Flagrant food fawning

Leave Your Teeth at the Door

2009-11-08T23:52:00.001+11:00

A trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market is one that must be on ever visitors' itinerary to Tokyo. Apparently 2246 tonnes of fish are sold in this market daily and it's an experience you won't soon forget. I wasn't able to make it to the auction area which is open to the public between 5am-6.15am, however at 7am the action is still frenetic. Unbelievably there were 1 or 2 women there in high heels and skirts, although I wouldn't recommend this due to the uneven ground and amount of water that's sprayed around. Keep your wits about you and travel light are my suggestions as fast vehicles navigate the narrow passageways in all directions, while pedestrians browse the offerings from the seemingly endless shopfronts.
I'm not sure if this is true, but someone told me that there is a language that they speak which is not recognisable to even the Japanese! Apparently this is to communicate with each other with regard to prices etc. Anything and everything seafood related is sold, while fishmongers quite rightfully take their job seriously at times using long samurai like swords to through fish with clinical ease.
The early morning surveying the vast amounts of potential food was just a cruel tease to an empty stomach, and it wasn't long before my stomach was yearning for some sustenance.
Entering a relatively large sushi shop, customers -as usual- are greeted enthusiastically, and I selected a set consisting of Tuna, Salmon, Scallop, Albacore, Prawn, Egg, Crab, Amber Jack and Tuna Hand Rolls. The team of chefs were willing to take pictures and take part in some friendly banter, as hungry customers had their orders fulfilled right before their eyes. The consistency and freshness almost meant that I didn't need to chew. Honestly! Having had sushi at other times in Tokyo, I can safely say that was the best I've had.

They'll Let Any Riff Raff In

2009-11-01T19:16:00.006+11:00

It's with sadness that I'm writing this post from Melbourne. Tokyo was an experience like no other; the people, culture, history and city won't soon be forgotten and as I review the 100's of pictures there's probably around 10 food related posts buried in there. Like "Mercy" which was played with siblings, I'm happy to relent on the posts if they become too repetitive.

One of the deals widely available in Tokyo are set lunch packages. Places where you wouldn't normally set a foot in due to the price suddenly appear on the radar and it's a fantastic idea to increasing patronage in a highly competitive market. Yes, it was still more than what you would pay on the busy streets, but it's certainly a different experience and a side to Tokyo you wouldn't normally be able to experience at regular prices. More often than not you will able to choose from a variety of set menus at varying prices.

The Fish Bank is located in the same ward as the famous Tokyo Fish Market, and perched on the 41st floor, I wasn't able to secure a window seat, however with 6 courses coming to 2,749 yen, ($34Aud) food more than occupied my senses. (Other set menu options start at $16Aud) Before stepping in, I put a top over my t-shirt, not because it was required, but I figured that any restaurant that has table cloths shouldn't be subject to a collar-less patron.

First up was a fresh oyster, all the way from Tasmania I was informed. When I mentioned my home was merely a stones throw away, this brought out a chuckle from the waiter. With chili sauce to add as needed, it was certainly fresher than the consumer who travelled just as far.
Next 2 were a tomato filled with couscous with a spread of octopus and fish (I can't remember for the life of me) with fresh asparagus and baby carrots.
For the final 2 courses before dessert, the dishes entailed a penne with a beef ragout sauce and a beef rissole on eggplant accompanied with tomato topped with a poached egg and a piece of seared fish on a bed of mashed potatoes. The former was certainly the standout of these offerings.
For dessert, green tea and strawberry icecream impeccably presented on top of some equivalently flavoured macaroons rounded out the meal perfectly.

Boysenberry granita

2009-11-01T17:50:00.004+11:00

Sitting here with a martini glass full of boysenberry granita thinking about how much more I'd enjoy it, if I could share it and if only that wonderful sunshine which peeked out yesterday (and inspired me to make it in the first place) was still around... Oh well.

The berries (frozen) we picked up a few weeks ago on the way back from the tulip festival along with various 'bulbs' which I promptly planted and now wait for them to bloom. Anyhoot, this here granita is decidedly evil in it's ease of preparation.

