Category: Lifestyle

Categories
Tips

Get Away from it All

In an increasingly linked-up, switched-on world, more and more 
of us want a holiday where we can truly get away from it all.

MY FAMILY HOLIDAYS

When I was a child we longed for holidays because it was a time when our parents gave us their full focus. Back then, a holiday meant an escape from our daily lives. Now, increasingly, a holiday is valued by how much of our daily lives we can take with us. I’ve seen entire families sit around a dining table sharing jokes with friends in cyberspace on their portable devices while their loved ones do likewise in the next chair.

For me, family holidays start the moment I put an ‘out of office’ message on my email account. My favourite destinations have regular power cuts ?or don’t have Wi-Fi at all. Taking a break doesn’t just mean ditching the chores, it should open your mind to a whole new world. That’s why wilderness is the new black.

To read more of Mariella Frostrup’s columns, visit familytraveller.com/mariella-frostrup

Mariella Frostrup is a contributing editor to Family Traveller and mother to two young children.

Next February my tribe is taking a trekking trip across the Sahara: camels, tents, kids, a whole Arabian Nights-style caravan with only the dogs left behind to guard the homestead.

We did a 24-hour trial run in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco last year with Natural High, a small British company that specialises in taking its clients off the beaten track, to see if the kids could cope – and they totally loved it. After an all-day gentle hike in warm sunshine with chickens scattering at our feet as we walked through mud-baked Berber villages, we found ourselves under a carpet of stars, in a billowing?tent that was fit for a sultan, with delicious food, a roaring fire and hot-water bottles at our feet.

Unusually, we won’t have to remortgage to afford our Saharan trek. These days, barefoot pleasures too often come at oligarchal prices, offering firm proof of how badly we want to escape from our relentlessly connected lifestyles. Camping isn’t for everyone, but adventures that take you away from the madding crowd are definitely on the rise, and in a frenetic, linked-up world it’s not hard to see why. Wilderness trips are the new luxury, and the prices often seem to be index-linked to the distance they put between you and your normal life.

Whether it’s the Highlands or the Orkneys, the farthest reaches of the Far East or the wild west coast of Spain, a desert island off the coast of Zanzibar or a Norwegian cabin, the fewer modern trappings there are, the more chance there is of achieving, in Kung Fu Panda’s words, ‘inner peace’.

The gap between rich and poor is at its narrowest on such adventures where it’s hard to distinguish between a five-star campsite and a star-free zone if they’re well run, unless you check the thread count of the sheets and whether the candles come scented.

A Wi-Fi connection might be handy on a business trip, but with so many of us doing jobs that demand 24-hour availability on smartphones, tablets and PCs, isn’t true relaxation a holiday where you can’t be found?

If we could wrench them off their computer games for long enough to notice us, our children would say they’re sick and tired of seeing their parents umbilically attached to phones and computer screens.

Categories
Food

Recipes for your Family Holiday

Going away with young children who aren’t yet ready to eat with the family can be daunting. Nutritionist Claire Baseley has some tips.

LOCAL PRODUCE

There are plenty of fruits that you should be able to find locally, which can be eaten with minimal preparation – ie, washing, peeling and mashing. Try banana, avocado (a rich source of essential fats), melon, papaya, mango and peach. If you can get hold of natural yoghurt pots, these can be mixed with fruit to give a good source of protein and calcium.

BE PREPARED

When you go away, take your child’s usual bowl and spoon so that they have some familiarity when they are eating in a new environment. A few baby-food pouches in the suitcase can also help in the first day or two, before you’ve worked out what local foods are available and where. Just make sure you declare them when you go through the airport.

BREAKFAST

This could simply be a fruit and yoghurt combination, or beefed up with some oats soaked in fruit juice – pop a few sachets of oats in your suitcase for quick and easy breakfast options.

LUNCH

Savoury foods can be just as easy. You just need to think ahead and do a little checking in the local shops. Cous cous is easy to pack in your suitcase and prepare when you’re away – so long as you have access to a kettle to boil water. It makes a great base for adding other foods, such as mashed, canned pulses or the recipe idea (below).

Holidays with little ones don’t have to be a chore. With a little planning and strategic packing, you can create delicious and easy meals without a kitchen.

RECIPE

Cous cous

50g canned tuna (drained weight)

1 avocado

Make up the cous cous in a bowl by adding one part cous cous to one part water (the amount will depend on how old your child is). 

