Pastafrolla

Ingredients

1. 325 gm flour.                           4. 1 egg yolk..
2. 250 gm butter.                         5. Vanilla essence.  
3. 125 gm sugar.                          6. Pinch of salt.
                                                   7. Grated zest of 1 lemon.

Method    

1. Knead butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, a pinch of salt, lemon zest and vanilla.
2. Sift flour into mixture and knead well. If you like you can add a pinch (5 gm) of baking powder but that is optional.
3. Mix your dough well then cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for half an hour in the fridge.
4. Roll out dough and put in a round pie dish.
5. Pierce with a fork in several places. You can apply some marmalade if you like.
6. Bake for 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
7. Remove from oven, cool and put in a filling of your choice. You can use Italian Crema Pasticera or even a fruit.

  

Crunchy Short Bread

Yields: 24 pieces
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes.
Ready In: 55 to 60 minutes.

Ingredients

1. 250 g butter.
2. 3/4 cup castor sugar.
3. 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted.
4. 1/2 cup corn flour.

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to moderate heat 1600 C.
2. Brush a 28*18 cm shallow rectangular cake tin with melted butter or oil then cover with grease-proof pepper.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the sifted flour and press together to form soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Press the dough into the prepared baking tin.
5. Score into fingers, pierce the dough lightly with a fork then bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set and browned.
6. Remove and when the short bread is almost cool, cut through the lines into pieces.

A milk a day keeps arthritis at bay

A large research has discovered that consumption of milk may slow down the progression of arthritis of the knee. During this research, scientists collected detailed health, diet and behavioral data on 2,148 men and women with knee osteoarthritis. They found that increasing consumption of milk was associated with slower progression of the disease in women. More than 90% of the people in the study drank fat-free or low-fat milk, and the study did not find the effect with other dairy products. Milk, controlled for most known risk factors that are plausibly associated with osteoarthritis, including weight and smoking.

Pan Fried Liver with Bacon

If you love liver, then you will enjoy preparing this dish. Even before we start there are a few important tips that you need to know. A young animals liver is way tastier than that of an older one. I , henceforth suggest that the next time you go to your butcher's, buy the more expensive calf's liver rather than beef or ox liver. By now you are asking yourself how to tell the difference between calf's liver and the mature kind?

1. The color of beef liver is reddish-brown, compared to the paler pinkish-brown of calf's liver.
2. Liver from a mature animal also has a stronger odor and flavor than that of a youngster.
3. Mature liver is also less tender.

The strongest flavored and least tendered of livers is pork, while poultry liver is the mildest and most tender. I advice buying fresh liver since the frozen kind is considerably lower in quality and flavor.

Selecting

Look for most liver that has a bright color. The surface should have a fresh, clean smell. Loosely wrap an refrigerate for no more than a day.

Preparastion

1. First wipe with a damp cloth.
2. With a sharp knife, remove exposed veins, ducts, or connective tissue.
3. Using your fingers, peel away the thin outer membrane, and slice diagonally to desired thickness

Liver can be prepared in a variety of ways , including boiling and grilling, though sauteing is the most popular. To remove the sometimes bitter taste of liver, soak in milk for an hour, then rinse. Also note that overcooking will make it tougher.

Use pork or beef bacon or skip it altogether.

Ingredients.

1. Goat or ox liver (diced large)
2. Bacon (diced)
3. 1 onion (diced)
4. 3 cloves garlic (chopped or sliced)
5. Ginger, small piece (chopped)
6. 1 tomato (diced small)
7. Light soy sauce.

Mehtod

1. Heat up a large pot or pan and when hot, cook the bacon in a little oil until it browns slighlty
2. With the heat still high, add the liver and brown evenly. Avoid stirring before browning, since this will make the liver release its' juices, making it dry up. Add a little oil if need be to cook the liver and prevent it from sticking on the pan.
3. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic as the liver continues to brown and keep cooking while stirring constantly.
4. After about four minutes, it should be almost ready. At this stage, add the diced tomato and cook for a while, the pot covered. Add a little water to prevent over browning as the tomato cooks.
5. Finally add a few dashes of light soy sauce and give one final stir, then turn off the heat before the liquid dries up.
6. Serve hot with a side of kachumbari, ugali or mukimo.

