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Tuesday 3 December 2013

Coffee Time


Coffee Time
The Penny University.( Like Google+ )
Instead of paying for drinks, people in the eighteenth century were charged a mere penny to enter a coffee house.
Once inside, the patron had access to coffee,
the company of other customers, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and news ‘reporters.
These reporters were called "runners" and they went around the coffee houses announcing the latest news, like we might hear on the radio today.
Before television advertisements and bulletin boards, people visited coffee houses to hear about the newest developments and business ideas. ( Bit like Google+ )

One of the most unusual aspects of this environment was the eclectic groups of people that ran into each other at a coffee house.
In a society that placed such importance on class and economical status, the coffee houses were unique because the patrons were people of all levels.
For example, a merchant could converse with a prominent businessman.
Anyone with a penny could come inside. Students from the university’s also frequented coffee houses, often spending more time at the shops then at school
It is easy to imagine the wide range of ideas that were produced as a result of this intermingling of people.
The term “Penny University” is often used in reference to the eighteenth century coffee houses because of this reason.
 
Coffee houses encouraged open thought and gathering of community. This environment, which was so conducive to intellectual discovery, could almost be called a school of social learning.
To some people this was probably more of a school then rigid classrooms where people could not step out of a particular social role.

Picture Vintage Arabic coffee making contraptions like this one (photographed at a coffee shop on the corner of Al Gumhoria and Mohammed Sabry Abu Alam streets, near Al Abdin Palace) remain in operation. Credit @ http://goo.gl/yBXvFR

#coffee   #googleplus   #coffeetime

Sunday 19 May 2013

Tamarind fruit (The search for a Ketchup recipe)

Tamarind tree fruit pods



Tamarind Fruit Tree   تمر هندي

I need help in search of a recipe for Tamarind Ketchup ?


If you can ! leave a comment please


Prophet Enoch said

About the tree of knowledge


"It was like a species of the Tamarind tree, bearing fruit which resembled grapes extremely fine; and its fragrance extended to a considerable distance.I exclaimed, How beautiful is this tree, and how delightful is its appearance !
One of my favorite flavors to cook with in dishes but would like to bottle and preserve in a sauce."


The fruit pulp is edible. Pulp of young fruits is sour and acidic, but ripe fruits are sweeter. Some varieties are sweet, while others have always a sour taste. Young leaves can be used in salads.


Did you know that

Legend says that those who sleep under the Tamarind while it flowers will experience strange hallucinogenic dreams !



Special thanks and credit to res-ponders below


Rough measurements but here's what I use for tamarind ketchup: 1 shallot, a clove garlic, 1 cup tamarind paste, half cup passata (or chopped tomatoes with their juice),1 tbsp palm sugar, pinch of salt.Blitz everything, bring to boil & simmer for about 10 -20 minutes, to your taste. At this point, taste and adjust seasoning.Of course, you probably know that tamarind paste/juice will sit quite happily in the fridge for about a month, so I always get a huge amount done, so that I don't have to soften & squeeze the pulp everytime. x+Azlin Bloor 



1,Take the tamarind fruit pulp (without seed), make sure its clean

2,dissolve in water then filter it 

3,Heat it in a pan , with very few spoons of red chilly powder 

4, crush some jaggery and add it into the sauce

5, the jaggery will thicken and the sauce , and release sweet flavour

Measurements can be adjusted depends on your taste

its takes hardly 5-10 minutes for the procedure ..

Most or all tamil nadu's Tamarind are sour by nature . we don't use sweet tamarind in our cuisine .

Enjoy the sauce :-)

ps. don't forget to tell me how it came :-P  +Pradeep Jayabal 


Beautiful tree; tamarind ketchup is a great idea.

In Mexico we used to drink agua de tamarindo, which is basically fresh tamarind blended with cold water, and some sugar.

A tequila, a sombrero, and a siesta under the tamarind tree - a promise of colorful dreams... +Anne Ricci 


Original Jazz Song written by +Alfred Hole ( My nephew :) ) 

Alfie Hole - Piano. 

Spencer Ritchie - Drums. 
Will Lyle - Bass.

Recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Will Lyle

Sunday 21 April 2013

The Way of Spices in Food Recipes

Spice
Spice





There are three ways to use Indian spices:

By a very insightful comment by

+Rajini Rao  Reproduced here



"Tempering: fry in a small amount of hot oil. Cumin seeds sizzle, mustard seeds turn grey and pop, fenugreek and urad dal brown, curry leaves and bay leaves darken. This is done to flavor the oil before cooking, or sometimes the flavored oil is used to dress the finished dish. The whole spices also add texture to the dish (especially the crunchy dal and mustard seeds).

Flavouring: Dry, ground spices are added during the cooking process. Some are added early, so that their color or flavor permeates the dish. This includes turmeric, chilli, coriander and cumin powders. Some are added late, just before the finish, so that their aroma stays fresh. This includes garam masala which is a mixture of several warm ("garam") spices including clove, cinnamon and pepper corns.


Toasting: dry roast on high heat, taking care not to burn spices. Whole red chillies and fenugreek seeds darken, grated coconut turns a bit golden, and whole spices like cumin and coriander lose their "raw" smell. Typically, spices are toasted prior to grinding them into a dry or wet spice mix.


It is not unusual to use all three forms of spice in one dish! The result is layers of delicious complexity and flavoring" 


Spicy Original music fresh from Galina






Monday 4 March 2013

Planet Mars Curiosity Pastry

Planet Mars Curiosity Pastry


"NASA's Mars rover Curiosity have ingested portions of the first sample of rock powder ever collected from the interior of a rock on Mars.

Curiosity science team members will use the laboratories to analyze the rock powder in the coming days and weeks.

The rover's Chemistry and Mineralogy and Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments received portions of the sample on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, respectively, and began inspecting the powder."


News from Nasa Mars mission







Planet Mars Pastry

Ingredients 

250g Puff Pastry
Semolina Mix
300ml milk
300ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
50g semolina
1 tbsp butter
50g sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Raspberry coulis
300g raspberries
2 tbsp sugar, to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice 


Method

1 Make semolina pudding Heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a saucepan until just boiling. Whisk in the semolina, butter and sugar and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool stirring to stop skin forming

2  To make the raspberry coulis, put the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and blend to a puree

3 Roll puff pastry out. Lay in baking tray,place cooled semolina mix in center of pastry.Spoon some raspberry mix over the top of semolina not to much 3/4 table spoons and add some whole raspberries.

4 Turn pastry edges in and over towards middle.Bake 180 degrees 20 mins more or less. Last 5 mins of cooking sprinkle with icing sugar to glaze

  Transmission Ends from Mars


Mean while back on earth

Deep in the Woods
Have been out in the hills and forests of the Highlands of Scotland foraging.Who can tell me what  they are ?










Tuesday 19 February 2013

Almond,Orange and Olive Oil Cake Recipe


"Almond blossom, sent to teach us

That the spring days soon will reach us."

Edwin Arnold.   



I so like the idea of using olive oil in cake making which i found via +David Leite many thanks. What a great idea so i have adapted this recipe from his sumptuous recipe and web site @ Leites Culinaria.

Olive pomace oil is the oil that is extracted from the olive pulp after the first press. Once the mechanical oil extraction of olive oil is complete approximately 5-8% of the oil remains in the pulp,

 

Recipe

250g Plain Flour

200g Ground Almonds

2 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 Oranges

3 Table spoons Orange Flower water

5 Eggs

400g Castor sugar

1/2 pint Olive oil (I used Pomace olive oil)


Method

1. Zest the oranges, then squeeze 4 of them. 

3. Sieve  together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl 

4. In a large bowl  beat the eggs on medium speed 

 Add in the sugar and beat 2 minutes.Turn down adding the flour mix and oil slowly.Add the orange juice, zest and orange flower water, beat for a few seconds to mix 

5. Pour the mix into greased and floured cake tin and bake at 350f / 170c  1hour 15 mins or there about. Cool 10 mins

6. Turn the cake out onto the rack and cool completely 


Buttercream icing

140g butter, softened

280g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp Lemon juice

1 Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft.
2 Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
3 Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon lemon juice and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the lemon juice if necessary, to loosen the mixture.



Friday 1 February 2013

Taster Menu of Alchemy, from the 21stCentury Kitchen

View from Kitchen
  

Have been deep in the forests of here in North Scotland and came across Flute shaped beauties with a saffron glow known as the " Queen of the Forest" Chanterelle mushrooms.See my page here for more information on Chanterelle Wild Mushrooms

Chanterelle
with original music by Galina herself


Caramel iphone5 Apple upside down cake



One of my most Favorite food combinations Dark Chocolate and Raspberries(Scottish best in the world ! ) 
Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse recipe Here
With wine and music !

The Delusion of Food and Lardy cake,with funk
Somersetshire  Lardy Cake Recipe here 

Aromatics for Food  Saffron
As the saffron tints and crimson flushes of morn herald the coming day, more here with spice music

By Jon Chef





Friday 18 January 2013

Global food:Aberdeen Angus Fillet Steak Delphi

Aberdeen Angus Fillet steak Delphi


Pan Fried Aberdeen Angus Fillet Steak Delphi

~~~~

Plain boiled Maris Piper potatoes

~~~~

Fried Parsnips

~~~~

Steamed Spring Greens



Delphic spice a mix of Allspice, chili pepper, cloves, cinnamon, onion, nutmeg, thyme, garlic black pepper and salt.         

Spice mix rubbed into steak. Pan-fried nice and rare for me Remove steak keep warm and rest

Delphi sauce made from chopped onion browned with a sprinkle more of spices splash of white wine or beer.Table spoon of brown sauce and tomato ketchup.Reduce, season to taste and serve.

+Hernâni Magalhães Thank you for recommending

 My suggestion would be a elegant red wine, a little spicy and fruity on the aroma, maybe a Real Fado (from the Lisboa wine region), made with native Portuguese grape varieties.

Or, if you want to be more high-spirited, try a rose, like Summer Lovers Rosé, made from Syrah and Aragonez, it's a little "petillant", full of aroma of red berries, acidity balanced by the roundness and elegant mouth feel. 

I'm hungry for some food, now!!!


Delphi  oracle

Notes    

 Brown sauce:A flavor/sauce introduced to uk

by the Romans

 "Is a traditional condiment served with food in the United Kingdom and Ireland, normally brown or dark orange in colour, and made from a varying combination of tomatoes, molasses, dates, tamarind, spices, vinegar, and sometimes raisins or anchovies. The taste is either tart or sweet with a peppery taste similar to Worcestershire sauce. It is similar but not identical to steak sauce in the United States, which historically derives from it, barbecue sauce in Australia, and tonkatsu sauce in Japan."   From Wikipedia


Ketchup

"In the 1690s the Chinese mixed a concoction of pickled fish and spices and called it (in the Amoy dialect) kôe-chiap or kê-chiap (鮭汁, Mandarin guī zhī) meaning the brine of pickled fish (鮭, carp; 汁, juice) or shellfish

By the early 18th century, the table sauce had made it to the Malay states (present day Malaysia and Singapore), where it was discovered by British explorers. The Indonesian-Malay word for the sauce was kĕchap. That word evolved into the English word "ketchup".

Many variations of ketchup were created, but the tomato-based version did not appear until about a century after other types." From Wikipedia

Original Delphic music by Galina          



By Jon Chef

Sunday 13 January 2013

Smoked Ham Hock.Boiled with Black eyed beans.Roast potatoes and Cauliflower cheese



Snow storm blowing outside.Log fire burning time for comfort food.


Ingredients

 Smoked ham hock ( Soaked 12 hours cold water change regularly ) 

 300g Black eyed beans dried  ( Soaked 12 hours cold water change regularly )            

 100g Mung beans dried ( Soaked 12 hours cold water change regularly ) 

 100g Cow peas dried  ( Soaked 12 hours cold water change regularly ) 

2 medium onions

5 sticks of celery

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 bunch  Curly kale  

Method : Cover with water or o light stock. Simmer for 2hours,Skim  often add curly kale last 20 mins

                Fresh ground black pepper check for salt should not need depends on ham hock


Roast potatoes, parboil 5 mins drain well

Into hot roasting tray oil knob of butter Season

Roast 1 1/2 hours more or less medium heat turning every 20 mins or so

Roast pots
Baked Cauliflower Cheese




By Jon Chef

                                                                                                                                                            

Saturday 12 January 2013

Mums *Bread and Butter Pudding* 21stCentury foodies+

Bread and Butter Pudding


Memories of Childhood 



Ingredients

25g slightly salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
8 slices Stale white or brown bread crusts left on
75g sultanas
4 eggs
500ml Whole milk
50g Moscavado sugar
Freshly grated nutmeg
Cinnamon 
Ground fresh Cardamon
Raspberry jam

Method
 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish.
 Butter the bread.
 Cut each slice into quarters, 
Then layer the pieces in the prepared dish, scattering the sultanas between the layers.
Lightly beat the eggs in a jug with the milk, sugar
 Pour over the bread and grate nutmeg over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the custard set.
Glaze with raspberry jam

Tip try not to have sultanas on top or they will catch
Serve with cream  

Monday 7 January 2013

Rowan Jelly




Rowan Tree.


"Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower."


Common name Mountain Ash

USES: The hard pale brown wood of the rowan was used to make bows in the middle ages, also used for tool handles, bowls and plates and for general woodcraft.  The berries were used to make rowan jelly which was eaten with meat and helped prevent gout. Containing high concentrations of Vitamin C, the berries were also ingested to cure scurvy 

A rowan wand or walking stick will protect you from being harmed on a journey and bring spiritual enlightenment along your path. Scottish tradition did not allow for the use of Rowan wood for any other purpose than ritual.


Rowan Tree and Berries

Warning Berries are poison when raw cooking destroys poison.


Rowan Jelly

4 lb Rowan berries, washed and stalks removed
3 lb Crab apples, quartered
1 lb Sugar for each pint juice
Preparation:
Put all the fruit in a large preserving pan and barely cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Allow to drip through a jelly bag overnight
.
Measure the juice and weigh out the correct amount of sugar. Add the juice and sugar to the cleaned preserving pan, and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Increase the heat and cook at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes, then test for a set. 104 C 
When the jelly has reached setting point, pot into hot, sterilized jars, seal and label.


Rowan Jelly, has a unique bitter/sweet flavor  is traditionally served with game especially venison but it is a delicious accompaniment to any meats and poultry.Cold or hot 







While you are eating thin slivers of venison

and Rowan jelly.

A wee dram of Whisky

I would love to get a bottle of this whisky

Rowan jelly and menthol cigarettes whisky



There is none left to my knowledge ! 






Whispering woods - tales of the Caledonian Forest written by Alan Crawford www.whisperingwoods.co.uk/






By Jon Chef