Blend about 500g (about 2 punnets or 2 cans with syrup) boysenberries
Add 1/4-1/3c sugar to 1/4c hot water and stir until dissolved. If needed put over stove and heat until dissolved. (add more or less sugar to taste, if you think it might be too sweet, add a squeeze or two of lemon juice- it helps to balance the sweetness without diluting the flavour!)
Add to fruit blend and pulse for a few seconds.
Pour into shallow plastic tray with lid. Cover and put into freezer.
Every 30min open lid and with a fork break apart the crystals which form.
When it sets ~3-4hours later, scrape with a spoon into quenelle and serve. It will melt quickly so don't wait.. dig in!

or if you can't wait...

Monty Scones

2009-10-23T08:00:00.000+11:00

This is a Monty family recipe and, like all Monty recipes, it's super easy and a real crowd pleaser. I hope they don't mind if I share this recipe with you.

They only take about half an hour from sifting the flour to delicious mouthfuls: we've been making them as after work treats. This recipe would be perfect if you have unexpected guests drop by too.

oh. so. good.

We added a couple of handfuls of sultanas in the last batch we made, but the recipe below is for your plain regular scones.

Enjoy!

Monty's Scones

2 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons icing sugar
pinch of salt

1 egg yolk (we didn't bother to separate the yolk from white), lightly whisked, in 1 cup then topped up with milk

1. Preheat oven at 200degC.

2. Combine dry ingredients. Sift twice.

3. Make well in dry ingredients, add the 1C egg/milk mixture. Gently combine.

4. Turn onto floured surface. The mixture will be quite sticky. Knead for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture comes together.

5. Flatten with palm to 2cm thickness. Cut out 5cm circles with cookie cutter. Place on floured tray, with sides touching.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

7. Makes about 10. Eat with jam and cream of course!

Breakfast of Champions or Not

2009-10-22T22:08:00.005+11:00

Champion? Definitely not. What do you do for breakfast in Tokyo? A bowl of cereal? A slice of toast? A muffin? It might go a long way to demostrating why I haven't seen any overweight people in this city, but the abundance of noodle houses open from the crack of dawn more than willing to supply a hungry city with servings of hot dishes quickly seem to be the staple for many busy Japanese folk. There are a few Starbucks and golden arches around, however small noodle houses just about every 10 metres are the equivalent of those corporate giants in Tokyo. Often buried away in a basement or in a "blink and you'll miss" alleyway keen chefs await orders from the bleery eyed public.

My first venture into one of these was a bit of a shamble. Walking up the counter where there was no list of items to order, and flumixed as to what to do, I was embarrassingly on my way back out the establishment, when a timely customer walked directly to the corner to make an order. Yes, like a lot of things throughout Tokyo, the ordering is handled by a vending machine. Sometimes pictures accompany the selection and other times not. On this occaision, I was lucky enough to randomly select one that catered for ignorant folk like myself.

Upon selecting your dish a receipt is printed which you take up to the front of the counter. There, the chef greets you, and in a matter of seconds (no joke) you meal is served. Large vats of boiling soup and a quick heating of noodles and simple additions make it a no-fuss affair. No waiting for bread to toast or cheese to melt, your hot meal is ready and away to go. A hot, healthy, quick way to start the day. At less than $5aud I could eat this all day long.

On this occasion, it was noodles with seaweed a few spring onions and I was set until lunch. (I still haven't got the slurping going!)
Before you know it, lunchtime rolls around and the difficult decision needs to be made again of a place to choose. This time it was at the basement of a large office building. Again like everything else in Tokyo service is immpecable. Regardless of whether its a $5 dish or $25 dish, everyone is friendly and more than willing to help. I don't think they possess a bad bone in their bodies. Spicy pork with a side dish of rice, chicken soup, chilled vegies and an egg mixture. With all this eating its a wonder that I'm able to see any of the city...

Tokyo Tastes

2009-10-19T22:31:00.014+11:00

I'm currently resting up in my hotel in Tokyo after after 2 straight days of walking around. So I thought it would be a good time to post some food adventures here. I'm planning on documenting what I've eaten on this trip, but I've got to apologise in advance for not knowing the names of the dishes! Here, pointing and nodding is the best way to get around I've found.

