Peasouper

This soup "London Particular,"was named after the thick blankets of yellow fog or `peasoupers´ that used to engulf London.
Surprise you as it may, in the short winter months we have fogs (nevoieros) here in the Algarve too. This week has witnessed some tempo nevoento ( foggy weather ) so my making this soup is quite timely.
We have come to the end of the thespian´s home cured ham and we are now knuckled down to the bone, so I decided to improvise on a traditional English recipe for pea and ham soup. A great use for seasonal leftovers too.

How to make "London Particular"

500g bacon bones or 1 small smoked ham hock

1 cup yellow split peas

1 carrot diced

1 stick celery diced

1 small leek chopped

1 large juicy clove garlic crushed

1 small onion chopped

1 litre of water

Put all the ingredients into a large pan and bring slowly to simmering point. Set the lid of the pan a little ajar and simmer for about 11/2 hours until the peas are quite tender. Remove bones or hock. Discard bones( reserve hock ).Puree the soup in a food processor or blender and adjust the seasoning.If too thick add some extra stock or water. If using a hock, discard the skin, then dice the meat and return to the soup.Serve.
Make a large pot and  keep it in the refrigerator it won´t last long!

"Bah! Hamburg!"-er?

We enjoy a hamburger here in Portugal, as do the Portuguese. Wherever you are during these challenging economic times, the tried and tested philosophy of Economy Gastronomy will surely help you to overcome the credit squeeze.After a hectic day- Brie burger is the new 1/4 pounder with cheese -Simple supper or TV dinner, this is a dickens of a burger and a whole lotta fun in the bun!!! Home made junk food quick as sticks and satisfying my expat cravings. Right now all the TV food channels are talking cheese burger. I have been getting fat just watching the Food Network channel. The programme in question Diners, Drive-ins and Dives "Triple D"´s Guy Fieri called in at the Black Duck Cafe, Westport Connecticut,* where classically trained chef Tim Miller was cooking a Brie Hamburger. WOW!!!
Another night another channel and this time it was Nigel Slaters take on the cheeseburger. Water buffalo burger in ciabatta with buffalo mozzarella and tomato/ How yum is that. But back to the brie burger and the Black Duck Cafe. I have tried this twice now. The first time I sealed the brie carefully in the middle of the burger and then cooked it on a dry griddle. The verdict/ delicious but not enough cheese. Take two was to make two thin rounds of beef for each burger, spread brie all over one round then sandwich the two rounds together sealing them together securely so no cheese can escape.The second time I used much more cheese.Always use a dry griddle or skillet with no oil. The quality of the beef is the most important consideration, and simple seasoning, just salt and freshly ground black pepper. I used salmarim flor de sal pimentao.500g of good quality beef will give you 4 x 125g burgers. Burger bun, bap or any type of artesan roll or ciabatta. the choice is yours. Your main consideration is that some breads will absorb the juices from the meat more efficently than others.Add whatever garnish/ relish, you like.Any body got any innovative ideas to surpass Brie burger? Lets share.

* HOT TIP  Another great culinary tip can be gleaned from this same programme.Chef Tim Miller also cooked clams. He rinsed his clams in cornmeal water. This not only cleans the clams but, as with mussels, they feed on the flour and it fattens them up. What a neat tip is that. Now you can serve the cleanest fattest clams this side of Connecticut.Back in the Algarve I will now always be fattening up my ameijoas with papas de milho.

Cha com Biscoitos

Teatime is an important part of the Casa Rosada timetable. Trollied out after 18 holes of teeing-off on the local links, an afternoon of walking and twitching in the nature reserve or a blustery beach constitutional,our winter guests return to the fold looking forward to a hot brew and an artesan cake or cookie. Ottolenghi to the rescue.
In a nutshell,these cookies are made by shaping cookie mixture into long logs, rolling them in chopped pistachios and then cutting slices off them and baking them. You can always have one of these logs at hand in the freezer, ready to thaw, slice and bake. Its pure Ottolenghi genius yet again.

