Thursday, July 31, 2003
I thought I'd share with you a reply I've had from my last blog. It comes from my friend friend Andrew (otherwise known at Madeleine's Friend From College - see Kitchen Challenge #5):
You're now seeing the other side of blogging -- the freaking monotony of it all. The passion doesn't just fade, it plummets out of sight like a rock thrown over a cliff. Or perhaps over the deck of a boat. Whatever. Point is, it's gone and all you heard was a whistling noise and a splash. I loved my blog when I started travelling, I'd always think of things to post with interesting angles for discussions. But then it started to become a commitment, then a chore. I compensated by writing more elaborate and structured posts, and fewer of them, but eventually there was nothing left in me. I was an ex-blogger. Some of the best travel stories I collected -- Kurdish Turkey and the Camino in Spain -- have gone completely undocumented on the site. And when you're your own publisher, more than a little of the kudos of being in print goes.
You're now seeing the other side of blogging -- the freaking monotony of it all. The passion doesn't just fade, it plummets out of sight like a rock thrown over a cliff. Or perhaps over the deck of a boat. Whatever. Point is, it's gone and all you heard was a whistling noise and a splash. I loved my blog when I started travelling, I'd always think of things to post with interesting angles for discussions. But then it started to become a commitment, then a chore. I compensated by writing more elaborate and structured posts, and fewer of them, but eventually there was nothing left in me. I was an ex-blogger. Some of the best travel stories I collected -- Kurdish Turkey and the Camino in Spain -- have gone completely undocumented on the site. And when you're your own publisher, more than a little of the kudos of being in print goes.
Faithful readers, I've been less than diligent. I think the Kitchen Challenge experiment may be dying a slow death. I just don't have the passion I used to. I'm going to keep it going for another week or so, until we can have a discussion on the wireless about blogging, but I'm feeling stale. Sigh. How quickly the star fades. Of course, a mass inundation of pleas for Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge to remain in the ether may infact help convince me to soldier on. It's in your hands.
Anyway, time to announe this week's feature ingredient. And it is... da da da daaaaa.... THE HUMBLE WALNUT!! Versatile, yet no shrinking violet when it comes to it's own flavour, I'm looking forward to creating a panopoly of sweet and savoury dishes.
And so on to....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #11 - Cranberry Chicken with Apples and Walnuts. Really nice because with ingredients like those it's kind of a dessert that you're allowed to have for dinner because it's got chicken in it.
I think i'm going to be my own guest reviewer today.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine says:
"The meal was lovely, but for me the highlight was watching my boyfriend shell the walnuts in order to make them. Having volunteered to get the ingredients for the meal, including one packet of walnuts, and giving himself countless good-boyfriend-points in the process, he was most put out to find out that he'd done the wrong thing by getting nuts still in their shells. Bless. It amazes me how somebody can manage to get two university degrees, yet not quite realise that one generally doesn't require walnut shells when cooking walnut dishes. It amused me no end do watch his little face screw up as he cracked 20 nuts in the space of 20 minutes. Tee hee"
Okay, enough boyfriend slagging there Madeleine. He did shell them all with a very good grace, and after digesting a few, I decided I quite like the occasional surprising piece o shell also.
This is actually a really simple recipe, which is very low in fat. We didn't have any cranberries but it worked just fine without them. And I can only say that buying organic chicken makes the world of difference.
Get the recipe here.
Email me.
Anyway, time to announe this week's feature ingredient. And it is... da da da daaaaa.... THE HUMBLE WALNUT!! Versatile, yet no shrinking violet when it comes to it's own flavour, I'm looking forward to creating a panopoly of sweet and savoury dishes.
And so on to....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #11 - Cranberry Chicken with Apples and Walnuts. Really nice because with ingredients like those it's kind of a dessert that you're allowed to have for dinner because it's got chicken in it.
I think i'm going to be my own guest reviewer today.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine says:
"The meal was lovely, but for me the highlight was watching my boyfriend shell the walnuts in order to make them. Having volunteered to get the ingredients for the meal, including one packet of walnuts, and giving himself countless good-boyfriend-points in the process, he was most put out to find out that he'd done the wrong thing by getting nuts still in their shells. Bless. It amazes me how somebody can manage to get two university degrees, yet not quite realise that one generally doesn't require walnut shells when cooking walnut dishes. It amused me no end do watch his little face screw up as he cracked 20 nuts in the space of 20 minutes. Tee hee"
Okay, enough boyfriend slagging there Madeleine. He did shell them all with a very good grace, and after digesting a few, I decided I quite like the occasional surprising piece o shell also.
