tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27032302290138556982024-03-14T06:23:43.006+00:00Purely foodA blog on anything and everything related to food and cooking.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-91759926145260661152010-05-02T15:13:00.001+01:002010-05-02T15:15:21.342+01:00I have moved...This blog can now be found at - <a href="http://purelyfood.wordpress.com/">http://purelyfood.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br />I hope to see you all over there!<br /><br />ClaireClairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-81594308161931579162010-04-29T20:26:00.001+01:002010-04-29T20:33:49.631+01:00Preserved lemons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S9nek0cGAoI/AAAAAAAAA1E/8cyXJ2J72lU/s1600/IMG_3716.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S9nek0cGAoI/AAAAAAAAA1E/8cyXJ2J72lU/s320/IMG_3716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465644346923942530" border="0" /></a>Like many of you out there, I have been enjoying spending my Wednesday evenings traveling Europe with Jamie Oliver. So far we've been to Marrakesh, Andalucia and Stockholm with Venice, French Pyrenees and Athens still to come. I have to say he has to be up there as one of my favorite TV chefs, he's just so enthusiastic and his recipes are very accessible (and always delicious), that he never fails to inspiring me to get in the kitchen. I particularly liked the look of the Moroccan tagines (especially the lamb and the<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article7088864.ece"> chicken</a> ones), the selection of tapas, <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/my-favourite-paella">paella</a>, <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/mi-pescado-a-la-sal-my-fish-baked-in-sal">fish baked in salt</a> and last nights <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/sexy-swedish-buns">Swedish buns</a>.<br /><br />I have that many cookbooks that I was trying to resist buying his new one but after only the second episode I cracked and bought it with my weekly shop! The book has all the recipes from the show and more so I wasn't disappointed. First up I decided to prepare my own preserved lemons so that I can have a go at the Moroccan tagines. The recipe is simple, with the only draw back being the wait of one month for them to be ready. I won't copy the recipe here but <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/12/moroccan_preser_1.html">here is a similar one</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S9nelPLBC5I/AAAAAAAAA1M/AKPXfjuPDZo/s1600/IMG_3731_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S9nelPLBC5I/AAAAAAAAA1M/AKPXfjuPDZo/s320/IMG_3731_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465644354100071314" border="0" /></a>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-5910784077165892002010-04-06T09:00:00.001+01:002010-04-07T09:13:06.085+01:00Homemade baked beans recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7odnNil8DI/AAAAAAAAAzk/n--JBwdDB7E/s1600/Image7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 273px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7odnNil8DI/AAAAAAAAAzk/n--JBwdDB7E/s320/Image7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456706457999634482" border="0" /></a>A couple of weeks back I got a phone call from my boyfriend whilst he was at work. Nothing unusual there you might think but he was ringing to tell me he had bought half a lamb from a work colleague and could I find room in the freezer for it. His colleagues brother has his own farm only 30 minutes from where we live and was selling half lambs and with the memory of the <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2010/03/lancashire-hotpot-recipe.html">Lancashire hotpot</a> still fresh in his mind my boyfriend jumped at the chance. You can't get much more local!<br /><br />Now we don't have a chest freezer or anything like that, just your average tall fridge/freezer, so creating room for a half a lamb would be no easy task. We decided the best thing would be to split it with his parents, leaving us each with a quarter of a lamb. I set about sorting through our well packed, mostly unlabelled freezer (I know, I know I should label things but only one mystery item was unearthed). I managed to empty one and a half drawers and luckily it all fitted in one draw in the end. The only problem we had when the meat arrived was that none of it was labelled with the cut! Thankfully my boyfriends mum was able to identify it all and we labelled it all up and split the lamb between us. So expect plenty of lamb recipes over the coming months.<br /><br />First up I decided to slow roast the shoulder of lamb over the Easter weekend. During the week leading up to Easter I saw an episode of Market kitchen where they cooked <a href="http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/635100">Sheppard's pie with homemade baked beans</a>. The baked beans looked really easy to make and from the comments the dinners were making they sounded delicious. I've been meaning to make my own bake beans for some time but never quiet got round to it and on top of that I had an unopened bottle of pomegranate molasses waiting to be put to good use. The recipe was easy, the beans were delicious (perhaps a little too sweet for my liking so will tweak the recipe a little next time) and worked perfectly with the slow roast lamb and crusty baguettes still warm from the oven. If you thought there was no point making baked beans think again! these have a million times more flavour than any you can find in a tin.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Homemade baked beans</span></span><br />serves 4<br /><br />100g lardons bacon <br />2 shallots, chopped<br />150ml tomato ketchup<br />100ml beer <br />50ml pomegranate molasses<br />1 tbsp dijon mustard<br />1 tbsp dark brown sugar<br />1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce<br />1 tbsp soy sauce<br />2 x 400g cans haricot beans, drained and rinsed<br /><br />fry the bacon and shallots in a large pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Add all of the remaining baked bean ingredients and bring to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake for 1 hour, or until the mixture is thickened.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-37910181202550431222010-04-05T17:17:00.002+01:002010-04-05T17:23:24.448+01:00Easter cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7oLtlq4g7I/AAAAAAAAAzU/rWdt1iPIX1g/s1600/Image5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7oLtlq4g7I/AAAAAAAAAzU/rWdt1iPIX1g/s320/Image5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456686776346772402" border="0" /></a>Happy Easter, I hope you all have had a great weekend and eaten lots of chocolate! I have a few posts planned for the next few days featuring some of the cooking and baking I have done this bank holiday weekend (we need more long weekends!). First up I have some Easter cupcakes to show you. Then tomorrow I will be blogging about the delicious homemade bake beans I served with delicious slow roast shoulder of lamb and crusty baguettes fresh from the oven. Finally I hope to share with you a recipe using left over roast lamb to make Shepard's pie.<br /><br />So on to the Easter baking. <a href="http://www.silverspoon.co.uk/home/products/cakecraft">Silver spoon</a> recently sent me a selection of their new range of edible cake decorations to try out and tell you all about. I regularly use items from the Silver spoon range and have always been happy with them so jumped at the chance to try their new range. The parcel included a yellow icing pen, chocolate chips, food colourings, orange and lemon extract and a couple of tubes of sprinkles. Since there was only the two of us this weekend to eat them and what with all the Easter eggs I decided to make cupcakes rather than a cake. Cupcakes also meant I could try out a few of the sprinkles/icing as each cake could be different. Since it was Easter I also bought a bag of mini eggs to add to the decorations. I haven't used the natural lemon or orange extract yet as I haven't been able to find a recipe using them, so if any one knows any please leave me a comment.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7oLtzdpkJI/AAAAAAAAAzc/5hKg8YkusZM/s1600/Image6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S7oLtzdpkJI/AAAAAAAAAzc/5hKg8YkusZM/s320/Image6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456686780049363090" border="0" /></a>The icing pens are a great idea. I have used them before and have always been happy with the colour, consistency and ease of use. The decorations were also tasty to eat and produced great results. This is the first time I have used this cupcake recipe which is from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorgeous-Cakes-Published-Association-Magazine/dp/1856266141">Gorgeous cakes by Annie Bell</a>, a recent addition to my bookshelf. The book is packed full of stunning cakes which I can't wait for an excuse to bake them all! This recipe will definitely be used again as it is much nicer than the ones I've used before and so quick to prepare (30 minutes from weighing ingredients to coming out of the oven, helped by my trusty kitchenAid).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Cupcakes</span><br />Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorgeous-Cakes-Published-Association-Magazine/dp/1856266141">Gorgeous cakes by Annie Bell</a><br />Makes 6 cupcakes<br /><br />110g unsalted butter,<br />110g golden caster sugar,<br />110g plain flour,<br />2 large eggs,<br />1 teaspoon baking powder.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/ gas mark 6. Line a muffin tray with 6 cupcake of muffin paper cases.<br /><br />Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer. Add the eggs, flour and baking powder and mix well.<br /><br />Fill the cases by two-thirds with the cake mixture.<br /><br />Bake for 17-20 minutes until risen, springy to the touch and lightly golden. Leave to cool before icing.<br /><br />Have fun and decorate the cupcakes with your choice of icings and decorations. See here for the great range of decorations available from <a href="http://www.silverspoon.co.uk/home/products/cakecraft">silver spoon</a>. Thank you to Silver spoon for providing me with the samples to write this review.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-40210042793599619252010-03-28T17:41:00.003+01:002010-03-28T18:07:58.268+01:00Fresh from the oven - March 2010 - Kringel<span style="font-family:georgia;">This month's </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Challenge was hosted by Jo from </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://joskitchen.wordpress.com/">Jo's Kitchen</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. She chose Kringel (an Estonian sweet or savoury bread) that has recently been featured in the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.hairybikers.com/">Hairy Biker's</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> programme, </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pymg1">Mum's Know Best</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:georgia;">. Thank you Jo for hosting this months challenge.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S6-MWbkSWaI/AAAAAAAAAzM/O0PejHiTUZU/s1600/Image1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S6-MWbkSWaI/AAAAAAAAAzM/O0PejHiTUZU/s320/Image1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453731990753925538" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:georgia;">It's been a while since I updated the blog and even longer since I took part in a challenge so hopefully this challenge will see me back to regular blogging and taking part in challenges. I ended up baking this bread today! as it was the only totally free day I have had at home in ages. I also baked a wholemeal loaf for this weeks lunch. It has been so long since I baked I had to get my bread book out to check on all the quantities which I used to know by heart!<br /><br />Since there is only the two of us to eat this sweet bread I halved the recipe and we also decided to make it a little healthier and omit the chocolate topping (partly as we had none in the house). The recipe was simple and relatively quick and the end result was like nothing I have baked before. I do think that the chocolate topping would have improved it. I used dried yeast and just halved the quantity. There were also a few comments from members that 1tsp salt was missing from the recipe and the original recipe stated 'flour' and we decided it meant white bread flour. I have added these additions to the recipe below but have heard the some members struggled with this recipe as they stuck to the original recipe which perhaps has a few flaws. I couldn't make my mind up from the recipe instructions for platting the dough in which direction to cut the dough in half. I went for length wise which made the platting easier but the bread didn't turn out like the picture!