Tea India Masala Chai.

Update from 2 Nov 2015.
- How to Make Masala Chai: from Madhur Jaffrey.
1. First, add 3 cups of water to a medium saucepan.

2. Next throw in the masala:
- 4 cloves (but "one more or one less makes no difference")
- 4 cardamom pods (use green cardamom, which has a “more silvery taste,” as opposed to the deeper and coarser black cardamom)
- 4 peppercorns
- A 4cm/1-inch piece of cinnamon bark (which you can substitute for cinnamon stick but has a deeper and “more masculine” flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger (she would never use fresh, which might curdle the milk)
You can leave out any of these things—but never cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, or ginger.
In summary, feel free to take or leave the peppercorns.
Throws the spices directly into the water, or you can also satchel them in a tea bag for easy clean-up—as long as it's loose.

3. Add 3 black tea bags and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Don't worry too much about over-steeping your tea—you can add more water, sugar, or milk be that the case.

4. Once the tea and spices have simmered for 10 minutes, add milk.
Sweeten with sugar (maybe 4 teaspoons of sugar - sweeten to taste);
masala chai is always made with white sugar in India, but you could use a different sweetener—even honey.
If you do use honey, you'll want to avoid boiling it; add it to your tea just before serving.

5. Bring to a simmer, then take the pot off the heat and pour it through a fine mesh strainer into mugs or a serving vessel.
Taste the masala chai to see if it's as sweet and creamy as you'd like; while you can adjust at the milk and sugar as much as you'd like, there's nothing you can really do about spices at this point.
So make a note of what you liked and disliked for your next batch.
"Even in the heat, we drink masala chai hot in India," - Jaffrey instructs.

6. Discard the spices and the tea, no matter how frugal you are.
“They’ve given what they’ve got,” Jaffrey instructs.

And that's it: No fancy ingredients or special equipment—the secret may just be to make sure to simmer for long enough.

Spiced Milke Tea (Masala Chai):
“masala” meaning spices!
- In Praise of Leftovers - iPol - Masala Chai

Tea rom Lidl.

Turmeric Tea .

- Turmeric Tea Recipe - 101 Cookbooks:
Turmeric tends to stain anything it comes into contact with, so be careful.
1/3 cup / 80 ml good, raw honey
2 1/2 teaspoons dried turmeric
lemon
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Work the turmeric into the honey until it forms a paste.
You can keep this on hand, in a jar, for whenever you'd like a cup.

For each cup of tea, place a heaping teaspoon of the turmeric paste in the bottom of a mug.
Pour hot (but not boiling water) into the mug, and stir well to dissolve the turmeric paste.
Add a big squeeze of juice from a lemon, and a good amount of black pepper. Enjoy!
Stir now and then as you drink so all the good stuff doesn't settle to the bottom, or top off with more hot water as you drink it.

- Turmeric Tea - The View from Great Island:
2 cups coconut milk (or almond milk)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick
6 peppercorns
6 cardamom pods
1 star anise
pinch of cayenne pepper
honey to taste

Gently crack the cardamom pods open with a rolling pin, being careful not to lose the tiny black seeds.
Break the cinnamon stick in two.
Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Turn off the heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
Bring the tea back up to a simmer, then strain into warm mugs.
Top with a little ground cinnamon, if desired.

more:- Turmeric Tea - The View from Great Island:
- 'via Blog this'

Tea.

Super Cold-Buster!
Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup boiling water
2 herbal tea bags
1 tablespoon peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons honey or agave Steep the tea bags in the boiled water for 15 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and pour the water in to your high-speed blender.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
This mixture is a concentrate.
To serve, mix equal parts hot water with concentrate.
Sweeten to taste with additional honey or agave

Makes about 3/4 cup
Chai Masala

1/4 cup ground black pepper (about 1/3 cup peppercorns)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (about four 5-inch cinnamon sticks)
2 tablespoons ground cardamom (about 1/4 cup whole green cardamom pods)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves (about 18 cloves)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg (about 1 whole nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon ground dried orange peel, optional Grind each spice individually in a spice or coffee grinder. Be sure to grind them as finely as possible to avoid chunks of whole spices in your tea. Sift each spice with a fine-mesh sifter and return any large pieces of spices to the grinder to powder them further. Combine the ground spices in a bowl and store in an airtight jar or container.
Chai
1/2 teaspoon chai masala, above
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk of choice (coconut milk is especially nice)
2 teaspoons black tea, such as Ceylon or Assam
Sweetener to taste Bring the water, milk, masala, and tea to a slow simmer.
Cover and remove from the heat. Allow to steep for 5 minutes.
Strain carefully into a cup and sweeten to taste.

How to make the perfect cup.