Leave the cous cous covered for 10 minutes and then fluff up with a fork.

Add the tuna and 1-2 tbsp avocado. Mix well and enjoy.

 

Claire Baseley is a registered nutritionist specialising in baby and children’s nutrition. She is also the nutritionist at Ella’s Kitchen. 

Categories
Health & Beauty

In Flight Beauty

Fact: flying isn’t good for your face. But don’t panic; we’ve got helpful tips to keep you looking fresh for the entire flight.

Going to the bathroom on a long-haul flight can be a depressing experience. Not only is it cramped and smelly, but the fluorescent strip lighting over the mirrors seems to have been specifically designed to show every pore and wrinkle in glaring detail. This isn’t so bad on your outbound flight – you can tell yourself you’re just in need of a holiday and it’s nothing a couple of weeks away can’t fix. But when the same reflection stares back at you on your return flight, it can be rather deflating.

Unfortunately, flying simply isn’t good for your face. The air in a typical plane cabin has a humidity level of only 5 to 20 per cent – that’s drier than the Sahara. Throw in the fact that there’s also 5 per cent less oxygen and 25 per cent less air pressure than our bodies are used to, and it’s not surprising that you land looking puffy, tired and dry as a raisin.But before you give up on air travel and start researching destinations that are reachable by ferry, follow our tips on how to look fabulous from take-off to touchdown.

IN-FLIGHT REFRESHMENT

Don’t be tempted to combat cabin dryness with one of those ‘hydrating’ facial mists. When they evaporate from your skin, they encourage the moisture from within your skin to evaporate too, leaving it drier than it was in the first place. Instead, use a hyaluronicacid-based serum such as SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5, £59, or Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, £58.65 (worlddutyfree.com), which works brilliantly by day, too. Layer a good moisturiser on top to lock in hydration, and keep lips nourished with Jo Malone London’s Vitamin E Lip Conditioner, £19.95 (worlddutyfree.com) – rich and protective, it reconditions dehydrated lips, and a hint of menthol cools and refreshes.

USE SPF AS SOON AS YOU TAKE OFF

Most of us don’t think to bother with SPF until we’ve landed somewhere sunny, but you should be wearing it straight after take-off. When you’re 30,000ft above the earth, the UV rays are much stronger, and UVA, which is responsible for premature ageing, can pass through the plane’s windows. To protect your skin, wear a good broad-spectrum sunscreen such as This Works In Transit Skin Defence SPF30, £29, and don’t choose a window seat. If your kids are clamouring for a view of the clouds, make sure they’re protected with a high-factor sunscreen such as Garnier Resisto Kids Moisturising Lotion SPF50+, £12.30.

USE MINERAL MAKE-UP FOR THE FLIGHT

Flying in full make-up isn’t a good idea, but that doesn’t mean you have to brave the airport bare faced. A little mineral make-up such as Jane Iredale PurePressed Base, £41.95, or bareMinerals Original Foundation, £25, will protect skin from the environmental aggressors you face at altitude (minerals offer natural sun protection), plus they’ll help you feel a bit more human when you land.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BUGS

The reason we often catch bugs on planes is that dry cabin air makes the bug-trapping mucus inside our noses evaporate. To minimise the risk of catching a cold, sprinkle a few drops of de Mamiel Altitude Oil, £25 (cultbeauty.co.uk), onto a tissue or dab a drop under each nostril and breathe deeply. It contains antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic oils, specifically formulated to protect against germ-filled recycled air.

Arm rests and tray tables can carry lots of bugs too, so don’t forget some wipes, such as Wet Ones Be Gentle Sensitive Antibacterial Wipes, £1.15.

TRY TO GET SOME SLEEP…

If you’re flying long-haul and manage to get the kids to doze off (high five for that, by the way), take the chance to get some beauty sleep yourself. Don’t rely on synthetic airline eye masks, a Holistic Silk Lavender Eye Mask, £46, will make the whole in-flight experience feel a bit more luxe. It’s big enough to block glare from other people’s movies and the lavender inside will help hasten the zzzzs. If you’re a nervous flier, dab Neal’s Yard Remedies To Roll Travel, £6.25, onto your pulse points and take a few deep breaths – it will bring you far more peace than anything on the drinks trolley.

