American Cuisine : Pumpkin Pie (Repost from 05 November 2009)

One of the great things I love about the fall season (North American term for autumn) is the food! One of my favorite desserts this time of year is the classic all-American pumpkin pie. This dessert can be traditionally served for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7733/classic-pumpkin-pie-with-pecan-and-maple-cream

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan & Maple Cream

550g piece pumpkin , peeled and cut into chunks

500g pack shortcrust pastry (la pâte brisée)

175g light muscovado sugar (la vergeoise)

2 eggs

142ml pot double cream (la crème fraîche épaisse)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice (le piment de Jamaïque)

1 tsp ground ginger

small grating of nutmeg

 

For the Pecan & Maple Cream

142ml tub double cream

5 tbsp maple syrup

25g pecans , finely chopped

Method

Place the pumpkin pieces in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover, then cook on High (850W) for 15 mins or until soft. Tip into a colander to drain, then leave to cool.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin so it's wide enough to line a 25cm tart tin. Ease the pastry into the case, making sure there's an overhang, then chill for 30 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the case with foil and baking beans, then bake for 15-20 mins. Remove foil and beans, then cook for a further 10 mins until the pastry is golden. Turn oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.

Meanwhile, place pumpkin, sugar, eggs, cream and spices in a food processor, then blend until smooth. Pour into the baked pastry case, then bake for 1 hr until the filling has puffed up in the centre (it will sink as it cools). Remove from tin, then leave to cool.

Whip the cream with the maple syrup until thickened, then fold in the pecans. Serve spoonfuls of the cream with slices of the pie.

American Cuisine : Angel Food Cake

I made this the other day for one of my classes and I promised to put up the recipe for them. You’ll have to look up any vocabulary yourself.

This is a traditional American sponge cake like the French génoise that became popular at the end of the 19th century. It’s very sweet, light and airy; a true “food of the angels.”

The cake is usually made in a special angel food cake pan that is a tall, round pan with a tube in the center. Some pans have little “feet” on the rim so that you can turn the cake over to cool. Otherwise, the pan is usually turned upside down on the neck of a bottle while the cake cools. The pan normally has a removable bottom that helps to remove the cake after it has cooled for a couple of hours.

Such a pan may be hard to find in France but other tube pans can work too. However be aware, if you use a pan that has a decorative bottom or side, the cake may have trouble coming out and stick to the sides because the sides of the pan are not buttered or oiled!!

Angel Food Cake

recipe taken and adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

The cake can be served plain, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, drizzled with a glaze, or served with fresh fruit, a coulis and whipped cream!

93g flour + 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (such as Maizena)

298 g sugar (divided in half)

12 to 14 egg whites, at room temperatures (420/425ml)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (le bitartrate de potassium)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 163°C. Line the bottom of a large tube pan with cooking paper but do not grease. Whisk the flour and the first half of the sugar together in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Whip in the cream of tartar and salt until the whites form very soft, billowy mounds. Increase the speed to medium and beat in the last half of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Beat in the lemon juice and extracts.

3. Sift 1/4 cup of the floor mixture over the egg whites, then gently fold in (not stirring!) using a large rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time (about 6 more times).

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then rap the pan on the counter several times to settle the batter. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown, and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

5. Invert the tube pan over a standard kitchen funnel or the neck of a sturdy bottle (or, if your pan has “feet” that rise above the edge of the pan, simply let the cake rest upside down). Let the cake cool completely, upside down, 2 to 3 hours.

6. Run a serrated knife (bread knife) around the sides and center of the cake to loosen. Gently tap the pan upside down on the counter to release the cake. Peel off the cooking paper, then flip upright onto a serving platter. Cut into slices, using a serrated knife.

To make ahead: After the cake has cooled, it can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

American Cuisine : U.S. Senate Bean Soup

Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day. There are several stories about the origin of that mandate, but none has been corroborated. 

According to one story, the Senate’s bean soup tradition began early in the 20th-century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho.  Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903.

