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Rosemary flank steak done on the stove top with a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan

Tony, could you please post instructions for making this? I am supposed to get a new 5 burner gas cooktop this week and this could be just the thing to try on it. It will have three 12,000 burners so I could straddle two burners with the griddle and get the sear marks as you have. Looks great, and I bet it tasted even better.

Today's bake - light rye sourdough, filled with a few marinated olives that I found in the fridge...

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Oh man, I really shouldn't look at this thread when I am hungry...awesome pics everyone. Celia...that bread looks so fantastic!! You are such an amazing baker!!

Maria, you're too kind, thank you.

Actually, maybe you can help me - I'm on the search for a really really good gluten free bread recipe. Do you have one? Most of the recipes I've found turn out a loaf which is closer to cake. We have a friend who has celiacs disease, and I'd love to be able to make him some good gf bread...thanks!

I'm definitely not too kind!

Re the gluten-free bread...actually I don't have a good recipe. I had tried several recipes and they all came out terrible. I buy my son "Food For Life Brown Rice Bread". It's the best Gluten-free bread I have had. But ALL Gluten-free breads taste more like quick-breads or muffins to me. His bread tastes good..but it does not taste like bread. If I ever come across a recipe for decent Gluten-free bread, I will let you know.

Likewise, Maria! If I come across anything that's good, I'll pass it on too. The last one I tried was a gf version of soda bread, which was ok - made a very dense loaf, which was not bad toasted. But I've never been able to find something which mimics a sourdough or a vienna loaf in texture. Here's the recipe in case it's of use - I adapted it from a Dan Lepard recipe :

Soda Bread (adapted to be gluten-free)

350g gluten free flour (I used half white gf flour and half buckwheat flour)
20g butter
1 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar
200g buttermilk
200g whole milk

Preheat oven to 210C. Line a deep 17cm square cake tin with Bake paper (parchment), and spray a light coat of oil onto the paper. Tear a sheet of aluminium foil to cover the top of the tin, spray with oil, and set aside.

In a large bowl, rub butter into the mixed flours. Add soda, salt and sugar and toss through with fingers.

In another bowl, mix buttermilk and milk, then stir through flour mix until you have a thick paste-like dough. Scrape well down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the dry ingredients are mixed evenly through the liquid. Stir quickly, as the soda will begin to react with the acid buttermilk as soon as they make contact, and you will need all of the gas produced to lift the loaf.

Scrape dough into the tin. Pat the dough down lightly so it sits in an even layer. Cover the top of the tin with oiled foil.

Bake for 25 mins, then reduce heat to 180C, remove the foil from the top and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for a minute, then tip out on to a wire rack. When cool, wrap in waxed paper or freeze in a sealed container.

Cheers, Celia

Nordicware Bundt pans are on sale at the moment, and I couldn't resist adding the chrysanthemum bundt pan to my burgeoning collection (the boys gave me one each for Christmas as well!). This is my basic yoghurt cake recipe, sized up one and a half times, and filled with fresh cherries and Karaka blackberries (a new cultivar we found at the markets recently).



Here's the pan :

Celia that's beautiful! It's like a work of art.

I love that bundt pan. I guess I didn't know they came in different shapes. I'll have to keep a look out.

Patti, you have to get some now that you have the Kitchenaid. Honestly, though, you could put a packet mix in these pans, and everyone would think you're a genius.

Have a look at the Nordicware and the Wilton websites - lots of gorgeous pans to choose from.

Here's a cut slice from today's cake:




And this is a cake I made Christmas 07 using the Nordicware holiday pan:

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That's amazing! Thanks for the links. I'll be checking them out.

I love the pan with the trees. They look snow-covered. Gorgeous.

I should warn you now that collecting them can get quite addictive, Patti. I don't even want to count how many I have..

I can see the addiction factor. This is right up my alley. Next year my gift to myself will be paying for all the pans I've acquired!

Rosemary flank steak done on the stove top with a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan

Tony, could you please post instructions for making this? I am supposed to get a new 5 burner gas cooktop this week and this could be just the thing to try on it. It will have three 12,000 burners so I could straddle two burners with the griddle and get the sear marks as you have. Looks great, and I bet it tasted even better.

