Friday, December 22, 2006
Souffled Macaroni Cheese & Adventures With Eggs
Another Delia Smith creation. I just can't bring myself to type out the whole set of ingredients and instructions on this cold, frosty, slightly hungover morning, so click here for the info.
The French have a term, mise en place, which essentially means preparing everything before you start cooking- this is the kind of recipe where that's sound advice, as there's a bit of grating and measuring to do, and everything gets thrown together fairly quickly.
The prep time is longer than the cooking time, but boy this dish is good. It was delicious, with a beautifully rich sauce- there's no way I'll be using a pre-made cheese sauce again. Despite my best efforts to sabotage it. I used eggs that had been skulking around the kitchen for a while. Note to self: use fresh eggs if you're going to separate them!
Unexpectedly, this dish is a bit of a milestone for me. It was the first time I'd made a cheese sauce from scratch. It was also the first time I'd tasted and cooked with Dolcelatte. I also had a go at separating eggs for the first time. It always looked like a tricky task- I wanted to use the shells to siphon off the egg whites, but I suspected it'd be quicker & easier to just use my hands, which didn't really appeal.
So, I cracked an egg, ready to catch the yolk, and the yolk just dripped out of the shell, along with the white. No problemo, I thought, I'll just bite the bullet and use my hands for the last egg. I thought it was my suspect technique, so cracked the (last) egg into my hands, expecting a lovely, wobbly yolk to rest in my palm, while the whites oozed down into the bowl. Back to reality, and again the white & yolk were interwoven, and the whole lot dribbled through my fingers. I nearly threw the eggs away, but persevered as I'd got all the other ingredients ready.
No doubt it would have been fluffier and lighter if I'd have used fresh, properly separated eggs, but it turned out brilliantly- good enough to serve to guests, and get the nod of approval.
Another first was trying out a new (to me) sort of pasta- I used cellentani instead of macaroni. They're basically little corkscrew shapes, perfect for holding sauce- I've since realised that they're great with tomato-based sauces too- they pick up any excess sauce- so they taste good, and help with the washing up too.
The French have a term, mise en place, which essentially means preparing everything before you start cooking- this is the kind of recipe where that's sound advice, as there's a bit of grating and measuring to do, and everything gets thrown together fairly quickly.
The prep time is longer than the cooking time, but boy this dish is good. It was delicious, with a beautifully rich sauce- there's no way I'll be using a pre-made cheese sauce again. Despite my best efforts to sabotage it. I used eggs that had been skulking around the kitchen for a while. Note to self: use fresh eggs if you're going to separate them!
Unexpectedly, this dish is a bit of a milestone for me. It was the first time I'd made a cheese sauce from scratch. It was also the first time I'd tasted and cooked with Dolcelatte. I also had a go at separating eggs for the first time. It always looked like a tricky task- I wanted to use the shells to siphon off the egg whites, but I suspected it'd be quicker & easier to just use my hands, which didn't really appeal.
So, I cracked an egg, ready to catch the yolk, and the yolk just dripped out of the shell, along with the white. No problemo, I thought, I'll just bite the bullet and use my hands for the last egg. I thought it was my suspect technique, so cracked the (last) egg into my hands, expecting a lovely, wobbly yolk to rest in my palm, while the whites oozed down into the bowl. Back to reality, and again the white & yolk were interwoven, and the whole lot dribbled through my fingers. I nearly threw the eggs away, but persevered as I'd got all the other ingredients ready.
No doubt it would have been fluffier and lighter if I'd have used fresh, properly separated eggs, but it turned out brilliantly- good enough to serve to guests, and get the nod of approval.
Another first was trying out a new (to me) sort of pasta- I used cellentani instead of macaroni. They're basically little corkscrew shapes, perfect for holding sauce- I've since realised that they're great with tomato-based sauces too- they pick up any excess sauce- so they taste good, and help with the washing up too.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
More Pub Grub...
Haven't done much cooking lately as I've been out catching up with old friends, and eating out. A big "thanks" to The Bridge Inn, especially, in Shoreham. Another example of (a) how commercial food is inferior to home cooking and (b) pub chains are terrible.
