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Friday 7 November 2008

Tribute To ‘Dear’ Pistachio - Food That Celebrates Her Love of Food & Her Life!


In my fondness for Nigella Lawson and food, I joined Nigella.Com some years ago. I memorise here my anticipation of posting my first thread of introducing myself. I remember the friendliness that was shown to me and Pi was one of the first to say hello in her jovial way. Vi and Pi also went onto setting up a forum of their own called “Vi’s Pantry”.

My dear friend Maria of The Goddess’s Kitchen came up with a wonderful idea for Pi’s on line friends at the ‘Pantry’ that we all make a dish from Feast, Food that celebrates life by Nigella Lawson. This is a wonderful way to pay tribute to Pi because through our love of food it brought us all together and it seems appropriate to remember her in this way.

Pi’s love of food shines through, which you can view from her blog Pistachio en la cocina with outstanding creative dishes and bakes! She enjoyed cooking and eating well and her favourite cuisine was North African and Eastern Mediterranean.

My obsession for chocolate soon spread around Nigella.Com and I was fondly nicknamed Chocy! Due to my old nickname, I felt it essential to make something with chocolate involved in a recipe for my tribute to Pi who sadly passed away a few days ago. I have chosen the Chocolate Orange Cake from Feast in my remembrance of a charming on line friend Pi.




Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients
2 small or 1 large thin-skinned orange, approx 375g total weight
6 eggs
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g ground almonds
250g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
Orange peel for decoration if wished

Method

Put the whole orange(s) in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours or until soft. When cooled, cut the oranges in half and remove any pips. Pulp everything together – pith, peel and all – in a food processor.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Butter and line a 20cm springform tin.

Add the eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar and cocoa powder to the orange in the food processor. Blitz until everything is a combined mixture, but still slightly knobbly flecks of pureed orange. Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour and a cake tester should come out clean when ready. Check the cake after 45 minutes because it may need covering with foil to prevent the cake from burning before it is fully baked, the cake may need a little less time baking depending on your oven.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack. When the cake is cold take it out of the tin and remove the baking paper. Decorate with strips of orange peel or coarsely grated zest if you wish, or leave its darkly beautiful plainness unadorned.

Source of this recipe comes from Nigella Lawson - Feast, food that celebrates life cookbook.



39 comments:

Gloria Baker said...

Really beauty post, really beauty by dear Pi, xxGloria

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A wonderful tribute! that cake looks really beautiful!

Cheers and have a nice weekend,

Rosa

Maria♥ said...

Rosie a beautiful tribute to Pi and she would be so proud and happy with your chocy cake! It looks so delicious and I love the stars.

Pi will be really missed and I'm thankful also for my love of Nigella and food cos it bought us all together!

Love
Maria
x

Finla said...

Rosie it is a wonderful tribute to pi.
The cake looks so yumm too.
I am sure pi would have been delighted with it.

Emily Rose said...

what a beautiful way to celebrate her life! the cake is beautiful and it sounds delicious too.

tartasacher said...

Hello Rosie:
Wonderful chocolate orange cake. The marzipan is, very, very good. Thank for your commnets in my blog.
Best and whises

Rosie said...

Pi will be sadly missed and thank you Gloria, Rosa, Maria, H.C. and emily rose for your kind words.

Best wishes Rosie x

Rosie said...

Hi tartasacher,lovely to *see* you as always :) Oh your marzipan looks scrummy drool - drool... The choccy cake is a lovely recipe from Nigella.

best wishes Rosie x

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute to your friend, and a beautiful cake to honor her with.

natalia said...

Ciao Rosie, I'm sorry for your dear friend.

Your cake is lovely.

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Great thing to do in Pi's memory. Very nice cake.

La Bella Cooks said...

A perfect tribute, Rosie. I sure do miss the nigella.com forum, don't you? Who could resist this decadent chocolate cake. Orange is always that perfect compliment to chocolate as well. Impressive, Rosie!

Unknown said...

Lovely and gorgeous cake.A great tribute..

Faery said...

