Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Lesley Cox on June 29, 2009, 11:02:14 PM
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Here is a good recipe for Lemon Curd. I had it originally as "Nin's Lemon Curd" from, I think, a Scottish cookbook. It is very good and an excellent base for lemony things.
Lemon Curd.
1/4 lb unsalted butter Grated rind of 2 lemons
Pinch salt Strained juice of 2 lemons
2 well-beaten eggs 1 level teaspoon cornflour
1/2 lb caster sugar
(I used ordinary better and I don't bother to strain the juice. Why waste the lemon?)
Place all except juice and cornflour in the top of a double boiler. Add cornflour to juice and mix until smooth. Stir into everything else. Cook over hot (simmering) water, stirring contantly, until mixture thickens. Do not let boil. Bottle and seal. (I use jelly jars, and the recipe does a couple, which I store in the fridge.)
Neenish Tarts
Pastry
4 ozs butter 8 ozs flour
4 ozs sugar 1 tsp baking powder
1 egg Pinch of salt
Cream butter and sugar, add egg and mix well. Mix in sifted dry ingredients. Knead lightly then turn onto floured board. Roll out, then line patty pans. Bake blind (pricked), about 10-12 mins at 350degF (180C). When cold, fill with the following.
Filling
4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
4 tbsp icing sugar 2 tbsp lemon curd
2 tbsp lemon juice
Soften butter, add sifted icing sugar, condensed milk, juice and curd. When set, ice half the top with well melted chocolate or chocolate icing. Ice the other half with white icing mixed with lemon juice, or leave un-iced.
These amounts are approximate. I always do double quantity of the filling and fill the cases really well. Maybe I add less condensed milk and more curd. The result is always very good.
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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I have to make a savoury dish for Wednesday as a friend is having a surprise 60th. I'm making 'jewelled couscous', which is easy. 500g cc; 5 tbsp olive oil; 500ml veg stock; allow to absorb water for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork and add grated rind of 1 and juice of a half lemon; add 1 oz sultanas; ½ oz toasted almonds; ½ oz chopped dried apricots; ½ oz of chopped glacé cherries (my idea).Add 3 more tbsp of olive oil, stir and heat very gently (you can steam it) for ~15 mins. When finished, stir in 1 oz of chopped flat leaved parsley and 1 oz of chopped coriander leaves. Put in a flan dish, garnish with parsley and lemon. Cover with cling film and keep in fridge until needed.
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No-knead bread.
Look it up on Youtube; there are several good instructional videos. The New York Times one is the original, but it's worth looking at a couple of more for additional tips.
The recipe is extremely forgiving: I've added candied citron and currants to it, replaced part of the flour with barley flour, and both times it came out just dandy. (Though the barley version had a distinct gray cast.)
I like it so much that I bought a Le Creuset casserole or dutch oven specifically for baking it. A new-to-me one, I should add, that didn't cost an arm, a leg, and one eye.
Shall I post a photograph? Or would that be too far off topic?
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Rodger, I would love to see a pic of your le creuset dutch oven that didn't cost an arm and a leg, I would also like to see a pic of the bread using some barley flour.
I use one of my le creuset dutch ovens for the no knead bread but have taken the knob off and replaced with a nut.
The knobs are only supposed to be good for 450degrees max.
I did read that people in stores that sell le creuset have been stealing the knobs!!!
Btw, I usually substitute 3/4 cup of wholewheat flour for unbleached when I use the recipe, I like it in pizza dough too, it gives a really nice flavour.
Here's what it looks like with the 3/4 cup of wholewheat flour.
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Yes! This will be a great thread. :D If pictures can be added, so much the better. Tomorrow I haven't a lot planned so might make some lemon curd and the Neenish Tarts. Your savoury dish sounds nice Anthony though the cherries will make it sweet rather than savoury. Picture before you take it to the :"do"?
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Well we now know where to come for inspiration - great recipes! Couscous is wonderful hot or cold with all the goodies in it and especially delicious with olive oil roasted vegetables dribbling through - Hunger strikes ;D
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Great idea to have this thread.... most gardeners are real "foodies", too, aren't
they we ? ;D
I'll try to collate recipes from other threads to this one as time permits :)
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"Maggiepie" Helen's Cherry Cake recipe.......
it is scrumptious, here's a link to the recipe.
I am not sure if you are supposed to use a pound of pitted cherries or a pound of cherries pitted. I err on the side of gluttony and use a pound of pitted cherries.
I also only use half a cup of sugar and I use cane sugar or raw sugar.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/CherryCake.html
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Kristl Walek introduced us to "Poutine".....
Ah....La Poutine....the quintessential Quebec fast food.
Ready?
This is basic poutine:
French Fries, topped with fresh cheese curds (usually cheddar), covered with brown gravy.
The curds have to be very fresh, so they get soft, but don't melt.
But now the creative chefs out there have improvised on the basic recipe....
Here is a review of the "Best Poutine in Montreal"
http://www.montrealpoutine.com/reviews.html
But normally one grabs it at an outdoor concession stand, while on the road, rather than in a sit-down restaurant.
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David Nicholson lead us to Lemon Drizzle cake: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=1148
Lesley said: Unfortunately the link to the lemon drizzle cake won't open for me but I have a lovely version in which the cake is "drizzled" with a syrup of lemon juice, zest, sugar and water, as soon as it comes out of the oven. Even nicer (in my opinion) is when the syrup is made with orange juice and zest. The cake itself has a lot of cuoconut in it and so the texture is very moist and almost fudgey. It cuts into 25 pieces so I sometimes take it on field trips. I know several Scots who liked it a lot.
Copied recipe from link as follows:
Here's the recipe from David's link... it was posted by someone saying it had been copied from a newspaper some years ago, so I don't think I'm stealing anyone's copyright!!
Cake ingredients:
4oz softened butter (make sure it's really soft)
6oz SR flour
1tsp baking powder
6oz golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
6 tbsp milk
finely grated rind of a large unwaxed lemon
Icing:
juice of a large lemon
4oz golden caster sugar
preheat oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4
Use an oblong tin which measures 9" x 8",about 2inches deep, lined with baking parchment. could also be made in a round tin, but size of which, i'm not sure!!
1. Tip all cake ingredients into large mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes; mixture will drop easily off spoon.
2. Spoon mixture into tin and smooth with back of spoon. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden & firm to the touch.
3. Beat together icing ingredients and pour over the cake while it is still HOT.
4. Cool in tin & cut into squares.
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Chris B gave this tip for.........
Here ( I hope) is a link to the recipe for braised venison with chocolate sauce:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/braisedvenisonwithab_3263.shtml
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Plenty instances of folks swapping recipes by personal message elsewhere on the forum.... but why not enjoy this page for whetting our appetites?
Wonder if we should solicit advertising from an indigestion remedy manufacturer ? No, surely no need when we have so many talented cooks to advise us.... ::) ;D ;)
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Seem to remember Paddy did a couple of Rhubarb recipes some time ago??
Found it. It's on Reply 411 of March 18th on the "Yes, I'm so happy" Thread.
Rhubarb Fool and Rhubarb Bread and Butter Pudding (both well worth trying)
Edit by Maggi: Thanks, David, I found a reference but couldn't find the actual post!
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My God - this will be turning into a giant thread... ::) ::) ;)
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Paddy's Rhubarb recipes:
RHUBARB FOOL
700g 1 1/2 lbs rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 25mm/ 1 inch lengths
175g / 6 oz soft dark brown sugar
grated zest of one orange
15g / 1/2 oz butter
10 - 15 ml / 2 - 3 tsp orange-flavoured liqueur - we use Grand Marnier
150ml/ 5 fl oz thick cream
Put rhubarb, sugar, zest and butter in large, heavy-based saucepan and mix well. Medium heat - bring to simmer; cover pan, reduce heat and cook until rhubarb is tender.
Strain through nylon sieve. Puree the rhubarb. Leave to cool completely.(The juice which was strained off can be kept as a drink)
Stir liqueur into cold puree.
Whisk cream to soft peaks. Fold into puree - not too much so that you have a marbled effect.
Spoon into four glasses, wine glasses for example.
Chill for at least one hour before serving.
RHUBARB BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
450g/ 1 lb rhubarb
12 slices bread - We use sliced pan, that kind with square slices suited to the toaster.
450ml / 16 fl oz cream
230ml / 8 fl oz milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
175g / 6 oz sugar
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinking on top of pudding.
We use a square dish which will hold 4 slices of bread in one layer.
Butter the bread
Put 4 slices butter side down in the dish.
Scatter half the rhubarb on top of this layer
(Note: later on in the year when the rhubarb becomes sharper we sprinkle some sugar on each layer of rhubarb - a matter of taste)
Another 4 slices of bread on this
Rest of rhubarb on top of this layer of bread
Last 4 slices of bread on top.
Beat eggs, add cream, milk, sugar and vanilla essence and whisk all together.
Pour over bread and rhubarb.
Cover with clingfilm and leave overnight - a few hours will do if you did not plan ahead but the longer time allows the custard mixture to soak into the bread.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4
Sprinkle top of pudding with sugar.Bake in a bain-marie with boiling water coming halfway up the sides of the dish for about 1 hour. Top should be crisp and golden.
Serve with whipped cream.
Your own doctor will advise re cholesterol.
Enjoy! Paddy
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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My God - this will be turning into a giant thread... ::) ::) ;)
Oh, I DO HOPE SO!! ;D
It is vital for gardeners to keep their strength up with tasty and nutritious food, don't you agree? ;D ::)
I must remind everyone of Stephenb's thread: My edible alpines......
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3085.0 ....you're bound to get a few ideas there!
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...and check out the rhubarb/fig marmalade recipe in the current issue of Gardens Illustrated...
My, how this topic has exploded out of the blocks!
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Half a kilo of hylotelephiums and a sedum relaxant, please.
What would you include in salad? Lettuce, rocket, spinach, radish leaves, Hylotelephium spectabile, carrot… yes, H. spectabile that’s right . According to the Plants for a Future organisation the leaves of H. spectabilecan be eaten raw or cooked though it advises that they are, as you would expect, very mucilaginous with a bland flavour. Perhaps the cultivars ‘Matrona’ or ‘Joyce Henderson’ should be considered instead?
Another useful plant is Rhodiola rosea. Its leaves too can be eaten raw or cooked. Though somewhat bitter, incorporation within a sauerkraut should mask the taste. One source quoted by Plants for a Future even suggests that the stems should be cooked and eaten like asparagus, though there is no mention of the taste comparison.
Of more interest perhaps are the medicinal qualities of sedums. R. roseaagain comes out on top. The plant is a good tonic proven to increase the body’s resistance to stress by regulating the body’s hormonal response. It has other uses and I quote “..[it has] an enhancing effect upon physical endurance and sexual potency”. There is clearly a marketing opportunity awaiting exploitation by an enterprising nurseryman/woman.
Medicinal properties abound in other species; the leaf juice of H. erythrostictum can be applied to burns, Orostachys japonica is a muscle relaxant and in Korea is used in the treatment of cancer, whilst Sedum acre is used to resolve boils and piles, though its sap can prove irritating to some people.
Plants for a Future is a registered UK charity that seeks “to identify and promote edible, medicinal and useful plants for a healthier world”. It has a marvellously informative website at http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_name.php?ALLNAMES=sedum (http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_name.php?ALLNAMES=sedum) which additionally provides cultivation and propagation details as well as comprehensive and eclectic references for further inquiry.
And who would have thought that this line of enquiry started with lemon curd....
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My life is very simple:
PLANTS, BOOKS AND GOOD FOOD...
So I thank you for this thread.
And now that I am moving to "New Scotland" my interest and love of oatcakes has been revived.
I like them both sweet and savory---but mostly I am still looking for the perfect recipe for a sweet version that is not too sweet and very "oaty."
Do you have a recipe to share?
Please don't offer me one from an on-line source (have tried them all over the years).
I want YOUR old family recipe that makes an oat cake to die for...
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Kristl: a SWEET oatcake? I never heard of such a thing :o
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Kristl: a SWEET oatcake? I never heard of such a thing :o
oh yes, Maggi...the traditional oatcake translated into North America has become a scrumptious, sweet treat. every coffee shop i frequented in Nova Scotia has them---from the plain version (my favorite) to dipped in chocolate, to the addition of peanut butter.
whenever i ate one that i almost thought was perfect (minus the sugar level), I asked for the recipe (to not avail).
they are normally chubby (2" thick) -- in rounds, or cut into large squares or triangles.
one does not see this anywhere in Ontario....although someone would become rich marketing these.
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Kristi, I love oatcakes too and brought 3 lots of homemade Arran oatcakes back to Switzerland as presents - will ask my sister-in-law who is a great baker - good luck on your search ::)
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Hmmmm..... anything oatcake 2inches thick would not be known in Scotland as an "oatcake" .... it may well be an oat cake, but for us here, an oatcake is a thin ( when home-made, the thinner the better) round or triangular "biscuit" .... usually on the salty side. Usually it was made by rolling the mixture into a large-ish round and cutting into four triangles. Cannot remember the recipe right now.... I'll have to think about it - it's many many years since I last made any! I remember an family friend, married to a master baker, who used to hand make big, crisp and utterly delicious oatcakes for the bakery.... she rolled the mix out to almost paper thin proportions, cut the round using a big ( about 10 to 12 inch / 25 to 30 cm ) old saucepan lid that she kept specially for that purpose, and slicing the round into quarters before baking them. I 'll need to look for Mom's recipe, can't recall what Nett's one was, though I remember watching her make thousands of them!
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Rodger, I would love to see a pic of your le creuset dutch oven that didn't cost an arm and a leg, I would also like to see a pic of the bread using some barley flour.
I use one of my le creuset dutch ovens for the no knead bread but have taken the knob off and replaced with a nut.
The knobs are only supposed to be good for 450degrees max.
I did read that people in stores that sell le creuset have been stealing the knobs!!!
Here's a pic of that Le Creuset dutch oven or casserole I bought second-hand. Value Village, sometimes the source of quite good things. Cost, $25. Inside is stained but enamel isn't chipped or cracked, something you always have to be careful about when buying used enameled cast iron.
My cat Lily provides a sense of scale. Lily gets fed on that table and she's overdue for her afternoon snack. Moreover, she's wondering where her usual food dish is (a small Portuguese pedestal dish), it having been displaced pro tem by the dutch oven.
Notice, too: no knob: the handle on the lid is integral to its construction. I suppose this is a clue to when it was made.
Next time I make a 1/3 barley loaf, I'll provide a picture. But actually, the loaf containing currants and citon (which I've made twice) is better. Being slightly sweet, it would serve as an accompaniment to tea during garden viewing ceremonies. And here's a tip for those of you frustrated by your inability to buy good quality candied citron: if you are lucky, your nearest specialty Middle Eastern food place has "citron jam" from Sham Gardens Food Industries in Syria. It's actually big chunks of citron peel in syrup. Drain it, chop it up, and bob's your uncle. You can also take inferior citron and soak it in the syrup afterwards to absorb the flavor.
I find that jams and preserves from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iran are usually excellent, and often use fruit not commonly found in Europe or North America.
Now, some may think that a discussion of cooking and cooking equipment is off topic for a rock gardening forum, but it isn't. As Maggi said, it's very important for us to keep up our strength, as well as have food and drink appropriate to the occasion when we are viewing our precious plants.
I suppose that after this long a screed, I'm pretty well obligated to say the door is open to SRGC members visiting Victoria. Just give me a couple days' warning to make the bread, as it takes a long time for the dough to rise.
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but for us here, an oatcake is a thin ( when home-made, the thinner the better) round or triangular "biscuit" .... usually on the salty side.
Maggi - Sounds exactly like the oatcakes made in Northern Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton, all Scottish territory. However they are not so salty and never sweet but highly addictive and perfect slathered with butter. Must try some extra salt. Not so easy to cut and lift before baking and they can incinerate in a minute if you are not careful. There are quite a few NS recipes on the web.
Here is my first attempt at the no-knead and it has gotten better (more holes and better cracking of the exterior) with the addition of a 1/16 tsp of Danish yeast cake dissolved in the water and the oven temperature reduced to 450. It develops incredible character with the 18 hour rise.
Just back from St John's, Nfld; I don't think I have ever seen a place with so many Laburnums and all in full bloom. One roadside steep rock cliff some 300-400 ft high along the highway was absolutely covered in naturalized Laburnums. A chilly 10c there.
Word has it the sun appeared here today.
johnw - WHO HAS NEVER EATEN POUTINE NOR INTENDS TO. A much touted local Acadian dish here is Rappie Pie (aka Rapure), you can buy it in the supermarkets here.
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Here is my first attempt at the no-knead and it has gotten better (more holes and better cracking of the exterior) with the addition of a 1/16 tsp of Danish yeast cake dissolved in the water and the oven temperature reduced to 450. It develops incredible character with the 18 hour rise.
I think you are right about lowering the temperature to 450F. My own no-knead loaves come out with the crust somewhat overdone at 500F, even at 475F. (I hope some of the other food-interested members of the SRGC will give the no-knead bread recipe method a try. It makes the best bread I've ever made, and it's beyond simple.)
Where are you getting your Danish yeast cake from? I've looked around Victoria for cake yeast many a time with no success whatsoever.
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Finally got around to making the lemon curd today. The tarts will have to wait until tomorrow. Need to go to supermarket for more butter.
[attachthumb=1]
I envy you the ability to buy yeast in a cake. We used to get what was sold as compressed yeast but can only get the dried, granulated stuff nowadays. It's not nearly so good and doesn't have the lovely yeast scent.
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That looks so good Lesley, I love Lemon Meringue, you've got my juices going ;D
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Wow, Lesley, what a luscious looking lemon curd and your lemons look good too -
I think I'll make some fresh lemonade to drink whilst watching Wimbledon finals to keep us cool (34 degrees at Wimbledon yesterday and even the Aussie supporters running out of beer ;)
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Robin,
Don't say that, that's blasphemy! :o You can't run out of beer, that's illegal! ;D
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Rodger, I don't think I have ever seen a le creuset casserole without a knob, you got a great bargain though!!
John, your bread looks yummy, I wish I could find yeastcake around here, would think health food stores would have it but when I enquired I just got blank stares.
Do you cook your bread in a container with the lid on for the first 20 mins?
All this talk of bread reminds me I haven't made this for months.
Lesley, your lemon curd looks delicious.
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Hmmmm, Rodger, I don't think your "scale " pic of the casserole dish is a great help to me..... I was expecting something much bigger..... UNLESS the Puddy Tat is HUGE??
Looking forward to trying the no-knead loaf trick...... but not today.... about 30 degrees here.... crazy heat... can't stay outside for long in this..... now I remember why I don't care for sunny holidays! :P
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I certainly will give the no-knead bread a try. A plain soda bread is our normal quick bread.
Re Poutine: I think photographs or even mention of it should be banned - cuisine pornography.
Paddy
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It makes the best bread I've ever made, and it's beyond simple.)
Where are you getting your Danish yeast cake from? I've looked around Victoria for cake yeast many a time with no success whatsoever.
Roger - You're absolutely right, I haven't tasted such bread since France in 1984.
re: the Danish cakes, a friend has a son in Denmark and she was there this spring and brought back a load of them. She is planning more trips and I intend to pick some up next year. I wonder if they could be mailed safely in cooler autumn weather? They tend to sweat in the plastic bag in the fridge.
I should have mentioned that the loaf pictured is testimony to what you said about the recipe being forgiving. The first few time I made this recipe I put 2 instead of 3 cups of flour (remember Helen? I swore I was using the correct amount). The dough had to be poured into the Le Creuset. Better now that I am using 3 cups! Always lid on for the first 30 minutes.
re: the Lemon Curd. When is the next flight to Dunedin?
johnw
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I don't think I have ever seen a le creuset casserole without a knob, you got a great bargain though!!
Do you cook your bread in a container with the lid on for the first 20 mins?
The very shape of the pot, its handles, and even the contour of its lid are nothing like today's Le Creuset. My guess is that it's 1960s or 1970s vintage.
I leave the lid on for 30 minutes, then take it off for 15, per the NYT method.
Hmmmm, Rodger, I don't think your "scale " pic of the casserole dish is a great help to me..... I was expecting something much bigger..... UNLESS the Puddy Tat is HUGE??
Looking forward to trying the no-knead loaf trick...... but not today.... about 30 degrees here.... crazy heat... can't stay outside for long in this..... now I remember why I don't care for sunny holidays! :P
Lily's on the small side. No, it's not a huge casserole. The standard no-knead bread recipe only uses 3 cups of flour; not a big loaf. I've found by experience that a 2.4 liter bowl is just the right size for the dough to rise in, almost but not quite coming up to the rim.
I've successfully used a much larger Le Creuset dutch oven for baking this bread; the resultant loaf was wider and less thick.
I certainly will give the no-knead bread a try. A plain soda bread is our normal quick bread.
The no-knead bread isn't a quick bread using soda or baking powder. It's yeast-raised and you have to give the dough at least 12 hours for its first rising. The great virtues of the recipe are no kneading (to state the obvious), and that you can allow it to rise for 24, 36, even 48 hours. You need to allow another 2 hours for second rising, and about an hour to bake.
re: the Danish [yeast] cakes, a friend has a son in Denmark and she was there this spring and brought back a load of them. She is planning more trips and I intend to pick some up next year. I wonder if they could be mailed safely in cooler autumn weather? They tend to sweat in the plastic bag in the fridge.
With plants, the real enemy when shipped is lack of ventilation, sweating, and rot. I'd suggest that rather than mail them, send them by FedEx. DHL, or UPS. Yes, waiting until fall would be a good idea. And perhaps store them in the freezer rather than the fridge.
Now, about rock gardening, so as to keep this thread approximately on topic: the no-knead bread has an exceptionally chewy crust because the initial baking in a closed, preheated container produces a lot of steam. The effect is similar to that achieved by French bakers, who inject live steam into their ovens to get a good crust. Being a chewy crust, it's ideal for munching on while contemplating some vegetative rarity.
And it makes the most delicious toast especially when slathered with butter. Ideal for eating while viewing, say, one's jeffersonia patches.
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...and check out the rhubarb/fig marmalade recipe in the current issue of Gardens Illustrated...
Carlo - Thanks for reminding me as somehwere I have a recipe for this that a friend gave me, it is glorious. I will try to dig it out for comparison.
Here is another my grandmother used to make with only Concord grapes (not specified in her recipe). Because of the walnuts it should only be kept in the fridge for 2-3 months. Plan on giving some to friends. It is a very old recipe written in the 1920's and dating back long before that. Despite being clipped I think you should be able to fill in the few blanks.
johnw
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John,
If downloaded, the jpeg is complete.
I'm looking forward to the comparison of the rhubarb/fig when you find it.
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I should have mentioned that the loaf pictured is testimony to what you said about the recipe being forgiving. The first few time I made this recipe I put 2 instead of 3 cups of flour (remember Helen? I swore I was using the correct amount). The dough had to be poured into the Le Creuset. Better now that I am using 3 cups! Always lid on for the first 30 minutes.
John, Yep I remember :)
Rodger, I only cook mine for 35 mins altogether, 20-25 mins with the lid on and 10 mins with it off, gives it a lovely crispy crust that's not half an inch thick.
I find the extra thick crust a bit too much, I also use convection.
Btw, I mostly just let mine sit for 5 hours and then cook it.
When I first started I was making a batch supposedly enough for 4 loaves but I only found it good for two, plus after sitting in the fridge for a day or two, my leftover dough always got a hard crust on it, so I just make enough for one loaf now.
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John,
If downloaded, the jpeg is complete.
I'm looking forward to the comparison of the rhubarb/fig when you find it.
Carlo - Let me know the differences. I wonder how it would be with fresh figs. The imported "fresh" ones in the stores here just won't do.
Rhubarb & Fig Preserve - Elaine 1993
3lb. rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch chunks (1.5 Imperial qts.)
6 Cups of sugar (I usually cut back on sugar)
1 big lemon
1/3 Cup cold water
1 lb. dried figs, stemmed and finely chopped
1. Mix rhubarb and sugar and set overnight.
2. The yellow of the lemon (strange way to put it)- remove any pith, mince lemon. Mix with the water and set overnight.
3. Next day add all the ingredients on low heat and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring 30 minutes to 103-104 C. (218-220 degrees Fahrenheit)
4. If drops slide off the spoon in a single jelly sheet it's done.
5. Remove from heat, skim and bottle as per usual sterilizing method.
johnw
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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If yeast cakes were stored in the freezer, would that not kill them? Yeast is, after all, a living thing.
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If yeast cakes were stored in the freezer, would that not kill them? Yeast is, after all, a living thing.
That was my thought.
johnw
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I made a cheesecake yesterday, have been using this recipe since the late 60's but only started adding the strawberry topping in the 70's
If anyone wants the recipe I will type it out and post.
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Helen, what can I say?
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOO ;D
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Helen, not fair we're on a diet! But what a way to dream about coming off the diet ;D So in a word "yes".....
please show us how you make it so tantalizing to the taste buds (.....last word could be the plant connection :))
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Cheesecake, based on New York Cheesecake.
Preheat oven to 350F
For crust
I packet of shortbread biscuits ( you can use graham crackers but I don't like them)
1/2 cup butter
For Filling
3-4 8 oz packets of philadelphia cream cheese, softened ( can use no name doesn't seem to make a difference)
3-4 eggs, you need one egg for each packet of cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup raw sugar ( I use 1/2 cup)
1 tspn vanilla
1 250 ml carton sour cream
I tblspn sugar
Vanilla to taste
Strawberry topping.
1 punnet strawberries
Sugar to suit, I use a few tablespoons.
1 sachet or 1 tblspn gelatine
tspn lemon juice
pinch salt
Water as per gelatine instructions.
Whipped Cream.
Crush biscuits ( I put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin on them)
Put into 9 inch springform pan and add melted butter,mix it with the crumbs and press to fit pan.
Cook for 10 mins in 350F oven or chill for half an hour.
You can mix the cream cheese, sugar and egg with a wooden spoon but I use a kitchenaide mixer.
Place softened cheese and sugar into bowl of mixer, mix until smooth then add the eggs one at a time mixing until egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
Add the tspn vanilla with last egg, then mix till smooth.
Pour into spingform pan and cook for half an hour.
Let sit for 10 mins
Stir sugar and vanilla into sour cream, then smooth over top of cheesecake and put back in oven for an extra 10 mins.
Cool cheesecake.
Strawberry topping.
Wash and hull strawberries, cut in half, sprinkle sugar over strawberries and crush. I use my bamix for that but a fork would work or food processor.
Sprinkle pinch of salt over them.
Put 1/4 cup cold water in cup with teaspoon lemon juice, sprinkle gelatine over top, then when the gelatine has been absorbed add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until dissolved.
Pour over strawberry mix and stir.
When strawberries start to set around the edge of bowl, pour over cheesecake and leave to chill for at least a few hours.
Overnight is better.
If you use more strawberries you can add an extra packet of gelatine.
Serve with whipped cream and dig in!!
Sorry if the instructions are a bit odd, I am typing this from memory.
You can also use any type of fruit on top or none, but with the strawberries it is fantastic!! ;D ;D ;D
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Helen,this sounds and looks delicious!
Now, some serious business:
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Robin, this is a severe warning, wearing my Moderator's hat: ::) I will not tolerate the use of such offensive four letter words in this forum. :o ...... you used the "D" word in your last post, please do not do so again! >:(
It is permissable, in extreme circumstances, to substitute the words "healthy eating", since that can encompass a necessary medical regime, but the "D" word is more than enough to cause palpitations in this Moderator :-[ and its use infringes just about the strictest rule we have here in the Forum. Please be aware of the distress such careless use of language can cause :'(
My sympathies, of course, for the fact that you are your husband are currently subject to such horrible privations, I hope it is just a fad which will soon pass ;D
I urge others to be mindful of these vocabulary guidelines... particularly in this thread!
.....Or else:
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RR, I think it's very unfair you being singled out for the "Maggi Hammer" after all the word "DIETes" has been used many times on this Forum and no action has ever been taken. I think there is a very serious breach here of the European Convention of Human Rights. My Solicitor's, Grabbe, Sewit and Runne, are at your disposal, subject to my 10% of course.
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David, since you raise this delicate matter, I will have to declare publically that I have had extensive counselling to enable me to cope with the use of DIETes in conjunction with flowers of that type on this forum. Before this expensive and gruelling therapy I was barely able to cope with some threads because I got so upset....
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it was hard for me not to react too strongly.....
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and, I am always so busy, since, as you know.... .......
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however, I have regained my equilibrium..........
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and I won't be dissuaded by any argument.....
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my mind is made up
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so, chill, or else I'll be ......
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really cheesd off!
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;D ;D ;D
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Helen,
With strawberries in season and in abundance in the garden it is a perfect time to try out your cheesecake.
Re this speedy bread. I am not in a rush to leave my tried and tested reliable behind altogether. This morning I kept an eye on the clock for interest sake and had a loaf of soda bread and a few dozen scones prepared and cooked within an hour.
Maggi, stay cool. Have a bar of chocolate.
Paddy
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Paddy, how about sharing your soda bread recipe, oh and the scones too.
I have been trying the scone recipe from a guy on Prince Edward Island who has a tv cooking show.
You use a stick of frozen butter, ( grated) makes a bit of a mess making them but they are fantastic, each scone is layered like puff pastry.
Of course, they call them biscuits here!! ???
Maybe you're better off leaving the no knead bread until winter when having the oven on high will help keep you warm.
Please do try the cheesecake and let me know what you think.
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Just type it out once, right here in the Cooks' Corner. :D :D :D (a Cheesy grin seems appropriate for a cheesecake. :D)
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RR, I think it's very unfair you being singled out for the "Maggi Hammer" after all the word "DIETes" has been used many times on this Forum and no action has ever been taken. I think there is a very serious breach here of the European Convention of Human Rights. My Solicitor's, Grabbe, Sewit and Runne, are at your disposal, subject to my 10% of course.
Thanks for your gallant support David under the threat of censorship, which would be an absolute CATastrophe, I would rather DIE-t-han be hit with the proverbial hammer or even the sword of Maggi-cles so please take 12% and call you solicitors in the morning ;D
Helen I will try your strawberry cheesecake forthwith....I wonder how many wild strawberries I will need for the topping ::)
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Oh, I see you already did that. I hadn't noticed page 4.
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My God! For a moment there I thought we had recipes for cooked cat! :o
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RR, I think it's very unfair you being singled out for the "Maggi Hammer" after all the word "DIETes" has been used many times on this Forum and no action has ever been taken. I think there is a very serious breach here of the European Convention of Human Rights. My Solicitor's, Grabbe, Sewit and Runne, are at your disposal, subject to my 10% of course.
Thanks for your gallant support David under the threat of censorship, which would be an absolute CATastrophe, I would rather DIE-t-han be hit with the proverbial hammer or even the sword of Maggi-cles so please take 12% and call you solicitors in the morning ;D
Helen I will try your strawberry cheesecake forthwith....I wonder how many wild strawberries I will need for the topping ::)
Good grief! In the words of Kenneth Williams ( as Caesar in the film 'Carry on Cleo', if I remember correctly):
Infamy, infamy! They've all got in in for me!
I'm shocked by this mutiny. :'( I feel all too clearly the pain of one who is destined to be a a "herder of cats" ( as a fellow moderator describes her task .
I need to regroup, I feel there may be a spy in the camp who is planning this insurgence....
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Four furry slippers. The one on the left probably bites. :)
Here the Neenish Tarts. The shells are quite crisp so they are better today than yesterday, when the filling has had time to soften the shells slightly.
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Lesley, these look so much different to what I had been picturing, they look YUMMO!!
Will go back and print out the recipe.
I'm not very good at pastry though :-[
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Wonderfull thread this.
Had a good laugh and made me hungry too. ;D ;D ;D
Eric
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Lesley, the Neenish Tarts ( recipe page 1, first post in this thread, pictures two posts above this one) look so tasty as well as being made of scumptious ingredients. Not sure I could achieve such a neat finish.... but I must try.
Helen,
Don't worry about not being a good pastry cook.... do what Ian's Mum does..... buy a ready made pack from the supermarket and tell us it's yours! Mother-in-law used to make a really good shortcrust sweet pastry years ago from a recipe she liked from a TV cooking show (by John Tovey, chef at Miller Howe) and she used it to make the most delicious sweet mincmeat pies at Christmas, which I loved. A couple of years ago I said to her that I really thought that recipe had stood her in good steadas it was still the best.....this was when she confessed that for the previous ten years she'd been using a premade pack of pastry from Sainsbury's and just letting me chomp on happily! I'm sure Canadian stores will have something just as tasty! Bought pastry is only a little cheat :P ::) ;)
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Wonderfull thread this.
Had a good laugh and made me hungry too. ;D ;D ;D
Eric
That's good, you can't say fairer than that, Eric! :)
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Maggi, in Australia you can buy ready rolled sheets of frozen shortcrust pastry or puff pastry, 6 to the pack which are separated by some greaseproof paper, so whenever you need pastry for just about anything you just pull off a couple of sheets and thaw and use.
Imagine my horror when I came to canada and the only ready made shortcrust pastry is sold in aluminium pie plates, two to a pack !!!!!!!!!
Puff pastry can be bought in a pack you have to roll out yourself.
When making enquiries about this I was told that ready rolled pastry wasn't needed in supermarkets because all good canadian women make their own pasty, ANYONE can do it...yeah HAH!!
I 'think' I almost have a food processor version worked out, it has worked a few times for me , I think I 'might' be getting a feel for it.
Would hate to confess how many failures I have had.
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Well of course the "pastry" isn't a real pastry, just a stiff dough to make a short, sweet crust, so very easy really, just cream the butter and sugar, add the egg then the dry stuff. It needs a little kneading by hand to bring it all together, but not much. Or you could use the bought stuff. Or do it in a processor.
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A suggestion:
In order to ensure the continued welcome of the Cooks' Corner topic, let's institute a rule that every posting must make some reference to gardening, no matter how far fetched the connection. The trick lies in thinking of connections that aren't entirely obvious.
Is 6 months ahead of Christmas too soon to post a recipe for homemade mincemeat?
ObGardening: Mincemeat is an ideal food for gardeners in the winter, giving them the strength and stamina necessary for such onerous chores as turning over the pages of seed catalogues, contemplating society seed exchange lists, shoveling snow into coldframes, and generally protecting the garden from winter's onslaughts.
ObSouthernHemisphere: the forgoing paragraph does not apply in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Well we in the SH frequently have a mid-winter Christmas dinner too, a party, rather than within a single household, in order to enjoy the mincemeat, turkey, Christmas pudd etc that would be totally irrelevant in mid summer. No doubt the gardeners among us discuss the seedlists etc. Of course it's really just an excuse for a mammoth nosh/boozeup. Flowers for the tables would include Iris unguicularis, snowdrops, hellebores etc, since I must now include some gardening references.
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Helen, the recipe for white soda bread:
450g/1lb/3 three quarter cups flour (plain flour)
1 tsp sugar
1tsp salt
1 tst breadsoda/bicarbonate of soda - sieved
buttermilk or sour milk: 350 - 425ml/12-15fl ozs/ 1 and a half - 2 cups
Heat oven to 230C/450F/Regulo 8
Sieve dry ingredients and mix.
Make well in centre and pour in most of milk - judge then if you need more or not. The dough should be soft but not wet or sticky.
Bring dough together, onto floured board, knead for a few seconds just to tidy it up, make into a round about one and a half inches deep, cut a cross on top with knife.
15 minutes in oven, lower heat to 200C/400F/Regulo 6 for 30 minutes. Tap bottom (of loaf!) - hollow sound means it is done.
Cool on wire rack, cover with a damp teatowel if you prefer a soft crust.
Butter and strawberry jam at this time of year are perfect.
Variation: add a handful of dried fruit (sultanas, currants, raisins) before the milk to make "currant cake".
Paddy
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Paddy, is the flour all purpose or SR, and what is breadsoda?
Is it just soda bi-carbonate?
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Helen,
I've added to the recipe above to clarify. The flour is plain flour not self-raising. Breadsoda is bicarbonate of soda, as you reckoned.
Here's the recipe for scones that I use.
Plain Scones:
8oz/225g self-raising flour
1.5 ozs/40g butter or margaring
0.25 pint/150ml milk
1.5 tablespoons caster sugar
pinch of salt
Sift flour, rub in butter, stir in sugar and salt. Mix in milk bit by bit to make a soft but not wet/sticky dough.
Knead enough to bring it together. Roll out to three quarter inch/2cm high and cut with scone/pastry cutter, 1.5 or 2 inch. Gather scraps, knead and cut more etc.
Put scones onto lightly greased baking tray. Bake near top of over for 12 - 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire tray and eat warm.
I find these freeze well if frozen as soon as cool. Usually I make a multiple of the above recipe, four or six times the above and freeze most. Also, I am inclined to use a bigger pastry cutter to give larger scones - allow a little extra baking time for these larger ones, simply keep an eye on their colour in the over. They should be a golden colour when done.
Paddy
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Thanks Paddy, will give them a try soon.
I don't normally make sweet scones, will have to make some strawberry jam to go with them ;D
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Mmmmm, Lesley..... those Neenish Tarts look absolutely delicious. :o
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How much is a stick of butter? That is, not dollars but ounces. ::)
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Anne, a stick of butter = 8 tblspns, or half a cup, or 1/4 pound.
Since I have been in Canada I find it very convenient buying butter in sticks rather than in a single block.
Each stick has measurements so it makes it much easier to cut off bits without having to do some sums.
A stick is also the exact size needed for use in butter crocks, the ones you put water in the bottom and the bit with the butter sits upside down in the water, can't remember what they are called, but they keep the butter cooler in summer without having to refrigerate.
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What a cool idea 8)
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Ah - thanks, Helen.
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Yes, those would be handy. We only get butter in 500gm paper-wrapped blocks or soft and semi-soft butter in plastic tubs like those for margarine.
These scones are excellent.
An ordinary scone dough, patted out reasonably flat into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to within 2cms of one edge. Sprinkle sultanas too if you wish. Dab some sold water along the un-sugared edge. Roll the rectangle lengthwise then cut it in 2 or 3cms slices and cook for a few mins in a hot oven.
When I lived on a farm, my mother would see the local stock agents come in the gate a km away, and she would have them in the oven by the time they arrived at the door. About 7 or 8 mins to cook. Stock agents ALWAYS came at morning or afternoon teatime, or just on lunchtime.
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Lesley, I forgot to say you get 4 sticks to the box, of 454grams.
Canada is mostly metric but still uses pounds, I suppose that is mostly for the benefit of our neighbours on the other side of the border.
I find it very confusing at times.
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Mmmmm, Lesley..... those Neenish Tarts look absolutely delicious. :o
They are Paul, or they were ;D
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Anne, a stick of butter = 8 tblspns, or half a cup, or 1/4 pound.
Since I have been in Canada I find it very convenient buying butter in sticks rather than in a single block.
Each stick has measurements so it makes it much easier to cut off bits without having to do some sums.
A stick is also the exact size needed for use in butter crocks, the ones you put water in the bottom and the bit with the butter sits upside down in the water, can't remember what they are called, but they keep the butter cooler in summer without having to refrigerate.
Helen - What is the brand of the butter you photo'ed? Tatamagouche is the one I get but only by the pound and no measurements on the package, only on the Crisco.
By the way can someone enlighten me on salted versus unsalted butter and if the latter is entirely necessary if the recipe calls for it and why?
johnw
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Yes, those would be handy. We only get butter in 500gm paper-wrapped blocks or soft and semi-soft butter in plastic tubs like those for margarine.
These scones are excellent.
An ordinary scone dough, patted out reasonably flat into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to within 2cms of one edge. Sprinkle sultanas too if you wish. Dab some sold water along the un-sugared edge. Roll the rectangle lengthwise then cut it in 2 or 3cms slices and cook for a few mins in a hot oven.
When I lived on a farm, my mother would see the local stock agents come in the gate a km away, and she would have them in the oven by the time they arrived at the door. About 7 or 8 mins to cook. Stock agents ALWAYS came at morning or afternoon teatime, or just on lunchtime.
Lesley
The Air Canada flight from London Heathrow to Halifax always served scones and Devon clotted cream with an array of jams for a mid-flight snack. Sadly that was discontinued a couple of years ago.
BTW My grandmother always put golden sultanas in her scones but they were never sweet.
johnw
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. . . can someone enlighten me on salted versus unsalted butter and if the latter is entirely necessary if the recipe calls for it and why?
Food fusses will insist on unsalted butter, but Marion Cunningham in her book "The Fannie Farmer Baking Book" says for baking it's quite unnecessary to use unsalted butter. Just remember that the salt the recipe calls for may need to be reduced or even eliminated as salted butter may provide enough.
Perhaps this urban myth got going because salt is a preservative in butter, so unsalted butter was more likely to be fresh; otherwise it would have gone off a little.
Undoubtedly there are a few preparations where salted vs. unsalted makes a difference, but the only one I can think of is for ghee.
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Helen - What is the brand of the butter you photo'ed? Tatamagouche is the one I get but only by the pound and no measurements on the package, only on the Crisco.
By the way can someone enlighten me on salted versus unsalted butter and if the latter is entirely necessary if the recipe calls for it and why?
johnw
John, the brand is Lactantia, it comes in a box of 4 ( 454grams/pound)
I buy it when it's on special at the co-op but you can get it at Superstore and Sobeys here.
I think you can also get the sticks in Sobey's home brand, it's in a green box, think it's sobeys but could be superstore.
As for salted butter v unsalted, I always just use salted, unsalted butter has to be kept in the freezer and I think half the time you buy it, it's aready going rancid.
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I agree with the comments about unsalted butter. I've never bought it in my life and as you'll notice, the recipe for lemon curd though it calls for unsalted butter, then has a pinch of salt, so why bother? I remember many years ago when I was allowed to make the butter on my aunt's farm, and before the churned cream actually became butter, a handful of salt was always added. Maybe people with high blood pressure have to have unsalted but they are probably eating marg anyway.
Scones with cream and jam sounds much better than the typically plastic airline food of modern airlines - if one gets anything at all, without having to pay for a poor selection of junk food! >:( Air NZ still do tea, coffee and biscuits on their low cost flights though, at no extra cost.
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My God - this will be turning into a giant thread... ::) ::) ;)
I must remind everyone of Stephenb's thread: My edible alpines......
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3085.0 ....you're bound to get a few ideas there!
I've been busy grazing and have only just been made aware of this thread. By popular request, here's a simple little PFAF-inspired salad recipe which I put together in August 2001 for a garden open day (easy if a bit time consuming to put together - but you really do need my garden to make it - please feel free to pop round if you want to try...). NB! A few of the ingredients are really "border edibles"....
Take some leaves of leaves of Alpine Calamint (Acinos alpinus); leaves of Basil Thyme (Acinos arvensis), leaves of Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria), chopped wood mushroom (Agaricus silvicola), some leaves and flowers of Agastache "Licquorice", some leaves and flowers of Anise Hyssop (Agastache anisata), some leaves and flowers of White Anise Hyssop (Agastache anisata alba), add some leaves of Agastache aurantiaca, some leaves and flowers of Mexican Giant Hyssop (Agastache mexicana), leaves of Agastache pringlei, some leaves of Korean Mint (Agastache rugosa), some leaves of Agastache scrophulariaefolia, leaves of Agastache speciosa, a few leaves of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), some leaves of Allium amphibolum, leaves of Mouse Garlic (Allium angulosum), some leaves of Allium atropurpureum, some leaves of Canadian Garlic (Allium canadense), leaves and bulbs of Spring Onion (Allium cepa "White Lisbon Winter Hardy"), Bulbs of Onion (Allium cepa "Turbo"), a few bulbils of Egyptian Onion (Allium cepa proliferum), Shallot bulbs (Allium cepa var. ascalonicum), leaves and the beautiful flowers of the Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), leaves of the Nodding Onion culivar Allium cernuum "Pink Giant", leaves of White Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum album),leaves of the Nodding Onion cultivar Allium cernuum rubra, leaves of Allium cyathophorum v. farreri, leaves of Allium ericetorum, selected leaves of Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum), leaves of the Small Yellow Onion (Allium flavum), some leaves of Allium japonicum, some leaves of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), some leaves of Allium komoravianum, leaves of Allium lineare, bulbs of the Twistedleaf Garlic (Allium obliquum), leaves of Allium oviflorum, leaves of the Garden Leek (Allium porrum "Alora RZ"), leaves of the Garden Leek (Allium porrum "Musselburgh"), a few leaves of Chinese Chives (Allium ramosum), leaves of various Chives and cultivars including Allium schoenoprasum, Allium schoenoprasum "Major", Allium schoenoprasum 'Lav', Allium schoenoprasum "Pink Flowered", Allium schoenoprasum "Wallington White", Allium schoenoprasum alpinum, some leaves of Siberian Chives (Allium schoenoprasum ssp. sibiricum), Allium schoenoprasum yezamonticola, leaves of Allium sclimensis, leaves of Allium scorodoprasum rotundum, leaves of Allium scorodoprasum ssp. jajlae, leaves of German Garlic (Allium senescens calcareum), leaves of German Garlic (Allium senescens glaucum), leaves of German Garlic (Allium senescens montanum) some leaves of Allium sikkimense, some leaves of the Round-headed Leek (Allium sphaerocephalum), some leaves of Miyama-rakkyo (Allium splendens), leaves of the Prairie Onion (Allium stellatum), leaves of Allium strictum, leaves and flowers of Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), a few leaves of the One-leaved onion (Allium unifolium), add some leaves of Crow Garlic (Allium vineale), a taste of lemon from Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) leaves, some young leaves of Prince's Feather (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), a few berries of the Running Service-Berry (Amelanchier spicata), leaves of Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), some leaves of two Dill (Anethum graveolens) cultivars "Como" and "Superdukat", a young leaf of Angelica (Angelica archangelica ssp. archangelica), both leaves and flowers of Garden Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), leaves and stalks of Wild Celery (Apium graveolens) leaves and stalks of cultivated Celery (Apium graveolens) cultivar "Solid White", in addition to two Leaf Celery (Apium graveolens sepalinum) cultivars "Hoplands Fenlander" and "Perennial Greenleaf", add some leaves of Alpine Rock Cress (Arabis alpina and Arabis alpina alpina), leaves of Russian Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus dracunculoides), and French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus sativa) a few leaves of Garden Orache (Atriplex hortensis) cultivar "Red Plume", a few aromatic leaves of Alecost (Balsamita major), some sharp leaves of American Land Cress (Barbarea verna), some leaves of Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris) and its cultivar variegated Yellow Rocket /Barbarea vulgaris variegata), a few leaves of cooked Ceylon Spinach (Basella alba), leaves of Wild Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) in addition to leaves of the Garden Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) cultivars "Dobbie's Purple", "Forono" and "White Devoy". Next, mix in some cooked leaves of Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris flavescens), put aside a few flowers of Borage (Borago officinalis) for decoration, add a few Brussel Sprouts (Brassica oleracea gemmifera cultivar "Jade F1"), some raw young leaves of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) cultivars "Cotswold Queen", "Offenham" and "Vinterkål Trønder", some leaves of Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) cultivars "Purple Vienna" and "White Vienna", some Calabrese (Brassica oleracea var. italica) cultivar "Green Sprouting" leaves, a few Kale leaves (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) of the cultivar "Red Russian", Turnip (Brassica rapa) cultivar "Snowball" sliced root, add a few leaves of Mizuna (Brassica rapa ssp. nipposinica var. laciniata), a few leaves of Turkish Rocket (Bunias orientalis), leaves to taste of the Large-flowered Calamint (Calamintha grandiflora) and Lesser Calamint (Calamintha nepeta), steamed leaves of Calendula "Touch of Class", steamed leaves of Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), young leaves of Cornish Bellflower (Campanula alliarifolia), put aside flowers of Peach-leaved Bellflower (Campanula persicifolia), its white flowered cultivar (Campanula persicifolia alba) and Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), a few sharp leaves of Wavy Bittercress (Cardamine flexuosa) as well as Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), some young Caraway (Carum carvi) seed, lemon flavoured Balm of Gilead (Cedronella canariensis) leaves, steamed roots of the Turnip-rooted Chervil (Chaerophyllum bulbosum), a few Chamomile (Chamomila recutita) leaves, a few leaves of Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides), cooked leaves of Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus), leaves of Strawberry Blite (Chenopodium capitatum), Fig-leaved Goosefoot (Chenopodium ficifolium), leaves and berries of Beetberry (Chenopodium foliosum), leaves of Chenopodium purpurascens, some leaves of the Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) cultivar "Dave", together with some leaves of Chenopodium suecicum, some cooked leaves of Chopsuey Greens (Chrysanthemum coronarium), a few leaves of the Chicory (Cichorium intybus) cultivar "Rossa de Verona", a few leaves of Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia spp.), some leaves and flowers of the Cliantro (Coriandrum sativum) cultivar "Santo", a leaf of Sea Kale (Crambe maritima), leaves of Mitsuba (Crypotaenia japonica atropurpurea), a few slices of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and steamed young stem of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivar "Boothby's Blond". Add a few slices of the Courgette (Cucurbita pepo) cultivar "Partenon", a few leaves of the Kenilworth Ivy (Cymbalaria muralis), a few steamed leaves of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus), steamed together with other plants to flavour, finally diced Carrot (Daucus carota sativus), cultivars "Autumn King", "Nantes 2" and the purple rooted "John's Purple". Add some leaves of Rocket (Eruca vesicaria sativa) a few steamed flowers of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) cultivar "Bronze" leaves, leaves of the Florence Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare azoricum) cultivar "Zefa Fino", some leaves and fruit of Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), a few leaves of Alpine Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) cultivar "Rugens", leaves of the Alpine Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) "Alpine Strawberry", a few leaves of Fragaria viridis, steamed leaves of Sweet Woodruff (Galium odorata), steamed Leaves of Hablitzia tamnoides, a few leaves of Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum), young flower buds of the Day Liliy (Hemerocallis spp.) cultivar "Tall Peach", a few leaves of Giap Ca (Houttuynia cordata) and its cultivar "Chameleon", a few leaves and flowers of Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) and the white and pink-flowered cultivars "albus" and "roseus", a few steamed leaves of Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), steamed young seed pods of the Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) cultivar "Oakleaf" and "American pick and come again" leaves, the inner stem of a slice of Celtuce (Lactuca sativa angustana) a few leaves of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) cultivars "Munstead" and "Dwarf", a few cooked flowers of Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), some leaves of Cress (Lepidium sativum), a few leaves of Lovage (Levisticum officinale), a root (steeped and cooked) of the Pigmy Bitteroot (Lewisia pygmaea), a few leaves and immature seed of the Scots Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum), some leaves of Sweet Aztec Herb (Lippia Dulcis), some young steamed seed pods of Asparagus Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus), a few leaves of Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi nana), dried apple (Malus domesticus), a few leaves of the Malva alcea cultivar "Fastigiate", some leaves, young seed pods and flowers of the Salad Mallow (Malva crispa), leaves of the Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) cultivars "alba" and "rosea", leaves of the Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), a few leaves of Horehound (Marrubium vulgare), leaves of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) and the cultivars "All Gold" and "variegata", leaves of the following mints: Asian Mint (Mentha "Asian"), Lemon Mint (Mentha "Lemon"), Lime Mint (Mentha "Lime"), Mitcham Mint (Mentha "Mitcham"), Basil Mint (Mentha "Basil"), Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), Corn Mint (Mentha arvensis), Sakhalin Mint (Mentha arvensis var. sachalinensis), Buddleia Mint (Mentha longifolia), Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii), Pineapple Mint (Mentha rotundifolia variegata ), Spearmint (Mentha spicata), Curly Mint (Mentha spicata crispi), Mentha spicata nana, Ginger Mint (Mentha x gentilis), Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), Lemon Mint (Mentha x piperita "Citrata"), White Peppermint (Mentha x piperita alba), Black Peppermint (Mentha x piperita piperita), Apple Mint (Mentha x rotundifolia) and Mentha x verticillata. Next, add a few leaves of Oyster Plant (Mertensia maritima), leaves and immature young seed of Spignel Meu (Meum athamanticum), together with some leaves of Monarda "Violet Queen", Monarda bradnuriana, Bergamot (Monarda didyma alba), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa menthaefolia) and Horse Mint (Monarda punctata), some leaves of Watercress (Nasturtium officinale), a few leaves of Lemon Catmint (Nepeta cataria citriodora) and Nepeta racemosa. Add leaves of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) cultivar "Massive", Greek Basil (Ocimum basilicum "Greek"), Lemon Basil (Ocimum basilicum "Lemon") and Ocimum gratissimum with Cooked roots of Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), followed by l leaves; of Origanum "Golden Curly", Origanum "Showy", Origanum compactum, Origanum heracleoticum, leaves of Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana), Pot Marjoram (Origanum onites), Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Origanum vulgare "heerenhausen", Origanum vulgare aureum, and Origanum vulgare variegata. Mix all together and add leaves of Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), Pink Sorrel (Oxalis articulata), leaves of Oxalis carnosa, Yellow Sorrel (Oxalis corniculata atropurpurens), Yellow Sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), Iron Cross Plant (Oxalis deppei), Oxalis tetraphylla, Oxalis triangularis, leaves and flowers of Mashua (Oxalis tuberosa) cultivar "Ken Aslett", and leaves of Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria digyna). Add a few leaves of Pelargonium "Best Mauve", Pelargonium "Pine", Pelargonium "Svenskblomma", Apple Geranium (Pelargonium odoratissimum), leaves of Purple Shiso (Perilla frutescens nankinensis), leaves of Parsley (Petoselinum crispum), leaves of Hamburg Parsley (Petroselinum crispum tuberosum) cultivar "Berliner", young seed pods of Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus) cultivar "Painted Lady", young seed pods of the Bush Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars "Provider" and "Red Provider", young seed pods of Pea (Pisum sativum) varieties "Jattesocker", "Oregon Sugar Pod", "Schweitzer Riesse" and "Sugar Snap", young seed of Pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars "Commander", "Hurst Green Shaft" and "Purple Podded", a couple of leaves from Che Qian Zi (Plantago asiatica) cultivar "Ki Fu" and Plantago asiatica variegata, leaves of Plantago camschatica, Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), Common Plantain (Plantago major), Plantago major atropurpurea and Plantago major rosularis, together with Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima) and Fleawort (Plantago psyllia). Add the nutty bulbils and steamed roots of Alpine Bistort (Polygonum viviparum), leaves of Poreleaf (Porophyllum ruderale), a few leaves of Oxlip (Primula elatior) and the cross Primula vulgaris x elatior, a few dried Plums (Prunus domestica) from the cultivar "Czar", a few leaves of Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), fresh fruit from the Jostaberry (Ribes "Jostaberry"), Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum "Øyebyn"), the Black Redcurrant (Ribes sativum "Black-berried cultivar"), Redcurrant (Ribes sativum), Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) and a "Red-berried cultivar", a few leaves of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Rosmarinus officinalis repens, fresh fruit of the Arctic Bramble (Rubus arcticus x stellatus), Wild Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and an unknown garden cultivar, leaves of Rumex "Shchavel", Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) as well as Rumex acetosa "Broad Leaved", together with the non-flowering cultivar of Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), leaves of Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella), Red Dock (Rumex aquaticus), Herb Patience (Rumex patientia), leaves of Rumex pseudonatronatus, Red-veined Dock (Rumex sanguineus sanguineus), Buckler-leaved Sorrel (Rumex scutatus), the Bladder Dock (Rumex vesicarius), add chopped fruiting body of a Russula spp. Fungi, a few cooked leaves of Southern Salthorn (Saliconia quinqueflora), a few leaves of Sage (Salvia "Willow Leaved"), Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans), Jupiter's Distaff (Salvia glutinosa), Blackcurrant Sage (Salvia microphylla v. grahamii), Salvia microphylla v. wislizeni, Sage(Salvia officinalis) and its cultivars "Icterina" and "Purpurascens". Next add a few steamed flowers of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), a few leaves of Cotton Lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and Dwarf Cotton Lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus nana), some leaves of Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis) and Winter Savory (Satureja montana), young seed pods of Prickly Scorpionstail (Scorpiurus vermiculatus), the pods resembling caterpillars (we like practical jokes!), a cooked Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica) root, a leaf or two of Sedum ewersii, Sedum kamtschaticum middendorfianum, Crooked Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre), Caucasian Stonecrop (Sedum spurium) and its cultivar 'Fuldaglut', a few leaves of Greek Mountain Tea (Sideritis syriaca), leaves of the Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) and its cultivar "Sily", with care to remove the spines, and steamed Potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers of the following varieties: "Beate", "Blå Congo" ( a blue variety), "King Edward", "Mandel", "Ostara", "Red Arran Pilot Elite" and "Yellow Finn". Then, add a few leaves of Sweet Goldenrod (Solidago odora), cooked leaves of the Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus), Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and Curled tansy (Tanacetum vulgare crispum), leaves of the Rubber Dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) and Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as well as a third unidentified Taraxacum spp. , together with steamed leaves of New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonoides), leaves of Thymus "Broad Leaf", Thymus "Doone Valley", Cilician Thyme (Thymus cilicisus), Thymus comosus, Thymus nummularius, Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox britannicus), Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum "Snowdrift"), Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum albus), Thymus sibthorpii, Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and LemonThyme (Thymus x citriodorus fragrantissimum). Mix in steamed Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) root, as well as steamed roots of Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon (Tragopogon pratensis)., a few steamed leaves of the Sea Arrow Grass (Triglochin maritima),a few leaves of Sweet Trefoil (Trigonella caerulea), leaves and young seeds of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), leaves and flowers of Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus), leaves and flowers of the Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) steamed leaves of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Urtica laetevirens and the Annual Nettle (Urtica urens). Add some dried Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), some Cornsalad (Valerianella locusta) cultivar "Elan" leaves, a few leaves of Brookweed (Veronica beccabunga), immature steamed beans from the Tic Bean (Vicia faba minor ) cultivar "Lapland", the Broad Bean (Vicia faba major) cultivars "Express", "Gloster Bounty", "Masterpiece Green Longpod" and "The Sutton", a few leaves and flowers of the Horned Violet (Viola cornuta) cultivar 'Perfection', leaves from Viola declinata, Stream Violet (Viola glabella), Labrador Violet (Viola labradorica) and finally a few Viola nigra leaves. All ingredients apart from the Russula fungus and Dried Bilberries were harvested in the garden. 3 salad dressings were available on the day: 1) Sour Cream with Garlic and Chives 2) Sour Cream with Parsley and Basil 3) Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, dried Lovage, Cayenne pepper and Garlic. In addition, a lone organic slug was spotted by one of the game salad diners adding much needed protein....
It was recommeded to take teaspoon size portions as the brain can only process 7 different tastes at the same time...
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Gee Whiz...what a Leviathan recipe Stephen - think I'd be too exhausted to eat after collecting all this, just for a teaspoonful ;D
I do love herby, flowery salads though ;)
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Stephen,
I can recommend your recipes to all forum readers as I have just assembled and tasted it. I must confess that I didn't have everything in the recipe - dried bilberries are never available here. We pick them when ripe and eat them while fresh. The area in which I live is commonly called "Bilberry", by the way.
Good recipe. Paddy
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Paddy,
I've never even heard of a Bilberry until now. ???
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Paul,
It is not the name I would use normally for this small berry. Growing up, it was always called "fraochán" which is the Irish word for it. We never had an English word. I suppose it is quite close in appearance, though smaller, to blueberry and the taste is not dissimilar.
Paddy
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Stephen,
I can recommend your recipes to all forum readers as I have just assembled and tasted it. I must confess that I didn't have everything in the recipe - dried bilberries are never available here. We pick them when ripe and eat them while fresh. The area in which I live is commonly called "Bilberry", by the way.
Good recipe. Paddy
Well, Paddy, you have a treat to come then as it really is the dried bilberries that make the recipe! I'll send you some and you can try again ;)
(we don't call them bilberries here either - they are known as blaabaer). And, thanks for the recommendation. I look forward to what others think!
By the way, this is the second longest recipe that I have personally put together.... I was afraid of exceeding the text limit!
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Paddy,
I've never even heard of a Bilberry until now. ???
Paul, I thought a bilberry was a hat!! :-[ :-[ :-[
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Bottled bilberries produced in Poland are available in the UK but are totally devoid of flavour. I have fond childhood memories of my Mother's bilberry pies made from berries picked from the moors above Huddersfield. When we lived in Bury (before our move to Devon) we used to pick bilberries from the moors above Holcombe Brook but the kids had usually eaten the lot before we got home.
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For Scots, bilberries are called blaeberries ..... delicious, though we seldom have them dried, forthe reasons given by David!
Stephen, I would have tried your salad, but half way through collecting the ingredients I became quite exhausted and had to lie down to rest....... ::) ;D ;)
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Helen,
That hat you are thinking about is not a "trilby" by any chance.
On wild fruit - wild strawberries are delicious at the moment. It takes a lot of collecting as they are so small but the flavour is very intense.
Paddy
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Paddy, I think I was thinking of Burberry, or maybe even Bilbo Baggins!!
The mind plays strange tricks as one ages!! ::)
Speaking of dried bilberries of which there's not much chance me finding, dried cranberries are very nice sprinkled over a greek salad.
Well, the salad started out as a greek salad but now the list of what goes in it is almost as long as Stephen's list ( just kidding)
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You just HAVE to try this. It's very good indeed either with tea/coffee or in a lunchbox or after dinner instead of dessert. :)
It tends to be quite firm but the cherries keep it moist. It's a loaf rather than a cake and I usually spread a little marg on the slices. Roger eats his without. The recipe is from an old Marguerite Patten cookbook "Book of Cakes and Baking."
Farmhouse Loaf Cake.
5 ozs margarine (butter is better) 6 ozs plain flour
5 ozs caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs 3 chocolate flake bars
3 ozs ground almonds 2 ozs glace cherries
As always, I adapt. I do 1 1/2 quantities to fill a larger tin and I
always use more cherries (proportionately) and an extra flake bar or two
( or I eat one)
Cream marg and sugar together till soft and fluffy. Beat in lightly whipped eggs. Fold in sieved flour and BP then add halved cherries, crushed flake bars (leave some big bits) and ground almonds. Put into a greased loaf tin approx 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches and cook at 375F for about 20 mins then reduce to 350F until cooked.
I grease the sides of the tin but use baking paper on the bottom. It also pays to put a piece of aluminium foil over the loaf for the last half of cooking otherwise it tends to overcook on top before being cooked in the middle. I start it at 350F then take that down slightly.
Cool on a wire rack. The one in the picture has half and half ground almonds and ground hazelnuts. It smelled wonderful as it cooked. Tastes good too, nuttier than the original.
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edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Or may be Bill's beret ;D
Lots of deliciously sweet wild cherries ripe and ready to pick - the astonishing thing is the birds have passed them by...why?
Any ideas for cherry recipes ::) ?
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Can't believe that you have just read my mind Lesley about cherry recipes :o What are the chances of that happening at the speed of light??????
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Those look fabulous. Cherries are my all time favourite fruit - well apart from apples, oranges and a crisp pear.
The cherries in my loafcake are glace of course but I should think fresh or perhaps stewed cherries would do as well and make for a juicier loaf. Then there's Helen's recipe too.
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Ah, Lesley,
I'm rolling about laughing here - was reading through the list of ingredients for your farmhouse loaf, all seemed normal enough until I came to the three chocolate flake bars and then later read that you will add another one or two.