How to make the perfect cup
WHITE TEA
To make White tea boil water and leave to cool for around 2 minutes or use water at 185F –85C.
Take care not to pour boiling water on to the leaves as this will scald the leaves and prevent them from opening and releasing all their delicate flavours and aromas. It is important to use good fresh filtered water and to allow time for the leaves to infuse and open releasing their fragrance and flavour. Do not let the tea over infuse as this can make the taste too strong and slightly bitter. Do not let the leaves stew in any remaining water, drain off all water and reuse the leaves by pouring new fresh hot water for a second brew, this brew can have different characteristics in taste and flavours. The Chinese have often regarded the second brew as the best!
As a guide infuse 1-2 teaspoons of White Tea per cup for up to 4 minutes depending on the strength you enjoy.
There are two good methods for brewing tea; one is called ‘the two tea pots method’ and the second ‘the warm cup method’
Use the first teapot to brew the tea and when it has brew for the required time pour into a second warmed tea pot using a tea strainer so there will be no tea leaves. This leaves all the leaves in the first pot and ready to make a second brew.
The warm cup method is as follows pour fresh boiled water into a teapot without any tea leaves in this pot and from the teapot pour into the required number of cups, then place the tea in the empty but warmed teapot, finally pour back the water from the cups and let the tea brew, not only do you have the exact amount of water needed but it is at the perfect temperature!
Whilst it is not essential to use porcelain cups for drinking tea it helps! It can be no coincidence that the Chinese produced the earliest, finest and most delicate porcelain and tea of outstanding quality, both are still held in high regard and combining the two does justice to both. So it is recommended to use porcelain cups or mugs to drink these fine white teas from, and brew in a porcelain teapot that way you get the full potential both in flavours and aromas.
GREEN TEA
To make Green tea, boil water and leave to cool for around 1-2 minutes or use water at 166F – 75C. It is important to use good fresh filtered water and to allow time for the leaves to infuse and open releasing their fragrance and flavour. Boil freshly drawn filtered water, if you use water that has already been boiled in a kettle it reduces the oxygen content in the water. The warm cup method is very good for making Green Tea, as you are less likely to find the tea is bitter with this method, as the amino acids that give the tea its flavour dissolve at a lower temperature than the tannin and the tea will taste sweeter. It is really important not to let the tea brew for too long or to leave the leaves in the teapot. It is possible to use the leaves again but you must take out all the water and fill the teapot again with fresh boiled filtered water.
Take care not to pour boiling water on to the leaves as this will scald the leaves and stop the leaves from releasing their flavour and damage the delicate flavour. It is important for the leaves to open and release the delicate aromas and taste, drink immediately and do not let the tea over infuse as it can become strong and slightly bitter if left too long.
As a guide infuse 1-2 teaspoons of Green tea per cup for up to 3 minutes depending on the strength you enjoy. Drinking Green tea without milk is highly recommended, but you can add sugar or honey to taste.
BLACK TEA
To make Black tea boil water and leave to cool for 30 seconds – 1 minute or use water at 203F – 95C. Take care not to pour actual boiling water on to the leaves as this will scald the leaves and damage the flavour. It is important to use good fresh filtered water and to allow time for the leaves to infuse releasing their fragrance and flavour, after pouring (it can be a benefit to use porcelain cups or mugs) drink immediately and do not let the tea over infuse as this can make the taste too strong and slightly bitter. Use either the warm cup or two tea pot methods as described for White Tea, you can use the leaves to brew a second pot but there may be a subtle change in taste and aroma
As a guide infuse 1-2 teaspoons per cup for up to 1-4 minutes depending on the strength you enjoy. It can be drunk with milk and sugar but if you are using a good single estate or first /second flush or a black tea which is flavoured with fruit or flowers then drinking it without milk is highly recommended.
ROOIBOS & HONEYBUSH TEA
To make Rooibos tea boil water and leave to cool for around 2 minutes or use water at 203F – 75C to 85C. Take care not to pour boiling water on to the leaves as this will scald the leaves and damage the delicate taste. It is important to use good fresh filtered water and to allow time for the leaves to infuse and open releasing their fragrance and flavour, after pouring (it can be of benefit to use porcelain cups or mugs) drink immediately and do not let the tea over infuse as this can make the taste too strong and slightly bitter.
As a guide infuse 1-2 teaspoons per cup for up to 2-4mins depending on the strength you enjoy. Rooibos Tea can be drunk with milk but not flavoured Rooibos or Honeybush Tea.
FRUIT & HERBAL TISANES
To make Fruit & Herbal Tisanes boil water and leave to cool for around 3 minutes or use water at 158F – 70C. Take care not to pour boiling water on to the leaves as this will scald the leaves and damage the taste. It is important to use good fresh filtered water and to allow time for the leaves to infuse and open releasing their fragrance and flavour, after pouring (it can be of benefit to use porcelain cups or mugs) drink immediately and do not let the tisane over infuse as this can make the taste too strong and slightly bitter. Please also look at how to make Green Tea for description of the two teapot & warm cup method.
As a guide infuse 1-2 teaspoons per cup for 2-5 minutes depending on the strength enjoy you enjoy. It is difficult to be precise about brewing times, as there are different plants and fruits parts in each tisane and it also depends on your preference and taste. Herbal tisanes tend to be more delicate and subtle in favour than Fruit tisanes which can have more exotic and intense flavours.

Sour cabbage Russian /Kvashenaya Kapusta/.

My Sauerkraut in a Mason Jar!
Russian white cabbage and it’s a bit different from what you can get here in England.
Russian white cabbage is large and juicy so it gives out lots of juice of its own during the pickling (salting) process.
Local cabbage here in Britain is mostly used for slaws, it is small and tight, quite firm and it doesn’t have much juice in it.
Buy the ones that are light in color and not bright green (the light color indicates that it is a "late" in the year cabbage).

900g thinly and long cut raw white cabbage (we used 1 medium heads).
135g grated row carrots
18g sea salt or any natural, not iodised
4.5g sugar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
handful of cranberries (optional)

Mix freshly cut cabbage with grated carrots in a large glass or enamelled container (don’t use plastic or metal, don't use aluminum), add evenly salt, sugar and caraway (if you use it) and mix well with hands, squeezing cabbage until juices start to come out.
Now add cranberries if you are using them, mix them in evenly.
Fill a glass jar with the cabbage mixture and pack it in very tightly so that the juice from the cabbage covers the cabbage completely.
You want a jar big enough to be filled only about ⅔ full so it has room to expand.
Press the cabbage mix to the bottom of the container tightly, put a plate on top of the cabbage (not the container!).
Top with a small jar of water or whatever else would make a good weight.
The plate should just press the cabbage down as it is being salted.
Also be sure to keep the jar covered at all times with a clean cloth or piece of cheese cloth.
This will allow airflow, but prevent dust or insects from getting into the sauerkraut.

Keep the container with the cabbage mix in a room for the first 3 days.
Every day prickle the cabbage mix down to the bottom of the container with a long wooden sticker (skewer/hand of wooden Spoon).
This will let the gas out which is produced during the fermentation process.
The first day should see your cabbage covered with the juice.
If there is too much juice, do not let it escape the container, just reduce the weight on top.
If there is not enough juice and the cabbage mix is not covered, add some boiled water to cover the cabbage at least for 0,5 cm.
After 3 days move the cabbage into the cold (refrigerator) - keep it with the brine.
You can eat it the next day, it is ready.
The sauerkraut is safe to eat at every stage of the process, so there is no real minimum or maximum fermentation time.
To serve, drain the amount of cabbage that you would like to eat by firmly squeezing out the excess juice with your hands.
Add in your salad ingredients, mix well and serve.
Pickled cabbage usually keeps very well in the refrigerator for 2-3 months or even longer.
Sour red cabbage Russian.
- Sour cabbage Russian recipe (pickled or salted cabbage, Sauerkraut)Russian Food:
calculation of 1 kg thinly and long cut raw white cabbage
150 g largely grated row carrots
20 g (1 tablespoon) fine salt (natural, not iodised!). If you use sea salt by spoon add some more (as it takes more room so weighs less)
5 g (1 teaspoons) sugar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
handful of cranberries (optional)

No-Knead Bread, 10 Years Later.

I was sitting at my desk at the Times 10 years ago when Jim Lahey – whom I knew only by reputation – emailed me: “I have a new method of making bread that requires no kneading and can give you professional results at home.”

I started baking bread in 1970, and, when my friend Charlie Van Over developed what I still believe is the best food processor method there is, I adopted that and never looked back. But Lahey’s invitation was intriguing.

