THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP

Sweet, spiced, apples are tucked between two layers of oats, nuts and brown sugar. This is a classic apple crisp with a twist.

 1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter
4 cups sliced and peeled apples
1 cup pecans chopped
.In a large bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon,nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until mixture looks crumbly. Stir in chopped nuts.
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Spread half of this mixture into the bottom of a 10" pie plate and pack it down.
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In a heavy pan, saute the apple slices in a tablespoon of butter, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, JUST UNTIL THE APPLES BEGIN TO SOFTEN. Place this layer on top of the crumb crust.

Top the apples with the rest of the reserved oat mixture and gently pat down. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

NOTE: I have never been a big fan of nutmeg until I recently started using freshly grated nutmeg seed. It is an entirely different taste than you get in the pre-ground nutmeg. A jar of seeds has a LONG shelf life and they really make a huge difference in baked goods.

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CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

Chocolate cheesecake for two, how tempting is that? Actually, this was rich enough that Hubby and I split a piece (technically making it cheesecake for 4). Served with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, this was the perfect ending to a romantic dinner.

 Preheat your oven to 325F and line a mini loaf pan (6" x 3" x 2") with foil (leaving the ends long enough to grip on to) and spray with vegetable spray.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
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½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
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Mix well and pat firmly into prepared mini loaf pan, set aside.
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FILLING.
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see note)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg room temperature (slightly beaten)
1 teaspoon flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Melt chocolate chips and beat them into the softened cream cheese; add the vanilla and sugar. Whisk in beaten egg and flour until smooth (don't over mix). Pour over the crumb crust.
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Place the mini loaf pan inside of an 8" or 9" cake pan and add hot water to the bigger pan until it comes half way up the side of the smaller pan. Bake 30 minutes or until set.
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Cool about 15 minutes, then put in fridge and chill for at least 3 hours (even better on day 2). To serve, grab edges of foil, and lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Fold foil back and cut cheesecake into pieces; serve with sweetened whipped cream.
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NOTE: Your chocolate cheesecake is only going to be as tasty as the chocolate that you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips and they were excellent.
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NOTE: After baking for 30 minutes, gently tap the side of the smaller pan with a spoon. You should see just a little jiggle in the batter, but not much.

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TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASIL

This simple (and versatile) little side dish is just delightful. The orzo is toasted in butter before boiling, which adds an extra flavor, then it is tossed with Parmesan and fresh basil. Whether you use it as a side dish or a main dish, it is a very nice change.2 tablespoons butter

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 + 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

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Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add the UNCOOKED orzo pasta and stir until completely coated with the butter. Cook on medium-high until the pasta turns golden to lightly brown (watch it because once it starts to turn, it turns quickly).

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Stir in the chicken broth, red pepper lakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until the orzo is tender and liquid is (almost) all absorbed. This will take 15 to 20 minutes depending on how fast your simmer is.

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When orzo is tender, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve hot.

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NOTE: Just about anything can be added to this recipe, next time I think I'll include a little crisp bacon some mushrooms!!!

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Have a...

BOO...TIFUL DAY

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CHICKEN TETRAZZINI WITH HOME MADE PASTA

One of my favorite dinners is Chicken Tetrazzini with home made pasta.

It is simple and inexpensive to make and (in my opinion) pure comfort food.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups of good chicken broth
1 medium onion chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
.Put the above items in a crock pot, on low, for 6-8 hours (you want extremely tender chicken). Remove the chicken and break into pieces. (see note).
In medium saucepan, with heavy bottom, melt 3 tablespoons of butter; add 3 tablespoons flour + ½ teaspoon black pepper + 2 teaspoons chicken bullion granules. Let this simmer (stirring) for a couple of minutes, then add 2½ cups of milk (whisk like crazy as you slowly add the milk so you do not get lumps). This entire mixture will thicken as it comes to a boil.
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When the mixture boils and thickens, turn heat to LOW and add broken up chicken breast pieces, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup sauteed mushrooms, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, a pinch of dry red pepper flakes and 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Let this cook on low (to warm everything through) but watch it because it can scorch if the heat is too high. Serve over fettuccini noodles.
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If you are going to make your own pasta, here is an easy recipe:
Put 2 cups of all purpose flour in a heavy duty stand mixer. Make a “well” in the flour and put in five whole eggs:

Mixing with your paddle attachment, mix until the eggs are well incorporated into the flour. It shouldn’t be sticky; if it is, add a little more flour. Remove the paddle attachment and add the dough hook. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. Dough should be very smooth. Cover with plastic and let it rest for about 30 minutes before you cut it.
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Keep majority of dough covered with plastic wrap and work with a small ball of dough at a time. A small ball like this:

will roll out to a flat ribbon like this!

