Cookie Cravings: Chocolate Salami

Brought to you by FairPrice

FairPrice's new Marie Biscuits bring back the flavour of old times

ANNETTE TAN

food@newstoday.com.sg

(Photos: Jason Ho)

Like cream crackers, Marie Biscuits are old-school snacks that never fail to stir up a little nostalgia. Great for dipping in coffee or tea, they made for ideal afternoon snacks or quick breakfasts back in the day.

FairPrice brings back a slice of those sepia-tinged times with its new range of Marie Biscuits. These include Chocolate Marie Biscuits and Small Marie Biscuits.

Aside from munching on them with your favourite hot drink, Marie biscuits are also good for creating other confections.

Crush and mix them with melted butter for a lovely cheesecake crust, or break them up into little pieces and turn them into this wonderfully whimsical Italian dessert that is so easy to make.

Chocolate salami goes by its name because it looks just like salami but is far more delicious, if you ask me. It can be whipped up in all of 5 minutes, popped in the fridge for a couple of hours and ready to serve by the time dinner's up. As the Italian's say, molte bene!

FairPrice Marie Biscuits ($1.65 per 350g packet), FairPrice Chocolate Marie Biscuits ($1.65 per 350g packet) and FairPrice Small Marie Biscuits ($1.35 per 250g packet) are available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Chocolate Salami

Serves 4

• 150g crushed FairPrice Marie Biscuits
  
• 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  
• 75g icing sugar
  
• 1/4 cup orange juice
  
• 75g grams butter, melted
  
• Plain flour for dusting
  

1. In a bowl, mix the crushed cookies, cocoa powder and sugar.
   
2. Add the melted butter and orange juice and stir to blend well.
   
3. Cut two lengths of waxed paper, one for each "salami".
   
4. Sprinkle each paper lightly with plain flour.
   
5. Put half the dough on each paper, spread out into a line.
   
6. Roll it up into a log, making sure the sides and ends are lightly covered with the flour. Scrunch and roll each end to secure.
   
7. Set the logs in the refrigerator for a few hours. To speed this up, you can set them in the freezer.
   
8. Remove wrapping, slice and serve.
   

From TODAY, Makan – Thursday, 16-Jul-2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hamantaschen: It's All in the Stirring (thefoodsection.com)
• Danish Pudding Dessert (recipease.blogspot.com)
• Homemade Treats Make Easter Even Sweeter (aldenteblog.com)
• Four Foods on Friday 82 (momcooks.net)
• Recipe: Mexican Spiced Wedding Cookies (thekitchn.com)
• Crispy Peanut Butter Marbles (lisacooking.com)
• Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Blueberry Bread (momblognetwork.com)
• Recipe: Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies (thekitchn.com)
• The Original Pancake House (stlouiseats.typepad.com)
• The Truth About Orange Juice Good Food with Evan Kleiman (thekitchn.com)

Chilli Cheese Fries

Image via Wikipedia

Brought to you by FairPrice

CUT ABOVE THE REST

Who doesn't love French fries? FairPrice Crinkle or Straight Cut Fries always hit the spot

ANNETTE TAN, food@newstoday.com.sg

I've never met a person who doesn't like French fries.

And to be quite honest, it is not difficult to see why. After all, French fries are the epitome of happy food - crispy, crunchy, soft on the inside, slightly salty and divine when enjoyed hot. How joyful and simple could food possibly get?

Granted, French fries aren't exactly artery- or waistline-friendly. But the occasional indulgence doesn't hurt, surely.

FairPrice's 1kg bags of Crinkle or Straight Cut French Fries are the perfect family treat. Made in New Zealand from premium grade potatoes, they are certified Halal and trans fat-free, with no colourings or preservatives, flavourings or salt added.

Because of their excellent quality, they taste good and fry to a lovely crisp.

I'm often happy to simply give my French fries a sprinkling of good sea salt and a side of mayonnaise. But this recipe for chilli cheese fries is always a winner. Whenever I serve it, it gets polished off in no time.

Try it at your next party and watch the compliments come rolling in.

FairPrice Crinkle or Straight Cut Fries ($3.45 per 1kg packet) are available from all FairPrice supermarkets.

Chilli Cheese Fries

Serves 4

• 250g FairPrice Crinkle or Straight Cut Fries

• FairPrice vegetable oil for deep-frying

• 3 tbsp FairPrice olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 200g minced beef

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/2 cans chopped tomatoes

• 2 tbsp chilli powder

• 1/3 cup kidney beans

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tsp FairPrice fine salt

• 1 tsp FairPrice fine or coarse sugar

• 1/3 cup Salsa Con Quesos (Mexican cheese dip, available bottled)

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer. Test for the right temperature with a small piece of bread. Once it hits the oil, it should bubble and float to the top immediately, indicating that the oil is hot enough. Put the fries in and fry till golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
   
2. To make the chilli, heat olive oil in a pan and fry garlic until fragrant but not browned.
   
3. Add beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes.
   
4. Add chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, kidney beans, paprika, salt and sugar. Stir to mix well.
   
5. Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and dries up slightly.
   
