1956 HOME LEAVE PART II

From Genoa we went by train to Turin to pick up our Fiat 600 (Fiat Seicento), a 1955 model and Fiat’s great international hit.

Turin is the capital of the Piedmont Region, a beautiful city, built on the river Po, near the Suza valley,   The Northern suburbs are  surrounded by the Western Alpine arch and the hill of Superga.

The city was once the capital of reunited Italy and the seat of the House of Savoi, Italy’s royal family.   It is adorned with beautiful churches, palaces, piazzas, theatres, libraries, museums and galleries, built according to various architectural styles such as renaissance, baroque, rococo, neo-classical and art nouveau.

Turin's Undisputed Landmark the Mole Antonelliana 

The Basilica on Superga Hill -



 T

Palazzo Carignano

Palazzo Reale

University of Turin

San Carlo et San Giorgio by Night

We stayed a few days in Turin, went to Superga Hill with the wonderful baroque Basilica.   We. also, visited historical sites and buildings, in the centre of the city, ate fabulous food and drove around to “run our Seicento in”. 

Fiat Seicento

The Flanginis, old family friends from India, who were then living in Milan, invited us to spend a day with them.    We accepted with great pleasure, so, we set off for this beautiful city, which is the second most populous in Italy and the capital of Lombardy. 

A short history of Milan:

It was founded by Celts, the Romans named it Mediolanum and it later became the capital of the Western Roman Empire.   During the Middle Ages, it was a large centre of Banking and Commerce.   Later, Milan was occupied by France, Spain and Austria and finally it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

During World War II, like many other European cities, the centre of Milan was flattened out by severe bombing.   Nearly all of the wonderful old buildings had crumbled down into smithereens.

In April 1956, Milan was sprawling out on all sides, due to the post-war boom, that resulted in an area known, today, as "Greater Milan".   Many of the destroyed buildings were being reconstructed, beautiful new ones were being built and the city was, gingerly, starting to  become a centre of fashion and design.

Our hosts showed us the landmarks of the city, such as the gothic-styled Milan Cathedral, Santa Maria Delle Grazie church with Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece  mural “The Last Supper”, that  later became a Unesco Word Heritage Site, the Arch of Peace and the Scala Opera Theatre.  They also offered us excellent coffee in one of Milan’s oldest cafés, the Caffe Zucca, which opened in 1867.  Being near the Opera, it apparently became a popular hangout for Guiseppe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini who often used to go there after the performances. 

Thanks to the Nuremberg Chronicles

The Milan Cathedral

Santa Maria Delle Grazie

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

The Arch of Peace

La Scala

The Oldest Cafe in Milan

The delightful cities of Turin and Milan, besides history and culture, have excellent food, typical of the Cuisine of Nothern Italy.  Less olive oil is used and more butter, less pasta more rice, less tomato more cream sauces.   Also, corn is used abundantly for preparing polenta and other dishes.   Wonderful types of cheese are produced in this area.  Among others is the famous Gorgonzola which owns its name to a town near Milan, Grano Padano which is comparable to Parmesan, and  the versatile Mascarpone. 

                                                           BAGNA CAUDA

A Speciality from Piemont 

The translation for this dish is “warm bath or warm dip”.   I first tried it in Turin and my impression was that it looked better than it tasted.   Since then, I have acquired a taste for this interesting dipping sauce.   I serve it with roasted vegetables and crisp salad leaves.

Assorted vegetables, cut into bite-sized or julienne pieces such as:  

Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, roasted

Celery stalks, red and yellow peppers, radicchio leaves covered with iced water for 15 minutes and wiped dry;  all arranged attractively on a round platter

Dip:

62,5 ml (1/4  cup) olive oil

3 tbsp butter

10 anchovy fillets drained and chopped

3 large cloves garlic

Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt, if necessary

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

500 ml (2 cups) cream reduced to almost 1 cup
1 white truffle flaked, optional

Crusty, warm bread, thickly sliced and then halved

Blend the 5 first ingredients in a food processor, until smooth.  Cook for 15 minutes over very low heat, stirring frequently.   Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper, whisk in the reduced cream and add the flaked truffle, if using.  Taste and adjust accordingly and bring the sauce to a bare simmer.   Pour it into a fondue pot, place over a table burner and  serve with the prepared vegetables and the crusty warm  bread. 

