Why you may ask?  Well, why not?  I spent 6 months in the city of Novosibirsk working in an orphanage in 1996.  My parents knew this would be very challenging for me as I grew up on a beautiful farm in the middle of no-where in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland I can assure you it did make me grow up, and fast, parents know what their offspring need and mine was no exception.  Was it cold in Siberia?  No, it was the summer and 42C.  To get to Novosibirsk I travelled to St. Petersburg and from there took the Trans-Siberian Express for 4 days.  I would love to extol the virtues of this epic train journey as Michael Portillo in his recent BBC 2 series talked about the Great Continental Railway Journeys, but I can’t.  You see, the Iron Curtain had just fallen, the Russia was still rather sensitive and all I could see looking out of the window for 4 days were pine trees, we passed through the Ural mountains over night as we passed from Europe into Asia, I saw nothing or nada as the Russians would say.

Many things struck me about Russia, the opulence of the Hermitage, the size of Red Square, the queues for the only McDonalds in Russia and the amount of freshly cooked food.  I spent 6 months living with a Babushka, she spoke no English, I spoke no Russian, and it’s amazing how one can communicate with a little practice.  Every morning I was served the same breakfast, it was called ‘Kasha’, roasted buckwheat porridge.  I was never particularly enamored with Kasha, it repeated all day, sort of like kippers do for breakfast.  Lunches and dinners would always be casserole or cabbage soups, of which the famous Borscht is only one variety.  An interesting ingredient I discovered that seemed to be in every dish was Smetana – a thicker variant to our soured cream that was used as a garnish, in baking, in cooking.  Not forgetting the sour cucumbers, and believe me, they were toe curling sour.

Siberian culture was rather strange to me.  The house I stayed in had no bathroom, daily visits to the sauna or ‘banya’ were horrendous.  Boiling hot communal sauna, where you were whipped with willow branches to improve circulation, a jump into a cold pool and back into the sauna.  Mum and dad, thank you for sending me on this experience, waking up at 4am to herd cows that had broken out of the field on a wet January night was far superior to this.  The advantage to growing up where I did was no matter how cold and wet it was outside, no matter what time of day or night one could always find warmth and comfort at our then 2-Oven British Racing Green AGA.  Our AGA did not have a name; neither did our Massey Ferguson tractor, but both worked equally hard for the McIntosh family.  Mum now has a beautiful cream AGA Total control.

One of the first things I was taught to cook were dropped scones.  A hallmark of any AGA cooker demonstration.  On one of those nights when I could not sleep and felt the concept of counting sheep felt very 1980’s in concept I added up how many dropped scones I had made in my 10 years of AGA demonstrations.  It was well into the thousands.  It’s just a matter of mixing the ingredients together into a batter and pouring a little with a spoon onto a lightly oiled Simmering Plate, turning with a palate knife once bubbles appear and cooking for a few more seconds.  When cool, top with Smetana or soured cream, some caviar and fresh dill sprigs.  Caviar was a little out of the price range for Babushka so we had strawberry jam.

So thank you mum and dad for sending me to Siberia you knew how get me the experience I needed for life by sending me north of Outer Mongolia to learn how to make dropped scones, a skill that forms part of my income.

Imperial Russian Blinis

Makes about 30

100g self raising flour

100g buckwheat flour

70g caster sugar

2 eggs

300ml milk

a little vegetable oil

Russian Smetana or soured cream

Caviar

Dill sprigs

Method

Place the flours and sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk using a balloon whisk to combine.

Add the eggs and half of the milk, whisk together and add the remaining milk to form a smooth pouring batter.

Place the vegetable oil onto a paper towel and rub over the Simmering Plate.  Using a teaspoon, drop the mixture from the end of the spoon onto the simmering plate.  Once bubbles appear turn them over with a palate knife and cook for a few more minutes.

Set onto a plate and serve with the soured cream, caviar and dill on top.