6. Taste and adjust seasoning.
   
7. Place fries on a plate and top with the chilli. Then pour over the salsa con quesos and serve immediately.
   

From TODAY, Makan – Thursday, 09-Jul-2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Lobster, cheese and French fries, together at last (network.nationalpost.com)
• 7 Steps To a Healthy Barbeque This Summer (dietriffic.com)
• Vegetarian Bolognese & Kids ate it up! (momblognetwork.com)
• Coming home to a full refrigerator (timesunion.com)
• Lighter Zucchini Fritti Olive (thekitchn.com)
• Five-a-day barbecue (hermenaut.org)
• Bonnie Stern: One is the tastiest number (network.nationalpost.com)
• Cook Yourself Thin (thindependence.com)
• Quick Tip: Season Under the Skin (thekitchn.com)
• Play it cool with a chilled buffet - here's how (network.nationalpost.com)

There must be a mistake

ROME - They were looking for a bit of La Dolce Vita but what two tourists got in a restaurant in Rome left a bitter aftertaste.

The Japanese couple was handed a receipt totalling ?695 ($1,412) after their lunch last month at a restaurant just steps away from Piazza Navona. The bill included a ?115.50 tip they say they did not agree to, Rome police said on Thursday.

The case made headlines in Italy's national newspapers, reportedly angering Mayor Gianni Alemanno. Police temporarily shut down the restaurant after the couple filed their complaint.

Restaurant owner Franco Fioravanti said the couple ordered a lavish meal that included oysters, lobsters, sea bass and porcini mushrooms.

Italian restaurant The Passetto has been denounced by the police for fraudulent action against two vacationing Japanese customers. EPA

According to the couple, an English-speaking waiter offered to bring a few dishes without them consulting the menu.

Several newspapers printed what they said was the bill from the meal, which also showed the couple being charged ?200 for pasta dishes.

After the complaint, the police checked the prices on the receipt against those indicated on the menu and found a discrepancy. "They are way higher, quite a bit disproportionate," said a police spokesman.

The police also sent health inspectors, who found defective refrigerators, contamination among different foods and other below-standard procedures in the restaurant's kitchens. The restaurant was closed temporarily, and officials are also considering revoking its license.

The Passetto restaurant is a classic of Rome cuisine. Its website lists among its guests high-profile stars from past and present - from Ava Gardner to Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as Queen Elizabeth, Grace Kelly and Salvador Dali. AP

From TODAY, World – Saturday, 04-Jul-2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hefty Restaurant Bill Shocks Tourists in Italy (abcnews.go.com)

Honey Madeleines

Brought to you by FairPrice

GOOD BUTTER BEST

The secret to good cake is to use good butter. And the secret to bettering good butter is to brown it

ANNETTE TAN, food@newstoday.com.sg

It's almost impossible to write about madeleines and not mention Proust (the famed French novelist who had waxed lyrical about these treats, placing them in the consciousness of many a dessert lover in the process).

But while the delicate madeleine is a wonderful cake indeed, it is only magical if you share Proust's childhood - which of course, few of us do.

Nevertheless, I have found that what is better than a madeleine are these honey madeleines. These will make a convert out of any non-madeleine lover. They are soft, moist and rich with the scent and flavour of good quality honey and butter.

Indeed, good butter with a rich texture and subtle flavour is important when it comes to turning out exquisite confections. A lesser quality butter, which usually has a strong, oily taste, can ruin a perfectly good cake.

Good butter, nevertheless, can be bettered by browning. Browned butter is the secret that adds depth to some of the world's best cakes and pastries, like the financier (the French gold bar-shaped cakes) and Thai coconut crepes.

For this recipe, I used FairPrice Pure Creamery Butter, which is made with high quality fresh cream in Australia and certified Halal. It has a rich, smooth texture that's ideal for baking, be it cakes, cookies or breads like brioche.

To get the best out of these madeleines, use a more mellow or floral flavoured honey. The result is full-flavoured delicacies that have a hint of toffee and that go down easily with a cup of coffee or tea.

FairPrice Butter ($2.95, 250g) is available at all FairpPrice supermarkets.

Honey Madeleines

Makes 24

• 170g FairPrice Butter, plus extra for buttering the moulds
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2tbsp dark brown sugar
• 3 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Let the butter cook until some of the milk solids fall to the bottom of the skillet and turn a rich hazelnut brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Strain the browned butter through a fine sieve into a small bowl.
3. Place eggs, sugars, and honey in a bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk till pale and foamy, around 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Sift both flours, baking powder and salt over the egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in.
5. Add the brown butter and fold in till blended.
6. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 200°C.
8. Liberally butter the Madeleine moulds, then spoon the batter evenly into the moulds. Fill them up to about half a centimetre from the rim of each mould.
9. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.

From TODAY, Makan – Thursday, 02-Jul-2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Blueberry-Lemon Bundt Cake (frugalwahmstalkradio.com)
• Carrot Cakey Cookies Guest Post from Sara Morris of Sprouted Kitchen (thekitchn.com)
• Delicious coconut and banana muffins - Muffins banane et noix de coco délicieux (latartinegourmande.com)
• Rhubarb Muffins Two Ways (christie-corner.blogspot.com)
• Because I can bake (kelleyeskridge.com)
• Weekend Cooking: Bake a Cake! (thekitchn.com)