Pavlova...

The perfect end to a dinner party... An enormous pavlova will have your guests weak at the knees... Forget kiwi and lemony cream... You want sharp rasberries and vanilla creaminess dripping from forks....

My Pavlova

You'll need

6 Egg whites

400gms caster sugar

1.5 tsp white wine vinegar

1.5 tsp cornflour

Preheat your oven to 200c. Whisk the eggs into soft peaks, add the sugar, flour and vinegar and whisk again until shiny and with soft peaks again.  Line and dust (with icing sugar) a shallow roasting pan and plop your mix into it, allow it to make its own shape.

Pop into the oven, and immediatley turn the oven down to 150.  Bake the meringue for 1 hour or until it is nicely brown and cracking along the 'seams'.

When ready remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Lift the meringue onto your dish, and with the back of a spoon crack the surface, allowing it to collapse in on itself.  Fill the hollow with vanilla cream (use M&S Madagasgar vanilla cream if you can!) and top with raspberries... 

Exquisite!

Are you Twilighting?

I robbed this wonderful picture from Ciara over at Milkmoon, to show you what my daughter has been up to for the last few weeks... Twilighting... 

And, it seems, so has everyone in the universe, it is everywhere isn't it?

So, I read it to see what the fuss was about.

I sat down yesterday, and over a couple of hours in a quiet room, and then another couple of hours in bed, I read the whole thing through.  I haven't done that since I was a teenager myself!

Holes in the plot aside (and there are many!) it was one of those stories that drags you kicking and screaming (with joy) back to your teen years, when books like this encouraged day dreams about the shopkeepers son, or that boy who catches the bus at the same time you do every day... At Marys age I would routinely fall in love with boys on the bus and while away the days dreaming of all the possibilities to come.  

This book reminded me of those daydreams, with all its inconsistencies, and it was probably the most romantic and sincere thing I have read in years... I threw my irritations at Meyer (who I think probably got a bit lost in the romance herself) away and jumped in head first... 

If you haven't read it - Do! True, it is a book aimed at 12-15 year olds, and it is FULL of holes (Which Meyer has attempted to resolve with Midnight Sun), it is a bit lazy, but... BUT... You will adore it... It will, he will, haunt you (You might even find yourself googling 'Edward Cullen' late at night!)!  Just let go of any adult expectations, and go with it...

Happy Reading!

I want...

This is the i-bride "Liu Tray" which caught my eye on my new favorite site Bohemia this morning... Isn't it edible! I love it, and am now plotting ways in which it can be mine (insert wild laughter here)...

You can see this adorable tray and other lovelies here...!

I heart...

Franks Red Hot Sauce!!! My American readers will scoff at this post, but I have only just discovered that one CAN make restaurant style Buffalo wings at home, with very little effort and they turn out JUST AS GOOD!!! 

No more trips to Tribeca for me!!

American Buffalo Wings

You'll need

8 tbsp Franks Hot Sauce (Available in Tesco!)

8 tbsp Butter

1.5 tsp White vinegar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Pinch of Salt

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan,and heat until the butter has melted.  Leave to cool.

Sprinkle the chicken wings with Maldon table salt and place into a really hot oven, cook until the skin is crispy and bubbling.  Throw the wings in on top of the sauce and coat.

Serve with Blue cheese sauce (1 part mayo to 1 part sour cream, crumble chopped blue cheese and spring onion into the dip) and celery sticks!

Happy Easter!

This has been my second Easter in blog land, and again we roasted a lovely Leg of Lamb and had family over to enjoy the day! It was such a pleasure to entertain in my new lovely kitchen! 

I started the dinner off with a Pea and Mint Soup, which went down well, and was lovely and refreshing.  Then served the lamb with rosemary potatoes and wilted greens... I have to admit I was so busy eating it all I barely took a picture!!

The evening rounded off nicely with a raucous game of Cranium (in which there was a few serious accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour!) and our family favorite 'Incognito'! 

Happy Easter!

Pea and Mint Soup

You'll need

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, smashed

1 small bag of frozen garden peas (around 500gms)

500mls of vegetable stock

A handful of fresh mint leaves

Some cream to garnish

Method

Lightly fry the garlic in the oil, add the peas and the stock and simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes.  Add the mint.  Blend until smooth.  Serve hot with a swirl of cream.

Little Windows...

From the lovely seaside town of Beaumaris, Wales.

Cheats Cuisine!

I've been cheating alot lately haven't I? 

At least I am still that boldy pants I was as a kid! 

Latest cheat - Lamb Tagine!

you'll need

1lb lamb chunks

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp each of cumin, ginger, dried thyme

2tbsp flour

150ml orange juice

300ml chicken stock

70gms dried apricots

salt & pepper

mint leaves, to garnish

Method

Okay so this is a cheat because you need not spend days marinading anything, simply rub the lanb with half the spices, brown it,  bung it all in a pot, into the oven for an hour and a half, stirring midway and done! 

Serve with cous cous!

BRB!

Sorry! I have been up to my eyes this week with a flurry of activites, getting this kitchen of ours into shape...

We took a trip to Ikea in Belfast, and it was a fruitful journey, we procured the table set of my dreams! For a complete steal! I am now a firm fan of Ikea and cannot wait until it opens here in July!

Anyway I hope to be back up and running over the next few days, doing more than throwing oven chips in the oven!

See you then!