I Dolci dell'Amore

Absence, bread and a moment of reflection on self confidence..

2012-04-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from this blog for some time now, starting a new job and moving apartments has kept me pretty busy and away from my blog, not to mention over 9 hours a day spent at a computer may have something to do with coming home and not wanting to switch on my laptop. However I have let it go far enough, although I still don’t have a working camera, I’m going to make a conscious effort to try and update this blog as regularly as possible, please excuse me for not showing pictures or ones that are used from other sources, I will get back to photography as seen as i can. Lately I have had many food adventures and I’ve been introduced to a variety of traditional Moroccan cuisine, however at home I am still keeping it pretty simple, that will be changing soon, thanks to a nice new equipped kitchen..i can’t wait to start using the oven again. I’ve been able to experiment a lot with just a stove-top, from quick stir-fries to slow cooked pasta sauces. I am also making an effort to eat a little more healthily and cut down on too much meat consumption, although my sweet tooth is still alive and well, I’ll never give up dessert! Living around the corner from a patisserie is pure bliss and trouble all at the same time, the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries has lured me in many times for a petit pain au chocolat and mille-feuille. Weekend breakfasts are not complete without buttery croissants and petit pain, (perhaps on weekdays too, I confess) and the wonderful selection of wholemeal Moroccan breads complete a lunch time or evening meal. That is one of the bonuses of living in a city like Marrakech, fresh bread is not hard to find at all and doesn’t come wrapped in plastic, lying on a shelf for who knows how long, it’s baked fresh early every morning for breakfast and lunch and then another batch baked mid-afternoon for dinner. I used to be someone who was taken in by the ‘carbs are bad for you’ diets, and stay away from bread as much as possible. It did me no good, deprivation only made me crave it more, and I was missing out on essential ingredients needed in my diet and for my body that carbohydrates can provide. I am now thoroughly enjoying good bread and everything else, including sugar, I would say ‘within moderation’ but I have come to realize that everyone has there own definition of what moderation is. I like a little bit of everything in my day, including coffee and black tea and a little square of dark chocolate to end the meal of course! Fruit, vegetables, legumes, wheat and pro-biotic yoghurt have become a big part of my diet, as has regular walking and exercise; I hope I can keep this up! I’ll admit that I do get guilty pangs every now and then if I’ve eaten a full meal and topped it off with a creamy dessert. That is down to a mind set since the age of 14 of carefully watching every calorie consumed and thinking about body weight numerous times a day, I think that is something that many women can relate to no matter how extreme or little. I don’t know if the media, fashion or celebrities are to blame for our obsession with women’s bodies, weight issues and food, but I do know it affects us all to varying degrees at some point, however I will not point the finger at anyone, it can be a very personal journey for some. I know my own has been a hard one to acceptance and love, but I think I have discovered my happy place, I’m not saying it’s the end of the journey, I’m sure there will be many road bumps along the way, but in this moment I am happy and confident in my own skin and proud of my attributes and I’m enjoying my food! What I believe has been key for me to understand is that healthy living starts with a healthy mind.

Women for Women

2012-02-17T14:18:00.001-08:00

I hope all my readers take the time to visit not for profit organization 'women for women International' web page. This organization does amazing work to help women in need around the world, if you get a chance to take a look please do and help spread the word.

A very late post...but a beautiful adventure

2012-02-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

This post is about 2 and a half months late but i finally found pictures from my visit to Ourika, a mountain village 45 minutes outside of Marrakech. It was cold but it was beautiful, the air was fresh, the sun was shining and i ate the best lamb tagine sitting on an old rug down by the river. Sipping hot mint tea while watching the water flow and the odd person walking about, i was lost in the moment. I've been told this little town is a popular destination for city people wanting to escape the Marrakech heat in summer. The roads are small and at times a little scary ( don't look down) every so often you will pass a small brick house, a small market, a motel....i hope you all have a chance to visit one day.

My moment of Baking fame!

