We recently headed south from Los Angeles for a long weekend getaway in Newport Beach at the newly created Resort at Pelican Hill. It took just about an hour to arrive at this magnificent new retreat overlooking the Pacific. Our friends have a house in Laguna Beach and I always feel as if I am on the French Riviera when I look out from their home in the hills. I got that same feeling and more from the views at this amazing new oasis. Opened in November of last year, they have spared no expense nor have they missed an opportunity to make their guests feel welcome and pampered.

The resort is set on a 504-acre site with views from all the rooms. There are 128 villas and 204 bungalow suites all designed with comfort in mind. The villas range in space from about 2,000 to 4,000 square feet with expansive terraces, dining areas, one or two car garages, granite countertops, and a butler and 24-hour staff at your beck and call. HDTV’s, Bose audio systems, limestone fireplaces are just some of the wonderful attributes of the villas.

The bungalow suites range in size from about 800 to 2,400 square feet with fantastic appointments including ultra-soft linens, super-plush beds, tiny lights overhead so that you can read without waking your partner, Cuisinart coffee makers with built-in-grinders, cleverly hidden safes, flashlights in the drawers, cozy fireplaces, and large private terraces with incredible views. The robes in all the rooms are the softest robes I have ever worn. I have never come across a better or more quality robe at any resort I have visited!!!

There are shuttle busses for guests available 24-7. Simply dial the operator and a vehicle will be outside your area in minutes. You can take the busses from the bungalows to the spa – although it is a simple 5 minute walk. You might need a bus to go from the hotel to the golf club for a round of golf or a meal at the Pelican Grill. And, you can take a quick ride to Crystal Cove for a magnificent walk along the Pacific coastline for miles.

One of our favorite activities was to take advantage of the salt-water Coliseum pool. Perfectly round and 136 feet in diameter, it is the largest circular pool in the world. There are cabanas available which are like mini-suites with wet bars, Bose music systems, HDTV’s and curtains for privacy. While at the pool, we lunched on some wonderful salads and paninis. We also had a great breakfast and buffet brunch with splendid omelets, French toast, yogurt, and all types of fruits and breakfast meats.

As a change of pace, we marched upstairs to The Caffe and had an iced coffee and some of the homemade gelatos. Favorites included the pistachio and the salted caramel, which should not be missed!

One of our days was spent at the 23,000 square foot spa. We began by working out in the fitness area on the treadmills, each equipped with individual televisions, TV guide listings, sanitized headphones, towels, and bottles of water. We followed that with a course of the weight training machines. There is also a “Crystal Cove Fitness Walk” available daily as well as yoga, cardio, and several other lifestyle fitness classes. After we felt we had worked out and hopefully burned up a few calories we decided to indulge in the Spa facilities. Not a detail has been overlooked at this relaxing retreat. Don’t miss the Global Traditions herb, massage, and heat therapy, or the reflexology therapeutic massage. There is a sugar glow massage, thyme body buff, coastal renewal, and marine “wrapsody” as well as my personal favorite, a body gelato! You can have facials of all types, manicures, pedicures, warm paraffin hand or foot masques, and of course hairstyling.

Our favorite meal of the weekend was at Andrea, the elegant Italian restaurant in the main building. The chef relies on local and fresh farmers’ market ingredients coupled with fine imports from Italy including a thoroughly satisfying burrata cheese that was more than memorable coupled with a touch of tomato and wild arugula. We also sampled a wonderful pureed onion soup with brilliant flavors and an extraordinary risotto finished off tableside in a hollowed-out wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. Our waiter was not only knowledgeable in the food, but in the wine pairings. The best part of dining at Andrea is to watch the sunset over the water while listening to the strains of classical guitar music. It is a romantic and awesome sight while sipping a Bellini or some wonderful wine from the huge cellar at Andrea and munching on the crispy homemade grissini breadsticks.

We also sampled the food at the Pelican Grill at the Pelican Hill Golf Club. We had a superb lunch on a cold and not so pretty day with hot tortilla soup and tuna burgers while watching the US Open on two huge nine feet by six feet HDTV’s. In the evening, we ate in a delightfully quiet room, with a cozy fireplace, views of the sunset, and the ultimate in service. I had a wonderfully juicy Kurobata pork chop, and tasted a perfectly cooked steak with sauteed spinach, and extra crispy onion rings. The tuna tartare is enough for a full meal but still light and very flavorful.

For golf aficionados the course is Nirvana. Pelican Hill Golf Club is one of the nations’ premier golf clubs with 36 holes designed by Tom Fazio set atop an ocean vista that is totally breathtaking. The attached 44,000-square foot clubhouse has luxurious locker rooms and lounges and all that you might need after enjoying a round of golf.

Our weekend took place during the “June gloom” weather in California but that didn’t dampen a single moment of our memorable and fantastic stay at this new and not-to-be missed resort.

