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!

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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.