Garlic Pan-Fried Potatoes

There is nothing to fuss about here than to enjoy the sizzle of fried potatoes and the aroma of garlic in the pan. These spuds are simple and suitable for just about any meal. Use whatever potatoes and herbs you have on hand and do not skimp on the garlic. 

Garlic Fried Potatoes

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4 to 6 medium potatoes, washed

 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs

First boil the potatoes, whole and with the skins on, in a large sauce pan or stock pot filled with just enough water, until tender or a fork may easily and gently pierce through. Drain the water from the semi cooked potatoes and place on a cutting board to cool.

Peel the garlic cloves and using a garlic crusher, crush the cloves, one at a time, and place the crushed garlic into a bowl. 

Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, slice into rounds. Place the olive oil in a large frypan and gently heat over medium high heat. Once the oil is warmed add the crushed garlic, some salt and pepper and any fresh or dried herbs to the pan. Swirl around the pan to distribute the garlic and herbs. Do not allow the garlic and herbs to burn. The key is to be generous with the garlic and herbs, only adjusting according to taste. 

Add the sliced potatoes to the frypan and fry until nicely golden on both sides. You may have to do them in batches according to how may potatoes you have therefore sprinkling more oil, herbs or seasoning and garlic into the frypan with potatoes as you go. Once golden on both sides, remove from the frypan, and place in a serving dish, sprinkle with herbs and a dash of salt and pepper and serve. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  - JD 

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

 

Lavender lemon shortbread has such a springtime feel about it however these can be made anytime. Delicate, light and buttery these biscuits are the perfect perk to brighten a dull day. 

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

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1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup corn starch

grated lemon zest of 1 lemon and half of the juice from the lemon

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

lavender sugar on a small plate, for rolling

lavender buds for decorating

Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºF)

In a large combine the white sugar, icing sugar, corn starch, flour and lemon zest together. Add the softened butter and gentle combine the butter and flour mixture until a soft dough forms. 

Roll the dough into balls, no larger than a walnut, roll each ball in the lavender sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork or the bottom of a smooth glass, gently press each sugared ball slightly down. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until edges are slightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Once cool place on a plate or in a tin and sprinkle with lavender buds. 

Have a great weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Spicy Baked Potato

Fully loaded and another way to use up a variety of leftovers. Leftover Chilli con Carne, freshly grated carrots, smothered with sour cream, sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese, crunchy and crisp fried onions and pickled hot pepper rings top this humbly baked spud for a feverishly satisfying weekday meal. Jacket potatoes... baked potatoes are so easy to dress up and create a multi layer meal.

Hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend! - JD  

The Rolls Royce

 

Do not let this ungarnished cocktail fool you. Strong and lingering in every sip. There is no indication as to why it is named The Rolls Royce, other than in the brief description, that one might be chauffeur driven around the British countryside while sipping this cocktail. Honestly, you do not need to be doing that to enjoy it and is probably more preferred if you don't! 

The Rolls Royce

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crushed ice

one part cognac

one part Cointreau

one part orange juice

Place three scoops of crushed ice in a cocktail shaker and add the cognac, Cointreau and the part orange juice. Shake well, then strain the contents into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve ungarnished.

Stay warm and have a nice weekend everyone! - JD 

Almond Cake

Sometimes you don't need a reason to make a cake such as this however I can guarantee that you will want to make this more often than not. Feel free to top the cake with whatever fruit you like, apples are what I have on hand at any given time. Moist, crumbly and delicately tender, it is hard to believe it is gluten free.    

Almond Cake

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3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups Almond flour

1/2 cup Coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

thin slices of fresh apple rings to decorate the top

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, and beat until well blended. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. 

In a separate bowl, combine the almond and coconut flours, salt and baking powder. Stir the combined dry ingredients into the butter egg mixture and beat until nice and creamy. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and spread batter evenly. Arrange the freshly sliced apple rings on top, how ever you wish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The cake should have a bit of spring to it and golden in colour. Before serving lightly dust with some icing sugar over the top. 

Notes: If replacing the coconut flour with all purpose flour the cake is no longer gluten free. It tastes just as good, it just won't be gluten free.  

