tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35487649486003203372024-02-07T15:07:41.841-08:00Recipe For Happinesskeeping track of recipes...Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-78281394553990971772013-07-23T07:29:00.002-07:002013-07-31T01:33:36.540-07:00Blueberry, raspberry and peach almond cake <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Nigel Slater's Midsummer Cake:</div>
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Serves 8-10 </div>
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175g butter <br />
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175g golden caster sugar </div>
200g ripe peaches, chopped to chunks<br />
2 large eggs <br />
175g self-raising flour <br />
100g ground almonds <br />
1 tsp grated orange zest <br />
a few drops of vanilla extract <br />
75g blueberries<br />
75g raspberries<br />
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Line a spring-form 20-cm tin with baking parchment.<br />
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Preheat oven to 170C.<br />
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Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one by one and add a spoonful of flour if it curdles.<br />
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Mix in the flour and almonds, then the zest and vanilla extract.</div>
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Stir through the peaches and berries.</div>
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Bake for 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then cool further on a wire rack.<br />
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-32097466610814121942012-06-26T03:55:00.000-07:002012-06-27T04:54:05.028-07:00Feeding time at the zoo – messy messy messy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It seems as though there's a cloud of mess following me wherever I go at the moment.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Just this weekend, if it wasn’t the magically multiplying beans from our new beanbag: Bertha, it was the baking and if it wasn’t the baking then, well, <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/surprise-hes-early.html">Fraser</a>'s weaning put the rest to shame! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The bean bag was originally purchased as additional comfy seating. For some reason we decided it would take up less space than a regular chair… ERROR! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In fact not only is it much larger than originally anticipated but we actually don’t have enough floor space so it’s taken up residence on one of the original and much in-demand seats leaving us with less seating than we started with…</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately while filling her, 90% of the "beans" missed, flooding the floor. The millions of small white Styrofoam balls quickly dispersed, ending up statically attaching themselves to us, the floor, the walls, the TV… you get the picture! It was like something out of a low budget horror film…</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Add to that an incredibly messy baking session...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">making my sister-in-law some Mexican wedding cookies for her birthday (who knew flour’s so explosive?) and a <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/surprise-hes-early.html">nephew</a> who is currently in the process of some serious Fraser-led weaning (must remember not to encourage raspberry blowing at the dinner table).</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We’ve discovered that not only does Fraser’s breakfast of choice form a concrete, gluey-substance stronger than any previously discovered... But also, when flicked from an unguarded spoon, it gathers serious pace, can cross incredible distances and no one <em>(I repeat, NO ONE)</em> wants to be in the firing line… Poor Bro’s blank-canvas magnolia walls don’t stand a chance...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">No Fraser you can’t eat the camera!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">What I needed was a no mess, faster than a speeding bullet, recipe for Pecan and Maple muffins... Enter stage left a </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">recipe from the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hummingbird-Bakery-Cookbook-Tarek-Malouf/dp/1845978307">Hummingbird bakery book</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcutS-pzT1EVn93T-BvToNS6HTlvErGZ5EvJbNdk4DeA6rBXFu6SKPmAAXj-8jjgYbpyVmgD_inU1oufQOxICN9JW2JTKPvPicZ4ERkXDZB17hzj1hknsKELP9-8yhxvJ02XRoSYODW22/s1600/P1190873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcutS-pzT1EVn93T-BvToNS6HTlvErGZ5EvJbNdk4DeA6rBXFu6SKPmAAXj-8jjgYbpyVmgD_inU1oufQOxICN9JW2JTKPvPicZ4ERkXDZB17hzj1hknsKELP9-8yhxvJ02XRoSYODW22/s400/P1190873.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">DELISH! They're not too sweet (which is always the danger when using maple syrup) with lots of crunch from the pecans. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Fingers crossed that with a batch of these in the fridge, at least the kitchen will have a breif respite from the constant layer of flour and icing sugar coating every surface... but I pity whoever ends up climbing near me and my chalk bag this evening!</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 170°C.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place the flour, sugar, salt and raising agents in a bowl and mix thoroughly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla and mix until thoroughly incororated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pour in the melted butter and mix in.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Stir in half the maple syrup and the pecans. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Spoon into the cases until approximately 2/3 full. Drizzle with the remaining syrup and place a pecan half on top.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cool for a few moments in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hummingbird-Bakery-Cookbook-Tarek-Malouf/dp/1845978307">Maple and Pecan Muffins (makes 12):</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">350g plain flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">160g caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">¾ tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 ½ tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">½ tsp bicarbonate of soda</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">375ml buttermilk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">½ tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">70g unsalted butter, melted</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">240g pecan nuts, chopped (reserving 12 to decorate)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">200ml maple syrup</span></div>
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</div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-64748288161299531492012-06-07T06:52:00.001-07:002012-06-07T06:52:34.145-07:00Pork-tastic Jubilee weekend<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Congratulations Queeny... the double bank holiday was an inspired idea! Who couldn't love you when you decree a four day weekend? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Somehow I managed to infiltrate Rachel's family mini-break down in Barnstaple for a long weekend of surfing. Luckily over the years I've become a dab hand at the "who me? I'm just an additional daughter you'd forgotten you had" impersonation!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Friday night was a horrific slog down to Devon behind every slow moving camper van, caravan, farm vehicle and unicycle in the Northern hemisphere (ok so maybe we didn't see all that many unicycles) but once we arrived there was four days of sun (on occasion), surf (daily), and copious amounts of food (in a constant supply). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Bank holiday Monday we spent the whole day at the beach. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Rachel had already earmarked a <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/jerk-dressed-bristol-pork">pulled pork recipe</a> she wanted us to try, the ingredients were bought, everything prepared and the car packed to go... now all we needed to figure out was how to programme the oven to turn itself off remotely while we were out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Easier said than done! </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"Press button A with the clock picture on it."</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"We don't have a clock picture..." </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"OK well just press that button which looks like it's got an Egyptian hiroglyph of roadkill on it instead, we'll see if that works. Then press..."</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"Now the oven won't turn on at all..."</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"OK well turn it off at the wall. Now: hold down Egyptian roadkill then press..."</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"But everything's flashing and the time's disappeared..."</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">"OK then press the button which looks like a steaming turd, no not that one, the other one, while holding down..."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Eventually we cracked it. We were at least reasonably sure that we weren't going to arrive home to cremated pork <em><strong>or</strong></em> a burnt down flat...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">...Two surfs, a picnic on the beach, a couple of cheeky ciders in <a href="http://thethatchcroyde.com/">the Thatch's</a> beer garden later and it was time to roll!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Preheat the oven to 240<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚C. Cut through the skin of the pork, approximately 1 cm deep with incisions approximately 1 cm apart. Rub the meat all over (including in the scores in the skin) with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and nutmeg. Pour over a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and continue to rub the flavours over the meat. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place the meat in a large roasting dish. Pour 500ml of the cider around the pork. Sprinkle the top of the meat with another pinch of salt. Place in the hot oven for half an hour.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Once it has spent 30 minutes in the oven, turn the heat down to 130<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚C and cook for a further half hour. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Add the rest of the cider to the bottom of the roasting tray and cook for a further 6-7 hours. Cover the whole roasting tray with a double layer of foil half way through the time.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Once the pork has finished cooking remove from oven. Pull the crackling from the meat. If it hasn't crisped up enough then finish it off (skin side down, layer of fat up) under a hot grill. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Remove the pork from the roasting tray and put to one side. Skim off any fat from the juices left in the roasting tin. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Blend the chillies, spring onions, spices, lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey and some olive oil. Mix with the leftover cooking juices in the roasting tray.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Using two forks pull apart the meat and mix with the sauce in the roasting tray. Tear over the coriander leaves.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Pvgqq1XrpEKZ6PB7Yj2IdeH-OoK09qAa8ssGLEgk6BtoJ_BKImH9r1Ku1zcu8Jta1h2_7u8GLRmswDyo65DLy9uSz1Rq7_MxCVT7gmJ6eC4CzHdSHy8ZaOrvmyssIf2SCwGRKLfHlxr5/s1600/P1190856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Pvgqq1XrpEKZ6PB7Yj2IdeH-OoK09qAa8ssGLEgk6BtoJ_BKImH9r1Ku1zcu8Jta1h2_7u8GLRmswDyo65DLy9uSz1Rq7_MxCVT7gmJ6eC4CzHdSHy8ZaOrvmyssIf2SCwGRKLfHlxr5/s400/P1190856.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Serve with the crackling, some spicy sweet potato chips and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribbean-Food-Made-Easy-Roots/dp/1845335252/ref=pd_sim_b_1">Levi Roots' Caribbean coleslaw</a>... PERFECT COMBO! </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CYfi3YE8STTfbA8nTlByA_6MXgqMZ_rjzI6k6OsSnXaANCzNSeZ9NJLFzq7vUiLxF22G9YcMVvUswKAaRRHlCMP1Md6L-F9Z__Fkm2pP_FXDV710Bnwqf6wyAa-OJ_lsixBbWiRHbK7h/s1600/P1190853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CYfi3YE8STTfbA8nTlByA_6MXgqMZ_rjzI6k6OsSnXaANCzNSeZ9NJLFzq7vUiLxF22G9YcMVvUswKAaRRHlCMP1Md6L-F9Z__Fkm2pP_FXDV710Bnwqf6wyAa-OJ_lsixBbWiRHbK7h/s400/P1190853.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/jerk-dressed-bristol-pork">Jamie Oliver's Jerk-Dressed Bristol Pork</a> (serves 12):</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pork - </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">5kg pork shoulder, bone in and skin left on</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 large pinch dried thyme</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 large pinch dried rosemary</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1/4 nutmeg, grated</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1L cider</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Jerk Salsa - </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 hot chillies</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 bunches of spring onions</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp ground cloves</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 tsp allspice</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">3 limes, juice only</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2" piece of ginger, peeled</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 cloves garlic</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 tbsp honey</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 large bunch fresh coriander</span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0Barnstaple, Devon, UK51.0781599 -4.05833851.0582079 -4.09782 51.098111900000006 -4.018856tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-74263171793584721392012-05-10T08:04:00.000-07:002012-05-10T08:04:47.976-07:00Buttery Biscuit Base<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">This recipe started off life as an approximation of a Willie Harcourt-Cooze offering which was published (way back when) in the Sunday Times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was first made (with a few alterations) by my sister-in-law and was absolutely devine...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Neither of us could get our head around using oatcakes to make a cheesecake crust so we both ended up substituting. She used chocolate digestives, I used ginger snaps... in my humble opinion (having tasted another friend’s version when she actually followed the original recipe) I would have to say I think we were 100% right in our choice!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Oatcakes are not on my top-ten list of things to add to a cheesecake... Cheese board?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheesecake... umm... NO!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Unfortunately we ended up eating this while it was still slightly warm from the oven because I had cheesecake cravings and there just wasn’t time to chill it properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was good but in a distinctly... ho-hum way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>BUT,</em> the leftovers were polished off the following morning (after the correct recipe-specified amount of cooling down time) when it was... SO... MUCH... BETTER!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As in: I think I'm in love with a cheesecake! <em>(How awkward)...</em></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Despite my parent’s kitchen being a ridiculous improvement on mine (so much so it borders on the laughable), there’s still a distinct disadvantage of cooking when I visit them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Namely: trying to keep recipe, ingredients and cooking implements all in one place from start to finish without them being whisked off and “tidied”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Firstly I had to rescue the recipe cutting from Dad’s over-enthusiastic recycling binge, leaving me rummaging head first through my parents recycling bins before I could even head out to buy the ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">On returning and after a second search of the house, my face dropped when Mum owned up that she thought she might have composted it and suggested checking there... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I was definitely less inclined to rummage head first in there... Looks like the original Willie Harcourt-Cooze recipe is out and Lindsay’s free-styling recipe is in! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And so I started... Grease an 18-cm spring-form cake tin then line with baking parchment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn your back on it for less than a minute to set the oven to preheat at 150<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn back... baking parchment has been recycled and cake tin has been stashed back in its drawer... Start again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Grease an 18-cm spring-form cake tin then line with baking parchment. Turn around and realise while you weren’t looking someone’s sneaked in and turned the oven off...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Throw a screaming wobble and banish all golden-oldies <em>(read: parents)</em> from the vicinity... Take a deep breath and start a third time safe in the knowledge that when things go wrong now there’s no one else left to blame!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Baked Chocolate Cheesecake</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 150<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grease an 18-cm spring-form cake tin then line with baking parchment. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Combine the ingredients for the <a href="http://www.butterybiscuitbase.net/">base</a> of the cheesecake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Press into the bottom of the cake tin to form an even layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set aside to cool on a wire rack while you make the rest of the cheesecake.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Beat together the cream cheese and quark until smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, stir in the sugar, vanilla, salt and flour until smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the 230g melted chocolate and stir until the mixture is a uniform colour.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pour the mixture over the crust and cook for a further 50 minutes until set but still with a bit of a wobble in the middle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Leave to cool completely until room temperature and then chill in the fridge overnight.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Serve with crème fraiche and blueberries. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX1dRoWevYRW61ZSRXumIz_EK4ffdUNT5NJBS18SMOA5VKvgIwMXJAmKEJ0nmwPNaVNUpOWEfc7xRR-45iHfWquUEtNr0IuuTtGMXaIpT0VndGtNy7ENxBiS40b6s4pQSpJXxH2lOn0IG/s1600/P1190841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX1dRoWevYRW61ZSRXumIz_EK4ffdUNT5NJBS18SMOA5VKvgIwMXJAmKEJ0nmwPNaVNUpOWEfc7xRR-45iHfWquUEtNr0IuuTtGMXaIpT0VndGtNy7ENxBiS40b6s4pQSpJXxH2lOn0IG/s400/P1190841.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Baked Chocolate Cheesecake</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.butterybiscuitbase.net/">Buttery Biscuit Base:</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">70g dark chocolate, melted</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">60g ginger snap biscuits, crushed</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">80g ground almonds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">50g butter, melted</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cheesecake:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">230g dark chocolate, melted</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">300g quark</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">400g full fat cream cheese</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">4 egg yolks</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">100g caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp vanilla essence</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pinch salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp plain flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-497236522952895912012-04-24T05:58:00.000-07:002012-04-24T05:58:17.968-07:00Colder than an Eskimo’s cold bits...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This weekend was mine and Rachel’s first surf trip of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thought of this got me through my first week back to reality in the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I (as I would imagine most people probably would) felt somewhat underwhelmed getting back to over 750 emails, all of which claiming to need <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">URGENT</i> attention! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully we’d planned for any post winter blues and decided to disappear off surfing at the earliest possible opportunity... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Rachel (bless her) has many and varied amazing talents - she's the consummate music guru to most of South-West London, a better surfer than me (not that that's hard!) and a hotty to boot... But, apparently recognising red traffic lights or deciding which exit to take from any of the many, MANY roundabouts between London and Barnstaple doesn’t appear to be high on the list of her accomplishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Becoming the neurotically nervous passenger in Rachel’s new “surfmobile” (named Coral or perhaps Jeff depending on who you’re talking to) wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my weekend fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In hindsight, it's arguable that I had a fair point... As far as I can tell, running a red light because “there’s so much else to look at” just doesn’t cut the mustard when you’re pulled over by the police... I ended up repetitively yelling colour coded instructions in the run up to every... single... traffic light in the vicinity... Which made Rachel don this terrifying face of concentration - It's like something you'd normally expect to find in one of the Terminator films!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Hunching up in the middle of a hail storm as we strapped our boards onto Coral/Jeff – should have been our first clue that we weren’t on course for a particularly warm and cosy experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Clue number two should probably have been when everyone else in the car park was changing into winter wetsuits, gloves, boots <strong><u>and</u></strong> hoods: my peddle-pusher, ill-fitted, summer suit seemed like such a good idea at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">SOOOOO... COLLLLLDDDDDD... a</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">s in <em>serious,</em> ice-cream headache BRRRRRRRRRRRRR... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It is without doubt the coldest I have ever, EVER been (even if it did only last an hour)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But SO much fun!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to call it a day when I achieved an all new level of coldness and my arms refused to paddle any more...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Trying to get wetsuits off without being able to feel/move your fingers lent a whole new level of hilarity to the already farcical tradition of "the car park disrobe"...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Levi Roots’ Caribbean fish pie served up with his avocado and mango salad from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribbean-Food-Made-Easy-Roots/dp/1845335252">this book</a> was the taste of the tropical which we needed as a post-(baltically cold)-surf warm up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Predictably we had to condense his recipe slightly as we were in need of some serious eats, but it still tasted AH-MAISON...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 180<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Warm the milk and the thyme leaves over a gentle heat until boiling point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the fish and turn off the heat, after five minutes remove the fish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Melt 25g butter, add the flour and stir over a low heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gradually stir in the warmed milk (from poaching the fish).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in the creamed coconut until it dissolves into the white sauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Season with salt, pepper, coriander and lime juice to taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in the spinach until it just begins to wilt. Gently stir in the fish so that it stays in bite-sized chunks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Simmer the sweet potatoes for 8-10 minutes until soft enough to mash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mash with 40g butter, and season with the nutmeg, allspice, and salt and pepper.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place mixture in an oven proof dish, top with the mashed sweet potato and dot with the remaining butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cook for about 20 minutes until bubbling hot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We served our fish pie with an avocado and mango salad.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribbean-Food-Made-Easy-Roots/dp/1845335252">Caribbean Fish Pie</a> (serves 4-5)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">600ml milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">600g skinned haddock, cod or coley</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">100g butter</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2tbsp flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">50g creamed coconut</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">bunch of coriander, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">250g spinach</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">900g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribbean-Food-Made-Easy-Roots/dp/1845335252">Avocado and mango salad</a> (serves 4)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 ripe mango, diced</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 little gem lettuces, separated into leaves</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1/2 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and blanched in boiling water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Juice of 1 lime</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">(garnish with coriander leaves - optional)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com03 The Square, Barnstaple, Devon EX32, UK51.0781599 -4.05833850.9182064 -4.374195 51.2381134 -3.742481tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-66676763907147648382012-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:002012-04-18T09:04:40.096-07:00Whoops!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So... maybe it’s been a while?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok, more than a while... Maybe four or five months (gulp!)... I apologise, I really didn’t mean to ignore you. I was just initially too distracted by depressing moody blues to contemplate food and fun and then I disappeared up a mountain to hibernate and snowboard... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">But now winter is over and I’ve returned from my (slightly longer than your average) snowboarding holiday with a new lease of life - I promise to do better... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here’s to a summer full of surfing and to a poorly thought out plan for escaping to the mountains by next winter!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-52050000602499752882012-01-06T04:32:00.000-08:002012-01-06T04:32:34.750-08:00What... 2012 already?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So, hang on a minute - Christmas and New Year’s are over? Already?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huh... who’d have thunk it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t time fly when you’re concentrating on consuming more calories per hour than you’d usually consume in a year...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Christmas is nothing if not a time of excess in the Duncan household... there was more food than we knew what to do with (and trust me it takes A LOT of food before the Duncans start feeling overwhelmed)! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We’d filled every available surface, cupboard and container in three rooms AND the garage before the voice of reason <em>(read: Mum)</em> finally suggested we stop. Every time anyone left the house they seemed to arrive back with bags full of provisions, and that’s not even counting the stream of deliveries!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was glorious!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The whole Christmas period seemed to be over before it began... I keep feeling like I need to run home and knock up endless batches of biscuits, or put the finishing touches to <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/surprise-hes-early.html">Fraser’s</a> fast growing menagerie (monkeys, puppies, pigs, ducks... you name it, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried to fashion it out of an old pair of socks). </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">But no: there’s no decorating, no wrapping, no cooking... NOTHING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">...Well almost nothing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve impulse booked myself an additional week of snowboarding out in the south of France the week after next – If we’re honest it was the only way I was going to get through January sane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How incredibly foolish of me to think I’d last until March before I’d succumb to the call of the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was never going to happen... especially with this much snow - I can’t wait!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Anyway, I’d like to say that ever since the Christmas excesses I’ve been on a healthy New Years diet of raw fish and steamed vegetables... or is it steamed fish and raw vegetables?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way I’m afraid not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye Christmas dinner... hellooooo LEFTOVERS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">OK so the photos aren’t so good but you have to give me some leniency – these were baked after new years and I was feeling pretty delicate... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 180<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Butter the cake tin, line with baking parchment then add a second layer of butter over the top of the parchment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla and mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the mincemeat and mix so that it’s evenly dispersed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Bake for approximately an hour in the centre of the oven, it’s done once a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once done, cool in the tin for 10 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then cool completely on a wire rack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once cooled, dust with icing sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Mincemeat Cake: (8” spring-form round tin)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">150g butter, room temperature</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 2/3 cups plain flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 cup Demerara sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 cups mincemeat</span></div>
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<br /></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-35963538792759064962011-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:002012-01-06T04:23:33.890-08:00What’s this? What’s this? There’s colour everywhere...<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">...</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.timburtoncollective.com/nmbclyrics.html#04">What's this? There's white things in the airrrrr.... </a></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVNLmR-1AXbRg9o-zbmoKCk-wIoY2JbxKNQyhhdQtcpthHi1teaZo6gt3Dx-st_JZ7Hqn2avewjC_e2dZtHdT9phV8sguDIFwqh8TMDwh4vYYx8QTw5F8sHWrjtZHIbOCHbg4i66WspoO/s1600/P1190676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVNLmR-1AXbRg9o-zbmoKCk-wIoY2JbxKNQyhhdQtcpthHi1teaZo6gt3Dx-st_JZ7Hqn2avewjC_e2dZtHdT9phV8sguDIFwqh8TMDwh4vYYx8QTw5F8sHWrjtZHIbOCHbg4i66WspoO/s400/P1190676.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">OK, so I haven’t written for a while, and this post is going to be bashed out in a nanosecond but I haven’t forgotten about blogging - promise!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve just been crazy busy in the build up to Christmas: at Christmas drinks, Christmas lunches, Christmas dinners, Christmas parties, and of course making and baking Christmas gifts for all you lovely peeps!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Well... some of you at least)... </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxhC8werkM_4XFSjFNo6hBHRhwuEmQVGC7UGKnSbzgWW8r_d_diXAtO_Hwhoe3qLc-Afb6ALFVzb39poM38zYsDNr1yZCbrShX0V_9VCVyShRtWXckRt57fJ41SZEUIK6JjWQnBuWnxDs/s1600/P1190680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxhC8werkM_4XFSjFNo6hBHRhwuEmQVGC7UGKnSbzgWW8r_d_diXAtO_Hwhoe3qLc-Afb6ALFVzb39poM38zYsDNr1yZCbrShX0V_9VCVyShRtWXckRt57fJ41SZEUIK6JjWQnBuWnxDs/s400/P1190680.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFYqomberYYgwWd72oULhhJYiYfgpb391UpOZmMgDb13EE68V4WxT8RybCi5_KeRb2ouAdgtfHyeI7lzTsZ5F845vdM-W3u7Klv9Cs-5HVZj6hukMtBMw8_HWFpw5p6YnGkw-37_B0M91/s1600/P1190665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFYqomberYYgwWd72oULhhJYiYfgpb391UpOZmMgDb13EE68V4WxT8RybCi5_KeRb2ouAdgtfHyeI7lzTsZ5F845vdM-W3u7Klv9Cs-5HVZj6hukMtBMw8_HWFpw5p6YnGkw-37_B0M91/s400/P1190665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I'm incredibly excited - not just because it's in my nature to be an irritatingly excitable type of creature but also because it's my nephew's first Christmas! And yes - I might have gained extra "evil aunt" points by buying him a snowman costume to wear! Whhhhaaa haaa haa haaaaahhhhh... (well how would <em>you</em> spell an evil laugh!)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQVfKzNkfWyupKF028TgDZO0WMXNfH4c8kiWn6Md5UKxKG6VgiHSxcFwRI-7kh5gM2APZJz_6OO6K0MT_rJQhrd5A-_PNj4n7FEOHPTbxwDxw-sKEskWFR_2d7UpByGsU08SHq6YUbOp7/s1600/P1190668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQVfKzNkfWyupKF028TgDZO0WMXNfH4c8kiWn6Md5UKxKG6VgiHSxcFwRI-7kh5gM2APZJz_6OO6K0MT_rJQhrd5A-_PNj4n7FEOHPTbxwDxw-sKEskWFR_2d7UpByGsU08SHq6YUbOp7/s400/P1190668.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I’ve been having to hold back on posting because I didn’t want to ruin the surprise for all the fam (who are all avid readers... ahem!)... There’ll be a glut of recipes after the holidays are done and dusted but in the meantime here’s something I made last night for my grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m reasonably sure she won’t suddenly become computer literate in time to spoil present opening time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My Mum’s mum is tiny, and feisty as hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite how she spawned a family full of giants is beyond me but I’m assuming it had little to do with a diet which appears to consist solely of oatcakes </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">and shortbread... </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/oct/06/foodanddrink.recipes1">Bill's Rona Oatcakes (Makes 20ish):</a></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">140g medium oatmeal</span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">140g porridge oats</span></span></strong></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">black pepper</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1/2tsp salt</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 handful seeds (I used a mixture of sesame and sunflower)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">75ml extra-virgin olive oil</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Preheat the oven to 180C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and pour the olive oil into a well in the centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working quickly, add enough boiling water to bind the mixture together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work the dough into a ball shape and rest for a couple of minutes.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Lightly dust some baking trays and the work surface with flour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Roll the dough out until about 5mm thick then cut with whatever sized cookie cutter is your preference!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMacjJfTXRtV-GqcIKNzuzYLUda08UA5sscf6jU0sug2NBKaeqfweGkpw00CRYuPLlISLBfa6fgzzoIlnKQOgcVVXS8X7lw3RXeMg4oZbIBTrM_bC720LFLP2CcU3w4EZVCed9P6tyY3-/s1600/P1190682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMacjJfTXRtV-GqcIKNzuzYLUda08UA5sscf6jU0sug2NBKaeqfweGkpw00CRYuPLlISLBfa6fgzzoIlnKQOgcVVXS8X7lw3RXeMg4oZbIBTrM_bC720LFLP2CcU3w4EZVCed9P6tyY3-/s400/P1190682.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Bake for 20 minutes then turn them over and bake a further 5-10 minutes.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kn0ohXtSYeCzQvmjMpPyqyA356L5VQLR3mVtIzaKkJNiGsXlvZlbWZRDHc8-6sHmI25X_ZOA5eqei_i6v4Ylpg98qXCjHAmVSYoMSyCQrQwhmaD3ea-cVEDuFPpjVSbN_7eRE4LDFLUh/s1600/P1190686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kn0ohXtSYeCzQvmjMpPyqyA356L5VQLR3mVtIzaKkJNiGsXlvZlbWZRDHc8-6sHmI25X_ZOA5eqei_i6v4Ylpg98qXCjHAmVSYoMSyCQrQwhmaD3ea-cVEDuFPpjVSbN_7eRE4LDFLUh/s400/P1190686.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span> <span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Cool the oatcakes on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div>
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVNLmR-1AXbRg9o-zbmoKCk-wIoY2JbxKNQyhhdQtcpthHi1teaZo6gt3Dx-st_JZ7Hqn2avewjC_e2dZtHdT9phV8sguDIFwqh8TMDwh4vYYx8QTw5F8sHWrjtZHIbOCHbg4i66WspoO/s320/P1190676.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 232px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 393px; visibility: hidden;" width="72" /></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-47479345794581811112011-11-29T08:29:00.001-08:002011-11-30T07:36:09.355-08:00Oh the horror... Turkish Delight you haunt me still!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">WOWZER – last night I really upped my game on decimating our kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a batch of Turkish Delight as part of a Christmas present and I’m going to try my very best not to eat my way through them until they’re safely gifted because I can’t quite face making another batch yet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This recipe is messy... and when I say messy I mean the entire kitchen looks like it was involved in a Turkish Delight massacre! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I can only assume when <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Cooking-Rachel-Allen/dp/0007259719">Rachel Allen came up with this recipe</a> she was using a test kitchen with someone else on their hands and knees scraping the dollops of pink gloop out from between the floorboards!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It uses everything but the kitchen sink in terms of equipment (and this is only because the kitchen sink’s already full of pans soaking previous abortive attempts of Turkish Delight gone bad). But somehow amidst the swearing and scrubbing, it’s converted me to liking Turkish Delight?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knew?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently it doesn’t always have to taste like cheap soap?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Here are some things I’ve learnt about making Turkish Delight... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aren’t I good to you? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fell in every one of these pitfalls so you don’t have to!</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Line the bottom of the tin with paper as well as greasing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise it won’t budge, not even a bit, let alone come out of the tin in one peice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how much I begged/bribed/threatened, it was perfectly happy remaining where it was and nothing I was going to do or say was going to change it’s mind!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Don’t use a spring form cake tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This results in aforementioned lava hot pink gloop dripping out of the bottom, and between the floorboards... down your leg... all over the kitchen surfaces... etc etc you get the picture!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Try not to pour half a bottle of food colouring into the mixture by mistake – this will overshoot “delicate rose pink” by miles, dumping you firmly into day-glo red.