It was a period during which the Times was experimenting with video, and I was one of the lucky guinea pigs. So on a bright November day (Jim insists it was election day 2006; I have no recollection), I walked over with two video people, we watched Jim do his thing, I wrote it up, the video people edited, and ….
It became one of the most popular stories in the history of the Times.

That level of popularity was a peculiar confluence of events, but that bread recipe (which I used yesterday, and will tomorrow, barely unchanged from the original), has legs. That original description by Jim remains true, and literally millions of people now make bread according to Jim’s instructions.

A few weeks ago, just before election day 2016, I met two video people from Food & Wine at Sullivan Street (which hasn’t changed much) and we taped a reunion, with Jim commenting on and critiquing my technique (which evidently isn’t bad).
You can watch (the extremely abridged version) here.
As you can tell – we had fun.









So new recipe (published at 12-06-2016) - are pictured:

2 2/3 Cup white flour
1 1/3 Cup whole wheat flour (Whole-wheat flour - in the US or wholemeal flour in the UK)
2 teasp salt
1/2 teasp yeast
2 Cup water

12 hour first rise
fold three times on floured surface
for 2-hour second rise

Bake 30 min at 500F/260C in covered dutch oven
Bake 15 minutes uncovered

AND old recipe (2015):
3 cups - 400 grams all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast
1+1/4 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
1 5/8 cups (1+1/3 - 300 grams in book) water.

Green smoothie.

Throw the following in a blender – measurements are broad approximations so use your best judgement depending on your blender size.

1 cup coconut water
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup pomegranate or cherry juice
1 large handful frozen kale
1 cup frozen pineapple or mango
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
Half an avocado
Half a courgette
1 large spoonful almond butter
1 spoonful coconut oil
Rice protein powder (please use rice not whey protein!)
2 tablespoons greens powder
1 tablespoon flax powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds

- Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love
Ingredients
1 small-medium banana, peeled + sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup fresh or mango chunks
1 cup kale (I used baby Kale)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon spirulina powder*
3/4 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Instructions
Place the the ingredients, except for the hemp seeds, in a high powdered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
If you like your smoothies thin, add orange juice or coconut milk.
Pour into a glass and sprinkle with hemp seeds.
Enjoy!

Lovage.

Lovage: A big plant with an even bigger flavor.
- You only need one leaf to flavor a dish!
The taste of the foliage is, admittedly, unsubtle -- much like celery's, but stronger.
Nonetheless, it has its place in the kitchen.
Early in the season, before bloom, it's a bit milder and you can toss a handful of the leaves into a green salad.
They are also good in soups, stews, sauces and other cooked dishes, used the way you would celery.
Even the hollow stems can be cooked, though I prefer the freshness of the leaves.

Italian Quinoa Risotto Lasagna.

Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love:
Ingredients
Sauce
4 ounces pancetta, chopped (optional, but adds great flavor)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 red pepper, diced
1 pound ground spicy italian chicken sausage or regular spicy italian sausage (may sub regular ground chicken or beef if you do not like spicy)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
Truffle Oil Quinoa Risotto
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups dry quinoa
5 cups warm chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
truffle oil, for drizzling
2 cups provolone cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions
Start by making the sauce.
In a heavy bottomed pot, cook 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the pancetta over medium heat, stirring, until the pancetta is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion, garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes.
Push the veggies off to the side of the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the center of the pan and crumble in the ground sausage.
Cook without stirring for 3 minutes and then begin breaking up the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the oregano, basil, parsley and thyme.
Cook another minute or so.Add the tomatoes, tomato paste,1 cup milk, salt and pepper to the pot.
Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20-30 minutes.
Taste to season with salt and pepper.While the sauce is cooking, make the quinoa.
Bring 4 cups chicken broth to boil in 12 inch high sided skillet.
Add quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender and chicken broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the butter, olive oil and remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, stir vigorously for 5 minutes, until the quinoa is thick.
Add the wine and parmesan cheese.
Continue to stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the quinoa is thick and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons truffle oil.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375 degrees F.
To assemble the lasagna, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Spread the quinoa risotto in one even layer over the bottom of the greased dish.
Spoon the meat sauce over the quinoa and then top with the provolone and mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is lightly golden and the sauce bubbling.
Let sit 10 minutes and then cut and serve with some crusty bread and a drizzle of truffle oil.
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.

Healthy Eating.

Here's what we're going to be eating this month, all month—not just the first two weeks.
- Happy Give-Up-on-Resolutions Day!

- Calgary Avansino's Food Diary - Healthy Eating (Vogue.co.uk):

Perfect Coconut Cake from Vogue.

Sugar High: Baking the Perfect Coconut Cake - Vogue
CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T fresh baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 cups sugar (superfine)
4 large eggs
1/2 lb. plus 4 T unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks and allowed to soften to room temperature
1 cup evaporated milk
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using room-temperature butter, grease and flour three 8 x 2-inch round cake pans. To be extra safe, you may also line the inside bottom of each cake pan with circles of parchment paper. Note: The coconut filling needs to be made several hours to a day in advance to be chilled.

In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Pour the heavy cream into two- to three-quart metal or glass bowl and put it into the freezer along with a medium-large whisk. Let them chill between 30 and 45 minutes. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and eggs; beat on low speed until smooth, about one minute, pushing sides down with a rubber spatula. Add the butter; beat on low until mixture is creamy and light colored, about three minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition just until smooth and pushing sides down as needed. Then beat on high speed for about one minute more, pushing sides down. Remove the bowl of cream and the whisk from the freezer, and whisk, by hand, until the cream has gone just past the soft-peak stage. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cake batter, using a rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake in the middle rack of the oven, until the centers spring back when lightly pressed (and the layers just begin to pull away from the pans), about 18 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze, following the recipe below. Then make the frosting and remove the coconut filling from the refrigerator.

Remove the cake pans from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then, using a knife, loosen the outsides of the cakes from the pans. Invert the pans onto wire racks and eject the layers from the pans by gently pounding and shaking the pans. Once the layers have cooled for another 15 minutes, use a long, sharp knife to slice each layer in half horizontally. Brush the glaze over the top surface and sides of one layer, a little at a time and using one-sixth of the glaze (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) for each layer. Make holes in the cake so the glaze can sink in. (A dozen holes in each layer should do it; you can use either a small knife or a roasting fork, which you’ll twist a little after you insert it.) Immediately (before glazing another layer) spread one-fifth of the filling on top of the glazed layer, extending it to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Then place another layer on top and repeat procedure of glazing and spreading on filling until all the layers are glazed and all but the top layer have filling spread on them. Let the cake cool thoroughly, then frost the top and sides. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of minced coconut on top. Let sit at room temperature for between four hours and two days (so that the cake absorbs the sweet, moist coconut flavors) before slicing.

