Ginger cake - the forgotten recipes... blog # 33 by 'cookingwithmavis'

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #33     Ginger cake - the forgotten recipes…

So?...whom of you know the meaning of the gloBal word “Meshugah”?...huh? (  pronounced:  “mishoogah”  )

‘ Meshugah ’  comes from Hebrew,  - and Yiddish too -  influenced By German..and some Polish I believe , …and adopted into the German modern spoken everyday language too…it means “crazy”…But, in My context, *crazy *  - as in:  “ nice-and-offbeat-not- normal ”!

…And, derived from the same basic root - a  “Meshiegenna”,  would have Been someone really off the rails, according to my maternal grandmother,      ‘ Ouma Flo '   , bless her.

…and a “mieshooguss” is a “quirk”…a quirk ?...

Yes!, a quirk:  …a not-so-conventional-to-average  societal-convention-or-limitation … in other words, a quirk is :-  ‘a-strange- behavioural-trait ’….

So, that too means that a “Meshiegenna”  is  meshugah..and thus can  have a mieshooguss!                       

                                                            

We all have some kind of  “mieshooguss”…a quirk…and mine is the notion that I should not allow myself the EXTRAVAGANCE, when Baking,  to make a Ginger cake using  A WHOLE CUP OF GOLDEN SYRUP !

The guilt ! , the unforgiving extravagance ! ..  it stems from my days of being young-and-gorgeous, a student living ABroad, when   “ The Mother “  would actually post via airmail, from Cape Town , to the other side of the world, such items as a whole 1kilogram tin of “Lyles’ Golden” (“corn”- )syrup ..and  *Marmite* ….and CadBury’s chocs,   that distance, Overseas, to us indulged kids, yearning for home ! ...and the  unavailable foods, familiar  to us !

And where did the  ‘mieshooguss’  come in? ...rations  ! , my dears… r-a-t-i-o-n-s!

We  made  that  tin of  Lyle’ s  Golden  syrup  l-a-ssss-t !

N-n-no ways could you waste a WHOLE cupful, on a recipe for 1 cake !   ...and to this day, even with tons of tins in that shopping aisle of  BloodyPack’nPiyClaremont supermarket,  ALWAYS  available for the buying… still, that pang of guilt comes to the fore !

I think twice before baking ‘ Ouma Flo ‘s   delectable old-fashioned ginger cake!

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm……….

And so to recipes…

                                         ‘ Ouma Flo ‘s

    ‘Old-fashioned Ginger cake’     

Mmmmmmmmm.......

Gosh!  When last did you savour the aroma’s wafting from your oven, of a classic ‘retro’  Ginger cake?... huh?   Just the very image in My Mind  , conjures up salivating thoughts! A thick slice smothered with lashings of butter!

I believe this was one of ‘ Ouma Flo ‘s  1950’s and 1960’s  staple kitchen standbys …

     An option of two Ginger cake Recipes…

Ginger“bread”  or  Ginger “cake”  -

…… “ c'est  la même chose ! ” 
 -   it is the same choice !

Before we begin to bake Ginger“bread”/cake,  here is an easy explanation from an elderly cookery journal…

Quote:  

 “ The dry ingredients are usually mixed together, and the fat (butter) and Golden Syrup (“corn syrup” in USA) , - or you can use Treacle -  are gently  warmed, before being added to the flour mixture, together with the eggs.

Golden Syrup, or the Treacle, play an important part in all gingerbread recipes, helping to give the characteristic texture, as does the soft-brown/ or treacle sugar, used to give it the rich colour.

‘Gingerbreads’ are usually baked in a square, straight-sided baking tin. The tin should be well greased, and lined with greased baking paper.”

  The Ultimate Old-fashioned
        Ginger cake…

GINGER CAKES
-FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN 

Ingredients: 

455g flour (3 ½  cups)

3 teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon - (optional)

½ teaspoon Allspice(”Pimento”) - (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground cloves - (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder (“baking soda” in USA)

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

Plus the wet ingredients…

225g (1 ¼ cups) soft-brown sugar

175 g ( ¾ cup) butter

350g (just a little more than 1 cup) Syrup

1 cup milk (250 ml)

1 ‘jumbo’/or extra large egg

Method:  ( so easy! )

1) Preheat the oven to 175*C  (350*F)

2) Line the bottom & sides of a 22cm square baking tin – (or 2x 20cm to 22cm loaf tins), with greased and floured baking paper.

3) Mix together all dry ingredients

4) Gently warm the brown-sugar, syrup and butter till butter melts, and thus, syrup is quite runny.( I do so in a Pyrex jug on low heat in the microwave)

5) Slightly warm the milk, and add the beaten egg into it.