Tip 

Heat the pan before you start cooking. If you start to cook before it is hot enough, the food will steam, instead of caramelizing and frying. You want the pan heat to sear in the juices, making the food taste better.

Roast Duck Leg, Caramelized Potatoes and Vegetables

Ingredients

1 piece whole duck leg.
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
1/2 tsp dried oregano, marjoram, rosemary, crushed pepper, corns and paprika.
100 ml red wine.
70 gm butter.

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Mix all the herbs plus the garlic and rub over the duck leg. Brown the duck in a pan and put in a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Duchess Potatoes

Potatoes are often taken for granted as ordinary and widely available. They are used in almost all meals, and are usually cooked in stews or fried as chips. There are several recipes for cooking potatoes in tastier and more special ways. One of the most exquisite ways to serve potatoes is as Duchess Potatoes.

Preparation time: 50 minutes.
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
Serves: 6 

Ingredients

1/4 kg potatoes.
2 large eggs (reserve one tablespoon)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated cheese

Method

1. Peel and boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and allow them to dry. Mash thoroughly until they are smooth and creamy.
2. Combine the eggs, milk,, cream, pepper, and some salt. Mix the mashed potatoes and make them smooth. Place them in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and put the mashed potatoes into a piping bag or syringe with a large star nozzle. Pipe into bite sizes on a greased grilling tray.
4. Brush with the reserved egg to give a crisp, golden finish. Grill for 15 minutes, until golden. Serve hot as an accompaniment. Garnish with salad leaves.

Cooking tips

a) The ideal potatoes for mashing and chips are the white, starchy variety, while red moist potatoes are best for stews.
b) To cook old potatoes, put them in cold water and bring to a boil. To cook new potatoes, place them in already boiling water for best results.
c) In case of over salted stew, place two large potatoes in the stew and simmer for 5 minutes, and then remove them. The potatoes will absorb the excess salt.

Stewing Rabbit Meat in Red Wine

Rabbit meat is widely touted as the ideal white meat. It is virtually fat free and has a flavor similar to that of a free-range chicken. With just a little more acceptance, rabbit meat would be an important and comparatively inexpensive source of proteins. Try this way of stewing it in red wine for a heavenly experience.

                                                                    Preparation time: 30 minutes
                                                                   Cooking time: 1 hour
                                                                   Serves:4   

Ingredients

1 kg rabbit meat (carved)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/8 spoon rosemary
1 cup red wine
1/2 chicken cube, mixed with 1/2 cup of water
Salt and black pepper
4 large tomatoes, chopped

Method

1. Cut the rabbit into eight pieces. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the rabbit pieces until brown. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for two minutes.
2. Add the red wine and chicken stock. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and allow it to boil for 20 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes to the stew and simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the rabbit is soft.

Serve hot with accompaniments such as rice, vegetables and roast potatoes.

Cooking tips

1. For a milder rabbit flavor, soak the uncooked meat in cold salty water for 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2. Use one glass of stout beer (Guinness) in place of red wine to create Irish rabbit stew.

Melting hot chocolate souffle

Ingredients

1. 1 cup sugar.
2. 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
3. 4 eggs plus 4 egg yolks.
4. 1/2 tablespoon butter.
5. 8 oz (226.8 g) high quality semisweet dark chocolate.

Preparation

Convenience in the CBD

For a long time you are likely to overlook some restaurants. Look out for events dedicated to foodies in order to get a chance to sample these restaurants. Most of them are close, thereby making them easily accessible, plenty of parking is also a good sign. Arrive during lunch hour in order to get a feel of the place. The name of the restaurant also gives a meaning to the service that you are likely to get. Restaurants with exotic names usually offer unique menus and they should be highly sort after. If there is a storyline behind it then the better, it shows mystery. These are some of the things to look out for. Go out there fellow foodies and have a great time.