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Kringel</span><br />(adapted from The Hairy Bikers, mums know best)<br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;font-family:georgia;" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Ingredients (Makes 1 Loaf)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Dough</span></p> <ul style="font-family:georgia;"><li><span lang="EN-GB">40g fresh yeast</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">1tbsp sugar</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">250ml milk, lukewarm</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">2 egg yolks</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">50g butter, melted </span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">1tsp salt<br /></span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">600-700g white bread flour<br /></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Filing </span></p> <ul style="font-family:georgia;"><li><span lang="EN-GB">100g butter, softened </span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">3 handfuls of raisins</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">10 tsp sugar</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Topping</span></p> <ul style="font-family:georgia;"><li><span lang="EN-GB">150g dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids)</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">75g butter</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Method </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mix the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and egg yolks, then mix in the flour, salt and melted butter and knead well. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Preheat oven to 200</span>°<span lang="EN-GB">c/Gas 6. Dust your work surface with flour. Take the dough out of the bow, knock it back and roll out to a thickness of 1cm. Spread the softened butter evenly over the rolled sheet of pastry, then sprinkle with raisins and finally sugar. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">Roll up the dough like a swiss roll and cut it in half with a sharp knife. Starting from the uncut end, plait the dough, lifting each half over the other in turn. Finally, shape the plaited bread into a B shape and transfer to a buttered baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span lang="EN-GB">In the meantime, prepare the chocolate topping by melting the chocolate and butter in a bowl over boiling water. Once out of the oven, let the bread cool down a bit, place on a serving plate and drizzle with chocolate sauce. </span></p>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-66184789247687029842010-03-08T20:03:00.003+00:002010-03-08T21:10:32.819+00:00Lancashire hotpot recipeI've been full of cold and generally feeling under the weather for the past week or so (hence the lack of posts on either of my blogs). I haven't felt up to cooking much but once I started to feel better this weekend I have been planning what to cook and craving good homely comfort food. This dish fitted the bill perfectly. Lancashire hotpot is a traditional British dish which is essentially a lamb stew topped with sliced potatoes on top. Its simple to prepare and the flavours are delicious. But not the easiest dish to make look pretty!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S5VneReRYWI/AAAAAAAAAzE/vlwORcG6sTM/s1600-h/hotpot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S5VneReRYWI/AAAAAAAAAzE/vlwORcG6sTM/s320/hotpot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446373094158590306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Lancashire hotpot</span><br /><br />Serves 4<br />1-2tbsp olive oil<br />500g Lamb neck fillet, diced<br />4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm thick discs<br />1 onion, diced<br />1tbsp plain flour<br />250ml lamb stock<br />1tbsp Worcestershire sauce<br />1tbsp dried thyme (or a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme)<br />2 bay leaves<br />4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices<br />few small cubes of butter (optional)<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 170C<br />Heat the olive oil in a cast iron casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the lamb and carrots. Stir occasionally until the meat has browned and the carrots softened slightly. Set aside on a plate.<br />Sweat the onion in the meat juices (add more oil if necessary) for a couple of minutes.<br />Add the flour and stir well.<br />Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves and stir until the flour mixes into the gravy.<br />Make a layer of potatoes under the gravy (place in the gravy and use your wooden spoon to push them under the surface. Add the meat and carrots back to the gravy.<br />Arrange the remaining potatoes over the top. Add some small butter cubes around the top.<br />Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 1 hour with the lid on and 20-30 minutes at the end without the lid until the potatoes are golden.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-6293132175392202752010-02-24T19:29:00.005+00:002010-02-24T20:39:58.531+00:00Tomato, sausage and fennel seed ragu with gnocchi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S4WOSGJZ88I/AAAAAAAAAy4/_B5ll8S3J6o/s1600-h/IMG_2901.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S4WOSGJZ88I/AAAAAAAAAy4/_B5ll8S3J6o/s320/IMG_2901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441912166285964226" border="0" /></a>Recently my thoughts have been turning even more than usual towards Italy, Tuscany in particular (see <a href="http://myitalianweddingblog.wordpress.com/">here</a> if you haven't heard why). The recipe below uses a typical combination of fennel seeds and pork. The recipe is simple to prepare and delicious to eat. It is from a great book I got for Christmas, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Italian-Cookery-Course-Authentic-Masterclasses/dp/1856267792">The Italian cookery course</a>. This book is fast becoming one of my favorite cookbooks. So far I have cooked a winter minestrone soup from it (which was the best I've tasted) and this delicious tomato, sausage and fennel seed ragu with gnocchi. I can't wait to find more time to cook more of the recipes. I also look forward to finding time to read this book cover to cover. The book includes lots of information on the ingredients used and traditional cooking in Italy and all it diverse regions. There are also lots of useful masterclasses on everything from breads, fresh pasta and risotto to stuffing a leg of lamb and how to bone a chicken or rabbit. To anyone who loves Italian food as much as I do this is 500 pages of wonderful writing, stunning photos of Italy and the food, lots of masterclasses and helpful techniques, not to mention several hundred delicious recipes. I am especially looking forward to spending some time trying out the bread recipes and masterclasses and also fresh pasta.<br /><br />Back to the sausage ragu. I love the combination of fennel seeds and pork and this ragu works well with gnocchi as suggested in the book but I believe it would work equally as well with a pasta such as penne. I have only recently discovered gnocchi, its a nice change to pasta and very simple to cook (I love the way it floats to the top of the pan when it is ready). I really must find time to have a go at making my own gnocchi sometime soon. This recipe serves 6-8 and freezes well.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomato, sausage and fennel seed ragu with gnocchi</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Serves 6-8</span><br /><br />12 lean best-quality pork sausages<br />olive oil<br />4 whole garlic cloves, lightly crushed<br />salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />2 tablespoons fennel seeds<br />4 bay leaves<br />250ml red wine<br />800g Italian tinned plum tomatoes<br />6 heaped teaspoons tomato puree<br />grated Parmesan to serve<br />Packed of gnocchi to serve 6-8<br /><br />Remove the sausage meat from the skins and chop up the meat to break it up.<br />Put the olive oil in a large frying pan (I used a cast iron casserole pot) over a medium heat and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Fry for about 2 minutes until the garlic becomes light gold.<br />Add the onion and fry for a few minutes, until translucent.<br />Stir in the fennel seeds and bay leaves.<br />Add the meat and fry for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through. Use a wood spoon to break up the mince and stop it sticking to the pan.<br />Add the wine and allow to reduce for a couple of minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree and stir well.<br />Leave the ragu to simmer for 10 minutes.<br />Cook the ragu according to the packet instructions.<br />Once cooked, drain the gnocchi and toss in the ragu.<br />Serve with Parmesan scattered over the top.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-88905864096312334972010-02-23T09:50:00.006+00:002010-02-23T20:02:17.391+00:00cookbook review: New urban Farmer, Celia Brooks Brown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S4Qz3LrMaLI/AAAAAAAAAyw/QQObCZLxHns/s1600-h/IMG_3395.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S4Qz3LrMaLI/AAAAAAAAAyw/QQObCZLxHns/s320/IMG_3395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441531272890181810" border="0" /></a>First impressions of this part gardening, part cook book were very positive. The book is full of stunning, brightly coloured photographs of Celia's allotment, vegetables and recipes.<br /><br />The book is divided in to the four seasons and takes you through the full gardening year providing advice on what jobs need doing when, which vegetables to plant and suggesting recipes to cook with the crops in season each month.<br /><br />Celia has her own allotment in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">London</span> and this book is about a year on that plot and what she has learnt. I only have a very small area for planting, a small raised bed and room for a few containers but the book offers advice and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">encouragement</span> for growing your own in your garden and in containers as well as on allotments. For each month there is a useful 2 page table of all the veg you can harvest and sow that month. It includes information on which ones are suitable for containers and points you in the direction of recipes in the book using each vegetable.<br /><br />The recipes are simple and the photo's make your mouth water just looking at them. I particularly like the look of warm courgette salad with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">parmesan</span> crackling, allotment <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bbq</span> platter with two sauces and the chocolate upright pear cake.<br /><br />I for one can not wait until March (where the book starts the new gardening year) to get started on my own small veg plot. I can see this book being a well used book in both the garden and the kitchen.<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.quadrille.co.uk/">Quadrille publishing</a> for sending me this book to review.<br />paperback, £14.99<br />ISBN: 978-1-84400817-9Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-6263437887444776222010-02-17T20:57:00.004+00:002010-02-17T21:29:01.971+00:00Lake district foodie finds and wedding planning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3xeYonFzLI/AAAAAAAAAyk/YOrwmdYC_Nc/s1600-h/IMG_3295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3xeYonFzLI/AAAAAAAAAyk/YOrwmdYC_Nc/s320/IMG_3295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439326227267964082" border="0" /></a>Last week we went to Keswick for a couple of nights during which my boyfriend proposed. I have set up a separate<a href="http://myitalianweddingblog.wordpress.com/"> wedding planning blog</a>, somewhere I can bookmark and save ideas and inspiration for the big day. You can read all about the proposal <a href="http://myitalianweddingblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/the-proposal/">here</a>.<br /><br />We are currently looking in to getting married in Tuscany, Italy. We do not know anyone else that has done this so if any of you do and you have any advice to share with us please contact me, I would love to hear from you.<br /><br />Anyway back to foodie talk! I wanted to share with you a few foodie finds in Keswick. First up there was the B&B we stayed in - <a href="http://www.howekeld.co.uk/">Howe Keld</a>. It has won awards for it's breakfasts and it wasn't hard to see why. Check out the menu <a href="http://www.howekeld.co.uk/admin/assetmanager/images/breakfast%20menu.pdf">here</a>. There was fresh smoothies every day, a great selection of cereal, yogurts, fruit (fresh and dried), nuts and seeds to start. Then wholemeal bread, banana bread or malt loaf (all home made). Cooked breakfast choices included a locally sourced full English (with a vegetarian option), smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or pancakes with maple syrup. The rooms are also very well decorated/designed and the staff friendly and helpful.<br /><br />Next up was a little cafe/deli called <a href="http://www.simplygoodtaste.co.uk/">good taste cafe</a>. This cafe is run by a chef and the food is excellent. There are daily specials as well as a regular menu. I can highly recommend the pork and fennel seed meatball with mozzarella panini. On Saturdays the shop window is full of home baked breads which all look fantastic. Upstairs in the seating area there is a warming wood burning stove tables and chairs, comfy sofa's and books shelves stuffed full of cookbooks! They also run a selection of cookery classes which are listed on their website with everything from bread making to butchery (and a Tuscan inspired Italian class that sounds right up my street).