Pomegranate,the true forbidden fruit

Breaking into a pomegranate requires serious strategy. There are approximately a million seeds in there, waiting to break free and adorn your new white t-shirt. But biting into the sweet, tart, juicy seeds hiding in that complicated mess of a shell make it all worthwhile. Wine red in colour,bursting at the seams (thats when you pick them) and flavoured like a strong cocktail, pomegranates (Punica granatum) conjure up our hedonistic desires. The fruit is featured in as many, or more, Greek myths than both olive branches and grape leaves. Based on the historical geography of the Middle East where the Garden of Eden is presumed to have been located, some scholars believe that pomegranates were more likely the forbidden fruit that tempted Adam and Eve,not apples. Ever since, the red orbs and their fleshy, kernel-like seeds have been the muse of history’s great artists, from Botticelli to Picasso. This is the time of year that gives you the chance to try a host of sweet things that you wouldn't at any other time.These are a great and much lighter alternative to Christmas pudding and look festive too.

Aromatic pomegranate jelly SERVES 4
pomegranate juice 700ml
orange peel 4 long strips
lemon peel 2 long strips
6 thin slices of fresh ginger 
green cardamom pods 12
caster sugar 2 tbsp
leaf gelatine12g (7 leaves approx)
sliced oranges or clementines and a few pomegranate seeds to serve
Pour the pomegranate juice into a pan. Add 4 long strips of orange peel and 2 of lemon to the juice. Crack the cardamom pods open with a pestle and mortar or other heavy weight then add the pods and seeds to the juice. Bring the juice almost to the boil. Stir in the sugar and let it dissolve. Switch off the heat and leave for 10 minutes for the spices and peel to flavour the juice.Soak the gelatine sheets in a bowl of slightly warm water. When they have softened to a squidgy mass – a matter of a minute or two – drop the gelatine into the warm juice and stir gently.Pour the juice through a small sieve to remove the spices and fruit, and ladle into four glasses or moulds. Leave to cool then refrigerate overnight.Serve with slices of peeled orange and a few pomegranate seeds.
Vanilla and yoghurt panna cotta with pomegranate jelly
makes 5 ramekins or small glass tumblers
For the panna cotta layer 
3 gelatine leaves 
100ml/3½fl oz double cream 
100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milk 
100g/3½oz caster sugar 
1 vanilla pod, seeds only 
300g/10½oz Greek yoghurt
Jelly as above
For the panna cotta, put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for five minutes.
Place the double cream, milk, sugar and vanilla seeds into a small pan and heat though gently, just enough for the sugar to dissolve, stirring from time to time.
Meanwhile, put the yoghurt in a large jug, stirring to loosen it up and set aside. Remove the creamy mixture from the heat once ready.
The gelatine should be soft by now, so lift it out of the water and squeeze the excess water out. Drop the gelatine into the creamy mixture and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool to body temperature for about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your glasses. You will need 6 x 200ml/7fl oz  glasses for serving.Set them on a large tray or trays that will easily fit in the fridge.
Once cool, pour the creamy mixture over the yoghurt and then gently whisk everything together.
Carefully pour the mixture into the six glasses, dividing it evenly, without allowing any to spill out. Carefully place the tray in the fridge and leave to set for 1-2 hours, or until nice and firm. To start the setting process off quickly, you can always put them in the freezer for 20 minutes or so before popping them in the fridge to finish setting.
Meanwhile, for the jelly layer,follow the recipe above making sure it is really cool so as to not melt the panna cotta on impact.
Remove the set panna cottas from the fridge and pour the cool jelly over each one, dividing it evenly. Return the glasses back to the fridge for about two hours, or until the jelly is set firm.
When you are ready to serve, top each panna cotta with pomegranate seeds and sit on a serving plate with a small spoon. These will keep for a few days in the fridge.

In pursuit of XO - lence

my jar of home made XO sauce with a cheekily screen grabbed label  

Christmas is coming and the store cupboard needs stocking up,but what with?
I love it when I can easily make something at home and it turns out to be just as good or better than the more expensive manufactured brand. In this particular case a luxury item that saved me €15 or 12,50 British pounds sterling for a 220g jar!!!!
I’m aware not everyone has a bottle of this delicacy in their kitchens, and may not feel like investing in a whole bottle for an one-off recipe,but while you can pick up a bottle from any well-stocked posh ingredients or Asian aisle of your supermarket, making a good imitation at home is simple,and if you are  a saucepot like me save the pennies in your purse for another day, and for something that is less achievable. And it I hope it will be near-irresistable  for you to simply want the satisfaction of making sauces at home. Either way, I thought you may be interested to make this at home since it’s something that, once you´ve tasted it, will undoubtably become an item that is always in your fridge, not just for Christmas but for life.
What I am talking about is an iconic sauce hailing from Hong Kong, made from dried seafood (namely, dried shrimp and scallops, AKA “conpoy,”, salty Jinhua ham, shallots, garlic, chili, and oil. It may sound odd, but it is, in fact, epically delicious and an explosion of umami palatability that you’ll want to slather on literally anything and everything you can find.

