Folklorama, Then and Now / Bakewell Tart and Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread

From August 4 to 17 we’ll be celebrating Folklorama 50!

Imagine that - the fiftieth Folklorama!

Folklorama was intended to be a one-time celebration of Manitoba’s centennial in 1970. 

It was originally in downtown Winnipeg on King Street, all within walking distance.

Well that was easy - it only had 21 pavilions.

Folklorama proved so popular that it came back the next, and every summer, since.

For the longest time it was a one-week celebration.

The pavilions were in different neighbourhoods, many not in walking distance.

When Paul and I first arrived here in 1975 we really got into all the festivals in Manitoba, and that included the full, one-week, Folklorama experience.

We felt it was our duty as new Manitobans to take part in each and every event.

We were 25.  

We had more energy than sense.  

We were dumb.

We had our reasons. 

We'd grown up in New York, to be exact, Queens. 

Manhattanites knew we weren’t real New Yorkers.

Folks in Queens had the attitude I live here, I don’t have to see it.

‘It’ being Manhattan and all the tourist attractions in it.

Then we moved to British Columbia. 

We’d always meant to see places like the Butchart Gardens, but we never got around to them during the two years we lived there.

Well… we weren't going to make that mistake again.  

We were going to see everything we could in Manitoba - in one year.

Most of 1975 was a blur, including all of the Folklorama pavilions.  

I sort of remember lots of embroidery.  

I do remember the time we were stopped by a cop on Main Street.  

We weren't drunk.  

Paul had been driving and, while I waved the Folklorama passport, Paul explained to the officer that we were looking for Poland and we hadn't noticed that we'd gone past a three-way intersection.

Cops hear it all during Folklorama. 

Over the years Folklorama has gone through a few changes.

It’s grown to 45 pavilions which now are spread out over two weeks.

Some of the original pavilions have stopped putting on a show.

The volunteers had gotten old and the kids weren't interested.

No problem.

There are plenty of folks from other countries happy to set up pavilions.

Some countries are represented by more than one pavilion.

Don't ask.

I still have a program from the 1980 Folklorama.

There was a bit of information from each of the 37 pavilions.

What made this program special was that 34 countries also posted recipes.

The Chilean, Chinese, and Mennonite Pavilions had nice write-ups, but no recipes. 

The Scotland Pavilion, at the Heather Curling Club, had posted Scottish Shortbread.

The Mug Pug Pavilion, representing England, was set up in the University of Manitoba.

They had full meals from every corner of the British Isles served in a British pub atmosphere with entertainment and plenty of drinks. 

They shared the recipe for the Bakewell Tart which originated when, many years ago, a customer at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell, Derbyshire, ordered some strawberry tarts, and the cook mistakenly put the egg mixture on top of the jam.

It wasn’t the first time a simple mistake led to a new - and good - recipe.

This year, in addition to the United Kingdom Pavilion, there is a Pavilion of Scotland.

There are two Chile Pavilions: the Chile Lindo Pavilion and the Chilean Pavilion.

Enjoy!!

Hints:

You can substitute 12 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of rice flour for the flour in the Shortbread recipe.

                        Bakewell Tart 

Line a sandwich tin with

6 ounces short crust pastry

Over the pastry spread

2 Tablespoons jam

Place in a medium mixing bowl

4 ounces shortening

4 ounces castor sugar

Cream well and add

few drops almond extract

2 eggs

Beat well together, add

2 ounces ground almonds (or sponge cake crumbs)

Spread the mixture on top of the jam.

Bake at 375º F for 50 minutes.

                        Scottish Shortbread

Grease a large cookie pan.

Combine in a large bowl

16 ounces flour

  4 ounces fine sugar

Place on a board

8 ounces butter

Work in the dry ingredients, kneading well.

After all ingredients are worked together, knead and then shape into a round cake or into fingers about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on prepared land and prick with a fork.

Bake at 325º F - 45 minutes for the fingers, 60 minutes if baking a cake.

Leave on the pan for a short time before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Anna Sultana’s Cottage Pie #3

It’s been one of those winters - there was always something else that had to be done.

So, I'm really very sorry, but it’s been a while since I posted anything.

