I attempted to make Mary Berry's Jaffa Cakes today. I had to do some converting to make it work in the U.S. system. Here is the recipe I came up with. Sorry about the mix of Metric and Imperial measurements, I was working quickly. I won't apologize for the lack of cup measurements as baking by weight is far more accurate anyway.
For the jello
170g packet of orange Jello
8oz boiling water
1 medium orange - zest only
For the sponge
Butter flavored Pam
1 extra large egg
25g sugar
25g plain flour
1g baking powder
for the topping
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate.
If you can find them, I suggest using the Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers as they melt in the microwave and also cool more quickly for spreading purposes.
You will also need a 13x9 pan, a 12 count muffin pan and a round cookie cutter. Mine was 2 1/4 inches I think though a 2 inch one might have been easier.
1. For the jello. Mix the orange zest and the packet of Jello powder together. Pour in 8oz of boiling water and whisk together. Pour into a 13x9 pan and put in the fridge to set. Some oil in the pan will aid easy removal later.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and liberally spray a 12 hole shallow muffin pan with Butter Pam
3. For the sponge, whisk the egg and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy - it will increase in volume. This is such a small amount of cake batter I used a hand held electric wire beater. I was worried my kitchen aid would not cope with so little batter.Sift the plain flour and the baking powder into the batter and fold in until fully combined.
4. Fill each well in the muffin pan with approximately 2 1/2 teaspoons of batter and smooth the top. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops spring back lightly when pressed. Leave to cool in the tray for a few minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.
5. Break the chocolate into pieces then melt in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and LET COOL for quite a while.
6. Using your cookie cutter, cut out 12 disks from the orange jello and place one on top of each sponge.
7. When the chocolate has cooled enough, spoon it over the jello disks so that the tops of the Jaffa Cake are completely covered. Be warned, if your chocolate is too hot the Jello will melt. you can use the tines of a fork to create a crisscross pattern on the top of each Jaffa Cake should you desire.
They tasted surprisingly good, even if the disk cutting and chocolate icing was remarkably fiddly.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2016
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Craving Sausage Rolls!
There are three foods I associate with Christmas. Christmas Pudding, Mince Pies, and Sausage Rolls. Of these sausage rolls are not solely Christmas food as they are available all year. However they take on a special place on the Christmas buffet. A Sausage Roll hot out of the oven is glorious, and, if you add a dab of mustard it moves to the transcendent.
For all their apparent simplicity - they are merely sausage meat wrapped in pastry, a decent sausage roll in the U.S. has eluded me. It's not the pastry that is the problem, but the sausage meat. American sausage meat has different seasonings and a different Meat to Fat ratio. American sausage meat is delicious, but it is not the taste I am looking for in a sausage roll.
I had resigned myself to a Sausage Roll free existence, and most of the time I have been o.k. with that, but for some reason this Christmas has filled me with nostalgia and homesickness more than usual.
I made the Christmas Pudding and the Mince Pies, but I was unsure how to get Sausage Rolls. Now I can purchase them in town but they are expensive and not always available. A 4 pack of Sausage rolls costs $10. Also, due to import regulations they are actually made in Florida. The taste is similar, but not quite right.
This year I was determined to find another way. I knew the sausage meat would be the issue, and making it would be compounded by the fact that I don't own a meat grinder, but I was determined, and so, after much research I am proud to present to you my Sausage Roll Recipe!!!
Sausage Rolls (makes approximately 24)
2lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt Country Style Ribs
1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets - defrosted overnight.
2 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp ground mace or fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp white (or black) pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1/3 cup cold water.
(every butcher in the U.K. has his own seasoned sausage meat that he swears is the best, so feel free to vary the seasoning. Next time I make them I will probably increase the amount of sage. I may also mince some onion and saute it until soft and then add it to the sausage meat)
Cube the Pork into 1 to 2 inch cubes. If you see any larger tough sections of fat do not discard them, but cut them smaller.
Toss the meat in the salt, ginger, sage, nutmeg and pepper.
Place them on a baking sheet covered with foil so they do not touch and put the tray into the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
This partial freezing is the key to grinding the meat in a food processor. After 20 minutes place 1/5 of the meat into the food processor and pulse till finally ground. Transfer to a bowl and repeat 4 times.
The sausage meat needs to be ground enough so it is resembles a coarse mince. To much time in the processor will cause the meat to go slimy and gummy.
As you add the meat to the bowl of the food mixer be on the lookout for any extra large lumps. You can blitz them by themselves in the food processor to make sure they are ground well. Nobody likes lumps in their sausage. For some reason in my family a lump in a sausage was called an Elephant. I have absolutely no idea why!
Once it has all been processed transfer the meat into the bowl of a food mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the bread crumbs and the water and mix for about a minute.
(At this stage you can store the meat in the fridge for a couple of days.)
Take one of the packets of puff pastry and roll it out on a floured board until it is the size of a tea towel. Cut the pastry into 2 long rectangles and put 1/4 of the sausage meat down the middle of each rectangle.
Using egg wash or milk, brush one side of the rectangle and roll up lengthwise. I cut each long roll into 6 equal parts, but of course the size is really up to you.
Take the other packet of puff pastry and repeat with the rest of the sausage meat. Place the sausage rolls on a baking sheet - either well greased, or covered with parchment or silpat, and brush with egg wash or milk.
Bake in a 350F oven for approximately 25-30 mins. Rotating the trays top to bottom and front to back half way through. Do not make the sausage rolls to thick or the meat may not cook thoroughly. Check with a meat thermometer if you have any doubts. The sausage meat will still look slightly pink in the middle.
When they are a delicious brown, remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack.
These can be eaten hot or cold. Refrigerate any leftover rolls...though I doubt they will stick around that long.
For all their apparent simplicity - they are merely sausage meat wrapped in pastry, a decent sausage roll in the U.S. has eluded me. It's not the pastry that is the problem, but the sausage meat. American sausage meat has different seasonings and a different Meat to Fat ratio. American sausage meat is delicious, but it is not the taste I am looking for in a sausage roll.
I had resigned myself to a Sausage Roll free existence, and most of the time I have been o.k. with that, but for some reason this Christmas has filled me with nostalgia and homesickness more than usual.
I made the Christmas Pudding and the Mince Pies, but I was unsure how to get Sausage Rolls. Now I can purchase them in town but they are expensive and not always available. A 4 pack of Sausage rolls costs $10. Also, due to import regulations they are actually made in Florida. The taste is similar, but not quite right.
This year I was determined to find another way. I knew the sausage meat would be the issue, and making it would be compounded by the fact that I don't own a meat grinder, but I was determined, and so, after much research I am proud to present to you my Sausage Roll Recipe!!!
Sausage Rolls (makes approximately 24)
2lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt Country Style Ribs
1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets - defrosted overnight.
2 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp ground mace or fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp white (or black) pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1/3 cup cold water.
