International Foodie

2011-09-15T14:00:00.000+01:00

Homemade burgers have become a bit of a permanent fixture in our house - we eat them at least once a week. They are easy and convenient and in a effort to make them as healthy as possible we stick to a few basic rules:

Instead of burger buns we use wholemeal or whole/multi grain baguettes (this works well for a crowd as you can make a couple of baguettes into burgers and carve then up sub-way style!)
Mayo is always 'light; and used instead of butter
The burgers them selves are made from either Chicken breast, Turkey Mince or Fish

I generally use the following base:

Take a baguette and split it down the middle so you are left with a separate top and bottom. Slather both sides with light mayo. Top the bottom half with leaves (I stick to a mixture of baby leaves - spinach, rocket etc). Then top with grilled chicken breast, turkey mince pattie or fish, sliced red onion and batons of cucumber (seeds removed).

That's basically it - but here are a couple of few flavour variations to make things interesting:

Lime and Coriander Chicken Burger:

Place the juice of 2 limes, 1 clove of garlic (crushed) and about 2 teaspoons of sugar or agave syrup and a pinch of salt into a jar and shake. Set aside until ready to cook. (I like using agave as I always have it in the cupboard and as its a syrup you don't need to dissolve it)

Take 1/3 cup mayo, juice of 1 lime, 1 green chilli, a small handful of coriander and 1 of mint and chop all finely - mix into the mayo and slather on both sides of the baguette (let the size of the baguette dictate how much may you make - I tend to err on the generous side as the mixture will keep)

Take the chicken breasts and lay on the chopping board with your hand firmly over the thickest part of the breast. With a sharp knife start slicing the breast in half length ways, starting at the thick end of the breast ending at the narrow end. The aim is to end up with two skinny fillets per breast, as these cook faster and and fit on the baguette better.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a hot pan, season the fillets and place in the pan. As they fillets cook baste constantly with the Lime mixture until you have used it all. , about a minute before you are ready to take the chicken off the heat, splash the chicken with soy sauce (Id say between 1-2 tablespoons). The aim is to end up with beautifully caramelised fillets.

Assemble the burger as per above and enjoy!!!!!

Fish Finger Burger!!

Take 1/3 cup mayo, juice of 1/2 lemon, handful of gherkins, 1/2 small red onion, chop both finely. Mix into the mayo and slather on both sides of the baguette.

Grill your favourite white flesh fish - For sea bass, I season lightly and leave the skin on as the skin goes nice and crispy when cooked. If I use cod, haddock or the like I will pat down with while flour that has been seasoned with salt, pepper and finely chopped fresh dill, and then pan fry in some butter.

Assemble the burger as per above and enjoy!!!!!

The great thing about the burgers are you can go as light or as heavy handed with the condiments/herbs and onions as you like and a good chilli sauce never goes astray either.

The phots on this post were taken by my gorgeous photographer friend Britt Spring....
A fellow Antipodean ex-pat she suggested I cook while she took photos.... we had a great time, and even enlisted a few friends to come along and make the night even more hilarious.... However, next time I let someone photograph me while I cook I'm definitely going to book a hair and make-up session first!!!!

2011-05-23T12:18:00.000+01:00

Eating and Drinking in Manly, Australia

A few years back my Sister left the hustle and hype of North London and eventually found her self living in the uber cool beachside suburb of Manly, Australia.

What a place!!

In my early twenties I had toyed with the idea of moving from sleepy old Canberra to Manly - a place that effortlessly managed to capture the atmostphere of any Australian beach side town while maintaining the excitment and manic nature of a big city. I never quite got there... somehow moving to Sydney seemed like too big a jump .. and then I ended up in London... Go Figure!!

On my recent sojourn, my sis showed me around her town and introduced me to her life as a Sydney-sider. Some of the highlights were High Tea at Gunners Barracks, Macroons at Adriano Zumbo and Cocktails at Miss Marley's!

The Tea Room at Gunners Barracks was worth a visit for the view alone:

While you stare out at the above - you get to indulge in the below!!

The Perfect spot to wow visitors to Australia... and for Lunching Ladies!!

Adriano Zumbo's Macroons were unbelievable!! I can honestly say I have never eaten anything like them. Some of my favorite flavours were Salted butter caramel, Passionfruit, Rosewater - and some of the flavours I would love to try are Kaffir Lime and Ginger, and Strawberries and Cream. You can even buy a box called White chocolate roulette that features 4 white chocolate Macroons and the fifth (which looks just like the rest) is Mega Death Chilli!!! Amazing and TOTALLY worth the visit!

The perfect end to an evening in Manly is to take a visit to Miss Marley's. We had a couple of wonderful evenings at this little spot: its small, intimate with great lighting (something International Foodie rates VERY highly!) and the drinks... oh the drinks!!

In fact to call them drinks is a bit cheeky as Miss Marley's introduces you to a sophisticated world that exists in the martini glass, reaching beyond the standard rum and coke or vodka and cranberry.

We tried the bartenders homemade Lemoncello cream, the Mexi'cant cocktail (an amazing concoction featuring Kumquat marmalade and smashed lemon grass) a fantastic banquet of Spanish style tapas that complimented our drinks perfectly... and the headliner - sangrita!!!

The sangrita is a cocktail served in two glasses and designed to be enjoyed by sipping from both glasses. The first glass features a delicious, herbaceous tomato juice that is made fresh every day. Its is unlike any tomato juice I have ever tasted and is a complete pleasure to drink all on its own... however when you couple it with the second glass, cold, high quality tequila, the results are amazing!!

Just before we left Sydney to return to ole' Blighty, we had the pleasure of attending a friend's wedding. Once part of our London Family, the bride had also relocated to Manly and and it was there that she found her Italian Prince. The reception was held at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Terry Hills and the menu was a celebration of simple Italian fare that was exceptionally well done...Even the MC couldn't help comment on the Mushroom Risotto in his speech - Perfezione!

To the exceptionally exquisite bride and Lo Spose... congratulazioni!!!!

So, after reading all about the above, you'll forgive me if my next post is devoted to Detoxing..... and my habitual course of deprivation following the excesses of holidays!!

2011-04-20T09:08:00.000+01:00

What can I say... with all the best intentions I haven't posted in months!

But I do have a good reason.

The first quarter of 2011 started with the end of a job that I have had for the past 6 years... needless to say that was a busy time full of distraction. Three days after I finished, I jumped on a plane and spent 7 weeks rushing around Australia and New Zealand catching up with friends, family and indulging in some much needed sunshine.

Murrays Beach, NSW, Australia

Optio Bay, Coromandel Peninsular, New Zealand

Green Lake, Rotorua, New Zealand

The trip ended with a wonderful 8 days in Thailand lolling about in the ocean and enjoying the scorching Thai sun, followed by a not so wonderful flight home that ended up taking 12 hours longer than it should have!

So here I am, back in the UK ready to write. As you can imagine, a trip that that covered Australia, New Zealand and Thailand was filled with some amazing foodie delights.... and once I've got the rest of my photos organised I'll post all about it. However, in the meantime I am going to devote a post to comfort food, because lets face it - after 12 hours waiting in airports hoping that your plane is going to be allowed to take off soon, comfort food is just what the Doctor ordered!!

My comfort food of choice is Linguine pomodro - simple but delicious (and seriously high in Carbs!!) I have been after the perfect tomato sauce for pasta, for as long as I can remember. Yet every time I tried it turned out ..... disappointing. Then, I attended a cooking demonstration at La Cucina Caldesi and learned the secrets to a proper Italian tomato sauce. These are going to sound obvious.... but trust me they are small gems that make a massive difference:

- Use a generous amount of olive oil (dieters look away now!!)
- Onion should be cooked on a moderate heat for a longer period of time, as opposed to a blazing hot pan that scorches the onion. This brings out the sweetness of the onion.
- Garlic should be squashed with the flat side of a knife and removed from the sauce before serving. This will allow the garlic to delicately flavor the sauce as opposed to over power it. (DO NOT use a garlic crusher)
- Salt the dish well (again this is comfort food - so no space for moderation!)
- When using canned tomatoes try and use an Italian brand... as Italians know when to harvest tomatoes for the best results.

Ms McGarves Salsa di Pomodoro - Makes enough for one severely jet-lagged person!!

4 tablespoons of good quality olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, squashed (as per above)
1 400g tin of tinned tomatoes
A generous pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesan - for serving

Heat the olive oil in a moderately hot pan for a couple of minutes and then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion for about 8-10 minutes until tender and transparent. The aim here is to not let the onion brown at all. Turn the heat up a little and add the tomatoes and season with the salt. Cook for a further 8-10 minutes allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Taste and add more salt if required and add pepper to taste. Remove the garlic (the clove should be about to fall apart, but for the most part still intact).

Serve on a bed of linguine, top with shaved Parmesan and enjoy with a large glass of your favorite wine!!

Buon appetito!!

2011-01-25T09:22:00.000Z

Where have you been International Foodie??

No doubt you have noticed my absence from the blogsphere of late... I have no real excuse - except to say that I've been busy, or rather distracted, and with the distraction has come the dreaded lack of inspiration. Or in other words... 'I've got nothing to write about'!

I have been feeling a little like I have lost my my foodie-mojo lately... so in an effort to try and re-ignite the passion for both cooking and writing I thought I'd do a round up of some of my foodie highlights of 2010... I Hope it works!!

2010 started and ended with bitter cold and huge amounts of snow. However, despite these inclement conditions our local farmers market soldiered on and provided cake, bread and wonderfully knobbly vegetables to grateful Hampstead residents:

I love this shot below because it looks like the tags are actually the cakes raising their hands begging customers to buy them!

During the long weekend in April a group of us took a leisurely stroll through the Heath and ended at a pub called The Old White Bear, where we played dominoes as we waited for our lunch. One thing I love about England is that walks through the countryside always end in a visit to a pub!

In June Chief Recipe Taster and I had a great evening out at the Taste Of London. We went from stall to stall trying wine, prosecco, limoncello and sampling tasters from some of London's best known restaurants (including one of my personal favourites, Salt Yard). Being a typical London event, we did all he above... in the rain!!

Then, perhaps the highlight of the year, we took our first trip to the amazingly cool city of New York... what a place!!

There were familiar sites around every corner, and foodie treats galore. I mustt admit I was surprised to see fresh food stalls all around the city, selling fruit and veg that you would have to go to specialty organic shops to procure in London.

Seriously - that was the best (and the biggest) hot dog I've EVER had!!!!

We had a great afternoon at an uber-cool outdoor Brooklyn cafe, where the juice was served in jars and dogs got a little respite from the heat!

We couldn't resist a momentary lapse into extreme tourist mode to get at least one cheesy group shot (we were hoping to run into one of the Huckstables here)!

Our year ended off with a trip to Paris... the Foodie capital of the world and my dream city.

There is no food-relevance to the shot below... I just love it!!!

Well, upon reflection I guess I actually have loads to write about!!

No excuses now.

I'll see you in a couple of weeks!

2010-10-30T16:36:00.000+01:00

Total Greek Yoghurt and the perfect Afternoon Cake

There are a handful of great food magazines available at the moment, but one of my favourites is Australian Gourmet Traveller. I've been a devoted reader for a number if years and I must admit I cant help but get excited every time I collect a new edition. It’s a great magazine, glossy, inspirational, totally indulgent and while I admit that the recipes aren’t always practical, every now and again when you have the time and the desire to be impractical you’ll find it’s well worth the effort!

