The Red Hot Chili Swedes

Yesterday was one of those days where it was good to catch up on things around my house, do a bit of work I'd brought home with me, have a long walk with the dog and some cooking. In short a pretty chilled out day. I needed a day like that though as the week had seen two rather challenging and busy meetings in connection with the charity I am president of this year, much rewarding work in the day job, a lunchtime drink with two good friends and a meal out at the end of the week with my parents who had finally returned from a month at sea.

On the media player today was an album that had arrived that morning; it was Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention's sophomore effort from 1967 "Absolutely Free". Zappa's music both with the Mothers and solo takes in almost every genre of music in Zappa's own idiosyncratic way. Some might argue with good reason that he was his own genre.

The first course of my tea last night saw me attempting to make Swede interesting. It has never been one my favourite vegetables being tough to prepare due to its tough skin making it difficult to peel and it's taste is not as pleasant as parsnip or carrot. When in doubt as to how to make a foodstuff more flavoursome I use spices. In this case I decided to use cumin, chili and honey.

Before these spices came into play I first took half a swede, peeled it and then cubed the flesh. I next added it to a pan of boiling water and boiled the swede flesh for around twenty minutes. I then drained the pan and fried the swede flesh in olive oil in my wok with a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of chili powder.

After frying and mixing the cumin and chili powder for around five minutes I added to the wok five teaspoons of honey and on a medium heat on the hob I fried the swede cubes vigorously until they took on a glazed appearance and once the surplus honey had been fried away the pieces were ready to serve as a delicious starter to my mains- a starter I call glazed swedes in chili spice.

The honey added a sweet edge to the swede's often bitter taste, a taste that for some reason always reminds me of dreary winter Sunday dinners when I was a child,  while the chili and cumin added a warmth and flavour that lifted this dish above the ordinary.

Golden glaze- this dish is one way to make the experience of eating swede a lot more pleasant.

Popping over

One of my approaches to cooking is informed by taking traditional recipes and giving them a modern twist. That was the case on a Saturday last month when I chanced upon an old recipe for Beef Popovers- something that is a throwback to the days of the 1960s and before.

Essentially beef popovers are tiny Yorkshire Puddings filled up with mince beef. However my twist was to use Quorn Mince instead of mince beef. With the sounds of ELO's underappreciated third album "On the Third Day" playing out in the background I got a patty cake tin case and greased each individual compartment with plenty of margarine to stop the batter casing I was to make from sticking unnecessarily.

I then put four ounces of plain flour into a mixing bowl and made a hole in the middle of the flour. Into this hole I poured the white and yolk of one egg. I then gradually stirred the egg into the flour until it absorbed as much of the flour as possible.

Next I added gradually around half a pint of milk and stirred it into the egg and flour until I had a very liquid batter mixture. I then distributed the mixture evenly between the tin cases like the father of many children who treats none as his favourite.

I weighed out eight ounces of Quorn Mince and after adding a pinch of white pepper to the mince I shaped the mince into 12 two centimetre balls. The mince was surprisingly ductile and easy to fashion into the desired shapes. I then put a ball each in the tin cases and cooked them in the oven for around 15- 20 minutes on 210 degrees (220 for non-fan ovens).

After allowing them to cool a little I served them with a side dish of leeks, melted margarine and tomato ketchup. They tasted (as expected) like bite size Yorkshire Puddings and the Quorn Mince had all the taste of mince beef but without the unpleasant fat content and aftertaste so regularly associated with mince beef.

The popovers, which I consumed at lunchtime after my morning walk, set me up well for a fruitless trip to the south of the county that afternoon and much more rewarding trip out that evening for an enjoyable catch up with two good friends.

These popovers were delicious when served with some boiled Leeks, melted margarine and tomato ketchup.

Jam Side Down

The last Sunday in September found me in a reflective mood and recharging my batteries as the number of unexpected adventures in the last  month and the responsibility of looking after two houses and two dogs began to take their toll.

As always when I need to focus on having some downtime I fall back on my love of cooking and music. I picked Pink Floyd's 1977 effort "Animals" to bake some blackcurrant buns to. The album, although one of their best, is often overlooked by the casual fan, as it falls between two of their greatest albums (both of which are more accessible) 1975's "Wish You Were Here" and 1979's "The Wall". Animals' best track is "Sheep" which I was lucky enough to see its writer Roger Waters perform in 2008 on his excellent solo tour.

I realised I had mentioned my cooking skills to my work colleagues and I decided that actions spoke louder than words and therefore I should make something to take in for them to enjoy. The recipe I chose was a variation on an old recipe from a 1960s cookbook. It is essentially used to make buns that are topped with Jam.