Fold the flat ribbon over onto itself a couple of times and run it through the roller four or five times. Roll the dough out one last time and dust it lightly with flour. Now you are ready to run it through the cutter. Two small balls of pasta dough (like the one in my hand above) made this much cut pasta!!

Bring a big pot of salted water to a full boil. Fresh (un-dried) pasta cooks in about 3 minutes. If you have let your pasta air dry, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes to boil (depending on its thickness).
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NOTE: I’ve noticed when boiling fresh pasta, it tries to “boil over” more easily than commercial pasta. If you add just a few drops of oil to the water, it will stop that.

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NOTE: A (bristle type) pastry brush is great for brushing off excess flour from your pasta dough.

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NOTE: If you do not have a pasta roller/cutter, you can still make home made pasta by rolling it out super thin and cutting it with a pizza cutter.

NOTE: Cool and save the liquid from the crock pot for another recipe, it is excellent broth.

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Baked Explorations

Baked is one of my favorite cookbooks and I wrote about it back in April of 2009. Well, the Baked boys are back with a new cookbook. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito have another winner with Baked Explorations.

Baked Explorations features traditional American baked goods with exciting twists. Check out this interview at Eater for more incites into the Baked experience. To get a look at the actual bakery check out their Baked web site.

And now, without further ado...Wait! Let me just say here that the recipe is long and seems complicated. But here is the truth. The recipe has two components -- sweet and salty. Then the two components have to be assembled. So you really do not want a recipe that leaves out valuable sets do you? My advice is to read the recipe -- read it again -- and when you fully grasp the steps, you will see it is not nearly as complicated as you might think from looking at it.

So now, really, without further ado... a recipe.

Sweet & Salty Brownie

Caramel:
1 c. sugar
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream

Brownie:
1 and 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel
1 teaspoon coarse sugar


Make the Caramel:

In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water, stirring together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat, until a thermometer reads 350 degrees and is dark amber in color.

Remove from the heat and slowly add the cream (it will bubble up). Then add the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.

Make the Brownie:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13" pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water. Whisk in both sugars until completely combined. Removed bowl from pan.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. Add the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients until there is just a trace of the flour mixture remaining.

Assemble:

Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Drizzle and 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce (not all of it) over the batter, trying to stay away from the edges. Gently spread the caramel sauce evenly. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the remaining batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently over the caramel.

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with the fleur de sel and the coarse sugar. Completely cool before serving.

What else? Oh yeah, Matt went to the University of Alabama so no wonder he knows how to bake. I know that many of you are quite distraught that Alabama has a "buy" this Saturday. I know I am at a loss for what to do. Well, here's and idea -- BAKE!!!

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PUMPKIN - CRANBERRY BREAD (the best)

If the rating system for this recipe was 1 to 5 stars; I would rate this a 10. It is absolutely delicious and will be perfect for your holiday table!! It is very easy to make (doesn't even take an electric mixer) and yet it is unique enough for gift giving. I hope you try it, it is SO GOOD... extremely moist, total comfort food!!!

 Preheat your oven to 350, and grease and flour two 9" x 5" loaf pans. Set out two large bowls. In the first one mix:

3 cups flour
3 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In the 2nd bowl, mix:
3 cups sugar
(1) 15 ounce can pumpkin (without spice)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
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Whisk the first bowl (with the flour in it)until the dry ingredients are well mixed. Whisk the 2nd bowl (with the pumpkin in it) until WELL mixed and oil is completely incorporated. Pour the wet into the dry and mix with spoon just until moistened. Stir in cranberries gently.
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Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake 60 to 65 minutes (my oven took 70 minutes). Cool (in the pans) for about 10 minutes, then turn them out. Wrap the hot bread IMMEDIATELY in plastic wrap, covering tightly. Let the breads cool completely in the wrap.


