Oh My Fair Lady, What a Calamity?!

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week it is dedicated to two musical legends who’s birthdays are remembered this week Audrey Hepburn and Calamity Jane. The recipes this week are Turkey Cacciatore with a twist, Cashew, Chilli & Lime-Crusted Fish and Bloody Mary Bolognese.

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century. Redefining glamour with "elfin" features[1] and a gamine waif-like figure that inspired designs by Hubert de Givenchy, she was inducted in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame, and ranked, by the American Film Institute, as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema.
Born in Ixelles, a district of Brussels, Hepburn spent her childhood between Belgium, England and the Netherlands, including German-occupied Arnhem during the Second World War. From 1939 on she studied ballet in Arnhem and after the war with Sonia Gaskell in Amsterdam. In 1948 she moved to London where she continued in ballet and performed as a chorus girl in various West End musical theatre productions. After appearing in several British films and starring in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi, Hepburn gained instant Hollywood stardom for playing the Academy Award-winning lead role in Roman Holiday (1953). Later performing in Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967), Hepburn became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age who received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and accrued a Tony Award for her theatrical performance in the 1954 Broadway play Ondine. Hepburn remains one of few entertainers who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards.
She appeared in fewer films as her life went on, and devoted much of her later life to UNICEF. Her war-time struggles inspired her passion for humanitarian work and, although Hepburn had contributed to the organisation since the 1950s, she worked in some of the most profoundly disadvantaged communities of Africa, South America and Asia in the late eighties and early nineties. In 1992, Hepburn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland, aged 63, in 1993.

Calamity Jane (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans. She is said to have also exhibited kindness and compassion, especially to the sick and needy. This contrast helped to make her a famous and infamous frontier figure.

The full version of this article can be found at www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk

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My first recipe is Turkey Cacciatore with a twist. Recipe by Sarah Cook, courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com

Serves 4, Prep 10 mins, Cook 50 mins

2 x Small or 1 x Large Onion, chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
3 tbsp x Olive Oil
2 tsp x Dried Oregano
3 x Cans of Chopped Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp x Sugar
A Little Splash of Vinegar
Approx. 500g x Leftover Turkey, shredded into chunks
125g x Mozzarella
2 x Good Handfuls of Fresh Breadcrumbs

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the tomatoes and sugar, a little splash of vinegar and some seasoning, then simmer for 20 mins until really thick. Stir in the turkey and transfer to a baking dish. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Tear over the mozzarella in chunks, then scatter over the breadcrumbs with a bit more ground pepper. Bake for 20 mins until turkey is piping hot through, and the top is golden and bubbling. Eat with mash, jackets, rice or pasta.

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My next recipe is Cashew, Chilli & Lime-Crusted Fish. Recipe by Anjum Anand. Courtesy of GoodFood Magazine July 2009.

1 tbsp x Vegetable Oil
1 x Fat Garlic Clove , finely grated until it resembles a paste
4 x Skinless Sustainable White Fish Fillets, about 140g each
5 tbsp x Lime Juice

For The Crust
100g x Cashews
4 x Mild Red Chillies
6 x Fat Garlic Cloves, peeled
A Thumb-tip-Size Piece of Fresh Root Ginger, roughly chopped
1 tbsp x Cumin Powder
2 tbsp x Vegetable Oil

Rub the oil and garlic paste over the fish with 2 tbsp of the lime juice. Season, then marinate for 20-30 mins. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Whizz together the crust ingredients and the remaining lime juice to make a rough paste. Pat the fish fillets dry with some kitchen paper, then press a quarter of the crust onto each fillet. Lift onto an oiled baking tray, then roast for 12-15 mins until cooked through.

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My final recipe is Bloody Mary Bolognese. Courtesy of Good Food Magazine October 2009.