A beautiful tribute, I think PI will be so happy about this post, there in Heaven.
The cake looks so beautiful and I love the decoration, i am a fan of chocolate and orange desserts

Deborah said...

Nigella isn't as popular over here, but I'm longing for a book or two of hers. This cake looks wonderful!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

This looks yummy and a great tribute x x

Nic said...

Lovely tribute to your friend Rosie!

J.L. Danger said...

Hi Rosie! I love seeing comments on my blog from you! You make my day!

-Jessica

Caroline said...

A beautiful cake and a lovely tribute to your friend, Rosie.
I'm so sorry for your loss.

MrsB said...

Rosie, I am so sorry to hear of the sad news, your cake made in tribute to her is just lovely x

The Blonde Duck said...

That's so sweet of you. What a sad loss.

Deeba PAB said...

What memories Rosie, & what heartache life brings with it at times. You were a good friend; this is a beautiful tribute 'Chocy'. Take care dear friend. XOXO

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Sounds great! I love the pumpkin soup as well but I came here to look for cake recipe for my partner's birthday ;) Something with rum or coffee liquor would be perfect...

Enjoy your evening, Margot

Swati said...

The cake looks lovely .. orangeand choc go so well .. It must be tasting great!!

Emily said...

What a delicious-looking cake! I really like Nigella. I need to buy Feast - I don't know how many times I've checked it out at the library.

Rosie said...

Thank you all my 'dear' friends for all your kind commments and words of comfort. It is a very sad time in the blogging-sphere with the passing of two wonderful ladies Pi and Bri. I have just found out through Nic the sad news of Bri's passing.

May they both rest in peace.

Rosie x

Rosie said...

Hi Margot, I hope you found a recipe for a cake for your partner here. I will take a look through and leave you a link on your blog if I come across a cake with rum or coffee liquor - I've baked so many I do lose track of all of them ekk...

Best wishes Rosie x

Recipeswap said...

What a nice tribute to your online friend.......wonderful cake.

Cakelaw said...

This is a wonderful tribute to Pi, Rosie - I am sure that she would have loved this fabulous cake.

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

What a beautiful way to pay tribute to your friend, Rosie.
May her soul rest in peace.

Bharathy said...

Wow!what a wonderful tribute, rosie!Love the cake :)
I am here after a long time and glad to see a post with "substance"! :)

Donna said...

I'll have some hot coffee with that please!! YUM!!hughugs

Thinking About Food said...

Rosie that is a lovely cake and some lovely memories. Pi would be pretty happy with all the foodie tributes she has received I think!
Linda
xxxx

The Caked Crusader said...

Stunning cake. Pi would be proud.

Deeba PAB said...

Hi there again Rosie...have tagged you to bake bread for a cause. The link is here...
http://passionateaboutbaking.blogspot.com/2008/11/moroccan-holiday-breadbaking-for-worthy.html
Cheers Deeba

Maria said...

What a great tribute!

Snooky doodle said...

yummmy i like chocolate and otrange too and am fond of Nigella too :)

Gigi said...

Lovely cake Rosie! It's so tall and beautiful. Yum.

Rosie said...

Thank you N33ma so very kind of you :D

Hi Cakelaw, hopefully Pi will be looking down upon all our tributes to her.


Me too Aparna - that Pi may R.I.P.

Hi Bharathy , lovely to *see* you sweetie as always :D

Hi Donna, your wish in my command passing one hot mug of coffee and a slice of cake over – got it? Hugshugs to you sweetie :D

Hi Linda, I do hope so and there have been many beautiful tributes paid to such a charming on line friend ’our’ Pi.

Thank you C.C.

Hi Deeba, count me in sweetie for such a good cause! There’ll be bread baked and blogged a.s.a.p. *smile*

Thanks Maria

Hi Snooky doodle, awe thanks, glad to hear another fan amongst the Nigella following :D

Hi Gigi, ahhh thanks you are such a treasure :D

Many, many thanks for calling by my ‘dear’ friends and also for commenting with kind words and wishes to this tribute for such a wonderful lady Pi.

Best wishes Rosie xoxox