Anelletti alla palermitana

Baked pasta with a beef, pork and tomato Ragu
Anelletti alla Palermitana
From Rick Stein's Long Weekends

- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 250 g minced beef (note 1)
- 150 g minced pork (note 1)
- 150 ml red wine (note 1)
- small handful fresh basil
- 450 ml tomato passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 turns black peppermill
- 1 cup of frozen peas (note 2)
- 350 g anelletti (O-shaped pasta) or macaroni
- salt, for cooking
- 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice (note 3)
- 20 g butter, softened, for greasing
- 30 g dried white breadcrumbs
- 50 g pecorino cheese, grated

Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown for 5-10 minutes. Add the red wine, reduce by half, then add the basil and tomato sauce and paste. Simmer for 30 minutes until you have a rich ragu. Season with the pepper and salt.

Boil the anelletti until three-quarters cooked, about 8 minutes, in plenty of salted water with a dash of olive oil (10ml). It should still retain a bit of bite, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain well and mix with the ragu.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 70ml olive oil and fry the aubergine dice for abotu 3-5 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and stir into the pasta and ragu.

Heat the oven to 190C.

Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and sprinkle the base and sides with half of the breadcrumbs and pecorino. Spoon into the pasta. Finish with the remaining breadcrumbs mixed with pecorino. Press down firmly with the back of the wooden spoon. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top has taken on a bit of color and formed a crust. Serve warm with a side salad or, for a picnic, allow to cool in the tin and refrigerate. When cold, run a knife around the edge and remove the ring. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.

Note 1: In the program, veal was used in place of beef and pork. Masala wine was used in place of red wine.
Note 2: In the program, a cup of peas was added to the finished ragu
Note 3: In the program, 5 slices of aubergine were cooked and lay at the bottom of the springform tin to create a floral pattern before spooning in the pasta. After spooning in half of the pasta, slices of provolone cheeses were added before adding the remaining pasta and finished with pecorino.

2017 Weekly - Week 4

January is really not ideal to visit Budapest but I've had my one of my best visits there last week. Presentations went exceedingly well, questions and discussions free flowing, what can be more satisfying to talk and explaining about what you love? Thank you, Budapest.

But the mercury did drop to minus 10 to 12 degrees several nights in a row. Holy guacamole, it's probably the lowest temperature I've ever experienced. I went prepared with gloves, a woolly hat, alpaca scarf and a down coat. We don't stay outdoor more than 30 minutes in a stretch at this temperature, just enough to get to the restaurant and walk back. I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoy the underfloor heating in the hotel bathroom.

While complaining for years about finding no decent food in Budapest, I had two of my best meals in Budapest this time. Best in Budapest and probably some of the best ever. If you happen to be in Budapest, check Bock bisztro and Ket Szerecsen out. Our personal favorite is Ket Szercsen. From starter to dessert, there is no dish which we didn't start with wow after first bites.  It's that good and it's rare to have such consistency all the way through. Top quality ingredients (Mangalitsa pork and ox cheek), superb but uncomplicated cooking and great service and atmosphere. I can't wait to go back there.

And I can't believe January is coming to its end. After deeply burying myself in slide preparation for a week and ryanairing four times in another week, my tightly strung nerve wants to relax. Chinese new year is coming this Saturday. I haven't done proper cooking since 2017 started. I feel chicken tagine is beckoning to me.

2017 Weekly - Week 3

This week I travel to Budapest twice, both for science. Not the best month to visit Budapest (forcast to below zero the whole week) but the scientific exchanges should be something to look forward to.

I managed to have a draft of slides a week before the presentation day. One can never underestimate the power of adrenaline. I shall not play with fire again!

That's all from me this week.

2017 Weekly - Week 2

The January countryside always makes me feel sobering and hopeful. Although it is the time when nature is stripped to the bare minimum, you know underneath the quiet blanket of brown fields lies seeds waiting to come out, skeletons of tree branches hanging patiently, no hurry, as mother nature knows the best, the time for each plant to get ready to emerge.

Workwise it's been nonstop. What was I thinking to agree to give two presentations in a week in a city with sub-zero temperature in January? But, I've enjoyed the preparation part, so much that it's taking more time than necessary. Better speed up!

Roast lamb, I've been thinking about it, since I made the possibly the easiest (and very delicious) roast dinner back in November. Just stick it in the oven and disappear for 3-4 hours. You will find a great dinner awaits after you are back. That's our Saturday plan.

2017 Weekly - Week 1

I started my new year with a cold, enough to confine me to bed for two days, yes, the first two days of 2017. Alas, perhaps there is a drawback after two weeks cloud high with many good things. A price worth paying, though, if I were to do it again.

This week started gently with the first day back to work on the 3rd. With computers (yes, plural for me) turned on, first is to make sure I reply and action all essential emails. Then work starts with checking jobs running over the holiday period all finished gracefully and starting data analysis. This carried on for the whole day interspersed with many happy new year greetings.

Half way through this week, it suddenly dawned on me that I have to do two rounds of presentations less in two weeks and none of the presentation has started (gasp!). Panic in all capitals! I can do it as I keep telling myself, even if it means working in the evenings. Not a problem with a subject I love, here I come PowerPoint.

My working week finished on another high with a nice (and long) scientific discussion. It reminds me why I got into what I do in the first place. When discussing with likely minded people, this is just pure heaven. I shall remember this feeling when daily grind strikes.

Happy 2017

New year, new start and new opportunities.

I hope all of you had a good rest at the end of 2016. We certainly did, with a healthy dose of sun, warmth, love and laughter. I cannot ask for a better end-of-year holiday this year, surrounded by so many people who I love and love me and doing everything I love with you. So many who had played a big part in my life, gone quiet when we went on our separate ways as life unfolded but now all of you have come back to my life, our lives. I feel immeasurably blessed and humble to know that I can still call you my friend and you respond accordingly after so many years. This feeling of love and reassurance recharges me and I feel ready to take on what come may.

To remind myself how lucky I have been to have you, I want to challenge myself to document my life in 2017 with a weekly post here. Most of you won't see it because this blog has not been broadcasted but I hope if you find this place one day, you will know I still have a special spot for you, wherever I am.

Here is to you, my friends, a happy, healthy and contented 2017.

I make - apple frangipane tart

How can Autumn go without apple tarts? Our neighbors gave us a bagful of apples a week ago. It seems like a perfect excuse (not that I need any) to make one of my favorite dessert combos, apples and frangipane with my favorite dessert tart dough.

Apple frangipane tart

For tart dough:

- 120 g plain flour
- 120 g bread/strong flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- 100 g melted unsalted butter
- 40 g room-temperature water

For apple filling:

- 5 to 6 medium size apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g ground almond
- 100 g melted unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- melted butter to brush the apple slices
- 1-2 tbsps demerara sugar
- warm apricot jam to glaze the finished tart

Preheat the oven at 180C. Grease and flour a 9x13in tart tin.

To prepare the tart dough, mix both flours, baking powder, sugar, salt together in a bowl. Stir in melted butter, mix lightly with a rubber spatula, and then drizzle in water. Mix until the dough is well combined. Tip the dough out onto a large piece of cling film. Gather four corners to help form a ball.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 50p coin (2mm). Transfer the dough onto your prepared tart tin. Ease the dough into all slides and four corners. Pierce the tart base with a fork. Cover the tart tin with a grease-proof paper followed by baking beads. Blind bake for 20 minutes, with the last 10 minutes grease-proof paper and baking beads removed. Remove the tart tin from the oven. Keep the oven heat on.

Prepare the frangipane filling by mixing sugar, ground almond, melted butter, eggs and almond extract together. Spread the frangipane all over the tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in a decorative manner. Brush melted butter on top of apple slices and scatter demerara sugar on the top. Bake the tart at 180C for 40-50 minutes, until the edge of apple slices starts to brown. Turn the tart case 180 degrees halfway through.

When the tart is baked, remove it from the oven. Brush apricot jam all over on top of the apple slices. Cool before serving.