2012-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Karen's Rococo chocolate cake

I apologize for my absence on this blog for the last couple of weeks, i've had a lot going on lately and quite a few things to think about, but that is no reason to neglect my beloved blog so i'm back : ). On one particular day, my dear friend Matt made my day when he put my chocolate Rococo cake on his restaurant menu as a weekend special, his chef re-created it and in the picture it looks exactly like mine. I was even more delighted when i heard people were asking for seconds! I am one very proud baker! Thank you Matt and the rest of your team : )

Happy new year!

2012-01-06T04:06:00.000-08:00

Happy new Year to all my readers!!

It's been a few weeks since i updated this blog, i mostly spent my time back home in London with friends and family. There wasn't a whole lot of cooking going on either, not as much as i would have liked anyway, two weeks just seemed to rush by and in the madness of Christmas and New year's there just wasn't enough hours in the day.

I did enjoy my Christmas with family, i loved catching up with everyone, sitting around eating chocolates, watching bad Christmas television with a few good Christmas movies, shopping for and wrapping presents, and the food! It's like a week long food marathon, but it was all wonderful. New year's eve was a family gathering at my parents home, it was very relaxed and joyful, i couldn't have asked for a better holiday season, for me it really is about the people who make it special, when everyone i love is around me i know it's going to be amazing.

I did get round to making some dark chocolate and orange brownies, almond biscotti, gingerbread, apple berry crumble and the best bread i've ever made, Chorizo and thyme fougasse.

Unfortunately there aren't any photographs for this post, after months of struggling on my camera has finally died on me, so i'm looking into getting another one very soon! It's a shame because i was really proud of my fougasse and it's shape and i wanted to show it off...maybe next time.

For the gingerbread i used the recipe from Emma of http://www.poiresauchocolat.net/, this is such a fantastic blog, Emma's recipes are beautiful as is her writing do take a look when you have a moment.
The gingerbread was moist, sticky and spicy, it was a hit with everyone.

I hope you are all having a good start to the year, the first few days of January are exciting but also a little scary ( in my case) all the things that may unfold this year, the lessons that will be learned and the success achieved, most importantly i will love my loved ones even more and i will continue to thank God for all my blessings.

Karen

My cook book Christmas Wish list

2011-12-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

My top ten eye candy in the Baking department this Christmas....

1. Making cupcakes with Lola

2. Vegan cupcakes take over the world

3. Miette bakery cookbook

4. Laduree : sucre: the recipes

5. The cupcake diaries

6. Make, bake, love

7. Desserts from the famous loveless cafe

8. Tea with Bea

9. Baking from my home to yours

10 . The boy who bakes

Spicy spaghetti with merguez sausage

2011-12-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

My new food find is Merguez sausage, it's a skinny lamb sausage with a mix of hot peppery spices, a north African speciality. When i bought half a kilo from the local meat market i went about discovering different ways to cook and eat these delicious sausages. One of the dishes i made was chicken legs, potatoes, merguez sausage, red onion seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, oregano, and a little orange zest sprinkled on top, all baked in the oven in one dish for 1 hour 15 mins, simple and delicious and full of flavour and juices just waiting to be mopped up with some crusty bread.
Another dish was fried red onion, red pepper and sausage eaten all wrapped up in a warm soft tortilla, add a nice green salad and you've got an easy lunch!
On the third day ( you'd think by now i'd be sick of them but i really wasn't, when i find new food i literally eat it everyday until my next find!) i decided i wanted pasta with my sausage, so this is the recipe that was putting it self together in my mind and it turned out just as i hoped, hot and fiery.

fff

Spicy spaghetti with merguez sausage

1 large red pepper cut into strips

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 tomatoe, peeled and diced

2 cloves of garlic,crushed

2-3 merguez sausage per person

2 tbsp passata/tomatoe puree

2 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/3 cup of water

Spaghetti

1. Mix 1 tbsp of the olive oil into the sliced red peppers, place on a baking sheet and bake on 200f for 25 mins until the peppers are charred.

2. Add the remaining olive oil to a large cooking pan and cook the finely chopped red onions for 5 minutes on a medium heat, until softened.