Here we are, halfway through March, and it’s time to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

It’s time to make something a bit Irish.

Making corned beef and cabbage was not one of Ma's favourite things to do.

She would usually serve us Cottage Pie, and, somehow, each year it was always a bit different.

Here’s another one of her variations.

Cottage Pie is not the same as Shepherd’s Pie. 

Both are made the same way – a ground meat filling that is topped with mashed potatoes, then baked until the top is nice and crusty. 

The difference is that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb instead of beef.

I've never found ground lamb in my local grocer's meat department.
I don't think Ma ever found it, either.
I don't know if I'll ever have Shepherd's Pie.
No matter - Cottage Pie will always mean St. Patrick's Day to me.

Looking for a few more Irish dishes for your family’s dinner? Try

Anna Sultana’s Irish Cakes / Boxties

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie 

Anna Sultana’s Easy Shepherd’s Pie 2

Potato and Cabbage Casserole

Anna Sultana’s Colcannon and Irish Cream

Irish soda bread

Don’t forget to top off your meal with a glass of Irish Coffee!

Hints:

Make sure the filling is reduced down so that you don’t end up with a watery filling.

Since no steam will escape, the meat sauce will not thicken while it is baking. 
So be sure to allow the sauce to simmer long enough, and to cool completely.

If you’re in a rush to cool the filling you can pop it into the fridge or freezer while you prepare the potatoes.

If the filling is not cooled, the mashed potatoes will sink down into the mixture.
Still edible, but not quite the effect we’re going for here.

Also don't skip drying the potatoes, otherwise the excess liquid will drip into the filling.

If you feel the need for cheese, you can add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the mashed potatoes.

Don't prepare the potatoes too far before you need them for the recipe.
The mashed potatoes should be hot so that they’ll spread easily.

This recipe refrigerates and freezes well. Just don't bake it before storing it. 
Allow the potato topping to cool, then cover or wrap before refrigerating or freezing. 

If frozen, thaw and bake as per recipe.

                        Cottage Pie

Serves 5 - 6 

Meat Filling

Dice

1 onion
3 carrots

1 rib celery

Heat in a large skillet over medium heat

2 Tablespoons oil

Crumble in 

1 pound lean ground beef

Sauté 1 minute.

Add the diced vegetables.
Continue to sauté until the meat is no longer pink and the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Stir in

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoons dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Cups beef broth

Combine well. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. 

Spoon the mixture into an 8 inch square pan or a deep 9 inch pie pan. 

Allow the filling to cool. 

Potato Topping

After the filling has cooled a bit, peel and dice

2 pounds potatoes

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water and place over high heat. 
Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 

Drain then return to pot on turned off stove. 
Shake briefly and allow to steam dry for about 30 seconds. 

Mash potatoes until smooth, then add
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Cup milk

Whip until fluffy. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Preheat oven to 400º F

Spread the hot whipped potatoes over the beef filling, using a fork to rough up the surface.  

Sprinkle over the potatoes

a few dabs of butter

2 Tablespoons fine bread crumbs

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle over top

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

Let stand for 5 minutes.

Serve with peas, or, if you’ve invited company, you can get fancy by serving it with glazed roasted carrots and sautéed garlic spinach.

Anna Sultana's German Oven Pancake & Yorkshire Pudding / The Autumnal Equinox & The Harvest Moon

I recently posted the recipe for Yorkshire Pudding.

It’s been around a long time, and I really think it has inspired a few variations.
Cousin recipes, if you like.

German Oven Pancake is similar to Yorkshire Pudding.

But you can make a meal of it and serve it as a brunch.

You can also serve it as a dessert

Ma got a recipe for German Oven Pancake from a neighbour, whom, I’m sure, got it from another neighbour, who got it from her mother, and so on...

So it goes with good old recipes.

Ma made a change so that she could save some time.

But she still called them German Oven Pancakes.

It would’ve been confusing if she called them Maltese Oven Pancakes.

Well, that’s what Ma said when she served them.

Hints:

If you are feeding a crowd follow Ma's example.

She found the recipe easy to multiply and that it could be baked in pie plates.

