chocolate tarte

Compote comeback!

2007-08-01T12:19:00.000+02:00

Chocolate Tarte has been a touch slack recently but all of those fan letters urging me to keep on blogging coupled with a wonderful family trip to Vienna have inspired me to cook up Papa's Kaiserschmarren served with a plum compote. Guten Appetit!

Plum Compote

serves 2

6 plums

80g sugar

juice 1 lemon

2 cloves (optional)

half a cinnamon stick

Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place all ingredients in a pot with enough water to just cover the base of the pot. Cook gently, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until soft and aromatic. Allow to cool (works well made in advance)

Kaiserschmarren

60g plain flour

pinch of salt

4 T caster sugar

100 ml milk

1 egg, separated

butter for frying

ground cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Mix flour, salt and sugar. Whisk in the milk and egg yolk to form a batter. In a separate bowl, whip the egg white until very still and gently fold into the mix. Over a low heat melt enought butter to cover the bottom of the pan and when foaming subsides put in the batter (which should preferably to 2cm deep). Gently cook until golden brown underneath, then flip to just cook the other side. When just set, cut into wedges, sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mix and serve with the plum compote.

mrs clinton's cookies

2007-03-22T16:50:00.001+01:00

Way back in 1992 while her husband was on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton caused a scandal by declaring she was not going to sit at home and bake cookies while Bill was off running America. In an effort to win back the cookie-baking vote, the Clinton team was forced into serious damage control mode. The magazine Family Circle then held a bake-off publishing a cookie recipe from the potential First Ladies, Mrs Clinton and Barbara Bush. Readers of Family Circle then sent in their votes and declared Hillary's cookies a clear winner. The baking tradition has continued and at every American election since Family Circle has printed cookie recipes sent in by the wives of the political leaders contesting the presidency, and each time the winner of the contest has gone on to become America's First Lady!

We've come a long way since 1992 and it remains to be seen whether Bill also has a top bickie recipe up his sleeve. But he has had some heart problems so I've healthied-up the original recipe a little subsituting butter for the shortening.

Hillary Clinton's Cookies
95g flour
3g salt
2g baking soda
100g butter
110g packed brown sugar
50g white sugar
3 ml vanilla extract
1 egg
80g rolled oats
170g semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180g. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Cream the sugars with the butter then add the vanilla extract and the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, salt and baking soda. Then stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Spoon batter onto baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Leave for a few minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 20 cookies

mamma mia!

2007-03-05T21:30:00.000+01:00

This cannelloni dish courtesy of The Naked Chef is really notable for its placement of the pasta tubes. Rather than laying them on their sides as is traditional, here you stack them facing upwards so that they resemble a honeycomb pattern. For this you require a casserole pan that snugly fits 500g of cannelloni tubes. When I took the first shot, I was still blissfully unaware of the catastrophe that was about to eventuate.....I ended up stuffing my shortfall with absolutely everything at arm's reach- ricotta, a drizzle of milk, extra parmesan....And mamma mia, it was as "bloomin' tasty" as Jamie promised.

We've also been enjoying this hazelnut plum cake, served with a tiny sliver of afternoon sunlight!

Honeycomb Cannelloni (from "Cook with Jamie")
serves 6
salt and pepper
2 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
500g cannelloni tubes
olive oil

for the ragu:
handful dried porcini
150ml olive oil
3 carrots, diced
4 sticks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 leek, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
5 Portobello mushrooms, chopped
5x400g tins tomatoes
fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves picked

for the spinach:
680g fresh spinach (I used frozen)
nutmeg
dash of olive oil

for the super quick white sauce:
500 ml creme fraiche
285 ml single cream
4 anchovies, finely chopped
handful grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Cover the porcini mushrooms with boiling water and leave to sit for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, over a medium heat sweat the onion, leek, carrots and celery in olive oil for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and portobello mushrooms. Then add the porcini mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Strain the porcini liquid and pour into the pan along with a cup of water and reduce a little before adding the tomatoes and chopped basil stalks. Cook away for up to 45 minutes until the sauce is rich and thick. Then add the basil leaves.

Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in olive oil, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and set aside. Heat the oven to 190 degrees C and combine the ingredients for the quick white sauce.

Spoon half of the white sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish (20cm in diameter, 12.5 cm wide) and sprinke with extra parmesan cheese. Then add the layer of spinach, followed by half of the ragu sauce. Now stand the cannelloni tubes in and press down into the sauce. Add the rest of the ragu sauce, the rest of the white sauce and finish with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Plum Cake (from Marie Claire magazine)
4 fresh plums, de-seeded and chopped ( I used about 6 small ones from a jar)
155g butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
170g ground hazelnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and a half cups flour
1 and a half tablespoons baking powder

Heat the oven to 180 degreesC and line and grease a 20cm springform cake tin. Place the plums in a food processor, whiz until smooth and put to one side. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs and beat well. Then stir in the plums and remaining ingredients, pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45-55 minutes. Serve with cream and extra slices of plums.

Paris!

2007-03-01T20:24:00.000+01:00

A trip to Paris in the summer holidays seems so achingly far away. But a simple French supper can be whipped up in about an hour. And makes the waiting so much more bearable.......

Filets de Poisson a la Provencale (adapted from Julia Child)
serves 2
2 cod filets
salt and pepper
olive oil
4 onions, minced
500g tomates, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
100 ml vermouth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon flour blended with 1 teaspoon softened butter
fresh herbs (parsley, basil etc)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Fry the cod quickly on both sides in olive oil in a hot pan. Remove and place in a casserole, then over a moderate heat, slowly fry the onions until translucent, add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, cover and fry for 5 minutes. Spread over the fish, cover with a lid or aluminium foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the fish, keep warm, and over the stove pour the vermouth into the tomato sauce and reduce. Stir in the tomato pace, simmer and correct the seasoning. Off the heat, add the butter and flour paste, then simmer again, stir in the fresh herbs and spoon over the fish.
Serve with potatoes and/or peas.

