Hot cross buns

Easter weekend was fairly spring-like in O-town. The weather certainly wasn't as warm as our pre-taste of summer from a few weeks ago, but there was still enough sun to coax us outside.

We headed to the Experimental Farm for a walk about on Sunday. The parking lot was teeming with mini-vans full of families there to see the new lambs and baby calves inside the barn. But we stuck to the gardens, where not much was in bloom, but we entertained ourselves spotting the new green shoots on the lilac trees, and the yellow daffodils emerging from the dirt.

Below, my extremely un-horiticultural report of some of the things we saw.


Some pink magnolia (?) ready to bloom.

Bright yellow branches.

Teeny leaves ready to pop. (I'd better prepare to for the onslaugh of offers to write for gardening magazines after those descriptions!)

Before we set out on our walk, we fuelled up on a lunch of hot cross buns. Why lunch, you ask? I had initially planned to have the buns for breakfast, and in fact prepared Nigella's recipe the night before, leaving it in the fridge overnight to rise. When I got up Sunday morning, eagerly hoping to find a bowl of fluffly, fruit-studded dough to greet me, what I instead discovered was a hard lump of dough no bigger than when I left it the night before. Nigella Easter fail!

So, Jamie Oliver to the rescue. This recipe is from his magazine, published at Easter last year. It was quick to pull together, and most importantly, resulted in some buns we could actually eat. They were delicious warm from the oven, and nice the next day as well, toasted and spread with butter. I used dried fruit I had on hand, which included a mix of raisins, cranberries and candied ginger.

Hot cross buns
From Jamie Magazine

• 50g sugar
• 7g sachet dried yeast
• 450g flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g mixed dried fruit (currants, sour cherries, sultanas)
• 25g chopped mixed peel
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 egg, beaten
• 50g butter, melted
• 50ml milk, warmed

Decoration
• 100g flour mixed with about 50ml water to make a dough, or 100g readymade shortcrust pastry

Sticky glaze
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of the sugar with the yeast and 150ml tepid water in a jug until frothy.

2. Sift the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and the mixed spice into a large bowl, then add the dried fruit, peel, orange zest and remaining sugar. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture, then add the beaten egg, melted butter and 40ml warmed milk. Using a fork or wooden spoon, stir in a circular motion until you have a dough. Add a little more milk if the dough is too dry.

3. Place the dough on a clean surface dusted with flour and knead until it is smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large mixing bowl and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to prove until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour, then knock it back and knead again to its original size. Divide the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces and shape into round buns. Place on a lightly greased baking tray, spaced well apart. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise again until doubled in size, about 35–40 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7. For the decoration, place the dough or shortcrust pastry on a clean surface dusted with flour and roll into a sausage about 1cm thick. Cut the sausage in half, and cut each half into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece again to make 2 thinner, 5mm strips of about 8cm long. You should have 24 strips in total. Brush the risen buns with the beaten egg and lay the dough strips on top in the shape of a cross. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

5. Meanwhile for the glaze, place the sugar and juice in a pan and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is bubbling.

6. Brush the buns with the glaze and eat immediately, or cool and serve toasted.

Rock me amaryllis

Greetings Falco fans!

There's little point to this post other than to gloat about my very lazy green thumb skills.

Above is the amaryllis currently in bloom in my living room. I bought the bulb back in October, potted it, and it bloomed nicely at Christmas. The flower and stalk died in early January. The bulb then sat in my dining room's south-facing window with no water until about a week ago, when I noticed another shoot and blooms emerging from the pot. With very little help, save for a bit of H20, these flowers appeared a few days ago. Not bad for absolutely no effort, huh?

So next year, go out and buy yourself an amaryllis bulb. They're about $8 and they're "blooming" good value (I even made myself groan at that one).

Costa Rica 2012

Hola!

Part of the reason for my absence on this blog is because I was away for part of February. I travelled to Costa Rica for the first time, to enjoy some much-needed sun and relaxation.

We flew into Liberia, then headed towards the northwest coast, to a surfing town called Tamarindo. Our resort had a great beach and pool, where we escaped the humidity. It was afro city for me most of the week!

Here are a few pics of the trip.

