Happy new year 2013

Another year is drawing to a close.  2013 is almost with us and what does it have in store for us?  No one knows and maybe that’s better.

Many take to making new year resolutions.  I never do this as I feel it sets one up for disappointments.  

Theres the losing weight,making lots of money, giving up a few of the so called deadly sins and the list is endless.

I reckon if we just took one day at a time, things would be a bit easier. If we all lived with the motto of everything in moderation, we wouldn’t put so much pressure on ourselves.  All I wish for is a healthy family who are safe and happy and that is what I wish for all of you.

We are not huge party animals so tonight will be spent having a delicious family meal. I have slow roasted a leg of lamb flavored with fresh rosemary,bulbs of garlic, celery stalks and red onions and lots of red wine which will be served with polenta roasted potatoes for that extra crunch, white asparagus spears and a fresh rocket and tomato salad 

 

To end the meal , I have made a cream caramel . Not my normal recipe but one from Nigella which involves condensmilk,evaporated milk and eggs.  I love both milks so had to try the recipe but I foresee criticism from my Spanish husband who is used to the traditional flan made with just milk,eggs and sugar.

Once dinner is over , we will hang out a bit, play a board game with the children and then most probably head off to bed and awake tomorrow morning in 2013. We are both past partying but I foresee the boys taking over pretty soon.

Lets not forget the Spanish tradition of grapes at midnight which of course we will partake of beforehand. The story goes that as the clock strikes midnight, with each of the last 12 chimes, one pops a grape into ones mouth and the 12 grapes are supposed to be finished by the time of midnight but………Most are left with a mouthful of grapes and a lot of laughing. Can be very funny!

 

Tomorrow brings a bit of family entertainment with another bit of beautiful food but that’s for tomorrow.

PERI PERI SAUCE AND CHICKEN

Its summer and here down at the bottom of the earth in Cape Town, we do alot of outdoor entertaining.  Traditionally people down south , light up the braai and throw a myriad of things onto it.

As I have mentioned before, we are not a braai family, but we still enjoy a good braai.  Years ago my portuguese friend shared her peri peri sauce recipe with me and I try to always have a jar in the fridge as it is just such a versatile ingredient to have.  She , being from Mozambique, liked to use the dried tiny chillies which they grow there.  Years ago when we were traveling in Mozambique, I insisted on getting to the food market in Maputo where I managed to buy a few bags of these peri peri chillies.  The market itself was quite daunting and I  experienced a bit of real Africa.  Lots of live animals in cages , ready for slaughter.  It was dark, dingy, smelly and not very clean but…………………

My dear brother, Garth, who lives in Taiwan, is planning on opening a little eatery and this morning, his request was for a peri peri sauce recipe.  So I decided to knock up a batch and then also marinate a chicken for tomorrow nights dinner as it is best left to marinate overnight for all the flavours to penetrate the meat.

I have since run out of those little dried chillies but actually prefer to use fresh chillies , however Garth, try and get some of the Thai dried chillies and they will do the same job.

So a few simple ingredients :  fresh garlic,  fresh chillies ( dried if you cant find fresh ), course salt,  olive oil and then I like to add grated lemon zest and juice of a  lemon as well.

simple ingredients

dried chillies if fresh not available

all pound together in a mortar and pestle

a paste

added lemon zest and juice

topped with olive oil

chicken ready for spatchcocking

down the back bone using a sharp knife. I use a small knife.

 

all opened up and slashed to allow marinade to penetrate

marinade on the underside

marinade on the top side

I then cook it in a very hot oven , 220 degrees , for 40 – 50 mins depending on the size of the chicken. Alternatively cooked half way in the oven and then thrown onto hot coals to develop that beautiful smoky flavor.

Chicken  and all poultry should be cooked well to prevent things like salmonella and other dreaded bacteria developing.  Never leave half cooked chicken lying around.  Cook it completely , cool and the refrigerate .

Enjoy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OSSO BUCCO, COMFORT FOOD FOR SURE

Veal knuckle isnt always easy to come by.  Veal is a baby cow and in different parts of the world, they  are slaughtered at different ages.  Here in South Africa, the young are sent to the abbatoir when they are older than in Europe.  Milk fed veal is the most amazingly tender meat with gentle, gentle flavors .  Yesterday I was lucky enough to find veal shanks in my local ( ok over the mountain ) , supermarket and had to have some.  They were beautiful and I am embarrased to say, I didnt take pics before I browned them.  So osso bucco it was to be.

