Cook-Your-Books Past Linky

1. Cook-Your-Books #1  : June 2013 - 61 links
2. Cook-Your-Books #2  : July 2013 - 77 links
3. Cook-Your-Books #3  : Aug 2013 - 96 links
4. Cook-Your-Books #4  : Sept 2013 - 60 links
5. Cook-Your-Books #5  : Oct 2013 - 88 links
6. Cook-Your-Books #6  : Nov 2013 - 70 links
7. Cook-Your-Books #7  : Dec 2013 - 67 links
8. Cook-Your-Books #8  : Jan 2014 - 41 links
9. Cook-Your-Books #9  : Feb 2014 - 43 links
10. Cook-Your-Books #10 : Mar 2014 - 71 links
11. Cook-Your-Books #11 : Apr 2014 - 57 links
12. Cook-Your-Books #12 : May 2014 - 73 links
13. Cook-Your-Books #13 : June 2014 - 86 links
14. Cook-Your-Books #14 : July 2014 - 72 links
15. Cook-Your-Books #15 : Aug 2014 - 102 links
16. Cook-Your-Books #16 : Sept 2014 - 80 links
17. Cook-Your-Books #17 : Oct 2014 - 87 links
18. Cook-Your-Books #18 : Nov 2014 - 54 links
19. Cook-Your-Books #19 : Dec 2014 - 62 links
20. Cook-Your-Books #20 : Jan 2015 - 52 links

Pecan-Crusted Pumpkin Squares

Clearing my freezer : Homemade pumpkin puree.  I'm clearing my freezer ever so slowly! I have about slightly more than half a cup of homemade pumpkin puree in my freezer that I really needed to clear (and a lot of other stuffs too!). Browse my cookbooks collection for some simple recipe using pumpkin and found it from the book "The Weekend Baker", by Abigail Johnson Dodge. Another keeper recipe from this lovely book.

When I read through the recipe, it sounds like making muffins to me. The dry ingredients and wet ingredients are mixed until just blended and bake. The only difference is, this is baked in a 8" square pan. But I have made only half of the recipe, and have used a 6" round cake pan instead. I think that even a 7" square pan would be alright. The recipes calls for the pan to be greased generously at the bottom and sides, and scatter with the finely chopped pecan nuts. But I have  scattered the bottom of the pan only, with the nuts, leaving the sides free.

As usual, I have reduced the amount of brown sugar, for half a recipe I have used only 80gm (original amount for half a recipe is 115gm), and I find it still a little too sweet for me. Since I have about 170gm of pumpkin puree, I have used all of it.

This is one lovely cake. The texture is moist, soft with tender crumbs. The addition of the pecan nuts at the bottom and the top of the cake is really nice. A delicious cake with nice pumpkin and spice flavour. Though, if I make this again, I would further reduce the amount of sugar. If you have some pumpkin puree stash away in your freezer, you might want to give this a  try. I'm sure that you will like this cake.

I'm linking this post to :

My Meatless Mondays hosted by My Sweet and Savory

Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Cook-Your-Books #1 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Pecan-Crusted Pumpkin Squares
(adapted from "The Weekend Baker", Abigail Johnson Dodge)
3/4 cup (3 ounces/85 gms) finely chopped pecans (no need to toast)
1-3/4 cups (8 ounces/227 gms) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (8 ounces/227 gms) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (8 ounces/227 gms) canned solid-pack pumpkin (not seasoned pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup (4 fl ounces/117 ml) canola or corn oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350F (180C). Generously butter - be generous or the nuts won't stick - the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish. Add the nuts and tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Carefully spill out and save the excess nuts for the top.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. (You can prepare the dry ingredients and wet ingredients up to 1 day ahead. Cover the dry ingredients and keep at room temperature, and cover the wet ingredients and keep in the fridge). Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently stir just until blended.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the reserved nuts evenly over the batter. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into 2-inch (5cm) squares.

Storage : Wrap the uncut, cooled square in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

#59/100

Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino (Pan-Fried Zucchini with Vinegar and Chilli Pepper) : The Picnic Game

I am "going" on a picnic and I'm bringing an appetizer beginning with the letter Z, ....  for Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino. This is the third yummy I'm bringing, to share with everyone at The Picnic Game. For those of you who are familiar with Louise, the lovely lady from Months of Edible Celebrations, would know about this on-line picnic called, The Picnic Game, that Louise is hosting each June, with the final round-up on 1st July. 

And I'm "going" on a picnic with Louise and all the lovely ladies who has joined in the fun.  This is my third submission to The Picnic Game. June 18th is International Picnic Day and Louise has invited us for a picnic game for the month of June. The game is played by selecting a letter and you are supposed to make some food beginning from your chosen letter, to the picnic. The chosen letter will be confirmed and assigned to each person by Louise, like in my case, I chose the letter Z, and it is for Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino. And that's not all, each of us must list what the other persons before your letter, are bringing! It is a fun on-line picnic game!

I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing ............

A - Aloo Gobi

B - Blueberry Cucumber Salsa

C - Crispy Curry Fried Chicken

D - Dying for Chocolate Chocolate Cake

E - Eton Mess

F - Fish In A Jar

G - Golden Pillow Hee Ban

H - Hummingbird Cake

I - Ice Cream Sandwiches

J - Jersey Style Hot Dog

K - Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream
L -  Light and Soft Japanese Cheese Cake
M - Ma'moul
N - Nettle Quinoa Tart
O - Oriental Pasta Salad
P - Pan de Mango
Q - Quinoa Pizza Balls
R - Rainbow Connection Cupcakes
S - Strawberry Yoghurt Ice Cream
T - Telosma Cordata Eucheuma Jelly
U - U-Never Fail Cheesecake
V - Vanilla and Cream Cheese Pound Cake
W - Watermelon Sorbet
X - X'tra Good Apple Walnut Bundt Cake
Y - Yakon Kelp Soup
Z - Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino

(I will update as we go along into The Picnic Game)

Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino is the name of this dish in Italian, it sounds so beautiful in Italian. Or in English, Pan-Fried Zucchini with Vinegar and Chilli Pepper, which does sound delicious with these two ingredients, vinegar and chilli pepper. This recipe is taken from the book "Best of The Best", a book on the best recipes from the 25 best cookbooks of the year. I bought this cookbook during the BBW booksale last December and since my personal challenge is to try out at least one recipe from each of the books that I bought, this marks the first recipe that I'm trying from this book. According to "Best of The Best" cookbook, this recipe is taken from "Biba's Italy" by Biba Caggiano, which I have never of before, but now am rather curious to her other recipes.

This is a rather simple dish. The recipe calls for whole lightly crushed garlic to be fried until brown, just to flavour the oil, and then the garlic are discarded. I love garlic, and did not want to discard them, so I tweaked it by chopping the garlic finely and fry together with the first batch of sliced zucchini, removing them together to a plate, and continue to fry the rest of the zucchini in the remaining oil. Once the zucchini are fried, put them back into the pan, season with salt and a generous amount of red pepper flakes. Red-wine vinegar is added and stir until almost evaporate. Since I do not have fresh parsley on hand, I have used the dried ones. 

I was rather surprised that this simple dish can be so tasty. The zucchini still has the bite to it. I like the salty and sourness of this dish, which according to the chef, this dish can be served as an appetizer or a good side dish with grilled meat or fish. I love eating it as an appetizer, quite addictive actually! It is like eating warm pickles! If you like pickles, you would like this!

Thank you Louise, for organizing this picnic!

See you at the picnic, everyone! I'm bringing an appetizer, Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino, delicious Crispy Curry Fried Chicken and dessert, Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream. I'll be bringing lots! So there will be seconds for everyone!  :)

And I'm also linking this post with :

My Meatless Mondays hosted by My Sweet and Savory

See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by Ms. enPlace

Cook-Your-Books #1 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino
(Pan-Fried Zucchini with Vinegar and Chili Pepper)
(adapted from : "Best of The Best" cookbook, from Biba's Italy)
Serves 4
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1-1/2 pounds zucchini, the smallest you can find, washed, dried, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
salt to taste
1 small red peperoncino, finely shredded, or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the garlic and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the garlic. Add the zucchini without crowding (fry in 2 batches if needed) and cook, stirring and turning the zucchini until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.

Season with salt and the peperoncino or pepper flakes. Add the vinegar and stir until almost all evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

#58/100

Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream : The Picnic Game

I am "going" on a picnic and I'm bringing some yummilicious dessert beginning with the letter K, ....  for Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream. Yup, I'm bringing one more goodie to share with everyone at The Picnic Game. For those of you who are familiar with Louise, the lovely lady from Months of Edible Celebrations, would know about this on-line picnic called, The Picnic Game, that Louise is hosting each June, with the final round-up on 1st July.

