Shortbread with cheddar and rosemary

Shortbread is such a classic and goes back to medieval times though it had a slightly different shape and taste back then. It is really just a mix of three ingredients: sugar, butter and flour, baked at low temperature to avoid browning. Mary, Queen of Scots, made it popular in the 16th century and maybe for that reason it is being credited as a Scottish recipe though it was found all over the British Isles.
Traditionally shortbread was made with oatmeal flour but I used half plain and half spelt flour and it makes for a light and crumbly texture. The recipe will make about 40-45 cookies with a 2" cookie cutter and they are great with some cheese and chutney.

SHORTBREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND ROSEMARY

200g flour
100g butter
50g grated mature cheddar
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until it turns pale in colour. Mix the flour, cheddar and spices and combine with the butter. Knead but don't overwork the dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Urban foraging

Today we went foraging in the city and here are the fruits of our labour, literally: blackberries, sloes, elderberries and crab apples; all made into delicious preserves and sweet treats. It is highly satisfying growing your own food or going foraging and it always tastes so much more delicious.

Sloe gin is a classic and usually made with sloes picked around November after the first frost but I faked this process by freezing my sloes for a day. Once defrosted prick them with a fork and fill in a sterilized glass bottle. Add sugar and alcohol, in my case vodka rather than gin, and mix up. Agitate once every day for about 4 weeks and after that once a week for another 3-6 month. Over time the colour of the concoction will change to a deep red. Strain and keep in the dark.

SLOE VODKA

75cl vodka
50g granulated white sugar
good handful of sloes

I also made crab apple, chili and rosemary jelly. Crab apples are too tart to eat but are great in a sweet or savory jelly. I only picked about 20 apples which I removed the stems and seeds of. Bring to boil with just about enough water to cover the wedges. Leave the skin on as it will be strained after anyway and the colour is so beautiful. Cook until soft and strain through a cheese cloth. The juice was enough for one jar of jelly. Even Martha Stewart likes crab apple jelly and she famously whipped up one during her time in jail with crab apples picked from trees on the prison camp grounds. Well, you just can take Martha out of the kitchen...


CRAB APPLE, CHILI AND ROSEMARY JELLY

200ml crab apple juice
200g sugar
pinch of salt
2 small red chilies
some chopped rosemary

Boil the juice with the other ingredients for 5-10 minutes. Check for the setting point by spooning a little amount of the liquid on to a plate and wait for it to cool down. Check after a minute and if it has set. If so pour into sterilized jar and let cool down.


BLACKBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

1 cup plain flour
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cardamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
150g white chocolate chips
2 handfuls of blackberries

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Mix all the ingredients together but keep some of the blackberries for the top. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Colour lovers: fig and thyme

This is the colour scheme of the Provence: lavender, thyme, rosemary, olive and fig trees. Purple is mysterious, comforting and restful and is said to encourage the imagination and creativity. It can be either cold or warm depending on what colours you pair it with and green is a natural combination enhancing its calming features.
Check out the palette at colourlovers

Lemongrass and ginger vodka granita

This granita is a refreshing dessert and a shot at the same time and perfect for a dinner party. We had a bbq this weekend and made Thai style chicken / tofu (marinated in a spicy curry paste) served with som tam salad so my dessert should go with these flavours. A granita is super easy to make and you can even do it some time in advance and keep in the freezer. Because of the alcohol it won't freeze solid but will have a slush like consistency. When you serve it make sure you chill the glasses in the freezer so it won't melt too quickly. The recipe will make 6 shot glasses.

LEMONAGRASS AND GINGER VODKA GRANITA

1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vodka
3 stalks lemongrass
1 knob of ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon

Bash the lemongrass stalks with a rolling pin to release the flavour. Thinly slice the ginger and add to the water, sugar and lemon juice in a pot. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes to infuse the water and dissolve the sugar. Take of the heat and let cool down. When cold strain and add the vodka to the syrup. Put in the freezer for about 2 hours until ice crystals have formed. Rake with a fork and serve in chilled glasses.