As I think about Austria, I’m reminded of a school ski trip more years back than I care to remember.  This has been my only experience of the country, however I have been to the surrounding countries on many occasions.  Right, you know the drill.  Google.  What is Austrian food? I’m sure it’s not cream coloured ponies with crisp apple strudel.  In fact, part of this is correct, the crisp apple strudel.  For years I’ve been trying to find out the flavor of a strudel, you know that European flavor that you cannot match with cinnamon in the UK.  A few weeks back I found it, and it’s a mixture of cinnamon and cassia bark.  I know that Viennese biscuits and breads are from Austria, as well as the famous rich Sachertorte chocolate cake being developed in the Sacher Hotel in Vienna.

I get off the Tube at High Street Kensington, choice of District or Circle line, but I’ve always wondered does the Circle Line still exist?  I find myself next to Kensington Palace at Bodo’s Schloss.  German for Bodo’s Castle.  This place is fabulous.  It’s the new place to see and place to be seen in London.  As their website said, anyone who wears traditional Alpine Dress (Lederhosen, dirndl etc.) or mountain ski wear are entitled to complimentary entry.  I will confess I do have Lederhosen in my wardrobe, the respectable other is German so I do own a bit of European chique.  However, party wear it may be, for travelling on the Tube it is not.  As we enter Bodo’s Schloss I’m taken back.  It is in every way an Alpine chalet.  Wood paneled walls, stone floors, a big log fire, skis and sleighs on the wall, with waitresses wearing the Dirndl and waiters in Lederhosen.  If I am to prove that the world is in London, I’ve definitely found it for Austria.

I meet Franz Schinagl who’s company Speck Mobile provides the catering at Bodo’s Scholss.  Franz and I talk about what makes Austrian food Austrian.  We run through lots of things, and I ask if we can cook Wiener Schnitzel.  We do and I ask what it is served with, he tells me a potato and cucumber salad.  All sounds good to me, and then I see it in the corner of the kitchen.  Spätzle.  Now I know spätzle is German.  For Christmas past Frau B (my mother-in-law) gave me a spätzle maker (or spätzle hoop) so I could feed her offspring native food.  Franz shows me how to make spätzle.  Really it’s just a noodle that’s eaten in the region.  Words like Goulash and with this odd appearance of spätzle have confused me.  I’m on Austrian food today, not Hungary and Germany.  Franz explains the history.  The Austro-Hungarian Empire covered a great part of central Europe, so the foods from that time are not country specific.

As I walk back through Bodo’s Schloss I’m taken back, the DJ booth is a bright red bubble – it’s a cable car planted in the middle of the room.  Excellent.

Back to Divertimenti to cook a Wiener Schnitzel and (unt) Spätzle on the AGA.  Easy.  Wiener meaning veal is not so easy to get, so I make it with turkey (it can be made with chicken or pork).  I cut the turkey thin, pound it with a meat mallet, egg it, flour it, bread it and place it into a hot pan in the AGA to cook.   Meanwhile, the water is boiling for the spätzle.  The dough is easy to make, just mix eggs, strong plain flour and milk together in a bowl and place into the spätzle hoop that is sitting over the pan.  As I slide the spätzle hoop at speed so the dough falls through the holes and is cut to the correct size as it falls into the water I’m presented with another type of spätzle maker.  I laugh as it looks like one of those maximuscle shakers gym bunnies use to make their power drinks to bulk up.  Did Arnold Schwarzenegger use this for his spätzle I wonder?  I add the ingredients as shown on the outside of the tub, add the mixing widget and shake.  Easy.  Spätzle cooks in no time, it floats, I’m sure Mozart could have used this quick fall and float concept of cooking as a metronome for the development of Cosi fan Tutte.  Wolfgang Puck a huge celebrity chef in the USA is Austrian, I’m sure both him and Franz would be proud of my spätzle.  But, as every man fears, “is it as good as my mother in laws”?  I resort back to Julie Andrews, “I have confidence in me”.

