A língua de gato,Um novo bolacha seco salgada

Has the cat got your tongue? It is an expression we use in England about someone who remains silent when they are expected to speak.When you serve up these savoury beauties I guarantee that the cat will have all your guests tongues.They will be at a loss for words and be gagging for more.
I have made these on many an occasion,but only realised this time how much they might be related to the French classic, langue de chat.My version is loosely inspired by an original Ottolenghi recipe, but by the time I have 'deliberated, cogitated and digested' his recipe, it bears little resemblance to the original.Ones first reaction to these "crackers" is one of surprise but served with dips and cheese they become quite an addictive snack.Beware they are very fragile,so handle them carefully.,or you´ll be crying out Oh crumbs.

Flor de sal, thyme and olive oil crackers
Makes 32

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
115ml water
25ml olive oil,plus extra for brushing
1/2 tsp Flor de sal
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked picante paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
Generous sprinklings of Flor de sal mediterranica 

In a large bowl,mix together all the ingredients except the flor de sal to form a soft dough.You can do this by hand or in a processor fitted with a dough hook Work the dough until you get a firm consistency,then cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 220c/gas mark 7.Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface or board.Have a bowl of flour ready at your side for dusting.Use a large sharp knife to cut  off walnut sized pieces (roughly 15g each) from the dough. Roll out each piece as thinly as possible with a rolling pin,dusting with plenty of flour as you go.They should end up looking like long oval tongues,almost paper thin.
Place the crackers on a tray lined with baking parchment.Brush them with plenty of olive oil and sprinkle generously with Flor de sal. Bake for about 6 minutes,until crisp and golden.

Sexing up the Waldorf

Casa Rosada has been asked to cater a New Years Eve party for friends in their villa..The menu is simple but sumptuous. Three canapés, Porchetta with fondant potatoes and stir fried cavolo nero with garlic and chilli.To end, chocolate mousse cake with fresh mandarins. However, as always in the planning stage, several dietary requirements and dislikes had to be taken into account.
Peppers brought out a big NO from the host, so my starter for eight of Piquillo pepper mousse with parmesan crisps was first to be knocked out of the ring.
Salads are always an option.After the holy trinity of Christmas day( Smoked salmon,the bird and the pud) has passed, one craves for the healthier options. In our household we never cease to be disloyal to the trinity.Potted shrimps,octopus salad, duck and trifle are are our most favourite items for the festive dinner.
At this time of year when over indulgence has hit hard, and I speak from my own point of view here, I have a yen for raddicio, little gem and Romaine leaves with hard -boiled eggs,anchovies,capers but I know too many who wage vendettas against one or all of those hapless ingredients not to take the chance.Sigh.
 So,I thought I would sex up the traditional Waldorf salad incorporating among other ingredients beetroot and grilled goats cheese, in my mind always a match made in heaven, but then combine them with little gem leaves and the three main components of the classic Waldorf, celery, apple and a creamy dressing.

Almost a Waldorf Salad
(quantities per portion.Increase the ingredients accordingly per number of servings )
1/2 little gem lettuce per portion
1/4 medium sweet dessert apple cut into small chunks
small handful chopped walnuts per portion
1/2 small roasted beetroot cut into rounds
1/2 stick celery finely chopped 
chopped parsley to garnish
4 medium slices of Goats cheese,cut from a log,preferably chevre,per portion  


Creamy dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp home made mayonnaise

In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
In a medium bowl tear  up the little gem leaves and combine with the celery and apple chunks.Toss in some of the dressing making sure everything is coated.Set aside.
Put the slices of Goats cheese on a roasting tray under the grill until melted and bubbling.
While the cheese is grilling,assemble the leaves apple and celery on a serving plate.Tuck the beetroot rounds in and around the leaves trying not to stain the rest of the salad.Scatter the chopped walnuts over the salad.
Bring the goats cheese from the grill and carefully place them on top of the salad.Add a little more dressing over the salad and finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Better the devil you know now than the devil you did - sriracha devilled eggs

