Friday, 26 October 2018

Homemade Ricotta Or Lor cheese

Ricotta cheese in Turkey is Lor cheese
4 LT Whole milk
3 lemon juice
1 tablespoon sea salt
Bring the milk almost simmer,add lemon juice and salt,stir gently to combine.Remove the milk from heat. Let the pot of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.Strain the curds.Let the ricotta drain for 1 hours.

- https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh9iYPIgoMJ/?hl=en&taken-by=berguzar.erden

Homemade Borek with Ricotta Cheese.

Savoury pie.
From #berguzar.erden.
I made this cheese borek the same day as the best before date of the milk , that I used to make the cheese it’s self.
For the dough:
500 gram Organic plain white bread flour
10 g dried active yeast
300ml Water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Heap up the flour, make a well in centre and pour in the water,yeast and sugar.Begin to mix,gradually incorporateing some of the flour around the edges, until you have a soft sticky dough.Leave until the dough begins to rise and bubble.Around 15 minutes.Then mix in the remaining flour,olive oil and salt,and kneed well.Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until it has double.
In the meantime,prepare for the topping:
670 gram ricotta cheese ( or 670 gram leftover cheese)
1 bunches Fresh parsley 1 bunches Fresh mint
Some fresh garlic
2 small onion
80 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon nigella seeds
1 tablespoon red flakes chilli pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt ( check your left over cheese salt)
Combine chopped parsley,onion,garlic,mint and cheese.
Add the olive oil,red pepper,black pepper,nigella seeds and salt,and kneed well.
Form into 9 large egg size.
Divide the dough into 9 pieces, roll out each dough a 2-3 mm thick oval shape.
Spread some of the filing over the top,leaving 1,5 cm around the edge uncovered.
Fold the edge inwards and twist each end into a point.
Bake in preheated oven 220°C for about 15-20 minutes.

*бурек - вид несладкой выпечки турецкого (по-видимому, анатолийского) происхождения, популярный в странах бывшей Османской империи и соседних с ними.

Super moist cake

Super moist cake with leftover levain from #astricus.ventus.
Many of you probably have a go-to carrot cake recipe.
But I will leave this recipe below, in case the photo is enticing you enough to try it

Yields : 1 (9 in) round cake

1 1/4c of flour ( I did, 3/4c AP & 1/2 cup WG spelt flour)
1/2c of sugar
1/2c of packed brown sugar
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg, ground cardamom, ground ginger, & salt
1/2c of toasted chopped walnuts
1c or big handful of grated carrots
2 eggs
1c of sourdough starter
2/3c of vegetable oil
1/4c of plain yogurt
- 1/4c of almond milk /or milk, if using a stiff starter -
Cream cheese frosting :
1 package of cream cheese (8oz)
1/4c of softened butter
1c of icing sugar
1-2 drops of vanilla extract
1-2 tsp of almond milk if frosting is too thick -

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separate, and combine.
Bake in a 180C preheated oven for 40-45 mins, check with toothpick test.
Cream frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled cake.
You might have leftover frosting, enough for some cinnamon rolls
Your house will smell amazing.

Friday, 19 October 2018

Sweet roasted quince.

We've been tucking into quince cooked in honey and spices since the middle ages – try these, and it's easy to see why.
They're delicious served hot with good vanilla ice-cream.
Serves six.

18 cloves
3 quinces, unpeeled, halved and cored
Juice of ½ lemon
200ml port (or sweet red wine)
5 tbsp runny honey
3 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise (optional)

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
Press three cloves into the skin of each quince half, and place the fruit cut-side down in a roasting tin.
Whisk together 400ml water, the lemon juice, port and honey, and pour over the quinces.
Place the cinnamon sticks in the tray, along with the star anise, if using.

Bake for about an hour, until sticky and golden.
Now turn the quince right-side up and continue baking until very tender – about 15 minutes more.
Carefully remove the cloves from the skin.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the quince cool slightly.
If there is lots of liquid in the tin, strain it into a small pan and simmer to reduce to a thick syrup.
Put a quince half on each plate, spoon over some of the cooking juices (or syrup) and serve with ice-cream.

- Quince recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Life and style | The Guardian

Sticky quince and ginger cake.