The beach wasn't great for swimming, due to the waves and rocks. But it was perfect for surfers.

Some interesting shells.

And beautiful sunsets. The sun set in about 90 seconds past the horizon line. I guess due to the proximity to the equator? (don'tunderstandhowgeographyworks)

Another sunset. Best enjoyed with a beer.

This is how I "took" the sun most days. It was hot! The kind people at the resort kept pointing out my whiteness, so I guess my technique worked.

Luckily the pool was great for swimming. And there was aquafit too, that usually ended in some weird group massage. I swam away for that part of the class.

The grounds at the resort were beautiful.

Pointsettas growing in the ground!

We took a boat trip in Paolo Verde park to see some animals.

We got a bit close to this croc for my comfort. No zoom on the camera needed!

And monkeys too! This white-faced one came on the boat to eat bits of banana.

There howler monkeys hung out in the trees around the hotel, with generally more energy than I had.

If you like heat, good coffee, and lots of adventure travel, then Costa Rica should be for you. The people were exceptionally friendly, very proud of their country -- and rightfully so. I miss the sound of the surf already....

Nigella's chicken

Does the title of this post sound familiar? It's true: I named this blog in tribute to Nigella Lawson, whom I like as much for her writing as for the results of her recipes. To be honest, Nigella's recipes can be a little hit and miss. Sometimes they just plain don't work. It's an annoying feature of a cookbook, no doubt, but she makes up for it with her mouth-watering descriptions and genuine enthusiasm. Plus, she advocates eating cream as the key to glowing skin. I mean, how can you dislike someone who dispenses sage wisdome like that?

This recipe is perfect for a day like today, where freezing rain has coated every step, street and tree branch for miles around. The roads are slushy and messy and it's really the kind of day to spend inside where it's warm and dry.

Nigella claims this is her mother's "praised" chicken, one that she cooked regularly and consistently. It's plain yes, but also homey and comforting -- just the kind of dish you need when it's cold outside and spring is still three months away.


Start by prepping a few vegetables. It's not much work, as you can see.

Brown the chicken first, then add the veggies, some wine and the veggies. Off you can go for a nap while this cooks.


An hour and a bit later, this is what you get. The meat is succulent, and the veggies are tender. You won't need a knife for this meal.

I served this on brown rice, over which you can spoon the broth in which the chicken cooked. It's a bit like de-constructed chicken soup, and it may be on the bland side, but sometimes that's just what you need.

The leftovers keep well, provided you strip the chicken from the carcass and store the meat separately. The broth and veggies can be kept as well, and then you can just reassemble this meal as you like, or use the chicken for other dishes, like chicken salad, or to top a pizza. Whatever you like.

Nigella's Mother's Praised Chicken
From Nigella's Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

•1 large chicken, preferably organic
•2 teaspoons garlic oil
•100ml white wine or dry white vermouth
•2-3 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into approx. 7cm logs
•2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into batons
•1-2 sticks celery, sliced
•approx. 2 litres cold water
•1 bouquet garni or 1 teaspoon dried herbs
•fresh parsley stalks or few sprigs, tied or banded together
•2 teaspoons sea salt flakes or 1 teaspoon pouring salt
•2 teaspoons red peppercorns, or good grinding pepper
•to serve:
•chopped leaves, from parsley stalks above
•chopped fresh dill
•English mustard

Method

Serves: 4-8

1.Get out a large, flame-safe cooking pot (with a lid) in which the chicken can fit snugly: mine is about 28cm wide x 10cm deep.

2.On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it breast-side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. (As you may imagine, I like this.) Then press down again, so that the chicken is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick (but keep them); I find kitchen scissors up to the task.

3.Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before adding the leeks, carrots and celery.

4.Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks (if I have a bunch, I cut the stalks off to use here, but leave them tied in the rubber band) or parsley sprigs

5.The chicken should be almost completely submerged by now and if not, do add some more cold water. You want it just about covered.

6.Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave to cook for 1½–2 hours. I tend to give it 1½ hours, or 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid still on, for the remaining 20–30 minutes.

7.Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with brown basmati rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the eaters to add as they wish.

8.Additional information - for gluten free serve with a gluten free mustard, such as Dijon.