I recently discovered a fantastic recipe from the January 2010 edition: Yoghurt and Almond cake. This recipe was an attractive option as Greek yoghurt and ground almonds are two things always found in my shopping trolley. The Greek Yoghurt used in this cake provides a substantial and velvety finish that when combined with caramel nectarines makes the perfect ending to an Autumnal mid-day feast with friends!

I chose to use Total Greek Yoghurt. Its been a favourite for a while, the appeal being that it has many variants - Full Fat, 2% or even 0% - so its perfect if you love the decadence of Greek Yoghurt yet don't want the guilt of full fat!!

Yoghurt and Almond Cake

140 grams Self-raising flour
4 eggs, separated
110 grams white sugar
210 grams Total Greek Yoghurt (I used full fat)
80 mls Olive Oil
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
70 grams of ground Almonds
110 grams of caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Sift flour into a bowl and set aside. Whisk yolks and white sugar in an electric mixer until pale and creamy (5-7 minutes). Add yoghurt, olive oil, rind and juice, stir to combine, then fold in flour and ground almonds and set aside. Whisk eggwhite in an electric mixer until soft peaks form (2-4 minutes), then gradually add caster sugar and whisk until firm peaks form (1-2 minutes). Fold eggwhite mixture through yoghurt mixture, pour into a buttered, floured and base-lined 23cm-diameter springform cake tin and bake until golden and a skewer withdraws clean (35-40 minutes). Cool in tin on a wire rack.

Caramel Nectarines*

3 Nectaries, cut in wedges and stones discarded
200 grams white sugar
juice of 1 orange

Place nectarines in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Combine sugar and 60ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals, then cook until caramel (8-10 minutes). Add orange juice (be careful as mixture may spit), stir to dissolve. Pour over nectarines stir to combine and set aside for 1 hour, then spoon over cake, scatter with shaved almonds and serve with vanilla ice cream ... or more Greek yoghurt

2010-10-03T22:30:00.001+01:00

Discover the Origin

I have never been much of a port fan. Currants, sultanas and raisins are about the only foods I don't eat, and all the ports I've tasted in the past seem to have had a definite 'curranty' flavour. However recently I discovered a gem in the port world... Ruby (or pink) Port. Served chilled and accompanied by nuts,chunks of parmigiano or green and blacks dark ginger chocolate, Ruby Port is a stunning alternative ending to any meal.

The Douro region of Portugal has been producing port, including the Ruby variety, for 2000 years. Yet I had never heard of it. In fact I went to Portugal a few years ago and I am ashamed to admit that I only realised Portugal had such a proud heritage of Port production, because so much of it was for sale in the Duty Free section of the airport!

I never would have found Ruby Port (let alone fallen in love with it), had it not been for Discover the Origin - a campaign designed to raise awareness around five key European products:

Parma Ham
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
Burgundy Wines
Douro Valley Wines
Port

The concept of the campaign is one that I feel I can really get behind. Its all about knowing where the food and drink you consume comes from. Its about understanding the rich cultural backgrounds of some of Europe's oldest food and wine producing areas, and crediting these regions for giving birth to these products.

This is especially important when you live in a city that imports products from all over the world through-out the year. In our superstore dependant state its possible to forget that food has a point of origin beyond Sainsburys or Tescos!

The campaign promotes good eating and sociable living by encouraging consumers to shop for specialist products, where possible, and enjoy well prepared foods matched with exceptional wine. Doing so with friends and family, despite the hectic pace of modern life!

This was demonstrated perfectly when Discover the Origin hosted an event at La Cucina Caldesi. Watching reputable London Restaurateur Katie Caldesi effortlessly prepare and cook white bean crostini, pasta al forno and pan fried duck breast with blackberry sauce was a treat in itself. Getting to taste wines and ports from the above mentioned region while Katie cooked was truly the cherry on top. The evening was proof that it really is worth the effort to Discover the Origin of what we eat!

For more information on Discover the Origin see: http://www.discovertheorigin.co.uk/

Picture credits - My encouraging South African supporter and Chief Recipe taster!

2010-09-12T15:02:00.000+01:00

Petersham Nurseries and Tipico Lodigiano

A few months ago I visited the Petersham Nurseries for the first time... and it was wonderful!

The cafe is the handy work of Australian Chef, Skye Gyngell, the backdrop of which is a fully functioning nursery that features all the things you would expect from a nursery - gardening tools, wellington boots, fresh herbs and potted plants, along side a vast range of the unexpected - luxury bath and body products and decadent scented candles!

The meal we ate was superb. It started with a glass of Petersham rose petal prosecco, featured favorites like osso bucco and pan fried sea bass, was accompanied with a delicate Rose and a full bodied red, and ended triumphantly with deliciously unique range of desserts and cheese.

We were talking about the cheese plate for days after. The cheese was called Tipico Lodigiano, described as a young Parmesan, and was served with something called Mustard fruits. It sparked my interest so much that I goggled it, and found my way to La Ludesana and a meeting with Attilio (Tito) Bergamaschi.

La Ludesana is run by Tito and his wife Helen. They import a select variety of cheese and wine from the Lombardy region of Italy and the Tipico is from a little town called Lodi (which is the town Tito is from). Tipico Lodigiano actually means 'typical from Lodi'.

After an exchange of emails I purchased a great big wedge of this cheese to share with the friends who had accompanied me to Petersham. Graciously, Tito trekked all the way to North West London to deliver it to me and to chat to me about La Ludesana.

Tito and Helen are passionate and knowledgeable about their products and the food and wine industry. It's with good reason too, as they both have impressive food CVs. Both previously worked at La Fromaggerie London, and Tito is now a chef at the Petersham Nurseries. Helen grew up on a farm in New Zealand and her Father was a cheese maker. She previously worked at Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen (it was here that she learned the magic of pairing food with the perfect wine) and she has also worked at the River Cafe.

Tito described Helens prowess in the cheese arena in detail, attributing her skills to the years of tasting and working with cheese at the above mentioned restaurants and their various trips to Italian farms and vineyards. They have both become adept in identifying the region (and in some cases the particular farm) a cheese comes from, just from the initial taste! Impressive indeed!

We spoke at length about the importance of food seasonality and regionality (i.e. eating locally produced food that is in season). This is something I have come across on many trips to Italy, especially in villages without supermarkets where, if you want to eat, you have to eat whatever is available according to the month you are visiting. Tito and I agreed this was the ideal, however not always practical or convenient in the modern world and in our busy city.

Despite Tito's expertise and his familiarity with some of London's most respected food establishments, one of his most appealing qualities was his love of simple food - pasta, risotto, bruschetta. In my humble opinion that is the mark of a true foodie - someone who is surrounded by wonderful foods and ingredients and in possession of exceptional food related skills - but who still chooses the simple pleasure of a home cooked pasta and an ice cold glass of beer on a hot day!

I asked Tito a few International Foodie questions and here's how he answered:

IF: 3 things always in your shopping trolley
T: Pasta, Tomato, Garlic (and fresh Herbs)

IF: Signature dish
T: Risotto with Grappa and peas or a courgette bruschetta

IF: Red or white wine
T: Red at the moment

IF: Last supper
T: Pasta with fresh tomatoes, capers and garlic

IF: Starter or dessert
T: Definitely dessert (im a real sweet tooth)

IF: Most important cooking tip?
T: Always make sure food is properly seasoned using salt, pepper, herbs (mostly fresh) and lemon

IF: Any other food tips?
T: Keep an eye out for Southern Italian wines - especially Sicilian and Sicilian olive oil

IF: Best way to serve the Tipico Lodigiano?
T: Crumble some of the cheese into chunks and shave some of it as well. It makes for a more pleasant experience when you create a variety of textures. Leave it in the fridge for about 10 minutes just before serving and pair it with green tomato mostarda, or fresh ripe pears or simply with a glass of Prosecco. (NOT crackers!)

It was a thoroughly pleasant meeting that ended with me walking away with the largest, most impressive wedge of cheese you've ever seen! A few weeks later my sister arrived in London for a holiday and to celebrate I took Tito's advice - I crumbled and shaved pieces of the Tipico and served it with a bottle of Scandolera Brut Prosecco. The only bad thing was that it was the beginning of the end of that wonderful wedge of cheese that is 'Typical from Lodi'!

For more information on La Ludesana and their products see www.laludesana.com or email info@laludesana.com

2010-08-15T08:55:00.000+01:00

Summer, Stone fruit and Good to the Grain

Summer 2010 has been great for stone fruits - cherries, white peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums have been available everywhere and I don't know if its my summer 'goggles' talking but the crop of stone fruits available in my local area has been a little cheaper and a lot sweeter than usual! I decided to whip up a batch of cherry and apricot tarts after one successful trip to the market left me with an abundance of both.

I would suggest using any tart pastry that you like. I chose to experiment with a pastry recipe from Good to the Grain - an exceptional book that explores the use of alternative grains in baking. It features recipes using Kamut, Amaranth, Quinoa, Spelt and Teff flour, to name a few! The cover photograph is a mouthwatering tray of rhubarb tarts made with a cornflour based pastry that look, in my opinion, totally irresistible. So I swapped the rhubarb compote for one made with cherries and apricots and away I went.

Cherry and Apricot Compote (this is my own recipe.. and if Im honest was just cobbled together... but it seems to work!)

250g fresh Apricots and 200g fresh Cherries (weight was taken before I de-seeded the fruit)

2 tablespoons of water

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

2 tablespoons of light brown sugar

juice of half a lemon

a good slurp of good quality maple syrup (between 2-4 tablespoons depending on the sweetness of the fruit)

De-seed the fruit and chop the cherries into small rough chunks and slice the apricots into skinny wedges. Place into a saucepan with the water, vanilla and brown sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat allowing the fruit to simmer for about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and maple syrup and leave on the heat for another 10 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool. The mixture should still be quite fluid (but when baked in the tart turns quite sticky or tacky). You can then spoon the compote into your pastry shells and bake accordingly.

2010-07-25T14:58:00.001+01:00

Tuna Carpaccio and Memories of Croatia

On our recent trip to Croatia, Chief Recipe Taster and I stumbled upon a beautiful little restaurant in the Island of Korcula. We were walking along a promenade packed with restaurants and had just been talking about how, as a tourist, do you choose a restaurant when you are so spoiled for choice but have no prior knowledge the area?

In this case, the answer was obvious. As we approached Lesic-Dimitri a few things stood out. It was one of the smallest places we had seen and it was empty - usually a very bad sign, especially when the surrounding establishments were buzzing with patrons. However, Lesic-Dimitri had two things which really made me swoon... the tables were dressed with crisp white linen cloths and topped off with beautiful long stem wine glasses. Like a bird drawn to a shiny object I couldn't resist and thus proceeded one of the highlights of our trip.

As we sat we were warmly greeted by Drazen, the sommelier and head waiter who spoke with such confidence and passion about their local wine list we immediately agreed that if we chose our food he could choose the wine to match... and we were not disappointed.

