https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/how-to-keep-water-from-boiling-over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoUz8d_e-Ww

A crustless cheesecake baked at high heat for an outrageously creamy burnt exterior and custardy interior. what is burnt basque cheesecake? It has its roots in the Basque Country of Spain and is loved for its velvety and caramelized taste! https://www.tripoto.com/trip/burnt-basque-cheesecake-66a9ff563e7c8

Refresh your taste buds with the light and fruity delight of watermelon sago a popular Asian dessert. Featuring fresh watermelon pieces and soft chewy sago pearls in a sweet and refreshing broth this chilled dessert is the perfect balance of sweetness and hydration on a hot day! https://dai.ly/k6IxcjWKsWlN1mB95A2

Are equally as beloved and staple Cantonese classics which consist of a crunchy pastry pie shell crust containing rich smooth egg odor filling. A wonderful play on textures sweet and savory! https://zhangcatherine.com/hong-kong-egg-tarts/

These ultimate fudgy brownies have that perfect gooey cakey in the middle but chewy and dense on top kind of texture with a melt-in-your-mouth flavor. If you put them on top of your ice cream, they would be a chocoholic's fantasy the sugar isn't too strong and is bumped up by both Dutch-processed cocoa and bittersweet chocolate! https://zhangcatherine.com/biscoff-brownies/

Easter Blondies are festive and delightful treats perfect for the Easter season, combining the buttery richness of blondies with the sweetness of pastel-colored candies or sprinkles. These bars offer a cheerful and delicious way to celebrate the holiday with family and friends! https://zhangcatherine.com/easter-blondies/

These gorgeous cookies owe their beautiful green color to matcha powder. This perfect combination of sweet cookie dough coating and earthy, slightly bitter matcha flavor is the end result. The surface of the cookies produces a wonderfully crackled effect once baked - delicious and visually stunning! https://zhangcatherine.com/matcha-crinkle-cookies/


Check this out as well for more interesting desert details. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sbiivrLFDG6dpkWU1Aj1rH_sDtQN0igk/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112554506883173304557&rtpof=true&sd=true

A Japanese noodle dish that combines pork, noodles and toppings such as green onions, bamboo shoots and special flavored egg. The flavors of the pork and noodles combine to make a rich, savory dish that is definitely a comfort food option! https://cookingwithgenius.com/japanese-mazesoba/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/lighter_sunday_lunch

I know that many members are wondering where the staff have gone; well I've found them - they have set up shop elsewhere. You can view their offerings in the comment below.😁

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084346802491

Here is the BBC version for those who've never tried it.

Ingredients
6 tbsp Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
2-3 tsp mild curry powder, to taste
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp mango chutney
1-3 tbsp sultanas, or to taste
500g shredded cooked chicken
Method
STEP 1
Mix the Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, curry powder, cinnamon, chutney and sultanas together and season with black pepper.

STEP 2
Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. Stir in 2 tbsp water to loosen if needed, then season and serve as desired.

Ingredients

600ml pot of double cream
200g caster sugar (Golden Caster is good, but not essential)
At least 100ml of fresh lemon juice and the zest from at least one lemon. (Bottled juice may work, but don't blame me if it doesn't).


Method

Pour the cream and sugar into a large enough saucepan. Whisk the mixture together over a low heat. Keep whisking for as long as it takes to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, continue heating and whisking and start a three minute timer.
At the end of the boil time, remove from the heat and whilst continuing to whisk, add the lemon juice and zest. As you whisk you will feel the mixture thickening. Make sure to mix everything in the pan thoroughly.
Quickly, but carefully, use a ladle to divide the mixture into whatever you will be serving them in, ramekins, glasses, dishes, antique cups and saucers - whatever takes your fancy.

Set the possets aside until they have cooled, then cover them and place them in the fridge for at least a few hours, or depending upon when they will be needed, overnight or longer. They should be fine for a few days.

Before washing the saucepan and whisk, do what you can to get as much of the setting mixture inside you and not the washing up bowl. Any means is allowed including getting your fingers in there, or perhaps your tongue. Just dont waste any as it's delicious.

