Porridge of the Week #28 ARGENTINA SPECIAL!

Porridge of the Week #28
Dulce de Leche and Banana

Category: Flavour

Start by soaking the oats in milk. Chop up a banana (saving three slices) and mash- you could put it in a dribble of milk and quickly heat if that helps to break it down. Stir this into the porridge and then, in a ramekin or bowl, heat 3 tablespoons of Dulce de Leche- although this can be varied to taste.
Spoon the dulce de leche into the porridge whilst heating through, leaving half aside.
Finally, serve up, Top with the banana and a drizzle of leftover Dulce de Leche.

Dulce de leche (dulce- sweet, leche- milk) is a caramelised milk dessert 'sauce' that I have become addicted to whilst in Argentina. It appears the Argentinians share this passion, as they put it in most of their confectionary and puddings. I knew instantly that it would make an incredible porridge. Combined with banana, it is one of my all time favourites. (Yeah, I know...)

The amount I use is only a guide, add it to taste. You may find you too become addicted and need a lot more! I tried this porridge on a non porridge eating Argentinian local and it got the thumbs up! If you like this recipe (I cannot recommend it enough) check back for other dulce de leche themed porridge of the week ideas that I have been concocting...

xxx

Argentinian Curanto

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If you aren't following my steady stream of excited food chatter on Twitter , then you may not realise I am currently doing some extensive food research in the land of wine, coffee, red meat, chocolate and all things toxic- I am eating in Argentina, and I thoroughly approve.

A few days ago I took a 20 hour bus from the capital of Buenos Aires to Bariloche, in the Patagonian Andes where today, I tried Caranto.

Caranto is made by cooking meat and vegetables under ground (The name Calanto comes from the type of rock on which the meat is cooked.) Pits are dug into the soil and wood is placed in them, onto which a fire is built. The fire is layered over with rocks, which are heated by the flames. It takes a few hours for the fire to heat the rocks through, after which leaves are piled onto the hot rocks to trap in the smoke and absorb the fat whilst the meat, which is placed on top, is cooked through from the heat.

My only previous experience of Caranto has been on survival documentaries, and it is something I've been keen to try, so we found ourselves a restaurant where caranto meat was being carried on trays from table to table, distributed by waitresses onto waiting plates. We arrive, and a man pulls back a heavy blanket which covers the pit of leaves, revealing a deep pit filled with whole chickens, piles of apples and lumps of blackened steaks, smoke billowing out from the piles of leaves covering the pit.

A scruffy little caranto pit.
Not a great photo! I will replace it when I get the opportunity so you can get a better idea...

Typically, you are served 5 portions of vegetables and meat- sausage, beef, chicken, lamb and my favourite (unusually) pork; with a soft, wrinkled whole baked apple. Each meat came with a variety of squash mashes and baked sweet potato, brought to the table one at a time. The meat and vegetables (and the very air of the restaurant) smells and tastes distinctly smokey, yet different -more earthy- than typical barbeque'd meat.

I'm not especially a fan of red meat or BBQ food (you may wonder what I'm doing in Argentina... Did I mention the chocolate and the wine..?) but it was nonetheless a good meal, and well worth the very traditionally South American experience.

Please check back for more Argentina posts, including recipes, experimentations with South American cuisine and illustrated gourmet guides!

xxx

Food fact of the Day- Argentina special

Argentina eats the most beef per person in the world, all though the number is in decline, and recently Uruguay has claimed to be number one.

Latest figures say 55 kilos are consumed per person each year- that's 243 8oz steaks per year...

xx

Food News! Bompas and Parr Chocolate Waterfall

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This April is the 40th Anniversary of the original film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Bompas & Parr honours Roald Dahl’s creativity by constructing a real Chocolate Waterfall that flows at a rate of 12,000 liters an hour.

The Chocolate Waterfall pulls together Bompas & Parr’s favorite beans from around the world (Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean) to create its first house blend. Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart, food technologist and flavour expert helped develop the recipe. The five tonne mixture is chocolatey with hints of plum, red wine and earth. After visiting the Chocolate Waterfall people will be given the chance to bottle and take away their own chocolate elixir – a concentrated chocolate cordial.

