Alcohol – Page 2 – The Food Wife

Sloe Gin

9th September 20209th September 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes approx 1L

You will find sloes in abundance in hedgerows at the moment. They look deceptively like blueberries but these are high in tannins, making them unpleasant to eat with their drying effect in your mouth and they are almost inedibly sharp. Combined with sugar and gin and left to mature, however, and youâ€™ll have the perfect drink, ready in time for Christmas.

Ingredients:
500g sloes
250g caster sugar
1L gin

Step 1: Wash the sloes, and prick them all over (alternatively freeze them once washed and then use them when ready, with no need to prick).

Step 2: Place sloes in a large jar, and add the sugar and gin. Seal and place some where cool and dark.

Step 3: Once a day for seven days, shake the jar vigorously.

Step 4: Leave for two to three months before straining the sloes out and bottling.

Whatâ€™s Cooking?

21st May 201923rd May 2019
by thefoodwife

If youâ€™re looking for some culinary inspiration hereâ€™s a round up of some of the recipes from The Food Wife that weâ€™re having this week.

Pizza, The Food Husbandâ€™s favourite, has been off the menu for a while as he’s eliminating gluten from his diet, but I made up a batch of sourdough pizza bases with the addition of two teaspoons each of garlic powder and dried oregano to the dough. I had a go at a potato base for a gluten-free version, which was a big hit (think giant gnocchi base). Watch this space for the recipe as I try to recreate it next time pizza is on the menu.Â Â

Weâ€™re still working our way through the jars of wild garlic pesto I made recently, and tomorrow weâ€™ll be enjoying it simply with pasta and green beans for a light and summery meal.Â Â Iâ€™ll also be adding it as a topping to a salmon fillet before roasting it in the oven another evening this week.

The Food Baby has not been forgotten either. Still in the quest to smuggle more vegetables into his diet (he can spot a pea from the other side of the room) Iâ€™ve batch-cooked a tomato and carrot pasta sauce and a three bean chilli along with a double batch of cheese and vegetable scones for the freezer. This time using grated parsnip, carrot and broccoli along with chopped spinach and sundried tomatoes, he devours them without the knowledge that Iâ€™m getting sneaky veg inside him!

And finally if, like me, you love rhubarb, then youâ€™ll be loving the abundance of it at the moment. Why not give my rhubarb crumble traybake a go, or if you can wait a while, have a go at my rhubarb gin. Itâ€™s worth the wait!

Lychee Cocktail

19th May 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes 1

A recent Vietnamese meal with the girls led me to come up with this as our first drink of the night. It went down well and looked pretty with its borage flower accompaniment. The purÃ©ed lychees left some residue on the glass, but you could avoid this by passing the purÃ©e through a sieve before using, but sometimes life is too short.

The quantities below are for a large champagne flute, but if using smaller ones then halve the quantity of liqueur and purÃ©e.

Ingredients:

40 ml lychee liqueur (I used a lychee infused white rum)

20ml lychee purÃ©e (I whizzed up a tin of lychees with a splash of their syrup)

Chilled sparkling wine (I used Prosecco)

To serve: an edible flower frozen in an ice cube (optional) (I used borage)

Step 1: Measure the liqueur and purÃ©e into a glass, add the flower ice cube (if using) and carefully top up the glass with sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

Lemon Fizz Cocktail

25th February 201924th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

A simple cocktail to serve as an aperitif. Make the lemon syrup in advance and chill in the fridge, ready to serve when your guests arrive.

Ingredients:
75ml fresh lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
75g caster sugar
1 bottle of dry sparkling wine

Step 1: Make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup begins to boil. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into an airtight bottle container and store in the fridge until needed.

Step 2: Divide the syrup between six champagne flutes (this will be about 25ml each) and top up with a chilled, dry sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

The Food Wifeâ€™s Chocolate and Amaretto Italian Cheesecake

20th August 201826th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 8-12

A totally indulgent dessert which is rich with chocolate and mascarpone and spiked with the beautifully almondy amaretto. If you want a non-alcoholic version then you can of course omit the liqueur from the filling; youâ€™ll still get a delightful hit of almond from the amaretto biscuit base. If you are making this gluten-free omit the Ferrero Rocher decoration.

This is a non-bake cheesecake, so it needs time in the fridge to firm up. It needs three sessions in the fridge so make sure you allow enough time. Either make it the day before or the morning of the evening you intend to serve it. You need about three hours for the filling to fully set before you add the ganache which then needs an hour in the fridge.

I was serving this at the end of an Italian-themed dinner party. If youâ€™d like to do the same look out for my ox cheek ragÃ¹ and roasted beetroot and walnut pesto with ricotta for main course ideas.

You will need a loose-bottomed cake tin; I used one with an unclippable outer ring.

Ingredients:

For the base:
160g amaretti biscuits, crushed to resemble bread crumbs
50g butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:
150g best dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
500g mascarpone
200ml double cream
100g icing sugar
50ml amaretto liqueur

For the ganache topping:
100g best dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
100ml double cream

Optional decoration:
9 Ferrero Rocher (leave out if making this gluten-free)
Cocoa powder

Step 1: Make the base by mixing the amaretti biscuits with the butter until combined and then press into the base of the tin. Level out with the back of a spoon and put in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set.

Step 2: Begin to prepare the filling by carefully melting the dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Ensure the base of the bowl does not touch the water, nor should any liquid go in to the chocolate otherwise it will seize up and you will have to start again. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool.

Step 3: Whilst the chocolate is cooling, sieve the icing sugar in a separate bowl and add the double cream. Whisk until it forms stiff peaks then add the amaretto liqueur and fold in (or whisk very gently) until combined.

Step 4: Only once the chocolate has cooled but is still liquid (this is very important as you do not want the chocolate to seize up), beat in the mascarpone cheese using a spoon or whisk. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.

Step 5: Gently fold in the cream mixture until smooth.

Step 6: Spread evenly over the set biscuit base, loosely cover and return to the fridge to set for at least three hours.

Step 7: To make the ganache topping, break the remaining dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat the remaining cream until just boiling and then pour into a bowl and add the chocolate. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes and then stir; the chocolate should melt into the cream and begin to thicken as it cools. (If the ganache splits, try adding a little bit of warm milk and whisking until smooth. You can eat the ganache split, it just isnâ€™t as aesthetically pleasing!)

Step 8: Once cool, spread evenly over the set cheesecake and return to the fridge to fully set (about an hour). If you would like, arrange some unwrapped Ferrero Rocher on the top and sift a little cocoa powder over the top.

Step 9: Once ready to serve, carefully remove from the tin. You may need to run a pallet knife around the edge before removing.