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You are here: Home / Blogs & blogging / Individual chocolate cherry trifles to celebrate 11 years of blogging

Individual chocolate cherry trifles to celebrate 11 years of blogging

by Jeanne Horak on May 26, 2015 33 Comments in Blogs & blogging, Dessert

ChocCherryTrifleTitle

 

Eleven years ago…

  • an unknown student called Mark Zuckerberg went on TV to talk about his little-known website called The Facebook (which only had about 100,000 subscribers at the time)
  • 52.2 million TV viewers tuned in to watch the last ever episode of Friends
  • the Queen Mary II, the largest cruise liner ever built, made her maiden voyage
  • Hot Fuss (The Killers) and American Idiot (Green Day) and Funeral (Arcade Fire) were released
  • 344 people, mostly children were killed in the  Beslan school massacre in Russia
  • Janet Jackson’s costume slipped during the Superbowl halftime show, exposing a nipple and giving us the term “wardrobe malfunction”
  • terrorist bombs on a Madrid commuter train killed 190 people
  • Britney Spears got married.  Erm… twice.
  • Edvard Munch’s The Scream was stolen at gunpoint from the Munch museum in Oslo (it was found, unharmed, in 2006)
  • Google introduced a webmail service called Gmail, which everybody thought was a joke as it was announced on 1 April

And in other news, a South African living in London sat down one Sunday night back in May 2004 and started a blog – this blog, in fact – and she hasn’t looked back since. It does not feel like I have been blogging that long, and yet when you look at the newsworthy events listed above, you realise that eleven years is in fact rather a long time.  And if I am honest, I can barely remember what it was like not to have a blog constantly craving new content, like a hungry cat twirling about my legs, in my life. Every year when this anniversary rolls around and encourages me to engage in some bloggy navel-gazing, I think I must by now have said everything that can possibly be said, and yet every year the wider context of food blogging has changed a little more and I find myself formulating new responses to these changes. This year is no different.

So what’s up with food blogging these days? Two things recently made me ask that question.  First there was a post in a Facebook group recently where a blogger lamented: “I’ve been blogging for four months now and I am still not getting really good traffic – what’s wrong with my site?”.  Four. Months. Talk about the desire for instant gratification…  It seems to me that people are getting into blogging now thinking that the mere ability to take a decent photo and string a sentence together will guarantee instant Pinch of Yum style success, preferably in four months or less.  The other thing was a rather depressing conversation with a fellow-blogger who told me that a blog is a granny’s online journal where bad food snaps taken on a mobile phone are shared with their granny friends; that any blogger who deals with PRs or free meals/samples must immediately stop being a hobby blogger and “turn pro” and stop calling themselves a blogger; and that they did not even want to be called a blogger any more as they think the term now has negative connotations attached to it.

 

ChocCherryTrifleMadeleines

 

It all makes me feel as if blogging is kind of losing the plot at the moment – wasn’t it meant to be fun? And isn’t it still possible to have fun even if you are earning money from it? All of the above got me thinking whether my eleven years in blogging had provided me with any useful insights or observations that I might share with newbie bloggers to try and bring some of the joy back to blogging, and here’s the list that I came up with.

1.  There is no shame in being a blogger.  I am one of those rare creatures who has never tried to distance themselves from being “just” a blogger. Yes, I know I have been snubbed by print journalists at events when they hear I “only” write for my own blog; or been told that bloggers are all in it “just for the freebies”, and you probably will too at some point. Pay no attention. Journalists receive at least as many freebies as bloggers and nobody thinks less of them for it. And instead of wishing that you wrote for a print publication, revel in the complete editorial and artistic freedom that your blog gives you.

2.  There is no set of rules for how to blog “properly” – ignore anybody that tries to tell you this.  I had a debate with somebody recently who said that a food blog is ONLY an online recipe diary and as soon as you branched out into doing tutorials or reviews or anything not written in a diary style, then you can no longer call yourself a blog. I have also had somebody say to me that anybody who uses pre-made ingredients has no right to call themselves a food blogger.  Oops. Best I hide the Bisto gravy granules now, or turn in my blogging badge forever ‘cos clearly I have been doing it wrong for 11 years.