3. Add the crushed garlc to the onions and continue cooking until both have turned a light golden colour.

4. Use 2-3 merguez sausage per person and chop into bite size pieces, mix into the onions and garlic and cook until the sausage has browned.

5. Add the passata/puree into the pan with the tomatoe and 1/cup of water with all the spices,salt and lots of pepper. Give it all a gentle stir and cover and cook on low for 30 mins.

6.After 30 minutes add the roasted red peppers ( with charred skin removed) Turn off the heat. Cook your spaghetti in slightly salted water, according to instructions.

7. Drain the spaghetti and mix into the sauce for 1 minute on a low heat.

8. Serve immediately, with an extra sprinkling of fresh black pepper.

You can omit the chilli powder and pepper if your looking for a milder dish, or add more to spice it up as you like. I used lots of pepper and the sauce was packed with heat, perfect on a cold night.

Sunshine makes it all better

2011-12-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

What started out as a chilly morning soon turned into a gloriously sunny summer-esque afternoon, that's a rare sight for me in winter. Of course i've seen the winter sun shining in London through teary eyes as the icy cold wind hits your face and numbs every part of you, but this was different. The air was warm, when the sun touched your skin it felt just like a summer day in July, everything sparkled and looked so alive.

It was also the day of another failed recipe attempt, something that's become quite common in the past few days and got me a little down. I always feel comfortable in the kitchen and confident that i know what i'm doing with the ingredient in front of me, and then the end result is the complete opposite i've what i was expecting and i wonder...how did i get it SO wrong?!

I know this sounds like i'm just feeling sorry for myself or having my own pity party, but i just get so down when something i've spent time creating with high hopes just utterly fails, it's happened two days in a row, one time on a recipe that i make literally every other week, even the sous-chef asked me if everything was ok. Maybe i'm just trying too hard and complicating something that is best left simple and in it's original form or perhaps i have too high expectations in my mind of what something should look and taste like...or i could just be bad at it? What ever the reason it's certainly got me thinking as you can see, why am i not like one of these people who can laugh it off and then later at a dinner party bring it up much to everyone's amusement? am i being too sensitive?

Mistakes and failures ( what ever you want to call them) happen, i'm sure everyone out there as had more than one disaster in the kitchen in their time, i'm sure their able to laugh about it, maybe they feel a little of what i'm feeling inside them but they don't show it...

So here's me facing the failure and the countless ones made in the past and to come in the future, putting it behind me, sitting in the sunshine eating a bowl of sweet and juicy clementines.

And everything is alright.

Cold comforts

2011-12-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

My trip to London didn't quite go according to plan ( of course ), not as much cooking, photographing and baking taking place as i had hoped. I felt so short of time and had so many friends and family i wanted to catch up with, birthdays were celebrated which meant a whole lot of cake! And then i caught a cold, that cold that you get once a year, usually in this time, the one that really knocks it out of you and lingers for days and days, i'm sure you all know that feeling.

Since arriving back in Marrakech it's just been me and my bed, i wanted to make soup for myself but i didn't have the equipment to make it which brings me to the recipe for this post. As i was flicking through my few books i remembered to bring from London i found the recipe for Ratatouille in 'French women don't get fat' by Mireille Guiliano. I've talked about this book here before, it really is very good and not really a diet book at all but more of a new way of eating and enjoying the pleasures of food. The book includes simple French recipes that are nutrionally balanced, low in calories and very easy to put together.

When i made the Ratatouille from this book before it turned out just as the book said it would, more of a soup with the juices coming from the vegetables. To achieve this result it's all about slow cooking, having remembered this recipe and how easy it was to prepare i went about making it yesterday. The recipe can give you 3 meals, if you wish you can half it too but i think it's just as tasty the next day, all you need to complete your meal is warm crusty bread and a drizzling of olive oil. ( Sorry no pictures for this post :( )

Ratatouille

1.5kg tomatoes

1.5kg courgettes

1.5kg aubergines

12 garlic cloves

1 bunch of basil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Use an equal amount of tomatoes,courgettes and aubergine. Wash and cut into thick slices.