Our meal started with crostini topped with red onion marmalade or white bean puree, to which Drazen matched an exceptional local Rose. Next came a sea-bass carpaccio dressed in a light olive oil and lemon dressing, expertly paired with a Posip Intrada 2008, a white wine from the peninsular opposite the island of Korcula. As we moved into the main courses of grilled lamb with yogurt dressing and a grilled pork salad with caramelized walnuts, the red wines were brought out to further dazzle us. One of the best reds I've ever had proved to be the headliner of the night, the Postup Mare 2006 - of which Drazen had only a handful of the last bottles left from this particular harvest.

We had been so impressed with the wines we had tried, that as a thank-you Drazen then brought out 3 new bottles of red and we finished the evening tasting these and listening to tales of that areas local wine production. We finished the evening satisfied and happy and left weighed down with bottles of Croatian wine, one of which was a present for being such 'enthusiastic dinners!'. As we wandered off, Lesic Dimitri had begun to fill with new patrons all vying for Drazen's attention, and I felt happy that we had managed to miss the rush and enjoy such an intimate introduction to Croatia's wine industry.

One of the bottles of wine we brought back to the UK was the Posip Intrada 2008, that we had enjoyed with the sea bass carpaccio. Last week while the sun shone brightly in London, I decided to pair this bottle of wine with a carpaccio of my own making. It was a wonderful combination for a summer afternoon, and would be lovely with any bottle of white wine you like!

Tuna Carpaccio with Orange and Sesame Dressing - I used 2 medium tuna steaks and this fed 4 people as an appetizer. I haven't put quantities as I made the dressing to taste and can easily be adjusted to cater for a larger quantities of tuna.

Rice Vinegar

Sesame Oil

Juice of one large orange, with the left over flesh chopped into small chunks

Salad onions, thinly sliced

Fresh Tuna Steaks (preferably sashimi grade - however will work with any tuna steak as long as it is very fresh)

Black Pepper, to taste

(Important Note: you need to make this directly before eating as it needs to be served fresh and cold. Its a good idea to keep the tuna on ice for about 20 minutes before preparing)

Take a large empty plate or platter and dress with a couple of generous shakes each of the vinegar, oil and orange juice. The idea is that you want to lay the slices of tuna onto the already dressed plate or platter.

Slice the tuna into the thinnest slices you possibly can (you will need a very shape, flexible knife for this), and then arrange the slices onto the plate or platter. Dress the tuna once again with a couple of generous shakes each of the vinegar, oil and orange juice and top with the slices of salad onion, orange chunks and black pepper.

2010-07-09T15:56:00.000+01:00

Post Holiday Cleanse

Last week we returned to the UK after a wonderful holiday in Croatia - truly a gem in the Adriatic! I've posted a few 'point and shoot' snaps of this wonderful destination and next week I will come back with some notes and recommendations. However, for the moment I thought I'd post a couple of 'post holiday cleanse' suggestions...

I am an all or nothing kind of a girl. I can do deprivation no problems (for a few weeks at least) but what I can't do is moderation! Therefore, after a few weeks of extreme holiday indulgence my body has begun to ‘cry out’ for a break. So this week I put the cork back in the bottle, put on my running shoes and started the working week with renewed zeal to be good and make up for my holiday excesses!

Generally when I'm being good I try to eat evening meals that are simple and quick to prepare and cook, include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables but exclude red meat, dairy, grains, refined sugars and I keep condiments to a minimum. Never the less I can assure you that the suggestions below are delicious and satisfying! (Quantities are to serve 2).

Broccoli Mash with Orange, Dill and Garlic Salmon

1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1 floret of broccoli, roughly chopped (keep at least a 1/4 of the steam)
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Cook broccoli (either boil or steam, whichever you prefer) until tender but still bright green. Mash or break apart using a wooden spoon until you are left with small chunks. In a separate pan soften the onion until it starts to brown slightly, then add the broccoli. Mix through until combined well and season to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.

Orange, Dill and Garlic Salmon

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 handful of fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1 large orange
2 salmon fillets

Place the tablespoon of oil into a medium pan and once it is quite hot add the garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic and oil start to bubble. Place the salmon fillets in the pan and sprinkle with half the dill. Cook for a couple of minutes and flip. Sprinkle with the rest of the dill, pour half the orange juice over the fish and after a few minutes flip once again. Pour in the rest of the orange juice and continue to cook the fish until its golden brown (can be a little blackened if you like it this way). Once the orange juice and garlic start to caramelise its ready.

Lemon Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Juice from one lemon

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of English mustard (Dijon would be great as well)

Put all ingredients into a jar and shake until combined well.

This dressing works well with both fish or chicken and can make an uninteresting combination (like chicken and salad) palatable and exciting!!

Last night I grilled some chicken and made a salad with leaves, cucumber, spring onions, a few tomatoes, an avocado and dressed the whole dish with the above. It was the perfect thing for a balmy summer evening and just so I didn't feel too deprived I opened a bottle of de-Alcoholised Sohnlien sparkling wine! So delicious and Chief Recipe Taster was suitably impressed!

After a week of eating along these lines I'm feeling great and ready for the weekend ... when I shall once again indulge in all the things I've been depriving myself of this week!!

2010-06-21T09:40:00.000+01:00

Food at 52

A foodie friend of mine recently arranged a day out at Food at 52, a hands on cookery school based in WC1 run by enthusiastic foodie, John Benbow. Despite being a furniture maker by trade his family recognized his cooking prowess and encouraged him to swap the hammer for the wooden spoon and start a cookery school.

John teaches with enthusiasm, passion and humor and really knows his stuff. The course is taught at a comfortable pace and all the course notes are emailed to participants so you can concentrate on the practical aspect as opposed to note taking. The courses on offer are many and varied and run through-out the year. My foodie friend and I decided on the fish course as we both needed a little seafood inspiration!

The set up is fantastic. The ‘cooking room’ feels more like a warm, well stocked family kitchen as opposed to a formal cooking school. A long table runs down the middle of the room that comfortably allows at least 10 people enough room to prepare and cook. The kitchen features a fantastic stove/oven combo, best described as an aga with a gas top stove and nifty little deep fryer (at one time this stove was housed in a convent, and it was one of the main reasons John chose this particular house as he knew the space would cope with this monolithic stove). Peppered around the room are gadgets and utensils for all food preparation needs. Citrus squeezers, a collection of authentic Moroccan Tagines (some were purchased for a meagre £3.00 during a recent trip to Morocco and carried back into the UK in Johns Kids hand luggage!), diamond wet stone knife sharpeners and a few gas camping stove tops used so that participants can cook at the table rather than having to huddle around the convent cooker!

Johns helper is the lovely Bibi - who can only be described as kitchen assistant extradionaire! She moves with effeciency around the kitchen cleaning up after participants so that utensils and chopping boards are cleaned even before you realised a mess has been made! She also makes a wicked espresso, and we all agreed that every home should have a Bibi - although I'm yet to find one on Amazon!

The quality of ingredients John sources is second to none. The fish is delivered from Billingsgate Market the morning of the course and even the breadcrumbs used are from a local Italian bakery. The material covered is equally as impressive.

Participants are introduced to fish preparation by learning how to fillet mackerel for Sashimi – which is delicious. (Fresh mackerel is surprisingly different to the mackerel you buy in the supermarkets as the flavour changes as the fish gets older. Delicate in flavour and so fresh it seems to melt like butter I encourage everyone to try Mackerel like this).

Next is how to fillet sea bream for both goujons, and pan frying. The goujons are light and crisp and better than any crumbed fish I’ve eaten. John teaches how to make tarter sauce from scratch, fresh fish stock using the skeletons from the recently filleted sea bream, how to clean and prepare squid for salt and pepper squid and for main course a beautifully indulgent pan fried sea bream fillet with a mussel and saffron sauce (using the afore mentioned fish stock to create a wonderfully balanced sauce). The most impressive thing is how easy everything is as key to success is good organisation and good instruction.

I asked John a few general 'foodie' questions and here is what he had to say:

IF: Name three things always found in your shopping trolley

JB: Burford brown eggs, pomegranate molasses, Flat leaf parsley

IF: Greatest food influence and why?

JB: Probably Rick Stein, a bit mainstream I know, but he's a west country boy like myself and has a passion for good food with few pretentions, and his love of eastern cuisine and infusing it into his own is right up my street. Great cook school too.

IF: Wine Recommendation

JB: A really good Gamay if we're on red and the most expensive Marlborough sauvignon you can afford if white. Cloudy Bay if your pockets are deep enough!

IF: Favourite Dinner Party soundtrack

JB: Well, what's the event? For me and a few friends it could be 'Sea Sick Steve' followed by the ipod genius. But for something more sophisticated I'd probably start with Ray Lamontagne or Nina Simone. My sound track is always on shuffle and meanders between 1930 and 2010.

IF: Signature dish

JB: I love knocking up a lobster bouillabaisse with fresh fennel and Pernod when I'm feeling flush (break out the Cloudy Bay!).

IF: Last supper

JB: A good curry.

The course was excellent value – You get the tuition in a great setting, all the recipes and a comprehensive gadget page - just incase you're like me and ALWAYS need more kitchen utensils. But perhaps one of the best things - when the clock strikes 12 the wine starts flowing!

If you are looking for a day out with friends, and want to pick up some new cooking skills or brush up on existing ones I thoroughly recommend Food at 52 – its well worth the fee and you will definately come away enlightened, satisfied and completely entertained.

For more information (including course availability, dates and prices) please visit www.foodat52.co.uk or email John at info@foodat52.co.uk.

2010-06-12T15:08:00.000+01:00

When you are a foodie its always fun meeting other foodies. Conversing with other food enthusiasts reaffirms you own love of food, and the subject provides reason for an instant connection or bond. When you are a food blogger and you meet other food bloggers the experience is considerably amplified!

Last weekend I had a chance to test this out, as London played host to the 2010 Food Blogger Connect conference, held at the wonderfully chic Hempel Hotel. The whole weekend was dedicated to food blogging and for a self confessed food nerd it seriously doesn't get any better than this.

Finally I met a group of people who understood and even shared my cookbook obsession, who could relate to my compulsion to exhaust all the space in my small London flat with volumes of cookbooks and piles of cooking magazines. What a relief it was to be amongst a group who also get excited about things like getting a Joseph chopping board, or a Chasseur Crepe pan or a Le Creuset Tagine. Who shared the views that shopping for food is an almost euphoric experience and that if you only had a few dollars left it would be spent on a bottle of good olive oil and a wedge of Tippico Lodigiano.

Blogs for all food inclinations were represented, all with their own gems to impart.

Feast with Bron inspired me to shop at my local farmers market, as markets can be perfectly economical as well as ensuring high quality produce. Alkaline Sisters highlighted that its possible to be health conscious, and open to new food ideas while staying true to the inner 'foodie' calling (as demonstrated by the 4 visits to Ottolenghi in less than a week ... only a proper foodie would do that!). Sparkling Ink was a reminder of how well Scandinavia partners immaculate design and beautiful photography with deliciously pleasing food, and Cook Sister was wonderfully evocative of all things South African - both with her recipes and her wit! What's in a name? proved to be a poignant question, with Dirty Kitchen Secrets and Peanut butter and Jealous proving that the reward for being curious about a name leads to a wealth of inspiring recipes and entertaining foodie stories.

