Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

2011-11-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

This dull, wet weather we've been experiencing in Kentucky over the past few days has had one result - an overwhelming desire to bake. Typically, I'd make a cake or a loaf of some sort, but since Nic was getting ready to head out of town, I settled on cookies.

If you like your cookies to be crunchy and crumbly, these definitely are not for you. If, on the other hand, you like yours chewy and soft, these ginger-spiced molasses cookies are just the thing with a glass of milk.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup molasses
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and molasses.

In a separate bowl, stir together the baking soda, salt, flour, ginger and nutmeg.

Add the vinegar to the boiling water.

Gradually stir flour mixture into the creamed butter, alternating with the hot water. You should end up with a wonderfully smooth, caramel-colored batter.

Drop heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Store in an airtight container.

I sent Nic off on his business trip with a bag of cookies, and I am sitting here enjoying cookies and milk as I type. Suddenly, the rainy days don't seem so bad.

Tapas Night

2011-11-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

I had never tried Spanish tapas until last year when Nic and I stumbled upon a tapas restaurant in Louisville. We instantly loved it, and it reminded us very much of the Japanese style of eating - many small dishes instead of one main meal.

Last Christmas, Nic bought me a book of tapas recipes and so last night was time to experiment.


Our tapas feast

My attempts at alioli failed miserably, despite Nic being an incredibly good sport and whisking until his arms were ready to drop off. Ignoring that one mishap, here's what was on our menu:

crusty bread and rosemary crusted Manchego cheese
stuffed green olives
garlic mayonnaise
mushrooms cooked in garlic and sherry
prawns cooked in garlic and chilis
chorizo and beans in beer
Spanish beer

All very simple and very tasty.

To make the Chorizo and Beans in Beer:

Olive oil
Onion, chopped
1 Spanish chorizo, sliced
Can cannelloni or white kidney beans
125 ml beer
splash red wine vinegar
bay leaf

Heat the olive oil and fry the onion for a few minutes. Add the sliced chorizo and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the sausage starts to brown.

Add the beans, beer, vinegar, and bay leaf, and cook for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

A good crusty bread can help to sop up the juices.

The wonderful thing about tapas is that there are so many possible dishes. Next time, I plan on trying fried artichoke and manchego rice balls, mini meatballs, stuffed cherry tomatoes, and who knows what else!

Apple Butter - It's So Easy

2011-11-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Still overwhelmed with apples? Well here's one of the easiest recipes I've ever come across.

Are you ready?

Core the apples and cut into large chunks. It's ok to leave the peel on.
Fill your slow-cooker with the apples.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other spices you like.
Leave to cook on low for ten hours.

After ten hours, give it a stir and turn the heat up to high for an hour or so.

If you want, you can blend the resulting mix or you can leave as is. Either way, the result is a lightly spiced apple butter with no added sugars.

Perfect for hot buttered biscuits on a cold and rainy morning.

Apple Fest Continues - The Cake

2011-11-09T19:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we made apple pie filling. But we still have lots of pesky apples left, so what next?

How about this deliciously moist Apple Honey Bundt Cake?

1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkling of nutmeg
3 apples which I peeled and cored using my handy new gizmo
If you want, you can also add 3/4 cup nuts to the mix, but hubby is not a big nut eater.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
Shred the apples.
Mix the sugar and oil together. Add the eggs, and then the honey and vanilla.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Lastly, mix in the shredded apples (and nuts if you're using them).
Bake for about an hour.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy this cake - drizzled with caramel sauce, topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt, drizzled with more honey and warmed in the microwave.

Did this use up the apples? Of course not, even allowing for a dinner of pork chops with sauteed apples. So come back tomorrow to see how I finally used them all up.

I've Got a New Toy...

2011-11-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

...and I love it. Who knew something so simple could make my life so much easier?

It's apple season again, and since I have a tendency to buy them every time I see them on sale, by last weekend I had acquired quite a few pounds of them - Fuji, McIntosh, Red Delicious, lots of different varieties.

Time to can.

But who wants to peel all those apples, let alone core and slice them? The problem was solved by a trip to Meijer to buy this nifty gadget:

Just attach to your counter top, impale an apple on the prongs:

Turn the handle, and presto! It peels; it cores: it slices.

I made it through my piles of apples in no time. If you have a composter, throw the cores on there. As for the peels - you can compost them, use them in potpourri, or even use them in an apple peel jam.

All I know is that for $10, I am in love. I'm thinking about trying spuds on it as well.

So now I've peeled my apples, what to make?

