Welcome to series 3 of the Culinary Alphabet A-Z…Where the middle letter is M…

Nothing is as it seems here…this new series is the brainchild of Chel Owens who writes at A wife, My Verse, and Every Little Thing…my followers are so good to me they think up all sorts of permutations of the Alphabet for me to blog about…not sure if they want me to call it quits or what they will come up with next…Chel like Pete was, however, will be called on to make her contribution every two weeks…they don’t get off scot-free…however, as Chel is on a baby break she is exempt for now…be well Chel xx

So what’s in store? In this series the A, B, C, etc will be the middle letter, for example, Cajun, Lemon, Ackee and Yucca… how easy that will be who knows I am sure some of the letters of the alphabet could cause the grey matter to rebel or implode…haha…I also don’t want to use plurals to form a word as I may need that word for another letter and it’s sort of cheating I think…unless of course I really get stuck…which I am sure will happen…

Today it is words where the middle letter is M... not so easy or as many as last time but I found a few… I love scrambled eggs for breakfast maybe with a crumpet…

Let’s go and see what I have found…

Camembert…

There is nothing like a baked Camembert cheese, a glass of wine, fresh-cooked crusty bread maybe some walnuts…delicious on a sunny day or a cold winters evening…this French Cheese is made from cow’s milk and produced in Normandy in Northwest of France.

Carambola…

More commonly known as Star fruit or 5 fingers fruit…it is a beautiful sunny yellow colour with the most delicious smell…it can be eaten raw as it is, it is often used as a decoration on desserts as it is so very pretty…The entire fruit is edible it has firm, crunchy flesh and is quite juicy. The taste is likened to that of a grape.

It can be made into relishes, preserves and juice drinks…one of my favourites is this beautiful relish.

Star Fruit Relish:

Ingredients

• 8 cups of star fruit, thinly sliced and any seeds removed.
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp whole cloves tied in a muslin bag and slightly crushed.
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg( optional)

Let’s Cook!

Wash and thinly slice the star fruit removing any seeds. Cover with the cider vinegar and stand overnight.

Drain the vinegar add sugar, salt and clove bag. Cook gently until the relish starts to thicken then allow to stand overnight.

In the morning remove the spice bag and reheat the mix after adding the nutmeg if used and bring back to the boil.

If you plan to store the star fruit chutney then omit the nutmeg as it will turn the relish a brown colour although it does add another dimension to the taste.

Put into hot jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Enjoy with some cold meats or on bread and butter.

Catmint…

Also commonly known as Catnip and catswort it is well known for its popularity and effects on cats…it is also a great insect repellant.

For us…Tea is one of the more common ways catmint is taken. The plant’s flowering tops are steeped in water (unlike traditional tea, you do NOT want to put catnip in boiling water, bring the water to a boil and remove from heat for a minute before beginning the steeping process) and consumed like any other herbal tea.

Chambre…

Chambre or Chapea is a bean, rice and meat stew…a hearty traditional Dominican lunch it is made like all stews in one pot….just like my mum’s recipe every household has their own family tradition recipe for a delicious, hearty Chambre.

Crumble…

Who doesn’t love a nice bowl of fruit crumble it can be made with almost any fruit or a mixture of fruits with a lovely crumble topping served with a bowl of custard or ice cream it is a lovely thing…comfort food at its best…What is your favourite crumble? ..a hard choice… I love gooseberry, rhubarb or a nice tart apple crumble…

Apple and Mulberry Crumble Recipe

Crumpet…

Toasted over an open fire is one of my abiding childhood memories…served with lashings of butter which inevitably drips down your chin..it is a wonderful thing on a winters day…

I also had one of my biggest and messiest cooking disasters the first time I attempted to make them from scratch…Note to self use a bigger jug next time…lol

Crumpet Recipe.

Ferment…

To ferment…my yeast above certainly did…lol…I love fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, sourdough bread, miso, kefir to name but a few …of course not forgetting the obvious also our wine does ladies…

The earliest record of fermentation dates back as far as 6000 B.C. in the rich soils of the Fertile Crescent—and nearly every civilization since has included at least one fermented food in its culinary heritage. Global cultures have crafted unique flavours and traditions around fermentation from Korean kimchi and Indian chutneys to sauerkraut, yoghurt and cheese.

Of course, now it has it is labelled probiotics the marketing guru’s in word and the like but it is all down to fermentation.

