A reminder of Morocco.

After looking back at my design book on Hawaii, I had a reminder this week of another book I made. My book was all about Moroccan cuisine and, when I saw this M&S ad in the paper, I thought some of the pages of my book were similar to this design, below, made with spices.

As well as the ad in the paper M&S are also running a mouth watering TV ad to promote their Moroccan tagine. Yum!

The circle in the middle of my front cover was made with spices dropped on to PVA glue. It's got a rough feel to it.

And the inspiration for my book came from one of my favourite television chefs, Rick Stein.

I'm very happy that he's back on TV at the moment on a new gastronomic road trip from Venice to Istanbul.

When you open my book you can smell the spices. 

This page was all about the saffron that grows in Morocco.

 I saw star anise in the M&S newspaper ad. I also used a star anise for some artwork on a page of my book and made a little printing block. The chillies were made by a cool iron melting a plastic ribbon, the sort that florists tie round a bouquet. It bubbles up nicely.

Drinking mint tea is a favourite pastime.

This was my favourite page, orange flower and rosewater.

Pomegranates.

Lemons.

Tagines.

Dates.

Aubergines.

Freshly baked bread every day. I did some rust dyeing on muslin.

Fish, of course.

Goats that climb trees.

Cafe tiles.

I had enrollled for my C&G course and was undecided on a country for my main research and design when Rick Stein's programme came on the TV -  'Mediterranean Escapes'.  It must have been 2008, I think, and once I saw him smelling the spices and wandering the souks of Morocco, well I was entranced. My choice of country was decided.

Think I'll  have to go off and buy that M&S Spiced Lamb and Apricot Tagine now!

Rain didn't stop play...

I'm staying with my sister and It's absolutely poured rain today.

Ha! My mum's operation has been delayed by a week. Now it's scheduled for the day after her 90th birthday.

I'm sitting about with nothing to do now so I did a bit of stitching. I always write my blog on a laptop but I'm trying to get the hang of blogging on my IPad mini today. You just get used to one thing then there seems to be something new to learn. I'm lucky to have a whizz kid of a son who fixes things for me. I can't remember what he shows me, that's the trouble.
Anyway, I brought my bookmark kit with me.

I've chain stitched the red border. 

I made a cake!

I made a fruity jelly!

These runner beans are from my brother- in - laws garden.

My sister made Scotch eggs. 

And I made a start on the blue borders.

Macaroons or Macarons?

"I saved you two macarons," my friend said when I called round.
"They came from Harrods."
"Ooh, lovely," I said.
"I had to eat them," she said, "You went off to England."
"I saved you the paper though," she said!

So I drooled over the piece of paper and thought about what might have been.

In Paris, the Laduree chain of pastry shops is famous for its macarons.

Then, last week, when I was in Sainsbury's I saw a macaroon kit.  

It got me thinking of the macaroons my mum used to make - they were almond with a cherry on the top - and the most exciting bit was eating the rice paper they were baked on.

I bought the kit.  As well as the kit I used two egg whites, 50gm butter and one tbsp milk.

I beat two egg whites until stiff then folded in the macaroon mix.

There was a paper piping bag supplied. It was all quite easy.

Put them into a cold oven then turn it up to 50C and leave 20 mins, then turn the oven up to 150C  and bake for another 15 mins.

When is a macaroon a macaron, and when did they get posh?

Here they are in the oven after the warming. 

And here they are after the baking.

Then I beat 50gm of butter and one tbsp milk with the icing mix.

                                               Sandwich them together. Then refrigerate .

Well, pleased to say they looked like the picture on the box.

             The macarons I've made are raspberry flavoured but look at the choice from Laduree.

Tonight's dessert.

I think my Sainsbury's kit is a macaron - not a macaroon as labelled.
Whatever!  They were really nice.

Fast Cakes.