(every butcher in the U.K. has his own seasoned sausage meat that he swears is the best, so feel free to vary the seasoning. Next time I make them I will probably increase the amount of sage. I may also mince some onion and saute it until soft and then add it to the sausage meat)
Cube the Pork into 1 to 2 inch cubes. If you see any larger tough sections of fat do not discard them, but cut them smaller.
Toss the meat in the salt, ginger, sage, nutmeg and pepper.
Place them on a baking sheet covered with foil so they do not touch and put the tray into the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
The sausage meat needs to be ground enough so it is resembles a coarse mince. To much time in the processor will cause the meat to go slimy and gummy.
As you add the meat to the bowl of the food mixer be on the lookout for any extra large lumps. You can blitz them by themselves in the food processor to make sure they are ground well. Nobody likes lumps in their sausage. For some reason in my family a lump in a sausage was called an Elephant. I have absolutely no idea why!
Once it has all been processed transfer the meat into the bowl of a food mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the bread crumbs and the water and mix for about a minute.
(At this stage you can store the meat in the fridge for a couple of days.)
Take one of the packets of puff pastry and roll it out on a floured board until it is the size of a tea towel. Cut the pastry into 2 long rectangles and put 1/4 of the sausage meat down the middle of each rectangle.
Using egg wash or milk, brush one side of the rectangle and roll up lengthwise. I cut each long roll into 6 equal parts, but of course the size is really up to you.
Take the other packet of puff pastry and repeat with the rest of the sausage meat. Place the sausage rolls on a baking sheet - either well greased, or covered with parchment or silpat, and brush with egg wash or milk.
Bake in a 350F oven for approximately 25-30 mins. Rotating the trays top to bottom and front to back half way through. Do not make the sausage rolls to thick or the meat may not cook thoroughly. Check with a meat thermometer if you have any doubts. The sausage meat will still look slightly pink in the middle.
When they are a delicious brown, remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack.
These can be eaten hot or cold. Refrigerate any leftover rolls...though I doubt they will stick around that long.
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Sausage and Potato Bake - lazy comfort food
I make this way too often. It's good, lazy comfort food and is endlessly adaptable according to what vegetables are in season.
1 Smoked Sausage. I often used Pecan Smoked Jalapeno Sausage. Cut into 1 inch chunks
6 cups red new potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch-chunks
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
(See note below*)
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut sausage in 1/4” slices; set
aside.
2. Place potatoes in medium saucepan; cover with water.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain
potatoes.
3. Combine sausage, potatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic,
chicken broth, olive oil and seasonings in a large roasting pan and mix
lightly.
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned
and vegetables are tender.
* I treat this recipe as a guideline. This isn't baking so be creative :) I often use bags of colored fingerling potatoes if I can find them. I've added broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms and even chick peas. I'm sure winter squash would work well in here as well. I tend to increase the amount of garlic and change up the other seasonings as well according to my whims.
It's a great recipe to play with.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Peach Crumble Cake
When I was a child my Mum would sometimes make Apple Crumble. Her topping was normally more soggy than crispy and I would usually complain that there was too much fruit and not enough crumble. Mum would point out that the fruit was the healthy part and a dessert with as much crumble as I wanted would not be good for me.....
....and here is that dessert. Lots of glorious crisp crumble encasing the fruit!
I've made this with nectarines and it was yummy. I would be intrigued to see what other fruits would work.
This is a great way to get an easy hot dessert on the table. It tastes awesome with simple whipped cream or ice cream.
1 cup ground almond meal
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, diced.
1 1/2 pounds nectarines, peaches or some other fruit.
Sugar for sprinkling.
Preheat the oven to 350F and butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.
Put the first 4 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed.
Add the butter and pulse until the mixture clumps together and resembles wet sand.
Scoop two thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the buttered pan and press it in place.
Cut the nectarines into thin wedges (or small chunks if it it is easier) and and spread them in an even layer over the base. Scoop the rest of the crumble mix evenly over the top and press in place. Don't worry if some of the fruit pokes through.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 40-45 minutes in the oven. I would place it on top of a baking sheet just to be on the safe side as sometimes the juice does bubble. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack and then voraciously consume. :)
....and here is that dessert. Lots of glorious crisp crumble encasing the fruit!
I've made this with nectarines and it was yummy. I would be intrigued to see what other fruits would work.
This is a great way to get an easy hot dessert on the table. It tastes awesome with simple whipped cream or ice cream.
1 cup ground almond meal
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, diced.
1 1/2 pounds nectarines, peaches or some other fruit.
Sugar for sprinkling.
Preheat the oven to 350F and butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.
Put the first 4 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed.
Add the butter and pulse until the mixture clumps together and resembles wet sand.
Scoop two thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the buttered pan and press it in place.
Cut the nectarines into thin wedges (or small chunks if it it is easier) and and spread them in an even layer over the base. Scoop the rest of the crumble mix evenly over the top and press in place. Don't worry if some of the fruit pokes through.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 40-45 minutes in the oven. I would place it on top of a baking sheet just to be on the safe side as sometimes the juice does bubble. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack and then voraciously consume. :)
Saturday, September 07, 2013
Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes
This is a very yummy improvisation. It's still a work in progress, but it was delicious enough for me to record it here :)
Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes - Serves 2 as a nice supper.
4 Large tomatoes (about 8 ounces each)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 fennel bulb. Trimmed of stalks (cored if needed) and chopped fine)
1/2 red onion, diced fine.
1/2 lb ground lamb
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup couscous
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons, chopped fresh mint
Thin slices of goat cheese
Pepper
Slice the top 1/8 inch off each tomato (step end). Using a paring knife and a spoon remove the core and the seeds from the inside. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Place the tomatoes upside down on a few layers of paper towels and drain for 30 minutes.
Put an oven rack in the upper middle position and preheat to 375F
Add a drop of oil to a medium saucepan. Crumble in the Lamb and cook until brown. Remove to a strainer set over a bowl to drain.
Take a tablespoon of the drained lamb fat and put it back in the sauce pan. Add the fennel and the red onion and saute until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the couscous and cook until lightly toasted 1-2 minutes.
Add the lamb and the chicken stock. Bring to a brief simmer and then cover, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
Stir in the feta, walnuts and mint.
Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with foil and spray with oil. Brush the cut edges of the tomato with oil.
Divide the filling between the four tomatoes and firmly but carefully stuff them.
Place a slice of goat cheese on each tomato
Bake until the cheese is lightly browned and the tomatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes - Serves 2 as a nice supper.
4 Large tomatoes (about 8 ounces each)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 fennel bulb. Trimmed of stalks (cored if needed) and chopped fine)
1/2 red onion, diced fine.
1/2 lb ground lamb
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup couscous
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons, chopped fresh mint
Thin slices of goat cheese
Pepper
Slice the top 1/8 inch off each tomato (step end). Using a paring knife and a spoon remove the core and the seeds from the inside. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Place the tomatoes upside down on a few layers of paper towels and drain for 30 minutes.
