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00:01Cook, Eat, Repeat is frankly the story of my life.
00:06Food is more than just sustenance.
00:09It brings such joy,
00:11and it has the power to make a real difference every single day.
00:15The recipes in Cook, Eat, Repeat are ones I return to again and again.
00:21So gorgeous.
00:25They're all part of the rhythms and rituals of my kitchen.
00:29Food to brighten up even the darkest day.
00:34And luxuriate in my favourite ingredients.
00:37This is bold food at its best.
00:42In dishes that just say, home to me.
00:48We all know that cooking can be a balm in troubled times.
00:52But more, I believe that the kitchen can be both a sanctuary and a pleasure palace.
00:58And that's something I am more than happy to celebrate repeatedly.
01:02MUSIC PLAYS
01:06MUSIC PLAYS
01:33Everyone needs a special occasion cake.
01:35And this one is mine.
01:38And what I think is crucial if you're going to rely on something for every birthday and other important celebration,
01:44is that however spectacular it tastes or looks, it must also be stress-free and simple to make.
01:52And my chocolate peanut butter cake fits the bill entirely.
02:00Obviously, I need to make the cake part first.
02:04And this is an easy melt-in-the-pan number.
02:08Beginning with 200 grams of butter, followed by 250 mils of hot water.
02:18Then I add 50 grams of cocoa, 125 grams of caster sugar, and 100 grams of soft dark brown sugar.
02:29I gently whisk everything together over very low heat until smooth.
02:39Into this melted mixture, I stir in a couple of teaspoons of vanilla before taking the pan off to the
02:47heat.
02:48In a small bowl, I mix together 225 grams of plain flour, half a teaspoon of bicarb, and a teaspoon
02:57of baking powder.
02:59OK, nearly there.
03:04I beat together two large eggs, then mix them into the slightly cooled pan.
03:13Then gradually whisk in the dry ingredients until absorbed, and I have a gorgeous glossy batter.
03:24I pour this into four shallow tear cake tins and bake for seven minutes in a 180 degree centigrade oven
03:32or 160 fan.
03:35Though you could simply divide the mixture between two sandwich tins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
03:44Well, the cakes are made and the icing is underway.
03:47I've got 300 grams of unsalted butter and 400 grams of peanut butter whirring away in here.
03:55And now half a teaspoon of fine sea salt.
04:01I think it's quite important there is a pronounced saltiness to this icing.
04:07It's what stops it becoming cloying.
04:10And now two teaspoons of vanilla.
04:21I'm ready to whisk in the icing sugar now.
04:24There's 600 grams of icing sugar there, which I have sieved through gritted teeth.
04:29It's the only job I hate in the kitchen.
04:35There's a lot of sugar, a lot of butter, a lot of peanut butter, but then I am creating a
04:41beautiful monster.
04:45It looks quite thick and condensed now, but everything is going to change.
04:52And what changes it is whipping in double cream.
04:56Eight tablespoons, that's about 120 mils, one at a time.
05:03And what really makes a difference is that now that all the cream is added, I just stand back and
05:11let it carry on whisking for about four minutes.
05:18I love the colours of this cake.
05:21So 70s.
05:23Very Biba, actually, with its golden beige and brown.
05:31Now look at this.
05:33So pale and creamy and voluminous.
05:36Time to build my tower of cakes.
05:39I do have to say something, which is when you make the four ultra-thin layers, you will think something's
05:46gone wrong.
05:47Look, these look thin as a burnt pancake, but that's what they're meant to be like.
05:54And when they're all layered with the icing, it will look absolutely perfect.
06:01I'm not suggesting you get a ruler out, but the idea is to dollop and then spread a layer one
06:10centimetre thick between all the cakes.
06:15It doesn't matter if it goes over the edges, it'll just make it easier to ice the sides later.
06:23Put this one on top.
06:27Don't be worried about running out of icing, you won't.
06:39The third cake on top.
06:41Be careful because they are tender.
06:50So a centimetre on top, as well as in between each layer.