 Stir fried seafood rice all the better for a dash of XO

XO is a spicy seafood sauce that makes everything taste better. Fact. It can be used as a rub or in a marinade, served on the side, or used within a recipe.You won’t yet find it widely available in supermarkets, although savvy shoppers may have spotted it in their local Chinese grocer. But, chefs  have awoken to its umami superpowers this year and through press are providing plenty of inspiration for how to use it. It can be stirred through rice, bound through noodles, flipped into stir fries, or smothered over meat,cut through potato salad or even used it to create a chinese bolognese.
 I was mystified as to how to pronounce the name when I first came across it but it turns out that it is named after the ‘XO’, or ‘Extra Old’ designation used to classify Cognac by age. Being able to afford fine Cognac has something of a cachet in certain Asian circles and adopting the two letters as a name was clearly a clever marketing ploy to underscore the expensive delicacies used in the making of this most prestigious of Asian condiments… 
No question, this sauce is a splurge on quality ingredients, and its glossy flavour can really transform a dish. When I set out to make my version, I decided that since I couldn´t source dried shrimp and scallop, here in the Algarve I'd desiccate the seafood myself. The process is simple, though somewhat time-consuming, and the results are quite exquisite (note that the seafood can be dried and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week in advance).I am sure like me once you´ve tapped into this unusual commodity you will be eating it in copious amounts.Bon appetit or as they say in Hong Kong qǐng màn yòng.
How to make home made authentic XO sauce  

180g medium sized raw prawn (about 9 headless before peeling)
180g fresh scallops (about 3)
4 tsp Flor de sal
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 inch fresh ginger,peeled
2 whole serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 ounces good quality air cured ham,prosciutto,jamon iberico
1 tbspdark brown sugar
1 cup peanut oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp black sesame oil
Peel the prawns, discarding their shells.

Using paper towels, blot the prawns and scallops until dry and tacky. Cut the prawns in half lengthwise, removing the dark blue vein down the back as you go. Slice the scallops horizontally so each is in 4 thin rounds.
Transfer the seafood to a small mixing bowl and, using your fingers, combine it very thoroughly with the salt.
Lay the sliced and salted seafood in a single layer on a large, clean kitchen towel and lay another one on top. Cover the top towel with a board and weight which combine to equal about 5 pounds (2.5 kg). Let the seafood press at room temperature for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare a wire rack over a rimmed baking tray and cover it with a thin coating of vegetable oil.After the 3-hour drying period, move an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 200 F. Lay the pressed seafood on the rack in a single layer. Place the seafood in the oven and prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let the seafood dry for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The edges of the scallops will be slightly brown, and all of the seafood will be dry and leathery, but not stiff.

To make the sauce. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, mince the garlic and ginger until they stop whirling inside the machine. Add the chillies, prawns and scallops, ham, and sugar and process until very fine, running the machine for about 1 to 2 minutes and stopping to scrape down the edges of the bowl as needed.
Scrape the entire contents of the food processor bowl into a medium skillet, add the vegetable oil, and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium heat, and once the mixture starts to sizzle, lower the heat as needed to keep it bubbling, but not splattering. Stir it frequently, scraping up the solids from the bottom, until the sauce becomes very dark coffee brown all over, about 15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir to cool slightly. Once the bubbles have subsided, add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir to combine.
The sauce is ready to use right away, though it will become even better after you allow the flavours to meld for a day. Scrape the sauce into a container with a tight-fitting lid and let it sit at room temperature for 1 day before refrigerating. The sauce will keep at least 3 months refrigerated, and several months in the freezer.

