Almond Cake A l'Orange

 Apparently, this recipe hails from Mallorca. But I picked it up from the German news magazine Der Spiegel. As per usual I did it a bit differently (the icing)

What you need

• 6 eggs
• 150g sugar granulated
• 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• icing sugar
• 200g ground almonds

Equipment

• 3 bowls
• kitchen mixer and blender with whisks
• grater
• juicer
• mug
• spring baking form
• aluminium foil
• brush
• sprinkler for icing sugar

How you do it

• preheat the oven to ca 170-180C
• assemble and grease the baking form and sprinkle ground almonds evenly on the inside. 
• put the ground almonds into a bowl. Add the cinnamon. Then using a grater grate the skin of the orange into the ground almonds. Be sure that you only grate the orange coloured - not the white - part of the skin. Mix well, best to do it manually using a whisk.
• take the eggs and separate yolk and egg white into 2 separate bowls. 
• to the egg yolk add half of the sugar (75g) and, using a blender or mixer, whisk it for ca 5min until it looks bright and is creamy
• pour the almond/orange zest/cinnamon mix into the bowl with the yolk sugar mix and manually mix well. It should have paste like consistency.
• clean the whisk of the mixer thoroughly - no egg yolk/sugar should be left on it. In the second bowl, add a pinch of salt to the egg white and whisk it for 5 min. When it starts to stiffen pour the sugar in slowly. The egg white should stiffen noticeably. You'll notice when the whisking will leave little "cones" in the egg white. 
• mix the egg white/sugar carefully into the bowl with the almond/egg yolk mix. I usually use a large spoon and carefully lift and stir so that it becomes a smooth paste.
• pour this paste into the baking form and smoothen it up on the top
• bake for 50min
• after ca 25min (when the top starts to turn brown), take the form briefly out of the oven and cover with an aluminium foil. Put it back into the oven and back for 20min. For the last 5min, remove the foil from the form.
• remove the form from the oven. Carefully separate the cake from the edge of the form with a knife.
• after a few minutes you can "open" the spring form

Icing

• juice the orange and pour into a mug
• add icing sugar to the juice while stirring (with a fork e.g.). Keep adding icing sugar until the juice/sugar mix turns into a thick-ish paste.
• slowly put the sugar/juice mix on the top of the cake and, using the brush distribute evenly over the surface
• using an icing sugar sprinkler add icing sugar on top.

Sourdough Bread

 There is one thing you need to get started with sourdough breadmaking: patience. Unlike breads using baker's yeast and or dried, instant yeast, sourdough takes a lot longer. 

What confused me for a long time was different terminologies being used to describe sourdough and at what stage what form of sourdough is to be used. From what I learnt you can divide this into 3 different types

1. liquid sourdough starter. Typically, this is the sourdough starter you build from scratch. It usually is a 50/50 mix between rye flour and water. To get a proper sourdough started you should fill 100g flour and 100 g water into a container, mix well. Then each day you should check the mixture and add a tablespoon water and a tablespoon rye flour to it. The whole mix should start to bubble between day 3 and 5. WARNING: this is the tricky part of sourdough baking and it can easily go wrong. If after 7 days it still doesn't froth, smell fruity and sour and shows bubbles, chances are it went wrong. It should certainly not smell foul. But once you have it (best done in summer when temperatures are up) then you can keep this sourdough starter for a long while. Best keep it in the fridge. And "feed" the dough 50/50 rye flour/water every 2-3 weeks. Also, I'd like to clean the container when I feed the dough.
2. solid/firm/stiff sourdough. For many breads this is the starter dough of choice. It is fairly simple to produce. I usually do this:
1. take ca 100g of the liquid sourdough
2. add 80g rye flour and 20g of water
3. mix well and knead it, so that it forms a firm/elastic dough
4. it usually pays to have a firm/stiff/solid starter sourdough ready a few days before you actually make bread. Like the liquid sourdough you can keep it in a container in the fridge. The stiff dough is good to last for 7-10 days. After that it usually dries up too much and is of less use
3. levain. This is the French expression of sourdough base. The exact composition of the levain will depend on the kind of bread you will be making. Below I will show a recipe called 'rye sourdough'. The levain is the starter dough for the *actual* bread we will be making.

I put together a little video to show you how I prepare a levain from a stiff sourdough. And the second part shows how to prepare a stiff sourdough from a liquid one.

Rye Sourdough

My way of making rye sourdough is based on a book called 'Advanced Bread and Pastry Baking'. It does not give exact measurements. Rather, it provides you with a formula to build your own recipe and quantity of bread. 

As explained above, using a stiff sourdough, you will first produce a levain (fermented sourdough). This should rest at room temperature (ca 21C) for between 12h-16h. So a good thing to do the night before.

The levain will then be the basis for the final dough, which will be processed and baked on the same day.

Ingredients

Levain

• stiff sourdough
• rye flour
• strong white wheat flour
• water

Final Dough

• levain (from above)
• rye flour 
• strong white flour
• yeast
• salt
• caraway seeds
• ascorbic acid/vitamin C powder
• water

Equipment

• mixing bowl for the levain
• kitchen scale
• a good kitchen mixer with a kneading hook
• a cast iron casserole to bake in (sometimes referred to as Dutch oven)
• a proving basket
• flour and semolina for dusting
• a good scraper
• patience and time

Formula

The following is based on producing 4 loafs. For a single household that's far too much. Therefore, you can scale the quantities down taking the stiff sourdough volume as a reference base for the levain. And likewise the levain volume as a reference base for the final dough.

