Baked Rhubarb Pudding

I must admit this is the first time ever I've used rhubarb- to date I've found this vegetable an alien and intimidatingly English ingredient, with its odd giant celery-like appearance, strange pink/green hue and the fact that it's a vegetable yet used mainly for dessert. Thank goodness my friends Donat and Olivia brought a delicious tray of this to a party one day, for there came my introduction to how utterly tasty and flavoursome it can be.

Rhubarb- not so scary anymore

Based on a recipe from Delicious magazine, this summery dessert balances tartness and sweetness to perfection, combining chunks of rhubarb cooked in sugar until syrupy and soft with a light fluffy sponge and a gooey bit in between where the two meet. English pudding at its best.

Baked Rhubarb Pudding

Serves 6-8

Stir together 400g rhubarb, chopped into chunks, 100g sugar and a

bit of water in a deep casserole dish.

Bake at 170 C fan assisted (or 190C without) for 25 mins until tender.

Drain the liquid (which should be a delicious pink rhubarb syrup) into a separate

bowl and reserve for later. Let the chunks cool, and using your finger spread a

bit of butter around the sides of the casserole dish.

Lower the oven temperature to 160 C fan assisted (or 180C without).

Whisk together on high speed until pale and thick:

3 egg yolks

150g sugar

Whisk in:

Grated zest of 1 lemon

75g self-raising flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

Stir in:

150ml semi-skimmed milk

150ml single cream

In a separate clean and dry bowl, whisk together 3 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff.

Fold into the batter until a well combined foamy mix.

Pour the batter over the rhubarb chunks, place the entire casserole dish into a larger roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until halfway up the sides of the dish to form a bain-marie. Bake at 160C fan-assisted for 40 mins until golden and the centre of the sponge is firm to touch.

Ready!

Serve warm or cold, with a generous drizzle of rhubarb syrup.

Victoria Sponge with Fresh Strawberries

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Ah, good old Queen Victoria and her penchant for a bit of sponge cake with her afternoon tea! There is nothing quite as classically British, quite as light and summery, quite as ridiculously easy to make than this delicious combination of butter sponge, jam and cream.

My version below also consists of a layer of sliced fresh strawberries- trust me, it makes all the difference and makes an already good thing great.

Victoria Sponge with Fresh Strawberries

Makes one 8" round cake

Dump all into a bowl and whisk briefly with an electric mixer until well combined:

175g (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tbsp) butter, softened

175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

175g (1 1/2 cup) self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

Divide the batter equally into two 8" round sandwich pans (lined with greaseproof paper to ease removal). Bake at 160C/ 320 F fan-assisted (or 180C/ 350 F without) for about 20 mins or until golden yellow and springy to touch.

Allow to cool in tin for about 10 mins, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread one layer with about 3 tbsp strawberry jam. Slice a large handful of strawberries and layer over the top.

Whip 300ml double cream until thickened and spread over the strawberries.

Place the second sponge layer on top and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Eggs in Purgatory (Uova in Purgatorio)

I first discovered this fabulous Southern Italian dish a few years ago when leafing through our copy of The Sopranos Family Cookbook, which Arivind (being a huge fan of the hit TV show) spotted in a bargain bin at a second hand book store and was compelled to buy. Since then it has become a staple in our Frequently Cooked list- essentially eggs poached in a "purgatorial" rich red tomato sauce, this classic Neapolitan concoction not only tastes good, costs nothing and takes virtually no time or effort, but packs a nutritious punch too! Perfect for those days when you haven't stocked up your cupboard but still want a quick comforting brunch.

Adapt as you wish by adding dried chillies, red pepper flakes or even olives. Non-vegetarians, I highly recommend throwing in a handful of chopped bacon at the start- it's not the done thing but I've discovered it really elevates the flavour to a whole new level.

Enjoy!

Eggs in Purgatory (Uova in Purgatorio)

Serves 2-3 (depending on how many eggs each person wants)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a deep pan. Throw in and toss over medium heat briefly until fragrant:

1 clove garlic, smashed

A few fresh basil leaves, torn (or if you don't have it, a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs)

Optional: A handful of chopped bacon, or crushed dried chillies, red pepper flakes, olives, onions...

Pour in roughly 400ml of tomato passata/puree (or however much you need to cover the base of the pan)-

I think canned chopped tomatoes are too watery, but if you only have that just use it

and add 1 tbsp tomato puree. Bring to a simmer.

Season the tomatoes well with salt, then gently break in 6 eggs.

Sprinkle with dried herbs, freshly ground black pepper and

grated parmesan/whatever cheese you feel like.

