Spinach and artichoke dip stuffed garlic bread

 

How are Christmas preps going on you loverly people? I am off to my sister in laws next weekend for a pre Christmas bash and then to a blogger friend's place for a fun pot luck. We have a tradition of exchanging home made gifts for Christmas, and last year we all went out to brunch to a fancy restaurant sans the husbands, and exchanged them there over cocktails and conversation. This year we have been so busy with chaiparty pop-up stalls and other interesting business ventures, that we couldn't actually do a day out. We are still doing home made gifts (I have taken the plunge and made something I'm very excited about, fingers crossed on how it would ultimately turn out) but exchanging it on Christmas day, like it should be, with family and dear ones.

We have been busy on our whatsapp group discussing the theme, menu, gifts and so on and I have been entrusted with the vegetarian starter. I've made this recipe as a dip again and again at parties, and was quite convinced this is what I was going to take to the party, when I thought I should try this version, one that I book marked eons ago, a try before i decided. It's a fab appetiser idea and you score points on uniqueness. It doesn't take any time to put together, and you can cart it off anywhere and finish off the last baking in the oven just before serving. Stress free, hassle free and delicious.

I decided to use the Norwegian cheese Jarlsberg instead of the traditional mozzarella because I was sure the nutty flavour from the cheese would be a perfect match with spinach and artichoke and it was. Maybe next time I'll up the quantity to 1.5 cups (oh please, its the holiday season, no ones on a diet). Its a cheese I was not familiar with until I attended a soiree hosted by Jarlsberg at the Good Housekeeping Institute where Signe Johansen and Lucie Bruckner took us through a session on how to use the cheese in different recipes, and of course treated to some delicious canapés using the same. After creating our own mac and cheese sandwish, we sat down to a glorious meal with wine and chatter. (I also got to drink a shot of the famous Aquavit for the first time. It shall be remembered is all i can say).

Recipe adapted from here

 

Baguette- 1

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Spinach- 250 gms 

Canned artichoke hearts- 200 gms, drained and chopped

Salt and pepper- to taste

Chilli flakes- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Garlic powder- 1/2 tsp

Cream cheese- 230 gms

Jarlsberg cheese- 1 cup + enough to garnish

Butter- 2 tbsp

Garlic- 3 cloves, finely chopped

Slice the baguette into 4 and using a long serrated knife cut out the insides, leaving about a cm of bread around the edges, and scoop/ or push it out to make the baguette slices hollow. Keep aside. (Use the scooped out bread to make bread crumbs)

Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the shallots till translucent. 

Add the chopped artichoke hearts and saute for a couple of minutes.

Tip in the spinach, mix it all together and cover and cook till they have all wilted.

Open lid and cook till all the water has evaporated. 

Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chilli flakes and transfer the mix into a mixing bowl.

Add the cream cheese and Jarlsberg cheese and give a thorough mix, making sure all the cheese melts.

Pre heat the oven to 175C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Stuff the baguette quarters with the dip, using a teaspoon and pack it in as much possible. I found it was much easier to do this using a piping bag. Fill it with the dip, nip off the end and pipe into the baguette. 

Place the filled baguette quarters on to a chopping board and slice them carefully to pieces that are about an inch thick.

Place the sliced pieces on to the lined baking tray, arranging them back into the shape of a full baguette, or if your tray isn't that big, you can arrange them side by side.

Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl .

Cover and melt in the microwave for a couple of seconds.

Brush the garlic butter generously over the bread, and in between the slices if possible. Also make sure all the minced garlic gets used up, just top it all on the bread.

Cover the baguette with another foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven, open the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese and place back in the oven open, for a couple more minutes, for the bread to lightly brown and the cheese to melt.

Serve warm as a starter or as a side with soup.

