When we invited the neighbours round for a meal it was supposed to have been gloriously sunny, but instead it was blowing a gale and we felt more like hibernating than sitting in the garden. Obviously the idea of a BBQ soon went out of the window, but I was still determined that we should have a very summery meal – which we did. I chose something fairly simple for the main course, something that I’ve made many times before so that way I could enjoy several glasses of Pimm’s with our guests. For dessert I made the Chocolate & Raspberry Pavlova from Nigella’s Forever Summer. Having made the meringue the night before all I had to do that evening was whip the cream and pile it on top, followed by heaps of beautiful raspberries (I also added some blueberries to the mix as they needed using up). My only problem came when it was time to serve, as the dessert was such a behemoth that I couldn’t find a serving plate big enough – I had to make do with a large glass cheeseboard instead. The pudding was a great success, the meringue was rich and speckled with flecks of chocolate which complemented the cream and fruit topping wonderfully. Due to the size of the dessert our neighbours very kindly took some off our hands, which they may or may not have eaten for breakfast the following morning!As I was using so many egg whites for the pavlova I wanted to make use of the leftover egg yolks, so I figured that the best way would be to make some ice cream – it must be the sweltering hot summer we’re experiencing! Flicking through The Icecreamists I settled on the fairly simple Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, I doubled the recipe to get maximum use from the eggs and to make it worth my while getting the ice-cream maker out. With the pavlova in the oven I made the custard base, added the chocolate and then left the whole thing to cool before refrigerating overnight. I was pleased the following morning to see that it practically filled the ice cream maker, and then when I tasted the custard it actually tasted like melted ice-cream – things were looking good. Now the ice-cream wasn’t meant as an accompaniment to the pavlova, it was simply a by-product, but since I’d made it I thought I’d offer it anyway. I’m glad that I did, it was gorgeous and rich, and someone did say that it was better than Ben & Jerry’s – I’d say that was a success!
Dhal Keema from Cook in Boots was next on the agenda, and it did not get off to the greatest of starts when I opened the book to find that I had to soak the lentils in water for two hours first…luckily I had at least started the prep as soon as I got home so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Apart from that setback the rest of the cooking went without incident and, slightly later than planned, we sat down to a very tasty dinner. I think the only criticism I have about this is that I like my keema curries to be strewn with peas, and this was therefore slightly lacking in that department – the lentils were nice, don’t get me wrong, but I do love peas. Still, there are a couple of portions to go in the freezer and I won’t complain next time I need an easy option! And finally, I made Moroccan Style Pasta from Fantastico!, although I did take the liberty of using bucatini in lieu of the pappardelle, because that’s what I had in the cupboard. I think in principle the recipe is lovely, all the elements work really well together but I found the flavour lacking somewhat, so I think next time I would add some ras-el-hanout in place of the other spices, and possibly even a bit of chilli or harissa to give it a much needed kick. And when I have time to make some of my own pasta I will have to try it with the pappardelle because I think the wider pasta would work really well here. Incidentally, hubby and I have decided that we prefer spaghetti because due to the hole down the middle of bucatini it is impossible to suck that last little bit into your mouth.
Recipe Count: 83
New Target: 104
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