22701 Pelican Hill Road South
Newport Coast, California 92657
800 315-8214
949-467-6800
www.pelicanhill.com

Every June millions of people around the world celebrate their union in marriages of all kinds. From grand ceremonies and fetes to civil union ceremonies before a judge or Justice of the Peace. Of all the months in the year, June is the favored one for its mild climate, sunny days and warm temperatures; and perhaps because June is also the month when the best roses bloom.

Today, with the very definition of marriage changing before our eyes, we should remember that marriage has not been what it is often perceived to be, and has like other social mores, evolved and adapted. In fact, many of the “traditions” we consider to be so important were rooted in things that today we would consider barbaric and uncivilized. Many of our modern traditions are rooted in ancient Roman weddings, when the veil signified a lifelong commitment never to file for divorce or annulment, which was a very easy process in those days. The wedding dress itself was taken from the Vestal Virgins and supposed to signify that the bride was a virgin up to the day of her marriage.

At Roman weddings, a parade (now the exit down the aisle from the altar), was accompanied by a procession of people following the couple, throwing sweets to onlookers. At the wedding feast, a cake was served, often prepared with live birds in the center, so that when the couple cut the cake, white doves would fly from it. These cakes, usually sweetened with honey, were often made with wine, fruit, nuts and berries, and form the tradition of a fruit or wine based cake for today’s weddings.

Since Victorian times, the wedding cake as increased in stature and importance in modern nuptuals. Pastry cooks learned in the Victorian era to create magnificent multi-tiered cakes; the foundation of our modern-day cakes. French pastry chefs introduced the Victorians to buttercream and stiffened whipped cream frostings, while Italians introduced the use of the pastry tube to create elaborate decorations piped onto the cakes. French confectioners added the Fondant icing, now used frequently in place of buttercream and whipped cream.

The modern wedding cake is often so complex and elaborate that the average bakery can’t make what brides and their mother’s dream about. Specialist wedding cake patissiers have developed as a subset of the baking industry. These experts create some of the most beautiful gastronomic art known, and provide not only a vision of art, but often of the couple, expressed in marzipan, fondant and fruit cake.

A contemporary, shocking trend is for the wedding cake chef to make cupcakes, and many weddings are turning to a tiered display of magnificent, artistic cupcakes, often topped with a very small wedding cake, so the bride and groom have something to cut as part of the celebrations.

Long gone are the days when one would find a tuxedoed plastic groom, next to a plastic virginal white bride atop the cake made at the local bakery. Today’s cakes are decorated with flowers, large and small, or decorative patterns, bows and ribbons and other beautiful devices. Some of them take many days to decorate, with the most elaborate and precise work needed to apply art to the fundamental fruit or champagne cake.

The modern wedding cake can be a terribly expensive thing. Some cakes priced into the thousands of dollars, and as works of art, well worth every penny. But not every couple has the luxury of spending more for their cake than the groom spent on the engagement diamond ring. So many have turned to the homemade cake, often glazed simply, and humble in style.

It doesn’t really matter if you spent $20 or $20,000 on your cake, what truly counts is the love between the couple, and that of their families and friends. So our advice to brides, grooms and domestic partners is don’t fret about the cake or be afraid to make a less expensive one. Just make it tasty, and let it exemplify the sweet success of finding that special someone you can spend your live with. That’s the true sweetness of marriage.

Much ado about nothing is the phrase that comes to mind when it comes to fears about pork consumption in regards to the outbreak of Swine Flu. Pork and pork products are completely safe and nothing in the food supply can cause this form of influenza.

While that BBQ Pork sandwich may not be good for your arteries, but it won’t cause Swine Flu. Nor will the bacon, ham or sausage with your morning breakfast, the pork chops or roast pork tenderloin you’re having tonight.

The term Swine Flu is an old one, but no evidence has been found that the outbreak that started in Mexico City had anything to do with pigs, pig farms, pork, or pork processing.

You’re perfectly safe continuing to enjoy all the pork you’d like.

If you’re really worried about Swine Flu, you should look up some of the professional medical sites that have great information about it, such as WebMD.com. Consult your doctor, and if signs of any flu-like symptoms appear, go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Take care of your elderly family members and children, as their immune systems may not be as strong as yours.

Wash your hands with good old fashioned soap and hot (not scalding) water. Don’t use antimicrobial soaps as they’re no more effective than regular ones, and might cause more harm by making any strain you may come in contact with resistant to antimicrobial agents your doctors might need to use. So be judicious, especially with hand sanitizer gels. More effective might be simple alcohol wipes and normal hand washing.

Be sure to wash your hands shortly after coming in contact with others, especially after shaking hands. Clean surfaces in your home, especially the bathrooms and kitchen, with hot water and where appropriate, a solution of water and a little bleach. Be particularly cautious with things like the toothbrushes and the cup or holder you use for them, and never use the same bathroom cup twice. Disposable paper cups are safer.

