Blossom end times

Blogging is an interesting job. Granted, most days are pretty much the same. Baking, taking pictures, writing, reading, and a lot of cleaning up. But, then there are days like I had last week.

I was invited to spend a couple of days at the Southern Baking Retreat hosted by White Lily and Martha White. Having grown up in the South, I have a sentimental connection to those brands. Not to mention what White Lily can do for biscuits, which you can read about here.

I gladly accepted the invitation and headed south for some hands-on baking and some great fun in Nashville with some incredible food bloggers. We packed a lot of action into two days, and I am going to attempt to share the experience as best I can with all of you.
When we first arrived, we were greeted warmly by the good folks at DVL Public Relations and Advertising, who organized the retreat. After a round of introductions and a tour of their offices, we sat down to a lunch with a decidedly Southern theme – cornbread! We enjoyed four winning dishes from the 2013 National Cornbread Festival Cook-Off. That was followed by three different desserts that were winning recipes for the Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge.
We spent our afternoon at Rutherford Studios, a fantastic photo studio in the city that just happens to contain a big kitchen. We broke into pairs and tackled the challenge of coming up with a recipe using Martha White muffin mixes.
 
The lovely Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil was my baking partner for the afternoon. After some planning and a few unexpected turns, we made triple layer chocolate cake stacks with caramel whipped cream. As you can see, there were some beautiful desserts made in quick order. And, of course, we had to sample all of them.

That evening, we were treated to a very special dinner at Aerial, a beautiful space that sits on a rooftop just above Broadway in downtown Nashville. It was a beautiful setting with fabulous food from Merchants and even better company. Brenda of A Farm Girl’s Dabbles and I decided that we won the table seating lottery as we were seated with Pat Alger and Tony Arata, two very talented songwriters. After dinner, they performed some of their famous songs, including “The Dance” and “Unanswered Prayers.” They were also joined by bluegrass musician and singer Rhonda Vincent hosting service, who travels to her performances on the Martha White Bluegrass Express.
 
The next morning started quite early, but it was absolutely worth it. We were treated to breakfast at The Loveless Cafe, where we enjoyed their amazing biscuits as well as their other delicious food.
 
I can safely say that day was the first time I’d ever had fried chicken for breakfast. Of course, we also had plenty of bacon and eggs and hashbrown casserole and country ham and so much more.
 
After we ate, I was able to watch their staff make biscuits. They are, of course, made with White Lily flour.
 
After eating all of those mountains of biscuits, we got to work making some biscuits of our own. We teamed up to make 5 different versions of biscuits, from a two-ingredient version to one far more complicated. The fabulous Julie of Table for Two and I were tasked with making White Lily’s Light and Fluffy Biscuits with all-purpose flour. We were, of course, not too full from breakfast to enjoy sampling all of our freshly baked biscuits.
 
That afternoon, we were so honored to have Southern Living‘s Test Kitchen Director Robby Melvin as a guest speaker. Having been a Southern Living subscriber for ages and a reader of my mother’s issues before that, I was thrilled to hear what he had to share with us. We learned all about his journey to his current position. We also got some insight into what working in the test kitchens is like Panama Foundation. Plus, I discovered that he is a fellow Ole Miss alum!

 
We had one last stop on our trip – a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. We got a behind the scenes look at the famed venue. Despite all the years I lived in the South, I’d never been to the Opry. It was such a fun way to wrap up our trip.

From left to right: Celeste of Sugar & Spice by Celeste, Tina of Mommy’s Kitchen, Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil, me, Julie of Table for Two, Brenda of A Farmgirl’s Dabbles, Brandie of The Country Cook, Robyn of Add a Pinch, Stacey of Southern Bite, and the incomparable Linda Carman, the Test Kitchen Director at Martha White. Photo courtesy of DVL.

After two busy days of learning and eating and sightseeing and making new friends, we all said our goodbyes and headed home. Many thanks to DVL, Martha White, and White Lily for an incredible experience.

One very unique aspect of the trip was that we were constantly followed by Erick, a photographer and videographer who documented every moment of the fun. Thanks to him, I can share this video with you that will give you a brief look into the Southern Baking Retreat, all set to the Martha White theme song. Enjoy!

