Archive for August, 2007
Coffee Definitions
This via Boing Boing...
Sometimes there can be confusion at the counter as to what each coffee on our menu actually is. Not everyone has the same definition of what a cappuccino or a latte should be and if you're not a coffee aficionado (and certainly it is not a requirement) all those fancy sounding names can be a little confusing and pretentious. If you are a coffee expert and thus used to all the jargon and terminology, you should keep in mind that the language of coffee is open to some interpretation.
I liked very much this well designed chart system of coffee definitions ... though to illustrate my point above, I'm not sure I see any discernable difference between what they're calling a "latte" and "cappuccino" - the North Star latte is more of what they're calling a "Flat White". But a lady who called in to the deli last week and asked for a "Flat White" was horrified when we suggested she might want a latte! It's the same darn thing madam!
The perfect cuppa…
This via Boing Boing...Only yesterday I selflessly offered to make tea for the staff - admittedly a rare, if unprecedented occasion - but all the same, I was a little irritated when the complaints at my handiwork flooded back.
"It's too milky."
"It's too strong."
"It's not strong enough."
Wish I'd had one of these mugs, available for both coffee and tea from Suck UK.
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #8 Green Beans with Coconut
It's not been a great year weather-wise for us to start growing our own vegetables at home, but our scarlet runner beans seem to be thriving. I've still not run out of things to do with them but this has been my favourite recipe so far and is based on one from Meena Pathak's book 'Flavours of India'.
Incidentally, can anyone explain why things seem to grow more successfully in Chorlton than practically anywhere else in Manchester? The tomatoes in our hanging baskets in the deli are coming on a treat but all the ones I've seen in Wilmslow are really slow. Our passion flower is like something out of 'The Day of the Triffids'!
Green Beans with Coconut (Serves 4)
2 tbsp Veg oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 dried red chillies
8-10 curry leaves
1 small onion, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
400g green beans, cut into 1 in lengths (You could also use French beans or mange tout if you prefer.)
salt
75g grated coconut
juice of 1/2 lemon
Heat the oil in a pan until hot and add the mustard seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the onion and green chilli. Increase the heat and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the green beans and salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 5-10mins until the beans are cooked but still crunchy.
Sprinkle over the grated coconut and lemon juice. Mix together well and serve hot.
Deanna’s Recipe of the Week #7 Smoked Salmon Fishcakes
Oh you lucky people! Deanna's clearly gone bonkers, and is allowing one of our best recipes to be published online! The North Star Smoked Salmon Fish Cakes have been on our menu since the day we opened and remain both a top seller and perennial favourite with customers who can cause a stir if we've sold out. And these babies sell out faster than we can make them!
The key ingredient, by the way, is the flaky hot smoked salmon from the Salar Smokehouse up in the Orkney's - a producer with a string of accolades and famous admirers. We order whole sides of this delicious product to cook with, though we often have it available in retail packs too. Their web site has some truly mouth-watering recipes, but here's one of Deanna's very own!
Smoked Salmon Fishcakes
We make these in quite large quantities so I've tried to scale it down a bit. This should make about eight or nine. Incidentally, they freeze well, so it's worth making more than you need as the smell of frying fishcakes does pervade the home somewhat. Spot the understatement! You will need :-
1 pack of Salar Smoked Salmon
Approx 1.5kg potatoes (use a relatively dry one like Marphona)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
20g Butter
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
1 bunch spring onion, chopped finely
About 25g chopped flat leaf parsley
Plain flour to coat
2 beaten eggs
Breadcrumbs (make your own by toasting unwanted crusts of bread to dry them out and blitzing them in a food processor)
Vegetable oil for frying
Method : Peel the potatoes, cut into medium sized chunks and put them in a pan of cold water with some salt. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain immediately in a colander and put them back in the pan. Whilst they are still warm, mash them together thoroughly with the butter, lemon juice and rind and the horseradish.
Leave until they are cool enough to handle. Stir in the spring onions, chopped parsley and flaked smoked salmon. Mix thoroughly. Weigh out the mix into 150g balls, press them down slightly and place them on a baking tray.
Prepare 3 containers, one with flour, one with beaten egg, and one with breadcrumbs. Coat a fishcake with flour with one hand, use the other hand to dip it in the egg, and use the first hand to roll it in the breadcrumbs - this way, you don't end up with big breadcrummy fingers! We call this game "Wet Hand, Dry Hand". Carry on until all the fishcakes are coated.
Pour the oil into a wide pan so it reaches a level equal to half way up the fishcake. Turn on the heat. When you think it may be hot enough (about 180 degrees) pop in a breadcrumb. If it starts to bubble and comes to the surface, it's ready. Fry the fishcakes in batches on both sides - make sure there's enough room to turn them. They should be a nice golden brown. Drain them on a baking tray covered with kitchen roll to absorb any extra oil.
Note - you could vary this recipe by substituting half the potato for sweet potato, the salmon for cooked smoked haddock, the lemon for lime and the parsley for coriander. There you go - that's two recipes for the price of one!!!
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