NOTE: Make sure you use a 15 ounce can of plain packed pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling (big difference).

NOTE: Recipe calls for ½ cup of orange juice, which I didn't have, so I used pineapple juice instead.

NOTE: Wash and sort your cranberries. Try to use the darkest berries. Make sure they are thawed out before mixing into batter.

NOTE: It is OK to put the plastic wrap on the hot bread as soon as it comes out of the pan. This forces the moisture back into the bread as it cools.

NOTE: My oven took 70 minutes to cook these loaves. Use the toothpick test to determine doneness.

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CRANBERRY SAUCE

CRANBERRY SAUCE

I have been trying out various side dishes and condiments with Thanksgiving in mind. Lately, I've been trying out cranberry sauce recipes. If you follow my blog, you know my dear sweet Hubby is a "purist" when it comes to a lot of all foods. Actually, that just means he is very picky eater and doesn't like a lot of "extras" in what he eats. This simple cranberry sauce really fills that bill; he loves it and has asked me to stock up on cranberries for the freezer, with this recipe in mind.

Three Simple Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pineapple juice (or orange juice)

Wash and sort the berries,  throwing away any light pink or mushy berries.

Put all ingredients into a heavy bottomed (non-aluminum) sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to a medium simmer and cook the berries (stirring berries about once a minute). When they first start to boil, the berries will actually pop (you will hear it), so cover the popping berries with a splatter screen to reduce any mess.

After the popping noise stops, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the cranberries for about 10 minutes.

If you like whole berries in your cranberry sauce, just pour everything into a bowl and chill for a few hours.

For  Picky-picky Hubby, I press the sauce through a strainer to remove the berry skins and seeds. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

 
UPDATE: Since I posted this, I've discovered that using half white sugar and half brown sugar is a fantastic addition.

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In Season

At Lucindaville, we featured Adam Nicholson's book on Sissinghurst. Sissinghurst was the home of his grandmother, Vita Sackville-West. In an attempt to improve revenue for the National Trust, Nicholson and his wife, Sarah Raven, proposed reviving the working farm. Sarah Raven is a gardening expert as well as the author of many cookbooks, including In Season.

Sarah Raven's book are always large, exuberant books, loaded with recipes and lovely photos. In Season follows that most fashionable trend in cookbooks, pointing out that food is better in season. While this idea seems self-evident, it is just so 2010. that being said, Raven is a great cook. She makes cooking seem effortless and fun.

Sarah Raven with daughter Rosie

Recently, I ordered some heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo. I got some cranberry beans just to make this dish.

Cranberry Beans with Sage

1 pound fresh cranberry beans (or, if using dried beans, use 1 cup soaked overnight in cold water)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 or 4 sage leaves, chopped, plus plenty extra for garnishing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
Dash of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
3 handfuls of arugula or young spinach leaves (optional)

Put the beans, garlic, and chopped sage into a pan, bring them to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are soft. Drain them and, while still warm, add 1 tablespoon of oil and put aside.

Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in a very little olive oil until crisp and add to the beans. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and slowly add the rest of the olive oil to give a very creamy dressing. Pour this over the still-warm beans, retaining a third of it if you are using the salad leaves. Garnish with plenty of chopped sage leaves over the top.

If using the salad leaves, dress the leaves, divide among the plates, and spoon the beans over the leaves. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Raven teaches cooking and has a garden shop at Perch Hill Farm or visit her online at Sarah Raven's Kitchen and Garden.

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MILKY WAY CAKE

Joan, my dear friend of 40+ years, sent me this recipe. It is one of the easiest (and richest) cakes I've ever tried and it is covered with a delicious cooked fudge frosting. It is a decadent delight!!