First stop - Apple Pie Filling

4 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (I don't really measure mine: I just give a good grating into the bowl)
1 tsp salt
3 tbs lemon juice
10 cups water
6 lbs apples, peeled and sliced - You can use all one variety or a mixture, depending on what you have handy.

Slice your apples using your nifty peeler/slicer and put the slices in a bowl with some water and lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large pot. Stir in the water and lemon juice. Cook and stir until bubbly and thick.

Drain your apple slices, and pack into sterilized canning jars, leaving about a half inch of space at the top of each jar. Pour the syrup over the slices, again being sure to leave some space at the top. Seal and put in a hot water bath for about 20 minutes. Leave the jars to cool and make sure the seals are airtight.

Now I have 10 jars of apple pie filling, which should last me a while.

But still more apples, so come back tomorrow to see stage 2 of the great apple fest.

Check out the Kentucky Food Bloggers

2011-11-07T12:55:00.000-05:00

Those of you in Lexington who receive The Chevy Chaser may have noticed a recent article about local food bloggers. Digital and Delicious is a wonderful article about the Kentucky Food Bloggers Association, an informal group of foodies in the Commonwealth, of which I am proud to be a member. So go over there and check out some of my blogging compadres. You'll find a great bunch of people and some fabulous recipes.

I've spent the weekend enjoying BBQ at Danville's Kentucky BBQ Festival and dealing with the many pounds of apples I'd been gathering in my kitchen, so look out for a plethora of apple recipes this week: apple pie filling, apple butter, apple cake....

But for now, I'll share a quick pic from my niece in England. Don't think that making something special has to be a big song and dance. With a touch of food coloring, some mummified gingerbread men, and some Gummi ghosts, Nikita turned a regular boxed cheesecake recipe into a Halloween treat.

Autumn Pork and Pumpkin

2011-10-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Being a good Englishwoman, I like discussing the weather, and it seems to be quite the pastime here in Kentucky. While I am today enjoying the sunshine and marveling over the abundance of new blossoms of my chili pepper plants, just last week we had a couple of days so miserably dark, wet, and cold, I thought I was back in England.

When the weather is that miserable, it's time for some good seasonal comfort food. Since I didn't want to run to the store, I decided to see what I could make from what I had on hand. The following recipe is the result.

Autumn Pork and Pumpkin

1 can pumpkin puree
3 tbs chili and cocoa-infused olive oil
2 onions, chopped
ground ginger and cinnamon
some boneless pork ribs
1 apple
1 can black beans
salt and pepper
chicken broth

Note that the amounts are fairly vague because I was just throwing things in and hoping for the best!

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions for a few minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger and give the onions a good coating. Add the pork to the pan and stir well to ensure it is covered in the spices. Cook for a few minutes until the pork starts to brown.
Add the black beans, pumpkin, and sliced apple, plus some salt and pepper to taste. Stir in some chicken broth to the consistency you like.
Then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

The result was pretty tasty. We had it on mashed potatoes the first night. The next day, Nic had the leftover pork for lunch. I used the rest of the pumpkin and bean sauce as a soup/stew for lunch.

Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

2011-10-16T18:56:00.001-04:00

These brownies, made from swirling together chocolate and pumpkin batters, are both pretty and tasty. Not a fan of one of the flavors? Then make a pumpkin and vanilla swirl, chocolate and vanilla, chocolate and mint...the possibilities are endless.

Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
1 stick butter
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Before you start, be sure to have plenty of mixing bowls handy. You'll need them!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at a time, removing from the microwave and stirring in between intervals. I found it needed about 1 1/2 minutes with a good stir at the end to finish melting the chocolate.
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a third bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy.
Combine the flour mix with the egg and sugar mix. Mix well. Then divide the mixture, putting half in a separate bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into one half of the mix. Add the pumpkin, oil and spices to the other half.
Pour some of the chocolate batter into the greased pan. Top with some of the pumpkin batter and alternate between the two. Swirl together carefully with a knife. You don't want to mix the two flavors too much - just enough to make a pretty swirly pattern.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes.

So Wrong, But So Right

2011-10-06T14:34:00.000-04:00

We all have those recipes that don't go quite to plan. When I was twelve, my home economics teacher begged me to never take the subject as an elective after my macaroni and cheese turned out grey! Shortly after I got married, I made a chicken curry and carefully halved everything in the recipe...or so I thought. It turns out that forgetting to halve the amount of lemon juice required can make or break a recipe!

But what about those times when a recipe goes wrong, and you love it.