If you have kids and they have friends over often who use the bathroom, keep some bathroom wipes handy to clean the toilet seat afterwards, just as a precaution. But again, don’t go crazy as this is not a pandemic yet and may well not become one.

Present antimicrobial drugs still work effectively against Swine Flu, even the most virulent strains. What you don’t want to do is over use antimicrobial gels, soaps or other agents to clean your self or home.

Meanwhile, enjoy a Bacon Cheeseburger at lunch today, and don’t worry about anything more than the calories. Remember, you have more chance of seeing pigs fly than of catching Swine Flu from pork.

Instead of giving Mom another bottle of perfume which will be stowed on the shelf with last year’s scent, why not give her something she will be able to use in the kitchen this year? Here are a few wonderful items that are new on the market and guaranteed to please your Mom this Mother’s Day.

Cuisinart CVR-1000 Rotisserie: (Amazon $199) Brand spanking new on the market, this rotisserie produces perfectly juicy and crisp roast chicken every time. This fabulous new appliance spins the chicken vertically, allowing the juices to flow into the bird, keeping it moist and flavorful. I love the fact that the fat drains off into a drip tray and that the accessories are dishwasher safe. Yum!

George Foreman 360 Removable 5 Plate Grill: (Amazon $150) The great part about this new addition to the George Foreman fleet of grills is that it features removable cooking plates with cool-touch handles so that it functions as a deep-dish pizza oven, six pocket quesadilla press, an omelet maker, and a pancake grill. The other great feature is a floating hinge that accommodates larger cuts of meat.

Tomato Slicer: (Williams-Sonoma $20) The tomato slicer is a totally fun kitchen toy for Moms to make nine easy cuts in a tomato in one easy motion. The slices come out presentation perfect with little effort. No fuss, no mess, no seeds all over the counter.

Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker: (Amazon $29) Jamie Oliver has taken the simple mortar and pestle and created a wonderfully clever device that crushes, mixes, and releases flavor from whole spices, herbs, garlic, nuts, or citrus rinds. It makes fantastic rubs, marinades, and dressings in an instant.

Witmer Natural Peanut Butter Hand Mixer: (Amazon $10) Have you ever noticed that the oil separates in non-hydrogenated nut butters? This nifty invention screws onto any standard 16-ounce jar of peanut butter and stirs the product so that the oil is smoothly and easily stirred back into your peanut butter. No oil spills, no mess. And the mixing rod conveniently cleans itself when removed from the jar.

Head Chefs by Fiesta: (Amazon $7 to $10 per unit) No, these are not winners on your favorite show “Top Chef.” But they are winners for kids. Head Chefs are brightly colored kids cooking tools that are fun and safe to use. The designs are comfortable to hold with cute bendable arms and legs which are dishwasher safe. The feet work as suction cups which can be affixed to counter tops. We love the purple mixing spoon, green whisk, blue pastry brush, and pink measuring cup.

Banana Holder: (Amazon $3) In these thrifty times, it’s great to have this nifty gadget that eliminates waste. Keep a sliced banana fresher, by enclosing it in this device which also saves ecologically on plastic wrap.

Simply Strawberries 3 piece set: (Amazon $10) This strawberry colander, slicer, and huller set is seasonally on target. Cute and fun too. Here’s a great tip to prolong the life of strawberries: once washed and dried, store them in a sealable container between layers of paper towel.

Cupcake Kit: Recipes, Liners, and Decorating Tools for Making the Best Cupcakes by Elinor Klivans: (Amazon $14) Everything you need for preparing and decorating a wide variety of cupcakes. This kit is total fun for Moms, Grandmas, and kids too.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: (Amazon $16) A delightful cooking memoir written by New Yorker Giulia Melucci. It chronicles her romances and heartbreaks in a humorous and fun read. A little “heartburn” in her life but mostly lots of fun.

Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell: (Amazon $12) Nothing is easier for Mom’s than a one pot dinner and this book comes up with some wonderful new ideas. The author offers a wonderful new “infusion cooking” style using a cast-iron Dutch oven to hold layers of whole fresh foods and flash cook them in a shorter amount of time. Try the springtime paella, Indian almond curry lamb, or the Southwestern quinoa.

Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World Famous Spa by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider: (Amazon $23) Rancho La Puerta is one of the original locavore spas specializing in fresh local ingredients cooked simply and healthfully. The book is organized by menus so you can easily cook with seasonal fresh produce.

EatingWell’s Comfort Foods Made Healthy By Jessie Price and the Editors of EatingWell: (Amazon $16) We have to watch our wallets and our waistlines in this economy. Comfort foods are great on the wallet but not often on our figures. This book makes over the classic comfort foods into delicious and healthful treats like Philly cheese steak sandwich, chicken potpie, and cream cheese pound cake.

Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes from a Modern Kitchen Garden by Jeanne Kelley: (Amazon $27) From field to table, this organic take on cooking is a splendid and beautiful book which makes you hungry for the likes of real, fresh food. The author has a 20 year history of contributing to Bon Appetit Magazine and comes up with such delicious treats as curried yellow split pea soup with mint yogurt; pork chops with grilled nectarines; and meyer lemon pudding cake.

Here, we present two traditional Russian Easter recipes for Pashka (or Paskha) to delight any Czar or Czarina.

Pashka is a cheesecake-like dessert that is traditionally served in Russian homes for Easter. It is traditionally made during Easter week, and brought to church for blessing on Great Saturday, for serving on Easter Sunday.

Recipes for this regal dessert vary from region to region and home to home. Variations are found throughout the Eastern Orthodox world. The taste, no matter what recipe is used, is extraordinary. It is often moulded into the shape of an egg, crown or mount. Pashka is sometimes made with simple fruit and nuts or with more complicated mixtures of dried fruits and nutmeats. These two recipes exemplify the different styles and tastes. Both are delightful.

Pashka – Simple Taste, Simple Recipe

1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 pound butter at room temperature
1-3/4 Cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup currants
1 Cup toasted almonds

Toast almonds on a parchment lined pan in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees(F) for about 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly brown. Set aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese in food processor and process until there are no lumps. No food processor, run it through a fine strainer into a bowl using a plastic spoon or rubber spatula. Add the butter and fold in until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla to mixture and mix. Add the currants and almonds. Scrape down bowl well and mix a few more minutes. Refrigerate until hard, 2 to 4 hours minimum. Serve with a scoop of premium ice cream topped with Melba Sauce.

To make the Melba Sauce:

1 pound raspberries (or 3 frozen 5-oz containers)
1/2-1 Cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Puree fruit and sugar in blender. Add lemon juice and mix well. Strain through fine sieve into small bowl. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. Chill.

Pashka – A More Complicated Taste and Recipe

This recipe calls for putting this dessert recipe in a flower pot!

6 Cups (3 lbs.) farmer cheese or large-curd cottage cheese
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 Cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream
1/2 Cup candied fruits
1/2 Cup seedless raisins
1/2 Cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 pound butter
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
large clean clay flower pot, 7 x 7 inches, minimum! (Use a new one.)

1. Press the cheese through a sieve or a strainer.

2. Combine the cheese with the egg yolks beating in 1 yolk at a time. Add the sugar and blend thoroughly.

3. Heat the cream in a large saucepan until it almost boils, then add the cheese mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat before it begins to boil.

4. Stir in fruits, almonds, and lemon rind. Let cool.

5. Cream together the butter and vanilla, then stir into the cooled cheese mixture.

6. Line the flower pot with several layers of moistened cheesecloth, leaving enough cloth at the top to form a flap that will cover the pot. Fill the pot with the cheese mixture and cover with the flap. Put a weight on the top and place in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. The whey (liquid) will drip out the bottom of the pot, so be sure to place a pan or bowl under it and that there is a good distance between the bottom of the pot and the bowl or pan. Placing the pot on a rack in the pan is often helpful.

7. When drained, carefully unmold the cake with a knife. Remove the cheesecloth and smooth the sides with a hot knife or leave coarse and decorate with glace fruit or long sultanas with the letters “XB”, the Slavonic form of the Easter greeting “Christ is Risen” or with “Chi Ro”, a three bar cross, all symbols of Christ’s passion and resurrection.

Sabayon Sauce

2 egg yolks
3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/4 Cup Madeira
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon light rum

1. Beat together the yolks, sugar, Madeira, and lemon rind in the top of a double boiler. Cook and continue beating until the mixture thickens.

2. Stir in the lemon juice and the rum, then chill briefly.

3. Pour the sauce over the cheesecake and serve.

Pashka is often served on sliced Kolach or Kulich, a delicious braided egg bread. It is treated with great reverence and dedication by devout Orthodox Christians throughout the world.

In contrast to the rich heavy foods of winter, Easter foods are fresh and light. Easter is a great time for a family get together, so why not celebrate with these tempting teatime treats? All the recipes use unrefined sugars that retain the natural molasses from the sugar cane- it’s this that gives them their superior flavour. The finest quality unrefined sugars come from the tropical island of Mauritius – look out for this country of origin on the pack to ensure that you are buying the genuine article.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
This delightful cake originated in the USA. It’s name came about because it contains fruits which hummingbirds love. Light muscovado sugar imparts a lovely fudgy caramel flavour to this luscious cake. The filling and topping use unrefined golden icing sugar, which has none of the overpowering sweetness of refined white icing sugar.

250 g/9 oz self raising flour
275 g/10 oz unrefined light muscovado sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 medium eggs
225 ml / 8 fl. oz. vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
250 g/9 oz bananas (peeled weight)
110 g/4 oz walnuts, chopped
175 g/6 oz tin (approx.) crushed pineapple

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs with the oil and vanilla extract. Mash the bananas and stir into the mixture with the walnuts, pineapple and juice. Mix well to combine then pour into 2 greased, lined 20cm/8 inch round sandwich tins. Bake for 30-35 minutes Gas 4/180C/350F until light golden brown. Cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to become cold.

Filling and Topping:
100 g/3 ½ oz butter
175 g/6 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
310 g/11 oz unrefined golden icing sugar

To Make Filling: Cream together the butter and cheese until soft. Add the vanilla extract and sift in the unrefined icing sugar gradually. Use half to sandwich the cakes together and spread the rest on top of the cake. Decorate with fresh spring flowers.

LEMONY EASTER SHORTREADS
Children (and grown ups!) will love these melt in the mouth bunny shaped biscuits. Using unrefined golden caster sugar adds to their delicious buttery taste.

110 g/4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
50 g/2 oz unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
Few drops vanilla essence
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons juice
150 g/5 oz plain flour, sieved

Lemon Topping:
3 tablespoons unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
2 tablespoons shredded lemon zest

Gently knead or blend the butter, sugar, vanilla essence, lemon zest and lemon juice together. Then work in the flour to get a fairly tacky mixture. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it all together. Wrap or cover and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Roll the dough out thinly, between two sheets of grease-proof paper, as it will be soft. Cut into rabbit shapes or pack into a shortbread mould.

Bake thin animal cookies for 12-15 minutes, and traditional shortbread rounds for about 30 minutes. Ideally, the biscuits should not colour at all during cooking.

Topping:
Traditional shortbread needs only a light shaking of caster sugar at the end of cooking, whilst cooling. For our Easter Bunnies we added a lemony topping, with fine shreds of lemon zest (made with a zester or the finest side of a grater) mixed with a little caster sugar and sprinkled on halfway through cooking or just at the end. Makes about 20 biscuits.

CHOCOLATE TART
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate! The rich flavour of dark muscovado sugar goes particularly well with chocolate and adds extra depth to the flavour of this delectable tart. For the best results use chocolate with at least 60% cocoa butter content.

350 g/12 oz shortcrust pastry
225 g/8 oz plain chocolate
110 g/4 oz butter
75 g/3 oz unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
25 g/1 oz unrefined Demerara Sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
150 ml/¼ pt hot water
4 eggs

Roll out the pastry and use to line the base and sides of a 23cm (9″) 3cm (1¼”) deep fluted flan tin. Line with greaseproof paper or foil and weigh down with beans or rice to prevent the pastry rising. Bake blind at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 for 15 minutes or until the base is dry.

Put the chocolate, butter and sugars in a bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water stirring until smooth and melted. Mix the cocoa and coffee with the hot water stirring until smooth. In a large bowl beat the eggs until frothy and stir in the other two mixtures. Pour into the pastry case
and bake at 130ºC/260ºF/gas 1 for 40-45 minutes or until firm and risen. Serve warm or cold with crème fraiçhe, whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8.

PASKHA
Paskha, (pronounced Pass-ha) the traditional Easter dessert of Russia, is traditionally made in a special wooden pyramid shaped mould with drainage holes in the base. A sterilised unused terracotta flowerpot can be used instead. This rich, creamy dessert is not difficult to make and makes a stunning centrepiece for the Easter table. You need to make it the day before you intend to eat it. An 18 cm flowerpot is the size to use for this recipe.

This recipe is suitable for Passover as it uses no fermenting agents or leaven. Try to use a selection of glace fruits, e.g. pineapple, cherries, apricots, etc.

125 ml double cream
110 g unrefined golden granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
110 g unsalted butter
750 g unsalted curd or cream cheese
50 g raisins
75 g glace fruits, chopped small
25 g whole candied peel, chopped small
50 g blanched almonds, toasted and chopped

DECORATION: small glace fruits, blanched almonds, candied peel. Bring the cream to the boil, then remove from the heat. Beat the sugar and egg yolks until thick and creamy and add to the cream with the vanilla essence. Heat the mixture very gently, stirring, until thickened, but don’t allow to boil or you’ll have scrambled eggs! Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Cream the butter until soft and beat in the cheese. Fold in the cool custard, raisins, chopped fruits and almonds. Line the flowerpot with a double layer of muslin or cheesecloth and pour in the mixture. Put a small plate on top and place a weight on top to keep it down Place in the ‘fridge with a bowl underneath to catch the whey. Chill overnight. The next day turn it out on to a serving plate and decorate with the fruits and nuts – not forgetting the letters ‘XB’. Cut in slices to serve.

Easter Holiday weekend is an ideal time to invite family or friends round for a leisurely meal. The first stirrings of Spring bring seasonal delights such as tender young carrots, delicious new potatoes and succulent English lamb – perfect ingredients for an Easter Sunday dinner. Using beer, wine and spirits in the cooking of these ingredients adds to the flavour and texture of the finished dish and transforms an ordinary meal into something special.

