tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70500748440793085812024-02-07T02:34:08.597+00:00Gourmet In The MakingI love to cook and this blog follows my successes (and failures) in the kitchenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-11320330042457588852019-02-27T13:34:00.000+00:002019-02-27T13:34:01.884+00:00New Website and Youtube Channel<h3>
Hello everyone,<br />I would like to say thank you for your continued support over the last 4 or so years, I'm aware that I haven't kept on top of posting for a while now. I am launching a new website on 1st March 2019 (this Friday) and I would be delighted to give you a preview. The site is <a href="http://www.acooksbestfriend.co.uk/">www.acooksbestfriend.co.uk</a> and offers recipes for all occasions, and treats for you to make for your dog. Many recipes will include video instructions for those who prefer to watch their recipes. These videos will go live on Youtube and then be added to the website that same day. Please do sign up to receive notifications of new recipes.<br />Thank you once again and I look forward to you joining me on this new journey,<br />All the very best,<br />Lily</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-10444243861605329692018-03-15T17:49:00.000+00:002018-03-15T17:49:21.761+00:00Amaretti Biscuits<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfWHZhNr04cJNytsuVX5eFJFbiG_xxuCklSfgTW9Po9tnv5Ebbrq06EaPOPXSkYuyPiDjGtTtNX68pNSZ-zz210HYbCK2XUOLbEw2DsaHSZUaZY_9EboigQEOGL3M6-mrVD7v7z2__yE/s1600/IMG_5185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfWHZhNr04cJNytsuVX5eFJFbiG_xxuCklSfgTW9Po9tnv5Ebbrq06EaPOPXSkYuyPiDjGtTtNX68pNSZ-zz210HYbCK2XUOLbEw2DsaHSZUaZY_9EboigQEOGL3M6-mrVD7v7z2__yE/s640/IMG_5185.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can never have too much chocolate (though I have given it up for March)</td></tr>
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Leiths is more full on and my kitchenette more tiny than I could have imagined 6 months ago. After cooking all day and then going home to write time plans and read up on the next day's demonstration I'm afraid to say that writing more about food on my blog has rather flown out of the window. That doesn't mean that I've forgotten all about it and I am sorry not to have written sooner. The guilt that I haven't updated you has finally gotten too much and so here I am, hiding from the sudden cold snap and finally putting pen to paper again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8H2S_RHQClb1a_-9XVjgap-ivlUZFc9P9HKOm3SPCHcHqQg5Um5s0CYoWE31xeu2uGC2-B_iOxJEejqMfFMPmOecTdxbnnAc7IWCM4xJ9qb5AcAPvJzDd7LLf_SMrSl_WlAksehgdEE/s1600/IMG_0214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8H2S_RHQClb1a_-9XVjgap-ivlUZFc9P9HKOm3SPCHcHqQg5Um5s0CYoWE31xeu2uGC2-B_iOxJEejqMfFMPmOecTdxbnnAc7IWCM4xJ9qb5AcAPvJzDd7LLf_SMrSl_WlAksehgdEE/s640/IMG_0214.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the simplest toppings are the best</td></tr>
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I've just finished my second term. I can't quite believe how fast it's going. Recently I had a Dem about setting up a catering business and must admit that I'm intrigued by the idea. While I do still want to work for a food magazine or two it would be nice to stretch myself by catering for small events. You heard it here first. If you want a willing if slightly green cook to impress then email me!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit Tarts</td></tr>
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My repertoire has expanded to include all sorts of recipes and ingredients that I wouldn't have gone near before starting the course. I can cook kidneys, mushrooms and prawns with aplomb (I still don't like eating them though). I've learnt the seasons for game, the coagulation temperature of eggs, and how to skin a rabbit (it just comes off like a glove). I have sipped wine, single variety olive oils and stock. I have scoffed all manner of tasty morsels in the name of education.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8jdWR7WEVbZfOk3bER74ZCmNDxBIV1UhYw1Gt-GO5ry51w0W_FJEA8hVg5PLmhfQSSmuAvdwJbH5S4cXVDtD6Pui331gTfnyrvSc24HSeJiSa-8ofgLpnh730nPtEF6aMGgDQ5V-9N0/s1600/IMG_5664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8jdWR7WEVbZfOk3bER74ZCmNDxBIV1UhYw1Gt-GO5ry51w0W_FJEA8hVg5PLmhfQSSmuAvdwJbH5S4cXVDtD6Pui331gTfnyrvSc24HSeJiSa-8ofgLpnh730nPtEF6aMGgDQ5V-9N0/s640/IMG_5664.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game dem - not for the faint hearted!</td></tr>
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Now we've improved and are more confident in our skills more freedom has been allowed with regards to what we cook. Recently there have been "Chef's Choice" veg accompaniments, biscuits, and tart toppings. I believe this is leading up to a creative day with rabbit or duck where we have to use as much of the animal as possible to create something exciting. And beautifully presented of course.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sa0yIfawk6vaVh2TtmepyZ8A-xGWUiSqxc1IjX2airVglCAELHb9Md_EzcG-RCUjRiSWHdVLDwT5Y9lC73vaby2ftMHY3IyieNajQIKg1fUXiDLcYhSk53aFt89ayzSOq71rS2nT1-w/s1600/IMG_5981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sa0yIfawk6vaVh2TtmepyZ8A-xGWUiSqxc1IjX2airVglCAELHb9Md_EzcG-RCUjRiSWHdVLDwT5Y9lC73vaby2ftMHY3IyieNajQIKg1fUXiDLcYhSk53aFt89ayzSOq71rS2nT1-w/s640/IMG_5981.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas poached pears with hazelnut praline and chocolate drizzle</td></tr>
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I've been falling down on my presentation recently and no matter how hard I try or how happy I am with my plating the teachers always say something along the lines of 'that wasn't quite what we meant', or the killer comment 'it's just a bit rustic'. I'm learning to roll with the punches and take photos of how it's rearranged but would really like to get it right just once. If anyone has any tips or books that could help then I'd be most grateful.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqUb3f1lg87HGF9d7ONev1qOpCtS4TZ5YDfmnoBsgFCrn_z7ciOwFuyf8Ket86f3CicybJd3dcfoqsGvGq6nEihN5dvGqmK2KUTdEK5ANDZuvC4gAMX4GQc56dNYovh_cwsoVnRGPNH4/s1600/IMG_0495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqUb3f1lg87HGF9d7ONev1qOpCtS4TZ5YDfmnoBsgFCrn_z7ciOwFuyf8Ket86f3CicybJd3dcfoqsGvGq6nEihN5dvGqmK2KUTdEK5ANDZuvC4gAMX4GQc56dNYovh_cwsoVnRGPNH4/s640/IMG_0495.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flatbreads with perfect griddle marks</td></tr>
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Going back to the biscuits, they were to be served with blackcurrant ripple ice cream and I chose to make sweet little amaretti. They went well with ice cream and would make a lovely bite to go with coffee or to give as a gift, wrapped up in cellophane and tied with a ribbon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf295zd9kfU0HoMNxz7UkRVcr3SoAXdSseD5jsFuBCALsvygKYGhVMMBrme4gvg2EIWxiunl2SeDQD4VN8ho0fZEUjVwBBnrgNsOIqP612lexGooDM31fqGjV3SaMdSe3d6oVBNgxL3s/s1600/IMG_0394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf295zd9kfU0HoMNxz7UkRVcr3SoAXdSseD5jsFuBCALsvygKYGhVMMBrme4gvg2EIWxiunl2SeDQD4VN8ho0fZEUjVwBBnrgNsOIqP612lexGooDM31fqGjV3SaMdSe3d6oVBNgxL3s/s640/IMG_0394.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amaretti and ice cream</td></tr>
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Amaretti Biscuits</h2>
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Oven 170*</div>
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Makes about 20</div>
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Prep time: 10 minutes</div>
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Cook time: about 30 minutes</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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2 large egg whites</div>
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caster sugar</div>
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ground almonds</div>
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1 lemon</div>
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Icing sugar to dust</div>
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Method</h3>
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Heat oven to 170*</div>
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Sieve almonds</div>
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Zest lemon and add zest to sugar</div>
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Beat egg whites with an electric whisk until they hold medium-stiff peaks</div>
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Fold the almonds, sugar and lemon zest into the egg whites. They will look like the egg whites have lost all the air but don't worry about it</div>
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Dust your hands with icing sugar to stop the mix from sticking then roll the mixture into small balls (I weighed mine so they were all 20g but this isn't necessary, just try to make them the same size)</div>
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Place spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment or a silpat (a reusable non-stick baking sheet cover)</div>
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Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the oven until golden brown, and crisp on the outside with a chewy centre. They'll come off the paper/silpat cleanly when cooked through</div>
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Leave to cool then serve with ice cream or coffee<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5gDCbs4Ohs3KhtU9CxtzO5cZqdRbfT2CqZBZ4nP58oXeYojlFzZY_H6fKzGIaD71JFeozt1e_9OelToPWfDAO3P4N2v6SSJhjXiTpByjlRBmFG3QPYqZ55GkrngpJ0RWNyoRI629VUE/s1600/IMG_5938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5gDCbs4Ohs3KhtU9CxtzO5cZqdRbfT2CqZBZ4nP58oXeYojlFzZY_H6fKzGIaD71JFeozt1e_9OelToPWfDAO3P4N2v6SSJhjXiTpByjlRBmFG3QPYqZ55GkrngpJ0RWNyoRI629VUE/s640/IMG_5938.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first (very boozy) Christmas Cake</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-17559671984200637522017-09-24T11:33:00.001+01:002017-09-24T11:33:04.008+01:00New Beginnings<span style="text-align: justify;">Stop press. After years of wanting to go to </span><a href="https://www.leiths.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Leiths School of Food and Wine</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, I start on Monday. I have my uniform, books, and equipment, now all I need is my timetable.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2f_xtJBrjLTRQzeH-xzVSrF3qgLMZrn9hJV4iTJa-k8mZnE0CNi-MiTcvzto26qorBuJ66ao9-J-o1BfB7VdbRQZCQj4mxFCu7j9rTnUMvYHlsIBpTzh56H9fbVniy5mRFYHNkY2-jA/s1600/IMG_4619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2f_xtJBrjLTRQzeH-xzVSrF3qgLMZrn9hJV4iTJa-k8mZnE0CNi-MiTcvzto26qorBuJ66ao9-J-o1BfB7VdbRQZCQj4mxFCu7j9rTnUMvYHlsIBpTzh56H9fbVniy5mRFYHNkY2-jA/s640/IMG_4619.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Text books for Leiths</td></tr>
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Being completely honest with you, I don't know what form this blog will take while I'm studying there. I know I've been remiss in not posting much during my final year at Manchester, however, I hope that being surrounded by food will make it easier to write a quick post than when I was besieged by French essays. If you want more regular updates then check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gorgeousgateaux/" target="_blank">Instagram @GorgeousGateaux</a> where there'll be lots of photos of my daily life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfp2ckc1hFPzVPQ8eCUHga4FYrGuQhxn4bohyBvsCcO5KeUKbNSfpBP4KSJus8L2uTw3QfVChofg_q_QjlELEgabYJqZ-_jKIJ2KgeKyIynSfqtUvyjwlRGkMCYq9SrhgW08fbr22zVQ/s1600/IMG_4312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfp2ckc1hFPzVPQ8eCUHga4FYrGuQhxn4bohyBvsCcO5KeUKbNSfpBP4KSJus8L2uTw3QfVChofg_q_QjlELEgabYJqZ-_jKIJ2KgeKyIynSfqtUvyjwlRGkMCYq9SrhgW08fbr22zVQ/s640/IMG_4312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mustn't let my hand cramp</td></tr>
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Just after my exams ended I attended the wedding of my friend Malyha and was honoured to make her wedding cake. It was a nerve-wracking exercise but, with the help of her family, I think we pulled it off and the cake made it the journey to London in one piece.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL2BF4a1b5I325dSgmXeElmt2qwNF-FZwU7nG3gwqu3AGiu3L_Lckm0mHn9TmnqqBLQgGP1lN8iAg7Lg6O-jaLWsXIzYTpIyeVQrFSUMWy-GmcgUhwVm8cvWk-G61Gx0T2ikyrqnArb8/s1600/IMG_4324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL2BF4a1b5I325dSgmXeElmt2qwNF-FZwU7nG3gwqu3AGiu3L_Lckm0mHn9TmnqqBLQgGP1lN8iAg7Lg6O-jaLWsXIzYTpIyeVQrFSUMWy-GmcgUhwVm8cvWk-G61Gx0T2ikyrqnArb8/s640/IMG_4324.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wedding cake in situ </td></tr>
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This summer I worked at Caracoli again, this time front of house in their Winchester branch. This meant I prepped salads each morning and then encouraged customers (and myself) to buy their moorish cookies. It was a good way to pass the time and get together some spending money for all of the food shows I want to go to while in London (<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/feast-tower" target="_blank">BBC Good Food's Feast</a>, <a href="https://olympia.london/whatson/chocolate-show" target="_blank">The Chocolate Show</a>, and <a href="https://london.tastefestivals.com/" target="_blank">Taste of London</a>, to name but a few).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Dpe3bch92fiGPEFSi8ANR-PzLu-PeZZj8i4q4JIVTzBNAJHq55Vi-nt9p1rRjWo2jMuK-xdGHCnFMZHu-_bklcj_27bag_qQXbZR5OUFUTQYnIX5Xnh-7Lvt1_W0qLReuahJQegmQA/s1600/IMG_4788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Dpe3bch92fiGPEFSi8ANR-PzLu-PeZZj8i4q4JIVTzBNAJHq55Vi-nt9p1rRjWo2jMuK-xdGHCnFMZHu-_bklcj_27bag_qQXbZR5OUFUTQYnIX5Xnh-7Lvt1_W0qLReuahJQegmQA/s640/IMG_4788.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churros with liquorice, a common Danish flavour</td></tr>
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My trip abroad was a few days in rainy Copenhagen with my mum. The rain didn't put us off and we had an amazing few days seeing what the city had to offer (clue, food featured quite heavily). The architecture is on a scale that you just don't see here, we went up to the top of the town hall's tower and alongside spectacular views, I reacquainted myself with a dislike of spiral staircases.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Copenhagen's town hall</td></tr>
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If you ever go to Copenhagen then I suggest eating in <a href="http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/copenhagen-meatpacking-district-food-market-gdk972308" target="_blank">Kødbyen</a>, the meatpacking district. There's dozens of excellent restaurants there at many different price points (be warned though that cheap is not a word that Copenhagen recognises. Even the burgers were comparatively expensive, though high quality).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect fish and chips with not a seagull in sight</td></tr>