Day 2
Having not eaten for a day or so (Jetstar with their no frills airfares and spending most of the night looking for my hotel), I wandered through the narrow alleyways of Ginza and walked into a small little eatery (Actually on second thoughts every eatery is small). Rice, chicken and a egg, I've found this in Melbourne, but a fine feast for an empty stomach in Tokyo coupled with excellent service (It's immaculate where-ever you go. Friendly, prompt and helpful without being intrusive)

Having had my fill, I'd walked around the main street of Ginza, where I noticed a large line. Curious, I ventured closer and noticed a rotating cake. Yes, Melbourne has the rotating chunks of meat for drunk patrons wanting a souvlaki, and Tokyo has this. The shop was called Nenrinya and with surgical precision, the pastry or effectively cakes are taken from the skewers and cleaned out and cut into small sections. I have no idea how they managed to place the mix on the skewer in the first place and allow it to cook, but it's effectively a big cake. The centre is moist with a number of layers and the exterior crisp and sweet from icing. Who could go passed chocolate? Although pricey at $8 or so dollars, 1 slice (4 high peaks, index finger wide) certainly felt like more than one serve (greedily consumed)

To round out the day I ventured close to the hotel where a bench surrounding the kitchen (think of a bar, but instead of beer, a kitchen and food replaces the beer taps and fridges!) Pointing to the menu once again, a delicious serving of udon noodles was served.
Tasty mushrooms, beef, carrots, parsnips, some sort of potato and square jelly cubes made up the contents and it certainly hit the spot after a full day of walking. At 1150 yen or around $13 its reasonably priced and it is a treat watching your meal take shape right before your eyes. Although I haven't quite gotten the hang of slurping noodles as is the tradition here, I have the idea that they are foodies. I doubt you can walk 10 metres without encountering a small restaurant (or vending machine for that matter). Some more adventures today, but this traveller needs some rest to get some energy to do some walking to justify all the eating!

Hummingbird Bakery Hazelnut and Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-10-10T18:11:00.000+11:00

So I'm supposed to be making the figures for my thesis this weekend but poor Toshi chucked a spazz and crashed Photoshop :( I decided to give the machine a break, and since I ruv Pooey, I decided to do what she wanted and make more Hummingbird products for her to eat. Even though she lives on the other side of the planet. Kekeke.

I decided to make the hazelnut cupcakes because none of the shops in my local shopping centre sold stem ginger in syrup.

So this is what the cake looks like in the book.

I also figured this would be a test run because I have my doubts about their methods. Namely, am I not supposed to cream butter and sugar together as the base for cakes? I decided to follow their directions as closely as possible. What I've put here is the one printed in the book with my changes in purple, just in case anyone wants to try it themselves.

Cupcake - makes 12
100g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter at room temp (I lazily combined the butter/salt thing by using low-salt butter)
120ml (1/2 cup is close enough) whole milk
1 egg
Nutella
hazelnuts (to decorate)

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F
Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. (I did this even though the baker in me was revolting at it. I did however start the mixing by hand with a wooden spoon to break up the butter into smaller chunks before using the mixer.)
Slowly pour the milk into the mixture, beating until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the egg and beat well, scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side with a spatula
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes. Cakes are ready when a skewer comes out clean. Cool slightly in tray, before turning out onto a wire rack.

Cooling on the rack

When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each and fill each one with a dollop of nutella. I used about 1/2 tsp of Nutella depending on how large I made the holes. It varied :P

Holey cupcakes
Filled cupcakes

Frosting mixture
250g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter at room temp (again, I cheated with the low salt)
25ml whole milk
80g (2 tbs) Nutella

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium/slow until everything is well mixed (Again, I started by hand with a wooden spoon to breat the butter and mix it in before using the mixer.)
Turn to mixer to slower speed and slowly pour int he milk. Whenthe milk is completely incorporated, turn to higher speed and beat until frosting is light and fluffy (approx 5 mins).
Stir in the nutella by hand until evenly mixed into the frosting. Spoon on top and finish with hazelnuts to garnish.