Levain Volumes Calculator

• Scaling factor x = <weight of your stiff sourdough> / 293 gram

The formula then reads (measure the water in weight, not in litres/millilitres !)

• strong white bread: 348g * scaling_factor  = resulting weight for strong white flour
• rye (dark or medium): 18g * scaling_factor = resulting weight for rye flour
• water: 183g * scaling_factor = resulting weight for water 

Example:

Weight stiff sourdough = 152.9 g

Scaling factor = 152.9/293 = ca 0.52

Resulting weights:

• strong white: 348 * 0.52 = 180.9g (181g)
• rye flour: 18 * 0.52 = 9.3g (9.4g)
• water: 155 * 0.52 = 95.1g (95.2g)

Final Dough Volumes Calculator

• scaling factor x = <weight of levain>/842gram

Formula for the final dough

• strong white bread: 842g * scaling factor x(the same weight as the levain!)
• rye flour (medium): 1263g * scaling factor x
• water: 1533g * scaling factor x
• yeast (dried) 3g * scaling factor x
• salt 53g * scaling factor x

Example

Levain 428g. Scaling factor x = 428g/842g = 0.50 (0.51)

• strong white: 428g (same as levain)
• medium rye: 1263g * 0.5/0.51 = 642g
• water: 1533g * 0.5/0.51 = 781.8g 
• yeast 3g * 0.5/0.51 = 1.5g
• salt 53g * 0.5/0.51 = ca 27g

Additional: 

one tablespoon of caraway seeds and one tablespoon of ascorbic acid/vitamin C powder

How you do it

Well done you for getting that far!

Stage one: prepare the levain

Based on the formula above and the notes about the stiff sourdough, mix the levain for the quantities you calculated. The examples given above are for 2 medium sized loafs - as a guideline.

The levain should be stored at room temperature (ca 20C) and covered for between 12-16 hours.

Stage two: prepare the final dough

Based on the weight for the levain calculate the weight for the ingredients of the final dough. If you have dried yeast, it pays to prep the yeast with 2-3 tablespoons of lukewarm water with a bit of sugar for ca 10-15min before mixing it in with the rest.

• Basically, pour all the ingredients - except for the caraway seeds - into a kitchen mixer bowl. NOTE: water should be handwarm!
• insert the kneading hook for the mixer and run for 3 min at lowest speed
• after 3 min, increase speed to next higher level and let it knead for 8 more minutes
• after that add the caraway seeds to the dough and mix for another 2 min at same speed

Remove the bowl from the mixer and remove/clean the hook. Cover the bowl

Stage three: first fermentation 2 hours

Let the dough rest for 2 hours/covered. If you have a temperature regulated proving box set it to ca 21C.

Stage four: first fold

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean surface (table/board). Stretch the dough to the right & fold. Stretch the dough towards you and fold. Then stretch to the left/fold, stretch away from you and fold.

Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover it up and let rest for 30min

Stage five: final fermentation

• After 30min, remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean surface. And fold it as explained above.
• depending on the quantity of dough you may divide the dough into the number of loafs you want to bake.
• prepare the proving basket by dusting it with flour and semolina. Make sure the flour/semolina goes into the groves of the basket
• dust your hands and the dough with flour and then gently grab the dough at the bottom with both hands and spin until you get a nicely formed spherical shape (boule). Place it into the proving basket upside down. If you do an oblong shaped (baguette like) load roll the dough on the surface and then place into an oblong proving basket.
• cover the proving basket and let the dough rest for 1 1/2 hours

Stage six: baking

• preheat the oven to 250C
• prepare the ironcast/emerald casserole by rubbing oil on the inside. Then dust it evenly with flour and semolina
• prepare a spray bottle with water
• when the 1 1/2 hours final fermentation is over and the oven reached the temperature put the dough carefully from the proving basket into the casserole. Do it upside down, i.e. turn over the proving basket over the casserole pot and drop the dough gently into it.
• you can carve the top of the dough gently 
• when you place the pot with the dough into the preheated oven, take the water spray bottle and spray a good few time. You should see some steam showing. Close the oven door
• Bake for 10min at that temperature
• after 10min, open the oven door for ca 10s. Close the oven door again and reduce the temperature to 220C.
• Bake for 25min
• After that take out the pot. Put on a heat resistent surface and drop the loaf on that. Put the loaf back into the pot, but this time with the bottom of the loaf facing up
• Bake for another 7min
• Take it out of the oven.

The loaf should cool down for at least 2 hours. (It will stay warm)

Questions:

Why use yeast as well as sourdough?

Breads consisting of rye flour, particularly those that are mainly made of rye flour, don't rise that well. If you use a bread using only strong white flour, sourdough only works well. In Germany, mixed breads (wheat/rye) usually contain a mix of sourdough and yeast. 

Why use semolina for dusting?

Yes, it seems rather strange, doesn't it. But in the course I took on bread baking they said it doesn't burn as flour does. Therefore, dusting the Dutch oven (casserole/pot) with semolina ensures that you don't burn the surface of the bread (too much)

Why use a water spray?

This is essential for the first few minutes of the dough in the oven. Essentially, as the temperature in the bread rises, the germs inside start becoming more active, continue fermenting etc. Humidity helps with this, and so adding water helps this initial in-the-oven-fermentation process. The effect of this is that gas bubbles will form in the bread (CO2 - a side product of fermentation) and it pushes the dough apart increasing the volume. This is known as "the jump". 

Once it's getting too hot, the germs will be destroyed, fermentation arrested and the bread dough won't expand any further. 

