The Adventures of Sarah and Paul
May 3rd 2008sarahDessert & Food & Life
The weary traveler has returned. Yep, that’s right, Paul’s back from his travels to the states. For those of you who didn’t know, Paul was in Houston for work recently. And what did he bring back for me?
Yes, you see that right! A Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix, plus a few more other goodies.
Good job it’s a Bank Holiday weekend. One Ugly Duckling Cake, coming right up!
Apr 19th 2008sarahChocolate & Dessert & Food
Looking at my statistics, I’ve found a lot of people find my site looking for chocolate rice pudding. Because of this, I’ve decided to post my recipe, which I got out of a Sainsbury’s magazine. I’ve mentioned before that the recipe is from Nigella Lawson, and it’s also been published in her book, Feast, but for a much larger crowd.
I find this a really easy, gorgeous recipe. Nigella gives specific instructions on how to mix everything, but I tend to just throw everything together in a casserole dish and stick it in the oven. I find it to be quite liquidy, so I also end up cooking it for longer than she calls for, stirring it every half hour or so. I don’t know if it turns out right, but Paul likes it, so why change things now?
When I gave the recipe to my mom, it was in British style, meaning you have to get out the scales, which I don’t find that difficult or off putting anymore. However, because I suspect my mother hasn’t made it yet because of the British measurements and funny oven temperatures, I’ve tried to convert these. It’s all a bit hodgepodge, but I don’t think this pudding is a science. It tastes good, and that’s about it.
Chocolate Rice Pudding
3 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
125 grams (about 1 1/2 cups) of arborio or pudding rice
100 grams (about 1/2 cup) sugar
1 litre (1 3/4 pints) (about 4 cups) milk
1 1/2 litre (2 1/2 pint) baking dish
Heat your oven to 150 C (300 F)
Dissolve the cocoa and water, and then stir in the milk. Add the vanilla extract, and pour this mixture into your baking dish. Then add the rice and sugar to the dish and stir together. Put this all into the over and bake for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
And that’s it! Enjoy!
I’d have baked a cake. But instead I baked shortbread, caramel shortbread, and some cookies called sponge drops. All new recipes, but the sponge drops are especially a new one for me. Sandwich cookies, filled with whipped cream, raspberries and jam. New recipe for the shortbread as well, which turned out ok. It’s amazing how many different options there are for what essentially is butter, sugar, and flour. My shortbread never turns out quite right, although that doesn’t keep Paul from swiftly eating it all.
…maybe I just need more practice.
So, this week in my grocery box I received some peaches. I’m now halfway through making a peach cobbler. I got the recipe out of my mom’s Cooking for One or Two book, of which she gave me a copy what seems like ages ago. I’ll have to let you know how it all turns out. I originally was going to just bake the peaches with just some butter and brown sugar, but decided I’d try out a cobbler. Paul has been wondering what a cobbler is since I married him, so I suppose I should show him at some time.
I made strawberry ice cream last week. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was just a simple little recipe – as basic as strawberries, cream and sugar – how can you go wrong? I wanted something that I could just do after work with no real thought. It turned out fine – when I say fine, I mean Paul ate it up no problem. Next time I’ll have to make real ice cream. The same night I made a green bean and tomato pasta dish from my River Cafe book as well. I know! I’ve been a cooking fool recently!
And in other, more interesting news, we go to the states this week, and we’re bringing the folks back with us. We’ve got an itinerary just about ready to go, and we absolutely cannot wait!!
Oct 9th 2006sarahChocolate & Dessert
I think that title says it all. Being a very big glutton on Sunday, I made us a nice lamb roast, with mint sauce, roast vegetables and for dessert, chocolate rice pudding. Now, the roast was absolutely lovely, and the veg was pretty good, but this rice pudding was utterly amazing. And incredibly easy to make. I’m stunned by how absolutely mindless it was. Pretty much mix it all together and stick in the oven to cook to a gooey mass, stirring occaisionally. I got the recipe from a sainsbury’s magazine, but it’s Nigella Lawson, a version of the one she published in Feast. I have to say, if you can, try it out. There certainly wasn’t much left of it once Paul and I were through. Yum.