GLAZE TO BE BRUSHED ON LAYERS
1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk, unsweetened and pure (we used Roland brand)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the coconut milk and the sugar in a two-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling until glaze reduces to one cup, about five minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into a glass measuring cup.

FROSTING
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, very soft
1 T vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T plus 1 tsp. evaporated milk
4 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar, equal to the contents of a 1-pound box, sifted

Combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high speed until creamy, about one minute. Turn speed to medium and beat in milk and 1 cup of the sugar, pushing sides down with a rubber spatula. Beat in the remaining 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth before adding more. If the frosting becomes too thick for the mixer, do the last bit of mixing with a spoon.


COCONUT FILLING TO BE SPREAD BETWEEN LAYERS
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
4 cups plus 2 T frozen coconut meat, defrosted (we used Laxmi-brand frozen coconut from Kalustyan’s in Manhattan)
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1 T water
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan or large Dutch oven, heat the cream, sugar, and butter over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches a boil. Stir in the 4 cups of defrosted coconut meat, stirring well. Cook until the mixture reduces to 5 cups, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch. Place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla and cook and stir about one minute. Remove from heat and continue stirring a few seconds more. Cool slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very well chilled, or overnight.

My Bread. Speedy No-Knead Bread.

3 cups bread flour (408 grams)
1 packet (7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
50g Butter or Marg

1. Combine flour, yeast, butter and salt in a large bowl, with fingers to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1 1/2 cups Warm water and stir until blended; dough will be sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 21C.

2. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; fold left side to the middle the right side over that (you have 3 layers) turn 90deg and repeat,turn 90deg and repeat again.
Place dough in the floured washed out bowl Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place 30 minutes more.

3. While the dough is proving for 30min, heat oven to 230C.
Put a 6-to-8-Liters heavy covered pot (22cm cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic with lid) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up.
Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 20 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a rack.

Yield: 1 big loaf.

Джем "Имбирный цитрус".

Берем:
2 апельсина
1 розовый грейпфрут
2 мандарина
свежий имбирь, кусок размером с большой палец (женской руки)
Апельсины и грейпфрут почистила и нарезала кружочками, чтобы можно было извлечь косточки, мандарины чистить не стала, нарезала, как есть.
Кусок имбиря очистила и нарезала.
Взвесила, измельчила блендером в кашу, переложила в сотейник.
Добавила равное по весу количество сахара и поставила на максимальный огонь.
Варила, не убавляя огонь и постоянно энергично помешивая деревянной ложкой с длинным черенком, 12 минут.
Получился густой, ароматный джем с явным вкусом и цитрусовых, и имбиря.
Вкусно!
- Желе и джем по одной технологии - Алёна Спирина. Клуша Концептуальная
Метод идеален для кислых фруктов-ягод, богатых пектином: ягоды, не внимая с веточек, взвесить, засыпать равным по весу количеством сахара,
поставить таз на максимальный огонь,
вооружившись деревянной ложкой с длинным черенком (кипящий сироп!), варить, непрерывно и энергично помешивая, ровно 8 минут.
По истечении этого времени снять с огня, протереть через сито и разлить по банкам.
ВСЁ!

Технология - гениальна в своей простоте - была вычитана у Элизабет Дэвид в книге "French Provincial Cooking".
The Cult of Elizabeth David - English Heritage Blog:

Просто вкусный медовик.

№17 из 52: Просто вкусный медовик - Алёна Спирина. Клуша Концептуальная
Для торта размером 30х20х3 см
Тесто:
250 г муки
120 г сливочного масла
125 г сахара
150 г мёда
2 яйца
Сода на кончике ножа
Ванильный сахар

Крем:
350 г сметаны (20%)
40 г сахарной пудры
Цедра 1 лимона

1. Начать лучше с крема. Переложите сметану в дуршлаг, выстеленный сложенной вдвое марлей (или салфеткой из нетканки). Оставьте в холодильнике часов на 8-10. Теперь сметану можно взбить с сахарной пудрой, как жирные сливки - получится воздушный крем. Добавьте натёртую цедру, перемешайте. Прослоить коржи, верхний слой – крем, можно посыпать крошкой из обрезков.

2. Мёд, масло и сахар прогрейте на водяной бане, добавьте яйца и соду. Взбейте до увеличения в объеме в 1.5 раза. Вмешайте муку и ванильный сахар. Поставьте в холодильник до полного охлаждения. Тесто станет гуще. Заметно гуще, но всё равно останется мягким.

3. Разделите тесто на 4 равные части. Застелите противень бумагой для выпечки, наметьте нужные размеры и распределите одну часть теста влажными руками до толщины - около 2 мм. Выпекайте при 160-170 С. Тесто тонкое, может пригореть, поэтому нужно следить за временем - минут 5-7 может быть достаточно. Тесто поднимется, но останется мягким - не ждите, пока оно затвердеет!

4. Таким же образом испеките остальные коржи. Можно печь сдвоенный корж и разрезать его пополам, пока горячий. Обрежьте края, даже если они не подсушились чрезмерно - так торт будет выглядеть аккуратнее.

5. Прослоите коржи кремом, посыпьте крошками. Есть можно через пару часов, но лучше - как обычно с подобными тортами - дождаться до утра.

Самое сложное в нём - не испугаться, что тесто жидкое, и размазать его пальцами.
Взбиваю энергично ложкой, никакой техники не надо.
Там же начинается реакция соды с мёдом, так что особых усилий не надо.

С "многокоржей" у меня давно отработан способ параллельной выпечки-загрузки, поэтому получается довольно быстро.
Сметана, я точно знаю, течёт, если взбивать с сахаром. Почему - не знаю. Поэтому если делать крем из жирной сметаны, то сначала её взбить, а потом подмешать сахарную пудру. В нежирной - такая же история, но к тому же, нужно отвешивать, чтобы стекла лишняя жидкость.

пару коржей (обычно второй снизу и и второй сверху) я промазываю черносмородиновым вареньем

- № 23 из 52: Галета "Рататуй" - Алёна Спирина. Клуша Концептуальная

Delicious Cabbage Pie.

My favorite cabbage pie for Christmas!

Baked with ricotta and polenta.

- Orange Ricotta Pound Cake - Baked Bree: Cake.

- Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

- Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love: Breakfast for Dinner: Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Candied Bacon + Eggs.

- Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love:Sweet Buttered Polenta Pancakes with Fresh Summer Berries.

Swedish Cinnamon Rolls (Kanelbullar).

- Swedish Cinnamon Rolls (Kanelbullar) Recipe:

- Basic Scandinavian Cardamom Dough Recipe:

- Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love: Easy Twisted Pumpkin Spice Danish.

Nutrition and Cancer-food.

Nutrition and Cancer | food to glow:

'via Blog this'

Homemade Bread.

- Recipe: No-Knead Multigrain Bread — Recipes from The Kitchn | The Kitchn: "No-Knead Multigrain Bread"

- Multigrain Bread - Vanilla And Bean:

- How To Shape a Round Loaf of Bread Dough: The Video | The Kitchn:

- Homemade Bread: The Next Frontier - hummingbird high || a desserts and baking blog:

- Gluten-Free Goddess Recipes: Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread Recipe:

- Nourishing Nut & Seed Bread:

- The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread - My New Roots

- Five Seed No-Knead Bread | food to glow

- 25 of the Best Gluten-Free Bread Recipes - Free-From Heaven | Free-From Heaven

Homemade minestrone.

From BBC Food - Something for the Weekend recipes - Homemade minestrone. By Simon Rimmer.

Five Seed Gluten Free Bread. By Amelia Freer.

Bread by Nutritional Therapist Amelia Freer.





Pour the almonds milk (1+1/3 cup or 325 ml) in Pyrex measuring jug - heat in microwave oven until warm to the touch.
Wisk two egg, add 1 teaspoon cider apple vinegar and gradually stir in the warm almonds milk.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
- 225g gluten free brown bread flour (mine is from Sainsbury)
- 225g teff flour (mine is from Sainsbury)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut blossom nectar (mine is from "Spill The Beans" Wimborne - health food shop).
- 10g fast action yeast
- 1 tablespoon each of
pumpkin
sesame
sunflower
linseeds (also known as common flax or flax)
(mine is from Sainsbury - seed mix)
chia seeds (mine is from Sainsbury).
Using a sturdy wooden spoon stir until well combined.
Pour the "wet" mixture from the small mixing bowl into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
Add 3 tablespoon melted coconut oil (or ghee) - stir until well combined.

When ready to shape and bake the loaf, sprinkle your work surface with a little flour.
Turn the dough out onto the counter.
Sprinkle the dough piece with a little more flour and shape into round loaf.
Cover and let the loaf rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature, until nearly doubled in bulk.

A half hour before baking, preheat the oven to 220 degrees C/450°F.
Place a Dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, into the oven as it heats.

When the loaf have risen, quickly cut slashes 1 cm deep in the top of with a serrated knife.
Gently and carefully but quickly transfer the loaf to hot Dutch oven.
Cover and place back in the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the cover from the Dutch oven.
Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the loaf is dark brown, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, and the interior registers 87.78 degrees celsius/190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Allow to cool fully on a rack before slicing and eating.

Note:
To make No-Knead Bread - cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
If necessary, you can refrigerate the dough after this fermentation period and keep it refrigerated for up to a week.
Refrigerating for a few hours also helps make the dough easier to work with and improves the flavor.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe - Allrecipes.com
Recipe By:Bethanyweathersby - sweet and moist!

Ingredients
1/2 cup (113 gram) butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 175C.
Grease an 20 cm square pan (or Cast Iron Skillet).
Melt butter in large microwavable bowl.
Stir in sugar.
Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended.
In separate container combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan.
Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain.
Pour batter into the prepared pan or Cast Iron Skillet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (40 minutes when you use whole wheat flour), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Note: You could make this in a cast iron skillet.
Greased skillet with vegetable oil and put it in the oven while assembling the recipe.
Mix all ingredients in the pan where you melt the butter in. Less dishes.
Pour batter into the hot skillet.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Substitute for Buttermilk:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar
Combine ingredients and let stand 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, mix together well and use as buttermilk in any recipe!
OR:
If you warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then add the vinegar or lemon juice it will be sour and ready to use immediately!

I use a regular pot to melt my butter in.
After the butter has melted I proceed with adding the rest of the ingredients in that same pot.
I do NOT get a separate bowl for mixing in.
After all the ingredients are mixed in the pot I pour the batter into a baking pan.
I do NOT mix everything in the pan I'm baking it in.
I do NOT keep the butter and sugar mixture out when mixing the rest of the ingredients.
Hope that helps.

British Essentials!

- mint sauce for lamb
- apple sauce for pork
- apple sauce for pork

Зеленые коктейли.

Зеленые коктейли, рецепты, состав в блендере для похудения | ЗАГОРОДНАЯ ЖИЗНЬ (CountrysideLiving.net):
Пример состава зеленого коктейля с пропорциями овощей (ок. 1 л напитка, пищевая ценность ок. 300 кК):
маленькое авокадо
большая пригоршня листьев сырого шпината или другой травы
по 2-3 кусочка двух или трех разных овощей (например, 2-3 редиски, 1/2 маленькой свеклы, 2-3 соцветия брокколи)
столовая ложка льняного семени или семян чиа
стакан или больше чистой воды
Блендер для зеленых коктейлей
Для зеленых коктейлей и овощных смузи отлично подходят специальные блендеры типа ‘пуля’, которые есть сейчас фактически у любой марки электротехники и совсем не дороги. Блендеры ‘пуля’ отличаются высокой мощностью (1000 и более Вт), которая позволяет буквально за секунды перемолоть овощи, орехи, семена и лед в эластичное смузи или жидкий зеленый коктейль. Помимо главной чаши объемом ок. 1 л, блендеры ‘пуля’ снабжены двумя дополнительными чашками с герметичными крышками, что позволяет взять зеленый коктейль с собой на прогулку, в дорогу или в машину.

Лучше пить зеленые коктейли через соломинку. Так кислота, содержащаяся в зеленом смузи, не будет разъедать эмаль на ваших зубах.

- "Смузи" Смузи: рецепты в блендере,фото. Овощные фруктовые смузи | ЗАГОРОДНАЯ ЖИЗНЬ (CountrysideLiving.net):

Chocolate, beetroot and orange cake.

Chocolate, beetroot and orange cake recipe | Sarah Raven


- How to Make Moist Chocolate Beet Cake

- Chocolate, beetroot and orange cake recipe | Sarah Raven

- Chocolate and beetroot cake recipe - Telegraph

- Epic chocolate and beetroot cake | Jamie Oliver

Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake.

Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake | Minimalist Baker Recipes
One bowl vegan chocolate cake.
Ingredients
cake: for a 1-layer cake
180 ml (3/4 cups or 12 tablespoons) unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
150 g (2/3 cup) unsweetened applesauce (make your own!)
60 ml (1/4 cup) strong brewed coffee (or sub more almond milk)
40 ml melted coconut oil, or sub grape seed or canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cups + 1 Tbsp (160 g) whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
133 g organic cane sugar (or sub granulated sugar)
48 g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (176 C) and lightly spray 20cm/8-inch round cake pans or one large rectangular pan with nonstick spray (see notes for cooking times for different size pans).
Dust with cocoa powder, shake out the excess and set aside.
Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to activate.
Add the oil, coffee, vanilla extract, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift over the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer.
If you don’t have a sifter, simply mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet mixture while beating.
Beat until no large lumps remain.
It should be creamy and pourable.
Taste and adjust sweetness as needed, adding more sugar if desired (I found it plenty sweet).
Divide batter evenly between your 2 cake pans or rectangular pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool completely.
Dust with cocoa powder.
Serve with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce, coconut whipped cream or a glass of almond milk!
it's WAY better the next day out of the fridge.

