The Ginger Beer Comeback!

I have been drinking quite a lot of ginger beer recently and buying packs of it on special in the supermarket. However, last week my daughter reminded me about the ginger beer I used to make on the farm when they were young.

The recipe was given to me by an old friend, Margaret Brown, years ago and so I have started making it again! It’s a good reminder that tucked away in your old trusty recipe books full of handwritten recipes, from mothers, grandmothers and aunts, there are some great ones that need to be revisited from time to time. Also maybe it’s a good time for me to put them into a computer so they don’t get lost forever among the loose pages covered in butter stains and coffee marks!

This drink is easy, refreshing and cost effective.

Ginger Beer

5 litres warm water
3½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon citric acid
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon natural lemon essence
1 teaspoon dry yeast
Mix together and leave 2 hours stirring occasionally. Then bottle, leaving space in bottles – leave 3 days before drinking.

Blue Skies - Red Tomatoes

It's been a fantastic growing season in Christchurch - lots of blue sky and sunshine and we've all loved watching our gardens flourish even though we're on water rationing.

I was quietly working in the kitchen yesterday with my chefs and overhearing their conversation as they worked.

They were talking about their vegetable gardens and how many courgettes they had picked, when their beans would be ready, the state of their tomatoes and how many eggs their chooks had laid yesterday. It made my heart sing! There is a quiet revolution taking place and people are returning to the soil, growing their own food and taking such pleasure in proudly cooking and feeding their families with wondrous, seasonal, fresh produce. There is nothing better and the satisfaction gained unparalleled.

Over dinner last night with friends the subject came up again and we talked of visits to France and Italy where driving in the countryside everywhere you looked there were houses surrounded by carefully tended vegetable gardens, giant artichoke plants, tomatoes and every other imaginable vegetable.

A wonderful way to preserve excess vegetables is to make relishes and pickles. I am sharing my Aunt’s tomato relish recipe today because it’s a favourite, the uses are endless, and a barbecued or grilled lamb chop without it seems unthinkable.



Tomato Relish

12 large tomatoes
4 large onions
1 tablespoon salt
Malt vinegar
500g sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1½ tablespoons mustard powder
(mix the curry and mustard powders in a bowl with a little vinegar to form a paste before pouring into the tomatoes and onions)
5 dried chillies
2 tablespoons flour

Roughly dice tomatoes and onions, place in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stand overnight.

Drain and discard liquid. Place tomatoes and onion in a large saucepan and pour over vinegar until the liquid reaches 2 cm below surface of vegetables.

Bring to the boil, add sugar and spices. Simmer for 30 minutes. Mix flour with a little extra vinegar to form a paste. Pour into hot mix, stirring constantly and gently boil for a further 5 minutes.

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

Some other things I love to do with Tomato Relish

Under the cheesy mix for mousetraps

Mixed with mayonnaise and dolloped over cold chicken

Split saveloys, fill with relish, wrap in bacon, hold together with toothpick
and grill (memories of my mother!)

Add to meatloaf mixture before cooking

Add to mashed potato for cottage pie topping

Use for a quick pizza spread

Use in quesadillas with shredded chicken, grated cheese and coriander

With sour cream and corn frittersIn pinwheel scones with grated cheese

With grilled haloumi


Cook it - Love it!

And here's an extra little gift for Christmas!

Thank you for reading my blog, and here’s an extra special festive gift for you all as we dash up to the end of 2011! One of you contacted me a short while ago wishing for advice on my fabulous Strawberry Vinaigrette to accompany salads and also for one of my chicken salad recipes…so – Merry Christmas to you all once again, and here’s an extra little something fabulous…

Poached Chicken Summer Salad

(This is utterly glorious, so easy, and will delight everyone who tries it…ENJOY!)

Serves 6

4 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
½ cup mayonnaise
400g tin mango slices, drained and chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ cup each chopped coriander and mint
1 cup seedless green grapes
good bunch watercress, washed and picked over
3 spring onions, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.

Et voila!

Strawberry Vinegar (and Vinaigrette)

1 punnet strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 cups white vinegar
Bring to the boil and simmer together for 15 minutes. Strain and bottle.

For vinaigrette:

Combine 2 parts canola oil to 1 part vinegar.
Cook it, love it!

Father Christmas is packing his sleigh....

It’s the “silly season” when we all love to try and cram in as many gatherings with friends and families as possible … what a time of the year for us all! It’s wonderful to mark this very special celebration and isn’t it great that nowadays celebrating the holiday season doesn’t necessarily need to be with a huge meal? We celebrate in as many guises as there are people – picnics, barbecues, ornate meals with specially laid tables and decorative theming, right through to an intimate celebration with smoked salmon and champagne…

I’ve just made some Christmas Marshmallow – a recipe I featured during my “Tart Up Christmas” cooking class held in October – and which we all love! I know we normally associate marshmallow with children’s parties and lollie cake but this one is really an ‘adults marshmallow’ and to be honest, when put out in a lovely bowl it doesn’t stay around long!

