H for Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the
cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.




FOOD
The cuisine of Hong Kong can best be described as a type of eclectic cuisine with extensive influences from Cantonese cuisine and parts of non-Cantonese-speaking China (especially Chaozhou, Dongjiang, Fujian and the Yangtze
River Delta), Western world, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Due to Hong Kong's past as a British colony and long history of being an international city of commerce. From the roadside stalls to the most upscale restaurants, Hong Kong provides an unlimited variety of food in every class. Complex combinations and international gourmet expertise have given Hong Kong the reputable labels of "Gourmet Paradise" and "World's Fair of Food".

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Hong Kong Pork Chops
6 thick loin pork chops
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Oriental sesame oil
3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 Tablespoons dry sherry
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons honey


Methodology:-
Combine all sauces, oils, honey, salt, ginger, garlic and shallot in a bowl.
Add to pork chops and coat them completely and allow them to marinade at room temperature for 2 hours
Fry chops in a non-stick skillet for 10 to 15 mins. Do in batches if skillet not big enough.


Serve with dipping Sauce as follows

Dipping Sauce
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
6 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Chinese chili sauce (available in Asian markets)
2 teaspoons minced garlic


Methodology:-
Combine in a bowl and set aside for dippping.

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Fried beef and noodles
400g of frying beef cut into strips
1 Garlic clove
1 table spoon of tomato puree
1 table spoon soy sauce
1/2 table spoon cornflour starch
1 table spoon oil
3 table spoon of sherry vinegar
Handfull of beansrprouts
Handfull of cooked rice noodles


Methodology:-
In a bowl combine garlic, tomato puree, soy, cornflour, oil, sherry vinegar to make marinade.
Coat the beef in marinade and leave for at least 2 hours.
Fry the beef in a pan or wok for a couple of mins
Add beansprouts and rice to the wok and cook for a further 5 mins.

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Broccoli Hong Kong style stir fry
1 pound broccoli cut into florets and halved
Sauce:
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 -2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove
Other:
2 thin slices ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
salt to taste
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying


Methodology:-
Mix the sauce ingredients together
Heat oil in pan and add garlic and ginger cook until brown
Add the broccoli and fry until brilliant green then add the sugar and salt
Stir well then add the water, cover and cook for about 2 mins
Restir the sauce mixture and add to wok moving the broccoli to the sides.
Keep stiring the sauce in middle of pan until it thickens then mix broccoli in

Atari-Ya Foods (Finchley, London)

http://www.atariya.co.uk/

Chick Pea Chocolate Cake with poached pears (Gluten Free)

EXTRA

An interesting thing to do to use up chick peas from yesterdays Greece experience.



Chick Pea Chocolate Cake with poached pears (Gluten Free)
Cake
250g plain chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 (400g) tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
150g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
Poached Pears
4 Pears (serves 8 people)
Half bottle or red wine
5 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
5 whole cloves
Couple of pinches of nutmeg

Methodology Cake:-
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.
Grease a 23cm round cake tin, line with parchment and then grease again.
Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.
Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Combine the chick peas and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend.
Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.

Methodology Poached Pears:-
Peel the pears and leave whole with stalk on
Add Wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pears to a pan.
Bring to simmer and cover for 30 to 40 mins or until pears are soft. Turn pears every 5 mins.
Once pears are soft remove them and slice in half. Each half is for 1 person.
Reduce wine sauce down until it forms a nice sweet sauce.
Plate up piece of cake with pear half and drizzle with wine sauce.

Optional Serve with a dollop of clotted cream or ice cream.

CREDITS: The Chick pea cake recipe came from the following user CCUMMINS from www.allrecipes.com


http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6722/gluten-free-chocolate-cake.aspx

G for Greece

Greece also known as Hellas and officially the Hellenic Republic is a developed country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has thetenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 km (9,246 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands(approximately 1400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).

Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle ofWestern civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece. The modern Greek state was established in 1830, following a victorious uprising against Ottoman rule.

FOOD

Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit andpork. Also important are olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.

Meze is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs as ouzo or homemade tsipouro. Orektika is the formal name for appetizers and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dips are served with bread loaf or pita bread. In some regions, dried bread (paximadhi) is softened in water.

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Hummus
1 can chickpeas or 2/3 of a jar of El Navarrico Chickpeas (Garbanzos)
2 garlic cloves
Juice of one lemon
3 tbs tahini
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt & pepper


Methodology:-
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
Add to serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, fresh parsley and some salt

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Moussaka
500g minced beef or lamb
3 tbsp of Olive oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 gloves garlic diced
1 aubergine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp of dried oregano
1 large onion diced
1/2 glass of red wine
Bread crumbs
grated cheddar
salt and pepper
Bechamel sauce
40 grams butter
60g flour
200ml milk
18 grams parmasan or grated cheese
1 egg yolk


Methodolody:-
Heat oven to 200°
Slice Aubergine and add to salted water for 30 mins
Heat pan and add olive oil, onion and fry for a few mins
Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds
Add the mince to pan and fry for 5 mins stiring occassionally
Add the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, red wine and salt and pepper
Continue to cook for a further 10 mins stiring occassionally
Remove Aubergine from water and squash out any excess water
Heat a frying or griddle pand and add oil.
Fry the aubergine in batches untill browned both sides and set them aside on kitchen paper
Get a baking dish and add half the aubergine level in bottom of dish
Then add half the mince mix level on top of aubergine
Then add the other half of aubergine leveled onto and then the rest of mince mixture
Make the bechamel sauce as follows
Heat a pand and add the butter and let melt
Remove from heat and stir in flour until very thick
Add milk and cheese and put back on heat and stir until thick sauce
Stir in the egg yolk and pour sauce over the mince mixture
Cover thinly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with a little extra cheese
Bake in oven for 30 mins.