Baked rice with leeks and white beans

 A dish I have taken from my favourite recipe online service: food at the New York Times! As usual I made some small adjustments to their original recipe. So here it is

What you need

• 1 lemon
• 2 cups of long grain rice (e.g. basmati)
• 3 long/larger leeks
• flakes of almonds
• 1 lemon
• white beans (2 cans - or cook them yourself)
• salt, pepper, chilli flakes
• parmesan
• flat leaf parsley 
• ca 1 litre water
• a small stock cube (vegetable or chicken)

Equipment

• roasting pan
• aluminium foil

How you do it

• preheat the oven to 200C (ca 400F)
• wash and chop the herbs
• wash, peel and cut the leeks. Cut them into ca 1cm thick disks.
• sprinkle the leeks evenly over the pan surface area
• take the juice from 1/2 lemon and sprinkle over it. Cut the rest into slices and place them evenly between the leeks
• put some chilli flakes, salt and pepper over it as well as the almond flakes
• sprinkle some olive oil over it. It would be great if I had an oil spray can to get that evenly distributed - but c'est la vie. 
• put the pan into the oven and roast it for ca 20min
• just before the end of the 20min bring the water to the boil so that it is ready when you pull out the pan from the oven
• after 20min, the almonds and leeks should have browned a little and you need to pull out the pan and place it on a heat resistant surface
• take the rice and sprinkle it evenly over the leeks/almonds
• do the same with the white beans
• grate some fresh parmesan over it
• pour the water over it. Make sure the water submerges all of your ingredients (the rice will expand)
• cover the pan with an aluminium foil and place the pan back into the oven
• bake it for ca 20-22min
• finally:
• pull out the pan and remove the foil
• add your herbs of choice and mix well under the baked rice
• put the pan back into the oven for another 10-12 min so that the rice on the surface gets a bit crispy

Once it's pulled out you may add some additional fresh herbs. I think that adding parmesan on top of the dish is worth it and adds a nice flavour.

Instead of just using water I also thought that maybe adding a glass of white wine might add a nice flavour to it. 

Basic Roast Chicken

 I find myself looking this up each time I try to do a roast chicken. So here it is: the basic roasting technique. How you flavour the chicken really depends on the kind of dish you're making. There are almost no limits. But the basic steps and cooking times should remain the same.

Roasting is relatively simple and straightforward. It is still quite involved. E.g. you probably want to have some sides (potatoes, vegetables etc) and a nice sauce. Juggling all of it can be a bit messy. 

I usually try to prepare some of the dishes separately. E.g. a potato gratin can be prepared in advance/separately and heated up. Some vegetables don't need a lot of time to cook (beans) and can be done quickly while you're doing the sauce. 

In short, it can be a logistic challenge - particularly in a small kitchen. But it is and remains a deeply satisfying dish

What you need

• a chicken (obviously)
• salt, pepper
• in Franken (Germany), chicken roasters also use paprika 
• herbs, depending on the kind of roast you're making. E.g. rosemary works well
• vegetables for the broth: I usually take an 
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 large leeks
• 1 garlic clove
• oil (e.g. olive oil)
• ca 200ml water plus additional water during roasting (see below)
• cornflour or potato flour

Stuffing

• Suggestion 1
• onion
• old bread
• flat parsley
• Suggestion 2
• onion
• apple

Equipment

• roast rack
• roasting pan
• aluminium foil
• large plate
• carving knife and fork
• a sieve
• sauce pan

How you do it

• get the chicken out of the fridge ca 1 hour before cooking.
• wash and clean the chicken thoroughly and pad dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel
• open the chicken up and salt the inside thoroughly. Add some pepper
• on the skin, rub in salt and pepper all the way around
• preheat the oven to 200C (ca 400F)
• clean, peal and cut the vegetables into chunks and add them to the roasting pan
• add oil, sprinkle salt and pepper over it and add the 200ml water. The base of the roasting pan should be covered ca 3-5mm deep

• let the chicken rest for 1 hour.
• after that take the rack and place it onto the roasting pan. (Mine just about fits). 
• place the chicken on top of the rack
• add the roasting pan with the rack and chicken to the preheated oven

How long does it take?

That depends on the weight of the bird. A rule of thumb is to use 20min per lb/pound (ca 500g) plus 20min on top.

Example: a 1.3-1.5kg chicken (ca 3 lb) will take 3x20min (ca 60min) plus 20min extra ==> 1 hour 20min

What do I need to do during roasting

• keep an eye on the bird in the oven. The skin should be crisp not burnt
• I usually add 1/2 cup of water (ca 100ml) over the bird every 20-25min or so. 
• open the oven door and move the shelf with the rack slightly out
• pour the water slowly over the bird so that most of the surface gets it
• put it all back in the oven and close the door
• Using a rack as the advantage that you don't really need to turn the chicken around. If you place it straight on top of the veggies then the bottom will get a bit soggy unless you turn it around. I would do that towards the end (i.e. the final 20min)

What about the gravy/sauce

• when the roasting is done pull the pan/rack out of the oven
• put the chicken onto a large plate and cover it with aluminium foil to keep it warm
• put the sieve over the saucepan and carefully drain the liquid from the roasting pan into the sieve
• take a spoon to press a little more liquid out of the roasted veggies
• put the saucepan on a stove and bring to a simmer
• you can now add flavours of your choice - or a good wine for cooking....

• prepare the cornstarch/potato flour by taking a tablespoon of it in a cup and mix with water. Mix it well so it doesn't form any lumps
• gradually pour the content of the starch/water mix into the sauce pan and whisk continuously. The sauce should thicken but not turn solid.