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We hit <a href="http://motherrestaurant.dk/" target="_blank">Mother</a> for sourdough pizza and smoked mozzarella sticks, <a href="http://magasasa.dk/dim-sum-cocktails/?lang=en" target="_blank">Magasasa</a> for slow service but dim sum on a par with Singapore, <a href="http://www.hijadesanchez.dk/" target="_blank">Hija de Sanchez</a> (run by ex-Noma chef, Rosio Sanchéz) for tacos and liquorice flavoured churros, <a href="http://fiskebaren.dk/en/fiskebaren/" target="_blank">Fiskebaren</a> gave us the best fish and chips I've ever had along with the perfect snickers-inspired dessert. For great burgers and chips <a href="http://www.juicyb.com/" target="_blank">Juicy Burger</a> lived up to their name and offered a respite from the downpour on our last lunch.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWCLn2bUMhU_sToSp5fPrzW52kUi46nt2uChvvlYcjOaZipI-TyAMjOlLSBkT__gSaIhHypWCxv1RTU0EIRR1VbX6k5HyVv15p2zdViv_-ZZc0TpJHKdtiLM6XUjjfAEolfsrsMB1d0I/s1600/IMG_4767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWCLn2bUMhU_sToSp5fPrzW52kUi46nt2uChvvlYcjOaZipI-TyAMjOlLSBkT__gSaIhHypWCxv1RTU0EIRR1VbX6k5HyVv15p2zdViv_-ZZc0TpJHKdtiLM6XUjjfAEolfsrsMB1d0I/s640/IMG_4767.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza at Mother</td></tr>
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In case you're wondering, the reason the weather wasn't a problem was because I finally succumbed and bought a stylish raincoat. A stylish raincoat? Yes, <a href="https://www.rains.com/" target="_blank">Rains</a> sells trench coat style hooded waterproofs that I'm not embarrassed to be seen in, unlike the classic British version.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recipe testing with mini biscuits</td></tr>
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The day after I got back from Copenhagen I moved to London and have installed myself in a studio apartment (that's part of private halls of residents, go freshers!) west of Hammersmith. This fast turnaround was because I had an internship with <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/" target="_blank">BBC Good Food</a> where I have spent a happy fortnight recipe testing, assisting on shoots, and asking everyone who'd been to Leiths what their favourite moments and tips were. So far I know to do my time plans (more on those in my next post, whenever that may be) the weekend before, have a template for said time plans, get restaurant experience even if you don't want to work in one, and that the time will fly by so make the most of it!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw17iTDomUMbR8lD2aynI_haC9Szg7W73cERo_mPpTit1GA6O_e-votqYJrJS852eXlUNZgU0dGUmlGzd7T1ISTYLV17n8Tkh8_sNZKXI6hP0RraCYT5AmePjrBtbo_JRQUlkMOrnbm_c/s1600/IMG_4876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw17iTDomUMbR8lD2aynI_haC9Szg7W73cERo_mPpTit1GA6O_e-votqYJrJS852eXlUNZgU0dGUmlGzd7T1ISTYLV17n8Tkh8_sNZKXI6hP0RraCYT5AmePjrBtbo_JRQUlkMOrnbm_c/s640/IMG_4876.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perks of the job: helping with bursary judging at BBC Good Food</td></tr>
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What would you like to see here while I'm at Leiths? Photos? Recipes? Musings? Let me know in the comments.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-49578290193322532652017-05-27T16:20:00.001+01:002017-05-27T16:20:27.438+01:00We Won an Award!<span style="text-align: justify;">As you might have guessed from the sudden trailing off of posts, my writing gig at The Mancunion has mostly come to an end. In fact, in less than a week my time at the University of Manchester will be over and then it's on to pastures new.</span><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last essay! And the most interesting</td></tr>
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Currently I'm procrastinating grammar revision and thought I'd let you know about an exciting development. As you might know, Miriam and I are co-editors of the food and drink section at The Mancunion and a couple of weeks ago we won Best Section during the 2017 Celebrate Week Awards ceremony. This is quite impressive (and slightly surreal) when you consider the fact that we've only been editing the pages since January.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The award itself</td></tr>
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Sadly I had an exam the morning after the awards so there are no images of me in a fancy dress with my colleagues but I do have the one above... taken with my front facing camera so the writing is backwards. I'll try to take another the right way around soon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bolognese, Gnocchi and Cheesy Broccoli</td></tr>
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With four essays, a presentation, and five exams to do my time since Easter has been mostly spent at my desk. I tend to become productive in the evenings, which causes no end of problems with regards to what I eat as a last minute supper (I never want to see shop brought ravioli again). To resolve this issue, I've been trying out recipe boxes - Hello Fresh and Gousto - so that all the ingredients are there and ready for me. It's been a bit of a mixed success but they did mean I ate sensibly while report writing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my weaknesses, Nutella brownies</td></tr>
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Having eaten my weight in sweet treats while revising I know I'm going to struggle to stick with my parents' new no sugar diet this summer (not that it will do me any harm). If anyone has tips for cutting back on chocolate then let me know!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-59455807150359132782017-03-09T13:42:00.001+00:002017-03-09T13:42:38.683+00:00Porky Dreams at Lunya<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
I first wrote this review for The Mancunion but liked it so much that I thought I'd post it here. I'm trying to develop my "voice" as taught by Karen Barnes (editor of <a href="http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/" target="_blank">delicious. magazine</a>) on the <a href="http://www.allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">All Hallows Farmhouse</a> food writing course I went on back in October. What do you think? Have I struck the right note or would my report card say "could do better"?<br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There’s a little hotel tucked in the hills near Ronda in Southern Spain that my parents have been going to since before I was even a thought. In fact, my grandparents stayed there the first year <i>Molino del Santo</i> opened. We returned last Easter for some much needed R&R and to enjoy their phenomenal food. It was there that, for the first time, I ate secreto ibérico, a succulent cut of shoulder from acorn fed pigs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The memory of the taste flitted through my head when I visited a tapas restaurant in Liverpool but I failed to pin it down. The meal was excellent and I was happy to find that another had opened in central Manchester. It was called Lunya. I promptly forgot all about it. Fast forward to my return to Manchester and a chance shortcut through Barton Arcade bought me face-to-face with a sunshine yellow Mini Cooper with Moritz logo decals and a sign that had Lunya swirled across it. Remembering my trip to it’s sister restaurant, I promptly found a friend, Z, who was willing to visit and off we went.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Left in charge of the menu, I was delighted not only to find, but to recognise, the elusive secreto ibérico. I chose not to mention to my companion that it was served pink (perfectly safe with certain cuts and a chef who knows what they’re doing but can be off-putting) and ordered it. My other choices? Albóndigas (pork and beef meatballs), the classic patatas bravas, calamari, Catalan tomato bread, and my favourite, croquetas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite the comparatively early hour (we arrived at 12:30), we thought a bottle of wine was the best way to start our catch up. I asked the sommelier to base his recommendations on the memory of a full-bodied red drunk at <i>Molino. </i>Peter Kinsella, chef-proprietor and resident wine expert suggested a Catalan wine with a similar flavour profile and after tasting it, we happily took his advice. If you ever want to get the most out of a wine list then make sure you ask for the sommelier, they are generally very approachable and eager to share their knowledge in order for you to chose the perfect bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The tomato bread arrived rapidly, slightly warm and drizzled with an excellent olive oil. It had a fresh, clean taste - just as it should. The albóndigas, patatas bravas, calamari and croquetas followed in quick succession. Speaking as one who dislikes squid, their calamari is a revelation; slightly chewy but not in the least bit rubbery, unlike the horrors of my childhood. The rings of squid have been fried in a light yet crisp beer batter and are served sprinkled with sea salt, a well flavoured mayonnaise on the side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To my advantage, Z announced he didn’t like allioli so I scooped up the top layer of crisp patatas bravas and enjoyed them alongside the small but perfectly formed albóndigas, the spicy sauces blending well with the cool allioli. The ham and cheese croquetas, normally the tapa I reach for first, were perfectly tasty morsels but could not stand up to the earlier, more punchy dishes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As we came to the last of the potatoes, I reflected that it was nice to have a well executed meal that left me sated but not unpleasantly full. Then came the pork that, despite my delight in it’s presence on the menu, I had forgotten about. Six little slices, glistening with fat thanks to the diet of acorns, were arranged on top of a smooth beer and shallot purée and a tart red onion marmalade. As I ate the first slice, those wisps of memory became fully formed. This was the pork of my Spanish tinted dreams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite proclaiming myself full, I never could resist a dessert menu, and summoned up even less restraint at the appearance churros on the list. We agreed to share as I dislike the chocolate on its own. Four pretty little churros soon came to the table, stacked next to a mug luxuriant hot chocolate. It was the sweetest full stop to the meal.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Half drunk bottle of wine tucked into my bag, we went downstairs to the deli attached to Lunya, exclaiming over an Aladdin’s cave of Spanish treats. With the bill came a feedback card and that gave 10% off deli items, an impossible thing to resist when faced with so many quality ingredients. Z bought a Great Taste Award winning olive oil and I picked up some wonderful Catalan almonds, a firm favourite and excellent snack.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEifdgwUMEULIZEgGwB-V65CRQ9Gt0FM5gTIyS755DlxPHFCjlSQU9_dYOEKox7X00mpfCJezbawoT9EEHRMChLg5WbotaPhJofRdvxQWU0CfQmlBeCOCdxGWNxUXoQdLnpMulqlmZmKc/s1600/IMG_3832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEifdgwUMEULIZEgGwB-V65CRQ9Gt0FM5gTIyS755DlxPHFCjlSQU9_dYOEKox7X00mpfCJezbawoT9EEHRMChLg5WbotaPhJofRdvxQWU0CfQmlBeCOCdxGWNxUXoQdLnpMulqlmZmKc/s640/IMG_3832.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-9294946329454809302017-03-03T12:00:00.000+00:002017-03-03T12:00:01.742+00:00Mix and Match Stir Fry Ideas<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0UjNWbLgTrqsBAS-tM6q8hcLMtlXfwK_O2o5stAjE1M-x_EyAQUTZW-h83XN-oZiOEvP695OOynrKSHH7d6QqK1SEyEmP4c0PEvO4ywZsLQqu24OamdZrn6WDg7d84ecmiHAyGT3ySA/s1600/stirfry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0UjNWbLgTrqsBAS-tM6q8hcLMtlXfwK_O2o5stAjE1M-x_EyAQUTZW-h83XN-oZiOEvP695OOynrKSHH7d6QqK1SEyEmP4c0PEvO4ywZsLQqu24OamdZrn6WDg7d84ecmiHAyGT3ySA/s640/stirfry1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">How are you? This grey weather is getting on my nerves but the occasional bursts of sun and warmth remind me spring isn't too far away, and in fact it is now March! Today I handed in 2,000 words of my dissertation for feedback, which means I'm a quarter of the way through and it's all going well.</span><br />
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Buying a stir fry deal from a supermarket always leaves me pushing mystery veg around my plate and wishing for more chicken or noodles. The simple way to get around this is by making your own. It seems really complicated but actually, it couldn’t be easier, just choose from this mix and match list, multiply by however many people you're cooking for, and follow the cooking instructions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68tM1eb-KoBwGiYqI60wsxHYy64pO_6NnMuATG5d4fAuiYXZivJdml0RU6hICu0YmfLQG1_OU5dHjYx98fn2_cRl59b9d6JEN_XxT-1UXSJx3KoV4HjDtn5wllfM1f740EP-3t6Y7FOY/s1600/noodles1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68tM1eb-KoBwGiYqI60wsxHYy64pO_6NnMuATG5d4fAuiYXZivJdml0RU6hICu0YmfLQG1_OU5dHjYx98fn2_cRl59b9d6JEN_XxT-1UXSJx3KoV4HjDtn5wllfM1f740EP-3t6Y7FOY/s640/noodles1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<h2>
Stir Fry Recipe</h2>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Protein</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Chicken, strips OR</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Salmon OR</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Beef, strips</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Marinade</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Teriyaki</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
2 tsp soy sauce PLUS 1 tsp siracha/sweet chilli sauce PLUS 1" grated ginger PLUS 1tsp sesame oil</div>
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<b>Vegetables</b> (choose a mixture, you want about 1 extra large handful per person)</div>
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Pepper batons</div>
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Carrot OR Courgette ribbons (use a peeler)</div>
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Baby sweetcorn</div>
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Onion wedges</div>
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Sugar snap peas OR Mangetout</div>
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Spinach OR Bok Choi</div>
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Spring Onions</div>
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<b>Carbohydrates</b></div>
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Rice OR</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Fresh Egg Noodles<br />
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<b>Optional</b><br />
Seasame Seeds</div>
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</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Place the strips of chicken or beef, or the whole fillets of salmon in a plastic sandwich bag with about 3tbsp of teriyaki, seal and leave to marinate for an hour or so.<br />
Prepare the vegetables so that they’re all in fairly narrow strips to help them stir fry evenly and if you need to cook the rice then do so now.<br />
If you’re eating salmon then wrap it and the remaining marinade in some tinfoil to bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 12 minutes.<br />
Heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan on the hob (side note: I bought a wok from <a href="https://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqYSVctcp2udazSFvDsoCwYAV9Mo6k81j7URFDQuBwmgaAmPT8P8HAQ" target="_blank">Wing Yip</a> for about £7 and once I’d seasoned it — the oven method is best— it worked brilliantly).</div>
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When the oil is hot put in the chicken or beef strips and stir fry until cooked (that’s only a couple of minutes for the beef but longer for the chicken to make sure it’s safe).</div>
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Add in the vegetables and let them wilt, stirring constantly over a high heat.</div>
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Chuck in the carbs, stirring to heat them through and distribute everything evenly.</div>
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Break up the hot salmon and stir through.</div>
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Serve in big bowls.<br />
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top for added texture.</div>
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<i>You might want to try these other wok-based recipes...</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/special-egg-fried-rice.html" target="_blank">Simple egg fried rice for a speedy meal</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nasi-goreng.html" target="_blank">Indonesian spiced rice</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/chicken-and-cashew-nuts.html" target="_blank">My all time favourite chicken and cashew nuts</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-10241150309730397872017-02-24T16:00:00.000+00:002017-02-24T16:00:06.968+00:00Rose Harissa Dal<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
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<br />
Exam results are supposed to come out today but no one seems to know when so I thought I'd distract myself with a new post. Other than that, my week has gone well. I've finally put pen to paper on my dissertation (a comparison of French and English food magazines) and am looking forward to seeing where it goes. I went to an amazing pizza place in Manchester last week, Rudy's, which I cannot recommend enough. I'm beginning to visit the last places on my "to review for the top 10 piece" list that I've been working on since 2013! I plan on uploading it before I graduate (which is scarily soon; I only have 15 weeks until my time in Manchester is over) and then I can start one for London in my new <a href="https://store.moleskine.com/gbr/en-gb/notebooks/cities/city-notebook-londra/p47?ic=C7VUHA%3D%3D" target="_blank">Moleskine travel guide</a>.</div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
I’ve been making this dal a lot recently as it’s quick and tasty (and importantly, cheap). It tastes great on its own but if you want to jazz it up then either top it with diced roast sweet potatoes, serve with rice or naan (the best tip is to buy a naan from your local takeaway and add it to your own meal). Alternatively, you could make chapatis like I did, but that's a recipe for another time. Don’t like spice? Just use less harissa (though some is needed for flavour). You can buy it easily from the international aisle of many supermarkets. If you can source it, I particularly recommend <a href="https://www.belazu.com/product/rose-harissa/" target="_blank">Belazu rose harissa</a> (I buy mine in big Waitrose or Sainsbury's).</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Harissa Dal Recipe</h2>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
Serves 2-3 depending on how hungry you are and what sides you have</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
Takes 25 minutes to make</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Ingredients</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
1tbsp olive oil</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
1 small onion, diced</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
3tsp turmeric powder</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
1-3 tsp harissa paste</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
250g red lentils</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
400ml coconut milk</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
400ml water</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
2 limes, juiced</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
Method</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until soft.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
Add the harissa and turmeric and cook for one minute.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
Pour in the lentils, coconut milk and water, stir everything together.</div>
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Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft but retain their shape and no longer taste bitter.</div>
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Ladle into bowls and drizzle a generous amount of lime juice over it.</div>
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Hey presto, it’s done, just serve with your chosen accompaniments.</div>
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<i>You may also like these recipes to make an Indian feast...</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/light-butter-chicken.html" target="_blank">This fragrant yet healthy butter chicken</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/bhindi-masala.html" target="_blank">A spicy okra curry</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/spinach-dal.html" target="_blank">A spinach and lentil curry</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-74156907567078486542017-02-18T09:00:00.000+00:002017-02-18T09:00:30.176+00:00Classic Chocolate Cake<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Get your chocolate fix with this strikingly simple chocolate cake. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">Who doesn’t love cake? This is a great basic cake recipe that everyone should know. I remember the first time I made a cake, my mum helped but didn't </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">know what to do when the eggs curdled, so we rang my dad (who was at work) and badgered him to instruct us remotely. That cake turned out well and ever since I've remembered the</span></span> mantra four, four, four, and two (4oz sugar, 4oz butter, 4oz self-raising flour and 2 eggs) or six, six, six, and three (6oz sugar, 6oz butter, 6oz self-raising flour and 3 eggs) for a sandwich cake, ever since and it has proved invaluable when a cake is needed in short order.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">Topping the cake with a simple ganache elevates a simple cake to a whole new level and will impress anyone.</span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Chocolate Cake</span></h2>
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Oven at 170 fan</div>
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8" round loose bottomed cake tin</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Cake</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">110g soft <b>butter</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">110g <b>caster sugar</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 <b>eggs</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pinch of <b>salt</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">100g <b>self raising flour</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">25g <b>cocoa powder</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Ganache</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4tbsp <b>double cream</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">150g <b>milk chocolate</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grease the cake tin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cream (beat with a wooden/silicone spoon) the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter/sugar mix, adding a tablespoon of flour to stop the eggs from curdling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sprinkle in the salt.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sift the rest of the flour and the cocoa powder into the bowl and gently stir everything together so that the mixture is smooth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the chocolate isn’t drops or buttons then chop it into small pieces (or put into a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin or heavy based saucepan to break it up).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour the double cream into a small saucepan and gently heat to just below boiling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take off the heat and drop in the chocolate, stirring continuously until it’s smooth and all mixed together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leave to cool and thicken a little.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">Place the cake on its serving plate and pour over the ganache, spreading it evenly across the top of the cake and letting a little drip down the sides.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serve and enjoy</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-69065030461175079762017-02-11T21:09:00.000+00:002017-02-11T21:15:10.178+00:00Mix up your mince<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is another post that was originally published in <a href="http://mancunion.com/" target="_blank">The Mancunion</a> and has been adapted for you all. If you ever make bolognese but want to do something different to spaghetti or cottage pie then this is for you. I've taken a family staple and suggested different ways to serve it. If you've got a family or are </span>cooking<span style="font-family: inherit;"> for a group then you could always make a double batch and try a few different options. The bolognese on its own is good for freezing and you can add more vegetables to your taste, I often add diced peppers at the same time as the carrots or frozen peas for the last 10 minutes of cooking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you ever make a big pan of bolognese (the English kind, not the proper Italian stuff, I've yet to make ragù) and then realise you’re bored of eating it all up before it goes bad? Well, never fear, here are some ways to switch things up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is my basic recipe for bolognese</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serves 4</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1tbsp <b>olive oil</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large <b>onion</b>, diced</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large <b>carrot</b>, diced</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 <b>garlic cloves</b>, crushed</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">400g <b>beef</b> (or lamb) mince</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">800g<b> tinned chopped tomatoes</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2tsp <b>tomato purée</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Salt</b> and <b>pepper</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Mixed dried herbs</b>, preferably herbes de Provence</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sweat the onion, carrot and garlic in the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once soft, add the mince and brown.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour in the tomatoes and tomato purée.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Season well with salt, pepper and dried herbs.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the bolognese is bubbling, reduce the heat and cover with a tilted lid.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cook for as long as possible (up to 5 hours but a minimum of 30 minutes), stirring regularly and adding water if the mixture becomes dry.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check the seasoning and adjust to taste every so often.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serve one of the ways below.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To begin, you can obviously cook spaghetti and have that perennial favourite, spag bol, but have you ever thought of cooking shaped pasta al dente and then mixing the pasta and mince together in an oven proof dish, topping with cheese and baking in the oven (at 180 degrees) until the cheese is melted and golden?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alternatively what about lasagne? You can either make your cheese sauce from scratch or buy a jar and add extra cheese to make it taste a bit more special. Alternate layers of mince, pasta and sauce until you run out of ingredients/space, top with cheese and cook in the oven at 160 degrees for an hour. Place a baking tray underneath the lasagne to catch any escaping cheese. I always make my lasagnes the day after I make the mince, both to help the flavour and to break up the workload. It results in something special that’s easy to freeze and eat up later.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re looking to eat healthily this New Year then stuffing vegetables, especially peppers and marrows, can be a great way to add variation and eat more of your five-a-day. Simply cut the pepper in half through the stem, deseed and place on a baking tray. Drizzle the halves with olive oil and season well. Cook in a hot oven for 10 minutes before adding the mince and topping with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. If you want to use a marrow then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds running through the centre. Cook as with the peppers but leave it in the oven for 20 minutes before adding the mince. You want a knife to go through the marrow easily before you serve it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chilli con carne is a popular student staple. My mum used to add baked beans to her mince to turn it into a poor man’s chilli but you can go one better by pouring in a tin of red kidney beans and chilli powder to taste before heating everything through and serving with rice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A family favourite is cottage pie (shepherd’s pie if it’s lamb mince), which could not be easier to make. You have two options for the classic potato topping once you’ve put the mince into a pie dish, either make some mash and spread it on top of the bolognese or slice some potatoes into rounds, parboil them for 7 minutes before arranging them on top of the the mince. Top with cheese and bake in the oven (at 180 degrees) for 25-30 minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven’t had these for years but when I was little, a big treat would be to buy an Old El Paso taco kit and layer the mince with rice, lettuce and cheese. Just follow the kit’s instructions and enjoy! One tip to avoid much of the inevitable mess is to place a lettuce leaf inside the shell before filling it, it acts like a liner and holds the filling when the taco inevitably breaks.