Joanna's Food: Top 25 cookbooks

Joanna's Food: Top 25 cookbooks: "Top 25 cookbooks"

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What is the most indispensable cookbook?

- Jacques Pépin's Complete Techniques
- The Joy of Cooking.
Blog - The Joy of Cooking.
- How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.
- Ottolenghi: The Cookbook.
- The Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 1000 Recipes.

Tarte Aux Pommes.

Tarte Aux Pommes - French Apple Tart with Pastry Cream Recipe:

- Pâté Sucrée Recipe - French Sweet Pastry Crust Recipe;

- Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream) Recipe.

Food photography: the tricks of the trade.

- Food photography: the tricks of the trade | Life and style | The Guardian: "Food photography: the tricks of the trade"

- Food Photography School – 130+ Video Lessons All About Food Photography:
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How to cook the perfect chicken kiev.

My first experience! (tastes great, I hope to improve my skills...in days to come.)
Enjoy this buttery chicken kiev dish from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall -here!
SO:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
100ml milk
2 tbsp plain flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
150g dried white breadcrumbs
4 skinless chicken breasts, with fillets
sunflower or groundnut oil for deep-frying
For the garlic butter

100g unsalted butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper

How to make chicken kievs recipe:
1. Begin by making the garlic butter. Mix all the ingredients together really well, then form into a neat pat and chill or freeze until hard.

2. When you're ready to assemble the kievs, put the milk in a shallow dish, season the flour and put on a plate, put the beaten egg in another dish, and finally put the breadcrumbs on a plate.

3. With a very sharp knife, carefully slit each chicken breast along one side, down almost the whole length, parallel to the grain of the meat, to a depth of about 4cm. Give the thick part of the breast a few firm bashes with a rolling pin to flatten and spread it a little. This helps reduce the cooking time. Slice the hard garlic butter into four pieces and put one inside each chicken breast - cutting the butter to fit the hole if necessary. Use the fillets to close up the breasts.

4. Carefully dip each stuffed breast in milk, then flour, then egg. Finally, give it a good coating of breadcrumbs. If you have time, chill the kievs for half an hour, then repeat the egg and breadcrumb coating to give a double layer. This makes it particularly hard for any garlic butter to escape, and gives you an extra crisp finish.

5. The breasts need to be fried fairly gently if they are to cook through before the breadcrumbs burn. Heat your oil to 160C in a large sauce pan or deep fat fryer. Fry the kievs, turning occasionally and very carefully, for 12 minutes at least - 15 if you can get away with it - until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

OR technique:
Posted by Felicity Cloake Thursday 7 June 2012 The Guardian.
Makes 2
2 chicken breasts
50g salted butter, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
½ lemon
2 tbsp flour, seasoned
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp breadcrumbs, panko if possible, seasoned
Vegetable oil, to deep fry

1. Mash together the butter, garlic and herbs, and season with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Form into 2 sausages, and wrap in clingfilm. Put in the fridge to chill.

2. Butterfly each chicken breast by opening it out using a knife, and then put it between 2 sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser until about 0.5cm thick, being careful not to create any holes. Season both sides well.

3. Put a sausage of butter near one edge of the chicken and begin rolling the meat up around it, tucking in the ends as you go (use some egg and flour as glue if they prove obstinate). Roll into a tight sausage using the clingfilm, and freeze for 2 hours.

4. Put the seasoned flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 shallow dishes and then roll the frozen kievs in each in turn, then again in the eggs and crumbs to double coat. Put in the fridge to defrost, which should take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 150C.

5. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or fryer to 160C, or until a crumb of bread turns golden in about 15 seconds, then gently lower the first kiev in. Cook it for 8½ minutes, then drain on kitchen paper and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the next. Serve immediately, once your guest has tucked a napkin into their collar.

Why did chicken kiev go out of fashion – can we blame the ready meal? And has anyone ever eaten one in its eponymous homeland?

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake.

Bake by Brian Here!

Strawberry Cream Pie

Yields: about 10 servings

Crust Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons salt
3/8 cup cold shortening or lard
3/8 cup cold butter, chopped
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Cream Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Other Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
red food coloring (optional; I skipped this)
mint leaves or whole strawberries for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Note on timing: There are several components of this pie, but their preparation fits together nicely. You can make the crust dough and while it’s chilling, toast your almonds and set them out to cool. While the crust is baking and cooling, make and refrigerate the cream and slice your strawberries. Assemble these things once the crust is cool, and chill your almost-completed pie while you whip up the glaze. Chill the whole concoction for a few hours before slicing for best results.