White Beans (basic)

 From Dried White Beans to Cooked Beans

What you need

• a pack of dried white beans
• a teaspoon of salt
• some dried or fresh rosemary (or marjoram)
• (garlic - optional)

Equipment

• a bowl
• a sieve
• a pot

How you do it

Hydrate the beans

• put the dried beans into a large enough bowl and cover with water. There should be at least an inch (2-3cm) water on top of the beans - as they will expand when they re-hydrate
• keep the beans in for at least 12 hours. It's an overnight's job

Cook the beans

• put the re-hydrated beans into a sieve and drain the water away
• rinse the beans thoroughly and let that water drain away
• put the rinsed/re-hydrated beans in a put. 
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and the herbs
• put in enough water so that the beans are just about covered
• put on the stove and bring to the boil
• reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beans until they're "al dente". This may take up to an hour. I would check the beans after ca 30-35min. Take one out and try to bite into it. 

The result can be used straightaway for stews, soups etc. But it's also great for the fridge or freezer. 

Ratatouille

I like Jamie Oliver's recipe on https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/classic-ratatouille/

As per usual I mix in some additional or different ingredients

What you need

• 2 mid-sized aubergines
• 2 zucchini/courgettes
• 6-8 plum tomatoes or 1-2 canned tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper
• (optional) 2 green peppers (small long ones - not the pickled ones. I sometimes find them in grocery stores. Not everybody stocks them)
• 1 leek
• olive oil ca 3 tablespoons
• salt, pepper
• paprika powder (1 tea spoon)
• thyme, oregano (fresh or dried)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• water

Equipment

• casserole pot, large
• bowl

How you do it

• prepare, i.e. clean all your veggies and peel onions, garlic cloves, carrot, leak
• cut the aubergines into cubes and the zucchini/courgettes into thin slices
• slice and cut leak, onions, peppers, garlic to have them ready
• cut the tomatoes into quarter bits
• put the olive oil in the casserole and heat up
• add the aubergines/zucchini-courgettes to the casserole pot and cook until brown
• lift the veggies out of the pot and put them into a bowl for later use
• top up the olive oil if necessary
• first add the onions and cook until the are about to turn brown. Add the carrots, and cook for a couple of minutes
• then add the peppers, garlic and leek and a teaspoon of paprika powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes
• then add the pre-cooked aubergine/courgette-zucchini and mix, stir the veggies.
• throw in the tomatoes, mix well, cook for ca 1 min.
• add a little water to the ratatouille. It shouldn't be at most half of what's in the pot (the veggies will loose a lot of water!). 
• add the dry herbs
• Cook/simmer for ca 30-40min
• season with salt & pepper

La brioche sablée

From Le Monde

• 290 g de farine de gruau (T45 ou T55)
• 145 g de beurre, froid, coupé en cubes
• 45 g de sucre
• 9 g de sel fin
• 4,7 g de levure instantanée (de préférence osmotolérante, soit une levure pâtissière qui supporte le sucre)
• 120 g d’œufs entiers, froids
• 65 g de lait entier froid.

La préparation

Mélanger la farine, le beurre, le sucre, le sel et la levure dans la cuve d’un robot. Mixer jusqu’à obtenir un mélange semblable à de la semoule très grossière. Ajouter les œufs et le lait. Mixer pour obtenir un mélange homogène. Transférer la pâte dans un récipient huilé et couvrir avec un linge, couvercle ou film alimentaire. Laisser la pâte pointer pendant 2 h 30, couverte, à 21 °C, en rabattant 5 rabats, 1 fois juste après le pétrissage puis toutes les 30 minutes. Pour donner un rabat, tirer chaque coin de la pâte et le replier sur le côté opposé. Laisser reposer 30 minutes après le dernier rabat. Bien couvrir la pâte et réfrigérer pendant 12 à 14 heures.

Graisser un moule antiadhésif de 25 cm × 10-12 cm. Diviser la pâte en deux pâtons égaux. Façonner chaque pâton en boule. Placer les boules, côte à côte et clé dessous, dans le moule.

Apprêter 3 à 4 heures à 21 °C. Pour vérifier si la pousse est terminée, appuyer délicatement sur la pâte pendant 2 secondes. La pression doit laisser un petit creux quelques secondes puis la pâte doit revenir doucement à sa forme initiale.

La cuisson

Enfourner 10 minutes à 205 °C. Baisser à 190 °C, tourner le moule et faire cuire 20 minutes supplémentaires, défourner, démouler, puis remettre la brioche au four 5 minutes. Laisser la brioche ressuer (rendre son humidité). Consommer dans les 24 heures ou congeler jusqu’à 2 mois.

Swedish Almond Cake

Another discovery from the NYT

What you need

Base

• 240g plain flour
• 200g butter melted
• 250g sugar
• 2 large eggs (or 3 medium) 
• a pinch of salt
• 160ml whole milk
• cinnamon
• vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of semolina and plain flour for dusting the baking form

Topping

• 130g butter 
• 100g sliced almonds
• 130g sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons plain flour
• 3 tablespoons whole milk

Equipment

• kitchen mixer
• 2 bowls
• spring form for the cake
• 2 sauce pans
• oven

How you do it

Timing is important for this one. So it is best to have all the ingredients ready before you put the cake in the oven. 

