Grilled Apple, Bacon and Cheese Sarnie

If you are a regular reader here, you will recall me having received a hamper of meat from Piper's Farm several weeks ago, and a very fine hamper it was. We greatly enjoyed all that they sent. I am only now getting to try the bacon though, and I have to say it is the finest bacon I have ever tasted! I'm not making that up either, just because they gave it to me for free. I speak the truth.



It tastes just like bacon used to taste in the old days before supermarkets and plastic packaging. This tastes just like the bacon we used to get back home . . . home smoked and very flavourful. I have fallen in love with it.

From their page: Cured in our home-made brines, air-dried and smoked over oak, our bacon has a wonderful texture and flavour, crisps in the pan.



It is fabulous!

I chose to make a delicious bacon sandwich with some of it for our lunch today. I can't remember where I got the idea for this combination. I won't take credit for it. I saw it somewhere one day when I was surfing the www and it sounded delicious so I made a mental note of it.



Imagine a delicious sandwich, all buttery and toasted on the outsides . . . the insides spread with honey dijon mustard and stogged full of delicious smoked back bacon, sweet slices of apple and gooey scrummy melting farmhouse cheddar . . .



Are you there yet??? Can you taste it???



Go for it. You won't regret it . . . oh, your hips might groan a tiny bit, but all will be forgotten as soon as you sink your teeth into that first delicious bite.



*Grilled Apple, Bacon and Cheese Sarnie*
Make as many as you like or think you can eat
Printable Recipe

Ingredients vary according to how hungry you are or how much you like. Know only for sure that it is delicious!

two slices of sturdy bread (you choose, white, whole wheat, grainy, etc.)
cooked back bacon
a strong farmhouse cheddar cheese, cut into slices
a granny smith apple, washed, cored and cut into thin slices
Honey Dijon mustard
softened butter for spreadin on the outsides

Take your bread and spread both slices on the insides with some of the mustard, spreading it as thin or thick as you prefer. Top one slice with the cheddar cheese and bacon. Top the other one with the thinly sliced apple. Press both slices together with the ingredients on the insides. Butter the outsides, top and bottom.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium low heat. Place the sandwich in, apple side on the bottom, and butter to the pan. Cook gently over low heat until the bread is nice and toasty. Flip over and toast slowly on the other side until the cheese melts.

Note - You cannot rush a grilled cheese sandwich. Slow and steady over a low temperature is the key, oh and patience. That also helps. A tasty sandwich is it's own reward!

Pineapple, Lime & Chilli Sorbet

My ice cream maker hasn't been dusted off and busted out in a while. One might say I lost the love after the salted caramel butter ice cream. How could I top those heady heights? With a shadow of resignation, I got to work. For a while now I'd had the idea of pineapple and lime sorbet. Or mint? Pineapple and mint? Or lime? With gin? Tequila?

In the end, I settled on pineapple and lime with a hint of chilli and served with a few chunks of sweet strawberry, it worked a treat. Smooth, fluffy sorbet was heavily scented with pineapple, spiked through with lime and with a slow, confusing burn. Out of 8 of us who ate it a bewildered murmur went through the group. "Is there ginger in this?" "there's a strange hot-cold thing going on..." I smiled smugly at my secret, eventually revealing the truth.

Pineapple, Lime & Chilli Sorbet

Serves 8

1 ripe pineapple (give the inner most central green leaves a tug. If it comes out easily it's ripe.)
1 large lime
1 red birds eye chilli
100gr sugar
120mls water

In a saucepan, add the sugar and the water. Make a small slit in the chilli but do not slice through completely. Bring to the boil and simmer for a minute, take off the heat, remove the chilli and leave to cool.

Peel and core the pineapple, and chop into chunks. Place in a blender with the juice of the lime and the sugar solution. Blend vigorously until smooth - I left it blending away for about 3 minutes. Chill well, and then place in your ice cream maker. Alternatively, place in a container in the freezer, blending well every couple of hours a few times so that large ice crystals don't form.

You Down with IACP? Yeah, You Know Me!

The travel craziness continues as I'm heading to Austin for the IACP 33rd Annual Conference. This year's theme is: "Light Your Fire: Sparks from the Culinary Edge." 

I'll be doing a session entitled, "DIY Video Production for Food Bloggers," and will be joined by the lovely and talented Sara, from Average Betty, and Daniel Klein, chef and traveling food documentarian from The Perennial Plate. By the way, if you think I travel a lot, check this guy out.

