Category: Fruit

08
Jun
2016

Pieathalon 3 – Lemon Potato Pie

categories: Cook A Long, Lemon, Pie, Pieathalon, Potato

It will come as no surprise to you, wise people of the internet that this, in all it’s earthy glory, is a potato:

And this, is a can of beans.

They don’t call me Captain Obvious for nothing!

What is probably not so obvious is that you can turn these into this:

That’s right, lemon meringue pie made from spuds and beans.

How?

Well, it’s Pieathalon – the foodie equivalent of Mouseketeer Surprise Day; anything can happen and it usually does!

Starting with a brand new logo (thanks Greg, it looks super!)

Pieathalon is that time of year when bloggers from all over the world swap recipes and rejoice in the kooky baked goods of yesterday. The full list of participants and what they made is at the bottom of the post. Why not go visit them all? Maybe start with Battenberg Belle who is making my pie of choice, Fatty Arbuckle’s Delight, then pop over to Ruth at Mid Century Menu who sent me lemon potato pie!

Lemon Potato Pie – The Pie

The recipe for Lemon Potato Pie comes from 250 Superb Pies and Pastries, a book from 1941. The use of the humble spud instead of the more luxurious ingredient of butter to create lemon curd had a feel of wartime austerity about it. Butter was rationed right? Otherwise….why? No, seriously, WHY?

Let’s not delve too deeply into the minds of 1941 and get stuck right in to the pie. Starting with some grated potato.This was then parboiled for a spell and quickly became a kind of gloopy liquid.

After the rest of the ingredients were added and it cooked some more, the potato broke down even further. However, at the end of the cooking there were still some small flakes of potato which were odd and a bit off putting when you tasted the….sludge. So, even though this was not in the recipe I blended the lemon mixture to make it smooth. Bear, in mind I have the fussiest eater in the world as my chief taste tester!

Lemon Potato Pie – The Meringue

So, then to the meringue. And here disaster struck. I had put the separated whites into a bowl and left them on the far side of the kitchen bench while I made the filling. When it came time to make the meringue I looked around to where I had left the egg whites and they had vanished.

“Did you take my egg whites?” I asked The Fussiest Eater in The World.

“I gave them to the dogs. I thought that’s what you left them for”.

We had no more eggs. And we had been to a rather boozy lunch that day so there was no option of getting into the car to go buy more eggs.

“Crap…guess, I’ll have to finish it tomorrow”.

A bit later, I was making our dinner which was the Argentine Beef Stew from The A-Z of Cooking (1971). I will definitely blog about that one soon, it was DELICIOUS and I remembered something about making meringues from bean water. A quick visit to Google confirmed that you could make meringue from the water that surrounds tinned chickpeas or white beans. Why not give it a whirl? It’s in the same spirit of “make do and mend” as the potato based filling.

I drained the can of beans, the beans went into the stew and the bean water went into the mixer.

I was incredibly surprised to see that it meringued up a treat!

Ooops! I’d over filled my pie!

In homage to Ruth, I thought I would let the Fussiest Eater in The World have the final say on the Lemon Potato Pie.

Lemon Potato Pie: The Verdict

Mixed.

So, what do you think?

“The filling is gorgeous. It’s really delicious”.

And the meringue?

“Tastes like the worst marshmallow in the world”.

Well done cooks of 1941! And thanks Ruth for a super recipe! Your lemon potato pie is delicious!

Sadly, vegans and egg intolerants, the aqua fava meringue was not. It was much more marshmallow-y than meringue-y. It was very gooey and a bit stringy – think mozzarella cheese on a pizza.

Here is the recipe for the pie:

Given the bean meringue was a failure, here is the proper recipe for the meringue from Ruth.

“The recipe for Meringue 1 is 2 egg whites, 4 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat eggs until frothy, add sugar gradually, and continue beating until stiff. Add flavoring. Pile on pie and bake in 325 degree oven for 15-18 minutes”

Pieathalon 3 – The Bloggers

Here is the full list of the wonderful crazy people who participated in Pieathalon this year. I’m heading off to see their creations! Why not join me?

