tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23799209954120574042024-03-14T07:56:39.549-07:00A Greedy Piglet....a little bit of piglet and a lot of greedy. josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-8633930882596893872020-04-02T02:35:00.001-07:002020-04-02T02:39:08.398-07:00C-19... calling C-19... are you there? Fancy some bread pudding?It is the <span style="color: red;"><b>2nd </b></span><span style="color: red;"><b>April</b></span><span style="color: red;"><b> 2020</b></span>, London is now more than two weeks into lock-down. I live in the suburbs, on the border of Chingford and Walthamstow, and outside, where it used to be seething with people and bicycles and cars, it is eerily quiet and looks like the set of a dystopian film.<br />
<br />
The streets are empty, the roads pretty much so, since none of us are supposed to leave our homes unless we have somewhere important to go to: food shops, doctors, pharmacy, work related if it is REALLY important. Otherwise, it's all down to social media and Whatsapp to keep in touch. Oh, and maybe Zoom if you are working from home. <br /><br />Most shops are shut and shuttered, except for food stores, and with the exception of supermarkets, which have socially distanced 6 foot apart queues to get in (since nobody can get a delivery slot, even though that's what we're supposed to do), the food stores, the little ones I only use when I run out of bread or milk, and think to myself when I am in there, 'Who buys all these tins?', are proving to be free of people and a lifesaver.<br />
<br />
I've pretty much got a couple of weeks worth of food now, except I'll need some fresh veg later in the week, and probably some milk. I found eggs last week for the first time in nearly a fortnight. I had some flour delivered on Tuesday this week, and I'm waiting on a delivery of fresh veg and fruit (sadly, still not arrived though promised for Tuesday). Smaller restaurant supply companies who have extended their availability to home deliveries are overwhelmed, and we've been let down twice now for milk and veg.<br />
<br />
So we'll see.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I've got some rather stiff bread, and so it's time to bring out my mum's bread pudding recipe. <br />
<br />
Quarantine changes:<br />
<br />
* no dried fruit? Use chopped up bananas or apples instead. <br />
*no treacle? use gravy browning to add colour (no, really! it's just dark caramel) <br />
*no butter? any fat will do - my mum used to use Atora suet (bit claggy, but if needs must...) <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77H8_WtdYfIafmDaFey1PWHzI1jd_v7OJ_XHTbt53Sm1B9AvQ_wfbJ_2J6Jx5mODfijo8WVLnzM1KmQXi7rGzk7f5-m-8uJnVQt62GLt2fHr7b0uLB7wpfSzGYS3Po4QIevDvtmPJCBo/s1600/bread-pudding-small1-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77H8_WtdYfIafmDaFey1PWHzI1jd_v7OJ_XHTbt53Sm1B9AvQ_wfbJ_2J6Jx5mODfijo8WVLnzM1KmQXi7rGzk7f5-m-8uJnVQt62GLt2fHr7b0uLB7wpfSzGYS3Po4QIevDvtmPJCBo/s1600/bread-pudding-small1-300x225.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There are great foods in all our repertoires that have taste memories in
them. That take you right back to childhood. Sometimes bad, mostly
good (I think I have deliberately erased the really bad ones though...)<br />
<br />
Bread pudding is one of the good ones for me. I am talking about proper
bread pudding, not bread-and-butter pudding. Good as that is, B&B
pudding is very much a dessert, a light egg custard held together with
slices of buttered bread and fruit (dried, fresh, even jam). Bread
pudding is something quite different, a cake to be eaten alongside a cup
of tea, to fill the gap between lunch and dinner, to assuage the
after-school hunger of growing kids. <br />
<br />
It is as old as the hills, a good working class cake, made by people who
couldn't afford to waste anything. These days, of course, we don't have
to worry about where every last crust will go, and so we make versions
that are considerably more luxurious than the ones made in the days
during and between the wars. Mine is certainly more fruity and spicey
than my mum's. <br />
<br />
Less stodgy too. The wartime recipe I was brought up on had suet and
flour in to make it solid and claggy. I loved it at the time, but these
days, I want something lighter and less fatty on my palate. <br />
<br />
I have been asked many a time for this recipe, but it has always been
tricky to get the recipe down. It is, after all, a recipe made to use up
leftovers, and for this very reason the quantities are variable,
depending on what is actually left over. I know what I want the mix to
look like, but how to convey this to someone who hasn't been there
whilst I have been cooking is very difficult, and I take my hat off to
recipe developers around the world.<br />
<br />
So armed with a pencil and a now-rather-sticky notebook, I took the
trouble to weigh and measure as I went, and this is what I came up with.
Now these measures are not written in stone, this kind of recipe is
good natured, it doesn't depend on strict ratios to work, you can up and
down the various ingredients as you feel fit. The bread/egg/butter
ratio is probably best kept roughly to this, but you can add more/less
fruit, sugar, spice, to suit your own taste. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
300g Stale bread, cut roughly into chunks <i>(I've made this with stale fruit loaf as well as ordinary bread, works beautifully) </i><br />
50g soft brown sugar<br />
250g dried fruit<br />
1 tbs black treacle<br />
50g butter<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten just enough to mix yolk & white together<br />
1 heaped tsp ground mixed spice </blockquote>
<br />
Soak the bread in COLD water to cover until the crusts on the bread are
nice and soft. Squeeze the water out of the bread until it is as dry as
you can get it. Put the squeezed bread into a mixing bowl, throw the
water away.<br />
<br />
Roughly break the bread up (sort of squish it between your fingers, like making mud pies)<br />
<br />
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and black treacle together (TIP
warm the spoon first before you get the treacle out of the tin, then it
just slides off the spoon into the pan). You just want it warm and
runny, don't let it boil - it turns into toffee pretty quickly. <br />
<br />
Add the fruit, egg, sugar and spice to the bread, together with the
treacle/butter mix and mix it all up. It should be quite a sloppy mix,
very similar to Christmas Pudding. <br />
<br />
Turn into a greased and base lined tin - usually people would cook this
in a flat traybake tin, but I have recently started cooking it in a 1lb
loaf tin, I find that I get more squishy middle bit, which is the bit I
like. If you like the crunchy outside, then a traybake will be better
for you. <br />
<br />
Run a fork over the top surface to roughen it up, and sprinkle with a
little extra sugar - demerara is good if you have any, or just ordinary
granulated. <br />
<br />
Bake at medium temperature (roughly Gas Mark 4, 350/180 degrees but (in
particular if you have a fan oven) do check the temperature and timing,
the raisins can turn into little charred bullets if your oven cooks
hot), for about an hour. It won't rise much, and when you test it it
will probably still be a little damp, that's ok. Sprinkle with a little
more sugar if it isn't crunchy enough on the top for your liking. Let
it cool in the tin before taking it out - it is quite delicate, and it
will break apart if you take it out whilst it is still hot.<br />
<br />
Oh, by the way... I fibbed about it only being a cake. The pudding name
is quite right. It is also delicious hot with cream or ice cream as a
REAL pudding.<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-3976923343832160842020-04-01T07:01:00.001-07:002020-04-01T07:03:14.906-07:00The best of a Greedy Piglet: Oh please... have a heartI was prompted to re-blog this old post from the <a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/" target="_blank">old Greedy Piglet site</a>, as someone on Twitter using #JackMonroesLockDownLarder had mentioned they'd picked up some hearts. This was a calf's heart I got at a farmer's market, but all the points go for lambs' hearts, too. Ox heart, if you find it, needs the same low, slow, braising but for even longer than lambs' hearts. Let me know if you need any help!<br />
<br />
----------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSPNC0gIMVTEyx_wRh99hHTOqzpAoR30o50pOGzSKTiFXY0nGQACLiFMYcx-G0KZOsdMNt0MB4jamjDESqlq-DVuQWq9CiL1P8dH0LvWELu3pEzLh19vZvqopN6mYW-SM6E_d4ZNF94Y/s1600/heartfinish-023-300x255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSPNC0gIMVTEyx_wRh99hHTOqzpAoR30o50pOGzSKTiFXY0nGQACLiFMYcx-G0KZOsdMNt0MB4jamjDESqlq-DVuQWq9CiL1P8dH0LvWELu3pEzLh19vZvqopN6mYW-SM6E_d4ZNF94Y/s1600/heartfinish-023-300x255.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the exciting things about Farmer’s Markets is picking up
unusual hard-to-find meat from the farmer who is doing the producing. <a href="https://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/walthamstow/" target="_blank">Walthamstow</a> has some very interesting meat, a couple of whom are selling rose veal, which I love.<br />
<br />
Lucy’s Veal was
at Walthamstow this last weekend, and I picked up a calf’s heart from
them. Now it might be that you are not used to eating offal, but as a
child, I think roughly half our meals were made up of these bits and
bobs – they are both cheap and tasty. We had tripe, kidneys, liver and,
one of my favourites, heart. I have never got the taste for sweetbreads
or brains – I think because even back then, these were delicacies and
too expensive for our table. When we had hearts they were never calf's hearts (I don't think I ever saw one, and to be honest, since getting this, I've never seen one again), always lambs' hearts
(nice and portion sized) or ox heart (quite tough and needs really long
cooking).<br />
<br />
Veal in the 1960s was frantically expensive milk veal imported from
Holland, and I don’t think we ever ate it. It is such a pity that rose
veal wasn’t about then. Now, with the rise in popularity of ethically
farmed rose veal, which allows farmers to raise the bull calves they
would have slaughtered as worthless in the past, fresh veal and liver
are not as frighteningly expensive as they once were. When you consider
that our dairy herds are producing calves in order to continue to
produce the milk we want, you can see that this must have meant a
disgraceful waste.<br />
<br />
Heart needs long slow cooking, and although you may read that it can
be roasted, I think this is never successful. Unless you really enjoy
eating a rugby ball (both in looks and texture) then I would recommend a
long, slow, braise.<br />
<br />
So, coming to the heart of the matter… here is how I cook it. I paid
just £2.40 for a decent-sized heart which weighed around 700g
untrimmed. You have to allow for trimming, and you have to expect the
heart to look like a heart. If you're using lamb's hearts reckon one to one-and-half per person. Don’t imagine you will get neatly cut pieces
in a polystyrene tray. This is what eating real meat is about, and we all
need to accept that our meat is a body part and comes from a real
animal.. (rant over…)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTevwvNOryHOPdxtX80iz5-gQQTjqOqR4H7ZKIkTKR7HfI3EW9_2USkpNFzxFT7UoF6tkAqjelfAGt-t62YmHQzue5F_XR-1ZrSKVCgJLbb5YL4HZ-8ESoMEbolkHjylefQzmg9YHXbo/s1600/heartwhole016-300x233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTevwvNOryHOPdxtX80iz5-gQQTjqOqR4H7ZKIkTKR7HfI3EW9_2USkpNFzxFT7UoF6tkAqjelfAGt-t62YmHQzue5F_XR-1ZrSKVCgJLbb5YL4HZ-8ESoMEbolkHjylefQzmg9YHXbo/s1600/heartwhole016-300x233.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="sn_pinterest">
</div>
<br />
Trim away all the tubes and stringy bits from the
top third of the heart, leaving yourself the meaty lower part. This is the same for lamb's hearts, by the way. Ox heart tends to be already cut into slices. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GdoKM8eaV5j6qBd3kle9wL_cHfUYWhOLivsPNi6OTllejL_TXIannIMozhbbT8gIjW7-ILaxJImu19ChNGHs5WHVFEL64E4E32se7rdfzz-akf58LFQ8s5O41dTxmN229CyOmqA8XjU/s1600/heartcut016-300x233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GdoKM8eaV5j6qBd3kle9wL_cHfUYWhOLivsPNi6OTllejL_TXIannIMozhbbT8gIjW7-ILaxJImu19ChNGHs5WHVFEL64E4E32se7rdfzz-akf58LFQ8s5O41dTxmN229CyOmqA8XjU/s1600/heartcut016-300x233.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="sn_pinterest">
</div>
<br />
Slice this meaty part into thin slices, roughly 15mm thick, and soak
this in cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar for around 10 minutes.
This will clean out any bits of blood that may have been missed in the
butchery.<br />
<br />
Whilst the meat is soaking, slice up a couple of onions, some
carrots, turnips and swede, and pop all the vegetables in the pressure
cooker, or into a flameproof casserole dish if you are cooking this in
the oven. Drain the meat and add to the vegetables, mixing well. Add
around a pint and a bit of water, some stock powder or a stock cube, a
tablespoonful of Lea and Perrins and a good shake of dried thyme. Stir
it all up.<br />
<br />
If you are using a pressure cooker, bring to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes (an hour for ox heart). If cooking in the oven, bring to the boil, then transfer to the
oven and cook for 3-4 (5-6 for ox heart) hours at Gas Mark 3 ( 165 C).<br />
<br />
Thicken lightly
with flour (depending on how thick you like your gravy around a
tablespoon of flour, slake with cold water and add some of the hot stock
before mixing into the main part of the stew to avoid lumps) and simmer
for a further 15 mins whilst you cook some potatoes and fresh green
vegetable of some kind (I used spring greens). Serve in nice deep soup
plates with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.<br />
<br />
This should feed a not too hungry family of four (two adults and two children) or me and my starving husband…..josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-59213476969993632132016-04-28T08:40:00.001-07:002016-04-28T08:40:18.886-07:00Bananas. Rum, Vanilla, Granola. Coming to a desk near me shortly...One of the pleasures of my prize <a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/" target="_blank">Abel and Cole</a> fruit box (I won a three month subscription as part of a prize from Quaker Oats, isn't that amazing!) has been massive bowlfuls of bananas and oranges. I love them both, so it is no problem working my way through them, but often bananas can suddenly turn. Or I just have too many that week.<br />
<br />
Now my turn-to way of using them up is banana bread. I hesitate to call it banana cake as some do, as I recently I have been making mine almost un-sweet, keeping the sugar content really low. And, if you keep your added sugars low, you need to make sure that your bananas are as full of sugar, as against starch, as possible. So use up those black ones!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zubla9UCoPIa9DFd92rrBxovXz0l4rARRswnUPTkHCK64YeUfpRwKdfrEQVhuUT4Vm3RP7sEXPvF1M2EH8THVwcuT1XZKZ_HfdpdjF8jg6rZ1aifsrs_zXg4G5gb7i-241-IiT8KGHs/s1600/bananabread+and+tea001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zubla9UCoPIa9DFd92rrBxovXz0l4rARRswnUPTkHCK64YeUfpRwKdfrEQVhuUT4Vm3RP7sEXPvF1M2EH8THVwcuT1XZKZ_HfdpdjF8jg6rZ1aifsrs_zXg4G5gb7i-241-IiT8KGHs/s320/bananabread+and+tea001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />This recipe has some amazing things about it:<br />
<br />
<b>Amazing thing #1</b> How far should you let your bananas go before baking? Here are the bananas I used today. You can see, the three on the left hand side are ridiculously ripe. If you didn't know, you'd reckon these were fit only for the bin. The last one on the right hand side, a very ripe eating banana, is the minimum degree of ripeness I would accept for banana bread making. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LeoFyQiFcxMd4FsA35oB4q7mKC0hyr5AAKk-M_2YDfL5oZezBF44v-IfMj74M3XS3xqtsQJc2-lgyfYo6_Nzr0CzWdpZ5zij5SD6QLwC_dSfCvr9SofP3xgYgN9wD90E1XAjEmd0xEs/s1600/bananas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LeoFyQiFcxMd4FsA35oB4q7mKC0hyr5AAKk-M_2YDfL5oZezBF44v-IfMj74M3XS3xqtsQJc2-lgyfYo6_Nzr0CzWdpZ5zij5SD6QLwC_dSfCvr9SofP3xgYgN9wD90E1XAjEmd0xEs/s320/bananas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When they are opened you can really see the difference. The yellow banana is still firm, and banana coloured. The other three are turning golden and very soft, almost like caramel. The one on the far left was just a little too far gone and was starting to shrivel slightly; it had some dry patches that I cut away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJga71cqKXPgA5kk9hRLLggJO507TXYSHSk-eTz-dhxwv0BzD0ZpzkEJ7PBXHpr6qXziNWm58sk05SCa7N-GWX31xbZqIFSN373UJeOc8cfkZxhedv1j3Eopm05VOFeETbw8cR5ztHlE/s1600/bananasopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJga71cqKXPgA5kk9hRLLggJO507TXYSHSk-eTz-dhxwv0BzD0ZpzkEJ7PBXHpr6qXziNWm58sk05SCa7N-GWX31xbZqIFSN373UJeOc8cfkZxhedv1j3Eopm05VOFeETbw8cR5ztHlE/s320/bananasopen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Amazing thing #2</b> I added a little rum to this recipe as well, as I had seen my @tpcookbookclub friend Debora Robinson do with great success in an apple cake, and I was pleased as punch (rum punch, ok?) with this addition. I'm sure there is a chemical reason why it makes the cake light and delicious, but I don't know it. So if you, let me know, yes?<br />
<br />
<b>Amazing thing #3</b> It should have had 2 eggs in it. But I totally forgot to add the eggs. Try it as per the recipe, then try it again with the eggs (I will do soon...) and let me know which you prefer!<br />
<br />
<b>Amazing thing #4</b> There is hardly any fat in this, just 2 tablespoons of oil. The bananas plus the yoghurt make this so moist it really doesn't need any more fat. But you could try it with a bit more, maybe some butter. This is a very forgiving recipe. Let me know how you change it and what you prefer, so I can try it myself! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwNI4b_IPx_o4aOUOnCXlMmy6blbazkMJzzJ4yRdxwFbPOcFzB9Q7z6_VGw_bvONbUrHo4A2sBfx4vVgQX62JN4Rbqb4N6MpIhvt3CuI3E0BFuNTUqtK4ZkG49y4k-bzaqFp1Oe7v8AU/s1600/bananatins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwNI4b_IPx_o4aOUOnCXlMmy6blbazkMJzzJ4yRdxwFbPOcFzB9Q7z6_VGw_bvONbUrHo4A2sBfx4vVgQX62JN4Rbqb4N6MpIhvt3CuI3E0BFuNTUqtK4ZkG49y4k-bzaqFp1Oe7v8AU/s320/bananatins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I baked this in three small loaf tins I have that I hardly ever remember to use. One little loaf made a very pleasant afternoon tiffin split between Bob and me, and I would imagine this, with its nourishing granola addition, would make a perfect breakfast bread as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4-PC_mxZ3XbOjtJZORKEmU0mYpsexJd1J6ArX9yRhp1fY_9VqTrkh-5AMaKI8JM5shjTukBdIC2VcHuLfP_380ghsx1nrEsvxz1Bm8_jVeT73jwxG_Zz-7bIop8z_9kkaTSOloNbBNQ/s1600/bananacake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4-PC_mxZ3XbOjtJZORKEmU0mYpsexJd1J6ArX9yRhp1fY_9VqTrkh-5AMaKI8JM5shjTukBdIC2VcHuLfP_380ghsx1nrEsvxz1Bm8_jVeT73jwxG_Zz-7bIop8z_9kkaTSOloNbBNQ/s320/bananacake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Do give it a try, and let me know how you get on.<br />
<br />
