December 2017

Welcome to the last newsletter of 2017.

There has been a lot of activity in the last month. Not only have I agreed to become a contributing food critic for Time Out Los Angeles, I have also agreed to join the board of directors of The Golden Rule Charity, a 501c3 charitable organization, which helps those in the restaurant industry in times of need. If you are interested, they are currently engaging in a fundraising campaign.

It has also been a year where I was delighted to take part in two of my favorite shows, 

Please don’t forget to let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook if you give this month’s recipe -- Croquettes -- a try.

I hope you have a fantastic holiday season, and I am really looking forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for us all. 

Cheers,

Simon

SIMON'S FOOD SCHOOL:

The Origins of Christmas Pudding

While I love spending Christmas in the United States, or indeed in any of the many other countries in which my wife and I have spent the holiday season, I am always delighted when our travel schedule allows us to be in my homeland of Great Britain for December 25th.

Not only is it fun to catch up with all my family, but it is also great to dive back into some of our family traditions, and particularly our overindulgent Christmas dinner. The best part of all comes at the end of the meal, when I should, by all rights, be too full to eat any more food at all. It is the presentation of the Christmas Pudding, covered in a coating of flame, after being doused in brandy.

If you have not yet tried Christmas (or Plum) Pudding, you are missing out. This traditional end to a British Christmas meal, has its origins as a savory dish called “frumenty” back in the 14thCentury. This was actually more like a porridge, and as well as cracked wheat, contained milk, eggs, nuts, venison and spices. Some historians even believe that it goes even further back and was based on a dish of pottage that was a popular dish with the Romans who occupied Britain centuries before. Over the centuries, more ingredients were added, such as fruits, other spices and dried fruit, and the dish moved to the dessert part of the menu. 

It’s association with Christmas has not always been an easy one. Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell banned it because of the tradition of dousing it in flames, which he believed was a throwback to pagan festivals, and it was not until the 18th century that it returned to favor. There are stories that it came back into fashion after King George I declared his love for it. He was even given the nickname, “The Pudding King,” because of his love of the dish. However, these stories are probably apocryphal, and it was really in the Victorian age of the 19th century, when so many of our Christmas traditions took root (Christmas trees, Christmas Crackers), that it became a staple on the Christmas meal table.

Modern recipes are a little lighter than their ancestors, but still need preparation and effort. One of my favorites is the recipe created by British cooking goddess, Delia Smith. Do let me know if you give it a try.

Upcoming Events

• January 11, 2018 - Life Changing Ideas, Speaker, Nicosia, Cyprus.

THE BOOK ZONE

YOUR "FIRST LOOK" RECIPE:

Croquettes

I am a great believer that any tapas bar in Spain can be judged by the standard of the croquettes they serve. There’s no mashed potatoes to be found here. Instead the classic Spanish “Croquetas” are crisp tubes of creamy béchamel, flecked with Jamon Iberico, Chicken or Salt cod, and covered in a crunchy coating. This is my attempt to recreate one of my favorite bites from my favorite country in the world.

(Serves 6-8)

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups of Whole Milk
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• ½ Cup Diced Cooked Meat (Ham, cooked bacon or chicken work well)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Pinch Ground Nutmeg
• 2 Eggs
• ½ Cup Flour
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter at a gentle heat in a saucepan.
2. Add the flour, combine well and whisk for two minutes until the flour loses its raw smell.
3. Add the milk in batches and cook gently while continuing to whish, until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. Add the cooked meat.
5. Season with salt, pepper and a teaspoon of nutmeg.
6. Pour the sauce into a baking dish.
7. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce so that it does not form a skin while cooling.
8. Place in the fridge and leave to cool for at least two hours to set.
9. Once you are ready to make your croquettes, lay out three dishes.
10. Fill one with the two eggs (beaten), one with AP Flour and one with bread crumbs.
11. Take the sauce from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap.
12. Using a tablespoon, form a ball of the set sauce.
13. Coat the ball in flour, then in egg and then in breadcrumbs (you can do the egg and breading stage twice if you want your croquettes to be extra crunchy).
14. Once breaded, gently form the croquettes into the shape you want (ball, tube or oval) and lay on a baking tray lined with a piece of parchment.
15. Place in the fridge once more to set. You can also freeze these at this point.
16. When ready to cook, heat up enough oil to cover the croquettes in a deep pan.
17. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then cook the croquettes for 3 minutes until the coating is golden brown.
18. If frozen, then place the croquettes into an oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a further 5 minutes. This will ensure the inside is warmed through without burning the crumb coating.
19. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

And, Last But Not Least... Please Check Out: