SOUS VOUS ...SILVERSIDE SUNDAY 1ST JUNE 2014

The silverside had been left over from another meal , vacuumed sealed and frozen .
Dale is off to Melbourne for work this coming week and my bookings are full , I`m time deficient  and need time saving meals that look a million dollars and are full of  goodness and flavour.
Because the silverside has already been perfectly cooked  the meat only needs to be heated through and the juices thoroughly defrosted .
(always add the juices of the meat to the vacuumed package prior to sealing and  freezing ) .
Next step ...
Place the frozen packet unopened in a water bath .. I use a roasting pan  and fill with enough water to cover the enclosed meat ..

Now work out what time tea will be served ... for purposes of this exercise , tea will be served at 6.45 pm at Castle Garden tonight .....So at 1.45 pm I will place the water bath with meat into the oven set at 60 deg C ....
No you can`t use a slow cooker unless you have one that has an exact  temperature control other than low  / med / high .
The purpose is to warm through not cook.

CRUSTY CORN SOUFFLE ......... GREAT WEEKEND MEAL

 

Heat your oven to a solid 180 deg C .

Melt 60 gm of butter in a medium sized saucepan ...

Remove from heat..

Stir in 3 tbs of flour and 1 x  450 gm tin of creamed corn .

Return to the heat and stir in for 1 minute

Cool slightly and 4 egg yolks , I at a time , beating the mixture well.

Add 1 tbs of chopped parsley .

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites till stiff ,

Fold the stiffened egg mixture into the corn mix , quickly and lightly .

Pour into individual ramequin dishes or one large casserole dish .

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese .

Bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes  or until well risen and golden.

Serve immediately.

 

 

CHICKEN LIVERS STROGANOFF

Prepare 1.5 cups of brown rice in 3 cups of water in a rice steamer
Wash and dry 500gm of chicken livers .
Trim the livers into neat pieces and coat with seasoned flour ( dried basil , marjoram and lemon )
Melt 30 gm of butter or margarine and gently fry the livers till golden brown .
Remove the livers from the pan
Fry 1. medium sized onion and 1. red bullet chilli  that have  been finely sliced in a pan until soft
Add 200gm of freshly sliced button mushrooms , and 1/4 cup of water
Bring to the boil .... add livers.... cover  and reduce to a simmer  for 5 minutes only  .
Stir in 2 tbs of sour cream.
Season with salt and pepper .
Serve over a bed of brown rice.

 

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CAKE SLIDE

Rub 2 oz of butter into 1/2 lb of self raising flour and mix to a workable dough adding milk a little at time  starting with 125 ml.
Gently stretch out to line the base of a lamington tin.
Now top the dough with a healthy spread of jam .
Cream 1/2 a cup of castor sugar and 2 tbs of butter till sugar is completely dissolved and the mix is light and fluffy .
Add 1 beaten egg .
I. cup of sifted s.r. flour
2. tsp of cocoa
1. tsp cinnamon
1. tsp of mixed spice
1/2 cup of milk and vanilla essence .
Pour onto the jam topped mixture and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes .
Ice with vanilla cream cheese icing and sprinkle with nuts .

COOKING CLASS CHURCHILL HUB TUESDAY 27 TH MAY

How much fun was that  ?
Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese piped frosting .
The cakes were amazing .....
Thank you Shelley Giles .....your hands on lesson with cake making tips was nothing less than  amazing , we will definitely invite you back again.
And girls how good were those cakes you made  and decorated ?
In 5 weeks look at how far you have come  .
Well done .

IN SEASON ....PUMPKINS

When pumpkins are at their best this winter try this simple dip or better still spread it over some sour dough bread from Hope Farm and top with some fresh rocket and Gippsland goat`s cheese for a quick lunch .

Cook 500 gm of pumpkin that has been seeded , peeled  and coarsely chopped in boiling water until  tender .
In a fry pan add 1. onion peeled and sliced , along with 1 fat garlic clove  and 1. tbs of olive oil , cook till tender  but not coloured .
Add 2 tsp of ground cumin to  the onion and garlic and warm through until the spice releases it flavour.
Now add the pumpkin mix until the spice mix coats the pumpkin.
Process the pumpkin with 2 tbs of natural Greek yoghurt in a blender until smooth .
Season with salt and pepper and stir through 1. tbs of freshly chopped coriander .
Serve on a crusty sour dough.
Yummo !
 

