thermomix focaccia

last night i made the focaccia from the thermomix everyday cookbook, and it ain't half bad. the dough has a higher proportion of water compared to the basic bread recipe, so the dough is stickier, but it makes for a lighter bread. the outside is crisp, and the inside is light and fluffy. the next day, it's chewier, but still good (i quite like some of my breads chewy).

my tip when making this dough would be to make sure the thermomix bread mat is floured before tipping the dough onto it, and a little more flour sprinkled over the dough so as to prevent it from sticking. after proving, just tip the dough onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. you'll find the dough very easy to press out to cover the baking sheet. once that's done, scatter the salt and herbs over the top and drizzle with olive oil. if you chose to bake the focaccia immediately, the bread will be denser, and to my taste, more traditional italian in texture. left for a longer prove, lighter and fluffier!

i can see this dough would make lovely, light grissini and bacon and cheese rolls not unlike those from bakers' delight.

creamy pasta marinara

shirlene has been going on about seafood pasta everytime she sees my basil. she goes on about it, but we all have yet to see it materialise.....and if she wants to make it, she had better make it while there is still basil in the garden.
nevertheless, i should thank her for her suggestion, without which i might not have thought to cook this.
just a warning, this dish is mega rich and not for the fainthearted.

30 grams butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup cream
300 grams peeled, uncooked prawns
300 grams scallops
300 grams salmon, sliced
salt and pepper
500 grams pasta
chopped fresh herbs, such as, parsley or basil

heat butter in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft. gradually stir in the wine and cream. allow to boil and thicken. add rinsed seafood and simmer uncovered until cooked through.
cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain.
pour the pasta into the pan of sauce and coat the pasta in the sauce. place in serving bowls and pour any remaining sauce over the pasta. sprinkle with the herbs.
serve 4

mini pizzas like at il gianforniao

i used to buy these mini pizzette for miss c all the time when she was little because they were so cute, just like her (and because she loved eating them).

well, like they always say, if only i knew then what i know now, i wish i had known how easy it was to make those pizzette.

again, the same bread dough comes to the rescue (i told you it was versatile). again, snip off walnut sized pieces of dough. this time press them flat onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. you should be able to fit 12 discs of dough onto each baking sheet.

get yourself a jar of your favourite pasta sauce (or make your own) and spread a little on each disc. top with slices of mushroom, pitted olives, whatever you like. sprinkle with a little grated mozzarella cheese. cover and leave in a warm place to prove for at least an hour.

heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius and once the oven is hot and to temperature, bake the pizzette for 10 minutes or until golden.

the last time i made this, wiggy and sly polished off the lot when i wasn't looking. then, they went on to eat a huge dinner. it was after dinner, when i started to stack the dishwasher, that i realised i had made a tray of pizzettes. i asked misses c and k as to the fate of the pizzettes - sly and wiggy ate them before dinner. if the boys are such good eaters now, i'd like to know what blutsie is going to do when all four of her boys reach puberty. wiggy and sly are her good eaters now; i can't wait to see when engine and blackbumboy start polishing off their food. it's only a matter of time.

my favourite tomato sauce for pasta

this is a really basic tomato sauce, but it's very good because of its simplicity. i learnt how to make this watching mary, julia's mum, make this whenever i was lucky enough to be invited over their house. i remember cooking this for julia when we were in paris; i was thrilled when she said it was just like her mother's!
i think the main difference between this tomato sauce and the other italian tomato sauces i've tried is that there is no onion in this sauce. i'm not sure whether it is because julia's mother is from northern italy with a yugoslavic background that there isn't any onion, but whatever the reason, this sauce is simply perfect - to me. there is also the addition of chilli. this is added for warmth, not burning spiciness, unless burning spiciness is what you are looking for.

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chilli, fresh or dried, seeded if only warmth is desired
1 can italian peeled tomatoes, crushed
salt
basil

gently heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan. add the garlic and chilli. allow the garlic and chilli to bathe in the warm oil and impart their essence. on no account allow the garlic to burn.

add the canned tomatoes carefully so as not to let the slash into the hot oil. allow to simmer until thickened. taste with a clean spoon and salt to taste. remember that this is a sauce and the saltiness will be diluted when the pasta is added, so ensure the sauce is salted adequately.

just before serving, tear basil leaves into the sauce and pour over the pasta.