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-32096584033948351972017-02-04T10:30:00.000+00:002017-02-04T10:30:10.521+00:00The Perfect Temperature<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">Here's my review of 63 Degrees in Manchester's Northern Quarter. It's a great little place with an interesting set menu. This review was first published in my student newspaper, <a href="http://mancunion.com/" target="_blank">The Mancunion</a>, of which I am now co-editor of the Food and Drink section. The student newspaper is the largest of its kind in the country and comments on </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">everything from politics to films to food. If you want to keep up with what I write there then make sure to check out this <a href="http://mancunion.com/author/lily-carden/" target="_blank">link</a>. If you're Manchester based then the paper comes out weekly on a Monday and is available from the Student Union and other locations around campus.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: 63 Degrees<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Any time a family member drops by Manchester for a visit it turns into a food extravaganza. I look at my restaurant wish list, pick one or two that are out of my price range and hope they’ve got a table free. Last weekend was no exception. Mum arrived on Friday to homemade mac and cheese (a guilty pleasure) before ramping up to The Day of Food. Saturday was to involve lunch at 63 Degrees, supper at El Gato Negro (chef’s table no less, although that did mean eating at the unfashionably early time of 6.15pm) and to top it all off, drinks at The Refuge. Believe you me, if I could have fitted brunch in there I would have! Instead we made do with croissants and homemade jam. Between all of this bounty, we explored the Christmas markets, nibbling on Dutch baby pancakes sprinkled prettily with icing sugar and shopped to our hearts content (ok, about 30 minutes before the crowds beat us).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">63 Degrees is tucked away in the Northern Quarter (as all restaurants in this area of town appear to be). It is a family run french establishment with an expensive à la carte menu and an ultra reasonable set menu at £20 for 3 courses (available Tuesday to Friday from noon until 2.30pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday from midday until 5.00pm) Having instructed mum that she couldn’t have what I wanted, and not to touch the food before I’d gotten a photo (she promptly forgot this edict), we ordered.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: 63 Degrees</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">The set menu is to the point, with three starters and three main courses, all well chosen. Unlike many restaurants in France itself, vegetarians are well catered for here with a soup of the day (pumpkin, if I remember correctly) and a parsnip risotto with coconut milk. We bypassed these possibilities and went for the pork and chicken terrine, and the scallop ‘crumble’ with sweet potato. I don’t know quite what the crumble was, but the sweet potato puree was phenomenal, and the scallops perfectly cooked. A side note here, I often think that the bread offered by a restaurant serves as a good barometer for the quality of the restaurant as a whole, and this bread was no exception. Served both with the terrine and for the table, was a light walnut bread that was so good that I went back for more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sticking with seafood, I chose sea bass with fennel for the main, served with a hollandaise sauce. It was simply executed and tasted exactly as it should. My mum ordered the restaurant’s signature dish, <i>Volaille 63 degrés</i>, which was a ballotine of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and served with cauliflower. While I’m not the greatest fan of mushrooms, I must say that this was also a well thought out plate of food. My only problem with the meal was the lack of carbohydrates, so if you would like anything more than bread, you need to remember to order it. The portion sizes are perfect for lunch or a light supper and we still had room for dessert.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: 63 Degrees<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The à la carte menu features macarons and cakes from the amazing Didsbury patisserie, Bisou Bisou, among other offerings. The set menu gives a choice between french cheeses and a crème brulée. As my mum loves crème brulée we ordered one with two spoons (I was saving myself for pancakes later on). Intriguingly, the pudding’s description merely said “flavours from childhood”. The sugar glaze was lit in front of us, and provided an entertaining show as the flame danced over the plate. The idea of a childhood flavour to the crème puzzled us for we recognised the taste but couldn’t quite place it. It was sweeter than just vanilla but not overpowering. In the end, a waiter put us out of out misery and announced it was bubblegum. Thankfully, it’s just a hint and not the strident flavour I remember from my days on the playground.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I cannot recommend 63 Degrees highly enough, whether your parents are visiting or you simply want a treat, you won’t be disappointed. If only there were a restaurant this good in the sleepy french village where we spend Christmas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. El Gato Negro is pretty damn good too, but costs so much more. Graduation, maybe?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">63 Degrees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">104 High Street</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">0161 832 5438</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.63degrees.co.uk/" target="_blank">63degrees.co.uk</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-70466259889272071252017-01-26T15:38:00.000+00:002017-01-27T18:37:10.243+00:00Chicken Katsu Curry<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">EDIT: This post has been </span>rewritten<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> for clarity and superior taste. I have also </span>changed the photos as my photography skills have vastly improved since February 2015 (when this was originally posted)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Originally I made a healthy version of chicken katsu curry, baking the chicken with only a tiny spray of oil, but then I realised that sometimes only butter will do! Now, I pan fry the breadcrumbed chicken to get the golden colour and then bake in in the oven to make sure that it’s cooked through. It’s a great meal and really straightforward to make. For those who don’t like spice - this is as mild a curry as you can get, but no less flavourful for it.</span></div>
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This recipe is from Gigi Erskine and I found it somewhere online but as she doesn't seem to have a working website, I'm afraid I can't give you a link. Having made this recipe I think that it's pretty much perfect and have only made minor tweaks over the years. It's also much easier to make than many of the other recipes I looked at, which involved deep frying or marinating the chicken in buttermilk (a difficult enough ingredient to get your hands on at the best of times).<br />
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If you want a vegetarian curry then slice an aubergine or sweet potato into rounds and coat it the same way as the chicken before lightly browning it in oil in a hot frying pan before transferring them to the oven for 10-15 minutes to cook, you'll also need to switch the chicken stock to vegetable stock/water.</div>
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<b><u>Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe</u></b></div>
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Serves 2</div>
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Oven at 180˚C</div>
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You can strain the sauce if you want to but by the point you're serving it the veg is so soft you won't notice it's there but you gain one of your five a day that you'd otherwise lose</div>
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If the chicken breasts are really thick put them between two pieces of clingfilm and bash them with a rolling pin to flatten them a bit</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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2 <b>chicken breasts</b></div>
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Seasoned <b>flour</b></div>
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1 beaten <b>egg</b></div>
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<b>Breadcrumbs</b><br />
<b>Butter</b><br />
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1 small <b>onion</b>, diced</div>
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1 <b>carrot</b>, diced</div>
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2 <b>garlic cloves</b>, crushed</div>
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2tsp <b>curry powder</b> (mild or medium)<br />
1tbsp <b>plain flour</b></div>
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300ml <b>chicken stock</b></div>
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1tsp <b>honey</b></div>
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2tsp <b>soy sauce</b></div>
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¼tsp <b>garam masala</b></div>
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Cooked rice to serve</div>
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<b>Method</b><br />
Prepare the chicken: place the seasoned flour on a plate next to a bowl with the beaten egg and then a plate with breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken breasts first with the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs before placing them on another plate.<br />
Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan and lay the breaded chicken breasts in it. Once the breadcrumbs have turned lightly golden turn the chicken over and add more butter to ensure the breadcrumbs on both sides are the same golden brown colour.<br />
Place on a baking tray and when the sauce is simmering, place the chicken in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.<br />
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Cook the rice.<br />
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Cut the onion and carrot into small dice and place in a hot lidded pan with a little bit of oil and the minced garlic. Gently sweat the veg with the lid on for 10 minutes, until they're nice and soft.</div>
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Add the curry powder and flour to the vegetables and then slowly pour in the stock, mixing all the time so it doesn't go lumpy.<br />
Add the soy sauce and honey and bring to the boil.</div>
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Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce but not stick to the bottom and disappear - add a little water if you feel there's not enough liquid partway through.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You now have three options</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) leave the sauce as it is, you’ll have a lumpy sauce but it will still taste great, or</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2) strain the sauce so that it is smooth with not vegetable bits in it, or</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3) blend the sauce using a stick blender. This is my favourite method as you keep the healthy veg but lose the unsightly lumps.</span></span><br />
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Just before everything's ready, stir the garam masala and any seasoning through the sauce (this is where you have the option to strain it) and then dish up.<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Try to use chopsticks if you can!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-80337327171224755012016-11-05T20:18:00.000+00:002016-11-05T20:18:39.319+00:00Jam<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a piece I wrote for the wonderful writing class I attended at <a href="http://www.allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">All Hallows Farmhouse</a> last month. It's about making jam with my grandma, who now enjoys jam made by someone else (aka me).</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Do you remember the first time you had homemade jam? I can't. I grew up eating the raspberry jam that my grandma made every year. I remember the first time I made it myself. I was about 15 years old and had been sent up to Scarborough for a week with grandma before she became too forgetful. I insisted we make jam, even though raspberry season wasn't yet upon us.</span></div>
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With the sun streaming in though her big bay windows and the sea sparkling in the distance we slowly, painstakingly picked our way through the raspberries, removing any dirt and discarding those that were rotten. We weighed the ruby jewels before replicating their weight in sugar, which was placed in a warm oven and left to go golden. </div>
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We fetched the large maslin pan, so heavy that both of us had to lift it together. The beautiful burnished copper interior perfectly designed to turn two such simple ingredients into a delight for the senses.</div>
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I tipped in the raspberries, squashing them gleefully, their juice spraying across my clothes. They were gently heated to release their sweet flavour before the sugar was shot in. My arm grew tired as I was left to stir. My reward was seeing the glossy wrinkle of the jam setting on the plate. An even better reward was being allowed to eat the just-set jam, sour lemon cutting through the sweetness of the fruit.</div>
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That was the last year my grandma made the jam herself. For 5 years we made do with a pale imitation, bought from the supermarket. Last year I discovered the old copper pan, glinting in the darkness of our cellar. We had lots of jam this year.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-50921743105229827542016-10-18T15:51:00.002+01:002016-10-28T10:26:17.418+01:00Making Mascarpone<div style="text-align: justify;">
This weekend I attended a food writing course at <a href="http://www.allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">All Hallows Farmhouse</a> in Dorset, taught by the wonderful Karen Barnes of <a href="http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/" target="_blank">delicious. magazine</a>. I learnt how to improve all aspects of my writing and I hope that you will see changes going forward. There will now be a section on my blog devoted to pieces that I feel are more than just recipes, such as memories, stories and listicles (10 things you may not know about spices coming soon). Below is a 200 word exercise written after Lisa, from All Hallows, showed us how easy it is to make Mascarpone.</div>
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What do you use Mascarpone for? I layer it in tiramisu, dollop it in risotto and smear it on cheesecake. Normally I'd buy mascarpone readymade but at All Hallows Farmhouse I learnt how to make it in just five minutes. I couldn't believe how straightforward the recipe was.</div>