3.  Invest heavily in your core skills – and I mean an investment in time rather than only in money. At its core, a blog is a collection of words and pictures (and, increasingly, video), nothing more.  It is the quality and usefulness of those words and pictures, as judged by your readers, that determines whether your blog attracts a following or sinks without a trace.  There is absolutely no point in having a huge Twitter following or being the SEO ace on the block or being best friends with every PR agency in town if your blog is so full of ugly pictures and sloppy, boring, bad writing that nobody wants to read it.  Attend fewer lectures on SEO and blog monetisation and attend a few on writing and photography instead.

4.   There is no one-size-fits-all formula for blog success. People blog for different reasons, and success does not mean the same thing to every blogger.  For some, success is getting a book deal, getting to the top of a ranking table, or hitting a certain number of visitors per month; while for others success is measured in the number of comments a post gets, or in the awards that their blog has won.   More recently, monetisation has been a major goal.  Each one of these goals has a different path that leads to its attainment.  The blogs that win awards are seldom also the blogs earning the most money, or the blogs at the top of the ranking tables.  Decide what it is that you want to get out of YOUR blog (and remember that it’s also OK to have no idea what your goal is for the first year or so!) and stop looking at what everyone else is doing and trying to copy their “formula” for success. Plough your own furrow.

5.  Write for people, not for search engines. Yes, we all know Google sends us more traffic than any other referrer.  Yes, we know we can make our site more Google-friendly by using clever SEO techniques. No, what is attractive to Google is seldom attractive to real human beings – and you should never forget that it is humans you are writing for, not Google.  Write in proper English, without keywords to the max, and don’t get bogged down by silly “rules” about the ideal post length.  If you write 250 words per post and your readers flock to you; or you write 2,500 words per post and your readers flock to you, then what difference does it make if some SEO geek in Silicon Valley wrote an article saying the ideal post length for Google is 500 words?

 

Bonne MamanMadeleines

 

6.  Don’t over- or under-value yourself.  Nobody likes a diva.  And they are even less keen on a blogger who calls up a restaurant and demands a freebie because, like “I have a blog – do you know who I am? I could take you down with a bad review.”.  And said blogger looks even more ridiculous if they have 100 hits a month and 10 Twitter followers: aiming high is one thing but behaving in an entitled and petulant fashion is another thing entirely.  On the other end of the scale, however exciting it may be the first time a brand offers you a free product, don’t slave away creating content for a  brand in exchange for a free packet of crisps or a spatula. Obviously the bigger your audience, the larger the fees you can charge, but bear in mind that even a hobby blogger’s time has value.  PRs don’t work for brands for free, so why should you work for the same brand for free when they plan to make money out of your content?

7.  Choose your blogging friends carefully.  Much as I’d like to say that the food blogging world is one big happy family, it is now big enough to be quite fragmented and cliquey. There are long-standing feuds, there are scandals, and there is drama – just like The Bold and the Beautiful (but with fewer shoulder pads).  Public mudslinging is a bad idea and mud always ends up on the shoes of the slinger, so try to maintain a professional courtesy towards all your fellow bloggers.  On the other hand, try not to get too close to the volatile crazies who might be amusing to watch but tend to suck you into their dramas; and avoid permanently negative and critical people like the plague. Find some like-minded people who share approximately your goals and blogging aspirations; who are willing to be supportive and helpful; and who inspire you in some way, and hang out with them, support and try to inspire them. No blog is an island.

8.  Don’t publish anything on your blog that is not useful to your readers and that you are not proud of. You never know when the editor of Time Magazine will stumble across your blog while researching a piece on “Top Food Blogs to Follow Right Now”.  Make sure that if today turns out to be that day, the image at the top of your blog is gorgeous, and that the post below it is free from typos, text speak and packed with useful, timeless information. Sloppy, clickbait-y lazy, ugly posts should never see the light of day – rather post nothing that day. Your blog is, for most bloggers,  your most significant body of work – make sure that it’s a body that makes you glow with pride rather than cringe with embarrassment when you look back on it.

9.  Create original content. You’d think that this goes without saying, now that blogging has reached a fairly advanced stage of maturity and everybody has heard the news that not everything visible on the net is available for the taking. You’d be wrong. I am personally dismayed at the number of blogs that I have come across that “borrow” content without crediting a source. Whole tracts of Wikipedia appear on some blogs without credit; images are blatantly lifted from Google image searches without credit; whole recipes and backstories are lifted from old or defunct blogs and presented as original work. Bloggers who think this is OK and that nobody will ever know need to remember that Google, the Wayback machine and Copyscape make plagiarism easier than ever to detect.  Rather post nothing that stealing somebody else’s content.