Notes: Feel free to use mozzarella cheese instead of Jarlsberg and sprinkle parmesan right at the very end.
Add some shredded chicken to it and make it a non veg starter
If you want to do the dip, after you mix in the cheese, dump the mix on to an oven safe bowl, top with more cheese an dbake for about 20 minutes or till the mix is bubbling away. Serve with crusty bread.

With thanks to Jarlsberg cheese for the fab evening and for the cheese sample.

Bespoke Indian inspired cakes from ChinsKitchen

Last week I was invited to an afternoon tea at Chintals cosy home to celebrate the launch of her venture- Indian inspired cakes. I met Chintal briefly at an event last summer and exchanged a few words, but it was at our blogger catch up last month that i was finally able to sit down and hear all about her Indian inspired cakes and soon after got an invite to her launch party.

From the images you can make out how professionally decorated and creative the cakes are. Needless to say, they were all delicious and if it wasn't for a sugar high (and a heavy lunch), I would have eaten 2 slices of each at least. Other than the fact that she transforms traditional Indian desserts into cakes, what I noticed was that they were not ridiculously sweet and were not layered- which means you actually get to taste the cake and the flavours attached, and not get thrown off by the sweet frosted layers in between, that cakes today are notorious for. She also uses the freshest of ingredients for her cakes and also do eggless versions of some of the flavours. And what a pleasure it was seeing cakes that were not garishly fondant decorated, but beautifully butter creamed and ganached with generous sprinklings of nuts and spices.

From the cakes she displayed, my favourite was the show stopper- a handsome Indian spiced carrot cake with salted caramel. It was moist, spiced adequately, and the salted caramel was just the perfect icing on the cake (pun intended). Second of course was the coconut, orange and pistachio cake which I thought was a brilliant combination of flavours. She also does nice nankhatais, Indian shortbread, that my husband exclaimed were more delicious than the shortbread cookies he had from Harrods (which according to him were the bestest!)

Chintal has more details about the flavours and ordering details on her website, and the next time you have a party, like say Diwali for instance, please don't be boring and buy kaju burfi, instead order her cardamom, rose and pistachio cake and woo your guests.

Thank you Chintal for having me over to your gathering. I absolutely look forward to tasting more of your fabulous cakes.

Grana Padano Italian Cooking Maestro blogger challenge

Grana Padano is a cheese I'm familiar with, and so very happily welcomed the cooking challenge judged by none other than the renowned Italian Chef Francesco Mazzei. I was supposed to create a starter and a main or a main and dessert using the cheese as the star ingredient. Broke my head about if for a few days and then the surprise fresh produce and grocery arrived at the door, courtesy Grana Padano, and i knew i had to make use of the beautiful butternut squash, if not for the autumn transition period we are in.

I decided to do a starter of posh chips with truffle oil and Grana Padano, and a main course of butternut squash gnocchi with sage and burnt butter. Although I've tied making pasta at food events and in cookery schools I never thought I'd attempt making something similar at home. I've had gnocchi at restaurants and knew it was not one of those easy to make things. Of course the food blogger in me wanted to try it at least once, and this just happened to be the best time to experiment.

PS: I think my favourite kitchen equipment as of now is the microplane grater. OMG its the best and i have been putting it to good use. Thank you Grana Padano for opening my eyes to the world of micro grating :)

Truffle chips with Grana Padano (Serves 2 as a starter)

The truffle chips turned out so so good. I first tried it at the gorgeous bar at the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras and have been meaning to try it at home ever since. They were a breeze to make and was delicious, not to mention all posh with the truffle oil and cheese. Very happy with how it turned out and the cheese was most certainly the star of this dish. 

Potato- 300 gms, peeled and sliced into thin strips

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Truffle oil- 2 tbsp

Parsley- 1/2 tsp (fresh or dried)

Grana Padano shavings- 1/4 cup

Coarse sea salt- to season

Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Toss together the potato, olive oil and salt in a mixing bowl and arrange them on the baking tray. Make sure they don't overlap.

Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the potato strips after about 15 minutes and spraying/ brushing on some more oil if required.

The potatoes are done when a fork goes through easily, and are crisp, but not burnt.

Toss the potatoes with the truffle oil (generously rather) and parsley and transfer to a serving plate.

Top with the Grana Padano shavings and garnish with sea salt and serve warm.

Notes: For a spicy kick, toss the potatoes with some red chilli flakes. Another flavour would be garlic which would work really well with the cheese and truffle flavour

You can also jazz up your frozen fries like this.

Butternut squash gnocchi with brown butter and sage (recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine Oct 2010 issue)

The gnocchi proved to be quite a bit of work but I'm glad i tried it. The sage and butter combo is a unique one and not everyone's cup of tea (the husband hated it) so if you are sceptical, add in a dash of cream, season with salt and pepper and let the grated Grana Padano flavours do all the work.

Butternut squash- 500 to 600 gms

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Garlic powder- 1 tsp

Thyme- 1/4 tsp (dried or fresh)

Potato- 500 gms

Grated Grana padano cheese- 3/4th cup

Egg- 1

Nutmeg powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Plain flour- 1 3/4 cup + more for dusting

Butter- 3 tbsp

Fresh sage leaves- 5 to 6

Grated Grana Padano cheese- to garnish

Preheat oven to 220C and line a baking tray with silver foil.

Slice the butternut squash in half and discard the seeds.

Mix together the olive oil, garlic powder and thyme.

Place, cut side up, on the baking tray and pour over or brush on the olive oil mix.

Roast until tender, for around 1 hr. (Check by inserting a knife inserted into the middle of the squash, and it should go through easily)

Keep aside to cool and then scoop out the flesh and transfer to a sauce pan and puree either using an immersion blender or alternatively you can do so in a food processor.

Cook the puree over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or till all the moisture has evaporated.

Transfer 1 cup of the puree into a large mixing bowl.

While the squash is cooking, get started on the potatoes.

Peel and slice the potato into big chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl.

Cover and cook on high in the microwave for about 6 to 7 minutes or in boiling water until very tender.

Drain and pass the potato through and potato rice or use a grater and grate the potato finely. Measure 2 cups and transfer to the mixing bowl with the squash puree.

Once cool, add the remaining ingredients- cheese, egg, nutmeg and salt and flour and mix together using a wooden spoon till they all come together. Add more flour if its too sticky.

Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough till just smooth. Don't over work it.

Place it back in the bowl and refrigerate to make it easier to work with it.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and lightly flour it. Also flour the work surface.

Divide the dough into 8 and working with one piece at a time roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick rope.

Cut the rope into 3/4th inch pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll it on the back of a fork to have the ridges in tact. This takes a bit of time, but worth it.

Transfer them to the baking sheets and once you done with all of the dough, cover loosely with a cling film and refrigerate till ready to cook.

Boil water in a large pot, season with salt.

Cook the gnocchi in batches until tender, around 15 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon and transfer them on to a kitchen towel. Cool and use as needed.

Melt the butter in a frying pan until golden brown, stirring continuously.

Add the sage and stir for a minute after which you add the gnocchi and cook for about 10 minutes or so, making sure they are coated with the butter.

Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.

Generously sprinkle some more Grana Padano and serve hot.

Notes: I didn't use up the entire batch, maybe 2 cups of gnocchi for both of us. I froze the remaining.

There was about a cup of squash left and i used it up in a cake.

With thanks to Grana Padano for the ingredients, welcome kit and grocery voucher sent over to undertake this challenge.

Beef 360, the Science of Steak

Both of us love a good steak and we are in the process of learning how to cook the perfect steak. So i was pretty much looking forward to the Beef 360, the science of steak event hosted by Simply Beef and Lamb, the home of Red Tractor and Quality Standard beef and lamb. On a warm day when the Tube strike was creating havoc in the city, I took off to Le Meridien in Piccadilly Circus to spend an evening learning all about beef.

