FREEZING WEATHER SWEEPS THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

North America, Europe and Asia are experiencing one of the coldest winters I can remember.   This is, apparently, due to the polar vortex (a meteorological term new to me).   The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that surround both of the earth's poles.  Sometimes,  during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the polar vortex will increase and swell, sending icy Arctic winds  southward, freezing the land and chilling areas that usually enjoy mild winters.

In Canada and the United States the temperature  has tumbled down to -30 C (-22 F).    Even sunny California is covered with snow.

Europe is shivering and freezing. Many people died in Poland from sub-normal temperatures.   In Central Russia the thermometer dropped to -40 C (-40 F) and heavy snow covered the plains of Northern India.

Here at home, the thermometer showed  -17  degrees on the Celsius scale (1.4 F)  in the North, and  villages on Greek islands have been snow-bound for days.

In an older post of this blog (AUTUMN  COMFORT FOOD), I had mentioned that there was great concern that heated housing might not be ready or sufficient for accommodating the refugees, during the cold winter months.   Our fears. unfortunately, came true and thousands of refugees are still living in flimsy tents, on the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Leros, during this icy cold weather.  There have been efforts to accommodate the feeble, mostly children and old people, in ships, hotels and private homes but that is, unfortunately, still not enough.  We are ashamed and angry with those of us who did not try hard enough, and with our fellow members in the European Union, who have "relocated only one in twenty of the refugees they had promised to shelter", in 2015.




Here are a few recipes for food, suitable for bitterly cold weather

                                                      BEAN SOUP

A Tasty Greek Soup

I have already given you a recipe for bean soup, this is slightly different.   

500 g (1 lb) white haricot or cannelloni beans, soaked overnight in cold water

Enough meat stock to cover the beans

125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, separated
1 onion, grated

2 carrots, cubed

4 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, and cubed
3 rashers lean bacon, chopped

3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or

2 tsp tomato paste, or

One 400 g (13 oz +) tin thick tomato juice

2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp Cayenne pepper  or

1 small red chilli pepper 

Strain the beans, place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes and strain once more.  Cover the beans with hot meat stock and boil until almost cooked.

Sauté the carrots, celery, potatoes and bacon in a little olive oil for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the onions and a little salt and cook, stirring until the onions change colour, and tip the vegetables into the saucepan with the beans.    Add the tomatoes or tomato paste or juice, salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper or  red chilli, and a little olive oil. 

Simmer for 30 minutes more or until the beans and vegetables are tender, adding a little boiling stock, if necessary.   Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust.   Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and drizzled with the remaining olive oil.

   

                                         ORZO WITH MUSHROOMS

Orzotto with Mushrooms

Do try  preparing this interesting and very tasty dish.

For the pasta:

500 g (1 lb) large-sized orzo

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

A little salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ - ½ tsp Cayenne pepper

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

1½ litre (6 cups) hot, tasty chicken or vegetable stock plus a little more if necessary

                                                                                                                     

2 tbsp butter

Kefalotyri or San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
Chopped parsley for garnish

For the mushrooms:

1 kg (2 lb) fresh white mushrooms, trimmed, halved or quartered if large

1 tbsp olive oil and

Salt and freshly ground black pepper,


First place the mushrooms on a baking tin lined with baking parchment.  Drizzle  with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) 

for 20-25 minutes until the mushrooms are dry and delicious.

Sauté the orzo in olive oil, over medium heat, stirring all the time.    After thee minutes, stir in the onion and garlic and cook for two minutes.   Then add the tomato paste, a little salt, freshly ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper and keep on stirring for two minutes more.

Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed.    Then add enough hot chicken stock to just cover the pasta.  Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer until the orzo seems dry.  Then add all the remaining, hot stock, stir, cover and simmer very, very gently until the pasta is thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally.   Taste and add a little more stock and seasoning, if necessary.

Remove from the fire and add the butter and stir until well combined.  Then, return the saucepan to the stove, add the mushrooms and heat thoroughly.  Check for salt and pepper, once more and adjust.   Serve sprinkled with grated cheese and chopped parsley.

