Paris - November 2010

This was our second trip to Paris, but the first one as husband and wife. Marco proposed to me during our first stay there. So for us, Paris truly is the City of Love and will always be connected with special memories.

And especially for our friends Ivonne & Jimmy:

                       Before                            After

(No "during" I'm afraid, we wanted to be chic!)



Simple Seeded Rye Bread

You can take the German girl out of Germany, but you cannot take the taste for good bread out of the German girl.

Often, when I talk to other German expat friends about food, our collective culinary cravings revolve around bread: Schwarzbrot, bread rolls, early morning bakery visits, crusts, variety, the frustration with soft-slice, or the aversion to pumpernickel. And what I personally miss most about Germany (apart from being near my family, of course) is probably having a bakery in walking distance. And by bakery I do not mean Greggs or Percy Ingle. Don't even go there! I mean, not literally. I have actually gone there... And don't get me wrong, I do like white bread, soft bread or toast as a treat. But for me, real, everyday bread needs to be fresh, contain seeds, grains, or spices, and have bite and a lovely smell. Okay, there are places where you can get stuff like that in GB: big supermarkets have an instore bakery, there are farmers' markets on the weekends, or you might live near an artisan baker if you're lucky. But in Germany, no matter where you live or what day of the week you want to eat your fresh bread, I guarantee you, that fresh bread will be no further away than a quick trip and a chat with that nice lady behind the counter.

So, I do try and bake a lot of my own bread, and I aim to make a fresh loaf every weekend. This Sunday, I made a variation on an easy spelt bread recipe my mother sent me recently. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare, that's quicker than walking to the corner shop and back! But if you were already in the mindset, you could still walk to the shop to get some butter and jam while the bread is in the oven...

P.S.: Sorry about this slightly longish prelude to a recipe, but it IS bread we're talking about here!

Simple Seeded Rye Bread

Must Have:

500g rye flour

10g fast-action dry yeast

50g pumpkin seeds

50g sesame seeds

50g linseed

1 1/2 tsp salt

600 ml luke-warm water

Must Do:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl, then add water. Pour bread mixture into a greased and floured loaf tin and bake for 60 minutes. Remove bread from the oven and take it out of the tin. The bread is ready when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If you think it needs a bit longer, just return it to the oven without the tin and bake for another 10 minutes or so.

You can pretty much add any kind of seeds or nuts that you fancy. Maybe try poppy or sunflower seeds. Or add roughly chopped hazelnuts. Or maybe raisins. As long as it adds up to 150g, you'll be fine.

Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup

This is what was for dinner last night. And for lunch today. And as the recipe makes 6 portions, there was even enough for the freezer to reheat on a lazy day.

This soup was one of my favourites during last winter, but I kinda forgot about it this year, until this week. The recipe is by Australian Skye Gyngell, from her book A Year in My Kitchen. I only adapted it slightly and am using olive oil instead of her butter and single cream instead of her double cream. But you should feel free to go all out! I love the way this chef cooks, she is all about intensive flavours and combinations. Like this soup, which is a perfect blend of soft and silky, sweet and salty, sour and sharp.

I actually lost the photo I took of this soup, so here's an attractive picture of a ginger plant courtesy of Wikipedia instead...

via

Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup

Serves 6

Must Have:

2 large sweet potatoes (the kind with the orange flesh), roughly chopped

2 red onions, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

salt

white pepper

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1.5 l chicken (or vegetable) stock

150 ml single cream

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup

juice of 1 lime

Must Do:

Heat olive oil over low heat, add onions and a pinch o salt and sweat gently for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft.

Add ginger and sweet potatoes, pour in the stock and stir. Then bring to the boil and let simmer for 25 minutes or until the sweet potato pieces fall apart when tested with a fork.

Remove from heat, puree and strain the soup to get rid of any rough bits. Reheat gently after this.

Stir in the sour cream, soy sauce and maple syrup, then squeeze in the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Staples

© Free Clipart Junction



Living in London means having an abundance of food on your doorstep, being able to find a restaurant that serves most any cuisine you would want. I have been trying out so many places to eat, barely ever going back a second time. Not because of disappointment in the establishment, but because there are just so many other options that I would like to try as well. This is why, in my over 6 years here, I have not yet found too many 'staples'. Meaning, I hardly have many tried and tested kitchens to return to time and time again, knowing that the food is excellent, the staff is friendly and you get value for money. Places where you would take friends and visitors or that you would recommend if somebody asked you if you knew a good restaurant. I believe that you cannot really be a self-respecting food lover without having these staples, so I have thought about what restaurants I already know that may fall into this category, and about what is missing in the canon. So, here goes...

Got:

Fancy – Wild Honey

Café – Yumchaa

Vietnamese - Green Papaya

Vegetarian Indian - Diwana

Vegetarian - Mildreds

Tapas Bar – Orford Saloon

Indian Take Away – Village Tandoori

Doner - Village Fish Bar 

Need:

Cosy Italian

Thai Food

Traditional Caff

Afternoon Tea

Fish & Chips

Ice Cream Parlor

Good Burgers

Gastropub

Breakfast

Cocktail Bar

Mexican

Japanese

Chinese

Sunday Roast

Boozer

If anybody has a restaurant they love, especially in postcode area E, please do tell!

Parkland Walk

These are pictures from a walk we took last October. Parkland Walk is a nature trail in North London, it follows an old railroad track. It is a great mix of wilderness and urban forest and a popular destination for walkers, dogowners and runners.

© Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated)

Chocolate-Meringue Cake & Mexican Coffee

The cake recipe is one of Martha's again and the coffee is a conglomeration of Google search results for Mexican Coffee. Most recipes included chocolate syrup, but I played around a bit and made it without. Marco said he thought it was nice. I thought so, too.

Chocolate Meringue Cake

Makes one 23 cm cake

Must Have:

160g butter at room temperature, plus more for pan

1 cup roasted hazelnuts

All-purpose flour for pan

3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

6 large whole eggs, separated

4 large egg whites

340g bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

100g milk chocolate, roughly chopped

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp rum

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup caster sugar

Must Do:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Butter springform pan. Line bottom with parchment. Butter and flour parchment and sides of pan. Set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and rum; beat until combined. Set aside.

Combine 6 egg whites and salt and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meringue: Combine nuts, chopped chocolate, and cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Place remaining 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl; whisk on high speed until frothy. With mixer running, slowly add superfine sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in hazelnut mixture.

Remove cake from oven, spread meringue mix on top, and return to oven. Bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving. Serve with whipped cream if you would like to highten the indulgement.

 

 

Super-yummy and rich!!!!!

Mexican Coffee

Serves 2

Must Have:

475 ml water

30g soft dark brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1tsp cocoa powder

1 whole clove

40ml ground coffee

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional)

ground cinnamon (optional)

Must Do:

Bring water, sugar, cinnamon, cocoa and clove to the boil in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat. Stir in the coffee, cover and steep for about 5 minutes

Stir in vanilla and strain into two cups through a fine sieve or several layers of muslin.

Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon if you like.

Steak & Frites with a Mixed Salad

Fry Steak, mix salad. That's it. Oh, and prepare the potatoes according to this recipe from Martha Stewart Living. And as a bonus, you can take some time cutting out heart-shaped red pepper pieces with a tiny coookie cutter. Just don't expect your significant other to notice your efforts...

Herb-And-Cheese-Potatoes

Serves 2

Must Have:

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 smal cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup finely grated parmesan

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 potatoes, about 250g each, peeled and cut lengthwise into 5mm thick slices and again into 5mm wide strips, set aside in a bowl of cold water

salt and pepper

1 tsp olive oil

Must Do:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Stir together coriander, garlic, cheese, and cayenne in a medium bowl; set aside.

Brush a rimmed baking sheet with the olive oil; set aside. Drain potatoes; pat dry. Add to bowl with cheese mixture; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes; turn potatoes, and cook until golden, about 20 minutes more.

Champagne Charlies & Prawn Cocktail

This was the first time either of us had eaten prawn cocktail. It was really nice. Even if I say so myself. The cocktails were extremely tasty, too.

I got the recipe from the February 2011 edition of Sainsbury's Magazine. It was from a feature called 'Food For Love' with recipes by the owner of Hawksmoor, Will Beckett.

Champagne Charlie

Makes 4 (2 per person)

Must Have:

1/4 vanilla pod

40g pink rhubarb, chopped

50g caster sugar

50 ml orange juice

5tbsp gin

5tbsp lemon juice

chilled champagne

Must Do:

To make a rhubarb syrup, split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into a small pan. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes until syrupy. Let cool, strain, chill.

To make the cocktails, combine gin, lemon juice and rhubarb syrup, then divide half of that mix between two champagne glasses, Top up with champagne. Drink. Repeat.

Prawn Cocktail

Serves 2

Must Have:

5 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp creamed horseradish sauce

squeeze of lemon juice

dash of Tabasco

dash of brandy

125g peeled cooked king prawns

125g peeled cooked small prawns

1/4 cucumber, chopped

1 spring onion, chopped

salt

pepper

2-4 Little Gem lettuce leaves

2 lemon wedges

Must Do:

To make the sauce, combine mayo, ketchup, horseradish sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco and brandy in a mixing bowl. Add prawns (leave four large ones for garnish), cucumber and  spring onion, cover in the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the lettuce leaves in your serving vessels and top with prawn cocktail mixture. Garnish with two prawns each and the lemon wedges.

Valentine's Day

Even though V-Day IS a highly commercialized affair, we like to celebrate our love on the day with a home-cooked 3-course meal (my present to him) and a card and a chocolate or two (his present to me).

This is the menu. I will post recipes for everything separately. I thought all the items were kinda fast-foody, as I had to cook after work, but it always takes longer than you think, doesn't it...

 

The photo of the kitchen conveys how disorganized I really was.

These are my Valentine's flowers. A very nice, sensibly priced bunch of tulips from Marks & Spencer. Marco said he could have bought a bunch of 12 red roses at London Bridge instead - for £80. I am glad he did not. And seriously, who would?!?

Instead, he invested some of the money he saved in a little bag from here:

The bag was filled with yummy macaroons. That's because I told him to please not get me chocolates. I'm supposed to be on a diet. He figured calories from macaroons don't count. Good man!

I also got a nice 'to my wife' card. He enjoys buying those! I love him!

This is what he got in addition to the dinner:

Lea at Leafcutter Designs makes these cute miniature letters and cards. You can tell her what you would like written and she sends them out to you together with a magnifying glass. I think they're really special. They come for all different kinds of occasions, and there are mini-parcels, too!

The one for him came with a kit to make a miniature mailbox. Squeal!

© Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated)