good taste tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2007-08-29:/taste//16 2010-01-11T03:40:59Z food is heaven Movable Type Pro 4.2-en braised beef short ribs tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2010:/taste//16.2932 2010-01-11T03:40:14Z 2010-01-11T03:40:59Z braised beef short ribs invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com beefshortrib01

This is from simply recipes though to be honest it's a standard braising recipe that I've used time and time again. The 2 new things are: short ribs, which I've never done before and reducing the sauce till it's very thick.
  1. brown ribs (no oil needed, it's already fat enough), remove from pan
  2. remove excess oil, sweat mirepoix until soft
  3. add 1 bottle wine, reduce to 1/3 original volume and almost syrupy
  4. return ribs to pan, add chicken stock until ribs are almost covered -- recipe says veal or beef stock, neither of which I have
  5. braise at 180°C for 3hrs until meat is falling off bones
  6. leave overnight -- normally it'd be in the fridge, I did one better and left it on my balcony with its 4" of snow
  7. remove fat layer (there's a lot of it), reheat making sure ribs are well glazed

]]> chocolate quinoa cake tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2010:/taste//16.2924 2010-01-04T01:24:24Z 2010-01-04T01:25:13Z chocolate quinoa cake invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com chocquinoacake02

I discovered quinoa over the summer and has made it several times as a salad or as the starchy part of a meal. Little did I know, until I read more about it, that chocolate and quinoa go so well together.

This recipe is adapted from here. The author thoughtfully tried to convert American cup measurements to metric but failed in a spectacularly cute way -- there is no way on earth that flour and sugar are measured in ml.

3 eggs
150g sugar
100g butter
100g chocolate
225g cooked quinoa
175g flour
1 tsp bp

  1. whisk egg and sugar until pale and thick
  2. melt butter and chocolate over bain marie
  3. add chocolate mixture to egg mixture
  4. add quinoa
  5. sift in flour and bp
  6. bake at 180°C for 30-35mins

Okay, this is just...phenomenal. The quinoa gives it a chewy crunchy texture that is unique and the cake itself is moist and fluffy. I ate a slice, then half of one, then the bits that fell off when I moved it. I've never been so lacking in discipline, and I don't usually like chocolate.
]]> yule log tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2915 2009-12-27T04:41:45Z 2009-12-28T04:42:37Z yule log invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com yulelog01

Come to think of it, making yule log is one of my family's christmas traditions. This is a nigella like recipe made from a flourless cake mixture and chocolate butter icing.

6 eggs, separated
6oz / 150g sugar
2oz / 50g cocoa powder + 2tbsp for icing
3oz / 75g butter
8oz / 250g icing sugar

  1. whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks, then add 50g sugar
  2. in a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, rest of sugar until pale and mousse-like, add cocoa powder
  3. fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture
  4. bake at 180°C for 20mins until cake springs back when pressed
  5. cool for 5mins, then turn out to greaseproof paper sprinkled with sugar on a wet tea towel
  6. make icing by whisking butter, icing sugar, 2tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp milk
  7. spread icing on cake, then roll up like a swiss roll
  8. cut off a branch, stick to main branch using icing
  9. spread icing all over, sieve icing sugar and decorate

It was too sweet, next time I'll use crème au buerre filling and ganache as icing.
]]> <![CDATA[mushroom & asparagus bread pudding]]> tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2906 2009-12-19T04:29:44Z 2009-12-19T04:35:13Z invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com vegbreadpud03

about 2/3 loaf of sourdough bread, cut into cubes
half a punnet mushroom, roughly diced
about 12 stalks asparagus, cut to 1" lengths
2 eggs
500ml mixture of milk and vegetable (or chicken if non-vegetarian) stock, about 2:1 ratio

grease the bottom of an oven dish with butter, spread over the bread cubes
add the vegetables
mix the eggs, milk and stock together, pour over bread and vegetables, season
stand for 5-10mins for the liquid to be absorbed, pressing the bread with a spoon if necessary
bake at 200°C for 1 hr until golden brown
stand in dish for 10-15mins before seving
]]> pasta with brie and cherry tomato tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2904 2009-12-18T04:58:37Z 2009-12-18T04:59:32Z pasta with brie and cherry tomato invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com pastabrietomato

This is an old recipe revisited. I got this off an early Jamie Oliver series, may even have been the original Naked Chef. Now that's memories.

It's so easy to make, no cooking apart from the pasta. I used fettuccine rigate, which is like regular fettuccine except with ridges along the length of the noodle. Basically, cook the pasta, drain and add cubed brie and cherry tomatoes. I used a mixture of fresh and roasted tomatoes. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese. Season and drizzle with olive oil.
]]> quince paste tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2897 2009-12-13T03:40:23Z 2009-12-13T04:09:03Z quince paste invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com quincemanchego03

The first time I came across quince paste was in Australia, and I've been lucky enough to have had quince paste in my fridge for many years. I had to throw them away when I moved. Which was why I was so ecstatic to see fresh quinces at the store last week.

