BEEF WELLINGTON-NOT AN ITALIAN DISH

For one of our festive Christmas dinners, my daughter Sonya made Beef Wellington which is a half decent edible British dishes. It is one of the few English dishes that I actually enjoy. The English are not known for their culinary skills!

There are different theories of how the dish originated. Some sources say it was named after the Duke of Wellington, famous for defeating Napolean at Waterloo in 1815. Just an English name to a French dish. It may have started in Wellington, New Zealand. One source The Kitchen Project has some interesting history- http://kitchenproject.com/history/BeefWellington.htm It is fun to visit other cooking sites for a different perspective.

Sonya and Andrew bought a large beef tenderloin. Sonya followed a recipe she found in a magazine. The meat, mushrooms, wine and a pastry for the shell are the main ingredients. You can find your own recipe online or in many cookbooks.

To round off the meal, Sonya made green beans.

And potatoes au gratin!

It sure was a welcome feast for this cook! The good thing about cooking for my family is they also like to cook for me.

Still looks delicious!

A FOOD GIFT CARD-GREAT FOR A COOK

One of my birthday gifts was a gift card to Costco. So what did I buy- food of course. Large packages of ground beef, chicken legs and pork chops, I am ready for winter meals. I even found a large jar of my favourite pickles- Moishes Kosher Pickles. New tops and pants are fine but any cook enjoys the opportunity to stock the freezer with food.

GRANPA'S BIRTHDAY BRUNCH AT IL FORNELLO

A birthday brunch at a local restaurant was fun for all two Sundays ago. With a small selection of salads but lots of pizza al forno and breakfast items such as eggs benedict, it was a welcome break to enjoy being with the family without all the work. My birthday is January 7th around Epiphany in many Christian Orthodox churches. Il Fornello- the bowl- has several locations in the GTA. We have one in Richmond Hill so it is close to home. Afterwards we returned home to have birthday cake and a good espresso coffee. Lots of time to return to my favourite dishes.

ONE YEAR-BARB MADE ME DO IT

As I celebrate one year of blogging, it was Barb -who made me do it, types my blog and takes the pictures. It surprises me how many people read it. The favourite posts have been the ones on Canascione, Christmas Eve seafood appetizer and my Italian stew.  My cook's trip to St. Jacobs has been a big hit too! So thanks for reading and I will continue to try to come up with some more food delights for you.

ENGLISH TRIFLE-A GOOD DISH ANYTIME

Barb made some English Trifle for a dinner party in December. She had not made it for many years as the children and grandchildren started to prefer other desserts. A group of friends made it more desirable.

INGREDIENTS

Pound cake 1 or 2 flavours- Barb chose butter cake and chocolate.
Chocolate jello pudding.
Powdered custard.
Jar of cherries.
Fresh or canned fruit. Barb chose a can of peaches. Or your fruit of choice.
Some liqueur or cognac or brandy or vermouth- 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Whipping cream.

DIRECTIONS

Make the custard according to the directions on the container.

In a fancy dessert bowl or trifle bowl, place some of the butter cake in sliced pieces to fill the space. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of the spirits of choice on the cake. Barb used some vermouth.

Sprinkle some cherries on the cake then add the cooked custard to fill the whole layer. Poke the cake so the custard can drizzle down to the bottom of the bowl.

Cut the chocolate cake in slices and fill the next layer to the edges.

Make the chocolate pudding.

Put the peaches cut in fine pieces on top of the chocolate cake. You can use any fruit you want. Strawberries or raspberries work very well in a trifle.

Put the chocolate pudding on top of the cake and peaches. Again make sure it drizzles along the edges.

The trick to a great trifle is to use fresh whipping cream. So whip the cream by hand or with a mixer adding a little sugar and vanilla extract if you want.

When whipped put on the top of the trifle. For some effect add a few cherries to the centre of the top.

Ecco la- English Trifle- Barb style!!

And with  some cherries on top! Our guests enjoyed this simple dessert!