercorns from Lakeland. In fact, if you're interested in learning more, it's really worth reading about pepper. This book by Christine McFadden is a great place to start. The best pepper mills I’ve tried for the table and the kitchen are made by Peugeot. Keen cooks like me have one for black pepper, white pepper and nutmeg to hand.
Charlotte Loves
Great butter
Great quality butter, even used sparingly, is another game changer. Salted or unsalted? I mostly cook with salted, and prefer it as a table butter. Occasionally, unsalted butter is best for specific recipes, which are often sweet, such as curd or pâtisserie.
I strongly recommend trying this one from Aldi and these from Trewithen, Abernethy, Fen Farm's Bungay Butter and Ivy House.
And if you use ghee, try the peerless products from Happy Butter Ghee.
Good oil
Good cooking oil is also one of the best ways to make your food taste fantastic. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. I like to have a good extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil to hand. I use a neutral rapeseed oil when I want something fairly flavourless, for example, when making a mayonnaise, or cooking a casserole. Mellow Yellow is my favourite.
I cook a lot with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Arbequina or Koroneiki olive varieties are favourites. Buying a single variety oil, rather than a big-branded blend is usually a better way to get quality and value for money. Mid-priced oils I really rate include Olive Branch, several from Belazu and Aldi's Puglian EVOO. I will cook with all of these, as well as using them as a dip or drizzle.
Something more special for finishing salads or breads is more of a treat, and I love Brindisa, Colonna and Ravida. These all make lovely gifts. Please don't keep good oil for best though, as it turns rancid quickly. Use it up well within a year. This advice extends to nut oils, too.
Some recipes to try
I heard from so many of you last time who tried the recipes, I listed. The apple pie was the biggest hit. Here are some ideas for the fortnight ahead:
Try my sweet, fluffy pancakes for Shrove Tuesday
This beef and red wine pie is one my most requested recipes
I recently revisited this superb recipe from Sally Clarke for a seriously delicious vegan stew
This ridiculously simple mushroom recipe from Kathy Slack makes a very easy supper
A trio of recipes I wrote in celebration of British dairy produce for Farmers Guardian this week
Something for the Weekend
Here are some suggestions for things to enjoy over the coming days. I'd love to know if you give them a go.
Something to read
Olia Hercules is a brilliant food writer and cook from Ukraine. Her book, Mamushka, on Ukrainian food is excellent. She's also working to support her family and others in Ukraine. Do follow her on social media as well if you'd like to know more.
This new book by one of my all-time favourite chefs, Sally Clarke, is great reading for anyone new to cooking
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake is fascinating reading on fungi
The Rockfish cookbook by Mitch Tonks is such a useful book with easy-to-follow recipes on how to cook fish and simple, delectable recipes
Crave by Ed Smith is a really interesting concept for instinctive meal planning
Something to grow
I'm a big fan of homegrown salad leaves, edible flowers as well as fresh herbs. They are all extremely useful ingredients. Helpfully, they can all be grown on a windowsill or balcony, as well as in a greenhouse or cold frame at this time of year. I recommend the following:
I'm currently trying salads from Chiltern Seeds. I love mizuna, mibuna and mustard single varieties and they also have some interesting seasonal mixes I'm trying.
These edible flower seeds from Jekka McVicar are gorgeous
Pepperpot Nursery are a great source of amazing fresh herbs
Wild garlic planted (very importantly) in pots. I have Constance Craig Smith to thank for this useful tip. Do read her linked piece on book recommendations, too.
If you haven't come across Franchi Seeds yet, then do keep their details to hand, as they a brilliant source of a wide range of ethical, biodiverse seeds.