This makes a pretty, moist cake studded with poached quince and stem ginger.
Save any leftover poaching syrup – it will solidify into a jelly and is delicious spread on toast.
Makes one 23cm cake.

150g butter, softened, plus a little more for greasing
2 large-ish quinces (about 600g)
160g caster or vanilla sugar
160g runny honey
1 small thumb fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
Juice of ½ lemon
250g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
Good pinch of salt
180g caster or vanilla sugar
3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
100g creme fraiche
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 balls stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped

For the topping
3 tbsp syrup from the ginger jar
3 tbsp quince poaching liquid
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.
Grease a 23cm x 5cm round, spring-form cake tin, line the base and sides with baking parchment, and butter the parchment.

Peel, quarter and core the quinces.
Cut each quarter into 1cm slices.
Put the quince into a large saucepan with 600ml water, the sugar, honey, ginger and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quince is very tender and has turned a deep, rosy amber colour – about an hour and a half.
Drain, reserving the liquor.
Leave the quince to cool, and in a small pan reduce the liquor until thick and syrupy.

Sift the flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in a few tablespoons of the flour, the creme fraiche and vanilla, fold in the rest of the flour, then the poached quince and chopped ginger.
Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for about an hour and a quarter (check after an hour – if the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil), until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, whisk together the ginger syrup and poaching syrup to make a glaze.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pierce the top a few times with a skewer and brush on the glaze, letting it trickle into the holes.
Sprinkle over the sugar and leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes.
Remove from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

- Quince recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Life and style | The Guardian

Hot lamb and quince salad from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

The zingy sweetness of the quince goes beautifully with the rosy lamb.
If you like, add a handful of rocket and/or coriander leaves to the salad, but it's delicious just as it is.
Serves four as a starter, two as a main.

1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Zest of 1 orange
¼-½ tsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
500g lamb leg steak, butterflied (ask the butcher to do this for you), trimmed of excess fat
1 large quince, washed but unpeeled
2 tbsp runny honey
Juice of 1 lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until just fragrant – about a minute.
Grind roughly with a pestle and mortar, and combine in a bowl with the orange zest, chilli flakes and oil.
Add the lamb, rubbing the marinade well into the surface; cover and marinate for two to four hours, turning over once or twice.

Halve the quince lengthways, remove the core, then cut each half into four segments.
Put these into a small pan with the honey, lemon juice, rosemary and enough water just to cover.
Bring to a simmer, partially cover and poach gently until tender – depending on the size of the quince, about 30-45 minutes.
Remove from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon and place in the marinade with the lamb.
Turn everything over with your hands so the quince slices are well coated.

Warm up a small griddle pan or frying pan over a high heat.
Fry the seasoned lamb steak for a couple of minutes a side, then leave on a warmed plate to rest for five minutes while you cook the quince.
Griddle or fry the quince segments on both sides until starting to caramelise.

Cut the lamb into thin slices and arrange on plates with the quince.
Deglaze the pan with some of the poaching liquid, then pour the pan juices over the meat and fruit, sprinkle on some flaky sea salt and serve immediately.
- Quince recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Life and style | The Guardian

Lamb and quince tagine.

Traditionally the meat for tagines is not browned (Moroccans would no doubt frown on this) but I think it gives the dish a better flavour and appearance.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 55 minutes 60 minutes 55 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
half tsp Cumin seeds
half tsp Coriander seeds
100g Unsalted butter
4 Lamb shanks
1 tsp Ground ginger
half tsp Cayenne pepper
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Large onions, roughly chopped
400ml Lamb stock
half Cinnamon stick
4 tbsp Clear honey
20g Fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Quince, peeled, quartered and cored
1 Lemon, juice and 2 strips of rind
half tsp Saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water