6) Combine all the ingredients - easy to stir the ingredients with a whisk, by hand !

7) Pour batter into prepared baking tin.

8) In a square tin : bake for 1hr 6 mins, and test to see the centre is firm to the touch,  or a further 5 to 10 minutes - depending on your pan.

9) If baking in 2x loaf tins…55 minutes should be perfect.

Note  - on oven setting “Fan” – baking should be a shorter time.

A LOAF OF AROMATIC
 GINGER CAKE

RICH&HEAVY, HEADY IN AROMAS
 - GINGER CAKE!

DO YOU RECOGNISE THE LITTLE GIRL?
... PERFECT FOR A MAD-HATTER'S TEA-PARTY!

‘COOKINGWIthma……

 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….and you thought we were finished....not so !

          If you DON’T  want to use a WHOLE  CUP of syrup, then here is ‘ Ouma Flo’s    recipe for super Ginger cake too!

‘ Ouma Flo’s  Heartwarming  Ginger cake…

Ingredients:  (are similar)

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon Allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

Plus…

115g butter …(just a little more than ½ cup)

1 cup sugar

2 TABLEspoons  of Golden Syrup (or honey)

1 cup of lukewarm milk with 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda dissolved into it.

2 extra large eggs

Method  –  Easy: - the same as the previous recipe!

       

              Bake @ 175*C  for 1 hour in a square tin.

COULDN'T WAIT!
...JUST A LITTLE BITE!

‘till next time,

     ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

"Teatime on Muizenberg beach".....blog #32 by cookingwithmavis.blogspot.com

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’#32      Teatime on Muizenberg beach….

Mis-pronounced “Mee-yoo-zennbirg”, memories flood back about this once world-renowned vast stretch of pristine white beach of powdery sands, alas those days are but a memory…

“The Snake Pit “  was the most sought-after beach in the 1960 s….

This was prior to the demise of Muizenberg….before  ‘ The-Self-important-Persons-in-Local-Municipal-Places ’ chose to demolish The Grande Pavillion - the heart of that beach!

 Muizenberg in it’s heyday, when ‘Beatniks’ were hip and kids clamoured to partake in a moment of glory on “Uncle Vic Davis’s Variety”  talent shows, on the periphery of “The Snake Pit “.

This section of once wonderful Muizenberg Beach got this name due to the sardine-packed-bodies of oily, sweaty beach-goers cramming next to one another, bodies covered in copious amounts of “ Coppertone”  sun-tan oil, teenagers and “transistor” radios, jostling for place next to the ‘beach hunks’ and ‘lollypop  chics’  - sitting cheek-by-jowl, surveying the talent all around them.                              

This, “The Snake Pit “, the so-called ‘hip’ section of Muizenberg beach was popular, and populated because it was secluded from Muizenberg’s usual howling  South Easter wind. 

Sheltered by the gracious, crumbling Edwardian grande Pavilion with its ultra-cool ‘1950 s  Milk Bar ’ , and also sheltered by the elevated Promenade, where one stood, bent over the railings to try and spot your group of friends    -  the crowd writhing with constant social movement  on this beach of potential heartaches and teenage flirtations, on creamy white powdery sands…and then there was Me ! 

MUIZENBERG BEACH, IT'S OLD PAVILLION
& PROMENADE - AND 'THE SNAKE PIT'

 – Me !, the youngest kid of our family, the kid that my much older siblings were forced to babysit…to have me tag along with them, and cramp their style all summer long, on Muizenberg Beach!

...but truly, all I  ever wanted was a    Gatti’s Granadilla    frozen sherbet lolly!

 Gatti’sGranadillaGatti’sGranadillaGatti’sGranadillaGatti’sGranadillaGatti’s

I  much preferred the very early Sunday mornings, when our WHOLE  family, together with the ‘Auntie-Angela-Family’ – our neighbours across the street, arranged to share our Sunday morning with Rose-and-Alec…and Henry-and-Leslie…and their various offspring…and sometimes Granny Polly (of Blechkoechen fame – see my blog # 15) near the now famous, once abundant,  colourful ‘bathing  boxes’ (onTHAT  part of the beach!)….

and I can still remember the taste and smell of the milky tea, from Auntie Angela’s thermos flask…a..an..and the taste of “Bakers Tennis Biscuits” too, which we would ‘dunk’ into the Melamine  cups of tea – specially used for Sundays at the beach…oh, wonderful childhood memories…………..

TENNIS BISCUITS & MELAMINE TEA!

And so to Recipes…

Deconstructing  hummus! ….easy-peezy!

“A dish made with mashed chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic combined into a thick paste, originating in southwestern Asia”

…well that’s what the dictionary description says…and it’s quite true!...I think it is really associated with the Middle-East!

