onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

Jack Monroe writes on her blog:

Well I’ve been inundated over the past few weeks with kind readers sending me their frugal recipes – and I wondered if you wouldn’t mind if I added a section to my blog so you could all share them with each other? It seems a shame to leave them piled up in my email inbox – and I like the thought of fostering a community spirit here on my humble blog.
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I think this could be a great additional section and love the thought of how we could all help each other out. I know I’m not the only frugal cook in the world!
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If you’re happy to have your recipe included, if you have a favourite you wouldn’t mind typing out, with or without pics, or even any tweaks or alterations to mine – please drop me an email at jackmonroe@live.co.uk

May 17th, 2013 | Category: Friday Food | Leave a comment

Southend’s Jack Monroe has created an “Earthy Red Wine & Mushroom Risotto” that serves one person for 36p. Despite the low price and the name, there isn’t any earth in it….

Still needing easy but comforting food with this cold, I decided to go for carbs and wine and goodness… I’ve never known anyone else to use red wine as a risotto base before – that’s not to say its not been done, I’ve just not seen it – but this works beautifully. As far as comfort food goes, I had finished this, from a bowl on the sofa wrapped in a heavy blanket, before I had finished typing the recipe…

See the recipe here.

March 29th, 2013 | Category: Food and Drink, Friday Food | Comments (1)

From Rayleigh’s own food blog this month – Caramel Croissant Pudding

“It’s great if you have a couple of croissants hanging about after a weekend. It’s MEGA sweet mind, so if that’s not your idea of a pudding then move along.”

March 22nd, 2013 | Category: Friday Food | Leave a comment

We seem to write about food on Friday nights (it’s often an easy post to write at the end of a long week !)

Well, Southend Labour Blogger Jack Monroe has a recipe at only 10p per portion –

“Shape into a rugby ball shape, pop into a lightly greased 1lb loaf tin, cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise for TWO HOURS. This sounds a lot but I left this one by fluke for much longer than my usual half hour rising time, and the end result was a light gorgeous loaf with a proper crust around it.”

We might have some meatier local stuff over the weekend….!

January 18th, 2013 | Category: Friday Food | Leave a comment

From Rayleigh’s own food blog Big Spud , something tasty for cold weather, especially if you like olives..

“Paired with it’s old friend, black pepper and just a hint of clove to reinforce the spice this works lovely with fatty pork.

If you try it, make sure the sugar is on hand to help round out the flavours.”

December 14th, 2012 | Category: Friday Food | Leave a comment

From Rayleigh’s own food blog, a recipe for roast potatoes that adds in some white wine:

I’ve got roast potato recipes here, here and here for starters. But this was another twist, derived from cooking Heston’s perfect chicken (again). The chicken there is treated with a boozy butter baste. I’d gone a bit crazy and made too much, so decided to slather it on the potatoes. And with a little lemon and garlic to really boost those flavours I think it’s a great alternative!

Any white wine would work, but I had some Pinot Grigio a-wastin’ so that’s what I used. You want something sweet-ish here I think, a dry wine could turn out bitter with such fierce roasting.

Could be good on this cold weekend:

November 30th, 2012 | Category: Food and Drink, Friday Food | Leave a comment

We are seeing more small businesses in our area producing quality food and drink.
At last night’s Shopping Evening at Downhall School, you could find Fen’s beer from Rawreth, Schucks preserves and chutneys from Hockley, and also Love.Cake from Rawreth.
We’ve never mentioned Love.Cake before – they make exquisite cupcakes. Look out for them! The ones in the picture are chocolate & honeycomb, and strawberry and cream. (apologies for the slight fuzziness of the picture; it was taken last night;  only one cake survived until daylight.)

November 9th, 2012 | Category: Food and Drink, Friday Food, Hockley, Rawreth | Leave a comment