Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

For those of you who are wondering if it will ever warm up (still freezing here in Kentucky), and who haven't sworn off alcohol for Lent, here's a little something to keep you going.

1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup soft vanilla ice cream
rum
boiling water

Beat together the butter, sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat in the softened ice cream. Pour into a Tupperware or similar container and freeze.

To serve, put 1/3 cup of ice cream in a mug, add 1 jigger of rum and 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir well.

That should warm you up in the evening.

Salty snacks are the topic this week.

#1. Potato chips. Flavored? Regular, ridged or stacked?

I rarely buy potato chips because I have to eat the whole pack once they're opened. Ridges - great. Stacked - love 'em. Flavored - bring it on. Spicy, cheesy, salty, whatever. It's for my own good that I avoid them when possible.

#2. Cheese doodles. Yellow or white? Puffed or crunchy?

I used to love Wotsits when I was younger. Now I look at Cheetos and just know my fingers will go orange. That's usually enough for me to avoid them. They don't have the same satisfying crunch as say a Dorito.

#3. Pretzels? Your favorite shape? Favorite flavor?

Not a big fan of pretzels at all (unless you're talking those lovely soft, doughy warm ones you buy at the mall).

#4. Share a recipe for salsa or dip.

I love making fresh salsa in the summer when I have lots of tomatoes and fresh chillies. If I don't have any fresh tomatoes handy, this recipe uses canned....

4 cans Mexican Style Tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 sweet banana peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
2 habanero peppers
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
15 sprigs fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients except the tomatoes in food processor, add enough
tomatoes to make it blend well. Chop it up fine. Pour it all in a large
Tupperware container. Add the rest of the tomatoes, after mashing them
up by hand to get the desired consistency. Stir well and store in the fridge.

While people here in the US celebrate Mardi Gras, in Britain it's the much more sedate Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday. I wonder if they still run the ads for JIF Lemon. "Don't forget the pancakes on JIF Lemon Day." This means pancake races, pancake tossing, and lots of lemon juice and sugar.

Unlike American style pancakes, the ones we eat on Pancake Day are crepes, and traditionally they are eaten with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar, or perhaps a bit of jam or Golden Syrup if you're adventurous!

Crepes are actually pretty easy to make and it's up to you if you attempt to toss them or not.

You will need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs butter, melted

Whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter into the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn or toss and cook the other side.

If you're interested in learning more about pancake races, click here.

And on a semi-unrelated note, while I was looking for a photo of some pancakes, I came across this:


There have nothing to do with Pancake Day but they are a fond memory from my childhood: Crispy Pancakes. Breaded pancakes filled with various savory goodness that you then fried or baked in the oven. My sister was partial to the cheese ones while I liked the smoked ham or chicken curry ones. Fond memories....

Enjoy your pancakes!

This year for Valentine's Day, I cooked herb crusted lamb. Easy and delicious.

I used blade lamb chops but you could do this with any cut of lamb. Crush 7 garlic cloves and mix with some sage, rosemary, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Rub the mix into the lamb and cook in the oven (325 degrees) for about 1 1/2 hours. I also threw the potatoes in the same dish to marinate in the herb oil.

The menu is set, the food has been bought, now all I have to do is make it!

I'm going for a simplified Valentine's meal tomorrow: herb crusted lamb followed by a chocolate peanut butter pie. Less fancy than some years, but good nevertheless. Pics and recipes will be posted afterwards and hopefully we'll also be celebrating the arrival of a new niece.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Here's a dessert idea for your Valentine's Day feast:

Coffee Liqueur Mousse

4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup cognac
1 cup water
1 cup whipping cream

In a blender or with electric beater, blend together egg yolks, maple syrup and water. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add coffee liqueur and cognac. Chill.
Beat cream and egg whites until soft peaks form.
Carefully fold into chilled liqueur mixture.
Spoon into demitasse glasses, and chill 2 hours.

Questions for this week are below. Remember to head over to Fun, Crafts, and Recipes to read other answers.

#1. Are your Kitchen utensils nylon, silicone, wood or other?

A mix. I have a lot of wood (bamboo) utensils. Glass and metal bowls. Some nylon utensils.

#2. Do you prefer dishes washed in a dishwasher or by hand?

Dishwasher. I hate washing dishes and the dishwasher can get the water hot enough to properly clean and sterilize them.

#3. How many sets of dishes do you have?

