Thai-tally Awesome

I hate peppers. I have always hated peppers. Except for black pepper in seasoning, I’ve never met a pepper I liked. In particular I hate bell peppers and I don’t discriminate by colour – yellow, green, red…they are all horrible. I mean really, what is it about peppers that makes them like large sweaty wife-beater wearing men on a hot, humid day…you can smell them from a mile off and they permeate everything they come near.

Now chili peppers are a slightly different story for me. I’d been under the assumption these too would be my Public Enemy #1. However, in the past year or so I’d noticed I didn’t really mind if I saw little flecks of red in my food – it gave whatever I was eating a little kick but didn’t actually taste like a pepper. Still, while I was happy to foray into the world of sweet chili sauce I’d never actually cooked with chili peppers in my life. Sad for someone as food-loving as myself, but what can I say? I’ve been a chicken.

Always looking for something new, interesting, quasi-healthy and easy to add to my ever growing list of dinner staples I recently made a “Thai Burger” recipe I’d found on the BBC food website.

Alongside the burgers:

- Corn and Cilantro fritters with a sweet chili sauce
- Strawberry, Raspberry and Rhubarb pie (didn’t really go with the Thai theme but I’d been craving some in-season rhubarb I was seeing at the farmer's market)

While it wasn’t meant to be a competition and all three items turned out well, the front runner of the night was definitely the Thai Burger. When I came across the recipe I’d been slightly concerned with the mention of a red chili pepper. What would it be like if I just skipped it? Where would I buy these strange peppers? I know, I know...I was being an idiotic scardy cat. I even almost scrapped the whole idea and went for a Beef Kofta recipe I’d seen instead. However, after realising that these chilies are as common as basil and thyme (in a little package at Waitrose with all the other fresh herbs) it just seemed silly to keep this battle with chili peppers going any longer.

The only tips I'd provide based on the as-is recipe below is that I went the ground pork route and thought it was outstanding. I also did a variation on their suggestion of sweet chili sauce on the bread. Instead I mixed equal portions sweet chili sauce and hoisin (plum) sauce and spread that on instead. And don't skip the cucumbers- fantastic with the burgers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/thaispicedburgers_70173.shtml

American Girl

You can take the girl out of the US but you can’t take the US out of the girl. It’s now been over 2 years since I first moved from across the pond, and with my recent news that I won’t be kicked out of the country any time soon, I've been able to sit back, relax, ponder (and bake).

Contrary to friend's and family’s expectations, in my time here I've not acquired a faux British accent like Madonna (ok, perhaps on a night out if I get wound up). BUT to be fair – in equal measures when living in Boston I would whip out a Southie accent when having a few beeahs with my friends. It's always a good giggle.

While I may have skipped Madge's accent I’d be lying if I said I’d not acclimatised in some ways. Clearly I now use ‘s’s instead of ‘z’s (I blame that on work). On the flip side I do stick true to my roots by keeping words like ‘folks’ and ‘dang’ active in my vocabulary. At work, probably what makes me stick out the most as a stars and stripes lover is that I’m perpetually on time to meetings. My British counterparts find it socially expectable to start 5-10 minutes late…oh and I smile. Apparently it’s not ok to smile at people unless you’ve known them for a few years. If you haven't and you do you are deemed:

A. a psycho

B. on medication

C. a smitten stalker OR

D. all of the above

Eh, don’t get me wrong – I love my “glass is half empty” life here in London and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I mean invariably the glass fills up, you just have to be patient for about a day - because no doubt it's going to start raining again soon.

There are many things that are Americana to their core:
- Baseball
- Burgers
- Plastic Surgery
- Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I may have skipped the raisins because I was feeling greedy and wanted to double up on the chocolate instead, but last week I pulled out some amazing Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Ironically, even though the cookie is reminiscent of home, one of the best recipes I’ve come across is by Ozzie chef, Bill Granger. They were snatched and loved up in equally quick measures. I think it must be because with over 2 cups of oats they are actually “healthy", right?

The recipe comes from Bill's book "Bill's Food".

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

150g unsalted butter
230g soft brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
125g plain (all purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
235g rolled oats
175g chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth
3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth
4. Add flour, baking powder and salt into bowl and mix lightly
5. Add oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine
6. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on baking tray
7. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour
8. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden
9. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Guilty Pleasures presents...

There is a time and a place for gold lamé, fluorescent pink legwarmers and a waterfall of glitter and sequins.

The time: Last Saturday night
The place: Indigo Lounge at the 02 arena

As the newest member of the recently formed dance troupe the discob$tches (yes, one word) I was in all out alter ego mode (Miss Candi Cupcakes, s'il vous plait) as I arrived through the VIP gates at the 02 arena last Saturday night.

