The Food Diaries

Coffee & Cake - Sticky Chocolate Loaf

What more is needed to match a beautiful set of antique French coffee cups then a lovely dense chocolate fondant (with the addition of prunes and armagnac - a true match made in heaven). The following recipe is from the wonderful Ottolenghi Cookbook. Note that this cake is nearly vegan (just 1 egg and a little yogurt) and I’ve made both the regular and the entirely vegan versions (I made some substitutions) which both came out perfectly well.

Place 100g pitted prunes (preferably from Agen) in a saucepan with 100ml Armagnac or Cognac. Warm slightly and then set aside.

Put another 100g prunes in a food processor with 60ml buttermilk or yogurt, and 60ml sunflower oil and puree. Mix in 1 egg, 30g caster sugar, 60g light brown sugar, and 40ml treacle.

In another bowl mix together 115g flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 15g cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Fold into the prune mixture. Fold in 150g dark chocolate, chopped.

Pour into 2 small (500g) loaf pans lined with parchment (or in one larger pan either loaf or round). Now, cut each soaked prune into quarters and using your finger press them below the surface of the cake at regular intervals. Bake for 35-45 minutes at 170c.

Now make a syrup by warming together 80ml water and 80g caster sugar (stir to dissolve the sugar) to which you then add 2 tbsp Armagnac or Cognac (plus whatever was left from the soaked prunes). Once the cake is out of the oven poke a few holes in the cake using a skewer and brush over the syrup till is gets absorbed through. Let cool completely before removing from the tins.

Serve on its own, or with some sliced fruit (strawberries, cherries, orange) and some cream (clotted, creme anglaise, ice cream, etc.). Makes around 10 smallish but dense slices.

Vegan substitutions: 1 egg = 1/4 cup pureed prunes, 60ml yogurt = 80ml soy cream mixed with 1 tbs lemon juice. Add an extra 1/2 bicarbonate of soda to the flour mixture. I’ve also discovered a fabulous soy cream which can be whipped and served just like regular cream. It’s called soyatoo. Planet Organic in London carries it as does WholeFoods in the US. I add a touch of flavouring to mask the slightly bland soy flavour (amaretto works well).

Wild thyme of La Garrigue

La Garrigue is the low scrubland which is characteristic of the Mediterranean Basin, where fragrant plants such as juniper, lavender, sage, rosemary and thyme can be found. Focusing in this case on the lovely wild thyme (picked in this case in the Alpilles - the jagged Provencal landscape made famous by Van Gogh) great crumbled on goat’s cheese and then dribbled with olive oil. See presentation style here. I always add it to roasting vegetables (especially butternut squash). It’s good in meat stews (especially tomato-based ones). I never put a chicken to roast in the oven without adding a sprinkling. I like it equally dried as fresh.

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COOKING WITH SAGE >

Passionista Cocktail

In a tumbler place the pulp of 1/2 a passion fruit, 1/2 a lime cut into quarters, 4 large mint leaves, and 1 heaped tbs cane or brown sugar. Using a muddler pound together well. Now fill the glass with ice cubes (or crushed ice). Pour 50ml Bison Grass Vodka, and then top with cloudy apple juice. Stir well with a cocktail spoon and garnish with a lime sliver.

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Gold Rush Cocktail >

Fleur de sel de Camargue

I know we could all use a little less salt in our lives, but as it turns out, if you stick to high-quality sea salt crystals (rather than the processed, fine grain variety) and you sprinkle a little on your food directly before serving, it will not only draw out the best flavour from your food, but will ensure you minimise your salt intake.

Fleur de Sel de Camargue is so called because of the distinctive smell (reminiscent of violets) which emanates from the salt as it dries. The salt is hand raked in the marshy Camargue region of southern France, and every box has the signature of the raker who harvested it.

Cooking with sage

Not the most popular herb in the repertoire, nonetheless the sage leaf is a wonderful culinary addition, particularly when the new season grey/silver leaves are at their most tender. Besides the usual meat pairings (sage stuffing for poultry, marinades, etc.) sage is also great in Italian dishes. Here are a few ideas:

Fry some whole, large sage leaves in olive oil till crisp, add a light sprinkling of sea salt. and serve as an aperitif along with a chilled glass of Chardonnay (a good pairing).

As above, but when the sage is crisp, leave in the pan and add some breadcrumbs and chopped walnuts (1/2 cup each) and a little more olive oil. Fry till golden (don’t let it burn!) and then add 250-300g al dente cooked spaghettini (whole-meal if possible) to the pan and coat in the sauce. Don’t bother to drain the pasta too well, and add between 1/2-1 cup of the cooking liquid to the pan (little by little till it gets absorbed and the sauce become quite glossy). Serve with a good sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano, and some salt and pepper.

Finally, there is salvia e burro, a delicious (though nicely calorific option). Melt quite a bit of butter (with a little olive oil added so it won’t burn) in a pan and slowly cook the sage leaves. Add some cooked spaghettini or perhaps some ravioli-filled with spinach and ricotta. Again, serve with a good sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano, and some salt and pepper.

