"domestic goddess" news and stories

A clafoutis is a French baked dish that has a texture somewhere between a custard and a cake that is usually topped with a layer of fruit before baking. The most commonly used fruit seems to be cherries, but my favorite is a Pear Clafoutis. It also seems to be the favorite of Jennifer, the Domestic Goddess, who made this particular example of the treat. Aside from the flavor, which is laced with cinnamon, maple and vanilla, the really wonderful thing about this dish is the fruit itself. The pears are peeled and sliced into thin, horizontal segments that are fanned out across the baking dish and topped with the clafoutis batter. The overall look is extremely elegant and, aside from taking a few minutes to prepare the pears, the dish takes almost no time at all. It is idea for serving to guests, either warm or at room temperature, and makes a fantastic breakfast the next day.

You can find Jennifer's recipe here. For a somewhat lighter version of the same dish, you could try this recipe, too. Either will turn out a delightful, fall-inspired dish.

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Up until now, I always assumed that "domestic goddess" referred to someone who was exceptionally good at "domestic" things, primarily cooking. Their food looked and tasted better than anything anyone else was making. They weren't professionals, but they were as good as. But it seems that the term may have changed meanings and, instead of referring to someone who has goddess-like domestic skills, it might now refer to someone who is a goddess and happens to be able to cook, too. This new application of "domestic goddess" is applied to women like Giada de Laurentiis, Sandra Lee, Cat Cora and perhaps even Rachael Ray.

If part, or perhaps all, of the audience is watching the host, not the food, is this a good direction for food TV to be heading in? For al the interest in cooking shows, does it just come down to whether you look good in an apron or not? Check out Details' sexpots in the kitchen slide show and decide for yourself.

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The difference between a sticky bun, cinnamon bun and cinnamon roll has always been a bit confusing. So far as I can tell, a sticky bun has a gooey topping (or bottom) that is baked in the pan right along with the buns. One thing I know for sure is that sticky buns are not treats for everyday eating, loaded with butter and sugar. Jennifer, the very innovative Domestic Goddess, made up a batch of these gorgeous buns that are light enough to enjoy without forcing yourself into the gym later to compensate. Her banana sticky buns are rich with banana flavoring and, while they still have a bit of butter (primarily in the filling and the topping), they also have a bit of whole wheat flour in the dough and use egg whites instead of whole eggs. It's still not health food, but since they're sure to put a smile on your face, who could say that they're not good for you? The recipe can be found here.

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Lots of noise about Nigella this week... I wonder if she has a book coming out?

Anyway, following the revelation that Nigella's husband hates like her cooking comes even more scandal to dash those domestic goddess views - she has OUT OF DATE SPICES in her cupboard. Yep, tiz true.

In an interview in the Sunday Times she goes to make the interviewer lunch, prawn and sweet potato curry, and finds a jar of chillies with 'best before December 2004'. She jokes that "the fact it's not best before 1984 is quite something".

All is not lost however as she apparently cooks a proper lunch every day; which is great except that "Charles doesn't really like proper food - her prefers a bowl of cereal".

The Times interview is extracted from an article in the April issue of Red magazine, pictured.

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