Yinzerella at Dinner Is Served 1972 (www.dinnerisserved1972.com) Peanut & Beer Pie
Poppy at Grannie Pantries (http://granniepantries.blogspot.com/) Lemon Meringue Pie
Kelly at Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en (http://velveteenloungekitsch-en.blogspot.com). Heidenische kuchen (Heathen Cake)
Greg at Recipes4Rebels (www.recipes4rebels.com) Fluellen’s Pie
S S at A Book of Cookrye (abookofcookrye.blogspot.com) Perpetrating Chocolate “Pie”
Silver Screen Suppers (www.silverscreensuppers.com) making Creme De Cacao Pie
Battenburgbelle (battenburgbelle.com) has the pleasure of making Fatty Arbuckle’s Delight!
John The Hedonizer is making Fidgety Pie. Www.foodandwinehedonist.com
Susie at Bittersweet Susie (https://bittersweetsusie.wordpress.com_ made Star Gazy Pie
Ruth at Mid-Century Menu (http://www.midcenturymenu.com) Brandy Apple Pie
Surly at Vintage Recipe Cards (http://www.vintagerecipecards.com) Transparent Pie
Erica at Retro Recipe Attempts (http://retrorecipe.wordpress.com) made Mai Tai Pie!

Thanks as ever to the wonderful Yinzerella for making it all happen!

Have a wonderful week. Now go eat some pie!

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17
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.

Let’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.

6 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:

Rhubarb, Rose and Passionfruit Sorbet

Print Recipe

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

Author: Taryn Fryer

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

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Trim the rhubarb and cut into 3-4cm lengths. Place in a large saucepan with the caster sugar and the orange juice.
Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the rhubarb is completely soft. Puree in the pan until smooth.
When cool, stir in the passionfruit.
Taste and add the icing sugar as required.
Stir in the rosewater. Start at about 1/4 teaspoon and add it gradually until you get your desired level of rosiness.
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.
Then let it freeze solid.

Rhubarb Crumble Dust

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

Almond Shard

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

To Serve

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

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

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13
Mar
2016

History Happy Hour 1764 – The Leland Palmer

categories: Cocktail, Gin, Grapefruit, History Happy Hour, Lemon

It’s baaaaacckkkk!

And what a way to bring it back, even if I do say so myself. Today we a celebrating the 1764 birth of a British Lord, with a drink inspired by our favourite filicidal maniac!

Charles Grey, born 13 March 1764 was the Second Earl Grey and the Prime Minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834. And yes, he is THE Earl Grey that gave the tea it’s name.

Earl Grey Tea, which is traditionally black tea flavoured with bergamot, is reputed to have been made for the Earl by a Chinese Mandarin to offset the taste of the dodgy water at the Earl’s ancestral home.

And today we are celebrating the Earl with my version of a drink named after Leland Palmer, which in turn is a twist on the Arnold Palmer. I know, it’s like going down a rabbit hole isn’t it?

For those of you not of a certain age, Leland Palmer is a character from the tv show Twin Peaks. He is the father of Laura Palmer and ****spoiler alert***** (if you can still have spoilers on something that is 25 years old) later revealed to have killed her whilst under the possession of an evil entity called Bob.

The Leland Palmer cocktail is the creation of Daniel Boelte who was inspired to make it after being hungover at his girlfriend’s house and watching an episode of Twin Peaks. The original Leland Palmer uses jasmine tea, whilst, in honour of the day, I used Earl Grey Tea – as well as being Charles Grey’s Birthday, it’s also my wedding anniversary. So I guess I can switch up my cocktails however I want.

So, did my twist on the Leland Palmer result in unleashing a Bob of cocktail? I ~~am totally, utterly~~ may be slightly biased but I think not. This was delightful!

The bergamot in the Earl Grey combined beautifully with the fresh citrus and the limoncello. The herby notes of the tea also works really well with the botanicals in the gin.

The bitterness in the grapefruit and the tea is balanced by the sweetness of the honey and the limoncello with the lemon adding some zing.

This is totally gorgeous. Everything balances beautifully and you can add as much or little soda as you like depending on your needs. We drank them quite long (ie with lots of soda) over a summer afternoon and it was perfection however I can also envisage drinking it with just a splash of soda in winter in colder months.

Happy Birthday Charles Grey, Happy wedding anniversary to me and the fussiest eater in the world, thank you Daniel Boelte for the original recipe and to Leland Palmer for inspiring you to make a drink.

Here’s the recipe!

Have a wonderful week!

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06
Mar
2016

The Salty Gin Hound

categories: Cocktail, Gin, Grapefruit, Lemon, Sweet Vermouth

As you may already know, in our family we have a scent hound, Lulu and a half greyhound, Oscar.

And now we have a third. Welcome the Salty Gin Hound!

Mmmmm….the 6 week no alcohol challenge is over. Welcome back booze! Possibly. To be honest, I think having that break has changed the way I feel about alcohol and certainly the way that I want to re-engage back with it. Oh, and we went to the dog beach, so whilst I prattle on about my six weeks of ahem “no” boozing whilst I sip my Salty Gin Hound, how about I show you some photos of our day at the beach?