WARNING: Cake purists will hate what they are about to see.

I came across a recipe in my files simply titled Century Old Blackberry Cake. I have no idea where it is from, but when I suggested making it with blueberries instead of blackberries, hubby's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. So make the cake I did. As it happened, the recipe did not come with an oven temperature so a little trial and error was required. The recipe also claimed you needed half a cup of cloves, but I sensibly adjusted that to half a teaspoon.

1 1/2 c sugar

1/2 c butter

2 c flour

1/2 c buttermilk

2 tsp nutmeg

2 c blueberries

5 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

Cream sugar, butter, and eggs. Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to creamed mix, then mix in buttermilk. Add blueberries last and be careful not to smoosh them too much. Bake in greased pan at about 300 degrees for 1 hour.

So far, so good, although the cake did start to sink in the middle as it cooled. (This will be important later, folks!)

The recipe suggested topping said century old cake with caramel icing. I did a quick search and turned up the Cupcake Project's recipe for old-fashioned southern style caramel icing.

Perfect!

ANOTHER WARNING: You may collapse at the amount of sugar being used. Cake Purists: If you're still with me, you may want to run. Don't say I didn't warn you about the carnage that will follow.

Making this icing convinced me of one thing - old fashioned southern women had way too much time on their hands if they had nothing better to do than stand over a pan stirring long enough to make this icing. There, I've said it!

OK, to make your icing, mix 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups of sugar, and 3/4 cup evaporated milk in a pan. You want the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve, but you do not want the mix to boil. Once everything has melted, turn to a low heat.

Meanwhile, on another burner, heat a cast-iron skillet. Then add half a cup of sugar. Keep stirring as the sugar turns to a liquid, but if you do it too quickly or for too long, you end up with harder than rock sugar. (Can you tell that I did this?)

Once you have liquid sugar, you pour it into the other sugar mix, but again, you have to stir it quickly and the other mix can't be too cool, or the liquid instantly turns to rock. (I did this too.)

And then you stir.

And stir.

And stir.

And I don't have enough patience to keep stirring like this, but eventually you'll have a thickish caramel icing which turns to a soft ball if you put a bit in cold water. When it reaches that stage, leave it to cool a bit, but not too much, before pouring it over your cake....

...which is where things took another odd turn. As I poured, the dent in the middle of my cake became larger and the caramel icing disappeared into a sinkhole. Of course, this meant I had no idea what I would find when we cut into the cake later that evening.

What a find! Yes, the cake had a dent in the middle, but the caramel had leaked into the center of the cake, mixing with the blueberries to make a deliciously gooey center.

If my cake went wrong, I'm not sure I want it to be right!

Have You Tried Doing This With Your Pumpkin?

2011-10-03T11:06:00.000-04:00

As regular readers know, my favorite thing about this time of year is pumpkin. Pumpkin Spice Coffee is back at my local convenience store. I make pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cakes. I mix it with ricotta or yogurt. And still I'm looking for more things to do with pumpkin.

How about pasta sauce?

Pureed pumpkin makes a wonderfully rich, creamy base for the following dish, but interestingly the taste is not overwhelming. My husband couldn't even tell that it was pumpkin. It's definitely a tasty, and vitamin packed, alternative to tomato or cream-based pasta sauces.

Chorizo and Pumpkin Pasta

1 link sausage (Italian) or some nice spicy Mexican chorizo.
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
butter or olive oil
2 1/2 cups pasta
chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper to taste
Parmesan

Heat a little oil in a skillet and remove the sausage from its casing, crumbling into the pan. Cook until browned, then set aside. Using the same pan, brown the onions, then add the garlic and the cooked sausage. Add 1/3 cup broth and simmer.

Meanwhile cook the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, stir the pumpkin, remaining broth, and spices into the skillet with the sausage and onions. Leave it to simmer.

Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce and serve, topped with Parmesan.

Love That Golden Syrup

2011-09-28T10:26:00.000-04:00

Golden Syrup is a British thing. A pale, amber sugar syrup that I'm not even going to pretend is healthy - that's not the point. As kids, we'd eat it in sandwiches, drizzled on toast, or in the tooth-decay inducing Gypsy Tart (little more than golden syrup and sugar in a pastry shell).

I brought a tin back from England on my last trip and finally got the chance to use some of it this week. Since I am pretty careful about my sugar intake now, I tried a spoonful of this and wondered how I ever managed to eat it, but in this wonderful ginger cake, you use just a couple of spoonfuls - enough to give the resulting cake a delicious stickiness.