Cherry Clafoutis (from Bill Granger's "Simply Bill")
serves 8
250g cherries, pitted
4 tablespoons sifted flour
110g sugar ( plus 1 tablespoon extra)
125 ml milk
180 ml cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs

Heat the oven to 18odegrees C. Grease a 28cm diameter flan dish, scatter with 1 tablespoon of sugar and arrange with the cherries. Mix the sugar and flour together then stir in the milk, cream and vanilla. Add the 4 eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour carefully over the cherries and bake for about 35 minutes.

apples and oranges

2007-02-14T20:44:00.000+01:00

I'm ignoring Valentine's Day (because Mr. Big reckons it's always Valentine's Day, awwwwww!), instead bringing some really fruity stuff from the UK weekend papers that we have eaten recently. And this first dish, a pork fillet with a wonderful gingery apple sauce from Nigel Slater is so good we've had it twice already. It has been really fun learning about all the different kinds of apples, last night we used Topaz. The recipe, from an article in the Guardian charts this brilliant writer's search to find the perfect apple tree for his garden after the scaffolder's uprooted his Blenheim Orange.

The orange cake is from The Telegraph and I made it because I can't bear to see my half-consumed polenta packet sitting unloved and ignored in the pantry any longer. And although I know Mr. Big can't bear polenta I felt confident I could hide it in a cake amidst thin, soft, sweet slices of organic orange, served with a big dollop of thick Greek yoghurt. And there were no complaints!

Roast fillet of Pork with Apples and Cider (from Nigel Slater)
serves 2
400g fillet of pork
olive oil
2 onions
50g ginger, peeled and chopped finely
3 large apples
350ml cider
thyme (a small bunch of fresh is best but I used dried)
salt and pepper

Set the oven to 200 degrees C. Season the pork fillet with salt and pepper then place in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil and sear until browned all over. Set aside.
Dice the onions, roughly chop the apples and combine in a bowl with the ginger, thyme, salt, pepper and some olive oil. Put into a casserole and gently cook on the stove, when the onions become translucent, put back in the fillet of pork, place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Remove the pork and wrap lightly in al-foil and let rest. Pour the cider into the roasting tin and bring to the boil on the stovetop, then simmer, reducing the liquid by half, stirring occasionally.
Carve the pork into thick slices and serve with the apple sauce. Mashed potato (if you can bring yourself to give it a go) works well as a side.

Sweet Orange Polenta Cake (from The Telegraph)
3 organic oranges
110g butter
3 Tbs+ 110g+ 2Tbs caster sugar
140g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
60g polenta
pinch of salt

Slice one orange really thinly, bring a wide pan of water to the boil and simmer the orange slices (minus the top and bottom ones) for about 2 minutes, remove and dry on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C . Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper and place however many orange slices you need over the base, filling the gaps (hopefully better than I did). Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Cream together the butter, 110g sugar and the pinch of salt. Grate the rind of 2 of the oranges and fold in together with 2 tablespoons of flour. Beat in the eggs one at a time and pour in the juice of one orange half. Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder and polenta.

Pour the mixture over the slices of orange and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (I needed only 30 minutes!). Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the cake tin, peel off the baking paper and invert. Combine the juice of 1 and a half oranges with 2 tablespoons of sugar, make lots of little holes in the cake with a skewer, then slowly pour the sugary juice over the cake.

seven letters, starts with "L"

2007-02-05T19:46:00.000+01:00

Mr Big and I were lucky enough to get hold of 1 cent flights to Ireland last weekend. We love Ryanair. We love Ireland. And I love the weekend papers and the Observer Food Monthly.

Since getting back from our break in this beautiful country I have slowly been working my way through copious recipes included in an article from this excellent monthly liftout entitled "Brain Food - are you getting enough?". We've had Best Fruit Nut Mix for breakfast, Best Fish Patties, and now this Best Herby Veggie Bake. Accordingly, we are expecting our registration forms from Mensa any day now.

Here is the recipe for the Herby Veggie Bake, a vegetarian lasagne. Jamie Oliver has an amazing recipe for meatballs with cumin and parmesan which really livens things up so I was intrigued to try this spice out again in a surprising way. The white sauce is made from soya milk, full of essential fatty acids and isoflavones to help protect against osteoporosis, menstrual problems and crossword trouble.

Best Herby Veggie Bake (from the Observer Food Monthly)
serves 6
for the white sauce:
50g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
500 ml soya milk

for the lasagne:
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 tbs flaxseed oil
3 zucchinis, diced
1 aubergine, diced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs tomato puree
3 tbs fresh oregano
400g dried lasagne (I used much less)
3 tbs Parmesan, grated
6 fronds fresh dill
salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 220C (gas mark 7). Melt the butter in a saucepan, then remove from the heat, stir in the flour and cumin and put back on a gentle heat and stir continuously for 2 minutes, slowly adding the soy milk until quite thick.
Sweat the onion and garlic in a frying pan, then add the chopped veggies, oregano and tomato puree, salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Put a layer of veggie sauce into a lightly greased baking dish, then the lasagne sheets, alternating and finishing up with the veggies. The pour over the white sauce and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter the parmesan and fresh dill and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

drizzle drizzle

2007-01-14T13:30:00.000+01:00

Inspired by the constant downpour I baked this intensely citric Drizzle Cake a week ago from my new life manual, Jamie Olivers' "Cook with Jamie". And it is still pattering down.

Meanwhile, I did another Alice Medrich I-can't-believe-it's-low-fat Chesnut Cake, using up the tube of chesnut paste I bought in Strassbourg. Now I realize I was being led to the chesnut spread by higher forces because the cake amazingly good. Moist, decadent, brilliantly chesnutty. And unfortunately demolished before the photographer got here.

The Lemon Drizzle Cake is good though, definitely better than the Ricotta Hazelnut. But not a patch on the Chesnut.

