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

Monday 5 May 2008

They say good things come in threes! For me this week it is fours! Firstly lovely Amanda at Stressedoutmum seeksinspiration has been so kind in awarding me the "You Make My Day" award - I am honoured. Check out Amanda's lovely blog, particularly her luscious lemon meringue pie recipe. It now falls to me to bestow this award on a few of my favourite blogs who make my day:
Jonathan and Sarah at Around Britain With A Paunch
Sylvie at A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit
David at BooktheCook
Will at The Boy Done Food
Celia at Purple Podded Peas

Special mentions also go to Marie (who has already received the award from elsewhere otherwise would have received it from me) and also to Milhan who doesn't have a blog but regularly makes my day with posting lovely comments on my blog.

The second bit of excitement (well probably only exciting for us) is that our cottage has been featured in a Special Places article in BBC Good Homes Magazine - under the caption "Live it"! It is lovely to have someone else confirm that we live in a "special place"! You should be able to read the article by clicking on the photo.

Next month Delicious magazine are running my Wicked raspberry dessert feature. I have big shoes to fill as the article this month has been written by Marcus Wearing, who I adore and who has a michelin star or two. I was so excited when I reached the back of this months magazine to see that my raspberry and elderflower sundae with elderflower biscuits is the trailer for the July edition.

My final bit of good news - and really it should have come first above the other bits of news - is that I am publishing a cook book with Duncan Baird - A big book of cakes and cookies which will be released next year and will be translated and sold abroad!!! 365 recipes which is a fairly daunting task but definitely one that I am enjoying. Any requests or suggestions for cakes or cookies in the book, let me know!

11 comments:

Joanna said...

Hannah WELL DONE ... we'd like detailed instructions for decorating all those fabulous wedding cakes, you just never know when that might not come in handy. And a couple of simple ideas for a wow factor Xmas cake that you can do at midnight on Christmas Eve (you are the only person I can think of who would come up with something worth seeing for this admittedly tricky/impossible request) ... and something quick and simple to make a cake for a bring-and-buy or cricket teas look fab

SO exciting
Best wishes
Joanna

Celia Hart said...

Lots of congratulations for all your well deserved success (I'm sure you're putting in some hard graft too).
Your cottage looks just like a painting by Helen Allingham - if you don't know her work check it out http://www.helenallingham.com/.

Hope the eds and art directors at DBP are treating you kindly as you step into the world of book production!

... and thank you so much for my award - I'm chuffed my ramblings a read and enjoyed.

Celia

Rita said...

Hi Hannah - congratulations with the recipe book - will wish my life away in waiting for it to come out!

Your butter cookie recipe is a must - I have so much joy out of it. Made heart shape ones again last week.

Your spicy upside down apple cake should be in there too.

I agree with Joanna - a few basic recipes would be great too - like my vanilla cake recipe request from the other day. :)

Lots of blessings!

Julia said...

Hannah that's wonderful news and very well deserved. I can't wait to see the book! All the very best with writing it and putting together the recipes.

Anonymous said...

Sparky would like Polish plum cake please!!!

Milhan said...

How exciting for you! I cannot wait to buy a copy of your book :)

Your home is awesome - like something right out of a fairy tale.

And thank you for the special mention. I was so surprised, and honored. I love your blog. It makes my day to read about what you have "cooked up" each day.

I'd like to start a blog, but I am having too much fun reading other blogs, lol!

Marie Rayner said...

Ohh Hannah! It's all happening! You should be rightfully so proud of yourself! I am so pleased for you! Way to go girl! Thanks so much for the kind mention as well. It means a lot to me. You so deserve this award! As for suggestions for cakes, I am sure that anything you put in the book will quite happily be gobbled up by your many fans! That would be a dream come true for me to have my cookbook published so I can well imagine how thrilling it is for you! My deepest most heartfelt congratulations!

Elke said...

Hannah, well done. You make my day everyday when I have a look through your blog. And your cottage is a dream. As I was reading this months delicious and I turned to the last page I thought how yummy the dessert looked...no wonder if it was made by you. Congratulations on your book. Can't wait until it is out. As Rita said, I will wish my life away until the publication.

David Hall said...

Thanks Hannah, and many congrats on the book!

Cheers
David

Browners said...

Hannah you are such a star. Well done for the book deal. I simply can't wait to get my hands on it and devour your gorgeous recipes... if you need some sort of taste tester in the meantime just let Sarah and me know!

Really looking forward to Delicious next month - Sarah has bought the last 3 editions hoping you were going to be in it!

And thanks so much for the "You Make My Day" award... we're very humbled and consequently inspired.

Let's meet up as soon as possible.

Well done!

Jonathan

Anonymous said...

I do have a lovely cookie you might like over on my blog www.notquitejunecleaver.com. If you are interested, they are called Cream Wafers and I have the original and a chocolate I developed me ownself!!!!
I dont know how to leave the links to the posts but they are from back in July 07. I would be happy to email them to you - just let me know!
They are yummy!

OHHH and congrats on the book!!!