Food-Proofing Your iPad

I assume those of you fortunate enough to own an iPad take your tablet into the kitchen to follow along with recipes, and if you do, it's not a matter of if, but when, you spill something all over it. Well, here's a very simple solution from Wired.com using a ziplock bag and business card holder. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Man Cake

You might be tempted to laugh at this ridiculous looking attempt at a Gingerbread Man Cake! I would forgive you for doing so, truly. He really is rather funny looking . . . and my piping skills do leave much to be desired. I am truly much better with a brush and a pen . . .



However . . . if you were a child, you would think him, quite . . . quite . . . lovely . . . maybe even beautiful . . . and would be delighted to find him sitting on the sideboard as a special dessert offering during the holidays.



Composed of a deliciously moist buttermilk chocolate cake, baked in both a 9 by 13 inch tin (lightly oiled and floured) and a 5 inch glass bowl (lightly oiled and floured)and then frosted with a delicious chocolate frosting and piped with a vanilla butter frosting to decorate, along with some candies for eyes and buttons.



Tis really quite easy to shape . . . if you follow this diagram, then simply frost and decorate.

Oh so perfect with tall glasses of cold milk, or equally as delicious with scoops of vanilla ice cream!



You might be forgiven for your lack in finesse . . . simply by it's charm. Who can resist a Gingerbread man, especially a moist chocolate one. He can run, run of course . . . but he won't get far!



*Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake*
serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

Moist, delicious and chocolaty. Great with tall glasses of ice cold milk!

3/4 ounce dutch process cocoa (1/4 cup)
8 3/4 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
250ml buttermilk (1 cup) at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
125ml hot water (1/2 cup)
12 1/4 ounces sugar (1 3/4 cup)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
12 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Grease and lightly dust with some extra cocoa powder, two 8 or 9 inch round baking tins, or one 9 by 15 inch pan. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla together. Set aside.

Combine the chocolate, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and hot water. Set in a pan over simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in 1/3 of the sugar and continue to heat until thick and glossy, some 2 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Whip the eggs and egg yolks with an electric whisk on high speed, gradually beating in the remaining sugar, about one minute. Continue to beat until the mixture is very thick and voluminous, 4 to 8 minutes. Beat the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in the butter, one piece at a time. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the top over and gently tapping the pans down on the counter to settle the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely, peeling off the paper as you do. Let cool completely before frosting.



*Chocolate Frosting*
makes about 4 cups
Printable Recipe

You can use bittersweet, semisweet, milk or white chocolate in this recipe. Do not use white chocolate chips though as they will not melt to a smooth consistency, although it is ok to use milk or dark or semisweet chocolate chips.

10 ounces of chocolate, chopped fine
250ml of heavy cream
2 ounces golden syrup or corn syrup (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
5 1/2 ounces icing sugar, sifted (1 1'3 cups)
2 tsp vanilla
10 ounces of butter (1 1/4 cups), cut iinto chunks and softened

Place the chocolate in a food processor. Bring the cream, golden syrup and salt to a boil in a liquid measuring beaker in the microwave. Stir the hot mixture to combine. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate in the food processor and blitz until the mixture is smooth, about one minute.Add the sugar and vanilla and process until combined, another 30 seconds. With the motor running, drop in the softened butter, one piece at a time through the feed tube, processing until the frosting is smooth and no butter chunks remain, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover. Chill for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until thick and spreadable.

*Vanilla Frosting*
Makes 4 cups, or enough for two layers
or one 9 by 15 cake
Printable Recipe

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)butter, cut into chunks and softened
3 TBS double cream
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
12 ounces (3 cups) sifted icing sugar

Beat the butter, cream and vanilla together with the salt until smooth. Reduce the speed and slowly add the icing sugar, beating until incorporated and smooth, some 4 to 6 minutes. Increase the speed t9 high and beat until light and fluffy, five to ten minutes.

Note - Simply by swapping the chocolate frosting for all vanilla, you could have a snowman!