The recipe attributed to Dubois includes mashed potatoes and makes a 5-gallon batch.  The recipe served in the Senate today does not include mashed potatoes, but does include a braised onion.  Both Senate recipes are below.

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe

2 pounds dried navy beans

four quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Bean Soup Recipe (for five gallons)

3 pounds dried navy beans

2 pounds of ham and a ham bone

1 quart mashed potatoes

5 onions, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

four cloves garlic, chopped

half a bunch of parsley, chopped

Clean the beans, then cook them dry.  Add ham, bone and water and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and mix thoroughly.  Add chopped vegetables and bring to a boil.  Simmer for one hour before serving.

Taken from http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/bean_soup.htm

American Cuisine : Eggnog

Christmas just isn't Christmas without eggnog! Now, I know most of the French take one look at the recipe and they turn up their noses with disgust. However, this is a drink you just have to try!! You will be surprised by just how good this is. Eggnog comes in several different forms: cooked, uncooked, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The recipe that follows can be modified to leave out the rum or replaced with another hard alcohol of choice.

(taken from allrecipes.com)

Eggnog

(12 servings)

950 ml milk, 5 whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 12 egg yolks, 300 g sugar, 590 ml light rum (optional), 950 ml light cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
3. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Cartoon : Trimmings

Trimmings is a strange word in English. In comes from the verb to trim meaning to ornament or decorate. For example, at Christmas we say to trim the tree. This means to decorate the Christmas tree. Trimmings is used to talk about all the the extra parts added to a meal to make it traditional or more interesting. This word is usually used for the festive meals of Thanksgiving or Christmas. In the United States, some of the trimmings you might find gracing the Thanksgiving table along with the turkey are stuffing (une farce), sweet potatoes (des patates douces), various types of casseroles (des gratins), mashed potatoes (une purée), cranberry sauce or relish, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and other various desserts.

For some American Thanksgiving recipes, go to:

Allrecipes.com - Thankgiving recipes homepage

Holidays.net - Thanksgiving recipes

Foodnetwork.com (Food TV) - Thankgiving and Turkey recipes

Taste of Home - Celebration recipes for Thanksgiving

Epicurious.com - Thanksgiving

American Cuisine : Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie

Reposted from last year:

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, here's a favorite dessert that graces many American dinner tables along with the famous pumpkin pie. Tart apples and sweet ones come together in this all-American favorite.

Crust

• 300 g all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 142 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1.5 cm pieces
• 102 g chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1.5 cm pieces
• 4 tablespoons (about) ice water

Filling

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 795 g sweet apples, such as Spartan or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 795 g tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled, cored, thinly sliced  
• 150 g plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon plus large pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

For crust:
Whisk flour and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and shortening and rub in with fingertips until very coarse meal forms. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water; toss until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly at room temperature before using.)

For filling:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Spray 23-cm-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Stir all apples, 150 g sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Let stand until juices form, about 15 minutes. Mix in flour.

Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 30-cm round. Place dough in prepared pie dish. Spoon in filling; dot with butter. Roll out second dough disk to 33-cm round. Using small bottle cap, cut out ten 1.5-cm-diameter circles from dough for decoration; discard circles. Drape dough over filling. Seal top and bottom crust edges together; trim to 1.5 cm overhang. Fold overhang under; crimp decoratively. Brush pie with milk. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and large pinch of cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over pie.