                                              RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

A Tasty First Dish

This is a superb dish, typical of North Italian Cooking.

500 g (1 lb) risotto rice

60 g (2 oz) butter, separated into 2 knobs one slightly larger than the other

1 onion, finely chopped

Very little salt

60 g (2 oz) beef bone marrow, finely chopped

125 ml (½ cup) good quality white wine

1¼ - 1½ litre  (5-6 cups) hot beef or chicken stock or more if necessary

1 large pinch of saffron threads stirred in

Very little warm water and allowed to infuse

120 g (4 oz) Grana Padano or Parmesan, grated

Salt and freshly grated white pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in the larger amount of butter, stirring over medium heat, until the onion is soft and transparent.   Add the bone marrow, continue cooking and stirring and sprinkle with a little salt.  Then, stir in the rice until it is completely covered with butter. Pour in the wine, and keep stirring until the wine bubbles and evaporates.

Lower the heat, and add the hot stock a  ladleful, at a time, stirring gently until the liquid is completely absorbed.   Repeat the procedure cooking and stirring for about 15-20 minutes.  When you have used 5 cups of stock, taste the rice for doneness.  It should be soft outside and “al dente” in the centre.  If it is not completely cooked, add the remaining hot stock, little by little, until the risotto is cooked to perfection.

Pour in the infused saffron threads and stir until the rice becomes golden yellow in colour.   Add the grated cheese and stir until it has melted.  Taste and add freshly grated white pepper and salt if necessary.   Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining butter, cover the saucepan and allow the risotto to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.   The Italians say that risottos ought to be served “al onda” (like a wave) this means that they should be fluid.    

                                                             OSSO BUCCO
                           

Osso Bucco with Risotto ala Milanese

We first tasted this marvellous dish at the Flanginis home, in Milan.

1½ - 2 kg (3 - 4 lb) veal shanks or shins, sawn into slices

30 g (1oz) butter

500 g (1 lb) onion, peeled and chopped

250 g (½ lb) carrots, peeled and chopped

125 g (¼ lb) celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tsp smashed garlic

Salt and pepper

Flour

62.5 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine

250 ml (1 cup) hot chicken or beef stock, keep a little extra at hand

1 kg (2 lb) strained, tinned tomatoes, seeded and chopped 

A bouquet garni made (2 sprigs basil + 1 sprigs thyme + 1 bay leaf)

Gremolata:

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

1 coffee spoon grated garlic

3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

(mix everything well together)

In a large casserole, sauté the onions and carrots in butter, stirring for 3-4 minutes and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the celery and garlic and gently cook until the vegetables are cooked and lightly browned.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)

Sprinkle the meat slices with salt and pepper, roll in flour and shake to remove the excess.  Fry in olive oil, four slices at a time, until brown on both sides and arrange over the vegetables in the casserole.

Discard all the fat from the frying pan, leaving just a film at the bottom.   Pour in the wine to deglaze and cook, scraping any brown bits.  When the wine has reduced to 250 ml (1 cup) pour it over the veal.  Add the bouquet garni and also pour in the hot stock and the chopped tomatoes.  The liquid should come half the way up the meat.   Bring to the boil, cover the casserole and bake, basting occasionally, for about 1¼ hour or until the meat is tender.  Transfer the meat and vegetables on a serving dish and keep hot.   Discard the bouquet and reduce the sauce until it resembles a glaze. 

Serve over polenta or risotto ala Milanese, sprinkled with gremolata and drizzled with sauce.

                                                             POLENTA

A Creamy Sidedish 

Despite the insistence of purists, that slow-cooking cornmeal makes the only authentic polenta, I prefer using the instant version, which is quicker to cook and much creamier.

500 ml (2 cups) tasty chicken or meat stock mixed with

500 ml (2 cups) light cream

250 g (½ lb) instant polenta

250 g (½ lb) butter, cut into small pieces (less if you serve it with a meat sauce)

1¼ cup Parmesan grated

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Bring the chicken stock/cream mixture to a bubbling boil.   Slowly sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming and make sure that the boiling never stops.   Reduce the heat and simmer very, very gently, whisking frequently for 15 – 20 minutes, until it is so thick that “a spoon will stand up, unsupported, in the middle of the pan”!  This has never happened to me.   Anyway, simmer the polenta until it is cooked and smooth.