With 4 costume changes our VIP dressing room looked like a bedazzler gone wild. To keep up energy levels for our 4 performances throughout the night and being a good Miss Cupcakes – I brought some of my specialities in for the backstage VIP (did I mention VIP :-) ?) party.

Not content with just any plain jane cupcake I pimped my cakes out discob$tch style. Ordering edible scarlet glitter and gold stars online I made basic chocolate cupcake and a vanilla butter cream frosting. Turning the frosting a shocking shade of bubble gum pink-it set off the glitter and gold stars to perfection and were really...a guilty pleasure for all.

Spring Bake

Every spring in college campuses across the US there’s a right of passage that everyone undergoes at least once in their 4 years at University. Known as Spring Break it’s the excuse to get away from (in my instance) 16 foot snow banks and freezing temperatures, hop on a plane with your best friends and spend 6 days/nights in (fill in the blank with... Cancun, Florida, Jamaica) behaving with debauchery, dancing poolside in a bikini, drinking from morning until night on ridiculously sugary cocktails nicknamed “sea breeze” or “sex on the beach” (drinks we wouldn’t be caught DEAD ordering as grown-ups) and all-in-all behaving in ways that even the most liberal of east-coast parents would cringe at.

In my attempt at becoming a quasi grownup (last year’s “Spring Break” was a vodka and Bolshoi filled weekend in Moscow) this year I’m staying much closer to home. For 2009 in an attempt to beat the credit crunch and limit some of my extraneous travel, Spring Break has become “Spring Bake”.

On the menu:

1. Coconut vanilla-bean lime cupcakes
2. Quadruple threat muffins
3. Lemon and almond cake with strawberry coulis

Coconut Cupcakes:

When I saw these cupcakes come out in a recent issue of Bon Appetit it was like someone had shown me a private sneak peek trunk show of Jimmy Choo's winter 2010 line - I wanted them then and there. I held out for ACB's recent visit and after picking her up from the airport and heading back to my flat to a home-made butternut squash and roasted parsnip soup and a caramelised onion and cauliflower tart, we tucked into these beautiful little treats.

I changed the recipe a bit, only using vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract in lieu of the vanilla bean (it was £5.50 people) and I grated in some fresh lime zest into the batter. Both moves were successful and I'd suggest doing the same if like me, you don't have vanilla beans growing on your house plants.

I found the cake portion of the cupcakes was one of the best I've ever had - so moist and tasty that it'll be a staple from now on. However, I was slightly less than super impressed with the frosting - it was a bit too much. Having felt like I'd sort of been sucker punched, I found I was scraping a little bit of it off not wanting to eat it all, which I think might actually be against my religion (or at least an unspoken Cook/Bernstein family rule). My recommendation would be to replace it with either a chocolate butter cream or a coconut cream cheese frosting.

You can find the original recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Bean-Coconut-Cupcakes-with-Coconut-Frosting-352095

Quadruple threat muffins

This recipe is a brainchild of a little bit of input from my mom, my cousin, and in the end my cupboard and local farmer's market.

I was heading over to VF's lovely South Ken abode for brunch last Sunday and knew that she'd appreciate some home-made muffins. What started out as blueberry muffins morphed into a strawberry rhubarb compote, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry muffin. There was so much fruit bursting from these little guys that you couldn't help but think they were actually really healthy.

2.5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 stick (113 grams) butter (melted)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup cut rhubarb
1 cup strawberries, washed and cut in half
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup Demerara sugar

1. Preheat oven to 190 deg C or 375 deg F
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl
3. Over low heat cook rhubarb and 1/3 cup of sliced strawberries in orange juice until liquids are released and fruit is soft and tender
4. In a separate large bowl combine next melted butter, eggs, milk, vinegar
5. Into butter container spoon 2 tablespoons of released liquid from strawberry rhubarb compote
6. Combine raspberries, blueberries and remaining strawberries together in a separate bowl
7. Take half of berry mixture and add to food processor, pulsing 2 or 3 times (fruit should still retain some of it's shape)
8. Into butter mixture add strawberry rhubarb compote, pulsated berries, and remaining berries
9. Add berry-butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until blended
10. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into lined muffin cups - filling until almost the top and sprinkle with Demerara sugar
11. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean
12. Best served warm - with even more fruit jam!

Lemon and almond cake with strawberry coulis

For the past two years I've been lucky to celebrate Passover with RL's family. This year was at his brother's finance's parent's house and it was complete with children (very late 20s) fighting over who was the youngest (RL) and should be forced to do the four questions. I'm happy to report that while the majority of the Seder was done in Hebrew it followed my family's suit in that it lasted about 20 minutes long, was buffered by exorbitant amounts of food and surprisingly good kosher wine. Hats off to the hosts.