2.Using a large pot, make layers starting with the aubergine, then the tomatoes and finally the courgettes, in between each layer and garlic cloves and the basil. Repeat until the pot is filled, season with salt and pepper.

3. cover and cook over a very low heat for 2 hours.

4. Serve after 20 minutes ( at room temperature) at this stage the ratatouille is more of a soup with the liquid coming from the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and olive oil.

And off to London i go..

2011-11-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

So i arrived back in London last night, to see my family and friends for a few days, Birthdays to celebrate and lots of eating and cooking to be done! I can't describe how nice it is to be surrounded by those familiar old comforts, to be back in my old room, be pampered and enjoy mum's cooking, it's such a warm feeling, especially now with the Christmas lights up, London looks so beautifully lit up and festive. After a slightly stressful few days, ( my laptop breaking down on me, my plane ticket being delayed and a few other problems i won't bore you with the details of) this is a welcome break and a chance to just enjoy some quality time with the people i love. That doesn't mean i'm not missing Marrakech, i always feel sad leaving even if it's just for a few days, but i think that happens to us all at some point, that feeling of being so connected to two different places that are a huge part of you.

Hopefully i'll be showing off the new dishes i have learned to cook in Marrakech, if my days go according to plan, which they very rarely do, and making some old favourites like cakes and crumbles and pies that i haven't had the advantage to bake in Marrakech, oh and a nice cup of tea!

Microwave tea-cup cakes in 5 minutes

2011-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

The title may put you off, it's certainly put me off in the past, but keep reading. There are many microwave cake recipes i have come across in the past and i have never been tempted to try one, worried by the fact that i would end up with something rubbery and completely inedible and besides i never felt the need to try when i had a perfectly good oven and baking equipment to hand. Now in Marrakech with a very small oven, no baking equipment, none of my trusty cookbooks and desperately craving cake i was really tempted to try this.

I found a good recipe on an amazing and reliable blog that i regularly read ' Z Tasty Life' , the results will never be the same texture as a cake baked in an oven, but when your craving cake on a week night and you don't have the time or want the fuss of baking then this is the recipe to go to and it's good enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. The added bonus is that you don't get carried away eating cake after cake, you have just one little portion. I used little tea-cups and filled them half way so they would rise just to the top but not spill over, i cooked them one at a time in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, any longer and i think they would have come out dry and over-cooked, i found 2 minutes just right. I would also advise eating them hot out of the microwave while they are nice and soft served with a scoop of ice-cream or fruit, the lemon recipe below would also be great with some vanilla custard.

Lemon Tea-cup cakes adapted from ' Z tasty life'

1 tsp Baking powder

4 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons sugar

a pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon zest

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a small bowl.

2. In one of the tea-cups you will use whisk the egg.

3. Add the butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the egg.

4. Pour into the flour mix and combine well.

5. Divide the mix into two tea-cups, filling each about halfway.

6. Cook one tea-cup at a time on high for 2 minutes.

7. Serve with ice-cream or custard.

Loubia ( with a little more heat)

2011-11-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday night with the family, around the table, eating the food mum has prepared in only the way that she can, ( chicken most likely), enjoying every bite with that warm satisfied feeling.This is just one of the things i miss, and i have noticed since moving away i have taken more of an interest in Indian cooking, food that i rarely made in London. I would always watch mum making the dishes from scratch, with no recipe to hand, just from memory, knowing exactly what ingredient came next and how much of it, working her way around the kitchen quickly and effeciently. The kitchen was always spotless at the end, every surface clean, no trace of the preperation that had gone into that dish, just the aroma of it filling the house.

It's hard to explain but in some ways i feel like my new interest in Indian cooking, all my experimenting, is a way for me to feel like i'm still connected to my family life in London, not missing out on anything and trying to imitate mum's actions.

So on this Saturday i took a moroccan recipe and 'Indianized' it slightly, served it with coriander rice, in the hope that in my mind it would transport me back home. It did just was needed.

