March 2008  

 

This Month:                                                                                         

Seasonal Recipe - Easter Eggs

Cooking Classes - Spring Classes

Eating Etc - Fairtrade Fortnight

 

Spice of the Month - Salt

 

Welcome to the March newsletter.  Easter comes early this year, and it's time to start planning your culinary festivities.  This month's recipes include eggs, chocolate and fish to help you along.  It's also the change of season around the world, with some of us enjoying  a hint of spring, and others an autumnal gust.  Look out for new produce at the market, or grab the last of the season's best before it goes.

 

Seasonal Recipe

 

Chakchouka

Eggs and easter are synonymous, but instead of the chocolate variety, make this fabulous Middle-Eastern dish for brunch. 

 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 small red capsicum (peppers), seeded and thinly sliced

2 small green capsicum (peppers), seeded and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-2 small chillies, seeded and finely chopped

400g tin peeled chopped tomatoes

1 tsp harissa paste

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp caraway seeds, ground

½ tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp ground cumin seeds

4 large free-range organic eggs

 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sliced capsicum until soft.  Add the garlic and chillies and cook for a further one to two minutes, stirring to combine.  Add the tomatoes, harissa, salt and spices.  Leave to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, it should be reasonably thick. Make four indentations in the mixture using the back of a spoon and break one egg into each.  Cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes or until whites are cooked and yolks are soft.  Serve immediately with (or on) toasted turkish or pita bread.  Serves 4.

 

Cooking Classes

 

I am in Sydney for the whole of March, and with a busy April booked in, there are

just three lecture classes on the Spring calendar, so be sure to book early.

Speedy Suppers - back due to popular demand, the speedy suppers class will give you quick, healthy and delicious recipes for mid-week meals

Spring Entertaining - Make the most of wonderful spring produce with some stylish and impressive dishes to share with friends

Intro to Asian - Cooking those favourite dishes you have when you go out is easier than you think. I have chosen a variety of recipes from different parts of Asia to give you a good introduction to the different areas and flavours. 

And remember, if you are interested in private tuition, I can tailor classes specifically for you to cover any area of skill or cuisine you want to concentrate on.  Have a look at the essentials classes I offer – you can choose one or more to create your own program. 

 

Eating Etc:  Fairtrade Fortnight

 

We're in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight at the moment, which is a good time to think about the Fairtrade organisation. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.  Fairtrade sales in the UK rose by over 80% last year and show no signs of slowing down.  Major retailers and producers are getting on board and Fairtrade has expanded from the UK only, to Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.  Some global brands will be available more widely, such as my favourite chocolate, Green & Blacks Maya Gold, which was the first consumer product awarded the Fairtrade mark in 1994.  Next time you're shopping and have a choice, please consider Fairtrade products and the impact you can have on those less fortunate.  For more information, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk.

 

Maya Gold Chocolate Cake

Instead of indulging in easter eggs, make this lucious chocolate cake using the gently spice and orange flavoured Maya Gold. 

100g dark 70% chocolate 
150g Green & Black's Maya Gold
250g unsalted butter
6 eggs, separated
175g caster sugar
55g light brown sugar
55g ground almonds
3 tbsp plain flour, sifted
cocoa powder, to dust
50g Green & Black's Maya Gold, to grate

Preheat oven to 190C.  Grease and line a 23cm spring form cake tin.  Melt chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over simmering water then set aside to cool slightly.  Whisk egg whites until stiff and in a separate bowl whisk egg yolks and sugars until thick.  Add the melted chocolate to the yolk mixture until well combined and smooth.  Fold in the almonds and flour with some of the egg white, then fold in the rest of the egg whites, being as light handed as possible.  Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes - there should still be a slight wobble in the centre of the cake, to retain it's 'moussieness'.  When cooled a little, remove from tin and dust with sifted cocoa powder and finely grated Maya Gold.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or a mixture of double cream and creme fraiche.  Some macerated berries are always a nice addition on the side too.  Serves 8-12 (depending on the size of slices!)

 

Spice of the Month: Salt              

 

Although not technically a spice (it is a mineral), salt was undoubtedly the first seasoning for food, and a fundamental taste along with sour, sweet and bitter.  Evidence of salt gathering (called 'winning') dates back to Neolithic times.  Plutarch described salt as 'the noblest of foods, the finest condiment of all', and with Jesus proclaiming his Apostles the 'salt of the earth' I thought it was an appropriate topic this month.  There are many types of salt - most commonly table salt, rock salt, black salt and sea salt.  Salt is indespensible when cooking and enhances and brings out the flavours of your dish.  Always add a little at a time, towards the end of cooking, as you cannot reverse over-salting!  Salt has a fascinating history and importance to human existence - if you are interested in reading more, I highly recommend Mark Kurlansky's in-depth book, Salt:A World History. 

 

Salt-Baked Snapper

This is a lovely way to cook fish, as the salt crust protects the fish while cooking to retain maximum moisture.  It is also a wonderful crowd-pleaser as you crack the hard white shell to reveal the delicate, fragrant fish beneath.  A highly recommended recipe for Good Friday!  You can vary the aromatics mixed in with the salt, and also do one large fish for a group.

 

2 whole snapper, approx 400g each, scaled and gutted

2kg coarse sea salt

3 egg whites, beaten

4 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped

1 large bunch coriander, roots, stems and leaves, roughly chopped

1 lemon, sliced

 

Pre-heat oven to 200C.  Clean the snapper and put lemon slices and a tbsp of chopped coriander in cavity and season.  Mix salt, egg whites, lemongrass and remaining coriander in a large bowl.  Spread a layer of salt in a baking tray and top with snapper.  Then completely cover fish with remaining salt.  You don’t want to be able to see any fish at all.  Bake in hot oven for 40 minutes.  The salt will turn to a hard crust which you can crack with the back of a knife, removing the  whole fish, brushing off any excess salt.  Serves 4.

 

Have a wonderful March, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries, questions or comments.

 

Don't forget to look up my recipe page if you need some inspiration for what to cook tonight.

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Kate

 

 

www.lovetocook.co.uk

kate@lovetocook.co.uk

 

 

 

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