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Original Nestlé Chocolate Chip Cookies

29/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Question: When is a biscuit, not a biscuit in Ireland?

Answer: When it’s a chocolate chip cookie!

In Ireland the treat one often takes with a cup of tea is called a biscuit. In America the same treat is called a cookie. The only time I am unable to comply with this basic understanding of linguistic difference is when talking about Nestlé Toll House Cookies: aka Chocolate Chip Cookies. No matter how I try it just doesn’t sound right. Here, see for yourself:

Say: Chocolate Chip Biscuit……………now say: Chocolate Chip Cookie……………Do you hear it? It’s just not right. The biscuit doesn’t roll off your tongue the same way the cookie does. I’m not for changing the biscuit/cookie reference for all treats…just the ones with little morsels of chocolate as a main ingredient.

I remember years ago when a group of women from the American Women’s Club in Dublin sent a letter to the Nestlé Corporation in Switzerland asking them to please sell their famous yellow bags of chocolate chips in Ireland. I don’t think the reply was ever made public but the gist of it was, most politely, “No – but thank you for asking.”

What Americans living in Ireland can’t understand is why (or is it, why not)? Nestlé products are readily available in Ireland. There is, for example, bottled water, coffee, breakfast cereals, sweets and dairy products in every corner shop and supermarket across the nation. One can even buy Nestlé’s Nesquik to turn their glass of milk chocolaty. You’d think that bags of chocolate flavoured chips would be equally popular?! But, alas, it must not be or else the corporation that is Nestlé would be selling them.

Thankfully one can buy non-Nestlé chocolate chips from places such as Avoca Handweavers and Caviston’s Food Emporium and, maybe, even Donnybrook Fair. I’ve never had a need to know but, most likely, they are also available elsewhere sold in small plastic tubs or from large glass jars on shelves behind counters. If one is truly desperate, it is possible to make excellent chips by chopping up a bar of good quality chocolate into small pieces, much the way Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the first chocolate chip cookie, did long ago in her B&B in Massachusetts.

Once you have your mind set on making these crunchy yet soft, sweet yet salty, treats, a recipe must be found. I love the original recipe baked accidentally by Ruth and made famous by Nestlé but I am told that Alton Brown and the New York Times have excellent versions worth considering. What follows below is the original recipe and links for the other two for your consideration.

And, if I may, here are four suggestions I have found helpful in making the chocolate chip cookies. I hope they are helpful to you too.

1. After you make the dough, refrigerate it up to 24 hours, if you have time.

2. Use room temperature eggs.

3. Take the cookies out of the oven before they bake past a “golden” colour: brown cookies are hard cookies.

4. Be sure your oven is set at exactly the right temperature. If not, your cookies may sink in the middle.

Original Nestle Toll House Cookies

Makes 5-6 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup/8oz butter

3/4 cup/6oz sugar

3/4 cup/6oz packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup/13oz self-raising (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (bread soda)

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 package Nestlé Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips or 12oz/340g chopped chocolate or chocolate pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.

2. Combine flour, baking soda (bread soda) and salt in a small bowl.

3. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Gradually add flour mixture to butter-sugar-vanilla mixture. Add chocolate chips (chocolate pieces).

5. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet (baking tray) and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. Cool on baking tray for about 2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: For High Altitude Baking (5,200 feet above sea level): Increase flour to 2 ½ cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookies for 17 to 19 minutes.

NY Times Article about the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=dining and cookie recipe at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?ref=dining

Alton Brown’s Recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, which he calls The Chewy at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe/index.html

The History of the Toll House Cookie at: http://www.nestleprofessional.com/united-states/en/Documents/TollHouse/NESTLE%20Toll%20House-%20Story.pdf

May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day in America.

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Lemon Chiffon Cake

26/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Jen Castle’s Lemon Chiffon Cake

Yesterday I promised to tell you about the Lemon Chiffon Cake I had at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. Here’s everything you need to know:

1. The recipe was created by Jen Castle, co-owner of Hell’s, and is featured in With a Measure of Grace, the cookbook she wrote with her business partner and friend, Blake Spalding.

