Sake it to me baby!

Sushi workshop edition - hard work pays off, but this really wasn't hard at all!

Sushi under strict supervision (they got to use the GOOD knife- see how chuffed Ali is?!). We are SO ready for the TOPCHEF comp in June!!

We had: omelet caviar nigiri, eggplant miso nigiri, salmon avocado maki, california maki, tuna sesame maki, prawn avocado, miso soup...and to finish: vanilla ice cream on a brownie with honeycomb and salted peanuts. Lucky sushi is so light...

Sushi rice recipe: cook 250 g short grain rice and mix into hot rice: 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 4 tsp salt, 4 Tb sugar (heat vinegar until sugar and salt dissolve). Mix until rice is sticky.

Spring Easter Menu

Looked great, only i don't know what you all ate...so fill me in if you remember!

GOng Xi Fa Chai! (Happy New Year!)

A fresh start to the new year! There are so many exciting possibilities for the coming year, perhaps even a ETC Olympics (for the more competitive among us :P)...

Nicky's Red Theme kicked off with a....greenish-grey appetiser. While the Tuna ceviche was not red, it was deelicious with a little chilli kick hidden beneath the cool avocado and tangy tuna.

Renee's Berry Red Cocktail

Colleen's Tomato Bread Soup

Kelly's Chinese New Year Red Salmon & Crispy Bits Salad

Monique's Parmesan Crisps & Red Apple Salad

Nicky's Beetroot Risotto

Alison's Devil's Red Curry

Monique's Red Cabbage Salad

The Dinner on a plate

linda's Red Granite (or was it Granita)

Kim's Berry 'n' Rhubarb Trifle complete with fortune, Strawberry Cinnamon Shake & Alison's Red Jelly Slice

The Christmas party turned out to be lots of fun with delicious food. The mood was set with Christmas candles and Barry singing 'White Christmas'.
The table:

We started off with Colleen's lovely bubbly drink (of which I had one too many - in my terms I had a whole one!), followed by Alison's beautiful red, white and green nacho dip.

The red Christmas colours did not stop there, it was followed by Colleen's salmon rolls and Monique's salmon on herb frittata's.

Nicky's neighbour's spinach and goat cheese quiche, made surprising with the layer of roasted nuts on top:

Alison's oh-so-delicious mince pies. They taste like the real thing! Only better, of course.


Colleen's mince pie muffins, delicious with whipped cream.


And the guests. Btw, who ended up with the diaphragm / breast pump / lemon squeeze thingy?!!

I seem to be missing photo's of some of the dishes, i.e. Nicky's spicy sticky ribs. Anybody else took pictures that night?

Cooking "workshop" @ Catootje

Happy Birthday to us! 1 cycle of ETC celebrated @ Catootje in Leiden.

It was actually more work than anticipated...not a wine sipping, chatting, perhaps chop one vegetable between the dips evening. But sweating over the hot stove, we put together a fairly extensive menu.

Memory fails me, but it was GOOD. Brownie points to those who can remember names of the dishes...and who made what! All i remember was Achim roasted the lamb of the 'big meat' theme...and how :)

The Party Plan ETC Season 2

The dates for the next season: (please note monique's date is changed from the first mail)

2010
28 Aug Cook Course Catootje: North African/Big meat
18 Sep Mascha
23 Oct No ETC
27 Nov Colleen *
18 Dec Monique * Christmas Party

2011
22 Jan Nicky
19 Feb Alison
26 March Renee
23 April Ann
21 May Kelly
18 June Clare

• * indicates partners are invited - so get your babysitters booked!
  
• New additions: Renee Clapham (Australia) & Ann Delahaye (Belgium)- which brings our numbers to 9, but in the past we've had very few occasions with everyone attending, so it should be fine.
  
• For the future '+ Partners' evenings, this is open to the discretion of the host. We can be more creative with these evenings: e.g. cocktails, tapas, desserts only, going out etc.
  
• Whoever hosts the next Indian night must have a Partner evening, or risk the wrath of Alex & Douwe to name a few.
• The 'Christmas party' will be organised closer to the time, ideas anyone?
  

Osso Bucco, Risotto Milanese

Osso Bucco

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 pieces veal shank with bone
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry Marsala
• 2 cups veal or chicken stock
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• Saffron Risotto, recipe follows

GREMOLATA:

• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• Grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

Dredge the veal shanks in the flour with salt and pepper and tap off any excess. Heat the oil and butter and brown the shanks on all sides. Remove from pan. Heat oven to 180 deg.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened & lightly browned. Add some salt to let it sweat a little. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan. Return the meat to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Cover, move pan to oven and cook for about 1.5-2 hours or until the meat is tender. Check the meat a few times during cooking to keep it covered with the sauce. Remove the cover, bake for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if necessary.

For gremolata: combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gremolata over the osso buco before serving. Serve osso buco with Saffron Risotto.

Risotto Milanese

• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1/2 big winter carrot (a 250 g), in blocks
• 3 celery sticks, in blocks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 veal shin bones with marrow
• 50 g butter
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 300 g risotto rice
• 0.1g saffron
• 50 g Parmesan, grated

Instructions

Saute the carrot, celery and onion in olive oil until softened but not browned. Add the garlic, bones and 1.5 L water. Bring the the boil and let simmer for 1.5 hours. Sieve the boullion and season with salt. Keep the boullion on the boil and reserve the bones. Heat 25g butter in a heavy pan and saute the shallots until softened. Add the rice, saffron and scoop out the marrow and stir until fragrant. Add the boullion in the usual way to make risotto (spoon-by-spoon and stirring) until the rice is al dente. Turn off the fire and stir in the parmesan and a little more boullion. Cover and let stand for 5 min. Stir through more boullion to make it extra creamy and serve.

