Tag Archives: Dairy Diary

A tense day in the Dairy Diary office

Wow! We have had some gorgeous cover designs in today from the illustrators we commissioned a couple of weeks’ ago. All feature flowers and birds, butterflies or dragonflies. I can’t wait for the research groups next week to canvas opinion. I have a definite favourite but I am sure our research groups will think differently, as is often the case! I wish all my work involved this rather than battling with ink cartridges, IT systems, grumpy people and packing parcels!
The reason I am wrestling with ink cartridges (I won’t go into the boring details but grrrr), is that all three of the books for publication next year are almost complete. I am printing out spreads to show to our Editorial Director and to send off for proof reading. It’s a very exciting time – seeing everything coming together – but also a little tense hoping that everything is approved. I am more than thrilled with everything though, so I am quietly confident – watch this space!
As a treat after my especially irritating day I am going to rustle up something delectable for dinner tonight – but it needs to be quick, easy and healthy too. So Fish Provençal from the Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook is perfect. Try it – I’ll think you will love it. Let me know by clicking on the ‘comment’ link below.

Wow! Today we received several gorgeous cover designs for the 2011 Dairy Diary.

We commissioned illustrators a few weeks ago to create designs featuring flowers and birds, butterflies or dragonflies. I can’t wait for the research groups next week to canvas opinion.

I have a definite favourite but I am sure our research groups will think differently, as is often the case! I wish all my work involved this rather than battling with ink cartridges, IT systems, grumpy people and packing parcels!

The reason I am wrestling with ink cartridges (I won’t go into the boring details, but grrrr), is that all three of the books for publication next year are almost complete. I am printing out spreads to show to our Editorial Director and to send off for proof reading. It’s a very exciting time – seeing everything coming together – but also a little tense hoping that everything is approved. I am more than thrilled with everything though, so I am quietly confident – watch this space!

As a treat after my especially irritating day I am going to rustle up something delectable for dinner tonight – but it needs to be quick, easy and healthy too. So Fish Provençal from the Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook is perfect.

Try it – I’ll think you will love it. Let me know by clicking on the ‘Leave a Comment’ link below.

Cover story

It’s been an exciting week this week as Karen (our designer) and I have been commissioning illustrators to create cover ideas for the 2011 Dairy Diary.

There are so many talented people out there is was very difficult to narrow it down to just five, who will create rough designs for our research groups at the end of this month.

Dairy Diary covers have changed radically over the last three decades, with subject matter varying from tennis rackets to teapots. We have decided to go full circle and take inspiration from the very first edition – 1982, choosing butterflies and flowers as the subject matter. Obviously the style will be radically different to the 1982 diary, with a soft and feminine feel but contemporary design.

Photography has featured on the covers of the diary in recent years, so we felt it was time for a change and illustration was the right route to take. I can‘t wait to see the designs that the illustrators create for us!

Dairy Diary Chat launch competition winners

This week’s other exciting news – we have drawn our competition winners!

Congratulations to Maisie, Christina, Clara, Gillian, Coral, Wendy, Doreen, Mike, Eve, Natalie, Janet, Aurora, Kate, Emma, Alison, Maureen, L Rose, Angie, Jackie and L Robbins. Just One Pot Dairy cookbooks are on their way to you. I hope you all enjoy the new recipes and let us know how you get on. Happy cooking!

For a taste of what Just One Pot has to offer try this delicious Onion, Mushroom & Goats’ Cheese Pizza.

Luxury Florentines

Luxury florentines
Devine delights. And they look so fabulous too!
Time 50 mins
110 calories per Florentine
6G fat of which 2.8G is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Makes 20
Unsalted butter 50g (2oz)
Single cream 90ml (3fl oz)
Soft dark brown sugar 75g (3oz)
Orange 1 small, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Flaked almonds 50g (2oz)
Mixed cut peel 50g (2oz)
Glacé cherries 50g (2oz), quartered
Glacé pineapple or crystallised
stem ginger 25–40g (1–11⁄2oz), chopped
Angelica 25–40g (1–11⁄2oz), chopped
Dark chocolate 100g packet, broken into pieces
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line 3–4 baking trays with baking paper.
2 Put butter, cream, sugar, orange zest and juice into a large saucepan and stir over a moderate heat until melted and smooth.
3 Add flour, almonds, peel, cherries, pineapple and angelica to pan and mix well. Allow mixture to cool a little.
4 Put teaspoonfuls of mixture onto prepared trays, spacing well apart. Bake in batches for 10–12 minutes until spread out thinly and lightly browned.
5 Allow florentines to cool until cold on baking trays. When quite cold, melt chocolate (see page 93) and spread evenly over the smooth underside of each florentine. Allow chocolate to set and store in an airtight
container, interleaved with nonstick foil or baking paper.

Divine delights. And they look so fabulous too! Could you resist one?