I first added eight ounces of self-raising flour to my mixing bowl followed by three ounces of  margarine which I cut into cubes and then stirred into  the flour until the mixture resembled large golden breadcrumbs or shingle on the beach.

Then I added two and a half ounces of brown sugar and one egg. After I had thoroughly mixed these ingredients into the margarine and the flour I saw that it was all far too sloppy to cook. This said I added four ounces of plain flour to the bowl which meant that after I had stirred it in there was a mixture that almost had the consistency of cookie dough.

I divided the mixture into twelve equal pieces and put them on a greased baking tray. Then I added half a teaspoonful of black currant jam to the top of each piece trying as I did so push the jam down into them so it didn't run off in the heat of the oven.

I cooked the buns in the oven at 200 degrees (190 for fan ovens) for a period of fifteen minutes. I noticed the buns had become a pale bronze colour, a little like a meathead who hadn't applied enough fake tan before a night on the town, and when a put a skewer into them it came out clean meaning they were ready. The jam had also run a little and crystallised on top of the buns to create a tasty topping.

I tried one after I consumed a large stew for my tea and I found that buns sweet and rich but not too rich that I couldn't manage one comfortably despite a big main course.

At work the reaction was positive as pretty much all the buns were eaten by the colleagues in my team which has motivated me to do more cooking projects to take into work.

Straight out of the oven with a pale bronze colour showing in the dough and the jam well crystallised on top of each bun.

Parkin For Charity

The third Monday in September was a washout; weather wise that is. It was one of several Mondays in September I was having off work as some downtime to allow me to look after effectively two houses and two dogs during the month while keeping things going in my role as this year's president of my local rotary club. Yes I didn't think I was old enough to do the role either but it is an enjoyable one so far.

As I couldn't get much of a walk in with the dog and I was aware that my employer were taking part in the worthy cause of a MacMillan Coffee Morning that Friday I decided to do some baking in preparation for the coffee morning.

Even though it was only September I knew Summer was starting to float into a memory and the foul rain gave a taste of the no doubt cooler and wetter winter weather lurking ahead on the road to shorter nights and mornings spent de-frosting the car. This said the food I decided to make was Parkin.

It's true to say that Parkin originated in Lancashire which is the other end of Pennines from the city where my employer is based. It has a sweet yet charcoal like taste and is very fortifying in the winter months.

As the rain hammered down on the house that I was, rather reluctantly it has to be said, sitting in its owners' absence I got underway with the cooking. On the playlist was the Electric Light Orchestra's difficult second album the aptly titled "ELO 2". During the making of the album founding member Roy Wood left early on during the sessions to become a Christmas one hit wonder and Jeff Lynne meanwhile gradually asserted his leadership of the group. The record contains the King Crimson- like "In Old England Town" the folky "Mama" and some shimmering prog-rock workouts in the shape of "From the Sun to the World" and "Kuaima". After a few spins it becomes clear that it is a strong record and its highlight is a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" featuring Jeff Lynne adapting a filthy rock and roll voice and some clever string arrangements.

I put one pound of self-raising flour in a mixing bowl with a tablespoon of ground ginger and six ounces of brown sugar. I mixed these ingredients together with a metal tablespoon until they were well combined.

I then melted two ounces of margarine in a warm pan on the hob before adding the melted margarine to the mixing bowl with a quarter of a pint of milk and a beaten egg. Finally I weighed out eight ounces of treacle and added this to the bowl. The treacle was like any good treacle should be- a dark colour, sticky and sweet.

I stirred all these new ingredients together with the flour, sugar and ginger until I got a thick paste that was the colour of melted dark chocolate. I added the ingredients to a high-sided baking tray lined with greased cooking foil.

The tray of uncooked Parkin was then placed in the oven heated at 170 degrees (180 for non-fan ovens) and cooked for an hour and five minutes. Until it was even darker than before and the surface of it was solid but still soft enough to spring back when touched lightly.

I turned it out in its foil onto the work surface to cool off.  After a couple of hours I cut it into cubes about 3cm x 3cm and then, as it wasn't to be consumed until Friday, put it in containers which I then put in the Freezer. A work colleague said this was a good way of keeping it until then without losing its flavour.

On Wednesday night it was out of the freezer and slowly defrosting. By Friday morning it had been transported to work and was sharing a table in the firm's kitchen with millionaire shortbread and marble cake amongst others in aid of the firm's MacMillan Coffee Morning.

The Parkin, with its rich ginger taste and surprisingly sweet flavours of treacle reminded me that bonfire night and winter were not far away. Quite a few of my colleagues took pieces and contributed money to the charity as well so it certainly helped the firm raise some money for a worthwhile cause.

