Latest news with #Melba
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Michelle Darmody: How to make a peach traybake that feeds a dozen
This soft and fruity crumble-topped sponge is baked in a large flat tray so it can be cut up and divided easily. It works well with any stone fruit, which are all coming into their own this time of year, but peaches give a particularly deep and dense colour. The juiciness of peaches varies greatly. In Ireland, unfortunately, many peaches are packed off to our shops while ripening en route, missing out on that transformative sun-kissed effect that creates the distinctive flavour of those found in hotter climates. Unlike many other fruits that lose some of their vitality when cooked, peaches, even hard underripe ones, can intensify and become richer and smoother when used in baking. Raspberries and peaches are paired together in various desserts, as they both ripen as the summer begins to warm up, but they also provide great balance to each other. Raspberries add a tartness which enlivens the peaches' sweetness. Melba is a famous pairing of vanilla ice cream and soft peaches topped with raspberry coulis. It was invented in the Savoy Hotel in London by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier. This traybake mirrors Melba's simple and elegant flavours. Peach Traybake recipe by:Michelle Darmody This soft and fruity crumble-topped sponge can be cut up and divided easily Servings 12 Preparation Time 20 mins Cooking Time 40 mins Total Time 60 mins Course Baking Ingredients For the topping 50g cold butter, cubed 100g demerara sugar 85g self-raising flour Zest of 2 oranges 20g porridge oats For the base 100g soft butter 150g golden caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 280g self-raising flour, sieved 120ml milk 350g ripe raspberries, roughly mashed 350g peaches, stoned and sliced Method Line an 8 x 12 inch baking tray with parchment. Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. To make the topping, rub the butter into the sugar, flour and zest until it resembles rough breadcrumbs. Stir in the porridge oats and set aside in a cool place. To make the traybake, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour. Add the milk to the batter to make it a smooth consistency. Stir in the mashed raspberries. Spread the batter into the prepared tin. Dot the peach slices on top, pressing them down a little. Sprinkle the topping over the peaches. Place into the centre of the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the cake. Once cool enough to handle, remove the traybake onto a wire rack to cool then slice. Baker's tips To line your tin, cut a rectangle of parchment larger than the tin, then make four diagonal cuts the depth of your tin, one at each corner. Place the parchment over the tin and shape it into the base and sides with your hands, ensuring it is free of wrinkles. If you find it easier you can rub a small bit of butter onto the tin, so the parchment sticks to it. This also helps to keep the parchment in place when you are scooping the batter into the tin. When making the crumble topping, it is important to ensure that the butter is cold and becomes properly incorporated into the dry ingredients, otherwise you will not get that lovely crisp texture which contrasts with the soft sponge below. When you have set the topping aside and are making the sponge layer below you can store it in the fridge or a cool part of your kitchen. If your sponge is flat or too dense it is because there is a lack of air. Sieving the flour not only aerates it; it also removes lumps so it can incorporate with the rest of the ingredients more easily. When creaming the butter and sugar for the sponge layer, you will need room temperature rather than cold butter. Use a low to medium speed on your mixer until combined, then turn it up to a high speed. You want a soft, creamy texture with lots of air incorporated into it. The mixture will change colour to a pale creamy white when enough air has been added. You can scrape down the sides of the bowl as you are creaming the ingredients to ensure everything is well incorporated. If your batter begins to split or curdle as you add the eggs, add in a spoon of the flour and continue. The slices will last three days in the fridge, but the topping may lose some of its crispness. This can be frozen after it has been cut into slices. Three delicious variations: Apricot and almond This recipe works well with a strong almond flavour added to it. I like to add at least one teaspoon of almond essence in place of the orange zest and then slivered almonds in place of the oats. Instead of peaches, I use apricots, the combination of almond, raspberry and apricot works very nicely. Mixed berry Using berries to top the cake as well as the mashed raspberry in the sponge gives a tart and colourful result. I add a mixture of 350g chopped strawberries, raspberries and blackberries in place of the peaches. Apple and pecan Stew 350g of cooking apples (350g weight after the apple has been peeled and cored). Once soft, let the apple cool. Make the recipe using the stewed apple in place of the mashed raspberries. Read More Michelle Darmody: How to bake the ultimate summer pudding
American Press
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Melba Ward Stanfield
Melba Ward Stanfield, 89, passed away peacefully at her home on May 21, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on June 5, 1935, in Pulaski, Tenn., to Duncan and Mary Ward, Melba lived a life grounded in love, devotion, and family. A proud resident of Louisiana, Melba spent over 20 years working in the Calcasieu Parish School System as a beloved cafeteria worker. Melba's true joy, however, came from being a mother and 'Granny.' She was full of wisdom and always extended a listening ear and wise advice. Family meant everything to her, and she poured her heart into caring for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was the one everyone could count on-present, dependable, and deeply loving. Melba enjoyed gardening, especially tending to her flowers, and loved cooking for her family. A devoted fan of Days of Our Lives and Wheel of Fortune, she rarely missed an episode. Summers were often spent making cherished memories with her family during their trips to Tennessee. She is survived by her three sons, Curtis Stanfield (Laura), Randy Stanfield (Rose), and Kernie Stanfield; her sister, Barbara Fry; her grandchildren, Clayton Stanfield, Tiffany, Kenda, Bridgette, Katie, and Chris Bodeaux; her great-grandchildren, Abby, Madison, Caleb, Rebecca Alcock, Hadleigh Dickerson, and Eric, and great-great-grandchildren, Abigail Jackson, Dalton Meche, and KJ Halloway. Melba is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 50 years, Earl Ray Stanfield; her sisters, Elizabeth Butler, Betty Fry, Addie Miller, and Fay Terry, and her brothers, Forest Ward, Harold Ward, Ray Ward, and Jerry Ward. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26, 2025, at Johnson Funeral Home of Moss Bluff. Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will resume on Monday morning at 9 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Ragley.