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Preheat your oven to 175 deg C .
Heat  60 gm of rice bran oil in a heavy based saucepan
Add 250 gm of sliced red onions  and saute till well browned and near caramelised .
Add 2 litres of of beef stock ..
Adjust seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes .
Now toast 6 slices of wholemeal bread  and sprinkle on 200 gm of gruyere cheese .
Now place slices of cheese topped bread in to the stock mix ....make sure each slice is well covered with stock before adding the next .
Place the saucepan into the warmed oven , cook uncovered for 1 hour .
Soup should be very hot , bubbling and browned on the surface  with a rich stock lurking beneath ....
Yum ...

A VERY SIMPLE SLICE

Place 1. cup of each ....dessicated coconut , chopped dates  , castor sugar , and sifted self raising flour in a bowl .
Mix well .
Add 1 beaten egg and 4 ounces of melted butter or margarine..
Press gently into a greased  slice tray .
Bake at 180 deg C  for 35 minutes..

SO YOU THINK POLENTA IS BORING .... give this a whirl !

CORNMEAL PONES WITH DOWNHOME BEANS ....... Caribbean  inspired .

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a large pan and add 2 chopped red onions and one chopped green capsicum .
Cook for 2 minutes .
Chop 4 bacon rashers in to pieces and add to the pan .
Stir in a half a cup of freshly chopped coriander ..
200gm of chopped tomatoes
1. tbs of tomato paste .
Mix all together and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in 1 thinly sliced  red bullet chilli including the seeds ...
Drain  425g tin of cannellini beans and a 425gm of borlotti beans
Stir these into the mix
Season to taste  and keep warm over a low heat .

PONES
Boil 350 ml of water  and pour in to a bowl .
Stir in 175 gm of polenta / cornmeal
Salt to taste
Stand for 10 minutes
Add 2 beaten eggs , beating all the time .
Beat in 1 cup of milk
60 gm of all purpose flour
45 gm of melted butter

Spray a skillet with cooking oil
Drop 1/4 cup of the batter mix into the pan
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side ..
Stack and keep warm while making the rest of the pancakes ...

This is a simple , filling and very tasty dish ..
Enjoy

LIEZEL DE VILLIERS .

Dear Liezel

Your message was very welcomed and I apologise for my tardiness in replying , but here I am .
Please use the link to view my blog and my recipes for using offal......
There are many recipes for offal on my blog , and I have  made them all ...They make for very wholesome meals and using offal supports my belief that when we slaughter an animal for food we should use all the animal .
I do eat most parts of the animal that are slaughtered for meat production and the recipes for offal make for amazing taste and flavour.
In Australia offal isn't all that popular and considered by many to be very old school or old fashioned .
But not me  !
I love it and so do 2 of my sons but the other 3 won`t touch it !
It makes for great conversation at the dinner table .
Please do not hesitate if I can assist in you in anyway in your  article on offal.
Just recently I posted recipes for Giblet broth.......Pressed tongues of sheep......Lamb head dinner ...
Curried brains are amazing  as too is tripe Lyonnaise .
If you are still interested I would be happy to forward a photo.
Regards
Noelene


 

COOKING CLASSES @ CHURCHILL HUB

TUESDAY MORNING CLASS 20th May

Curry from scratch

TUESDAY AFTERNOON CLASS  20th May

Simple Asian

THURSDAY EVENING 22nd May

Souffle ...Lemon Delicious

CARAMEL SPONGE .....(A personal favourite )

Melt 2.5 ozs of butter with 1 cup of brown sugar ....but do not boil......  to make a caramel .
Gradually add 2 cups of boiling  milk and stir till dissolved .
Now add 3 beaten egg yolks .
Now heat in a pan over a saucepan of boiling water ...stir until the mixture coats the spoon ..( as for a custard )
Allow to cool.
Then add 2  dessertspoons of powered gelatine .
Beat the 3 egg whites till they are stiff.
Fold the egg whites into the batter .
Pour into individual ramekins or a serving dish and allow to set in a refrigerator

ALMOND CHEESECAKE

Line your  patty tins with puff pastry rounds.
Beat the egg white of 1 egg  till stiff gradually adding 3 ozs of castor sugar and a 1/2 tsp of nutmeg .
Now add 1 beaten egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of melted butter together .
 Add to egg white mixture .
Add 2 ozs of ground almonds
3 drops of almond essence
! tsp of rice flour
Stir gently, but well
Place a small amount of mixture in each pastry case .
Bake in a hot oven 200deg C for 20 minutes.
 