And I'm "going" on a picnic with Louise and all the lovely ladies who has joined in the fun.  This is my second submission to The Picnic Game. June 18th is International Picnic Day and Louise has invited us for a picnic game for the month of June. The game is played by selecting a letter and you are supposed to make some food beginning from your chosen letter, to the picnic. The chosen letter will be confirmed and assigned to each person by Louise, like in my case, I chose the letter K, and it is for Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream. And that's not all, each of us must list what the other persons before your letter, are bringing! It is a fun on-line picnic game!

I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing ............

A - Aloo Gobi

B - Blueberry Cucumber Salsa

C - Crispy Curry Fried Chicken

D - Dying for Chocolate Chocolate Cake

E - Eton Mess

F - Fish In A Jar

G - Golden Pillow Hee Ban

H - Hummingbird Cake

I - Ice Cream Sandwiches

J - Jersey Style Hot Dog

K - Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream
L -  Light and Soft Japanese Cheese Cake
M -
N - Nettle Quinoa Tart
O - Oriental Pasta Salad
P - Pan de Mango
Q - Quinoa Pizza Balls
R - Rainbow Connection Cupcakes
S - Strawberry Yoghurt Ice Cream
T - Telosma Cordata Eucheuma Jelly
U - U-Never Fail Cheesecake
V - Vanilla and Cream Cheese Pound Cake
W - Watermelon Sorbet
X - X'tra Good Apple Walnut Bundt Cake
Y - Yakon Kelp Soup
Z - Zucchine in Padella con Aceto e Peperoncino

(I will update as we go along into The Picnic Game)

If you are a coffee lover, and you love ice cream, then you got to give this a try. What's not to love? It has Kahlua! The sound of Kahlua already sounds so good! :) 

I've already made this many times. Super easy, yummy, and I like that while it is creamy, it is not so overly creamy, and the flavour from the coffee, cocoa powder and the Kahlua, all comes together in one delicious combination. And the good news is, there are no eggs, so there's no any need to cook the usual custard! Everything just mixed in together, this is so easy! It only takes about 5 minutes of mixing the ingredients.

I use instant coffee powder (Nescafe) for this, 2 level tablespoons and you can definitely taste the  coffee. If you want a milder coffee taste, just reduce the amount of instant coffee powder. The amount of cocoa powder at 2 level tablespoons (I use Van Houten), is just right when mixed with the instant coffee powder to give a nice mocha taste. 

Pour the milk into a 4-cup capacity glass measuring cup, add in sugar, instant coffee powder, sifted cocoa powder and whisk to blend together until sugar melts. Add in the whipping cream, vanilla extract and Kahlua.  I've tried with one tablespoon of Kahlua the first time when I made this, there's just a faint Kahlua scent and flavour, so I tried with 2 tablespoons the second time round, it gives a softer set and a nice Kahlua flavour! Do not be too tempted to use too much of Kahlua, as too much of liquer might result in a too-soft ice cream. Mix everything together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely chilled. I mixed mine at night and left it in the refrigerator overnight.

Next morning, stir the mixture well and churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. The texture will be very soft and not as thick set as other ice cream, transfer to a container and freeze until set. This ice cream is soft, it can be scoop easily direct from the freezer and melts really fast. It is creamy, but not so overly creamy and is pretty addictive, at least to me! 

I'm bringing a super huge tub of this delicious Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream to The Picnic Game. If you see a lady standing next to a big plate of Crispy Curry Fried Chicken with a big tub of Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream and an ice cream scoop in her hand, with empty cups to be filled, yup, that will be me! Just say hi, and you will be served with Crispy Curry Fried Chicken and a scoop, OK, two scoops of Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream! You better hurry, hahaha!

To see what's in the picnic basket, don't forget to visit Louise from Months of Edible Celebrations on 1st of July, where she will do a round-up of all the delicious food that everyone is bringing to The Picnic Game. 

Thank you Louise, for organizing a wonderful picnic! I can't wait to feast on what our friends are bringing!  :)

Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoon Kahlua
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


In a 4-cup capacity measuring glass cup, whisk to combine the milk, granulated sugar, instant coffee powder and sifted cocoa powder until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, Kahlua and vanilla. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until cold, or overnight.
Churn cold mixture in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. The ice cream will have a soft creamy texture. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.