                                                     BEEF STEW

This is a delicious winter stew.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 kg (2 1/2 lb) stewing steak cut into bite-sized pieces and  coated in
Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 onions, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
2 liters (8 cups) or more hot tasty meat stock
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 twig of sage + 1 twig of rosemary)

2 tbsp butter
2 onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 celery stalks, trimmed and thickly sliced


Saute the flour-coated meat in olive oil until slightly browned and transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.   Discard the oil from the pan, lower the heat and stir in the grated onion and simmer, stirring until it changes colour.  Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes more, return the meat to the pot, then pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates.

Meanwhile, saute  the remaining vegetables in butter, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.  Add the hot meat stock, over the meat, add the bouquet, stir and cover the saucepan and simmer gently until the meat is almost cooked,

Then add the sauteed vegetables and cook very gently until the meat and the vegetables are tender, adding extra meat stock, when and if necessary.  Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Discard the bouquet garni and serve piping hot with a broccoli and cauliflower salad.

                                                

                           BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

                                        

                                  

Broccoli and Multi-coloured  Pepper Salad

This is a large, colourful salad.

1 broccoli cut in florets

1 cauliflower cut in florets

1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow peppers, trimmed, seeded, thickly sliced and halved

2 carrots peeled and cubed

1 garlic clove, sliced

Salt, pepper

Sesame oil, (not the oriental kind)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Salad Dressing:

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

5 tbsp sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 scant tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice, if necessary

1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Place the first four ingredients in a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with sesame oil and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), until the vegetables are tender.   Arrange the vegetables attractively on a flat salad dish.     

For the dressing blend the vinegar with the mustard, honey, salt and pepper and then add the sesame oil gradually, until the vinaigrette thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.  Drizzle the   vegetables with the dressing, cover and refrigerate.  One hour before serving remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and parsley.

                                        HOT LEMON  PUDDING

Sprinkle with  Icing Sugar and Enjoy

Whenever I taste this pudding it brings back fond memories of comforting school meals that we used to enjoy so many years ago.


60 g (2 oz) butter plus extra for greasing the dish
210 g (7 oz) sugar
Grated zest of 2 1/2 lemons

4 medium-sized  eggs, separated, whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a
Pinch of salt
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
270 ml (9 fl oz) milk

Icing sugar for sprinkling over


Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). and grease an oval  baking dish with butter.

Whip the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until light and creamy.  Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, flour and milk and whizz until well combined.   Scrape the batter into a bowl, and gently but thoroughly fold in the whipped egg whites.  Spoon the batter into the buttered baking dish and even the surface.

Place it into deep baking tin and pour in enough boiling water to reach two thirds up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm, puffed and golden but soft underneath.    Serve dusted with icing sugar.

FAKE NEWS - SUSPICIONS AND CONCERN

Ever since  Brexit last June, the July Peace Referendum in Columbia, the November Presidential Elections in the USA and the Constitutional Referendum, in December in Italy, there have been serious suspicions and deep concern that some of the voters could have been deceived by fake news, posted on Facebook and other social media.   According to reliable sources, Russian hackers have interfered in the 2016 American elections in favour of Donald Trump.

European leaders are anxious that the spread of slanderous false stories could sway public opinion, as in the coming months seven countries of the  Union are facing elections.   Unexpected, negative results could transform Europe to the worse, leading to overwhelming and unforeseen outcomes.

But even in the past, cheap journalism, in newspapers and television shows, was a severe hazard to democracy with serious implications.

There have been efforts to retaliate against false news through new sites that publish  true events (not fabricated gossip) that have been checked for absolute accuracy before being posted.  There is one British site called Brexit Justice by Markus Ball that intends to bring all who are spreading false news, in the United Kingdom, to justice.   How wonderful if more bloggers around the world would follow Mr. Ball's inspired endeavours.




My beautiful granddaughter Joy gave me the recipes for the following dishes, "which reminded her of home" and that she often prepared when she went to England to study psychology.   Joy has a very sweet personality, she is talented, attractive and very near to my heart.   After two Masters degrees, she is now undertaking a Doctorate in Counseling  Psychology at the University of Surrey and we are all extremely proud of her!!


                       

                                     ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

This is dish is very easy to prepare.


