General Chat

Good idea, its actually one of the change of subject ideas that I use at dinner parties, asking who people would invite and why, a good way to ge those who have not said anything (you know the type) to say something. Will think about it and be back Now for some recipes for you Spanish Eyes.

Chees sables

5 oz plain f lour, rub in 3 oz margarine or butter, mix in a pinch of cayenne, and Put in 3 oz grated cheese.. Make into a dugh using water but not too much. Then chill for at least 30 mins, or overnight. Oven at 180oC Roll out the dough about 1/2 cm thick, cut into squares and then cut diagonally across to make triangles , Brush with beaten egg and coook for 10 mins.

Parmesan Shortbread

85g Parmesan grated, 85g plain flour, 70g unsalted butter softened and 2 tsp olive oil. using a wooden spoon mix altogether. Then using your hands make the mixture into a ball roll out to a sausage shape (like you used to do with plasticine) about 23 cm long. Chill for 1 hour then cut into thin slices and bake on a greased tray for about 20 mins Oven a 150oC Cool and eat !

Another version with the cheese straws are curry sticks

Ready rolled puff pastry 4 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp currry powdeer

Oven at 220oC Cut the pastry into 5mm strips wide twist then brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with curry powder and some salt. Put on greased tray and cook for 10-15 mins until golden brown. Cool

and lastly

parmesan Wafers

Makes about 20, oven at 180oC line a baking tray with non stick paper.
Grate 200g Parmesan into a bowl sprinkle over 1 tsp Cayenne mix together . Then placce spoonfuls of the cheese onto the baking sheet, leaving a good space between them Bake for 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Leave on tray for 1 minute and then remove them with a palette knife and leave to harden. Store in an airtight container.

Hope these all help

Greenfingers, thanks fror the message and the recipes whicjh I will be trying during the next weekor so. Will try out the curry staws when we next have our curry.I will think about the menu etc for the invite and post on Monday or Tuesday.

Hope that everyone is well today. I haven't opened the shutters yet except for one quick peek and it is rather grim and the weather forecast is 5 more days of rain!

I have thought quite hard abot who to invite and what meal I would prepare, and in fact still have not made up my mind about the food and drink. So here are those that I would invite this month

I will explain why I have chosen these people when I have decided on the menu!

1. James Laver who in 1935 wrote a wonderful book called Tommy Apple and his Adventures in Banana-Land

2. Dirk Bogarde one of the great film Actors.

3. Margaret Thatcher who was betrayed by her colleagues

4. Florence Nightingale another strong woman who died so young.

Now I have to work out the menu!!

First Course
Cucumber Appetizer Cup
cucumbers uniquely cut filled with crab or lobster and lime juice


Second Course
Lamb Loin Chops
seared loin chops coated with Dijon mustard and herbs

Hasselback Potatoes
baking potatoes cut accordian style topped with cheese and breadcrumbs

Spinach Salad
with a fresh orange juice, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar dressing

3rd Course
Mini Apple Pie
4-inch apple pies baked and topped with a small melon ball of ice cream




serves 6

3 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped
3 teaspoon oregano, finely chopped
3 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
3 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
12 Lamb Loin Chops
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoon extra-virgin Olive Oil
Dijon mustard
6 sprigs rosemary for garnish

In a small bowl combine fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary and parsley; set aside.

Score fat side of lamb loin chops to prevent curling; season with salt and pepper. Sear both sides of lamb chops in an ovenproof skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Can be done ahead and finished just before serving.

Roast lamb loin chops in oven at 375° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and coat each chop on both sides generously with Dijon mustard and fresh herbs pressing to adhere to the lamb. Roast for 2 minutes more.

Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve with fresh steamed green beans and a Potato Rose Garnish, they can be made in advance.

Wine recommendation: Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot

Recipe created by Peggy Bucholz,
Fine Dining Gourmet Recipes
I have used many of her recipes and they are excellent !

I have managed to send the menu so I guess I need to send the process and then I can explain why I have chosen each course.Will do this later today



6 russet baking potatoes (6 to 8 ounces each
)4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced for garnish


Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Peel potatoes and place in bowl of cold water to prevent browning.

Cut and discard a thin lengthwise slice from the bottom of each potato so they will sit flat on a cutting board. Place two long handled wooden spoons or chopsticks lengthwise on both sides of potato to prevent knife from cutting entirely through the potato. Holding chopsticks or wooden spoons against potato, make crosswise cuts, 1/8 inch apart, down to chopsticks, slices should remain connected at the bottom. Return potato to bowl of water while you prepare the rest of them.

