Masterchef The Professionals ( The Winner )

And so it came to pass that, last night sitting in front of my TV eating egg and chips ( cooked I may say in a particular way by the lovely Mr Debs ), the finale was reached. Now I don't like to gloat - much - but I was kind of rooting for Anton all along. All chubby cheeked and freshly scrubbed he looked like a naughty schoolboy about to flick you with an ink splat. I loved his attitude and was always drawn into his cooking, bloody marvellous! Yes I know that he had to share the title with Keri but she was pretty good too so - for me - I really wasn't bothered about the whole shock sharing thing, I just don't know how I'll spend my evenings until the mourning period is over. Actually I'm going to try and cheer myself up by having a go at making whisky gums A La Fat Duck.

http://how-to-cooking-video.com/cooking-video/how-to-make-whisky-gums-or-wine-gums/

Not Hestons I know but this video makes me laugh and makes it all look terribly easy. I'll post my results good or bad.

Debs

Life's a journey

Bit of a cliche but apt to those who know Sam and I. We are both blessed ( or cursed ) with a wake up and decide to do something else personality which I always thought of as a negative trait until I read a great piece in the Daily Mail a few months ago ( not that those two statements often go together! ).

In a nutshell it said that, those people who constantly try new things but don't always stick to them are not necessarily failures but that we should be glad that we try new stuff all the time at all. At least we have a go, it may not lead anywhere but we're constantly turning over our lives and renewing ourselves. What a revelation - I just thought I wasn't a ' sticker'.

It has made me feel much more positive about both mine and Sam's curious personality and even if we fail at something - which happens ( for me ) frequently, there's always something else waiting to be tried just around the corner. In this vain, I have decided to try cooking properly. I've always loved cooking and consider myself a good home cook but I'd quite like to take it to another level so I'm going to teach myself some cooking skills a la Francais. I love the idea of French cooking but it does look flippin complicated and quite beyond my meagre skills - however - you've got to have a go haven't you?

I'll blog my successes ( and failures) and lets see how we get on.

Where to start though, I don't know.

Debs

Critics - Oh no not again!

I appreciate that this is the format of Masterchef Professionals but it still make me squirm watching this lot so earnestly filling their little faces and ' critiquing ' the efforts of the chefs. I find it sad that these people seem to hold so much power. The honest opinion of a time served or successful chef would be welcome and it was still the case last night that Michel Roux Jnr found little fault compared to the critics - long miserable faces and not so much as a smile between them.

Maybe I should just stop watching this part of the show, as a chef what do you think Sam?

Debs

Lemon Syrup Cake

I was watching Masterchef Australia on Tuesday evening when one of the contestants made a lovely looking lemon cake.  I tried in vain to find a recipe for this and eventually happened across this one. It's dead easy and with the exception of leaving in the oven just a little too long, it came out really well.

For the cake;
4oz Softened butter
5oz caster sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 Large eggs beaten
4oz Self raising flour
2 Tablespoons warm water

For the syrup
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons orange juice
100g caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180c / 350f / gas 4
Grease a 1lb loaf tin
Beat together butter,sugar, lemon and orange zest until all light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs a little at a time, and fold in flour.Fold in water and pour into loaf tin.
Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Put lemon and orange juice and sugar into a small pan and heat until all the sugar is dissolved.

Remove cake from oven and poke little holes in the top, brush half the syrup over the cake and leave for 5 minutes.

Turn cake out upside down and make little holes in the bottom . Brush with remaining syrup and leave to soak in.

Serve when cool.

I had to try this when it was warm as it smelled so good. It's flippin lovely! Just needs a dollop of thick cream. Oh my days......soft and gorgeous and lemmony ( if a little brown).

Debs

Masterchef Professionals

I don't usually watch this set of programmes as I think that chefs get quite enough tv coverage as it is but I became quite engaged this series and am now completely hooked......Go Anton!!.....however this is the thing, on last nights episode one of the tests was to cook for critics. CRITICS, I don't get them, ok I don't work in any kind of catering capacity but there you had Michel Roux Jnr giving - what I thought was - sound constructive criticism without any hint of malice and then you had the critics babbling away with some kind of awful muddled pretentious nonsense and nary a one of them with a Michelin star to their names.

I'm afraid that food ( critics ) really can be a case of the emperors new clothes, it simply is not done to question their authority. What a blight they must be to a prospective dining service, how my heart would sink as one of this dreary bunch walked in to my establishment. Get a grip chefs.....these people eat food for a living and offer nothing other than a subjective narrative rich with flowery food related twaddle.

Stepping down from my soap box - feeling a little better for a rant.

Debs

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Having a lovely baking Sunday in dreary south Wales so after making a batch of gingernuts I decided to bake these as well. I'm going to take them to work tomorrow to sell for Children in Need ( if there are any left! ).

Preheat oven to 190c / 375f / Gas 5

350g Plain flour
1 Tspn Bicarbonate of soda
1 Tspn Salt
225g Softened butter
175g Caster sugar
175g Brown sugar
1 Tspn Vanilla extract
2 Eggs beaten
350g Chocolate ( I used Galaxy ) broken into small pieces

In a large bowl, mix sifted flour, bicarb and salt.
In another large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a little bowl and add little by little to butter mixture until all creamy.
Fold flour and chocolate into butter mixture until all combined.
Pop large teaspoonfuls on your baking tray giving each one enough room to spread and bake for between 10 and 15 minutes.

All packed up ready to sell.

Debs

Tarragon Coleslaw

I love this recipe but forget all about it and then re-discover it. It just won't stick in my mind for some reason.
Anyway it's lovely with a good steak or any barbecue food and very simple.

Half a small red cabbage sliced finely
1 Grated carrot
1 red onion - halved and finely sliced
Mayonnaise
Good handful chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper

Mix all together and eat - see I told you it was easy.

Debs