I'm pretty excited to be doing a little teaching, as that's the one thing I do miss most about working at a culinary academy. I love the thought that folks may actually leave the session and be so inspired that they start filming and uploading food videos to their own blogs. Then, in a few years, there will be so many high-quality food videos online that their value will plummet, and I'll be out of business. Damn it! I didn't think this through.

On a related matter, here is a recipe by a new video recipe friend of mine, Marie Lévesque (aka PlatypusGuitar) from Montréal, Canada. She's the host of the Insanely Sexy Potato Show, and this is her Easy Salmon Croquette Recipe. Enjoy!

Spicy Ginger Crackles

All this gloomy weather makes one long for comfort don't you think? Today I had a hankering for some homey biscuits, something all spicy and warm, something that would go down a real treat with a hot drink.



I love ginger biscuits, but I don't like it when they are really hard. I don't mind a bit of crunch on the outside, but I want them to be soft and chewy on the insides.

These delicious biscuits fit the bill perfectly.



They are wonderfully spiced!! With a full 1 1/2 TBS of ground ginger and a further 2 tsp of ground cinnamon, they smell absolutely heavenly when they are baking. Chopped candied ginger adds another depth of sweet heat.



The demerara sugar coating on the outside gives them a wonderfully sweet crunch. The original recipe called for rolling them in icing sugar before baking, but I found that it virtually melted into the biscuits and so I have always just rolled them in demerara sugar. It looks great and tastes great!



Crunchy on the outside yes . . . but nice and chewy on the insides. Just the way I like them. Of course you could bake them for a few minutes longer if you want crunchy, but I like chewy. It is my bliss. 12 minutes gets you chewy bliss. 15 minutes gets you crunch.



Truth be told, they are gorgeous either way. Almost too gorgeous! I think I'll have to put them under lock and key, and give the key to Todd. It will probably be the only way I'll be able to leave them alone!



*Spicy Ginger Crackles*
Makes 3 dozen
Printable Recipe

A deliicous ginger cookie that is nicely spiced and coated in crunchy demarara sugar!

4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
7 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
2.4 ounces molasses (1/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
1 1/2 TBS ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8.5 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 ounces chopped candied ginger (about 1/3 cup)
Demerara sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Berat in the egg. Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, soda and a pinch of salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture, combining well. Stir in the candied ginger.

Place some demerara sugar in a bowl. You will only need a couple tablespoonsful. Shape spoonfuls of the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in the demerara sugar and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crackled. Remove from the oven. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, and then scoop off to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note - the original recipe called for rolling the cookies icing sugar, but I found it didn't work well. The icing sugar disappeared on baking. Demerara sugar gives a much nicer finish.

Cream Cheesy Cubed Zucchini with Lemon and Oregano

Those of you expecting some kind of char-grilled hunk o' meat, fat-glistening-in-the-sun-type video for Memorial Day will probably be disappointed to see this humble zucchini dish. I really can't blame you. It is zucchini for heaven's sake.

I've been busy traveling on some secret business trips recently, so while I'd normally have a hard time feigning such excitement over squash, considering how much time I've had, I'm actually quite thrilled with how this came out.

I didn't start out trying to make a creamy zucchini recipe, but when I glanced in the fridge and saw the last crumbled remains of fresh cream cheese, I knew those green cubes sizzling away in the skillet were about to get enriched.

Like I said in the video, this would make a pretty nice side dish for all that grilled meat you are going to tong this summer, or as an impressive base for grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp. Also, to get extra fancy, use crème fraiche (preferably homemade) instead of the cream cheese. Enjoy!

I want to wish you all a delicious and safe Memorial Day. Hopefully you'll join me in taking a few moments to remember all those who gave their lives protecting our freedom and way of life.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 cups cubed zucchini

2 tablespoon olive oil

red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

2 tablespoon cream cheese

1 or 2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Morello Cherry, Oat and Buttermilk Muffins

Every once in a while I like to bake us up some tasty muffins for breakfast. Not only are they quick and easy, but they make a nice change from cereal and toast.



Most times, I measure out the dry ingredients in a bowl the night before, and whisk them together before I go to bed. I cover them and then the next morning all I have to do is to whisk together the wet, combine the two, spoon them into the tins and in less than half an hour we have some nice warm muffins ready to eat. They go down a real treat in the morning, served warm with a nice cup of cocoa. (or tea or coffee if that is your choice.)



These delicious muffins are one of our favourites. Wholesome with oats, and with a moist buttermilk batter, they have the added surprise of a centre filled with morello cherry preserves.



Sometimes I top them with flaked almonds before baking, but more often than not, I sprinkle a bit of demerara sugar on top, which gives them a nice crunchy topping.