Eye of the round roast

This isn't really a recipe, but more of a bragging opportunity to tell you about the amazing roast beef I made on the weekend. I had an eye of the round roast in the freezer, and was looking for an interesting way to cook it. As you may know, it's not the most exciting cut of meat, but it can be fairly inexpensive.

I stumbled on a foodie forum where folks were talking about a cooking method from Cook's Illustrated that transforms this mundane cut of meat into a tasty, juicy roast. I gave it a try, and the results were amazing. I can't even find a written recipe to share with you, but here are the general instructions.

1. Coat meat in kosher salt (I used about a teaspoon and a half), and rub in well. Wrap meat in plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. The next day, bring meat to room temperature. Preheat oven to 225F. Unwrap and dry well (the salting process will draw out a bit of juice). Coat lightly in olive oil and sprinkle all over with black pepper. No need to add more salt.

3. Sear all sides in a hot pan for about 10 minutes. Once seared, put in oven for about an hour to an hour and a half, until the internal temperature reaches 120. Then, turn oven off and leave meat until temperature raises to 130. I skipped this last part, because my meat was already at 125 when I checked it at just over the hour mark. Ovens are notoriously different, so you'll have to gauge yours.

4. Let meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. The resulting roast is tender, moist and has an excellent beefy flavour. I'll definitely be using this method again.

Coconut butter

Did you spend the holidays lounging around in your pyjamas, eating lots of hot toast and drinking tea? Me too! This incredibly complex recipe kept the toast company on many a morning (and afternoon, if I'm honest). Who knew that such a thing as coconut butter existed? And better still, that it's a breeze to make? All you need is some unsweetened coconut, and about 10 minutes. Seriously! Here's how....

Start by dumping your coconut in the food processor. Easy, right?

Blend for about two minutes, and the mix starts to get a bit sticky. You'll have to scrape down the sides at this point.

Blend blend blend again. This is what it looks like at the 7 minute mark. Scrape down and blend again. Put on some Beyonce while you wait. Try to come up with names for her new baby (Lil' Z, Zeyonce, Destiny's Child child etc.) while you dance to Single Ladies.

After about 10 minutes, the mixture completely liquifies and all you need to do it pour it into a jar. (And skip the "take a blurry picture" step.)

Coconut Butter
makes 1 cup
(recipe found on Shutterbean)

-3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Place coconut in a food processor and process for 8-10 minutes until the coconut liquefies. Be sure to scrape down the sides at least 3 times while processing. If you want to add sweetness, put a tablespoon of honey in your mixture while processing. A pinch of salt is a nice addition too.

Coconut butter will remain semi-hard at room temperature and will easily melt on hot toast. Keep it in the fridge, and slightly heat it up before using.

Books of 2011

Happy new year!

I did a fair bit of cooking over the holidays and will post some of the results in the coming days. But first, I wanted to look back on 2011 with some of the reading I enjoyed. In no particular order, here are a few highlights.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of a Century – Sam Kashner
A great, gossipy telling of a Hollywood romance in the pre-TMZ days. I didn’t know much about these two before I read this, but it was utterly fascinating, and well written too.

Bossy Pants – Tina Fey
Disconnected stories from Fey’s youth and early career on SNL. Very funny and quick to read.

To Be Sung Underwater – Tom McNeal
Twenty years after they parted, a man and a woman re-connect in Nebraska to re-live and remember their young love.

So Much for That – Lionel Shriver
A man who has worked his whole life so he can retire to an island off the coast of Tanzania, has a wrench thrown into his plans when his wife becomes ill, forcing the nest egg to be used for health-care treatments rather than a hut on the beach.

The Help – Kathryn Stockett
A snapshot of life in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, with a focus on the divide between the black maids who work for, and raise the children of, white wealthy families. An okay, but not life-changing, read.

Your Voice in My Head – Emma Forrest
A memoir of a young British journalist (and former girlfriend of Colin Farrell) who is set adrift when her trusted psychiatrist suddenly dies.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – Helen Simonson
A retired, widowed British major takes up with the local Pakistani shopkeeper, much to the shock and distain of their families and fellow townsfolk.

Paris Wife – Paula McLain
The story of the life of Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife, and their life together in 1920s Paris. Interesting, but a pale comparison to Loving Frank.