Monday 4 February 2013

Sunday Pie making cookery club 2013

Sunday Pie club relaunch in the City
Pies in the City 2013

Central Street Kitchen
London EC1V 8AJ




Every month 16 bakers learn pastry and pie making effortlessly with me!  Loads of fun, music, hats, its a good thing to do for the soul on a Sunday!  Come an join us! 
First Sunday of the month: BOOK a place! 

Listen to this BBC London Radio interview with me!




Monday 3 December 2012

The Sunday Pie club is back!  London

After a little longer than expected baby break - I have brought the popular Sunday Pie making club back.  This time in a City venue!  Its a wonderfully kitted out, brand new kitchen with all the mod cons and an area to chill and chat in your pie making breaks.

Established in 2009.  We make proper pies with no soggy bottoms! No lazy pies with just a piece of puff pastry on top of a casserole. I will teach you how to make pastry effortlessly and with my tips you will overcome your pastry fear! 

Lots of fun, a great thing to do in London and lots of individual British Pies to take home with you.

New dates:

  • Sunday 20th January 2013
  • Sunday 3rd February 2013
  • Sunday 3rd March 2013

Here are the details for the new classes:
  • 4 hour "hands on class"
  • 16 Max per class
  • 11am - 3pm (please arrive 15 minutes early)
  • £60 per person, all inclusive
  • Hats, apron, top equipment and ingredients supplied
  • Book of recipes sent as a PDF after class
  • Vegetarian option available 
To book your place: click here and follow the links

Our new kitchen venue for the classes, Central Street Kitchen. London

Thursday 6 September 2012

I have a publishing deal

Just over the moon - I have signed a publishing contract with 
My book will be entitled "Little book of Pies" 
30 recipes and chat wrapped up in a cute retro 80's feel.
  
The work starts now!  I'm mega happy!  
From Pop music to Pies!  Who would have thought!



Thursday 15 March 2012

Home cooks to Market, be on the new Sky 1 show

Splash Media is currently looking for competitive cooking couples (friends/partners/colleagues/relatives) to take part in a primetime food series with Gizzi Erskine for Sky 1. 
Go for it and say you heard it from me; Marika's Kitchen

Sunday 19 February 2012

French Onion Soup Pie for 2 lovers!


FRENCH ONION SOUP PIE 
FOR 2 LOVERS
Marika's Kitchen

Makes 2 huge pies (4 people)

This is filthy! It is so rich and intense; it should be shared by two lovers. Made to dive your spoons in and get messy. There is a Gruyere Cheese surprise in the Puff pastry lid and it’s a killer when the pastry falls into the soup and the cheese oozes out!  Ooh La La!
You’ll need
2 Pudding bowls, roughly 6.5” width x 3.5” depth
Non stick Baking tray 
Heavy bottom non-stick pot/casserole dish with lid
Timer

Ingredients
1 kg Peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced Onions
1 tbsp Butter and a glug of olive oil to fry onions
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp ground black pepper
1.5 Pints Boiling Beef stock.  (1 and a half stock cubes dissolved)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2.5 tbsp Plain flour
2 tbsp good Cognac

300g Easy roll Puff pastry
50g Swiss or Gruyere Cheese (sliced into two)
1 egg whisked

How to Make
1.     Add butter and oil to heavy bottom pot; fry the sliced onions for 20 minutes on a medium heat with lid on.

2.     Now add the salt, pepper and sugar and fry for a further 35 minutes with the lid off on a medium heat, until the onions are a dark golden colour.

3.     Now add the flour, mix into onions, make sure there are no lumps.

4.     Add stock, let simmer on a medium heat with the lid half on for another 20 minutes. 

5.     Take off the heat and add the cognac!

In-between waiting for your onions to simmer get on with rolling the pastry.

1.     Roll out 2 layers of pastry (on a floured surface) to the thickness of the side of a pound coin.

2.     Now make them even and layer pastry on top of each other.

3.     Next turn both pudding bowls upside down onto pastry and cut around the rim.

4.     Remove bowls, take the top layer of pastry and set to one side.

5.     Place half a slice of cheese in the centre, next with a pastry brush, egg wash the pastry around the cheese.

6.     Lift other piece of pastry and sandwich on top. Repeat.

7.     Prick a few holes (for air) in the pastry packets, and egg wash the tops.

8.     Bake pie lids on a floured oven tray in a pre-heated oven of 220 degrees Celsius or fan oven 200 for only 10 minutes, remove when puffed up and golden.

9.     Ladle Onion soup into warm bowls; pop the pastry on top acting as a giant cheesy crouton.

10.  Take two tablespoons and devour immediately.