FIGHT THE BLOATING

If you’ve ever taken off your shoes on a flight, then struggled to get them back on before landing, you don’t need us to tell you flying makes you bloated. Reduced pressure in the cabin makes fluid leach from your veins into surrounding tissues, leaving you with puffy ankles. Try to walk up and down the aisle a few times, and when seatbelt signs are on, tap your feet or rotate your ankles to stop fluid collecting.

Once you get to your destination, apply Elemis Refreshing Gel, £30 (timetospa.co.uk), or Origins Leg Lifts, £18.75 (worlddutyfree.com), a magic potion that works like a pair of ‘stimulating stockings’ when massaged into tired legs.

More of what you love…

Find more great tips about buying beauty products on holiday and how to look your best while skiing.

Categories
Tech

Gadgets to keep Kids Entertained

One of the greatest fears of taking a toddler on holiday is the journey there, be it a six hour car drive, two hour flight, one hour ferry crossing or the dreaded long-haul flight. Mrs ATWWAH helps us survive the journeys from home with a toddler.

TRAVEL TIME

Try to travel at a time when you think your toddler will be at their best (or asleep). We regularly travel up north by car to see our family and tend to leave after bath time as we can put Master ATWWAH in his pyjamas and he’ll nod off in his car seat for the majority of the journey. And the theory is the motorway should have cleared of rush hour traffic.

 

WHAT TO PACK TO KEEPS TODDLERS ENTERTAINED

Take a good selection of favourite snacks and drinks:

Apparently bananas promote sleep, worth knowing for anyone doing a long haul flight with a toddler, even if you take a bunch to give out to your fellow passengers

Pack a bag full of entertainment:

Including a favourite toy and lots of books. For older toddlers sticker books and a colouring book with crayons can keep them entertained for ages.

Always take a pram:

There’s salways going to be that time when your flight/ferry/train is delayed and your little one will need to sleep. Prams mean when they do nod off they are easy to get around and you don’t have to wake them – and you can take the chance to do some Duty Free shopping safe in the knowledge that they won’t be dropping bottles of perfume on the floor or trying on the MAC testers.

Gadgets:

But my biggest tip is to not leave for a long journey without an ipad (or other tablet device) I have no idea what our parents did without them but they are a gift from the heavens.

Before you leave you can download lots of games and stories as well as favourite shows from channels such as CBeebies by using the iPlayer app.

Favourite apps: Master ATWWAH’s favourites include the Postman Pat app full of games involving all the characters with different difficulty levels, the Cars story app which tells the story of the film and has jigsaws to complete as it goes along, and a Doodle app which is a bit like an Etch-A-Sketch

Even when the volume button is turned up with the noise of other traffic or passengers, they are not disruptive. Unless you’re on public transport such a plane, train or ferry, in which case pack a pair of cool headphones as not to disturb the other passengers.

They are also light so easy to travel with, as well as lasting a good few hours when fully charged.

Old fashion games:

Obviously nothing beats some of the old fashioned games you can play with your toddler on journeys. Master ATWWAH loves looking out of the window of the car and telling us what he can see, although it does get a bit repetitive on a motorway, ‘car, car, truck, car, car…’ and on flights he loves the in-flight safety card and will spend a good amount of time looking at it and talking about the pictures.

Facilities provided:

Lots of operators now provide entertainment for children, whether it’s in-flight TV with lots of cartoons, easyjJet’s snack boxes aimed at children with colouring books included, or activity packs provided by Virgin Trains on all their routes.

 

WHEN A TODDLER TANTRUM ERUPTS…

If a tantrum does erupt my best advice would be to try anything to stop it even if you end up looking like an idiot yourself. On the way back from holiday once, on a four hour flight, Master ATWWAH decided to have a tantrum in the aisle of the plane and sat down screaming as he couldn’t understand why he had to sit in a seat and not wander around.

As I hid in my seat pretending I wasn’t with him Mr ATWWAH picked him up, held him up so he was facing the rest of the plane and its passengers who had stopped to watch the meltdown and made a little announcement about how everyone was now looking at him as he was making so much noise and they were all wondering what was wrong with the little boy who was crying so much.

It could have backfired horribly but instead Master ATWWAH proceeded to smile and wave at people and calmed down.

Categories
Recipes

Smokey Bonfire Pasta Recipe

Camping Cookbook Guyrope Gourmet has come up with some great warming dishes to cook the whole family around the campfire.