Loubia

1 can of cannellini beans

1 red onion chopped finely

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1-2 small cloves crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped root ginger

1 heaped teaspoon cumin

1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon hot/garam masala

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

a large pinch of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

4/ 5 tablespoons tomato puree ( i use passata)

1-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Add olive oil to your pan, on a medium heat cook the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add the tomato puree ( passata) to the pan and stir into the onion mix. Add all the spices in to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Wash and drain the cannellini beans and add to the pan along with the coriander.

4. Stir the cannellini beans in and add in your water ( i normally add 1 cup of water). Put the lid on your pan and cook for 30 minutes, checking the pan from time to time and giving the beans a stir.

5. After 30 minutes you should have a nice thick sauce. Serve hot with bread or rice!

Lazy days and a salad...

2011-11-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

My early resolution of trying to get out of bed early and do more with the day hasn't quite stuck and is very hard to do when you only manage to get to sleep at 2am in the morning. So there have been many lazy mornings, late starts and breakfast at noon, i would use this as an excuse for why i have been eating so much junk food lately, chocolates, biscuits and anything else high in sugar and fat. Normally my choice of snacks are fruit and yoghurt but the healthy part of me is tired and has not fully registered that i'm not on vacation, that will be changing very soon! or so i hope....

Meanwhile i have been experimenting more with traditional Moroccan cooking, the Moroccan food i'm used to eating out in restaurants and cafes is nothing like home-cooked food, sometimes lacking in flavour and spice ( my opinion any way, but maybe that's because my tastebuds are used to more spicy food in the Indian way). I decided to put a little twist on a classic Moroccan salad/side dish, i always love eating this out in the local cafe's all you need is bread for dipping.

The original recipe was found on http://www.cookingwithalia.com/, it's a great site with so many wonderful Moroccan recipes, simple and easy to follow with video's to watch how it's done.

Zaalouk - Adapted from cookingwithalia.com

2 small eggplants ( Aubergine's)

2-3 tomatoes peeled and diced ( i used 2)

2 tablespoons Coriander ( cilantro)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove crushed garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot (garam ) masala

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1. peel and dice the eggplant, boil the eggplant cubes in salted water for 30 mins.

2. Drain eggplant cubes from the water and press with a spoon until all excess water is released.

3. On a medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes, eggplant, olive oil, garlic and spices to a pan and cook for 30 mins. Crush the eggplant and tomatoes with a wooden spoon while cooking until you end up with a puree.

Can be served hot or cold with fresh bread.

Happy Diwali to all

2011-10-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

Grey skies have arrived in Marrakech, the nights are getting colder, although it's not quite the same feeling of Autumn in London, Summer is certainly over here. I love watching Marrakech wake up on early misty mornings, coming home from work in the evenings to a nice warm apartment and with the change of seasons has come a change of food. Colder days make me crave hearty, richer, comfort foods. On one such day armed with my mum's recipe, i decided to make 'Keer' or rice pudding for the first time. Mum always makes it on special Occasions such as today, Diwali, it's creamy, comforting and full of flavour. This recipe is very simple and doesn't take much time either.

My photography has not been great lately due to lack of light ( most of my pics are taken at night when i have more time) and a camera that is slowly dying on me :(

Keer

1 pint ( 1/2 litre) semi skimmed milk ( you can use full fat, semi skimmed is what i used)

1 small espresso size cup of short grain rice

1 small pot (250ml) single cream (i used light )

2/3 cardamom pods

a couple of saffron threads

1-2 tablespoons sugar ( granulated)

1) In a large saucepan bring milk to the boil, turn gas to low heat and add the rice, cardamom, saffron and simmer for 45 - 50 mins until rice becomes soft, stir occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. ( if it is looking a little too thick add some more milk).

2) Add the sugar and cream after 45 mins and stir for 5-10 mins until creamy and all the sugar has dissolved.

can be served hot or cold, enjoy!