Cheddar Cheesecake : Bake-Along #46, Theme - Cotton Soft Cheesecake

This week's theme at Bake-Along is Cotton Soft Cheesecake, chosen by Lena of Frozen Wings. This theme reminds me of one cotton soft cheesecake which I've baked many years ago, recipe from Alex Goh's book, "Baking Code".  I guess it is about time that I bake it again.

This recipe uses the sliced cheddar cheese instead of cream cheese. 

The sliced cheddar cheese are first melted over a double boiler together with milk and butter. Remove from heat, and mixed in the flours, and egg yolks. The egg whites are beaten separately with some sugar and cream of tartar and these are mixed into the cheese mixture. Batter will be silky smooth. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan with the sides and bottom, lined and greased. Bake in a water bath for 50 minutes, though I got to bake mine for an additional 40 minutes, as the cake was still very wobbly and obviously not cooked at the end of 50 minutes.  Tent the top of the cake with foil if browing too fast. Once the cake is cooked, remove it immediately to a wire rack to cool. 

The cake is really very spongy soft and very moist. It has a slight salty taste because of the cheddar cheese and rather different from other sweet cotton soft cheesecakes.  There are some leftovers which I kept in the refrigerator, and it actually tastes better when eaten chilled.

This is a nice cake with very soft spongy texture, but then I think I would prefer the sweeter ones over this. 

Please visit my baking buddies, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking "Cinnamon-Sugar-Doughnut Muffins" from Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook, pg 20 or here. Bake-along with us and link your post to the our blog-hop linky which will start on  8th July right up to 17th July. Everyone is welcome! 

A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, related to the current bake or theme provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.
3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

I'm sharing this too with :

"Cook-Your-Books #1" hosted by me, Kitchen Flavours. Cook or bake any recipes from your cookbooks or magazines and link them up at "Cook-Your-Books", full details from here.

Cheddar Cheesecake
(adapted from "Baking Code", Alex Goh)
Ingredients A
130gm milk
40gm butter
125gm sliced cheddar cheese

Ingredients B
20gm plain flour
15m corn flour

Ingredients C
2 egg yolk

Ingredients D
3 egg whites
80gm sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method :

1. Grease and line the sides and bottom of a 18cm round mould, base with greaseproof paper.
2. Cook ingredients A over double boiler until the cheese melts completely. (stirring with a hand-whisk)
3. Remove from the heat. Add in ingredients B, mix until well-blended. Add in ingredients C, mix until well-combined.
4. Whip ingredients D until stiff and add it into above mixture, mix until well incorporated.
5. Pour it into the prepared mould.
6. Bake at 150C in water bath for 50 minutes.
7. Remove it from the mould immediately when baked, set aside to cool.

kitchen flavour's notes :
At the end 50 minutes into the baking time, the cake is still very wobbly and not cooked. I have baked it a further 40 minutes until cake is done, tent the top of cake with foil when it gets too brown. 

#57/100

Join our blog hop, click on the link to get the codes : get the InLinkz code

Crispy Curry Fried Chicken : The Picnic Game

I am "going" on a picnic and I'm bringing some delicious food beginning with the letter C, ....  for Crispy Curry Fried Chicken. For those of you who are familiar with Louise, the lovely lady from Months of Edible Celebrations, would know about this on-line picnic called, The Picnic Game, that Louise is hosting each June, with the final round-up on 1st July.

And I'm "going" on a picnic with Louise and all the lovely ladies who has joined in the fun.  This is the second time that I've joined The Picnic Game. June 18th is International Picnic Day and Louise has invited us for a picnic game for the month of June. The game is played by selecting a letter and you are supposed to make some food beginning from your chosen letter, to the picnic. The chosen letter will be confirmed and assigned to each person by Louise, like in my case, I chose the letter C, and it is for Crispy Curry Fried Chicken. And that's not all, each of us must list what the other persons before your letter, are bringing! It is a fun on-line picnic game!

I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing ............
A - Aloo Gobi
B -
C - Crispy Curry Fried Chicken

Yums!

The combination of curry spices.  

I love the usage of lime zest for these, first time I added to a spice for fried chicken! Half of these spice mixture are mixed with some yoghurt. The chicken pieces are then coated with this yoghurt-spice mixture and put aside for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. The rest of the spices are mixed with some flour and just before frying, the chicken pieces are coated with this flour-spice mixture. Bring the chicken out from the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before frying , bringing it back to room temperature.

