http://noteaafter12.com/recipe http://noteaafter12.com/recipe http://noteaafter12.com/images/notea-rss.png No Tea After 12 - Recipes and Blog from a US ex-pat living in the UK en info@noteaafter12.com Copyright 2011 2011-07-17T14:58:49+00:00 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/lemony-almond-coconut-cake1/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/lemony-almond-coconut-cake1/ It's hard to know what to write after an (unusally long and unforseen) break. The first and most natural things are something like "I'm so sorry for the big long silent abyss I left you in" or "sweet zombie Jesus I can't believe I've been gone for like 4 months", or "please forgive me because I'll never do it again". And I would be wholehearted in saying at least two of them, because I can't promise it will never happen again - but I can promise "I will try harder next time, marm. Please give me another chance". To write the details of what's been going on over the last four months would take another four months and a heft of emotional strength I just don't possess today or for the foreseeable future. But what I can say is that man, I have missed writing about stuff that is meaningful to ME. I spend a lot of time writing for other people these days and I done forgot how much I like writing about our little corner of the earth. I have missed writing about the perfectly ordinary things that happen in our life. Like how right now as I write this my husband is a few feet away making Pumpkin Date Nut bars on a rainy Sunday afternoon in July because that's about the extent of what we do for fun around here these days. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't actually think of anything I would like to be doing more. (Apart from maybe drinking apple martinis in Miami or supping on freshly caught fish in Greece - which BTW I will be doing in a few short months, ohmygodicantwaitineedavacationsobad). But I am here right now and soon I will be eating Pumpkin Date Nut bars.  How did I get on the subject of Pumpkin Date Nut Bars when this post is actually about Lemony Almond Coconut Cake?? Please send help. This cake came about in a bit of a lazy, can't be bothered to go to the store so figure out what you can make to impress the guests with stuff that's in the cuboards kind of way.   My good pals Clare and (the lives too far away) Kirsty were coming for a visit last weekend and we planned to kick hubs out of the room and drool over the nearly naked Cam Gigandet in Burlesque. Cher who? Christina who? Bring on the Famous Amos. Anyway, it was pretty obvious that cake would be required for this visit, and so we arrive at the gorgeously squidgy buttery sweet but not too sweet Lemony Almond Coconut cake. Jamie made us lasagne for dinner, so I made the dessert. Doesn't lasagne made by someone else always taste better? After a hearty meal I thought we could use something sweet but not sickly, and definitely not (gasp) chocolate - it would've all just been a bit too much, even for the likes of me.  So this cake is a great option for after any meal, but then I love lemon-y desserts anytime. The coconut and almonds are nutty but not overpowering, they live in perfect balance, unlike the rest of us mentalists. The middle of the cake stays lovely and squishy where the edges go a bit golden and crunchy, more macaroon-like than cake. And hello gluten free! Bonus! Before baking I wasn't sure of the finished texture or level of sweetness so I made a lemony simple syrup to go with the cake, but I ended up eating it without. Make syrup if you feel you need something to present with the cake, but I think its beautiful enough to present, unapologetically, alone.   Make this for your guests, they'll never know you had everything in the cupboard already. Unless you tell them on your blog. Lemony Almond Coconut Cake // Cake Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:58:49 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/red-velvet-cupcakes/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/red-velvet-cupcakes/ OK I realize that red velvet cupcakes have been done to death on food blogs, and I also realize that anything red might be the most obvious thing to post four days before Cupid's special day. But this post isn't so much about the cakes as it is about the meaning of making cake for someone else. You all know how much I love my hubs, and he features on this blog an awful lot. But this post isn't about him, in particular. Yes - the meaning here applies to him too, but what I really want to get across is a feeling of love and goodwill that making cakes for other people brings not only the people you make the cake for, but also to you.  In the run up to Valentine's Day...we are always focused on our sweetheart's, and rightly so because they are super important people. If you haven't got a sweetheart, you may be focused on that too. That doesn't matter here. Sure, as Mick says "everybody needs somebody to love", but you don't need to have a sweetheart on Valentine's Day to feel good. Making cakes for someone will make you feel good. Heck, making anything for someone else will make you feel good.  These particular cakes were made for (one of) my best friend's birthday last year...that's right it's Kirsty folks! She's had a few short cameo's in other posts, but she's never really had a post of her own. At the end of last year Kirsty moved about 100 miles away. ONE HUNDRED MILES. So, let me just spell it out for you, now three of my best girlfriend's live nowhere near me. Or I live nowhere near them if you want to put it that way. Kirsty's been back to visit a few times since she's moved but I can't tell you how much I miss her everyday presence in my life, she's one in a million and the kind of friend every should have, if they're so lucky. But I'm not gonna get all smushy here about here cus' she would probably just tell me that was gross and to get over it. She's blunt like that, and I love that about her. Kirsty is a no BS kinda person, she talks a lot of sense. But more importantly she's so much fun, she's got a personality that draws people to her and her wit and charm keeps everyone on their toes, all the time.  Now, one thing about Kirsty - she loves cake. (ALL of my friend's love cake, so this leads me to believe everyone in the world loves cake - don't you just love cake?) I digress. Kirsty really loves red velvet cake (cupcakes, anything), in fact, she's already told me that it's a red velvet cake I will be making for her wedding day. And I will be happy to do it, because if making cake is one of the ways I can make my friends (and other loved ones) happy then I'll do it. Every time.  Kirsty, this cake's for you xoxo What will you be making for the ones you love this Valentine's Day?  Red Velvet Cupcakes // Cupcake Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:43:28 -0800 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/chipotle-corn-chowder/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/chipotle-corn-chowder/ I broke the cardinal tea drinking rule yesterday, I had tea after 12, and by tea I mean a latte and by after 12 I mean 3pm. Result? Awake, mind buzzing wildly until 3am all the while Mr. Taylor snoozing and snoring happily with not a care in the world. As I lay in bed, obsessing about everything and anything under the sun...I somehow ended up on food. Kindof a foregone conclusion, I know, but I've had a marginally crappy week, so I started thinking about my crappy week...from there my brain went straight to "what can we do to make this week less crap?" And then...inevitably, I ended up at cake. Which doesn't exactly bode well for the healthy eating plan and somehow along the way I resolved that tomorrow (today) would be 'screw the cabbage just give me the cake' day. But then, I somehow came back round to knowing that the cake isn't going to help but for a fleeting moment...with just a matter of seconds before it's gone and I'm left with crumbs...and guilt. And this is how my brain works people...terrifying. Anyway the point is, my brain started with crappy week, somehow got to cake and at some point (much later), I finally fell asleep. And to really throw my madness into overdrive, today I ate neither cabbage or cake, but rather, took hold of my inner Ottolenghi and made a big batch of this spicy slurptastic soup. Go figure. I've been thinking about this soup for a long time so I guess in my defence, it was probably floating around somewhere in the dark and hungry parts of my subconscious. And really, how we got here doesn't matter quite so much as that we did...well I did. And I strongly recommend you do too, as soon as possible.  In other news, I really love corn chowder, you know, the kind laden with bacon, potatoes, cheese and corn (mostly as an afterthought). But hey, as soon as I saw the recipe for this soup, I knew I would like it. What's not to like really? Corn, butternut squash, and smokey chipotle kissed with coriander and lime and dolloped with greek yogurt. The recipe for this soup comes from Yotam Ottolenghi's blog on The Guardian.co.uk website...and I left it mostly unaltered apart from a few small tweaks. It's like corn chowder's skinny blonde sister from another mister.  And I've officially lost it now.  Chipotle Corn Chowder // Sou Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:24:22 -0800 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/savoy-soba-salad-w-carrot-ginger-dressing/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/savoy-soba-salad-w-carrot-ginger-dressing/ So, I'm well aware that it's January and I'm posting a salad. So not only am I seasonally challenged but, if you're anything like the rest of the human population you are detoxing and the last thing you want to see is another salad. But I'm banking on the fact that you might be trying to reduce the cheese belly that has been piling itself around your middle for the last four months suddenly appeared. I've already waxed lyrical here about how much I hate dieting and would rather gouge my own eyes out with a teaspoon than diet, but ya know what I'm also not a fan of buying clothes in a larger size just to wear them in January, February, and March...so look, I am eating this salad in January and you totally should too.  All that said, I'm not a very traditional "dieter", I am physically and mentally unable to count calories finding it tantamount to chinese water torture. So I tend to simply swap out the things I know are unhealthy (cheese, chocolate) for healthier options (cabbage, chalk). I don't really eat chalk, but I do find myself eating a lot of Asian-inspired dishes and boosting the health content by adding fresh and raw foods wherever I can. This recipe is the perfect example of that - not only is the dressing chock full of really good raw stuff, but the cabbage in the salad itself is also raw. I got the idea for this salad a few months ago after Mandi's sister Heather made us a version of it at a pre-Thanksgiving / birthday dinner we had in honour of Mandi's big 3-0. She's probably gonna kill me for posting her age here, but I'm older than her so that makes it ok. Anyway, the original recipe actually comes from the Vegetarian Times and Heather made a huge heaping bowl of the slaw-like salad, and everyone raved, including me.  But then of course me being me, it doesn't matter how good the salad is I am physically incapable of just eating a bowl of cabbage alone (no matter how good) for lunch or dinner...so I came up with this. Yes, technically soba is pasta, but comon' it's buckwheat man, throw me a bone.  Savoy & Soba Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing // SaladsVegetaria Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:56:16 -0800 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/jamies_soup/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/jamies_soup/ I can't tell you how many times I've made this soup. From the name you might've thought that this was one's of my husband's culinary specialities...but unlike his feta and broccoli stir-fry that will live in the depths of my funnybones forever, the name of this soup is actually in reference to He who loves this soup (possibly more than life itself). He who could eat it every day for the rest of his life and never tire of it. He who will never request anything else if I ask Him what He would like for dinner. He could eat this hot spicy concoction in the dead heat of summer, He loves it that much. That He is my husband, Jamie. Now, we all know that food is love. We show people how much we love them by cooking for them, and sharing our food with them. So based on that premise, and based on the sheer number of times I've made this soup I love that man an awful lot. Funny enough my mother is to blame for bringing this recipe into our collection - she loves him an awful lot too so I suppose it seems fitting. If Mexican minestrone and white chicken chilli had a lovechild, this soup would be it. For me, the stock to vegetable and chicken ratio makes it distinctly more soup than chilli, but the flavors are those found it any respectable chilli. But then again lovechild-ren don't usually come from respectable relationships. Oh, anyway lets not even go there. I like to serve this soup with extra-garlicky croutons for a bit of crunch and as I made this soup last week I discovered a new favorite way to make garlic croutons which I will share with you below. Can you feel the love? Look, this is no quick and speedy recipe (of course) - it's one that takes a bit of thought the night before and several stages of preparation on the day of cooking. It is likely to keep you in the kitchen for most of the day. But that said, you'll want to be in there anyway because it smells so good. If you're anything like me there are some days when lingering around the stove is the perfect cure for whatever ails me. It seems there is nothing more comforting than standing over a generous pot of soup as its scrumptious soupy aroma wafts up enveloping you in the warm comfort of home. To be fair many of the stages are non-active, so even if you were in good spirits when you started cooking this you won't feel hard done by in the end. Further to that since it's now officially Autumn, this is the perfect football food. An early Sunday start would mean the soup was ready just in time for kickoff, if that sort of thing is important in your house. It definitely is in ours - and just think, once you cook this for your football loving family you can let them know that the time you spent cooking the soup is directly related to how much you love them. Soup, football, and love. I got you covered people. Jamie’s Soup // Sou Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:10:17 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/warm_squash_and_stilton_salad/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/warm_squash_and_stilton_salad/ Yes, it's a salad. I realize how unappealing salad is to those of you who want to eat cake all day long. Read: me. But I actually really love this salad and it's the perfect introduction to the autumnal season that is approaching. It's still early enough in the season that a salad feels appropriate, but the warmed squash and autumnal flavors makes for a perfect season transitioning dish. There's definitely a chill in the air now, football is on every weekend, and I've been wearing hoodies and socks every day since August (we did have the worst August of all time, but I digress). My point is, don't scoff at this salad. It's yumminess is really quite astonishing. So I've been trying to eat things that do not make my ass grow to the size of a house, and yes, I realize this salad does have blue cheese which is not exactly low fat but as a trade off I've really cut back on the carbs. Basically what I'm saying is, life is not worth living if I cut out carbs and cheese. Throw me a bone here people. But in all seriousness, I would say the amount of cheese in this salad when shared with another 2-3 people is really minimal so don't sweat the small stuff. And since there's not a breadcrumb in sight, I choose to allow myself this salad guilt-free. Inspiration for this salad comes from a few different places - I based it on one of my favorite autumn side dishes of simple roasted squash with blue cheese and pecans and combined it with my salad favorites arugula (rocket) and dried cranberries (Hi Mandi!). The French inspired shallot dijon vinaigrette is a cinch to throw together and reminds me of a dressing we had on a salad of haricot verts on our honeymoon which incidentally was exactly one year ago today. (Love you hubs!). All in all, the only effort here is waiting for the squash to roast which at 40 minutes when you're hungry can seem like an eternity, so get it started before you are ravenous*. *Learn from my dieting mistakes. Warm Squash and Stilton Salad // Salad Sun, 19 Sep 2010 02:46:38 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/chocolate_cheesecake_brownies_and_a_food_bloggers_dilemma/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/chocolate_cheesecake_brownies_and_a_food_bloggers_dilemma/ Taylor HQ has been a busy place the last few weeks...there's been several sets of visitors, many websites built, lots of words written (for other people, obviously, since this blog has been sorely neglected), a few football games watched (Go Blue! Hail! Go Lions!), and a trip to the Natural History Museum and Madame Tussaud's. Oh yeah, and someone whose name rhymes with maudry hailer has a birthday coming up and as such she has mostly been trying to pretend it's not happening / avoid calendars / hide under the covers / think about anything other than getting old / legally change my birth certificate. Other than that, things have been positively boring around here! Further to all that, I've got a dilemma. Since I've started this 'ere