Cracking Good Food
And a pat on the back for me!
This week has been, if I may so immodestly boast, a culinary success for me despite the complete absence of anything pie related.
For a variety of reasons I have found myself going full steam ahead in the kitchen. Some of the weeks highlights include, but are not limited to the following.
High Tea on Saturday afternoon. As my mother is currently in exile from Fergus, we do our best to keep her busy until her triumphant return. IronGirl is being the day-to-day hostess with the mostest and I do my bit to help entertain on weekends. 3:00 o'clock saw CJ's mother, Kitkat's parents and my mom gather for tea in the Beach.
My first attempt at Scott Peacock's buttermilk biscuits, courtesy of this month's Martha, were a raging success. Essential tip, when you are cutting out one's biscuits, one must never twist the cutter. This pinches the dough and prevents a light, airy lift. These were topped off with clotted cream and my homemade cheery jam, crab apple jelly and orange marmalade.
Three varieties of tea sandwiches, smoked salmon with herbed butter, open faced smoked salmon with goats cheese and watercress and shrimp (bit heavy on the fish side), were on hand.
Lemon poppyseed cake was the sweet on the table and of course, tea. Buckingham Palace Garden Party, Nepal Black and an "I didn't pay attention to the price" green tea from David's tea. Beware, if you order sencha ashikubo, bring your hip flask, you're going to need it.
Jumping ahead to mid-week, tonight I cooked for my two favourite foodies; Little Lord Fauntleroy and Kitkat. Given that this is our last meal before Easter due to travel plans and taking possession of Lonsdale Cottage, I tried to make it a little bit special.
Based on the reviews and my swelled head, I'd say I was spot on.
Two choices of devilled quails eggs, chorizo and cucumber, got us started. These were accompanied with a lovely soft cream cheese from France, champagne, not sparkling wine (to be clear) with chambord.
Moving to the dining table, and inspired by Kitkat's recent gift of Nigella's latest cookbook, we tucked into linguine with smoked mackerel, marsala and pine nuts with a side of green beans with pistachio pesto. We washed this down with a delicately effervescent vinho verde from Portugal. Went down a little too easy that one did.
A light salad cleansed the palate and hurried along our digestion to make room for the dessert.
Chocolate olive oil cake, as delightfully tasting as it is easy to prepare, was such a huge success that it has bumped my Italian apple cake off tomorrow night's menu. I had it decorated with cadbury mini eggs and a light dusty of icing sugar for the boys. They both suggested the next level of decadence would be the addition of whipped cream and strawberries so that is what the Dollhouse Girls are getting tomorrow.
I am sure as I type this I am jinxing my pots and pans prowess. None-the-less, I hope to impress with a charcuterie plate, not sure quails eggs would sit so well with Blue Girl.
Cooking Italian for Blue Girl always leaves me in a flap but I am pressing on with Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's Parmigiana di Carne Manciata. Girl, I love your show, but $100+ to see you live, come now.
Up front, I admit, I am also repeating the aforementioned green beans. Except for IronMan, he get's peas as he hates beans. It was going to be peas for all, but Pink Girl, she don't like the peas so much.
Citrus & mache will be name of the game for tomorrow's salad and then, back to cake.
Pink Girl, if you read this before tomorrow, have Blue Girl be the D.D.. IronMan, he no drink. Blue Girl, she no drink. And in this house, an open bottle is an empty bottle.
Also decided tonight, was the meal for my far far far far off 50th birthday. Straight from a recent favourite of mine, Supersize Me, a nine course Edwardian era meal at the Savoy in London.
This week has been, if I may so immodestly boast, a culinary success for me despite the complete absence of anything pie related.
For a variety of reasons I have found myself going full steam ahead in the kitchen. Some of the weeks highlights include, but are not limited to the following.
High Tea on Saturday afternoon. As my mother is currently in exile from Fergus, we do our best to keep her busy until her triumphant return. IronGirl is being the day-to-day hostess with the mostest and I do my bit to help entertain on weekends. 3:00 o'clock saw CJ's mother, Kitkat's parents and my mom gather for tea in the Beach.
My first attempt at Scott Peacock's buttermilk biscuits, courtesy of this month's Martha, were a raging success. Essential tip, when you are cutting out one's biscuits, one must never twist the cutter. This pinches the dough and prevents a light, airy lift. These were topped off with clotted cream and my homemade cheery jam, crab apple jelly and orange marmalade.
Three varieties of tea sandwiches, smoked salmon with herbed butter, open faced smoked salmon with goats cheese and watercress and shrimp (bit heavy on the fish side), were on hand.
Lemon poppyseed cake was the sweet on the table and of course, tea. Buckingham Palace Garden Party, Nepal Black and an "I didn't pay attention to the price" green tea from David's tea. Beware, if you order sencha ashikubo, bring your hip flask, you're going to need it.
Jumping ahead to mid-week, tonight I cooked for my two favourite foodies; Little Lord Fauntleroy and Kitkat. Given that this is our last meal before Easter due to travel plans and taking possession of Lonsdale Cottage, I tried to make it a little bit special.
Based on the reviews and my swelled head, I'd say I was spot on.
Two choices of devilled quails eggs, chorizo and cucumber, got us started. These were accompanied with a lovely soft cream cheese from France, champagne, not sparkling wine (to be clear) with chambord.
Moving to the dining table, and inspired by Kitkat's recent gift of Nigella's latest cookbook, we tucked into linguine with smoked mackerel, marsala and pine nuts with a side of green beans with pistachio pesto. We washed this down with a delicately effervescent vinho verde from Portugal. Went down a little too easy that one did.
A light salad cleansed the palate and hurried along our digestion to make room for the dessert.
Chocolate olive oil cake, as delightfully tasting as it is easy to prepare, was such a huge success that it has bumped my Italian apple cake off tomorrow night's menu. I had it decorated with cadbury mini eggs and a light dusty of icing sugar for the boys. They both suggested the next level of decadence would be the addition of whipped cream and strawberries so that is what the Dollhouse Girls are getting tomorrow.
I am sure as I type this I am jinxing my pots and pans prowess. None-the-less, I hope to impress with a charcuterie plate, not sure quails eggs would sit so well with Blue Girl.
Cooking Italian for Blue Girl always leaves me in a flap but I am pressing on with Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's Parmigiana di Carne Manciata. Girl, I love your show, but $100+ to see you live, come now.
Up front, I admit, I am also repeating the aforementioned green beans. Except for IronMan, he get's peas as he hates beans. It was going to be peas for all, but Pink Girl, she don't like the peas so much.
Citrus & mache will be name of the game for tomorrow's salad and then, back to cake.
Pink Girl, if you read this before tomorrow, have Blue Girl be the D.D.. IronMan, he no drink. Blue Girl, she no drink. And in this house, an open bottle is an empty bottle.
Also decided tonight, was the meal for my far far far far off 50th birthday. Straight from a recent favourite of mine, Supersize Me, a nine course Edwardian era meal at the Savoy in London.
posted by Robert Mitchell L.L. at
8:36 PM
1 Comments:
And cucumber sandwiches and champagne, I might add to round off a marvelous tea.
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