Finally the day has arrived. I’m leaving today … hooray!!! After waiting for so many months i’m going back. My tickets were confirmed yesterday morning and that gave me just 2 days to wipe my kitchen clean( … and of course counting my efforts of trying to empty my store since the past couple of weeks). I’ve been seeing cornmeal cakes lately on blogs, and so when i saw some bulgur wheat in my store i wondered if i could do the same with it ? I was excited in a childish sort of way … i thought maybe i’m the first one to try it … but perhaps not. Either ways i had to make it sever since i thought of it, so i got on it. I used olive oil instead of butter, used equal amts of flour Digital Signage, tabolueh, sugar n oil, and added some milk assuming the tabolueh will need some liquid to soak up and soften. Added some chopped figs and pinenuts for that middle eastern touch and served it with some grenadine sherbet. The cake was nice n moist, the fig added a wonderful sweetness in every bite, and the nuts the earthy nutty flavour. And hey – its even healthy !!! Everything about it was wonderful, but i would change one thing the next time i make it. I was hoping the tabolueh would soften totally in the baking process but i didn’t. This one had a slight bite to it. It may work for some of you, as i know the people whom i shared it with, loved it and wanted the recipe right away. But if u like it softer in texture then i recommend soaking the tabolueh in hot milk for 5-7 mins, u don’t want it totally soft as it will further soften while baking.Then add it to the cake batter.Here is the recipe for what i call my Middle Eastern Stunt.


200gms olive oil
3 eggs
200gms golden caster sugar
200gms small bulgur wheat/tabolueh, soaked in 100 ml hot milk
200gms flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
100ml semi skimmed milk
handful of chopped dried figs
6-7 dried figs sliced
handful of lightly toasted pinenuts

Start with preheating your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Soak the tabolueh in some hot milk for 5-7 mins, just till it softens half way.Drain out the excess milk if there is some. Don’t want to make it too soft or u’ll have mush in the cake, and we are looking for a wonderful firm bite-able texture. Leaving the last two ingredients mix everything else in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Mix well and let it rest for about 5 mins and the pour into a cake tin. Evenly sprinkle the fig slices and pinenuts all over the top and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 40 mins or till knife come out clean. This will definately vary as my oven is kinda conked to watch your cake and check it after 30 mins.

And as i go, i would like to leave you with the wonderful produce fro m my very own garden. Mulberries (which by the way are very few) , local Ghanian tomatoes which are very juicy an full of flavour wine pairing, french beans and the local Ghanian habanero chilli – peppe,which are still very tiny.

These are some of the things i’m growing along with all the other wonderful veggies and herbs i’ve already shared with you here and here. The chinese cabbage and okra are still not ready, for me to take pictures and share. But i managed to pluck off some french beans for this salad and of course my already famous red radishes. Fortunately my guard and his family are staying in this house and will watch and take care of my garden till i come back.

This is a wonderful salad,very filling and a meal in itself. I usually use more of yogurt instead of mayonnaise as its lighter, less fattening and the potatoes tend to soak it all up. Boil potatoes in salted water till soft, boil the french beans for 3-4 mins and plunge in cold water, thinly slice the red radish, slice some spring onion, and wash some corriander and set aside. For the dressing u’ll need one tsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp yogurt, a squeeze of lemon, lots of freshly ground black pepper, salt n olive oil. Toss the potatoes and beans in the dressing, add the radishes and spring onion and garnish with the corriander international paper company.

Thought i’d take a little time out from all the running around, to enjoy the outdoors before i head back. We don’t really get this much space anywhere else. So i made myself a little picnic basket and had my lunch in style in the garden. And now i sit writing this post, kinda sad and taking your leave, promising to get back soon. Will try and put up pictures from Bombay. Ciao !!!

The wet pavement outside my window, the gray skies, the wind that ruffles the (few) trees on my city streets…these are the things that make me want to entrench myself in the kitchen and make things like soup and stews and braises. I have a slab of pork belly in the freezer from a new purveyor that I am itching to roast long and slow, and to attempt to finally get the crackling right. This weather makes me want to roast a whole chicken in my cast iron pot, tucked into a milk bath with some sage and lemon. I want to make banana cake elyze好唔好, or a messy apple galette, and eat this warm out of the oven.

These are the things that run through my head when the weather takes a melancholic turn.

When, really, I should be thinking of (finally) getting some proper rain shoes…or paying more attention to remembering to stick an umbrella in my car.