THE PERFECT PASTA DISH FOR CAMPING TRIPS

If you’re heading to a campsite this summer to holiday with your family, you’ll be looking for sunny weather. If you get caught out by the good old British weather though, Camping Cookbook Guyrope Gourmet has come up with some great warming dishes to cook the whole family around the campfire. 

Author of Guyrope Gourmet, Josh Sutton, says this smoky bonfire pasta has become a firm favourite at home as well as in the tent. Just don’t eat it while wearing a white shirt!

 

METHOD

Lay out the bacon in a large frying pan, with just a splash of olive oil.

Cook over a low heat until the bacon turns crispy, with the fat the colour of amber. Remove the rashers from the pan and allow them to cool.

Add the chopped garlic to the pan and cook gently for 2 or 3 minutes. As soon as the garlic begins to colour, add the thyme and both types of paprika.

Grate the halved tomatoes in to the pan, cut-side on the grater, leaving the skin behind. Stir the tomatoes through to make a rich vermilion sauce.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

Keep simmering the sauce gently. When the pasta is nearly ready, snap the cooked bacon into small pieces, add it to the tomato sauce and stir until the bacon is heated through.

Drain the pasta and plate it up, cover with the sauce and top it all with a generous amount of grated cheese.

 

Buy: If you’re heading on a family camping holiday, make sure you pick up a copy of Guyrope Gourmet, £12.95, Amazon

INGREDIENTS

You’ll need a large frying pan, grater, large saucepan, sieve or colander. Serves 4.

Olive oil

12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp smoked paprika

8 tomatoes (the size and colour of snooker balls), halved

Pasta of your choice

Salt

A lump of Applewood smoked Cheddar, grated

Categories
Recipes

Southern Fried Chicken

An easy and healthy recipe for southern fried chicken and homemade slaw recipe, it’s finger-licking good.

METHOD

Place both the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a bowl and pour over the buttermilk. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight to marinate. This stage is optional but if you have the time it is a worthwhile process as it tenderizes the chicken.  

Remove chicken from the fridge and allow it to return to room temperature.

Mix the flour, paprika and salt in a bowl, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, and then coat with flour mixture – don’t shake off the excess.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Turn on your deep fat fryer or use a deep frying pan with about 1cm of oil and bring to a medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the oil using tongs and allow to cook until golden, turning carefully.

Once golden remove the chicken and place onto a large plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Once they are all done, place onto a baking sheet and into the oven for 10 minutes.

For the coleslaw, finely shred the cabbage, carrots and onion and place in a bowl. Add the mustard and yoghurt and mix well. Season to taste. 

When the chicken is cooked through, remove and serve immediately. 

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken drumsticks

1 cup flour

1tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp salt

250ml buttermilk

Salt and ground pepper to taste

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the coleslaw:

2 tbsp fat-free yoghurt

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

½ white cabbage

2 carrots

½ onion

Salt and pepper, to taste

Categories
Recipes

Speedy Pad Thai Recipe

Little ones love noodles, they’re fun to eat, quick to make and it’s great to try the kids on new foods before you travel.

INGREDIENTS

200g flat rice noodles

200g cooked prawns

Chicken or tofu

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

100g beansprouts

3 spring onions, sliced

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Small bunch of coriander

2 tbsp roasted peanuts, finely chopped or crushed

2 fresh limes

 

METHOD

Cook the noodles as per instructions on the packet. Once cooked, rinse in cold water and put to one side. 

Fry the garlic in a little oil for about a minute then add the spring onion and beansprouts, and cook for a further couple of minutes. 

Mix the soy and fish sauce with the juice of one lime in a small bowl, mix and add this to the pan followed swiftly by your cooked noodles and meat. Toss around for a minute or two.  

Make a hole in the middle of your ingredients in the pan and add the beaten egg. Allow the egg to cook a little before mixing into the rest of the mixture. Add the sweet chilli sauce and half the coriander and peanuts before giving it a final stir. 

Serve immediately and garnish with the remaining chopped peanuts and coriander.

Categories
Tech

The Best Waterproof Cameras

Don’t fear ruining your camera in the rain or by the pool, make sure you’re equipped with the best waterproof cameras to make great family holiday photos.

OLYMPUS STYLUS TOUGH TG-2

The lowdown: The Tough TG-2 claims to be virtually indestructible and has some great features that its rivals don’t offer. Among them, the addition of wide-angle or fisheye lenses to the 5X optical zoom, and 11 filters to get creative with.

