Potato Latke (again)

Yum.  Take your time with the frying and these will turn out a golden treat!

xx Pip

Pip's Potato Latke

2 cups of grated potato :: peel and coarsely grate the potatoes and then put in your salad spinner and spin dry :: pat dry with a paper towel if they are still a bit soggy.
1 small onion, grated as well
3 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs
salt and pepper
oil for frying :: we need to shallow-fry in around an inch of oil
Optional extra ingredients:: clove of garlic, freshly chopped herbs, grated lemon rind, smoked paprika, chilli

NB :: don't let your grated potato sit around - it will go brown and yicky - grate and use it straight away.

Mix the grated, dried potato with the other ingredients (except the oil).

Heat the oil until a pinch of the mixture fries up nice and golden quickly. Now plonk spoonfuls of your potato mixture into the oil and flatten with a spoon until a cm or so thick. They don't need to be perfect - kind of poke the spoon into the centre of the plonked mixture to make a few little holes for the oil to seep up into. This helps the middle cook evenly. No one likes raw potato! Cook until golden and then flip over and cook the other side. Drain on kitchen towel and transfer to the oven to keep warm. These are nice cold too, though!

Things To Try :: Zucchini and Cheddar Toast

2 grated zucchinis - with all the moisture squeezed out of the gratings
200g good cheddar cheese, also grated
1 finely diced shallot
1 small egg
a slosh of worcestershire sauce
bread for toasting
salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients except the bread together.
Plonk spoonfuls onto bread making sure it's not layered super thick and it's pushed to the edges of the bread nicely.
Grill and eat with a big glass of wine (or beer) or if you are saintly, iced water.

via Eat Drink Live by Fran Warde

NMAA Banana Loaf :: from NMAA Cooks

125g butter
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 cup wholemeal plain flour plus
1/2 cup wholemeal self raising flour mixed with a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup yoghurt or 1/4 cup milk mixed with some lemon juice (to make buttermilk!)

Grease a loaf tin and heat your oven to 375f

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Now mix the mashed banana, vanilla and yoghurt/buttermilk together. Add this mix and the flour alternately to the creamed butter until all is mixed in. Pour into a greased tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes! Cool for ten minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

I sprinkled the top with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar before I baked it - for a bit of a spicey crunchy top!

Egg Baskets - From Cooking With Daisy

My kids love these. They are crunchy and eggy soothing at the same time. And cheesy. They are cheesy too. It's a bit of preparation - but it's worth it for the fun factor!

Make some toasty baskets with egg in them....!



4 slices of brown or white bread (2 for each child)
4 eggs
a bit of butter
2 tbsp milk salt and pepper
1/2 cup of grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 200c or 400f.
Cut the crusts off the bread and spread both sides with butter.
Press each slice into a muffin tray to form a basket.
Bake for 10 minutes until a bit golden and quite crisp.
Whilst they are baking, whisk eggs, milk and some salt and pepper
Melt a little butter in a pan and add the egg mix. Scramble until almost cooked through.
Tumble the scrambled egg into the bready basket. Top with grated cheese. Return to the oven until the cheese has melted. Keep watching them to be sure the bread doesn't burn. Serve with a smile!

Felt eggs from here

Tea with Delia? Delia Smith's Crumpet Recipe

You really need to take your time cooking these. Otherwise they will be doughy and yuk. And doughy crumpets are for slappers, right? I make the batter and whack it in the fridge for delicious sourdough crumpets the next morning. I'm a bit clever, sometimes. You could get these started early in the day and have them for afternoon tea. That would be clever too. This recipe makes 12.

8 oz (225 g) strong plain flour
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level tablespoon dried yeast
1 level teaspoon caster sugar
½ pint (275 ml) milk

You will also need a thick-based frying pan, some egg rings and a little lard.

Heat the milk and 2 fl oz (55 ml) water together in a small saucepan until they are 'hand hot'. Then pour into a jug, stir in the sugar and dried yeast and leave it in a warm place for 10-15 minutes till there is a good frothy head on itMeanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre then, when the yeast mixture is frothy, pour it all in.

Next use a wooden spoon to work the flour into the liquid gradually and beat well at the end to make a perfectly smooth batter. Cover the basin with a tea-towel and leave to stand in a warm place for about 45 minutes - by which time, the batter will have become light and frothy.To cook the crumpets: grease the insides of the egg rings well, and grease the frying pan as well before placing it over a medium heat.

Arrange the rings in the frying pan and, when the pan is hot, spoon 1 tablespoon of the crumpet batter into each ring. Let them cook for 4 or 5 minutes: first tiny bubbles will appear on the surface and then, suddenly, they will burst, leaving the traditional holes. Now take a large spoon and fork, lift off the rings and turn the crumpets over.

Cook the crumpets on the second side for about 1 minute only. Re-grease and reheat the rings and pan before cooking the next batch of crumpets. Serve the crumpets while still warm, generously buttered. If you are making crumpets in advance, then reheat them by toasting lightly on both sides before serving.

Slapper Tea-Cup and Plate from here

Truly Delightful Egg and Bacon Pie

My paternal nanna was the queen of egg and bacon pie. In my quest to recreate my childhood I began to make it too. Here is my recipe - based on one in Stephanie's BIG orange cookbook.

2 sheets of puff pastry (the frozen type is good)
8 nice free range eggs
3 rashers of bacon, chopped roughly
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
30 g butter


Melt butter in a fry pan and add onion and garlic - saute until softened. Add bacon and cook until starting to crisp up. Set aside.

Line a greased pie dish with a sheet of pastry. Cut it to size and press down around top edge to secure. Pop in the bacon/onion mixture and the parsley. Crack in the eggs - they don't need to be beaten. Season with salt and pepper. Put another sheet of pastry on top to make a lid. you can decorate with little pastry chickens or piggys at this stage if you choose!

Pierce pastry lid with a fork a few times. Brush with egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp of milk. Bake in a moderate oven for 35 minutes until golden and puffed up on top. Serve with tomato sauce or chilli sauce.. or both and a crisp green salad. Delicious cold the next day too!

via here

felt egg and soldiers here