]]> http://jamesfoodblog.com/aga-2/austrian-food-on-the-aga-bobos-schloss/feed/ 0 http://jamesfoodblog.com/aga-2/ghana-food-on-the-aga/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ghana-food-on-the-aga http://jamesfoodblog.com/aga-2/ghana-food-on-the-aga/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:24:53 +0000 admin http://jamesfoodblog.com/?p=2757 Continue reading →]]> I must admit before I start out today that I know absolutely nothing about food from Ghana.  I don’t even know where the Ganahian areas of London are.  All I remember from school geography lessons is that the largest artificial reservoir in the world is in Ghana.  I’m excited about learning something new today, not sure what, but a willing mind and all of that.  On my way to film I do my usual Google routine and find out I’m wrong.  Lake Volta is actually the largest lake in the world by surface area.  Not by water volume – that would make it the 4^th largest.  Looking back to school (not that long ago may I add) I realize that facts like this we no longer need to know, in todays world we just need to know how to Google.  Does that make life easier?  I’m not sure, but what I am sure of is that we need to reply to emails faster than if writing and posting a letter and that we must know how to interpret the information that we can now quickly search for.  My interpretation of today is that we must be cooking with fish as I’m taking Lake Volta into consideration.

Hold that thought.  As I was taught in school – fish always on a Friday and never on a Monday.  Reason being that fish is not caught on a Sunday so will not be fresh for a Monday purchase and its good to give up meat for one day a week. Originally from a chastity point of view, but now it’s a bit more trendy, only, it’s the other way around with the current trend towards a #meatfreemonday as Paul McCartney has written and as the trend is growing.  I’m all for one day of no meat.  I’ve found this a very useful practice at home as it’s a great way to use up left over vegetables in the fridge, and rice dishes like Jollof are good ways of incorporating it.

So as I Google Ghana I find out that it has the highest percentage of people who subscribe to believe in a faith in the world per head of population.  It gained independence from Britain in 1957 and is one of the world’s largest cocoa producers.  The word Ghana means “warrior King” and its one of only 6 countries in the world (our own green and pleasant lands to be included) that lies on the meridian line.  How do I interpret this into cooking and AGA World Food?  I’m not sure, but lets believe in the King who is free to produce cocoa in our time?  Nonsense, I must stop relying on Google for my life and go and meet the people of Ghana, the people who have the information, as it’s their lives.  I’ve found a Gahanna restaurant in Exmouth Market called Spinach and Agushi.  I talk with the owner and she tells me that the food is all about a celebration and giving thanks.

As we cook the Jollof Rice I’m told its also called ‘Benachin’ in the Wolof language, it means ‘one pot’ and all possibilities of British food are running through my head.  One pot wonders – you know casseroles, soups and the likes.  Not forgetting Delia’s “one is fun” book.  It’s famous all over West Africa but can take many forms depending on the local food available to that region.

What strikes me are some of the spices used, I don’t really understand them.  I’ve been able to locate the ones in the recipes in markets in London, but they are not mainstream spices like we are used to in the UK.  Ghana is home to a broad range of native plant species some like ‘cola’ have lead to worldwide attention.  See, I have learnt something new today.  I know that from looking at the recipe if I replace the spices with chili it will be more of an American Jambalaya, but as native food is about cooking with what one has to hand, I think I need to find a Ghanaian food shop in London.  Back to Google and I find 10 in the trendy Dalston area of London.  You see with a little research I’m discovering that the world’s food can be found in London.

As I cook Jollof rice in Divertimenti I cook it in the AGA Coalbrookdale Pot.  I love this cast iron pot, its got a lovely round ‘belly’ and looks great on tables filled with food or mulled wine, but the story goes deeper. The cast iron that makes the AGA and AGA cookware is all made in the town of Ironbridge in Shropshire, in the Coalbrookdale Foundry – the same foundry that Abraham Darby started the Industrial Revolution.  Cast iron loves heat, it cooks food beautifully and with rice or a rice dish I have always lived by the concept of 1 cup of rice plus 2 cups of liquid brought to the boil, lid on and into the AGA Simmering Oven cooks rice to perfection.  The rice will have absorbed all of the moisture, will not have stuck together and there will be no residual moisture.  I cook the Jollof Rice in this way, and you know what?  Perfect.

And back to my thoughts about Lake Volta as I left my flat to discover Ghana.  Lots of fish is used in Ghanian cuisine, so why not fry some pan fried prawns to the rice after cooking?

Next stop on my world in one city – Austria.