I have used chicken drumsticks, which take quite awhile to fry to ensure that the insides are fully cooked. The next time, I would use my favourite part of the chicken, the wings. I love eating chicken wings, especially when they are fried till really crispy, yum! 

These are really crispy and delicious when eaten hot. And just wonderful for a picnic! I'm sure everyone will be reaching out for one of these crispy drumsticks!

Now, who wants to sit next to me, or rather, next to my Crispy Curry Fried Chicken at the Picnic Table?  Better hurry......, or they'll disappear real quick!!!  Hahaha!

To see what's in the picnic basket, don't forget to visit Louise from Months of Edible Celebrations on 1st of July, where she will do a round-up of all the delicious food that everyone is bringing to The Picnic Game. 

And I'm also sharing this post with :
See Ya In The Gumbo hosted my Ms. enPlace
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Little Thumbs Up event where the theme for his month is Curry Powder/Curry Paste, hosted by Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from my little favourite D.I.Y.

and ....

"Cook-Your-Books #1" hosted by me, Kitchen Flavours. Cook or bake any recipes from your cookbooks or magazines and link them up at "Cook-Your-Books", full details from here.

Crispy Curry Fried Chicken

(adapted from "Look+Cook" by Rachael Ray)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons curry powder, such as Madras

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon celery seed or ground cardamom

1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 8 wedges of lime

1 cup whole-fat plain yoghurt

1 whole chicken, cut for frying into 8 pieces

salt and pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

vegetable, salflower or peanut oil for frying

In a small bowl, mix together the curry, chili powder, onion and garlic powders, poultry seasoning, celery seed or ground cardamom, and lime zest, and set aside.

Combine half of the spice mixture with the yoghurt. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with the yoghurt. This can be done as much as 24 hours ahead. Keep the chicken aside, covered, in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it.

Place the flour in a large brown paper bag, add the remainder of the spice mix to it, and shake the bag. Add 4 chicken pieces and shake to coat. 

In a large pot at least five inches high, heat 2-1/2 to 3 inches of frying oil over medium to medium-high heat. Insert the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If rapid bubbles come out and away from the handle, the oil is ready. Fry the 4 pieces of coated chicken for 12 minutes, turning once. Coat the remaining chicken while the first batch fries up. Cool the chicken on a rack and sprinkle with a little extra salt. Allow the oil to heat back up for a minute or two, then fry the second batch. Serve with the lime wedges to squirt over the crispy curry chicken.

#56/100

THB : Cranberry-Pecan-Orange Coffee Cake

It's time for our bake at The Home Bakers (THB). This is our bake #20. We have already baked a third of the total recipes from this book, we started in April 2012, and that is a little over a year ago.  Thank you fellow bakers, for keeping up with the bakes at THB! 

Our bake for this week, Cranberry-Pecan-Orange Coffee Cake  is chosen by Maria of Box Of Stolen Socks, and this is another lovely recipe.  

I had a slice while still warm, yum!

This cake is baked in a tart pan, so it is actually just as high as the pan. I have used frozen cranberries for the batter. For the pecans, I have used it only for the topping, omitting it from the batter as I do not want a very nutty cake. The streusel top is made up of flour, butter and sugar. As usual, I have reduced the sugar for the batter from 1/2 cup to a scant 1/3 cup, and for the streusel only 2 tablespoons from the original 1/4 cup.  

Another interesting ingredient is frozen orange juice concentrate. I have seen lots of other recipes using this ingredient, and have not seen the frozen ones before. So I have used Sunkist Orange Juice Concentrate (sold in bottles), I guess that they must be same. Both are orange juice concentrate.  :)

I would prefer the streusel to be more brown in colour, but the top of the cake was already brown and the cake was done.  Rather than overbaked the cake, I removed it from the oven.

This cake has a light texture. It is not as moist as other cakes that I've baked from this book, but it is definitely not dry either. The first bite would first give you that crispy lovely topping, yes, even though the colour of the streusel is rather pale, it is so crispy and yummy! And the pecans are deliciously nutty. Next you would get the light orangy texture of the cake and the tangy cranberries! Those cranberries are really tangy! A slice of this lovely cake would give you sweetness from the streusel, nuttiness from the pecans, sourness from the cranberries and the light orangy flavour from the cake. The cake is a little crumbly the next day, but it still tastes great.