Its  a simple recipe with only a few ingredients.   1.5 kg Veal shanks, salt, pepper,  drizzle of olive oil, flour for dusting , 6 chopped fresh,ripe  tomatoes, a glass or 2 of white wine, 250 ml good beef stock and voila, thats all.  So you heat the olive oil, season meat with salt and pepper and dust with flour then brown in the hot oil.  Make sure there is only one layer of meat so that it browns well.  Once all the knuckles are brown add the glass or 2 of wine and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the stock and tomatoes, cover and simmer for 11/2 – 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Now I remember eating gremolata for the first time at hotel school.  We had cooked osso bucco then on serving , topped it with the gremolata and that just took the dish to another level.  Its simple, 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, 2 cloves garlic,grated and 2 teaspoons lemon zest all mixed together.

It is such comfort food , served with a creamy mash. Nothing nicer.

I wish you could smell it right now ! Gentle simmer until soft soft soft

Ostrich and stirfries

Ostrich is such a wonderful meat.  That is ofcourse if it is cooked correctly.  Being a very lean meat, it requires fast cooking and the perfect steak  for me is  medium rare.  We are a big ostrich producing country but it is often very expensive here so I dont buy it as much as I would like to .  However lately my local supermarket is selling it at an amazing price and I thought it a good time to buy a few kilos and put it in the freezer.  

Tonight I wanted a quick dinner and stirfry it was to be.  I do like to julienne my own veggies as I dont like  the packaged stuff and I always feel I can choose what I want to put into it.  So today it was cabbage, red pepper, garlic, spring onions, mushrooms, carrots and mung bean sprouts.  I seasoned the meat with only black pepper as the soya sauce  added later is rather salty.  First into the pan was  the meat, to seal it.  I then removed it and started off with the julienne carrots as they are the hardest and cooked over a very high heat for about 2 minutes then added all the other veg  except the sprouts and gave it a good stir fry for about 5 minutes so that all the veg would remain crispy.  The ostrich was returned to the pan with a dash of soya sauce and a generous glug of oyster sauce.  Mixed it around, added the sprouts and some fresh coriander  and voila, dinner ready.  Beautiful crisp veg, tender ostrich and a slight crunch because of a final sprinkling of sesame seeds to top it off.

delicious !!

A bit of home smoking…………….chicken that is

I love smoked chicken .  It is so versatile and in summer it can be combined with a variety of fresh herbs and turned into a beautiful pasta, salad, put into wraps, the list is endless.

However I don’t like the smoked chicken one finds in the shop as I find it far too salty and that is because I am sure they soak it in a brine first.  I enjoy using the breast on the bone as well as the skin as they each serve their different purpose.  The skin to retain moisture and the bone to keep it plump.  I used to haul out our camping equipment before but now I use a far easier way and do it in the kitchen and a beautiful smell permeates the house.

I use oak barrel chips or dust, whichever is available and because it can be quite a messy affair, I resort to aluminum foil dishes to hold all the bits and this makes cleaning up a breeze.  I season my fresh chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then for a bit of a twist , a generous drizzle of honey.  These are placed in a foil dish.  The oaks chips or dust is placed into a another foil dish and sprinkled with a bit of water to encourage the smoke.  The tray holding the chips are placed into a big pot and sits directly on the bottom of the pot, then I have a steel tray which I am not sure where it came from but it serves the purpose perfectly, which gets placed on top of the wood and finally the tray holding the chicken.  The pot is then sealed with a thick layer of foil and the lid put on.  It is placed onto a high heat to get it all going and once it is smoking I leave it for 15 minutes on the heat.  It is then removed from the heat and the breasts are then transferred to a covered dish and placed into a moderate oven for a further 10 minutes then left to rest.

Result is succulent smoked chicken breasts and so simple. The juices that run out has a salty,sweet , smoky flavour and is delicious.  The chicken is left to cool before slicing.  Absolute heaven on a fresh bap . 