10.  Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Fact: most blogs fold within six months. And even if you manage to keep yours going, don’t get depressed if you don’t have hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors, a book deal and a salary from your blog within the first year.  Or even the second year. The more content your blog has and the longer the domain has been active, the more traffic Google sends to it; and the longer you have been blogging, the more people will be inclined to bookmark your site and keep returning. Unless you actually are Kim Kardashian, blog success is not something that happens overnight.  Keep at it, keep improving, and good things will come. And remember – if it’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong!

So how did I celebrate my 11 years of blogging? With dessert, of course! Shocking as it may sound, I have never been a fan of traditional trifle.  I can take or leave custard, and putting multi-coloured cubes of jelly in a dessert just seems wrong if you are serving anybody over the age of six. But that was before a friend introduced me to Black Forest trifle:  think Black Forest cake, but in the form of a trifle: chocolate, cherries and booze  Seriously, what’s not to like? The lovely folks at Bonne Maman recently sponsored the food photography and styling workshop that Meeta and I ran in London and one of the items they generously sent us were their milk chocolate madeleines.  How to make a madeleine even more perfect? Dip half of it in chocolate of course! Nibbling on them got me thinking about how they might work as a trifle base, paired with the essential elements of a Black Forest cake, so that’s what I did.  Two observations: trifles seem far less daunting and far more attractive when made in single portions in pretty glasses; and why has nobody told me about the cheat’s way to make chocolate custard before? Custard, chocolate, heat, stir, et voila! Dangerous. The only thing I would say is that the custard ended up a bit runny and headed for the bottom of the glass rather than forming a layer on top of the cherries, so if you were to make your own you could make the consistency less runny.  But other than that, this was a perfect dessert – quick to make and decadently delicious to eat. Roll on the next eleven years!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read my 10 year anniversary post including six things that ten years of blogging have taught me. If, unlike me, you are crazy for trifle, here are some other recipes for you to try:

  • Gary’s Royal Wedding trifle
  • Sarah’s mini chocolate-raspberry trifles
  • Meeta’s rhubarb and raspberry trifle
  • Jac’s banoffee trifle
  • Ren’s tiramisu trifle
  • Emily’s chocolate Bailey’s trifle

 

ChocCherryTrifleFinal

 

Let’s keep in touch!
You can also find me tweeting at @cooksisterblog, snapping away on Instagram, or pinning like a pro on Pinterest.  To keep up with my latest posts, you can subscribe to my free e-mail alerts, like Cooksister on Facebook, or follow me on Bloglovin.

4.8 from 12 reviews
Individual chocolate cherry trifles
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
These individual chocolate cherry trifles take the classic flavours of a Black Forest cake and repackage them as mini-trifles. Guaranteed to convert even the most ardent trifle-sceptic!
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 120g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
  • 500ml good quality prepared custard
  • 1 x 425g tin of cherries + extra to garnish (I used glacé cherries to garnish)
  • 75ml brandy or kirsch
  • 6 Bonne Maman chocolate madeleines, sliced or crumbled
  • 300ml double cream
  • 200ml crème fraiche
  • 25g caster sugar
  • grated dark chocolate to garnish
Instructions
  1. The day before you plan to assemble the trifles, drain the tin of cherries and place the fruit in a shallow bowl together with the brandy. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Pour the custard into a pyrex bowl set over a pot of simmering water on the stove and add the broken dark chocolate pieces to it. Stir continuously as the chocolate melts. Once there are no lumps and all the chocolate is melted (under 5 minutes), remove from the heat and allow to cool fully.
  3. Slice or crumble the madeleines into bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces from 1.5 madeleines in the base of each of four pretty glasses (wide whisky tumblers or brandy balloons are the best). Drain the brandy from the cherries and sprinkle an equal amount of brandy over the madeleines in the base of each glass. Divide the boozy cherries between the four glasses and arrange in a layer on top of the madeleines. Carefully spoon the custard over the cherries.
  4. In a clean bowl, whip together the crème fraiche, cream and caster sugar until soft peaks form, then spook the mixture over the custard in each glass. garnish with the extra cherries and top with grated dark chocolate.
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  1. Lynn says

    May 26, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    I enjoy a good Triffle and I enjoyed reading this post. Congratulations on 11 years of Blogging.

