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	<description>Your weekly dose of culinary delights</description>
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		<title>On (almost) crash dieting and the last Tasty Diaries of the season</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/on-almost-crash-dieting-and-the-last-tasty-diaries-of-the-season</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/on-almost-crash-dieting-and-the-last-tasty-diaries-of-the-season#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bonjour chers lecteurs! True to my usual sense of planning I decided last weekend I had to get my body into shape before I hit my native Brittany&#8217;s beaches&#8230; in two days.  Five days into my supernatural efforts (no more Nutella or cookie dough ice cream, tough), the scale this morning showed I shaved [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bonjour chers lecteurs! True to my usual sense of planning I decided last weekend I had to get my body into shape before I hit my native Brittany&#8217;s beaches&#8230; in two days.  Five days into my supernatural efforts (no more Nutella or cookie dough ice cream, tough), the scale this morning showed I shaved off 500g. Of course I weighed myself straight out of bed, after my morning wee, before ingesting a single drop of water and without my watch or glasses &#8211; these can be so, so heavy. I was really pleased, especially given that I ingested all of the gorgeous dishes below. But then, I did the unthinkable in the evening. Under the greenish light of our energy saving bulb, I tried my bathing suit on, turned my back to our full length mirror and looked over my shoulder. Arghh!!!! How stupid could that be!! I am now considering buying a full length wet suit and making a big intervention &#8211; a fake tan. Since black is slimming  I reckon a bit of flesh colouring should have the same effect, shouldn&#8217;t it? It will be a first though and I don&#8217;t want to end up like Ross in Friends (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOLCwaHVtWs">see here what I mean</a>), so before I go to the salon, any vital advice on do&#8217;s and don&#8217;ts, readers? Write these in the comment section <a href="http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/newsletter/current-news-letter">at the bottom</a> please, my looks at my brother&#8217;s wedding are in the balance. All of this to tell you this issue is the last Tasty Diaries of the Summer. I started in September with only 60 readers and you are now well over 4,000 reading me every week. It has been a wonderfully exciting year and I look really forward to keep growing Tasty Diaries and sharing more yummy recipes with you in September. Until then, I wish you all a hot, fun, stress-free and super tasty Summer. A bientot mes amis! Anne-Laure x</p>
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		<title>Green bean and smoked mackerel salad</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/green-bean-and-smoked-mackerel-salad</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/green-bean-and-smoked-mackerel-salad#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:05:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cook the bulgur in salted water according to packet instructions (12 min).
Steam the green beans for 7-8 minutes until crisp tender. Drain and cool under cold running water to stop the cooking. This will stabilise their texture and lovely green colour.
While the beans and bulgur are cooking, crumble the feta cheese and shred the mackerel.
Prepare [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cook the bulgur in salted water according to packet instructions (12 min).</p>
<p>Steam the green beans for 7-8 minutes until crisp tender. Drain and cool under cold running water to stop the cooking. This will stabilise their texture and lovely green colour.</p>
<p>While the beans and bulgur are cooking, crumble the feta cheese and shred the mackerel.</p>
<p>Prepare the vinaigrette: mix the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small container with lid. Close the lid on and shake well. </p>
<p>Once the bulgur is cooked, spoon the grains in a nice heap on each plate, toss the beans on top and sprinkle with the roasted hazelnuts, feta, and mackerel. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and eat!</p>
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		<title>Eat now: peaches</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/eat-now-peaches</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/eat-now-peaches#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:53:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My star ingredients]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4161</guid>
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		<title>Cider braised pig&#8217;s cheeks with fresh pea purée</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/cider-braised-pigs-cheeks-with-fresh-pea-puree</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/cider-braised-pigs-cheeks-with-fresh-pea-puree#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:01:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[All Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Main Courses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No-stress: make ahead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Top rated by my kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meat and chicken]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Prepare the pigs cheeks
Preheat the oven to 150C.
Chop the onion, carrots, leek, celery and garlic. No need to cut them too finely as they will only be used to flavour the meat and the sauce.
