Chicken Liver Pate'

For me, holiday food is not complete without pate’.  It is a hit in our gatherings as a starter served with a glass of sparkling wine.  The recipe I share below makes about one quart/litre and will keep in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, roughly chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

6 oz/150g butter

1 1/2 lbs/750g chicken livers

l 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

l bay leaf

3 tablespoons brandy

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft without  
    browning.
2. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, and livers;  cook until most of the pink is gone.  Cool.
3. Remove the bay leaf.  Place all the cooked ingredients in a food processor along with the brandy and lemon juice.  Blend until smooth.  Adjust seasoning.
4. Turn mixture into a large one quart/litre bowl or bigger.  Cover and chill for two hours or more.
5. Serve on toasted bread of your choice.  I prefer multigrain.  Enjoy!

© Judy Labi 2012

Our Charitable Christmas

This Christmas we decided to spend the day working in the way I know best--with food and serving people.

Our family arrived in the morning at John Wesley’s Chapel in the city of London.  We were warmly greeted by Pastor Jennifer Potter and instructed to proceed to the kitchen.  There John, veteran charity cook of seventeen years, got us started on sandwiches of tuna, egg salad, ham and cheese to be served at afternoon tea.  We chatted away as we worked with others giving of their time and talents.  We soon got onto lunch preparation of traditional turkey and gravy with trimmings of stuffing, roasted potatoes, parsnips, brussels sprouts, carrots, and bacon/sausage rolls.  Some of us broke away briefly to enjoy Lord Lesley Griffith conduct the Christmas morning service and sing one of my favorite Christmas carols,  Away In a Manager.  After the service, about forty guests, made up mostly of shut-ins from the surrounding area, were helped down to the festively decorated dining room.  We, the kitchen staff, loaded the warmed plates and served them to each seated guest.  Most of us sat down ourselves to partake and get acquainted. Such interesting life stories to hear.  One elderly chap had taught fencing to actors performing in films.  After the Christmas pudding with custard, we continued with the clearing and washing up.  

From the lunch room, we all made our way upstairs.  People were seated  and  then entertainment began.  We heard carols sung by members representing the South Korean community within the church decked out in traditional costumes. Elvis, a Ghanaian male member with a strong voice, sang a couple of tunes.  Then a pre-recorded description of the past year of events at John Wesley’s Chapel narrated by Lord Lesley Griffith was played, followed by the Queen’s speech.  John, our cook was a hit singing old British classics, like Daisy, Daisy, and then surprising us all with his drag queen act.   Sandwiches, Christmas cake and mince pies were served with tea.  Last, Adam my son, came in dressed as Father Christmas and made the rounds with Pastor Jennifer passing out oranges (see photo).  

We mingled and chatted as we cleared up and then made our way home.  It had been a very enjoyable Christmas Day giving of ourselves.

Holiday Stollen

Holiday preparations are a busy time everywhere, and were no less so on our Alaskan homestead years ago.  

Outside was very cold, with snow all around, but inside our small homestead cabin we were warm from a stove, fired by wood, cut from our one hundred and sixty acre site.  The air we breathed had just a tinge of smoke which escaped from the burning logs.  Some evenings, my father would find time to relax and entertain us with carols, like Silent Night, Oh Tannenbaum,  and Jingle Bells, which he sang in Swedish, and strummed each tune on the mandolin.  Our brown, Chesapeake dog, Scamp, lay close beside him thumping his tail now and again it seemed in rhythm.  A few feet away, in the kitchen/dining area, Mother and I measured out ingredients, kneaded and shaped stollen loaves.  As part of the traditional foods from her American German heritage, stollen was essential each year.  The sweet aromas of the loaves coming from the oven brought my brothers down from the loft and around the kitchen table with the rest of us for a slice of the fruit rich sweet bread, glazed to perfection. 

Over the years in my cooking courses here in London we have made stollen loaves for the kids to take home to share.  They have enjoyed the bread made without Marzipan overall.  Thus, I have made it an optional ingredient in the courses.  I have done the same in the following recipe.

Ingredients:                  Makes 3 medium size loaves

1 package active dry fast-acting yeast

1 cup/240 ml/8 oz skim milk

8 Tablespoons/100g/4 oz butter or baking margarine

1/4 cup/2 1/2 oz/75 g white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

4 1/2 cups/500g/l lb. 2 oz plain flour

1 beaten egg

1 1/4 cups/ 190 g/7 oz raisins

1/4 cup/50g/2 oz chopped, mixed candied fruits

1/4 cup/50g/2 oz flaked blanched almonds

zest from one orange, coarsely grated

zest from one lemon, coarsely grated

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

375g/14 oz Marzipan (optional), if using, divide given amount into thirds

Glaze

1. In a small glass bowl, heat milk and butter in the microwave for about one minute to melt the butter.
2. In another, large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cardamom, raisins, candied fruits, almonds, and grated zest from orange and lemon.  Stir in the yeast.
3. Whisk the egg into the slightly cooled milk and butter.  Add the almond extract.  Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir.
4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until elastic; about 5 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 3.  Pat each piece into a 10x6 inch (25cm x 15cm) rectangle.  Place a rope of Marzipan in the middle lengthwise if using.  Fold the long side of the dough over to within 1 inch of the opposite side.  Place on a baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour.
6. Bake in a 375F/180C oven for 15 minutes, or lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and brush with glaze.
8. Glaze:  Combine 1 cup/100g icing sugar, 2 tablespoons hot water, and one teaspoon butter.   Decorate with candied cherries or silver balls.
9. Enjoy!

Festive Mulled Wine

      

        Yesterday, a couple of friends and I decorated my fireplace mantelpiece, getting the house in the festive spirit for enjoying visiting with family and friends, and of course, partaking of traditional foods and the all important, mulled wine.  

 It reminded me of being on the homestead in Alaska, where we hiked around in the snow, scouting for the best looking spruce to decorate for Christmas.  We usually ended up bringing home about three.  

        Here, in London, I gathered flowering pink heather from my back garden.  The others brought very prickly holly, glossy ever green leaves and pine branches.  We used three, soaked, florist’s oasis foams, in trays as the base for inserting our cuttings.  Red artificial berries were added in places, and to accentuate the centre, a plaid, red, green,and sparkling gold bow.  Last, we placed, thick, cream candles at each end.  The picture shows our finalized holiday creation.  What do you think?

Here is the recipe for the mulled wine.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 bottle, inexpensive red wine

1 small wine glass Cointreau

6 Orange slices, halved, and each stuck with a whole clove

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Put all the above ingredients into a large saucepan and heat to simmer.  Continue simmering for about 3-4 minutes.  Serve in clear glass cups or wine glasses, with a piece of orange floating on top.  Merry Christmas! 

Christmas Markets

        With the run-up to Christmas, festive markets are prolific all over Europe, including the U.K.  We enjoyed a small market last Saturday in Tufnell Park, London.

In fifteen minutes we were there.  Freddy Bartlett-Evans (pictured) was manning the Tre Donne stall with his mother, on this bright frosty morning.  I’ve known Freddy for several years, as he has been a bubbly budding chef in my cooking courses.  The stall was brimming full of lovely lavender products made from lavender grown in fields at their farm in Umbria, Italy.  The focus of the display was an open burlap bag of fresh, sweet, aromatic lavender.  I couldn’t resist buying  lavender sachet bags and essence for gifts this season.  They also had selections of soaps, lotions, bath oils, and shower gels packaged by themselves, in a homely artistic way. 

Next door to Freddy, was a bread stall, displaying beautiful cakes, brownies,  and assorted breads. Centre point here was a crusty metre long loaf.  Chunks to a person’s size specification could be cut.   I selected a dark brown, walnut-fig loaf for breakfast.  Back home, next morning, we toasted slices to a deep brown, and then spread with honey  before eating.  Just freshly sliced, it was too stodgy for our taste.  

In the fresh meat stall, I selected organic, home produced, all beef-mushroom-guinness sausages from Warwickshire.   They were an easy meal and big hit later for dinner.

There was also a large, fresh produce stall selling deep orange pumpkin pieces, and other vegetables at their prime.  

All said and done, it was an easy, rewarding, outing for my husband and I, with a friend.  I recommend that you find a Christmas market soon, close by, to enjoy.

My Forthcoming Cooking with Kids Book

The purpose of this blog is to introduce you to the cook book I'm hoping will be published soon.  

"Growing up in rural Alaska on a homestead taught me to savour the benefits of living off the land.  In the nightless summers,  we grew our own vegetables, berries, and fished trout in our fresh water lake and salmon from the ocean, a short trek away.  Each autumn, my father shot a moose and all the family would help clean, cure, and then cut it up for keeping in our large freezer over the winter.  Learning by hands-on doing was our philosophy  which was as important as the formal education.  This philosophy means one only fails if he or she does not try.   Mother ordered us books on everything from house building to sewing to gardening and creating uplifting meals.   We learned to follow instructions and be self starters.  

These same principles I have put into practice in 15 years of conducting cooking courses for kids of various ages in London.  Working with small groups I have taught cooking techniques creating healthy three course lunches to enjoy plus specialty foods, such as yeast breads generating memorable aromas.   

The book shares the most popular recipes in my classes for preparing starters, main courses, desserts and take home treats.  I have laid out the sections, as I have taught the courses, as Pancake Day, Easter, Spring, Summer, Halloween and Christmas foods and activities.  These are the times kids have school breaks and parents are most likely to take off from work to be with them.   In these courses I have been the guiding adult who encourages learning by doing.  This ranged from measuring, whisking, chopping, shaping, kneading, blending, and using the conventional indoor range and outdoor barbecue.  Enthusiastic comments from the kids after producing tasty foods they were proud to share have been rewarding.  One such comment about roasted vegetables, "As well as being good for you, the cauliflower and broccoli goes perfectly crunchy".   The courses have also been a great opportunity for kids to try and develop a taste for new foods.  

Parents who desire to engage with their children and create lasting memories around the warmth of the kitchen  can use this book to replicate many of the foods prepared in my cooking courses in their own home."  

Ginger Cookie Dough Truffles

Want to try something new and fun with your family?  This quick and easy recipe is that.  It evolved from my kids preferring to eat the unbaked dough over the thin crispy ginger cookies.  Crazy?  See what you think!

1. Make one batch of ginger cookie dough (see previous blog).
   
2. Shape into 24 balls, each, one-inch/about two mm, by rolling between the palms of your hands.  Get the kids in on this.  Try to make them as round and smooth as possible.  Dough left can be used for gingers cookies.
   
3. Place balls of dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  Cool in the freezer for fifteen minutes.
   
4. In the meantime, melt 1 1/2 bars/150 grams/6 oz dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler or, carefully, in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.  Remove melted chocolate from the heat.
   
5. Take the shaped ginger balls from the freezer.  One at a time, roll each one in the melted chocolate, carefully, using two forks.  Gently place each coated ball on parchment paper.  Before the chocolate dries, add a decorative piece on top, i.e. crystalized ginger, candy, silver ball, etc.  Two working together is a big help.  One to coat balls with chocolate and the other adding the decorative bit.

Serve on your favorite tray.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.  Delicious!

Ginger Cookies/House

Why not get into the kitchen with your kids this holiday season and bake up these Scandinavian aromatic, cinnamon/clove/ginger spiced crispy cookies? Or even build a ginger house?

Each year I had such an afternoon with my own kids while they were young, even creating the farm house santa scene pictured.  Mixing up this recipe,  rolling out and cutting cookies of different shapes, has proven to be very popular in my Christmas cooking courses with children of all ages as well.  The annual tradition is also carried on with my family in Alaska.  One year my sister created a one foot tall ginger house that had sugar glazed glass windows, and candied trimmings, which we fondly remember.  My sister-in-law makes enough dough, to have her children and their friends compete in a ginger house making contest with the winner awarded a prize.  

To get organized for it all to flow, mix-up the dough and refrigerate at least over night.  On the day the cookies, or houses are to be made, allow plenty of room for each child to work.  In my kitchen,  using the work top, I have the kids in pairs, taking turns to roll out the dough and cut into shapes.  The kitchen table can also be used.  I transfer the loaded cookie sheets in and out of the oven for the kids.  Remember that the baked  cookies or house building blocks are fragile and break when dropped. This is a different dough than the one producing thick spongy gingerbread cookies.   A tray, covered with white paper makes an excellent transferable ‘winter’ base for a ginger house. 