My contribution came in the form of a lemon and almond cake. Notoriously difficult to procure tasty Passover confections, what makes this dessert one of the best I've ever made is that in it's nature it's not trying to be something it's not (e.g. it's not calling for 2 cups of matzo meal to replace normal flour). Taking those square pegs and trying to fill those round holes usually ends up with an overly dry cloying cake that sticks to the roof of your mouth and beckons a fast forwarding of 7 days when you can stop eating the disturbing and not so enjoyable stuff. (Ahem, that's if one is actually keeping Passover which I don't think I ever have).

What makes this cake great is that at it's foundation is almond meal (ground almonds) and lots of eggs. Whipping up and then folding in 6 eggs whites creates a light and moist (for Passover standards) cake.

No substitutions or additions to this one although pick whatever berry you want for the coulis. I've used raspberries before as well: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Lemon-Torte-with-Fresh-Strawberries-241871

Sudafrikah

Vietnam is to Spring roll
China is to Dumpling
South Africa is to:

A. Biltong
B. Warthog paté
C. Simba Crisps – Mrs. Balls Chutney Flavour
D. Bobotie
E. All of the above

My recent journey to South Africa brought me face-to-face with a number of spectacular (male lion), humbling (Cape Town Township), unusual (game meat patés), breathtaking (Table Mountain), and mouth-watering (Malva Pudding) things.

There were certainly moments I questioned my sanity before tucking in – what the Kwa-Mibili lodge lacked in the food department they made up for in personable service and amazing game drives. However, RL and I made up for lost eating in Franschhoek and Cape Town. With both Asian, European and African food on hand, we were spoilt for choice.

Franschhoek brought RL and I face-to-face with our first bobotie, a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Franschhoek, known as the “gourmet capital of South Africa” was high on my list of places to visit. The highlight was the restaurant Kalfi's - specifically the bobotie, the pineapple and fresh olive salad, and the Malva pudding (an apricot cake served with hot custard).

Kalfi’s is the spot in Franschhoek that you don’t read about in guide books nor gets recommended as one of the town’s “hotspots”. It’s the “Cheers” tavern – the local hangout where literally everybody knows your name. Case in point, on our first night there the owner was over at our table – talking to us about plans for his next vacation. The atmosphere was relaxed, the food perfect, and the wine local and cheap. For two travellers a long way from home, it couldn’t have been more ideal.

Now if Kalfi’s is like Cheers then neighbouring Reuben’s is meant to be The French Laundry, complete with hard to book tables, celebrity chef and cookbooks for sale. Highly recommended by friends and travel guides alike, we’d managed to score a reservation for our second night in Franschhoek.

In a word, poo. Reuben’s was overpriced and over hyped. Ta’boot the service was slow and staff were rude. I mean really, you want me to kiss your @ss just because you work at Reuben’s? No thanks franks, I’m not impressed.

Another highlight of our eats in Franschhoek was lunch at La Petite Ferme. It helped that we had just finished a half day wine tour and La Petite Ferme also doubles as a vineyard. RL was spoilt for choice with a number of game options finally deciding to go the ostrich steak route. Personally I think I chose the front runner with a fig and pork burger served with a beetroot chutney and crispy pancetta.

Off to Cape Town we went, borrowing from a recent New York Times article we found ourselves at Noordhoek's finest, the Foodbarn, soaking up the sunshine and being served lunch by the adorable Ben. At a cheap R190 ($19 or £13) we gobbled up 3 courses and a carafe of wine each. On my menu:

1. Spicy prawn “pastille” served atop curried lentil tian, finished with raita and cardamom oil
2. Veal “paillarde” minute fried, served with a butternut & pine nut risotto, finished with a creamy garlic sauce & drops of cinnamon oil
And the pièce de résistance …
3. Sliced Chocolate and almond biscuit Yule log, served with toffee & vanilla sauce, finished with homemade hazelnut ice cream (I really don’t get the whole Yule log thing in March, but it worked so I forgive)

Of course none of this fabulous food was African inspired so RL and I made a few extra excursions for our daily bobotie fix, most notably at the Africa Café. While touristy in nature (and intention) we were able to eat our way around the great continent – covering off about half a dozen African countries and sampling a host of interesting dishes such as:

1. Tapioca bread baked with cheese and yogurt (fried cheese bread, delicious)
2. Spinach and mealie meal patties
3. Botswana Seswaa Masala (a game curry)
4. Mozambican piri piri dip (oh the joy of watching RL take a whole hunka in his mouth in one fell swoop…this alone was worth the price of dinner)

With the credit crunch in full effect I won't be heading back to South Africa in the near future. Luckily with my friend google in hand I've managed to score some sweet Bobotie and Malva Pudding recipes. If Dana can't get to the Bobotie, let the Bobotie come to Dana.

