26/10/2018
This week finished well with a news that our paper was accepted with minor revisions and pretty nice comments from the referees.
Life is built on those small but reassuring delights.
Have a good weekend.
Saturday 27 October 2018
Saturday 20 October 2018
I make - Quince Jelly
Or gelée de coing, as known in our household. Quince is a fruit I came to know after I married a French man. The first time I discovered this knobbly looking thing was from a quince tree planted in my father-in-law's garden. Attracted by its wonderful green-apple like smell, I asked my father-in-law what that was. He replied: coing (followed by a string of other words). Of course my French vocabulary was not that good then, I nodded and smiled, mostly by its cute sound.
Then I discovered its incredible complexion transformation from raw to fully cooked. This deep rusty amber red color is only revealed after long hours of cooking, matching perfectly its harvest season.
It didn't take long for me to realize gelée de coing has a special place in hubby's heart. But making gelée de coing is a labor intensive process which can take two days. Raw quinces are hard and take some effort to work with. Making the gelée, well, if you've made jam, you probably know it can't be rushed. I don't make gelée de coing every year because of that.
Remember the pressure cooker I acquired this summer? Well, it might be a game changer for me, at least for gelée de coing. It used to take me hours to get this autumnal rusty red color with conventional stove top cooking. I found out that pressure cooking for 10-15 minutes is sufficient to reveal its glorious color. How good is that!
I decided to write down the recipe I used this time as this produces a particularly good batch of gelée. I can't bear throwing food away so this recipe intends to enjoy quinces two ways, eating the fruit as compote and gelée. You can discard the solids (flesh, pips and peels) after the first stage of cooking if you just want gelée.
Gelée de coing et Compote de coings
- 1.8-2.0 kg of quinces (6-8 quinces, size dependent)
- 1.0-1.5 liter of water
- Equal amount (in weight) of sugar for the quince juice extracted; extra sugar for the compote
- Juice from 1-2 lemons, to taste
- 7 bonne maman jam jars, sterilized and ready to use
Clean the quinces by scrubbing the skin with a sponge to remove its fuzz. Wash and towel dry the scrubbed quinces. Top and tail each quince and cut into quarters or sixths. Remove the cores and peel the quince wedges. Save the pips and peels in a separate mesh bag.
Put all the quince wedges and the pip bag in a pressure cooker, pour in 1.0-1.5 liter of water. The goal is to extract 1 liter of quince juice for the jelly. Put the lid back and cook for 10-15 minutes at full pressure, followed by a natural release method. Let the cooker content cool down completely before next step. I usually leave it overnight.
When the pressure has cooled down, remove the lid (the content should be in gloriously amber color) and scoop out the quince wedges, discard the pip bag and strain the juice. If you want to make the compote, scatter 1 cup of sugar (or to taste) onto the quince wedges. Stir gently and let it macerate overnight. Keep the juice if you just want the jelly.
For each liter of quince juice, add one kilo of sugar and juice from 1 lemon. Bring the pot back to gentle boil until it has reached a setting point (15-30 minutes). I taste again my jelly towards the end to see whether I need extra lemon juice. When the jelly is approaching the setting point, the foam will start to form on the top. When it passes the jelling test, pour into sterilized jars.
This recipe produces jelly enough for 7 bonne maman jars, each of 300ml.
Then I discovered its incredible complexion transformation from raw to fully cooked. This deep rusty amber red color is only revealed after long hours of cooking, matching perfectly its harvest season.
It didn't take long for me to realize gelée de coing has a special place in hubby's heart. But making gelée de coing is a labor intensive process which can take two days. Raw quinces are hard and take some effort to work with. Making the gelée, well, if you've made jam, you probably know it can't be rushed. I don't make gelée de coing every year because of that.
Remember the pressure cooker I acquired this summer? Well, it might be a game changer for me, at least for gelée de coing. It used to take me hours to get this autumnal rusty red color with conventional stove top cooking. I found out that pressure cooking for 10-15 minutes is sufficient to reveal its glorious color. How good is that!
