Britain in our Kitchen Unplugged {Pancake Day Special}

Project_Goddess mentioned on her blog of a food bloggers challenge which is going on at the moment, called Food Bloggers Unplugged. The aim is to learn a little more about the foodies we follow on Twitter or read about on their blogs. My blog, and especially this blog, is not a 'food blog', but this is such a big part of my life now because of our Britain in our Kitchen challenge that I thought it would be good to enter - on pancake day . As I am finding it increasingly hard to cope with two blogs this is where my entry is!

Picture from the Good Housewife's Encyclopedia, 1963 

What, or who inspired you to start a blog?

It is actually a film - but I suppose blogging related - Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Thinking about it now, it is quite funny that it is a food related film. 

Who is your foodie inspiration?

Mamy (yes the one and only, my Grandma for those who missed the Christmas knitting adventure) - for the full fat contents, the fact that the concept of being vegetarian escaped her totally ('but surely rabbit is OK') and the fact that she would wake up at 5am just to to cook, I mean hello that is serious commitment to cooking. I find it hard to relate to chefs if I am honest, I love eating their food but for the home... not really. My other Grandma made some amazing cakes, pancakes and the best ever ever macaroni cheese. She was a good cook, but less interested in the enjoyment of food I suppose. 

Your greasiest, batter-splattered food/drink book is?

Marmiton for the French recipe and BBC Good Food for the British ones. I am also starting to have some vintage cooking books (I really want the Julia Childs one of course)... And I think the one I bought over the weekend, the Good HouseKeeping's Cookery Compedium first published 1952. For the Britain in our Kitchen challenge it is brilliant because it does everything from scratch with mostly British ingredients - nothing fancy, just very good basics. 

The latest book on my selves

Also our friends prepared as a surprise wedding present a cooking book with their favourite recipes. The first one being secret pancake recipe. 

Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

I think it would have to be either in Thailand during our honeymoon - grilled squid or a Green curry from a small bar/restaurant on the beach - or in Morocco - we were invited (not sure how we manage to gate crash that event) to an event in a riad and they had some wonderful canapes influenced by French and Morrocan cuisine. Oh, also when I worked in Vietman, I was invited to one of my colleagues' home - delicious Vietnamese food.

Another food blogger’s table you’d like to eat at is?

I would love to eat with someone at the smitten kitchen. 

What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

I am not sure that the problem is really money - but space, I would love a combi oven. Oh and I need a pressure cooker as well. 

Who taught you how to cook?

Surprise, surprise my Grandma. She brought me up so that was bound to happen really. I suppose Mum also helped me with the basics - then you sort of learn along the way. 

I’m coming to you for dinner. What’s your signature dish?

I do a mean fish pie, but at the moment it is probably the pearl barley leek and bacon risotto - because it is usually unexpected. I suppose if it was tonight, it would be pancakes though (Grandma no2 secret pancake recipe). 

What is your guilty food pleasure?

Cheese - all of them. I am terrible. I am sure I could live on cheese, actually I should have done that challenge - one year eating cheese.

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

That is quite tough... ok here it is. I have no Jamie Oliver book, not one. I really liked him, but there is so much Jamie Oliver a girl can take. 

If you fancy having a go at answering the questions, do so on your blog and link in the comments below. I'd love to see your answers.

Resolution

M and I did not make many resolutions this year - I think M made none except the one I will be talking about, and mine are always the same: buy less yarn (failed already), buy less in general (failed as well)... So none of great consequence. But we agreed on one thing - that we will eat 100% British food (and drinks) at home. And what it really means is that we have to cook a lot from scratch (to ensure that it is British flour, British butter etc). We have a couple of exceptions - condiments (we found salt but not pepper yet) to spice up our dishes and products in which the main ingredient (at 95% for instance) is known to be British (e.g. some brands of crisps). We are also still using some of the ingredients bought in 2011 that we have left - cannot bring myself to throw away food!

Black pepper and linen seeds Water Crackers

The good thing is that I did not have to stop having cheese! We are tasting all sorts of cheese at home - never had so many in my fridge. But there was the question of water crackers - we had to find a solution. A little googling and testing later we think we have the recipe for homemade water crackers - the original recipe is available here.

Ingredients

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g butter , cold, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp of table salt
flaky sea salt (to garnish, not to add in the dough)
We are using the pasta maker to make the crackers super thin (on setting 6 if you have one) - using that technique you can probably make around 40

Cumin seeds version

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place the flour, baking powder, butter and ½ tsp of the table salt in your food processor, then whizz for a minute until the butter is completely mixed with the flour. Add some water and work until the dough comes together. You want a soft but not sticky dough.

2. Roll out the dough very thin, or use the pasta maker to make thin sheets.

3. Brush a little water over the surface of the dough, scatter 1 tsp salt flakes over and press in lightly. You can also add pepper or linen seeds (British). Prick the crackers all over with a fork, then cut into squares. Place on the prepared trays - don't worry if they stretch a bit. Bake for 10-15 mins until the biscuits feel dry and sandy but are still pale - they may should be a bit hard.

4. Transfer to a wire rack and leave until completely cool. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


So here we are, these two batches should keep us going for .. a maximum of two days. We made some over the past weekend - but they were not thin enough.I am just glad the pasta maker multi-tasks!