If your plates are glassware, as Ma’s were, reduce the temperature by 25º F to 325º F.

Here’s how Ma made her pancakes:

Have on hand 4 9-inch pie plates

In each pie plate place

2 Tablespoons butter

Place the pie plates in the oven to melt the butter.

Place in a large bowl

8 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

Beat together.

Add

1 Cup flour

Beat until smooth.

Add 

2 Cups milk

Beat to blend.

Remove the plates from the oven and jiggle them to spread the melted butter.

Pour one quarter of the batter into each plate.

Return the plates to the oven and bake 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, loosen, fill, roll up and place each pancake on a platter.

About the filling... you’re going to need more filling than in the recipes below.

Double or triple the recipes, or choose two or three and give your family a choice.

If you’re in a rush, canned pie filling can also be used.

The Apple Filling can also be made using peaches, nectarines or berries.

If you're using blueberries in the Berry Filling use lemon juice instead of orange.

If you want the pancakes to be more of a meal, they can also be served in the pie plates - either as is or rolled - one per person, with your choice of filling.

                                   German Oven Pancake

Preheat oven 350º F

Place in medium bowl

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat together.

Add

1/4 Cup flour

Beat until smooth.

Add 

1/2 Cup milk

Beat to blend.

Melt in a 10 inch oven proof skillet

2 Tablespoons butter

Pour in the batter.

Bake 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, loosen and place the pancake on a platter.

Add filling, roll up, cut into portions if you wish to, and serve.

                                   Filling Ideas

Jam Filling

Spread on a cooked pancake

1/2 to 3/4 Cup plum jam (or another jam, such as strawberry)

Roll up and top with

1/4 Cup sour cream

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons toasted walnuts

Slice and serve.

Apple Filling

Melt in heavy skillet

1/3 Cup margarine

Add 

4 Cups peeled apple slices

Cook 5 minutes.

Combine in a small bowl

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the cooked apple slices.

Cover and simmer another 5 minutes.

Uncover and cook 5 minutes more.

Spread the fruit over the cooked pancake.

Roll up and sprinkle with

1 Tablespoon sugar

Slice and serve.

Berry Filling

Thaw in a saucepan

1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen raspberries or strawberries

Mash with a fork and heat.

Combine in a cup

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons orange juice

Add to raspberries and continue cooking, stirring until thick.

Spread on the cooked pancake

1 Cup sour cream

Roll up and pour the cooked berries over it.

Slice and serve.

Dairy Filling

Spread on the cooked pancake

1 Cup sour cream or ricotta

Roll up and top with

1/2 Cup sour cream

4 Tablespoons toasted walnuts

1 Tablespoon sugar (regular or vanilla sugar)

Slice and serve with lemon wedges.

Back to the Yorkshire Pudding…

Thanks to a misunderstanding with Napoleon, after which Malta became a part of the British Empire, English recipes became popular in Malta.

Of course Ma had her own way of making Yorkshire Pudding.

She had developed her own money-saving way of making it.

Yorkshire Puddings can be made even if you haven’t just cooked a large roast.

Really.

Bacon fat, lard, rendered chicken fat, and vegetable oil can also be used. 

The different fats will give different flavours:

Bacon fat will give your pudding a salty, mildly smoky flavour

Beef drippings or lard will add a beefy flavour 

Chicken fat will give a more delicate, yet still meaty, flavour

Vegetable oil is perfect for when you’re serving something vegetarian, like mushrooms

While you can’t use butter because the milk fats burn at a low temperature, you can use clarified butter, which is easy to make:

Gently melt butter in a pot for about 10 minutes, until the milk solids look like they are about to burn. Strain the liquid into a jar, and discard the milk solids.

The strained oily liquid is clarified butter and can be used for frying, since the removal of the milk solids allows it to be heated to higher temperatures without smoking.

This recipe can be made using the pan in which you roasted the meat.

You'll need 1/2 Cup fat. Remove and save the rest of the drippings for another meal.

You can also make the pudding in pie pans, cast iron frying pans, or baking pans, or you can divide the fat between 12 muffin cups.

When pouring the batter into the pans or muffin cups the containers should be filled about 1/3 of the way. 

If you’re using a glass pan, reduce temperature by 25º F.

                                   Yorkshire Pudding

Serves 8

When the meat is almost done, sift together into a bowl

1 Cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Set aside.

Place in another bowl

4 eggs

1 Cup milk

Beat together until light and foamy. 

Remove the roast from the oven and place the meat on a platter to rest.

Remove excess fat if using the roasting pan, or scoop out 1/2 Cup of drippings to add to the other pan(s).

Place the oven rack in the middle position.

Preheat oven to 425° F

Place in the pan(s) or divide in the muffin tins

1/2 Cup beef drippings or other fats (see above)

Put the pan(s) in the oven and get the fat hot. 

While the fat is being heated, add the dry ingredients into the egg / milk mixture and stir until blended with no lumps. 

Carefully take the pan(s) out of the oven and pour in the batter. 

Put the pan(s) back in the oven.

Bake until the pudding is puffed and golden.

This can take 12 minutes in the muffin tins, or 15 to 20 minutes in the other pan(s).

Remove from the oven. 

If prepared in large pan you can slice and serve. 

If prepared in muffin tins, remove the puddings and place them on a platter to serve.

This is delicious with gravy, if you’ve made some.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

September 21 - Venus reaches greatest brilliancy on September 21st, shining at magnitude –4.8 and casting an eerily brilliant light from low in the west. Since the end of February, it has been a very prominent object in the evening sky soon after sunset. 

By month’s end the Red Planet sets well before the end of twilight. Its sunlit hemisphere currently is oriented mostly away from the Earth, so it appears as a crescent. Telescopic observers may want to keep Venus under surveillance and watch this crescent grow rapidly thinner and longer. Even with steadily held binoculars you might discern it, especially toward the end of the month, but, unfortunately, Venus may be a bit too low after sunset to show a steady image. 

By mid-October, Venus sets only a half-hour after the Sun and then will be gone. It will pass between the Earth and the Sun on October 27th, then a couple of weeks later it will reappear in the predawn sky as a “morning star”.

September 22 - The Autumnal Equinox, 9:54 p.m. While there’s nothing to see in the sky, this is the official first day of Fall!

September 24 - Full  Moon at 10:52 p.m. At this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. 

But is it the full Harvest Moon or the full Corn Moon?  

Because this full Moon is nearest the autumnal equinox (September 22 in 2018) so it is the Harvest Moon. When the September full Moon is not the Harvest Moon, we call it the Corn or Barley Moon.

Yorkshire Potted Shrimps and Yorkshire Pudding

Last month we celebrated Folklorama in Winnipeg.

Inspired by the delicious food we enjoyed there, and a few of the traditional food featuring episodes we watched on the British television show Escape to the Country, we’ve been trying English recipes.

A while ago we watched a couple exploring houses in Yorkshire and, lucky for us, the hostess/real estate agent on Escape went to a food shop and sampled the classic local dish, Potted Shrimps.

The shrimps are cooked, placed in a small bowl, and then covered with melted butter.

Potted Shrimps was created when people didn’t have luxuries like refrigerators.

The reason for the butter cover is that it was used as a preservative for the shrimp, as well as for other seafood, chopped meats or cheese.

In the 1826 Housewife's Manual Meg Dods said that game "to be sent to distant places" would keep for a month if potted correctly with a layer of melted butter.

We have refrigerators now, so the preservative aspect isn’t important anymore.

But it’s an easy recipe and can be used as a 'can be done in advance' appetizer.

And it’s delicious, too.

Potted Shrimps can also be served as a Yorkshire Shrimp Tea, by serving it with hot buttered toast, fresh lemon wedges and a pot of hot tea. 

Potted Shrimps also has a bit of literary history…

It was a favourite dish of Ian Fleming, who often ordered the dish when he dined at Scott’s Restaurant on Mount Street in Mayfair, London. 

Fleming decided that his fictional hero, James Bond, would share his love of this dish.

So, if you’d like to make a theme night of it, serve the Potted Shrimps with a drink that’s been shaken, not stirred.

Hints:

Some recipes call for clarified butter, which is easy to make.

