.SLOW COOKED BEEF CHEEKS ....Guancia di manzo

There`s nothing like the velvety , gelantinous quality beef cheeks develop with long slow cooking .

Season 6 beef cheeks.....approx. 1.5 kg well with salt and pepper.
Heat  60ml of rice bran oil over a high heat in a large heavy pot , add the beef cheeks as soon as the oil starts to smoke.
Cook until browned on both sides , then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Now add 2 large red onions that have been quartered , 2 carrots that have been cut into rounds , 2 stalks of celery that have been chopped, and 125 gm of  cubed pancetta .
Cook over a moderate heat till the vegetables are softened ..stirring frequently.
Now add  500 ml of full bodied red wine .
500 ml of skinned and diced .....fresh tomatoes
Bring slowly to the boil .
Add the beef cheeks and simmer gently
Place a wet crumpled piece of baking paper over the top of the pot and place the lid securely over the paper and cook on a low heat for 3 and a half hours .
Serve in heated dishes on a bed of creamy polenta .

 

3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Laufa this simple recipe caused more stress than you would believe  ..
Thanks for sharing the recipe ...mmmmm.!


Using ice cream is a novel way to substitute  the milk, sugar and butter in a normal cake recipe.


I  &1/2  Cups of full cream chocolate ice - cream  melted .
1 Cup of cake flour .. ( use Lighthouse low protein s.r flour  this already has the baking powder added.)
OR
Alternatively use 1 cup of all purpose flour  ( plain flour )
1.5 tsp of baking powder .......This third ingredient must be omitted if using low protein s.r. flour
Mix  the s.r flour into melted ice cream
OR
Mix the plain flour and the baking powder into the melted ice cream with a hand held electric beater .
Pour the batter into a greased log pan and bake for 30 minutes in an oven heated at 180 deg C


This is not a sweet cake  and I recommend that if you make this cake  ..use 1 cup of full cream ice cream and 1/2 cup of chocolate topping

CAKE FLOUR

What is cake flour.. ?
I first came across the term in   "The Cake Bible " by Rose Levy Beranbaum ..
The term is commonly used in American recipes .
According to my dictionary of food by Charles Sinclair   " it is a very  high extraction  low protein  white flour used for making  light textured cakes."
Well that cleared up nothing ......!
I asked two qualified cooks , one didn't know ... the other said it was just self raising flour ..really ?
At this stage I`m still unsure ...... actually I`m none the wiser.
Why do I need to know  ? Because my friend Laufa sent me recipe for a cake with just 3 ingredients and you guessed it one of them was cake flour !!!
Grrr.
Surely , somewhere in my collection of cookbooks there must be a simple definition of cake flour.
Got it .
In the glossary of Women`s Weekly .. COOK.
Cake flour has a lower protein level and the least amount of gluten of all wheat flours , therefore delivering a delicate and tender finish .... so much for the trained chef ...it is an all purpose flour .. plain flour .It`s ideal in sponge cakes and some cookie batters.
So if the recipe calls for cake flour  and of course we haven't got it , substitute plain, all purpose flour  and simply subtract 2 level tablespoons of flour for every cup of flour called for in the recipe.
Now we can all have a go at the 3 ingredient cake recipe.

CELEBRATE EVERYDAY

I know and I`ve met people who are experiencing diseases  and illnesses , some treatments are ongoing ..... some of these people get reprieve and medicate when necessary ...the illnesses and diseases are terminal .. and when I meet with these people there is an unspoken sense of positivity , a true gratefulness in being alive....nobody speaks about  how  bad the terrible  days  are ... or the what if..
It`s  all about here and now
One of the girls who attend my Tuesday class told me she was missing from class today because of inconclusive medical  test results and a  now a hospital procedure is needed .
She touched my hand and said " no matter what the result I`m here and I won`t give up  , and can`t wait to get back to the cooking classes "

FRYING PAN APPLE CAKE .....Torta di mele in padella

The texture of this cake is quite breadlike and is delicious with thickened cream.

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C

Melt 40 gm of butter in a non stick 23 cm round fry pan , over a gentle heat.
Add 5 golden delicious  that have been peeled , cored and thinly quartered .
Fry until golden brown on all sides , about 10 minutes .
Sprinkle over 2 tbs of brown sugar ..Set aside

Sift 275 gm of plain flour  with 3 tsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt in to a bowl .Set aside

Beat 2 eggs and 110 gm of castor sugar , 2 tsp of vanilla essence  and 1/2 tsp of cardamom  with 185 ml of milk in a small mixing bowl until smooth .

Now fold in the flour mixture, until just combined .

Spoon the combined mixture over the apples in the pan  and bake for 30 minutes , or until a skewer inserted comes out clean..
Turn out onto a flat plate  and serve hot with thickened cream.
 

N0 8.........JOHN LAWSON`S RESTAURANT......THE CROWN ATRIUM... MELBOURNE , VICTORIA . AUSTRALIA

WEDNESDAY   9TH JULY   2014

CHEF.....JOHN LAWSON

RESTAURANT......NO 8....CROWN ATRIUM .


Roasted Gippsland quail
braised radicchio, citrus and pancetta salad

Confit Ora King Salmon
soy salt crab and sweet corn succotash

Pan fried hapuka
Warrigal greens, clams , bouillabaisse

72% Cocoa and coffee fondant
served with buttermilk ice cream

Rum caramel banana split ,
banana bread , cream and toasted hazelnuts.

I was invited as a guest of the chef  John Lawson and enjoyed the company of other invitees  at the table.
My sons Paul , Dale and daughter Nicole attended the restaurant and enjoyed the choices from the full menu as patrons of the restaurant and commended the meals and the service.
None of the staff were aware we were related or that we came together.

I can and will recommend Restaurant No 8  to anyone expecting good food  , a varied menu , using produce  sourced from the  greater Gippsland area  and excellent table service .
The chef John Lawson  is a very congenial and creative  cook , his manner and looks are not unlike Ben Shewry from Attica ...now there`s a compliment !

MOIST ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE .....Patricia O`Donnell

This delicious cake is easy to make and keeps well , it can be eaten by itself , served with ice cream  or fresh berries.


Pre heat your oven to 180 deg C
Place 3 oranges in a pot of boiling water and boil for an hour.
When the oranges are cooked , cut the oranges up and remove any seeds  and large pieces of pith .
Puree in a food processor . Set aside .
Beat together 250 gm of sugar  with 6 eggs  till creamy and thick .
Add the oranges to 250 gm of almond meal
Now fold this mix into the egg mixture .
Pour into a prepared pan  and bake in the oven for 1 hour.