ninety nine cents

I have a bit of a problem.

Whenever I see a sale I am automatically drawn to it. I have to have a quick look….. just in case. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the clever placement of the display case or clothing rack? Maybe I will find that perfect “something” hidden amongst the unwanted items? (what something? I don’t need anything!!) I do know the idea of all the possible pennies saved is not my motivating force.

This strange habit must come from the fact that I find potential exciting. The idea of getting/making/creating/cooking or baking something from (relatively) nothing is one of my favourite pastimes. Looking back the foundation of this passion was laid by watching MM make a family of six; satisfying, wholesome and tasty meals from scratch and reworking any leftovers into a whole new dish, but it was ignited when I was living in America. At one point I was the only girl living with three guys as roommates and after a weekend away I came back to an apartment in need of a tidy-up and a fridge full of vegetables about to turn. A few hours later the bathroom was squeaky clean and I had somehow created an awesome vegetarian chilli, from what seemed like one can of tomatoes and a few slightly soft courgettes. I would be lying if I said that the MacGyver theme song hadn’t played in my head.

From that moment forth I fell in love with whipping up something delicious from the bare minimum of ingredients. I find it fun, creative and economic. Last week MH benefited from my odd behaviour, our local supermarket had cans of pineapple on sale for $0.99c and I grabbed one up without even thinking about it, you can always use a can of pineapple right? That night I made a very simple cake using my sale item.

This recipe is quite adaptable (in fact I made it up as I went along so feel free to change and create your own better version) if you want it really full of coconut flavour use some essence as well as the coconut milk, if you don’t have coconut milk, use regular….if you want a citrus twist add some lovely lime zest….don’t like pineapple and have 17 cans of apricot halves in the back of the cupboard? Omit the coconut, play up the ginger and you have an apricot masterpiece instead :)

BASIC PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
a.k.a. ‘ninety nine’ pineapple time

TOPPING

1 can of pineapple (slices/pieces/chunks)
80g of unsalted butter
½ cup of brown sugar

* preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-bake (350°F/320°F)
* grease and line a large round cake pan
* drain one can of pineapple
* slowly melt together in a pan on low heat the 80g of butter and ½ cup of brown sugar
* once the sugar has dissolved bring the butter & sugar to a gentle boil and simmer for 2mins creating a very simple caramel
* pour the ’caramel’ into the bottom of the lined cake pan
* arrange the pineapple on top of this basic caramel

CAKE

125g of unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup of castor sugar
2 free range eggs
1 ½ cups of flour
1 ½ tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of baking soda
¼ tsp of ground ginger
pinch of salt
½ - ¾ of a cup of coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
¾ of a cup of shredded coconut (optional)

* sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger and salt
* in a separate bowl beat the butter until it is pale and fluffy
* add the ½ cup of castor sugar and cream together with the butter for 2mins
* add the free range eggs one at a time making sure they are incorporated into the mix
* alternatively add the sifted flour & coconut milk making sure you start and end with flour
* at this point the cake mix is ready BUT…you can add in extra ingredients - I used coconut
* pour batter over the pineapple and caramel and bake in the oven for 45-55mins
* cool slightly in the pan before turning the cake out.

I served this up with custard I had made that day but it is perfectly tasty all on it’s own.

easy does it

It has been ages…mainly because at the moment I borrow MD’s camera to take the shots on here, so capturing my baking can become sporadic…. but I am going to make a big effort to change that. As you can see from the few pictures I posted below I have been having a lot of fun, the winter here has been truly beautiful, an awesome season of warm weeks full of sunshine mixed with rainy days perfect for growing our winter veggies!

In-between invigorating walks on the beach, putting on the gumboots to visit the sheep in the backyard and making birthday cakes I also went to my parents house and watched MM whip up a delicious sultana cake - talk about inspiring! Sometimes it’s nice to put the fondant icing away and get back to basics. I don’t know if mine will ever be as good as MM’s, she makes baking look as inherent as breathing but, here is my version of a good old classic. Thanks Mum!

INDIVIDUAL ‘AFTERNOON TEA’ SULTANA CAKES
a.k.a. ‘grab a cup of tea & a good book’

earl grey tea
400g or 1 packet of sultanas
1 tsp of baking soda
200g of unsalted butter
1 cup of white sugar
zest of 1 orange
3 free range eggs
2 cups of flour
1 ½ tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt

* pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-bake (350°F/320°F fan-bake)
* grease & line a 12 cup muffin pan
* make a cup of earl grey tea and pour it over the sultanas, put aside to soak and cool
* sift together flour, baking powder and salt, put aside
* in a separate bowl cream butter, sugar & zest until it is light & fluffy
* beat in eggs one at a time
* add baking soda to the bowl of sultanas, mix together and then add the sultanas and the tea to the batter
* add the sifted flour and gently stir until everything is combined
* divide the cake batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups
* bake for 25-30mins

Once these tasty cakes are cool you can ice them with an orange glaze


or if you can’t wait, serve warm with butter straight away! YUM

a few weeks of winter

Tomorrow I am going to post a really tasty cake recipe, perfect for enjoying with a great cup of coffee & good friends but it has been so long since I posted, here are a few photos from the last few weeks here in New Zealand to catch you up :)

birthday cake...