blog, there are certain parts of my body that are no longer in proportion with other parts of my body and I am quite displeased about it. In other words, I jiggle, in places I do not want to jiggle. And thus I have not been baking anything. Sadly, since this has somehow turned into a baking-centric blog I have not been blogging. BUT! Gadzooks! I have found something in the depths of my hard drive that I think you will find very exciting! It's a little throwback to the 1990's and it was one of my most eagerly anticipated desserts at every block party and pot luck I ever attended. Don't even try and pretend you didn't love 90's desserts too! Remember the chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling! I love them. And these brownies. That's right people, it's the epic, the chocolatey, the delicious, the crowd-pleasing, the fattening (err) Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie. And I thought they would make a fitting last post for someone who is about to go on a diet and will for the foreseeable future be posting healthy-type things. But don't jump ship just yet, I will be back with the mouth-watering, diet-trashing baked goods that you've all become so fond of...just give me a chance to lose a few lbs first. mmmmmmmkay? In the meantime, these brownies are unapologetically rich and creamy, with a double-dose of dark chocolate - they are so good I refuse to make them more than once a year, for the sake of my heart's health of course. I made a batch of these not long ago and they were gone, like literally gone, in less than a day. And there is only 2 of us that live in this house (there were no visitors either). I suppose their only redeeming health quality here is the dark chocolate, but it does leave me to wonder if all the good antioxidants are cancelled out by the cream cheese? I'll leave that one to my friend Steph. Speaking of Steph...and healthy food...and writing...and blogging...I have some exciting news to share with you! I'm very happy to announce that Steph and I are shortly to embark on a joint project that will knock your healthy socks off! Together we will be creating a book of healthy recipes, gorgeous foodie pictures, and tidbits of health related advice. Steph and I are both fully confessed and joyfully unabashed greedy pigs, but that said our combined love of food, photography, and health has led us both to love healthy grub (in large quantities, duh). It's still very early days for this project and you'll have to wait until at least 2011 for a sneak preview but I can say this much...there will be cake in the book. It might be made with spelt flour and agave, but there will be cake. You know I would never leave you hangin' like that right? I love you guys far too much.  Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies And A Food Blogger’s Dilemma // Desser Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:11:12 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/the_cake_that_didnt_win/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/the_cake_that_didnt_win/ So you all remember how I wrote about being on TV and being completely and utterly terrified? Well, it's happened. I've seen myself on TV (and yes, it was as bad as I thought it was going to be, and maybe worse). But...it does mean that I can now share with you the whole story, all the gory details...and the infamous cake (which I won't be making anytime soon since I've made it 10 times in the last 3 months). But, I digress.  This week on Monday, and on Friday I made my (once in a lifetime, will never do that shit again) TV debut on Britain's Best Dish on iTV, which is ironic since I'm American, but hey, who am I to question the producers? So you wanna know all about it? If you didn't see the show, I was one of the regional finalists in the first round. I made an Apricot and Pistachio Upside-down Cake with Mascarpone Ice Cream. Just imagine trying to say THAT through your nerves on camera in a little tiny sweaty room being interviewed for TV. But I digress again.  I made it through the first round on BBD, despite the fact that my cake was undercooked in the middle and my ice cream was more like soft serve frozen yogurt than any respectable frozen dairy cream. But I won the first round, and then had some very lovely camera people over to my house to film me blogging, and as I went back for the second round I lost out to a man named Guy who made a trio of sorbets with some very English ingredients. I'm convinced his dish made for better TV since he looked a bit like a mad scientist next to me whipping up some strange concoctions and topping his sorbets with things like pre-candied elderflower and other poncey things that I can't pronounce let alone cook. Don't get me wrong Guy was very nice...and I'm not trying to be a sore loser (really!)...but I'm pretty sure I was never going to win anyway despite the fact that on my second appearance everything went perfectly. I secretly think the producers weren't keen on putting me through any further rounds since I was the loose cannon blogger who might spill the beans about all the confidential things going on in the BBD kitchen...as if I would ever do that. PFFFFFFF. We'll never know, will we? Now, I realize that in talking about losing on a TV cooking show it kinda makes me sound like I'm no good authority on cooking, or baking, or anything to do with the kitchen for that matter...but hey I'm banking on the fact that most of you have read this blog before and you'll trust me when I say that despite the many, many times I have made this cake, and that I don't really ever want to think about it again in my life that YOU should go away and make it. This weekend. Right now. Immediately. It is that good.  The first time I made it I ate a still warm from the oven slice with a dollop of mascarpone straight up. I then proceeded to stand over the oven and polish off another one or two slices right then and there. I did use a fork but I probably would've just been better with my hands, but I'm a lady, so obviously I refrained. But there's just something about the nutty pistachio and fluffy cake paired with the sweet sticky apricots that tastes just like teatime should, and I love it. And for that matter...three very famous cheffy people love it to. Namely, the judges on BBD: John Burton-Race, Ed Bains, and Jilly Goolden. John happens to have a few michelin stars under his belt so it seems to me the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to food. And hey I'll admit it right here, right now, it feels damn good to have a michelin starred chef say he loves your cake and that your ice cream is better than anything you could buy in a shop. POW! How's that for bragging rights? Oh ok, I'll shut up now.  Make the cake people, I'm serious about this one.   Mascarpone ice cream recipe to follow next week...I gotta keep you comin' back for something.  The Cake That Didn’t Win // Cake Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:44:27 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/the_bread_to_beat_all_breads/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/the_bread_to_beat_all_breads/ Can I get a hell yes? You know how I was on that losing recipe streak for awhile there? Well people, I am back with a vengeance! This is the mind-blowing recipe. It's good, it's great, it's baked! And before you tell me how tacky I am for "blowing my own baking horn", I'll just say, yahoo yippity! I made some damn good bread and I'm proud of it. Sometimes, you just gotta give yourself a little l-oven. Geddit? Oh anyway... So I absolutely cannot take credit for this recipe, it is from the legendary Jim Lahey. Yes , I made the infamous "No Knead" bread that all you thousands of food bloggers out there have been waxing lyrical about for months, if not years. BUT...I can take credit for a few little additions, and I will say, that is what made this bread all the better for me. Sure, the bread on it's own was soft and squidgy inside, with deep resonating sourdough qualities, and the crust, oh the crust, was just like you would get from an artisan bakery. But you don't have the LEAVE THE HOUSE, which is always a bonus (especially if you are a pajama dweller like me). Here's what I added to this already near to perfect recipe: Pears and Blue Cheese (Gorgonzola to be exact). HUH? Oh no she diiiiiiidin-t!  