'REARING-THE-END...or harnessing the cyber world?'

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’#48    ‘Rearing-the-end’ ..or HARNESSING the cyber world?  

 REARING –THE- END?

IT all began unintentionally , when I wrote a naughty email about a wonderfully jovial evening out with a party of friends at a specific-not-to-be-named-venue, celebrating a birthday.

My  writings were virally dispersed in a freNzy   of emailed fun, hopefully with My  true identity withheld!

And when, as guest at a sumptuous New Year’s Day luncheon at ‘Friends Other’ , to my astonishment!!!! ,  the topic of conversation amongst persons present, strangers  they were to me, was “ That Email ”….and so My  identity was disclosed, as the author describing that delectable evening.

Yes!   - of the fun , the fashion , the food and especially the garish musical entertainment  …a-an-and the look on patrons’ faces when I had no option but to pass though the crowds at our friend’s 40^th birthday being hosted there,  with a chocolate cake topped with a clutch of semi-naked Barbies!…

Thus, a Romantic  notion evolved from a spontaneous conversation (see blog # 4 ) …could I  blog indefinitely?... could I  blog ‘ad infinitum’?  .... or should I  have a definite  duration of delicious fun?...yes, a ‘cut-off ’ date.

To-date, compiling ‘cookingwithmavis’   has been a wonderful and cathartic exercise in imagination, productivity and creativeness, often putting my daily life ‘on hold ’ while my ‘Prep’ dominated our lives.

Not unusual for MyM  and ‘BestFriendMo’   or  ‘Other Occasional Dinner Guest ’  to have to patiently wait while I  styled or photographed myriads of shots before serving a meal or before a sublime dessert was served, and as I  near week #52 and my 52^nd blog, do I  end a wonderful year of playing with words and attempting to tempt You, my reader, to try your hand at easy recipes?   Do I  say good-bye, or should I  endeavour to make You  chuckle a little longer…

I  think it is not impolite, but to ask you, either to “join” and become a “member”  or to email me with your thoughts on this matter   -  after all , will you at all miss “…‘MAVIS’s ”  weekly Thursday banter, should I  choose to withdraw to a NORMAL daily life, one of no stREss, endless leisure and no impending deadlines?

I  know I  have indulged a good many hundreds of you on my  mailing list, for not having the hassle to ‘join’ this site as members, but it is, I  say, time for a smidgeon of “resounDing”  adulation  ...what do you think?

I  look forward to your usual mails, or some of you might prefer to send a comment to…..  cookingwithmavis@gmail.com   ...or find ‘Mavis  on Facebook.

Of course, the *!#  best prize #*  would be to have an endless list of “Members” join !

            Go-on then, should our ‘Mavis   continue to entice a giggle……

 And so to recipes…..

LEMON MOUSSE

LEMON MOUSSE - THE 'PREP'

INGREDIENTS for LEMON MOUSSE:
EGG WHITES + EGG YOLKS + SUGAR +
WATER & GELATINE CRYSTALS +
CREAM-of-TARTAR + LEMON JUICE +
 LEMON RIND + WHIPPING CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

5 ‘jumbo’-size / extra-large eggs, separated

1¼ cups sugar

⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

2 tablespoons lemon rind , finely grated, (of about 3 lemons)

2 tablespoons (20g) gelatine, dissolved in:

½ cup cold water (room temperature)

2 cups (500ml) fresh (whipping) cream

⅛ teaspoon cream-of-tartar

METHOD:

1) Finely grate the lemon rind and set aside

2) Squeeze the lemons to make ⅔ cup juice and set aside

3) In a small heatproof glass bowl, mix the gelatine crystals in the ½ cup cold water, and stir.  

4) Place this small glass bowl into a larger heatproof bowl, and fill halfway up the outsides of the smaller bowl of gelatine mixture, with hot (not quite boiling) water. Leave for 5 minutes, stir and see that the gelatine has completely dissolved – (it will become clear). Set aside

5) Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.

6) Beat the yolks with the sugar, then slowly add the lemon juice +  lemon rind

7) In a separate dry, clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar (with a clean, dry beater!) until stiff, but be careful NOT* to over beat till dry  .

8) In a separate bowl, whip the cream lightly till thick (do not over beat)

9) Then, gently fold* the whipped cream, preferably with a large metal spoon into the lemon/sugar mixture.

10) Then gently fold in the gelatine/water mixture

11) Gently fold in the stiff egg whites.

12) Gently spoon the mixture into a glass serving bowl, or individual small dishes. Best to gently pour the mixture over the back of a metal spoon, so it keeps the mixture aerated.

13) Chill bowl of mousse for at least 2 hours before serving.

 - Individual-portion bowls will set within 30 minutes.

Serves at least 12 portions…or more…OR LESS if greedy! Mmmmmmm…

DISSOLVING THE GELATINE CRYSTALS
 IN MINI HOT WATER BATH

GELATINE CRYSTALS NEARLY DISSOLVED

GELATINE: CLEAR, LIQUID, DISSOLVED

THE ULTIMATE LEMON MOUSSE!

INDIVIDUAL PORTION LEMON MOUSSE

* “Folding-in” mixtures:

To successfully “fold-in” one mixture into another,  best to do so with a large metal spoon, gradually adding a couple of spoonfuls at a time, and using a generous hand-movement lifting / ‘scooping’ from the bottom of the bowl of mixture, bringing up and over and down again, careful to keep the mixtures aerated.

Remember to fold the lighter mixture into the heavier mixture…here, the whipped cream into the egg/sugar/lemon juice mixture, then lastly add the beaten egg whites.

* If you over-beat the egg whites, by mistake, just fold in a little of the sugar/juice mixture to the beaten whites, to ‘un-stiffen’ the whites a little.

So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’




PS....

Instructions how to join..then comment too!

Once you are on Mavis's blog site:

1)    Top right side: click  “SIGN IN”

2)    In the box..it will ask you to sign-in with your own email’s address and password

3)    Tick /confirm the “CONDITIONS”

4)    Click onto “blogs I am following”

5)    Scroll down the page and click on “ADD”

6)    In the space, enter the words:  cookingwithmavis.blogspot.com

7)    Click RED button “NEXT”

8)    Kindly allow the “FOLLOW PUBLICLY AS…”

9)    Click RED  button “FOLLOW”

….and hopefully you will be alerted each time ’Mavis   rears her head!

Now you are registered as ‘joined’  - a “follower”  –  this adds to ’Mavis’s  credibillity !

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) Easiest usually to choose the option “anonymous”

5) Click on “PREVIEW”

6) Confirm the funny “WORD VERIFICATION” if there is one

6) Click on grey button “POST A COMMENT”

For your peace of mind,

 All comments are sent to my email address via Google’s privacy, not disclosing the sender’s details, for me to accept …or  reject……