Norwegian Rhubarb Soup

If you've never had rhubarb before, you're in for a treat.

If you've had rhubarb lots of times before, you're still in for a treat.

This fruity dessert soup, served cold, has a wonderful orange undertone with a hint of cinnamon.  It's not hard to make, and it's so delectable I would suggest doubling the recipe.  The Norwegian master chef, shown here, 

says it should serve six to eight, but I have a feeling Kahuna and I could dust this off handily all by ourselves.  It is that good.

The garnish, you may notice, is a strawberry, mint leaf, and meringue.  These are optional; if you have the time, the meringue makes a nice touch.  But if you have time to make only the soup, feel free to serve it meringue-less.

 Try this.  Not kidding.

RHUBARB SOUP
4 c. diced rhubarb (cut into pieces 3/4-inch to 1-inch long)
4 1/2 c. water, divided
1 c. sugar
1 t. grated orange peel
1 orange peel (section off the peel in large pieces; you will fish it out of the soup later)
1 cinnamon stick OR 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. vanilla
(optional) 2 T. Grand Marnier (with the yellow cord around the neck, if you have it; otherwise regular Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liqueur)

In large pot, place rhubarb, 4 c. of the water, sugar, orange peel (both grated and large pieces), and cinnamon.  Boil for one minute.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. 

Mix cornstarch into 1/2 c. water.  Stir into soup until it thickens slightly, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Add liqueur if using.  Let cool and cover with plastic, refrigerating until chilled.  Remove cinnamon stick and large orange peels and serve, garnished with whole strawberry, a mint leaf, and a small meringue island, if desired.

MERINGUE ISLAND (optional garnish)
3 egg whites
6 T. sugar
4 c. milk

Beat egg whites; add sugar gradually.  Boil milk, drop in egg mixture by soup spoonfuls; turn, and drain.

This Chocolate Idea Looks Promising

Look what I saw at the airport in Amsterdam.
It's a hot chocolate mug that includes a wooden spoon (the kind you get when you order a chocolate malt ice cream cup at the ball game), embedded in a big ol' hunk of chocolate.

Have I mentioned that I love the Amsterdam airport?

Garden Goodness

I went out to the garden to pick these
and was momentarily blinded by these.

Aren't they beautiful?

Our first crop ever.

From these five trees.
Sigh.  God is good.

On another note:  Garlic fries.  Kahuna and I shared a stack of these at the San Francisco Giants game the other night.  I've never made them myself.  Have you?  The closest I've come is these garlic mashed potatoes.  But I'd love to give the fries a try.

Because we have plenty of this (garlic).  Which could use a little weeding, I'm just now noticing.

I'll get right on it.  Right after I try a new recipe for strawberry shortcake.  See replies to post, below, for strawberry shortcake ideas.

Strawberry Shortcake

I am sorry to report that sometimes a low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie strawberry shortcake bears a disappointing resemblance to a hockey puck.

Does anyone have a great shortcake recipe to share?

New Cookbook

Look what I just bought.

Because I really neeeeeeeeed another cookbook.

OK, maybe need is the wrong word.

But isn't it cute?

Does anyone else have this book:  At Our Table by Roxie Kelley, illustrated by Shelly Reeves Smith?  Are you hooked on cookbooks, too?  What are some of your favorites?

Lemon-Poppyseed Jelly

Is there anything more appealing than a jar of home-preserved jam or jelly, bursting with fruit flavor fresh from the garden?

This lemon-poppyseed jelly is one of the best arguments I know for spending a couple hours in the kitchen, concocting your own fruit-infused condiments.

The most time-consuming part of the process is squeezing all the juice -- especially if your lemons, like many of mine this year, grew to be not much bigger than a quarter.

You think I'm kidding?
But in the end . . . look, oh look, at what you end up with.

Jars of tart, jelled bliss, ready to spread on a slice of homemade bread for the most perfect morning snack ever.

The recipe comes from an outstanding book called The Bountiful Kitchen by Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey.  Readers of Queen of the Castle may recognize this as the book that provided me with the best fresh tomato sauce recipe in the entire universe.

You think I'm kidding?

HONEYED LEMON POPPY SEED JELLY

Before making this recipe, make sure you have your canning supplies in order -- clean jars, big vat with boiling water, etc.  If canning is not your thing, just make sure you have six or eight clean jars or plastic containers to fill with your finished jelly.  You can pop it in the freezer or give it away to friends with instructions to keep it refrigerated and eat up in the next couple of months.

