Pop

Its time for some classics. Where are the waffles and pop you ask? They never went away, i've just been saving them i guess. Happy pop was the first thing i made that was any good. I was selling these way back when so they've got a special place in my heart.

pop life - prince
Soundtrack to a trip down memory lane

Coming to a paper near you

An article by my main man Jasper

The People’s Kitchen

November 14, 2011

According to the Coalition Government community spirit is in short supply. People are adhering to the individualistic ideals of capitalism and are neglecting even to learn their neighbour’s names. The people’s kitchen stands to prove this notion wrong.

Every Sunday over the past year a group of like-minded individuals come together to share a passion for food. From the caveman to the modern man the sharing of food and hospitality is the ultimate gesture of camaraderie and community spirit. What festive, cultural or family event is complete without a communal meal?

The people’s kitchen was made by the people for the people. As such it transcends demographics and strengthens the ties of the local community. Cooking together people learn about food and bring with them their knowledge of traditional dishes. Tart tatins, cous cous, plantain, roasted pumpkins and ratatouille to name a few. In many ways the food reflects the diversity of the local community in Dalston.

Local shops donate surplus food that would otherwise end up on landfill sites. The rest of the food is either donated or foraged from the local area. Cooking delectable meals with surplus food highlights the topical issue of food waste. Meals are served up on a pay as you want basis, with the proceeds invested back into the kitchen. After a visit to the people’s kitchen, Sunday will never be the same again. Where else can you make new friends, cook, share food and listen to good music all for the price of enthusiasm and a love of food?

Article written by Jasper McKenzie (jtmckenzie@btinternet.com)

Successes in 2011: We collect, cook and give food on a donations basis every Sunday at our venue. Over the course of 2011 these events average 50 people each Sunday - for our anniversary last month we had 100 people. Steve Wilson, our founder, has led foraging walks before the cooking once a month, where we work in partnership with Hackney Harvest to collect surplus elderflower, apples, berries and other fruits that go unharvested in our borough. We have already achieved cooking all the crew food for the first ever Cloud Cuckoo Land festival (festival information here http://www.cloudcuckooland.org/ and photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecloudsfestival/), where we served up a total of 1000 dishes to crew and festivalgoer’s. We have also featured in the Evening Standard, Positive News, Hackney Citizen and newspapers local to Dalston and Hackney.

The People’s Kitchen runs from 3 till 7pm every Sunday at Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Road, Dalston. Dinner is served from 6:30pm. To get involved with the People’s Kitchen Dalston email daniel@thepeopleskitchen.org, or just show up any given Sunday.

All volunteers will be provided with cooking equipment and aprons.

Hair

I'm going to do the unthinkable. Haircut. Worry not, every good hedge needs preening, an accentuated shape up.

This moment of enlightenment was in no way facilitated by a recent journey on the tube (o.k thats a lie). To the woman who had your face pressed up into my hair like a soft morning pillow, it was clean. In fact i borrowed some of Freya's curl activator, afro sheen that morning. It is serious that sheen, smelling like a heady mix of haribo, coco butter and felt tip pens. Really she should thank me for a fro induced psychedelic trip. No wonder she was gasping for air at old street station. What better way to start the day?

I can't trust just anyone though, like the Queen and her pursanthiams i need a master gardener.

Happy again

Happy with teeth...

Life's a breeze with calabrese

In homage to a vegetable of class.

I opened my veg box. "apples, carrots, fennel, pears, mushroom and the leeks. Wait a sec those are some funny looking leeks damn"

My first experience with Calabrese. Somehow Calabrese had replaced my leeks. I didn't know it at the time but this was a good thing, a very good thing! I admit i hadn't heard of Calabrese. From the name, perhaps they're a funk band, big in the 70's but no Calabrese is a mathematical type of broccoli full of helixes and spirals. A thing of beauty.

I found the mild flavour of the Calabrese went well with Greek yogurt and the crunch of almonds. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Calabrese 

50g blanched roasted almonds

Squeeze of lemon juice

Knob of butter

Pinch of chilli and salt

$ spoons of Greek Yogurt

Directions:

Steam the Calabrese like Broccoli, for around three to four minutes. Empty straight into iced water to preserve its colour. Heat the butter in a pan. Dry the Calabrese and add with the chilli and salt. Saute until warm , add the lemon juice and then serve with the almonds and Greek yogurt. Alternatively you could serve the salad cold.

Birthday Cake

I've fine tuned the icing recipe so we're ready to go !!! I've used glucose syrup as its not quite as sweet as sucrose and it won't crystalise. This'l make the icing sticky and glossy.

Ingredients:

70g of dark chocolate melted
1.5 tbsp of glucose syrup
2.5 tbsp of water

Directions:
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Add the glucose syrup and stir with a spoon. Slowly add the water while still hot and stir in until incorporated. The chocolate should start to look glossy. Leave to cool a little before spooning over the cakes.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Ground Almond Amaretto Cake
The balance of flavours and the moist firm texture make this the best cake recipe i have made !!!


Ingredients:
100g butter, 100g caster  sugar, 150g 70% dark chocolate, 100g ground almonds, few drops vanilla essence, 2 tbsp coco, cap of amaretto liqueur, 3 eggs (2 separated)

      Directions:
       Preheat an oven to 170 deg. C.  Brush melted butter inside five kugelhopf tins before putting into the fridge. Break up the chocolate melt over alongside the butter. Allow to cool.  Separate two eggs. Beat the 3rd egg with the two egg yolks before adding the sugar. Mix well. Now use a spatula to fold ingredients (no mixing). Add the chocolate, alcohol and vanilla to the eggs and sift in the coco. Fold in the ground almonds. Whisk the egg whites until you have firm peaks then fold in gently.  Fill the kulf tins until 1 cm from the top and put into the oven for 20 mins until a knife comes out nearly clean.  Allow to rest for ten mins then turn out and cover with icing.

Cake ?

Its my birthday soon and tradition dictates that i make a cake. This time its going to be special, i've been practicing for a while now and i have a prototype. A flourless ground almond, dark chocolate cake. I'm going to put up the recipe when i've got the perfect icing. I'm thinking a chocolate glaze with apricot jam raspberry coulis and whipped amaretto cream. Two days to go.