Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter

I have been very lucky to be sent the fabulous new cookery book - Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter by Lisa Faulkner, winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2011.

First impressions of the book were excellent, beautiful lifestyle photography with well laid out recipes. Lisa's mother passed away when she was just 16 and the recipes include ones that her mother used to cook when Lisa was growing up plus other family favourites. Each recipe includes an introduction from Lisa including what the recipe means to her and her family. A really lovely book that was enjoyable to read with recipes that you would want to cook everyday, not just for special occasions.

To test out the recipes, I decided to select three recipes to cook for my mum and dad on Mothers Day (plus my hubby and three kids!). I chose the Hot-Smoked Salmon Fishcakes with Watercress Sauce as a starter, the Coq au Vin for main course (I wanted something I could just prepare and leave in oven) and the Pavlova as dessert.



Mum and Dad with Daisy

Very tired looking Dylan

Hubby & Jasmine

The fishcakes were very easy to make, even in my kitchen - the smallest kitchen in the world! Looking back now, I should have prepared them Sunday morning as they would keep very easily in the fridge until you are ready to deep-fry them. My eldest daughter (age 7) helped me cook the sauce, which again was quite straight-forward.

Here is the recipe:

Hot-Smoked Salmon Fishcakes with Watercress Sauce

Serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a main

600g (1lb 2oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped
400g (13oz) lightly smoked salmon fillets
25g (1oz) butter
1 tbsp freshly snipped chives
flour, for rolling
2 eggs, beaten
100g (31/2oz) breadcrumbs (fresh or dried)
Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep frying
salt and freshly ground black pepper
salad, to serve

For the sauce
25g (1oz) butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
125ml (4fl oz) white wine
200ml (7fl oz) double cream
100g (31/2oz) watercress
juice of 1 lemon

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), gas mark 4. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets on a large sheet of foil, dot with butter and wrap the foil over the top so that they are completely enclosed. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes until cooked through.

Drain and mash the potatoes, using the butter from the foil-wrapped salmon. Flake the salmon into the potatoes and mix in - try to keep the salmon chunky. Add the chives and season, then shape into 8 balls (or you could shape into patties).

Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Roll each fishcake in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Dip in the egg again and finish with another layer of breadcrumbs.

Transfer to the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oil to about 180C (350F) - to test that the oil is ready, drop a cube of bread into the oil and if it floats and sizzles, turning golden brown after 20-30 seconds, then the oil is ready. Deep-fry the fish balls for about 5 minutes until golden. (If you are using patties, fry in a little oil for about 6 minutes on each side).

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the shallot until softened. Add the wine, chicken stock and cream and boil to reduce the liquid by half. Blanch the watercress, squeeze out the water and blitz in a food processor or blender until it is just broken up. Stir into the sauce and then add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with the fishcakes or patties and salad.

Thoughts
I'm not usually a huge fan of fishcakes as I find them quite dry, but these were delicious. They had a delicate flavour and the sauce was outstanding, so fresh with the lemon and watercress flavour really coming through. Everyone round the table gave them 10/10 which was a great start. My daughter was very proud of her sauce too!



The Coq au Vin was again a very straight-forward easy-to-follow recipe, I managed to prep it all in advance and put in the oven.

Coq au Vin
Serves 4-5
8-10 chicken portions (legs, thighs or a mixture of both)
125g (4oz) butter
12-15 shallots, peeled and halved at the root
150g (5oz) pancetta, cubed
4 garlic cloves
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
10 Chantenay carrots
150g (5oz) button mushrooms
1 x 750ml (11/4 pint) bottle full-bodied red wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mashed potato and green vegetables to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 160C (325F), gas mark 3 and season the chicken pieces.

In a large casserole, melt the butter and brown the chicken pieces. Add the shallots and pancetta and fry for a few minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, carrots and mushrooms and stir well. Add the wine and bring to the boil.

Season, cover and transfer to the preheated oven to cook for about 11/2 hours. Trust your instinct here and cook for as long as you like - longer if you like the chicken meat falling off the bone, for example.

Serve with mashed potato and green vegetables.

Thoughts
I actually left this dish in the oven for about 2-21/2 hours (until footie had finished!) and it was perfect. The chicken fell off the bone and the flavours again were delicious.

I felt it used quite a lot of butter and when I cook again will certainly reduce this. Lisa does mention in her intro it uses a lot of butter and this could be reduced so have made a note for next time.

I served with a choice of mashed or roast potatoes and would only do mash next time, plus carrots, broccoli and Spring greens.

It was another hit with the family and Mum has even asked for a copy of the recipe so she can cook at home. Dad picked out all the shallots (he's not an onion lover) but both him and hubby thought it was delicious and hubby had the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Was very impressed with the cost of this dish too, not an expensive dish to recreate at home so a winner all round.

So far so good, 2 out of 3 of Lisas recipes were a success with the family. How would dessert fare?

Pavlova
Serves 6
3 egg whites
a pinch of salt
250g (8oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp malt vinegar (or any you have to hand)
300ml (1/2 pint) double cream
1 x 400g tin raspberries in syrup or juice (optional)
250g (8oz) strawberries, hulled and sliced
250g (8oz) raspberries

Method
Preheat the oven to 140C (275F), gas mark 1.

Draw a 23cm (9 inch) circle on non-stick baking paper as a guide and place on a baking try.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt in a large clean bowl, either by hand or with a hand-held electric mixer, until very stiff, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk until it forms stiff peaks, this takes about 3-4 minutes. Fold in the vanilla extract and vinegar. Spread the meringue mixture over the circle on the non-stick paper and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until firm.

Turn off the oven and leave the merinque in with the door closed for another half an hour. Leave the meringue to cool and peel off the baking paper from the bottom with care. Place the pavlova on a serving plate.

Whip the cream until stiff, pile on top of the meringue and decorate with the fruit. Strain the tinned raspberries and pile them in the centre, then arrange the rest of the fruit on the top. Of course, you can use whatever fruit is in season.

Thoughts
We didn't bother with the tinned raspberries, or fresh raspberries so just used strawberries. We were all pretty full from the previous two courses but managed a small portion (or 2!) and again another winner. An easy-to-follow, well laid out recipe that tasted delicious.





Conclusion
Really impressed with this wonderful recipe book by Lisa Faulkner,it has such a fantastic array of recipes that I would certainly cook. Other delicious sounding recipes include Salmon marinated in soy sauce, Toria's crispy marinated chicken, Slow cooked chilli con carne and Mummys Toad in the hole are a few that jump out instantly and ones I know my family would enjoy. There is also a great selection of desserts and cakes including Summer berry mille feuille and hazelnut meringues which I will definitely be recreating at home.

Would definitely recommend you buy a copy for your kitchen, it has been published by Simon & Schuster and prices range from £9-£15 depending on where you buy. Happy Cooking x

Love Music Love Food - The Rock Star Cookbook

I was so excited to review the Love Music Love Food - The Rock Star Cookbook, in support of Teenage Cancer Trust.    I had seen mentions of it on Twitter so was eager to see the final result.

When my copy arrived, I ripped open the envelope with delight, made myself a cuppa and retired to the lounge to study the book in peace and quiet.

The book is a fantastic, hardback, book with stunning photography of musicians and their favourite foods.  Over 60 musicians are featured in the book, each driven by their support for Teenage Cancer Trust.  Artists include rock legends and emerging artists, many I know really well but there are some I hadn't really heard of.

The intro is written by Heston Blumenthal with photographs by Patrice de Villiers, who has developed a unique style and approach to food photography which is now in worldwide demand.