This is actually a really simple recipe, which is very low in fat. We didn't have any cranberries but it worked just fine without them. And I can only say that buying organic chicken makes the world of difference.
Get the recipe here.
Email me.
Monday, July 28, 2003
And here, in completely the wrong order, is
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #6 - Oriental lychee salad
As this recipe was a variation on a theme of one my boss gave me, it seemed only right that she should test it.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boss says:
"I felt rather exotic after sampling Madeleine's latest creation. A very enticing combination of prawns, beansprouts, red peppers and lychees with a drizzle of lime juice and a kick of sweet chilli sauce. A light and refreshing lunch time treat . The lychees took me back to my first ever Chinese meal in a restaurant in Llandudno. The dessert was several of the aforesaid fruits served in a stainless steel bowl with a dollop of Walls. Quite unlike anything I'd come across before and since then I've retained a certain fondness for lychees - so it was lovely to see them poking little heads through Madeleine's beansprouts. A lovely lunch. Thankyou. "
Kind words, MB. Thanks, and I'm sure that you speak for millions who had a similar first lychee experience. I'm pleased to say I think Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge is moving the realms of lychee knowledge a little further, at least in terms of potential experience, if not actual.
So, the salad goes a little something like this: a packet of beansprouts; a red pepper; sliced very thinly; about 12-15 lychees, quartered; a 200g packet of prawns (sainsburies do one for £2.99); a couple of shallots, sliced thinly; a sprinkle of ginger powder; some chilli ketchup and a squeeze of lime. Mix them all together and serve them over very chilled iceberg lettuce. It's certainly a lot more interesting than a prawn cocktail!
Email me here or here to let me know your thoughts about the recipe, blogging, bloggers, or anything else that takes your fancy! You could also try my new comments button which should hopefully be working by now!
(And many thanks to Daisy for helping a stoopid girl figure out how to do email links)
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #6 - Oriental lychee salad
As this recipe was a variation on a theme of one my boss gave me, it seemed only right that she should test it.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boss says:
"I felt rather exotic after sampling Madeleine's latest creation. A very enticing combination of prawns, beansprouts, red peppers and lychees with a drizzle of lime juice and a kick of sweet chilli sauce. A light and refreshing lunch time treat . The lychees took me back to my first ever Chinese meal in a restaurant in Llandudno. The dessert was several of the aforesaid fruits served in a stainless steel bowl with a dollop of Walls. Quite unlike anything I'd come across before and since then I've retained a certain fondness for lychees - so it was lovely to see them poking little heads through Madeleine's beansprouts. A lovely lunch. Thankyou. "
Kind words, MB. Thanks, and I'm sure that you speak for millions who had a similar first lychee experience. I'm pleased to say I think Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge is moving the realms of lychee knowledge a little further, at least in terms of potential experience, if not actual.
So, the salad goes a little something like this: a packet of beansprouts; a red pepper; sliced very thinly; about 12-15 lychees, quartered; a 200g packet of prawns (sainsburies do one for £2.99); a couple of shallots, sliced thinly; a sprinkle of ginger powder; some chilli ketchup and a squeeze of lime. Mix them all together and serve them over very chilled iceberg lettuce. It's certainly a lot more interesting than a prawn cocktail!
Email me here or here to let me know your thoughts about the recipe, blogging, bloggers, or anything else that takes your fancy! You could also try my new comments button which should hopefully be working by now!
(And many thanks to Daisy for helping a stoopid girl figure out how to do email links)
I'm back! Have been away in Scotland for a wedding for a couple of days and couldn't find my way out of the pub to an internet cafe. I have, however, been packing in the lychee recipes. Actually did three in one day because I knew I would be away.
Also, thanks to all those who've emailed with comments, suggestions and helpful hints for a technologically challenged blogger. Will be taking advantage of them all in a couple of hours when I have more time. We will be having a discussion about blogging at some stage soon on BBC Radio Five Live. Stay posted and I'll let you know when.
In the meantime, let's quickly run through my kitchen challenges that haven't quite made it up here yet featuring my ingredient of the week - lychees
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #10 - Grilled Pork steaks with Lychee Sauce. Mmmm. If you like sweet and sour type stuff, this is for you.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"It really doesn't taste like lychees at all. Actually, I can't taste much after those cocktails." (See Kitchen Challenges #8 and #9 below)
This is actually a really nice twist on the pork and apple sauce favourite - just a bit more tropical. Got the recipe from this fantastic website Lychees Online. Once you look on there you'll never eat without lychees again! Just fyi, I didn't have the sage, but it tasted great anyway.