Not only was that the most overpriced, cold food I've ever wasted money on, it was the surliest service, too. £8 for a few florets of cold broccoli and potato, with a little side dish of...more cold broccoli scraps. Not sure how you'd describe the tableware it was served on either- it wasn't a plate, but more like a gravy boat without a handle- about the size of 3 small ramekins.
Just to add a bit of balance, I should tell you that I had a fantastic meal last Friday, not for the first time, at The Fox Inn at Shipley, just outside of Wolverhampton. The Fox isn't affiliated to a chain....
Not only was that the most overpriced, cold food I've ever wasted money on, it was the surliest service, too. £8 for a few florets of cold broccoli and potato, with a little side dish of...more cold broccoli scraps. Not sure how you'd describe the tableware it was served on either- it wasn't a plate, but more like a gravy boat without a handle- about the size of 3 small ramekins.
Just to add a bit of balance, I should tell you that I had a fantastic meal last Friday, not for the first time, at The Fox Inn at Shipley, just outside of Wolverhampton. The Fox isn't affiliated to a chain....
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Happy Christmas! (Unless You're In A Chain Pub)
Handily, I'm not preparing any Christmas food, so I'm just on drinking duties. Hence no posts since last week. Thankfully, I've made some observations about English chain-pub food. No surprises, to be fair. JD Wetherspoon continues to underwhelm.
Their food & drink is cheap, but you still never feel like you're getting value for money, because it's so poor. I had a Mediterranean Pasta Bake- the menu says:
Their food & drink is cheap, but you still never feel like you're getting value for money, because it's so poor. I had a Mediterranean Pasta Bake- the menu says:
Penne pasta in a chunky tomato, basil & oregano sauce, with mixed peppers, onions, aubergines and courgettes, topped with mozzarella cheese.
Sounds great, but what I was served was floppy, overdone penne, in a thin, watery tomato sauce. I'm not convinced there was any aubergine at all, but there were definitely slivers of shrunken, slimy peppers and little, shrivelled, tasteless bits of courgette. There was some green stuff, which by a process of deduction was the herbs, which tasted of nothing.
That's OK compared to my fellow reveller Rob, who had a mixed grill. I've seen less carbon in a box of pencils- how they had the nerve to serve up such burnt, carcinogen-packed cuts is beyond me. To be fair, Rob told them (an hour later, when they decided they could be bothered to take away the plates). The chef, and the rest of the staff, thought it was hilarious that someone had complained about his food. We knew this because they were laughing about it 30 feet in front of us. Especially funny that he never got an apology or discount, though.
Well, it's widely documented that Wetherspoons doesn't give a damn about the quality of the food or drink, and it's "only" a cheap pub, so I wasn't expecting too much, which still doesn't make it OK. And they didn't have any limes for their G&T's.
At the weekend, we also went to my local Ember Inns pub. I've had many meals there, some pretty good, most decidedly average. Like Wetherspoons, Ember claim to cater for real ale drinkers. Lo and behold, they've just got one real ale on (3.9%) for the whole of the festive season. So, we decided to have the most festive drink there is, instead. Mulled wine, of course- it was advertised on all the walls & menus. Inevitably, they had run out, on a quiet Sunday afternoon. So, no mulled wine, dodgy microwaved grub, but they'd managed to play Cliff Richard down our lug-holes all afternoon. British pub chains clearly can't (be bothered) to organise a piss-up in a brewery, so it's going to be three cheers for the shareholders, rather than the customers.
And I haven't even started yet on the lack of Bathams in Birmingham now...
Sounds great, but what I was served was floppy, overdone penne, in a thin, watery tomato sauce. I'm not convinced there was any aubergine at all, but there were definitely slivers of shrunken, slimy peppers and little, shrivelled, tasteless bits of courgette. There was some green stuff, which by a process of deduction was the herbs, which tasted of nothing.
That's OK compared to my fellow reveller Rob, who had a mixed grill. I've seen less carbon in a box of pencils- how they had the nerve to serve up such burnt, carcinogen-packed cuts is beyond me. To be fair, Rob told them (an hour later, when they decided they could be bothered to take away the plates). The chef, and the rest of the staff, thought it was hilarious that someone had complained about his food. We knew this because they were laughing about it 30 feet in front of us. Especially funny that he never got an apology or discount, though.