    I’ll be putting a few of your observations and thoughts into my own blog.

    Reply
  2. Rosa says

    May 27, 2015 at 9:15 am

    Wow, congratulations! What a milestone.

    Those individual trifles look divine. A great combination of flavours.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  3. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    May 27, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Jeanne – it’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know you on and offline through this blog for quite a few of those 11 years. Congratulations for the marathon – and bravo for these wise words.
    BUT…. I’ve just read those fateful words … “I can take or leave custard..”
    Truly shocked.

    Reply
  4. Kit says

    May 27, 2015 at 11:16 am

    Once again, Jeanne, thanks for being a blogger who stands up for blogging, who always puts up something interesting to read: thoughts, stories and stuff to get your teeth into, as well as delicious recipes!
    My blog is a venerable 9 years old now and still going, though it hasn’t ever grown beyond a personal blog. What it has done is grown my writing skills from a blogging seed to a full-time writer of all sorts of things, from web to print. But most of all I appreciate the people I’ve met through blogging and the real community of friends from the early years. I reckon I’m a blogger and a writer and never mind those who think blogs are Granny recipe cards!

    Reply
  5. nazima says

    May 27, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    What a wonderful piece of writing Jeanne, there are few blogs where I am compelled to read every word, but yours has always been one of them. Not only great pictures but wise and clever words weaved into lovely stories. Love your words of wisdom here and the choc cherry trifle sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Herschelian says

    May 27, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    Eleven years! where does the time go? it feels like just the other day I first read one of your blog posts – yet I may well have been one of your early followers. ‘Too many recipes, too little time’ to paraphrase Cecil John Rhodes!
    As for print journalists – I think their reactions to bloggers are because of the cold wind of reality blowing round their ankles – many bloggers (not just food bloggers) beat the pants off journalists who thought they had a god-given right to write commentary on various subjects.
    Good bloggers do just as much research as journalists, and are just as informed on their topics – what is more, they are usually extremely passionate about what they are writing.
    You are one of the best – so happy Eleventh Blog Anniversary from me in Beijing!

    Reply
  7. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    May 27, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    I really enjoyed reading this post Jeanne and I agree with all of your very sage advice. A good reminder to us all. I can’t believe it’s been 11 years, that’s just crazy, but I’m happy to celebrate with one of those trifles.

    ps thanks for linking to one of mine x

    Reply
  8. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    May 27, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    Darn forgot to add some stars. Definitely 5 stars!

    Reply
  9. Jen says

    May 27, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    Congratulations on 11 years of blogging Jeanne, it is a fantastic achievement on a par with an ultra marathon. I’ve only been doing this for about 3 years but have already noticed how the food blogging landscape has changed in that time. You’ve given some very sensible advice and absolutely hit the nail on the head when it comes to instant gratification and expecting to have it all straight away. I think blogging is a fun experience with or without specific goals and it’s good to see that you clearly still enjoy it so much after all this time and have gained so much from it.

    I’m not a fan of the traditional trifle, the combination of cold custard and jelly doesn’t do it for me, however the pairing of chocolate custard, cherries and kirsch is very tempting…

    Reply
  10. Cherie City says

    May 27, 2015 at 1:34 pm

    Happy Blog Birthday! 11 years is pretty amazing.
    Interesting points raised. I’d just say blog with transparency, don’t compare too much to others and try to keep it fun.

    Reply
  11. Helene @Croque-Maman says

    May 27, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    Happy anniversary! Such a great post… investing in your core skills is such a rewarding process. I have learnt so much since I have started my blog, I love it. These madeleines are so delicious too!!!

    Reply
  12. Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says

    May 27, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    Congratulations on reaching 11 years. I’ve been blogging myself for nearly 5 and am a amazed at your achievement.

    I really connected with this post. The last 12 months of blogging for me has been the hardest. You’re right the blogging world has changed and not for the better.

    I’m trying to redefine what blogging means to me and what I see as success. I’m not in it for the monetisation and get frustrated by these who criticise hobby bloggers for ruining the food blogging “market”.