Ingredients:         (Makes about 150-200 thin cookies.  Double the recipe for a farm house scene.)

175 g/6 oz butter, softened

1 cup/200g/7 oz white sugar

1/2 cup/100 ml/4 fl oz dark corn syrup or Golden Syrup

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cardamon (optional)

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

3/4 cup/150 ml/6 fl oz, whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups/450g/1 lb sifted plain flour,  plus extra for flouring surface when rolling out

Grated zest of one orange (optional)

Cream the butter together with sugar, syrup, spices, and orange zest (if using).  Whip the cream to a very soft foam and add.  Mix the baking soda with the flour and add in fourths.  Stirring with a spoon will be difficult after a while, so turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, if needed.  Refrigerate the dough overnight.  I find using a plastic bag instead of a bowl helps free up the refrigerator.  

Preheat oven to 200C (400F).  Roll out part of the dough at a time on a floured surface.  Cut with desired cookie cutters into various shapes or around paper patterns you have designed to make houses.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until brown.  Remove the cookies to a wire rack from the baking sheet.

The baked cookies can be decorated with white icing. which also works as a ‘cement‘ in building a ginger house.    Beat together 2 cups/300g/10 oz icing sugar, 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon white vinegar.  Fill an icing tube, with the icing and outline the cookies or decorate  your house.    The baked gingers keep for weeks.  

This is one of the greatest winter bonding activities to do with your kids! 

'Wild Rice' Korean Style

A friend took me along to a Korean grocery a few days ago and I thoroughly enjoyed the new experience.  We had a good look around and I left with brown rice/green tea, Xylitol chewing gum, a huge orange pear, and Hyunmi O gok, a cereal to add when cooking white rice.  

I put the usual amount of white rice and salt into my rice cooker but added a handful of the Hyunmi O gok with more water.  The resulting dish, resembles wild rice, with a touch of rosy chestnut colour, and  dark brown/blackish grains scattered through out.  The flavour is more robust and the Korean cereal adds nutrition.

Here is the recipe:

2 cups/350g/12 oz white rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 pints/3/4 litre water

A handful of Hyunmi O gok

Simply put all of the above ingredients into your rice cooker or in a pan on top of the hob.  Cook as you would usually, with just occasional stirring.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Bon Appetit!

Jellied Cranberry/Apple Salad

 This blog is all about telling you  the journey I had in getting the Jellied Cranberry/Apple Salad to set for our recent Thanksgiving celebration. 

For years, I’ve done it in my stride, following the recipe in an old version of ‘Joy’, using sachets of gelatine granules from animal extract.  But, alas, my local grocery stores now only stock the vegetable variety of such granules or the fine leaf gelatine made from 100% pork.  This year we have vegetarians coming to partake of the traditional Thanksgiving meal as well as us meat eaters!  I decided first, to have a go with creating a dish that all could share, so, ‘hello’, vegetarian friendly granules.  My recipe makes enough to fill a one quart/1000 ml mold with a very acidic, cranberry-orange-lemon mixture.  To deal with the acidity, I followed the manufacturer’s recommendation of doubling the usual requirement for a ‘set’, and used all four sachets in the box in my first attempt.  I had food-processed the cranberries, orange zest and juice, lemon juice with sugar, a day ahead, covered, and stored in the frig, as directed in the family recipe.  Then, again, following the manufacturer’s instructions, I dissolved the gelatine granules in 8 fl oz cold water, and proceeded to heat the mixture to just boiling.  At that point I added the processed cranberry-citrus mixture and brought this up to a low boil.  I also realized at this point that I hadn’t needed to refrigerate the mixture overnight as the heating completely dissolved the sugar.  As my mother says, “too late smart”!  I then poured the mixture into the mold; stirred in the chopped apples, and refrigerated.  No luck!  Even the next day, the lovely tart/sweet tasting mixture was thickened but not ‘set’.  It would still be a beautiful sauce along side stuffing and other specialities for the vegetarians on the day.  However, I wanted to get the traditional molded red star of many years, which my husband claims is what friends will remember as my best dish.  

