Recipes of the Recession - Issue 6

Written by Linda Blincko, Calum Gunn and Jessica George

As the economic downturn continues to bite and some of our favourite eating and socialising haunts become fiscally inaccessible, a few young gastronomes are beginning to bite back by baking their own.

Their rediscovery of the kitchen opens a door not only to new and interesting culinary phenomena but also the possibility of a revolutionary social movement, once relegated to the outmoded realm of female enterprise and thus significantly disparaged: Home Economics. Home Economics will revolutionise the way people live in the world. From a consumerist life, to one of considered self-sustainability, where Subway and such outlets are eschewed in favour of pot-luck, and dinner parties, as opposed to restaurant rendezvous, become de rigueur.

Below are two flag bearers of the Revolution, sharing with us components of the HE manifesto.

Calum Gunn

I am Calum Gunn and whereas my usual kitchen is the recording studio, making steaks of sound and antipastos of audio, I also occasionally grace my kitchen with my presence.

Now with the theme of recipes for the recession in mind I am going to present a recession conscious recipe. This is an apple crumble that is in fact a slight modification of The Scottish Women's Rural Institute recipe. Now I guess given the growth in food prices of late it seems like a more and more sensible thing to stay home and concoct, as opposed to going to your local supermarkets frozen goods section and purchasing pricey pre-made peacock patties.
One of the good things about this recipe is that it’s actually quite vague so you can alter it. Thus you don’t have to have a baking dish that is exactly 32.5646767456456 centimetres. However the amount of ingredients seems to work well with a baking dish that's around 30cm in diameter. In addition to this it requires only few and very basic ingredients.

The Scottish Women's Rural Institute Apple Crumble (adapted by Calum Gunn)

• Sliced/Diced Apples, preferably granny smith or cooking apples- (the original recipe doesn't specify so basically go nuts until you have covered the dish and filled it up to a decent extent)
• Sugar, preferably brown - 170gms
• Flour, use whatever kind you want, really - 170gm
• Butter/Margarine (completely up to you)- 85gms
• Cinnamon - a liberal sprinkle, enough to covers the apples in the dish  and mix with the crumble if you like
• Oats - OPTIONAL - you can substitute some of the flour with this, experiment, go bananas
• Feijoas - OPTIONAL- you can put some of these in with the apples as they are often abundant, and easy to scrump*. I do not condone scrumping or scrumping-based activities)

Slice the apples/feijoas/whatever you have scrumped and is fruit and place in your baking dish till you have constructed a liberal layer.
Sprinkle cinnamon as is your want/budget and half of your precious sugar over the fruity things.
Now attend to your other ingredients (your remaining sugar, flour and potentially oats and cinnamon if you feel like it.
Add your remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix evenly.
Add your butter/margarine to this mix and rub the butter into the dry ingredients, it is actually best to do it with your hands and literally rub it in. Serious.
Do this until there are no butter chunks larger than a couple of centimetres, or as the original recipe says, till crumbly. Makes sense I guess.
Plop your crumble over the top of the fruity pieces, careful not to spill your precious, precious, crumbly, crumble mixture.
Pop into a preheated 180 degree Celsius oven for around half an hour.
Carefully remove from oven after aforementioned time period.
Goes well with ice cream, or if you are an impoverished student, 2 minute noodles and beans.


*To scrump (third-person singular simple present scrumps, present participle scrumping, simple past and past participle scrumped)

1. To steal fruit, especially apples, from a garden or orchard

2. Something I don't condone! Try asking, even! When fruit is in season most people who own a tree will be most obliging in letting go of some of   the sweet goodies from it. In fact most people can’t get rid of feijoas, apples and other things fast enough. If you see a tree bursting with fruity goodies that you can picture in your fabrication just ask them if you can take some of their hands for them. That way they are less likely to chase you off their property wielding a shovel or other blunt object.

Jessica George

Recessionly Yours, Orange & Vanilla Cupcakes

Everyone’s tightening their belts as the recession lays down upon us and food prices rise. In addition to recession woes, Auckland’s unpredictable weather from rain to shine in the blink of an eye, can stir up runny noses and coughs. Indeed, a break from worries and sniffles is needed, so let’s take a moment to loosen our belt buckles, maybe even undo a few buttons, to indulge in a sugary sweet baked treat. With both empty wallets and the threat of catching a cold always looming on the horizon, there seems to be no better ingredient to use than Mother Nature’s citrus power-house, the orange. Not only are oranges in season, which means they’re a bit easier on the bank account, but they are also full of Vitamin C and act as an immune system booster. Well done, orange, well done.

So, without further ado, slip into a comfy apron, and enjoy baking:

Cupcakes

• 75 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 orange
• 1 cupcake/muffin tray
• Cupcake liners

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius
2. Put butter into a large mixing bowl and beat* until soft.
3. Add sugar and beat together with the butter until it appears light and fluffy (just like your heart will be after tasting a cupcake)
4. Add egg and beat.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk into the butter mixture.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Grate the orange rind and add 1-2 tablespoons into the mixture. Save the rest for the frosting.
8. Cut the orange in half and squeeze juice from one half into the mixture and stir together.
7. Place cupcake liners into the tray.
8. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Remember: do not overfill!
9. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. To check and see if the cupcakes are ready, stick a knife through the middle and if it comes out clean then they are done. You can also press a fork onto the top of the cupcake, and if it springs back, they’re ready.
10. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
11. Take cupcakes out of pan and allow them to cool another 5-10 minutes.

*Beating together ingredients is easier with a mixer, but I’ve made many a cupcake without one in my pre-mixer days, and I’ve got a great right bicep now. Plus, hand mixing seems like a great way to relieve frustrations.  

Should make 15-20 cupcakes

Frosting

• 200 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• Orange juice
• Grated orange rind

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar (sifted if possible) and beat to combine.
3. Add the vanilla.
4. Squeeze juice from other half of your orange into mixture.
5. Add remaining grated orange rind and mix together.

Depending on how thick you’d like the frosting, you can add more powdered sugar (thicker) or add more vanilla or orange juice (thinner). You can really play around with both the consistency and taste of the frosting, so have fun!

Assemble
1. Check to make sure the cupcakes are cool, otherwise the frosting will melt off into a puddle of dismay.
2. Add a spoonful of icing to the top of each cupcake and smooth over with a knife.

There’s nothing like a cupcake to warm the cockles of your heart. Happy eating!