    I do it for the love of food and creativity and I don’t want that to ever change! I hope some of the newbies take your wise words on board.

    Here’s to another 11 years!

    Reply
  13. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    May 27, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    wow, 11 years is incredible. Well done for sticking at it. I love your point about there being no shame in being a blogger. It is more widely recognised now, which is a good thing.

    Reply
  14. Su-Lin says

    May 28, 2015 at 12:50 am

    Now this is a blogging list I actually believe in!

    Congrats on 11 massive years, Jeanne!!

    Reply
  15. Andrew says

    May 28, 2015 at 7:41 am

    Nice looking trifle! Shame the diet is ongoing…

    Has it really been 11 years? How things have changed … look what your/our efforts and dedication have given us over the time – yes the trips and the free stuff, but also the crises, the dramas and of course the FUN!

    Reply
  16. Simone says

    May 28, 2015 at 8:15 am

    O how right you are Jeanne about any of the above. When i started out blogging i seriously had no idea what I wanted or where it was going and consequently I think I made all the blogging ‘mistakes’ you can possibly think of. Including starting all over again.. Lol.. I had a very similar discussion with a young blogger the other day. She was depressed her blog had so little readers. And I mean really depressed. So I asked her how many years she was blogging. Turns out she started two months ago… And it seems to be more the norm than the exception these days.
    I love blogging and I think I am probably addicted to it, but most of all, I do it because I love it! Great post…!

    Reply
  17. Kalyan says

    May 28, 2015 at 10:17 am

    Congrats on 11 years of blogging and for reminding us that blogging should be fun

    Reply
  18. Anushruti says

    May 28, 2015 at 10:37 am

    Congratulations for completing 11 years Jeanne! And this was a fantastic read! You echoed and translated so many feelings that we come across over a period of blogging and put it all up in one piece. Kudos!

    Reply
  19. Jude says

    May 28, 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Well done, what an impressive amount of time to be blogging, and many thanks for the super advice, I’ll come back and re-read this when I’m flapping that I’m not good enough or need more followers. I particularly like what you have written about integrity and being true to yourself, such wise words.

    Looking forward to the next eleven years.

    And I love a great trifle recipe:-) Jude x

    Reply
  20. Emily Leary says

    May 28, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    Wow. 11 years? Congratulations! Those trifles are stunning. Thanks very much for the mention.

    Reply
  21. Ailbhe says

    May 28, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    11 years. Phew that is a marathon and there’s lots more to come we hope 🙂
    I’ve just realised I’ve been blogging 5 years. That’s 5 years of meeting some friendly, generous, fun-loving people. For me, blogging is just another creative outlet and I’ve loved watching food friends publish books, set up businesses and expand their skills. You’ve earned all your accolades, Jeanne, no doubt you’ll celebrate with a glass or two of something suitable. Congratulations on staying the distance so far with style and grace and great photos.

    Chocolate, cherry, kirsch trifle… hello. That’s me right there (along w a sweet pudding wine please).

    Reply
  22. Rosana, Hot&Chilli Food and Travel Blog says

    May 28, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    Great looking recipe, what a sweet way to celebrate 11 years of Cooksister. Congratulations! Rx

    Reply
  23. Sundari Giri says

    May 29, 2015 at 2:33 am

    Am reading every word of yours with wide eyes and truly impressed. The points are so well explained. Makes me proud to be a blogger though I am just a novice.

    Reply
  24. Barbara says

    May 29, 2015 at 10:16 am

    Huge congrats on 11 years of constant blogging, Jeanne, and thanks for yet another insightful post.

    Instant gratification – love it! But not in connection with blogging maybe more with indulging with delicious food, enjoy and repent later.

    Cheers and here’s to the next 11 years!

    Reply
  25. [email protected] says

    May 30, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Oh you have done yourself proud Jeanne. Eleven years of quality blogging is almost impossible to recreate but you do it so effortlessly. I especially love your point about core skills, and yes blogs should be about who you are writing to, which is exactly why you have such a great following.
    I wasn’t all that keen on trifle but have developed a taste for it and as a chocolate and madeleine and black forest fan, yours wins my vote! Happy 11th blog anniversary 🙂

    Reply
  26. Loving Life says

    May 31, 2015 at 9:54 pm

    Congratulations on your 11 years!