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STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH WALNUTS >

GNOCCHI WITH PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI >

Marinated goat’s cheese

This is a superb way to present and serve cheese at a party. If you are lucky enough to find individual portions of goat’s cheese then nab them, if not, you can simply cut thin slices from a goat’s cheese log (not too fresh or it will crumble). Arrange them in a shallow dish and then sprinkle with various herb marinades; dried thyme, pink peppercorns, crushed juniper berries, crushed coriander seeds. Drizzle with olive oil. You can now let marinate for up to a couple of days, or as little as a half hour before serving.

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A Provencal aperitif

A glass of rosé, a bowl of garlicky olives, some tomato bruschetta, and some crisp radishes (who knew they could be so pretty!).

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OLIVE TAPENADE BRUSCHETTA >

Pinot Noir Heaven

I have just survived an epic battle of Pinot Noir - featuring four incredibly big hitters from across the Globe. The winner was a Felton Rd 2003 (Block 5), a rare and wonderful New Zealander from the Central Otago region, though the Vosne-Romanée, Kosta Browne and Woori Yallock weren’t exactly a disgrace!

My apologies to the Americans, Australians and French.

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GOOD FOOD MATCHES TO BURGUNDIES >

Mini-burger Kit

Aah,who doesn’t love a mini-burger? Not sure why they haven’t become a standard pub menu offering (in the US the “Slider” equivalent is ubiquitous). Here in the UK the poor things are relegated to Christmas party/trendy after-show party menus (up there with mini roast dinners, mini fish and chips, etc. etc.) - which is frankly just not fair to those of us who do not attend either type of party on a regular basis.

Luckily, you can easily DIY them at home. Here’s your mini-burger kit:

1) a dozen mini dinner rolls (Waitrose carry them)

2) 500g Angus steak mince (molded into 12 40g patties)

3) 12 small square slices of mature cheddar

4) 1 large pickle, sliced thinly

5) 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced

6) a handful of rocket leaves

7) Ketchup

Grill the burgers for a couple minutes on each side, then add a slice of cheese on top of each and grill a further minute or so. Assemble the burgers: with the remaining ingredients. Secure with a cocktail stick.

There’s nothing stopping you experimenting with other types of “sliders”: turkey or veggie burgers, grilled chicken, lamb, etc.

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LOBSTER BURGERS >

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Anonymous asked: Hi Lydia

Dean here (from Hotonline)...

Claire tells me that you are bit of a whizz in the kitchen and I really want to start making my own sushi- i cant get enough of the stuff!! Can I eat any salmon/tuna etc raw or does it have to be a certain type???

Yes, you can definitely buy and eat raw fish for sushi. Salmon and tuna are probably the safest options, especially when starting out with sushi, though white-fleshed fish works quite nicely too (sea bass for instance), as well as mackerel (although this type of fish has to be “cured” in salt first before consuming).

Having said that, I generally am quite careful about where I buy my fish. I am lucky enough to have a fab fishmonger up in Islington - Steve Hatt (he seemed a bit insulted when I once asked him if his fish was fresh enough for sushi!!). Do you have a good fishmonger/supermarket fish counter you can trust near you? If you’re not sure, just ask yourself when you walk by the place: does it smell “fishy” or “fresh like the sea”? If fishy, then forget about it. If the answer is no, then head to the Japan Centre in Piccadilly, which has recently been expanded: a cold/hot take-out counter, a sushi conveyor belt, all the Japanese ingredients and kits you might need to make sushi, and where you can buy pristine pieces of sushi fish. It’s a nice way to start practicing.

Let me know how you get on!

Tomato Bruschetta - rustic-style

Have I mentioned tomato season has started?!

So here’s how to make one of my all-time favourite snacks. Toast a piece of rustic bread. Rub with a cut clove of garlic (as much or as little as you can handle). Add some chopped tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a torn basil leaf.

For a more elegant version, use French croutons or crositinis (thin rounds of baguette which have been dried) instead of the toast, and finely chop the tomatoes.

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Tomato vol-au-vent tarts

This is the kind of the thing I’d always prefer to serve as an appetizer when I have friends over (rather than my ubiquitous olives and crisps) but always seemed like too much hard work. Well, I think I’ve cracked it with help from Jus Rol ready to bake puff pastry vol au vent.

Keep these little flat disks in your freezer, and when ready to use pop them straight into the oven (220c) on a baking sheet. When they start to puff up (about 5-7 minutes) take them out and fill with a dollop of creamy basil sauce, quartered cherry tomatoes, and a little salt, pepper and olive oil. Now put them back in the oven till golden (another 7 minutes or so). To serve: garnish with a little more creamy basil sauce, olive oil, and a fresh basil leaf.

These can be made more substantial by substituting some goat’s cheese for the basil sauce.

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Tomato and mozzarella salad

You know summer is around the corner when the insipid and pale excuses for a tomato, which litter the supermarket shelves over the cold winter months are finally replaced by the real thing - deep red and fragrant - still smelling of the vines.

I’ve been waiting for months now to eat a proper tomato, so I’ve kept it simple - the smallish cherry variety, quartered and placed in a bowl with some rocket, torn pieces of buffalo mozzarella, a good dribble of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. I also like to serve it with a big blob of my basil cream sat in the middle.