It was incredibly depressing to open the fridge at the supermarket and reach past the premade puff pastry, to get the butter for my homemade version. Especially when pretty much every chef/expert/blogger anywhere says the premade stuff is just as good.
I’m sure they’re right, but I wanted to give it a shot. Just so I can truthfully say I made the whole thing, you know?
Whenever I’m in Devon I head straight to the butchers and buy an enormous T-bone steak to cook on the barbecue for the family.
There’s something about being by the sea, out of London and away from it all that convinces me that I have an excuse to buy a really nice cut of beef. I mean, it’s half the price it is in London. And it’s way cheaper than four of us each buying T-bone steaks at a restaurant. And the butcher is literally round the corner. So, if anything, I have to put one of these monsters over some smoking coals.
I first saw this cake when I was picking up some lunch from a Lebanese place near work.
Usually I’m a chocolate cake fiend but I was fully taken-in by the bright green pistachios (do I even like pistachios?) dancing around on the icing.
I went home and found a recipe from the fantastic The Little Loaf blog – and set out on the brave journey to a fruit and nut-flavoured cake.
Nathan in the kitchen