I am constantly noticing newspaper and magazine articles with titles like..."50 things to do before you die".Well in culinary terms it got me thinking.What have I never attempted to cook? What came to the fore was devilled eggs.I have never as much as attempted this classic, let alone meddled with it, so what’s so “deviled” about deviled eggs?
Traditional deviled eggs? I am sure most have you have been there and done that. But with the extra spice kick from next years hot prediction, sriracha sauce? I don´t think you will have.Once you have though, you´re gonna go back and do it again and again and again. Don´t worry, Satan hasn´t  meddled too much with these little lovelies,They still contain the requisite mustard and mayonnaise for the deviled egg traditionalists. But it’s the smidgen of bacon dripping and some of that hot hellish heat that comes in the name of Sriracha sauce that makes these  become something of a crowd-pleasing hors d'oeuvre that are the perfect way to start that ad hoc lunch.They are so easy to make that you can get the party started in 30 minutes or less. Just watch your guests saunter past that buffet table again and again and again to snitch a little bit more.Now I have crossed the threshold I for one will be devouring more than just two or three in one sitting.Bring ´em on......

Sriracha devilled eggs
makes 24 servings
12 large eggs
2 tablespoons  white wine vinegar
1/2 cup  homemade mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon  homemade Sriracha sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons pork dripping
Flor de sal and freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Put the eggs in a large pan. Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch and add the vinegar, too. Place the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat, place it in the sink, and run cold water over the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes to cool them down and stop them cooking further. Transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with iced water and leave them for about 20 minutes,or more, until they’re completely cooled .Remove the eggs from the water, peel them and then cut them in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop out the yolks and tip them into a medium bowl. You should have perfectly hard-cooked eggs with a firm yolk. To the egg yolks in the bowl stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, Sriracha, and pork dripping and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk the ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust any ingredient as desired. Fill a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off with the mixture and pipe it into the egg white halves. (Alternatively, you can simply use the same teaspoon to fill each egg white cavity. Top each with slithers of snipped chives, if using. Serve immediately.

The morning after,cranberry sauce muffins

Spongy,sticky,spicy,Christmasy muffins using lovely leftover cranberry sauce.They’re so easy to whip up, and just perfect for that lazy morning after the biggest day of the year. Cranberry sauce is arguably one of the best trimmings of Christmas – especially when its home made. I went a bit overboard and whipped up way more than was needed.Well If a little is good, a lot is even better! Am I Right? We' ve eaten half of them already.
So lets get to the point, inevitably there are always leftovers. While there are a trillions of things you can do with leftovers, this one really is not only the most inventive "left over"  on the planet but also the perfect morning after breakfast.Make sure you are the first up in the morning and whip up a batch of these little or not so little lovelies.Pop them in the oven and by the time the rest of your household surfaces there will be a warm batch on their entrance.Enjoy.

Left over cranberry sauce muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups leftover cranberry sauce
1/2 cup milk (can substitute almond milk)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take a 12-cup standard-size muffin tin,and add silicone muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, milk, vegetable oil and egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.
Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups - about 3/4 to all the way full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when you touch them and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out dry.

Mousse de piquillos y bocadillo crujiente de parmigiano reggiano-Feliz Navidad

"Tapa, small snack, great pleasure"

"Catch a falling star an' put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away
Catch a falling star an' put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day"
Perry Como

Yes its the countdown to the entertaining season.As fast as Charlize Theron can leg it up a hundred metres of satin Christmas is here.
J´adore the scentimentality of it all. No longer do we have to go around smelling of Tramp.(Tramp by Mayfair was an Oriental floral fragrance for women.The must have Christmas gift  was launched in 1975. The fragrance featured citrus, floral and oriental notes). 
The slushy adverts only encourage us to dig our heels in and ignore supermarkets yonder, beckoning us with promises of a gluten free Christmas. God spare us all,we are wiser.
Nothing seems special any more. Prosecco Valdobbiadene, once nectar of the gods is now available in Iceland,where apparently you can also purchase a chocolate cake, hand finished with a star.Now what makes me think I would not fall for that one.That reminds me ,I must spritz my optimum body areas with Perry Como (my friend Stacey´s endearing term for my 360º by Perry Ellis cologne) on Christmas morning.The Daily Mail´s Maybelle Morgan suggests pulse points,including wrists and backs of knees as preferred optimum body zones.Areas such as the belly button emit heat and maximise scent intensity.Maybe Maybelle knows,or maybe she´s really Maybelline but she´ll have us all into fifty shades of temptation the worse this Christmas if we follow that sort of advice.
I am starting to sound like a bah humbug Katy Hopkins ( not to be confused with Mary Hopkins, "those were the days my duck".No seriously,what is left that is special? Please dont say 3 game birds rolled and stuffed inside each other.Its neither tasty or clever.I think to bring back the magic and make Christmas a little special again you need to go a little off piste and I have to say this is easier if you are living abroad, and this was more than evident on a recent Christmas food shopping trip to Andalucia.I commented on the amazing array of seasonal treats to be had from lovely old fashioned grocers shops where you can sit down with a glass of pedro ximenez after making your purchases.
 Without a doubt tapas are the principal hallmark of Spanish gastronomy as well as one of the country’s principal exports. Many  have created their own versions of this typical Spanish style of eating.
Here is my version of a tapa from  Pamplona, a much loved destination of Hemingway in the 1920´s. Pamplona was his first obsession – a mutual romance. Even now, though sizeable of reputation, the capital of the Navarre region is a small city, hemmed into the north-east corner of Spain. In Hemingway's heyday, this was trebly the case – a little-acknowledged citadel barely grown beyond its medieval youth,like Christmas a secret package waiting to be unwrapped.Nowadays it has become a city famous for its small bites-Tapas.

