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Snippets - just stuff...

30/3/2019

6 Comments

 
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Some things I've been thinking  about...
Glasses - just a reminder of a great lunch, languid and generous - wine-maker Tim Knappstein - no more no less.

"Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour."  Charles Maurice de Talleyrand - 1754-1838 French philosopher and diplomat. 

Some people are uncomfortable  hearing swearwords. Some people get edgy and giggle when the word "butter" is mentioned.

What is it with the centre of the plate? It seems to terrify people when they serve themselves.

At my greengrocer's, saw infant carrots.  Are they larger than baby carrots but not as big as adolescent carrots? Is this trying to scare vegans?

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The "health" bandwagon is barreling its way through, not only the French language but also through traditional French flavours and la gourmandise.
​In my latest 
ELLE à Table bi-monthly magazine, I read the following. Even non-French speakers should get the drift.
  • Le comfort food
  • La food  (come on, is it le or la?)
  • Les recettes kids friendly
  • La daily patisserie
  • Sur Facebook - des likes, du love, des miams
  • Pour se lover, le healthy
  • tasteofparis.com - website for Le Festival des Chefs, with les Masterclasses.
I could go on.  I am in mourning for the past historic, the imperfect subjunctive and the irregular verbs. Perhaps Brexit wouldn't be a bad idea!

Went to the market. Cute young hipster at the organic stall (of course).
"I'd like a celery and two Grannie Smith apples. I've been watching Fawlty Towers."
"Ah ha! Waldorf Salad! My dad loves that show."
I felt very old.

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Celery- too much left over after our Waldorf salad. Sliced on an angle, poached, white sauce,  cheese & bread crumbs, baked, even better than cauliflower cheese.  
​Gratin - what's not to like?

Don't forget to check out comments - always a little extra, more stories or ideas for using peas (and pasta).

We (the royal we) love comments. Click below.
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Honey, peas and runcible spoons

17/3/2019

1 Comment

 
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Shutterstock.com Illustration Leonard Leslie Brooks 1922
The owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.


In the second verse, they marry - a simple ceremony - (an early example of marriage equality?)

And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon. 

They dined on mince and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
(Edward Lear - 1910)


But what, you ask, is a runcible spoon and why am I quoting Edward Lear?

Lear loved nonsense verse and nonsense words. The idea may have come from his friend George Runcy who talked of designing a spoon for children with tines at the end. Some were in fact manufactured in the early 1900s and it's not known if the spoon or the invented word came first. Like Lear, I like a fanciful word. And anyway, how often does it arise that I can suggest eating with a runcible spoon, whether it be peas, mince or quinces?  

Is the runcible spoon the inspiration for the Splayd, (far superior to the Spork)? This multi-function utensil was the invention of Bill McArthur, of Potts Point, New South Wales in the late 1940s. It went viral, as they say in media-speak, - popular in Australia, America and GB particularly for the stand-up buffet.  Boxed-sets are still available in our "better department stores", very reasonably priced. As their website tells us, "they are always in demand for gift giving".  I have boxes of them, no longer required. I'll keep a dozen and perhaps start de-cluttering by giving them as birthday and holiday presents. https://www.splayd.com.au  

Investigating on 
eBay, I'm SHOCKED to see that Sporks are being passed off as Splayds.  Don't be fooled.  Splayds have a distinctive mid-century modern simplicity and sophistication.
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At left - Splayds
Our very own runcible spoons

​I eat my peas with honey,
I've done it all my life.
It makes the peas taste funny
​But it keeps them on the knife.
(Anonymous - 1871)




​
In vintage etiquette manuals, peas are classed as a “difficult” food, along with artichokes, asparagus, sea urchins & rambutans as dessert.  It is recommended they not be served at a formal event because they are awkward to eat when knife and fork are held correctly (see post HKLP 21 Nov. 2017). Scooping is definitely out. If served, it is suggested you mash them onto the top of your fork, or impale a few on the tines or better still, if mashed potato is also served, incorporate them into the mash. (We are told, “At all times, consider what the person opposite you is seeing”.)
 
Sod that for a lark! Squashing? Mashed potato? Because I love peas, I must confess that I’m guilty of the surreptitious scoop.
 
Friend A.W. and his father were fortunate to be included in a dinner where grouse was served. A delicate situation threatened as the game bird was tasteless, dry and stringy.  After dinner A.W. asked his father how he had managed to keep accepting another helping so politely. He hadn’t noticed that each time his father accepted more grouse, he also took more mashed potato, which he used to cover and hide the inedible bird.        

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Peas and Pleasure

15/3/2019

8 Comments

 
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What a retro image!  So old-fashioned, so off-trend, so "vintage" it's nearly cool.  Whatever, it's my favourite dish of vegetables.  I made this with 500 gm of peas and I could have sat down on a muffet and eaten the whole lot with a runcible spoon.

They are peas, petits pois, done my mother's way where there's no such thing as crunchy, under-cooked vegetables. I never eat a plain, boiled, six-minute pea.

