Plague Dinner # 7

Plague Dinner from the Pandemic Pantry - What to make with Potatoes and Left-over ground Chicken and 2 boneless Chicken Breasts?

Gnocchi and Chicken in a Creamy, Sagey Sauce.

Serves 3, but took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to make, however...

It got RAVES!

I made gnocchi from scratch. Never a good idea. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Use frozen or shelf gnocchi.

If you must know, I made a delicious gnocchi dough with 4 potatoes mashed and cooled, spread out on a pan to dry.

I put the spuds in a shallow bowl, made a well in the centre, added about 1.5 cups flour and 1 egg. Then I incorporated the potato into the egg and flour.

I dusted my board with flour and on it rolled a lemon sized chunk of of gnocchi dough and rolled it into a tube. Then cut it into inch-long pillows. Don't bother making them fancy by rolling them on a fork.

I made about 100 pieces. Like I said, the dough was tasty.

In the meantime I cut up 2 chicken breasts into chunks and browned them for about 8 minutes a side, turning meanwhile to avoid all pinkness. I added some salami slices and  added the left over ground chicken from earlier in the week.

Sauce: The cheapest, cheatiest sauce. In a Pyrex measuring cup I added a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning, a squirt of chicken OXO, a glug of white wine and, because I had no cream, 1/2 a cup of milk and a tablespoon of cream cheese. I stirred it all around until the cream cheese was mostly incorporated. Add to the chicken a minute or 2 before serving.

Back to the gnocchi

In the 2nd largest saucepan I had, I dropped them into rapidly boiling water. I strained them out with a slotted spoon when they rose to the surface, in just minutes. My problem is that those gnocchi on the bottom got pretty water-logged.

I then added them to a hot pan of oil and garlic. Smelled great but only about 1/2 of them kept their shape.

But when they were all together on the plate, they replicated a Christmas dinner, according to George and Noah. The mushy gnocchi was like potatoes and stuffing put together!

They gave dinner a 9.4 out of 10. Lots of props for this one. 

Going to take a 2 day break from blogging. Tonight, I know for sure we're having Egyptian tomato soup, polenta and roasted vegetables. They're in the oven!

#pandemicpantry #plaguepantry #isolationdinners #selfisolation #plaguemeals #plaguedinner #pantrymeals 

Plague Dinner # 5

Brussels Sprouts Soup and a Kind-of-Jamie Oliver Pasta

Makes enough for 3. Took a leisurely 40 minutes. 

What can I make with left-over Brussels sprouts, rice and frozen spinach pucks?

This was a very green meal, but the greener the better, right?

To make the soup:

This soup was very similar in flavour to a main dish I made the other day, so therefore it was yummy.

So I fried some garlic in butter and added 10 tailed left-over Brussels sprouts. Then I tossed in some left over rice (with turmeric) that I made yesterday. (Rice adds a thickness to the soup and will be undetectable once I puree it.) To this, I added my friends lemon zest and mustard. Stirred it about and added 3.5 cups chicken stock. I brought it to a boil, then simmered for 20-25 minutes. Does it need salt? Then I pureed it with an immersion blender. 

The pasta I made used up some thawed spinach pucks. 4 or 5. Steamed.
Once cooled I put the steamed spinach in the "Oscar" blender that I've had since I was 21. I added 1 cup cottage cheese and a healthy dash of sea salt and about 1/2 a cup white cheddar. Parmesan would have been better but I didn't have any.  Then I "blitzed" it for about 10 seconds. 

I boiled the spaghettini for the required time and I added one peeled of garlic to the salted water. I drained the pasta, and rescued the garlic. I added the garlic to the spinach puree and pureed it again for a couple of seconds. 

The pasta goes back in the pot, the puree of spinach goes on top, and I stirred it about until all the pasta is green. 

(Jamie makes this with Savoy cabbage, ricotta and parmesan, but I had none of that). I also forgot to take good photos. 

The guys liked it and give it a 8.2 out of 10. 

Next. It's Saturday, so it has to be Spaghetti. Too much pasta perhaps? We'll see. 

Plague Dinner # 4

Chicken Torpedoes and Tangy Lime Chips

What to do with left-over 6-layer dip, ground chicken and 2 tortillas.