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to give – and I think something delicious, made with love, is the ultimate Christmas gift … I love to parcel up these delicious morsels to give to someone special …

I hope everyone has a joyous, relaxing and fulfilling holiday – that your Christmas, in whatever way you celebrate, is a happy one. Stay safe and smiling everyone – it’s holiday time! I wish you all a Happy Christmas and my warmest wishes for 2012


So...Christmas Marshmallow - cook it, love it!

Makes 40-50 pieces
3 tablespoons powdered gelatine
½ cup cold water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dredging

In a bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatine over the ½ cup of water. Soak for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, spices and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour boiling syrup into gelatine, and mix at a high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. Add vanilla and scrape into a 9” x 9” cake tin lined with oiled plastic wrap and spread evenly. (Note: lightly oil hands and spatula). After pouring marshmallow mixture into the tin, take another piece of oiled plastic wrap and press over mixture in tin.

Let mixture sit for a few hours. Remove from tin, dredge the marshmallow slab with icing sugar and cut with scissors – the best tool for the job.

Completely coat marshmallow in icing sugar.

Heaven sent spears - Asparagus!

We are right in the middle of asparagus season so now is the right time to enjoy this wonderful vegetable.

It is low in calories, packed with essential vitamins and minerals and long been recognized for its medicinal properties.

Its versatility makes asparagus a perfect meal accompaniment and it is equally delicious served hot or cold. Wash it thoroughly as the head can sometimes contain grit and sand from the growing process. Snap off the ends, it will snap at the point where it begins to be woody. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt it generously and add asparagus. Cook until tender. If serving cold, immediately plunge into ice water to refresh and maintain its beautiful colour. I love to eat it with my fingers dipping the ends into homemade mayonnaise but here is a delicious salad I want to share.

Asparagus and Tomato Salad
Serves 4 – 6 as an entrée

Extra virgin olive oil
45g anchovies, drained and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
Dash of white wine vinegar
½ cup toasted breadcrumbs
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
24 – 36 asparagus stalks trimmed

Heat a little oil in a heavy based fry pan and cook the anchovies over medium heat until they begin to ‘melt’. Reduce heat, add garlic and cook for a further 1 –2 minutes then stir in the vinegar to taste adding a little oil as necessary. Stir in half the breadcrumbs and cook for two minutes then remove from heat and keep warm. Steam the asparagus until tender then drain and transfer to a platter with the tomatoes. Pour the anchovy mixture over the asparagus and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Summer is approaching - and so is Christmas!

I hate to remind you that we are in the lead up to Christmas, but in Christchurch the week after the Melbourne Cup is always our New Zealand Trotting Cup and Show Week, and once that’s over - its Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

I had my Christmas cooking class last weekend so I have been working on the recipes over the past few weeks. A really good thing to do as soon as you have read this, is to make your Fruit Mince and jar it up for use later. This allows the flavours to develop really well. You can use store bought but this is so much better and really easy to make, so why would you? Just keep a cup aside and try this slice recipe as well, because it’s absolutely delicious! It came from the grandmother (Neddy) of one of our chefs.

Christmas Fruit Mince
Yield 1.5kg
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cup raisins
1 cup currants
150g butter
2 teaspoons mace
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 teaspoons spice
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 cups brown sugar
100ml brandy
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
100ml lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer partly covered with lid for 30-40 minutes or until thick. Pour into clean, sterilised jars. Cover when cold.

Neddy’s Christmas Mince Slice
Base
100g chilled butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
Process butter, flour and sugar until breadcrumb consistency and press into lined slice tin. Bake at 160ºC for 10 minutes.
Topping
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup fruit mince
Mix dry ingredients well and add wet ingredients. Place over base and cook for a further 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

COOK IT! LOVE IT!

EATING HUMBLE PIE

Ok - I'm fronting up - I have to eat humble pie apparently ... some of you have been wondering where on earth I've been ...if I have to eat pie I may as well share the recipe as well!!!

This is a fabulous LAMB AND YOGHURT PIE discovered on my travels in the Mediterranean.

A gorgeous flavour filled delight for you and your loved ones ...

Lamb and Yoghurt Pie
Serves 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic crushed
1 kg lamb mince
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
70g toasted pine nuts
12 sheets filo pastry
100g clarified butter
500g natural yoghurt
1 shallow tin approximately 30 x 22 x 3 cms


Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
Add lamb and brown thoroughly, breaking up clumps as it cooks, with a wooden spoon.
Add cinnamon, tomato paste, lemon, salt and pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add parsley, breadcrumbs and pine nuts and set aside to cool.
Remove filo pastry from packet and count out 12 sheets.
Place pastry on bench and cover with a damp tea towel.
Brush one sheet of filo pastry lightly with melted butter..
Place another layer of pastry on top, brushing with butter as you go, and repeat until you have six sheets.
Butter pie tin and line with the first six sheets of pastry.
Fill with half the lamb mixture, spread with yoghurt and top with remaining lamb.
Brush remaining sheets with butter and scrunch individually and place on top of the pie to completely cover.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180º C for 40 minutes.
YUM!!
Cook it – love it!