Lemon Drizzle Cake (courtesy of Jamie Oliver)
115g butter, softened
115g sugar
4 large eggs
180g almond meal
30g poppy seeds
2 lemons, juiced and zested
125g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

for the syrup:
100g sugar
90g lemon juice

for the glaze:
225 icing sugar
juice of l lemon

Heat the oven to 180g. Line the sides and base of a 20cm springform cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk, then add the eggs one at time. Fold in the almond meal, poppy seeds, lemon zest and juice, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Then pour into the cake tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack.
Make the syrup by dissolving the sugar with the lemon juice in a saucepan on the stove, stirring constantly. When the cake is still warm-ish, poke lots of small holes in the cake and then pour the syrup over.
When the cake has absorbed the syrup and is cool, make the glaze by sifting the icing sugar and then stirring in the juice of 1 lemon. Pour over the cake and try to create a better drizzle effect than I did.

Straight from the frying pan...

2007-01-05T21:59:00.000+01:00

New year's resolution no. 346 is to be more daring. Hence this post featuring the use of my new 28cm springform pan. Talk about wild! This torte using said pan is from a Jamie Oliver cookbook "Jamie's Kitchen". Mr Big and I thought it was quite nice. But not the tart of the year.

Hazelnut and Ricotta Tart
115g butter, softened
125g hazelnuts, roasted in the oven and chopped in a kitchen whizz
125g sugar
4 large eggs, separated
grated skin of 1 orange
30g flour, sifted
125g ricotta
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
pinch of salt
3 large tablespoons of apricot jam (I used Dad's citrus marmelade)
50g grated chocolate

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (gas 5). Line and grease your brand spanking new 28cm springform pan (and place in the fridge but I'm not sure why). Cream the butter with the sugar til pale and fluffy, stir in the egg yolks one after the other and the orange skin. Fold in the flour, ricotta, nuts and poppy seeds. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until firm and in small portions add to the hazelnut-ricotta mixture. Spoon into the pan and bake in the oven for around 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
When the cake has cooled, combine the jam or marmelade with 4 tablepoons of water in a small saucepan and heat slowly til the jam boils gently and then spoon onto the cake. When this has cooled, sprinkle over the grated chocolate. Serve with fresh cream.

still dreaming of a white christmas...

2006-12-24T23:02:00.000+01:00

no snow (damn) but plenty of amazing pressies from the wizards of Oz and good cheer. Here are some snaps of Xmas 2006 and some of the yummy things we had to eat, where I was able to show off my new French cooking technique known as mise en place. Aka being a bit better organized. More of this to come no doubt in 2007!

Fresh Bread Rolls, Salmon and Sekt
all 4 candles roaring because finally it is Christmas Eve. And just the one glass of Sekt each because the day is but young.
Melon and Mozzarella Salad (from German tv chef Tim Mälzer)
serves 4
1 melon
salt and pepper
250g buffalo mozzarella
100g creme fraiche
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
olive oil
100g parma ham, thinly sliced
chives

Peel skin from melon, remove seeds, slice and place on a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces, also season with salt and pepper and place over the top. Mix the creme fraich with the lemon juice until smooth and pour over the top, then drizzle with olive oil. Place over the thinly sliced ham and scatter with chopped chives.
Christmas Pudding with Apricots and Chocolate (adapted from Baker's Secret Pudding tin instruction booklet)
serves 8
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup packed stale breadcrumbs
125g caster sugar
125g margarine
600g mixed dried fruit
100g diced dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
3 eggs, beaten
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons brandy
Syrup:
2 Tablespoons treacle
1 Tablespoon brandy

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl then add all the remaining ingredients (but not those for the syrup) and mix. Spoon into a (Baker's Secret!) pudding tin, cover tightly with lid. Then place in a big saucepan, pouring in enough boiling water so that the water comes up to the halfway point of the pudding tin. Cover with a lid and gently boil for about 3 to 3 and half hours, not forgetting to add more water as required. Pudding is finished when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn pudding out onto a plate. Heat the syrup ingredients in the microwave or in a small saucepan and brush over the top and sides. Serve warm with vanilla icecream

musical cookies

2006-12-14T22:38:00.000+01:00

Just because they are cute....

Cookies
85g butter, softened
100g brown sugar
1 egg
2 drops vanilla essence
175g flour (plus extra)
25g almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
for the glaze:
150g icing sugar, a little water, food colouring

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C (gas 4). Cream the butter with the sugar then add the egg and vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth. In another bowl combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter, stirring constantly. Correct the amount of flour should the dough look too sticky. Wrap the dough in a sheet of plastic and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
Flour a work bench, place the cooled dough on top, and then flour the top of the dough. Roll out with a rolling pin adding more flour if necessary until about a half centimeter thick. Using a cute mold (or liquer glass top) cut out shapes and place on a lined baking tray and bake for between 8 and 12 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies). Cool on a wire rack.
Mix the icing sugar and a touch of water (and any food colouring) in a small bowl and glaze the cookies to your heart's desire. Should make about 30 biccies.

loaf

2006-12-10T21:57:00.000+01:00

Although it gets dark ludicrously early, Christmas is a really special time of year over here. There's the Christmas market with all of the Glühwein stalls, hopefully some snow, little cookies called Plätzchen and people seriously go to town decorating their apartments. One must-have home accessory is the advent wreath, four red candles set amidst a ring of Christmas tree foliage and each Advent Sunday in December the candles get lit one by one until all are burning on Christmas Eve. Having overworked myself on the advent wreath last year and being a bit strapped for time this year, I have stuck four cheap red candles in an old candelabra and yesterday got out the plastic baubles. The best that can be said for our advent wreath 2006 is that it makes for atmospheric background for any Christmas baking snaps.

This loaf is a first cousin to Bill Granger's coconut bread and I think it is just as moist and delicious. It can be served as is or toasted. And looks good on a plate with or without any makeshift Christmas deco.

Cherry and Coconut Loaf
1 and 3/4 cups dessicated coconut
1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 and 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup frozen cherries

In a large bowl, combine the coconut and coconut milk and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oven to gas 3 (170 degreesC) and grease and line a loaf tin (approx. 10.5 x20.5 cm).
Stir sugar, egg and vanilla into the coconut mix, then sift in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Fold in the frozen cherries, then spoon into the loaf tin.
Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out relatively clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack.

holy moly

2006-12-02T22:47:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow is the 1st Advent Sunday. And to accompany the extremely humble advent candelabra we've got going on here, I thought I'd finally bake the prune cake I've been meaning to make for ages, the one with loads of Christmassy spices to really season things up. Googling away though, I found a recipe from Ursula Ferrigno, no cinnamon or cloves to speak of, but dried fruit that has been marinated in brandy and well, it suddenly occurred to me that there is probably no better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a Italian cake with a touch of holy water.

Torta di Prugne e Cioccolato (adapted from a recipe by Ursula Ferrigno)
200g soft prunes, stoned and halved
4 tablespoons brandy
200g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
25g cocoa powder
175g soft brown sugar
4 large egg whites
75g plain flour, sifted

Place the prunes in a bowl and soak in the brandy for at least 2 hours, overnight is better. Heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Line and grease a 20cm springform cake tin.
Put the chocolate, 150g sugar, 150ml boiling water into a large bowl, stir until smooth and set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form then gradually add the remaining sugar. Add the sifted flour and stir until just combined.
Spoon in a quarter of the egg mixture into the chocolate and stir well, then fold in the rest. Pour into the cake tin and scatter the brandied prunes over the top. Bake for 3o-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out relatively cleanly (don't overcook though). Cool in the tin over a wire rack and enjoy as is or inverted and sprinkled with cocoa powder.

(Alternatively serve with a glaze of 1 tspn ground coffee, 25g caster sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 150 ml water. Boil for 5 minutes until the glaze becomes syrupy, then spoon over cooled cake)

retro fare

2006-11-22T21:22:00.000+01:00

You can take the girl out of the 70's but can you take the 70's out of the girl? A few choice Abba songs excluded, I can't say I have a real weakness for anything much from the era that made flares fashionable. So shoot me. But as soon as the mercury sinks towards the big zero, I change my mind. At least about the food. Not about those flares though. Tonight's meal is a typical time warp example. Stew and pudding. Because nothing but nothing is more comforting.

Beef Stew
serves 4
800g shin of beef, cubed
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 carrots, roughly chopped
4 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 red onions, diced
1 tablespoon flour
rosemary sprigs, leaves plucked
350ml white wine
800g can tomatoes
to serve:
fresh pasta (e.g ravioli) and fresh herbs

Over a high heat fry the beef in batches in a casserole. Season with salt and pepper and when browned, reduce the heat and add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and rosemary leaves and sweat for about 10 minutes. Add the flour, then pour in the wine and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
When the meat is tender and almost falling apart boil the pasta in water or stock, drain, then season the stew to taste and top wth pasta, drizzle over some olive oil and scatter with herbs.

Individual apple puddings (adapted from Bill Granger's Open Kitchen)
serves 2
50g butter
50g sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced

dough:
60g butter, room temperature
60g sugar
1 egg
35 g almond meal
35g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of cinnamon

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line two 250ml-ramekin dishes. Place the butter and sugar in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add the apple slices and and cook for about 10 minutes til the mixture is caramelized.
Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar for the dough. Add the egg and combine well. Stir in the almond meal, flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix until well combined.
Spoon the apple mixture into the ramekins and cover with dough. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the puddings are golden. Invert the puddings onto plates and serve with cream or ice cream.

upside-down pear cake

2006-11-19T15:44:00.000+01:00

I am clearly what the French term a chocodependante. But here is proof that I eat other sweeties too. And anything with the words "upside-down" in the title grab my attention as much as my current drug of choice - chocolate. Well, almost.

Tarte tatins just seem the stuff of virtuosic baking but this upside-down baby from Fran Warde's "eat drink live"cookbook is simple- just make, bake and flip. And if you're not a pear appreciator or poiredependante (?) like me then you could just as easily use other fruits such as apples, peaches, pineapples, plums or bananas. Whatever the case, it's bottoms up!

Upside-down pear cake (adapted from Fran Warde)
3 pears
175g butter
175g sugar
3 eggs
175g flour
1 and a half teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
icing sugar to dust

Heat the oven to 180 degreesC or gas mark 4. Using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, adding one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold until just combined, then stir in the milk.
Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the pears and arrange on the bottom of a lined and greased 20cm cake tin. Spoon the mixture over the pears and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the cake lightly comes away from the edge of the cake tin. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of the pan and on to a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and enjoy either hot or cold.

chocolate jam cake

2006-11-11T22:34:00.000+01:00

Hot on the heels of one chocolate cake comes.... yet another chocolate cake. I don't need an excuse. It is simply not possible to overdose on this food group.

This choccy cake is adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe. But in true domestic goddess fashion I have used apricot jam (still sitting patiently in the fridge from the Halloween marzipan muffin glaze) rather than frivolously investing valuable euros for the cherry jam in Nigella's version. The goddess of today is miserly. But this cake is fabulous.

Chocolate Apricot Jam Cake (adapted from Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess)
125g soft butter
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
300g apricot jam
100g sugar
pinch salt
2 large eggs, beaten
150g plain flour
1 and a half teapsoons baking powder

Icing:
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
100ml double cream

Heat the oven to 18o degrees C or gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm springform cake tin. Melt the butter in the microwave (or on the stovetop) then add the chocolate and continue melting. Stir together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the jam, sugar, salt and beaten eggs and stir until well combined, then add the flour and baking powder.
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 45-5o minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out dry. Cool for 10 minutes then take out of the tin and continue cooling on a wire rack. When the cake is room temperature, melt the chocolate and cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat, let cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then whisk until thick and smooth.

chocolate beetroot cake

2006-11-06T20:11:00.000+01:00

Beetroot is not the most widely appreciated of all vegetables in this household. But I have come to love its deep red colour and iron-y taste and simply adore it either fresh or roasted in a salad. Not so my Mr. Big, who while good-naturedly putting up with all of this healthy eating, has said on more than one occasion "just don't come to me with broccoli or beetroot".