As a teenager, as you do, I looked into existentialism, positivism, rationalism, nihilism, humanism, atheism, anarchy and dialectics. At some stage, I was drawn to Charles Fourier (1772 - 1837 Paris), a Utopian Socialist.  He believed the transformation of labour into pleasure would lead to harmony and mutual consideration. I particularly liked his ideas on children, (for whom he recommended a diet of preserved peaches and sweet white wine).

He saw children as naturally industrious and it was simply a matter of channelling their energy.  (Their passion for filth made them perfect rubbish collectors.) The best occupation to utilise their love of activity and rummaging was the shelling and sorting of peas! 

Shelling peas is calm and "mesmerising", perfect for watching Dr Phil. Sadly, whether from a farmers' market or a supermarket, whether organic, macrobiotic, biodynamic, bucolic or hydroponic, they are disappointing.  

Fourier's peas would have been shelled and cooked within minutes of being picked from the vine.  Our peas in the pod can be days before arriving at a  greengrocer's shelf, then days before being sold, only to hang around a bit longer before being prepared in one's kitchen. As soon as pods are picked, the sugar in the peas begins converting to starch resulting eventually in "bullets". (Sorry, but...)

Are frozen peas better than fresh? IMO, yes, especially if you choose "baby" peas. There are no other vegetables that benefit as peas do from snap freezing.

Petit pois à la française (Peas in the French manner)
4 people - unless you want to eat them all yourself
500gm frozen "baby" peas
50 gm diced bacon (very, very optional)
50 gm -70gm sliced onion or spring onions, keeping some of the green 
50 gm diced carrot (optional)
60-80 gm lettuce, either leaves or heart
seasoning

A very flexible recipe, of course. If not using bacon, use the larger amount of onion, for the umami.  If using spring onions, cut into 7 cm pieces, using  the white and some of the green. It's nice to have a couple of small lettuce hearts but sliced outer leaves you don't know what to do with, work very well.
  • Over gentle heat, soften the bacon and onions in a little oil.
  • Add the peas and carrot and just cover with cold water.  If you have stock, (vegetable or chicken, use it.) Season with salt but be aware of the bacon, if using.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes, partly covered.
  • Add the lettuce on top.  Simmer a further 15 minutes, partly covered.  (No, this is not a typo.)
  • Serve in a bowl. (There's no hurry.  They will hold.)
Do not drain the peas.  Serve with the delicious juice intact. They make a good bed for a roasted chicken thigh, or zucchini fritters, or partridge breast or grilled asparagus or just serve as part of your main meal.

The question remains however. How does one eat peas?  I'm researching the answer.

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Carolina Reaper, anyone?

10/3/2019

5 Comments

 
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It's been a strange year in the suburban home garden.  Honey yield in the state is reported as 85% down on previous years.  That's a worry for a start. The avocado tree, the pride of the garden, will not offer anything this year; small fruit was blown away in several storms and then the heat polished off the rest. Nashi pears are not too bad, tomatoes, woeful although those that made it were superb.  

Any excess is with the figs and something we don't use much, chillies.  Oh, they are handsome, robust, plentiful and handsome. The punnet of three assorted seedlings was a mistake as we're not sure what we have. A brief tasting with our Bhutanese garden helper identified "birds-eye" (very hot), long and thin (hot) and cute and chubby (benign). I urged her to take away as many birds-eyes as possible.

The heat of a chilli was "codified" by Wilbur Scoville, an American,  in 1912.  The pungent heat comes from  capsaicin and is measured in SHUs (Scoville Heat Units).
To illustrate, your basic red or green capsicum is at zero SHUs whereas Police Grade capsicum spray is around 16,000,000 SHUs.

​Some approximate SHUs
Espelette                  1,000                 Poblano                    1,000
Jalapeño                   3,500                Serrano                    15,000
Cayenne                   30,000             Tabasco                    30,000
Scotch Bonnet       150,000             Habanero                300,00


At left, the Carolina Reaper, the world's hottest chilli as of 2019. It's the result of selective breeding and world record holder since 2013. It comes in at a whopping 2,200,000 SHUs! Check YouTube for blokes (yes, sorry,  it is mainly men) who sit around with other blokes and suffer, cry, groan, and writhe, the huge dose of capsaicin tearing through the delicate tissue of their innards.  (Then, they do it again.) The following day must be terrifying. Seeds are probably available online but you have to to admit it's one hell of an evil looking dude!

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My chillies (in a Tunisian couscous bowl) from the top and clockwise...
Birds-eye, I think - very hot, next, long & thin - hot, finally, plump and fruity and totally benign.  (Can you identify?)
​
The heat thing  is something I simply don't understand. I want flavour and a "small" kick. Too much is just not gastronomically delicious.  There, I've said it. Anyway, in the interest of using up some produce, today I make a fig and chilli chutney.  I use a tried and true fig jam recipe and simply add a fair amount of fresh garlic and some chillies. The result is not too bad.

I'll now give myself heartsease and make a cake.

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A Soft Touch...