Another keeper recipe. A slice is perfect with a cup of warm tea.

For the full recipe, please visit Maria of Box Of Stolen Socks and to view other members' bake, drop by The Home Bakers (THB).

We are a group of home bakers who are currently baking from "Coffee Cakes" by Lou Seibert Pappas, until each recipe from this book has been baked. This is our bake no. 20 and we have 40 recipes more to go. If you are interested to be a member and join in our bakes, you may drop me an email at kitchenflavours@yahoo.com.

#55/100

Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix

"June Potluck" is the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes. However, for our Potluck themes, we are allowed to choose any of our previous featured chefs' recipes. And again, I have chosen one of Madhur Jaffrey's curries!

Those who have been following my blog would probably know how fond I am of Indian cuisine. I have several books on Indian cooking and each time when the craving for Indian curry sets in, I would find myself reaching out for the queen of spice, Madhur Jaffrey's book. I have been eyeing this particular dish, Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix, for a while now, and finally cooked it last week. I served this dish with Lemon and Curry Leaf Rice from my previous post, and a vegetable dish, Cauliflower and Aubergine Cooked In A Bengali Spice Mix.

What can I say? Get your spices ready and cook this! This is delicious!

The spices used :

Mustard spice mix : coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, dried chillies, cloves. Dry fry the spice mix in a saucepan over medium heat until a shade darker and emit a roasted aroma. I have replaced the brown mustard seeds with black mustard seeds.

Immediately transfer the spices onto a plate or kitchen paper towel to cool. Using kitchen paper towel is easier to transfer everything into the spice mill.

Grind the spices as finely as possible. 

I have doubled the recipe, since this dish needs to be braised for about an hour or so, might as well make more! Besides, a single recipe of 550 gm of meat  is not much really once the meat has been braised. And besides doubling on the amount of spices, I have added in an additional 2 teaspoons more, of the mustard spice mix.

Your house would have this lovely curry aroma while this curry is slowly braising on the stove, and you would be impatient to eat it, just like me! Haha! Really delicious served with rice and would be good too with some Indian bread. The pork meat is soft and tender, and full of flavour from all that spices. Delicious!

Comparing this to another of Madhur Jafrrey's curry which I made a while back, Red Pork Curry, I could not decide which one I like better, as both are rather different in taste but equally good! 

This post is linked to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) for this week's "Potluck", with recipes from any of the seven previous featured chefs

Please do stop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to view what my friends have made for the theme of this week, "June Potluck" , and if you are interested to join us, please find out more details from IHCC.

and I'm sharing this post too with :

Little Thumbs Up event where the theme for this month is Curry Powder/Curry Paste , hosted by Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from my little favourite D.I.Y.

and ....

"Cook-Your-Books #1" hosted by me, Kitchen Flavours. Cook or bake any recipes from your cookbooks or magazines and link them up at "Cook-Your-Books", full details from here.

Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix
(adapted from "100 Essential Curries", Madhur Jaffrey)
for the mustard spice mix :
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 whole dried, hot red chillies
5 whole cloves

for the pork :
550gm (1-1/4lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-1/2 cm (1 in) cubes
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons corn oil or peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
15-20 fresh curry leaves, if available
255gm (8oz) tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

Step One

First make the mustard spice mix. Put all the spices in a medium, cast-iron frying pan and set over medium heat. Stir and fry until the spices are just a shade darker and emit a roasted aroma. Empty the spices into a bowl or on to kitchen paper and allow to cool. Then put them into a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. These quantities make more than you need for this recipe but you can store the spice mix in a tightly lidded jar, away from sunlight and moisture, for use in other recipes.

Step Two

Rub the pork cubes well with the ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours if desired, refrigerating if necessary.

Step Three

Pour the oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan and set over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the whole mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, which will be in a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves and, a second later, the pork, together with its marinade. Stir for a minute. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and let the meat cook for the next 5 minutes, stirring now and then and replacing the cover each time. The meat should brown lightly. Add 5 teaspoons of the mustard spice mix and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are pulpy, about 2 minutes. Now add 250ml (8fl oz) water, stir, and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook very gently. lifting the lid occasionally to stir the contents, for 50-60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check for salt before serving.

kitchen flavour's notes :
I have cooked about 900gm of meat, double the spices, and added an additional 2 teaspoons of the Mustard Spice Mix during cooking. 

