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June 30, 2006
What Does 'Spelt Bread' Mean?
"What Does Spelt Bread Mean" I asked the bread vendor at our local gourmet market today. "It is bread made from untreated, pure flour obtained from the 'spelt' grain" he said "And it makes the bread super-healthy and richer in fibre, proteins and other nutrients than any other kind of bread". Well, that sold me and I bought the "Sourdough Spelt Bread". We toasted it for breakfast, no frills or spreads ... just pure and simple toast. It tasted great with scrambled eggs. Crusty and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside with a nutty and sour flavour. I think it makes a huge difference pyschologically too, if you are eating something you know is good for your health, you are bout to savvour and relish it more.
Anyways, I googled [is that even an authentic word coz I hear it all the time and I wonder "since when did using Google become a verb?"; Maybe it has been added to the new additions in Oxford] the word "Spelt" and came across several interesting facts. I came to know that it is an ancient red wheat, a grain that has been around in Britain for over 9000 years. It is very high in all kinds of nutrients and is a saving grace for people allergic to wheat. Despite it being a subset of the wheat family, it can be safely consumed by people with wheat allergy and diet restrictions. It suits damp weather conditions, so chances are wherever it is soggy and wet weather you can be assured of delicious warm spelt bread.
Posted by Gel at 1:42 PM | | Comments (0)
June 27, 2006
How many kitchen rookies does it take to froth milk with a coffee maker?
Two ..... And even that doesn't make it work!!
Well, once upon a last weekend we bought the Sunbeam Cafe Series Programmable Espresso Machine. We had sauntered into the shop to buy a Clothes Dryer and came out as the beaming new parents of this nifty little contraption [We love it!!]. It makes delicious coffee producing the sought after 'crema' perfectly every time. That's the good part. The bad part, or rather the embarassing part is that neither me nor my significant other can manage to froth the milk using the little nozzle on the coffee maker. It has been 2 days now and is kind of getting ridiculous to the point that it isn't funny anymore :). And those girls at Starbucks make it look so easy everytime!!
The Clothes Dryer which we eventually bought from another shop works like a charm and doesn't need a degree in rocket science.
Posted by Gel at 9:06 PM | | Comments (0)
June 26, 2006
To Cook a Spatchcock in a Crockpot ...
We bought a slow cooker recently. Having read about "succulent meat that falls off the bone" and "tender meat and vegetables infused with flavour", we were naturally very excited about this fuss-free form of cooking. Needless to say, our first two experiments with the slow cooker have made us huge fans of "the crockpot way". I couldn't really believe that food that wasn't basted or sauteed or grilled or fried or marinated as a prelude to preparing the final dish, could actually taste so good. The first time I used pork and bacon. I won't say that the dish was spectacular, as it was quite watery. The stew became soup in the end. It did taste great though. Last night I was more adventurous. I cooked a "chook", that is what we call a 'Poussin' or a 'Spatchcock' here in Ozzie Land. I had also managed to dig up a Margaret Fulton "CrockPot Recipe Book" at the local thrift store and was excited about trying one of the recipes. I opened my refrigerator only to realise that I was missing two key ingredients, so I scratched my head a bit and invented what I like to call "Chook Hotpot". It was essentially a spatchcock cooked whole with rustic chunks of onions, carrots and potatoes, drizzled with cayenne pepper sauce, extra virgin olive oil, tomato sauce and sprinkled liberally with fresh basil and rosemary. The burst of flavour when I put the first spoonful in my mouth was enough to make me want to try slow cooking for the rest of my life.
Posted by Gel at 7:06 PM | | Comments (0)
