Category: Movies


May
2019

Triple Cheese & Triple Onion Empanadas

categories: Cheese, Film Club, Pastry, Vegetarian

These triple cheese and triple onion empanadas were inspired by two events.  The first was my visit to Tasmania in January.  There was a stall selling triple cheese and onion empanadas at the Salamanca Markets.  I didn’t eat any because I was full of scallop pie but the memory stayed with me.  The second inspiration was one of our Film Club pics.  And the third, oh yeah, I forgot to mention at the start that there was a third.

It’s empanadas?  Hell yeah!

Triple Cheese and Triple Onion Empanadas

 

The three kinds of cheese I used for the empanadas were feta, smoked cheddar and parmesan.

Triple Cheese and Triple onion empanadas2

And the three onions were Spanish, Spring and leek.

Triple Cheese and Triple Empanadas

The film that inspired this recipe is the documentary Three Identical Strangers.

This was the documentary choice in our first round (we are now about to start round 2) and it was a brilliant choice from one of my friends.  I had never even heard of this film before this but I was so glad Film Club brought it to my attention.

The film begins with three young men, discovering that they were triplets who were separated at birth and adopted out to different families.  Their reunion is the stuff of media wet dreams and the boys achieve a degree of fame with numerous froth pieces showing them dressing the same, talking the same, moving in unison, etc. And initially you think this is all the film is going to be about….how are they the same?  How did their different upbringings make them different?  What is nature, what is nurture?

 

Except it doesn’t quite turn out like that because the film then takes a dark turn.  And just as you are recovering from that twist?  It takes an even darker turn. I’m not going to spoil… but the end?  OMG!  I don’t think I have ever been that angry at the end of a film before.  Talk about the heart of darkness.

I think this is a really clever piece of film making, the timing and pacing is perfect, the story being told is totally compelling.  I can highly recommend this film.  Except be prepared to be FURIOUS at the end.

If you are watching at home, my triple cheese and triple onion empanadas would make a great movie snack.

I can also heartily recommend the Aji Pique ( a Colombian hot sauce) I made to go with the empanadas.  The recipe stated that in Colombia, they use this oosauce on everything fish, eggs, meat, chicken and I can totally see why!

For the empanadas it adds a sharp, spicy tang that complements the smoky cheesy filling and the crisp pastry.

 

Triple Cheese & Triple Onion Empanadas

Next weekend, why not bake up a batch of these empanadas and watch Three Identical Strangers?

Here’s the trailer.

Here’s the recipe!

Print

Triple Cheese and Triple Onion Empanadas

Print Recipe

A film watching (or anytime) snack, these triple cheese and triple onion empanadas are a delicious vegetarian snack!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 sheets of Shortcrust Pastry
  • 1 egg separated

For the Filling

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic,crushed
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 200g Smoked Cheddar cheese
  • 200g Feta Cheese
  • 100g Parmesan
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Glaze

  • 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

For The Filling

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
  2. Add the leek, Spanish and spring onions and reduce the heat to low.
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened (around 10 minutes).
  4. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are golden (another 10 or so minutes).
  5. Set aside to cool.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  7. Grate the Smoked Cheddar and Parmesan,.
  8. Crumble the feta into a bowl and add the other cheeses.
  9. Mix in the beaten egg, the smoked paprika and the cooled onion mixture

To Assemble

  1. Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 rounds.
  2. Spoon the cheese mixture onto the middle of each of the rounds.
  3. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg white. Fold over and seal.
  4. Alternatively you can use an empanada press to seal the edges of the pastry.
  5. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg yolk.
  6. Place the empanadas in the oven for around 20 minutes. Around halfway through, turn them over and brush the other side with the egg yolk.
  7. Serve with the Aji Pique.

I served my empanadas with some Aji Pique, which is a Colombian Hot Sauce.

The recipe for this can be found here.

 

 

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Dec
2018

Silence of the Lamb Chops

categories: Books, Lamb, Movies

December 31st not only marks the end of the year but also the birthday of actor Anthony Hopkins.  Let’s celebrate both events with a  delicious recipe from Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner called…well you already know… Silence of the Lamb Chops!   This was the very first recipe I wanted to cook from this book because, for me, Silence of The Lambs is a perfect film. 

