Gooseberry Pie

Saturday, 14 July 2013

Monika brought some gooseberries and a few red-currants from her garden and we made them into this pie. The pastry baked much more quickly than the recipe suggests and was a little dry around the edges, but overall the pie was delicious. The gooseberry filling was probably more tart than most people would like, but we found it just right and scoffed the whole pie in one sitting.

Bourbon Belle

Bourbon Belle
I've never really like scotch as a drink, so I have also tended to be wary of Bourbon and Rye. But now I am discovering just how well these work as the base for a cocktail. I didn't get much of the peach taste in this one, but the overall combination was rich and satisfying.

Iberico Pork Cutlet with Leek & Roquefort Sauce

Friday, 12th July 2013

Based on this recipe but with pork cutlets instead of veal. Otherwise I stuck to the recipe pretty closely. The meat could have been pinker in the middle but was still tender and juicy, and the sauce was lovely and rich. The pasta we had was thicker than normal and, despite having cooked for longer than it should, was still a little firm and could have used even a minute or two more.

Root of all Evil

A rather harsh name for a rather smooth cocktail. Nice combination of sweet, orangey Grand Marnier, with the bitter but rich Fernet Branca, and the Orange Bitters covering both bases. Very drinkable late at night sitting on the balcony.

Riñones al Jerez

Wednesday, 10th July 2013

Lambs kidneys from the Turkish butcher. Soften onion and garlic in plenty of oil, then add sliced kidneys generously coated with seasoned flour, and brown all over. Add some dry sherry, stir well to scrape up any bits and bubble away the alcohol. Add a dash of beer vinegar and some water and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
These came out just right, tender and flavourful, with a lovely rich sauce.

Black Feather

Still trying to make sure there are no unopened bottles, so this time we cracked the Brandy and tried a Black Feather.
It came out wonderfully clear, thanks to stirring rather than shaking, and had a lovely rich, orangey flavour, with a nice touch of bitterness.

More sampling.

Jack Rose - a little too sweet for my taste.
Something Blue - Apart from Blue Curacao I can't recall what went into this.
Meant to Be - nicely minty but I overdid the Pastis.