Put an oven rack in the upper middle position and preheat to 375F
Add a drop of oil to a medium saucepan. Crumble in the Lamb and cook until brown. Remove to a strainer set over a bowl to drain.
Take a tablespoon of the drained lamb fat and put it back in the sauce pan. Add the fennel and the red onion and saute until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the couscous and cook until lightly toasted 1-2 minutes.
Add the lamb and the chicken stock. Bring to a brief simmer and then cover, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
Stir in the feta, walnuts and mint.
Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with foil and spray with oil. Brush the cut edges of the tomato with oil.
Divide the filling between the four tomatoes and firmly but carefully stuff them.
Place a slice of goat cheese on each tomato
Bake until the cheese is lightly browned and the tomatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Hummus Encrusted Chicken
This recipe which can be found online here was delicious and very easy to make.
I foresee lot's of yummy variants with different types of hummus :)
I'm not going to type the recipe out as it is from gimme some oven. So pop over to that food blog and show some love.
I foresee lot's of yummy variants with different types of hummus :)
I'm not going to type the recipe out as it is from gimme some oven. So pop over to that food blog and show some love.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Peter, Paul and Julie and Julia!
I first read the book Julie and Julia long before the movie appeared. I remember lying on a hotel bed in Seattle giggling over the chapter about euthanizing lobsters. I became interested in the Boeuf Bourguignon at the time but forgot about it until the movie came out. After watching the movie I printed out the recipe and decided that I would make it, but lost the printout when I moved house and the idea slipped into oblivion until a few weeks ago.
Knowing that some of the best cooking experiences are shared I called my culinary pal Paul and asked him to cook along with me.
Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
First problem, locating a 6 oz chunk of bacon for making lardons. Paul and I went to Revival Market in town and told them what we were doing and they presented us with a vacuum packed packet of lardons. There was slightly more than the recipe called for, but everything is better with extra bacon right? Second problem. The rind was all cut together in the lardons and would have taken forever for us to trim each piece. Never mind, into the pot it went to simmer....we weren't sure why we were simmering (and Julie Powell thinks this step is superfluous) but into the water it went, and quickly the kitchen smelled yummy.
Saute the bacon in the oil over a moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.
Third problem. We didn't notice that although you simmer the bacon lardons and the rind, when it comes time to saute it you only saute the bacon and not the rind. Ours was still attached. Oh well on we go.
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
Behold the beef!
3lbs of either rump pot roast, chunk pot roast, top round or bottom round. Again, not cuts that were easily available. We talked with the helpful butcher at Revival market and he gave us a wonderful slab of prime cow.
I carefully took a ruler to make sure that the cubes were 2-inch cubes as specified by Julia in the recipe. They looked huge! This was far larger than most cubes of meat that you would put in a casserole. Never mind we thought we will get on YouTube and check the video of Julia Child teaching the dish to confirm.
Fourth Problem. There are many videos of people making Julia Child's recipe on YouTube, but none of them were Julia so we were unable to check with the source. After some frantic Internet searching we eventually located a clip of her that was hosted on a Russian Internet site...I'm kind of afraid what viruses my computer may have picked up, but we were determined to cook like Julia and not even the Cyrillic language would deter us!
Browning cubes of beef that large took forever but when mixed together with the bacon the aroma was wonderful and the dish was beginning to take shape.
While I tried to avoid splattering myself with hot bacon fat and oil. Paul masterfully wielded a knife over the vegetables. Only 1 onion and 1 carrot go in the pot. An amount that seemed remarkably small.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bullion so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
Fifth Problem. Julia's recipe may have been revolutionary at the time for its level of detail, but by today's standards it is frustratingly vague. It was difficult to tell at what point the vegetables were added to the beef and bacon. Should this be before the addition of the flour and the 4 minute bake or afterwards. As the only pot Julia mentions in her instructions is the fireproof casserole we assumed before, but it was at this stage we panicked because the recipe said add the rind, and of course it had been in there all along. Ooops!
Sixth Problem. Well this time more of a curious puzzlement. The casserole is covered in the oven, and yet Julia instructs us to regulate the heat so the liquid simmers very slowly. Not the easiest of tasks. We debated about putting an oven thermometer into the fluid but that would have left the pot slightly uncovered causing more fluid to evaporate, plus we weren't very sure what the correct temperature for simmering a fluid of wine and broth was. We settled for checking it about every 30 minutes.
At this stage in the recipe you would think that you could put up your feet and finish the rest of the bottle of wine you have just opened, but no! Julia Child has us use our time by preparing Champignons Sautes Au Beurre and Oignons Glaces A Brun so that when the casserole has finished you can mix it all together.
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
Seventh Problem. Hang on a second Julia. Do I finish sauteing the mushrooms first or do I add the shallots 2 minutes before they are ready? Solution. Get Paul to deal with the mushrooms while I work on the pearl onions...oh and if I remember it correctly I think we omitted the shallot as the recipe said it was optional :)
Julia calls for 18-24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter. Determined to be as authentic as possible we scorned the prospect of frozen peeled pearl onions and purchased fresh. Bad idea. They took forever to peel!
When butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as easily as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
Having delegated the mushrooms to Paul, I figured I had better tackle the onions. The process was actually fairly simple though they were harder than imagined to get browned on all sides.
Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.
Oh yes, we also made the bouquet garni ourselves. Our dedication to this recipe is getting ludicrous.
Eighth Problem - Well less of a problem, more like a mistake due to fatigue. Julia's recipe here calls for 1/2 cup of brown stock, or red wine. We had some of both left so we figured we would add both, but instead of adding 1/4 cup of each we inadvertently added 1/2 cup of each, doubling the amount of fluid! When we realized what we had done we just removed the cover from the onions early and prayed that the extra fluid would simmer off.
And now...back to the oven.
Two and a half hours had definitely reduced the amount of fluid in the casserole and the smell was incredible. If I had written the recipe I would have just stirred the onions and the mushrooms into the casserole and served it....Julia gets a little finicky here in my opinion, but, we were determined to do whatever she said.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
Skim fat off sauce.
Ninth Problem. I never realized how many problems can be caused by 4 little words. You'll notice that after much debate we had already deviated by using a colander instead of a sieve. I didn't have a sieve large enough to tackle the contents of the pot. We thought about lining the colander with muslin, but fatigue was getting to us so we just dumped and strained. That left us with a pan of yummy sauce that I was supposed to skim the fat off. Not the easiest trick. Now would have been a great time to pull out a fancy gravy separator, but I didn't own one. I tried scooping with a spoon. I thought of sucking up fat with a turkey baster but in the end we decided fat equaled flavor and we would just have to deal with it.
Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few vegetables of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
That sauce, even with the globules of fat glistening in the light of the camera flash tasted incredible.