Well, it's widely documented that Wetherspoons doesn't give a damn about the quality of the food or drink, and it's "only" a cheap pub, so I wasn't expecting too much, which still doesn't make it OK. And they didn't have any limes for their G&T's.
At the weekend, we also went to my local Ember Inns pub. I've had many meals there, some pretty good, most decidedly average. Like Wetherspoons, Ember claim to cater for real ale drinkers. Lo and behold, they've just got one real ale on (3.9%) for the whole of the festive season. So, we decided to have the most festive drink there is, instead. Mulled wine, of course- it was advertised on all the walls & menus. Inevitably, they had run out, on a quiet Sunday afternoon. So, no mulled wine, dodgy microwaved grub, but they'd managed to play Cliff Richard down our lug-holes all afternoon. British pub chains clearly can't (be bothered) to organise a piss-up in a brewery, so it's going to be three cheers for the shareholders, rather than the customers.
And I haven't even started yet on the lack of Bathams in Birmingham now...
Friday, December 08, 2006
Lentil Stew
That veg chilli has left me craving more lentils. This is a similar dish, but more rustic, rather than hot.
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
carrot
leek
1/4 Savoy cabbage (shredded)
lentils
2 pints veg stock
broccoli
1 tomato
mushrooms
Fry the onion, mushrooms & garlic. Add the carrot, leek, cabbage, lentils, & the stock.
Boil 10 mins, & simmer for another 10 mins. Add the broccoli, and simmer another 10 mins.
Add the chopped tomato, and season with black pepper & grated Parmesan.
I used shittake mushrooms, just because I picked them up on the cheap yesterday.
You can serve that with pretty much anything- tagliatelle, rice, potatoes, short pasta, etc.
PS- I came to cook this the other day, only to find out I'd run out of lentils- oops!!
Handily, I'd got some "country vegetable mixture" in the store-cupboard- barley, lentils, etc- which was handy, else I'd have been dining on porridge...
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
carrot
leek
1/4 Savoy cabbage (shredded)
lentils
2 pints veg stock
broccoli
1 tomato
mushrooms
Fry the onion, mushrooms & garlic. Add the carrot, leek, cabbage, lentils, & the stock.
Boil 10 mins, & simmer for another 10 mins. Add the broccoli, and simmer another 10 mins.
Add the chopped tomato, and season with black pepper & grated Parmesan.
I used shittake mushrooms, just because I picked them up on the cheap yesterday.
You can serve that with pretty much anything- tagliatelle, rice, potatoes, short pasta, etc.
PS- I came to cook this the other day, only to find out I'd run out of lentils- oops!!
Handily, I'd got some "country vegetable mixture" in the store-cupboard- barley, lentils, etc- which was handy, else I'd have been dining on porridge...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Vegetarian Chilli
I got this recipe off Anna on the Jamie Oliver forums. In her own words:
Gently fry off an onion and several cloves of garlic, then add your lentils. Stir to coat with the oil and incorporate the onion and garlic. Add a chopped carrot, a couple of chopped courgettes, some jalapeños, chilli powder, cumin seed and ground coriander. You could add Cajun spice mix, too. Add 2 pints of stock and a very very generous squirt (about half a tube) tomato puree. Simmer gently for about half an hour to forty minutes until the lentils are cooked. Stir in some chopped tomatoes and coriander, and serve. Nice as a filling for baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream.
I followed the recipe but used one courgette & one leek; no Cajun spice mix or coriander, and used 4 dried chillis instead of the jalapeños. Next time I'll go for six chillis, as some of their heat is absorbed by the cooking process. It's a great dish for winter, and it's the first time I've had a baked potato for about 18 months. How can anyone not like lentils? That earthy, wholemeal, nutty taste is superb.
Gently fry off an onion and several cloves of garlic, then add your lentils. Stir to coat with the oil and incorporate the onion and garlic. Add a chopped carrot, a couple of chopped courgettes, some jalapeños, chilli powder, cumin seed and ground coriander. You could add Cajun spice mix, too. Add 2 pints of stock and a very very generous squirt (about half a tube) tomato puree. Simmer gently for about half an hour to forty minutes until the lentils are cooked. Stir in some chopped tomatoes and coriander, and serve. Nice as a filling for baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream.