Finally, I recently had some spare limes knocking around and reduced the lemon juice and added lime juice instead. Obviously it tasted different, but it was just as delicious and I'll be doing it again.

At the end of your cooking time, your dominant arm will have gained a couple of inches due to the lengthy whisking, but it is worth it.

Serve as they are or with either shortbread finger biscuits or lemon flavoured biscuits.

Good luck and enjoy it.

This is a vegetarian meal (contains cream) which I have devised and which I've cooked a few times now. You can add as much or as little spice as you can take.
You can also add other ingredients such as thin strips of carrot or perhaps mushrooms. It's all down to your individual taste. Give it a try and hopefully you will enjoy it.


Ingredients:
4 or 5 x Potatoes
2 x Packs of Baby Spinach
2 x Medium Onions (red or brown) sliced into thin wedges.
1 x Can Chopped Tomatoes (400 g)
1 x Tsp Turmeric Powder (for colouring but not essential)
Pinch of Salt as required
Sugar as required
Garlic (crushed or powdered) as required
Slurp of Cooking Oil
Larger slurp of Double Cream
Curry Powder (Mild or Medium - unless you really want to go for it, in which case hot!)

Method
Peel the potatoes and chop into 1cm cubes.
Gently bring the potatoes to the boil with some salt and the Turmeric added to the saucepan. Simmer until getting soft.
Strain the water. (Be careful of staining with the Turmeric).
Allow the potatoes to cool.
Sparingly drizzle some cooking oil over the potatoes and set aside.
In a wok (or suitably large pan), gently fry the onions, when soft add the amount garlic you want then pour in the tomatoes (plus a small amount of the water used to rinse the inside of the can) and allow to incorporate and reduce slightly.
Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of curry powder and taste to see if it’s too acidic. If it is, add one teaspoon of sugar.
Add salt to your taste.
Add one pack of spinach and ensure it all wilts into the sauce.
Add the second pack of spinach and allow it to wilt and blend into the sauce.
Add enough Double Cream to the mixture so that it looks delicious (I used about 300ml but it’s down to your taste).
Stir well to make sure everything is incorporated.
Pour the sauce from the wok into a serving dish, cover and allow to cool.
Heat the oven to 200C.
Tip the potatoes on to a heated tray and sprinkle with Curry Powder then place into the oven.
Allow the potatoes to roast on the tray (around 20 mins), then pour them over the reserved Spinach dish and place it all in the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes until the sauce is boiling well (and reducing) and the potatoes are crispy.
Remove from oven and enjoy!

A Northern Irish potato cake which I haven’t cooked yet but have been meaning to for a long time. I’m not sure if I’ll include caraway seeds as they have quite a strong flavour.


1 cup hot unseasoned mashed potatoes
2 tbsp butter or margarine
softened
2 eggs
beaten
1 cup grated unpeeled raw potatoes
½ cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caraway seeds
optional
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup milk
butter or margarine for frying
1
In large bowl mix together mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in eggs and grated potatoes, then the flour, baking powder, salt, caraway seeds, and pepper. Blend in milk.
2
Heat 1 tablespoon butter to sizzling in a large skillet. Drop potato mixture, about 2½ tablespoons at a time, into the skillet to form patties. Flatten slightly. Fry over medium-high heat until crisp and browned, turning once. Repeat with remaining· potato mixture, adding butter to skillet as needed. Serve hot.
Yields: 12 3-inch pancakes, 4 to 6 • servings.

This is a new one on me - not tried it but said to be delicious.


https://spicykitchensecrets.com/magnolia-flower-pickle/

Going old school and, as a little homage to my mum, got the ingredients to make her sherry trifle using tinned fruit cocktail, Birds custard powder, sherry, double cream. Couldn’t find a simple jam Swiss roll ( found some with jam and buttercream but my mum wouldn’t approve of the latter!) so I’ve got sponge fingers. She never used jelly in her trifle. We only had it at Christmas so it was a rare treat.

