Vanilla Extract

I use a lot of vanilla, both the beans and extract. So when M suggested we make our own extract with the beans, that made a lot of sense. It’s hard to get all the seeds out, plus there’s so much flavour in the pod, so you might as well make the most of it.

Basically, put your used beans in alcohol and let steep for some weeks. Add more beans and/or alcohol as needed.

I used vodka because I wanted a pure vanilla flavour, but I’d be curious to try gin sometime.

New York Times DIY Cookbook

This new DIY cookbook from the New York Times has “small kitchen projects that any cook can tackle” and is easy to follow.

Simple Gluten-free Pastry

I made two tarts one recent weekend. They were identical except for the pastry. One was gluten-free. M said the gluten-free one tasted slightly sweeter. I thought it was a bit grainier. They both worked well in the dish, so I was very pleased.

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free flour
125 g butter
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, but still has some lumps in it.
2. Add in the egg and beat again.
3. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes before using it.

Simple Pastry

Simple Pastry

This is a good basis for any savoury tart or pie or even for some sweet ones. You can even add shredded cheese to the mixture, which turns crispy when baked.

Ingredients:
¾ cup flour
100 g butter
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, but still has some lumps in it.
2. Add in the egg and beat again.
3. Wrap in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes before using it.

Roasted Garlic

It is so easy to roast garlic and it makes the garlic taste milder and fuller. You can mix the cloves with parsley and butter to rub on bread or use it in cooking (see the next post). You can add it to tomatoes to make a simple pasta sauce or sneak the cloves into casseroles. And so on; it’s a handy item!

Ingredients:
1 head of garlic
olive oil

Instructions:
1. Rub the garlic with the olive oil and wrap it well in aluminium foil.
2. Roast it in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 C.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

When I was an undergraduate, I used to spend a lot of time hanging around a coffee shop near my university. In fact, that’s where I met my first girlfriend, but that’s a different story. Anyway, this coffee shop had fantastic whipped cream. The people who worked at the counter noticed how often I came in and they used to start getting my drink ready once they saw my car pull into the lot. And my drink always had extra whipped cream.

Once I asked what the secret was to this addictive whipped cream and one of the workers said it was vanilla. Since then, when I serve whipped cream, such as with my flourless chocolate soufflés, I have always added just a touch of vanilla. It gives the whipped cream that extra little je ne sais quoi.

Ingredients:
300 ml double cream
1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar (use the seeds from half a real vanilla pod, if you feel like splurging)

Instructions:
1. Mix the cream with the sugar and vanilla with a hand blender until fluffy. Adjust the sweetness according to your taste.

Shortcrust Pastry

When it’s so easy to make your own shortcrust pastry, why buy the ready-made stuff from the grocery store? The pre-packaged pastry tends to have chemicals and flavourings added, so I think it’s better to make your own, because then you know exactly what’s in there.

M thought I should roll it out, but that seemed like too much effort for me, so I just pressed it into the dish I was using. M said it gave the dish a more rustic look and we think that’s fine, but if you really want a fancier style, roll it out.

Ingredients:
½ cup flour
75 g butter
a little cold water

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour and butter together, either by hand or in a mixer.
2. Add water as needed, not more than 2 tbsp.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then use as desired.

Supercook

I recently learned about Supercook. It’s a useful website where you list what ingredients you have and it offers you possible recipes. This would be great for someone who’s had a long day at work and can’t think of anything to make for dinner.

Food Dictionary

I discovered Food Dictionary by accident when I was googling a food term in another language. This site is a great reference, with definitions of many food-related words and concepts, including ones in other languages.

Re-activating Dried Yeast

Some recipes call for fresh yeast but it isn’t always easy to find fresh yeast. So dried active yeast can be used instead, but it has to be reactivated. A simple rule of thumb is that you use half the amount of dried yeast than you would if you were using fresh yeast. Also, one tablespoonful of dried yeast is approximately equal to 15 g. So this recipe will tell you how to reactivate 15 g of dried yeast.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup cold water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dried yeast

Instructions:
1. Mix the waters and then dissolve the sugar in it.
2. Add the yeast and mix well.
3. Leave it to sit for 20 or so minutes.
4. Then use in your recipe as directed.

A Food Challenge

A lot of people complain that they just make the same few dishes all the time. Cooking has become repetitious and dull, and it’s just something that has to be done.

If that’s the case, why not give yourself a food challenge? I aim to make at least one new recipe a week, and in order to get inspiration for these new dishes, I read a couple of food magazines regularly (always Vegetarian Living and delicious), and others occasionally, plus I skim blogs and cookbooks and food websites. Whatever seems interesting to me, I mark, and then I try to create a dish based on what I like about a particular recipe.

So why not try a new recipe every week or two, or if that seems too much, try for one a month? You may find that cooking turns fun for you again, plus you get new dishes to add to your regular line-up.

Post a comment or email mewith your favourite food website, blog, magazine, or cookbook, or to suggest a recipe. Challenge yourself; you might enjoy it!

A Word on Measurements

I know I tend to use a variety of measurements in my recipes - sometimes cups, sometimes decilitres, sometimes grams, etc. This is due to me having lived in various countries and having acquired different measuring tools and different ways of thinking about amounts of ingredients. So I apologise for any confusion, but I heartily recommend Online Conversion for any conversion needs, especially in terms of cooking (but not in terms of religion!).