So, on to....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #9 - Lychee Martini. Pretty good. Wouldn't serve it up if the Queen was coming to dinner, but it does the trick.
GUEST REVIEW Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"Is everything we eat tonight going to have lychees in it?"
Well, MDF, that's a little harsh considering I'm putting on your farewell dinner. This is a very easy cocktail to make. Put one part vodka to two parts lychee juice (which I couldn't find so I just used the syrup from a can of lychees which was fine), a tiny twist of lime and a little sugar if you like it sweet over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake like there's no tomorrow and strain into martini glasses. Actually, I think a little rosewater dropped in there would be nice too.
This came after our first cocktail....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #8 - Lychee Sunrise Cocktail. Very nice and tropical.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"Ooh... I like this one. Bit of a kick to it isn't there!? I've never had lychees before and I don't like the whole peeling thing but mixed in this cocktail they're just lovely!"
And they were. I think that may have been largely due to me doubling the amount of gin I put in yours MDF but hey, it worked!
I got this from a website whose address I have lost, but this is how I remember it going. Pour half a glass of orange juice into four glasses. (That's 4x half a glass into four different glasses. Yes. I think that makes sense now) Blend 12 lychees (which works out to be about 1 drained can) and at least half a cup of gin. A couple of teaspoons of sugar, a slop of grenadine or cassis and the juice of a lime should go in there as well. Blend well and then divide into the glasses. It's meant to separate, although mine didn't, but I've got a crappy blender.
I really, really like this one. Enjoy!
Also, thanks to all those who've emailed with comments, suggestions and helpful hints for a technologically challenged blogger. Will be taking advantage of them all in a couple of hours when I have more time. We will be having a discussion about blogging at some stage soon on BBC Radio Five Live. Stay posted and I'll let you know when.
In the meantime, let's quickly run through my kitchen challenges that haven't quite made it up here yet featuring my ingredient of the week - lychees
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #10 - Grilled Pork steaks with Lychee Sauce. Mmmm. If you like sweet and sour type stuff, this is for you.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"It really doesn't taste like lychees at all. Actually, I can't taste much after those cocktails." (See Kitchen Challenges #8 and #9 below)
This is actually a really nice twist on the pork and apple sauce favourite - just a bit more tropical. Got the recipe from this fantastic website Lychees Online. Once you look on there you'll never eat without lychees again! Just fyi, I didn't have the sage, but it tasted great anyway.
So, on to....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #9 - Lychee Martini. Pretty good. Wouldn't serve it up if the Queen was coming to dinner, but it does the trick.
GUEST REVIEW Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"Is everything we eat tonight going to have lychees in it?"
Well, MDF, that's a little harsh considering I'm putting on your farewell dinner. This is a very easy cocktail to make. Put one part vodka to two parts lychee juice (which I couldn't find so I just used the syrup from a can of lychees which was fine), a tiny twist of lime and a little sugar if you like it sweet over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake like there's no tomorrow and strain into martini glasses. Actually, I think a little rosewater dropped in there would be nice too.
This came after our first cocktail....
KITCHEN CHALLENGE #8 - Lychee Sunrise Cocktail. Very nice and tropical.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Departing Flatmate says:
"Ooh... I like this one. Bit of a kick to it isn't there!? I've never had lychees before and I don't like the whole peeling thing but mixed in this cocktail they're just lovely!"
And they were. I think that may have been largely due to me doubling the amount of gin I put in yours MDF but hey, it worked!
I got this from a website whose address I have lost, but this is how I remember it going. Pour half a glass of orange juice into four glasses. (That's 4x half a glass into four different glasses. Yes. I think that makes sense now) Blend 12 lychees (which works out to be about 1 drained can) and at least half a cup of gin. A couple of teaspoons of sugar, a slop of grenadine or cassis and the juice of a lime should go in there as well. Blend well and then divide into the glasses. It's meant to separate, although mine didn't, but I've got a crappy blender.
I really, really like this one. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Having big gremlins on here this morning! Keep trying faithful listeners!
Still have difficulties setting up comments. Mysteriously everytime we try and do it it goes to somebody else's blog. Weird! In the meantime, you can continue to email me at kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com (you'll have to cut and paste that address).
