Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got nothing
against Annabel Langbein’s recipes as featured on her TV programme The Free Range Cook. I just wish this obviously bright and successful
woman could add a few more adjectives to her vocabulary! Her superfluous gushing
of ‘so good’, ‘so delicious’, ‘so easy’ and
‘so yum’ send me into a groaning fit.
On the other side of the culinary coin, Nigella finds ways to promote food porn
unlike any other TV chef: everything glistens, oozes and sparkles; and often
contains bucket loads of cream and/or butter. But at least she has fun with her
metaphors.
Nici Wickes of World Kitchen is another presenter with an annoying habit of using
the same inane ways to describe what she’s cooking or eating - and with a rool
Nyew Zilund accent to boot. Still, I watch, and on occasion might feel inspired
to emulate one of her recipes.
Likewise with Annabel; I made her pakora
and double chocolate hazelnut ripple the other week. Very nice, thank you.
And this week I made her baked apples, which I remember Mama Chan making when I
was young. Such an easy dessert that I’d forgotten all about. I added meringue
on top for a deluxe version.
4 apples, cored
Mix together:
½ c chopped walnuts
¼ c dessicated coconut
¼ c brown sugar
cinnamon
½ c raisins or dates, first soaked in a
liquer such as brandy, rum, cointreau
I actually didn’t measure any of these
ingredients, just guessed.
1 egg white, whipped till soft peaks form
Score the skin around the middle of the
apples or you can peel off the top half of the skin. Fill core cavities with
mixture; really pack it in. Scatter rest inside the baking dish. Add about a
cup of water to the dish.
Bake until cooked through at 180 C. Spoon
egg white on top and cook for another 5-10 mins until golden.