Sheer Almshouse's Crusty Harddough Bread

This is my first attempt at baking bread. Imelda does it all the time and is my inspiration for breadmaking and general cookery. I said it was the last time... until I tasted it. Yumza!

Tell story fi peas soup

Peas Soup is a Jamaican tradition from the array of Saturday Soups cooked in homes across my island home. Saturday is market day and we celebrate the freshest ingredients by pretty much putting them all to simmer in a big pot of soup.

Our soups are meals unto themselves. Filled with dumplings, carrots, cho-cho (christophine), potatoes, sweet potatoes, dasheen, cocoa root, any yam available, and "meat kind" ranging from beef stew to chicken to salt-ting (salted beef or salted pig tails) and if it is peas soup, either red kidney beans or pigeon peas. Sometimes a combination of fresh beef and 'pig tail' is used; fresh beef and salted beef, or just fresh beef or chicken on their own. Chicken foot soup and "fish tea" are categories all on their own either loved or despised and all soups but the latter must be thick and full bodied. In fact, the rule of peas soup is that a wooden spoon must be able to stand on its own in the centre of the pot when done.

I love soup. So does ESC.

So today, I am making my own peas soup for the very first time in over 4 years.

This time, I had to salt fresh pig tail farzin to say, dose tings not available in Muslim country. I had to travel far to get me some piggly wiggly curlies imported from Kenya.

I am also making Jamaican harddough bread from scratch- for the first and probably the last time until I get a proper standing mixer. My hat goes off to Imelda. There is a reason why it is called harddough.. you knead it backside till yuh hand dem hurt yuh hard hard. But because I missing home so much, I seem to be craving things I never make and am willing to go an extra 50 miles to get them.

Since ESC is not a pork eater, I will use fresh beef with just one tail for a likkle sumpting extra.

I may also bake a pumpkin pudding that I saw online. If it comes out well, I will post it here and give you the recipe.

It seems like yours truly will be spending all day in the kitchen.

A baker is born!

I made my first batch of scones in the wee hours of this morning. Serious business. I went for cheddar scones. ESC approved. His approval never comes easily. Of course there are things to improve but I will work with Master Baker, Imelda on that. But the consistency and taste was right on!

All that is needed is a nice thick slice of bacon or carmelized ham and I am back home in her kitchen.

My kitchen is a hot mess, but hearts and stomachs are full.

Give thanks.