M-J de Mesterton Makes Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties by M-J de Mesterton, Photo Copyright Elegant Survival 2009

Cornish Pasty Made by M-J de Mesterton, Photo Copyright Elegant Survival 2009

I’ve been making Cornish pasties since the age of 20. My mother wrote a book about the pasty and its history which was published in 1990, but my method and ingredients differ from hers. The following is my pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) recipe:

I will not formally transcribe my recipe and method for making pasties, because I never use measurements. I can tell you, however, that they are made with a short crust containing both butter and lard, water, a teaspoon of malt vinegar, and unbleached, plain white flour. Since salted butter is used in the dough, add just a dash of salt to it. I add sea-salt and hand-milled pepper to the filling, which consists of four ingredients, diced very finely: tri-tip steak, which is always well-marbled and never tough; ordinary, high-starch brown-skinned potatoes, turnips, butter bits, and white or Spanish onions. The finely-diced beef and vegetables are tossed together in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper before being laid upon the dough, dotted with butter and enclosed. The edges are crimped, either on top or on the side of the pasty, and a couple of well-placed slits are made in the top to allow steam to escape. The final product is brushed with a beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of cream. The pasties are then baked in a very hot oven for close to one hour. Once the pasties have cooled for about twenty minutes, serve with an oil-and-vinegar-dressed lettuce salad. Offer Cornish cream, Spanish or Mexican Crema, or sour cream as an optional condiment. The pasties depicted here, which I made, are the optimum size for a meal; the dough for them was shaped into a ball about half the size of a woman’s closed hand, then was rolled out and cut around a 7″ luncheon plate. Making giant pasties just isn’t elegant, nor is it traditionally Cornish. I also make miniature pasties for parties, by using a tin can or the bottom, inner ridge of the same luncheon plate as a cutting guide. These mini-pasties are easily eaten by hand with a cocktail napkin to catch any pastry-flakes. For a basic short-crust guide, please see my Elegant Apple Pie recipe.

~Pasty Recipe and Pasty Photos Copyright M-J de Mesterton, Author of Elegant Survival

M-J de Mesterton Makes Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties by M-J de Mesterton, Photo Copyright Elegant Survival 2009

Cornish Pasty Made by M-J de Mesterton, Photo Copyright Elegant Survival 2009

I’ve been making Cornish pasties since the age of 20. My mother wrote a book about the pasty and its history which was published in 1990, but my method and ingredients differ from hers. The following is my pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) recipe:

I will not formally transcribe my recipe and method for making pasties, because I never use measurements. I can tell you, however, that they are made with a short crust containing both butter and lard, water, a teaspoon of malt vinegar, and unbleached, plain white flour. Since salted butter is used in the dough, add just a dash of salt to it. I add sea-salt and hand-milled pepper to the filling, which consists of four ingredients, diced very finely: tri-tip steak, which is always well-marbled and never tough; ordinary, high-starch brown-skinned potatoes, turnips, butter bits, and white or Spanish onions. The finely-diced beef and vegetables are tossed together in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper before being laid upon the dough, dotted with butter and enclosed. The edges are crimped, either on top or on the side of the pasty, and a couple of well-placed slits are made in the top to allow steam to escape. The final product is brushed with a beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of cream. The pasties are then baked in a very hot oven for close to one hour. Once the pasties have cooled for about twenty minutes, serve with an oil-and-vinegar-dressed lettuce salad. Offer Cornish cream, Spanish or Mexican Crema, or sour cream as an optional condiment. The pasties depicted here, which I made, are the optimum size for a meal; the dough for them was shaped into a ball about half the size of a woman’s closed hand, then was rolled out and cut around a 7″ luncheon plate. Making giant pasties just isn’t elegant, nor is it traditionally Cornish. I also make miniature pasties for parties, by using a tin can or the bottom, inner ridge of the same luncheon plate as a cutting guide. These mini-pasties are easily eaten by hand with a cocktail napkin to catch any pastry-flakes. For a basic short-crust guide, please see my Elegant Apple Pie recipe.

~Pasty Recipe and Pasty Photos Copyright M-J de Mesterton, Author of Elegant Survival

Courtesy of M-J de Mesterton

M-J de Mesterton Makes Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties by M-J de Mesterton, Copyright 2009