Oh yes, yes I diiiiiiid! I went there. I added fruit and cheese to a  standard bread recipe and it was a-mazing. Ok in the spirit of honesty, I had a hunch it would be amazing because every time I go to Harrod's I stand in line for 20 minutes to go through their bakery section (swiping things off the shelves as if my life depended on it) and I always, always get their Apple and Blue Cheese Loaf, which is also amazing. But I searched high and low for a recipe that even came close to it, and with no luck finding one I knew I had to just bite the bullet and make my own. So in my usual style of "why don't you try a totally new recipe and a totally new technique all in one day", I set off to make Jim's bread with the addition of pears and cheese. The bread itself is so easy, it does take a few days to make, but the work is almost completely unattended - so unattended in fact that I let mine sit in the cupboard for a full 2 days before I remembered it was in there! But the bread didn't suffer for it, if anything I think that extra time resting, yeastly bubbling away gave it more pronounced sourdough qualities, which is no bad thing in my book. And to top that off, no knead, really is no knead. Some kind of magic happens between the long rising time and the oven, so I think from now on I might call this Jim Lahey's Magic Bread. As for the pear and blue cheese, well they are the perfect pear-ing (ooh I'm on a roll today) outside of the bread world, and I can now confirm they are beautiful together inside bread as well. The pear cooks quickly, leaving little sweet pockets of soft fruit and air throughout the dough, with the baked cheese transforming from sharp and bold, to mellow and salty. The whole thing turned out so well, I even surprised myself! Tres bon! I had all these grand plans to post some good old fashioned real meals...but screw it, I'm a better baker and that's that. I've got my baking mojo back and I'm coming to an Internet site near you...with baked goods.  The Bread to Beat all Breads // Brea Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:55:55 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/all_the_news.and_a_summertime_sherbet/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/all_the_news.and_a_summertime_sherbet/ Oh, it seems like I've blinked my eyes and two weeks have gone by! I've missed you, missed blogging, missed taking pictures of what I'm eating...missed my normal life. Remind me of that next week when I am complaining about how I need to get out and do something. Ah, the challenges of working at home. Anyway, here's all the news, and a quick summertime recipe...I figure you will want to know everything about what I have been up to in the last two weeks so I won't leave anything out. God is in the details, right?  So here goes...*inhale* Two weeks ago, I ran the Race for Life in Guildford in 28 minutes and 37 seconds. Then I went to Bournemouth to visit Nicky for 4 days. While there we went to the beach 3 times (twice in Bournemouth and once in Durdle Door aka Dumbledore), drank lots of wine, ate enchiladas, lemon and olive chicken (recipe next week), ate salmon, ice cream, chocolate (lots of), and we watched Cougar Town (7 episodes, yes, 7!!). Also while in Bournemouth, I had a Chiropractic check up, an ultrasound on my foot (it's definitely Plantar Fasciitis), and we went for 2 runs. While I was in Bournemouth, it was my nephew's 6th birthday, we got him a very cool book about dinosaurs. He loves it. When I came back from Bournemouth, I had one day to unpack my stuff and clean up the house. The next day (Sat the 26th) I went to the beach with hubs where a family of twenty practically sat right on our blanket. I'm surprised they didn't ask to have a little nibble of our sandwiches, too. USA and England were knocked out of the World Cup. Then I spent a day practising for my next TV appearance. On Monday the 28th of June, I went and cooked on TV, again. My cooking appearance meant that I couldn't go to Book Club, which really sucked. Next I spent 3 days working on my next book project and it was my Mom's birthday, I still haven't sent her present, sorry Mummy. I've had two driving lessons in the last few weeks (I already have my driver's license - more on this later), we ate at Wagamama with Kirsty and Ads, went to the Godalming Food Festival, drank 3 pints of pear cider, went to two BBQ's, bought tickets to see 30 Seconds To Mars again in November (hell yes), and then I made this sherbet. *exhale*  So, hopefully you'll forgive me for not posting in the last few weeks, I won't let it happen again.  Regarding the sherbet, I have two things to say:  It is summer.  Sherbet rocks.  All the news….and a summertime sherbet. // Desser Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:08:36 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/brown_butter_cherry_almond_crumb_cake/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/brown_butter_cherry_almond_crumb_cake/ I know what you're thinking. Audrey, another cake? Well, this is a cake with a purpose. Some very important TV people came over this weekend to film me blogging, so of course I made cake. Cake is welcoming food for people who come into your home. (More on this subject later). Other good reasons aside, it usually only takes about one week of heat before I start to crave cherries. I'm sure it has something to do with the many summers I spent as a young girl at my Grandfathers cottage eating cherries with what we called "fruit dip" which was some sort of retro combination of sour cream and marshmallow fluff, remember that stuff?? I haven't seen it for years.  Anyway, these gorgeous looking cherries were just sitting there at the market, looking up at me, willing me to take them home. Being totally honest though, I had no plans for them before I brought them home. And I don't have a recipe for "fruit dip" so I went onto Plan B. At the time, I had no idea I would have important guests and I was wavering between clafoutis and cake. But it was easy once I found out there would be cameras, the cake won. Cake always wins. Although I do have some cherries leftover so there may be a clafoutis comin' up soon too. And if anyone happens to remember this fruit dip too then please, I implore you to send me the recipe.  This cake, a cross between a traditional dessert cake and a coffee cake, this is supremely easy to put together and would make any receiver very very happy indeed. Upon reflection, it is similar to this wonderful banana cake, but I feel this cherry cake would be happier with a large spoonful of ice cream or even custard upon serving and thus it may be slightly more appropriate for dessert. Adapted from a recipe from Martha Stewart, the original recipe was missing two things I desperately wanted to include; brown butter and almonds. I've never actually made anything with brown butter before, and had been wanting to incorporate it into something sweet. So as the crumb topping was made with melted butter this seemed the perfect opportunity...use it or lose it sistah! Did you know that when you brown butter it takes on a beautifully nutty and slightly salty character that adds a mouth-watering flavour to your food? Its the kind of flavour that makes you think "hmmmm, what is that little something extra? I don't know but I like it". Well its brown butter people. That's what it is.  I also figured since the crumb called for plain flour that I could get away with substituting a bit of it for ground almond and I am so glad I did, it gave it a subtle nuttiness that really paired perfectly with the brown butter. Next time I may even sprinkle some raw flaked almonds onto the topping to give an additional crunch.  Brown Butter Cherry Almond Crumb Cake // Cake Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:41:33 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/peanut_butter_pretzel_crunch_cookies/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/peanut_butter_pretzel_crunch_cookies/ Let's be clear about something from the start...I don't usually go for gimmicky food. That is, any recipe that requires the addition of some kind of ready-to-eat snack food to make it complete. I'm not sure why I have such an aversion to it, but I think it has something to do with the semi-homemade mentality that I just cannot wrap my head around. As such when I first saw this recipe I promptly filed it in the SSB file (secret single behavior) (even though I'm not single) and (sidenote: Carrie it is soooo good to have you back). As I was baking them I kept thinking this is a bit strange, what will the people think? I might lose all of my self-proclaimed cheffy credibility. Heh.  BUT, I really love these cookies and it would of course be very mean of me not to share something I really love because you might really love it too and then I will have good karma. Delicious karma. Cookie karma.  Onto the virtues of these cookies...first, lets discuss the chocolate and peanut butter. For some reason when I think about "American" sweets and candy, this is the first combination that I think of probably because growing up it was the only ice cream flavor I would order, ever. I recently bought an ice cream maker, and that will be the first ice cream I make, but that's fodder for a whole other post. Chocolate and peanut butter seems to be one of those things that has passed the Brits by, sure, they have Reese's in select stores, but its just not really one of the British staples as it is in America. (Good thing hubs likes it, otherwise I would have a lot of cookies to eat on my own. Oh, wait a minute...)  