Iced coffee with vanilla ice cream

I still like my coffee Vietnamese style in the mornings. My way of preserving the holiday feeling in a way. You brew one cup at a time in a small metal drip filter that sits on top of the cup. Just add a good dash of condensed milk and ready. I don't drink it on ice though but hot, purely because it is quicker. And then it's not as hot here as in Vietnam. But for the days when it is hot outside here is a cold sweet treat with homemade vanilla ice cream. You don't need a Vietnamese coffee filter, just brew it the way you always do and let it cool. Serve it over homemade vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and sprinkle with some cocoa powder.
For my vanilla ice cream recipe click here

Colourful interiors in Udaipur

India is known for it's generous use of colour and the City Palace in Udaipur is no exception. Cool blue is more unusual to find though but it is a great contrast to the ochre and sand tones of the desert surrounding the city.

Apple and blackberry jam

We went to the New Forest this weekend and picked blackberries and there was just too much to use up fresh that I decided to make some jam. We also picked some apples, rather tart and too sour to eat raw but so perfect for this, too. The recipe will give you about 5 jars in the end.

APPLE & BLACKBERRY JAM

500g apples
500g blackberries
150ml water
700g sugar
pektin
2 limes
2 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp allspice

Sterilise the glass jars in hot water. Peel, core and cut the apples into small cubes. Boil with the water for about 5 minutes. Add the blackberries, pektin, sugar, spices and juice of the limes. Boil for 10-15 minutes and use the 'spoon test' to check if it will set. Just dip the spoon in the mixture, let cool for a bit and hold horizontal. It's ready if it won't drip. While you test take the pot off the stove or you may go beyond setting point. Fill into jars and leave to cool upside down, turn again when slightly cooled down. This way you sterilise the lid with the boiling hot jam again.

Summer trifle

A trifle is a classic dessert that goes back to the 16th century in England. It's all about layers of sponge cake, fruit, custard and whipped cream. If you're pushed for time just get ready-made custard and sponge cake and just layer all the ingredients either in a large bowl or as individual ones in glasses.

BERRY TRIFLE

Madeira sponge cake
Amaretto
Custard
Whipping cream
Raspberries and strawberries
Toasted almond flakes

Layer the sponge and sprinkle with amaretto. Wash and cut the fruit, fill in the glasses and pour the custard on top. Whip the cream and spoon in the glasses. Toast the almond and sprinkle over the cream.

August

Pints outside and mini cupcakes from Broadway Market.

Coconut pandan cupcakes

So here is my first recipe with pandan. I was lucky to find some fresh but if you can't find it look for pandan essence in the baking section in Asian stores and just add some more coconut milk. You can make the pandan syrup in advance but the pandan juice should be made on the day as it will oxidize and lose the bright green colour.

COCONUT PANDAN CUPCAKES

125ml sunflower oil
100g sugar
2 eggs
150g plain flour
100g rice flour
6g baking powder
5 tbsp pandan juice*
5 tbsp pandan syrup**
5 tbsp coconut cream
toasted coconut flakes

for the buttercream
200g salted butter
400g icing sugar
5 tbsp pandan syrup*
5 tbsp coconut cream

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Mix the oil, sugar and the eggs. Beat until the mixture turns pale in colour. Mix the flour and baking powder and sift. Gently fold under the egg-sugar mix and incorporate the other ingredients, including some of the coconut flakes. Fill into muffin cases and bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool down on a wire rack. In the meantime prepare the butter cream. Beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar, beat well and add the pandan syrup and coconut cream. Spread over the cold muffins and decorate with the toasted coconut flakes.

* To make pandan juice take 10 pandan leaves, cut them in small strips and puree with 1/2 cup water in a food processor. Strain with a cheesecloth and discard the leaves.
** To make the pandan syrup put 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and about 10 fresh pandan leaves (tied to a knot makes it easier to remove them later) in a pot and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Let cool down before handling.

Flavours of Asia

Now that we're back I'm being asked about the best place or country that we visited but as they are so different I find this question incredibly difficult. I liked them all. For different reasons. Instead I will try and sum up the trip in flavours so here is my top 10 list of ingredients we came across that have left an impression:

1. Pandan
If you have been following the blog you will have figured by now that I have found my new food crush. Love at first sight, eh, taste. It is the vanilla of SE Asia and you can use it accordingly in baked goods and sweet treats, rice and cocktails. Yum. Now I always have some pandan leaves in the freezer.

2. Winter melon
We haven't tried it fresh and ripe but it's great as a juice made from the immature melon when it's still sweet. It's available in cans throughout Malaysia, Vietnam and China and I love the creamy buttery taste.