The Age
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Porcine and P&V team up on courtyard wine bar
Previous SlideNext Slide French$$$$ Forget the cheeseboard. At L'Avant Cave, you can pair your glass of minimal-intervention Australian wine with a $35 set menu of French snacks from hatted Paddington restaurant Porcine. Chef Nik Hill partnered with P&V Merchants to rebrand the independent bottle shop's leafy courtyard wine bar in late March, introducing pigeon-liver Melba toast, trout rillettes with horseradish cream, and rock oysters with smoked-eel vinegar. P&V has a rotating list of eight wines by the glass, each representing a different category, from 'fun orange' to 'baller red' and beyond. You can also BYO any bottle of wine purchased from P&V Merchants to L'Avant Cave for $25 corkage.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Porcine and P&V team up on courtyard wine bar
Previous SlideNext Slide French$$$$ Forget the cheeseboard. At L'Avant Cave, you can pair your glass of minimal-intervention Australian wine with a $35 set menu of French snacks from hatted Paddington restaurant Porcine. Chef Nik Hill partnered with P&V Merchants to rebrand the independent bottle shop's leafy courtyard wine bar in late March, introducing pigeon-liver Melba toast, trout rillettes with horseradish cream, and rock oysters with smoked-eel vinegar. P&V has a rotating list of eight wines by the glass, each representing a different category, from 'fun orange' to 'baller red' and beyond. You can also BYO any bottle of wine purchased from P&V Merchants to L'Avant Cave for $25 corkage.
Telegraph
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
William Sitwell reviews Kabuli, Birmingham: ‘Gloriously straightforward, soul-satisfying and rustic'
Fortunately I'd left Cyrus at home. Our fox-red Lab isn't great on trains and gets pretty tetchy at the intermittent Wi-Fi. And he would have been cross at me for not properly reading the note online about the restaurant that I thought had said ' Dogs allowed ', not noticing the additional word, 'outside'. But then Kabuli, in the Birmingham district of Moseley, is all about positivity and thus couldn't bring itself to advertise the actuality of 'no dogs'. Maybe this is why they use the hackneyed term ' fine dining ' on Instagram to pump up their offering of Afghan cuisine. Which of course it isn't, which is not a criticism so much as an expression of relief. Although I'd be intrigued to see a zhuzhed-up version of the food of Afghanistan: spherifications of quroot, chapli kebab velouté or textures of Kabuli pulao. Instead it was actually very, indeed gloriously, straightforward, hearty, soul-satisfying and rustic. And the interior design clearly aims at posh, with wide and comfortable chairs and banquettes, soft and pale furnishings, heavily textured, white-washed, cave-like walls, marble-topped tables and golden cutlery. The menu is divided into Kabuli pulao (versions of the classic rice dish), qorma (curries), kebabs, sides and desserts. Our waiter advised us to have one of each so we chose to dine in that order and get some salad and breads on the side. My pal Arsheen and I sipped saffron tea for a few minutes and then the whole lot came at once. 'All our dishes are prepared fresh and served as soon as they are ready, ensuring you enjoy every flavour at its peak,' I then noted on the menu, although I think there are ways around this, no? I mean like starting to cook one thing at one time, then deciding to start another at another. But this is the mantra of many restaurants, particularly chains such as Wagamama. It's a good thing not all fads edge into the home. Although, as a bang-on-trend restaurant critic, perhaps I should try this one Sunday lunch. Everyone goes straight into the dining room then out come roast potatoes, smoked salmon, apple crumble, carrots, roast chicken, cashew nuts and Melba toast – in that order. Yet we were feasting merrily in this classy cave and relishing the rich flavours of the lamb shank pulao. It came like a veritable mountain, the slow-cooked shank in the centre, its bone poking out as the peak, surrounded by a deep drift of rice and raisins and draped in bright ribbons of carrot. It was a wonderful combination of soft and rich meat, nicely tempered by the other ingredients. There was the qorma-e-murgh, a mild chicken curry, more like a red stew of delicate spicing than its Indian equivalent and, such is the expectation of my mind, I rather wished it had had a little more heat. The chapli kebab, which was ground beef patties – think flattened kebab – was covered with slices of raw onion and tomato. It was crisp and dry and, with its yoghurt dip, turned out to be a good contrast to the qorma (thank God they brought it all at the same time, eh?). And there were some fluffy naan breads and a simple chopped salad. We called for baklava to end and also asked the waiter if he wouldn't mind cleaning the table. Which he did, bringing out a handkerchief from his pocket for the job. Which I suppose sort of sums up the idea of swanky cave-like fine dining. Wrong-headed but great grub.
