Friday 31 March 2017

Appropriating Dali: Pineapple-ism

(or perhaps, Dali's little known experimentation with Pineapple-ism)
 
It all began with the discovery of this cookbook . . . and then the horror that it didn't contain a single recipe with pineapple - fresh or canned!
So we thought we should correct that omission at a dinner party of our own!
 
THE COOKBOOK
 
"We would like to state clearly that, beginning with the very first recipes, LES DINERS DE GALA with its precepts and its illustrations, is uniquely devoted to the pleasures of Taste. Don't look for dietetic formulas here.
 
We intend to ignore those charts and tables in which chemistry takes the place of gastronomy. If you are a disciple of one of those calorie-counters who turn the joys of eating into a form of punishment, close this book at once; it is too lively, too aggressive and far too impertinent for you." The introduction to Les Dîners de Gala

 
 

Les Dîners de Gala, translated by Captain J. Peter Moore (original publication 1973) by Salvador Dali, Taschen, Köln 2016
 






 
Photographs from Les Dîners de Gala
 
 
 
Sue tried to confused us with a combination of surreal and so-real fruits

 
 and Greg's pineapple parrot's plummage was perfect
 
OUR GUESTS
 
 
(Sculpted by Sue)
 
OUR FEAST
 
 
Phyl's philly filler

Phyl constructed the hors d’oeuvres according to her mother-in-law’s 1970s method of skewering pineapple with cream cheese and a glacé cherry.


 
 And the camembert cheese slowly melted beside Sue’s dehydrated pineapple

Thousand year old eggs.

“You certainly know these thousand year old eggs, one of the crowns o Chinese cuisine. We will not presume here to reach their ultimate perfection, but we will simply try to help you follow an amusing recipe which has the advantage of being prepared ahead of time.

 
First, boil the eggs for ten minutes in salted boiling water. Take them out, put them under cold running water which will make it easier to shell them. In the same water in which the eggs had boiled, add the cloves, sugar, vinegar, a lot of Tabasco sauce, the lemons (cut I eighths) and thyme. Boil for fifteen minutes. Shut off the flame, dip in the tea-bag and let them steep for 10 minutes.


In a jar, put the diced onions and garlic. Add the shelled eggs, and pour the brth so that the eggs are completely immersed. Close the jar and keep it on the lower shelf of your refrigerator.

 
Be patient for three weeks before opening the jar and serving. These eggs go well with cold meats and fish.” Dali


Noel preserved these eggs about 10 years ago. His advice – don’t eat them!!!
 
 
Noel’s non-edible novelty
 

Vegetable Pie  (with Greg's gourmet garnishes in bold)
 
1 roll of frozen dough for pie crust (puff pastry); 6 potatoes (plus sweet potato); 6 carrots; 10 oz of white mushrooms; 6 eggplants; 1 tablespoon of butter; 2 onions; 2 tablespoons of tomato paste; 1 pint of heavy cream; 1 egg
 
Using the frozen dough, line the bottom and sides of a mold with a thickness of ¼ nch. Keep some dough to make a cover.
 
The eggplants have been sliced (1/4 inch); sprinkle them with salt and let them stand for ½ hour.
 
Slice the potatoes very thinly; do likewise with the carrots and mushrooms.
 
At the bottom of the mold, put a layer of potatoes, salt and pepper, then a layer of carrots, mushrooms and eggplants. Start all over again, and finish with a last layer of eggplant.
 
With the rest of the dough, close the pie crust, being sure to wet the edges to secure them.
 
Bore a hole at the center of the “cover” so as to make an outlet for the steam. Using a knife, make a few decorative drawings (of pineapples) on the cover, and bake – 375F° – for 45 minutes.
 
During that time, brown the sliced onions in butter. When they turn golden, add the tomato paste and let the colour turn darker.
 
Add 3 tablespoons of cream, boil for 5 minutes, then mash.
 
Off the fire, add the remainder of the cream and combine with the egg.
 