Silence of The Lamb Chops3

The actors are stunning, the direction is flawless, the script is tight, the cinematography is en pointe.  For my mind, Silence of the Lambs has no weak link.  Plus…and this one I could be wrong on this one but in my mind, Hannibal Lector defined a new type of movie villain.  Intelligent, eloquent, charming…he is a bit Hans Gruberesque….but at the end of the day, however, suave Gruber was, we were all happy when he fell to his death.  No one wants Hannibal to die.  We’re glad he escapes. And let’s be clear.  He is a monster.  And therein lies the magic of the Silence of the Lambs. 

I had thought I’d taken a million photos of the Silence of the Lamb Chops.

 

I totally did.  It was so good.  The chops are marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and apple cider then grilled.  They are served with a mushroom and apple sauce which was great.  An unusual combination but it worked really well with the lamb.  This is then drizzled with a glaze made from raspberry preserves and soy sauce which is again an odd combination but works well.  The Silence Of The Lamb Chops is like a flavour explosion.  There is the herby, fattiness of the lamb set against the earthiness of the mushrooms and the apple.  The sweet and salty raspberry soy sauce acts as a highlight, a little oomph!

I served mine on a bed of mashed potatoes which added a creamy element. If you wanted to though, you could serve it…. 

Here’s the recipe:

Silence of The Lamb Chops1

And here’s my only other photo:

ilence of The Lamb Chops5

So, it’s the end of the year.  Time for me say a massive

to you all for reading and commenting and being a part of my tiny corner of the internet. It’s been another amazing year.  I think my highlight was Pieathalon in London and getting to share pies with fellow pieathletes Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers and Battenberg Belle.

Stay tuned for 2019, I think it’s going to be just as much fun!

Have a great week  And a fabulous New Year.  

May all your dreams and wishes come true. Love you lots! 

 

 


Dec
2018

Nakatomi Towers Cocktail

categories: Cocktail, Grapefruit, Movies, Sake

Yippy Ki Yay People of the World!   I joined a film club.  And, to celebrate,  I made a very down low version of Jane Rocca’s Nakatomi Towers cocktail.  The original recipe contains fancypants ingredients like Shochu and yuzu but two days before Christmas,  I have enough to do without trying to source either of them so we’re going basic.  And you know what? My version is delicious!

Nakatomi Towers1

So, my work team decided to form a film club!  One of my work buddies had 12 themes for films and there are six of us, so we each got randomly allocated a theme and a time.  Turned out…I was up first.  With the theme of “Blockbuster”.   It was actually one of the easier themes.  I flirted with Home Alone for the seasonality, and Inception because it made the bucks.  But when we talk blockbuster and this time of year?  There can only be one!

Ah, Die Hard…I had not seen Die Hard for many a year and, truth be told, I was wondering whether it would stand the test of time.  It does!  I made some popcorn and spent a rainy Sunday afternoon totally absorbed in the antics of John McLaine, Hans Gruber and co.  So absorbed that I then watched A Good Day To Die Hard which is the only one of the franchise I own.  Don’t do that, it’s terrible.  But Die Hard the original – awesome!

Then, during the week, I happened to be flicking through the pages of Jane Rocca’s The Fashionable Cocktail (I can thoroughly recommend it) and I came across the recipe for a cocktail called Nakatomi Towers…and this post was born!

This is the original recipe but the shops at this time of year are a hot mess and even if I was willing to brave the great unwashed, given I have never seen a yuzu in my life, my chances of finding one on the eve of Christmas eve were slim.  My tiny local bottle-o had Sake so that was going to sub in for the Shochu and I had a grapefruit in the house. I also don’t see the reason for simple syrup if you are going to add lemonade so we can cut that step out too…It’s Christmas, we’re all busy, let’s not take time consuming steps unless they are absolutely necessary right??

I do like the thought of muddled apricots though!

Apricots2

Okay Hans, sure whatever.  Calm the farm down dude. It’s Christmas! Have a cocktail and enjoy!

Nakatomi Towers3

Let’s get to the recipe shall we?  Are we good to go?

 

Print

Nakatomi Towers

Print Recipe

A delicious cocktail celebrating the blockbuster “Die Hard”

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Apricots
  • 45 ml Sake
  • 45 ml red grapefruit juice
  • Lemonade
  • Ice Cubes

To Garnish

  • Apricot slice
  • Grapefruit wedge
  • Maraschino cherry

Instructions

  1. Muddle the apricots in your shaker.
  2. Add some ice cubes, the sake and the grapefruit juice to the shaker.
  3. Shake it like a polaroid picture.
  4. Put fresh ice cubes into a glass.
  5. Strain the apricot / sake mixture into the glass.
  6. Top with lemonade.
  7. Garnish with a slice of apricot, a wedge of grapefruit and a maraschino cherry.
  8. Take a sip and murmer “Yippy Kay Yay!”

I really like the kind of funkiness the sake brings to the Nakatomi Towers.  It works really well against the sweetness of the apricots, the tanginess of the lemonade and the bitter of grapefruit.  For a cocktail that I “dumbed” down the flavours are quite complex.  And not heavy on the booze so if you want to have more than one it’s….

So tell me… What movie would you have chosen given the theme “Blockbuster”?
And where do you stand on Die Hard being a Christmas movie?
For the record? In my opinion – it’s a movie set at Christmas, not a Christmas movie. But let the debate begin!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!


Mar
2016

REPOST – The Dishiest Dish – Rhubarb, Rose and Passionfruit Sorbet

categories: Book Club, Books, Movies, Passionfruit, Persiana, Rhubarb, Sorbet, Sorbet

We are having a lovely spurt of late summer…OMG, it’s autumn now….warm weather, just perfect for enjoying this delicious rhubarb, rose and passionfruit sorbet.

Rhubarb, Rose and Passionfruit SorbetLet’s talk about it shall we?

  • It’s fruity, tangy and not too sweet so incredibly refreshing on a hot day.
  • It is the most glorious shade of pink.
  • The passionfruit and rose water make it smell like a summer garden.
  • It has a  Rhubarb Almond Shard
  • And is sprinkled with Rhubarb Crumble Dust
  • And for the cherry on the top, it’s got…well…a cherry on the top.

I based this recipe on the Rhubarb and Rose Sorbet in Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage, Light and Easy which was my selection when we did a stint on Celebrity Chefs for Tasty Reads. I usually find Hugh very engaging, hence choosing the book, however I admit I have struggled with it a bit.  I’m all for dairy and wheat free however it just seemed like a bit of a chore, not to mention expense to have to buy new ingredients for just about every dish – this one has buckwheat flour, that one had chestnut flour, the other had chickpea flour.  Never even mind the expense.  Who has the space?

But I pretty much had everything for the sorbet, except the rhubarb already.  I also had a little passionfruit left over from the Valentine’s Day Soufflé so I popped that in as well.

Rhubarb, Rose and Passionfruit Sorbet26 Week Challenges

These have been a bit of a disaster.  I downloaded an update to my phone weekend before last. And it killed it.  #epicfailnexus5  The phone would no longer read the sim card.  So after spending the weekend trying every fix available on Google on Monday I got a new sim card, even though I kind of already knew it wasn’t the sim card.  On Tuesday the phone went in for a service.  Then there was a WEEK of daily calls of “Is it fixed?  “Is it fixed? Is it fixed?”  Then after seven days they said “Oh, we now know it’s not hardware, it’s software” and they got a “I KNOW IT’S NOT HARDWARE I TOLD YOU IT WASN’T HARDWARE ONE WEEK AGO.  YOU HAVE SPENT A WEEK WASTING MY TIME AND YOUR TIME. JUST PUT IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE UPDATE” And an hour later it was fixed.  Seriously I hate being such a bitch to service people.  But really.  A week.

A week where, I was without my meditation app and my flexibility app.  So they fell by the wayside.  I downloaded some mediation podcasts to my ipod.  Which promptly broke.

Oh and my car wouldn’t start this morning.

Technology hates me.

On the more positive side, my March resolution of 6 weeks without Candy Crush is going amazingly well!

Silver linings!

I’m starting a new challenge today:

The Persiana Project

As of now, I have 32 dishes left to cook from the very many I marked as “Want To Cook” in Persiana.  Sabrina Ghayour’s new book comes out in 50 days.  Technically, I can cook them all between now and then.  Realistically, it is unlikely however, to raise the stakes, I have made a deal with myself not to by Sirocco until I have cooked the 32.  And I REALLY want that new book.

We’re going to be eating a LOT of Middle Eastern Food over the next few weeks.   I can’t wait!

Reading

The Shut Eye – Belinda Bauer

Loved it – a great thriller about a missing child and a suspect psychic.

When We Were Invincible – Jonathan Harnisch

I feel really bad about saying that I am not enjoying this because it seems quite ungrateful seeing as I got it for free off Net Galley.  But I am half way through and I ‘m really struggling.  The plot…what there is of it….revolves around a teenager who suffers from Tourette’s and his life at an elite prep school.  I’m finding it all bit too stream of consciousness-y; with not nearly enough context for me to be able to enjoy the story.

Ummmm….let me think of some positives….

  • It’s very likely a very real description of being in the head of someone who is mentally ill.
  • It’s short.
  • I love the cover.

Watching

I watched the movie Compliance and it totally ooked me out.  Seriously, watching it made me feel dirty.  Several times I wanted to turn it off  because it was painful to watch. Having said that I would actually recommend it.  But be warned it is TOUGH going.  It will also make you question every person who ever calls you on the phone.  Not a bad thing really seeing as it is based on true.

Then I watched The Breakfast Club.  Damn, I love that movie!  And it made everything all right with the world again.   And I spent about three days walking around singing “Hey, hey, hey, hey….”

I’m still not trusting anyone who calls me who is not on my speed dial though.

Cooking

I haven’t been cooking much as I have been working all the hours!  I have been living on toast or things from the freezer.  Hopefully things will slow down soon because next week I have marked out to cook:

  • Margaret Fulton’s Quail in Vine Leaves with Muscat Grapes
  • Sabrina Ghayour’s Safavid style beef pastries
  • Laurie Colwin’s Broccoli Salad

Ok, here’s the recipe for the Sorbet:

Print

Rhubarb, Rose and Passionfruit Sorbet

Print Recipe

A lovely light, refreshing sorbet, not too sweet with a glorious pink colour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 750g rhubarb
  • 75ml orange juice
  • 75g passionfruit pulp
  • 100g caster sugar
  • up to 50g icing sugar
  • up to 2 tsp rose water
  • 100g passionfruit pulp

Rhubarb Crumble Dust & Almond Shard

  • 18 Rhubarb Crumble boiled lollies (or any fruit flavoured boiled lollies)
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • Oil

To Serve

  • Ice Cream Cones
  • Maraschino Cherries

Instructions

  1. Trim the rhubarb and cut into 3-4cm lengths. Place in a large saucepan with the caster sugar and the orange juice.
  2. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the rhubarb is completely soft. Puree in the pan until smooth.
  3. When cool, stir in the passionfruit.
  4. Taste and add the icing sugar as required.
  5. Stir in the rosewater. Start at about 1/4 teaspoon and add it gradually until you get your desired level of rosiness.
  6. Chill until cold and churn in an ice cream maker until soft set, then transfer to a freezer container and freeze until cold. Alternatively, pour the mixture into a freezer container and freeze for an hour. Then remove from the freezer and break up the frozen sides, pushing them into the softer centre. Return to the freezer and repeat every hour until the mixture is soft-set.
  7. Then let it freeze solid.

Rhubarb Crumble Dust

  1. Place the boiled lollies in your blender and grind into a powder.
  2. Remove a third of the mixture to sprinkle over the top of your sorbet as your dust.

Almond Shard

  1. Heat your oven to 180C
  2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease. I used coconut oil.
  3. Sprinkle the paper with the almonds, then with the remaining crushed lolly powder.
  4. Place in the oven until the lollies melt.
  5. Remove from the oven and all to cool.
  6. Break into shards

To Serve

  1. Place two scoops of sorbet into an ice cream cone.
  2. Sprinkle a teaspoon over the Rhubarb Crumble Dust over the icecream, stab with an Almond Shard and top with a cherry.
  3. Enjoy!

Have a great week!  And let me know what you’ve been cooking, reading, watching!

Signature 1 Vintage Valentine Quick as Wink2;


Jan
2016

Frikkadels – The Danish Girl Goes To Sri Lanka

categories: Books, Dill, Minced Beef, Movies, Sri Lanka

I am reading The Danish Girl for  book club.  I am not that far into the book  – so there are  no spoilers here for anyone who may be concerned but there was a part very early in the book that blew my teeny mind and most likely not at all for the any of the reasons you might be thinking!

 

Danish Girl

Here is the passage:

Even with his eyes closed, standing shirtless in front of his wife felt obscene.  It felt as if she’s caught him doing something he had promised he would avoid – not like adultery, but more like resuming a bad habit he’d given his word he would quit, like drinking aquavit in the canal bars of Christianshavn or eating frikadeller in bed”

– David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl

In Sri Lankan Burgher cooking, we have a delicious meatball called a Frikkadel.  The name was too similar to the frickadeller found in The Danish Girl for me not to undertake some extensive research.  (Otherwise known as googling the word Frikadeller.) And yes, they are pretty much one and the same.

Knowing this also helped to fill a gap in my knowledge about these meatballs.  I have long wondered why they are flavoured with dill which is not used that much in Sri Lankan cooking.  But it is used a lot in Scandinavian Cooking.  Mystery solved!

I cooked some ages ago and never got around to posting them so here are my Friikkadels.

FrikkadelsSri Lankans would not normally eat frikkadels in bed but they would be quite commonly handed around at a drinks party as a “short eat” which is what we call finger food.

Here is the “official” description from the delightful ( but totally demented) Daily News Cookbook, a bastian of Sri Lankan Cooking.

“The term “short eats”  was originally used to describe the dainty sandwiches, dry cheese or other savoury biscuits, potato chips and miniature sausages accompanying the drinks at sherry or cocktail parties which usually began at six o’clock in the evening and lasted for a couple of hours at the most….

The chief requisite of short eats is that should appeal to the eye as well as the palate; but they must also be easy to eat –  that is, small enough to be conveyed to the mouth with the fingers or, at the most, a small wooden pick”

Frikkadels2My frikkadels were eaten as short eats with a dollop of date and tamarind chutney and a garnish of coriander. However, the best, best, best way to eat your frikkadels – better than a short eat or even in bed is as part of a lampries.

Part of a what you ask?  One day, when I have an infinite amount of time on my hands I will make one for you.  And your minds will be blown by the awesome deliciousness of them.  It’s unlikely to happen in the foreseeable purely because of the seven billion things that need to be included.  For the lampries is a little pack of many items of Sri Lankan delciousness.  Traditionally this would be cooked and served in banana leaves but nowadays alfoil is also used.  The lampries contains:

  • Ghee rice
  • Lampries Curry – made with chicken, lamb beef and pork.  I know it sounds mental but it’s so good!
  • Frikkadels
  • Brinjal Pahi – which is an eggplant pickle
  • Coconut Sambal
  • Prawn Blachang – which is a dried prawn pickle type thing.  Ish.

Now do you see why I will most likely never make this myself? Not only do you need to have all of those things.  But they all have about twenty ingredients each.  To make lampries tis a labour of love.  Which is why we buy them frozen. The best are straight from the kitchen of a little old Sri Lankan  lady.  Next best is from your local Sri Lankan cafe or restaurant.

And here is one that I ate at The Dutch Burgher Union when we were in Sri Lanka last year:

Lampries with Frikkadels

My favourite way of eating a lampries is to eat one of the frikkadels first.  Then the rest.  Then the second frikkadel as the very last thing.  Kind of like the cherry on the top!

Frikkadels came to Sri Lanka from the Dutch who borrowed them from the Danes. There is also a South African version also via the Dutch.  Frikkadels can also be found in many other countries of Northern Europe.  This is certainly the little meatball that could!

Print

Frikkadels

Print Recipe

Delicious Sri Lankan /Dutch / Danish meatballs

Ingredients

Scale
  • 500g minced beef – do not use the leanest type, you need a higher fat content to keep the frikkadels moist
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • a piece of ginger about the same size as the clove of garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • juice of 1 lime
  • a large pinch of ground cloves
  • a pinch of cinnamon
  • a pinch of grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 sprigs of dill, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of bread crumbs for coating
  • Oil for frying, ideally coconut but peanut will do

Optional Ingredients

  • Lime wedges to serve.
  • Coriander leaves to serve
  • Chutney or sweet chilli sauce to serve

Instructions

  1. Separate the eggs.
  2. Mix the minced (ground) beef, onions, ginger, garlic, pepper, lime juice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg dill and salt thoroughly with the egg yolks.
  3. Form into balls the size of large marbles.
  4. Beat the whites of the eggs with a fork just enough to break them up but without frothing.
  5. Dip the balls into the eggs whites then roll in the crumbs so they are well coated.
  6. Heat the oil in a deep pan until boiling then fry the frikkadels a few at a time.
  7. When cooked through they should be crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.
  8. Keep hot, draining on kitchen paper.
  9. Serve with a wedge of lime, chutney or as part of a lampries.

Why not try some at your next party?  Or in a lampries?  Or even in bed?

The Danish Girl does not open here until the end of the month.  Have any of you seen it?  What did you think?

Have a fabulous week!

Signature 1 Vintage Valentine Quick as Wink2