I followed the recipe but used one courgette & one leek; no Cajun spice mix or coriander, and used 4 dried chillis instead of the jalapeños. Next time I'll go for six chillis, as some of their heat is absorbed by the cooking process. It's a great dish for winter, and it's the first time I've had a baked potato for about 18 months. How can anyone not like lentils? That earthy, wholemeal, nutty taste is superb.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Pasta With Chickpeas In Tomato Sauce
Saturday means it's quite common for me to cook when I'm half-cut, so it tends to be straightforward (yet tasty, hopefully!). I'd been drinking with my regular food-taster Rob all afternoon, and this turned out a treat.
Ingredients: Penne pasta, tinned tomatoes, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 dried & crushed chillis, grated Cheddar, tinned chickpeas, freshly milled black pepper, and 3 sprigs chopped rosemary.
I've written previously that tinned pulses are inferior to the real deal, but I've used a tin of chickpeas here, because (a) they were skulking around in my pantry, and (b) I hadn't planned ahead.
Method: Note that imbibing half a gallon of Stella Artois beforehand is optional.
Boil the pasta, and very gently heat the garlic & chilli flakes in a small amount of oil. When infused (after a few minutes) add the drained chickpeas and the tomatoes.
While cooking the sauce, add the rosemary (but not the stalks) and season with black pepper.
Finally, stir in the grated Cheddar, mix in the cooked & drained pasta, and serve in warm bowls.
Well, Rob approved, but to be fair he was probably in need of any sustenance by the time I started cooking- I know I was.
Ingredients: Penne pasta, tinned tomatoes, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 dried & crushed chillis, grated Cheddar, tinned chickpeas, freshly milled black pepper, and 3 sprigs chopped rosemary.
I've written previously that tinned pulses are inferior to the real deal, but I've used a tin of chickpeas here, because (a) they were skulking around in my pantry, and (b) I hadn't planned ahead.
Method: Note that imbibing half a gallon of Stella Artois beforehand is optional.
Boil the pasta, and very gently heat the garlic & chilli flakes in a small amount of oil. When infused (after a few minutes) add the drained chickpeas and the tomatoes.
While cooking the sauce, add the rosemary (but not the stalks) and season with black pepper.
Finally, stir in the grated Cheddar, mix in the cooked & drained pasta, and serve in warm bowls.
Well, Rob approved, but to be fair he was probably in need of any sustenance by the time I started cooking- I know I was.
Pasta With Cheese Sauce, Walnuts, & Mushrooms
I'd got half a pot of Sainsbury's three-cheese sauce leftover from the gratin I made recently, so I rustled up a quick & easy meal.
Ingredients: Penne pasta, cheese sauce, walnuts, Portobello mushrooms, cayenne pepper, freshly-grated nutmeg, freshly-milled black pepper, freshly-grated Parmesan.
Method: Boil pasta, & gently heat the cheese sauce (or indeed make a sauce from scratch- recipe in the gratin link). Roast the shelled walnuts on a baking tray (6 minutes, 120 degrees c).
Gently fry the chopped mushrooms in a separate frying pan (just a little oil).
Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta, mushrooms, and walnuts, and season with the nutmeg and cayenne pepper. I love them both, so used plenty. Add some black pepper, and Parmesan.
Deeeelicious, and only takes about 15 mins, including preparation.
Ingredients: Penne pasta, cheese sauce, walnuts, Portobello mushrooms, cayenne pepper, freshly-grated nutmeg, freshly-milled black pepper, freshly-grated Parmesan.
Method: Boil pasta, & gently heat the cheese sauce (or indeed make a sauce from scratch- recipe in the gratin link). Roast the shelled walnuts on a baking tray (6 minutes, 120 degrees c).
Gently fry the chopped mushrooms in a separate frying pan (just a little oil).
Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta, mushrooms, and walnuts, and season with the nutmeg and cayenne pepper. I love them both, so used plenty. Add some black pepper, and Parmesan.
Deeeelicious, and only takes about 15 mins, including preparation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)