- Adapted from Minimalist Baker - Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake.
- Confused on how long to bake your cake when using different pans?
Here's a helpful guide.

Raspberry+Blueberry Buttermilk Cake.

Everyday cakes!
Adapted from Smittenkitchen - APRIL 7, 2008.

You can just ignore the word “raspberry” up there and swap it up with any which berry you please, like blackberries or blueberries or bits of strawberries or all of the above.
This is a good, basic go-to buttermilk cake — moist and ever-so-light!
Makes one thin 15 cm/9-inch cake, which might serve eight people...or "Two of Us".


1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 large (57 grams) egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup (5 ounces or 140 grams) fresh raspberries+blueberry


Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F with rack in middle.
Butter and flour a 15 cm/9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using.
Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.
Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top.
Scatter raspberries+blueberry evenly over top and sprinkle (optional) with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar!

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Invert onto a plate.



Make your own almost-buttermilk:
No need to buy buttermilk especially for this or any recipe.
Add one teaspoon tablespoon [updated, as an astute reader pointed out that the larger amount is more common] of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit until it clabbers, about 10 minutes.
Voila, buttermilk!

No-Knead Bread, 10 Years Later - Mark Bittman

- No-Knead Bread, 10 Years Later - Mark Bittman

- No-Knead Bread Recipe - NYT Cooking

- You can watch How to Make No-Knead Bread | Food & Wine:

The 20 best food books of 2016.

The 20 best food books of 2016 | Books | The Guardian

Cheese scones.

Recipe by Chris and Jeff Galvin.


- How to make the perfect cheese scones | Life and style | The Guardian

Beer-doused ham hock by Rachel Khoo.

Rachel Khoo: Beer-doused ham hock | Mail Online:
- A ham hock (or hough) or pork knuckle is the lower leg segment of the hind leg of the pig.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 ham hocks (each approx 1.2kg) or 4 small ones (each approx 600g)
1.5 L blonde beer
80g salt, plus extra to season
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2tbsp of the juice
10 black peppercorns
4 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 onions, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways
1 stick of celery, cut in half
250g Puy or green lentils
A small bunch of fresh parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
Directions
Score the skin of the ham hocks with a sharp knife.
Pour 1.25 L of the beer and 750ml water into a large bowl and stir in the 80g of salt until it has completely dissolved.
Add the zest and peppercorns.
Submerge the hocks in the brine, making sure they are completely covered.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Remove the hocks from the brine.
Stir the honey and mustard together and rub it all over the hocks.
Place the onions, carrots and celery in a large roasting dish and top with the hocks.
Pour over 250ml water and the remaining beer.
Cover with a layer of baking paper, followed by a layer of foil.
Cook in the oven for 3.5-4 hours (2.5-3 hours if using 4 small hocks), basting the meat regularly with the juices and turning the hocks around from time to time.
The meat should be falling off the bone.
For the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, remove the foil.

Meanwhile cook the lentils according to the packet instructions.
Drain and toss with the parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Shred the ham and serve with the lentils, carrots and onions and some of the roasting juices poured over the top.

Bavarian Beer Roasted Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnip.

For 4-6 people you need
pork, shoulder piece, boned, scored, 1500g / 3.5 pounds
(if you use a piece of pork with the bone leave it in the oven for 1 – 1 1/2h after you poured over the beer)
cloves, ground in a mortar, 10
salt
beer 500ml / 1 pint
medium sized onions, quartered, 3
sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into cubes, 2
parsnips, scrubbed, cut into cubes, 3
cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces, 1
star anise 3 single pieces
mustard seeds 2 heaped tablespoons

For the gravy
broth 175ml / 0.5 pints
elderflower (or any other fruity) jelly 1 tablespoon plus more to taste
Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon plus more to taste
pepper

Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F (I use the Rotitherm setting).

Mix the cloves with 2 heaped teaspoons of salt and rub into the scored rind, depending on the meat’s surface you might need more salt.
Put the meat on a deep tray skin side up and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Take the tray out, pour the beer over the meat and arrange the spices and vegetables on the sides (don’t add the jelly and Dijon mustard yet).
Cook for another 30-45 minutes until the crackling is crisp.
Take out the vegetables and meat and mix the gravy on the tray with the broth, jelly and mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Take out the cinnamon stick and star anise and pour into a gravy boat (you can cook it down in a sauce pan for a few minutes if you prefer a more concentrated taste).
Serve with the meat and vegetables.

If the rind isn’t crisp enough yet, turn on the grill for a few minutes after you’ve removed the vegetables, gravy and spices and cook the meat until the crackling is light and crispy!
From "Eat in my kitchen"

Beer Braised Pork Knuckles.

... with Caraway, Garlic, Apples and Potatoes
From Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson.
- A ham hock (or hough) or pork knuckle is the lower leg segment of the hind leg of the pig.
Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 garlic cloves
2 pork knuckles or hocks, rind scored
2 onions
2 eating apples, cored and quartered
4 baking potatoes, or 2 pounds other large white skinned potatoes, cut into quarters lengthwise
2 cups good amber or dark ale (beer - not Guinness or stout)
2 cups boiling water - to make a gravy

Minty Carrot Chicken from Claudia Roden.

This dish, from Claudia Roden, from her 1996 "Book of Jewish Food".
Here, the last-minute stirring-in of fresh mint takes a combination of ordinary ingredients to someplace special.
The dish is loaded with more savory turmeric- and ginger-tinged vegetables than with meat.

For fast cooking, boneless and skinless chicken is the way to go; when you have time to let the ingredients cook longer in the pot, use bone-in chicken, and you'll be rewarded with more flavor.
Serve with rice or warm naan.
It's delicious!