2. This cake won Jen a blue ribbon at the Coconino County fair in Flagstaff, Arizona.

3. It is the lightest cake you can imagine: akin to an angel food cake but made with egg yolks and oil (which are not in angel food cake).

4. It is so le-le-le-lemony.

5. It is easy to make.

6. Everyone who tastes it will love it!

And that, Dear Readers, is everything you need to know about the Lemon Chiffon Cake at Hell’s Backbone Grill. A big “thank you” to Jen and Blake for generously sharing their recipe with us.

My Attempt at Hell’s Cake: Not as Pretty but Delicious!

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Serves 10-12

Cake Ingredients

2 cups/8oz/240gm flour

1 ½ cups/10oz/300g sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup/8oz cold water

7 egg yolks

8 egg whites

½ cup/4oz canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of two lemons

½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional if you can’t find it)

Icing Ingredients

1/3 cup/2oz softened (not melted) butter

2 cups/8oz icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

3 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 335° F/168°C. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine water, yolks, oil, vanilla, and zest. Stir yolk mixture into dry ingredients until smooth.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium-low speed until foamy and frothy. Increase speed and beat whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks. If you do not have cream of tartar, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. Pour yolk mixture over whites in ribbons, folding mixtures together very gently until just combined. Pour into ungreased 10” tube pan.

5. Bake 55 minutes until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Immediately invert pan and hang upside down on the neck of a bottle for 2 hours to cool.

6. Run a long, thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake and remove from pan. The wider end of the cake will be the top when turned out onto a serving dish.

7. Make icing by combining all ingredients in small mixing bowl and whipping until smooth. Spread icing over cake top, allowing some to drip over the sides. Top with lemon zest.

Notes: I wasn’t sure what kind of flour to use for this recipe, so I used cake flour. I have since seen, on at least one other blog, that self-raising (all purpose) may also be used. And, if you’re not a fan of butter icing on cakes, consider a glaze made of lemon juice and icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar). Once made, pour the glaze over the cake and let set before serving. Add a dollop of freshly whipped cream on the side with a spring of mint.

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With a Measure of Grace: Hiking and Dining in Southern Utah

25/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Hoodoos in Bryce

Last month, for Easter-break, our family packed up our small-house-of-a-car and drove to southern Utah. Why southern Utah? Two reasons really: 1) we’d heard the landscape was like none other and 2) I wanted to visit a restaurant called Hell’s Backbone Grill (you knew food was going to be involved!).

The route we chose to explore was Highway 12. Nicknamed Scenic Byway 12, it was designated “All American Road” in 2002 and is considered one of America’s most beautiful drives. From its northern point to its western, it passes through Capitol Reef National Park, Anasazi State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Bryce Canyon National Park. It includes a white-knuckle drive through Hogsback, a section of road much like those found in the west of Ireland, a gently meandering journey through Fruita, a tiny village with its still-operating Mormon fruit orchards dating back to 1880, and breathtaking red sandstone vistas.

126-Foot Waterfall at Calf Creek Falls

For every day we drove, we hiked. Our favourite places included Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef, Calf Creek Falls in Escalante, and Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon. All three were just the right length for the children to walk comfortably and ranged from 1 1/2 hours to 4 hours in length. Most importantly, the surroundings were superbly unique. We were never bored. The highlights included fantastic sky-high hoodoos, a cascading waterfall and natural pool, and remnants of what was once an active Fremont Indian community. All three were ideal family hikes and I promise to write about each one, in-depth and with photos, in the coming weeks. For now however, I’d like to switch gears and talk about the other driving desire for our road trip…Hell’s Backbone Grill.

I stumbled across Hell’s Backbone Grill not long after coming to America. I was sitting in the hairdressers, flipping through the latest fashion rags, when With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant  surfaced from the heap.

I was captivated by the cover’s photos: a barefoot girl walking on a split rail fence, Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the wind, a basket of farm-fresh eggs and a lemon chiffon cake. These sweet, serene, images are in strong contrast to the name of the restaurant and I was curious to see how they fit together. As it turns out, they do so quite well but only because of the philosophy of the co-owners, Blake Spalding and Jen Castle, and the courage of the townspeople of Boulder, a quiet Mormon community of less than 200 people.