Alternatively, you can email morning@bbc.co.uk. Are you a blogger? Is this the first time you've ever heard of blogging? What do you think of my blog? Are bloggers just all really weird people with too much time and technology at their fingertips or is it the way of the future?
Let me know! (and your comments may well end up on the radio!)
(I find this site gives a very good explanation of what blogging is.)
Alternatively, you can email morning@bbc.co.uk. Are you a blogger? Is this the first time you've ever heard of blogging? What do you think of my blog? Are bloggers just all really weird people with too much time and technology at their fingertips or is it the way of the future?
Let me know! (and your comments may well end up on the radio!)
(I find this site gives a very good explanation of what blogging is.)
Oh god. The first disaster.
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #6 - Sweet Potato crisps. No good. No good at all.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend's Cousin says:
"They're not so bad. They have a nice underlying flavour."
That is the most tactful way I have heard of of saying, "You've burnt these to buggery but the idea was a good one." You're very sweet MBC.
I'm not sure where I went wrong. Perhaps you can help. I peeled then sliced really, really thinly two sweet potatoes. The idea was to have the slices no bigger than 1 mm (which is quite hard actually to do actually, although if you do it with a bread knife it helps). I then tried to dry them out by squeezing the pieces between kitchen paper. I heated up some olive oil and rolled the s.p. in there, then laid them out on slightly oiled trays in the oven, with sea salt and fresh, chopped rosemary sprinkled over them.
Now, this is where I went wrong I think. I had guests coming over so had to get them done quickly, so after having them in the oven for about 30 minutes on 90 degrees, I then bumped the oven up to 140 degrees. BIG MISTAKE! The chips basically burnt within 15 minutes. Some of them were okay, but the majority were crispy on the perimetre and soggy in the middle. Boo. What a bad way to finish SWEET POTATO week. Boo!
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #6 - Sweet Potato crisps. No good. No good at all.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend's Cousin says:
"They're not so bad. They have a nice underlying flavour."
That is the most tactful way I have heard of of saying, "You've burnt these to buggery but the idea was a good one." You're very sweet MBC.
I'm not sure where I went wrong. Perhaps you can help. I peeled then sliced really, really thinly two sweet potatoes. The idea was to have the slices no bigger than 1 mm (which is quite hard actually to do actually, although if you do it with a bread knife it helps). I then tried to dry them out by squeezing the pieces between kitchen paper. I heated up some olive oil and rolled the s.p. in there, then laid them out on slightly oiled trays in the oven, with sea salt and fresh, chopped rosemary sprinkled over them.
Now, this is where I went wrong I think. I had guests coming over so had to get them done quickly, so after having them in the oven for about 30 minutes on 90 degrees, I then bumped the oven up to 140 degrees. BIG MISTAKE! The chips basically burnt within 15 minutes. Some of them were okay, but the majority were crispy on the perimetre and soggy in the middle. Boo. What a bad way to finish SWEET POTATO week. Boo!
Monday, July 21, 2003
Hola kitchen challengers! Last night's challenge saw a decidely summer theme creeping in.
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #5 - Caribbean Sweet Potato Pie. The most successful recipe yet!
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Friend From College says:
"I can't believe it was sweet potato! Sweet potato pie brought visions of a heavy and savoury fritatta-like product, probably spiced up only by the presence of capsicum or under-cooked sprouts. This was going to be one of those healthy, 'wholesome' dishes that belong in vegetarian Krishna restaurants you only ever go to when you're travelling in Eastern Europe.
But no! This little baby was sweet and creamy, and actually enjoyable! (The Krishnas would hate it.) The give-away orange hue somehow complimented what we in the pie-eating trade call a hint of caribbean spices and lashings of coconut milk. More please!"
MFFC is always so generous in his praise. Thanks MFFC. I think it may be because he himself is a blogger, and because my pie added a little bit of the exotique to his sausages in sliced white barbeque last night.
This time, however, I really must concur. This is a dessert that is completely unusual but an absolute winner in the "amaze your friends and family with your cooking prowess" stakes (which we all know is the most important measure of all). What's more, it's piss easy.
Again, taken from the fabulous website www.recipezaar.com. Get the recipe here
More emails please! kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com. And if you want to hear you faithful blogger talking about her kitchen challenge and other aspects of being a blogger, tune in to BBC Radio Five Live on Wednesday, between 1030 and 1200 British Summer Time. (That's on 909 or 693 MV).
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #5 - Caribbean Sweet Potato Pie. The most successful recipe yet!