Are you sure that this isn't a chocolate cake being called something else so as to disguise the fact that you like lots of chocolate. I feel it would be easier to simply purchase a good quality chocolate and then eat it rather than cooking it at all or diluting it with other ingredients.
To be truthful, I would go straight away and try out the recipe but sweet things are temporarily banned in the house - the lady of the house wishes to shed some pounds! However, she did make a big batch of strawberry ice-cream yesterday. I'll have to eat that all on my own.
Paddy
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Bottled bilberries produced in Poland are available in the UK but are totally devoid of flavour. I have fond childhood memories of my Mother's bilberry pies made from berries picked from the moors above Huddersfield. When we lived in Bury (before our move to Devon) we used to pick bilberries from the moors above Holcombe Brook but the kids had usually eaten the lot before we got home.
I'm with you lad. Many an time I'm had a bilberry pie cooked with Yorkshire Bilberries. Best fruit on the planet. Beats your blueberries any day! I remember walking along a track following the 5000' contour line on John Crow Peak in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. We had just walked under a group of rhododendrons the size of the oaks that Seven Oaks in Kent doesn't have any more and the aim was to find Jamaican bilberries. We could only just reach them as they grow on trees out there. The berries certainly added flavour to our breakfast cereal, but I'm not sure they we worth the effort?
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You do me wrong Paddy. I add the extras if I'm doing one and a half times the original quantity of the WHOLE recipe. But yes, we all know that the lady from Aberdeen is not the only addict on the Forum. I'm working on a "cake" to celebrate her 10,000th post but haven't perfected it yet. The attemps are doing my shape no good at all. It is a very plain cake, made from only chocolate, caster sugar, eggs and butter. I may well die of a cholesterol related condition before I get to post it.
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Lesley,
She's up to 9976 posts at present, so you'd better get to it on the cake-perfecting. :o
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Lesley,
Why cook it at all? Serve a good quality chocolate as bought!
Big fruit pick here today: last of the strawberries, a basin each of loganberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants. Most are going to the freezer but strawberries on a cream sponge cake (no chocolate).
Paddy
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It is a very plain cake, made from only chocolate, caster sugar, eggs and butter. I may well die of a cholesterol related condition before I get to post it.
Sounds like a chocolate mousse, Lesley. Are you having problems with it holding together? If you're avoiding flour, how about just a hint of ground almonds? Oh dear God, I'm off to find some chocloate! :P
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So you're addicted too Martin? :D
Paul I'm getting worried about it in case it's not ready in time. Will have another go this afternoon, after home from a visit to my solicitor about a complaint against me and my employer, (for racism, for God's sake!) t the Human Rights Commission, from a person who wanted to trade at Otago Farmers' Market and was declined. What he wanted to sell was fresh dates, imported from Saudi Arabia. Refused to accept that dates couldn't by any stretch of the imagination be called a "local" product, or even from NZ. He is Saudi himself, so bring out the race card.)
Paddy, until Maggi removes the "Cake Maker in Chief" soubriquet from my avatar, I feel I must perform on occasions.
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So you're addicted too Martin? :D
I'm addicted to everything worth being addicted to. ;D Re. choccy cake, though; I love using ground almonds in choc cakes ever since a German friend gave us her recipe for Herren Torte, made with very little flour but lots of ground almonds instead, plus heaps of cocoa powder and dark chocolate, sugar butter and eggs, layered with a cherry jam and Morello cherries mix in the middle, covered in whipped cream and sprinkled with almonds toasted with butter and sugar. The ground almonds help keep the cake really moist, not at all dry, no matter how much cocoa powder you use.
We've recently discovered the local shops have started stocking Lindt dark chocolate bars with 85% and 90% cocoa mass. The 85% is incredible, and the 90% just mind-blowing.
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Lesley,
Good luck with the market thing. At least from the point of view of "local produce", importing goods to sell should put you in good stead to be able to fight the charges shouldn't they? I hate the racism card being played, just because they didn't get their way. If your market rules clearly state that only local produce can be sold, then you should hopefully have no problems. Now if he'd grown them himself instead there would be nor problem, but you just can't tell some people. :o
Fingers crossed and best wishes for you. 8)
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Good luck and best wishes from me too Lesley - what an unpleasant affair when a Farmer's Market gives an atmosphere of well-being and community. Nowadays it seems that people with a gripe will do anything to upset the balance and stand out from the crowd instead of finding a way to be part of it. Here's hoping sanity prevails for you in your more than justified argument to keep a Farmer's Market for local produce and support local community life ::) :)
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So you're addicted too Martin? :D
I'm addicted to everything worth being addicted to. ;D Re. choccy cake, though; I love using ground almonds in choc cakes ever since a German friend gave us her recipe for Herren Torte, made with very little flour but lots of ground almonds instead, plus heaps of cocoa powder and dark chocolate, sugar butter and eggs, layered with a cherry jam and Morello cherries mix in the middle, covered in whipped cream and sprinkled with almonds toasted with butter and sugar. The ground almonds help keep the cake really moist, not at all dry, no matter how much cocoa powder you use.
We've recently discovered the local shops have started stocking Lindt dark chocolate bars with 85% and 90% cocoa mass. The 85% is incredible, and the 90% just mind-blowing.
Aw, c'mon Martin you can't lead us this far, get us salivating and then not give us the recipe 8)
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Brian,
But isn't that the true art of cooking.... the anticipation. Are you really surprised that Martin is leading us astray this way? ;)
;D ;D
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...but I'm drooling Paul ;)
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Aw, c'mon Martin you can't lead us this far, get us salivating and then not give us the recipe 8)
Okay. I don't stick strictly to the given recipe. For example, I add extra melted dark chocolate in addition to the cocoa powder. And I don't always measure exact amounts. But here's what I was given:
Herren Torte
200gms ground almonds
4 eggs
100gms sugar
150gms butter
50gms cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
bit of milk if the mix is a bit on the dry side
Bake at 150c for 45 mins-ish. (lower heat or shorter time for fan oven). Either bake two shallow rounds or one deep round
and slice in two. Morello cherry jam and/or morello cherries spread between the layers, then cover completely, top and sides with whipped cream. Sprinkle liberally with sliced almonds coated with melted butter and sugar and toasted under the grill or in a frying pan.
I've just realised that the original recipe has no flour in it at all, only ground almonds. I think I must have started putting a little flour in to
soak up the melted dark chocolate that I add in addition to the cocoa powder.
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Probably don't need to tell you this, but the recipe as given to me says cover with whipped cream when the cake
has cooled. Duh!
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Aw, c'mon Martin you can't lead us this far, get us salivating and then not give us the recipe 8)
200gms ground almonds
4 eggs
100gms sugar
150gms butter
50gms cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
bit of milk if the mix is a bit on the dry side
Bake at 150c for 45 mins-ish. (lower heat or shorter time for fan oven). Either bake two shallow rounds or one deep round
and slice in two. Morello cherry jam and/or morello cherries spread between the layers, then cover completely, top and sides with whipped cream. Sprinkle liberally with sliced almonds coated with melted butter and sugar and toasted under the grill or in a frying pan.
I've just realised that the original recipe has no flour in it at all, only ground almonds. I think I must have started putting a little flour in to soak up the melted dark choocolate that I add in addition to the cocoa powder.
Anyone reading who is fond of such tortes would be well advised to acquire a copy of "The Viennese Pastry Cookbook" by Lily Joss Reich. It's filled with the most scrumptious recipes, some of them going back at least as far as the author's grandmother. Of all the cookbooks I own, it's the one from which I have made the largest number of different recipes. I own two copies, a paperback one picked up in a secondhand store that I use in the kitchen and a hardback copy later ordered online that sits in glory on the bookshelf.
It includes a large number of tortes, many using ground nuts, ground chesnuts, chocolate in liberal quantities, jam (esp. apricot jam), and other such delights. It also includes many recipes for other pastries, one of which, for "vanilla wafers", uses a technique I've not seen in any other recipe.
Finding it was one of those serendipitous happenings that makes you think your guardian angel is looking out for you. Though it evidently sold well enough to justify a paperback edition, it's one of the many obscure, but worthy, books you never hear anyone mention.
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I will look out for it Rodger, and thanks Martin, I'd worked out cream was a good choice :D I'll try it after I've made a Beetroot and Chocolate Cake (we're in surplus of beetroot at the moment!).
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Brian, I was saying "duh!" to the instruction I was given with the original recipe to let the cake cool before covering it with the whipped cream - like anyone would be daft enough to try spreading whipped cream on a hot cake straight from the over and expect it to stay on the cake and not melt into a puddle around it!
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Martin I am forever guilty of skimming and missing out vital bits. I see what you mean ::)
Rodger "The Viennese Pastry Cookbook" by Lily Joss Reich is on its way courtesy of Abebooks!
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Shall we all be invited for tea Brian? ;D
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Martin I am forever guilty of skimming and missing out vital bits. I see what you mean ::)
Rodger "The Viennese Pastry Cookbook" by Lily Joss Reich is on its way courtesy of Abebooks!
I hope you don't miss too many bits out of the recipes, Brian ? :P
Re Abe Books.... you haven't got the last one, have you? I was just on my way there!
EEK! Thought for a moment you had nabbed the last one...... I see that Lily is a Lilly ..... I find there are several.... bit of a shock to see such price difference between UK, Europe and USA!
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I know it's a shocker the difference in price. Still I've had several from the States and it's worth the wait, they seem to be sent to a distribution centre in Germany before shipping here.
Shall we all be invited for tea Brian?
...and cakes of course ;)
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Re Abe Books.... you haven't got the last one, have you? I was just on my way there! EEK! Thought for a moment you had nabbed the last one...... I see that Lily is a Lilly ..... I find there are several.... bit of a shock to see such price difference between UK, Europe and USA!
Sorry about the misspelling, Maggi.
One thing amusing about the book is the infinite array of different size and shape baking pans the author owns. Just for amusement, I indexed all the different ones she referred to and the list is longer than you can imagine. If you decide to acquire the many variations she calls for, soon you will need to build an annex to your house to hold them all.
It is an American cookbook, though the recipes are originally Austrian, so you may find some of the ingredients or instructions unfamiliar or confusing. If so, just write and I'll do my best to clarify.
As for ABEBooks, I've found it's quite important to compare total prices that include shipping and handling. On ABE, the booksellers set their own prices, unlike Alibris which dictates the shipping/handling fees so they are all equal.
Another useful site when looking for secondhand books is bookfinder.com; it is a meta search engine and compares listings from a number of individual sites, including Alibris & ABEBooks.
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Just caught this horrible news report: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090714/twl-blumenthal-style-chef-blows-off-his-3fd0ae9.html
A young chef has blown his hands off when using liquid nitrogen , in the manner of the (often daft) experiments of the chef Heston Blumenthal .... what an absolute disaster.
I read a recipe the other day from HB, for fish cooked in a sealed bag in a dishwasher machine..... flipping idiot.... why would anyone DO that ? And this young guy follows his lead and looks what happens.... Ghastly thing to happen.
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Maureen's recipe for Steak and Kidney Pudding. The recipe she got it from states "sufficient for six" but in our house four manage to see it off nicely. Mind you we don't need a sweet afterwards ;D Ideal meal for a cold winter day.
For the Suet pastry
100g (3½ oz) prepared beef suet
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
Salt
Iced water
For the Pudding
900g (2lb) chuck, stewing or braising steak, cut into 3cm (1in) cubes
225g (8oz) beef kidneys, trimmed and cut into 3cm (1in) cubes
3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
50g (2oz) button mushrooms, cleaned
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
A dash of Tabasco
A little beef stock or water
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Suet pastry: Mix the suet, flour and salt in a bowl and, using a tablespoon at a time, slowly add enough iced water to bind. This can be done in a food processor, but don't over-process the mixture. Cover the pastry with clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. Keep about a quarter of the pastry back to make the lid, then roll out the other three-quarters to a thickness of about 3mm (1/8 in).
Butter the pudding basin. Line it with the rolled-out pastry, leaving about 3cm (1in) of pastry hanging over the top. Set aside.
Now make the filling by rolling the beef and kidneys in the seasoned flour. Mix the meat and pile it all into the pastry-lined basin. Sprinkle with the Worcestershire, Tabasco sauces. Pour in enough beef stock or water to fill two-thirds (or slightly more) of the dish. Season the pudding with plenty of pepper.
Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid. Cover the pudding and fold the edges together to form a seal, pressing the edges together lightly.
Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the top of the pudding loosely: the pudding must have room to expand. Hold the foil in place by tying some string around it, just under the rim of the pudding basin. Make a handle by passing the string across the top loosely two or three times and threading it under the rim-string. Fasten it tightly at one side. Set the sealed pudding aside.
Fill a large pan with a tightly fitting lid with enough water to come two-thirds of the way up the pudding basin. Bring the water to the boil and lower the pudding into the pan. Cover the large pan with a lid. Add more boiling water as it evaporates and boils away and don't worry if the pudding leaks a bit. Continue topping up the boiling water as necessary for 4-5 hours.
Lift the pudding out of the pan and remove the foil. Wrap the basin in a white cloth or napkin with the top crust showing, browned and slightly fluffy, over the top of its white linen collar. If the crust has come in contact with the water, it will be pale and glistening but still excellent to eat. Serve the pudding with a biggest spoon you have-small portions are not allowed.
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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OMG, David, I am drooling all over my keyboard!!
I have not had steak and kidney pudding since 1980.
There isn't an icicle's hope in hell that I could get suet here. :'( :'( :'( :'(
Do you think you could send me a pudding ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Helen, if I tried to send you a pudding it's a cert that the Customs officers would finish up with a very good lunch ;D
Just had a Google for suet suppliers in Canada-have a look at this Link and scroll down for Canada, it might be useful
http://pudding.denyer.net/suet_suppliers.html
Not sure how popular suet based puddings are/were in other parts of the UK but they were certainly popular in Yorkshire. I can remember when my brother and I were very young and Mum was having one of those weeks when the family budget ran out and meat was not affordable, she would make an apple dumpling. The suet pastry to the same kind of recipe shown in the Steak and Kidney Pudding, but the filling was stewed cooking apples plus a handful of sultanas. The cooking method was exactly the same as the S&KP. She served this with a sweet white sauce with added ground nutmeg. This was the whole meal, nothing else was on the table, and when you had eaten a couple of dishes full of apple dumpling you were FULL!
Then there was baked jam roll. Same suet pastry base but rolled out, liberally covered with jam, and then baked in the oven. I can taste it now ;D
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Oh David, I have seen suet in the freezer section of supermarkets here, people buy it to make bird feed for winter.
It never occurred to me that it was safe for human consumption.
Will have to check it out.
I remember when I was a kid my mother would buy suet fat from the butcher but I think she just rendered it, I have no idea what she even used it for.
Of course that was before all the hydrogenated stuff turned up in the shops.
I am going to print out your pudding recipe and will have a go at making it this coming winter!!
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Oh dear, all thee stunning recipes just as I've made a commitment to do the politically correct thing and avoid chocolate, suet puddings and much more, in favour of a hopefully longer life. ??? I hope everyone else will enjoy though. :)
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Welcome back Lesley, I do hope you feel better soon.....The Forum just simply hasn't been the same without you! Looking forward to plenty of food for thought even if there are words you shouldn't think about :o - maybe some lateral thinking in Cook's Corner could help ::)
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Simple but Scrumptious Ice-cream
I've just made a batch of ice-cream and will put the recipe here. It is SOOOO simple and quick, so delicious (very rich) and you can do absolutely anything with the base recipe. Add any fruits, chocolate, nuts, coffee, liqueur, pile it in glasses, or into a pie shell or over a cheesecake crust...whatever. The recipe comes from a little Dunedin-produced book called "Ice-cream for All" by one Fiona Hyland.
The base is:
2 eggs at room temperature
2 lots of 1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp warm water
250-300 mls cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
Beat egg whites until peaks are formed, add 1/4 cup caster sugar and beat until stiff.
In another basin but the same beater, beat egg yolks and warm water until frothy, add 2nd 1/4 cup caster sugar and beat until thick and pale.
In a third basin (larger) beat the cream until very thick, add vanilla and beat to mix.
Fold yolks then whites into cream. Place mixture in a plastic ice-cream tub (makes about 1 1/2 litres) and place in freezer until frozen and needed.
This particular batch, I folded in the remains of the last lot of lemon curd. Scrumptious. Pureed rhubarb and a tsp of ground ginger is another favourite of mine.
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Joy of joys, we have a new forumist,; who as well as loving flowers.... is a devotee of CAKES!!
Erika (user name : arykana) is from Hungary..... home of many wonderful recipes...and you can see gardens and recipes on her website.... this page shows a couple of recipes translated into English for us! How cool is that? And just look at those cakes.... yummy! Follow the link.....
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=883822
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Thank you!!
this page is a treasure mine fro me too !!! we like to try new food :-*
will make more English site if you like or have question about any type of Hungarian speciality
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Wow, wonderful, mouth watering,
atheistic* aesthetic, a feast for the senses and so inventive 8)
So glad you've joined the Forum Erika ;D
Can we see more of your crafts like the lace inter woven in your postings?
*atheistic is a made up word meaning: the magic that sticks the whole confection together and makes it look delightful ;D
Thanks Maggi for bringing this to my attention ;D
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you can see my paints as well on my site ::) ;D and of course, if you like, I would make lace pics too
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Have just had great fun looking through your paintings and photos and love the way you use light in them to create a atmosphere 8)
Yes please, I would really like to see some of your creations in lace.....when you have a moment ;)
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the chef Heston Blumenthal .
Maggi
Wasn't his Fat Duck closed down recently due to patrons falling ill?
What next, soufflés on the lawn mower?
johnw
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Yes, John, hundreds of patrons ill after eating at the Fat Duck..... HB claimed none of it was to do with the food......... :-\
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There is several tipical Hungarian recipe:
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=883822&
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956&
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=886472&
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OK Arykana,
Something from this evening's dinner:
Plums are in season here and this is my favourite plum recipe:
Cut plums in half, remove stones, place in baking dish on top of sprigs of rosemary. Put about a half teaspoon of brown sugar on each plum and drizzle brandy onto them. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 180C. If very ripe they will take just the 15 minutes; harder plums may take the 20.
While plums are in the oven, cut jest from two limes. Mix this with a tub of mascarpone (250g) and a dessertspoon of icing sugar. I sometimes add the juice of one lime and then add an extra spoon of sugar.
Warm some honey - I do this in the microwave. Put plums onto plates/bowls, drizzle juices from baking dish over them, drizzle with honey and serve mascarpone on the side. [Discard the rosemary, by the way]
From the sounds of spoon on bowl it seems that Mary likes them when they are cold as well!
A simple and delicious recipe.
I now need to look up a variety of apple recipes as apples are ripening here and I am picking loads everyday.
Paddy
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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I will try this plumm recipe and waiting for a the apple recipes!
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Edit by Maggi: the following few posts transferred from elsewhere!
By the way, John, I lifted two large wheelbarrow loads of Harlequin Pink Fir Apple today - now, I bet that makes you jealous! I could hollow out a book, OK a big book, and send on a few.
Paddy
Wait a minute Paddy, I seem to have missed a critical word - Harlequin. Tell me more. Is it a sport of the Pink Fir Apple or simply the correct name?
johnw
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John,
This is the name under which Mary bought them earlier in the year and it is, indeed, a new variety of Pink Fir Apple. It was distributed here in Ireland by "Mr. Middleton" and though quite expensive it was very productive, great crop, good quality and escaped blight which touched British Queen and also Golden Wonder.
It is not my favourite potato as I prefer a floury rather than a waxy spud.
Is it a toss up between potatoes and snowdrops? You can't eat snowdrops!
Paddy
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Paddy - I spent most of the morning at work researching UK and Irish potato varieties, none of which seem to be here. Apparently your Harlequin is a cross between Charlotte & Pink Fir Apple. I am more intrigued by Charlotte itself for salads but prefer floury ones for main courses. Which do you think is the best of the flouries? Should this be in cooks's corner?
johnw
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John,
We feel it is very hard to beat British Queens for an early potato and Golden Wonder for maincrop. Both are floury and delicious. Golden Wonder store excellently. Kerr's Pinks are another favourite and are particularly good for baking. These three also grow well in our conditions.
A few years ago we grew a big selection of old Irish varieties, some dating back to the mid 1800s. It was interesting to try them but they would not replace our present varieties. Many of them would have been prone to blight and could be touch and go to succeed in any season. One of the old varieties we tried was "Lumper" which was the commonly grown potato at the time of the Irish famines in the 1840s. It produces big, odd-shaped tubers, not particularly tasty, and it was a martyr to blight so, as you can imagine, with my garden by the river it had little chance of succeeding. Our nightly heavy dews, regular mists and fogs are simply perfect for blight. The newer varieties have been bred to be more resistant to blight.
Paddy
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Our nightly heavy dews, regular mists and fogs are simply perfect for blight. The newer varieties have been bred to be more resistant to blight.
Paddy
Paddy
Sound like our climate as well. Lumper would go down in a flash. I must see if British Queen and Golden Wonder are in the trade here.
Thanks for the advice.
johnw - +19c at 21:50 and it feels cool. Now bracing for a graze of Hurricane Bill at the weekend.
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Bottled bilberries produced in Poland are available in the UK but are totally devoid of flavour. I have fond childhood memories of my Mother's bilberry pies made from berries picked from the moors above Huddersfield. When we lived in Bury (before our move to Devon) we used to pick bilberries from the moors above Holcombe Brook but the kids had usually eaten the lot before we got home.
I'm with you lad. Many an time I'm had a bilberry pie cooked with Yorkshire Bilberries. Best fruit on the planet. Beats your blueberries any day! I remember walking along a track following the 5000' contour line on John Crow Peak in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. We had just walked under a group of rhododendrons the size of the oaks that Seven Oaks in Kent doesn't have any more and the aim was to find Jamaican bilberries. We could only just reach them as they grow on trees out there. The berries certainly added flavour to our breakfast cereal, but I'm not sure they we worth the effort?
There are masses of bilberries in the woods now and few people seem to pick them these days (there was more competition 15-20 years ago). Cycled 30 minutes from home up into the woods and this was the result of 45 minutes picking with a Norwegian berry picking scoop. Then a quick look for fungi and 15 minutes later I had this haul of Chanterelles. Isn't life grand :)
The cycle back down the hill went very quickly with the extra load on board...
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Stephen,
The picking scoop certainly seems a great idea for the bilberries as they are so small to pick individually. I must say we have never cooked with them. They were always a berry to be eaten while being picked.
Paddy
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A very satisfactory harvest for your day, Stephen 8)
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What is the bilberry?? can you subscribe for me, please??
Looks like elderberry ::)
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Bilberries.... or as we say in Scotland, blaeberries- are fruits of Vaccinium species.
This may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry
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Stephen, if you are making a bilberry pie please send me a virtual slice, I'll make my own custard 8)
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Ó, lucky guys!! we do notz have áfonya here :( :( but I love it!!
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Bilberries.... or as we say in Scotland, blaeberries- are fruits of Vaccinium species.
This may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry
Maggi,
Here they are called "fraochán" or, in some parts of the country, "frockans" and the area in which I live is called "Bilberry".
Paddy
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Here in SW Ireland - certainly Cork but I think Kerry too - they're called hurts. As a child I never heard the names blueberry or bilberry.
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This is the Korean product, also available here.
johnw
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I've been following the Breadcrumb talk in the Wildlife thread ( http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3720.msg107256#msg107256 ) with interest. I will look out for Panko to try it, but Ian makes the most delicious fresh breadcrums with toasted wholemeal and seed bread, so the Panko will need to be pretty tasty to compete!
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I make my own breadcrumbs but never use any crust, just the bread, which is basically what panko is.
We make our own bread which is just a basic french loaf with unbleached flour, salt, water and yeast.
As we make a loaf every few days, ( I like fresh bread) whatever is left, I cut the crust off and crumb the rest in the food processor and put in the freezer.
It's great to always have fresh breadcrumbs handy.
Yumm, makes great schnitzels.
I also use besan for flouring fish or chicken for frying, it has a nice flavour and gives crispy outside and moist inside.
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John,
Shame, shame on you buying breadcrumbs when you could make your own so easily!!!
Paddy
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I found that my own stored breadcrumbs did not smell so good after awhile, even in a tightly sealed jar. Also I use crumbs so rarely - and on the spur of the moment - Panko is convenient to have about. They do not go stale if sealed up and do not care to think of why that might be.
johnw
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John, have you tried freezing them?
They thaw within minutes when you want some.
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John, have you tried freezing them?
They thaw within minutes when you want some.
My Japanese grocer would become deeply disturbed if I gave up her beloved Panko. ;D
Off to the Indian grocer now to get some unknown ingredients for homemade samosas and the best basamati, Tilda the one in the bag with the real zipper. Then on to the Thai grocer to get Thai Basil - flown in weekly from Vietnam - eco-terrorist? - at $1.50 for a huge bunch.
By the way I am still looking for Facing Heaven Chilis in North America. Fuschia Dunlop is keen on them. No one, it seems, can decide on the proper Latin name for them. I got several bags in China Town in London but it took us 3 hours to locate a source there (not the sole purpose of the trip across the pond). I took a bag down to the owner of an authentic Sichuan Restaurant here - she's from Chengdu, when our order came she had used the whole bag in a chicken/peanut dish for us. They were wonderful - smokey and yet fruity.
johnw
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John, please send me some samosas ;D
Or you could give us the recipe.
I love them but am not very good at wrapping them. ???
The best I can do for basmati is Veetee from Costco.
Most of the bulk bags around here are in hessian which taints the rice in my opinion.
You are so LUCKY to have such wonderful places to shop, I don't think there is even a real deli in the entire province here.
Haven't seen the chilli seeds either.
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John, please send me some samosas ;D
Or you could give us the recipe.
The best I can do for basmati is Veetee from Costco.
Most of the bulk bags around here are in hessian which taints the rice in my opinion.
You are so LUCKY to have such wonderful places to shop, I don't think there is even a real deli in the entire province here.
Helen - I will post the recipe after a first go at them. I picked up some extra spices for them - ajwan (the fragrance is heavenly), kasuri methi, pomegranate seed, mango powder and garam masala - some recommended by the owner, some in a base recipe. I have to go back for maida or besan for the wrapper.
I got taken by the Veetee rice at Costco. The bag is a knockoff that a superb & expensive aged basmati was sold in. I mistook it for the good one - it was ghastly. I can always send you stuff on the bus or by the courier we used before. The Tilda had risen sharply in price - the bag was $22, last time $17.50 - bag is smaller too. Get your list together, it may take me a week to make the rounds & because of a traffic jam due to a power failure I missed the Thai run.
johnw
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there is an Indian cook course http://www.culinaris.hu/esemeny/receptek/060523_recept_indiai.pdf , good description in recipes in English
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As it is time to start making Christmas Cake so that it will have time to age before eating, I thought I would share my favourite recipe for a really moist medium dark cake.
Christmas Cake
3 1/2 c. raisins
1 c. currants
1 1/2 c. maraschino cherries
1 c. blanched almonds
1 c. dates, cut
1 1/2 c. mixed peel
1/2 c. candied pineapple
1 tbsp. candied ginger
port for soaking
3 c. sifted pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
6 eggs
1/4 c. molasses (unsulphured is best)
Prepare all of the fruits and nuts and mix together. Add as much port as you like, perhaps as much as 2 cups (16 fluid ounces). Let stand for a week or more, mixing all daily to get the port on and into everything.
When you are ready to make the cake.
Sift together three times flour and spices.
Add flour mixture and the fruits a little at a time until all the fruits are coated.
Cream the butter and blend in sugar gradually.
Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.
Stir in molasses. (This will look a bit odd, as though it has curdled, but it is fine.)
Combine flour mixture and creamed mixture and mix well.
Turn into a baking pan that is lined with paper that is higher than the sides of the pan. (I find that a spring form works best for getting the cake out when it is done.)
Now for the 'moist' secret.
Put a paper ‘hat’ on top the pan and cut a 1" diameter vent hole in the centre.
Bake 300 degrees F. for 3 hours.
Don't open the oven door, just let it bake. After 3 hours you can test with a skewer. It should be moist but not wet when it is done.
Pierce the top of the cake when it has cooled and pour on your favourite juice or liquor until Christmas.
I was never a fan of Christmas Cake until I found this one.
Cheers,
Len
edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as"..... 8)
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Len, I'm astounded that someone actually gets his Christmas cake made at the right time for proper aging. I'm lucky if I get mine done by Christmas Eve! Fortunately Roger too, makes one about a fortnight before the big day but then, we've usually got it half eaten by then. ;D
No doubt this thread will have a number of good moist cakes over the next few months. Let them all come and the more whisky/brandy/rum, the better. :P :P :P
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Bilberries.... or as we say in Scotland, blaeberries- are fruits of Vaccinium species.
This may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus is the Scottish (UK) species.
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I have gone through the pages of this thread and converted all the recipes to pdf format files which I have added to the relevant posts to make it a little easier for downloading the recipes ...... bon apetit!!
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Maggi you are without doubt a star :-*
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Four tried and tested recipes attached in PDF format.
The recipes for Grasmere gingerbread and Lonsdale scones were given to me over 25 years ago by the late Doris Page, whom I have mentioned before in connection with horticultural matters.
The recipe for Traditional Dark Fruitcake was my grandmother's, passed to me by my mother when it became too expensive to mail one of these large cakes to me. I have altered the instructions to reflect my own experience.
The recipe for Poundcake is from Sunset Magazine ca. 1976.
Grasmere Ginger Bread
A traditional English recipe given to me by Doris Page.
| 10" x 15" | 12" x 18" | pan size |
| ½ lb | ¾ lb | unsalted butter |
| 1⅓ cups | 2 cups | Demarara sugar |
| 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp + 1½ tsp | Golden syrup |
| 1 tsp | 1½ tsp | baking soda |
| 1 tsp | 1½ tsp | cream of tartar |
| 4 tsp | 6 tsp (2 tbsp) | ground ginger |
| pinch | pinch | salt |
| 4 oz | 6 oz | candied ginger |
| 3¼ cup | 5 cup | flour |
NO LIQUID
Let butter come to room temperature, then cream it. Beat in the sugar until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the syrup.
Chop candied ginger into small pieces, ¼" or smaller.
Sift dry ingredients together. Add the chopped ginger and mix well. Add the dry mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and
mix with hands, or two knives or forks, until you have a uniformly dry, crumbly meal-like mixture. Do not add any liquid.
Pour the mixture into a non-stick cookie sheet of the correct size and spread it into a loose, even layer. Do not roll it or
compress it.
Bake at 300 F for 45 minute to 1 hour, or until top begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes,
then cut into 2" squares with a sharp knife. Remove individual squares when fully cool.
This gingerbread is crumbly on top but firm and chewy underneath.
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Lonsdale Scones
Preheat oven to 425F.
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
2 tsp cream of tartar
3½ oz lard or Crisco
1 tbsp sugar
1½ cups sour cream
Sift flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar together into the bowl of the food processor. Add shortening to the bowl and
using the steel chopping blade pulse process thoroughly until shortening is well mixed with dry ingredients.
Add sugar to bowl and process until mixed.
Turn out mixture in large bowl, add sour cream and mix by hand to make a soft, very spongey dough. Form into a flat pad
on a floured board. Roll out to ½ inch thick, cut into rounds with the rim of a small cup or a metal cutter. Bake at 425F for
15 minutes.
These keep well for days in an airtight tin.
From Doris Page, January 1983
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Traditional Dark Fruitcake
The recipe is either a Depression era one or a very old traditional southern recipe as it calls for very simple ingredients.
5 eggs
1 cup butter or margarine
1½ cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 lb dark raisins
1 lb currants
1 lb dates - be careful to remove all seeds
3 slices candied pineapple
½ lb candied citron peel
1 cup nut meats - pecans are traditional
"5 cents worth" candied cherries
1 cup mixed fruit juices. Orange+pineapple is a good choice.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½–¾ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground ginger
Line the bottom and sides of a large tube pan (angelfood cake pan) with greased paper or baking parchment.
Sift all dry ingredients together to mix well. Mix raisins, currants, dates, candied peel, candied pineapple, and nut meats
together. Add sufficient of mixed dry ingredients to flour well, then chop in food processor. Pulse the machine rather than
run continuously. Several loads will be necessary to prevent the machine from overloading. Add extra dry ingredient mix
during chopping if the mass starts to become sticky.
Beat eggs slightly. Melt butter or margarine and mix with beaten eggs and fruit juices.
Add liquid mix to dry ingredients and chopped fruit in very large bowl, then mix well.
Turn the mass of mixed ingredients into the cake pan lined with greased paper and shape to uniform depth.
Push candied cherries one by one down into the mass of batter and fruit.
Cover cake pan with sheet of aluminum foil crimped around rim and down into centre tube. Bake at 250°F for 8 hours.
Remove foil cover ½ hour before finish to give a slight crust.
Remove from oven and place pan and all on rack to cool overnight. Do not turn upside down to cool!
Remove cake from pan by lifting out centre/bottom piece, strip off paper. Poke holes into cake with a skewer and sprinkle
with about
1 tbsp brandy or whiskey
Place in airtight container with
1 apple, quartered
and store in cool place to age. Replace quartered apple from time to time and sprinkle with more brandy or whiskey if cake
seems too dry. Beware using too much liquor as it will make the cake bitter.
Make this cake 6 weeks to 3 months ahead of time. If for Christmas any time between the middle of September and the end
of October is good..
Old-fashioned Poundcake
Preheat oven to 325F
Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan, a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or two 5 by 9-inch loaf pans.
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
9 eggs, separated
1½ tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp brandy (or ¼ tsp brandy extract)
4 cups sifted cake flour
or 3½ cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp ground mace or nutmeg
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp salt
Beat the butter and 1½ cups of the sugar together until very creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium speed of an
electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition; beat in vanilla and brandy until blended.
Sift flour before measuring, then sift with the mace, cream of tartar, and salt; gradually add to the creamy mixture, beating
thoroughly until blended.
In a large bowl, beat the eggwhites until frothy. Begin adding remaining ½ cup of sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating
after each addition; continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Carefully fold ¼ of the batter at a time into whites until
blended.
Turn batter into greased and floured pan(s). Bake in 325F oven until a long pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1
hour for loaf pans or about 1 hour and 15 minutes for tube pans. Makes about 25 servings.
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Trojan work Maggi and lots of wonderful home-made tried and tested recipes from everyone - I have printed several of them and I feel a Forum Cooks' Corner Book/Folder/CD coming on - with photos it could make a very useful and attractive representation of SRGC multi skills, don't you think?
edit by Maggi: Who knows, Robin............ ::)
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::) ::) ::) winter project whilst everyone is skiing ::) ::) ::)
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I have gone through the pages of this thread and converted all the recipes to pdf format files which I have added to the relevant posts to make it a little easier for downloading the recipes ...... bon apetit!!
Well that's another thread lost to me. ???
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Well, Anthony, there must be a way to get your machine working around pdfs...... given your problems logging in at all at times there must be a big hitch somewhere.... is it wearing a bright hat?!!??
There isn't a problem with posting the recipes in the text as well. I will go now and prepare Rodgers in text .... just for you! :P
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Yum yum. Must try those. Not sure about the cake, as I'm not fond of pecans, especially when the cakes seem to be covered in them. Give me a dark rich wedding cake any day.
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Mmmmmm, pecans in maple or caramel sauce - as a topping for Ice Cream........ yummy!
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Pecan are my favourite nut, especially with homemade vanilla icecream and hot butterscotch sauce :P
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As you say Robin, thank goodness for the Forum on grey rainy days. Now where did I put my shopping list.
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Not sure about the cake, as I'm not fond of pecans, especially when the cakes seem to be covered in them. Give me a dark rich wedding cake any day.
You can use other nuts in my grandmother's recipe for fruitcake. Walnuts ("English" walnuts, not black walnuts) work perfectly well. You will note, if you read carefully, that the nuts, along with other solid ingredients, are chopped in a food processor. They end up as part of the general matrix of the cake, not on the outside. The same recipe can be used to make a truly magnificent weddling cake.
There's an amusing aside to all this. When I was growing up, and for nearly two decades after I left home, I had this particular fruitcake recipe at Christmas time, until I had to start making it myself and found it simpler to skip it some years. I thought everybody ate rich, dark fruitcake at Christmas. It was just part of the natural order of things.
Come to find out that a great many people detest fruitcake and that a rich, dark, moist one like this cause them to recoil as though threatened with a bite by a vampire.
Sharp-eyed cooks will note that contrary to native Canadian and (I believe) English practice, the cake is not covered with a layer of marzipan or icing.
If you make this recipe, first verify that you know enough fruitcake lovers to eat it all. It makes a huge cake weighing around 8 pounds.
One last detail: if anyone makes this more than a few months in advance, use margarine, not butter as the shortening. Butterfat may go rancid whereas margarine made from hydrogenated oils doesn't.
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Not sure about the cake, as I'm not fond of pecans, especially when the cakes seem to be covered in them. Give me a dark rich wedding cake any day.
You can use other nuts in my grandmother's recipe for fruitcake. Walnuts ("English" walnuts, not black walnuts) work perfectly well. You will note, if you read carefully, that the nuts, along with other solid ingredients, are chopped in a food processor. They end up as part of the general matrix of the cake, not on the outside. The same recipe can be used to make a truly magnificent weddling cake.
There's an amusing aside to all this. When I was growing up, and for nearly two decades after I left home, I had this particular fruitcake recipe at Christmas time, until I had to start making it myself and found it simpler to skip it some years. I thought everybody ate rich, dark fruitcake at Christmas. It was just part of the natural order of things.
Come to find out that a great many people detest fruitcake and that a rich, dark, moist one like this cause them to recoil as though threatened with a bite by a vampire.
Sharp-eyed cooks will note that contrary to native Canadian and (I believe) English practice, the cake is not covered with a layer of marzipan or icing.
If you make this recipe, first verify that you know enough fruitcake lovers to eat it all. It makes a huge cake weighing around 8 pounds.
One last detail: if anyone makes this more than a few months in advance, use margarine, not butter as the shortening. Butterfat may go rancid whereas margarine made from hydrogenated oils doesn't.
.... eaten accompanied by cheese I hope, in the Yorkshire fashion ;D
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.... eaten accompanied by cheese I hope, in the Yorkshire fashion
Wensleydale I hope ;)
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Come to find out that a great many people detest fruitcake and that a rich, dark, moist one like this cause them to recoil as though threatened with a bite by a vampire.
Rodger, I have to confess to being one of those people who detest fruitcake ( although I don't mind a cake with sultanas).
When I was a kid ( In Australia), people would cook their christmas puddings ( not cake but close enough) and put silver coins in them.
I would have a piece of pudding hoping to get a coin or two and try to hide the actual pudding in my pocket to later feed to the chooks.
Did Canadians ever use silver coins in the chrissy pud?
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.... eaten accompanied by cheese I hope, in the Yorkshire fashion
Wensleydale I hope ;)
Or Swaledale sheep's milk cheese, very nice indeed. Waitrose sometimes stock it ;D
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maggiepie, we have this coustum with the coints also in Hungary!! I still do it !
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maggiepie, we have this coustum with the coints also in Hungary!! I still do it !
Arykana , do you use modern coins or old ones?
The Australian coins now contain so little silver I'm not sure they would be safe to use with food.
It's very interesting to see the same custom in different countries, I wonder how many other countries had the same tradition.
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I use the modern coin, they are quite safe, anyway it is the less danger in our life!
did you read recipes on my site?? maybe should take up several costumes too
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So, I did! took up 2 interesting Hungarian customs
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We used to have coins in dumpling for Birthdays. my mum always wrapped them in a bit of greaseproof paper to avoid any health issues. It also meant you didn't break your teeth if you bit it!
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some people bake in some kind of cake only a big bean
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A big bean would be very disappointing! :) My mother and aunt used to put silver coins in the Christmas pud but we rarely have such a thing nowadays, fresh fruit salad or Pavlova being popular choices for a mid summer Christmas, or something one can eat at the beach.
Rodger, Do the Lonsdale scones have anything to do with John of that ilk?
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Rodger, Do the Lonsdale scones have anything to do with John of that ilk?
I haven't a clue.
Do try them next time scones are called for. They are very nice, a pleasant change from ordinary scones.
Not that there's anything wrong with "ordinary" scones, mind you.
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Absolutely not. In fact, my "ordinary" scones are all EXTRAordinary. My mother always reckoned that the quicker they were made, (the less mixing they had) they better and lighter they were. I agree.
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My mother always reckoned that the quicker they were made, (the less mixing they had) they better and lighter they were
My own belief is that they are best when eaten very quickly, too.... or at least... eaten very soon!!! ;D ;D
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My own belief is that they are best when eaten very quickly, too.... or at least... eaten very soon!!! ;D ;D
I'm with Maggi!!!
Now I'm hungry!!!
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Lesley - Did you post your scone recipe?
johnw
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Maggi's right, eat as soon as possible, preferably still warm. That doesn't mean gulp them down which may cause indigestion but I was born with a very strong stomach. (That's how, when I had my small heart attack, I knew it wasn't indigestion. ;D)
2 cups plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
all sifted together
Rub in about 50 gms butter but if possible, use cream instead, about half a cupful
Add milk to make a soft but not wet dough.
Mix quickly with a fork. (Not a knife which tend to make a pastry-like mixture.)
Turn onto a floured board or bench.
Pat into a squarish shape, again, quickly and about 2 cms thick.
Cut into squares and bake in hot oven for about 7-10 mins depending whether you like them browned or not. Turn out onto a clean cloth over a cake-cooling rack, and cover with another cloth to cool.
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Wonderful Lesley! ;D
I'll get right on to them as soon as the store opens as my cream of tartar is getting a tad aged.
johnw
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Lesley, I can't wait to try your recipe for scones, it looks much quicker than the recipe I have been using.
From what I can figure out, scones are known as biscuits here ???
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From a North American friend - a biscuit here in NZ is a cookie over there, and a scone over here is a biscuit over there. Confused?
I use the same recipe as Lesley, courtesy of my late mother-in-law, but add the butter, melted, with just a dash of boiling water added. The secret with scones is not to over mix or handle them too much.
Susan.
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Lesley, I can't wait to try your recipe for scones, it looks much quicker than the recipe I have been using.
From what I can figure out, scones are known as biscuits here ???
Helen - In Nova Scotia a scone is a scone is a scone, triangular in shape. Then there is the tea biscuit - round, about 2.5" in diameter and 3" high - for which I think you posted a recipe, aka a soda biscuit elsewhere (?) and not as rich as a scone.
johnw
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In Wales they make Welsh Cakes, a kind of drop Scone, cooked in a gridle. Not dissimilar to Scotch Pancakes which are currently the girls favourite breakfast! I have now perfected the making of these much to our joint delight :)
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I meant to add, always use Baking soda and cream of tartar for scones and pikelets, never what we buy as baking powder and which is fine for most other baked goods. Baking powder makes the scones/pikelets rather leathery and I think it's where many people go wrong.
At the age of 6, I won first prize for pikelets at the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Show, against strong competition from many, including Mrs Clarke of the local Women's Institute, who ALWAYS won in the past, and who never subsequently spoke to my mother.
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Tony, these are probably much like what we call girdle (griddle) scones. Best with honey. Yum :D :P
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Maureen Wilson has a great recipe for WelshCakes.... which are a bit like little scones, with sultanas in.....different consitency from scottish drop/griddle scones though.... which are, more often called pancakes or bannocks........ ::)Anyway, the last time I loooked for that recipe from Maureen I couldn't find it, so this is a good reason to ask her for it again!
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Lesley, I can't wait to try your recipe for scones, it looks much quicker than the recipe I have been using.
Helen, my mother could start to make scones when she saw stock agents drive in our farm gateway, and had them in the oven by the time they reached the front door. Then just a few minutes with the local gossip and lamb prices and they were around the table, eating. It is an immutable law that stock agents shall arrive on farm at morning/afternoon tea time or for lunch.
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scottish drop/griddle scones though.... which are, more often colled pancakes or bannocks........ ::)
Maggi - Bannock I haven't had for years. My Gaelic speaking grandparents made them in a coal stove oven. As I recall they could be made very quickly and resemble a huge flat tea biscuit. I don't recall liking them as much as tea biscuits. There was a nearby road called Bannockburn which as a child I thought was a shot at the cooks living on it.
By the way locally tea biscuits look like a hybrid between these two, closer to the one with strawberries, the other one is not high enough. Buttered heavily and most often with jam or marmalade. My mother made these perfectly and would often make them for two local 90 year old aunts to share, one aunt would take all to tops off and give her sister the bottoms. Something we only found out years later.
johnw
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I'll get right on to them as soon as the store opens as my cream of tartar is getting a tad aged.
Your cream of tartar is almost certainly perfectly okay, John, even if it's a decade old. Baking powder will lose potency with age, but not cream of tartar.
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John, I wonder when scones became triangular ??? not to mention becoming tea biscuits.
Tea biscuits in Oz are sort of what are cookies here, or maybe they would be called crackers now I am getting really confused.
The pics of the scones with the strawberries look so yumm, I have to admit I like the tops better than the bottoms too.
Lesley, were you brought up on a sheep station?
I wish I could make scones that fast, takes me longer than that to even decide to make them.
Btw, can you send in your pikelet recipe?
Do you use vinegar in the milk?
I LOVE pikelets!!
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John, I wonder when scones became triangular ??? not to mention becoming tea biscuits.
Tea biscuits in Oz are sort of what are cookies here, or maybe they would be called crackers now I am getting really confused.
The pics of the scones with the strawberries look so yumm, I have to admit I like the tops better than the bottoms too.
Lesley, were you brought up on a sheep station?
I wish I could make scones that fast, takes me longer than that to even decide to make them.
Btw, can you send in your pikelet recipe?
Do you use vinegar in the milk?
I LOVE pikelets!!
Helen - I am confused too. I can't think of anything we call a biscuit here, other than the tea biscuit. As far as the triangularity of scones goes perhaps the Scots can chime in.
Pikelets? Mini-pancakes... ???
johnw
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Helen - I am confused too. I can't think of anything we call a biscuit here, other than the tea biscuit. As far as the triangularity of scones goes perhaps the Scots can chime in.
Pikelets? Mini-pancakes... ???
johnw
John, pikelets are sort of like mini pancakes but are eaten cold with slabs of cold butter, well that's how I prefer them.
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5757/pikelets
I have always used a teaspoon of vinegar in the milk to sour it, it is supposed to make the pikelets lighter and fluffier.
They are REALLY good.
Here's a link to a packet of mixed biscuits.
http://www.channelishop.com/Images/Products/Products_1240492134.jpg
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Helen - I am confused too. I can't think of anything we call a biscuit here, other than the tea biscuit. As far as the triangularity of scones goes perhaps the Scots can chime in.
Pikelets? Mini-pancakes... ???
johnw
John, pikelets are sort of like mini pancakes but are eaten cold with slabs of cold butter, well that's how I prefer them.
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5757/pikelets
I have always used a teaspoon of vinegar in the milk to sour it, it is supposed to make the pikelets lighter and fluffier.
They are REALLY good.
Here's a link to a packet of mixed biscuits.
http://www.channelishop.com/Images/Products/Products_1240492134.jpg
Right. I guess we'd call Peak Freens biscuits rather than cookies.
johnw
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Tony, these are probably much like what we call girdle (griddle) scones. Best with honey. Yum :D :P
Golden Syrup is the girls choice but we must try Honey.
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I'll get right on to them as soon as the store opens as my cream of tartar is getting a tad aged.
Your cream of tartar is almost certainly perfectly okay, John, even if it's a decade old. Baking powder will lose potency with age, but not cream of tartar.
I can second that, my Cream of Tartar has 2001 date on it but is still potent ..... but I might get some fresh though and see if things taste better!
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what is this cream of tartar??
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Cream of tartar is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking.
If in doubt don't ask Jeeves - ask Google!
(Jeeves? - Google PG Woodhouse ;))
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I'll get right on to them as soon as the store opens as my cream of tartar is getting a tad aged.
Your cream of tartar is almost certainly perfectly okay, John, even if it's a decade old. Baking powder will lose potency with age, but not cream of tartar.
I can second that, my Cream of Tartar has 2001 date on it but is still potent ..... but I might get some fresh though and see if things taste better!
Yah but mine was 1978 and the can was rusted on the inside with flakes of rust in the cream of tartar. Rather than sift it out I just bought a new one.
The day was going rather well until a plastic bag with 3 litres of leafmold exploded in the microwave. A hasty cleanup of the vents before one who has complained about horticultural activities in the kitchen returns.
johnw
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John, I am with your complainer on this one.... combusting compost in the microwave is NEVER an acceptable kitchen activity... and it surely has no place in Cooks' Corner. You are a hooligan!
Plus... you've broken my "oldest " kitchen package record : my last "best" was a tin of something indeterminate with a use by date of 1987 ..... got rid of it in 2004 !
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To return to the triangular scone question..... I think that potato scones are traditionally made in this shape but other scones can be too.... I think this is simply as a result of rolling the mixture to a round shape and then dividing it by the simple action of quartering it. :)It is very usual to make oatckaes in this way, rolling the mix very thin, cutting first round a large plate or pot lid as a template, then quartering the oatcakes before baking/griddling.
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Easiest to cut the scone dough slab across one way, then the other, for approx. square scones. I'm not in favour of round ones because the bits in between are either wasted or re-rolled to make really tough scones.
Pikelets?
Beat together 1 large egg and 1 or 2 tbsp sugar until light and cream-coloured. Fold in small cup of flour, 1 tsp BS and 1 tsp C of T (sieved with flour) then stir in about a tbsp melted butter. Spoonfuls onto a hot, buttered girdle. Turn when the top side begins to bubble. Couldn't be easier ot quicker.
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No Helen, not a sheep station just a farm of about 250 acres if I remember. My Pa was a chartered accountant but had always had a yen to farm so when the opportunity arose, he and Ma moved, taking me along. Sheep stations are usually measured in the 10s of thousands of acres and include whole mountains, lakes and the like, quite often.
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Cream of tartar is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking.
If in doubt don't ask Jeeves - ask Google!
(Jeeves? - Google PG Woodhouse ;))
Áááááááá, this is the E228 food additive!
I never used
thank you
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Pikelets?
Beat together 1 large egg and 1 or 2 tbsp sugar until light and cream-coloured. Fold in small cup of flour, 1 tsp BS and 1 tsp C of T (sieved with flour) then stir in about a tbsp melted butter. Spoonfuls onto a hot, buttered girdle. Turn when the top side begins to bubble. Couldn't be easier ot quicker.
Very similar to the Scotch Pancake recipe we use - delicious hot or cold .... if they get a chance to cool :)
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Habanero and peanut butter cookies first batch.
I have to keep Edgar busy in the kitchen ;D
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Helen, they look delicious! Just checked the Habanero - eeeek :o the combination sounds amazing I see it is also called Scotch bonnet 'though what chilli has to do with Scotch bonnets is beyond me unless it keeps the walker warm :P
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Robin they are quite delicious, I had to find something to do with our crop of chillies and found the recipe on a hot pepper forum.
They are pretty hot though as Edgar left all the seeds and membrane in.
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I would love to try those hot cookies, but cannot open the recipe >:(
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No recipe yet, Erika.... that isjust the photo file detail.
Helen.... cooooeee! Are you coming back with the recipe ::)??
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Hi Erika, here's the recipe.
megachili's Habanero and peanut butter cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla
5 minced (medium-sized) orange habanero peppers* (about 2+ tablespoons)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup peanut butter chips (Reese’s; alternative: chocolate chips )
½ cup lightly salted cocktail peanuts, chopped
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup oats (regular or quick cooking, not instant oatmeal)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Add the vanilla and minced peppers. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the peanut butter chips, peanuts, coconut and oats. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 13-15 minutes (depending on the size you make the cookies) in the preheated oven, or until just light brown. Don't over-bake. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Makes roughly 50-55 2.5" cookies
Removing the seeds and ribs from 2-3 of the 5 habs will result in a medium-spicy cookie. Adjust to taste.
Taken from Hot Pepper Forum.
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Harrrrrrrr, Maggi, was busy typing my fingers to the bone, well copy/pasting :o
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Thank you!! I will try :-* I love hot peppers - and would be great new cookie for my birthday :-* :-*
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Cream of tartar is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking.
Áááááááá, this is the E228 food additive!
I never used
thank you
It is a very useful ingredient when you need it. Mixed with baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) as in the recipe under discussion , it acts like baking powder, but without leaving any residual taste. In fact, for many, many years "Royal" brand baking powder in the US was made from baking soda, cream of tartar, and corn starch, and was favored for many purposes. Manufacture was discontinued when the price of cream of tartar skyrocketed 15-10 years ago.
Cream of tartar is also used when making fondant. I think it catalyzes the hydrolysis of sugar so the final product is not noticeably crystalline in texture.
Isn't it interesting the cooking tips one finds on a rock gardening forum?
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Isn't it interesting the cooking tips one finds on a rock gardening forum?
Isn't it just!?? An army of gardeners surely marches on its stomach.... like any other army....
We've got to keep all the horticultural foot soldiers well fed. ::) ;D :)
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It's likely we will have a frost tonight, so we picked our edamame.
Here's the result.
Had to cook a few to make sure they are fit for human consumption.
For anyone who has never tried these, if you get the opportunity, please try them, you will be so glad you did.
They are so yummmm!!
They are cooked in the pods and then squeezed out and sprinkled with salt, I used maldon flakes.
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Helen - Great crop of edamame, they have a week to go out on the coast here. When did you plants yours? I think Ken planted them at a client's near Peggy's Cove in mid to late June which seemed a bit late. Since the owners have now departed for home in Philadelphia we may have to do a raid.
Your Habanero cookies sound great. Anything blistering hot is of interest.
I had a long talk with the owner chef at Fid here last month. He told me he picked up some Royal Sichuan Peppercorns in Bhutan. Have you ever heard of them? He says they put the Chinese ones to shame and they make you tingle from ear to ear. He uses them on Monday evening at the restaurant. I think that's the night for sand grass sand fire greens too.
Think I have to tweak the samosa recipe. I used jalapenos and instinct told me to go with dried chili flakes.
Off to the Sichuan Restaurant - The Hungry Chili.
johnw
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Edamame. What is that? A kind of pea or bean? Haven't met them here.
For those NOT so keen on being internally roasted alive, the hot pepper and peanut cookies could be fine with the pepper left out, I suppose.
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John, I started the edamame in baggies with vermiculite, did the same with my peas and pole beans and chillies, in fact I start everything in baggies.
From memory I planted the edamame, pole beans, snap peas and asparagus peas out the first week in June.
I think the edamame would have been bigger if we hadn't had such a cool summer.
Would definitely go raid the edamame, these are the first fresh ones I have tried, we normally buy the frozen ones from Costco.
Not sure where my Sichuan Peppercorns come from, which reminds me I haven't used any for ages.
Re the habanero cookies, after eating a couple I find they are a bit too sweet for me, I would probably halve the sugar.
You are so lucky to have such good restaurants, sigh!!
Bon Appétit !!
Lesley, edamame are a type of soybean. If you like baby lima beans or broad beans I am sure you would like these.
They have a wonderful buttery flavour without any butter or oil added.
They are fantastic just to snack on.
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Hmmm. Helen, you must be warmer in NB than here despite the cool summer. Lesley, you have to try the edamames, the frozen ones are great so I can hardly imagine how good fresh ones are.
By the way, I meant to say sandfire greens (aka goose tongue greens) not sand grass. I think Fid gets it from New Brunswick.
And the samosa wrapper wasn't not as bubbly and crisp as those around town. A co-worker said to use 1/3 chick pea flour and 2/3 white.
johnw - maybe I'll take the camera to the Hungry Chili.
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Hmmm. Helen, you must be warmer in NB than here despite the cool summer. Lesley, you have to try the eedamames, the frozen ones are great so I can hardly imagine how good fresh ones are.
By the way, I measnt to say sandfire greens not sand grass. I think Fid gets it from New Brunswick.
And the samosa wrapper wasn't not as bubbly and crisp as thiose around town. A co-worker said to use 1/3 chick pea flour and 2/3 white.
johnw - maybe I'll take the camera to the Hungry Chili.
Re the camera, please do!!!
I've only tried sandfire greens to taste, wasn't overly impressed.
What does Fid do with them?
Will have to put a day aside for samosas in winter, they are so good.
I use chick pea flour a lot ( besan)
Edgar and I spent a day last week making cabbage rolls for winter, 46 cabbage rolls!!
Btw, I think the fact that I germinate the seeds in baggies before planting out gives a big start to the plants, they are leafing out after a couple of days.
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Not heard of edamame before and we certainly can't grow soya beans here. I'm surprised you get Maldon sea salt all the way over in Canada.
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Not heard of edamame before and we certainly can't grow soya beans here. I'm surprised you get Maldon sea salt all the way over in Canada.
Anthony, if I can grow them you can, you have more temperate climate than I do.
Re the Maldon sea salt, I had to buy it online and import from the US. >:(
I use it VERY sparingly, but it is soooooo good.
Can buy it fairly easily in Oz, or could before I left and came to Canada.
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Well I don't think they are in NZ or at least unde that name, and we're not allowed to import seeds of pulses in general. I'll ask around the seed firms in case there's something similar. I think we can get soy bean seed. I love all kinds of peas and beans.
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Not heard of edamame before and we certainly can't grow soya beans here. I'm surprised you get Maldon sea salt all the way over in Canada.
Anthony, if I can grow them you can, you have more temperate climate than I do.
Re the Maldon sea salt, I had to buy it online and import from the US. >:(
I use it VERY sparingly, but it is soooooo good.
Can buy it fairly easily in Oz, or could before I left and came to Canada.
Helen - I saw Maldon Sea Salt (Devon right?) at Pete's Frootique the last time I was there.
Had a terrible time trying to get shots in the restaurant. Just when I got a go from the camera there were too many arms flying about.
Chili Squid, Cumin Beef, Tangy Chicken, Salted Melon Salad with Shrimp Wontons.
The bad news is the owner has decided to close in 12 months. The good news is she agreed to do a cooking course for us late next year, teaching us everything on the menu!
johnw
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I'm surprised you get Maldon sea salt all the way over in Canada.
It's easy to get a wide assortment of designer salts here... However, in some parts of the Canadian Maritimes, due to the relative isolation and small population, I'm sure it's much more of a challenge.
And the same would apply to any small or rural population center here (not just the Maritimes) too, of course.
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And the same would apply to any small or rural population center here (not just the Maritimes) too, of course.
Aside from gastronically enlightened Québec.
johnw
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Aside from gastronically enlightened Québec.
I'm willing to accept that description as truthful, having never visited.
It is only the notion of poutine (which sends shivers up my spine) that might possibly argue against it. ;D
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I'm surprised you get Maldon sea salt all the way over in Canada.
It's easy to get a wide assortment of designer salts here... However, in some parts of the Canadian Maritimes, due to the relative isolation and small population, I'm sure it's much more of a challenge.
And the same would apply to any small or rural population center here (not just the Maritimes) too, of course.
Lori, I don't consider Maldon salt flakes as designer salt and if you can point out somewhere in Canada where I can buy it I would be eternally grateful.
John, I haven't been to Pete's for years and not sure I have used up all the stuff I bought the last time I was there.
One look at the shelves and I get siege mentality, I even managed to find fresh curry leaves when I was there last and vacuum sealed them, then discovered a few months later the entire batch had gone super mouldy grrrrrrrrr!!
I suppose the cooking course is already booked out, do you have to build a tandoor to put the lessons to good use?
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[In NZ] we're not allowed to import seeds of pulses in general.
A good many legumes will grow from what you buy for food.
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Lori, I don't consider Maldon salt flakes as designer salt and if you can point out somewhere in Canada where I can buy it I would be eternally grateful.
Maggie, there are various foodie-oriented and import stores here that carry it and any other species of salt one's heart might desire... I'll check out some costs and varieties, and could send you some in the mail if you like.
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[In NZ] we're not allowed to import seeds of pulses in general.
A good many legumes will grow from what you buy for food.
Very true, but I'll have to find that one here as a first step. Will be asking at the Market on Saturday of the two who sell vegetable seedlings and who have a good collection of appropriate catalogues.
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Hi Erika, here's the recipe.
megachili's Habanero and peanut butter cookies
I am not able to found peanut butter! can I change this ingredients??
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I saw Maldon Sea Salt (Devon right?)
For the sake of accuracy John, Maldon is in Essex, on the Blackwater estuary.
http://www.maldonsalt.co.uk/
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I love Maldon sea salt and have used it for years but we also have salt mines here in Valais at Bex. The salt is used for domestic consumption and makes a great gift - it's been mined since the 15th century when rumour has it a shepherd boy noticed his sheep always wanted to drink water from a particular spring and it turned out it was salty :P
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I am not able to found peanut butter! can I change this ingredients??
Erika, if you have a food processor and can buy roasted peanuts you can make your own peanut butter, would be better than bought too as it wouldn't be full of preservatives.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Peanut-Butter
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Lori, I don't consider Maldon salt flakes as designer salt and if you can point out somewhere in Canada where I can buy it I would be eternally grateful.
Maggie, there are various foodie-oriented and import stores here that carry it and any other species of salt one's heart might desire... I'll check out some costs and varieties, and could send you some in the mail if you like.
Lori, would be interested to see if it is available there.
They sell for 6.95$ US where I bought mine, with shipping the total cost was around 39$.
I think it would probably cost more to buy and send from Calgary.
You should try it if you haven't already.
Meant to say, I bought 3 boxes and still have 2 unopened, I am very stingy with it. ::)
Robin, that's an interesting story, am wondering if the shepherd boy became a multi millionaire businessman. :)
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Helen - When you run out I can send some Maldon flakes from here. I think they were $7 / box at Pete's.
BTW the course will be on Sichuan cooking. If you want to join in that's fine but it's a year away, late next autumn probably. We thought we might round up about 10 people or so.
I'll keep you posted.
johnw
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I saw Maldon Sea Salt (Devon right?)
For the sake of accuracy John, Maldon is in Essex, on the Blackwater estuary.
http://www.maldonsalt.co.uk/
My sister lives on the Blackwater (Heybridge Basin) near Maldon. If you saw the Blackwater, and all the mud at low tide you'd know why it's called that. Low tide always baffles the muppets that come down from London with their high powered jet skis: "Where's the wa'er guv?"
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If you saw the Blackwater, and all the mud at low tide you'd know why it's called that.
I always wondered where they actually did the saltmaking as I only saw the river at low tide and have never fancied the Maldon Salt since!
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If you saw the Blackwater, and all the mud at low tide you'd know why it's called that.
I always wondered where they actually did the saltmaking as I only saw the river at low tide and have never fancied the Maldon Salt since!
Argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! :P
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I said above that I'd never heard of or seen in NZ shops, the crumby Panko mentioned by John. I have a calendar published by a New Zealand food magazine called "Taste" (jolly good mag it is too), and today I've finally got around to turning to September, to find a recipe for a fish pie made with gurnard and scallops and topped with mashed kumara (sweet potato, to you). The last mentioned ingredient, to sprinkle on top, is 2 tbsp panko, so it must be around somewhere. I'll ask further.
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Yes, John, hundreds of patrons ill after eating at the Fat Duck..... HB claimed none of it was to do with the food......... :-\
Just seen this news reprt about the cause of the poisoning at Heton Blumenthal's restaurant.....
A large outbreak of food poisoning at the award-winning Fat Duck restaurant was caused by a virus that was probably brought in by raw shellfish, a report has found. Skip related content
Related photos / videos Sewage Link To Fat Duck Food Poisoning Enlarge photo The shellfish could have been contaminated by human sewage, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.
More than 500 customers - about 15% of diners - suffered vomiting and diarrhoea after eating at chef Heston Blumenthal's famous establishment in Bray, Berkshire.
The HPA also highlighted the eatery's delayed response to the scare - staff who worked when they should have been off sick and using the wrong cleaning products.
The HPA said these "weaknesses" could have contributed to the ongoing transmission of norovirus - commonly known as the "winter vomiting bug".
The report claimed oysters were served raw, razor clams may not have been appropriately handled or cooked and "tracing of the shellfish to source showed evidence for contamination".
Health inspectors traced the oysters to a supplier in Essex, which was potentially linked to several other outbreaks of the bug.
Testing of the beds where the oysters were grown were found to have been infected with norovirus. A likely cause, the HPA report said, was human sewage.
Blumenthal, whose signature dishes include snail porridge, temporarily shut the three Michelin star restaurant in February for more than two weeks after about 40 diners complained they had fallen ill.
A total of 529 customers became sick. The HPA said the outbreak continued for at least six weeks because "of ongoing transmission at the restaurant".
It said this "may have occurred through continuous contamination of foods prepared in the restaurant or by person-to-person spread between staff and diners or a mixture of both".
The HPA added: "Delays in notification of illness may have affected the ability of the investigation to identify the exact reason for the norovirus contamination."
The Fat Duck was allowed to re-open in March.
The restaurant has since resumed its place as a favourite and has held on to the top spot in the latest edition of The Good Food Guide.
A Fat Duck spokesperson said: "We were effected by this virus during a national outbreak of what is an extremely common and highly contagious virus.
"The restaurant has been open as normal since March 12 and I would like to reassure our guests that they can continue to visit us with total confidence."
So, quite a lot to do with the food, then??!! :P
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re: The Fat Duck
Hold the Maldon flakes please.
johnw
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I think I am about to stop eating, maldon salt, farmed prawns and fish with antibiotics, pork, chooks and eggs.........oh yes and salmon half eaten alive by sea lice.
What's left ???
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Prime NZ beef and lamb :)
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Lesley, can only get NZ lamb here, no beef.
Will let you into a secret (I have half a dozen NZ frenched lamb racks in the freezer)
Yummmmmm!!!
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A good choice Helen. Would you like me to send you a cattlebeast? The wrapping will be difficult - all those legs - but I'm happy to persevere. :)
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I think I am about to stop eating, maldon salt, farmed prawns and fish with antibiotics, pork, chooks and eggs.........oh yes and salmon half eaten alive by sea lice.
What's left ???
Chocolate?
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A good choice Helen. Would you like me to send you a cattlebeast? The wrapping will be difficult - all those legs - but I'm happy to persevere. :)
Lesley, please keep trying. I am wondering if the beef is as good as the lamb ( Nz beef that is) :D
Maggi, chocolate coated aniseed rings are my downfall, I am just on the last of the kilo my daughter brought me from Oz. Can't get them here and she tells me that they are getting hard to find even in Oz.
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Aniseed balls were a childhood favourite of mine but the little seed in the middle took so long to get to - can't imagine how an aniseed ring works Helen?
Recently, surrounded by chocolate it's hard not to become addicted and I don't want to know how it is produced ;D
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Aniseed balls were a childhood favourite of mine but the little seed in the middle took so long to get to - can't imagine how an aniseed ring works Helen?
Recently, surrounded by chocolate it's hard not to become addicted and I don't want to know how it is produced ;D
Oh Robin, I remember aniseed balls, in fact I have some in a jar.
The chocolate coated aniseed rings are aniseed jelly inside the chocolate, is a chewy jelly and really yummooooo!!
I love aniseed but hate liquorice.
Love tarragon, chervil and fennel.
http://www.chocolatebox.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_380_268
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Anthony - I took your advice and went to a Middle Eastern store to check on the jams and marmalades. Indeed they are cheaper and much, much better than the local and national brands. I was pleased to learn that the store has new owners, very pleasant Iranians asnd keen as mustard to help out. The selection has improved dramatically, everything from jams to fresh dates to Syrian yogurts, Turkish pistachio wheels and bins of every type of lentil and bean imagineable. And barbari Iranian flatbread which pairs nicely when toasted with the jams purchased.
Luckily I had to pass the Italian Club on the way home and noticed it is the Italian food feast this weekend. A diet next week no doubt.
johnw
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Anthony - I took your advice and went to a Middle Eastern store to check on the jams and marmalades. Indeed they are cheaper and much, much better than the local and national brands.
I find the Middle Eastern jams and preserves far superior to any domestic product. Try the Turkish sour cherry preserve if you want a real treat. If anyone reading likes the very sweet desserts the Middle East is so fond of, look for "sahlab", in English "salap", a glutinous pudding made from flour from the tubers of Orchis species. Some countries like it flavored with rose water and/or orange blossom water, others prefer mastic. Some handle it as a pudding that is chilled until it sets, others as a hot near-beverage.
Historically, salap was valued in Europe as a food for invalids. Its mucilaginous texture is half the fun.
Yes, the trade in it is sub-legal and I've seen one or two mentions that the production of salap is depleting wild populations of Orchis.
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Rodger - I will check out the sour cherry preserve for sure. I am really impressed by the jams and marmalades. The desserts as you say are terribly swet but beautiful to look at. I can handle one but that's it.
Funny you should mention rose water. I had to pick up a bottle for an 80 odd year old aunt who's in the hospital. She has been putting it on her face every day for years and doesn;t have a wrinkle. All the nurses are buying it now. Too late for me. ;D
Don't know about the sahlab.
The barbari bread is about 2 feet long and has to go in the freezer as it won't fit in the fridge, upper or lower. It miraculously comes to life in the toaster.
johnw
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[
Love tarragon, chervil and fennel.
But not with aniseed surely?
NZ Beef is truly excellent. Invariably it is raised outdoors through the whole year, on good green grass though with supplementary feed during winter. NO recycled cattle though. We never had mad cow disease here. Organic Limousin beef is a great seller at my Market. It is lean and very tender and has a lower cholesterol content than other breeds.
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This box was given to me yesterday by one of my vendors at the Market, a charming lady from Lebanon, married to a kiwi prof at the university. Her son is recently back from a Middle Eastern holiday and brought the box on instruction, for me. Afife visited me in hospital to deliver it but found I had been discharged the day before. As mentioned above, the pieces are incredibly sweet but the younger locals are enjoying them.
[attachthumb=1]
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[
Love tarragon, chervil and fennel.
But not with aniseed surely?
NZ Beef is truly excellent. Invariably it is raised outdoors through the whole year, on good green grass though with supplementary feed during winter. NO recycled cattle though. We never had mad cow disease here. Organic Limousin beef is a great seller at my Market. It is lean and very tender and has a lower cholesterol content than other breeds.
No mad cow disease in Oz either, I guess I still know more about Oz than Canada, am working on it.
Speaking of mad cow disease, would you believe I am not allowed to give blood?
I spent 8 months in the UK in 1980 so am now ineligible.
Both my daughters were regular blood donors and suddenly found out they were no longer eligible to give blood. I wonder how many people who were lucky enough to receive their blood ended up with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease!!
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This box was given to me yesterday by one of my vendors at the Market, a charming lady from Lebanon, married to a kiwi prof at the university. Her son is recently back from a Middle Eastern holiday and brought the box on instruction, for me. Afife visited me in hospital to deliver it but found I had been discharged the day before. As mentioned above, the pieces are incredibly sweet but the younger locals are enjoying them.
(Attachment Link)
Now THAT'S what I call a most acceptable gift!! Yummy!
I have recently been given a link to a UK company who sells bona fide Turkish Delight mail order : have held back from an order so far.... but I don't think I can hold out much longer. :-\
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Ok, I made the first own peanutbutter!!
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Ok, I made the first own peanutbutter!!
Erika, is it good?
Do you like it?
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I'm not allowed to give blood either because I had a break from it at about age 58 and when I went back, last year, was told I was too old. If I'd gone right through it would have been OK but apparently 65 yr old blood is not acceptable.
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Ok, I made the first own peanutbutter!!
Did you add some salt? Not much, but a little.
Also, if it's too thick, add a small quantity of oil to thin it, peanut oil if you can get it.
Doesn't need any sugar at all, though most commercial brands of it in North America contain much sugar.
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http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Peanut-Butter
i used this recipe, but i had to shell the peanut and roast, so it was the first and last :P
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http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Peanut-Butter
i used this recipe, but i had to shell the peanut and roast, so it was the first and last :P
Yes, I can see the whole process may have been a bit too much!! :D Well done for doing it all from the beginning, though! 8)
On another subject, Foody Friends: There is a rising fashion here for the use of Rape Seed Oil in cooking. Ian succumbed to the hype and bought a bottle of fancy branded stuff at the recent Dundee Food and Flower Festival..... trouble is, I think it gives things a FISHY flavour.... anybody else found this to be the case? :P ::)
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There is a rising fashion here for the use of Rape Seed Oil in cooking. Ian succumbed to the hype and bought a bottle of fancy branded stuff at the recent Dundee Food and Flower Festival..... trouble is, I think it gives things a FISHY flavour.... anybody else found this to be the case?
It's the single most common cooking oil in Canada because it's cheap. I think someone has figured out a marketing gimmick.
But it's not called "rape" in Canada and the US anymore. In deference to overly deiicate, prudish American sensibilities. When Canadian plant breeders developed a strain of rapeseed free of erucic acid, what?, twenty or thirty years ago?, they renamed it "Canola". [Erucic acid is definitely bad for you.]
As far as I know, Canola is an utterly flavorless oil. Perhaps you have an inferior type from God-only-knows-where?
I don't use the stuff, myself. I'm not that poor.
The choice of what fat to cook in/with is a complicated one. Peanut oil is favored for Chinese-style wok cooking because it handles high temperatures very well. Grapeseed oil also seems pretty good for that purpose. For cooking on my electric griddle, I use a spray can of olive oil (distrusting the Canola version); on the stove top I use corn (maize) oil.
Suet (beef fat) is essential for the classic British recipes for steamed puddings, while lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name manteca.
Almond oil is good when preparing baking pans because it is a rather sweet oil and won't give any off-flavor to cakes and such.
The food fetishists have, of course, gotten all worked up over the distinction between "good" and "bad" fats and oils, but as a very knowledgeable American physician has pointed out, the distinction is really between "bad" and "less bad", if cholesterol is a health issue for someone.
I have the personal vice of buying too many different kinds of this sort of thing. All things considered, if you want to have only one vegetable oil for all purposes, I'd recommend sunflower or safflower.
Edited to correct "menudo" to "manteca" (Mexican lard)
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lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name menudo.
Begging your pardon, but menudo is actually tripe soup, not lard.
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I think someone has figured out a marketing gimmick.
Well, that's a given! I think the angle is that this is the nearest a Scots producer can get to a home grown quality product , in the absence of olive groves! ::) :P :-X
I don't mind sunflower oil for some dishes.
lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name menudo.
Begging your pardon, but menudo is actually tripe soup, not lard.
Six of one; half a dozen of the other....since :P I will be eating neither!
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lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name menudo.
Begging your pardon, but menudo is actually tripe soup, not lard.
Ewwwwwwwwwww!!! :P
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Rodger, you didn't mention olive oil, don't you use it??? :o
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lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name menudo.
Begging your pardon, but menudo is actually tripe soup, not lard.
Ewwwwwwwwwww!!! :P
Helen
The Chinese do wonders with tripe especially in Sichuan.
johnw
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Helen
The Chinese do wonders with tripe especially in Sichuan.
johnw
John, I have only had tripe once and that was once to many!!
It was many years ago when my husband and I were moving into our first house and some friends ( of his) who happened to live nearby 'insisted' we come for dinner.
Guess what was on the menu!! Tripe à la florentine!!
I always try something before saying I don't like it, biggest mistake of my life, it was utterly disgusting!! HORRIBLE!!
Only joy I got from the experience was watching my ex piling it on his plate, not knowing what it was and watching his face as he manfully ate what was on his plate.
My apologies to tripe lovers!!!
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The Chinese do wonders with tripe especially in Sichuan.
johnw
Then , Thank our lucky stars for one thousand million hungry Chinese .... bless them, every one!
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lard (pork fat) is heavily used in Mexican cuisine under the name menudo.
Begging your pardon, but menudo is actually tripe soup, not lard.
Thanks for pointing out my error. The word I was looking for was "manteca", and I've corrected my original post.
As for tripe: I had it once in a Chinese restaurant. I bit down on it, and it bounced back. I gather that tripe, being intestines, is pretty tough connective tissue, and has to be cooked for hours and hours before it's edible. Which French city is it where tripe is a specialite? Dijon? Cooked, iirc, in mustard all day long.
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I gather that tripe, being intestines, is pretty tough connective tissue
Tripe is the lining of the first stomach of a cow, so, I suppose, might JUST escape the "intestine" label if one were trying to put a positive spin on the thing......... not that that is much help!
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Tripe was a common meal in my childhood, long cooked in milk and onions and then served with potatoes(but then, wasn't everything served with potatoes in Ireland!)
Mind you, I haven't eaten it often in adulthood.
Paddy
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And there's rice bran oil too, another gimmicky one I think as it's terribly expensie, as is avocado oil.
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And then there's walnut oil. It must be used very carefully if heated but it will burn in a flash. Wonderful fragrance and body. Can't find the major recipe I use it in but this one is pretty good, looks great too.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS, BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD
1 lb beets
1 lb asparagus
½ t salt
pepper
1T olive oil
8C mixed greens
4oz goat cheese
½ C walnut halves
Bake the beets 1-1.5 hours at 400 degrees then peel and wedge them.
Lay asparagus on a cookie sheet, add the salt & pepper and roast 10-15 minutes. Cut into smallish wedges.
Walnut salad dressing:
2t sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1t salt
1/2t Dijon mustard
2T olive oil
1/4C walnut oil
This is a great time of year with heaps of fresh basil pouring into the markets, cheap too. Pesto making time. And field ripened tomatoes. The smells of September. See you've forgotten about the tripe already. ;D
johnw
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And then there's walnut oil.
Oh, yes.... I love walnut oil. :)
Ian caught a piece on a TV programme tonight about this"Fad" for coldpressed rape seed oil .... chap in England this time.... you'd think it was beset with virgins the way he went on!
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And then there is macadamia oil ;D
Biggest problem I have with these oils is the fact that they go rancid so quickly.
John, we've had pesto 3 times within the last month.
My daughter was here in August and decided she wanted pesto, luckily we had all the ingredients.
Yummmmm
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I hate macadamia nuts, would never use the oil - I find it has a horrible claggy, clutter up your mouth feeling..... yuck!
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I am totally sold on fresh pesto and make it whenever I can get whole of bunches of basil and fresh parmigiano and, of course, we have found the best cold pressed stone ground olive oil locally in Liguria that is like liquid gold and the flavour is fragrant or piquant depending on the season - olive oil tasting is taken very seriously by connoisseurs of olive oil - at least 6 experts have have to agree and then certify what is true extra virgin olive oil and what is not - it's a complete art form how you taste the olive oil indifferent parts of the mouth, like wine tasting.
You could say that all this is tripe but I assure you it isn't ;D
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I hate macadamia nuts, would never use the oil - I find it has a horrible claggy, clutter up your mouth feeling..... yuck!
Maggie, I can't believe you have that sort of reaction from macadamia nuts, they are so good!!
Chopped with fresh breadcrumbs makes the absolute best chicken schnitzels !!
You could say that all this is tripe but I assure you it isn't ;D
Robin, still laughing!!
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I haven't tried the macadamia oil per se but the nuts are brilliant, especially covered with chocolate. :P
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I hate macadamia nuts, would never use the oil - I find it has a horrible claggy, clutter up your mouth feeling..... yuck!
Maggie, I can't believe you have that sort of reaction from macadamia nuts, they are so good!!
Like tripe, I guess she just can't stomach them.
johnw
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Rodger, you didn't mention olive oil, don't you use it??? :o
Yes, I do. That's what I buy in a spray can for spritzing my electric griddle before use.
I have a tendency to buy foodstuffs because they're kewl. A year or so ago I was inventorying my pantry cupboard and discovered I had four different kinds of oil in it! I"m trying to use them all up and have only one kind and only one bottle of it.
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A year or so ago I was inventorying my pantry cupboard
My goodness that is impressive Rodger ;)
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A year or so ago I was inventorying my pantry cupboard
My goodness that is impressive Rodger ;)
Not really.... the weather was probably AWFUL and Rodger was stuck indoors! ;D
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Rodger, you didn't mention olive oil, don't you use it??? :o
Yes, I do. That's what I buy in a spray can for spritzing my electric griddle before use.
I have a tendency to buy foodstuffs because they're kewl. A year or so ago I was inventorying my pantry cupboard and discovered I had four different kinds of oil in it! I"m trying to use them all up and have only one kind and only one bottle of it.
But Rodger, what do you use for your salad dressings ?
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It's come to this, only in the UK ... the dunk mug. Great for walking about the garden in drizzle. I'm sure Maggi will find an alternate use.
www.mocha.uk.com (http://www.mocha.uk.com)
johnw
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First attempt at drying hot chillies ( cough... cough.. cough)
Have to say they taste good.
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Beautiful Helen. Can you tell us the names of them when you recover?
johnw
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Very colourful! Your food dehydrator is similar to ours (but fancier! :)) - never even thought of using it to dry hot peppers but will try to remember for next time. Simple air-drying of whole small peppers seems to work fine too. We have a lifetime supply of scotch bonnets and have finally started to see an end to the jalapenos that were dried long ago!
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John, Edgar chopped and froze most of the chillies we had picked before the first frost :(
I dug up and potted 9 chillies before the first frost and those are in the greenhouse, hopefully the pods will ripen.
Of the ones we dried, there were
A couple of half ripe habaneros
couple of scotch bonnets ( unripe boohoo)
Black hungarian
Fresno
Bulgarian teardrop
Jalapenos
California chillie
Peri Peri
Fish Cross
one little red one that I don't like, the bush is full of them but don't know what they are. I find the flavour is yuck.
There was also what was supposed to be a yellow mushroom but is not, have no idea what it is but is a really nice citrusy flavour but not very hot.
Lori, you are very fortunate to have all those scotch bonnets, were they ripe when you dried them?
Think of all the jerk sauces and marinades you can make , YUMMMMMMMMM!!!
Btw, the dehydrator only arrived yesterday, is much bigger than I had expected.
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Lori, you are very fortunate to have all those scotch bonnets, were they ripe when you dried them?
Think of all the jerk sauces and marinades you can make , YUMMMMMMMMM!!!
Yes, they were ripe since they were grown in the greenhouse - little chance outdoors here. Unfortunately, Stuart is not too enthusiastic about very hot foods so even a couple of pint jars full probably really is a life time supply for us!
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what do you use for your salad dressings ?
Shameful admission: I use bottled salad dressings. One great virtue of them: most are quite good on hot vegetables if you are tired of plain vegetables.
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what do you use for your salad dressings ?
Shameful admission: I use bottled salad dressings. One great virtue of them: most are quite good on hot vegetables if you are tired of plain vegetables.
Oh dear!!
Rodger, I have spent 30 years fiddling with salad dressings and have come to the conclusion that there is nothing better for a greek style salad dressing to use a basic
fresh garlic as much as you like
sprigs of fresh thyme
black pepper
xtra virgin olive oil
cider vinegar
Stick in a screwtop jar and shake vigorously every time you walk past the bottle.
It's good to make it a few hours before use.
For mesclun type salads, I merely substitute a good balsamic vinegar for the cider.
Please try it. :)
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Just back from the very congested Farmer's Market. Presently they are in a charming old Brewery complex from the early 1800's. Unfortunately the market is too big for the location and it will be moving onto the waterfront and into a state of the art new market with all the bells & whistles. A few shots attached.
http://halifaxfarmersmarket.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=54
A great find today - a new booth selling genuine homemade Cornish Pasties!
Maggi should avoid clicking on products/chocolate - Gourmandise Avenue.
johnw
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John, not so sure I like the idea of markets getting too big and trendy.
We went to the one in Dieppe last saturday, first time in 2 years and it seems to have lost its character. :'(
It also seems to be a lot more expensive than when it first opened.
The character that ran a quesadilla and mexican wrap stall with peach habanero salsa has gone :'( :'( :'( :'(
More arts and craft type stalls than anything else.
Good news is we were able to buy some fresh garlic yayyyyyy!!
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Helen - I thought long and hard about that. The old brewery must be a nightmare for the vendors, who have been up all night, to set up. The brewery is a labyrinth of narrow ramps and stairs. The new building will still have the same friendly and hardworking group of vendors and after all it is all about the people and their produce. That won't change though I'll miss the old building. We won't even talk about the parking situation.
johnw
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Any black-eyed pea recipes out there?
johnw
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Sort of Dirty Rice
2 cups long grain rice/washed and drained
2 onions chopped
a few tomatoes chopped
can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 jalapeno chillies or more if wanted, can also add pickled sliced jalapenos
Lots of cumin
chilli powder as you like it
chopped garlic if wanted
Chicken stock cubes or powder, about 2 tblspns
peanut oil
Jug of boiling water
Saute onion till transparent, add garlic if using, saute for extra minute, add tomatoes and cook on low for a few minutes, add rice stir until coated, add black eyed peas and stir in, then add the cumin and chilli powder and chopped jalapenos.
Throw in the crumbled stock cubes or powder, then pour in the boiling water to about half an inch or so above the level of the rice and bean mix.
Use as much as you normally use for cooking rice with the absorption method.
Cook on low for around 15-20 minutes, do not stir during cooking.
It's a lot easier to make if you are using a saucepan with a glass lid.
This is really good with pork chops.
This recipe can be adapted easily.
I like it with toasted pine nuts without the black eyed peas with souvlaki.
You can fiddle with spice and herb mixes to suit your own taste.
I love black eyed peas!!
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Helen - Thanks so much. I've never had dirty rice with black-eyed peas before. I'll try it for sure.
I love them too, they always taste so spring-fresh.
johnw
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Any black-eyed pea recipes out there?
I suppose I could answer merely "yes" but that wouldn't be helpful in the spirit of the forums.
Black-eyed peas were a familiar food when growing up; my mother used to just cook them up in water with some chopped up onion in it. I don't remember for sure, but I'm pretty sure she didn't pre-cook the onion in any way. The result was something like a soup and you ate the broth as well as the peas and onion. You really needn't do anything more complex with them. They are one of the most delicious of legumes.
For those feeling adventurous and for whom mere black-eyed peas are boring and dull, next time you are in a store catering to the East Indian market, look for urid dhal. They don't look much like a black-eyed pea but when you cook them the aroma will clue you that they are closely related - in the same genus, in fact.
Those for whom even urid dhal is dull and boring are pointed in the direction of "dried congo beans" or "pigeon peas", a relative of the chickpea.
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I thought the "Sort of Dirty Rice" recipe was actually something to be used as a compost starter. ;D
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Lesly, you make me lugh!! let's go and read my recipies on my page
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956
cannot wait for your comments :o
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I thought the "Sort of Dirty Rice" recipe was actually something to be used as a compost starter. ;D
:o :o :o
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maggiepie, just for you ;)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/bor.jpg)
it is only a man speaking ;D
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maggiepie, just for you ;)
Excellent, I will have that with my slice of quiche.
Thanks ;D
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Erika, your lovely recipes are very tempting but you MUST STOP!!!. I'm trying to continue losing weight, that I started to lose when in hospital recently. Seems such a wicked shame to put it all on again. Not that I would ever refuse a glass of a good red wine. :)
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Great photo Arykana
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Thanks Mark, have a glass! :-*
Lesley, I have to loose weight too, because my bloodpresser - first, I fight hard with my pounds, and did not work
now I just make several small changes and loose 6-7 pounds in the last 2 months
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I love soups and there is nothing like "harvest soup" on cold, blustery days to make you feel warm and comforted.
Mostly made during the dreary times of the year using whatever seasonal veggies are available. Cut up and thrown into a pot with left over meats, if available.
My spring harvest soups are mostly green; but at this time of the year they mirror the leaves changing, with plenty of orange and yellow. Ingredients vary by what is available from the farms and markets each week.
Left over chicken
Handful of brown rice
Carrots, Squash, Onion, Garlic, Leek, Eggplant, lots of fresh parsley
Chicken Base
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Speaking of comfort food, my favorite (comfort) dessert recipe from childhood in southern Germany was "Zwetschgenknoedel".
These are plum dumplings. Italian (prune) plums wrapped in a potato dumpling dough, gently boiled and rolled in buttery and sweet breadcrumbs. They are unbelievably delicious, although somewhat time consuming to prepare.
I have tried variations of this made with a flour dough, but have not liked them as much.
Recipes abound on internet. I do them by instinct. Just thinking about them, makes me wonder if I can still find prune plums?
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Mmmm.... your photos are making me hungry!
What you describe is similar to what I am used to as plum pyrohy - each a half prune plum with a spoonful of sugar, encased in a flour dough to make a little triangular dumpling that is boiled, then eaten hot with butter and sour cream (or later fried in butter).
(On that note, I see internet references to these being half-circles in shape... but why would peasant people, living a hard life hand-to-mouth, have wasted dough by making semi-circles, rather than simply cutting squares to make triangles? Makes no sense! And what mindful cook would risk tough dumplings with rerolling it to re-use? To my mind, semi-circles must be an anglicized notion!! Like those ghastly cabbage rolls filled with ground beef :o <shudder!>)
I'm under orders to make a batch of pyrohy this weekend, though they will be savory ones instead.
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Kristl, how do you make potato dumpling dough?
I love dumplings but have never had a potato dumpling. The plum dumplings sound really good enough for me to want to try them.
Soup really is the ultimate comfort food.
Lori, you have intrigued me with your comment about cabbage rolls and ground beef.
How do you make cabbage rolls?
I make them with a mix of ground beef and pork as the meat. ( I grind the meat myself)
If there is an alternative I would love a recipe, or at least the basic ingredients.
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Maggie,
Hmmm....when you cook intuitively, it's often hard to share recipes.
I looked online to see what I could come up with that sounded close to what I do.
3 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed, cooled
1 TBS melted, cooled butter
2 eggs (I think my mom only used yolks)
pinch of salt
mix together and add just enough flour to make a sticky dough (2/3 TBS)
the less flour you use, the better the dumplings
About 12 prune plums
Split open plums, add a cube of sugar
Cover each plum with the sticky dough, and drop into boiling water
Simmer until they float
Remove with slotted spoon and roll in topping, which is a mixture of
bread crumbs browned in butter to which sugar (and cinnamon ?) are added.
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Thanks Kristl, I understand what you mean by cooking intuitively.
I tend to cook that way too.
Am really intrigued by these dumplings.
Can you substitute other fruit if you can't find damson plums?
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Actually, I am terrible at making cabbage rolls but, nonetheless, I'm asked to give it a try now and then... the comfort food we both crave, you know, along with the pyrohy. There is no written recipe, I'm afraid... rather, it's what my German mother learned to make at my Ukrainian/Polish dad's request, I presume from his mother. Basically, just boiled long-grain white rice, seasoned and with fried onion or fried bacon bits mixed in, and wrapped in leaves from a boiled whole plain green cabbage (that's the hard part) or in "sour cabbage" leaves (from heads of pickled cabbage, similar to sauerkraut, which is much more forgiving to work with) to make delicate little sealed rolls that are then cooked in a casserole with some liquid of some sort (a thin tomato sauce in my mother's case; vehemently NOT that in Stuart's recollection, however) until all is tender and done, then eaten with butter and sour cream, or later fried in butter with onions. (Note the resounding themes of butter and sour cream here?) So, again, very simple but what one is used to, I guess...
Helen, I'm sure your meat cabbage rolls are as good as they possibly could be ::)... it's just the very idea that repulses me*. ;D (And gives Stuart the heebie-jeebies too, interestingly.)
*And I'm sure that's the basis of most food prejudices. It was sort of amusing yesterday at work; a presentation went through lunch, so sandwiches, etc., were brought in. During the break to eat, someone with a similar heritage to mine (though younger) mentioned feeding blood and buckwheat sausage to someone who was enjoying it... up until he/she was told what it was. The youngsters in the crowd all went "Ewww!" when it was explained to them what blood sausage was, however at the same time, they were all quite happily eating mystery luncheon meats of average (i.e. dubious, IMO) quality, and seemed enthusiastic about eating raw fish and meat. Ugh.
Pyrohy are also made with other fruits, e.g. saskatoon berries, around here.
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We sometimes ate these as a meal when I was small, they are so filling as well as yummy.
I never had them with anything but prune plums (and there is something about the sweet & tart of that particular fruit).
I also have a strong bias towards that particular plum eaten raw and my favorite fruit for tarts and other baked goods, jam etc.
I have read that apricots are sometimes used (but I can't see it---I think they are too subtle a flavour).
My mother never opened the plums up to insert the sugar cube either. She used them whole & swore that the taste was best that way--retained the flavour & juicy-ness of the fruit better. And it made spitting out the pit afterwards kind of fun. I tend to agree with her on this having tried them both ways (although it seems that 99% of the recipes I've viewed do the sugar cube insertion).
I am sure we have enough German, East European members who could fine-tune the above on-line recipe?
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So Lori, you have no meat apart from bacon in your cabbage rolls?
I had never had a cabbage roll until the last decade. I had a Ukrainian friend who made them often and I decided to try the out for myself.
She made them pretty much the same way as her grandmother taught her.
After a few years, I basically use the same filling for cabbage rolls as I use in a meat loaf.
Kristl, I am thinking your dumplings might work using tart ( sour) apples.
I am very keen to try some of these.
I just hope they turn out better than my two attempts at making poutines!!
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My mother never opened the plums up to insert the sugar cube either. She used them whole & swore that the taste was best that way--retained the flavour & juicy-ness of the fruit better. And it made spitting out the pit afterwards kind of fun.
I am sure we have enough German, East European members who could fine-tune the above on-line recipe?
Kristl, I could believe that the pit might well add a little subtle flavour of its own... a tiny bit of bitter almond, perhaps.
So Lori, you have no meat apart from bacon in your cabbage rolls?
I had never had a cabbage roll until the last decade. I had a Ukrainian friend who made them often and I decided to try the out for myself.
She made them pretty much the same way as her grandmother taught her.
After a few years, I basically use the same filling for cabbage rolls as I use in a meat loaf.
Yes, that's right, Helen, but when I google, it seems there is no single recipe for any "traditional" dish, and the variations can be quite large! I suppose there were as many variations as the people who made it!
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Plum dumplings are featured in The Viennese Pastry Cookbook by Lilly Joss Reich, a book I've mentioned before in this thread.
Three variants are given:- with cream puff dough "brandteig"
- with potato dough "erdäpfelteig"
- with pot cheese dough "topfenteig"
The recipes also vary in other particulars; for example, the first uses no sugar cubes, the second and third do.
The recipe using pot cheese dough is a variant of apricot dumplings, and it is explained that the sugar cube is essential with apricots because they become quite tart when cooked. With plums, the sugar cubes are merely an option.
Once again I recommend The Viennese Pastry Cookbook to anyone interested in old-world delicacies. Vienna being one of the capitals of the Dual Monarchy (Austro-Hungarian Empire), the recipes show German, Hungarian, Slavic, and Italian influences.
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If made with cream puff dough, then these would clearly be baked, not boiled? Interesting... (With a fruit filling, I guess one would not worry about a soggy center then.)
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And today in this household, quince jam is in preparation.
First, plant a quince tree. (Mine is 'Le Bourgeat'.) Then wait seven years for it to come into bearing.
Harvest your quinces when they turn bright yellow. Wash under cold water and rub the fuzz off the skin. Cut each into eighths, then cut away the portion of the core in each piece, as well as stems, and bruised or rotten spots. Be very careful when cutting up your uncooked quinces: they are very hard. Use a strong, sharp knife and be wary in case it slips.
Half-fill a very large pot with quince pieces, then add water so the quince pieces are barely covered. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until quince is soft.
Cool, then pass the cooked quince through a food mill or coarse sieve to remove bits of the core membranes, skins, and other rough portions of the fruit. Take a measured volume of the cooked quince pulp and mix with an equal volume of sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until semi-transparent, skimming off any scum that forms. It is important to stir often and thoroughly as the quince jam cooks; otherwise it may scorch as it thickens.
Can in jam jars. Eighteen large quinces will make 16 or so 500-ml wide-mouth sealer jars of quince jam today.
To make quince marmalade, put some of the hot quince jam in a shallow baking dish and continue to cook in a 250F oven to reduce it. The marmalade should be quite solid when cool. It is served in slices with cheese in Spain and Portugal.
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If made with cream puff dough, then these would clearly be baked, not boiled? Interesting... (With a fruit filling, I guess one would not worry about a soggy center then.)
They're boiled, expanding as they cook. The recipe for the dough is a classic puff paste as used for eclairs, cream puffs, and profiteroles, though I haven't compared the ingredient proportions to other recipes for puff paste.
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So Rodger and Lori, by cream puff dough you are referring to choux pastry???
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So Rodger and Lori, by cream puff dough you are referring to choux pastry???
Yep. The one where you boil water and butter, dump all the flour in at once, stir like crazy, then add eggs one at a time, with more crazy stirring.
Lilly Joss Reich has you work the dough somewhat more than usual, and then refrigerate it. She may use a higher proportion of flour than usual, but as said, I haven't checked that detail.
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Oh, okay... I actually was thinking of choux pastry, but then I thought, "Oh, puff pastry... layers of dough and butter..."
But either way.... boiled? That's astounding!
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Rodger,
Your posting re quince made me feel my lack of quince this year. My tree obviously has not settled down to regular fruiting and gave nothing at all this year, perhaps a frost at blossom time. I adore baked quince and quince marmalade (with cheese).
I'll have to wait and hope for better results next year. In the meantime, pumpkin soup with gruyere cheese will have to do for today.
Paddy
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And today in this household, quince jam is in preparation. First, plant a quince tree. Then wait seven years for it to come into bearing. Harvest your quinces when they turn bright yellow.
And, if you are of the seedy sort of persuasion, you would first harvest the seed of the Chaenomeles (the beautiful bright orange flowered C. japonica fruits are pictured), with C. speciosa (reddish-pink) to be tackled next.
C. cathayensis (the Chinese quince) is not as hardy as the others, but one I will now try growing in this warmer climate. My seed of this always comes from a friend in northern Germany, so I have not yet made edibles of it. The whitish-pink flowers are beautiful and it bears the largest fruit of the Chaenomeles genus, at between 10 and 15cm, with mature fruit weighing near 900 grams.
There is always some percentage of seed loss in the process, unless I am willing to
sacrifice the fruit to obtain the seed. It is near impossible to cut the perfect-for-jam fruits without cutting through a few of the seeds, unless one lets the hard fruits soften inside a large plastic bag, until they become softish. Then it is possible to cut them without sacrifice to the seed.
Usually I want both the seed and the jam.
And as I can never resist promoting seed-grown plants---one can raise a Quince to maturity from seed in about the same time (or less) than Rodger mentions of his cultivar.
Lastly, as it seems apropo here, a Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians!!!! Perhaps this is why harvest thoughts and good things to eat are particularly close to our hearts this weekend.
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While soups are high on my comfort food list, it is actually something else that is right at the top, and Lori's post on perogi was the catalyst.
To those of you fat or carb shy, this may offend or heavens, even disgust you....but for me it captures childhood, place, occasion, family history, the whole works in every single bite.
And, as I am coming up so close to the first year anniversary of my mother's tragic accident, it always brings tender thoughts of her to the forefront of my consciousness.
Cooked by my grandmother, this was the dish that kept my mother's large (farming) family alive during the war, using what was at hand. This was in Slovakia, near the Hungarian border. I know there are plenty of versions of this in East European peasant cuisine, under various names. We just called it "Knaedchen" (little dumplings???).
The only other dish that comes close to it in essence, although not quite in flavour, is Pasta alla Carbonara.
Step One: THE BACON
-Cut up into tiny pieces about a pound of good quality bacon (thick type) if possible. Don't use the maple-cured, etc. this is too sweet, hickory is ok, or if you can obtain the actual chunk bacon, as in Europe, even better. This is hard to find in Canada.
- Saute this slowly until crispy.
-Put on side, leaving fat and everything intact in the frying pan.
Step Two: THE POTATOES
-Peel and cut into small squares about 2 large potatoes.
-Cook gently in a (very large) pot filled 3/4 full with water (the large pot and plenty of water will become evident soon).
-When potatoes are almost cooked turn heat up to boil for next step.
-Grate an additional bunch of potatoes (maybe 3-5 large for a good-sized monstrous bowl of it in the end).
-Squeeze out the excess water.
-Add some eggs (maybe two for the amount of potatoes above).
-Enough flower to make a soft dough that is still just slightly sticky
-Place dough on a plate
-With a table knife, cut the dough in small pieces off the plate into the large pot of boiling water, where the cut-up potatoes are already mostly cooked.
-The dumplings will cook almost instantly after they hit the water.
-When the dumplings have all been cut into the boiling water, move pot to a another spot on stove, and put the bacon pan back on this hot element for the next step.
Step Three: THE EGGS
-2-3 eggs have already been cracked and barely beaten
-when bacon pan just heats up, push bacon to one side and quickly, just barely cook the egg mixture in the fat on the non-bacon side of pan. stir quickly to break up (you want avoid an omellete).
-turn off before eggs are fully cooked, put pan on side.
Last Step: THROWING IT ALL TOGETHER
-you will need the most monstrous bowl or container you have.
-the ultimate thing is to put everything together quickly and be able to serve it warm.
-drain everything in the large potato pot in batches into a sieve and rinse lightly and quickly under HOT water. some amount of the potato starch in the water adds to the final dish, so don't rinse TOO throughly (in fact, my grandmother would never rinse the potato starch away---she reserved it and made a soup out of it).
-once the dumplings/cut up potatoes are rinsed and in the very large bowl, add everything in the bacon pan (grease and all).
-add a small amount of cream, or evaporated milk, plus some salt, and gently turn.
taste for enough salt, and serve.
In some parts of Eastern Europe, a soft cheese is added instead of the cream (can be somewhat pungent or mild like cream cheese). I prefer the cream/evaporated milk.
Sadly, it's a hard dish to make for one---so I will be saving it for a time when my children or my sister come for a visit. I will then try to photograph the process.
And second on my comfort food list IS A SOUP----again going long back in my history. This is Buttermilk Soup---rough recipe to follow soon.
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Sauere Suppe (Sour Soup)
Ingredients
Buttermilk (Is this a Liter??? container)
Smoked Paprika (Debreziner) Sausages
Potatoes
Onions
Eggs
Flour
Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper
Step One:
-Cut up about 2-3 potatoes into small cubes
-Gently cook in a LARGE pot in a SMALL amount of water (about 3 inches above the cut-up potatoes)
-Add 1-2 bay leaves
In the meantime
-Saute finely chopped onions in oil (maybe 2 large onions)
-Add generous quantity of sweet paprika (enough to really colour the onions red)--a few tablespoons at least.
-Cut the sausages (3-5) into small pieces (each sausage quartered and then sliced small) and add to the pan. Cook until onions are soft and sausages have released their own flavours (and more paprika).
-Add everything in pan to the potatoes in the soup pot and bring to up to A VERY gentle bubbling
Step Two:
-Take a small amount of the buttermilk ( 1/2 cup?) and add about 2-3 TBL of flour, stir until smooth. This is to thicken the soup.
-Add slowly to gently bubbling soup pot, stirring constantly until you see it thicken.
-Then continue adding remainder of buttermilk, a bit at a time, to maintain thickening of soup.
-Consistency should be just slightly thickened, but never thick.
-If too thick, just add some water.
-Never allow to come past a gentle bubbling, or soup may curdle.
Step Three:
-barely stirred up eggs (2 eggs) are then gently added to the bubbling soup (egg drop style) as a last step.
-Salt and pepper to taste.
and this one I can make just for myself, as it reheats well, and gets better with passing days. now if only i could find Debreziner in this area. I've tried it with plain old smoked sausages, but it is not the same.
YUM, YUM AND MORE YUM.....
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Oh, okay... I actually was thinking of choux pastry, but then I thought, "Oh, puff pastry... layers of dough and butter..."
But either way.... boiled? That's astounding!
I was confused for decades about the distinction between puff paste and puff pastry.
This may mean nothing more than that I'm easily confused!
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Kristl,
I had Cydonia oblonga in mind as my quince. I also grow the chaenomeles, including C. cathayensis, which does indeed have a great sized fruit.
Paddy
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Paddy, it's a great relief to see you in here again. The Canadians were hi-jacking the subject. ;D
Pleased to see a seedling quince will fruit in about 7 years. That means I have just a couple to wait for my three young ones. I really grew them for their beautiful form and flowers though I love quinces as well of cours. Quince paste is wonderful with crackers and cheese of any kind.
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...and to put my twopennorth in, a few slices of Quince in an apple pie make all the difference in the world!
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Quince jelly with creme fraiche on a hot croissant mmmmmmmmmm ;)
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Lesley,
Been busy eating.
Paddy
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The Canadians were hi-jacking the subject. ;D
I guess Lori, Helen, John, Kristl, and I will have to start extolling the virtues of cod cheeks, seal flipper pie, fiddleheads, poutine, tortiere, Nanaimo bars, and butter tarts.
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Rodger, you can have ALL the cod cheeks and seal flipper pies.
I love tortieres but only the ones made with shredded meat. Love fiddleheads, not too keen on poutines, especially trying to cook them!
Not sure what a nanaimo bar or a butter tart is ??? ??? ???
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We must remember that Helen is a recent Canadian! :D
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cod cheeks + tongues - actually quite good in Newfoundland
seal flipper pie - pass
fiddleheads - great
poutine - pass
tourtiere - love them and make a huge one every Xmas Eve
Nanaimo bars - good in very small quantities
butter tarts - anything with butter, Helen I bet you could make some wicked butter tarts.
Rodger - you forgot Rappie Pie (aka râpure) - haven't met one I liked though - wallpaper glue pie.
Don't forget the seafood Chowders of Atlantic Canada - simply the best
johnw
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Lori, I'm a Caussie!! ;D
John, do you make your tortieres with ground or shredded meat?
I don't need more butter in my diet, I am already a butter pig, I slather it on just about every vegetable.
Nobody has mentioned maple syrup yet, yummmmm!!!
Oh, and LOBSTER!!!
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The Canadians were hi-jacking the subject. ;D
I guess Lori, Helen, John, Kristl, and I will have to start extolling the virtues of cod cheeks, seal flipper pie, fiddleheads, poutine, tortiere, Nanaimo bars, and butter tarts.
I'll take a tortiere any time for dinner, with triple portions of the Nanaimo bars and butter tarts for dessert (and more of the latter to take along on seed collecting outings)!!!! In a bakery recently in Shelburne, NS, I picked up a batch of butter tarts but made in squares--to die for.
My Thanksgiving weekend was taken up with harvest riches---I did canning, preserving, freezing, drying. There was quince jam, herbs dried (sage, dill, parsley, thyme) and frozen (chives--don't ever let anyone tell you this doesn't work).
And dealing with pears, apples, apples and more apples.
I need to do a post soon about apples in Nova Scotia. Coming from Ontario, where one had half a dozen apple varieties to choose from (if you were lucky), going down to about 3 in winter, with the rest imported from Asia and South America, it has been an utter delight to discover the wealth of apple varieties produced in this province.
Many I have never heard of---and it's quite an experience going to my local apple orchard every week to find 5-6 new varieties and having to choose which to try next. It will take me years to get through them.
I did multiple batches of apple and pear sauce---the Gravenstein's made an especially wonderful tart sauce---one of my favorites.
Tonight I still want to tackle a tarte tatin....
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So, now I know what a sugar tart is and how to make it.
For anyone else who is in the dark, you can watch this video.
http://www.blogto.com/video/2007/12/how_to_make_butter_tarts/
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And Kristl has already discussed poutine. Even I couldn't take that!
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...and to put my twopennorth in, a few slices of Quince in an apple pie make all the difference in the world!
or to anything else which is largely apple. Jelly for instance.
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And Kristl has already discussed poutine. Even I couldn't take that!
Oh Lesley, my mistake.
I don't mean the chips/fries with cheese curds and gravy ewwwwwwwww, although I have never tried it.
I meant Poutine Rapee, it's a potato dumpling thinggy.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Poutine-Rapee-123966
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Oh yes Maggie, that one's QUITE different - thankfully - and I may try it myself as I love salt pork as well as potatoes. Then there's pig's cheek or sowbelly both wonderful if properly cooked. Hugely fattening of course but so good. Years ago such things were thrown away but now they are considered gourmet or luxury foods and pork belly is available at my market for $27 a kilo!!! This particular vendor (of free range pork) also sells the ears and tails, smoked as dog treats. My two adore them. Truly, she sells everything except the squeak and I wouldn't be surprised if one day soon.....
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And Kristl has already discussed poutine. Even I couldn't take that!
Oh Lesley, my mistake.
I don't mean the chips/fries with cheese curds and gravy ewwwwwwwww, although I have never tried it.
I meant Poutine Rapee, it's a potato dumpling thinggy.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Poutine-Rapee-123966
That's a relief Helen.
johnw
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Errr, I dunno...
The poutine rapee sounds rather frightening too... fatty pork encased in mashed potatoes and then boiled for 2-3 hours? The mashed potatoes must have a really impressive consistency!
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Anyone know the best way to freeze pears? I'd rather not use sugar syrup if possible.
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Anyone know the best way to freeze pears? I'd rather not use sugar syrup if possible.
I have a funny idea that if you freeze pears, they'll turn to mush when you thaw them.
If you have a canner (not just a pressure cooker), you might do best to can them in a light syrup.
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Anyone know the best way to freeze pears? I'd rather not use sugar syrup if possible.
From Metro.
Pears freeze very well, allowing you to enjoy freshly harvested and different varieties of pears all year long. Always start with fresh, good-quality, ripe pears. Pears that are too ripe will become mushy with freezing and unripe pears will remain hard after freezing.
To freeze, the pears should be peeled, seeded and cut in halves or quarters, then blanched in boiling lemon water for a few minutes. Drain and cool immediately under cold water. Place small portions of pear quarters in air-tight containers or freezer bags, label with variety and freezing date. Frozen in this fashion, pears will keep for six months to a year.
Anne, here's the link to Metro where I found this information.
http://www.metro.ca/conseil-expert/jardinier/panier-fruits/fruits-pepins/poires.en.html
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I did exactly this Helen, and the damn things went brown anyway.
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Though it's a bit indirect from the original question, one good way to "freeze pears" is... bake them into pies, and then freeze any excess pies! (Then just put the pie in the oven for a while to reheat.)
One thing I learned early in life is that there ain't nothin' better than pie...
Especially for breakfast... Mmmm.... :)
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One thing I learned early in life is that there ain't nothin' better than pie...
Especially for breakfast... Mmmm.... :)
I'll second that - as a child my family discovered the only good thing to do with frozen strawberries was to make them into pies - they were so good we had to ration them to Sundays only to make the strawberries last!
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Lesley, maybe the pears would be better off cooked and pureed and then frozen.
Especially if they are going to be used for pies.
Never had pear pie, hmmmm.
Lori, pies are great for those with the magic touch for pastry!!
Unfortunately, I am not one of those lucky ones.
Thinking about uses for pears though, I would think you could make great sauces with them, with habanero chillies etc
I have seen bottles of pear and chipotle sauce.
Pear and horseradish would probably be nice with pork.
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Not sure about the puree Helen. I'll probably go on bottling pears as I like them with my bran flakes in the morning. Pear ginger is great too though.
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Not sure about the puree Helen. I'll probably go on bottling pears as I like them with my bran flakes in the morning. Pear ginger is great too though.
Lesley, what is pear ginger?
I love ginger.
Especially ginger beer which can't be found in north america, at least I can't find any, except for what is sold as jamaican ginger beer which is nothing like the Australian version , I assume NZ has a similar brewed ginger beer?
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I guess pear ginger is a sort of jam or marmalade. You peel and chop up a quantity of ripe pears (could puree them I suppose), then boil them gently until cooked. No water or anything else. Measure and add sugar pint for pint and also add however much you like of finely chopped (or processed) chrystallized ginger. Boil again. When the mixture sets like a ready jam, pour into clean jars and seal. Very good on fresh bread or toast or with cream as a sponge filling or on icecream. :P :P :P
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We certainly have ginger beer Helen, which, when I was a child, I made myself, with a "bug." I think it was started off with water, yeast, ginger and sugar. It was fed every day with more ginger and sugar (memory needs a check here) and after a week the bug was strained, and water and sugar to taste were added to it and then it was bottled. The remains of the bug were then halved and the process started over again. When the beer was fermented and ready for use, it was enjoyed by all except that gradually one got tired of it and the bottles accumulated so much and kept on fermenting and eventually some would explode.
We also have a small boutique brewery here in Dunedin who make what Roger says is the best beer of different kinds, in NZ (he is a connoisseur of beers). It is called Emerson's after its owner/founder Richard, and they also make a non alcoholic ginger beer which is sold at the brewery and at the Market through the summer. It tastes pretty much like mine.
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I love ginger.
Especially ginger beer which can't be found in north america, at least I can't find any, except for what is sold as jamaican ginger beer which is nothing like the Australian version , I assume NZ has a similar brewed ginger beer?
Helen - There's an incredible ginger beer made here in Halifax by Propellor, the micro-brewery. It is excellent and has an incredible zip compared to the Jamaican variety available at the Atlantic Super Store.
You might find it in New Brunswick.
Send them an email as I see others are asking where it's avaiable: http://www.drinkpropeller.ca/beers/15-Ginger_Beer (http://www.drinkpropeller.ca/beers/15-Ginger_Beer)
johnw
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Here's what we used to do Helen:
½ oz fresh yeast
¾ pint lukewarm water
8 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
8 teaspoons granulated sugar and
1 ½ lbs granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
7 pints of water
To Start the Plant:
Mix together the yeast with ¾ pint of water, 2tsp ginger and 2tsp sugar. Leave for 24 hours then start to feed your plant
Feeding the monster:
For the next seven days feed daily with one teaspoon of ginger and one teaspoon of sugar. After the seven days have passed, strain through muslin or a clean tea towel.
DO NOT throw the sediment away as this will start your new plant.
The Beer:
Dissolve 1½ lb of sugar in 2 pints of hot water. Add the juice of the two lemons and the strained plant mixture. Add five more pints of lukewarm water and stir really well.
Pour into plastic bottles and leave for seven days to mature before you are able to drink it.
The giveaway:
You still should have the strained sediment left and half of this is the present you give to a friend with the instructions to make their own plant. You keep the other half of the sediment to start your own plant again. And so it goes on...
Instructions to give with sediment
Add ½oz fresh yeast, 2tsp sugar and ¾ pt warm water. Leave for 24 hours and start feeding again as above.
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Lesley, I can remember going to the christmas picnics my father's workplace put on each year, for me the best part was the keg of ginger beer.
Was so good.
I wasn't aware that any ginger beer contained alcohol :o
Can also remember friends parents making ginger beer and storing it in the shed in case of explosions!
John, thanks for the tip, don't think it is available in NB. Will keep my eye out though.
Brian, thanks for the recipe.
Do you have to use fresh yeast?
It is impossible to get fresh yeast here, I have searched high and low for it.
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Thanks for your pear ideas, folks! :D
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Lesley, maybe the pears would be better off cooked and pureed and then frozen.
Especially if they are going to be used for pies.
I wouldn't puree them if the end use was for pies... For pies, I think it's nicer for the fruit to retain some texture. :)
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I have no idea Helen, I've certainly always used yeast from the baker. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
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Thanks Brian, the lemon juice rings a bell. I may start a new plant (bug) from your recipe when it gets a bit warmer, rather than buying it. Helen I mentioned non alcoholic, because being a brewery, many people buy it expecting it to have some alcohol. I don't think I've ever met an alcoholic ginger beer. Stone's ginger wine is very good, especially when one has a cold. And it comes in very nice cream and green stoneware bottles. I have a one (with some other similar oddments,) lined up on my kitchen window sill.
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I freeze a lot of fruit for use in winter in pies, cakes, as toppings or sauces on top of plain yogurt, or just simple fruit sauces (apple, pear, plum, peach). Pears discolor fast once cut, even in the fresh state---but I don't think that matters much considering their ultimate use.
I cut up the fruit, skin and all, throw them in a pot with/without added water, with/without sugar or spices (cinnamon, etc) -all factors fruit dependent. I cook just barely, or more, again dependent on eventual use, but with enough liquid generated by the fruit to freeze well. In most cases, the result is a (very chunky) textured concoction that can be further refined once out of the freezer mid winter.
Not sure what I love more---homemade pear or apple sauce...?
Right now my freezer if full of both.
One of my favorite things to do with pears is a carmelized sauce as a topping for cheese cake.
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Fresh herbs are not always readily available all winter here--except for parsley. But I still dry a small batch of this every fall, just in case.
Take parsley off stems; lay on a plate a couple of inches thick and zap in microwave for about 2 minutes on high. Turn over the steaming mass and do it again for 1-2 minutes. This way, the bright green colour is retained. I normally let it continue to air dry for a bit after this initial drying in the microwave, before storing it air-tight.
Chives is something I use A LOT of year round---and *really* miss if I don't have it fresh in winter. It preserves REALLY WELL frozen. The trick is not to freeze it wet, so if possible, don't wash first. If you must, dry well without damaging. Then cut into into tiny pieces with scissors (easier than knife) and put into plastic containers in freezer asap. They will freeze in the individual pieces, not stuck together, so it is very easy to use later, like fresh.
I always thought that advice about freezing chives in small sections, whole, or to freeze them cut up in water in ice-cube trays was rather convoluted.
I always have the chive containers lined up in the door section of my kitchen freezer, so I can just grab a pinch whenever I need it for scrambled eggs, potato salad, etc.
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I freeze too chives, but I am lucky to have rosemary and thyme in my garden and can use whole year, even the oregano has small springs to use, only marjoram need to be saved into the kitchen for the hard winter nights
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Every year I plant out new pieces of French tarragon but I STILL never have enough. I bought some at the Market at the weekend with the intention of using the tops and making the lower bits into cuttings. However having used a huge amount in a chicken casserole last night, I'm thinking it may have been Russian as there was virtually no flavour at all. The French is a million times better and very distinctive. Unfortunately they look the same in the top growth. Pity the French doesn't make seeds.
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Lesley, pity I can't send you some roots. It grows like a weed here.
I had never noticed that it doesn't set seeds though, I haven't looked closely at the flowers.
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I bought some [tarragon] ... with the intention of using the tops and making the lower bits into cuttings. However having used a huge amount in a chicken casserole last night, I'm thinking it may have been Russian as there was virtually no flavour at all. The French is a million times better and very distinctive...
It's very, very easy to tell the difference: just taste a bit of the leaf. True French tarragon has a noticeable flavor, slightly numbing to the lips & tongue; Russian tarragon doesn 't.
QED and all that
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Yes, you're right Rodger, but my supplier knows her herbs generally and it didn't occur to me to do the taste test first. I have done now and yes, it's the Russian stuff, useless really.
Helen, the seeding/non-seeding is another way to tell the difference (though not so immediately of course). The French grows well for me but the more I have the more I need so never enough.
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Lesley, mine is definitely french tarragon, I grab a piece and roll it in my fingers and sniff each time I pass by the plant, I almost swoon it smells so good.
I use mine mostly when cooking chooks in my claypot, I put slices of onion on the bottom, some sprigs of tarragon, then just lay the chooks ( usually do two as they are so good) in the bottom, breasts down. Add some more tarragon sprigs between them, throw on some freshly ground black pepper, put the lid on and shove it in a cold oven then adjust temps every 10 mins until at the desired temperature.
The biggest bonus with this is you get several cups of jelly at the bottom of the pot once it has cooled, plus around half an inch of chicken fat which never goes astray.
Everyone should have a clay pot. ;D
My second favourite use for it is with poached salmon, third would be omelette aux fines herbs.
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Everyone should have a clay pot.
What do you mean by a "clay pot", Helen? The only thing I can picture is a Tagine ....north African clay cooking thing..... anything close?
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I have a Romertopf in which I can cook a very small bird. I'm planning to get a much bigger clay pot. I have a pheasant in the freezer at present, may cook it at Christmas.
The jelly you mentioned Helen, I know it's the most wonderful chicken stock, but isn't it luverly just slurped up in the fingers and sucked down the throat after sloshing it around the mouth for a bit? ;D
The clay pot I'll get (I know just where in town it's sitting right now) is like a mid-size casserole Maggi, a deep, flat-bottomed bowl with straight sides and a lid with a knob on top. The clay is a little bit porous.
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Romertopf
Aha! Is that it? I get it now..... I must have been skipping a beat.... couldn't think what was meant... right: so a clay, lidded pot, shaped like a dutch oven.... damp it, put in oven from cold.... heat up.... conserves all cooking juices? Is that right?
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Maggi, here's a link to the romertopf website.
My pot is a different brand but same method, I still soak mine for 20 mins before using.
Chickens or whatever else you cook in them cook in their own juices, you will never taste a more flavourful and moist chicken than one cooked in these pots.
http://www.romertopfonline.com/
I have yet to use my tagine ::)
Lesley, my pot would only fit one big chicken but I usually buy fairly small ones.
Have to say I haven't really tried the slurp and slosh but I can imagine how good it would be.
I always save the chicken fat too, it helps make the best dumplings for chicken stews ( Robert Carrier recipe, wonder if anyone remembers him)
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Thanks, Helen, yes, I'm thinking of the same object......have seen them around and had vague idea of method but that's all, I didn't realise it needed soaking for so long.
I think I must seek out one of these.......Ian is greedy for jellied chicken... his Granny used to make it and he loves it and this clay pot sounds like "just the very dab" for that!
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Oh yes, I remember Robt. Carriere well. My original "Great Dishes of the World" is just about in pieces now. Best ever French Onion soup (it's the recipe I use) and a lovely creamy rice pud. In the book he was slim and quite dishy. Now he looks decidedly plump and overeaten. It comes to us all doesn't it? ;D ;D ;D
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Have to say I haven't really tried the slurp and slosh but I can imagine how good it would be.
I always save the chicken fat too, it helps make the best dumplings for chicken stews ( Robert Carrier recipe, wonder if anyone remembers him)
Helen - Do you use the chicken fat in place of butter in the dumplings? I have tried to spice up mine (in the bamboo steamer) with parsley and paprika to no avail. Someone suggested perhaps chopped bacon or bacon fat, I like the idea of chicken fat. Chicken fat really is amazing, especially in a good bowl of rice.
A new booth at the market here selling blistering hot Columbian tamales. And another with quite good Chinese pork buns. Picked up some Thüringer bratwurst in several varieities, wonderful with Tancock Island sauerkraut.
A few sad cuttings of the Montauk daisy in the mail to you today, am sure they will root.
johnw
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Oh yes, I remember Robt. Carriere well. My original "Great Dishes of the World" is just about in pieces now. Best ever French Onion soup (it's the recipe I use) and a lovely creamy rice pud. In the book he was slim and quite dishy. Now he looks decidedly plump and overeaten. It comes to us all doesn't it? ;D ;D ;D
We have this wonderful book too - full of rich recipes but absolutely delicious - the onion soup is the best ever. Our treat, when living in London, was to go to his restaurant in Camden, where he appeared sometimes - special days and great memories of fantastic fayre :D
Looking at my other book of his 'Cooking for You' (bought there in 1973) which I have here and still use I was amused to reread his introduction:
'It has often been said that careless eating is as anti-social as careless cooking, and that a child should no more be encouraged to be indifferent to the flavour of food than to sing off tune. I must confess that I am sometimes surprised in France to see some tiny tot out with its family for a Sunday restaurant lunch tucking into a sophisticated artichoke a la vinaigrette or lobster mousse without a qualm. but why should it be so surprising? The subtleties of taste should be called to out attention early on in life.'
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Maggi, if you get one of the clay pots I can guarantee you will not be sorry.
I'm not sure if it is absolutely necessary to soak the pot once it is seasoned but there is nowhere around here that sells them anymore so I don't want to risk it exploding.
Lesley and Robin, when I left Oz to come to Canada first thing I grabbed were my RC cookbooks, the RC cookbook and Great dishes of the world, they came as a set and were a christmas preZzie in 1971.
I have been meaning to make some french onion soup so will try his version after your recommendations.
Robin, you are so lucky to have eaten in his restaurant!!
I think my favourite soup recipe from his books is the chilled tomato soup, it is so refreshing on a hot day, really yummmm!!
RC was really ahead of his time, I am sure he inspired lots of the great chefs of today.
Just looked at my books, the Great dishes of the world was 2.50$ Oz and the RC Cookbook was 3.95$
What a bargain!!
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John, you have me drooling re the columbian tamales and other goodies.
Living out in the sticks has its disadvantages.
Oh, I finally bought a packet of tilda rice, haven't used any yet but have a boned lamb shoulder defrosting in the fridge ( lamb curry)
Here's the recipe for the dumplings.
Dumplings
1/2 pound of sifted plain flour
3 level tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
3 tblspns finely chopped parsley ( Italian)
1/4 pint milk
6tblspns chicken fat, melted
White pepper to taste
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl.
Stir in 6 tblspns melted chicken fat and the finely chopped parsley with a fork.
Add milk a little at a time stirring with fork, until mixture is just dampened.
Drop a tablespoon at a time onto the chicken pieces in gently bubbling sauce.
Cover and cook for 30-35 mins or until dumplings are cooked through.
This makes the lightest dumplings, they are fantastic.
I'm sure you could add cayenne and parmesan etc
Thanks muchly for the Montauk daisy cuttings, what's the best way to get them to root at this time of the year?
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Helen - I'd try cutting the bases afresh and tearing the yellow leaves off leaving a few green ones on the tips. 1/3 of the stem in a moist sterile mix, place in a plastic bag under lights or out of direct sunlight.
Thanks for the dumpling recipe, sounds very much like mine aside from the chicken fat in place of butter. Will try.
johnw
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I have to agree with M. Carriere's sentiments regarding bringing up small children to sample all kinds of flavours and foods. Thank heaven my own ate everything I asked of them, including mushrooms, oysters and every kind of vegetable, right from the beginning but I'm glad they never had the chance to get a taste for lobster mousse. Wouldn't have fitted into our budget. ;D
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Thanks John, will let you know how they go.
Re the dumplings, I've never tried steaming them, what do you eat them with?
I think when you do them on a stew or casserole they develop extra flavour at least on the bottom.
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Thanks John, will let you know how they go.
Re the dumplings, I've never tried steaming them, what do you eat them with?
I think when you do them on a stew or casserole they develop extra flavour at least on the bottom.
Yes stews and the like. I find they rise better steamed aside and they get too soggy on the bottoms done with the stew.
johnw
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John, these don't get soggy for me but the stew/casserole has to be hot and bubbling a bit when you add the dumplings.
The dumplings are really light and fluffy.
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Lesley, you mentioned a day or two ago a type of cooking pot and its name reminded me of the rumtopf which we have made several times. It is a glazed jar with a top. As fruit comes into season it is placed uncooked into the jar, sugar added and rum to cover. We usually used brandy instead of rum but rum is excellent. As another fruit comes into season, it is added, with sugar and brandy and so on until the jar is filled. It is then left stand until Christmas at which time it will be delicious served with cream, even ice cream.