The challenge was a lot easier to do than I thought it would be – I did take Valentine’s Day weekend off and I had the wine I spoke about last week which were both good breaks. The February Fast website says that quitting alcohol can help you to increase focus, sleep better and lose weight. I experienced all of that albeit not nearly as much weight loss as I would have liked – primarily due to a dodgy foot that has limited my ability to go to the gym.

I felt really good not drinking – fitter, healthier, more focussed. Having said that, I think it also made me a bit more moody. I think feeling more in control of myself made me less tolerant towards people around me acting like dicks – whether they were drinking or not. I feel it also made me a bit more introspective – which, you know, it’s not like I wasn’t already halfway there to start off with!

I also really started to think a lot more about events from my past and try to resolve a few unanswered questions. For instance, I spent way too many hours thinking about my first boyfriend, the one I spoke about in the Valentine’s Day post – why did he dump me? How has that impacted the rest of my life and the choices I have made since then? Etc, etc. Ad nauseam. It’s not like I came to any life changing (or even just any) conclusions about any of the things I was navel gazing about. Except maybe that I’m ok with not knowing and I am totally ok with the way things have turned out.

Another thing I noticed after the sneaky vinos with my friend Aiden was how much alcohol can depress me. Not in a way that makes me sad or maudling but just sucks my energy and motivation. That evening I was like a zombie. I had no energy or drive to do anything except veg out in front of the tv. Not that I am averse to vegging out in front of the tv but I guess I want to do that when I choose to not because I can’t be arsed to so anything else.

Another benefit was that we returned to one of our favourite restaurants. It is an Indian/Pakistani restaurant which, last year decided to become an alcohol free zone. I like to have a glass of wine when I go out for a meal; I think it helps to add to the ambience and the enjoyment of the meal, so we had not been there for some time. Not drinking was the perfect opportunity to head back there for some of the best tandoori in Melbourne.

One of the tough points for me was cooking. Particularly on the weekend, if I need to add some wine to a sauce or something, I will generally pour a glass for me. Then we would have a glass or two with our meal. Not pouring that “glass for the cook” was really hard the first few times!

Socially was also hard. Going out for meals or even to people’s houses for a meal. There was one evening we went to my mum’s and everyone else had a glass of wine with their meal and I had a Fanta, like a six year old. Othertimes, I felt like I had to explain why I wasn’t drinking.

Next time maybe I’ll be cooler about it.

Because there will be a next time. The benefits far outweighed the negatives. I’m thinking I might do a four- six week stint every season.

You might be wondering why, given the obvious benefits why I am not quitting altogether. One reason is that I do enjoy the social aspect and I love doing the research and making the cocktails for history happy hour.

However, I think that I will be a lot more mindful about how I drink from here on in.

Speaking of which….let’s talk about the Salty Gin Hound!

Gin, grapefruit juice and lemon with a splash of sweet vermouth! Yum! That is the Gin Hound.

I had an awesome merlot salt which I used to rim the glass making it a Salty Gin Hound. I also increased the lemon from the initial recipe, just cos that’s how I like it.

The Salty Gin Hound was delicious. Just the right blend of sweet, salty, bitter. So refreshing for a hot summer day! It would have been perfect down at the beach with that tang of salt air on the breeze.

And speaking of salty hounds…we had the two schnooziest of schnoozers on the way home. So tired after so much fun!

Salty Gin Hound

Print Recipe

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
2 tablespoon lemon Juice
4 ounces gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Vintage Merlot or other salt to rim the glass

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Sprinkle the salt on a plate.
Wipe the rim of your cocktail glass with the lemon rind.
Swirl into the salt to rim.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the gin, lemon and grapefruit juices.
Shake, baby, shake.
Pour over ice.
Add a splash of sweet vermouth.
Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week!

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27
Feb
2016

REPOST from February 2016 The Dishiest Dish – Poulet Vallée D’Auge

categories: Apples, Books, Chicken & Poultry, Dish of The Week, Dishiest Dish, France

This week’s highlight came from France…from Normandy to be be precise. Or to be even more precise from the the Pays D’Auge. This is apple country and the chicken casserole that is the Poulet Vallée D’Auge contains both apples and Calvados, the apple brandy that is also a specialty of the region.

And if chicken, apples and Calvados aren’t enough for you how about we add a generous dollop of creme fraiche into the mix. Bon Appetit indeed.

We had a bit of a cold snap in the week so this hearty kind of meal was perfect. And for those of you in the Northern hemisphere who are still in the midst of winter, this will warm any, and all,the cockles you have.