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Jumbo Prawns in Garlic & Orange juice

4 tbs of olive oil

4  garlic cloves diced

4 Jumbo Prawns

2 shots of Brandy

1/4 cup of fresh orange juice

Salt and ground black pepper

some chopped fresh parsley

Methodology:-

Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic then add the Prawns and sauté for a couple of mins each side

Then add brandy to deglaze the pan and add the orange juice cook for a few mins

Remove the prawns and set aside in serving dish

Add salt, pepper, parsley and splash of water to pan and bring to the boil.

Boil for about 5-8 mins until liquid has reduced to a small amount of sauce.

Pour sauce over the prawns and garnish with some more parsley.

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El Navarrico Chickpeas (Garbanzos)

Get Him to the Greek

F for Fiji

Fiji officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 2000 km northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Its more immediate neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, France'sNew Caledoniato the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadecto the southeast, Tonga to the east, the Samoas and France's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north. Fiji has had inhabitants since the second millennium B.C. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored Fiji. Fiji was a British colony up until 1970; British occupation lasted almost a century. Because of the abundance of forest, mineral, and fish resources, Fiji is one of the most developed economies in the Pacific island realm. Today, the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports. The country's currency is the Fijian dollar.

FOOD

Fijian food has a wonderful mix of the spicy curries that are influenced by the Indian people and the coconut, fish, sweet potato, cassava and other vegetables that the Fijians bring to the culture. Over time this food has developed and evolved to the current mix of flavours we experience now.

The people are extremely talented and are able to cater for their large families with very basic equipment and supplies. They often just have a gas hob, a large basic pot with no handle, spoon, bowl and a cast-iron Roti pan, something that all households seem to have. The country is also very traditional in the way they believe it is a women’s role to do the cooking. This often includes wadding out into the sea to catch a fresh fish for the meal. These ladies are amazing to watch, making delicious meals without measuring the ingredients, it is all done by taste and years of practice of cooking their Fijian food.

E for England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years,] but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. TheEnglish language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Societylaid the foundations of modern experimental science.

FOOD

English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empireand as a result of post-war immigration.

Since the Early Modern Period the food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce. This, in no small part influenced by England's Puritanheritage, resulted in a traditional cuisine which tended to veer from strong flavours, such as garlic, and an avoidance of complex sauces which were commonly associated with Catholic Continental political affiliations.

Traditional meals have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and gamepies, boiled vegetables and broths, and freshwater and saltwater fish. The 14th century English cookbook, theForme of Cury, contains recipes for these, and dates from the royal court of Richard II.

Other meals, such as fish and chips, which were once urban street food eaten from newspaper with salt and malt vinegar, and pies and sausages with mashed potatoes, onions, and gravy, are now matched in popularity by curriesfrom India and Bangladesh, and stir-fries based on Chinese and Thai cooking. Italian cuisine and French cuisine are also now widely adapted. Britain was also quick to adopt the innovation of fast food from the United States, and continues to absorb culinary ideas from all over the world while at the same time rediscovering its roots in sustainable rural agriculture.

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Roast Beef and 4 Veg Gratin
Roast Beef:-

1Kg roasting beef joint at room temperature

Chopped fresh rosemary (2 tbl spoons)

Chopped fresh Thyme (2 tbl spoons)

Salt and pepper

2 Red onions halved

2 Garlic cloves

Olive Oil

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup of water

Methodology:-

Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6

Rub oil into joint of beef

Spread rosemary and Thyme across a board or clean surface and roll joint over until covered

Season well with Salt and pepper

Add baking dish for beef to hob and heat up.

Add beef and sear until nicely brown and crispy on all sides of beef.

Add onion and garlic to baking dish and 1/2 cup of water

Cook in oven for 40 mins and remove beef

Rest for 10 mins and it's ready to carve

In the meantime add the oven dish with juice and caremalised meat and onion back on hob

Heat up on hob again and add the wine, continually scrapping all the flavours off base of pan

Do this until the sauce reduces to a thick tasty gravy.

Siv into pourer and its ready.

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4 Veg Gratin

4 Medium Potatoes

1 Small sweet potato

1 Medium carrot

1 medium Parsnip

1 red onion diced

2 Garlic cloves grated

1 knob of butter

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

350ml single or double cream

Grated cheddar

Parmesan

Methodology:-

Heat oven to 220°C/Gas mark 7

Butter small deep baking tin

Slice up Potato, sweet potato, parsnip and carrot into small thin pieces

Add sliced veg to baking tin then add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Add cream and stir then add knob of butter on top and put in oven for 30 mins

Remove from oven and stir in some of the grated cheddar

Then add rest of cheddar and some parmesan on top

Return to the oven for 40 mins and done.

Newcastle & London Eye

Drunk Monkey