Visitors customize the chocolate elixir blending in flavours including lavender, jasmine or pine by hand. The temporary installation will include the world’s first cloud of breathable chocolate.

Details:

Chocolate Waterfall is open from Friday 22nd to Monday 25th April
· The venue is Whiteleys Shopping Centre, Bayswater, London, W24 YN
· Nearest tube is Bayswater
· Opening hours are from noon to 6pm
· There are no age restrictions though all children must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult.
· Timed tickets must be purchased in advance through http://www.jellymongers.co.uk/

xxx

Porridge of the Week # 27

Porridge of the Week #27
Cherry and marzipan

Category: Evening/ Flavour

Soak the oats in milk with a drop of almond essence. Heat through. Add a handful of golden marzipan chopped into small cubes. Add to this a small handful of halved glace cherries. You can also add a teaspoon of cherry jam if you feel like making it a bit fruity. Stir and heat through, letting the marzipan melt slightly.
Spoon into a bowl and top with a cherry and a few extra chunks of marzipan!

My favourite cake is Marzipan and Almond, so it seemed natural that I should turn it into a porridge. This works both as an indulgent breakfast porridge or a slightly less guilt inducing dessert for porridge fanatics.

xx

Dinner 15.03.2010

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This is one of my absolute favourite recipes of all time. I love it! Words can't describe how much pleasure it brings me.
Monkfish is a very special fish... Really thick and meaty. It's not strong flavoured like tuna or trout- so it goes really well with stronger flavours, such as parma ham.

This is a very simple recipe- Monkfish with sundried tomato and basil, wrapped in parma ham. The tomato is made simply by cooking a tin of sundried tomatoes and basil together... It's almost indecently simple considering how good it is...

I think it's a Jamie Oliver recipe. I'll check that out for you!

xx

Dinner: Chocolate Chicken

Unless you're Mexican, Chocolate Chili Chicken may not seem like an obvious combination... But the richness of the chocolate set against the warmth of the chili makes for a gorgeous rich stew style dinner...
Rather like adding a bit of coffee to your casserole or pie to add depth of flavour, it's worth bearing in mind dark good quality chocolate next time you want to add something extra to your casserole.

On Sunday we made Chocolate Chili Chicken- based on the Mexican Mole. It's very very simple- starting by frying onions and chillis with some chicken (or beef!) in Cinnamon (about two teaspoons..) add a tin of tomatoes and a few cubes of dark chocolate (about 20z will do four people, but it entirely depends on how chocolately you would or wouldn't want it...)

Simply leave it to boil away and serve up!

Yum yum.

xx

Cardamom Fish Curry

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I love fish curry, it's one of my favourites! Usually I just kinda make it up, but today I followed a Josceline Dimbleby recipe for Cardamom Curry.

I knew I would like this recipe as it includes what my brother used to refer to as the Holy Trinity- chili, ginger and garlic. if that's not enough, they are then fried with cod and a handful of cardamom seeds.

Transfer the fish to a dish with coconut cream, water and lemon juice and cooked in the oven for about forty minutes and you have a lovely delicately oriental curry. Don't skimp on the coconut or ginger etc- the more flavour the better. Mine was a little more watery than I had hoped... I also added some dessicated coconut to add texture.

Chili, ginger, cardamom, coconut, lemon... so many buzz words in one dish!

xxx

Pancake Day!

Pancake Day Recipe:

Savoury Wheat Pancakes with Haddock poached in Nutmeg milk and a Cream Cheese Horseradish and Lemon Sauce.
(Honestly, it's so good!)



1. Make the pancake batter. I'm not going to patronise you by detailing how that is done, but I will point out I use a wholewheat flour for my savoury pancakes.

2. Once the pancakes are prepared, keep them warm in the oven on the lowest heat whilst you prepare the fish.

3. Pour milk into a saucepan and add nutmeg. Put in the haddock fillets and a spoon of wholegrain mustard and poach.

4. Once the fish is cooked (this shouldn't take long) remove the fish but keep the milk. Grate in Cheddar cheese and add plain flour, whisking constantly throughout till it thickens.

5. Grind in some black pepper and extra nutmeg, then flake in the fish.

6. In another smaller pan, spoon in two spoonfuls of Cream Cheese with milk, a large spoonful of horse radish sauce and stir together till warmed through. Add pepper and a few squeezes of lemon juice.

7. Remove the pancakes from the oven and lay on the plates. Spoon in the fish mixture and roll. Drizzle with the horseradish sauce, a light grinding of pepper and serve!

Today is Pancake Day. Don't just stick to lemon and sugar... Give it a go!

xx

Tay Do - Kingsland Road

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Kingsland Road is known for its Vietnamese cuisine. Every other shop is a cafe, restaurant or supermarket.
I've been meaning to explore the road for a while, and after wandering down the canal path, was happy to finally tick it off my list!
Having no idea which to choose, we decided on one of the cafes over the restaurants- and picked the smallest, most understated we could find; Tay Do.



The inside was a lot more presentable than out, shiny long tables neatly laid and adorned with purple flowers against bright green walls were hidden behind windows boarded over with planks. Don't be put off!


We didn't look at the menu long, having already decided on Vietnamese Pancakes. We ordered these with sides of aubergine in garlic sauce and Pak Choi.
The menu was farily typical (spring rolls, bowls of noodle soup and spicy squid) but extensive and genuine.


Vietnamese pancakes (Banh Xeo- 'sizzling cake') are crispy savoury pancakes made with rice flour, water and turmeric, and when ours arrived, they didn't disappoint. Our large, crispy pancake was filled with chicken, prawns and bean sprouts, accompanied by lettuce, mint and coriander.
Despite the pancake being battered, the dish was light and fragrant with the unfried vegetables and mint.
The aubergine was not fried and boiled like many Chinese restaurants, but had an intense, smokey flavour familiar from my experiences of Lebanese cooking and chargrilled within it's skin until the flesh is soft.

Overall, the dishes were large, filling and enjoyable, the cafe simple, quiet and quality. But more importantly- three pancakes, two side dishes and a pot of green tea came to £33.50- just over £10 each for a full meal. There aren't many places you can do better than that!

So next time you're half way down Kingsland Road and already overwhelmed by the choice- keep Tay Do in mind!

Tay Do,
60 Kingsland Road,
London,
E2 8DP

020 7739 0966

xxx

Food News: Bubble Tea

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From Whoopie pies to frozen yoghurt, us fickle Londoners are a sucker for fleeting food trends.
The latest to arrive on the scene is that of Bubble Tea.


Originating from Taiwan and commonly found on the streets of Xi'an, tiny shops in Shanghai and many a booth in Beijing, Bubble Tea is a cold drink made from black tea and plenty of frothed milk (hence 'bubble' tea). The exciting bit- balls of tapioca that float in the bottom of each glass, often referred to as pearls.
In America, it is referred to as Boba tea. 'Boba' originating from the Taiwanese for 'big breasts'. Naturally.

The milk tea is often mixed with fruit or fruit syrup, but my personal favourite is peanut bubble tea. Honestly- peanut milkshake- it's amazing.

I had heard rumours of bubble tea's arrival on the food fashion horizon, but this was cemented when I spotted a new little cafe in the West End selling exclusively bubble tea and oriental snacks.

For a more genuine experience, try the Jen Cafe in the heart of China Town (4-8 Newport Place). With the air scented with authentic Chinese food served up on plastic plates, the Bubble Tea menu is extensive and authentic. They also sell my favourite- peanut tea!
Alternatively you could try Baoxi Inn, within spitting distance (Aptly, for China Town...) of Jen Cafe.
Candy Cafe (3, Macclesfield Street) is another new bubble tea shop ("Live the bubbly life!); bright, breezy, student friendly and cheap.
HK Diner on Wardour Street is irresistible- it's popularity amongst ex pats is reassuring and its sesame pearl tea is tempting. If that wasn't enough to lure you into one of my favourite food districts, it also does alcoholic pearl teas.

I for one now have a massive craving for Bubble tea... so check back soon- there may well be photos and reviews !

xxx