4 Milky Way candy bars (see note)1 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2½ cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Melt the candy bars, butter and nuts over low heat, set aside to cool. Mix sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, eggs, flour and vanilla, beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in candy mixture. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 350 for one hour..FUDGE FROSTING2½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ of a 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream
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Cook sugar, milk and butter to soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Beat in chocolate chips and marshmallow cream until smooth. Pour QUICKLY over completely cooled cake because this will start to set up as soon as it begins to cool.
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NOTE: The original recipe called for 4 five cent Milky Way candy bars, so you know how old this recipe is. I used four 2.05 ounce bars but they were more like 69 cents, ha!!
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NOTE: I baked this in an angel food cake pan and it took exactly an hour.
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NOTE: Work quickly when frosting this cake because the fudge frosting hardens fairly quickly. The recipe says to pour over the cake and let it drizzle down the edges, but I had enough time to cover the sides. It makes a LOT of frosting and Joan told me she just uses the excess frosting to fill up the hole in the middle of the cake.

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Lilla's Feast

Lilla's Feast is more of a memoir than a straight cookbook. The book is a biography of Frances Osborne's great grandmother, Lilla Eckford. The catalyst for the book can be found in the Imperial War Museum in London. The museum holds a cookbook that was written in a Japanese internment camp in China during World War II. Lilla Eckford, or Lily Casey as she was known then, lived in Cellblock 20, Room 3. She subsisted on rotting vegetables and occasionally some donkey meat. In that cell she wrote a cookbook on whatever scraps of paper she cold find. Not recipes for the food or lack of it that she was experiencing, but a book that would remind her of the safety and plenty of home. There are recipes for cream puffs, blancmange, beef, jugged hare and mulligatawny soup. It is her best effort to keep humanity in a situation that was unconscionable.

Here is a recipe from her time in China.

Shrimp Pork

vermicelli
onions
garlic
margarine
pork
shelled shrimp
mixed vegetables
salt

To serve say five people: 3/4 lb vermicelli (boiled until soft), 3 large onions, 1/2 lb pork cut into dice when fried in margarine until tender. Chop the onions and fry until golden brown, shell the shrimps about 4 ozs, prepare the vegetables then cut into small pieces. If garlic is liked, chop a very small piece. Boil the vegetables.

When all is ready, add onions, drained vermicelli, pinch of salt, chopped pork, vegetables (about 2 1/2 lb), shelled shrimps. Put into a saucepan and heat until very hot.

Sometimes and omelet is made and placed on to, also dry rice is served in a small bowl, with drops of soya sauce over.

Lilla proves to be an anachronism, a Westerner in the East of China and Japan and in later life, more of an Easterner in England. For years she fought to be compensated for losses she suffered in China. For nearly sixty years she waged a letter writing campaign, until she received a small check when she was nearing 101.

While Frances Osborne may be a bit sentimental about Lilla, it is still nice to see that in our most desperate times it is often the food of our childhood that unites us.

Frances Osborne's other great-grandmother was the notorious Idina Sackville, who we posted about at Lucindaville.

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CHICKEN MARINADE

This marinade for chicken, works best if you let the meat marinate overnight. It is excellent for taco's, burritos, sandwiches, chicken salad, etc. It is a wonderfully flavored chicken to have in the fridge for a wide variety of recipes.
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup cold chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
Mix all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc type resealable bag. Add chicken, making sure it is submerged in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Next day, remove from marinade and THROW AWAY THE LIQUID.
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Lay the chicken on a paper towel to wick away excess liquid. Grill (indoor or outdoor) until juices run clear. Use immediately in favorite recipe or cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

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Kenya Cookery Book

In the 1920's many a second or third born son, who became the "spare" rather than the "heir", headed out to the wilds of Africa. At the time it must have seemed like a fine idea. Their wives found themselves at a bit of a disadvantage. In order to make the transition from London to Nairobi more palatable, the St. Andrew's Church Woman's Guild, Nairobi compiled the Kenya Settlers' Cookery Book and Household Guide in 1928.

In addition to recipes, there was a dictionary of words in Swahili, info on how to iron woollens and lace, how to clean a white felt hat and how to keep paraffin lamps from smoking. All things I am sure the ladies of the Woman's Guild felt their sisters from London would need.

For the women who landed at Happy Valley, advice on addiction and how not to get caught sleeping with someone who was NOT your husband might have been a bit more useful.

As time marched on, the St. Andrew's Church Woman's Guild, Nairobi was undaunted by the more seemly arrivals from England and they have continued to offer updates to their guide, including how to cook with those newfangled electric cookers.

Still, if you find yourself stuck in Africa with nary a haggis in site, the St. Andrew's Church Woman's Guild, Nairobi have a recipe for you.

Mock Haggis

250 g. liver
125g. suet
1 large breakfast cup oatmeal
1 medium-sized onion
pepper and salt

Cover the liver with water and boil for 20 minutes, having first removed the scraggy bits. When cold, mince it. Brown the oatmeal in a little butter, then add finely chopped suet and onion, minced liver and seasoning. Mix all the ingredients with some of the water the liver was boiled in, but do not make too soft. Grease basin, pour in the mixture and steam 3 hours.

Actually, I find the mock haggis might just trump the actual haggis. And how, you might ask, does one address a haggis? Like Robert Burns...

Address To A Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

To read more about the wild women of Happy Valley, check out Lucindaville.

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CHOCOLATE HALLOWEEN CAT COOKIES

These chewy, chocolate, Halloween cookies would be a great project for the kids to make this holiday and they taste great too.

1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup baking cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
candy corns
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter & sugar until smooth; beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and gradually add it to the creamed mixture.
Roll dough into 1½" balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet (I baked mine on parchment paper). Pinch the top of the cookie to form ears. For the whiskers, press a fork on each cat cheek (at 45 degree angle according to hubby). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, remove from oven and immediately press candy corns into the cookie to form the eyes and use a red hot for the cat nose (I just cut off the end of a candy corn and used that). Cool on wire racks. Makes 24.

HAPPY TRICK-OR-TREATING !!

NOTE: Hubby says my whisker angle made these "cats" look angry lol. Maybe he is right about angling the fork tines a little more.

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Canteen Cuisine

In 1992, Michael Caine enlisted celebrity chef Marco Pierre White to open a restaurant with him near his home in Chelsea Harbor, London. Marco jumped at the chance. It was not Caine's first foray into the restaurant business and he was well connected... oh yeah, and he had big bucks. The restaurant lasted about a year, decidedly longer than most of Marco Pierre White's marriages.


Around the time The Canteen was opened, White's career was taking off and Caine's was waning. I am happy to report they are both doing quite well.

After the restaurant closed Caine went on to win a Golden Globe and a second Oscar and he was knighted.

White would become, at 33, the youngest chef to win three Michelin stars (a title he lost to 28 year-old Massimiliano Alajmo). He also mentored (read: yelled at and belittled) numerous culinary stars including: Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Bryn Williams, and Mario Batali to name perhaps the most famous.


Even though the restaurant didn't survive, the cookbook did. Canteen Cuisine came out several years after the restaurant closed, but it is filled with many fine recipes, including this lovey pud, as they say in England.

Chocolate Tart

500 g (18 oz) Valharona Equatorial chocolate, broken into pieces
3 eggs
200ml (7 fl oz) milk
350ml (12 fl oz) double cream
1 X 20 cm (8 in) Sweet Pastry Case

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

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-maire; this should not be too warm.

3. Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl.

4. Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a pan, then pour on to the eggs, and whisk together.

5. Pass through a sieve on to the chocolate and mix well. Pour this into the blind-baked tart case.

6. Put the tart into the oven, and immediately turn off the oven off. Leave the tart in the oven 40-45 minutes.

7. When cool, trim the edges of the pastry, and cut the tart into 10 portions. Serve with chocolate shavings on the top, and sprinkled with icing sugar.

The chocolate is a dark 70%, so pick one of your own choosing. I trust you can use your own pâte sucrée recipe for the pastry case. So now you are good to go.

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Doves (not a cookbook per se)

Over at the blog To The Manner Born, I read a wonderful entry about dove hunting, which is a great way to spend an autumnal day in Alabama. When I commented on the post, I got a nice note from the author, David Bagwell. I also got a picture of the day's spoils and his wife's recipe for said spoils. (And now I would like to say how truly upset I was to have not been invited to share in the bounty... but I digress.)

Here is David's note on the recipe.

Here are my dove breasts, stuffed with basil goat cheese my wife made from organic goats, organic jalapeño and wrapped in bacon and grilled!

Seriously, he hunts doves and she makes goat cheese, these are people to party with, I must say.

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