Keeping warm. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Pumpkin Chocolate Loaf for Hekate Night

 

Whether it is a simple offering or a meal, this treat will satisfy the goddess... and gods from both this world and below. If you honour Hekate Night on November 16th, offering sweet and delicious delights such as cake, breads, garlic, eggs, cheese, fruits, and nuts is a must, if you want to obtain her favours. Hekate or Hecate is the ancient goddess of dark places. She guards the thresholds between the human and the spirit world and is associated with such various things as witchcraft, magic, sorcery, life and death, birth and rebirth, herbalism and crossroads. She is often depicted in a triple goddess form. 

It is said, traditionally in Greece, such offerings were made on the night of the darkest moon and Hekate would emerge at the crossroads from the underworld, she gathered the souls of the recently departed and guided them safely to the land of the dead. Therefore the people of Greece took it upon themselves to leave offerings for Hekate and the dead outside their door and throughout the city. If Hekate was content and the dead well-fed, she would protect those and their loved ones and grant them blessings of prosperity.   

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JD  

Apple Curry Soup

I know this may look like apple sauce however it is much more complex than that. Subtly sweet apples and spices bring all the warmth of the season in one comforting bowl. Dunking crisp samosas or roasted pieces of sweet potatoes in this soup is an unrestrained must for myself. Feel free to adjust the spice according to your taste.

Apple Curry Soup

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5 to 6 larger apples, cored and sliced into pieces

2 cups water

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon chili powder

pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Puree, in small batches in a food processor or blend using a handheld blender. Reheat for an hour. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche. 

It has been one of those short but long weeks... where Wednesday is going along fine only to realize it's actually Tuesday, you blink, and it's Friday. Yes, one of those weeks... 

Have a nice weekend everyone! - JD  

El Presidente Cocktail

Apparently this cocktail was created during Prohibition at the Vista Alegre in Havana. The original version was quite sweet however we found this version to be bittersweet and a more acidic version with the fresh citrus juice and a very muddled orange.  

El Presidente Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 slice orange

splash of freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice

1 1/2 oz white rum

3/4 oz orange curaçao

1/2 oz French dry vermouth

dash of Grenadine

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange slice with the lemon or lime juice. Add the rum, curaçao, vermouth, grenadine, and ice and shake well. Strain into a small cocktail glass. 

Notes: we did not have any white rum therefore we ended up using a darker rum we had on hand. 

Stay safe and have a good weekend everyone!  - JD 

Iced Queen Drop Biscuits

I stumble upon this recipe one afternoon and it may be found in the book, Audley End Cook, a cookbook by Mrs. Avis Crocombe, who was a cook at Audley End House in the early 1880's. I believe Dr. Annie Grey, a food historian, has updated the recipe and even has a cookbook, with Andrew Hann, called How to Cook the Victorian Way with Mrs. Crocombe. You may find the recipe and cookbook on the English Heritage website. 

Although not traditionally iced, these buttery biscuits apparently are in honour of Queen Victoria. The texture is a cross between a cookie and a cake, soft cake-like on the inside and  firm cookie-like on the outside. I have adapted this straight forward recipe, not only by icing them but how I would assemble and mix the ingredients together. Either way, as historic recipes go, this is a delightful one.

Queen Drop Biscuits

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makes 24

340g (12oz / 2 1/4 cups) unbleached all purpose flour, sifted

225g  (8 oz / 1cup) currants

225g  (8 oz / 1 cup) butter, softened

225g ( 8 oz / 1 cup) white sugar

3 eggs

a few drops of almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line a baking tray with baking parchment paper.

In a bowl combine the flour and currants together. 

Cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer. Mix well, before adding the eggs and almond extract. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in two additions, stirring after each.  

Using your hands to roughly form or a tablespoon, drop equal quantities of the mixture onto  the prepared baking sheet. Don't put them to close together as the mixture will settle and expand outwards. 

Bake in the preheated 350ºC  (180ºF) oven for about 10 minutes or until firm to the touch and cool completely on a wire rack before icing them, if you wish. 

ICING:

1 cup (250ml) icing sugar

1/4 (1ml) teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

1 tablespoon (15ml) hot water

In a bowl combine icing sugar, extract and water. Adding a bit more water, if needed, to make a semi thin icing. Spread or drizzle over cookies and allow to set firm, approximately 1 to 3 hours.  

A blast of warm weather has come our way before the cool minus temperatures arrive. Hope everyone had a nice weekend. - JD