All posts tagged: cooking

The Se7ven Link Challenge

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The duck population are partying today! Time for me to stay inside and enjoy a virtual vacation visiting all of you, and catching up with what I’ve missed. Everyone has been busy in the kitchen, I’ve been visually overindulgent soaking up all the new recipes and fresh and seasonal produce that I’m seeing around the country, and I never have enough time to catch up with all the great photographers and their textured Art. As I was unable to acknowledge the last award I was given,( Versatile Blogger) I thought I might acknowledge this person in this the Seven Link Challenge, so you could all visit her and see her talents. She’s number one on my list of bloggers. Initially I learnt about this challenge from Mandy over at her blog                            The Complete Cookbook, her knowledge and cooking has inspired her book, with the second edition available soon. Her Seven Link Challenge can be found HERE. What’s this challenge all about? With SEVEN different categories, each blogger nominates a single post, then nominates up to …

Sgroppino

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So what’s Sgroppino? Is it ice-cream or sorbet? Sgroppino is served between courses or at the end, even as dessert. It’s original to the Veneto region of Italy. An alternative to lemon sorbet, and it’s delicious! An Italian milkshake with a little kick! At special occasions, a family dinner or with friends, a glass of Sgroppino is a smooth, creamy drink, icy cold and a sharp lemon taste, that I know will send everyones taste buds tingling. There are a few variations on the flavour, liquorices,coffee but my preference is stick to the original lemon flavour.  Easy to make, try this one at your next gathering of friends.

Mulberry Cream

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  View Full Album This was truly a colorful cooking experience. This cream is made with fresh mulberries, a little messy, but hey all in the fun of cooking. Mulberries are in season at the moment,from May until September, a dark grape nearly black colour, shiny, with a mixed taste of sweet and sour flavour, wonderful for making jams, jellies and ice –creams. Always best to eat this fruit straight away as they’re hard to conserve. There are many wild mulberry trees along the walkways around our place and our street at the moment is stained a dark violet colour. We have four large mulberry trees along the side of our house, planted nearly fifty plus years ago, they were planted to divide not only the vineyard, but used in silkworm farming. Recipe: Mulberry Cream Serves 4 300 grams fresh mulberries 2 tablespoons liqueur (optional) 3 tablespoons sugar 250 grams mascarpone 500 ml fresh liquid cream Preparation Wash and pat dry mulberries. Pass through sifter collecting the juice. To the mulberry juice add sugar, liqueur …

Can’t live without basil…

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I have to admit I’ve grown to love and adore Basil. He’s great to work with flavouring my summer salads, ratatouille, and my pesto sauce for my pasta. He’s always on hand outside my kitchen door or in the veg patch, not much looking after needed, baking up the full sun and a little water. I remember basil growing in my grandmothers herb garden, and from a young age picking fresh basil leaves and watching my grandmother make pesto sauce and tomato sauce with basil.   Basil is associated with love rituals in some cultures. In Italy when a woman placed a pot of basil on her balcony, it meant she would be receptive to her lover. I placed mine outside my kitchen door, so that its only a dash away to add to any dish that I’m making at the time. I’m also not sure about the burning of basil, as noted by Bruce Burnett who is the author of the book – Herbwise:growing cooking wellbeing – a book about the creative use of herbs.   “When …

Warm salad of grilled beef ,vegetables and basil pesto

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Sunday nights are usually a easy tea time treat  for me…the last thing I want to do is spend my last minutes of my weekend in the kitchen, easiest thing… heat up the grill….   Jazzing up plain beef steaks and making a delicious warm grill vegetable salad is my choice..and you’ll impress all who have the chance to try it!         Ingredients: Serving for 4   800 g  lean beef steaks : ( 2 thin steaks for each person)   Marinade    2 tablespoons dried oregano    1 tablespoon olive oil    1 clove garlic, crushed    Vegetables    1 bunch white or green asparagus    6 small artichokes    3 vines of cherry tomatoes    basil pesto    Preparation:  Mix marinade ingredients together in a bowl, add beef steaks, turning to coat thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinade in refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.   Preheat bbq grill to medium/ high    I used white asparagus, grilling that  first, slicing each one in half..turning continously on grill,  followed by the artichokes,( I pre-steam mine for about 8 mins).    Next grill the beef, around 2 minutes each side – or until …