Gently melt butter in a pot for about 10 minutes, until the milk solids look like they are about to burn. Strain the liquid into a jar, and discard the milk solids.

The strained oily liquid is clarified butter and can be used for frying, since the removal of the milk solids allows it to be heated to higher temperatures without smoking.

The recipe can also be see to make Potted Crab Meat.

This recipe has been around a long time, so of course there are variations.

Some recipes called for a 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste or 1 chopped anchovy fillet, or Gentleman's Relish, along with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.

White pepper, which gives a more subtle flavour, or cloves or cayenne pepper have been included in other recipes.

There’s also a recipe which included a Tablespoon each of lemon juice and finely chopped shallot, in addition to a pinch of bay leaf powder and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

The procedure is the same for all recipes, while the spices are open to variations.

Suit yourself and enjoy.

Potted Shrimp is best made the day before and left in the refrigerator overnight, but it can also be made a few days in advance, which makes sense since the whole point of the melted butter is to serve as a preservative.

You can also serve Potted Shrimps on toast, with pickles on the side.

                                   Potted Shrimps

Serves 6

Cook and peel

12 ounces prawns or shrimps

Set aside.

Place in a small pot

3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter

Melt over a low heat.

Stir in

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 

Add the cooked prawns or shrimps 

Stir to warm the shrimp through.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the seafood and press them into the ramekins. 

Allow to cool, then chill for 10 to 15 minutes or until set. 

Reheat the butter and pour it over the prawns to cover. 

Place the ramekins in the refrigerator to set overnight.

Heat oven to 375º F 

Cut a ciabatta loaf into thin slices, and place slices on a pan.

Brush slices with olive oil (about 1 Tablespoon should be enough for the loaf), and toast in the oven. 

Keep an eye on the slices so they don't burn.

Once golden, arrange slices on a serving board.

Serve the bread with the potted prawns and lemon wedges 

Hope you enjoyed your shrimp with a York twist.

Here are a few more shrimp recipes:

Anna Sultana’s Shrimp with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Anna Sultana’s Jambalaya, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Linguine All’astice

Anna Sultana's zalza pikkanti (Fish in Caper Sauce, Maltese Style)

Carmela Soprano’s Shrimp Aragonate

Carmela Soprano's Lobster Fra Diavolo / Jumbo Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Carmela Soprano's Shrimp Scampi - Shrimp in Garlic Butter Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Linguine with Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Sauce

While we’re exploring Yorkshire recipes I’ll include a recipe for Yorkshire Pudding. 

It’s an easy recipe which can add a little something extra to a roast beef dinner, especially if you’re serving leftovers.

But I don't think it would go well with the Potted Shrimps.

                                   Yorkshire Pudding

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 450° F

Place muffin pan in oven to heat. 

Combine in a medium bowl

3/4 Cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Place in another medium bowl

2 eggs 

1 Cup milk 

1 Tablespoon butter, melted 

Whisk until blended. 

Add to flour mixture. 

Mix well.

Remove hot muffin pan from oven.

Grease 8 of the muffin cups.

Pour batter (about 1/4 cup) into each of the the prepared cups.

Bake 35 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350° F and bake another 20 minutes.

The tops should be puffed and golden brown. 

Transfer the puddings from the muffin pan to a wire rack. 

Use the tip of sharp knife to cut a slit in each pudding's top to vent the steam. 

Serve with gravy. 

Anna Sultana’s No knead Orange Scones and Clotted Cream

Goodness, time just flies!

Has it really been about seven years since we baked a batch of Ma's Orange Cranberry Scones to enjoy while we watched Prince William and Kate Middleton get married?

Now we’ll be able to see his brother, Prince Harry, and his lovely fiancé stroll down the aisle.

I can’t wait to see what Meghan will wear!

During William and Kate’s wedding one of the TV announcers mentioned how folks in Merry Old England were sitting down to a brekkie of tea and scones, too.

In keeping with the situation, I plan to bake scones to serve with Twinings English Breakfast tea.

Tradition is important, after all.

Scones are very easy to make.

As it is a British recipe, we Maltese make them, too, using an assortment of fruits and juices, as well as milk and cream.

