On The 10:45 From Paddington
I went to Cardiff taking the 10:45 out of Paddington. I chose this train as it features First Great Western’s Pullman Dining.
I had a simple brunch consisting of the most exquisite kedgeree, washed down with juice and a lot of genuine English tea. By the latter, I really do mean tea grown in Cornwall.
This is certainly the way to go to South Wales. First Great Western say this about booking on most trains except the ones that leave around 18:00.
Pullman Dining services are open to all ticket holders although, on busy services, priority is given to First Class ticket holders. Please contact the Pullman Service Leader when you board to request a table in the restaurant. Pullman Dining services do not operate on weekends or public holidays.
When did booking a meal in a high class restaurant be so easy?
The train I was on, also called at Reading at 11:10, gets to Cardiff at 12:46 and then goes on to Swansea, reaching there at 13.44, so it is very convenient for a lot of journeys.
The only problem was that the actual train I was on, didn’t have the wi-fi fully installed. I read that this should be running and free in the New Year.
I do hope that this concept succeeds, as travellers like me, who aren’t strapped for cash, will certainly use this type of service as a treat.
My First Class ticket, which I bought on-line the day before, cost me £31.55 and I paid £18.00 for the lunch, with its excellent food and service.
As I have been known to take the occasional day out in Bristol, I do wish a similar service was offered to there. And what about services to Torquay and Cheltenham?
Obviously, First Great Western know the economics and they certainly have a whole fleet of InterCity125s, with which they can run the service.
So will we still see these magnificent trains reborn as high-class leisure trains serving the West Country for upwards of twenty years in the future? I suspect we will, as these trains seem to have more survival genes, than a whole pack of London mongrels.
Did Terry Miller and his team in Derby realise what they were creating?
Serial Cooking – Quick Pasta For One
I cook this regularly and I always have the Waitrose ham hock and the Rachel’s yoghurt with honey in the fridge, with frozen peas in the freezer. It came originally from Lindsey Bareham, where she called it pulled ham hock and pea pasta with herbs.
It usually takes under fifteen minutes from starting to boil the water to sitting down.
Serial Cooking – Baked Salmon With Parmesan And Parsley Crust
This is one of my favourite quick suppers. It is from Mary Berry and is posted on the BBC Food website.
I actually used some very expensive salmon from Waitrose, that was being discounted, as I think it was even too expensive for Islington. I also got the fishmonger to take the skin off.
The great thing about this recipe, is that it is easily scaled for any number. You just need to guess the breadcrumbs and cheese mixes about right.
Serial Cooking – Sausage Chilli Con Carne
This chilli con carne is another Lindsey Bareham recipe.
I made a double portion and served it with rice. So the rice was Uncle Ben’s but I was short for time.
I think next time, I’ll use some chipolatas though! The cocktail sausages were a bit disappointing.
Searching For Gluten-Free Cocktail Sausages
I finally tracked down some of Marks and Spencers gluten-free cocktail sausages in their store at Eastfield.
They have also opened up a new gluten-free section for chilled goods, like fish cakes.
Serial Cooking – Cinty’s French Fish Pie
This fish pie is another Lindsey Bareham recipe, that is an ideal two portion dish.
It is easy to do and I suspect that the completed dish could be prepared earlier and left in the fridge for most of the day.
The one here, gives me two portions for two suppers or a meal with a friend.
A friend of mine does this recipe a lot. She says it is easy to modify for however many are turning up for supper. She also says she doesn’t get complaints.
Serial Cooking – Ham And Leek Gratin With Emmental Mash
Ham And Leek Gratin With Emmental Mash is another of Lindsey Bareham’s recipes from The Times
Again I chose it becauses there could be a break before putting it in the oven. I also made a half quantity for myself. Lindsey’s sizes were double mine for three.
I had one portion cold and it was delicious.
Serial Cooking – A Good Cauliflower Cheese
This is another Lindsey Bareham recipe, that I cooked serially like the Sausage and Bean Casserole a few days ago.
It is easy to do and I suspect that the completed dish could be prepared earlier and left in the fridge for most of the day.
An Experiment In Serial Cooking
According to many people I’ve met, including my secretary, Jane, men are not good at multi-tasking. She put it down to the caves, where the man had to be single-minded enough to go off and kill that buffalo, so they didn’t all starve. The woman meanwhile was left at home with all the problems, like the kids, collecting firewood, nuts and berries, and perhaps trying to grow some crops.
I am not the best multi-tasker, although with tasks I used to do in the past, like software bug-fixing, I would do them in related groups.
One of the problems in this house, is the small, but extremely-badly designed kitchen. I deliberately have a smaller two-oven Zanussi cooker, but the kitchen has only one sink with a low tap, cupboards you need a torch to get things out of and no freezer.
So often if I cook something, I get piles of washing up everywhere and have nowhere to put anything.
Some recipes I use, like Cinty’s French Fish Pie are what I could call serial cooking, in that they are a series of tasks. That recipe also has the advantage that you can make it in the morning, leave it in the fridge all day and cook it in the evening. I usually, make two, when I’m cooking for myself and leave one for the supper after next.
So as an experiment, I decided to see if one of my favourite meals, Lindsey Bareham’s sausage and bean casserole could be cooked as a series of tasks. Normally, it needs a casserole and a frying pan to cook the sausages, so instead of that, I cooked the sausages first in the casserole and then started the meal in earnest.
I was also able to leave the casserole on top of the cooker all day, before I cooked it in the evening.
My First Shop-Bought Fishcakes In A Dozen Years
I was in Marks and Spencer at Eastfield and looking for a piece of fish for my supper, when I saw some gluten-free fishcakes.
I probably haven’t had any since Waitrose in Newmarket stopped selling their locally-sourced ones in about 2000.
But I do like fishcakes and except for the odd meal in an expensive restaurant, I’ve hardly ever eaten any in the intervening years.
I actually bought one packet of the salmon and one of the cod, so tonight, I ate one of each and put the others in a sealing container for perhaps Sunday.
They didn’t disappoint, after I cooked them in the oven at 220°C for 16-18 minutes.
I think it’s true to say that these and other products in Marks and Spencer’s Made Without Wheat range, taste so good, that even the most fussy of eaters couldn’t tell the difference between these and the standard products.
The only problem with their gluten-free products is finding the new ones in the store.
I found these excellent fishcakes totally by accident.
The Anonymous Widower 