Ginger Spice Cake (Courtesy of The Hairy Bikers)

7 oz self-raising flour
7 oz sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs golden syrup
9 fl oz hot water

Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease a baking tin. The original recipe called for an 11x9 tin. I used an 8x8 with fab results.

Mix the flour, sugar, ginger, and baking soda. Then rub in the butter with your fingers. Add the egg, syrup and hot water and mix. The mix will still be very wet, not like your normal thick cake mix.

Pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool and enjoy this sticky golden cake with your afternoon tea.

Ravioli Made Easy

2011-09-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

Time to 'fess up.

How many kitchen gadgets do you have that you never use?

My in-laws bought us an ice-cream maker ten years ago which we have never used. Every time we think about it, we remember how much easier it is to go out and buy ice cream. (Of course they also bought us 48 ice cream dishes and matching spoons, so perhaps they had hopes of an ice cream parlor).

There's the juicer. Very nice and I love it, but a pain to get out and clean.
The huge electric griddle that was a wedding present. Only used when my parents are visiting and I have to cook for more than 2 people.
The mandolin. Sounded like a great idea, and then I realized those things will take your finger off. Give me a good knife any day.

And the pasta machine. For years I wanted one. I had dreams of making my own pasta every day like some hot Italian mama. When some friends bought me one a few years ago, I was overjoyed. But it's time to confess, I've used it once. I promise myself I'll use it again but it's just so much hassle to get it down, make everything, clean it, etc. And it seems to be a learning process to get good pasta.

Yet at the same time, I've collected all these recipes and long to make fresh ravioli. But what do you know - it turns out there is an easier way. You know those cute little wonton wrappers you can buy in the store. Why deep fry them when you can use them to make ravioli? Which is just what I did to make these Shrimp and Goat Cheese Ravioli in a Basil Cream Sauce courtesy of www.food.com:

1/4 cup peeled garlic (Yes, you read that right. Don't worry about garlic breath - the oven roasting mellows the flavor.)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb cooked shrimp - peel them, devein them, chop them
1/3 cup goat cheese
1 egg yolk
1 cup cream
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil
wonton wrappers (about 24)

Remember how I said not to worry about garlic breath? Here's why: Toss the garlic with your olive oil in a small ovenproof dish, cover it and roast for 15 minutes at 350. After roasting, let it cool before chopping.
Mix the shrimp, cheese, egg yolk and garlic in a bowl.
Use the mixture to stuff the wonton wrappers, folding each one and wetting the edges to seal.Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes.

For the basil cream sauce:
Put the cream and chopped shallot in a pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Leave it to cool before blending with the basil. Return to pan to warm just before serving.

Serve the ravioli with the sauce.

My take on this? The filling and the sauce were both delicious and it was an incredibly easy but somewhat fancy dinner. Personally, the wonton wrappers didn't seem as substantial, flavor-wise, as regular pasta so I still fully intend to try making them with my pasta maker. But in the meantime, this is a good substitute.

Know anyone who wants an ice-cream maker? So glad I never gave in and got a waffle maker too!

Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cake

2011-09-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

Now that the weather has taken a definite turn toward fall, I am loving the fact that I finally feel justified in pulling out the pumpkin. And there are so many wonderful things to do with pumpkin:
* mix some pumpkin puree with ricotta for a creamy pumpkin pudding
* blend with some ice cream and crushed ice, plus a dash of pumpkin pie spice for a yummy smoothie

But one of my favorite things to do with pumpkin is to put it in a cake, and this one is everything a cake should be - tasty, moist, and decorate with lashings of cream cheese frosting.

Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cake

2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cup pumpkin, mashed
1 cup oil

FROSTING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 to 4 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbs milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together the dry cake ingredients. Add eggs, pumpkin and oil. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Pour the mix into the pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

FROSTING: Mix the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Frost when cake is cool.

Sprinkle with some pumpkin pie spice.

Kentucky Food Bloggers in Danville

2011-09-08T15:46:00.002-04:00

I first heard of Danville in Japan of all places. I was dating Nic (now my husband) and he mentioned that his stepdad worked at the radio station there. Just a few months later, while perusing a book of the best 100 small towns in America, lo and behold - there was Danville again!

Summer evening in Danville

It seems we were fated.

Once I moved to the US, and eventually Kentucky, I became more familiar with the town, visiting the Pioneer Playhouse, Constitution Square, and other local landmarks. I decided the book had probably been right. Danville seemed like a very nice place.

