Sticky, gooey, delicious homemade marshmallows

Making my own marshmallows never, ever occurred to me until several years ago friends of mine had Thanksgiving dinner at Martha Stewart's home and she made her own marshmallows.  I was very, very impressed. No one I knew ever made these lucious, sugary treats but now I know how.

Marshmallow Madness

Yes, you can make your own marshmallows.  It's easy.

I made these using this French book.

Spring Pink Cuisinart mixer

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. 

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source.

The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes.

Lindsay at Ultimate Foodies supplied this picture and recipe for the most delicious Pavlova with a soft marshmallow interior.

This pavlova has a crisp meringue encasing a soft marshmallow centre. and is sure to please. If you want a large pavlova (like the one pictured) then double the recipe.

Ingredients

4 egg whites

8oz caster sugar

4 level teaspoons cornflour

1.5 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

600ml double cream

Little bit of sugar to sweeten (about a teaspoon)

Dark chocolate to grate on top 

Method

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and pre-heat oven to 130 degrees celsius.

Start mixing the egg whites (using freestanding mixer if possible, or hand beaters otherwise).

Add the sugar tablespoon at a time and beat.

When thick, add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract.

Beat until stiff, then dollop out in a circle onto the baking tray (make a slight dip in the middle).

Bake for 50 minutes until crisp on the outside.

Turn off the oven and let it cool inside the oven.

Whip the double cream with the sugar and spread on top of the pavlova. 

Decorate with raspberries and grate a little dark chocolate onto them.

A Marshmallow recipe from my childhood is  Heavenly Hash.  I made it for my children, as my mother did for me, and they loved it.
It couldn't be easier.  Delicious.


1 c. whipped cream
1 sm. can crushed pineapple
6 chopped marshmallows
6 maraschino cherries, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and chill well.

Another great way to use marshmallows, only this time you can buy the cake instead of baking it.  It is a S'mores cake. It doesn't get better than this.

Neiman Marcus S'mores cake

If you would like to learn more about the highlighted items, just click on the bold blue letters.

I hope you like these recipes and will try them.

A Bientôt........

Lunch for friends

My friend Margaret Ryder, Dallas, is the most amazing floral artist.  I love the way she decorated this doggie. She does beautiful and unusual arrangements for your dining table too.

If someone asked me what my very favorite meal is, I might say roast chicken.  Having been a vegetarian for so many years, when I  roast a chicken it is also cooked with lots of vegetables.  Okay, I do eat more of the veg than I do the chicken but my guests seem to love the whole thing. This gorgeous chicken was roasted with about six different vegetables and then they were tossed over the whole thing.  The picture tells it all and the recipe follows.

I served it with sautéed mushrooms and dhal bat, a combination of rice, shallots and lentils.  All the recipes follow.

Recipe for roast chicken

Season the inside and outside of the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika.  Paint it with some olive oil, I use my hand as the paintbrush. If your family likes the giblets, just place them into the cavity of the chicken and roast them all together.  Living here in France, the giblets are loved by all.  They even make a Périgourdine salad which uses them.  That's for another time. 

Into a very hot oven, place the chicken in a covered roasting pan.  Add cubes of eggplant, chopped celery, carrot rounds, sliced onions, either sun dried or just raw tomatoes and mushrooms.  You can use any vegetable you prefer but the total should be about 2 cups. Circle the chicken with the vegetables.  Don't cover the chicken with the vegetables until ready to serve or the skin won't brown. Add two cups of chicken stock and cook on high heat for 45 minutes.
  
Remove cover and finish cooking in a semi-hot oven until chicken is nice and brown, maybe another 45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken. You might have to add additional water or stock as there should always be a bit of liquid on the bottom.

When chicken is finished, place on serving platter with vegetables scattered on top and cover with foil for about 15 minutes so juices will sink in.

Add 1 cup of white wine to the drippings in the pan and reduce by half.  This should take 15 minutes.
Pour over the vegetable covered chicken.

A few years ago I trekked in the Himalayas and  Dal Bhat was a staple for us.  It is typically cooked in Nepal on a daily basis and is the center of the meal.  Poultry and meat is very scarce in Nepal and we had very few fresh vegetables as well so we ate a lot of rice and lentils.

Recipe for Dhal Bat


Plain Rice (Bhat)
2 cups rice 
4 cups (1 lt) water
1 tsp butter (optional)
Cook rice in the litre of water until done.  Or you can used instant rice, it tastes fine.

Lentils (Dal)
1½ cups lentil (I used canned and they are just fine)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup diced shallots sautéed
Salt to taste
Sauté shallots in butter, add seasoning and lentils.

Mix the Bhat with the Dal and Voila, there you go.

The perfect roasting pan

Yotam Ottolenghi's new book

If you are not yet a fan of Ottolenghi cooking, I believe you will be.  He is amazing and so are his books.

Unique Vintage style apron

How cute you will look in this darling apron.  Even if you never wear an apron while cooking, this one is irresistible.


From About.com comes this recipe and photo of Wine Poached Pears, the perfect ending to your meal.


Ingredients:

4-6 Peeled, Cored and Sliced Pears (recommend Bosc or Anjou)
1 1/2 cups of red wine (recommend Zinfandel, Shiraz or Merlot)
3/4 cups of granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (can also add lemon zest if desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, except pears, and bring to a boil. Once the wine mixture is boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and add the pears. Simmer pears for 10-12 minutes and then turn pears and simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes - until they are tender and are easily poked through with a fork. Remove pears and let them cool. Boil wine sauce until the liquid has been reduced by half. Pour sauce over pears and serve with either marscapone, crème fraiche or Devonshire cream.

I have tried this recipe and it is delicious.

Square white plate

Perfect for serving those beautiful red pears.

Enjoy......

A Bientôt........