I started again using the fine leaf gelatine made from pork.  The manufacturer said to use four leaves to one pint (570 ml) liquid and an extra one for larger molds.  Because of the acidic nature of my ingredients, I decided to use all twelve leaves in the packet.  Success!  The perfect set enabled me to unmold onto my green, watercress, garnished elevated stand on the day, as you see in the picture.  It was a bit ‘firm’ so, I will cut back to 10 leaves of gelatine next time.  

Here is the recipe that I recommend you try:

Blend, in a food-processor:

1 lb./500g cranberries

the zest from one orange

1/2 cup/4 oz/150 ml orange juice

3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups/10 oz/300g white sugar

Soak, 10 fine leaf gelatine leaves in 8 oz/225 ml cold water for 5 minutes.  Put into a large saucepan with a 135g packet of lemon jelly and  heat to a gentle boil, simmering for 2 minutes.  Add blended contents from food processor and bring all just up to the boil.  

Pour into a one quart/1000 ml mold.  Cool and then stir in 3 chopped tart apples.  Allow to ‘set’ in refrigerator.  Unmold onto desired plate.    Something your guests will savour, enjoy, and remember!  
 Bon Appetit!

Creating an Enjoyable Feast

Yesterday,  our guests arrived and we welcomed them into the kitchen with a glass of sparkling wine. They mingled within the midst of sights and aromas coming from the festive foods, championed by richly browned roasted turkey, and the elevated star--bright red Molded Cranberry/Apple Salad.   We set up the bountiful buffet on the kitchen island.  Plates were filled with as many choices as could be crowded on, and then family and friends made their way into the dining room to sit down and enjoy in the sharing spirit of Thanksgiving.

It was such a pleasurable day, with plenty of time to visit,  due to the pre-preparation done a few days beforehand.  I bought a large frozen turkey early in the week and placed it in our refrigerator in the garage, to thaw.  I did most of the shopping on Thursday for the Sunday meal (The day our family celebrates Thanksgiving in the U.K.).  On Friday, my daughter’s friend, Sarah, and I prepared the pies, vegetarian Cranberry/Apple Sauce, and cut up the butternut squash for two vegetarian dishes.  On Saturday,  we made the Jellied Cranberry/Apple Salad, Mid-Western stuffing, steamed the courgettes/zucchini and prepared the cheese filling for the same.  I also roasted the sweet potatoes.   Sunday morning, I stuffed the turkey and got it in the large fan oven.  While it was roasting, I simmered the giblets and neck, with a few winter vegetables and herbs to create a rich broth for making the gravy when the turkey was cooked.  My daughter, Suzanne, and Sarah put together the Stuffed Courgettes/Zucchini with Cheese and we got both them and the butternut squash  in the oven when the turkey was removed (half an hour before the guests were due).  The girls also peeled and mashed the sweet potatoes with a bit of cream, butter and spices and got the pan onto a low heat.   Suzanne made the Tennessee Cornbread and we put it in the small oven to bake.  We popped the vegetarian stuffing into the big oven with the vegetable dishes.  I unmolded the Cranberry/Apple Salad.  Last, I put the green beans in a pot with a small amount of salted water, ready to boil for 5 minutes just before serving.   With plates and serving utensils assembled, we were ready  to make our Thanksgiving harvest buffet and greet our guests. 

I strongly recommend pre-preparation in the days before your next big event to make it one you can enjoy with your guests and wish to repeat.  Pre-preparation makes it all look just so easy.   You will smile as you say Bon Appetit!

Want to Make a Comment?

Some of you have kindly sent me e-mails providing valuable feedback on my blogs.  I've enjoyed reading these and appreciate each one of you who have made the effort.  In future, if you would like to comment for all to see, just follow the simple steps below.

1.  Open blog that you wish to make a comment on.  Click on the title of the blog post.
2.  A comment box will appear at the bottom of the text.  Type in your comment.
3.  Click 'publish'.
4.  You will be directed to sign in with a Google account which takes two minutes.  

It will be so nice to hear how you enjoyed each of my blogs!  Judy                
 

Thanksgiving

Coloured leaves are falling and we wake up often to glittering white frost on the ground.  Clear signs that American Thanksgiving has come around again.