COLD LEMON SOUFFLE

Separate the yolks and whites of 3 eggs
Beat the yolks with  4 ozs of castor sugar in a basin over a pan of boiling water till the consistency of cream
Grate the rinds of 2 lemons into the mixture.
Now squeeze the juice of the 2 lemons and add gradually to the mixture  but make sure you stir all the time .
In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites still they are stiff,
Beat 1 cup of cream till thick
Now this is the tricky bit 1/2 cup of cooled lemon jelly...1 step before it thickens .
Now I want you to add the jelly , cream and egg whites together
 And add the egg yolk mixture  .
Whip it all together till it begins to set .
Now pour this into individual buttered moulds or 1 large buttered casserole dish .
Stand in lower part of your refrigerator to set .
Traditionally this soufflé is decorated with almonds and crystallised cherries .(. optional )
Serve very cold .

PINEAPPLE TAPIOCA SOUFFLE

Soak 2 tbs of  tapioca  overnight , in enough water to cover .
Place in saucepan and cook till clear and soft .
Add  2 cups of crushed pineapple , pinch of  salt and a 1/2 cup of sugar .
Cook for 10 minutes with a gentle simmer .
Remove from the heat.
Fold in two eggs whites that have been beaten till they are stiff .
Turn into a buttered pie dish .
Bake till set and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator .
Serve with cold custard made from the left over egg yolks

GIBLET BROTH

Wash 2 sets of  giblets thoroughly.
Cut into small pieces , and place in a saucepan with 1 litre of water , 6 cloves , 1 blade of mace  and a tsp of salt .
Peel and slice 2 red onions into thin slices and add to the pot.
Simmer gently for 2 hours .
Strain , retaining  the broth .
Wash  2 tbsp. of sago and soak for 10 minutes , strain and add to the broth .
reheat and bring to gentle simmer , continue for 15 minutes .
Serve hot.

PRESSED TONGUES OF SHEEP

Soak 6 salted sheep tongues in cold water for 2 hours .
Drain
Place the tongues in cold water in a saucepan .
Add  2 bay leaves , 1 tbs of peppercorns , 1 tsp of marjoram ,  and a small bunch of parsley finely cut.

Slowly bring to the boil , and simmer gently for approximately 1.5 hours , until the tongues are tender .
Remove any scum as it rises during cooking .
remove the tongues from the water , skin them and remove any gristle or bone .
Press the tongues into a bowl or dish large enough to hold them .
Place a piece of board on top of them  and place a weight on top .
Leave covered overnight in refrigerator .
To serve , turn out of the dish  and slice to serve .

COVERING ALL THE OPTIONS

Researching the variations of the recipe for   "Sand Cake " , I came across this description........
"the texture is somewhere between a sponge and a heavy tea cake  " REALLY !
Like  noting ones age somewhere between life and death !

 

GENERAL RULES FOR CAKES........

From ...ADVANCED  COMMONSENSE COOKERY BOOK   

Many factors contribute to the success of a cake ...

1. See that the oven is ready and that tins are prepared and all ingredients at hand .

2. Weigh or measure ingredients accurately.

3. Fruit should be washed, picked over and thoroughly dried . Damp fruit makes a cake heavy .

4. Blanch almonds by pouring over boiling water , allow to stand a few minutes and peel .

5. When the recipe requires peel , wash and dry peel so as to remove sugar , and cut it up finely .

6. When bicarbonate of soda is used , crush well before measuring . It may be dissolved in milk or sifted in with the flour .

7. The plainer and cheaper the flour the more baking powder or cream of tartar and soda is required .

8. Large sponge cakes do not require any baking powder.

9.Fruit cakes may be made darker  by using brown sugar , powdered cinnamon  and brandy.
Long slow cooking also intensifies the colour of cakes.

10. Biscuit mixtures should be stiff.

11. Scones should be mixed to a soft dough.

HELP !

METTERNICH CAKE


I have researched this cake and I get cross referenced to Sachertote , and the history of  Viennese nobility , Lord Metternich and a young  16 year old   ( Master Sacher ) who made a version of Metternick `s favourite sweet.