Quince the fruit looks like a pear, which was a surprise to me. I'd never googled it, for some reason in my little brain I thought it'd look like kumquats for no good reason other than the 'q' factor. Heehee.

This time I did google, and learned that in its raw state the fruit is inedible. Mostly it's cooked and made into a paste or jelly. In Spain it's called membrillo and is eaten with manchego, a hard cheese made from sheep's millk -- to the extent that it seems to be the national snack.

quince01 quince04

This quince paste recipe is straightforward but time consuming:
  1. peel, core and chop 6 quince fruits (about 4-5 pounds)
  2. cover with water and simmer for 1-1.5hrs until tender
  3. strain water away, blitz until smooth
  4. return to pan and cook for 2hrs until thick -- took me longer than that
  5. dry in low oven (100°C is the lowest mine goes) for 12hrs -- again, took me longer than that, and it never really solidified like the commercially bought ones I used to have

Oh, so worth it, so delicious. And I went especially to the new french market to get the manchego cheese. Then I spread the paste over like jam. The manchego is nice, it had a rosemary crust and a mild taste. I'm thinking I can substitute comté or gruyère to pair with the quince.
]]> butternut squash and apple bake tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2894 2009-12-13T03:18:11Z 2009-12-13T03:21:50Z butternut squash and apple bake invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com butternutapplebake

Adapted from simply recipes, my butternut squash was never as orange as Elise's.

Chop half a butternut squash into 1" cubes, top with a granny smith apple, sliced. Sprinkle on a mixture of 2oz butter, brown sugar, 1 tbsp flour, salt and pepper. Top with cranberries -- I had dried, which I reconstituted with some hot water. Bake at 180°C for 1 hour. I added a can of chickpeas towards the end.
]]> salmon egg roll tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2893 2009-12-12T03:13:22Z 2009-12-13T03:17:09Z salmon egg roll invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com salmoneggroll

This is one of my standbys, so easy to make. Came from one of Donna Hay's books.

Make very thin omelettes. I'm lucky to have a small rectangular frying pan that is the perfect size for these.

Stuff the egg "pastry" with smoked salmon and salad greens. Rocket is the best, but any crunchy salad greens will do.
]]> oxtail braised in guinness tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2892 2009-12-11T03:07:53Z 2009-12-13T03:12:26Z oxtail braised in guinness invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com oxtailguinness

The idea is always the same: brown the protein, add vegetables, add liquid and cook slowly for 2-3hrs until the meat is tender. Serve over some sort of carb that can mop up the sauce.

I saw oxtail and I was so excited. It's been a long time. I braised it with a bottle of guinness and several ice cubes of chicken stock. The vegetables were standard mirepoix plus canned tomato. I let the finished product sit in the fridge overnight so the extra fat can solidify to be scraped off.

This was served over potato and turnip mash.
]]> apple crumble tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2840 2009-10-21T03:50:18Z 2009-10-21T04:13:17Z apple crumble invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com pt255crumble

8oz plain flour
4oz butter
2oz sugar
1lb cooking apples
(above pic is double)

Rub butter and flour together until breadcrumb stage, add sugar. This can be made in advance.
Peel, core and cut apples into slices and arrange at the bottom of an oven dish, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Add crumble mixture on top of apple.
Bake at 180°C for 30mins until golden.
Serve with lots of custard or vanilla ice cream.

Alternatives to apple: add blackberries or blueberries in which case splash some balsamic vinegar for flavour.

Note for my American readers: sorry, I have no idea how weight translates to cups. Basically the ratio is 4:2:1 for flour vs butter vs sugar. 180°C is 350°F.
]]> mushroom risotto tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2809 2009-09-22T02:48:52Z 2009-09-22T02:49:45Z mushroom risotto invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com risottomushroom

I've always thought risotto is difficult to make, at least perfect. I knew I'd have to try to make it one day, and with the mushrooms I bought at the farmer's market early this week, it's a good opportunity. This recipe is inspired by, no surprise, Elise, with modifications. And I didn't measure.

  1. sauté mushrooms with butter, garlic and cream; set aside
  2. meanwhile, heat up a carton vegetable stock to simmering point
  3. melt butter in heavy pan, add arborio rice
  4. slowly, add stock one ladle at a time, stir until completely absorbed before adding next ladle
  5. when all liquid is absorbed and rice cooked, add mushroom mixture
  6. season, serve with shavings of pecorino (or parmesan)

The verdict -- it was scrumptious!!! I can't stop eating it. It's like congee made with cream of mushroom soup. The cream and mushroom flavours really came through. And the rice wasn't hard to make. All I needed to do was focus on what was going on in the pan and not multi-task. The actually cooking of the rice took about 20mins. Can't wait till I make it again.
]]> panna cotta with strawberry coulis tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2794 2009-09-09T03:16:25Z 2009-09-09T04:42:26Z panna cotta with strawberry coulis invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com pannacottastraw

For some reason I was under the impression that panna cotta is difficult to make. Perhaps it's because it tastes so decadent and creamy that it must be hard to make, right?