Stir in the butter and Parmesan, taste and add freshly ground black pepper and a little salt if necessary.  Also, add a little stock or cream so that the polenta reaches the desired consistency.  Serve plain or drizzled with the sauce of a meat or poultry dish.   

SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA AND WALNUTS 

A Tasty Salad  For A Light Meal  

I love the many flavours and textures of this salad.


1 oak leaf lettuce
1 endive or Batavian endive
1 cos lettuce, the inner tender leaves only
(all trimmed, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces)

 Mix all together and sprinkle with Milk and Lemon salad dressing * (Please see below).   Place on a salad dish, not a bowl, and garnish with:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

                            * MILK AND LEMON SALAD DRESSING

                                               

This salad dressing thickens and tastes like mayonnaise.   It keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days.

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (you could use garlic-scented olive oil if you prefer)

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp evaporated or fresh milk

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together until the dressing thickens.     

                                                      PANETTONE

A Delicious Memory

 Our hosts’ cook, Violetta, (named after the beautiful but frail heroine in Verdi’s La Traviata) baked panettone for breakfast, that morning in Milan.   It was the best panettone that I had ever tasted.    Being young and naïve and not interested in cooking I didn't ask her for the recipe.   Here is one given to me by my dear sister-in-law Cleo Cocali that is, fortunately, even better. 

500 g (1 lb) strong flour mixed with

9 g (1 sachet) instant dry yeast

60 g (2 oz) sugar

150 ml (5 fl oz) warm milk

5 medium-sized eggs

1 tsp salt

250 g (½ lb) butter at room temperature, extra for the mould

120 g (4 oz) raisins soaked in water and rum, drained and thoroughly dried

90 g (3 oz) candied orange, finely chopped

Egg wash for brushing over

Place the flour/yeast mixture with the sugar, milk and eggs in a mixer with a dough hook, and beat slowly, in the beginning, to prevent a floury cloud.   When a dough is formed, increase the speed and beat for 10 minutes more.

Add the salt and butter and mix for another 10 minutes.   Finally, fold in the raisins and candied orange, place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Brush a panettone mould, lavishly, with butter.   Remove the dough from the fridge, punch it down, shape a ball and place it into the prepared tin and cover loosely with cling film.   Allow it to prove, in a turned off oven, until it rises over the top of the mould.

Brush the dough with egg wash and bake in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 150 C (300 F) and bake for 30 minutes more, or until an inserted  skewer, comes out clean.   Remove from tin and allow it to cool.

Serve the panettone cut in large wedges, with excellent coffee or tea.

    

                                                              TIRAMISU

An Excellent Dessert

Here is a recipe for the well-known Italian dessert, which is one of my favourites.

25-30 sponge fingers

187.5 ml (¾ cup) or more strong coffee mixed with

2 tbsp rum

3 tbsp brandy

6 egg yolks

6 tbsp icing sugar

A pinch of salt

300 g (10 oz) mascarpone

250 ml (1 cup) thick cream whipped to soft peaks

2 tbsp rum

2 tbsp cocoa or pulverised dark chocolate, for dusting over

Dip half the sponge fingers in the coffee mixture until just wet (do not soak) and lay in a shallow dish.

Combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler.  Reduce the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly.   Remove from the heat and whip the sabayon until light and fluffy.  Add the mascarpone and rum and beat until well combined, then gently, fold in the whipped cream.

Pour half of the mascarpone cream over the sponge fingers in the dish.  Dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee mixture and arrange them over the cream. Spoon the remaining cream over the sponge and even the surface.   Finally dust with cocoa or chocolate powder and refrigerate overnight.   

1956 HOME LEAVE

In 1956, Karachi was the National Capital of Pakistan

                                                       

Justicia Chrysostephana

On the post "KARACHI 1954" of this blog, I had written about my marriage with the man who became the love of my life and with whom I lived happily for almost fifty-nine years.