Do try this recipe, it's really easy from her new book and television programme.

click on

Including some very prolific Italian "trombetti" or "trombecini" which are long and curly. All grown on my allotment. Does anyone have any interesting recipes? I've curried them and made ratatouille with added peppers and aubergines. Made veggie lasagne, also a courgette cake. Any tasty suggestions welcome!

Do try it

I had so many overripe bananas so before freezing I made this lovely gooey banana cake and tossed in some chopped chocolate pieces, can't wait until it cools to have a slice.

Beat 140g caster sugar with 140g soft butter, add 2 eggs, 140g S/R flour and a teaspoon of baking powder then the mashed bananas (I used 4 bananas!) and a handful of chopped chocolate and once folded all together pop into a lined loaf tin (I placed another halved banana on the top) and into a 160 fan oven for a good 50 minutes.

I'm sure the neighbours can smell it cooking as all the windows and doors are open due to this lovely sunny day.

Delicious cake called Lemonies.....

I have made this twice, so easy and great with a cup of coffee!

215g of unsalted butter, softened
180g granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
60ml (4 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
300g 0f plain flour
half a teaspoon of baking powder
half a teaspoon of salt
1 lemon, grated zest
FOR THE GLAZE
250g of icing sugar
6 tbsp of lemon juice

preheat the oven to 170C (l50C fan) line an 8inch square baking tin with non stick paper
Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg. egg yolk and lemon juice and beat until just combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, then
fold in with a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the lemon zest, the batter should resemble a cookie dough.
Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and smooth it out to the edges, then bake for 35 minutes until the top is crisp and light golden brown.
Meanwhile make the glaze in a small bowl, mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until runny and smooth.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour over the glaze, then leave to cool completely in the tin. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Noodles with vegetables in sesame oil.

* boiled noodles
* red peppers, fried in sesame oil
* boiled broccoli, brussels sprouts, beans and pickled gherkin
* some sesame seeds, soy sauce, salt, horseradish

Made a Marble Cake, perfect for long bank holiday weekends. Recipes are easy to find, try it out.

Fried Eddoes With Black Beans

Needed:
- Eddoes
- Black Beans
- Mushrooms (Champignon)
- Leek
- Garlic

1) Peel and boil the eddoes in salt water until soft, let them cool down a bit and slice into chunks

2) Fry the eddoes in a pan

3) add leek and champignons when eddoes start to become brown

4) add the beans last, add paprika powder, chili, garlic, salt and pepper

Enjoy!

A casserole with gnocchi, aubergine, and tomatoes.

For the sauce:

- Cubed aubergine and courgette, fried with onion and garlic
- tomatoes, chopped
- basil, pepper, salt, parsley

Fill the sauce into a pot and add the gnocchi, leave in the oven for 10-15 minutes (until the it has boiled for about 4 minutes), add some cheese on top (gruyere or comte) and leave in the oven until cheese is slightly crusty.

Chef's dish of the day.

I am looking for some inspiration for a vegetarian Christmas eve dinner? Maybe some sort of casserole .. nothing too elaborate.

Any ideas?

Good luck in the kitchen Girls (or blokes if you're married to a Chef, lol)

Click on

Merry Christmas

Vegetarian Solyanka: Classic winter soup which used to be very popular in eastern Germany (and still is)
Mushrooms, Pickled Cucumber, (vegetarian) Sausage, Onion, Red Peppers, Pepper, Salt, a bit of tomato puree, some Vinegar from the pickled Cucumber, Needs like 1 hour cooking.

Optional: some Creme Fraiche as topping when served.

I trust this counts as cooking: Butter Fudge
125g salted butter, 1 can (374g) condensed milk, 450g light sugar, 100ml milk
The measurements are estimates, you will have to see that the consistency is right. Melt everything together and boil at ~110 degree C unless its a "soft dough" like mass, then pour on a tray and cool.
Tried for the first time some weeks ago.

I have tried this a few times and it's really quick and easy with no faffing around with churning. I found it on the BBC channel.