Luxury Florentines from the Dairy Diary 2010

Luxury Florentines from the Dairy Diary 2010

Time 50 mins
110 calories per Florentine
6G fat of which 2.8G is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Makes 20

Unsalted butter 50g (2oz)
Single cream 90ml (3fl oz)
Soft dark brown sugar 75g (3oz)
Orange 1 small, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Flaked almonds 50g (2oz)
Mixed cut peel 50g (2oz)
Glacé cherries 50g (2oz), quartered
Glacé pineapple or crystallised stem ginger 25–40g (1–11⁄2oz), chopped
Angelica 25–40g (1–11⁄2oz), chopped
Dark chocolate 100g packet, broken into pieces

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line 3–4 baking trays with baking paper.

2 Put butter, cream, sugar, orange zest and juice into a large saucepan and stir over a moderate heat until melted and smooth.

3 Add flour, almonds, peel, cherries, pineapple and angelica to pan and mix well. Allow mixture to cool a little.

4 Put teaspoonfuls of mixture onto prepared trays, spacing well apart. Bake in batches for 10–12 minutes until spread out thinly and lightly browned.

5 Allow florentines to cool until cold on baking trays. When quite cold, melt chocolate (see page 93) and spread evenly over the smooth underside of each florentine. Allow chocolate to set and store in an airtight container, interleaved with nonstick foil or baking paper.

A Dairy Diary 2010 recipe.

National days

Who on earth creates and legislates (if they are?) these ‘National Something Ridiculous’ Days?

Recently on Twitter I have seen National Tapioca Pudding Day, National Blueberry Muffin Day and National Piña Colada Day!

Surely, these must have been made up by some over zealous (or desperate) marketing agency?

Believe it or not the humble ploughman’s lunch was also created in the sixties by an advertising agency to promote the traditional pub lunch! I certainly don’t take exception to this though, as there’s nothing nicer on a warm summer’s day than sitting in the beer garden of a country pub enjoying a delicious wedge of cheese with pickle and a hunk of bread – washed down with a cold half pint!

Have a go at this gorgeous Chutney – no ploughman’s lunch is complete without it. It’s well worth the effort. Let me know how you get on.

Wholesome raisin scones

Home-baked scones are a fabulous comfort food – tasty, great texture and surprisingly good for you.

Wholesome Raisin Scones

Wholesome Raisin Scones

Time 45 minutes
Makes 14
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Raisins 175g (6oz)
Orange juice 3 tbsp
Self-raising flour 225g (8oz)
Wholemeal flour 225g (8oz)
Baking powder 4 tsp
Caster sugar 50g (2oz), plus extra for sprinkling
Butter 150g (5oz)
Buttermilk 284ml carton
Egg 1 large, beaten
Milk for brushing

1 Soak raisins in orange juice in a small bowl for 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425ºC/425ºF/Gas 7.

2 Sift both flours with baking powder into a large bowl, mix in sugar, then rub in butter and make a well in centre.

3 Add soaked raisins (including any remaining liquid), buttermilk and egg to flour and mix to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface, just enough to smooth. Roll out to 2.5cm (1in) thick.

4 Using a floured, 6.5cm (2½ in) plain round cutter, stamp out circles from dough and place on a baking tray. Re-knead and re-roll trimmings and stamp out more scones.

5 Brush scones with a little milk and bake for 12–15 minutes, until well-risen, golden brown and sounding hollow when tapped on base. Sift caster sugar over tops and cool.

A Dairy Diary 2007 recipe.

Being Creative with Leftovers

I’m feeling very proud of a ‘leftovers’ culinary creation we enjoyed last night. Usually I am no good at all at impromptu cooking, but rely on my myriad of cookbooks to get me through dinner. However, no recipes for my fridge contents – a few sad looking veggies –  could be found. I decided to stir-fry the veggies – halved baby corn, halved baby courgettes, carrot batons, sliced red onions and halved mange tout – and serve them with noodles. To give them a little more taste (and a little protein), I heated 3tbsp peanut butter, a good splash of milk, 2 tsp soy sauce and ½ finely chopped chilli in the microwave, then tossed everything together.
My other half was thrilled at what he expected to be a very boring dinner. I hate to waste food and always endeavour to use everything left in the fridge/breadbin/cupboard but it isn’t always as palatable! I would love to know of any good leftovers meal ideas.
How about giving Brunchtime French toasts a try? Perfect for leftover egg, bacon and tomato.

I’m feeling very proud of a ‘leftovers’ culinary creation we enjoyed last night.

Usually I am no good at all at impromptu cooking, but rely on my myriad of cookbooks to get me through dinner.

However, no recipes for my fridge contents – a few sad looking veggies –  could be found. I decided to stir-fry the veggies – halved baby corn, halved baby courgettes, carrot batons, sliced red onions and halved mange tout – and serve them with noodles.

To give them a little more taste (and a little protein), I heated 3tbsp peanut butter, a good splash of milk, 2 tsp soy sauce and ½ finely chopped chilli in the microwave, then tossed everything together.

My other half was thrilled at what he expected to be a very boring dinner. I hate to waste food and always endeavour to use everything left in the fridge/breadbin/cupboard but it isn’t always as palatable!

Are you creative with leftovers? I would love to know of any good leftovers meal ideas.

How about giving Brunchtime French Toasts a try? Perfect for leftover egg, bacon and tomato.

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