And to recollect:

I continued working at the Belgian Embassy in Pakistan.  Our life followed the same pattern, as for most Europeans, in Pakistan and India, i.e. endless social events, receptions, charity balls, cocktail and dinner parties.  We also played tennis, sailed and swam in the Arabian Sea, on the endless, sandy beaches, near Karachi.   We were terribly spoilt, by this superficial lifestyle, but being young, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I was very fortunate, because, as my father continued working in Karachi, we had my

parents near, for help and advice.   Also, we made very good friends that lasted for life.

Aleco and I were planning and looking forward to our home leave in 1956.  We had already booked tickets on the brand new M.S, Victoria of Llyod Triestino, we had ordered a Fiat 500, from Torino and arranged to rent a house by the sea, in a suburb of Corfu.  Just a week before our departure, we were informed that we will not be returning to Karachi.  Our next post would be Mombasa, Kenya. 

It was a blow!  We both hated the idea of leaving Karachi, my parents and our friends.  But  "Que sera sera, whatever will be will be ..."  as Doris Day philosophically sang in the popular 1956 film "The Man Who Knew Too Much", was so very apropos.

M.S. VICTORIA

So, we boarded M.S. Victoria in the middle of March, 1956, bid tearful farewells to our friends and Karachi and set assail in the Indian Ocean.     M.S. Victoria and her sister-ship Asia were combination liners that were among the most beautiful of the type ever built.   Fully air-conditioned, they both earned the envied reputation for their spacious and elegant accommodations, excellent food and attentive services.     

We had calm seas all the way to Aden and wonderful weather sailing through the Red Sea and up the Suez Canal, to Portside.   But when we entered the Mediterranean, we had choppy waters.   While sailing by the volcano island of Stromboli, which was puffing smoke, the sea calmed down again all the way to our port of call, Genoa.




Please find below, a few recipes of the delicious food we enjoyed on M.S. Victoria.    However hard I try, my efforts will never reach the palatable perfection of those fabulous dishes.  

                                            WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

The Best Risotto Ever

This is a recipe for a creamy risotto that is extremely tasty and comforting.

60 g (2 oz) dried porcini mushrooms soaked in

2 cups hot water, for 20 minutes

Salt

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic smashed

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

250 g (½ lb} white mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced

250 g (½ lb) oyster mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced

400 g (13 oz + 1 tbsp) Arborio rice

187.5 ml (¾ cup) vermouth or white wine

1.25 litres (4 cups) or more, hot, tasty chicken or vegetable broth

2 heaped tsp butter, at room temperature

60 g (2 oz) Parmesan, grated and more to serve

½ cup chopped parsley

Drain the porcini mushrooms through a fine sieve, discarding the last few tablespoonfuls. Reserve the remaining mushroom liquid.   Also, dry the mushrooms thoroughly, and chop them finely.

Sauté the onion and garlic in 1½ tbsp olive oil, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, until soft.   Add the dried and fresh mushrooms, season with pepper and simmer for about 8 minutes more, until the fresh mushrooms are tender.

Stir the rice into the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the rice is completely covered with oil.  Pour the vermouth or white wine over and let it bubble so that the alcohol evaporates.  

Keeping the pan over medium heat, pour in the porcini liquid and stir until absorbed.

Continue adding hot stock by the cupful, stirring continuously, until all the stock has been absorbed and the risotto is creamy.  Taste for doneness.  The grain should be soft on the out side, but slightly “al dente” in the centre.   Add more chicken stock by the spoonful, if necessary, stirring, until cooked to perfection.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the butter, half the grated Parmesan and the chopped parsley.   Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve immediately, in hot plates or bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan.

    

                                    SCALOPPINE CON FUNGHI AL MARSALA

                                 (Escallops with Mushrooms in Marsala Sauce)

Ready to Serve

It is very easy and quick to prepare this lovely dish.