The finished products.

Firstly, I don't think this mixture makes 12 cupcakes. Unless I overfilled my first batch of 6 (entirely possible but you can judge for yourself from the ones in the pics), I think it makes closer to 10 because the second batch of 6 weren't that full. Anyway, to try and emulate the pic in the book, I cut one open and shared it with Spuey.
I think Spuey liked it and he said even though it didn't dribble out like the one in the picture, he could sure taste the Nutella in the cupcake. I therefore think this recipe passed, and I may make it again when Pooey gets back or if anyone requests*!

*Donations would aid the fulfilling of any requests :P

Foodie TV shows: Food party Appe-teazer & Hors Doerves

2009-10-09T23:38:00.008+11:00

This is one of my newly discovered favourite cooking (?) shows. It ties in everything I believe is vital in preparing wonderful meals... food, creativity, presentation, and... a good dose of wackiness!

It's got me thinking to try and present a series of posts on the shows I was exposed to as an impressionable young thing which may explain this current food obsession. Let's see...

Arnott's Chewy Caramel Tim Tams

2009-10-06T16:25:00.000+11:00

I have a sweet tooth which is almost painful. Seriously, it's a good thing I enjoy exercise otherwise I'd be far more deliciously round than I am now. Although I do love them, it is for the best that Tim Tams are not one of my favourite biscuits, probably due to the overload of chocolate without contrasting flavour. I have previously described Tim Tams to non-Aussie friends as *two chocolate biscuits, separated by a layer of chocolate cream, covered in milk chocolate!*

To try and tempt me back to buying them, the evil people in charge of Tim Tams decided to branch out into new flavours like kahlua and white chocolate. I was unconvinced, and they failed to bring back into the fold. They even tried mint crush! I adored them (mmm, mint and chocolate combination!) but the exorbitant price to biscuit ratio stopped me from investing heavily. Time passed and I didn't think much more about it.

Well imagine my horror and delight when I discovered Tim Tams (and a number of other Arnotts biscuits) are currently on sale right now at my local supermarket, and it was much to my delight and horror that I saw flavours I hadn't seen before! Sale or no sale, I decided to be disciplined and limit myself to just one flavour. I chose *Chewy Caramel*.

Oooh yeah!

Even though I counselled myself not to be fooled by the artistic interpretation of what it should be like, I bit into the biscuit, seeking the gooey gooey caramel. I was hurt to not find it!

I was about to feel bitterly, bitterly disappointed until I delved further into the sweetness and found the small reservoir of caramel about halfway in!!

Towards the end, I did find strings of caramel forming where my voracious teeth tore it apart.

So what's the assessment? After having eaten another two in short order, I think I could love these very easily. BUT I also think that if I keep biting into the end that has *less* caramel than the other, I would be hurt over and over again. I figure I have until the end of the packet to decide if I should take a joyous running jump into love or turn my back on the possibility and walk away from potential hurt. Decisions, decisions *sigh*.

Pickled sardines (Sardines Escabeche)

2009-09-28T22:42:00.003+10:00

I went to the Belco markets on the weekend with the aim of picking up some miscellaneous seafood mix to make a linguini marinara when I spied some butterflied sardine fillets at the fish shop and thought 'Oho i'll have some of those!'. But then what? I initially had lofty ambitions of pickling and/or salting them to get a sort of boquerones type result, but then i got lazy and thought that there had to be a better (easier) way. The internet yielded some very interesting results that inspired me to try and this was I got. The result was so delicious that I had to run to the proverbial hills and tell all and sundry about the greatness that is Sardines Escabeche. The recipe can be found here and to be honest while I don't know how authentic this version of the semi-cooked pickle (which is essentially what an escabeche is) is, it tastes so damn fine that you'll now be looking at the humble tin of tuna or sardines with mild or intermediate disinterest. I added pieces of the sardines into a green salad tossed with sliced radishes and fennel (ahh spring!!) to a great effect.

...What, we have to cook our own food?