One full set of everything with 6 settings (square, black - very Asian inspired).
One pink set of everything for 2 people (again very Asian inspired).
One everyday set of bowls and plates for 4 people.
Plus the fun stuff: some plastic Hawaiian style plates and the Christmas dishes.

#4. Share a recipe that calls for only one pot or pan.

Soups and chillies are always good. Here's a recipe a friend sent that I haven't tried yet.

CURRIED POTATO SOUP

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 cups water or vegetable broth
4 1/2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cumin and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until onions soften and ingredients are fragrant. Add water or broth, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, cinnamon, and turmeric. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Add green beans, cardamom, curry powder, and salt. Simmer covered for another 5 minutes or until beans are tender. Serve garnished with scallions.

Serves 6 to 8.

Continuing our Valentine's theme this week, here's a delicious non-alcoholic beverage for lovers everywhere, courtesy of Patricia Telesco.

2 cups apple juice
2 cups apricot nectar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 cups ginger ale
6 raspberries
6 strawberries
2 orange slices
2 small slices lemon peel

Mix the apple juice, apricot nectar, vanilla, ginger and cinnamon. Slowly add the ginger ale. Mix very gently so you don't lose the carbonation. Pour into large glasses. Add 3 raspberries, 3 strawberries, 1 orange slice and 1 lemon peel slice to each glass.

Valentine's Day is this Saturday and, if you're like me, you'd rather cook a special meal at home than deal with overpriced, crowded restaurants. I am busily thinking up what delights I will make for us this year, and wanted to share with you an old Valentine's favorite that I may or may not make this year.



If I haven't mentioned this book before, The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook is one of my absolute favorite cookbooks. I first bought it many moons ago for my sister and then went back to get a copy for myself. It is filled with wonderful recipes, fabulous photos, and entertaining tales to accompany each dish.

Here's one of our previous Valentine's dinners from the book:

Rosemary-Scented Lamb over Pasta
(serves 2)

2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 oz lamb, cut into thin strips
1/2 bell pepper, cut into strips (yellow or red)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tbs heavy cream
salt and pepper
1/2 lb rigatoni, cooked
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped oregano

Saute the garlic, lamb, and bell pepper until the lamb is tender. Over a high heat, deglaze the pan with the wine, cooking until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the tomato and rosemary sprig. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the cream, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through.
Toss with warm rigatoni. Garnish with cheese and herbs.

I adore rhubarb. It has such a beautiful color and a wonderfully tart taste. I particularly like rhubarb pie that has been left in the fridge overnight.

Unfortunately, I don't often see rhubarb here in the US so when I do notice it at the farmer's market, I'm quick to buy some.

Yesterday, I made a rhubarb loaf, actually 2. The result is a very moist cake that even Nic liked (and he doesn't like rhubarb).

Here's the recipe:

1 cup milk
1 tbs lemon juice - I only had lime juice available but it worked just as well
1 tsp vanilla extract - I used my homemade stuff
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two loaf pans.

In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

I love curry. My mum used to make it once a week and it is still one of my favorites. (She also used to eat it when she was pregnant with me so I have a whole theory that that is why I love it so much).

I tried this yesterday for dinner and it was great. I tend to up the spices a little more than what the recipe calls for. It's great with rice or naan bread.

To serve 2:

2 tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 cup hot water
1 large tomato, chopped
2 chicken thighs
shake of salt
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar

Heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Saute the onion for about 10 minutes until it has caramelized.

Mix the garlic, cayenne pepper turmeric and cumin in a bowl with a little water so you have a paste. Add the paste to the onions and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato, lower the heat and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken and coat it in the paste in the pan. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and sugar just before it is finished.

Enjoy!

This week's theme is foods that sound funny.

#1. What’s the funniest sounding food or ingredient you know of?

This one's easy. I come from England so everything has odd names - Spotted Dick, Toad in the Hole, Black Pudding (I'd never heard it called Blood Pudding until I came to the US), tripe, piccalilli, pig's trotters, etc.

One of the strangest sounding foods I've come across in the US (the name, not the actual food) is headcheese! In England we call it brawn. Headcheese just sounds horrible.

#2. How do you pronounce “cavatelli”?

Cav-uh-tell-i. It never occurred to m that there was any other way to pronounce this until I went to Wikipedia.

#3. How do you pronounce “gnocchi”?

nyo-kee

#4. Share a recipe that calls for mozzarella cheese.

I came across a recipe recently to make your own mozzarella so I keep meaning to try that. If I do, I'll be sure to post the results!