Transfer pie to baking sheet; place in oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 190°C. Bake pie until crust is golden brown, apples are tender and filling is bubbling thickly, covering edge with foil if browning too quickly, about 2 hours. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely; store at room temperature.)

along with	accompagné de
blend	mélanger, se marier à
bubble	bouillonner
chill	mettre à refroidir
coarse meal	grumeaux granuleux
core	épépiner, dénoyauter
crimp	crêper, friser, pincer
crust	pâte
dice	couper en dés
discard	jeter
dot	disperser
dough	pâte
filling	garniture
fold under	plier par en dessous
gather	ramasser, rassembler
grace a table	honorer la table
moist lumps	grumeaux humides
overhang	surplus
peel	éplucher
rub in	faire pénétrer, masser
seal	fermer, sceller
slice	trancher
soften	ramollir, adoucir
spoon in	garnir en utilisant une cuillère
sprinkle	saupoudrer, sucrer en saupoudrant
store	conserver
trim	couper, tailler
vegetable shortening	graisse végétale
whisk	fouetter
wrap	emballer

 

British Cuisine : Melty Mushroom Wellingtons

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12804/melty-mushroom-wellingtons

Ingredients

• 4 large field mushrooms
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove , chopped
• about 400g spinach leaves
• a dusting of flour
• 1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
• 500g block all-butter puff pastry
• 140g Stilton cheese, sliced
• 1 egg , beaten

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and sizzle the mushrooms for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and cooked through - add a drop more oil if needed. Lift the mushrooms out onto kitchen paper to drain.
2. Place the same pan back on the heat with the rest of the oil. Fry the garlic for a moment, add the spinach to the pan, then cook for 2-3 mins over a high heat until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then tip the spinach into a large sieve to drain thoroughly.
3. On a lightly floured surface scattered with the thyme leaves, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a saucer and a larger-size plate, cut out 4 circles about 5cm wider than the mushrooms (for the bottoms) and 4 circles about 10cm wider (for the tops), re-rolling the trimmings if you need to.
4. Place the 4 smaller circles on a baking tray and top each with a quarter of the spinach, making sure the pile of spinach isn't wider than the mushrooms. Top the spinach with a slice of cheese, then a mushroom, smooth-side up, and top the mushroom with another slice of cheese. Brush the border to each circle with egg, then gently stretch the larger circle over the mushroom, trying not to trap any air, then press the edges together with a fork. Trim the edges with a knife if you want, then brush each generously with egg. Bake for 40 mins until golden, then leave to cool for a few mins before serving.

American Cuisine : Pecan Pies

Taken from : http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5047/american-pecan-pies

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY:

300g plain flour

150g melted butter

50g caster sugar

FOR THE FILLING:

175g pecans halves

4 large eggs

85g golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp bourbon

50g butter , melted

85g light muscovado sugar

FOR THE ICED BOURBON CREAM:

150ml whipping cream

2 tbsp bourbon

2 tbsp golden syrup

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Work the flour, butter and sugar together with your hands until well mixed, then press onto the base and up the sides of six 10cm fluted tart tins. Put on a baking tray.
2. Reserve 36 pecan halves and roughly chop the rest. Beat together the eggs, sugar, syrup, vanilla, bourbon, melted butter and chopped pecans, and spoon into the tart cases. Top each one with 6 pecan halves, then bake for 20-25 mins until golden and set. The filling will rise up as it bakes, but will settle back as it cools. You can make these 2 days ahead and freeze for up to 2 months.
3. If you fancy a double shot of bourbon, serve the pies warm topped with this iced bourbon cream. Beat the whipping cream with the golden syrup and bourbon until softly stiff, then turn into a rigid container and freeze for up to 1 month. Serve straight from the container like ice-cream, or leave to soften for up to 15 mins for a softer, creamy version.

Make it bigger : If you don't have small tart tins, you can make one large one in a 23cm tin and bake it for 40 minutes.

American Cuisine : Make a Peach Cobbler (Video)

It’s the end of the summer season and probably the peach season as well but I found this nice, easily understandable video explaining how to make an American summer favorite : peach cobbler!! You’ll have to convert the measurements to metric and the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Culture Spot: Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival and Craft Show

July is a beautiful month on tiny Chincoteague Island, which is cradled in the ocean just off the coast of Virginia. The temperatures are warm, as on the mainland, but cool Atlantic sea breezes soften the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for the annual Blueberry Festival and Craft Show.

