Dutch Curried Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1 lettuce, shredded

2 sticks celery, diced

1 clove crushed garlic

8-10 cups water

1 chicken cube

4 teaspoons powdered vegetable broth

2½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

50g butter or 2 tablespoons oil

2 carrots, grated

1 large potato, grated

1 kilo frozen peas

250ml (1 cup) cream

Method:

Sauté onion, lettuce, celery and garlic in butter or oil.

Add carrots, potato, peas, water and seasonings.

Simmer for about 2½ hours.

Liquidise, return to stove and add cream.

Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve with croutons.

For Kosher requirements omit chicken cube or alternatively stir in 2 sachets unbeaten orley whip instead of cream.

Crumpets

My Dad loves crumpets and generally used to make these a lot on a Sunday afternoon, in the time between lunch and dinner when we felt a little peckish and wanted something sweet. He enjoys them with a nice blob of margarine covered in golden syrup and can put the whole thing in his mouth in one bite. I can do without that additional fat and enjoy it just with the syrup, and sometimes even plain. I'm not sure if other families do the same... but we can stand around the kitchen eating them hot out the pan. Good memories.

Ingredients:
250ml (140g) flour
10ml baking powder
1ml salt
30ml sugar
1 egg
200ml milk
15ml margarine, melted

Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add sugar
Beat the egg, milk and melted margarine together and add to dry ingredients
Beat until smooth and leave to stand for 30 minutes
Fry spoonfuls of batter on a hot, greased pan
Fry until golden brown, turning when bubbles appear on surface
Serve with butter, jam, honey or my favourite... golden syrup!

*Makes 12-15, depending on size

Dense Chocolate Cake

Dreaming of cake, mom and I went into the kitchen to pop one into the oven. She wanted chocolate and I wanted it moist. I remembered a friend telling me she had this recipe that was part of a chocolate mousse cake that made the most delicious moist (and although I am not a fan of the word, I feel okay using it to describe cake) cake. It didn't take us long to whip it up and pop it in the oven. The result was a beautifully dense, deliciously moist chocolate cake whose recipe I will treasure.

Ingredients:
2 cups (400g) sugar
1 1/4 cups (245g) flour
3/4 cup (90g) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp (7.5ml) baking powder
1 1/2 tsp (7.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp (5ml) salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (250ml) milk
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla essence
1 cup (250ml) boiling water

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC
Grease and line a 26cm cake pan
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt
Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence, and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed
Stir in the boiling water - the batter should be runny
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the centre of the cake springs back when lightly pressed
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out

Homemade Garlic Pizza

I had prepared a delicious tomato base while the dough was proving, but when it came to making it, I felt like having a "starter" beforehand. Everything was done by hand, from working the dough to its rustic shape to rubbing it with olive oil. I sprinkled some salt, garlic, rosemary and a little Israeli feta and popped it into the oven for around 10-15 minutes on 180ºC.

The end result was far more scrumptious than I could have imagined. I landed up making two of these before the traditional margherita.

Pizza Dough

I've missed good thin pizza here in Israel, and at an attempt to have something nice on the weekends I bought Pillsbury frozen pizzas for the freezer. The first time I enjoyed it, the second time it wasn't as good and the third time... well, that was enough. I took the matter into my own hands and decided to make my own pizza dough. Homemade pizza with the possibility of having it as thin as my heart desired. This was my first time making pizza dough and I was very pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed making it, kneading it and then preparing it for toppings. It was easier than I anticipated and I will definitely be doing it again.

Ingredients:
450ml warm water
1 tablespoon dried yeast
A little milk
750g flour
2 tablespoons sugar
A little olive oil

Method:
Place the water in a bowl and add the yeast.
Add milk and mix (with your fingers). If you can't feel anything when you dip your fingers in, that's the perfect temperature.
Place flour in a mixing bowl.
Add the yeast mixture and mix until the dough comes together about 4/5 minutes.
Drizzle in olive oil. The more olive oil you put in, the softer the dough will get and more focaccia like.
If the dough is a little sticky, add a little flour and roll or knead it out.
Put a cloth over the dough and let it prove for about 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into three pieces and then into thirds again.
Roll each piece into balls, cupping your hands and using your palm to push inwards.
Place on a tray in a warm place and let it prove again for 20 minutes.
Lift the proved dough gently and pat it out on flour, pushing it out as much as you can.
Add your desired toppings and bake in the oven for around 10-15 minutes at 180ºC.

*A mixture of semolina and flour underneath, allows the pizza to slide in the oven.

Landwer's

Late night dessert at Landwer's on Rothschild turned out to be these delicious Rozelach. Hot out the oven, these little rolled yeast pastries were filled with Nutella chocolate that oozed a little with each bite. Sprinkled with icing sugar these made for a delicious end to a meal... plus they were perfect for sharing!

Apple Cake

Mom sent me a message to say she had just stuck a quick apple cake into the oven and that it would be ready shortly. Sitting far from home and alone most of the time... it made me just want to eat a piece of that cake hot out the oven. I guess sometimes I do just want to eat my feelings. It came out really well and I enjoyed it with a big cup of tea. You can use any fruit, it doesn't have to be apple.

Ingredients:

3-4 apples, peeled and sliced

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

Place the sliced apples into your baking dish (I did add a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of cinnamon onto the apples before covering with the batter)

Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla essence together

Pour over the apples and bake for 1 hour at 180ºC

Moroccan Tomato Relish

This is Nicoles' recipe for Moroccan Tomato Relish. I don't think I have ever visited when this is not a staple in the fridge, nor does it miss a single meal. I guess you could say that this is her "Mrs. Balls" as no table is complete without it. I don't really have exact amounts as this is the sort of recipe that I guess you just go along with. I'll do the best I can.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Garlic

Hot Green Pepper

Oil

Salt

Method:

Cover a small pot full of tomatoes in boiling water to help with peeling

Once peeled and chopped, place in a pot with oil, around 2 cloves of chopped garlic and the hot pepper (I did use a red chili instead of the hot pepper)

Slow cook until all the water has evaporated (it can take a couple hours)

Salt to taste