The recipe I have is more than 82 years old .


The ingredients .........
4 eggs
6 ozs castor sugar
Finely grated lemon grind or chopped peel
5 ozs flour
1/4 tsp of baking powder
Pinch of cinnamon


It should be baked in a diamond shaped tin


The only reference made to Vienna is its recommendation to fill the layers with chocolate Vienna icing ..........


Does anyone have any ideas or knowledge on this recipe.......


What about PARISIAN CAKE ?


This is made with a short crust  .....getting nothing like this when I googled it .

GOLDEN SYRUP PUDDING

Finely grate the lemon  peel of 1 lemon
In a bowl mix together 250gm breadcrumbs
125 gm of all purpose flour sifted with 1 tsp of baking powder
60gm of dark brown sugar
125gm of shredded suet
Add the lemon rind and the juice of the lemon.


Beat 2 eggs and add them to the mixture
Add 2 tbs of golden syrup
150 ml of milk


Evenly stir the mixture .


Place the batter in a well buttered basin and seal with lid , otherwise use  baking paper that has a large pleat in the middle , tie it securely to the basin.
Steam in a larger pot for 2.5 hours .
Serve with extra golden syrup that has been heated with half its quantity of water.

 

A LAMB`S HEAD DINNER

Taken from .....THE CHARLES DICKENS COOKBOOK   ...1982 edition...

This is a brilliant dish and very relevant today....

Clean the head and split it to accomodate it in a saucepan.
Soak the head in cold salted water to remove the blood.
Drain.
Place the head in a saucepan and cover with col water.
Bring to the boil and skim the surface well.
Add 3  whole carrots , 2 whole  parsnips , 2 whole  turnips , 2 large onions which should be sliced .
Add a bunch of parsley , roughly chopped.
Season with salt and pepper .
Stir until the liquid comes to the boil again ...simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender
Add 60 gm of oatmeal which serves to thicken the liquid .
If you require a thicker juice add more oatmeal in the last hour of cooking .
Remove the head from the saucepan and take the meat off it .
Chop the brains  , skin and slice the tongue .
Keep hot .
Serve the meat surrounded by the vegetables  and some of thickened liquid.
 

SPAGHETTI ALLA NORCINA

A while ago  Shelley Giles  gave me the gift of a small bottle of black summer truffles . They are Italian truffles and ever since I have been looking for the right recipe to use them in .
Today in class we made beautiful pasta , it was silken pasta .
I was so impressed with our results I came home in  between classes and made more pasta with the truffles as a supplement in mind .

SPAGHETTI ALLA NORCINA
Roll out and cut the pasta in its silken state , and boil the spaghetti till it is el dente  ( approx. 400 gm ).
Heat a good glug of olive oil in a small pan .
Saute 3 cloves of sliced garlic
Now add 3 anchovy fillets cut into pieces ...into the oil and garlic mix.
Reduce heat and allow the anchovies to disintergrate.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix 3 three thinly sliced truffles into the anchovy paste .
Season with salt and pepper .
Drain the spaghetti and spread the truffle and anchovy mix over the spaghetti...
Dress with torn flat parsley.
 

SERPENTONE DELLE MONACHE ......SNAKE CAKE

I need to lighten my mood from the imminent shadow of doom , bought on by the handing down of the Australian federal budget 2014 .
Preheat oven to 180 deg C
Cut 3 prunes  and 3 dried figs into small pieces
Mix the prunes and figs with 1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup of chopped pine nuts
1/2 cup of stevia sugar
1 cup of rice bran oil
2 tbs of marsala
Mix well and leave rest for flavours to develop . ( 2 hours )

Prepare a dough using a 1/4 cup of sugar , 1 cup of rice bran oil and 400 gm of all purpose flour ..roll into a ball cover with cling wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Roll, out the dough thinly into a rectangle , spread the apple slices and nut /fruit mixture on top ....roll up the dough . Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar crystals .
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 mins till dough is coloured .
Remove and cool on cooling rack dress with  a coating of sieved icing sugar .

Slice to serve .

FEDERAL BUDGET .......2014

Here comes world  inflation for Australia ......everyone will suffer .` This is class warfare pure and simple `( LDV)  ..but not one person I know admits to voting liberal ....How dumb are Australians ???

