Monday's made easy!

Just another short blog ....... I know, Gastronamis is going a little crazy at the moment isn't it?! One things for sure it's keeping my mind busy which isn't a bad thing, and I am of course putting my energy into something I love and something I know Louise would be really pleased I'm doing.  I think cooking and blogging really are like therapy for me!

Not much food in our house this evening and if I'm honest Monday's aren't particularly my favourite day for cooking. Tonight I made a really quick sausage pasta bake. Literally took me no time at all to prepare and something good for the kids as well.

Ingredients:
Sausages (I used low fat ones)
Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Passata 400g
Few splashes of balsamic vinegar
Whole wheat pasta
Red chilli (optional if you wanted to add a slight kick to it)

Method:
- Cook the pasta
- Grill or oven the sausages until they are cooked through
- In a frying pan heat a small amount of oil and fry the onion, pepper and garlic
-Add in the passata and balsamic vinegar and heat through
Once the pasta is cooked add to the sauce. Chop the sausages into quarters and also add to the pasta and stir well.  Put everything into an ovenproof dish, pop in the oven for a few more minutes then you're good to go and serve. 

Enjoy!

Laura

Gastronamis make it to New Zealand!

This is just completely unreal! Mark Southon, a top celebrity chef, TV personality and owner of a top restaurant over in New Zealand (originally from England and very good friends with someone Louise and I went to school with) has cooked something on his daytime TV show ‘The Cafe’ inspired by Gastronamis.  It was filmed a while ago but was aired on television this week. Sadly it was before Louise passed away so she didn’t get to see the clip.  Whilst spending time with her last week in her final days I made sure I told her it was going to be broadcast this week and she smiled at me. I’m incredibly proud that something we started as a bit of fun has made it all the way to New Zealand, not just that but on television and from a celebrity chef! Wow, just speechless. Louise would be incredibly proud...... this is the reason I have to keep going with it. 

Click here to watch:

https://youtu.be/2FYlKilqWqM

Who knows where Gastronamis will end up next! Watch this space!

Gastronamis update

It is with deep sadness and pain in my heart that I am writing this first blog alone. As most of you know my dear friend Louise recently lost her battle to cancer and passed away peacefully with her husband and family around her.  Louise spent just over 3 years fighting the horrible disease and I am so incredibly proud of her.  

I had the pleasure of 26 truly amazing and extraordinary years of friendship and I will never forget any of it.  I learnt so much from Louise. She inspired me, gave me confidence and made me believe in myself, and of course she made me find a passion for cooking. We were so excited when we set the blog up in November 2015, not realising that so many people would be interested in it. Over the last year as Louise’s health deteriorated she made me promise I would never give up on Gastronamis. She reduced me to tears when she told me that she had wanted to set it up so I had my own little project for the future when she had gone and it would never make me forget her. She never wanted me to lose that passion for cooking and she told me it was something I could focus on. That’s the kind of thoughtful caring person she was.

Over the last month I can honestly say I’ve had no desire to be in the kitchen whatsoever. I thought my complete love for cooking and the blog had disappeared forever and that made me sad. I kept saying to myself “is that what Louise would want?” “What would she say if she knew I felt like this?” I knew the answer straightaway............ she would be really mad with me, disappointed in me and tell me to get a grip!  So this is exactly why I’m here now and writing this blog. I’m back on it with Gastronamis, with cooking, with getting dates in my diary for dinner parties, and of course trying to see if I can take Gastronamis to a new level and make Louise proud.

Big announcement later – watch this space!

x