End/JAN - Early FEB: Season for ...

It is now, the season for Seville Orange!

And the Seville orange for making a marmalade!

I made it again this year which becomes my third year.
I bought them last week at Portobello market, famous for antiques and as a tourist spot.
Indeed, it is not only for antiques but local people come here to buy fresh vegetables and fruits and other specialities such as artisan bread, cheese, pastries, etc.

Some of stalls sell vegetables that we are not able to get from supermarket, e.g. Romanesco (light green broccoli/cauliflower like), chicory (have seen red one as well), Radicchio (a sort of lettuce? of the Italian) and so on.

This time, it is for Oranges from Seville, Spain.
It is specifically for making marmalade as it does not have sweetness itself making a gorgeous one, some of you might have seen marmalade labels claiming 'Seville orange marmalade'.

It starts from cutting the outer skin into quarter, then cut into thin stripe, (or thick if you like)

 then, soak in water together with the juice squeezed from the fruit.

I use the copper made jam pot which I have bought in France for the first time to make this!

Together with skin of the fruits and pips put in a moslin bag, it is heated until the quantity being reduced to half.

The moslin bag is removed by squeezing out of as much pectin as it is possible, then sugar is added, continue cook until the texture become thicker.

Prepare sterilising some jars by boiling them for a while (with lids), put all of them into jars before they are cooled down.

 

3 pounds of oranges make this much marmalade.

Look forward to making it another batch in a year 2014!!!

Cheese muffin



As some of you might have been aware that I have another blog in Japanese language, I am updating quite often there and there are two recipes of cheese muffins. - one with olive oil and here is with butter.

I was wondering if olive oil makes the dough not being fluffy enough, and this assumption was right.

And that I recommend to use butter rather than the olive oil as the texture becomes more smooth and fluffy, and I love that!!

 

I tried to use up a left over from last week order of canapes, red paprika was one of them that was put into the muffin, indeed this added a perfect sweetness and loveliness!

<Cheese muffin recipe>

Ingredients:

Butter 65g -room temp

Sugar 20g

Egg 1pc -room temp

Milk 90g -room temp

Creme Fraiche 1tbsp -room temp

Plain flour 150g

Baking powder 4g

Cheddar cheese 100g -cut into 7-8mm cubes

Red paprika 1/4pc -cut into 5mm cubes

Black peppers

Preparation:

- Lightly oil the mould with butter and sprinkle flour.

- Heat an oven to 185 degree.

1. Mix butter and sugar in a medium bowl until fluffy.

2. Mix in egg, then milk and creme fraiche.

3. Sift flour and baking powder together and gently fold into 2.

4. Mix in cheese, paprika and milled black peppers.

5. Pour onto mould of you choice and put in the oven.

6. Reduce the heat to 175 degree and bake it for 12-15min. (depending on your condition of your oven)

I love the little red jewels:) so cute isnt't it? ^^;

Unforgettable night

Since the last blog, I have managed to find another method of uploading photos - I had to install 'blogger' app onto my phone, but I am happy to update again!

More happier thing is that....

It is not just happy but unbelievably gorgeous!!!

The PETRUS!!!! yes, THE PETRUS.

Though photos are not as good as wines at all, it is remarkable.

Legend is not just the legend.

 

Back of the bottle here, it is a 'double magnum' consiting of 2.5l of the 'thing';)

I have never seen this kind of complex colour with other wines!

From leather, asphalt like not edible aromas to prunes with a hint of Annis, wet sand with some grass, this is absolutely extraordinary!!!

With a courtesy of the restaurant owner, another great one came up!

THE C. D'YQUEM!

We were also able to have the following nice bubble and white:

-Paul Goerg, Brut Premier Cru, 2005 (50 Chardonnay, 50 PN)

-Domain de Chevalier, 1986 (70 SB, 30 Semillon)

These two should not be shadowed with above two, fantastic old white and elegant Champagne.

They put me into doze, not sure it is exactly the word to describe my feeling, but yes, it was an extraordinary experience!
Thank you so much Mr. K and Mr. H for these great contributions!