Made for than enough for 3. Took 45 minutes. 

I found this  tasty, however ground chicken is pretty bland and hard to spice up. Without going into too much detail I was going to make torpedo-shaped chicken patties and put them in tortilla wraps. However, unbeknownst to me, we had only 2 wraps left. So I had to improvise.

I took one pack ground chicken, mixed it up with 1/2 cup 6-Layer Dip,(it's gone now),  half a green pepper and about a tablespoon of minced onion, some mysterious chili spice Noah brought home from work and salt. I formed them in to 7, yes 7 torpedo shaped  patties and baked them at 400 for 25 minutes. 

While this was going on I toasted the tortillas in the oven on one side for about 4 minutes to firm then up a little.

I added 1 tsp lime zest to about 1 tb mayo and a squirt from my plastic lime. My lime is from Italy so I feel somewhat better about not using fresh! No Realemon here and added  salt and fresh pepper to taste.

Spread on the cooled tortillas. Put back in the oven for 5-6 minutes. 

When cool enough, scissor into equal-sized triangles. 

In the interim, I boiled some rice, added turmeric for colour and boiled some broccoli. 

The meal wasn't bad, but the guys were less than thrilled with the meat. They gave it a 70.5 out of 100. 

Tomorrow: Can I make soup out of the left-over cauliflower? Can I replicate a Jamie Oliver pasta?

#thePlague #PlagueDinners 

Plague Dinner # 3

Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts in a Lemon/Garlic Sauce

AKA Half a packet of Store-bought Gnocchi, Half packet of Salami, Brussels Sprouts

What can I make from the fridge without having to go to the store?

This one's a winner. 

Serves 2 no problem. 3...well that's another story.  Took exactly 25 minutes. 

Ingredients

Olive oil 

1/2 onion

6 slices of sliced mild salami

30-36 Brussels sprouts

1 garlic clove peeled

1.5 tb butter

1.5  tb flour

1 cup milk

salt

1 tb lemon zest

1 tb mustard

Dash of white wine (optional)

1/2 package of store bought gnocchi

Here we go - 

Slice the onion. 

Slice the salami into strips

Tail the Brussels sprouts

Put the sprouts on to boil in a roomy pot for 15 minutes

Make the white sauce this way:

Soften the garlic in the butter for about 5 minutes in a small saucepan on medium/low. This will smell GORGEOUS. Smoosh down the garlic with the tines of a fork.

Add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until all mixed.

Add a little milk until you have a smooth paste.

Add a dash of salt.

Add the remainder of the milk. Turn up to medium/high stir with your wooden spoon until no lumps remain and the first bubbles appear. Then reduce heat to simmer. 

Stir in the mustard and lemon zest. Add a very small splash white wine. Keep saucepan on very low heat. Don't let the sauce boil.

Next, fry the onion and salami in a little oil on a medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes

When the Brussels sprouts have about 4 minutes to go add the gnocchi to the pot. When the 15 minutes is up, drain. 

Turn down the onion to low. 

Add the sprouts/gnocchi.

Add the sauce. Combine

This was really good. My guys gave it a 9 out of 10. They raised it to a 9.4 when I made them pasta shells to go with the sauce. My original quantities were not enough for 3. 

Next time, what can I create with ground chicken, left over 6-Layer dip and some left-over tomato sauce. 

Plague Dinner # 2

The 2nd installment in my light-hearted escapade to eat well using left-overs, pantry items and what fresh food I can find, during the time of Coronavirus. Psst...it doesn't always work. 

Obviously, missing something as a food stylist.

Fresh Salmon and 1 left-over beet. 

Serves 2 well and takes exactly 1 hour.

Ingredients

1 left-over pre-cooked beet, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled and trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1 orange cut into 8 wedges
dash of sea salt
sprinkle of oregano
5 dashes of tabasco
1 tb olive oil
1 tb honey
Salmon fillet - .275 kilos or .6 of a pound
2 or 3 cardamom pods
A little lime zest or a squirt from a plastic lime
1 peeled garlic
another smidgen of olive oil
3 large potatoes

Ok. Mix the first 8 ingredients in a bowl until the honey and oil gets everywhere. Put in a rectangular casserole, oranges slices up. (See reviews below)
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Boil the potatoes. Mash after 20 minutes

Place the salmon in a pan or casserole

Smoosh cardamom pods, oil, lime and garlic together
Rub onto salmon.