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Friend From College says:
"I can't believe it was sweet potato! Sweet potato pie brought visions of a heavy and savoury fritatta-like product, probably spiced up only by the presence of capsicum or under-cooked sprouts. This was going to be one of those healthy, 'wholesome' dishes that belong in vegetarian Krishna restaurants you only ever go to when you're travelling in Eastern Europe.
But no! This little baby was sweet and creamy, and actually enjoyable! (The Krishnas would hate it.) The give-away orange hue somehow complimented what we in the pie-eating trade call a hint of caribbean spices and lashings of coconut milk. More please!"
MFFC is always so generous in his praise. Thanks MFFC. I think it may be because he himself is a blogger, and because my pie added a little bit of the exotique to his sausages in sliced white barbeque last night.
This time, however, I really must concur. This is a dessert that is completely unusual but an absolute winner in the "amaze your friends and family with your cooking prowess" stakes (which we all know is the most important measure of all). What's more, it's piss easy.
Again, taken from the fabulous website www.recipezaar.com. Get the recipe here
More emails please! kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com. And if you want to hear you faithful blogger talking about her kitchen challenge and other aspects of being a blogger, tune in to BBC Radio Five Live on Wednesday, between 1030 and 1200 British Summer Time. (That's on 909 or 693 MV).
Sunday, July 20, 2003
PS. I'm not sure if those hyperlinks worked. I really am crap at this blog thing. The recipe webite is www.recipezaar.com and just go from there.
KITCHEN CHALLENGE TASK #4 - Curried chicken and sweet potato salad. Pretty good.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Funky Colleague says:
"Delicious. Sauce complimented sweet potatoes and chicken added bulk. The addition of Lettuce, Celery and Nuts made a great variety of healthy foods. Spicy but not too hot. The taste lingers....Left me wanting more...hint hint."
Hmm.... there's a little bit of me which thinks the MFC is just being kind because she's angling for more free lunches! Honestly, is there such a thing as an objective reviewer these days? Everybody wants a little bit of something.
I got this recipe from a really cool website called You can just type in your main ingredient and then it gives you about five million recipes. Obviously quite useful for Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge.
It's the weekend and I have to go off to make a Sweet Potato Pie for a friend's BBQ tonight, so I'll keep this short. I got far too enthralled in Harry Pottter number five and have wasted half the day already. But if you've got time to waste, don't forget to email: kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com
And here's the link for the salad recipe:
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Funky Colleague says:
"Delicious. Sauce complimented sweet potatoes and chicken added bulk. The addition of Lettuce, Celery and Nuts made a great variety of healthy foods. Spicy but not too hot. The taste lingers....Left me wanting more...hint hint."
Hmm.... there's a little bit of me which thinks the MFC is just being kind because she's angling for more free lunches! Honestly, is there such a thing as an objective reviewer these days? Everybody wants a little bit of something.
I got this recipe from a really cool website called You can just type in your main ingredient and then it gives you about five million recipes. Obviously quite useful for Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge.
It's the weekend and I have to go off to make a Sweet Potato Pie for a friend's BBQ tonight, so I'll keep this short. I got far too enthralled in Harry Pottter number five and have wasted half the day already. But if you've got time to waste, don't forget to email: kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com
And here's the link for the salad recipe:
Friday, July 18, 2003
Kitchen Challenge Task #3 - Cottage pie with a sweet potato crust. Was a dead cert really.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend's Flatmate says :
"I don't really like sweet potato but the mince is great!"
Yes, well. You could've told me that before you agreed to be guest reviewer MBF!
Personally, I think sweet potato kicks regular potato's arse in a cottage pie. I'd never tried it before but the sweetness of it goes really well with the savoury mince. I used organic mince this time and I can't tell you what a difference it makes. Infact, I am now officially calling on anyone making cottage pie tonight to abandon their boring, bland regular potato in favour of the sweeter variety. Even if you're not making cottage pie, drop your dinner plans and follow this recipe. (lovely with steamed courgette and broccoli, which incidentally is a very hard word to spell. Similar to mediterranean and philippines in that I'm never sure where the double letters go. It's never in the place you think)
Ye Olde Recipe: Softened half a chopped onion in a wonderful teflon frying pan then chucked in 350g of mince. A few herbs (basil, thyme) and splash of Tabasco and Lea and Perrins, and THEN the secret ingredient - a crumbled up Oxo beef cube. What a discovery! You may well be nodding your heads and laughing indulgently, but I've never done this before. I feel like Christopher Columbus! Anywho, whilst that was cooking, steamed some sweet potato, mashed it up with a splash of milk and some butter. Then the usual, mince in dish, s.p. mash on mince, pretty pattern on s.p. while it grills for 15 minutes and then Bob's your uncle. (NB: I once had a friend who called all his pets Bob, regardless of gender or whether it suited them or not. There was Bob the rat, Bob the dog, but my favourite was Bob the female pig. He said it was easier for him to remember their names)
Meantime, keep those sweet potato recipe suggestions and comments on blogging coming. Thanks to Katie and John for their advice on blogging. A reminder - I am a journalist doing a story on blogging for BBC Radio Five Live, so if you have any thoughts to contribute, I'm more than willing to hear them, and put them to air!