A Slice of Cherry Pie advised of the realities on the path to publication. Mowielicious, Whatsforlunchhoney and Saffron and Blueberry provided much needed insight into the worlds of food styling and photography. Simply Zesty gave us a very entertaining presentation (via skype) on social networking and blog monetisation ... all the while reminding us of the woes of travelling (or not travelling!) with Ryanair...booo....

With all that excitement I came home on Sunday and celebrated my new found enthusiasm by creating a feast for four. My Chief Recipe Taster (who doubles as BBQ King in the sumer) had the headliner of the night - a perfectly roasted leg of lamb (delivered effortlessly with the help of the newest addition to our family - the Webber BBQ!). Accompanying this triumphant joint of meat was a fresh cucumber, parsley and tomato salad, roasted rosemary potatoes, BBQ Grilled flat breads, a homemade Greek yogurt dressing with lemon juice and ginger mint and a bottle of Rose!

The perfect way to end a wonderful weekend! Thanks to Beth and Co for making this weekend truly memorable, and for starting the countdown to next years event! For all the attendees and their respective blogs check out the links below ...

Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach as the list makes for delicious reading!!

Nando http://www.cucabrazuca.com
Andrew http://winit-theblog.com
Julie http://alkalinesisters.com
Katharine http://www.agirlinmadrid.com
Leen http://zibdeh.wordpress.com
Carla http://domesticventures.squarespace.com
Rachel http://www.cookyourlife.com/
Kelly http://www.tastour.co.uk
Adrienne http://www.gastroanthropology.com
Tiina http://www.sparklingink.com
Pascale http://www.extra-relish.blogspot.com/
Cecilia http://onevanillabean.wordpress.com/
Tess http://www.foodmatters.co.uk
Keith www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk
Matina http://www.fetaarepa.com
Charlie http://eggsontheroof.com
Ludger http://www.none.de
Karin http://yumandmore.com
Julia http://www.alwaysleaveroomfordessert.com
Catherine http://www.thecattylife.com
Kevin http://oneweekwinetour.wordpress.com
Leila http://www.delishvillesemgluten.com
Katie http://katielousbites.wordpress.com/
Valentina http://www.cupcakestrembom.com
Tracey http://www.international-foodie.blogspot.com/
Michele http://www.5amfoodie.co.uk
Gemma http://dressingfordinner.blogspot.com
Heather http://www.eggscreamandhoney.com
Giulia http://www.julskitchen.com
Arthi http://debugcooking.blogspot.com/
Anne http://www.anneskitchen.co.uk
Pamela http://www.cookingninja.com
Bron http://practicallydaily.blogspot.com
Stacey http://peanutjealous.blogspot.com
Natashka http://peanutjealous.blogspot.com
Reena http://coconutraita.blogspot.com/
Aoife http://www.thedailyspud.com
Elisa http://www.aussiefoodie.blogspot.com/
Eunice http://heavenwildfleur.blogspot.com
Suzannah http://www.officelunches.blogspot.com/
Mayssam http://www.deliriouskitchen.com
Sarka http://www.cookingyourdream.com
Sharon http://www.seasontotaste.co.uk
Jasmine http://www.labna.it
Manuel http://www.labna.it
Giulia http://en.julskitchen.com/
Jeanne http://www.cooksister.com
Meeta http://www.whatsforlunchhoney.net
Mowie http://www.mowielicious.com
Jamie http://lifestafeast.blogspot.com
Kerrin http://www.mykugelhopf.ch
Hilda http://www.saffronandblueberry.com
Julia http://www.asliceofcherrypie.com
Sarah http://blog.maisoncupcake.com
Chris http://www.soulmekanik.com
Bethany http://www.dirtykitchensecrets.com

2010-05-30T14:37:00.002+01:00

Coffee in Como, Vino in Varese…

A few weeks ago an Aussie friend came to Europe for a holiday. Despite spending most of his time in London, the North-South divide made it easier to meet up with him in

Italy(

!!!). After landing at Milan Malpensa, we drove to Como and spent the day looking for George Clooneys house. When we came across a house with people literally hanging off the iron gates we assumed we had found it! We caught a ferry tour of the lower part of the lake, ate all the standard Italian delights... (Pizza, Pasta, Gelato) and a couple of non-standard ones... (Blueberry and mushroom risotto ….. which was delicious!)

We drank wine and ate pizza in Varese and then crossed the Swiss border to drink beer and eat cheese.

It was a fleeting trip that made me wish I could spend a few months in Northern Italy researching local cooking techniques and tasting wines. But I guess I'll have to make do with the Silver Spoon Cookbook and a bottle of Italian Red!

Volcanic Ash issues caused the cancellation of our flight back to the UK, but it all got sorted and we got home without too much stress and grief. Besides, I can think of much worse places to be stranded!

2010-05-04T12:13:00.002+01:00

The Challenge is over ...

March has (well and truly) come and gone and that means that the challenge is over! I haven’t always managed to hit my target of 1 recipe a week – probably more like 1 recipe a fortnight, but never the less I did learn a few things and thought I'd share them with you

Practice – I’d say my cooking has vastly improved purely due to committing to cook different things more regularly. I feel more confident with experimenting with flavours and ingredients as my knowledge of flavour combinations has increased a lot.

The importance of being precise – I’ve seen a vast improvement in my baking as I now stick to exact measures! (As opposed to my previous habit of winging it!)

Food to be eaten cannot be styled – I’ve tried to improve my food photography but it’s quite difficult to take a photo of something you really want to eat or that might go cold. I find that if I’ve been preparing and cooking, once it comes time to take the photo I get too impatient to ‘style’ because I just want to eat …. Not yet sure how to fix that problem!

My recommendations for a 'start up' cookbook collection ... (This list contains a good mix of inspirational and practical books)

• Falling Cloudberries and anything else by Tessa Kiros

• Where the heart is by Karen Martini

• MoVida Rustica by Frank Camorra

• Turquoise and Moorish both by Greg and Lucy Malouf

• Snowflakes and Schnapps by Jane Lawson (Get this book more for the beautiful photography rather than frequency of use, as the recipes are great - but quite involved/complicated. Makes a beautiful coffee table book)

• Secrets of the Red Lantern by Pauline Nguyen

• The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann

• Mexican Food Made Simple by Tomasina Miers

• Jamie Does by Jamie Oliver. (With this book Jamie has got his Mojo back! It’s a fun, enthusiastic book and the recipes are diverse, exciting and totally mouth watering!!)

The perfect 'Mid-week Go-To’ books/sites

Two resources stand out in this category and they are the resources I cannot do without and use at least once a week. I can’t help but be evangelical about both of the following!!

The first, which I have written about a lot is, Leon: Ingredients and Recipes, I wont go on about it too much – However I would encourage everyone to buy this book. Its exceptional: Nutritious, tasty, informative, easy, entertaining … the list goes on and on – a bit like me!

101 Cookbooks is my ‘Find of 2009’. This site offers fantastically healthy, tasty menu options that are relatively easy to put together and inject a well balanced aspect to a weekly eating plan. Its a vegetarian site and the author generally sticks to cooking with whole foods and natural ingredients. The author of the site, Heidi Swanson, is a photographer and her photos are as inspirational as her recipes! My Favourite recipes so far are Heidi's Veggie Burgers, Simple Butternut Squash Tart and a healthy alternative to a breakfast bar or biscuit, Nikki's Healthy Cookies.

Check them out and if you've got any other recommendations leave me a comment and let me know.

2010-03-27T14:07:00.000Z

Back to the Naked days.

Jamie Oliver features in most cookbook collections. This may be due to the sheer volume of books he has published (he has averaged about 1 book a year for the last 10 years). Another reason may be that he is so well marketed, when you think of cookbooks you automatically think of Jamie. Or it may be that you just quite like him!!

I have five of his books, but my stand out favourite is his second book, Return of the Naked Chef.

This book is particularly special as a dear friend of mine gave it to me as an anniversary present a number of years ago. She wrote a note in the front page that in part reads ‘never lose your passion for cooking’… I can proudly say I didn’t let her down!!

In all honesty, looking back I can say that this book (and its associated TV series) is the reason I fell in love with cooking. I remember being over the moon when I received it and thinking that nearly every page featured something I wanted to try making. The instructions were easy to follow and the ingredients and flavour combinations where cutting edge at the time of publication but still remain current.

The thing I love the most about this book is that it reminds me of the Jamie Oliver who inspired my generation to cook, when Jamie Oliver was just a normal guy’s name rather than an international brand worth millions of pounds. It was before the political days when he was just a passionate cook and had a girlfriend we all knew as Jools (and PS we were all jealous that HE did the cooking!!), and because he was so normal we started to believe that all of us normal people would be able to cook like him too! In a weird way this book reminds me of being in my early 20’s, when I didn’t know how serious life would get, when naivety kept me full of hope and promise and Wednesday nights were set aside to try out naked chef recipes!

Amazing how you can get all that from one cookbook!

There are too many good recipes in this book to mention, so I’m going to stick with the one that was an instant favourite – Fantastic Fish Pie …… when I made it last night my chief recipe taster got all happy with a silly, almost euphoric, grin … He made that same look about 10 years ago when I made it for the first time!!

Ingredients:

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, halved and finely chopped

• 1 little extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream

• 2 good handfuls of grated Cheddar cheese

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 heaped tsp English mustard or French will do

• About 500gs of smoked haddock and 500g of cod or other white fish, skinned, boned and sliced into chunks or strips

• salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees Celsius.

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft and crumbly. When potatoes are nearly done, steam the spinach in a colander over the pan that has the potatoes. This will only take about a minute.

When the spinach is done, remove from the colander and squeeze out excess water.

Drain the potatoes and set aside.

In a separate pan, slow-fry the onions and carrots in a little olive oil for about 8-10 minutes. Add the cream and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the Cheddar cheese, lemon juice, and mustard.

Place the fish in a decent sized casserole dish and top with the spinach, followed by the cream/vegetable mixture over – aim to evenly cover the fish and spinach.

Mash the cooked potatoes, adding a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes on top of the fish.

Place in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until potato starts to brown.

I served this fish pie with baked beans …… believe me, it’s a strange but highly rewarding combination!

2010-03-09T13:38:00.003Z

A crash course in style and photography ......

Since I re-started this blog I’ve become more and more frustrated with the photographs I take. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, one of the things I love in a good cook book is food photos that make you instantly hungry and inspire you to want to cook… or eat!

Alas my photos don’t have that affect. So I decided to take corrective measures. Number 1 – I purchased my first DSLR Camera (the Canon D450 … it was going cheap and I thought it a good place to start for a total novice). Number 2 – I enrolled in a Food Styling for Photography class at Ash Photography, and the pictures below are my record of the great day I had learning all about the tricks of the trade!!

Burger gets made up! (Lesson 1 - Food that has been sytled for the Camera usually cannot be eaten!)

Paella styling ... (Lesson 2 - The Paella dish looks nice and full because its been filled up with with perspex chips and covered with the Paella!)

Studio energy …… This was my first experience in a proper photography studio, working with people really in the know. Jon, the photographer, was an authority on lighting, camera equipment, and MAC’s, while Sharon had an eye for props, settings and backgrounds. What amazed me was how she seems to see everything through the lens. While we collected props she seems to be constantly thinking of how it would look all ‘dressed up’ in front of the camera.

The aspect I found really interesting was the lighting – and how manipulating the light in different ways produces dramatic results. The camera equipment itself was also impressive - both the old and the new!