Put the salmon in the oven at the same temp as the beet/carrot mixture for the remaining 25 minutes. (Rule of thumb is 25 minutes per 1 inch of salmon)

Family reviews.
Meh. My guys gave it a 6.6. The orange slices were weird, hard to eat and bitter. It would have been better if the orange had been peeled. I thought that even after 40 minutes the carrots were too hard. Parboiling would fix this but add to the time and complication.

It was extremely colourful. I would repeat this without the orange.

See what I can do next time with half a packet of gnocchi and half a packet of salami.

#Plague, #PlagueDinner #CoronavirusMenu

Plague Dinner # 1

Plague Dinner # 1

This photo is from hearthandvine.com/chicken-black-bean-casserole/

I'm trying to cook fresh as long as I can. Although I can hardly remember how to blog, I thought I would share some light-hearted attempts of my cooking with left-overs and what's on hand at my local Sobey's/Soviet era grocery store.

This was some sort of chicken/bean casserole

1 boneless chicken breast, seared
1/2 onion softened in a little oil
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn - (I had leftover split yellow peas!)
1 can of black beans, drained
1/2 cup leftover black bean soup (optional, of course)
1/2 cup Six Layer Dip (we all have that, right?) just for a little zip.
nubbin of cheddar cheese
3/4 cup tomato sauce
seasoning.
3 cups cooked Basmati rice

Dice the browned chicken. It will still be a little pink inside. Combine all the ingredients except the cheddar in a small casserole dish. Grate a little cheddar on the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve on the rice.

Will serve 3.

My guys gave it a solid 4 out of 5 and 2 thumbs up.

This photo is not mine.

Come back tomorrow to see what I can do with salmon and beets!

#Plague #PlagueDinner #Rationing #Sobeys

T

Off the Rails Pasta

truccis.com

Off the rails only because it wasn't gluten free. It does make a difference unfortunately. Like most of the things I create in the kitchen this one came off the top of my head. This recipe was SO good I have to write it down for posterity. 

What I needed:. 

Olive oil
Onion
Yellow pepper
Package of prosciutto
Spaghetti
Fat-free sour cream
Chevre
Cream 10%
Pico de Gallo - prepared
Salt
Parmesan

So, I fried half a chopped onion in olive oil for about 12 minutes. Adding 1/2 chopped yellow pepper after 6 minutes. Then I tossed in 1/2 package of prosciutto also chopped into inch-sized pieces. I stirred this about while I started the pasta. 225 grams or 8 ounces of spaghetti was perfect for the amount of sauce. 

Okay, then I added 3 large dessert spoons of zero fat sour cream to the frying pan, one 1/4 inch medallion of chevre, and 1/3 cup cream (10%), and one tablespoon prepared pico de gallo salsa. Then I added a generous pinch of salt. 

I added the spaghetti to the frying pan which was now on low. Stirred the noodles around in the goodness and grated about an inch-sized cube of Parmesan over the top. 

In total this meal took less than 25 minutes to prepare. It was amazing. 

I didn't photograph the event. But the above photo from Truccis.com hints at the idea. 

Dinner in Fifteen - It Can Be Done!

I've gone gluten-free. I've had something wrong with my muffler for some time now and going GF seems to help.

But I really miss pasta and continue to search  for ways to replicate the mouth appeal of the noodle. Luckily for me, there's a vendor at my local farmer's market who sells prepared spiralized yams and sweet potatoes.






Tonight's dinner for one was:

half a small onion, fried until translucent, around 7-8 minutes.
plus some spiralized yams thrown in the pan after steaming for 3 or 4 minutes.
plus 1 tablespoon sheep's cheese
then some crumbled blue cheese
then  1 tablespoon mild  pico de gallo
and half an avocado and some salt.

There, that wasn't so bad. What is bad is my food photography skills. Here are some photos anyway.