The evening started off with an introduction to what makes quality beef, and how high standards are followed to ensure a good quality of meat is delivered every time, by putting it through rigorous procedures. Dr Phil Hadley, who is an expert in the field, took us through an intense session explaining what ingredients make different steaks from around the country unique- precisely- how feed, age and breed type make for quality beef.

We blind tasted a wide variety of beef- from grass fed to grain fed, ones aged for different periods of time and so much more, that at the end of it all we were in a beef coma, not one that we complained about though. We then sat down to a fabulous meal put together by the talented Denise and also got to catch up with fellow foodies. We then packed away gorgeous chunks of beef to work on back home and also got tips on how to make a perfect steak by expert Hugh Judd

I froze the beef soon after and put it to good use a couple of weeks later by making the Coronation Steak, radish and pea salad that was served on the day, and was one of my favourites. Ro cooked the steak to perfection, i think this is the first time he's got it spot on, and it tasted delicious. Medium rare, just the way we like it. The salad recipe is pretty straightforward. Cook the steak as per your preference (rare, medium, well done), cover and leave side till you get the other things going.. Toss together the rest of the salad ingredients like lettuce, radish and defrosted peas and arrange on a large plate (or a bowl). The dressing is the best bit and I'll give you the exact recipe as provided by The Meat Elite.

Coronation steak salad (dressing) adapted from Simply Beef and Lamb

Curry powder- 2 tsp

Mayonnaise- 3 tbsp

Cold water- 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp

Place all these ingredients in a bowl and mix together till well combined.

Slice the steak into strips and arrange on the plate, along with any of the juices.

Spoon the delicious dressing over the beef and serve with crusty bread.

And that's exactly what we had, and also some gorgeous red wine.

There was still some leftover steak and I made a quick Philly Cheese Steak for lunch the next day. I followed this recipe to the T and its a keeper. I agree it does take a bit of time, because everything needs to be made separately. But trust me, it tasted so darn good. 

The session that evening did open my eyes to a lot of aspects and I'm now aware of the Quality Standard Mark Scheme that provides the highest level of independently-inspected quality assurance for meat in the UK. It cares for the environment, animal welfare and food safety which i believe makes a difference.

With thanks to The Meat Elite for inviting me to the event. 

Trip to Suffolk Part 2- Blythburgh Free Range Pork

Day two started off pretty early with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, and off we went to Blythburgh farm where Jimmy and Alastair Butler met us. We piled onto a dusty farm tractor of sorts and they drove us through their farm, stopping by in between to talk us through the whole process of free range pig rearing. Jimmy and Alistair are clearly very passionate about what they do at Blythburgh - to produce great tasting pork- and works a great deal to prove how the pigs are reared makes a huge difference to how they taste.

 

 

We got a chance to see and carry some new born piglets, the most adorable ones, and spent a significant amount of time watching the pigs in their comfort zone. They explained how they are born outside and spend their entire lives outdoor in the fresh air, with freedom to roam around, resulting in the pigs growing at a slower rate. This in turn assures that the free range pork is more flavourful and succulent, which you dont get with the mass produced pork.

That said, the farm also has large and airy tented barns (as seen in the 1st image) with loads of bedding straw for the pigs when they need the shelter

 

We then went on to St Margarets farm where Gerard King from craft butcher Salter & King was waiting for us to do a pork butchery demo. This was most certainly a very interesting sessions with the very charming Gerard carving his way through a carcass,  showing us different cuts of meat and explaining how to cook them. He gave us some very interesting recipes, the rolled pork belly stuffed with chorizo is still fresh in my mind and i cant wait to get hold of some good pork to try it out. His shop is in Aldeburgh and he sources all his meat from free range, organic or small scale farmers who are passionate about what they do.