The blueberry is the star of the day, with plump local specimens for sale alone or as part of wonderful pies, muffins, ice creams, and more. The festival, which benefits a local hospital fund, is truly a family day. There are plenty of games for the children and live entertainment throughout the afternoon. And when visitors have eaten their fill of tasty Virginia blueberries, there are countless craft booths to explore, featuring the work of local artisans, from the patient sculptors who carve the famous Chincoteague duck decoys to the painters who find inspiration on the island’s pristine beaches for their beautiful watercolors.

Finish the day with a leisurely walk around the island, a true gem for the summer traveler with a love of the ocean.

Visit the official website: http://www.chincoteagueblueberryfestival.com/

Fresh Blueberry Jam

Fresh-picked blueberries make the most wonderful jam, preserving the flavor of July all through the year. This recipe can be adapted for any amount of blueberries; simply use 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fresh blueberries.

Wash and measure blueberries. Place them in a heavy stainless steel pan and crush the bottom layer. Cook over moderate heat, adding a half cup of water. Simmer until the blueberries are almost tender. Add sugar (I cup for each cup of berries). Cook and stir over low heat until the jam consistency is reached. (Test by dropping a small spoonful on a plate. If it holds its shape, the jam is ready.) Pour jam into hot, sterilized jars.

The wild pony is a nationally recognized symbol of Chincoteague Island. The ponies are descendants of domestic stock left on the island by seventeenth-century settlers. These wild ponies, along with the thousands of migrating shorebirds who make a temporary home in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, share the island with human inhabitants, whose charming island villages are a treasure for travelers seeking to get away from the rush of the mainland.

http://www.chincoteague-island.net/

http://www.chincoteague.com

http://www.assateagueisland.com/chincoteague/chincoteague_homepage.htm

British Cuisine: Chicken & Mushroom Puff Pie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs (les cuisses du poulet sans os et sans peau)
• 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon , cut into large pieces (du lard fumé coupé en gros dés)
• 1 onion , halved and sliced
• 250g pack baby button mushrooms
• handful thyme sprigs
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 400ml chicken stock (du bouillon de poulet)
• 200ml milk
• 500g pack fresh puff pastry , or frozen and defrosted (de la pâte feuilletée)
• 1 egg , beaten

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan (une poêle anti-adhésive). Season the chicken to taste and fry for 5-8 mins until golden brown, turning occasionally. You may need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Lift the chicken onto a plate and tip the bacon into the pan. Fry for 5 mins until crisp. Add the onion, mushrooms and thyme, then fry on a high heat for another 3 mins until the onions start to colour.
2. Tip the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 min. With the pan off the heat, gradually stir or whisk (fouetter) in the stock, followed by the milk, then add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer (cuire à feu doux) for 30 mins. Spoon the filling into a large pie or baking dish (approx 20 x 30cm) with a lip and leave to cool.
3. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. On a floured surface, roll the pastry to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut a long strip as wide as the rim of the pie dish and, using a little of the egg, fix to the edge of the pie dish. Brush with egg, then lift the rest of the pastry over the pie, using the rolling pin to help. Gently press the edges with your fingers and trim with a sharp knife. Brush lightly with egg to glaze, then bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is risen and dark golden brown.

Serves 4 to 6

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1765/chicken-and-mushroom-puff-pie

English Cuisine: Dorset Apple Traybake

INGREDIENTS:

450g cooking apples (such as Bramley)

juice of ½ lemon

225g butter , softened

280g golden caster sugar (sucre en poudre)

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

350g self-raising flour (farine à gâteaux)

2 tsp baking powder (levure chimique)

demerara sugar , to sprinkle (sucre roux)

METHOD:

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a rectangular baking tin (approx 27cm x 20cm) with parchment paper. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples then squeeze the lemon juice over. Set to one side.
2. Place the butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well until smooth. Spread half the mixture into the prepared tin. Arrange half the apples over the top of the mixture, then repeat the layers. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar. 3 Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and springy to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then turn out of tin and remove paper. Cut into bars or squares.