We love: The Beauty Make-Up Mode, which allows you to choose from 18 different effects such as eyeliner, lipstick, eye brightening and cheek lift. Well who doesn’t love instant beautification?

Where to buy: Amazon; from £200

 

FUJIFILM FINEPIX XP200

The lowdown: The latest underwater camera from the Fujifilm family can be used in depths of 15m, which makes it one of the best on the market, and has a 5X optical zoom. The quality of pictures is high and it has fun settings, such as pop colour filters and soft focus for a romantic look. It also comes with wireless transfer to upload straight to social networking sites. 

We love: The motion panorama, which produces 360-degree images just by panning the camera. 

Where to buy: Amazon; from £259.99

 

NIKON COOLPIX AW110 

The lowdown: This camera is so hardcore it’s even camouflaged. It can withstand depths of up to 18m, temperatures for up to -10°C, and has a 5X optical zoom.

We love: Its barometer, which measures atmospheric pressure and can also be used to forecast the weather, as well as the built-in GPS and world map – so the adventurers among you can not only record the location of your photos, but also track journey routes.

Where to buy: Amazon, from £200

 

CANON POWERSHOT D20  

The lowdown: Canon’s second underwater camera isn’t all about the gimmicks, it produces great quality, sharp photos too. Its wide-angle lens has a 5X optical zoom, and while it can be used in water up to 10m deep, you can buy a case allowing you to go 40m.

We love: That it allows you to focus on subjects above and below water at the same time. The menu is easy to navigate and the screen clear even in bright light.

Where to buy: Amazon; from £255.50

Categories
Recipes

BBQ Butterflied Leg of Lamb Recipe

When the sun shines, it means it’s time to dust off the barbie, get out the tongs and prepare an al fresco feast.

The great British barbecue. A place where good taste goes to wither and die, cremated to a carbonised crisp and served up with a side order of rain-soaked ennui. Entirely blameless sausages are mercilessly abused, cheap chicken treated with casual contempt. And men who would usually struggle to boil an egg suddenly imagine they have the culinary prowess of a Michelin-starred master.

Which is a crying shame. As cooking over glowing coals (and not, as the cack-handed troglodytes like to believe, roaring flames) is one of the finest methods of them all, adding that wonderful, smoke-scented char to anything laid atop those red-hot bars.

Equally important, it introduces lashings of theatre and drama to the everyday lunch, meaning one’s spared the children’s usual whingeing and whining. Seriously, things they would usually never even dream of touching – from asparagus and aubergine to beef heart and mackerel – are gobbled down with greedy glee.

I’m not saying you should let the kids loose when it comes to the actual cooking. Mixing cake mixture is one thing. Flipping great hunks of seared flesh over blistering charcoal quite another. I’m all for getting them involved in the kitchen. But this is one cooking technique best left to the elders. As a charcoal purist, I relish the whole beautiful ritual. The lighting of the coals, that delectable wait (lubricated, of course, by endless cold beers – this is work, after all, and gives you a break from building yet another Lego spaceship) while the flames die down and a thin, white coating of ash tells you it’s time to cook. And the endless poking of the coals. Sure, gas is convenient, but where’s the fun in simply turning a knob? As the old adage goes, gas for ease, but charcoal for flavour.

 

WHAT TO COOK

As to the main event, although proper sausages can be a fine thing ?(I tend to simmer them first for a few minutes in boiling water before finishing them off on the grill), a serious barbecue also cries out for butterflied legs of lamb, marinated in olive oil, paprika and thyme, then flung upon the barbie and cooked until charred and just pink. Or whole fish – especially freshly caught mackerel, with their pert flesh and gleaming iridescent skin – gently grilled.

Chicken wings, which have wallowed in a perky chilli sauce, are so much more thrilling than a bland old breast. Sweetcorn, soaked in water and kept in their husk, can sit quietly at the side while you get on with the main event.

The only other thing to remember is to rest your meat. A couple of minutes for a steak, at least 10 for a big cut of lamb. This allows it to relax, and allows those juices to permeate every last bite. For me, nothing beats the beauty of fish and flesh cooked over the coals. Plus the ever-exciting thrill of al fresco eating. The children adore it. So do I. OK, so back in Blighty, we can’t exactly guarantee clement weather. Master that barbecue, though, and the food, at least, will be gloriously sun-kissed.

BBQ TOOLS

Don’t be fooled by those disposable barbecues. They might look cheap ?and easy, but can barely muster the heat to light a match, let alone sear a steak. 