Orecchiette alle cime di rapa, lend me an ear

Orecchiete(from Italian orecchia, meaning 'ear', and -etta, meaning 'small')

This is quite possibly the most iconic recipe from the region of Puglia.Orecchiette with turnip tops are the Apulian recipe par excellence! Who does not know or has never eaten a nice plate of orecchiette with turnip tops?
Cime di rape is a green leafy vegetable grown in Puglia in winter, also known throughout the world as broccoli rabe, rapini or turnip tops.It is packed with flavour and, as the vegetable cooks, it becomes creamy in texture.At a pinch broccoli can be used as a substitute.This is probably one of my all time favourite pasta dishes. The remarkable thing about it is how the greens almost melt together with the pasta. This comes from the old Pugliese technique of boiling the pasta and vegetables together and then sautéing them in garlic, oil, and anchovies. If you’re not a big anchovy person, don’t worry; once they’re melted into the oil, the flavour is so subtle that you’ll barely notice. If you’re making this dish for people who don’t love anchovies, don’t even tell them they’re in there! They’ll never know! Wherever you are in the world as long as you can source the key ingredient,Orecchiete then the rest,the greens are most probably growing around you and if not you can substitute.
 If you are in Portugal you can use Grelhos in place of the cime di rapa that one should use if being authentic,and in the tradition of Doce conventuais would probably be called "priests ears". In America they use rapini or broccoli rabe ,which in Spain is called bimi.Preparing this dish  is really easy and the result is absolutely amazing.Enlivening the taste of turnip tops are garlic and chili that create a really irresistible sauté.
Orecchiette with turnip tops
Ingredients for 2 people:
 
orecchiette: 250g
200g broccoli rabe,cime di rapa,bimi,rapini,grelhos
olive oil
Garlic: 1 large clove thinly sliced
Half long red chilli chopped finely, plus extra dried flakes (optional)
6 anchovy fillets
For de sal
toasted breadcrumbs for garnish
Discard the tough bottom part of the cime di rape and chop the rest roughly on the diagonal.

Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic,cook gently till golden.
Toss in the anchovies and stir until they melt into the oil,then stir in the  chilli  Cook, stirring, allowing everything to soften, for about 5 minutes.
Add the cime di rape and combine well.
Season to taste and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the cime di rapa has wilted.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in boiling salted water until al dente.
While the orecchiette is cooking, skim off about a ladleful of the white, starchy pasta water and add it to the cime di rapa sauce, stirring to combine.
Drain the pasta well and add it to the sauce in the pan and combine well.Continue cooking until the orecchiette is coated and cooked.
Transfer to a communal serving bowl, sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil.
Your orecchiette with turnip tops are ready and the original Apulian recipe does not include the addition of cheese ...Season to taste and serve.

O spirito de cana,uma receita antiga,um inovãçao de tradiçao

                                        Medronho Açucarado em aguardente
The Portuguese have become very skilled at distilling the fruit of the arbutus (Medronho) in late winter, after weeks of fermentation, to create the famous Algarvian liqueur.
Medronho trees grow wild on poor soils in rural regions of Portugal and the inner Algarve.There is no commercial plantation and the fruits are mainly hand collected by local farmers, and processed privately. Therefore, the best Aguardente de Medronhos is not necessarily found in supermarkets, but instead bought directly from these farmers. Very few farmers have a license for distillation, but are tolerated by the authorities to keep this traditional Portuguese specialty alive.
Although not as well known as the famous regions of Cognac and Armagnac, the third of the only 3 regions designated for the production of spirits in the world surprisingly is Portuguese,the region Lourinhã, a municipality northwest of Lisbon.If the truth be known,I made this experiment partly because of the masses of arbutus berries on our tree that were succumbing to the appetites of the birds.They were in season and I always feel increasingly guilty if I don´t do something to save them .I suspect however they will turn out to be peachy keen and I will end up making this recipe every year.
I have adapted this seasonal Algarvian recipe to make it both accessible and more affordable.I am giving you the recipe in its original form followed by my adapted version.In its original form the recipe uses two different types of aged Portuguese fire water (Aguardente vinica,brandy, and aguardente cana,rum )Aguardente de cana can cost from €30 to as much as €250,and an aged aguardente vinaca could set you back a bit too.So you can see why I was looking for an alternative that would supply the same sort of flavour.My first solution was to use a cachaça rum from Brazil,but then I came over all Cuban when I found two bottles of white and dark rum respectively in our larder.Almost like for like, this would fulfil what the recipe set out to achieve.Well I hope so,anyway i will get back to you on that.
Medronho Açucarado em aguardente
500g de medronhos
500g de açucar amarelo
500ml aguardente vinica
500ml aguardente de cana
100ml water
raminhos de funcho fresco
Dissolver o açucar na agua e levar ao lume até fazer "ponto de sarope" - uma calda espessa.Deitar sobre os medronhos,adicionar as aguardentes e, finalmente,os raminhos de funcho fresco.Deixar em infusão em frascos de boca larga,pelo menos 15 dias decorridos os quais ser pode consumir.
*Esta bebida preparar-se como qualquer licor.Quanto mais tempo estiver em infusáo melhor.Pode mesmo ser guardado durante um ou dois anos
Medronho preserved in rum and syrup
 500g arbutus berries
500g golden caster sugar
500mlWhite rum or cachaça
500ml aged rum
100ml water
Dissolve the sugar in the water and and heat over a medium flame until the sugar has formed a syrup.Put the arbutus berries in a kilner or mason jar big enough to accomodate the liquids as well.Pour over the syrup followed by the two types of rum.Use a plastic strainer slightly smaller in diameter than the jar itself to make sure the fruit remains submerged in the liquor.Leave the fruit to infuse for 15 days or up to two years.

