Berry Tarty Tart

Torta di...whatever berries tickle your fancy......

This is a super easy, aesthetically pleasing, summer tart from Jamie Olivers Jamie's Italy book...you'll find it under Torta di More in his book...More are blackberries in Italian. You can use whatever berries you like, I like covering it with juicy blueberries because you don't get the little seeds that are in blackberries. Thankfully there were red currants from last summer in my parents freezer as I only had a handful of blueberries -so I did a mix for this one. Best to use fresh berries though as they're not as 'wet'. So how to do this tart....

First make the pastry case ...use the following or any shortcrust pastry recipe you know-

• take 125g butter
• cream with 100g icing sugar, pinch of salt & zest of half lemon or orange
• rub into 255g plain flour
• when it becomes like breadcrumbs add 2 eggs yolks & 2 tbs cold milk or water
• start with a fork then quickly use your hands to bring it together

• when you've formed a ball of pastry put it into a self seal bag & let it rest in the fridge for 60 mins -at least. You can do this the day before if you're having a dinner party & you want to save time.
• some advice when making pastry for pastry novices (myself included!) keep things as cold as possible eg. you can have the flour in a bowl in the fridge, the egg yolks in the fridge etc...handle as little as possible -within reason!
• so when you're ready to bake the case roll out the dough to fit a greased 28cm loose-bottomed tart tin turn on the oven to 180'C/350'F/gas 4
• let the pastry come out well over the edges as it will shrink ...like mine did! Prick all over to release air bubbles -bake for 12 mins 
• then brush with egg to give a golden colour & to seal it  bake for 2 more mins

 When the case is baking you can start to prepare the filling :-)

• take 2 pots of mascarpone cheese (500g)
• 100ml single cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tbsp limoncello or grappa or vin santo
• seeds of one vanilla pod
• put all of the above into a bowl & mix
• when the case has completely cooled gently fill with the mixture & cover with berries
• take 2 tbsp apricot jam with 2 tbsp water and heat gently into a syrup using a brush glaze the tart this gives a sort of patisserie feel...very posh!
• serve in slices with tea or a small glass of any of the alcoholic beverages mentioned above

Linguine with Mussels

Failing getting my hands on some fresh crab I decided to make linguine with white wine and mussels. I have always felt sorry for people who don't like fish & shellfish or have allergies because it closes off a whole world of texture and flavour. Mussels are sustainable and very economic and very much fun to eat! There used to be a lovely fish shop on Chatham St, Dublin but unfortunately it closed, so if I'm south side I go to Fallon & Byrne and if north I go to Kish which is just off Smithfield Sq......good value indeedy!


So.......

• Wash your mussels in cold running water removing the beards (green seaweedy type stringy bits)
• Put a large pot of water on and add your linguine when it's boiling (I like De Cecco brand)
• Take 3 small shallots, a small red pepper and two/three cloves of garlic sautee in a knob of butter in a large pot, after few mins add a glass of white wine let it bubble -ensuring that the alcohol evaporates
• Take your washed mussels add to the pot put the lid on and allow to steam for a few mins
• Chop a handful of parsley
• When the mussels have had a few mins lift off the lid and check through for unopened ones -discard these as they are dead
• Place pasta in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, some crushed sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Chuck the mussels and juice over and sprinkle on your parsley...enjoy with a nice glass of white wine and some crusty bread to mop up the juice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W20Btaww6zc

The late great Keith Floyd........cooking mussels :-)

Fall-a-fell of goodness pittas

Falafel & Homemade Hummus Pittas

I'm not really a breakfast person, preferring a large pot of herbal tea to wake up slowly and absorb the morning...But sometimes this means by lunchtime I'm ravenous. Luckily today the hunger was easily stemmed by some delicious Tamruc falafel (stocked in the Evergreen on Wexford St. Dublin), some salady bits and homemade hummus. Homemade hummus is so good for so many reasons -1 its much cheaper -2 you can add more of what you like, less of what you don't -3 you can get the texture you prefer - 4 it's simples to make! Tamruc falafel is different to the regular falafel because there are dates, raisins and basil.....so it has that lovely sweetness you associate with North African/Middle Eastern food...indeed the theory is that falafel originated in Egypt and of course nowadays is eaten right across the Middle East. Hummus also spelled hamos, hommos, hommus, homos, houmous, hummos, hummous, or humus is so easy to make ... I always keep a jar of tahinni (crushed sesame paste) in the cupbord usually then all I need are chickpeas.