Also noticed mention of Robert Carriere. When we married we began collecting a weekly magazine of his cooking. Each special day - holidays, birthdays etc - we took it in turn to cook a meal we had never eaten before, starter, main course and dessert. It was great fun and a great way to learn about new foods and new recipes. I still have the habit to this day when I go to a restaurant to choose something I have never eaten before.
Paddy
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Your glazed jar fruit in brandy/rum sounds a wonderful Christmas treat, Paddy, I shall try and do it next year. At the moment pears are delicious here, lots of varieties and Morand liqueur is made with Bon Poire William here in the valley. Over the years we have soaked sultanas in alcohol which make a fantastic accompaniment for icecream - quite a burst when you bite into them! ;D
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This thread has influenced me to make beef stew today! For dumplings, the recipe I use is more-or-less like yours, Maggie... 1 tsp more baking powder, 1 cup milk instead of 3/4; big difference is only 2 tbsp lard (that is worked into the dry flour)... if I had chicken fat around, I would try yours - sounds delicious!
I also just spoon the dumplings on top of the boiling-hot stew and then get it back in the oven to boil hard for 12-14 minutes (same as I saw my mom do about a million times :))... The recipe (from 5 Roses Flour: A Guide to Good Cooking - an old relic that's held together with an elastic band) says to pour off some liquid, if necessary, so that the dumplings rest on the meat/veg to prevent sogginess.
No sogginess either... though on the other hand, I've never tried them steamed, so I have no comparison.
BTW, this cookbook also has handy hints on how to remove the printing from cotton flour bags... but then it is the modern edition, "completely revised 1954"!
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The rumtopf sounds great Paddy and I might try that once the summer stone fruit starts, in about a month. cherries and apricots and peaches would all be good candidates. I also do prunes in rum and when nicely matured use them over icecream.
Oh for the long gone days when flour came in cotton bags. They were useful for many things once washed out, such as straining apple jelly or the whey from the curds to make cottage cheese.
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Oh for the long gone days when flour came in cotton bags. They were useful for many things once washed out, such as straining apple jelly or the whey from the curds to make cottage cheese.
For sheets and pillowcases and anything my mother could sew them into...the good/hard and poor old days!
Paddy
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if I had chicken fat around, I would try yours - sounds delicious!
Lori, you need a clay pot and you will have chicken fat whenever you need it.
I lift the fat off the jelly in my pot and freeze it until needed, same with the jelly.
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Yesterday 13th Friday, my friends come to visit me ;D have no idea why? ::) i put on the door (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/boszikati.jpg) they can found the parking ;)
I made
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/boszikk.jpg) and (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/szemek.jpg)
they are enjoyed (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/marussrezi.jpg) and looked up some more (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/27--Rezi_vgja_Fagica_zserbjt-1.jpg) and have got a bunch of (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/hagyms.jpg) and I let them out in the garden (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/inthegard.jpg)
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Arykana this looks appetizingly.
In any case you, Hunharians, have the best cusine! Last year (in November) we was in Budapest with travel agency. We have given visiting up, have separated from the group and have trailed from restaurant to cafe', from cafe' to restaurant...
Then we have decided to spend New Year's Eve in Miskolc.
In Hungry you can eat best for small money.
On the photo GALUSHKA
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Arykana,
Fabulous leeks.
Paddy
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Thanks Ewelina and Paddy /you are already invited anyway ;D/
Ewelina - you can get some recipe on my website http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?
have you ever heard this rythm? : Polish Hungarian two good friend, drink theit wine together ..........
„Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki.”
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, walczy razem, i pije jego wino.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, pije jego smutek, jego wino razem.
* Węgierski, polski - dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, pije jego piwo, jego wino razem.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, podnosi miecz, filiżanka razem.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, każdy other's wino jest pijane razem.
Dwóch dobrych braci Węgier, polski, napoje razem i walczy jeśli on jest potrzebowany.
* Ich ręka szkło i miecz: polski, węgierski chciany jeden.
* Węgier, polski, dwóch dobrych kumpli, walki razem i pije razem.
* Hungarian-Polish, dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, wszyscy łobuziaki są zabici razem!
* „Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt harcol, s issza borát.”
* „Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt issza búját, borát.”
* „Magyar, lengyel - két jó barát, együtt issza sörét, borát.”
* „Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt emel kardot, kupát.”
* „Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt isszák egymás borát.”
* „Két jó fivér a magyar, lengyel, együtt iszik s harcol, ha kell.”
* „Kezükben a pohár és kard: lengyel, magyar egyet akart.”
* „Magyar, lengyel, két jó haver, együtt küzd és együtt vedel.”
* „Magyar-Lengyel, két jó barát, együtt ölnek minden zsiványt!”
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Arkyana - Wonder leeks!
Can you tell me the name of the bamboo in your garden?
johnw
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Sorry, I am not know the name - I have got a bunch of siberian irises, I planted at the lake side and this bamboo just came out - so, I let him stay there ;D
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Arkyana, your leeks are magnificent, I have never seen leeks that size before.
What did you use them for?
I love leeks!!
;D
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I thinking to make chicken with leeks - will translate the recipe if you interesting in it :'(
I have got a wok too, so the other one will make some good oriental food - but not decided yet! and I have got a giant white icicle radish almost a yard - but no pic ::)
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Arkyana , if you make the chicken with leeks I would love the recipe.
I don't have a wok or a gas stove so can't do oriental stir fries etc.
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„Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki.”
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, walczy razem, i pije jego wino.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, pije jego smutek, jego wino razem.
* Węgierski, polski - dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, pije jego piwo, jego wino razem.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, podnosi miecz, filiżanka razem.
* Polski, węgierski – dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, każdy other's wino jest pijane razem.
Dwóch dobrych braci Węgier, polski, napoje razem i walczy jeśli on jest potrzebowany.
* Ich ręka szkło i miecz: polski, węgierski chciany jeden.
* Węgier, polski, dwóch dobrych kumpli, walki razem i pije razem.
* Hungarian-Polish, dwóch dobrych przyjaciół, wszyscy łobuziaki są zabici razem!
No nie, no nie mogę. Ty mówisz po polsku...
A my się tyle namęczyliśmy, żeby się dogadać na Węgrzech. Udawało się tylko pismem obrazkowym.
A Twoje przepisy na stronie są super, szkoda, że ich nie rozumiem.
Ewelina - you can get some recipe on my website http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?
Now if we can eat cheaply and well in Hungary we don't cook. We shall the whole year starve and then go to Hungary to eat one's fill ;D
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niezły, przechodzić na mnie do przedsiębiorstwa
Mi jest przykro, że mogłeś nie rozmawiać z nikim u nas
maggiepie I had use a plain pan with a tall "wall" for oriental food - and worked well
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Ewelina tam są receptami z język angielski
Mi jest przykro, że mogłeś nie rozmawiać z nikim u nas
Nie tak z nikim, właścicielka naszej kwatery mówiła dobrze po polsku, więc nam wszystko objaśniła.
No i my próbowaliśmy wszystkich języków (znamy w sumie 4 obce), ale nie próbowaliśmy po polsku... :o
To był chyba błąd. No, ale teraz to jak będę coś potrzebować, to chyba będę do Ciebie pisać.
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młode osoby dobrze mówią w angielskim i po niemiecku, starcy lubią to, niż i raczej tyle że po niemiecku
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Tak to prawda, w restauracjach lepszych nam się udawało. Nawet mieli karty menu w języku niemieckim i angielskim.
Najgorzej było w małych miasteczkach, w barze w termach w Tiszaujvaros.
No, ale chyba nie będziemy na forum pisać po polsku, bo nas wyrzucą.
Na pewno na Węgry wrócę, jak tylko nadarzy się okazja.
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would be always welcome ;D
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That looks like a very well-contented and well-filled group of Hungarian ladies. I seem to remember that we were going to have a meal or party up some mountain somewhere at one stage. I can't remember when, where or for what reason but I think we'd better stop off in Hungary on the way. ;D
Yesterday after the Market I had coffee and a glass of wine with some friends, my usual "wind-down" after a hard morning. The cafe also had some enormous meringues, laced with cinnamon. Of course I bought one. It was delicious, crisp on the outside and soft and spongy inside.
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That looks like a very well-contented and well-filled group of Hungarian ladies.
It's better to say Lesley:
delighted with hungarian cuisine and expressing this delight in polish language
In passing wich cuisine do you consider as the worst?
I cast my vote on American.
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I love leeks!!
There's an excellent recipe for "Potage St. Germain" which uses the green tops of leeks as an ingredient, so nothing goes to waste. Here's the recipe:
Potage St. Germain
Adapted from "Soups" in the Time-Life Good Cook series, 1979, p. 100
2 cups dried split peas, soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained
5 cups water or 4 cups water and 1 cup stock
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
½ cup salt pork, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 leeks, green parts only
1 cup spinach or lettuce leaves
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
sugar (optional)
croutons
Cook the peas in 4 cups of water (or 3 cups water and 1 cup stock) with the salt. Bring to a boil, skim, cover, and cook slowly while preparing other ingredients.
Chop the salt pork, onion, and carrot. Cut up leek tops and spinach (or lettuce).
Melt half the butter (1 tbsp) in a sauce pan. Add the salt pork and onion. Cook until they soften and start to brown. Add carrot, leek tops, spinach (or lettuce), bay leaf, and thyme; cook for a few minutes.
Add this mixture to the peas and continue cooking for about 1 hour or until the peas are soft. Rub through a sieve or pass through a food mill to remove coarse fibers from the leeks.
Add the remaining 1 cup of water if the soup seems too thick. Bring to a boil, adjust seasoning to taste (including a little sugar if desired). Add the remaining butter (1 tbsp). Serve with croutons.
For those not familiar with customary North American cooking units. most ingredients are measured by volume: 1 cup = 250 ml; 1 tsp (teaspoon) = 5 ml; 1 tbsp (tablespoon) = 15 ml.
edit by Maggi: pdf file listed below is recipe to download/save more easily!
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I don't have a wok or a gas stove so can't do oriental stir fries etc.
A wok shouldn't be too hard to find, but make sure it's thin carbon steel, nothing thick. As for heating it, you can use a propane camp burner or one of the butane-fired burners sold in some Chinese groceries.
If you have an electric stove with coil elements, you can buy a dished element that will fit a wok. It's a good idea to take your wok along for a fitting, as they aren't all the same size and the dished burners likewise vary in their degree of dishedness.
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Rodger, I for one am interested in your "Potage St. Germain" recipe, I have several recipes and would like to compare them.
As for using a wok, unfortunately, I have a ceramic top stove.
I can use cast iron and get the job done but it makes a heck of a mess with smoke and spatter.
At one time I had an electric cast iron fry pan that was fantastic, I could take it outside on the deck and let it heat up on high for ten minutes and make the absolute best blackened fish ever. I don't understand why these pans ever went out of production.
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As for using a wok, unfortunately, I have a ceramic top stove.
As I suggested, if you get a wok, use a propane camp burner to heat it. I don't like to stink my house up with smoke and grease, so if I'm cooking a steak, I do it outside over the propane burner. All I have is a cheap one I bought at Sears many years ago, but it does the job and I think it would do the job with a wok.
I'll amend my previous message to add the recipe for Potage St. Germain
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Rodger, thanks for the recipe.
I haven't seen split peas used to make this soup before.
I'll keep the camp burner in mind for next spring, although it would probably be handy to have something like that in case of power failure.
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That looks like a very well-contented and well-filled group of Hungarian ladies.
It's better to say Lesley:
delighted with hungarian cuisine and expressing this delight in polish language
In passing wich cuisine do you consider as the worst?
I cast my vote on American.
You're right Ewelina, I didn't express it very well. Thinking of myself, no doubt. ;D
I agree about the American cuisine. So much of it comes with brand names, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried and dozens of others. I've notices that all the great recipes and cooking tips in this thread, that come from the North American continent, are from our Canadian friends. When really hungry I sometimes am tempted by KFC but once I've bought it, I can't bring myself to eat it. I go home and make a sandwich.
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I agree about the American cuisine. So much of it comes with brand names, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried and dozens of others. I've notices that all the great recipes and cooking tips in this thread, that come from the North American continent, are from our Canadian friends. When really hungry I sometimes am tempted by KFC but once I've bought it, I can't bring myself to eat it. I go home and make a sandwich.
Lesley, I spent my first 52 years in Oz, I can't believe the junk I eat since I moved here.
I am sure in the big cities there is great food available but here in Atlantic Canada, most people eat very plain food.
My inlaws won't eat most of my cooking, unless I cook turkey or something plain, or custard puffs or pav etc.
Of course the wonderful fresh produce available all year round in Oz doesn't happen here. It takes a lot of adjusting.
I include NZ as part of Oz in my thinking .
Thank goodness my other half is an omnivore, he eats just about anything and everything!!
Btw let's not forget the great Robert Carrier was American ::)
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What were the "fast food" equivalents in Australia and New Zealand prior to American infuence?
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James goes to the Cathedral youth group on Sunday evenings. The juniors and seniors overlap between 7 and 8, when they are given some food. There's only about 20 in total, plus half a dozen adults and tonight it was our turn to cook, so I made stovies. Ask 10 people how to make stovies and you'll get 9 different answers (there's always a bewildered tourist somewhere). Using the kiss principal, we roasted two boneless lamb joints and diced them up. Meanwhile, I sliced four reasonable sized onions and softened them in white stork (should be dripping). I then added 4 crushed beef stock cubes and the sliced potatoes and lamb in alternate layers and topped up with boiling water. This was simmered for 45 minutes. They got a large ladelful each with three pieces of buttered French bread. Sweet was hot lemon meringue pie with ice cream or cream or jelly, or perhaps the lot! When they weren't eating, local goldsmith Graham Stewart helped them to make rings out of old silver spoons (with the spoon part cut off). http://video.stv.tv/bc/scotland-recipes-20080530-scottish-recipe-stovies/
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What were the "fast food" equivalents in Australia and New Zealand prior to American infuence?
Fish and chips!
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What were the "fast food" equivalents in Australia and New Zealand prior to American infuence?
Fish and chips!
Right, and just about ONLY fish and chips. Now, with the general junk we also have Chinese, Indian, Turkish and many others as well.
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Ah, yes, of course! Good healthy deep-fried food, LOL! (Here too, to some extent... more chips and hamburgers, though, and fried chicken, from privately-owned drive-throughs, rather than the big American chains. And of course, the norm was much more to eat at home, and not carry around beverages all day.) Somewhere in my childhood years, "chips" became "french fries"... probably the influence of McDonald's opening up in the closest city to us, around about that time, I figure.
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Two things in your reply Helen. I though Robt. Carriere was a Frenchman. My mistake. ::) and HOW DARE YOU include NZ as a part of Australia, for ANY reason? (Just kidding. ;D)
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I'm not suggesting the Ethnic/national foods are junk, far from it, but they are definitely fast. I have a passion for onion bahjees. :D
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Sounds good, Anthony! Although surely the use of storks for culinary purposes is frowned upon in most circles these days. ;D
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Sounds good, Anthony! Although surely the use of storks for culinary purposes is frowned upon in most circles these days. ;D
;D ;D
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I am sure in the big cities there is great food available but here in Atlantic Canada, most people eat very plain food.
True Helen, I'm on the road alot and here in NS once you get 100 km / 60 miles from Halifax the good restaurants virtually end - one in Shelburne, The Pines in Digby, Gabrieau's in Antigonish and one or two in the whole of Cape Breton. That's about it, the rest are basically diners.
Just back from a great Indian Restaurant here, started with onion bahjees and deluxe naans Lesley. 8)
Off to St John's in the morning, guess it will be cod and scrunchions for awhile, actually pretty good.
johnw
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Off to St John's in the morning, guess it will be cod and scrunchions for awhile, actually pretty good.
Fresh cod is always tasty.... but what are "scrunchions" ?
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What were the "fast food" equivalents in Australia and New Zealand prior to American infuence?
Lori, apart from the fish and chips, potato scallops were a great favourite ( thin slices of potato dipped in batter and deep fried till puffy and crisp and yummm), meat pies, sausage rolls and hamburgers although you had to wait while the hamburger was cooked. Hamburgers mostly were a toasted bun with a meat patty, fried onions, slice of beetroot ( yummmm), fried egg, bacon, lettuce and tomato, oh and cheese if you wanted it. That was a hamburger with the works.
Nothing like macdonalds .
Oh, and for treats at times you might have a pluto pup and best of all, fresh cooked ( deep fried ) donuts piping hot and rolled in sugar and cinnamon.
Bliss!!
Lesley, I had a bet with myself you would bite re the NZ/Oz comment, you owe me threepence!! ;D
John, I am going to have to investigate onion bahjees, they are new to me.
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If I had one Helen, I'd happily send it to you. We don't even have 1, 2 or 5 cent coins now. Smallest is a 10c piece, made of extremely base metal.
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Mmm I forgot about pies being the local fast food way back when. They still are and they seem to get more and more sophistocated all the time, different fillings and such. And we're exhorted by the nanny state we live in, not to eat them because of the fat content of the pastry. Makes me want to have more, of course.
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Off to St John's in the morning, guess it will be cod and scrunchions for awhile, actually pretty good.
Fresh cod is always tasty.... but what are "scrunchions" ?
Maggi - 2:31 am really!!!
re: scrunchions. In Newfoundland you only get a very few in the better restaurants, maybe 4 or 5 and they're tiny.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_rind (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_rind)
johnw
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My sisters travelled to Europe when I was a kid - I remember that when they got to England, they were horrified by the idea of a fried egg on top of a hamburger. ;D
A "pluto pup"... ??? I'm afraid you'll have to explain that one too!
Yeah, fresh doughnuts... ! Only home-made will do though - I haven't eaten a commercial one in decades and can live without them, but my mother used to make yeast-raised doughnuts and they were spectacular, either just shaken with sugar or with maple icing... mmmm.
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John, I am going to have to investigate onion bahjees, they are new to me.
They were served with two dips to spoon on. One was a thin coriander / yougurt, the other a thin mint / mango.
johnw
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John, I am going to have to investigate onion bahjees, they are new to me.
Sort of a fritter, aren't they?
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In passing which cuisine do you consider as the worst? I cast my vote on American.
The difficulty is that so much American food is corporatized (to coin a word) and the food chemists have fiddled with the original recipes until what's sold is an unpleasant parody of The Real Thing. The tragedy is compounded because relatively few people actually cook at home these days and of those that do, a considerable fraction have (as it were) fetishized food and pride themselves on cooking glop that is traceable to no known cuisine.
American cuisine, as befits a nation that prides itself on being a melting pot, is derived from a wide variety of sources, and there are many regional variations and specialties. On the whole, it's simple food that some might consider overly plain.
Just off the top of my head, here are a few authentic American recipes: Cape Cod blueberry grunt; Boston brown bread; succotash; cornbread (many variations); black bottom, Jeff Davis, and Key lime pies; Southern fried chicken (very easy - the original of Colonel Sanders'); red velvet, angel food, and devil's food cakes; brownies; fudge; shrimp wiggle; Smithfield ham; barbecue; chili (originally a stew of beef or pork and chili peppers, with no beans).
Those interested in exploring American cuisine in more depth are pointed to the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School cookbook (I prefer the 1959 10th edition), "The Joy of Cooking" (older editions better), and the American volumes in the Time-Life series "Foods of the World", viz. a general volume "American cooking", and regional volumes "Creole and Acadian", "The Eastern Heartland", "The Great West", "The Melting Pot", "New England", "The Northwest", and "Southern Style".
Note that the Time-Life "Foods of the World" has for each title an illustrated volume with detailed articles about various aspects of the cuisine under discussion (e.g. how real mozzarella cheese is made in Italy) and recipes; and a smaller spiral-bound recipe booklet that contains all the recipes in the parent volume plus an equal number more. The recipe booklets are what you want to cook from, but the main volumes give valuable background material.
I shudder to think of the bad food Ewelina must have eaten on her recent trek through the western national parks. The difficulty for tourists is that good, honest food is not all that common in restaurants; and some of the best food is sold in dives and holes in the wall, not places you'd go to without someone pointing them out to you.
To conclude with two jokes about American food from the state of Ohio:- How can you tell if you are in Dayton, Ohio? Go to the grocery store and look in the gourmet cheese section. If the Velveeta cheese is there, you are in Dayton. (Velveeta is a semi-solid processed "cheese product" that does not require refrigeration. It is something you feed your enemies.)
- If the people around you think that pouring a can of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup over anything makes it a gourmet (pron. goor-may) dish, you are in northwestern Ohio.
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More examples of dishes that have changed radically from what they were meant to be....
I find it hard to imagine what the popular rendition of "Caesar salad" - with the thick gloppy dressing, that probably comes out of a huge commercial container - has in common with the original article?
How about "alfredo sauce"? Thick, tasteless glue that has no resemblance at all to butter and cream and egg, tossed with hot fresh pasta.
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I was surprised in the USA - the food has no flavor, only greasy and salty - I mean really salty
even the chocolate is salty! do not mention the gravy brrrrrrrr, it something really discasting
The vegetables cooked for death and the meat was raw
I cook every day - do not have any choice - most of the time my own vegetables and mostly not from recipe only get what I found at home and use herbs bravely
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Lesley, I get bad cravings for an aussie meat pie at times.
Hot and peppery and yummy flakey pastry. I especially liked the steak and kidney pies that came in an oval shape rather than round.
Lori, pluto pups are frankfurts on wooden skewers, covered in batter and deep fried. Then they dip the top in tomato sauce.
Only places that sold them when I was a kid, were at the beaches or agricultural shows.
Nothing like bogging into a pluto pup when wet and shivering.
My first introduction to home made donuts was when I was around 6 years old. There was a family lived just a few houses away from my house and the mother would make these donuts and hand them out to the kids. Fantastic.
Not sure now where the family emigrated from I thought from Poland but maybe not, their name was Kupersavage , no idea if that is the right spelling.
There are hot donut shops in most malls in Oz, the donuts they sell here are totally different. I think they must make some sort of pastry and cut them out and cook them and then decorate them with various gloppy stuff.
If you have a good recipe, PLEASE post it. Do you need one of those donut batter holders ?
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Oh, "pluto pups" = corn dogs! I've never actually eaten one - I think, even as a child at the fair (the only time/place these questionable delicacies were available), I sensed that carnival food was to be approached with caution, LOL!
I've never made doughnuts (don't do much deep frying at all) but I will try to find my mother's recipe. No batter holders required - it's a soft yeast-raised dough that is rolled out and cut with cutters into the requisite "doughnut" shape (or squares, as my mom often used to do), and then allowed to rise, if I remember correctly.
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Lori, the PPs or Corn dogs you see now don't look much like the home made ones that were sold when I was a kid.
The batter would be crunchy and very uneven. The stuff they have now looks like some sort of thick dough.
I don't eat much deep fried stuff either believe it or not but would really appreciate your mum's recipe if you can find it.
I will also go hunting for the wet batter type mix to see what the differences are.
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How about "alfredo sauce"? Thick, tasteless glue that has no resemblance at all to butter and cream and egg, tossed with hot fresh pasta.
According to Nika Hazelton's "The Cheese Cookbook", the original pasta alfredo was made by cooking the pasta, draining it, returning it to the pan with butter and grated parmesan cheese, covering, then shaking it vigorously over low heat until the pasta was uniformly coated with a mixture of butter & cheese. No egg. And no sauce per se.
Nika Hazelton was the author of a number of very good cookbooks. She was born and brought up in Europe and knew whereof she wrote, unlike a lot of the Johnny-come-latelies of the cookbook world.
You probably want to return the drained pasta to the hot pan and shake it around on its on for a minute or so before adding the butter and cheese; this will drive off any excess of water from less than perfect draining, and give a less gloppy finished result.
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Roger, I often have pasta with butter and reggi but like to snip some fresh chives into it if I have any available.
Very quick and hard to beat.
Yummm.
I think the pasta with the egg is carbonara although it also has pancetta.
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John, I am going to have to investigate onion bahjees, they are new to me.
Sort of a fritter, aren't they?
A poor imitation of pakora. :P
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Yeah, fresh doughnuts... !
Doughnuts, don't mention them!
I'm surprised that some doughnuts = breakfast in american hotels.
We had the first hotel with breakfast on our trip. We were pleased, we eat tasty breakfast, I don't must get early up etc.
Morning I go to hotel's cuisine :o What I see? Only doughnuts for breakfast ??? :o Should we eat one's fill with them? Though luck, the next time is better. This is surely mistake.
Second night: We book for reasonable price a luxury room with breakfast again. We hope this time we eat good breakfast. Unfortunately "luxury" means "more doughnuts".
Third night: we take a room in polish hotel with breakfast. We hope the Pole know, what a Pole eat on the breakfest. We decide to get up later, yet the breakfast is ready. I go to check... I don't need to write more, You guess at sequel.
We are fed up with doughnuts. We can't look on doughnuts and we have enough doughnuts!
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What were known as doughnuts in my family were actually deep-fried scones. Mother made a regular scone dough, cut it in squares and deep fried them until a nice golden brown and cooked soft and fluffy right through. We ate them hot from the pan - as hot as burning fingers would allow - split and filled with honey. No wonder I'm the shape I am! :o
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I have several very good American cookbooks. The Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook was one of the first I bought, followed by a Better Homes and Gardens Dessert Cookbook, one called, simply, America's Cookbook (Margaret Dodd), Pilsbury's Best of the Bakeoff Collection, the Time-Life one that Rodger mentioned (along with the whole series from around the world) and the one I use most, The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook. This has good recipes in for the scrumptious Divinity.
Nowadays for anyone starting on a life of good quality home cooking it would be difficult to find a better collection those the soft-covered cookbooks published by Australian Women's Weekly magazine. Superbly illustrated, they use the best fresh products and good quality otherstuff to produce relatively simple and easy to make meals, yet they are arranged in such a way that they look as if they're from the finest chefs.
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Lesley, I don't think my mother made scones in her life but she did make terrific custard puffs.
I made some a few days ago and they were yummooooo!!
Of course I had to eat half of them while they were lovely and crispy.
Did the deep fried scones have a similar texture inside to dumplings?
A cousin of mine used to make what she called Johnny cakes, think they are also known as drop scones, very good too.
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John, I am going to have to investigate onion bahjees, they are new to me.
Sort of a fritter, aren't they?
[/quote]
A poor imitation of pakora. :P
[/quote]
Pakoras, yummmmmm!!
Besan is really good for coating fish for frying too.
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones. Ma's doughnuts were softer than dumplings as I remember. Dumplings tend to be a bit stodgy in my opinion. Not that that ever stopped me eating them.
Helen you can't mention custard puffs, without giving a recipe.
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Lesley, the johnny cakes were round and looked more like a biscuit than a pikelet.
Custard puff recipe coming up.
Preheat oven to 425F
Prepare baking tray with parchment paper.
Puffs
1/4 pound of butter ( 1 stick, or 8tablespns)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
1/4 tspn salt
4 eggs
Add butter to boiling water until it melts.
Remove from heat and add flour and salt all at once.
Return to heat and cook, stirring vigorously using wooden spoon, until mixture is smooth and forms a ball.( about a minute)
Cool slightly.
Transfer the mix to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, beat on low for a minute or two to release the steam from the dough.
Once dough is lukewarm add eggs one at a time beating well after each one and continue to mix until smooth.
You don't have to use a mixer but it is a LOT less work if you do and I think you get a better result, I think the mixer traps more air.
Drop batter onto parchment paper on baking sheet, up to you how big you make them.
I used a dessert spoon for mine.
Bake at 425F for 15 mins then lower temperature to 325F and bake for extra 20-25mins.
Turn oven off when puffs are cooked and golden, leave oven door slightly ajar to let the shells dry out for a further 10-15mins.
Cool on wire racks.
Custard
1/3 cup of sugar
3tablespns cornstarch/cornflour
1cup milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream/whipping cream
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn pure vanilla extract, ( you can use a vanilla bean if you have one handy)
3 tablespns butter
Combine cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream and vanilla extract and salt in double boiler, whisk until smooth.
Bring custard to boil whisking constantly.
Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
Set custard aside to cool, whisking occasionally.
I think the custard would still be good without the butter if you can't bring yourself to use it ;D
I find the puffs are much nicer if you let the custard chill before using but my other half likes it lukewarm too.
Btw, if you have a convection oven, use convection.
edit by Maggi: pdf file listed below is recipe to download/save more easily!
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Helen's "custard puffs", if dipped halfway in melted chocolate after filling with custard, then served on a puddle of raspberry puree, turn out to be the tres elegante French dessert "profiteroles".
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
What you call 'drop scones' we call (Scotch) pancakes. Most people, in my opinion, ruin scones (pronounced skonz) by adding raisins to them! :P
As for dumpling - that also has a different meaning in Scotland!
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Ewelina, what you need is a good Scottish breakfast: Porridge, followed by bacon, fried eggs, mushrooms, beans, Lorne sausage, black pudding, fruit pudding (dumpling); and fried bread. When I was a student I used to start the day like that. I remember my landlady's porridge. It used to stick to the spoon and she needed a good flick of the wrist to release it into the bowl. 8) I half expected her to say "one lump or two?" ;D
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So the custard puffs are really cream puffs with custard instead of cream. Extremely yumyum. :P I'll do them very soon. Profiteroles are good with spun sugar over them too. They look beautiful but the sugar is messy to make and messy to eat. One get's very sticky.
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How about "alfredo sauce"? Thick, tasteless glue that has no resemblance at all to butter and cream and egg, tossed with hot fresh pasta.
According to Nika Hazelton's "The Cheese Cookbook", the original pasta alfredo was made by cooking the pasta, draining it, returning it to the pan with butter and grated parmesan cheese, covering, then shaking it vigorously over low heat until the pasta was uniformly coated with a mixture of butter & cheese. No egg. And no sauce per se.
You probably want to return the drained pasta to the hot pan and shake it around on its on for a minute or so before adding the butter and cheese; this will drive off any excess of water from less than perfect draining, and give a less gloppy finished result.
I think the pasta with the egg is carbonara although it also has pancetta.
I use the recipe for pasta alfredo that's in one of Mark Bittman's book: - melt butter with some saffron; warm a bowl in oven while cooking (fresh!) pasta; when bowl is warm, mix cream, grated parmesan, raw eggs and the butter in it, mix in drained pasta and toss. I usually just cut the pasta in the style of fettucine - it cooks very quickly and doesn't seem to hold any excess water. True - it's not a "sauce", per se.
I have another one (Bruno Pasquale Jr., Pasta Tecnica) that uses only butter, cream, parmesan and a bit of nutmeg, so it is similar to the one you reference, Rodger.
Maggie, it's the pancetta that makes it carbonara, vs. alfredo, more or less. Bittman's recipe has pancetta, eggs and parmesan but no cream.
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I found my mom's doughnut recipe... I should warn you that she never writes down the steps, only the ingredients! So a little imagination might come in handy, but this it:
7 cups flour
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup Crisco (melted, I expect)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pkg yeast
3 1/2 cups water
vanilla
As I mentioned, I've never made these myself, but the dough was rolled out and cut, left to rise, and deep-fried. The hot doughnuts were then either shaken in a bag with granulated or powdered sugar, or iced with maple icing (or cooled and frozen, then heated in the oven, and shaken with sugar). Light as air and delicious - I'm sure I could put away a half dozen with no effort...
With 5 kids, she didn't cook in fiddling small amounts either, as you can see! ;D
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Lori, 2 spoon rum missing from the recipe :'(
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Lori, 2 spoon rum missing from the recipe :'(
Also, ground cinnamon with the sugar in the bag when coating the doughnuts.
Paddy
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
............... (pronounced skonz) .........
Only by the posh, Yorkshire people (as you should well know Anthony!) pronounce scones to rhyme with stones :P
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I found my mom's doughnut recipe... I should warn you that she never writes down the steps, only the ingredients! So a little imagination might come in handy, but this it:
Oops, it got away from me.
Thanks Lori, will try these out sometime during winter.
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
............... (pronounced skonz) .........
Only by the posh, Yorkshire people (as you should well know Anthony!) pronounce scones to rhyme with stones :P
David, aussies, at least the ones where I lived pronounce scones as skonz, I thought only americans called them scones that rhyme with stones.
Which reminds me, here in Canada they call them teabiscuits but they also have scones but those are cut into wedge shaped pieces.
It is very confusing.
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Teabiscuits are usually pretty simple (flour, lard cut in, salt, baking powder, milk) while scones are richer (eggs, cream added), no?
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Teabiscuits are usually pretty simple (flour, lard cut in, salt, baking powder, milk) while scones are richer (eggs, cream added), no?
Not in Australia, Lori, but they do have plain scones and savoury scones and best of all, pumpkin scones which have egg.
The main difference between sweet or savoury scones is the sweet ones have sugar added.
Btw, only butter is used in scone recipes I have used. Some people do use margarine :-X
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
............... (pronounced skonz) .........
Only by the posh, Yorkshire people (as you should well know Anthony!) pronounce scones to rhyme with stones :P
And in Ireland it is always pronounced to rhyme with "stones" also - except for those who have notions of grandeur.
Paddy
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
............... (pronounced skonz) .........
Only by the posh, Yorkshire people (as you should well know Anthony!) pronounce scones to rhyme with stones :P
And in Ireland it is always pronounced to rhyme with "stones" also - except for those who have notions of grandeur.
Paddy
Paddy, the notions of grandeur would be reversed in Oz, at least in the places I lived.
Odd thing is that there is a place in the Hunter Valley in NSW ( hunter valley being one of the best wine districts in Oz)by the name of Scone, now this town is pronounced Scone as in Stone.
Never did make sense to me either!! ???
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In Scotland, usual way is skonz, posher is like stone and the palace of Scone is Skoon!
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I am sowing Alliums species this week---for future culinary purposes---the obvious ones are done (schoenoprasum, tuberosum, ramosum). An extra big pot of wild leek (A. tricoccum) to plant in my little woods in the back.
Wonder what other species are *particularly* good for eating?
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I am sowing Alliums species this week---for future culinary purposes---the obvious ones are done (schoenoprasum, tuberosum, ramosum). An extra big pot of wild leek (A. tricoccum) to plant in my little woods in the back.
Wonder what other species are *particularly* good for eating?
Stephenb will know, right up his street.
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I think what I know as pikelets are sometimes called drop scones.
............... (pronounced skonz) .........
Only by the posh, Yorkshire people (as you should well know Anthony!) pronounce scones to rhyme with stones :P
Posh people pronounced everything without moving their lips. Try scones both ways and you'll see which way they pronounce it. ;D I wonder how they pronounce it in Perth (Scotland)? ;) Skoonz? 8)
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;D pogácsa ;D in Hungarian ;D
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Skonz in NZ too and posh we ain't! any of us. :D
I make skonz with cream instead of butter if I have cream, especially cream a day or three past its use-by date. They are very light and much easier to mix.
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Ah, brings back memories of cream teas in Devon with clotted cream and strawberry jam (although I prefer raspberry jam) on the scones. Even the ice cream (cones) had clotted cream pasted onto the top! Yum! (My mum paid for one lot with a Scottish fiver. The vendor refused to take it. Too late!!! ::)) I just love cream! When I was still at school we had milk delivered in glass bottles every day (friends in The Wirral and near Sheffield still do) with the cream layer intact (none of this homogenised rubbish we get today). The best was the gold top, and pouring it over the cereal was a lesson in anticipation waiting for it to slowly start to move before the sudden rush into the bowl. Fantastic! ;D
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Anthony..... your "cream off the top" recollections rings every happy bell with me..... The pleasure of savouring the creamy top of the milk just cannot be beaten, even by using full cream by itself, though that is good!
Aaahhhh, yummy!
[attach=1]
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Anthony, the cream on top of the milk takes me back to when I was a kid in school, crates of half pint bottles of mik would sit without refrigeration and would be handed out to the kids at playtime/recess. My family had a cow at this time and I loved the taste of milk just from the cow but this stuff in bottles with the thick cream on top would make me gag.
Ewwwwwww.
It's taken me a long time to be able to eat whipped cream, unfortunately I am now making up for lost time.
Can't even imagine clotted cream.
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I make skonz with cream instead of butter if I have cream, especially cream a day or three past its use-by date. They are very light and much easier to mix.
That comes very close to the recipe for Lonsdale scones.
I make them with commercial sour cream, which is pretty thick; next time, I'll have to try letting some fresh cream sit until it's ripened nicely. Or perhaps innoculate it with a little buttermilk and make creme fraiche.
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Feeling virtuous, I strained some home-made yogurt (Easiyo) to have on our scones instead of cream - it's really nice, honestly! I used the whey that was left to mix the scones with, instead of milk, and they have turned out very light, presumably because of the acid nature of the whey.
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Mmmm, "real" cream... The days of my family owning a cow were before my time, but there was nothing better than getting a jar of cream from someone in the country who kept a milk cow. The cream did not pour, but had to be spooned out... almost the texture of mascarpone... delicious with fresh Saskatoon berries.
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I used the whey
I'm sure I mentioned this the other week.... we were given a taste of a fermented whey liqueur, made by the chap who makes the Blue Cheese in the Border country , which was delcalred "dangerous" by the EEC!
It was odd: strangely creamy to taste and had quite a kick, with an alcohol content of around
15 %, if I recall correctly. :D
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Now you're talking Maggi (hic). ;D
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Well I hope it tasted better that the unfermented stuff, which is horrible neat :-X (but supposed to be very nutricious).
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It was quite good, Anne, it looked like pale whisky.
It is intended as a dessert liqueur or pudding wine, I think.
Trouble is, it is quite strong in the alcohol rate but tastes quite brnign, so one might be tempted to drink more than was sensible, thinking it was a innocent as it tastes.... then, in a wee while, it does rather hit the spot! :-X
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That comes very close to the recipe for Lonsdale scones.
I make them with commercial sour cream, which is pretty thick; next time, I'll have to try letting some fresh cream sit until it's ripened nicely. Or perhaps innoculate it with a little buttermilk and make creme fraiche.
Well perfectly fresh cream is just as good as soured or past-its-use-by-date cream. I only use that rather than throw it out. If it were still fresh I'd probably be using it ON the scones rather than to mix them.
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Helen, I too remember - with nausea - the school milk programme, which was in place here from the war, I think until about the late 50s. Covered my primary school time anyway. As you said, crates of small bottles (300mls approx) left in stacks at the school gate, in bright sunshine. Cream raised to the top and the whole lukewarm disgusting stuff having to be drunk at "playtime." It took a note from home to avoid it. Today's kids get apples.
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I still have a souvenir ⅓ pint bottle from those days. Margaret Thatcher the milk snatcher stopped the playtime milk, the only contribution at Education Secretary I can remember. She was also responsible (in her days as a chemist) for developing that sorry excuse for ice cream called Mr Whippy! She will go down in history like others of her persuasion: Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun etc. ;)
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Genghis Khan and Attilla the Hun developed ice-creams? Who knew? Fab!
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Genghis Khan and Attilla the Hun developed ice-creams? Who knew? Fab!
Certainly Genghis would have had a form of ice cream - fermented yoghurt based. ;D
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I have been quite amused to read the comments related to "soured milk/cream" etc. which of course anyone growing up in Europe/of my generation understands perfectly. In North America, there is mass phobia surrounding dairy products "expiry dates" and any milk/cream product even approaching E DAY is promptly dumped, with disgust. There is no mental connection to cheese or the myriad of wonderful things to be done with the soured product.
I also think this may be part of the reason why buttermilk is not always easy to find in stores, it's a mental block that most cannot overcome and thus, not a popular food item. I've had to special order it here in my little corner of the universe.
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Lesley, my memories just came rushing back. :(
Kristl, now that you mention it, I always add a few drops of vinegar to the milk when I make pikelets, to sour it.
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And Arykana, I was thinking of you last night when I had chicken paprikash in my mind for today--- and had my head in an old Hungarian cookbook of my mothers. Going through the cookbook was like a good trip through my childhood memories.
In that same cookbook I found almost the exact recipe for the plum dumplings (Szilvas Gomboc?) that my mother used to make and was so happy to see words like "palacsinta" (which we pronounced "palacsinken") --- for the paper thin crepes I still remember so vividly for breakfast, or for more savoury filled meals.
My mother never made the cake version of this (layered crepes with filling in each layer)---but I am now anxious to try it.
Our family is from the Kosice region of eastern Slovakia, which until 1918 was part of Hungary----so I should not be surprised to find my roots feeling Hungarian.
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If I only have fresh cream and need sour, I usually add lemon juice. Don't dare buy the shop sour cream. It all goes on potatoes and from there, round my middle. ???
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Kristl, what a nice surprise to know you have Hungarian roots. If you like to try any other food, just ask me - I should take up more recipe on my web site, only keep me back, I do not use recipe, only cook ;D
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Kristl, are you a cutting, or were your Canadian roots grown from seed? ;)
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I am not sure if this is the right place for these but Maggi will fix it if needed.
These cakes were made by Rose Sevastopulo for the Dublin group. The first pick is an original taken yesterday and the others are pics of pics on display at Termonfeckin of cakes made last year and the year before.
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Rose does a cracking cake, very skillful.
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Wow, Michael, thanks for posting these.
They are fantastic, what a shame to even cut them.
Rose must have an enormous amount of patience as well as talent. ;D
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At the recent Scottish weekend, I chided Rose for not having photos of her extraordinary cakes which I could have for the Forum.... goodness, says the gracious lady, why would I have photos, they've all been eaten there's nothing left to take photos of!! I'm so glad that someone had thought to snap before they snaffled!!
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I like the headline "Kiwi Quiz Master narrowly avoids defenestration." He can't have been up to the job if someone tried to throw him out the window. ;D Wonder who he was?
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Elsewhere we were talking about asparagus. Maggi said to try asparagus and egg in a sandwich. I'll certainly do that as I have lots in the fridge at present.
Helen, asparagus is very good raw, use the top 2 thirds of the spear, very fresh and crisp and you'll find it wonderfully crunchy and with a mild, delicate flavour. Lovely sliced diagonally in a salad or just eaten as whole spears.
For egg sandwiches or to fill hardboiled egg whites, I do the following mixture:
Mash the hardboiled yolks, add to taste, a little salt and pepper, dry or Dijon mustard, some mayonnaise (not too sweet), a little curry powder and some finely chopped chives and parsley. The yolks should be mashed until quite smooth. This is great on soft bread and rolled up and if you can't be bothered buttering the bread first, you can add either soft butter or marg to the mixture. Good too as a salad, the mixture spread on crisp lettuce leaves and rolled.
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I like the headline "Kiwi Quiz Master narrowly avoids defenestration." He can't have been up to the job if someone tried to throw him out the window. Grin Wonder who he was?
Lesley, his name is Jamie Chambers, he look after the web page of the Dublin group of the AGS.
http://www.alpinegardensociety.ie/index.html
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Lesley, I will try and remember to try your asparagus ideas next spring when we will have our own asparagus from the garden.
Am wondering if the after effects ( ahem :o :o) of eatingasparagus are lessened by eating it raw.
I do like it crisp inside but never thought to try it totally raw.
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Thank you Michael. That's a nice website and again, gives the faraway members a little glimpse of what the "home" members are up to. Is Jamie a Kiwi?
Helen I don't know whether raw has fewer after effects that cooked as I eat both in large quantities while the short season lasts. I do know that asparagus gives a whole new meaning to the words "green pea."
;D
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Yes Lesley,Jamie is a Kiwi
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Thank you Michael. That's a nice website and again, gives the faraway members a little glimpse of what the "home" members are up to. Is Jamie a Kiwi?
Helen I don't know whether raw has fewer after effects that cooked as I eat both in large quantities while the short season lasts. I do know that asparagus gives a whole new meaning to the words "green pea."
;D
Hahahaha, there went my mouthful of wine!! :D
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Sorry.
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/csokirzsk.jpg)
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My word! Erika, are those chocolate fudge flowers? :o :) :)
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yes, I made them today ;D Christmas is coming ;D
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You'll have to make more Erika because I'm eating these now! :D
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Some Christmas cookie recipes:
CHOCOLATE PIXIES
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
½ cup black walnuts or English walnuts, chopped
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Melt butter and chocolate together, then cool slightly. Blend sugar and eggs one at a time into butter and chocolate and beat for 1 minute. Add walnuts. Mix in dry ingredients well.
Chill. Form into balls, 1 tsp dough for each. Roll in confectioner's sugar, place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 300° F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen.
POUNDCAKE COOKIES
* 2¼ cups flour
* 2 tsp baking soda
* ¼ tsp salt
* ½ to ¾ tsp ground mace
* ¾ cup (6 oz) butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 egg yolks
* 2 tbsp (1 oz) white corn syrup
* 1½ tbsp brandy
* coarse granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment. Sift flour and measure. Add baking soda, salt, mace, and sift together.
Cream butter, sugar, and brandy together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and corn syrup and beat until smooth. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix. You will have a fairly stiff dough.
Form the dough into 12 quarter-cup (2 oz, 60 ml) balls. Roll balls in coarse sugar, place on baking parchment-covered cookie sheets, and gently flatten with a water glass. Bake for 12-–15 minutes. Don't bake too long; you want them moist and chewy.
Allow to cool and harden on baking parchment before transferring to a cooling rack.
Best after a day or two in a cookie jar.
Can also be formed into 48 half-size cookies (¼ area). These are a better size for normal eating.
GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES
Large, slightly chewy ginger cookies with crackled tops very similar to ones sold at Starbucks here.
* 2¼ cups flour
* 2 tsp baking soda
* ¼ tsp salt
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp ground ginger
* ¼–½ tsp ground allspice
* ¾ cup butter, softened
* 1 cup dark brown sugar
* 1 extra-large egg
* ¼ cup cooking molasses (Blackstrap is too strong for this cookie; fancy molasses is too mild.)
* coarse granulated sugar (for coating cookie dough before baking)
* non-stick vegetable oil spray (optional, for coating the scoop)
Preheat oven to 375F with rack in the center.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pan liners or aluminum foil. If using foil, grease foil with 1 Tbsp. butter or solid vegetable shortening. Set aside.
Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses until the mixture no longer looks curdled. Mix the flour mixture into the butter-molasses-brown sugar-egg mixture; you will have a rather stiff dough.
Divide the dough into 12 quarter-cup portions using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup. Spray the cup or scoop with vegetable oil to ease releasing the dough. For small cookies, divide dough into 48 ½ oz portions )1 tablespoon each).
Using your hands, form each portion into a ball, then roll it in coarse granulated sugar. Space six balls evenly on each baking sheet. (They spread during baking.)
Flatten each ball of dough a little with bottom of a water glass. Refrigerate one filled baking sheet while the other bakes.
Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate sheet 180 degrees. Continue to bake for another 6 minutes or until the cookies have spread and are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
Makes 1 dozen large cookies or 4 dozen small cookies
Nutty Fingers
½ lb (250 g) butter
2 cups (500 ml) pecans, chopped fine (or other nuts)
2 cups (500 ml) flour
4 tbsp (60 ml) sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
Mix butter, pecans, flour, and sugar. Add water and vanilla. Form by hand into small, short fingers.
Bake in slow oven (300°F)
While still warm, roll in confectioner's sugar.
Equivalents: 1 cup =250 ml, 1 pound =450 g, 1 tbsp = 15 ml = 1/2 fluid oz, 1 tsp = 5 ml
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Oooooo! Must try the poundcake cookies at the very least!
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Rodger, these recipes all look to make tasty cookies...and nothing too tricky to cope with 8) I've printed them out in readiness to try soon :D
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Michael
Thank you very much for posting this picture!
(http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3774.0;attach=179740;image)
Great idea for club parties! I have to think how to make it...
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4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
Can anyone translate this for UK cooks? I'd like to try this recipe (and the others!).
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I can, but you should tell me more from the recipe
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I can, but you should tell me more from the recipe
Erika, it is from Rodger's recipe in reply above,« Reply #531 on: November 25, 2009, 09:53:06 PM » for
CHOCOLATE PIXIES
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate2 cups sugar
4 eggs
½ cup black walnuts or English walnuts, chopped
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Ó, it is half a bar = 50g chocolate!
You can use 2 tablespoon cocoa powder /easier work with ;D/
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4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
Can anyone translate this for UK cooks? I'd like to try this recipe (and the others!).
Sorry I missed listing an equivalent measure.
1 "square of chocolate" is 1 oz, 30 g. In Canada and the US, cooking chocolate is sold in boxes of 1-oz (30 g), individually wrapped squares for convenience in measuring. Note that this is chocolate, not powdered cocoa.
It comes in several grades of sweetness: bittersweet (no sugar at all), semi-sweet, and sweetened. The semi-sweet is the usual grade used in cooking.
All these recipes have a little personal history behind them. The "Chocolate Pixies" recipes is one of the small number I have in my mother's handwriting. Some years ago I decided to give it a trial, but as usual googled to see what variations there were. Unusually for any recipe, all the versions of it I looked at on the web were exactly the same, right down to the amount of salt. I suspect it was published in an American women's magazine in the 1950s or 1960s and was so perfectly formulated that no one has ever felt the need to vary it in even the smallest detail. Chocolate pixies are a good looking cookie, nicely chocolate flavored without overdoing it.
The "Poundcake Cookies" is my own invention, a hybrid between the immediately following recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies - as is evident from the instructions - and an excellent recipe for poundcake I've used for decades. I can't say the cookie recipe is yet perfected, so anyone trying it out should feel free to tinker with the ingredient list if they wish, esp. the amount of mace and, perhaps, brandy added.
The Ginger Molasses Cookie recipe came off the web and gives a fair facsimile of what Starbucks sells (and which I have quite often with my coffee there). After making it a couple of times, I concluded that the spicing with cinnamon and ginger was missing a certain je ne sais quoi. Finally I concluded that the missing element was allspice, so that was added to the recipe. They are now very, very close to the Starbucks recipe. If I am not mistaken, allspice is largely unknown outside North America. The Wikipedia article on allspice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice) gives full information. Those unfamiliar with it need to know it is a distinct spice, not a mixture.
Finally, what I call "Nutty Fingers" (for that's what my mother always called them) are are also known by the names "Russian tea cakes" and "Mexican wedding cakes." These were a Christmastime fixture in our family and were never made at any other time of year, so for me they evoke memories of Christmases long, long past in the halcyon days of youth.
One final remark: I found coarse granulated sugar not easily purchased. For the ginger molasses cookies, I use an unrefined cane sugar mostly sold to food fetishists; for the poundcake cookies, a coarse granulated sugar from India. For appearance's sake, coarse sugar is essential to give the look of a cookie covered in crystals, but if you have trouble finding it, ordinary granulated sugar will do.
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I don't think we have chocolate sold in that pre-measure/wrapped format, in the UK.
We can source Allspice quite readily.
For the coarse sugar to give the look of a cookie covered in crystals; what about the very coarse, lumpy type of sugar,( unrefined, comes in lovely shades of brown )which is sold for using in coffee?
The pieces are usually 6mm to 11mm .... a moment in a grinder , or a wallop or two in a stout cloth bag would produce smaller pieces, but still nice big crystals to give the cookies a great look, I would think. :)
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One final remark: I found coarse granulated sugar not easily purchased. For the ginger molasses cookies, I use an unrefined cane sugar mostly sold to food fetishists; for the poundcake cookies, a coarse granulated sugar from India. For appearance's sake, coarse sugar is essential to give the look of a cookie covered in crystals, but if you have trouble finding it, ordinary granulated sugar will do.
When I first came to Canada I was amazed at the white sugar, it looked like what is sold in Oz as castor sugar it is so fine.
I haven't used white sugar for more than 30 years ( except for a few things such as meringue). It took me awhile to find the equivalent of what is sold as raw sugar in Oz. The raw cane sugar here is finer than in Oz but what is sold as turbinado sugar looks much the same as the raw sugar in Oz.
You can also buy Demerara sugar.
I can buy all these sugars at bulk barns at very reasonable prices.
Re allspice, it is one of the essential ingredients in Jamaican jerk sauces, rubs and marinades yummmmmmmm!!
You haven't lived until you try jerked chicken thighs/wings etc or pork!! ;D ;D ;D
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Rodger, you'd better make a batch of each of these and take pics for the Forum. Then we'll know what's to be achieved. ;D
Isn't it odd that even (in my case) 20 years after one's mother's death, a cookbook with recipes in her handwriting brings tears to the eyes? Happens to me all the time. The same for her name written in one of her old books.
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Lesley, yes, I know that feeling.... today would have been my Mum's 88th Birthday..... she died in 1996.... been thinking of her all day, and now I'm going to have a blubb! :-X
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Sometimes you have to share something, a joke, a worry, with someone, and it HAS to be your mother, and then you remember that you can't and it's like losing her all over again and you realize that you're alone in the world, no matter who else is around you.
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Rodger, you'd better make a batch of each of these and take pics for the Forum. Then we'll know what's to be achieved. ;D
Well, Lesley, since you insist, I'll try to get onto it this weekend. If my doctor gets after me because my blood sugar has risen alarmingly, I'll blame it on you. And Maggi. And Helen.
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We can take it. ;D
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I can, but you should tell me more from the recipe
Erika, it is from Rodger's recipe in reply above,« Reply #531 on: November 25, 2009, 09:53:06 PM » for
CHOCOLATE PIXIES
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
½ cup black walnuts or English walnuts, chopped
What size of cup?
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Anthony you failed to read Rodger's helpful first post!
1 cup =250 ml
You can also buy cup measures in cookshops/
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Lesley, yes, I know that feeling.... today would have been my Mum's 88th Birthday..... she died in 1996.... been thinking of her all day, and now I'm going to have a blubb! :-X
..... and would have been my Dad's 97th. He died in 2002 after having reached his 90th birthday and I think of him at some point of every day.And as Lesley says I've never quite got used to being an "orphan"
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You can also buy cup measures in cookshops/
NOT here!! but I use my grandma"s spotted cup for American recipes , because the proportions the important ones and working well - ;D anyway we use scale ;D
and most of the ingredients is not available here, so be creative
one single prescription is not carved onto slab of stone ::) this is how the new reciepe born :o
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Isn't it odd that even (in my case) 20 years after one's mother's death, a cookbook with recipes in her handwriting brings tears to the eyes? Happens to me all the time. The same for her name written in one of her old books.
it is because your love.............
I noticed the same emotions and last year I made a handwritten cookbook to my nieces, I embroidered a cover on it and I drew little small pictures into it
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My mother died relatively young. I used to have a cassette recording of her discussing a Christmas pudding recipe with my grandmother - she sounded like the queen!
But she had a very full life, including a 21st birthday down under, during the tour of this orchestra: http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=16742&l=en (http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=16742&l=en) (the shorter violinist with a distinct parting in her hair behind the conductor's lectern).
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Anthony you failed to read Rodger's helpful first post!
1 cup =250 ml
You can also buy cup measures in cookshops/
Sorry, didn't fancy the nutty fingers so read no further.
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Quote from: Brian Ellis on November 27, 2009, 10:46:47 AM
Anthony you failed to read Rodger's helpful first post!
Quote
1 cup =250 ml
You can also buy cup measures in cookshops/
Sorry, didn't fancy the nutty fingers so read no further.
Not a problem of course Anthony, we bought a set years ago from John Lewis (I think) as we had several recipes calling for cup size and it was a pain to keep translating!
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I use my grandma's spotted cup for American recipes , because the proportions the important ones and working well -
As Erika says, it is the proportions which are important, so I'd just use a cup..... so long as you use the same cup for each ingredient, eh?!! ;)
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Reminds me of a conversation a chap had in marks & Sparks when trying to buy a certain garment for his wife: "cup size?" "No. A wee bit bigger!" ::)
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Isn't it odd that even (in my case) 20 years after one's mother's death, a cookbook with recipes in her handwriting brings tears to the eyes? Happens to me all the time. The same for her name written in one of her old books.
it is because your love.............
I noticed the same emotions and last year I made a handwritten cookbook to my nieces, I embroidered a cover on it and I drew little small pictures into it
That book will surely become a treasured heirloom Erika. :)
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My mother died relatively young. I used to have a cassette recording of her discussing a Christmas pudding recipe with my grandmother - she sounded like the queen!
But she had a very full life, including a 21st birthday down under, during the tour of this orchestra: http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=16742&l=en (http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=16742&l=en) (the shorter violinist with a distinct parting in her hair behind the conductor's lectern).
Chloe, what a fantastic memory to have of your mother, and the wonderful picture as well, a fine violinist to be playing with Boyd Neel. I never heard the orchestra but they toured in NZ a few times and my own mother, herself a good amateur musician, spoke very highly of them so the name Boyd Neel was very familiar to me. My mother would have seen, if not met, your mother. :)
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Reminds me of a conversation a chap had in marks & Sparks when trying to buy a certain garment for his wife: "cup size?" "No. A wee bit bigger!" ::)
Roger went to a physiotheripist to collect an ankle brace he had ordered last week and also collected for me to try, a knee brace for the worse of my two dodgy knees. It's a Swedish thing made from some polyester/ceramic fibre and so far, it's helping quite a lot. The physio, a very attractive young lady asked him what size and when he couldn't say, she lifted her trouser legs and said "about this size?" "No," said Roger, "bigger."
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The standard metric cup is, as mentioned above, 250mls but I always think this is a bit lean, especially for a decent cup of tea or coffee. I therefore tend to add 300mls or even 350, plus a very large egg or 2 small ones and an extra ounce or two of chocolate, sultanas or whatever. I hope this might suggest a generous spirit but more likely, just a greedy one. ::)
Sorry, I seem to having a lot to say this morning, the result of a whole day away from the Forum I suppose.
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/torta-2.jpg)
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Erika, that looks delicious.... what is it?
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chestnut cake - the easy variation
I started to translate several Christmas cookies
http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1059778 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1059778)
here is the recipe - if not cleare plese let me know
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I am sowing Alliums species this week---for future culinary purposes---the obvious ones are done (schoenoprasum, tuberosum, ramosum). An extra big pot of wild leek (A. tricoccum) to plant in my little woods in the back.
Wonder what other species are *particularly* good for eating?
Stephenb will know, right up his street.
A bit late, but these are the main hardy perennial Alliums I use (more on the way to try):
Allium x proliferum : Egyptian Onion, Walkabout Onion, Topset Onions (several cultivars)
Allium fistulosum: Welsh Onion, Japanese Bunching Onion (many varieties for different uses)
Allium ursinum: Ramsons, Wild Garlic or Stink Bombs
Allium victorialis: Engelsk: Alpine Leek, Victory Onion
Allium scorodoprasum: Sand Leek; Fransk: Rocambole
Allium schoenoprasum: Chives (including Siberian Chives, ssp sibiricum)
Allium sativum: Garlic (Hardneck varieties grown as a perennial)
Allium ampeloprasum; Broad-leaf Wild Leek (various types such as Babington’s Leek, Oerprei, Pearl Onions)
Allium angulosum: Mouse Garlic
Allium carinatum pulchellum: Keeled Garlic
Allium carolinianum
Allium cernuum: Nodding Onion (various cultivars)
Allium hookeri
Allium nutans: Siberian Garlic Chives, Steppe Onion, Blue Chives
Allium obliquum: Twistedleaf Garlic, Oblique Onion
Allium paradoxum : Few-flowered Leek (available very early spring)
Allium senescens: Broad-leaved Chives
Allium triquetrum: Three-cornered Leek, Angled Onion, White-flowered Onion
Allium tuberosum : Garlic Chives, Chinese Chives, Chinese Leek
Allium ramosum (syn. Allium odorum): Chinese Chives; Fragrant onion, Fragrant-flower garlic
Allium validum; Tall Swamp Onion
Allium wallichii: Himalayan Onion
Allium zebdanense : Crow Garlic, Lebanon Onion, May Chives (Available very early spring)
Have failed so far with A. tricoccum - I have tried seed several times, they germinate, but I've only one plant which has been hanging on for some years now but doesn't get any bigger. If anyone out there has access to bulbs I would love to hear from you...
There's almost always onions to eat....
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I'm getting a sinking feeling about dinner... chez Stephen.... "how do you want your onions- boiled or fried?" ::)
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I have some nice young plants of Allium wallichii, courtesy Anne W. No way are they going in the pot, pan or salad bowl, at least until I've seen them in flower and I suspect not then either. ;D
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...and with the arrival of long-day sweet onion varieties (Allium cepa), dessert will soon also be covered - I'll prepare you my Walla Walla Sweet Onion Trifle (the Walla Walla is a well known short day variety) :)
Lesley - think of the benefits; by cutting and eating the leaves from a few plants you extend the flowering season as those plants are set back a bit. This species is/has been grown in home gardens in Nepal for food. It's also an important medicinal plant and wild populations have sadly been overharvested so that it's now also increasingly cultivated for that reason. On your next trip to the Himalayas you'd be wise to take a few bulbs with you as they apparently ease the symptoms of altitude sickness! Next time I have to go up on the roof I'll be chewing a Himalayan Onion to see if it cures my fear of heights....
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I suspect Stephen, that the next time I visit the Himalayas will be when I visit the Elysian fields in which case all I ever wanted to grow will probably be growing there for me. ;D
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:) Please look out for some Allium ellisii and send me some seed when you get there...
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I'll do that Stephen. What about if I go in the other direction. Anything you want from the "hot" list?
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That would have to be Allium busheanum, Devil Onion (or was that spelt buhseanum...) ;)
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Hi, Christmas is coming and the kitchen is empty??
Christmas cake
Have bought 1 kg of warm affection,drizzle through the sieve of the
patience,in case if there is a gossip seed do not let it get involved into it!
Add 1 liter courage,3 deciliter of diligence,1 deciliter of goodness,knead it together then 1
egg with kindness it then with clear merriment.
If wake up,roast it at the fire of the perseverance,sprinkle it with maternal laughter and
place a couple drops of calm consideration upon it.
Cut it on warmth onto so many pieces that he should be more with one always,than you are as
many people around the table because there is somebody always,who yet not got.
I wish that you should get him from this cake,who you read that he is happier just let him be
your Christmas
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Ham and Orange Toffee
This won't go down as one of the great classic recipes but for a quick thrill it's jolly nice. I glazed a small ham with brown sugar moistened with orange juice and grated zest. In the cooking of the glaze, much of it slithered and melted off to make a thick syrup on the old Denby platter the ham rested on. I had to be quick when it came from the oven as the syrup set almost immediately but I managed to scoop up quite a lot on three forks where it hardened into a ham and orange flavoured toffee. Sat most of the evening sucking it off.
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Lesley what hedonistic pleasures you have ::)
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Ham and Orange Toffee
This won't go down as one of the great classic recipes but for a quick thrill it's jolly nice. I glazed a small ham with brown sugar moistened with orange juice and grated zest. In the cooking of the glaze, much of it slithered and melted off to make a thick syrup on the old Denby platter the ham rested on. I had to be quick when it came from the oven as the syrup set almost immediately but I managed to scoop up quite a lot on three forks where it hardened into a ham and orange flavoured toffee. Sat most of the evening sucking it off.
I love it!! ;D A good ham is a lovely thing (next time I am in England ...) - and the toffee sounds wonderful!!
I've just finally finished some delicious duck liver (fried in butter and sauced with sweet wine) that I found half-price ...
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If yeast cakes were stored in the freezer, would that not kill them? Yeast is, after all, a living thing.