Using a funnel stuck in the hole of the pie “cover” pour this sauce mixed with tomato paste into the pie filling. Bake for another 15 minutes and serve. (Dali)

 
 
Tropical Chicken (with Sue's surreal substitutions in bold)
 
1 tablespoon of oil; 3 shallots; 2 cups of water – 1 cup of rice; Cayenne pepper; 1 chicken; 8 oz of pine nuts; 1 package cream cheese; 1 slice of with bread; ½ cup of fig liquor – 1 tablespoon honey (as Sue wasn’t able to buy any fig liquor she steeped some dried figs in vodka for a couple of days and made a syrup); 1 tablespoon of vinegar – 2 tablespoons of oil; 4 shallots – 1 cup of water; 7 oz powdered almonds (omitted); 1 tablespoon of olive oil
 
Fry the finely sliced shallots in oil. When they become transparent, add the water; at boiling point throw in the rice. Add salt and Cayenne pepper. When the rice is cooked, all the water should be absorbed. In the rice add 2 ounces of the pine nuts (replaced by pineapple, chopped and browned in a pan), the cheese, and the slice of bread dipped in the fig liquor. Mix it all well and stuff the chicken. Sew up the bird.
 
In a saucepan put the oil in which the shallots are getting golden; add honey, vinegar, water, salt, pepper and put the chicken over the mixture. Cover and let simmer slowly. After half an hour add the powdered almonds. If the gravy becomes too thick, thin out with some water and fig liquor.
 
Let it cook for another good half-hour (or longer). Remove the chicken, and add the remaining 6 ounces of pine nuts, and the olive oil until it boils once and no more.
(Dali)
 

 
we ate this chicken
 
 
not this chicken

 
Apples n' ham (with Anne’s audacious additions in bold)
 
6 nice yellow apples; 1 large onion; 10 oz country ham; 1 egg; 12 thin slices of smoked bacon; 2 tablespoons of oil; wooden toothpicks
 
I suggest yellow apples for this recipe, since they impart an essential sourish taste to the dish. If, however, you use another type of apple, you will have to add two tablespoons of vinegar to the stuffing.
 
Make a large hole at the center of the apples, which is quite easy to manage if you are careful and use a pointed knife.
 
In such a manner, you will have cored the apples. Throw out the pits but keep the pulp attached to the core.
 
 
In a frying-pan, put the first tablespoon of oil, the thin strips of ham, the sliced onion and the pulp you saved from the (apple) cores.
 
Let it simmer over a low flame for a good half-hour, stirring now and then, while it cooks and dries up at the same time.
 
Taste it; if it is not tart enough – and it all depends on the degree of ripeness of the fruit – add some vinegar.
 
Now, fill the apples with the stuffing and wrap each of them with two slices of bacon, using the wooden toothpicks to secure the bacon and a slice of cheese cut into the shape of a … pineapple.
 
Brush with oil and bake in a hot oven – 450F° – for 20 minutes.
 
It may happen that the fruit will crack while baking, but they won't fall apart since the slices of bacon and will hold them together. (Dali)
 
Serve on top of grilled pineapple rings.
 

 


Peaches with almonds.
 
Soak the almonds and walnuts in cold water for 2 hours.
 
Crush very vigorously as you have to make a really smooth paste.
 
Then add the sugar combined with water and brandy. Mix well.
 
Whip the heavy cream to a whipped-cream consistency. Stop whipping as soon as it stands around the beater. Since we don't want to make butter, let's put the whipped cream in the refrigerator for another hour. Mix with the other ingredients.
 
Pour into a flat mold which you have already greased.
 
Put into the freezer for 1 hour, then in the refrigerator for another hour.
 
Meanwhile, split the peaches and twisting them around, detach them from their pits.
 
Sprinkle with icing sugar and fill the center hole with cranberry sauce (or pineapple jam). Light the broiler and put the peaches in the oven, at the bottom of a baking dish (with a little pineapple juice. Cover with foil.) Bake for 15 minutes.
 
