Category: blog

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baked eastern pork

Just adapted this on the spur of the moment when we were having some friends over shortly after Christmas so everyone was bored with turkey and ham. The main differences being the method of cooking and a wetter marinade.

Feeds 6 to 8.

3 pork steaks, sliced thinly across the grain
heaped tbsp sesame seeds
heaped tsp cumin seed
tsp fennel seeds
heaped tsp medium curry powder
level tsp berbere (optional)
juice of one lime
tbsp rice vinegar
tbsp light soy sauce
tbsp sesame oil
tbsp honey
tbsp sunflower oil + a dash more
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and chill in a closed container in the fridge for a few hours. Agitate often to combine the flavours. Heat the oven to 180C while this is chilling, then spread the mixture over a large roasting tin. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until slightly burnt at the edges.

Serve with boiled rice and green beans cooked in coconut milk, garlic and chili on a bed of shredded cabbage.

Posted on

food: baked eastern pork

Just adapted this on the spur of the moment when we were having some friends over shortly after Christmas so everyone was bored with turkey and ham. The main differences being the method of cooking and a wetter marinade.

Feeds 6 to 8.

3 pork steaks, sliced thinly across the grain
heaped tbsp sesame seeds
heaped tsp cumin seed
tsp fennel seeds
heaped tsp medium curry powder
level tsp berbere (optional)
juice of one lime
tbsp rice vinegar
tbsp light soy sauce
tbsp sesame oil
tbsp honey
tbsp sunflower oil + a dash more
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and chill in a closed container in the fridge for a few hours. Agitate often to combine the flavours. Heat the oven to 180C while this is chilling, then spread the mixture over a large roasting tin. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until slightly burnt at the edges.

Serve with boiled rice and green beans cooked in coconut milk, garlic and chili on a bed of shredded cabbage.

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almond cake with oranges and lemons



Here’s a recipe borrowed from Linda Reid (again), the fount of a lot of good food. I think it may be Lebanese in origin …

For the cake:

50g slightly stale white breadcrumbs
200g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
1.5 tsp baking powder
200ml vegetable oil
4 eggs
finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
finely grated zest of 1 large unwaxed orange

For the syrup:

juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
75g caster sugar
3 cloves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

line a 20cm cake tin
mix all the dry ingreients
mix all the wet ingredients
mix the wet and dry ingredients
turn into the cake tin
place into the middle of a cold oven
turn the heat to 180C
bake for 45-50 minutes, a skewer should come out clean.

For the syrup, mix all the ingredients and simmer gently for 3 minutes.

When the cake is cooked, turn out onto a plate and allow cool for a while. Stick a few more holes into it and pour over the syrup, so it soaks in.

Serve with yoghurt (I prefer cream / ice cream).

I didn’t have access to unwaxed oranges and lemons, so I just scrubbed them hard under the hot tap. Neither did I use the star anise. But it was delicious anyway. Even better on the second day.

Posted on

food: almond cake with oranges and lemons



Here’s a recipe borrowed from Linda Reid (again), the fount of a lot of good food. I think it may be Lebanese in origin …

For the cake:

50g slightly stale white breadcrumbs
200g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
1.5 tsp baking powder
200ml vegetable oil
4 eggs
finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
finely grated zest of 1 large unwaxed orange

For the syrup:

juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
75g caster sugar
3 cloves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

line a 20cm cake tin
mix all the dry ingreients
mix all the wet ingredients
mix the wet and dry ingredients
turn into the cake tin
place into the middle of a cold oven
turn the heat to 180C
bake for 45-50 minutes, a skewer should come out clean.

For the syrup, mix all the ingredients and simmer gently for 3 minutes.

When the cake is cooked, turn out onto a plate and allow cool for a while. Stick a few more holes into it and pour over the syrup, so it soaks in.

Serve with yoghurt (I prefer cream / ice cream).

I didn’t have access to unwaxed oranges and lemons, so I just scrubbed them hard under the hot tap. Neither did I use the star anise. But it was delicious anyway. Even better on the second day.

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690,000 litres


Brought the boys to football in Belfield this morning, very cold, bright and bracing. Brought the posh camera just in case, and found myself at the foot of the water tower. Quite a bizarre structure when you’re up close and personal with it. Built in 1973 in 7.5 days, according to the contractor’s website.

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free as a …

Shona and I went to Prague for a weekend break last Friday, the first time we’d been away as a couple since March ’02, on our own without kids. Not that we don’t love our kids and all that, just it’s nice to be a couple on our own. Although, having said that, we went with six other people, all good friends.

Prague is a stunning city and we spent our time doing touristy things, like having a boat trip on the River Vltava, a tour round the city in a 1920’s vintage car and a ride to the top of the Clock Tower in the Old Square.

When I get round to doing a bit of editing on the images, I’ll upload them to flickr in due course.

[EDIT] I’ve uploaded a few Prague images which can be seen here.

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DSC_0001.JPG


My first D70 picture ever!

A new departure for me with a truly unremarkable photograph. I’ve been wanting a digital SLR for the longest time, and now finally I bought this beast, second hand. It’s going to take a while to learn how to use it, but hopefully I’ll get there.

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food: baked chicken with preserved lemon & vinegar

Here’s something I make incorporating the preserved lemons I mentioned elsewhere.

4 to 6 pieces of chicken preferably on the bone
2 onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp berbere
palmful of fresh thyme or a tsp of dried
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
quarter of a preserved lemon, very finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly, put sliced onion in the base of the casserole and drizzle with half the oil. Then slash the chicken pieces with a sharp knife and place on top of the onions. Sprinkle over the rest of the oil, followed by the garlic, berbere and thyme. Lastly, carefully drape the preserved lemon slices over the chicken pieces.

Cook uncovered in a moderate oven for 45 minutes. Baste occasionally.

This dish doesn’t really need extra salt because of the residual salt from the preserved lemons. If you really have to, just season with pepper. If you don’t have berbere, substitute with a little less cayenne.

I serve these pieces with either couscous or brown rice, with the juices from the casserole poured on top. Nice with a simple steamed vegetable.

Posted on

baked chicken with preserved lemon & vinegar

Here’s something I make incorporating the preserved lemons I mentioned elsewhere.

4 to 6 pieces of chicken preferably on the bone
2 onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp berbere
palmful of fresh thyme or a tsp of dried
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
quarter of a preserved lemon, very finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly, put sliced onion in the base of the casserole and drizzle with half the oil. Then slash the chicken pieces with a sharp knife and place on top of the onions. Sprinkle over the rest of the oil, followed by the garlic, berbere and thyme. Lastly, carefully drape the preserved lemon slices over the chicken pieces.

Cook uncovered in a moderate oven for 45 minutes. Baste occasionally.

This dish doesn’t really need extra salt because of the residual salt from the preserved lemons. If you really have to, just season with pepper. If you don’t have berbere, substitute with a little less cayenne.

I serve these pieces with either couscous or brown rice, with the juices from the casserole poured on top. Nice with a simple steamed vegetable.