Shrove Tuesday

• Basic pancake recipe


• Give your pancake recipes a twist with these simple filling ideas


• How to serve Michelin-starred pancakes


• Pancake Day essentials


• What makes the perfect pancake?

A partner for your coffee

Like to partner an authentic Italian snack with your coffee? The first Cafédirect recipe this year is for a delicious Coffee & Almond Biscotti. They are easy and quick to make so try them out, share with friends over a morning coffee or after dinner espresso and tell Cafédirect what you think! Get the recipe!

10 best chocolate dessert recipes

To celebrate Chocolate Week, check out these delicious chocolate dessert recipes:

• Chocolate roulade recipe
• Chocolate and black cherry marquise recipe
• Hot chocolate pudding with fudge sauce recipe
• Chocolate, hazelnut and Amarula cheesecake recipe
• Chocolate tart recipe
• Chocolate and cardamom pots recipe
• Chocolate trifle recipe
• Chilled mocha souffle recipe
• Chocolate and orange brioche pudding recipe
• Chocolate, coffee and mascarpone torte recipe

Economy Gastronomy

The Guardian has been running a week long series on Economy Gastronomy by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett:

One salmon, four dishes
One chicken, three ways
Turn a pumpkin into a feast
Dinner and a treat: escalope of chicken and treacle tart
Spicy black bean quesadilla and anytime cookies

This ties in with a new BBC2 show, Economy Gastronomy, and a book, Economy Gastronomy: Eat Better And Spend Less by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett, published by Michael Joseph.

More gourmet budget recipes

Missed some of the Guardian's series on Gourmet eating on a budget? Check out the whole Dinner for under a fiver series for recipes from: Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver, Rose Gray, Sam Clark, and Yotam Ottolenghi.

Gourmet eating on a budget

The Guardian is running a week-long series of "affordable recipes from Britain's top chefs". Today Delia Smith shares her ideas for eating deliciously on the cheap - and offers two exclusive recipes for dinner under £5: Potato, onion and cheese souffle with sage and Spiced rhubarb and ginger brulee .

Pancake Day!

...or rather, Shrove Tuesday.

Stuck for a recipe? You can opt for the traditional pancake recipe, alternative recipes (from Lakeland Limited), or Michelin-starred pancakes (from the Guardian).

Ethical guide to fish

Last year it was reported that the anchovy is now a "fish to avoid" due to low stocks. In the perfect catch, Allegra McEvedy offers a definitive guide to which species of fish are safe to buy.

She recommends gurnard, black bream, coley (saithe), flounder and dab, as well as the more familiar mackerel, herring, sardines and pilchards. She also offers a recipe for a sustainable fish stew.

Love Food Hate Waste recipe competition

As part of the Love Food Hate Waste Campaign, Leicestershire County Council is running a recipe competition to rescue your leftovers. The competition is looking for inspirational ideas to turn leftovers into gourmet cuisine.

There are five Categories in the competition; starters, main courses, desserts, snacks/light bites and Vegetarian. All recipes submitted must include at least one ingredient which is either a leftover or a forgotten food languishing at the back of your cupboard or fridge. The top 50 entries will be made into a recipe book and will all receive a goody bag, and there are shopping vouchers for the top three recipes.

All recipes will be judged on their innovative use of the ingredients and must be original. You can enter up to three recipes with a maximum of one in any category. Full details online here. The closing date is 13th February 2009.

Last-minute Christmas cake

If you haven't got round to making a Christmas cake yet, it is not too late! Cafédirect have a simple recipe using Teadirect Gold which makes a moist, delicious cake with a wonderful mixture of rich and fragrant tea-soaked fruits.

Christmas recipes

Travel and illness have resulted in a bit of a hiatus in blogging. This also means that the only online Advent resource I've followed has been the Christian Aid emails suggesting frugal gift ideas and promoting Present Aid. The tip on 7th December was this:

Don’t buy gifts, bake them! Check out these Christmas recipes for Gingerbread, biscuits, fudge, truffles, and jams. Spending time baking for a loved one is a great way to show you care and a great way to save the £s too. Why not check out your local charity shop for a container to present your gift in and then wrap it in Christmas ribbon for some festive fun. Click here for more ideas about making your own gifts.

Perfect preserves

If Jacky's post on hunting down seasonal food to make jam has inspired you to do the same, then here are some recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on making the most of seasonal fruit. You could also check out River Cottage Handbook No 2: Preserves by Pam Corbin from your local library for more.

• Black beauties: blackberry recipes
• River Cottage Bramley lemon curd
• Soft options: strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants
• Links to seasonal recipes

You don't have to use wild food as a base, but this Hot hedgerow chutney is worth trying.

Pudding Party

The Infusion Pudding Party took place in Loughborough last night when we sampled a variety of puds - from the calorie-laden to the healthy & fruity.

Here's my recipe for Cranachan:

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (medium) oatmeal, ½ pint whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 8oz raspberries (fresh, frozen or canned).

Method: Toast oatmeal, then cool. Whisk cream and sugar until thick, then fold in oatmeal and raspberries. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Hot cross muffin buns

Inspired by seeing the recipe in the Radio Times, I made hot cross muffin buns yesterday. I saved some time by using the bread-maker but they were still a bit fiddly - definitely a recipe for Bank Holidays and days when you have more leisure time. I'll probably make them again next year but will make twelve smaller buns rather than nine rather large ones, and increase the quantity of mixed spice. However my substitution of dried cranberries for cherries worked well.

Fireworks

[Photos taken on Dec 31st 1999, Mountsorrel]

As we look forward to the annual Infusion Bonfire Party on Saturday 3rd November, here's some links to check out beforehand:

• Guy Fawkes: a Biography
• The Gunpowder Plot Society
  
• Bonfire Night recipes
• More recipes...
  
• Fireworks: the science behind the spectacle
• Government advice to encourage a safe and responsible understanding of fireworks, their sale, and use