Meeting in Heathrow yesterday, remarkably good office food, chicken on sticks, nice cheese and hams, good sandwiches, crackers, pop, olives - Think it is the Spanish influence in the group.
Out for a meal last night - Sagarmatha Kitchen for the second time.
Lovely food, Started with prawn fry for her an their take on a seek kebab for me, We both had lamb curries, San had Anapurna, I had Himalayan, my really hot, as I asked for, but not artificial or chemically, tasted long and slow. Service was great. I hope it survives, as there are now 4 (2 long standing) Indians in Swords now, so it will be tough.
Made a chorizo tortilla for breakfast, weather is grim and didn't fancy running over to JCs for sausages
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Sunday, 22 November 2015
scotch(ed) eggs, Dobbins and cooking
Chilli I made last week was very good, was listening to Radio 4's food program, all about scotch eggs, that I love and know the history, not Scottish, but scotched (i.e. changed) invented in the second poshest food shop in the world - Fortnum & Masons in London. So had a graw to make some.
I made 2 one day and 3 more today. Soft boiled egg, 6 minutes in boiling water, then straight into iced water, once cold, tapped the egg, the air gap is at the top, so tap there, use a teaspoon to ease shell off. Mixed pork mince, blitzed chorizo, fresh thyme (no seasoning, because of chorizo) moulded around egg, drenched in flour, beaten egg then breadcrumbs, twice. Rested in fridge, turned a couple of times to prevent flatspots. Deep fried in veg oil, very wasteful, as I don't have a deep fat fryer, but reusing any fat except lard is really bad, which is wacky, but true!!
Made a good roast dinner yesterday, unfortunately beef was tasty but horribly chewy...
Saw a recipe for mini quiches, using Serrano (I used jamon) instead of pastry, mine look messy, will taste them tomorrow, spinach, cherry tomato and cheddar filling. Cooked a few chicken thighs for lunches. Lamb stew, garlic potatoes for in-laws and found a no churn strawberry ice cream in the freezer, that I'd made when I picked them at the allotment early summer.
On Thursday went to Dobbins in Dublin, guests of Threatscape and TrapX couple of pints first in the School House on the cana with friendsl.
At Dobbins, great wine, I had ham hock terrine, brioche (preferred the bread from basket), fantastic pork belly, with sublime crackling, sticky toffee pudding and good espresso, great company and learned plenty of techie stuff
I made 2 one day and 3 more today. Soft boiled egg, 6 minutes in boiling water, then straight into iced water, once cold, tapped the egg, the air gap is at the top, so tap there, use a teaspoon to ease shell off. Mixed pork mince, blitzed chorizo, fresh thyme (no seasoning, because of chorizo) moulded around egg, drenched in flour, beaten egg then breadcrumbs, twice. Rested in fridge, turned a couple of times to prevent flatspots. Deep fried in veg oil, very wasteful, as I don't have a deep fat fryer, but reusing any fat except lard is really bad, which is wacky, but true!!
Made a good roast dinner yesterday, unfortunately beef was tasty but horribly chewy...
Saw a recipe for mini quiches, using Serrano (I used jamon) instead of pastry, mine look messy, will taste them tomorrow, spinach, cherry tomato and cheddar filling. Cooked a few chicken thighs for lunches. Lamb stew, garlic potatoes for in-laws and found a no churn strawberry ice cream in the freezer, that I'd made when I picked them at the allotment early summer.
On Thursday went to Dobbins in Dublin, guests of Threatscape and TrapX couple of pints first in the School House on the cana with friendsl.
At Dobbins, great wine, I had ham hock terrine, brioche (preferred the bread from basket), fantastic pork belly, with sublime crackling, sticky toffee pudding and good espresso, great company and learned plenty of techie stuff
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Good weekend
Last weekend, quite busy, leg of lamb, 2 chickens, kilo carrots, a cauliflower, a broccoli and a couple of kilos of potatoes. Roast meat, roast and mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauli in white sauce with cheese, lamb and chicken gravy - fed 13, only scraps of chicken left and made stock from both lots of bones.
This weekend, stayed at Royal Marine in Dun Laoghaire on Friday night, ate at Rasam in Glasthule , definately the best Indian in Ireland. Early bird, she had Aloo Tikka and Rustic Chicken I had calamari and mixed veg curry, as always came with rice, naan and spiced potatoes. She loves the padadoms and sauces, me less so, but I like lots of heat and these are much more crowd pleasers. House red (a Chilean Cab Sav) really lovely, food perfect quantity as well as quality.
Couple of glasses of wine in Forty Foot Wetherspoons on way back. Swim and lovely full Irish breakfast Saturday morning. Standard roast chicken Saturday night. Made stock Sunday morning.
Out Sunday morning to RDS for Charity Bazaar, go every year, had a Slovakian sausage with great horseradish and mustard with rye bread, almost chorizo-like. Won a bottle of very plain label German apple brandy, could be interesting.