FIGHT OFF THE WINTER CHILLS WITH DELICIOUS NOURISHING SOUP

I have just had a week in Bali attending my beautiful niece’s wedding, having a rest from shattered Christchurch and bonding with some great Balinese caterers. What fun!

It seems we foodie types are all the same the world over. Wherever there’s a great party in progress, much as we love being part of it we tend to find ourselves drawn to what’s going on in the kitchen. The flavours were delicious and I will share some with you when we get a little closer to summer, meantime it was back down to reality with a thud! Landing in minus zero temperatures, there was nothing else to do but get into the kitchen and drag out the soup pot!

Nothing beats a bowl of warm nourishing soup and a slab of homemade bread to fight away the chilly nights and it’s amazing how simple they can be by just being a little creative with what is in the pantry.

Try these for starters….

Soup of Pear, Horseradish and White Pepper
Serves 8 -10
400g tin of pears
100g butter
100g flour
2 litres good quality chicken stock
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons white pepper

Puree the pears and half the syrup until smooth. Reserve remaining syrup. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Cook the roux for a couple of minutes and then slowly add the warmed chicken stock, stirring well to keep a smooth consistency.

Add the pureed pears, horseradish sauce, salt and pepper. Adjust consistency if necessary with remaining juice.

Roasted Mushroom Soup
Serves 8 -10

500g Swiss Brown mushrooms, quartered
500g Portobello mushrooms, quartered
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 sticks celery, sliced
¼ cup olive oil
½ bottle white wine
1 ½ litres chicken stock
1 bouquet garni (bay, parsley, thyme)
200ml cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Place mushrooms in a roasting tray with onions, garlic and celery. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a moderate oven until browned. Add white wine and cook a further ten minutes to cook off alcohol. Add stock, bouquet garni and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove bouquet garni, add cream and blend until smooth.
For special occasions drizzle with a little truffle oil at service.

CREAM SPONGE HEAVEN!

All of a sudden wherever I turn people are talking about cream sponges!
My brother has just moved to the country and when I visited him the other afternoon he asked me if I had brought a cream sponge for afternoon tea. A couple of days later I had a request for cream sponge for 40 guests at a party because it was the birthday boy’s favourite.

It reminded me of my childhood on the farm where afternoon tea was taken into the paddock during harvesting and very often a cream sponge sat among the goodies in the bottom of the picnic basket. I have vivid memories of my father devouring great chunks of sponge with dirty hands, a face black with dust, and a huge smile on his face. He used to say it was the perfect afternoon tea treat because it didn’t sit heavily on the stomach when there were still hours of work to do before it got dark.
I made one for my grandson’s first birthday and it was a huge success so I am thinking - maybe it’s time to bring back the cream sponge! Talking in the kitchen with my chefs I discovered that nearly all the cream sponges you can buy are made with commercial sponge mix and the difference is huge.

So, here is a great sponge recipe and a few tips to help you make the perfect cream sponge. I have also included my mother’s Sponge Drop recipe which is fabulous as well. They are so light and delicious and I have often taken them to visit someone who is sick as they melt in the mouth.

- Use size 7 eggs
- Always have eggs at room temperature

Cream Sponge
3 eggs, separated
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup cornflour
1 dessertspoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar gradually followed by yolks. Beat until thick. Fold in sifted dry ingredients. Pour mixture into two lined 20cm round sponge tins and bake for 15-20 minutes at 190°C. Cool in tin for short time and remove to cooling rack. Sandwich the two cakes together with whipped cream.

Sponge Drops
3 eggs
¾ cup castor sugar
½ cup cornflour
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda

Same method as above, and then drop mixture in teaspoonfuls on lined baking tray. Bake at 190°C oven for 3-4 minutes. Cool on rack and sandwich sponge drops together with whipped cream.

Cook it – Love it!

Chocolate Cake Heaven

I realise I am a totally indulgent grandmother and I don’t wish to bore you with grandmother pursuits but there are two very good reasons why I want to share this with you.

One is that anything that encourages young children into the kitchen is worthwhile and with so many mothers busy and holding down jobs, there is an opportunity for grandparents to become teachers.

We have more patience, generally, and time, hopefully, to fill the role.

The other thing I wanted to share with you is this fabulous chocolate cake recipe which is a firm favourite in our family. It is birthday cake, lunch box cake, cupcake and no reason at all cake!

Given to me by my foodie sister years ago it is firmly imprinted in my head. A one bowl wonder that is chocolatey, moist and truly delicious.
Cook it and love it.



Chocolate Fudge Cake

Makes 1 x 23 cm round cake or 18 regular cup cakes

200g plain flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa
150g brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 eggs
150ml oil
300ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sieve dry ingredients in bowl and add the sugar. Make well in centre and add syrup, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Beat all together until smooth. Pour into a greased tin/s. Bake @ 170°C for 45 mins to an hour – or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cupcakes – 20 minutes.

Autumn’s gift to Aphrodite ….the Quince

It’s quince season and oh! how I look forward to it every year! For the chefs in the kitchen, it means jars and jars of beautiful pink jelly, packets of delicious quince paste and giant bottles of our pickled quinces which we use on cheeseboards and chopped into aromatic lamb tagines.

To me, one of the greatest pleasures is a chunk of freshly baked bread smeared generously with quince jelly and topped with a wedge of ripe oozing brie – divine!

My mother used to grate them into apple pies and crumbles but as a child I found them tart and uninteresting which surprised me because quince trees are exquisite in blossom and look just as beautiful with the shiny golden fruit hanging decoratively on their branches.

I like to make a SUGAR SYRUP using 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water in a cast iron casserole dish. When the sugar has dissolved, I add 1 cinnamon stick, the juice of a lemon with pith and a vanilla pod which has been split. Peel, quarter and core four quinces, then cut each quarter in half again. Place into syrup, cover tightly with lid and place in oven which has been preheated to 150°C. Bake for 3-4 hours until quinces are ruby red and tender. Cool in syrup.


To make a delicious QUINCE SYRUP CAKE:
50g butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
4 quinces poached as above and drained (reserve syrup)
Line a 23 cm round tin with baking paper. Combine butter and sugar and pour into lined tin. Cover with quince segments in a circular pattern.

Make a batter by creaming together:

150g soft butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add 3 eggs, and fold in 1⅓ cup flour, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1½ teaspoon baking powder.
Spoon over fruit carefully so as not to spoil pattern and bake in preheated oven 180°C for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and rest in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto plate. Pour over 1 cup of reserved syrup and serve with yoghurt, ice cream or lightly whipped cream.

Cook it – love it!

AUTUMN IS WITH US

What a beautiful time of the year - the trees don their ball dresses and display their gold and red leaves and the sunny windless days hint at the chillier days to come. It's a wonderful time to think of preparing warming delicious dishes for those you love - to use the rich, deep flavours we all so enjoy.

What a time we've had! The earthquake in February has changed our lives and I send my heartfelt good wishes to you and your loved ones at this very difficult time. The night of the earthquake I had family and friends gathered at my home and we cooked kedgeree on the barbecue - no power, or water, but it was still wonderful to be able to comfort and share in the way I love best - cooking!

As the days went on we were delighted to help clients and friends from out of town who wanted to help their own loved ones in a practical way - we made up food parcels and beautiful dinners to keep residents of Christchurch going in the darkest of times - and we are still doing this as residents return or we receive the message "more, please!".

We have also had a major change - we've moved into beautiful ground floor premises at 84 Gasson Street in Sydenham - which is going to be the new business hub of Christchurch for some time to come.

Easter weekend is just around the corner - a wonderful opportunity for us all to get together and catch up - families and friends - sharing laughter and the tears as we all do - as well as the chocolate! One of my favourite dishes to prepare when we have a crowd in is a delicious but simple Chicken Marbella. The flavours so reflective of autumn, the combination of the capers and olives so divine with the chicken! Cook it Love it!

Chicken Marbella
12 portions
24 thighs
1 small head of garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup dried oregano
Salt and pepper
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 cup prunes
½ cup pitted green olives
½ capers and some juice
6 bay leaves

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
¼ cup parsley

Arrange chicken in a single layer in roasting dish. Combine garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and bay leaves and spoon over chicken. Marinate overnight, and the next day sprinkle with brown sugar and pour around white wine. Cook at 180˚C, basting occasionally, for 45 minutes to an hour. Sprinkle parsley through before serving.

Here Comes Our Bride!

Photo courtesy of Shar Devine

At White Tie we love weddings. We love being involved in the planning process, helping our Brides and Grooms achieve the look, style and atmosphere they yearn for to make their day of days splendid and memorable – whether it be a private beach ceremony with delicious, perfectly formed canapés and champagne or a dinner party for 200 of their closest friends! We love it all!

It’s even more exciting and gorgeous when it’s one of our own. My beautiful daughter, George, married her Lewis on 21 January at the Rose Chapel followed by a fun filled reception. George has a wonderfully ‘simple is beautiful’ approach to the world – she is overflowing with good humour and warmth, and loves the out of the ordinary – or life with a twist! George and Lewis’ special day reflected all of their attributes for they are a well matched pair… One is a kiwi, the other a Brit and they met in Greece. So to shake things up a bit, we did food stations of New Zealand, England and Greece. Mussels and lamb cutlets for NZ, bangers and mash and bacon butties for England and onion pie and Greek salad for Greece. We had a small intimate family dinner the night before as the formal seated event instead.

Just before her wedding – and my girls don’t believe in long engagements (thanks for the 6 week heads up!), I threw a “Champagne and Chocolate” afternoon for a bridal kitchen party. George adores chocolate and champagne so I combined these two wonderful ingredients and served my guests all things chocolate! Chocolate is a comfort food for most of us so I kept it comfy, clean and simple.