Make the crust dough: Pulse flour and salt together to combine. Add scoops of lard and pulse into the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Add in chunks of butter and pulse until butter pieces are no larger than small peas, about 10 pulses. Add minimum amount of water and pulse on low. If dough remains crumbly and doesn’t come together, add another 2 tablespoons of water. Add as little as is required to enable the dough to be rolled into a ball. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Toast your almonds: While the crust dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spread your sliced almonds out on a baking sheet. Toast for about 4-6 minutes, using a spatula to gently flip and stir the almonds ever 2 minutes. They burn quickly, so keep a close watch on the nuts and remove them when they just start to get some color and are fragrant. Mine took about 5 minutes.

Finish making your crust: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roll disk of dough out to around 2 inches larger than your (9-inch) pie plate and transfer it, situating it in the plate. Fold the excess dough around the edges and crimp, trimming where necessary. Cover the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, pressing to the edges. Bake for around 20 minutes. Remove weights and paper, egg wash crust, and bake 5-10 minutes more, until golden brown (you won’t be baking it again, so make sure it has good color — shielding edges with foil if they begin getting too dark). Let crust cool completely.

Make cream filling: While the crust bakes, prepare your cream filling. Prepare an ice water bath in a bowl big enough to accommodate your saucepan. Mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, still stirring constantly. Spoon out about 1/4 cup of your hot mixture and gradually drizzle it into your beaten egg, whisking constantly. This will temper the egg so that when you add it back into the hot mixture, it won’t cook. Add the egg into the hot mixture, continuing to stir constantly. Bring this just to boiling.

Set the saucepan in the ice water bath and stir it periodically as it cools. Once cool enough, chill the mixture in the refrigerator. During this time, whip the cream and vanilla together to stiff peaks. Take the chilled mixture from the fridge and beat it to break it up. Stir in about 1/3 of the cream to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest of the cream until well combined. Chill until ready to use.

Assemble the pie: Cover bottom of crust with toasted almonds, and then dollop in chilled cream mixture, spreading it smooth with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Slice about a cup of fresh strawberries and layer them in overlapping concentric circles on the top of your pie. Chill this while you make your glaze.

Make the glaze: Crush remaining 1/2 cup of strawberries and cook with water in a saucepan over medium-high heat for two minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the pulp. Add the juice back to the saucepan over medium-high heat and gradually stir in sugar and cornstarch. Cook until thickened. If you want, you can tint this glaze with food coloring to desired hue, but mine was plenty bright enough! Cool the glaze slightly (I transferred mine to a heat-proof measuring cup with a pour spout to cool for a bit) and then pour over top of strawberry slices on your pie. Garnish with big mint leaves, if you’d like, or whole strawberries. Chill entire pie for at least a few hours for best results; cut with a knife held under hot water and then dried.
Recipe by: Pat Howard
And Brian.

Pie Crust Dough

Pie Crust Dough

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: pie crust for one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons salt
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) cold lard or shortening (I recommend lard)
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) cold butter, chopped
3-4 tablespoons cold water
1 egg and 1 teaspoon water, lightly beaten together, for egg wash

Directions:
Pulse flour and salt together to combine. Add the lard in hunks and pulse for about 10 seconds (literally stand there and count!) until it's the texture of coarse sand. Add in the chunks of cold butter and pulse for about 10 pulses (count 'em!) until butter pieces are no larger than small peas. Add 3 tablespoons of ice cold water and turn food processor on low -- the dough should form a dough ball in a few seconds. If the dough remains crumbly and doesn’t come together, add another tablespoon of water. Add as little water total as is required for the dough to form a ball. Scoop the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, form into a disk, and chill for at least 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (if you're blind baking the crust without a filling in it; otherwise, preheat according to your recipe instructions). Roll the disk of dough out between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper until it's around 2 inches larger than your (9-inch) pie plate all around. Use the parchment to help you drape the dough over your rolling pin, and then use the rolling pin to gently transfer the dough to your pie plate. Situate it in the plate without stretching the dough (lift the edges and let it fall down into the corners of the dish). Fold the excess dough around the edges and crimp, trimming where necessary.