I loved the energy of being in the studio – everything was a bit hap hazard, frantic at times, with props all over the place and lighting equipment here there and every where. Even Ziggy the dog popped in a few times to lend a hand…. Yet the end result seemed effortlessly captured and perfectly put together.

Food as Fine Art and Food as Science were the two areas that produced the most energy and excitement, as the girls got creative and decided to represent their subject in a more artistic, creative and abstract manner...

Then there was mine …… I made a few Pear and Almond tarts to photograph (my dessert of choice… second only to chocolate mousse). We decided to create a minimal set, with neutral tones and glass wear in shot. The following show how we got to our winning end product!

2010-02-18T13:04:00.000Z

Turkish Turquoise .....

Greg and Lucy Malouf have written a few cookbooks, all influenced by the Middle East and North Africa. From what I’ve read Greg grew up in Australia with his Lebanese parents. His childhood exposure to the rich culinary wonders of this region explains his love affair with this part of the world and its cuisine. Greg and Lucy were at one time married, however are now divorced but continue to collaborate when it comes to authoring these wonderful books. Their titles include Saha, Arabesque and Moorish.

When flicking through their cookbooks, you get a feeling that you are actually reading their personal travel diaries, featuring intimate accounts of their adventures complimented by exquisite photography and a recipe or two! Their books provide a wonderful insight into the delights of countries that are often shrouded in mystery, intrigue and in more recent time’s political controversy. The authenticity makes for books that aren’t necessarily your 'mid-week go to' type cookbooks. However, the recipes are well put together and the recipe I’ve chosen this week is from their Turkish delight: Turquoise.

I fell in love with Turquoise as Istanbul is one of the cities on my ‘top 5 places to visit’ list, and this book has lovely section on Istanbul. On page 268 there is a recipe for Puf Borek with cheese and dill - basically crescent shaped pastries that are filled with feta, parmesan and dill.

The real genius of the recipe (in my opinion) is actually the rich Greek/Natural yoghurt pastry. The yoghurt provides a rich, substantial foundation for this flaky pastry and its sourness provides a nice contrast to the salty combination of feta and parmesan filling.

Pastry:
100g thick Greek/Natural yoghurt
125g melted butter (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 free range egg
220g self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of sea salt
Finely grated zest of half a lemon

Combine the yoghurt and melted butter, with an electric mixer followed by the egg. Tip in the flour, salt and zest and mix for 5 minutes until silky and soft. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, allowing to firm up.
You then knead and work the dough into a ball, dividing into 2 equal sized portions that can then be further divided into numerous equal portions. I decided to make 4 large Pufs initially. I would recommend that you be the guide as to how many you want to achieve by adjusting the size of each puf. (Bigger for picnics – smaller for canapés etc).

Filling:
Combine 200g feta, ½ cup finely grated parmesan, 1 small onion (grated), 1/3 cup of chopped dill, 1 free range egg, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, zest of half a lemon and black pepper, until smooth.
Your aim is to finish with circles of pastry that can be filled, then folded into a half moon shape, ready for frying or baking – I baked mine on 180 degrees for about 25 minutes.
I serverd the Puf's as a light lunch with a bottle of Rose Moet & Chandon Champagne, and the end result was simply put - Superb!

2010-02-08T13:13:00.000Z

Where MY heart is......

A few years ago I begged my Mum and Dad to send me a copy of Karen Martinis book ‘Where the heart is’. I somehow heard about the book and became obsessed with getting a copy. In a gesture of true parental love Mum and Dad bundled up a box full of Aussie chocolates, cotton treats (…bonds...) with a copy of this book and for a ridiculous amount of money posted it here to me in the UK.

It’s a beautiful book with many Italian inspired recipes and the kind of food photography that make you instantly hungry. Martini manages to convince the reader that she genuinely cooks from her heart and her recipes are unfussy yet deliver intense, substantial results. I chose a green bean recipe from her book and got way more than I bargained for as it delivered not only a perfect accompaniment to beef and red wine, but also a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

When I was a child my grandparents had a beach house in a tiny costal town in the North Island of New Zealand. This was where I spent my summers, indulged as the only grandchild of two people brimming with love. My cousins lived in the house next door, giving our summers a communal flavour. We spent carefree days swimming in the ocean and running up and down long stretches of sand, followed by fish and chips for lunch and nights in sleeping bags under the stars.

My Aunt Brigitte (by marriage) was English and her family well travelled. Through my 7 year old eyes they seemed to be familiar with the whole world. My cousins would tell childlike stories of exotic places they had been and I would drink them up enthusiastically propelling myself into the future when I too would get to visit those places.

Meals always featured fresh vegetables that had been procured from nearby farms or gardens. A common roadside feature along that particular stretch of New Zealand was makeshift stalls where people would sell fresh fruit and vegetables to passers-by. My favourites back then were green beans, and they are still my green vegetable of choice. I loved my grandmothers’ routine for preparation. She would sit down in front of the telly, with a bag of beans and top and tail each bean, letting the discarded tops and tails fall onto newspaper that had been carefully spread on the floor below. The pruned beans were collected in a pot that was half full of water in preparation for cooking, and every now and again I would steal small handfuls of them, as if I were stealing sweets.

I specifically remember one meal where Brigitte made a dish of green beans in delicious tomato sauce, and I remember thinking that it was one of the best things I had ever eaten. I can’t remember what we ate with it, nor can I remember anything else about that meal, yet I have thought about that dish often over the years, wondering what she put in it that made it so good. I’ve tried to recreate it a few times. Sadly, it always ended in disappointment.

However, when I tried Karen Martinis ‘Twice cooked green beans’ I was immediately propelled back in time to that wide eyed 7 year old girl, with dark brown skin and thick kiwi accent, to whom life was literally a beach holiday filled with laughter and fun with my cousins, love from my grandparents and the best green beans I had ever eaten!!

Twice Cooked Green Beans.

Cook 200g of green beans in a generous amount of hot vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Then drain on Kitchen paper.

In hot olive oil cook 1 large brown onion (chopped), 3 bay leaves, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) and 1 chilli(chopped) for about 5 minutes. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste), followed by a cup of tomato passata. Simmer for a further 3 minutes and then mix the green beans through the passata mixture.

2010-01-18T21:33:00.000Z

Profiterole Pancakes ….

We had a group of friends over for dinner a few weeks back and I decided to consult one of my many Donna Hay Magazines to get some dessert inspiration.

When I found an article on Profiteroles the decision was made. I used to make profiteroles quite regularly and thought they would be a good way to end a meal for nine people. I decided I would keep things simple, filling them with whipped cream and topping with a chocolate sauce made from double cream and melted dairy milk chocolate. My mouth began to water at the prospect!

Soon after starting I realised that the key ingredient in this recipe was time.

Why?

Because it all went horribly wrong and the only thing that saved me was that I had factored in enough time to come up with a contingency plan!!!

My Profiteroles ended up looking like pancakes and smelled far to ‘eggy’ to be appetising. I took a photo of my ‘work’ in front of the magazine picture of what it was supposed to look like.

As you can see, the result was definitely more pancake than profiterole. I blame two things

1 - I was using a new 3 ply steel pot that retains heat very well. In this instance it proved to be a bad thing as when making profiteroles you combine butter and water in a saucepan and when the butter has melted completely, you pour sifted flour into the saucepan and mix, combining and cooking at a reasonable speed.

In my case, the saucepan was too hot and the flour cooked almost immediately. I had to take the mixture off the heat to stop from burning, however because of the retained heat this didnt work as well as I had hoped. I then started mixing furiously in an effort to slow the cooking/burning process and my guess is that I overworked the mixture. I don’t know exactly what that meant for the final product in scientific terms – but it wasn't good!

2, The ingredient ratio was off. After the event I compared the recipe I used in the past to this new recipe and it appears to me that the egg to water/butter/flour ratio was not quite right. In this recipe there seems to be too little water/butter/flour to too many eggs. I have nothing to base this on but my gut instinct... and the fact that my profiteroles seemed to emit an overwhelming eggy note as opposed to the faintly reconisable hint of egg that good profiteroles posses!

Again, I wonder at the scientific explanation, but I cant help but think that all these eggs proved to be too heavy thus making it impossible for the mixture to achieve the height necessary to result in a bulbous pillow of delicate choux pastry as opposed to the flat, uninspired pancakes I ended up with.

Needless to say, time allowed me to clean up, dispose of the evidence and come up with the idea of serving ice cream in martini glasses with a selection of decadent liquid toppings with which to douse the ice cream - Baileys, Grand Marnier, Coffee Sambuca, chocolate sauce (mentioned above) and freshly brewed espresso.

The evening ended with lots of laughter and a few stirring karaoke ballads, and my ice cream induced high made me forget all my Profiterole pancake woes!!

2010-01-10T19:02:00.000Z

Random things I love about cooking and entertaining

There are a few food/cooking/entertaining related things I love, and thought I would share them.

Frying Pans… There is nothing more enjoyable than cooking with a good quality frying pan. When I have the luxury of time, I prefer stainless steel as opposed to non-stick as I think it makes for a nicer cooking experience, making you rise to the challenge of making sure you’ve got the heat perfect so as not to end up with everything sticking to the bottom!!

Oversized white serving dishes… There is something I love about the ‘exaggerated’ effect of oversized serving dishes. Fill them up to make a meal look hearty and abundant, or leave space to make the meal look minimalist and well arranged. I love the serving dishes to be white so you can match with red table settings* in winter to make the table look decadent and indulged and blue table settings in summer to create a summery yet cool and fresh look.

* (candles, napkins, and placemats etc)

Long stem wine glasses… For those of you who know me well I am devoted to long stem glasses - Wine has to be served in Long stem glasses. Nothing lets a good wine down more than short stem glasses… that’s a fact!!

A good apron… I love the convenience of being able to wipe dirty hands on your apron when cooking. The apron I have at the moment is black, with roomy pockets and a band of red chillies across the middle. It was a gift to a friend of mine from his Mum…. He thought it looked to feminine and so I inherited it … Years later I sent him a Manly blue Butchers apron – It’s so long he tells me it looks like strapless dress on him …… I now question the femininity of the chilli apron

Scented candles… Good quality scented candles provide subtle background notes that infuse pleasant scents throughout the house. They also get rid of the nasty ‘post cooking’ smells that sometimes linger!! Some of my favourites are Aveda, Diptyque, I Coloniali and Durance.

Citrus fruit centre pieces… Dark brown wooden bowls filled with lemons and limes or a glass bowl filled with Clementine’s – preferably with leaves still attached, make a great change from flowers.

Champagne to start… It’s never too early (or late for that matter) to serve Champagne, or anything else that sparkles (Cava, Prosecco, Soda or Mineral). Champagne at the start of a evening is the perfect way to kick off a good time with friends. It whets the appetite and loosens the tongue.

Lighting… I’m a lighting girl and as such ALWAYS prefer dim, atmospheric lighting. Bright lights tend to be too confronting yet dim lighting relaxes and elicits good conversation. The warmth created by a flickering candle also creates an atmosphere that enhances good eating – and I am a devotee of twinkley lights. Both indoor and out.