2009-09-26T22:58:00.001+10:00

Pepper Lunch

537 George Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9264 3555

It's taken a while to get this post up but excuses aside this place comes upon recommendation by Magic G and Maz T (though this might be a concern for folks in Japa n). It's a popular hangout with anyone looking to cook their own meal... The concept revolves around your meal - meat, vegies and rice served to you in a sizzling claypot but you cook them to your preference (not the rice though- that's silly!). This is great for anyone who likes to flirt with danger when they eat- whether it's suffering burns from the hot plate, or gambling with undercooked meat, the reality is- this place is a popular choice for cheap meal for anyone close to this end of town.

The meat choices are standard cuts of chook, moo or fins and it's served with a dab of 'special' butter that looks like English mustard but which yields a nice creamy taste to the meat. To spice things up there are also some condiments sauces and the hot Sriracha Chillli sauce and Shichimi Togarashi which is a chilli powder mixed with orange peel, sesame seeds and seaweed (mmmm... umami goodness!)

I've found lots of other posts of people's experiences at Pepper Lunch so check them out here, here, here and here.

So next time you feel like eating and you don't mind a bit of cooking as long as you don't have to wash the dishes, it's good to know there's something out there to cater for your desires- trust the Japanese!

Shanghai Dumpling Cafe: Melbourne dumplings come to Canberra

2009-09-08T20:57:00.004+10:00

Shanghai Dumpling Cafe
Childers Street
Civic, ACT 2608

On my latest visit to the nation's capital Serenity Later suggested we try out a new dumplings place which has sprung up just within the last week. Anyone living in Canberra laments over the lack of good, affordable dumplings places and having to make the 3hr+ bus journey to Sydney or fly to Melbourne to get their fix. Shanghai dumplings cafe is one of several new restaurants and shops which have recently popped up in the north east end of ANU/north west end of Civic- to cater to all the students living in the new UniLodge accommodation.

The place was chock-full! There were lots of students but whole families having Sunday supper. We were lucky to get a table but had to wait a while to get served. Unfortunately because the place is so new some of the items were not available so we had to forgo our regular steamed prawn dumplings, although we weren't disappointed by the other dumpling options - and there's lots!

As we were paying our bill, we got chatting with one of the guy's who runs the place and he mentioned that he had recently moved to Canberra and was dismayed at the lack of dumplings places. He's originally from Melbourne and ran one of the dumplings places in Chinatown (not sure which but might have been Camy's or Shanghai House) - which we were very glad to hear! In our umami induced giddiness, we left feeling very satisfied and look forward to returning soon!

250th post: Celebrate with a party in your tummy

2009-09-08T20:27:00.006+10:00

Yo Gabba Gabba! (There's a Party in my Tummy !)
Uploaded by Materialiste. - Click for more funny videos.

Confessions of a gustatory kind

2009-08-12T12:52:00.000+10:00

I found a meme about food confessions on this blog and felt compelled to purge as well, as it's pretty fair to say that i have my fair share of gustatory skeletons in the closet that need a bit of airing. So folks its confession time:

1. I cannot and will not eat eggs in their natural form (fried, poached, scrambled, etc). This is a non-negotiable neurosis that probably stems from a long-forgotten childhood trauma where eggs featured prominently. As you can imagine, going out for brekkie (which i adore!) tosses up some challenges on choices that are available. I promise myself that one day i will change & learnt to be open-minded with my palate. One day!

2. Back in the days of yore, when 20 cents went a long way and bought you 20 lollies, I used to duck down to the milk bar (remember those?) and rush home to go through my haul of jelly babies so I could eat them in my chromatically ordered way. Greens first, then yellows, then orange and finally I savoured the reds. Phew! What a load off my mind fessing up to that one! :P

3. Things I used to eat on the sly when I was a youngster (on the sly because I knew mum disapproved): chunks of butter, fish fingers frozen out of the box, raw meatball mince mixture. Apparently, I also had a healthy bout of pica as a toddler, where I enjoyed taking bits of wall plaster and promptly eating them. Yummo!

4. When I was in primary school I used to buy Samboy chips in the Gold packet (original salted) solely to rub the packets on my arms so I'd be covered in gold glitter. The plain flavour did nothing for me and I now feel ashamed that I let my taste buds down purely for vanity reasons (albeit, misplaced vanity in an eight year old - it was the eighties but seriously glitter????).

5. Flavours I cannot tolerate: dried basil (as opposed to fresh basil which is divine!), cantaloupe/rockmelon (honeydews & watermelons though are great!), egginess (see 1) & rosewater. Flavours that should be anointed with the First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence (or something like that): BBQ shapes, blood oranges, mangoes, anchovies & coffee.

Does anyone else want to purge and fess up to their food-related secrets? Come on, I promise not to tell anyone...plus I doubt anyone could beat me having eaten frozen fish fingers :P

Sharp and sweet lemon treat!

2009-08-02T08:49:00.010+10:00

What better way to make use of a bowl of lemons sitting on the kitchen bench, (thanks to the generous offerings of our neighbours' tree) than to make a lemon tart!

This recipe is similar to the one in Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion - which can also be found here. She adds raspberry puree for a twist which imparts a lovely pink colour but I kept it simple.

Luckily for me, the recipe is foolproof but I forgot and only added 5 eggs. I then worried the tart wasn't cooked in 40 minutes because the crust had formed but the mixture below wobbled quite a lot, so I left it in the oven for another 5 minutes and then worried it had curdled until we cut a slice and saw the beautiful and smooth but set, lemon curd. Yum!

I like a good deal of acidity (and used 3 large lemons), which makes your lips pucker but is quickly tempered by the creaminess of the curd. However, if you want to tone it down 2 small lemons with adequate juice should suffice.

Since the recipe called for 3 lemons only, I decided to use another to make a llight syrup to drizzle with some julienned peel. Now, other than trying to learn to juggle- I need to think of some other dishes to use up the remaining fruit- lemon pudding? syllabub? chutney?

Baba Levantine Trading Company

2009-07-29T17:42:00.002+10:00

Baba Levantine Trading Company

80 Lygon Street, East Brunswick
(03) 9380 8534

After a mini MIFF marathon last weekend of good 'ole swamp pop and odd Norwegian drinking habits we found ourselves scouring the streets of Melbourne's CBD for dinner. Why are so many good eating places packed out or closed on Sundays? Hmmm... silly question!!! Our persistent stomach grumblings took us away from the city- having set our hopes for a comforting green curry from Thaila Thai. On the way though, we walked passed Baba's and curiosity got the better of us.

This place has Turkish style fare with slight tweaks of more western inspiration (eg. beetroot sprouts, de puy lentils, menus featuring 70's album covers). The food though is very yummy - good mix of spices, textures and flavours that surprise the tastebuds and are very morish.

Lentil, coriander, apple salad peppered with slivers char grilled calamari
(Wish there was more calamari!)

Spiced lamb kofte, sweet onion puree with coriander yoghurt & toasted pinenut pide
(Had to fight over the last bit!)

Roasted pumpkin, beetsprout, chilli, honey & crouton salad
( Soothing honey gave way to slow building heat from the chilli- yum!)

Overall, this is a nice place to graze and try out an interesting mix of dishes. And at the risk of sounding like a guts - order two pides - you want one for yourself and another to share!

Where in the world IV?

2009-07-29T16:52:00.003+10:00

Hmmm....a real tricksy one this time.

Gougères- french for cheesy puff!

2009-07-27T18:25:00.008+10:00

Serenity Later found this recipe from David Lebovitz's wonderful blog and has been promising to make them. Luckily her recent visit coincided with this years MIFF and along with some interesting movies, I finally got to try out these cheesy puffs!

The secret to making a good choux pastry that will rise according to David Lebovitz, is to be careful not to make the mixture too runny. A good idea is to use dry, aged cheese (and better with a sharp flavour too!) and to bake the puffs long enough so that they become dry and crisp. He is still kind towards any puffs that deflate... and there's always the taste!

If you don't have a proper piping bag (we do but it takes way too long to clean afterwards!) or you're a little lazy, roll up some grease proof paper and tape the side. Fill up with the mixture making sure not to over fill otherwise it will squirt out the wrong side. Snip off the end and pipe onto a tray.

The recipe can be found here. We followed it to the letter with the exception of adding colby cheese and dried tarragon instead of thyme or chives. If you like, add a bit more chilli and sharper cheese to taste (though that's just me- I like a bit of zing and heat). Overall our gougères turned out nice and as bite size morsels... hard to resist eating only one, especially straight out of the oven! Just be careful not to burn your tongue!

Climbing the top of... Mini Mont Blancs!

2009-07-20T22:27:00.009+10:00

I have a tendency to buy products that I've never cooked with before (and may never get around to before the best before date comes around!) I feel really bad too because there's all this wonderful food and potential if only I'd get my act together-Woops!

Luckily, the chestnut puree was saved from a similar fate. I remember coming across a recipe for Mont blanc (not the Swiss mountain) some time ago and sought to make it but was a little hesitant because it looked more complicated than it turned out to be! Hooray! Apparently, Mont blanc has many disguises as cakes, 'Monburan' a very popular Japanese version. There's the very impressive Vacherin, as well as tarts and cupcakes. What these all have in common how is the rich, earthy chestnut flavour combined with cream to make a velvety, delicate filling that lifts any recipe from good to something special.

I decided to make the meringue version and modify it slightly to make mini mountains (like hills?) to share around (and eat several without feeling like a glutton!) With chesnuts in season you can roast your own and puree or chop roughly to sprinkly over meringues. The result is a deliciously sweet mix of textures - that marry rather nicely with a coffee!

Mini Mont Blancs(apologies for the poor photo quality, not quite a food porn photoshoot!)

Meringues
2 egg whites
100g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Ensure your bowl is clean and dry before adding egg whites.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff.
3. Gradually add sugar and beat until grainyness disappears
4. Scoop into balls using a spoon or pipe into swirls if you feel like it.
5. Cook in a low oven (preheated at 150 degrees) for up to 20min.
6. If meringues start to colour cover in foil and leave for another 10min.
7. Allow to cool and dry in oven.

Chestnut cream
1 cup chestnut puree (Note: If making from scratch- cream 350g fresh chestnuts with 1/2 cup water, 1 tbs oil and 1/3 cup caster sugar - super sweet sludge!)
1 cup cream
coffee powder OR crushed roast chestnut pieces OR frozen cranberries (nice tart burst compared to creaminess) to sprinkle over meringues

1. Add equal parts chestnut puree and cream and beat until thick and light.
2. Once meringues have cooled, cover with cream by dipping into bowl and carefully twisting clockwise to cover top OR with a piping bag, swirl chestnut mixture on the top of each meringue.
3. Set aside and cover remaining meringues
4. Decorate by dusting over with coffee powder and decorate with cranberry OR roasted chestnut chunks OR if you still feel decadent, add a swirl of whipped cream on top or chestnut cream before sprinkling with coffee and chestnut pieces.

If you want a more authentic version watch the SBS video during the Tour De France coverage. (Warning: There's gratuitous use of the French accent!)

Where in the World 3 ?

2009-07-18T18:00:00.005+10:00

Bonus points: What is that yellow substance above (hint not mustard)?

Cafe Wayan, Ubud, Bali

2009-07-01T23:02:00.010+10:00

Cafe Wayan

Monkey Forest Road
Ubud, Bali
Telephone and Fax: +62 361 975447

On a recent trip we indulged in some serious relaxating and surprisingly some very delicious meals. We discovered a few places while staying in Ubud, one which was recommended to us by someone at the hotel we stayed at.

From what we remember this place had a great atmosphere- open air dining, frog sounds and what felt like your little personal jungle with some of the best tasting dishes AND great selection of desserts (and nice cocktails!) We were so glad to have eaten here. The biggest surprise though came with dessert. Apparently Wayan Metri is an accomplished baker (an understatement, the cafe also functions as a bakery and the cakes/breads on display look magnificent) and is famous for her wonderful desserts- the most famous being the death by chocolate cake.

nasi goreng and gado gado

By the time we finished our mains we were very full and weren't sure if dessert would push us over the edge. Just as well our greedy guts decided for us - we ordered the death by chocolate cake thinking it would be dense and cloyingly sweet, but were treated to a wonderfully light chocolate cake that melted in the mouth and was accompanied by a rich chocolate sauce and strawberries!

remnants of death by chocolate

Overall our impression of Ubud was the place to go to in Bali where you find good food- there were a string of places we discovered towards the end of our stay including Three monkeys, Pundi Pundi, Rendezvouzdoux and Coffee and Silver and we were disappointed that we didn't get a chance to try out some of the other places (there are so many) but we were very happy with what we found, almost as much as this little guy we saw down in the Monkey Forest!

secret banana business

Where in the world II?