Apart from chocolate lamingtons topped with cream and strawberries (who can resist, and straight from our childhoods), chocolate sponge drops (that smooth soft sponge and the cream!) and chocolate pikelets (posh pikelets!), glamorous chocolate macaroons in two flavours no less – I also served chocolate marbled cheesecake – a real winner for any occasion and an incredibly delicious caramel tart which one of my guests said she wanted to throw herself into the dish and eat the lot! So thought I would share these recipes with you…

Marbled Chocolate Slice
Topping
250g cream cheese
75g extra sugar
5ml vanilla
1 egg
Base
185g butter (melted)
40g cocoa
210g sugar
2 eggs
150g flour

Method
Put cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth, add sugar and vanilla. Scrape sides and beat in egg. Beat until smooth. Set aside.
Meanwhile, melt butter and cocoa and beat together. Add sugar and combine. Pour in beaten eggs and mix well then add flour. Mix until well combined. Pour mixture into a 20 cm x 30 cm tin and spread out evenly.
Dollop cream cheese mixture equally over top and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake 150°C for approximately 20 minutes or until set – should wobble slightly. Cool in tin.
Cook it – love it!

Caramel Tarts
Tart cases
60g icing sugar
90g butter
200g flour
30g cornflour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 rounded tablespoon cocoa
Filling
½ tin condensed milk
½ cup sugar
60g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1½ tablespoons flour
1 egg yolk

Method
Cream icing sugar and butter together, add egg and other dry ingredients and mix until combined. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out pastry thinly and line 24 patty tins. Chill again and then bake pastry @ 180°C for 10 - 15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Place all filling ingredients in a bowl over pot of boiling water and beat until combined and sugar has dissolved. Pour into pastry cases and ice with chocolate icing when caramel has set.
Cook it – love it!

Seven Christmas Inspirations: Fruit Mince; Ice Cream; Mince Slice; Pudding; Tiramisu of Summer Berries; Cake; Frangipane & Fruit Mince Tart

I’ve had lots of emails after my chat with Kerre Woodham on Newstalk ZB last week asking about the Christmas recipes I featured. I know we’re all planning what to take to friends or what to serve at home over the holiday season, and I thought it would be great to share some of the recipes I use at Christmas. Before you read my 7 inspirational recipes for Christmas which I hope you love, have a look at this photo!

This wonderful Bûche de Noël, a dessert served during the Christmas holidays in France and Belgium, was created by one of our wonderful White Tie chefs – Jen Norriss - and served at a recent function. If this inspires you, the cake itself is a chocolate swiss roll filled with chocolate buttercream and iced to resemble a Yule log…

Now, here are 7 fabulous ideas for you - I hope you love them, too!

Christmas Fruit Mince
Yield 1.5kg
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups raisins
1 cup currants
150g butter
2 teaspoons mace
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 teaspoons spice
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 cups brown sugar
100ml brandy
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
100ml lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer partly covered with lid for 30-40 minutes or until thick. Pour into clean, sterilised jars. Cover when cold.

Christmas Ice Cream
1 cup fruit mince
1 tablespoon brandy
600mls cream
¾ cup caster sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine fruit mince and brandy. Whip the cream with half the sugar until soft peaks form. Beat the egg yolks with remaining sugar and vanilla until thick. Fold in the fruit mince followed by the whipped cream. Pour into an ice cream container and freeze.

Christmas Mince Slice
Base
100g chilled butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup flour

Process butter, flour and sugar until breadcrumb consistency and press into lined slice tin. Bake at 160ºC for 10 minutes.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup fruit mince
Mix dry ingredients well and add wet ingredients. Place over base and cook for a further 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Dust with icing sugar to serve. An extra egg and more mince can be used to bulk it out.

Christmas Pudding
Makes 2 large or 4 small puddings
500g currants
500g raisins
500g breadcrumbs
6 dessertspoons flour
125g mixed peel
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
500g brown sugar
zest of 1 lemon
8 eggs, beaten
500g butter, melted
1 wine glass brandy
Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining 3 and mix well to thoroughly combine. Divide between 2 greased pudding bowls. Cover and boil 8 hours.

Christmas Tiramisu of Summer Berries
1 large pkt sponge fingers
Marscapone filling
5 eggs, separated
90g caster sugar
500g marscapone
2 tablespoons Marsala
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg yolks with half the sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold the marscapone into the yolks, followed by the Marsala and vanilla. Beat the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the remaining sugar beating until soft peaks form. Fold into the marscapone mixture.
Berry Filling
750g raspberries and sliced strawberries (raspberries may be frozen)
½ cup Marsala or sweet white wine
4 tablespoons caster sugar
Combine ingredients and stand for at least 30 minutes.
Berry Sauce
125g raspberries or strawberries
¼ cup icing sugar
Process fruit and sugar until smooth and strain to remove pips. Chill until needed.
In a large glass bowl, layer sponge fingers, berry filling and marscapone filling in that order. Repeat until bowl is full. Refrigerate overnight and garnish top with extra berries and serve with berry sauce.