Anyway so to make the hummus -

• 1 tin of chickpeas
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 dstp tahinni
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• glug of Olive oil
• pepper
• sml clove of garlic (optional -as it can make it a little hard to digest )

Half drain the chickpeas...reserve the rest of the water -in case the hummus is too dry. Get your hand blender, throw everything into a container and whizz until you reach your desired consistency. Now grill some falafel, get some wholemeal pittas, put a good dollop of hummus inside the pittas, fill with whatever salady bits you fancy...beetroot, tomato, avocado, leaves etc......stick in the warm falafel et voila -a delicious any day of the week sandwich!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIybz6axr1Q&feature=related    -check out this bizarre hummus rap I found on  the tubes of you..... Let the guys take you to hummusville.....I dare you!

Stouty Stewy Stew with a bit of Moooo!

Beef and Guinness Stew

She aint the moooo......!

Twas said of the old Irish tenement dwellers that ''they lived for the pints...it was their food''. Indeed here we can pay homage to the old days and thank god that we can both sup it and stir it into a stew. As a nation we don't have many national dishes, although I know plenty of people 'into' food, we're not generally speaking a nation of 'foodies'. This became very apparent to me when I became close friends with an Italian and began frequenting the country of Italy. Indeed if you're really 'into' food in Ireland some people view you as a kind of food snob -which is a rather unfortunate state of affairs! As Guinness is a national drink, this is by default a national dish! It is a delicious, slow cooked stew, with malty undertones and to be sure to be sure 'tis perfect for the day that's in it. Lá fhéile Pádraig!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU    The muppets sing Danny Boy...or at least try!

To begin;

• Take 800g stewing beef (trim excess fat) cut into 2cm cubes fry on a high heat with 2 tbsp oil , brown & seal the meat
• cut an onion into chunks & 2/3 cloves of garlic
• add 2 tbsp of flour slowly into the browned meat using a sieve and stirring vigorously after each addition
• cook for 2/3 mins - add 1 tin of tomatoes slowly but stirring quickly!
• chop 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery & a handful of mushrooms into chunks
• add the veg. & half a pint of Guinness, top up with some veg stock if necessary (you need the meat to be covered - so it doesn't burn in the oven)
• season with pepper & salt, thrown in some fresh thyme or dried  & a bay leaf
• turn oven on to 180'C, when hot put the stew into a casserole dish put inside for 2/3 hours
• serve with mashed spud and some extra greens if you fancy...maybe steamed shamrock perhaps!!

Warm your Spanish cockles...Very moreish Chorizo Stew

Spring is here and the sun has been shining but it's still pretty chilly out there....so this gorgeous Chorizo Stew provides the perfect comforting evening meal.....It has the warmth of the Spanish sun and the soothing nourishment of that which is neither soup nor stew but something in between! If you can bake some olive bread (see bread recipe

/theopendoorsupperclub/2011/01/rising-to-bread-challenge.html

) all well and good, if not then try get your hands on some good quality crusty bread ...you'll need it to mop up the juicy goodness at the bottom of your bowl!

So to begin;

• slice the chorizo sausage and begin frying on a medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot...no need for oil as there is plenty of fat in the meat
• add some chopped onion& a few cloves of garlic continue to fry on a medium heat
• meanwhile roughly chop some carrot, celery & peppers....think rustic!
• add the veg, plus a tin of tomatos and top it up with some veg stock
• add a drained tin of chickpeas/ butter beans or haricots
• now just allow the stew to simmer away for minimum 30 mins... the longer you leave it the more the flavours will meld together
• when you're happy that your stew has stewed...pop it into bowls and tear up chunks of the bread... enjoy the warming goodness of your creation ...best shared with friends...family...lovers...Yum!