07:02And then the serious business of the sides.
07:06But don't be daunted, I always feel slightly overwhelmed at the beginning when I start on the sides.
07:13By the end, I almost have to have the cake prized out of my hands to make me stop.
07:23It's so moussey, it almost looks like honeycomb turned into buttercream.
07:34I am such an impatient person, but I rather love doing this.
07:40I find it calming.
07:41You just have to give yourself up to it.
07:44And remember, you're not supplying a cake shop.
07:49It doesn't have to be, you know, so perfect and with no sign of human touch.
07:56What I like about home cooking is that you see the hand.
08:02You can see that someone's been troweling their cake for a long time.
08:12I could go on smoothing for eternity, but I must stop.
08:21As Ruskin said, a work of art is never finished, it is merely abandoned.
08:28So I will abandon it.
08:31Well, maybe not quite, because whenever I've finished icing it, I want to leave it smooth, because I love it.
08:36It looks so beautiful.
08:37But really, this cake is at its best, with a little fine scattering of chopped, dry roasted peanuts.
08:51A teeny bit of crunch.
09:00You know, I make this cake for celebrations, but the act of making it and decorating it feels like a
09:09celebration to me in itself.
09:11The fact that I've done is to show a tantamatic before you go.
09:18Please let me feel you're in Christmas for taking a nap.
09:25Rock you up with a little while.
09:28Oh, darling.
09:30Rock you up with a little while.
09:34My spiced bulgur wheat with roast vegetables is a supper I return to repeatedly,
09:41and not just when I have vegan friends over by any means.
09:45It's perfect just as it is, but I can't resist adding my beetroot chilli and ginger sauce,
09:53which admittedly I can eat with everything.
09:57This is such an easygoing menu.
10:02I cut up leeks and red peppers and drop them into a small-ish roasting tin.
10:10My dowels with olive oil.
10:15I sprinkle over fennel and cumin seeds,
10:23scatter generously with sea salt flakes and smoosh to mix.
10:29Then I tumble in a small bowl of cherry tomatoes.
10:35And for gentle fruity sharpness, which flavours the juices later,
10:40I pour in some orange juice and a little cold water.
10:46Then I give it all half an hour in a 220-degree centigrade oven or 200-degree with a fan
10:54on.
11:00So while the leeks, peppers and tomatoes are in the oven,
11:03I'm getting on with the spiced bulgur wheat, which partners it so exquisitely.
11:09Bit of oil there, olive oil.
11:12And just as I had orange juice in with the vegetables,
11:18I'm grating the zest of an orange into the oil.
11:27And now, well, garlic.
11:30There has to be garlic in this arrangement somewhere,
11:33and I prefer to cook it with the bulgur wheat.
11:36The oven's pretty hot, so grated garlic would burn easily.
11:42So here, there is no chance of that.
11:52That beautiful golden oil now.
11:59I chopped the stalks, the tender stalks, from a small bunch of coriander.
12:06I mean, they have exactly the same flavour as the leaves, of course,
12:10but maybe they're a touch more herbal tasting.
12:14I think of it really as a spice here.
12:22But now to the spices proper.
12:24And I'm echoing the flavours in the tin of vegetables
12:29by starting off with a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
12:33And just as in the oven, a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
12:39But I'm going a bit further.
12:40I want a teaspoon of coriander seeds too.
12:43And I love the pops of kind of citrusy pepperiness they give.
12:49Finally, before the bulgur wheat goes in the pan,
12:52just a little bit of dried chilli flakes.
12:57This won't give heat, actually, just spicy warmth.
13:04This smells so fabulous.
13:08Right, the bulgur wheat.
13:10I've got 200 grams here,
13:12and I'm adding 50 grams of split red lentils
13:16because they add a certain earthiness and texture.
13:21Just rake them through.
13:25And in it goes.
13:30I want to stir it through just so it's slightly slicked
13:35with the aromatic oil.
13:41And for this amount of bulgur wheat,
13:44I've got 375 mils of cold water.
13:50You wouldn't think it was cold, but the pan's hot.