<br /><br />Finally I want to share with you a great restaurant in Keswick called <a href="http://www.morrels.co.uk/">Morrels</a>. I had the Chorizo, Smoked Bacon, Peppered Salami & Tomato Risotto to start followed by Rump of Lamb with Minted Lamb Sausages, Boulangere Potatoes, Redcurrant & Thyme Jus. Finished off with a bramble, apple and flaked almond clafoutif. The lamb was perfectly cooked and all the dishes were delicious and flavoursome.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-57722879027892030582010-02-14T09:00:00.008+00:002010-02-14T09:00:02.893+00:00Daring cooks February 2010 - Mezze!I was quiet excited by this months Daring cooks challenge chosen by <a href="http://www.veggienumnums.com/">Michele from Veggie Num Nums</a>. The challenge was to prepare a mezze table. The compulsory element was to make homemade pita breads and hummus. The rest of the mezze was left completely open to us to get creative.<br /><br />I've not cooked very much Middle Eastern food as yet but hummus and baked falafels have been things I have thought about attempting. Only a few days before the challenge I talked about making preserved lemons after reading an article about them. Obviously homemade bread is a regular feature in my house but I had not made my own pittas but again it was on my never ending list of recipes to try.<br /><br />Middle Eastern flavours include olives, lemons, feta cheese, cumin, chickpeas, yogurt, beetroot, garlic, aubergines, tahini, paprika, lentils and mint. After a bit of research (and a very well timed mezze section on Market Kitchen) I decided to make a beetroot dip, baked falafels, feta cheese, olives and kebabs to go with the pita breads and hummus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVnhZatuI/AAAAAAAAAyc/To49btYc2wg/s1600-h/IMG_3159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVnhZatuI/AAAAAAAAAyc/To49btYc2wg/s320/IMG_3159.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436361100169492194" border="0" /></a>The pita breads were easier to make than I imagined and puffed up beautifully. They tasted delicious too. They were slightly thicker than shop bought ones which I found worked well. The hummus was also simple to make. You can find the recipes for these compulsory elements at the end of the post.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVLxUKMfI/AAAAAAAAAyU/o8TKfEmRnAI/s1600-h/IMG_3171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVLxUKMfI/AAAAAAAAAyU/o8TKfEmRnAI/s320/IMG_3171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436360623406068210" border="0" /></a>First up these baked sweet potato falafels from Allegra McEverdy seemed the perfect choice for me. Falafels are usually deep fried but since I mostly try to cook healthier options, baked was the perfect solution. Sweet potatoes are also one of the most nutritious vegetables around. They are a great source of vitamins A, B6 and C, fibre, magnesium, copper, potassium and iron. The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/baked-sweet-potato-falafel-recipe.html">here</a> on <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html">101 cookbooks</a> a fantastic healthy eating blog (most recipes based on natural, whole foods and ingredients) I have only recently discovered. The resulting falafels have great flavours and are delicious hot or cold, dipped in hummus or in a pita sandwich.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVLHnDxNI/AAAAAAAAAyM/_Ds3dI5-FyQ/s1600-h/IMG_3163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVLHnDxNI/AAAAAAAAAyM/_Ds3dI5-FyQ/s320/IMG_3163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436360612211049682" border="0" /></a>The kebab recipe comes from <a href="http://www.antoniotahhan.com/2009/07/15/mom-blogs-about-kabob/">here</a> another new find for me. This blog is full of straight forward recipes for Mediterranean food that all look delicious. The kebabs were delicious in the pita breads with some of the tomato paste from the same recipe and much healthier than the take away versions!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVKAE9wMI/AAAAAAAAAx8/6B8zqI2m-qk/s1600-h/IMG_3153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S3HVKAE9wMI/AAAAAAAAAx8/6B8zqI2m-qk/s320/IMG_3153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436360593009131714" border="0" /></a>The beetroot dip recipe was one I saw on Market Kitchen and can be found on there website <a href="http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/633335">here</a>. The flavours worked well together and I preferred this to the hummus for dipping pita bread in. Finally I marinaded some cubes of feta cheese and some black olives in some extra virgin olive oil and dried oregano.<br /><p><strong>Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flatbreads-Flavors-Bakers-Jeffrey-Alford/dp/0061673269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263654967&sr=1-1">Flatbreads & Flavors </a>by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid</strong><br />Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook</p> <p>2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)<br />2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)<br />5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)<br />1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)<br />2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)</p> <p>Directions:<br />1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.<br />2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.<br />3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).<br />4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.<br />5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.</p><p><strong>Hummus – Recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Book-Middle-Eastern-Food/dp/0375405062/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263654939&sr=8-1">The New Book of Middle Eastern Food </a>by Claudia Roden</strong><br />Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.</p> <p>1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)<br />2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)<br />2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed<br />a big pinch of salt<br />4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)<br />additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste </p> <p>Directions:<br />1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.<br />2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.<br />3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.</p><p><strong>The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/forums/daring-cooks-challenges/www.thedaringkitchen.com/users/mdurante">Michele </a>of <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/forums/daring-cooks-challenges/www.veggienumnums.com">Veggie Num Nums</a>. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.</strong></p>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-86996014084437633292010-02-07T18:30:00.001+00:002010-02-07T18:32:45.943+00:00Jordan's Country crisp - muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28GosRNhdI/AAAAAAAAAx0/sWhN2uyvIRc/s1600-h/countrycrisp_strawberry_lrg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28GosRNhdI/AAAAAAAAAx0/sWhN2uyvIRc/s320/countrycrisp_strawberry_lrg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435570571407361490" border="0" /></a>This is a long over due blog post! Just before Christmas I was sent a couple of boxes of<a href="http://www.jordanscereals.co.uk/"> Jordan's country crisp</a> to try.I'm a great believer in having a good breakfast to set you up for the day. For me this usually involves a bowl of porridge (all year round!). I'm a bit strange when it comes to cereal as I don't like milk! Weird I know but I never have (not even as a baby). This can cause problems at breakfast as I won't eat cereals where the milk is obvious. Porridge fits the bill perfectly plus it's healthy and I like to play around adding different toppings (mostly raisins or blueberries at the moment). I do sometimes wish that I liked milk so I could eat delicious looking granola, muesli and these country crisps.<br /><br />Jordan's country crisp are delicious oat clusters, made from UK grown, conservation grade oats and no preservatives, artificial colours or salt is added. I tried the strawberry and the chocolate varieties and thought both were delicious added to a bowl of natural yogurt to add a bit of crunch and flavour. My boyfriend also tried both in the traditional way (with milk!) and loved both. Chocolate for breakfast though did seem like something that should be saved as a weekend treat!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28AAuQdrwI/AAAAAAAAAxc/hExP3askf54/s1600-h/IMG_3179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28AAuQdrwI/AAAAAAAAAxc/hExP3askf54/s320/IMG_3179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435563287676563202" border="0" /></a>I also decided to try out one of the recipes supplied by Jordan's and finally settled on these delicious muffins. Probably not the healthiest recipe but delicious as an occasional treat. They were moist but with bits of texture from the country crisp and the nuts and also tasted of caramel due to the butter and brown sugar being melted together.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Country crisp muffins</span></span><br />(find this and other recipes on <a href="http://www.welovecountrycrisp.co.uk/">The Country Crisp Appreciation Society</a> website)<br />Makes 6<br />Prep time: 10 mins, plus cooling<br />Cook time: 25-30 mins<p>120g unsalted butter<br />120g light brown soft sugar<br />2tbsp milk<br />75g self-raising flour<br />50g pecans, roughly chopped<br />50g sweetened dried cranberries<br />2 medium eggs, beaten<br />½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)<br />100g Jordans Dark Chocolate Country Crisp</p>1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4/180C/160C fan. Line a muffin tin with 6 muffin cases.<br />2. In a small pan, melt butter and sugar over a medium heat until the sugar is no longer grainy. Add the milk and leave to cool for 15 mins before whisking in the eggs and if using the vanilla, add it now.<br />3. Mix together the flour, pecans and cranberries in a large bowl, then pour in the cooled butter mixture. Beat until smooth before folding through the Jordans Dark Chocolate Country Crisp.<br />4. Using two dessertspoons, fill the muffin cases about ¾ full with the batter. Bake for 25-30 mins until the muffins are springy to the touch. Remove from the oven. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, before transferring to a wire rack. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28CeQqupmI/AAAAAAAAAxs/zLTVOANhVhY/s1600-h/IMG_3233.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S28CeQqupmI/AAAAAAAAAxs/zLTVOANhVhY/s320/IMG_3233.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435565994152994402" border="0" /></a>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-89342119966984706472010-02-04T20:30:00.000+00:002010-02-04T20:32:43.278+00:00My favorite ingredients - Skye Gyngell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S2sunBfQkgI/AAAAAAAAAxU/vgKJ2EYfMaM/s1600-h/skye.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S2sunBfQkgI/AAAAAAAAAxU/vgKJ2EYfMaM/s320/skye.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434488623301956098" border="0" /></a>Asparagus, cherries, fish and shellfish, olive oil, leaves, citrus, pulses & grains, tomatoes, nuts, vinegar, garlic, game, apples, cheese, honey and chocolate. These are Skye Gyngell's favorite ingredients and the titles of the chapters in her second book. The book is beautifully written and illustrated with stunning photography throughout.<br /><br />In this book Skye writes about her love of cooking fresh, seasonal food. It's all about welcoming seasonal in to her cooking when the ingredients are at their best and her passion for seasonality and food in general is evident throughout.<br /><br />In each chapter she shares her love of that particular food, memories and lots of useful advice on buying and cooking with these ingredients to really show them off at their best. There are also a collection of recipes in each chapter, many of which are part of her restaurants repertoire. Some of the recipes are straight forward. Others are more complex but I have no doubt that all are achievable for the right occasion by an enthusiastic home cook. Examples include slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with red wine vinegar, goat's cheese souffle with lemon thyme and chocolate panna cotta with warm berries and honey.<br /><br />This book is more than a collection of recipes to simply be recreated in kitchens all around the country. It is an inspiring book that will fill you with passion to eat seasonally, be more creative in the kitchen and to really get the best flavours out of the ingredients you buy.<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.quadrille.co.uk/">Quadrille publishing</a> for sending me this book to review.<br />First published 2008 in hardback<br />Now available in paper back £14.99<br />ISBN: 978 184400 822 3Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-48242865594760682392010-01-22T17:20:00.005+00:002010-01-22T17:34:00.994+00:00Nigel Slater's grilled gammon with baked onions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S1nfvbikDrI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rTGkxhU90Aw/s1600-h/nigel+slaters+baked+onions.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S1nfvbikDrI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rTGkxhU90Aw/s320/nigel+slaters+baked+onions.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429616831711415986" border="0" /></a>It's been a while since my last post. I've been suffering with a cough/cold which left me with limited energy to do much more than working and the basics around the house. It was strange really, I never lost my appetite but I did lose interest in cooking. My blog reader and sky + filled up with blog posts and foodie programmes. I'm feeling a lot better now and normal service will hopefully be resumed on the blog.<br /><br />One thing I have found myself craving a lot whilst I have been ill is mashed potato. Now that I am feeling better I took the first opportunity I could to cook some. I decided to serve it with a recipe I had bookmarked in Nigel Slater's Tender. I love this book. It is the first of his books I have read and will not be the last. I love his style of writing and Tender is full of lots of delicious sounding recipes and advice on both cooking and growing your own vegetables. Even better, it's the first of two volumes. The recipe I chose to cook was grilled gammon with baked onions. I never imagined that onions could taste so good served as a side dish. The taste was so unbelievably mild and they melted in the mouth. The sauce was delicious too and worked really well with both the onions and the gammon.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S1nhAJvtnQI/AAAAAAAAAw0/y7HaSrpvwtQ/s1600-h/nigel+slaters+gammon+and+baked+onions.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/S1nhAJvtnQI/AAAAAAAAAw0/y7HaSrpvwtQ/s320/nigel+slaters+gammon+and+baked+onions.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429618218504133890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grilled gammon and baked onions</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Nigel Slater - Tender, volume 1</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Serves 2 with second helpings of onions</span><br />6 medium onions<br />a thick slice of butter (about 30g)<br />a heaped tablespoon of flour<br />250ml, light stock (tsp Marigold vegetable stock powder dissolved in 250ml water), hot<br />250ml hot milk<br />3 bay leaves<br />nutmeg<br />2 teaspoons grain mustard<br />small handful of parsley leaves<br />a little oil<br />2 gammon steaks (about 150-175g each)<br />dried oregano<br /><br /><ul><li>Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4</li><li>Bring a deep pan of water to the boil. Peel the onions, add to the pan, turn down the heat and simmer until they are tender enough to take the point of a kitchen knife (around 20-25 minutes). Drain them and discard the water.</li><li>Put the pan back on the heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour, keeping the heat low to moderate). Let the flour and butter cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often so the mixture doesn't burn. Turn up the heat and add the milk and stock. Whisk together for a few minutes until there are no lumps.</li><li>Season the sauce with salt, pepper, bay leaves,, a gentle grating of nutmeg and the mustard. Let the sauce simmer gently for a good 10 minutes or more, stirring regularly so it does not catch on the bottom.</li><li>Cut the onions in half from stem to dip (they will be slippery) and place them flat side down in a shallow baking dish.</li><li>Chop the parsley and stir in to the sauce, pour over the onions.</li><li>Bake for 40-45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling.</li><li>Turn the oven off, but leave the onions in the oven whilst you cook the gammon. If your grill is in the oven, move the onions to the bottom and put the grill pan two-thirds of the way up, so that it blocks the onions from the grill.</li><li>Oil the steaks and season with pepper and a light sprinkling of oregano. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, till golden. </li><li>Serve the gammon with the baked onions and their sauce. </li></ul>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-28708402298644123692010-01-01T13:52:00.004+00:002010-01-01T14:22:56.061+00:00Whats in season - January<span style="font-size:100%;">Happy new year!<br /><br />My first post of 2010 is a whats in season guide to January. January is the heart of the winter months. It's cold and often snowy so comforting pies and stews are often on the menu. Christmas has led most of us to over indulging and the new year for many brings new years resolutions to eat healthy, lose weight or to eat more seasonally. So I figured today I would continue my whats in season series and also sit down with new and old favorite cook books to plan some comforting, seasonal and healthy meals for the next month.<br /><br />I compiled this list using:<br /><a href="http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/index.htm">Eat the seasons</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Cottage-Year-Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall/dp/0340828218">The river cottage year, Hugh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fearnley</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Whittingstall</span></a><br /><a href="http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/foodanddrink/page/0,,1925343,00.html">River cottage seasonal guide - The Guardian</a><br /><a href="http://www.whats-in-season.com/index.php">What's in season?</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">January</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegetables</span>: Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Brussels tops, cabbage (red, white and various greens), carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, greens (spring and winter), Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, shallots, swede, turnip<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fruit</span>: apples, pears, forced rhubarb, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mandarins</span>, oranges, satsumas, tangerines, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Seville</span> orange, blood oranges, pomegranate<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fish</span>: cockles, cod, crab, mackerel, mussels, oysters, pollack, salmon, scallops, whiting<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Game</span>: Duck, hare, partridge, pheasant, venisonClairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-71794074858994736152009-12-31T18:30:00.001+00:002009-12-31T18:39:32.364+00:00Review of 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzztjEcnlUI/AAAAAAAAAvw/Rkcdz5HfBYs/s1600-h/2009+collage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzztjEcnlUI/AAAAAAAAAvw/Rkcdz5HfBYs/s320/2009+collage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421469238192215362" border="0" /></a>2009, the year I started food blogging. This time last year I just another reader of food blogs and never did I imagine that I would start my own. Then in February I cooked a <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-valentines-day-i-cooked-my-first.html">three course dinner for valentines day </a>and after reading blog posts about the same thing I became inspired to start my own. I have to say I had my doubts about how long I would keep it up and still continue to be amazed by the things I have done cooking wise this year.<br /><br />Initially I started this blog as a way of recording recipes I would like to cook again but food blogging has done so much more for me than that. I'm a much less fuss eater. I've tried <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/11/daring-cooks-sushi.html">raw fish</a>, an ever increasing variety of vegetables (I was previously a carrots, peas and sweetcorn girl!) and also fish (fish fingers and salmon only this time last year). I got my first <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/05/after-much-deliberation-i-am-now-proud.html">kitchenAid</a>, which is still much loved and used. It pushed my bread baking onwards and also inspired me to join the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a>. Highlights include my first challenge, a <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/daring-bakers-bakewell-tarterpudding.html">Bakewell tart</a>, the <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/08/daring-bakers-august-dobos-torte.html">Dobos torte</a> and Decembers<a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/12/daring-bakers-december-2009-gingerbread.html"> gingerbread house</a>. At the same time I joined the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring cooks</a> and a newly formed bread baking group <a href="http://freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven</a>. Highlights of the daring cooks challenges this year include <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/daring-cooks-challenge-chinese.html">Chinese potstickers</a>, <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/11/daring-cooks-sushi.html">sushi</a> and <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/12/daring-cooks-salmon-en-croute.html">salmon en crute</a>. I started out as a member of Fresh from the oven on their first challenge in <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/fresh-from-oven-rustic-loaf.html">June</a>, in August I hosted the challenge of <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/08/fresh-from-oven-english-muffins.html">English muffins</a> and took over the running of the group along with Jules of <a href="http://thebutcherthebaker.wordpress.com/">butcher, baker</a>. I also joined the <a href="http://www.ukfba.co.uk/">UK Food Bloggers Association</a> and try to be an active member in the forum as much as time allows. And of course my blog reader continued to grow with more and more great blogs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzzvSSqYOSI/AAAAAAAAAv4/AET5cdSm8KQ/s1600-h/2009+collage+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzzvSSqYOSI/AAAAAAAAAv4/AET5cdSm8KQ/s320/2009+collage+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421471148973504802" border="0" /></a>Another thing I have come to love about food blogging is the social side (you can find me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/Purelyfood">here</a>). I have got to know some like minded people via this blog and twitter. Hopefully blogging and tweeting about my love of cooking/baking and sharing my successes (and sometimes <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/10/daring-bakers-october-2009-macaroons.html">failures</a>) in the kitchen will stop me boring my none foodie friends and family! I have read and appreciated all the comments you have given me so thank you all and keep them coming.<br /><br />Other foodie highlights of 2009 included a trip to the <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/10/weekend-in-lakes.html">lake district</a> and one to the <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/10/smoked-bread-recipe.html">Anglesey Oyster and welsh food produce festival</a> (I even tried an oyster) where I discovered smoked bread flour. Favorite recipes other than those mentioned above have included <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/10/authentic-spaghetti-carbonara.html">authenitc spaghetti carbonara</a>, <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/08/best-blueberry-muffin-recipe.html">blueberry crumble muffins</a> and <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/05/beetroot-and-spring-greens-risotto.html">beetroot and spring greens risotto</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">So what does 2010 have in store?</span></span><br />In mid December my boyfriend and I got our first DSLR camera (a second hand Canon EOS 400d) as an early Christmas present. I hope that this will start to make a difference to the photos on my blog.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzzoE2Lc_WI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/LlgjXEa1IFs/s1600-h/canon-eos-400d-1-tm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 183px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzzoE2Lc_WI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/LlgjXEa1IFs/s320/canon-eos-400d-1-tm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421463221407907170" border="0" /></a>I hope to revive and complete my <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/search/label/Seasonal%20food">whats in season series</a> which was side tracked due to lack of time. I also plan to continue trying to grow vegetables in our <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-whats-in-season.html">tiny garden</a>. This year produced a <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/07/gyo-smoked-salmon-and-mangetout-risotto.html">bowl of mangetout</a> and 2 courgettes! but I live in hope of producing more.