Lesley - A friend brought a case of yeast cakes from Denmark last week. I sent a few to Helen and was going to send a few along to Roger. The cakes had been frozen and were as dead as can be.
So I guess we've confirmed you're suspicion, a great pity.
johnw - just started snowing lightly here and temperature reasonable. But I hear it is very cold in Dublin with buses and air service at a standstill.
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If yeast cakes were stored in the freezer, would that not kill them? Yeast is, after all, a living thing.
Yeast cake? I thought bread was yeast "cake" - i.e. made with yeast to make it rise and then baked to kill the yeast and cook it....or are you speaking of a cake of yeast. Would freezing kill yeast? It doesn't kill Penicillium. Green bread can testify to that! :P (Frozen bread defrosted and then kept too long in the bread bin.)
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If yeast cakes were stored in the freezer, would that not kill them? Yeast is, after all, a living thing.
Yeast cake? I thought bread was yeast "cake"
Is that the cake with 2 optional yolks of egg? ;)
johnw
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My freezer book says you can freeze fresh yeast successfully. It goes a bit liquid when defrosted though.
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Is that the cake with 2 optional yolks of egg? ;)
johnw
Two egg yolks? Just the one, to make it look as if the sun is rising in the yeast! ;D
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Is that the cake with 2 optional yolks of egg? ;)
johnw
Two egg yolks? Just the one, to make it look as if the sun is rising in the yeast! ;D
hahaha!!! ;D ;D ;D
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By yeast cakes I meant little, 1 ounce cakes of compressed yeast which we can no longer obtain. There was always a warning on the foil packaging to refrgerate but never to freeze them.
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I went picking blueberries last year but got a bit spooked at the thought of running into a bear so I came home early.
Not enough to make a pie but I froze them and there was just enough to make a double batch of blueberry muffins.
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My stomach is now growling as loud as a bear! YUM!
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Anne, these are really easy and quick to make.
Not sure if I posted the recipe before, if not here it is.
Blueberry Muffins
2 cups plain flour- I use unbleached
1/4 cup sugar ( I use raw sugar or canesugar)
3 tspns baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter ( melted)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup blueberries ( fresh or frozen)
Grease muffin pans and set oven temp to 200C or 400F.
If using a convection oven just sent the temps to 20 degrees lower.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
Combine milk, butter and beaten egg with a fork or whisk.
Make a well in the centore of the flour and add milk mixture and the blueberries.
Stir quickly with a fork, until dry ingredients are moistened.
DO NOT BEAT. The batter will be a bit lumpy.
Put a spoonful of batter into each muffin tin. Tins should be more than half full.
Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden.
Serve hot or warm with butter.
I make double the amount and freeze a bunch of them.
They freeze well.
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They look delicious Helen. :D
I have just found a recipe for a fresh cherry pie. The market is full of cherries so I'll be trying it soon. I have a day off this coming Saturday and I've already eaten most of the kg I bought last Saturday so I'll have to wait until the 16th Jan.
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Lesley, don't forget to take a pic of the cherry pie.
I have been wondering what a cherry pie would taste like.
I suppose the worst part will be deseeding them.
It doesn't take long to go through a kilo of cherries.
Be sure to post the recipe ;D ;D ;D
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I'm certainly planning to Helen. In fact, I'll put it here now and do a picture later when I can make the pie.
The recipe is in the current issue of "The Listener" in the small food section that appears weekly. There's a scrumptious picture with it.
Fresh Cherry Pie (Actually, pies.)
FILLING
250 gms fresh cherries
60 gms caster sugar
1 tbsp brandy
zest of an orange
1 cup water
PASTRY
250 gms plain flour
250 gms self-raising flour
good pinch of salt
250 gms lard
200 mls cold water
Heat oven to 200 deg C. Place all filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 20 mins to dissolve sugar and form a loose "jam" then remove from heat and cool.
Sift flours and salt together into large bowl and rub lard in using an electric mixer with a beating attachment (or by hand) until mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and knead for 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 30 mins.
Grease and flour 4 x 10cms pie tins and roll the pastry until about 5mm thick. Cut out 8 circles about 12cms across. Use half to line the tins then spoon the cherry mixture into the pastry shells. Damp edges of shells and cover with remaining circles pressing together to seal.
Place tins on a baking tray and slide into the oven. Bake 30 mins until golden brown. Carefully remove pies from the tins and turn onto individual serving plates. Serve hot with spoonfuls of whipped cream or vanilla icecream.
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Lesley, thanks for the recipe.
Can't wait to see the finished product.
Of course you would need more than 250 grams of cherries, would eat that many while pitting them. ::)
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I'd need a kilo otherwise too few would reach the kitchen :P Thanks for the Blueberry Muffin recipe!
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Our son loves leek and potato soup, perfectly seasonal at the moment, but it was somewhat finger numbing having to cut frozen leeks. It took quite an effort to get them out of the ground as it was frozen to a good depth. I tried to dig up some parsnips but failed.
Paddy
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Anne, you're very welcome.
Paddy, you forgot the recipe. :)
I hadn't realized that leeks would be ok frozen.
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Helen,
The recipe, a little imprecise but that's the way it goes:
Melt about two ounces of butter in a pot.
Dice/slice three large leeks, one large onion, five medium potatoes. Allow these to sweat for about fifteen minutes - the potatoes will soften. Salt and black pepper to taste and add about a litre of chicken stock. Simmer until veg all completely cooked. Whizz to smooth, reheat and serve - add lots of black pepper as it adds greatly to the flavour.
Paddy
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>>Melt two ounces of butter in a pot...<<
Would that be terra cotta or plastic???
(Sorry, but I don't know why I didn't embarrass myself with that one on this thread long ago...)
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I'm tempted to give you an Irish answer but we are too well behaved on this forum to do so. LOL
Paddy
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Paddy, thanks for the recipe. I use the same method for my vegetable soup.
Where would we be without a bamix!!
I wish I had some leeks, I would make this tonight. ;D
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Both leeks and parsnips benefit considerably from some good frost exposure and they seem not to mind being totally frozen for periods at a time. My soup recipe is much the same as Paddy's but I rarely bother to whizz it, preferring a chunkier soup. Same for most soups, especially as we never have them as a pre-main course but always as a full meal on their own with breads of various kinds.
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Lesley, I'm with you on the soup for the main meal with freshly made bread.
For some reason I really like my vegetable soups ( at least the ones that are sauted in butter before the stock goes in ) whizzed.
For chicken or pea and ham etc, I like it chunky. Edgar calls my chicken soup a stew.
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Helen,
You commented on frozen leeks. The leeks I was using were still growing in the garden and had frozen due to the cold weather. They were fine.
Soup - starter or main course? Here, is usually as a lunch, soup and bread. I have never enjoyed soup to start my dinner.
Paddy
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Lunch here too Paddy. We just about live on soup for lunch through the winter. One of my favourites is pea soup with ham, or rather soup made from ham bone stock, 500gms dried green peas, a kg of frozen ordinary peas, and all the meat, rough chopped, from a ham bone or a smoked pork hock. Plenty black pepper and a handful of whatever is still growing in the garden; thyme, parsley etc.
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Paddy, the only time I have had snap frozen veggies was in 1980, the people we stayed with in England would run out and pick frozen brussell sprouts off the plants and cook.
Best sprouts I ever had.
Lesley, I have never tried frozen peas in pea and ham soup.
Mine usually has lots of veggies as well as green split peas. I have to use the bone from a piece of leg ham here, in Oz I used bacon bones and hocks.
I might try your version next time I buy a piece of ham.
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Lesley,
Somewhat similar to your pea and ham soup is a rather gloopy risotto with ham and peas which I make here.
Paddy
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Whizzed or not, potato/leek soup is one of my favorites--and I'm with Paddy on the black pepper, fresh-coarse ground preferred. Seems to me I recall someone adding scraps of bacon...
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Whizzed or not, potato/leek soup is one of my favorites--and I'm with Paddy on the black pepper, fresh-coarse ground preferred. Seems to me I recall someone adding scraps of bacon...
I agree.... leek and potato ...potato/leek ..... is a great favourite with us.... we mostly have it unwhizzed but it is yummy whatever! I haven't actually tried adding bacon.... can't think why, we add bacon to practically everything else!
Freshly ground black pepper is the spice I would least like to do without. ( and I'm working on my salt addiction :-[ )
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I was inspired by this thread to make leek & potato soup for supper :)
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I was inspired by this thread to make leek & potato soup for supper :)
I'm not surprised! But, was it cold enough with you to warrant such a hearty soup, or were you overheating as you ate it? ;D
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I had just removed the last waffle, made from batter with
whipped egg whites folded in, when I wondered
what bread dough would be like. I took out a handful from
the jar in the fridge, stretched it out and put it in the waffle
iron. It was good - crispy like a cracker.
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I was inspired by this thread to make leek & potato soup for supper :)
I'm not surprised! But, was it cold enough with you to warrant such a hearty soup, or were you overheating as you ate it? ;D
About 8ºC. Certainly cold enough for leek soup when you don't have heating!
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Yeah, that's plenty cold enough.... soup is just perfect for central heating a person.... even better than porridge, I think!
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I had just removed the last waffle, made from batter with
whipped egg whites folded in, when I wondered
what bread dough would be like. I took out a handful from
the jar in the fridge, stretched it out and put it in the waffle
iron. It was good - crispy like a cracker.
Well, who'd have guessed that? You're the winner of today's Experimental Cook of the Day Prize, Diane! I wish I could pop round for a visit!
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I'm still trying to work out what a waffle iron is.
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What you flatten waffles with! ;D ;D ;D
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I had just removed the last waffle, made from batter with
whipped egg whites folded in, when I wondered
what bread dough would be like. I took out a handful from
the jar in the fridge, stretched it out and put it in the waffle
iron. It was good - crispy like a cracker.
More info needed Diane. Do you keep bread dough in the fridge ready to prove and bake? How long does it keep for? I can imagine the "cracker" would be good sprinkled with grated cheese or anything herby/spicy and eaten hot in a hurry - or with soup of course. :)
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Anthony waffle irons are just that, an iron or other metal apparatus which the batter is poured onto and a cover added. The waffle cooks from the metal's heat and is eaten warm with cream or jam or whatever you fancy. Most irons nowadays are electric, with a hinged lid. There is usually a pattern in the metal and the batter is much like that for a pikelet. The waffles are usually soft inside and crispy at the edges. Very nice.
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What you flatten waffles with! ;D ;D ;D
Go to Google Images and search for "waffle iron". Lots of examples.
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Had to Google pikelet.
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I recall from my year in New Zealand that pikelets are wee
pancakes - smooth on both sides - not at all like a waffle.
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No, not like a waffle at all but the batter is just about the same, unless you are thinking of waffles as those thin, crisp cones that you can sometimes buy icecream in?
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Scotch pancakes or drop-scones.
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Waffles are thick, with a grid of big hollows that get filled with maple syrup
and dollops of whipped cream on top.
We also put a lot of fruit on to make it even more delicious.
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In Yorkshire pikelets are another name for crumpets...
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I recall from my year in New Zealand that pikelets are wee
pancakes - smooth on both sides - not at all like a waffle.
Round here, (Midlands), a pikelet is a sort of flat crumpet. A crumpet is made from batter that is cooked on a griddle, then toasted. It has lots of holes on one side. In Scotland and other areas, both words have different meanings
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We had this scone/piklet discussion before... back around page 14 of this thread ::)
I had hoped to get a recipe from Maureen for Welsh Cakes but she hasn't got it any more and I haven't yet tested any of the ones I found online.
Soon.........
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Until I make my next batch of waffles, I hereby attach
a purloined photo.
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IF anyone has a good recipe for crumpets, made without buttermilk please post it.
I haven't had a decent crumpet since I left Oz.
Have tried a few different recipes but none have the right taste or smell.
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I'm thinking a pikelet must be a small fish...
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Try this Helen, they looked really good on the tv tonight
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/crumpets_93122.shtml
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Try this Helen, they looked really good on the tv tonight
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/crumpets_93122.shtml
Thanks Brian, the recipe looks very promising.
My timing was spot on today ;D
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I had hoped to get a recipe from Maureen for Welsh Cakes but she hasn't got it any more and I haven't yet tested any of the ones I found online.
Soon.........
I have at least 9 recipes for Welsh cakes on file. The main differences among them are (a) do you add spices and if so, which; and (b) do you add sultanas or currants.
Some are not spiced at all, some with nutmeg (or mace, I s'pose), and some with a mixture of mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg. I suspect the simpler versions are the more authentic.
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This is the welsh cake recipe we use and it resembles the ones we had in Montgomeryshire this Summer. We don't make them too often as we eat them before they get to a tin. In any case they are best fresh either straight from the pan with a little sugar or with jam ;D
Welsh Cakes
8oz self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
4oz butter
3 oz caster sugar
3 oz currants
½ tsp ground mixed spice
1 egg beaten
abt 2 tbsp milk
sunflower oil for greasing
Sift flour and baking powder together and rub in the butter.
Stir in sugar, currants and mixed spice.
Add egg and enough milk to form a soft (not sticky) dough.
Roll out on floured surface to ¼ inch and cut into 3 inch rounds.
Heat griddle or heavy frying pan and grease with a little oil. Cook Welsh cakes over a low heat for about 3 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown.
Cool on wire rack, we like to eat them warm and they never last for long!
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Brian, are these also known as drop scones or Johnny cakes?
I was staying with a relative, years ago who made what she called Johnny cakes, or drop scones for morning tea.
They were fantastic but I lost the recipe, yours looks like it might be pretty much the same.
I have printed it out for Ron.
Thank you ;D
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You're welcome Helen, I think they belong to the generic group of 'Drop Scones' of which there seem many. I hope you enjoy them ;)
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Johnny cakes are made with cornmeal, so not the same at all.
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We don't make them too often as we eat them before they get to a tin.
Yes, I can sympathise with that.... I was shocked when Helen said she was going to freeze half the blueberrry muffins! The very idea! :o
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Brian, I am sure I will.
Lori, so Johnny cakes are just a type of cornbread?
Maggi, I make double amount of the blueberry muffins. I like them best fresh, I can only eat a couple a day.
I find they keep better if you freeze them and just nuke for 30 seconds when you want one.
Hmmmm I have a big bag of blueberries in the freezer at the moment.. ;D
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Our trip to Kaua'i after Xmas was off to a rocky start when it took 7 1/2 hours (!!!) to clear U. S. security in Calgary to get to Seattle... hence we missed the flight to Kaua'i... But being forced to spend the night in Seattle turned out to be very pleasant!
I found us a fabulous hotel (The Edgewater on Puget Sound) which turned out, as promised, to have a spectacular restaurant - Six, Seven (named for Pier 67, on which the hotel is located).
We had the best meals since last Xmas in San Francisco (Postrio - incredible! Go if you can!) - from the menu:
"Cedar Plank Roasted Alaskan Black Cod - maple miso, brussles, caramelized pear, pecan, dates, pancetta, whisky ginger reduction, beurre fondue."
The hot plank was set on a bed of tarragon so that a subtle fragrance wafted up... I find when tarragon is used, it is often over-used, so this was lovely. Though it may sound like an unusual mix of so many sweet things (dates, pecan, carmelized pear) with fish, it was delicious!
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We don't make [Welsh cakes] too often as we eat them before they get to a tin. ... they never last for long!
Which reminds me of a recipe for salted almonds given by Elizabeth David in her Spices, Salt, and Aromatics in the Kitchen. She was taught this recipe by her Sudanese cook when she lived in Cairo. An important detail was that after preparation, the almonds were to be tightly wrapped in paper and hidden in the back of a cupboard.
The reason? Because otherwise they would be eaten, every one, before the intended time.
I think it's safe to say that if a recipe specifically calls for hiding the goodies once made, it's probably a good one, no?
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Lori, so Johnny cakes are just a type of cornbread?
Helen, they are cornmeal pancakes. We used to refer to baked cornbread, at home, as "johnny cake" - incorrectly, though.
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My husband made dinner today. He made a pi.
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Groan ::)
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Very tasting looking dinner, Anne. I like my pi r squared, though, rather than round.... :-X
I can hear Martin groaning even louder now!! ;D ;D
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::) ::) ::)
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Looks delicious Anne, what was in the pi?
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Mmmm, I thought it would be a squared pi too. I've still to make my cherry pie. I ate all the cherries I bought last week. Maybe after this Saturday.
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It was a beef and tomato pi. Very nice too, especially since I didn't make it.
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Wouldn't you put root vegetables in it too?
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Groan!!! ;D
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Lookie what I just found, I think I might attempt this.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/02/top_tier_devils_food_cake_with_sour_cream_fudge_frosting
;D ;D ;D
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That's really evil Helen. Must get to my cherry pie soon. The filling is in the freezer as I ran out of time.
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Lesley, I feel I must try it just to find out what it tastes like.
Will use melted butter rather than oil though.
Don't forget to post pics of your pie ( +recipe) when you make it, cherry season isn't too far away here.
We are lucky enough to get fantastic cherries from California for an extended period then months later from Chile.
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I meant to post the recipe for this fantastic Hazelnut Torta we made at our last Italian cooking course a week ago. Note - as the cake did not have time to cool off completely before the semi-sweet dark chocolate shavings were added atop, the chocolate melted slightly. There were no complaints. Very easy, very good.
Note - I mentioned to the chef there were better marmalades and jams available from Lebanon but he they were too sweet for this recipe. We used apricot jam. And the whipping cream topping was omitted and I can't say it was really required.
We are now on to level 7 and the cake last night was huge. A marbled thing which we pretty much demolished it at the end of our post-class meal.
johnw
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Nice recipe, john.... I've redone the pdf for you so it views the right way up!
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Lesley, I feel I must try it just to find out what it tastes like.
Helen you KNOW what it tastes like. Blackest, most evil SIN! Not to mention a larger dress size! ;D
Yours sound equally delicious John and even easier for me as I can buy roasted ground hazels from a local grower at the Farmers' Market. :D
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Yours sound equally delicious John and even easier for me as I can buy roasted ground hazels from a local grower at the Farmers' Market. :D
Lesley - The cook recommended we avoid the food processor as the hazelnuts were not to be too fine. You'll be chuffed to bits with this recipe. A friend made it on the weekend and she and a visitor ate the whole thing, I was not the visitor.
johnw
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Lesley, happily for me I don't own a dress ;D
John, where's the pic of the torte?
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I can't open the pdf :'(
And I like hazelnuts.
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I could see Maggi's PDF OK but on your link John, total blank except for a note that Quicktime TM and a decompressor were needed to see this picture.
Helen I don't wear dresses either nowadays but I do have a black suit with both trousers and skirt. It's pulled out for concerts or the occasional funeral.
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A friend made it on the weekend and she and a visitor ate the whole thing,
johnw
I probably shouldn't risk it then. :D
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Anne, here's the recipe in a jpg
[attach=1]
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:D
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Szia,
I have got Portuguese a bottle of Royal Oporto wine and decided to make some original Portuguese meal
Could you give me a good recipe?
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Szia,
I have got Portuguese a bottle of Royal Oporto wine and decided to make some original Portuguese meal
Could you give me a good recipe?
Then I'd better ask you what to do with my little bottle of Royal Tokaji Erika. It was given to me a year ago and surprisingly, I haven't broached it yet! It is 2000 vintage. :D
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Oh, you have got a good brand! We usually drink as a dessert wine - but!
good for crab and goose liver http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956)and frees goat cheese
I translate recipes and will put on my site:-)) http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1088299 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1088299)
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In her Viennese Pastry Cookbook, Lilly Joss Reich asserts that nuts used in baking, as in Maggi's recipe for hazelnut torte, are best grated, rather than put through a food processor. She specifically refers to the desired texture as being like sawdust.
I use a Moulinex Jeanette (http://abtecparts.com/moulxe12.htm) for the job, using the grater cone, but a handheld Mouli cheese grater (http://www.greatknives.com/Mouli%20products/mouli_cheese_grater.htm) also works well.
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Óh, you are creatíve - we have a special grater for it! I will shell nuts today and grate them - if I can found the battery for the cameere will take a pic for you
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I wonder if a coffee grinder would work?
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(http://www.konyhatizezercikk.hu/images/55008_ontveny_diodaralo.jpg)
(http://www.anakonda.hu/uplimg/img_114844_1245586dcd8244c1f17c6569b1cab284.jpg)
(http://www.ketezeregy.hu/jpegs/506011-506015.jpg)
the nutgrinders
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I think I would confess. :o
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I think I would confess. :o
;D
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I think I would confess. :o
tell us all your sins ;D
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Too much information maybe. :D
A coffee grinder does work very well. I use mine to make ground almonds occasionally but it does have to be cleaned very carefully afterwards because of the nut oil. I have a new one now for coffee and use the older model for seed cleaning, separating small seeds such as Silene from their pods/husks.
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By the way I am still looking for Facing Heaven Chilis in North America. Fuschia Dunlop is keen on them. No one, it seems, can decide on the proper Latin name for them. I got several bags in China Town in London but it took us 3 hours to locate a source there (not the sole purpose of the trip across the pond). I took a bag down to the owner of an authentic Sichuan Restaurant here - she's from Chengdu, when our order came she had used the whole bag in a chicken/peanut dish for us. They were wonderful - smokey and yet fruity. She later said they resembled FHC but were too big.
johnw
I walked into my oriental grocer's yesterday and there they were - Facing Heaven Chilis. They assured me there was no problem getting them. Strange as they have never carried them before or knew what I was talking about when I asked them about them last year. The term Facing Heaven or Sky Chilis seems to be the problem; it seems the Thai Facing Heaven Chilis are narrow and about 2-3" long, the Sichuan Facing Heaven Chilis short and squat about 1-1.5 x 1-1.5". We'll try growing the seeds.
johnw
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Today is the traditional day here for Hot Cross Buns so I churned them out as I have for the past very many years. Lovely!
Paddy
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Just made a cup of tea and I can smell them from here Paddy :P
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Can anyone solve a problem for me. The local supermarket sells virgin olive oil which I can sort of understand, but they also sell EXTRA virgin olive oil. What exactly does that mean? I have no idea. ::)
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It's the first cold press off the olives. It should have <0.8% acidity. Virgin olive oil is also cold pressed but <2% acidity. It is unrefined. You should know the logic of these sort of terms Michael? Single yellow line: no parking at all; double yellow line: no parking at all at all! ;D
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For practical purposes, extra virgin olive oil is much more heavily flavoured than virgin olive oil; best used as a salad dressing, whereas virgin olive oil is suitable say for sauteeing vegetables, roasting potatoes etc
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Extra virgin is more richly flavoured and also more expensive. I only use if for dressings or where it is to be use "raw" so to speak. For cooking, straight olive oil is better, cheaper and not so stongly flavoured that it influences the flavour of what is being cooked.
While I am totally non religious nowadays, it strikes me as ridiculous that many refer to hot cross buns only as Easter buns, in order not to offend those of a possibly non Christian persuasion. What significance do they think the word Easter has, after all.
This reminds me of a story I was told yesterday at the Market I manage. It concerns the Pope so I shan't tell it here. It was funny though so if anyone would like to have it sent along, PM me. :)
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We tend to only have ordinary olive oil nobody would understand the word virgin in Chorley
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Today we had here perfect spring weather ( 21°)
the right time for a greek drink :
Frappe !
Maybe some of our forumists which travel regular through Greece will know it....
Yamas
Hans 8)
PS : there is no alkohol inside
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We tend to only have ordinary olive oil nobody would understand the word virgin in Chorley
Spoken by a wise man. 8)
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Frappe (with an acute over the e) as I know it is more or less a milkshake but I sometimes make for lunch, a hyped-up version, in the food processor. It starts with a chopped banana, add a raw egg, a blob of vanilla icecream, some cream, a little milk, a dribble of liquid honey and a little ground cinnamon. Very filling and frothy and delicious. :D
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Of course one can make variations on a theme, using chocolate, coffee or whatever.
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Lesley :
the greek version of Frappe is :
Nescafe + sugar + water + ice cubes + milk ( if you like )
The people in the restaurant and Kafenion make two teaspoon of nescafe in a glass -add sugar and fill it ( half full ) with water - than they use a kind of mixer to mix it very well ( I have it testet this is only possibly with Nescafe ...after this the glass is full !
Than they add ice cubes and ( maybe ) milk -ready
....a perfect cold drink for hot days !
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Frappé (just Google it, copy and paste and bingo you get "é") is not something I've tried. Just doesn't appeal to me somehow, but must "suck it and see".
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Anthony :
the greek bars have not this sign :
é
If you ask for coffee you have tree choices :
Filtercafe
Nescafe
Greek Cafe
8)
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Anthony :
the greek bars have not this sign :
é
Then the Greek bars are incorrect. ;D Nescafé has é otherwise it would be pronounced Nescaif and Frappe would be pronounced Frapp. ;D
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Greek letters are always a problem .....
If you drive through this country there are always a lot of problems with name of cities .....so this é
is a minor problem .
p.e. if you drive in one city and you read the sigh of the name for this village .....and you leave this city so the name is often written completly different ( the problem of translation from greek alphabet to our alphabet )
I have really big doubt if it is possibly to drive trough Greece with a navigator ;D
only a little exemple :
you can Chania ( Crete ) write :
H'ania
Xania
Xhania
Chania .....and thats a big city !
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It's the same when languages that don't have the same alphabet try to match up words. You just have to look at menus in Indian restaurants to see the same item spelled differently e.g. popadom (papadom, pappadom, pappadum, popadam, pompadum, poppadam, poppadom, puppodum).
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We bulldozed our way through restaurants and gourmet shops from Bremen to Munich, Weimar and Bayreuth to Berlin. Three days in Berlin was not enough, there were many more desserts and a host of sausages and meats still to sample.
Here is the one light breakfast we had in my old - and unrecognizable - neighborhood on the Rosenheimer Platz in Munich. As you can see I truly meant to take picture before anything was consumed. Shots 1 & 2.
Shots 3,4,5 & 6 for the gourmands out there. No one in particularly in mind especially given those large dark items on the lowermost shelves. Maggi stop scratching the glass of your monitor!
johnw
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John, you really must stop doing this to me ;D
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OK, where are the recipes please?
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Never mind the recipes.... just tell us the address! ;D
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More from the restaurant in my old neighborhood in Munich....
In the previous breakfast shot I should have mentioned the muesli was served in a dark cup made of the most sumptious dark chocolate.
johnw
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And did someone say biscuits?
One dessert that left me baffled and no one could come up with a translation until I got home and got out the dictionary....Holunderblütentorte.
Another complication, no one could understand what I meant by barley and for the life of me I could not remember the German, a few types of bread seemed to have vast quantities of what looks to me like barely. The bakers assured me there was none of my "barley" which they said were rye seeds - two small loaves in my suitcase weighed a staggering 7+ lbs. I still say it's barley.
I could continue on with sausages and sliced meats but there are 105 pictures!
johnw
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The address is no use to me Maggi! :( Are you bursting at the seams John? ;D
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There are no seams left Lesley. And then the bratwurst, spaetzle, kartofelpuffen (I had forgotten about these and thought everyone was eating boiled potatoes!).
A few bugs which I'm sure would not be a problem for long in any garden.....
Note the edible potted rosebushes planted in a delectably dark potting mix.
johnw
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No, Maggi would be terrified of the beetles John. but I'd cope easily. The ladybirds are delightful as well, no doubt, as delicious.
Did you do anything else in Germany EXCEPT haunt the food shops? :D
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Yes, I would be close enough for a visit ;D after you staff your stomach I would make youdie of the guffawing
Maggie, can you lock out johnw ::)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/fnk.jpg) - mine is not this fancy, but tasty ;D ;D
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My goodness John, that was quite a trip! If only you had sent us all goodie bags... :P
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I am consulting with the Boss to see if this torture is sufficient reason to ban John from the forum for all time...... for the moment, the only comment I can get from the Boss is "when is the parcel arriving?" ;D
Erika, your fine choux pastry dish look very like something our French naighbour gave us recently.... with soft cheesy filling? Delicious!! 8)
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I'll have three of everything. :o
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:-)) Maggie, you are invated too :-) the filling is like the cream brule, but I often made from wipped cream and mashed fruit
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Erika..... you have made me even more hungry and I just had lunch! :-[
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Erika - For just one of those treats I will promise not to post anymore desserts or chocolates. Do we have a deal?
johnw ;D
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Ok, come and get one or two ;D ;D
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Hello girls,
forget all these unhealthy things, here are muffins and a strawberry tart, recommended by
the Weightwatchers and made of florist's foam and felted wool.
Seen at gardening fairs at Stuttgart and Reutlingen.
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Here are the goodies:
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Hey, Rudi, these are certainly very pretty.... but does the felt not get stuck in your teeth? ;D ;D
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in this days are flowering here elder ( Sambucus ) -thats the right time to make "Hollerküchl" ( a old receipt from Bavaria ):
First we need some flowers ( maybe free of Aphids )
than we dipp it in a dough ( same as for pancake -but a little bit thinner consistence )
than baken in oil - after cut the flowerstem is it ready for eating !
...perfect with a little sugar + cinnamon and ice ( vanilla )
enjoy
Hans
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and good for syrup /you can drink with bubble water as beverage/ and I made a very good liqueur from it
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Fried elder flowers in batter sounds even better than zucchini flowers. Must try it Hans. 8)
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/torta.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/muffin.jpg)
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in this days are flowering here elder ( Sambucus ) -thats the right time to make "Hollerküchl" ( a old receipt from Bavaria ):
First we need some flowers ( maybe free of Aphids )
than we dipp it in a dough ( same as for pancake -but a little bit thinner consistence )
than baken in oil - after cut the flowerstem is it ready for eating !
...perfect with a little sugar + cinnamon and ice ( vanilla )
enjoy
Hans
Elderflower fritters are a favourite of the garden year here (Elder doesn't grow wild). It's also "traditional" in the UK (see Mabey's Food for Free and Roger Philips' Wild Food) and quite a common recipe here in Norway too. I would disagree about the aphids though - they really perfect the recipe (anyway, it's the only meat I get...)
Here's my Canadian violet salad made a couple of days ago. You can guess the other botanicals:
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Stephen, what an absolutely picture your salad is - I do love flowers in salad, it is so important to feed the eye as well as the stomach ;D
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Arykana, your cakes are so artistic too - who eats them, i would like to know? You have a real gift for making something special.
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Really! Where else can you see such delicious and artistically arranged and presented food? These pages rival a top-notch foodie magazine.... where, I can assure you, all is not as it may appear in the photos.... mashed potato standing in for ice-cream, for instance.....never think that it is only photos of filmstars and models that are faked..... :-X
Three cheers for the scrumptious dishes shown here ! 8)
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Arykana, your cakes are so artistic too - who eats them, i would like to know? You have a real gift for making something special.
I made the cake for my friend's daughter, she is 21 today! the muffin for breakfeast, not a big deal
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A most lovely cake Erika. I can feel it going around my hips already. ;D
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Jerked chicken thighs
12 chicken thighs, skin on
Marinade
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries (or 1/4 tsp allspice powder)
1 teaspoon coriander seed
4 cloves
Toast spices in pan to bring out flavour. In a spice grinder ( coffee grinder )or mortar & pestle, mix black peppercorns, allspice, coriander seeds, and cloves until finely ground.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 scallions/green onions, trimmed and cut into four pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme
2 scotch bonnet/habaneros (Optional: remove seeds to cut down the heat)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg
In a food processor mix olive oil, ginger, scallions, garlic, and thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, brown sugar, soy sauce, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add spice mixture and blend until mixture resembles a thick paste
Place chicken and marinade in a large zip-lock bag and close tight. Rub chicken thighs with jerk paste, making to sure to cover completely. Let marinate at least 4 hours , preferably overnight.
Cook on oiled wire rack on foil lined tray at around 365F convection (390F conventional oven), flip every 20mins.
Takes about an hour.
Just check to make sure it's not burning.
This is great with fresh salsas especially mango salsa.
Equally good with pork tenderloin or rack.
Even better if done on barbecue.
You can play around with the spices and add more if you like.
It's easy to make double or triple the amount of marinade. YOu can divide it into portions and freeze it or have extra chicken thighs and coat, bag and freeze until needed, then you just need to thaw and cook.
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Thanks Helen. Looks like a fantastic recipe. 8)
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2 scotch bonnet
You're brave woman Helen. These are rated 100,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale. :o
johnw
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Thanks Anthony, it has become a firm favourite with us.
John, believe it or not, the spices somehow seem to nullify some of the heat without giving up the great flavour.
If you try it, I think you will be in for a very pleasant surprise.
The chillies and spices are a marriage made in heaven.
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This recipe looks like a great one for tons of flavour Helen. It has always been my problem with chillies that they have heaps of heat but precious little flavour to compensate. I'm learning though, but will try yours soon as well.
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2 scotch bonnet
You're brave woman Helen. These are rated 100,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale. :o
johnw
John.... need I remind you that Helen is Australian..... no fear those folk, no fear at all...................
........... or is it no sense? ::) ;D
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This recipe looks like a great one for tons of flavour Helen. It has always been my problem with chillies that they have heaps of heat but precious little flavour to compensate. I'm learning though, but will try yours soon as well.
Fear not Lesley. I doubled the paste and added 5 Scotch bonnets instead of 4 for 18 thighs. The result for tonight's suppper was great and there is virtually no heat from the bonnets. The fragrance is superb. Enough in the freezer now for 4 more goes. Thanks Helen.
johnw
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That sounds promising John. I'll have to wait for the fresh peppers but won't forget. The stall which has all the chillies at Otago (Dunedin) Farmers' Market is much in the same position as I am, in that Chris and Viv are experimenting. They started just a couple of years ago with the big, very mild/sweet capsicums but have been encouraged by market shoppers to go for chillies as well and almost weekly over the summer and autumn they had new kinds to try. No matter how many they brought to the market, they never had enough. They also grow lemons and lemonades and are even doing limes, grapefruit and mandarins now, all under cover as they're a bit tender here. It's partly what I love about the market; something new to try and people pushing the boundries of what can be grown in Otago. We even had some tamarillos (tree tomatoes) and feijoas this year.
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John, am so pleased you tried the recipe and even more pleased that you liked it.
Did you cook in the oven or on the barbie?
We bought a charcoal weber recently, I want to try cooking some on that with indirect heat.
I think Murphy knows because every time we decide to have some, it either rains or gets too windy.
Guess what we're having for dinner tonight!!
Lesley, I can assure you that habaneros have the absolute best flavour and fragrance.
Not sure about the scotch bonnets, I have some babies in the garden, I just hope the seed was labelled correctly.
You could easily grow your own, chilli plants should last for years in the garden. At least they do in Oz.
Maggi, I saw that !!!
8) 8) 8) 8)
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I may try some Helen. Apart from being edible, they're so pretty in fruit as it ripens.
Incidentally, the first (!) of your clematis seed up yesterday. One C. viorna. :D
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Helen - I cooked them indirectly on the barbeque for quite sometime then crisped them over the flame. (I stood in the monsoon-like weather doing it, you know the incredible downpours we had.) I thought habeneros were scotch bonnets as the grocer had a label over them reading scotch bonnet / habenero. Is that correct?
Friends just got a Weber charcoal with a propane starter. I'm envious :o
johnw
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Lesley, am surprised it took so long to get germinations, I hope it will prove to be worth it.
Btw, if it makes you feel better, I bet most of us have used a fingernail to scrape out the seeds at least once!!
Easier to leave the seeds in.
Am drying out some bluet seeds at the moment, think I got them just in time.
John, re the scotch bonnet/habanero thing, I think they are different, the scotch bonnet has a shape more like a tam o'shanter but there seem to be so many hybrids around am not really sure.
Even the habs are different shapes, my favourites are the orange ones. They have the most wonderful scent and flavour.
I bought some scotch bonnet seeds from some online exotic seed place, they might not fruit this season though as they were slow to start. If they do, I will let you know.
Of course, they might not even be what they are supposed to be.
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We stripped our redcurrant bush today and have tons of the little blighters. Most of them are now packed away in the freezer in bags to suit quantities for crumbles and for pies but a pile saved for Summer Pudding for tomorrow. Maureen's recipe is very similar to the one shown here apart from she normally uses only reccurrants and strawberries.
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/summer-fruit/summer-pudding.html
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Ah, David,
Summertime: blackcurrants/redcurrants = summer pudding, red/blackcurrant jelly and ice-cream.
Paddy
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Scumptious! ;D :P
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Scumptious! ;D :P
or even scrumptious?
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Yes indeed, that too. ::)
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nice new word! what is it mean?
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"extremely appetising and delicious" food :P
It's on of my favourite words, Arykana, because you can sprinkle it about all over the place ::)....for instance, your roses look "scrumptious" and an insect thought so too ;D
Or..... your cakes are the most scrumptious looking confections I have ever seen full of fruity, creamy scrumptiousness, scrumptiously shown on this Forum as tantalising treats ;D
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OK, the light is on now ;D Thank you!!!
and thank you for the praise, my soul is pleased by you ;D ;D ;D
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My other half decided to make cinnamon rolls.
Today is his first attempt.
They have just gone into the oven ;D ;D ;D
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My other half decided to make cinnamon rolls.
Today is his first attempt.
They have just gone into the oven ;D ;D ;D
They look delicious even uncooked.......but I've been waiting here for an hour and a half for the pic as they come OUT of the oven.... don't tell me the pair of you have scoffed the lot already???!! :o
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Maggi, it took me ten minutes to eat one.
The cinnamon rolls are fantastic, nice and fluffy and yeasty.
I am still full and he is getting ready to try a new, you beaut mac and cheese recipe minus the lobster.
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Thay look super Helen. It sounds crazy but if made in a pan with sides, they are even better is a sugar/water/cinnamon syrup is poured over them before they go in the oven. They come out very gooey and have to be eaten with a fork, from a plate, but Sooo delicious.
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Lesley, can you give me the syrup ingredients and amounts?
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Hang on a minute here......have I missed the actual recipe for the cinnamon rolls? :o
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Hang on a minute here......have I missed the actual recipe for the cinnamon rolls? :o
Oh, you want the recipe?
Hang on.
Cinnamon rolls
Yield: 12
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1 package instant yeast
4 eggs
Filling
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Dough
In a small pot gently warm the milk along with 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, the vanilla and the salt.
Don't bring to a simmer, warm just enough to melt the butter.
Meanwhile measure half the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the yeast.
Add the warm melted milk butter mixture to the flour, beat with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth before proceeding.
Switch to a dough hook and add the remaining flour.
Knead until a soft dough forms that is no longer sticky to the touch, about five minutes.
Rest the dough in a warm place, covered in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles in size, about one to two hours.
Knock the dough down and let rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile thoroughly mix together the room temperature butter with 1 cup of brown sugar and the cinnamon.
Flour your work surface, the dough, your hands and a rolling pin.
Roll out the dough into a long rectangle shape, about 18x12-inches.
Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the top of the dough leaving an inch or two uncovered along one long edge.
This will help a seal form. Roll tightly into a long cigar shape from the covered long edge to the uncovered long edge.
Brush the outside of the log with oil or melted butter.
Slice the dough log into 12 or 16 sections.
Turn each on its side and position evenly in an appropriately sized lightly oiled baking pan.
Rest, uncovered, until the dough doubles in size again and the rolls swell into each other.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350?. When the dough is ready, bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
When the cinnamon rolls have cooled enough to handle stir together the glaze ingredients and drizzle all over them. Serve immediately!
Filling
Mix all ingredients together.
Glaze
Stir together the glaze ingredients and drizzle all over the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled.
Edgar didn't do the glaze.
The recipe is from the food network canada, courtesy of Michael Smith.
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Oh! the relief! ;D
Must try these, it's years since I last had Cinnamon rolls.
I'll say this very quietly, because here in Cook's corner such things perhaps ought not to be spoken of.....
we used to be able to buy tubes of dough, ready to make up and bake of various yummy things, croissants etc... and cinnamon rolls were one of the types.... they were made by Pillsbury ( the Amercian company) and a Continental one, can't remember which.... they were all very tasty that's for sure... and quick!
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Those are much more complicated than mine, which are just a scone dough, patted flat, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon then rolled and sliced along the roll. The syrup would be just 200 mls water, a cup of sugar and simmered gently until syrupy, with - or without - half a tsp cinnamon added.
I remember on a field trip a few years back, an Invercargill member had made something very similar but the rolls were filled with sultanas, chopped glace peel and cherries and then the syrup poured over before cooking. We all just pulled gooey chunks off (she brough them still in the pan) and they were delicious.
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Hmm,
I can manage the cup of butter, but a stick? ???
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Ah,"sticks of butter" .... now wait a minute... this has come up before... it's how butter is sold in North America, it seems.... I cannot find the place . where we spoke about this before... it's approx. 4ozs I think... 125gms....... Helen will come to the rescue...... :-\
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Yes, Maggi.
1 stick = 1/4 pound=1/2 cup=8 tblspns=118mls
Most butter here is sold in a 1lb block. I like the packs that have 4 sticks that are individually wrapped.
Makes life a lot easier when needing x amount of butter.
1 stick also fills the french butter crock.
http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/crocks.html
One of the most useful kitchen gadgets ( not sure what else to call it)
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:)
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It looks nice too, quite homely. I think it would be OK here so long as not in the sun and with one of those little nets over it, that my granny used to have, with beads sown around the edges to weight them down.
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I teach my son to cook and bake, seems he would lives there ::) so, I have questions
Australians use metric system for measuring? is there carp there? can I buy curd cheese there?
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Yes, Australians use the metric system and yes, you can certainly buy curd cheese there. Not sure about carp though. They're usually ornamental fish here in NZ, not for eating. One of our Aussies will know though.
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Carp are regarded as serious environmental pest in some of Australia's inland water ways. In Tasmania apparently some keen trout fisher- (people) brought live carp into the state for bait and released them. We have a very expensive eradication program going on to remove them from a couple of lakes/streams.
Most Australian gardeners would come in contact with carp as "Fish Emulsion" - a natural plant fertilizer made from decomposed carp etc. often marketed as "Charlie Carp"
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Oh dear, it may take some skill and ingenuity for Erika's son to turn THAT into a desirable delicacy. ;D
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Thank you!
do you want to kill carp? the best soup made from carp ;D ;D
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Here is a menu that has been in our family since the war. I have tried many times to contact Veterans' associations to no avail, so thought I'd give it a wider viewing here. Chosen (Keijo) was in Korea. This link tells a bit more.
http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/Richard_Swarbricks_War/html/jinsen_camp_-_korea.htm
http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/Richard_Swarbricks_War/html/konan_camp_-_korea.htm
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Was that what they ate, or what they would have liked to eat? If the former then they did pretty well, at least on that day.
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Carp are regarded as serious environmental pest in some of Australia's inland water ways.
What a pity. In Germany where I come from, carp is a delicacy eaten for Christmas if you can afford it; well it used to be when I was young, don't ask... ;) ;) ;)
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Carp are regarded as serious environmental pest in some of Australia's inland water ways.
What a pity. In Germany where I come from, carp is a delicacy eaten for Christmas if you can afford it; well it used to be when I was young, don't ask... ;) ;) ;)
In Britain carp is a coarse fish which must be returned to its habitat unharmed after being caught. Some migrants from eastern Europe are falling foul of this and the fishing fraternity are not happy. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-414428/Officials-patrol-rivers-stop-Eastern-Europeans-eating-carp.html
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Was that what they ate, or what they would have liked to eat? If the former then they did pretty well, at least on that day.
According to the web site, Christmas Day 1942 was celebrated and "some judicious hoarding had been going for some time in preparation for the festivities". I'm amazed at the condition of the menu.
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I seem to remember from the television a couple of years ago that someone was starting a carp farm in southern England. I wonder if that took off.
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Carp are regarded as serious environmental pest in some of Australia's inland water ways.
What a pity. In Germany where I come from, carp is a delicacy eaten for Christmas if you can afford it; well it used to be when I was young, don't ask... ;) ;) ;)
Yes, you cannot have Christmas without carp and still expensive!
here: http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956) look for fisherman's soup and we made it breded and fried also
Preparation
A plate of Fisherman's Soup with carp
The dish is a famous soup, and often consumed by tourists and locals. An important ingredient in Fisherman's Soup[1] is in the court bouillon, which adds significant flavor. To prepare the soup base, fish trimmings are used, fresh carp heads, bones, skin and fins. These are boiled with water, salt and vegetables (red onions, green peppers and tomatoes) for two hours. When ready, the court bouillon is strained. Hot ground paprika and two finger-thick carp fillets, the roe and coral is added, ten minutes before serving, to the boiling soup.
Fisherman's Soup variations[2]
* Fisherman's Soup a la Szeged. Four different kinds of fish are used. The usual ratio is 1.5 pound (800 g) carp, 1 pound (500g) catfish, 0.5 pound (350g) sturgeon and 0.5 pound (350g) pike or perch.
* Hell's Pub style Fisherman's Soup[3] or Drinker's Fisherman Soup. Bay leaf flour, sour cream and a small amount of lemon juice is mixed into the hot soup. Garnished with lemon rings.
* Fisherman's Soup a la Paks. Home made thin soup pasta called csipetke is added.
Traditionally, the soup is prepared in small kettles on open fire on the river banks by fishermen. Fisherman's soup in kettle is prepared with fresh fish on the place. When prepared in kettles, first, chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil until it is caramelized. Then, ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to a boil, other spices (such as black pepper, white wine, tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, are often added to the soup. The soup is usually prepared with mixed fish, the most common species are common carp, catfish, perch and pike. Depending on the amount of added hot paprika the soup is mildly to very hot. The Hungarian soup is famous for being very hot and spicy[4].
The soup is poured directly from the kettle into the plates and eaten with bread (the spicier the soup, the more bread is required).
Many people, especially fishermen, regard the preparation of fish soup as somewhat secretive. Although the recipe is basically simple, the "right" ratio of spices, onion, fish (its quality and variety) and water, as well as timing, affect the soup taste significantly. Many dedicated fishermen regarded their recipe as a highly-kept secret.
Competitions in preparing the soup are popular and are usually held at fairs or picnics along river coast. Visitors are offered to taste the soup for money or for free; the quality is determined by public or committee and (un)success of competitors is often subject of mutual teasing.
The soup is best accompanied by dry white wine (such as Riesling), which may be diluted with soda water. The combination of wine and soda water (a wine spritzer) is called fröccs in Hungarian or špricer in Serbian and Croatian from the German word spritz, which imitates the sound made by soda water as it fizzes out of the dispenser.
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freesh and warm (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/aaaaaaaaaaaaa.jpg) ;D
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It smells lovely!
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I now live in a climate where the fruit of Cydonia oblonga (Quince) ripens.
Jam has been done....but can anyone give me their favorite recipe for a Quince Tart?
(I have already been on the internet for this---but I want *yours*)
Rodger?
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I love the chatney I made from quince and the bissajt - mean cheese from quince
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I love the chatney I made from quince and the bissajt - mean cheese from quince
Yes, we have that quince cheese in the UK as well, Erika. I think it is popular all over the Mediterranean are too? Not really a "cheese" but a sort of solid jam ? :-\
Good crop, Kristl!
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Don't forget to put a few slices of quince in an apple tart, makes a lot of difference ;)
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Not really a "cheese" but a sort of solid jam ? :-\
What we call quince paste. Superb with a cracker biscuit and a chunk of blue cheese. :P
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yes, this quince pasta/cheese very popular - because really good
OH, and try to this: slice very thin the quince, put in a big jar, spread sugar and vanilla on it, some cinnamon and clove, fill up the jar with good white rum or vodka - whisky if nothing else at home, before Christmas filter the liquid and drink for me ;D
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Not that would be interesting: quince pasta! :o
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;D would you like the recipe? ;D
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OH, and try to this: slice very thin the quince, put in a big jar, spread sugar and vanilla on it, some cinnamon and clove, fill up the jar with good white rum or vodka - whisky if nothing else at home, before Christmas filter the liquid and drink for me ;D
I shall definitely be trying this, as soon as quinces are back in season in the south. For those amongst us (not many, I'm sure) who may find the vodka/rum/whisky a bit much, the thin slices of quince bottled with sugar and vanilla and cinnamon/cloves, would also be delicious, just easten in the fingers or on ice cream or in a cake filling. I guess the sugar would liquify to become a thick, quincy syrup. Mmmmmmmm. :P
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yes, something worth to test - it won't be strong
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Quince was also put in chests of drawers in the old days to scent the clothes :-X
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;D would you like the recipe? ;D
Yes please. ;D
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I forget! you can pickle the quince, it is so good!
today I am in a kitchen fairy mood ;D (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/muffin-1.jpg)
pear in white wine (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/feh-2.jpg)
pear in red wine (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/vrs-4.jpg)
and mandarins in snapsz (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/rszeges.jpg)
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I now live in a climate where the fruit of Cydonia oblonga (Quince) ripens.
Jam has been done....but can anyone give me their favorite recipe for a Quince Tart?
(I have already been on the internet for this---but I want *yours*)
Rodger?
Kristl,
I live in hope year to year that the quince will, first fruit well and then ripen but I know they will not ripen here but are fine for cooking. This year I had only miserable fruit but great fruit on Chaenomeles cathayensis, huge fruit but as hard as a rock.
Quince jelly is particularly lovely with cheese. "Mermelada" (sp?) in Spain.
Paddy
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My quince tree has done remarkably well this year - produced far more than I can use so I took a boxful down to the farm shop for which they paid me £18!
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Pesto is, of course, a no-brainer.
the word itself (Italian: shortened form of pestato, past participle of pestare to pound)
Perhaps I am temporarily tired of basil...and besides parsely is such a prolific and long producer, growing well into the cold times of fall, keeps better and is less fragile. And it always keeps its bright green colour.
So have been doing parsley pesto all season. I add just garlic. lemon juice and olive oil and freeze it thus.
When finally used I add spices, parmesan (or not) and this immediately turns pasta into a delight, as a main course or side dish.
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Erika, what are the rolls in the picture above your pears and mandarins? And can we have the recipe please. They look like very delicious sticky buns of some kind. :P
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Erika, what are the rolls in the picture above your pears and mandarins? And can we have the recipe please. They look like very delicious sticky buns of some kind. :P
Lesley, am glad you asked!!
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Of course you can have the recipe! Easy to make. I baked in muffin form, but usually I make it in a oven pan trow with fruit, like cherry, pineapple, apricot, currant
bit up well 10 decagrammes butter with 30 decagrammes sugar and vanilla, give to it 2 eggs, 15 spoonfuls of milk and 45 decagrammes of flour and a table spoon of baking powder
bake in a preheated oven
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Thanks Erika, that sounds easy and delicious. I think this would be an excellent recipe for packing the rounds into a shallow pan and baking them as a whole, for taking on a picnic or a field trip. Then everyone could just break off one and so avoid the stickiness in the kitchen. Just remember to pack some paper napkins with the seed packets and camera ;D) (Maybe a syrup could be poured over as they cook?)
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I'm going to make Erika's recipe tomorrow.
Next up will be Kristl's pesto - I am very partial to parsely but never thought to make a parsley pesto - it's a great idea. 8)
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Next up will be Kristl's pesto - I am very partial to parsely but never thought to make a parsley pesto - it's a great idea. 8)
Hugh F-W gave a recipe on the telly a couple of weeks ago. One of my colleagues made some and brought it in for her lunch.
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I never try syrup
this is the same, made in pan and cover with cherry (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/sti-1.jpg)
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It looks delicious, I will try it also!
Meanwhile, needing to clean seeds of Crataegus shraderiana, I spent some extra time to extract the seeds from the pulp to make some jelly. It tastes like strawberry jell - a little bland for my taste as I like a sharper jelly, but very pretty.
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Of course you can have the recipe! Easy to make. I baked in muffin form, but usually I make it in a oven pan trow with fruit, like cherry, pineapple, apricot, currant
bit up well 10 decagrammes butter with 30 decagrammes sugar and vanilla, give to it 2 eggs, 15 spoonfuls of milk and 45 decagrammes of flour and a table spoon of baking powder
bake in a preheated oven
Erika - They look glorious. I have to ask - How did you manage to have the buns with circles atop?
johnw - almost had our first frost last night.
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Maggi - Have you tried arugula pesto? Made the same as basil but you can add a teaspoon olive paté and you can sub walnuts for pine nuts which seem to be at premium prices these days. Beauty is it lasts so long unfrozen if covered to the surface with saran wrap and refrigerated. After 3 weeks it is still fine and keeps its colour. Often have it on gnocchi when on the run.
johnw
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Erika - They look glorious. I have to ask - How did you manage to have the buns with circles atop?
it is a silicon form for muffin ;D I have different kind - this one shoul looks like a rose
annew, what are you doing with Crataegus shraderiana seeds? ::)
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Maggi - Have you tried arugula pesto? Made the same as basil but you can add a teaspoon olive paté and you can sub walnuts for pine nuts which seem to be at premium prices these days. Beauty is it lasts so long unfrozen if covered to the surface with saran wrap and refrigerated. After 3 weeks it is still fine and keeps its colour. Often have it on gnocchi when on the run.
johnw
.... not YET!
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Meanwhile, needing to clean seeds of Crataegus shraderiana, I spent some extra time to extract the seeds from the pulp to make some jelly. It tastes like strawberry jell - a little bland for my taste as I like a sharper jelly, but very pretty.
ah, Anne, a woman after my own heart....starting down the seed road a few decades ago, i could not bear to compost all that lovely "pulp" from pommes, berries and fruit when i was cleaning my seed, and this is, how in fact, i learned to make all sorts of wonderful (and odd) concoctions from what would have otherwise become ordinary seed-cleaning debri. Because I eat so much yogurt, my leanings were often towards fruit sauces that were later used to top this.
a bowl of greek yogurt, which is heaven, on its own, topped with some prunus, vaccinium, gaylussacia or rosa....is bliss.
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Not sure how I ended up on the site that had this recipe earlier today but I couldn't resist making it, didn't want to waste my last granny smith.
Giant apple cinnamon pancake.
We have scoffed the lot.
Am feeling a bit queasy as a result.
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and you have dare to eat by yourself? keep it warm, I would be there in a minute ;D
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Erika - Clever! Does the silicon mold go in the bottom of the pan? Meaning the top of the bun is actually the bottom?
I would love to see one of these molds if you have your camera about.
johnw
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Anne, that's a fabulous pot of clear jelly - I think it would have won a prize in a village show :)
I love homemade pesto and I know you can use other herbs - in the market herbs are looking really good at the moment and good value so I'm going to try coriander pesto. Meanwhile, adding walnuts sounds interesting as a change from pine nuts that are also expensive but delicious.
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According to the elderly couple at Otago Farmers' Market who offer a small quantity of pine nuts each year, they have to be harvested and cleaned by hand so it takes a lot of time and effort to produce a very small packet of pine nuts. No doubt in the Mediterranean countries there are more sophisticated ways to preduce them but so far as I know, these at my market are the only NZ pine nuts available. They are sold by Charlie Ell (aged 87) and "The Duchess," his wife, just a couple of years younger.
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Pine nuts are sold in all supermarkets and delicatessens in the UK.
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Erika - Clever! Does the silicon mold go in the bottom of the pan? Meaning the top of the bun is actually the bottom?
I would love to see one of these molds if you have your camera about.
johnw
like those http://www.lidl.hu/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_hu/hs.xsl/index_13184.htm
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Thanks Erika. The one you use gives a very polished and sophisticated look.
johnw
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Erika, you would have been most welcome.
Saved us from ourselves. ;D
I have been looking at items at the link you gave for the moulds.
Can't believe how cheap things are compared to here.
2$ Can for a bottle of Italian wine. :o
Do you know any houses for sale???
Packing my bags. ;D ;D ;D
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here is a nice small house in my neighborhood, if you are ready ;D ;D only 96000 dollars ;D.but your wage would be only about 440-500 dollárs per a month ;D
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Pine nuts are sold in all supermarkets and delicatessens in the UK.
They are here too Anthony, but all imported and an astronomical price!
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The Crataegus seeds are for Kristl, and the jelly is for our village show next year, if there is any left.
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Kristl needs all of the seeds? ::) ;D
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I don't think she can count them in my box, Erika. Would you like some?
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yes
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Erika, I could build a wine cellar faster than I could here. ;D ;D ;D
Have been looking at houses for sale in Hungary, the prices seem very reasonable, I can see why so many Brits retire outside of the UK.
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The Portuguese are the No. 1 quince paste/cheese makers and eaters (quince - marmelo, quince paste - marmelada - and we all know what that word has become in so many different languages!! :D), and many people here still make marmelada at home every year.
Modern appliances have led to new techniques and the pressure cooker/stick blender method is now quite common:
Wash and de-fluff quinces, quarter them and remove the seeds (which can be used to make quince jelly). Don't peel them. For each kilo of quince you need 800 g sugar and 100 cl water. Cook in a pressure cooker, counting 10 minutes from when it reaches pressure. Turn off the heat and slowly release the pressure. Open the lid and blend the quince with a stick blender and then pour into individual bowls or containers. The container traditionally used in Portugal is a ceramic bowl similar to a French breakfast coffee bowl, but nowadays people also use plastic containers with lids. Leave uncovered for a few days to dry out. Traditionally people also may wipe the surface with some aguardente or similar alcohol once it is slightly dry. If using a bowl, you can cover the marmelada with a circle of grease-proof paper to protect it. The quince may look rather runny when you first open the pressure cooker, but it should firm up.
There are other recipes for quince paste (peeled/unpeeled, more/less sugar etc) should anyone be interested.
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Erika, I could build a wine cellar faster than I could here. ;D ;D ;D
Have been looking at houses for sale in Hungary, the prices seem very reasonable, I can see why so many Brits retire outside of the UK.
If you are fool of wine come and visit me - in my town you can found more then 3000 wine cellars ;D I will take you for a tasting tour ;D and you can be sure, all will be reported here by my photos ;D ;D
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If you are fool of wine come and visit me - in my town you can found more then 3000 wine cellars ;D I will take you for a tasting tour ;D and you can be sure, all will be reported here by my photos ;D ;D
Thanks Erika, you will be first on my list to visit when I win the lottery.
What fun that would be. ;D ;D ;D
Not sure about the pics though, I would probably be cross eyed after the wine tasting. :o
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I thought you quince devotees might be interested in this:
http://mirandagorebrowne.typepad.com/beautiful-baking/
Miranda was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off TV series.
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I thought you quince devotees might be interested in this:
http://mirandagorebrowne.typepad.com/beautiful-baking/
Miranda was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off TV series.
Brian,
That is a wonderful link---not just for the quince, but the other recipes made with fruity harvest pickings (Blackerry Cake) and the Mulberry Hearts, which I am going to make today!!!!
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Erica,
I would like to come to Hungary, not so much for the wine cellars, as I am not a drinker---although I might have to take up wine, at least, while I am there....
I notice on the Szekszárd web site that your town is called "The Town of Quality Wine and Arts"
with 4500 wine cellars. You were not kidding!!!!
I am hoping to come to Hungary as a place to live affordably for a while and to be close to botanizing also in Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania etc. Where do you think would be the best area of Hungary for me to be to see Hungarian native plants? I only know the north, nearer to Budapest.
I am also very interested in spending time learning how to cook Hungarian dishes....
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hm, it is a big question! I love to live here at the Southwest part
Here the weather is good, easy to reach every Natural Parks /closest to the Paeonia officinalis banatica place/ - I would be happy to attend to you on this tours - and you can learn to cook from me ;D We are close to Slovenia, easy to reach Slovakia and Romania
Housing is quite cheap - if you are ready to take a sort visit, to see how is the tings going here, just write me and come
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learning to cook from you would be a highlight!!!!
better than Paeonia officinalis banatica.
i am spending a lot of time this week looking at where in eastern Europe I would like to lay my hat for a while. of course, i have to spend time in the Czech Republic to visit rock gardens (and shows) and i still have aging family in Slovakia and Germany.
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I was going to make Mulberry Hearts today, but then remembered I still have a load of wild cranberries I picked last week which I have been trying to work my way through.
So today it was Cranberry/Pineapple Muffins---the serving plate is by a local Annapolis potter.
These are *really* delicious.
You would be surprised what a great compliment these two are to each other---in fact one of the best cranberry combinations I have tried. I used fresh pineapple as Alisha and I have been eating a lot of these recently.
Cranberry Pineapple Muffins
Bake 375 for 20-25 minutes
6 large muffins
One Bowl:
1 cup whole fresh cranberries
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup drained, crushed pineapple
Second Bowl:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Combine ingredients in each bowl
Stir dry mixture into moist mixture until just moistened.
Spoon into greased muffin tins.
Sprinkle with brown sugar
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would be a great tour Kirstl! visit all the place you are listed ;D
cranberry! I love it, hopefully can found at Christmas time
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I think I'm getting a new addiction! Cooking :o
I've been watching Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals for the last couple of weeks. I made one tonight.
What is the best olive oil to cook with?
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and out of interest are you an instant, filter or ground coffee person?
I'm now a coffee, and tea, snob these days. I only take ground coffee and after being educated by the one and only Ian Young I now enjoy good leaf tea.
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ground coffee person ;D
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oh mark, once you open the "coffee" question---you open strong opinions of grind and method that might very well last all winter. :)
instant? you jest????
is that really coffee???
i like it strong. freshly ground.
some fanatics i know even roast their own.
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vanilla icecream, hot and strong coffe, wipped cream on the top :P
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Oh yes Erika, we did that just last night for Roger's "last supper." (See "Yes, I'm so happy" thread)
We had NZ's iconic hokey pokey ice cream which is vanilla with little blobs of hokey pokey in it. HP is a toffee mixture but before pouring into the tray, 1 tsp baking soda is added so it all bubbles up and makes a toffee which is aerated and easily crunched. Nice too as a choc-covered bar.
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What is the best olive oil to cook with?
Mark, it depends on what you are cooking.
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hm, I will go to taste it Leslie
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I tend to use basic olive oil (2nd pressing) for cooking but extra virgin which has a greener colour and a stonger flavour, for fresh salads etc or where the oil isn't cooked. I never did go for "lite" much but it's probably a good choice for many people. I always use an Italian oil. Would love to use NZ oils. They are Soooo good but Soooooooooo expensive. For Asian dishes I use Rice bran with sesame oil or occasionally peanut, depending on what's being cooked. The oil needs to be lightly flavoured as Asian cooking is usually very delicate in taste. Avocado is good too for salads but also expensive.
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Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys
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Mark, personally, I would never use olive oil for a stir fry.
Would probably use peanut oil.
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A hokey pokey recipe here Lesley
http://mirandagorebrowne.typepad.com/beautiful-baking/2010/09/chocolate-hokey-pokey-tartlets.html
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Oh gosh Brian, that's cruel and unusual punishment. I'll try them maybe for when Roger comes home.
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Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys
sunflower oil the best for stir fry
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Oh gosh Brian, that's cruel and unusual punishment. I'll try them maybe for when Roger comes home.
That shows great restraint Lesley ;D
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vanilla icecream, hot and strong coffe, wipped cream on the top :P
oh yes!!!!
i can already taste this before, during and after one of your cooking lessons!!!!