Like other peanut butter varieties these cookies have a squishy, yet slightly sandy texture that crumbles, but not annoyingly so. And the pretzels...after thinking that they may be too crunchy, or too salty, or too weird, well they add just enough crunch and salt for it to feel like you are eating cookies made with chunky peanut butter but without the overpowering nuttiness that can sometimes comes from a double whammy of peanut. To jump on the horrendously over-crowded bandwagon, this could be the perfect combination of salty and sweet. So folks, there's very little reason I can think of to not try these cookies, and that, as they say, is that.  Peanut Butter Pretzel Crunch Cookies // Cookie Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:45:28 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/asparagus_halloumi_salad_with_olive_lemon_salsa/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/asparagus_halloumi_salad_with_olive_lemon_salsa/ Can you believe it? We're already coming to the end of another asparagus season! Next thing you know we'll be digging out the squash and pumpkin recipes and starting our hibernation preparations. Well, I don't know about you but us (adopted) Brits will be getting the umbrellas out again that's for sure. But enough about that, we still have summer to look forward too. *snickers and crosses fingers, toes, and eyes*  So before the asparagus season officially ends, I want to share with you one of my new favourite recipes so you can make it at least a few times yet. I was introduced to this salad just a short month ago by my friend Steph when we went to their house last month for a lovely afternoon*. This dish is the perfect example of what I love most about going to someone else's house for dinner (apart from the obvious...someone else doing the dishes part). I love discovering new ways of eating things you already like...for instance...I love everything in this salad. Asparagus, check. Arugula (Rocket), check. Black olives, check. Lemons, check. Halloumi, double check. But I may have never stumbled upon this dish or combination without Steph's inspiration. And isn't finding new dishes just THE BEST thing about eating?I love being taken totally by surprise with food. I don't know about you but because I am constantly in the kitchen, or listening to foodcasts, or on the interweb reading about food, and recipes, and food, and cake, and pie, and food, sometimes it takes another person's perspective to make something really stand out.  Well...I think you probably know the rest of the story from here, I begged Steph for the recipe, and made it several times that week...and several times since then too... Did you know asparagus is a natural diuretic? But that's besides the point. This salad, with just a handful of simple ingredients is one of the best combinations that I've come across in a very long time. It is the perfect pairing of peppery rocket against the woodsy asparagus, followed by the intense but not overpowering salt of the halloumi and olives. Finished with a fresh, sweet burst of lemon and basil, this is salad heaven. I am actually even considering making this into a pasta salad by chopping the asparagus and serving with a nutty wholewheat pasta. Can I get a hell yeah? I really can't get over the fantastic simplicity, yet the unimaginable deliciousness. And you can thank me now, or later. Either way, you will.  *Steph is mummy to the lovely dog Kimba. And she lives within walking distance to these puppies (who are probably no longer puppies). She and her husband don't know it yet, but I'm moving in next week. I've nearly finished packing.  Asparagus Halloumi Salad with Olive & Lemon Salsa // Salad Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:56:46 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/rustic_strawberry_galettes/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/rustic_strawberry_galettes/ Sunday we had a picnic . Hubs and his two pals Nick and Gareth arranged it. Each of the men were responsible for making something to eat. Jamie made steak sandwiches. Gareth made Cobb salad. Nick made summer pudding. The night before Nick called from the grocery store...panic...there were NO berries left! Apparently, everyone was making summer pudding last weekend. We suggested a few other things, but Nick had his heart set on summer pudding. So in an effort to salvage his pudding plans, I told him to use frozen berries, and though I had a hunch they would work, I wasn't totally sure not ever having eaten or made summer pudding in my entire life. And I also told him I would make a back-up (just in case). He breathed a sigh of relief.  I'll let you in on a little secret. Nick doesn't have an oven. No...Really! He has a microwave convection thingy, but NO oven. As in, the man can NEVER make a roast chicken in his own house.  Anyway, since you don't need an oven to make summer pudding, I wasn't too worried. But before you get all "You should've just let him make the summer pudding with no back up!", and before I get all "I had the strawberries anyway and if I didn't use them they would've gone bad"! Let me just say this, Nick's summer pudding rocked. And he is promising to send the recipe over to me so I can boast about it some more. But in the meantime you'll have to deal with my backup recipe, because it may have seemed like I was coming to Nick's rescue, but really I was making this for all of you anyway. I'm so nice.  Rustic Strawberry Galettes // Desser Thu, 27 May 2010 06:48:27 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/farinata_with_caramelized_onions_and_goat_cheese/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/farinata_with_caramelized_onions_and_goat_cheese/ I have a penchant for buying all kinds of grains, flours, and sugars, whenever I find them, without having anything in mind to make with them. It's as if I am afraid one day I will wake up and there will be nowhere left to shop for specialty foods. Quite often I find myself looking through the cupboards thinking "Audrey, why on earth do you need 20 types of flour taking up precious real estate and infuriating your husband every time he opens the cupboard?" Well, people, this is the reason why. (I always knew there was a method to my madness, I just hadn't quite come up with the reasoning yet)!  Farinata is an Italian pancake-ish street food made of Chickpea (Gram) Flour, and had I not bought some of that very flour two months ago on the off chance that I might one day need it for, say onion bhajis or palak pakora, I would not be posting this for you today. Well, not without making another trip to the store, but that is by the by now.  I tried Farinata on a trip to Italy many years ago when I went with a family I used to babysit for, and it was one of those things that you eat and never forget. Now, as I didn't speak Italian, and at the time I was too shy to ask what it was, I never knew. I just knew it was good. BUT as I was thumbing through my new Mark Bittman "How To Cook Everything" iPhone application (which is excellent, by the way) I came across this recipe! And Mamma Mia! There it was.  I looked through the ingredient list and with some shock, and jubilation, I had everything to make it! Today. Right now. Immediately. I did a little jig around the kitchen and got my bowl and whisk out.  Let me start by saying, this is easy, with a capital E. With just a quick combining of ingredients and a bit of resting time, you have the base for something really simple, but really beautiful. It is gluten-free, and vegan (if you leave out the goat cheese), and is the perfect light lunch, snack or even an accompaniment to an antipasti style dinner. Onions and rosemary are sometimes added to the batter before cooking, but it is also served plain, straight from the pan. The Italian's line up and wait at their favourite Farinata joint, and after making it for myself, I can see why. I chose to serve it with caramelized onions and goats cheese, quickly flashed under the grill to brown the cheese a bit, and although it may not be traditional, it is so scrumptious it will be gone before anyone can call Italy and tell on me.  Farinata with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese // Italian Snack Sat, 22 May 2010 07:14:21 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/pan_de_coco_and_an_fml_moment/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/pan_de_coco_and_an_fml_moment/ My friend Steph asked me to join her book group a few weeks ago and last night was the first one I attended. I had a really great time! Met new people, talked about books, drank some wine, shared some Pan De Coco and felt very very civilised, indeed. I came home, got my pajamas on and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I look in the mirror, and WHAT THE HELL? A spot the size of an eyeball right underneath my nose. I went to book group with a zit. Dear God.  