I've been doing a bit of baking today because there's a Valentine's Tea Party and Cake Sale at my craft group tomorrow.
I used to always follow Delia Smith's recipes but, thanks to the Great British Bake Off,  I've been trying out Mary Berry's recipes just lately.
I own quite a few cook books but none by Mary Berry so when I saw this one for 'Fast Cakes', and only £2.99, I  bought it!
I like quick and easy recipes with not too many ingredients and this book was just right, ideal for anyone who is baking for a coffee morning or a bring-and-buy sale.

This wee book contains recipes for :

• Tray Bakes
• Small Cakes
• Large Cakes
• No-Bake Cakes and Other Goodies
• Tea Breads and Scones
• Things that Children can make Themselves

I made Chocolate Brownies and two Lemon Cakes.

While the lemon cakes are warm you spoon over a mix of granulated sugar and lemon juice.

I cut the Chocolate Brownies in slices, they're a bit disappointing and not as moist as I think they should be, but they still taste good.

I re - named the Brownies 'Chocolate and Walnut Slices'.  Artistic Licence.

All packaged up and ready to go!

Cranberry Hootycreeks... and talk of homemade gifts.

In my last post I was going on about my homemade Christmas cards. Pondering on whether my friends and family like to receive them. They always do lots of talking about them (good and bad)!
Over at heyhomewrecker she's posing a similar question.. 'do you like to make and receive a handmade gift?'
Yes I do.  Both.
There's a bit of thought and effort that goes into producing a handmade gift.

My youngest son gave me this for Christmas. It came beautifully presented with a lovely ribbon and a handmade gift tag all stuck on with hospital tape. His mother taught him well!
Cranberry Hootycreeks - a jar layered with all the ingredients to make cookies. My wee grand-daughter came to help.

I inherited my retro Salter scales from my mother -in -law.  There are scales similar to mine at pineappleretro with a black base, but mine have a blue bowl with a white base. I think they're probably 70's vintage.
All we had to do was cream butter, vanilla essence and an egg together until fluffy. Then we tipped in the entire jar of ingredients and mixed until well blended.

Watch out for this little miss on the GBBO in a few years time. Her mother is teaching her well!

In to the oven 175C, 8-10 minutes.

Yum. Yum.

But that wasn't all. Along with the Cranberry Hootycreeks came a bottle of homemade Baileys.
Now in it's 2nd year of production. I don't mind getting the same thing twice over. It's very boozy!

And two years running I've been given lovely shortbread from my neighbour. 

                                                                     What's not to like?!

Sweet Cucumber Pickle.

My brother-in-law gave me some home - grown cucumbers.
I love making pickle but my husband can't stand the smell of it cooking.
This time he set up the camping stove and sent me out to the shed.
Funny he says the kitchen is all mine - so how come I'm not allowed to cook in it?!

This is a Katie Stewart recipe for sweet cucumber pickle:

2 medium onions             Fills 3 x 300 ml (1/2 pint) jars
2 large cucumbers
50g sea salt
350ml cider vinegar
350g granulated sugar
1 level tsp ground turmeric
1 level tbsp yellow mustard seed
2 level tsp celery seed or dill seed

The day before you plan to make the pickle, peel and slice the onions. Wash the cucumbers but do not peel them, slice thinly and place in a bowl with the onions and the salt.
Mix together and leave to stand for 24 hours. Pour away the salty liquid that accumulates. Rinse the vegetables in a colander under running cold water and drain very thoroughly.
Put the vinegar, sugar and spices in a large pan then take yourself off to the shed.  
Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar.

Add the cucumber and onion mixture and bring to a simmer.

Cook gently for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.
You can even relax in a garden chair while it's cooking!

I moved to the utility room for the bottling.

With a perforated spoon, scoop the vegetables and spices into jars, leaving the syrup in the pan.
Return syrup to the heat and boil for 5 minutes to concentrate flavour.
Pour hot syrup over vegetables - there should be sufficient to cover. Seal with lids while hot.

Good straightaway, but will keep for up to a year.

The smell of the pickle cooking was quite overpowering, so this time I think maybe my husband was right to send me out to the shed. Not sure about Health and Safety though!