Welcome

Reaching the final of Masterchef 2007 was a rollercoaster of emotion, with huge highs and lows, but I loved every minute and learnt a huge amount. I owe a great deal to John and Gregg who had faith in my ability when I did not believe in myself. Since competing on the programme my life has changed considerably. I now write cookery columns for two magazines, give cookery demonstrations and am just working on my 13th cook book - unlucky number for some but not for me!!! I love all forms of country cooking, using seasonal and locally sourced produce. This blog is to enable me to share with you a few of my recipes and baking ideas. Enjoy Hannah xxxx

Friday 17 August 2007

I have been tagged in the Fabulous Four Me Me by lovely Joanna of www.joannasfood.blogspot.com - five areas of my life, four points each so here you go...

4 jobs I have had in my life


1. I used to work in my Grandma's Hat Shop on Saturdays selling snoods (remember those?) and fingerless lace gloves. Oh the 80's - what were we thinking??? This was at the height of Princess Diana's hat era and I loved trying all the hats on.

2. I worked for a German law firm in Hamburg and London and was a German Maritime Arbitrator.

3. I worked at Clifford Chance - the world largest law firm - where I would sometimes work through the night or sleep in the office in beds with paper sheets - this is a chapter of my life best forgotten.

4. I now work at home as a lawyer - this is my nicest job so far (other than foodie things but I don't see them as work, just pleasure)!

Places I have lived:

1. I was born in Harpenden.

2. I grew up in South Bedfordshire (about 30 minutes from where I live now) - my parents moved house to be within the catchment area of my school.

3. We lived in Hackney, East London in a lovely square that is famed for being the model for the Eastender's set - they took plaster cast models of the front of our houses to build the set. I get glimpses of our old house when I watch the programme. It had a great community spirit with a communal garden and regular street parties, for which I baked the odd cake or two!

4. My cottage now which I hope never to leave

Four places I have been on holiday:

1. Chole Mjini, Tanzania - the best holiday we have ever had, no running water, no electricity, no phones - sheer isolation from the outside work, staying in a two storey tree house, drinking ginger beer at sunset and eating fried plantains (and I don't even like bananas). It is the one place I would go back to if I had a choice of anywhere in the world to go on holiday - www.intotanzania.com

2. Paxtons Tower Lodge, Wales - a wonderful stone cottage we visited for our honeymoon. It was just after Sept 11th so we decided not to go to India as planned - I was too scared to fly (silly in retrospect) we had a really wonderful time walking on the beach at Tenby in the winter sun - www.landmarktrust.org.uk

3. The Tower in Puglia - a real foodie heaven that we found by chance which has a lovely stone walled vegetable garden where all the produce in the restaurant came from and great cookery lessons - www.cognoscentiworld.com/hotels/tower.asp

4. L'enclume, Cartmel, Lake District - the best restaurant I have ever eaten in - we stayed for three nights which in retrospect was ridiculous (one night would have been a treat) - amazing food, particularly the chocolate orange doughnuts that were served as a petite fours which tasted of Christmas morning and brought tears to my eyes. Lovely Simon Rogan gave me the recipe which is now treasured in my recipe book - www.lenclume.co.uk

Four of my favourite foods:

1. Frys Cream bars - we used to have them when we were ill to make us feel better - they still work today

2. Rib of Beef for a Sunday roast

3. Lamb Pasanda and Peswiri Naan

4. Skye Gyngells Lamb and Prune Casserole with spiced sweet potato puree

I am wondering what the above says about me.....!

Four places I would rather be right now:

Nowhere - I am in my cottage and there is nowhere I would rather be!

I tag

Charlotte and Freddie at the www.greatbigvegchallenge.blogspot.com

Julia at www.asliceofcherrypie.blogspot.com

Steven at www.theurbanfoodie.blogspot.com (in an attempt to get him back to blogging)

William at www.theboydonefood.blogspot.com

6 comments:

Rita said...

Hi Hannah.... I live in Harpenden! :) No wonder I like your blog so much!

David Hall said...

That lamb and prune casserole is amazing - I should know, you made it for me! Next time, please remember to leave the stone out of one of the prunes, my jaw is still acheing today... :o)

x

Julia said...

Thanks for the tag Hannah!

Joanna said...

Thanks for that Hannah - lovely to read about the contentment in your life. Also great holiday recommendations, esp Landmark Trust, so thanks for all those links to follow up next time I'm daydreaming a holiday!

Joanna

Marie Rayner said...

Great answers Hannah! I'm glad you get to work from home now, working in that office and having to sleep on paper sheets must have been a nightmare.
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/

Anonymous said...

I consider myself tagged...