Christmas Cake
500g butter
500g caster sugar
500g flour
1.5kg currants
1.5kg raisins
1.5kg sultanas
350g peel
250g ground almonds
30g mixed spice
12 eggs
1 orange – rind & juice
1 lemon – rind & juice
Brandy to taste
Grate rinds of lemon & orange, squeeze juice, melt butter.
Place fruit in a large bowl, add rind & juice. Sieve flour, add spice & almonds. Beat eggs & sugar until light in colour. Stir in flour, almonds & spices. Add fruit mix and butter and mix by hand.
Cook 5 ½ hours, 1 hour at 120°C and the rest 110°C-100°C. When cooked leave ½ hour then make small holes all over cake with a skewer and pour in brandy. Leave in tin to cool 24 hours.

Frangipane and Fruit Mince Tart
Serves 6
Pastry
300g flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter
pinch of salt
1 egg
Mix all the ingredients in a food processor. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Roll out pastry and line a tart tin. Bake blind for 10 minutes, remove blind baking weights and bake a further 5 mins. Cool.
Filling
120g caster sugar
120g butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
120g ground almonds
20g flour
1 tablespoon orange flavoured liqueur (optional)
8 mint leaves, shredded
300g fruit mince
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients followed by liqueur and mint.
Spread fruit mince over the bottom of the pastry case and top with frangipane mix.
Bake at 180°C for 30 - 40mins serve warm dusted with icing sugar.

Cook them, love them!

Licking the bowl ... STICKY GINGERBREAD

It seems that I am going to be a lot better at teaching my grandchildren to cook than my own children. Probably age has taught me patience but of course we are all so much more aware of the need to teach our children these life skills.



Fortunately, my girls have all turned into great cooks, they say by osmosis, so I am able to enjoy being a guest at their dinner tables. Actually, it’s one of my most favourite things to do in the whole world!

My grandson Mason, is two and we had a lovely day last week baking my favourite gingerbread.

This recipe has been in my book for so long I don’t remember where it came from but it is a pantry staple because of it's versatility.

Great for morning tea, warmed with caramel sauce and ice cream for a quick dessert, served with cheese on a cheeseboard (great with a creamy blue) and a terrific lunch box filler.

It’s a one bowl wonder and a great simple recipe to teach the children. I was quite shocked that Mason wasn’t interested in licking the bowl, so I had to!!

Sticky Gingerbread

180g butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup treacle
2/3 cup golden syrup
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger
250g brown sugar
375g flour

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 9” square tin with baking paper.
Cut butter into pieces and warm with water, treacle and syrup until just melted.
In a small bowl, beat eggs well.
In a large bowl, place the sugar and sift in the flour, spices and soda.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten eggs and butter mixture. Mix well to combine.
Pour into lined cake tin and bake 1-1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
Remove from oven and leave to cool. This cake improves on keeping and is great to freeze.

COOK IT & LOVE IT!

Salad Days are here!

I have just returned from a brief trip to the USA and I was reminded how good they are at making salads.

There has been a real turn around with the weather here and with the asparagus season in full swing and the beginning of the new potato season, we have two great vegetables to use as the base of a salad meal. We all love the satisfaction of preparing healthy and delicious dishes!

Don’t just think of salad as a side dish to a meal, think of it as a meal. Who can resist a platter highlighting summer’s bounty – cucumber, crispy iceberg lettuce, crunchy radishes, perfectly cooked asparagus, tiny new potatoes. You can add as much or as little as you like but think - colour, texture, freshness, crunch, protein content and then, of course, a great dressing, as this can be the difference between an average salad and a great salad.

This potato and asparagus salad is great and feel free to add sliced chicken, chopped walnuts, or diced avocado. Let the creative juices flow!

Cook it and love it.

Potato and Asparagus Salad with Tarragon Verjus Dressing

1 kg asparagus
500g new potatoes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 cup fresh tarragon
1/4 cup Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/3 cup verjus
1 teapsoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and briefly cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs transfer to a large bowl of iced water. Drain.
Add potatoes to the pot and cook until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
In a mini food processor, pulse coriander seeds until crushed. Add tarragon, parsley, chives and process until finely chopped. Add the verjus, mustard and process until smooth. With the processor running add the oil in a fine stream. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice potatoes in half. Place in a bowl with some of the dressing and toss gently. Arrange on a platter with asparagus on top. Drizzle with some of the extra dressing.

CAPE KIDNAPPERS IDYLL - Lemon Salad with Crumbed Schnitzel and Lemon Sauce

I have just had the most fabulous weekend in the Hawke’s Bay with my husband for his birthday treat. The weather was fantastic, the sky completely cloudless for the entire time and we walked for miles over the rolling hills of Cape Kidnappers.

We tend to just get on with our lives and forget about the rest of our beautiful country but we have now made a pact to go exploring whenever we can and visit new places, shop in local farmers markets and soak up the wonderful regionality of New Zealand. I always feel quite envious when I see things growing so robustly in other parts of the country that I can’t grow at home in our Christchurch climate.

On the way home we stayed with old friends in Pahiatua and I was able to forage in the garden which has always been a wonderland of self sufficiency. I get goose pimples when I see so much citrus hanging on the trees so even though I had shopped to the limit over the weekend, nothing was going to stop me from filling yet another bag and bringing home lemons and grapefruit. I am an avid jam maker and my marmalade is in constant demand from my family to the point where two of my daughters’ partners have been known to fight over the last jar in the cupboard!
I truly could not live without lemons and not just for the gin and tonics! My childhood memories are full of lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, lemon chutney, lemon cake. I love that lemons cover all the flavour spectrums from savoury to sweet and so many things are just taken to a whole new level with a squeeze of lemon. Our kitchen at home always has a lemon bowl and the commercial chiller at work always has a case of them on hand.

