Fun day today. Evening spent at Brian's playing a cool game where you write a sentence then the next person draws it then the next sees the picture and writes the sentence and then the next draws it... Continue to the end and see what you get. Quite a laugh! How else can you get from 4th July Celebrations to Bombing Britain to Singing on an Airoplane in 7 confusing steps...?
Anyway, I am tired and need to go to bed and then get up too early. I will leave you with one useful thing from today that is quick to say and very very tasty:
Quinoa (pronounced Kee-nwa) is a versatile and tasty gluten free grain full of many different proteins - even more so than chicken (have I been working too long in a Quinoa promoting environment perchance?) and when prepared with curry powder and coconut milk into a kinda porridgey consistency, it tastes divine! Serve with salad and maybe some fish/egg/anything you like - it is FABULOUS. Try it.
Night.
Showing posts with label Good Food Diaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Food Diaries. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Good Food Diaries, part III - Recipe for Kat(i)e's 'Brownie' Surprise
So I'm being lazy. I wrote this last November and just copied and pasted from a Facebook note. I know it's not particularly inventive and more than a little irrelevant but I have to get to French. Anyway, some of you may even remember eating this shit; now you know how it was done...:
If you have several hours to kill and the desire to impress new friends with your baking abilities you may wish to try this exciting patisserie dish... Or possibly not:
Ingredients
A Swiss Brownie kit with cake mix inside and instructions in French, German and Italian
100g of butter (partially melted, partially congealed)
3 eggs
0.5 litres of water
400g of chocolate (just in case)
200g hazelnuts
any old breakfast cereal you have lying around
Taking the simple to follow instructions make the decision to try and amend the recipe. Melt a 1/4 of the chocolate in the microwave in a non-microwaveable bowl and watch your kitchen start to smoke and smell of melted plastic.
Meanwhile, chop up whole hazelnuts, because you don't believe in paying extra for ready ground.
Empty the packet labeled 'melange pour gateaux' into a large bowl and add the required eggs and butter (don't bother melting it properly, the excess water will ruin it anyway) then add ten times the required 0.5 dl of water. Mix it up and feel the realisation dawn on you that you have just created chocolate soup. Don't forget to note that the mix inside the box is for 'gateaux' which you are pretty sure is French for 'cake'.
Persevere. You can not give up now, this has cost you 15CHF. Maybe it will condense down as it bakes.
At this point take a break (with more chocolate in the microwave) and check your facebook status. Note that friends are offering you exciting recipes for tasty baked goods and you are struggling to follow 'Dr. Oetker's' simple brownie mix. Watch your mixture congeal as you reply to pointless wall posts...
Carry on melting the choc a line at a time until you remember the safer and more professional method of a bowl in a saucepan of hot water. Marvel that you manage to burn the chocolate but remember, that was the last of it so it goes in anyway. As you see the water bubbling into the mix and realise the sides are too high to remove the scalding bowl note that you will never make a good wife.
With the burnt chocolate setting hard, exectutively decide to add it to the rest of the mess. And the put that whole bowl into the saucepan of hot water to encourage the butter to melt and the chocolate to mix properly. Realise a little too late that it is the same type of plastic that melted in the microwave. A familiar smell returns...
Quickly fish out the bowl. Your back up of chocolate cornflake cakes is gone since you used all the chocolate in an attempt to salvage the brownies. What the hell, might as well waste some more food. Crush and mix in almost a whole box of Kellogg's Cornflakes (other brands are available) and smile that the mixture is indeed thickening. Get bored as you chop the rest of the nuts (very badly by this point) and don't forget to change your status at least three times throughout.
This should have taken you approximately 1 1/2 hours by now. The mixture is considerable larger than you anticipated and it dawns on you that there are no cake trays at all, let alone sufficient for this monstrosity. Never mind, a couple of shallow oven trays later and a lot of mess, as you have to go back and grease the tins after pouring the mixture, and you are ready to cook them. OR should they be put in the fridge? Who know. Choose any setting you like on the oven and place them inside for an undetermined length of time.
Check often and pray.