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Remember not to get overly engrossed watching an episode of CSI while simmering sugar syrup for 25 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An episode of CSI is 1hr long – in hindsight I can see now that this isn’t good maths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>The same applies to watching your new lovefilm DVD while trying to get a sugar syrup to an exact temperature... it doesn’t work – trust me, watching a sugar thermometer creep up is terminally boring – but take your eye off it for a second and it automatically springs up by at least 20<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">6. Use a heavy based saucepan to reduce hot spots to make burning less likely (see you later attempts 1 and 2)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Try not to start eating these until you mean to finish eating them... THEY ARE <em>(suprisingly)</em> VERY MOREISH!!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Grease the cake tin with sunflower oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line the bottom with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In a heavy duty pan, bring the sugar and 500ml of water to a rolling boil over a medium heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Reduce the heat and keep the sugar syrup at a low simmer without stirring until it reaches hard-ball stage (125<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should take about 25 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, mix the gelatine with the cornflour and cream of tartar in another heavy duty pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gradually whisk in another 500ml water until it’s smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simmer over a medium heat for approximately 3-5 minutes whisking CONSTANTLY to prevent lumps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is ready once it starts to look suspiciously like wallpaper paste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove it from the heat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Once the sugar syrup reaches the hard-ball stage, immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next whisk the sugar syrup into the cornflour mixture.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place the combined mixture over a low heat and simmer gently until it reaches the thread stage (110<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should take approximately 1hr.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As soon as the mixture reaches 110<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C (and has turned a deep golden colour), add the rosewater and food colouring and stir until fully incorporated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pour into the prepared tin and leave overnight in the fridge to firm up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Dust a work surface with copious amounts of icing sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn the Turkish Delight out onto the icing sugar and chop it into squares with an oiled knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dust more icing sugar over the top and then roll each square to ensure it has a hefty coating. This will ensure it stores for longer without sticking together and will dust off so there's no such thing as too much!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month (apparently)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Cooking-Rachel-Allen/dp/0007259719">Turkish Delight</a> (makes approximately 48 pieces):</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">850g caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">21g gelatine powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">125g cornflour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp cream of tartar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2tbsp lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2tsp rosewater</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A few drops of red food colouring</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">8” square non-stick cake tin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-22290093163388861532011-11-22T08:56:00.001-08:002011-11-30T07:35:32.721-08:00Ginger-Spiced Upside-Down Cake<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><br />It’s half four in the afternoon and 100% black as pitch outside... it’s been raining and grey and that damp cold which really gets into your bones...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The perfect excuse to consume your own body weight in food I hear you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly what I was thinking!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Looks like instead of heading to the climbing wall I’ll be cycling home as fast as possible, then attacking a small country's allocation of calories for dinner, followed by diving under a blanket and working through my food coma with some horrifically mind-numbing TV... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I found this recipe for a <a href="http://seattlest.com/2005/11/15/seattlest_macrina_true_love_and_ginger_cake.php">ginger-spiced upside-down cake</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's super moist with the perfect amount of spice for grey-day grumpiness... Now I’m thinking about it I might have to go and make another one this evening to double check that it really is as good as I remember!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECIPE HAS NOW BEEN IDIOT-PROOFED! My Dad tried making this last night (with very bizarre results - he's INCREDIBLY literal bless him) I've had to make a couple of tweaks to the way I've written the recipe to prevent anyone else from falling into the same (very unlikely) traps! :o)</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 160<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif";">˚</span>C. Grease and line the base (and up to approximately 1" up the sides) of a 9" spring-form cake tin.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Melt 25g of butter with ½ cup of the sugar and the cinnamon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> P</span>our over the base of the cake tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lay the fruit over the mixture, trying to cover the entire base without leaving gaps. Should you feel particularly artistic feel free to make pretty concentric circles...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Cream together 225g butter with ¾ cup of the sugar until pale and smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the ginger and mix in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the eggs one at a time fully mixing each in before adding the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour in the molasses/honey/golden syrup and mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Whisk together the dry ingredients.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Alternate between adding small quantities of dry ingredients and buttermilk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix until just incorporated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour mixture over the fruit and bake in the oven for 1 and ¾ hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes then invert over a serving plate and release the sides of the cake tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool for at least another half hour before eating.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://seattlest.com/2005/11/15/seattlest_macrina_true_love_and_ginger_cake.php">Ginger-Spiced Upside-Down Cake: </a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">250g butter, softened<br />1¼ cups light brown sugar <br />4-5 medium to large ripe pears or apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly<br />2 tbsp ginger, grated</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon<br />3 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><sup>2</sup>/<sub>3</sub> cup molasses/honey/golden syrup<br />3 cups plain flour<br />1 ½ tsp baking powder<br />1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />½ tsp salt<br />1 ½ cups buttermilk</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-55464575418154678672011-11-16T07:08:00.001-08:002011-11-16T07:47:40.370-08:00MUST... NOT... THINK... ABOUT... MOUNTAINS...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Sigh</i>...) in fact this week’s been a bit of a (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">double sigh</i>...)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exodus out to the mountains started early this year, dumping me into daydreams of the chalet goodlife I’m missing out on once again. Five months of snowboarding and cooking<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">... (big, fat, stinky, miserable sighhhhhhhhh!!!!)</i></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61t9vuIE_UOzYaFMNKelVF0a1Zjc_2DzUFZCOey9hQ4wV2NpzqvdolAhJZ-kpPyyLAwrDxr9noEzLJxCOarixMVUWIrXlkjdfW3dJM6BDV_8pIcTAS7l79C71KWOJc5eYy7VPn-Oj6GS3/s1600/n848670415_6645211_955022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61t9vuIE_UOzYaFMNKelVF0a1Zjc_2DzUFZCOey9hQ4wV2NpzqvdolAhJZ-kpPyyLAwrDxr9noEzLJxCOarixMVUWIrXlkjdfW3dJM6BDV_8pIcTAS7l79C71KWOJc5eYy7VPn-Oj6GS3/s400/n848670415_6645211_955022.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Two friends left from mine on Sunday afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong><em>They</em></strong> were full of excitement, a newly broken wrist and more luggage than should realistically have a) been owned by two boys and b) fitted in the car. <strong><em>I</em></strong> (on the other hand) was just full of envy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I’m not quite sure how I mustered the willpower not to jump on the bonnet of the departing car with a melodramatic “taaaaake meeeee with youuu...” I’m assuming the birthday hangover must have had something to do with it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The silver lining in my mid-November grot is the unbearably cute <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/surprise-hes-early.html">Fraser</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was in France for the next five months I’d miss out on a whole heap of quality Fraser-time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I can always run off to do more seasons once he’s grown out of the cute stage... although I could be waiting a while! :o)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmfyiV_CfS-U441dUjliyWx2gTewvTYGrnRmL9IrxZQAO5qUCi2AP7kFYzMvLDBzoJiktK6P0XkCc0yISnWLS7TDicJS-avCJGmDbQ611m0z6XIqJMsK5nXmFYdoNx7_52pMiEBJUPmN3/s1600/388274_10150908668255252_884115251_21697468_1152723614_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmfyiV_CfS-U441dUjliyWx2gTewvTYGrnRmL9IrxZQAO5qUCi2AP7kFYzMvLDBzoJiktK6P0XkCc0yISnWLS7TDicJS-avCJGmDbQ611m0z6XIqJMsK5nXmFYdoNx7_52pMiEBJUPmN3/s400/388274_10150908668255252_884115251_21697468_1152723614_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I made myself <a href="http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2011/10/21/my-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookies-and-how-to-pimp-them/#more-7345">these little beauties</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>last week in an attempt to bribe my workmates out of “zombie attacking” me on my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's t</span>he usual office affair involving silently looming up behind the birthday victim in search of embarrassment...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Cookies were the perfect distraction</span>!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Be warned, they don’t ever seem to become sickly – even after you eat an entire plateful...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Brown the butter slowly over a medium heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is sufficiently browned as soon as it starts to smell nutty and turns golden brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To prevent it from browning further and tasting burnt decant into a mixing bowl as soon as it’s ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow to cool for at least half an hour.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 175<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚</span>C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat together the sugars, egg and yolk until light and creamy (most of the sugar should have dissolved).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the cooled butter, and beat for a further two minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Sieve the dry ingredients in and mix until just incorporated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir through the chocolate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Roll large tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls, space well apart on lined baking sheets and sprinkle with a small amount of Maldon salt.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Bake 12-14 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rest the cookies for three minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">My birthday cookies were not quite as pretty as the photography from the originals (to be expected...) but aesthetics aside they made a darned good bribe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2011/10/21/my-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookies-and-how-to-pimp-them/#more-7345">Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes approx. 2 dozen):</a> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">150g butter</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">150g dark chocolate, cut into large chunks</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">150g dark Muscovado sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">50g white sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 egg + 1 egg yolk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">225g strong white flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-79200969921246873632011-11-10T01:43:00.000-08:002011-11-10T01:43:49.809-08:00The wonder cake which can cure all ills...