Yen Ben lemons are the largest crop produced in New Zealand and are exported in huge amounts to Japan. The most common variety for the home gardener is the Meyer lemon which has a thinner skin and slightly sweeter juice. I have just planted two in a sheltered part of my garden and will be lovingly tending to them so that eventually I will be able to pick my very own.
This leads me to share with you a fun recipe that is simply perfect for this time of year. Cook it & love it!

Lemon Salad with Crumbed Schnitzel and Lemon Sauce
Slices of beef or veal schnitzel
Season flour and coat schnitzels then dip in seasoned, whisked egg and coat with a mixture of two thirds breadcrumbs to one third freshly grated parmesan cheese. Refrigerate until ready to cook in olive oil in hot pan.

Lemon Salad
2-3 washed lemons
Salt
1 red pepper
2 telegraph cucumbers
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

Slice lemons as thinly as possible and flick out all seeds. Spread slices on a tray, then sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry slices and pat dry. Cut pepper into sections following its natural curves. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Remove all seeds and ribs from pepper and cut lengthwise into very thin slices. Cut cucumber into paper thin slices. On a shallow serving platter arrange a bed of overlapping cucumber slices and top with lemon. Decorate salad with red pepper slices. Grind over pepper, drizzle with oil and scatter over parsley.

Lemon and Caper Sauce
100g butter
Juice of two lemons
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
1-2 tablespoon capers

Melt butter with lemon juice and salt. Mix egg yolk with milk in a bowl, pour melted butter and lemon onto yolks and whisk together. Return mixture to the pan and heat very gently, whisking for 1 minute until sauce thickens. Add capers and keep warm but do not boil or the sauce may curdle.

To make in advance, pour into a warmed thermos.

ON THE SAUCE - Gribiche Sauce

I’ve just had a great day out at the Akaroa Cooking School and it was just what was needed after being shaken about so badly last week. We were able to put all our problems behind us and sit back and be entertained by the lovely Al Brown of Wellington’s Logan Brown restaurant and television documentary ‘Hunger for the Wild’ fame.

Al is a charmer and one of those generous chefs eager to share his knowledge and passion with us all. He achieved great things in the kitchen of Logan Brown and is now concentrating on another book and more television which is fabulous because in my opinion Hunger for the Wild is by far the best food programme produced here.
Al’s food is delicious and we were treated to the best freshest paua I have ever eaten!

I want to share a sauce recipe with you that he served with crab cakes and is simply delicious. I’m stopping by my fish shop on the way home tonight to buy some tuna steaks to serve it with but it also occurred to me that it would be equally good over a large baked potato with a salad for simple quick meal. Cook it & Love it.

Al’s Gribiche Sauce

1 ½ cups good quality mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
4 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
¼ cup capers, finely chopped
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup gherkins, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped green capsicum
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chervil
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
1 ½ tablespoons wholegrain mustard
sea salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. Taste and season accordingly. Keep refrigerated until required. Will keep several days refrigerated.

MONG KOK OR BUST - Black pepper crab

It always pays to do lots of research before you travel, especially if eating is on the top of your agenda!
This lead to us queuing for an hour outside a little hole in the wall restaurant in the back streets of Mong Kok in Hong Kong. I had heard so much about this little Dim Sum Michelin Star restaurant called Tim Ho Wan that from the time we set foot on the tarmac in Hong Kong at 6.30 in the morning, I was on a mission.
With amused husband and eager friend Vicki (pictured) in tow, we dumped our bags at the hotel reception and set off to Mong Kok on the very efficient underground. On surfacing into the hustle and bustle firmly clutching our map, we were approached by a friendly gentleman asking us if we needed help. On seeing our destination he took it upon himself to walk us all the way to the restaurant door. A good ten minute walk!
It was 8.45 in the morning, the restaurant opens at 10am and already the queue was forming!
At 9.45 with the queue well out of sight and around the corner, menu cards were handed out to the first 30 or so people to fill in and then gathered up and rushed to the kitchen. At 10am the doors opened and in we went with eager anticipation to taste the famous pork buns. WOW was it worth the wait! As had been recommended, we began and ended with the pork buns which were totally divine melt in the mouth morsels which had the eyes rolling in the back of my head. On leaving 30 minutes later (it didn’t seem right to keep people waiting longer than necessary) the question was raised should we come back in the evening!

I now had one up on Ann, my Hong Kong sister in law, so she is eagerly anticipating her next trip home to Hong Kong.
She did agree to share with us her fantastic recipe for Black Pepper Crab which I urge you to try. I know it’s a bit of a hassle to break up the crabs but they are simply delicious and you know what? Sometimes things are just worth the extra effort!
Cook it and love it.