<b>Banana Bread, with Rum and Granola.</b><br />
<br />
The original recipe I adapted this from was in US cup measures. I weighed as I went, (I am learning...) to give you the metric quantities as well.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
120g / half US cup Greek or thick full fat yoghurt<br />
3-4 very ripe bananas, depending on size, the pulp should weigh around 130g +/-<br />
1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or half tsp vanilla essence<br />
2 tbspns rum (the dark one)<br />
2 tbspns light oil<br />
60g / one third US cup light muscovado sugar<br />
<br />
200g / 1 and half US cup SR flour - I used Marriages light brown SR flour, I like the small amount of bran this gives, but I am sure white would also work<br />
half tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
half tsp fine salt<br />
120g / 1 US cup granola - I used Lizi's Treacle and Pecan, as I had run out of walnuts that I would usually add. Use any granola you like.<br />
Extra granola for sprinkling </blockquote>
<br />
3 mini loaf tins (mine take around 300g - larger than minis but considerably smaller than a 1lb tin. But it isn't important. You could use anything you like, muffin tins even. Just play with the timings.)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to Gas Mk 4, 350F 170C<br />
Grease your tins and put onto a baking sheet.<br />
<br />
Mash the bananas in a large bowl, add the yoghurt, vanilla, rum, sugar and oil and using a fork mix together until thoroughly blended. <b>If you decide to add in some eggs (!) you would add two here and mix them in thoroughly.</b><br />
Sift the flour, bicarb and salt into the bowl, blend in roughly, as you would for muffins, you want a few strands of flour still visible, and then lightly stir in the granola.<br />
Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes (this lets the bicarb start to work, I think it makes a lighter crumb than using it straight away, though its not imperative to do this. But it means that if you have forgotten to grease your tins, you can do it now!) <br />
Divide the mix between the tins, and top with a further sprinkle of granola.<br />
<br />
Bake for somewhere between 20 and 60 minutes depending on the size of your tins. My tins took 30 mins. I would expect muffins to take around 20, and a single loaf tin (2lb size) the full hour. Test with a skewer, it should come out clean but not dry.<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-57129581705328017872016-04-25T13:00:00.001-07:002016-04-25T13:00:51.045-07:00The Josordoni Claudia Roden Orange x Tarta Santiago F1 hybrid cross cake.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhSLK9bZIIPWzrWyu1zB1nkKOYH-KH3q5TWRuC47I_nuFBoLynzoNsRqtfZemUzCRwR9NwNn4ZK7RKKyjyRwdLsNBHNAjQ_WUAw81p8zv_mA9bjuQdChIvZEix5idqytECd1vO_rqJa8/s1600/12960120_1214582358561145_1893249223_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhSLK9bZIIPWzrWyu1zB1nkKOYH-KH3q5TWRuC47I_nuFBoLynzoNsRqtfZemUzCRwR9NwNn4ZK7RKKyjyRwdLsNBHNAjQ_WUAw81p8zv_mA9bjuQdChIvZEix5idqytECd1vO_rqJa8/s320/12960120_1214582358561145_1893249223_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here it is... as requested by many, many people.<br />
<br />
The Josordoni Claudia Roden Orange x Tarta Santiago F1 hybrid cross cake as presented to, and approved by, Sr Jose Pizarro at Thane Prince's inimitable Cook Book Club.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37ZfQd9X0ZX30Se0zVPaC8QDO-nLesCBEEFgqMzD1Z1oWre_Qx5vXD53seCpIpa9nBJfWz96-ZWyW4JLyApGhj1HBBuulTbYj64o8Nxio9cbY5K3JZY6ZxxFSUQOrRm5ztlmq_BTre_8/s1600/santiago1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37ZfQd9X0ZX30Se0zVPaC8QDO-nLesCBEEFgqMzD1Z1oWre_Qx5vXD53seCpIpa9nBJfWz96-ZWyW4JLyApGhj1HBBuulTbYj64o8Nxio9cbY5K3JZY6ZxxFSUQOrRm5ztlmq_BTre_8/s320/santiago1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
How's that for a plaudit, eh? <br />
<br />
Now, are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, there was a girl called GoldiOrangeLocks. She loved almond cakes, and she loved whole orange cakes.<br />
<br />
But the Claudia Roden cake with whole oranges was toooooo wet.<br />
<br />
And the Tarta Santiago cake with no oranges was toooooo dry.<br />
<br />
"But I want a cake to present to The Spanish King!" she cried. "I don't want a wet cake! I don't want a dry cake! I want a cake that is JUST RIGHT!"<br />
<br />
So she made one. <br />
<br />
And here it is.<br />
<br />
And I warn you now, it uses rather a lot of different whisks and processors and stuff. So make sure the dishwasher is empty, or that the sink is full of soapy water in readiness. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
125-130g orange pulp (roughly equivalent to the pulp of one orange)<br />
100 g ground almonds<br />
100g ground roast hazelnuts<br />
50g chopped roast hazelnuts<br />
250g caster sugar - split into 2 portions of 125g each<br />
Zest of 2 oranges<br />
quarter teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
quarter teaspoon orange extract - the best you can find, if you don't have an excellent one then omit it.<br />
2 teaspoon orange flower water<br />
5 eggs, separated</blockquote>
<br />
Firstly, make your orange pulp in advance as you will want it to cool. Because of the amount of time and energy used, I boiled 5 medium sized oranges, then pulped them, cooled the pulp, split it into 5 and froze in individual portions.<br />
<br />
You need to cover your whole, unpeeled oranges with water and boil for approx 2 hours until a skewer will go through the orange with no effort at all - you can pressure cook for 20 mins if you prefer. Slice the oranges in half horizontally, and flick out any pips. Check the little stalk buttons have been removed. Put the oranges into a food processor and process until you can no longer see any large pieces of peel through the side of the processor bowl. Allow to cool, then remove 130g for today, and portion and freeze the remainder. I made my cake with frozen and defrosted pulp to check it would work ok; it is fine. You will find as it defrosts that the juice separates out a bit, but just use a fork to mix it all together again.<br />
<br />
Grease and line (base and sides) a cake tin, either an 8" square or an 8" springform, depending on what you have. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4 180F 160C <br />
<br />
In a clean and dry food processor, put the ground nuts and one portion of sugar and blitz it together to get rid of any lumps and blend the two together nicely. Then add the chopped hazelnuts. Put this mixture to one side, and get rid of the food processor. You won't need it again, and it takes up a lot of room.<br />
<br />
Next, I like to use a hand held mixer for whisking the egg whites and yolks. You can use a stand mixer if you like, but I find that a hand held is easier, as I need to have the eggs in two different bowls, and I only have one bowl that fits my Kenwood.<br />
<br />
You want clean dry beaters for the egg whites, so I do them first. The slight separation in the meringue whilst you whisk up the egg yolks won't make too much difference. If you have two sets of whisks, you could do the yolks first, then you'd be sure you wouldn't lose any bulk in the whites. Your choice.<br />
<br />
Whisk up the egg whites, then, to a nice, thick meringue, but stop before it gets to stiff peaks. (You want a bit stiffer than soft peaks, but they should still have a bit further to go. This means they still are able to expand in the oven, and this helps the cake to rise and not have a sad middle bit. )<br />
<br />
In an another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the 2nd portion of caster sugar, until they are thick and form a ribbon that stays on the surface for a moment when you lift the whisk. They don't need to be a really white mousse, you don't want the egg whites to wait around too long if you don't have two whisks...<br />
<br />
Thoroughly fold the orange pulp, the zest, the essences and the orange flower water into the egg yolk mixture. Add the nut/sugar mixture and fold in.<br />
Add 2 tablespoons of egg white and mix this in thoroughly, to help slacken the mixture. Then add all the rest of the egg whites in one go, and fold in carefully. You want to lose as little bulk as possible - these are your only raising agent, after all. The mixture should look very airy and mousse like.<br />
<br />
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, it shouldn't be very deep - too thick and it takes an age for the middle to cook, which makes the edges dry out too much. Put the tin on a central shelf, and cook for 30-35 minutes - a skewer should come out clean from the middle of the cake, and it should have shrunk very slightly from the edges.<br />
<br />
Cool in the tin, it is too fragile to turn out when it is warm.<br />
<br />
Dredge with icing sugar when it is fully cold.<br />
<br />
This is glorious served with orange fillets in caramel (I used the oranges I took the zest from), with a scoop of Greek yoghurt, or vanilla icecream.<br />
<br />
Do try this, and let me know what you think!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-77282756644680537602016-04-25T11:41:00.000-07:002016-04-25T12:06:41.291-07:00Get your Oats! <br />
Oats. They're one of my favourite grains. I adore porridge on a cold, wintery (or spring) morning, and muesli and granola come into play in the summer. All the oats. They are extremely good for you, with a soluble kind of fibre that apparently scrubs away all the cholesterol that might be clogging up your arteries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xgKYgnSLD1iq5IL9kARYW7mkn-OWn01oAIEIZXu__AxfYduulNnVB-8MTz0h2EijRVhlD1-R7Stws6UtAxs2y74T2JQVmVa-8ljqQaEMgbOqnJuny5L3U8US69QFheK5n3wRtzm70-s/s1600/oats-701299_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xgKYgnSLD1iq5IL9kARYW7mkn-OWn01oAIEIZXu__AxfYduulNnVB-8MTz0h2EijRVhlD1-R7Stws6UtAxs2y74T2JQVmVa-8ljqQaEMgbOqnJuny5L3U8US69QFheK5n3wRtzm70-s/s320/oats-701299_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And it makes wonderful bread rolls. Honestly, the crust and crumb are soft, but with a bit of texture from the oats, perfect to have with soup, or as a breakfast roll, with a couple of salty slices of bacon tucked inside with some ketchup (sorry, brown sauce fans. I can't allow you to have my lovely rolls, unless you move over to the Side of Light and have ketchup. The Dark Side has no fans here).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MRr6fRnVULGmnpZ1xJ_e8K6ndU9RbYJqouBQ0P4G0r9flBCK2Y_swt4dQKXQWS705jLiYtNn5PTz3PPIZ4XEogr6hf-QMCRO_1lXlOvfsWodDOudXOSlxcEJOOsHllQXe1sGM8xLFtQ/s1600/2016-04-21+19.26.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MRr6fRnVULGmnpZ1xJ_e8K6ndU9RbYJqouBQ0P4G0r9flBCK2Y_swt4dQKXQWS705jLiYtNn5PTz3PPIZ4XEogr6hf-QMCRO_1lXlOvfsWodDOudXOSlxcEJOOsHllQXe1sGM8xLFtQ/s320/2016-04-21+19.26.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I've made them a couple of times now, pushing up the amount of oats. The following seems to be my optimum, but feel free to play around with the recipe with more or less oats, adjusting the amount of flour to make up the same overall weight of dry goods.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p_sfiigBypZtXKDbnYBpwEyVrFPO-FnbgKmLvQQ0kqYKssosgqUE29Z9arihToPBwWsLM-6cLBthvDOYQ_HJT-gtCLvDrkbTLJgb2PBxPg8ZuolwbDlMm3wn7qH21X4b8r4f21_nnCs/s1600/2016-04-21+19.27.390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p_sfiigBypZtXKDbnYBpwEyVrFPO-FnbgKmLvQQ0kqYKssosgqUE29Z9arihToPBwWsLM-6cLBthvDOYQ_HJT-gtCLvDrkbTLJgb2PBxPg8ZuolwbDlMm3wn7qH21X4b8r4f21_nnCs/s320/2016-04-21+19.27.390.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I use a Kenwood Chef stand mixer, and the instructions are for that, but, of course, you can simply mix and knead by hand. If you do that, I suggest that you follow Dan Lepard's method for short, sharp kneads, as it is the most muscle-friendly, effective method I know. I found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loAGmUj4VL8" target="_blank">this lovely video about Dan's ethos and method on YouTube</a>: do watch it if you have time.<br />
<br />
So here we go, this is how I make my Porridge Rolls.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
100g rolled oats (ordinary ones for preference, not jumbo oats.)<br />
250g boiling water<br />
10g fresh yeast, (or 1 x 7g packet of instant dried yeast )<br />
2 tablespoons tepid water<br />
1 tsp honey<br />
1 egg (size doesn't really matter)<br />
100g Light Brown self raising flour (I like Marriage's)<br />
180g strong white flour<br />
1 tsp fine salt<br />
Optional: flour for tops, or egg wash (1 egg and a little water, whisked together) and poppy or sesame seeds or a mixture of both) </blockquote>
<br />
Put the rolled oats and salt in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave to sit for 10- 15, minutes, giving it a stir from time to time.<br />
Meanwhile, mix the fresh yeast, honey and tepid water together in a small bowl and leave to get slightly frothy. (If you are using instant dried yeast, then omit this step, you will add the yeast to the flour. In which case, mix the honey and extra water into the oats)<br />
<br />
After 10-15 mins, check that you can comfortably stick a finger into the middle of the oats. If not, then leave a little bit longer. Once they are nicely at blood temperature, dump the oats into the bowl of a stand mixer and using a wooden spoon, mix the egg and yeast mixture (if using fresh yeast) into the oats (this is easier than trying to do it with the dough hook).<br />
<br />
Add the flours, and the yeast if you are using instant dried yeast, and mix on a low speed using the dough hook until it all clumps together. Cover the bowl and leave it for 20 mins so that everything can fully hydrate and the gluten start to activate.<br />
<br />
Mix for 4 minutes on speed 2. The dough should clear the bottom of the bowl, but still be quite soft. If it looks a little dry add a little more water.<br />
<br />
Transfer the dough to a bowl with a spoonful of olive oil in the base, and turn the dough over in the oil, tucking in the edges. Cover with cling film or a clean shower cap. Leave to prove in a warm place for around 40-60 minutes until at least doubled in size.<br />
<br />
Turn out onto a floured board, and using a bench scraper cut the dough into 12 pieces. Lightly flatten and pre-form these pieces into rounds and leave for 5 minutes before shaping again into round rolls. I like to turn each piece upside down, flatten lightly and fold in from the four sides to the middle. Then turn over so the smooth side is uppermost again, and, making a cup of your hand onto the worktop, rotate each ball lightly inside the palm of your hand to tighten the sides and make a perfect round roll.<br />
<br />
Place a piece of parchment paper onto a large baking sheet, flour it lightly, and space your rolls out on the sheet. How far apart you put them will depend on whether you like a kissing crust (I do) or prefer your rolls baked on all sides. For joined together rolls, you want about an inch apart, for separate rolls around 2 ins. Flour the tops quite thickly ( or leave them plain if you plan to egg wash and sprinkle with seeds later) , and cover lightly with cling film.<br />
<br />
<b>Now is the time to turn your oven on as hot as it can get, and to put a cast iron pan in the bottom of the oven to heat up. Put the kettle on as well.</b><br />
<br />
Allow the rolls to prove for around 25 mins until roughly double in size. If you want to brush with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds now is the time to do it.<br />
<br />
<b>Reduce the oven heat to Gas Mk 7 Electric 425F / 220C </b><br />
<br />
If you are making floury rolls, shake a little more flour on the tops if they have lost some flour to the cling film. Tip a coffee cup of boiling water onto the cast iron pan (I use a Le Creuset griddle pan, you can use whatever you have. If you don't have any cast iron, just use a small baking pan. The cast iron just keeps the steam longer,) and quickly slide the rolls into the oven.<br />
<br />
Bake for 10 mins then open the oven and let any residual steam out. Bake for a further 5-8 minutes until nicely brown on the underside. Give them a few minutes more if they seem a bit pallid, but don't cook for longer than 20 minutes in total.<br />
<br />
Take the rolls off the parchment as soon as they are baked, and cool on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy these porridge rolls as much as I do. Let me know what you think!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-86495377316021759232016-02-19T08:59:00.000-08:002016-02-19T08:59:46.928-08:00I Love Watercress. I really, really do....What? you don't love watercress?<br />
<br />
Are you MAD?<br />
<br />
What if I tell you just <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/20/why-watercress-is-good-for-you-potatoes-with-smoked-trout-recipe" target="_blank">how good for you</a> it is? No, come on. It's not medicine...<br />
<br />
What if I tell you that green things are so of the moment? No, honestly, look, <a href="http://www.footbalance.com/blog/watercress-trending-superfood-eenergy-boosting-and-recovery#.Vsc5-ECodRw" target="_blank">watercress is trending</a>, it's a superfood! See, you can be trendy too? No?<br />
<br />
What if I tell you that it is delicious? Maybe one of the most delicious green things you will ever eat?<br />
Ah! That gets your interest does it?<br />
<br />
I am so lucky; I was butting in on a conversation on Twitter with <a href="http://twitter.com/Love_Watercress" target="_blank">@Love_Watercress </a>and the fabulous PR lady <a href="http://www.pamlloyd.com/" target="_blank">Pam Lloyd</a>, and found myself the lucky recipient of a beautiful box of fresher than fresh, sparkling green watercress to play with.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjShyTU0aIDCGyQILC7OnCO1eauif68v-2v8grlCZBaDUCBQob_4WVXmmqJjbMV8pdopJV4GKtEF6-F5pKigOKHTRKVPglZWrVGTO0mJ5EbhL8bPhN69C8L1XMGeRh47TUJZ6LZQG6xY/s1600/cress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjShyTU0aIDCGyQILC7OnCO1eauif68v-2v8grlCZBaDUCBQob_4WVXmmqJjbMV8pdopJV4GKtEF6-F5pKigOKHTRKVPglZWrVGTO0mJ5EbhL8bPhN69C8L1XMGeRh47TUJZ6LZQG6xY/s320/cress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Shall I tell you what I made? Or would it bore you silly?<br />
Oh. Well.... sorry, you will have to stay silly. <br />
<br />
I made soup. Well, of course I did. Three different, stunningly green soups. No don't yawn like that. Soup is amazingly good for you, and these are also amazingly delicious.<br />
<br />
Funnily enough, though they all taste different, they all have a similar base. Finely chopped onion, leek, shallot and potato (not too much potato, just enough to bind when you blitz the soup) softened in a large lump of unsalted butter.<br />
<br />
Then I added:<br />
<br />