Next Up: Pasta Fazoolander

This rustic winter soup was supposed to be posted today, but I was sidetracked by some very good news (which you will hear about on Tuesday...hint: tuna). I hope to have it up tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup, with Indian Spiced Croutes

It's not even officially winter yet, and most of the UK has been blanketed in a ton of snow and suffering with sub zero temperatures, something which is a rarity in this country, especially this early in the year. In the UK, snow and cold are serious business!



It doesn't take much to bring the country to a standstill . . . roads close, airplanes are grounded, trains stop running . . . schools and shops close . . .



This is the perfect time to closet yourself indoors . . . next to the warm fire . . . and sup on hot bowls of soup. This delicious soup fits the bill perfectly. Gently spiced and warming, with just a hint of sweet honey, it has gone down a real treat!



*Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A deliciously spicy soup. Heart warming.

50g of butter (a scant 1/4 cup)
1 TBS olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and diced
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 tsp ground cumin
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 heaped tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
700g of parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks (about a pound and half)
1 medium Bramley Apple peeled and cut into chunks (you can use 2 Granny Smith Apples peeled and cut into chunks)
2 TBS runny honey
1 1/2 litre of good chicken stock (6 cups)

To Garnish:
Indian Spiced Croutes (see below)
coarsely chopped salted cashew nuts

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently until softened. Stir in the garlic, the parsnips and the apple. Add the spices and honey and stir to coat. Cover and allow to sweat over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer until the vegetables are very soft. Remove from the heat and blitze until smooth with an immersion blender (stick blender). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle out into heated bowls. Float a couple of Indian Spiced Croutes on top and add a scattering of chopped cashew nuts. Serve immediately.

*Indian Spiced Croutes*
Makes 8

Crunchy little toasts to float on top of your soup. I like to cut them into pretty shapes, but you can just cut them into squares or rectangles if you like.

4 slices of good hearty white bread
2 ounces softened butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp of ground coriander
1/4 tsp curry powder
a pinch of hot chili powder

Mash the softened butter and spices together until well mixed. Set aside.

Heat the grill and then toast the slices of bread under the heated grill until lightly toasted on both sides. Cut into shapes and then spread some of the spiced butter on top of each shape. Return to the grill and toast until the butter is sizzling and toasted. Remove from the grill and float on top of your soup.

Candy Cane Cookies

I'm going out later this morning to visit the ladies on my visiting teaching list. I wanted to bring them something special to show them that I love them and I thought that there's nothing that says "lovin' like somethin' from the oven!"



My Visiting Teaching partner plus all the ladies we visit have young children and so I thought they'd just love to get some Candy Cane Cookies.



I always made these for Christmas when my own kiddies were growing up and they used to love them, so I thought their children would enjoy them as well.



They look a bit complicated, but really they're not. If you are good at making ropes with play dough, then you are good at making these.



Coz that's all it basically is . . . making ropes and twisting them together.
Once baked, you get a tasty almond flavoured buttery cookie . . . shaped like a Candy Cane!



Of course I can't leave well enough alone and I like things to be a bit pretty, so I always melt some white choclate and drizzle it over top and then throw on some cake decorations. Here I used non-pareils, silver dragees and some edible glitter!



Don't they look pretty! I hope that they like them!



*Candy Cane Cookies*
Makes about 30 cookies
Printable Recipe

Two toned cookies, delicately almond flavoured and buttery, easily shaped into candy canes!

for the white dough:
4 ounces butter softened (1/2 cup)
3 ounces caster sugar (1/3 cup plus 1 TBS)
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp almond essence
6 1/2 ounces plain flour (approximately 1 1/4 cup)

For the red dough:
4 ounces butter softened (1/2 cup)
3 ounces caster sugar (1/3 cup plus 1 TBS)
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp almond essence
2 tsp red food colouring
6 1/2 ounces plain flour (approximately 1 1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/gas mark 7.

Make the white dough first. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and almond essence. Beat in the flour until well blended. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

To make the red dough do exactly the same except beating in the food colouring along with the egg and almond. Wrap in cling film and chill for half an hour.

To make, tear off walnut sized pieces of the red dough. Using your palms, shape into ropes about 1/4 inch in diameter and 5 inches long. Do the same with the white dough. Twist the ropes together and then bend the top into a curve like a cane. Place on ungreased baking sheets, at least one inch apart.

Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store packed in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.



Voucher Codes is having a baking contest to celebrate Christmas Baking. You can find all the details here. This has been my entry into the contest. To enter you can bake a cake, cupcake, bread, pie, cookie or anything else that says "Christmas" to you. The winner will receive a £150 John Lewis Voucher and two runner's up will each receive £25 Lakeland Vouchers. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Ah, oh, ah? Beef Au Jus

I do not speak French. This is not something I'm proud of, as I could have, and should have, picked it up by now. With that said, the mispronunciation of French culinary terms is one of my great guilty pleasures.

I know it's "oh" jus, and not "ahhh" jus, but that's how I grew up saying it, and I don't have any plans to start saying it right at this advanced age. Besides, the proper pronunciation sounds like you are surprised you're getting a sauce, and my way sounds like you are happy about it.

This is the most minimalist method for doing a quick au jus for your prime rib of beef. In a restaurant that specializes in prime rib, they have the benefit of massive amounts of bones and scraps to make a reduced, rich jus without having to thicken it.

At home however, we need to cheat a little bit. You can do this without the flour step, but I think most people prefer this beefy dipping sauce to have a little body to it. Not thick like gravy, but just a little something to help it adhere to the meat. By the way, that thin film of beef fat floating on the surface is fully intentional, as you are about to hear. Enjoy!




Beef Au Jus Ingredients:
1/4 cup beef fat, plus pan drippings from a cooked prime rib or other roast beef
1 1/2 tablespoon white flour
2 cups rich beef broth
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
*makes about 1 1/2 cups depending on how much you reduce

Bincho, Soho

Recently I was emailed with a recommendation of a blog link. I get these every so often and I'm always glad for new reading material, but this one captured me particularly no less for the startling photography but for all the unusual cuts of meat. It prompted me to hot-foot it down to Bincho Yakitori in Soho, writers of the blog and purveyors of yakitori and kutsiyaki, in the hope of trying some of them out.

So, grilled meat on skewers.

As the skewers were placed on the charcoal in front of us, salt was sprinkled liberally and sauces brushed over seductively as the grill flashed with flames. Chicken hearts (closest) were on the specials board and after having tried them at Ben Greeno's gaff, I knew we had to have them. They weren't as tender as his version but were tasty and well seasoned nonetheless. Chicken gizzards have a habit of being both crunchy yet squidgy, and these were textbook. Their chewiness weren't a patch on Jinkichi's though; I emerged from those particular chicken gizzards with a visibly more muscled jaw.

Chicken oysters, seemingly wrapped in chicken skin before grilling were polar opposite, and in competition of being my favourite skewer. These are usually my favourite part of a roasted chicken; all those gorgeous juices run down through the bird, pooling at the oyster to flavour it. Stuffed shiitake mushrooms were earthy and stuffed with, I think, minced chicken or pork; I am definitely attempting these at home.

Shishito peppers, sweet Japanese ones tasted just like padron peppers to me.

Ox tongue and pork belly cubes were both doused in a sweet, sticky sauce and were beautifully tender and smoky.

And, just as we were about to order a few more bits and pieces to take us through the rest of the working day, the manager told us that the chicken cartilage and chicken neck skewers were now available. Obviously they had to be ordered, with a side of miso aubergine for good measure.

Cartilage (closest) is, as you might expect it. Very crunchy indeed, but these morsels also had the most flavour with the edges charred and crispy. I can't even begin to think how long it must take to extract chicken necks to make a skewer, but these were so juicy they were worth all the work, however much that may be.

Away from skewers, a pig tripe, tofu and daikon stew was tinged with miso and was comforting and homely, little bursts of sancho pepper awakening the palate.

It wasn't a cheap lunch, booze-free at £20 a head, but well worth the money. I can't think of anywhere else within walking distance of my office to get excited about offal on sticks. Just make sure you ask for any off-menu bits and be sure to check the specials board.

My companion's rather more eloquent report is HERE.

Bincho Yakitori

16 Old Compton Street
London W1D 4TL

Tel: 020 7287 9111