3/3/2019

3 Comments

 
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Cauliflower Mouse with Lumpfish Roe (caviar).
Served in a cup and the lumpfish roe highlighted by some "olive oil pearls", a jar of which I discovered during my cupboard-decluttering phase. The "pearls" didn't catch on, I expect, because  I haven't seen them around lately. (Recipe below)
                                                              ooooooooooo
Planning a meal is like working a play. There's the story, the cast (of ingredients), the audience and the props.
​
One feels privileged to sit at Liz's table.  She is an artist and has an eye for an eccentric, dramatic but beautiful and comfortable table setting. She and her partner/husband are generous and funny. But darling Liz has been facing a dental challenge. 
To be blunt, the new dentures look marvellous, but they are not fully "acclimatised". That's the story.
We ate together and the challenge was to prepare a dinner with no hard surfaces, no snapping, no crunching, no chewing. Four courses had to be delicious, unctuous, nourishing to mind and body -  and soft.
We had...
A few chilled oysters with a glass of fizz, then sat down to...
  • Chilled pea soup with mint
  • Cauliflower mousse with lumpfish roe
  • Prawn "soufflé" on creamed spinach with beurre blanc
  • Chocolate mousse with frozen raspberries

Later, I pondered for a long time on how much I rely on cream and eggs. Can't get enough of them.

Images and recipes follow. We won't always be faced with  dental challenges but each dish would fit nicely amongst others with crunch. (Ideas for pea soup and cauliflower mousse from Yves Camdeborde of the Relais du Comptoir, place de l'Odéon, Paris.)
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​Chilled Pea Soup with Mint.  
(Recipe - See post "Dinner Without a Stove" 17/1/2018)    
For 6 people, I use 750gm of frozen peas and reserve 600ml of cooking liquid
​The "hook" in this recipe is that it contains only peas and water (if you don't count the mint and olive oil). I repeat, it's just peas and water and amazing. 
Why do I use frozen peas? Next post.

Cauliflower Mousse with Lumpfish Roe  (image above)
For 4-6 small pots
300 gm cauliflower
200-220 ml of whipped cream
150 gm (approx) of lumpfish roe, about 2 small pots
Seasoning and a little olive oil.
  • Cook the cauliflower in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes or until very soft.  Drain well and cool.
  • Mash the cauliflower to a very smooth purée. Season with salt and ground white pepper.
  • Fold in the whipped cream.
  • Fill six small pots (or tea/coffee cups) with cauliflower mousse and chill until needed.
  • To serve, top generously with lumpfish roe and a light slurp of good olive oil.
These days a good lumpfish roe will go "pop" in the mouth, have a nice sharp saltiness and not drop ugly navy blue dye.  Salmon roe of course is even better. And there's ginger infused Tobiko. You'll think of other garnishes. Look at a sharp and lively salsa - mango, chilli & red onion, perhaps?  Let me know.
Note:  Feel free to top the mousse with Beluga caviar if you wish!  LOL!

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Prawns on Creamed Spinach with Beurre Blanc.
For 8 small ramekins
500gm uncooked, peeled prawn meat
500 ml single cream
2 egg whites
  • Puré the prawns in a food processor until smooth.
  • Add the egg whites and process.
  • Add the cream and process.
  • The prawn mix will probably not need seasoning.
  • Work quickly as this mixture needs to remain cold.
  • Divide the mixture into 8 lightly buttered ramekins.  Set aside.  You with cook them 25 minutes before serving.
  • Cook some finely chopped spinach with a chopped clove of garlic, a knob of butter and a few tablespoons of cream until soft and totally collapsed.
  • Prepare a beurre blanc at the last minute if you wish. (Recipe -see post "Sauce & Fish", 7/12/2018) 
  • Allow 25 minutes before serving. Place ramekins in a bain marie and cook in the oven at 175˚ (fan forced) for about 25 minutes or until just firm.
  • Tip each ramekin onto a small bed of warmed spinach and pour a little beurre blanc around.
(Any cooked, unused prawn mousses can we served the next day, cold, with a salad.)

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Chocolate Mousse with Frozen Raspberries
The legendary Elizabeth David offered a recipe that couldn't be simpler. It was originally measured in ounces, of course.
For each person...
1 ounce of chocolate (dark, no more than 70%, please)
1 egg
1 tbsp flavouring e.g.coffee, rum etc.

Metric, this translates as...
For each person...
30gm chocolate (dark, no more than 70%, please)
1 egg
​1 tbsp flavouring e.g.coffee, rum etc.
  • Break up chocolate and place in a stainless steel bowl over simmering water.
  • In the meantime, separate the eggs.  Whip the egg whites until stiff.  At this stage, you may wish to incorporate a tsp. (per person) of castor sugar if the chocolate is 70% or more.
  • Have ready the egg yolks and either some cold espresso coffee, or rum, or brandy.
  • When the chocolate is fully melted (don't "bother" it until it is melted), remove from the heat, stir in the egg yolks and the chosen liquid.
  • Incorporate the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
  • Pour into small containers and chill until needed.  Allow the mousse to come to room temperature before serving.
I served the mousse in tiny, shallow demitasse cups - barely 7cm across. Arzberg, porcelain, mid 1950s, they are in harlequin colours, as was popular at the time.
Tiny, because the mousse is rich and we like "pudding" but we don't need much.

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