They freeze really well too. You can just pop any leftovers into a zip lock baggie and the take one or two out as you need them, warming them up in the microwave for about 35 to 40 seconds. Delicious, and nice to have on hand when you get a bit of unexpected company!



*Morello Cherry, Oat and Buttermilk Muffins*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Delectably moist and wholesome. with a surprisingly scrummy centre of Morello Cherry Preserves!

8 ounces of plain flour (scant 2 cups)
2 ounces of porridge oats (not instant) (scant 3/4 cup)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp salt
4 ounces caster sugar (scant 2/3 cup)
2 medium free range eggs
250ml of low fat buttermilk (9 fluid ounces)
3 ounces butter, melted (6 TBS)
1 tsp almond essence
4 TBS morello cherry preserves
3 TBS demerara sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter well a 12 hole standard muffin cup, or line with paper liners. Set aside.

Measure the flour, oats, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and almond essence. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir together only to moisten without over mixing. Spoon a dollop into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Drop 1 tsp of preserves into the centre of each and then cover with a dollop of the remaining batter. Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

In Search of the Perfect Baked Potato

I love potatoes. They are my favourite vegetable. I could live without chocolate. I could live without cake. I could live without cookies . . . I could not ever live without potatoes. Oh sure, I've tried low carb . . . but the potato is my downfall every time. I just can't get on for very long without them!

I like em steamed. I like em mashed. I like em fried. I like em roasted. I like em hot. I like em cold. I even like em raw . . . but the way that I like em most of all . . . is baked!



You just can't beat a good baked potato. Rough on the outside, crisp even . . . and explodingly fluffy on the insides. Big and fat and round . . . and eaten so hot that you have to blow on every forkful you bring to your mouth . . . you just can't wait for them to cool down . . . you have to eat them NOW!

Not just any potato will do. You don't want a waxy potato. (A waxy potato is perfect for potato salad because it holds up it's shape in cooking.) You want a nice fluffy potato, big and round . . . like a King Edward or Maris Piper, or in North America . . . a Russet.



You can't hurry a baked potato. It's not something you can rush. The perfect baked potato takes a long slow roasting in a hot oven. Some people like to wrap them in foil. Foil wrapped baked potato = soggy icky baked potato. Some people like to wet them and roll them in salt. That works quite well I suppose. Some people like them rubbed with oil, or with butter before they are baked.


Me??? I just wash em, and prick them all over (a necessity unless you want to be clearing off exploded bits of baked potato from all over the insides of your oven) and then I lay them in the hot oven right on the rack. No pan. No foil. Just hot air wrapping itself around that potato and baking it until it is crispy and nutty on the outside and fully on the inside. In short perfect!



Don't cut into your baked potato . . . that only mashes the potato together and compacts it. Nigel Slater swears by the Karate Chop! (And you know how much I love Nigel Slater!) He recommends just a llight sharp tap on the side of the potato, like a karate chop . . . not so hard that you smash the potato to smithereens . . . just hard enough to slightly crack open the potato and let all the air out in a whoosh, leaving behind a tasty fluffy pile of snowy potato, just begging for a big pat of butter and your fork!

A steak is not a steak without a baked potato on the side, but a good baked potato deserves so much more than to be merely an accessory to the main course . . . a good baked potato is like having a blank canvas that you can paint a most beautiful picture on. It can be the whole meal and for me it often is.

• With tasty Baked Beans ladled on top and lotsa lotsa cheese.
• Topped with scrummy coleslaw or tuna salad or both!
  
• Lotsa cheddar cheese and lashings of crispy bacon
• A big slab of goats cheese or even better . . . some tasty Brie
• With a meaty Bolognaise Sauce ladled over top, or the best . . . Chili and cheese!
• Bits of steamed broccoli and cauliflower and then a tasty cheese sauce ladled over top
• Leeks braised in butter and lots of grated Fontina cheese

To get the perfect baked potato, just follow these basic rules. Pick a floury potato (Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet). Wash and prick all over with a fork. Bake right on the rack of a hot oven, 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6, for about an hour or so depending on the size of your potato. Give it a light karate chop before eating. Spoon on the butter and eat up right away!



Baked Potatoes with Rocket, Broad Beans and Blue Cheese.



Jacket Potatoes with Chili and Cheese



Rarebit Jacket Potatoes



Baked Potato Pizza



Jacket Potatoes with Cream and Walnuts

So what are you waiting for??? Grab a potato and start baking!!