Jollof Rice

Serves 4

50ml olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 fresh bay leaves

1 x 400g tin chopped tomato

1 whole fresh scotch bonnet chili, finely chopped

1 tbs tomato puree

200g basmati rice

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

½ tablespoon of blended Ghanaian seasoning Nkiti Nkiti, Whintia, Pepre

800ml meat or vegetable stock

Method

Heat the oil in an AGA pan or casserole on the Boiling Plate and when hot add the onion, garlic and bay leaves.  Cook for a few minutes until the onion has softened.

Add the can of tomatoes, chili and the tomato puree.  Stir to combine and bring to the boil.

Place the lid onto the pan and place into the Simmering Oven for 30 minutes to gently cook through; the sauce will have darkened in colour.

Add all other ingredients, stir and place back into the Simmering Oven for 20 minutes.

Serve.

Robert, a regular writer and a man with a great ability to make food real in words has written a great article about modern day Beijing food.  Its certainly worth pouring a cuppa and reading to understand the modern day evolution of the most popular cuisine on the planet.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-oliver/notes-from-beijing_b_3064940.html

Overall winner of the FAIR Trophy for Best FreeFrom Food 2013 was a luxury lemon coconut ‘ice cream’ from Bessant and Drury. ‘How great,’ said the judges ‘to have a product which excludes all of the major allergens yet both looks and tastes like a fully fledged, upmarket, luxury food.’

Other winning products included a fresh chickpea pasta from Dell’Ugo, gluten-free panini from Freedom Deli, egg-free ,mini Scotch Eggs for Hotch Potch Eggs, a gluten and dairy-free hot chocolate fudge pudding from Glamourpuds and a nut-free ‘peanut butter’ from Eskal. For the first time this year there was also a children’s category, in recognition of the number of freefrom products now being manufactured for food-sensitive children.

Over 340 different dishes, drinks, snacks, cereals, breads and biscuits were tasted and tested by a team of 50 expert judges who included food writers, chefs, dietitians, nutritionists, coeliacs, allergy sufferers – and children, judging their own children’s food category!

‘The FreeFrom Food Awards are the industry’s only awards for freefrom food,’ explained Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, director of the awards, ‘and their continuing success is evidence both of the increasing number of people who have a food problem and of the sector’s rapid growth. There has been a phenomenal number of new products entering the market in the last few years. Even better, this year many of the products that were free of multiple allergens (such as the winning lemon ‘ice cream’) tasted and looked not only as good, but better than many conventional products.’

It is estimated that globally between 220 and 250 million people suffer from food allergies (World Allergy Organisation) and this figure is continuing to rise. The freefrom sector in the UK, currently valued at £240 million is expected to grow to £519 million by 2016 – a year on year growth of 15.5%. (Kantar World Panel).

The FreeFrom Food Awards have been instrumental in driving new product development and improving the quality and choice of freefrom foods that are available. For more information on the awards visit www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk.

For information on freefrom food visit www.freefromfoodsmatter.com and for information on food allergy and intolerance visit: www.foodsmatter.com.

In the rapidly growing and popularity of social media, there is no better time or way to tweet, post, blog, and broadcast your way to fame.  With the wide range of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, along with their astounding user base, becoming a celebrity of the digital world is closer then ever before.  Marketing Manager, Anastasia Stefanos, of MeeMeeTV- a portal for users to create their own free online TV channel explains, “You need to be bold, relevant, and interesting to capture the public’s attention.  There is no room for shy wallflowers in the critical and fast-paced world of social networking”.  Anastasia also emphasizes that “you need to be daring to gain followers that will spread the word about your brand like wildfire over the Internet.  Broadcasting yourself on multiple media platforms and cross-promoting is one of the most important steps to notoriety”. The transformation from ordinary to ‘Social Media Star’ begins with engaging and expanding your fan base.

MeeMee.tv is the latest buzz circulating the online entertainment industry.  MeeMeeTV distinguishes itself from its competitors by allowing users to broadcast shows and interact live with all of their followers at once!  Users can post comments, send Reewards, instant message, and give shout outs to their favorite channel owners, aka Meestros.  You have the all of your social networking needs in a single place.  The more hits, gifts, and attention your channel gets the higher your rank on the site becomes and the closer you are to achieving VIP status which includes a whole host of extra perks!

I’ve been to Belgium a few times, but my most memorable trip was for a friends 40^th a few years back and 20 of us went to Burgee.  A beautiful city of medieval architecture encased in a city wall and canals.  I remember just how cold it was for that January trip.  Perhaps that’s why I wore so many layers today when actually it was warm enough in London to just wear a shirt and pullover.  I had lunch with an 80-year-old friend yesterday, the sort who is very correct in his terminology who informed me that ladies wear jumpers and gentlemen wear pullovers.  Ironically today’s multi coloured effort was purchased in Burgee.

What do I know of Belgian food? Well, the stereotypical bits really, moules and frites with mayonnaise, beer blonde with many fruity assortments and waffles. Hergé – the author of TinTin was Belgian.  I don’t have a dog called Snowy, but let my adventure begin.

Wafflemeister; who I visited today outside South Kensington Underground Station to find out about Belgium food is one of those success stories of British business I love to hear about.  With four stores in central London and branches in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur, they must be doing something right.  I meet Alex the owner and we chat about Belgian food, I see pictures of waffles with lots of toppings including mini-Oreos on the wall and I’m drooling.  We spend time talking about how the waffle recipe which is a family secret developed in Belgium in the 1950’s and that the waffle dough is handmade in Belgium and frozen before being transported to the UK to be baked and served.  True Belgium food, from Belgium in London.  I’m watching as customers come to buy waffles and I hear stories from Alex about just how popular they are.  He’s an easy going chap, not one to boast, but by the number of people wanting his product I can see just how popular they really are.  I’m told one Indian businessman sends his driver to Wafflemeister to buy a few boxes of waffles before he fly’s home from Biggin Hill airport on his private jet.  How another customer who was a patient in a hospital purchased 40 ‘sharing’ boxes – that’s 160 waffles, one can only assume nill-by-mouth was over, or is BUPA discovering a new dessert trolley?  I’m hungry and my camera crew arrives, just at the point where Alex is telling me that the waffles are about 320Kcal per 100g.  Not bad.  Halal friendly waffles too.  Alex is really excited about his business, he shows me the gelato he sells, you know the ice cream that is no just ice cream, it’s thicker and he calls the flavor ‘Speculoos’.  A sort of gingerbread and cinnamon flavor unique to Belgium and the surrounding countries that’s made into animal shaped biscuits for Christmas time.  All I need is the waffle.

It’s time to make the waffles.  Alex lets me do it.  His electric waffle maker is nice and hot and it’s as easy as use.  I made the waffles and noticed that the pearl sugar in the waffle dough melts and lubricates the waffle iron.  I try it with the Speculoos flavoured gelato and I now understand Alex’s excitant.  This man has made waffles more than something to put chocolate and cream on.  I’m told I’m eating Liége waffles, charisterically a richer, denser, sweeter and chewier waffle and the translation from their proper name of gaufres de chasse means ‘hunting waffles’.  Made from yeast dough, which is an adaption of French briôche dough.  Either way, whatever they are – they are special.  A chewy sweetness of a high rigged waffle that’s perfect sweet or savory yumminess.

Over the years many have asked me about cooking waffles in the AGA.  Today I finally found out how to successfully achieve it at Divertimenti, and to a great standard too.  All you need to do is oil and heat the waffle iron on the floor of the AGA Roasting Oven, add the batter, close and cook on the Roasting Oven floor.  The floor is the same temperature as the super hot Boiling Plate, not only do they spread, cook and rise but the pearl sugar oozed and bubbled from the sides as it cooked.  I take it out of the AGA, turn it onto a plate and serve it with mini Oreo cookies, hundreds and thousands and mini marshmallows.  No Belgian waffle (Liége or otherwise) is complete without Belgian chocolate and I melted this in a ramekin on the AGA top plate.  Chocolate melts beautifully here in no time at all, it won’t seize and by golly did it taste good.