Mail me at kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com Links to comments page coming soon.
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend's Flatmate says :
"I don't really like sweet potato but the mince is great!"
Yes, well. You could've told me that before you agreed to be guest reviewer MBF!
Personally, I think sweet potato kicks regular potato's arse in a cottage pie. I'd never tried it before but the sweetness of it goes really well with the savoury mince. I used organic mince this time and I can't tell you what a difference it makes. Infact, I am now officially calling on anyone making cottage pie tonight to abandon their boring, bland regular potato in favour of the sweeter variety. Even if you're not making cottage pie, drop your dinner plans and follow this recipe. (lovely with steamed courgette and broccoli, which incidentally is a very hard word to spell. Similar to mediterranean and philippines in that I'm never sure where the double letters go. It's never in the place you think)
Ye Olde Recipe: Softened half a chopped onion in a wonderful teflon frying pan then chucked in 350g of mince. A few herbs (basil, thyme) and splash of Tabasco and Lea and Perrins, and THEN the secret ingredient - a crumbled up Oxo beef cube. What a discovery! You may well be nodding your heads and laughing indulgently, but I've never done this before. I feel like Christopher Columbus! Anywho, whilst that was cooking, steamed some sweet potato, mashed it up with a splash of milk and some butter. Then the usual, mince in dish, s.p. mash on mince, pretty pattern on s.p. while it grills for 15 minutes and then Bob's your uncle. (NB: I once had a friend who called all his pets Bob, regardless of gender or whether it suited them or not. There was Bob the rat, Bob the dog, but my favourite was Bob the female pig. He said it was easier for him to remember their names)
Meantime, keep those sweet potato recipe suggestions and comments on blogging coming. Thanks to Katie and John for their advice on blogging. A reminder - I am a journalist doing a story on blogging for BBC Radio Five Live, so if you have any thoughts to contribute, I'm more than willing to hear them, and put them to air!
Mail me at kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com Links to comments page coming soon.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Oh my lordy am I full.
Kitchen Challenge Task #2 - Sweet potato and apple smoothie - ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
GUEST REVIEWER MB (Madeleine's Boyfriend) says :
"Oh, it's a smoothie. I've gotta run, I'm late for work."
Hmm.... not quite the effusive response I was expecting MB, but it'll do.
This is a fab dish for when you want to eat sweet potato on the run. I thought it up last night when I realised I didn't have time to cook a proper sweet potato meal before I went out. I must confess, I didn't have it last night, but this morning for breakfast, so today's going to be a double s.p. day.
But anywho, on to the recipe. It is actually quite delicious, if I do say so myself. I just steamed some sweet potato in the microwave, allowed it to cool, added a cup of apple juice, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of cinnamon then whizzed it all up in the blender. Nice and thick it was. Would be equally delicious with some ice blended through it, or even a little yoghurt or coconut milk if you're feeling tres exotique. Just don't follow it up with a large bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and then attempt to squeeze into your tightest jeans. Your faithful blogger is a little uncomfortable right now.
Stand by for tonight's dish, Sweet Potato cottage pie!
Any suggestions, comments, ideas to kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com please, pending Madeleine's Friend From College (MFFC) turning up to teach her how to do clever things with her blog on the weekend.
Kitchen Challenge Task #2 - Sweet potato and apple smoothie - ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
GUEST REVIEWER MB (Madeleine's Boyfriend) says :
"Oh, it's a smoothie. I've gotta run, I'm late for work."
Hmm.... not quite the effusive response I was expecting MB, but it'll do.
This is a fab dish for when you want to eat sweet potato on the run. I thought it up last night when I realised I didn't have time to cook a proper sweet potato meal before I went out. I must confess, I didn't have it last night, but this morning for breakfast, so today's going to be a double s.p. day.