Sweet memories

2011-10-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is for my dear friend Cleo, back home in London, we would meet up every few months for an Italian lunch followed by extravagant, buttery pastries and coffee at patisserie Valerie. Over lunch we would talk about the past , the future, travel, family, Morocco and of course food. Cleo loved to talk about her fond memories of Morocco on visits with her family, having been bought up in London she savoured the taste of Moroccan food and life, she hasn't re-visited the country for a long time and we always discuss my visits to Marrakech at length, marvelling at the changes over the years.

Cleo was one of the first people i told when i made the decision to move to Marrakech, i felt her joy and happiness for me instantly, i also felt sadness at the thought of no more lunch dates or pastries with her anymore something i miss so much, but i know she is only an email away and reading this blog waiting for some new pictures and updates.

While eating a plate of the famous Moroccan pastries and a hot cup of sweet tea i think of her, Kaab el Ghazal ( gazelle's horns ) are her favourite as i remember and turning out to be one of my favourites also.

For you Cleo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwny/4686608165/

Jemaa el fna - a Foodies dream place

2011-10-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Jemaa El Fna in Marrakech is one of those places that amazes you every time you visit, the entertainment, the people, the sounds, the colours and most importantly the wonderful array of culinary delights on offer really makes this a foodies dream. Walking through the narrow alleys of the Medina with the sous chef, camera in hand and on the lookout for some delicious little treats, a rather touristy trip but like i say it's magic every time.

Here's just a few of my favourite things i captured on camera today, with more to come.

Salad plates

2011-10-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Since arriving in Morocco i have come to love the wonderful variations of salad plates, it is slowly becoming my favorite part of the meal ( something which i never thought i would say!) but i have grown to appreciate the preparation and assembly of a good salad.

Back home in London i very rarely ever ate salad with my main meal, if i did it would be a little cucumber, onion and tomato. Salads weren't really a big part of the meal in my family home only occasionally a big potato salad on a barbecue night, and i never missed it, even shop bought salad held little interest for me apart from a Marks & Spencer roasted vegetable and cous cous salad enjoyed occasionally on summer days.

So one day when i wasn't feeling too great i came home and made my self comfortable on the sofa, not moving from my place for the next few hours.In the mean time my Sous Chef ( that's what i like to call him, although i'm sure he would prefer the title of head chef instead but seeing as i spend more time in the kitchen that title is still reserved for me) Sous chef got busy preparing dinner, Salad and some delicious marinated sole pan fried with spices. However the salad really stole the show, it was lovely and light but nutritious and filled with protein and a good combination of flavours. Salad plays a big part here and present in almost all family homes at meal times along with other little side dishes which i hope to have up here soon.

Art in cake

2011-09-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sites i like to visit and stare in wonder at the beauty of cakes is definitely cakeoperaco.com.

http://www.cakeoperaco.com/cakes

2011-08-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, it's all been quite busy i've just relocated from London to Marrakech with only 3 weeks to prepare! So as you can imagine i haven't had a whole lot of time for a spot of baking, saying goodbye to family and friends this past week was by far the hardest part, it all feels quite strange with all the excitement that comes with starting something new and then there's that moment that comes when it all really hits you.

So i arrived yesterday afternoon, after a restless night ( it's just so hot it's hard to sleep without waking up every few hours) i'm slowly starting to settle myself in to my new place. The first thing i did on my arrival yesterday was go straight to the kitchen, now it's all pretty traditional but nice and simple and sufficient enough, although the oven is a little on the small side i'm sure i'll manage!

So i promise i'll be back in the kitchen in a few days and exploring around the city!

The Satisfaction of home made ice-cream

2011-08-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, bored, hot and wondering what cake to bake i came across something i've never ventured into before...ice-cream! I know a lot of people who regularly make their own ice-cream experimenting with different flavors and others who don't think it's worth the hassle. That's what i thought too, i was always a little intimidated by making my own and sometimes put off by all the complex looking recipes, but on this day not only was i craving ice-cream, i had found a great recipe for a caramel flavored one and i had all the ingredients to hand, the last bonus was there was a brand new unused ice-cream machine waiting in the freezer.