With a Measure of Grace

Their story, the photos and the recipes literally beckoned me. I had to see the place for myself. I was so captivated that I didn’t want to buy the book on Amazon. I wanted to touch Hell’s. I wanted to meet Blake and Jen. I wanted to experience it for myself. I, so desperately, wanted to have this experience that I called the restaurant as soon as I got home from the hairdressers. Be warned, Hell’s closes for the winter! I left a message to please call back when they reopened in the spring and I waited. Before they could call, my husband suggested a trip to Utah over Easter-break and I quickly bargained for a hiking/food holiday. Done!

Boulder, Utah is at the base of the Aquarius Plateau. When you see the “Welcome to Boulder” sign you can’t help but wonder “is this it?” There are no street lights, no buildings…just open land with clusters of sagebrush and some tall trees on rolling hills, dotted by what appears to be small farmsteads. It is a quiet place, just the way the locals like it. As we arrived, I felt panicked that we were in the wrong place but my lovely husband took a turn here and another turn there and then, suddenly, it was right in front of us…like an oasis in the desert.

Hell’s Backbone Grill

Hell’s Backbone Grill is a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City so the fact Jen and Blake can run a restaurant in such an incredibly isolated location is a wonder. They do so by relying on locally produced food, grown mostly on a nearby six-acre farm. The girls also avail of local ranchers, for their naturally raised meats and poultry, and orchards, for their heirloom fruits. They tend their own bees.

You’d think with all the work these two ladies do, there’d be precious little time for them to socialize. Luckily for me, that is not the case. I met Blake Spalding (and her fiancé) the night we arrived for dinner and again the next morning at breakfast. She was down-to-earth, quick with a smile, and very gracious. She allowed me to take pictures – lots of them.

The lovely Blake Spalding

She signed the book I bought, posed for a photo, and listened actively as I talked about gardening, cooking, moving from Ireland and blogging. She was even good enough to suggest I post a few recipes from With a Measure of Grace on In an Irish Home (please see tomorrow’s post on Lemon Chiffon Cake).

With the welcoming hug I got from Blake after breakfast the next morning, our trip to southern Utah was complete. Satiated, and with a packed lunch from Hell’s in the cooler, we drove back to our home on the edge of the Rockies. Our little family was well exercised, well fed, and, well, happy! I look forward to visiting Utah’s southern lands again and dining at Hell’s Backbone Grill. I hope you will too.

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Twelve Miles to Make Pea & Mint Soup

23/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Photo from Jessyparr on Flickr

There’s a belief in Ireland and elsewhere that Americans are fat. It’s a stereotype to be sure but a quick look at the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that “more than one-third of adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S.” are obese. While it’s unfair to capture all Americans and lump them in one big fry-pit, if things don’t change it is conceivable that by 2o2o, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women in this country will be extremely unhealthy.

What I can’t help but wonder is this, “Where are all the large people the C.D.C. is talking about?” They’re not living near me on the edge of the Rockies. The trend here seems to be quite the opposite. I wasn’t kidding when I wrote back in March about the 60-year-old with arms like Madonna and the well toned thighs of some ladies taking a Boxercise class. The people around me are fit. Really fit. I mean…über fit!

There’s a joke among us “blow-ins” about how many athletic enthusiasts live around us. There are walkers, joggers, mountain bikers, road bikers, hikers, rollerbladers, tennis players, golfers, lacrosse teams, rugby teams, swim teams…the list is endless. Those of us who are new to the area find it funny until we get hooked too.

Take me, this morning. I rode my bike 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) to buy ingredients to make my family’s favourite soup for this evening’s supper. TWELVE MILES! Getting to the shops was easy: it was mostly downhill. It was the six miles (9.6 kilometers) back up the hill that was the killer. Remarkably, I enjoyed it.

As I rode my bike I kept thinking, “What would my friends back in Ireland say?”

“Kim! Are you mad?” immediately came to mind.

Mad? No. A little crazy? Maybe. Thrilled I made it? Definitely!