Unmold the almond-nut mixture and put it over the very hot peaches. Serve. (Dali)
 
Just to simplify things – I beat the cream with a little icing sugar, no freezing, just refrigerating. And served in a bowl decorated with crystallised pineapple, chocolate silver balls and a Pineapple Princess, Anne

 


 
OUR PLACEMATS
 
(montage-ists Les and Anne)
 



 




 
 
OUR CHEFS
 
 
 
OUR APOLOGIES!
 
 
Illustration from  Les Dîners de Gala, translated by Captain J. Peter Moore (original publication 1973) by Salvador Dali, Taschen, Köln 2016

Thursday 23 March 2017

Harry Potter and the tap dancing pineapple

In  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chapter 16 Through the Trapdoor J. K. Rowling writes that during the first year exams at Hogwarts ”Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk.”
 
Sadly this scene wasn't used in the movie version of the book ! So you'll have to use your imagination !

 
Two of my favourites: Professor Minerva McGonagall and a pineapple.
(From Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
 

 
"Thank you for the pineapple, by the way . . . you're quite right, it is my favourite" said Professor Horace Slughorn, Potions Master, to Tom Riddle as he reached for a piece of the crystallised fruit. (From  Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince)
 

Our re-enactment of that very moment!

 
 
Yes, there were some very shady dealings between Professor Slughorn and certain students in regard to crystallised pineapple . . . in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
 
https://www.hp-lexicon.org/thing/crystallised-pineapple/
 
"Horace formed a kind of club of his favorites with himself at the center, making introductions, forging useful contacts between members, and always reaping some kind of benefit in return, whether a free box of his favorite crystallized pineapple or the chance to recommend the next junior member of the Goblin liaison Office." Albus Dumbledore
 
"I confidently expect you to rise to Minister of Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapple, I have excellent contacts at the Ministry."  Horace Slughorn to Tom Riddle
 
“Once Harry saw Slughorn buying it for himself at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Crystallized pineapple symbolized his life-long love of luxury, even when Harry viewed him as a much-younger man and Tom Riddle's teacher: ‘sitting ...in the comfortable winged armchair in his office, his feet resting upon a velvet pouffe, a small glass of wine in one hand, the other rummaging in a box of crystallized pineapple’  
 
THE RECIPE
 
https://dumbledoresveganarmy.com/2010/10/17/professor-slughorns-crystallized-pineapple/
 

Classic Wizarding World Treats from Soytherin, Seitanclaw, Tofupuff and Vegandor.

“Whether trying to bribe him for information or to get on his good side so you can become part of the Slug Club, you can make Professor Slughorn’s favorite vegan treat–crystallized pineapple–yourself!

The first time I tried making this it didn’t turn out too well, but at least the results made really good pineapple-berry smoothies instead of going to waste. I then worked out what I had been doing incorrectly and gave it another try so now I can bring you a proper recipe! A warning though, this is fairly time-consuming and works much better if you have a dehydrator (unlike me).

Also, when you’re finished with the syrup don’t just throw it out. You now have pineapple syrup, which can be used for countless awesome things… sweeten iced tea, use in a frosting or glaze for coconut cupcakes (or coconut pancakes!), mix with cream soda and make a pineapple soda/coconut ice cream float, pineapple curried rice… the ideas are endless!”

Professor Slughorn’s Crystallized Pineapple

Amounts vary depending on how much pineapple you’re using; 1 pineapple, or canned pineapple rings; sugar; water
 
If using fresh pineapple: peel, cut into 1/4 inch slices, and cut out the core so you have nice little pineapple rings. (if using canned pineapple: open can and drain.)
 
In a large pot, make a simple syrup: 1 part sugar to 2 parts water. I used 4 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar for my one pineapple, but you just want to make sure the syrup will cover all the fruit. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
 
Bring your syrup to a boil (if using a candy thermometer, it should reach 235°F). Add fruit and bring back to a simmer. Cook for about an hour, covered, until the pineapple is translucent.