When ready to bake, drain them and pat dry. Place cut side up in a shallow greased baking pan, brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter.

In a food processor puree the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, paprika, salt and 1 tablespoon butter; spread on potatoes pressing to adhere. Cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, add parsley and serve.



Desert
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch sugar
1/4 cup butter, frozen, coarsely grated
2 - 3 tablespoons ice water

In processor combine dry ingredients, add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms; slowly add water, do not overwork the dough. Form into a disk, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough. Invert a 4-inch mini pie tin over the rolled out dough and cut six pie crust circles.

Apple Filling
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced
sugar, to taste
ground Cinnamon, to taste
1 tablespoon butter, softened

In a medium bowl combine apples, sugar, cinnamon and butter.

Spoon apple filling into 6 buttered mini tins. Put crusts on top of filling; crimp edges of dough, cut slits in the dough, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly brown. Can be made 1 day ahead.

To Serve
Vanilla ice cream
Nutmeg, freshly grated

Serve apple pies with a melon ball scoop of ice cream and dust with nutmeg.

Wine recommendation: light dessert wine

My guests would be:

Agatha Christie to ask her why she "disappeared" for a while and how she got inspiration for her books
David Attenborough because he would be such a wonderful conversationist
Dawn French because you need someone to be a comedian
George Clooney because he is just so handsome and that voice well !
Queen Elizabeth 1st to ask her how difficult it was to be Queen
Fred Astaire so I could have a dance with him
Delia Smith because she is a no nonsence cook and she might help with the washing up

I haven't had time to think of a menu as I have been making a choc birthday cake for a friend but will get back

For the meal I would do

First Course
Twice Baked Individual Souffles

Main Course
Beef Stroganoff with wild rice

Dessert
Chocolate Mousse Pots

Ingredients tomorrow

I will be back later to explain why I chose my guests,
Weather so bad here that we cannot drive safely as the roads are like fast flowing streams. Fortunately because we are up the hill the water cascades down the streets and gullies so we are not up to our knees in water!! this is meant sincerely as we have seen the devastation that occurs when the weather is this bad for too long...

Of course this would be when I do not have some of the basics left such as onions which I wanted for the Liver and bacon meal. Also running out of potatoes, used the last leek last night when i was making the beef casserole because of lack of onions!!

nudge

Hello Greenfingers, Looking forward to reading about the ingredients later today. This afternoon I shall explain why I chose these people to come to my dinner Party.

I wonder of anyone else will try this little exercise?

\went shopping today and just as we arrived at the butchers he was reducing the cost of all his meat!! we must have bought enough for the next 4 weeks! Then it was the normal shopping along with bits and pieces that one suddenly spies and have to have!!

Had Lasagna for dinner tonight with Garlic bread and then some Hage Das Ice Cream it was simply delicious.
Had a call from Army son tonight which was a lovely surprise. We have to get OH measured for a special suite for sons church blessing of hiismarriage last year.
It is one of the dress suits with tails etc. All the family males will also be wearing these. and Army son is paying for all of these.So we have to go on line tomorrow and find how to do the measuring!!!

Also of course it is St Patricks' day today so we are out for a traditional Lunch and some dancing , singing and generally quite a lot of Crac (this means talking to each other and having a good time) just in case anyone wonders.

Bye for now and apologies for not adding why I chose the people I would have to lunch, will do this asap.

0Ohrs 20mins in Spain

Sorry haven't been back with recipes, will aim for today, this week has gone past in a flash.

nudge11.18hrs in Spain

My first guest for dinner is Dirk Bogarde whom I fell in love with and was devastated when he died. A wonderful actor, in my view, very handsome, and certainly a great actor.

Sir Dirk Bogarde may not have called himself a humanist, but he did repeatedly reject the notion of God and campaigned tirelessly on many issues close to humanist causes. His experience in World War 2 cemented his assertion that he was “done with God.”

In a career that spanned seven decades, his artistic achievements and contribution to cinema should earn the title of ‘hero’ alone, yet he also had a series of successful novels and autobiographies as well as campaigning for various good causes.