• for the topping put all the ingredients in one sauce pan and put on the side while preparing the cake base
• in a small pan melt the butter for the cake base. Just melt it, don't let it turn brown.
• grease the spring form and dust with flour and semolina 
• preheat the oven to ca 160C (fan) or 170C (no fan)
• in one bowl add eggs and sugar. In the 2nd bowl add the other dry ingredients: flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients
• start whisking the eggs and sugar with a mixer until creamy
• add vanilla extract and the cinnamon
• carefully pour in the melted butter and milk, Make sure the butter is not too hot (otherwise the eggs will congeal) 
• while the mixer is running add the dry ingredients slowly to avoid clumps. 
• continue mixing until it turns into a smooth, creamy paste
• pour the paste into the baking form and then into the preheated oven
• Bake for 30min only!

Next step

• while the cake base is in the oven put the sauce pan with the topping ingredients (step one above) onto the cooker on medium heat. While stirring continuously, mix the ingredients until they start to thicken. Take off the heat when that happens (the spatula or spoon needs to be able to leave "marks")
• Just before the 30min expire heat up the toppings gently.
• After 30min sharp - take the cake out of the oven and close the oven door
• carefully pour the toppings over the cake and try to spread it evenly
• put the cake back into the oven for another 15min
• After 15min turn off the oven, but let the cake in there for another 5 min or so.
• Take the cake out of the oven

Let the cake cool down for ca 10min. With a knife start to separate the cake very carefully from the pan sides. Don't open the spring (pan sides) too soon. Let it cool down for another 30min or so until it settled.  

Pasta Alla Gin

This was meant to be Pasta Alla Vodka from the NYT. Alas, I didn't have any vodka. but I had some remaining gin in the house. So here it is

What you need

• penne pasta
• salt, pepper
• 1 medium slices onion
• 1 carrot
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of paprika powder
• chilli flakes 1 teaspoon
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• can of tomatoes
• 180ml gin (or vodka)
• oregano and parsley - both fresh if possible
• small pot of (double) cream

Equipment

• sauté pan
• pasta pot

How you do it

• peel & chop the onion and garlic
• peel and slice the carrot
• chop the parsley 
• put the olive oil in the sauté pan and heat up until very hot 
• add the onions first and stir for 3-5min. They should get slightly brown
• add the garlic and carrot slices with the paprika powder and chilli flakes. Stir for another 1-2 min
• add the gin. It'll bubble vigorously. Let it cook and bind for 2-3 min to reduce the sauce a bit
• add the tomatoes with their juice. Fill the can with ca 1/3 water and add it to the sauce. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for ca 10min. 
• add the (double) cream. Heat up until it bubbles then cook for another 5-8 min. The sauce should thicken. 
• Add the chopped parsley/oregano and cook for another 1-2 min. Season with salt and pepper

Pasta and caramelised onions

What you need

• half a pack of spaghetti
• can of tomatoes 
• 2 onions (or shallots)
• 1 carrot 
• garlic clove (but can do without)
• anchovies 
• 50ml gin
• paprika powder - 1 teaspoon
• fresh parsley
• oregano
• 50ml olive oil
• salt, pepper

Equipment

• pot for the pasta
• cast iron pot for the sauce

How you do it

Start with the sauce

• peel and cut the onions 
• slice the carrot
• cut the bundle of parsley into small slices
• pour the olive oil into the cast iron pot and heat up
• put the onions in and cook for 15min on medium heat (they mustn't burn). Stir frequently
• half way through put the carrots in
• drain the anchovies and add to the sauce with the paprika powder. stir for ca 3 min
• add the gin. Cook for ca 3-4 min
• add the tomatoes and oregano 
• add salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the anchovies it may not need that much salt
• cook until the sauce gets a bit thicker, then add the parsley and cook for another 1 min or so
• Take the pot off the cooker

• Fill the pasta pot with water and heat up. When it boils add the salt
• add the spaghetti. Make sure you cook them only as long as recommended on the package (typically 7-9 min). If a range is given take the lowest value
• save ca 50ml of the pasta water and drain the pasta

• put the cast iron pot with the sauce back on the cooker and heat up. 
• when bubbles start to form add the drained pasta and add a little of the saved pasta water to it
• mix and stir for ca 2-3 min

Ready

Celeriac Steak

Based (loosely) on https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/nov/11/thomasina-miers-celeriac-steaks-sherry-lardons-capers-recipe

What you need

• 1 celeriac root
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves
• parsley (fresh)
• handful of pitted green olives
• 1-2 tablespoons of capers
• handful of raisins
• 2 teaspoons honey
• salt, pepper
• double cream (1 tablespoon)
• 150ml sherry, 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• slice of bread (i am not fussy which bread neither if it's stale or fresh)
• 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Equipment

• 1 pot (for cooking the celeriac)
• 1 or better 2 frying pans (as you will see below)

How you do it

• fill the pot with water and put a tablespoon of salt in it. Heat to boil
• in the meantime, peel the celeriac and slice the peeled root into ca 10mm thick slices
• put the peeled celeriac slices into the boiling water and cook at low heat for 10-15min. Ideally, the slices should be "al dente" at the end. You can test it by piercing the slices with a knife. If it goes through like butter the slices are ready
• keep 1 cup of the cooking water and pour away the rest of the water. Put the celeriac slices on a board to cool
• Peel and cut the onion, garlic and carrots. Cut the olives into slices. Wash and cut the parsley (fine). 
• Cut the bread slice into little cubes
• in the sauté/frying pan pour in half of the oil and heat it up. Put the onions into the hot pan and cook at medium heat for ca 10min. Stir frequently to avoid the onions from getting burned.
• Increase head and add sliced garlic and carrots, mix with onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes
• Add the sliced olives, capers, parsley and raisins. Stir and cook for ca 2 min
• Pour in the sherry, cooking water and sherry vinegar. Heat up until it boils. Keep it cooking for ca 5 min.
• The cooking water should have enough salt, but add to your liking. Grind in pepper.
• Add the cream and the honey. Stir well and cook for another 5 min. The sauce should be reduced by now.