If you have several hours to kill and the desire to impress new friends with your baking abilities you may wish to try this exciting patisserie dish... Or possibly not:
Ingredients
A Swiss Brownie kit with cake mix inside and instructions in French, German and Italian
100g of butter (partially melted, partially congealed)
3 eggs
0.5 litres of water
400g of chocolate (just in case)
200g hazelnuts
any old breakfast cereal you have lying around
Taking the simple to follow instructions make the decision to try and amend the recipe. Melt a 1/4 of the chocolate in the microwave in a non-microwaveable bowl and watch your kitchen start to smoke and smell of melted plastic.
Meanwhile, chop up whole hazelnuts, because you don't believe in paying extra for ready ground.
Empty the packet labeled 'melange pour gateaux' into a large bowl and add the required eggs and butter (don't bother melting it properly, the excess water will ruin it anyway) then add ten times the required 0.5 dl of water. Mix it up and feel the realisation dawn on you that you have just created chocolate soup. Don't forget to note that the mix inside the box is for 'gateaux' which you are pretty sure is French for 'cake'.
Persevere. You can not give up now, this has cost you 15CHF. Maybe it will condense down as it bakes.
At this point take a break (with more chocolate in the microwave) and check your facebook status. Note that friends are offering you exciting recipes for tasty baked goods and you are struggling to follow 'Dr. Oetker's' simple brownie mix. Watch your mixture congeal as you reply to pointless wall posts...
Carry on melting the choc a line at a time until you remember the safer and more professional method of a bowl in a saucepan of hot water. Marvel that you manage to burn the chocolate but remember, that was the last of it so it goes in anyway. As you see the water bubbling into the mix and realise the sides are too high to remove the scalding bowl note that you will never make a good wife.
With the burnt chocolate setting hard, exectutively decide to add it to the rest of the mess. And the put that whole bowl into the saucepan of hot water to encourage the butter to melt and the chocolate to mix properly. Realise a little too late that it is the same type of plastic that melted in the microwave. A familiar smell returns...
Quickly fish out the bowl. Your back up of chocolate cornflake cakes is gone since you used all the chocolate in an attempt to salvage the brownies. What the hell, might as well waste some more food. Crush and mix in almost a whole box of Kellogg's Cornflakes (other brands are available) and smile that the mixture is indeed thickening. Get bored as you chop the rest of the nuts (very badly by this point) and don't forget to change your status at least three times throughout.
This should have taken you approximately 1 1/2 hours by now. The mixture is considerable larger than you anticipated and it dawns on you that there are no cake trays at all, let alone sufficient for this monstrosity. Never mind, a couple of shallow oven trays later and a lot of mess, as you have to go back and grease the tins after pouring the mixture, and you are ready to cook them. OR should they be put in the fridge? Who know. Choose any setting you like on the oven and place them inside for an undetermined length of time.
Check often and pray.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Good Food Diaries, part II
I was just drinking fennel tea and noticed a bag of figs on my bedside table (best place to keep 'em). It hit me, Figs and Fennel are an amazing flavour blend. Try it: as a salad, maybe roasted together or in some kind of pie. Else just dipped into tea. I know I will...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Good Food Diaries, part I
Well, I think it is about time that I started a regular topic in this blog. If Darryl can do it then so can I.
And one of the things that I am passionate about is FOOD. So this is a chance to talk about classic and new favourites as I remember or discover them (which I have been doing a lot recently). Feel free to share, particularly if you have a good recipe but even just so you aren't salivating alone. I mean, who doesn't love food?!
Today I have no particular recipe to hand, but I thought I would write about nice things that I have consumed recently and that which Switzerland has added to my culinary experiences...
First off, Maple Syrup.
Not what you may have expected granted and I had tried it before with appreciation but never to such extent. I genuinely believe that it is the best thing EVER and goes with just about anything. I was recently reminded that this is an ethos captured in the film Elf which only goes to increase my appreciation since that may well be one of the best Christmas movies EVER as well.
Second, and a partway derivative of the first, is Pancake Dinners. Sausages, syrup and fat North American style pan fried doughy goodness. I almost feel guilty but it is SO good and great for foody parties (N.B. Can also be substituted gladly for French Toast which, incidentally, I never realised went so well with sugar and cinnamon).