Tim Ho Wan is open daily from 10am until 10pm. Address for the intrepid: Shop 8, 2 -20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok.

BLACK PEPPER CRAB

3 medium sized crabs, portioned
2 spring onions
¼ cup black pepper corns
4 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1½ tablespoons corn starch
4 tablespoons soya sauce
¼ cup flour
canola oil for frying (1/3 wok full)
2 slices of ginger

Cut spring onion into 2 inch pieces and put aside. Partially grind pepper corns in coffee grinder or similar. Add garlic and grind until coarse paste formed (approximately 10 seconds). Place paste into mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt and blend. Put aside. In separate bowl, mix water, cornstarch and soya sauce. Put aside. Dust crab portions with flour.

Heat oil in wok until very hot. Carefully place crab portions into oil. Deep fry by stirring (approx one minute). Turn off gas. Scoop out portions onto draining paper.
Pour out oil leaving 4 tablespoons in wok. Stir fry pepper mix and ginger for 30 seconds.
Add cornstarch sauce mix and stir until it thickens. Add crab and spring onions to the sauce. Stir fry for ½ minute. Add 1 tablespoon oil to final stir.
Serve on banana leaf or similar and eat with your fingers!

Crab preparation.
Buy only live crabs. Place crabs in the freezer for 20 minutes so they go into a state of hibernation. Spread newspaper on floor with chopping board on top. Take the crabs out of the freezer and place crab shell side down on chopping board. Cut crab firmly down the centre into two, effectively killing the crab. Use back of cleaver to knock claws off. Cut string. Place cleaver or knife under shell to open slightly and pull shell off with fingers. Discard lungs and mouthpieces. Pull out and discard soft shell from roe. Wash under tap with coarse brush to remove mud. If large crabs are used then each half can be cut into smaller portions for serving. Smash claws with cleaver.

WHITE TIE WINTER BISTRO – Eggplant spagaloni

I’m still buzzing from our fabulous White Tie Winter Bistro – we had our first one for this year on Thursday 3 June – and it was just wonderful!













We held the event at C4, our favourite roasters of coffee in Christchurch. The roastery is housed in a funky warehouse style building in Lichfield Street with exposed brick, wood floors and industrial strength iron girders in the ceiling. They have a great display of coffee machines, stove top espresso pots, and the world’s best Barbie record player!

Our 80 guests chose from a wine list showcasing Canterbury’s finest on offer – pinot noir from Black Estate, Pegasus Bay’s Semillon and a Crater Rim Late Harvest Pinot Gris to name a few…

Entrees included green olive and anchovy beignets, Malouf’s mushrooms on traditional fried bread and our homemade ciabatta grilled with chopped tomato salad, prosciutto and the award-winning Clevedon buffalo mozzarella.

The mains proved there’s just something about hearty bistro fare breaking through the winter cold, slow braised veal, old fashioned roast lamb, parsnip and carrot mash the way your Nana made it and a sell out crispy skinned groper with a fine ratatouille and gruyere potato croquettes.

And if you thought making decisions was hard, then you really would have been in trouble come dessert time; lemon curd pavlova roulade, a C4 coffee tasting plate including an outstanding brown sugar espresso pannacotta, spiced chocolate bread and butter pudding and rice pudding to end all rice puddings…we had a ball!

Everyone was in party spirits and the noise level was heart warming. The C4 crew jumped up from their table to make coffees on demand while guests from all over the city table hopped to catch up with new friends made at last year’s bistros...

This was an initiative that started last year and it was so successful – it’s given us the opportunity to be our own client, to create a range of contemporary bistro dishes we don’t often have the opportunity to do through White Tie’s events. We create a restaurant for one night in a secret venue, only texting guests 24 hours in advance to let them in on the secret. People are clamouring for seats at the bistros on 8 July, 12 August and 16 September… if you would like to come along and celebrate hearty winter food with friends then give White Tie Catering a call on (03) 365 2837 to book your seat!

One of the dishes we offered was a White Tie twist on pasta – Spagaloni (half spaghetti, kind of half cannelloni!) – a special treat for our vegetarian friends and even a few meat eaters who saw it on its way to other tables. This is a wonderful warming family dish for Winter, extremely cost effective and the leftovers make the best lunch the next day. Cook it & Love it.


WINTER BISTRO EGGPLANT SPAGALONI

Serves 6

2 large fat eggplant
olive oil
thyme, finely chopped
oregano, finely chopped
1/3 packet spaghetti noodles
100g Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup cream
¼ cup torn, fresh basil
1 x 400g tins seasoned Italian tomatoes, chopped
extra grated cheese and parmesan

Slice eggplant lengthwise ¼ inch thick and brush with oil and herbs. Chargrill both sides and allow to cool.

Cook spaghetti in boiling water, drain and while still hot stir through parmesan cheese, cream and basil. Add a heaped tablespoon of spaghetti to each eggplant strip and roll.

Pour a third of the tomatoes over the base of dish and place rolled eggplant on top. Spoon rest of tomatoes over eggplant rolls and sprinkle with extra cheeses. Bake in hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes until top is browned and bubbling.