Tuesday 26 February 2013

Tuesday's supper.shared with four friends.

Mushroom soup, made with a pound of Chestnut Mushrooms, a handful of dried Porcinin as well and some garlic, duck stock from last week,and not much else,bar some salt and pepper. One of the guests is not eating anything with cream or butter,so the soup has the minimum of fat .it is a rich dark brown colour,and I shall just put a little yoghurt and a swirl of English Truffle Oil on the top. I found the oil in a Restaurant in Cirencester just before Christmas.
Next a Fish Pie, sliced leeks and spinach on the bottom,then Salmon, prawns and some scallops with a white wine sauce made with dIll and parsley ,and some mashed potato with grated cheese and breadcrumbs over the top. That should do the job,and keep everyone happy, also a salad if they want it.
Cheeses are Roquefort ,Manchego and a Goat log, with the last of the Cuban Guava Paste.
Then sliced mangoes, pineapple and blood orange with passion fruit juices .
I have managed to drop a PINT of DOUBLE CREAM onto the floor, it fell out of the fridge, and I am no good at juggling things onehanded! The mess was indescribable,worse even than the melted butter fiasco of last week. This time it was over the dining room carpet as well as the usual floor and walls and my trousers and shoes. I had enlist the help of a very kind MALE neighbour to clean up.






Wednesday 20 February 2013

Monday's supper.

Two friends tonight, I gave them Thai Beetroot soup, a recipe that was in the Guardian a few weeks back.it is so easy,and so different from a Borsch.
You first make a broth of Thai ingredients, ginger, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, Lime leaves, chilli,and gangal,(which I don't have) so I used some TomYum Paste,which is for soup anyway.
About 500 mls of water is poured onto the previously gently fried ingredients. This broth is simmered for about half an hour, then sieved, the beetroot chopped ,and whizzed up with the liquid, and a tin of light coconut milk is added,and then finally some fish sauce,and fresh lime juice to taste. Finally some fresh Coriander scattered on the top.
It really is delicious,refreshing and definitely Thai tasting.
Then we had a sort of Cassoulet, made with duck breast, very good pork sausages ,gigantic white beans, red and yellow peppers,red onions and a tin of tomatoes, with a couple of pieces of orange peel for flavour,and some duck stock to loosen the mixture.gently cooked a low oven for an hour and a half,and severe with a purée of Celeriac.
Some good cheeses, Roquefort , an English Goat 's cheese, and some mature Gouda,
I have almost come to the end of my piece of Guava Paste brought back from Cuba by a friend, but so expensive to buy online! Far nicer than Membrillo.
Finally we ate the Apple and Pineapple Amaretto tart ,which I had such a problem making at the weekend.
A bottle of Prosecco,and an Australian Merlot during the meal.

Friday 15 February 2013

The perils of being one handed

Today I decided to make some apple and Amaretti tarts. Then had a brilliant idea of using pineapple as well.
Everything went according to plan,until I melted the butter to brush onto the fruit in a small ramekin dish in the microwave.
Taking to out,( and far too hot) it slipped from my hand, and melted butter went all over the wall, the recipe, the work top, and the floor plus broken shards of china. WHAT A MESS,
Had to clean it up fast, before it all solidified, or I went onto the floor,or the cat cut her paws on the very sharp bits.
I shan't be doing this again in a hurry.


Tuesday 12 February 2013

Obama's dinner,a late celebration.

As it is Lincoln's birthday today,and Obama is about to give his State of the Union Address, so it is a very auspicious day to celebrate.
We had Butternut Squash soup, with Basil Mayonnaise,plus the cloverleaf Cornmeal rolls.
Then baked ham ,with Sweet corn fritters, mixed vegetables ,Mangetout peas, cucumber and leeks,just quickly done in the Wok, with hot parsley sauce and a cranberry and orange relish. Finally Key Lime Pie, not that we had much room for that!
A bottle of Pink Fizz.to start,and then a bottle of Tempranillo from Spain.
I did take a picture of the soup ,with a roll beside it, but somehow it seems to have gone astray .



Sunday 10 February 2013

Sunday rolls

Made a start on my American dinner to celebrate Obama's second term, but postponed until this Tuesday due to heavy snow.
We will have Butternut Squash Soup, with Clover Cornmeal rolls,which I have just made. I have
followed the recipe absolutely as written by Patrica Lousada, and they look good
Certainly they have grit,which is what I suppose cornmeal does.
Then Baked Ham, with Cranberry and Orange relish, Sweetcorn fritters,and Mangetout peas with Cucumber.
Finally a Key Lime Pie.
Champagne to toast his Presidency, and then who knows? I have some Australian red which might do the trick.

Monday 4 February 2013

The weekend

Well, strictly speaking , to include Friday as well.
Having endured the road being up for three months, I had a visit from Barry,the fish an.he had some beautiful lemon sole fillets,which were huge,so around them(and only two for lunch) I pan fried the sole,and made a vegetable Risotto to go with it. Delicious!
Then we had an icecream ,made with whipped Cream, broken up meringues ,icing sugar,and some Kirsch to taste.this was frozen in a loaf tin, which makes it easier to cut,and was served with fresh pineapple ,mango pus a few blueberries for colour.
On Saturday I had more friends round, and this to end we had a smoked Haddock Chowder,with fish, leeks,potatoes milk and parsley,plus some homemade bread.
Then more of the icecream from the day before, but this time I added some cooked plums,but they had very little flavour,so I added some frozen fruits that were in the freezer. Puréed the fruits ,and then sieved it all to make a strong flavoured sauce.
As hey had ready had a big lunch, we didn't have anything else. Just a bottle of Prsecco.