• If you are using the same pan for frying the celeriac/bread cubes then removed the sauce in a little sauciere (or small pot). Wipe the frying pan clean (of course after it cooled down a bit). Put it back on the cooker. 

• Put the rest of the oil into the frying pan and heat up.
• When the oil/pan are hot place the celeriac slices. Don't stack them up. Put just enough in the pan to cover the surface area.
• Fry for up to 5min - while checking to ensure the bottom side doesn't burn. 
• Turn the slices around and repeat until the slices are slightly brown.
• I put the bread cubes in with the celeriac steaks to fry them at the same time. Works well.

• Once fried place a couple of slices and bread cubes on a plate. Slightly pour over the sauce.
• Voila 

Banana Bread

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bananabread_85720

What you need

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• vanilla extract
• 85mL yoghurt (or buttermilk)
• 110g butter
• 225g caster sugar
• 285g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
• (a bit of salt)

Equipment

• baking form
• sieve
• kitchen mixer
• 2 bowls

How you do it

• preheat the oven to 180C (160-170C with fan)
• put butter and sugar into one bowl and mix until creamy. It helps if the butter is soft or molten
• in the second bowl add the flour using a sieve, add the vanilla extract and the bicarbonate soda
• pour the content into the first bowl. Mash the bananas, add to the flour/butter/sugar mix. Then add the eggs and yoghurt
• Mix until creamy
• grease the baking form and pour the baking mix into the form
• put in the oven for ca 60min

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

What you need

• butternut squash
• 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, if it comes with leaves the better
• medium sized onion
• pepper
• 1 chilli 
• 1 garlic clove
• tablespoon cumin seeds, paprika powder
• 1 bay leave
• rosemary twigs
• 1L vegetable stock
• 2 medium sized potatoes
• 2 table spoons olive oil

Equipment

• chopping board and knives
• large soup pot

How you do it

• cut the butternut squash in quarters (or eights) and remove the skin. Then cut it into cubes/triangles (depending on how you cut)
• peel carrot and cut into small pieces. Wash/cut celery include the leaves if you have them
• peel and cut the onions, chilli and garlic into small bits
• put the olive oil in the pot and heat up. When hot add
• chilli, pepper, onion and garlic, rosemary, paprika, bay leave and cumin seeds
• stir for ca 1min
• add the carrots, celery and butternut squash bits and mix until everything is covered.
• peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Add to the pot
• Stir for ca 2min until everything is covered and nicely mixed
• add the stock so that all of the veggies well immersed
• bring to the boil and cook for 45min at slow heat
• cool down
• use a blender to mash it all up and get you a nice thick soup
• add salt/pepper to taste

Chorizo and Baked Eggs

Based on https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/aug/26/thomasina-miers-recipe-piperade-baked-eggs-chorizo

What you need

• 5 tomatoes
• 1 green, 1 red pepper
• 5 eggs
• 1 garlic, 1 red onion
• 1 carrot, 1 piece of celery
• 1 ring of chorizo
• salt, pepper
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 table spoon fennel seeds and paprika powder
• 2 tbsp or rice wine or sherry

Equipment

A skillet will do. and an extra bowl

How you do it

• peel & cut/slice onion, garlic, carrot 
• wash and slice/cut peppers and celery. Quarter the tomatoes.
• put 3 table spoons of olive oil in the skillet
• peel and slice the chorizo. Heat the skillet and add the chorizo slices. Cook for a few minutes, ca 5min, until the slices start becoming crispy
• take the chorizo slices out, but keep the oil (or most of it) in the skillet
• add the onions to the skillet and cook until they start turning brown
• add the carrots and celery bits and cook for a few minutes (2-3)
• add the garlic, fennel seeds and paprika. mix/stir and cook for a few more minutes (2-3)
• add the pepper and tomato pieces. Mix and pour in the rice wine/sherry. Cook for 20 - 25 min until the tomatoes getting soft and mushy. 
• finally, I add the chorizo slices back in. Mix it all
• make 5 indents and pour in the eggs into each one of them. 
• Cook until the egg whites are set

Thomasina Miers recommends to serve it with sourdough bread.

Courgette Salad

This is a recipe I picked on from a French podcast (France Inter) called 'on va déguster'

What you need

• 2 large courgettes (or zucchini as they are called on some countries)
• 1 large red onion
• ca 80g pine kernels
• picked lemons or simply a dried fruit mix. Ca a handful
• salt pepper
• the juice from one lemon
• fresh ginger, ca thickness of a thumb
• 80-100ml olive oil

Equipment

• pan - or oven safe dish
• 2 bowls
• kitchen blender

How you do it

• peel the red onion and cut it into small pieces. Put into the bowl
• cut off the end of the courgettes and wash them. Cut into thin slices. A grater might help. Put into bowl. Add the dried fruit mix (or pickled lemons)
• heat up the pan. Pan should be dry (no water, oil etc). When hot put the pine kernels in. Stir and fry until they start to turn slightly brown. Take off the heat and let cool down.
• the podcast recommends to roast them in the oven. In this case, use an oven safe dish. Heat the oven up to 180C put the kernels into the dish and roast for ca 10min. Remove and let cool down a bit.
• In the 2nd bowl pour the juice from 1 lemon and the olive oil. 
• peel and cut the ginger into small pieces. Add to the bowl containing the lemon juice/olive oil
• With a handheld blender go into the lemon juice/ginger/oil mix and blend the ingredients until it is a smooth liquid. 
• pour the juice/oil/ginger blend over the courgette mix
• add the roasted pine kernels and add some salt and freshly ground pepper.
• stir the whole mix so that everything is nicely covered in the juice mix
• cover and put in the fridge for a couple of hours