In my nearly thirty years in London, I’ve learned that British people are quite happy to join in for this festival celebration.  The plentiful table laden with roast turkey and all the traditional trimmings has become more and more popular in our house, meaning we need two tables to accommodate our guests accepting invitations.

Many years ago, in 1621, the Pilgrims put down their smoking muskets, and the native Americans, their bow and arrows, and sat down to banquet on wild turkey, roasted corn, cranberry sauce, splendid autumn vegetables, and I hope, pumpkin pie.  The feast lasted three days.  We Americans continue to celebrate this great day every year, on the fourth Thursday in November.  In doing so, we cook up a storm, and invite friends of all nationalities and religions to come and indulge with us.  I’m so happy, that again, my adult twins, have many friends who now self-book in advance.  This takes the spirit of thankful celebration to its height.  It also means that there are more hands in the kitchen to share and enjoy the preparation.

Our menu this year will include:

Sparkling Wine/Beer      Pimento stuffed Green Olives

Jellied Cranberry and Apple Salad

Roasted Turkey with Mid-Western Stuffing and Gravy

Stuffed Zucchini with Cheese
Butternut squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese

Sweet Potato Mash

Steamed Green Beans in Lemon Vinaigrette

Tennessee Cornbread

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Chocolate Pecan Pie

You don’t have to be American to savour and enjoy these foods!  Bon Appetit!

A Taste of Buenos Aires

How long has it been since you decided just to break out and try something new?

My husband and I did just that in February after being inspired by ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, to start weekly tango classes.  We’ve joined teachers, David and Kim Benitez,  at Tango Movement in London.  In a fast moving hour, we concentrate on learning new steps and practicing previous ones as we change partners, trying our best to follow and lead in this Argentinian sultry, passionate yet melancholy, elegant dance.

Last Saturday night, our new past-time took us to The Winter Ball, sponsored by APARU and Tango Movement in aid of Argentine children charities.  It was an inspiring escape into a taste of Buenos Aires. In my special, black with pink polka dot high heels, I joined my husband and  about one hundred other couples gliding in the line-of-dance, around the large floor. We discreetly, with power,  maneuvered backward and forward ‘ochos’, ‘paradas’, ‘sandwich’ steps and even more challenging ones for the advanced, all to the beat of music by Tango Siempre.  The highlights of the evening were performances by the advanced students and David and Kim Benitez.  Lifts and dips were accomplished with ease, and with spectator applause.  Just look at David and Kim in the picture!

Of course, the step out into a South American night included food!  Empanadas, which are pastries, served hot, and stuffed with cheese, beef, ham or chicken, seasoned with a dash of red chili, were readily available.  I found them lighter than a Cornish pasty, but equally as moreish.  A little red Argentinian wine, a bite to eat, and we kept dancing until after midnight.  Next night out, in Buenos Aires--the real Buenos Aires--I hope so!

Until then I’ll try my own hand with the savory empanadas and continue to strive for excellence at the tango lessons!

Candied Almonds

Last night we saw beautiful displays of fireworks from every window of our house in north London, and knew immediately, Diwali had begun.  

The Indian Festival of Lights goes on for 5 days, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.  Grocery stores stock extra nuts and sweets at this time as they are favorites to be passed around by those celebrating.  This recipe for candied almonds fits well into the theme.   Yvonne, my husband’s late mother, taught me how to make them.   She and her family had learned to prepare the sweet aromatic, nuts in Tripoli, Libya.  For many years now, family and friends in the U.K., Alaska, and other parts of the U.S. have enjoyed these treats.   Make them and you will learn why they have traveled the globe. 

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds, in brown hulls

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cinnamon, approximately

In a large skillet, heat all of the above ingredients to boiling.  Stir just occasionally with a wooden spoon at this point.  After about 5 minutes or so, the water will mostly have evaporated and you need to stir constantly, moving the nuts around continually. Heat should be no higher than medium now.   Soon all the water is gone, a beautiful cinnamon aroma is effusing into the room, and only sugar is left covering each almond.  You are not finished yet!  Keep the almonds on the move with your spoon until most are partially coated with a new wetness.  This is when you remove the skillet from the heat and pour all the contents onto a clean surface or large plate.  Separate the nuts and allow to cool.