Some of the food/drink suggestions are quite simple, for example Paul Weller of The Jam has chosen Caffe Latte & Amaretti Biscotti as his favourite.  Noel Gallagher has selected a cup of Yorkshire Tea.  Others are slightly more complex - Roger Daltry from The Who, loves Trout, so Heston has supplied a recipe for Hay-Smoked Rainbow Trout, Pickled Lemon & Pea Shoots.  Professor Green is in there with Jerk Chicken, even Tinie Tempah is included with a delicious recipe for Seafood Linguine.  Of course, a Rock Star Cookbook wouldn't be complete without Sir Cliff Richard, he chooses Chicken Tikka Masala as his favourite dish.

It is such a beautiful book and I can't wait to read it cover to cover, it will certainly be taking pride of place on my coffee table (well out of the twins reach!). 

The photographs aren't just standard recipe shots, they show each celeb with their chosen food.  There's a fab shot of Siouie Sioux holding a fan of toast and baked beans, another of Rapper Example juggling with his favourite food - Jaffa Cakes.  The photography really adds another dimension to the book, making it a must-have.

Background info and a biog is included with each celebrity contributor, including details on why they have selected their chosen food.  Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet, chooses Curry & Poppadoms and explains he tried his first curry when he was 18, and this began a lifelong love of powerfully spiced food, he's now a hot freak!

There's also quirky brief biogs at the back of the book including the celebs Top Moments.  Highlights of these include Kelly Jones of Stereophonics who quotes his Top Moment as playing to 200,000 people at a 2-day festival in 2001.

The book would definitely make a fantastic gift for someone, they don't necessarily have to be into their food to to enjoy the book, as it is so much more than that.

So, just to round up, a brilliant book, that is a must-have for any music or food lover.  I will definitely be recommending as a top-gift this Christmas, I can't wait to finish reading it!

China Modern by Ching-He Huang

This soft-back cookery book claiming to contain 100 cutting-edge, fusion-style recipes for the 21^st century is the first recipe book that Ching-He Huang has brought out.   As Ching claims to be spearheading a revolution in Chinese food and I am already a big fan of Chinese food, I wanted to check it out.

The book, published by Kyle Cathie ltd, priced at £14.99, includes a wide selection of beautiful photography from top food photographer Kate Whitaker.

Divided into 5 sections:

1.       Modern Takeaway Favourites

2.       Traditional Home Cooking

3.       West Meets East

4.       East Meets East

5.       Rice and Other Side Dishes

The book starts with an introduction to woks and Chinese cooking techniques which is ideal for anyone new to Chinese cookery.

Some familiar dishes are included in the book, including Sesame Prawn Toast, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Stir Fries.  There are also some more unusual dishes such as Stir-fried Fresh Beancurd, Pak Choy & Oyster Mushrooms, Lemon Honey Turkey Escalopes and Taiwanese-style Chicken Caesar Salad.

The recipes are all short and easy to follow, with an explanation into the more Oriental names and ingredients.  Perhaps 5 years ago some of the ingredients may have been difficult to purchase, however these days most of the ingredients can be found in speciality food stores or, dare I say it, the main supermarkets.

The back of the book contains tons of short recipes for rice and other side dishes, such as Sweet chilli jam, Chinese pickled salad and Chinese pea shoots in sesame and garlic.

One of my favourite parts of the book was Ching’s menu planner.  If you are having a buffet party, a first date, a quick meal for one, or Friday night curry, Ching has recommended dishes accordingly. 

Overall, I was really impressed with the book, the photography really makes it and the recipes are certainly a modern twist on some of the traditional classics.

I am working my way through the recipes, having already cooked the Burmese-Style Beef Curry with Vermicelli Rice Noodles and Kung Po Chicken and will be posting recipes, pics and results shortly.  I will certainly continue trying out Ching’s recipes.

You can win a copy of China Modern by Ching-He Huang, simply follow me on Twitter and comment below that you are following, I'll select the lucky winner next Friday 18th November.  Good Luck