Sunday, 4 December 2011

Antique book cake

Rich chocolate cake and chocolate ganache books. My favourite kind. This cake was fun to play with, I called the hardware shop to see if they had a wood grain rocker because I thought that would be fun to make the board look like a desk but for 11 quid I don't know when I will next need to make something that isn't wood, look like wood!

Saturday, 3 December 2011

Butternut, goats cheese and chorizo empanadas

Quick post as got to be meeting friends for brunch in 20 mins and still in my PJs! Best thing about empanadas is that you can use all those leftovers in the fridge, all the above were. Sauteed onion, garlic, squash, chorizo, chicken, thyme, rosemary and crumbled goats cheese. I folded some over and make some into discs, for when you can't manage another whole one!

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Churros and my main man at our local

This very day last week,  my friend Lesa and I were ordering churros- far too much churros, nah I think it all went. I have a video of this too, will upload it when I find it! There is serious skill being displayed here, it all happens in about 45 seconds.
 And a mug of hot chocolate on the side mmmmmm...

Saturday, 26 November 2011

Heart Frittata

That's quite hard to say out loud "heart frittata"
I have been working non stop for days so this is a mini post before I hit bed. Mum came to see me for a day yesterday as she flew home from Sydney (via London) before going back to Spain. I felt awful that I had to work all day but turns out she was pretty whacked with the jetlag and after a few discussions on dinner plans she slept through it anyway! 
I was making mini smoked salmon and quiches and so made her a couple of hearts with the leftover mix, you can do soppy things like this when it's for your mum.

Saturday, 19 November 2011

Castañas asadas/roasted chestnuts

Got my design hat on this week and helping my Dad design a new house in Spain, well we've been doing that for the last couple of years and now we're building, it's time to choose the staircase/the doors/the windows... it's the exciting bit! Last time I was out here I baked lemon drizzle loaves for our slightly unhappy neighbours, when you're knocking down a town house in a narrow street it's not going to be without disruption, cake goes a bit of a way to make it better, they seemed happier at least. 
So, got off the plane and went straight to the beach for seafood and some toe dipping in the sea.
 
Work shoes...holiday shoes ;)
 
Then a trip to choose some railings and a balcony for the house. 
 
Where to start?!... this place gave me eye ache but we stayed for hours, I loved it.
Yes, that is me, shoved in the back of the van on the journey home. Cam and I fell in love with a table with little stalls that slot in on runners under the table top, we went halves.
 
I'm not sure what this was but it kind of looked like an oven, especially the dial but it can't be, it's tiny. Or could it? Then off to a venta for a quick lunch. So, you know Gazpacho, this is Porra, typical cold soup in Southern Spain, it's thicker and milder made with blitzed bread and topped with Serrano ham, tuna and grated boiled egg. It is heaven. Oh, not as heavenly as Paella.
So, this time of year in Spain you get roasted chestnuts, which are roasted on open fires on street corners or on these sort of makeshift chimneys. They are ridiculously delicious and warming, kept warm under a blanket, scooped into a paper cone and just the anticipation whilst you peel off the hot, blackened, smokey skin is so exciting. The locals go mad for these and start queuing before they're even ready. These boys were pretty chuffed I took photos so put my brother on a crate to hold the chestnut pan and proudly stood around him, eat your heart out Rick Stein, I can do the line up photos too!





Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Penguin Christmas Cake

It's got cold hasn't it. Like really not very nice cold. I'm not good in this weather but it made today's cake kind of appropriate. 
I have been asked to donate a cake to a silent auction for charity and this is it. It's great being able to make Christmas cakes so far in advance, and really, the longer the better for the fruit cake to mature. I soaked the fruits over night in brandy and cointreau so that penguin may find some boozed up fish down there!