Background music… (this is going to sound corny) Music is the blank canvas upon which good conversations are painted. Music allows people to feel comfortable, sets a mood and allows for conversations to flow freely. At the moment I am addicted to the Vicky Christina Barcelona soundtrack – It’s evocative and features Spanish guitar that makes you want to travel to Spain and theorise over subjects such as Gaudi, Rioja and Paella (both the dish and the pronunciation of the word!)

2010-01-02T19:17:00.024Z

Hummingbird Traitor

I feel a bit of a traitor writing this, but recently I made the Hummingbird Bakery’s Banana Loaf… and it was just fantastic! It was easy to make, and the end result was lovely… sweet but not overly, moist but not doughy and despite the richness of the ingredients, surprisingly light.

You combine 270g of light brown sugar with 2 eggs and then mix in 200g of mashed banana. You then mix in 280g of plain flour, 1 tsp each of baking powder, bi-carb soda, ground cinnamon and ground ginger, followed by 140g of melted unsalted butter.
Pour into a prepared loaf tin (23cms by 13cms) and bake at 170 degrees Celsius for about an hour. Let it cool a little and serve with a good coffee... and loads of butter!

Why does this make me a traitor?

Because I am a Primrose Bakery devotee …

Let me explain …

There has been a recent cupcake craze in London. In the past few years trendy little coffee shops specialising in decadent and ornate sweet treats have popped up here and there and they all draw a very devoted clientele. These establishments marked the beginning of London’s recent café culture boom. Finally Londoners have the option of going out for coffee and cake mid-morning on a weekend – a nice alternative to the 10.30am pint!!

The Hummingbird bakery is one such place, and there are two branches, one in Noting Hill and the other in South Kensington. Sadly, both are too far from my house to be convenient thus I have never actually been to either.

On the other hand, the Primrose Bakery is basically in my back yard and I have been a devoted fan since its birth. Forget Big Ben and Parliament – All my visitors get a guided tour of the Primrose bakery when they stay with me! Kitted out like a 50s style milk bar with metal framed chairs and tables the Primrose Bakery is one of may favourite local spots.

So in a mark of true commitment I should have purchased their book first and cooked up one of their treats…. Indeed, I feel like I have cheated on my beloved Primrose Bakery for not trying one of their recipes first…. What makes it even worse is that the reason I purchased the Hummingbird’s cookbook is that it was only £4.00!!

Cheap and a traitor….. Can it get any worse?? ……..

2009-12-20T21:16:00.000Z

Lovely Little Linzers ......

There is a lovely little German café near my house that makes THE BEST linzer biscuits, and in recent months I’ve become addicted to them. They are light, thin shortbreads that are stuck together with sweet strawberry jam and topped with delicious slightly tangy glaze icing. They are the perfect accompaniment for strong espresso coffee or the perfect end of an evening meal if you are looking for a change from After Eights.

Last Sunday I went into a baking frenzy and ended up experimenting with a few cookie/biscuit recipes in an effort to try and create my own Linzer Biscuits and the recipe below is what my efforts resulted in. I have to admit that they aren’t as good as the café, but they are pretty close and hopefully after a bit more practice I’ll get them even closer….

125g butter
¾ cup sugar
Vanilla extract – I always put in a good splash!
1egg
1 cup plan flour
1 cup ground Almonds
1 tsp baking powder

Strawberry Jam and Glaze Icing

Using an electric handheld whisk, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy then beat in egg. Mix sifted flour and baking powder into the butter mixture followed by the ground almonds.

Work the mixture into a firm ball and then roll out on a lightly floured surface. Using a cookie cutter, cut into shapes (I used hearts!). Place on baking tray that has been lined with greaseproof paper, and bake at 190C for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

When the biscuits are cooked, make sure you let them cool completely before sandwiching 2 together with jam and glazing with icing! Warning …… these biscuits are wonderfully delicious and very hard to resist! Be prepared to feel compelled to nibble on them until they are all gone!!!!!

2009-12-07T14:05:00.001Z

Leon’s Ice Cream

Continuing my infatuation with the Leon cookbook, I decided to make their Plum Ice Cream (pg 264) for a casual dinner we had one Sunday night. Ice cream is one of my favourite things and even though I love the thought of making ice cream, I’ve always shied away from it as I don’t have an ice cream maker …. And I don’t need another appliance!! As soon as I discovered that for this recipe you don’t need an ice cream maker, I was hooked!

The other main appeal of this recipe is that you don’t need excessive amounts of sugar and/or fat (and I think the sugar content can even be reduced dramatically and still keep its appeal).

The Ice Cream is made in three stages:

First Step – Plum Puree

Chop up about 450 grams of plums (with skins but without stones) and cook with 175gs of sugar and some lemon juice until the sugar dissolves and the plum flesh becomes nice and mushy. Whiz in a food processor until the mixture is the consistency of a rough puree, and then cool completely (I made mine the night before).

Second Step – Egg whites

Whisk 2 egg whites until they form soft peaks. In a seperate saucepan dissolve 200 grams of Demerara sugar in 6 tablespoons of water. Once dissolved turn the heat up so that the sugar mixture starts to boil rapidly and after three minutes, immediately pour the sugar mixture into the egg whites in a thin stream. All the while you are whisking the eggs until the mixture looks like uncooked meringue. 

Third Step – Cream

Whisk 300mls of cream until it is thick but not stiff – then you fold in the egg whites, followed by the plum puree. Once thoroughly combined, freeze for at least 5 hours.

A nice little visual tip is to save some of the puree, and once the mixture is ready to put in the freezer, drizzle over the top of the ice cream and then use a bamboo skewer to swirl into a pretty pattern (see below).

Another little quirk about this recipe is that it calls for plums that are not too ripe. This works well for two reasons – 1) In London it’s virtually impossible to get really ripe plums and 2) The bitterness of the plums create a subtle sharpness that balances the sugary sweetness resulting in a refreshing indulgence rather than an overbearing ice confection! 

This dessert was one that did not require an accompaniment. Served in a martini glass on its own, it was a perfectly classic way to end a comfortably casual evening!!

(Photography credits have to go to Kerry for providing the camera and Joff for taking the perfect shots!!)

2009-11-19T13:23:00.001Z

A quick dinner for a quick post!!

One of the newest additions to my ever growing collection of cookbooks is the Leon Cookbook. Leon is a restaurant here in London that specialises in good quality food that is also good for you (what a crazy idea!!).

They do superfood salads, soups, curries and a delicious range of desserts that are great for a healthy mid-day meal. They also have a really cool, retro website and the book is equally as quirky: http://www.leonrestaurants.co.uk/

I was prompted to buy the cookbook after lunching on an amazing Chicken Laksa a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the Chicken Laksa recipe wasn’t in the book. However, I was not too disappointed as the rest of the recipes are really great, and on Wednesday night I decided to try out the Moroccan Meatballs recipe, for a nice easy but healthy mid week meal.

I cannot rave about this recipe enough – It was easy, tasty and nutritionally balanced (and my chief recipe taster nearly purred when I put the plate in front of him!!)

Basically, you make the sauce with oil, garlic, tinned chopped tomatoes and harissa (however I used some chilli sauce instead) and let this simmer for about 20 minutes. While that is bubbling away you make the meatballs out of Mince (lamb was recommended however I used turkey as that’s what I had in the fridge), wholemeal pita bread that’s been ripped up and soaked in milk, fresh parsley and mint, dried oregano and seasoning to taste. Once all of this has been combined you then roll into meat balls, cook in a very hot pan until nice and browned (but not necessarily cooked) and then throw into the sauce for another 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and sauce has reduced into a thick, rich consistency. Top off with some more fresh parsley and basil and then serve with cous cous!!

(Even though I didn’t take this photo, my meatballs turned out exactly the same. very impressive!!)

I’ve never cooked meatballs before – but now I think these ones are going to become a weeknight staple!!

Until next week .....

2009-11-15T20:07:00.000Z

Julias Eggs.....

Recently I have become a Julia Child enthusiast. It started with the movie Julie and Julia and progressed with reading My life in France – her autobiography, written in collaboration with her Grand Nephew. My Life in France chronicles her Journey through Life, her discovery of food and her life long affair with France. It’s an endearing story that was written in Julia’s declining years, and was completed after her death in 2004. Indeed, it is written a such a way that makes it feel like an old Julia Child is actually telling you the story herself, as it often, and quite randomly, inserts quaint but irrelevant pieces of information, changes direction and at times alludes to ‘a point’ but never actually makes one!! However, the combination of her sense of humour, her intellect and her experience gained from living and travelling all over the world result in an extremely entertaining read.

When I finished the book I felt like I was saying good-bye to a dear friend.

Off the back of My Life in France, I decided to buy a paperback version of Mastering the art of French Cooking, the book that her TV career was launched from and responsible for her subsequent fame.

Normally I would shy away from a cookbook that contained no pictures and that looked so complicated. However after learning of the painstaking efforts she goes to, to create perfect recipes, I felt it was a purchase that was worthwhile. (It was not unusual for Julia Child to cook the same recipe upward of 20 times in order to get the correct quantities, cooking times, and end product).

I thought it fitting to try out something easy first before I graduate to the more complicated la cuisine bourgeoise, and as it was Sunday morning, Scrambled eggs seemed the perfect place to start.

Firstly, you need to smear the bottom and sides of a pan with butter. Then comes the first major difference. The eggs should be cooked over a low to medium heat – so low that for the first 2 to 3 minutes nothing should appear to happen. Gradually the eggs should thicken into a custard like consistency. Now for the next major difference. Once the eggs are at the consistency you desire you then add either butter or cream – the key being that you don’t add any liquid or liquid-producing ingredients until the eggs are basically ready, as doing so is likely to cause the eggs to become watery. Also, adding the butter or cream at the end stops the cooking process.

Well – I got it completely wrong! The pan was too hot and the eggs cooked almost immediately. As a result I didn’t have time to measure out the correct quantities so ended up throwing a dollop of butter into the eggs at the last minute and hoping for the best!

The eggs tasted good – but let’s face it, any cooked breakfast tastes good on a cold Sunday morning!

The next time I try out a Julia recipe I’m going to be far more prepared – which means reading through the recipe completely before I start cooking so that I don’t get it wrong!!

Until next week…………

2009-11-08T23:16:00.000Z

Autumn rain and Apples for Jam

I think it was about 6am Sunday morning when the sound of pouring rain first registered. By 10am my Sunday morning slumber had ended, but the rain had not.

It was a somewhat typical autumn day, grey and rainy but unusually warm. Yellow-orange leaves were clumped here and there on the ground outside, which made walking particularly difficult as leaves get awfully slippery when they are wet! It was a day that was beautiful in its own way but the grey tinge in the sky meant our evening meal had to be something particularly warming and comforting …..

Enter Apples for Jam – By Tessa Kiros

I am a huge fan of Tessa. I have four of her 5 cookbooks and I think she is brilliant. She is a devoted foodie, who has gathered together a repertoire of recipes that all seem to stem from family influences. Apples for Jam is a book devoted entirely to meals that would appeal to kids (not to be confused with a children’s cookbook). Tessa has very fond food memories from her own childhood and in Apples for Jam you get the feeling she is trying to create the same kind of memories for her own children… and by extension all of her readers and their kids as well!!

So on this rainy autumn day we decided to try Tessa’s Lamb and Green Bean Casserole (pg 190).