All the recipe needed was to be plated with some boiled potatoes.
Tenth Problem. Even though we had picked up some potatoes at the store we realized when we were unpacking that we never purchased any. We had a brief window of time while the onions and mushrooms were cooked and before the stew was due out of the oven to run to the local ghetto H.E.B. to pick some up. Their potatoes were not particularly wonderful, but I didn't care by this time.
We quickly brought them home, boiled them and then drenched them with melted butter.
It tasted incredible and was very rich. Would I make it again? Probably not as their must be easier ways to make what is really just a fancy beef stew. As a matter of curiosity I looked at the Cook's Illustrated version of Boeuf Bourguignon and it was so complex it made Julia's look like the recipe for a ham sandwich.
Cooking your way through the two Cook's Illustrated Cookbooks? Now there would be a challenge!!!
Knowing that some of the best cooking experiences are shared I called my culinary pal Paul and asked him to cook along with me.
Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
First problem, locating a 6 oz chunk of bacon for making lardons. Paul and I went to Revival Market in town and told them what we were doing and they presented us with a vacuum packed packet of lardons. There was slightly more than the recipe called for, but everything is better with extra bacon right? Second problem. The rind was all cut together in the lardons and would have taken forever for us to trim each piece. Never mind, into the pot it went to simmer....we weren't sure why we were simmering (and Julie Powell thinks this step is superfluous) but into the water it went, and quickly the kitchen smelled yummy.
Saute the bacon in the oil over a moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.
Third problem. We didn't notice that although you simmer the bacon lardons and the rind, when it comes time to saute it you only saute the bacon and not the rind. Ours was still attached. Oh well on we go.
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
3lbs of either rump pot roast, chunk pot roast, top round or bottom round. Again, not cuts that were easily available. We talked with the helpful butcher at Revival market and he gave us a wonderful slab of prime cow.
I carefully took a ruler to make sure that the cubes were 2-inch cubes as specified by Julia in the recipe. They looked huge! This was far larger than most cubes of meat that you would put in a casserole. Never mind we thought we will get on YouTube and check the video of Julia Child teaching the dish to confirm.
Fourth Problem. There are many videos of people making Julia Child's recipe on YouTube, but none of them were Julia so we were unable to check with the source. After some frantic Internet searching we eventually located a clip of her that was hosted on a Russian Internet site...I'm kind of afraid what viruses my computer may have picked up, but we were determined to cook like Julia and not even the Cyrillic language would deter us!
Browning cubes of beef that large took forever but when mixed together with the bacon the aroma was wonderful and the dish was beginning to take shape.
While I tried to avoid splattering myself with hot bacon fat and oil. Paul masterfully wielded a knife over the vegetables. Only 1 onion and 1 carrot go in the pot. An amount that seemed remarkably small.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bullion so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
Fifth Problem. Julia's recipe may have been revolutionary at the time for its level of detail, but by today's standards it is frustratingly vague. It was difficult to tell at what point the vegetables were added to the beef and bacon. Should this be before the addition of the flour and the 4 minute bake or afterwards. As the only pot Julia mentions in her instructions is the fireproof casserole we assumed before, but it was at this stage we panicked because the recipe said add the rind, and of course it had been in there all along. Ooops!
At this stage in the recipe you would think that you could put up your feet and finish the rest of the bottle of wine you have just opened, but no! Julia Child has us use our time by preparing Champignons Sautes Au Beurre and Oignons Glaces A Brun so that when the casserole has finished you can mix it all together.
Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Seventh Problem. Hang on a second Julia. Do I finish sauteing the mushrooms first or do I add the shallots 2 minutes before they are ready? Solution. Get Paul to deal with the mushrooms while I work on the pearl onions...oh and if I remember it correctly I think we omitted the shallot as the recipe said it was optional :)
Julia calls for 18-24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter. Determined to be as authentic as possible we scorned the prospect of frozen peeled pearl onions and purchased fresh. Bad idea. They took forever to peel!
When butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as easily as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
Having delegated the mushrooms to Paul, I figured I had better tackle the onions. The process was actually fairly simple though they were harder than imagined to get browned on all sides.
Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.
Oh yes, we also made the bouquet garni ourselves. Our dedication to this recipe is getting ludicrous.
Eighth Problem - Well less of a problem, more like a mistake due to fatigue. Julia's recipe here calls for 1/2 cup of brown stock, or red wine. We had some of both left so we figured we would add both, but instead of adding 1/4 cup of each we inadvertently added 1/2 cup of each, doubling the amount of fluid! When we realized what we had done we just removed the cover from the onions early and prayed that the extra fluid would simmer off.
And now...back to the oven.
Two and a half hours had definitely reduced the amount of fluid in the casserole and the smell was incredible. If I had written the recipe I would have just stirred the onions and the mushrooms into the casserole and served it....Julia gets a little finicky here in my opinion, but, we were determined to do whatever she said.
Skim fat off sauce.
Ninth Problem. I never realized how many problems can be caused by 4 little words. You'll notice that after much debate we had already deviated by using a colander instead of a sieve. I didn't have a sieve large enough to tackle the contents of the pot. We thought about lining the colander with muslin, but fatigue was getting to us so we just dumped and strained. That left us with a pan of yummy sauce that I was supposed to skim the fat off. Not the easiest trick. Now would have been a great time to pull out a fancy gravy separator, but I didn't own one. I tried scooping with a spoon. I thought of sucking up fat with a turkey baster but in the end we decided fat equaled flavor and we would just have to deal with it.
That sauce, even with the globules of fat glistening in the light of the camera flash tasted incredible.
All the recipe needed was to be plated with some boiled potatoes.
Tenth Problem. Even though we had picked up some potatoes at the store we realized when we were unpacking that we never purchased any. We had a brief window of time while the onions and mushrooms were cooked and before the stew was due out of the oven to run to the local ghetto H.E.B. to pick some up. Their potatoes were not particularly wonderful, but I didn't care by this time.
We quickly brought them home, boiled them and then drenched them with melted butter.
It tasted incredible and was very rich. Would I make it again? Probably not as their must be easier ways to make what is really just a fancy beef stew. As a matter of curiosity I looked at the Cook's Illustrated version of Boeuf Bourguignon and it was so complex it made Julia's look like the recipe for a ham sandwich.
Cooking your way through the two Cook's Illustrated Cookbooks? Now there would be a challenge!!!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Baking Rainbow Cakes in a Jar
A friend posted this recipe on facebook on how to bake cakes in Mason Jars. I decided to give it a go and give them the full rainbow treatment that the recipe suggests.
As I knew the dying of the icing and the filling of the jars would be time consuming I opted to cut some corners by using box cake mix and ready made icing...I know this goes against everything I believe in, but sometimes you just gotta go for expediency over principles. I'm sure they would taste better if I had made my own cake batter, but the primary gimmick is the appearance here anyway.
The first challenge is working out how to split a large amount of cake batter into 6 equal portions.
Here's how I did it - a digital scale that you can zero will be your friend.
First lesson learned - The math would have been easier and more accurate if I had used Grams and Kilos rather than pounds and ounces. A gram is a smaller unit than an ounce so you get a more accurate reading...also, the smallest unit my scale would read is 1/8 oz. Working out what 11.6oz was (11 and 6 tenths) when you can only measure in 8ths was a challenge. I went with 11 and 5/8 to approximate.
Next I needed to color all 6 batters.
Gel food coloring is preferable to liquid as it won't change the consistency of your batter that much. I bought a pack of 4 colors - red, yellow, green and blue because I figured I could mix orange and purple to get the 6 colors I needed. As you can see from the picture this was only partially successful.
Orange was not difficult to mix, but I found getting the red an intense enough color took a lot of gel and I was concerned about having enough left to mix the purple. Little did I realize that mixing purple would be the bane of my existence!
Second Lesson Learned - I bought the 4 color pack to save money. I could have bought each of the colors already mixed in gel form. My red would have probably been more intense if I'd done this and my purple might have actually looked purple. If you are not confident in your color mixing skills buy them ready mixed.The colors looked muted after baking (see pics below) so the more intense they are at this stage the better.
The next stage is filling the jars with the 6 layers. I was concerned about how I could split the batter. evenly among the 6 containers so I resorted to math again.
The recipe said to fill the jars 3/4 full. Mine were slightly fuller than that and I had a little batter left over. I knew from the recipe that they would rise to a domed top and I would have to cut some off the top before icing so I wasn't too worried.
After 40 minutes in the oven I was greeted by this.
Third Lesson Learned - 3/4 means 3/4. My division of the batter was even, but it was still too much for the size of the jar. The tray of water that the glasses stands in catches any mess, but I did have some dribble down the side of the glasses and some batter wasted. I think if I'd been a little less liberal with my filling I might have stretched the recipe to fill 7 jars rather than 6. It's not a huge deal as I have to cut off the tops anyway, but an extra jar might have been nice.
The trimming of the cakes once they had cooled was a relatively simple affair. It's helpful to have someone else with you so that you don't gorge on all the spare cake yourself.
Icing them is a simple task.
Now all I have to do is put the lids on, stick some circular labels in the lids and maybe tie a few ribbons for added fun.
Fourth Lesson Learned - The leftover cake that I cut off goes really well with the leftover icing :)
As I knew the dying of the icing and the filling of the jars would be time consuming I opted to cut some corners by using box cake mix and ready made icing...I know this goes against everything I believe in, but sometimes you just gotta go for expediency over principles. I'm sure they would taste better if I had made my own cake batter, but the primary gimmick is the appearance here anyway.
The first challenge is working out how to split a large amount of cake batter into 6 equal portions.
Here's how I did it - a digital scale that you can zero will be your friend.
- Weigh your empty mixing bowl - mine was 1 lb 9oz
- Weigh your mixing bowl full of batter - 5 lb 15 oz
- Total weight of batter = 5lb 15oz minus 1 lb 9 oz = 4lbs 6oz
- Six equal portions of batter will be 4 lb 6 oz divided by 6 which is 11.6 oz
- Put your empty bowl on the scales and add 11.6 oz of batter...repeat until all 6 bowls are filled.
First lesson learned - The math would have been easier and more accurate if I had used Grams and Kilos rather than pounds and ounces. A gram is a smaller unit than an ounce so you get a more accurate reading...also, the smallest unit my scale would read is 1/8 oz. Working out what 11.6oz was (11 and 6 tenths) when you can only measure in 8ths was a challenge. I went with 11 and 5/8 to approximate.
Next I needed to color all 6 batters.
Gel food coloring is preferable to liquid as it won't change the consistency of your batter that much. I bought a pack of 4 colors - red, yellow, green and blue because I figured I could mix orange and purple to get the 6 colors I needed. As you can see from the picture this was only partially successful.
Orange was not difficult to mix, but I found getting the red an intense enough color took a lot of gel and I was concerned about having enough left to mix the purple. Little did I realize that mixing purple would be the bane of my existence!
Second Lesson Learned - I bought the 4 color pack to save money. I could have bought each of the colors already mixed in gel form. My red would have probably been more intense if I'd done this and my purple might have actually looked purple. If you are not confident in your color mixing skills buy them ready mixed.The colors looked muted after baking (see pics below) so the more intense they are at this stage the better.
The next stage is filling the jars with the 6 layers. I was concerned about how I could split the batter. evenly among the 6 containers so I resorted to math again.
- I have 11.6 oz of each color cake batter
- 11.6 divided by 6 is approximately 1 and 7/8 oz in each jar.
The recipe said to fill the jars 3/4 full. Mine were slightly fuller than that and I had a little batter left over. I knew from the recipe that they would rise to a domed top and I would have to cut some off the top before icing so I wasn't too worried.
After 40 minutes in the oven I was greeted by this.
Third Lesson Learned - 3/4 means 3/4. My division of the batter was even, but it was still too much for the size of the jar. The tray of water that the glasses stands in catches any mess, but I did have some dribble down the side of the glasses and some batter wasted. I think if I'd been a little less liberal with my filling I might have stretched the recipe to fill 7 jars rather than 6. It's not a huge deal as I have to cut off the tops anyway, but an extra jar might have been nice.
The trimming of the cakes once they had cooled was a relatively simple affair. It's helpful to have someone else with you so that you don't gorge on all the spare cake yourself.
Icing them is a simple task.
Now all I have to do is put the lids on, stick some circular labels in the lids and maybe tie a few ribbons for added fun.
Fourth Lesson Learned - The leftover cake that I cut off goes really well with the leftover icing :)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Cuban Pork
Occasionally I like to do something really over the top in the kitchen just for the sheer fun of it.
Today I made Cuban pork
Make a marinade out of Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cumin, Oregano, Salt and Pepper and smear it all over a pork shoulder and let it sit for 2 hours.
Make sure you put 1 inch slits all over the pork so that the marinade can penetrate.
Then roast in a slow oven for 6 hours, and then let rest for another hour before you can eat and enjoy.
I'm serving this with Black Beans that have simmered with a Ham Hock and various herbs and spices for 2 hours and also some rice.
The leftover pork will become Empanadas on Saturday and reappear with pasta on Sunday!!!!
Today I made Cuban pork
Make a marinade out of Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cumin, Oregano, Salt and Pepper and smear it all over a pork shoulder and let it sit for 2 hours.
Then roast in a slow oven for 6 hours, and then let rest for another hour before you can eat and enjoy.
I'm serving this with Black Beans that have simmered with a Ham Hock and various herbs and spices for 2 hours and also some rice.
The leftover pork will become Empanadas on Saturday and reappear with pasta on Sunday!!!!