Today marked the day I went from blow-in to settling in. Actually, I’m not ready for that leap, so let’s just say I’m a temporary “local” bucking the American trend towards obesity. You might even say I’m living Irish in America. In Ireland people don’t think much about exercise or their weight because they walk everywhere. Conversely, in many America cities, shops, restaurants, schools and churches aren’t within walking distance so people are forced to get into their car and drive. With such a sedentary lifestyle it’s easy to pile on calories and gain weight.

Twelve miles to make Pea & Mint Soup…was it worth it? Absolutely! What’s the craziest thing you ever did for exercise?

Pea and Mint Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

450g/3 cups fresh or frozen peas

1 bunch spring onions/scallions (or onion) roughly chopped

1 head iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

900ml/3 ¾ cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 large sprig mint

Black pepper

For the Garnish (Optional)

Yogurt

Mint leaves

Directions

1. Wilt the peas, onions and lettuce in the olive oil.

2. Add the stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the mint and liquidize. For a smoother texture, the soup can be put through a sieve.

4. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and the mint leaves

Note: This recipe is taken from Terence Stamp’s cookbook called The Stamp Collection

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“What is Irish Food?” – Part 1

15/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake at I Can Has Cook?

For anyone who has never lived in Ireland, it is hard to imagine the wonder of Irish food. Fresh, wholesome, delicious and as varied as the people who inhabit the 32 counties making up the country, there is nothing boring or bland about it. Sure, long ago, when money was tight and people didn’t travel so easily there may have been a repetitiveness to Irish food but, truthfully, even then, people were creatively whipping up simple dishes and desserts that would knock your socks off. I only have to think of my lovely mother-in-law who, while raising twelve children and running a B&B, used to make rhubarb compotes, wild berry jams, savory and sweet crepes (especially for Pancake Tuesday), loin of bacon with spring cabbage that was incredibly more-ish, brown and white soda bread, delicate meringues, ratatouille, grilled mackerel…the list was deliciously endless.

It’s a wonder then that when you Google the term “Irish Food”, you mostly find horrid-looking pictures of stews of boiled meat and potatoes and recipes for corned beef and cabbage or dishes made with Guinness. Yuk! That’s not real Irish food. That’s kitsch Irish food.

Brunch Frittata at An American in Ireland

When people visit In an Irish Home they often ask, “What is Irish Food?” In my experience, real Irish food follows the seasons and celebrates the holidays. It’s sensible and healthy. It’s mostly made from scratch, despite the fact that chain supermarkets are desperately trying to force-feed buyers preprepared meals. It is uncomplicated. It’s influenced by international cuisine. It has many artisan producers. And now, thanks to the advent of blogs, it has many outlets.

So, in answer to the question I get asked the most at In an Irish Home, “What is Irish Food?” I offer you four Irish blogs and one website to whet your appetite. In the coming weeks and months, I will continue to share with you the ever-growing list of Irish food-experts whom I like to consult. I’ll also be adding a “My Library” tab to the top of In an Irish Home so you can see what books make up my cookbook collection. For now, however, enjoy your exploration of Ireland’s amazing food landscape. I think you’ll be surprised at just how wonderful it is. Please be sure to let me know if you have your own favourite Irish food sites you like to visit.

I Can Has Cook? – Aoife started writing in 2009 as a way of becoming (in her own words) a better cook. Her journey in the past month has taken her and us from deep-fried cauliflower to chocolate peanut butter cake and everything in between, including beetroot hummus, lamb flatbreads and homemade gyoza. At I Can Has Cook?, Aoife offers an excellent list of some of her favourite Dublin food haunts under the tab “Visiting Dublin?” – well worth a review if you’re visiting Dublin any time soon.

Donal Skehan’s new book “Kitchen Hero”

Donal Skehan – Without a doubt, Donal Skehan is Ireland’s food pop star! Young, handsome and talented, he was approached by Mercier Press after only six months of blogging his food adventures and recipes. A self-taught “home-cook” (I love that term…isn’t it what we all are?) and photographer, Donal has been blogging since 2007. This year he appeared in America on NBC’s Today Show with ideas for Saint Patrick’s Day. His recipes are simple, healthy and interesting. Most recently he’s written about wild garlic pesto, rustic rhubarb tarts, ham spring rolls with ginger dipping sauce and chocolate chip, oat and raisin cookies.