Ingredients
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
7 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (1 kg total)
2 large white onions (I prefer red!)
4 carrots (sliced lengthways and cut into 3cm lengths)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric ( I have 1 tablespoons)
4 cm piece of Fresh Ginger grated
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
Kosher salt
Water - enough to cover chicken
Leaves from 4 to 6 stems fresh mint

Method
- heat the oil in a in a large saute pan or deep-sided skillet until it is very hot, and just starts smoking
- make sure the chicken is dry; pat it with paper towel if needed, season lightly all over with salt.
- lay the seasoned chicken down in the pan in a single layer.
- You should hear loud sizzeling, if you don’t - the pan is not hot enough.
- remove the chicken and let the pan to get hotter
Don’t flip the chicken for at least 3 minutes.
It needs time for that sear to develop and if you flip the chicken, or even shake it around the pan, you lessen the amount of heat – which at best means you have to wait longer to get a sear, or at worse you’ll never get it at all
After 3 – 4 minutes on high heat, peak at the underside of the chicken.
If it’s golden brown, flip it, and sear the other side with the same technique until the chicken is lightly browned on both sides (It will not be cooked through).
Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high.
Add the onion to the pan and fry until soft.
Add the ginger, garlic and chillies if using, then the turmeric and stir.
Add the chicken to the pan.
Add the carrots and just enough water to cover the chicken.
Cook uncovered for a further 25-30 mins until the liquid has reduced.
If necessary, transfer the chicken and carrots to a warming dish at the end of cooking in order to quickly reduce the remaining liquid in the pan.
The chicken should be cooked through, the carrots should be tender and the liquid in the pan should have reduced a bit.
Add the mint, cook very briefly.
Turn off the heat and serve, preferably with Indian bread or rice.

Frittata.

Frittata for brunch is brilliant because you just assemble it and stick in in the oven while you take a shower and make coffee or set a beautiful table.
You can serve it warm or at room temperature, so you don’t have to worry about serving it hot or tardy guests throwing off your timing.
And it’s gluten free (unless you offer it with pieces of torn baguette, as I do).
Toss together a salad with some nice greens, and your work is done.
Here’s how to make a frittata without a recipe:
- Heat your oven to 180C, and put a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on the stovetop.
Sauté some sliced onion in plenty of olive oil until it softens (you could throw in some Swiss chard stems or mushrooms, too).
Add a handful of greens for each person—baby spinach or chopped chard leaves are great—and cook just until they wilt and there’s no liquid in the pan.
Meanwhile, crack your eggs into a bowl (two or three per person).
Whisk them together with some full-fat dairy—whole milk, cream, sour cream, whole-milk yogurt—about 1/2 cup for a dozen eggs.
Don’t forget to sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
If you’ve got a bit of parsley in the crisper or some herbs on the windowsill, mince a handful and throw that in as well (save a pinch for garnish).
If you like cheese, mix in up to a cup of something melt-y like cheddar or Gruyère for a dozen eggs, half a cup for six; you can sprinkle more on top, too.
Spread out the veggies in the bottom of the skillet.
Maybe add a little more olive oil for good measure (it’s a healthy fat, anyway), and make sure it coats the sides of the pan as well.
Pour in the egg mixture.
If you want more cheese on top, go for it.
Bake until it’s mostly set but still jiggles in the middle if you shake the pan, 20 to 40 minutes, depending how big it is.
Err on the side of undercooking:
You can always stick it under the broiler for a minute or two if it doesn’t set when it cools.
Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature; it’s fine to let it sit out for hours (I make sandwiches with the leftovers).
Toss together some nice salad greens with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and some salt and pepper.

The perfect leek and potato soup.

How to make the perfect leek and potato soup | Life and style | The Guardian:
(serves 4)
1 or 2 large baking potatoes or 375g floury potatoes
2 large tbsp butter
450g trimmed leeks (about 3 medium)
1 litre light chicken or vegetable stock, or water
4 tbsp sour cream, to serve
4 tbsp chopped chives, to serve

Heat the oven to 200C (400F) fan.
Prick the potato several times with a skewer, then bake for about an hour and a quarter until cooked through.
Allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat.
Rinse the leeks, then roughly chop.
Fry with a pinch of salt until soft and silky, then scoop out a couple of spoonfuls and set aside.

Cut the potato into cubes, skin and all.
Add to the pan and saute for another couple of minutes, then add the stock or water.
Bring to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then puree.
Season to taste, then stir in the reserved leeks.
Divide between bowls and top with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

Leek and potato: is it the perfect spring soup?
How do you make yours, and how do you like to ring the changes when serving it cold as a fancy vichyssoise?

Then:
- Mary Berry's leek and potato soup - Saga: "soups and stews recipe collection"

- Marmaduke Scarlet: leek and butterbean soup

The Invisible Ingredient in Every Kitchen.

The Invisible Ingredient in Every Kitchen - The New York Times
It’s hard to measure and hard to control. It’s not a material like water or flour, to be added by the cup. In fact, it’s invisible.

It’s heat.

My Kimchi!

Ingredients
1 Chinese cabbage, weighing 600g
44g sea salt (coarse salt)

Water (not chlorinated water)
1/2 tablespoon very-finely minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon very-finely minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoons seafood flavor or water (optional, see Recipe Notes)
1/2 to 2.5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
120g Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces

Instructions
Slice the cabbage:
Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters (1/4).
Cut each quarter crosswise into 5 cm-wide strips.
Salt the cabbage:
Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl.
Using your hands (gloves optional), massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit.
Put the cabbage in a zipper-lock plastic bag of water, or whatever is handy, to keep it submerged.
Leave it out overnight.

Rinse and drain the cabbage:
Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the paste:
Combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste.
Mix in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 2 tablespoons).

Combine the vegetables and paste:
Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste.
Mix thoroughly: Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated.
The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!
Pack the kimchi into the jar: Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables.
Leave at least 2.5cm of headspace.
Seal the jar with the lid.
Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days.
You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.
Check it daily and refrigerate when ready: Check the kimchi once a day, pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.)
Taste a little at this point, too!
When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator.
You may eat it right away, but it's best after another week or two.

Recipe Notes
Salt: Use salt that is free of iodine and anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
Water: Chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation, so use spring, distilled, or filtered water if you can.
Seafood flavor and vegetarian alternatives: Seafood gives kimchi an umami flavor.
Different regions and families may use fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, oysters, and other seafood.
Use about 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, or a combination of the two.
For vegetarian kimchi, I like using 3/4 teaspoon kelp powder mixed with 3 tablespoons water, or simply 3 tablespoons of water.
- 40ml white rice vinegar?

Gochugaru Substitute:
Gochugaru is a coarse-grind Korean chile powder made from dried Gochu chiles.
- According to wikipedia, gochugang has a scoville rating of 1,000 - 2,500 - about the same as New Mexico or Poblano peppers.
- Substitute for Gochujang:
Gochujang is a fermented Korean condiment made with red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt.
Per tablespoon - Make a paste of 1 tablespoon red chilli pepper flakes moistened with soy sauce and add a little sugar.
This will not replicate the complexity but a similar flavor profile.