My first thought was "Oh jesus, how could you have left the house like this??". My second thought was "You couldn't have left the house like this, you put make-up on right before you left and you would've noticed it." My third thought was "OK maybe it just developed really quickly on the way home from book group, and the lovely new ladies I just met won't think I'm some sort of pre-teen hormonal freak who could bring ships into the shore with the beacon swelling off the side of her face".  My fourth thought was "Oh God, I brought food to this party, and I had a zit. What if they thought I touched the zit and then packed up my food to bring?" (which I did not, for the record).  So then I walked into the bedroom to go to bed, and I whine to hubs "Uggggh, I had a huge spot on my face the whole night, I am SOOOOO embarrassed." And he says "Oh yeah I saw that earlier when you were getting out of the car."  F.M.L. I'm not even sure I can tell you about this Pan De Coco and about how good it is, how light and fluffy the dough is and the sweet-but-not-too-sweet filling that oozes from each bite. And I don't know if I can even get out how everyone ate theirs and proclaimed their love for it, because I am still too m.o.r.t.i.f.i.e.d. But I will say this, if you feel you should eat this Pan De Coco because it is delicious, and tender, and quite possibly the perfect thing to bring to an event where you are meeting new people, then I will say hands down, you will impress those new people. Unless you have a big zit, then all bets are off.  Pan de Coco and an FML moment. // BreadDesser Tue, 18 May 2010 07:31:22 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/slow_cooker_pulled_pork_tacos/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/slow_cooker_pulled_pork_tacos/ I realize that I am shamefully late to call this a Cinco de Mayo post, and if I were organized I would've posted it like two weeks ago. But this is actually what we ate on the 5th of May so you'll just have to go with it. To be honest Cinco de Mayo is not something we really celebrate here in the UK...whilst I was seeing all of my American friends post their wild Cinco antics on facebook, the holiday sorta slipped by unnoticed here. Jamie and I raised a Corona or two with friends, and in the spirit of being forthcoming, we only decided on pulled pork tacos because the picnic we had planned was rained out. And it just so happened to be the 5th of May.  For our wedding Jamie and I had a hog roast for the 2nd round of evening grub and well lets just say that by the time the hog was served the bar had been well and truly seen to, and mostly everyone was too drunk to eat. So the day after the wedding we took home 2 pork shoulders to freeze, score! All of our friends and family were around the day following the wedding and since it was the first day of the football season we put on a huge feast, well, my Mom put on a huge feast because I couldn't actually focus on anything other than the fact that I had just got MARRIED. That day we had pulled pork sandwiches...and in the weeks following the wedding we had the best pulled pork tacos from the leftover pork shoulder so this food reminds me of my wedding and for that I will never ever tire of eating it. I guess you could say, I could eat it til' the pigs come home. Sorry. I couldn't resist.  We received a slow cooker as one of our wedding gifts and it is the BOMB culinary appliance. I love it. Jamie does a lot of the "regular" meat cooking in the house, he grills the steak, he makes the hamburgers, he does the roast dinner. But me? I use the slow cooker. I love a few minutes of calculated preparation and with the six or more hours of cooking time I can do things like nap, bake cupcakes, read magazines, wash hair, paint toenails, do facials, re-organize my shoes, do some online shopping, or even some real shopping. I think I've made my point anyway. If you don't have one, get a slow cooker. Your fingernails will thank you.  As for this pork recipe, it is actually one of the easiest and most satisfying things to put on the table and here's why:  1. It takes less than 10 minutes of prep.  2. The slow cooker does all of the work and the final result tastes like you've slaved away for days.  3. You can easily adapt it to what you've got in your cupboards.  4. It's a cheap way to feed your friends.  5. Everybody loves tacos. And everybody loves finger food.  6. No more than 10 MINUTES prep. Get it? Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos // Mexica Thu, 13 May 2010 07:44:27 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/cardamom_scented_orange_almond_scones/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/cardamom_scented_orange_almond_scones/   My last attempt at scones was a complete and utter failure. It was a more like a scone pancake with all of the cream and butter and sconey loveliness running together in one huge mega scone. I could almost hear little whispers coming from the oven "we will become one and take over the world". It was a very large scone, but we ate it anyway. Not long after that fun experience I learned that my oven temperature was ALL WRONG. It's now been several months since the scone coup so I figured it was time to try, try again. And hey presto, correct oven temperature = perfect, lovely, amazing, soft, flaky, buttery, creamy scones. Holla!  Last summer (see above) we went for a lovely lunch with some new friends, it was the kind of lunch that began at 1 and finished at 5 and we nibbled our way through antipasti, greek mezze, apple crumble, and orange & cardamom cake. Well, obviously you know which one stood out to me as it has inspired this scone recipe today. The cake, which will probably also make an appearance here soon was dense with ground almonds and sweet with an orange sugar syrup, but still light enough to eat a whole slice. Frankly, I could've gone for another slice but for once I managed to keep my gluttony in check. We were in public after all.  These scones are not your typical cloyingly sweet Starbucks variety. They're breakfasty, but not not overly so. They would also be really delicious with afternoon tea (or coffee if thats how you roll). Jamie immediately said..."Mmmmmm...yummmmm....where's the clotted cream?" I guess it's an English thing. But for me, they are perfect as they come. The orange is fresh and light, the cardamom subtle yet still a bit spicy (in the ginger kind of way) and the roughly chopped almonds give that little bit of crunchy texture replacing the more traditional raisins or currants. I can say with certainty, I will be baking these the rest of the winter, and probably through next summer, if we have one.  Cardamom Scented Orange & Almond Scones // Bake Tue, 11 May 2010 07:56:17 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/mushroom_quinoa_pie/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/mushroom_quinoa_pie/ OK look, through the (almost) 30 years my life I have been vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, omnivore, pescatorian, and any other variation of "picky" you can come up with. Nowadays I've gone from "picky" to "piggy" and I'm ok with it. At least my therapist says I'm making progress. Alright, I get it that not everyone hugs trees and eats weirdly pronounced grains. And I also realize that most of you will think that Quinoa Pie is some kind of trick, like mincemeat pie made with real mince or something weird your Granny tried to pawn off on you as a little kid. But listen people, I'm telling you this is good stuff. Would I lie to you baby? Sorry, I needed a little Charles & Eddie moment there, I feel better now.     So I'm gonna tell you about one of my other BFF's now and although I haven't asked her permission to write about her here, I learned that asking permission doesn't always yield the answer I want so I'm gonna go ahead and do it and ask for forgiveness instead. Mandi is my oldest friend. Wait, let me rephrase that, she is the friend I've known the longest. She's my all-time BFF and we've been friends for almost 15 years now. Woah. We met when we were 15 working in a coffee shop together and although we went to different high schools we became fast friends. The things I love about Mandi are far far FAR too many to mention here but to summarize she is beautiful, kind, funny and fun, supportive, creative, and a damn good cook! She and I were two peas in a pod for the 6 years before I moved here, and although our pod has an ocean between us now we always seem to be on the same wavelength. I miss her ALL THE TIME. I often I wish we could just go eat mountains of sushi, go shopping (we are incredibly good at this), or just watch trashy TV (Newlyweds anyone?). The last few times we've seen each other have been our respective weddings and they were both incredibly special, but I know we need to see each other again soon so we can just be silly and ridiculous and eat a huge cobb salad on the strip in Key West. Mandi are you listening? We'll send the hubbies jet skiing and eat crab cakes until we burst, OK? Sorry, inside joke.  