Easter Week & / or Spring Break or Passover Plans ?

[scullion Profile]

i haven't made any this year but being non religious i usually make noughts and crosses buns. i like the mercedes bunz, too.

[Alexandria Profile]

Happy Easter Sunday Everybody ..

The dessert pastries at the Hotel (http://www.parador.es) (click English) were just terrific ..

Had a walnut, honey, clove, orange zest " Hidromiel de Nuez " which is a rose water and honey concoction ..

And Crêpes de Mel i Mató, al aroma del gran licor de Torres, which are crépes with pine nuts, honey, goat cheese ricotta, Grand Torres Liquor & black raisins .. This is a typical Catalan delicacy during Easter time ..

All my best as we shall be having a light late lunch at 14. 30 - 15.00 and then heading back to Barcelona ..

Have a lovely holiday ..

[Joanbunting Profile]

Happy easter/Spring break everyone - we need an Easter egg smiley!!

Those pastries sound utterly delicious Member 461. I hope your weekend was informative as well as enjoyable.

By contrast DS who is currently in Florida - prior to going to his birth island in the Bahamas sent us a picture of what he had ordered for breakfast, it was something called a cinnabon which he described as instant diabetes and added "absolutely no natural ingredients were harmed in this product!" The waitress asked if he would like a doggie bag to enable him to "Savout it later" he replied he did not wish to be caught in possession of a weapon of mass destruction!

We have had a wonderful day with an fabulous lunch at our friends restaurant. So fresh and seasonal. To put it breifly
Green asparagus cream with sauce maltais, veal sweetbreads in a crisp pastry with spring vegetables in a delicious bisque, Joh Dory (St Pierre) on crush potatoes with a morel and white wine sauce flavoured with asparagus and a wild herb salad. Finished with a tart au citron topped with a lemon grass panna cotta /brulee, lemon balm icecream and lemon thyme and liquorice syrup.

My turn tomorrow - won't e as good but it will be as seasonal.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,


Thank you for all your feedback ..

Firstly, your Easter lunch sounds fabulous ..

I am sorry to hear about the " disasterous artificial " Cinnamon pastry "The Gent" had in Florida .. They have a "doggie bag" culture over there !

Yes, we had quite a lovely tour group up on the Costa Brava and truly enjoyed the Spanish Parador Hotel we stayed at .. A true gem of a location, Aiguablava ..

Have a lovely day .. Cheers ..

[mark111757 Profile]

If mum was still alive, slow roasted leg of lamb would be on the menu with slivers of garlic throughout the meat. A little oil massage and some very finely chopped rosemary on top of the joint. And if we were lucky, lamb gravy too.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I was in two minds whether to use my half leg of lamb like your mum's, or to make a Lancashire Hotpot. In the end I decided to do both. Half the lamb went into the gorgeous Hotpot I made yesterday, and the other half will be studded with garlic, rosemary and anchovy tomorrow and roasted.

Babka dough rising too.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Come to mamma!!!!

I adore potato slivers like that.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I was worried that leg would be less tasty than the usual shoulder, but it was fab, and not as greasy as shoulder would be. And of course I have round two to follow!

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

That Lancashire hotpot looks wonderful Sakkarin. Also for making the babka too. When I made it last weekend I found that my freestanding mixer and fridge did most of the work for me, so the effort didn't feel like too much. However, the dough is very stretchy once it's had the first prove though. Good Luck with that one! I had a struggle trying to control what felt like a slippery eel!

[Joanbunting Profile]

That looks just so good sakkers. I too am a total sucker for potatoes like that,

[Renee Profile]

What an amazing Lancashire hot pot Sakkarin! I will make one when Colin comes to stay. What kind of potatoes did you use?

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

Definitely looks like a heavenly traditional classic ..

Thank you for posting .. And all the feedback ..

[Sakkarin Profile]

The spuds are "Tesco Finest Potatoes" currently half price at £1 for 1.75 kg, but they are shy about exactly what type they are. I found it in weeny print, the variety is called "Georgina".

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p ... /289647092

Well that's the Babka made, that is an extremely naughty cake. Not the prettiest, but I'm sure it will be better next time - it hasn't the definition most of the online piccies have, although at the rolled up stage it was OK. I think my dough was probably too soft, next time I'd add more flour.

Surprising how much the orange zest cuts through, and I can't see why they originally suggested lemon; and 200 ml of sugar syrup disappeared into it with no problem, I guess that would have been the point to add rum. Mind you it's so rich that won't be until next year!

I just remembered I have a little bit of double cream left to go with my next slice...

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

Tart:

Sinfully delighting !!

Photo does not do it justice surely ..

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

WOW!!! That babka looks wonderful, and better than mine did. I think the dough is meant to be soft ans very stretchy. The recipe I followed (from delicious magazine's website) told you what to expect at each stage, and had a whole load of notes at the end. However, having looked at some online images, my chocolate filling was a bit too runny (the recipe said it had to be fluid but I think that was a bit of a misnomer).

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

On my way over, Sakkarin, with my morning cup of coffee.

I agree with you on the lamb.
Packed full of flavour - we had ours with mint sauce, natch. And the potatoes cooked underneath. No rosemary, just a bit of garlic.
The jus was just meat juices plus wine, but I added water as it was so intense.

Same again tonight, with leaks.


Clive, thank you for the lovely recipe.
I made it for our salad, with a mint mango yoghurt dressing. Moist & delicious! I've got the base sauce left I can use with another dish.

[Renee Profile]

What a colourful plate of food Gill!

Thanks for the information about the potato, Sakkarin and I've made a note. A special trip over to Tesco when I make the Lancashire hotpot! I should make it more often, living in Lancashire! I found this information about the potato:

http://www.buyabamba.com/wp-content/upl ... orgina.pdf

[Sakkarin Profile]

Sounds a bit untrustworthy with those shallow eyes!

[Alexandria Profile]

The Gilt Painter,

Lovely salad ..

The dressing sounds sublime too ..

Thank you for your feedback ..

[Pampy Profile]

I remember my late Dad telling me that when his mother made Lancashire hotpot, she put a layer of oysters under the potato layer to "bulk out" the meat! Oysters were plentiful and cheap in those days.