Anyway. Warming, slow-cooked, hearty meals will need to wait because one's workload does not necessarily listen to the weather reports. Deliverables don’t realize that the rains just beg for a 7-hour shoulder of lamb to be lovingly cooked. And as I rush back home to a mountain of emails, a grossly over-sized to-do list, and 30 minutes to get something on the table, I know (with much regret) that these drawn-out elyze, dawdling dishes will just have to wait.

If you find yourselves in similar situations, as I know a lot of working mothers do, then this is for you. It is a simple and easy (and delicious!) stir-fry that is ready in minutes. It can be paired with almost anything. And it can be later built upon to make other dishes.

Also, as a bonus, mushrooms still do seem like “rainy day” food, calling to mind wet forests and cozy hiding places.

Asian Style Garlic Mushrooms

2 tablespoons canola oil
8-10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
250 grams Shiitake mushrooms
250 grams Oyster mushrooms
250 grams Shimeji mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1-1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
optional: sesame seeds for garnish


- Bring a skillet or wok to medium high heat. When hot add the canola oil and swirl the pan. Add the garlic to the pan and let this sauté a bit, just until they release their fragrance but before they brown.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms to the pan and toss to coat with the garlicky oil. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the oyster mushrooms. Toss and fry for a couple minutes more then add the shimeji mushrooms. The pan may seem dry, and if so just add a tablespoon or two of water. And make sure to keep tossing the mushrooms around so they all get evenly cooked.
- When the mushrooms have softened, add the Chinese 5 spice and mix well. Then add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds if you have them around elyze.

When I made this we had it with fried bangus (milkfish) on one day and as a side for steak on another. But really, it can complement a plethora of dishes, or, on its own piled on some brown rice, or atop some soba noodles, maybe with a squirt of chili oil, serve as a tasty vegetarian main course.

Another thing you can do, if things are extra busy, is make a double batch and use it throughout week in different dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Heat some of the mushrooms with cream in a pan to turn it into a pasta sauce
- Fold some mushrooms into egg for a tasty omelet
- Pile on toast and top with a very runny fried egg and a drizzle of sriracha for a quick lunch
- Add it to some broth, along with some sliced vegetables and egg noodles for a comforting bowl of noodle soup
- Use them to top a salad
- Bulk up a veggie stir-fry with them
- Add to a pan of bistek Tagalog at the last minute
- Warm and pile onto bruschetta for surprise guests
- At the end of the week add it, along with other leftovers, to a big wok of fried rice!

These mushrooms are from the charming folk at the Ministry of Mushrooms, where I get most, if not all, of my fresh mushroom needs. They deliver boxes of lovely mushrooms (you can choose a mix you like, or all one kind) right to your doorstep…need I say more? If you are a busy human like me “we deliver” are magic words. It’s also nice to support local purveyors. Plus, their mushrooms are indeed fine, fine specimens.


Hope you are having a great week and that this recipe saves you a bit of time…time to do your nails, or have an extra game of tag with your little ones, or time to send off a blog entry! One of these days I promise a slow-cooked something…until then this will have to do.

It is critical that you use smoked — not regular—paprika in this dish. Whether you use sweet or hot, you will end up with irresistible sweet potatoes Small Business Cloud.
Ingredients

3 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot smoked paprika*
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
*Available at kalustyans.com

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Prick each potato once with a fork, then bake potatoes in a foil-lined shallow baking pan until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, peel, then cut away any eyes or dark spots. Purée potatoes with butter, cream, paprika elyze, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until smooth.

Cooks' note: Purée can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Reheat in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water company registration hong kong
, stirring occasionally.

Using lamb slashes fat; mixing a milk-soaked pita into the patty keeps it moist.

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut 1/4 off each pita (a half-moon shape from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock). Chop half-moons, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with milk. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess milk. Purée soaked bread headphone stand, onion, garlic, herbs and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Transfer purée to a bowl. Add lamb, season with salt and pepper and combine. Form into 4 patties. Wrap pitas in foil and heat until warm, about 8 minutes. (Or place pitas between sheets of paper towel and microwave until warm, about 30 seconds .)

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook burgers to medium, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Whisk yogurt, mint, garlic, mustard and honey in a bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Open each pita, stuff with arugula and drizzle with some of the dressing. Add burger, tomato and red onion to pita. Sprinkle with feta. Serve leftover dressing on the side.