<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Surprisingly, there are few things in this world which are capable of riling me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I appear to have used up my lifetime's supply of rage during my teenage years when absolutely EVERYTHING made me angry - going to school, having to cope with the <em>horror</em> of talking to my family, waking up in the morning... you name it - I rolled my eyes and muttered about it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">At the grand old age of 31 (as of tomorrow, happy birthday me!) I'm a lot calmer. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">But I've recently found the one thing (other than hunger) which is capable of balling up my zen and lobbing it out of the window: the wretched bike shed at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">It’s the stuff of Dante’s most hellish nightmares - I swear!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How infuriating can an area for storing your bike get I hear you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>VERY!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Whichever fool built ours firstly made it impossible to open – they put the sensor on backwards so the only people able to gain entrance are professional safecrackers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then once you FINALLY manage to open the door (having generated a long queue of irritable colleagues) you have to try and wedge your bike through a door which isn’t even as wide as your bike!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> have been the single most important criteria for making said door?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Every! single! day! (Twice!!) I have to perform the bike shoe shuffle: left a bit... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clang</i>... forward a bit... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clang</i>...right a bit...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ouch, there’s the peddle in the calf</i>... back out... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clang, clang...</i> pick it up... run full pelt at the door, bike in hand hoping for the best... and... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CLANNNGGGGGG</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- whoops there goes the handlebars, didn’t need them anyway</i>... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">YES</i> me and my newly crippled bike are OUT!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">No wonder I get home every day craving some form of comfort food <em>(read: cake).</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the first week in the new building alternatively swearing/stamping/threatening/reasoning/ranting even giggling hysterically trying to get through the hellish portal but to no avail – with a choice of regressing to teen angst or feeding the rage into submission guess which won out? Cake is the only answer! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisGJRKo8bofJNNWv25LcfQlWct3nQ3kaYUWDuNpdajHCGvxXYBf4-g3xqWB1o8Cg-IOECyu4RgMqE9sJ6OaUR9yqr-gEuFc81-XPvY_UNWrByRj6644YE3lenGO_NpH9ZvVzG3JrgqdG2/s1600/P1190622+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisGJRKo8bofJNNWv25LcfQlWct3nQ3kaYUWDuNpdajHCGvxXYBf4-g3xqWB1o8Cg-IOECyu4RgMqE9sJ6OaUR9yqr-gEuFc81-XPvY_UNWrByRj6644YE3lenGO_NpH9ZvVzG3JrgqdG2/s400/P1190622+-+Copy.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I made this little beauty last week - I couldn’t help it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lemony-olive-oil-banana-bread-recipe.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+101Cookbooks+%28101+Cookbooks%29">the recipe</a> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">when it was posted on <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">101 cookbooks</a> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">and gluttony took over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This amount of mixture makes two small or one large cake (I made two - one of which was polished off still hot from the oven as an alternative lunch). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chocolaty banana cake with lemon glaze?<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">...ahhhhh – ten deep breaths and relax!!</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Preheat the oven to <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">180</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">˚C. Grease and flour your cake tin of choice.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Helvetica", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Make the glaze: Sift 85g of muscovado sugar and then whisk together with the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drizzle/Spread over the cake once it has cooled completely.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_875096314">Chocolatey Banana cake with lemon glaze</a><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Helvetica", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lemony-olive-oil-banana-bread-recipe.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+101Cookbooks+%28101+Cookbooks%29">:</a> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Helvetica", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Helvetica", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">125g plain flour<br />140g wholewheat flour<br />210g dark muscovado sugar (split – 125g for the cake and 85g for the glaze)<br />3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />115g dark chocolate, cut to chunks<br />80ml extra-virgin olive oil<br />2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />340g ripe bananas, mashed<br />60ml plain, full-fat yogurt<br />1tsp lemon zest, grated<br />1tsp vanilla extract<br />55g icing sugar<br />4 tsp lemon juice</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0Hellish Bike Shed, Islington, Greater London EC1M 6, UK51.520146331496868 -0.1053571701049804751.480608331496867 -0.18432117010498048 51.559684331496868 -0.026393170104980462tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-24625276958000994402011-11-08T02:34:00.000-08:002011-11-08T02:34:56.855-08:00Remember, remember the 5th of November: Jambalaya, fireworks and surf...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvTgtkN5hjlc_iPr9jDHAoPhq944nUKGQz4dpjGtc-fnLcljK-yWVkiSN10XOFzJXQkmnDAT4TYfDCrRqRYoPa-vvQqDjFCvlNlojYReymkrqUXMkab9gx63ad-NsrQGklQ0J_U4itKyC/s1600/P1190614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvTgtkN5hjlc_iPr9jDHAoPhq944nUKGQz4dpjGtc-fnLcljK-yWVkiSN10XOFzJXQkmnDAT4TYfDCrRqRYoPa-vvQqDjFCvlNlojYReymkrqUXMkab9gx63ad-NsrQGklQ0J_U4itKyC/s400/P1190614.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Ok, so it might not be the “official” version but it epitamized my 5<sup>th</sup> of November this year and you have to admit, it sounds a lot more fun than gunpowder, treason and plot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I was in the deepest, darkest, depths of Cornwall with a couple of friends for what was going to be a weekend of surfing. Sadly, due to only owning a puny summer wetsuit and the weather turning Balticly cold I ended up wussing out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SrpAB5EaFJuqCptUFjnyXhRQxXErtd5hnN5COqQjgi8MUYPrDqf1O9GzIr1PRPzKZHV182U0PZAUKmZDUQ6Op_IdbUmgjAu-WDq56-rgfXaLkwgrwphKAH7fYKHWXEI91C9WHrVH6T3x/s1600/P1190621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SrpAB5EaFJuqCptUFjnyXhRQxXErtd5hnN5COqQjgi8MUYPrDqf1O9GzIr1PRPzKZHV182U0PZAUKmZDUQ6Op_IdbUmgjAu-WDq56-rgfXaLkwgrwphKAH7fYKHWXEI91C9WHrVH6T3x/s400/P1190621.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xa4CzNtT6YK2FTZacZ-BBpTQsNklzbJzSKZFqmIdswG-lY5QYzTuraAzDI4lh3xsAvYXxqYbRbOZyJ-v8ImWWRiqOa4DCtfLrU8vTtc6jqCcfSMvL28IxCl3dnQOvlDuC2KXPxVpGWlL/s1600/P1190616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Xa4CzNtT6YK2FTZacZ-BBpTQsNklzbJzSKZFqmIdswG-lY5QYzTuraAzDI4lh3xsAvYXxqYbRbOZyJ-v8ImWWRiqOa4DCtfLrU8vTtc6jqCcfSMvL28IxCl3dnQOvlDuC2KXPxVpGWlL/s200/P1190616.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Instead I filled my time with walks, watching others more brave than me surfing, a great seaside pub called <a href="http://www.thefivepilchards.co.uk/">the Five Pilchards</a>... </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS0eXMovYRlsqM_wMnUTs_RoMZnquOawiGs_oUVaKL27b1-XoWqGQaIYLrglqOxMgIoPlsSD3QYSwm81Ln13dM1M-s9Jn3u-nq0MZZrhMZv6z9X-3uP9_MZ2JkZNyUP6GUgRSm3kf3-9a/s1600/IMG_0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS0eXMovYRlsqM_wMnUTs_RoMZnquOawiGs_oUVaKL27b1-XoWqGQaIYLrglqOxMgIoPlsSD3QYSwm81Ln13dM1M-s9Jn3u-nq0MZZrhMZv6z9X-3uP9_MZ2JkZNyUP6GUgRSm3kf3-9a/s200/IMG_0518.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">fireworks, tea-cosy hats, sparklers and Jambalaya...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I travelled down with three chorizo links from my <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/pig-in-day.html">River Cottage day</a> and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Shop-Orleans-Restaurant-Cookbook/dp/0966863607">Gumbo Shop recipe book</a> which my parents brought back from a trip around “the deep south” stashed in my bag. If I'm honest - I have no idea how authentic this recipe is, all I know is: it was TASTY! <em>(on a side note, another lesson learned is don't wrap incredibly garlicy chorizo in clothes you want to wear in the upcoming days... stinky!)</em> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Cover the raw chicken with cold water and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and set aside to cool. Reserve the poaching liquid. Once cooled, remove the skin and bones and cut the chicken into bite sized peices.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Saute the chorizo in olive oil until lightly browned. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken. In the chorizo oiled pan add the onion, pepper and celery and sweat til tender. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Add the tinned tomatoes, garlic, salt and peppers and cook for a further 10 minutes, contantly stirring. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Stir in the rice, mix well then add the reserved poaching liquid. Bring back to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Add chicken and prawns, and cook uncovered until the rice and prawns are cooked - approx 20 minutes. You may need to add more poaching liquid as the rice absorbs it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Serve with a side order of fireworks! </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Shop-Orleans-Restaurant-Cookbook/dp/0966863607">Jambalaya:</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">500g chicken thighs and breasts, bones and skin included</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">cold water to cover</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">3 chorizo links, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">3 small onions, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 green bell pepper, chopped</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">4 stalks celery, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">6 cloves garlic, crushed</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1x400g tin tomatoes</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1/2tsp white pepper</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1/2tsp black pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1/4tsp cayenne pepper</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 cup long grain rice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 1/2 cups (minimum) stock from poaching the chicken</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">500g raw king prawns, peeled</span></div>
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</div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0Porthallow, opp The Beach (Hail and ride), Saint Keverne, Porthallow, Cornwall TR12 6, UK50.0676076417242 -5.079975128173828150.0574156417242 -5.0997161281738279 50.077799641724205 -5.0602341281738283tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-29659146413837138762011-11-02T05:46:00.000-07:002011-11-02T05:52:01.866-07:00Twins, Hedgehogs and Lemon Curd Blondies...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So I haven’t been at home much recently for cooking or writing purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most recently - visiting a friend in Oxfordshire...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday, we were on an autumnal walk, picking up dry leaves for her 19 month old twin boys to scrunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The boys were peering out of their double buggy and I was full of the joys of autumn when in with the leaves (and a mini “I’m almost two” tantrum-ette) we found a hedgehog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Very over excited we were immediately overcome with the warm and fuzzies and were mid-way through planning a rescue mission thanks to the local hedgehog hospital within walking distance…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then the practicalities waded in - how the hell do you even go about picking one up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And aren’t they supposed to be flea-ridden and rabid?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finally, sadly - Ummm… is it actually even alive?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, after closer scrutiny we discovered we had very almost rescued a (very dead it turns out) hedgehog…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the idealistic autumnal day planned but never mind!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Anyway – on a happier and more appetizing note, </span><a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-change-on-good-ship-duncan.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">my leftover lemon curd</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided that swirling it through an oatmeal blondie was the way to go. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The recipe could do with a bit of tweaking but turned out remarkably well considering it was a first attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creamy oats and tangy lemon is a winner in my book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 180°C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grease and line your baking tin (the one I used was approximately 8x15”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cream together the sugars with the butter then add the eggs and mix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grad add the flour, raising agents, salt and 1 ½ cups of the oats and mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swirl through half the lemon curd and spoon into the prepared tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smooth the top of the mixture and dollop over the rest of the lemon curd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of oats and bake approximately 30 minutes until golden brown (check with a skewer after 25 minutes to gauge how fast it’s cooking – you want it to have a fudgey texture like a brownie).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cool the blondie in the tin for another half hour then cool it the rest of the way on a wire rack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cut into small squares and eat!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Oatmeal and Lemon Curd Blondies: (fills 8x15” tin)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 cup white sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 cup demerera sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">125g butter, softened</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 cups self-raising flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp bicarbonate of soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 cups porridge oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">5tbsp lemon curd</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-29979654242753307222011-10-26T01:50:00.000-07:002011-10-26T01:50:58.473-07:00Pig in a Day...<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A minor disclaimer before I start:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This post might not be best for the squeamish!</span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Last weekend (<a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/surprise-hes-early.html">between auntie visiting hours</a>) I was down in Devon on a <a href="http://www.rivercottage.net/">River Cottage</a> “Pig in a Day” course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I was slightly anxious when I first arrived because: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">a) I didn't really know what a “Pig in a Day” course might entail, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">b) I’d only managed to listen to the first half of the world cup final and, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">c) I appeared to have entered an alternate reality populated entirely by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall look-a-likes...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Floppy unruly hair... tick; bold checked shirt... tick; body warmers and "gardening" jeans... tick; plummy accent... tick, tick, tick!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Attack of the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls aside, <em>what</em> a stormer of a day!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started with home cured bacon and tomato relish sandwiches in the backyard yurt... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">then went on to learn how to butcher a carcass and utilise every single last piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> ...and w</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #351c75;">h</span></span>en</span> I say every single I mean EV</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">ERY SINGLE!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were recipes <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and demonstrations</span> for brawn (using the head and trotters), devilled kidneys, liver pate, even brain “mcnuggets”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We were shown how to stuff, smoke, cure, air dry, make sausages and chorizo... all interspersed with endless tastings, snacks and an enormous Sunday roast (pork naturally!).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The guys running the course were incredibly knowledgeable, relaxed and fun... I had an amazing day and would like to pass on a massive thank you to "the girls" for an awesome birthday present and Mr and Mrs T for hosting us all!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The (very garlicy) chorizo is currently stinking out our fridge in London waiting the obligatory drying time before I can use it... I CAN’T WAIT!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The chorizo is made using the same method as <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-sausages.html">sausages</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Rinse and soak the casings overnight in cold water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mince the pork and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stuff the casings (<a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-sausages.html">for more detailed instructions see this link</a>), twist to form individual sausages and hang in the fridge for at least one week before cooking.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Watch this space for the recipe using them, perhaps the perfect excuse for a jambalaya? Who knows...!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cooking Chorizo: (makes 50 sausages)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">8 metres hog casing</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">5kg pork (roughly 20% fat)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">100g salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">125g smoked paprika</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">70g sweet paprika</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">15g cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">50g fennel seeds, lightly toasted</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">10 cloves of garlic, crushed</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2 glasses red wine</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHan2xIMZEDJ8vzY901cGAe8ZSGOIgFf_sDPZu2P3RsFxS08RceQ4bdHmFzzzJcA9uceVaF_bx2QOxSFUSDUpyOwA2FysDGGzZSHfLI1Sd6wpVT8EACg1vIelOcuZD87GH2tUXwMVuh4K/s1600/P1190578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHan2xIMZEDJ8vzY901cGAe8ZSGOIgFf_sDPZu2P3RsFxS08RceQ4bdHmFzzzJcA9uceVaF_bx2QOxSFUSDUpyOwA2FysDGGzZSHfLI1Sd6wpVT8EACg1vIelOcuZD87GH2tUXwMVuh4K/s400/P1190578.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-62954859530303557382011-10-24T01:37:00.000-07:002012-01-06T04:23:52.329-08:00Surprise! He’s early...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The countdown is over... Welcome to the world Fraser Duncan!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lOfYDq57voQBrfOt-Cm02ul143V1Orer_m0K1quiGpOb72DERo9wnHV6x9pAZ7Kis5Wq6rtCuyG_TKSINor1eoNymdh9HE1MKjGRxHibAPNt0sFVFPs6HsLDm82qf_uqNpACwPqvXOJs/s1600/P1190544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lOfYDq57voQBrfOt-Cm02ul143V1Orer_m0K1quiGpOb72DERo9wnHV6x9pAZ7Kis5Wq6rtCuyG_TKSINor1eoNymdh9HE1MKjGRxHibAPNt0sFVFPs6HsLDm82qf_uqNpACwPqvXOJs/s400/P1190544.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">My brand spanking new nephew was born Friday morning – and I’m already utterly besotted with him: he’s without doubt the smallest yet most entertaining person I’ve ever met!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnFnbdd5q6OI12B2PL25yKeTxsuThNxTXRhWzEnGu3DF1I9O45TNFJOwuJTWj4WewcUnzn2BePhyphenhyphenhVse33WH-VY84SoFNyxxlXh1Dnvuh7BL3oMS7mWZ5N4W0N6YufuQHEKFI92mUhtTL/s1600/P1190560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnFnbdd5q6OI12B2PL25yKeTxsuThNxTXRhWzEnGu3DF1I9O45TNFJOwuJTWj4WewcUnzn2BePhyphenhyphenhVse33WH-VY84SoFNyxxlXh1Dnvuh7BL3oMS7mWZ5N4W0N6YufuQHEKFI92mUhtTL/s320/P1190560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I think he looks like my sister-in-law, she thinks he looks like my brother, and my brother thinks he looks like me... only one thing’s for certain – he's definately got my dad’s hairline!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Looking forward to the upcoming innumerable doting auntie moments...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-25930467260817755772011-10-20T09:10:00.000-07:002011-10-20T09:10:16.887-07:00More Christmas booze - this time berry whiskey...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I’m not a giant whiskey fan. It’s one of those drinks which can give me a hangover by catching a glimpse of it... from a distance... out of the corner of my eye! Not a great characteristic for a girl with so much Scottish heritage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The only way I’ve ever really enjoyed it was in a recipe I used when I was working as a chalet girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whiskey was added to a caramel sauce and poured over orange spiked bread and butter pudding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So (naturally) I’ve taken to assuming that if I add enough sugar and fruity flavours I can make it Lindsay-proof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping against hope I’ve found my whiskey loophole as I’ve already made a litre of sweet mixed berry whiskey for Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I know, I know! Not necessarily a particularly logical choice for someone who is a self-proclaimed whiskey-cynic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how could I resist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's like sloe gin’s distant Scottish cousin... It sounds so deliciously warming. Just the thing to curl up with when you’re contemplating the Christmas fallout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe even something to toast the New Year in with...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The recipe is definitely a marathon not a sprint – although it takes absolute minimum effort it’s spread over months!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I’ll keep you posted on the results – I have everything crossed for loving it... but if it’s still too “whiskey-like” for me don’t be surprised to find some lurking in your stockings!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Fill a kilner jar (or two!) with the fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour the sugar over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Top up with whiskey and shake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Place the kilner jars in a dark cool place (I’ve used my cellar steps).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Fo</span>r the first two weeks shake the jars daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Then every other week for the next six weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Strain the mixture so that any solids are removed and bottle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then all that’s left is (hopefully) enjoying it!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Mixed Berry Whiskey: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">700ml whiskey</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1kg mixed red fruit (I used cherries, red grapes, blackberries and blackcurrents)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">225g sugar</span></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-27648716440488137582011-10-18T05:27:00.000-07:002011-10-18T05:27:36.975-07:00all change on the good ship Duncan...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">This week has been a week of change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye to: having a boyfriend, working in Shoreditch, cycling to work on a death trap and being the youngest in the family...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hello to: being single again, working in Clarkenwell, cycling to work on a bike with actual working brakes, and my sister-in-law’s due date (one week today!)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In the midst of all this change I had the family over for a very relaxed afternoon tea on Sunday... one of the stars of the show (in comparison say, to the overly “caramelised” fruit scones) was the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/07/nigel-slater-lemon-curd-recipes">lemon curd</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A delicious way of disguising the <em>slightly</em> overcooked scones if ever I found one! </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It was so good it was also sandwiched with some sweetened mascarpone between lavender shortbreads, slathered on toast and dolloped on sticky gingerbread... a bit of an all-rounder hero really!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place the lemon juice, zest, sugar and butter in a bowl over simmering water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir this until the butter has melted.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Beat together the eggs and the extra yolk and stir into the bain marie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cook stirring regularly for 10 minutes until thick.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Remove from the heat and stir until it is cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour into sterilised jars and seal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/07/nigel-slater-lemon-curd-recipes">Lemon Curd: (makes 2 small jars) </a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">4 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice<br />200g sugar<br />100g butter, cut to cubes<br />3 eggs and 1 egg yolk</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-24630616308998134042011-10-11T07:16:00.000-07:002011-10-11T07:16:48.776-07:00Goodbye to the short-lived baking embargo!! Hello yummy Courgette and Mozzarella Muffins...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/10/food-blogging-makes-you-fat-chocolate.html">Last week’s baking embargo</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> was blown well and truly out of the water over the weekend!