Method
Grind the cumin and coriander together.
Heat 75g butter in a large casserole and brown the lamb on all sides.
Remove the meat and set aside.
Add all the spices (except the saffron), and the garlic and onions; cook for 2 minutes.
Season and add the stock.
Add 2 tbsp honey and about a third of the coriander.
Bring to the boil, return the lamb to the casserole, then turn down to a simmer.
Cover and cook over a low heat for 1.5 hours until meltingly tender.
Meanwhile, put the quince in a small saucepan and cover with water.
Add the lemon rind, juice and the remaining honey.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender.
When the lamb is cooked, remove the shanks and cinnamon stick and keep warm.
Add about 4 tbsp of the quince poaching liquid, the saffron and its water.
Bring to the boil and reduce to a thickish sauce. Taste and season.
Slice the quince and heat the remaining butter in a frying pan.
Sauté the quince slices until golden.
Return the lamb to the casserole and heat everything through.
Gently stir in the remaining coriander and add the quince.
Serve immediately with couscous or bread.
Drinks recommendation
The Corker recommends- The rich exoticism of a Spanish blend melds seamlessly with the complex spicing and sweetness of such a subtle tagine.

- Quince recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Life and style | The Guardian: Hot lamb and quince salad.
- Lamb and quince tagine

Bozbash. Caucasian cuisine.

- Bozbash recipe - Recipes of Caucasian cuisine

Monday, 15 October 2018

The Pauper's Cookbook.

Before culinary queen Delia Smith and star homemaker Kirstie Allsopp there was Jocasta Innes, a domestic goddess pioneer who taught the world that a great deal of imagination can make a little budget go surprisingly far in the kitchen and all around the home.
‘43 years after it was first published, The Pauper's Cookbook should still have a place in every modern kitchen’
Jocasta Innes. Cookery writer, interior designer. May 21, 1934 - April 20, 2013. Aged 78.

- At Jocasta Innes’ House | Spitalfields Life

- So Long, Sir Richard MacCormac | Spitalfields Life
- The Pauper's Cookbook: Amazon.co.uk: Jocasta Innes: 9780711235618: Books

Kharcho - Caucasian mutton soup.


Mutton lamb or beef brisket.
Lamb which should be cut into small pieces.
We warm the thick thick-bottomed pan and throw mutton into it without any butter, i.e. dry.
“Dry” stewing is generally one of the characteristic methods of Georgian cuisine, often applied to chicken.
The meat should browned for about 15 minutes, after which finely chopped onion is poured into the pan and stewed with the lamb for another 15 minutes.
The ratio of meat and onion is 1:1.
After stewing onions to an intense smell, boiling water is poured into the pan (2:1 to the total weight of meat and onions) and cooked over low heat for about an hour.
An hour later, rice is poured — about half a cup into 2 liters of water — they are stirred and boiled for another 20 minutes.
Garlic is pounded with salt and stinging chilli pepper, black pepper is crushed separately - 8-10 peas, cumin and coriander - in a dessert spoon, finely cut a large bunch of Coriander and put everything in the kharcho 2–3 minutes until ready, then add half a cup of tkemali (Georgian sour plum sauce made of cherry plums) or a quarter cup of red wine vinegar or dried plums.

So:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter and brown the lamb cubes on all sides.
Add the chopped onion, tomato paste and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes, adding more butter, if necessary.
Add the water or stock and 1 teaspoon optional salt.
Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
Add dried plums and rinsed and drained rice.
Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
If soup becomes too thick, add more stock or water.
Serve in heated bowls and garnish with chopped dill, if desired.

- Beef Soup (Kharcho) Recipe - NatashasKitchen.com

- Kharcho - Wikipedia

- The 10 Dishes That Will Make You Fall in Love With Georgian Food | Serious Eats

Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala.

- Nigella Lawson's Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala

Ginger and walnut carrot cake.

This is very different from the richly sweet, loftily layered and aerated American original with its ginger-spiked cream cheese icing .

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fine sea salt
175g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
200ml vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
200g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
100g walnut pieces, roughly chopped or crumbled
75g crystallised ginger, finely chopped (Before you chop the amber dice of crystallised ginger, rub the cubes between your fingers to remove excess sugar.
Then chop them finely, though not obsessively.)

For the icing
100g soft unsalted butter
100g icing sugar, sieved if lumpy
1 tsp corn flour
100g full-fat cream cheese, fridge-cold
1 tbsp coarsely grated fresh ginger

To decorate
25g walnut pieces, roughly chopped or crumbled
25g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 170c/335F/gas mark 3.
Grease the sides and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl and mix with a fork.