If you're filling the crust prior to baking, fill it and bake according to your recipe. If you're blind baking the crust to fill later, cover the dough with parchment paper and fill this with pie weights or dried beans, pressing to the edges. Bake for around 20 minutes at 450 degrees F. Remove weights and paper, brush the egg wash onto the crust, and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown (shield the edges with foil if they begin getting too dark). Let the crust cool completely. Fill according to your recipe.

TIPS:
- When preparing a mise en place for this recipe, chop your butter, measure out your shortening, and fill a jar with ice water first. Stick all of these ingredients into the fridge to get ice cold while you complete the rest of your mise en place.
- Your goal is to keep your fats and your crust dough cold as you prepare it, so don't handle it too much. The cold hunks of fat in your dough are what will create the flaky layers in your crust as it bakes.
- I roll out my crust dough between two sheets of parchment paper with a little sprinkling of flour on either side. Periodically I'll stop to lift the paper from the dough to be sure it's not sticking and flip the dough to check the other side as well. The parchment allows me to use much less messy flour.
-For a double crust pie, double the recipe form into two disks to chill. Roll out each disk separately. Situate the first half of the dough in the pie plate as usual, fill it, and top with the second half. Trim and fold the edges of the top crust under the lip of the bottom crust, crimping the two together. Cut a vent in your pie.

Read more at BakeBakeBake: http://bakebakebake.livejournal.com/3524730.html#ixzz1yv3inuWm

Saucy Sticky Date Pudding.

Saucy, gooey stickydate puddings, dressed with a caramel butterscotch sauce and finished with a rich vanilla bean ice-cream.
Ingredients

For the puddings
250g (1 1/2 cups) deseeded dried dates, roughly chopped into small pieces
312ml (1 1/4 cups) water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
60g (1/4 cup) salted butter, chopped roughly
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
188g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
150g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
Peacans for decorating
For the butterscotch sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter
300ml pure cream
For the ice-cream
2 cups full fat milk
2 cups thickened ( or heavy) cream
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped
5 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
for the puddings
Place the dates and the water in a medium sauce pan over a high heat.
When the date mixture starts to boil, add the bicarb soda and the butter and remove from the heat.
Set saucepan aside and allow mixture to cool for 25 mins. During this time the butter will melt.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (356 Fahrenheit) If you have a fan forced oven preheat it to 160 degrees celsius (320 Fahrenheit).
Grease 6 2/3 cup capacity muffin pans or ramekins.
Transfer the date mixture to a medium mixing bowl.
Using a hand-held beater or whisk, add the eggs and vanilla to date mixture until combined ( this should take less than 30 seconds).
Mix the flour and brown sugar together, breaking up any lumps of sugar.
Add the flour/sugar mixture to the date mixture and fold through until combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared pans.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pans for 5 mins and then turn upside down on a plate.
Smother with butterscotch sauce and serve with ice cream and crushed or crumbled pecans ontop.
For the butterscotch sauce (makes 2 cups)
Place sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, without boiling, for 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil.
Once at the boil, reduce heat to low.
Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
For the ice cream
In a medium saucepan, over a medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream, half the sugar and vanilla bean ( including the pod).
Bring the milk mixture just to the boil.
while the milk mixture is heating ( ie before it is just at the boil), combine the yolks and the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl and using a hand-held beater on slow speed or a whisk, beat until thick and pale.
Once the milk mixture has come to a slight boil, whisk about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture.
Whisk another 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to the yolk mixture.
Return the yolk mixture to the remaining 1/3 of milk mixture in the saucepan.
Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
This mixture must not boil or the yolks will over cook – the process should only take a few minutes.
Pour the mixture through a sieve or mesh strainer and discard the vanilla pod.
Bring this mixture to room temperature.
Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufactures instructions.

Notes
Before being smothered with the butterscotch sauce, the puddings resemble a light but moist date cake. The more sauce the puddings absorb, the sticker they will become.
The amount of individual puddings the recipe produces will depend on the size of your pudding or muffin moulds. Whatever the size of your moulds, only add enough mixture so that they are 2/3rds full. This will allow room for the puddings to rise.
This recipe can also be used to make one large pudding by placing the mixture in a 20cm diameter pan.
To achieve a more toffee flavour for the sauce, add 25g of golden syrup.