Serves 4, Prep 10 mins, Cook 1 hr 10 mins

1 tbsp x Oil
1 x Red Onion, finely chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 x Celery Sticks, chopped
1 x Red Chilli, finely chopped (if you want less spice just add ½ the chilli) 
500g x Lean Beef Mince
2 tbsp x Worcestershire Sauce
1 x Glass of Red Wine, or equivalent amount of stock
400g x Can of Chopped Tomatoes
500g x Penne Pasta
Grated Cheddar, to serve

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion, garlic, celery and chilli. Cook gently for 5-10 mins until soft.Up the heat and throw in your beef mince. Cook until just coloured, then add the Worcestershire sauce, red wine or stock and tinned tomatoes. Slowly cook the bolognese for 30 mins-1hr - depending how much time you have, but longer will taste better.

Boil some water, add in your pasta and cook according to pack instructions. Drain, then throw the pasta into the pan with the sauce and mix it all together. Dish up and serve with lashings of grated cheese over the top. Heaven!

I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing. – Audrey Hepburn

Tune into my shows on 6townsradio "The Thursday Morning Show with TheRealTonyc" every Thursday from 10-12 & my Sunday show “UndertheCovers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It's what your Sunday's were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

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The Eternal Flame Still Burns Bright

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to Thanksgiving and in remembrance of one of America’s most memorable Presidents John F Kennedy.This week’s recipes are all for Thanksgiving, they are Vermont corn, Chilli and Bacon Bread, Roast turkey with Streusled Sweet Potatoes and Old-fashioned Deluxe Pumpkin Pie with Dried Cranberry Sauce.

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving in Canada falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the United States. Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration often extends to the weekend that falls closest to the day it is celebrated.

John F Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

After military service as commander of the Motor Torpedo Boats PT-109 and PT-59 during World War II in the South Pacific, Kennedy represented Massachusetts's 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat. Thereafter, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1953 until 1960. Kennedy defeated then Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon in the 1960 U.S. Presidential election. He was the youngest elected to the office, at the age of 43, the second-youngest President (after Theodore Roosevelt), and the first president to have been born in the 20th century. Kennedy is the only Catholic president, and is the only president
to have won a Pulitzer Prize. Events during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the African American Civil Rights Movement and early stages of the Vietnam War.

Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the crime, but was shot and killed two days later by Jack Ruby before a trial could take place. The FBI, the Warren Commission, and the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin, with the HSCA allowing for the possibility of conspiracy based on disputed acoustic evidence. Today, Kennedy continues to rank highly in public opinion ratings of former U.S. Presidents.

The full version of this article can be found at www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk

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My first recipe is Vermont corn, chilli and bacon bread. Recipe by Anthony Worrell-Thompson, Courtesy ofwww.uktv.co.uk

Serves:4-6 Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 35min

350g x Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon, diced
1 tbsp x Corn Oil
2 x Spring Onions, finely chopped
115g x Fresh Kernels of Sweetcorn, or Frozen Corn Kernels, thawed
1/2 tsp x Dried Red Chilli Flakes
350g x Cornmeal, or Polenta
350g x Plain Flour
1 tbsp x Caster Sugar
1 tsp x Baking Powder
1/2 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 tsp x Salt
150ml x Milk
375ml x Buttermilk
2 x Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp x Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp x Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6 and lightly butter a 23cm square cake tin. Add in the spring onion and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often. Mix in the corn kernels and chilli, stirring to combine. Remove from direct heat and allow to cool slightly. In a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Add in the bacon mixture, the milk, buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and brush the top with the remaining melted butter. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

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My next recipe is Roast turkey with Streusled Sweet Potatoes. Recipe by Ed Baines,courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk

Serves:2 Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 1 hr 30 min

1 x 400g Leg of Turkey
A Handful of Sage Leaves, chopped
50g x Butter, softened
2 x Garlic Cloves
4 tbsp x Olive Oil
Sprigs of Thyme

For the Strusled Sweet Potato
450g x Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
225g x Caster Sugar
100ml x Milk
75g x Butter
2 x Eggs
1 tsp x Vanilla Extract

For the topping
115g x Desiccated Coconut
115g x Shelled Pecans, chopped
200g x Brown Sugar
40g x Plain Flour
75g x Melted Butter

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. To roast the leg of turkey, place the leg in a roasting tin and rub with the sage and butter. Add the thyme and garlic to the tin and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 1½ hours, or until tender when pierced with a knife.