So when I saw this recipe from Jill Dupleix, featuring beetroot in a chocolate cake, it was like a deep red rag to a bull. The beetroot keeps the cake wonderfully moist and lends it an earthy tone but it is no way overpowering, in fact had I not baked it myself I wouldn't possibly believe it was just so darn good for us. And Mr. Big enjoyed his beetroot for the very first time.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake (courtesy of Jill Dupleix's New Food)
200ml sunflower oil
75g cocoa powder
180g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
250g sugar
250g vacuum-packed cooked beetroot in natural juice, drained
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar (to dust)

Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and heat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius (gas 4). Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the sugar and set aside. Blend the beetroot in a food processor, then add the eggs separately, blending after each addition. Pour in the oil and vanilla extract and blend until smooth. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the beetroot mix and stir until just combined. Pour into the cake tin and place in the oven for about 50 minutes (or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean). Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the tin and continue to cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

(The cake won't rise very much and will crack on the top. Jill suggests also serving as a pudding with hot chocolate sauce and a dollop of ice cream)

halloween

2006-11-01T15:13:00.000+01:00

For the past few months we have been confronted at every turn with the strangest looking little pumpkins. They are sadly inedible, but by all accounts a must-have for the autumn apartment decorations. I took this snap at the Düsseldorf Market about 6 weeks ago and since then we have had one of these pathetic pygmy pumpkins gracing our coffee table.

So I was keen to finally cook something inspired by our little pumpkin friend and came across a recipe for Pumpkin-Potato Rösti, a fitting companion to the Zürich Chicken. Struck fervently by the holiday spirit, I over-adapted the side dish to my purpose, leaving out the potato and discovered that they refused to bind. A mistake I won't be making next Halloween.

These apricot muffins were baked in the event that some delightful little children might ring our doorbell politely requesting sweets. But since we live on a road affectionately referred to as the Beer Mile, I may have been tricking myself there. In any case, the apricots I used came courtesy of my shopping spree in Strasbourg, and had been marinating in amaretto, a real treat for us. Happy Halloween.

Zürich Chicken
serves 2
1 onion, diced
125g brown mushrooms, quartered
1 small cooking apple
2 chicken breasts (approx 175 g each), sliced
75ml white wine
100g chestnuts (vacuum packed)
200ml cream
salt and pepper
marjoram

Season the sliced chicken breasts with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan for about 2 minutes, then remove. Fry the mushrooms for about a minute, de-seed the apple and cut into eighths and add to the mushrooms along with the diced onion. Cook for a further minute, then pour in the wine and then let bubble for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts and cream, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer til the sauce becomes creamy. Put the chicken back in the pan, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh marjoram.

Pumpkin-Potato Rösti
serves 2
2 potatoes (400g)
200g pumpkin
oil
salt

Grate the potatoes and pumpkin and season with salt. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the grated vegetables and after 5 minutes form into rösti shapes. Over a medium heat fry for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and absorb the excess oil on paper towels.

Apricot and Marzipan Muffins
makes 12
100g marzipan
150g soft butter (or margarine)
100g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar (7g)
1 teaspoon amaretto
3 eggs (medium)
100g plain flour
50g almond meal
25g corn starch
1 and a half teaspoons baking powder
12 canned apricot halves
2 tablespoons apricot jam
75g dark chocolate
pinch salt

Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Finely chop the marzipan. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, amaretto and salt. Add the eggs separately. Stir in the flour, almond meal, starch and baking powder, then add the chopped marzipan to the mixture. Spoon the dough into a muffin tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove tray, place an apricot half over each muffin (so that the round curve faces up) and bake for a further 10 -15 minutes.
When the muffins are at room temperature, heat the apricot jam, strain through a sieve and brush over the muffin. Chop the chocolate finely and melt over a bain-marie. Pour into a plastic bag, cut off a tiny corner and decorate each muffin.

La belle France

2006-10-22T22:24:00.000+02:00

Here are some impressions from a wonderful afternoon in Strasbourg. Naturally, a large bulk of the time was spent sampling the local produce, drooling in front of store windows and running around an enormous French supermarche. We might be a long way from Bondi but 2 gorgeous hosts, a bottle of champas, snails baked in a garlic butter sauce and fresh French oysters go some way in making up for this fact. Bon appetit!

Francoise's Cream of Chocolate

2006-10-18T16:50:00.000+02:00

"...And when all these had been eaten, a work composed expressly for ourselves, but dedicated more particularly to my father.... a cream of chocolate, inspired in the mind, created by the hand of Francoise, would be laid before us, light and fleeting as an 'occasional piece' of music, into which she had poured the whole of her talent" (Marcel Proust - Swann's Way)

On the dessert menu for the past few nights we have brought to life the spirit of the servant Francoise from the Marcel Proust novel Swann's Way and recreated Francoise's Cream of Chocolate. Guilty of having not yet started on Proust, this is what I consider the ideal introduction. This cream of chocolate is silky and exquisite.

Francoise's Cream of Chocolate
serves 6
100g plain cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
100g caster sugar
500ml milk
6 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 130C. Bring the milk to the boil on the stove, add the chocolate pieces and let melt gently, stirring with a wooden spoon. In another bowl, whip the sugar with the egg yolks.
When the chocolate has completely melted, pour into the bowl with the eggs and sugar and mix quickly and vigorously. Pass through a strainer.
Pour the liquid into 6 small ramekin dishes (or coffee cups) and place in a bain-marie in the oven for about an hour (or until set). Leave to cool before serving.

onion cake and sweet wine

2006-10-11T22:50:00.000+02:00

Another alcoholic must this Autumn is the Federweißer. This is a young, sweet, bubbly, still-fermenting wine with a high yeast content, lending it a cloudy appearance. It is typically made with green grapes but the red version is also becoming popular. Confronted by the dilemma of which to buy, I chose both.

Federweißer (feather-white) is enjoyed from September through to October and is traditionally accompanied by Zwiebelkuchen (onion cake).

Onion Cake
(recipe makes 16 slices)

200g butter
400g plain flour
5 medium eggs
500g onions
500g red onions (or leeks when your local store has no red onions)
2 Tbs oil
300g fresh cream
150g sour cream
salt and pepper
nutmeg
100g thinly sliced bacon

Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Kneed flour, butter, 2 eggs, 5 teaspoons cold water and a dash of salt to a smooth dough, Wrap up in plastic wrap and place in the kitchen for an hour. Meanwhile peel and slice the onions into rings. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Combine the fresh cream, sour cream and 3 eggs and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured workbench into a square shape (ca. 34x41 cm). Place in a greased baking form (ca 32x39 cm) and raise the edges. Scatter the fried onion on the dough and pour over the cream. Lay the bacon over and bake for ca. 30 minutes.