<br /><br />Bread wise I want to continue to bake the majority of bread we eat and to try lots of recipes and types. First up I plan to attempt sour dough again (you can read a bit about my first attempt at sour dough <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/04/olive-and-pumpkin-seed-bread.html">here</a>) it was an epic failure but it was over a year ago now (pre-blogging) and the memories are fading enough for me to consider trying it again! This time I will be following the recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handmade-Loaf-Dan-Lepard/dp/1840009667">The handmade loaf by Dan Lepard</a>, no doubt a much better recipe than the Jamie Oliver one I tried last time (sorry Jamie I have had great success with all your other recipes but not the sour dough).<br /><br />I also received some ravioli cutters for Christmas so I'm hoping to experiment with them sometime soon. I didn't have much success with ravioli why I tried earlier this year but I'm hoping another Christmas present I received may help - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Italian-Cookery-Course-Authentic-Masterclasses/dp/1856267792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262282900&sr=1-1">The Italian cookery course</a> by Katie Caldesi. Talking of cookbooks this year has also seen my collection expand exponentially. I got 3 for my birthday in October, 2 in Borders sale last month and 3 for Christmas alone. Favorites this year include <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tender-Cook-His-Vegetable-Patch/dp/0007248490/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262282950&sr=1-1">Tender by Nigel Slater</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ottolenghi-Cookbook-Yotam/dp/0091922348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262282975&sr=1-1">Ottolenghi the cookbook</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Larousse-Gastronomique-Hamlyn/dp/0600620425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262283003&sr=1-1">Larousse Gastronomique</a>. I plan to try new recipes more often (especially from all these new cookbooks) because as I <a href="http://purelyfood.blogspot.com/2009/12/chickpea-and-chorizo-soup.html">blogged last week</a> I find cooking new recipes inspiring and therapeutic. All too often I fall in to the trap of planning a week of meals and writing a shopping list at the last minute and filling it with the same old meals. I hope to be more organised in 2010.<br /><br />I plan to continue being a member of the daring bakers and daring cooks as I enjoy the excitment each month of what the next challenge will be and it pushes me to try recipes I wouldn't normally try. I also hope that myself and Jules can build on the success we have these last 6 months running <a href="http://freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven</a>.<br /><br />All thats left is for me to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-23513452652276585022009-12-28T21:00:00.000+00:002009-12-28T21:07:00.457+00:00Daring bakers - December 2009 - Gingerbread house<span style="font-family:Georgia;">The December 2009 <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers’</a> challenge was brought to you by Anna of <a href="http://verysmallanna.com/">Very Small Anna</a> and Y of <a href="http://blog.lemonpi.net/">Lemonpi</a>. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from </span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as th</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;">e challenge recipes.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /></span>I've always admired gingerbread houses and even before this challenge was anounced I had contemplated baking one this year. However whether I actually would have found time to if it wasn't for the daring bakers I'm not so sure. I had great fun building my house, even if it was time consuming. When the challenge was announced I was very excited about it and eager to get started but since I wanted to be able to eat the house at christmas I waited until the 23rd to put the house together and decorate it, having pre-made and frozen the gingerbread pieces. I used the recipe given by Y of <a href="http://blog.lemonpi.net/">Lemonpi</a> which came from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Scandinavian-Baking-Book/dp/0816634963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261281492&sr=8-1">The Grea</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Scandinavian-Baking-Book/dp/0816634963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261281492&sr=8-1">t Scandinavian Baking Book</a> <span class="ptBrand">by Beatrice A. Ojakangas. </span>I used <a href="http://uktv.co.uk/download/uktvfood_gingerbread_template.pdf">this template</a> from Rachel Allen.<br /><br />I kept it a secret from our families just in case mine turned out a complete distaster but I was very pleased with the result and I think everyone els liked it too. It even survived the journey an hour up the motorway to my boyfriends parents for christmas. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkURw5k7mI/AAAAAAAAAuo/YuH1pioJUJU/s1600-h/IMG_2718.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkURw5k7mI/AAAAAAAAAuo/YuH1pioJUJU/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420385921933831778" border="0" /></a>We used it as a centre piece for the table on christmas day...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkddsPcW8I/AAAAAAAAAvI/Q10_74wKQHo/s1600-h/IMG_2763.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkddsPcW8I/AAAAAAAAAvI/Q10_74wKQHo/s320/IMG_2763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420396022446447554" border="0" /></a>and then it was demolished and we enjoyed eating it!Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-12237697203752561182009-12-28T19:14:00.000+00:002009-12-28T19:46:19.332+00:00Fresh from the oven - StollenThis months <a href="http://www.freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven</a> Challenge was hosted by <a href="http://thebutcherthebaker.wordpress.com/">Jules</a>. Since it was December and everyone was preparing for Christmas she picked a festive challenge - stollen.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkDrOw-XCI/AAAAAAAAAug/_dF83S4mtsk/s1600-h/IMG_2396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SzkDrOw-XCI/AAAAAAAAAug/_dF83S4mtsk/s320/IMG_2396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420367667749870626" border="0" /></a>I've not eaten stollen before, let alone baked it myself and on top of this I'm not much of a marzipan fan. However my boyfriend loves marzipan so I went ahead and completed this months challenge. In the end I really enjoyed the taste of the stollen and had fun baking it. We shared the stollen with my boyfriends family and everyone enjoyed it. I could easily see myself baking stollen again next Christmas.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stollen</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">based on a Simon Rimmer recipe</span><br /><br />100ml/3½fl oz warm milk<br />6g (1 sachet) fast action yeast or 2 tsp dried yeast or 20g fresh yeast<br />pinch salt<br />1 tsp caster sugar<br />225g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting<br />1 tsp ground mixed spice<br />200g/7oz mixed dried fruit (including glacé cherries)<br />25g/1oz flaked almonds<br />50g/2oz unsalted butter<br />1 free-range egg, beaten<br />250g/9oz marzipan<br /><br />To finish<br />rum<br />25g/1oz butter, melted<br />50g/2oz icing sugar<br />Method<br /><br />1. Place the milk and yeast into a bowl and mix well. Leave to sit for 5-6 minutes.<br /><br />2. Meanwhile, sift the salt, sugar, flour and mixed spice into a large bowl. Add the dried fruit, almonds and butter and mix well then stir in the yeasty milk and mix well.<br /><br />3. Add the egg and stir to form a dough. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, then cover and leave to prove for 20 minutes. Uncover the dough and turn out onto a clean, floured work surface. Knock the dough back to reduce the volume, then knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.<br /><br />4. Push the dough out by hand into a flat oval shape about 23cm x 18cm/9in x 7in. Roll the marzipan into a sausage shape about 6cm/2in shorter than the dough. Place the marzipan into the centre of the dough, then fold over the sides of the dough to seal in the marzipan. Then fold in the ends of the dough to contain the marzipan and help give the dough shape. Place the stollen seal-side down onto a greased baking tray. Cover and place somewhere warm to prove for one hour.<br /><br />5. Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4. Place the stollen on the baking tray into the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.<br /><br />6. To finish, remove the stollen from the oven, brush with the rum then melted butter and dust liberally with icing sugar immediately. Allow the stollen to cool, then serve in slices.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-62762726350834188452009-12-21T21:20:00.001+00:002009-12-21T21:36:12.173+00:00Chickpea and chorizo stewI don't know about you, but one of the things I love most about cooking is that moment when the stress and worries of the day just melt away. Whether it be in the therapeutic stirring of a risotto or just the shear concentration and enjoyment of following a new recipe. For me there is something therapeutic about food and cooking. There's nothing more relaxing than curling up with a new or old favorite cookbook, getting lost in the kitchen in the cooking process and the smells or sitting down with a warming bowl of comfort food.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/Sy_nb2yFjhI/AAAAAAAAAto/cCP0Mzan7W8/s1600-h/IMG_2538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/Sy_nb2yFjhI/AAAAAAAAAto/cCP0Mzan7W8/s320/IMG_2538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417803342498074130" border="0" /></a>After repeated talk of chickpea and chorizo stew on twitter I decided it was about time I tried it. I had also just purchased Joanna Weinberg's How to feed your friends with relish, which includes a recipe for this dish. The only down side is that the recipe in the book serves 25! However I discovered that Essex eating has scaled the recipe down on his website to feed 4-6 - find it <a href="http://essexeating.blogspot.com/2009/05/fate-has-delivered-chickpea-and-chorizo.html">here</a>. I cooked the recipe tonight after a particularly hectic day at work and was not disappointed. The smells of this stew bubbling away on the stove were divine and the taste was literally bursting with flavours. We have half the recipe in the fridge ready for a quick meal tomorrow night and I have been led to believe that the flavours will improve! If you haven't tried this dish by now (& provided you like chorizo) I urge you to give this recipe ago.<br /><br />It's night like these that leave me feeling inspired and determined to try new recipes more often. Maybe some time soon I'll scale down the recipe in the same book for cottage pie with chorizo, which feeds 40!Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-70321782525087159002009-12-10T19:21:00.003+00:002009-12-14T18:07:10.962+00:00Daring cooks - Salmon en Croute<i>The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of <a href="http://junglefrog-cooking.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Junglefrog</span> Cooking</a>. Simone chose Salmon en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Croute</span> (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Croute</span>) from <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/">Good Food Online</a>.</i><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyZ8Mz95TmI/AAAAAAAAAtI/KTm8QcgW-sE/s1600-h/CIMG2445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyZ8Mz95TmI/AAAAAAAAAtI/KTm8QcgW-sE/s320/CIMG2445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415152161509690978" border="0" /></a>This months Daring cooks challenge struck the balance between keeping up the festive feeling without being another turkey dish! I really enjoyed this challenge and think it would make a perfect boxing day or new years dish.<br /><br />Mine wasn't the best looking salmon en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">croute</span> but the salmon was flaky and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">succulent</span> and the sauce tasted delicious with the fish and the pastry. I will most likely make salmon en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">croute</span> again possibly with a healthier sauce and filo pastry.<br /><br />Thank you Simone for a great December challenge.<br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Salmon en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">croute</span>:</em></strong></span><br />Ingredients<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mascarpone</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">creamcheese</span> 5.2 ounces/150 gr<br />Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach - 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr<br />Shortcrust pastry - 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">butter version</span> such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Jus</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">rol</span> which is frozen or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">dorset</span> pastry. or... make your own!