Reading Between the Lines

A few years back I bought this cookbook at an open-air antique show about 45 minutes west of Toronto. “A Years Dinners: 365 Seasonable Dinners with Instructions for Cooking", by May Little, was published by Harrods. There’s no publication date but I’m guessing this book might have been published around 1925-1930. It comes with the quaint sub-title. “With Instructions for Cooking. A Handy Guide-book for Worried Housekeepers.”

It’s a fabulous old book with planned menus for every day of the year and gives instructions on how to prepare meals for invalids, how to get the most from one’s trips to the market. It also has a digestion table, something I’ve never seen before, so you know that the boiled mutton suet you just ate will remain in your stomach for 4.5 hours. There is a lot of suet in this book, but that’s they way things were back then.

The first half of this book is comprised of daily menus, most of them consisting of 6 or 7 courses. I like to think of a below-stairs cook like Mrs. Bridges buying this book to help with the daily menu. The remainder of the book, besides the guides mentioned above, are the recipes. The most thumbed and splotched part of this book is the dessert chapter. Sweet Dishes contains 180 different desserts, the majority of them “puddings”.

But this book had another tale to tell me. A cook or a wife had used the corner of a Sainsbury’s bill for a bookmark. On it was a printed date: 1930-something. The bill was from Sainsbury’s 56-58 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3, and written out to M. Cap Michell Innes, 5 Cad Street.

I’m very curious by nature so I had to look this up. First I found out in my London A-Z that there isn’t a Cad Street in London; it's Cadogan Street. And after some sleuthing with Ancestry.com and the internet, I was able to find out who Cap. Michell Innes was.

Captain Cecil Mitchell-Innes was the Chief Constable of the Lincolnshire Constabulary. He retired in 1931 and somehow ended up with a fairly swanky address in London's Chelsea. He received the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1920. His name shows up in Ancestry.com entry in a book called The Royal Blood of Britain. In fact the name Mitchell-Innes is quite a storied one.

Ancestry.com puts Cecil Mitchell-Innes at 5 Cadogan Street, beginning in 1933 and to his death in the 1940s. The Lincolnshire Police website rounded out the rest of the information for me.

“Cecil Mitchell-Innes was born Born on the 6th July, 1866, at Edinburgh, he was educated at Cheam School, Surrey, and Fettes College, Edinburgh. His military career began In 1885 when he was gazetted to the Leinster Regiment and sailed for India where he served for 11 years. He was appointed Captain in 1893,when he became adjutant of the Simla Volunteer Rifles. On leaving India he went to Bermuda, Canada and Jamaica, and was transferred to the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in 1898. He left the Army in 1903, and early that year was selected to organise and superintend physical education in Scotland, and to inspect and report upon all the training colleges throughout Scotland. He studied police duties under the Chief Constables of the North Riding of Yorkshire and Hertfordshire. He commenced his duties as Chief Constable (of Lincolnshire) on the 29th October. 1903, at a time when conditions were beginning to change owing to the development of motor vehicles and telephone services. In 1904, the telephone was installed at Headquarters and in a number of divisional headquarters stations, and by 1924 there were telephones at 40 police stations in the County. In the first year of his appointment, Captain Mitchell-Innes introduced the first typewriter used in the Force, at Headquarters, but it was not until 1920 that they were provided at superintendents' stations, and a further five years before sub-divisional stations had them.”

I only wish all my books and antiques has such interesting tales to tell.

http://www.lincs.police.uk/getFile.asp?FC_ID=110&docID=177.

Lemony Broccoli Soup

I made a delicious cream soup last night. Let's see if I remember how it goes.

OK. Here's what you need:

1 tb butter
1 tb olive oil
3 cloves garlic
¼ bermuda onion
1 medium potato
1 head broccoli
3 cups chicken stock
½ tsp sea salt
1½ cup milk
1 tb cream cheese
½ tsp dill
lemon peel. 

Here's what you do:

melt a tablespoon of butter in a large pot
add a tablespoon of olive oil
brown 3 cloves of smashed garlic and about ¼ bermuda onion
peel and chop a medium sized potato - throw it in the pot - stir it about.
chop up a head of brocolli, stem and all, but remove woody bottom. Throw it in the pot.
Let everything brown and soften for 8-10 minutes.

Add 3 cups of good chicken stock
Add ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
Bring to a boil and let simmer over a medium heat for ½ an hour until the potato is soft.

After half an hour, puree GENTLY with an immersion blender. Very splashy.
Add 1½ cups of milk. Stir until combined.
Continue heating, simmering on medium-low. Don't let it boil hard. Just very gentle bubbles.

Add ½ tsp of dried dill, 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, and four quarter-sized slices of lemon peel. Simmer for about 15 more minutes.

Sieve out the lemon peel  Season to taste.

It's really yummy and velvety. It took about 50 minutes and it serves 3 or 4. While the soup is simmering you can fix the rest of your meal. We had whole-grain pita with black bean dip, hummus and baba ghanouj. My favourite.

image by Aine at somethingtochewover.blog.com

Every Kitchen Needs One

And I'll take two. Not in my wildest dreams unfortunately. But any of these posters would trump the somber Schiele reproduction we bought for our kitchen. Four hundred food- and wine-related vintage posters will go under the hammer in New York on February 12. Hosting this sale is  Poster Auctions International and it should be a smorgasbord of food and drink advertising. The culinary arts will be celebrated through posters from the eras of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modern design. 

150 years of gastronomy will be covered in these original advertisements for wine, beer, liqueur and chocolate plus a myriad of other household staples. Some of these iconic images include those designed by Cappiello, Nizzoli’s Campari poster, menu designs by Alphonse Mucha, and a unique image by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec for a celebratory banquet. Wonder how much that will go for?

This show will be on view, free to the public beginning Friday, January 27 through Saturday, February 11. For those of us not lucky enough to live in NYC the 160-page catalogue ($40) is available at www.posterauctions.com.  

Vintage posters can also be purchased through the auction' parent site, The International Poster Center. Prices range from the low thousands to the many thousands. Trial proofs of Toulouse-Lautrecs iconic posters are offered in the $30,000 range

Although without a website in this day and age, Alternative Arts at 491 Bloor Street West in Toronto have catalogues upon catalogues of reproductions of this stuff. I'm guessing the end result would be cheaper. Just guessing. Another website for vintage art posters is vintagearte.artehouse.com and there are thousands to pick from at allposters.ca. 


with thanks to artdaily.com for the images and the original article

The Clever Pup's Christmas Gift Ideas - Humanitarian Gifts

Doing your part to make the world a better place is just a click away. Here are some charitable Christmas present suggestions.

We sponsor a little boy called Norbert in Kenya through Plan Canada. Plan Canada promotes their "Gifts of Hope" at this time of year. One goat for a village costs $75. This gift provides the possibility of a livelihood and income. Imagine what a flock of 12 could do. Ten mango trees would set you back only $100. They are planted in school gardens and their juicy and nutritious fruit provide an incentive to come to school. I especially like the idea of the Motorcycle Ambulance. For people living in remote communities without healthcare services, this $150 gift is a lifeline: it brings healthcare workers to isolated villages and it carries people from those villages to community health centres.

We also give monthly to Médecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). They were established in 1971 by a small group of French doctors who had worked in Biafra. Upon their return, they were determined to find a way to respond rapidly and effectively to public health emergencies, with complete independence from political, economic and religious influences. MSF is one of the world's leading independent international medical relief organizations, working in nearly 60 countries worldwide and with operational centres in 19 countries.

If something doesn't happen soon at the Toronto Zoo, our illustrious mayor Rob Ford will probably let the animals out to graze in the backyards of Eastern Scarborough. I used to sponsor a Matchies Tree Kangaroo. I bet you didn't even know they existed. Bob Barker's rescuing our elephants. Why not "come on down" and  sponsor your favourite zoo animal.

Moosoneepuppyrescue.com

For those ready to have a dog in their life there is the Moosonee Puppy Rescue. My Toronto neighbourhood is teaming with kind-hearted people who have adopted these dogs. Here's a bit about the Rescue. The Moosonee Puppy Rescue began in 2003. In the isolated First Nations communities of Moosonee, Moose Factory, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan, dogs are left to face a life of neglect. Overbreeding occurs and as there are no veterinarian services in these communities, dogs may be trapped or shot. These puppies have amazing temperaments (I know 2 personally), but puppies take a lot of attention and devotion. If you're ready to take the leap, contact Sharron at Moosonee Puppy Rescue. If you can't take a dog, there are other ways to help out by purchasing crafts and photographs created in support of the dogs. Or you can donate by visiting this page.