Goes well with vanilla ice cream!

Scottish Cuisine: Apple Scones

Scones are small quick breads that are Scottish in origin but are enjoyed throughout Britain and Ireland. Traditionally they are served with cream at tea time. Many varieties of scones exist including savory ones. In the United States, where some ‘interesting’ varieties exist, scones have become a favorite item in coffee shops. The following recipe is one Scotland’s traditional scone recipes!

Main Ingredients:
One medium cooking apple
8 oz (250g or two cups) self raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder)
½ teaspoon salt
Level teaspoon baking powder
2 oz (60g or ½ stick) butter
2 oz (60g or ¼ cup) castor (fine granulated) sugar
Up to ¼ pint (150ml or half cup) milk

Ingredients for glaze:
A little milk
1oz demerara (light brown) sugar

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6).
2. Peel and core the apple and then finely chop. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then rub in the butter followed by the sugar and chopped apple and mix. Add milk until you have a soft but not sticky dough.
3. Roll out on a floured surface to about ¼" thick and 8" round and mark into 8 wedges. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush the top with milk and sprinkle with the demerara (light brown) sugar. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6) for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

Culture Spot: Maple Sugaring Time

Every April, the residents of St. Albans, in far northern Vermont, gather for a celebration that is repeated throughout the late winter and early spring in towns across northern New England: the annual maple sugar festival. There is much to celebrate. Maple sugar gives a boost to the local economy, a sweetness to breakfast tables throughout the country, and a lift to sagging spirits weary of the log, cold, snowy New England winter. In St. Albans, as elsewhere, local residents gather together to taste maple delicacies, to watch the sticky sap boil down to thick, sweet maple syrup, and to declare their faith that spring will arrive, despite the snow – still often measured in feet – and the bare tree limbs against steel gray skies.

Maple sugar festivals offer the chance to taste and rate the year’s crop, and they remind everyone that maple syrup is about more than pancakes: maple muffins, maple gravy, maple candy, and many more special treats featuring the sweet springtime sap are available at every festival. To byway travelers searching for a taste of northern New England, there is no better place than a small-town maple sugar festival.

LINK: Vermont Maple Festival

Maple Muffins Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 20 muffin cups. Combine 188 g all-purpose flour, 135 g old-fashioned oats, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Set aside. Combine 2 beaten eggs, 240 ml heavy cream, and 240 ml maple syrup. Add dry mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Add 150 g chopped dates and 150 g walnuts, if desired. Fill muffin cups with batter. Drizzle an additional 80 ml maple syrup over tops. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out dry. Serve warm with butter. Makes 20 muffins.

Maple Cream Candy Place 475 ml maple syrup into a saucepan and boil  over very low heat without stirring until temperature reaches 112°C. Pour into a shallow pan; without stirring, cool to 43°C or until lukewarm. Beat until light in color and creamy in texture. Pour into a greased pan. Let cool; cover tightly to store.

 

Evening in a Sugar Orchard

by Robert Frost

From where I lingered in a lull in March

Outside a sugarhouse one night for choice,

I called the fireman with a careful voice

And bade him leave the pan and stoke the arch:

“O fireman, give the fire another stoke,

And send more sparks up the chimney with the smoke.”

I thought a few might tangle, as they did,

Among the bare maple boughs, and in the rare

Hill atmosphere not cease to glow,

And so be added to the moon up there.

The moon, though slight, was moon enough to show

On every tree a bucket with a lid,

And on black ground a bear-skin run of snow.

The sparks made no attempt to be the moon.

They were content to figure in the trees

As Leo, Orion, and Pleiades.

And that was what the boughs were full of soon.

For vocabulary exercise, use the dictionary links in the right-hand column to look up the words!