Want to serve a variety? Try one or two or all of these recipes:

Anna Sultana's Orange Cranberry Scones

Anna Sultana’s Lemon Cranberry Scones

Anna Sultana’s Cream Scones

Anna Sultana’s Scones with Clotted Cream

All would be delicious with a cup of tea… or a Cosmopolitan or two. 

To do it up in a right proper, veddy British way, the scones should be served with clotted cream, which is also called Devonshire or Cornish cream.

Clotted cream has a nutty, cooked milk flavour and as much fat as butter.

It is a thick cream made by heating cow's milk and then letting it cool slowly so that the cream rises to the surface and forms "clots”. 

The Clotted Cream will keep for about a week in your fridge and can be added to mashed potatoes, risotto or scrambled eggs.

It is also delicious with berries, fruit, a slice of pie, or as a topping on any dessert you’re serving.

Well, just about any dessert... probably not on an iced cake.

Hints:

About the clotted cream…

You might be able to find clotted cream in the dairy section of your supermarket.

Most likely, you won’t find it in a North American store.

Not too worry. It’s not hard to make.

If you don’t have a double boiler place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water.

After you scrape off the thicker part of the clotted cream, you’ll be left with cream that is thinner than heavy cream.

Don't toss it. It can be added to beverages or dishes, as you would half and half.

In a rush? Have mascarpone? You’re in luck. You can use mascarpone to make fake Clotted Cream:

Place in a large bowl

4 ounces mascarpone

1 Cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 or 2 Tablespoons sugar

Zest of lemon or lime (optional)

Beat until the mixture looks like softly whipped cream.  

Use right away or cover and refrigerate the cream until serving time.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Not sure if you'll have any use for a tub of mascarpone?

It is a soft unripened cheese that has the texture of sour cream.

Its mild flavour is great with fresh fruit and it is an ingredient in Tiramisu.

You've probably enjoyed it already.

                        

                           No knead Orange Scones

                       

grease a large cookie pan         

preheat oven to 375º        

bake 30 minutes

Makes 15 scones

In a measuring cup beat together

1 Cup orange juice

1 Egg

Add

1 Cup raisins

Set aside

In a large mixer bowl mix together

3 Cups flour

1/2 Cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut in 

1/2 Cup margarine

Add

orange juice / egg / raisins mixture

Stir just enough to combine well

Drop on prepared sheet

Bake 30 minutes

Serve warm with butter or clotted cream

                           Clotted Cream

Yield: about 1 cup clotted cream

Place in a double boiler

4 Cups heavy cream

Heat over medium heat to bring the cream to 175º F, stirring occasionally so that the cream will heat evenly. 

Once you reach 175º F, bring up the temperature to 200º and allow the cream to cook about 45 minutes to an hour. The cream should get a cracked skin. 

Remove the top of your double boiler or bowl and place the container of cooked cream in a pan of ice water to cool quickly. 

Cover the cream with plastic wrap and place the container in the refrigerator.

Let it sit overnight. 

Carefully skim the clotted cream off with a shallow spoon and layer it into a bowl.

Serve it as you would serve butter.

Anna Sultana’s Cottage Pie and The Great American Solar Eclipse

This past week we’ve enjoyed visiting Folklorama.

The theme nights at the United Kingdom Pavilion were fun, the dancing, singing and music were excellent, and the food was delicious.

The recipes reminded me a bit of some of the food Ma used to make.

Yes, she didn’t always cook Maltese recipes.

For a while in its long history, Malta was a part of the British Empire.

Of course, during war and peace times the British navy made use of our harbours.

British sailors being just regular folks after all, ate regular meals.

Of course, some of their recipes became known, and were enjoyed, by the Maltese.

One such recipe is Cottage Pie, which also has a long history.

In 1791 the potato was being introduced to Europeans as something that the poor - most of whom lived in cottages - could easily afford. The Cottage Pie recipe was a way to use leftover roasted meat. The pie dish was lined with mashed potatoes, as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.

In the United Kingdom, the name Shepherd's Pie appeared in 1854, and it is used when the meat is minced lamb or mutton, while Cottage Pie is used for pies made with minced beef. Both are meat pies with a topping of mashed potato, not pastry.