The Memory Project will provide every living Canadian veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War with the opportunity to share their memories through oral interviews and digitized artefacts and memorabilia.  This nationwide bilingual project will create a record of Canada’s participation these wars as seen through the eyes of thousands of veterans. I think this is a great idea. As I cry more at each passing Remembrance Day, I thought I'd better donate.

thestop.com

Another Toronto foundation that I think is just great is The Stop. The Stop strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality. Better than a food bank, The Stop provides frontline services to the community including community kitchens, bake-ovens and markets, a sustainable food production and educational centre with a state-of-the art greenhouse. They have after school programs and summer camps focusing on teaching kids positive attitudes towards healthy eating. The Drop In is a safe place where anyone can enjoy delicious food. And speaking of dropping in - Jamie Oliver dropped in for a half-hour whistle-stop but ending up touring The Stop's Green Barns and After School programs for two hours. "Amazing", he said. There are many ways to give. Become a member for $50.

The Clever Pup's Christmas Gift Ideas - Kitcheny Things.

You've really got to plan. In this day and age where you can find something as esoteric as pool cue chalk by clicking on Google Maps, there's little excuse for not finding the right gift. But I'm the first to admit that there are certain in-laws that leave me stymied, year after year.

Those who run to the mall and buy heartless loot for those on their lists are responsible for Christmas turning into the debt-spiralling potlatch that it has. As I absolutely loathe spending over $100 on any one thing,  Christmas is pretty modest at my house. But there's lots of stuff to open and most of it's meaningful. I remember hours poring over a collection of old postcards I was given, or a map of the Holy Roman Empire. My husband enjoys the books I get him and as a family we've spent evenings playing the reproduction vintage board games I once found included in one. My son created a really cool battle game with  a collection of plastic dinosaurs we bought him when he was in that stage.

That said, it's nine days to go to Christmas and I still have a list containing  brothers-in-law, nephews and their girlfriends, great nieces and the son's of friends. If I have time over the next few days I'll post some ideas. Todays topic: Things for the kitchen. These are gifts I've received over the years, things I've given and things I'd like to receive. My Christmas list will languish in conditions of relative obscurity as my husband never reads my blog.

Anthropologie has really bright, cheery bowls that I'm covetous of.

 I could do with a cake stand.

 This wine rack is kind of funky and useful, especially if full.This was a great gift given by my sister-in-law.

 I must use my enamel colander 10 times a week. Attractive and useful. The elements of good design.

 I said I have a problem spending more than $100 on anything. Luckily, my husband doesn't. These larchwood chopping blocks are made in Canada. They're fantastic and unique. We got ours from the Thin Blue Line Cheesemongers on Roncesvalles.

 On the lower end, these Cafe Au Lait bowls from Anthropologie are only $6 each.

 But goodness, look what I just found on Anthropologie's website for $78. This anthropomorphic lovely is called the Beast's Feast Bowl. I received a similar tureen last year from my husband. No sense duplicating. You buy it.

Cool egg cups can't break the bank.

For those who like to name drop, these are $20.00 from Alessi

Le Creuset does have some items under $100. I really like their colour range. Their batter bowl and their jug are almost affordable.

I love my much-heralded tagine.

I have a collection of Portuguese terracotta. My jug and my teapot unfortunately add an "I've just eaten a flower pot" flavour to my juice and tea. This laaarge casserole is great. You have to soak it prior to initial use. It looks super.

Eat - Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

picture thanks to hungrynovelist.wordpress.com

It was called the C't Mang and they offered it at Terroni, Toronto's duo of traditional southern Italian restaurants. I was disappointed to see they weren't serving it any longer. The sweet and savory C't Mang is easy enough to replicate at home. It's a white pizza with mozzarella, prosciutto, thin slices of pear, gorgonzola, walnuts and a drizzle off honey. Throw the ingredients artfully on some prepared pizza dough and bake for about 25 minutes at around 400 degrees. Slice of this pizza make a really interesting appetizer when you're having people over.

mmmm…choooocolaaaaate

Mmmmmm.