His film career included work with some of the most celebrated directors in that period of artistic cinematic history and included films about issues that frightened the more mainstream Hollywood studios. Many believe that these decisions left him unable to continue the film star status and lifestyle that he enjoyed during his early career, yet Bogarde’s insistence that stories about issues such as homosexuality and the holocaust not only deserved to be told, but deserved to be told well, says much about his integrity as an actor.
I will add the next guest in a minute or two and then you may all work out why I chose these people.!?

Margaret Thatcher


Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925 in Grantham, England, the younger daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. Her father was a greengrocer and respected town leader, serving as lay-leader with their church, city-alderman and then as mayor. He taught Margaret never to do things because other people are doing them; do what you think is right and persuade others to follow you. She attended Oxford University from 1943 to 1947 and earned a degree in Chemistry, but it was clear from early on that politics was her true calling. She stood as a Conservative candidate from Dartford in the 1950 and 1951 elections. She married Denis Thatcher in December 1951 and they had twin children, Mark Thatcher and Carol Thatcher. She practiced tax law for a time in the 1950s, but was elected to Parliament from Finchley in 1959. Two years later, she was appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Pensions. In 1970, she was appointed Minister for Education and earned the title 'Thatcher the Milk Snatcher,' for eliminating free milk for schoolchildren in a round of budget-cutting. After the Conservative Party lost both general elections in 1974, she defeated Edward Heath for the leadership of the party. She was elected Prime Minister in May 1979 and served for eleven and a half years, longer than any other British Prime Minister in the 20th Century. As Prime Minister, she was staunchly capitalist and bent on wiping socialism from the face of Britain. During her tenure, she cut taxes, spending and regulations, privatized state-industries and state-housing, reformed the education, health and welfare systems, was tough on crime and espoused traditional values. Her time in office was eventful, having to contend with an economic recession, inner-city riots and a miners' strike. Her first great triumph in office was the Falklands War in 1982, when she sent British troops to reclaim British possessions off the coast of South America that had been invaded and occupied by Argentina. The British won that war and it showed the world that Britain was once again a power to be reckoned with. Her time in office saw unprecedented economic prosperity. She was staunch political allies with Ronald Reagan and through their tough foreign and defence policies, brought the Cold War to an end and a victory for the Free World. It was she who persuaded President George Bush to send troops to Saudi Arabia right after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. The Poll Tax and her refusal to endorse a common currency for Europe led the Conservative party to force her out of office in a bloody internal coup. She was forced to resign as Prime Minister in November 1990.

James Laver who wrote the first book I can remember reading Tommy Apple and his adventures in banana-land. I cannot find anything at all about James Lavers' amazing life with the exception of his writing this book!!! so if he came to dinner I could ask him is it a childs' book or as I think is it really a view of life at the time he wrote it.
Has anyone else read this book???

The person who inspired me and still does. Florence Nightingale a short synopsis.

Her reputation as a nurse was well known throughout the world and this caused her to be used in an advisory capacity by the United States during their civil war. She was also the first woman to receive the British Order of Merit, and in her very last years was recognised as a pioneer of the Red Cross Movement.

A remarkable woman who believed that God had empowered her especially to help the injured and improve their facilities, Florence Nightingale, helped to pull hospitals from the Middle Ages into the modern world. The amazing woman known as 'The Lady With The Lamp' died peacefully aged ninety in 1910.

I wonder if anyone has seen the connection of these four people???? Interesting!
May need some sideways thinking,

Spain 10.00hrs

Hi here are two of my receipes for the dinner party of a lifetime..
Cannot remember which book the Stroganoff is in !!

Twice Baked Souffles

45g butter, 3 tbsps plain flour, 1/4 litre milk, 60g mature cheese grated, 3 medium eggs, salt and pepper, 1 tsp made mustard (I use Dijon) 6 slices bread 150ml double cream and 30g grated Parmesan

This recipe serves 6 - grease well 6 Ramekin dishes.
Oven at 180o C Put butter (brokenup) In a saucepan, along with milk and flour, this all in method works well, as long as you keep stirring, I use an electric whisk. Beat to a smooth sauce bring to boil still stirring for about 2 mins. Take off heat stir in grated cheese. Separate eggs. Add yolks to cheese sauce season well with salt and pepper,, mustard and a little grted nutmeg. Beat egg whites until stiff . Put one tablespoon into sauce mx to loosen it then fold in rest. Spoon mix innto the ramekins and
level tops put dishes into a roasting tin fill slowly the tin with boiling water to a depth of 3/4 inch Bake for 15-20 mins until mix is firm. These can be left overnight at this point. Before serving turn each soufffle out put in a tray put oven to 200oC . Pour cream over each coating lightly sprinkle with parmesan place in over for approx 10-15 mins until souffles sllightly brown.

