Tuesday, August 31st

Due to my impossible internet connection, I decided not to blog for a week. Not cooking all the time gave me time to read a bit;

I don’t like chocolate is a very amusing comic book by Jesse Breytenbach, who “has been reading comics since primary school and eating food for even longer.”

Sudi Pigott’s how to be a better foodie has limited appeal. Very pretentious, nothing new.

On the other hand, Jeffrey Steingarten’s The Man who ate Everything, was funny, fabulous, informative and riveting.

Snarling Tiger, Dirty Rat (Rattling the Cage of the Chinese Zodiac) by Stella Hyde, that I just dipped into at random, is funny.

I abandoned Why Pandas do Handstands by Augustus Brown after the umpteenth inaccuracy. I quote: “Sloth bears carry their young on their backs. They are the only mammal, apart from the occasional human dad, known to do this.”

Coconut and Orange Cake

Line two bread tins or cake tins. This cake clings to the tins, don’t attempt in unlined tins.

4 Free Range Eggs, whisked well

220g Butter, melted

220g Coconut, fine desiccated

220g Sugar

100g Honey

300g Self-Raising Flour

20ml Orange zest

320ml Freshly squeezed orange juice

5ml Salt

250g Yogurt

Mix well, pour into pans and bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes.

Monday, August 23rd

I bought The Back in Time Tarot Book by Janet Boyer, but it was probably a mistake.

Rice with Gorgonzola

This is more a suggestion than a recipe:

Stir crumbed Gorgonzola to taste into hot, cooked rice. Sprinkle with herbs.

Saturday, August 21st

Thursday & Friday on Saturday

Due to my abysmal new 3G connection, I was unable to post my blog when I intended to.

I managed some reading this week; I finally read Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams, a book whose existence I was unaware of until this week!

I though The Irish Game – A True Story of Crime & Art by Matthew Hart very entertaining.

Moon Watcher by Donna Henes is somewhat interesting; I did not read it, just scanned it.

Baked Onions

5 Large Onions, use an apple corer to remove the hearts, try to do without piercing all the way through.

100g Strong cheese, grated

Handful fresh Coriander Leaves

5ml Minced chilli

Mix together well, use to stuff onions. Place on baking tray and bake at 180°C for an hour. Peel and slice thickly to serve.

I am not doing Friday's recipe this week as it will mess up my labels.

Wednesday, August 18th

I never seem to have time to read any more, this blog is just about the + recipe.

Lucifer cake

12 Free Range egg whites, beat until whites stay in bowl when turned upside down
5ml Salt, add to whites
10ml Cream of Tartar, add to whites

10ml Cinnamon

300g Castor sugar
175g Cocoa powder
Sieve together and beat into stiff whites, a bit at a time.


Pour mixture into ungreased loose bottomed ring tin and bake for 40minutes at 180C. Eat plain or pour melted dark chocolate over cake.

Tuesday, August 17th

Butternut Dip

1kg Butternut, cleaned and cooked

250g Creme Fraiche

5ml Cumin, ground

Blend together until smooth. Ground more cumin over top.

Monday, August 16th

Read two great books; Revolutionaries of the Cosmos- The Astro-Physicists by IS Glass & The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs.

Fruit Dip

Lots!

Handful fresh mint leaves

750g Creme Fraiche

200g Honey

Blend till smooth. Put in bowl, in centre of tray full of fruit slices.

Friday, August 13th

Corn Bread

1.2kg Corn, cut from the cob

200g Butter, melt all

300ml Flour

20ml Baking Powder

10ml Salt

Mix all, blend or puree. Pour into oiled loaf Pyrex, bake in bain marie for an hour at 180C.

Thursday, August 12th

Dressing for Mushrooms

1 part Red Wine Vinegar

1 part Thick Soya sauce

1 part Water

Mix well.

I poured it over dry baked mushrooms.