I walked part the way home today. It was the first day that really felt like Spring and the first day where the wind did not cut me in half. I treated myself at Magnolia Fine Foods, on College Street, as I hadn’t done anything nice for myself in several minutes. I picked up some onion compote and some peanut satay sauce and I bought two small chocolate bars.

The chocolates made by Dolfin were intriguing. They’re a Belgian company that prides themselves in their blends. Dolfin team the most unexpected flavours together. Today I had two liiiitle 30g.bars; a dark chocolate with white pepper and cardamom from Guatemala, and a milk chocolate bar with Konacha green tea from Japan. To quote a phrase, these chocolates “are like a mini-travel diary, capturing the atmosphere of far-off horizons….”. The pepper and cardomon chocolate was almost a delicious as my all-time favourite Dallmayr Weihnachts chocolate which is fragrant with anise, cloves, cinnamon and coriander plus a hint of vanilla.(I discovered that in the Christmas hamper provided by my husband's German-based employer.)

Other exotic spices, peels and essential oils are used in Dolfin’s chocolates. For example Dolfin makes milk chocolate with salted caramel and milk chocolate with Sri Lankan cinnamon; dark chocolate with lavender and dark chocolate tablets of with violet, rose or verbena.

Dolfin’s master chocolate makers are interested in the flavours of the world and so far I have to agree that the surprising combinations are quite harmonious.

You should check them out next time you’re in the gourmet section.  You  know you deserve it.

Here's  a link to their English site.

Tim Mälzer – Germany’s Delicious Dish

The first time I watched Tim Mälzer on Bavarian television I didn’t know if I was watching a chef or an ex-con. With his stubbly scalp and his rascally looks Tim Mälzer was no Jamie Oliver but while I watched, he prepared a 3-course meal in 30 minutes.

Mälzer was born in Hamburg in 1971. He is inevitably compared to his English friend Jamie Oliver as both are brash young celebrity chefs; Oliver - world-wide and Mälzer - Germany, but just for now…

Mälzer is probably Germany’s most influential chef. 1.5 million viewers tune in nightly to his show on Germany’s Vox network. Although I can only understand one word in 100, I can tell that he’s witty, hip and fast. He cooks meals in real time at break-neck speed. His popular, albeit, bad-boy image has derived from his devotion to Rock & Roll and customized pick-up trucks. On a DVD I have of Mälzer, he actually has the F-word on his tee-shirt. Oh, those crazy Europeans! His 3rd restaurant (in the works) is rumored to be in a former prison.

His avoidance of things “gourmet” has won him fans while critics steer clear. Mälzer’s motto is “fast, easy, delicious.” On his TV show, "Schmeckt Nicht, Gibt´s Nicht" (roughly translated: “We don’t do tasteless”) he favours simple dishes that can be cooked at home by anyone with the slightest interest in food. I hear that at one of Mälzer’s Hamburg restaurants, the lunch menu is only €8 because that’s what his customers can afford. At his most famous restaurant, The White House (Das Weiße Haus), he dispensed with a menu and prepared what he felt like.

He met Jamie Oliver in 1997 when the two of them worked at Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant in London. He spent 18 months in London which included a short stretch at the Ritz Hotel, which he says he quit the day after a badgering head chef caused a sous-chef to have a nervous breakdown. “I cannot stand bullies in the kitchen”, says Mälzer. Gordon Ramsay beware. You catch more flies with sugar.

A multiple award winner, Tim received the Golden Camera prize in 2006, as Germany’s most popular television chef. He’s sold millions of books and DVDs. The Rosenthal china company has developed a “Tim” collection of tableware called "Mahlzeit!". He is widely parodied on YouTube.

Today he’s grown his hair back and he’s really quite handsome in a gapped-tooth kind of way. I bought myself a DVD set from Amazon.de and every time I watch it, I learn a little more German. There is so much more to Germans than just beer and sausages.

Here’s a link to Tim Mälzer’s website. It’s in German only but I would recommend having a look. http://www.tim-maelzer.de/

schmeckt gut, Tim

Tschüss

photos were borrowed from http://www.tim-maelzer.de/ . Danke