Tuesday Tip

Well, these were supposed to be last weeks tips but I wanted to try them first. From the Gourmet Newsletter two really good ideas.
Butternut is the first one, I think it's good for toddlers as well as adults. Peel the neck of the butternut - I like to save the bowl part to stuff - and cut into small cubes. Put the butternut into the food processor and pulse until it's really fine. Place the bn into a small pan, add about a cup of water and simmer gently until cooked. From this you can make a delicious sauce for pasta or perhaps lunch for junior, it's a base to work with and it does work.
Breadcrumbs. I used to buy Japanese breadcrumbs, they are about 500 percent better than cornflake crumbs but it's a bit of a schlep going to Plumstead to buy them. Now I make my own and the secret is in the crumbing. Cut stale bread into cubes - something like a baguette works best - and place a few at a time in the liquidiser - not the processor. Watch as the bread merrily leaps into the air (but do put on the lid) and ends up as fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs on to a baking tray and bake for around 15 mins at 180 c. When you take them out you can add whatever may be appropriate for your dish, finely grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, whatever. If you only have fresh bread, do not despair, just put less into the liquidiser as it will clump up.
Bon Appetite