For just <b>Watercress Soup</b>, the stems of a very large bunch of watercress and about 2 pints of chicken or vegetable stock**. Simmer until the potato is very well cooked, then remove from the heat. Add in the RAW roughly chopped watercress leaves (keep a few for garnish if you like) and blitz the lot in a blender. (I usually use my stick blender, but a jug blender or Nutribullet type will give a smoother soup. Your call.) <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa_QQu3Wkb3Uwf8qlIjrZRkb3nFHtaA4N3jRaTYiNykOUOB8GChiaXmIiK6EWxXUrl9Olp1BNspsKjsttr496JQqnhhFtCQiIrieG5_3_Hhe33I4icAvy1UPeeS9XMyKk_aSQwamL1E4/s1600/watercresssoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa_QQu3Wkb3Uwf8qlIjrZRkb3nFHtaA4N3jRaTYiNykOUOB8GChiaXmIiK6EWxXUrl9Olp1BNspsKjsttr496JQqnhhFtCQiIrieG5_3_Hhe33I4icAvy1UPeeS9XMyKk_aSQwamL1E4/s320/watercresssoup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then I made <b>Pea and Watercress Soup</b>. As above, but when you add the watercress stalks, you also add about half a packet of frozen peas. This was gorgeous as a broth, with the pieces of vegetable still intact, and also blitzed. (I had a little bread roll stuffed with watercress alongside the broth, oh! that was such a good lunch! )<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYl0G3g0VVUY3gNmwF_xUR5EOxYXV6BdOitc8A3tWMHbEynD3TF9YN3cZGBabdpXAbstSdstmKrfPrO8SHTtj7wWHkUZGnLBDh4ISr_efJhJYkHbXRZSGJGL7L3aDsrF7BxLnAzqP9dM/s1600/peasoup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYl0G3g0VVUY3gNmwF_xUR5EOxYXV6BdOitc8A3tWMHbEynD3TF9YN3cZGBabdpXAbstSdstmKrfPrO8SHTtj7wWHkUZGnLBDh4ISr_efJhJYkHbXRZSGJGL7L3aDsrF7BxLnAzqP9dM/s320/peasoup2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2Lg7psOZDiif_xycYnuwH8c-kqaZUNqxaiEzt_kZRRW-8C82pd2XG48vdEQQrnQHlFKAhvX_0xYLrWiwh8Sb5kFz2B01-pNiw6jfhBMuYq5PEN3t2eIyomFnGP-Hzy1p6Ucn1lBsqmY/s1600/peasoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2Lg7psOZDiif_xycYnuwH8c-kqaZUNqxaiEzt_kZRRW-8C82pd2XG48vdEQQrnQHlFKAhvX_0xYLrWiwh8Sb5kFz2B01-pNiw6jfhBMuYq5PEN3t2eIyomFnGP-Hzy1p6Ucn1lBsqmY/s320/peasoup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then it was Use Up The Stuff In The Fridge<i> </i>day. I would usually make a minestrone, but I was still in Green Mode. So this is my <b>Green Soup</b>; to the base onion/leek/potato simmering in the butter, I added a couple of sticks of chopped celery, and one small piece of fennel, and sprinkled it all with some Italian dried herbs (fresh would be better, but there were none in the bottom of the fridge this week.) <br /><br />
This was all simmered with the stock** until the potatoes were tender, then I added a chopped courgette, a chopped stalk of broccoli and the watercress leaves. I brought it JUST to the boil, and this I served as a broth. But I reckon it would blitz nicely too if you fancy a smooth soup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMuOsmA3GDVHVKuYHPYN6VHvl0rNxs9zxBHPYIFwHxJHeAoshyAzvAsgPih3zgWh0c-rBzWjV_xogv6tJYTfxr6MegtZI2R__La8mgdejfl6j7ZSkyCZvbovFOjVnvL1W8Gg211O3Y_k/s1600/Green+soup+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMuOsmA3GDVHVKuYHPYN6VHvl0rNxs9zxBHPYIFwHxJHeAoshyAzvAsgPih3zgWh0c-rBzWjV_xogv6tJYTfxr6MegtZI2R__La8mgdejfl6j7ZSkyCZvbovFOjVnvL1W8Gg211O3Y_k/s320/Green+soup+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">**(I like to use Essential Cuisine stock powders if I don't have home made stock around. As they are powder I can vary the amount according to how much intensity of flavour I need. For these soups I don't need much, the vegetables have so much flavour anyway.) </span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
But life with watercress is not all about the soups, oh no. Do you fancy a nice orangey salad?<br />
<br />
I found <a href="http://www.walnuts.org/cooking-with-walnuts/recipes/orange-watercress-salad-with-walnuts-sweet-onions-and-radishes-with-orange-shallot-vinaigrette/" target="_blank">this recipe on the Californian Walnuts site</a>, and it sounded so fresh and tasty.<br />
<br />
It was really easy, made in minutes. I ignored the quantities in the original recipe, I was making a side salad for two of us, not feeding the five thousand, so used:<br />
<br />
One blood (but ordinary is fine) orange, rind zested, flesh cut into segments. (keep all the juice from the segments to add to the vinaigrette)<br />
One handful of radishes, finely sliced<br />
One shallot - finely slice one half for the salad, finely chop the other half for the dressing<br />
One handful of watercress, pulled into manageable pieces.<br />
<br />
Arrange this nicely on two plates or dishes. Then dress with an orange vinaigrette made from: <br />
<br />
The finely chopped half shallot from above<br />
The zest and reserved juice from the orange above<br />
Two tablespoons of sherry vinegar (or other wine vinegar, but Maille sherry vinegar is delicious)<br />
Seasoning<br />
6 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
(The original recipe called for honey to sweeten, I thought the oranges sweet enough, but you might like it, in which case add it to taste)<br />
Whisk everything together and drizzle over the salad. You probably won't need it all, so keep some for another day - it will keep covered in the fridge for around 3 days.<br />
<br />
Top the salad with a handful of crumbled walnuts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqKwHeIWHVzj7wnu_YdnPSTiW8WRp91mE-Q4yvyyZo4jn8Dp2qFRn6y5_ClEzPICl57dLio839u-mcHZfqtD-S4w0CYqzfFaGSke-Ajtg4UOT-QwOuH_CHiOGTseWUO0LNIhACQXBkmI/s1600/salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqKwHeIWHVzj7wnu_YdnPSTiW8WRp91mE-Q4yvyyZo4jn8Dp2qFRn6y5_ClEzPICl57dLio839u-mcHZfqtD-S4w0CYqzfFaGSke-Ajtg4UOT-QwOuH_CHiOGTseWUO0LNIhACQXBkmI/s320/salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And finally, I added a fat handful of chopped watercress to the potato, onion and cabbage of bubble and squeak I made to go with some cold ham.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRrE65TjDxSZ7FFmzacGN86p_ZsV9dEmZfpTX-ZyLkhHLgMyLhHis2IeZoFHiBjgzXB1HX-LMY4ghCxOstYeHAqHs7PWd3lY7ogOKsuWpMV3OLuRNE7XdQzt0sber83Wu1y43yHPUwlM/s1600/bubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRrE65TjDxSZ7FFmzacGN86p_ZsV9dEmZfpTX-ZyLkhHLgMyLhHis2IeZoFHiBjgzXB1HX-LMY4ghCxOstYeHAqHs7PWd3lY7ogOKsuWpMV3OLuRNE7XdQzt0sber83Wu1y43yHPUwlM/s320/bubble.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So. I think that is enough for you to be going along with. Let me know how you get along, with photos on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/josordoni/" target="_blank">my Instagram account please</a>! You'll find pictures of all these recipes there as well as here, so do feel free to comment there if it is easier for you :) <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-57576544864777588282016-01-01T03:10:00.000-08:002016-01-01T03:16:28.279-08:00Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1nMrFszSTxY0wfFqu96JFofI6JojsEBv6RtULJgIJXojOmoRIey5Cc5kWOs4DjssYC_6g2jI46LjcS_UGEX2rHh99oRdm53PxJSESOiqWrL5UVbo6PQ6XrEZJhOf3NWzI460x7oJEV0/s1600/animated-fireworks-background-fw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1nMrFszSTxY0wfFqu96JFofI6JojsEBv6RtULJgIJXojOmoRIey5Cc5kWOs4DjssYC_6g2jI46LjcS_UGEX2rHh99oRdm53PxJSESOiqWrL5UVbo6PQ6XrEZJhOf3NWzI460x7oJEV0/s1600/animated-fireworks-background-fw.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
I've had a tough year healthwise, so I'm afraid that lots of things have had to be shelved, my blog posting being one of them. BUT, I know what is wrong with me now, and that means I can start to plan what to do to make it better - and maybe tell you all about it here as I go.<br />
<br />
So welcome 2016, you will be a better year for me, and I hope for you all as well.<br />
<br />
xx<br />
Lynne<br />
xx <br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-21710011200192774142015-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:002015-11-15T11:02:32.467-08:00Fabulous Sticky, Sweet, Sugary, Crystallized Orange Peel. Who would have thought this was so easy? <br />
<br />
I recently finished my precious stash of Italian artisan crystallized peel, and I was about to peel an orange. I like to use my old Tupperware orange peeler - What do you mean, you haven't got one? Didn't you go to any Tupperware parties back in the 70s? They gave them away all the time... what's that... you weren't born then?<br />
<br />
Oh. Well, look, they are these things...you can still find them on eBay and Amazon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOYyWt9_XO2Jucrf92PynuUsw8xDPDdxC2g-yrz6UWK0P6tXq9fJ44gHkcJxMTgNPbGTK1tCqo6Y7pSTppzxgund7X2FJQqzB9f0Tsa4sC2GmYbMPB_2o-AzfoupRspm_tApkoKkXres/s1600/orangepeelers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOYyWt9_XO2Jucrf92PynuUsw8xDPDdxC2g-yrz6UWK0P6tXq9fJ44gHkcJxMTgNPbGTK1tCqo6Y7pSTppzxgund7X2FJQqzB9f0Tsa4sC2GmYbMPB_2o-AzfoupRspm_tApkoKkXres/s320/orangepeelers.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So anyway, I was peeling my orange, and with these, you peel your orange in nice petal shaped pieces, that include all the pith. They looked just like my artisan Italian orange peel. You see where I'm going, don't you?<br />
<br />
Remember, girls and boys, Google is your friend. A quick shuffle through the interwebs, and it would seem that crystallizing your orange peel is something commonplace. You start by putting your orange peel petals in cold water and bringing it to the boil, and then chuck the water away. Don't fret, as you throw the aromatic golden water down the sink, that you are throwing all the taste away; there is still plenty of flavour in your orange peel. But too much of the wonderful orange oil can be bitter and make your mouth tingle, so it is better fragrancing your pipes than searing your throat. <br />
<br />
You now do the blanching and jettisoning of the water again. Then one more time, but this time don't chuck the water, let the peel simmer for about 20 minutes until nice and soft and you can push a skewer through without any resistance. Once the peel goes into the sugar (the process is the same for marmalade) it won't get any softer so you want it as soft as you like it now. <br />
<br />
I used the peel from two large navel oranges, as I was making this as an experiment and didn't want to make too much at once. By the way, you don't want the thin skinned oranges, you want something with a fairly thick slightly nobbly skin. The pith will go transparent and delicious when it is candied<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-8pb-fYhNHbAYOhz3rT7YsZo6eIYuwBE3SSkGct4M380UcrzIylGcm2RqiXltBSd4D5DRk43bAvNDgcEX5mNcUAegF__C_Cicocan-nUv58GFZAhujRJATPKRykBQ0fZyC_6_o0Bb8w/s1600/orangepeel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-8pb-fYhNHbAYOhz3rT7YsZo6eIYuwBE3SSkGct4M380UcrzIylGcm2RqiXltBSd4D5DRk43bAvNDgcEX5mNcUAegF__C_Cicocan-nUv58GFZAhujRJATPKRykBQ0fZyC_6_o0Bb8w/s320/orangepeel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For that amount of peel, you only need a small pan, so it's not going to take forever to come to the boil. Dissolve 500g of granulated sugar gently in 300g of water, and when it is all dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil. Drain your softened oranges and carefully pop them into the boiling sugar. Bring the sugar down to a nice simmery boil, not a massive seethe as you don't want to risk it starting to caramelise. Let them boil for 45 minutes, then remove them onto an oiled rack to cool down. (Do not throw the syrup away, we're going to do something with that whilst the orange peel cools down.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyLumW_K13CJcU0XlZJhua95nLKyBFgZysf2DE3sPGc23Sj0UEOj11PKroTMYnxqrShfbwqErWQ8G37YZL2DL8r1KjRzIgefWowsuvWYNvG2SFAKWiPmgZeaV5gg4z1uT_QO-RVERxlo/s1600/orangepeelwhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyLumW_K13CJcU0XlZJhua95nLKyBFgZysf2DE3sPGc23Sj0UEOj11PKroTMYnxqrShfbwqErWQ8G37YZL2DL8r1KjRzIgefWowsuvWYNvG2SFAKWiPmgZeaV5gg4z1uT_QO-RVERxlo/s320/orangepeelwhole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When the orange peel is cool, toss it into a ziplock bag of granulated sugar to keep for deliciously orangey buns, and Christmas cake. Or, slice into matchsticks and toss these in granulated sugar for lovely, sticky twigs of joy. To eat as they are, or to dip into dark, glossy chocolate for pretty petit fours.<br />
<br />
Are you looking at that pan of syrup now? Ah, it is still on a low heat keeping warm? Well first of all, get the remains of that pot of double cream out of the fridge, pick up the salty butter. And grab the pack of Maldon salt. Now crank up that heat, you are going to caramelise the remaining bit.<br />
<br />
No stirring now. Just shake it from time to time to spread the heat evenly. There is still quite a bit of moisture in the syrup so it will be very frothy, unlike when you make caramel from scratch, but give it time, you'll start to see the edges go brown. Start sniffing. You want the caramel smell to just have a faintly bitter edge, but don't overdo it. Bitter is good, burnt is not. Pour in a nice glug of cream.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYQRG_l3YdQOPY63X33nYFD7edSWavi2l7N8N38c0njFEHjhyphenhyphenegQM-vzuze9GMF0gKy0pnSyW2gosFw9vsnk9ogf6f-OPruQSUM_J1zmjBzyhJBHbqvGJfmC66QzmX2Ie9SHsh9nNLy8/s1600/caramel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYQRG_l3YdQOPY63X33nYFD7edSWavi2l7N8N38c0njFEHjhyphenhyphenegQM-vzuze9GMF0gKy0pnSyW2gosFw9vsnk9ogf6f-OPruQSUM_J1zmjBzyhJBHbqvGJfmC66QzmX2Ie9SHsh9nNLy8/s320/caramel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
No, I don't know how much, as I don't know how much syrup you have left over. But enough to make it the right colour. It will seethe and froth and the caramel will turn to a fat lump in the middle. Don't panic. Just put it back on a lowish heat and stir with a silicon spatula until the caramel has melted back into the cream. The stir in a couple of tablespoons of salted butter, and a good sprinkling of Maldon salt. You can add a couple of drops of good orange essence if you want to push the orange flavour up. Stir it all up, let it cool slightly and pot it as you would jam. I made <strike>two</strike> one small pot<strike>s</strike> of golden brown glory. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVemtLCkVoRUdGUCBTmFhI25NM1PIcqRYgyOZ1KwCVC0F8aRDXgNfdjIv4TIVqTEVfk33NwoHgKDEkwZzZxtqL9Rh3usyAP15eKFs83q2ASEjKS-MVU9r8pxKA9-NLVTxo0cdy7cJaSeE/s1600/dessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVemtLCkVoRUdGUCBTmFhI25NM1PIcqRYgyOZ1KwCVC0F8aRDXgNfdjIv4TIVqTEVfk33NwoHgKDEkwZzZxtqL9Rh3usyAP15eKFs83q2ASEjKS-MVU9r8pxKA9-NLVTxo0cdy7cJaSeE/s320/dessert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Let it cool down, then either spoon it over icecream, onto the bottom of a tart case to be topped with bananas and whipped cream.<br />
<br />
Or, take a spoon and lovingly eat it. I assure you I didn't make two pots full, I only made one. The empty one with a spoon is a figment of your imagination....josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-25109544251051812782015-10-10T10:40:00.001-07:002015-10-10T10:53:15.101-07:00GravyWe live our lives (or I do) cooking fast these days. Sausages. Chops. Pork steaks. Anything quick and easy.<br />
<br />
But.... I love my gravy. And that's good to go if I am pan frying something, as I've got all those lovely caramelised bits in the pan. And roasting of course, no worries, but that takes too long for everyday; roasting is for weekends or days with time to spare. But if I am grilling, that's tougher. Nothing to make good gravy. And I don't like Bisto...<br />
<br />
I am here to evangelise about the new meat glaces from Essential Cuisine. I apologise in advance if I sound like an infomercial, but they are really, really good. They've had the glaces in the professional bit for ages, and a while back they introduced them into the Home Chef section, but only in quite big pots. They were too expensive for me to invest in since I wanted ALL the flavours.<br />
<br />
But now they've introduced them in <a href="https://homecook.essentialcuisine.com/product-category/glaces/" target="_blank">smaller pots at a much more affordable price</a>. And since you don't need more than a teaspoon full at a time, that's good for a LOT of meals.<br />
<br />
So how do I make gravy with no meat juices? I make a roux, as if I were going to make a sauce, but with oil rather than butter and keeping it very thin. Then I mix in some water from the veggies until it is the thickness I like. Then I add a bit of Essential stock powder, and, for the two of us, a good half teaspoonful of meat glace.<br />
<br />
Or, you can use a gravy powder, (I like the Essential ones again... but then, if you read my blogs you'll know I am a great fan of Essential, they really do taste much better than other similar things) and add in the glace. And I promise you, it tastes as though you've used the juices from a roast.<br />
<br />
We had lamb chops yesterday. I don't like using the fat from the grill pan, it is just too greasy. So I used a bit of lamb stock powder and some lamb glace added into Essential Savoury Gravy powder. Look at the delicious colour on this!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqyKYtAe0P6RoZYUFUJYnhzj800uRLjaZQ82ZxCjC8ghHAONKOyk4Ikd27YhSbOVF9unOPhWp7XGoQuHkbneQlF7PT-l2t2EPuPUUD5TT5lhV_HLgYjmgo0O1xWp0mvyPt5TgkB_mfm4/s1600/2015-10-09+20.11.00+gravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqyKYtAe0P6RoZYUFUJYnhzj800uRLjaZQ82ZxCjC8ghHAONKOyk4Ikd27YhSbOVF9unOPhWp7XGoQuHkbneQlF7PT-l2t2EPuPUUD5TT5lhV_HLgYjmgo0O1xWp0mvyPt5TgkB_mfm4/s320/2015-10-09+20.11.00+gravy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">DISCLAIMER: I received samples of the glaces from Essential to say thank you because I rave about their stocks so much. I make no apologies for raving. They are GOOD! </span></i>josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-84304897022487528782015-06-30T08:59:00.002-07:002015-06-30T08:59:44.024-07:00The best of A Greedy Piglet..#understandblackberries<i><b>It was all the way back in 2011 that I posted this originally, back on the original Greedy Piglet blog. This was the first time that I met the inimitable Carol Ford, and realised just how much I love fresh produce.</b><br />
<br />
This, of course, was all about the blackberries, and was somewhat later in the year, but I have LOADS of raspberries in the garden, and I am hearing that everyone is groaning under the weight of raspberries, loganberries, tayberries, strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants..all the glory of English summer berries seems to be hitting us at once.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>So here is how to make the most delectable fruit vinegar. You can substitute any soft fruit for the blackberries in this recipe. In fact, one of my favourites is the most frugal. I use a stoner to take the stones out of my cherries, which leaves a little cap of fruit on one end. I throw the stones into a bowl cover them in wine vinegar, and then just add more stones as I go, topping up the vinegar to make sure it keeps them covered, until there is sufficient vinegar and it is sufficiently fruity to strain and sweeten for keeping. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>By the way, the vinegar keeps amazingly well. I still have a teeeny bit left from this 2011 batch, and it is still rich and delicious. </i><br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
It is the end of home grown summer fruit now... so sad, but it has lasted longer than usual this year with the mild autumn weather we have been having. And among the last to leave the supermarkets were the blackberries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/berries-024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blackberries" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-672" src="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/berries-024-300x238.jpg" height="238" title="Blackberries" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I have always treated blackberries as wild foraged fruit, rather than fruit to buy in the supermarket, but lots of our foraged blackberry bushes finished very early, so I turned to cultivated varieties. To my surprise, this year's fruit has been exceptionally large and sweet. Why is this?<br />