It's a Date...with Saucy Sticky Date Pudding | Art of Baking: "It’s a Date…with Saucy Sticky Date Pudding"

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How to cook perfect tarte tatin.

Toffee apples for grown-ups, the tarte tatin is all about the flavour of the fruit – crisp pastry, firm, juicy apples and that sweet, buttery caramel topping, holding the whole lot together. We may grow the best varieties, but the French really know what to do with them.

Serves 6

7 medium apples: 4 Cox, 3 Granny Smith
200g white sugar
50g butter
175g ready-made shortcrust pastry OR
225g plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
120g cold butter
1 medium egg, beaten

1. Peel, halve and core the apples, then put in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours.

2. Put the sugar into a 20cm heavy-based ovenproof frying pan along with 50ml water and leave to soak for a couple of minutes, then cook over a medium heat until golden and fudgy. Take off the heat and stir in the butter, and a pinch of salt, until well combined, then carefully arrange the apples in the pan, round-side down, bearing in mind the caramel will be very hot, and put back on the heat – you may need to cut some of the apples into smaller pieces to fill in the gaps. Cook for 5 minutes, then take off the heat and allow to cool completely.

3. If making the pastry, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Grate in the butter, then rub together until it is coarse crumbs.

4. Mix the egg with 2 tsp cold water and sprinkle over the mixture. Mix together into a soft but not sticky dough, adding more water (if required) very gradually. Shape into a ball, and then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before rolling out.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Roll out the pastry (you'll probably have some left over if you've made your own) to 5mm thick, and cut out a circle slightly larger than your pan. Put back into the fridge to rest.

6. Put the pastry on top of the pan and tuck in the edges around the fruit. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place a plate, slightly larger than the pan, on top and then, very carefully, using oven gloves, invert the tart on to the plate. Best served warm, with crème fraîche.

Is tarte tatin the queen of apple-based desserts, or do you prefer a strudel, a crumble, a Charlotte, or even a good old-fashioned apple pie? What kind of pastry do you use, and how far do you go down the route of caramelisation?

How to cook perfect tarte tatin | Life and style | The Guardian: "Perfect tarte tatin"
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Basic Salad Dressing

Basic Salad Dressing:
 "It's a simple soy sauce flavored salad dressing made with rice vinegar. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 5 Tbsp vegetable oil Preparation: Mix all the ingredients other than oil in a bowl. Add oil gradually and mix well. *Makes about 1/2 cup"

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Marinated strawberries with a hint of mint, served with clotted cream.

Ingredients

(Serves four)

400g strawberries, washed and cut into quarters
50g caster sugar
Lemon juice
Fresh mint, chopped finely
Pinch of ground white pepper
Clotted cream

Method

Take one-quarter of the strawberries, sprinkle with sugar and add a dash of lemon juice. Then, using a fork, mash well and add the remainder of the strawberries. Add a pinch of pepper, 1tsp of chopped mint and adjust the sweetness to your liking, then leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.

To serve, place the strawberries into bowls and spoon some clotted cream into the middle.
by Michael Caines - 7/14/2008 - Caterer and Hotelkeeper.

Strawberry tart. From Pascal Aussignac.

Ingredients

Shortbread pastry

125g of butter
60g of icing sugar
1 egg yolk
125g of plain flour, plus more for dusting
75g of ground almonds
2g of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
3 sprigs of lemon thyme, leaves picked
Crème patissière

200ml of milk
40g of sugar
2 egg yolks
14g of cornflour
1 vanilla pod, cut and deseeded
Marinated strawberries

18 strawberries, roughly quartered
30ml of rosé wine
1 tsp of caster sugar
1 tbsp of clear honey

Equipment
22cm spring form cake tin

1.To begin the strawberry tart, mix the butter and sugar for the shortbread recipe to form a smooth paste.
Add flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder.
Rub the mixture using your fingertips to form a sand-like texture

2.Add the egg yolk and the chopped thyme and continue to work the mix until it comes together to form a dough.
When your dough is ready, wrap it in cling film and leave in the fridge to rest for 2 hours

3.Once the dough has rested, preheat an oven to 160ºC/gas mark 3.
Lightly dust a suitable workspace with flour and roll the dough to 1/2cm thickness, place into shallow 22cm spring form tin.
Use the excess dough to build a 1cm side for the tart

4.Bake for 13 minutes until lightly golden. Once cooked leave the pastry to cool in the tin

5.For the crème patissière, put the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil

6.Meanwhile, mix the sugar and the egg yolk in a separate bowl until you reach a creamy, smooth consistency. Add the cornflour and continue to whisk

7.Once the milk has come to a steady boil, pour half of the milk into the bowl, whisking thoroughly. Whisk the milk and the eggs in the bowl then return the mixture to the pan and continue to whisk on a low heat, returning to a steady boil. Continue to cook for 3 minutes after boiling

8.Reserve the crème patissière in the fridge on a clean tray and cover it tightly with cling film. Once chilled, place it in a bowl and gently whisk until smooth. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve

9.For the marinated strawberries, place the cut strawberries into a bowl. Add the caster sugar, rosé wine and honey. Mix until glazed

10.Before serving, spread a generous 1cm layer of crème patissière across your cooked tart and place your marinated strawberries to cover. Once covered, drizzle the excess marinade across the tart to glaze

Super Moist Carrot Cake.

... with Cream Cheese Frosting. (if You like)

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Oven Temperature: 180° C - 360° F

Ingredients

180 g self raising flour
180 g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
3 eggs
220 g grated raw carrot
¼ tsp salt
300 ml sunflower oil
for the frosting:
180 g cream cheese
180 g melted butter
220 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat the oven 180°C

2. Sieve together 175g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Put 300ml oil in a large bowl and beat with 350g the sugar. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time, then fold in the dry ingredients and stir in 225g grated carrot.

4. Place the mixture in the tin, level off the top, and bake for 45 mins. Then turn the oven down to 170C/325F/gas 3 for a further 20 mins. When it's done, take the cake out of the oven and cool in the tin for 5 mins. Then remove from the tin to cool on a wire rack.

5. While the cake is cooling, beat together the 175g cream cheese and 175g butter and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence. Gradually add 225g sieved icing sugar until the mixture is stiff but spreadable.

6. When the cake is cool, split it in half horizontally and use the icing to sandwich it back together and cover the top.
PS
Cake becomes more mature next day and day after...

Quiche Lorraine.

Ingredients

For the pastry
175grams plain flour
75g butter
salt
Water

For the filling
250g Mature cheddar
5 free range eggs
3 tomatoes sliced
220g bacon
freshly ground black pepper
210ml double cream
100ml milk
salt
2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Start this Quiche Lorraine recipe
- by combining the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour until it forms crumbs and start adding small amounts of water until the crumbs come together to form a dough. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Sprinkle some flour onto your works surface and roll out the dough. Gather it up with your rolling pin and roll it out into a well buttered flan dish, a 22cm diameter dish is recommended. Place the pastry in the fridge to rest and preheat your oven to 190C/Gas mark 5.
- Take your flan dish out of the fridge, crumple a large piece of baking parchment a few times in your hands to soften it, and place over the pastry. Fill the flan dish with baking beans and blind bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 170C/Gas mark 3.
- Grate the mature cheddar and place it evenly over the base of the pastry base. Slice the tomatoes and lay them over the cheese, chop and fry the bacon before placing over the top of the tomatoes.
- Add all of the cream, milk and eggs to a mixing bowl and mix together with a fork, before pouring it over the top of the quiche filling.
- Chop the fresh thyme and sprinkle over the top before placing the quiche into the oven, baking for around 30 minutes or until the liquid has set.
- Once set, leave the quiche lorraine to cool, and trim the edges of pastry from the dish.
- Cut into sections and serve.

And Quiche Lorraine Scones

Pearl barley with spinach and pork mince.

This is a filling pork and spinach orzotto - like a risotto, but with pearl barley instead of rice.