Wednesday, August 11th

Marrows in Ramekins

Oil 12 ramekins

1.2kg Mixed marrows, grated, fried in sesame oil, put in colander to drain

250ml Cream, in pot on low heat

250g Brie, chopped, add to cream and melt

2 sprigs Rosemary, add to cheese

4ml Salt, add to cheese

4 Free Range eggs, well beaten, add to cooled cheese mixture

75ml Sesame seeds, browned, add to mixture

Add well drained marrows to cheese mixture, stir well, pour into ramekins, bake in bain marie for 30 minutes at 180C.

Tuesday, August 10th

Spinach with Strawberries

Baby spinach leaves (Steamed or raw)

Strawberries, sliced, mix with leaves

White Balsamic, sprinkle over mixture to taste

Monday, August 9th

I read The Collector of Worlds by Iliya Troyanov, about Richard Francis Burton's life. The first two parts of the book wasn't bad, but as Burton succumbs to fevers during the final section, so does the narrative of the African section.

Cypress by Craig Deihl is a very pretty cookbook. Unfortunately, as with most restaurant cookbooks, all recipes seem to comprise many others, so that every dish seems to be a day's work.

Butternut & cheese Pie

1kg Butternut cubes, cooked and pureed

3 Free Range Eggs, beaten and mixed into butternut

300g Cream cheese, beat into eggs

15ml Cumin seeds, crushed, stir into mixture

15g Fresh ginger, peeled and pulverised, stir into mixture

3ml Salt, add

300g Double gloucester cheese, grated, add HALF to mixture

Mix everything well, pour into shallow Pyrex, top with remaining cheese, bake for 40 minutes at 180C.

Friday, August 6th

The World of Spice by Michael Bateman is a delight.

Bitter Jelly

75g Gelatine powder

200ml Boiling water, sprinkle gelatine onto water and leave to dissolve

800ml Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

200ml Granadilla pulp

125ml Fructose

400g Strawberries

Mix together, pour into individual ramekins with a large strawberry in each. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Thursday, August 5th

Mushroom tart

Line small square Pyrex with pastry. (Cream cheese pastry works well here)

50g Butter
2ml Tarragon (dried)
400g Brown mushrooms, chopped, fry all mushrooms, in batches, in butter, with tarragon
120g Shiitake Mushrooms, quartered
240g Oyster mushrooms, torn
50ml Fresh lime juice, pour onto cooked mushrooms, fry until dry
4 Free Range Eggs, beat well
3ml Lemon salt, add to eggs
250ml Sour Cream, add to eggs
50ml Wholegrain mustard, add to egg mixture

Add fried mushrooms to egg mixture, pour into pastry case, top with pastry and bake for 1 hour at 180C.

Wednesday, August 4th

Quick Spaghetti

250g Bacon, chopped, fried crisp
50g Butter; remove bacon from pan, add butter
400g Brown Mushrooms, chopped, fry in butter
500g Spaghetti, cook per instructions on packets
100g Basil pesto, stir into drained pasta
100g Grano Padano, grated

Add mushrooms, bacon & cheese to pesto pasta & serve with salad

Tuesday, August 3rd

A use for forgotten cake, it is delicious.

Not Trifle

50g Butter
200g Dark chocolate, melt with butter
100g Preserved ginger, chopped
200g Mascarpone
200g Cake, crumbed
50g Cocoa
30g Nuts, finely chopped

Mix well, pour into dish lined with cling wrap. Cover & refrigerate.

Monday, August 2nd

The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman was disappointing. Yet another novel about the Philosopher's stone, although never referred to by that name in the book.

Mark Rowlands' philosophy, Fame, is superb.

Parsnip starter

Line sides and bases of 6 ramekins with edible blanched leaves, spinach or sorrel.

300g Parsnips, peeled, cooked and pureed
300g Spring onion flavoured cream cheese
1 Free Range egg
30ml Pesto (sorrel pesto works well here)
Mix well, pour into prepared ramekins and bake in Bain Marie for 30 minutes at 180C.