Remove pineapple from pot and put on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet to drain.
 
Next step is to dry the fruit out. If you have a dehydrator, great! You can use that! However, if you do not have one just put the fruit (on the cooling rack & cookie sheet contraption) in your oven at 200°F until dry. This may take a while. Or, you could apparate to a desert and set it out in the sun to dry out.

Once your candied pineapple is dry, sprinkle with sugar and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
 
 
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, Dinah Bucholz 2010 Massachusetts

Pumpkin Juice

1 small pumpkin, known as sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin; 2 cups apple juice; 1 cup white grape juice; 1 cu pineapple juice

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C Slice the pumpkin in half pole to pole and scoop out the seeds. Don’t worry about the stringy fibers; they are had to remove and won’t affect the results. Place the pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft. Remove from the oven.

2 When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Place the cooked pumpkin in a large fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and push the pumpkin through using a rubber spatula. Scrape and mash as you push; I will take several minutes. Discard the pulpy mass left in the sieve. Stir the sieved pumpkin in the bowl to evenly distribute the juices, and then measure out one cup.

3 Place the cup of sieved pumpkin in a pitcher along with the apple juice, grape juice, and pineapple juice. Stir vigorously until the pumpkin is completely dispersed. Chill the juie until it’s very cold.

4 Before serving, stir the juice well, as the pumpkin will settle to the bottom. Fill crystal goblets with ice cubes and pour the juice over the ice.

Makes 5 cups

I preferred not to discard the pumpkin mash left in the sieve and made little pancakes – or you could use it in a muffin or scone mix, Anne
 

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Pineapple and Coconut Puddin'

Mexican Cooking, including Latin American and Caribbean Recipes, Bay Books Round the World Cooking Library, recipe contributions by Susan Bensusan, New York 1977
 
Pudim de abacaxi e coco – Pineapple and coconut pudding

6 servings

1 425g can condensed milk; 1 1/3 cups milk; 2 egg yolks, beaten; 3 tblspn cornstarch; ½ ts vanilla; 1 prepared 23cm sponge cake layer; 1 cup pineapple juice; 1/3 cup rum; 1 450g can pineapple slices, drained; ¾ cup grated coconut; 1 cup heavy cream, whipped; cherries

Mix the condensed milk, milk, egg yolks, cornstarch and vanilla. Place in a double boiler and cook over hot water, stirring constantly, until thickened. Continue cooking without stirring for 10 minutes. Cool.

Cut the sponge cake layer into 6cm squares and place in the bottom of a serving dish. Mix the pineapple juice and rum and sprinkle over the cake. Cover with ½ the custard mixture. Cut up ½ the pineapple and arrange over the custard. Sprinkle with ½ the coconut. Add a layer of the remaining custard and cover with whipped cream. Decorate with the remaining coconut, pineapple slices and cherries.

Monday 13 March 2017

Pineapple and ricotta

Marching Koalas Celebrity Cook Book, Hunter Region High Schools Band 1991 Newcastle NSW

Fresh Fruit Platter contributed by Professor John Shaw, Director National Heart Foundation of Australia

You can use your own choice of fruit for this salad. Some ideas are: pineapple rings; grapes (could be frozen); kiwi fruit cut in wedges; orange segments; passionfrut halves; tamarillos cubed; strawberries; melon sliced and balled; mangoes sliced; apple slces dipped in lemon juice
Ricotta Topping:

¼ cup dried apricots soaked overnight; ½ cup liquid from apricots; ½ cup low fat ricotta cheese

Combine apricots, liquid and ricotta in a blender until smooth.

Variations: substitute apricots and liquid with 1 ripe banana and ½ cup of lemon juice or ½ cup orange juice or ¼ cup stewed apple and ¼ cup of liquid.

I used ricotta blended with a couple of Satsuma plums, yum, Anne

 
It was Jane's birthday, she absolutely, without a doubt, loved her present!