Rising to the Bread challenge...

Bread, one of the most basic foods on the planet .... you can bake bread at home and it's easier than you think. I remember my mum baking bread, the sweet smell filling the house and the wait as we watched it... wrapped in a tea towel by the window cooling....and then the slicing and the butter melting into its wholemeal goodness and not bothering with jam and washing it down with a cup of hot tea or homemade lemonade in the summertime...happy days! I know in this fast paced world most people don't have the time to make bread from scratch, but if you do have a few hours on your hands it is so worth doing.Today I'm baking a yeasted bread, which seems to put the fear of god in people...but trust me, once you make your own fresh, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside bread you will despair at the thoughts of buying a sliced pan again!

poppy seed & olive bread

• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 430 ml lukewarm water
• 1& 1/2 packets of 7g fast acting dried yeast / 20g fresh yeast
• 750g strong white flour
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 tbs olive oil
• a beaten egg for brushing 
• poppy or sesame seeds to decorate, olives if you fancy some olive bread

Let's begin.....

• sieve the flour into a large bowl, mix in the salt
• dissolve the sugar in the water & add the yeast..a froth will appear..that means the yeast is alive!
• make a well in the flour & start adding the yeasty wate, then the olive oil
• mix with fork until you can't & then get your hands in to bring the dough together
• if it seems a bit lumpy don't worry...kneed the dough on a floured work surface for 10 mins until dough is smooth & springy ...it's a good upper arm workout!
• place in a clean lightly oiled large bowl cover with cling film & leave in a warm place

Now you can relax while the magic happens....

before........

after.......baby is optional!

• after the dough has risen (2/3 hours) you 'knock it back' this is fun...punch the dough to knock the air out!
• next step...kneed the dough again for 2/3 mins & then allow to rest for 10 mins -if making olive bread add them at this point....note...dry the olives in kitchen paper as you don't want to wet the dough too much.
• you can either make two loaves or make about 10/12 small rolls be gentle at this point as you want to keep the air in the dough
• shape your bread, put onto oven tray, cover with tea towel & rest for 20/30 mins, turn oven on to 220C/ Gas 7
• after the final resting, brush with egg, sprinkle the seeds on top 
• bake in oven for 10/15 mins if making small rolls or 30/45 mins for loaves
• turn the oven down to 200C/Gas 6 after the first 15 mins of baking

          Enjoy the fruits of your labour...........

Gorgeous Goooey Chocolate Almond Cake

If I had a friend in relationship turmoil, male or female...I would bake this beautiful cake, guaranteed to soothe and console. Alternatively, this is a super cake for celebrations of any kind...and other reasons for my being so in love with this cake are that you don't need a food processor ....and it's creator is Nigel Slater, whose culinary mind I utterly adore.

Gorgeous Goooey Chocolate Almond Cake

• lightly grease & line a shallow 23-24 cm cake tin
• melt 220g 70% dark chocolate in a bowl, resting over a simmering saucepan of water
• when melted add a shot of strong coffee
• put 200g chopped butter into the melted chocolate
• turn the oven on to 180'C /Gas 4
• sift 80g flour, 2 level tbsp cocoa, & 1 tsp baking powder in a bowl
• remove chocolate butteryness from the heat
• separate5 eggs
• whisk the whites until they form stiff peaks
• gently fold 200g golden caster sugar into the fluffy whites with a metal spoon
• whisk the yolks, add quickly to the melted chocolate mixture
• fold chocolate mixture into the egg whites
• fold the cocoa flour mixture followed by 125g ground almonds
• transfer to cake tin -try your best to keep air in the mixture
• bake for 25 min -skewer should emerge clean

Allow to cool for 10 mins....enjoy with copious amounts of tea or a pot of coffee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ-uV72pQKI

Pure Imagination from the original Willy Wonka film.