Cooks' Corner

[Arykana]

Ó, lucky guys!! we do notz have áfonya here but I love it!!

[Paddy Tobin]

Bilberries.... or as we say in Scotland, blaeberries- are fruits of Vaccinium species.
This may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry

Maggi,

Here they are called "fraochán" or, in some parts of the country, "frockans" and the area in which I live is called "Bilberry".

Paddy

[ashley]

Here in SW Ireland - certainly Cork but I think Kerry too - they're called hurts. As a child I never heard the names blueberry or bilberry.

[johnw]

This is the Korean product, also available here.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

I've been following the Breadcrumb talk in the Wildlife thread ( http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3720.msg107256#msg107256 ) with interest.  I will look out for Panko  to try it, but Ian makes the most delicious fresh breadcrums with toasted wholemeal and seed bread, so the Panko will need to be pretty tasty to compete!

[maggiepie]

I make my own breadcrumbs but never use any crust, just the bread, which is basically what panko is.
We make our own bread which is just a basic french loaf with unbleached flour, salt, water and yeast.
As we make a loaf every few days, ( I like fresh bread) whatever is left, I cut the crust off and crumb the rest in the food processor and put in the freezer.
It's great to always have fresh breadcrumbs handy.
Yumm, makes great schnitzels.

I also use besan for flouring fish or chicken for frying, it has a nice flavour and gives crispy outside and moist inside.

[Paddy Tobin]

John,

Shame, shame on you buying breadcrumbs when you could make your own so easily!!!

Paddy

[johnw]

I found that my own stored breadcrumbs did not smell so good after awhile, even in a tightly sealed jar.  Also I use crumbs so rarely - and on the spur of the moment - Panko is convenient to have about.  They do not go stale if sealed up and do not care to think of why that might be.

johnw

[maggiepie]

John, have you tried freezing them?
They thaw within minutes when you want some.

[johnw]

John, have you tried freezing them?
They thaw within minutes when you want some.

My Japanese grocer would become deeply disturbed if I gave up her beloved Panko. 

Off to the Indian grocer now to get some unknown ingredients for homemade samosas and the best basamati, Tilda the one in the bag with the real zipper.  Then on to the Thai grocer to get Thai Basil - flown in weekly from Vietnam - eco-terrorist? - at $1.50 for a huge bunch.

By the way I am still looking for Facing Heaven Chilis in North America.  Fuschia Dunlop is keen on them. No one, it seems, can decide on the proper Latin name for them.  I got several bags in China Town in London but it took us 3 hours to locate a source there (not the sole purpose of the trip across the pond).  I took a bag down to the owner of an authentic Sichuan Restaurant here - she's from Chengdu, when our order came she had used the whole bag in a chicken/peanut dish for us. They were wonderful - smokey and yet fruity.

johnw

[maggiepie]

John, please send me some samosas  
Or you could give us the recipe.
I love them but am not very good at wrapping them.

The best I can do for basmati is Veetee from Costco.
Most of the bulk bags around here are in hessian which taints the rice in my opinion.
You are so LUCKY to have such wonderful places to shop, I don't think there is even a real deli in the entire province here.

Haven't seen the chilli seeds either.

[johnw]

John, please send me some samosas  
Or you could give us the recipe.
The best I can do for basmati is Veetee from Costco.
Most of the bulk bags around here are in hessian which taints the rice in my opinion.
You are so LUCKY to have such wonderful places to shop, I don't think there is even a real deli in the entire province here.

Helen - I will post the recipe after a first go at them.  I picked up some extra spices for them - ajwan (the fragrance is heavenly), kasuri methi, pomegranate seed, mango powder and garam masala - some recommended by the owner, some in a base recipe. I have to go back for maida or besan for the wrapper.

I got taken by the  Veetee rice at Costco. The bag is a knockoff that a superb & expensive aged basmati was sold in. I mistook it for the good one - it was ghastly.  I can always send you stuff on the bus or by the courier we used before. The Tilda had risen sharply in price - the bag was $22, last time $17.50 - bag is smaller too. Get your list together, it may take me a week to make the rounds & because of a traffic jam due to a power failure I missed the Thai run.

johnw

[Arykana]

there is an Indian  cook course http://www.culinaris.hu/esemeny/receptek/060523_recept_indiai.pdf , good description in recipes in English

[Len Rhind]

As it is time to start making Christmas Cake so that it will have time to age before eating, I thought I would share my favourite recipe for a really moist medium dark cake.


Christmas Cake

3 1/2 c. raisins
1 c. currants
1 1/2 c. maraschino cherries
1 c. blanched almonds
1 c. dates, cut
1 1/2 c. mixed peel
1/2 c. candied pineapple
1 tbsp. candied ginger
port for soaking

3 c. sifted pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. cloves

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
6 eggs
1/4 c. molasses (unsulphured is best)


Prepare all of the fruits and nuts and mix together. Add as much port as you like, perhaps as much as 2 cups (16 fluid ounces). Let stand for a week or  more, mixing all daily to get the port on and into everything.

When you are ready to make the cake.
Sift together three times flour and spices.
Add flour mixture and the fruits a little at a time until all the fruits are coated.

Cream the butter and blend in sugar gradually.
Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.
Stir in molasses. (This will look a bit odd, as though it has curdled, but it is fine.)

Combine flour mixture and creamed mixture and mix well.
Turn into a baking pan that is lined with paper that is higher than the sides of the pan. (I find that a spring form works best for getting the cake out when it is done.)

Now for the 'moist' secret.
Put a paper ‘hat’ on top the pan and cut a 1" diameter vent hole in the centre.

Bake 300 degrees F. for 3 hours.

Don't open the oven door, just let it bake. After 3 hours you can test with a skewer. It should be moist but not wet when it is done.

Pierce the top of the cake when it has cooled and pour on your favourite juice or liquor until Christmas.

I was never a fan of Christmas Cake until I found this one.
Cheers,
Len

edit by maggi.... adding the recipe in a pdf for easy downloading for your files....
right click on the title below and "save as".....

[Lesley Cox]

Len, I'm astounded that someone actually gets his Christmas cake made at the right time for proper aging. I'm lucky if I get mine done by Christmas Eve! Fortunately Roger too, makes one about a fortnight before the big day but then, we've usually got it half eaten by then.

No doubt this thread will have a number of good moist cakes over the next few months. Let them all come and the more whisky/brandy/rum, the better.