The perfect drink to have with this would be a cider, one from Normandy would be perfect! Or maybe a wee glass of that Calvados.

This is a lovely dish and that sauce is divine!

I also made these prawn cakes from the Paleo book. They looked gorgeous but tasted only ok. I felt the restrictions of the Paleo diet really made themselves felt here. Thai food is meant to have that mix of sweet, salt, sour and heat. The recipe as it stood had no sweet in the dipping sauce. It vastly improved after I added some sugar. They do look pretty though!

The Six Week Challenges

No Alcohol

The six weeks of “no” alcohol are nearly over. I had a bit of a set back this week. A friend of mine resigned from work and we arranged to go for doughnuts so he could tell me all about it. And somehow on the way to the doughnut shop we got waylaid by the little bar on the corner. We were halfway through our glass of vino when we started getting messages. “Where are you? The fire alarms are going off. We need to evacuate the building”. I am the fire warden for our office. Can you believe it? I never leave my desk. NEVER. And the ONE time I go off for a sneaky ~~doughnut~~ pinot, the flipping fire alarms go off.

What could we do? They would have grounded the lifts, we weren’t getting back into the building in a hurry. Nothing for it but to have a second glass o’ wine.

Here is the scene of the crime – Dikstein’s Corner Bar,

We had a lovely New Zealand Pinot but ewwww…did I feel seedy afterwards. Totally lethargic, no motivation to do anything except flop on the couch and tune out in front of the telly for the entire evening. I will say more about this challenge when it is over – in just a couple of days. But after yesterday I am seriously evaluating my relationship with booze.

Meditation

Still struggling with this one. I thought this would be so much easier than giving up booze. Not so. I”ll try to lift my game for the last two weeks. And this one can go back on the list for a re-do later in the year.

Flexibility

I’m LOVING this. And after only a week or so in, I am already seeing the difference! I am mixing it up between two different routines – one has a morning routine and an evening routine so if I get up early enough I do that one. If not, there is another where you do one 10 minute workout for the day. Really happy with this one!

The March Challenge

I have not decided what will replace the no alcohol challenge come the first of March.

I am narrowing it down:

Journalling – I used to journal all the time and love it. And I think in some ways that was my meditation. I REALLY want to get back into it.

Candy Crush – MUST. STOP. PLAYING.

Food – I feel I should replace a “food” challenge with another food challenge – I was thinking maybe a month without bread, pasta potatoes. But Jenny has inspired me to do one around food waste.

I will do what I did last month and see what jumps out at me on the morning of the first! Eeeeekkk – can you believe it’s almost March?

Reading

I have given up on The Apologist for my audiobook. I could not get into it. I had previously started Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantell and I have gone back to that.

You can keep your real Housewives…for real scandal and intrigue, give me the Tudors anyday!

But my major discovery this week was this:

Savage Lane by Jason Starr

Savage Lane = Jason Starr

The hot pink cover had me at hello. I like to read dark and this is pitch black! It is also pitch perfect. Nasty, nasty people doing nasty, nasty things. I’m loving it!

Here is the premise:

“Life is sublime in the idyllic suburbs of New York City. Recent divorcée Karen Daily and her two kids have, for the first time in years, found joy as they settle into the close-knit community of Savage Lane. Neighbours, Mark and Deb Berman have been so supportive as she moves on in life: teaching at the local school and even dating again.

But behind the pristine houses and perfect smiles lie dark motives far more sinister than Karen could have ever imagined. Unknown to her, Mark, trapped in his own unhappy marriage, has developed a rich fantasy life for the two of them. And, as rumours start to spread, it seems that he isn’t the only one targetting Karen”

This is the first book of his I have read but I am now keen to read more. And all of his covers from No Exit Press are equally arresting:

Plants

I am going through a phase where I want to fill my house with plants.

Have started following the jungalow. Her instagram is also amazing!

https://www.instagram.com/justinablakeney/

And have been trying to find a local version of these West Elm Planters.

West Elm Mid Century Planters

Now I just have to buy some plants!

That’s about it. I haven’t really done much else this week except work.

On The Menu

Saffron chicken from Persiana
Lamb Kebabs from the A-Z of Cooking with the tomato salad with pomegranate salad also from Persiana….and eeeekkkk. Sabrina has a new book coming out in May! I can hardly wait!
Honeycomb Cheesecake from A Moveable Feast
Sweet Potato cakes with Lemon Chickpeas

Sirocco

That’s about it for me for this week. Except for the recipe for the Poulet Vallée D’Auge – which you can find here.

What are you cooking, reading, doing this weekend? I am planning to take the dogs down to the dog beach for a play.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you do.

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