Recipe:

Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
150g/5½oz pork mince
200g/7oz pearl barley
120g/4oz spinach, roughly chopped
½ glass white wine
1 litre/1¾ pint vegetable stock
handful of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation method
1. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and pork and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and the pork
browned.
2. Stir in the pearl barley and spinach and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the white wine and allow to evaporate.
4. Now gradually add the stock ladle by ladle, waiting until each ladleful has been absorbed before you add the next. Continue until the pearl
barley is cooked, about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, mix in the remaining oil and parsley and season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

preparation time -less than 30 mins
cooking time -30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 4

By Antonio Carluccio and
Gennaro Contaldo
From Two Greedy Italians

Orange rice cake.

Nutritious and filling, this rice cake is perfect as a teatime snack for children, or even for breakfast!

Ingredients

1.7 litre/3 pints milk
1 vanilla pod
½ lemon, zest only, in large pieces
200g/7oz sugar
300g/10½oz arborio rice
5 large free-range eggs, separated
50ml/2fl oz orange liqueur
40g/1½oz raisins
1 orange, zest only, grated, plus extra for serving
Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 24cm/10in loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the milk, vanilla pod, lemon zest and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice and simmer on a medium to low heat for about 20–25 minutes, until the rice is al dente and has absorbed the milk but still has a creamy consistency.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Remove vanilla pod and lemon zest.
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and liqueur until creamy. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is
removed.
4. Add the egg yolk mixture to the cooled rice, then fold in the stiffened egg whites, followed by the raisins and orange zest. Pour in the
prepared tin and bake in the oven for one hour. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with a little extra orange zest to finish.

preparation time -less than 30 mins

cooking time - 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 8-10

By Antonio Carluccio and
Gennaro Contaldo
From Two Greedy Italians

What is a Terrine?

What is a Terrine?: "What is a Terrine?"
A terrine can be one of several things. Its original definition refers to an oblong, earthenware pan with straight sides, used for cooking and serving food.

The word has also evolved to mean the various dishes prepared in the loaf pan, most commonly a type of country-style pâté made with finely chopped pieces of meat.

Terrines aren't limited to meat, however, and may refer to other courses like frozen desserts. Often, ingredients are layered into the pan and the loaf is served sliced, revealing a pattern.

How to make a terrine - in pictures | Life and style | guardian.co.uk: "How to make a terrine - in pictures"
A Terrine of Summer Fruits - Summer desserts - Recipes - from Delia Online: "A Terrine of Summer Fruits"

Strawberry Rhubarb Terrine Recipe | Simply Recipes:
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50 Things To Do With Fresh Sorrel.

50 Things To Do With Fresh Sorrel | Chocolate & Zucchini: "50 Things To Do With Fresh Sorrel"
As:
- Fried Beans with Feta, Sorrel, and Sumac.
- Soup of fresh shelling beans and sorrel
- Green borscht
The soup tastes even better if you make it early in the morning, so that the flavor of the sorrel has time to blend with other ingredients.

To serve 4

Ingredients:

6 cups rich beef or chicken broth, preferably homemade
3 cups potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4 inch dice
4 large eggs
3 cups onion, cut in 1/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons canola oil
9 ounces sorrel leaves, roughly chopped (see note)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup green onions or scallions, tops only, chopped
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraiche

Method:

1. Combine the broth and diced potatoes in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, put the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and leave them while preparing the soup.
3. In a medium skillet, sauté the diced onions in the oil until they are soft, translucent and just beginning to brown around the edges. Add to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the sorrel, green onions and parsley to the soup and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, but don’t stint. You’ll need plenty to balance the tartness of the herbs and the blandness of the potatoes. The soup should be peppery tasting.
5. Before serving, peel the eggs and cut them in quarters. Add 2 or 3 pieces to each bowl, tucking them under the sorrel and potatoes. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of crème fraiche and sprinkle with a little dill.
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Sorrel soup, french style.

Pecipe from Best Food Blog.

Serve this with bread and a nice white wine, or a floral beer like a Belgian.

Serves 4-6.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions, ramps or other wild onion
4-6 cups (packed) of chopped sorrel
Salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cream
__________

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the green onions or ramps and turn the heat to medium-low.
Cover the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, pour the stock into another pot and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat up, add the sorrel leaves and a healthy pinch of salt and stir well.
When the sorrel is mostly wilted, turn the heat back to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes.
Stir occasionally. Mix in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Whisk in the hot stock, stirring constantly. Bring this to a simmer.
To finish the soup, whisk together the egg yolks and cream.
Temper the mixture by ladling a little soup into it with one hand, while you whisk the egg-cream mix with the other.
Repeat this three times. (You are doing this to prevent the eggs from scrambling)
Now start whisking the soup.
Pour the hot egg-cream-soup mixture into the pot with the soup, whisking all the way.
Let this cook — below a simmer — for 5 minutes.
Do not let it boil or the soup will break. Serve at once.

