COOKING WITH THE FOOD ARSONIST

Hello from merry ole England! This month’s menu looks complicated, but actually the entire meal can be prepped in advance so that the actual cooking is a breeze. This one suggests that one take the time to add the garnishes to the different foods; it not only adds a very festive feeling to the meal, but will make it look like you too hours working in the kitchen! One handy hint if you choose not to hollow out the pineapple you can use canned pineapple chunks (liquid drained) and marinate in the liqueurs and sugar prior to folding into the whipped cream; serve in your fanciest small bowls and garnish with a bit of grated orange, a twisted orange slice and a cherry. ra` thanks her Master for doing the pineapple carving ’ as many of his friends know, he’s an absolute wiz in the kitchen.

This girl really enjoys entertaining her Master’s friends and seeing their faces as she serves ordinary foods with a bit of an unusual twist. Food should be pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate. If anyone would like to see a menu planned around a specific food or theme, please let Master Pantheus know and this one will be happy to give some suggestions in a future column.

Bon appetit!

MENU

Mediterranean Red Peppers

Hawaiian Pork Chops

Belgian Warm Salad

Pineapple Romanoff

Provencal Rose Wine with the Main Course

Jamaica Me Crazy

MEDITERRANEAN RED PEPPERS

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized red peppers (or a combination of green, red and yellow)

1 1/2 oz (40 grams) butter

1 tbls (15 ml) olive oil

2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

12 oz (350 grams) courgettes (zucchini), sliced

freshly ground black pepper

3 oz (75 grams) black olives, stoned and finely chopped

6 oz (175 grams) mushrooms, sliced

oil for greasing

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Cut the stalk end off each pepper and take out the seeds and any fiber. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the peppers, bring back to the boil and blanch for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again very carefully.
3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. When the foaming subsides, add the finely chopped onions, garlic and diced courgettes. Stir to mix. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the finely chopped black olives, the diced tomatoes and sliced mushrooms to the softened vegetables. Cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally. Correct the seasonings if necessary.
5. Cut a little off the bottom of each drained pepper to enable it to stand upright. Lightly oil an ovenproof dish and arrange the peppers in it side by side. Fill each pepper cavity with the vegetable mixture. Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Serve immediately with the cooking juices.

Hint: Peppers may be prepared early in the day and refrigerated. Simply put into the oven 45 minutes before you want to serve the appetizer.

BELGIAN WARM SALAD

Ingredients:

8 oz (225 grams) new potatoes

8 oz (225 grams) green beans

1 oz (25 grams) butter

6 oz (175 grams) streaky bacon, cut into fine strips

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

4 tbls (60 ml) wine vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

salt

2 tbls (30 ml) finely chopped parsley

1. Wash the new potatoes without peeling them. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, top and tail the beans. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain the beans and keep warm.
3. Drain the potatoes. Allow to cool slightly and peel, then cut into ’ inch (5 mm) slices. Keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan. Sautee the streaky bacon strips and finely chopped onion over a high heat for 7 minutes, or until lightly golden, tossing the mixture frequently with a spatula. Reduce the heat.
5. Pour in the wine vinegar and simmer over a low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. In a salad bowl, combine the drained beans and sliced new potatoes. Pour over the bacon dressing and toss gently until well mixed, taking care not to break up the potato slices.
7. Correct the seasoning, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve lukewarm.

HAWAIIAN PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

4 x 6 oz (175 grams) pork chops, about 3/4 inch (20 mm) thick

1-2 tbls (15-30 ml) melted butter

1 dessert apple, thickly sliced

1 tbls (15 ml) brown sugar

4 pineapple slices, with core removed (if using sliced canned pineapple, drain well)

4 oz (100 grams) green grapes

4 fresh bay leaves (this will be a garnish, so you may use small green leaves similarly shaped, but be sure to wash well)

4 cloves

salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1. Wipe the chops with absorbent paper and trim off the excess fat, leaving a narrow layer only. With a sharp knife, slash the layer of fat at regular intervals to stop the chop curling up under the heat of the grill. Season with black pepper and leave to come to room temperature.
2. Heat the grill to high.
3. Brush the chops with olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the chops 3 inches (7.5 cm) from the heat for 6 minutes on each side, or until they are brown and tender. Transfer the chops to a heated serving platter and keep warm.
4. With a little of the melted butter, brush the apple slices and place them on a strip of foil. Lay the foil on the grid of the grill pan, sprinkle the apples with brown sugar and grill for 4-5 minutes, on the sugared side only, until golden. Keep warm.
5. Brush the pineapple slices with the remaining melted butter and place them on a strip of foil. Lay the foil on the grid of the grill pan, and heat through for 2 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a spatula.
6. Arrange a pineapple slice on the top of each chop. Lay 3 slices of glazed apple next to the pineapple and fill the hollowed-out pineapple core with grapes. Pierce a bay leave with a clove and attach to the pineapple slice. Serve immediately.

PINEAPPLE ROMANOFF

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized ripe pineapple

2-3 tbls (30-45 ml) icing sugar

2-3 tbls (30-45 ml) Cointreau

2-3 tbls (30-45 ml) Rum

2-3 tbls (30-45 ml) Kirsch

8 fl oz (225 ml) double cream

finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the decoration:

Orange slices

Maraschino cherries

1. To prepare the pineapple shell, slice off the top of the pineapple and save. With a sharp knife, carefully cut down the sides of the pineapple, about 1/2 inch (12 mm) inside the pineapple skin, being careful not to pierce the skin.
2. Then, with the point of your knife, cut into the pineapple in two places 1-inch (25 mm) from the bottom of the shell and loosen the central core so that you can remove the pineapple flesh in one piece. Do this by pushing the knife blade into the pineapple from these 2 small slits, being careful not to increase the size of the slits. Work the knife to the left and right; do not pierce the shell anywhere else.
3. Slice the pineapple flesh across into 8-12 slices. Cut out the core from each slice and cut the pineapple into even-sized segments.
4. Toss the pineapple segments in 2 tbls (30 ml) icing sugar, then arrange in a bowl and pour over them a mixture of Cointreau and rum. Chill the fruit and the pineapple shell in the refrigerator.
5. About an hour before serving, whip the cream and flavor it with kirsch. Keep cold until you are ready to serve.
6. Just before serving, spoon the whipped cream into the marinated pineapple segments. Toss until each segment is coated with the creamy liqueur mixture. Taste and add a little more icing sugar, if desired. Pile the pineapple mixture into the prepared pineapple shell. Top with finely grated orange zest and replace the pineapple top. Decorate with orange slices and maraschino cherries.

JAMAICA ME CRAZY

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Amber Rum

1/2 oz Tia Maria

Splash of Pineapple Juice

Serve over ice in a Highball glass.