Bhajias you just cant beet

 Colourful beginnings of bhajias

The British,a nation never renowned for its subtle taste,has always crowned the pungent onion "bhajji" the supreme king of pakoras.
Bhajia/Bhaji/Bhajji/Bhaaji is a crispy fried snack which can be cooked using onion, potato, spinach or any vegetables. Bhajia consist of chopped onions incorporated into a batter of rice or gram flour, spices and herbs, then fried in oil until golden.I have already posted a recipe for authentic bhajias on this blog and dispelled the myth of the Brits idea of what a bhajji should be.So if you can cook an authentic bhajia using almost any vegetable, why not beetroot or carrot.Using my tried and tested recipe here is a way to
make your bhajias brighter, with beetroot or carrot because they're fun and pretty and, they still taste amazing too.This is a glorious colourful intertwining of crispy roots spiced to perfection.

Beetroot bhajias
makes approximately 20-30 small bhajias of the size required.they should not be the size of tennis balls.
1 medium onion
100g beetroot
1 red chilli
1 green chilli
1 level tsp chilli powder
1 level tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried thyme1/2 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp garam flour
1/2 tsp flor de sal
2 tbsp cold water
Oil for deep frying

Peel the beetroot and grate it coarsely into thin matchstick pieces. Peel and very finely slice an onion as thinly as you can.Mix with the grated beetroot.Finely slice a red and a green chilli.Toss the chilli, onion and beetroot together with the chilli powder,coriander, cumin,thyme,turmeric and lemon juice.
Sift the flour with the salt.
Heat the oil in saucepan deep enough to hold oil for deep frying or a deep fat fryer.
Mix the 2 flours slowly into the  beetroot and onions and rub it with your fingers,until the mix is firm and sticky.Add the water and mix for a further 1~2 minutes.Check for salt, it is likely you will need to add some at this point.
Keep a strainer ready over a bowl for draining the bhajias when ready.
With your already messy fingers put small dollops of the batter into the oil to fry.
Do not put too many in the oil together when frying or else you will have soggy bhajias.
Each bhajia should be no bigger than a small fritter,approximately 2.5cm.
Do not keep the oil too hot.Let the vegetables fry for 3 or 4 minutes until they are crisp. 
The fritter should fry slowly so that it gets crisp and golden.If the oil is too hot the bhajias will fry too fast and remain raw and gooey inside.If you then try to refry,they will burn,remain soggy and taste bitter.
On the other hand, if you want to serve them later,you can half fry and remove them.Fry when you are ready in hot oil this time.If the oil is not hot when refrying,the bhajias will absorb too much oil.
Serve the bhajias with any chutney of your choice.
You can use the same recipe to make carrot and beetroot bhajias.

Os animais de alfândega-Tagliata

We are creatures of habit and sometimes we have a hard time changing them. Being such we tend to resort to using the same tried and tested products for our everyday meals. Normally we prepare recipes with the ingredients that are best known to us, and that sit most comfortably on our palates.  
 I acknowledge this fact as not all bad and that in some part it has its logic. Because there is something we like, then why the need to change it? On the other hand, if we spend a little more time to observe and question whats on the supermarket shelf, we might find that we can take what we cook to another level. But is this staying within our comfort zone or just a lack of risk taking? Innovation by trying new products allows us to expand our range of tastes and gastronomy in general.

`People are gradually getting more adventurous, but traditional options are still by far the most popular´

                 Emma Weinbren, the Grocer

Take for example our choice of pastas or noodles.Most domestic store cupboards are limited to the bog standard favourites, Spaghetti,lasagne, penne,macaroni and sometimes pappardelle. Though there are hundreds of different types of noodles, pasta can be organized into different groups. Cooks use different shapes and sizes of pasta for different purposes. For example, different shapes hold different sauces better than others.

 tagliata pasta

Pappardelle pairs beautifully with heavy rich sauces. Tubes and hollow shaped pasta,penne,(“Quills” or “Feathers”) rigatoni,are shorter. Ground meat sauces like Bolognese, or hearty meat and vegetable sauces are perfect for these.  Their thicker texture also makes them perfect for baking with cheese.(Penne Arrabiata and Mac and Cheese.) Soup pastas (orzo, ditalini, acini di pepe), stuffed (tortellini, ravioli) and special shapes (farfalle, fusilli).. 
One thing that varies is how much of the sauce adheres to the pasta, especially for pasta shapes that have ridges or hollow areas. Sometimes you'll have a sauce where you'll want chunks of it to stick to the pasta, and sometimes you just want the pasta to be flavoured by the sauce, but eaten more by itself. My rule of thumb usually is

"Chunkier the sauce, shorter the pasta. Smoother   the sauce, longer the pasta."