I decided to write down the recipe I used this time as this produces a particularly good batch of gelée. I can't bear throwing food away so this recipe intends to enjoy quinces two ways, eating the fruit as compote and gelée. You can discard the solids (flesh, pips and peels) after the first stage of cooking if you just want gelée.
Gelée de coing et Compote de coings
- 1.8-2.0 kg of quinces (6-8 quinces, size dependent)
- 1.0-1.5 liter of water
- Equal amount (in weight) of sugar for the quince juice extracted; extra sugar for the compote
- Juice from 1-2 lemons, to taste
- 7 bonne maman jam jars, sterilized and ready to use
Clean the quinces by scrubbing the skin with a sponge to remove its fuzz. Wash and towel dry the scrubbed quinces. Top and tail each quince and cut into quarters or sixths. Remove the cores and peel the quince wedges. Save the pips and peels in a separate mesh bag.
 |
| Cut and peeled quince wedges |
 |
| Pips and peels before putting into mesh bags |
When the pressure has cooled down, remove the lid (the content should be in gloriously amber color) and scoop out the quince wedges, discard the pip bag and strain the juice. If you want to make the compote, scatter 1 cup of sugar (or to taste) onto the quince wedges. Stir gently and let it macerate overnight. Keep the juice if you just want the jelly.
 |
| Quince juice |
For each liter of quince juice, add one kilo of sugar and juice from 1 lemon. Bring the pot back to gentle boil until it has reached a setting point (15-30 minutes). I taste again my jelly towards the end to see whether I need extra lemon juice. When the jelly is approaching the setting point, the foam will start to form on the top. When it passes the jelling test, pour into sterilized jars.
This recipe produces jelly enough for 7 bonne maman jars, each of 300ml.
2018 weekly - Week 42
14/10/2018
Made this very popular Chunky Lola Cookies from the Flour Bakery. The recipe is easy to work with and produces cookies with excellent flavor. With oats, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips, the texture is more complex than other cookies. It's worth a try. It's funny to see hubby sneak downstairs to have a cookie. Well, I pretend not to notice the dwindling cookie number.
I shaped my cookie dough in golf ball size and baked at 180C for 15 minutes. The result is golden/crisp on the edges and soft in the domed center. Next time I will try substitute ground almond for half of the desiccated coconut, bake with the dough slightly flattened in the center.
19/10/2018
Came home after 9pm four days this week. Feeling quite exhausted by now. Frozen cookie dough is a great thing. Each time I bake 4-5 cookies, straight from the freezer. They bake well but don't spread as much. If I have time, I let the cookie soften at the room temperature and flatten the cookie dough. That creates a nice round cookie for me every time.
ps. after resting the cookie a few days, the Lola cookie texture is less coarse, probably the coconut (and the oat) has time to absorb some moisture. It tastes even better this way.
Made this very popular Chunky Lola Cookies from the Flour Bakery. The recipe is easy to work with and produces cookies with excellent flavor. With oats, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips, the texture is more complex than other cookies. It's worth a try. It's funny to see hubby sneak downstairs to have a cookie. Well, I pretend not to notice the dwindling cookie number.
I shaped my cookie dough in golf ball size and baked at 180C for 15 minutes. The result is golden/crisp on the edges and soft in the domed center. Next time I will try substitute ground almond for half of the desiccated coconut, bake with the dough slightly flattened in the center.
19/10/2018
Came home after 9pm four days this week. Feeling quite exhausted by now. Frozen cookie dough is a great thing. Each time I bake 4-5 cookies, straight from the freezer. They bake well but don't spread as much. If I have time, I let the cookie soften at the room temperature and flatten the cookie dough. That creates a nice round cookie for me every time.
ps. after resting the cookie a few days, the Lola cookie texture is less coarse, probably the coconut (and the oat) has time to absorb some moisture. It tastes even better this way.
Saturday 13 October 2018
2018 weekly - Week 41
12/10/2018
How does vitamin C help iron absorption?