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Helen I should have said. It's for stir frys
sunflower oil the best for stir fry
i too use a much lighter oil for stir fry (sunflower, grape seed, etc). but almost always add a squirt of sesame oil at the end (just for the flavour, which i love).
one of my favorite fast meals is (Chinese) dumplings------either frying them "pot sticker", dim sum style, or putting them in a soup (won ton style).
last night alisha and i had the latter--stuck inside on a cold, stormy evening. i use commercial won ton wrappers (in my old home in Ottawa i had plenty of variety to choose from in the chinese shopping district, but here it is, sadly, one grocery-story brand.)
i mix a concoction of ground pork, LOTS of fresh ginger and green onions, a squirt of soy sauce, extra salt, and a squirt of sesame oil. i fill the dumpling wrappers and drop them in a large pot of chicken-base stock, add a handful of any green-green leafy vegetable, if at hand, top with lots more diced green onions---and again, another squirt of sesame oil. yummy. i could have it *again* right now.
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Kristl, your dumplings sound delicious.
I have never made pork dumplings but these sound easy enough.
I love sesame oil too, I especially like the sesame with hot chilli oil.
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While I also use olive oil a lot---I don't use virgin or extra virgin for salads, as I find the flavour of the oil interferes (for me) with the flavours of the salad. So, I actually do use one of the light olives. A serious Ceaser salad (with home-made croutons) is an oft-prepared fast standard evening meal in this household.
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when I go to the cupboard I always smell the seame oil - sad isn't it!? Me not the oil :D
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I love sesame oil too, I especially like the sesame with hot chilli oil.
Helen - Just made a batch of chili oil a couple of weeks ago. Added star anise, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum); what a difference using real Sichuan peppers. Great for cleaning out eustachian tubes! The gritty bits at the bottom can be tossed with peanuts; we can buy these hot tossed peanuts in jars down the street - they are highly addictive.
johnw
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john,
one of the huge holes in my life since moving here has been ethnic food and ethnic food stores---you seem to be a serious "foodie"---where can you refer me in halifax to buy asian (chinese, japanese, east indian), middle eastern, italian supplies?
and is Pete's the only place where i could find a good selection of cheeses?
any help much appreciated.
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John, sounds good.
What sort of oil did you use?
Kristl, if you think it is hard to find speciality foods and spices, you should try New Brunwick, it is virtually impossible.
I had to import some Maldon salt flakes from the USA.
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Kristl
Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese/Malaysian - try Tian Phat or Ca Hao (both have big selections but sometimes I have to go round a host of such grocers to find a rarity) - shipment from the Orient every Thursday. Wok..something... for fresh rice noodles, chow fun etc..
Japanese - best is Heiwa.
Italian - The Italian Market; luckily a friend is a wholesaler and brings much in from Italy to supply east of Montréal.
cheeses - new Seaport Market. Otherwise a myriad of stores for certain kinds.
Middle Eastern - new name which I forget, maybe be ?Mid-East/? - corner Agricola & North (Spanish one across the street), good deli up the street, pita factory next door, best Indian is around the corner from the Spanish one, North & Robie.
Also Golden Bakery, obviously for middle eastern breads and desserts.
johnw
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John, sounds good.
What sort of oil did you use?
Kristl, if you think it is hard to find speciality foods and spices, you should try New Brunwick, it is virtually impossible.
I had to import some Maldon salt flakes from the USA.
Helen
In Sichuan they apparently use Canola oil for this so I used that.
The best part is the debris on the bottom of the hot chili oil jar.
johnw
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John,
Do you have to heat the oil?
Years ago I used to make flavoured oils and vinegars. Haven't made any since coming to Canada.
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John,
Do you have to heat the oil?
Years ago I used to make flavoured oils and vinegars. Haven't made any since coming to Canada.
Yes the oil and all ingredient, I believe, has to be brought up to a temperature of 250F and held there for 10 minutes. Otherwise it can go bad, sometimes apparent by a clear gelatinous blob that hovers in it. The secret is real Heaven Facing Chilis and a potent Sichuan peppercorn. Will dig around for the recipe.
johnw
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when I go to the cupboard I always smell the seame oil - sad isn't it!? Me not the oil :D
Mark - It's not you Mark. All sesame oils and products with sesame oil are in bottles that leak a bit or have faulty spouts.
Be warned, if you get hooked on great olive oils expect to pay snowdrop prices.
johnw
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Be warned, if you get hooked on great olive oils expect to pay snowdrop prices.
johnw
;D ;D
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coffee cake
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/kv-2.jpg)
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Not an acceptable post - UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY THE RECIPE!
Erika, last night I dreamed that a local friend asked me about what to do and what to see in Hungary. I had no idea so I looked on the Forum and gave her your email address. But as it was all a dream, you probably won't hear from her. ::)
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:P :P :P
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Not an acceptable post - UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY THE RECIPE!
Erika, last night I dreamed that a local friend asked me about what to do and what to see in Hungary. I had no idea so I looked on the Forum and gave her your email address. But as it was all a dream, you probably won't hear from her. ::)
Yes, I still have not got her/him letter ;D
recipe:
bit up 6 eggs white, add 25 dk sugar, 5 dk grated chocolate, a tablespoon grated coffee, vanilla and a teaspoon of baking powder, 4 tablespoons of flour - bake as a sponge cake
stir well 1 whole egg and 3 eggs yolk with 25 dk sugar, boil up 2 dl milk, put the egg staff in it, give 5 dk good chocolate and a 1 dl strong coffee and cook until stick
if cooled down bit up 20 dk butter till turn in white and add the coffee cream
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:P :P :P
I see you have eat to much from the cake ;D
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Chickens cooked in a clay pot
If you have never tried chicken cooked this way, you really should.
You wouldn't believe how good they taste.
I usually just slice an onion, lay it on the bottom of the pot, then lay the chickens breast down.
If my french tarragon is in season I lay some of that on the bottom too.
Grind a bit of black pepper over them, put the lid on and bung into a cold oven then set the oven to around 200F for 10 mins then 300 for ten mins then 375.
They are usually cooked in 2 hours.
You also get all the stock and fat that comes out of the chickens while cooking.
The stock is great for gravies etc and the chicken fat is fabulous for making dumplings ( a la robert carrier)
I soak the clay pot and lid for 20 mins before using.
http://www.romertopfonline.com/clay-bakers/
Lots of good recipes at this site.
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Be warned, if you get hooked on great olive oils expect to pay snowdrop prices.
johnw
I was looking at oils yesterday in Tesco. I think I would rather have a snowdrop. It will, hopefully, last longer
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Thanks for that recipe Erika. ;D :P ;D :P ;D
I have a small Romertopf but have never actually used it to cook in. It usually has the selloptape, some rubber bands, string and seed envelopes and similar garbage. It is very small, would just take one small chook. Must do something about it. I think I finally have enough tarragon. I bought 12 new plants on Saturday, to supplement what I already have! Hopefully - if I leave it unpicked for a little while - it will make a metre square bed of solid tarragon.
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Lesley, you really must try your romertopf. I can guarantee you will be hooked.
Good luck with the tarragon, it grows like a weed here and spreads but not as much as mint.
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You also get all the stock and fat that comes out of the chickens while cooking.
The stock is great for gravies etc and the chicken fat is fabulous for making dumplings
Helen....my daughter and I were just discussing this very subject. I was noting that one rarely finds cooks anymore who actually "keep their meat drippings" for further uses. I certainly do exactly what you do---and am always pleased to have the fat/drippings available.
Here is one of my favorite ways to use the fat, drippings and left over chicken:
Chicken Pot Pie
· 5 tablespoons chicken fat or butter
· 1 onion diced
· 2 carrots, diced
· 2 celery stalks diced
· 1 cup peas (frozen - and slightly thawed)
· 4 tablespoons flour
· salt and pepper
· 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken up into bite-sized chunks
· 2 cups chicken stock - or for a creamier sauce - use 1 cup milk and 1 cup stock
· 1/2 teaspoon each of celery and/or onion salt (optional
· Preheat oven 400 degrees
· In skillet, sautee diced onions, carrots, and celery (until carrots and celery are soft)
· Add flour and stir until blended.
· Slowly add stock/milk liquid and over low heat, stir until thickened.
· Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add celery salt or onion salt if you would like (I use celery salt)
· In casserole dish add cut up chicken and peas - and stir till combined. Add sauce and stir once more till combined.
· Top with sour cream biscuits
· Place your casserole into oven, and let bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.
Sour Cream Biscuit Dough
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 cup butter
· 1/2 cup sour cream
Sift flour, measure, and sift again with baking powder and salt; blend in butter. Add sour cream; knead several times on a lightly floured surface. Pat dough out, cut into diamonds or rounds and place over chicken or drop dough onto chicken pot pie by tablespoon.
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Kristl, thanks a lot for the recipes.
Very timely too as I have a lot of chicken left from the claypot chickens.
Will try your pot pie for sure.
I have a recipe very similar to your Sour Cream Biscuits.
Here is the Robert Carrier dumpling recipe in case you would like to try it.
Dumplings for chicken stew ( From The Robert Carrier Cookbook-1965)
1/2 pound all purpose flour
3 level tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
3tblspns chopped parsley ( I like the flat leafed )
1/4 pint milk
6 tblspns melted chicken fat
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl
Stir in the melted chicken fat and chopped parsley with a fork
Add milk, a little at a time, stirring with a fork until mixture is just dampened
Drop a tblspn at a time onto the chicken pieces in gently bubbling sauce
Cover and cook for 30-25 mins or until dumplings are cooked through
You can take lid off to brown if wished.
These dumplings are really light and yummy.
You can vary the herbs and add some cayenne for a bit of a kick, or even grated parmesan
They are really good with a mix of chopped french tarragon, parsley and chives.
Btw, I also save bacon fat, it is especially good when making black eyed peas and rice.
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:P :P :P
I see you have eat to much from the cake ;D
If only I had...
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Helen and Kristl, I'll try all these recipes. I love chicken in all shapes and forms and we can get good free range ones locally. My tarragon has never had the chance to grow much, every time a stem pokes its head above the ground, I'm snipping it off. It probably needs to have the leafy bits present for longer to get a good root system going.
I always keep the drippings from cooked meat, especially roasts and use them with oil or butter for the next thing as well as for best gravies and sauces. What a lot people waste nowadays, including these most flavoursome parts. Tragic! ???
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As a treat for Maggi in recognition of her new appointment and wishing it were the real thing for her:
From the new Seaport Market the work of Gourmandises Avenue, a few cakes - light on chocolate.
BTW their hot chocolate was out of this world, very thich and very, very dark with a hint of something vaguely Chinese.
johnw
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And for Lesley a few shots of the exterior of the new Seaport Market plus a harbour view from within and an interior living wall.
johnw
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Okay, a few more Gourmandises Avenue highlights. Maggi - brace yourself.
johnw
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And the last of the torture.
johnw
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Kerrrrumbs!!!
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Thanks for all of those John, the outside of the market pictures look like some big corporate building rather than a market. Does it have the same atmosphere inside as a market would?
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Lesley - The market does look a little too slick but it's the same old market on the inside. Now that several of the larger booths are now in shops on the exterior street side the congestion has been relieved aqnd it feels the same old market. It's a very long narrow building, the site of the former Pier 21. Pier 21 was the longest pier in North America and I remember the old Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth both docked bow to stern (Halifax was the founding home of the Cunard Line). As a child we'd run down there when we'd hear a ship's horn, the immigrants would throw foreign coins to the kids on the pier while docking. Great fun, now you'd never hear a ship's horn over the din of traffic. What a change! Next week I'll photo the place in action from the upstairs.
johnw
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Maggi - brace yourself.
johnw
Brace myself? Good grief, John, I've been breathing into a paper bag half the night, trying to regain my composure.
Just as well there was some of Ian's AGM birthday cake left or I'd have been eating the wallpaper.
What a sumptuous selection of delectable scrumptiousness! I am much impressed.
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let, see, I usually go to the market at Saturday............ ;D
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Maggi - brace yourself.
johnw
Brace myself? Good grief, John, I've been breathing into a paper bag half the night, trying to regain my composure.
Just as well there was some of Ian's AGM birthday cake left or I'd have been eating the wallpaper.
What a sumptuous selection of delectable scrumptiousness! I am much impressed.
Maggi I believe the secret is to be much impressed but not tempted.
Personally I have always failed abysmally ;D
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I'll look forward to more pictures John. Wow! QE and QM both at once! I don't think we ever saw either in NZ.
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shock horror ??? since buying Jamie Olivers 30 minute Meals https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamies-30-Minute-Meals-Jamie-Oliver/dp/0718154770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290622458&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamies-30-Minute-Meals-Jamie-Oliver/dp/0718154770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290622458&sr=8-1) I have made three different dishes :)
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Good for you, Mark.
Which three did you make?
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today - tray baked chicken with baby tomatoes, lemon, rosemary and garlic, baby squashed boiled then fried with olive oil and rosemary and fried leeks.
last week - pork chops with half roast apples with squashed baby potatoes with mustard
first - thai chicken with noodles
tray baked chicken is my favourite so far. No way I can do it in 30 minutes excluding dessert.
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After seeing an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution with kids in the USA, I doubt if I'll ever eat anything of Jamie's again!
Short on inspiration, I made scambled eggs on toast last night. Roger said they were the best he'd ever eaten and they were. :P
6 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 cup or a bit less (1 cup for 8 eggs) of cream
Salt and pepper
Handful each of chopped spring onions and fresh parsely
Melt a dab of butter in a frypan. Slide in the eggs etc, all beaten together but not so much beaten that they're frothy. Using a wooden spurtle or something with a square end, drag the eggs from the edge to the centre continually and stirring about the pan until they are lightly cooked and very soft. The secret is in very slow cooking on a low heat. NEVER let them get hot enough for a bubble to form in the pan. Serve on buttered toast.
This recipe, (written differently) came from the great gourmet and amateur chef, Nero Wolfe, from the crime novels of American writer Rex Stout.
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My sister always does excellent scambled eggs but her late husband always comeplained that "You can't make them as well as my mother does." One day Elizabeth let the pan get too hot and the eggs leaked that watery fluid of overcooked eggs. "Ah," he cried, NOw you've got it. Just like my mother makes." The marriage ended in divorce. ???
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Lesley,
Cut smoked salmon into slivers, steep in cream for about an hour in advance and add to the eggs when they are about half cooked. Delicious!
Paddy
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Lesley, that is almost exactly how I make my scrambled eggs, except I do mine in double boiler and use chives instead of spring onions.
Don't use any milk either. Is there a reason for the two tblspns of milk?
A sprinkle of celery seeds over it is good too.
Paddy, I have my smoked salmon with the eggs, is a lovely christmas morning brekkie.
Croissant and fresh orange juice.
Used to have it with champagne in my younger days.
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Only because I was ashamed to say I ONLY used cream Helen, and guilty about it too. ::)
The smoked salmon is a good idea. I'll do that.
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Only because I was ashamed to say I ONLY used cream Helen, and guilty about it too. ::)
;D ;D ;D
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Helen,
We are now past it but for many, many, many, many years the grandparents came for Christmas. As is to be expected, this led to certain demands on menu and meal times etc and, by way of compensation, we made a big deal of breakfast before they arrived. It was always scrambled egg with smoked salmon, toast, Buck's Fizz (champagne/orange juice mixed) and coffee. We continue to do it to this day.
Paddy
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always scrambled egg with smoked salmon, toast, Buck's Fizz (champagne/orange juice mixed) and coffee. We continue to do it to this day.
How the other half live Paddy ;) 8)
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Paddy,
Sounds like the best part of Christmas to me.
Sliced strawberries in cheap champers makes it taste much better too.
I think it is time for us to start chrissy brekkie again.
Brian, I think you should try it too ;D ;D ;D
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I would miss out the coffee. I drink enough at work and couldn't contemplate it before elevensies.:)
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always scrambled egg with smoked salmon, toast, Buck's Fizz (champagne/orange juice mixed) and coffee. We continue to do it to this day.
How the other half live Paddy ;) 8)
Gerrrrrrrrrrrr offffffff it Mr. Ellis!
Paddy
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I would miss out the coffee. I drink enough at work and couldn't contemplate it before elevensies.:)
Anthony,
Mary and I start the day with a large pot for breakfast and continue with a similar pot for every other meal of the day. And, eldest son is giving a coffee machine for Christmas - though it is nominally for both of us, it is Mary who is looking forward to it most. She enjoys those whizzy milky coffees now and again while I cannot abide them. I like my coffee to be simply coffee, no milk, no sugar, just coffee though I do take an Irish coffee once in a blue moon.
Paddy
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though I do take an Irish coffee once in a blue moon.
Paddy
Me tooooooooo!!!!
;D ;D ;D
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Grapefruit or orange juice on weekdays for me Paddy. At weekends I usually have a refreshing (something coffee never does) cup of tea at breakfast time. At home coffee is used when visitors arrive, or perhaps after dinner on a Saturday evening? At elevensies (weekends again) I usually make an espresso from my wee machine, and that's how I would take it in a café or restaurant. I like Blue Mountain coffee, but it is a rare treat being so expensive - about 10 times the price of normal coffee!
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I like my coffee to be simply coffee, no milk, no sugar, just coffee though I do take an Irish coffee once in a blue moon.
Absolutely!! I cannot abide any (non-alcoholic!!) milky drink - almost the only drink/foodstuff I refuse to touch! But I couldn't get through a day without decent coffee. In fact I have memories of trying to turn myself into a windbreak in order to make coffee in an Italian stove-top machine on a little CalorGaz stove in the wilds of Scotland many years ago ;D I'm happy to live in an obsessively coffee-drinking country!
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Gerrrrrrrrrrrr offffffff it Mr. Ellis!
Paddy
Tee hee ;D
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/mzes-1.jpg) honey-mustar glazed ham
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Anthony,
Your mention of Blue Mountain Coffee reminds me of a visit to Paris a few years ago. Our youngest was with us, about 13 years old at the time, and while we were in a nice shop decided he was going to buy presents for friends at home, including coffee for his big brother. He arrived at the checkout with a bag of Blue Mountain coffee and nearly fainted when he realised it was going to cost him nearly 100Euro. Needless to say, big brother didn't get that coffee.
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Arykana, we also enjoy honey+mustard glazed ham here, a lovely dish. Paddy
Helen, for a few years I went completely off Irish coffee as I usually had it when my neighbour visited. He likes his with lots of sugar and lots of cream and was never happy with one but would continue to five or six. At this stage I was generally feeling a little queasy from the sugar and cream.
There was an occasion when he left us and went back home to milk the cows. However they perceived it, the cows all ran off when he approached. They obviously recognised that there was something different about him.
Paddy
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Finally, though no photograph as I was too busy simply cooking and eating, this evening's meal: mushrooms with blue cheese.
Chop a small onion or a few shallots. Cook in frying pan until softened but not browned.
Add sliced mushrooms - dark, strongly flavoured types are best, about 20 - 30. and cook for two to three minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a good pinch of herbs - whatever is in season, I like thyme best with this dish.
Add a glass of white wine and cook to reduce almost completely.
At this stage put two good slices of bread under the grill to toast. Do use a good strong bread. We usually use a sourdough bread.
Add a glass of cream and cook to reduce by half. Add about an ounce of butter and stir in.
Cut about four ounces of blue cheese into cubes. We use stilton or Cashel Blue or Blue d'Auverne. Stilton is good as it is harder than the other two.
Take the frying pan off the heat and stir in the cheese. Stir until is begins to melt at the edges and then put onto the toasted bread on a plate (obviously)
Serve and enjoy with the rest of the bottle of wine.
Coffee for afters, Anthony!
Paddy
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I'd ask you to save a place at table for me PAddy but this year we're going to my son's house 100 miles north and I don't have to do ANYTHING. He is providing ham, lamb, new potatoes, peas, carrots, the lot, as well as copious wine and a bottle of Scotch whisky for Roger. I may need to make the gravy and help little boys pod peas, perhaps I'll make my usual fruit salad, which is the best on earth.
Anthony when you're here for Christmas, note: NO BRUSELS SPROUTS! but lots of new, fresh garden grown young vegetables. :D :P 8)
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Oh, Lesley,
It must indicate that one has reached a certain age - we are going to our son's for Christmas this year, the first time we will be away from our own home for Christmas. Mary, on instruction, has to bring the ham, Christmas pudding, brandy butter and the mince pies. David just had to have his Mammy's cooking for some of the Christmas food at least.
Anthony, I have been talking to Mary about coffee/tea and she has reminded me that I drank tea on the 14th of October last, photograph attached. We were on holidays in Madeira and Mary just had to have afternoon tea at Reid's Palace Hotel. No wonder I call her a snob! I don't recall the previous time I drank tea. Lovely gardens there, by the way.
Paddy
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Interesting, to know about your Christmas food. Here, in Hungary people usually make fisherman's soup and poppy seed Kala's or staffed cabbage or goose. Christmas Eve we would be only 4 of us /my husband, 2 sons and me/, I plan to bake a nice size of duck, interspersed with garlic, cheesy potato http://Aryan.la punk.HI/?module=old&tantalum=385314 (http://Aryan.la punk.HI/?module=old&tantalum=385314)
a pear making a film in caramel, cooked in red wine, the juice thickening with a little balm vinegar, the pear baked longer in an oven stuffed with chili creamcheese
I will make a chestnut cake, gingerbread and of course the poppy seed kalács
I do not decided the entree yet - maybe it will be a duck liver in Cognac, not sure
Christmas day we will visit my sister, she will make juniper game roast suckling pig, cooked in wine with a sour cherry, she will make a banana-wippedcream-nut-chocolate layered desert
the next day of Christmas I will make the dinner again, the boys girlfriends will come too and my sister's family /my sister-in-law never wanted to have Christmas with us/ I will make a whole mushroom staffed pork ribs and maybe some BRUSELS SPROUTS :-)
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today - tray baked chicken with baby tomatoes, lemon, rosemary and garlic, baby squashed boiled then fried with olive oil and rosemary and fried leeks.
I try tomorrow
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Guess I'll have to grow my own Brussels sprouts, but then I suppose they are out of season at Christmas time in New Zealand? I love 'em. It's genetic!
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I love baby brussell sprouts.
Can't imagine why anyone would not like them, yummmmyyyyyy!!!
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Guess I'll have to grow my own Brussels sprouts, but then I suppose they are out of season at Christmas time in New Zealand? I love 'em. It's genetic!
I really love BSprouts. Yes! But they are a winter crop!!! So by all means grow your own Anthony if you want to, though they are easily available, but not fresh at christmas. Frozen maybe?
All our vegs tonight for dinner are from the garden. Potatoes, carrots, broad beans and parsley, sweet marjoram and mint. Courgettes ready very soon. :D
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Anthony, I have been talking to Mary about coffee/tea and she has reminded me that I drank tea on the 14th of October last, photograph attached. We were on holidays in Madeira and Mary just had to have afternoon tea at Reid's Palace Hotel. No wonder I call her a snob! I don't recall the previous time I drank tea. Lovely gardens there, by the way.
Paddy
Cool. My mum's been to Reid's in Madeira for afternoon tea. I wonder if it is connected with Reid's in London and Brighton? My mum, sister her boy friend and I were in Brighton many years ago - jings, it must be nearly 30 years ago. She suggested we go to a restaurant for lunch. McDonald's?(It was suggested!) No, Reid's was nearer, so we all had lobster thermidor. The bill was over 70 quid. I do remember an American couple complaining that their roast chicken was broiled!
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Anthony,
I don't know if there is any connection between the two "Reid's" mentioned above. We did enjoy the experience, very pleasant and a nice treat.
Paddy
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Paddy, I remember overdoing it with too many brandy alexanders years and years ago.
I haven't been able to look at once since, they were lethal.
Think I might have a few Irish Coffees this year though.
Lesley, I have just started to really appreciate sweet marjoram, I grow it each summer and have started cutting it down before the frost and hanging it in the sunroom.
It's so good fresh but even the home dried is so much better than the dried chaff sold.
I like it much better than oregano, I have tried growing 3 different types of oregano here and none of them have any flavour.
If you like broad beans, you should try edamame. They grow into around 30 inch high bushes . They all mature and get picked at the same time but they freeze very well.
You freeze them in the pods for the best results.
They are fantastic as a veggie, snack, in salads.
We can buy boxes of 12 here, each box is enough for 2, you just slit the top, nuke for 3 minutes then pop them out of the pod and sprinkle some ( preferably) maldon flakes.
I don't buy baby lima beans anymore, just the edamame.
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I don't find so-called "sweet" marjoram really sweet at all but more savoury and it is certainly my favourite marjoram/oregano in the kitchen. Superb with sliced tomato and with or without cottage cheese in a whole grain sandwich.
As to edamame beans, I think we've talked about them before, earlier on this thread and we just can't get them in NZ and importing beans is a no-no. One of the vegetable mixes that is bought in the supermarket frozen, contains something with a very similar name and I've wondered if it was the edamame in which case a special licence to import would have been obtained by the manufacturer (Heinz/Watties) specifically for beans to freeze and eat and therefore not suitable for growing. We're not allowed to import edible peas either. Pathetic. And yes, I do love broad beans. :D
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Probably the only time I could, for shame, contribute to a topic entitled 'Cooks' Corner' ... two images captured in Mallorca of peppers for sale in a local market.
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Fantastic, Cliff.
How many kilos did you bring home?
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Beautiful pepper photos! It looks like they are strung up for hanging... ?
Well, cooks, here's the challenge... What should I make with a package of hot Italian sausage (raw)? I usually cook it and add it to a tomato sauce with red peppers, onion, olives, sometimes with pickled artichoke hearts, etc., and serve with pasta, but it seems I have overdone that lately, and I am told that we have tired of it. ::) Any ideas?
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What should I make with a package of hot Italian sausage (raw)? Any ideas?
Lori - Here goes:
#1 - Large pot of boiling water. Add 1/5C of salt and add 4C of orecchiette (no sub). Stir initially as they have a tendency to stick together. Orecchiette is maddeningly slow to cook despite the label. Avoid Dececco brand which stick themselves together orgiastically, Barilla or Divella best. You must sample frequently once it loses its opaqueness. 30 minutes as a rule but make sure just al dente.
#2 - One bunch of rapini (aka brocolii de raab). Break off tough ends and peel the stems, pulling the tough peels right up into the florets. Save the best of the smaller leaves, discard the big tough and yellow leaves. Chop stems into 3" lengths and florets into manageable pieces. Wash but do not dry.
#3 Meanwhile add 3-4Tbs olive oil to a deep coverable pan. Slit sausage casings and scoop out meat, fry breaking into very small bits. When 2/3 done, drain the oil and add 4-5T fresh olive add 5+Tbs of chopped garlic. Do not burn the garlic but after 1 minute add 2-3tsp fennel seeds (usually this dish calls for fennel sausages and 1 tsp of chili flakes are added later but you don't need the flakes but I always add extra fennel seed.) Add the rapini plus 2-3 healthy pinches of salt and coat with oil. Cover for 1 minute to steam then remove lid and add 1.5C chicken stock, reduce to barely 1/3+C while the orecchiette (and rapini) cook. Add 2T butter, the orechiette and toss until the orichette has absorbed some of the stock, there should be a bit of stock left at the bottom. Remove from heat and toos in 1/2C+++ grated parmiagiano regiano. Presto. Refrain from high cholesterol foods for 2 days.
johnw - +1C at 9pm
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Probably the only time I could, for shame, contribute to a topic entitled 'Cooks' Corner' ... two images captured in Mallorca of peppers for sale in a local market.
Fantastic peppers Cliff, hope you sampled some.
Did you see a salt for sale in Majorca that is mixed with dried olive fragments? It looks like brown sea salt. We had crusty bread in Weimar served with olive oil, balsamic and that salt. When we enquired about the salt the cook came flying out of the kitchen and excitedly explained that he had just returned from Majorca with it and considered it a great find. We were delighted he sold us some though 5Tbs were NOT cheap.
johnw
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Thank you, John. That sounds delicious. I made a similar, stock-based broccoli de rabe dish (no sausage) with pasta and liked it a lot... unfortunately, though, Stuart did not care for the broccoli so I had to eat it all myself! (We prefer Barilla pasta too, BTW... )
Any other thoughts?
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Any other thoughts?
Lori
For some reason Barilla orecchiette is not easy to find here, and strange about Dececco - Italian cooks here tell me to stay clear of it. Dececco and Divella were owned by two warring brothers, now both owned by Divella but recently had to resort to Dececco and guess what, same old problem. ??? Lots of pricey artisan orecchiette here though.
How about a ragu? Google Mark Bittman +fast sausage ragu.
Also another:
Orecchiette With Sausage and Roasted Peppers
Serves 6; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes
Freshly roasted peppers give this hearty pasta a smoky taste. If you like, you can use jarred peppers, thinly sliced, instead of making your own, and skip step one. To skin the peppers, char them and then cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will produce steam and make the skins come off easily.
2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
2 medium yellow bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings (in lieu a pinch brown sugar or pomegranate vinegar somewhere along the line for yours).
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl. Thinly slice peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; return to bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water (if salting as I mentioned maybe cut with 1/2 reg water0.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers; cook until heated through.
4. Transfer sausage mixture to bowl; add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
johnw - still +1c at 11pm.
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The sausage and roasted peppers dish sounds great too! (The ragu may be a little too close to what I have been making... )
I actually don't have Barilla orecchiette on hand (and can't recall if I've seen it), so will have to substitute another pasta. That makes me curious though... I'll keep an eye out for it next time I go to the couple of Italian import stores that I frequent for supplies.
Thanks! Sounds like a plan for tomorrow night!
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Beautiful pepper photos! It looks like they are strung up for hanging... ?
Spot on Lori ... they were hanging in glorious technicolour drapes on the corners of the market stalls, but always on windy corners unfortunately! ;D
Displayed alongside these enormous bowls of live snails, pig's trotters and beautifully arranged fish.
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If only we could down load all that lovely food. :o
I remember once falling for the "congratulations, you've won a free coffee cup (or Coca Cola® can) holder" offer. "Click 'return' to receive it." I clicked return and the DVD drawer opened! ::)
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Just attempted to clear my drive of 18" of snow". Nae chance as the pavement outside the drive is 2' deep in snow because the snow plough cleared the road - onto the pavement! Time to have some mulled wine. Shame I don't have the ingredients for the "Philosopher's grog", as invented by Charles Darwin on " The Beagle":
Lime Juice - ½ measure
Vanilla sugar syrup - ½ measure
Plymouth Navy Strength gin - ½ measure
Peruvian pisco - ½ measure
Brazilian cachaça - ½ measure
Australian or New Zealand sparkling wine (cold) to top up.
I tried it at an inservice course on Darwin and evolution. Magic!!! 8)
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sounds great Anthony maybe I'll try some. The local offy might think I've hit the drink!
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I cooked again last night. I'm definitely getting hooked. I wateched Nigella the other night and tried this
Teryaki chicken with sugar snap peas and pak choi
make a marinade of
2 tablespoons / 30ml of saki - optional
4 60ml of rice wine
4 60ml of dark soy
2 brown sugar
2 ginger
splash of seame seed oil
chillis to your own taste
add two diced or sliced chicken, mix thoroughly and leave for at least 15 minutes
add chicken and sugar snap peas to a hot wok but not the marinade - I get confused between marinade and marinate
fry until cooked and remove from the wok but not the juices.
add the marinade to the wok add fry until reduced and thick
add chicken and peas again until most of marinade is gone
serve with egg or rice noodles and pak choi or green of your choice
I also added a handful or cashews when frying the chicken and peas
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I think you marinate something in a marinade Mark, but that's only a guess. Sounds really delicious. How was it?
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I could eat it every day!
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I doubt if Chas Darwin used wither NZ or Australian wine in his grog!
Yes Mark, marinate (verb) in a marinade (noun).
I really love bok choi and pak choi, not so much the leaves but the trimmed stems, especially the white ones, which are so crunchy and full of juice. I buy young bok choi at the market and sit in the evening munching on them. Better than chocolate! Well better for me, anyway. ;D
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Has anyone outside NZ come across Annabel Langbein? She's a local cook and food writer and I know her books are available overseas and maybe her TV series as well. I'm preferring her at present to Nigella L, also on local TV. Annabel's series is called "The Free Range Cook" and there is a beautiful book goes with the series. Roger is giving it to me for Christmas and there will be a copy waiting for Anthony when he arrives.
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Her program is currently running on the ABC on a Saturday evening , just before "Gardening Australia".
The little bit of a narrative to the program and the background NZ scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment.
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I doubt if Chas Darwin used either NZ or Australian wine in his grog!
"What is Charles Darwin’s contribution to wine, and why does he deserve a toast? This year [2009] marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, as well as 150 years since the publication of his thesis, "On the Origin of Species...". Darwin was an extraordinary scientist who wrote books on a huge range of subjects, including the formation of coral reefs, fertilisation of orchids, climbing plants, the expression of emotions in man and animals, worms and animal intelligence.
Much has been made of the life and achievements of this great English biologist, but few fully appreciate his contribution to wine. Darwin’s associations with wine were severalfold. The first was circumstantial, as Darwin was one of the first Europeans to taste New Zealand wine. This was on the voyage of HMS Beagle in December 1835, during a stopover in the beautiful Bay of Islands in New Zealand’s north.
Missionaries had been tending vines in New Zealand since 1819, the vines having been brought over from the colony of New South Wales in Australia. On 23 December 1835, Darwin and HMS Beagle’s Captain Robert Fitzroy, visited the missionary settlement at Waimate. Darwin’s diary records a rural English scene in the wilderness of New Zealand: ‘There were large gardens, with every fruit and vegetable which England produces and many belonging to a warmer clime.
I may instance asparagus, kidney beans, cucumbers, rhubarb, apples and pears, figs, peaches, apricots, grapes, olives, gooseberries, currants, hops, gorse for fences, and English oaks!’ New Zealand farmers today may be happy that vines were introduced, but maybe less so gorse, which is now a major weed in the country.
Darwin and Fitzroy were also guests of James Busby in New Zealand. This Scottish vine and wine enthusiast had a political career following his introduction, in 1833, of many European vine varieties to Australia, which earned him the title of ‘father of Australian viticulture’. He later took up his British Resident role at a time when England was not searching for more colonies."
The recipe is in one of his diaries in his own handwriting Lesley.
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Well, you definitely had me there Anthony. I never imagined wine was made here so early (wasn't sure of Darwin's dates either). I expect they've improved somewhat since 1819. :)
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I don't know whether they've improved, but we certainly choose NZ wine over anything else these days. We especially like the Oyster Bay Merlot.
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I never had New Zealand wine - Leslie, if you come, please bring me some ;D ;D
Kalács (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/kalcs.jpg)
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Erika.... I love that photo....... a picture which manages to be both artistic and potentially delicious 8) 8)
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Oh Erika, that looks fabulous.
Is kalacs the same as challah?
Can you give us the recipe?
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Yes, I think it is quite the same - this one is for holidays, my family forced me to make a test baking ::) they always do this with me :'( :'(
Ostoros kalács - Whipper
Increase 5 dk yeast in 4 dl of warm milk with 3 tablespoonful of sugar, add to it
3 eggs yolk, 7 dk melted margarine or butter, a chip salt, and 60 dk flour
we knead it, raise it double size
We divide it into 6 parts, roll all dumplings out onto rectangular one
Filling: 25 dk melted margarine, 12 tablespoons of sugar and 4 heaped tablespoons cacao and spread it on the sheets, roll up, and braid 3-3 as you see on the on the photo, raise again for a half an hour and bake in a preheated oven, on medium
be careful! there is a dependency :o
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Thanks, Erika.
That seems pretty similar to a recipe I have for challah ( apart from the cacao), plus mine uses honey and sultanas .
I have been meaning to make it for weeks, it is soooooooooo yummy!!!
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yes, you can use honey, sultana, dried apricot, poppy seeds, almond or wallnuts - even you can try with curd or sauted cabbage
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Anthony you will have hundreds to play around with when you get here. The supermarkets have excellent selections of cheap to moderately priced wines, all very drinkable and the wine shops have the top of the range versions. Then you can go to any of the vinyards too. Many have a good cafe or restaurant attached so a day out with family including southern lakes, mountains, superb scenery, a couple of vinyards and excellent food, is a favourite summer day for us - and many others. :D
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Excellent. Tickets're booked!
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Has anybody cooked with Chaenomeles cathayensis, a Chinese quince?
This quince is the size of a large orange, hard as a rock here as it doesn't get the weather to ripen fully. I tried out a few yesterday, following a recipe from Sarah Raven, an English gardener/writer who has written a number of cooking books.
I prodded the quince all over to puncture the skin, wrapped them in tin foil and baked them at 190C for an hour and then left them to cool enough to handle. By the way, at this stage the quince have the most amazing and beautiful aroma, very, very like a cherry liqueur, say Kirsch.
I cut the quince into halves and removed the cores and copious seeds, put the halves back into a baking dish and added an orange syrup. The syrup is made with 275ml water + 250ml water + juice of an orange + rind of the orange, very thinly peeled from the orange, brought slowly to the boil and simmered for five minutes. I removed the rind of the orange, poured the syrup onto the quince and gave them another hour in the oven at 180C uncovered. The flesh becomes quite soft but holds its shape while the syrup thickens, becoming a soft jelly if left to cool.
Serve with cream and the orange peel which I cut into very thin shred. Delicious!
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I don't know that quince at all Paddy but it sounds different and good.
I've heard of Sarah Raven but didn't realize until recently when we had a TV series about Sissinghurst, that she is Adam Nicholson's wife and Vita's grand-daughter-in-law. The series, which I'm sure you've seen was not about the garden but about the modern Nicholson's attempts to bring Sissinghurst back to a working farm, in support of the restaurant. Home-grown produce etc. They had a very difficult time of it what with an intransigent National Trust and bloody-minded restaurant staff.
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Yes, Lesley,
I saw that programme, interesting.
The quince seems promising though only a small number of fruit this year, a dozen maybe. Next year should be better. I suppose the seed can't be sent to New Zealand?
Paddy
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Surprisingly Paddy, yes, it can. That species is at the top of a short list of permitted Chaenomeles species which means that it is already here or has been at some stage. If you happen to save a few seeds sometime..... :)
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Lesley,
I have a few unopened fruits so PM your address.
Paddy
P.S. on Dec 19 - all quince gone.
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/palacsinta.jpg) almond filled crepes ;D
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Has anybody cooked with Chaenomeles cathayensis, a Chinese quince?
Paddy,
My German friend who sends me the seed of this (very pretty in flower) species every year for my catalogue last year included in the mailing an additional small wrapped "present" for Christmas.
It was C. cathayensis fruit leather, which he had made---and it was fantastic!!!!
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Kristl,
"Fruit leather" was a term new to me and I had to check up on what it was, dried fruit. I don't think the quince I grow here become ripe enough to palatable when dry.
While I enjoyed the baked quince I mentioned above and finished off this year's crop in that manner, neither Mary nor John liked it and I will probably not repeat it. Next year, I intend using the quince to make a jelly to serve with cheese.
Paddy
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paddy....it's always interesting for me to hear about fruits/seeds not ripening in the UK....and i suppose the problem is somewhat similar to here in Nova Scotia----where SO MANY things don't mature properly or at all. notwithstanding the very mild climate and late frosts. not enough heat or sun during the growing season i assume.
in contrast, many plants growing in colder areas, but with significantly more warmth during the summer will produce much better quality seed.
my friend with the fruit leather lives in northern Germany---and he gets PLENTY of ripe Chaenomeles cathayensis each year (and I get kg of great seed).
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Arykana what have you made?
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crape/pancake the filling is almond
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/mz.jpg) Christmas village for one of my neighbor
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Your neighbour is very lucky. My children have Ikea gingerbread houses to build. Alas, the packet only contains the gingerbread roof and walls and we have to get the icing sugar and smarties etc. separately to decorate it. ::)
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here is no pattern, only your knife and fantasy ::) a house for sale near to me ;) so ......... ;D
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Yours is much better than the Ikea one. I like plenty of icing! :P http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FHCsFWf4uUo/TP2tz0eMGqI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/omWLWcG56j0/s1600/pepparkakshus-ny-2010.gif
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This is my Christmas gift for you - A good chocolate 'hit' without the guilt. In fact you could make a case for these being quite medicinal!
ANNE'S GOOD-FOR-YOU BROWNIES
500g stoned prunes
300ml unsweetened apple juice
Put into a small pan, bring to a simmer then remove from heat and leave to soak overnight.
Blend to a puree and measure out into ½ cup (4 fl oz) portions. Reserve I portion for this time, and freeze the others for later use.
2 large eggs (free range of course)
4 egg whites
90g light muscovado sugar
½ cup prune puree
4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, eg rapeseed, sunflower
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine these together in a blender, or beat well until well mixed.
150g wholemeal self-raising flour
100g good cocoa eg Green and Blacks
50g chopped nuts
Add these to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Line a 30x20cm tin with baking parchment and spread in the mixture. Smooth it over as it won’t spread while it cooks. Place in a preheated oven at 180C for about 10 minutes until just firm, don’t overcook or it will be dry.
Cool in the tin then cut into 24 pieces. Enjoy! (And don’t feel guilty)
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Yours is much better than the Ikea one. I like plenty of icing! :P http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FHCsFWf4uUo/TP2tz0eMGqI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/omWLWcG56j0/s1600/pepparkakshus-ny-2010.gif
Thank you - I want to try a big church like this (http://image34.webshots.com/35/0/44/63/259804463ZkRNwb_fs.jpg)
till it is for my other neigbour (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/kati.jpg)
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It looks delicious!
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I received a card from a friend today. (I hate her. She's skinny!) It said "I'm NOT fat, I'm chocolate enriched."
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I'm hoping to be, in the next few days! ;D
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my last recipe for this year:
Christmas cake
Have bought 1 kg of warm affection,drizzle through the sieve of the
patience,in case if there is a gossip seed do not let it get involved into it!
Add 1 liter courage,3 deciliter of diligence,1 deciliter of goodness, knead it together then 1
egg with kindness it then with clear merriment.
If wake up,roast it at the fire of the perseverance,sprinkle it with maternal laughter and
place a couple drops of calm consideration upon it.
Cut it on warmth onto so many pieces that he should be more with one always,than you are as
many people around the table because there is somebody always,who yet not got.
I wish that you should get him from this cake,who you read that he is happier just let him be
your Christmas ;D
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Best recipe yet, Arykana. Wish everyone could have a piece of Christmas cake and let those feeling last for the wholenext year... until you send us a new one for 1012 (sounds selfish? ;) ). Thank you Arykana for your warmth, and of course for your delicious recipes! And the same for everybody: the bad thing of being a newby here is that there are so many things to read and so little time... Great having found all of you! Best wishes!
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A great recipe Erika, one we all need a piece of from time to time. Your friends and neighbours must love to BE your friends and neighbours, when they receive such beautiful and delicious cakes. :D
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thank you for all. Come and share our Christmas Eve dinner
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/asztal.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/el.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/kacsa.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/tort.jpg)
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Coming, Arikana! Looks delicious!
Who said olives were boring as an aperitive? Try these "pinguins" to surprise: easy, funny and tasty...
Ingredients: carrots, cream cheese, pitted black olives and a disposable (or not) pastry bag and some toothpicks (picture 1)
- Cut carrots in slices app. 3/4 mm. thick, and cut from each slice a triangle (picture 2)
- Cut a small rectangle (or triangle) from the hole (bottom) to almost the top of one side to form bodies of half of the olives (picture 3)
- Fill the pastry bag with cream cheese, and fill-in these "bodies" and the rest of the uncut olives (these will be the "heads") (picture 4)
- The little cut triangle of the carrot will be the "beak". Join as shown in picture 5.
- There they are: a flock of pinguins willing to go to your home... (picture 6)
Enjoy!
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Now, you see.... this just shows everything I love about this Forum...... yes, we can share great advice on growing our plants and discuss potting composts and taxonomy till we're blue in the face.... but where else can you get and invitation to share a meal like Erika shows us and then learn how to make a flock of penguins? Where? Nowhere.... only here!
I love it.... I love all of you crazy friendly people! You are just THE BEST! Merry Christmas!
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I like this titel: Crazy ;D ;D
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I love it.... I love all of you crazy friendly people! You are just THE BEST! Merry Christmas!
I wholeheartedly agree, Maggi----who could not be utterly devoted to our group!!!!!!
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Well, Maggy: only you could tell how many headaches and despairs takes you to get all of us "crazy people" posting together, reconducting so wisely (and politely) wrong posts or comments. Thank you very much Maggy for making us each day happier and more botannical (and cookery!) instructed. You are a lot to blame about all of this ...
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my cooking addition grows. This evening I made turkey and leek pie
fry finely cut smoked bacon in oil and a knob of butter
add thyme leaves
add 1 washed leek per person - is leek a universal word?
turn down heat and steam for 30 mins or until soft
add left over turkey and 1L of stock
bring to the boil and add 2 tablespoons of flour
sieve most of the liquid
add leek turkey mix to a pie dish
cover with puff pastry
bake for 30-40 minutes at 180C / 350F / gas 4
sieved liquid can be thickened to make gravey
um!
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Mark, you forgot the pic!!!
The turkey pie sounds yummy, will try it with some left over chicken next time I have some.
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The wonderful thing about Christmas away from home is that it is shared with family or friends, in Roger's and my case, 9 adults, 7 children, 1 cat and 5 dogs. The bad thing is that there are no left over ham, lamb, turkey etc when we get home.
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The bad thing is that there are no left over ham, lamb, turkey etc when we get home.
Lesley - How soon we forget that the definition of eternity is two people and a ham.
johnw
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I never knew that John but certainly some hams can seem eternal, and one is pleased to heave out the last of it to some slavering hound.
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but certainly some hams can seem eternal, and one is pleased to heave out the last of it to some slavering hound.
Who precisely were you referring to, Lesley? :D
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but certainly some hams can seem eternal, and one is pleased to heave out the last of it to some slavering hound.
Who precisely were you referring to, Lesley? :D
;D ;D ;D
johnw
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He whom the cap fits....... ;D
On Christmas Day here there were several. As well as Cain and Teddy, there were JD, a cattle-working huntaway; Piper, a beautiful Vizla and Oz, a pit bull, staffie cross, a pussycat by nature but the ugliest dog I ever saw; he is dark brindle, squat and bow-legged, shaped generally like a tank and just one-eyed, the other having been removed in total by a cat.
As well, several men were present. ;D
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It's been a while since I last dropped in on the Cook's Corner thread, but as the desserts I prepared for Christmas dinner with quasi-family were a roaring success, I'm posting them here one at a time. Mincemeat made to this recipe was used to make an enormous pie, 10" across and 1½" deep, single crust.
Mincemeat
(for pies, tarts, etc)
this is "Mincemeat II", from the Fannie Farmer cookbook, 11th ed. (1965), p. 418
1 lb suet (uncooked beef fat)
1½ lbs (5 medium) apples (I like Braeburns, Galas, and Fujis)
1 lb dried currants
1 lb sultana raisins
1 lb seedless raisins
4 oz candied lemon peel
4 oz candied orange peel
4 oz candied citron
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 3 lemons
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground allspice
whiskey and/or brandy (I use Crown Royal blended Canadian whiskey and Remy Martin brandy)
Grind suet finely. Pare apples, core, and chop coarsely. Dice candied peels, if necessary. Grate zest from lemons. Squeeze lemons.
Mix all ingredients except alcoholic spirits thoroughly with your hands in a large glazed earthenware bowl. Add enough spirits to moisten well, cover with cling film and a heavy plate, and store in a cool place — an unheated room in winter is ideal. Check weekly and add more spirits if need be. As the spirits tend to pool at the bottom, from time to time turn the mincemeat over as you would a compost heap, then pack down again.
This recipe makes a very large quantity of mincemeat and is best prepared 2 to 6 weeks in advance of using it. Keeps for months in a cool place if covered.
Packed in clean canning jars with a spoonful of spirits on the top of each one, it will keep for up to a year.
Metric equivalents:
1 lb ~ 450 g
1½ lbs ~ 675 g
4 oz ~ 120 g
1 tsp ~ 5 ml
½ tsp ~ 2 or 3 ml
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Charlotte Russe
[PS: This is my mother's recipe. She only made Charlotte russe at Christmas, and then only if my parents were having neighbors and friends in — not every year. And I adored charlotte russe, so never got as much of it as I would have liked. Even now I only make it at Christmas. The first time I made it for Christmas dinner with my quasi-family, there was the complaint "not traditional", meaning it wasn't a steamed pudding. My rebuttlal was that in my family it was traditional, so there!]
1 pkg (7 g) plain granulated gelatin
¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
1¼ cup (300 ml) scalded milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp (30 ml) granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 cup (250 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
3 tbsp (45 ml) powdered or confectioner's sugar
¾ tsp (4 ml) vanilla extract or spirits such as brandy or rum
Italian lady fingers (boudoir biscuits) or strips of sponge cake
Total volume of filling: abt 3 cups
Scald milk. Soak gelatin in cold water.
While milk is heating, separate eggs. Reserve whites; beat yolks with granulated sugar and salt until creamy.
Pour yolks into clean double boiler top, then slowly pour scalded milk over yolks while stirring steadily. Cook over hot water, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.
While custard is cooking, beat reserved egg whites until stiff.
When custard thickens enough to coat a spoon, remove from heat, mix in soaked gelatin, then fold in beaten egg whites. Chill mixture until it begins to set.
While custard mixture is chilling, whip heavy cream. Line charlotte bowl or mold or individual cups with lady fingers or strips of sponge cake. When custard mixture begins to set, fold in whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (or spirits), then fill lined container(s). Chill until filling is fully set.
Note #1: Free range eggs, in my experience, have too "eggy" a taste; store-bought or battery eggs have a less overpowering taste for this delicate dessert.
Note #2: I use a footed glass charlotte bowl that requires three times the stated quantities to fill adequately.
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Pastel de la Reina (The Queen's Pastry)
Pastry (essentially shortbread)
scant 2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 ml) confectioner's sugar
6 oz (180 g) or ¾ cup butter
1 egg yolk
Filling
6 oz (180 g) blanched almonds
6 tbsp (3 oz, 90 g) butter
6 tbsp (90 ml) sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp (5 ml) grated orange zest
pinch ground cinnamon
¾ cup (190 ml) amontillado
¾ cup membrillo (Spanish or Portuguese quince paste)
a few whole blanched almonds for decoration
requires a 7"/18 cm tart pan (preferably with false bottom) or springform pan
Preheat oven to 300°F
Crust: Sift flour and confectioner's sugar together. Cut or rub in butter (food processor okay) to texture of fine breadcrumbs. Work in egg yolk with fingers to make a softish pastry. (Be sure kitchen isn't too cold!) Roll with short, firm strokes and line 7"/18 cm tart or springform pan.
Bake: Line unbaked crust with foil, shiny side down; prick holes in foil w. fork. Weight down and blind bake until pastry is dry and sandy — abt. 75 minutes. Remove weights and foil.
Filling: Put all filling ingredients in food processor and process until almonds are about the texture of coarse sand.
Assembly: Melt membrillo over hot water and spread over bottom of crust. Pour in filling mixture. Decorate top with a few whole almonds.
Bake filled pastry in 300°F oven for about 1½ hours, until custard filling is set and pastry is crisp and golden brown.
This is a very rich pastry, to be served in small slices. From The Food of Spain and Portugal by Elisabeth Luard (2004), pastry amounts reduced by about one quarter.
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Meringues
Preheat oven to 225°F
1½ cups granulated sugar
7 egg whites
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavoring: rose water, orange blossom water, other flavored extracts, cocoa, instant coffee)
¾ cup granulated sugar
Sift 1½ cups sugar. Using electric mixer with large bowl, beat egg whites and salt until very stiff, then add the sugar ½ tsp at a time while continuing to beat. When all sugar has been added, add vanilla extract (or other flavoring) and continue to beat for several more minutes.
Fold in ¾ cup sugar into beaten mixture.
Using pastry or icing bag and working quickly, pipe small mounds of the meringue mixture onto cookie sheet lined with baking parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake at 225°F for 60 to 90 minutes, until meringues are dry. Turn off heat, open oven door partly, and allow meringues to finish drying for about 10 minutes more. Remove from baking surface while still slightly warm and allow to finish cooling on a rack.
Instead of making a large number of small mouth size meringues, you can form large, 3" circular meringues.
These meringues are extremely sweet; one or two small ones on the side of the dessert plate is sufficient.
This quantity makes about 200 small meringues or 12 large 3" ones.
Recipe adapted from 4th ed. of The Joy of Cooking (1953).
PS: Making meringues was a way to use up the egg whites left over from making the "Pastel de la
Reina".
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My goodness, Rodger, you have been busy and with such lovely food.
Paddy
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I can see why you didn't post these recipes BEFORE Christmas. We would all have been on your doorstep on Christmas morning. ;D
Your mincemeat is essentially very like mine but for immediate use, I also add a couple of well mashed bananas. They somehow take away the extreme sharpness of the minced currants.
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vis a vis
I can see why you didn't post these recipes BEFORE Christmas. We would all have been on your doorstep on Christmas morning. ;D
Your mincemeat is essentially very like mine but for immediate use, I also add a couple of well mashed bananas. They somehow take away the extreme sharpness of the minced currants.
The morning of Boxing Day would have worked better; there were plenty of leftovers that I brought home and it would have been a delight to find a crowd of SRGC forumists staging a small riot. I enjoyed a big bowl of the charlotte russe for breakfast!
I should add that these are tried-and-true recipes and all very scrumptious. But it is also true that only the mincemeat can be called "simple". The others are all fairly complex recipes and time-consuming to make, though the end results justify the effort.
As for sharp currants, there's a recipe for "hobo bread" on the website of Hamilton's Barley Flour (http://www.hamiltonsbarley.com/breadHobo.htm) that has an interesting wrinkle: you mix baking soda in with the raisins, then pour boiling water over them and let them sit overnight. There's a lot of fizzing as the naturally occurring fruit acids in the raisins react with the baking soda. The end result is that the raisins have a very mild taste. A similar trick might be worth trying with currants too, if you find them too edgy in flavor.
PS: About that hobo bread: it's a very simple recipe, but is it ever sweet! Considerably sweeter than any other baked good I can think of. I gave a loaf or two to the hardworking lady who organizes tea and goodies at our local rock gardening club meetings and it disappeared very quickly when put out for the delectation of the ravenous hordes. Those of you racking your brains for something to provide a change of pace in the way of goodies at meetings, try it out. Freezes well, too.
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Great recipes Rodger. They could well appear on my Christmas table next year.
Just thinking - I would obviously need to practice - just might start now!
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Rodger, I am particularly interested in the Charlotte Russe.
Am a bit concerned at the idea of the beaten egg whites, have never used them since I have been in Canada.
I have a wonderful recipe somewhere for a strawberry chiffon pie that uses egg whites but am concerned by the thought of salmonella.
I don't think there is any salmonella in eggs in Australia. ???
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Am a bit concerned at the idea of the beaten egg whites, have never used them since I have been in Canada.
I don't think there is any salmonella in eggs in Australia. ???
Helen,
Just a comment---never stopped making my dressings for German potato salad (always with raw whole eggs) and eaten immediately, since arriving in Canada over 30 years ago. It is eaten quite regularly---with not a single incident.
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Helen,
Just a comment---never stopped making my dressings for German potato salad (always with raw whole eggs) and eaten immediately, since arriving in Canada over 30 years ago. It is eaten quite regularly---with not a single incident.
Kristl,
That's good to know.
Charlotte Russe is definitely going onto my must do list. ;D
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my daughter (who is somewhat of an expert in these matters) informed me of the following
(1) Eggs from healthy chickens are rarely contaminated with salmonella. And even commercial eggs (from chickens living in pretty abysmal conditions) actually have a fairly low rate of contamination. A 2002 study indicated the presence of it in .03% of 69 billion eggs produced. Salmonella only comes from sick birds and the risk decreases when animals aren't kept in dark, crowded conditions.
(2) If you are getting eggs from cage-free, organically fed chickens, the risk virtually disappears. I am lucky to be living in a place where almost everyone has chickens, and beautiful, fresh eggs from healthy chickens are available everywhere. In fact, I actually get HOME DELIVERY of my eggs, if you can believe that. My "egg guy" drops them off every week.
I LOVE eggs, and would give up many other "proteins" to keep them in my diet. To get the highest level of health benefit from them, they should actually be eaten as "uncooked" as possible. This means, if you have no preference, keeping the yolk, in particular, soft and intact, is best. So scrambled eggs are least healthy---soft boiled, poached or sunny side up best. BTW, there is absolutely no research indicating risk between yolks and heart attacks, etc. (Harvard). so this whole "egg white" madness is mostly that.
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I love eggs but hate runny or undercooked eggs.
Really don't like the taste of soft yolks, you would probably be aghast if you saw how I fry eggs, crispy on both sides :)
Love omelettes, frittatas, quiche scrambled and hard boiled.
Even have a little hard boiled egg cooker, one of my favourite gadgets ;D
Have thought about getting some hens but there are foxes, dogs and even coyotes in the area.
Not sure how I could winter them but have read hens can take quite a lot of cold as long as their combs and wattles don't get wet ( can lead to frostbite)
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Even have a little hard boiled egg cooker, one of my favourite gadgets ;D
It was perhaps the first thing my mother (the chef) ever taught me at a young age---and decades later, it's still the method I use (although I rarely hard boil, except for egg-salad). Hard boiled is actually a misnomer---as it's best not to *boil* them at all.
Just cover eggs with water.
Put on lid.
Bring to full boil.
Immediately turn off heat and let stand.
For large eggs:
Soft: 1-4 minutes
Hard: 15-17
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Kristl,
Would you mind telling me what's in your egg salad?
Will have to try your method one day, no more forgetting the eggs are on the stove and boiling dry if you turn them off as soon as the water starts to boil.
My little egg cooker steams the eggs, I really like it as it gives perfect results each time and just beeps when the eggs are done.
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Kristl,
Would you mind telling me what's in your egg salad?
A loaded question---but I will start by saying that the "mayo bombs served on soggy white bread" are not my idea of egg salad sandwich.
And because I am an improvisational cook, the recipe changes with the seasons.
Needless to say, good quality bread, crispy bun, pita, etc. are ESSENTIAL.
I usually want a nest of something fresh and green.
winter=usually romaine lettuce
summer=one of the "softer" lettuces or mix of same
or alfalfa sprouts
only enough mayo to hold the ingredients together.
what i add to the eggs is also seasonal as well as whats on hand
green onion or finely chopped red onion
celery is a good complement, but i don't often add it.
if i feel inspired, crumbled bacon is delicious
some folks like dill or parsley, but for my taste buds, onion family members are best (Chives).
mayonnaise, salt and pepper is often all that is necessary if you have wonderfully deep colored and fresh eggs.
if i have fresh lemons (usually) a squeeze is nice
a bit of Dijon or yellow prepared mustard adds a little kick
Yum. Think I will have to have one for lunch.
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Thanks, Kristl,
Your taste buds match up with mine re the egg salad, I love onion in mine too.
Sometimes I don't add mayo at all, just a splash of milk to hold it together.
I also like some cayenne pepper in the mix.
Sometimes celery seeds.
We make our own bread, usually just basic french, no sugar no oil.
Sometimes the no knead artisan bread which is fabulous.
For greens, rocket is rather good too when you can get it.
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i got a book for Christmas called 'Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day'. My breadmaking usually takes much longer than that, and I enjoy every minute of it, but this method sounds good if you are short of time.
Even got my husband baking - lovely soda bread for lunch today. :D
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i got a book for Christmas called 'Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day'. My breadmaking usually takes much longer than that, and I enjoy every minute of it, but this method sounds good if you are short of time.
Even got my husband baking - lovely soda bread for lunch today. :D
Anne, you will love the bread you make from your new book, not sure you will save time though.
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For egg sandwiches or rolls, a good mixture is:
3 or 4 eggs firm to hard boiled, rough chopped then put in processor. Add some mayonnaise, a dab of soft butter, dry or Dijon mustard, a little curry powder, salt and pepper - all these to taste - chopped chives, parsley, tarragon or whatever you fancy, then process until smooth or not, as you prefer. Spread generously on fresh wholegrain bread and sandwich or roll the slices.
These always go very quickly at alpine meetings when it's a "bring something tasty for supper." Or just for lunch with a crisp lettuce leasf ot two.
Of course EVERYONE knows to put a tsp of salt in the water to boil when the eggs are added. It stops any of the uncooked white leaking out if the shells crack.
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Like Maggiepie, I have a little electric egg cooker that steams the eggs. Mine is a Krups "infernal device" that turns out perfect eggs time after time. Infernal because when your eggs are cooked, it lets you know in no uncertain times, having a particularly irritating "I'm done" buzzer. Anyone who likes boiled eggs should give serious thought to acquiring one of these.
Bread: for a couple of years now, I've been making "no-knead bread" per the recipe & method publicized by the New York Times (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU). This method not only turns bread making into an easy and effortless task, but also produces extremely good bread with a chewy crust and a flavor beyond compare.
Moreover, the recipe seems to be foolproof. You can substitute up to one third of the flour with nearly any other cereal: oatmeal, semolina, cornmeal, you name it. I've made marvelous fruit bread by just adding pre-soaked raisins and diced, candied citron peel to the recipe.
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Lesley, I can't believe I forgot to mention curry powder, I love curried egg sandwiches with lots of lettuce.
Keen's curry powder which my daughter sends me when I whine I am running out.
Rodger, I have the Cusinart egg cooker, its beep is fairly quiet but it does turn itself off when done.
The coating on the part where the water sits is wearing off on one side, I think I will be looking to replace it soon.
I also often use the NYT no knead bread recipe, so far the only change I have made is to replace one of the cups of flour with wholewheat flour.
It gives a really good flavour.
Good for pizza too.
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I tried that bread method too. Only snag is I missed the pot twice when trying to get the dough in, and a cast iron pot is too heavy for me to use comfortably. It's a similar method in my new book, but a large amount is made up to start and kept in the fridge, then a chunk removed and baked as and when needed. I'll report on the results when I have a go.
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Spent the afternoon making a large pan of Pea and Ham soup-it's a good way to use up the remnants of the Christmas ham.
2 litres of good stock-ham is best but if you haven't got it chicken or veg. will do just as well.
350gms of dried split peas, yellow or green it doesn't really matter. I used yellow.
1 onion roughly chopped.
2 sticks of celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
4 thick rashers of smoked bacon diced
salt and black pepper.
Bring the stock to a low boil and then throw in the dried peas and simmer gently for 40/50 minutes.
Meanwhile fry off the bacon and veg in a good knob of butter until they start to brown slightly.
When cooked add them to the pea/stock mixture, add a good grind of black pepper, give 'em a good stir and simmer for 45/50 minutes. After this check that the peas and veg are soft (shouldn't be a problem) and either press the contents through a sieve, or blitz them in a blender.
Return enough to make a meal to the pan, add any roughly chopped pieces of ham, re-heat through and serve with some nice crusty bread and add few crutons if you have them.
SALT:- When making soup I never add salt during the cooking process. Usually the salt already in the stock makes the soup salty enough for Maureen wheras I need to add some.
When the remaing soup is cold freeze it in the container of your choice and bring it out on the next cold day when you are stuck what to have for a meal.
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...a cast iron pot is too heavy for me to use comfortably.
Try ceramic, then. It's a lot lighter. Corning "Corelle" might work pretty well, too, but the lids for them are (iirc) Pyrex and while the Corelle can handle thermal shock, the Pyrex lid might not be able to.
Incidentally, Corning moved Corelle production to China some while ago and as seems to always be the case in such situations, the quality has gone downhill. When will the bean counters wake up to the unpleasant fact that you can't farm out quality to workers who aren't committed.
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All of us have comfort food.
I assume the comfort part is connected to (fond) childhood eating memories, although I suppose for some there might be a different connection.