Bob - just saw your request. Here's the original recipe with my changes in bold:

Here's the recipe:

* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 4 1/2 tablespoons honey (used 3 1/2 tblspoons)
* 6 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 2 1/4-pound flank steak


Preparation

Mix all ingredients except steak in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, turning occasionally. I marinated in large ziploc bag

Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.used lodge cast iron grill pan on high side of medium high heat. let get hot then threw steak on for about 2 minutes per side

Transfer steak to work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin strips Arrange on platter and serve.

NOTE: Original recipe calls for 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary.

Looks great Tony!

Celia...oh those cakes look amazing. Thanks for the Gluten-free soda bread recipe. I will try it...I will have to substitute the dairy ingredients, but it shouldn't make too much of a difference. I let you know how it turns out.

Bob - just saw your request. Here's the original recipe with my changes in bold:

Here's the recipe:

* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 4 1/2 tablespoons honey (used 3 1/2 tblspoons)
* 6 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 2 1/4-pound flank steak


Preparation

Mix all ingredients except steak in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, turning occasionally. I marinated in large ziploc bag

Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.used lodge cast iron grill pan on high side of medium high heat. let get hot then threw steak on for about 2 minutes per side

Transfer steak to work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin strips Arrange on platter and serve.

NOTE: Original recipe calls for 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary.

Than ks for the recipe Tony, Am dieting right now, but will try this once I get over this losing weight. (At least I hope I lose weight).

Ridiculously easy lemon yoghurt cake - recipe by Dorie Greenspan. We made this using Pete's homemade yoghurt and glazed it with his apricot jam. Delicious, doesn't need a mixer, and I reckon it's almost foolproof. It produces an interesting texture too, a touch chewy and elastic (in a good way), quite different to cakes made with butter.

Tried a new recipe for caramel brownies today. They're made with Belgian chocolate, toasted almonds, and Pete's homemade caramel sauce (which is pure cream and butter). Definitely not diet food!!

Tried a new recipe for caramel brownies today.

I could eat that!

Tried a new recipe for caramel brownies today.

I could eat that!

Not if I see them first!

Thanks - they are wickedly good. The recipe is by Fran Bigelow - I have her book, but I also found the recipe online here. Cynthia, you should make these for the physicist..

Here's my version :

Gold Bar Brownies
From Pure Chocolate by Fran Bigelow

1 cup Caramel Sauce (homemade or store-bought)
8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole almonds
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch blocks
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
150 grams unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons, or 10 tablespoons)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I left this out)
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted then measured
pinch salt (my addition - I think a tiny bit of salt always improves chocolate)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F.

Line or grease a 9-by-13 inch sheet pan.

Have ready the Caramel Sauce. It can be used cold, directly from the refrigerator. (Pete makes big batches of caramel sauce, and we keep it in the freezer. It needs to be liquid for this recipe).

Place the almonds on another baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt the finely chopped chocolates (semisweet and unsweetened, but I used 56% and 70% dark) in a double boiler over low heat or in microwave. Remove when nearly melted and continue stirring until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and two sugars until light and very fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the vanilla and the espresso powder. Add to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions and scraping the bowl several times. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat to combine.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the sifted flour by hand until no traces of white remain. Fold in the toasted almonds and the 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate chunks. The batter will be quite thick. Evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Spoon the cold Caramel Sauce in tablespoon-size dollops over the top. Using a table knife drawn through the batter, swirl the caramel into the batter to marbelize. Bake for 45 minutes. When tested with a toothpick in the brownie portion (not the caramel), it will have moist crumbs.

Let cool in the pan 1 hour. Cut into squares and removed with a spatula. Store brownies in sealed plastic containers as long as a week, or freeze. Alternatively, scoff the whole lot.

My God those look amazing!

I wonder how many Weight Watcher points? Probably a gajillion.

Date, Orange and Walnut Krantz

Beautiful, Michelle!!

I made my own prawn crackers for Chinese New Year - from scratch! It's a big job, and these are almost right - next time I'll try a little bit more salt, and work on cutting consistent thin slices.