    Great post. Your words ring so true. I’m just starting out (my blog is just 6 months old) but I take value in your words that you have to write what you want and do it for you. Yes there might be opportunities round the corner, but it’s important to do what you enjoy doing.

    Great recipe too! They look so yummy.

    Sally @ Life Loving

    Reply
  27. Jonker - Firefly says

    June 1, 2015 at 8:32 am

    Congratulations on 11 years of blogging. I absolutely love your piece and so agree with everything you say. I have been blogging for over 7 years now and I still do it because I love it and have a passion for what I share.

    I have a lot of frustrations being a blogger based in PE because not even the local tourism organization, whom I worked for for 6 years, seem to realize the value of bloggers. Over the last year there has also been a lot of moves from within the blogging community (specially in Cape Town) pushing for bloggers to be professional. I have never been paid to do blogging yet I still see myself as a professional blogger because that is how I act in my dealings as a blogger. Perhaps it doesn’t bother me because I have a full time job paying the bills. I really wouldn’t mind getting paid to do some blogging every now and then though. 🙂

    Continue the awesome job you do. One thing I want to ask. Where do you even find the time to write as much as you do?

    Reply
  28. Alicia (foodycat) says

    June 3, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Happy blogoversary! I think chocolate dipped madeleines sound much nicer than plain ones.

    Reply
  29. Pille @ Nami-Nami says

    June 4, 2015 at 9:13 am

    Happy blog anniversary, Jeanne! I feel honoured to have met you for the first time back in 2005 🙂

    Reply
  30. Niamh says

    June 4, 2015 at 9:35 am

    Superb advice Jeanne! I so agree with all here. A blog is just a piece of technology, what you do with it is up to you. Also agree with the negativity comment. Happy blog birthday! 11 is an awesome achievement x

    Reply
  31. Elizabeth says

    June 13, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    Well done on blogging for eleven years! And brilliantly too. But really? You’re using Bonne Maman chocolate madeleines in your trifle rather than making the madeleines from scratch? I’m shocked. I really did think you would know better. Especially on an anniversary. {snort}

    Aside from the use of storebought madeleines in your trifle, I am forced to admit that it sounds fabulous. Kind of like a Black Forest Cake gone mad.

    Put the blame on Zuckerberg for the fact that I am often too lazy to come in and leave comments on people’s blogs. And that’s sad. I keep vowing to turn over a new leaf. I really do….

    I don’t even know how long I’ve been blogging. I’ve never even heard of Hot Fuss (The Killers), American Idiot (Green Day) and Funeral (Arcade Fire). I had no idea that a food blog was ONLY an online recipe diary and/or that doing tutorials or reviews or anything not written in a diary style was not blog worthy and/or that the ideal post length for Google is 500 words. See? Ignorance IS bliss.

    Not to mention that once started, I can’t even keep the length of my comments down. (Already, I’ve written more than 200. Oh oh….)

    Happy anniversary! And here’s to many many more years.

    Reply
  32. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

    June 14, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    Some great commentary on the state of blogging. I started blogging but it wasn’t called that in 1995. I wanted to have a place to put favorite recipes and as friends and family got online it was so easy sharing and not having to write something down and mail it to them.

    I’m proud to say that I’m doing it for the same reasons today. I share what I make for my friends and family. I don’t cook a damn turkey in August so it’s blog ready in November; if you do, fine but for ME, that’s just not the same as making it personal and in the moment. I’ve made things for dinner I had no intention of blogging about and after a bite had to hurry and setup some props and my camera because it was too good not to share…talk about seat of the pants right?

    I saw a conversation today on what a blogger should expect when asked to be a part of a PR trip. OMG…talk about divas; I was embarrassed for all of those that had a long list of criteria to make it worthwhile…limos included. Things have sure changed haven’t they?

    I guess I like in the moment; recipes and stories that seem real in the telling, not told just because they will fit a current trend. All through the Kale phase I just couldn’t help but think…but Kale is AWFUL. So I didn’t. 🙂

    Congrats my friend…11 is a long time and from the looks of it filled with lots of good food, nice events and some special trips. Here’s to 11 more!

    Reply
  33. Magenta says

    August 21, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Firstly congratulations on 11 years blogging!.. time fly’s when your having fun!
    Secondly thank you for sharing this trifle recipe 😉

    Reply
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🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

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