Cross Cultural Communication..... or miscommunication

As promised last post, I have some recipes to share.  I am going to start with the latest project and work backwards... just for fun.

Easter is fast approaching and one of the things I really miss living in France is hot cross buns.  The closest thing that we can get to them here is a panettone - yes, before you say it, I agree - not even close.

Try explaining hot cross buns to someone French.  The best translation of the name I could come up with at an instants notice was "petit pains de croix chaud" (small rolls of hot crosses).  Some things just do not translate.

The flavour however, well that is another kettle of fish... or dough.  So far those I have (force)fed the buns have marvelled at how light and tasty they are.  I may not have this cross cultural communication thing down pat, but I surely can cross the cultural divide with a soft, warm, spicy bun spread with local butter.  These are delicious hot with fresh butter, and if you have any leftover I imagine they would be fabulous toasted too.  I need to bake another batch to test this theory though as none left of the first batch.  Gannets, what can I say.

I read a few blogs each morning, dipping in and out of them as the mood takes me.  One that I am especially impressed with is an Australian blog 120dollarsfoodchallenge.  Sandra is a creative cook who is trying to make meals for the family on a tight budget.  There is a whole story about the creation of her blog, and a lot of controversy.  Personally, I think what she is doing is great and kudos to her for encouraging people on limited incomes to feed themselves and their families healthfully and without missing out on treats and flavour.

Anyway, whilst browsing her blog the other day I saw a recipe for hot cross buns.  My heart skipped a beat.  My mouth watered.  The little voice in my head went "Oh yuck, fiddly and complicated".  (Really need to trade the little voice in my head for on a new one someday).

After reading the recipe and thinking about it, I realised that it really was simple.  Rather than the complicated, fussy instructions normally found, Sandra has given a clear and easy to follow recipe with no tricks or extra steps.  Wonderful.

I have given you Sandra's blog link, and will give you the recipe that I wound up creating from it.  Take your pick between them, or adjust again for your tastes.  One great thing with Sandra's recipe is that she gives you instructions for making in a breadmaker.  Still waiting for mine to arrive from Australia with all our goods and chattels, so I made mine by hand.

Thanks to Pestoman and Pamela who gifted me two Historic New Orleans Collection mugs.  The perfect size for an afternoon tea time drink, and lovely to look at as well.


Hot Cross Buns - A Debbie Version

1/3 cup fine sugar (caster sugar if you have it)
2 teaspoons dried yeast (or 2 5g sachets)
1 and 1/2 cups warm milk
600g flour (plain not self raising)
1/2 teaspoon salt
good grind of cinnamon
big shake of 5 spice
good grind of nutmeg
60g unsalted butter melted
1 egg lightly beaten
as many sultanas as you want (no more than 1 cup though)

Mix sugar, milk and yeast in a bowl till well combined.  Set aside 10 minutes till yeast activates and the mix goes frothy

Put flour salt and spices in huge bowl.  Add wet mix, butter, egg and sultanas.  Mix till combined but do not over mix.  Leave in warm spot till doubled in size (can take 30-45 mins).

Once risen, turn onto floured board and knead gently until smooth and elastic.  This may take a few minutes.  Do not knead heavily or you will break up the fruit.

Divide dough into 16 pieces and fashion each piece into a ball.  Place balls in a greased and lined tin with small space between each one.  Leave 10-15mins till balls double in size.
Bake 20 mins at 220C, or till browned on top and lovely and big and fluffy.

Glaze with a teaspoon of homemade peach jam and splash of water heated till liquid.  Cool on rack

Eat immediately they cool enough to touch

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for a 30 X 30cm cake tin to bake these in.  I used a small roasting tray instead.  So long as it has high sides you can basically use whatever size tin you want.  Next time I will  put 2/3 of balls in one tin and the rest in another.  I felt they were too cramped and did not rise or bake as well as they could have.
• We do not have plain and self raising flour here.  I used an organic flour (think it was type 65??)
• Yeast comes as sachets of 5g or fresh here in France.  I used 2 sachets of dried which is slightly more than 2 teaspoons.
• Caster sugar is not available here, so I used a fine grained sugar instead.  It is being melted into the milk and yeast mix so it is not a huge stress if you don't have caster sugar.
• The original recipe called for precise measurements of cinnamon and mixed spice.  I love nutmeg and did not have mixed spice, so went with my own pantry spices.
• Original recipe called for 1/3 cup of currants.  I put in the same amount of sultanas (currants not available here) and it looked paltry, so I added more till it looked right for me.