Sophisticated Trailer Park Treats

Bless my flatmate and the fact that she doesn’t cook. Over the past two years I’ve managed to take over our small kitchen without a peep of a complaint from her. As a result you can now find my cooking gear stuffed into every nook and cranny of my kitchen.

Due to the small size I’ve had to improvise. Non-perishable foods often sit in the space behind my living room couch waiting to be rotated into the game. A sneak peak in my wardrobe might also discover cake pans lined up like toy soldiers next to handbags.


This week I must have been reaching maximum saturation because when I opened my 1 cupboard (yes, only 1) I nearly got a shiner from a jar of peanut butter ricocheting onto me. It's not surprising really, it's like Kirstie Alley (post Jenny Craig) and a wet suit, at somepoint - somethings going to give.

The peanut butter incident was the catalyst for me to clear out some of the items in my cupboard that have been just taking up space and not getting any love for quite a few months now.

First and foremost to the chopping block was a large bag of jumbo marshmallows I’d smuggled into the UK in preparation for Thanksgiving - thinking (incorrectly) that I might make those sickly sweet yams covered in marshmallows. Having opted for a more savoury approach I still had the bag sitting unopened. Now I know that marshmallows have a shelf span of about 145 years, but still - I was imagining a much more sensible item I might be able to replace it with.

Somewhat limited for time and options, I decided on quintessential Americana – Rice Crispy Treats. This 1980's 'snap, crackle, pop' snack was to be found at every school bake sale and birthday party. They were eaten after games of ‘capture the flag,’ at cast parties, and after too many hours outside on the ‘slip 'n slide’. They require no effort, no skill in the kitchen, and cost basically nothing to make.


If I was going to make something so simple and W.T. then I knew I was going to have to gussy it up a bit, kinda like finding a Mercedes at the Trailer Park.

Pretty tasty in the end, I added dried sour cherries and toasted coconut to the rice crispy treats and then drizzeled the whole lot with artisinal dark chocolate.

Rice Crispy Treats with Cherries, Coconut, & Chocolate

50 grams (1/2 stick) butter
1 large package marshmallows
7 cups of rice crispies
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (optional)
1/2 cup dried sweetened coconut - toasted (optional)
3 oz dark chocolate (melted for drizzling)


1. Melt butter in large microwave safe bowl

2. Add marshmallows and coat with butter, place back in microwave for another 90 seconds - stir until melted and mixed completely

3. Add rice crispies, cherries, dried coconut

4. Place in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and press down


5. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate

All things Sacred

I love my neighbourhood in London. It’s a 45 second walk from the Piccadilly line, has a Waitrose grocery store 5 minutes away, and Upper Street with all of it’s cute boutiques, fun bars and restaurants is just a short walk down the Holloway Road.

However, it can’t be denied that my immediate neighbourhood is slightly dodgy. My building is surrounding on one side by a counsel estate and another by the borough of Islington’s refuse and recycling centre. Spattered nearby is a “Tennessee Fried Chicken”, an assortment of kebab shops, and an exorbitant amount of stores selling Tupperware, mops and stale candy (together).

The fairly recent influx of a Tesco Express has been a nice touch for picking up the basic grocery essentials. However, the neighbourhood still has a ways to go to change it’s ghetto-fied image.

There are a number of retail spaces in my flat complex that they’ve been trying to fill in the 2 years I’ve lived here. To start I think most retailers weren’t as impressed with the neighbourhood as the property owners had hoped. That combined with our current economic situation (in the gutter) meant that it was going to be a while before anything opened up in the retail space in my building.

I’m going to make a wager that they’ve negotiated some sort of free rent for the first few months, but regardless - a new café has just opened in my building. And like the name “Sacred” it really is a gift from above.

Sacred Café has an outpost on Carnaby Street and as soon as I walked in it was love at first sight.

The interior is cool, with religious icons, interesting black and white portraits, and some curious kitsch (a monkey on a surfboard?) splattering their walls. They carry a basic brunch menu like free range scrambled eggs, spring onion and feta cheese on wholemeal toast or a paté of the day with toast and caramelised red onion chutney. They also bake some of their pastries, and on that first visit I decided to sit in with my coffee instead of taking it away – just so I could spend 15 minutes in the sweet scented bliss of butter and sugar coming out of their kitchen.

With the credit crunch in full effect it will be hard to justify the Sacred jaunts when my own stocked kitchen is literally next door – but it’s fantastic as a treat or when friends come visit. Plus it’s such a great addition to the neighbourhood.

With its cool vibe and friendly wait staff it’s just the love that this forgotten spot on Holloway Road needs.