So when I was a picky eater all those many years ago, Mandi was my inspiration to try new things. She got me to eat sushi (something I will forever be indebted to her for), and eggplant (yes, really), and probably so many other things I can't remember but I'm sure there's many. She's never been picky and coming from someone who was funny about eating tomato seeds I really admired that quality, so all these years later I am here THANKING her. She sent me this recipe the other day for Quinoa loaf and her exact words were..."It was so delish, I know it sounds like it would be dry and boring, but it was really flavourful with great texture." So if she says its good, its good. I made a few changes to the recipe, like omitting the peas, since I do not enjoy eating peas (hey, I didn't say I was cured of ALL of my pickiness), and I also added a moonblush tomato salsa for a bit of fresh concentrated tomato flavour to play off the sundried in the recipe. I made it into a pie instead of a loaf, and I cannot believe I'm actually going to admit this here because this is one neurosis I probably shouldn't share. But I changed it into a pie because I don't like the word "loaf".  Weird, yes, but "loaf" grosses me out. Mandi gets it. Try this pie, please. Mushroom Quinoa Pie // Beans and LegumesRice and Grains Vegetaria Tue, 04 May 2010 08:04:57 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/blueberry_lemon_buttermilk_cake/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/blueberry_lemon_buttermilk_cake/ Last week, after making <a href="http://noteaafter12.com/blog/cobb_salad">this amazing buttermilk blue cheese dressing</a> I found myself with some leftover buttermilk and since Granny taught me (while scraping all the last bits of cake batter out of the bowl) that "one must always be frugal" I couldn't bear to let it go to waste. I also had these huge and lovely plump and juicy blueberries. I'm telling ya some of these suckers could've been mistaken for plums! They really deserved a nice cakey home and they received it in this gorgeously fresh and easy beyond belief cake.  So, all you foodies out there know about Tessa Kiros right? Yes? Well, then you know that she writes the most beautiful cookbooks, every time I open them up I want to dive in and live inside them where I could eat well and be happy for all the rest of my days. This cake is from her book Apples for Jam...you probably know it, it has little red shoes on the front of it! Tell me, who could possibly resist a cookbook with shoes on the front! Well I couldn't anyway. The book is beautifully laid out featuring recipes from all the colours of the rainbow interjected with lovely little stories. A book written for her children, and to help parents cook with children, it is grown up but features such simple heartwarming food that it really is a triumph for all ages. With the dirty thirty looming very soon, I am decidedly not a child (despite acting like one more often than I would like to admit), and I have no children (yet...hi mom!) but I love this book all the same. Every time I cook something from one of her books I am reminded that I should be cooking from them more often...Tessa if you're out there you are one of my food heroines!  I made a few adjustments to the recipe adding a bit of lemon juice and yogurt to bring even more lightness to it, and I baked it in a smaller pan than what was called for as I really wanted thick slices you had to really stretch to get your mouth around. I think you could probably even do this cake in several shapes and sizes, its so easily adaptable I might try it as a bundt cake next time. Tessa also mentions you could use any type of berry here as well, I think raspberries or blackberries would work beautifully but whatever you do make sure you are using fresh and not frozen as the latter would make this disappointingly mushy.  Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake // Cake Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:28:26 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/cobb_salad/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/cobb_salad/ Sometimes, I feel like the food bloggers of the world are working off of one collective brain. Its amazing how we find inspiration from each other's ideas and take elements of a dish to make it our own. But other times, what's not so amazing about being a food blogger is when you have been planning an exceptionally tasty post for your own (new and growing) blog and another (more established) blog swoops in and posts it first! By a matter of days! But then going back to the amazing part again, we both interpreted the dish so differently I feel justified posting this despite the similarities. You may or may not know who I'm talking about here, but let me put it out there anyway I have mad respect for this blogger and visit her site almost daily myself so don't get me wrong, I'm not blog bashing! I guess I should say it this way...GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.    So, moving on to the reason you are here. The food. The Cobb Salad. Possibly my favourite salad combo of all time, and it pretty much doesn't exist around these here backwoods. That's right folks, they do not serve Cobb Salad in England. At least none of the restaurants I've been to, and that's many of them. OK - they serve it in Giraffe, but its not even close to any Cobb I would serve, and don't even get me started on that one! So what I'm saying is, if I want a Cobb Salad, I have to make it myself.  Now I don't know how you go about making your Cobb Salad, and I will tell you now there are quicker and easier ways of putting this combo together, but this is by far the most luscious I've come across. If you've got a bit of extra time to spend on a few of the ingredients, you will kick all the other Cobb Salad's cute little butts right out of town. Furthermore, this isn't really a recipe, this is just a guideline, it's the way I like to eat Cobb Salad - but for heaven's sake do what you like. Lastly, this is no "diet" salad. Its big, and gutsy, and not exactly for those who are trying to slimline their figure. But here is how I justify it, spending that little bit of extra time chopping and cooking, and whisking burns oh, say, maybe 10 extra calories. Oh screw it, just eat the darned thing and enjoy it.  And then get your butt down to the gym.  Here's what I love in my Cobb Salad:  Leafs - the only thing I like to eat Iceberg lettuce on is tacos, so I go for something completely different here. I like Little Gem lettuce as its shape and size are perfect for this, its also gives a nice mix of sweet leaf alongside the crunch of the inner stem. If you couldn't get Little Gem, I would go for Cos lettuce. Controversial I know, but I spoke to Caesar, and he doesn't mind.  Avocado - must be perfectly ripe! I plan my salad around the avocado, so I usually have a 2-3 day window for Cobb Salad. Just make it when the avocado says its ready to be eaten. We only had small avocados in the house so I used a whole one.  Tomatoes - I like mine oven-roasted or sun-blushed. For this version, I cut 10 small cherry tomatoes in half, drizzled with a bit of olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and sugar, and chucked in a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Cook in a low oven (275f / 135c) for about an hour until they are shriveled but still juicy in the middle. You can of course do this on an even lower temp overnight if you are doing a large batch, but this method is great for smaller amounts done quickly.  Hard Boiled Eggs - I'm not sure this needs any explanation? Just hard boil a few eggs, peel and cut. I used 2 eggs cut into quarters.  Bacon - I love lardons or pancetta here, they have more "bite". But you can always go the traditional way too by crumbling (lots of) crispy streaky bacon. I always prefer smoked over unsmoked as it has just that little bit more flavour. Fry 250g of pancetta, or 6 strips of bacon in a large frying pan until crispy and remove to a paper towel to dab off the excess grease. However, don't throw away all of the bacon fat in the pan, you need it for the croutons! Drain off a little bit but leave about a Tablespoon in the pan. (And don't look at me that way...)!  Croutons - Tear off some baguette or other good bread into chunks, you want about a cup in total. Heat the leftover bacon fat with a Tablespoon of butter, and chuck in a few pieces of fresh garlic left big enough to fish out once cooked. Let the garlic impart its lovely pungent flavour and aroma into the butter and oil and remove it once it is golden brown. Don't let the garlic burn or it will become acrid! Eeew acrid garlic. Toss the bread into the pan and cook over medium heat until golden brown and toasted. Remove to a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.  