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You need just two ingredients: double cream and tartaric acid. Apparently Waitrose cream is best (I knew there was a reason I shopped there!) as results from richer creams, such as those from Jersey, Guernsey and even Ayrshire, vary too much.</div>
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Tartaric acid is key as it reacts with the hot cream to create Mascarpone. It's made from grape skins and best bought online but in a pinch you could use the juice of half a lemon.</div>
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Line a sieve rested within a bowl with 4 layers of cheesecloth (a new j-cloth or clean tea towel would also work). The pan (preferably without internal rivets) must be scrupulously clean before you pour in 1 pint of double cream. Heat slowly until it reaches 85 degrees centigrade; use a thermometer for accuracy. Take it off the heat and mix in a pinch of tartaric acid - too much will make it gritty. Pour into the lined bowl and leave to cool before placing in a sterilised jar in the fridge. Use within 3 days. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-79538980579881329572016-10-01T20:52:00.000+01:002017-02-17T19:30:52.354+00:00Don't Say Never Trust A Skinny Cook: 'Light' Butter Chicken<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<i>Author's note: </i>This was first published back at the beginning of 2015 and my photography and food styling skills have improved dramatically since then, so I thought it was time to update! These images are the result of a highly enjoyable lunch. Keep checking back to see more favourites updated with mouthwatering images. </div>
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Welcome to the second of my 'Don't Say Never Trust A Skinny Cook' series; this week it's butter chicken that I'm making. Now, butter chicken does't sound healthy but this (despite the name) has no butter and yet tastes every bit as good as the <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/murgh-makhani.html" target="_blank">original</a>. It also uses just a few ground spices rather than a shop-bought paste, and light cream with low fat yogurt. I got the idea of the dish, and in particular the spices, from <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/2013/11/08/low-calorie-butter-chicken/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Not Quite Nigella</a> but have changed bits from the rest of the recipe to suit my tastes and to have (hopefully) only store cupboard ingredients - I can't find coriander roots in the supermarket, funnily enough. The first time I made the recipe, I noticed that whilst it tasted delicious, there was no heat at all - it tasted like a slightly unusual tomato sauce - which is not what I want in a murgh makhani. So this time, I added some chilli oil (almost no chilli was involved - I tried some on its own and thought I'd got the wrong oil) and some chilli flakes. My only note of caution is that you can always add more chilli but you can't take it away, so start off small!<br />
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It's also quite fast to make - about 30 minutes - that is if you don't get distracted by camera settings and food styling like I did and forget that supper was supposed to be at 7.30 and not an hour later!</div>
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<b><u>Light butter chicken recipe</u></b></div>
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Serves two but easily doubled</div>
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If you only have whole spices (like me) then just grind them using a pestle and mortar</div>
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Serve with rice</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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2tsp oil</div>
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½ onion, diced</div>
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1 minced garlic clove</div>
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½inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated</div>
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2 chicken breasts</div>
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1tsp ground cumin</div>
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1tsp ground coriander</div>
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½tsp garam masala</div>
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Pinch of chilli flakes, crushed (chilli powder should also work but use it sparingly)</div>
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125ml tomato passata (I lost my jar so just used a stick blender to blitz part of a tin of tomatoes)</div>
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125ml chicken stock (preferably reduced salt etc)</div>
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40ml low fat natural yogurt</div>
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20ml light cream</div>
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<b>Method</b></div>
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If you need to grind your spices then do this first.</div>
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Heat oil in a large pan on a medium heat.</div>
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Prepare the onion, garlic and ginger and add to the hot oil, stirring occasionally.</div>
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Whilst the onions are softening, dice the chicken into bite sized chunks and add to the pan once the onions are soft.</div>
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Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala and chilli, turning the chicken to coat.</div>
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Pour over the passata and chicken stock and mix everything together.</div>
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Leave to cook, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked through.</div>
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Test the seasoning, adding salt if desired and more chilli if you want.</div>
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Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.</div>
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Stir in the yogurt and cream.</div>
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Serve over rice.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-22441894121105089602016-09-24T14:12:00.001+01:002016-09-24T14:12:09.375+01:00Dipping Sauce<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB53QUsg5Ef9hMaF3wUWq5AXpQ5sNBaKjZffA_N4zrkMPZ2HBu9904aAvidnwFJsLkuBLBmGplXUNZDsZIrGbrqYqGME6SmO8g-vwKOPF3JqIwyPjQcEUi0j-78FzGyqD0Qm19NBh_Hr0/s1600/dippingsauce1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB53QUsg5Ef9hMaF3wUWq5AXpQ5sNBaKjZffA_N4zrkMPZ2HBu9904aAvidnwFJsLkuBLBmGplXUNZDsZIrGbrqYqGME6SmO8g-vwKOPF3JqIwyPjQcEUi0j-78FzGyqD0Qm19NBh_Hr0/s640/dippingsauce1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been back in Manchester for a fortnight now and having a blast. Classes start in a week, though I already have a ton of work to do for one module, Serialised Crime. So far though, I've mainly been hanging out around food. A friend and I went to a fair on Saturday, where the most amazing chocolate was being sold (<a href="http://dormousechocolates.bigcartel.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dormouse chocolates</a>). On Sunday I entered a baking competition in which I sadly didn't get though to the second round but I lost to some truly amazing looking cakes so I'm not too upset.<br />
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Coming up, I've got a blogging conference with a Christmas twist, the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, and a food writing class in Devon to attend. Oh, and of course, I have to study! This year is my final year and I want to get good grades while exploring all the places in Manchester that have been on my To Visit list since first year. Watch this space as I plan on compiling a "top 10 places to eat for under a tenner" list this year.</div>
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This dipping sauce is technically for asian <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/12/dumpling-recipe-and-merry-christmas.html" target="_blank">dumplings, wantons and gyoza</a> but tastes good with pretty much anything. In fact, I often use bread to mop up the leftovers at lunch or add it to rice in the evening. You can play around with the quantities according to how you like your sauces. I no longer measure the ingredients out but add a splash of this and a dash of that in a jam jar so I can shake it all together. The sauce keeps well in the fridge.</div>
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Dipping Sauce Recipe</h2>
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Serves 4-6</div>
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5ml is equivalent to 1tsp and 15ml 1tbsp</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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25ml <b>soy sauce</b> (I use light soy; use tamari for a gluten free version)</div>
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10ml <b>mirin </b>or <b>rice wine vinegar</b></div>
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5ml <b>sesame oil</b></div>
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drizzle <b>clear honey</b></div>
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1 <b>red chilli</b>, finely diced</div>
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Method</h3>
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Place all of the ingredients in a jam jar and screw the lid on tight.</div>
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Shake well to mix.</div>
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Taste and adjust flavour as required.</div>
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Serve with wantons.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-80384347473694600592016-08-06T16:57:00.000+01:002016-09-28T20:02:35.547+01:00New And Improved<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been umming and ahhing about uploading this recipe for ages as it already exists in a different form on my blog. It's this <a href="https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/tortilla-espanola.html" target="_blank">Spanish omelette recipe</a> from September 2014. I finally decided to post it in part because of the improved photography and in part because I think this recipe is better as I've been able to tweak it over the intervening 20 months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR9FPQichwbjKSS8dfZurrWQi2VWNXhWvQmaKwzBFtC7qSe6gSgruLYeJCr7XHcSHHoJA0GqGaRSvlqfMrukbj_K3AXXjWCQt4weKtBKxWWBhGbWSytHbNJqfLb-1LFTsljUoNhl6OnQ/s1600/omelette3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR9FPQichwbjKSS8dfZurrWQi2VWNXhWvQmaKwzBFtC7qSe6gSgruLYeJCr7XHcSHHoJA0GqGaRSvlqfMrukbj_K3AXXjWCQt4weKtBKxWWBhGbWSytHbNJqfLb-1LFTsljUoNhl6OnQ/s640/omelette3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's more butter and salt involved and this omelette cooks slower and for longer, it will probably take 45 minutes to make properly and serves two.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjc4kgYrFjnGrc4z7vuWzpmQhHXE4ouhRJALGph58y5vQQJAR9HpHndEDXvUMGQxS1FkLkEuz5OllIyRq6hoyeUBZ6RKmYhEOCPNrI4DhdsSLyRZDOqdlcmMELhyphenhyphenzcSOTCAn2as7nlus/s1600/omelette2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjc4kgYrFjnGrc4z7vuWzpmQhHXE4ouhRJALGph58y5vQQJAR9HpHndEDXvUMGQxS1FkLkEuz5OllIyRq6hoyeUBZ6RKmYhEOCPNrI4DhdsSLyRZDOqdlcmMELhyphenhyphenzcSOTCAn2as7nlus/s640/omelette2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Spanish Omelette</h2>
<div>
Serves two</div>
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
50g <b>butter</b></div>
<div>
1 <b>banana shallot</b> or ½ white onion</div>
<div>
6 <b>new potatoes</b></div>
<div>
<b>Sea salt </b>and freshly cracked <b>black pepper</b></div>
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2 <b>garlic cloves</b></div>
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4 <b>eggs</b></div>
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Chopped <b>parsley</b> optional</div>
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<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Heat half the butter in a 16cm non-stick frying pan.</div>
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Preheat the grill</div>
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Dice the shallot into 3mm dice, or as near as possible and add to the pan.</div>
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Immediately start dicing the potatoes to 3mm, adding them to the pan each time you've diced one.</div>
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Season well with plenty of salt and pepper</div>
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Add the crushed garlic cloves.</div>
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Cook the potatoes and onions over a low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't burn, although you do want some slightly caramelised bits, that should occur naturally.</div>
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Add more butter as needed.</div>
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Keep slowly cooking everything until the potatoes become slightly translucent and when you try one it's cooked through.</div>
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Once the potatoes are cooked, season them again. </div>
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Beat the eggs together in a bowl and pour them over the potatoes. Mix everything together and flatten it over the whole pan.</div>
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Cook the omelette for 5 minutes on the low heat to cook the bottom half and then place under the grill to cook the top half.</div>
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Leave under the grill until golden brown.</div>