Now, clearly I have been too far influenced by my Canadian chums over here so let's got for a bit of European cuisine. It would not be Switzerland without Fondue, and though I have eaten far too much of this artery clogging delight to justify ever doing it again there is nothing quite like a day skiing in the mountains rounded off with a big pot of melted 'mouldy fat' and a stale loaf (particularly if it has been manhandled around the restaurant). The only thing that completes this idyllic day is a glass of Vin Chaud when you stop off at lunch time.
Hmmmm, that is an overload on fat/dairy/wheat-based death so what about for the health conscious moments?
Well, salads with any fruit I always got but have never enjoyed so much and this extends incredibly well to pear in stirfries (particularly when you add a bit of maple syrup). Nothing is better than mixing up sweet/savoury/nutty/seedy/cheesy stuffs on lettuce and my knowledge of this is growing under the influence of dear friends so any recipes (I know there are a few good ones out there... Emma if you're reading I want the one with cranberries etc!) please leave them in comments; or email me privately if they're too good to share!!
I just want to round this up with the fact that I have been lucky enough of late to leave work with some very tasty gifted morsels, which are the partial inspiration of this post. Luxury handcrafted chocolate mini muffins, fresh mangos (they were wow) direct from Indian and only half an hour or so ago I did sup on a late dinner of Sushi - which incidentally I discovered first in Geneva and am so very glad about it that it gets to be put in bold!
Next time I have a good dinner you will hear about it, with a blow by blow guide to recreating the experience (where available). I have decided to learn all about food and so we shall be doing this one together. Unless there is no-one reading...
P.S. Mum, I know you're reading. Please, when you work out how, would you put up some of your soup recipes 'cause they are the best :-D
And one of the things that I am passionate about is FOOD. So this is a chance to talk about classic and new favourites as I remember or discover them (which I have been doing a lot recently). Feel free to share, particularly if you have a good recipe but even just so you aren't salivating alone. I mean, who doesn't love food?!
Today I have no particular recipe to hand, but I thought I would write about nice things that I have consumed recently and that which Switzerland has added to my culinary experiences...
First off, Maple Syrup.
Not what you may have expected granted and I had tried it before with appreciation but never to such extent. I genuinely believe that it is the best thing EVER and goes with just about anything. I was recently reminded that this is an ethos captured in the film Elf which only goes to increase my appreciation since that may well be one of the best Christmas movies EVER as well.
Second, and a partway derivative of the first, is Pancake Dinners. Sausages, syrup and fat North American style pan fried doughy goodness. I almost feel guilty but it is SO good and great for foody parties (N.B. Can also be substituted gladly for French Toast which, incidentally, I never realised went so well with sugar and cinnamon).
Now, clearly I have been too far influenced by my Canadian chums over here so let's got for a bit of European cuisine. It would not be Switzerland without Fondue, and though I have eaten far too much of this artery clogging delight to justify ever doing it again there is nothing quite like a day skiing in the mountains rounded off with a big pot of melted 'mouldy fat' and a stale loaf (particularly if it has been manhandled around the restaurant). The only thing that completes this idyllic day is a glass of Vin Chaud when you stop off at lunch time.
Hmmmm, that is an overload on fat/dairy/wheat-based death so what about for the health conscious moments?
Well, salads with any fruit I always got but have never enjoyed so much and this extends incredibly well to pear in stirfries (particularly when you add a bit of maple syrup). Nothing is better than mixing up sweet/savoury/nutty/seedy/cheesy stuffs on lettuce and my knowledge of this is growing under the influence of dear friends so any recipes (I know there are a few good ones out there... Emma if you're reading I want the one with cranberries etc!) please leave them in comments; or email me privately if they're too good to share!!
I just want to round this up with the fact that I have been lucky enough of late to leave work with some very tasty gifted morsels, which are the partial inspiration of this post. Luxury handcrafted chocolate mini muffins, fresh mangos (they were wow) direct from Indian and only half an hour or so ago I did sup on a late dinner of Sushi - which incidentally I discovered first in Geneva and am so very glad about it that it gets to be put in bold!
Next time I have a good dinner you will hear about it, with a blow by blow guide to recreating the experience (where available). I have decided to learn all about food and so we shall be doing this one together. Unless there is no-one reading...
P.S. Mum, I know you're reading. Please, when you work out how, would you put up some of your soup recipes 'cause they are the best :-D
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