<br />Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr<br />egg - 1 medium sized</p> <p><strong>Directions:</strong><br />1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">mascarpone</span> or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.<br />2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.<br />3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">whether</span> the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.</p> <p>Shortcrust pastry<br />While this is not mandatory to do, I highly recommend making your own shortcrust pastry as it is very simple to do! As mentioned in the notes; please make sure to not add too much water as that is the key to having a successful shortcrust pastry. Watch this video to check the correct consistency of the dough Making shortcrust pastry</p> <p>Ingredients:<br />450 gr (15.8 ounces or 3.2 cups ) of plain all purpose flour<br />200 gr ( 7 ounce) cold butter<br />pinch of salt</p> <p>Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor you can use that as shown in the above video.<br />Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.</p> <p>For best results make sure the butter is very cold.</p>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-45412003721063820752009-12-10T19:00:00.000+00:002009-12-10T19:02:21.128+00:00Christmas bakingThe Christmas tree is up, the presents are wrapped and the cards have been sent. Now it's time for me to tell you about some of the festive baking I have been doing this month.<br /><br />First up there were the Jamie Oliver mince pies (from last years Christmas show, recipe available <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/mince-pies">here</a>). These were incredibly simple to make and a delicious twist on traditional mince pies. We ate a few warm from the oven and the rest are sat in the freezer patiently waiting to be reheated from frozen nearer to Christmas. I followed the main recipe but I used more than 100g of mince meat as it was spread too thinly for my liking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyFAtxTViZI/AAAAAAAAAso/C08Usr8a2fA/s1600-h/CIMG2397.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyFAtxTViZI/AAAAAAAAAso/C08Usr8a2fA/s320/CIMG2397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413679382148778386" border="0" /></a>Next up are these Christmas spiced biscuits from Sainsbury's magazine. The flavours in these biscuits are delicious and quiet frankly I could eat them all year round! I'm sorry to say that there are none left! For that extra festive touch I decorated them with red and green icing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyE_t0egBqI/AAAAAAAAAsI/oc88A_pqM-U/s1600-h/IMG_2237.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SyE_t0egBqI/AAAAAAAAAsI/oc88A_pqM-U/s320/IMG_2237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413678283489281698" border="0" /></a>I have also taken part in this months festive themed <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com">Daring cook</a>s and <a href="http://freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven </a>challenges. The results of which will be posted on the 14th and 28th respectively. I also aim to find time to bake some extra Christmas treats for my family and also complete the December <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com">Daring bakers</a> challenge so keep an eye out for them on here soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spiced Christmas biscuits</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Sainsbury's magazine, December 2008</span><br /><br />225g soft butter<br />175g light soft brown sugar<br />1 tablespoon clear honey<br />1 large egg<br />350g plain flour<br />1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda<br />2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />1/2 teaspoon mixed spice<br /><br /><ul><li>In a food processor, mix together the butter, brown sugar and honey for a few minutes or so until pale and creamy. Then add the egg and mix again until combined. </li><li>Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices and mix until the mixture comes together to form a dough. </li><li>Turn the mixture out on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently, then divide in two. </li><li>Roll out each piece of dough between two sheets of baking parchment to about 0.5cm thick and chill for at least one hour until firm.</li><li>Preheat the oven to 190C, 170C (fan), gas 5. </li><li>Cut out star shapes using a cutter and place on a baking sheet; repeat until all the dough is used up. </li><li>Bake in batches for 10-12 minutes until golden, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. </li><li>When cold, decorate with icing if desired.</li></ul>Will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. Can be frozen uniced.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-81838468001330357612009-12-01T12:42:00.005+00:002009-12-01T13:18:10.868+00:00Christmas HampersSo its December already! Where has this year gone? To get us all in the christmas spirit I have a few festive blog posts for you coming up over the next month and I've even used my limited skills to make the blog a little bit festive.<br /><br />First up I have been wanting to tell you all about the wonderful <a href="http://www.interflora.co.uk/catalog/product.xml?product_id=2215106;category_id=2124947">Christmas hamper</a> I received from Interflora since it arrived mid November. A couple of weeks before that I was contacted by them to see if I would be interested in them sending me a free hamper (worth £70) to review on my blog. I had no idea that Interflora did hampers (I had always associated them with flowers) and decided to check out their website. The hamper they sent me is just one of a range of Christmas hampers they are selling this Christmas, as well as a range of <a href="http://www.interflora.co.uk/catalog/category.xml?category_name=christmas_flowers">Christmas flowers</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxUXL6YX3_I/AAAAAAAAArc/nP_ErDAOspw/s1600/CIMG2420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxUXL6YX3_I/AAAAAAAAArc/nP_ErDAOspw/s320/CIMG2420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410256020773003250" border="0" /></a>The hamper arrived just after 9am on the day they told me it would be dispatched and was packaged securely. The wicker hamper was enclosed in a tight fitting, smart black cardboard box to prevent movement during transport. All the glass items were wrapped in bubble wrap and surrounded by biodegradable packing material and the items fitted snugly in the hamper so that all items arrived in perfect condition.<br />The quality of the wicker hamper and its contents were fantastic. The hamper includes a bottle of red and a white wine, Christmas cake, mince pies, Christmas pudding, luxury fruit and nut mix, clotted cream biscuits and fudge, chocolates, a selection of Twinings teas, chocolate chip short bread biscuits, rosemary and thyme biscuits, strawberry jam, cranberry sauce and onion chutney. More than enough to keep us going over the festive season and in to January too!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxUWvzFBqnI/AAAAAAAAArM/bDDCBXqkINA/s1600/CIMG2361.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxUWvzFBqnI/AAAAAAAAArM/bDDCBXqkINA/s320/CIMG2361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410255537776470642" border="0" /></a>Overall I would have to say that I would recommend Interflora hampers to anyone looking to send gifts to friends or family that live too far away to personally deliver your gifts. At least there is no chance of delays due to postal strikes!Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-11020849686105706932009-11-28T08:30:00.000+00:002009-11-28T08:34:32.368+00:00Fresh from the oven - White tin loaf<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">This month's <a href="http://freshoven.blogspot.com/">Fresh from the oven</a> challenge was hosted by Linda of <a href="http://withknifeandfork.com/">With knife and fork</a>. She chose a simple English tin loaf. Part of the challenge was to learn the kneading technique she was taught by Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lepard</span>. This was the first time since before I bought my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">KitchenAid</span> that I kneaded bread by hand. It</span></o:p><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> was easy and the resulting bread rose well and had great texture. I would recommend any one who kneads bread by hand to give this a go but I won't be giving up using my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">KitchenAid</span> regularly! The bread was good for sandwiches but taste wise I didn't enjoy it as much as other breads I bake. However this could be because I mostly bake wholemeal loafs for sandwiches. Thanks again Linda for hosting this months challenge.</span></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxAMma8klRI/AAAAAAAAAo8/HuFs9TVUc64/s1600/CIMG2346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SxAMma8klRI/AAAAAAAAAo8/HuFs9TVUc64/s320/CIMG2346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408837006679905554" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lepard</span> says he developed this when he was working full time in commercial kitchens (that made artisan hand kneaded bread) because there <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wasn</span>’t time for full 10 minute knead of all the different bread batches so he switched to short kneads spaced out and found it works just as well, part of the development of a good gluten structure is dependent on the time elapsed not the vigorous kneading. I liked the idea because I’d not been getting good textures with either a machine or a normal hand knead. I am now a wholesale convert.</span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Note:</span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">You must use oil not flour on the kneading surface and your hands. Something like vegetable oil is good.</span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The dough must be quite sticky and soft to start with. It will firm up when kneaded and as time progresses.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Steps:</span></o:p></p> <ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Once you have soft sticky dough leave it covered in the bowl for 10 minutes.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Now oil your kneading surface and hands and tip the dough out.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Knead for about 12 seconds by folding in the edges to the centre, a bit like shaping a round loaf, rotate the dough as you go.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Flip the dough over, leave it on the surface and cover with a cloth. Wash out the bowl and then oil it lightly. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Leave for 10-15 minutes and then do another 12 second knead. You will notice the dough is already less sticky and firmer.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Leave for 20 -30 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mins</span> and repeat the fast knead. You are aiming to have kneaded the dough 3 times in the first hour.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Leave covered to rise until at least 50% larger but not more than double in size.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Tip out onto the oil surface and press the air out of the dough using the tips of your fingers so its square-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ish</span> in shape. Repeat the fast knead process (or fold in to thirds then rotate through 90, flatten again and fold into 3<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">rds</span> again).</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Shape the dough as required for the particular loaf you are making. Put it in a tin, or supported in a floured cloth in a bowl.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Leave to rise until at least 50% larger and preferably almost double in size.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Slash top and bake as per your recipe.</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">White Tin Loaf</span></span><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">(based on Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lepard</span>’s Quick White Loaf, p63 of the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handmade-Loaf-Dan-Lepard/dp/1845333896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257061440&sr=8-1">Handmade Loaf</a>)</span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">2lb loaf tin greased and floured or lined with baking parchment (no need to line the short ends just oil them).</span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Oven to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pre</span>-heated to its maximum setting (R10/250C) and with a tray of water in the bottom to create steam.