Pistachio shortbreads- makes about 20
I replaced the ground rice with polenta

8 cardamom pods
200g unsalted butter
25g ground rice or polenta
240g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
35g icing sugar
60g shelled pistachios
1 free range egg,lightly beaten
2tblespoons vanilla sugar

Use a pestle and mortar to crush the cardamom pods, then remove the skins and work the seeds to a fine powder. Beat together in an electric mixer, the butter, ground rice or polenta, flour salt, ground cardamom and icing sugar.Run the machine until they turn into a paste, being careful not to incorporate too much air.Turn out the dough and dusting with a little flour, roll it with your hands into a log 3-4 cm in diameter. wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. While the dough is chilling, chop the pistachios finely with a sharp knife, but not as fine as ground almonds.You should end up with some chunkier bits remaining. Scatter the pistachios on a flat tray. Brush the log with the beaten egg and roll it in the ground pistachios, applying a slight pressure. Wrap back in cling film and return to the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 150c/ gas mark 2. Remove the cling film and cut the log into slices 5mm-1cm thick. Lay them out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, spacing hem at least 2cm apart. Dust with the vanilla sugar. bake the biscuits for roughly 20 minutes. They must not take on too much colour but should remain golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.They have a shelf life of a week.

Epifania

A classic Bolo Rei

JANUARY 6th - Epiphany is a festival that dates back almost 2000 years, celebrated in every Catholic country and community. With it the Christmas season reaches its peak when the the three wise men visited baby Jesus. There were Gaspar, Balthazar and Melchior, three continents, three presents: gold, frankincense and myrrh. In many villages, "kings'  fires" are still lit as a reminder of the fires that, according to legend, burned that night in Bethlehem to hide the star from King Herod."Twelfth Night" as it is traditionally known in England, was marked by celebrations that brought an end to the twelve day Christmas period, and was the last chance for merry-making before returning to work.The link across the globe is in the form of a traditional cake

In Portugal the holiday season ends on January 6 with the King's Cake, or “Bolo-rei”, Portugal's version of an Epiphany cake. It is common for parents to give parties for their children on Epiphany. The Epiphany cake, or Bolo-rei, is a favourite tradition at these parties. Baked in the shape of a crown or ring, the cake contains many small trinkets ( a little heart,a tiny porcelain baby Jesus, an owl, something wrapped up in paper or even a one euro coin, and a dried broad bean. Whoever finds the bean is crowned King of the party and must promise to make the cake the following year. At adult parties, the person who finds the bean is expected to pay for the King´s cake for the following year.

Bolo Rei originated In Lisbon,at Confeitaria Nacional the oldest establishment of its kind in downtown Lisbon, at Praca de Figueira.It has a bright mirrored interior with shiny marble counters, and remains a wonderful place for a cup of coffee and a cake. It was founded in 1829 by Baltazar Ruiz Castanheiro.When it opened this pastry shop was considered one of the most elegant in Europe. It has belonged to the same family for five generations, and has won international recognition, both for its traditional Portuguese cakes and pastries ,and for its creative innovation over the years. Among these  was the introduction of the "Bolo Rei" ( The Kings Cake) brought to Portugal by the son of the founder in the mid-19th century. The fashion for this cake gradually spread to other bakeries in Lisbon and around the country. Initially, the Kings Cake was for the celebration of the three Kings and, therefore, was made only on the eve of Epiphany, but success has meant that its consumption is spread throughout the Christmas season.Even today, the chef follows the same criteria as to the selection of ingredients used and strict compliance with the secret recipe, followed for over 100 years ensuring its unique status in Lisbon.

How to make the perfect Bolo Rei
Serves 10-12
675g (1.5lb )flour
30g (1oz) fresh yeast
140g (5oz)caster sugar
140g (5oz) butter
140g (5oz) mixed nuts and dried fruit
140g (5oz) mixed glace fruit and candied peel
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons Port wine ( or equivalent substitute)
grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten for brushing
1 dried broad bean and trinkets or coin ( optional) 

Steep the dried fruits in the wine, to swell up. crumble the yeast into a little warm water(enough to dissolve it) and add it to about110g(4oz) of the flour. mix well and set aside for 20 minutes in a warm place to rise.Beat the eggs with the sugar, the softened butter, salt and grated rind. Mix in the yeast dough and then the flour, gradually.Knead really well, until it becomes elastic and smooth. Mix in the fruit with the wine and knead again.Gather the dough into a ball and sprinkle with flour. Cover and keep in a warm place for 5-6 hours to double in volume.With floured hands, shape one large or two smaller Kings cakes into a ring. Brush the cake or cakes with the beaten egg and stick the glace fruits and candied peel on top, all round. Bake at 210C/425F/Gas 7 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.After cooling, put the cakes in tins or wrap in foil, to keep them moist

A Condessa Descalça

Childhood Sweethearts Ina and Jeffrey-to have and to hold,from that day forward, for richer for poorer ( I don´t think that was ever an issue!!!) till the leftovers run out...which lets face it will never happen. During the week, Jeffrey Garten, a professor and former dean of the Yale School of Management, eats like many college students. He frequents diners and Chinese restaurants near his house in Southport, Connecticut.But on the weekends, when Garten is home in East Hampton, N.Y., he can savour the delicate flavors of his wife’s perfect cooking. Her meals are perfect  — because SHE IS Ina Garten, the celebrity chef known as the Barefoot Contessa.Mr. Garten appears often on her television shows as the quintessential bumbling husband.“Jeffrey is an easy audience,” she once  said in an interview. “He likes everything I make.”“He’s a deeply appreciative, incredibly supportive husband,” she said.

 “I was never allowed to cook when I was growing up,” Ina  recalled, explaining that her mother liked to have the kitchen to herself. so when she and Jeffrey got married, it was like taking off the shackles.Once those shackles came off, they never went back on.
The Barefoot Contessa in London is a dazzling all-new one hour "holiday" special where she explores the London food scene then inspired by her "delicious discoveries" she conjures up "incredible unmissable holiday meals and parties with a British twist" back home in East Hampton.It all started one night when Jeffrey got home late only to be served up Bangers and Mash, He must have been so disappointed not to say mal- nourished. Ina served him up just one sausage sliced on the diagonal "restaurant style" on a bed of sloppy gloop, not mash by English standards.It got a result though. Jeffrey obviously realised Ina needed some Inspiration regarding her knowledge of traditional English dishes: He offered to take her on a trip to London!!!Others like Jeffrey are disappointed with her culinary Knowledge too. One Portuguese follower Blogged after watching Ina cook "Chicken with Morels"....

"I've just watched the episode on tv, somebody pleeeease let her know that Madeira wine is PORTUGUESE not Spanish! She should know that better! The wine come from Madeira island in Portugal!"

Mrs. Garten says she loves cooking for her husband. But she’s not looking for him to start helping out in the kitchen.Why am I not surprised!!!

In addition, Garten has a brand of food products — The Barefoot Contessa Pantry — available in stores across the United States.

New Years Day - food for friends

Home made Melton Mowbray pork pie, pickled onion and Portuguese Piccalili

In with the new!!!! and suddenly it was the first of January 2011 - one of the one twenty one one. New Years day lunch saw the unveiling of the Thespian´s home cured ham and my second delivery of home made Melton Mowbray Pork pie. Supplemented by the fruits of my last few weeks labours from the Casa Rosada store cupboard we sat down to a hearty lunch, which also included Chourico Branco, Manchego cheese,and home made chicken liver pate Our crimes from the previous night were aided and abetted by Portuguese Mary´s ( Bloody Mary with the addition of Dry Madeira).Well it would have been churlish not to.

The thespian´s first cured ham. We were impressed. Absolutely delicious

Out with the old in with the new

It s that time of year when one should acknowledge and credit the best of the past year.

Recipe book of the year

Plenty -Yotam Ottolenghi

Favourite blog post of 2010

The singing Grocery list- The David Blahg

Try "Do-re-Mi" and "I want it Now"

Restaurant of the year

Amore Vero, Tavira

BestRecipes

Shallot, potato and goat cheese tatin- 
Yotam Ottolenghi

Cauliflower cake- 
Yotam Ottolenghi

Best Advertising campaign for a food product

Albert Bartlett Rooster potato advert featuring Marcia cross ( Bree van de Kamp )

THOSE WE HAVE LOVED BUT LOST

JOE GAZZANO Traditional shop owner

   ROSE GRAYOne of the most influential modern British restaurateurs and chefs who co-founded the iconic River Cafe in London

MICHEL MONTIGNAC

Created a "revolutionary" diet that sanctioned the consumption of foods like foie gras, chocolate, cheese and champagne, while dismissing the weight-loss benefits of exercise; perhaps unsurprisingly, the Montignac method proved immensely popular and made him a wealthy man.