This unusual starter is sure to get everyone talking!

BLOODY MARY SORBET

1 tin (400 g) tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
4 tablespoons vodka
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
1 egg white

Place all the ingredients, except the egg white, in a blender or processor and liquidise – or sieve the tomatoes and whisk well. Pour into a shallow tray and freeze until slushy. Return to the blender and blend until smooth or whisk vigorously. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold into the tomato mixture. Return to the freezer and freeze until solid. Serve a small scoop to each guest.

ROAST LAMB WITH RED WINE GRAVY

1 leg lamb, approx 2 kg
salt and pepper

GRAVY:
2 tablespoons pan juices
1 tablespoon plain flour
150 ml red wine
300 ml stock or water
1 tablespoon red currant jelly
grated rind of 1 orange

Place the lamb in a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes over Gas 4/180C/350F. Keep the lamb warm while you make the gravy. Pour the pan juices into a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes until thickened. Gradually add the wine and stock, or water, stirring all the time and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the red currant jelly and rind. Simmer for another 2 minutes and adjust seasoning to taste before serving with the lamb. Serve with boiled new potatoes, garden peas and beer glazed carrots.

BEER GLAZED CARROTS

700g sweet tender young carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
300 ml light beer
25g butter
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
salt and pepper

Put the carrots and beer into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes until just tender, then add the butter and sugar. Boil vigorously uncovered until the carrots are cooked and the liquid is reduced to a shiny glaze.

And to finish… a wickedly rich and extremely chocolatey dessert – a perfect ending to an Easter Sunday meal. Serve this in small portions as it’s very rich. To be really sinful you could serve it with chilled pouring cream or vanilla ice-cream.

CHOCOLATE RUM TRUFFLE GATEAU

450 g good quality plain chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons dark rum
5 tablespoons golden syrup
600 ml double cream
cocoa powder to finish

Begin by oiling a 25 cm loose based or spring clip round cake tin and lining the base with non stick baking parchment. Put the chocolate, rum, and golden syrup in a bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water and stir until melted. Remove the bowl and allow to cool slightly. Whip the cream lightly until it just holds its shape and fold one third into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest of the cream and pour into the prepared tin. Tap the tin to release any air bubbles and cover with cling film. Chill for several hours or overnight. Remove from the tin, place on a serving plate and dredge with sieved cocoa powder.

The flowers begin to grow and blossom; the birds begin to sing; the trees to bud their leaves; the butterfly takes wing; the Earth renews its vitality, in the months of Spring.

Indeed the months of Spring do symbolize a renewal of the Earth, as the planet warms again in our endless rotation of mother Sun.

Each year at this time, we begin to see more locally grown fresh produce, wonderful foods coming to market that are rich in nutrients, and have not suffered the ravages of shipping from far off lands. While we love the concept of having fresh foods throughout the year, despite the seasons, those foods often lose much of their nutritional value and flavor while being shipped.

Shopping at local markets in Spring, one finds so many great vegetables, fruits and other foods that come to market this time annually. Cook with them and revel in the glory of their fresh flavor. Go on, put down the can of green beans and put away the bag of frozen broccoli. Head to your local market and buy it fresh from a local farm and you will see a heavenly difference in rich flavor.

Spring is also a time for great lamb products to come to market. Lamb chops, cutlets and leg of lamb among them, these are at the height of abundant flavor this time of year and we heartily recommend buying some from local butchers who get their supply from nearby farms.

More than meats and produce, Spring is a time also for the renewal of ourselves, as we come out from the semi-hibernation we experience by staying home more in Winter. Despite the poor economy, we all feel the urge to exit our shelters and enjoy the beauty that is Spring, and the warmth of sunlight.

In times of wealth, we tend to ignore the little things like a field of daffodils or crocus in bloom. This year, perhaps instead of jetting off to some distant place and locking ourselves in hotel rooms and museums, we should take a walk in a garden, visit an arboretum or one of the great gardens that abound throughout America.

Instead of jumping in the SUV and taking a tedious drive, take the hand of the one you love and go for a stroll, breathe deep and you will feel so much better. Taking a walk puts fresh air in your lungs, improves your circulation and like the budding crocus in your garden, brings renewal to your personal well-being. Its also a good thing to get the kids out of doors as soon as possible, to put fresh air in their lungs too, and let them discover the beauty that Spring unfolds before their eyes.

Whether you live in a home with your own garden or an apartment on a lofty floor of a high-rise, put a little Spring in your own life. Make a garden box or plant a tree or bush on your property to bring a wonderful feeling of renewal into the lives of your family and yourself. It surprises my friends how refreshed they feel waking in the morning to see flowers in bloom and the vitality of green leaves through their windows.