But anywho, on to the recipe. It is actually quite delicious, if I do say so myself. I just steamed some sweet potato in the microwave, allowed it to cool, added a cup of apple juice, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of cinnamon then whizzed it all up in the blender. Nice and thick it was. Would be equally delicious with some ice blended through it, or even a little yoghurt or coconut milk if you're feeling tres exotique. Just don't follow it up with a large bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and then attempt to squeeze into your tightest jeans. Your faithful blogger is a little uncomfortable right now.
Stand by for tonight's dish, Sweet Potato cottage pie!
Any suggestions, comments, ideas to kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com please, pending Madeleine's Friend From College (MFFC) turning up to teach her how to do clever things with her blog on the weekend.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Well, this is one very satisfied blogger this morning.
Kitchen Challenge Task #1 - Sweet Potato and Courgette Fritters - COMPLETE SUCCESS!
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend says :
"I was extremely excited to be told that I was going to have the opportunity to be a taster for Madeleine's kitchen challenge. A whole host of exotic ingredients were tripping through my mind - each more fantastic then the last. To say that she opened with the sweet potato was certainly surprising to say the least - I think I was hoping for truffles, mushrooms - even beef! That being said - the sweet potato and corgette fritters were very tasty. They were nice and light, held together well and had some spice. Rating out of 10 - a solid 7 on the spud scale. Wave in the next sweet potato dish."
Kind words there. Thanks very much MB.
This is how I did it. Grate two courgettes and one sweet potato. Crack in a couple of eggs and a splash of flour. Fried up half a finely diced white onion and threw that in. Then I just used a few of the spices we had in the cupboard - cinnamon, cloves, some ground coriander. Oh yeah, crumbled up a beef stock cube (only because we didn't have any veggie ones). Mix them all in together, they're a bit wet because of all the juice in the veggies but just give them a squeeze. Make them into fritter size and then fry them up on the frying pan with a splash of olive oil in the bottom. We had them with Safeway's beef sausages by the way.
I'm trying to figure out how I can get people to reply to this blog so I can get any comments, suggestions for guest ingredients, recipes, ways to get a life etc. In the meantime, I've set up an email address. Mail me at kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com
Stand-by for tomorrow's exciting foray into the crazy world of the sweet potato!
Kitchen Challenge Task #1 - Sweet Potato and Courgette Fritters - COMPLETE SUCCESS!
GUEST REVIEWER Madeleine's Boyfriend says :
"I was extremely excited to be told that I was going to have the opportunity to be a taster for Madeleine's kitchen challenge. A whole host of exotic ingredients were tripping through my mind - each more fantastic then the last. To say that she opened with the sweet potato was certainly surprising to say the least - I think I was hoping for truffles, mushrooms - even beef! That being said - the sweet potato and corgette fritters were very tasty. They were nice and light, held together well and had some spice. Rating out of 10 - a solid 7 on the spud scale. Wave in the next sweet potato dish."
Kind words there. Thanks very much MB.
This is how I did it. Grate two courgettes and one sweet potato. Crack in a couple of eggs and a splash of flour. Fried up half a finely diced white onion and threw that in. Then I just used a few of the spices we had in the cupboard - cinnamon, cloves, some ground coriander. Oh yeah, crumbled up a beef stock cube (only because we didn't have any veggie ones). Mix them all in together, they're a bit wet because of all the juice in the veggies but just give them a squeeze. Make them into fritter size and then fry them up on the frying pan with a splash of olive oil in the bottom. We had them with Safeway's beef sausages by the way.
I'm trying to figure out how I can get people to reply to this blog so I can get any comments, suggestions for guest ingredients, recipes, ways to get a life etc. In the meantime, I've set up an email address. Mail me at kitchenchallenge@hotmail.com
Stand-by for tomorrow's exciting foray into the crazy world of the sweet potato!
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Welcome to Madeleine's Kitchen Challenge. I'm not a cook. I'm not a chef. I'm just a girl setting herself a challenge. Let me give you a little background. I cook for myself most nights. Sometimes I cook for my flatmates, sometimes I cook for my boyfriend and once in a while I'll cook for friends. I like to cook. But I'm getting a little bored. My stuck-in-a-rut-like tendencies are winding their way slowly but surely to my chopping board and I'm doing the same things over and over.