Oktoberfest!

2006-10-05T23:00:00.000+02:00

At least 600km north-west of München, one tiny kitchen is belatedly helping the Bavarians celebrate Oktoberfest. Inspired by television clips of thousands of beer-drinkers dressed in dirndl and lederhosen, we've decided to do our thing for German breweries and pour the stuff straight into our main meal.

This dish, adapted from a Belgian braise, has a lovely malty quality, I think. We've used König Pilsener, a light coloured beer brewed in close-by Duisburg in accordance of course with the German Purity Law of 1516. The kitchen smelled amazingly warm and welcoming with this stew in the oven but it does take a hardy stomach to open up a bottle of beer early in the morning. Luckily, I am just the girl for this job.

Beef and Leeks Braised in König Pilsner (adapted from Julia Child)
serves 4
1kg piece of lean beef, cubed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cups leek, finely sliced
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1 cup beef stock
1 cup Pilsner
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 bay leaves
5 Tbs parsley, chopped
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs white vinegar

Heat the oven to 150 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the beef in batches. Set aside. Reduce the heat and fry the leek lightly for about 10 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Arrange the beef on the bottom of a casserole, season with salt and pepper and arrange the leeks over the top.
Heat up the stock in the original beef frying pan, scraping up the cooking juices and add the sugar. Pour this mix over the beef and leek and pour in the pilsner so that the leek is just covered. Add the bay leaves and parsley and bring to a simmer on the stove. Now cover and place in the oven and cook slowly for 2 and a half hours.
Blend the cornstarch together with the white vinegar. Remove the bay leaves from stew, drain the cooking liquid and pour into a small smallpan. Add the cornstarch and vinegar mix and simmer for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour back into the meat.
Cover the casserole and slowly simmer on the stove. Serve with potatoes and more beer.

navel contemplation

2006-10-01T16:59:00.000+02:00

Mr. Big has to work all weekend, our mini-break to the sea has been cancelled, it's raining and I am at home in danger of imitating a really desperate housewife. One who doesn't clean though. I am a bit bored. So I thought I'd contemplate another kind of navel and finally make my Dad's orange marmalade.

He has sent me a new and improved recipe. The only crucial factor is to get the proportions of fruit, sugar and water right and there should be no need to use commercial pectin.

He explains that jams are set by a "complex reaction of sugar, acid and pectin..citrus fruits and green apples are rich in acid and pectin. If the jam does not set, lemon juice can be added or a third by weight of crisp, green apples. Some people add a half a lemon which can be removed later, some tie lemon seeds in muslin which are fished out later, but as the seeds rise to the top they can easily be removed anyway. Finally, boiling for a longer time may also do the trick".

Happily, the proportions for this marmalade are just right as is and the jam worked out perfectly without resorting to any nifty tricks. Our apartment may still be a bit messy but it smells like a tropical holiday.

Orange Marmalade
750g oranges (look for fruit which is small and ripe)
1 lemon
1.5L water
1.25 kg sugar

Firstly, wash the fruit, then quarter and finely slice. Boil gently for 2-2.5 hours. Add the warmed sugar, heat gently til dissolved, then boil vigorously for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then pour into glass jars.

Going hot turkey (well, chicken actually)

2006-09-27T15:04:00.000+02:00

After doing my damndest to promote tooth decay, I wanted to cook something savoury and sensible. And then I came upon this. Chicken decadence masquerading as a main course. And an ingredients list which includes pears (sweet!), white wine (alcohol!), pear schnapps (more alcohol!) and double cream (mmmmmm!). And I realised it was for the best that we wean ourselves off kids' birthdays gracefully.

This Chicken Fricasee comes from Michel Roux Jr, head of the London restaurant La Gavroche, which was the first French restaurant in the UK to be awarded 3 Michelin stars. Reason enough to give in to temptation. He writes that this dish is reminiscent of the classic French meals his grandmother would serve. We give his grandma 3 stars too.

Chicken Fricasee with Creamy Green Peppercorn and Pear Sauce (adapted from Michel Roux Jr)
Serves 4
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 chicken breasts, sliced
2 shallots, diced
2 pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 shot pear shnapps
125ml white wine
285ml double cream
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, brown the chicken, then remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Over a moderate heat, cook the shallots in the rest of the oil for about 5 minutes until softened and almost golden. Turn up the heat and add the pears along the with the wine and pear brandy and cook for about 3 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Pour in the cream and return the chicken, add the peppercorns and a few sprigs of thyme, cover and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, the chicken should be tender and the sauce reduced. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with any extra thyme. Serve with pasta and bottle of chardonnay.

not quite (a perfect )10

2006-09-24T12:44:00.000+02:00

When I was little, my mum once made me a birthday cake in the form of an upright piano. With succulent milky chocolate icing and piano keys which were made out of black and white chocolate respectively. I don't know how she did it. But I do remember the giddy excitement I felt at seeing her masterpiece. Baked for me.

For Mr. 9's not quite 10th birthday (which explains the 10th really short candle) and propably at the age my mum was at that time, I managed to bake this. It is fun and delicious but it ain't no upright piano. In fact, I was really glad when on opening the oven door, the cake was still round! Confirming, once again that Bill Granger's recipes are indeed idiot-proof.

I'm sure Bill had in mind cooking this together with the kids which is a great idea because it is wonderfully simple. But we wanted to surprise Mr. (now) 10 with a birthday eve delight. He and Mr. Big loved the cake but the m+m's mysteriously disappeared first.