A good pair of tongs is an essential tool, as is one of those plastic plant sprays, crucial for keeping errant flames at bay. As to your choice of grill… I’ve had a Weber Kettle for years. Nothing grand, or titanium plated, just good old-fashioned design, built to last. And that lid is no mere cosmetic accessory; it’s rather an important part of the whole process. Ingredients cook more evenly when sat underneath, and you can control the temperature, too, by opening or shutting the vent.

 

RECIPE: BBQ BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

This is a mighty fine barbecue dish, and very easy, too. Just get your butcher to butterfly the leg of lamb. And when cooking, ensure the flames don’t roar out of control. This isn’t a Burger King advert. You want grilled, not scorched, meat. Rest for at least 10 minutes then carve into thick slices. God, just writing this recipe gets the juices flowing. It’s that good.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp hot paprika

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp thyme, leaves finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5kg leg of lamb ?(ask butcher to butterfly)

 

METHOD

1. Mix together the garlic, paprika, vinegar and thyme and rub into the lamb. Drizzle over the olive oil and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of two hours), turning occasionally. OK, so this isn’t a quick fix but doesn’t exactly require much work.

2. Take the lamb out of the fridge to come up to room temperature and spark up the barbie.

3. Cook the lamb for about 10 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

4. Slice the lamb and serve with a green salad and crusty rolls.

 

Recipe taken from Let’s Eat: Recipes From My Kitchen Notebook by Tom Parker Bowles. But at Amazon.co.uk

Categories
Recipes

Big Beefy Stew Recipe

Stews, casseroles, daubes, whatever you call them, they’re the ultimate solid and satisfying autumn dish – and kids love them.

INGREDIENTS

40g unsalted butter

Olive oil

350g chuck steak, cubed

5 rashers streaky bacon, chopped

3 small onions, chopped

6 medium carrots, chopped 

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

250g button mushrooms, sliced 

Large handful of spinach

A couple of sprigs of thyme

400 ml veg or chicken stock

(makes 10 portions)

 

How I cook it: The joy of stew, though, lies in its completeness. It’s all in there, a proper lunch, where ballast and tucker meet. I like to brown my meat first (using a tough cut such as shin or chuck), so you get an extra layer of flavour. Choice of liquid is important, too. Beer is great with beef, but probably not the ideal choice for children (although the alcohol does cook off). Passata or tinned tomatoes are wonderful with any meat, and smoked bacon always adds charm. I try to chop the carrots quite finely, to avoid the usual fuss created when kids are faced with great chunks of the thing. And if you can leave the stew to sit overnight, then so much the better. Slow-cooked dishes always taste better after a little rest. So there it is – stew. One word. One magnificent children’s lunch. 

 

WHY IT’S GREAT

Ah, stew, winsome warmer of the winter months. Supplier of succour, and high priest of the comfort food church, it’s one pot perfection, a beautifully simple dish that takes tough cuts of meat and breaks them down, slowly, so slowly, until the flesh can be cut with a spoon. Liquids concentrate, flavours intensify and you’re left with the very essence of edible delight. 

When nights are long, and gloom incessant, there are few things that warm both belly and soul. It can be slurped with a spoon, and mixed into great mounds of buttery mashed potato. I can’t get enough. But it wasn’t always thus. As children, my sister and I hated the stuff. Even the word depressed us. It had little to do with the quality of the cooking, rather the big lumps of soft carrot and the lack of visual appeal. We thought it just plain dull.  

I went on, though, to fall in love with the stew, casserole, daube or whatever else you want to call it. Sure, there might be tiny, pedantic difference between the various terms, but really, all use the same technique – slow cooking at a low heat. When our children were tiny, I used to make vast pots of beef and sweet potato stew, hiding endless carrots and peas within. And they loved it. Now, they’re older. And rather more picky. One will inhale his plate of beef and mushroom stew in seconds, while the other will push it away with a sneer, claiming that the fungi ‘scares her.’ 

 

METHOD

In a cast-iron casserole, mix the butter with the a big glug of the olive oil, and brown the meat in batches over a highish heat. Set aside. Fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Soften the onions for about five minutes, then add the carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms, and cook for five minutes more. Add spinach, cook for one minute then add thyme and stock. Bring to the boil, then put it in the oven, covered, at 140?C for three hours.

 

Buy: Let’s Eat by Tom Parker Bowles, Pavilion Books. Buy at Amazon