I’ve been making Cornish pasties since the age of 20. My mother wrote a book about the pasty and its history which was published in 1990, but my method and ingredients differ from hers. The following is  my pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) recipe:I will not formally transcribe my recipe and method for making pasties, because  I never use measurements. I can tell you, however, that they are made with a short crust containing both butter and lard, water, a teaspoon of malt vinegar, and unbleached, plain white flour. Since salted butter is used in the dough, add just a dash of salt to it.  I add sea-salt and hand-milled pepper to the filling, which consists of  four ingredients, diced very finely: tri-tip steak, which is always well-marbled and never tough; ordinary, high-starch brown-skinned potatoes, turnips, butter bits, and white or Spanish onions. The finely-diced beef and vegetables are tossed together in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper before being laid upon the dough, dotted with butter and enclosed. The edges are crimped, either on top or on the side of the pasty, and a couple of well-placed slits are made in the top to allow steam to escape. The final product is brushed with a beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of cream. The pasties are then baked in a very hot oven for close to one hour. Once the pasties have cooled for about twenty minutes, serve with an oil-and-vinegar-dressed lettuce salad. Offer Cornish cream, Spanish or Mexican Crema, or sour cream as an optional condiment. The pasties depicted here, which I made,  are the optimum size for a meal; the dough for them was shaped into a ball about half the size of a woman’s closed hand, then was rolled out and cut around a 7″ luncheon plate.  Making giant pasties just isn’t elegant, nor is it traditionally Cornish. I also make miniature pasties for parties, by using a tin can or the bottom, inner ridge of the same luncheon plate as a cutting guide. These mini-pasties are easily eaten by hand with a cocktail napkin to catch any pastry-flakes. For a basic short-crust guide, please see my Elegant Apple Pie recipe.~~Recipe and Pasty Photos Copyright M-J de Mesterton

 

Cornish Pasties by M-J de Mesterton, Copyright 2009

Cornish Pasty Made by M-J de Mesterton, Copyright 2009

Elegant Low-Carbohydrate Snacks

About.com has a wonderful list of low-carb snacking ideas. People who live the Dr. Atkins or other low-carbohydrate lifestyles sometimes survive on tiny meals or snacks, so this article by Laura Dolson is especially helpful for them.

Some of my favourites are barbecue-flavoured soy crisps by Genisoy company, also made by Trader Joe’s, and my own Parmesan-Pine Nut Crisps, the recipe for which is found on Elegant Cuisine.

Make Your Own Elegant Hamburger Buns

M-J's Home-Made Hamburger Buns, Copyright Elegant Survival 2009

Elegant Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
• 1 and 1/4 cup of warm water (110° to 115°)—hotter water will kill the yeast
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil (do not use canola oil, which tastes fishy in baked goods; peanut, corn or pure vegetable oils are preferred)
• 1/4 cup of sugar, any variety
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 and 1/2 cups of unbleached or all-purpose white flour

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Then, add the egg, salt, and flour.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead for about four minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Form the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rise for ten minutes. Divide the dough into 12 flat, round pieces. Place 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake on top oven rack at 400° for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Monitor closely to prevent burning. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. This recipe makes twelve hamburger buns. For dinner rolls, do not flatten but shape your twelve dough pieces into balls.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, Elegant Survival 2008

How to Protect Yourself from H1N1 or Swine Flu

Wear Gloves in Public for Your Protection

Protecting Yourself from H1N1 Flu, Grippe, or Influenza Infection

The only advice given is to “wash your hands”. And then, they tell people to cover up when coughing or sneezing. That only works for carriers of the disease.

Hand-washing is always a good idea, and some of us live every day as if there were a rampant infection on the land. It will do you no good if you touch something with live germs on it, and the virus enters your skin. Or, if you just accidentally touch your face before washing or sterilizing hands with antibacterial gel. Nearly everyone has a torn cuticle or papercut, through which the virus will immediately invade the body.

The only way to protect your hands from germs in everyday contact with the public is to wear gloves. This includes while grocery shopping and visiting other public establishments. And, since this flu virus is airborne, run like Hell when someone coughs or sneezes, and do not let a cashier with a runny nose ring up your purchases. Once you bring your supplies home,unpack them wearing latex or rubber gloves, throw them into the sink and wash them before storage.

Taking Vitamin-D3 and C in large doses daily is said to help boost your immune system and reduce the chances of contracting the current flu viruses. Please see Elegant Survival Health for more tips.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2009

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Tavern on the Green Partners with National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

I know this news is a few months old, but the Tavern is in trouble, and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children needs constant support.

PRESS RELEASE

TAVERN ON THE GREEN LAUNCHES NEW LINE OF BRANDED SAUCES, DIPPING OILS, AND MARINADES

– Proceeds to Benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children –

NEW YORK CITY, June 11 – Tavern on the Green, the New York City landmark restaurant in Central Park, just announced a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), an organization dedicated to protecting children from abduction and sexual exploitation. Under the agreement, Tavern on the Green will launch an exclusive line of branded sauces, marinades, and dipping oils, available through a new company called Tavern Direct.com,whose goal is to donate 25 percent of its profits to NCMEC. “Extending our brand name for a cause is the right thing for us to do,” said Jennifer Oz LeRoy, proprietor, Tavern on the Green. “By supporting such a worthwhile organization, we have a chance to create a measurable change in the lives of many children and families across the country.”

