Ricotta & Lemon Tart from Antonio Carluccio

I watched Antonio make this on the Two Greedy Italians last week with Gennaro. I had to give it a go! It is absolutely 'amazeballs'. Think summer, sun, lemons, sitting on the terrace & finished off sipping a chilled limoncello.

Ingredients:

400g puff pastry (& a little plain flour).

250g Ricotta

250g Mascarpone

200g Candied peel (I got my hands on some *Cedro, as Antonio recommends)

120g Caster sugar

6 Eggs (separated)

1 Lemon for zesting

Roll out the pastry so that it fits comfortably (hanging over the edge of your decent sized tart dish - 25/30 cm).  Leave it aside covered with a damp cloth. (I used a pre-made frozen puff pastry, as I've a slight aversion to making pastry). It worked.

For the mixture, spoon together the mascarpone, ricotta, candied peel, 100g of sugar.  Give it a good mix and then add in the yolks of 5 eggs.  Keep one aside for glazing the pastry. Whisk up the 6 egg whites until well fluffy and add in the remaining sugar and whisk again to give it a good sheen. Gently fold in the egg whites to the cheese mix. 

Get your tart tin and pastry out from hiding and pour the mix into the centre of the dish. Spread it carefully and evenly. Fold in the sides of the pastry and aim for the rustic uneven look rather than a perfected knife-cut edge. Glaze with the remaining egg yolk.

Pop it in the pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for 25-30 mins. There should still be a definite wobble to the mix. Leave to cool. Zest a lemon over it. Stuff your face! 

Notes:
Must try this with sheep's ricotta when I can get some. Should give a lighter texter & an extra little kick in flavour.

Used 250g of Ricotta & Mascarpone, as these are the packet sizes. Recipe recommends 300g to 250g.

*Cedro is particular type of lemon from Campania that is candied like other peels. It's almost a little sour in taste, even though candied, but works a treat. Some orange peel (as Antonio recommends) would help balance the sour with some sweet

Although loaded with eggs......it is not eggy or custardy.  It is lighter than a typical New York baked cheesecake. 

Ikea's Lingonbrod on a Sunny Day

Dad had tried the Lingonbrod from Ikea recently and suggested I give it a go. The packet has been sitting staring at me for a month or so now but yesterday's sun encouraged a little baking effort.  Cinnamon buns will have to wait for another day, when I can justify eating the whole batch with my big sis. 

This is an uncomplicated pre-mixed bread.  Add the attached dry yeast, mix, leave to rise, knead, spilt in two, leave to rise, bake (40 mins in the oven). Instructions are straight forward and in many languages, so take your pick and the majority of ingredients are good & wholesome. Ultimately it tastes pretty good too,....not extravagantly of the freeze dried lingon berries, but of good, wholesome, Northern European bread. Worth a try!

Bringing something new to Paris - Le Bal Cafe

Welsh Rarebit made with Ireland's finest Guinness

Le Bal Cafe is offering a little twist to the norm in Paris. Top notch filter coffee, welsh rarebit, oxtail, bread & butter pudding and great service.  Not to be missed for dinner or brunch if you're up around Place de Clichy. Yes, I am totally biased for reasons of friendship, but I will gladly be a loyal regular any time I'm in Paris 'cos they are that good!

David maintaining his filter focus!

Parisian treats

I just like these photos! Both are from a busy little boulangerie opposite the Sainte-Maire des Batignolles church, about 5 minutes walk from Place de Clichy.  I am not usually a (French) macaroon fan but these were top notch. The chocolate and almond twist was so fresh and yum.  Happily would have worked my way along the pastry shelf!

French macaroons...never quite sure what the colours represent!

A few key snaps from the Place d'Aligre Market, Paris

Claire and I rendezvous-ed in Paris, en route to Rome the weekend before last. We stayed with my very good friend Emily (host of some renown). She was very excited to have foodies in the house to appreciate the wonders of the Place d'Aligre Market! 

Here's just a few shots from the wanderings through the stalls........health & safety......blow it out your ear. The French know how to do it properly!

They're just sleeping...like bats!

Real butchering - No dodgy sauces here!

I can get this just off shore down in Mayo. Anyone ever tried?

Claire's favourite

Ricci di Mare - couldn't find them on the menu last September in Puglia

It's been 2 months since my last confession....

Just to get the ball back rolling after a time away.......I loved the way this local grocer near Place de Clichy, Paris just throws the laws of fruit & veg. merchandising out the window.
Why should fruit have to sit with fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit!?!?

Grocer Display in Paris

Thanks for the help Mr. Brennan's Bread Driver

On a daily basis in work, we try to provide a little energy, optimism and warmth for those stepping in from the mayhem of the world outside. It's all part of the job really - who wants to sell food if the customer is not enjoying the experience? 

I like to think karma gave us something back on Saturday morning!

Martin (one of our KPs) and myself were brushing down the paths of the initially flurry of snow overnight. It's a good 30 metres or so of pathway - just enough to cool the knuckles but also get the heart pumping. As we battled with the slush and ice, a Brennan's Bread van pulled up beside us - odd I thought, as I have never seen them deliver near us before. 

The driver hopped out and tut-tutted our brushing efforts, explaining "I'll show you how it's done".  As he said this he pulled out a bread tray - you know the ones they use to carry twenty-or-so slice pans at a time? Before we knew it, he had snow-ploughed a track three times the size of my brush, leaving a perfectly snow-free path. He handed over the tray, hopped back into the van and drove off!

To the driver, a sincere thank you..... for stopping,.... for giving us the tray,....for showing us how it's done....and for giving us a little light on a dark Saturday morning in November.