..around the house..


..wild animals..



...and rainy day gardening.

a little sunshine on a rainy day

…your black cardigan that goes with everything, a poached egg on buttered toast, Jeff Buckley, M*A*S*H, a freshly made bed, a great cup of tea, AC/DC’s ‘you shook me all night long’, laughing until you need to pee, the first BBQ of the season…

one classic that never gets old - the simple rose

what is your favourite rose?

The Right Seasoning

Last week I made TH a cake based on his favourite dessert…my version of a ‘Sticky Toffee Pudding’…perfect for my Englishman and the cooler weather. Apparently it was a great success (maybe the extra decadent thick, warm and glossy toffee sauce poured generously over the top had something to do with it?) This week I really wanted to bake a cake with coconut or limes. The appropriateness of my choices is questionable. With the heaters on in the house I should be making yummy treats layered with bitter dark chocolate or custard spiked with brandy!

My desire for summer flavour combos must be my way of rebelling against the winter weather. Maybe I miss my friends in the US who are welcoming the days of sunshine? Perhaps it is simply that I believe no matter the season, the most important ingredient is that it tastes great. This week I’ve decided to test my theory:

LIME & COCONUT CHIFFON MERINGUE CAKE
a.k.a. ‘Zingy Fluffy Goodness’

This cake is slightly more time consuming than most but well worth the effort. It could be a real show stopper so if there is a birthday party coming up in your household why not give this one a go. Don’t be afraid to spread out the baking duties to make the whole process more relaxed. Try making the lime curd the day before and feel free to experiment with various citrus fruits to suit whatever is cheapest or most plentiful in your area. If you are really short for time skip the meringue topping, whip up some cream and spread that all over instead. Remember; baking is meant to be fun and an expression of your personality….so welcome any mistakes, accidents and adaptations that happen in your kitchen.
For ease I have broken the cake making process into four steps:
Curd, Cake, Cover & Create.



CURD:

-on the stove top get a pan of water (about 2in/5cm deep) simmering for the “bain-marie”

zest of 2 limes
½ cup of lime juice
¾ cup of castor sugar
125g of butter, chopped into small pieces
2 whole eggs (large)
4 egg yolks
NOTE: put aside the egg whites at room temperature for making the meringue ‘cover’ later

-whisk together the egg yolks & eggs in a medium/large heat proof bowl (e.g. Pyrex Glass Bowl)
-add the rest of the curd ingredients to the egg mixture
-place the heat proof bowl with curd mix on top of the pan of simmering water
-cook curd like this on low heat for 10-15mins, stirring constantly
-after 10-15mins the mixture will suddenly come together creating a lovely thick curd that heavily coats the back of a spoon
-remove from heat, cool & then place curd in the refrigerator, make sure it’s well covered

CAKE:

-preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-bake (375°F/325°F fan-bake) : grease/line a 20cm/8in cake tin

3 eggs (large) separated into egg yolks & egg whites
1 pinch of cream of tartar
¾ cup of castor sugar divided into two portions
zest of 1 lime
¼ cup of canola oil
1 cup of flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup of lime juice
2 cups of toasted coconut

-place coconut into a hot dry pan and toast for a few minutes (turning coconut often) to bring out the natural oils & create a lovely caramel colour. take the coconut off the heat at this point. reserve 1¼ cups of coconut for the cake topping
-sift together the flour, baking powder & salt
-using two mixing bowls separate the three eggs into yolks & whites
-add the lime zest & 1 portion of sugar to the egg yolks
-using an electric mixer (stand or handheld) beat the yolk mixture until it’s a beautiful pale yellow & has doubled in volume (around 5mins)
-continue to beat the yolk mixture while you slowly add in the ¼ cup of canola oil
-starting & ending with flour, take turns adding the sifted flour & lime juice to the yolks. make sure at this point you are very gentle and do not over mix the batter.
-mix in ¾ cup of toasted coconut. put batter aside
-add the cream of tartar to the egg whites
-whisk egg whites until soft peaks form & then slowly start to add the rest of the measured sugar
-continue to whisk the egg whites until they’re glossy, have stiff peaks & the sugar is dissolved (about 2mins)
-add ¼ of the fluffy egg whites to the yolk batter & gently mix them together
-add the rest of the egg whites & fold the egg whites into the batter. be very careful not to deflate the thick airy egg whites
-pour the mix into the cake tin
-bake the cake for around 35mins . keep your eye on it as oven temperatures do vary . you will know when it is cooked as the top of the cake springs back and holds it’s shape when you touch it with your fingertips
-when the cake is done remove it from it’s tin and put aside on a cake rack to cool


COVER:

-pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F
-on the stove top get a pan of water (about 2in/5cm deep) simmering for the “bain-marie”

4 egg whites
NOTE: don’t forget to use the ones put aside from when you made the curd
1 cup of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

-place all ingredients together in a large heat-proof bowl
-put the bowl onto the pot of simmering water & using an electric mixer beat the egg whites for 5mins. the egg white mix will become nice and warm & the sugar will dissolve
-take the egg whites off the heat & continue whisking for 10 more minutes
-NOTE: this will feel like a long time! the mix will become very thick and glossy, like marshmallow




CREATE:

-NOTE: I recommend assembling the chiffon cake & curd before making the meringue ‘cover’
-once cake is completely cooled use a serrated knife and slice it horizontally into three layers
-divide the curd in half & spoon it generously between the three levels of chiffon cake
-place the layered chiffon cake & curd into the refrigerator for at least one ½ hour to ‘set up’



-make the luscious meringue. if you are in a rush, whip cream & use that as a topping instead
-gently lift the cooled layer cake onto an oven tray
-coat the cake with the marshmallow meringue, I like to make an extra thick layer on the top of the cake
-DON’T smooth the meringue, create peaks & swirls that will brown nicely in the oven
-cook the outside of the meringue for 5 minutes in the pre-heated 200°C/400°F oven, or until the tips of the swirls are brown
-scatter the extra toasted coconut all over the cake and/or dollop on whipped cream and then add the toasted coconut. be creative, add less or more of your favourite ingredients & ENJOY!

New Years Eve

I got my hair cut this past week and I love it. The fact I left the salon with a big grin on my face is a huge success and I am the darkest colour I have ever been, a newly styled brunette. Since coming back to NZ I have been a big fan of the Stephen Marr Hair Salons (Newmarket, Ponsonby and Takapuna) http://news.stephenmarr.co.nz/ not only because they are good at what they do but everyone who works for Stephen Marr and Lucy Vincent Marr are very nice people.

They also did my hair colour for my wedding on NYE so I am developing a serious ‘hair crush’ on them all :)

Thinking about my wedding day makes me want to give a quick photo shout out to the professional women who made it so special. They are all highlighted here by the truly awesome photography of
Lauren Indrisie and Delwyn Rutley.

So TH and I say thank you, thank you, thank you to you all.

Lauren Indrisie http://www.laurenindrisie.co.nz/about.html
Delwyn Rutley http://www.delwynrutley.com/
A La Robe http://www.alarobe.com/
Stephen Marr &
Lucy & The Powder Room http://lucypowderroom.stephenmarr.co.nz/

(oohhh and the next post will be a yummy one I promise!)

it's the little things....



Masks & Magic



Love Light



WE DID IT!

alright, alright, alright...

It wouldn’t be held against you for not seeing an immediate correlation between Matthew McConaughey’s character Wooderson in the movie ‘Dazed and Confused’ and MM (my Mum). He is an aging stoner who still hangs out with high school kids and MM works, is a loving Wife, Mother of four, Grandma to two, the bees knees and also happens to be based in reality. However, don’t let them fool you! The biggest and most important thing they have in common is they both “love those red heads”.

My siblings and I were disappointing to our parents in one way (and one way only) NONE of us had red hair. MS (my sister) did have a childhood friend with beautiful auburn hair and I have very strong memories of MM saying how lovely it was (which it was and continues to be!). So it is no surprise to me that as an adult I happen to have a friend who has lovely red locks. Who knows, perhaps subconsciously I was drawn to getting to know her because of her ruby curls? One thing is for certain - her hair is not the only reason I am proud to call Brooke Tyson my dear friend.

Brooke Tyson also happens to be an incredibly talented clothing designer http://www.brooketyson.co.nz/ . Her home base of creativity is her studio in Puhoi, NZ. Here she has designed bespoke collections of clothing that always layer comfort, colour, contrasting textures and the most clever and subtle femininity. Now…I am NOT a fashion writer so please excuse my lack of terminology and take a look at some of her work for yourselves, it speaks far more clearly of her intentions than I do. I just happen to want to own each item for myself!




For those of you lucky enough to be in Auckland City on Wednesday 26th May 2010 then please come and see some of Brooke Tyson’s clothing in person.

Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Tabac bar, 6 Mills lane, Auckland Central
Street: MAP: http://www.tabac.co.nz/Map.html

I’m hoping to add this one to my wardrobe!