13:54And of course, I need salt.
13:59All I need to do now is wait for this to come to the boil.
14:03Although I always eat the spiced bulgur wheat and roast vegetables as a main course,
14:08I have to say it makes the most glamorously practical side dish.
14:13I mean, you've got the starch and vegetables in one and all glowingly beautiful.
14:20Well, this comes to the boil pretty fast.
14:24Turn off the flame, on with the lid,
14:27and I'm moving it to a smaller hob so it cooks gently just until the bulgur wheat
14:34and the lentils absorb all the water.
14:39While I wait for the bulgur wheat, I will keep myself busy in the most on-demanding of ways,
14:46halving these pink-cheeked radishes because they are destined for the tray of roast vegetables.
14:57When the bulgur wheat's had its time, I take the pan off the heat, remove the lid,
15:03cover with a clean tea towel, then clamp the lid back on and let it stand.
15:09It's this that makes the bulgur wheat light and fluffy.
15:16Now I add the halved radishes to the roasted vegetables
15:21and pop the tin back in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
15:34I promise you a sauce and you'll soon see why indeed it's known as pink sauce in my house.
15:41It's made with full fat Greek yogurt, its tangy coolness balanced with the warmth of ginger and
15:48garlic and the heat of chili. And you could equally well use oat milk creme fraiche here.
15:56To avoid a touch of the Lady Macbeths, I glove up before handling my beetroot,
16:02which I've roasted wrapped in foil for a couple of hours in a very hot oven and left to cool.
16:08I add this with its earthy sweetness along with an exuberant sprinkling of salt, then blitz till smooth.
16:34The bulgur wheat's been steaming, the roast vegetables have been sitting out of the oven,
16:39so they're warm rather than piping hot, just the way I like them. And I am ready to bring the
16:46two
16:46together as they are meant to be. So first, I just want to fluff the bulgur wheat up a bit
16:53with a fork.
16:56You can see that having sat under the tea towel for so long, it's wonderfully fluffy.
17:05This is such a good natured dish, the bulgur wheat doesn't mind how long it sits under its tea towel.
17:11The vegetables are better for standing out of the oven. And in fact, I often cook this when I'm
17:18feeding people I have learnt are not usually punctual. Just going to spoon it gently into the bowl.
17:33You can see how much it swells when it cooks.
17:39I'm going to add some of the roast vegetables now, not a lot, but a third of them.
17:47Stir them through the bulgur wheat so it's softly studded with them.
17:56Some coriander at this stage too.
18:08And now the rest of the roast vegetables I spoon succulently on top.
18:25You can see at the end the juices are quite thick now and that's because the pan stood out of
18:31the oven.
18:33It's a little glaze.
18:38This is a beautiful enough bowl full, just as it is, but I can't resist a pink squiggle of the
18:46beetroot sauce.
18:53Not too much.
18:57The final bit of coriander.
19:08You know, this is food to brighten up even the darkest day.
19:27Food should bring harmony, but I'm afraid even though I know this is a divisive ingredient, I exult in it.
19:40Right, I have given my liquorice box a bit of an international refit, so where should we go first?
19:48Germany, why not?
19:49Why not?
19:52These are rather beautiful little silver drage, so very hard on the outside and inside there's this really soft, squidgy,
20:01salty filling.
20:03A bit like, you know, salmiac and I love them.
20:07They do make my fillings reverberate in my jaw as I eat them.
20:11I think maybe it's worth it.
20:14And now to Sweden.
20:18I have to say, you need to be strong for these.
20:22They're called salty rock stars, and you've got to imagine this is a guitar.
20:27That is the general idea, and they are corrosively salty.
20:32But on top of the salt on the outside, there's a sort of like, um, chilly, acidy sherbet.
20:41They're challenging.
20:44Now we're going to the Netherlands.
20:47These are little bonbons with light bit of salt and caramel.
20:51And obviously licorice, obviously.
20:54Oh, strange filing system, but here we go.
20:58Not to be eaten.