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and mash.
Add the sugar, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix well and tip into a shallow baking tin.

For the topping; mix together the coconut, pecans, brown sugar, flour and melted butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the sweet potato mixture, and bake, alongside the turkey for about 30 minutes before serving.

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My final recipe is Old-fashioned Deluxe Pumpkin Pie with Dried Cranberry Sauce. Recipe by Ashbell McElveen, courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk

Serves:4-6 Prep time: 25 min Cook time: 40 min

340g x Cooked Pumpkin Flesh, pureed using a blender, processor, or ricer
340ml x Evaporated Milk
5 tbsp x Dark Brown Sugar
2 tbsp x White Sugar
1/2 tsp x Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp x Salt
1/2 tsp x Ground Nutmeg
175g x Maple Syrup
3 x Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp x Melted Butter
1 x 20cm Ready-Made Pastry Tart Case

For the Dried Cranberry Sauce
125g x Dried Cranberries
115g x Caster Sugar
1 x Vanilla Pod
50ml x Brandy
170ml x Cranberry Juice

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas 5. In a mixing bowl mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, white sugar, cloves, salt, nutmeg, maple syrup, eggs and melted butter making a smooth mixture. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the blind-baked flan case. Bake the pumpkin pie for 40 minutes until the crust is golden-brown and the filling has set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the dried cranberry sauce. Soak the dried cranberries in the brandy and cranberry juice for 30 minutes. Transfer the cranberries and the macerating liquid to a saucepan. Add the caster sugar and vanilla pod. Bring to the boil over a high heat, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes until reduced and thickened. Set aside then reheat as required. Serve the pumpkin slices with warm dried cranberry sauce on the side.

Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.– John F Kennedy

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

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A Time To Give Thanks

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is all about a holiday which all Americans are familiar with, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day. This is currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, it has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God, celebrated by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony for surviving their first brutal winter in New England. This feast lasted three days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. It consisted of fowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, squash, beetroot and turkey. The modern Thanksgiving holiday traces its origins from a 1621 celebration after a successful growing season. This was continued in later years, first as an impromptu religious observance, and later as a civil tradition. In the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, prompted by a series of editorials, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November 1863.
So, this week’s recipes are Sweet Potato Pie, Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing and Quick Chilli Cornbread. The Herb of the week is Horseradish.

My first recipe is Sweet Potato Pie, recipe by COUGAAR, courtesy of allrecipes.co.uk.

This recipe serves 8, takes 30mins to prepare and can take approx 1hr 50mins to cook.

500g x Sweet Potato
125g x Softened Butter
200g x Caster Sugar
125ml x Milk
2 x Eggs
1/2 tsp x Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp x Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp x Vanilla Extract
1 x Pre-made Pastry Case (23cm/9”)

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 mins, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into prepared pastry base. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then will sink down as it cools.


My next recipe is Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing, recipe by Sara Buenfeld, courtesy of bbcgoodfood.com, first printed in Good Food Magazine December 2008.

This recipe serves 8, with leftovers, takes 20mins to prepare and can take 4hrs to cook.

FOR THE STUFFING
150ml x Madeira (or White Wine)
20g x Dried Porcini Mushrooms
2 x Onions – halved and sliced
25g x Butter, plus extra
15g x Thyme Leaves, reserve the stalks
2 x 454g packs Cumberland sausages , skins removed
200g x Whole Cooked Chestnuts
Zest 1 Lemon (halve and reserve the rest to use for the turkey)
15g x Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
85g x Fresh Breadcrumbs
10 x Rashers Streaky Bacon

FOR THE TURKEY
1 x Onion, quartered
1 x Bronze Turkey (4.5-5.6kg/10-12lb), giblets removed (to use in stock)
85g x Soft Butter
1 x Whole Nutmeg
10 x Rashers Streaky Bacon
125ml x Madeira (or White Wine)
Watercress Sprigs, to garnish