Sunday, September 05, 2010
A Burnt Offering Unto the Lord?
With the very specific instructions regarding Burnt Offerings in the book of Leviticus I'm surprised that the church has not created a 'Grilling Sunday'. Worship would happen in the parking lot with people all around their makeshift altars. Of course we already have the equivalent of the Protestant/Catholic divide, only here it would be Propane/Charcoal. I can foresee denominations forming around issues such as Brickets, Hickory, and Mesquite. I'm quite sure plank grilling would create its own cult as well.
In case you can't tell by my random musings above, on Saturday I went out and bought a grill.
First step - assembly!
In case you can't tell by my random musings above, on Saturday I went out and bought a grill.
First step - assembly!
The top of my 'altar' resting on its foam packing.
Various other parts strewn over both tables.
And after a couple of hours wrestling with screwdrivers and locking washers, behold!!! The only question was, would it fit through the door to the patio.
I connected up the Propane and we had heat. I was unable to test it yesterday as I had a surprise party to go to, so I rushed home after church and fired up the grill for the first time.
Now, regular readers of my blog know that I am almost fearless in the kitchen, elaborate cakes, 8 hour Cuban pork loin, complex pastry creations, fondant icing, you name it I've probably tried it. But there is something about grilling that is fearful for me - which is precisely why I bought the grill.
Men who would never darken the doors of the kitchen except to grab a beer from the fridge go almost Neanderthal at the grill. Women are banished as cooking over the fire is man's work. This is a stereotype of course, but the thing about stereotypes is that they do exist somewhere.
Anyway there is something in my internal thoughts that tells me I would not be good at grilling because I am not a 'Man's Man' - of course I have no idea what that term even means, but as I still can't even comprehend the rules of Football let alone understand its appeal, my internal thoughts have a foothold.
To conquer this I purchased this steel altar of masculinity.
And for its maiden voyage I made the following:
Chipotle Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used Angus 80/20 as you don't want the meat too lean)
2 Chipotle Chiles from a can of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce (Separate the rest into sandwich bags and freeze)
2 Tablespoons adobo sauce from the can.
3/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 minced green onions
1 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Mix all the ingredients together and form into 4 hamburger patties - chill for 30 minutes. If you make the patties slightly thinner in the middle than the edge then they won't balloon up during cooking.
They took about 7 minutes on the grill.
So how did it go? Well I was pleased that they weren't burnt and they weren't raw either. I cooked them over slightly too high a heat so I had a few more flare ups than expected, but I didn't lose any parts of them down into the heart of the grill and I was pleased that they were still moist when cooked.
My next attempt will be a Caribbean Pork Tenderloin, so if you hear a firetruck approaching the Heights, don't worry, I'm just conquering my fears and cooking dinner :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Beware the Pizza
I haven't written that much about it, but I'm dieting at the moment. I am working with a fitness/diet coach. Every day I try to do at least 10,000 steps (including a 30 minute walk), some stretches, drink 64oz of water and to consume no more than 2000 calories. Since I started on Feb 20th I have dropped 18 pounds!The walking and the water consumption have been a problem for me, the first few days it seemed like I was going to the restroom every few minutes! I think my bladder has finally gotten used to the fact that it has to do more work now. Fitting in time to walk has been tricky, I've gotten together a group of people to walk at lunchtime at work, but as the weather gets hotter I've found myself walking in the Mall more because of the ac!
I've been stuck on a weight plateau for a week now. Basically I haven't been eating enough calories, so my body has gone into 'lockdown' mode. It thinks it's starving so it holds onto the fat that it has stored and refuses to burn any in exercise. Well that's what I've read online and it seems to make sense to me :)
To counteract that I decided I needed to come off the diet (at least for one meal), so today I went with some friends to California Pizza Kitchen. I consumed one Jerk Chicken Pizza and drank water and when I looked up the nutrition had quite a shock.
That one pizza of yummy goodness contained the following:
1356 Calories
24g Saturated Fat - which is 90% of the recommended daily intake!
137g of Carbohydrates
4236g Sodium - which is a whopping 184% of the recommended daily intake!!!
74g of Protein
9g of Fibre
In the past with a meal like that I would have generally drank at least 3 Dr Peppers which would add about another 450 calories and 123g of sugar.
I would have eaten that without a second thought and no ill effects, and then consumed something equally unhealthy in the evening too.
Not today!!!
In the afternoon I had stomach pains, intestinal rumblings, and I actually felt a bit light headed and loopy as well. It's amazing what 7 weeks of healthy eating can do. My body now rejects what it used to crave. It made me realize that the scene in 'Super Size Me' where Morgan Spurlock throws up after eating nothing but McDonald's for three days straight is entirely plausible. He had a diet far healthier than mine before he started, and his descent into fatty carbohydrate hell was far more severe than mine
So this evening I have some green peppers and some tomatoes roasting in the oven with a drop of pesto, garlic and capers in each one. I will consume this with a small green salad, drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and a light dusting of parmesan cheese, and learn to listen to my body.......and hope that the carbohydrate shock of lunch is enough to get my body losing weight again!
And if you see me walking fast in the Mall, come say hello!
Fast Food Facts :(
I watched Super Size Me last weekend, and now having just read this, I don't think I can face a McDonalds again.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday Morning Cooking - Roti Parata!
A couple of weekends ago I went to a wonderful evening of Curry hosted by Doug and Veejay. Veejay's sister was in town from Canada where she owns an award winning Curry House. Her cooking was incredible and as part of the evening she taught us how to make Roti Parata. (I've also seen it spelled Prata or Pratatha)
I'm not going to post the dough recipe as she shared the one she uses which has some slight differences to the ones available online. Let's just say it tastes really good!
So here's what I cooked for Brunch today :)
I don't have any pics of the cooked version as I ate it rather quickly.
I'm not going to post the dough recipe as she shared the one she uses which has some slight differences to the ones available online. Let's just say it tastes really good!
So here's what I cooked for Brunch today :)
I don't have any pics of the cooked version as I ate it rather quickly.
Whilst researching videos of Parata throwing on YouTube (yes, I need a life) I came across this rather yummy breakfast version.
Here's a finished Cheese and Egg Roti Parata cooking in the pan
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Christ is Risen.....have a doughnut?
Growing up the U.K., doughnuts were considered an Afternoon Tea food. You would have sandwiches (white bread, with the crusts cut off of course) and hot tea with milk or lemon. The doughnut would be served as a sweet pastry at the end of the meal, usually as one choice among many, the Egg Custard, the Vanilla Slice and the Apple Turnover were all other options that made an appearance at our house.
One thing that did mystify me however was the appearance of the doughnut in church, usually as an enticement for somebody to enter the Sunday school room. Most of the churches I attended in the U.K. never served more than hot tea with a plain biscuit (that's cookie for you American readers). Occasionally a more progressive church might serve chocolate biscuits if their budget could cover it, but Rich Tea Biscuits or a Plain Digestive was the usual level of snackage at most churches in the U.K. 
It seems to me that doughnuts are almost a requirement for worship in the U.S. Every Easter our worshipping staff has involved discussions about how many doughnuts to order, where they should be placed around the church and what type of doughnut is best. Should we order cake doughnuts? Chocolate? Glazed? Filled? I never realized that part of planning Easter Worship would involved estimating doughnut consumption. I guess nothing says 'Christ is Risen' quite like deep fried sugary dough.
Occasionally the doughnut would migrate to regular tea time, but the idea of eating a doughnut for breakfast never crossed our mind, doughnuts were not to be consumed before at least midday. When I relocated to Lubbock, Texas, and discovered doughnuts being served as a breakfast staple I was mystified. Some cultural differences took a great deal of getting used too. But I soon embraced the mystery of the fried dough breakfast and began to consume my fair share as a way to break fast - this was of course before my love affair with the Kolache entered the picture.
One thing that did mystify me however was the appearance of the doughnut in church, usually as an enticement for somebody to enter the Sunday school room. Most of the churches I attended in the U.K. never served more than hot tea with a plain biscuit (that's cookie for you American readers). Occasionally a more progressive church might serve chocolate biscuits if their budget could cover it, but Rich Tea Biscuits or a Plain Digestive was the usual level of snackage at most churches in the U.K. It seems to me that doughnuts are almost a requirement for worship in the U.S. Every Easter our worshipping staff has involved discussions about how many doughnuts to order, where they should be placed around the church and what type of doughnut is best. Should we order cake doughnuts? Chocolate? Glazed? Filled? I never realized that part of planning Easter Worship would involved estimating doughnut consumption. I guess nothing says 'Christ is Risen' quite like deep fried sugary dough.Is it the shape I wonder, maybe subconsciously by consuming a doughnut we are consuming the stone that was in front of the tomb? Is it our way of declaring that not only is the tomb empty, but we are making sure it never gets blocked again? I wonder what the symbolism of sprinkles are.
Maybe it is us declaring our 'disdain' for the flesh by eating these fried carbohydrate bombs. We know our flesh will fail but our Spirits will live forever. Somehow I don't think Bavarian Cream was what St. Paul had in mind when he told us to 'Put to death the deeds of the body'.
I guess it's just as well that there is no Scriptural Prohibition against doughnut consumption. It could cause a severe drop in Church attendance if the only snack foods allowed were sauteed kale and pickled beetroot!
So this sunday I will dash between services trying to avoid small children with a doughnut in each hand and sugary smears across their faces....and I will try to remind myself that I don't need to eat a doughnut because their are better things I can do with the calories.
And then I will go celebrate the end of Lent by having my first Dr. Pepper since we broke up in February. Doughnuts are optional for me....but celebrating Easter without a D.P.? Inconceivable!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Pasta and Sauce
Things have been a bit crazy and emotional recently (don't worry, I'm ok) - when I get into that kind of place I generally retreat into cooking. Here is what is bubbling away on the stove right now :) It takes a bit of time, but it is sooo good!
[Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Cook's Illustrated who's cookbooks I adore!]
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs (trimmed of excess fat)
salt and black pepper (freshly ground of course!)
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pound Penne or Ziti
Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1. Heat oil in skillet till shimmering. Season the ribs with salt and black pepper and then brown on all sides, turning occasionally (8-10 minutes)
2. Transfer the ribs to a plate and drain off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet. Add the onions and saute till softened - about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the wine and simmer, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the wine reduces to a glaze - about 2 minutes.
4. Return the ribs (and juices) to the pan and then add the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer at a low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the ribs several times during this process. The meat should become very tender and practically fall off the bone.
5. Put the ribs on a clean plate. When they are cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bone and shred it with your fingers (discarding the fat and bones). Add the meat back to the skillet and bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
6. Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and then toss the pasta with the sauce and serve topped with the cheese.
Yummm!
[Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Cook's Illustrated who's cookbooks I adore!]
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs (trimmed of excess fat)
salt and black pepper (freshly ground of course!)
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pound Penne or Ziti
Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1. Heat oil in skillet till shimmering. Season the ribs with salt and black pepper and then brown on all sides, turning occasionally (8-10 minutes)
2. Transfer the ribs to a plate and drain off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet. Add the onions and saute till softened - about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the wine and simmer, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the wine reduces to a glaze - about 2 minutes.
4. Return the ribs (and juices) to the pan and then add the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer at a low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the ribs several times during this process. The meat should become very tender and practically fall off the bone.
5. Put the ribs on a clean plate. When they are cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bone and shred it with your fingers (discarding the fat and bones). Add the meat back to the skillet and bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
6. Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and then toss the pasta with the sauce and serve topped with the cheese.
Yummm!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Finishing the Christmas Cake
I posted a couple of weeks ago about making Christmas cake. Click Here
It is something we would have every year, it almost takes the status of an edible Christmas Decoration - every home has one, you may not particularly like the taste, but Christmas somehow feels diminished without its presence.
Well I took mine out of the pantry on Saturday to ice it and was immediately overwhelmed with the aroma of brandy - hardly surprising giving how much I poured into it!
Now all I had to do was ice it.
First step, turn the cake upside down! It gives you a nice flat surface to decorate and you can hide any flaws at the bottom with icing (sneaky I know)
A traditional English Christmas cake is always double covered. First it has a layer of Marzipan - an almond and sugar paste that was surprisingly difficult to track down. Strange because you can pick up bricks of it all over the U.K. at Christmas.
You cover the top and sides of the cake with warm Apricot Jelly to help the marzipan stick, and then cover.
Not bad for my first attempt since I was 17. After smoothing the top and the sides down I moved on to the next step. When I was growing up we used Royal Icing for this - a mixture of Egg Whites and Confectioners sugar which is notoriously difficult to work with as it dries so quickly. I always wanted to create a nice smooth finish but would always give up in frustration and covering the cake with a stipple effect to hide all the imperfections.
Enter ready made fondant!
Traditionally in the U.K. we would tie a large ribbon around the cake, but I didn't have one handy. I was trying to decide what to do when I glanced at the box that the fondant came in. The cake on the box was surrounded by white fondant balls, perfect for hiding uneven bottoms!!!
Emboldened by my success with the fondant I decided to try and construct a rosette (as the instructions were also on the box.
Here is the cake with the pieces of the rosette in front drying.
It is something we would have every year, it almost takes the status of an edible Christmas Decoration - every home has one, you may not particularly like the taste, but Christmas somehow feels diminished without its presence.
Well I took mine out of the pantry on Saturday to ice it and was immediately overwhelmed with the aroma of brandy - hardly surprising giving how much I poured into it!
Now all I had to do was ice it.