Oh my, how WRONG.

This recipe is from Chocolate & Zucchini, and even Ms Dusoulier acknowledged how easy it was.

  • bring to a simmer 250ml whipping cream, 250ml whole milk and 50g sugar, stirring occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn't boil
  • soak a packet of gelatin in a little water to soften, add to hot cream mixture to dissolve
  • cool, then transfer to bowls quickly rinsed with cold water (for easy removal)
  • refridgerate for 3 hours or overnight until set
  • to make the coulis, chop 250g strawberries and heat with a simple syrup of 50g sugar and 2tbsp water, then blitz till smooth
  • decorate with strawberries

It was so good, I had to exert a great deal of self-control not to have a second helping.
]]> chicken cacciatore pasta tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2792 2009-09-08T01:39:47Z 2009-09-08T01:40:39Z chicken cacciatore pasta invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com chickencacciatore02

This recipe is from a book that is not a cookbook. It's unusual to find recipes in hidden inside fiction, but that's what Karin did with Making up for Lost Time, one of my favourite romances of hers. There are other recipes in there I will try, and I really really would like to have a copy of that From the Waterview cookbook that Jamie Onassis wrote.

This is a lighter version of the traditional chicken cacciatore, and like many traditional dishes each cook will do it differently. I diced the vegetables quite large, and kept the sauce thin. I froze the sauce after cooking, to add to the chicken when I was ready to make the dish.

For the cacciatore sauce:
3 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 red peppers, diced
8oz mushrooms, diced
large can plum tomato
oregano, basil

drain artichokes, keeping the liquid
cook carrots in artichoke juice until soft
add garlic, onions, celery, peppers and mushrooms and heat until cooked
add a little red wine to deglaze
add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 1 hour, adding water if too thick

The chicken was baked separately, adding the sauce about 15mins from the end. I served it with rigatoni, perfect for soaking up the sauce.
]]> warm quinoa salad with 5 vegetables tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2780 2009-08-27T01:52:55Z 2009-08-27T01:53:33Z warm quinoa salad with 5 vegetables invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com warm quinoa salad with 5 vegetables

Quinoa is new to me, I've read many good things about it. I ended up picking at it while cooking and it's kinda addictive. As usual Elise has the perfect description,
It has this wonderful nutty flavor, that actually doesn't need much added to it; I used to make a quick batch, pour on some flax seed oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and gobble it up.

This dish is based loosely from a recipe from 100 cookbooks. Well actually, the only things I have in common with Heidi's recipe are the quinoa and tomatoes. But that's the point of this recipe, its flexibility and how it's a great use of whatever vegetables and ingredients are sitting around in the fridge.
  1. cook quinoa according to instructions -- simmer in double volume of water until completely absorbed, very similar to cooking rice
  2. in a frying pan, heat 1 clove of garlic with olive oil, then add the quinoa
  3. add vegetables -- i had leftover carrots, mushroom and i supplemented them with frozen corn and spinach. Frying them all up it's a bit like making fried rice
  4. add diced baked bread cheese just before turning off the heat
  5. season, and dress with red pesto
  6. top with dried cranberries and roasted cherry tomato

Basically, any dried robust vegetable can be used. Use tofu, halloumi or feta in place of the baked cheese. This is a completely vegetarian dish, but it didn't taste like it's just vegetarian.
]]> roasted patty pan squash and chickpea salad tag:www.invisiblecompany.com,2009:/taste//16.2765 2009-08-13T03:19:43Z 2009-08-13T03:20:58Z roasted patty pan squash and chickpea salad and a lime mint balsamic dressing invisiblecompany http://www.invisiblecompany.com psquashsalad01

I saw this recipe on chocolate et zucchini and immediately thought about all the various courgettes, zucchinis and squashes that are available during the summer months at farmer's markets.

pattysquash
These are small patty pan (aka scallop, aka button) squash. Only $2 for the punnet. Of course at the farmer's market the produce are not standard shaped like what you'd get at a supermarket, and that's part of the charm.

I topped and tailed the squash, slicing into wedges -- 8 for a large squash and quartered for smaller ones. Roasted at 200°C with salt and olive oil for 30mins until slightly browned.

In the meantime I made the dressing. And here is where I deviated from Clotilde's recipe. Instead of mint, chives and coriander I only used mint cos that's the only one I like. I didn't have lemons but I had limes, which I thought gave it better flavour. I chopped the mint with lime zest. Mixed with lime juice, a few capers, black pepper and EVOO. I didn't have paprika or cayenne so I left it out. It was a bit too salty so I added a dash of balsamic vinegar.

When the squash was done, I tossed the wedges and drained chickpeas with the dressing. Oh my, very delicious!
]]>