Author: the other food interpreter

The Coffee Cantata

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Coffee arrived to Europe at about the same time J.S.Bach was born and became quickly very popular. However, there was opposition declaring coffee to be the “bitter invention of Satan.” Local clergymen in Venice condemned the drink and Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene when the controversy became too much. Before making a decision however, he decided to taste the beverage for himself. He liked it so much, that he gave it Papal approval. The Coffee Cantata is a small, comic, secular cantata, composed sometime in the early 1730’s . It is actually a funny piece, in which Bach makes fun at both coffee drinkers and their critics. The story focuses on a young woman named Lieschen whose father, Herr Schlendrian, tries to deter her from drinking coffee. She refuses to give it up, saying that “if I couldn’t, three times a day, be allowed to drink my little cup of coffee, in my anguish I will turn into a shrivelled-up roast goat”. It is only when he refuses to allow her to marry that she relents. …

Little Chocolate Cakes

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Many years ago I ate those little chocolate cakes in a friend’s house. I asked for the recipe and since then I make them regularly.During the years I adapted the recipe according to our taste. The original recipe demands for more eggs, sugar and butter, but I think that this version works better. In the summer we keep the cakes in the fridge, in which case the cold cakes match very well with a Sauvignon Blanc. 200 g  good quality dark chocolate  (66% cocoa solids) 120 g unsalted butter 3 eggs 3/4 cup caster sugar 1/2 cup self-rising flour, sifted 2 Tbsp rum (optional) Preheat oven to 180 C /fan. Prepare a 12-hole cupcake tray lined with paper cases. Break the chocolate into small pieces and drop into a bowl with the butter. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally …

roast potatoes

Roast potatoes

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In my mind potatoes have always been the absolute comfort food,whether mashed, baked or just boiled. The following recipe is very simple and always a hit. Roast potatoes 1,5 kg peeled potatoes sea salt freshly ground black pepper 9 Tbsp olive oil Preheat the oven to 200 C. Tip the peeled potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and season well with salt. Bring to the boil and cook for about 20 minutes until tender. Pour 3 Tbsp olive oil, some sea salt and ground pepper in a big baking tray, large enough to fit the potatoes tightly in one layer. Crush each potato with a fork into two or three pieces depending on size. Season with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper and add 6 Tbsp of olive oil. Give the pan a good shake and put the potatoes in the hot oven for about 40-45 minutes until golden and crispy.