Easy-mix chocolate cake with real chocolate frosting (from Bill Granger)
makes about 12 slices
280g plain flour
2 and a half teaspoons baking powder
50g cocoa powder
220g caster sugar
250g soft butter
4 eggs
170ml milk

frosting:
300g dark chocolate, chopped
375ml sour cream

decorate with:
m+m's and the appropriate number of candles

Heat the oven to 180C and grease 2x20 cm cake tins. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar into a bowl and mix together. Add in the butter, eggs and milk and beat on a low speed for a minute or until smooth. Spoon into the 2 cake tins and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave for about 5 minutes and then turn out of the tins and onto wire racks to cool.
When the cakes are cool, carefully melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Leave to cool for 15 minutes then stir in the sour cream. Using a spatula, spread a third of the chocolate cream mixture over one cake and then stack with the other. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and around the sides and decorate with m+m's or other brightly coloured candy.

Damson in distress

2006-09-17T23:29:00.000+02:00

Leafing through the newspaper with my morning coffee (heaven), I came across an article about plums which are in season right now and went off in search of a suitable recipe for jam. I'd like to report that I chose this one because of my interest in the cuisine of the Thüringen region. When in reality the following recipe got the nod due to my congenital maths deficiency. Since I am just cooking for Mr. Big and me, and we have to be economical with fridge and cupboard space, I am often forced to halve and quarter recipes. Shamefully, this damsel is often left in mathematical distress . As you can see the proportions for this jam recipe are so simple that on halving, my overworked calculator was proudly left in the drawer.

The variety of plum I've used is known as a damson, which is slighty elongated with a blue-ish skin and yellowy flesh. But the regular plum can be used just as well.

Plum jam (Thüringer Art)
1kg plums
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
a few walnuts

Wash the plums, remove the stones and leave overnight marinating in just the caster sugar. Then add the brown sugar, cinnamon stick and the walnuts, put in a saucepan and cook over a moderate heat until thick, about 30 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon stick and fill into 2 glass jars.

white chocolate reconciliation

2006-09-15T23:05:00.000+02:00

Having almost lost any love for white chocolate in sensational fashion -a mid-week baking debacle aka The Exorcist Cake- I then received a recipe for this Ricotta and White Choc Mousse from a very secret source. This was fate knocking on my in-box. It was obviously time to jump back on the white chocolate horse.

In light of said disaster, you might imagine I would follow the recipe to the very last letter. But typically, my pantry had other ideas. I heard voices begging me to tempt fate. Hazelnuts were urging me to strike before the use-by date did. When has expensive liqueur ever survived a week in our apartment (hello Sherry)?

Obviously this dessert is just brilliant because not only did my minor pantry tweeking go unnoticed but my last white chocolate effort was completely forgotten, we were in choccy heaven. Here is the recipe.

Mousse di Ricotta e Cioccolata Bianca
(adapted from Sydney caterer Johanna Minogue)
serves 4
250g fresh ricotta, placed in a sieve over a bowl and left in the fridge for 2 hours to drain
25g caster sugar
1/4 cup pouring cream
50g Belgian white chocolate, finely chopped
50g blanched whole almonds, roasted and finely chopped

for the syrup:
rind of 1 orange, julienned
juice of 1 orange (ca. 1/4 cup)
55g caster sugar
1tsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)

Place orange rind in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Combine 55g sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the orange rind and liqueur and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove rind with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour the orange juice into the pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool (will thicken on cooling).
Meanwhile, combine the drained ricotta and 25g sugar in a bowl, then stir in the cream, almonds and chocolate and combine well. Place a 3cm deep, 6.5 cm round metal ring in the centre of a plate, fill with mousse, remove ring and repeat with remaining plates. Spoon orange syrup around each mousse and garnish with a little reserved rind. Serve immediately

bring a plate

2006-09-11T00:00:00.000+02:00

So we all know the three words that will make a man's blood run cold. But for a woman (or aspiring but still hopeless cook) those three words are undoubtedly "bring a plate".

Party at Miss K's last Saturday night. Luckily for this incompetent, I had strict instructions in the form of assembling a Greek Salad, saving me hours of tearing out my hair wondering what to bring on the plate. Not much to go wrong.

Still, it wouldn't be me to just take this in my stride when I could have a minor breakdown... should I include olives when these fruit of the gods are indeed not universally loved? Should I take along a dressing and risk sogging out my veggies? Should I salt the cucumbers when feta cheese is already quite salty?

Luckily, we have an excellent market here on a Saturday morning and stall owners who are helpful and calming when faced with a young lady in a "bring a plate" lather. In the name of research, I sampled a whole range of olives and chose tasty but mild Kalamatas, tried all sorts of creamy feta cheese, gorged myself on sweet baby cocktail tomatoes and small romas. And went home full of confidence with fabulous produce. Very well-fed.

This Greek Salad was quick and easy to prepare and disappeared instantly. Olives included. No reason at all for a crisis.

Bring a Plate Greek Salad
500g best quality feta cheese, cubed
4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
parsley, chopped
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper
1 handful stoned black olives
500g best quality tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced

Marinate the feta cheese with the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, garlic and pepper. Then at the last possible minute add the cucumber, tomatoes and olives.

The forearm of a future Michelin chef?

2006-09-10T23:10:00.000+02:00

With apologies to those with a vegetarian sensibility, here is Mr. 9 slaving over a twist on the Italian classic, Chicken Bolognese. When we spoke about cooking this, Mr. 9 looked at me hopefully and gushed "we could open up the raw chicken, pour in the bolognese sauce, sew back together, put in the oven, and wait til it explodes everywhere....".

Since our kitchen already resembles a war-zone, I think we might wait til Mr. 9 gets his Michelin hat and appropriate facilities for this version. In the meantime, we've gone with a Bill Granger adaptation from his Simply Bill book, which is great for cooking with kids. Mr.9's initial scepticism about including a celery stalk (what? something green?) quickly vanished when he was in control of the pan, wooden spoon firmly in hand. And he is a natural talent with a really keen sense of taste.

Kids love fun pasta shapes and the significant change we've made to Bill's excellent recipe (making me feel like we're contributing something here) is using trulli rather than rigatoni. These look like mini UFO's out of an early dodgy Star Trek set. But we trulli loved them!