Over the years I have introduced myself to some these more unusual pastas and shapes...
Acini di Pepe
Sometimes referred to as pastina, acini di pepe means “peppercorn” in Italian, alluding to its miniscule size and rounded shape, which makes it versatile enough to be welcome in a wide range of dishes. Make it the mainstay of a cold salad or sprinkle it into a piping hot soup.
FideosIf you think pasta belongs only to the Italians and noodles to the Asians, think again. In Spain, pasta talks Spanish and the word is fideos (fee-DAY-ohs). Fideos (fideus in Catalan) are thin, round noodles, the sort you might put in chicken-noodle soup. They range in thickness from threads of angel hair to spaghetti-like cords. Fideos go into soups, casseroles and,surprise surprise, even paella.Instead of being cooked in a pot of boiling water, then being sauced, the fideos cook right in the sauce, soaking up the flavors. And "al dente" is not a Spanish approach! Fideos are cooked until completely tender and toothsome.

Orecchiette

Italian for “little ears,” orecchiette are shaped like pasta bowls, rendering them perfect for collecting sauce. This pasta goes well with heavier sauces rife with meats or veggies, as with this recipe for , orecchiette com cime di rapa, as their shape is perfect for catching both. 

Tagliata with mushrooms and bacon
The recipe that I made here was with tagliata (see picture above), a departure from the more well-known types of pasta: noodles, macaroni, feathers, or spaghetti. The tagliata pasta has a curious shape( the Italian word literally means cut ) so it is a shortened version of tagliatelle and cooking it with an al dente texture, allows the appreciation of an exquisite texture and flavour.I love my bacon. I love my mushrooms. I love my garlic, and  I love my cheese.
Put them together with my favourite carb, and you have a meal I could eat day in day out. I might have put in a wee extra clove of garlic, but I do love my garlic. So, if you can handle it, I recommend doing the same.
Whipping cream,about 200ml
Chestnut mushrooms
Garlic 
Onion
Bacon lardons or small cubes of bacon
Dried chilli flakes
Grated cheese of your choice

Heat some oil and butter in  a pan. Add the onion, garlic, chopped. once it begins to change colour add the bacon and dried chilli flakes.Sauté well and reserve.
In the same pan you used to sauté the onion and the bacon, add some extra butter and cook the mushrooms.When the mushrooms start to release their juices then add the cream.Agitate everything well, then return the refogado /sofrito that had been reserved to the pan.Stir again to amagamate everything.Add the pre-cooked pasta and coat well with the sauce.Add the cheese of your choice, I used parmesan.Let rest for a minute then serve.

Stew-pendous Chambão de vaca en daube

Daubes,Bourguignons, Pot-au-feu ,Irish stew Carbonnades, Feijoadas, Stifados, Spezzatino di manzo, and Osso Bucco, wherever you are, start stewing! The great winter warmer starts here.There is nothing any more comforting and wonderfully tasting as a big pot of beef stew on a chilly day! I just love it.When it’s starting to get chilly outside, get in the kitchen and turn it into the warm hub of your home.The joy and warmth of a homemade stew wafting around your house is second to none.A good slow-cooked beef in ale stew is a thing of beauty and known to cure all ills, with just a smidgen of fresh thyme and a bayleaf, and perhaps some mushrooms for extra meatiness.Oh dear i´m getting to sound like that person who always says "that probably could have benefited from a mushroom"
There is this thing that happens in English,where brands are so commonplace that they become a common noun or verb:Tupperware,Tagine, Bandaid, YoYo,Hoover,Granola are some examples. So it is with cooking and the French, where the cooking vessel becomes the name of the dish – casserole, poêle and, as in this case, daube, which is a terracotta cooking vessel from Provence.

a traditional daubiére

What distinguishes a traditional daube from a stew is that a daube would be cooked in an earthenware vessel called a daubière, which is shaped in such a way as to inhibit evaporation of the cooking liquid. Cooks would even go so far as to seal the lid of the pot with a paste made of flour and water. Daube was also served in the daubière.