                                              

SUE MILES

Sue Miles, one of the central figures of the London counter-culture of the 1960s and a leading influence on the British "restaurant revolution." Founder of Food for thought, Neal Street, London.

O REVEILLON 2011 MARAVILHOSO!!

O PROSPERO ANO NOVO

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!

Nuts about aperitif

Spiced nuts
A favourite Casa Rosada nibble and the perfect accompaniment to an aperitif.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon  chilli flakes

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

350g( 11oz) mixed nuts. pecans,cashews,peanuts, macadamias, brazils

Preheat the oven to 160C(315F). Place all the spices in a spice grinder or blender and grind to a fine powder.Transfer this spice blend to a large bowl and mix thoroughly with the brown sugar nuts and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. add the Olive oil, mix well and place on a large roasting tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until the nuts have coloured a little.Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Makes 350g(11oz)but the quantity can be doubled,if you planning a party.

All them yesterdays, tomorrows panettones

A large slice of Italian heaven on a Portuguese plate !!!!

Have you got some panettone  or pan d´oro left over from Christmas? These two Italian Christmas breads make a perfect pudding from left overs. - Zucotto. In Italy during the Christmas season this is a traditional dessert.I have been lucky enough to find these Italian cakes readily available here in Portugal. Most good supermarkets stock them around Christmas time. In case you are wondering what the difference is - Panettone has dry fruits and pand´oro is a plain sponge.The recipe calls for candied fruits so if you are not partial to dried fruits, I suggest you opt for the plain sponge version. It is a bit of a faff to assemble, but then again there is no cooking involved, and after all the efforts you´ve put in to get your families fed this Christmas, you´ll like the sound of that.The end result is more than worth the effort. It is a perfect post Christmas dessert or finale to a New Year´s day lunch. 

Panettone Pudding

serves 6 

1 kg ( 4x 250g tubs ) ricotta

140g caster sugar

70g candied fruits, finely chopped

40g flaked almonds

50g chocolate chips

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

600g panettone, cut into 2 round discs and the rest lengthways into slices 2.5cm thick

175ml dessert licore. I used Casa Rosada´s own Licore de Laranja Sevilha

extra cocoa powder for dusting

You will also need

1 pudding basin or bowl 15cm in diameter

Mix together half the ricotta with 70g of sugar until creamy. Fold in35g of the candied fruit, 20g of the flaked almonds and 25g of the chocolate chips. Mix together thoroughly. Set aside. Mix the remaining ricotta with the remaining sugar and the cocoa powder until creamy. Stir in the remaining candied fruit, flaked almonds and chocolate chips, Set aside.Line the pudding basin or bowl with cling film, leaving generous excess around the edges.Line the bowl with slices of panettone and sprinkle with the licore. Fill with the white ricotta mixture, which should half fill the bowl. Take one of the round panettone slices and place over the top, pressing down gently.Drizzle over a little more licore. Fill with the chocolate ricotta mixture and cover with the other round panettone slice.Bring up the overlap of cling film and place a weight on top. a plate and a kilo bag of sugar should do the trick. Leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours, longer if possible.

take out of the fridge, lift off the weight and remove the cling film over the top. Turn upside down on a plate and very carefully remove the bowl and peel off the cling film. Dust all over with sieved cocoa powder. A Scrumptious slice of Italy in the Algarve.

Left over to your imagination

If all you´ve got in the fridge is leftovers, don´t worry, here are some cunning culinary ways to turn them into a sizzling supper, succulent snacks, souper soup, sizzling stir fry and an unusual appetiser or canape. So don´t allow that lovely home made cranberry sauce to sit in the fridge for another year. Some post-Christmas meals can even turn out tastier than the Christmas dinner itself.Here is how Iused up our left overs.