Round to the main hall of RDS for Art Source, again, an annual event, bought another picture, our art walls are getting full!
Chilli tonight, just about to start, last one was crap and flavourless, need to concentrate more, left over chicken tomorrow and a meal out on Thursday
This weekend, stayed at Royal Marine in Dun Laoghaire on Friday night, ate at Rasam in Glasthule , definately the best Indian in Ireland. Early bird, she had Aloo Tikka and Rustic Chicken I had calamari and mixed veg curry, as always came with rice, naan and spiced potatoes. She loves the padadoms and sauces, me less so, but I like lots of heat and these are much more crowd pleasers. House red (a Chilean Cab Sav) really lovely, food perfect quantity as well as quality.
Couple of glasses of wine in Forty Foot Wetherspoons on way back. Swim and lovely full Irish breakfast Saturday morning. Standard roast chicken Saturday night. Made stock Sunday morning.
Out Sunday morning to RDS for Charity Bazaar, go every year, had a Slovakian sausage with great horseradish and mustard with rye bread, almost chorizo-like. Won a bottle of very plain label German apple brandy, could be interesting.
Round to the main hall of RDS for Art Source, again, an annual event, bought another picture, our art walls are getting full!
Chilli tonight, just about to start, last one was crap and flavourless, need to concentrate more, left over chicken tomorrow and a meal out on Thursday
Monday, 2 November 2015
Baba ganoush
Had the quiche I made on Saturday, with some baba ganoush - I had a couple of aubergines that were nearly gone, simple recipe, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, parsley and salt. Aubergines had been roasted on high for about 40 minutes, scooped out when cool and mashed in - probably next time would roast the garlic as it was a bit strong.
Made a side salad of wild rocket, feta, cherry tomatoes, dry roasted a handful of pine nuts, dressed with EV olive oil and lemon juice
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Weekend Cooking
Wanted pizza, so need to make tex-mex chilli topping, so bought plenty of mince, also had a bit of quiche at a lunch this week (and had some shortcrust in the freezer for ever)
Made standard tex-mex chilli for pizza, roasted a red pepper on the ring, peel off the blackened skin and sliced. Did tuna and roast red pepper on the second (mozzarella on both) and had some spicy chicken thighs I'd cooked in the week, so chopped that up, bit of jamon and feta with a bot of thyme on the third.
While I was cooking I used the rest of the beef to make a simple cottage pie - fried onion and celery, once sweated down added the mince then diced carrots, 3 bay leaves once all in, added beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard powder and then pressure cooked for 40 minutes, remember to remove bay leaves. Added frozen peas in once cooled, but into ovenproof dishes. Mashed potatoes then poncily piped it on top - made 2 for 2 people and one small one and froze all three.
Quiche tin - blind baked the pastry, baking paper, pastry, baking paper, baking beans (actually ancient chick peas I've had for a least a decade) gas 4 for about 45 minutes, with a couple of slices of bacon on the top shelf to roast. mixed 4 eggs, single cream, thyme, splash of milk, salt and white pepper. Chopped up bacon once cooked, a couple of spring onions and some Spanish queso.
Once the pastry was ready, take off beans and opt greaseproof, back in oven for 5 mins to dry it, put time on a flat tray pour in egg / cream mixture, drop in bacon, onions and cheese and bake until brown and solidified. Took about 1/2 hour. Had some for lunch with a homemade coleslaw
Made standard tex-mex chilli for pizza, roasted a red pepper on the ring, peel off the blackened skin and sliced. Did tuna and roast red pepper on the second (mozzarella on both) and had some spicy chicken thighs I'd cooked in the week, so chopped that up, bit of jamon and feta with a bot of thyme on the third.
While I was cooking I used the rest of the beef to make a simple cottage pie - fried onion and celery, once sweated down added the mince then diced carrots, 3 bay leaves once all in, added beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard powder and then pressure cooked for 40 minutes, remember to remove bay leaves. Added frozen peas in once cooled, but into ovenproof dishes. Mashed potatoes then poncily piped it on top - made 2 for 2 people and one small one and froze all three.
Quiche tin - blind baked the pastry, baking paper, pastry, baking paper, baking beans (actually ancient chick peas I've had for a least a decade) gas 4 for about 45 minutes, with a couple of slices of bacon on the top shelf to roast. mixed 4 eggs, single cream, thyme, splash of milk, salt and white pepper. Chopped up bacon once cooked, a couple of spring onions and some Spanish queso.
Once the pastry was ready, take off beans and opt greaseproof, back in oven for 5 mins to dry it, put time on a flat tray pour in egg / cream mixture, drop in bacon, onions and cheese and bake until brown and solidified. Took about 1/2 hour. Had some for lunch with a homemade coleslaw
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