Basic Meringue

Not sure what to do with the left-over egg whites? Look no further.
https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/basic-meringue/

What you need

• the whites from at least 3 eggs. In my first attempt I had 6 egg whites left over
• caster sugar 175g for 3 egg whites. I took 200g for 6 egg whites
• a spoon of vanilla essence
• some chocolate powder for sprinkling

Equipment

• baking/grease proof paper
• baking tray
• mixer

How you do it

• preheat the oven to ca 120C fan or 140C normal
• pour the egg whites into the bowl and start whisking
• while the mixer is beating the egg whites add the caster sugar one teaspoon at a time, so it doesn't form any clumps
• once you got the sugar in add a teaspoon of vanilla essence
• keep whisking until it starts getting thick and creamy (and very white)
• put the baking paper on the tray. and with 2 tablespoons get the egg white out of the bowl and put it onto the baking paper. You can try to shape them if you wish. I just got some blobs onto the paper. 
• Make sure you leave room between the blobs.
• put into the preheated oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Actually, it's not really baking at that temp rather it's dehydrating the egg white.
• Once the time is up. I leave the tray in the oven and let it cool down naturally. You might want to sprinkle some chocolate over the meringue.

Pickled Gherkins

From https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/dill-pickled-cucumbers

What you need

• small/baby cucumbers, ca 1kg
• rock salt - ca 85g
• black peppercorns - 1 tablespoon
• mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
• 2 bay leaves 
• coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
• sugar - 100g
• 700ml - 1l vinegar (>= 6%, e.g. white wine vinegar)
• 10 cloves
• dill
• chili flakes - 1 tablespoon

Equipment

• sealable jar - e.g. Kilner click top jars 2l
• saucepan
• large bowl

How you do it

The night before

• wash and slice the cucumbers and put the slices in a large bowl. 
• mix with rock salt (or layer with rock salt)
• leave overnight

On the day

• drain the brine from the bowl and rinse the cucumber slices
• clean, wash and dry the jar(s) thoroughly
• wash the dill sprigs
• add the cucumber slices to the dry/clean jar(s)
• put the seeds and peppercorns in the saucepan and roast them gently. When you start smelling the spices add the chilli flakes and bay leaves
• then add the vinegar and sugar
• bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves
• pour the hot content into the jar. 
• Make sure the pickle covers all of the cucumber - but also leave a 2cm gap at the top
• seal the jar
• let it rest for 2 weeks

Poppy Seed Roll - Makowiec

A recipe taken/tried from https://polishhousewife.com/makowiec-polish-poppy-seed-roll/

What you need

Total

• 3 eggs
• 70g butter (unsalted)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 120g sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• almond extract
• 50g raisins or dried fruit mix
• 250g poppy seeds
• 500g plain white flour
• flaked almonds
• water
• 300g whole milk
• 14g yeast

For the Dough

• 500g plain white flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 250g milk
• 14g yeast
• 50g butter (unsalted)
• 15g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling

• 250g poppy seeds
• 50g raisins
• 2 egg whites
• almond extract
• almond flakes
• 20g butter
• 100g sugar

For the glazing

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 250g icing sugar
• 60g milk

Equipment

• dough mixer
• blender
• sauce pan (small)
• oven
• bowls and cups
• a clean kitchen towel
• grease proof paper
• rolling pin
• brush

How you do it

Prepare poppy seeds overnight

• pour the poppy seeds into a bowl. Bring enough water to the boil to cover all of the poppy seeds
• cover the bowl and let it rest over night

Prepare the dough

• in a sauce pan heat the milk until it is warm (do not boil)
• in the kitchen mixer bowl pour in the milk. Add the yeast, sugar (15g) and egg yolks and whisk by hand to mix it well. Let it rest for 5 min.
• then add the rest of the dough ingredients, i.e. 500g flour, 50g butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp salt
• put the kitchen mixer on lowest setting for a minute or two, then increase to second lowest setting for another 3-4 min
• remove the bowl from the mixer, cover it and let it rest for ca 2 hours

Prepare the filling

• wet a clean kitchen towel and place it into another empty bowl, so that it covers all of the bowl
• pour the poppy seeds/water from the overnight bowl into the bowl covered with the towel
• lift the towel with the content out of the bowl and wring it. A brownish liquid should drip out
• wring it a few times until almost no liquid comes out any more
• clean the 'overnight' bowl so that it's dry and empty
• pour the 'dried' poppy seeds from the towel into the 'overnight' bowl

Now to mixing in the ingredients

• add the 2 egg whites, the almond essence, butter, honey and sugar
• with a handheld kitchen blender turn it carefully into a paste
• put in the raisins and almond flakes and mix with a large spoon so that it's evenly distributed in the filling

Prepare the glazing 

• in a cup put in the egg and oil and whisk until well mixed

Getting it ready for baking

• preheat the oven to 170-180 C (350F)
• spread out some greaseproof/baking paper (that fits in the oven)
• split the dough into 2
• for each dough:
• roll each dough out to a rectangle
• spread the filling onto each dough rectangle evenly
• starting on one of the long sides of the dough with the filling, roll it gently to form a log
• place the grease proof paper with the 2 dough logs on a tray and cover both with a clean towel. Let it rest for ca 40min
• remove the towel and brush the logs with the egg/oil mix. The put into the oven for ca 35min

