Hello Everyone
Again a delay in publishing this blog - too busy!!
Firstly, Mr Langton recommends that we watch the Great British Menu programmes every week, and also to look at the Hungry Italians.
I enjoyed one of the 2 Hungry Fishermen episodes where they went to a shop that was making traditional Cornish Pasties,
An authentic Pasty is made with all raw ingredients, wrapped in lovely shortcrust pastry and cooked for about 40 minutes.
The history of the Pasties is that they were made for the Corish tin miners by their mothers or wives; they took them down the mines for their 'packed lunch'. The idea was that the pastry protected the delicious filling inside from the miners' dirty hands as they ate their meal.
Also, the pasty was often divided in two by a strip of pastry inside and on one side of the strip was the savoury filling and the other side held the 'pudding'!
I wonder what types of filling were used for the pudding course?
Probably not rhubarb and custard which is one of my favourite puds!
A chocolate bar to anyone who can research this and come with an answer.
Also, write down what your ideal savoury filling would be and the pudding you would like to be in the other half!  A prize for the best answer.
The hungry fishermen then took over the pasty kitchen and created some delicious pasties using smoked haddock, leeks and potato. They tried them out on some Cornish fishermen who gave them the thumbs up even though they had never considered using fish in a pasty!
The latest quote from one of the Year 7's last week was ...'Miss, my sink is DEAD' !
After going over to look I discovered that his sink was 'blocked', the water wouldn't drain away. Blocked with masses of bits of food that he hadn't scraped into the bin before washing the utensils.
I had to show him that all it took was to put your hand into the plughole, grab hold of all the bits and remove them to the bin.  He looked disgusted!  'It's the cleanest food waste you ever have to handle', I reassured him, but he didn't look too impressed!  Needless to say, his team did not win the cleaning up competition!
I am launching the House Masterchef competition next week. Your House Tutors will need to find would be chefs from each Year to take part in the Challenge, and there will also be one for Staff!
Below the blog are 4 recipes for you. 3 variations on a traditional trifle, and a quick sticky toffee pudding that is very rich but yummy in small amounts.

BLACK FOREST TRIFLE

1 Chocolate cake or chocolate roll, cut into slices

Can of black cherries           Optional – kirsch or sherry

1 pint of custard/chocolate custard              ½ pint fresh cream           1 blackcurrant or black cherry jelly        grated chocolate

Place the slices of cake in a large bowl and soak in a little alcohol or blackcurrant juice.      Drain the fruit and spread the fruit over the cake.  Make up the jelly and allow to set.  Chop up with a fork

Top the fruit with the custard and leave to set.       Pipe rows of cream across the top of the custard, and put spoonfuls of jelly in between.  Sprinkle with grated chocolate.

 CARIBBEAN TRIFLE

 

1 Jamaican ginger cake, sliced      Opt - few drops of rum/sherry

1 can mango slices or 1 fresh mango             

1 can pineapple pieces or some fresh pineapple

1 pint custard           ½ pint fresh cream

Fruit for decoration – slices of kiwi/pineapple/mango

Chopped nuts/chocolate

Place the slices of cake in a large bowl and drizzle with alcohol or a little orange juice or juice from the tinned fruit.

Drain the fruit and spread over the sponge.

Top with the custard and allow to set.  Spread whipped cream over the top and decorate with mixed fruit and some chopped nuts.

Lemon Trifle -                serves 6 portions

1 packet trifle sponges      some lemon curd (or jam of your choice)      

2 lemons - juice and zest    

some tinned fruit eg. mandarins/apricots/peaches

approx. 50g (2oz) icing sugar      

5oz. double cream - lightly whipped

Split the trifle sponges and spread each half with lemon curd or jam, then place them in a serving dish.  Remove the zest from each lemon and keep. Squeeze the juice from 1 ½ of the lemons and pour over the trifle sponges, mash lightly with a fork. Using the juice from the remaining half lemon and icing sugar, make up a runny icing and pour this over the sponge mixture. Top with the fruit.    Cover with cling film and leave for 1-24hrs. To serve, top with whipped cream and scatter with the lemon zest.  If you like, you could add a layer of custard between the fruit and the cream.

 QUICK STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING   serves 4

 1-2 cakes  eg. Jamaica Ginger cake/Madeira cake

Sauce –           2 oz butter,   2 oz Soft brown sugar

          Some sultanas/raisins/ chopped ready to eat dates

                                      Vanilla extract        5 fl oz double cream

Oven 190 C, gas 6.

Cut the cake into slices and lay on the base of an ovenproof serving dish.

For the sauce – put all the ingredients (except the vanilla and cream) into a saucepan.

Heat up until the sugar dissolves.  Bubble for 5 minutes.

Now add the vanilla and cream. 

When frothing, stir well.  Allow to cool a little.

Pour over the cake and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with eg. custard or good quality ice cream, or pouring cream.