BAKED SPAGHETTI FRITTATA

Preheat your oven to 190 deg C
Place 250 gm of  fettuccine into boiling water cook till el dente
Meanwhile heat  a good glug of oil in a large pan or oven proof dish  and add 2 thinly sliced onions , 2 cloves of garlic  and 2  sliced green capsicums  , cook over a moderate heat till soft .
Drain your spaghetti and add to the pan with 2 tomatoes  peeled and cubed
Toss gently to mix ....set aside

In another bowl , beat 6 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk , salt and pepper
Pour this mixture over the pan or an oven proof dish  which has the spaghetti and peppers .....
Season with salt and pepper .
Sprinkle 250 gm of mozarella cheese on top
Bake for 15 minutes
This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.
 

MEXICAN EGGS..........4.00PM - 6.00PM COOKING CLASS

In Mexico , this colourful spicy dish is known as Huevos Rancheros (ranch style eggs ).

Heat a good glug of oil in a large heavy based pan , (one that has a lid )...4tbs oil
Add 2 large onions , coarsely chopped
4 fat cloves of garlic  , finely chopped

Saute until softened and aromatic

Add 1 tsp of chilli powder
2 green and 2 red capsicums sliced and seeded
Mix in and stir till softened

Now add 1 can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer gently  for 20 minutes uncovered

Now with the back of a wooden spoon make 4 hollows in the tomato mix and crack an egg into each.

Cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook for 3 minutes.
Mix together 120gm of grated strong cheddar cheese with 4 tbs of grated parmesan .
Sprinkle the cheese mix over the eggs
Cover the pan and cook again for 2 minutes , or until the eggs are cooked to your liking
.
Serve immediately with tortillas or triangles of hot buttered toast .

TUESDAY MORNING COOKING CLASS..........BASIC PASTA.

NOELENE`S COOKING CLASS @ CHURCHILL HUB   TUESDAY..10AM -12.MIDDAY

BASIC PASTA......

For every 100gm of flour used add 1 egg......
3.5 cups ( 400gm ) of all purpose flour  ( 00 Flour )
4 Eggs
1/2 tsp salt.

For the dough , sieve the flour onto a working surface and make a well in the middle .
Add the salt and eggs ( unbeaten ) .
(.you can make the same pasta with just the yolks or just the whites or no eggs at all )
Mix the eggs with some flour in the well in the middle .
Then the dough will be kneaded well and long enough for it to become silky smooth and workable , so it can be rolled out very thin.
Cut into strips and hang over a clothes horse to air dry before being cooked in boiling lightly salted  water  till el dente .
Drain and place in warm serving bowls ......

Garlic , Sage And Burnt Butter Sauce .

Saute 2 fat garlic cloves which have been finely sliced in a little rice bran oil along with 1 onion finely sliced .
Cook till the garlic and onion are translucent and aromatic .
Then add 5 tbs of butter ...mix well and once completely melted add a cup of torn sage leaves to the butter and continue to gently cook till the butter turns golden.

Drizzle over drained spaghetti
Dress with slivers of  fresh sage .





 

MEALS ON OFFER @ CASTLE GARDEN MAY 12th - MAY 16th

MONDAY........12th

Spice Crusted Ling 
ABC Delicious pg 78


TUESDAY........13th

Stir Fry Of  Kangaroo  With  Pepper  And  Garlic
Thai Bible pg 160

WEDNESDAY 14th

Quinoa , Chicken and Black Beans
Grains pg 132

THURSDAY 15th

Stir Fry Of Lamb with Garlic shoots and chilli
Thai Bible Pg 162

FRIDAY 16th

Ikan Goreng Tauleu
Great Asian Cookbook Pg 264

COLES NEW WORLD PLATTERS

When time is tight and you have obligations to fulfil , do what you can and  allocate the rest to people you trust and that will follow your instructions .....
I was placed in that position on Saturday , so I took up the wonderful service offered by Coles New World stores , ( the Coles New World store I use is Coles New World George St Morwell .) and asked the deli to plate up the seafood  and cold meat platters for me , there was no cooking involved just platting up the cold meats and cooked seafood.
The pricing was good and comparable to what I would have paid had I had the time to plate up these platters.
All the platters had been  prepared fresh on the day I picked them up .
It`s a great service and not unlike using frozen pastry for your quiches or pre made pastry cases , it`s about time management and giving your guests the best possible option.

CHOCOLATE CURLS CAKE

That amazing cake was a chocolate curls cake ..
Laufa Oakley made a Chocolate curls cake for my birthday....,
It was amazing and had a  cloud like texture , it was decorated with hand made chocolate panels and  chocolate curls .
Laufa is one amazing cake decorator and a natural cook .

And just a thank you to Marion Oakley and Stacey Hammer for assisting Nicole to set up the Churchill Hotel function room.

It was such a great night you can do it all again next year !!!!

A FULL ON WEEKEND

 SAT 10TH MAY

10 Platters to be delivered for birthday celebrations

Mothers  Day cooking demonstartions  at Mid valley

Then off to Melbourne , to prepare for the Mothers Day High Tea , at the Melbourne Town Hall.


MONDAY 12TH MAY......
The platters were delivered ...
The demonstrations at Mid Valley ,were so much fun and well attended . Children are so imaginative when it comes to crushing biscuits and I actually thought there was more tasting going on as opposed to making mum chocolate balls. There were  some really chocolaty faces at the end of the classes.
It was lovely to meet and work alongside Val from My Kitchen Moves . Check out the web site .

Laufa and I prepped our tastings in the kitchen of the Melbourne Town Hall , we worked alongside Jennifer  ( one half of the winning team of My Kitchen Rules  in 2012 )
The food was amazing and plated up by eager young volunteers , the tables were waited on by efficient young males .
Not only did the food look good but it tasted amazing , there were sandwiches,  pastries  both sweet and savoury, shots of gazpacho , chocolate flavoured sweet treats of all varieties .Fruits and  yoghurts , coffee , teas and champagne .
It was amazing , all the tickets had been sold . I was still pinching myself this morning .
The speakers were interesting , the company was friendly and all the monies raised is going towards a health centre for homeless women .
Mental health is a huge problem in our community and can effect any of us at anytime without notice.
Mental health does not discriminate.
The Mothers Day High Tea at the Melbourne Town Hall was organised and run by Moral Fairground ..moralfairground.com.au

What is Moral Fairground...
It is about creating platforms to connect both the traditional and conscious consumer to the ethical business sector
To provide opportunities to share knowledge and best practices .
Showcase and recognise enterprises that are doing good via their trading practices.

What has been achieved so far ?
we have established the biggest ethical festival in Australia ...The Fair @Square  (Fed Square Melb )
..The Victorian Fair Trade Fortnight.
....Ethical Enterprise Award ...to recognise and celebrate conscious business and ethical leaders.
..Programs and events to educate and motivate cosumers and businesses to connect and act to make a posive change.
 

VEGETARIAN / VEGAN... ECT.

VEGAN........
A person who will not eat the meat or products derived from any animal or once living animal or once living creature including eggs , milk , fish ...honey is excluded by some.


VEGETARIAN ........
A person who avoids eating the flesh of a once living creatures although some will eat animal products such as eggs , milk  and milk products and fish .


LACTO VEGETARIAN.......
A person who will not eat animal flesh , fish poultry or eggs but will eat milk and milk products .


LACTO OVO VEGETARIAN........
A person who will not eat poultry, animal flesh or fish , but will eat eggs and milk products .

THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT

The cooking classes  are so much fun ....
It`s all about the food ......the memories , the teachers ..mums , nans , aunts ..but more importantly it was about the scones that rose  and coloured ...the scones that you made with your fingers and a knife  and nothing stirred , we spoke about salt , about cream and warmed milk  (Really ! ) and the necessity of a teatowel We patted and never pounded , there was not a vegemite glass in sight to cut the dough .
Your scones were of simple ingredients and everyone enjoyed the success of a great scone , they were amazing ...you may have had to be reminded but now you will always use your fingers to make scones and the palm of your hand to make silken pasta dough .
Next week ..Tues am ...we will attempt perfect cupcakes ..
 Tues pm ...Eggs 3 ways .
Thursday night ...it`s all about soup.
There is so much to be shared ........
See you there .

NOELENE`S COOKING CLASS....CHURCHILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE @ THE CHURCHILL HUB

PUDDING CHOMEUR

This is a classic French Canadian dessert.
 " Chomeur" means unemployed thus indicating the preparation of this dish is inexpensive.
This is a self saucing pudding which is easy to make with no fuss preparation.