Icing

• remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool down for a bit
• mix the 250g icing sugar with some preheated 60g milk (warm, not hot) and mix well. it should turn into a smooth paste with no lumps
• gently pour/brush the icing over the logs

French Apple Tart

Taken from https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/sep/19/how-to-cook-the-perfect-french-apple-tart-recipe

Although in principle quite simple, this is a 4 step process, consisting of

1. preparing the dough
2. preparing the frangipane
3. preparing some kind of apple mousse
4. glazing it with jam (apricot or quince)

What you need

• 10 medium sized apples, 4 for the apple mousse and 5-6 for the topping
• 60g icing sugar
• 2 table spoons caster sugar
• pinch of salt (or salted butter)
• 250g butter
• 2 eggs
• 3 table spoons apricot or quince jam
• 250g plain flour
• almond essence
• 115g ground almonds
• 3 table spoons brandy or rum
• vanilla extract
• 1 table spoon cornflour
• 1-2 table spoons cold water

Equipment

• round baking form. I have a quiche form which works fine for this
• mixer using a flat beater and a bowl to mix it in
• blender
• sauce pan
• small pot to beat eggs in
• small pot to store the dough
• small pot to store frangipane in
• greaseproof paper
• fork
• rolling pin
• brush

How you do it

1 Dough

Start with the dough

• Ingredients are
• flour 250g
• 1 egg
• 2 table spoons caster sugar
• 1-2 table spoons cold water
• 125g butter (half the butter)
• put the flour, butter and sugar in the bowl. The butter should be soft and cut into little chunks
• start the mixer with flat beater on lower speed to mix all ingredients well (KitchenAid speed 2)
• beat the egg and add to the mix
• add 1 tbsp of water - 1 more if really needed.
• mixing is finished when the dough is smooth and the flat beater has picked up all ingredients in the bowl
• put the dough in a small pot and store in the fridge for ca 30 min

Clean the steel bowl and flat beater - you'll need them for the frangipane later.

2 Apple Mousse

• Ingredients
• 60g butter
• 75g water
• 4 apples peeled and core removed
• vanilla extract
• peel the apples, remove the core and cut into little chunks
• heat a sauce pan with the butter and water - add apples and vanilla extract to it
• cook until the apples become soft
• take off the cooker and let it cool down a bit.
• then take a blender and blend it into a smooth paste.
• let it cool down

3 Frangipane 

• Ingredients
• 65 g butter (the rest)
• 60 icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 115g almond flour
• 2 drops of almond essence
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2-3 tbsp of rum/brandy
• put the butter and icing sugar in the bowl and the almond essence. Start mixed on slow speed until all is well mixed
• add the egg and keep it running until well mixed
• then add all other ingredients
• keep the mixer running until you got a smooth paste
• remove from the bowl/beater and store away in a small pot

4 Back to the dough

• take the dough out of the fridge
• prepare some grease proof paper, sprinkle a bit of flour on it and roll out the dough so that it fits  into the baking form. There should be enough dough so that the dough covers the bottom and the edge of the form
• grease the form. I usually sprinkle a bit of semolina onto it to ease with getting slices out
• put the dough in - covering all the form including edges
• take a fork and gently pierce the dough bottom
• put the form with the dough back into the fridge for 30min

5 All of it together

• remove the core from the remaining apples. I usually keep the skin
• preheat the oven to 200C or gas 6
• take the dough form out of the fridge
• with a flat ladle/spoon gently spread the frangipane over the bottom of the form
• then on top of the frangipane spread the apple mousse
• cut the apples (no core) into little slices and - starting from the edge of the form - lay them in a spiral manner so that all of the form/filling is covered
• put the form into the oven and bake for 30 min. It should be golden brown by the end
• remove the tart from the oven

6 The Glazing

• in a sauce pan (yep - another one) heat up the jam until liquid
• with a brush spread the liquid jam over the tart. I find this quite a delicate process as you don't want to brush too vigorously (it may dislodge the apple slices)
• let it cool down

Et voila 

Home Made Gnudi

Taken from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/27/how-to-make-the-perfect-gnudi-recipe

What you need

• 500g ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• yolk from 1 egg
• 50/75g parmesan freshly grated
• pinch of salt
• ground nutmeg, fresh
• semolina - lots (for covering)

Equipment

• sieve
• mixing bowl
• bowl for semolina
• grease free sheets for cover
• dish for the gnudi's
• pot for cooking the gnudi's

How you do it

• put the ricotta cheese into a sieve and let it drain for 30-45min
• put the ricotta in a mixing bowl. Add the grated parmesan, egg, egg-yolk, nutmeg and salt
• mix thoroughly
• put a generous amount of semolina in the other bowl and cover the bottom of the dish with it
• one by one do the following
• scoop out a small amount of the cheese mix and roll in your hand. should be roughly the size of a walnut
• dip and roll the ricotta ball in the semolina bowl until all sides are covered
• place in the dish
• when the bottom of the dish is full, cover it with grease free paper and add the semolina covered ricotta balls onto that. And when I say add semolina - i mean 'carpet-bomb' the lot with it. The more it is covered, the better - so it draws moisture out.
• when done, cover the dish and put in the fridge for 3 days

Cooking 

• fill a pot of water and bring to the boil. Add a generous amount of salt
• when boiling add the gnudi's one by one into the hot water, shaking off any excess semolina first
• keep the heat on a low simmer
• the dumplings will float to the top when ready