<br />
I discovered why when I was invited by Carol Ford of <a href="http://www.growingdirect.org/" target="_blank" title="Growing Direct Ltd">Growing Direc</a>t to the #UnderstandingBlackberries event held by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BerryBuddies" target="_blank" title="Berry Buddies">Berry Buddies</a> <a href="http://www.hargreavesplants.com/blackberryVarieties.asp" target="_blank" title="Hargreaves Plants">Hargreaves Plants</a> to introduce the Reuben blackberry to a group of interested people. I was thrilled to be included, most of the people who were invited were connected with the trade, either in a growing or selling capacity, or as a member of the specialist press. I, of course, am none of the above, but still found the event fascinating. The deeply technical information from Prof John Clark of Arkansas University, and Jane Fairlie of Hargreaves Plants , was balanced by the fun of listening to the esteemed Peter Seabrook, who excited us all with stories of his work in schools, nurturing the next generation of gardeners. The new Reuben blackberries are being created to grow and crop in one season, which will be perfect for introducing berries to schools, who need the children to be able to plant and harvest their crops within the confines of a single school year.<br />
<br />
The Reuben blackberry is important to the consumer as it is sweeter, has a longer growing period, and resists mould. Sweetness is good for a lot of people, although to be honest, I like my berries on the tart side, but the resistance to mould is a real seller for me. I have thrown so many raspberries and blackberries away just because I didn't eat them in the short 1-2 day window you get from buying them to opening the fridge and finding them wet and starting to mould.<br />
<br />
The Reuben not only eats well as a dessert fruit, it cooks well too. The second half of #understandingblackberries kicked off with Vickie Humber from <a href="http://www.humbershomemade.co.uk/index.htm" target="_blank" title="Humbers Homemade Preserves">Humbers Homemade preserves </a>showing just how simple it is to make good jam. Well, it is simple if you have the knack, and Vickie certainly has. ( Her Blackberry jam is truly delicious. In fact it may knock Raspberry of its perch as my favourite jam. Even in a Women's Institute Victoria sponge it would be better than raspberry! )<br />
<br />
Chef Jose Souto produced some fabulous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/berry-buddies/roast-loin-of-muntjac-glazed-with-a-blackberry-vinegar-by-jos%C3%A9-souto-master-cgc/243117172410791?ref=nf" target="_blank" title="Muntjac Deer with Blackberry sauce">muntjac deer with blackberry sauce</a>, and a truly scrumptious blackberry and meringue semifreddo that could also be served as a mousse. I could have eaten both again and again and again...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberriesvenison001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-671" src="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberriesvenison001-300x263.jpg" height="263" title="blackberriesvenison001" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberriessemifreddo-006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blackberry Semifreddo" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-673" src="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberriessemifreddo-006-300x232.jpg" height="232" title="blackberriessemifreddo 006" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Rupert Parsons of<a href="http://www.womersleyfoods.co.uk/vinegars.aspx" target="_blank"> Womersley Fruit Vinegars</a> was with us too, offering tastings of his stunning award winning blackberry vinegar. I have been a huge fan of Rupert's family vinegars for a while now, they are brilliant as salad dressings and added to meat and fish to intensify the flavours. Vickie of Humbers Homemade also produces a range of vinegars. All of them are delicious - if you haven't tried fruit vinegars yet, I must urge you to try.<br />
<br />
Of course, in the best way of true food lovers, I felt that I had to try my hand at making vinegar too. I might not get the same level of finesse as Rupert and Vickie (after all, they are professional and have been making fruit vinegar for a lot longer than I have..) but it would be interesting to see how the flavours would differ. And, not being one to do things in small ways, I decided to make a selection of three types of blackberry vinegar, all made using the same amount of fruit and vinegar, roughly according to Pam Corbin's recipe. I used wild brambles, Loch Ness (culinary) blackberries and Reuben (dessert) blackberries.<br />
<br />
I say roughly, she uses 600ml of vinegar to 1kg of fruit. I made mine with 500g of fruit to 500 ml white wine vinegar, steeped for 10 days in a bowl covered in clingfilm, kept in the cool. After the 10 days, strain the vinegar through a jelly bag ( best left overnight in the same way as for jellies) and then add between 150-300g of sugar for every 500ml of strained vinegar (dependent on how sweet you like your vinegar). Let the sugar dissolve, then boil for around 8-12 minutes until syrupy. Don't boil for any longer though, or you will end up with it concentrating and setting too much, more like jelly than syrup. (Don't throw the strained blackberries out, add them to a pan of chopped crab or cooking apples to boil up to produce blackberry and apple juice for jelly, or add them into a favourite apple chutney recipe to add intense fruitiness. Remember the frugality mantra.. waste NOTHING..)<br />
<br />
It is heavenly stuff. I love it with sparkling water as a refreshing drink, mixed with a little extra wine vinegar as a fat free salad dressing, spooned over meat as a glaze (in the way that Chef Jose glazed the venison) or mixed into gravies (in the same way that classically trained chefs use a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrique" target="_blank" title="gastrique or gastric">gastrique</a>) to add depth and zing to the flavour.<br />
<br />
It was interesting that the different blackberries did certainly add different things to the vinegars. I love the intense sweetness of the wild blackberries, but interestingly, many people found that too sweet and sour, and preferred the gentler vinegars made from the cultivated berries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberrybuddies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-674" src="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blackberrybuddies-300x202.jpg" height="202" title="blackberrybuddies" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
An interesting and highly educational evening, thank you to everyone.<br />
<br />
Now....are you hungry? So who's for blackberry and apple crumble then?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-82005066566512070392015-06-26T08:23:00.001-07:002015-06-26T08:38:23.815-07:00it's #NationalCreamTeaDay today! It is today! National Cream Tea Day, and <a href="http://www.roddas.co.uk/our-story/" target="_blank">Rodda's Cream 125th Anniversary</a>.<br />
<br />
Clotted cream. Home made raspberry jam. Delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mIEwtRR6GTOUEXNoTYAU-25Gt5iSA3RMWgQLNsCO1qwGo-e10JL9O7RofYcU_L2pao931Dib6bNZaLBShIdEM1giqUmyaFKQ4AE92m5jBcRr5k3vtlLOIF7jMSFb6RS2lwiLR5QZw0U/s1600/creamyscones59.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mIEwtRR6GTOUEXNoTYAU-25Gt5iSA3RMWgQLNsCO1qwGo-e10JL9O7RofYcU_L2pao931Dib6bNZaLBShIdEM1giqUmyaFKQ4AE92m5jBcRr5k3vtlLOIF7jMSFb6RS2lwiLR5QZw0U/s320/creamyscones59.02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Jam on the top or on the bottom? Do you care? I guess that, being a Londoner, I am more interested in getting the little nugget of creamy jamminess into my mouth than arguing for a West Country standard. So I shall swap mine about, sometimes on top, sometimes underneath, that blanket of thick, mellow creamy richness.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBHHcY1FabTJ3_qLbQXMy84wwVnJVkMK7E2ZEq0JIdsxa9-vbGB2UB_k0eZEqGQwQ0GLT-jZtRns3AEM2szE7RjeUSpRtqs5MqC8fGFd0amdkKeXnxKFosO0uR2G5R5BPHxRvfwinrgs/s1600/upandoverscone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBHHcY1FabTJ3_qLbQXMy84wwVnJVkMK7E2ZEq0JIdsxa9-vbGB2UB_k0eZEqGQwQ0GLT-jZtRns3AEM2szE7RjeUSpRtqs5MqC8fGFd0amdkKeXnxKFosO0uR2G5R5BPHxRvfwinrgs/s320/upandoverscone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Because clotted cream is Rodda's clotted cream (I use Sainsbury's TTD as this is made by Rodda's) .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuk2uMkonDoVQSYCmImlgOEa5N5XOoM61P0xF_KnQar1qPgQ2Qjf-NZBJsUUFF-_dL9dTZnxeoqd1Pzmjm6TSgExWS5CgoPAMaB1T6gsfBYUlMGrtMF1hj_9W6S7M1R-_Txn22nP7scwE/s1600/clotted+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuk2uMkonDoVQSYCmImlgOEa5N5XOoM61P0xF_KnQar1qPgQ2Qjf-NZBJsUUFF-_dL9dTZnxeoqd1Pzmjm6TSgExWS5CgoPAMaB1T6gsfBYUlMGrtMF1hj_9W6S7M1R-_Txn22nP7scwE/s320/clotted+cream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Jam I am not fussy about, so long as it rich and fruity. (although this one is home made raspberry jam and is delicious)<br />
<br />
But I <i><b>am </b></i>fussy about my scone. Firstly, it is a <b>SKONN</b>. None of that odd SKONE business.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/brian_bilston" target="_blank">Brian Bilston on the Twitters </a>said this today, his poem for #NationalCreamTeaDay:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>SCONE</b><br />
<br />
Is it pronounced<br />
scone<br />
or scone?<br />
<br />
I guess that's<br />
what you'd call<br />
a known un-known<br />
<br />
Or, for some,<br />
a non un-non</blockquote>
<br />
So there you are it would be a non un-non in this house. If it were un-non of course. Although it is non to me to be a scone. Anyway...<br />
<br />
Scones to be eaten with jam and cream are soft, billowy and creamy smooth.<br />
They are not crumbly.<br />
They are not dry.<br />
They do not have dried fruit in them<br />
They do not have spice in them<br />
<br />
They look like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3H0qRghh7r_Yd9ufCBk2nmbCKdeNHOu3_Gnyv6bmhlik2B6U0ExXGqrs5tIgyNp7O1F46Y319GxSA5wHohTWUzc57swIQP4ynuLXxBeDuJEWdrB-2CViUxbsaK_LTHg2Qz_0wuYHhcHg/s1600/squarescones.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3H0qRghh7r_Yd9ufCBk2nmbCKdeNHOu3_Gnyv6bmhlik2B6U0ExXGqrs5tIgyNp7O1F46Y319GxSA5wHohTWUzc57swIQP4ynuLXxBeDuJEWdrB-2CViUxbsaK_LTHg2Qz_0wuYHhcHg/s320/squarescones.21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
OK? So here is how you do it...<br />
<br />
<b>My recipe: based on Dan Lepard's Everyday Scones from Short and Sweet </b><br />
<br />
Before you start, pre-heat the oven to just above 200C/ 400F/gas mark 6<br />
<br />
200g everyday plain flour<br />
200g 00 pasta flour (I like Sainsbury's TTD own brand one)<br />
2 level tsp cream of tartar<br />
half level tsp salt<br />
20g caster sugar - or more or less according to how you sweet you like your scones. This makes a scone that has just a faint sweetness to complement the jam<br />
<br />
Mix this together in a bowl.<br />
Rub in<br />
50g unsalted butter (or salted if that is what you have, in which case leave out the half tsp salt above) <br />
<br />
Meanwhile in a jug, mix together<br />
250 ml slightly sour whole milk, or milk blended with a few tablespoons of yoghurt<br />
25ml double cream<br />
1tsp bicarb of soda<br />
(adding the bicarb of soda to the milk seems to make the scones lighter and doesn't leave any soda patches to taste soapy in your mouth)<br />
<br />
Add the liquid to the dry mixture, and lightly blend together using a table knife, not a wooden spoon. You want to keep the mixture light and not compressed in any way. When it is almost fully blended, tip it out onto the worktop, and lightly knead using just the tips of your fingers to incorporate all the flour.<br />
<br />
Pat the mixture out to about an inch thick - I prefer not to roll, I think it compresses the mixture, but give it a go if you like. If you are making square scones, to minimise any waste, then square up the edges using a palette knife or similar, and then cut into 12 squares.<br />
<br />
If you prefer, roll the mixture out keeping it nice and thick, and cut round scones. Very lightly knead the trimmings and cut more, but only do that once, any more and they will be really heavy.<br />
<br />
Well flour a baking tray, and put the scones on to the floured surface, not touching but not far apart. They rise straighter if they are close together. Brush the tops with milk (or egg if you like them golden but I prefer the softer gloss of milk)<br />
<br />
Bake for 14 minutes until gently golden but sides are still pale.<br />
<br />
Allow to cool slightly, then slather with jam and cream and eat :) <br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-60357610811888326162015-06-06T12:07:00.004-07:002015-06-06T12:07:58.001-07:00The London Produce Show 2015I love a good trade show... all those amazing new things to try, loads of people to talk to, to exchange information, and generally geek about food to our hearts delight.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://londonproduceshow.co.uk/" target="_blank">The London Produce Show</a> has to be a favourite, being all about fresh produce, the nuts and bolts of the food we eat, the delicious and amazing cornucopia of fruit and vegetables we grow here, and source from around the world.<br />
<br />
There were terrific chef demos as well as stalls from individual suppliers, not least 2 for the Media Masterclass, where we tasted dishes that were prepared in front of us. Jeremy Pang from <a href="http://www.schoolofwok.co.uk/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">The School of Wok</a>, and the Nikkei Boys, <span class="st">Michael Paul and Jordan Sclare,</span> from <a href="http://www.chotto-matte.com/" target="_blank">Chotto Matte</a> did their stuff, and we demolished it all with glorious gusto.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7islizSpflkf2RZFUeTixZfrbBlnyA8JMzYvsemg3UpKIR8X9qm-FV7DUvmDRLEM4ccpto271lL_axJjzWHCqTissGygB4OESGoU4Mryj3jkuRnAOfL9F51f8qrlhtIBQPofNgLUpRV4/s1600/tumblr1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7islizSpflkf2RZFUeTixZfrbBlnyA8JMzYvsemg3UpKIR8X9qm-FV7DUvmDRLEM4ccpto271lL_axJjzWHCqTissGygB4OESGoU4Mryj3jkuRnAOfL9F51f8qrlhtIBQPofNgLUpRV4/s320/tumblr1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEBc4okedP-wA0lr4TBh75E_WU6sjAIm9lT8LHwMSxrwNkwCaQLjKO0WSyfmOexdedNgrEHKnyTbGQAT-D9DuZIaxDIhutqwowDpAZUG58dezmc4Ycu6xiHvIAsasQ_tNfAKjZCEhhCk/s1600/tumblr2+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEBc4okedP-wA0lr4TBh75E_WU6sjAIm9lT8LHwMSxrwNkwCaQLjKO0WSyfmOexdedNgrEHKnyTbGQAT-D9DuZIaxDIhutqwowDpAZUG58dezmc4Ycu6xiHvIAsasQ_tNfAKjZCEhhCk/s320/tumblr2+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JygFtCPfNKiNFnleJCS64dSlEjTBIRpbz468t2gbKo5PTsD2MyDIKZ19U1JWbf6DKhJ-FK4CVb50F7VhsKBVWJEIWAE1x8jf0lEuXB6wfT6hYe0rJuN08c_HykJN_GyKXc_Ghe7fUzA/s1600/tumblr056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JygFtCPfNKiNFnleJCS64dSlEjTBIRpbz468t2gbKo5PTsD2MyDIKZ19U1JWbf6DKhJ-FK4CVb50F7VhsKBVWJEIWAE1x8jf0lEuXB6wfT6hYe0rJuN08c_HykJN_GyKXc_Ghe7fUzA/s320/tumblr056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63ANPKCIUkLBZzmJPXauD7eYeHmZLbAQG-7THIxlY2gIHME71GWRijA3jPqoH__u48C6HFrnBbGfa_rjfh5TroS3zlZzNxGq1BlJjWX1FMWFPB52rcKUaXIAPSOoV8T8a0E3d1229ulE/s1600/tumblr+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63ANPKCIUkLBZzmJPXauD7eYeHmZLbAQG-7THIxlY2gIHME71GWRijA3jPqoH__u48C6HFrnBbGfa_rjfh5TroS3zlZzNxGq1BlJjWX1FMWFPB52rcKUaXIAPSOoV8T8a0E3d1229ulE/s320/tumblr+010.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0D3h7io79qM2flPMago8o5YtmjALimNR9MPfz58LhybEc1We43PdLiBjneodB5ABigAD8dgJZfHJuEJTLj29KZzAD17zOeYHo_02wknEM8rRPp3J1jhHv4U0lpVU1MV6lv21yMF-bvo/s1600/tumblr077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGSAuz97F7Yl8ZuMldREDhbtF82i6giJkqIyCbeseaClViIVqJ5HR-OurEDF74Xe3tha-epEp9pdcZ3SfaI62YAxlRE97GShM67BCqRdP25Zgeqnhnyz6PR2S09zPt2OQdblSau8EFGQ/s1600/tumblr+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGSAuz97F7Yl8ZuMldREDhbtF82i6giJkqIyCbeseaClViIVqJ5HR-OurEDF74Xe3tha-epEp9pdcZ3SfaI62YAxlRE97GShM67BCqRdP25Zgeqnhnyz6PR2S09zPt2OQdblSau8EFGQ/s320/tumblr+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5L2qLjsw24SGX5fk_nQzY-sWwInmeeSOZ0vvzfe7Fwe-P7tdLH9ZFv982Cc85p7KfKjmQSx3gwWR4ZNVEaPFAvHVyCAzgqvHx30WD3np9lzpgL3ITAjR1QwvFGSxet-_BP-JEfXB_xic/s1600/tumblr+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5L2qLjsw24SGX5fk_nQzY-sWwInmeeSOZ0vvzfe7Fwe-P7tdLH9ZFv982Cc85p7KfKjmQSx3gwWR4ZNVEaPFAvHVyCAzgqvHx30WD3np9lzpgL3ITAjR1QwvFGSxet-_BP-JEfXB_xic/s320/tumblr+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wcxKGT7BQc2_cfN5tWP5C-2b8c3kIU0hzhhk9t38J8gLnZTuVRCC5kdLFEQmB6773Q8_wRm4RTY63h5Cjprr0CfwtHUmpKR0MBJHr8Lf5lqKY78zYrx497UUZh_uAHM7Mhuz-CSGLEs/s1600/tumblr+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wcxKGT7BQc2_cfN5tWP5C-2b8c3kIU0hzhhk9t38J8gLnZTuVRCC5kdLFEQmB6773Q8_wRm4RTY63h5Cjprr0CfwtHUmpKR0MBJHr8Lf5lqKY78zYrx497UUZh_uAHM7Mhuz-CSGLEs/s320/tumblr+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS56wf7VIdOeCV1_wqxmjWBe33GpKLSrSrFJGnO40rbuHD0tRQwzJY05PcEOnQliY_k2vt14aEWwxCe2IWDk_LRNLcMPoEN_u71OJlSL4yKPPlVMbyM5mW-MVJJHU79KHwFw3Qfgy4Lcw/s1600/tumblr+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS56wf7VIdOeCV1_wqxmjWBe33GpKLSrSrFJGnO40rbuHD0tRQwzJY05PcEOnQliY_k2vt14aEWwxCe2IWDk_LRNLcMPoEN_u71OJlSL4yKPPlVMbyM5mW-MVJJHU79KHwFw3Qfgy4Lcw/s320/tumblr+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtXFrkOt86klH2LOkRGweUnqPiqsYpgUC9jb8zZKQJ85zqb59BZ4zT84sSkBzeBC6Y0bCBvqiMUrkpKY-hTygYkM-QiBIVOJgslqdXA5N1cG5Tgth7uRt_18UvA58G5349jN6LJaW6U/s1600/tumblr+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtXFrkOt86klH2LOkRGweUnqPiqsYpgUC9jb8zZKQJ85zqb59BZ4zT84sSkBzeBC6Y0bCBvqiMUrkpKY-hTygYkM-QiBIVOJgslqdXA5N1cG5Tgth7uRt_18UvA58G5349jN6LJaW6U/s320/tumblr+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZlqJU25OUCb9p41I1X82qZWZiFi81TA4MBmS0FcOBpE8KqK2QbDLK7LNmW28XC8WPW0Em9aA99Xh0Cn7EUSaJEbIUTLxykEYIoEcXud9JrWe7e_rDVISwkMrt0np8sJ-0RGllLMTLGQ/s1600/tumblr+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZlqJU25OUCb9p41I1X82qZWZiFi81TA4MBmS0FcOBpE8KqK2QbDLK7LNmW28XC8WPW0Em9aA99Xh0Cn7EUSaJEbIUTLxykEYIoEcXud9JrWe7e_rDVISwkMrt0np8sJ-0RGllLMTLGQ/s320/tumblr+031.