in sickness and in health

I was going to post a new recipe today but it was confirmed that youngest daughter's fever was The Flu, you know the one that the media has made us believe will put an end to the world as we know it etc etc. And with a very sick little creature it is difficult to find the time to sit down and write blog posts, especially as I in some kind of superstitious gesture just had to go and get a lot of food in case the rest of us get It too, by trying to think beforehand and be prepared I hope to fight it off. Yes I know it is completely illogical and irrational but it is worth a try because I really don't have the time nor the desire to get sick. So with that plus a whole batch of vitamins and my beloved turmeric drink, I hope to walk through it like people walk barefoot over long stretches of burning coals. Keep your fingers crossed. Unless something happens, the recipe will be posted tomorrow!

The Fall

Red, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

CROSTINI WITH GOAT'S CHEESE AND CARAMELIZED ROSEMARY APPLES

This autumn promises to be a very colourful one, the few trees that have started to change colour is doing it in a very flamboyant way and the fine weather makes it even more evident, the red, oranges and yellows stands out against the clear blue sky and make at least me very happy. Another good thing about autumn is all the good apples and pears that are around right now, I know that they are around all year round but I think they are particularly good now and it feels right too to cook with them so I am. This is a great starter but use a cheese with lots of flavours, the last time I made it, the cheese was too bland which diminished the flavour of the caramelized apples so be sure to choose well! This is another case of how opposites are good for each other, sweet meets salt, at least when it comes to apples and cheese!






CROSTINI WITH GOAT'S CHEESE AND CARAMELIZED ROSEMARY APPLES

goat's cheese (or some other kind) of the softer type with a nice strong flavour
apples, 2 half slices per crostino
bread of the baguette type, sliced and toasted
fresh rosemary, finely chopped
honey

- Quarter the apple and slice it thinly, about 2mm and put the slices in a greased oven-proof form.
- Mix rosemary and honey and drizzle it over the apple slices.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven (175°C/350°F) for around 10 minutes or until the apple slices are a bit golden.
- Slice the cheese and put the slices on the toasted bread. If you want you can let the cheese melt a bit in the oven but it is not necessary.
- Top with apple slices and serve.

facade

facade, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

TANTA WAWAS OR PERUVIAN BREAD BABIES - another Bread Baking Babes bread!

I have now been sitting here by the computer for quite a while, surfing around, doing urgent things and less urgent things while munching on a Peruvian Bread Baby, a very nice piece of baby indeed! This month the Bread Baking Babes are baking babies ( I have to say I am happy we didn't have to make babies as I really feel a certain saturation in the child field, three are enough at my age) and the Babe with this wonderful idea is Gretchen of Canela and Comino who wanted us to bake something from Peru where she has been working until recently. These Tanta Wawas as they are called do not necessarily have to be shaped as babies, animals and other shapes are also found but I like the baby form for a certain reason: the bread is made for All Saints Day or the Day of the Dead and then left on the graves of dead relatives and friends as offerings and I think the baby is such a great symbol of life and how it continues as a chain throughout time, you are born, live and die while someone else is born, live and die and so it goes on and on. My youngest daughter was a bit impressed by a bread baked for the Day of the Dead in the shape of a baby and she hasn't tasted it so far despite the fact that I tell her that it is very similar to certain Swedish buns.



I baked them in the last minute yesterday while I was cooking up a storm for lunch party hence the not that appetizing photos and the shapes of the poor babies really leave a lot to be desired but I can assure you that they are really good to eat, very nice and comforting actually. I know that my fellow human Babes have managed much better than me aesthetically so check out the list here for the links to them! And if you want to see how they do them in Peru, here, here, here, here and here are some links to sites and blogs where you can see the fantastic creations of baked babes, very impressive. And for the original recipe and more about the Tanta Wawas, head over to Canela and Comino where Gretchen will tell you more as soon as she wakes up and where you can find the details about how to bake with us and become a Bread Baking Buddy!





Tanta Wawa (Peruvian Bread Babies)
Makes 4 small

sponge
1 egg
120 ml/1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of yeast, I used 12,5 g fresh yeast

dough
120 ml/1/2 cup of all purpose flour
235 ml/1 cup of whole wheat flour
470 ml/2 cups of bread flour
120 ml/1/2 cup of white sugar
60 ml/1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of dry yeast, I used 12,5 g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds
2 teaspoons of salt
120 ml/1/2 cup of lowfat milk
60 ml/1/4 cup of water
60 ml/1/4 cup of butter
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 egg yolk (for painting)

1. In a bowl combine flour, egg, 2 tblsp water, pinch of yeast and sugar. Let that sit for a few hours. In a bowl, mix the flours, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and sesame seeds. Sprinkle over the sponge.

2. Add the 2 eggs and vanilla to the flour mixture. Measure the milk, water and butter in a measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave, pour into the flour mixture. Mix well then turn out and knead for 10-15 minutes, using additional flour if necessary. Divide dough into 4 portions of 250g each. Form them into ovals. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

3. Stretch each dough ball into the form of a "fat baby". (*note: This is where things are really vague...use the linked photos for ideas). Place them on baking sheets which have been greased and floured. Cover with plastic and let the dough babies grow to three times their size. (*note: no indication of how long! Sorry!)

4. Preheat the oven to 180C.

5. Brush the egg yolks over the dough babies. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes.

Apples, apples, apples

It is time for apples and I thought you might like to see what I did today! Delights for the eyes only but still...

as if done on purpose

art deco, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

WHOLE WHEAT CRUMBLE WITH WINE MARINATED PEARS AND GINGER CUSTARD

This dessert/cake came out of desperation, I had these pears that were going bad and I needed to make something with them quickly unless I wanted to throw them into the compost bin which seemed such a sad waste of goodness. The problem was that I didn't have the time to do it so I tried a last minute solution, I cut the pears into pieces, put them into a bowl and poured some white wine over and let it all marinate in the fridge over the night. Then I made a crumble with them the day after that was a terrific success among the family members who are suffering from a sweet-tooth!

And just to let you know, on request I have added a google translator in the right hand margin so now there is no excuse for not reading what I write.





WHOLE WHEAT CRUMBLE WITH WINE MARINATED PEARS AND GINGER CUSTARD

3-4 pears
100 ml/0,42 cup white wine. You could try red wine too
1-2 tblsp sugar if you don't think the pears are sweet enough

topping:
400 ml/1,7 cup whole wheat flour
200 ml/0,85 cup cake or pastry flour
125 g/4,4 oz sugar
150 g/5,3 oz butter (or canola oil if you want it to be healthier but I recommend butter, it tastes better)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder

custard:
200 ml/0,85 cup milk
100 ml/0,42 cup fresh cream
3 egg yolks
3 tblsp sugar
1-2 tblsp corn starch (or whatever you feel is a good substitute)
1 tsp vanilla essence
freshly grated ginger or if you cannot get that, ground ginger

- If the pears are thick skinned you can peel them first otherwise just cut the pears into pieces that you put in a bowl, add wine (and sugar) and cover before putting it in the fridge over the night or at least a couple of hours.
- When it is time to make the crumble, mix the flours with sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small cubes and then add them to the flour, start rubbing butter and flour between your fingers until you have a mixture like coarse sand.
- Grease a oven-proof form, put the pears into it in an even layer, then top it all with the crumble mix. Bake in a pre-heated oven (175°C/350°F) for 25-30 minutes or until it is golden.
-While the crumble is in the oven, you can make the ginger custard. Mix all the ingredients in a small pan, stir well and heat it up slowly, when it has thickened, take it off the heat and leave it to cool down. Remeber that the custard will thicken when it gets colder. If you use fresh finely grated ginger, add it it just before serving, if you use ground ginger, add it straight way.
- Serve the crumble hot or cold with the custard.

Lamp Post

Lamp Post, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

BEETROOT WITH PINK PEPPER AND PINE NUT VINAIGRETTE

I find it quite strange how certain years I can't stand certain food and then next year I can't get enough of it. Beetroot is one of them, last year I couldn't care less if I had it or not but this year, I just love it. Especially cold, simply cooked and then eaten cold with some nice vinaigrette drizzled over it. My mother loved beetroots too, she was a real seasonal eater, she relished in the fresh food of the season she could find or is it that when I was small and even young, you did eat what the season brought you, the infinite abundance of one continuous season was far off and we probably had better food in a way even though there were less of it. And it makes me more and more convinced that this commercial richness leaves us poorer. It definitely don't make the poorer parts of the world any better off; we have more to choose from but we eat less nutritious food and so much still edible food is just thrown away in shops, markets and in our homes. I wish I could come up with a good solution but until then, I try to eat seasonal and I try to throw away as little as possible of what can still be eaten or used. I try.

This is a simple way to eat beetroot, simple and delicious. I still have a crush on pink pepper so I obviously had to try it in a vinaigrette with my beetroot, you can use dry pink pepper or in brine, both go very well here.





BEETROOT WITH PINK PEPPER AND PINE NUT VINAIGRETTE
serves 2

2 medium beetroots, cooked
1,5 - 2 tbslp pink peppercorns, dried or in brine
2-3 tbalsp pine nuts
salt
1 tbslp mild vinegar
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

- Slice the beetroots thinly and distribute them on two plates.
- Whisk the vinegar and the oil with a little salt. If you use pink peppercorns in brine, there's no need to add more salt. Add the peppercorns and the pine nuts and mix.
- Drizzle over the beetroot and serve.

waving but not drowning

drowning, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH PEARS, CHEESE AND TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS

This month's HotM theme is Nuts, Seeds and Nut-Like Things, we all know how healthy it is to eat nut and seeds every day, just look at the birds for example, they are fit, fly fast and do the most incredible loops and they usually sing beautifully as well. The hunting season is on here and I can hear my hunting neighbour's birds/lockfåglar singing the most incredible tunes. Let's not go into the lives of these poor birds, I get angry just thinking of it but if nuts and seed could make me thing as beautifully, I would eat them a lot more. But as with most things, moderation is a good thing and I just nibble here and there instead. And keep on being a really mediocre singer. In this salad I have included toasted sunflower seeds, both for the flavour and for their heart healthy properties but I have also added a bit of cheese which is not always that good for your heart as it contains animal fats but I trust you to not take to much and if you need to be stricter, to use a low fat cheese instead. The beautiful autumn pears we can get now gives it a nice sweet touch and the slightly minty dressing/vinaigrette is not bad either.

To cite Michelle: This month, send in your entry for the most creative thing you can think of to do with Nuts, seeds or other nut-like things. And of course it has to be heart-healthy too: your entry should be low in saturated fats (lean meats and fish), be low in salt (sodium), and if you'd like, abundant with vegetables or fruit. If you want to get more information, check out our useful links in the right hand marginal. Please only use your entry for this event so that we can keep things centred on heart-healthy recipes and please link to the event as well. Send your entries to me at phillipslayden AT gmail DOT com before (your) midnight Saturday the 31st of October, and please put "HotM" in your subject line so I can keep track of all the entries!






BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH PEARS, CHEESE AND TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS
2 servings

2 medium fistfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 pear
a nice tasty cheese, semi-soft is good
2-3 tblsp sunflower seeds that you have toasted in a pan or skillet
10 mint leaves, finely chopped
salt
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or some other mild vinegar
2-3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

- Slice the pear thinly or cut it into small pieces. Do the same with the cheese.
- Whisk vinegar, salt, mint leaves and olive oil quickly together.
- Mix spinach leaves, pear and cheese, add the dressing/vinaigrette and mix with a light hand.
- Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and serve immediately.

seduction

seduction, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATO SOUP WITH ROSEMARY

It is getting chillier here now and it has triggered off my passion for soups. Why is it that making soup gives such satisfaction? When I think soup, I get this fairytale vision of a huge iron pot hanging over a fire, lovingly stirred by a woman whose face is lit by the burning fire. A generous soup, that has been simmering for hours and filled with vegetables and maybe a bone here and there. It is such a romanticized view on soup making but I leave it like that. My own soup making is nothing near that vision but the love is there. Unfortunately my own family isn't really a soup family but I do impose soups on them now and then, it is such a great way to make children eat vegetables without knowing that it is packed with all the green stuff they usually refuse to even consider. Deceit can be useful at times but only if it is honest deceit, never hurt them to eat things they have mental hangups about as long as they didn't know they did it. All for the good cause!
This is a good soup, I love cauliflower so this soup is only a bonus for me, and is the perfect soup for cauliflower haters as I bet they couldn't ever guess that they are eating it! Not only that, just a few ingredients are used but the fact that they are roasted in the oven before being made into a soup manage to pack it with flavours without much help.






ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATO SOUP WITH ROSEMARY
3-4 servings

400 g/ 14,1 oz cauliflower
300 g/ 10,5 oz peeled potatoes
1 small onion
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
750 ml/3,2 cups light stock
water
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

- Divide the cauliflower into florets and the onion and the potatoes into wedges or pieces. Put these into an oven-proof form, sprinkle with salt and the rosemary and drizzle olive oil over. Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/390°F) until soft and golden. Stir a couple of times during the roasting.
- Take the vegetables and put them in a pan, add the stock and leave it to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend the soup until smooth and dilute it with hot water if it is too thick. It's your soup so you can decide how thick or thin you want it!
- Serve hot.

In The Park 1

In The Park 1, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

LIME AND PINK PEPPER JELLIES

I have fallen in love with a spice again, I really have to stop meeting them in this way but it is so difficult to stop. This time the object for my passion is pink pepper, oh the fruity yet pungent aroma makes my spirit soar above these boring grey clouds that are covering the sky. I think it is a fantastically versatile spice, it is good in both savoury and sweet dishes, not to speak about baking. How many spices can be used like this I ask? And it is so pretty too. So I have been using it a lot lately, today I serve you a dessert where I have combined pink pepper with lime, a nice combination even though it isn't one of the prettiest dishes I have ever seen. But now and then we have to rise above the visual and be more profound and if you feel that this is one of those moments, this is for you.





LIME AND PINK PEPPER JELLIES
6 cupcake sized jellies

450 ml/ 1,9 cup water
200 ml/0,85 cup sugar
1 abundant tblsp pink peppercorns
4 tsp gelatin powder. To be sure, check the directions for the perfect measures. You can use other types of 'jellifying' ingredients.
100 ml/0,42 cup lime juice, freshly pressed

- Mix gelatin with a little water, around 1 tblsp and leave to absorb.
- Crush the peppercorns lightly and add them to the water and sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil and then let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the lime juice to the liquid and then while it is still warm, add the gelatin. Stir really well until it has dissolved completely.
- Pour into forms and leave to solidify.

Leaves 3: Abstraction

abstraction, originally uploaded by ilva-b.

TURKISH DELIGHT or LOUKOUM

I rarely post other people's recipes here on Lucullian but this time I am (I couldn't resist something that fits my blog's name so well, could I?), I have been making Turkish Delight lately and I would like to share it with you, especially as it is not that difficult. Well that is not wholly true but I find it more fiddly than difficult. One thing I learnt doing it is that the need to focus on what I am doing. The first time I made it, I just jumped into it without thinking about the process beforehand and I ended up with a disaster, a thick gluey glop filled with lumps that had hardened into tooth breaking stones through the long cooking but somehow I felt that I couldn't give in, I had to try it again.



I did some thinking and came up with what I had done wrong. I had used a too big pan, I heated up the corn starch mix to quickly and I should have passed through a sieve. So the next time I made it, I really tiptoed through the whole procedure carefully and it helped, as you can see I managed to make perfectly edible Turkish Delight. But I will make it again because I should have cooked them 15 minutes more I think.... I have added suggestions to the recipe in bold.





TURKISH DELIGHT or LOUKOUM
from Indulge by Claire Clark
makes about 40 pieces

450 g/ 1 lb caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
145 g/ 5 oz corn starch/corn flour/Maizena
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp rose water. I used orange flower water instead


To finish:
250 g/ 9 oz icing
50 g/ 1,75 oz corn starch/corn flour/Maizena

- Line a 15 cm/6 in square baking tin with cling film, then oil the film lightly. Make sure the sides of the pan are lined as well as the base.
- Place the caster sugar, lemon juice and 250 ml/9 fl oz water in a large, heavy-based pan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, the turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Put a sugar thermometer in the pan, reduce the heat and simmer without stirring until the sugar reaches soft-ball stage (118 C/ 245 F). Remove from the heat straight away.
- While the sugar is boiling, combine the corn starch and cream of tartar, then mix to a smooth liquid with 250 ml/9 fl oz water. Place in a heavy-based sauce pan (I suggest to use a not too big pan as you can control the mixture better) and bring to the boil over a medium heat, whisking continuously (start to heat the corn starch mixture as soon as the sugar has reached the 118 C/ 245 F and is resting; this allows the sugar to sit just long enough to cool but not so long that it gets to thick to pour). Pour the hot sugar syrup into the corn starch mixture and continue to simmer over a low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent it sticking. (In order to prevents any lumps I suggest you to pass the mixture through a not too finely meshed sieve. And I think you will get the best result if you cook it for the whole hour.) It will change to a very light golden colour. As it reaches the last 15 minutes of cooking time, you will need to stir it continuously to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Stir the rosewater and add a few drops of red food colouring, if desired. Pour into the lined tray and spread evenly. lave to cool in the tin, uncovered, overnight.
- The next day, sift the icing sugar and corn starch for finishing on to a sheet of baking parchment on a tray. Cut the Turkish Delight into cubes and roll them in the mixture on the tray.
- In order to get that chewy, a little harder surface, leave them out in a dry place for a day or two.

Leaves 2: Greenest

greenest, originally uploaded by ilva-b.