Above- on the table at work ready for consumption by my colleagues

Egg timer

Last Sunday was a handy day to mark time part way through a long weekend that was thoroughly enjoyable, confusing and cathartic in equal measures. It had started off with an unexpected trip to a pub in town on Friday night that, aided by the consumption of some Leeds Brewery blonde beer which was the same colour as the hair of the person I was in the pub with,  seemed like a "crazy dream"- perhaps because of the beer. Saturday saw a surprise trip to the cinema with two of my close friends to see the excellent "Straight Outta Compton" a film that depicts superbly the rise and fall of Gangsta Rap's first super group N.W.A.

Sunday morning arrived around six hours after I had consumed my last post film beer and watched my last post evening out N.W.A. video on Youtube. I helped clear the cobwebs that morning with a fun seven and a half mile walk with one of my mates from the cinema trip as we set the world to rights and gave our dogs plenty of exercise in the stunning countryside we are so lucky to be able to live and walk in.

When I got back it was time for dinner and I noticed that the house I was looking after had a large number of eggs in the fridge and I decided that I needed some comfort food and as the eggs needed using up the end product of my cooking project was to be Eggs Benedict. Those of you who have followed this blog for a while may remember me posting about Eggs Benedict two years ago after I had it at the Glasgow Malmaison the morning after a day spent exploring the city with very good company.

Sunday's Eggs Benedict was a modified and even richer version than the one I made previously.

The album I listened to today was the first one I ever bought from a record shop. I bought it back  in Christmas 1998 when I was a scruffy-haired fifteen year old who's world hardly stretched passed my parents' back garden. The album was Dire Straits' third effort Making Movies which, save a throwaway song at the end, is flawless and songs like "Tunnel of Love" and "Skateaway" summed up well the weekend's events to date.

I started by putting a pan of water, laced with Red Wine Vinegar, on the hob and let it steadily come to the boil. While the water was coming the boil I melted eight ounces of margarine in a small frying pan on the hob and then added three eggs to the pan as well as around two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. The reason for this mixture was to make the Hollandaise Sauce that goes with the eggs. The trick with the sauce is to beat it thoroughly with a whisk continuously. This stops the sauce becoming lumpy and resembling a disturbing derivative of scrambled egg.

As the sauce came together I added the leaves of five sprigs of Rosemary to it and continued to stir the sauce. Meanwhile the water was coming to the boil and using a ladle I added the yolk and the white of one egg to the boiling water. As I lifted the egg into the water from the ladle I used the ladle to create a small whirlpool. 

I let the egg cook for 3-4 minutes in the pan and as the Hollandaise Sauce was ready I put it on the lowest light on the hob and stirred it vigorously on occasion to stop it becoming too lumpy. At the same time I put two slices of buttered bread with two slices of smoked ham on each slice under the grill and lightly grilled them for a couple of minutes.

After the first egg was done in the pan I lifted it out with the ladle and put it on top of the ham toasties on a serving plate. I then repeated the boiling process with two more egg yolks and their whites. I arranged these two eggs on the plate when they were done and poured the Hollandaise and Rosemary Sauce over the top of them to serve. I also sprinkled a little black pepper on the eggs.

Eggs Benedict has a reputation for being rich and overindulgent and this dish was in the best possible way. The taste of the Hollandaise Sauce was enriched by the extra red wine vinegar the texture of the rosemary while the boiled eggs were done for just enough time that they were solid while still giving out some flavoursome yolk when pierced.  The toasted ham and bread helped form a delicious base to the whole dish both literally in the way I had served it and with the taste it added to it.

Eggs smothered in Hollandaise Sauce with a base of ham and bread- the perfect post-dog walk and cinema night out meal.

Orange Broccoli Special

Yesterday I needed some serious wind down time after what had been a hectic and exciting summer that also had featured a painful low personal point in July (when things in my life seemed shot to pieces) which eventually was more than evened out by getting my own house at last, an unforgettable birthday party at the house and being made president of my local Rotary Club.

In the week and a bit preceding yesterday there had been no let up to the excitement with a trip to a wonderful Indian Restaurant (that used to be a dodgy drug-ridden pub in a previous life) for a colleague's leaving do, a fun evening watching old episodes of Shooting Stars at the house of two of my friends, a night out in our local town's new German Bar for an enjoyable Birthday Party, a seventeen mile walk in the driving rain through wonderful scenery with two old school friends and a Lakeland Terrier, a meal out in a country pub and a charity golf tournament in aid of Breast Cancer Research. I somehow managed to fit a working week in the city into all this and there was no wonder therefore I felt a little shattered.

I spent yesterday buying food for a fraternal buffet I am holding later today at my house, doing some gardening, cleaning and washing and generally being very domesticated while taking it super easy. Sometimes you need days like this to re-charge your batteries.

