Saturday, September 4, 2010

Something old and something new

It is weekend, and weekends are perfect for cooking. Today I started by making "Classic minestrone" by  a recipe from Ingrid Espelid Hovig.

1. Saute carrots, celery and onion
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and water and let it cook for 10 minutes
3. Add garlic, basil, thyme and potatoes and let it cook for another 10 minutes
4. Boil pasta and add to the rest of the soup.

Not a very complicated recipe or special ingredients, but the challenge here was to peel the tomatoes. I never bother to, but this time I thought I would do things properly. So I found the "How to peel tomatoes" article in my very scientific and helpful "Hvordan koke vann" by Andreas Viestad.

It is not hard to peel tomatoes, not at all. The trick is to just plunge them in boiling water for 45 seconds after cutting a cross on the top (this is where I was convinced I needed to sharpen my knife...). Then over in cold water, and peeling them is easy as pie.

The celery gives the perfect crunchy resistance to keep you taste buds interested. Variation is key, according to Andres Viestad, cause no matter how good something tastes, you will get used to it after a few bites, and the combinations of textures and shapes are therefore crucial matters in cooking. I guess I have learnt something new today too.

I wanted dessert as well, so I managed to whip out a fruit cobbler with plums and blackberries and a hint of balsamic vinegar. Recipe by Jamie Oliver found here. The fruit came out velvety and smooth, the crust was perfect, and served with vanilla sauce it was a great companion to "The Great Gatsby"


Good food, good coffee, a young and handsome Robert Redford and sparkling costumes makes a good night. 

2 comments:

  1. ooh, sounds good! where did you get plums? as much as i enjoy stockholm, i am SOO ready to come home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Got them at Asia mat, haha. When do you come?

    ReplyDelete

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