Pearl barley.

Cock-a-leekie soup.

Russian Blini for Celebrating Maslenitsa.

5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures: Russian Blini for Celebrating Maslenitsa: "Russian Blini for Celebrating Maslenitsa"

Russian Blini for Celebrating Maslenitsa.

Recipe tested by Brian.


Joan Nova of FOODalogue has been hosting a special Culinary Tour Around the World where she and other foodies get to explore the wonderful cuisine of different cultures around the world. I was invited to visit Russia today to celebrate the last day of Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa, also known as Butter Week or Pancake Week, is an ancient Russian holiday that began as a tradition of celebrating the upcoming end of winter. In modern times this festival became a pre-Lental holiday similar to Mardi Gras or Carnival. This “festival of the sun” usually takes place in the last week of February or the first week of March and involves masquerades, sledding, games in the snow, and sleigh rides.

The traditional food with which to celebrate Maslenitsa is Russian Blini. These pancakes are thought to resemble the sun because of their round shape and golden color. Blini are consumed in great quantities with caviar, sour cream, jam and plenty of butter. Blini is one of my favorite comfort foods and I make them using this authentic family recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons yeast
1 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sweet butter

Additional butter

Directions:

Warm 1/2 cup of milk. Add sugar and yeast and mix to blend. Let the yeast mixture stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, mix the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the rest of milk and mix well until the batter is smooth. Cover and put in a warm place for 1-2 hours to allow the dough to rise.

Melt butter and let it cool down to room temperature. Whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the eggs and butter to the Blini batter to deflate the bubbles and mix well.

Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour a scoop of batter (1/3 of a ladle or a full ice-cream scoop) into pan and turn the pan gently to spread the batter around the whole pan. Cook until edge of the pancake turns light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges gently with spatula and turn the pancake over. Cook until bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate and cover with foil. Repeat with remaining batter, adding melted butter as needed and keeping the Blini warm.

We prepared special fillings for the Blini, including caviar, crème fraîche with chives, and smoked salmon sprinkled with dill. We put these fillings inside the Blini and rolled them up at the table. We enjoyed a Ukrainian vodka with honey and pepper.

During this feast, I remembered a song for Maslenitsa about three white horses carrying away the three winter months, and the coming of Spring.


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My Borsch recipe.

Borsch Soup

Put the kettle on, 800ml boiled water, 1/2 Veg stock cube + 1/2 Beef stock cube.
2 small potatoes= 1 cut, 1whole, put in simmering bulion for 10 min.
Meanwhile:
1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 beetroot shredded in food processor.
Fry vegetables in a pan with a tablespoon of oil or butter.
Put in simmering bulion for another 10 min.
Add any processed or fresh tomato: 2-3 full tablespoons.+ Add 1/4 small white cabbage shredded in processor for another 5min.
In a small saucer put 3-4 chopped cloves of garlic + 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika + 1 Bay leaf and add in soup after test potato for readiness.
After 5 seconds switch off heat and do not open lid for 15min.
After 15min soup is ready to eat, add a little dill to garnish when serving.

Quick apple pie.

Quick apple pie:
Products:
140 g flour
180 g semolina
4 g baking powder
800-1000 g apples
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon +vanilla (if you like)
100 g butter
1 tablespoon icing sugar for dusting
Method of preparation:
In bowl combine butter, sugar, sifted flour, semolina, baking powder and vanilla, mix well.
Wash apples, peel them, clean them from seed and grate, add the vanilla and cinnamon.
In greased pan (diameter of 22 cm) pour 3/4 of the dry mixture of equal layer.
Spread a layer of apples on it.
Repeat 3 times.
The last layer should be the dry mixture.
Evenly distribute the butter on top.
Bake 30-40 minutes in a preheated 200 degree oven until golden.
Readiness can identify with a wooden stick.
Cut the cake once cool completely and serve sprinkled with powder sugar.