The bread is optional but toast and cut into rounds and when serving place a souffle on top of each. Also lovely cold.

Choc Pots

If you use those small expresso cups to serve you can get eight out of this recipe.

75g strong dark choc at lease 70% cococa solids
25g butter
Yoks and whites of 3 standard eggs, 1 tbsp warm water
150ml double cream

Break up choc add butter and gently melt (I use the miicrowave and go at 30 secs a time) Beat in egg yolks.Then stir in warm water. Beat the egg whites till stiff and gently fold into choc mix, until all combined. Gently put into either the expresso cups or small dishes (its very rich but yummy) Chill, can also be done day before. Top with whipped double cream Wow !!!!!!!!!!

Just remembered which book Strog in

750g Fillet steak cut into strips, 1 grated onion, 75g butter, 400g sliced button mushrooms, s & p 3 tbsps white wine 150 ml double cream

Beat strips of meat with a meat tenderiser, or your rolling pin Fry chopped onion in 40g melted butter add strips of meat just for 5 mins turning once. Take meat out add mushrooms and fry for 3 mins, put steak back in stir in wine cook until met feels tender then add cream and stir in without boiling. Serve with wild rice cooked to instructions on packet.

Alternate method for above use slow cooker, chuck eveything in APART
from cream and leave to slowly cook until just before serving add cream !

Then enjoy

I am going to buy a slow cooker when I am in the UK and also thinking about new saucepans, I used to use those lovely French saucepans which come in a range of delightful colours but I cannot lift them anymore due to arthritis.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Green fingers I am going to use your Stroganoff this evening.

Any suggestions for Easter food anyone?

I will put my thinking cap on

07.00hrs Spain

A South African Meal which I will try this week. If anyone else tries any of the dishes/ recipes on her would they please give a review or perhaps a star rating 4 as excellent and 1 as OK. This is only a suggestion so feel free to say your opinion of the suggestion.
Thanks

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 2 onions, peeled and sliced
* 2 1/4 pounds good quality lean ground beef
* 1 thickish slice of white bread
* 1 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon medium curry powder (or hot for the hale and brave)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt
* freshly grated pepper (about a half teaspoon)
* 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 1/2 tablespoons malt vinegar
* 1/2 cup seedless raisins
* 2 tablespoons strong chutney
* 2 bay leaves (or fresh lemon leaves if available)
* 2 medium eggs


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in medium sauté pan. Stir in onions. Cook over medium heat until transparent. Add ground beef. Cook until lightly browned and crumbly.

Soak bread in half the milk, squeeze out excess milk and mash with a fork - DON'T TOSS SQUEEZED OUT MILK! Pour it straight back into remaining milk. Set milk aside, and ad pulled-apart bread to the meat mixture.

Add curry, sugar, salt, pepper, turmeric, vinegar, raisins, chutney to the beef mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish, and place bay leaves on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.

Beat egg with remaining milk and pour over mixture approximately 25 - 30 minutes before end of baking time.

Serve with steamed rice (traditionally yellow!) and extra chutney.

Pure South African comfort food! Especially nice in winter, or cold with a salad in summer.

Serves: 6

This was given on my daily diary so thought I would post it on here.It was from Val in south Africa.

Yes it is Bobotie, which has lots of variations, I got my recipe from a South African friend, and she likened it to their version of Shepherds Pie

Hope you enjoy the Stroganoff , yes I find I cannot lift certain dishes as easily as I did a few years ago........what an old crock !!!!!!!

seeing that this thread is all about food and drink to accompany the food I wonder if we could expand a little.Initially I want to do this as I would like to discuss and gate views on the following
What are the best saucepans to buy? Now that does not sound very difficult does it/ But I used to have those lovely French last forever sauce pans etc but due to Arthritis I had to stop using them as they are heavy.
Please what are the best to buy in your experiences. I have had about four different sets, some more expensive that others but they simple do not meet the standard of the french lot!!

Can anyone advise, give views, tell me what they like & what they are using. Oh yes, I nearly forget we have electric oven and hob..

Bridget Spain 17.25 hrs