Candied almonds are great to pass around at any holiday.  So, Diwali yes, and also,  Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas,  and the next birthday celebration.  Enjoy and share!

Green Rice

Yesterday my daughter made us the best rice ever - in minutes - using leftovers.

The ingredients:

about 2 cups (mugs will do) of cooked, left-over, white rice
1/2 tablespoon butter

a good handful of fresh, spinach leaves

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 vegetable stock cube

3/4 cup/6 fl oz/about 170 ml water

6-8 fresh basil leaves

She put the rice and butter in a medium size saucepan and the rest of the ingredients into our food processor.  The processor was ‘whizzed’ for about 30 seconds to roughly puree the contents.  A few broken spinach leaves left are fine.  The resultant deep emerald green loose paste was then poured over the rice in the saucepan.   The contents were warmed over medium heat, while stirring, up to serving temperature.  This takes about 2-3 minutes.

The refreshed,  beautiful green grains of rice had the aroma of garlic with a hint of basil.  A serving gave real eye appeal on the plate along side grilled, blushing red, Wild Alaskan salmon, caught in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year.  Try and enjoy!  

Stuffed Zucchini/Courgettes with Cheese

Have you ever been hungry for pizza but felt something healthier would be a better option?

My suggestion for you is to try making stuffed zucchini/courgettes with cheese.  Many of the kids in my cooking courses over the years, liked it so well they made it frequently in their own homes.  Today I prepared it with one of my daughter’s friends in a few minutes.  We’ll bake it in a couple of hours when the other family members return for the evening meal.  It’s best served straight from the oven with the ricotta and Parmesan cheese hot and oozing.  

Start with boiling/steaming six medium-large zucchini/courgettes for five minutes.  Drain and then allow to cool in a pan of cold water.  Drain again.  With a large knife, slice each right down the middle vertically.  Scoop the pulp out with a teaspoon from each and save in a large bowl.  The casings can all be placed in one layer in a roasting pan.  In the food processor, crumb one slice of any bread.  Add a little dried oregano, salt and pepper, and mix again.  Cut the zucchini/courgette pulp scrapings into chunks about the size of a teaspoon.  Add a tub of ricotta or cottage cheese (I use one that is 250g),  2 heaping tablespoons of grated Parmesan, one teaspoon of garlic puree and one egg yolk.  Mix together and spoon evenly into the zucchini/courgette shells.  

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown in a 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 oven.  Serves  four.  Enjoy.

Cranberry/Pumpkin Muffins

Have you ever thought of this combination before?

Growing up in Alaska,  and being surrounded by forests full of the low-bush variety of wild cranberries, we had many outings as youngsters to gather them in Autumn.  I still remember the pleasure of sinking into the deep comfortable moss and grabbing handfuls to quickly fill my bucket.  We were always thinking of ways to use them.  Favorites were cranberry/orange sauce and cranberry/apple gelatin mold, both great with fowl.  

Here in my home in London I’ve carried on with the use of these lovely red berries bursting with tartness over the years.  Yesterday I put my hand to muffins.  

I thought the addition to the pumpkin variety could produce pleasing results.  I first made a batch using two cups of the very large fresh ones added to my pumpkin muffin recipe.  They were pretty with the red gems very evident but too tart, over-powering the taste.  I then tried again, cutting the amount of cranberries back to half a cup in the recipe, as well as adding the same amount of coarsely chopped walnuts.  They were tasty but each berry still rather tart to bite into.  My daughter and her friends who ate them merrily, suggested that they would be just fine if the large fresh cranberries were cut in roughly half.  This would result in more diffusion of the tartness.  

For my third baking, I decided to go with dried cranberries, always available, as well as  chopped walnuts.  These are the ones pictured here.  

I leave the final decision to you.  Which will it be?  Chopped fresh cranberries or dried with the addition of walnuts to pumpkin muffins?  Great time of year to give it a go.

Autumn Markets

Growing up in Alaska and having big gardens and our own greenhouse makes me cherish the wholesome vegetables that were so easy to come by in my childhood.  Thanks to parents who fifty odd years ago lead the way with the importance of the simple, fresh-from-the-earth vegetables and berries in place of commercially anemic ones,  enables me to especially appreciate the lovely farmers’ markets we have here in London.

Last weekend we made a family outing down to the famous Borough Market by the Thames.  It was a lovely dry autumn day to get out and select the best produce available.  The beautiful enormous Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes, perfectly ripe,  inspired me to make and share with you the easy preparation for Pizzaiola Tartines. 

Cutting up a few ripe tomatoes into a bowl (deseed only if you prefer) with the addition of sliced spring onions,  green olives, freshly snipped parsley and oregano, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, magic, you are ready to roll.  No exact science of measurement is needed here.   

Toast several slices of your favorite bread, butter and quarter, removing the crusts only if you want to be fancy.  Spoon the tomato mixture onto the toast quarters, top with a thin slice of mozzarella and enjoy.  This is the perfect starter when you want to relax with a glass of wine, munch, visit and share with friends.  They have always been a favorite in my cooking courses.

A Cook Book Treasure

A gift of “The Joy of Cooking” from my elderly mother a couple of years ago brought up pleasant childhood memories of delicious family meals.  From this book she took great care to prepare wonderful foods for our family living in Alaska.  

The gift is the latest updated version.  There are many earlier ones that she followed while we were growing up.  Like for many Americans, “The Joy” was and remains the bible for home cooking in our family.  From yeast breads, meats, vegetables to desserts, we were presented with sumptuous feasts. 

I was home this summer when the rhubarb was ripe.    Mother (now 93) and I got out to make a harvest.   From  “The Joy”, we found the rhubarb creme pie recipe we had followed when I was living at home years ago.  This served a la mode with vanilla ice cream is to die for.  Our family, now with grown siblings, and their children, all gathered around enjoying this family classic.  

I’ve been working on my own cook book that I hope to share in the near future.  It is based on favorites from my cooking courses with children over the years.  I’m hoping it will be regarded as another one to use time and again.  

Two Ways to Make Pumpkin Pie

My husband and I were recently in France visiting friends who have relocated there.  Johana, their daughter, pulled me aside and said, " Judy, let’s make pumpkin pie like we did in your cooking course." 

Soon we were trekking off to the store for the ingredients.  No tinned pumpkin or evaporated milk was available but we found beautiful fresh pumpkin cut in pieces we judged about right for a pie as well as cartons of whipping cream.  Back in the kitchen we roasted, cooled and peeled the pumpkin.  That with enough whipping cream, eggs, sugar,  and a touch of ground spices of cinnamon, cloves and ginger were soon churning in the blender.  While the pumpkin was roasting we put together the ingredients for the pastry and partially baked the pie shell.  Last we added the liquid pumpkin custard and baked.  

There were ten of us that night enjoying a small piece of pie with a dollop of more whipped cream on top.  Johana said it wasn’t fair that she ended up with such a small serving when it was her idea to make the pie.  

You too can create this lovely autumn treat the speedy way millions of American do by using tinned pumpkin and evaporated milk as both are available in many U.K. grocery stores.  The recipe is on the pumpkin tin.  So easy.  

Tips to Make the Best Ever Pumpkin Soup

What is better during these cooler autumn days than hot homemade soup?  

Since Halloween is only days away, pumpkins and squash are in abundance.  

Why not take a few minutes to make a pumpkin or butternut squash one?  Many recipes are out there.  I’ll give you a couple of tips that I’ve found make the preparation easier and the final product more tasty.  

First, to avoid feeling like all thumbs and down right clumsy with peeling either the squash or pumpkin, side step the process and roast the vegetable instead.  This is accomplished by using a large knife to cut the butternut squash in half or the pumpkin (choose a small one) in quarters.  The seeds and strings can be scraped out using a tablespoon.  

Place the prepared vegetable cut side up on a roasting tray and position in the middle of a 200C/400F oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife is easily inserted into the flesh.  I also recommend pouring a little water into the cavities before roasting to prevent drying.  Once cooked through, remove and let cool.  Peel the skin off with a paring knife and one’s fingers.  The resulting flesh is then ready to be weighed out for the amount required in your soup recipe.

For extra thickness, nutrition and a touch of sweetness, add one or two peeled carrots to the ingredients of your soup recipe.  When all the vegetables are cooked to the soft stage, turn off the heat and puree with a hand held stick blender.  Enjoy!