1 kg (2 lb) veal escallops, pounded to a ½ cm thickness

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Enough flour to cover the escallops

75 g (1½ oz) butter

2½ tbsp olive oil

500g (1 lb) white mushrooms, wiped, sliced, sautéed in olive oil and sprinkled with very little salt

250 ml (1 cup) dry Marsala

750 ml ( 3 cups ) tasty chicken or meat stock or more if necessary
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 2 sprigs lemon thyme + 2 sprigs parsley)

30 g (1 oz) butter at room temperature

Chopped parsley for garnish

Sprinkle the escallops with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt, dip them in flour and vigorously shake off the excess.   Sauté the escallops in butter and olive oil, 4 at a time, and brown them for 3 minutes on each side. 

Transfer the escallops to a dish, and pour most of the fat from the pan, leaving a thin film at the bottom.   Add the Marsala to deglaze the saucepan and simmer, scraping for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.   Return the meat to the saucepan, pour in 500 ml (2 cups) hot stock and bring to the boil.  Add the bouquet garni, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.  Then arrange the mushrooms over and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the meat is cooked and tender. Discard the bouquet.

Transfer the meat and mushrooms to a heated dish, with a slotted spoon and keep hot.  Pour the remaining chicken stock into the pan.   Cook until the sauce has reduced and has the consistency of a syrupy glaze.  Taste, add salt and pepper, if necessary, remove from the fire, swirl in the butter and pour over the escallops and mushrooms.   Serve garnished with parsley.

                                              SFORMATO DE SPINACI

                                                       (Spinach Bake)

                                                                 Buon Appetito


Being Greek, I usually add feta, tomato cubes and a little Graviera to this recipe that raises the taste to the zenith of perfection.   But now, I’m giving you the original Italian recipe for the delicious dish of my memories that I tasted and loved on the M.S. Victoria, sixty years ago!

2 kg (4 lb) spinach, leaves only, blanched, squeezed dry and finely chopped

2 dill sprigs

3 tbsp butter, divided

30 g (1 oz) dried bread crumbs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium-sized onion, grated

2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Sauce:

1 bay leaf
2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

250 ml (1 cup) hot milk, use less for a thick sauce

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

½ cup finely grated Parmesan

4 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt

Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf tin with 1 tbsp butter, sprinkle with dried breadcrumbs until it is well coated, and tap off the excess. Also, preheat the oven to 170 C (325 F).

First sauté the onions in olive oil and ½ tbsp butter with a little salt, and cook, stirring until the onions are soft and transparent.   Stir in the spinach and the dill sprigs.   Add a little water, salt and freshly ground white pepper and simmer until the vegetables are cooked and quite dry, discard the dill sprigs.

For the sauce melt the butter, add the bay leaf and stir in the flour.  Keep stirring for 3-4 minutes, so that the taste of flour is not evident.   Add hot milk into the roux gradually, stirring each time, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, before adding the next amount.  As this should be a thick sauce, use as much milk as necessary.   Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan, salt, freshly ground white pepper and nutmeg.   Add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring well each time, until well combined.

Mix the spinach and the cream sauce very well together.   Taste and add salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.   Mix in ¼ of the whipped egg whites, vigorously, to lighten the mixture.   Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until well combined,  Ladle the batter into the prepared loaf tin, cover with buttered baking parchment and then with foil.

Place it into a deep baking tin and pour simmering water to reach ¾ of the way up the sides of the loaf tin, and bake, keeping the water at a bare simmer.   I should be firm to the touch in about an hour or 65 minutes.   Uncover the loaf tin and wipe the outside dry.   Run a knife around sides the of tin and reverse the sformato on a hot serving dish.  Serve at once.

                                            INSALATA DI POMODORI

                                                       (Tomato Salad)

Tomato Salad 

Fresh Basil

Fresh Flatleaved Parsley

Spring Onions

I use garlic-scented olive oil, in the dressing instead of garlic.

5 medium-sized, ripe tomatoes, sliced

Vinaigrette

3 tbsp olive oil

1½ tbsp vinegar

¾ tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 saltspoon  finely chopped garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

30 g (1 oz) thinly sliced spring onions

½ tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 twigs of fresh thyme

Arrange the tomatoes slices in slightly overlapping concentric circles.   Whip the vinaigrette ingredients together and pour over the tomatoes.   Combine the spring onions and parsley and sprinkle evenly on top.   Garnish with fresh thyme twigs.