Prepare the pigs&#8217; cheeks by lightly flouring them. Heat a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. When hot but [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Prepare the pigs cheeks</strong></p>
<p>Preheat the oven to 150C.</p>
<p>Chop the onion, carrots, leek, celery and garlic. No need to cut them too finely as they will only be used to flavour the meat and the sauce.</p>
<p>Prepare the pigs&#8217; cheeks by lightly flouring them. Heat a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. When hot but not steaming, add the meat and fry for about 5 minutes or until just coloured. Transfer the cheeks to a flameproof casserole dish.</p>
<p>To your frying pan, add all the chopped vegetables and garlic, bay leaves, star anise and a good sprinkling of ground pepper) and cook slowly until the greens are soft and golden, for about 8-10 minutes. Toss the vegetables over the pig cheeks and add the cider, vinegar and stock.</p>
<p>Bring the casserole to the boil on the stovetop then cover with a lid and transfer to the hot oven. Braise for between 60-90 minutes or until the cheeks are meltingly tender.</p>
<p>Remove the casserole from the oven, lift out the pig&#8217;s cheeks and set aside.</p>
<p>Strain the cooking liquor into a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce its volume by 1/3 (7-8 mins).</p>
<p>Whisk the butter into the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.</p>
<p>Reduce the heat and add the pig&#8217;s cheeks, heat through gently before serving.</p>
<p><strong>Prepare the pea puree</strong></p>
<p>Blanch the peas in gently boiling salted water for about 2 minutes then put in a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and the butter, and blitz until smooth</p>
<p>Slowly, stir in a splash of wine and the remaining cream if needed. You want the puree to be quite thick so only add these if you think the consistency will take it. (for reference, on the picture my puree is too runny but I could not correct it as I was out of peas!)</p>
<p>Season and adjust as required.</p>
<p>Serve the pigs cheeks with the puree and the sauce.  For the posh factor, you can also add simple salad of fresh peas and pea shoots. (for the picture I used a mix of baby watercress and rocket salad).</p>
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		<title>How do you fix a dish that has too much salt in it? (Alexa)</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/how-do-you-fix-a-dish-that-has-too-much-salt-in-it-alexa</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/how-do-you-fix-a-dish-that-has-too-much-salt-in-it-alexa#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:47:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My top kitchen and cooking tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>7 easy tips to make your refrigerator and freezer more eco-friendly (and lighter on your energy bill)</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/7-easy-tips-to-make-your-refrigerator-and-freezer-more-eco-friendly-and-lighter-on-your-energy-bill</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/7-easy-tips-to-make-your-refrigerator-and-freezer-more-eco-friendly-and-lighter-on-your-energy-bill#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:14:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My top kitchen and cooking tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4167</guid>
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		<title>Lightly spiced Pêche Melba</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/lightly-spiced-peche-melba-2</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/lightly-spiced-peche-melba-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[All vegetarian recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fruits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mood-lifters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mousses, creams, and ice creams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special qualities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Top rated by my kids]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=470</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bring about 1L of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Dip the peaches for 2 minutes in the simmering water to loosen their skin. Take them out of the water, peel them, cut them in half and remove their pit.
Bring another litre of water to the boil with the sugar, vanilla extract (or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bring about 1L of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Dip the peaches for 2 minutes in the simmering water to loosen their skin. Take them out of the water, peel them, cut them in half and remove their pit.</p>
<p>Bring another litre of water to the boil with the sugar, vanilla extract (or a vanilla bean slit lengthwise, grains scraped off into the water), star anise and mixed spice. Don&#8217;t be tempted to re-use the water in which you parboiled the peaches as it will have been contaminated with pesticides.</p>
<p>Plunge the peeled peach halves into the lightly bubbling syrup and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.</p>
<p>While the peaches are cooking, save the 12 best looking raspberries for garnish. mash the remaining raspberries with the back of a fork with the icing sugar and a squirt of lemon juice.</p>
<p>Using an electric mixer, whip the cream into a silky crème Chantilly. The top tips for achieving the perfect Chantilly are: 1. make sure the cream, bowl and whisk are all very cold. I place the whisk and cream in the freezer 20 min beforehand. 2. beat the cream at low speed first, moving in stages to high speed, and wait until the cream starts bubbling before adding the sugar (slowly) and vanilla extract. 3. stop once the whisk leaves well defined marks in the cream. Dip a spoon in it and turn it upside down. If the cream peak on the spoon stays up, it is ready. If not, give it another whisking. The Chantilly should only take 2-3 minutes to make. Don’t overbeat otherwise you will reach the consistency of butter.</p>
<p><strong>Just before serving:</strong></p>
<p>Pour some raspberry coulis in martini or wide glasses, place a good sized ice cream scoop on top and a peach half. Top with the Chantilly and a few fresh raspberries. Serve right away.</p>
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		<title>Duck fillets with sautéed peaches and thyme</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/duck-fillets-with-thyme-peaches-and-chicory</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/duck-fillets-with-thyme-peaches-and-chicory#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:04:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[All Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Main Courses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Side dishes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Top rated by my kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meat and chicken]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4150</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Peel the peaches and cut them into 8 segments.
Prepare the duck breasts by removing all the sinew with a small knife. Trim off any excess fat and score the skin in criss cross shapes. This will allow the meat to cook through the skin.
Place the duck fillets skin side down on a hot frying pan [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Peel the peaches and cut them into 8 segments.</p>
<p>Prepare the duck breasts by removing all the sinew with a small knife. Trim off any excess fat and score the skin in criss cross shapes. This will allow the meat to cook through the skin.</p>
<p>Place the duck fillets skin side down on a hot frying pan WITHOUT adding any oil on it, and cook on medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden brown. While cooking, drain the fat off the pan regularly. Finish the fillets by turning them over onto the flesh side and cooking until firm to touch, for about 4 minutes.</p>
<p>When ready, season the duck with salt and pepper and set aside, skin-side up.</p>
<p>Add the vinegar, lemon juice and syrup to the pan. When hot, add the thyme, walnuts and peaches and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat, until the sides of the peaches are lightly browned.</p>
<p>In the meantime, dispose chicory leaves on each serving plate and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Slice each fillet thinly with a sharp knife.</p>
<p>When the peaches are ready, scatter on top of the chicory. Place half a duck fillet prettily net to the peaches and drizzle the sauce over the duck.</p>
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		<title>Happy Bastille day!</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/happy-bastille-day-and-thanks-to-robespierre-for</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/happy-bastille-day-and-thanks-to-robespierre-for#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:01:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4126</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello mes chéris, I&#8217;m back! Sorry for skipping last week&#8217;s newsletter, that will teach me for playing sorcerer&#8217;s apprentice with my not-so-foolproof website&#8230; In short the site went down and my stress level exponentially up for a few days last week, and troubleshooting took over my sacred duty to feed you. Rest assured, dear friends, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello mes chéris, I&#8217;m back! Sorry for skipping last week&#8217;s newsletter, that will teach me for playing sorcerer&#8217;s apprentice with my not-so-foolproof website&#8230; In short the site went down and my stress level exponentially up for a few days last week, and troubleshooting took over my sacred duty to feed you. Rest assured, dear friends, I still managed to feed the children&#8230; with pasta and cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and lots of Ben 10 and Charlie and Lola episodes in between. Needless to say, my sweet little apricots love it when maman is on the verge of dying with stress. This week was mercifully back to normal and I had plenty of time to cook exciting dishes for this issue. Before we move on to those, please spare a thankful thought for the French revolutionaries. They may have beheaded cute Marie-Antoinette and flushed the Christian calendar down the toilet (though that didn&#8217;t last), but they left one tradition untouched: French cuisine. In fact, the revolution played a critical role in its expansion by abolishing social class privileges. Merci Robespierre!! Now this week is packed with vegetable recipes. Red peppers, the stars of this week, are featured in a very unfrench and delicious roasted pepper and tomato soup, which was served at the Beckham&#8217;s wedding in 1999 (I know, that long ago!). You will also love them sautéed with balsamic vinegar for a quick and luxurious dinner. On Monday night, unwind with my gently alcoholic no-cook skewers and this weekend, conjure the sun up with a fabulously herby and garlicky Provençal tian. Lastly, check out my  useful tips for preventing the fish you&#8217;ll be grilling this weekend from sticking to your barbecue, and read about the environmental impact of eating Kenyan vs UK green beans. Or is there one? Oh, almost forgot: I have two free tickets to Taste of Birmingham this weekend so leave a comment at the bottom of this newsletter if you want them! Enjoy this week&#8217;s sunny cooking and eating et à jeudi prochain, Anne-Laure x</p>
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		<title>How bad for the environment is buying Kenyan green (French) beans?</title>
		<link>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/how-bad-for-the-environment-is-buying-kenyan-green-french-beans</link>
		<comments>http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/how-bad-for-the-environment-is-buying-kenyan-green-french-beans#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:55:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne-Laure</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My top kitchen and cooking tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=4122</guid>
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