An American In Ireland – This blog has me hooked. Part “personal journal”, part “food blog”, Clare writes about her experiences of moving from America to Ireland and the experiences and foods that move her. Hmmm, sounds like me in reverse! This month Clare is writing about missing America, her wedding plans, chocolate beetroot cake, buttermilk cornmeal pancakes with blueberry sauce, cheesecake tart with fresh berries and stuffed Portobello mushrooms.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Maybury at www.elizabethmaybury.com

Biabeag – Biabeag is Irish for “small food”. Keith Bohanna writes in celebration of entrepreneurs and businesses who are passionate producers of Irish artisan food. From local brews to food festivals, Biabeag has everything covered except recipes – there are none. If you want to know about specialty packaged and branded food products in Ireland, this is the best place on the web.

Dinner Du Jour– Kelly and Kristin are friends who live thousands of miles apart: Kelly lives in Milwaukee and Kristin lives in Ireland. As

Chicken Soup at Dinner du Jour

friends do, they’ve been swapping recipes for years. Finally, their food exchange of complete menus (think mains & sides) are available to all, with ingredient conversions (cups to grams) for foodies in both countries. The meals are tasty and easy to follow – a God-send for anyone who has to whip up a meal on a busy day! The “Browse by Category”, down along the left-hand side of the blog, is really helpful as is the “Family Favorites” tab at the top of the blog.

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Avoca Handweavers’ Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

09/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Avoca Handweavers is my absolute favourite shop  in Ireland. Set up originally in 1723 in Co. Wicklow, as a co-operative for farmers to spin and weave their wool, the mill thrived through the early 20th century and fell into disrepair in the 1960s. It was bought by a Dublin solicitor, Donald Pratt, and his wife, Hilary, in 1974 and has grown from one to ten stores, selling fashion, food, homewares and jewelry. It is not the place you go for twee Irish caps and Aran sweaters. Not-at-all (sounds like not-tat-all) this  is a modern-day Irish lifestyle store and foodhall.

Colourful, unique, fresh, delicious are words to describe today’s Avoca Handweavers. An article in the Daily Telegraph (U.K.), likened it to “a cross between Anthropologie, J. Crew and Urban Outfitters with a large dollop of homespun Irish charm”. I’ve been to all three American stores and rarely buy anything, I have to disagree. Avoca Handweavers is not like an American chain clothing store. It’s far more unique.

I’m not the only one who loves Avoca. Judging by the lunch time crowds (think locals and busloads of tourists), it’s popular with shoppers and foodies alike. I often call in after dropping the kids to school to pick up something for dinner or meet friends in the cafe to share a hot pot of tea and a delicious dessert. Baskets of homemade breads, giant Mars Bar squares, beef stew, broccoli, feta, tomato salad…mmmm, it’s all so good.

When we headed east last summer, right across the pond, I brought the Avoca Soups, Salads and Tea Time cookbooks with us. Now, when we need an Avoca fix, I’m able to whip something up in my kitchen in America in no time at all. It’s not exactly the same but on nights like last night, when I was craving Avoca’s sweet potato and lentil stew, it was great to have to hand.

Put Avoca Handweavers on your list of places to visit the next time you’re in Ireland or checkout their online store for cookbooks, clothing, throws, scarves and more. And for all my Dear Friends who live local…have a slice of mile high meringue roulade with strawberries and cream for me.  Cheers!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

Serves 6

Ingredients

25g/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, peeled and chopped

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly

2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped roughly

150g/1 cup puy lentils

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

a pinch of ground cinnamon

3 cm piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

400g/14.5 oz canned tomatoes

1 litre/4 cups chicken stock

juice of one lemon

Directions

1. Combine the butter and oil over a medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes without coloring.

2. Add the sweet potato, carrot, celery and lentils and coat in the oil.

3. Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and garlic, toss so they are well coated and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the tomatoes and stock and season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the sweet potato is tender.

Optional:  Puree briefly, so everything is chunky rather than smooth.  Check the seasoning, reheat and serve.

