Hey guys,   

My name is Shelma Dei, my  love of food stems from my childhood & also being rather fussy when it comes  to food. 

My parents enjoyed cooking at home as a child especially my father who would bring home to the kitchen exotic foods such as rabbits and snails. My father would produce amazing results from these ingredients, as a child snails seemed yucky but thanks to my father I learned to love them and learned to use my imagination on how to create lovely dishes.  

I am very passionate about food & love to create  dishes that spring into my mind. I love to experiment with different ingredients often things you wouldn’t think to put together.  I enjoy eating out & also I adore fashion. Overall I am a creative that wants to bring fresh new ideas into the universe.  

My aims are to create a cooking book & also to create food products that can be sourced from the best supermarkets/ stores. I have recently created a food page called Cooking ByDei  where  some of my latest recipes & also food posts can be viewed and recreated.  

Good food rocks.   

Clams & Linguini with Saffron 

 

Serves 4

 

  • 1 pound of linguini
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2 shallots
  • 6 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup of dry white wine
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds Littleneck clams (40 to 45), scrubbed
  • ½ teaspoon of saffron threads
  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock broth
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

 

Clams & Linguini with Saffron

Method 

Boil pasta according to package direction in lightly salted water with a drop of olive oil until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.  

In the meantime, butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 1- 2 minutes or until the garlic gives off a strong aroma. Add white wine and cook until the liquid starts to boil, then add clams to the pan. Cook over medium heat until all clams open wide.  

When the pasta has been drained, add to the pan with clams and sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes more. Add a small amount of the pasta water with vegetable & tock broth to the white wine garlic sauce and mix well before removing from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste and fresh parsley, stirring to combine and then serve immediately with a fresh squeeze of lemon.  

Finally, garnish again with parsley.  

 

Honey Mascarpone with Figs & Pistachio No-Bake Cheesecake 

 

For the crust:

 

  • 1/3 cups (70 gm) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 cups (200 gm) graham cracker crumbs
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons (100 gm) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

 

  • 8 ounces (230 gm) mascarpone cheese
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup plus 1/3 cup (320 ml) heavy whipped cream
  • 1-2 cups of fresh figs, halved (peaches, berries or cherries can be substituted)
  • ¼ cup (40 gm) chopped pistachios, toasted (optional)

 

Honey Mascarpone with Figs & Pistachio No-Bake Cheesecake

Method 

To prepare the crust:   

Whisk together the brown sugar, digestive biscuits crumbs and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined.  

Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9-10” tart pan with a removable bottom. Place in the fridge to chill.   

To prepare the filling:   

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese on medium speed until creamed and no large lumps remain. Be sure the cheese has come to room temperature or you will have a clumpy filling. Add the brown sugar and beat to combine, for about 30 seconds. Add in the honey slowly with the mixer on low. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat for an additional 30 seconds to ensure everything is well combined.   

In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup of the heavy cream on medium-low speed until it gets frothy. Increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold about half of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Add the remaining half and fold to combine.  

Spread the filling into the prepared tart crust and allow to chill in the fridge for several hours to firm up. Once ready to serve, garnish the tart or each slice with figs, pistachios, and an extra drizzle of honey, if desired.  

For more stylish recipes, visit Shelma Dei’s Instagram @cookingbydei

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