                                                         G E L A T I 

                                                VANILLA ICE-CREAM

Nostalgia  -  Vanilla Ice-Cream

A Green Delight

For this ice-cream you must first prepare a custard with: 

420 ml (14 fl oz) single cream

½ a vanilla bean

8 egg yolks

125 g (4 oz) sugar

A good pinch of salt

250 ml (8 fl oz) double cream, whipped to soft peaks

Bring the single cream with a little sugar and the vanilla bean almost to the boil.  

Meanwhile whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and salt, until light, fluffy and doubled in bulk.  

Discard the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream slowly into the beaten egg yolks, beating gently and constantly.  

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and simmer gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens to a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon. 

Remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve and allow to cool to room temperature.  Fold in the whipped cream until well combined.

Spoon the custard into a bowl with a cover and freeze for 2 hours at least.

Then remove from the freezer and stir it vigorously and return it to the freezer.   Repeat the procedure twice more.    Transfer the ice cream into a container, cover and freeze.

Alternatively, pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and freeze, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

One can use the same recipe (minus the vanilla bean) for pistachio ice-cream by adding:

2 tbsp ground pistachio nuts

7 drops green food colouring

A few crushed pistachio nuts for garnish

                                          CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM

A Dark Temptation

Chocolate Curls

Do prepare this old-fashioned chocolate ice-cream. 

500 ml (2 cups) milk

4 large egg yolks

8 tbsp sugar

Pinch of salt

120 semisweet chocolate melted and cooled

Vanilla

500g (2 cups) double cream whipped to soft peaks

Heat milk, beat eggs and sugar together to make the custard as described in Vanilla Ice-Cream. (Please see recipe above).   Stir in the melted chocolate and the vanilla and strain into a bowl to cool.   Gently fold in the whipped cream until well combined.   Freeze as described above.





Garnish all these ice creams with chocolate curls, hot chocolate sauce, nuts and fresh fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and  peaches.  Also, decorate with whipped cream and strawberry and raspberry syrups.

Ripe Perfection

Red Beauties

A Summer Juicy Treat

Strawberry Sauce

Cream Whipped to Soft Peaks

 Here are a few more recipes connected with ice cream. 

                                                   STRAWBERRY SAUCE

This is a very useful ingredient to have in your pantry.     Many desserts can be prepared with this delightful sauce, also, it can be poured over ice-creams and desserts.  Use the same recipe for raspberry sauce, adding a little more sugar perhaps. (Please see image above)

500 g (1 lb) strawberries, hulled, blended and sieved

Sugar, please see below

½ tsp lemon juice to enhance the savour

1 liqueur glass brandy (I use Metaxa Brandy)

For every 250 ml (1 cup) of strawberry pulp, use 187.5 ml (¾ cup) sugar, place in a saucepan, stir and bring to a gentle simmer.  When the syrup thickens, add the lemon juice and  brandy and cook for 5 minutes more.  Cool, place in a prepared jar, seal and store in the fridge.

                                            

                                                 STRAWBERRY WATER ICE

                                              

Strawberry Granita

There could be nothing more satisfying on a hot summer’s day than a water ice made with fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice.  Use the same recipe for peaches and apricots.

250 ml (1 cup) sieved strawberry pulp

500 ml (2 cups) water

200 g (1 cup) sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Heat water, add sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts. Remove from the fire and set aside to cool.   Then add the lemon juice and the strawberry pulp and mix well together.

The easiest way to freeze a water ice is in an electric ice cream machine. Alternatively, freeze it in a covered ice cream tray, and when half frozen beat well and quickly return it to the freezer.   Repeat the procedure twice more.

(Serves 6)

                     

                                            LEMON WATER ICE

                                             

Refreshing Lemon Granita

 Another very refreshing water ice!   

750 ml (3 cups) water

375 ml (1½ cups) sugar

1 small piece of lemon rind

125 ml (½cup) strained lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1/8 tsp salt

Heat water with the lemon rind, add sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts.  Remove from the fire, discard the lemon rind, and set aside to cool.   Add the lemon juice and grated rind and mix well.  Freeze according to the instructions given above.

Serve the granita in long glasses, garnished with mint leaves or grated lemon rind.