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Moon Pies and a Supermoon

06/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

If you’re out-and-about celebrating Cinco de Mayo or the Kentucky Derby tonight and you notice the moon seems unusually large, don’t worry it’s not the Margaritas or Mint Juleps going to your head: it’s the “supermoon” – the biggest moon of 2012. Appearing 14% larger and 30% brighter than normal, it will be at its most magnificent around 11.35 p.m. E.T. (3.34 a.m., May 6th, Irish time).

The scientific name for this phenomenon is “the perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun-system” or “perigee moon” for short. It is thought to have a slight effect on tides, dogs, and human sleep patterns but other than that there’s no chance of the supermoon posing a threat to Earth.

Assuming the skies are clear, the best viewing of the supermoon will be at moonrise or moonset when, thanks to the mystery of optical illusion, it will actually appear larger than it does when higher in the sky. In my experience, a supermoon looks especially impressive when rising up over a horizontal plane, like the sea, or peeking out from behind a distant object such as a mountain or tall building.

Since this is the first time our children are old enough to stay up and enjoy the magic of a supermoon (no wild Cinco de Mayo or Kentucky Derby parties for us), we’re planning a backyard picnic under the moon. We’ve got blankets and carafes of hot chocolate to keep us warm and, just in case we need a snack, I made Moon Pies with Nutella Cream filling. Hope you enjoy the night (sky)!

Moon Pies (recipe from Viola Goren’s book “Whoopie Pies”

Makes 25-30

Cake Batter

2 ¼ cups/300gm/10oz All-Purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 oz butter at room temperature

1 ¼ cups/260gm/10oz sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ cup/4oz sour cream or yogurt

Nutella Cream Filling

4 egg whites

1 cup/200gm/7oz sugar

3 oz butter at room temperature, cut into cubes

½ cup/4oz Nutella

Directions for Cake Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Sift flour and baking powder in small mixing bowl.

4. Place butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl and beat until mixture is light and airy. Add eggs, one at a time, until everything is mixed well.

5. Gradually add dry ingredients and sour cream or yogurt to the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla mixture.

6. Drop batter onto baking sheets, spacing evenly. Spread batter in approximately 1½-inch circles.

7. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Directions for Nutella Cream Filling

1. Pour egg whites and sugar into a bowl placed over a pot of hot water (double boiler). Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved.

2. Transfer to mixing bowl and beat on medium speed, then on high speed, until mixture cools completely and the meringue is set.

3. Gradually add butter and Nutella.

4. Mix well until the cream filling is smooth and uniform.

Directions for Assembly

1. When cakes are completely cool, spread the filling onto the flat side of a cake and top it with another cake. Press gently on top until filling spreads to edge.

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ALS Awareness Month

03/05/2012 by Kim McGuire

Have you ever had that feeling of something coming at you more than once? You know…someone tells you a story or you hear something on the radio and a few days later the topic comes up again at a lunch with friends or in an email. Well, the phenomenon is known as synchronicity and it’s officially defined as “an apparently meaningful coincidence of two or more similar or identical events that are casually unrelated”.  The term was coined by Carl Jung to explain meaningful coincidences”. Today I had one.

It’s probably wrong to say I had one because by the very definition of synchronicity there must be two or more occurrences. So let me be precise…in the last five days, ALS, a disease that slowly robs a person of his or her ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe, has come to my attention more than once. The first time was last Sunday, while at church, and the second was this morning through a friend on Facebook.

Lou Gehrig, pride of the Yankees baseball team in the late 1920s

Do you know about ALS, which is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease? It is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease and the life expectancy of a person with ALS is, on average, 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. Two to five years…that’s not nearly long enough to love your family, hug your children, kiss your spouse, laugh with friends, organise your life, say goodbye.

The cause of ALS is still unknown but the disease is not. May is ALS Awareness Month. It’s also the month that Will and Catherine Gowan of Nashville, Tennessee are asking one million people to go to YouTube and watch the video their dad created to raise awareness for ALS…the disease their mother, Amy Adams Gowan, was diagnosed with in October 2009.

The video above is 3 minutes long. It’s beautiful and sweet and uplifting. Please, watch it… it will mean so much to Catherine, Will, and their parents Robert and Amy. When you’re done, send it to someone else. Let’s make this a moment of synchronicity for more than just me…the goal is 1,000,000 people!