Trulli and a Chicken Bolognese Sauce (adapted from Bill Granger)
serves 4 very hungry people

2 Tbs olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 finely chopped celery stalk
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
2 slices prosciutto, chopped
500g minced chicken
375 ml tomato passata
500g trulli (or other fun pasta shapes)
3 Tbs chives (or other fresh herb on hand)
handful grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, celery, garlic and the salt and pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes over a moderate heat until golden. Add in the chicken and prosciutto, breaking up any lumps in the mince with a wooden spoon . When the chicken is cooked, add the passata and turn the stove down to a simmer.
Bring a large pot to the boil and add the pasta of your choice, cooking until al dente. Drain and add to the chicken bolognese. Toss through the chives and serve with lots of parmesan.

You know what we did this summer

2006-09-08T10:01:00.000+02:00

Summer 2006, a horror movie. First it's too damn hot. Then it's too damn cold. And worst of all, there is no opportunity to make use of Mr. B's brand new grillin' machine. But as luck would have it, Wednesday was a ripper, 27 fantastic degrees, not a cloud in the sky. It's time to smoke meat.

As residents of a garden-less, terrace-less and balcony-less apartment, Mr. Big and I are keen BBQ fans. And Mr. and Mrs. B's garden is the perfect barbie setting - shady trees, sunny spots, beautiful flowers- really dreamy. Complete with veggie patch. Every side dish accompanying our meat this summery eve was home-grown, home-cooked and elegantly served by Mrs. B. All straight from the garden. Potatoes and chives, tomatoes, beans ... This must be the equivalent of writing, producing and directing your own movie! You are Woody Allen. You invented the word "multi-tasking". Not only is this super impressive, it just tastes so damn good.

Mrs B's Potatoes
500g late-harvest potatoes
canola oil
salt and pepper
chives
onion, finely diced

Leave skins on the potatoes and slice into bite-sized pieces (or leave them whole if they are small enough and you are a patient cook). Fry in a pan over a moderately high heat with the oil for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. Throw into a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss through the chives and the onion.

Like a pear in a bowl

2006-09-04T09:37:00.000+02:00

"So, what's for dessert?"
"Well, it's like a pear in a bowl"

After bearing bad news of 2 counts (no, we will not be seeing Bandidas with Salma Hayek and no, there is no meat in tonight's dinner) you would imagine, I could sell this to a chocolate lover. But no, I have to mention the fruit. Mr. Big (typical male) just rolled his eyes. It is clear my future contains no employment as a used car salesman.
This is a dessert courtesy of Ms. Jill Dupleix, although the word dessert does no justice. This is an experience, a sinful journey from mouth-watering chocolate to the destination- a baked pear. It is nothing short of divine. Jill's recipe calls for 1 big baking tin but I like using individual ramekin dishes as this appeals better to my sense of greed.
I had no intention of writing about Chocolate Pear Pudding (just every intention of indulging) but when I served her up and Mr. Big saw his "like a pear in a bowl" he became touchingly concerned that it should go un-blogged straight into our tummies. And when he tasted it...a look of sheer ecstasy spread on his face. Salma Hayek is yesterday's news.

Chocolate Pear Pudding (courtesy of Jill Dupleix)
serves 4

125g melted butter
200g sugar
3 large eggs
180g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
70ml milk
4 ripe pears

Heat the oven to 170 degrees C. Beat the sugar and melted butter together until smooth, then add the eggs, one after the other and beat well. Mix in the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder and combine with a wooden spoon, then add the milk and stir until smooth. Scrape the mix into a greased 30x20 baking tin (or individual ramekin dishes).
Peel the pears and cut 1 cm from their base so that they can stand up. Then push into the mixture. Bake for a bit less than a half an hour, the centre should still be a bit moist and the pudding risen up around the pears.

1 jam, 0 marmalade

2006-09-02T23:04:00.000+02:00

The first pic explains why there was no time to get to the shops and so have nothing new to show and tell. The second is a shameful misuse of the internet to cry home. My glass of orange marmelade (brought to life by my dad) is neither half full, nor half empty. It is completely barren.

Here is the recipe for Dad's Citrus Marmalade, so I can remind him how it is done (or at least inspire myself to have a go when the shops open again on Monday)
1 .5 kg citrus fruit
2.5 kg sugar
3 L water
scrub fruit well, dry thoroughly, cut into quarters, remove pips, then thinly slice or shred flesh. Place in a large pan with the water and cook gently, uncovered, until fruit is very soft (2-2,5 hours). Warm the sugar in a saucepan, add to the fruit mixture and continue heating until sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Then boil vigorously for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim any scum from the surface with a metal slotted spoon. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes then pour into clean, dry jars and seal immediately.

Waiting for pay day polenta pie

2006-08-31T23:13:00.000+02:00

It's painfully, excrutiatingly close to pay day. The challenge is to cook something a tad more photogenic than yesterday's visual disaster without spending any of your not-yet-hard-earned euros. You have bugger all in the pantry. Obviously you make polenta pie.

You lovingly layer any not-yet-perished mushrooms, cover with some polenta cooked up in broth, add diced tomatoes and frozen salmon triumphantly defrosted and cubed, squeeze over some lemon juice, season with s+p and incredibly old dried herbs, add slices of mozzarella and then locate 7 pathetic basil leaves found on a plant close to death. You know your mother (who will be seeing this far away in Australia!) would approve of the existence of something green that is not mould. You weep with pride.

You bung in the oven and serve up your baby. And Mr Big decides he doesn't like polenta.

You tried. At least pay day is on its way.

B

Off with a whimper!

2006-08-30T16:48:00.000+02:00

It's Wednesday, it's cold and wet and you don't have to go to work, so it's a perfect opportunity to air your laundry in the indulgent form of a blog.

How ridiculous to call this blog "chocolate tarte" and then go ahead and bake a brownie. Which isn't square like a brownie should be. And it's relatively sinless in it's fat content. And it's not even particularly sightly. But it is beautifully gooey in the centre. And Mr. Big likes it (hello by the way!). It is a recipe called Michael's Fudge Brownies from Alice Medrich, THE goddess of low-fat, conscience-free desserts. I'm not sure if I am allowed to share her recipe on the internet without making significant changes. I'll have to ask someone about that...

B.