Cover and simmer over low heat for about 8-10 mins until egg whites are firm but yolk is still runny.

Serve with buttered toast or crusty bread.

Wat Tan Hor/Kong Foo Chow (Cantonese Fried Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy)

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Ahhh, hello my old sweet friend. *warm fuzzy feeling in my belly*

Whilst some weirdo types like Arivind just don't get my adoration of this comforting childhood favourite and insist the only "right" way to cook any noodle is dry ala char kuay teow, I believe some days nothing hits the spot quite like a huge pile of wok-fried hor fun peppered with delicious chunks of seafood and meat, smothered in a piping hot thick egg gravy. This classic hawker concoction goes by many names: wat tan hor (its most common moniker in Kuala Lumpur, translating to mean "smooth egg fried noodles"), kong foo chow (literally "Cantonese-fried"), char hor fun (as it is known in Penang where bewilderingly, sometimes eggs aren't added (!!) ) and if you use a mix of broad and thin rice noodles, yin yong hor (a reference I guess to the Yin and Yang of the two varieties). The Thai dish of Ratna is also similar, though again egg is absent and seasonings/toppings vary slightly. Whatever you choose to call it, it's good.

As with all fried hawker noodle dishes, use a large wok over high heat where possible and slice up all your ingredients before starting to cook so they can be tossed in quickly. The secret to getting the gravy right is to add the eggs at the very last minute before serving- by all means change it up to be thicker/thinner/eggier/egg-less if you see fit.

Wat Tan Hor/Kong Foo Chow (Cantonese Fried Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy)

*Makes 2 small portions

Fry together over high heat in a bit of oil until charred:

About 350g fresh hor fun/kuay teow (soak in hot water first to separate if clumped together, then drain thoroughly. If using dried noodles, use less as it expands and boil until white and soft before use)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce (more if it looks too light)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Dish up onto two deep plates/shallow bowls and set aside.

• Making the Gravy:

Fry 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped until golden.

Add and fry briefly:

8-10 slices of pork/chicken (or beef if you like)

6-8 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

6-8 slices of fishcake

6-8 slices of squid

Lower heat and add:

1½- 2 cups water (depending on how much gravy you want) *If you have good chicken stock around use that but I would avoid artificial chicken stock cubes/powder, tastes awful!

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

Bit of sugar

Dash of white pepper

Dash of salt

Bring to a boil, then add 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in ¼ cup water (for thickening).

Simmer for a few mins until thickened. Slice 1 bunch of choy sum (flowering Chinese cabbage) or greens of your choice into 2” lengths and throw in.

Turn heat off and break in 2 eggs, stirring quickly to scramble. Have a quick taste and add more seasoning if required. Dish the gravy over the prepared hor fun and serve immediately (alongside a small dish of sliced pickled green chillies in light soy sauce if you're lucky enough to have it).

Get in with chopsticks and a Chinese spoon. Shovel into mouth.

Burnt Sugar Cream Cake

The need to use up perishable ingredients before they kick the bucket on you is often a good motivator to experiment with recipes you wouldn't otherwise have looked twice at. Due to an almost-expired tub of double cream sitting in my fridge and the desire to turn it into something other than ice cream, I stumbled upon this delicious-sounding concoction on a blog called Cherry On A Cake (which I believe, is also by a food-loving Malaysian) and could not resist giving it a whirl. She's made it pretty with a special mould, but having no such thing on hand I decided to go for the regular rustic homemade look (as you can tell from the knobbly surface), with several tweaks and modifications to suit my cake pan/personal taste as well.

The result is a cake that is dense but moist, slightly sticky at the top and intoxicatingly fragranced with the aroma of burnt sugar caramel. As a first experiment I would classify it under the "pretty good" category- Arivind loved it and inhaled it by the slab, though I personally would have preferred a lighter crumb and think using butter instead of whipped heavy cream would have added a nicer dimension to its flavour. Of course that would have defeated the whole purpose of using up my perishing ingredient in this case, so if anyone decides before I do to make a butter version do let me know how it turns out!:)

Burnt Sugar Cream Cake

Makes an 8" round cake

• Firstly, make the burnt sugar syrup

Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small pot over a low flame on the stove- stir it constantly as it gradually dissolves into a dark amber caramel. When all the sugar is caramelised, stand back and carefully pour in 1/2 cup boiling water- watch out as it will start sputtering! Continue stirring over low heat until any hardened crystals dissolve, then set aside to cool thoroughly.

• Making the cake

With an electric whisk, whip 200ml cold double cream until thick and firm (but not excessively stiff). Set aside.

Whip together at high speed for a few mins until pale and thickened:

2 eggs

150g sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour the egg mix into the whipped cream and add 1/4 cup cooled caramel. Whisk briefly to combine.

Sift and fold in:

170g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

If mixture is lumpy, whisk for a few seconds to remove lumps. Pour into a lined round 8" cake pan and bake for about 45 mins-1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for about 15 mins before removing from the pan to continue cooling on a rack. Poke all over the top with a toothpick, then drizzle over the remaining burnt sugar syrup. Let cool completely and store in a covered container/cake tin to prevent from drying out.

Hot Pork-Roast-In-A-Roll for £3! :)

Hello foodies! A short quick note this sweltering sunny afternoon- am spending 4 days in Bristol this weekend, and thought I'd share with you the delicious discovery we made outside the mammoth Costco in Avonmouth when shopping for BBQ ingredients:

A stall by The Hot Hog Company, a Weston Super Mare-based traditional slow-spit hog roast catering group!

£3 gets you a hot shredded roast pork roll, which come with gravy and a table on the side where you can help yourself to as much delicious stuffing, chunky applesauce, mustard, relish or BBQ sauce as you wish :)

Practically an entire roast dinner in a soft white bap, YUM :)

That is all, just thought I'd share this for those in the area. Happy Easter everyone!:)

Kuih Ketayap/Dadar/Gulung (Malaysian Pandan Crepes with Sweet Coconut Filling)

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Just in case you fancy something a little different for Pancake Day tomorrow, I thought today would be the perfect time to share with you try this traditional recipe for Malaysian filled crepes.

Flavoured with fragrant pandan and stuffed with sticky sweet coconut, this ubiquitous kuih (a generic term encompassing many sweet and savoury bitesize cakes, cookies and snacks) is known back home by a range of names- kuih dadar (I assume referring to how the omelette-like crepe is fried), kuih ketayap as the batter surface takes on patterns similar to the Malay skullcap when cooking or the simpler kuih gulung due to how it is rolled. Whatever you choose to call it, it's a tasty little bundle for those who want a pancake with a difference.

Kuih Ketayap/Dadar/Gulung (Malaysian Pandan Crepes with Sweet Coconut Filling)

Makes 8-10 rolls

• Crepe batter

Whisk together until lump free:

100g plain flour

Pinch of salt and sugar

½ cup thin

coconut milk (or some people like using regular fresh milk)

½ cup water

A few drops pandan paste (if you prefer to extract fresh pandan juice, blend 6 large pandan leaves with the 1/2 cup of water then strain through a cheesecloth or sieve)

1 egg

1 tbsp oil

Allow the batter to sit for 30 mins (it will take on a thicker consistency).

• Coconut Filling

Combine in a small pot and dissolve over the stove:

½ cup water

100g gula melaka (coconut palm sugar)

1 pandan leaf, torn into strips (or knot it if you prefer- I think tearing it gives more flavour)

Stir in:

1 cup dessicated coconut

2 tbsp coconut cream (if you are lucky enough to have access to freshly grated coconut you won't need to add this. I just add it to the dried dessicated stuff so the filling doesn't end up too dry)

1 tsp cornstarch diluted in a bit of water

Add more water if necessary. Simmer over low heat until sticky then leave to cool.

To cook, heat a tiny bit of oil in a non-stick shallow frying pan over medium heat. Using a small ladle or 1/4 cup, scoop and pour the batter into the centre of the pan (the batter should sizzle upon contact) and swirl the pan quickly to make a large round thin layer. The crepe will set quickly- once the edges curl up, flip it over and let fry briefly on the other side.

Slide it off onto a plate once cooked, add a bit more oil to the pan and repeat until the rest of the batter is used up.

To assemble, place 2 tbsp of filling onto one edge of the crepe.

Roll it up snugly, folding in the sides at the midway point.

Repeat with the rest of the filling and crepes, then eat.

HAPPY PANCAKE DAY! :)

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

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Delectably crunchy and bursting with the robust flavours of a dozen herbs and spices, this Malaysian-style fried chicken is simply hard to beat when it comes to good old juicy, crackling scrumptiousness. Be careful cooking this when you're hungry- once all the aromatics start sizzling away your entire kitchen will fill up with a fragrance that is oh so UH-MAZING.

Serve with rice, or alongside nasi lemak for a more divine experience.

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

Serves 4-6

Chop 1 whole large chicken up into about 12 pieces (or use 12 drumsticks/thighs).

Blend in a grinder to a paste:

4 large cloves garlic

2 medium cooking onions

1" ginger

4 sticks lemongrass (white part only)

Stir together to form a batter:

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp meat curry powder (Baba's is the brand we stick to)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

Combine all the chicken, paste and batter in a large container and add a small handful of fresh curry leaves. Mix well and leave to marinate in the refrigerator at least a few hours (overnight is best).

About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave it to reach room temperature (so the inside isn't cold- you don't want meat that ends up burning on the outside but raw in the middle!).

Heat up a large amount of oil until hot but not smoking-it has reached the correct temperature when you drop a small curry leaf in and it sizzles and bubbles. Drop the chicken pieces in carefully and deep fry over medium heat for about 10-15 mins until golden and crisp (use your discretion- smaller pieces will cook faster).

Shake off excess oil and place on a rack to drain further.

Stuff your face!

Perfect with some homemade nasi lemak!

Emerald Thai Restaurant, Leicester

Happy new year and apologies for the long absence dear foodies- I have been in Leicester for the past 7 weeks doing The King & I (click here if you're interested :) ) and so have not had the time to cook/blog/do much else other than turn up for work 8 shows a week and try to get enough sleep in between!

I have however, been unable to resist the urge to check out several local restaurants, and I am thrilled to say I have discovered a little Thai gem smack bang in the city centre which serves a mean tongue-tingling Pad Kee Mao amongst many other authentic tasty dishes. Having just been opened for 5 months or so it seems this unassuming place is struggling to get a crowd in as it's almost always empty- a real shame as it's a cosy little joint offering some excellent grub at great prices, with everything from the chefs and waiting staff to the King Bhumibol poster and piped in music all authentically Thai.

Emerald Thai restaurant

56 Charles St, Leicester LE1 1FBTel: 0116 251 4749 ‎

Most of the items listed below are from the set lunch menu, which offers excellent value for money at £4.95 per main course or £6.95 for starter + main. This is not their only deal though- they also give a 10% discount on takeaways (which includes complimentary prawn crackers in the evening) and for loyalty card holders (just ask for one) a free soft drink at lunch and a 20% discount to dine in for dinner. On top of that they don't charge service and try quite hard to please, so I would say it's worth popping it to show them some support and help them stick around!

STARTERS

Tom Yum- a generous bowl of the famous Thai spicy sour clear broth made with chillies, lime leaves and lemongrass, complete with a heap of mushrooms and four large king prawns

Tom Ka- like the Tom Yum above, but with the added richness of coconut milk.

Tord Man Plar- traditional Thai fishcakes, with a sweet chilli and plum sauce dip. Not the best I've ever tasted, but a nicely seasoned and spiced beginning to the meal none theless.

Po Pia Goong ("Prawns in Blanket")- a simple starter of prawns encased

in spring roll pastry, freshly fried and crunchy.

Toong Tong (Golden Parcels)- Seasoned chicken twisted up in little crisp pastry bundles.

MAINS

(For the set lunch noodles come with a choice of either chicken, pork, beef or tofu. In the evenings the more expensive Tiger prawn option is also available.)

Pad Thai- Thailand's most famous fried noodle dish, with spring onions, carrots, beansprouts, Chinese leaves, eggs and chopped peanuts. Deliciously sweet and tangy, complete with the authentically Thai touch of having elaborately carved vegetables garnish the plate.

Pad Kee Mao ("Drunken Noodle")- the shining star of this restaurant in my opinion, spicy, fiery and flavourful flat noodles cooked with hot basil leaves, bamboo shoots and peppers. Be sure to specify how hot you want it as they can tailor it to your taste- foreigners do be warned that the Thai definition of "spicy" is usually too hot for people who aren't used to it!:)

Pad See Iew- a milder dish stir-fried with soy sauce, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. An option for those who want flat rice noodles without the chilli kick of Pad Kee Mao.

Koe Tiew Tom Yum- a thicker broth than I expected (assumed it would be clear like traditional Tom Yum), but tasty with generous amount of toppings albeit of a more

unusual Chinese variety (i.e. BBQ pork and wonton)

Gang Dang (red curry with tomatoes, pineapple and lychee)- the one dish I would not order again. Large portion with steamed rice, but waaaay too sweet for my liking.

Yam Woon Sen- usually not available at lunch, the chef obliged when I ordered this hot and sour vermicelli salad in the afternoon. Asked for a "small" and got this massive plate

full of seafood priced at only £4! Overall quite tasty with coriander, spring onions

and lemon dressing, but it would have done better with more heat.