Photoarrears #1

Shoo and I went back to my parents' house together for the first time at the end of May. He passed with flying colours. I took over the kitchen; big and well equipped, it's much easier to work in than our messy Stepney one. Dessert was definitely a hit - Pear and almond tart. I cheated and just used bought puff pastry for the base, scored so that the edges would rise and contain the frangipane - though as you can see it didn't stay neatly within the border. Next time I'll definitely refrigerate it before baking.


Mum had recently come back from Italy, travelling exceptionally light, for her. The only thing she succumbed to was a kilo of fresh cheese for making a variety of Sardinian pastry that is something of an obsession. She has spent years perfecting her technique, and my, with the main ingredient imported specially from Milan (previously she'd made do with sad, tasteless supermarket ricotta), was this batch a revelation! These dainty little cakes are called Pardule. Saffron powder gives them their golden-yellow colour. The pastry is thin, unsweetened and a little austere - so as not to upstage the rich, sweet filling.


Shoo sat at the scrubbed wooden table in my parents kitchen playing with his ibook and distractedly polishing off one after another.