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were almond croissants, pan aux raisin, and muffins secreted in with the usual autumnal jams, jellies, and pickles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve therefore decided that instead of attempting to eat less or healthier (it was in hindsight a remarkably implausible challenge for someone like me!) I will just have to exercise more...</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Now I know: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not exactly a gym person - but, I’ve managed to find another fun alternative to keep me fit between surfing and snowboarding – indoor climbing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve signed up for a course and am loving it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fingers crossed it will be enough to keep me and the added blog calories from falling out – if not pity the poor fool who has to belay my climbs!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I would like to think that because <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/10/courgette-mozzarella-muffin-recipe">these Courgette and Mozzarella Muffins from Dan Lepard</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> aren’t laden with butter and sugar and contain actual live healthy vegetables we can pretend that they are in fact good for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll quickly gloss straight over the oil and cheese content... who cares?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They taste gooooood! What's a little oil and cheese amongst friends?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The muffins were perfect (still warm from the oven so the mozzarella was all gooey) for a quick weekend snack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely one to make again... (and again... and again!)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place muffin papers in 18 holes of a 24-hole muffin tin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/10/courgette-mozzarella-muffin-recipe">Courgette and Mozzarella Muffins</a> (makes 18): </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">2 large eggs, beaten well</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">275g mozzarella (drained weight), cubed</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">1 large courgette, grated</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">275g self-raising flour</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-79924030034860292082011-10-06T02:47:00.000-07:002011-10-06T02:47:05.752-07:00Food Blogging Makes you Fat: Chocolate-Dipped Florentines<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">It’s a fact – I’ve never consumed so much cake in my life! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m having it for breakfast, 11ses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, dessert, midnight snacks… FATTTYYYYYYYY! I've started using this blog as an excuse to bake morning, noon and night...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I've always been a big eater but even I'm getting slightly conserned! </span>This much sugar and butter every day could quite possibly turn me into the world's first human bouncy castle...</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In an attempt to not end up the size of a bus by my 31<sup>st</sup> birthday I’ve come to the simple conclusion that I’m going to try and restrict myself <em>(good luck with that one!)</em> .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half of my posts<em> (she optimistically writes)</em> are going to hopefully start to be at least distant cousins to healthier food… Or perhaps I’ll have to put myself on an “only baking when it’s for someone else” ban… Or maybe just resign myself to biting the bullet and going on that <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moo%20moo">moo moo shopping spree</a>...</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">So, I've decided to make freezable Christmas presents for the next few weeks in an attempt to give my body a bit of a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First up: Chocolate-Dipped Florentines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily this post isn’t going to ruin anyone’s Christmas morning surprise: Mum requested these pretty much as soon as she’d polished off last year’s batch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/06/chocolatedipped-1/">the recipe is one of David Lebovitz’s</a> – the first of his I’ve tried and it’s a winner.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">These biscuits <em>(yes I know – not exactly healthy but they ARE for someone else)</em> are delicious – I managed to only “test” one… well two… ok THREE but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in my defense you have to make <u>sure</u> when you’re gifting the end product!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em>(Mum see what sacrifices I make for you!?)</em></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to <span style="color: #351c75;">150</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #351c75;">˚C. Grease and line your baking trays.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">In a bowl mix together all of the ingredients (apart from the chocolate).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fill a small bowl with cold water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Dip your hands in the water then pick up a tablespoon sized portion and heap it on the prepared baking tray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Repeat with the rest of the mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Once you’ve used it all up, dip the fork in the water between flattening each biscuit as much as possible while avoiding gaps in the mixture and trying to keep an even shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIb1lRvTMyOYGfzmxfrPKr5sBYj4RZfcpWX76_j73X-yb5_67gM-VCC0OkUDdUC-ijlYPeDPHRnMQrHFFgUiS3A30kKc80RY-fa_deMs0HSWSor8SP8rfyy9bJ0POqOFIzGdwPbGaWsgy/s1600/P1190383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIb1lRvTMyOYGfzmxfrPKr5sBYj4RZfcpWX76_j73X-yb5_67gM-VCC0OkUDdUC-ijlYPeDPHRnMQrHFFgUiS3A30kKc80RY-fa_deMs0HSWSor8SP8rfyy9bJ0POqOFIzGdwPbGaWsgy/s400/P1190383.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Melt the chocolate and brush the base of each biscuit in a thin layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave in the fridge until set and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or as I’ve done, freeze as a very early start on Christmas baking!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRulHsZM6tnacaZf8qUa4zuFoZbPCx0PnAwIrz6kwM_TrJtVbiRWE2bl88RtxRSgUM4xpEbWGLyU2kxALpDt7mvzoa_tVfIbJbWvVnvCQJJvD1Y9Kda_PElm5pPVpRC9dzvEltSeyap1f/s1600/P1190385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRulHsZM6tnacaZf8qUa4zuFoZbPCx0PnAwIrz6kwM_TrJtVbiRWE2bl88RtxRSgUM4xpEbWGLyU2kxALpDt7mvzoa_tVfIbJbWvVnvCQJJvD1Y9Kda_PElm5pPVpRC9dzvEltSeyap1f/s400/P1190385.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/06/chocolatedipped-1/">David Lebovitz's Chocolate-Dipped Florentines:</a> (makes 20-25)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">1 large egg white, at room temperature<br />50g icing sugar<br />130g blanched sliced almonds<br />a good pinch of flaky sea salt<br />grated zest of half an orange, preferably unsprayed</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #202122; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">100g dark chocolate, melted</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-27564055696437979192011-10-03T05:04:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:06:54.757-07:00Indian Summer, too much Sangria and Squidgy Lemon Cake...<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">God bless Indian summers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent pretty much the entire weekend on a friend’s balcony basking in the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were lined up like sardines, sun loungers and hammocks filling every available space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hq4XrCcbua8hjPFsMYLvGjNg9UfPiXQWnbOsna9qSKveVfs4HIGHSEiLjI6LlU2wb3AZCF9BGbv3IiTvXPt0dEv9mH85V3n8a3zIKX_T60vd4Gwxq_JpcEHNQ7L68WexV8pCfGfQ7Q_1/s1600/P1190452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hq4XrCcbua8hjPFsMYLvGjNg9UfPiXQWnbOsna9qSKveVfs4HIGHSEiLjI6LlU2wb3AZCF9BGbv3IiTvXPt0dEv9mH85V3n8a3zIKX_T60vd4Gwxq_JpcEHNQ7L68WexV8pCfGfQ7Q_1/s320/P1190452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An epic barbeque and endless jugs of sangria and pimms mixed with good friends and lots of sun – it was like a mini-holiday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh – Monday morning blues are here to stay...</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In an attempt to inject some much needed sugar into the morning after the night before I made <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/11/lemon-drizzle-cake">this squidgy lemon cake</a> yesterday</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> – perfection!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dense, intensely lemony, with a brilliant yellowy colour, but sadly it was as ugly as sin!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit the ugly part was completely my fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should know by now not to attempt baking on a hangover...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">My poor creation was unceremoniously dumped out of it’s tin in several pieces and then aggressively stuck back together with lumpy lemony icing... never-the-less, presentation and effort aside it was still delicious and hoovered up in minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This recipe was remarkably similar to another cake I baked recently... a cake which is terrifyingly easy to make and would have been the perfect choice when feeling decidedly "delicate"! A Lemon Polenta Cake which I found on the back of an <a href="http://www.grains2mill.co.uk/farms">Imbhams Farm</a> Granary Polenta Flour bag</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Luckily, having two favourite lemon cake recipes now will mean a series of taste tests... Looks like I’ll be needing to join a gym this autumn!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Preheat the oven to 160˚C and line a loaf tin with baking parchment.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Blend all the ingredients (except the blueberries) in a food processor until smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> S</span>tir through the berries and spoon into the prepared tin.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Bake for 50-55 minutes, then leave the cake in the tin until cool.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtx74G1AlYiue9wd4Uhq-5Qw_4O2YBS42df14hkBn0s06gpINQ7Mn65h6MSmmC2f5qktwLobhuf59Steevp8BFXHg8ElgW14VoEhJCWIHnEGLMlmY0pJlP1X75GIb99Fu67KEUNtWXFKa/s1600/P1190223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtx74G1AlYiue9wd4Uhq-5Qw_4O2YBS42df14hkBn0s06gpINQ7Mn65h6MSmmC2f5qktwLobhuf59Steevp8BFXHg8ElgW14VoEhJCWIHnEGLMlmY0pJlP1X75GIb99Fu67KEUNtWXFKa/s400/P1190223.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Lemon Polenta Cake: (makes 1 loaf)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">115g polenta flour</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">175g unsalted butter, softened</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">225g brown sugar</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">200g ground almonds</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">3 large eggs</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">3 lemons, zested</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">1 ½ lemons, juice</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Blueberries to taste</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-90977130159943051262011-09-30T08:14:00.000-07:002011-09-30T08:14:29.656-07:00Early Christmas tipple... an ideal distraction from snowy thoughts?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">As perverse as it seems in this late summer sun I’m already in full Christmas preparation mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only explain it as a way of drowning the horrible niggle rattling away in the back of my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The niggle which tells me this winter I won’t be going out to spend 5 months up a mountain snowboarding my little heart out... again... THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It makes me sad to think about so I keep my mind elsewhere... Now that my holiday is out of the way Christmas at home with my family is the next big distraction – especially with the added bonus of an impending nephew!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And so, just like last year (although somehow it's SOOO much worse) - Christmas is my get to point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I manage December without unintentionally smuggling myself aboard a bus full of departing seasonairres I'll be over the first hurdle.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8025/spiced-arancello"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This</span></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> might just be the drink I toast myself with when I (fingers crossed) manage to make it through my friends’ en masse desertion – a tasty little beverage if ever there was one... unfortunately it’s mighty quaffable so won’t necessarily last the distance!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Zest the oranges in long wide strips using a potato peeler (ensuring no pith is attached).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fill a large kilner jar with the zest, spices and vanilla pod then pour over the vodka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seal and leave to steep for a week, shaking the jar every day. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">After a week of shaking, dissolve the sugar in 500ml boiling water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to the vodka mix and then leave for another week, shaking the jar every day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">After this second week strain into bottles and discard the solids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is ideal for gifts – just drop some fresh peel and spices into the bottle before giving.