 

 

We all then sat down to a glorious lunch put together by Pauline Butler where we got to taste delicious pulled pork among other dishes and more Suffolk cheese, cider and other produce. The pork produced by Blythburgh is vastly appreciated for its good quality and is popular among both celebrity chefs and home cooks alike.

It was a lovely 2 day trip full of learning and inspiration and i cant stress how Polly and Lucy of Food Safari did a fabulous job making us feel at ease and arranging this press trip. Of course if it wasnt for the fun bunch of food enthusiasts and bloggers, this wouldnt have been half as fun :)

With thanks to Food Safari for inviting me on this press trip.

Pea, mint and feta dip & a Bloody Martini

 

I have been busy, very busy, but good busy. Those of you on my Facebook page would already know that Chaiparty has pretty much taken over our lives. Read all about it here. Its a lot of work, but absolutely rewarding at the same time. We are also doing themed lunches in the next coming months and cant wait to get started on the next big chaiparty in September. We also just got back from a holiday in Spain, which was eventful to say the least and I have also been busy attending a lot of fun food events around London, not to mention thoroughly enjoying summer, or what's left of it.

A couple of weeks back I was invited to the Putting on the Ritz event where we were treated to some gorgeous cocktails and dips, all paired with the new Ritz thins. Ritz teamed up with supper club expert Alice Levine and the very popular mixologist Richard Woods (of Duck & Waffle) to come up with a series of tips, recipes and ideas to Ritz-Up socialising this summer. It was held at a stunning penthouse apartment in East London with amazing views over the city. 

The 4 new flavours of oven-baked potato crisps from Ritz- Cream Cheese & Onion, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Sweet Red Chilli and Sea Salt & Black Pepper- are delicious. They were paired with equally delicious dips, with the pea, mint and feta and the smoked paprika topping my list. Of course, the glamour side was intact with 4 very unique cocktails that were paired with the crisps. The weather was great, the company was good and we all had a nice time 'Putting on the Ritz.'

I had to make the pea, mint and feta dip at home, especially after bragging about it to the husband. It turned out great and was wiped clean in a matter of hours while watching a movie. Of the cocktails that were served on the day, the Mates Martini, a (very) complicated version of the Bloody Mary was my favourite. Trust the cocktail expert Richard Woods to make things easy ;). Since i like complicated i decided to make it at home. It took me 2 days and a lot of patience to make the drink, but it was totally worth it. Yes, I do go out of my way for that perfect cocktail. I am however trying to figure out an easy way to do this mix, because you know, the urge to have a bloody Mary doesn't quite last for 2 days.

Pea, mint and feta dip (Recipe adapted from Alice Levine who prepared this dip at Ritz event)

Frozen peas- 250 gms, thawed

Feta- 50 gms, crumbled

Fresh mint- 3 tbsp, roughly chopped

Garlic- 1 clove, chopped

Green chilli- 1/2 of a small one, chopped (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil- 2tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Pepper- to taste

Blend together all the ingredients in a food processor and season to taste.

Add a splash of water if you would prefer it a bit loose.

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle some olive oil on top, garnish with some mint leaves and serve as a dip with the Ritz Sea Salt and Vinegar.

Bloody Martini (Makes a little more than 2 drinks. Recipe adapted from Richard Woods who prepared the drink at the Ritz event)

Vodka- 100ml

Basil- 15gms

Bloody Marry Consommé- 100ml (recipe below)

Ice cubes- 4

Bloody Marry Consommé

Ground black pepper- 2 gms

Sea salt- 1.5 gms

celery salt- 1 gm

Tabasco original- 5 dashes

Tabasco green- 8 dashes

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce- 8 dashes

Tomato juice- 300ml

Infuse the vodka with the basil leaves for about 24hrs. Make sure you don't infuse it longer or else it would turn bitter.

Strain and use as required.

The consommé also needs to be made a day before.

Into a freezer safe container with lid, pour in the tomato juice and all the other ingredients and stir well.