2009-07-01T22:14:00.004+10:00

Back by popular demand!

The aisles of any convenience store somewhere in the world look the same- or do they?

Can you guess where this is? Kinda obvious to those who know where my latest sojourns have been.

Classic winter warmers: split pea and ham soup

2009-06-15T21:50:00.004+10:00

After another successful cooking expedition with Special K and Jfox (will post very soon!) I was left over with a 20cm ham hock (used for our reproduction of MoVida's croquettas).

With the chilly weather upon us, it seemed fitting to make use of the hock and cook something hearty enough to keep a certain flu away!

Ingredients:
- 2 cups or 350g of yellow split peas (soaked overnight)
- 1 large ham hock
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 ham hock
- 3 litres of water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oil in large saucepan and add onion, garlic and carrot and cook until onion is softened.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients to pot and slowly bring to the boil.
3. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 1.5 hours.
4. Remove bay leaves, thyme, bone and skin and continue to cook for another half hour.
5. Puree soup in a food processor and return to a low heat.
6. Serve with crusty toasted bread.

Note: If the soup is too thick add another cup of water and heat to incorporate. Makes about 1 litre of soup which can be frozen in batches for 3 weeks.

A Bite to Eat, Canberra

2009-06-11T21:07:00.001+10:00

A bite to eat

Shop 8, Eggleston Crescent
Chifley
Canberra ACT 2606
Ph: (02) 62...

Seeking a bit of R & R over the Queen's birthday weekend I visited Serenity Later in the nation's capital- though sadly it did not include the famous fireworks frenzy which sees Canberra light up and fizzle out over the same weekend.

Instead we made our way to Chifley for a bite to eat at the eponymous cafe. First impressions about this place were misplaced - it's out in the middle of a tiny strip of shops away from the city centre and is open odd hours (Mon-Sat until 3pm although dinner's available Wed-Fri to 9pm). But this is Canberra. Or is it?

Taking a seat, there was a distinctly Melbourne vibe about the place - with the mismatched kitschy furnishings and brightly coloured walls. This place is inviting so you can hang out in the comfy couches or wander out to the sunny courtyard. The menu has some interesting combinations on sandwiches including glazed pear, roast capsicum and blue cheese and roast chicken with tarragon mayonnaise (not pictured because it was practically inhaled it was so good!). They bake lots of pastries and cakes on site each day. Breakfast offerings are extensive and available all day and the hot chocolate served in a generous bowl definitely lends itself to making you hang around for awhile. Then again there's a wall of classifieds, drawings and photos to keep you amused - apologies for the bad photo quality!

Pot luck college dinners

2009-06-09T22:31:00.004+10:00

A big shout out to the folk at University and Graduate's House who always put on a fantastic spread whenever I'm lucky enough to visit Serenity Later and The Fonz in Canberra.

Thinking of university days you wouldn't normally associate it with fantastic food, rather the endless supply of cheap 2 min noodles, pizza and beer (and in my case a habit for sour gummy bears-mmmm!)- but we were in for a big treat!

These folk wield some serious cooking cred in the kitchen as well as being super talented with their academic pursuits as well!

(Cheesy meat & vegie pastries peking duck)

(beef and burgundy pie, chicken & vegetable break pie)

(apple crumble, our attempt at a rainbow cake
and quince and almond tart)

Clearly after downing all that we needed to walk it off, so we wondered down to the lake passed the museum and donut shaped sculptures and some very surprised rabbits that were chased by one of the members of our group! Thanks to everyone and hope to be able to do it again soon!