There are many variations on the basic daube recipe, mostly based on the region of France where they originate.

It's possible to replicate the daubière effect using a Dutch oven by placing a piece of parchment paper over the meat while it braises, to help retain the condensation, or use a larger piece of parchment across the whole rim of the pot to produce a tighter seal of the lid.
Chambão de vaca en daube

1kg chambao (shin of beef)
100g plain flour
100ml olive oil
200g  toucinho pancetta or lardon cut into 8 pieces
4 large carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
12 small pearl onions
1 bottle good quality red wine,shiraz for example
1 litre chicken stock
23 fresh bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 bunch thyme
1 vanilla bean
2 all spice berries
2 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 garlic bulb
1 orange zested
2tsp cornflour  
Cut the beef shin into eight large pieces and dust them in the flour.
In a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, brown the beef on all sides in the olive oil. Drain and transfer the meat to a large ovenproof casserole.
Brown the pancetta in the same frying pan. Add it to the casserole, reserving the fat in the frying pan.
Brown the carrot in the frying pan then add it to the casserole.
Brown the onions in the frying pan and add them to the casserole, along with the remaining pancetta fat.
Pour the bottle of wine into the frying pan and cook over high heat until it has reduced to a syrup. Add the stock, bring to the boil and then add the contents of the pan to the casserole.
Preheat the oven to 120°C.
Tie the bay leaves, cinnamon, thyme and vanilla bean into a tight bundle using butcher’s string then add it to the casserole with the remaining spices, garlic bulb and orange zest. Put the lid on the casserole and cook in the oven for 4–5 hours until the beef is gelatinous and just starting to fall apart.
Whisk the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the casserole over low heat until it thickens. Serve the daube in the casserole at the table.

"Fake Cheese" The closest food can come to cruelty and punishment,

'Bleeding' vegan burger arrives on UK supermarket shelves

 ....and uses beetroot juice to ooze or “bleed” a meaty red hue

Halloween or having a laugh? When I read this it was time to speak up."Lab created food" in my mind is almost worse than genetically modified crops.
There is so much controversy surrounding dietary choices these days.As a partner of a bed and breakfast offering bespoke dinners, I have to resign myself to cooking for all kinds of dietary requirements.The fact that I have to do it and often enjoy rising to the challenge it is not to say that I agree with, or understand, the many lifestyle choices behind them.Vegan, vegetarians,omnivores carnivores,fish and chippocrytes,lacto vegetarians,ovo vegetarians, pollatarians, pollo pescatarians, fruitarians.A faddist world gone mad? Passing fashion,gastronomic or green politics? Sadly the vegan debate recently lost one prominent British food critic his job as editor of one of the largest selling food tie-in magazines in the United Kingdom,perhaps Europe.
Where did all this nonsense come from? If God had wanted us to have a plant based diet he would not have given us a planet full of livestock.A vegan diet is strictly against animal products,in every form.It is an ethical and humane lifestyle choice.This seems to me to be a way of inflicting punishment on oneself,self inflicted cruelty.To give one example, vegans consider Parmesan cheese to be the anti-christ.
I myself am a sound omnivore,by my definition someone who was brought up to eat everything.Of course there are some foods I dislike and some others that I have intolerances to, but overall I eat most things.It has always vexed me that I will go to a lot of lengths and be more than happy to accomodate vegetarians when they visit my home,but in reverse,why,am I always subjected to having to eat vegetarian food when I visit a plant eating household.Don´t get me wrong here I love vegetarian food and in this way I am a flexitarian.I enjoy cooking it, but why can´t my vegetarian counterparts be more flexible and cook a piece of meat or fish for me when I am invited to their home? I am totally flabbergasted as to why so many vegetarians and vegans have this desire to eat mutations of what carnivores eat.Vegan burgers that bleed,Vegetarian sausages,Quorn bolognese,Quorn Moussaka."The implications of the proliferation of lookalike meats for the global food industry are enormous. The US beef industry has filed a petition to exclude non-animal products from the definition of meat, while in France a law bans vegetarian companies from calling their products sausages, mince or bacon".If you are missing these flavours why change?

‘The terms cheese and steak should be reserved for products of animal origin.’ 

