going bananas

The next instalment in the instant gelato range. My love affair with banana gelato continues, almost as good as via Nazionale in a Roma and without the 27 hour flight!
The fancy pants additions are some toasted cake triangles and a raspberry compote.

Instant Banana Gelato

• 4 large bananas
• 200ml thickened cream
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 30g icing sugar (optional or a table spoon of honey)
• juice of half a lemon

Method

• Slice bananas into 1 cm pieces. It is best to try and lay them flat so that when you put them in the food processor they aren't in big clump.  Squeeze over the lemon juice to stop them going brown. Freeze until firm, about an hour, or do it the day before.
• Banana and remaining ingredients to a food processor and blend for 60 seconds, until smooth.

Again so simple and it's fruit so it's healthy right?

History repeating

With the party season well and truly upon us, I remember the party food of my childhood. Not kids food but the food the adults would have, smoked oysters, cheese and cabanossi, and vol au vents
Bacon Canapes (pronounced KaNaps not Canopay) are pretty lame but I remember them so fondly, mainly for making an appearance at every function. They were also something that as a kid I could make.
I have upgraded the ingredients from the orginal, maybe just a sign of the times, free range bacon, colby instead of plastic cheese, butter instead of margarine.

Bacon KaNaps

• 1 bagette
• 2 rashers of bacon, sliced in 2cm pieces
• 6 sliced of colby cheese quatered
• butter

Method

• Slice the bagette into 1 cm pieces
• Spread with a little butter and place on a baking tray
• Place a piece of cheese on each round
• Top with a piece of bacon
• Bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden.

I'm turning violet, Violet.

Another in the 60 second gelato range, blueberry cheesecake. With summer on the way and a predicted 38 degrees in Melbourne tomorrow, I am dreaming about anything that's frozen. Oh how I can relate to pastry, I hate the heat!!
Because this is so time consuming at 60 seconds you can spend another couple of minutes and go fancy pants with the plating. The base adds a yummy crunchy crumb, but is optional if you do have the time.

Blueberry cheesecake gelato

• 500 grams frozen blueberries
• 250 grams cottage cheese (or ricotta)
• 100 grams icing sugar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)

Method

• Blend all together in a food processor till smooth.

Biscuit base

• 60grams plain biscuits
• 30grams almonds
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup

Method

• Melt butter and golden syrup together (about 45 second in a microwave)
• Add all ingredients to food processor and blend to fine crumb
• To save on wash up you can make the crumb first, wipe out the processor and then make the ice cream. Use commonsense as if people have nut allergies, that could be an awkward end to a dinner party.
• This recipe is enough for about 6 bases and gelato to spare.

You can plate fancy in a ring mold, put it in a bowl, or just go straight from the processor bowl. I am too embrassased to admit my normal plating scenario, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

I probably need to see someone about my purple obsession.

Ice cream in under 60 seconds

Just like the ice cream this post will be done in under 60 seconds.
Ultra quick and I like to think on the healthier side.
Seriously it too longer to plate and take the photo than to make it.

Mixed Berry 60 Second Gelato

• 500grams frozen mixed berries
• 100grams icing sugar
• 300ml light cream.

Method
In a food processor blend all together for 60 seconds and you're done.
I like the texture of the pips and seeds because it means your eating real fruit and not a fake flavour, but you can blend for longer for a smoother texture.

Let them eat Catfood

Family heirlooms can be funny things. The value of these items is rarely determined by dollars or sense. The most expensive diamond can not compare to a childhood Christmas angel, dirty, ratty and missing a hand.

The same is the case with family food heirlooms. It can be that one dish that no matter who makes it doesn't taste the same as the Nan's, or it can just be the dish itself. For me it is my Nanna's cream of chicken soup I have been trying to master for years, I'm close to cracking the secret, I think it's nutmeg.
AB's all time favourite is a "dish" that is known by the family as Catfood. Before I came along and took over the kitchen I do believe that a large percentage of AB's diet was made up of Catfood. Surely some of you have turned away in horror, as you should, Catfood is horrid, I mean it with love but I can't stand the stuff. I wasn't going to post the recipe just in case it was a breach of the charter of human rights, but seeing it was AB's birthday this is an extra present.
Please if you make it you do so at your own risk, although I an worried that there will be a flood of comments from people that actually love it!!
My next challenge is to do a pimped up version of catfood that I'd eat.