Irish Cuisine: Irish Stew

Ingredients:
3 middle necks of lamb (about 1.8kg), filleted and boned - you need to end up with about 950g pure meat
650g floury potatoes, such as King Edward
650g waxy potatoes, such as Desirée or Pentland Javelin
1kg carrots
2 onions
½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
chopped fresh chives and parsley, to garnish
For the stock:
bones from the lamb
1 large carrot, quartered
1 onion, quartered
½ celery stick, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 large sprigs of thyme
a generous sprig of parsley
6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Make the stock. Put the lamb bones in a large heavy-based saucepan with the carrot, onion, celery, herbs, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 3 litres pints water. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return to the pan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres. (You can make the stock the day before - keep it in a covered container in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.)

1. Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut into pieces of similar size to the meat. Put the two different types in separate bowls of water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.
2. Put the lamb in a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Add the floury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the waxy potatoes and thyme. Simmer until the lamb is tender (15-20 minutes). Take off the heat, cover (don't stir) and leave for 15 minutes. (You can make this up to 2 days ahead and keep in the fridge). Garnish and serve.

American Cuisine: Banana Crumb Muffins

This recipe comes from a www.allrecipes.com . A site I like to look at from time to time for recipes.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 35 Minutes

Servings: 12

"A basic banana muffin is made extraordinary with a cinnamon-and-brown-sugar streusel topping."

Ingredients:

225 g all-purpose flour

1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder (la levure chimique)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3-1/2 bananas, mashed

180 g white sugar

1-1/4 egg, lightly beaten

90 g butter, melted

90 g packed brown sugar (la vergeoise)

20 g all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

15 g butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees (C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 225 g flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 20 g flour and cinnamon. Cut in 15 g butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Australian Cuisine: Kangaroo Pepper Steak

To celebrate Australia Day, here's a simple recipe for kangaroo, a very tender and delicious meat!

Ingredients:

4 kangaroo steaks

1/2 cup beef or veal stock (either home made or good quality store-bought stuff)

1 tablespoon freshly crushed black peppercorns

1 tablespoon freshly crushed green peppercorns

1 tablespoon freshly crushed white peppercorns

1 tablespoon sea salt

a shot of brandy (or cognac or cheap whisky)

olive oil

5 tiny knobs of butter, softened

Rub a little olive oil into the surface of each steak, along with the salt and the cracked peppercorns. Retain any excess peppercorns--you can add them to the sauce at the end. Pre-heat the pan to medium high. Place the steaks in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes a side, depending on their thickness and how long they've been out of the fridge. When you turn them, spoon a knob of butter over each one. Once the steaks are cooked, place them on a plate and leave in a warm place. Immediately add the excess peppercorns and the shot of brandy to the pan. Careful, here. If the pan's hot enough, the alcohol could flame up, setting your curtains and/or you on fire. Stir with a wooden spoon while the alcohol reduces. Once it has reduced, add the stock. Once that's reduced by at least half, add the final knob of butter and cut the heat. Stir the butter in and spoon the sauce over the steaks.

VOCABULARY

stock - bouillon

tablespoon - cuillère à soupe

knob- bouton

to rub - frotter

to retain - garder, conserver

excess - superflu

thickness - épaisseurcut the heat - éteindre la flamme

Irish Cuisine: Soda Bread

Soda bread on the Emerald Isle dates back to 1840 when baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) was introduced to the island. Due to conditions in Ireland, it is hard to cultivate hard wheat which rises easily with traditional yeast, so baking soda was used to replace yeast as a leavening agent. Soda has become a staple of the Irish table ever since.

Below you'll find a recipe for Irish Soda Bread. You can learn more about this traditional Irish bread at the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread webpage....I didn't know it needed saving!!

