Discovered in a Livejournal

Well, can't call it completely joyful, but it does end up okay. Plus things may not be what they seem... But see the trailer at the end of the story if you need warnings.

( Resolution )

For anyone who's finished already ;-) here are...

the answers.

Happy Holidays!

And last but not least, the final episode of...

A Pros Cookbook!

A final spin through the choicest food bits highlighted in The Professionals.

Last serving: Tag Bol

Bodie knew that Doyle's spag bol was serious business: a creation for special occasions, meant to impress. He'd seen it maybe twice in all the years he'd been partnered with the man, and only tasted it once while Doyle was stirring the pot.

So he knew that when Doyle planned to feed it to Ann Holly, something serious was in motion.

And it was time for him to plan his own counteroffensive.

*=*=*=*=*

Doyle famously makes Spaghetti à la Benny (often assumed in fandom to be Spaghetti Bolognese) for Ann Holly and Bodie in Involvement – your basic spaghetti with meat sauce.

The idea of spag bol comes from Bologna, Italy, of course; however, according to those crazy kids at the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in Bologna, there's an official way of making the dish. And no, no one has been making it right: at the very least, it should be tagliatelle – never spaghetti. *tsk, tsk*

Below is a close rendering of the official recipe, from the Accademia. This serves 3-4 people.

Ragu alla Bolognese

400 grams fresh tagliatelle (or fettucine, if you must)
300 grams minced beef (the recommendation is for finta cartella, thin flank steak)
150 grams unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped (though it's not a good idea to chop your finger and bleed on the pancetta like I did :-()
50 grams carrots, finely chopped
50 grams celery, finely chopped
50 grams onion, finely chopped
30 grams triple concentrated tomato puree (aka tomato paste in the U.S.; if you use double concentrated, use 40 grams)
½ glass red or white wine
180 ml fresh milk
olive oil
salt and pepper

The Accademia allows the addition of porcini mushrooms, if desired.

1. Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until it starts to render its fat.
2. Add the vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms) and saute, stirring until the onions become translucent.
3. Add the beef and cook until lightly browned (it should start making popping noises).
4. Add the tomato puree and the wine and mix well.
5. Add the milk slowly, stirring, until absorbed.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover, lower the light, and cook for at least 2 hours. If it starts drying out, add a little more milk.
7. Boil the tagliatelle (should take ~ 5 mins); drain and portion on plates.
8. Portion ragu on tagliatelle and serve (side suggestions: green salad and a robust red wine).

The Accademia also allows Parmesan cheese served on the side. Thus spaketh the Accademia.

Once again, it's time for...

A Pros Cookbook!

Another delectable delicacy taken from that fabled series, The Professionals.

Next on the menu:

Sausage Rolls.

Bodie eats, drinks, lives for enjoyment. Old bones are for those who sit around at home!

Whether canon or fandom, sausage rolls loom large in the WAP Bodie mythos.

Doyle just shakes his head - and demands the car keys.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver again: (http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/sausage-rolls)

Note: type of sausage to use is up to you; just keep in mind that a fair amount of flavoring comes from the sausage's spice mix. I tried hot pork with spices, mild pork with spices, and turkey chorizo (separately), but the sky's the limit. Also, one “sausage” is assumed to be US regular-sized, roughly 0.25 pounds per link.

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sprig fresh sage, leaves picked
A handful of breadcrumbs
6 sausages
250 g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg
a little milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook gently for about 20 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add the sage leaves, cook for a couple of minutes more and then spread out on a plate to cool.


2. With a sharp knife, slit the skins of the sausages and pop the meat out. Put it in a mixing bowl with the cooled sage and onion mix and the breadcrumbs, then scrunch well with your clean hands to mix together.


3. On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin (aka kind of thick) and cut it lengthways into two long, even rectangles. Roll the mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the centre of each rectangle.


4. Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal the join.


5. Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want (mine were 2-3 inches, but then I'm an American) and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

For today's post, I bring you a tale of New Year's, of transitions, of choices and chances.(And I also forgot to give it a title, LOL.)

So here it is: Unititled Xmas Fic, 2012.

Enjoy! (If that's the right word.)