Olives - use your favourite black olives! I love the deeply salty kalamata or you could even go for the standard black olive. Or green would work too if you're feeling frisky! I used a small handful, maybe 10 olives in total.  Dressing - I love love LOVE Thomas Keller's buttermilk dressing, its the mack daddy of homemade dressing and it can be tailored to suit just about anything! For this version I made a Blue Cheese Buttermilk dressing, lest we forget the Blue Cheese in our Cobb! Here's how I did it... Cobb Salad // Salad Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:36:04 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/apple_rhubarb_hand_pies/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/apple_rhubarb_hand_pies/ Last Friday I hosted my first ever Jamie At Home party and it was jolly fun knees up! All of my homegirls came from far and wide. We drank (lots) of wine. We shopped for kitchen stuff. And Mr. Oliver himself even made a little appearance.....on the TV. Haaa, had you going there for a minute!  In honour of the party, I wanted to cook something sweet, and seasonal, and easy to eat. But I've had my fill of cupcakes and I couldn't rightly blog about any more cupcakes since I made these amazing ones just a short time ago. So I decided on mini pies, hand pies to be precise. I'm not quite sure why I do this, but I always seem to choose something I've never made before for guests. Sure, I've made my fair share of apple and rhubarb crumble and crisp. My Dad and I used to make a lot of apple pie together, but I was never in charge of the pastry. Pastry is scary. I have been a feared of the pastry for a long time. So naturally, I figured I would give it a go when I had 20 people coming over for a party. You might say I am a glutton for punishment, and you might be right.  So, I did my fair share of pastry research before attempting this task. I read the internet. I dug out all my home baking books. I read the internet some more. And then I prayed.  Somebody was listening to my prayers that day! The pastry was pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. It was not without A LOT of work, but it was perfect and so I can justify the chilling, the mixing, the chilling, the cutting, the rolling, the chilling, the filling, the chilling again and finally the baking. THE. PASTRY. WAS. PERFECT. I like perfect. I am a Virgo after all.  So, for the pastry I adapted a recipe from Smitten Kitchen's blog, and she adapted the recipe from William's Sonoma. I don't know who should get the credit here, but this method works and I don't see any reason to ever try another pastry method again. If it ain't broke...etc. Its flaky and buttery and easy to work with. Cha. Ching. The filling is my go-to for apple and rhubarb anything...its sweet and tart, and has an amazing depth of flavour from just a few "regular" ingredients. The filling recipe actually makes quite a large amount, you could probably halve it and it would be enough for the hand pies, but if you're anything like us you will make the whole amount and use the leftover for a crumble. Or you could skip the pies altogether and go straight for the crumble. I may or may not have eaten the leftover crumble for breakfast this morning.  The pies were a huge hit at the party, in fact there were none left at the end of the night. My pal Natalie, who hasn't eaten rhubarb in 20 years ate 3 pies and proclaimed she is a rhubarb convert! And I am wholeheartedly convinced that rhubarb has magical hangover prevention properties...we chowed all the pies and drank a lot of wine, and I managed to escape a hangover the next day. Now THAT is my kind of party.  Apple & Rhubarb Hand Pies // Sweet Pie Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:46:49 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/minted_orzo_spring_salad/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/minted_orzo_spring_salad/ Hallelujah! My grocery store now stocks Orzo!! Not only that but SPRING is soon to make it's official stop here in the UK! We've had little glimpses of it around the last few weeks...mostly I have reduced my outdoor weather gear from winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, and umbrella to just coat and umbrella. Soon it will just be umbrella! Whats even better than going without a coat is the new crop of spring vegetables that are in store right now. There's so many beautiful things about Spring, but new season food is at the top of my list. (Duh).  This recipe is one of those things I have been thinking of making for awhile now...and since Orzo seems to be in short supply around these parts (incredibly annoying) I hadn't been able to make it yet. BUT I spotted some the other day at the store and snapped it right up, and since asparagus have just come into season the timing couldn't be more perfect.  Orzo is a little tiny rice shaped pasta, how perfect! You know how much I love pasta, and you know how much I love miniature things. So naturally, I adore miniature pasta! *Swoon* Its one of those things I learned about from my Grandma K, she makes a rice pilaf with toasted orzo, rice, chicken stock and butter. It is one of those really simple things I've always tried to replicate, but since I didn't have orzo it wasn't quite the same. And also, its never quite the same as Grandma's is it? But I digress... For this salad I did toast the orzo, I seem to be doing a lot of that these days. I am going by the philosophy of "if it tastes good, make more of it!". I pulled out all the stops here and got out the mandolin to slice the zucchini (courgette) as finely as humanly possible and I also managed to get away with fingertips unscathed! Result! Although the flavours in this salad may be classic to spring, for me its the added crunch of the pistachio and the feta dressing that really stand out. Of course then I also really love the freshness of the mint against the earthy snap of the asparagus. And lets admit it people, feta makes everything betta. (Sorry, I couldn't resist). So to summarize, I just really love this salad. I basically hoovered it into my mouth at great speed and if I could've licked the salad bowl I would've...oh ok, I did.  Minted Orzo Spring Salad // PastaSalad Sun, 28 Mar 2010 08:58:33 -0700 http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/parmesan_parsley_casserole_bread/ http://noteaafter12.com/recipe/parmesan_parsley_casserole_bread/ There are three things I remember cooking with my Dad as a kid...popcorn (every Friday night), Apple Pie (more than most people would) and THIS bread. OK, there's four things I remember cooking but I didn't really think microwaved cheesy flour tortilla rolls counted as cooking per se, so let's stick with three.  I'm not sure why I remember this bread so clearly, it must be one of those deeply rooted subconscious things that stick with you for life, but still the details remain fuzzy. I have absolutely no idea where this recipe came from and I don't even really remember what prompted us to first make this. But as I am frequently reminded that I am my Father's Daughter I have to put it down to the fact that I could eat cheese and bread at ever meal and Dad is the same, so I'm guessing it had something to do with that. Dad if you're reading this, please feel free to enlighten us! However, I do remember clearly that once we discovered how good it was we made it many, many times together.    Now...onto the bread. Oh the bread. It is beyond easy, requires no kneading, comes out of the oven golden crusted and soft inside and it slices like a pie. It is really the perfect thing to make when you are entertaining guests as it is best served warm from the oven, and your guests will think you are domestic goddess supreme, whilst you snigger smugly from the kitchen knowing it took you all of 20 minutes to put together. I like a bit of smug sniggering.   I used half white, half wholewheat flour for this reincarnation and it gave the bread a subtle nutty flavor and slightly crumblier texture that what I remember it to be, so I may try it with all white flour next time just to see if it is exactly as I remember it. But that said, it still invoked great memories of my childhood and even though I am many miles away from home, it made me feel a little bit closer to my Dad. The parsley gives it a little burst of garden freshness, and I bet you could swap it out for fresh dill, or rosemary and it would be just divine. I also think you could probably get away with a lot of different types of cheese, although I would probably steer away from anything too heavy as it might change the texture of the bread quite dramatically. I think something like pecorino romano would be utterly fantastic. You probably have everything you need to make it right now, so off you go.  Parmesan Parsley Casserole Bread // Brea Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:08:05 -0700