This year, I’m planting an herb garden so that throughout the warm seasons, I will have fresh herbs for my cooking. My husband is building me a little conservatory too, that my herbs will grow throughout the year. On a relatively small plot of land, we’ve managed to grow some of our own fruit and vegetables for years and enjoy the bounty that starts in Spring.

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One of my very best friends, Tom O’Grady, from Rockaway Park, NY, taught me a very valuable lesson… that there’s a lot more to Irish cuisine than Corned Beef and Cabbage. A restaurateur and true gentleman, he brought to light a whole other world of Irish cookery. Here are some of the best recipes, in my humble opinion.

We at Epicurus.com wish all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone is an honorary Irishman!

Boxdy (Potato Griddle Cakes)
Serves 8

1/2 pound raw potato
1/2 pound mashed potato
1/2 pound plain flour
milk
1 egg
salt and pepper

Grate raw potatoes and mix with the cooked mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper and flour. Beat egg and add to mixture with just enough milk to make a batter that will drop from a spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frying pan. Cook over a moderate heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with a tart apple sauce: or as part of an Ulster Fry, with fried bacon, fried sausage, fried eggs, fried black pudding, fried bread, fried soda bread.

Potato Cakes
Makes 2 cakes

1/4 Cup of butter
6-8 ounces white Flour
1/2 pound plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking Powder
3 Cups freshly mashed potato (with milk)

Cut butter into flour until it forms large granules. Add salt and baking powder, mix well. Mix in potatoes. Knead for a few minutes. Roll out onto lightly floured board with floured rolling pin. Cut into 2 rounds. Cook on a dry griddle or skillet until brown on both sides.

Champ
4 pounds potatoes
1/2 pound spring onions (scallions)
1/2 pint milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 ounces butter

Peel and boil potatoes until cooked. Simmer the spring onions in milk for about 5 mins.

Strain potatoes and mash. Add the hot milk and scallions, salt, pepper and half the butter and mix in. Serve on its own or as an accompaniment.

Irish Stew
Serves 6

2 Tablespoons oil
4 large onions cut in wedges
5 large carrots cut in thick slices
1 1/2 pounds round steak or lamb
6 large potatoes
1 Cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large saucepan or skillet. Saute onions in oil. Add carrots and cook for a few minutes. Cut steak into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes and add to onions & carrots. Wash, peel and slice potatoes and add to pot. Pour in water, season to taste with sat & pepper and bring to a boil. Skim of any foam, reduce heat and simmmer over low heat until meat and vegetables are tender. If desired, stew can be thickened by mixing 2 tablespoon flour with a little water and adding it to the stew. Heat through until thickened and serve piping hot.

Irish Potato Soup

2 pounds potatoes
1 large onion
2 ounces butter
2 pints vegetable stock
1/2 pint milk
1 Tablespoon chives or parsley
nutmeg
1 pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)

Peel and cut potatoes in quarters and finely slice the onions.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add the Potatoes and Onions, cover and simmer for 10 mins (don’t brown vegetables). Add the Stock, Salt & Pepper and Nutmeg, Stir. Cover and bring to the boil stirring continuously. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins, until vegetables are soft, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and put through a sieve, and return to the saucepan. Stir in the milk and cornflour and bring to the boil, stir continuously. Remove from the heat, serve with a sprinkling of chives or parsley.

Tom’s Irish Coffee
Serves 1

1 jigger Irish Whiskey, such as Tullamore Dew
1 or 2 teaspoons sugar, preferably raw sugar or Demarara sugar
freshly made hot coffee
2-4 Tablespoons chilled whipped cream

Heat, but do not boil, the Irish whiskey. A microwave works well for this. (20 to 30 secs on high power should do the trick.) Pour the warmed whiskey into a warmed 7-ounce coffee cup, goblet or Irish Coffee Glass and add the sugar. Fill with the hot coffee to within about a half inch of the top of the cup. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Float the whipped cream on top of the hot coffee and serve immediately.

Mrs. Donnelly’s Soda Bread
Makes 1

Mrs. Donnelly ran a boarding house in Rockaway Beach, NY for many years with her loving husband, Felix. She was a consummate cook of classic Irish cuisines. Here’s her recipe for superb Irish Soda Bread.

6 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 Cup sugar
1 pound raisins (or sultanas)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 caraway seeds to taste (approx 1/8 cup)
1 quart buttermilk

Mix all the dry ingredients in a LARGE bowl. Mix in caraway and raisins. Mix in buttermilk. It helps to use your hands to mix this because the dough is sticky. Don’t use an electric mixer or the bread comes out flat.
Divide batter into two buttered cake pans. Flour a knife and cut a cross into the tops of each. Bake at 350oF for about an hour. The top should not be allowed to get to brown.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epLv3vZkR44[/youtube]

Brown Soda/Wheaten Bread

4 Cups whole wheat flour
1 Cup white flour
1/2 Cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 Cups sour milk or buttermilk

Mix and bake exactly as for “soda bread” above. If you have trouble with this one rising, your local mixture of whole wheat flour may be responsible: try decreasing the amount of whole wheat and increasing the white flour.