</span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Ingredients:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">200g semi skimmed milk at room temp (Dan uses whole milk but semi skimmed seems to work fine)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">150g water at room temp (remember 1g = 1ml but its easier to be accurate weighing fluids)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">1 tsp fast action yeast (or 2 tsp fresh yeast crumbled)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">200g plain white flour</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">300g strong white bread flour</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">1 ½ tsp fine sea salt</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">Method:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Mix the flours and salt together in a bowl.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Mix the water and milk together in a separate bowl and whisk in the yeast.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Add the liquid to the flour and mix with the fingers of one hand to a soft sticky rough dough. You may need to add a little more liquid do this a teaspoon at a time until you have a soft sticky dough.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Follow the kneading instructions above.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The first rise will probably take about an hour from the last knead.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">To shape for a tin loaf, flatten the dough to a square about the same width as your tin. Roll the dough into a cylinder and press the seam firmly, fold under the two short ends and place in the tin seam side down.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Allow to rise (covered) to 1 ½ to 2 times volume i.e. to the top of the tin. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Slash the top of the loaf along it length and put it straight into the oven for 10 minutes at maximum temperature. After 10 minutes check how it’s browning and drop the temperature as follows (these baking guidelines are from the <a href="http://http//www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-River-Cottage-Handbook-No/dp/074759533X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257061485&sr=1-3">River Cottage Bread Book</a>):</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">R6/200C if the crust is pale</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">R4/180C if crust is noticeably browning</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">R3/170C if crust is browning quickly</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">And cook for a further 40-50 minutes. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I usually check again part way through this time and either adjust temperature again or cover the top with foil if it’s brown enough. Also note that with a traditional gas oven (i.e. one without a fan) the top may brown far too quickly on the side near the heat at the initial temperature so you might want to start at a lower setting of R8/9 for the first 10 minutes. Adapt the setting for what you know about your oven and how things usually bake.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">When it’s cooked turn it out of the tin and allow to cool. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Then when it’s cooled cut a big huge doorstop of a slice toast it and slather with lashing of butter. Yum.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The recipe also works well with a mix of 50:50 wholemeal and white bread flours. You’ll prod need 2-3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">tbps</span> extra water.</span>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-72775204975258140612009-11-27T09:00:00.003+00:002009-11-27T09:00:02.207+00:00Daring bakers - November 2009 - CannoliI had mixed feelings about this months Daring bakers challenge. On the one hand I love cooking and eating Italian food but on the other, I refuse to deep fat fry anything. A bit further in to the post and I discovered that it was possible to bake cannoli. So I decided to give the baked version ago. I just needed to find out at what temperature and for how long and what I could use instead of buying cannoli forms. A bit of research on the Internet and I found a video where not only did the cook bake his cannoli but he used 1 inch diameter wooden dowelling to shape and bake the cannoli.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/Sw7btOJcoaI/AAAAAAAAAos/VeWriMbz2pE/s1600/CIMG2337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/Sw7btOJcoaI/AAAAAAAAAos/VeWriMbz2pE/s320/CIMG2337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408501772456862114" border="0" /></a>So armed with 6 3 inch lengths of wooden dowelling one Sunday afternoon I set about making baked cannoli. The dough itself was simple enough to make using my KitchenAid, however rolling out thinly was quiet a challenge. I shaped the dough around my soaked lengths of dowelling (just as suggested in the video) and baked as directed. I only made 6 cannoli since there were only 2 of us but unfortunately 4 of them refused to be parted from the dowelling! The two that survived with filled with whipped cream (a cheats filling I know but I guess I must have known they wouldn't turn out!) and decorated with chocolate chips. The taste? I have to say I wasn't impressed with the taste. I'm sure that part of the problem was that I went for the healthier cooking option but even so I didn't rate the flavour of the shell that much. At least this was a slight improvement on last months macaroons!<br /><br /><em><strong>The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of <a href="http://www.lisamichele.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives</a>. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book</strong>.</em>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-70228065424538334672009-11-15T15:45:00.009+00:002009-11-15T17:05:14.973+00:00Christmas pudding challenge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SwAy5hkzC5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/NMCPznVY34Y/s1600-h/Logos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 183px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SwAy5hkzC5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/NMCPznVY34Y/s200/Logos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404375516691237778" border="0" /></a>A few weeks back I saw a competition posted on the UKFBA website. The competition was to come up with an alternative way of using a Christmas pudding. The competition is being run by <a href="http://www.matthewwalkerchristmaspuddings.com/">Mathew Walker</a> who have been making Christmas puddings in Derbyshire since 1899. Mathew Walker generously sent all bloggers wanting to enter the competition a 100g taster Christmas pudding and a full size (454g) Christmas pudding.<br /><br />So I started to think of recipes using Christmas pudding, specifically leftover Christmas pudding (yes, I believe it does happen in some households!). I wanted to create something simple that could be used as a desert on boxing day. The final recipe I settled on was to replace meringue with Christmas pudding in a twist on the traditional Eton mess - a Christmas mess!<br /><br />I still wanted there to be a mixture of textures as well as flavour so I decided to include broken up pieces of brandy snaps in the cream mixture. The hardest part was deciding what fruit to put in it. Cherry's soaked in kirsch? cranberry sauce? mandarin segments? I think all would work well. In the end though I found a tub of pears in cranberry juice which left them a beautiful pink/red colour. The dish tasted delicious. all the flavours blended together well (helped by the Christmas pudding being so delicious and flavourful) and I enjoyed the mixture of textures. The brandy flavour in the Christmas pudding infused through all the cream making it all lovely and as my boyfriend called it "Christmas in a glass".<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SwA0p_olyYI/AAAAAAAAAns/clblFrpw2ik/s1600-h/CIMG2292.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SwA0p_olyYI/AAAAAAAAAns/clblFrpw2ik/s320/CIMG2292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404377448905558402" border="0" /></a>A Christmas mess is the ideal desert for boxing day. Its quick and simple to prepare (exactly what you need after all the preparation and cooking on Christmas day), uses up any leftover Christmas pudding, includes many of the traditional flavours of Christmas and tastes fantastic. Leftover Christmas pudding can be included cold or reheated (and then cooled slightly before adding to the cream). You could heat by frying lightly or in a microwave. The quantities are a bit vague allowing you to customise the recipe to your families tastes.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas Mess</span></span><br />Serves 4<br /><br />200g leftover Christmas pudding (or as much as you have/like).<br />400ml double cream or whipping cream<br />4-6 brandy snaps<br />Tub of pears in cranberry juice (tinned pears in natural juice would also work or any fruit of your choice)<br />Icing sugar and coco powder for dusting.<br /><br /><ul><li>In a large bowl softly whip the cream until it is thick and soft.</li><li>Gently stir in most of the bits of brandy snap and all the Christmas pudding.</li><li>Put a layer of pears in the bottom of 4 glass dessert bowls (I used wine glasses).</li><li>Spoon the cream mixture on top. </li><li>Decorate the tops with the reserved brandy snap shards.</li><li>Dust with icing sugar and coco powder.</li><li>Serve.</li></ul>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703230229013855698.post-66402039796571316832009-11-14T08:40:00.000+00:002009-11-14T08:44:08.873+00:00Daring cooks - Sushi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoTf6Ax2I/AAAAAAAAAmU/xrUL847OOLQ/s1600-h/bCIMG2277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoTf6Ax2I/AAAAAAAAAmU/xrUL847OOLQ/s320/bCIMG2277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402534280943421282" border="0" /></a>Not that long ago, if you had asked me to eat sushi, I would have point blank refused, stating that I don't like raw fish (even though I had not tried it!). Thankfully I seem to be getting much more adventurous and willing to try new things. So when I read that this months <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks</a> challenge was sushi, I surprised myself by getting quiet excited about the challenge. The next weekend we gave up or usual coffee and cake shopping break and instead opted to visit the Yo-sushi bar in our local shopping centre and try a few different types of sushi. I loved the set up of the sushi bar with the conveyor belt where you can pick which dishes you want to try and the ability to watch the chef's preparing the sushi whilst you eat. However it was with some trepidation that I took my first bite of a raw salmon nigiri sushi. It was actually quiet nice! so much so that I went on to try a tuna one as well! I have to admit to still being a bit freaked out by the thought of fish roe but I tried a dragon roll with fish roe on the outside of the rice and it wasn't bad but I wasn't rushing to eat any roll containing large amounts!<br /><br />After our research trip to Yo sushi I started to think about making sushi at home. I was unconvinced about buying fish fresh enough to eat raw locally so I decided to stick with smoked salmon and cooked prawns as my fish element. I also used avocado, cucumber and roasted red peppers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmnCan-UiI/AAAAAAAAAl8/tmEaDASfpIQ/s1600-h/bCIMG2204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmnCan-UiI/AAAAAAAAAl8/tmEaDASfpIQ/s320/bCIMG2204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402532887956181538" border="0" /></a>The challenge had four parts:-<br />Part 1: Making proper sushi rice – you will wash, rinse, drain, soak, cook, dress, and cool short grain rice until each grain is sticky enough to hold toppings or bind ingredients. <em>Then you will use the cooked rice to form three types of sushi:</em><br />Part 2: Dragon sushi roll – an avocado covered inside-out rice roll with a tasty surprise filling<br />Part 3: Decorative sushi – a nori-coated rice roll which reveals a decorative pattern when cut<br />Part 4: Nigiri sushi – hand-shaped rice rolls with toppings<br /><br />The most time consuming part of the challenge is preparing the rice but once you have this done and all your filling ingredients prepared the rest of the process is easier than I expected and so much fun. You can get as creative as you like with the fillings and in particular presenting the dragon rolls.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoSiAyreI/AAAAAAAAAmE/LmnmgK5AyE0/s1600-h/bCIMG2249.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 277px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoSiAyreI/AAAAAAAAAmE/LmnmgK5AyE0/s320/bCIMG2249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402534264328859106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoS1_hY0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/2Y2ihff-5dw/s1600-h/bCIMG2264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmsXLgTaFUQ/SvmoS1_hY0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/2Y2ihff-5dw/s320/bCIMG2264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402534269692240706" border="0" /></a>I really enjoyed preparing and eating the sushi rolls for this daring cooks challenge. I think it has been my favorite so far. I tried (& liked) raw fish sushi for the first time, I had fun preparing my own sushi (even if I cheated and didn't use raw fish) and I was very impressed with how my sushi turned out!