Ingredients
½ a 397g can sweetened condensed milk
600ml pot double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
STEP 1
Put the condensed milk, cream and vanilla into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until thick and quite stiff, a bit like clotted cream. Scrape into a freezer container or a large loaf tin, cover with cling film and freeze until solid.

Photos of a tripe butchers we saw in a town in Italy recently. I have never tried it and don't intend to as just the look puts me off. We don't see it over here now do we? Have you ever tried it ?

Making a Thai green curry , not very Italian but finishing with coffee and homemade present of cream al Limoncello from Fiorella. The pounds go on !

So pizza made with the sugo and lots of veg from the garden and mozzarella.

Yesterday at our neighbours house in Italy, we picked mounds of different types of tomatoes, herbs, celery tops washed it all having already put an onion and carrot on a low heat with oil. We then threw everything we picked into this massive saucepan on top of the stove. We cooked it for 6 hours. While cooking it I had made celery soup from garden produce and a walnut, fig and goats cheese pizza. Only the cheese was bought. This is the Italian way and great to have Italians helping you too.

Why doesn’t my jam set? I do all the right things but can never get my jam to reach 105C which my jam thermometer says is setting point. Have made 8 pots today, some plum and some strawberry, added lemon juice and pectin, boiled fast for ages and still don’t think it’s properly set.

Any ideas?

This is a delicious recipe I have used several times, courtesy of 'The Best Ever Baking' book, by Carole Clements.

It is a great way to use up a surplus of plums from your garden (or if they are sometimes reduced in the supermarket, because they are overripe)! It could also be adapted for any other stoned fruit. I've used a mixture of various leftover fruits in my fridge. Serve with cream, ice cream or custard (or all three) slurp!

Serves 8-10:

5oz (140g) butter or margarine, at room temperature (do not be tempted to use a fake spread - it has to be a proper fat)
5oz (140) caster sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature (I've used both medium and large - both turn out well)
1 and a half (1.5) tsp vanilla extract (not essence - that is yucky)
5oz (140g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 and a half lbs (700g plums, halved and stoned (no need to remove skin)

For the topping:

4oz (115g) plain flour
4 and a half oz (130g light brown sugar)
1 and a half tsp ground cinnamon
3oz (85g) butter, cut into pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg C/ Gas 4

2. For the topping, combine the flour, light brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the butter and work the mixture lightly with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (Or, like me, throw it all into a food processor, if you have one). Set aside.

3. Line a 10x2in (25x5cm) tin with greaseproof paper and grease.

4. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla.

6. In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold into the butter mixture in three batches (I have to say - I've never bothered with the sifting and folding; I just throw it all in together and mix it up).

7. Pour the mixture into the tin. Arrange the plums (or whatever) on top.

8. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit in an even layer.

9. Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (about 45 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin.

10. To serve, run a knife around the inside edge and invert onto a plate. Invert again onto a serving plate so the topping is right-side up.

My sister-in-law asked me to bake a cake for her daughters christening. That was my first trial. What do you think? ;)

Hi! Can you share any proven recipes for a good cake/dessert with strawberries please ? :)

A dish which was extremely popular in Eastern Germany, here as a vegetarian version:
Vegetarian Sausage, tomato purée, sauerkraut, pickled gherkins, pepper & salt, paprika, chilli, bay laurel, with roasted brown bread and a splash of creme fraiche or yogurt.

I always add a knob of butter to the pan when I heat baked beans.
It heightens the flavour due to the salt and makes the sauce that little bit creamier.

(it also saves putting butter on your toast - if that's how you were going to eat them.)

Nice article on Scooploop Times :)

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/cooking-tips-and-hacks

HI, can you share any recipes for desserts? A pretty easy and quick to make.

I had wanted to make sourdough bread for a long time, so eventually looked up the recipe for a starter.
For three weeks I would start the starter off and each week it would die on me!
And then I bought some different flour, this time instead of using supermarket strong flour, I used Allinson's.