#54/100

Cauliflower and Aubergine Cooked In A Bengali Style

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When I go to any Indian restaurant for a simple meal, the veggies that I would go for will be the cauliflower or cabbages. So, when I saw this Cauliflower and Aubergine recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's book, "100 Essential Curries", it was bookmarked for my next homecooked Indian meal at home.

Cauliflower and Aubergine Cooked In A Bengali Style

This recipe is rather different, it uses the watery liquid from the soaked mustard seeds which is to be grounded till fine and soaked in water for 20-30 minutes. And the spices used, is a Bengali spice  mixture called Panchphoran. 

1. Panchphoran is a Bengali spice mixture consisting of fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and kalongi (nigella seeds) mixed in equal proportion. The recipe uses only 1 teaspoon, so I have used a pinch of each to make up 1 teaspoon.
2. The second picture is a combination of turmeric powder, chilli powder and some water.

1. The recipe requires brown mustard seeds, but I have used black mustard seeds (2 tbsps).
2. Ground the mustard seeds in a spice mill to a fine powder (it would still be a little grainy).
3. Add 175ml of water and leave undisturbed for 20-30 minutes. Do not stir.
4. After 30 minutes, did not notice any difference at all.
5. Carefully pour the watery liquid into another bowl (or pour directly into the saucepan during cooking). There will be a thick paste at the bottom of the bowl.
6. The watery liquid which is to be used in the cooking.
7. The thick paste at the bottom, to be discarded (it would not be needed for this dish).

The aubergine and cauliflower are first fried till golden brown. I would advise to cut the cauliflower into bigger florets as they seem to shrink a little after frying. And I have used 1 long large Chinese brinjal. Drain on kitchen towel after frying. I did not use any green chillies, simply because I have forgotten to buy it from the market that morning!

Heat some oil in a wok, add in the panchphoran spices and the mustard seeds will start to pop and crackle almost immediately. Add the spice mixture, stir, and add in the watery liquid from the soaked mustard seeds. Add the veggies and salt and continue to cook, covered, for a few minutes until most of the liquid has reduced. Serve.

This is a very tasty and delicious vegetable dish. It goes very well with the Lemon and Curry Leaf Rice (from my previous post) and another of Madhur Jaffrey's pork curry, coming up in next post.

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, hosted by Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from my little favourite D.I.Y.

and ....

"Cook-Your-Books #1" hosted by me, Kitchen Flavours. Cook or bake any recipes from your cookbooks or magazines and link them up at "Cook-Your-Books", full details from here.

Cauliflower and Aubergine Cooked In A Bengali Style
(adapted from "100 Essential Curries", Madhur Jaffrey)
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds (I use black mustard seeds)
vegetable oil for deep-frying
4 small, slim Japanese or Italian aubergines, each weighing about 250m (9oz), halved lenthways and cut into 4-5cm (1-1/2 to 2 in) segments
1 large cauliflower, weighing about 800gm (1-3/4 lb), cut into delicate florets
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons mustard oil or any vegetable oil
1 teaspoon panchphoran (see note below)
6 fresh green chillies
1-1/4 teaspoons salt

Step One :

Put the mustard seeds in a clean spice or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Empty into a small bowl. Add 175ml (6fl oz) water and set aside to soak for 20-30 minutes, do not stir.

Step Two :

Put vegetable oil, about 5cm (2in) deep, in a wok, deep frying pan or deep fryer and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in the aubergines and deep-fry for about 8-10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Turn the heat to medium-high to reheat the oil, then put in as many cauliflower florets as the pan will hold in a single layer. Fry until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Fry all the florets. (The oil can be strained and reused).

Step Three :

Combine the turmeric, cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons water in a small cup. Set this spice mixture aside.

Step Four :

Put the oil in a frying pan and set over medium heat. When very hot, put in the panchphoran. As soon as the mustard seeds in the panchphoran begin to pop - a matter of seconds - add the spice mixture. Stir once or twice. Carefully pour the watery top of the ground mustard seed mixture into the pan, making sure to leave all the thick paste behind (you do not need the thick paste). Add the aubergines, cauliflower, green chillies and salt. Stir to mix well. Bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until there is only a small amount of liquid left at the bottom of the pan. Serve hot.

Panchphoran is a Bengali spice mixture consisting of fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and kalongi (nigella seeds) mixed in equal proportion.

#53/100