The Pure Package

When The Pure Package approached me and asked if I wanted a 3 day trial of their food package plan, I said yes. The idea is that from £40 a day, between the hours of midnight and 6am, a courier delivers your 3 gourmet meals a day plus snacks in a temperature controlled bag, ready for you to wake up to in the morning. Sounds simple enough, so I selected their weight loss programme, since their website proclaims "weight loss is our speciality".

Except it's not that simple. How would the driver get through a magnetic gate? I had to send my key fob off with them, and subsequently haul myself over the 10ft gate every day.

But what about the food? For £40 a day, I was expecting something fancy. Bircher muesli for breakfast one day looked like sludge but tasted ok - as ok as soggy oats go, I suppose. Far better was the rye bread with hazelnut butter and orange segments (opening photo).

To keep you going, a mid morning and mid afternoon snack is provided. Fruit with seeds or nuts featured heavily; of the three days, the kiwi segments with pistachios were the best. An unripe, dry apple with raw, chewy cashew nuts depressed me.

Unfortunately, depression sank further on the first day, when eagerly anticipating my lunch the salad I whipped out consisted of a few canned tuna flakes, a handful of Cos lettuce leaves, a few beans, sweetcorn and cucumber. I wondered if it would have killed them to sling in a tomato or two, maybe a few slices of red onion. For £40 a day I expected more.

At least portion size improved on lunch on the following days. The box of rice noodles with Asian slaw an coconut chicken claimed "also yummy hot!". Without a microwave or oven at work, I suffered through the claggy mess cold.

Another lunch was a tangle of rocket leaves with roasted aubergines, peppers and courgettes, with a shred of buffalo mozzerella. A watery pot of vinegar was provided to dress it. The highlight was the mozzerella.

Some afternoon snacks were savoury. Sugarsnap peas with cannellini bean and roasted tomato dip would have been far better if the peas had been lightly steamed. The dip didn't taste of much.

On the first night, having suffered through almost a day of eating almost nothing and rendering me hangry, dinner turned out to be chicken breast with an orange and date sauce and steamed carrots and broccoli. After two bites it was abandoned. Sickly sweet sauce smothered dry meat, and an orange and date sauce should never be allowed near broccoli. I ate an enormous pie instead.

Day two's dinner fared better, with this cottage pie, though I questioned the addition of goat's cheese in the topping. That plate is normal sized, by the way.

Finally, on the last day, red snapper with an almond crust, courgette salad and steamed beans and carrots. All the hot dinner dishes were cooked in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes; this rendered the fish a bit dry, but at least the vegetables retained bite.

So, as you can probably guess by now, I wasn't a fan. My 3 days had a couple of difficulties; the key fob situation also wasn't helped by being mugged for my entire handbag on the evening of the first day. Their PR suggested that I wouldn't be able to give it a fair run, but my issues aren't to do with this; I couldn't believe that people would pay £40 A DAY for it. So you have your meals all ready and prepared, but I barely spend more than that on the weekly shop. For 90 days, you would spend a massive £2965.50 for the full programme. That's pretty bonkers to me.

There's also the crucial point that the food just didn't taste that good. They don't add preservatives, salt, sugar, refined carbohydrates, wheat or additives, which might go some way to explaining it. Surely we all need salt in our lives? I'm fairly certain that after a while, yes I would get used to a salt-free life, but salt (in moderation) isn't bad for me so why leave it out at all?

I have no doubt that this weight loss package is effective; if anything, it just put me off food completely.



EDIT: In response, the PR of The Pure Package have stated: "The 40 pound a day cost includes three freshly prepared gourmet meals and snacks made by award-winning chefs delivered direct to your door, including delivery charge, ongoing consulting service...it may seem expensive to the majority of people, however I think the figure seems more understandable when you break down exactly what that money includes."

So there you are.

All Up In Your Grill! Eight Great Ideas for Your Holiday Cookout

Memorial Day weekend is here! Time to dust off the grill, and find that "Kiss the Cook" apron everyone loves so much. Is there anything so empowering (for us simple-mined males at least) as standing in front of a flaming grill, foam-wrapped can of beer in one hand, giant grill tongs in the other?

I've posted eight of my favorite grill recipe videos below. All are proven crowd-pleasers, and none require any special skills or equipment. By the way, don't forget the side dishes, everyone knows they are the real secret to a great backyard meal. Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, enjoy!

Santa Maria Tri-Tip	Grilled Lamb Chops
Grilled Flank Steak	Grilled Lemon Chicken
Cornell Chicken	Grilled Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Pork Tenderloin	Grilled Asian Skirt Steak