ITS CURRY WEATHER SO LETS GET CRACKING

Its cold, there’s another storm approaching and all I want to do is eat.  This is what winter does to us and come spring, we all hit panic  stations because we have over indulged and now need to get back in shape for the beach.  As we get older , of course it gets harder and harder to lose those few extra kilos.  However, I will not deny myself the pleasure of eating as I believe everything in moderation is ok.  Yes I do get carried away sometimes , but then don’t we all ???

Why is it that we eat more in winter?  I don’t remember it being like this when I lived up in Iceland.  Well maybe I didn’t notice it because it was cold most of the time so I  ate most of the time but then I was working so very hard that I was burning up all those calories.  

Well back to curries.  Cape Town has a buzzing Malay community who create the most amazing curries.  Each family has their own secret recipe and blend of spices.  One of my favorite  old shops here in the Cape is Atlas Trading where I get all my spices from.  My curries  vary each time as I guess it depends on my mood.  Undoubtedly it is made with love each time.

Basic ingredients

I start off with chopped onions which I fry in sunflower oil together with my whole spices like cinnamon, bay leaves, star anise and  cardamon.  Once the onions are nice and soft and golden then I add the grated fresh ginger, grated fresh garlic ( not the stuff in the plastic container please ) and a diced pepper or two.  That all needs to soften and caramelize a bit to bring out the natural sweetness.  Now I add my ground spices and today it is coriander powder, leaf masala, garum masala and turmeric. I fry them all together until they are fragrant.  Time to add the protein and today it is chicken pieces, skinned and most of the excess fat removed.  I now add enough water to almost cover the chicken and turn the heat right down so that it simmers for at least 90 minutes until he chicken is almost tender. Finally potato chunks are added and the curry is cooked until the potato is soft and some pieces broken up which helps to thicken the sauce.  The chicken is falling off the bone, the potatoes melting soft and a thickish sauce to mop up with the many accompaniments like naan bread, basmati rice or rotis .  Real soul food and so comforting in this weather.

Waiting for a long simmer, smells goods already.

Potatoes added .

Oops sorry about the drips on the side of the pot.

I love making sambals to accompany it.  My favorite being tomato and onion finely diced and mixed with a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper.  A cucumber and garlic sauce where I use thick greek yoghurt , some grated cucumber,  squeezed of all its liquid,  and a grated clove of garlic stirred together. Then sliced banana which brings a bit of sweetness and helps especially if I have been liberal on the hot spices.  Ofcourse ,lets not forget Mrs Balls chutney which we are known worldwide for.

Yum Yum yum.

Food for cold weather

Its been cold here in Cape Town. Very cold I would say and since the homes are not built for the cold, we have been lighting fires earlier and earlier in the day.  Our dogs, Nemo the ridgeback and scotty the pavement special take up all the space in front of the fire and we have to nudge them away just to get a prime spot.  After a long walk, they love nothing better than stretching out in front of the fire and falling asleep.

My sons Miguel and Joshua have to sometimes bribe them with doggie treats and then sneak in before they can get back.  Its quite funny actually.

So with cold weather , one needs comfort food.  I am a fan of one pot comfort food. Nutrious, warm and tasty is the order of the day.  I visited my local fishmonger yesterday and since I only buy fish that is fresh, I got some hake.  I love hake as it is a very versatile fish in that you can add flavours which the fish will absorb.  It requires little cooking and is moist.  So a few simple ingredients like potato, tomato, onions, garlic, peppers and the hake gets transformed into a delicious ,hearty dish.

I use a large shallow pan and start off with a good glug of olive oil then a layer of sliced potatoes, followed by a layer of onion rings, then sliced peppers, then sliced tomatoes and slivers of garlic.  This all gets seasoned with salt and black pepper.  Now I add my sliced fish fillets and season well.  The layering now starts in reverse starting with tomatoes and ending with potato.  Finally a drizzle of olive oil and then place over a medium heat, cover and cook until the potato is tender.  The fish cooks to perfection as it is protected by all the veggies and is moist and succulent.  If I am feeling “posh ” I finish the dish with a few mussels and prawns and voila, a beautiful dish.  All that is needed is a loaf of crusty bread to mop up the sauces which are created by all the veggies so it is really nutrious .

COMFORT FOOD FOR WINTER

WOW  Winter has arrived and has hit us full on.  I would like to go into hibernation but thats just not possible , now is it.

