Thought for Food

Ingredients:

• 1lb each pickling onions, peeled, cauliflower florets and de-seeded cucumber and topped and tailed French beans
• 12oz coarse rock salt
• 1¼ pint white malt vinegar
• 1 Tbsp each dried English mustard, ground ginger and ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp whole yellow mustard seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 oz light muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 2-3 Tbsp corn flour

warm large sterilised jam jars with screw tops - prepare jars by washing in hot soapy water and leaving to dry and warm in an oven - 250F for 10-15 minutes.

Directions:
1. Put the vegetables into a non-metallic bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the top, toss together, cover and leave in a cool place for 12 hours.
2. The next day put the vinegar into a large saucepan or preserving pan, add the spices and bring to the boil.
3. Drain the vegetables and add to the simmering vinegar, cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the sugar and continue to simmer for a further 1-2 minutes.
4. Mix 2 Tbsp of corn flour with a little water and blend into the hot vegetables. Bring back to the boil and cook for a further minute, the mixture should be glossy and thick. Add the remaining corn flour in the same way if necessary.
5. Remove the piccalilli from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Spoon into the hot jars and cover with a disc of wax paper and a screw top lid, wipe the jars and label. Store in a cool dark place for 3-4 weeks before eating.

Technorati Tags: Recipes, Pickles, Piccalilli, Preserving, Vegetables

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
Posted at 10:42 in Condiment.

Pour 1 cup balsamic vinegar into a stainless steel or enamelled pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until it is reduced to 1/2 - 1/4 cup.

This is a good way to enhance the flavour of lesser quality balsamic vinegars.

Technorati Tags: Cooking, Condiments, Tips, Balsamic Vinegar

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When done well, cat litter cake looks as gross as it sounds. One would hope that the need for never-used (at least for their intended purposes) cat-litter equipment would be self evident. Nonetheless, I do bring that to your attention.

1 box spice cake mix
1 box of white cake mix
1 package white sandwich cookies
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix A few drops green food colouring
12 small Tootsie Rolls or equivalent

Serving Dishes and utensils
1 NEW cat-litter box
1 NEW cat-litter box liner
1 NEW litter scooper

Prepare and bake cake mixes, according to directions, in any size pan.
Prepare pudding and chill.
Crumble cookies in small batches in blender or food processor.
Add a few drops of green food colouring to 1 cup of cookie crumbs.
Mix with a fork or shake in a jar. Set aside.
When cakes are at room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl.
Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs and enough pudding to make the mixture moist but not soggy.
Place liner in litter box and pour in mixture.

Unwrap 3 Tootsie Rolls and heat in a microwave until soft and pliable.
Shape the blunt ends into slightly curved points.
Repeat with three more rolls.
Bury the rolls decoratively in the cake mixture.
Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter green crumbs lightly over top.

Heat 5 more Tootsie Rolls until almost melted.
Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with crumbs from the litter box.
Heat the remaining Tootsie Roll until pliable and hang it over the edge of the box.
Place box on a sheet of newspaper and serve with scooper.

Technorati Tags: Baking, Cakes, Kitty Litter Cake, Fun, Parties, Recipes

Posted by Ian McKenzie at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)