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In Britain the first ketchup condiment was mushroom ketchup and not tomato as one would expect. This was made by packing the mushrooms into a container with salt. I have based my mushroom ketchup recipe method on the one found in Cape Winelands Cuisine. Head straight on to the Recipe For Mushroom Ketchup ♥ Dave, … Continue reading Mushroom Ketchup
I am giving you two recipes for microwave curd. One is for lemon curd and the other grapefruit curd. The timing is dependant on the amount of juice you get out of your fruit. Head straight on to the Recipe For Microwave Curd ♥ I know that my method for sterilizing jars is not conventional. … Continue reading Microwave Curd
Inspired by Gentleman's Relish, I made anchovy paste. Using anchovies, butter and spices this is a great spread. Head straight on to the Recipe For Anchovy Paste ♥ The Western Cape is still in the grips of a drought and our water restrictions continue. One of the suggestions I heard was to turn the shower … Continue reading Anchovy Paste
Fruit butters are made from fruit pulp and have a soft, spreadable texture. You can use pear and lemon butter on scones like I did, or with cold meats. Use on a cheese board for something different or as a substitute for chutney. Skip ahead to the recipe for Pear And Lemon Butter Dave and … Continue reading Pear And Lemon Butter
Hazelnut butter (or any nut butter) is made by crushing the nuts until a paste forms. I made use of a blender to make this spread which is high in protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids. Head straight on to the Recipe For Hazelnut Butter ♥ Last month my car license came up for renewal. Before the … Continue reading Hazelnut Butter
I love eating hot dogs for a weekend lunch. This spicy tomato relish is the perfect condiment to go with them. It makes a great alternative to mustard and can be used as a topping for roast potatoes. Skip ahead to the recipe for Spicy Tomato Relish Dave and I love visiting Farmer's Markets and … Continue reading Spicy Tomato Relish
The task set by The Food In Jars Mastery Challenge this month was to make jam. I could have gone the sweet route with in season plums, but chose rather to head off in a savoury direction. I adapted Sam's recipe and made smoked bacon jam. Head straight on to the Recipe For Smoked Bacon Jam ♥ A … Continue reading Smoked Bacon Jam
This sun-dried tomato jam is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It is super easy to make and will keep in the fridge for 6 weeks. That is if you can hold off eating the entire jar for that long. Head straight on to the recipe for Sun-dried Tomato Jam ♥ A few years … Continue reading Sun-dried Tomato Jam
It can be noted that French tarragon is the best for culinary use. Mine flourishes most of the year and I have even managed to share the abundance with Greg from The Restaurant at Waterkloof. Last weekend I picked some to make a tarragon mayonnaise. Head straight on to the recipe for Tarragon Mayonnaise ♥ … Continue reading Tarragon Mayonnaise
Agar Agar is derived from red algae and is an alternative to gelatin. This is therefore suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike. Here I have used it as the gelling agent for my beetroot gel. Head straight on to the recipe for Beetroot Gel ♥ In September we had to deal with a courier company … Continue reading Beetroot Gel
Aïoli is a Provençal emulsion sauce of garlic and olive oil. According to Larousse (p5) the name derives from ail meaning garlic and oli for oil. Alioli originated in Spain in the 1st Century AD. It is traditionally served with cold poached fish, bourride, hard-boiled eggs, salads, snails, cold meats, boiled beef and mutton. I have made a … Continue reading Black Garlic Aïoli
Tahini paste is a condiment widely used in many cuisines from Lebanon to Bulgaria. This Levantine ingredient can be served out of the jar as a dip or added to aubergines to make baba ghanoush. In Mediterranean dishes it may be added to yoghurt and seasoned with sumac to form a sauce. Head straight on … Continue reading Tahini Paste
Originating in Iran, pomegranates have been grown for thousands of years. I can remember picking the ripe fruit off my grandfather's tree to enjoy as a summer treat. The arils and juice can be used for a variety of recipes, both sweet, savoury and alcoholic. This pomegranate concentrate can be used as the base for … Continue reading Pomegranate Concentrate
Shmaltz is the Yiddish word for poultry fat. It is from Ashkenazi cuisine and in its usual form it would be rendered chicken or goose fat. However, in order to have a pareve spread for use with meat a Jewish household needs vegetarian schmaltz. Skip ahead to the recipe for Vegetarian Schmaltz Kashrut rules do … Continue reading Vegetarian Schmaltz
According to my Curry book, the process of clarifying butter to produce ghee makes it an excellent cooking medium able to withstand high temperatures and constant reheating. It also prevents it from going rancid, an important consideration in hot countries. Head straight on to the recipe for Ghee ♥ There is a saying that the wind … Continue reading Ghee | Clarified Butter
This recipe for fresh pink peppercorn mustard came about when I was testing Mariana's recipe in the Taste magazine (July 2014, page 90) which did not work. I am loathe to throw anything away and so used up what I had made. My next batch is reminiscent of the freshly pumped mustards we have tasted at the … Continue reading Fresh Pink Peppercorn Mustard
To me, Christmas morning has to start with mince pies. I like to make my own and before I can bake, I make Christmas mince. The longer I leave it to stand, the better the Brandy infuses into my mixture. Head straight on to the recipe for Christmas Mince ♥ Some things, like this Christmas … Continue reading Christmas Mince
This Rosé Apple Sauce goes perfectly well with any pork dish, but I like to serve mine with pork fillet or pork rib eye steaks. Skip ahead to the recipe for Rosé Apple Sauce I think some people walk through life with rose tinted glasses, not realizing how their actions and decisions affect others. I recently … Continue reading Rosé Apple Sauce
Harvesting tarragon from my garden, I made my own tarragon oil. The idea was not mine, but came to me from a chef friend. Skip ahead to the recipe for Tarragon Oil I am a great list maker and to that end, I have a shopping list on the fridge to be added to when … Continue reading Tarragon Oil
In this recipe for raspberry curd, I share my secret for separating eggs and what I do with my egg whites when I don't them straight away. Skip ahead to the recipe for Raspberry Curd Everyone has their own method of separating eggs and I most certainly can say that I have tried a few! … Continue reading Raspberry Curd