Russian bliny pancakes

Russian bliny pancakes

- In Britain, pancakes are often unleavened, and resemble a crêpe.
English pancakes are similar to French crêpes and Italian crespelle.
A blini (sometimes spelled bliny) is a thin crêpe-like variety of pancake common in Central and Eastern Europe.

- All About Pancakes | Serious Eats:

- Around the World in Pancakes | Serious Eats:

- Ed Levine's Golden Rules of the Perfect Pancake | Serious Eats:

Перечень журналов отличных кулинаров.

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'via Blog this'

Spaghetti with lemon, parsley, garlic and chilli.

A food-writing prescription to cure clean-eating | The Millers Tale
Please don’t be afraid of food and don’t be afraid of your appetites.
Shop for ingredients when you need them, cut down on food miles where possible and learn to scratch-cook using fresh and seasonal ingredients where possible.
This is good food, not clean food.
If you want to learn how to take greater pleasure in what you cook and eat then I’ve compiled a reading list by authors whose love of life is expressed in the way they write about food.
If eating has become a bit of a minefield, their words might help you see how rigid boundaries and self-denial can suck all the pleasure out of life.

- Rachel Roddy’s spaghetti with lemon recipe | Kitchen sink tales | Life and style | The Guardian
How much you make of this is of course entirely up to you, depending on how many somersaults you want to happen in your mouth.
However you make it, it is an invigorating, but comforting meal – just the thing for these January days, maybe.

Serves 4
2 large unwaxed lemons
A big handful of flat-leaf parsley
500g spaghetti
1–2 garlic cloves
A small dried chilli or pinch of red chilli flakes
6 tbsp olive oil

1 Grate the zest from the lemon and very finely chop the parsley, then mix the two together and set aside.

2 Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a fast boil, add salt, stir, then add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, very finely chop the garlic and chilli.

3 In a large frying pan, very gently warm the olive oil, garlic and chilli over a low flame until fragrant – do not let it burn.
Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it – or better still, use a sieve or tongs to lift the spaghetti and a just a little residual water into the frying pan.
Stir, add the lemon and parsley, a pinch of salt and if you like a squeeze of lemon, stir again, divide between plates and eat immediately.

Stroganoff, Ricotta, Herbs, Stock.

Serious Eats: The Food Lab | Serious Eats

- The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff | Serious Eats

- The Food Lab: Fresh Ricotta in Five Minutes or Less | Serious Eats

- Use the Microwave to Dry Your Herbs for Long-Lasting Intense Flavor | Serious Eats

- How to Make The Best Chicken Stock | Serious Eats

Herb Rub
Makes 1 small jar

A very large bunch of fresh sage, two to three times as much as the rosemary
A large bunch of rosemary
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaping tablespoon Maldon salt

1. Pick the leaves off the sage and rosemary stalks. In a small food processor, chop up the herbs with the garlic cloves and salt until the mixture is pretty fine. Discard any sticks or seeds.

2. Spread the herb mixture on a baking sheet and let it dry for about three days. Once dry, store your herb in a tighly-sealed in a jar for up to a year.

Meat Piroshki - Belyashi - Yeast doughi.

Beliashi is a Tatar dish, a form of fried bread with meat filling.
Tatarstan is a republic, a part of Russian Federation.
The filling is made from raw ground beef mixed with finely chopped onions, salt, pepper, and a bit of water.
makes 2 1/2 lbs of dough
605g all purpose flour
10g compressed yeast
10g salt
39g sugar
415g water
20g non-hydrogenated margarine

Prepare a batch of soft , fairly wet dough.
Let it ferment, covered, at room temperature, for 4 hours.
Once or twice during that time fold it gently.

Divide the dough into several pieces weighing 55g each and flatten each piece with your hand.
Piroshki: place in the center of each round 55-60 g of filling of choice (2 oz) and seal the bun.
If making beliashi, then place a tablespoon of raw meat filling in the center of each piece and do not close the bun completely, but leave a small hole in the centre, so that the steam can escape as it fries.

Let the buns rest for about 10-20 min on the counter and deep fry them in Dutch oven in oil preheated to 180C/360F for 7min, turning them from time to time during that time to achieve even color of the crust.
I got about 20 beliashi from that batch of dough and fried them in 1 liter of corn oil in a Dutch oven, 5-8 buns at a time.

Source:

Semolina & raisin cake.

Gâteau de semoule aux raisins from Mimi Thorisson - Manger.
"This cake sends me right back to cozy afternoons chatting with my grandmother – she would tell me stories of our family, we would play my favorite card game called ‘le jeu des 7 familles’.
This gâteau de semoule is rich, chewy, with a hint of rum flavor, it’s simply delightful, especially drowned in a home-made crème Anglaise (custard cream)."


120 g (2/3 cup) semoule de blé extra-fine (semolina fine or extra-fine)
90 g - 8 tablespoons sugar
2 tbsp rum
600ml (2.5 cups) milk
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons dried dark raisins
Butter, for the cake mould

Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 320°F

In a large saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla beans and sugar on a medium heat.
When the milk starts to simmer, pour the semolina slowly and stir.
Add the rum and the raisins.
Take off the heat.

Butter a pan ( I chose a bundt pan), pour the semolina mixture and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake on a serving plate.

For the crème Anglaise

300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
3 egg yolks

In a saucepan, heat the milk, vanilla beans and sugar until it reaches a soft boil.
In the meantime, whisk 3 egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour the milk in the egg yolk bowl, whisking continuously to avoid curdling.
Pour the mixture back in the saucepan, set the heat to low and whisk until the sauce thickens to a custard cream.

Chermoula lamb by Diana Henry.

Chermoula (Arabic) or charmoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking.
New tastes for me and so great!
6 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sweet paprika
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Leaves from 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
A small handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Mix all the chermoula ingredients together.

- 1.3kg butterflied leg of lamb (boned weight).
Trimmed of excess fat.
Pierce the meat all over on both sides with a sharp knife and put in a roasting tin.
Pour on the chermoula and rub it all over, making sure it gets into the little cuts.
Cover with cling film and marinate in the refrigerator; a couple of hours is fine, overnight is better.

Cook the lamb, flesh-side down, in an oven preheated to 230ºC/450ºF/gas mark 8 for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 and roast for a further 15 minutes.
Cover with foil and a couple of tea towels and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Carve and serve with the purée and a bowl of couscous or bulgar wheat.

for the Pepper and carrot purée
2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
450g (1lb) carrots, scraped and chopped
½ tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
2 tbsp double cream (optional)

Put the peppers in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and season.
Roast in an oven preheated to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes, until soft.
Barely cover the carrots with water and boil until soft.
Drain and keep the cooking liquid.
Purée the peppers, with the cooking juices, the carrots and cayenne, adding enough carrot cooking liquid to create a smooth purée.
Add the cream if using.