So this is where the buck stops. This is how I'm going to force myself out of the pasta-on-Monday, lamb-on-Tuesday routine. Every week I'm going to choose an ingredient and I'm going to cook every night incorporating that thing into my meal. I figure if I do this for a year I will have forced myself to cook 365, give or take, different dishes. You may well be thinking that this is a pretty average way to spice up your life. Well, all I can say is you've never experience the invigorating effect of putting sourcream on roast lamb with strawberries and capers and having it actually taste pretty damn good. It's a little natural high that gives you that extra little smile as you're bunking down for the night.
As soon as I can figure out how to work this whole blog thing I'm going to try and put some pictures up of my creations. All suggestions for dishes welcome by the way. And you may see the odd guest review for a truly independent view.
I actually originally started a blog because I kept on reading about how blogs are the next big thing on the internet. I'm a producer for the BBC and I suggested to my editor that we should look into this whole crazy blogs thing, find out what the kids are up to these days. Amazingly, she thought my idea was actually a good one, so she said, "Madeleine, go forth and blog (and then do a piece on the radio about it)." So just a you know, if you reply to my blog you may well find your comments mentioned in my piece. And if you're really funny, I might even give you a name check.
So, enough of this introduction bollocks... to the first ingredient. This week it is.... da da da daaaa.... the humble SWEET POTATO! (okay, I know it's a bit easy, but next week I'll make it tougher, I promise).
SWEET POTATO DEFINITION: This large edible root belongs to the morning-glory family and is native to tropical areas of the Americas. There are many varieties of sweet potato but the two that are widely grown commercially are a pale sweet potato and the darker-skinned variety Americans erroneously call "yam" (the true yam is not related to the sweet potato). The pale sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and a pale yellow flesh. Its flavor is not sweet and after being cooked, the pale sweet potato is dry and crumbly, much like a white baking potato. The darker variety has a thicker, dark orange skin and a vivid orange, sweet flesh that cooks to a much moister texture. Fresh sweet potatoes are available sporadically throughout the year, though not as readily during the summer months (this from web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia As soon as I figure out to do hyperlinks I'll stick one on)
Tonight my first foray into big wide world of sweet potatoes I think will involve a sweet potato and zucchini (courgette) fritter. And if I'm really clever I'll take picture.
So this is where the buck stops. This is how I'm going to force myself out of the pasta-on-Monday, lamb-on-Tuesday routine. Every week I'm going to choose an ingredient and I'm going to cook every night incorporating that thing into my meal. I figure if I do this for a year I will have forced myself to cook 365, give or take, different dishes. You may well be thinking that this is a pretty average way to spice up your life. Well, all I can say is you've never experience the invigorating effect of putting sourcream on roast lamb with strawberries and capers and having it actually taste pretty damn good. It's a little natural high that gives you that extra little smile as you're bunking down for the night.
As soon as I can figure out how to work this whole blog thing I'm going to try and put some pictures up of my creations. All suggestions for dishes welcome by the way. And you may see the odd guest review for a truly independent view.
I actually originally started a blog because I kept on reading about how blogs are the next big thing on the internet. I'm a producer for the BBC and I suggested to my editor that we should look into this whole crazy blogs thing, find out what the kids are up to these days. Amazingly, she thought my idea was actually a good one, so she said, "Madeleine, go forth and blog (and then do a piece on the radio about it)." So just a you know, if you reply to my blog you may well find your comments mentioned in my piece. And if you're really funny, I might even give you a name check.
So, enough of this introduction bollocks... to the first ingredient. This week it is.... da da da daaaa.... the humble SWEET POTATO! (okay, I know it's a bit easy, but next week I'll make it tougher, I promise).
SWEET POTATO DEFINITION: This large edible root belongs to the morning-glory family and is native to tropical areas of the Americas. There are many varieties of sweet potato but the two that are widely grown commercially are a pale sweet potato and the darker-skinned variety Americans erroneously call "yam" (the true yam is not related to the sweet potato). The pale sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and a pale yellow flesh. Its flavor is not sweet and after being cooked, the pale sweet potato is dry and crumbly, much like a white baking potato. The darker variety has a thicker, dark orange skin and a vivid orange, sweet flesh that cooks to a much moister texture. Fresh sweet potatoes are available sporadically throughout the year, though not as readily during the summer months (this from web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia As soon as I figure out to do hyperlinks I'll stick one on)
Tonight my first foray into big wide world of sweet potatoes I think will involve a sweet potato and zucchini (courgette) fritter. And if I'm really clever I'll take picture.