Beat the sugar, eggs and oil in another large bowl until completely mixed together, then gradually add the flour mixture, scraping the bowl to rescue and incorporate any flour clinging to the edges.
At this stage, the mixture may seem alarmingly stiff, but the carrots will loosen it up.
So, beat in the carrots, then fold in 100g prepared walnuts and 75g crystallised ginger, until everything is evenly combined.

Spoon and scrape into the prepared cake tin.
Don’t worry if it looks as if you haven’t got nearly enough batter, because the cake will rise well as it bakes.
Smooth the top and pop in the oven (this is when to make the icing: see the next step) for 45–55 minutes.
When it’s ready, the cake will be set and golden brown on top, beginning to shrink away from the edges of the tin, and a cake tester will come out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool in its tin.

As soon as the cake’s in the oven, get on with the icing.
Beat together the butter and icing sugar and, when creamily combined, beat in the corn flour, followed by half the cream cheese.
Once that’s incorporated, beat in the remaining half.
Be careful at all times not to over-beat or the icing will get too runny.
Starting with the grated ginger on a plate, get out a piece of kitchen roll and, moving quickly, spoon the grated ginger into the centre, bring up the edges of the paper, holding them together to form a little swag bag, and press on it over the bowl to squeeze out the intense ginger juice.
Beat this into the frosting bowl.
Cover with cling-film and refrigerate.

When the cake is completely cold, take the icing out of the fridge for about 20 minutes, by which time it will have softened to a still thick but spreadable consistency.
Beat briefly to help this along and make sure it’s smooth.
Unclip and release the cake from its tin, unmoulding it, and sit it on a cake stand or plate.
Spread the frosting on top, swirling it a little, then sprinkle the chopped walnuts and ginger on top.

From Nigella Lawson.

- Ginger and walnut carrot cake recipe - BBC Food

Sunday, 14 October 2018

Pasta Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomato and Mascarpone.

Serves 2
Ingredients
175g gemelli pasta
salt, for pasta water
1 tbsp regular olive oil
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g cherry tomatoes, halved across the equator
4 tbsp (60ml) dry white vermouth (chicken stock or possibly vegetable stock)
2 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated, plus more to serve
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more to serve
Method
Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. (Although you don’t need to start cooking your sauce till the pasta’s in, I’d get everything ready for it while you wait.)
Once it’s come to the boil, salt generously and add the pasta.
Check the pasta packet for advised cooking times, but do start tasting a good 2 minutes before you’re told it should be ready.

Once the pasta is in, put the oil and finely chopped anchovies into a heavy-based wok, or other capacious pan, and cook, stirring over a medium heat for about a minute, or until the anchovies have almost dissolved into the oil.
Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes, then turn the heat up a little and tumble in the tomatoes, stirring them gently for about 2 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften.

Pour in the vermouth, let it bubble up, then stir and push the tomatoes about in the pan for around another 2 minutes until they have broken down a little in the thickened, reduced, now orange-tinted liquid.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the mascarpone and, when it’s all melted into the sauce, duly stir in the Parmesan and parsley.

Before you drain the pasta, lower in a cup to remove some of the cooking water.
Or use a mesh ladle or pasta claw to transfer the gemelli directly.
Add a tablespoon or so of the cooking water to the pasta sauce; this will help the sauce coat the pasta.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss well to mix, adding more of the pasta cooking water if needed.
Sprinkle with a little parsley and take the Parmesan to the table to serve.

- Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomato and Mascarpone - Penguin Books Australia

- Nigella Lawson: exclusive recipes from her new book, At My Table | Food | The Guardian

Friday, 12 October 2018

Yogurt Cake.


135 grams yogurt
200 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs
200 grams plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
125 ml sunflower oil
Fresh strawberries and icing sugar, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Grease and line a 22cm/9 inch round cake tin.
Combine yogurt, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until well combined.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well.
Fold in the sunflower oil until incorporated, taking care not to over mix.
Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a light dusting of icing sugar.

- French-Style Strawberry Yogurt Cake – Onken
- Yogurt Cake Recipe | Chocolate & Zucchini
- Quick and Easy Recipe: Yogurt Cake | Kitchn

Thursday, 20 September 2018

How To Cook The Perfect Sausage.