VOCABULARY Emerald Isle - familiar name for Ireland hard wheat - blé dur yeast - levure leavening agent - agent de ferment staple - aliment de base

It appears everyone has thier Irish soda bread recipe. Some with caraway seeds, some with raisins, some with both, some with neither. The essential ingredients are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk reacts with the base of the baking soda to provide the leavening for this quick bread. Soda bread dries out quickly so is only good for a day or two. It is best eaten freshly baked and warm or toasted.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients: 550g Plain Flour 1 teasp Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) Approx. 450ml Buttermilk 1/2 teasp Salt a little Fresh Milk 25g Sugar

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 220C, 425F, Gas Mark 7 and lightly grease a baking tray. 2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. 3. Pour in nearly all the milk and mix to a loose dough, adding more milk if necessary. 4. With floured hands, knead lightly on a floured flat surface and shape into a flatish round . Cut a deep cross into the top. 5. Place on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200C, 400F, gas mark 6 and bake for a further 25 minutes.

VOCABULARY caraway seeds - des graines de carvi buttermilk - babeurre, lait de beurre quick bread - un pain (les cakes, muffins, etc..) qui utilise un agent de ferment comme le bicarbonate du soude, la levure chimique ou crème de tartre (bitartrate de potassium) a well - un puit dough - une pâte to knead - pétrir, malaxer

British Cuisine 02: Jane's Christmas Cake

This traditional Christmas Cake recipe has been contributed by Jane RYDER. I've had it before in the past and it's very good!! Worth the time to make!

Jane’s Christmas Cake

Ingredients 375g unsalted butter 250g soft brown sugar 4 eggs 375g flour 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg 0.5 teaspoon ground mace 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves 250g raisins 250g sultanas 200g mixed peel 200g glace cherries 125g ground almonds grated peel of 2 oranges and 1 lemon 5 tablespoons orange liquor 5 tablespoons cognac Instructions Line a deep 25cm cake tin with several layers of greased greaseproof paper or greased baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 140°c. Cream the butter thoroughly, then beat in the sugar, followed by the eggs. Sieve the flour and spices and fold into the mixture. Add the other ingredients, stirring evenly. The mixture should have a stiff dropping consistency; if not stir in a little extra cognac. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 3.5 - 4 hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top with greaseproof paper during the latter stages of cooking if it is getting too brown. Allow to cool completely in the tin, then take it out, discard the paper, clean the tin and reline. Put the cake back in and skewer the cake from top to bottom all over, then ‘feed’ it with 5 tablespoons of alcohol, using the back of the spoon to encourage absorption. Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and then in foil. Allow to mature in a cool dark place for 2 weeks, feeding once or twice more. Cover with almond paste and/or icing or decorate simply with Christmas tree baubles and ribbons. Jane’s hint I personally don’t feed the cake but rather soak all the dried fruit for two weeks in dark rum and Guinness before making the cake. This way the moisture is retained in the fruit during cooking and the cake can be kept for several weeks once it is baked. I then first put a thin coating of apricot jam al over so that the layer of almond paste will stick to the cake. I finish with a layer of white icing made with one egg white and lemon juice in order to cut down on the overall sweetness.

VOCABULARY

brown sugar - vergeoise

nutmeg - noix de muscade

mace - macis

clove - clou de girofle

raisin - raisin sec

sultana - raisin de Smyrne

mixed peel - mélange d'écorces

glace cherries - cerises confites

ground - moulu

grated peel - zeste

cake tin - moule à gâteau

greased - graissé

greaseproof - sulfurisé

to cream - travailler, battre

thoroughly - à fond, complètement

to sieve - tamiser

to fold in - incorporer

to stir - remuer, mélanger

stiff - raide, lourd

to spoon - utiliser un cuiller, une cuillère

skewer - brochette

to discard - jeter, se débarraser de

to reline - remettre

to feed - nourrir (ici arroser)

to wrap - emballer

to mature - vieillir

bauble - colifichet

ribbon - ruban

to soak - faire tremper

moisture - mouillure

retained - retenu, maintenu

baked - cuit

thin - fin, léger, maigre

coating - couche

layer - couche

to stick - coller

icing - glaçage

overall - global, général, d'ensemble

sweetness - suavité