Viva Italia!!

Alison's Italian evening was a spectacular feast for the eye, tastebuds and stomach... most of us are thankfully accustomed to the over-production of food on these evenings, but there were those that didn't heed warnings and ended up needing gaviscon...

The beautifully-laid table, starting off with some pink aperitivo (prosecco & pink stuff)

Antipasto: (Alison) A promising start with varied bruschetta & grissini.

Nicky's Lemon, Caper & Eggplant Salad: Tangy & Light

Nicky's Marinated Mint Zucchini: Mint never fails to suprise- with succulently grilled zucchini, it was refreshing.

Alison's Insalata Caprese: A classic combination for good reason

Colleen's Watermelon & Bean Salad: A never-thought-of combination: zingy, fresh and sparkly. The watermelon pairs with the balsamic vinegar in a unconventional but very compatible marriage.

Primo #1: Alison's Sundried Tomato & peccorino pasta: Lovely- simple, tasty and good textures

Primo #2 Guest Chef Achim's Angel Hair pasta in white wine sauce & snow peas: Achim wooed a few ladies a the table with this one....

Secondo: Osso Bucco & Saffran Risotto Milanese with Gremolata (Kelly): Decadent- marrow stirred through the risotto, slow oven-baked till the sofrito melted into gravy. The gremolata cut through the richness, leaving a garlic aftertaste the morning after....


Dolce #1 Gelato (Colleen) Vanilla...always room in the pudding pocket!

Dolce #2 Tiramisu (Kelly)

Lamb Vindaloo Recipe

Here's my belated recipe for Lamb Vindaloo:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
6 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (or more if you like things hot)
2 small red chillis
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 pounds lamb cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
~ 700g diced tomatoes in juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place first 9 ingredients in blender. Add 1 tablespoon mustard seeds and blend until smooth. Transfer spice mixture to large bowl. Add lamb and 2 tablespoons oil and toss to coat well.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add lamb mixture and stir 3 minutes to blend flavors. Add tomatoes with their juice and cinnamon stick; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-45 minutes.

Season lamb mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon mustard seeds. Simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

recipes

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
1/2 fresh red chilli, deseeded
1 clove of garlic ,peeled
15g fresh ginger
1 tablesppon vegetable oil
a pinch of paprika
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
a teaspoon of tomato puree
3 sprogs of fresh coriander,leaves picked and chopped,stalks reserved
400g of chicken breast,diced into 2,5 cm pieces
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1/2 red pepper,deseeded and sliced
1/2 green pepper,deseeded and sliced
a pich of ground cinnamon
a pinch of ground coriander
a pinch of tumeric
1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
100ml of plain yoghurt
100ml of double cream

Method:

For the marinade ( needs to be prepared the day before)
Blitz chilli,garlic and vegetable oil in the food processor. Add the paprika,garam masala and tomato puree,plus the coriander stalks and blitz again to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl,coat them with the marinade and leave in the fridge overnight
The next day .....
In a little vegetable oil,on medium heat,fry onion,peppers and spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for 10 mins then add a tin of tomatoes and the yoghurt. Add the chicken pieces and simmer gently for 20 mins until cooked. Just before serving,stir through the double cream and chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with boiled rice.




Mango coconut ice-cream

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar (110g)
400ml coconut cream
425g can sliced mangoes,drained
1/2 cup of lemon juice (80ml)
300ml thickened cream

Method:
1. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl, with electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Bring coconut cream to boil in small saucepan. Gradually beat hot coconut cream into egg mixture,while mixer is operating. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Blend or process mangoes and juice until smooth
3. Beat cream in small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold mango mixture and cream into egg mixture.
4. Pour mixture into loaf pan;cover with foil. Freeze until firm. Serve sprinkled with toasted coconut if desired

Lamb jalfrezi

Pretty spicy (although of course the amount of chili powder can be adjusted to taste)

Ingredients

• 1 kg. lamb, clean and cut in cubes
• 2-3 teaspoons of salt
• 5 teaspoons red chili powder
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated or chopped finely
• 15 cm. ginger, peeled and grated
• 2-3 large tomatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 5 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves
• some onion rings, red pepper, bell pepper

Preparation

• Mix the lamb with chili powder and salt and leave to marinate a bit.
• Heat the ghee on a medium flame and fry the onions golden yellow.
• Lower the flame. Add garlic and ginger and fry until the oil seperates.
• Add tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin, turmeric and coriander leaf and cook until the tomatoes are mushy. Stir regularly.
• Add lamb and cover. Optionally add some water. Leave until the lamb is cooked and tender (this will take a while!).
• Serve with some fried onion, red pepper cut in pieces, and fresh lemon wedges
  

Nicky's Indian Night

Probably the tastiest evening in the history of the ETC club!
The Menu (as I remember it)
Starters/Sides
Pappadums- nicky
Mango Chutney- colleen
Mint Raita- colleen
Naan- colleen
Mushroom Baji- Colleen
Lassi- Nicky

Mains
Lentil Dahl- Nicky
Lamb Vindaloo- nicky
Lamb Jalfrezi- kelly
Eggplant 'salad'- mascha
Chicken Korma- alison
Chicken Skewers- monique

Dessert
Mango & Pineapple salad- monique
Halava- mascha
Mango & Coconut Icecream- Alison