My first attempt didn't go entirely to plan even though i followed every word in the recipe, i ended up burning the caramel twice...in two separate pans, i tried to get as much caramel flavoring as possible into my single cream and milk mix, failing that the pans went in the sink and the caramel flavor ice-cream was abandoned, it would be simple vanilla instead! So i added a few drops to my cream and milk mix, let it all cool down then poured it into the ice-cream machine to churn for 30 minutes, then in the freezer until i was ready to eat it.
I have to say i was quite surprised by the outcome, it was light and creamy although not as sweet as i would have liked, having followed the caramel flavor recipe i didn't replace it with the necessary amount of sugar.

I think i will definitely be giving this a go again and this time experimenting with different flavors maybe even some fruit and yoghurt, once you get the hang of it it's quite easy! I've posted the original recipe i used below for the caramel flavored ice-cream , from Tessa Kiros' book 'Falling cloud berries'.

Caramel Ice-cream
4 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
500ml warm milk
250ml single(pouring) cream

1)Place the caster sugar in a saucepan on medium heat until it starts to turn to caramel, a dark golden colour and thick texture. Don't stir the caramel just swirl it around in the pan gently and watch carefully to prevent any burning.
2) Take the pan off the heat and slowly add the warm milk and single cream to the caramel, mix it all through.
3) Whisk the egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Add a little of the milk mix to the yolks while continuing to whisk to stop the eggs from scrambling, slowly add the rest of the milk mix, whisking all the time.
4) Once all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed in together leave to cool completely.
5) Set up your ice-cream machine following the manufacturer's instructions. I left mine to churn in the machine for 30 minutes and then poured it into another container ready for the freezer. I would take it out of the freezer 5-10 minutes before you want to eat it to allow it to soften up so you have a creamy flavorful texture.

Baking eggs...crazy or chic?

2011-08-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Maybe i'm not in the know as much as other cake fanatics out there but today is the first i'm hearing about eggs specifically for baking.My discovery came as i was flicking through Marie Claire earlier on and stopped at a full page advertisement with the headline 'cupcake pour femme', showing a female model looking as though she was in cupcake heaven and finishing with the end line 'bake it beautiful'. At first glance i really wasn't quite sure if it was real just because i had never heard or seen these 'baking eggs' before, after a quick search on Google i found the website this advertisement belonged to, www.ellavalentine.co.uk.

The website was cute and pretty, not really explaining the point of baking eggs or why they were better than normal eggs, but filled with lovely cupcake recipes and tea time treats. They tell you where you can buy them from, local supermarkets such as sainsbury's but not anything about the price. I'm sure these are more expensive than regular and organic eggs, which leads me to ask are these a great new product designed to improve our home baking or just an overpriced gimmick? Are they necessary? or would good quality free range fresh organic or non organic eggs do the same thing? I'm not going to completely knock these before i try them, so next time when i go shopping i think i will pick up a pack for testing and judge for myself, i'll be sure to post the results!

The Village of Eternity

2011-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Campodimele, a small village in the Lazio region of central Italy has long attracted the attention of scientists and doctors around the world who have been known to refer to it as 'the village of eternal youth', now Journalist Tracey Lawson is on a journey to unveil the mystery of this village that has sparked the interest of so many worldwide.'A year in the village of eternity' is about this small village whose inhabitants are known to be in very good health and have a long life expectancy, the book follows Tracey and the people she meets through to the food she discovers, home grown and fresh produce, could this be the key to good health and a long life?

A travel book and cookbook, this is filled with wonderful simple recipes and some very interesting history about this village as well as the colorful characters Tracey writes about so dearly. The emphasis is very much on fresh simple food with a few key ingredients, meals that are nutritionally balanced, easy to prepare and seasonal, no preservatives, no additives, just simplicity. Eating seasonally is something very few of us do or don't quite know how to when our supermarkets shelves are piled high with fruits, vegetables, canned good and frozen foods available all year round, what's in season or not doesn't cross our minds. This book teaches us that learning to eat fresh and seasonally is far more healthy and nutritious for us than any canned or frozen good could ever be.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Village-Eternity-ebook/dp/B0058RE09C

A Middle Eastern affair....

2011-07-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my hopes of having a week dedicated to chocolate & Baking didn't turn out quite the way i wanted, but i won't disappoint for long and i promise a chocolate & Baking week will be on the cards very soon so continue to watch this space.

Today i took inspiration from the cuisine of the middle east and North Africa from Lebanese style pizzas, Falafel
eggplant dips to delicately perfumed pastries with sweet nutty fillings. One of these pastries, originally from Morocco known as 'the snake' or 'M'hanncha', was particularly delicious and fun to make. M'hanncha is typically made of a sweet buttery almond filling wrapped up in filo pastry and then coiled in the shape of a snake!
Although the recipe may look hard do give it a try, it's well worth it.

The recipe i used is based on the one i found in Jamie Does....cookbook, which i tweaked a little and instead of making one big M'hannca as shown in the picture below, i decided to make 6 little ones, the result was still excellent just individual portions for everyone!

Here is my slightly tweaked version of the recipe:
M'hanncha with Date sauce - makes 6 individual portions
350g butter, at room temperature
350g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
3 large eggs
350g ground almonds
1 tablespoon plain flour
5 tablespoons rose water
12 sheets of filo pastry

For the date sauce:
150g dates, stoned and roughly chopped,
450ml orange juice

1) Preheat your oven to 180c/gas mark 4.
2) cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, gently folding them into the butter mix.
3) Add the ground almonds and flour and rose water and combine everything together.
4) Lay two filo sheets, one on top of the other in front of you, spoon some filling in a line along the long edge closest to you, leaving a border all the way.
5) Carefully, starting at the edge closest to you, fold the pastry over the filling. Keep rolling it tightly until you have a long sausage.
6) quickly and carefully starting at one end, roll the pastry around to form a small coil, make sure the ends are neatly tucked in.
7) Follow this way with the rest of the pastries. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 min, until the pastry is crisp and golden.
8) Leave to cool, while you continue with the sauce.
9) Put the dates and orange juice in a small pan and bring to the boil,then reduce the heat and simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes then blitz in a food processor for a smooth and thick sauce.
10) Dust the M'hanncha's with icing sugar, drizzle over the date sauce and a scoop of good quality vanilla ice-cream. Enjoy!

Chocolate & Baking

2011-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

I've decided to dedicate this week to chocolate and baking, I'm going to be testing out new recipes and digging out old favorites with the main ingredient being chocolate of course!

Today i've made a Rococo Chocolate cake, it's similar to the classic French chocolate cake, dark, dense, moist and very rich. There is no flour or raising agent in this cake, just eggs, chocolate, sugar and ground almonds.It's quick to prepare and can be served simply as it is or dressed up with fresh summer berries such as raspberries or strawberries, dusted with cocoa powder and icing sugar and served with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice-cream.

Rococo Chocolate cake

200g 70% dark chocolate
25g unsalted butter
5 large eggs, seperated
175g caster sugar
125g ground almonds
2tbsp milk
icing sugar and cocoa powder

1) preheat the oven to 180c, 160c fan oven, gas mark 4.
2) slowly melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.
3)With an electric whisk beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar until you have a stiff mixture.
4)Finally add the milk. Pour into a round 25cm spring form tin and level the surface.
5) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely, then dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.
6) Cut into thin slices and serve with vanilla ice-cream or fresh fruit.

Love and peace....

2011-07-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

The world’s recent tragedies, the loss of innocent lives in Norway, china and the famine sweeping Somalia claiming hundreds of lives, has i’m sure shaken all of us in some way. Watching the news every day trying to understand what’s happening in the world leaves me worried, sad and wondering what the future holds. What can i do to help? What can we all do to help? Surely as humans it is our responsibility to help those who are in need, by offering support, being compassionate, giving what we can when we can, i’m sure we can all make a valuable contribution in our own way, however big or small that may be, it’s one step in the right direction.

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/

http://www.unicef.org.uk