20:59Some glossy black nail varnish, name of licorice.
21:04And our final stop is Italy for some extra strong pure licorice pellets.
21:09Now, really, um, these should be Spanish, because I'm using them to make a sauce to go with a basque
21:16-burnt cheesecake.
21:17Don't worry if you loathe licorice and love cheesecake, because this cheesecake is just gorgeous, beautiful, plain and simple.
21:24In fact, I always made it just like that and served it with nothing else.
21:28But recently, I had a version by the Basque chef, Nieves Baragon, which was so fabulous, with a pale cheesecake,
21:40a black, shiny, licorice sauce.
21:42So I begged her to tell me how she made it, and she was lovely enough to tell me.
21:55Normally, when you line a tin, you have to be very neat and fastidious, which is really not my strong
22:02point.
22:02So I love making this cheesecake because all the crinkles and wrinkles are part of the look.
22:10I'm aiming for rustic ramshackleness.
22:15I do need to weigh it down
22:18when I actually get on with the cheesecake.
22:24Unsurprisingly, we're starting with cream cheese, quite a lot of it.
22:29600 grams.
22:31And this has stood out of the fridge for quite a time.
22:35This makes the crucial difference with cheesecake.
22:39If you start off with it cold, it never gets really smooth.
22:49And 175 grams of castor sugar.
22:52I'm just going to put it all in now before I get a whirring.
23:07I just want to mix these together till they're really creamy.
23:14It's a very easy cheesecake to make. I mean, there is no base.
23:19And everything just needs to be mixed up and then baked.
23:26And into the soft cream cheese, three eggs.
23:31One at a time so that each egg is incorporated into the mixture before I add the next one.
23:40Time for numero dos.
23:49My third egg.
23:56And next, some sour cream, quite a lot, 300 mils.
24:07This is like essence of cheesecake, all its purest tastes.
24:13No lemon, no vanilla.
24:17Quarter of a teaspoon of salt.
24:24And corn flour.
24:25I'm going to turn this down a bit.
24:29Because otherwise, I'll just get covered.
24:33I want 25 grams of corn flour.
24:37Add gradually.
24:48I just want to make sure that the corn flour is completely absorbed.
24:56Which it is.
25:05Get out my placeholder.
25:08See, look.
25:08It's lying down now.
25:10And all those creases look rather wonderful.
25:14When it's unwrapped at the end.
25:21Final fold by hand.
25:25And as pale as the mixture is now, when it's ready and it's been in the oven for 50 minutes,
25:31at a hotter oven than you would normally cook cheesecake 200 or 180 fan,
25:36it's going to be burnished on top.
25:39Brown in parts.
25:40Well, it is a burnt cheesecake.
25:42But it is very jiggly underneath.
25:46You just have to trust me when I say it's ready.
25:49Because it will carry on cooking as it cools.
25:53But it's meant to be soft set.
25:55That's part of its lusciousness.
26:01Before I put this in the oven, I like this part,
26:04I need to give it five firm wraps on the kitchen counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
26:11So here goes.
26:24It's just out of the oven, still hot, and you can see it's risen rather like a dense souffle.
26:31It will fall as it cools, as it's supposed to.
26:36And look, underneath that tortoiseshell top, it's still wiggly and wibbly.
26:43Perfect.
26:47Now for the licorice sauce.
26:49I start off with 300 milliliters of water in a pan, and I add 90 grams of caster sugar.
26:56Then I add 15 grams of pure licorice pellets.
27:01Once they're dissolved, I boil it all up until reduced by half.
27:07At which point, I pour this sticky dark syrup into a heat-proof jug.
27:14I live the salty licorice, so I stir in salt before leaving the sauce to get properly cold.
27:23Gently lift the cool cheesecake out of the tin, then peel back the paper, flatten it,
27:30and cut into luscious slices.
27:50This is just gorgeous with blackberries on the side.
28:10And now, all that remains is for me to enjoy a moment of silent communion with my licorice-laced cheesecake.
28:21So good, so good, I got it, yeah.
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