Ten years later, and Danville has undergone quite a renaissance. It's become an even more lively town, thanks to liquor laws. Coming from Europe and a liberal, social attitude towards drinking, the concept of dry and wet counties is something of a bizarre novelty to me. It seems amusing to note which are the dry counties in Kentucky - you can always tell by the presence of a liquor store just across the neighboring county line.

When Danville voted to change its liquor laws a few years ago, I heard from relatives that this could bring a bad element into the pleasant, college town. On the contrary, it has led to the birth of a new Main Street. No longer do the doors all close at the end of the regular business day. Now, Main Street stays alive into the evening with a wonderful selection of new bars and restaurants.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to experience some of the new dining choices in Danville when the Kentucky Food Bloggers were invited to tour some of the local businesses. A huge thanks must go out to Adam and Amandalin from the Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau for being incredible guides.

Our first stop of the evening was V-the Market.

I thought that Lexington had some great outlets for buying liquor, wine, and gourmet cheeses, but this could put the best of them to shame. Mary Robin is knowledgeable about the products she has in store, and is quick to advise customers about suitable pairings. In addition to several ales, we also sampled a blue goat cheese, Lincolnshire Poacher (similar to a white Cheddar), and some prosciutto di parma that melted in my mouth. Goat cheese is something I have only recently come to appreciate, but this was delightful. I have already sent my father-in-law back to buy more of the delicious Life and Limb ale that we tasted.

I'm sure I'll be visiting again soon to see what cheeses are in store and to further explore their extensive wine and bourbon selections.

V-the Market has an extensive selection of craft beers and imports.

Some of the bourbons available at V-the Market

The new lounge area at V-the Market is nearing completion.

From V-the Market, we crossed the street to Mermaids. This charming restaurant may not have been open for long, but it is already making quite a splash on the Kentucky restaurant scene. Earlier this year, Mermaids won the Outstanding Dining Experience Award at the TourSEKY "Experience the Bloom" Awards.

Mermaids co-owner Kelly took the time to chat with us. Among the first to see the potential for a restaurant in Danville should the new liquor laws be passed, Kelly had his license application ready to submit as soon as the City Hall doors opened.

The menu celebrates locally grown and produced foods. We tried some local steak, shrimp in prosciutto, and Ahi tuna wrapped in greens and cucumber with a dash of wasabi. There were also drinks a-plenty - the restaurant's signature punch, sprinkled with nutmeg, and their Porch Punch - as we admired the fabulous blue-lit bar. The decor is particularly noteworthy. With ice blue and white, it would have been very easy for the resulting effect to be cold; instead, Mermaids manages to make the combo feel rather cozy. Mermaids is now on my list of romantic dinner locations, although it is equally suited to cocktails and appetizers with friends.


Bubbles the Mermaid

The next stop was where Adam reminded us of his earlier warning to pace ourselves. There was food and lots of it at 303W on Main Street. The rich wooden interior of this pool hall and bar reminded me of a 1920s
speakeasy. Whether you want to watch the football game, play pool or darts, hang out with the locals or meet friends for a beer, 303W is the perfect place. Relaxed, laid back - what more do you need from a bar?

And there's food. Good, simple bar food. Wings. Pretzel bread sticks with pimento cheese. Beer cheese. Cheese sticks. It was hard not to just eat everything here. In fact, I think we all staggered out, wondering how much more we would be able to eat. But still three more stops....

Yummy Pretzel Bread

Appetizer Selection

On to Bluegrass Pizza and Pub. Much as I like pizza, I am pretty picky about it. I don't mind if it's deep-dish, thin crust, hand tossed, etc, but I do dislike most of the chain pizza places because they are so greasy. On the few occasions when I go out for pizza, I tend to go to the smaller, privately owned places where I can enjoy good quality, handmade pizza. Bluegrass Pizza and Pub is now on that list.

Cheesy Bread

Mediterranean Pizza from Bluegrass Pizza and Pub

It is small, and therefore it gets crowded very quickly, but if you want a friendly place with beer and absolutely divine pizza, this would be my first recommendation.The pizzas are huge (and grease free). We split a Mediterranean, piled high with artichokes, olives, red onion, and chicken, and some bread sticks. There was still plenty for our hosts to take home as leftovers.

And what could be better after pizza than beer? Danville is developing a bit of a reputation as a spot for craft brewers, thanks in part to the Beer Engine. If you didn't know it was here, it would be all too easy to miss pass this bar completely. It's back off the street, in a secluded parking lot. Take a close look at the tables and you'll see why. This used to be a bowling alley (the former floorboards were used to make some pretty spiffy tables).

The owners offered us samples of several beers, some brewed on site. Although the Nut Brown was a bit strong for my beer tastes, I adored the honey ale and the Dogfish Head Peche. Everything is available on tap; no bottles here. With the variety available, you are sure to find a brew to your liking.

And finally, we all collapsed in the comfy chairs at The Hub, Danville's favorite coffeeshop. We had eaten; we had drunk; and we were merry after a jolly evening of tasty treats and fun conversation. Yet despite our full bellies, we still managed to find room for cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter.

Champagne and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Then, laden with gift bags of goodies from Burke's Bakery and Karamel Kreations, I made my way home. But I can definitely say I will be back. After all, I still have a whole lot of eating to do in Danville!

Three Favorite Things

2011-09-06T12:05:00.000-04:00

Today definitely feels as if we've jumped from summer to fall. It's wet, windy, grey, and chilly, as opposed to 98 degrees on Saturday. On the bright side, that means I can now turn to fall foods: apples, pumpkin, squash and so on.

The change in weather also marks the end of my deck harvest. I didn't plant much this year and sadly my Japanese eggplants rotted on the plant. I did have some lovely Roma tomatoes though, and my favorite thing #1: Thai chilis.

I planted four little Thai chili peppers, and all four bloomed like crazy. The pot was overflowing with bright red peppers and I have a large plateful drying. Once they're dried, I'll be making sauces with them. Nic, a lover of all things spicy, asked if he could try one and the language that followed was not polite.

Favorite thing #2: these delicious Cookie and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes. My pictures did not do them justice and a mini cheesecake pan would be ideal for making these.

And favorite thing #3: cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter in Danville. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a tasting evening in Danville. I still have to write up and share photos of the many wonderful places we visited, but I will tell you all to get down to The Twisted Sifter and try some of their divine cupcakes.


Champagne and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter in Danville.

Lamb Kebabs

2011-08-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

This is another one from my sister. Apparently while my parents have taken the kids away for a week, she is enjoying the free time by experimenting with some new recipes.

Kebabs are always great because you can tailor them to whatever meat and veggies you have. I use metal skewers but remember that if you use wooden ones, you should soak them first so they don't burn on the grill.


Photo by Rich Beales

Lamb Skewers

Mix 150g natural yoghurt with 1 tbsp of mint sauce and 1 tbsp or rosemary. Put the lamb chunks into the marinade and ensure it's all coated. Leave to marinade for at least 10 minutes. Chop red onion and green pepper into chunks.
Thread the lamb pieces with onion, pepper and mushrooms onto skewers and cook on a bbq or griddle pan. Turn to cook evenly.
We had ours with cous cous but you could have them with salad or rice if you prefer.

They clearly enjoyed there because one minute she was preparing them while we chatted on Facebook, the next she was emailing the pic and saying they had been devoured!

Spiced Nutty Bananas

2011-08-22T16:20:00.000-04:00

One of my sisters shared this recipe with me over the weekend. Since my hubby doesn't like coconut, I'll have to live vicariously through her shared coconut dessert dreams. (It's either that or scoff the entire recipe for myself!)

Spiced Nutty Bananas:

Serves 3 (Who on earth creates a recipe for 3? We all know that means that 2 people will eat extra. On the other hand it uses 6 recipes so I suppose you could share it among more people and they can all be pitifully disappointed by their tiny serving. I digress...)

Ingredients:
6 ripe but firm bananas
2tbsp chopped unsalted cashew nuts
2tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
2tbsp dessicated coconut
1tbsp demerara sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
150ml orange juice
60ml rum
1tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.

Slice bananas and place in a shallow ovenproof dish.
Mix the dried ingredients together in a bowl. Pour orange juice and rum over the bananas and sprinkle with the nutty mixture.

Dot the top with butter and bake for 15-20 minutes
Serve with cream or creme fraiche.

If you haven't already, please go and answer a few quick questions for me on my latest survey. It would be a huge help.

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2011-08-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

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Brandon and Kaela's Sunday Lunch Extravaganza: Dessert

2011-08-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

And so it is time for pudding, and when kids are cooking, you know you're in for a rocking good pud...jam roly poly and homemade vanilla ice cream anyone?

Nigella Lawson's Jam Roly Poly

8 oz self-raising flour
pinch salt
2 oz brown sugar
4 oz shredded suet
6-8 tbs water
5 tbs raspberry jam, warmed
milk
1 egg, beaten
demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 400F or Gas 6.
Sift the flour with the salt and add the brown sugar. Add the suet and enough water to make a soft dough.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. You want a rectangular piece of dough, about 8 inch by 12 inch.
Brush one side of the pastry with the raspberry jam, being sure to leave a half inch border on all sides.