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf-NyyP7KzIQeH03TdngNRulI5vKN3McyJUUohM4XTLanQm-LEYxCJR-grikBKwscEpL4N9QfqoWcRJbdSdWoyo8YkKvfs5XbOgd9TjiWfR3xFsTsYBrdt8C4tnGe1Gu0xTWHMjjKvtE/s1600/tumblr+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf-NyyP7KzIQeH03TdngNRulI5vKN3McyJUUohM4XTLanQm-LEYxCJR-grikBKwscEpL4N9QfqoWcRJbdSdWoyo8YkKvfs5XbOgd9TjiWfR3xFsTsYBrdt8C4tnGe1Gu0xTWHMjjKvtE/s320/tumblr+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwftHJ5iSraAttHQ-VSVdPZVtV1zFs8wzl26VJoAj5KgjiPptw2BZcQ7DJrzjibdgC9_ucfUkc5m54Xr8DYhi3E2UqVZg8ceRzby5a2bFMGqJsuuU1c2-8-Fdke1OK-RgcRuYHpJVVoOQ/s1600/tumblr+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwftHJ5iSraAttHQ-VSVdPZVtV1zFs8wzl26VJoAj5KgjiPptw2BZcQ7DJrzjibdgC9_ucfUkc5m54Xr8DYhi3E2UqVZg8ceRzby5a2bFMGqJsuuU1c2-8-Fdke1OK-RgcRuYHpJVVoOQ/s320/tumblr+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb6mMA3cJFVpvpKqprZ6VPkdbg5FmQZSs2d8DKi5mjwyei2wjq-FtmC6O8whePoZ3xds1JcNNWlN8wkWi1kPHcvEThTi0HSDwzv2mOipF-Cf4KX9uepdGiWnvIvOvMzwOiVrHg5cERUo/s1600/tumblr+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb6mMA3cJFVpvpKqprZ6VPkdbg5FmQZSs2d8DKi5mjwyei2wjq-FtmC6O8whePoZ3xds1JcNNWlN8wkWi1kPHcvEThTi0HSDwzv2mOipF-Cf4KX9uepdGiWnvIvOvMzwOiVrHg5cERUo/s320/tumblr+044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pw9EP9yYyaaYzkynlDGrpYIPQrj-LG3EiR39txweuVSSP_OkqREarEUPebjSfCNJKYlr2sxMZXSplCqgC-h23N6uXSORMlmdwVNjfES8f-CKr7k31ByH7M1G80RRVhS-MlKen9TlE-s/s1600/tumblr+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pw9EP9yYyaaYzkynlDGrpYIPQrj-LG3EiR39txweuVSSP_OkqREarEUPebjSfCNJKYlr2sxMZXSplCqgC-h23N6uXSORMlmdwVNjfES8f-CKr7k31ByH7M1G80RRVhS-MlKen9TlE-s/s320/tumblr+048.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofKVH427z63QdusXhuz3f06lS4f6raCUiiS7_B_W2nUd5bmafBKK1WLD4bX8ZMXHnlJ3zazjaTxu24eHTgkcWiQzXnp_bBq6TiGr1IUvnQaFo5YDYhP_pow-UBI2CwWjU_CsHb8cCQOU/s1600/tumblr+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofKVH427z63QdusXhuz3f06lS4f6raCUiiS7_B_W2nUd5bmafBKK1WLD4bX8ZMXHnlJ3zazjaTxu24eHTgkcWiQzXnp_bBq6TiGr1IUvnQaFo5YDYhP_pow-UBI2CwWjU_CsHb8cCQOU/s320/tumblr+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLTjz8KnitHrzLd4D0dPEKh0fKyRTiHc9EIpGTTHC5osQdnOIT8hFkV9enZvE_foDv2ydoo6iNL8-AJui97n0snkOm3KjXu8clxdDUMCXG2hCkr0zG1-VMwHEd5wO4yHf2s3T4GTchyphenhyphens/s1600/tumblr+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLTjz8KnitHrzLd4D0dPEKh0fKyRTiHc9EIpGTTHC5osQdnOIT8hFkV9enZvE_foDv2ydoo6iNL8-AJui97n0snkOm3KjXu8clxdDUMCXG2hCkr0zG1-VMwHEd5wO4yHf2s3T4GTchyphenhyphens/s320/tumblr+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisek5lGP4Wst0fS4QMhp5GUJU_QOiXW8WaN34wxh4rrl3sUIvESwz6JQ8uBVHh6GA963lBIWDDTgs-iFq57aFPUGeOMiyMWBkg7OlmXecbKZnauKPwmNcL89tqhpg4e-cDqRJreVJbCeM/s1600/londonproduce+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisek5lGP4Wst0fS4QMhp5GUJU_QOiXW8WaN34wxh4rrl3sUIvESwz6JQ8uBVHh6GA963lBIWDDTgs-iFq57aFPUGeOMiyMWBkg7OlmXecbKZnauKPwmNcL89tqhpg4e-cDqRJreVJbCeM/s320/londonproduce+060.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1vP2KHFKdMKzlwHxCjfIhd5HJr4lyaZcDYvrbliS8fnXcauyrxe0tpxoOHNJ0Blrr0kYzvdWaZGq7Z8mZdJQmszLwjomvi3oRLwei7ZoLQbdKElwxNbedImO4NKwBV4lg4yBLCxQB0c/s1600/tumblr+089.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1vP2KHFKdMKzlwHxCjfIhd5HJr4lyaZcDYvrbliS8fnXcauyrxe0tpxoOHNJ0Blrr0kYzvdWaZGq7Z8mZdJQmszLwjomvi3oRLwei7ZoLQbdKElwxNbedImO4NKwBV4lg4yBLCxQB0c/s320/tumblr+089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhZC5niMJWJIduYY1XJxgC5MSuN0j1QFYrcoUuZdV5WkSbS6ilR1UQ4yVlo7N3mCG-83lhf0BOwbLqJNRpqN6qVP-i0B1Ck6tyU0Fdir_W0H_Y7V958ooe04FDQPxBZ076roZmMcTLTA/s1600/tumblr+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhZC5niMJWJIduYY1XJxgC5MSuN0j1QFYrcoUuZdV5WkSbS6ilR1UQ4yVlo7N3mCG-83lhf0BOwbLqJNRpqN6qVP-i0B1Ck6tyU0Fdir_W0H_Y7V958ooe04FDQPxBZ076roZmMcTLTA/s320/tumblr+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55DIYlhYvlLW9nQvavVgnkE_yzIhyphenhyphenA8fca7iUB_g8JmfOY9B0l1eyrLrPr1t4tjWyF2WHomypVXPm_qkGn1Vt0yu-0pDP0BCewBfGX7gE-SfiJfJvO9m8SIl-n8zcKsHqiAdEdrUz4w0/s1600/tumblr+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55DIYlhYvlLW9nQvavVgnkE_yzIhyphenhyphenA8fca7iUB_g8JmfOY9B0l1eyrLrPr1t4tjWyF2WHomypVXPm_qkGn1Vt0yu-0pDP0BCewBfGX7gE-SfiJfJvO9m8SIl-n8zcKsHqiAdEdrUz4w0/s320/tumblr+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0D3h7io79qM2flPMago8o5YtmjALimNR9MPfz58LhybEc1We43PdLiBjneodB5ABigAD8dgJZfHJuEJTLj29KZzAD17zOeYHo_02wknEM8rRPp3J1jhHv4U0lpVU1MV6lv21yMF-bvo/s1600/tumblr077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0D3h7io79qM2flPMago8o5YtmjALimNR9MPfz58LhybEc1We43PdLiBjneodB5ABigAD8dgJZfHJuEJTLj29KZzAD17zOeYHo_02wknEM8rRPp3J1jhHv4U0lpVU1MV6lv21yMF-bvo/s320/tumblr077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1vP2KHFKdMKzlwHxCjfIhd5HJr4lyaZcDYvrbliS8fnXcauyrxe0tpxoOHNJ0Blrr0kYzvdWaZGq7Z8mZdJQmszLwjomvi3oRLwei7ZoLQbdKElwxNbedImO4NKwBV4lg4yBLCxQB0c/s1600/tumblr+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
thanks again London Produce Show, looking forward to 2016! <br /><br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-25687116838640678632015-04-12T12:57:00.001-07:002015-04-12T12:57:20.836-07:00Diana Henry's "A Bird in the Hand" - Chicken with anchovies, lemon and rosemaryIt is a long story , the one about waiting to get hold of Diana Henry's fabulous cookery book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845338960/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1845338960&linkCode=as2&tag=josordocollec-21&linkId=46JP7V66ECF3G3AX">A Bird in the Hand</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=josordocollec-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845338960" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRRkN1k7-unHLD4pUsQIENx4Ak1TLbYgWmpJpzces5pIBV0qK54q7_SQmrA7ZCsVqjs58zGBiLaVUaabD_Aub_nyYusYCtwLV7_JWDhig2bSzyLOTJsyFEp7qTIFoi3M8Lhu4EVtbb71_/s1600/bird+in+the+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRRkN1k7-unHLD4pUsQIENx4Ak1TLbYgWmpJpzces5pIBV0qK54q7_SQmrA7ZCsVqjs58zGBiLaVUaabD_Aub_nyYusYCtwLV7_JWDhig2bSzyLOTJsyFEp7qTIFoi3M8Lhu4EVtbb71_/s1600/bird+in+the+hand.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Three copies the publisher sent to me, three copies disappeared into the black hole that is Royal Mail. But eventually it and I were united, and I was finally a happy chick. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I gave the honours of first choice to Bob, and he homed in on Chicken with anchovies, lemon and rosemary. It is not dissimilar to my favourite Spezzatina, made with anchovies and vinegar, but this one has onions (should have been shallots, but I didn't have any) and wine, and is topped with lemon and garlic - I added parsley to that mixture, to make a classic Italian gremolata, which I love. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It came out beautifully. Apart from the little tweaks above (and where would I be if I didn't tweak) I followed the recipe, and it came out just as it should. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOh70KHbY5mwngQbTD5g0U6J-L1IbwpdEmX4s3QIfLGf09JYyBpGXs9k2uUqzJjgCgMSkOR5GbmmEkVNEgbhr17R-1FLZuAG01b9T_Xf6qFRrevJWOSiaDv-KLwAuicONFrkMdvpRSQ48o/s1600/page+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOh70KHbY5mwngQbTD5g0U6J-L1IbwpdEmX4s3QIfLGf09JYyBpGXs9k2uUqzJjgCgMSkOR5GbmmEkVNEgbhr17R-1FLZuAG01b9T_Xf6qFRrevJWOSiaDv-KLwAuicONFrkMdvpRSQ48o/s1600/page+001.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD-eNqO_sIxwO7LsKxqNutaI33W3Sb9LzrBiNHqDBZkZWW8vurj4MuuHdWu_f30BnMIDvbDMWBtYxIQAYi6c2dprXEfwnrbB_OtHuP56MB9ejZFBRk9ZVDDRZKH0zzuI5vR4_xEqVO0xX/s1600/chicken+plate004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD-eNqO_sIxwO7LsKxqNutaI33W3Sb9LzrBiNHqDBZkZWW8vurj4MuuHdWu_f30BnMIDvbDMWBtYxIQAYi6c2dprXEfwnrbB_OtHuP56MB9ejZFBRk9ZVDDRZKH0zzuI5vR4_xEqVO0xX/s1600/chicken+plate004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had roast Italian style potatoes and fresh, lightly blanched spring greens and it was gorgeous. And easy!! Hurray for easy! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE8YTusc8Ia09j9nfAsleGtdWdt_SHcDDh38xhxf-8ile-wnNM0aqQTkPtHzjry8HIUk875-bBk2w3QdwYqQUXMp1AiPIpyhMDjmoIfzotx-1EV2TPTmkjiEX7yOV4vTfElLnhkxhOZVr/s1600/chicken+plate2+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE8YTusc8Ia09j9nfAsleGtdWdt_SHcDDh38xhxf-8ile-wnNM0aqQTkPtHzjry8HIUk875-bBk2w3QdwYqQUXMp1AiPIpyhMDjmoIfzotx-1EV2TPTmkjiEX7yOV4vTfElLnhkxhOZVr/s1600/chicken+plate2+009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">disclaimer: I was sent a review copy, but I did the cooking, the eating and the writing! </span></i><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=josordocollec-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845338960" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-9929480343045998202015-04-08T10:24:00.001-07:002015-04-08T10:24:46.980-07:00Thane's April FooleryI have started to go again to Thane Prince's Cook Book Club - hurray!! <br />
<br />
I missed it so much, but after a rather nasty accident on the way back in November, I had decided not to drive at night until the summer (if at all...) and didn't fancy public transport to Islington during the winter. But Spring has started to spring, and the nights are longer, so I'm back!<br />
<br />
If you don't know about Thane's fabulous Cook Book club, it is in the first week of each month and is held at The Draper's Arms in Islington. We bring food to share, books to read from and talk about, and mouths to natter with. A great time is always had by all. (You can find details each month on Facebook and Twitter: <complete id="goog_2108182014"><a href="https://twitter.com/tpcookbookclub" target="_blank">@TPCookBookClub</a> on Twitter, with both <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThanePrinceCookBookClub" target="_blank">a public page</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/608630099252981/" target="_blank">a members only group</a> (for the people who regularly come to the club) for information on Facebook.)</complete><br />
<complete id="goog_2108182014"><br /></complete>
<complete id="goog_2108182014">April was held on April 1st, so what better theme than foolery? To be interpreted as loosely as anyone could wish. </complete><br />
<complete id="goog_2108182014"><br /></complete>
<complete id="goog_2108182014">We were a relatively small group this time (the numbers vary dramatically depending on what is happening in everyone's lives) but small is beautiful. The food and people certainly were :D .</complete><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0IK4e9kNi0LdYp-ObjwiruaBdPZ0fxFvPcgTFfBb3D3J2-11TWRs-mo79SPx8xn4c8AMghNxjxKGkIKvKovlm7W8kW6x2_szFz3p3HAI1x3lMx7p7j7AwAOM-eRkIKfeOeiBf_ffVos/s1600/group+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0IK4e9kNi0LdYp-ObjwiruaBdPZ0fxFvPcgTFfBb3D3J2-11TWRs-mo79SPx8xn4c8AMghNxjxKGkIKvKovlm7W8kW6x2_szFz3p3HAI1x3lMx7p7j7AwAOM-eRkIKfeOeiBf_ffVos/s1600/group+084.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX3vunR5HR5VgJ2jgeRjZnPlwQJDXTbjxD3BEXFDr5crcUDAgFiYduKJTwtUaDRU3uwyrq62qyrISrgBDG84AAKor-5RQl0j6Nl0Kq0x80I71W3tAnHKfoT2ydp6AoHgS0nj8A0Z7dsk/s1600/rachel+081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX3vunR5HR5VgJ2jgeRjZnPlwQJDXTbjxD3BEXFDr5crcUDAgFiYduKJTwtUaDRU3uwyrq62qyrISrgBDG84AAKor-5RQl0j6Nl0Kq0x80I71W3tAnHKfoT2ydp6AoHgS0nj8A0Z7dsk/s1600/rachel+081.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslhU5iOVs9MJsTvH3nB_CX7n7e6StahoNiN1D6GaK-6RtDvnRkoxebgxhvEU2_yeoriMNMetQbnCrzdHWUjTArIlbt3HnYp9cabppQGpQEWphp2Phj40F8dDStaprgSX4yFwYhEfYg6c/s1600/palmiersk+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslhU5iOVs9MJsTvH3nB_CX7n7e6StahoNiN1D6GaK-6RtDvnRkoxebgxhvEU2_yeoriMNMetQbnCrzdHWUjTArIlbt3HnYp9cabppQGpQEWphp2Phj40F8dDStaprgSX4yFwYhEfYg6c/s1600/palmiersk+091.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbFLD5pM36KWbBexpzwjuXuG-TclvktAjbVOfdOnkRG-f2E2pNfmgcUP6gm7orxA94KRnwPxSHnDYLPgJqlJ17z-__ufT3vbgC96DDMMSw15Tzte87K6sFcazl1HZ78LZpb94Iju5HwE/s1600/chorizo090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbFLD5pM36KWbBexpzwjuXuG-TclvktAjbVOfdOnkRG-f2E2pNfmgcUP6gm7orxA94KRnwPxSHnDYLPgJqlJ17z-__ufT3vbgC96DDMMSw15Tzte87K6sFcazl1HZ78LZpb94Iju5HwE/s1600/chorizo090.jpg" height="275" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MpQoXtIlkqP9UKilFBLgKVwR-7JaTTlkYvFfXs420bmbKTdAj6ML0kufIKZTujuF4YWYUpHIcAQEe9_b75-fp2hvA47nPjcs5l5XrtO8GoGIVUySxeQwFdvstE2oJGPuu0-c03vVnGA/s1600/flapjacks+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MpQoXtIlkqP9UKilFBLgKVwR-7JaTTlkYvFfXs420bmbKTdAj6ML0kufIKZTujuF4YWYUpHIcAQEe9_b75-fp2hvA47nPjcs5l5XrtO8GoGIVUySxeQwFdvstE2oJGPuu0-c03vVnGA/s1600/flapjacks+089.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunVaV2TAqx7f5rqS2jktLkdMR3L7ef4moUzNgE68GmWWLDjkky8u9st-Yg1oq5YHRZcyKuZCx7gRHnZKDoT9VAISYxhrXZ3WlUXuw8VHBZFurQCAi1q-fHjiwt7g0Sifc7JrqWJNyu8I/s1600/colomba+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunVaV2TAqx7f5rqS2jktLkdMR3L7ef4moUzNgE68GmWWLDjkky8u9st-Yg1oq5YHRZcyKuZCx7gRHnZKDoT9VAISYxhrXZ3WlUXuw8VHBZFurQCAi1q-fHjiwt7g0Sifc7JrqWJNyu8I/s1600/colomba+076.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LDc-HyBy7xuuH5YwIe_9tCxbbtkK6voy3IlTmLUdIL7_oIWvhdBWVNWGZskd2nGYk4WUlmmGhEx3xFuUwmT7vE9ICLwqNGT5G2SrUUDehN7u8bzTQ731Nqx6f2VNYDcOP_rBE-rD_Xk/s1600/yoghurtbread+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LDc-HyBy7xuuH5YwIe_9tCxbbtkK6voy3IlTmLUdIL7_oIWvhdBWVNWGZskd2nGYk4WUlmmGhEx3xFuUwmT7vE9ICLwqNGT5G2SrUUDehN7u8bzTQ731Nqx6f2VNYDcOP_rBE-rD_Xk/s1600/yoghurtbread+067.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ8IieUWBCojOHnxNcu6u_p-NgkYYACGW_0BeADCae0DdjH_9eZi6Ixw8BgwOBAqojyKdO9aubCtKDP0Wp7KqxokrtVQ0VikNEo-BySshhzbu53ngWpWdWsve0KpJCSCw3Ms8e6aMGQg/s1600/rye+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ8IieUWBCojOHnxNcu6u_p-NgkYYACGW_0BeADCae0DdjH_9eZi6Ixw8BgwOBAqojyKdO9aubCtKDP0Wp7KqxokrtVQ0VikNEo-BySshhzbu53ngWpWdWsve0KpJCSCw3Ms8e6aMGQg/s1600/rye+072.jpg" height="301" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCTD7vyO9e397HVVlpDTz896nSFtIen0VHGTqP_bvzH3q7Ed_Z7_bABeFQYbIhnJVuMftLPeVu4U3lRtWpvrYowVGtXaYMLS4b8as7i-ugdiqtABy0NCkcUNABcw9MOFf5DkvM6rf6zU/s1600/bread+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCTD7vyO9e397HVVlpDTz896nSFtIen0VHGTqP_bvzH3q7Ed_Z7_bABeFQYbIhnJVuMftLPeVu4U3lRtWpvrYowVGtXaYMLS4b8as7i-ugdiqtABy0NCkcUNABcw9MOFf5DkvM6rf6zU/s1600/bread+087.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
<complete id="goog_2108182014"><br /></complete>
<complete id="goog_2108182014">There were more people , and more food, but by then I was in nattering mode.. which is why you go to a club isn't it!! So hello Kate and Naomi! and thank you all for welcoming me back as your prodigal daughter :) </complete>josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-21611910486822458292015-04-06T10:48:00.001-07:002015-04-06T10:48:47.269-07:00the best of A Greedy Piglet : A Hufflepuff of Brioche <i>I've been playing with sweet dough recently, making <a href="http://greedypiglet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/a-late-easter-colomba-and-couple-of.html" target="_blank">Colomba for Easter</a>, and realised that I hadn't copied over my excellent sweet dough recipe to here. This basic dough is perfect for all sorts of things, for cinnamon buns, for little plaited breads with sultanas in, for rolling out to make Nutella star bread, stuffing with fruit, or just making brioche to have for breakfast a la française. </i><br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
I am very happily experimenting with yeast baking. I love the slowness, and the sheer life of yeast dough. It comes alive under your hands, it is wonderful stuff.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDPTZP3Kcx0cmjG_7wNfK7rfsSpiUr5JH2WehAU-Jx2LNGrW4luWnFROruGFyaLqiSS857rnnvQHyVzVyhhDRcwHf7ZhY1hKEi-Qc0DIJ1d7yoV3EZHUKXub7Yw88VuD8wLekKwzkbnY/s1600/brioche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDPTZP3Kcx0cmjG_7wNfK7rfsSpiUr5JH2WehAU-Jx2LNGrW4luWnFROruGFyaLqiSS857rnnvQHyVzVyhhDRcwHf7ZhY1hKEi-Qc0DIJ1d7yoV3EZHUKXub7Yw88VuD8wLekKwzkbnY/s1600/brioche.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Mostly, I have been baking savoury bread. Wet doughs like focaccia, dryer doughs like my milk bread, sourdough rye. I've been using a scald, overnight proofing, generally fiddling about. Anything rather than just bung the ingredients into the mixer and mix it up.<br />
<br />
Playing about with the way the dough is made is interesting beyond measure. Each different stage allows the yeast to break down different parts of the flour, resulting in lots of flavour, sometimes a more robust texture, and sometimes a pillowy soft one.<br />
<br />
One of the initial fiddling abouts I am very fond of is using a sponge. I t<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/more-bread-my-top-tips-with-a-milky-white-and-a-milky-brown/" title="More bread… my top tips with a Milky White and a Milky Brown">alked about this in my Milk Bread tips</a>, and I still think it is an easy way to improve simple breads. It is easily incorporated into any recipe, it is all just a question of proportions. Sometimes, I use a flying sponge, i.e. a short sponge, where half the flour quantity in the recipe, an equal weight of liquid, and all the yeast, are mixed and left for a relatively short time, about an hour and a half until there is lots of bubbling in the mixture and it is rising vigorously.<br />
<br />
But recently, I have been extending the time that I am fermenting this sponge to around 6 hours when the dough has risen, and is now falling, and looking as though it has acne. The development of the gluten in this mixture is good and strong, you can see lots of stringy bits in the dough when you mix it into the rest of the flour and add any other ingredients and the remains of any liquid from your original recipe. The white bread I make as an everyday bread is stunningly good using this method.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRhl-HOmqtB8gCagoxb2mbU04Bk6lKLzrC7mCVrmdTeYy3d5Vnhxcx-J66esWVOCg3TrwMfMat28JjmaLFfQS8jmhUfJCE7ejdPDJGJ3Ngcg2eWHwH21A6KYBJlgyzV6b_4CMrOCEb1Q/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRhl-HOmqtB8gCagoxb2mbU04Bk6lKLzrC7mCVrmdTeYy3d5Vnhxcx-J66esWVOCg3TrwMfMat28JjmaLFfQS8jmhUfJCE7ejdPDJGJ3Ngcg2eWHwH21A6KYBJlgyzV6b_4CMrOCEb1Q/s1600/bread.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So now is the time to use this method in a sweet dough. I have made some sweet dough but not a lot. I found <a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/les-gibassiers-d-orford/" title="Les Gibassiers d’Orford">making gibassiers</a> very satisfying, and this recipe uses a preferment, which sits overnight and only uses a tiny amount of yeast, the remainder of the yeast being added in the main mixing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBt6RLuW_EashKy350w4-lNxheU9V8aNaV_dlykBeYQepHRn2eaQCfIEtL97a0YoMTmFF4uXKEdZYowUDBPI8_-AMF9mVUMYlq-ejqFh8SPwDp01WHq2Ya4Dl_BoKUWqpJGj7dqSeqdc/s1600/gibassiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBt6RLuW_EashKy350w4-lNxheU9V8aNaV_dlykBeYQepHRn2eaQCfIEtL97a0YoMTmFF4uXKEdZYowUDBPI8_-AMF9mVUMYlq-ejqFh8SPwDp01WHq2Ya4Dl_BoKUWqpJGj7dqSeqdc/s1600/gibassiers.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I wondered if my sponge, using all of the yeast, would work, or if the retarding effect of the butter sugar and eggs would negate the benefits? I don't have the science to explain what is going on, I can only try and see what works and what doesn't.<br />
<br />
Well, I am pleased to say that it works fine. In fact, I think that it is a real improvement. The brioche type buns that I made are fluffy delicate clouds of delight, perfect with a cup of coffee in front of the computer <img alt="Cool" border="0" src="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-tinymce/addons/emotions/img/smiley-cool.gif" title="Cool" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrfO0wvVb0bZKiWRo_kGvG6xN4d91xwzXinag4Po7gUhxaKThYFEOhOmHDEY0-rCeXOo-VBj9DGFC2R2Q6eLH2VHnSVjvtErNPypP8ytr5dWxJL82nl270p_kqe-FC5e-NbXFfryVZ38/s1600/briochecoffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrfO0wvVb0bZKiWRo_kGvG6xN4d91xwzXinag4Po7gUhxaKThYFEOhOmHDEY0-rCeXOo-VBj9DGFC2R2Q6eLH2VHnSVjvtErNPypP8ytr5dWxJL82nl270p_kqe-FC5e-NbXFfryVZ38/s1600/briochecoffee.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Very Light Enriched Dough Brioche Buns</b></span></h3>