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Remove from pan and cut into quarters, top with parsley before serving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqTEnbTwHHxB_cwqHMmlUW0IF3B6QnWIr67qodGRJi320UL_T8EP52CsjkFcz7dsB53ZXoXUZJGro4QNcftSXuep2cceni8dCUxtIH1rxxW7G1FQJdMO6xWNOcxw5wRmA645R6hfjZZ4/s1600/Omelette1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqTEnbTwHHxB_cwqHMmlUW0IF3B6QnWIr67qodGRJi320UL_T8EP52CsjkFcz7dsB53ZXoXUZJGro4QNcftSXuep2cceni8dCUxtIH1rxxW7G1FQJdMO6xWNOcxw5wRmA645R6hfjZZ4/s640/Omelette1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>You may also like . . .</b></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2016/01/tartiflette.html" target="_blank">Rich and cheesy tartiflette</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-taste-of-summer.html" target="_blank">A fresh and summery pesto tart</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/04/spaghetti-carbonara.html" target="_blank">For eggs in a different form try this simple pasta carbonara</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-61897039894430207632016-08-02T21:08:00.001+01:002016-08-02T22:30:33.476+01:00Decadent Boost Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSGuuKtfB40WnLP5G50r55jIV67L0WLMoyi3YDA99pjOAS6JUNXQNlkoXIU1xZqB6pKIV5A6clWiZ4sd-8tOD9lEDBlSPDMhdzvB_CQ1vbCzxGmPgAcHNziS9EV3GFWSLmOcfH18rxFs/s1600/bbrownie4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSGuuKtfB40WnLP5G50r55jIV67L0WLMoyi3YDA99pjOAS6JUNXQNlkoXIU1xZqB6pKIV5A6clWiZ4sd-8tOD9lEDBlSPDMhdzvB_CQ1vbCzxGmPgAcHNziS9EV3GFWSLmOcfH18rxFs/s640/bbrownie4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I gave up drinking diet coke at the start of June and genuinely haven't missed the stuff but when I tried to stop eating chocolate at the same time then that was a whole different kettle of fish! In an attempt to get temptations out of the house, I made these brownies with all of my chocolate and sold them for charity (Cleft Palate). The results were extremely more-ish and went down well with all who tried them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDZ9m4mdNIWHO_egRfyMyFe3-rneE8h0JDy7B3x64o7cvXGYYqCmg7QbxmH94hCOTL7Dn9sZCeJ3IyV6zru7SFFQWKIgjYqioAyyn4ZDmzTuGbD_pPYbG-_s-N6YgPcvmuzzksaM1A7Y/s1600/bbrownie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDZ9m4mdNIWHO_egRfyMyFe3-rneE8h0JDy7B3x64o7cvXGYYqCmg7QbxmH94hCOTL7Dn9sZCeJ3IyV6zru7SFFQWKIgjYqioAyyn4ZDmzTuGbD_pPYbG-_s-N6YgPcvmuzzksaM1A7Y/s640/bbrownie1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You don't have to use Boost bites, instead you could pick any of the sharing bags of mini chocolates. Maltesers . . . twirls . . . even chocolate buttons. I had a mix of twirls and boosts in my cupboard, which gave a lovely richness and texture to the finished brownies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja63PLUkK6MblHerH65w5ZNp1Ww5UGrJhVl1S_e9Qzs39QYep1sRj0Pe5AiOmRz_kcI-VgSz_Q6wu2Fms59bQCfpBN4xDrWalm2V2Z8UpzmJRb6C2ddtlRijmpTVmJmA3xG-LlsHeSmnk/s1600/bbrownie3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja63PLUkK6MblHerH65w5ZNp1Ww5UGrJhVl1S_e9Qzs39QYep1sRj0Pe5AiOmRz_kcI-VgSz_Q6wu2Fms59bQCfpBN4xDrWalm2V2Z8UpzmJRb6C2ddtlRijmpTVmJmA3xG-LlsHeSmnk/s640/bbrownie3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Boost Brownies Recipe</h2>
<div>
Oven at 170ºC</div>
<div>
Makes 6 large brownies or 18 bites</div>
<div>
Prepare a 26cmx20cm brownie tin with baking paper</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV1jTSbB7r34kGAOAOiMc9hKMzbQt_o3SWl9L2FSClFAomUrK7Av3IXlsRKFsEb-CCCGiDXKsh0MGoVkC54qHc3RMO7S1b0jpA4T2HSRlxl6KDYWhIwSbTxIDPVAkKGFqvQyWnPtcw6w/s1600/bbrownie5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV1jTSbB7r34kGAOAOiMc9hKMzbQt_o3SWl9L2FSClFAomUrK7Av3IXlsRKFsEb-CCCGiDXKsh0MGoVkC54qHc3RMO7S1b0jpA4T2HSRlxl6KDYWhIwSbTxIDPVAkKGFqvQyWnPtcw6w/s640/bbrownie5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
100g <b>dark chocolate</b> (minimum 60% cocoa solids)</div>
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100g <b>butter</b></div>
<div>
1tbsp <b>nutella</b></div>
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150g<b> caster sugar</b></div>
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2 large <b>eggs</b></div>
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75g <b>ground almonds</b></div>
<div>
2tbsp <b>self raising flour</b></div>
<div>
1 100g bag <b>boost bites</b>, or other</div>
<div>
50g <b>white chocolate drops</b></div>
<div>
¼tsp <b>sea salt</b><br />
20g melted <b>dark chocolate</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Using a bain marie (a bowl set over, but not touching, hot water), melt together the butter, dark chocolate and nutella.</div>
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Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the sugar.</div>
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Crack the eggs into the bowl one at a time into the chocolate mix and whisk to incorporate.</div>
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Mix in the ground almonds and flour so that the mixture is all one colour.</div>
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Gently stir the boost bites, white chocolate drops and sea salt in.</div>
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Pour the brownie batter into the prepared tin and cook in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's no longer wobbling and the top is beginning to crack.</div>
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Leave to cool in the tin before drizzling the melted chocolate artistically over the top.<br />
Trim the edges before cutting into however many pieces you'd like.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn9rL_jqmmQEigijoj84E7QUefclRx7DOi3epkdofeA9Ive5JmKFdrO8gEcTYa2LLxq5sWF9G4-LHqh4lwZNAS93wjM9DgKuG3Tu4vMQZF0e7Qs4a9aby2ZiqkQJsJMsT6ZxcxU66xN8/s1600/bbrownie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn9rL_jqmmQEigijoj84E7QUefclRx7DOi3epkdofeA9Ive5JmKFdrO8gEcTYa2LLxq5sWF9G4-LHqh4lwZNAS93wjM9DgKuG3Tu4vMQZF0e7Qs4a9aby2ZiqkQJsJMsT6ZxcxU66xN8/s640/bbrownie2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>You may also like these recipes . . .</b></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2016/01/salted-caramel-sauce.html" target="_blank">Drizzle this salted caramel sauce over the brownies before baking</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.com/2014/10/gluten-free-brownies.html" target="_blank">Simple isn't always bad and these brownies are a classic</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/raspberry-and-nectarine-upside-down-cake.html" target="_blank">For something completely different, try this raspberry and nectarine cake</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-25853619515115037092016-06-27T22:45:00.000+01:002016-06-28T14:58:49.412+01:00Comfort For All Seasons<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">We recently changed our internet provider and I’m afraid it’s been rather out of the frying pan and into the fire, so you’ll have to excuse the strange timings of posts - I might go to a cafe and schedule a few posts for the upcoming weeks, just until the internet settles down and behaves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The weather has been weird. A few days ago it was so muggy I thought I was in a colder version of Singapore, and today it’s been drizzling for all it’s worth. I know Glastonbury weekend means rain but this is June, not October. Make your mind up, weather! I’m struggling to know what to cook - something hearty to guard against against the chill or a light meal to keep the heat at bay? Fortunately I stumbled upon a solution by way of Anna Jones’ cookbook <i>A Modern Way To Eat</i>. It’s a red lentil and spinach dal, topped with roasted sweet potatoes. Thee result is filling enough for the wettest, coldest day but still light and palatable in warmer climes (perfect for the Indian weather then, really). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If your store cupboard is anything like mine then you shouldn’t even need to brave the weather for this meal. Unless, that is, you want coriander, a banned substance at home thanks to one family member’s hatred of the herb. I like to use fresh spinach as it wilts down faster but, due to the fact it's easier to store, I can also vouch for the fact that frozen spinach works well. Served with naan for mopping up duty, the lightly spiced dish is sure to tickle your tastebuds in the best way possible. If you’re feeling ambitious then you could make naan from scratch using<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/homemade-naan.html" target="_blank"> this recipe</a>, otherwise order them from your local takeaway like we do, or drop some in your basket next time you’re at the supermarket.</span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Sweet Potato and Spinach Dal Recipe</h2>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Serves 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Oven at 180</span><span style="text-align: justify;">˚ fan</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">3 medium <b>sweet potatoes</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">½ tsp <b>fennel seeds</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1 tsp<b> cumin seeds</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>olive oil</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Diced <b>onion</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1 tsp <b>ground cinnamon</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1 tsp <b>ground cumin</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1 tsp <b>ground coriander</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1tsp <b>ground turmeric</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">200g <b>red lentils</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">400ml <b>coconut milk</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">600ml <b>vegetable stock</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">3 handfuls <b>spinach</b> (or 3 blocks of frozen spinach)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Naan </b>(optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Method</span></h3>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Heat the oven to 180</span>˚.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Dice the sweet potatoes (washed but skin on) into 2cm cubes and place on a roasting tray. Sprinkle over the fennel and cumin seeds with a glug of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast in oven for 40 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Heat more olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan (essential to stop the lentils from burning) and add the diced onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Add the spices - cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric - and stir together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Add the lentils, coconut milk and vegetable stock to the pan, stir, and bring to a simmer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ensure the hob is on the lowest heat (to stop lentils from burning) and leave the dal to cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently to stop the lentils from sticking to the bottom. Add hot water if necessary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Drop the spinach into the dal and stir to wilt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Serve the dal with the sweet potatoes on top and naan on the side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">You may also enjoy these recipes . . .</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/light-butter-chicken.html" target="_blank">A creamy but healthy butter chicken</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/bhindi-masala.html" target="_blank">Bhindi masala, a refreshing okra and tomato curry</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/scrumptious-sorbet.html" target="_blank">Sorbet, for a light and refreshing end to a meal</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-4632060394318095942016-06-05T18:32:00.000+01:002016-06-28T14:23:42.117+01:00À Bientôt, Poitiers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFjcydmQcW_Ltp6Ww_z4o0n0x3qhVc6-l4Y3IbhnBDzxNJ9SU0Gkah8Wm81apnlOp8uHkexNZno1npOUdKp-vxBhp4scUMhDisjlH3A9ecRMFJvihcIDnPkJryMnbv-mnkh83LPK3F6w/s1600/IMG_2873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFjcydmQcW_Ltp6Ww_z4o0n0x3qhVc6-l4Y3IbhnBDzxNJ9SU0Gkah8Wm81apnlOp8uHkexNZno1npOUdKp-vxBhp4scUMhDisjlH3A9ecRMFJvihcIDnPkJryMnbv-mnkh83LPK3F6w/s640/IMG_2873.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poitiers' impressive town hall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m sitting in La Rochelle airport a</span>s I write this,<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> waiting for my flight home to Southampton, still in shock that my ERASMUS year is now officially over. While it doesn’t quite feel like it was only yesterday that I pitched up in Poitiers and dealt with a flooded flat within the first week, it certainly doesn’t feel like it was nine months ago!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2-7S4WmZRBqrZopPm_n6QFQGp_gyk5fyARVWOm9NFN9gBpcLMzHWUZLqli-sl7zVGLbjF5JuDPz_T1_qtPF8LkVky3MFD2McSUGF5v-LkSbYSA45b80z93p1SAY49Cp05RFQDyLsQpw/s1600/IMG_2895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2-7S4WmZRBqrZopPm_n6QFQGp_gyk5fyARVWOm9NFN9gBpcLMzHWUZLqli-sl7zVGLbjF5JuDPz_T1_qtPF8LkVky3MFD2McSUGF5v-LkSbYSA45b80z93p1SAY49Cp05RFQDyLsQpw/s640/IMG_2895.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river that meanders alongside Poitiers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In between packing and avoiding the May showers, I took some photos so that you could all see where I’ve been living. I’m going to miss the fantastic markets when it comes to finding good, and cheap, produce but I won’t miss the cobble stones around town when they're slick with rain. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNk15bflkMpyP01mhRlwjE85n_deQu8W9XKb8oZLWS57Z3F4EfIYn4G2NkbQU_9joNXIvQFBhCDD3R0k3P6HUBTmjLFIwnasnhIX9pcXYP_oT1E3_bQ0BF_Er77NRXhoMcESGB6iJ7ZU/s1600/IMG_2849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNk15bflkMpyP01mhRlwjE85n_deQu8W9XKb8oZLWS57Z3F4EfIYn4G2NkbQU_9joNXIvQFBhCDD3R0k3P6HUBTmjLFIwnasnhIX9pcXYP_oT1E3_bQ0BF_Er77NRXhoMcESGB6iJ7ZU/s640/IMG_2849.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortellini and Parmesan from Italy</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you ever visit Poitiers then take grippy shoes and prepare to eat some excellent food. Chez Michel, Les Archives and Columbus are among my favourite places for a meal and sports bar Wallaby’s is an excellent place to spend an evening socialising around a pool table (it might sound like a dive but is in fact anything but), if you don’t like that idea then there are plenty of <i>terraces</i> for a spot of people watching.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWcfvw_1K0zawxUslRA3rCp-PS8sZdjZ-s7KGXTsWep5d4LOkgqtiP_aymRMN4CNzuGiq4jMM3wiNex7bCv5AmUJRnVMZStuuIjFmN0Foaw0w0Nvt2N5OIPgd9QYtSuOzNZ3pV0_njxg/s1600/IMG_2889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWcfvw_1K0zawxUslRA3rCp-PS8sZdjZ-s7KGXTsWep5d4LOkgqtiP_aymRMN4CNzuGiq4jMM3wiNex7bCv5AmUJRnVMZStuuIjFmN0Foaw0w0Nvt2N5OIPgd9QYtSuOzNZ3pV0_njxg/s640/IMG_2889.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame church, Poitiers, presiding over a ceramics market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Further afield but still in France, I’ve had some fun visits to Paris and La Rochelle but my plans to travel more were foiled by a lack of funds and too many distractions. However, I have recently enjoyed food-filled trips to the Emilia-Romana region of Italy and Andalusia in southern Spain. Upon our arrival at the airport at the end of the 4 days in Italy, mum and I discovered that we had doubled our suitcase weight with our spending sprees in the food shops of Bologna, Parma and Modena!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0u1lBAmjl6yhvJvzH365scuZy8CCuh4JHZmbuBfA4DodS0TIG53p85uXP7_bct-kovs11ZhZKP4e5Mz64Bl9wiDL_FNsPxTWk4u9tyV9_SqHNVet7NjwaQGqgCCc9y_VXBsYgR9jyr_s/s1600/IMG_2783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0u1lBAmjl6yhvJvzH365scuZy8CCuh4JHZmbuBfA4DodS0TIG53p85uXP7_bct-kovs11ZhZKP4e5Mz64Bl9wiDL_FNsPxTWk4u9tyV9_SqHNVet7NjwaQGqgCCc9y_VXBsYgR9jyr_s/s640/IMG_2783.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love gelato, look how yellow the vanilla scoop is</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Unfortunately all of this amazing food has caused me to put on a bit of weight so my goals over this long summer holiday (16 weeks until freshers) is to lose the podge and get fit while I’m at it. Hopefully I will be working in catering again this summer and while dad thinks I should cycle to work (a form of exercise I’ve successfully avoided for the past 4 years) I prefer a gym membership. How do you like to keep fit?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72fV4UaFiZL2UXstCfsh11sebr78UKN3KcgYBjCGDIvQyM-mswuFNB2hihfs6Ct9-kvswFB7LB7x4eFWvCgHrm_fCA-rkTZg2WAnu9imVNu9zKxVTEj4nwV_GdzW656cG2UjPSYXPcVU/s1600/IMG_2833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72fV4UaFiZL2UXstCfsh11sebr78UKN3KcgYBjCGDIvQyM-mswuFNB2hihfs6Ct9-kvswFB7LB7x4eFWvCgHrm_fCA-rkTZg2WAnu9imVNu9zKxVTEj4nwV_GdzW656cG2UjPSYXPcVU/s640/IMG_2833.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our hotel room in Spain (Molino del Santo hotel)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I also plan to complete at least half of my nutritional coursework before I have actual coursework to do again so you can look forward to interesting nuggets of information such as the fact that peanuts are, by weight, about half fat and cashew nuts are even worse.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poitiers from the viewing platform</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Check back soon for new recipes and let me know what your summer plans/goals are!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSekJ0vGRz04_uGvk7A9HPO9GQwW3Qt3cwt-8VtoU2qTURTnCfP_iXjkz7ckjEq5_nyDAWxC0v2e7yzQPv8nHBpvA2XYh60vLGR2N8b7bxGaADQBmasUZKzET22kVNMQnRPBFf6UgNGk/s1600/IMG_2890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSekJ0vGRz04_uGvk7A9HPO9GQwW3Qt3cwt-8VtoU2qTURTnCfP_iXjkz7ckjEq5_nyDAWxC0v2e7yzQPv8nHBpvA2XYh60vLGR2N8b7bxGaADQBmasUZKzET22kVNMQnRPBFf6UgNGk/s640/IMG_2890.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>terrace </i>in Poitiers</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-532554809031797902016-03-13T14:25:00.000+00:002016-03-13T14:25:26.293+00:00Impress Your Guests<div style="text-align: justify;">