Catfood
makes a huge tray so it can be frozen for lunches

• 1kg of pasta, Penne works well but any short pasta will do.
• 2 cans of tuna
• 2 bottles of passata
• grated cheese to cover, I'd say about 2.5kg is needed to make it taste OK, but a 500g bag will also do the job.

Method

• Cook pasta and drain.
• Add tuna and passata/sauce to baking dish
• Add pasta and stir through
• Add cheese
• Bake at 180 degrees C for 35-40 mins until golden.
• You can try with adding onion or herbs,but be aware they aren't part of the original recipe as I found out.

Being the birthday week there has to be a cake and in the words of Kath Day-Knight, lets just say I like to team with a theme.

Layer upon Layer upon Layer

The chickies have finally arrived!
Their presence has been about a year and a bit in the making. The process could have been made very simple by going and getting a flat packed coop at the hardware store and be done with it, but from all the reviews I have read that is just asking for your chooks to become a fox's dinner.
The coop we settled on wasn't cheap but it was the best option for happy, safe birds as well as it being built for life. It is so well made that if you put a solid roof, sides and floor, I'd happily move in. The girls, Flo, Dorrie and Mrs Whit, moved into number 96 and we so loving themselves sick in their new home, Flo was laying less than 24 hours in. The other 2 have been a bit slower to come to the party. but they are aware that I have a copy of "101 chicken dishes".
They have averaged 1 egg a day but today we got 2 so things are looking up. I need to explain to them about my baking so they understand prolific production, mine and in turn hopefully theirs.
I don't mind getting the girls out as they love a bit of free range action, plus they are way better than TV. Even though they are yet to love cuddles, they have all managed to pay a little visit while I have been writing this post. why is it everything in my life is apposed to cuddles? (outside on laptop, chickes ain't coming inside)

 

 

 

 

The first egg didn't get the royal treatment of being served with truffle, it ended up in a timpano as I had run out. We did however have the cermonial first breakfast with poached egg on smoked salmon muffin and minature asparagus from the garden. There would have been holiandese but the girls weren't quite up to that just yet.

 

Shaken, Stirred and all over the bench!

I'm not a fan of alcohol.
There will be friends reading this who may have possibly choked at this statement.
What I mean to say is I'm not a fan of the taste of alcohol. I like a good red or white or beer, but when it comes to spirits I need a good dose of mixer. Call me Sir Mixalot.
It is strange really as I started drinking when I was quite young, I was 6. The drink of choice for the grown ups at the dinner table was Boronia (Marsala) and coke, mine was coke with a faked pour that wouldn't have amounted to 1ml. Saturday mornings would see me up early to watch the Smurfs while the family slept, which of course would be accompanied by a Boronia and coke. OK I need to be honest, the bar was closer to the TV than the fridge so there was no Coke. Drinking straight Marsala oh how I loved the Smurfs.

With Marsala at 6 it was time to move onto the hard stuff at 12. I remember having a sore throat that was so painful I couldn't sleep and was in tears from the agony. Being a caring parent, who would like to have got some sleep at 2am, my father gave me a tumbler of orange juice. He said to drink it all in one go, that because it was cold it would numb my throat and help me sleep. Being the obedient child I was I sculled it down in one, a tumbler of straight scotch! It was not cold it burnt, but I did sleep.
 
I thought the martini drinker to be the height of class and sophistication so I was devastated when I had my first one and loathed the taste, oh it was awful. So when I was offered an espresso martini I politely declined, till my friend said "it just tastes like coffee." OK I'll give it a burl.
She was right it was a delicious iced espresso with only the faintest taste of alcohol, 4 more, just to make sure and I was hooked.
That week I hit the liquor store and got all the equipment (when I say "hit the liquor store" to my overseas readers I mean "went to" not robbed)

 restaurant quality

 
 
 
I'll share the recipe I used but I reduced the vodka and Kahlua to 1oz each. Also just a quiet tip, don't double the recipe and make 2 in the one cocktail shaker, yes Miss Moneypenny, it ended up all over the kitchen bench. It is much more elegant to drink it from a martini glass than slurp it off the laminex.
 
Espresso Martini

• 1 oz  espresso
• 1 1/2 oz Absolut® vodka
• 1 1/2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
• 1 oz white creme de cacao
•  

Method

• Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into chilled martini glass. It should be somewhat frothy.
• I used hot espresso straight from the machine rather than cold.
 

I would also advise to drink responsibly and it is not a good idea for 6 and 12 year olds to be drinking even with the Smurfs.  And please don't drink drive, not only is it illegal and dangerous, it's a laundry detergent and tastes vile.