Brussel leaves with white bean and horseradish puree (above)
250g of cooked cannelini or white beans
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Blanched brussel sprout leaves

Blanch the Brussel leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds.Whizz beans in the food processor with two heaped teaspoons of creamed horseradish, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the juice and zest of 1 lime.Spoon into the poached brussel sprout leaves and serve as a canapes

Bubble and squeak Migas, Alentejo style 
Bubble and squeak should be on everyone's radar come Christmas time - This simple dish is perfect for using up leftover mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts,turnip tops, cabbage,even parsnip, stale bread and white beans. Top with poached eggs for a scrumptious lunch.My version is a fusion of very traditional British with very traditional Portuguese.

1 tablespoon duck fat, goose fat or butter

4 rashers of streaky bacon chopped

left over chourico chopped

1 onion finely sliced

6 cooked Brussel sprouts or left over boiled cabbage, shredded

6 Raw Brussel sprouts with all the leaves separated and shredded coarsely

Handful of raw chinese leaves

400g left over mashed potatoes

Left over cooked parsnip mashed

Melt the fat in a non-stick pan, allow it to get nice and hot, then add the bacon. As it begins to brown, add the onion and garlic. Next, add the sliced sprouts or cabbage and let it colour slightly. All this will take 5-6 mins.Add the Chourico and finally the potato. Work everything together in the pan and push it down so that the migas covers the base of the pan - mould the migas into a tortilla like shape. Allow the mixture to catch slightly on the base of the pan before turning it over by inverting it on a plate slightly smaller than the pan than then and doing the same again. It's the bits of potato that catch in the pan that define the term 'bubble and squeak', so be brave and let the mixture colour. Cut into wedges and serve.

Quick Duck Stir-fry with everything
serves 2, but double or treble the quantities if you need to

With Christmas day falling on a Saturday this year, this made a perfect Monday supper.Just throw everything in the wok for a tasty meal that´s ready in twenty minutes.This makes a delicious supper using any left over roast meat, duck, turkey, beef, pork.Vary the vegetables according to what you have left in your fridge.
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium red chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
2 nuggets of stem ginger finely chopped
1 large spring onion sliced thinly
1/2 leek cut into thin rings
1 small parsnip grated
small florets of cauliflower
handful of Brussel sprout leaves
large handful of shredded chinese leaf
1 small red pepper cut into matchsticks
Your quantity of left over meat
Left over gravy and scrapings from your roast
soya sauce
stem ginger syrup
pinch of garam masala
Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Heat the peanut oil in the wok, when it is hot,toss in the first seven ingredients,mix well and when taking on some colour, throw in the brussel leaves, cabbage and red pepper.Add the left over meat and continue cooking til heated through. Continue frying for another few minutes, then toss in some soya sauce,left over gravy, ginger syrup and the garam masala. mix well and stir for another minute or so. Serve immediately in bowls.Sprinkle with coriander garnish

Brandade and white bean soup
serves 4
If you haven´t made brandade but have leftover salt cod, make the brandade 
following the recipe from my previous post

175g (6oz )dried haricot or small white beans 
1 quantity of left over brandade of salt cod
1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil
chopped flat leaf parsley
Cover the dried beans with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight.The next day, drain the beans and put them in a saucepan with 900ml (1.5 pints) water. bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, until they are soft and just starting to break apart.Drain and reserve the cooking liquor.Put the brandade mixture together with the cooked beans into a processor and blend together until smooth. with the machine still running add the reserved cooking liquor and some milk gradually until a you have obtained a good consistency.Return the mixture to the pan and heat through. Ladle the soup into 4 warmed bowls. drizzle over the olive oil and garnish with a little chopped parsley.

Turkey, yoghurt and spring onion wrap
Left over chicken works equally well if not better. Per portion:
1 tortilla wrap
1/2 cup shredded chicken
2 spring onions finely sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
3 dessert spoons thick yoghurt
half a cup of chopped mint
half a cup of chopped coriander
Squeeze of lemon juice 
 Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
Spoon into wrap and roll up. Serve cut diagonally in two pieces