It has taken some time, but in the new millennium, this is really an internationally acclaimed tantalizing dish.  Ready-made , it’s found on supermarket- and deli shelves, and restaurant menus, but here, I shall deconstruct the secret of making your very own hummus!

You’ll see how simply simple it is to make….

                         Hummus:

                   Start off making just a small quantity:

HOME-MADE HUMMUS, WITH WHOLE CHICKPEAS
AND TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Ingredients:

DRIED CHICKPEAS

½ cup (approx) dried chickpeas

4 cups boiling water for soaking

[ Optional:  use drained canned chickpeas instead…no cooking needed – just remember to keep a little of the liquid from the can to use later]

Then you’ll use:

a few tablespoons olive oil,

juice of ½ lemon(2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon tahini paste (optional)

1 clove garlic,

pinch of salt,

pinch of ground cumin,

1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

Method :

   First…

Soak the dried chickpeas in boiling water for at least 2 hours (do not add salt, as this makes them tough!)

Drain off the water.

Bring a smallish pot of water to the boil.

Add soaked chickpeas and boil on medium for 1 ½ hours till soft.

         ( I  prefer to use a pressure cooker for 45 minutes , timing from when pressure begins…then switch off, leave still cooking till cooled. )

 

1/2 CUP OF CHICKPEAS - DRIED,
THEN SOAKED IN BOILING WATER

SAME 1/2 CUP OF CHICKPEAS - COOKED 

   Then…

When cooled, reserve a few whole cooked chickpeas, for the garnish.

Blend the remaining cooked chickpeas in a food processor, and gradually add, in small amounts to help make it smoother and almost creamy in texture, the following ingredients :

- Firstly add 1 tablespoon of reserved cooking liquid  - you can always add a little more liquid at the end!

- Chopped garlic

- Then 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon Virgin olive oil

- 1 tablespoon tahini concentrate (OPTIONAL)

- salt to taste

- A pinch of ground cumin

You can add more of any of these - depending on the thickness of texture that you want.

COOKED CHICKPEAS
PLUS 1 TABLESPOON TAHINI CONCENTRATE

EXTRAS TO ADD TO PROCESSED CHICKPEAS
 TO FLAVOUR HUMMUS:
CHOPPED PARSLEY AS GARNISH, OLIVE OIL, SALT,
GROUND CUMIN, FRESH LEMON JUICE,
GARLIC, LITTLE WATER(OR USE LIQUID
FROM COOKED CHICKPEAS)

Garnish :

Aha! …This is the special part!  To top and ‘dress’ the dish…

GARNISH WITH:
CHOPPED PARSLEY,  FRESH LEMON JUICE,  OLIVE OIL,  SALT &
 GROUND CUMIN...CAN ADD TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS TOO!

1) A drizzle of Virgin olive oil

2) A drizzle of lemon juice onto the olive oil

3) A light sprinkling of ground cumin (or you may prefer ground paprika)

4) About a tablespoon chopped parsley

5) A few whole cooked chickpeas

6) A generous sprinkling of lightly toasted sunflower seeds….or be extravagant with toasted real pine kernels!)

This recipe is a small quantity, and will yield enough for one large dinner plate size..an hors d’oeuvre for 4 people.

Easy to make a larger quantity …try 1 cup dried chickpeas…to feed a crowd….adding the other ingredients judging quantities yourself.

* Note :  This will keep fresh just 3 days only in the fridge, but best eaten chilled and freshly made.

Serve:

Scoop up with crisp sliced ciabbatta, or baguette….or warm pita breads. 

HUMMUS WITH WARM PITA BREADS! MMMmmmmmm......

˜*˜  And  to  those  of  you  who  are  new  to  “…‘Mavis”, you might  like  to  know  how  ‘Mavis  got  her  name ?

Just  scroll  to  the  top  right  of  this  page, and  click  on  2011 to  find  blog  number  9  “Clora”  ….. it’s  SOH  amuzing ! 
  
WELCOME too,  to email your comments to : cookingwithmavis@gmail.com      ˜*˜

 …’till next time,

         ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

"An urge..."

“ COOKINGWITHMAVIS “ #31           “ An urge… ”

                                      Auctions…..

I don’t suppose YOU  ever get an ‘urge’ ?....DO YOU! -huh?

  

Lately ’COOKINGWITHMAVIS’  has had an  urge!  

 Yes!  A real URGE   to seek out household auctions…the excitement of Saturday morning pre-views…then the antissssipation of going to the auction…

The STRESS leading-up to your “auction lot-number”   - about to roll off the tongue of that eloquent Auctioneer, and ZINNNNNNNG!  Before-you-know-it! ...you’ve either bought ‘what-you-came-for’   …or lost to a “Dealer’ s ”  bid!  Hmmfph!    