I couldn't believe the difference. For the last 2-weeks I have been continually feeding and keeping the starter alive. Twice in the last two weeks I have noticed that it looked like could be on the way out. So instead of giving it the feed of flour and water I've just given it flour and a good mix up and it's worked each time. (See photo).
I'm not complying by all of the rules that you can read on the BBC website. I've not done any of the throw half away and feed it stuff. I just feed it until I have enough then use it.
Last weekend I took out 300gms of my starter. I added 500 gms of fresh flour 9fl oz of tepid (40°C) water with 2 tbs sugar and a tsp of salt. Blended it all up. Plopped it into an oil lined bowl with Cling wrap over the top and left it overnight. It was very high the next morning, so I knocked it back, spread it out onto a silicone baking sheet and left it to rise again.
Once I was happy with the rise it went in the oven at 200°C (fan) for 25 minutes, I checked it, turned it over and gave the base another 10 mins.
Delicious. Just make sure your flour is good.
As I said I use Allinson's flour, but you may prefer something else.

Can anyone share a recipe for some good tofu dish?

Easy heartwarming and delicious soup.

1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock

500g/1lb 2oz frozen peas

10g/½oz fresh tarragon leaves

pinch salt

4 very thin slices pancetta (cut on the thinnest possible setting)

Method

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan until it is simmering. Add the peas and simmer for 2 minutes, or until just tender. Stir in the tarragon and salt.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend for a few short blasts to a rough-textured soup. Return the soup to the saucepan and keep warm over a low heat.

Using a pair of tongs, heat each slice of pancetta over the gas flame of your hob for a few seconds until it crisps up. (Alternatively, preheat your grill to its highest setting, lay the slices of pancetta onto a baking tray and grill for 1-2 minutes, or until crisp.)

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Break the crisp pancetta into pieces and sprinkle on top of the soup.

350g Mixed fruit
110g Butter
225g Sugar (brown or what ever you choose)
2 teaspoons Mixed spice
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
270g tin of crushed pineapple

Boil all of the above ingredients in a saucepan for about 10 minutes then allow to cool, I usually leave over night.

Add....
225g Self raising flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs

Beat really well (it will be sloppy)

Line an 8" cake tin and bake for one and a half hours at 150oC

I have used marzipan and fondant icing on this cake to use at Christmas! The longer it's kept the more delicious it becomes.

This is a good crowd-pleaser, on chilly days:
(Courtesy of Keith Floyd)
LA MANCHA STEW

Estofado a la Patatas (Beef and Potato Hotpot)

Ingredients:

6 tbsp Olive oil

2 lb Stewing beef (or pork, or veal), cut into large chunks

1/2 pt Beef stock

2 med Onions, sliced

1 Red pepper; cored, seeded and chopped

1 Green pepper; cored, seeded and chopped

4 Tomatoes; skinned and chopped

4 Cloves of garlic; finely chopped

2 tbsp Paprika (preferably sweet)

2 lb Potatoes, cut into large chunks

2 Wineglasses dry white wine

1 large Pinch of saffron threads

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat half the oil in a large, flameproof cooking pot. Add the meat and keep the heat on high while you brown it well. Pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the meat is tender about an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, start to cook the other ingredients. Heat the rest of the oil in

a large saucepan and add the onions with the peppers (I add more peppers than the recipe suggests, as we like it that way), tomatoes, garlic and paprika. Saute them together for a few moments, then leave them to sweat for at least 30 minutes or so. Then add this sauce to the meat, pop in the potatoes, wine and saffron and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until

all are tender. If necessary, add a drop more beef stock if the dish looks
too dry.

Serve with fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices.

This is popular in our house (even though my adult children profess not to like stews or casseroles)!

This is a simple lunch time dish given to me a long time ago that has been a good standby and something different.

Make 2 cheese and tomato sandwiches, cut off the crusts and cut into 4.
Beat 2 eggs with a little milk and seasoning of salt and pepper.

Grease a deep oven proof dish and place sandwiches evenly in then pour over the egg mixture, making sure they are covered.

Pop in a l80C oven for 20 or 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Eat warm or cold!