Saturday 12th October 2024

Some weekends we do lots of shit, other we don't. This was one of the latter ones, where apart from shopping and cooking, not much else was done.

Jools has done something to her heel, so is nursing that back to health, and I have a touch of sciatica, something I have not had for a while, but is limiting what I feel I want to do.

That and the fact I am away all next week meant it was a homey weekend, with lots of cooking.

We went to Tesco at half seven, not needing that much it seemed, and yet spending £97. Some stuff for the fresh batch of Boston beans I was going too cook later in the morning.

Back home we had fruit for breakfast. The last of the strawberries from the UK I think, and after washing up I get down for some bean action.

Pork belly, chorizo, onions were all browned and put into a pot, add two tins of tomatoes, four cans of haricot beans, some black treacle and finally some smoked paprika. Stir, bring to the boil then put into a moderate oven for three hours with the lid on, and a further hour with the lid off.

Then make bacon and sausage butties along with huge brews. And it was after midday, and with it being international break, a mix of lower league footy and semi-competitive internationals for the rest of the day.

In the afternoon I made a patch of pizza dough, let that rest then using the little cutter make some shapes, dust with semolina flour and leave to rest. I had defrosted some ragu, so warmed that up, boiled a pan of water then cooked the pasta for four minutes, mix with the ragu and some pasta water in a warm frying pan.

Add some grated pecorino and fresh ground pepper.

And eat.

With a bottle of decent wine.

Perfect.

The evening dragged, with me watching Spain v Denmark, but it seems there is a thing called too much football and went to bed to read before half time.