Thoughts and prayers are with the Gowan family and Jim Gonsalvez, a lovely man also fighting this disease. Thank you for helping, Dear Readers.

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Moroccan Orange-Ginger Salad

30/04/2012 by Kim McGuire

It’s been weeks since I last wrote and during that time our little family have been out and about seeing the world. Some of us have gone north to dine at Alice Water’s amazing Chez Panisse restaurant, while others have travelled very Far East and walked the Great Wall. Together we all went south to hike Utah’s Bryce Canyon over Easter break, where the awesome beauty of the hoodoos inspired and delighted us. I’ve so much to share in the coming weeks about where we’ve been but first I’d like to quickly tell you about a lovely dinner party I was fortunate to be part of last week where, for a few hours, I was transported to Morocco.

The evening was hosted by a new friend who has an eye for style and a talent for throwing relaxing, fun parties. Everything from the Evite to the Marrakesh-inspired decor was simple but beautifully done. The gathering was for a group of women who couldn’t have been nicer and the event, unbeknownst to us, was to celebrate our hostess’ recent birthday. The drink was flowing, the food was spicy and warm, and the vibe was definitely North Africa. There was none of the horrible O.T.T. (over-the-top) Arabian-night costumes or cheap fabrics draped here-there-and everywhere. There were no belly dancers, exotic birds or camels. It was intimate evening, playing on the edge of escape, for time-starved friends who reveled in having the chance to get away without needing a passport.

Our hostess creatively established her sitting room (living room) coffee table as our dining area. She decorated with jewel-toned colours, candles and dishware. Over-sized cushions left on the floor, gave us a comfortable place to sit, eat and talk. The food (a gorgeous Orange-Ginger salad, two Tagines, a couscous and dessert) was delicious without being heavy and the pitcher of cocktails I brought, called The Morocco, complimented the meal perfectly.

As we girls sat on the floor, talking and laughing the hours away, I realized I was having a rare relaxing moment and so were the others. It felt like we were on holiday…without the hassle of packing and traveling! I am thankful to our lovely hostess for opening her heart and home to us world-weary women and giving us a magical Moroccan-night to remember.

Orange-Ginger Salad

Serves 4

4 large oranges

2 teaspoons Crystalized Ginger

1 teaspoon icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1/2 teaspooon ground cinnamon

fresh mint for garnish

Directions

1. Slice oranges into 1/4″ slices, cut off the rind and the pith (white bitter part), reserve some juice and discard two end pieces. Plate oranges.

2.  Sprinkle crystalized ginger over oranges.

3. Mix icing sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of oranges and ginger, as desired.  Tip: I use a small hand-held kitchen sieve for even coverage.

4. Pour reserved juice over oranges and garnish with mint.

Related Articles: To inspire your own Moroccan-theme dinner party.

http://www.designsponge.com/2012/03/behind-the-bar-with-jen-altmans-morocco.html

http://nectarandlight.typepad.com/nectar/page/2/

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ginger-grapefruit-curd-recipe.html#comments

http://www.ehow.com/about_4607878_moroccan-themed-parties.html

http://www.skimbacohome.com/2011/04/backyard-party-theme-moroccan-nights/

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Homemade Meatballs

24/03/2012 by Kim McGuire

Everybody loves meatballs. Easy to make and oh so comforting when added to homemade spaghetti sauce, this Italian classic is always a favourite in our home. In fact, when I told the kids we were having spaghetti and meatballs tonight they let out a cheer!  Perfect as it is, you may wish to give it an Irish twist by substituting minced lamb for the mince (ground beef).  Enjoy!

Meat Balls

Serves 6

1lb/16oz/500 organic minced beef (or minced lamb)

1 free-range egg

2 Teaspoon ground turmeric

1 Teaspoon mixed Italian herbs

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1/4 onion, chopped finely

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, together in a medium bowl.

2. Roll the meat into 3 centimeter/1½-inch size balls.

3. In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat and swirl to fully coat the bottom of the pot. Add meatballs and cook until browned all over.

4. Remove the cooked meatballs from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with kitchen roll (paper towel).  Cover with another layer of kitchen roll to remove excess oil.

5. Serve as is or add to your favorite pasta dish or sauce.

Related articles

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