The other morning while out walking with a friend ,we got chatting about the foods we grew up with.  The days when chicken was reserved for Sunday roasts, wholesome dishes with legumes and the cheaper cuts of meat.  Then we all got fancy and a lot of those  good family meals went out the window.  With the rising cost of food , one has to relook at all these wonderful dishes and ways of saving money.

Watching Masterchef  S.A. on Tuesday night made me realize that we are seriously missing out on some delicious fare.  For years and years I have gone from butcher to butcher looking for pigs and beef cheeks and was never successful , much to my irritation.  I first ate beef cheeks years ago in Spain. My mother in law who cooked beautifully served up this dish with mashed potato.  It was beef cheeks cooked very slowly and came out tender, gelatinous and flavorsome.  I came back home with all the intentions of recreating the dish but its hard when you can’t find the main ingredient.  

On Tuesday night they had various cuts of the pig, some choice like belly and loin and then they had pigs cheeks, pigs ears, pigs trotters and pigs tails.  The contestant that prepared the tails just wowed the judges with her simple dish and it is this one that I would like to prepare. Question being now is just where am I going to find pigs tails.  I imagine them to be similar to oxtail , although a lot smaller , which is just beautiful , cooked correctly  where it falls off the bone and then one nibbles at the top of the bone where all the jelly is sitting.

Offal is often associated with poorer people but I think these people know exactly what is good and are laughing at the rest of us who are raving about fillet  and rump and the likes.  One of  my favorite bits of offal is the chicken gizzards or chicken tummies as I used to call them as a child.  I remember mom cleaning the chicken on Sunday morning, burning off any extra wayled feathers remaining on the wing tip over a candle.  Then the giblets were all cleaned.  The neck rid of excess fat, the tummy turned inside out and the thick membrane pulled off, the tiny heart washed well and we always had fun running water into the heart and watching it come out through another artery.  These choice bits were all put together with the chicken  into the roasting pan. My dad loved the livers, gran got the neck and I tried to get the tummy. Mom always loved the parsons nose which I cut off now before I even start roasting it as I don’t like it. 

So today I decided to make some curry with chicken gizzards.  These need long slow cooking but this is where a pressure cooker comes in handy as it cuts down on a lot of the cooking time. 

I start off the curry by gently frying my onions together with the whole spices and once soft I add the ginger, garlic, diced peppers and chopped tomatoes and cook until  soft. Then I add leaf masala, garam masala, turmeric, coriander and cumin and fry for a minute or two. I then add the gizzards, add enough liquid to cover and put the lid on. I cook it in the pressure cooker for about 20 minutes and that results in beautifully soft gizzards. I remove the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes to reduce the sauce and serve with fragrant basmati rice.  It is absolutely delicious and wholesome.

 

 

A glut of tomatoes and a road trip a long time ago

Last week I went off to my favorite fruit and veg store to stock up on supplies.  Each week Fruit & Veg  Food lovers market in Tokai  and other parts of the Western Cape run different specials and I love to take advantage of it.  One of their specials  was the following : 1 pocket of onions, 1 pocket of potatoes, 1 pocket of butternut, 5 kg carrots and a box of tomatoes , all for R 100.  Maths done, it works out to R20 a piece which is not too shabby in this day and age.  

So after spending some time in the store it was time to load up and head home. My box of tomatoes I had chosen was still green so on arrival at home , I stacked them up on the windowsill to ripen. 4 days later, they had ripened beautifully so it was time to convert them into a delicious pasta sauce.  I do believe that tomatoes must be ripe for this  as the flavors are just so much better.  Some folk like to peel their tomatoes but I prefer to leave them on, firstly  because I am lazy and secondly, I don’t like to waste.  I figure it adds a bit of extra fibre. I love making jars of sauce as they are so handy to pull out when time is running short and dinner needs getting done. A jar of ready made sauce without all the preservatives, thickeners and colorants is just so amazing.  The flavours  are sharp and clear.

So for a box of tomatoes which weighs 5 kg , I use 3 onions, finely diced, 3 carrots, finely diced and 5 sticks celery , thinly  sliced, 1/2 cup olive oil and a large tin of tomato paste.  The smell of the onion,carrots and celery softening in the olive oil is just mouth watering. I cook them until they are soft, soft and then add the chopped tomatoes, skin, seeds and all. I then leave it to slowly simmer so that the flavours can mingle until the tomatoes are pulpy. I then add  the tomato paste together with 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons dried oregano . I cook for another 30 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened and then jar it.  Sometimes I add garlic but today I left it out .

