Patz’s Pantry starts today!!

Those who know me will agree that this quote by Erma Bombeck sums me up quite nicely… “I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food”

I don’t believe in dreaded detoxing nor do I believe in diets, they are both evil and bad for the soul; Food is a major pleasure in life and should be treated with the love and respect it deserves!

There’s not much fun to be had with the Maple Syrup Diet, Dukan, Atkins, Five:Two, the list is endless; I call these deprivation diets at their best! Fabulous when you lose a whole hunk of weight, extremely disappointing when the pounds and more creep back when returning to our usual way of eating . Fad diets just don't work to help us keep the weight we lose off long-term.

My secret… I have no secret, it’s all about moderation, not skipping of meals, hydration, the very important five-a-day rule and GOOD FOOD – I hope you’ll agree it’s nowhere near to rocket science as we may like to think!

So why have a started this blog? I guess it all started when I joined Instagram, the majority of images posted were and still to this day are food inspired and many friends, family, colleagues and followers all had one comment in common “You should start a food blog!” so I guess the rest is history! Today Patz’s Pantry is born…

My Food Inspirations:

Culinary delights of Italy including regional dishes from I Sassi di Matera - my Fatherland
Hot Latino flavours from Colombia – my Motherland
Eccentric London, a pool of British & Worldwide fusions – my Hometown

I hope the recipes I post from this day onwards will tantalize those taste buds and inspire those dinner party menus as they do me.

Now I just need to pick which recipe to post first…

Patz x

Seafood Feast @ Scapriciatello #Puglia #Salento

Comments

Chickpea Burgers

I am conscious of what I eat during the week and that variety is important so not to get bored and reach for the biscuit tin, time is also a big constraint on what goes on the menu. The last thing I want to do after a long day’s work is sweat over a hot stove for hours on end, so I am always looking for simple, quick and more importantly TASTY options to bring to the dining table. Ingredients: 1 can of chickpeas 1 carrot 2 shallots 1 large egg 2 tbsp breadcrumbs Salt & pepper Ground Cumin Cayenne Pepper Grate the carrots and chop the shallots finely (or whizz in a food processor with the grater attachment), transfer to a pan with a little olive oil and sweat for a few minutes to sweeten the shallots slightly, set aside. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them into a food processor with all the spices, salt and pepper. Slightly pulse for a rough and chunky paste. Stir in the carrot, shallots, egg, and breadcrumbs unt...

3-Tier Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake

It's was my "baby sister's" 20th birthday a few days ago, so to celebrate I opted to make my most indulgent cake recipe to date and what a mega treat it was, taken from two female chefs, Peggy Porschen and Ren Behan. A taste of pure gluttony in clear moderation can do wonders for the soul and this cake definitely gets those endorphins going! Ingredients: (Serves 24-28 portions) Sponge (by Peggy Porschen) 250g plain chocolate 335ml milk 570g soft light brown sugar 210g butter, softened 4 large eggs 365g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt 15g cocoa powder Salted Carmel Buttercream (by Ren Behan) 250g butter, softened 500g icing sugar 3 tbsp. caramel sauce Ganache 150ml double cream 175g plain chocolate 1 tbsp. caramel sauce Preheat oven to 160C. Grease three round cake tins (23-25cm diameter) and line with greaseproof paper, do this also round the side of the tin, this helps to avoid the cris...

Crispy Baked Potatoes with Rosemary & Parmesan

This side dish goes with anything and happens to be a childhood favourite of mine... Ingredients: (Serves Four) 1kg, Maris Piper Potatoes Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rosemary 1 clove of garlic, whole Salt & Pepper Parmesan, grated Preheat oven to 200C - with the baking tray inside. Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into small pieces and dry with kitchen towel. Take the heated baking tray from the oven and place on the hob (medium heat) adding a generous drizzle of olive oil, potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. Mix well making sure the potatoes are well coated. Roast in the oven for at least 35mins, during that time turn the potatoes regularly with a spatula to ensure an even colour. Add the grated Parmesan and roast for another 5-6mins. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, then serve. For a touch of naughtiness add some tasty diced pancetta, delicious! Tried It? Like...

Patz's Pantry

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