First make the stuffing. Pour the Madeira or wine into a bowl, then crumble in the mushrooms. Fry the onions in the butter for 10 mins, until golden. Cool, then mix with the thyme leaves, the mushrooms and their soaking liquid, and all remaining ingredients, apart from 8 of the chestnuts and the bacon. Season well. Set aside half of the stuffing. Line a greased 500g loaf tin with bacon. Pack the rest of the stuffing into the tin, then bring the rashers round over the top and secure in place with cocktail sticks. Use the reserved chestnuts to fill the spaces where the bacon meets. Chill until ready to cook. This will keep in the fridge uncooked for 2 days or can be frozen for up to a month.
Prepare the turkey. The night before, put the onion quarters, reserved lemon halves and thyme sprigs in the cavity between the legs. Pack the reserved stuffing into the neck end. Secure the neck skin with skewers and tie the legs together. Weigh the turkey. Calculate the cooking time at 40 mins per kilo, plus 20 mins. Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin and put the turkey on top. Smear the breast with the butter, then grate over half of the nutmeg and season well. Cover with bacon and pour over the Madeira or wine. Seal the foil well to make a parcel. Chill overnight.
On the day, take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hr before roasting. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the turkey in the oven; then, 90 mins before the end of cooking, remove foil and bacon, and drain off the juices from the tin to use in the gravy. To test whether the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test again. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover with foil, then a couple of tea towels, and allow to rest for at least 30 mins before carving. Meanwhile, cook the stuffing loaf for 30 mins and reheat the bacon. Garnish with watercress and serve the stuffing loaf separately.


Herb of the week - Horseradish (armoracia rusticana)
Originally the horseradish was cultivated as a medicinal herb, now it is considered a flavouring herb. The common name means a coarse or strong radish, the prefix “horse” often being used in plants to donate a large, strong or coarse plant. In the 16th century it was known in England as Redcol or Recole. In this period the plant appears to have been more popular in Scandinavia and Germany, where they developed its potential as a fish sauce. In Britain horseradish has become strongly associated as a condiment sauce served with roast beef. It is a hardy perennial plant, which grows to a height of 60-90cm but can spread wildly (similar to mint in its aggression), and its roots can grow up to 60cm in length and up to 5cm thick. It can bear white flowers in the spring, but this is very rare, with large green oblong leaves.
Horseradish is a powerful circulatory stimulant with antibiotic properties. As a diuretic, it is effective for lung and urinary infections. It can also help with coughs and sinus congestion. It can also be taken internally for gout and rheumatism, due to it containing potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Grate into a poultice and apply externally to chilblains, stiff muscles, sciatica and rheumatic joints, also to stimulate blood flow.
Other practical uses are that it can be chopped finely and put into dog food to dispel worms and improve body tone. Also an infusion of the roots made into a spray, can be used to protect apple trees against brown rot. Slice and infuse in a pan of milk to make a lotion to improve skin clarity.
The reason horseradish is used in sauces, vinegars, and as an accompaniment, rather than cooked as a vegetable is that the volatile flavouring oil which is released in grating evaporates rapidly and becomes nothing when cooked. Raw, it’s a different story. The strongest flavour is from root pulled in the autumn, the spring root is comparatively mild. It can be used raw and grated in coleslaw, dips, pickled beetroot, cream cheese, mayonnaise and avocado fillings. The youngest leaves can be added to salads for a bit of zip and, of course, horseradish sauce to accompany roast beef and smoked oily fish.


My last recipe is Quick Chilli Cornbread, recipe by Leslie Walters, Courtesy of bbcgoodfood.com, first published GoodFood Magazine January 2006.

This recipe serves 8, takes 15mins to prepare and takes 35-40mins to cook.

280g x Fine Semolina or Polenta
85g x Plain Flour
2 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
1 x Large Egg
150ml x Milk
425ml x Buttermilk or Natural Yoghurt
2 x Large Red Chillies – seeded and finely chopped

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Generously butter a 25cm x 16cm baking tin or shallow roasting tray. Combine the semolina or polenta, flour and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and season. In a jug, combine the egg, milk, buttermilk or yogurt and chillies.
Pour the contents of the jug into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir lightly to combine. Do not over stir as this will cause the bread to be tough. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 35-40 mins until firm and golden on top. Cut the warm cornbread into pieces to serve. Serve immediately or leave to cool and re-heat, wrapped in foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.


If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

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