Metaphorically Speaking

Wow, it's been three days since my last post, and six days since my last video, and that my friends, is a new Food Wishes record. That's how insane the schedule's been working on the show down here in Los Angeles.

Not only haven't I had much time to film, but I also haven't had any time to visit with my SoCal food blogger buddies, which means I haven't been going to any fabulous restaurants. However, I did have a very nice Korean lunch on Friday, at a place next to our office called, Genwa, where I filmed this 100% cotton-based excuse for a lame metaphor. 

Right about now, I feel exactly like those tightly wound wads of gauze, desperate to be soaked with lots of clean, warm time. I'll be back in San Francisco Tuesday, and I can't wait to get wet! Stay tuned!

Cranberry and Oatmeal Breakfast Custards

Baked custards are something that most people love for dessert, but have you ever thought of treating yourself to a custard for breakfast???



You really should, they are wholesome, soft, spoonable and wonderfully moist.
Gentle and yet filling, a complete breakfast in a bowl. It seems like dessert, but it's . . . breakfast!



Smooth and silky, breakfast custards are quite easy to make and really quite fast. This one here today is one of our favourites. You don't need to use cranberries if you don't want, try some dried cherries and a bit of almond extract . . . or some dried blueberries and a bit of lemon zest . . . or even sultanas!



It's a rather tasty way to get the kids to eat their oats. Fried rashers of bacon go really well with these . . . not to take away from the healthy aspect of them or anything . . . just sayin is all!



*Cranberry and Oatmeal Breakfast Custards*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A soft egg custard with all the wholesomeness of oats and the sweetness of cranberries. Makes a delicious breakfast. Serve with some bacon if you want!

125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
125ml of cream (1/2 cup)
4 large free range eggs
1.5 ounces of quick oat (1/2 cup)
3 TBS dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 tsp of soft light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5, Butter 4 custard cups and set in a roasting tin. Have the kettle boiled and ready.

Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, oats, cranberries, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Divide this mixture equally amongst the custard cups. Sprinkle 1 tsp of brown sugar on the top of each. Add boiling water to the roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the custard is barely set. Remove from the oven. Serve in the custard cups, or run a knife around the edges and turn out to serve. Delicous!

Oatmeal Cake

The missionaries popped over yesterday to do some work for us in the garden. You know how much I love the missionaries and how much I like to spoil them and so I thought I would bake them a cake so that they could have a piece and a nice glass of milk after they were finished.



I thought they would enjoy a good old fashioned oatmeal cake. It was always a favourite of my boys. Put a dish of oatmeal down in front of them and they turned up their noses . . . turn that oatmeal into a tasty cake and they couldn't get enough of it!!



This is an incredibly moreishly moist and delicious cake! Brown sugar and oats make it so . . . and it has a lovely spicy flavour from warm spices . . . cinnamon and nutmeg. Oh so homey and comforting.



The topping is oh so scrummy . . . all nutty and coconutty and sweet . . . kinda like toffee and nuts and coconut in one incredibly delicious combination.



Altogether you get one unbelievably yummy cake that will have them coming back for seconds! I've never had anyone turn down the offer of a second piece yet!



*Oatmeal Cake*
Makes one 9 by 13 inch cake
Printable Recipe

A moist and deliciously old fashioned cake with a scrummy broiled toffee and coconut topping!

375ml of boiling water (1 1/2 cup)
3 1/2 ounces rolled oats (1 cup)
4 ounces white shortening such as Trex or Crisco (1/2 cup)
7 1/2 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup)
7 ounces of granulated sugar (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs, well beaten
6 1/2 ounces of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the topping:
4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
7 1/2 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
100ml of cream (1/3 cup)
3 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (1 cup)
4 ounces chopped nuts (1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

Pour the boiling water over the oats and let stand until cool. Cream the shortening together with the sugars and eggs until fluffy. Add oats and water mixture. Sift the flour, spices and soda together. Blend into the creamed mixture. Pour this batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake tests done. The top should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the topping. Melt the butter. Blend in the sugar and add the remaining ingredients. Preheat the grill to high.

Spread the topping onto the baked hot cake. Place under the heated grill for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbling. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Cut into squares to serve. Store any leftovers covered tightly.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

I have been making this delicious salad for years. I am sure I must make it at least two or three times a week during the summertime, it's that popular with us!



I first tasted it at my sister's inlaws at their cottage on the banks of Lake Erie back in the 1970's. I had never ever had sour cream before, and my sister's mother in law made it only with cucumbers.



Oh, my . . . it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted! I remember we had it along with fried bologna sandwiches, eaten out on their deck overlooking the water.

A simple supper, yes, but that simple supper goes down in my memories as being one of the most favourite suppers I have ever had! Just goes to show you that I am a woman of simple tastes!



The tomato and dill are my own additions. It just seemed natural to me that these things would go together spectacularly, and you know what???

I was right. Enjoy!



*Tomato and Cucumber Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Cool, and refreshing on a hot day. We love this.

2 English cucumbers, peeled, halved and sliced into moons
1 small red onion, slivered
salt
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

For the dressing:
200ml of sour cream (3/4 cup)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp dillweed
freshly ground black pepper

Place the cucumber into a bowl. Sprinkle it with some salt and slosh it around a bit, so that the salt is well distributed. Put onion into a bowl and sprinkle it with some salt, slosh it around too. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then drain well, discarding any liquid and squeezing the onions. Stir them together in a bowl and add the sliced tomatoes. COmbine the sour cream, sugar, dillweed and vinegar along with a nice grinding of black pepper. Stir this into the vegetables and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Creamy Dilled Potato Salad

Dill is something people either love or loathe. I am in the love group. I love dill pickles and I often add dill to my vinaigrette salad dressings. I find it adds an underlying sweetness, and a bit of a tang that I just adore.



We've been enjoying our first crop of early potatoes this week. They're just beautiful. We've had them boiled, roasted, steamed and made into some wonderful salads.



Delicious salads such as this Creamy Dilled Potato Salad.

I created a deliciously creamy low fat mayo dressing with the added tang and heat of a honey Dijon mustard, and of course a touch of dill, just enough to add a wonderful flavour without being overpowering.



I come from the school of thought that likes to add my dressing to my potatoes when they are warm. I find they absorb much more of the flavours then and I like that!



I am also at the room temperature school of thought when it comes to potato salad. I could eat a ton of this.



I added some chopped radish for crunch and colour, but you can leave them out, or substitute them with some other vegetables, such as crispy tender green beans, or carrots, or celery, or if you are really feeling wild . . . all three!



*Creamy Dilled Potato Salad*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

A delicious potato salad with a punchy low fat Honey Dijon mayo dressing. The radishes add a bit of crunch and colour.

1 pound of small new potatoes
2 TBS Cider Vinegar
4 TBS low fat mayonnaise
2 TBS honey Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 to 4 spring onions, chopped
(white and green parts)
a handful of radishes, trimmed and chunked
1 TBS Dill Weed (or a handful of fresh dill, finely chopped)

Place the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil and then simmer on medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking whisk together the vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne pepper along with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes once they are tender. Leave in the colander and place the colander over the hot pot. Alow to cool until you can easily handle. Cut them into halves or quarters. Place the warm potatoes into a bowl. Pour the dressing over top of them warm potatoes. Add the onion, radishes and dill weed and gently toss together.

Serve at room temperature.

Riverford - 'Every Day & Sunday'

I was invited to the book launch of Every Day & Sunday from Riverford, created by Guy Watson and Jane Baxter. Following the success of their first Riverford cookbook in 2008, they were bombarded with requests for another, featuring more simple, day-to-day seasonal cooking, with a little something special for Sundays.

Hosted at the very lovely Blueprint Cafe, recipes from the book were used to feed us and cooked by Jeremy Lee. Everything was gorgeous, even a dish of plain spinach, but most especially this burrata salad. Flavours of fresh parsley mingled with creamy decadence, with a slight hint of orange. I can't wait till Amazon deliver my copy, because it was worth the purchase just for this.

You can buy a copy here. The rest of the photos, including some awesome desserts, are HERE.

Good News, Bad News, Good News from Hollywood

Photo (c) bdearth

The good news is that everything is on schedule and going great down here in Hollywood. The bad news is that the next few days are dawn to dusk television production insanity, and there will no time to post anything, not even one of my lame re-runs. 

The good news is that when I get back to San Francisco on Tuesday, my schedule is finally clear, and I'll have nothing to do except film video recipes – and believe me, I have quite an impressive list of dishes to share. Stay tuned!