Preheat the oven to 160 D C


The Cake
1.5 cups of self raising flour 
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk 1 egg


The sauce
1/4 tsp of vanilla essence
2 cups of brown sugar
2 cups of boiling water
1/4 cup butter


In a bowl beat egg, sugar, and butter together
Add the flour , alternating  with milk.
pour the batter into a greased cake tin or a deep pie dish .


Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan ,
Boil for two minutes
Pour over the top of the cake batter
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes , should be golden brown .


Let the pudding stand for 5 minutes and it stops bubbling.
Serve with a vanilla ice cream or runny cream

CANEDERLI DI PANCETTA IN BRODO (Dumplings in Soup )

This is an absolute ripper of a recipe and so easy , it makes for a very elegant meal .




For the dumplings ......




1. Loaf of stale bread , approx. 300gm
About 2/3 cup of milk
20gm of butter
1. onion diced
2. fat cloves of garlic , finely chopped
3. eggs
150gm of pancetta  ..( bacon will do )  finely diced .
A handful of parsley finely diced
Salt and pepper to season
1 cup of plain flour to bind
Parmesan cheese to serve




For the broth.....




Clear chicken stock  ( 2 litres  approx. )
1, carrot, diced or julienne
1. celery stick , cut identical to the carrot
4 shallots diced
1. small red bullet chilli with seeds included  ( optional )
salt and pepper for flavouring .




To start with , you crumble the bread and place the crumbs in a bowl .
Warm the milk and pour over the bread ,let it stand till all the milk has been absorbed .
Saute garlic , chilli and onion in the butter in a pan,
Beat the eggs and add in batches  to the bread mix , followed by the sautéed garlic , chilli  and onion.
Add the diced parsley and pancetta
Check the flavour , use salt sparingly as the pancetta /bacon is salty .
Now add the flour to  bind the mixture , and form into a workable dough
Tear off  pieces and  form into small round balls . roll the balls over a floured bench
Place prepared dumplings in the fridge and allow to stand for  30 minutes .
Meanwhile make the broth


Bring the chicken stock to the boil and reduce to a gentle simmer .
Add the vegetables and simmer for  10- 15 minutes


In another pot boil a good amount of water and then reduce to a strong simmer
Add the dumplings , a few at a time to the simmering water ... (the dumplings will fall apart if the water is boiling ).
When cooked the dumplings will  rise to the top.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place  5-6 dumplings in a bowl .
Ladle the broth and vegetables over the dumplings and s.erve with grated parmesan cheese

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER

"NO MATTER HOW YOUNG YOU ARE....


YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO SET A NEW GOAL


OR


TO DREAM A NEW DREAM "

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ..... 1ST MAY ....

Thank you to everyone for all your good wishes , phone calls , messages and  gifts from close friends .

My beautiful family affording me the time to share this special day with me .

I am a very fortunate person .

Love
Noelene and Mum  xx

Eating out  ?
I can recommend Café   Escargot , Mirboo North . Victoria....03 56681589
Dining with a very pleasant difference.

Saltbush Restaurant .139 Commercial Rd , Morwell . Victoria ....03 51348550
Great menu selection and delicious food . Friendly , efficient service .

COOKING CLASSES ......

The cooking classes were well attended
We introduced ourselves over a cuppa and spoke of our expectations of  attending the classes ...
I then told the classes how I intend to fill their expectations over the coming weeks.
Everyone had been asked to bring along a tea towel , because the first lesson was making scones .
There was not a rolling pin in sight , just a bowl, flour , salt , butter , milk and a knife at everyone`s station .
We followed a basic scone recipe dispelling a lot of common myths about making scones along the way.
It was so much fun , and we soon became friends sharing horror stories of past scone failures and some who had never attempted scones before .
The class shared memories of nanas and aunts who made scones so differently to the way we were.
Then the anxious wait of the class bending to watch their scones rise fluffy and high in the oven .
There were smiles and real excitement as they wrapped their scones in their tea towels to take home and share with their family friends .
We talked about stevia  ....as a natural sweetener
Next week we are going to work with grains ......
black rice
cracked rice
red rice
brown rice
wild rice
buckwheat
quinoa red
couscous
bourghoul
lentils
barley
Just remember everyone is welcome ....