- How To Cook The Perfect Sausage - Our Guide | Farmison™ - All about Sausage!

- Remove the sausage from the chiller 20 minutes before cooking, this will enable the sausage to cook evenly & stop the skin from splitting on contact with the heat
- Use a heavy based non stick frying pan, place on a low to medium heat
- Add a tsp. of duck or goose fat to the pan, then swirl around until the base is fully coated then tip away any excess fat.
- Place the sausages in the pan, making sure there not touching each other & keep on a constant heat, turn regularly so the sausages get a light golden colour, 10 to 12 minutes for a traditional thick sausage.
- At this point turn the heat up a little to create a rich dark caramel colour, this will only take a few more minutes turning the sausages regularly.
- Once cooked the sausage will be firm to touch, with a internal temperature of 70°C, the secret now is to let the sausages rest for a few minutes, just like you would a steak allowing the expanded protein cells to relax, giving you a tender, juicy sausage.

How to cook pigs cheeks to perfection.

- How to cook pigs cheeks to perfection
Remember to remove your pigs cheeks from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature

Pre heat your oven to 135C

Next choose a suitable sized oven proof casserole with a tight fitting lid

Season the meat just prior to coloring with good quality sea salt

Make a mirepoix* by neatly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac - the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a head of garlic split in half

Take a large, heavy based frying pan, and add a few drops pomace/olive or vegetable oil

Fry the cheeks on all sides then transfer to the casserole dish
Next fry the mirepoix until lightly coloured

Then add half a bottle of red wine, cider or a favorite local ale and reduce by two thirds then add 500 ml of essential cuisine veal stock and reduce a little, thicken with a tablespoon corn flour mixed with a little cold water and stirred into the boiling broth

Pour the sauce over the cheeks and cover

Place in the centre of the oven and cook for approximately 3 hours, the meat should be tender when pierced with a meat fork

Remove from oven, carefully take out the cheeks and keep warm

Pass off the juices through a fine sieve into a clean sauce pan and reduce to a glossy finish then pour back over the cheeks ready to serve

- *mirepoix - a mixture of sautéed chopped vegetables used in various sauces.

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

Pig's cheeks.

- Nigel Slater's pig's cheeks recipe | Food | The Guardian
Braised* pig's cheeks.
The main ingredient is something that has recently started to appear on the shelves of our local Morrisons - £1.40x3 pieces (£5.40 1kg).
Remember to remove your pigs cheeks from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature.

The accompanying potatoes produce a creamy, almost "wet" mash of a very soft and velvety texture.
Serves 4.
olive oil a little
pig's cheeks 8
carrots 3
onions 2
red onion 1
celery 2
garlic 4
flour 2 tbsp
thyme a generous bunch
orange peel a short piece
bay leaves 3
red wine 1 bottle, rich and bold (OR - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar+2 cups hard apple cider+chicken stock; OR perhaps cider/calvados or stout)
sugar or fruit jelly 2 tbsp or so
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (optional)

...in one word:
- equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac - the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a head of garlic split in half.

- Warm a thin film of oil in a heavy roasting tin over a moderate heat, then season the cheeks with salt and pepper and brown them lightly in the oil.
Remove and set aside.

Cut the carrots into thick slices, peel and roughly chop the onions, cut the celery into short lengths and peel and slice the garlic.
Add the carrots, onions, celery, orange peel and garlic to the pan in which you browned the cheeks, letting them soften and colour very lightly.
...in one word:
- Using the same frying pan, add the **mirepoix of vegetable and colour.

- Set the oven at 140C/gas mark 3.

Return the cheeks to the pan, tucking them among the vegetables, scatter over the flour, season with salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two then add the thyme, the bay leaves and the wine.
Bring to the boil, cover loosely with foil or baking parchment, then bake for 2.5 to 3 hours until tender.
Check occasionally to make sure the liquid isn't reducing too far.
After an hour or so, it might be prudent to taste and add up to two tbsp of sugar, or some apple or other fruit jelly/runny honey to the gravy.

Taste and correct the seasoning and serve with the potatoes.