Gumbo…

New Orleans and Gumbo…sold in a backstreet cafe or on the poshest of menus you will find Creole gumbo, filé gumbo, cowan gumbo, chicken gumbo, smoked sausage gumbo, hot sausage gumbo, onion gumbo…and many more as with all traditional recipes there are the inevitable variations and everyone’s mother or grandmother makes the best…the origins and evolution of the dish are highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra. The use of filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the Choctaws and, possibly, other local tribes. Roux has its origin in French cuisine, although the roux used in gumbos is much darker than its Gallic cousins…putting all that aside it is a beautiful thing hearty and warming…

Lemon…

The fruit of the Lemon tree…this beautiful yellow citrus fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses.

Oval shaped and bright yellow in colour the fruits are acidic and sour…Lemons are high in vitamin C, fibre, and various beneficial plant compounds…These nutrients are responsible for several health benefits.

Limes…

Limes are small, round and green and are used extensively in Asian cuisine…the lime has a slightly more bitter taste than the lemon. Limes can also be used as a one to one replacement to lemons…In my recipes when I state limes ..the lemon can be used the difference in the taste is negligible although I have now got used to using limes which I prefer…

Marshmallow…

Where chocolate is the guilty pleasure of many..marshmallows are mine…not the Haribo ones they are just sweet nothing but the classic English marshmallows…toasted or on hot chocolate or just straight from the bag they hit the spot…

A confectionary is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin…

Marmite…

I’m in the…  Love It! camp although it is either a love or hate spread on hot buttered toast it is fabulous…My Aussie cousins have Vegemite…I am a Marmite girl.

What is Marmite and how is it made? Marmite is a dark, thick, yeast extract spread. It’s made from concentrated yeast extract, which is a by-product of brewing beer. It was conceived in 1902 when the Marmite Food Company opened a small factory in Burton-on-Trent – where it still resides today.

Over the last few years, Marmite has produced different flavours as a limited edition around Christmas. There is a Christmas Edition. There has been a Guinness flavoured Marmite, Chill flavoured, XO flavoured…I have also heard tell that a PB and Marmite one is on the shelves me I have stuck to the original so far…

Muskmelon…

Muskmelon also called nutmeg melon is a member of the gourd family…with its musky, orange juicy flesh it is one of my favourites. Rich in Vitamin C and Potassium it is a delightfully refreshing fruit.

Oatmeal…

To me it’s Porridge …I love a hot warming bowl of porridge Oats with brown sugar or a lovely fruit compote…maybe some walnuts, raisins and a drizzle of honey…

Scottish traditionalists allow only oats, water and salt although full-fat milk makes a rich porridge. A ratio of one part of milk to two of water has been recommended as a happy medium. A little salt added towards the end of cooking is essential, whether or not the porridge is sweetened.

Pomes…

Which fruits are pomes? …apples, pears, loquats, medlars, crab apples and quinces are all types of pome. A botany term a pome is an accessory fruit composed of one or more carpels surrounded by accessory tissue.

Ramen Noodles…

Ramen are thin, wheat-based noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui, a form of alkaline water. The dough is risen before being rolled. They were imported from China during the Meiji period. There is also a lot of controversy surrounding Ramen noodles but like anything, there are the commercially produced instant noodles with high sodium levels, MSG and TBHQ, little or no fibre content to talk about and then there are healthy alternatives to Ramen Noodles like vegetable noodles or spirals. … For real noodle alternatives, try udon or soba noodles. These are low in sodium and fat and make for a great alternative in ramen bowls.

Saltimbocca…

The original version of this dish is saltimbocca alla Romana (“saltimbocca Roman-style”), which consists of veal, prosciutto and sage, rolled up and cooked in dry white wine and butter.

Scrambled Eggs…

One of my favourite ways to eat eggs…softly scrambled with some freshly toasted bread or with smoked salmon as a treat.

Soymilk…

Very popular here Soy milk is a plant-based non-dairy beverage, often consumed as an alternative to milk. Most soy milk sold on the market are fortified but read the label to make sure yours contains calcium and vitamin D. (Soy milk doesn’t naturally contain calcium.)

Sumac…

Made from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower, sumac is a tangy spice with a sour, acidic flavour reminiscent of lemon juice. This fragrant spice is used to brighten up dry rubs, spice blends like za’atar, and dressings.

Sumac is a widely used, essential spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking It pairs well with vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken and fish.

That’s all for the letter M…Thank you for joining me today I hope you have found something new and some of your favourites…xx

Until tomorrow, where I will be back in my kitchen cooking from scratch, have a lovely day xx