Leave to infuse for about an hour and then put on the lid and place in the freezer.

The following morning, remove the frozen tomato mix from freezer and do a drip thaw, which essentially means you create a filter through which the block thaws naturally.

I used a muslin cloth and my sieve to do this.

This takes an entire day so patience is much advised.

You can make this in bulk, and it will keep for 7 days in the fridge.

To make the Martini, chill the martini glasses prior to serving.

Stir together the vodka and consommé along with the ice cubes until well chilled.

Strain into chilled glass, garnish with a floating basil leaf and serve.

With thanks to Ritz UK for inviting me to the event and for all the delicious crisps.

Announcing the Indian #chaiparty event and a recipe for Khari puff sticks

With the weather changing and the cold creeping in on us, its getting more and more depressing. Diwali is coming up, so that's something to look forward to, but come November and then we are in that awkward state, where you know Christmas is a few weeks away, but not close enough to start planning or shopping for. So we at Bloggers' Buzz thought we should do something to bring the colour back into gloomy London by hosting an Indian #chaiparty. Yup, a traditional afternoon tea party with an Indian touch. Its going to be held in a leafy bylane of SE10, conveniently located for everyone to get to and we've collaborated with some fabulous brands which we shall be revealing in the next couple of weeks. You can call it a supper club of sorts, cos we are going to be cooking and serving the food we serve at the event, but we are not following the traditional sit down supper club format. I don't want to reveal too much now, but i promise this is going to be a super duper fun event.

What's a chai party without some steaming hot, well chai? Tea India, with their exotic range of rich, flavourful teas have gladly agreed to be part of the #chaiparty and will be providing us the tea for the afternoon. We will be serving a tea inspired cocktail as welcome drink and there would be unlimited glasses of masala chai doing the rounds.

Talking about food, we don't want to harp on the word fusion, but we promise it would be something fabulous. It would be predominantly Indian inspired but with a touch of what the quintessential afternoon teas are all about. To give you a teaser, we're thinking gajjar ka halwa tarts, vodka spiked golgappas (I know!!), mango flavoured macarons, lamb and pistachio kofta's etc. 

If thats not enough, we also have in store some fun festive games, mehendi corner, music and dancing to get the party going. The tickets will go on sale soon, and spaces are limited, so you might want to jump in and book one off right away. I shall be back with more details but till then, leaving you with a lip smacking canapé.

Since we are on the whole fusion food topic, here is a recipe for the traditional Khari biscuits (spiced puff pastry biscuits), but with the addition of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, it takes on the form of cheese sticks, that, needless to say, no one can stop with just one. Topping 2, with a South Indian twist, were my absolute favourite. I cant explain the aroma while these were baking. 

Makes around 20 long cheese sticks

Puff pastry- 1 pack, thawed

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese- 1 cup, finely grated

Topping 1

Dried fenugreek leaves- 1 tbsp, crushed

Pepper- around 1/2 to 1 tsp

Red chilli flakes- 1 tsp (optional)

Sea salt- to sprinkle

Topping 2

Oil- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig, fresh ones

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Preheat oven to 176C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper

If your puff pastry is not ready rolled, then roll it out to about 30 cms, 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut this sheet in two and sprinkle them both with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese . Generously

Sprinkle all the ingredients for topping one, one after the other on top of the cheese and using a rolling pin gently roll over the pastry sheet, just to put the ingredients all in place and to make sure they don't fall off.

Cut into long strips and carefully place them on the baking tray 1/2 inch apart.

For filling two, heat oil in a small pan and throw in the cumin seeds and curry leaves

Once they turn crisp, in about a minute if the oil is perfectly hot, add the finely chopped shallot and keep sauteing till they turn crisp.

This could take a while, but make sure you don't burn them, or else its could taste bitter.

Once the mix turn crispy, drain them on paper towels and leave to cool.

Once cool, crush them with a pestle and mortar, not to paste like consistency, but leaving a bit of bite to it.

Season with salt and sprinkle this mix on top of the puff pastry.

Cut them in strips and place on the baking paper.

Bake for about 15 minutes or till the pastry is golden brown in colour.

Take out of the oven, cool for a few minutes and bite into the crispy puff sticks warm.

Serve with a cup of tea and its perfect.

Sending the Cheese Sticks for the Parmigiano Reggiano #dinnertogether competition in association with London Restaurant Week. Wish me luck :)

Castello Tickler Cheddar and smoked paprika souffle

I love cheese. Like really love it. Throw cheese into anything and i will eat it without any issue. Not that I have a problem eating anything otherwise (if you see me you'll know what I'm talking about), but cheesy things are right up my alley. 

Castello Cheese has joined hands with cookery school L'atelier des Chefs to create a Cheese Cookery Class which will cover a series of classes showcasing a wide range of cheeses that Castello has to offer, and of course learning to cook with it. Food author and TV presenter Stefan Gates has also put together The Ultimate Cheeseboard, which, some of us bloggers had the privilege to try recently. Each class will focus on crafting the ultimate cheeseboard and to round it off, Matt Day has suggested complimentary drinks pairing to bring out the best from each cheese. The classes start on the 18th of July and run all through to October. Its a great way to enjoy some wine and cheese and while you are at it, learn some tips and tricks on creating fabulous dishes with it.

Off we went to L'atelier des Chef to get a preview of the class that was launching. We got to do some wine and drinks pairing and then went on to learn how to make a few dishes using the different varieties of cheese from Castello. There were nibbles and bubblies doing the rounds, a la Castello and a very interesting 'Super Taster' test conducted by Stefan Gates to see if we were a super taster. Apparently, I did have the signs of a super taster, but I actually wasn't one. Oh well! We all went home with blue tongues (as part of the test) and a goody bag filled with cheese and recipes. 

Of all the dishes we tried on the day, my favourite was the Tickler Cheddar and smoked paprika souffle which was simply mind boggling. I had to create it the very next and what do you know, thats exactly what i did. The recipe card had all the information required, and since the chef had given us tips and tricks on how to get the perfect souffle, I was pretty confident I wouldn't fail. The not failing bit was true and the souffle turned out to be fabulous, but the downside of a souffle is that it deflates very fast. So from a photography point of view it was a bit of a bummer. Well, you are just gonna have to take my word for it and believe me when i say it did puff up nicely.

Recipe halved from here (serves 3)

Butter- 25gms, unsalted

Breadcrumbs- 10 gms

Parmesan cheese- 10 gms, grated

Bay leaf- 1

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Plain flour- 25 gms

Mustard- 1/2 tsp

Smoked paprika- 2 tsp

Eggs- 2, white and yolk separated

Cheddar cheese- 50 gms (I used Castello Tickler Cheddar)

Butter- 10 gms, unsalted

Salt- to taste

Preheat oven to 200C and butter the souffle moulds/ ramekins.

Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on to the ramekins, shake around to coat well and tip out any excess.

Start with the white sauce by boiling the milk with onions and bay leaf to infuse. Drain and keep aside.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.

Add the plain flour and make the roux, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the mustard and salt then slowly pour in the milk, while continuously stirring.

Cook for a further few minutes, until you get a thick but smooth mix. 

Keep aside to cool for a couple of minutes and then whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. if the sauce is too hot, then you risk cooking the egg yolks, and you really don't want that.

Stir in the grated cheddar and smoked paprika.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. The chef made us do this using a wire whisk at the class, and so I decided to do the same at home. It is a bit of a chore, but it wasn't as difficult as i thought it would be. I think when the quantity is less, its much easier (mostly because I didn't have to unearth my hand blender, wash it, use it, then again clean it..too much work).

Add one spoonful of the egg white into the sauce and mix well.