So more to come on our cooking adventure - we have nearly finalised the mushroom soup recipe, and the pasta one as well (hence the fact we have a pasta maker!), and we may also review some of the products we find along the way.

The adventures may become a separate blog altogether - we just have had no time to actually set it up, but I will keep updates on this blog as well.

Lemon Pudding recipe from the Stylist - tested

Every Wednesday morning I get the Stylist Magazine - a free fashion and lifestyle magazine available in London. And I saw the Lemon delicious pudding recipe - and more importantly the picture, and I knew I had to make it. Pictures are really important guys - I don't actually buy cooking books without picture, as I don't like not being able to see what I am supposed to make - I am weird, I know. Anyway, the recipe is worthy of a post because it is indeed delicious and very simple - and according to M one of my best cooking efforts.

However I changed the recipe a bit. I wanted it to be a bit more lemoney so I added a lemon glaze, and I did not have any cream of tartar (and could not be bothered to go out and buy some) and replace it by bicarbonate of sodium (did some research on what it was supposed to be like). So the recipe is the original and you will see what I added.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
225g golden caster sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons (I used 3) + 3 more for the lemon glaze
4 large free range eggs, separated
50g self-raising flour
225ml whole milk
Half level teaspoon cream of tartar (I used bicabornate of sodium)
Icing sugar, for sprinkling and for lemon glaze

How can I make it?

1) Heat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4 and place a roasting tin half-filled with water on the centre shelf to warm up.

2) Butter a 1.5-1.75 litre soufflé or other ovenproof dish. (I made individual cakes in some muffin tray I had)

3) Whisk the butter in a large bowl until soft, add the sugar and whisk until fluffy. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice, followed by the grated lemon zest and egg yolks. Sift the flour into the mixture and stir it in with a metal spoon, then gradually stir in the milk. Stir thoroughly until very smooth. (Bring on the Kitchen Aid)

4) In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar using an electric hand mixer until they stand in soft peaks. Then, using the metal spoon, fold them gently into the pudding mixture, a quarter at a time.

5) Pour the mixture (looks like a pancake mixture - apparently it is supposed to) into the soufflé dish and stand it in the roasting tin of water in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or slightly less, in a fan oven, until risen and golden brown on top.

6) Make a lemon glaze (mising lemon juice and icing sugar) and pour on top of the cooled-down cake.


Serve hot or cold (they are suprisingly nice cold), with a little icing sugar sifted over the top if you like (Xmas effect).

So we have nearly eaten all of them over the weekend... and I may have to make a new batch - or find a new recipe... As always guys would be great to know if you got inspired and made it!

La tarte a M'man

Attention, attention! This is officially serious cooking. I decided to tackle my Mum's recipes and one of her favourites - or at least I remember distinctively eating a lot of it when I was younger (and not really liking it, then). Here is her TARTE A LA MOUTARDE (or Mustard Tart) - which is in fact more a mustard and tomato tart.

So I mentioned - in passing - that I did not really like it... So why, oh why making one? Well Mum used to go a bit heavy on the mustard, and I thought I could improve on this... Less mustard, first and some mozzarella on top second to soften the taste a bit.. So here is the revisited recipe.

You are going to need:

- Puff pastry (but you can try with shortcrust as well) - I buy puff pastry, cannot bring myself to make it.

- 5/6 big tomatoes, thickly sliced

- Mustard (of course)

- Mozzarella (optional)

- Olive oil and herbs.

How do you do it??

1) Blind bake your puff pastry to avoid the base to go all soggy (not a good look guys!)

2) Mustard up the base of the tart - how much you want to put is up to you, I personally spread it quite finely..

3) Arrange (nicely) the tomato slices

4) Add some mozzarella on top (or in slices in between some tomato slices)

5) Add some herbs (Herbes de Provence will do) and olive oil on top. Et voila!

6) And in the oven - 200 degrees, for about 15 minutes (I think, was watching the Xfactor so did not pay a lot of attention).

Easy cooking for everyone... and you get to watch the Xfactor as well. What else do you want? Hope you all had a great weekend, and having a Happy Monday!

Let me know if you try to recipe...

Recipe for the weekend - DIY Cake Pops

Hiya guys! It is Friday - Hourray!! But wait I want to talk about cooking today - not a typical topic of mine. and there is a good reason for it, not because I am not a good cook - but just because I never really have the time to make elaborate dishes during the week. But, during the weekend, well let me tell you, I am all for trying something new. And I have been dying to know and try to do these little cakes since the last wedding we went to. At the time, I had to stop myself from eating them all! Really, they are that good.

The bride is now back and I got the recipe - available at Rhubarb and Rose (I also LOVE the blog). And now that I have seen the recipe I just cannot wait to make some over the weekend. I probably tweet about them ( follow me @NoasLibellule) over the weekend.

Aren't they the cutest thing ever? OK, there is a certain amount of pinkiness (not really me) and wedding theme going on here, but I am sure I can adapt the theme to 'date night' for instance (with my travelling, we have not managed a date night this week).

So guys, what will you cook this weekend? Anything special? It is a bit hard with the weather, I thought we were entering the soup season, and it looks like salads are back on the menu! Hope you have a good weekend whether you are, and whatever you are doing!