damn cooking shows and inspiration
I visited mum yesterday after work. She had some foxtel channel on with continuous cooking shows. Some very boring people, interesting people, and great food. On the way home I was inspired and purchased some vegies, sour cream and made beef stroganov.
Tonight, I am making a beef pot pie. Just the pie top, not base aswell. However, remembering how to make pie dough was a little hard. I haven’t properly cooked for years and when I split up with X, he kept most of my recipe books. I used all the butter I had left and rested it alot. Resting means sticking it in the fridge for periods of time to ensure something, like the dough mix doesn’t get too warm and sticky? It got a little dry, but a bit of water fixed that, and it wasn’t too sticky. However I don’t have a rolling pin. So a bottle of 1999 Hardy’s Pinot Noir did the job instead.
My beef and vegies were nicely cooked with some oregano, beef stock thrown in to ensure there was a nice hint of flavour. The mixture was poured into a serving dish that is oven proof, and the rolled pastry top went over the mixture. Excess pastry was removed and rolled in small sections to provide a nice finish.. well, the finish is very dodgy and home made, but I’m not a professional pie maker.
When mum was baking her pies when I was much younger, she used to make 2 pies which would feed the family over 4 nights. They were big pies. But she was allergic to flour and could only do this once a month due to her hands having a bad reaction. She would make a beef and vegie pie, and a chicken and vegetable pie. She would use the best beef cuts, and chicken breast only.
Dad knows how to make yorkshire pudding. I will need to get that recipe from him. He learnt it from his mother. I doubt its a secret family recipe, but not even my mother can make it the way he can. With roast beef, lashings of gravy, crispy roast potatoes, and other roasted vegies, a Yorkshire Pudding is the way to go.
October 9th, 2005 at 8:32 pm
Ohhh god i am salivating on my keyboard. My mum is a pom and makes the BEST yorkshire pud. God i miss that. Will have to learn to make it too. If you have a crack at it, let me know how you go. Wouldn’t mind giving that a try.
October 9th, 2005 at 8:36 pm
You know what’s great? The smell of a kitchen after baking. Reminds me of when I was a kid and watching gran cook.
When i do find out how to make yorkshire pudding successfully, I’ll be screaming about it from my balcony!