Don't you deserve a visit from The Fairy Hobmother?
One who not only visits but rewards you a USD 50.00 Amazon gift ard just for saying hello right here in the comments section?
Sigh! I wish all of life's quandaries were this simple. Never the less with all this talk of economic doom, gloom and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to make sense of this financial cesspit, its nice to know there are simpler things in life that can put a smile on ones face.
So when the fairy Hobmother from appliancesonline in the UK paid me a visit and not only gifted me this very thoughtful 50 dollar gift card but actually offered to share the love with my followers, who was I to say no?
So go on, leave a thought or two and you might be the next person the fairy hobmother might visit.
That being said, we must now return to the topic at hand - that being stinkin' room mates. I am of the opinion that hellish room mates are an important rite of passage I think - a reminder that have left the sanctuary of our parents and now very much on our own (for most part) in the big bad world. The older we get, these colorful characters fade into distant memories only to leap forward by some odd event or in my case a particular sort of food.
I was in my twenties, alone in Singapore and I was at the brink of my many firsts. My other room mate and I decided that we really ought to sublet the vacant third bedroom to generate some extra income to pay rent and of course we wanted a girl, non-smoker, professional and an expat like ourselves.
Our advertisement was answered by Kathy - a half English - Korean woman who on the surface fit the bill perfectly and so it was with great relish that we welcomed the first occupant to the the third bedroom. Characteristic of the product so many mixed cultural marriages, Kathy was a stunner to look and also had that demure quality that reminded one of a librarian or an accountant - which by the way she was.
Anyway, into the first month while we were still in the 'honeymoon phase' Kathy announced that she would invite over some of her friends to have dinner with us and make a classic English dinner. She made lovely salmon cakes, minted peas, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.
It's a good thing that all this loveliness unfolded in the first month - because you see Kathy didn't last with us long enough to see her third! After putting up with a shattered toilet seat, stripped wall paper from her bedroom (need I remind you it all belonged to the apartment owner) flooding the kitchen with 6 inches of water because she forgot to turn off the tap, we were done!
We packed her off and all that she's left me with is this story and her Mum's recipe for Yorkshire puddings. So here we go but before I do, don't forget to leave me a thought or two!
Main ingredients are - all purpose flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt and a teeny tiny bit of lard or beef drippings.
Rule # 1 - Use a measuring cup to achieve:
Equal quantities of Eggs = Milk = Flour
Use 2 egg. Measure the level the eggs fill in a measuring cup. In another measuring cup, measure out the milk to the exact same level and do the same with the milk.
In a mixing bowl, crack 2 eggs and discard the shell. Add the milk and blend with a hand immersion blender.
Sieve the flour into the egg mixture and with a whisk, blend till thoroughly combined and free of lumps.
Set aside for a minimum of 1 hour upto 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to the hottest setting - 500 deg F.
Prepare 1# 12 cup muffin pan & 1# 6 cup muffin pan by completely wiping down to get rid of any moisture. Take some lard and cut into18 'pea' size pieces i.e. 1/4" x 1/4'.
Place the lard filled pans into the very hot oven and heat till the lard is hot but not smoking (about 5 minutes)
Meanwhile, add 2 tbs chilled water to the batter and whisk. Sieve the batter into a measuring cup.
Remove the muffin pans from the oven and test by dropping 2 tbs of batter into one of the muffin cups.
Tips for success - If the batter does not sizzle immediately the fat is not hot enough so return the pan into the oven for another few minutes.
Also, if you put too much batter into the cups you will end up with hollow muffins rather than the rimmed cups that are a classic characteristic of Yorkshire puddings.
The sorry looking piece at the bottom right is a classic example of what happens when the batter is dropped into lard that is not hot enough.
That corner was my 'test pudding' and the batter did not sizzle when I poured it into the cup. I quickly remedied the problem with excellent end results.
Serve immediately, hot from the oven.
Delsicous with pot roast and mashed potatoes for a classic English Sunday dinner.
These are so featherlight and are absolutely delicious dunked in pot roast gravy. They do not heat well nor do they freeze well but can be eaten at room temperature. Delish with jam as well.
Recipe for
Yorkshire puddings
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Resting time - 1-2 hours
Baking time - 20 minutes
Serves 4
Shopping list
Equal quantities eggs = milk = all purpose flour - Read step-by-steps above before proceeding.
(I began with 2 eggs and went from there. This was enough to make 16-18 Yorkshire puddings)
1/4 tsp pinch of salt
16 'pea' sized pieces of lard or beef drippings
2 tbs chilled water
Cooking Method-
Use a measuring cup to achieve:
Equal quantities of Eggs = Milk = Flour
Use 2 eggs. Measure the level the eggs fill in a measuring cup. In another measuring cup, measure out the milk to the exact same level and do the same with the milk.
In a mixing bowl, crack 2 eggs and discard the shell. Add the milk and blend with a hand immersion blender.
Sieve the flour into the egg mixture and with a whisk, blend till thoroughly combined and free of lumps.
Set aside for a minimum of 1 hour upto 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to the hottest setting - 500 deg F.
Prepare 1# 12 cup muffin pan & 1# 6 cup muffin pan by completely wiping down to get rid of any moisture. Take some lard and cut into18 'pea' size pieces i.e. 1/4" x 1/4'.
Place the lard filled pans into the very hot oven and heat till the lard is hot but not smoking (about 5 minutes)
Meanwhile, add 2 tbs chilled water to the batter and whisk. Sieve the batter into a measuring cup.
Remove the muffin pans from the oven and test by dropping 2 tbs of batter into one of the muffin cups.
Tips for success - If the batter does not sizzle immediately the fat is not hot enough so return the pan into the oven for another few minutes.
Also, if you put too much batter into the cups you will end up with hollow muffins rather than the rimmed cups that are a classic characteristic of yorkshire puddings.
Once the lard is hot, quickly spoon 2 tbs of batter into each of the muffin cups. Return the pans into the oven for 20 minutes till the Yorkshire puddings have risen like rimmed cups to a lush golden brown.
The sorry looking piece at the bottom right is a classic example of what happens when the batter is dropped into lard that is not hot enough.
That corner was my 'test pudding' and the batter did not sizzle when I poured it into the cup. I quickly remedied the problem with excellent end results.
Serve immediately, hot from the oven.
Enjoy!