My mother was a professional chef most of her life---but when I was small and she suddenly found herself a single mother of two girls, times were lean and mean and what was put on the table tended to revolve around variations of readily available, inexpensive foods. Above all, they had to be filling. Usually they were heavy on potatoes, bacon, dumplings of some sort.
And these are the comfort foods I still love to this day. Most of mine are "winter" fare---although potato pancakes (another comfort food) I could eat every day year round.
The one I made today is called "Sauere Suppe", although it is not sour---a DELICIOUS Buttermilk based soup; I am sure east European in origin. I know many folks have queasiness issues with buttermilk (beyond me, quite frankly)----but buttermilk is actually smooth, low in fat and fantastic in baking as well.
This soup will stay on the stove all day, as Alisha and I help ourselves to it, as the mood strikes. Fantastic with a good crispy bun and unsalted butter.
In a large frying pan, gently fry 2-3 cut up onions, and 4-6 cut up Debreziner sausages (smoked paprika sausages) with some extra paprika. Cook until onions are soft and sausage has released its flavours and fat.
At the same time, cut up about 3 large yellow-fleshed potatoes into bite sized pieces, just cover with water in a large soup pot & cook gently with 1 bay leaf.
When the potatoes are almost soft, lower temperature and add contents of frying pan (sausage/onions) to soup pot.
Then add 1 liter of buttermilk (minus about 1/2 cup) to the soup pot. Soup should NOT be on higher than a gentle simmer.
Add about 3 TBL of flour to 1/2 cup of reserved cold buttermilk and slowly add to soup pot to thicken.
Beat 2 eggs and add to the soup -- do not stir while the egg drop is cooking.
Lastly, press about 3-5 cloves of garlic (I like lots), adding to the soup what has come out of the press, plus the squished pieces still inside press.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
YUM, YUM and YUM
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we had a discussion much earlier about cooking oils---i meant to say then that my primary cooking oils are unrefined coconut and olive. the former is a bit hard to find (usually not cheap and only in health food stores)---but has amazing health benefits to boot.
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did you know a litre of milk by law is allowed to contain 400 million pus cells :-X Thankfully I dont drink much
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Oh geezzzze Mark, thanks for that :o :o :o :o
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BIG SIGH.... I drink A LOT of milk......... :-X
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Major winter comfort left-overs: potato and celeriac mash topped with cherry sauce. Yummmmm. (Normally served with duck in this house but delicious on a cold evening)
Paddy
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Paddy, is your cherry sauce home made?
If so, how do you make it?
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did you know a litre of milk by law is allowed to contain 400 million pus cells :-X Thankfully I dont drink much
All the fish and meat you eat contain several billion cells from the animal! So what about some million in milk? Or yoghurt?
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yes, Trond... but unless Mark has made a typo, he is talking about allowed pus cells ..... :-X :P
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yes, Trond... but unless Mark has mada typo, he is talking about allowed pus cells ..... :-X :P
Maggi, a cell is a cell! A white blood cell isn't much different from other cells ;D
Of course, they can contain some bacteria that they have engulfed but the bacteria had otherwise been in the milk (and lots still are!) ;D ;D
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Paddy, is your cherry sauce home made?
If so, how do you make it?
250g stoned cherries
50g caster sugar
juice of an orange
1-2 shallots/small onion - finely chopped
2 red chillis - deseeded and chopped
class of port
Softed the shallot/onion, add everything, bring to boil, simmer for ten minutes.
Paddy
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Paddy, thanks muchly.
This sounds great and I happen to have a few pounds of stoned cherries in the freezer.
I bet the sauce would go well with lamb over polenta too.
Will certainly give it a try and find out.
;D ;D ;D
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Well, given the choice of celeriac , polenta or pus-filled milk.... I'll take the milk every time! ;D :-X
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Oh Maggi, you don't like polenta??????
Celeriac?
Seriously?? :o :o :o
Polenta with rosemary and reggiano cooked in chicken stock.
You are missing bliss!!
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Yes, Helen, seriously. I'm getting to be a picky eater in my old age!
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did you know a litre of milk by law is allowed to contain 400 million pus cells :-X Thankfully I dont drink much
And plenty in chocolate! :o So Maggi just forget it. (am sure you will persevere)
My father used to say "every breath we take was once exhaled by rats during the bubonic plague, it's in your soup too and surprisingly you're alive and well". Wonderful dinner conversation.
johnw
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Oh Maggi, you don't like polenta??????
Celeriac?
Seriously?? :o :o :o
Polenta with rosemary and reggiano cooked in chicken stock.
You are missing bliss!!
Polenta! I'd rather eat a poorly monkey ;D
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Oh Maggi, you don't like polenta??????
Celeriac?
Seriously?? :o :o :o
Polenta with rosemary and reggiano cooked in chicken stock.
You are missing bliss!!
Polenta! I'd rather eat a poorly monkey ;D
Especially one cooked on the gorilla! :D
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did you know a litre of milk by law is allowed to contain 400 million pus cells :-X Thankfully I dont drink much
My father used to say "every breath we take was once exhaled by rats during the bubonic plague, it's in your soup too and surprisingly you're alive and well". Wonderful dinner conversation.
sorry, I almost have fell on the floor from laughing
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy ;D
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best :P
(http://www.sangpoeten.com/images/smalahove.jpg)
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy Grin
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best Tongue
Oh dear... and I thought that 1001 ways with pickled fish was the worst the Scandanavians had to offer...... :o :o :-X
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy ;D
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best :P
(http://www.sangpoeten.com/images/smalahove.jpg)
Do ewe eat them in 'ram'ekins?
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mshed celeriac with some mayo and lemon juice ummmmm
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy ;D
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best :P
(http://www.sangpoeten.com/images/smalahove.jpg)
I'd love to try that.
Paddy
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Celeriac, potato and onion bake.
Line lasagne type dish with layers of sliced potato, celeriac and onion.
Repeat layers until dish is almost full.
Dot with butter, then pour cream over the lot.
( you can mash a few anchovies into the cream if you like)
Cover with foil and bake until cooked, most of the cream will have been absorbed by the veggies.
Bliss!!
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy ;D
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best :P
(http://www.sangpoeten.com/images/smalahove.jpg)
Do ewe eat them in 'ram'ekins?
Have just seen Evas doing that! But if you like, you can have the rams' kins, no I mean the ram's nuts ;) as well.
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If this is a cunning scheme to force me into a reducing diet, then it may just work. :P
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Think chocolate, Maggi...
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Oh Maggi, you don't like polenta??????
Celeriac?
Seriously?? :o :o :o
Polenta with rosemary and reggiano cooked in chicken stock.
You are missing bliss!!
Polenta! I'd rather eat a poorly monkey ;D
Especially one cooked on the gorilla! :D
... and salt and vinegar on my chi(m)ps ?
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Here smoked and cooked sheep's head is a delicacy ;D
The connoisseurs say that the eyes are best :P
(http://www.sangpoeten.com/images/smalahove.jpg)
Do ewe eat them in 'ram'ekins?
They'd love that in Wales! ;D
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Reminds me of childhood and pig's head dinners.
Paddy
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yes, Trond... but unless Mark has made a typo, he is talking about allowed pus cells ..... :-X :P
I HOPED it was a typo. ???
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The West Coast Wild Food Festival each year features "mountain oysters" as a favoured and popular dish.
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Hardly qualifies as "wild food" Lesley - unless it reflects the feelings of the donor!!
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Well I'm sure they'd be wild about it John, but the sheep, deer etc from whence these "oysters" come are usually more or less untamed, out on the hill for most or all of the year. You certanly can't buy them in the supermarkets.
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You're going to have to enlighten me, Leslie - mountain oysters???
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Trond: meat must be really good tasting, with that roasted look. However I dislike texture and taste of brain, and well, the eye I kindly give it to connoisseurs. One thing more or less related with this could be "smoked cow tongue": sliced, a few seconds in microwave, paprika sprinkled and covered with a good olive oil is delicious.
You're going to have to enlighten me, Leslie - mountain oysters???
Ann: I´m afraid I was enlighted by google because I had the same question...
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Trond: meat must be really good tasting, with that roasted look. However I dislike texture and taste of brain, and well, the eye I kindly give it to connoisseurs. One thing more or less related with this could be "smoked cow tongue": sliced, a few seconds in microwave, paprika sprinkled and covered with a good olive oil is delicious.
You're going to have to enlighten me, Leslie - mountain oysters???
Ann: I´m afraid I was enlighted by google because I had the same question...
Juan, I have to confess, the few times I have eaten "smalahove" (http://www.smalahove.no/) I have just eaten the meat and not the brain, eyes etc :-\ But I am a stranger, have only lived here for 25 years :-[
My mother always served tongue for Xmas food when I was a kid :-\
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Ah, Trond! I´ve been now enlighted by you! Wich smalahove did you eat? Maybe those shown in picture 3 of your link?? ;D
And well, I guess you were not too found on your mother´s tongue, right? (I mean the cooked one... :))
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You know, Juan, have to be careful. My wife is always there ;)
I still look at the better halves but I can't remember why :o
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;D ;D ;D
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Anne, not to put too fine a point on it, the testicles from inside the sheep's scrotum. Normally the whole thing would be thrown away at tailing time (I think many farmers in the UK don't tail their sheep but ours do as it keeps the hind end free from parasites and flies and the like, in hot weather) but for events like the Wild Food Festival they are kept and then cooked, mostly on a barbecue I think and enjoyed by all (well, by most). Many farmers when tailing will eat some raw as they're removed from the lamb.
The Wild Food Festival is held each year on the West Coast (where the Pike River coal mine is) and everything can be bought and eaten from every kind of local game to the "oysters," huhu grubs (similar to the Australian witchity grub) and countless other pieces of disgusting protein, all washed down with barrels of beer, whisky etc. Local and imported music too, of the kind beloved by some Forumists.
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:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :o :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
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OOh, let me think... testicles, grubs, testicles, grubs... no, I can't quite make my mind up.
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Ah, yes... we have "Rocky Mountain oysters" here, being in cattle ranching country. Not that I have ever been tempted to partake of same...
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Ready for serving :o
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__y78mEOD3gg/TNhT4NnUFRI/AAAAAAAACjw/LmhvGaXbReI/s400/bagge.JPG)
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Thanks Hoy I really needed those. I was about to make a cup of tea but will have a stiff brandy instead. ::)
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Lesley, you crack me up.
Trond, how about a pic of you bogging in ;D ;D
Bet you wouldn't get crushed in the stampede to get to the plate.
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That's a very small plate or a very l-a-r-g-e set of "oysters".
My recollections are of calves oysters, BBQ'd on the blade of a shovel over the branding fire at the end of proceedings.
Sweet, tender and very more-ish although I am prepared to admit that probably anything would taste good at that time.
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Thanks Hoy I really needed those. I was about to make a cup of tea but will have a stiff brandy instead. ::)
Tea? At that time? It's Brandytime ;)Lesley, you crack me up.
Trond, how about a pic of you bogging in ;D ;D
Bet you wouldn't get crushed in the stampede to get to the plate.
You are right Helen, I prefere the beer, but there actually are people eating this kind of stuff. Some places here it is rather common (not as common as sausages then) ::)That's a very small plate or a very l-a-r-g-e set of "oysters".
My recollections are of calves oysters, BBQ'd on the blade of a shovel over the branding fire at the end of proceedings.
Sweet, tender and very more-ish although I am prepared to admit that probably anything would taste good at that time.
John, I have never tasted :-[ but they say they are tender and delicious!
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Ready for serving :o
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__y78mEOD3gg/TNhT4NnUFRI/AAAAAAAACjw/LmhvGaXbReI/s400/bagge.JPG)
Makes yer eyes water just to think about it ;D
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Ahhh... I didn't realize those were actually your EYES David. Whatever have you been looking at to produce that result. ;D ;D ;D
Trond, it was mid morning when I posted so brandy doesn't figure at that hour. Maybe later. :D
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;D ;D ;D
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Anne, not to put too fine a point on it, the testicles from inside the sheep's scrotum.Ready for serving :o
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__y78mEOD3gg/TNhT4NnUFRI/AAAAAAAACjw/LmhvGaXbReI/s400/bagge.JPG)
Dear Lesley and Hoy: if you ever decide to form a musical duo together, I´ve got the perfect name for you: "The Subtiles" :)
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Juan, a musical duo? ??? :o
I can neither sing nor play :-X so that has to be a one woman show ;D
I can be the manager and you can be the PR-man Juan 8)
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I think I have lost my appetite :P. Arykana where are you ? I miss your cakes.
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Yes, I think back to cakes would be a good idea. Though if anyone with a decent baritone is handy I wouldn't mind getting together with him.
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I think I have lost my appetite :P. Arykana where are you ? I miss your cakes.
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/IMG_3165.jpg) ;D
and honey snaps for Lesley(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/mzesplinka.jpg)
look in my storage room /the pic is not the fress, but the same as I could make it/(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/vszn.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/vpolc.jpg)
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Thank you for the reviving/stomach settling drink Erika. Just what I needed.
What a wonderful collection of pickles and preserves you have in your pantry. You could face any horrid winter weather with all those good things to eat. :)
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Arykana, very impressive! I remember my mother and father made such preserves etc, and my wife and I tried to follow up but we didn't! Now we buy all jam and other stuff.
Is it from your kitchen garden?
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Ah, very appetizing. Thank you Arykana 8).
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Arykana, very impressive! I remember my mother and father made such preserves etc, and my wife and I tried to follow up but we didn't! Now we buy all jam and other stuff.
Is it from your kitchen garden?
Yes, all from my garden
not hard to make - and can be family fun :-) old recipes can make you tired :-) should I open a course?
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Arykana, very impressive! I remember my mother and father made such preserves etc, and my wife and I tried to follow up but we didn't! Now we buy all jam and other stuff.
Is it from your kitchen garden?
Yes, all from my garden
not hard to make - and can be family fun :-) old recipes can make you tired :-) should I open a course?
What about a study weekend? With lessons and excursions! (And cakes)
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it looks like you re-use vacuum snap-top type lids?
or are they all new lids?
if so, what is your long-term experience with the recycled ones?
also, do you always use hot water bath sealing or does it depend on the food?
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I can't wait for the new page to turn 8) 8) 8)
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it looks like you re-use vacuum snap-top type lids?
or are they all new lids?
if so, what is your long-term experience with the recycled ones?
also, do you always use hot water bath sealing or does it depend on the food?
I have use re-used lids, because the new one is very expensive - they are not bad at all -, only change them if they injured /maybe not the best word, but hope you know what I mean/
no, I am not use hot water bath - I blanch the fruits for preserve and pour hot liquid on it and a pinch of salicil, and pour hot vinegar-salt-sugar-water mixture + pinch of salicil on the vegetable - it is working well
close the lid immediately
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I can't wait for the new page to turn 8) 8) 8)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/rgyek003-1.jpg)
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What about a study weekend? With lessons and excursions! (And cakes)
I am ready for you at this weekend ;D (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/madarak001-3.jpg)
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I have use re-used lids, because the new one is very expensive - they are not bad at all -, only change them if they injured /maybe not the best word, but hope you know what I mean/
no, I am not use hot water bath - I blanch the fruits for preserve and pour hot liquid on it and a pinch of salicil, and pour hot vinegar-salt-sugar-water mixture + pinch of salicil on the vegetable - it is working well
close the lid immediately
yes. i understand perfectly.
that is what i do too (and my mother, and all my aunts......)
and there was never a single problem over these lifetimes of preserving food.
i asked because i saw all those beautiful white (new looking lids) and thought...maybe these are actually affordable in Hungary.
i also can't stand waste.
it makes it so much simpler and fast---and i love just being able to do just one jar here and there. without all the production. this week i have to make a few jars of jam---and it will take no time at all!!!
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What about a study weekend? With lessons and excursions! (And cakes)
I am ready for you at this weekend ;D
Thank you Arykana, but I'm off to England for the next week :-\
I also used to recycle jam jars and lids when I produced honey.
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Hoy, poor planning :'(
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Completely unseasonal but the freezer allows such things: Summer pudding, stewed summer fruits, in this case mainly loganberries, in a bread casing.
Paddy
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I bought a great egg timer from Amazon for 1 pence plus postage
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Egg-Perfect-Colour-Changing-Timer/dp/B0000CFGB5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296339183&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Egg-Perfect-Colour-Changing-Timer/dp/B0000CFGB5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296339183&sr=8-1)
It's put in the pan with the eggs and changes in colour from red to white. The perspex isnt visible under the water
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my aunt used to prayed the rosary ;D 1 tenth is a soft egg, but I forget how long the other timer prayers was ::) ad it was working perfectly
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I use a watch. That works perfect ;)
Mark, thanks for the perfect item for a Xmas present ;D ;D
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I am in a big jam, cannot pray the rosary and my eggtimer has broken down ::) I am on your Christmas list? ;D
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Scrambled eggs are nice! ;D
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Since I stayed with Ian and Maggi 4 years ago I've been a tea snob. No more PG Tips or Punjana. My current favourite is Oolong tea. This is what it looks like dry and after a couple of minutes in hot water. The tea is yellow and smells a wee bit like sugar puffs - to my nose anyway
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I am in a big jam, cannot pray the rosary and my eggtimer has broken down ::) am I on your Christmas list? ;D
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Since I stayed with Ian and Maggi 4 years ago I've been a tea snob. No more PG Tips or Punjana. My current favourite is Oolong tea. This is what it looks like dry and after a couple of minutes in hot water. The tea is yellow and smells a wee bit like sugar puffs - to my nose anyway
I am no tea connoisseur but when I trekked in the Atlas Mts in Morocco I was served sweet mint tea all day by the Berbers - very refreshing. It was easy made: squeeze a handfull of fresh mint, leaves, stems and all, into the pot and pour boiling water over, add huge amounts of sugar and it is ready!
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Perhaps its the "gatherer" in me....with seed being one expression.
I have been gathering/drying leaves and flowers for tea most of my life (mint, chamomile, linden, rosehip, various rubus leaves, monarda, etc. etc). It's easy, and fun. Mint has always been a favorite and I too, like it sweet, as it tends to intensify the mint flavour that I am so fond of.
This is the first year that my cupboards/freezer have not been well stocked with gathered fruit/berries and I recently ran out of fruit sauce to top my yogurt (dessert for me most nights). But a quick trip to buy some dried Turkish figs (no sulfides) and within 30 minutes I was well stocked again.
While I love fresh fig jam/sauce as well---there is no source for them here. In many respects, I like the flavour of the dried better--as the fig flavour is intensified in the end product. The nuttiness of the seed is lovely too.
Dried Fig Jam or Sauce
Finely chop up dried figs.
Cover with water and simmer until soft.
Cool.
Chop fine in food processor.
Add back to pan with the juice of a lemon.
You can add sugar, if desired; but it normally tastes
quite sweet without.
Slowly simmer until desired thickness.
Can, or keep in fridge & use up to a couple of weeks.
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I like mint tea also
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Lemon verbena tea is very nice, leaves either fresh from the tree or dried for winter use. :D
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One of my fruit vendors on a Saturday morning is very skinny and short (shorter than I), but his wife is a little taller and about as wide as he is tall. He says she keeps him under control by telling him that in the event of an international famine, she will live much longer than he does. Some of us here can take great heart from that thought. ;D ;D
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The best tea of all is coffee.
Paddy
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instant or ground, Paddy? My favourite just now is Tesco's Finest Colombian. I sometimes do to the local Whittard for fresh ground coffee.
McBeans in Edinburgh supply excllent tea and coffee http://www.macbeans.com/ (http://www.macbeans.com/) but no job has stopped that :'(
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What's "instant", Mark?
Just joking. Ground.
Paddy
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Actually now that I think about it Ian Y put me on to real tea. Margaret Glynn changed my mind on coffee.
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Velvet chicken
I tried velvet chicken last night - chicken dipped in a mix of egg white, salt, pepper and seasame oil and coated in flour. It's then shallow fried.
Mine didnt work very well. Maybe I didnt have enough flour or used the wrong one. The recipe said corn flour but I used plain flour.
Any ideas?
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Velvet chicken
I tried velvet chicken last night - chicken dipped in a mix of egg white, salt, pepper and seasame oil and coated in flour. It's then shallow fried.
Mine didnt work very well. Maybe I didnt have enough flour or used the wrong one. The recipe said corn flour but I used plain flour.
Any ideas?
If I had tried to make it, Mark ... it would have ended up as Black Velvet Chicken!
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Use cornflour, Mark.
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is corn flour the same as North American cornstarch, because that is what i use when velveting chicken.
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Yes, Kristl, I believe so.
Much nicer for coating any type of meat or veg. for frying, Mark.
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Velvet chicken
I tried velvet chicken last night - chicken dipped in a mix of egg white, salt, pepper and seasame oil and coated in flour. It's then shallow fried.
Mine didnt work very well. Maybe I didnt have enough flour or used the wrong one. The recipe said corn flour but I used plain flour.
Any ideas?
Mark - You should have used corn starch (i.e corn flour in the UK if the recipe is from the UK) for velveting. Velveting works better is you drop the coated meat into deep oil. The velvet covering protects the meat from over-cooking. Very strange the coating contains sesame oil as it is very apt to burn badly.
An easy enough mistake and quite unlike my uncle who, having left the baking powder out of a cake recipe, just sprinkled it atop.
johnw
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OK thanks. Yet another item to clutter the cupboard.
I fried the chicken with chestnut mushrooms, onions and sugarsnap peas
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John, Ken Hom said add it ???
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I'm hungry
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The kitchen has that lovely summer smell of blackcurrants. They are simmering away in preparation for making blackcurrant jelly tomorrow.
Mark, we started using Ken Hom's cookery books about 30 years ago and have always loved his recipes.
Paddy
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Mark, you could also try besan ( chickpea flour), might not be velvet chicken but it will taste great.
I use it to coat my chicken or fish before frying.
It's also great for deep frying veggies or anything else.
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John, Ken Hom said add it ???
I never argue with a Ken!
johnw
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Regarding "sesame oil" perhaps Ken's recipe called for light (untoasted) sesame oil which has a high smoke point and suitable for cooking, including deep-frying.
Dark sesame oil (from toasted sesame seeds) has a lower smoke point and is used more normally for lower heat applications, or better, to add right at the end of a stir-fry or soup for the flavouring (this is what I do).
I use unrefined (untoasted) sesame oil as my salad dressing of choice (for its neutral taste in fact). If you dab a bit of this on your tongue, you would be hard pressed to identify what it is (compared to the toasted Asian stuff).
I have it on good authority, by the way----(my own experience)---that simply changing cooking oils/fats significantly lowers cholesterol.
Since starting to use only coconut oil, EVOO, unrefined sesame in cooking and continuing my use of butter (no margarine, ever in this house), my (bad) cholesterol levels dropped significantly, without changes in any other part of my diet or lifestyle. I also take fish oil regularly.
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Just in case y'all are getting confussed
a few drops of sesame oil are added to the egg whites only
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I'm hungry
I'm hungry Hungarian ;D
I opened the pear preserve in red wine ::) will eat quickly ;D
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Tonight I had a roast butternut squash. yummm
Cut in 4, drizzle some oil, salt, pepper and all spice. 25 minutes in the oven
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Any chance of the recipe for the Benington Lordship coffee/walnut cakes being posted?
johnw
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my daughter made those, I'll post it later.
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my daughter made those, I'll post it later.
Great Richard, I can then experience your snowdrop day vicariously.
johnw
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Hi everyone
Here is the recipe for "Gooey Chocolate Orange Cake" as sampled at Bennington Lordship this weekend. It tastes like it has lots of calories in it, because it has!
Chocolate Orange Cake
Butter Icing
Zest of 2 large oranges
3oz Flora
6oz icing sugar
Sponge
9oz Butter
4oz Plain Flour
5oz Wholemeal flour (plain)
9oz soft brown sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
Mix well then add...
Handful of chocolate drops
Juice of 1 orange and mix to give a runny cake mix.
Immediately transfer to two greased baking trays (9 inch) and cook (170C for approx 30 mins). Do not overcook this cake is best slightly stodgy in the middle.
I often add juice of the second orange (or some brandy!) as a drizzle when the two halves are cooling.
Topping
6 oz Dark Chocolate (Bournville)
2 oz flora
Melt in waterbath.
I usually make the icing and the sponges one evening, allow to cool overnight. Then assemble, melt the topping and pour on the topping in the morning.
Enjoy!
Please let all of us know how you get on.
Chris
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my daughters coffee & walnut cupcakes.
makes 12, mix together...
8oz caster sugar
8oz marg
8oz self raising flour
4 eggs
2 pinches of baking powder
seperately mix 5 teaspoons of instant coffee with 1 1/2 teaspoon of water, stir into mix.
they go in oven at 180 until "firm", she uses clear skewer test.
icing - she uses a mix but isn't precise because she doesn't measure but goes on texture, roughly 12 oz of icing sugar & 4 -5 oz marg, if it's too thick she adds a little milk.
coffee for icing = 3 teaspoons of coffee to one of water.
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Are we allowed to post anything so wickedly sinful on the Forum? ;D
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my daughters coffee & walnut cupcakes.
makes 12, mix together...
8oz caster sugar
8oz marg
8oz self raising flour
4 eggs
2 pinches of baking powder
seperately mix 5 teaspoons of instant coffee with 1 1/2 teaspoon of water, stir into mix.
they go in oven at 180 until "firm", she uses clear skewer test.
icing - she uses a mix but isn't precise because she doesn't measure but goes on texture, roughly 12 oz of icing sugar & 4 -5 oz marg, if it's too thick she adds a little milk.
coffee for icing = 3 teaspoons of coffee to one of water.
Richard I hate to be pedantic, but where are the walnuts?
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hopefully on top of the icing :D
she did ask If I needed the recipe for those, wont repeat what I said ;)
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Does anyone know the botanical name of the plant producing "black anise seed"
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Star anise is Illicium verum and anise as I know it is Pimpinella anisum and that's black, isn't it? :-\
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Kristl, do you mean Star Anise?
Maggi, you are too fast for me ;)
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no. this is so annoying---and why i hate common names.
if you go online you will see the most incredible and convoluted posts about "black anise seed"---extremely rare, black gold, only grows in one isolated area of Italy, coveted, etc. etc. black market prices.
but what the heck is it?
Not Pimpinella asinum (regular anise)
then i thought Foeniculum???
licorice scented----and is used in Italian breads.....
i found this picture on flickr of a bag of the seed---it does appear to be an Umbellifer---but hard to tell
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdcasa/3169199260/
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It certainly looks like the seed of Foeniculum vulgare which is fennel of course. Maybe in the bronze form but far from being rare and hard to come by it can be a pesky weed, seeding all over the place if you don't cut off the stems before they shed. If it's so rare, how come she has such a huge bag of it there?
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lesley, no kidding go on line and see the crazy stuff---it is supposed to be so rare it only grows in one isolated spot in italy---this all sounds ridiculous to me---which is why i have become obsessed with finding out what the heck it is.
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If Pimpinella asinum is the regular old plant, then this site is making a fortune.
71.99$ an oz
http://blackaniseseeds.com/
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If Pimpinella asinum is the regular old plant, then this site is making a fortune.
71.99$ an oz
http://blackaniseseeds.com/
well no kidding....and you will notice they call it "black anise seed" but say Pimpinella asinum on the bottom, yet according to all the antecodal stuff on the net, this black stuff is something very different. i have actually written to a few herb experts---looked up a common name cross reference---and it all just gets curiouser and curiouser...
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Does anyone know the botanical name of the plant producing "black anise seed"
Kristl, have you considered Myrrhis odorata? This plant has black anis-tasting seeds and is a weed in my garden, I cant eat all the seeds ;) (It is not the same seed as in the Flickr though)
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sorry for delay in posting these, 3 of my favourite curries :)
Cooking Apple! the "marmite" of curries ;) I love it, is different and adds something very unusual to a meal.
ingredients.
Teaspoon of mustard seeds
Teapsoon of ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chilli
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
little salt
1 lb cooking apples cut into 1cm pieces
tin of chopped toms
100g raisins
Sugar
heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds cook till cracking, add all spices, then apples, whole tin of toms and cook till apples are soft, stir in raisins.
slowly add sugar little at a time tasting as you go, enough to counter the tart of the apples but not making too sweet, cook slowly till the liquid in the toms reduces.
Thai Green & Roast vegetable.
two curries combined, for roast veg I use Butternut squash and chickpeas but almost any combo works, cut up squash, place in a pan with chick peas & drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garam masala toss in pan, roast for approx 20 mins.
Thai green I use a good kit, either chicken or tofu/quorn for veggie, then just mix together, often needs a little coconut milk to thin.
Malaysian Rendang my idea of the perfect curry ;D, works great with chicken or tofu
1 Clove Garlic chopped.
1 small onion fine chopped
2 Stalks Lemon Grass chopped very fine.
1-3 chillis (being a wimp I only use 1)
2 tblspoon fresh ginger grated.
1 teaspoon turmeric
little salt
little sugar
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp dissolved in little water.
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 tblspoon oil (I use groundnut)
250ml tin of coconut milk
creamed coconut
chopped chicken or tofu
mash or blend everything in red, if you're using a blender add a little oil, first time I tried it the dry mix killed my blender! probably the tough lemon grass.
heat oil in a pan then add above paste & cook for 5 mins.
add 1/2 the coconut milk, then the tamarind, star anise & cinnamon, cook for 5 mins.
add the chicken/tofu, then add more coconut milk but don't cover & simmer for approx 20 mins.
just before serving add small amounts of creamed coconut to slowly thicken the sauce.
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These were worth waiting for, Richard!!
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Yum!
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I hate the taste and smell of coconut-makes the hair back of my neck stand up.
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ready for the Easter feast
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/th_barik.jpg) (http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/?action=view¤t=barik.jpg)
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Hot Cross Buns today. Yummy.
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Cake of Ian's garden:
12 dk butter
12 dk grated chocolate
5 eggs
12 dk sugar
5 tablespoons of grated almond
4 tablespoons almond
3 tablespoons flour
whip up the butter with the chocolate till fluffy, one by one we add it to it the egg yolks , then the sugar, the almonds and the flour. From the egg whites we whip hard cream and careful turn into the pasta. In a buttered, form covered with flour, preheated oven bake it.
Filling:
2 tablesspoons of vanilla jello
10 tablespoons of sugar
3 dl of water
0,5 l cream
20 dk raspberry
Cook the vanilla jello with the sugar and the water, chill it. Beat up the cream, add it the cold jello spoon by spoon and the raspberry. A part of the raspberry shatters and paints the cream. We spend it with this and we coat the cake
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You left out the Corydalis and Erythronium bulbs. ;D
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I like the taste and smell of coconut in cooking David, but in cosmetics, it turns my stomach. Yuch
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What on earth is vanilla jello?
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You left out the Corydalis and Erythronium bulbs. ;D
;D ;D ;D because they would be more happy in my garden ;D ;D ;D, but Ian can plans in the cake if he likes ;D ;D ;D
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What on earth is vanilla jello?
(http://www.primaweb.hu/Images/Products/dr_oetker_eredeti_vanilia_izu_puding_40g.jpg)
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Ah, vanilla, gelatin and milk in a jelly mould?
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if this is the English name, yes
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Ah. Vanilla pudding. The recipe I know has milk, cornstarch, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla extract with the milk heated gently and poured into the other ingredients and then heated again until it thickens. It's more like custard than jelly.
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What we would call jelly, Americans would call jello.
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"Jell-O" is a brand name Lesley. A bit like calling a vacuum cleaner a "hoover".
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Oh, right. I usually call mine "that b....y thing"
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"Jell-O" is a brand name Lesley. A bit like calling a vacuum cleaner a "hoover".
Posted by: Lesley Cox
Insert Quote
Oh, right. I usually call mine "that b....y thing"
Sue usually calls hers; "Cliff" ... because I make a lot of noise about the house, get under her feet and am about as much use upstairs as I am down!!! ;D ;D ;D (and any mention of detachable hoses will be censored by dear Maggi)!
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;D ;D ;D
We brought our brand new Dyson (not the upright variety which I swear by, but one of those hand held jobs) with us, only to find the house has one coming out of the walls! ::)
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;D ;D ;D
We brought our brand new Dyson (not the upright variety which I swear by, but one of those hand held jobs) with us, only to find the house has one coming out of the walls! ::)
That will have been vacuum packed, Anthony? :D
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;D ;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D
We brought our brand new Dyson (not the upright variety which I swear by, but one of those hand held jobs) with us, only to find the house has one coming out of the walls! ::)
That will have been vacuum packed, Anthony? :D
That sucks!
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Now, Now, boys!
Anthony does the wall thingy work well? It has always seemed to me to be the best option, not having to cart the damn thing about and only occasionally having to collect up the dust from a bin outside somewhere. My newish Nilfisk has non-reusable bags which offends me as a pack of 5 costs around $20 and they don't last long with so much dog hair around. I'm actually trying splitting one side, emptying the bag then stapling and sellotaping the edge again. Haven't tried it in the cleaner yet though so maybe the suction (which is very strong) will split it open.
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Works fine Lesley, but give me a Dyson with a beater bar any day! The beater bar does automatically what I sometimes have to do with the snake - rub at backwards and forwards across the floor. Mmmm that doesn't sound right!? ::)
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/th_sti-2.jpg) (http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/?action=view¤t=sti-2.jpg) ;D
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Arykana - mmmmmm
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I made a lovely desert on Friday - the best so far - rhubarb millefeuille
puff pastry base, marbled mix of thickish custard and slightly whipped double cream. On top rhubard stwed with ginger, zest from 1/2 an orange, real vanilla and brown sugar
and now for the photo .. except I forgot
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Too busy chomping it back I suppose. But it sounds delicious Mark. Watch that weight! ;D
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I made a lovely desert on Friday - the best so far - rhubarb millefeuille
puff pastry base, marbled mix of thickish custard and slightly whipped double cream. On top rhubard stwed with ginger, zest from 1/2 an orange, real vanilla and brown sugar
and now for the photo .. except I forgot
Sounds delicious. Must try it! Is there an idiots guide?
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roll puff pastry until it is big enough to fit a shallow baking tray and go up the sides. 1cm marks with a knife all around the edge and lightly criss cross the base. apply egg wash all over. bake at 190 for 20 minutes. It will rise too much so gently press it back down. Allow to cool.
Rough cut rhubarb and rinse, place in a pan with 2 tablespoons on brown sugar, zest of half an orange and two cm of fine grated ginger. Simmer gently. When ready set aside to cool.
make or buy custard. I folded in the 125g of double cream. Rhubard on top. Eat warm or cold
simples
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Brilliant thanks.
Got this recipe the other day! ::)
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Remember, you too are now a kiwi. ;D
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birthday cake to my girlfriend's daughter(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/edina.jpg)
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Erika, you are an artist 8)
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Thank you :-)
should I open a bakery in Aberdeen? ;D
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Erika, I think I speak for all of us in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.... Yes, please! ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) 8)
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;D OK ;D I need a room for the first several weeks ;D
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Not a problem... I have plenty room for you .....though Angie may prefer you to stay with her... we can fight about it ! :) :)
For two cakes a week you can live here forever. ;)
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I hate eating out because I'm a bit critical but today I brought US cousins to the same restaurant Fermi, Will and I went to Bushmills Inn in Bushmills
I had hot Focaccia bread with hot bacon and fig chutney with a wee bowl of warm rocket salad. The salad had rocket, dressing of some sort, red onions and roast red peppers. The best meal I have had in years!! I could got for it again tomorrow. Well done Bushmills Inn.
The down side I asked if the fig chutney was commercially available. He said he made it. I suppose either way the chef would have said no.
Anyone in the UK ever seen ?black fig chutney for sale?
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Must be available somewhere Mark, unless it was a figment of the chef's imagination? ;D
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I hate eating out because I'm a bit critical but today I brought US cousins to the same restaurant Fermi, Will and I went to Bushmills Inn in Bushmills
I had hot Focaccia bread with hot bacon and fig chutney with a wee bowl of warm rocket salad. The salad had rocket, dressing of some sort, red onions and roast red peppers. The best meal I have had in years!! I could got for it again tomorrow. Well done Bushmills Inn.
The down side I asked if the fig chutney was commercially available. He said he made it. I suppose either way the chef would have said no.
Anyone in the UK ever seen ?black fig chutney for sale?
Mark - Now I'm getting hungry. I have a great recipe for fig and rhubarb jam but your chutney sound divine.
Do they do takeaways? Just saw the price list which resembles Da Maurizio, the very best restaurant in this city, at peak hours! :o
Here are two tempting recipes from a quick google:
[url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Balsamic-Fig-Chutney-with-Roasted-Grapes-240757]http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Balsamic-Fig-Chutney-with-Roasted-Grapes-240757]][http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/f/fig_chutney.html/url]
[url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Balsamic-Fig-Chutney-with-Roasted-Grapes-240757]http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Balsamic-Fig-Chutney-with-Roasted-Grapes-240757] (http://[http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/f/fig_chutney.html/url)
johnw
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.....The down side I asked if the fig chutney was commercially available. He said he made it. I suppose either way the chef would have said no.
Anyone in the UK ever seen ?black fig chutney for sale?
Not seen "black" but fig chutney "brownish!" is available here.
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I said ?black because the the figs, halved and very sweet, were very dark red. I should have taken photos or go back and ask for it as a takeaway.
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John my figs were the same colour as your epicurious recipe link
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David who sells it?
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My neighbour has a wedding today, they are asked me to make the wedding cakes
coffee cake (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/virgos.jpg)
chocolate (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/hord.jpg)
and the special punch (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/dini.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/dini-1.jpg)
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Not a problem... I have plenty room for you .....though Angie may prefer you to stay with her... we can fight about it ! :) :)
For two cakes a week you can live here forever. ;)
Ok, it is a deal ;D just let me know, if there is a wedding or other party - I will fly and make it ;D
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Erika, your wedding cakes are fabulous!!
Especially the last one.
;D ;D ;D
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Thank you :-) should I open a bakery in Aberdeen? ;D
One in N Ireland also - yum
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I brought US cousins to the same restaurant ....
My US cousins dont know what Rhubarb is and asked a good question "is it a vegetable or fruit?"
Is it only eaten in the GB and Ireland?
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ROTFLOL at the wedding couple
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off wikipedia ..
Rhubarb is usually considered to be a vegetable; however, in the United States, a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the United States as a fruit it was to be counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties. A side effect was a reduction in taxes paid
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Is it only eaten in the GB and Ireland?
No, but I think it is only familiar to those of a certain age who remember back when every yard here had a vegetable garden complete with rhubarb. That said, every garden center here sells it, but having a garden is much less common than it once was, and even more so for vegetable gardens.
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I said ?black because the the figs, halved and very sweet, were very dark red. I should have taken photos or go back and ask for it as a takeaway.
Mark - The first link I gave you was wrong and is now corrected. Perhaps black Bursa figs?
johnw
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David who sells it?
Local small business manufacturer and sold in a local farm shop.
http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/sauces/fig-chutney
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I brought US cousins to the same restaurant ....
My US cousins dont know what Rhubarb is and asked a good question "is it a vegetable or fruit?"
Is it only eaten in the GB and Ireland?
Something else Yorkshire is famous for. Good old Rhubarb is now very trendy and much used by trendy chefs.
http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CultureAndLeisure/HistoricWakefield/Rhubarb/default.htm
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It's grown and sold here in New Zealand! Rhubarb (fresh, forced), rhubarb crumble, rhubarb and ginger jam, and rhubarb tarts are sold in most butchers and supermarkets in Scotland.
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Back to your meal out Mark, surely you can figure it out?
I've never seen forced rhubarb here in NZ but it's a very popular fruit/veg through about 3/4 of the year for all those things Anthony mentions, and just chopped into chunks and microwaved with brown sugar makes a great fruit for cereal at breakfast. Rhubarb and ginger icecream (home-made) is my favourite. We have two big clumps but I still have to buy it at the market sometimes. I think of it as a fruit because everything done with it involves sugar whereas I always consider tomatoes to be a vegetable, being a savoury food rather than sweet. But it's a fruit of course, the source of the seeds.
I need to spend some time in this thread, 2 choc cakes, the Aberdeen sausage and now the icecream to post.
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I believe rhubarb has even reached Portugal, though as I live out in the sticks I haven't actually seen it in shops. I haven't actually tasted rhubarb since the traumatic experience of "rhubarb & custard" at primary school ... :-\ :-X
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I wish we'd had rhubarb and custard at primary school. Chocolate haystacks, semolina, yuk! :P
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THanks for the link, David
Today I made mango, strawberry and lime juice fruit salad. Oh my - fabulous
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It does sound very good Mark, a nice mixture of sweet and slightly sour. :P
I've sometimes wondered if the tongue smiley means sticking one's tongue out at someone, or licking one's lips. I mean the latter this time. :)
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always sticking a tongue out
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but having a garden is much less common than it once was, and even more so for vegetable gardens.
I believe that the economic catastrophe here in the USA has reversed this situation. I see more and more people (especially here in KY) growing their own fruit and vegetables...and why not? So much more enjoyable than the stuff Wal-Mart and Co dish out under the guise of fruit & veg. Sherba has been growing squash, zuccini, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, watermelons, blueberries and yes, even rhubarb for the past 5 years. Well out of range of the rock garden I might add ;D
Mark, your salad sounds delicious....and almost "American". Just the thing for this heat wave we're having. Pity you're so far away.
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I'm just going to park myself here to wait for Lesley's promised best-ever chocolate cake recipe... ::)
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Me too, plus the ginger ice cream and the sausage. ;D
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Helen try this if you like Ginger, it's a variation on Millionaire's shortbread and is currently disappearing fast!
Ginger Crunch
150g plain flour
25g cornflour
100g caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp baking powder
100g cold unsalted butter, diced
for the icing
150g icing sugar
115g unsalted butter diced
3tbsp golden syrup
4tsp ground ginger
Sift the flour, cornflour, sugar, ground ginger, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer, then add the diced butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until everything comes together. Press the dough evenly into an 11 x 34 cm baking tin lined with baking parchment. Place in an oven preheated to 160℃ and bake for 20 mins.
About five minutes before the shortbread base is cooked, make the icing: combine all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted. Pour the icing over the base as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cut into slices while still warm, then leave to cool. Ginger crunch is best eaten the day it is made, but will keep for up to four days in an airtight container.
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Thanks Brian.
Am not a fan of icing, does it still taste good without?
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The ginger is in the 'icing' Helen which is a sort of fudge I suppose, so I really don't know... I suppose the thing to do is try it on some guests and have a taster then to see what you think.
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Well there is some ginger in the first part too.
Thought they might taste a bit like ginger snaps.
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here's a question for the cooks out there.
My mother was famous for her flourless Hungarian Chocolate Cake, the recipe was passed down through the generations.
What the recipe doesn't mention is how to make a semi-sweet chocolate whipped cream which she put in the centre. Years ago I tried whipping the cream first then adding the melted chocolate - not good. Then I tried this - " ½ pint whipping cream to a good quantity of melted & cooled semi sweet chocolate, add a little sugar to taste - add vanilla and place in the fridge till serving." Still the result is not as smooth as it should be as the chocolate goes a bit beady in the cream.
Any suggestions on how to make a smooth chcolate whipped cream, and not sweet?
johnw
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Well there is some ginger in the first part too.
Thought they might taste a bit like ginger snaps.
No Helen, not strong enough, and much softer being shortbread. Worth having a go with some chopped up stem ginger in the base perhaps, then you could cut them into fingers and dip them into chocolate ;D ;D
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John, I think you've asked about this before? I wonder whether adding a thick chocolate sause to the whipped cream would do the trick. This sauce is very good. 150 ml cream, 1 tbsp instant coffee, 150 gms dark chocolate. Heat cream and coffee until hot but don't let boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until melted. To add to your whipped cream I'd cool it right down until stiffish, maybe refrigerated.
The July edition of NZ's "Taste" magazine has a wonderful selection of choc recipes all of which I'll be trying within a couple or 3 weeks or so. God help my shape! I mean, as examples, Chocolate espresso mousse cake, Choc espresso profiteroles, Choc and coffee marbled meringues.
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Just for the record (not that I'm boasting) Taste Magazine in conjunction with Farmers' Markets New Zealand Assn, recently held a series of awards. Best Farmers' Market in New Zealand was awarded to Otago Farmers' Market of which I have been Manager for the last 6 years. It was awarded on public vote and we had way over 1000 more than the next market. Of course it was our own public who voted but we also had many votes from as far away as Auckland to Invercargill, including areas which have good farmers' markets.
[attachthumb=1]
Even on a very cold day such as we've had recently we have up to 8000 people every Saturday morning and we've yet to do a gate count on one of the busiest days. The building in the background is part of Dunedin railway station, one of those decorated wedding cake type buildings which you either love or hate, but you can't miss. The market is beside the station and very central, an ideal place for it.
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I'm still waiting for the guys to bring and wire in my oven but in the meantime I can do the icecream.
Rhubarb and Ginger Icecream.
Base Recipe (This is used for all the recipes in a little book I have called "Icecream for All.")
2 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 tbsp warm water
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup (250 mls) cream, chilled
1 tsp vanilla essence
Beat egg whites until peaks fold over, add sugar and beat until stiff
Beat yolks and water until frothy. Add sugar and beat until yolks are as thick as the beaten whites and very pale in colour.
Beat cream until very thick, add vanilla and beat until blended.
Fold both whites and yolks into the whipped cream.
MY OVEN HAS ARRIVED! ;D 8)
This icecream recipe is actually called Rhubarb, Rhubarb.1 quantity base recipe
200 gms fresh rhubarb
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp sugar
Prepare rhubarb puree: chop rhubarb into 1cm sticks and place in saucepan with water and ginger and sprinkle with sugar. Bring to boil and simmer gently until tender. (I cook the rhubard in the microwave. Blend or sieve to a fine puree (or not too fine). Adjust sweetness to taste with extra caster sugar. Chill.
Prepare the base recipe icecream, carefully fold in cold puree. Freeze in a shallow. covered container.
Good with a walnut sauce50g caramel toffees
1/2 cup cream
50g butter
1/4 chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Gently heat cream and toffees until melted. Stir in butter, nuts and cinnamon. Serve warm over icecream.
To the base recipe you can add anything you fancy, chopped or pureed fruit of any kind, nuts, chocolate, cocnut, crumbled biscuits or carrot cake, honey and sultanas, orange zest and juice, lemon curd, etc. You can make the icecream into a large or little filo pies, sundaes, inside a bombe or whatever.
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I suppose I'd better do the Ginger Shortbread recipe too which I prefer to Ginger Crunch.
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I suppose I'd better do the Ginger Shortbread recipe too which I prefer to Ginger Crunch.
I suppose you had better ;D
Best Farmers' Market in New Zealand was awarded to Otago Farmers' Market of which I have been Manager for the last 6 years
Huge pats on the back all round, you must be really pleased Lesley, well done :-*
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Well done, Lesley!
John, try melting the chocolate and cream together (very gently), then allow it to cool and chill before whipping it.
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Lesley & Anne - Thanks so much. I had it in my head that you cannot heat whipping cream as it then loses it's whipping capability. Thanks for straightening me out on that.
johnw
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In NZ we don't distinguish between whipping, double or any other kind of cream. Cream is cream is cream and it all whips, better if a day or two old than absolutely fresh. The only kind we really have, is fattening, but that word doesn't appear on the bottle. ;)
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Congratulations Lesley. Must get down and visit you there!
In NZ we don't distinguish between whipping, double or any other kind of cream. Cream is cream is cream and it all whips, better if a day or two old than absolutely fresh. The only kind we really have, is fattening, but that word doesn't appear on the bottle. ;)
We have stopped buying cream because you can't buy single cream here. :'(
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Well if our cream isn't single cream, single cream must be extremely thin, hardly worth using in fact. ::)
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Actually there is a "lite" cream with a blue top as opposed to red. As I found out one Christmas day (when all the shops were closed) it does not whip. It says on the label that it has reduced fat.
Tony, you could try that.
Susan
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Thanks Susan, I'll look for it. 8)
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I really DO mean to post 2 choc cake recipes very shortly but I'm taking my new oven very slowly and trying out all the functions gradually. Don't know why I should be scared of it. It's the same oven as the one I've thrown out except it's 2011 version instead of 1990. A NZ brand, Fisher and Paykel, now made in Italy instead of 10 kms down the road at Mosgiel, all in the name of cost saving, but hundreds of jobs were sacrificed in the process.
Ginger Shortbread
4 ozs butter
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
Cream butter and sugar, add egg then sifted dry ingredients. Press into a shallow tin and cook in slowish over (150C) for about 20 mins.
Icing
4 tbsp icing sugar pressed through a sieve
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp ground ginger
Melt all this together in a small saucepan but do not let it boil. Stir to an even caramel. Pour over the shortbread as soon as it comes from the oven.
Now the additions and alterations. I always do one and a half quantities, including 2 eggs, working on the premise that an extra egg or half egg never hurt anything. Because this is an old recipe it's in ozs instead of grams but all good cooks can make the conversions easily. I tend to use more of everything rather than be too finnicky about accuracy. 3 large tbsp golden syrup, 6 really heaped tbsp icing sugar. I never weigh butter, just cut it off the block at about the right place, and always use heaped tbsps sugar, good one and a half cups flour and always at least twice as much ginger as the recipe says, in both the cake and the icing.
The cake, if you can't resist and cut it while warm is almost spongey, a little firmer if cold. It never lasts more than until next day in this household.
And now, dammit, I realize I've got it in the wrong thread. Should be in Cook's Corner. Maggi can you help here please and transfer it?
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Three jiffy bags arrived in the post today from my sister-in-law back in Scotland. They were for three different people in my family. I wasn't one of them! :( The ones to the children each contained a (broken) piece of tablet large enough to sink the Titanic! On the customs label was written "treat sweet"! :o
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I have just posted a choc cake recipe and two pics both of about 260 kbs and had the whole lot wiped away because the file size was too big. I'll have to start again. Can't the pic sizes be up to 300 each?
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Trying again. I hadn't downsized the second pic.
No pretensions here to competing with Erika's superb creations, just basic home baking. This recipe is on the paper wrappr of Anchor brand 500gm butter pack.
Chocoholic Chokkie Cake
125 gms butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 and 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking poder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soada
1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Grease and line a 22cms round tin, reasonably deep. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla and jam. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Dissolve soda in milk. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in choc chips. Pour into the tin and bake at 180 deg C for about 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake has slightly left the side of the tin.
When cold, ice with chocolate icing (sifted icing sugar, large dab of butter and dribbles of very hot water, added carefully) and decorate as desired. I used chocolate hail and slivered almonds.
I added too much jam (3/4 cup) and the result was almost a dessert rather than a cake. It was beautiful and delicious but difficult to handle because of being too soft. It is very rich.
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
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I don't know how I missed your Ginger Shortbread Lesley, thanks for that I shall try it next week, and the Chocolate Cake too. We are garden visiting from Wednesday to Sunday in the West, we should have a day at Shrewsbury Flower Show on Friday, the (second) best thing about garden visits is getting to taste such a wide variety of cakes ;D 8)
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..........we should have a day at Shrewsbury Flower Show on Friday........
Tell us what you think of it Brian. I went last year for the first time for 10 years and was most disappointed (albeit that it poured down all day!) they seemed to have forgotten that it's a Flower Show and plants were not paramount!
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The ginger shortbread was especially for you Brian so I'm pleased you've found it. You'll enjoy it for sure. :D
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The ginger shortbread was especially for you Brian so I'm pleased you've found it. You'll enjoy it for sure. :D
I surely will ;D ;D ::)
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My mother used to make the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted.
She lost the recipe and unfortunately, I had never copied it out for myself.
I have searched the internet to no avail.
This chocolate cake was a winner of a competition in Women's Weekly or some other magazine, sometime in the 50's.The competition was to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's coronation or visit to Australia, not sure which but could have Queen or Elizabeth or both in the name.
The cake was very moist, buttery and used boiling water.
It also used cocoa.
Not much to go on but would be very grateful if someone has this recipe tucked away.
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There's this one http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/495862/mary-berry-s-chocolate-cake
Mary Berry has been doing recipes for decades, so it could be one of hers.
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Anne, thanks for the link.
It looks good but there was no jam used for this cake and it was cooked in a rectangular cake pan.
My mother used to make a mock cream for the top which was just sugar and butter beaten until it went white.
I can only imagine how many calories were in the topping but it was soooo good. :-[
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I don't know that cake Helen but I do recall reading in a paper or somewhere at a similar kind of time, maybe a trip to Aus/NZ or something, or tenth anniv, the recipe for a date cake, said to be the only cake the Queen herself ever made. How true that was, or if she EVER makes a cake, who knows?
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Lesley, am sure she must have made cakes, trying to visualise her in an apron!!!
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I'm trying to visualise an apron suitable for wearing with a diamond tiara. ;D
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Lesley, I tried your Ginger Shortbread recipe yesterday. Mmmm....delicious. Found out this morning that there was nothing left of it so I guess the rest of my family liked it too ;D.
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Lesley, I tried your Ginger Shortbread recipe yesterday. Mmmm....delicious. Found out this morning that there was nothing left of it so I guess the rest of my family liked it too ;D.
Wow, Gunilla, you're right, the "Family Test" is conclusive that the recipe was good! 8)
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I'm trying to visualise an apron suitable for wearing with a diamond tiara. ;D
Since you ask........
[attach=1]
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I knew you wouldn't fail me Maggi. ;D
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Not an expert of course but I do wonder if HMQ could cope with the union jack type as pictured. I thought she'd be more of a Bridget Jones type :o
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Better watch out, David.
You might end up in the tower!! :o
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Better watch out, David.
You might end up in the tower!! :o
Along with Margaret of Scotland....
johnw
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What a thing to say about Maggi! ::)
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What? ending up in a tower? I don't know. The sainted Margaret would have been a most interesting woman to speak with, though I think it a great shame she was so determined to introduce Catholicism to Scotland on a grand scale and totally suppress the old Celtic church. Their way of living seems to me to have had more of tolerance and real love about it than that of the Roman and thoroughly corrupt and greedy church of the time, (and for centuries to come).
If I were a more skilled cook (to return to topic) I'd make our Maggi one of those magnificent towers composed of profiteroles filled with chocolate cream, doused in choc sauce and wrapped around with spun toffee. ;D
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Lesley, that sounds yummy.... and what about substituting coffee for chocolate.... I'd be in seventh heaven!
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This week I tried Jamie Oliver recipes -
pan fried chicken breast coated in mustard powder and rosemary. With it I had boiled baby potatoes that were then fried in oil and rosemary
A neighbour caught a salmon and gave me two steaks. These were oven baked in a blend of red pepper, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger salt and pepper.
Yesterday in Tesco I saw gammon with sliced orange and orange marmalade. It comes in its own oven dish - delish!
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Lesley, that sounds yummy.... and what about substituting coffee for chocolate.... I'd be in seventh heaven!
How about coffee cream and choc sauce or viva voce? ;D
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Mark, Jamie Oliver's recipes are very good and that Tescos gammon sounds nice. My brother in law used to give us salmon steaks from fish he'd caught. He doesn't like fish and his wife is allergic! ;D
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/bacchus.jpg)
nobody in the kitchen?
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I have to say Arykana that Bacchus already looks a little cross-eyed and the worse for wear. Holding him/herself up nicely though not spilling a drop ::)
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Sorry, I am not clearly understand
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Erika, Shelagh means that your little Bacchus on the cake seems to have been drinking already, not waiting for the party to begin!
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I'm looking for two recipes. I know I could Google them but I would like your's.
Apple sponge
Apple tart/pie
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Start with a glass of good cider. Have several then you won't need to worry about the recipes. ;D
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;D
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I'm looking for two recipes. I know I could Google them but I would like your's.
Apple sponge
Apple tart/pie
My mum's "Eve's Pudding"
400g ish cooking apples
grated zest and jiuce of one lemon
75g demerara sugar
2 tablespons water
75g butter plus a bit for buttering the baking dish
75g caster sugar
1 egg
100g Self Raising Flour
Peel and core apples and slice into smallish chunks. Put in a pan with juice and zest of lemon, demerara sugar and water and soften the apples over a lowish heat stirring regularly.
meanwhile pre-heat oven to 180C/350F
When apple is softened tip contents of pan into buttered baking dish.
Cream butter and caster sugar until fluffy. Beat in one egg and mix well. Fold in flour lightly and spread over top of apples. Bake for about 40 minutes (may take less) until sponge is firm and brown.
Take a large dish add to it a very large portion of above and add loads of custard. Then do same again. Then have a sleep whilst someone else washes up!
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Lesley, once you've finished with the cider, what do you use for cooking apples in NZ?
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Granny Smiths and Peasgood's nonsuch. I grow the latter and have never seen the fruit for sale, and you may find Granny Smiths at a Farmers market. Probably unusual to find them in your local supermarket.
Susan
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Eve's Pudding sounds very good, but I don't understand the last part: "Take a large dish add to it a very large portion of above and add loads of custard. Then do same again." Are you saying it's served up in a bowl like a trifle, layered with custard, or is it just a recommendation on how to eat it? (Sounds delicious either way!)
By the way, not sure if this is interesting or not, but 'Granny Smiths' are very commonly available here and have been for some decades.
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I think it refers to the eating thereof. I would use a cereal bowl and put a generous helping in, then pour over hot custard. I have yet to find a source of powdered instant custard.
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What, no Bird's Custard Powder there? That reminds me that there's an ancient can of it in the cupboard, bought years ago as an ingredient for Nanaimo bars (which I find far too sweet these days)... have never cooked it up on its own as custard, oddly enough.
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Supermarkets have ready to pour custard, in cardboard cartons, probably in the chiller section, and the powdered brand is Edmonds and should be in the flour and sugar part of the supermarket.
Susan
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Ready-to-pour custard?? I'm forever amazed at what can be bought ready-made!
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Never tried it myself, but have seen it there. What I cannot bear the thought of is ready made hollandaise sauce...... Ugh!
Susan
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The Birds custard powder I've seen here is the "mix with sugar and make into a paste" variety that I remember my mother using. The Birds instant can be made by pouring boiling water (or milk) onto the required amount of powder in a Pyrex jug and stirring. The cartons of ready made custard are not great.
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I've only bought the ready to pour custard once and it was so yummy that I haven't dare buy it again. It was for a Mille Feuilles type dessert and I couldn't be bothered making the Creme Patisserie (for which I have a super recipe). I think it could be had in chocolate and vanilla flavours. I bought the vanilla.
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I've only bought the ready to pour custard once and it was so yummy that I haven't dare buy it again. It was for a Mille Feuilles type dessert and I couldn't be bothered making the Creme Patisserie (for which I have a super recipe). I think it could be had in chocolate and vanilla flavours. I bought the vanilla.
Vanilla. Aha. Maybe I should try a few different ones - in the name of science?
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We've just had some "trick or treaters" arriving at the door this evening. Vivienne was well prepared with three bowls of small Flakes, Crunchies, Mars bars, lollipops etc The children just come in and take some sweeties and go. Not like Scotland, where it is called Guising, and where each person tells a joke, sings a song or recites a poem. We had to sweat blood over what we would do when I was young. We also got our Dads to carve out turnips to make lanterns (pumpkins are much easier to carve, so this Dad had it easier - an example of reverse migration of ideas as pumpkins are American, whereas Hallow e'en has Celtic connections and the word is a Scottish derivative of All-Hallows-Even) but there appear to be no lanterns here.
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Erika, Shelagh means that your little Bacchus on the cake seems to have been drinking already, not waiting for the party to begin!
Oh, thank you for translating for me :-) Yes, they had wish a drunk Bacchus - so, it is turn out good :-) the party went well, the people do not remember how they came home :o
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Oh, thank you for translating for me :-) Yes, they had wish a drunk Bacchus - so, it is turn out good :-) the party went well, the people do not remember how they came home :o
Aha! A good party indeed! ;D ;D ;)
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Eve's Pudding sounds very good, but I don't understand the last part: "Take a large dish add to it a very large portion of above and add loads of custard. Then do same again." Are you saying it's served up in a bowl like a trifle, layered with custard, or is it just a recommendation on how to eat it? (Sounds delicious either way!)
By the way, not sure if this is interesting or not, but 'Granny Smiths' are very commonly available here and have been for some decades.
Lori, what I meant was take a portion (a large one) from the baked pudding, put it in a bowl, slather (is this word used over there?) it with custard and consume. After consuming follow previous advice, with another portion, and then comes the sleep and washing up bit ;D
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Anthony, Granny Smith apples are well known throughout New Zealand. I bought 5kg at my market last Saturday tho' they are getting past their best now. It's my favourite apples for pies, sauces etc.
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Thanks Lesley. I've seen them occasionally.
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Ready-to-pour custard?? I'm forever amazed at what can be bought ready-made!
Lori, I was amazed that I couldn't find any ready to eat custard in the deli section of the supermarkets here.
If my memory is correct, it is yummy.
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Bought a small carton of vanilla ready-to-pour last night which we had with a small bought apple pie (incredibly good actually) and bought icecream. Enjoyed them all very much but it sounds like the beginning of the end so far as home cooking is concerned, I'll revert to type soon I hope.
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If somebody would like a slice of black forest cake :(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/torta-5.jpg)
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May I ask about your Christmas menu?
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I have not even thought about it yet, Erika! :-\
In Scotland Christmas is surrounded by the special festive dishes that are enjoyed in other countries.... it is traditional to have a good roast turkey, or goose perhaps, with many vegetables and rich fruit pudding after, but we are not well endowed with Christmas special recipes. :-X
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What about shortbread and Black Bun?
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Those are more for New Year.... visitors at Hogmanay 8)
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What's black bun? ???
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What's black bun? ???
It's a Scots delicacy..... a VERY rich, dark (so dark it's black) fruit cake, enriched with alcohol for preference, which is encased in a shortcrust pastry covering. Kind of like a cake version of beef wellington!
Traditional gift when visiting at New Year or to feed to New Year's visitors.
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Maggi, are there mini and bigger versions?
Have never heard of these, I bet my mother would have loved it and she was of Scottish blood.
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I have interested in this black bun, if it possible to get recipe
Traditionally here the people mostly has Fisherman' soup/ http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956)/, fried fish and poppy seed kalács for Christmas Eve or roasted goose. The turkey just in the last few years on the table, mostly some kind of turkey breast dish. Many people make staffed cabbeges /http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=886472 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=886472)/ on Christmas day, and wine soup /Muscat syllabub
The yolk of 3 eggs, 2 dl of Muscat Tokaji, 10 dkg of sugar, vanilla beans, grated lemon-peel
Mix the sugar with egg yolk well in a mixing bowl, add the grated lemon-peel, the vanilla bean and mix into the Tokaji wine.
Put the mixing bowl into a pot of boiling water and the mix with a whisk under some minutes easy foam we beat it. Onto what once or twice gushes out, ready. We serve it in separate sauce cup, on warmth./ too. Christmas is a festive of sweets, the most popular the chestnut cake and zserbó /http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1059778 (http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=1059778)/
We would have roasted duck this year for Christmas Eve and russian cream cake, on Christmas day I will make fried walnut breaded pike-perch, wild boar stew and rosemary roast rabbit. Zserbó will be on the table as my sister's favorite, orange-chocolate cake and of course poppy seed kalács. But my husband said, should be chustnut cake also
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I love a rich proper Christmas cake (with marzipan and royal icing - not those covered with horrible pecan nuts), but have never liked black bun or fly cemeteries. :P
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My mother used to make black bun but I recall it as more of a food for adults (with whisky) than something we children liked. Too rich probably. Now I'm older and drink whisky, maybe I should try black bun again. What you call fly cemetaries Anthony is perhaps what I've always known as squashed fly square and I love it. Flaky pastry top and bottom with a filling of sultanas and any other dried fruit you like but I prefer just sultanas, grated apple, cinnamon and brown sugar. You have to work quickly and encase all the filling, sealing it well at the edges as the apples release their juice quickly and leak out. You can drink what juice is left in the bowl. Then cut it into squares when it's cooked to a golden brown. Yum. ;D You can brush it with milk and sprinkle with sugar before cooking if you like.
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Known as "flie pie" in our house.
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They have always been too dry for my liking. I love mince pies, especially hot with cream, but hate scones with raisins or sultanas in them. I like Christmas pudding, especially with rum sauce.
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The only christmas puddings I liked were the ones that had silver coins inside.
I hated the fruit pudding but always had a serving.
After retrieving a coin or two ( if any) the pudding was smuggled out to my nana's pomeraniums. ;D
I guess nobody uses silver coins in puddings these days. :-[
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I can remember being given the chance to stir the Christmas pudding at Mountfields Primary School in Loughborough and adding a wrapped sixpence to the mix. ;D School dinners were good in those days, and only cost a shilling!
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I can remember being given the chance to stir the Christmas pudding at Mountfields Primary School in Loughborough and adding a wrapped sixpence to the mix.
Of course, at Maggi's school they wrapped them in £5 notes ... or they used chocolate coins instead. :D
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I don't think many people use coins in their puddings now because of the presumed hygiene issue. The PC world gone even madder. Besides, so many people BUY their puddings ready-made.
Here many people (including me) stick with fresh fruit salad, Pavlova and/or trifle for Christmas puddings. After all, it was 33C here yesterday and still 3 weeks until the longest day. Still 28C in the sitting room at 9pm with evey door and window in the house wide open. No lights on because of the moths.
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More than 10o hotter than Auckland. :( We need to move! ::)
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.......... Besides, so many people BUY their puddings ready-made................
Not in our house they don't, I make 'em. One for Christmas Day and one for my birthday. I mixed them last night and left them to mature overnight and today they've been steamed for six hours.
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I'm impressed! :o Should have said, I could have sent you some silver threepenny bits! ;D
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Funny you should say that Anthony. We still have three of them, out of the four my Mum used to put in puddings. The third was consumed by my son when he was about three and I didn't do the necessary search!
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Ok, guys, but where is the recipe?
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We ate it Arykana! ::)
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hm, hopefully has been written on paper, not on DVD ;D ;D ;D :P
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There are plenty of recipes online - though I do not have any practical experience (!):
http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_blackbun.htm (http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_blackbun.htm)
http://www.scotlandforvisitors.com/recipes/blackbun.php (http://www.scotlandforvisitors.com/recipes/blackbun.php)
http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/blackbunrecipe.htm (http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/blackbunrecipe.htm)
http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/black-bun.html (http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/black-bun.html)
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hm, hopefully has been written on paper, not on DVD ;D ;D ;D :P
Gulp! ;D
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Thank you Richard!
Anthony ;D (http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lew2p4s9qK1qesb3no1_400.jpg)
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CHRISTMAS PUDDING RECIPE.
I suppose many families will have a recipe for Christmas Pudding that has been handed down through the generations. This one is no exception and this recipe can be traced back to my mother's great-grandmother (born 1824, died 1876) and possibly even further back. As such it is not in metric measurement but I've converted it where possible. When my mother was alive she made her puddings in October to allow them to mature. Frequently she forgot about a stored pudding only finding it when the next years puddings were ready for storage and the "findling" took pride of place on the Christmas dinner table. It always tasted better for the year in the dark in the cupboard under the stairs.
The recipe as it stands will make 4 puddings of around 575gms each but can be scaled down to make just two.
Ingredients:-
225gms butter
275gms of stale breadcrumbs (white or brown, doesn't matter)
100gms plain flour
half a teasponn of ground mace
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
225gms demerara sugar
100gms chopped candied orange peel
75gms chopped candied lemon peel
100gms chopped glace cherries
225gms currants
450gms chopped raisins
35gms chopped blanched almonds
1 grated carrot
6 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons golden syrup of black treacle
275 ml Guiness or other dark ale or stout. (The original recipe says "dark porter")
Method:-
The night before you intend to make the puddings.
Place currents, raisins and glace cherries in a bowl and add a slug of brandy and mix well. Cover with a cloth and leave overnight. My slug is usually a couple of wine glasses full of brandy. But, I like Brandy!!). The kitchen will smell lovely when you come down next morning to put the kettle on.
Have a hearty breakfast and then:-
Grease four half litre pudding basins or two one litre basins (my Mum used lard, she regarded butter as being to profligate! but if you use butter don't take any of the butter from the recipe.
Put the butter in a warm place to melt.
Put the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and sift in the flour and the spices. Mix in the sugar. Add the chopped peels and the contents of the bowl you left overnight. Add the almonds and carrot to the mix and mix well. Stir in the eggs and the treacle and mix well again. Pause, and have a glass of brandy.
Add the melted butter and the Guinness and stir it well in.
Divide the mixture between the greased basins, cover tightly with a layer of greased greaseproof paper and then foil. Place in a steamer over a pan of boiling water (or be modern and use a pressure cooker in which case refer to your instruction book for timings) and steam for 6/7 hours if making two large puddings (3/4 hours for smaller ones). When steamed remove from steamer and allow to cool. When cold cover with fresh greaseproof paper and foil and store in a cool place. When serving steam first for a further 2 hours.
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Thank you David :-)
the candied orange and lemon peels has been made today
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Interestingly I can, for the first time, actually buy dark porter in bottles in our local supermarkets! 8)
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Some cake for you :-)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/angyalkim.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/fatrzs.jpg)
zserbó (http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/zserb.jpg)
and kalács for my neighbour(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/hpi.jpg)
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Oh yum !!
The kalács look fantastic.
;D ;D ;D
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+ how good it is! full with candied orange peels :-) I have made nut and poppy seed feeled too
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Great baking... as always, Erika.
Forumist Rick Rodich has shared a great looking cookie recipe onthe NARGS "Happy Holidays" pages.... had to share it with you...
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=916.msg13590#msg13590 ... the photos are yummy!
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This fast/easy recipe for bark was originally found online, and made for a mint-chocolate loving friend.
The crispy layer made by the chocolate wafers adds a whole other dimension.
Go lightly with the "green"---to get a minty colour.
Don't forget to line your pan, as I did with my first batch!!!!!
Mint Chocolate Chip Bark
Makes one 8×8 pan | Preparation: Line pan with wax paper
Ingredients:
14-18 Andes Mint, chopped
5 oz dark chocolate
8-10 chocolate wafers (Nabisco, Christie etc or chocolate Graham Crackers)
7 oz. white chocolate
1-2 drops of green food color
Instructions:
-Chop Andes Mint Candy and set aside.
-Place dark chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Pour melted chocolate into 8×8 pans, using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Place chocolate wafers on top and gently press it into the chocolate. Place pan in refrigerator for 5 minutes for chocolate to become slightly harden.
-Place white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Dip toothpick or skewer in green food coloring and then dip it into the white chocolate; stir to combine.
-Remove pan with chilled dark layer and pour melted white chocolate on top. Using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Sprinkle chopped Andes Mint Candy on top and return the fully assembled bark to the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes or until bark is fully set.
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Thanks for this recipe Kristl. I'll have to make some adjustments for local ingredients but should be able to come up with something close. A bagful in a christmas parcel would be great. ;D
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For anyone who would like to make a 'Treasure Chest' cake! My wife made this for our daughter's 18th Birthday. Great fun!
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good idea Tim :-) thank you
my son will has his birthday soon :-)
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I'm not sure whether I'm putting on weight just looking at these pages, or because of the ideas put into my head which I feel I must honour? :-\
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It's just the looking. I put on weight each time I walk past a cake or chocolate shop. The pictures shown of delicacies from Germany I think, or maybe Austria, by JW, were disastrous for me.
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/l.jpg)
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Happy New Year, Erika!
That's a perfect cake for a pony lover.... I think I'll keep it for Roma's birthday!
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As of late, I have really been fancying a lot of Asian noodles as they really taste good.
The last recipe I tried was a Pad Thai which makes use of a barrage of ingredients and spices that are a bit hard to find. I guess that it is all about the proper marriage of spices for this recipe as there is no fixed amount as written in cook books and some articles I found online. They say that seasoning should be done based on preference.
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;D
some sweet for you
poppyseeds and curd cake
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/mkostrs.jpg)
My son's birthday cake
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/torta-6.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/szelet.jpg)
and Szent-Györgyi crapes, my son made
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/szentgyrgyi.jpg)
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/finom%20etelek/szentgyrgy.jpg)
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Delicious, Erika... even on the screen... quite delicious!
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We need recipes for these ones Erika, especially the curd cake. ;D Pretty please.
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:-)
Poppyseeds and curd cake
Crust:
10 ml sour cream
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
120 g soft butter
1 egg
pinch of salt
Poppy seeds filling:
250 g poppy seeds
6-8 tablespoons sugar
raisin
1 zest of 1 lemon
10 ml milk
1 tablespoon soft butter
Curd cream
500 g curd
2 eggs
10 ml sourcream
6-8 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 pocket vanilla pudding powder
Make a dough from the crust materials, put in the fridge.
Put all the materials of poppyseeds staffing in a pot, bring to boil, stir it continuously. Let it cool
bit up the egg withes, add the sugar, bit it till shiny, and eggyolks stir it well, pour sour cream in it and the lemon juice, add the pudding powder
Grease a baking form. Roll out the crust, line out the baking form, make an inch high on the side of the form. Spreed on the poppy seeds filling, an pour over the curd cream
Bake in a warm oven on low heat for 45 minutes, check with a woodstick, if it is came out clean it is done
more tomorrow
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Erika, is the Szent-Györgyi crapes a spicy apple pancake?
Would love the recipe for it.
;D
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Erika... should there be some flour in the crust?
Sue
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Erika... should there be some flour in the crust?
Sue
Yes, thank you! there is 350 g flour :-[
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Erika, is the Szent-Györgyi crapes a spicy apple pancake?
Would love the recipe for it.
;D
filling made from walnut, will translate tomorrow
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Thank you Erika. I'll add the flour to the recipe and make it as soon as we have a good wet day and I don't want to go out. To day is very hot with high wind so I'll be on the end of the hose most of the day and hope there's enough water in the tank from last week's rain. ???
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Mine isn't so delicious. I made some soda bread with ground up, toasted sunflower seeds in it. When it was cut open, it was green inside. As it cooled further over the next few hours, it became a really bright emerald green! :-X
I've noticed green flecks in my carrot cake before, which has hazelnuts in it, and also contains bicarbonate of soda, so I'm thinking it's some reaction between the seeds/nuts and the soda. Any chemists out there?
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I would love it if the flavor not change
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It does not taste as it should either. :-\
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Vegetable, Lentil and Cashew Nut Roast recipe
I'm not a vegetarian but I think this is really yummy. It is very easy and gives about 4 really good helpings. When I made it, I forgot to add the bread crumbs but it didn't seem to matter.
Ingredients:
450ml vegetable stock
200g split red lentils
100g cashew nuts
100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
100g mushrooms
100g cheddar cheese
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 leek
1 garlic clove
1 egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Small handful freshly chopped parsley
Method of Preparation:
Finely chop the onion, mushrooms, leek, garlic clove, and red pepper.
Rinse the lentils under cold water then simmer in the vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes until soft and pulpy.
Whilst the lentils are cooking, toast the nuts in a dry frying pan until golden, then whiz in a food processor until finely chopped.
Preheat the oven to 190C and grease and line a loaf tin.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and then fry the onion for five minutes, add the leeks, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic and fry for another 5-10 minutes. Add the lemon juice.
Stir the lentils and the nuts into the frying pan, add the breadcrumbs, the cheese and the egg, season well and then stir in the parsley.
Once fully combined, place the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top. Bake the nut roast for 30 minutes covered with foil and then remove the foil for another 30 minutes of cooking.
Once cooked, allow to cool slightly and then cut into thick slices to serve.
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Sounds delicious Sue. I'm going to try that!
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It freezes well too... Hope you enjoy it Ashley
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This one is for Maggi and all of the other chocoholics on here. Buy an ice cream maker if you don't have one. You wont regret it!
60g 70% chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot... Not boiling water. Stir in the cocoa a little at a time stirring constantly until smooth. It can get a little stiff, but dont worry if it does.
Stir in the milk a little at a time and heat until completely blended. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy then whisk in the sugar a little at a time then continue whisking until completely blended. Then pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk until completely blended.
When it is cool, pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze.
You can add chocolate chips but wait until the ice cream just begins to stiffen.
When it is ready transfer to a carton and freeze until you are ready for it. It keeps a couple of weeks in the freezer.
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It keeps a couple of weeks in the freezer.
Huh! Well that is the daftest thing I've ever heard :o ;) ;D ;D No chance!!
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Chocolatiest ice cream
Sounds wonderful Sue. I'm certainly gonna try it
It keeps a couple of weeks in the freezer.
Huh! Well that is the daftest thing I've ever heard :o ;) ;D ;D No chance!!
;D
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This one is for Maggi and all of the other chocoholics on here. Buy an ice cream maker if you don't have one. You wont regret it!
60g 70% chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot... Not boiling water. Stir in the cocoa a little at a time stirring constantly until smooth. It can get a little stiff, but dont worry if it does.
Stir in the milk a little at a time and heat until completely blended. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy then whisk in the sugar a little at a time then continue whisking until completely blended. Then pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk until completely blended.
When it is cool, pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze.
You can add chocolate chips but wait until the ice cream just begins to stiffen.
When it is ready transfer to a carton and freeze until you are ready for it. It keeps a couple of weeks in the freezer.
Forumists shouldn't be allowed to post recipes like this, endangering the health of certain members. (Those of us with weaker than normal wills.) ;D ;D ;D
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Interesting article in New Scientist recently about willpower. It seems that using willpower actually consumes energy, and if you use it a lot, you can need to eat more to provide the necessary energy to carry on. So the more you deny yourself, the hungrier it will make you. In experiments, people who had been made to resist food for a while were then less able to use willpower on another task afterwards.
Maybe God is a man after all - with a wicked sense of humour.
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A (very-large) shortbread-raspberry-white chocolate cookie for my Valentine....
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My Valentine's on a diet, can I be yours too Kristl ;D
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You can be mine if you like David. Only the Crambe maritima seedlings on the left are edible but these look very scrumptious. There are 10, packed with buds so I'll have an autumn flowering. :D
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I'm reading an American cookbook at present and have a couple of questions:
How do you eat what the americans call 'biscuits' (they look like what we would call 'scones' but are made quite differently)?
One recipe calls for a mix of 'all-purpose flour' and 'cake flour'. What is their equivalent in UK flours?
Thanks!
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What are our biscuits called in America? Cakes go hard when stale; biscuits go soft. Cookies are already soft so are not biscuits, but that doesn't make them any less tasty.
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Crackers. That's the biscuits, not you, Anthony.
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Crackers, as in Jacob's, doesn't really fit as they don't "crack" when you bite e.g. digestive biscuits, they crumble?
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Anne - I think these are what we in Nova Scotia call tea biscuits. I think Lesley may have asked the same question several years ago. Eaten with scads of butter & jams as a rule. Good recipes are difficult to find - made similarly to scones by chipping room temperature butter into the dry mix then pinching it in and by no means mixing too much just to encorporate, to wet but workable. They bake quickly at 425, best the same day but can be revived by a 7 second stint in ther microwave though not difficult for two to eat a dozen the first day.
I can dig out a recipe for you.
Apparently American flour is quite different than Canadian flour but can't tell you why. I know we can buy cake flour but many say there is no need with our high quality flour. In the USA they have All purpose flour, bread flour and cake flour - confusing.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/654303 (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/654303)
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cooking/canadian-flour-vs-american-flour-323155.html (http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cooking/canadian-flour-vs-american-flour-323155.html)
A pic but ours are a tad lighter looking, not quite so wide and a bit taller.
johnw
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They look like excellent scones (pronounced skons) to me. My favourite are cherry scones.
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I don't think those are what I mean. I've seen in films where the family sits down to dinner and hands round a basket of biscuits along with the vegetables etc for the main course, but I've never noticed what they did with them after that. Do they put them on a side plate as we would do bread, or put them on the main plate as we would a Yorkshire pudding?
Anthony, I think what we call digestive biscuits are called Graham Crackers in the US.
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Let me see if I can translate... ;) (Being Canadian, regardless of actual ancestry, is sort of like being a hybrid between the UK and the US!)
I don't think those are what I mean. I've seen in films where the family sits down to dinner and hands round a basket of biscuits along with the vegetables etc for the main course, but I've never noticed what they did with them after that. Do they put them on a side plate as we would do bread, or put them on the main plate as we would a Yorkshire pudding?
Raised biscuits would be put on a side plate, split and buttered, usually (this is familiar to me), except in the southern U.S. where they might be covered with milk gravy. ??? (The latter is a perverse misuse of biscuits and should be discouraged.)
Tea biscuits are usually a leaner mix, while scones are richer, containing cream and larger amounts of fat, usually butter.
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Anne, in a restaurant setting they are often served on a separate plate. For a home meal they are usually sliced in half, spread with butter and eaten from the same plate. Most people eat biscuits (or rolls) with the meal. Usually saving a little for the end of the meal to clean up any sauce or gravy left on the plate. Our biscuits have more grainy or course texture, perhaps crumbly is more accurate. They are more likely to be served with breakfast. Our rolls have a bread-like texture, with a firm crust. They are soft, light and fluffy inside and are served with dinner. I hope this helps, but should also say this description is probably quite regional and may vary across the United States. There are countless different types of rolls and biscuits. Our scones are bread dough, deep fried and served hot with a mixture of honey and butter slathered on top. Our cake flour is a finer texture with a lower gluten content.
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Originally biscuits were cooked twice (hence the name) to make them hard and dry, so easy to store and carry, e.g. ships biscuits. Ships biscuits often contained grain beetles, so you tapped them on the table to dislodge the beetles and then dipped them in brine or some other liquid to soften them before eating.
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Thanks everyone - that's set me onto some googling, MILK gravy...
I think I'll stick to splitting them and putting jam or honey on.
I don't think I'll try dunking my morning biscuit in brine though. :P
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Cakes go hard when stale; biscuits go soft. Cookies are already soft so are not biscuits,
My cakes, biscuits, scones NEVER go stale. They don't get a chance. ;D
I made a wonderful tomato tart a couple of days ago. It was supposed to be a red and yellow tomato tart but yellows have finished so I used a couple of sliced yellow capsicums, seeded and sauteed a little, to partially cook.
Pastry -
2 cups plain (all purpose) flour,
110 gms butter
pinch salt,
beaten egg yolk
Put flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter (I whizzed it up in the blender). Add just enough water to make a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. (I made a mistake here as I thought the recipe forgot to add the egg yolk so I added it to the flour, then the water. It made the pastry yellowish but a good texture. Then when I read further on, I realized I was supposed to use the yolk to brush the base of the pastry so I used another yolk for that.)
Filling
500 gms or more red and yellow tomatoes, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
basil leaves
Arrange sliced toms in a single layer on several layers of kitchen paper towels. Sprink with salt and stand for 20 mins. Blot dry with more towels. Heat oven to 190 centigrade (170C fan oven). Grease a baking tray. Roll the dough to a round approx 35 cms in diameter. Place on the baking tray and brush with egg yolk. Arrange tomates on the pastry to a diameter of about 25cms. Drizzle over the oil and balsamic vinegar and scatter with salt, pepper and basil leaves. Turn up the edges of the pastry, fitting snuggly around the tomatoes and pinch together to make a bowl. Cook for 25 to 30 mins or until tomatoes are tender. Garnish with more basil leaves.
This should serve 4 people but we halved it between us. It was delicious. The recipe was March on my supermarket's calendar.
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Instead of rubbing butter into flour for scones, I always use cream if I have it in the house, quickly mixing in about 1/3rd to 1/2 a cupful. So much quicker and less messy. Scones are best if mixed very quickly and as little as possible. The more mixing, the tougher they'll be.
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I made a wonderful tomato tart a couple of days ago. It was supposed to be a red and yellow tomato tart but yellows have finished so I used a couple of sliced yellow capsicums, seeded and sauteed a little, to partially cook.
Lesley, this looks yummy, thanks for the recipe.
Will print it out for later when hopefully we can get tasty tomatoes.
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I'm hoping to get a late crop of purple tomatoes. 8)
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So Anthony,
Are you going to show us the purple tart you produce when using those purple tomatoes in Lesley's tomato tart? ;D
First time I have been into this topic for a very long time. I figure that now I need to relearn cooking (I wasn't allowed into the Kitchen as Yvonne loved her cooking, although I used to enjoy cooking prior to that), I figure that recipes here might be useful. I hope to unearth some of Yvonne's recipes one of these years, but I think that most of them were in her head rather than written down, so short of a Séance I am doubting that there is much chance of retrieving them. ;D I know that her banana cake recipe is written down somewhere, but no idea where. :o
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Paul, I am sure if you tell us what sorts of food you like best you will get flooded with recipes.
My other half makes a great banana cake, he swears by the recipe so if you would like to try it just holler.
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Helen,
As long as he swears by it, not at it. ;) Yvonne's one has 3 bananas in it..... we have old bananas frozen in packs of 3 in the freezer for the next time we needed them. ;D Planning ahead when a surplus is evident. ;)
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Old bananas tend to go to the blue tongued skink or my fruit-fly farm, but a nice moist banana cake is one of my preferred cakes. 8)
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Anthony,
I'm sure all the fruit growers in your area are indebted to you for breeding more fruit fly? :P
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Helen,
As long as he swears by it, not at it. ;) Yvonne's one has 3 bananas in it..... we have old bananas frozen in packs of 3 in the freezer for the next time we needed them. ;D Planning ahead when a surplus is evident. ;)
Paul, we freeze bananas in 3's too.
Here's the recipe Edgar uses.( hppe there are no typos, was not watching screen as I typed)
It is pretty foolproof.
Banana Cake-From the All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book.
For the best flavour wait untl your bananas are completely ripe and covered with brown spots but not blackened and soft.
2.5 cups all purpose flour
2 tspns baking powder
3/4 teaspn salt
1/2 tspn baking soda
1.5 cups mashed very ripe bananas ( 3 medium)
1/4 cup milk
2 tspns vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1. Prepare oven to 350F. Evenly grease 9 X 5 inch metal loaf pan.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
In small bowl, combine bananas, milk and vanilla.
2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, reduce speed to low. Alternately, add flour mixture and banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
Beat just until blended.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 mins.
Cool in pan on wire rack 10 mins , remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.
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Our old bananas go out onto a nail on the fence, where the tuis and bellbirds like them a lot.
I had planned to post a picture of the Black Krim tomato I wanted to use for the tart but missed out at the relevant market. I bought some last Saturday and 3 toms weighed 1.4 kgs. They are an old variety, with darkish, very juicy but also meaty flesh and the underside of a dark, olive green colour. When Fred is finished his doings I'll post the picture.
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It would be the Indian mynas that would attack a banana on a nail here. Today I was watching starlings and a blackbird eat olives of next door's tree!
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Here are the two pics I took of the Black Krim tomato. I should also have taken one of the cut tomato to show the very meaty inside. The tops look like a neatly stitched piece of surgery, an umbilical hernia maybe. ;D
I have clicked on Attachments and other options but no place comes up to browse for the picture.
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Does anybody know of( or better still recommend from experience) a software package that can be used to store personal recipes? I have them scribbled all over the place and its about time I got them into one place if this can be done.
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I have a person to do that :P but the following may help
http://www.recipecentersoftware.com/ (http://www.recipecentersoftware.com/)
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Certainly appears to be exactly what i want, and its free! ;D
Thank you David, :)
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Can someone explain to me the difference between "fillet steak" and "eye fillet steak". Fillet steak at the butcher or supermarket here is what I would call sirloin (although you can also buy sirloin), complete with the fat and to get what I would call fillet steaks I have to ask for "eye fillets". If the one labelled as fillet is fillet, what's it called in the UK, because I don't remember being able buy that as fillet steak?
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Anthony, I think you will find that eye fillet there is tenderloin, and fillet is rib steak or scotch fillet.
I have had the devil of a job figuring out what cuts of meat are which in Canada, compared to what they are called in Australia.
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So what is called a fillet steak here comes from a different part of the beast and is therefore not really fillet (tenderloin), but just a steak on or off the bone, so to speak. Scotch beef is beef imported from, or reared in, Scotland. I haven't seen meat labelled Scotch fillet in Scotland. The real (eye) fillet, although not as full of flavour as sirloin or "Scotch fillet", is a real treat done medium rare (2 - 3 minutes on each side) and served with a pepper sauce. 8)
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So far as I know the "eye" is that little bit tucked under the T bone, in a lamb or other beast, like a little separate steak and if you cut it out along the whole rack of ribs, you have an eye fillet which can be cooked whole or sliced. I would have thought the fillet steak was the same thing without the eye name. Either way it costs a fortune. Tenderloin is not a term used by local butchers, that I've seen here.
I think what we call Scotch fillet is a less tender cut and might even be used in a casserole rather than for frying/grilling. My mother used to buy undercut, porterhouse or T-bone steaks and these terms don't seem to be used now either by the butchers in the supermarket anyway. But since I can't afford any of them, it doesn't really matter to me. Living on eggs and bananas at present.
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So what is called a fillet steak here comes from a different part of the beast and is therefore not really fillet (tenderloin), but just a steak on or off the bone, so to speak. Scotch beef is beef imported from, or reared in, Scotland. I haven't seen meat labelled Scotch fillet in Scotland. The real (eye) fillet, although not as full of flavour as sirloin or "Scotch fillet", is a real treat done medium rare (2 - 3 minutes on each side) and served with a pepper sauce. 8)
Anthony, this might help you figure out the meat cuts.
http://www.meateaters.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/beef.pdf (http://www.meateaters.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/beef.pdf)
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That's a very comprehensive guide to cuts of beef and I can see where the names fit. Curious how a cut from the rib set gets called Scotch fillet whereas in Scotland if you asked for a Scotch fillet you'd get what is called tenderloin here (with the side strap removed). I'm going to save that page so I know what I'm doing the next time I'm in the Mad Butcher's.
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So what do you think of cow-pooling Anthony, as depicted on last night's "Sunday" programme?" Seems a great idea to me, at least for larger households. The arguments Katherine Rich put up were rubbish as homekill is highly regulated and inspected with conditions attached that are rigidly enforced. KR used to be a right wing MP for Dunedin North but is now a highly paid lobbyist for the food industry giants like the supermarket chains, Fed. Farmers and the like; those who are one way or another determined to regulate farmers' markets and any private initiatives out of existence. It is sheer stupidity that anyone who grows a few herbs or tomatoes and takes them to the local food banks or markets, even a car-boot sale, by law must pay a levy to VegFed (self-explanatory) as if they were a commercial grower. Federated Farmers HATES farmers' markets. The silly woman talked about health risks but what does she think farmers have been doing in this country for 180 years and everywhere where else for many centuries? Taking their stock to an abbatoir?
As for saying that if you don't like the meat you buy in the supermarket because it's tough or whatever, you can take it back, !!! yeah right. The only time I ever bought meat with some flies' eggs in it was in a local supermarket about 3 years ago. I took that back all right and was told I must have left it out on the bench instead of the fridge, even though it was obviously in its supermarket packaging and I had the docket proof that I'd bought it less than an hour before. They eventually said they'd exchange it but I insisted on refund which I only got when I said I'd take it to the local daily paper.
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Reverting to the subject of tomatoes, here are the Black Krims I intended to post a few days ago. Have also bought some more and taken pics of the sliced toms. All eaten now. They make a marvellous sandwich and though they're very juicy, the juice is somehow held inside the flesh so they don't dribble all down your front or onto the carpet. ::)
[attachthumb=1]
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[attachthumb=4]
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I have to say if I saw those tomatoes I wouldn't be tempted to try them, because of their look... but sounds like they taste good. I shouldn't be so shallow :-[
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Maggi they taste wonderful and if still available next Saturday I'll get more and remake the tomato tart I pictured a few days ago. They are not very acidic. I have to say though, they are, in reality a LITTLE bit redder than above because my camera is misbehaving at present. I probably need a new one but am putting it off as long as possible. But I know what you mean.
I read a book once, it may have been an Agatha Christie, where the murder was done by someone who had bred a strain of tomatoes which were half true tomato and half the related deadly nightshade. The detective or someone eventually realized that the tomatoes which were in the house were a darker-than-they-should-be colour.
Another thing I love about these is that their skins are very soft and never need to be removed. I can't abide the cooking shows or recipes where the chef or the text says "remove the skins" and probably the seeds too. What are we that we can't cope with tomato skins or apple skins or anything except the bland and tasteless bits?
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I'm making pumpkin soup for tea tonight (it's going to be a chilly night, bit of frost) and will try out a tip from a market vendor, given me on Saturday. I have spent ages cutting up then peeling the bits of pumpkin before cooking them. It's a hard job, quite wasteful of the flesh and has been known too, to cause cut fingers. The answer? Put the pumpkin, whole if small or cut in half or quarters if large, in a large baking dish or on a tray and roast/bake it gently until tender. When it has cooled down, the skin will pull off as easy as, as NZers would say. Then it can be mashed or cut up or whatever.
So it's in the oven now. OK, it takes some electricity but the advantages are many and worth the few cents of power, in spite of what Roger says.
The soup will be made with the mashed pumpkin, salt and peper, a little ground nutmeg and chicken stock. Pieces of chicken cooked IN the soup, and these placed on cooked noodles then spinach, raw or blanched, then the liquid poured over the lot. A meal in a bowl (a big bowl). Little washing up and ultra delicious.
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Ian does that with butternut squash, Lesley before making a tasty soup. I think it adds more flavour to the squash, too.
It's not something I do because I'm not crazy about pumpkins or squash - but I'm happy to eat and enjoy the fruits of someone else's labours !
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Well I did it, but maybe won't do it that way again. The pumpkin peeled all right but in such tiny slivers that it was a real nuisance. As well, the outer waxy layer came off but left the inner grey layer so that the soup had a slightly grubby look to it, instead of bright orange. I cooked the pumpkin in a baking bish just covered with foil. Maybe it would have been better in a roasting pan with some water and properly covered so that it steamed rather than baked. Tasted OK though.
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For Maggi and the other chocolate addicts out there. My favourite local pastry shop.
They must have some Scottish clientele as I see these on their website or else Maggi is notorious in the choco world:
Highlander:
Ivory and Dark Chocolate Mousse, Wild Blueberry Marmalade. No Nuts
Cranberry Loch Ness:
Orange Financier Biscuit, French Vanilla Beans Bavaroise,
Cranberry Marmalade. Nuts
Warning - scratching at the monitor screen can cause damage to both screen and nails.
johnw
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Awww. They look fantastic. :o Do they do recipes?
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I'm hoping there will be a shop like that in Tabor or Prague. ;D
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Name dropper Lesley. ;D
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Well I have to, don't I? It's like my two very nice rings (both from mother and grandmother, diamond and emerald). If I don't wear them, who's to know I have them? ;D
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Following a visit the other day from some SRGC chums, who came bearing plants, wine and cake (wonderful people)
I have been given this simple and very tasty recipe for a Honey and Lemon Loaf:
I am told that the loaf recipe comes from a book of Traditional Scottish Honey Recipes – sounds good in itself!
Margaret's Honey and Lemon Loaf
120g margarine
60g caster sugar
Grated rind of a lemon
2 level tbsps. honey
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour
Cream margarine, sugar, lemon rind and honey then beat in the eggs with a little of the flour.
Fold in the remaining flour, put in loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees C for 30 mins.
Heat the lemon juice with 2 more tablespoons of honey till boiling and spoon over the cake.
I suppose it is a variation on a lemon drizzle cake - but the honey give a yummy kick!
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Surprise, surprise, I like the sound of that one. Must give it a try as one of our friends is always giving us pots of honey from his hives.
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I thought that might be one for you, Brian - you have such exquisite taste ;)
We thought it very good - Margaret's cake was very light with a scrummy taste and a good moist texture that made it decidedly "moreish'.
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Be a change from biscuits.
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Be a change from biscuits.
Some people are never satisfied!
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Are those home-made biscuits David's complaining about, Brian?
He should be put on restricted access to one shop-bought dry biscuit a day for a week- that'll teach him the error of his ways! ;D
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Indeed they are Maggi, they have to be home-made as he won't buy any when he goes to the supermarket :(
Anyway they taste better ;)
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He should be put on restricted access to one shop-bought dry biscuit a day for a week- that'll teach him the error of his ways! ;D
Could find himself on the wrong end of the deal if he does as I do the cooking! Was Salmon en-croute tonight.
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Was Salmon en-croute tonight.
Brian - If that's true you'd better buy a new hat and get the flour flying.
johnw
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Anyone have a recipe for Russian medlars. The storm brought down a couple of dozen an I'd like to use them for something.
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I wonder if a recipe for Quinces could do just as well for Medlars?
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Anyone have a recipe for Russian medlars. The storm brought down a couple of dozen an I'd like to use them for something.
They'll need to be 'bletted' before you can use them for anything Arnold. :) You can store them in sawdust or bran until this process is complete, 8)
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I used unbletted fruits to make a very nice jelly. Couldn't face letting them rot first!
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I'll ask Alice Baird at the market on Saturday. She grows and sells medlars and has recipes. I bought some in the autumn and fully intended to do something with them but they sat in a bowl on the bench until quite recently then went into the compost I'm afraid.
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Thanks, for all the responses.
Lesley could you post the recipe when you get one.
Anne what's the jelly recipe for the Medlars.
Ron how do you know when they're fully bletted?
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Will do. :)
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Ron how do you know when they're fully bletted?
They'll turn dark brown and go very soft, as shown on this link,
http://www.eastsussexgarden.co.uk/esgflowersmedlars.html (http://www.eastsussexgarden.co.uk/esgflowersmedlars.html)
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Cut the medlars into chunks, just cover with water in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until soft. I usually crush them a bit while they are simmering to extract the juice. A lemon(zest and juice) added in is nice. Pour into a jelly bag and allow to drip overnight. Measure the resulting juice and add 1lb of sugar per pint of juice, from then on proceed as for any other jelly (i.e. boil until setting point is reached). Put into warmed jars and seal while still hot.
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That's pretty much what Alice said yesterday. She has a medlar paste recipe somewhere too but I imagine it will be similar to one for quince paste.
What do you use for a jelly bag nowadays Anne? I still have a small stock (3) of the cotton bags my mother used to use. They originally contained flour, 5 lbs I think but now we buy flour in heavy paper bags, multi-walled for the larger amounts like 5 or 10 kgs.
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Hi Lesley - I use a jelly bag! ;D
Easy enough to get over here.
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I don't think we can obtain a jelly bag as such, never seen such a thing anyway but I don't make much jelly now so probably wouldn't get one if I could. Saw a nice gadget the other day for nipping the stems out of strawberries, leaving a neat little hole. Now that I could use. $14.99 and it works on tomatoes too apparently.
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Lesley,
Lakeland Plastics have jelly bags - mail order.
Anne, you describe the recipe I use for jelly perfectly - redcurrant, blackcurrant, damson, loganberry, quince etc.
Paddy
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Lesley, I use a serrated edged grapefruit spoon for hulling strawberries. Every kitchen should have one!
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Okay, perhaps not exactly "cooking" but edible creativity should be recognised........
A train has never looked so good
This amazing creation - which stretches for an incredible 34 metres - has just broken the world record for the longest structure to be made entirely out of chocolate.
Constructed using 1,285 kg of the finest Belgian chocolate, stretching for 34 metres and taking 784 hours to make , this intricately detailed model train was created by Maltese master chocolatier Andrew Farrugia for the Belgian company, Belcolade to clebrate Brussels Chocolate Week 8) 8)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235317/Andrew-Farrugia-Incredible-34-metre-train-thats-entirely-CHOCOLATE.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235317/Andrew-Farrugia-Incredible-34-metre-train-thats-entirely-CHOCOLATE.html)
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I put on weight just looking at it Maggi!
I have no pic available but I'm sure there's something somewhere on YouTube, a cake was made for Prince Charles' birthday, his 64th, which he celebrated here in NZ last Wednesday, with 64 specially invited guests whose birthday was the same day. The cake was, in fact, 64 small cakes, arranged in an 8 x 8 square, and each one decorated with some particular NZ item or "icon" (a badly over-used word). One was the Buzzy Bee which Prince William played with on his first NZ visit when he was just months old. Another, a pair of rugby boots, a kiwi, etc etc and all beautifully crafted in icing. The little cakes were distributed to the guests.
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Found this, with a picture of the little cakes....
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7947142/Prince-Charles-celebrates-birthday-in-Wellington (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7947142/Prince-Charles-celebrates-birthday-in-Wellington)
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The Royal visit seems to have been a success. Sharing his birthday party with Kiwis born on the same day over the past 100 years was a big hit.
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Here's the result of the Medlar conversation. Thanks to all who made suggestions.
Now I have to explain to everyone what a Medlar is.
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Here's the result of the Medlar conversation. Thanks to all who made suggestions.
Now I have to explain to everyone what a Medlar is.
That does look good Arnold, 8) ;D
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Well go on then. Explain. In words of not more than two syllables. ;D
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As its Cooks Corner, ... maybe in not more than two syllabubs, ;D ;D ;D. mmmmmmmmmmm!!
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Kids have to take food to Club Tennis tonight, so I have been given the task of making a lolly cake! No cooking involved, which is good!
115g butter (marg)
½ tin of condensed milk (mmmm, what to do with the other half? ;))
1 packet of malt biscuits
1 packet of Eskimo or fruit puff lollies
Melt butter with condensed milk in microwave.
Crush malt biscuits into fine powder.
Cut each lolly into 3 pieces.
Add crushed biscuits and lollies to the melted butter/condensed mixture.
Stir well to combine.
Shape into a log by rolling in grease proof paper - it doesn't look good at this stage.
Roll in desiccated coconut.
Place in fridge to set.
Cut into slices.
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Gooey Chocolate Orange Cake.
Hi everyone, I have been asked for this recipe again and as it has been modified slightly thought I would repost it.....
Chocolate Orange Cake
Butter Icing
Zest of 2 oranges
3oz Flora
9oz icing sugar
Sponge
12oz Butter
6oz Plain Flour
6oz Wholemeal flour (plain)
12oz soft brown sugar
6eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
Mix well then add...
Handful of chocolate drops
Juice of half an orange and mix to give a runny cake mix.
Immediately transfer to two greased baking trays (9 inch) and cook (170C for approx 30 mins). Do not overcook this cake is best slightly stodgy in the middle.
I usually add juice of the second orange (or some brandy!) as a drizzle when the two halves are cooling or have cooled.
Topping
6 oz Dark Chocolate (Bournville)
3 oz milk Chocolate
2 oz flora
Melt in waterbath.
I usually make the icing and the sponges one evening, allow to cool overnight. Then assemble, melt and pour on the topping in the morning.
Enjoy!!!!
Chris
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Can someone tell me what Flora is. I googled it and it's an after care for tattoos!
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A UK brand of light margarine, Arnold.
I suspect your aftercare for tattoos might be better for you. :D
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Sorry Arnold - yes margarine. Seems to be good for butter icing as doesnt set as hard as butter. (Also an appropriate name for a plants forum ;D ;D ;D)
Chris.
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Here's the result of the Medlar conversation. Thanks to all who made suggestions.
Now I have to explain to everyone what a Medlar is.
Arnold - When did you harvest your medlars and how long did the bletting process take, or did you leave them on the tree until the frost did the job for you? I have access to medlars and intend to make jelly but have never done so before. I have trawled the web for recipes and tips and there are so many variants on offer. Guess it is too soon yet anyway, but I want to be as well informed as possible in the hope of achieving success first time around.
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Time to revive this or start another? Please move if you think fit.
A really simple recipe (if you can call it a recipe) for rushed evenings after work.
Tricolore Tagliatelle (Tagliatelle with tomato "sauce");
You can use two different oils depending on taste/mood,
A splash of olive oil, or the oil that you sweated out of some cubed chorizo.
About 8 cherry toms per person.
A pinch of salt, sugar and a splash of either balsamic, cider or white wine vinegar.
A pinch of onion seeds (or mustard seeds).
Cracked black pepper to taste if desired.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to the oil with the other ingredients. If the toms are a little out of season/second rate just add a wee bit more salt, sugar and vinegar. Turn the water on to boil for the pasta whilst you sweat the rest down over a gentle heat. If it seems to dry add a conservative splash of water.
When the pasta is ready turn the heat off on the sauce, which should now be just so, and crumble in some chalky cheese (Wensleydale etc.). Remember, it's not a cheese sauce, it's just there for a contrast of flavour (and to complete the tricolore). If you're using the chorizo oil add the cubed chorizo to the mix now too. Drain the pasta and fold in to the sauce. Top with chopped watercress.
Really obscenely quick and simple. Very good with the Waitrose Basil Tagliatelle. Some nice fresh bread and butter on the table too if you're a pig like me!
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"Thoughts" on cabbage from another thread - ;D ;)
....... cabbage : a jolly good vegetable raw or cooked. It's just that so many people murder it. Try gently stir-fried, with a dash of salt and pepper, butter and honey. (I'd better trot off to the Cooks' Corner. ;D) (LesleyC)
Or gently stir-fried with either fennel or onion seeds. Or simply steamed and splashed with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (accept no substitutes!). (meanie)
:D
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Or sauteed in butter with some bacon and shallot bits.
This is particularly good if you are using conical shaped cabbage such as sugarloaf ( Oz) early jersey wakefield ( North America).
Where do you get edible onion seeds?
Are they sold with herbs in UK or do you just save them from the garden?
Have never heard of onion seeds being used in cooking until I saw the last couple of posts in this forum.
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Where do you get edible onion seeds?
Are they sold with herbs in UK or do you just save them from the garden?
Have never heard of onion seeds being used in cooking until I saw the last couple of posts in this forum.
They're not actually onion seeds (Nigella I THINK), but that is what they're sold as in the Asian shops. Maybe I should have been clear, but I just assumed that everyone else shops like I do! Sorry!
For me they are a store cupboard essential along with black cummin, fennel seeds and lots of other things.
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They're not actually onion seeds (Nigella I THINK), but that is what they're sold as in the Asian shops. Maybe I should have been clear, but I just assumed that everyone else shops like I do! Sorry!
For me they are a store cupboard essential along with black cummin, fennel seeds and lots of other things.
Thanks for clearing that up, Meanie.
After reading up, am wondering if the flavour is at all similar to carraway seed?
I have a well stocked spice and herb cupboard but not the nigella, I also find it difficult to find black mustard seed where I live.
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Thanks for clearing that up, Meanie.
After reading up, am wondering if the flavour is at all similar to carraway seed?
I have a well stocked spice and herb cupboard but not the nigella, I also find it difficult to find black mustard seed where I live.
I think of it as a slightly bitter dusty flavour, in a nice kind of way (if that makes any sense at all!!).
Have you tried a] Asian supermarkets, and b] health food shops? Always good places here in the UK.
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Thanks for clearing that up, Meanie.
After reading up, am wondering if the flavour is at all similar to carraway seed?
I have a well stocked spice and herb cupboard but not the nigella, I also find it difficult to find black mustard seed where I live.
Hi Helen, You might want to try growing some:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigella_sativa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigella_sativa)
http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X2055&show=&prodclass=Herb_and_Vegetable_Seeds&cart_id=8510866.4930 (http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X2055&show=&prodclass=Herb_and_Vegetable_Seeds&cart_id=8510866.4930)
I checked for black mustard as well, but they carry brown mustard instead.
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Meanie, I have to laugh at the thought of trotting down to the local Asian market, if only. :'(
I live in a tiny rural village in the boonies where nearest store is around 15 kilometres away.
I do most of my exotic pantry stocking online.
Will definitely find some though, if only to satisfy my curiosity.
Hi Gordon,
I might very well try a few Nigella sativa plants this year.
Think brown mustard seeds and black are the same, they're really a dark brown.
Could get them at the bulk barn a few years ago but then they disappeared, just have the yellow ones now.
Just checked the Richter catalogue and they do list black mustard seeds.
http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X4153&show=&prodclass=Dried_Herbs&cart_id=8510866.4930 (http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X4153&show=&prodclass=Dried_Herbs&cart_id=8510866.4930)
Thanks for the link.
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Names can be very confusing. I remember seeing huge jars labelled "saffron" in markets in Trinidad, only to realise it was cumin.
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Names can be very confusing. I remember seeing huge jars labelled "saffron" in markets in Trinidad, only to realise it was cumin.
Some markets in Morocco sell cheap "Saffron". I have no idea what it is but it's not saffron.
johnw
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It'll be cumin John. I've seen it in Tunisia. A great spice, but not saffron.
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Names can be very confusing. I remember seeing huge jars labelled "saffron" in markets in Trinidad, only to realise it was cumin.
Something of a shock to the taste buds!
I like cumin seeds although the other half doesn't. That was until I got some black cumin seeds (which are also a different species) which has a much softer flavour.
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It'll be cumin John. I've seen it in Tunisia. A great spice, but not saffron.
Is that what I smoked?
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more culinary tips from another thread :
Quote from: Margaret on Today at 08:51:58 PM
...................... and balsamic for roasting beetroot. ;D
Pickled beetroot recipe - use cider vinegar and blackcurrant vinegar in equal quantities with chilli flakes to taste (or not if you prefer).
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This balsamic vinegar is what we use, either with olive oil for dipping home made bread in, or drizzled with rice bran oil over salad. http://www.divinity.co.nz/products/pomegranate.cfm (http://www.divinity.co.nz/products/pomegranate.cfm)
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Anthony - I wonder how it compares to pomegranate molasses which is a lot cheaper, £2. We use it on salads even on and in dips, it must be a tart variety to suit me.
johnw
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Should be able to get that in some of the Asian delis we have round here. I'll keep an eye out. The pomegranate balsamic is quite tart. Must try and see if we can get imported UK Marmite. The Kiwi Marmite, made by Sanitarium for best part of 100 years, equivalent doesn't cut it with James.
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I saw mention of pomegranate molasses. I use them as an overnight marinade with shoulder of lamb Cut into the lamb and add a few coriander and a few cumin seeds , pressing them into the cuts, add sliced garlic- about 4 cloves to half a shoulder of lamb, pour over about 2Tablespoons of the pomegranate which is used to baste from time to time. I'm not quite sure what it does but the lamb, slow cooked, is delicious
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I'm dribbling down my chin here ;D
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Nothing new there then!!!! :D
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Just give me time, I'll think of something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I'm dribbling down my chin here ;D
You and me both David - I only had toast for supper....... :'(
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.... better than dribbling elsewhere? ::) :o ;)
that's where I was inclined to think but couldn't think of a way to say it nicely ;D Not that that usually stops me ;)
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Using scriptwriters now sir?
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;D :P :-*
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Soup ingredient about to be picked (with great care); Urtica dioica.
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Soup ingredient about to be picked (with great care); Urtica dioica.
Indeed, makes a great spring soup ;)
And I have enough of these growing here to supply a small village ;D
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I don't think I've ever posted on this subject before not being a cake maker and I don't claim credit for this one but I thought you might like to see it. My grandson was 6 last weekend and had a 'Mad Scientist' party. This is all that was left of his cake after the party, just enough for the family gathering. Also one of his favourite presents a Lab coat.
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That's great, Shelagh A Mad Scientist's party sounds wonderful!
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Did anyone see 'Kew on a Plate' with Kate Humble and Raymond Blanc? Great programme and mouth-watering recipes. So nice to see fine gardening and fine cooking shown together like this - rhubarb and custard will never be the same again.
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Did anyone see 'Kew on a Plate' with Kate Humble and Raymond Blanc? Great programme and mouth-watering recipes. So nice to see fine gardening and fine cooking shown together like this - rhubarb and custard will never be the same again.
Not yet but I have it videoed.
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I agree, Tim. Gardening and good grub - what a great combination. Nice that they also throw in a bit of the history and science behind the plants as well. Just the holistic approach so many of us have been looking for in TV programming. Well done BBC.
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As it's tomato time here is a quick and easy recipe.
Cut in half between ten and fifteen sweet cherry toms. Put some water on to boil for the pasta. Then in another saucepan add the toms, a splash of good olive oil, a three or four finger pinch of nigella seeds, a wee pinch of salt, a splash of white balsamic (or white wine) vinegar and a pinch of sugar. As the water comes to the boil sweat the toms down (add a spoon of water as needs be if they're drying out but bear in mind that it is more of a pasta dressing than a sauce) until they have broken down. Boil the fresh pasta, drain and fold the toms into the pasta with some crumbled Wensleydale (or a similar "chalky" cheese) and top with chopped fresh herbs or (my favourite) chopped water cress. Good bread on the side with butter. Takes no more than fifteen minutes start to finish.
You can also add if you want some diced chorizo that has been quickly fried or a poached egg (naughty but really disgustingly good!). Or a semi-hard boiled egg quartered.
Basically it is just a quick and easy yet fresh tasting supper when you're in a hurry or are too knackered to bother.
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We had never grown the Sweet One Hundreds before this year but tried half a dozen plants and had a billion (almost) little toms. I ate a handful every time I went past them, three or four times a day. In the finish we made quantities of a sort of passata and bottled it so have plenty to see us through this horrid winter, for pasta, rice, casseroles, on toast or whatever (as Donald Trump would say). I just lve tomatoes. ;D
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We usually grow two varieties each year, a cherry or plum and a beef tomato (my favourite is Black Russian). With this year's appallingly wet and cold spring and summer we have hardly a tomato in sight. I doubt we will have enough for green chutney in the autumn.
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I just lve tomatoes. ;D
The same here. My basic foods are tomatoes, chillies, garlic, onions, ginger, mushrooms and obscene quantities of cheese. I'm blessed with mega low cholesterol which I put down to the tommies largely.
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We usually grow two varieties each year, a cherry or plum and a beef tomato (my favourite is Black Russian). With this year's appallingly wet and cold spring and summer we have hardly a tomato in sight. I doubt we will have enough for green chutney in the autumn.
That's good to hear - I thought that it was just me!
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The same here. My basic foods are tomatoes, chillies, garlic, onions, ginger, mushrooms and obscene quantities of cheese. I'm blessed with mega low cholesterol which I put down to the tommies largely.
I prefer a good pork pie!
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I prefer a good pork pie!
Nothing up with that (as long as there is some Colemans English around) but finding a good pork pie is getting harder by the day.
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Agreed, they are getting as rare as rocking horse manure. There's still a couple of excellent pork pie makers in Slaithwaite (Slowit) close to the place of my birth. Best time to get them is around 1030 in a morning just as they come out of the oven and the gravy gently scalds your chin as you get your choppers round them. I'm dribbling at the thought of it ;D
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Years ago beloved CBC host Vicki Gabereau held an on-air contest for the best tomato (or was it pasta?) sauce. In any event this was the winner and it is still a standby with us. Simple enough and still the best.
Vicki Gabereau’s Great Tomato Sauce
Chop 3 very ripe red summer tomatoes (or 6-8 romas chopped or 20 cherry tomatoes halved) removing all white bits. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and when hot add the tomatoes and a few chopped sundried tomatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce heat, not too low as you want the sauce to reduce. Add 2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves at halfway point. Add ¼ cup fresh basil, the basil stems, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, handful chopped parlsey, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, stir once to incorporate and do not stir again.
Let sit on very, very low for 1 hour.
Toss cooked penne into the sauce and serve with parmesano and toasted pine nuts.
Simple enough and still the best with wonderful depth of flavour.
john
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This sounds great John. I'll be trying it next summer, for sure.
Chris, I haven't grown Black Russian but I do grow Black krim, which sounds Russian to me. I wonder if it's the same or perhaps a derivative? It is very large and a dirty khaki/green colour, turning khaki/red. It has wonderful flavour and the skins are very thin and soft, easily bitten through so I's never peel them for a sauce. Makes a wonderful tart, the toms cut in thick slabs, doused in olive oil, salted and basil thrown on top.
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Chris, I haven't grown Black Russian but I do grow Black krim, which sounds Russian to me. I wonder if it's the same or perhaps a derivative? It is very large and a dirty khaki/green colour, turning khaki/red. It has wonderful flavour and the skins are very thin and soft, easily bitten through so I's never peel them for a sauce. Makes a wonderful tart, the toms cut in thick slabs, doused in olive oil, salted and basil thrown on top.
Lesley - Likewise, I haven't heard of Black Krim. I looked them both up and note they are distinct varieties with heirloom status. I presume there is some shared parentage as they look very similar. In a good year they ripen quite well up here but this isn't one of those years. ???
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I've settled on Black Krim as one of my favourite tomatoes here and grow it every year. The flavour is more intense than Black Russian. The only tomato I rate higher than Black Krim is Morado, which is very rare and only a few specialists offer it for sale. Eating a Morado or a well ripened Krim is like drinking fine Australian red wine. Intense and complex.
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Celebrating husband Brian's umptieth birthday yesterday and our daughter had organised this wonderful cake. I thought it might provoke some discussion regarding plant identification. It came from the same kitchen as the 'Mad Scientist' cake, a very talented lady.
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Celebrating husband Brian's umptieth birthday yesterday and our daughter had organised this wonderful cake. I thought it might provoke some discussion regarding plant identification. It came from the same kitchen as the 'Mad Scientist' cake, a very talented lady.
That is too good to eat!
My latest thing is Keema curry which is a curry made with mince and in my case lots of chick peas as well. The other day I had enough left for one so Sue said why not use it up to make something for two with the bits of veg that were going begging - here's what I did;
I sweated down some halved cherry toms along with some onion, garlic, chillies, mushrooms and some seeds (black cummin, fennel and nigella) whilst some cubed potatoes were boiling. When the spuds were ready I added them to the pan along with some pasatta and some hazelnut dhukka mix. Cook gently for five minutes then add the leftover keema curry, diced peppers and large onion segments (I like crunchy onion in my curry but leave out if you prefer) and simmer for another five minutes. Add some chopped coriander leaves and serve.
What we ended up with was a sort of middle eastern inspired hash but it worked so well that I'll be doing this on a regular basis now.
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Over 3 years since food questions ;-)
It has been a disastrous year here for plums. apples and raspberries. Late frosts, very hot dry summer, and now spasmodic rain and drought again. Some dahlias I left in last winter survived fine; but have yet to come into flower, and I need to reseed patches of brown lawn. I have watered the shrubs and young trees at times when the leaves collapsed, and a young magnolia flowered a few weeks ago, and now my Cercis has started flowering; feebly.
But what I do have from a young trees' first fruiting is 50 or so large quince. It is Serbian Gold variety. We have a very old quince in an overgrown corner that produces very poor fruits that we have never used, but the new tree in the open has glorious blossom and now; large globular (not pear shaped) fruit so heavy that I have had to prop all the young branches up to stop collapse.
BUT when do I pick them? I can discover online suggestions as how to use them but when do I start? The largest are now over 3" diameter.
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First sign of ripeness is the colour - are they turning yellow? As with apples, if you lift up a fruit and it does not readily detach from the tree, then it is not yet ripe. I think it is possible to ripen quince off the tree ( probably in bowl with a banana) but I'd wait till they are a good yellow colour and smell nice before picking them to get a better flavour.
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I'm having a second flush of growth and flowers here on Caville Blanc apples. First time for this for me here.
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Quince from Cydonia as opposed to Chaenomeles are ripe when they are yellow and the fur has gone. They also begin to have that lovely scent which is a hallmark of Quince. Also they are easy to remove from the tree when ripe. BUT not to worry, they will ripen up in the house as said.
If, like us, you want to make Quince Jelly then the easiest way is to put the stalkless fruits in a slow cooker, no water and cook on high for 2 hours or until the are soft. They turn to mush, Add a pint and a half of water in a pan with them and boil them up (rolling boil). We then leave the pan to cool and strain off the liquid. 1 pint of liquid to a pound of sugar. You need to add lemon juice or use Jam making sugar.
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I did not know about Cooks Corner so here is one. Cullen Skink. 12 ozs. smoked haddock. 1 chopped onion. 2 pints of water. 1/2 pint of milk. 1lb of potatoes. salt and pepper to taste. 2 oz of butter. Some chopped parsley. 4 tablespoons of thick cream.
Place the fish, onion seasoning and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Peel the spuds and boil until they are soft. Drain and mash the spuds and put on one side. Lift the fish from the stock in the pan and break into small pieces. Check for fish bones and remove if found. Strain the stock and return it to the pan. Add the fish, milk, butter and spuds. Simmer for a few minutes. Add cream and parsley. Either eat hot or place in freezer. This is not my recipe and it may be subject to copyright?
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I planted twice a quince tree in the garden, both died. The first one had strongly damaged roots from being transplanted and in the end the roots just rotted away. The second one was grafted on a hawthorn rootstock, but the quince graft died. I do have a nice hawthorn growing now. So, when my brother gave me some quinces a couple of year ago I saved some of the pits and sowed these immediately. Last year I had about 20 seedlings of quinces and I planted one of these in the garden this spring. The other ones have been transplanted to a temporary bed in the vegetable garden and I will plant them out next spring between the meadows. Now I just need to wait a couple of years more for my first quinces. But then I'm fine for centuries since quince trees can live for 500 year.
I tried to sow medlar pits (mespilus Germanicus) some years ago, but none germinated (they need a cold - warm - cold stratification, so germination is only in the second spring after sowing). I make liquor and jelly with the medlar. Still need to figure out what I should do differently to make medlar pits germinate. I have sown prunus spinosa, which requires the same stratification, with great success.
Since I live in the 'Pajottenland' I also have the one and only Schaarbeekse kriek growing in my garden (the indigenous sour cherry that was used to make the famous kriekenbeer - now most kriekenbeer is made with imported sour cherries, but not with the real stuff). This small tree also occurs naturally in the borders of pastures and bushy roadsides. This tree is said to grow only in this area (so just a natural habitat of something like 500 square kilometer). The habitat of the tree also coincides with the region where we can brew the geuze beer, which is a beer from spontaneous fermentation. Add krieken to the geuze (technically it's called lambic, geuze is a blend of lambics), wait 6 months until the fruits have been digested by the beer and the sugar turned into alcohol, and you get the kriek-beer. A match made in heaven.
Anyway, after processing my krieken harvest last year I sowed a few 100 pits, and I have now about 100 seedlings. In previous years I just throwed the pits on the compost and never saw anything germinate on the compost, so I was hoping on perhaps one or just a few pits to germinate. I'm quite happy with these seedlings, just wondering what I should do with all those trees now, I have enough to start an orchard.
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My "round" Serbian Gold fruit are just showing a hint of yellow; at least my imagination says they are, but they are still growing in size and I can't smell anything yet. The older tree with tradition pear shaped fruit now has a definite yellow green, but still little smell. I have picked 1 and put on the kitchen windowcill to see if it changes. Maybe this is one of those things you put with ripe fruit to trigger it using the natural ethylene. They are still hairy except where moving leaves rub it off.
An area near me was once famous for cherry orchards, particularly the Prestwood area. Most are now long gone and built on. I would guess it was similar to Morello cherries. My Morello died last year unfortunately so we have to buy Sainsburys cherry pies now.
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Home made Baked Beans
Take some garlic (or not if you prefer) and one medium onion, dice and add to a casserole dish with olive oil (or good rapeseed oil). If you want to add bacon lardons do so now. Sweat until the onion is soft. Add tomato puree and stir through until the oil is separating.
Add three tins of washed beans of your choice (I use red kidney, butter beans and chick peas) and one carton of passata. Add salt to taste, dried oregano, a hearty pinch of nigella seeds, smoked paprika to taste and a desert spoon of honey. You can also add chopped chorizo at this stage if you wish.
Gently bubble away on the hob or put in the oven at 160°c for an hour until it is nicely thickened but not stodgy.
Serve with nice bread, cut thickly, toasted and dripping in butter.
You can use rehydrated dried pulses as well but as described above it is something that can just be knocked up using store cupboard basics rather than planned.
Top tip - buy tinned butter beans from Aldi, Lidl or even Poundstretcher. They're much harder than the ones sold in the more traditional supermarkets so take the cooking better and don't disolve.
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Blonde Ingrid showed this yesterday .....
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with the comment .... "Great time of the year - Membrillo production commences!"
I'm just picturing the blisters after all that gets prepped. :P
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Quince adds flavour to apple pie/crumble. I usually go 80/20 ish if I have enough available. It's also fun watching the unknowing picking at the red bits trying to work out if it is safe to eat without having to ask ;D
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Cooks may like to learn a bit about "growing your own" vegetables - what about this forth-coming book from former NARGS president, Matt Matthus?
"Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening" is available on pre-order from Amazon...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Art-Vegetable-Gardening-Varieties/dp/0760361924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543584693&sr=8-1&keywords=Mastering+the+Art+of+Vegetable+Gardening (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Art-Vegetable-Gardening-Varieties/dp/0760361924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543584693&sr=8-1&keywords=Mastering+the+Art+of+Vegetable+Gardening)
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I recommend this book:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61XyzZE6DZL._SX374_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
For those who do not understand German: How to harvest fresh vegetables during the Winter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frisches-Gem%C3%BCse-Winter-ernten-Erntekalender/dp/370662592X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543586345&sr=8-1&keywords=Wolfgang+Palme (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frisches-Gem%C3%BCse-Winter-ernten-Erntekalender/dp/370662592X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543586345&sr=8-1&keywords=Wolfgang+Palme)
The funniest report in this book: Palme quotes a gardening book of 1650 (!) wherein the author complains that people believe that green lettuce is not hardy, because this is reported even in Gardening books. Green lettuce is hardy and as prove Palme shows an actual photo of it in the snow.
I tried his instructions and see what I have now:
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Some varieties of lettuce are indeed perfectly hardy. There is even something called 'weewenteelt' over here, wich is planting out young lettuce out in fall, they overwinter and then start to grow in early spring. I tried this with great success in one year, but the next year the crop was heavy, but also heavilly loaded with aphids. The second year our chickens were very happy to eat all the lettuce. Cauliflower can also be grown in the same way to have a very early crop - preferably planted in an unheated greenhouse.
After these experiments I returned to the 'safer' cultivation of varieties of leaf cabbage and swiss chard which also provide from late winter on a heavy flush of new leaves to harvest. And these plants are pest-free.
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There is mention on another discussion group of growing rhubarb from seed, in California in the recent past. Never thought of this being viable here in the UK as a potential short term crop and it appears there, and in Australia and New Zealand, it may have been grown for a few years before starting again from new seed. Maybe they do the same in Yorkshire in the “Yorkshire Triangle”? Has anyone tried this as an annual or biennial crop? I quite like the narrow stemmed rhubarb I get from forcing, but I overdid it last year and had to uncover just as the weather went hot and mine got scorched off badly. It will take me a year or two to get decent crowns back. I see an Australian seed supplier refers to it as French rhubarb, but that may just be a selling push.
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...I see an Australian seed supplier refers to it as French rhubarb, but that may just be a selling push.
Oui,
à votre santé
fermi