I used to make this dish for my family when I was younger and recently revived it for my 22nd birthday (have I mentioned I'm 22 enough recently?!). It's a straightforward meal that is perfect for dinner parties as the prep can all be done in advance. Just make them up until the point you have to cook them in the oven and put them in the fridge instead. Shove them in the oven 30 minutes before you want to eat and enjoy a drink and nibbles with your guests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFoRRJWR_6lpnp0AxduK45W3adMOpq0VnQRqi2hfniSLc0-q9VgxEpJ2bNt8E6hsrxtpc9R4dW4EXlGBOtMXhyphenhyphenhTunX1qScm6OkKnqFp1CEF_JP04IRfEW1GF_Xv62TbFNfGRcAdIhbI/s1600/stuffedchickenbreast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFoRRJWR_6lpnp0AxduK45W3adMOpq0VnQRqi2hfniSLc0-q9VgxEpJ2bNt8E6hsrxtpc9R4dW4EXlGBOtMXhyphenhyphenhTunX1qScm6OkKnqFp1CEF_JP04IRfEW1GF_Xv62TbFNfGRcAdIhbI/s640/stuffedchickenbreast1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the idea of effortless dinner parties and yet never succeed. One eye fully made up and frantically stirring a sauce with one hand while laying the table with the other. My friends find it hysterical, and my parents ask why I don't do dishes where everything is prepared well in advance. I suppose I like the challenge, but also I seem to have no concept of timing, and consequently run late for everything.<br />
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My next dinner party will involve this dish, and some rosemary roast potatoes. The dessert will be made in advance, and the starter shall be simple. Then, I can relax with my friends and a glass of wine without constantly running in and out of the kitchen. As my mother would say pigs might fly. Who am I kidding? I love the challenge and it will probably be hideously complicated as usual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87LE4OV15JZ2_U_3KDHl4ovLUswOg4l7SeXw6xrw2pJe3GeBjM9HHE-53754IE09VZ0-sOJ9xB15okGCeHBs_lDLRRDDqKDFIwzE0odqftlToLMxjJlLJgITPbTwsV-BTvoT07x2VhP0/s1600/stuffedchickenbreast2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87LE4OV15JZ2_U_3KDHl4ovLUswOg4l7SeXw6xrw2pJe3GeBjM9HHE-53754IE09VZ0-sOJ9xB15okGCeHBs_lDLRRDDqKDFIwzE0odqftlToLMxjJlLJgITPbTwsV-BTvoT07x2VhP0/s640/stuffedchickenbreast2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe</h2>
<div>
Oven at 180˚</div>
<div>
Serves 6</div>
<div>
Can be prepped (up to the point of cooking them) in advance and left covered in the fridge</div>
<div>
If you don't want to use eggs then swap the flour and egg dips of one of plain yogurt</div>
<div>
Make sure you have spare flour, eggs and breadcrumbs just in case you need more</div>
<div>
Serve with potatoes and salad</div>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
6 <b>chicken breasts</b></div>
<div>
125g ball <b>mozzarella</b>, cut into 6 slices</div>
<div>
6 pieces <b>parma ham</b></div>
<div>
6 <b>basil leaves</b></div>
<div>
<b>flour</b>, seasoned</div>
<div>
2 <b>eggs</b></div>
<div>
about 2 cups <b>breadcrumbs</b></div>
<div>
<b>Butter</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Trim the chicken breasts so they're in one piece with no flaps (use the excess to make <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2016/02/posh-chicken-nuggets.html" target="_blank">posh chicken nuggets</a>).</div>
<div>
Cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast with the tip of a sharp knife, making sure not to cut all the way through.</div>
<div>
Stuff each pocket with a piece of mozzarella, parma ham and basil.</div>
<div>
Press the cut edges of the chicken together to seal.</div>
<div>
Set up 3 bowls with the seasoned flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second and breadcrumbs in the third.</div>
<div>
One at a time cover the chicken first in flour, then in egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure they're well coated. Place on a plate.</div>
<div>
Melt some butter in a large frying pan and place 2 of the stuffed chicken breasts in the pan to brown the breadcrumbs for a few seconds before turning them over to brown the other side. Place in a large ovenproof dish.</div>
<div>
Fry the others in the same way. You might need to clean out the pan and melt some new butter to stop the breadcrumbs from blackening.</div>
<div>
Bake the stuffed chicken in the oven for 25 minutes before serving.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">You may also enjoy these posts . . .</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/01/a-taste-of-summer.html" target="_blank">Try a summery starter of a pesto and mozzarella tart</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/04/scrumptious-sorbet.html" target="_blank">Sorbets make for excellent dinner party desserts</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/06/pizza-party.html" target="_blank">For a more relaxed evening with friends why not throw a pizza party</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-54136872358440576642016-03-03T14:40:00.001+00:002016-03-03T15:31:51.803+00:00Travel The World In A Box With Kitchen Trotter*<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Last October it was suggested that I review new foodie subscription box, Kitchen Trotter. Of course, I jumped at the chance and duly researched the box. The concept is simple, each month a selection of ingredients are pulled together around the theme of one country and sent, beautifully packaged, to subscribers alongside a handful of recipes to help you make the most of the ingredients. So far, so good.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA8Vdfmt8UOgip8oWcjb9VW4XFlX0pGPdniFLh1efy842E0y2BzXgXlgtfVDF0ivmzeyvNf-OXoM493ImYSAPDR2EV7zal28wdDAJpMxLWPSSrK3cp1D4OJEw16ZEJ9_jyW_zd4eA_2c/s1600/IMG_2477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA8Vdfmt8UOgip8oWcjb9VW4XFlX0pGPdniFLh1efy842E0y2BzXgXlgtfVDF0ivmzeyvNf-OXoM493ImYSAPDR2EV7zal28wdDAJpMxLWPSSrK3cp1D4OJEw16ZEJ9_jyW_zd4eA_2c/s640/IMG_2477.JPG" width="638" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There were issues with delivery but when New Year and the box finally arrived it looked great. The pattern is evocative of the Far East with its deep red and Palm trees, Russian dolls and colourful stamps. Excited, I unpacked the tons of styrofoam peanuts that appear to be the MO for anything involving food, and began to uncover the treasures inside.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It became apparent that the country du jour was Indonesia and I put aside the recipe cards to look at later. First out of the lucky dip was a small metal tin containing lemongrass powder. Interesting. What can I use that in? Next up, repeats of my store cupboards, shrimp paste and fish sauce. They're different brands to my usual ones so I'll be interested in seeing how they compare. Gado Gado powder is in the box; it's a type of peanut powder that I can use as a cheat satay sauce. I also find combava leaves and kemiri nuts under the styrofoam peanuts. Turning the box upside down to check I hadn't missed anything, an egg timer and a tiny bottle of pandan flavouring fell out. Pandan flavoured cakes were everywhere in Singapore so I'm really excited to experiment with it myself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLj3wM1pViiNMi50OBMkjkQQBChuO3K1NLZu0C4YTHzrXE8wo7D-iiPVGaA2U27Ed0l-CTWelSF6KxGmolC2SN3A690yR1zzWQH8SfTL2i6KCqkbjvw8hwHi0NExSgdJ_rTo-oIQ8HDw/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLj3wM1pViiNMi50OBMkjkQQBChuO3K1NLZu0C4YTHzrXE8wo7D-iiPVGaA2U27Ed0l-CTWelSF6KxGmolC2SN3A690yR1zzWQH8SfTL2i6KCqkbjvw8hwHi0NExSgdJ_rTo-oIQ8HDw/s640/IMG_2469.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The reason this post has taken so long is because I really wanted to give you a full review and make one of the recipes, Ayam Ayam. However, the nuts (an integral part of the recipe) were out of date a month before the box arrived and respite emails no replacements have been sent so there go my plans!</span></div>
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The box costs £29.99 a month inclusive of postage and packaging (with a 3 month subscription at £89, 6 months £174 and a year £336) from <a href="http://www.kitchentrotter.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.kitchentrotter.co.uk</a>.</div>
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I'm going to be brutally honest here and say that I could have bought all of those ingredients for about half the cost in my local Chinatown and if I want to try new cuisines I can just google the recipes. In fact, a friend suggested I did my own version, choosing a different country each month to cook at least 2 recipes based on their cuisine.</div>
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Bottom line? If you want to try new foods but don't have time to do the research and shopping yourself (and you have the money), then go for it. Otherwise, make yourself a DIY box like I plan to.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">You may also enjoy these posts . . .</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/09/nasi-goreng.html" target="_blank">Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng)</a><br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/11/cailler-chocolate.html" target="_blank">Review of new chocolate on the block, Cailler</a><br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/12/chicken-and-cashew-nuts.html" target="_blank">My favourite Asian dish, chicken and cashew nuts</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-78025414242353894702016-02-15T17:29:00.000+00:002016-03-02T20:37:38.333+00:00How To Cure Hangovers<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P4NrN7fvjmKwp5ADwR95z4g8F2KK2cJgYNVXVK6rHKJN3LEtjcmGhfza2Doh6KOycOT7me-UBfyAcPe0qhrvxkhsWQZda65yKbMWCwgOjsP9KUPwPF_t3P8cHOHzZf93iCYFlsbCsQY/s1600/chickennuggets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P4NrN7fvjmKwp5ADwR95z4g8F2KK2cJgYNVXVK6rHKJN3LEtjcmGhfza2Doh6KOycOT7me-UBfyAcPe0qhrvxkhsWQZda65yKbMWCwgOjsP9KUPwPF_t3P8cHOHzZf93iCYFlsbCsQY/s640/chickennuggets.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last month I learnt how to make my own chicken nuggets. Why am I making a kids' food you might well ask? The answer lies in avoiding a repeat my latest birthday celebrations. I was so hungover that I went to a fast food place down the road from my flat the next day and my hungover brain instructed me to order twice as much as I needed. Even worse it was 6pm and I'd just thrown a coat on over my pyjamas - now that's a true walk of shame! When alive enough to regret my mistake I figured that I needed an alternative at home, so that I could just throw a tray into the oven and wait for the timer to (quietly) beep, that would also be healthier.<br />
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I've made my own chicken nuggets in the past and they worked well but I wasn't sure if I could freeze them. An internet search later showed me you can! They were a life-saver the other week after a friend came back to Poitiers for his birthday and a group of us went out to celebrate. A lot. I suggest you make these on a lazy afternoon. They're easy to make and freeze well, but should be made ahead of the weekend's carousing for maximum hangover cure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKjbs4gEJmKOvaj5eE0jaJHl53L9uKfy371j8gL_NRrJeta4MnFR0w6taoDkUhMXN8dUuSx6FpsR736r8EqnA9rXkLE7Gq5JlNahfj62w8ppKYRLLsQUkAblOg-9oVPjyCcX3ulM2GYk/s1600/chickennuggetspic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKjbs4gEJmKOvaj5eE0jaJHl53L9uKfy371j8gL_NRrJeta4MnFR0w6taoDkUhMXN8dUuSx6FpsR736r8EqnA9rXkLE7Gq5JlNahfj62w8ppKYRLLsQUkAblOg-9oVPjyCcX3ulM2GYk/s640/chickennuggetspic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Posh Chicken Nuggets Recipe</h2>
<div>
Oven at 180˚C</div>
<div>
Serves as many as you'd like but this recipe is for 5</div>
<div>
Can be frozen</div>
<div>
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes + marinating</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
3 chicken breasts</div>
<div>
2 pots plain yogurt</div>
<div>
Salt and pepper</div>
<div>
Butter for cooking</div>
<div>
FOR THE BREADCRUMBS</div>
<div>
Panko or regular breadcrumbs (crushed cornflakes would work too)</div>
<div>
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped</div>
<div>
1 lemon, zest only</div>
<div>
20g parmesan, grated</div>
<div>
Salt and pepper</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces.</div>
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Coat the chicken in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Leave covered in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. This step is not strictly necessary but will help to stop the chicken from drying out.</div>
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Make the breadcrumbs by mixing together the crumbs, parsley, lemon zest, parmesan and seasoning. I recommend pulsing everything together in a food processor to achieve a fine crumb but be aware this will turn it green - adding the diced parsley afterwards will avoid this.</div>
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Heat the oven.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Remove the pieces of chicken from the yogurt and coat in the breadcrumb mixture (if you have lots of leftover breadcrumbs then double dip the chicken by coating in another layer of yogurt and then re-rolling in breadcrumbs).</div>
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Heat some butter in a frying pan and add the chicken pieces in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden.</div>
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Transfer to a baking tray.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Repeat the process with the rest of the chicken. It is advisable to clean the pan between each batch to stop the butter from browning too much and turning the chicken a burnt colour.</div>
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Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.</div>
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To freeze, cool the chicken nuggets and then place them, spread out on a tray, in the freezer for an hour, before transferring them to ziplock bags. Eat within 3 months. To cook from frozen simply bake for 15 minutes, checking they are piping hot throughout.</div>
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<b>You may also enjoy these posts . . .</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/01/light-butter-chicken.html" target="_blank">An easy butter chicken recipe, perfect when you don't have a lot of time</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/leek-and-bacon-pasta-bake.html" target="_blank">Creamy leek and bacon pasta bake</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/special-egg-fried-rice.html" target="_blank">Egg fried rice</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-27926779300785241342016-02-07T19:48:00.001+00:002016-03-02T20:37:55.462+00:00All About Me<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I figured my bio needed updating now that I've had this blog for a year and a half. But, I asked myself, what's the point in changing it if you don't notice I've updated it? My clever solution, if I say so myself? Post it here for all you lovely people to read! I hope you enjoy an insight into me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYpQt35gLg_C35x8E4G8WhU5qmtUaadkXuHjcKIL2IXB4E92o4EILz5YUy7s3Q_dm79WgoFXzdrb8TpfWhzZxNACS-encVNaJo_7-nlRKfmiOfcmIdorWUz9pGbhqTJ2SqbDj9_wmho0/s1600/IMG_1209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYpQt35gLg_C35x8E4G8WhU5qmtUaadkXuHjcKIL2IXB4E92o4EILz5YUy7s3Q_dm79WgoFXzdrb8TpfWhzZxNACS-encVNaJo_7-nlRKfmiOfcmIdorWUz9pGbhqTJ2SqbDj9_wmho0/s640/IMG_1209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My name is Lily and I enjoy cooking for family and friends, especially if it involves baking (even better if it's about midnight and not a sensible time to be cooking). This is sounding like an AA introduction. I'd better start again.<br />
<br />
Hi, Lily here, I'm <strike>20</strike> <strike>21</strike> 22 years old and I read French at the University of Manchester (currently on my ERASMUS year in Poitiers, France). My gap year was spent in Singapore where I finally got over my fear of spice and embraced Asian cuisine, helped by cookery classes in exotic locales such as Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. When I'm not talking about food, I'm not really sure what I talk about. Asia? Books? Food? Oh wait, that's the subject I'm not meant to get started on. I began this blog to connect with other foodophiles and have somewhere to direct friends and family to when they ask for a recipe. <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/05/thai-green-curry.html" target="_blank">Thai green curry</a> and <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/thank-you-cookies.html" target="_blank">gooey chocolate chip cookies</a> seem to be the most popular with my friends.<br />
<br />
I have lots of gadgets in my kitchen but the one I love most is a bright orange KitchenAid mixer that gets pointed out if people don't admire it soon enough. My kitchen is also stocked with all sorts of weird and wonderful ingredients that I'm still working out how to cook with. Dried barberries, anyone? My inspiration for recipes, sadly, isn't delivered to me by David Bowie flying in on a tiger made of lightening, but comes from food magazines, recipe books and my mum (who cooks sensible yet tasty food like this <a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/10/lentil-bake.html" target="_blank">lentil bake</a>. No barberries for her).<br />
<br />
Tastebuds are funny things and everyone's are different so if you want to tweak a recipe to your tastes then I won't hold it against you, and I'd love it if you would comment your changes so that I can give them a go, so long as they don't involve mushrooms. I hate mushrooms. Email me (lily.helen.carden@gmail.com) with requests for recipes and stalk me on Instagram (@gorgeousgateaux), I won't bite.</div>
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Join me on my crazy journey to make the best food I can; laughing when it goes wrong and celebrating when it goes right.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-25901509430387204732016-01-30T15:51:00.000+00:002016-03-02T20:41:12.420+00:00Birthday Dessert<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwyZem0Ja31NcERVWn2df5eUUVOpeUR8QloA3bpwXMvNDblgQ9JO0KUjd7QylRuu_E_gkv1gtPq5LoKqcnmIO7ZGg61QMQiQxNUBNe7lzbcto-HNven1OFAt1V1IMnlwlQwBm9eWQtNc/s1600/22birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwyZem0Ja31NcERVWn2df5eUUVOpeUR8QloA3bpwXMvNDblgQ9JO0KUjd7QylRuu_E_gkv1gtPq5LoKqcnmIO7ZGg61QMQiQxNUBNe7lzbcto-HNven1OFAt1V1IMnlwlQwBm9eWQtNc/s640/22birthday.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I turned 22 on the 26th of December and was sick of cakes after a spate of birthdays recently. Initially I decided to have a birthday starter instead (of cheese soufflé) but one of my friends posting a photo of some caramel that she was making swayed me in favour of homemade vanilla ice cream drizzled with salted caramel (my current, and long-lasting, weakness - last year's cake was a set of salted caramel fondants). Previously I've always bought in my salted caramel sauce from the excellent Artisan du Chocolat in London as I don't want to see just how bad for me it is, but they sadly don't have an outpost in Poitiers nor Talmont (they should really look into that) so I had to bite the bullet and make it myself.</div>
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First off, I'm sorry but it is as bad for you as you think it is, however, it's even more scrumptious than you think it will be so just enjoy it! My pan of caramel is currently cooling and every time I pass it I take a spoonful, thankfully there's a lot of it!</div>
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<a name='more'></a>You can use this for anything, as a sauce, in cakes, or in filled chocolates, the possibilities are endless and it's so easy to make, just put everything in a pan and heat it up, stirring all the time. Try it, let me know how it goes but I can promise that you won't be disappointed.</div>
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The easiest way to sterilise the jar is to wash it in how soapy water and then microwave it for 30 seconds at a time until it is completely dry. Fill it while it is still hot. To sterilise the lid you need to wash it as before and then boil it in a pan of water for 20 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMaqz87_cMcisoMmKY7PH1Jp53pJLhPQy369sm5NSFzxGStUPy6hulA6t3G1lghljFcLjuCK5O9wQ4xUF63FClby-ywL_u4V1O5IhSeAMXyFDwUM23Yzn_TbaTOqLa3Yt-SvOqH5q2rQ/s1600/saltedcaramel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMaqz87_cMcisoMmKY7PH1Jp53pJLhPQy369sm5NSFzxGStUPy6hulA6t3G1lghljFcLjuCK5O9wQ4xUF63FClby-ywL_u4V1O5IhSeAMXyFDwUM23Yzn_TbaTOqLa3Yt-SvOqH5q2rQ/s640/saltedcaramel.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Salted Caramel</h2>
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Makes about 1 jar</div>
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Keeps for 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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50g <b>butter </b>preferably room temperature</div>
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175g <b>light brown sugar</b></div>
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300ml <b>double</b> <b>cream</b></div>
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½ - 1tsp <b>sea salt </b>(to taste)</div>
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Method</h3>
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Place the butter in a smallish pan along with the sugar and cream, and ½ a teaspoon of salt.</div>
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Place on a low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.</div>
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Taste to test if you're happy with the saltiness of the sauce (I added an extra ⅓ of a teaspoon here).</div>
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Turn up the heat and let the sauce bubble for a few minutes until it has thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon).</div>
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Leave to cool for 10 minutes if using immediately, or until cold ad then decant it into a sterilised jar, if storing it.</div>
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Now, I'm off to have another mouthful of sauce. I hope you enjoy making and eating this as much as I have.<br />
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You may also enjoy these posts . . .</h3>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/07/schools-out-for-summer.html" target="_blank">Simple chocolate and vanilla cut out biscuits</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/10/gluten-free-brownies.html" target="_blank">My favourite brownie recipe</a></div>
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<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/09/thank-you-cookies.html" target="_blank">Gooey chocolate chip cookies that take 15 minutes from start to finish</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050074844079308581.post-33560122655286804322016-01-15T19:17:00.000+00:002016-11-10T17:25:07.417+00:00Time To Cosy Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's the new year and the weather is definitely getting colder (finally) and so I thought I'd make the ultimate in comfort classics, tartiflette. Traditionally eaten after a long day on the ski slopes and appropriately filling, it's perfect for a winter night to be eaten by a roaring fire after a long walk in the countryside. Apparently, it's not such a rustic dish as one might think and was actually invented in the 1980s by the Reblochon (cheese) makers to boost sales!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBotpRB6J4aZ35H_Q_lN1t7qpVVs174bfyoPbg6u9Ck_XioMsXjIWhnsW5y2XJ6EoTK3lOR3GQ3yXj0BntxZWqIdgLTovXwrr2KP3tZxdemFCjM5gQbmsHWKZkIuPb9zbmgcC4P23ePk/s1600/tartiflette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBotpRB6J4aZ35H_Q_lN1t7qpVVs174bfyoPbg6u9Ck_XioMsXjIWhnsW5y2XJ6EoTK3lOR3GQ3yXj0BntxZWqIdgLTovXwrr2KP3tZxdemFCjM5gQbmsHWKZkIuPb9zbmgcC4P23ePk/s640/tartiflette.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I must admit that it's not the healthiest of dishes, consisting of principally of potatoes, bacon and cheese, but it's worth the indulgence after an active day. Another plus is that it's terribly easy to put together. The rind of the cheese is edible and adds a lovely salty crunch to the dish but you can take it off after cooking if you would prefer not to eat it.</div>
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Tartiflette Recipe</h2>
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Oven at 180˚</div>
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Serves 2</div>
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Easily doubled</div>
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Make it vegetarian by omitting the pancetta (it will still taste delicious)</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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6 medium waxy <b>potatoes</b> (I use red skinned ones)</div>
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150g <b>pancetta</b> or <b>bacon</b></div>
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2 white <b>onions</b>, sliced into rounds</div>
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knob of<b> butter</b></div>
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glug (100ml) <b>white wine</b> (Riesling is excellent and great to drink with the meal)</div>
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splash (50ml) <b>double cream</b></div>
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clove <b>garlic</b></div>
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<b>black pepper</b></div>
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½ a round of <b>reblochon</b>, cut horizontally so that the 2 halves both have 1 side with the rind</div>
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Method</h3>
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Preheat the oven.</div>
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Cut the garlic in half and rub the cut halves over a 2 person baking dish.</div>
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Slice the potatoes into 5mm rounds and place in a pan of cold water. Put on the heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes and then drain.</div>
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Meanwhile, cook the pancetta (dice it first if needed) in a large frying pan and then transfer to a bowl.</div>
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Add a knob of butter to the pan and fry the onions until soft and beginning to caramelise.</div>
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Return the pancetta to the pan with the onions and pour over the wine. Boil for a few minutes to reduce the wine. Season with black pepper (the pancetta and reblochon are salty enough that you don't need to season with salt).</div>
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Layer a third of the potatoes in the baking dish and top with half the pancetta and onion mix, season with black pepper, repeat with another third of the potatoes and the rest of the onion mix (more pepper here). After the top layer of potatoes, pour over the cream and place the 2 pieces of reblochon rind sides up on the top.</div>
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Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and the dish is bubbling.</div>
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Serve with a crisp salad and the rest of the riesling. <br />
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<h3>
You may also enjoy these posts . . .</h3>
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<br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2015/03/boeuf-bourguignon.html" target="_blank">Light boeuf bourguignon (mushrooms optional)</a><br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/10/macaroni-cheese-comfort.html" target="_blank">Mac and cheese with spicy chorizo</a><br />
<a href="http://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.fr/2014/10/lentil-bake.html" target="_blank">Warming lentil bake with cheesy potatoes</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594536166450611112noreply@blogger.com0