Normally these buns should have a flour paste cross and a clear glaze on top.  Personally I think the flour paste cross is a tasteless, nasty addition and the clear glaze the same.  Why ruin a delicious treat with things I do not like.  So I glazed with homemade jam instead and it looks pretty as well as tasting great.

Midweek Musings

Here it is, wednesday again.

We have had so much snow today and yesterday. No photos of the snow as I have not perfected the art of photographing it yet. But I have certainly had a lot of practice today!

I love it when it snows. The whole world goes quiet and seems to hold its breath, as if waiting for something. Everything looks beautiful, gilded with a lacy trim of fresh snow, like icing sugar dusted over a cake. It blurs the edges and brings a new perspective to the world.

It was snowing so heavily this morning that I could not see the park across the road. Guy was fascinated. He sat on the dining table (yes, I know - cat bum on dining table - but let's not get into his bad habits today. sigh) and gazed at the flakes drifting past the window. Some of them were as big as a 2 euro piece!!

I waited till after lunch to head out to the shops thinking the snow may ease up or stop. Which it did.... till I set foot outside the door when it came down heavily again.....

Even though being hit in the eyeballs by snowflakes is right down near the bottom of my "list of things I enjoy", it was magical to walk through the snow and watch my jacket turn from black to white.

A father and teenage son started an impromptu snowball fight, which soon had everybody taking sides and commenting. A lot of fun. Amazing how that white stuff turns even grown ups into giggling children. Everyone walked off with smiles on their faces, something you don't see often in Paris.

Arriving home very chilled, with numb fingers and toes I craved something hearty and hot for dinner tonight. So we are having boeuf au carrottes with pomme de terre ratte. (beef and carrots with "ratte" variety potatoes). Being me, it is not the authentic version that takes all day to make. I always "adjust" recipes. There is no salt in this recipe. This is deliberate. If you add salt it will make the meat tough. There is also so much flavour that you will not miss the salt. If you must have it, add a sprinkle of fleur de sel when serving.

Enjoy your casserole and I will be back on monday. I am now off to England for a few days of fun with friends and family. Can't wait!

Boeuf au Carrottes a la Debbie
1kg good stewing steak, trimmed and cut into chunks
approx half bottle nice red wine (I am using a bourdeaux tonight)
good sprinkle of parsley, pepper, any other herbs you feel like 1bunch of thyme chopped
1 small onion chopped very fine
1 clove garlic chopped very fine
2 stalks of celery chopped finely
1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
1 tablespoon of redcurrant jelly
1/2 teaspoon vegemite

Put everything in a large casserole dish and stir to combine. Cover and place in slow oven.

After 30 mins add 1kg carrots chopped into rough chunks. Stir and cover again.

Now and then check that it is cooking well and stir. You may like to add stock or gravy granules for a richer or thicker gravy, or to leave the lid off for half an hour to reduce the gravy. Each batch is different and may need "tweaking" in a different way.

Cook in a slow oven for as many hours as you can leave it before being driven insane by the aroma

Steam/boil/microwave the potatoes till cooked. Drain any liquid and add fresh butter and fresh parsley.

Serve generous portions of the casserole in a shallow bowl. Don't forget to add potatoes to the bowl! Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley and/or thyme over everything. Dunk pieces of crusty bread into the juices and enjoy it all with a glass of whatever wine you used in the dish.... or a lovely bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape..... even better!

NOTES:
I do not use measurements very often... sorry. After checking my oven temp it is on 180C and I will turn it down to about 165C after the carrots go in.
I think dumplings would go fabulously in this. You may need to add some stock or water to the casserole though so it isn't too dry after the dumplings cook.
If you can't get fresh herbs, dried is ok. I tend to beg or buy fresh herbs when in season and freeze them for later use when they are not available.
The vegemite can be replaced with any flavourful stock cube/powder/liquid. It really just gives it a lovely colour and boosts the flavour.