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It will keep for 6 months. Which coincidentally is long enough to keep me going until March when I'll be off visiting friends in La Plagne for (almost) the whole month...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8025/spiced-arancello"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Spiced arancello:</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1L vodka</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">5 large oranges, zest only</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2-3 cardamom pods</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 cinnamon stick</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">600g sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Extra oranges, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and vanilla pods for decoration once bottled.</span></div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-31092488786038570282011-09-28T08:11:00.000-07:002011-09-28T08:11:53.563-07:00Surf, sandy wetsuits, sunsets and seafood, seafood, seafood...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Well I know I promised in the last post that I wasn't going to gloat but <em>what</em> a holiday... I’ve still got the glow even though I flew home five days and was greeted back with grey skies, rain and 240 expectant emails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">I’d never been to Portugal before but think we unexpectedly hit the jackpot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in a little town called Arrifana on the western coast of the Algarve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was tucked well away from the usual tourist honeypots with a harshly arid landscape, bright red soil and that amazing smell I always associate with hot climates; citrus, eucalyptus and pine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We were perfectly positioned – close enough to the beach to walk and with views of the glowing orange sunsets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Highlights for me were: the company of great friends; delicious food; surfing every day; my friend Nina's invention of "Mungo" (the worst cocktail EVER); spending the week with my friend’s young son referring to me as “Uncle Lindsay”; Dolly Parton impersonations (it was a drunken birthday – what else are you supposed to do with all those balloons?), Net-Spoon championships*.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">.. oh and did I mention the foooodddd... We had breakfasts in the sun after early surfs, long lazy lunches, and barbecued fresh fish every evening... Delicious! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>*It would probably be best not to explain the wonder of Net-Spoon (I imagine some of the beauty will be lost in translation) but in case anyone is interested in this bizarre game it involves competing to throw the contents of the cutlery drawer into the pool cleaning net. </em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Low points were restricted to (...and lets face it, it wasn't much of a low): getting one of the fins of my surfboard in the back of my head on day one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to spend the rest of the day (unable to surf as no-one had ready access to some superglue to stick me back together) being mocked by my friends with a makeshift bandage made from a blue swab (donated by a very unsure looking lifeguard) and a spare pair of bikini bottoms... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Truly I can't believe how fast the week went - I could have spent months in the same routine and not got bored!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Once back, in a bid to keep my holiday feeling going for a bit longer I made these Portuguese style biscuits for my colleagues... I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gourmet-Cookie-Book-Single-1941-2009/dp/0547328168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317220861&sr=8-1">"The Gourmet Cookie Book"</a> after reading <a href="http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2010/12/benne-wafers.html">this post</a> and I'm SOOOO glad I did... these little loves are ridiculously easy to make:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 180</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">˚C. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Mix the ground almonds, bread crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Separate three of the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Add the almond extract and mix.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Roll spoonfuls into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Make an indentation in the top of each of the cookies. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Beat together the egg yolks and the remaining whole egg. Fill the hollows in the top of each biscuit with approximately half a teaspoon of beaten egg mixture. Then top it off with a whole almond. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Almond Bolas (Portuguese Almond Cookies):</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">3 cups ground almonds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">4 eggs (3 separated, 1 whole)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">1 1/2tsp almond extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Whole almonds, enough to stud the top of each cookie</span></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-73636893932599317502011-09-21T04:47:00.000-07:002011-09-21T04:47:00.878-07:00Holiday...<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Currently I'm sunning myself on a beach... or surfing... or maybe wandering around a market full of yummy treats in the south-west corner of Portugal... here is my postcard to you all...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Weather's good, food's great, wish you were here...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">:o)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">x</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I promise I'm not just gloating... no really! I thought I'd also share <a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/bread/irish-tea-bread.html">Delia’s recipe </a>for Irish Tea Bread which I made before setting off...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It's super tasty and that's coming from someone who doesn't like fruitcake! It really can't be beaten when toasted and slathered in butter... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The day before you want to bake, dissolve the sugar in the hot tea, add the fruit and candied peel and leave overnight to plump up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pre-heat the oven to <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">170<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">˚C. Bake the nuts for 6-8 minutes then roughly chop once cooled.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Stir the egg mixture in to the soaked fruit. Sift the flour in then stir in the nuts.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Divide the mixture between two lined loaf tins and bake for 75-90 minutes. Immediately remove them from the tins and cool on a wire rack.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/bread/irish-tea-bread.html">Irish Tea Bread</a>: makes 2 small loaves </span></div>
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225g raisins<br />
225g currents<br />
225g sultanas<br />
110g candied peel, chopped<br />
225g demerera sugar<br />
275ml Earl Grey tea (or any fragrant tea), hot<br />
90g hazelnuts<br />
90g almonds<br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with 4tbsp milk<br />
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450g self-raising flour</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0Estr. EN268, 8670 Aljezur Municipality, Portugal37.2133783531779 -8.890771865844726637.2070553531779 -8.9006423658447265 37.2197013531779 -8.8809013658447267tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3548764948600320337.post-79718550438176639212011-09-14T04:07:00.000-07:002011-09-14T04:07:35.798-07:00A pretty pickle...<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sandburg"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Carl Sandburg</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> once said: “Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep”... </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">...then again he also said “the moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to” so possibly isn’t the most sane of people to listen to!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em>(No offence budding poets!)</em></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps a more fitting phrase for me this week would be “Life is like a pickled onion: you pop one in your mouth and spend the next few moments in a rapture of gurning, vinegary, delight!”... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Yes, this week I have been pickling anything that has sat still on the counter top long enough to be thrown in vinegar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A vat of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A655535">pickled onions</a></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> and more <a href="http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/pam-s-piccalilli-recipe">piccalilli</a></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> than you could shake a stick at... which is apparently quite a lot!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Only three days left until my holiday to Portugal... <a href="http://recipe-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2011/09/wanderer-returns.html">goodbye preserving</a>, HELLLOOOOOO sun, sand, swimming pools, sangria, surfing and Portuguese Custard Tarts! Ok, so the last one doesn’t start with S but it’s still pretty exciting!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Don't miss me too much...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A655535">Pickled Onions:</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Make brine by boiling one litre of water with the salt until dissolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peel the shallots, and submerge in the brine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave for at least 24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Place the rest of the ingredients and two of the peeled shallots in a pan with an additional teaspoon of salt and two peeled shallots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring to the boil and boil for five minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn off the heat and leave to cool completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Rinse the brine from the shallots and pack them into jars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour over the cold vinegar, seal and store in a cool place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave for at least a week before opening.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/pam-s-piccalilli-recipe">Piccalilli:</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Place the vegetables in a colander over a bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprinkle with salt and mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cover with a tea towel and place in the fridge for 24 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rinse with cold water and leave in the colander to drain.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Blend the cornflour, turmeric, mustard, ginger, and seeds to a smooth paste with a small amount of vinegar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Bring the rest of the vinegar to the boil with the sugar and honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour a little of the hot vinegar in the spice paste to loosen it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then pour into the vinegar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring back to the boil and stir until thickened to the consistency desired then turn off the heat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Stir in the vegetables and pack into warm, sterilised jars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave for 6 weeks before opening and use within the year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A655535">Pickled Onions:</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1kg shallots</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">250g salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1L malt vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">60g pickling spices (I used a mixture of whole coriander seeds, mustard seeds, chilli, peppercorns, bay leaves, all spice)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">25g root ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 small cinnamon stick</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/pam-s-piccalilli-recipe">Piccalilli:</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1kg assorted crunchy vegetables, chopped to bite-sized pieces (I used radish, courgette, cauliflower, cucumber, green beans, carrot, and onion)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">50g salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">60g cornflour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">20g turmeric</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">20g English mustard powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">20g ground ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1 tbsp mustard seeds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2tsp cumin seeds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">2tsp coriander seeds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">1L vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">100g sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">300g honey</span></div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13639533105502921012noreply@blogger.com0