Mousse de piquillos y bocadillo crujiente de parmigiano
Known as the 'red gold' of Navarrese market gardens, the Piquillo pepper is indigenous to the south-western part of Navarre in northern Spain.They are easily recognisable thanks to their small size, triangular shape with an incisor-like slightly curving tip, deep red colour and smooth texture, and the stamp of the Control Board which appears on every can and bottle to endorse their excellent quality.

150g piquillo peppers
6 garlic cloves,cut into slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons of vegetable bouillon,preferably Marigold
100ml whipping cream
125ml tomato purée
1 leaf of gelatin
2 parmesan crisps per portion
salt and sugar
Poach the sliced garlic in olive oil.When they start to colour add the piquillo peppers and season with salt and sugar. Saute for ten minutes, add stock, cream and tomato purée cook five minutes more.Blitz in  a processor, strain and return to the pan. Put the gelatine to soak in cold water and add to the warm cream mixture, add salt to taste.Fill small porcelain dishes or ramekins with the pepper mousse right up to the brim.Put in the fridge to set for at least four hours or preferably overnight. Make the parmesan crisps from the link above.When ready to serve, stand 2 parmesan crisps in each pepper mousse and bring to the table.

Whats that terrible smell it must be ma griffe!!!!       Feliz Navidad a todos

"Perna de borrego do mar"

 Gigot de tamboril com alho alecrim e anchova

You  might have guessed I am a huge fan of tweaking,yes tweaking not twerking.Unless I am cooking for clients or guests I rarely cook a dish the same way twice.
There are many benefits to being a serial ‘tweaker’. The biggest is I rarely feel bored with my cooking, or like I’m ‘stuck in a rut’. Tweaking keeps recipes  alive and kicking and tasting fresh and interesting.
The other plus is that it allows me to use the ingredients I have in the larder. Which minimizes waste and also cuts down on shopping trips. I was shopping for some sea bass in the market on Saturday and some monkfish tails caught my eye.I love monkfish tail and giving it an edge with rosemary and anchovy is just amazing.
I usually wrap monkfish tail in bacon, or make a monkfish tagine but calling to mind something I read recently about the french term for monkfish tail being gigot de mer,literally meaning "leg of lamb of the sea",it got me thinking.The shape of a monkfish tail is somewhat reminiscent of a leg of lamb so why not lance it with anchovies and roast it in a roasting tray with rosemary and garlic as one would a leg of lamb.Monkfish tails work particularly well if simply baked, as the meaty flesh holds together well during cooking.This certainly made a delicious and comforting Sunday lunch on a chilly and damp winters day.I made a tomato vinaigrette,not far removed from a ratatouile, but without the courgettes and aubergine.What could be more Provençale? -and as Shakespeare once said  "let the sky rain potatoes",and outside it certainly did.I served baby red skinned potatoes roasted with garlic and yet more rosemary.If I was a fish and chipocrite I would be well happy with that for my Christmas dinner.Isn't Ann a vegetarian? Yes, but she still eats fish.