<br /><br />Thanks to Audax of <a href="http://audaxartifex.blogspot.com/">Audax Artifex</a> and Rose of<a href="http://bitemekitchen.blogspot.com/"> The Bite Me Kitchen</a> for picking a great challenge!<br /><br />The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of <a href="http://audaxartifex.blogspot.com/">Audax Artifex</a> and Rose of<a href="http://bitemekitchen.blogspot.com/"> The Bite Me Kitchen</a>. They chose sushi as the challenge.<br /><br /><p><strong><u>PART 1 : SUSHI RICE</u></strong> (makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)</p> <p>Preparation time: 1¾ hours consisting of :-<br />Rinsing and draining rice: 35 minutes<br />Soaking rice: 30 minutes (includes 5 minutes making the vinegar dressing)<br />Cooking and steaming time: 25 minutes<br />Finishing the rice: 15 minutes</p> <p><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong></p> <ul><li>2½ cups uncooked short grain rice </li><li>2½ cups water </li><li>For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water </li></ul> <p><strong><em>Optional Ingredients</em></strong></p> <ul><li>3 inch (75mm or 15 grams) square dashi konbu (or kombu) (dried kelp seaweed) wipe with a damp cloth to remove white powder & cut a few slits in the sides of the kelp to help release its flavours</li><li>2½ teaspoons (12.5 mls) of sake (Japanese rice wine)</li></ul> <p><strong><em>Sushi vinegar dressing</em></strong></p> <ul><li>5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar </li><li>5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar</li><li>1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt</li></ul> <p><strong>DIRECTIONS:</strong><br /><strong><em>Rinsing and draining the rice</em></strong></p> <ol><li>Swirl rice <em>gently </em>in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.</li><li><em>Gently </em>place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.</li></ol> <p><strong><em>Soaking the rice</em></strong></p> <ol><li><em>Gently </em>place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).</li><li>Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu. </li><li>Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.</li></ol> <p><strong><em>Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing</em></strong></p> <ol><li>Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.</li><li>Heat on low setting.</li><li>Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.</li><li>Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked. </li></ol> <p><strong><em>Cooking the rice</em></strong></p> <ol><li>After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.</li><li>Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil. </li><li>Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.</li><li>Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process. </li></ol> <p><strong><em>Finishing the rice</em></strong><br /> <em> </em></p><ul><li><em><strong>Turning out the rice</strong></em></li></ul> <p><em></em></p> <ol><li>Moisten lightly a <em>flat thin wooden</em> spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.</li><li>Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.</li><li>Use the spatula to loosen <em>gently </em>the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, <em>gently </em>causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this <em>gently </em>so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.</li></ol> <p><em><strong> </strong></em></p><ul><li><em><strong>Dressing the rice with vinegar</strong></em></li></ul> <p><em><strong></strong></em></p> <ol><li>Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice. </li><li>Using the spatula <em>gently </em>spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice.</li><li>After the rice is spread out, start turning it over <em>gently</em>, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.</li></ol> <p> <strong><em> </em></strong></p><ul><li><strong><em>Fanning & Tossing the rice</em></strong></li></ul> <p><strong><em></em></strong></p> <ol><li>Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to <em>gently </em>slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended. </li><li>Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used. </li></ol> <p> <em><strong> </strong></em></p><ul><li><em><strong>Keeping the rice moist</strong></em></li></ul> <p><em><strong></strong></em></p> <ol><li>Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature. </li></ol> <p><strong>* Tip:</strong> To make sushi rice: for each cup of rice use 1 cup of water, 2 Tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sake. For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water when cooking the sushi rice since the weight of rice can vary. Weight of 2½ cups of uncooked rice is about 525 grams or 18½ ounces. </p> <p><strong>* Tip:</strong> While the rice is draining, soaking and cooking prepare your rice vinegar dressing, sushi fillings and toppings.</p><p><strong><u>PART 2 : Dragon Rolls</u> (also called Caterpillar Rolls)</strong></p> <p>Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice<br />Cooking time: about 5 minutes (grilling the eel)</p> <p><em>Yield: 2 inside-out (uramaki) sushi rolls</em></p> <p><strong>INGREDIENTS</strong>:</p> <ul><li>1 sheet 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm) of toasted nori (dried seaweed sheets), cut into halves </li><li>1/2 Japanese cucumber </li><li>2 cups of prepared sushi rice </li><li>Glazed Barbecued Eel (ungai) (about 3½ ounces or 100 grams)</li><li>1 Avocado</li><li>Vinegared Water – ½ cup of water combined with a dash of rice vinegar</li><li>Various small amounts of sauces to use as the flames of the dragon (or legs of a caterpillar)</li></ul> <p><strong><em>Optional</em></strong></p> <ul><li>2 tablespoons (25 grams or 1 oz) Fish Roe (Fish eggs)</li></ul> <p><strong>DIRECTIONS</strong>:<br />1.Cut cucumber into strips ¼ inch (6mm) x 7” (175mm) long, then salt, rinse & dry the strips.<br />2.Grill (broil) the eel for about 2-5 minutes until bubbling. Cut into two lengthwise strips.<br />3.Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Cut the avocado halves into thin even 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Fan out the cut avocado into a 7 inch (175 mm) overlapping pattern.<br />4.Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori <strong><u>shiny side down</u></strong>, lengthwise, on the edge the mat.<br />5.Moisten <em>lightly </em>your hands in the bowl of vinegared water.<br />6.Place one cup of rice on the nori and gently <em>rake </em>your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, <em>you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places. </em><br />7.Flip the rice-covered nori over (so the bare nori is now on top) and place on the edge of the mat closest to you.<br />8.Arrange one of the eel strips across the length of the nori, not quite centred on it but a little closer to you. Place half the cucumber sticks next to the eel.<br />9.Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely. Lift up the edge of the mat you're holding, and continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it's sealed. Tug at the mat to tighten the seal. If the rice doesn't quite close the roll add more rice in the gap and re-roll using the mat to completely cover the inside-out roll. Place the roll on a damp, clean smooth surface.<br />10.Spread about 1 tablespoon of the optional fish roe along the entire top of the rice-covered roll. Using the plastic covered mat <em>gently </em>press the fish roe so it adheres to the rice.<br />11.Slide a knife under one fan of avocado and transfer it onto the top of an inside-out roll. Gently spread out the avocado layer to cover the entire roll. Lay the plastic wrapped mat over the avocado-covered roll. Squeeze very gently to shape the roll.<br />12. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Slice the roll into 6-8 equal, bite-sized pieces, <em>wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice. </em>Discard the plastic wrap. Repeat the above to make one more roll.<br />13.Arrange the cut pieces on a serving plate with the sauces so the finished dish appears as a dragon breathing fire and flames (or a caterpillar with many legs). </p> <p><strong>* Tip:</strong> The most common mistake is having too much filling the golden rule is less is more when it comes to making sushi it is easier to roll an under-filled roll than an over-filled roll. </p> <p><strong>* Tip: </strong><em>Dampen your knife with a moist lint-free towel before every cut</em> – this prevents the sushi rice from sticking to your knife.</p> <p><strong>* Tip:</strong> Excellent videos on making Dragon Rolls<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQZGRohVNFQ" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQZGRohVNFQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQZGRohVNFQ</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo55iBN9FQs&feature=related" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo55iBN9FQs&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo55iBN9FQs&feature=related</a></p><p><strong><u>PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll</u></strong><br />This is easiest 'decorative' sushi roll. </p> <p>Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice</p> <p><em>Yield: One Roll, cut into 8 pieces</em></p> <p>INGREDIENTS:</p> <ul><li>2½ cups prepared sushi rice</li><li>2 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)</li><li>Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (<em>see note below) </em></li></ul> <p>DIRECTIONS:<br />1.Join 2 sheets of nori by moistening the adjacent edges and overlapping them about ½ inch (12mm).<br />2.Place this double <strong><u>sheet shiny side</u></strong> down on a rolling mat, part of the nori will extend beyond the mat.<br />3.Using moist fingers place 2½ cups of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, <em>you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places</em>.<br />4.Using your fingers form six grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.<br />5.Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.<br />6.Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.<br />7.Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, <em>wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.</em><br />8.Place the pieces on a platter and garnish. </p> <p><strong>NOTE:</strong><br />Make each groove about a finger-width wide they will hold about 1-2 tablespoons of filling. Use fillings that compliment each other and are highly coloured. Use parboiled vegetables cut into strips, seafood, left over eel, smoked fish or chicken, whole cooked beans, edible flowers etc.... </p> <p><strong><u>PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi </u></strong><br />Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.</p> <p>Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice</p> <p><em>Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi</em></p> <p><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong></p> <ul><li>2 cups prepared sushi rice</li><li>8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)</li><li>1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice</li></ul> <p><strong><em>Optional</em></strong></p> <ul><li>Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc</li><li>Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)</li></ul> <p><strong>DIRECTIONS:</strong><br />1.When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.<br />2.Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.<br />3.Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.<br />4.Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don't let sushi touch or they'll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they'll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.<br />5.Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the topping piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi. If your topping is very loose like fish roe you can place a strip of nori (higher than the rice) around the nigiri and form 'battleship' sushi. The cavity that the nori forms holds the topping so it does not fall off.<br />6.Garnish as desired and use strips of nori (or vegetable) to tie the topping to the nigiri if needed.<br />7.It is customary to make nigiri sushi in pairs, so make two of each variety. </p> <p><strong>* Tips:</strong> A great video on making nigiri sushi<br /><a href="http://www.howcast.com/videos/270-How-To-Make-Sushi" title="http://www.howcast.com/videos/270-How-To-Make-Sushi">http://www.howcast.com/videos/270-How-To-Make-Sushi</a><br />A great web page on slicing fish for nigiri<br /><a href="http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/how-to-buy-fish/index.html" title="http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/how-to-buy-fish/index.html">http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/how-to-buy-fish/index.html</a></p>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757954813349293488noreply@blogger.com11