Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Eton Mess

When I first started looking at Nigella Express to see if there was a recipe I wanted to try to cook during the London Olympics, I decided I was going to make Goujons of Sole...for those Dr. Who fans, that's basically fish fingers, and for those non Dr. Who fans that's fish sticks (of course I was going to cook it without the custard). But I couldn't find any decent, affordable sole at my local markets so I put the cookbook away.

I then focused my attention on looking for a recipe for Eton Mess, a dish that I've run across in many of my cookbooks over the years. The problem was that most of the recipes called for making the meringue by scratch...something I just didn't have the time for during the Olympic festivities.

But then, by chance, I came back to the Nigella Express cookbook and saw that her recipe called for pre-packaged meringue nests. Eureka! Or so I thought until I couldn't find them at any store I frequented. So the cookbook went back on the shelf with a mental note to keep looking for some decent sole to try those fish fingers.

Fast forward to my foray at Cost Plus World Market picking up different British foods to try. Weaving up and down the isles, looking for anything that might be manufactured and eaten in London, low and behold, I came across a package of meringue nests! So back to the house and back to pulling out Nigella Express again. I think this was a sign I really needed to make something from this cookbook.

Eton Mess is really simple to make. It is also really simple to eat. Lots of. I don't know if it's the sweetness of the dish coupled with the nice crunch of the meringue, but we really enjoyed this. And even the next day when the mixture kind of went soft, I found myself stealing spoonfuls out of the container in the fridge.

This photograph doesn't do the dessert justice (my kingdom for some natural light in the house and instructions on how to use my new camera). I tried to layer the Eton Mess in a tall skinny glass and I wasn't very successful. I did take some to my Mom where I layered it in a small plastic drinking cup and it looked much better. Visions of a picnic or BBQ where I serve this in those plastic cups ran through my head.

ETON MESS
(Nigella Express)

4 cups strawberries
2 teaspoons vanilla or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pomegranate juice
2 cups whipping cream
4 small packaged meringue nests

Hull and chop the strawberries. Put into a bowl, add the sugar and pomegranate juice, and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly crumble in 4 of the meringue nests - you will need chunks for texture as well as a little fine dust.

Take out about half a cupful of the chopped strawberries, and fold the meringued cream and the rest of the fruit mixture together.

Arrange on 4 serving plates or glasses or in a mound, and top each one with some of the remaining macerated strawberries. Serves 4

NOTE: I used superfine sugar as it was mentioned in another Eton Mess recipe that the superfine would incorporate into the mixture better. I always have some superfine sugar on hand anyway to make simple syrups for drinks.

NOTE: This recipe is similar to many except for the pomegranate juice and the fact that it uses pre-made meringue. If you were to leave out the pomegranate juice and maybe add a bit more sugar, I don't think it would matter much.

I think this is one of those great little dessert recipes to have in your repertoire...tastes good and is simple to put together for a quick dessert after dinner. Will make this again. Will make a double batch and keep one just for me...

 

Toad-In-The-Hole (Yorkshire Pudding)

One of the first things I flashed on when thinking about cooking British food was Yorkshire Pudding. Years ago I thought it was actually pudding. It wasn't until I read or saw something on tv that I realized it was more of what I know as a popover. Breakfast food. For some reason I aways figured it was a difficult thing to make. I had thoughts of opening the oven door too early and having the whole thing fall. I also, for some reason, figured yeast was involved. I still don't do yeast.

So when I came across this recipe for Toad-In-A-Hole out of The Ploughmans Lunch and the Miser's Feast, I went right past it. The photo that accompanied the recipe looked good, but I figured it would be too much work trying to make a Yorkshire Pudding. But something in me made me take a second look and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure if this incorporates a true Yorkshire Pudding, but it was very easy to make for this dish and the results were pretty dang good.

The name "Toad in the Hole" has different meanings depending on where you search for info. My favorite is that the dish resembles a toad sticking its head out of a hole. Personally I don't see that but maybe British toads look different LOL. Many Toad in the Hole recipes also call for a gravy to be served with the dish...wasn't something I was interested in.

The one problem I had with the dish is that my sausages turned out to leave quite a grease well in the Yorkshire Pudding. You can see the oil in the photo above surrounding the sausages (I took the photo just after the dish was pulled from the oven) and as the sausages sat before serving, there became an even larger pool of grease. I ended up taking a napkin and sopping up the liquid before I cut the meal into servings (though it might have given extra flavor to the Yorkshire Pudding).

Mr. L really liked the combo of the Yorkshire Pudding with the sausages and I do plan on making Yorkshire Pudding on it's own at some point.

TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE
(The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 large Italian sweet or English-style pork sausages (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 recipe Yorkshire Pudding  (see below), prepared through step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausages, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the casings are well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and pour the Yorkshire Pudding batter into it. Add the sausages. Bake until the batter has risen and browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve warm. Makes 4 servings.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, salt, eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Beat until all the lumps are gone and a thick, creamy batter has formed.

2.Oil a 12-cup muffin pan and pour the batter into the cups. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven during the baking time, or the puddings will collapse. Serve warm with a roast. Beef is traditional, but they're great with turkey or pork, too. Makes 12 individual puddings.

NOTE: I used English-style pork sausages.

NOTE: The photo of the finished dish showed the sausages all lined up in a row. Don't ask me what kind of statement I was making by the way I arranged them here.

NOTE: This didn't reheat all that well.

I was surprised by this dish. Very simple to make, made a very cool presentation and it tasted really good.

Photo taken with my iPhone. I have a cool new little camera I'm still trying to learn to use. And it sucks that there is no natural light in my house to take photos after 3pm.

Treacle Sponge Pudding

This can of Treacle Sponge Pudding wasn't bought at a local British Food Store or the local Cost Plus World Market. This Treacle actually came all the way across the pond from England. It was lovingly brought to me by the sister of Mr. L's boss who came visiting from the UK. She also brought me a can of Bird's Custard Powder, so I no longer have an excuse not to make my own. I can't tell you how cool it was that my husbands boss knew I was eating "British" during the Olympics and had his sister pick me up something.

I originally thought "treacle" was a made up word. But it's actually any syrup made during the refining of sugar and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". I've read and heard about Treacle Tarts for ages....it's mentioned in Harry Potter...and it was actually on my list of things to make during the Olympics, but I ran out of time. We ended up having this during the Closing Ceremonies which made a perfect end to my British Food Fest.

Alas, this didn't turn out the best. We actually liked Spotted Dick better, though it might be because of an error in cooking. We cooked this the same as the Spotted Dick, dropped the can in some boiling water for 35 minutes. The "treacle" I believe was supposed to melt and become like a sauce on the sponge cake. Alas, it never melted...not sure if it was because we didn't cook it long enough or too long. It actually didn't taste bad, Mr. L and I scarfed it down with smiles on our face, so I'd love to make one from scratch sometime.

Bubble and Squeak: Fried Cabbage, Potatoes, and Corned Beef

Anybody who has ever made Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patricks Day, has probably made Bubble and Squeak without really knowing it. Basically it's leftover corned beef mixed with leftover cabbage and potatoes. In our family, not only do we always have a corned beef in the freezer, we also always have canned corned beef in the pantry. And quite frequently leftover potatoes. So when life is busy, opening up a can of corned beef and making Bubble and Squeak will probably be a regular occurrence. Yes, I'm sure that using a fresh corned beef instead of canned would have made this taste even better, but time constraints and lack of planning (read remembering to take the dang corned beef out of the freezer) made me very glad for the canned stuff.

This recipe came from The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast. It was a familiar dish to start my British Food fest for the Olympics. The name for the dish supposedly comes from the sound and appearance of the ingredients when they are put in a hot skillet. I have never heard food squeak when putting it in a hot pan. If it ever does, I'm probably not going to eat it.

This made a nice comforting dish as it was quick to make even though I made it from scratch since I didn't have leftover potatoes.

 

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK: Fried Cabbage, Potatoes and Corned Beef
(from The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast)

4 quarts water, to cook the cabbage and potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to your taste, plus 1 tablespoon if cooking cabbage and potatoes
2 cups chopped potatoes, cooked or fresh
2 cups chopped cabbage, cooked or fresh
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups chopped cooked boiled or corned beef
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. If your potatoes and cabbage are not already cooked, bring the water and 1 tablespoon of the salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon, reserving the water and set aside. Repeat with the cabbage, but simmer it for only 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook it, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the boiled cabbage and potato and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown too, about 20 minutes more.

4. Taste for salt. If the beef was salty enough, you won't need it; otherwise, add 1/2 teaspoon or to taste. Add the pepper and stir. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE from author: If you leave out the corned beef, you'll have Colcannon, a classic Irish vegetable side dish.

NOTE: Mr. L and I have actually made Colcannon before, it's actually very good.

NOTE: We didn't have any leftovers so we followed the directions to cook the potatoes and cabbage from scratch. I used Yukon Gold potatoes.

NOTE: I used just one can of canned corned beef (for those not aware of this product, you can find them near canned corned beef hash and they sell them in bulk packages at Costco). Canned corned beef doesn't crisp up like fresh corned beef will and seems moister, read fattier, than the fresh kind. Canned corned beef is one of those shelf stable cooked meat "emergency" products we tend to have on hand in our pantry.

NOTE: Quite frankly, I think amounts listed here are rough estimates. If you have leftovers, just throw them all in the pan, doesn't matter if you have more potatoes than usual or more cabbage etc.

Since we eat corned beef year round, Bubble and Squeak will be showing up at our table on a regular basis.

 

The End of The London Olympics

I always feel like I need some time to decompress after the Olympics, time to get back into my normal routine. During the Olympics my days are usually spent trying to avoid news outlets and any online spoilers (almost impossible in this social media age). Nights are spent in front of the TV trying to absorb the multitude of information that gets crunched in the "prime time" telecast. Chores like laundry or vacuuming are regulated to "next week", magazines and books remain unread on the counter, beloved TV shows rack up unwatched on the DVR, the craft room sits silent, and the cats look forlornly at their toys wondering when the big people will play with them again. Dinners tend to be quick and usually revolve around food from where the Olympics are taking place. It's pretty much Olympics, morning, noon and night at our house.

This time around was a bit different. Due to a multitude of events, I completely missed most of the Olympics this year. It got to the point that I would purposely look for who won what events during the day so that night, once I could actually sit down and watch a bit of the broadcast, I knew where to fast forward to check out the good parts. Someone won an event by a mile? Probably fast forwarded right through it. But if a race or event was a close one, even if it was between two countries I'd never even heard of, I'd try to watch the final bit, just to get a feel for the excitement.

The thing I missed most during these Olympics were the little glimpses into the town the Olympics are held in that even local news stations usually show. You know, where they go meet folks from a tiny town near the big event and show what they eat, what they do in their spare time, and what they wear. That to me is a big part of the Olympics, not only watching the events but learning about a new part of the world.

I was able to try out some interesting British foods (there are several I still haven't posted about) and cook some really good British recipes (which I hope to get up on the blog in the next several weeks), but trips to the local pubs for a Black and Tan or Fish and Chips went by the wayside.

But when I was able to get in the spirit, I had a jolly old time. I love the fact that the Olympics for me, isn't always about who wins, or if an American is on the podium (though trust me, I do root heartily for my USA). Even with the limited watching time, I did have some favorite moments.

*My favorite athlete during the Olympics? For some unknown reason, Mo Farah. Never heard of him before. Became an instant fan after watching in the 10,000 and rooted like crazy for him in the 5,000. I wanted him to run more races! Go Mo! Go Mo! When I found out his wife is carrying twins and is expected to deliver within weeks, it made it all Mo Better :)

*I admit, I'm not a big fan of track and field. It's usually the last sport I pay attention to and can't remember really truly rooting for someone since Dwight Stone back in the day. But man the women's track team had me cheering like crazy. From the dogged determination on the face of Jetter, to the jubilant smile that was shown on the face of Barrett when she won the silver in the high jump, the USA track women caught my attention and made me proud.

*Oscar Pistorius. Asked by 19 year old from Grenada to trade bibs (ultimate sign of respect).  Said teenager goes on to win his countries first ever medal (a gold). Chills.

*Bolt. Didn't know, didn't watch, didn't care. Never been a fan. Not sure why but I think I prefer my Olympic athletes a bit more modest in their accomplishments. Just because you are the fastest man, doesn't mean you are the best athlete in the world. I'd prefer to spend time with Pistorius or Kirani James from Granada than Bolt any day.

*Those damn Mom commercials got me every time.

*The whole Bond thing during the opening ceremonies? Priceless.

*Yes, I did care What Kate Wore. I also paid attention to the tight little swim trucks and the very tight clothing on some of the male athletes that showed much more than was respectable. Though I didn't have a problem with the whites the USA athletes wore during the closing ceremonies, I had a huge problem with the big polo logo! (and that they were made in China...sigh).

*My favorite gold after Mo? David Boudia. The final in the platform diving was nerve wracking and yes, I think Tom Doyle is adorable.

*I really didn't have a problem with NBC's basic broadcast (though get rid of Seacrest-he seemed bored and uninterested on what was going on). There was plenty of broadcasting on the many channels that we could DVR and watch, we just didn't have the time. I did have a big problem that there was no Ann Curry. I also had a problem with NBC for not giving us the entire closing ceremonies! No Davies or Kate Bush? WRONG!

*I know there are those that really disliked the music during the closing ceremonies. They wanted something "more". Well to me, that was an ultimate concert, I knew every one of the bands or singers, yes even One Direction, and would have given anything to have actually been there.

*I had a friend in the closing ceremonies. It was fun to read about his secret practices, to see some of the photos he snuck out of the venue before that evenings show.  If you paid attention to the folks on the green truck during the closing ceremonies, you probably saw a brief glimpse of him.

There were of course many more highlights during the London games, from medals in archery (I took classes in high school way before it was Hunger Games cool), to Gabby, Phelps, USA women's soccer, beach volleyball...there were a whole lot of USA medals and a whole lot of stories to go with each and every one of the athletes that competed during the games. Though I didn't get to fully immerse myself into these summer games (note to self: do not plan a major garage sale and participating in an out of town Color Run during any Olympic goings on) I still had much joy watching what I could.

And yes, I'm already trying to see if I have any Russian Cookbooks for the 2014 Winter Games and am taking a quick look at Brazilian foods for 2016.  This has turned into a fun tradition at Olympic time. And you do realize that the winter games are only 18 months away?!

 

Yorkie Chocolate Bar

It's fun trying all these foods without really paying attention to the wrappers and what we are about to eat. So when I first bit into this Yorkie chocolate bar, I expected there to be some sort of filling or addition to the chocolate. But there wasn't. It turned out to just be a nice chunk of milk chocolate.

Originally the Yorkie Candy Bar was geared towards men and even had the slogan of "It's not for girls" which I guess caused some controversy. Luckily they've changed the tag line because I would have eaten it even if it wasn't for girls. At 302 calories, it pretty much uses up an entire meals worth of calories but since Mr. L and I split the bar, we didn't feel so guilty.

It seems to come in different flavors (dark chocolate, raisin and biscuit) but we liked the milk chocolate version just fine. In fact, there was just something so comforting about biting into that chunk of milk chocolate that days later, it's the one candy that we've tried that I keep thinking about (yes, even more so than the caramel Kit Kat...who knew!).

 

 

Tunnock's Tea Cakes

When someone says "tea cake" my mind goes to cake. Like maybe a coffee cake. Or a pound cake. Or a light chiffon cake. It does not go to wonderfully gooey marshmallows on a cookie covered in milk chocolate. Think of a little wrapped S'more.

These little beauties came wrapped individually so I had no idea they weren't "cake" until I opened one. Had I read the package front, I would at least have known they were covered in milk chocolate (and of course chocolate covered cake wouldn't have been a problem). The back actually states that they are "a delicious biscuit base" (read cookie) " topped with marshmallow and covered with real milk chocolate". Um, what's not to like?

Each cake is 110 calories. And they are good. Mr. L couldn't have just one. He had two. And he's bugged me every day since if there were any more. Alas, I too liked them, so no, there were no extras floating around. They are often served with tea or coffee. Or eaten right out of the box in front of the TV while watching Olympic coverage without any tea or coffee in sight. Your choice.

I hear there are caramel and dark chocolate versions. I may just move to England for these.

Kit Kat Chunky Caramel Bar

Kit Kat Caramel Bars? OH. EM. GEE....candy bar heaven. Now admittedly I already like regular Kit Kat bars so this was a real no-brainer. But I prefer Twix bars over Kit Kats. Why? The addition of caramel to the milk chocolate cookie like candy bar that is a Twix.

And these? Kit Kats with caramel. Perfection. Just adding a bit of caramel to the standard Kit Kat bar elevates it to another level. Instead of the rectangle "fingers" of Kit Kats you normally get, this is one solid bar divided into squares (that's why they call it "chunky"). And from Mr. L, these were not dry! A bonus in our book. They were "lighter" than a the Twix bar in comparison by the way. More of a wafer type cookie.

Can't tell you how many calories or how much they cost...I think we were so enamored of the Kit Kat bar that we threw the wrapper out without paying attention!

I read that you can get Chunky Caramel Kit Kats in the United States but because I don't eat candy bars much, I've never hunted them down. The recipe and texture of the Caramel Kit Kats are supposed to vary between the countries so until I have one from the US and one from the UK I have no idea of the similarities or differences.

Would we buy these again? In a heartbeat. I'm just bummed that I didn't know about these when I was younger and could eat candy bars without it showing on my hips.

 

Tyrrell's Chips

These were very good. Mr. L and I both really liked them. Of course I don't think I've ever met a chip that I really didn't like, but Mr. L is pretty particular.

These Tyrrell's chips were lightly salted and had a really nice crunch. They are more like crispy Hawaiian Original chips than say Lay's Potato Chips. The light dusting of sea salt was a perfect touch.

The website says the potatoes are from local farmers, the skin is left on, they are thick cut, hand cooked in small batches, and nothing artificial. Oh and they are called "crisps" not chips. The website for Tyrrell's is actually better than most. And oh the different types of chips they sell! Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Chives, Sunday Best Roast Chicken, Ludlow Sausage and Mustard, Worcester Sauce & Sun-dried Tomato, Honey Roast Ham & Cranberry, English Summer Barbecue....I'm so bummed that the only variety I could find was the basic chip! er Crisp! Oh and they don't just make chips, they make popcorn, peanuts, rice crackers and tortilla chips.

I loved the swimmers doing handstands on the front of the package. I thought it fit in perfectly with the Olympic theme this week. There are different "old time" photographs on all of their packaging. They even mention where you can send in your old photos of your English ancestors and get them on the front of their products.

More chips please! We plan on going back to World Market and buying more of these.

UPDATE: Since we really liked these chips, I went on Tyrrell's Facebook page and asked where I could find more of them (specifically some of their other flavors). They actually answered and said they'd get back to me on where I might purchase them here in the US. I'll keep you posted if they come up with a place.

Spotted Dick

You had to know we would go there right?

As with many of you, any time someone mentioned the British dish Spotted Dick, I snickered. And giggled. And raised an eyebrow or two. My mind went many places, many of them not fit to print if you know what I mean. And for the longest time, I thought Spotted Dick was a meat dish (stop laughing) not a dessert.

A classic Spotted Dick is a sponge pudding, usually made with suet, currents and served with custard. The "spotted" part usually refers to the currents or raisins embedded throughout the pudding...which isn't really pudding...it's more like cake.

I found many recipes and almost made Spotted Dick from scratch, but I figured I had to try this canned version that I've seen sold for years at Cost Plus. Traditionally the from scratch recipe is steamed, but this canned version could also be microwaved. I chose to "steam" it as per the instructions on the can by boiling it in a pot of water (just dump the whole can in and boil gently for about 35 minutes). Once the pudding is done, you take it out of the can and you end up with what looks like a little cake.

See? It does look spotted! I actually served this with some canned custard from the UK (Ambrosia Devon Custard).

And how did it taste? Surprisingly good. Mr. L and I both thought there was a bit of spiciness to the dish. The custard made the somewhat dry (do you see a recurring theme?) cake very palatable. As for the authenticity of the canned Spotted Dick? A few days ago we had dinner with Mr. L's boss who comes from England and he was a bit surprised when we mentioned that the dish was a bit spicy...and that it had raisins instead of  currents. I think at some point, I'm going to need to try to make the dish from scratch.

The canned Spotted Dick was $4.99 at World Market and serves 3.5 with each serving coming in at 260 calories. I say if you really want to have fun some night, split this in four and serve with some custard and you'll have an interesting conversation piece for dessert. As a side note, we served this warm cake with the custard cold spread on top...you can actually put the custard warm or cold on a plate and serve the Spotted Dick on top.

As far as the name, years ago they tried to change it to be Spotted Richard or Spotted Dog but the new names didn't catch on. I guess it wasn't nearly as fun as saying you're having Spotted Dick after dinner....