1 chicken, about 1.250 kg (2 1/2 lb) trimmed

500 g (1 lb) or more potatoes peeled and cut into wedges

2 lemons the juice and 2 twists of peel
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh oregano or thyme, leaves only
2 small twigs of oregano or thyme or
2 small twigs of rosemary, if preferred
125 ml (1/2 cup) or more olive oil
2  cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
Hot chicken stock to cover


Drench the potatoes with  lemon juice sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, a little oregano or thyme, drizzle with the olive oil and place in a roasting tin that holds them comfortably.   Pour in enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and rub the cavities of the  chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice and place a garlic clove, a twist of lemon peel and a herb twig into each cavity.   Tie the legs of the chicken well together and also tie the skin around the neck with the wings and tightly secure them at the back of the bird.   Sprinkle the chicken with salt, place it over the potatoes and cover the tin, first with baking parchment and then with foil.

Roast for 45 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender.   Remove the foil and parchment and roast for 12-15 minutes more or until the chicken is crisp and potatoes are slightly brown around the edges.  Remove the strings from the chicken, and with a sharp knife slice the breasts and separate the thighs from the drumsticks.

Serve with a large salad or sauteed vegetables of your choice.


                       
                              VEAL COOKED IN A THICK TOMATO SAUCE
                                                  (Mosharaki Kokkinisto)

Kokkinisto With Chips

This is a delicious traditional dish.


1 kg (2 lb) veal, cut into serving pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) Mavrodaphne or any other sweet red wine
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
500 ml (2 cups) hot meat stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf


Saute the meat in olive oil until slightly brown and remove to a dish with a slotted spoon.   Add the onion and stir over low heat until soft.  Arrange the sauteed meat on top of the onions, pour in the sweet red wine and cook, stirring for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

Then add the tomato pulp and the hot meat stock.  Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar, add the bay leaf,  cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the  meat is tender and the sauce thick.   If the sauce doesn't seem thick enough, remove the meat and cook the sauce until it reaches the required density.   Discard the bay leaf, return the meat into the saucepan, taste and season accordingly, and simmer for 5 minutes more until piping hot.

Serve with chips, mashed potatoes or any pasta of your choice.




                                                       MEAT PATTIES
                                                            (Biftekia)   

Succulent Biftekia Served with Lemon Wedges

This is a very popular Greek dish  and can be prepared with many different sauces.

500 g (1 lb) minced veal
2 thick slices of bread soaked in white wine and squeezed dry
1 large onion, sauteed in water and a little olive oil until soft
1 egg
A little hot  water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg
A little olive oil

Place all the ingredients for the biftekia in a large bowl and mix everything well together.   Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.   Then, shape the minced meat mixture into balls, smaller than tennis balls, flatten them out and arrange them on a tin, lined with baking parchment.   Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake the patties in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35-40 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad.



                                   ORZO WITH MINCE MEAT SAUCE

Orzo Bolognese 

                                       

Children love this dish.

Minced meat sauce:
750 g (1.5 lb) minced veal
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
1- 2 liqueur glasses brandy
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
250 ml (1 cup) hot water
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
A cinnamon stick

500 g  (1 lb) medium sized orzo
A tbsp of  butter or
1  tbsp olive oil
500 ml (2 cups) tasty meat stock

Grated cheese


Saute the meat in olive oil, stirring until it changes colour.   Add the grated onion and carrot and simmer, stirring, for 5-7 minutes more, then pour in the brandy and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes  until the alcohol evaporates.  Then, add the tomato pulp, water, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and the cinnamon stick.   Cover the saucepan and simmer very, very gently for 35-40 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked.   Taste, season accordingly if necessary and discard the cinnamon.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F).   Saute the orzo in butter or olive oil, stirring constantly.   Pour in the hot meat stock and cook  for 5-7 minutes.   Then, mix the pasta with the minced meat sauce very well together, in a oven-proof dish, and bake for 15 minutes more or until  the orzo is cooked to perfection.

Sprinkle the orzo with grated cheese and serve it with sauteed carrots and peas.



                                               APPLE CRUMBLE

This is a lovely dessert that Joy often prepares because she loves apples.

Filling:
1.5 kg (3 lb) Bramble or Golden Delicious apples, pealed, cored  sliced and sprinkled  with
2 tbsp cornflour
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp orange juice mixed with
2 tbsp lemon juice

Crumble:
500 g (1 lb) plain flour
330 g (11 oz) cold butter
330 g (11 oz) brown sugar
A good pinch of salt


Place the apples in a buttered oven-proof dish, leaving no gaps, and drizzle them evenly over with orange/lemon juice  mixture.

For the crumble, place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.  Do not over process.   Spoon it over the apples, making a pile in the centre and even the surface, pressing it hard with the back of a fork.

Bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 35 minutes until the crumble is golden and the apples soft, when pierced with a knife.

Serve the apple crumble with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.



                                                VANILLA ICE-CREAM

Basic Vanilla Ice-Cream

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice-Cream

Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Chocolate Ganache

I don't remember who gave us this wonderful recipe.
Vanilla ice-cream can be served plain or covered with a hot chocolate ganache or as a delectable "accompaniment" to various chocolate cakes and fruit desserts.


375 g (1.5 cup) single cream
1/2 a vanilla bean or
1 tsp vanilla extract* (please see below)

8 egg yolks
125 g (4 oz + 1 tbsp) sugar
A pinch of salt
250 ml (1 cup) double cream whipped to the soft peak stage


Bring the single cream and the vanilla bean almost to the boil  *(if using vanilla extract add it later) and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture falls from the lifted beaters in a "lazy ribbon" pattern, and is pale and fluffy.   Discard the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream slowly into  the whipped egg yolks, beating constantly.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it turns into a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon.  Do not allow it to boil.  *Now is the the time to stir in the vanilla extract, if using.  Strain the custard through a fine sieve, into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.   Then gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped cream.

Cover the bowl  with cling film and place it in the freezer for an hour.  Then, whisk the custard, cover the bowl and return it to the freezer.   After two hours whisk the ice-cream once more.   When it is almost firm, whisk for the last time, transfer it it to a freezing container, cover with the lid and freeze until completely firm.  Alternately, prepare the ice-cream in an ice-cream machine and freeze following the manufacturers  instructions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017

                  





 May the New Year bring health, happiness and contentment to you all!!

Also, wishes for peace and fraternity in the whole world, and may as many countries as possible continue their utmost endeavours to save our planet from climate change. 

My daughter-in-law Janna and my son Spiros invited me, for the New Year, to the medieval fortress town of Monemvasia, where Janna has a lovely a house.   I felt blessed because all four generations of our family were there together and I thoroughly enjoyed their company, their warm hospitality and love,   Needless to say, that my precious and beautiful great-granddaughters, four-year-old Janna and two-year-old Sophia, swept me right off my feet!

I'm giving you below a few recipes for the dishes that we enjoyed at the dinner party that Janna prepared for New Year's Eve.



                      JANNA'S RIGATONI WITH CHEESE AND TOMATO SAUCE

This recipe is Janna's invention for a lovely pasta dish that is very popular with children and adults alike.


500 g (1 lb) rigatoni, boiled in slightly salted water, according to the directions more or less, and drizzled with olive oil
1 kg (2 lb) soft yellow cheese of your choice, coarsely grated
750 ml (3 cups) tomato sauce * please see recipe below


Place a little tomato sauce at the bottom of a buttered oven proof dish and place half the rigatoni, in a single layer, over.  Sprinkle lavishly with cheese and place spoonfuls of tomato sauce over.   Arrange the remaining rigatoni over the first layer, cover with cheese, and drizzle two parallel lines of tomato sauce down the middle of the length of the dish.

Bake in a medium oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese melts and bubbles.   And kali orexi!!

* Nonina's Tomato Sauce:

This is magical sauce that my Mother used to prepare so many years ago, but however hard  I try, I shall never quite reach the nostalgic flavours of Mummy's tomato sauce.  Fortunately, Janna has got it!! Perhaps it jumps a generation....

1 litre (4 cups) tomato juice, fresh or tinned
1 heaped tbsp butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A little sugar to decrease the acidity of the juice
A twig of your favourite herb, optional

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer very, very gently for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a consistency of a veloute soup.



                                                    LEVEPOSTEJ
                                                      (Liver Pate)

A Delectable Danish Rustic Liver Pate

My oldest grandson Alex with his lovely wife Tina and and their beautiful little daughters, Janna and Sophia live in Copenhagen.   To honour the Danes, I wish to give you a recipe for a liver pate, prepared the Danish way, that my dear Danish friend Susanne Zouros gave me.

500 g (1 lb) pork liver, trimmed, cubed and rinsed
125 ml (1/2 cup) good brandy (I use Metaxa)

White sauce:
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 bay leaf
30 g (1 oz) plain flour
125 ml (1/2 cup) hot milk, mixed with
125 ml (1/2 cup) hot cream

120 g (4 oz) streaky bacon, chopped
2 tbsp mild anchovy paste
1 onion finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 a truffle, flaked
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg

270-300 g (9-10 oz)  rashers of streaky bacon


Place the liver in a bowl with the brandy, cover and refrigerate for two hours.  Then drain reserving the brandy.

Line a loaf tin with double thickness of baking parchment, allowing the surplus to hang over the sides.

Then prepare the white sauce.  Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the bay leaf for flavour and sprinkle the flour over, cooking and stirring for 3- 4 minutes to prevent the taste of raw flour.  Pour in the hot milk/cream mixture gradually, stirring constantly over low heat, until the sauce simmers and thickens.  Allow it to simmer 2-3 minutes more and set aside to cool, discarding the bay leaf.

Meanwhile blend the liver with the brandy, chopped bacon, anchovy paste, onion, eggs, truffle, spices and  pepper to taste, until smooth.  Add the white sauce and blend until thoroughly combined.  Taste,  and only then add salt if necessary.

Line the prepared loaf tin with rashers of bacon.  They should slightly overlap and cover the base and sides of the tin, allowing the excess to hang over the sides.  Spoon the liver mixture into the tin and cover with the overhanging bacon.  Also, patch any possible gaps with pieces of sliced bacon.  Then fold the baking parchment over and cover with a double thickness of foil, sealing the edges tightly.   Place in a large heat proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach two thirds up the sides of the tin.   Bake in the centre of the oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for almost one and a half hour, adding more boiling water if and when necessary.  Remove from the oven, check for doneness, bring to room temperature and chill.

Cut into slices and serve with a  green salad as a first course or on toasted rye bread as smorrebrod with onion marmalade and Danish beer.

                                  

                                               ONION MARMALADE

This relish is delicious with roast meat, poultry or a liver pate.   I highly recommend it for a cheese platter.  I have posted this recipe before (Please Bremain!) but I'm giving it once more. 

4 large onions, pealed, halved and finely sliced

2.5 cm (1 inch) peace of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp sunflower oil

200 g (1 cup) brown sugar

500 ml (2 cups) white wine

125 ml (½ cup) balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

Salt

Cook the onions and ginger in sunflower oil, over very low heat for about 15 minutes or until very soft.  Meanwhile, simmer the sugar with the wine, balsamic vinegar and bay leaf until it turns thick and syrupy.  Combine the onions with the syrup and simmer for 5 minutes more and cool.  Taste, season with salt, discard the bay leaf, and store in the fridge in sterilized jars.

                                             THAMANIA’S PEANUT SOUP

Spicy African Peanut Soup

Thamania, my grandson’s Konstantinos’ girlfriend, gave me the recipe for this delicious vegan soup.  Thamania, is charming, elegant, a very nice person and an excellent cook.

Spice mixture:

¾  cup grated ginger

2 tbsp curry powder

1 stalk lemon grass, the tender part only finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

¼ nutmeg grated

5-6 shallots or spring onions trimmed and chopped

Blend all the ingredients for the spice mixture with the help of a little water into a thick paste. Use the amount of spice mix required and freeze the rest for further use. (please see recipe below)*

Ingredients for the Soup:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 tender stalks celery, trimmed and finely chopped

2 large but tender carrots, peeled and thickly grated

2 tbsp spice mix*

300 g (10 oz) white mushrooms champignons de Paris, trimmed and quartered

1 large aubergine peeled and cubed the same size as the mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 litres (8 cups) boiling water

8 tbsp smooth peanut butter

Sauté the onions, celery and carrots in 1 tbsp olive oil, stirring until soft.  Add the mushrooms and aubergine, and a little more oil, if necessary.   Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and add the remaining oil and the spice mix and sauté, over low heat, stirring constantly until the aroma of the spices fills the kitchen.   Return the vegetables to the saucepan, stirring well, add the boiling water, cover and simmer for about ½ hour or until the vegetables are tender, but not falling apart.

Dilute the peanut butter with a little hot vegetable stock and pour it into the pot, stirring constantly, until the soup bubbles and thickens.  Serve with steamed rice and Melba toast.

     

                                 ROAST PORK WITH CRACKLING
                                       

Succulent Meat and Crispy Crackling

Here is a recipe for roast pork with crackling, which is a  delicious celebration dish and very easy to prepare.

3 kg (6 lb) pork leg, rind on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 160 C (about 320 F).   With a very sharp knife cut through the rind and the fat, making incisions 2.5 c.m. (about 1/2 inch) apart. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, paying special attention to massage and liberally season in between the gashes.

Place the meat on a rack in a baking tin, and roast very slowly for 4 to 4.5 hours, without basting.   Allow the meat to stand for 10-15 minutes before carving.   The meat should be tender and the crackling very crisp.  Serve with a zesty mustard, apple sauce and sauteed vegetables of your choice.


                                     
                                                 APPLE SAUCE

Granny Smith, Red and Golden Delicious

Ready to Enjoy 

Apple sauce is very popular in the British Isles, the USA and in some counties in Europe.   It is excellent served with meat dishes or over pancakes, as the Dutch do.


1,5 kg (3 lb) about seven apples, peeled cored and quartered, drenched with
2 tbsp lemon juice to prevent discolouring
2 pieces lemon rind without the pith
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar or more
1 small cinnamon stick
1-2 cloves
250 ml (1 cup) water
1/2 tsp salt


Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.   Simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes until the apples are tender and thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon rinds, the cinnamon stick and the cloves.

Puree the apples with a hand blender, taste for sweetness and adjust accordingly.  Bring to room temperature,  store in covered containers and refrigerate or freeze.



                                            GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

My granddaughter Tina, Alex's wife is a lovely girl, intelligent, thoughtful, generous, and a wonderful mother.   As Tina is German, here is a cake baked specially for her.


Cake:
120 g (4 oz) dark chocolate, melted and allowed to cool

120  g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature
180 g (6 oz) icing sugar
8 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with
1 pinch of salt
Vanilla
160 g (5.5oz) self raising flour sifted with
1 tsp baking powder

60 g (2 oz) apricot jam

250 thick cream,  whipped to the soft peak stage with
1 tbsp icing sugar
60 g (2 oz) chocolate praline for garnish*(please  see recipe below)


Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of the cake tin with buttered baking parchment and lavishly brush the sides of the tin with butter.

Whip butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Stir in the melted chocolate and sift the flour mixture over and keep on stirring  until well combined.   Fold in one third of the whipped  egg whites, to lighten the batter.  Finally, fold in the remaining egg whites, very gently, until no streaks of white are evident.  Pour the batter into the prepared tin, even the surface and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake  comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool in the tin, for 10 minutes,  Then, reverse it on a rack to cool completely.

Cut the cold cake in half, horizontally.  Place the one layer of the cake on a pretty dish and spread, first with the apricot jam and then with almost half of the whipped cream.  Cover with the other half of the cake and pipe the remaining cream attractively over.  Garnish with chocolate praline.


*                                        ALMOND CHOCOLATE PRALINE

A Delicious Bite

180 g (6 oz) whole, blanched almonds roasted for 12-15 minutes and set aside to cool
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
3 tbsp water
Salt to taste
180 g (5 oz) semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cocoa powder, optional


Make a thick syrup with the sugar and water.  Add the toasted almonds stirring constantly until the sugar caramelizes   Add a pinch of  salt, and cook until a sand-like coating is formed on  the surface of  the almonds.  Place in a tin, lined with baking parchment, allow to cool, sift to remove the extra sugar and place in a bowl.

Melt the chocolate over simmering water, stirring until smooth  and shiny.   Pour over the almonds, stirring to coat.   Pour on to a tin, lined with baking parchment and with a fork separate the nuts.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.  Dust with cocoa, if using, place in paper cups and store in a covered container,