COOKING WITH MAVIS # ….a bonus thought.
‘ Running away from ‘Mavis….’
Getting a blog together is no easy feat….It took weeks of deliberation, whether to commit to such an undertaking…of course who else, but to bounce my worries and thoughts off, but to those closest to me…and ‘fraid-to-say….I think they really want to run away from me! I know ‘My M‘ would, if he could…….and ‘ ‘ ComputerpherousAngie’ has no place to hide… and ‘BestFriendMo’ ? ....awkwardly non-committal !
Sometimes Cookingwithmavis is all-consuming…she engulfs my thoughts and suddenly, I’m swamped by a myriad of ideas, and words, and subjects!...
In the middle of the night, or in mid-conversation with anyone, I just HAVE TO scribble a thought-or-three….It Really is,
W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L-L-Y ALL-CONSUMING !
Just today, I emailed Jo’ for her husband Si’s birthday…sending warm wishes…
AND-WHAT-DO-YOU-KNOW!...message returned with the BESTEST retort EVER !!!!
And so Jo’ replies: “……I think regards should at least be served lukewarm… or piping hot !! “
HOWZAT ! – to put a smile on one’s face!
No! –Jo’ DOESNT cook…not to save her life! “Mrs Woolworths” saves the day….but when it comes to creativity, Jo’ can simply throw a couple of things together, and it is amazing!...be it a table-setting…or furnishings…even her great choice of art pieces…and especially the very stylish clothing she publicly admits she found at Bargain store Monsier Prix…’nog al ‘ in the GIRLS department! Everything looks good on her!..not shabby for a ‘Fifty-Something’!
( I covet that damn round stylish white-framed convex mirror she has…that she got ON SALE ,..cheap…at a reduced, REDUCED price! …………THAT I CANT find one too! )
Behind the scenes…we’re really novices at bloomin’ blogs and blogging!
We haven’t figured out yet how to allow YOU, her reader, to post a bloody comment on the blogsite…let alone know how to alert you whenever Cookingwithmavis rears her head!
Cookingwithmavis has access, as doyenne of her own blog, to crawl into the workings of Google’s cyberspace to view the “Stats”…and gasp! at how quickly the readership numbers multiply…a-and even to what countries she’s travelled! Don’t stop! Keep-it-up!
COOKING WITH MAVIS
Instructions how to join..then comment too!
When you are on the blog site:
Top right: “SIGN IN”
Top right: “SIGN IN”
In the box..it will ask you to sign-in with your own email’s address and password
Tick /confirm the “CONDITIONS”
Click onto “blogs I am following”
Scroll down the page and click on “ADD”
In the space , enter the words: cookingwithmavis.blogspot.com
Click RED button “NEXT”
Kindly allow the “FOLLOW PUBLICLY AS…”
Click RED button “FOLLOW”
….and hopefully you will be alerted each time’Mavis rears her head!
Now you are registered as ‘joined’ - to allow you to post a comment !
To post a comment:
1) Scroll to the bottom of the blog
2) Click on little envelope symbol( next to “COMMENTS”)
3) Type in your comment
4) Click on “PREVIEW”
5) Confirm the funny “WORD VERIFICATION”
6) Click on grey button “POST A COMMENT”
All comments are sent to my email address to accept …or reject……
COOKING WITH MAVIS
…
And so to the recipes:
A lifetime ago, Cookingwithmavis was a very young , inexperienced new cook,- eager even then, and willing to absorb whatever epicurean delights came by…..
This recipe is thanks to a very genteel, dignified Egyptian lady, having immigrated to London; whose Anglicized name is Esther Hawkins….yes! Suzie’s mum!
First you bake the cake, then pour over the fragrant syrup…Mmmmmmmmmm!
Mercie! Mdme Hawkins.
SEMOLINA-AND-ROSEWATER CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
300g semolina
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup white sugar
250 butter
1 cup buttermilk (can substitute 1 cup milk)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 150 degrees C
1) By hand, mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
2) Gently melt butter (easiest in a Pyrex glass jug, in the microwave on “Defrost” / “Low” for a minute –check, then perhaps a little more)
3) Add the warm melted butter to the buttermilk, then stir this all into the semolina mixture
4) Grease and flour a rectangular medium oven baking pan ( I use a 25cm x 35cm pan )
5) Pour batter into pan, smooth with a spatula to even out.
6) Slivered / or whole blanched almonds – enough to sprinkle
Note: when this is baked, you are going to cut it into squares approx 4cm x 4 cm in size, so you will visually need to estimate how many squares per row…sprinkle slivered blanched almonds (or place 1 whole blanched almond) per square - allowing space in-between neat rows , to be able to slice easily.
7) Bake @ 150 degrees C till just GOLDEN BROWN…. about 35 - 45 minutes (depending on the size of your pan.
SYRUP:
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons rosewater (you might want more…(or if using essence oil , just a few drops)
METHOD:
1) Put water and sugar into a small pot. Do not stir.
2) Bring to the boil, and then simmer gently about 30 minutes to form a thickish syrup.
4) Add the rosewater
Take the cake out of the oven when ready, and with a large, sharp knife, cut immediately into squares.
Pour the hot syrup over the cut cake. It will all be absorbed.
Leave to cool.
Note:
You can be adventurous and try to cut in to diamond-shaped squares…
Also, I love to use a few drops of “Orange Blossom” essence - not easily available – in place of the Rosewater.
‘Cookingwithmavis ‘
i think all comments should be to rise or flop!
ReplyDeleteWe've been lucky enough to try this unusual cake. So different - for the adventurous foodies out there - unique!
ReplyDeleteChicken soup sounds great but breast are for numbimg, not for cooking!
ReplyDeleteOooo Mave I can practically smell that chicken soup! I like your waste not want not approach too....very 'green'! Gillian
ReplyDeleteBlog: Cooking with Mavis
Post: Jewish Chicken Soup and "Computerpherous Angie"