2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained (according to Bluestein and Morrissey, this will take about 13 lemons; my experience with itty bitty lemons, however, says just keep squeezing until you have enough -- maybe a gazillion lemons or so)

1 c. water

1 c. pure honey

1 box (1 3/4-oz.) powdered fruit pectin

3 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. poppy seeds

In large pot, combine lemon juice, water, honey, and pectin.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring.  I use a wire whisk to help get out all the little pectin lumps.  Once it's boiling well, add the sugar all at once and keep stirring with the whisk.  Bring back to boil and cook for precisely one minute.

Remove from heat and let sit five minutes.  Skim off foam; stir in poppy seeds.  Can, using your preferred method. 

(Mine, for jams and jellies, is simple:  I just use hot, clean Mason jars fresh from the dishwasher; fill with jelly and top with new, flat lids bought from the grocery store that have been waiting in scalding, nearly boiling water on a nearby burner; top the lid with canning jar rings, which generally come with a new box of jars; invert on a towel on the kitchen counter for five minutes; then turn right side up.  Voila!  Canned jelly.)

Black Rice Pudding A Balinese Delight

Black rice pudding is a sweet dessert to end all desserts as this one is actually very good for you, makes a change hey!
Black rice is also known as Emperor's rice here in Bulgaria. It actually turns a deep purple when you cook it, a wonderful colour. It has a very high nutritional value & According to a study presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), "one spoonful of black rice bran contains more anthocyanin antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries and better yet, black rice offers more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants, but less sugar." It is an anti inflammatory too so good for those joints. Black rice is the new cancer fighting super food!!!!!!!
It's called Emperor's rice or forbidden rice as way back in China it was only the Emperor who was allowed access to it, the commoners were banned from eating it at the risk of death because they thought it would extend their life, which as it turns out it probably did.
I found this rice in Bulgaria & tried it as I thought it looked amazing. I enjoy it as a side with curry, chicken dishes etc. it is a bit like wild rice or brown rice, very separate & not at all sticky, unlike the dessert It is lovely & nutty. I have served it to my Bulgarian friends but they didn't like it so next time I will treat them to it as a dessert, I am sure they will like it this way :D
I first came across this delight in Bali Indonesia. I tried it as I was intrigued that there was such a thing as black rice!
We were sitting in an open air restaurant, overlooking a volcano, watching the smoke whisping from the top in the heat & humidity that was January, it gets worse, amongst the rice steps & amazing views, you have to be there, experiencing tea with condensed milk. This amazing dish was served to us in a pandanus leaf dish & I promptly fell in love.

It is found all over Asia but as I have only partaken of it in Thailand & Bali, I do not know how it would be served in China. So here is my version of Black rice pudding & I will include an internet recipe for the more complicated (well for here in Bulgaria) but authentic Balinese version which if you can get the ingredients, please I beg you try it, it's truly wonderful!

Black Rice Pudding, A Stunning Visual Dessert & gorgeous too!

Here is my recipe;
1 cup of Emperors rice
1 1/2 pints of milk
2 pints water
1 tsp Ginger
390 gr Sugar add more if needed
Soak rice in the water for 6 hours. Add milk & ginger to the rice & water, bring to the boil. Turn down & simmer for 1 hour 20 mins then add the sugar & stir it well, cook for another 10 mins.
Serve with coconut & cream or, if you can get it, coconut milk/cream.

Here is a more authentic recipe, if you can get the ingredients, source: Authentic Recipes from Indonesian, Heinz von Holzen and Lother Arsana.
Ingredients:
1 cup (200 g) uncooked black glutinous rice (see not)
¾ cup (150 g) uncooked white glutinous rice
6 cups (1 ½ liters) water
2 pandanus leaves, tied into a knot, or 1 drop pandanus extract
¼ cup (50 g) shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar

 Pinch of salt

½ cup (125 ml) coconut cream
Rinse both types of glutinous rice in several changes of water until water runs clear, and soak overnight.
In saucepan, bring the glutinous rice, water and pandanus leaves or extrac to a boil over medium heat and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice is soft and cooked, with porridge-like consistency. Discard the pandanus leaves, if using. Add the palm sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes before removing the heat.
Combine the coconut cream and salt in a bowl and mix well
To serve, spoon the pudding into individual serving bowls and top with the salted coconut cream.