3. Chili
Of course I had to mention chili. Adds heat to so many dishes in so many countries. On my 'heat-scale' Thailand is taking the top, followed by India and Malaysia.

4. Cardamon
One of the things I cherished in India is chai, the fragrant tea made with ground spices (including cardamon) and milk. The taste and smell of cardamon pods encapsulates India for me. It can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

5. Palm sugar
It's not just sweet but has a rich caramel flavour similar to demerara or other brown sugars. It works well in my favourite dessert Cendol Gula Melaka from Malaysia but also in savory dishes like Som tam in Thailand.

6. Kaffir lime
The rind of the kaffir lime and the aromatic leaves are both used in curry pastes in Thai, Lao and Cambodian cuisine and though the juice is not used the tart kaffir lime peel can be used similar to lemon or lime in sorbets and desserts as well.

7. Taro
This starchy root vegetable can be used either in savoury dishes or in desserts, easily recognisable by it's purple colour. Taro replaces pandan as the flavour of choice in ice cream in Vietnam and China.

8. Dragonfruit
This is the most amazing looking fruit and it grows on the most amazing looking plant not unlike a cactus. They are grown commercially all around Southern Vietnam but are available throughout SE Asia. There are two variations, one with white and the other with deep purple flesh. In taste they are very similar. Reminiscent of a kiwi but sweet instead of acidic and the small black seeds have a light nutty flavour. Dragonfruit works well in combination with rambutan and lychee.

9. Lemongrass
With it's fragrant citrus flavour this herb is an essential ingredient in Asian cuisine, from curries to tea and it also works well in desserts.

10. Galangal
Commonly called 'Thai ginger' galangal has less of the peppery heat retained in ginger and tastes slightly more earthy and citrusy. It's an integral part of Thai, Lao and Cambodian cuisine used in curry paste or Tom Yum.

CHINA: Beijing

Beijing means "Northern Capital" but the city is also known as Peking (an older pronunciation predating a subsequent sound change in Mandarin 400 years ago). It's a metropolis with a population of almost 20 million.

The traditional bicycle rickshaws almost disappeared after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 but have had a comeback and can now be found around the hutongs (narrow streets or alleys) and popular tourist destinations of Beijing.

This is proper Beijing street food. Jianbing starts of like a crepe with a thin egg-based batter. When this has set cracks an egg and spreads it over in a thin layer. Now sprinkle scallions and black sesame seeds on top. The crepe is flipped over and it's time for the sauces: hoisin sauce, hot sauce and a fermented tofu. Brushed on. Literally. With a big brush. Now place the bing on top, a deep fried cracker. All is then folded and tossed in a plastic bag, ready to go.

Beijing yoghurt is sweet and slightly sour and comes in these unpretentious ceramic pots with a paper lid and rubber band. Just stick a straw in and ready. They can be found at almost every corner.

More dairy coming your way. This is labeled 'cheese' but is actually more like a creamy buttery yoghurt and in this instance with added fruit in the form of mango but there are several flavours to choose from. The tiny shop only sells this one product and it is so popular that you will find a cue outside the store at almost anytime. They close when they have sold all the fresh product of the day so you better be quick.

Super-size skewers of lamb and chicken.

Cold rice noodles in a sesame sauce with some chili paste for heat, topped with sesame seeds and julienne cucumbers.

In my search for the most original waffle this version here definately takes the prize. Owl shaped and it comes in four different flavours: red bean, green bean, sesame and chocolate.

This passionfruit & mango lava drink is all about the show. A small bag with dry ice is submerged in the juice to create smoke.

Deep fried fermented tofu, chou doufu or stinky tofu is a popular snack in China and once you get over the smell of rotten feet is actually quite tasty.

A good Chinese dinner is all about the combination of dishes: some are cold, some hot; some spicy, some mild. There has to be veg and meat and maybe some fish, too. On this table you will find pickled quails eggs, sweet and sour pork, spicy tofu, potato straw, fried eggplant, lotus root filled with sticky rice, wood-ear mushrooms, fresh herbs with walnuts and then of course the legendary Peking duck. The crispy roasted bird is sliced in front of the diners by the chef himself and the meat and crunchy skin is wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onions, cucumbers and pickles to be dipped in smoky sweet hoisin sauce.