I always live by the motto that it’s good to learn something new every day.  Today I learnt that 1) Wafflemeister waffles are the correct food for anytime of day, 2) waffles don’t last very long when they come out of the AGA when one has a film crew around and 3) I should never underestimate / get excited by the British weather as I was soaked to the skin on my way home.

Next stop in my World in One City project – Austria.  I wonder, did Maria feed the Von-Trap children waffles?  Perfect not only for eating in a large house, but also to have in a picnic up the hills too.  I’m sure a domestic goddess like Maria had the aforementioned BUPPA dessert trolley as one of her favorite things.

Sarah Branagan, category manager for Knorr sauces at Unilever Food Solutions, says: “The Italian Create More sauces are ridiculously versatile and, designed to allow chefs to add their own signature to a sauce, can be used for anything from fresh sauces and soups to pizza toppings and Focaccia bread. All they need to do is add water, fresh ingredients and their own inspiration to create great-tasting dishes.

“They are so versatile, our chef, Versatility Steve, has become a bit obsessed with Knorr Create More Concentrated Sauces and things have got a little out of hand. We want chefs to go one better by heading online and setting Steve a ridiculous challenge of their own. He’ll then prove just how versatile they are.”

A week of judging, supported by distributor Pallas Foods, will take place at Bewley’s Hotel, Dublin, in late April, which involves each product being blind-tasted by expert food judges including chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and specialist food and drink retailers. The products awarded 3-stars during this week, will then go forward to the final stages of Great Taste 2013 which takes place in London in July.

“The Great Taste Supreme Champion, the overall winning product each year, has for the last two years been a product made in Northern Ireland and so our expectations are very high before we even start judging,” explains John Farrand, organiser of the Great Taste Award scheme. “McCartney’s of Moira triumphed in 2011 with its traditional corned beef, and Hannan Meats, also based in Moira, securing the trophy last year with an Italian inspired bacon called Moyallan Guanciale. In 2006, a smoked wild salmon from West Cork’s Woodcock Smokery was crowned Supreme Champion.”

Patrick Clement, Marketing & Development Manager at Pallas Foods said “Great Taste is the most trusted and recognised food and drink awards in Ireland and the UK. Pallas Foods is delighted to support the awards in Dublin this April. Being awarded a Great Taste star or more is a fantastic achievement and great acknowledgement for any business. In Ireland we have brilliant artisan food producers, I would encourage any of them to enter the award and get the stars they duly deserve giving their products great recognition.”

Only 3 weeks old this Barbadian baby is selling out of food due to popularity.  Speaking about the increased interest and success to date, Head of Food Mark Quinton, outlined his experiences stating:

“The reception has been fantastic and given the poor weather conditions the feedback has been great. The demand is such that at this early stage we have had to diversify our menu, and we now offer freshly cooked to order fishcakes which you can have as a portion on its own, or in a warm pitta bread, topped with a spicy and zesty sauce.  With the sun finally making an appearance last Saturday, we sold out of the majority of our dishes and have even had a handful of pre orders via our website for next week! “

The ‘pikkle’ is essentially a salsa of onions, cucumber, chillies & fresh lime juice with a few other secret ingredients. The diner then has five options – shrimp, mackerel, pork, chicken or superfood  (which contains a mixture of ancient grains such as Quinoa and Bulgar wheat, mushrooms and mixed beans), are mixed with the ‘pikkle’ – to create their ‘pikkle pots’, hence the name “In A Pikkle”!  All pots are served with green banana, potatoes and breadfruit or if you like a medley, all three and a mixed pot combining all of the variations can also be purchased!

However, whilst Caribbean pop ups and street food stalls are nothing new, “In A Pikkle’s” innovative concept doesn’t only offer the diner a healthy snack but  doubles up as a unique cooking ingredient. Encouraging people to come down for a taster and get inventive with their pikkle, Quinton said:

“We are pretty generous with the ‘Pikkle’ salsa and as a result, you may have some left over. Instead of throwing away the excess it can be added to a variety of dishes for a real transformation. It’s really versatile and can be used for anything from salad dressings, marinades for seafood or as an ingredient in your favourite dishes; it works wonders if you add a bit to Spaghetti Bolognese or even in your stews.