It is very important the the jars are sterilized  as that way the sauce will last for a long time. I then pour hot sauce into hot jars and top it with a layer of olive oil before sealing.  This way it lasts for a few weeks but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will last that long in my house.  So from a 5 kg box I got 12 jars which is not bad if you do the maths again. Think of what bottles of pasta sauce cost in the shops!!

In 2006  we took a road trip  to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia and  we covered  over 10000 km.   My food boxes were filled with jars  of this sauce which came in very handy when we hit our campsite destination late at night and still had to set up camp. Often dinner on these nights would be pasta and sauce or this same sauce heated up in a pan and when hot , I would break eggs into the sauce and cook them until the white was set but the yolks still runny and we would enjoy that with bread bought along the way.   It also went well with rice and was turned into a type of  tomato risotto .Our boys were only 8 and 5 respectively but they were absolute little stars.  Our plan was only to travel through Namibia but once we had reached the Caprivi Strip my dear husband decided that since we were so far up already, we might as well try and get to see Victoria falls . So we just carried on driving and pitching tents as we went along.

Looking back, I don’t know how I did it,  as it was tough.  We pitched tents in a new camp almost every night and the days were spent driving and being at one with nature.   We slept amongst hippopotamus ( husbands idea of real Africa, there were no fences to protect and no one was to leave their tents after sunset. No mean feat when you are travelling with small children who need the bathroom at night but on the said night no one needed a wee or more like we were all too scared to head out. ) ,  fought off huge baboons who entered our vehicle whilst we were setting up camp in the mountains ( I decided I had to chase this huge male out,  as I was scared he was going to steal our first aid kit which was so essential ,travelling where we were . I clearly wasn’t thinking straight and only realized that when he showed  his huge canines to me. Lucky for me, I scared him just with the amount of noise I made and rather abusive language which my mother wouldn’t be proud of .   He was big, much bigger than me and I saw my families reaction when I emerged from the car. A look of shock was written over all 3 of their faces.  I didn’t have time to think until later and then my imagination ran wild. )  We slept  in zero degrees all huddled into one tent and still froze but all in all , we have wonderful memories .

We travelled through Etosha pan and almost got wiped out by an elephant who had got a fright and backed out almost landing on our car bonnet. Luckily I swerved but my husband who was tending to the boys at the back for an instant didn’t see this creature and insisted I turn around so that he could get a better look at what caused the swerve.  I was not happy and neither was Mr  elephant.  He came at us with ears flapping so I  quickly put car into reverse ,managed to turn around  and carried on heading to camp. This night we sure had pasta and sauce as I  wasn’t in the mood to be nice to anyone , most of all my husband.

We camped across from Angola and all that divided us was a river. The bad guys crossed the river at night and lit fires using some plant that sent you into a deep sleep and they would steal  peoples valuables  from their tents while you were fast asleep.  It happened to people 2 campsites away from us. We didn’t hang around for another night , as you can well  imagine.

So get out that huge pot and cook up a storm with your glut of tomatoes.

A bit of tradition

South Africa is made up of such a mix of cultures  which is what makes it a wonderful place to live in.  When it comes to food, we have come such a far way.  Barely 10 years ago there was a handful of  food markets and now we have all these wonderful culinary folk coming out of the woodwork at an alarming rate.

When I left South Africa over 25 years ago and travelled through Europe , I was blown away by all the simple foods prepared in the most amazing ways.  I was in heaven and it didn’t matter what country I visited, there was an endless supply of new ideas and treats awaiting wherever I went. When I left, we were still serving Avo Ritz at the Vineyard Hotel.  My gosh , have we moved on!!

However a bit of tradition is always good and important and what better than a lovingly prepared Bobotie. This dish originates from the Cape Malays and is a fragrantly spiced mince dish, topped with a simple egg custard and traditionally served with yellow rice studded with golden sultanas . I remember some Sundays in winter when my mom prepared this for lunch. I remember the yellow rice which once cooked with turmeric, she drained then it went into the colander and put over a pot of steaming water. She added a few spoons of sugar, a few sticks of cinnamon and a handful of raisins if she didn’t have sultanas.  She would leave it to steam away and the sugar would dissolve and the fragrances of the cinnamon would permeate the rice.  Oh I smell it as I speak.

Today I have decided to cook this wonderful dish for dinner as I haven’t made it in a very long time. There are many recipes around but this is my one.

1 kg lean beef mince, 1 large onion, diced,  3 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 2 slices white bread soaked in a bit of milk, salt, pepper ,1/4 cup chutney (for us here, it has to be Mrs Balls ), 1/4 cup raisins ,1 egg  , 3 bay leaves      Topping: 1 egg, 250 ml sour cream and the leftover milk from the bread.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add onions. Cook over a gently heat to soften for about 8 minutes. Do them slowly to develop those natural sugars. Once they are lightly golden, add the curry powder and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes then add the mince and stir to break down.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes then add the chutney.  Remove from the heat then add the egg, bread which you have squeezed out and raisins and stir through well. Check the seasoning again and adjust if needed.  Spoon into a greased dish and place bay leaves on top.  Cover and bake in a pre heated oven of 180 deg for 1 hour.  I love to use my grandmothers dish which is very special to me.  Once cooked, gently pour over the topping, top with a few almond slivers if you like  and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the custard is set.  This is comfort food for me. Give it a try and enjoy.

Now today since I am stuck at home because we are finally having a new fireplace put in and I can’t leave, I have decided to cook up a storm . Not easy with lots of noise but ……..  A dear friend went off for a bit of an easter break and came back with a huge bag of quinces for me. My friends know me well. 

Quinces always reminds me of old people.  I don’t really know what it is about this fruit but I get taken back to the time when my old aunt , lived with us.   Aunty Coovie had a glass eye and I think when she wanted to freak us out, she would leave it in a glass in the bathroom next to her dentures. When I first saw this I remember feeling quite  shocked but then when one gets used to it, its all ok.  Well for some of us ,that is. She was a preserver of note and even in her latter days and eye site failing , she would make wonderful jams and konfyts. Nothing went to waste as these people lived through tough times and everything was used.  She used to make these rolled up orange and lemon skin preserves which she took ages to do but they were made with such love.  I recently came across a recipe for these and have decided that when the citrus season is in full swing, I would attempt them. She loved stewed fruit and custard so thats what it shall be today.

For now it is quinces.  They are funny fruit. Knobbly, hairy and hard.  I am sure they go back to the times of the dinosaurs.  First one has to defluff them and I just use a dry cloth to rub it off. Then one never knows what you are going to find when you finally do manage to cut through them as these are truly organic so the odd worm or two or three will always be poking its head out as you pop the two halves apart. Yes I had one like that and their feeding frenzy came to an abrupt end.  So I decided to make some simple stewed quince to serve with a bit of custard for dessert tonight. I get that old people feeling again.  I have only used half so the other half I am going to convert into a bit of membrillo.

What is that , I hear you all say?   Well when I first got to Spain , I visited many many markets and at the cheese stall there would always be this white soft cheese and right next to it would be this rich colored slab of stuff.  On asking I discovered that this beautifully colored stuff was membrillo.  Quince cheese or paste as we would know it. I had never come across this and when I was offered my first taste of a chunk of fresh cheese and a slice of membrillo, I was in heaven again. Food does this to me so even if I don’t make it there in the next life, I would have experienced it here so it doesn’t really matter. My mother in law always had her special stall where she would buy it from and one always got to taste this that and the other.

So they defuzz the quince and either bake them whole  or halve them and steam them peel and all until they are soft, soft.  They are then turned into a pulp and weighed.  Equal quantities of pulp and sugar are gently  mixed together and then cooked over a very gently heat until the mixture thickens and  turns into this beautiful colored mass . It has to cook to the right consistency so that it can be sliced when cold. It becomes quite dangerous as it splutters and  is like molten lava so one has to wear protective gear as far as I am concerned.

I want to apologise for lack of photographs as I am having a problem uploading and inserting them.  Why ? I dont know. If anyone can shed some light on the subject ,please let me know. Maybe the quince was offended being put into the same age as dinosaurs !!