Gigot de tamboril com alho alecrim e anchova

1kg/ 2 1/2 lb monkfish tail
1 tin anchovy fillets
6 Tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
a large bunch of rosemary

FOR THE TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp wine vinegar
2 dessert spoons chopped tomatoes

Using a sharp knife make slits in the fish and insert pieces of anchovy. Marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper for at least two hours.
Lay the fish on a large bed of rosemary in a roasting tin.Pour more oil over the fish (it is the presence of fat that releases the essential oils of the rosemary, this will be apparent at the end of 45 minutes cooking) 
Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180C / 350F / gas 4 for 45 minutes.
To make the tomato vinaigrette,heat the ingredients in a small pan and season to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and pour over the warm vinaigrette.Serve with garlic roasted baby new potatoes.

Em algum lugar além do mar - uma onda cerebral

Somewhere beyond the sea -a brainwave......
How many front covers does a magazine have? The logical answer, one, is a thing of the past.

In an effort to woo readers, and generate additional advertising revenue magazines are now being published with two, three, four or more front covers, typically appearing one after another as if a printing press had run amok, or perhaps just the result of a unanimous decision not having been reached at the monthly cover meeting.

It’s hard to find something with the power of a magazine cover to attract attention,  so when you bring out a surprising version of that cover, it can create a great impact.

Multiplying the number of front covers, each bearing a different image and, on the inside, a different ad  can create a great panoply.In marketing terms covers carrying a variety of images encourages readers to collect them. Applying this principle to gourmet food packaging is something new.Portuguese sardine packaging perhaps being an exception. The Esperao brand of wines have for some years been commissioning famous Portuguese artists to design wine labels for them and  the original artworks are housed in a gallery open to the public.

Fresh from our shores and just in time for Christmas, the creative genius that is Salmarim has launched the second edition of their portable salts in nine different pack designs.The difference from Esperao is that each pack contains the same product, but the packaging is different.Jorge and Sandra, brand founders of Salmarim , invited Patricia Conde, Vanessa Teodoro, Pedro Emanuel Santos, Amélia Muge, António Leal and Francisco Cipriano to design new packaging. The text on the packaging was created by Patricia Serrado.
The options here are never ending. For families like my own, table presents at Christmas were a tradition.At the Christmas dinner table there was always a present next to your place setting.You only spent up to a maximum of €5 per present and one example for adults would be lottery tickets and scratch cards wrapped up.Well, bearing this concept in mind my suggestion for this years table presents is the same present for each person- portable salt, but when the receiver unwraps their present each one is in an individual pack.So say there are 8 family members your total cost is under €40 and you can buy them all under one roof.What have Salmarim got up their sleeve or what trick are they going to pull out of the bag for the next edition? I am already imagining flip packaging,printed in two sections with the back of the packaging becoming the front when turned upside down,or maybe gatefold packaging which fold in or out to form exotic shapes with stories and recipes printed inside......but whatever dont forget to take the salt and a reminder of one of Portugal´s best products wherever you go.

Available now from Salmarim , A vida Portuguesa, http://www.creative-gourmet.com/
and selected suppliers in Central London,UK at a later date.

Alho Francês à Brás - ele gostou imensamente

Quando em Portugal nem sempre eu faça como os Português fazer e este é um exemplo. When in Portugal I do not always do as the Portuguese do, and this is one example.
One of my favourite bacalhau dishes from the reputed 1,001 recipes is the classic Bacalhau à brás.The origin of the recipe is uncertain, but it is said to have originated in Bairro Alto, an old quarter of Lisbon. The noun "Brás" (or sometimes Braz) is supposedly the surname of its creator.The dish is made from shreds of salted cod, onions and thinly chopped fried potatoes mixed in with lightly scrambled eggs. It is usually garnished with black olives and sprinkled with fresh parsley.When the dish is cooked well it is phenomenal.When cooked badly you don´t want to know.Bacalhau is not however to everyones taste.You either love it or hate it.The thespian has a particular aversion to it,calling it the devil´s food.As he likes leeks and eggs I thought I would make this vegetarian version for him and see if he would like it.Ele gostou imensamente.This makes a great brunch dish, simple supper or quick and perfect meal for a student budget.Então, continuando a minha campanha para louvar o alho-Francês seguida é Alho Francês à Brás.