Just watched BBC's health program which discusses iron absorption this time. Most bioavailable iron comes from red meat. Although some plants (cabbage or broccoli) are iron rich, they are not as bioavailable as red meat regarding iron. Cooking is one reason which most vegetables lose iron in the first place. However, spinach is one exception. When cooked, the iron bioavailability increases by 55%! This is because iron is bound to oxalate in raw spinach. Cooking/boiling releases the iron from the oxalate. How wonderful for a spinach fan to know this tip!
Another thing I learned is that iron comes in the form of enriched food such as flour, cereal and so on is not very bioavailable. Well, how naive I was thinking that just because it's in the food it will get absorbed fine?!
One recommendation to help iron absorption is to have vitamin C at the same time. For instance, drinking orange juice while having breakfast cereal (maybe hubby is on to something!). The reason why vitamin C helps iron absorption is two folds. First, vitamin C prevent iron forming unabsorable complex. Secondly, perhaps more crucially, it reduces ferric ion to ferrous which is the bioavailable form of iron.
Oh, coffee, unfortunately, prevents iron absorption. The reason being the polyphenols in coffee trap iron which becomes unavailable. Something to think about for a coffee drinker like me.
I love chemistry.
How does vitamin C help iron absorption?
Just watched BBC's health program which discusses iron absorption this time. Most bioavailable iron comes from red meat. Although some plants (cabbage or broccoli) are iron rich, they are not as bioavailable as red meat regarding iron. Cooking is one reason which most vegetables lose iron in the first place. However, spinach is one exception. When cooked, the iron bioavailability increases by 55%! This is because iron is bound to oxalate in raw spinach. Cooking/boiling releases the iron from the oxalate. How wonderful for a spinach fan to know this tip!
Another thing I learned is that iron comes in the form of enriched food such as flour, cereal and so on is not very bioavailable. Well, how naive I was thinking that just because it's in the food it will get absorbed fine?!
One recommendation to help iron absorption is to have vitamin C at the same time. For instance, drinking orange juice while having breakfast cereal (maybe hubby is on to something!). The reason why vitamin C helps iron absorption is two folds. First, vitamin C prevent iron forming unabsorable complex. Secondly, perhaps more crucially, it reduces ferric ion to ferrous which is the bioavailable form of iron.
Oh, coffee, unfortunately, prevents iron absorption. The reason being the polyphenols in coffee trap iron which becomes unavailable. Something to think about for a coffee drinker like me.
I love chemistry.
Saturday 6 October 2018
2018 weekly - Week 40
30/09/3018
Week 40, really? Already? Where has time gone?
Hubby came back from a conference with an assortment of products representing four corners of United Kingdom. So today we had potato farls (Irish) and Welsh cakes for our Sunday brunch. I had my afternoon tea with some chocolate shortbread (Scottish). Thank you friends, the gift tastes great and the thought makes us feel loved.
A bottle of gin is waiting in our drink cupboard.
01/10/2018
The song has to put in the context in the drama series to appreciate but Killing Eve has a great soundtrack overall. Can't stop listening.
Il Voyage is one of the songs appearing when the killer is out and free in an obscure Paris street corner. This song turned out to be an old one, first released by Francoise Hardy in 1969 and re-released in 1989. Which version do you like?
02/10/2018
I now dread every time I go to my French class. Now at a level higher, I went from one of the best students to one of the worst. I know it means I have to work, and work harder. That's the whole purpose of studying at a level higher. But oh my world it's not a nice feeling to know you are one of the worst and you know everyone's secret wish is not to work with you during a conversation act?
Now I got it all out. Yes, I know I had it easy for my first year with Beginner's French. And I was very lucky to have a very patient teacher. That really convinces me to go further. I know I could improve more if I just study a little bit harder...
Back to the French.
Week 40, really? Already? Where has time gone?
Hubby came back from a conference with an assortment of products representing four corners of United Kingdom. So today we had potato farls (Irish) and Welsh cakes for our Sunday brunch. I had my afternoon tea with some chocolate shortbread (Scottish). Thank you friends, the gift tastes great and the thought makes us feel loved.