You’re  there for no other reason, but to acquire unusual aesthetics that are truly, TRULY, not needed!

A recent resounding bid bought two very stylized 1940s oil paintings …artists unknown, and sohh well priced too!    The larger of the two, is a portrait of an ample-bosomed very  “Colonial” -“W.a.s.p.-ish”   young woman,  staring straight at you, out of that canvas……blue eyes and blonde hair set in curls with pale turquoise dress, of conservative, tailored, square-cut neckline…..

‘My M’  isn’t too partial to her!...

    “Why  do  we  have  to  live  with  dead  people  staring  at  us !!!  ” - says he, gesticulating wildly.

 I choose not to hear, and promptly give her pride-of-place on the livingroom walls.

(In case you didn’t guess, this is a HUGE  compromise  - as I already have 40-plus,   * exceptionally - framed *  ancient  photographic portraits  of my distant ancestors …all bubble-wrapped and in our garage storage.

As, best for us to have no “  Persons  Passed  ”  be staring at us , off our walls! )

♫ Oh dear-what-can-the-matter-be?....

Three-old-ladies-locked-in-the-garagerie…!              ♪♫   ♪

So?   Dare I   unwrap that  sepia   picture of the ‘Great-aunts’ and uncles?...

Of Great ~ Aunt  Minna ,  and Frankie …and Mousy…and Morris   and  Boris ..a-and….. My Granny Dolly   too!

…and thinking of  ‘My M’  , so do I resist !

And so to recipes…..

GRANNY  DOLLY’ S

       BRAISED  CHICKEN .…

                                       

                          MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..                                   

 “ Those-of-Them”    ( I have 2 specific close friends in mind here)-  who don’t cook, might be happy to eat whatever plate of food is served-up to them….

In other words… They’ll   eat  ANYTHING!                             ... “ INDISCRIMINATE taste”!

‘My M’  and our dearest friend  “LL- CEO ”  aren’t too dexterous  in any room beginning with a “K”….they’ll  eat  ANTHING  SERVED  UP  TO  THEM                            …( is that to say they have indiscrim…..? )

Out of absolute*lust*  for this dish, they ventured into my kitchen one day, and well produced this wonderfully, simple comfort food …albeit, with heat on high!

Mmmmmmmmmm……….dont be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe…

nehctik>>>>>KKKKKKKKKKKKK<<<<kitchen

                                                            *O*

(I use 2 portions of the ‘brown’ meat of chicken per serving...either 2x thighs or a leg and a thigh, per serving)

INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAN's
BRAISED CHICKEN

POTATOES, ONIONS, FLOUR, CHICKEN PORTIONS,
  OIL, WATER, BLACK PEPPERCORNS, SALT,
 BAYLEAVES, WHITE PEPPER & CHOPPED ONIONS

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken legs   (The white meat will be too dry)

2 large onions, peeled and diced into about 1cm squares (never can be too much browned  onion! ..can use more if you like)

3 large potatoes pre-cooked steamed till almost soft, peel and cubed into 6 pieces

2 Bay leaves

Little flour (about ¼ cup) to coat the chicken pieces

10 whole black peppercorns

Salt to taste

A pinch of white pepper

½ cup to 1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or even better: shop-bought or homemade vegetarian  "chicken-fat" spread called “Schmaltz” …see blog # 20 - how to make your own! )

METHOD:

1)    Coat the chicken pieces lightly in flour/salt/white pepper, shake off the excess flour, and keep about 2 tablespoons of flour aside to add to the pot later,  then gently brown in the oil or schmaltz, till nice and golden, on medium heat.

2)    Remove from pot.

3)    Sauté the onions slowly, in same pot  that you used for the chicken, on medium heat, turning occasionally, till just more than golden browned ,(not burnt!), as this gives flavour and colour to this dish.

4)       Return chicken pieces, with the pre-cooked potatoes, Bay leaves and whole peppercorns to the pot, add the 2 tablespoons seasoned flour,  ½ to 1 cup boiling water, cover and simmer on low heat  for another 45 minutes.

LIGHTLY-BROWNED SAUTÉED
CHICKEN PORTIONS 

SAUTÉED AND CARAMELISED,
BROWNED ONION 

MMmmm... GRAN's BRAISED CHICKEN

Serve on a mound of steamed white rice.

I use Basmati  - or fragrant long grain rice                                    

BASMATI RICE AND SAUCE FROM
 GRAN's BRAISED CHICKEN

Have you made my   SEMOLINA-AND-ROSEWATER CAKE?…

   just see earlier blog #3 – you’ll find it in:

“ RUNNING AWAY FROM ‘MAVIS ”

‘till next time…

     ‘cookingwithmavis’