The flexible part of the flexitarian diet means you get the best of both worlds: your favorite carnivore dishes and also inventive vegan creations.Flexitarianism also calls for cutting back on your fish intake, but there's no need to ban it from your diet entirely.I thought I would make an earnest endeavour to take on a plant-based menu for one meal and see how I got on.The meal I chose was lunch, and I decided to make it very simple to both cook and eat.I made a light lunch of vegan leek and potato soup,home baked bread and some home made "fake cheese".The bread and cheese I made with one common ingredient.Who ever would have thought that you could make both bread and cheese from lupins? Amazed? I think you will be.
Tremoço cheese ("fake cheese")
2 teaspoons brewer's yeast powder 
1 tremoços with skins on (bottled) 
2 tablespoons (coffee) salt 
8 teaspoons powdered agar agar*
3 cups  water 
4 tablespoons olive oil
Beat the tremoços with salt, the beer yeast and half the water in the blender until it turns into a thick paste.Mix the remaining half of the water still cold with the agar agar and dissolve well.Bring this mixture to the boil, stirring constantly, bring to the boil and bubble for about two minutes (it will look viscous, if it does not look like that, it will not solidify properly).Turn on the blender again and add the olive oil and agar agar direct from from the flame (it has to be quick as agar agar hardens even faster at room temperature),Beat until thoroughly mixed.Place in a loaf pan or terrine greased with olive oil and leave in a refrigerator until it hardens (about 30 minutes).

THE VERDICT: The cheese was the closest food could come to cruel and corporal punishment.It tasted like cold, bland ,unflavoured and unseasoned polenta.Why would any vegan want to inflict this hardship on themselves?The humane treatment of animals is the issue here,and to eat  "fake cheese" is surely an example of the inhumane treatment of human beings.I suffered such discomfort and indigestion.What I had just eaten was an assault on my stomach.I could think of many ways this recipe might be made moderately acceptable but quite honestly why would I waste the time spent on experimenting.
My thoughts on improvement were the addition of some herbs,thyme or such like and maybe some chilli flakes or dried fruit.I will not however be making this again.In short i will be returning to my trusted bacon and brie sandwich.
* Agar-agar is the vegetarian substitute for animal gelatine, obtained from an algae and composed of 70% soluble fibers. Remember: cheeses are not suitable for vegans and most of the time they are not suitable for vegetarians because they use  animal curd (they can also use pepsin and lipase). This alternative is free of lactose, casein, saturated fat and cholesterol.
  
Pao de tremoço (tremoço bread rolls)
350 gr self raising flour
200 gr Tremoços,drained and mashed in a processor
250ml, 50/50 blend of plain yogurt and water,or vegan alternative
Rinse the tremoços under running water to get the salt out. Then mash with the a stick blender
Put the flour in a bowl. Make a hole in the center and add the blend of yoghurt and water.Knead everything together and add the mashed tremoços.
Knead everything again very well until it is homogeneous.leave for 20 minutes to stand at room temperature.Divide dough into 3 or 4 balls and bake for +/- 40 min at 180c.

THE VERDICT: The tremoço bread rolls were quite palatable and indicative of Irish soda bread,which is not a bad thing at all, but they were a little too worthy for our liking. 
  
Vegan leek and potato soup 

2 medium or 1 large leek,trimmed of outer layers and damaged part of the green
25g vegan butter
3 medium potatoes,bakers or reds,peeled and coarsely diced
Generous salt and pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
Slice the leeks finely,put in alarge bowl of warm water,and swirl them about to rinse off any dirt.warm water is pretty vital here as leeks often secrete sand and mud,neither of which is ready soluble in cold water.Using your hands or aspider lift the leeks out of their bath and into a colander.Rinse the bowl out thoroughly and repeat the process.If you simply pour the leeksfrom the bol into the colander,all the caarefully washed out dirt will get back on them.(The Roux brothers insist that washing the leeks in warm water improves the flavour) Having made this soup for 25 years I would agree.

Melt the butter in a large solid-based saucepan and add the drained leeks.Sweat these over a medium flame for 5 minutes or so; the leeks should partially collapse and glisten from their coating of butter, but should not take on any significant amount of colour.Add the diced potatoes and sweat for a further 5 minutes,they will start to stick after this time,a sure sign that their sweating period is over.Season judiciously with salt and pepper and add enough stock to cover the vegetables.Stir to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan,turn the heat up high and boil until the potatoes are tender,about 15-20 minutes.Allow to cool a little then liquidise.Adjust the seasononing and reheat if necessary before serving.

THE VERDICT:The soup was delicious. I could not bring myself to pay the exorbitant price for vegan butter, and I am sure that if I had the deepness of flavour would have been lost. 

Farmer´s market carrot top and coriander root to stem soup

 ceramic soup bowl sold by weight from AROMA ao Kg ,Tavira

Why is it so hard to find a recipe for carrot and coriander soup? I consulted all the usual oracles on my bookshelves and even computer said NO.Well there were recipes there on the internet, but so dull you would not want to bother with them.Well when I get my heart set on something I mean business, and with the chill in the air I wanted a heart warming comfort food.Today the monthly market was in town so I strode off to find my ingredients.There they were laid out before me, sheaves of fresh coriander tied with string, carrots with their  bushy, parsley-like greens still attached,that guarantees that farmer’s market halo of freshness.Why do supermarkets assume you will just throw the tops away so they waste plastic and bag them up. The perkiness and freshness of the greens are a good indication of how fresh the carrots themselves are. But that's not the only reason to buy intact, green-topped carrots. The greens themselves are pleasantly bitter and have tart imparting flavours that can perfectly balance out carrots' earthy sweetness in a dish. (And if the taste alone isn't enough to convince you, think about how many #wasteless points you'll get by using those tops rather than tossing them.) What a crime to throw away carrot tops.Stop throwing them away,and prepare a soup with them that´s full of local flavour, it's delicious! I cast my mind back to a sumptuous soup I used to make from Jane Grigson´s vegetable book
Potage Creçy it was called, in deference to the chalky area of France that carrots are supposed to grow best,But the twist I liked here was that she cited a variation which included fresh orange juice.Today I took it one step further and added coriander roots and carrot tops.

Carrot top and coriander root to stem soup
1 large bunch of carrots with tops,both chopped
Lower stalks from a large bunch of fresh coriander,chopped
1 onion, chopped
60g (2 oz) butter
125g (4oz)diced potatoes
1 heaped tablespoon of rice
1 liytre good quality vegetable bouillon
80ml (4 fl oz )milk
freshly squeezed orange juice to taste
plentiful flor de sal and freshly ground black pepper 
Soften the onion in the butter,add the coriander stems,carrot tops,potato rice and seasoning,stirring the about to mix them well together.Pour in the stock,simmer,covered,until the carrots are well cooked.blitz the whole contents of the pan with a hand blender till you have a rich thick velvety soup,When ready to eat.reheat with some milk and season to taste with the fresh orange juice mixing it in gradually so that it never becomes too strong,throw in a good handful of coriander leaves and blitz the whole lot again until you achieve your desired consistency.

"Simple" Yotam says...

 Yum yum-ollenghi

I am just love love loving my new Ottolenghi.This is the third recipe I have cooked from his new book and if you are lucky enough you will not need to even buy the book as I keep trying and testing and posting the results right here. The book is exactly what it says it is "SIMPLE."For this recipe "Squid and red pepper stew" I made a couple of minor changes.I had some prime baby octopus from the amazing Olhao market and decided to substitute this for the squid.He suggested serving the dish with rice or cous cous but I decided to add potatoes to it, making it a one pot dish and something I remembered from a Portuguese recipe that I had previously cooked "Octopus with red wine and potatoes" The only other change I made to the recipe was to use piri-piri flakes in place of the caraway seeds and allspice.The result delivered big on flavour and one I will definitely return to.Meanwhile I am bookmarking my way through the pages, and think next up will be a pasta dish or "Pork with ginger,spring onion and aubergine." Mind you I`m quite tempted by the "Fish cake tacos with mango and cumin yoghurt".I´ll keep you posted.
Squid or octopus and red pepper stew
Served 2 as a main course
80 ml olive oil
1 onion sliced into pinwheels about 1cm wide
I large red pepper,halved, core and seeds removed,cut into long slices 1 cm thick
2 garlic cloves,thinly sliced
( 2tsp caraway seeds, 3/4 tsp ground allspice) I used a sprinkling of piri piri flakes
1 kg baby squid,cleaned,skin removed,cut into 1.5cm strips (500g) I used Octopus
6 new potatoes, peeled and quartered
1.5 tbsp tomato paste 
3 bay leaves
1tbsp chopped thyme leaves 
150ml red wine
1 small orange,zest finely grated to get 1/2 tsp (optional)
salt and black pepper
Put the oil into a large sauté pan,for which you have a lid, and place on a medium high heat.Add the onion and red pepper,along with 1/3 teaspoon of salt,and cook for 5 minutes,stirring from time to time.Add the garlic,caraway seeds,allspice,(if using)and a really good grinding of black pepper.Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes,until everything is nice and soft.
Add the squid or octopus,and potatoes,if using, cook for 5 minutes,then stir in the tomato paste,bay leaves and thyme.Cook for another 2-3 minutes,then pour in the wine.Reduce the heat to low and allow everything to simmer away,covered, for about 30 minutes,stirring a few times,until the squid/octopus is cooked and soft.If the sauce is turning dry towards the end of cooking,you might need to add a tablespoon or two of water.Add the orange zest just before serving if using,and give everything a final gentle stir.