Cheesy Cook Book giveaway!

Do you remember my post about Wensleydale Cheese? It still seems to be one of my favourite British cheeses. The producers introduced some new types, in particular one that I have not tried yet although I am very interested in - Wensleydale with chocolate.

Today I have cute "Wallace & Gromit's Cheesy Cook Book" to give away. Wallace and Gromit have become celebrity chefs and launched this cook book featuring their favourite cheese dishes.

To win this book you have to leave a comment to this post stating which British cheese is your favourite one and why. Please note: mentioning the Wensleydale Cheese does not give you extra points, however if it really is your favourite one, please do not hesitate to write about it. I simply want to explore some more tasty British cheeses, so I am very excited to read about your favourite ones.

This give away will be closed on Friday, 20th May at midnight. Please note: UK readers only.

Good luck!

Pancakes with roasted rhubarb & vanilla crème fraîche

I had the idea of serving roasted rhubarb with crème fraîche and pancakes from some ancient “Good Food” issue. The idea was brilliant however I found this particular recipe inconsistent. Also there was no recipe for pancakes – or shall I say – perhaps I did not cut it out of the magazine. I did not worry too much because I know exactly how to make different types of pancakes.

Yesterday I had this overwhelming feeling that I have to eat a pancake. Luckily for my figure my common sense said “no” to making pancakes at 10 pm, so I went to bed. Next day I prepared one of the best pancakes I have ever had.

I decided to make bit thicker and sort of spongier pancakes, because they are great to wipe off the cream and juices. If you are not sure about this combination of sweet & sour rhubarb with sour-ish cream, please do not hesitate to try. It is unbelievable. What a great trio! I will definitely make it every year when rhubarb is in season.


Serves 4-6

Pancakes

3 eggs (I used duck eggs)
3 level tsp caster sugar
about 250ml milk
about 100ml sparking water
about 300ml plain flour
little butter for frying (I used ghee)
some icing sugar to finish off

Separate egg whites from yolks. Add sugar to the yolks and mix using hand mixer until well mixed and little fluffy. Add water, milk and flour and mix well again until combined.

Using hand mixer beat the egg whites until stiff. Then add whites to the milk and egg mixture and fold it gently. You want to preserve as much air as possible.

Place bowl in a bigger bowl filled with cold water – this suppose prevent the batter from collapsing.

Fry thin pancakes on both sides in a frying pan using butter.



Roasted rhubarb

6 rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 5-6cm pieces
2-3 pieces of stem ginger, sliced
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sugar
zest and juice of one lemon

Place all of the above in a pan and roast or boil over a low heat. I had oven preheated to roast something else, so I used oven ( 10-12 minutes, 180C).



Vanilla crème fraîche

200ml crème fraîche
seeds from one vanilla pod
2 tsp icing sugar

Mix well all the ingredients.

Serve warm pancakes drizzled with juices from roasted rhubarb, rhubarb on the side and a good dollop of crème fraîche. Optionally you can sprinkle them with some icing sugar.

I fight my demons, vol. 3

Do you remember?
I fight my demons, vol. 1 - real beef stock
I fight my demons, vol.2 - homemade pasta

Now the time has come for the choux pastry. I have to admit that I was probably looking for an excuse and complaining that I do not have the piping bag and be unable to shape a proper eclair. I was dreaming about making my own chocolate eclairs with fresh cream and one day our postman came and had a parcel for me. My friend from Dublin, who happens to be a great pastry maker could not listen my excuses anymore so he had send me a piping bag with a nozzle. I did not have much choice - I had to make my own choux pastry, however last weekend I needed something savoury rather than sweet so I have made savoury, seasonal filling with asparagus.

I am not longer afraid of choux pastry! It will not be long until you will see me making the croquembouche!

Roasted asparagus cream cheese filled profiteroles

Makes about 30 small profiteroles

Filling:

20 decent green asparagus spears, tough ends removed
drizzle of olive oil
400g natural cream cheese such as Philadelphia
few basil leaves
whole lemon zest
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place the asparagus on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 180 C for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave it to cool down and place in the food processor together with juices from roasting. Add lemon zest, cheese and whiz - I like when I still can taste pieces of asparagus, so I do not make it very smooth. Season with salt and pepper and leave it in a fridge to cool down and set little bit.

Choux pastry:

150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
125ml milk
125ml water
half tsp salt
4 medium eggs

Combine the milk, sugar, salt and diced butter in a large heavy based saucepan. Heat gently and stir until the butter has melted and it starts to boil. Sprinkle the flour all over the milk and quickly using wooden spoon or rolling pin mix the flour into the liquid ingredients, still keeping the pan over the heat. When combined beat the ingredients together vigorously for few minutes. The paste is ready when it clumps together in a smooth ball and comes away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Then leave it to cool down.

Beat one by one egg into a dough, making sure the egg is beaten into a dough completely before you add the next one. Dough should be quite shiny.

Fit a piping bag with a nozzle and spoon the choux pastry mixture into the bag. Pipe small balls onto a baking tray lined with baking paper making sure you have plenty space between them - they will puff quite a lot.

Bake in batches, in 200 C for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool down on a wire rack.

Fit a piping bag with a nozzle and spoon the filling into the bag. Pipe filling into each profiterole. I did not have too much experience so did not know how much filling to pipe into the profiteroles, so some of the filling actually came out. I have arranged them on the plate and decorated with small mint leaves before serving. (basil leaves were too big).

Where to eat? "Kuchnia i Wino", Pszczyna

I realise that for some of you Poland may sound as rather exotic holiday destination, but I am sure some of you will visit this country one day. And perhaps some of my recommendations you will find handy.

During my last visit in Poland I hade the opportunity to visit one restaurant recommended by my Mum. It is called "Kuchnia i Wino" ("Cuisine and Wine") and I would recommended to anybody who likes to try Polish cuisine.

I was told this restaurant took part in a TV show similar to "Kitchen Nightmares" by Gordon Ramsay and it use to be French style restaurant - too expensive and lacking of customers. It was converted to a place serving mainly Polish cuisine, however you will still see remains of the old menu - there are few French classic bits.

Unfortunately the menu is in Polish, however I believe that if they get some foreign customers they should be able to explain what is on the menu, or hopefully in a future they will have menu in English too. The things is that Pszczyna where the restaurant is located is not very popular for tourism. It is small, historic town intertwined with the history of the famous Polish dynasty (Piast) and their local residence, the 12th century palace, now a site of the Castle Museum (Muzeum Zamkowe) on the main town square. It is also know for its Bison Centre. So there are few things to do!

This restaurant welcomes its guest by nice, warm interior, many candles and fresh flowers. Owner and one of the chefs walks around the restaurant so you can always have a chat with him. Also steak tartare (Polish or French way) is prepared in the front of you by the owner.

For the starters we have ordered traditional Silesian pork gelly (galert śląski), I believe made from slow cooked bacon joint and pig trotters. Very delicate, lean meat, extremely tasty, a good old fashion one. Also we had a duo of Polish herrings. Again very tasty, tender, but little bit too salty for me. Starters were served with very good, real sourdough bread and butter (soft! too cold, hard to spread butter is quite common mistake in restaurants). Both starters were very, very tasty.

For the main dishes we had chef’s speciality: roasted goose (gęś) served with buckwheat and warm beetroot relish. Goose was very tender, meat was melting in my mouth, however to my taste the skin should be crispier. Buckwheat was mixed with some fat and lardons - very aromatic! Beets - to die for. The same dish you can order for one or four people - in this case they serve whole stuffed goose. Also one of us had a boneless pork chop (kotlet z prosięcia), pan fried in bread crumbs and served with Silesian salad (szałot) made with potatoes, onion, bacon lardons and cucumbers in brine.

Unfortunately we did not manage to have a dessert, portions were rather large and I could not manage to eat all of my main. And believe me - I can eat a lot! I have to admit I forgot to check out their wine list, as we decided to have non alcoholic drinks to sympathise with one of us that was driving back home.

I will definitely go back there for more delicious Polish food such as traditional Silesian dumplings served with beef olives and red cabbage (rolada śląska z kluskami i zasmażaną modrą kapustą, btw: soooo my Granny’s like), or something that I did not have before: cold herring soup (chłodnik ze śledzia).

Also, what is worth mentioning, the bill did not leave me speechless. For three starters, three mains and three mineral waters we have paid 145 PLN (exclusive of the tip), which is around £32. Not bad at all! Especially considering that goose is one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. Simply you get good value for money.

I definitely recommend this place!

Kuchnia i Wino
43-200 Pszczyna
ul. Zdrojowa 4

Sesame roasted asparagus rafts

Hello everyone after a short break! Today I am going straight to the point, rather than write about my trip to Poland, as I am planning two more posts in the near future Poland related.

Asparagus season started over a week ago and there is a huge delay on my blog! Every year I cannot wait fresh local asparagus and I always have asparagus with sea salt and parmesan first. This year I decided to try something else; mainly because I loved the idea of rafts.

I found it in “Good Food”, May 2011 issue, however I misplaced this magazine and I was not sure if I followed the original recipe. After I have made this dinner I realised there could be a recipe on-line. *


It is very tasty on its own, but I also had it with my quickie sort of satay chicken and it went down together very nicely.

Serves 2

10 asparagus stalks, wooden bits removed **
2 tbsp sesame oil (I used roasted one)
2 tsp sesame seeds
some coarse sea salt (or flaky)
freshly ground black pepper

4 bamboo skewers

Heat the oven to 200C.


Place 10 asparagus stalks next to one another. Skewer them crosswise in two places - just below the tips and 3cm from the bottom - with slender bamboo skewers. You will end up with something that looks like a raft.

Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with little sesame oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes turning half way. Sprinkle with sesame seeds 3 minutes before you finish roasting the rafts.

* And there it was. As you can see I did not use any garlic and soy sauce, but I will do it next time. And I roasted rather than grilled this lovely veg.

** With one hand, hold an asparagus stalk at its base. Bend the stalk over with your other hand - the asparagus will break where the woody part ends and the tender part begins. Freeze the woody bits – you can use it for making a stock – beautiful base for asparagus soup or risotto.