Daring Cooks January 2010: Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay or sate is a popular street food dish consisting of sliced and marinated chicken/other meats/tofu, skewered on the midrib of a coconut leaf, and grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire. These tasty morsels are then served with a variety of spicy seasonings and dipping sauces.

It is unclear where exactly Satay originated but it is very popular in most SE Asian nations including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Did you know that Satay has multiple variations depending on the marinade uses, method of cooking and the dipping sauces provided!!!!

Cream Scones with Dark Raisins

Cream Scones are the ultimate treat!! A quintessential part of the tradition of English Tea they are often served with clotted cream and a variety of fresh fruit jams and lemon curd. The best cream scones in England are found in the summer in the many tea houses that dot the pretty villages of the Shire counties!! The very very picturesque Cotswold's is famous for its cream teas and probably the best place to enjoy a pot of afternoon tea, freshly baked scones, and home-made strawberry jam.

Pepper n Lime Cake with a Lime Glaze Icing

My first experience with an olive oil cake was when I made my very first Sauternes cake. The divine combination of the fragrant Sauternes wine and the spiciness of the olive oil just captured my imagination and subsequently my palette. Since then, I have rarely hesitated to experiment with olive oil in my baking. I developed this version of the olive oil cake a few weeks ago after two deeply frustrating attempts at following a recipe that was meant to give me a stunning chocolate cake!! Being an intuitive cook I just knew that something was not quite right - but then the recipe came from what is widely considered a well-trusted source. Anyway, after I chucked 2 cakes in the bin, I went back to my own judgement and vowed not follow recipes after all ;)

Tangy Orange and Fig Smoothie

The holidays this year were fun, busy, exciting, busy.... need I say more :) We had family and friends over almost every weekend in the last 2 months and the Christmas break was no exception. We had a falafel lunch on the 25th - I made parsley hummus, fresh falafel, and home-made pitas. The day before I made a gorgeous three fruit marmalade, and baked a beautiful and crumbly olive oil cake. Freshly squeezed juices and blended smoothie heaven - mmmmm - what more can one ask for at the end of a long, full, and exhausting week.