First step, turn the cake upside down! It gives you a nice flat surface to decorate and you can hide any flaws at the bottom with icing (sneaky I know)
A traditional English Christmas cake is always double covered. First it has a layer of Marzipan - an almond and sugar paste that was surprisingly difficult to track down. Strange because you can pick up bricks of it all over the U.K. at Christmas.You cover the top and sides of the cake with warm Apricot Jelly to help the marzipan stick, and then cover.
Not bad for my first attempt since I was 17. After smoothing the top and the sides down I moved on to the next step. When I was growing up we used Royal Icing for this - a mixture of Egg Whites and Confectioners sugar which is notoriously difficult to work with as it dries so quickly. I always wanted to create a nice smooth finish but would always give up in frustration and covering the cake with a stipple effect to hide all the imperfections.Enter ready made fondant!
So easy to roll and work with, it was glorious! Just stick it to the marzipan by wetting the marzipan slightly.
The cake looked great, although as you can see the bottom edge was a bit ragged because the cake rose unevenly (and it's upside down remember)
Traditionally in the U.K. we would tie a large ribbon around the cake, but I didn't have one handy. I was trying to decide what to do when I glanced at the box that the fondant came in. The cake on the box was surrounded by white fondant balls, perfect for hiding uneven bottoms!!!
I then rolled out some colored fondant and decided to hand carve some holly leaves, always a good festive touch, and relatively easy with a sharp knife.
Emboldened by my success with the fondant I decided to try and construct a rosette (as the instructions were also on the box.
Here is the cake with the pieces of the rosette in front drying.
And here is the finished cake. All ready to be consumed over the Christmas holidays - and probably well on into the New Year!!!
It's Jelly Time - WARNING!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently took time out from my busy rehearsal schedule to meet British Celebrity Chef Nigella Lawson.
Well I was browsing through her new Christmas Cookbook when I saw a recipe for Chile Jam (Jelly for all the American Readers). Now I had tasted Jalapeno Jelly a couple of years previously, served over cream cheese with crackers, and it was awesome, so I decided to make some Chile Jam of my own.
Here is Nigella's Recipe, along with some stern warnings!!!
1 cup seeded and roughly chopped Chiles
(I used Jalapeno the first time and Red Serrano the second time)
1 cup cored, seeded and roughly chopped bell pepper
(Same color as the peppers)
5 cups of sugar
1 box (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
(normally with the canning supplies, in my store near the saran wrap and foil!)
Small 8oz sealable jars -the recipe makes 5-6 cups worth
(I normally run these through the dishwasher on hot to sterilize them!)
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
A few drops of gel food coloring the same color as the peppers.
Put the chopped up chiles in the food processor and then pulse until they are finely diced.
Add the chunks of bell pepper and pulse until you have a finely chopped bowl full.
Dissolve the sugar and the pectin in the vinegar in a LARGE, I repeat LARGE pan over low heat.
Scrape the chile pepper mixture out of the bowl and into the pan. Bring to a boil and leave it at full rollicking boil for 15 minutes. DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON IT OR TAKE YOUR EYES OFF IT!!!!!
Take the pan off the heat and stir in a few drops of food coloring to get the desired color. Leave for about 40 minutes to cool.
Well I was browsing through her new Christmas Cookbook when I saw a recipe for Chile Jam (Jelly for all the American Readers). Now I had tasted Jalapeno Jelly a couple of years previously, served over cream cheese with crackers, and it was awesome, so I decided to make some Chile Jam of my own.
Here is Nigella's Recipe, along with some stern warnings!!!
1 cup seeded and roughly chopped Chiles
(I used Jalapeno the first time and Red Serrano the second time)
1 cup cored, seeded and roughly chopped bell pepper
(Same color as the peppers)
5 cups of sugar
1 box (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
(normally with the canning supplies, in my store near the saran wrap and foil!)
Small 8oz sealable jars -the recipe makes 5-6 cups worth
(I normally run these through the dishwasher on hot to sterilize them!)
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
A few drops of gel food coloring the same color as the peppers.
Put the chopped up chiles in the food processor and then pulse until they are finely diced.
Add the chunks of bell pepper and pulse until you have a finely chopped bowl full.
Dissolve the sugar and the pectin in the vinegar in a LARGE, I repeat LARGE pan over low heat.
Scrape the chile pepper mixture out of the bowl and into the pan. Bring to a boil and leave it at full rollicking boil for 15 minutes. DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON IT OR TAKE YOUR EYES OFF IT!!!!!
Take the pan off the heat and stir in a few drops of food coloring to get the desired color. Leave for about 40 minutes to cool.
After 40 minutes give it a stir and then ladle it into jars - a jelly funnel is really helpful here if you have one :)
So why all the stern warnings??? Well as you can see from the picture below, even though the amount of jelly before it boils looks rather feeble in the bottom of the pan, it increases in volume rapidly.
The first time I was making the jelly I was making a double amount in a pan that size, which at first glance seemed plenty big enough - bad mistake. I turned my back and walked away from the stove. From the other side of the kitchen I saw hot bubbling Jam, overflow the pan, flow over the oven, down the kitchen counters and onto the tile floor. I couldn't reach the burner to turn it off straight away as I was barefoot and didn't want to get burns on the soles of my feet. If you make this please be very careful, it is hot and sticky, so if it gets on your skin it burns and is tricky to wash off.
I had to wait until the jelly cooled down and then take the stove top apart and clean EVERYTHING.
Well here are the two jellies I made, sorry about the dim lighting. One is a very festive green (made from Jalapeno) and the other is a christmassy red (made from Red Serrano).
The jalapeno has a gentle warmth, whereas the Serrano has some fire to it!!!
The second time I made the Jelly it actually was a very simple process, although the fumes from the Serrano peppers both while seeding and then while cooking were very very potent - open some windows and turn the vents on!!!
The jellies look festive and they taste great with cold ham.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
NOT the Christmas Cake Recipe I used :)
A Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 1 bottle Brandy
* 2 cups of dried fruit
Sample the brandy to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the brandy again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the brandy is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.
Turn off the mixer thingy.
Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.
Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the brandy to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
Check the brandy.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the brandy and wipe counter with the cat.
Bingle Jells!
Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 1 bottle Brandy
* 2 cups of dried fruit
Sample the brandy to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the brandy again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the brandy is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.
Turn off the mixer thingy.
Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.
Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the brandy to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
Check the brandy.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the brandy and wipe counter with the cat.
Bingle Jells!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Meeting Heros
I've posted a lot about my love for Nigella Lawson and her cookbooks. (You can read and see her Jumbleberry Crumble here, and it was her Christmas cake I made last week) Well she has a new cookbook just out that is all Christmas recipes and I was fortunate enough to meet her at a book signing this evening!
She had been talking and signing books for an 90 minutes by the time I went through the line, and she was still wonderfully energetic and polite - I'm glad I got to meet her :)
She had been talking and signing books for an 90 minutes by the time I went through the line, and she was still wonderfully energetic and polite - I'm glad I got to meet her :)
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