Alho Francês à Brás
1 alho francês grande (só a parte branca)   1 large leek (white part only) 
1 dente de alho      1 clove garlic
1 folha de louro      1 bay leaf
4 ovos XL                4 extra large eggs
300g de batata palha     300g thin potato sticks
Coentros                       fresh Coriander leaves
Azeite                           olive oil
Sal                                Flor de sal
Pimenta branca             white pepper
Noz moscada                 grated nutmeg
Azeitonas pretas            Black olives for garnish

Num tacho com um fio de azeite e a folha de louro refoga-se o alho francês às rodelas bem finas e o dente de alho bem picado até reduzir de volume.
Mistura-se a batata palha e reserva-se.
À parte bate-se os ovos juntamente com uma pitada de sal, noz moscada e a pimenta.
Verte-se na mistura anterior e envolve-se bem e em lume brando, mexendo sempre para não pegar no fundo do tacho.
Acrescenta-se os coentros picados e envolve-se novamente.
Serve-se com azeitonas pretas e polvilha-se com mais coentros ou salsa se preferirem.

Thinly slice the leeks in rounds. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and saute the bay leaf, leeks and finely chopped garlic clove until everything is reduced.Blend in the Potato sticks well and set the pan aside and reserve. In a bowl beat the eggs with a pinch of salt,nutmeg and pepper.Combine this well with the leek and potato mixture and place the pan back on a low heat,stirring constantly so the eggs do not stick to the bottom of the pan.Chop the coriander and add to the pan.
Serve topped with black olives and sprinkle with coriander or parsley if you prefer.

A breakfast of toasted panettone with banana

At this time of year there is a plethora of panettone in the shops.Its not expensive and a little goes a long way.A breakfast with a difference and packed with goodness can launch you into your day feeling nourished from just four ingredients
This breakfast takes about 10 minutes to make.Don´t be tempted to butter the panettone or sprinkle sugar over the fruit. It just isn´t necessary.If you prefer or just dont have any panettone try it with thick slices of brioche instead.If you are not driving to work you can sprinkle a few drops of rum or as i did some orange liqueur over it, just before the panettone is grilled.Serve with live,natural yoghurt -cream would be far too rich, and ruin the purpose of this healthy breakfast.Alternatively if you dont feell this is the breakfast for you try it as a pudding for lunch or dinner

1 slice of panettone 1cm / 1/2 inch thick
1 banana
juice of half an orange
live natural yoghurt to serve

Preheat grill until it is very hot.
Place the slice or slices of panettone on a baking tray.
Slice the banana into pieces the thickness of a euro and lay them slightly overlapping on top of the panettone.
Squeeze the orange juice over and place the baking tray under the grill until the banana starts to turn golden.Serve hot with yoghurt

Banana bread with Greek Yoghurt

O iogurte grego contêm lactose? Does greek yoghurt contain lactose?
People who are lactose intolerant may quiver at the thought of having greek yogurt. Just like all natural dairy products, greek yogurt contains lactose.But because greek yoghurt has been strained three times to remove the whey, much of the lactose is also removed. Milk contains about 11 grams of lactose per cup,whereas plain greek yoghurt contains less than half of this per serving.
This qualifies greek yogurt as a low lactose dairy product. Finding this out, was a great step forward for me in trying to fathom out the tolerances and intolerances in my lactose free diet.I also learnt that bananas are an important source of calcium so can help replace some of that lost when not drinking milk.
 The live active cultures (probiotics) inside greek yogurt will help digest lactose for you,and studies have shown that probiotics can lessen the symptoms of lactose intolerance. This is because they modify the metabolic activity of microbiota.. So, is greek yogurt lactose free? No, but it’s perfect if you’re lactose intolerant and want to start introducing a little lactose into your diet!

The ripeness of the bananas is all important

Soft, tender, subtly sweet, and packed with banana flavour, you’d never be able to tell that this banana bread is made without butter or oil. Instead, it’s got Greek yogurt to keep it moist.

And honestly? You’d be fine leaving out the brown sugar and only using a 1/4 cup of honey as a sweetener… especially if you were planning on tossing in some chocolate chips. I like my banana bread without any extras, so I passed on the chocolate chips and walnuts(I know, I know) and played around with the sweetness instead. I am sure the other version is delicious — it really depends on how sweet you like it!

Banana bread with Greek Yoghurt

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large, ripe bananas (~1 cup mashed)
½ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar* 
 chocolate chips/raisins/nuts/etc.(optional)

Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and lightly grease a 9 x 5 bread pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside.
Lightly beat the eggs in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, honey, and brown sugar, if using. Stir until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, spreading it out evenly, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

* depending on how sweet you want your bread to be, you can easily leave out the brown sugar and just use honey especially if you add chocolate chips.