A bottle of gin is waiting in our drink cupboard.
01/10/2018
The song has to put in the context in the drama series to appreciate but Killing Eve has a great soundtrack overall. Can't stop listening.
Il Voyage is one of the songs appearing when the killer is out and free in an obscure Paris street corner. This song turned out to be an old one, first released by Francoise Hardy in 1969 and re-released in 1989. Which version do you like?
02/10/2018
I now dread every time I go to my French class. Now at a level higher, I went from one of the best students to one of the worst. I know it means I have to work, and work harder. That's the whole purpose of studying at a level higher. But oh my world it's not a nice feeling to know you are one of the worst and you know everyone's secret wish is not to work with you during a conversation act?
Now I got it all out. Yes, I know I had it easy for my first year with Beginner's French. And I was very lucky to have a very patient teacher. That really convinces me to go further. I know I could improve more if I just study a little bit harder...
Back to the French.
Monday 1 October 2018
I make - saag paneer II
Saag paneer is one of my favorite Indian dishes, particularly good when eaten with freshly made chapatis. I wrote a post about one version before (7 years ago, really?!). But recently I've found another to make the same dish, easier and still tasty. There is no onion and various spices were replaced with panch phoron. A tasty dish made quicker.
Saag paneer II (current favorite version)
- 500-750 g spinach, blanched and drained (or just over 1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil/ghee
- 2 teaspoons of panch phoron (Indian mixed-seeds for cooking, great for most vegetable dishes)
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or use garlic powder like I do sometimes)
- 225-250 g of paneer block, cut into 1-cm dices
- 1 teaspoon of mixed powder (see below)/garam masala
- 50-75 ml single cream
- water to loosen the mixture
- 1 tablespoon of flour mixed in 1 tablespoon of cold water
- salt to taste
Indian Mixed Powder (from Curry Guy)
- 3 tablespoons coriander powder
- 3 tablespoons cumin powder
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoons Garam powder
- 4 tablespoons mild curry powder such as Madras
In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee and panch phoron on medium heat. When seeds start to pop, put in paneer cubes. Lightly salt and spice the mixture (with mixed spice or garam masala). Brown the paneer cubes but watch out not to burn the panch phoron. Remove the paneer cubes to a plate.
In the same pan, stir in the drained spinach, ginger and garlic. Cook the spinach thoroughly to reduce the moisture. Stir in mixed powder, cream and the browned paneer cubes set aside earlier. Bring the pot to gentle boil for a few minutes. You may need some water to create the consistency you like. Stir in the flour-water mixture, wait for the pan to come back to bubble to thicken up. Taste and season with salt.
Saag paneer II (current favorite version)
- 500-750 g spinach, blanched and drained (or just over 1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil/ghee
- 2 teaspoons of panch phoron (Indian mixed-seeds for cooking, great for most vegetable dishes)
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or use garlic powder like I do sometimes)
- 225-250 g of paneer block, cut into 1-cm dices
- 1 teaspoon of mixed powder (see below)/garam masala
- 50-75 ml single cream
- water to loosen the mixture
- 1 tablespoon of flour mixed in 1 tablespoon of cold water
- salt to taste
Indian Mixed Powder (from Curry Guy)
- 3 tablespoons coriander powder
- 3 tablespoons cumin powder
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoons Garam powder
- 4 tablespoons mild curry powder such as Madras
In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee and panch phoron on medium heat. When seeds start to pop, put in paneer cubes. Lightly salt and spice the mixture (with mixed spice or garam masala). Brown the paneer cubes but watch out not to burn the panch phoron. Remove the paneer cubes to a plate.
In the same pan, stir in the drained spinach, ginger and garlic. Cook the spinach thoroughly to reduce the moisture. Stir in mixed powder, cream and the browned paneer cubes set aside earlier. Bring the pot to gentle boil for a few minutes. You may need some water to create the consistency you like. Stir in the flour-water mixture, wait for the pan to come back to bubble to thicken up. Taste and season with salt.
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