Cooking

A delicious recipe for Succot from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

This is still the all time favourite Italian dessert and everywhere you go it tastes different with varying amounts of cream, chocolate and mascarpone cheese. I have added some Amaretto to the mixture for a delicious kick. Making this the day before and storing it in the fridge ensures that it will be firmed up and easy to serve. The dessert does contain raw eggs so it may not be suitable for the young, pregnant women and the elderly.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: None! Serves: 6-8 people Must be made in advance

Ingredients 3 egg yolks 1 egg white 50g caster sugar 225g mascarpone cheese ( or curd cheese and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 200ml strong black coffee 6 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur about 28 sponge fingers 50g plain chocolate – grated Garnish: Grated chocolate

Method - For the Base 1) Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment paper and to make it easier to lift out, ensure that the paper comes over the sides. 2) Whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone cheese and cinnamon. 3) In a separate bowl with a clean beater, whisk the egg white until stiff.

Stir into the egg yolk mixture. 4) Mix the strong coffee with the Amaretto. 5) Dip the sponge fingers briefly into the coffee mixture and place horizontally along the loaf tin. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the sponge biscuits inside the loaf tin. Add half of the grated chocolate and continue layering with more sponge biscuits, mascarpone cheese and the remaining chocolate. 6) Complete with the sponge biscuits. Cover with cling film and refrigerate over night. 7) Use a palette knife to slide the tiramisu out. Place on a long narrow serving plate. To serve the stylish way: Slice into thick wedges and dust with grated chocolate.

Cooking With Alcohol

BY DENISE PHILIPS

Using alcohol in cooking is a tasty way to enhance almost any recipe adding to the taste, smell and flavour depth.

A small shot of wine, spirit or beer is great to add to sauces, batters, stews, risotto, desserts, glazes and many more dishes.

Alcohol dissolves and carries the flavours of other ingredients, and its acids help tenderize meat and poultry. Alcohol’s boiling point is lower than that of water, and many cooks assume that little or none of its potency remains after cooking. However cooked food can retain from 5 to 85 percent of the original alcohol. As someone who no longer drinks alcohol much, I still love the slight kick it adds to a dish.

The four main types of alcohol that work well with food include wine, vodka/ gin, liqueurs, and whisky.

Firstly I would like to add that ‘cooking wine’ is not a good option! Good wine provides good flavour and good food. You may like to use wine in cooking when it has been open for a few days but ‘cooking wine’ has salt and artificial preservatives and is not the best choice.

Wine varies enormously according to sweetness, colour and flavour. White wine is best with fish, white meat like turkey and chicken, risotto, and light sauces. Choose Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc for good results.

Red wine is best for red meat like lamb and beef. I love to add nearly half a bottle to my shin of beef stews! Merlot, Shiraz, Rioja, Pinot Noir make good pairings.

GIN/ VODKA

The varieties of flavours of gin and vodka are quite staggering as they are so popular. Unusual kosher flavours of gin include – rhubarb and rose, saffron, strawberry and lime, blood orange.

They work well in pasta sauces with cream, pastries and adding a splash will prevent any gluten free pastry dough from splitting and breaking!

LIQUEURS

Amaretto, Cointreau, Baileys, Kahlua, chocolate liqueur are a few of my favourites. Delicious in custards, sweet sauces, creams, mousses, biscuits, zabaglione, brownies, syllabub, cheesecake, cake frosting etc

Fruit liqueurs are great in fruit salads and baked fruits like plums, peaches and apples.

WHISKY

For many using whisky in cooking is sacrilege but my recipe for honey whisky cake is just divine! Bourbon and whisky have rich and deep flavours that can balance out ingredients that are acidic like lemons, fruits or grains.

The secret to using alcohol in cooking – less is more, cook on a low heat, do not add into a pan over an open flame – this can start a fire -and pair with suitable ingredients.