Fold the jamless border in and brush with milk.

Roll up the pastry loosely and seal the ends well.
Place the roll on a greased baking sheet (sealed edge underneath).
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Sprinkle with a little more sugar just before serving and serve with hot custard or ice cream.

Next, we watch our young chefs make their vanilla ice cream, which involves a lot of sugar:

some good quality double cream:

and vanilla beans:

As any good chef knows, the secret to good ice cream is all in the wrist:

And although this pic is a little out of focus, it sums up the joy of cooking:

Brandon and Kaela's Sunday Lunch Extravaganza: The Vegetables

2011-08-04T10:43:00.000-04:00

As Brandon and Kaela's mum pointed out in the comments of yesterday's post, the two little chefs may know the importance of eating their vegetables but that doesn't mean they always do eat them. They did, however, provide a delicious side dish to accompany the sausage casserole that they served to their dinner guests.

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Thyme and Honey

1 lb potatoes
1 lb parsnips
1 lb carrots
1 lemon
1/2 lb red onions
olive oil
5 tbs clear honey
thyme
salt and pepper

Wash the root vegetables but do not peel them - remember that a good amount of their nutrition is housed in the skin. Slice the spuds, parsnips, and carrots into large chunks. Halve the lemon, and cut the onions into quarters.

Put all the veggies on an oven tray and drizzle with olive oil and honey.

Add some sprigs of thyme and a good smattering of salt and pepper.

Cook for 30-40 minutes at 350F until the veggies are well cooked. You can stir them a little from time to time to make sure they all get a good coating of the glaze.

So there you have the main course and its side. I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty hungry reading about all this good food. And tomorrow I'll be drooling because we're on to dessert!

Brandon and Kaela's Sunday Lunch Extravaganza: The Main Course

2011-08-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Continuing with the intrepid kitchen adventures of Brandon and Kaela...since dealing with a roast and splattering oil was a bit too much for a 5 year old and a 6 year old, Brandon and Kaela decided to serve a sausage casserole for their main course. The following recipe is courtesy of The Hairy Bikers.

Great Sausage Casserole

1-2 tbs sunflower oil
12 pork sausages
6 rashers bacon, cut into 1 inch lengths
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp hot chili powder or smoked paprika
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
10 fl oz chicken stock
2 tbs tomato puree
1 tbs Worcester sauce
1 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
a good splash of red wine
1 14oz can butter beans
salt and pepper

Heat a tbs of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sausages for about 10 minutes until nicely browned. Transfer the sausages to a casserole dish.
Fry the bacon until brown and crisp, and then add to the sausages.

Lastly, fry the onions and garlic until they soften and turn a pale golden-brown. Add more oil to the frying pan if necessary. Sprinkle the chili powder over the onions and cook for a few seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes, stock, puree, Worcester sauce, brown sugar, and herbs.

Pour in the wine (or water) and simmer.
Carefully, pour the contents of the frying pan into the casserole dish containing the sausages and bacon. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir as needed.
Drain and rinse the beans. Stir them into the casserole and cook for ten more minutes.
Season to taste.

Serve with some good bread.

Now of course Brandon and Kaela also know the importance of eating their vegetables so tomorrow we'll find out what side they prepared to go with this.

Brandon and Kaela's Sunday Lunch Extravaganza: The Soup

2011-08-02T11:53:00.006-04:00

These two piratey darling are my nephew Brandon (6) and his sister Kaela (5). In case you're wondering, the pirate costumes were for a theme day at school last month.

As well as their usual school lessons, my sister Sam creates some incredible at home study programs for them that have included creating a worm farm, studying why things float, and more recently cookery. At the end of the each project, they write up a report and earn an achievement badge.

For their recent cookery project, Brandon and Kaela decided to cook a Sunday dinner for my parents. They have been good enough to share their recipes (and pics) with me and so for the next few days, we will be enjoying Brandon and Kaela's Sunday Lunch Extravaganza.

First, the appetizer.

Spicy Dahl and Carrot Soup

125 g/ 4.5 oz split red lentils
1.2 l/2pints vegetable stock
450g/1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1-2 tbsp chilli sauce (hot or sweet)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt
1/4 - 1/2 pint milk
bunch fresh coriander
soured cream or natural yogurt to serve
few coriander leaves to serve

Place lentils, stock, carrots, onion, tomatoes and garlic in a pan, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 mins.
Heat ghee/oil in small pan, add cumin, coriander, chilli and turmeric and fry gently for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and salt to taste.

Add spice mix to soup mix with bunch of coriander leaves.

Add milk and season if needed then puree until smooth.

Serve with a swirl of yogurt/cream and a couple of coriander leaves.

Add some homemade bread:

...and I'd say we've got a pretty good meal in itself.

But this is just the beginning. Join us tomorrow for the main course.

Corn Relish

2011-07-27T11:25:00.000-04:00

My husband always laughs at me when we eat sweetcorn. I hate to get all the bits between my teeth and so, I carefully cut the niblets from the cob with a knife and eat them. Nic claims I'm the only person he knows who can make a square corncob!

Several of the people he works with grow some corn and so when he came home with a bag the other day, I had a problem. After all, he was flying to Texas that same evening and would be there all week. I knew I wouldn't eat all that corn. Since I'm in a canning frenzy, the answer was simple - relish. That would also make use of the fresh tomatoes I'd picked up at the Farmer's Market.

Corn Relish
The following recipe makes about 4 pints.

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4-6 ears worth of corn kernels - I ushttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5203344078476561722ed 4 ears, but would recommend 6 since my relish is a little liquidy.
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced (Remember to use caution when seeding the pepper and DO NOT rub your eyes).
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tbs Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Dice the cucumber, onions, and bell pepper until they are about the size of the corn kernels. Put them in a large pot with all the other ingredients.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Spoon into sterilized jars and seal as you usually would when canning. If sealed properly, these can be stored in a cool, dry place. If you do not seal them, keep your relish in the fridge and use within 4-6 weeks.

So what am I going to use my relish for? How about:

burgers
hot dogs
on salad
in sandwiches
on grilled meat
mixed with cream cheese to make a dip

How to Pickle a Radish

2011-07-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

Every year, without fail, I make the same mistake. I see bunches of cherry, bright red radishes in the store and I just can't stop myself from buying them. Then I get home, chop some up for my salad, and remember that I really do not find radishes that exciting. Sure, the crunch is nice, but I just don't like them that much. And so they sit, ignored, slowly being pushed further back in the fridge until one day, many moons later, I discover something shriveled.

Not this year.

Yes, I still bought radishes. Yes, I ate a couple on my salad and remembered I don't like them much. But this year, I've tried pickling them.

You see, I'm also going through a huge canning kick at the moment. If it can be canned, I want to can it. As luck would have it, I came across a recipe for pickled radishes, and since I am of the firm belief that most things can be much improved by pickling, I thought "Why not?"

Unlike a lot of canning recipes, this is enough for one pint jar of pickles (or one bunch of radishes), letting you try them without being lumbered with cases and cases of pickled radishes (Christmas present anyone?) that no one wants.

So without further ado, here is how you pickle a radish or two:

Take your bunch of fresh red radishes and slice them thinly. Put the sliced radishes in a clean, sterilized mason jar.

In a small pan, heat:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer and stir for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool for a few minutes, and then pour into the jar, over the radishes.

Cool for about 20 minutes. Put the lid on and refrigerate.

As you can see, the pickles take on a wonderful color. Of course, you can play around with the spices, depending if you prefer a sweeter or a hotter pickle.

I have just tried one and they are delicious! I expect the flavor to become more intense, the longer they sit, but these will be a great addition to sandwiches, salads, burgers, etc.

Looks like I'll keep buying those radishes after all.

Vegetable Paella

2011-07-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

I love all the fresh veggies that are available at this time of year, but sometimes you end up with a whole lot that you need to use fast - which is why I love this veggie paella that I made last week. If you don't have one of the veggies on the ingredients list, that's fine. Just use whatever you do have.

Of course, hubby's first question was, "Where's the meat?" But even he grudgingly admitted that it was good (although he did add a lot of hot sauce and say it would be better with chorizo!)

Baby steps....

Vegetable Paella

3 tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
mushrooms - the original recipe called for 12oz. I had about 4 oz of fresh and threw in a handful of dried porcini too.
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
pepper
1 1/2 cups of rice - use whatever you like best, in my case a mix of brown long grain and Arborio
2 1/2 cups stock
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
salt
8 oz baby spinach
1 cup peas
1 cup artichoke hearts
2 tbs red wine vinegar
fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the paprika, oregano, garlic, thyme, and black pepper.
Add rice, stock, tomatoes, and salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in spinach, peas, artichokes, vinegar, and a little of the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of parsley.