Treacle Bread

2 Tablespoons dark molasses
7 fluid ounces milk (approximately)
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 pound flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
good pinch of ground ginger

Heat the molasses and milk together. Mix all dry ingredients together: add liquid until a soft dough is achieved. With floured hands, shape into a round cake about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into farls, put on a floured baking sheet and bake at 400oF for 40 minutes.

Old Fashioned Fish Bake
Serves 4

Just the thing for a winter’s day, this economical recipe provides the
kind of wholesome dish your grandmother might have made to warm the cockles of the family’s heart.

1 – 1.5 pounds (450-675 grams) of smoked cod
1 ounces (30g) butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 ounces (30g) of flour
half pint (300mls) milk
2 Tablespoons of cream
freshly milled black pepper
a bayleaf
chopped parsley
1 ounce (30g) of grated cheddar cheese

Generously grease a pie dish with butter, remove all bones from fish and cut in portions, place in pie dish. Melt butter in a saucepan, add leeks, cook gently for two minutes. Add in flour and cook for one minute. Which in milk and cream. Bring to the boil. Pour sauce over fish, add bayleaf. Cover and bake in a fairly moderate oven 350f (180c) (Gas 4) for 25 minutes: Remove cover, sprinkle cheese over the fish and return to the oven to brown.Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with boiled potatoes and lemon-buttered carrots. You can substitute smoked haddock or smoked coley in place of cod.

Dublin Lawyer
Serves 2

1 or 2 fresh lobsters/about 2 1/2 pounds total
3 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons Irish whiskey
150 ml cream
1 pinch salt and pepper

The lobster should be cut in two down the center. Remove all the meat from the lobster, including the claws: retain the shell for serving. Cut the meat into chunks. Heat the butter until foaming and quickly saute the lobster chunks in it, until just cooked but not colored. Warm the whiskey slightly, then pour it over the lobster and set fire to it. Add the cream, mix with the pan juices, and taste for seasoning. Put back into the half shells and serve hot.

Irish Pot-Roasted Chicken
Serves 4

1 chicken, about 4.5 pounds
4 ounces oatmeal
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons stock
1 pinch salt and pepper
6 ounces bacon
3 medium onions, sliced
2 pounds potatoes
seasoned flour
3 Tablespoons drippings or oil
4 medium carrots, sliced

If there are giblets with the bird, take them out, wash all but the liver (reserve that for another use), and cover with water, add salt and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour. Wipe the bird inside and out and remove any lumps of fat from the inside; sprinkle with salt. Mix together the oatmeal, chopped onion, butter or suet, stock, and seasoning, stuff the bird with this mixture and secure well. Heat the dripping or oil and lightly fry the bacon, then chop and put into a casserole. Quickly brown the bird in the same fat and put on top of the bacon. Soften the onion and briefly saute the carrots, then add to the casserole. Strain the giblet stock and make it up to about 1/2 liter. Heat and pour over the chicken.

Cover and cook in a moderate oven (350C) for about an hour. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into thick slices and blanch them in boiling water, or steam them for about 5 minutes. Toss them in seasoned flour and add them to the casserole, adding a little more of the giblet stock if needed. Cover with buttered wax paper and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour, taking off the paper for the last few minutes for browning.

Trimlestown Roast Sirloin
Serves 4

3 pounds sirloin roast
2 ounces whiskey
10 ounces red wine
1 ounces butter
2 ounces flour
1 pinch salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Wipe meat, season and place in a roasting pan. Place pan in oven and cook for one hour. Add the whiskey and wine to the pan. Cook for a further hour, basting once more. Remove the roast from the pan, place on a serving dish and keep warm. Pour off excess fat from the meat juices, adding water to bring to about 15 oz. Beat the butter into the flour to form a smooth paste. Add a little of the juices to this and mix well, then pour onto juices, mixing again, and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to cook flour. Correct the seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water. Serve separately in a gravy boat. Jacket or mashed potatoes, and a cooked green vegetable (possibly broccoli) go well with this, since the sauce is so rich.

And for dessert…
Curach (Irish Honey-and-Oatmeal Cream)
Serves 4

2 ounces medium-grind oatmeal
10 ounces heavy cream
2 teaspoons honey
3 Tablespoons whiskey
12 ounces raspberries

Toast the oatmeal on a cookie sheet under the broiler, or in a hot oven – watch it carefully and stir it from time to time – until it turns a pale golden color. Leave it to cool completely. Whip the cream until it holds its shape, stir in the honey and whiskey, then the cold toasted oatmeal.

Layer the raspberries and the cream mixture in the glasses, saving a few of the berries for decoration on top. Serve slightly cool.

Be sure to check out our additional Irish recipes at Foods of Ireland.