Add the remaining in, and fold gently, making sure you don't deflate them.

Distribute the souffle mix into 3 ramekins and using a palette knife spread the top of the mix evenly. Then run your thumb or forefinger along the inside edge of the ramekin for the 'top hat' effect.

Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake on the middle rack of your oven for about 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the souffle has risen nicely.

Serve immediately.

Notes: I used a large ramekin, and that was a mistake. The smaller one would have been a better quantity for one, and also I didn't have enough to fill them, so i couldn't get the top hat effect

Use a good quality paprika, it makes a lot of difference

Double the recipe to feed 6

You can make the white sauce well ahead and just to the egg bit just before baking,

With thanks to Castello Cheese and L'atelier des Chefs for the event invite and classes.

Cooking with Lactofree- Broccoli & Cauliflower cheese bake

Around 2 weeks back I was invited to an exclusive Lactofree masterclass with Michelin starred chef, Tom Aikens. I had a crazy night the day before and waking up for a breakfast masterclass was a bit of a feat, and for a second (just a second) I wished I didn't have to go, but just snuggle in bed. I'm glad that thought didn't last long because I really did have a fab time. I reached just before the session started and so missed out on the lavish breakfast spread a la Lactofree. So with a cup of coffee in hand i joined the crew in the kitchen. Tom Aikens is quite a charming and patient chef. He talked about using Lactofree products in cooking and baking and how you get the delicious taste of real dairy, but without the lactose and since its made from cow's milk, you still get all its nutritional benefits too.

First up was Lacto(se)free raspberry, poppy seed and white chocolate muffins which Tom prepared right in front of us, and we even got to take home a few for tea. He then took us through a cooking demo of mushroom ragout on toast which we were then asked to recreate at our cooking stations. We went about creating our brunch dish with much enthusiasm and devoured into it with all the other bloggers. It was also the first time i cooked with and tasted sorrel leaves and chervil and it did make a whole lot of difference to the final dish. I'm sure i can use spinach and some other herb instead.

From the Lactofree samples in the goody bag, I ended up making a broc and cauliflower cheese bake and a chocolate-coffee panna cotta. My husband is lactose intolerant (self proclaimed) and he was happy he could have his coffee and tea with milk for a few days :)

Recipe adapted from here (serves 4 to 5)

 

Broccoli- cauliflower cheese bake

Broccoli florets- 3 cups

Cauliflower florets- 3 cups

Butter- 2 tbsp (I used Lactofree spreadable butter)

Plain flour- 1/4 cup

Spicy brown mustard- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Ground nutmeg- a generous pinch

Paprika- 1/2 tsp

Pepper- to taste

Salt- to taste

Milk- 2 cups (I used Lactofree semi-skimmed milk)

Cheese- 1 cup (I used Lactofree cheese) + enough to sprinkle on top

Boil the broccoli and cauliflower in enough water for about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure you dont cook it completely. It should still be crispy.

Drain in a colander and transfer to a large baking dish (9x 13 inch is what i used)

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux and add in the mustard, nutmeg, paprika, pepper and salt and continue to whisk till smooth.

Gradually add the milk and bring to a boil, while continuously whisking and making sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan.

Once the milk mix had thickened a bit, stir in the cheese until it has melted.

Pour the mix over the vegetables and bake in an oven preheated at 200C for about 30 minutes.

Take the baking dish out of the oven, change the setting to broiler/grill, sprinkle some cheese on top and place under the broiler for another 7 to 8  minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Serve with garlic bread

Here is the panna cotta recipe i used. I used Lactofree cream and milk for this recipe.

Notes: I have tried this with a Mexican cheese blend and it was fabulous

Of course, you can add other vegetables like carrots, spinach, leek etc.

The paprika gives it a punch, but feel free to omit if you dont want it spicy.

With thanks to Lactofree for inviting me to the event and for the samples, and Tom Aikens for the fabulous masterclass.