This recipe is over 2 days, so start the sponge in the afternoon of the day before you want to bake, so that you can refrigerate the finished dough overnight to set the butter.<br />
<blockquote>
<b>sponge:</b><br />
<br />
125g Bread flour<br />
<br />
125g whole milk, scalded and allow to cool to room temperature (do scald and cool the milk, it makes a lot of difference to the softness of the final dough)<br />
<br />
1 tsp instant yeast<br />
<br />
<b>main dough:</b><br />
<br />
250g Italian 00 flour<br />
<br />
3 whole eggs lightly beaten<br />
<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
<br />
50g caster sugar<br />
<br />
120g unsalted butter<br />
<br />
<b>Glaze</b>:<br />
<br />
one egg beaten lightly<br />
<br />
sugar syrup<br />
<br />
pearl sugar<br />
<br /></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
First make the sponge by mixing the flour, milk and yeast together in a largish bowl. You don't need to knead it just bring it together into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic and set aside for 4-6 hours. It will ferment and grow, and then will start to drop, you will see the rounded top start to sink, and lots of little burst bubbles appear on the surface.<br />
<br />
Mix together the sponge and the 3 eggs, and stir until they are well blended. Then add the flour from the main dough, the salt, and the sugar. Mix this thoroughly for a minute or two, it will be very wet, but it shouldn't be an actual batter. If it is a too wet add a little more flour.<br />
<br />
If you are going to knead this by hand, and it isn't difficult, just tricky and sticky, do look at this <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2008/03/bertinet_sweetdough" target="_blank" title="Bertinet Method of kneading soft dough">Bertinet method video </a> . (This video will also give you a good idea of the texture you are looking for in the dough)<br />
<br />
However, I am lazy these days, and use my Kenwood stand mixer (best thing I ever bought! ) with the dough hook on a medium speed.<br />
<br />
Knead the dough until it is smooth and supple and coming away from sides of the mixer, just holding a little at the bottom. Then start to add the butter about 20g at a time, kneading in each piece until it is incorporated before adding the next. Mix at a medium speed until it is all in and there is no slapping noise of the butter on the side of the mixer.<br />
<br />
Scoop the dough out of the mixer into a bowl about twice the size of the dough, tuck it in around the edges to make a nice smooth top, cover with plastic and into the fridge overnight. It will last for a couple of days in the fridge if you don't have time to bake the following day, though it will continue to rise. If it overtakes the bowl, then just deflate it and cover it again.<br />
<br />
When you want to bake, remove the dough from the fridge, and turn it out onto a floured board. Use a scraper to cut the dough into 12 pieces (or halve it, make 6 brioche and do something else with the rest). Form each piece into a neat round and drop it into a greased medium brioche mould (I have a silicone one with 6 moulds, but I think if I were buying from scratch I would sooner have individual metal ones. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size and very puffy.<br />
<br />
Brush with egg glaze - I sprinkled with pearl sugar before baking, but the heat was a bit too hot for the sugar and it caramelised. Next time I will bake with the egg glaze to give a lovely brown top and then glaze with sugar syrup and pearl sugar afterwards to keep the little white sugary pieces intact.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to Gas Mk 7, 425/220 and cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn out upside down onto a baking tray and give the undersides another 5 minutes (especially if you are using silicone which doesn't brown very well. Cool on a tray and try not to eat all at once.<br />
<br />
I am not sure how long these will last, I only made them this afternoon.... I will let you know!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-40526003804427441692015-03-21T10:47:00.000-07:002015-03-21T10:47:11.551-07:00Just the simple things.... Total Fruyo Coconut Yoghurt, apple sauce, hazelnuts... Sometimes the simple things are just perfect.<br />
<br />
I have plans to make something elaborate, something witty, clever.... something.... hip.<br />
<br />
I have <a href="http://usa.fage.eu/product/fruyo-classic-coconut-6-oz" target="_blank">Total Yoghurt's newest addition to their Fruyo range</a> - full cream Total Greek Classic yoghurt with coconut shreds. I need fruit to go with it.... I have mango. I have pineapple. I am planning a stunning, artistic plate with daisy like petals of golden fruit..... meh... too much work. Maybe another time.<br />
<br />
Today I am feeling lazy. With simple tastes. <br />
<br />
I have a Bramley apple. Chopped and into a small bowl. A splash of cider and into the microwave for 3 minutes until fluffy and hot. Whip up into a pale, sharply sweet puree. Into a shallow stemmed glass. A matter of seconds.<br />
<br />
Top carefully with half a pot of Fruyo. Eat the rest whilst admiring the glass (which is an Edwardian crystal champagne coupe by the way... ). Yumyum.<br />
<br />
It needs something ... it's looking a little pale.... roasted hazelnut nibs from the cupboard.<br />
<br />
And as I am deeply artistic on the inside, a slice of apple, cut across the middle to show the delicate star of its inside.<br />
<br />
Simple.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dxk0Z_iEx_067DrObo8hhnU44yGHbHSLOfBuPr2M353YsIAe_JFqpuJxlbWC5OH0lzLXQvjq7atfjT_Jv7QSq71cvfyWDItYMDYh1Y-jgU_KBp-9Qajt211p5WRDkdyvdIWq86sz5sw/s1600/glass005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dxk0Z_iEx_067DrObo8hhnU44yGHbHSLOfBuPr2M353YsIAe_JFqpuJxlbWC5OH0lzLXQvjq7atfjT_Jv7QSq71cvfyWDItYMDYh1Y-jgU_KBp-9Qajt211p5WRDkdyvdIWq86sz5sw/s1600/glass005.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>with thanks to Total Greek yoghurt for the sample of Fruyo Classic Coconut</i></span>josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-8117437366701998152015-02-08T09:46:00.002-08:002016-02-16T03:03:07.626-08:00Macaroni Cheese.... not Mac AND Cheese. We are English, doncha know! Mac and Cheese... it's everywhere. Being added into burgers, on the side of ribs, a side order at many of the current swathe of down and dirty, street food inspired, diner joints. But...<br />
<br />
.....what happened to English macaroni cheese? No "and" in there you will notice. Is it the same thing? Surely not? <br />
<br />
To me, US Mac and Cheese has always meant a LOT of cheese. Luridly yellow tinged with orange from its processed cheese content, and rich as Croesus. English macaroni cheese is more subtle, a gentler, creamier, altogether less strident dish. So are the terms interchangeable? And why (whichever version you may prefer) are they suddenly so popular? <br />
<br />
Well, the popularity is well earned. Cooked the English way, it is simply delicious. To my taste, the US version is less digestible, too rich. Both are stolid fare, good solid working class chaps, with rolled up sleeves, made to fill stomachs at minimal expense. Interestingly, when trying to see where it started out, it would seem that the early English version was closer to the US version. The earliest cook book to include a recipe seems to be the English "Forme of Cury" from the 14th century: "Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and
cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. take chese and grate it
and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth." ("Make a
thin foil of dough and cut it in pieces. Put them in boiling in water
and seethe them well. Grate cheese and add it with butter beneath and above as with losyns [a dish similar to lasagne], and serve."<br />
<br />
No mention of bechamel sauce and creaminess. This sounds like a solid wedge of cheesey pasta that would sit on your stomach for days. In England, by the late 1700s Elizabeth Raffald was already moving towards a more easily digested sauce based dish, with cooked pasta added and then browned in the oven or under the grill. <br />
<br />
The dish moved the US around the 1800s when Thomas Jefferson returned from Europe, and has been a US staple ever since. Normally termed a "casserole", (which I understand in the US to mean a mixture of ingredients cooked or finished in a casserole, often vegetables or pasta) the pasta is often added uncooked with cheese and cream or milk, and cooks to a creamy mass in the oven. I found an article in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/04wint.html?_r=1&" target="_blank">New York Times from 2006</a>, which talks of a "vexatious infatuation with white sauce," in the early 20th century, but insists that a true mac and cheese should be "nothing more than tender elbows of pasta suspended in pure molten cheddar, with a chewy, golden-brown crust of cheese on top." <br />
<br />
Hmmmmmm. I guess it must be a question of personal taste. I shall certainly be quizzing my server as to what is in my side of Mac and Cheese. If it is dressed in lightly cheesey bechamel, with a tang of mustard, I shall insist that the menu is amended immediately to Macaroni Cheese. I shall then order it.....<br />
<br />
<u><b>English Macaroni Cheese</b></u><br />
<br />
I can't give accurate measurements for this, it really depends on how hungry you are, it is just slightly undercooked macaroni, mixed into a thin cheese sauce, and then oven baked with a cheese topping until brown and bubbly. But there are a few things to consider:<br />
<br />
<b>Pasta is absorbent.</b> I like thin elbow macaroni as it is less absorbent than the larger version, but still, make your sauce MUCH thinner than you think it should be. It will be sucked up as if by blotting paper, and you want your macaroni to be smoothly bathed in a savoury sauce, not sitting in dry, individual pieces.<br />
<br />
<b>Cheese can be sickly</b>. I use extra strong cheddar in judicious quantities with extra parmesan for the top, I want to only just taste the cheese in the sauce, to add a level of savoury that won't completely overpower the flavour of the pasta. I still want to taste the wheat. Use a spoonful of English mustard in the sauce to bring out the flavour of the cheese, and remember to check the seasoning before adding any further salt as cheese can sometimes be very salty in a sauce.<br />
<br />
<b>Tomatoes on top.</b> This is essential in my view. Sliced tomatoes on top, under the extra cheese. The sweetness of the tomatoes cuts the cloy of the sauce and just finishes it perfectly.<br />
<br />
<b>Consider this a full meal,</b> not just a side dish that needs meat. Though some cold gammon is a sublime addition. <br />
<br />
This is what mine looks like...which would you go for? English macaroni cheese? or US Mac & Cheese?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIsUF6_WYfAjPVfss4lU8AlqDKMG7Hvbi1unHIYvPzdmg6D4DfO6qIY8NHrn4KCO5T0KNtSt22Yuxl3nIq2jNsFoG_bpPKUyWLbDBuF6p6WsgnIkS64OP8_8tdr-hi7l0lROo5B4oOv0/s1600/maccheese+plateham011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIsUF6_WYfAjPVfss4lU8AlqDKMG7Hvbi1unHIYvPzdmg6D4DfO6qIY8NHrn4KCO5T0KNtSt22Yuxl3nIq2jNsFoG_bpPKUyWLbDBuF6p6WsgnIkS64OP8_8tdr-hi7l0lROo5B4oOv0/s1600/maccheese+plateham011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF6E9qVQ8X4PasTtDcVnY8-Zyamowj5XZET46Zztb9MG1pGWnD-gCfDAPmMo2O4p0MoHs-SquyQ4GrOs-NkwwA3IFZKFuOxTGMh5eps1fzl0ts2GiysBS_swGy8-1et1WfgsmcXvs1qY/s1600/maccheese+gall005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF6E9qVQ8X4PasTtDcVnY8-Zyamowj5XZET46Zztb9MG1pGWnD-gCfDAPmMo2O4p0MoHs-SquyQ4GrOs-NkwwA3IFZKFuOxTGMh5eps1fzl0ts2GiysBS_swGy8-1et1WfgsmcXvs1qY/s1600/maccheese+gall005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-27297788320771038512015-01-15T09:39:00.000-08:002015-01-15T09:39:24.066-08:00The best of A Greedy Piglet: Old fashioned bread pudding. Deep joy.<i>I was shocked that I hadn't moved this recipe from June 2010 over here from the old blog site ... (or at least I can't see that I have, but I might be going blind..) it is by a long stretch one of the most popular recipes I have ever given on A Greedy Piglet. Give it a go.. and let me know what you think! </i><br />
<br />
----------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh9QXo4jf-4S-dU9k7RNveitkXziK9uCPabDBXxEb6kmFrhD_8L3ZbFk6M4lyt_Q8prdnZQr5TUwhc60k3BKefw6nQcAE_mgr75UhQW_16U0SW2ro2_NIuE5HH8jpx0gLviSVxed-o5s/s1600/bread-pudding-small1-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh9QXo4jf-4S-dU9k7RNveitkXziK9uCPabDBXxEb6kmFrhD_8L3ZbFk6M4lyt_Q8prdnZQr5TUwhc60k3BKefw6nQcAE_mgr75UhQW_16U0SW2ro2_NIuE5HH8jpx0gLviSVxed-o5s/s1600/bread-pudding-small1-300x225.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are great foods in all our repertoires that have taste memories in them. That take you right back to childhood. Sometimes bad, mostly good (I think I have deliberately erased the really bad ones though...)<br />
<br />
Bread pudding is one of the good ones for me. I am talking about proper bread pudding, not bread-and-butter pudding. Good as that is, B&B pudding is very much a dessert, a light egg custard held together with slices of buttered bread and fruit (dried, fresh, even jam). Bread pudding is something quite different, a cake to be eaten alongside a cup of tea, to fill the gap between lunch and dinner, to assuage the after-school hunger of growing kids. <br />
<br />
It is as old as the hills, a good working class cake, made by people who couldn't afford to waste anything. These days, of course, we don't have to worry about where every last crust will go, and so we make versions that are considerably more luxurious than the ones made in the days during and between the wars. Mine is certainly more fruity and spicey than my mum's. <br />
<br />
Less stodgy too. The wartime recipe I was brought up on had suet and flour in to make it solid and claggy. I loved it at the time, but these days, I want something lighter and less fatty on my palate. <br />
<br />
I have been asked many a time for this recipe, but it has always been tricky to get the recipe down. It is, after all, a recipe made to use up leftovers, and for this very reason the quantities are variable, depending on what is actually left over. I know what I want the mix to look like, but how to convey this to someone who hasn't been there whilst I have been cooking is very difficult, and I take my hat off to recipe developers around the world.<br />
<br />
So armed with a pencil and a now-rather-sticky notebook, I took the trouble to weigh and measure as I went, and this is what I came up with. Now these measures are not written in stone, this kind of recipe is good natured, it doesn't depend on strict ratios to work, you can up and down the various ingredients as you feel fit. The bread/egg/butter ratio is probably best kept roughly to this, but you can add more/less fruit, sugar, spice, to suit your own taste. <br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
300g Stale bread, cut roughly into chunks <i>(I've made this with stale fruit loaf as well as ordinary bread, works beautifully) </i><br />
50g soft brown sugar<br />
250g dried fruit<br />
1 tbs black treacle<br />
50g butter<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten just enough to mix yolk & white together<br />
1 heaped tsp ground mixed spice </blockquote>
<br />
Soak the bread in COLD water to cover until the crusts on the bread are nice and soft. Squeeze the water out of the bread until it is as dry as you can get it. Put the squeezed bread into a mixing bowl, throw the water away.<br />
<br />
Roughly break the bread up (sort of squish it between your fingers, like making mud pies)<br />
<br />
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and black treacle together (TIP warm the spoon first before you get the treacle out of the tin, then it just slides off the spoon into the pan). You just want it warm and runny, don't let it boil - it turns into toffee pretty quickly. <br />
<br />
Add the fruit, egg, sugar and spice to the bread, together with the treacle/butter mix and mix it all up. It should be quite a sloppy mix, very similar to Christmas Pudding. <br />
<br />
Turn into a greased and base lined tin - usually people would cook this in a flat traybake tin, but I have recently started cooking it in a 1lb loaf tin, I find that I get more squishy middle bit, which is the bit I like. If you like the crunchy outside, then a traybake will be better for you. <br />
<br />
Run a fork over the top surface to roughen it up, and sprinkle with a little extra sugar - demerara is good if you have any, or just ordinary granulated. <br />
<br />
Bake at medium temperature (roughly Gas Mark 4, 350/180 degrees but (in particular if you have a fan oven) do check the temperature and timing, the raisins can turn into little charred bullets if your oven cooks hot), for about an hour. It won't rise much, and when you test it it will probably still be a little damp, that's ok. Sprinkle with a little more sugar if it isn't crunchy enough on the top for your liking. Let it cool in the tin before taking it out - it is quite delicate, and it will break apart if you take it out whilst it is still hot.<br />
<br />
Oh, by the way... I fibbed about it only being a cake. The pudding name is quite right. It is also delicious hot with cream or ice cream as a REAL pudding.<br />
<br />
-----------------------<br />
<br />
<i><b>Update January 2015</b></i><br />
<br />
<i>Among the various comments that I received were some great ideas, people were soaking the bread in cold tea, adding apricots, apples, strawberry jam (yes! honestly!) glace cherries... seems your imagination has no bounds!<a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/old-fashioned-bread-pudding-deep-joy/" target="_blank"> Read the original comments from the Greedy Piglet Post from 2010</a> and then come back and add your own thoughts here :) </i><br />
<cite class="social-fn fn"></cite><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-91069513822793004122015-01-01T08:26:00.000-08:002015-01-01T08:38:34.708-08:00Fischers - at last!!! I have been meaning to go to Fischer's on Marylebone High Street for lunch for ages. Several of the Thane Prince Cook Book Club join Thane (who is on her way to having a personal, permanently reserved table) there frequently, and report on the fabulous ambience and food. <br />
<br />
I don't eat out often really, but I have a soft spot for the Delaunay Counter, where Bob and I sometimes stop for a chicken schnitzel sandwich and a Black Forest gateau if we are up town for the theatre or the museums, and as Fischer's is run by the same group, I had to go sometime or other.<br />
<br />
My lovely friend Frances, who I used to work with when I worked in publishing, moved to Somerset a few years back, so we don't get to meet up that often. But, she had plans to be in town for a day before Xmas and we decided to go shopping and see the lights, and to have a posh lunch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDuMoAvlWBf-qYnL3qC0u4sIUG_ENlSONMfhxbgDoHci5WVgsihh0imEbKDzom-ijk9pVx0iZLSiB_ULYYkANN6TZXJCKlVSA9OJSG-NhTCXqavyMkUt5bvJqoqbfs3iRKCHy1tumIgg/s1600/fischers+me+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDuMoAvlWBf-qYnL3qC0u4sIUG_ENlSONMfhxbgDoHci5WVgsihh0imEbKDzom-ijk9pVx0iZLSiB_ULYYkANN6TZXJCKlVSA9OJSG-NhTCXqavyMkUt5bvJqoqbfs3iRKCHy1tumIgg/s1600/fischers+me+052.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_vMsBuoYKGYNOX7EfxzD6sAxn9p0KCo5s7Z0pBgWoMgHCAKMRcY-L9Fkg7I31ZlneNIUBZCCj3izKpJSJRMvVbLZX39AD7u8BVf6sgmHfMoZLccJxhesKxuHGasW1Z-wpsh3Crqv3kE/s1600/fischers+frances+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_vMsBuoYKGYNOX7EfxzD6sAxn9p0KCo5s7Z0pBgWoMgHCAKMRcY-L9Fkg7I31ZlneNIUBZCCj3izKpJSJRMvVbLZX39AD7u8BVf6sgmHfMoZLccJxhesKxuHGasW1Z-wpsh3Crqv3kE/s1600/fischers+frances+039.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Fischer's it was to be. Love the old fashioned continental railway station vibe of this restaurant, with the clock in the middle. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ3ib-o4PawuXhIHSpyA9_XD-AxO973P3HttugE3claIMItLa5tvvlbFVHU_5K9Jgcd16_lQ6r3bBrcoiGs53r8h_ZJt_5PIBKczT37odukbiQTEFp2eJ8lugVTO6rkM_i4DlukdKYT4/s1600/fischers+clock043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ3ib-o4PawuXhIHSpyA9_XD-AxO973P3HttugE3claIMItLa5tvvlbFVHU_5K9Jgcd16_lQ6r3bBrcoiGs53r8h_ZJt_5PIBKczT37odukbiQTEFp2eJ8lugVTO6rkM_i4DlukdKYT4/s1600/fischers+clock043.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We settled in with aperitifs and delicious caraway rye bread and whipped butter, and waited for our special of venison stew and spatzle with red cabbage to arrive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8OtBTKnjMZ9dIw4u3iswVzBu2A6Mp6ZUu4hV7HaxJqKknFt6wjN9CHWvGQZ9zSTuzdkTTs8ZB-wl2K4d8VkgXbzdlM3LHF__MQ2JL8LkdIlV0XyZ1svDcCxSD99nD73wSZb9rtt6-D4/s1600/f+bread+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8OtBTKnjMZ9dIw4u3iswVzBu2A6Mp6ZUu4hV7HaxJqKknFt6wjN9CHWvGQZ9zSTuzdkTTs8ZB-wl2K4d8VkgXbzdlM3LHF__MQ2JL8LkdIlV0XyZ1svDcCxSD99nD73wSZb9rtt6-D4/s1600/f+bread+042.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK98z9aAe4Mdv5HrYDiksKsoGbjzTL_aWomO1nCqVTzVYQejNkryRJe8hvkovQtRsuIK6gve7GxohZBekyO7IelZXuvt4tB5nYfg2ZhbsZXV2LCjBfOFLgl53VzMDdlZz0EiUubXtqEY/s1600/f+butter+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK98z9aAe4Mdv5HrYDiksKsoGbjzTL_aWomO1nCqVTzVYQejNkryRJe8hvkovQtRsuIK6gve7GxohZBekyO7IelZXuvt4tB5nYfg2ZhbsZXV2LCjBfOFLgl53VzMDdlZz0EiUubXtqEY/s1600/f+butter+041.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabhEZFbqc-lm7PnLQ0mtVp5A9WyE5RoYL_QbSHLoAMcBKxmCGsA2c3Aa5wWFWLrNAh1v6haGd3CdmREZaVSXCQH-KxQrbToSmq2fDDGFn0RkiV1jMU0p0Ff-mSM2VzO0CpNb2YpOrJic/s1600/f+venison+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabhEZFbqc-lm7PnLQ0mtVp5A9WyE5RoYL_QbSHLoAMcBKxmCGsA2c3Aa5wWFWLrNAh1v6haGd3CdmREZaVSXCQH-KxQrbToSmq2fDDGFn0RkiV1jMU0p0Ff-mSM2VzO0CpNb2YpOrJic/s1600/f+venison+044.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroCglCJL4smBUbuhqwWLNeDmdCz4na7MoQSSFJasxatzWiumeBelqldHL0dWVsiyQiNz0HK5SvnJXL-lkhtnXKtBemSgbifB1NQko39MTkqWPX1vRSGKgOAFHchpLiAYOWnAzecASWY4/s1600/f+bread+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Rib-sticking, warming stuff, lots of it and delicious. We didn't leave much...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPc135OqZV7UtIv0uMOt_Ne3_ZwtI0lzGBYdcr301JbPgaGkKL-7DDszofDfqFjcGTo6SANr07qqhNSi8OUmoF_dhZtxXLOq-VlPkSVrP-wptqnfcsQtvLm7XPTaHZwXF6qp-o0Qz62Y/s1600/f+no+more+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPc135OqZV7UtIv0uMOt_Ne3_ZwtI0lzGBYdcr301JbPgaGkKL-7DDszofDfqFjcGTo6SANr07qqhNSi8OUmoF_dhZtxXLOq-VlPkSVrP-wptqnfcsQtvLm7XPTaHZwXF6qp-o0Qz62Y/s1600/f+no+more+047.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We really didn't have a lot of room for pudding, but we were very tempted by the sound of the nut icecreams - almond, hazelnut and pistachio with a hot butterscotch sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCJaIpdr1rrU_iQMObQF2TwTBTc7Sc1_-4qaQfJbX-qizYPZyP3twIop5Bbl-4JXiDTKvuKKPBBgSum1KpNft4EEY9PGiRb5WpjXj27KsTP6Tjc8kNq3MP-n7HyYPzaks08-yW6EAaww/s1600/f+icecream+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCJaIpdr1rrU_iQMObQF2TwTBTc7Sc1_-4qaQfJbX-qizYPZyP3twIop5Bbl-4JXiDTKvuKKPBBgSum1KpNft4EEY9PGiRb5WpjXj27KsTP6Tjc8kNq3MP-n7HyYPzaks08-yW6EAaww/s1600/f+icecream+048.jpg" height="301" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The almond was the prize in this though, it was on the top so we ate that first, but honestly, I wish we had left it until last it was so delicious. Next time I think I will ask for 3 scoops of almond and leave off the others.<br />
<br />
Not a cheap lunch, about £80 for the two of us, with coffee but no wine. But definitely one for the address book for a special occasion. josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-21386939725357535822014-10-31T06:47:00.002-07:002014-10-31T06:52:06.425-07:00Spoooooky Spanish Persimon #spanishpersimon<br />
Tis the end of October...<br />
<br />
The witches and the bats and the vampires are about......<br />
<br />
If you are orange <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>BE VERY AFRAID</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">...</span><br />
<br />
you WILL be put in a cauldron and <b>BOILED</b>!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlDz87NpULATi_w391qCJFfI0-1FOCHeVgYyztgho2Ohrx0QaIKjy_IpigEOJpP34u48YiUbUewZ9Sh0_pnfJdqt0HNcXcaGpiqy2GQIfKGkH8n8Sas_ZZRSoITe4aymvl2YXB-RaiJE/s1600/halloween+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlDz87NpULATi_w391qCJFfI0-1FOCHeVgYyztgho2Ohrx0QaIKjy_IpigEOJpP34u48YiUbUewZ9Sh0_pnfJdqt0HNcXcaGpiqy2GQIfKGkH8n8Sas_ZZRSoITe4aymvl2YXB-RaiJE/s1600/halloween+009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
................<br />
<br />
One cold, wet and stormy night<br />
<br />
(alright, one unseasonably warm afternoon...)<br />
<br />
a box arrived...... it was filled with the sound of groaning... and fluttering... and seeping from the edges came orange light...<br />
<br />
The lid creaked open and a round shiny parcel rolled out onto the floor...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEa1xVyKMokPaGRA4iAsY0LA7R1hUSdTqAqK003YcKU9jMs_S5GArzhf12ntaXUjKdkCmyF53Ems8iyGzZ81F2KT2VeBPsdCj9Rhtus4czs1z6iMkvODYM_dcWjmF0xUmGYWM0Y0ynQE/s1600/halloween+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEa1xVyKMokPaGRA4iAsY0LA7R1hUSdTqAqK003YcKU9jMs_S5GArzhf12ntaXUjKdkCmyF53Ems8iyGzZ81F2KT2VeBPsdCj9Rhtus4czs1z6iMkvODYM_dcWjmF0xUmGYWM0Y0ynQE/s1600/halloween+001.JPG" height="268" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The groaning was getting LOUDER.. the fluttering beat against the sides of the parcel. There were THINGS inside, that needed to be released....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMhbjOYLRCBuyDooCcjjuK6mhtVxrZq2iyAaMFqRvgz6BJc2tid5vA3jBt_jTuCC71JgB6Wo-fCj3SZz1Tp3mEo4X7ZMbp254uBsUDBFqd4oPH18mFADJ_mkX1rdyxeifv52J1vW5qtQ/s1600/halloween+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMhbjOYLRCBuyDooCcjjuK6mhtVxrZq2iyAaMFqRvgz6BJc2tid5vA3jBt_jTuCC71JgB6Wo-fCj3SZz1Tp3mEo4X7ZMbp254uBsUDBFqd4oPH18mFADJ_mkX1rdyxeifv52J1vW5qtQ/s1600/halloween+010.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Would they be boiled?<br />
<br />
Would they escape?<br />
<br />
Would they be cut up and made into breakfast????<br />
<br />
(Answers to above quiz...(a. No. (b. No. (c. Oh yes!!! )<br />
<br />
(with deep apologies for the appallingly bad prose and grateful thanks to <a href="http://www.spanishpersimon.com/" target="_blank">Spanish Persimon</a> for the gorgeous golden globes and to Red Communications for arranging the delivery :)<br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-71047394058931557162014-09-13T06:52:00.003-07:002014-09-13T07:12:46.662-07:00the best of A Greedy Piglet: More White Bread tips<i>More of my stream of consciousness tips... you will find that they do vary a bit from post to post... they are all valid at different times :) take what you like and leave the rest...</i><br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Do you remember I <a href="http://greedypiglet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-best-of-greedy-piglet-my-top-tips.html" target="_blank">started making white bread</a>? that my husband approved of, and would actually eat in preference to the thick sliced white bread he used to insist I bought? <i>(2014 edit: he has gone back to preferring sliced bread... :( ) </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQup51tZTFeWfsxckQDGVoYzsxYQq9CrQV9VD_bwlXZMFePQ4CaCgttabSJDP_uQ26q5qSarlj4jr7aj0SA1B2eOkmnVuROqhm3zZtZGoDBZab3s7HpzYLusnJcqi330misPJ73M3mvmE/s1600/breadtuesd-bloomer014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQup51tZTFeWfsxckQDGVoYzsxYQq9CrQV9VD_bwlXZMFePQ4CaCgttabSJDP_uQ26q5qSarlj4jr7aj0SA1B2eOkmnVuROqhm3zZtZGoDBZab3s7HpzYLusnJcqi330misPJ73M3mvmE/s1600/breadtuesd-bloomer014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgQW2c0s0pRncjGE_YzvRMoOIklB60GHHiy8zTyVpeM55tK_0k2BN5_5ZTO-32IgrszJI99t1EjwrlrT60lMvYphUjAo0NnpFKxWafYvf5KZ8Q3rj5zAbeiXJrqMqJRywKqPutEvPWSU/s1600/breadandjamgallery-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgQW2c0s0pRncjGE_YzvRMoOIklB60GHHiy8zTyVpeM55tK_0k2BN5_5ZTO-32IgrszJI99t1EjwrlrT60lMvYphUjAo0NnpFKxWafYvf5KZ8Q3rj5zAbeiXJrqMqJRywKqPutEvPWSU/s1600/breadandjamgallery-004.jpg" height="275" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbcgFgddhXw_-V430a1qO3LMkdkrZQijtAwaY8jbze4Gr1jDgBJGOmZ5FcF7l_e_TSVMLdPBSHx-mK1LKjVrdh7h1QuSiqk954Vq0DPeiEKjO1nYgXHsKKQAXijtv7SsX5hjqE9TQ6A8/s1600/breadsatgallery-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbcgFgddhXw_-V430a1qO3LMkdkrZQijtAwaY8jbze4Gr1jDgBJGOmZ5FcF7l_e_TSVMLdPBSHx-mK1LKjVrdh7h1QuSiqk954Vq0DPeiEKjO1nYgXHsKKQAXijtv7SsX5hjqE9TQ6A8/s1600/breadsatgallery-002.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I've been playing further and have a couple more ideas for you that have been very successful.<br />
<br />
<b>Make a flying sponge</b><br />
<br />
A flying sponge is a fast method of making a pre-ferment or poolish. It takes part of the flour and liquid and pre-ferments that with the yeast. Some methods call for just a little bit of the yeast and a long (often overnight) rise, others take a faster route and mix with all the yeast from the recipe. This adds a lot of flavour to the bread without a lengthy rise, and suits my schedule much better.<br />
<br />
Basically, you take 50% of the total flour called for in the recipe, and add an equal amount of liquid and all the yeast from the recipe. So for this milk bread, I use 250g bread flour plus 250g milk at blood heat and 1 tsp on instant yeast. NO SALT. Mix to a shaggy dough, no need to knead, and leave for 2 hours until puffy and risen.<br />
<br />
Then add the rest of the flour (250g OO flour for this loaf), the rest of the liquid (another 150g warm milk) the salt (1.25 tsp) mix, knead and continue as your recipe. I find that the rising times are much reduced, without sacrificing any flavour.<br />
<br />
<b>Add DRY milk powder</b><br />
<br />
I tried with fresh full cream milk, scalding this and allowing it to cool to blood heat, but to be honest, I kept forgetting to buy full cream milk (I don't use it normally) so went back to using skim milk. Either fresh skim milk, scalded and cooled, or more easily, the boiling water and milk powder I used in the original recipe. Then I discovered that I could make it even easier by mixing the fine powdered economy milk powder into the flour, and just using water. Which is easily got from the kettle and the tap. Simples!<br />
<br />
<b>Use yoghurt instead of milk if you have run out of milk or milk powder</b><br />
<br />
I had not been shopping, I only had a little bit of milk powder, and very little liquid milk, but I did have some Greek yoghurt in the fridge. I used the milk powder for the sponge, and used 100g yoghurt with 100ml water to the main bulk mix. The dough is slightly stickier, and easier to knead in a machine than by hand, and the crust softens when it cools.But that isn't always a bad thing, and the flavour is lovely.<br />
<br />
<b>Knead by machine if you have one.</b><br />
<br />
I admit I have resisted buying a stand mixer for a long time, due to the expense to be honest. But I succumbed and bought myself a Kenwood Titanium as my Christmas and Birthday present this year, and I am so very pleased with the results. I have been kneading on a low setting (1) for 10 minutes and the dough is excellent. I would always use Dan's quick knead method if I didn't have the machine around, but to be honest, I am getting such good lift and tension in the dough, I can only recommend you to use if you have one.<br />
<br />
<b>Allow it to rise properly</b><br />
<br />
I have started allowing my bulk proof to really swell up, to nearly 3 times the original volume. It definitely helps having somewhere warm to put it, draughts are no friend to bread dough. I treat the dough quite gently when I turn it out of the bowl, but after deflating it gently, it needs to be<br />
<br />
<b>Shaped tightly</b><br />
<br />
Make sure that you maintain a distinction between the sides of your dough. One side will form a good skin with tight shaping, and you need to keep this on the same side, folding and shaping the dough to tighten this skin to make the bread rise properly. Have a look in Jeffrey Hamelman for really good shaping instructions.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't use a silicone sheet to put your bread on</b><br />
<br />
When I baked the bloomer, I thought putting the bread on a silicone sheet would help it not stick, but I didn't realise that it would stop it from browning and cooking properly underneath. The heat of the metal seems necessary, and the finish on the bottom of the tin loaf was much better. I took the loaf off the silicon, turned it upside down and finished it off that way to give it a crust underneath. Sadly, this made the top flat!<br />
<br />
I hope these tips help, do let me know, and let me know any tips you have too please. I'm still learning, I need all the help I can get!josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-21528523685129444182014-09-13T06:39:00.001-07:002014-09-13T06:39:15.283-07:00The best of A Greedy Piglet: Even Lighter White Bread! <i>This is certainly one to try again soon, easy to forget that mashed potato is used to improve white bread in many cultures, this one uses potato flour but I might try with mashed potato flakes and see what that does.</i><br />
<br />
----------------------------<br />
<br />
Trying new flours and slightly different methods to see how they will affect the softness of the milky white bread, this is the softest yet, and possibly as soft as I want to get. The crust is very thin light and soft, so would make excellent rolls.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U1SJt58_7DO3EaIBPHEH8pQMc98FDb1tWfyLLCSirTEL1V_YLLhG0L2-ixAu_r0GeLVRd5XBwUAoEkSNRHRb4hQfmFsEMr_2xjKU1P48tTPylJU4A9YPqDigm37fglds9Vujw5O9e8k/s1600/finebread-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U1SJt58_7DO3EaIBPHEH8pQMc98FDb1tWfyLLCSirTEL1V_YLLhG0L2-ixAu_r0GeLVRd5XBwUAoEkSNRHRb4hQfmFsEMr_2xjKU1P48tTPylJU4A9YPqDigm37fglds9Vujw5O9e8k/s1600/finebread-004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Basic recipe is the same as the <a href="http://greedypiglet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-best-of-greedy-piglet-my-top-tips.html" target="_blank">Milky Loaf here</a>.. but I used 250g Strong flour, 200g 00 flour, and 50g potato flour (farine or fecule). Liquid was 350ml of finger hot water with 4 HEAPED tbs of milk powder and 60g butter.<br />
<br />
Mixing was slightly different in that I folded rather than kneaded. So autolysed for 50 mins (cos I forgot it again..) then 2 lots of folding at 20 min intervals. Tightly shaped into ovals, and put side by side on a baking tray for 40 mins. Baked for 20 mins at Mk 7, reducing to 20 mins at Mk4.<br />
<br />
The extra milk powder and butter together with the small amount of potato flour make a tight soft crumb ideal for sandwiches. It has a high level of natural sugars, so toasts quickly. A bread that is easy to eat for small children I would think.josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-22848606493537063862014-09-13T06:32:00.001-07:002014-09-13T06:32:22.947-07:00The best of A Greedy Piglet: my top tips with a Milky White and a Milky Brown <br />
<br />
<i> First of the tip sheets I wrote a couple of years ago, still valid. Lovely loaves I made back then! Nicer than the ones I am making now I think.... I need to read my own tips again! </i><br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
I am loving making bread again. I had forgotten how satisfying it is to have a freshly baked loaf sitting on top of its tin cooling down.<br />
<br />
I have also been searching for several years for a loaf that Bob would enjoy, and I have found it. Hurray!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVXuD7UzKM_-hsC3BjCe1vIBECs_KOQB1A0zxxAWytSKmO93Sp91mVrZLIEmYnceyPKlZtY2Wx4k-uQE7Km4u_Ao54dnWeizNO1-6PyRQZ7dhMCTxe2u5dNgxCkH0SuQSP4Drd8UtvBY/s1600/whitebread-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVXuD7UzKM_-hsC3BjCe1vIBECs_KOQB1A0zxxAWytSKmO93Sp91mVrZLIEmYnceyPKlZtY2Wx4k-uQE7Km4u_Ao54dnWeizNO1-6PyRQZ7dhMCTxe2u5dNgxCkH0SuQSP4Drd8UtvBY/s1600/whitebread-005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It makes brilliant Poppy Seed rolls as well:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB_-31gUfAdir7xWoSWkziI-ndFuOvu2JOWmSYMsD1VdMsp3bRsrZ580d9hvE5RFyQ2CiBTWmDnz9b1y9i9lQtQDpIYmL7clqBYnmovgbuTNojDX0F2qecnG990hTuxdmr3NOdTUu1ZI/s1600/rolls-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB_-31gUfAdir7xWoSWkziI-ndFuOvu2JOWmSYMsD1VdMsp3bRsrZ580d9hvE5RFyQ2CiBTWmDnz9b1y9i9lQtQDpIYmL7clqBYnmovgbuTNojDX0F2qecnG990hTuxdmr3NOdTUu1ZI/s1600/rolls-005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The White Milk Loaf, almost as per Dan Lepard's Milk Bread recipe in <a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/?page_id=561" title="My Cookery Books">The Handmade Loaf</a>. I use skimmed milk powder, as I don't always have fresh milk enough in the fridge, more butter than he does, and the liquid is hotter. But I do use his brilliant method. And I have tried this out as well with a mix of flours to get a light soft brown loaf.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZM9OXnzN78-q-CVhrBY5Y-Pc5vpWyhOVOAs9J4OLt-2tb6hZPVdUdqBJPGjDeStKYulg1wigZQiqzIVVmrLaWUYpWrpfZ4cWP2z1g_nfDw6cpT0s9s7JwmE7znCYxH84KNetxDaTyA/s1600/brownbread-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZM9OXnzN78-q-CVhrBY5Y-Pc5vpWyhOVOAs9J4OLt-2tb6hZPVdUdqBJPGjDeStKYulg1wigZQiqzIVVmrLaWUYpWrpfZ4cWP2z1g_nfDw6cpT0s9s7JwmE7znCYxH84KNetxDaTyA/s1600/brownbread-003.jpg" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I really recommend getting Dan's book, there are some amazing recipes.<br />