I had time for some cooking and today's piece, which is designed to ease me back into the world of food blogging, was a quite basic one but effective nonetheless. I grilled three chicken breasts that were flavoured with peppers and spices and a left-over lingering in my deep freeze from my birthday Barbecue (more of which in future blog posts). I also boiled some carrots, potatoes and broccoli up as a side dish.

I realised  that I wanted a sauce to go with the dish and I was reminded of a recipe in one of my parents' aged vegetarian cookbooks. Thinking back to this recipe I was inspired to make an orange white sauce to mix with the Broccoli.

The album on the media player for this project was the Electric Light Orchestra's excellent and underrated 1983 offering "Secret Messages" which includes the fifties throwback single "Rock & Roll is King" as well as first rate album tracks "Take me on and on" and the title track.

The secret to a good sauce is to make thick and creamy with the consistency of buttercream used in cakes. I melted around three ounces of margarine into a saucepan and once the margarine was almost melted I added a heaped wooden spoon's worth of corn flour. I turned off the heat on the hob and mixed all the melted butter into the margarine until it formed several golden coloured lumps. I then grated the zest of one whole Tangerine into the mixture and stirred the zest in thoroughly. I find that sauces, like sponge mixes and pastries, benefit from having all the dry ingredients including the spices mixed together before you add the wet ingredients.

I next added around 300 millilitres of semi-skimmed milk to the mixture and stirred it on the hob quickly over a medium heat until it was like a thick paste and there were no lumps. This took about two minutes. It is a tricky skill to master as if you use too much milk you end with a runny and lumpy sauce but if you do not use enough milk you end up with a very dry mixture  that's burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pan. If you avoid this however you get a sweet sauce that is surprisingly good at complimenting the rather soggy taste of the broccoli when the sauce is poured over the broccoli and served with it.

The Broccoli is shown here smothered in the sauce to enhance its taste. The orange sauce also set off the flavours in the grilled chicken well.

Scones of Wild Garlic

Today was a day to unwind and relax after an action packed few days. It started on Friday with a very sober bar crawl round three local pubs, then continued the next day with a trip out round town to catch up with some good mates and wound down today with a long walk with the dogs that included some excellent views and healthy dose of setting the world to rights.

We had called time on the trip round town on the Saturday night relatively early, compared to the old days of staying out until three in the morning, and I was in bed by half one in the morning. These days if I stay out too late it wipes me out for the whole of the following day and if I have a really late night then I need to book a few tactical days off work after the night out.

Luckily an early(ish) night meant some time for a good long walk and also chance to do some more cooking projects. This said I decided to make something that you can only really make at this time of year due to the availability of one of the ingredients; Garlic Scones. The reason why you can only make them at this time of year is because rather than using garlic bulbs you use the leaves of wild garlic plants in the recipe which are only really edible at this time of year.

The soundtrack to cookery today was The War on Drugs' recent brilliant album "Lost in the Dream" which includes great tracks like "Red Eyes" "In Reverse" and "Under the Pressure" a song that describes adequately my mind-set since the start of the new year.

I first put in a mixing bowl 225 grams of self-raising flour and fifty grams of low fat margarine. I cut the butter into small, misshapen cubes and then rubbed it in with my hands until the flour and margarine were combined together and shaped like breadcrumbs.

The next job was cut up eight wild garlic leaves. Wild garlic grows commonly near where I live, mainly along the side of riverbanks and footpaths and fortunately some was available in the garden of the house I am currently living at. I sliced the garlic leaves horizontally using a sharp knife into narrow strips. I added the strips of garlic leaves to the flour and margarine together with 100 grams of grated, lactose free extra mature cheddar. I also added one beaten egg and one hundred millilitres of semi-skimmed milk to the bowl and stirred them together until they formed a thick paste.

I realised that I needed to dry the mixture if it was going to cook properly and so I added to the bowl about seventy-five grams of self-raising flour. I then stirred the mixture into a ball and kneaded it like bread dough into the flour until I had something that had the dry, dusty consistency of pastry. I rolled it out on the worktop until it was about a square foot in width and about a centimetre deep. I cut the pastry up into five centimetre square pieces and baked it in the oven on 200 degrees, 210 for non-fan ovens, for about fifteen minutes.

After taking the scones out of the oven and letting them cool down a little I had a taste of them and found the wild garlic to be less potent than garlic bulbs would be. The wild garlic leaves did not overpower the taste of the mature cheddar either. The scones were best served with a spot of margarine melted onto them and proved to be an enjoyable starter to tonight's tea.

Butter would melt: these scones are delicious if halved and then margarine is spread on top of them.