While not traditional, the mashed potatoes can be topped with grated cheese.

The fillings can also have a few variations:

• The Shepherdess Pie is made without meat or without dairy.
• The Cumberland Pie is made with either beef or lamb, and a layer of breadcrumbs and cheese is on top. In medieval times, and modern-day Cumbria, the crust was pastry, and the filling was meat with fruits and spices.
• A St. Stephen's Day Pie is made using turkey and ham.
• A Fish Pie is a dish of fish and seafood in sauce, topped with mashed potatoes.

Hints:

If you don’t want to add the carrot and celery to the filling you can omit them, but add 1 teaspoon sugar instead.

If you’d like to add some peas to the filling - or have a zucchini you’d like to use - you can reduce the meat and add some. Just be sure to finely chop the zucchini.

The liquid in the filling will not evaporate when it bakes. If it appears too ‘soupy’ spoon out some of the liquid or allow it to simmer longer for the liquid to be reduced.

You MUST allow the filling to cool down before adding the mashed potatoes. If you don’t the potatoes will sink into the filling. If you are in a rush let the filling cool in the refrigerator while you make the potato topping.

Be sure to steam dry the potatoes. If there is excess liquid in the potatoes it will make the sauce watery.

To get really creamy mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer or sieve. Be sure the mashed potatoes are hot when you spread them. Cold potatoes is harder to spread. You want a textured surface on the potato topping, so rough it up a bit. It’s like adding the meringue to a lemon meringue pie - the points become nicely browned bits and make it look more appetizing.

You can prepare the pie in a casserole in advance, then refrigerate or freeze.

You can also freeze in individual ovenproof dishes for an easy meal for one. 

Remember to defrost at room temperature before baking as directed in the recipe.

For a crisp golden topping, flash under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

                        Cottage Pie

Finely chop but don’t combine

2 garlic cloves

1 onion

1 medium carrot

1 rib celery 

Place in a large skillet

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil over medium high heat. 

Add the garlic cloves and chopped onion.

Cook for 1 minute.

Add the chopped carrot and celery.

Cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

Cook, stirring, until browned.

Stir in

3 Tablespoons flour

Stir in

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Add

2 cups beef stock 

1/2 Cup red wine (optional)

1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled or 1 teaspoon base powder 

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 - 30 minutes.

You want to have a nice thick filling.

Pour the filling into a 6 cup casserole. 

Cover, then refrigerate to cool for 1 - 2 hours, or overnight. 

Peel and cut into 1" cubes

2 1/2 pounds potatoes

Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Turn off the stove.

Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and place it on the burner you had used. 

Shake the pot briefly and allow the potatoes to steam dry for about a minute.

If you have a potato ricer or sieve, use it and return the riced potatoes to the pot before adding the remaining ingredients.

If you don’t have one, add to the dried potatoes

2 Tablespoons butter

Mash until melted.

Add

1/2 Cup milk

salt to taste

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

Mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Spread the potatoes onto the filling, and rough up the surface.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan or cheddar cheese (optional).

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. 

Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

August 14 – Look to the east before dawn to spot the last quarter Moon near Aldebaran, the 13th brightest star in the sky and one of the more colourful. It marks the orange eye of Taurus the Bull.

August 18 – Look to the east, one hour before sunrise, to spot the crescent Moon paired up with Venus. The waning crescent Moon will be at perigee, meaning it’s at its closest point to the Earth, which happens each month. 

August 19 – Another chance to spot Venus with the tiny crescent Moon Look to the east, one hour before sunrise.

August 21 –  New Moon at 4:45 p.m. Some are calling this a “Black Moon” because it’s the third new Moon (of 4) in a season. So will the eclipse be a Black Moon Eclipse?

August 21 –  Total Solar Eclipse. This will mark the first time in this century, and the first time since 1979, that a total solar eclipse will cross the contiguous (48) United States (Alaska had its turn in 1990; Hawaii in 1991). 

The shadow track - better known as the “path of totality” - will sweep only over the United States and no other country for the very first time, leading some to refer to this upcoming event as “The Great American Eclipse."

See which cities are in the best spot to view here.