And whilst you are waiting for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845333896/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=josordocollec-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1845333896">your copy to arrive from Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=josordocollec-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845333896" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" />, here are my top tips for making brilliant bread.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip one</b>, make sure the flour and yeast is thoroughly soaked in the liquid before you start to knead. You will do this by roughly mixing it together into a shaggy mass. The easiest thing by far for this is a <a href="http://bakerybits.co.uk/Dough-Whisk,-light-handle-P1567530.aspx" target="_blank" title="The Danish Dough Whisk">Danish dough whisk, which you can get at Bakery Bits </a>. Get the smaller one for household quantities, it is easier to use.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip two</b>, if you don't already use it discover Quick yeast -- Dove Farm is my favourite, easily available in the supermarket and in a little tetrapack box not a sachet, so easier to use how much you need. I keep my opened pack in an airtight plastic box. You add it to the flour, not the liquid and it is foolproof. (Well, I add rapidly, I have never had a failure with it, in years of breadmaking.) If you have time, use less yeast and more rising time, if you are short of time, add more yeast but expect the bread to stale a bit quicker.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip three</b>, don't be scared of salt. Sea salt is the optimum you will read, but I find the crystals hard to dissolve, and I don't want shards of salt in my bread. So I just use ordinary table salt (the cheapest kind, which has no additives). Make sure you use enough. Bread with no salt is disgusting. ( Don't ask the Italians about this though, as they love their saltless bread, but then they eat it with salty salami and proscuitto)<br />
<br />
<b>Tip four</b>, forget about heavy kneading. Kneading is designed to strengthen the gluten and it does, but time is what really helps the gluten. So you are only kneading for 10 seconds (or to a fastish count of 20, which is what I do.) Then you will rest for about 20 minutes, and 10 second knead again. Do this another time, and then let the bread rest and prove for about half an hour. Then shape it and let it rise again for about an hour (if it is warm) or an hour and a half (if the weather is a bit chillier).<br />
<br />
<b> Tip five, </b> shape properly. For a tin loaf, you want a good tight skin on the outside of the bread, and the inside to be full of evenly distributed small bubbles. For a looser bread like focaccia or ciabatta you are aiming at lots of large light bubbles. You will find lots of good information on shaping bread on the internet, I love <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/" target="_blank" title="The Fresh Loaf forum">The Fresh Loaf forum</a>, and <a href="http://www.danlepard.com/forum/" target="_blank" title="Dan Lepard's forum">Dan's own forum </a>for really good links to resources and amazingly knowledgeable people happy to share their knowledge with us.<br />
<br />
<b>Tip six,</b> wash all your stuff in cold water. Honestly, you will thank me for this tip more than any other. Hot water cooks the flour. And use your dough scraper in the cold water to clean your bowl. The curve of your dough scraper ( you do have a dough scraper, yes? I cut mine out of icecream cartons btw..) fits the curve of the bowl to quickly remove all the doughy bits. You can then tip the water away with all the sticky bits in it and either wash the bowl in hot water as usual or stick it in the dishwasher.<br />
<br />
I'd be delighted to hear your tips to add to mine, please comment and let me know what you think makes the best bread?<br />
<div class="easyrecipe">
<table border="0" class="ERHDTable"><tbody>
<tr>
<td><span class="item ERName"><span class="fn">Milky Bread</span></span></td>
<td align="center" valign="top"><br />
<div class="ERRatingOuter" style="display: none;">
<div class="ERRatingInner" style="width: 0%;">
</div>
<div class="review hreview-aggregate">
<span class="rating"><span class="average">#ratingval#</span> from <span class="count">#reviews#</span> reviews</span></div>
</div>
</td>
<td class="ERHDPrint" valign="top"><br />
<div class="btnERPrint" style="display: none;">
Print</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="ERClear">
</div>
<div class="ERHead">
Recipe Type: <span class="tag">Bread</span></div>
<div class="ERHead">
Author: <span class="author">based on a Dan Lepard recipe</span></div>
<div class="ERSummary">
<span class="summary">Excellent crusty Farmhouse type white loaf</span></div>
<div class="ERIngredients">
<div class="ERIngredientsHeader">
Ingredients</div>
<ul class="ingredients">
<li class="ingredient">FOR WHITE BREAD:</li>
<li class="ingredient">350g Strong Bread Flour</li>
<li class="ingredient">150g tipo 00 Italian Flour , or any soft plain wheat flour.</li>
<li class="ingredient">100 ml boiling water</li>
<li class="ingredient">200 ml room temperature water</li>
<li class="ingredient">FOR BROWN BREAD:</li>
<li class="ingredient">200g Strong White Bread Flour</li>
<li class="ingredient">150g Strong Wholemeal Flour</li>
<li class="ingredient">100g tipo 00 Italian Flour, or any soft plain wheat flour</li>
<li class="ingredient">50g Potato flour (not essential but makes a lovely soft loaf, if you don't have it add another 50g Wholemeal flour)</li>
<li class="ingredient">120 ml boiling water</li>
<li class="ingredient">230 ml room temperature water</li>
<li class="ingredient">FOR EITHER BREADS:</li>
<li class="ingredient">1tsp fine salt</li>
<li class="ingredient">1.25 tsp instant yeast</li>
<li class="ingredient">4 tablespoons milk powder (I use skimmed milk powder, but any will do)</li>
<li class="ingredient">50g unsalted butter, chopped</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ERInstructions">
<div class="ERInstructionsHeader">
Instructions</div>
<div class="instructions">
<ol>
<li class="instruction">Put the flours, salt and yeast in a large bowl. In a jug mix the two waters, and check the temperature. You want it warm blood temperature, or roughly 35 degrees Centigrade.</li>
<li class="instruction">Add the milk powder and the butter to the water and whisk in. Add the liquid to the flours and mix until a shaggy dough is formed.</li>
<li class="instruction">Rest for 10-20 mins.</li>
<li class="instruction">Knead lightly 10 secs/20 times. Return to a clean, lightly oiled bowl , turn over so the top is oily, and cover with a plastic bag. Repeat short kneads 3 times.</li>
<li class="instruction">Rest for 30 mins.</li>
<li class="instruction">Shape firmly as required and put into a greased 2lb loaftin, or make rolls (I made 12 from this mix)and put onto a baking tray about an inch apart so that they will kiss when baked.</li>
<li class="instruction">Rise covered in oiled plastic (the one from the rises will be oily enough) for an hour to an hour and a half depending on the temperature in the room, until the bread is nearly as high as you want it to be but not soft and floppy.</li>
<li class="instruction">Glaze with milk or egg, scatter with flour or poppy seeds, and bake in a hot oven Gas Mark 7 for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to Gas Mark 4 and continue to bake for 25 mins for bread or 10 mins for rolls.</li>
<li class="instruction">Check that the bread comes away from the tin easily, and is good and brown and crusty on the underside, and cool thoroughly on a rack before cutting and eating.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div class="nutrition">
</div>
<div class="ERLinkback" style="display: none;">
<a class="ERWRPLink" href="http://www.orgasmicchef.com/easyrecipe/" target="_blank" title="EasyRecipe">Wordpress Recipe Plugin</a> and Microformatting by <a href="http://www.orgasmicchef.com/easyrecipe/" target="_blank" title="Wordpress Recipe Plugin">EasyRecipe</a></div>
<div class="endeasyrecipe" style="display: none;">
2.2.6</div>
</div>
josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-894956931681346152014-09-13T06:09:00.000-07:002014-09-13T06:09:31.260-07:00The Best of A Greedy Piglet: Giardinera - the Very Best Pickles! <i>It is that time of year again, and I need to make more pickles for the autumn and maybe for Christmas... although these are so good that I will make a lot more than last year. <br /><br />One thing I did find last year was that for two of us the 1 litre Kilner jars I used were too big, and the pickles got soft in the fridge before they were eaten up. This year I will be making in much smaller jars. I still haven't found any commercially made pickles here in the UK as good as these. If you give them a go, do please let me know. I love feedback on my favourite recipes.</i><br />
<br />
----------------------------------<br />
<br />
I have a husband who is half Italian, and whenever we went to Italy, we would always pick up jars of pickled vegetables, slightly sweet, in an oily vinegar. He loves them, but similar types bought over here have always been too sharp and vinegary for his taste. For years I have promised to try making them, and never got around to it.. but this year, for Christmas I made some. Oh they are good!<br />
<br />
I used a mix of vegetables that included cauliflower, turnip, celery, red and yellow peppers, courgette and carrot. Here they are cut up nicely in their little bowls waiting to go in order into their vinegar bath:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E4HVtvr4axGNtSK7-RxV6IQSOIeRFIt2qCG8akfdKsPPD8RiRS0_x179XTPp7Lt8eR3Fcg4YBI9IVLBi3wdAWJaCtDhu3gQVZO7IyJKtnzAK-E-FSv8oVBsoBmtcVjh2lGmkpBUl_a8/s1600/picklesbowls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E4HVtvr4axGNtSK7-RxV6IQSOIeRFIt2qCG8akfdKsPPD8RiRS0_x179XTPp7Lt8eR3Fcg4YBI9IVLBi3wdAWJaCtDhu3gQVZO7IyJKtnzAK-E-FSv8oVBsoBmtcVjh2lGmkpBUl_a8/s1600/picklesbowls.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I find it easier to keep them all separate so that I can add them to the vinegar bath in the right order - the carrot, turnip and celery first, cook for a couple of minutes, then the cauliflower, one minute more and lastly, I added the red and yellow peppers and the courgettes off the heat. I like the vegetables rather on the crunchy side, if you prefer them a little softer then cook a little longer. The vinegar bath should be kept on a simmer rather than a full rolling boil as you don't want to reduce it too much.<br />
<br />
Importantly, don't cool the vegetables in the hot vinegar, as they will continue to cook. Take them out with a slotted spoon and fill into sterilised Kilner jars, adding a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary to each jar. When the vinegar is cooled right down to no more than lukewarm, then give it a stir and fill the jars covering the vegetables completely then seal. If you don't have enough seasoned vinegar, top up each jar with plain wine or spirit vinegar. I keep them just on the shelf until they are opened, when I prefer to keep the jar in the fridge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aG6tUcqNqXKKAv7ySS9I5XpkM9gxWzDBUkg-AehxMsV4dxU8arXGlACXWTYImU-nfPfn6pMjykaMQkrhcWhEn413eeE8eGq5Hz2OrIBOr4QijWoYr4Dd-i06Jku0s1ljxn0yMzYjSr4/s1600/beforexmas-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aG6tUcqNqXKKAv7ySS9I5XpkM9gxWzDBUkg-AehxMsV4dxU8arXGlACXWTYImU-nfPfn6pMjykaMQkrhcWhEn413eeE8eGq5Hz2OrIBOr4QijWoYr4Dd-i06Jku0s1ljxn0yMzYjSr4/s1600/beforexmas-015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote>
To fill 3 medium Kilner jars<br />
<br />
<i>250g each of carrots, turnips, red/yellow peppers, courgettes, celery, cauliflower cut into bite sized slices/pieces</i><br />
<i>500 ml white wine or cider vinegar</i><br />
<i>500 ml spirit vinegar</i> <i>(white or distilled vinegar in the US I believe)</i><br />
<i>100 ml olive oil</i><br />
<i>80g sugar</i><br />
<i>40g salt</i> <i>(I just use the cheapest salt as it is dissolved, try for one with no additives)</i><br />
<i>One bay leaf and one sprig of rosemary per jar</i><br />
<i>Three medium or four smaller Kilner jars, sterilised. </i><br />
<ul>
<li>Combine the vinegars, oil, salt and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.</li>
<li>Add the vegetables starting with the carrots, celery and turnips. Cook 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook one minute more.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and add peppers and courgettes off the heat. Allow to sit off the heat for two minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and fill into kilner jars, making sure there is a good mix of different vegetables in each jar.</li>
<li>Allow the vinegar to cool to room temperature and then fill into the jars, completely covering the vegetables (if there is not quite enough vinegar to cover top up with more plain vinegar, either wine or spirit, whichever is to hand). Seal and keep for up to three months. Keep in the fridge once opened.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Eat with cold meats and cheese... or just nick bits straight out of the jar!josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379920995412057404.post-85425783119139483572014-09-13T05:07:00.000-07:002014-09-13T05:43:42.261-07:00Back to basics... A nice white English style bread, Simple.I have been making sourdough bread all the time recently, but I suddenly have a yearning for a simple milky white bread again.<br />
<br />
It doesn't keep as well as sourdough, so needs to be made more often, but that isn't really a bad thing. The hydration (proportion of liquid to the flour) is less with these very English breads, and that makes for a tighter crumb. A crumb that is suited more to English sandwiches and toast than open, airy sourdough, which is much better for scooping and dipping olive-oily mixes.<br />
<br />
The basic bread is pretty much the same, the only difference between these two is in the liquids.<br />
<br />
First off, I made some poppy seed rolls. Perfect for cheese and tomato rolls, and for bacon with tomato ketchup for breakfast.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloJPyR5qTFUhX7gWy6G2sVcUvFX6nLPfnaAc0l1npVScx_k1wVowwF_VNmvEaCzbdntQA1PGm2mYGmbvmupM47WVNeikqb7rvPPYo6YoPMnv6Qt835yu4R3TP0rWQB9eN22tAHdNEHIM/s1600/rolls+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloJPyR5qTFUhX7gWy6G2sVcUvFX6nLPfnaAc0l1npVScx_k1wVowwF_VNmvEaCzbdntQA1PGm2mYGmbvmupM47WVNeikqb7rvPPYo6YoPMnv6Qt835yu4R3TP0rWQB9eN22tAHdNEHIM/s1600/rolls+005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
These lasted around two days in the bread bin, but they aren't long keepers, so I wouldn't want to keep them any longer, although they freeze well.<br />
<br />
So next up, proper English loaves made in small loaf tins (these are mini loaves, I used a quarter of the dough for each of these, and the other half in a 1lb tin for a little bit bigger slice),<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMbTAK5hxB226pYmYF3QCGEO-RlAYEXGk3Gg5XIklUdTngSbEuU2G38GzA4a4fknvkrElYGoK14jQexw4TkgM334HMynHqMmvOARKH7a1RMKtViPAlmsrqSFQmBFACoUXdPJOtI7KDJE/s1600/wheybread+pix+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMbTAK5hxB226pYmYF3QCGEO-RlAYEXGk3Gg5XIklUdTngSbEuU2G38GzA4a4fknvkrElYGoK14jQexw4TkgM334HMynHqMmvOARKH7a1RMKtViPAlmsrqSFQmBFACoUXdPJOtI7KDJE/s1600/wheybread+pix+001.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And here is a close up of the crumb of the loaves<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaMlQWL2QyH4cRBPBjZAwjOT0gn08yjyDgDDRYbXyziI9MPvgAcSUakgnExcDTYmRPnKO-ku7fJxq6GJNQ2Zu7SwWBwJqv_UE56GpCICx9nhyzHsqK6qzwfmex42KRY9dQ4Y1XLQUeu4/s1600/wheybread+crumb+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaMlQWL2QyH4cRBPBjZAwjOT0gn08yjyDgDDRYbXyziI9MPvgAcSUakgnExcDTYmRPnKO-ku7fJxq6GJNQ2Zu7SwWBwJqv_UE56GpCICx9nhyzHsqK6qzwfmex42KRY9dQ4Y1XLQUeu4/s1600/wheybread+crumb+003.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /><br />
<br />
There is room in our baking lexicon for all kinds of bread. Don't let us forget this kind of bread by only making "artisan" style bread. Raise the flag (the old style Union Flag, even if Scotland leave the Union) for English bread! <br />
<br />
<b>Buttermilk / Whey Bread</b><br />
<br />
<b>Sponge:</b><br />
<br />
150g bread flour<br />
150g water<br />
1 tsp instant yeast<br />
<br />
Mix this together roughly and leave to get bubbly and well risen for 2-4 hours depending on your schedule<br />
<br />
<b>Main dough:</b><br />
<br />
350g Bread flour (I use an equal mix of Canadian extra strong and bread flour or 00 pasta flour)<br />
160g liquid : <br />
for rolls I used water with 1 tbs buttermilk powder (or use half fresh buttermilk, half water)<br />
for loaves I used whey from straining home made full cream milk yoghurt, or you could use half fresh yoghurt and half water<br />
All of the yeast sponge above<br />
Additional quarter tsp instant yeast<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
half tsp malt powder (optional) <br />
1 tablesp milk powder (optional, but makes for a lovely flavour)<br />
rolls: 1 tablespoon oil (I used cold pressed rapeseed oil, but any oil is fine)<br />
<br />
Mix the sponge and liquids first of all and then add the flour, salt, yeast, malt and milk powder (if using) and mix roughly to a soft dough, either by machine or by hand. Let it rest for half an hour and then knead in your favourite way (lots of tips on kneading in <a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/blooming-beautiful-white-bread/" target="_blank">my earlier post on the old Greedy Piglet site on white bread</a> and <a href="http://www.clarkagency.co.uk/GreedyPiglet/more-bread-my-top-tips-with-a-milky-white-and-a-milky-brown/" target="_blank">more tips here</a> , both of which I will move here shortly). Allow to rise for approximately 2 hours until at least doubled in size. Deflate gently by patting flat on the worktop, and then divide either into 12 rolls or shape to fit one 2lb loaf tin, 2 x 1 lb loaf tins or 4 mini loaf tins, or a mixture of these shapes. Start the oven heating now to Gas Mark 7 425/220 degrees.<br />
<br />
<b>Shaping rolls:</b><br />
Cut the dough into chunks (I work to about 12 for this amount of dough, cutting in half then half again then half again) and roll into rough rounds. Leave for about 10 mins and then shape by patting flat, turning the corners to the middle a couple of times, turn so the seams are underneath and then rolling with a cupped hand on the (unfloured) worktop. Pop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash (1 egg in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a splash of water). Cover very lightly with cling film and allow to proof for half an hour then egg wash again and sprinkle with poppy seeds - sesame seeds are also nice, maybe with a couple of nigella seeds too for a Turkish flavour. Bake for around 15 mins until golden brown. <br />
<b><br />Shaping bread. </b><br />
Divide the dough into the sizes your tins dictate. Flatten gently and then shape by folding corners to middle then turning top third down and then bottom third up to make an oblong. Flatten gently again and fold top down to bottom, sealing the bottom edge firmly with the base of your hand. Drop into the greased loaf tin and cover with cling film or a clean shower cap and allow to proof for around an hour or until the bread is just peeking over the top of the tin. Slash down the middle if you like, or not if you don't like, dust with flour, and bake for around 45 mins. <br />
<br />
Cool both shapes on a rack out of the tins until thoroughly cool.<br />
<br />
Or until just about warm enough for the butter not to melt too much. Yummy. <br />
<br />
<br />josordonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870580218492840741noreply@blogger.com0