TavernDirect.com is responsible for manufacturing, distributing and marketing these gourmet food products, with the goal of providing consistent financial support for NCMEC. They’re now available through TavernDirect.com’s Web site which features all the branded gourmet specialty food items; the Tavern on the Green gift stores in New York City and Wellington, Florida; Wegmans, a major grocery retailer in the Northeast; Wilson Farms/Sugar Creek convenience stores in the Northeast; Total Wine and Bottle King on the East Coast. American Express also sells the products through its employee- and customer-incentive programs.

“I believe this partnership with Tavern on the Green restaurant and TavernDirect.com will go a long way in assisting NCMEC with their efforts to help prevent child abduction and exploitation,” said John Walsh, co-founder of NCMEC and host of “America’s Most Wanted.”

Twelve products are now available, including three signature sauces: the “1870 Steak Sauce,” marking the year the Tavern was built; the “Central Park Signature Dipping Oil;” and the “Chandelier Chardonnay Marinade.” Products range in cost from $7.99 – $10.00 for individual bottles to $33.95 for a gift box of the three signature products. Each product is all natural and has no an artificial flavor or coloring added. Gift sets that include wine from the Finger Lakes Region’s Heron Hill Winery are also available online starting at $49.95.

“Research shows that people are craving diverse, rich flavored foods,” said Howie Jacobson, partner, TavernDirect.com. “The market for marinades, sauces, and similar products is at an all-time high with consumers being encouraged to cook at home by chefs, grocery chains, and cooking shows. We expect many retailers to come on board to support these products and NCMEC’s cause.

NCMEC is a private, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC’s congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 475,000 leads. Since its establishments in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 130,300 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 112,900 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST, or visit its Web site at www.missingkids.com

Tavern on the Green is one of America’s top grossing restaurants, serving between 2,000 – 4,000 meals a day, and more than a half million people per year. Tavern on the Green is located on Central Park at West 67th Street. For more information, visit www.tavernonthegreen.com or call (212) 873-3200.

For more information, contact:
Greg Kamp, Dixon Schwabl
Voice: 585.899.3218
Cell: 585.314.1872
gkamp@dixonschwabl.com

Communications Dept.
NCMEC
Voice: 703-837-6111
media@ncmec.org

Shelley Clark, Lou Hammond & Assoc.
Voice: 212-891-0204
shelleyc@lhammond.com

Try Tavern on the Green Recipes

• Summer Delight Cole Slaw
• Autumn Fig Health Salad
• Toscana Garlic Parmesan Marinade Grilled Chicken Breast and Vegetable Medley
• Old Vine Cabernet & Fire Grilled Garlic Marinade Delectable Fillet Mignon
• 1870 Steak Sauce Perfect Porterhouse Steak
• Golden Ginger Teriyaki Salmon Barbeque
• Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar with Fresh Fruit Salad
• Chandelier Chardonnay & Fire Grilled Garlic Marinade with Sautéed Scallops
• Autumn Fig Balsamic Vinegar Strawberry Delight
• Central Park Signature Dipping Oil Tortellini Salad
• Autumn Fig Balsamic Vinegar Grilled Peaches with Fresh Cherry Sauce BBQ

Clown Painting Copyright 1986 by M-J de Mesterton; New York Memories

The clown painting I created in Manhattan, New York City in August, 1986, has received very many views lately by people in Brussels and elsewhere, who, perhaps because of a recent protest/clown nose-throwing event, were searching for “clown painting”. I use it as the mast-head on “M-J’s Theater of the Absurd”. Here is my painting, called

Dexter, the Collide-O-Clown. Please do not use it without my permission.
M-J de Mesterton

Clown Painting, "Dexter"; Oil on Belgian Linen Copyright M-J de Mesterton 1986

I remember that on August 4th, 1986, while painting this clown, I was listening to the old New York radio station, WNEW a.m., and heard the bad news that their premier disc-jockey and raconteur, William B. Williams had passed away. This definitely had an impact on the clown painting. William B. was only 62, but back then, I was 30, and that seemed ancient. For years, I had listened to Willie B.’s morning show, Make-Believe Ballroom Time, during which he played big band classics and standard ballads by the greats. He always started his show with a cheery, “Hello, World!”. We listened to it in the art studio at 45 West 45th Street. Jonathan Schwartz was on the air at WNEW a.m. during that time, as well. His program was called, “New York at Night,” and he played the “Chairman of the Board”–William B. Williams’ title for Frank Sinatra, and “The Best there Is”, Jonathan’s moniker for Tony Bennett. Alas, the station no longer exists as it did, though I’m sure that some entity is using its call-letters, WNEW a.m. I think the frequency was 1130. I bought the WNEW book commemorating its 50-year anniversary, “Where the Melody Lingers On”, in 1984. Inside it, I have news-clippings on the station and its great personalities, including William B. Williams’ obituaries from the New York Times and the New York Post. William B. Williams was a Dean of the Friars, knew nearly everyone, and the Friars Club named its billiards room after him.

William B. Williams, Center, after Whom the Friars Club Named its Billiards Room

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton; May 16th, 2009″