We found a Lamb shoulder roast that was on sale – It was a little bit fatty but looked as though it would suit a slow cooked stew. I trimmed a large portion of the fat off the roast before carving in into largish chunks and browning in a healthy amount of olive oil (you need to have a saucepan that can go on the stove top and then into the oven).

Once the meat was brown we added a generous dollop of butter (!!), chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, onions and 500mls of water. After seasoning with salt we popped the dish in the oven and an hour later we added the green beans. It was then back in the oven for a further hour. With very little preparation and minimal intervention during the cooking process, this dish nearly made itself!

So after two hours of cooking my chief recipe taster, a visiting friend with an inclination to musical theatre, and me sat down to enjoy Lamb and Green Bean Casserole served with delicious roast potatoes and a Julie Andrews classic... Thoroughly Modern Millie.

The meal was lovely. The lamb was melt in your mouth soft, the beans still surprisingly firm and the sauce/liquid flavoursome. The combination of warming lamb casserole, a silly but entertaining musical and lots of frivolous banter ended this rainy London evening on a satisfying high note!

Until next week ……..

2009-10-29T09:16:00.000Z

Magic Soup, By Tracey McGarvey-Gilbard

Despite this challenge being in its infancy, I am already going to break the rules… but only slightly! Instead of chosing a recipe from one of my books I've chosen one that I made up and here's why .......

Sunday was my designated ‘challenge’ day for the week, but my chief recipe taster and I both had varying degrees of colds and therefore spent all day in bed convalescing. By Monday I was up and back to work but I still felt …. Blah….. My chief recipe taster was also still suffering so I thought we were both in need of the restorative qualities of a dish I call magic soup!

I came up with magic soup in the first year we moved to the UK. That year we caught everything that was going around and the symptoms seemed to be much worse than we were used to. (I’ve heard that this is due to Australia being so isolated, so when you arrive in the UK you are exposed to new bugs that you have not yet built up immunity to). After our third bout of illness, in desperation I threw all the following ingredients into a pot and hoped for the best… and it worked!! The ginger and chilli seem to work together to sweat whatever bug you have out of your body and the veggies and chicken seems to infuse ‘goodness’ throughout your system! We named it magic soup as is seemed to cure the ailment as if by magic!!

Ingredients:
2-3 of the hottest chillies you can find/handle
3-4 chopped shallots (French) or 1 brown onion
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 knob of ginger about 5-7 cms in length, roughly chopped
2-3 cups of any green vegetables you like chopped into bite sized pieces. (My favourites are Asian greens like Pak/Bok choy)
Chicken – breast or thigh fillets (about 1 fillet per person), trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite size pieces.
Chicken or vegetable stock – about 1ltr for 2 people

Chop the chillies, shallots/onion, garlic and ginger and cook in some olive oil for a couple of minutes until fragrant then add chicken. Cook for a further 2-3 or so minutes until the chicken starts to cook (you want the chicken to remain white so you may need to turn the heat down if it starts to brown).
At this point you want to add the stock. Bring the soup to the boil and then turn heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes. When the chicken appears to be cooked through quickly throw in the greens and cook for a few minutes more. You want the greens to keep their colour and remain slightly crunchy. If the stock needs more flavour I usually add a few drops of soy sauce to taste.

Once served its quite nice to add some more grated ginger and a few sprigs of coriander, or even tofu if so inclined.

2009-10-22T09:25:00.000+01:00

Marie Claire, Cooking.

For this weeks installment I made a choice from an old school favourite–Marie Claire Cooking, by Donna Hay. I’ve had this book for over 10 years (I reluctantly admit) however there is still much within that I am yet to discover!!The Marie Claire cookbooks, in my opinion, were my generations’ alternative to the Woman’s Weekly cookbooks. They are a staple in any cookbook collection, and when first released they featured updated recipes that included all the ‘in fashion’ ingredients, like sun dried tomatoes and coriander by the bucket load - reminiscent of Jamie Oliver’s ‘Loadsaherbs’ phase!! These were the books that saw Penne being replaced for handmade gnocchi, muffins for Friands and Vanilla essence for Vanilla pods! Despite their early 90s influence the recipes are still relevant and for this weeks challenge I’ve selected:Grilled chicken and Fig salad.

I chose this recipe as I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for figs. I like the look of them and love the way they can be used in either sweet or savoury dishes. They team well with cheese – especially goats, and also with cured meats like prosciutto and parma ham. However I’ve never actually cooked with them.

The recipe called for Char grilling or Barbequing chicken breast and aubergine. Since I don’t have a griddle pan I had to go for the BBQ option – and in a demonstration of my commitment to this blog I donned my ski jacket, wellies and head lamp and fired up the Barbie! (It may seem dramatic…. But it was COLD on Saturday night).

The recipe called for assembling a plate of Radicchio, topping with the figs, chicken and aubergine and then finishing with a dressing of lemon, honey and marjoram. Unfortunately, I came up against a little roadblock in that I could not find Radicchio and Marjoram anywhere, so had to settle for little gems and oregano. Unfortunately I think the harmony of flavours needed the bitterness of the radicchio to work and the little gems left the dish a bit ……. bland.

Interestingly, the dressing combination was also a little disappointing as when you mix lemon and honey its hard to get past that feeling that you are assembling a drink for someone who has a cold!

The meal looked great, and was a nice enough dish, however, was probably a poor choice for a cold autumn evening. Plus, I just couldn’t get past the dressing as an unfortunate combination of flavours. However my chief recipe taster and I both agreed that it would make an excellent headliner for a summer mezze ensemble, which included dips, pita breads and other exotic salads.

All in all we decided that the meal deserved 7 out of 10 – Not a bad meal… but a far cry from the amazing culinary experience I had hoped for….. oh well, I guess theres always next week….

2009-10-14T14:32:00.000+01:00

And so it begins…………

For the first challenge in this series I let my ‘chief recipe tester’ select the kick off recipe. A carnivore at heart, he chose a Lamb recipe from Feast Bazaar, by Barry Vera. Having only purchased this book on Friday lunchtime I thought its selection was well timed!

The chosen recipe was simply called ‘Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb’ and clearly featured the trigger words that would spark my chief recipe taster‘s interest (i.e. Marinated and Lamb).

This was an exotic choice, coupling natural yoghurt and a mixture of fresh and dried spices, and included Saffron threads (which I love), garam marsala and freshly grated ginger. Preparation was minimal – score the lamb, mix the spices into the yoghurt and marinate for 3 hours.

The original recipe called for a leg of lamb that weighed between 1.8 and 2kgs. As there were only two of us we chose a small (600g) lamb shoulder roast that had been rolled and tied. We untied the roast and flattened the meat in an effort to maximise the effect of the marinade thus resulting (hopefully!) in a more flavoursome end product.

We placed the meat and yoghurt mixture in a snap lock bag and popped it in the fridge for just over 2 hours. A late start to preparation meant that we had to shorten the marinating time and as the meat had no bone and was dramatically smaller than the once called for in the recipe the cooking time was shortened to just over an hour.

A note from the author assured us that when served with a simple accompaniment ‘the flavour of the lamb would be enjoyed to the fullest’. Therefore we prepared broccoli and cauliflower that had been flash fried, first with a small amount of boiling water and finished off with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt in a hot pan.

The result was highly rewarding without being overly complicated. The meat was perfectly done, the marinade was subtle, enhancing the lamb rather than overshadowing it. The vegetables were fresh and complimented the dish well.

So The inaugural recipe was a great success and a lot of fun to execute. With generous amounts of motivation compelling me I cant wait until next weeks challenge!!!

Until then ……

2009-10-09T10:59:00.000+01:00

Cook Book Challenge

Some girls buy shoes, others buy handbags…

Me – I buy cookbooks.

I’m obsessed.

I have a shelf full of them and not a week goes buy without me wandering into a bookshop or browsing Amazon for the next addition to my family of books.

It’s important to point out though that this isn’t an indiscriminate obsession. I’m very selective. I believe in good chemistry and occasionally love at first sight. The book has to make in immediate impression, but also has to have at least a whisper of practicality.

Like any good antipodean I have a fairly healthy collection of Woman’s Weekly cookbooks, and like most people my age I also have a smattering of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Bill Granger and Marie Claire. There are books with Pictures and a few without (although I’m very visual… so pictures of what my efforts are supposed to look like at the end are very helpful.. and quite often necessary). Some were gifts and some I made traveling family members lug here from Australia in dribs and drabs (thanks mum and sis!).

I also boast an impressive collection of food related magazines and articles that I have kept over the years. To add to this just recently I have cultivated an enthusiastic interest in a few great food-blogs (see links).

However, there is one serious drawback with this obsession. Just like the woman who is obsessed with shoes but doesn’t have enough events at which to show them off, I have a comprehensive collection of recipes that I am yet to use. I mean seriously – what’s the point of having all these books if I haven’t yet experienced their delights!!

So with that I have decided to start my own Cookbook Challenge. For the next six months (October 2009 to March 2010) I am going to select a recipe from one book, magazine or food related internet site each week to cook and I will record my efforts here for all to read! This challenge is primarily about putting to good use my wonderful collection of recipes, while sustaining a hobby that will keep me occupied during the deepest darkest months of the English Autumn/Winter!

Hope you enjoy ……… see you next week!!

2009-10-01T09:31:00.014+01:00

A Day in Paris.....

The first time I went to Paris it exceeded all my expectations. It was ornate and stylish and it overwhelmed me with its sophistication and charm. I’ve been there a few times now and it never fails to please. On Saturday we went for the day. The reason for the trip was threefold. There was a wedding anniversary to celebrate, a sister to farewell and a friend to Bon Voyage.

The day started with brioche, brie, strawberries and prosecco on the Eurostar (my chief recipe taster admitted a slip up when he selected the Italian variety of sparkling wine instead of Champagne!). Popping the cork barely a minute after we left St Pancras station the day was off to a good start.

We walked everywhere, in part due to the fact that no euro coins and long lines at the Gard Du Nord Metro station made it virtually impossible to get Metro Tickets. However, the late summer sun shone so brilliantly it lit up the delights of this exquisite city making it a complete pleasure to meander around.

The day featured a couple of favourites for me. The Musee d’Orsay is a favourite gallery, not only because it houses such a vast range of impressionist paintings but also because of the beauty of the building itself and its impressive views of the city. We ate 2 of my favourite desserts – Chocolate Éclairs and Pear and Almond tarts, and then we made our way to Rue Cler – one of my favourite Parisian streets.

I stumbled across Rue Cler by accident a couple of visits ago. I was the tour guide to three of my friends who had never been to Paris before. In an effort to find somewhere to eat after visiting the Effile Tower I inadvertently steered us towards Rue Cler, and thus started a love affair between me and this wonderful stretch of Parisian life. It boasts fresh fruit and vegetable markets, flower stalls, wine merchants and a range of charcuterie, fromagerie and boulangerie that make you want to spend all your euros on groceries. My favourite thing to do on Rue Cler is sit at one of the many cafes and drink wine while discussing inspirations and motivations in life…. Actually, if I’m honest, this is one of my favourite things to do anywhere. However in Paris on Rue Cler it seems so much more ........ gratifying.

The day progressed quickly and before we knew it we were once again on the Eurostar sipping Verve Clicquot while basking in the glow of a very successful day out. As the train sped along I was lulled into a champagne induced slumber, and I couldnt help but daydream about my next visit to this fair city!

2009-09-24T14:52:00.002+01:00

Well it’s about time International Foodie got moving again, but before I go any further I need to explain my main motivations for starting this blog once again.

1 – Musing from afar

I promised a dear friend, when he left the UK for Guyana, that I would start writing again …. he’s been gone for 6 months …… and I haven’t written a word…..

2 - South African encouragement

Another friend (of south African extraction) told me recently that she liked the way I wrote and that I should get focused and start again…. Never one to mince words her encouragement sparked something that felt faintly like motivation ….

3 – Julie and Julia

I read about this Blog a few years ago and really liked the idea behind it. Just recently it was made into a film and I fell in love with it immediately (see Links). Normally I would hate to admit that a movie prompted some sort of action in my life. But this one was different. Firstly it was about food … and its no secret that I love both cooking and eating food!!. Secondly, it featured Julia Child, whom I have always loved as my mum and I used to watch Julia Child when I was a kid. It was the thing we did on Saturday afternoons while my Dad was playing rugby. Thirdly, Julie Powell (the Blogger) was a notorious non-finisher and set herself a project so she would be forced to finish something.

I am a notorious non-finisher …….

Something has to change!!

So with that I am starting IF once again – Enjoy!!

2007-04-24T10:25:00.000+01:00

Bella Italia

As September 2006 drew to a close my chief recipe taster and I packed our bags and fled to the sun soaked cliffs of Italy’s Amalfi coast. We had been invited to accompany a band of travelling South Africans, with whom we had become friends once we discovered the unifying bond of a shared sense of humour.

This escape was pivotal for a few reasons. It represented time to reflect on a hectic year that had been full of change, a time for celebration of 10 years of wedded bliss and my first chance to practise my novice Italian on real live Italians.

Our days were spent in a little seaside village called Praiano. Our villa, La Caravella, was perched high on the hill-side and boasted a view that seemed to span the entire world. Due to the concave aspect of the gulf in which we were situated, looking out on the Tyrrhenian Sea gave the illusion of being at the end of the earth – indeed had it not been for the American or Australian accents that seems to make their way on to every bus and into every restaurant, one could be loured into believing that you were in fact detached from the rest of civilisation.

This was a holiday spent avoiding tourist traps and enjoying the local scenery. Without the pressure of having to ‘see everything’, in 5 days we were afforded the opportunity to relax and unwind and live a little like a local.

Each morning our day would commence with the men of the household taking the trip up the road to Senora Rosa and the affectionately named ‘Tutti a la Frutti’ where they would purchase local delights that would become breakfast. Even after a language barrier induced hic-up resulted in Picante Fromaggio (chilli cheese) making its way to the breakfast table, all agreed that this was the best arrangement and so the morning routine was established.

After we finished our crusty bread, apricot jam and three morning coffees we would begin the trek down to the sea to bob about in the ocean for as long as the sun shone down and kept the water tepid but refreshing.

One morning we were joined by a group of local 60 years olds, who jumped and dove about in the water with all the energy of teenagers, albeit with far less dexterity. They laughed and sang at the top of their voices an Italian rendition of ‘That’s Amore ’– a tribute that Dean Martin would have been proud of. They all had big smiles and bronze skin – the kind of skin that has been ‘warmed’ in the sun for decades. The kind of skin you don’t see in England.

When the swimming stopped, we would lumber up to the sea side cafes where the food was fresh and the wine was cold and dry… the perfect combination. Our entertainment during these refreshment breaks was Bambino la Bella and her inclination toward concrete and stairs and the recurring game of ‘who knows how to ask for this in Italian’. This game was played through out the holiday – with Nona Carla playing the judge.

After one nightmare day of missing busses and boats being cancelled we took refuge at our swimming wall and the nearby seaside restaurant that served peaches submerged in white wine, and mussels in tomato sauce with Linguini. With each sip of wine and each mouthful of mussel the perils of the morning faded until the Limone profiteroles made by the ‘mama’ of the house eradicated all memories of the only morning we tried to be tourists.

My favourite memory of that meal was overhearing the conversation that ensued when an American couple asked for a dessert.

When the waiter offered a suggestion at the couples request the female of the couple asked ‘Did the mama make this?’, the waiter responded with an enthusiastic and slightly indignant ‘Si si of course’ as if to say 'This is Italy…. What do you expect!!'

To question the authenticity of an Italian menu option is to label ones self as an ignorant tourist.

The Italian approach to eating is about more that just food and wine though – It’s also about atmosphere and attitude, and how the right balance of all 4 creates a truly memorable meal.

The mixture of simple ingredients and local produce was the inspiration behind the triumphant night of the feast at La Caravella. It was a small affair, enjoyed in candle light and accompanied by conversation that cements friendships. We enjoyed thin slices of pan fried chicken breast (perfectly prepared by the chief recipe taster), baked tomato and aubergine, two types of Tomato sauce to cater for the non-anchovy enthusiasts amount the group and locally grown green beans – my green vegetable of choice as I believe it be adaptable to almost any combination of food.

The headliner of the night is a dish I’ve named Praiano Patata Con Gorgonzola. A dish that came about by chance and etched itself into our memories as the highlight of the ensemble.

It was a night and a holiday to remember!

Praiano Patata Con Gorgonzola

1 kgs of Potatoes, pealed and washed

Cream

Gorgonzola

Whole, dried chillies

2 small onions (or even a handful of Shallots)

Boil the potatoes until they start to soften, but are still firm. Drain and place back in the pot with the cream and sliced onions and continue to cook on a low heat, stirring continuously. When the cream is nice and hot place small pieces of the Gorgonzola in the mixture and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are soft. Place the chillies in the mixture and make sure they are big enough to be able to take out in case you do not like eating dried chillies!!

2006-11-08T15:59:00.000Z

The Coffee In Praha ........

The coffee in Prague is wonderful – Strong, black and velvety. It smells like a mixture of roasting coffee beans mingled with melted chocolate and comes with tiny pots of evaporated milk or small chocolates wrapped in silver foil.

Prague is a coffee drinker’s heaven.

However, Prague is also a tourists dream. So with attractions such as the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and the Astronomical Clock, why would someone waste their time writing about the coffee?

Simply put – because I live in London!

Yes, currently I am a resident of her majesty’s capital city, and while London is famous for Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the millennium wheel – she is not known for her coffee – and for good reason.

It’s almost impossible to get a good coffee in London. I can count on one hand the amount of coffee I have had in this city that has rated a positive mention. In London coffee is something that comes in a large take away cup and makes you look cool – like someone out of Sex and the City or Friends. It’s expensive, and in most cases such bad quality, it forces you to accept that you drink it, not because you like coffee, but because you are in fact addicted.

Prague was different. The coffee was excellent, and that only added to the wonders of the city. I put various establishments to the test and was never disappointed. We drank at cafes in tourist central, off the beaten track bars, small pubs near the golden lane and American style coffee houses where the staff spoke perfect English and the décor was fashionable and minimalist – the kind of establishment where coffee is supposed to be overpriced and very disappointing. But we were nicely surprised.

Prague was beautiful and will go down as one of my favourite cities. The steaks were bigger than they are in London, the salads are fresher, the waitresses’ are friendlier. Even the American tourists in Prague seemed quieter… But maybe that’s because I finally got a good cup of coffee – and everything else seemed better as a result!!

2006-09-05T17:31:00.000+01:00

The new phenomenon in ‘group entertaining’ is the concept of the ‘Group Pizza Kitchen’. Entertaining enthusiasts no longer have to pine for a modern take on the famed fondue evenings of the 70s – the Group Pizza Kitchen has arrived and is making a big impact on the communal food preparation scene!

We were introduced to the Group Pizza Kitchen by a ‘Visiting Aussie’ on Friday evening, a few weeks ago. As would be the case with many of the events we attend in London the evening started with us rocking up to the venue close to 9, refreshed from the day and ready to eat. When we arrived events were in full swing and the kitchen was buzzing with the momentum of people preparing food.

The plan was simple and appealing

Our starter – served just before 10pm - was a sweet potato soup. Made with Love... and a good helping of Coriander

Our main meal was a series of self-assembled pizzas. The Visiting Aussie had a batch of home made pizza dough - prepared in advance and rolled into shape with the help of a duty free bottle of Jameson’s whiskey. The table was laden with an arrangement of carefully chosen ingredients including chorizo, buffalo mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms, artichokes and Prosciutto that cost far too much when converted into Aussie Dollars!

The idea was that each guest assembled a pizza that would be more delicious and sought after than the next. We worked on a two by two principle – while two were in the oven the next two were being prepared.

The concept was a big hit. The evening was social and fun, spiced with good humoured competition as each guest rose to the challenge of trying to create the most delightful pizza.

The night had it all. There was a chilli stand off that left all in tears and exhausted the milk supply in the house. There was a sword fight... with real toy swords. The Islander girls broke into some sort of a dance that looked like it was half hula half haka and there was a dessert – that, despite it being delivered in the glass pots of GU fame, was largely inedible. (We blamed the 70% coco solid chocolate??!!)

The evening spilled over to the next morning until all the dough was cooked, all the wine was consumed and all the bellies were full.

International Foodie claims to be devoted to Good Times, Good Friends and Good Food and the Group Pizza Kitchen had it all – including a few soul stirring renditions of Billy Joel classics that everyone knew the words to.

The Group Pizza Kitchen reinforced the idea that to share a meal with friends is to share a memory, a moment or maybe just a bloody good time!!

2006-08-25T15:13:00.000+01:00

The thing I love about the English is their unashamed love of simple food. Food that provides comfort, food that is designed to fill and dare I say bloat! Food that can be found in pubs and is always served with some sort of potato!

The English love it all - Jacket potatoes, cabbage mash, Tuna and sweet corn, or cheese, onion and salad cream baps (don’t knock it till you try it!!). Even the poshest English lass will get stuck into a plate of fried eggs and Baked Beans after a big night out!!

In the four years I’ve been a UK resident I have not once come across an act of food snobbery perpetrated by a local. Generally speaking the English have a ‘food humility’ that stands in stark contrast to the attitudes I grew up with in Australia. I can’t include my New Zealand experiences in this instance as when you grow up with Maoris you have to accept one fundamental fact about yourself and your heritage…. Maoris eat anything!!

Maybe that’s why I love the English approach to food.

As a Maori growing up in Australia I found many adjustments were necessary. Very early on in the piece I learnt that to stop being teased about your funny accent you quickly had to assume the beloved ‘Aussie Twang’. Likewise, to stop being at the receiving end of school yard taunts over the contents of ones lunchbox one had to loose the ‘I eat anything and I’m proud of it’ attitude.

At my school in Australia to admit that you ate baked beans was to commit social suicide. To have tuna in your lunchbox was to be accused of smelling like cat food. The funny thing was that even as I got older many of my peers still held tight to these attitudes. So I continued to deny the relief evoked by publicly vocalising my true food inclinations.

Don’t get me wrong – I believe that to eat well is to eat a variety and to eat good quality. I even like donning the glad rags and spending a fortune on Posh Nosh every now and again too. However I also believe that everyone has room to indulge in a little simple, maybe even filthy, food every now and again.

England has induced a regression back to my childhood food attitudes. No longer do I ashamedly eat beans on toast for breakfast without admitting to my friends that this was the reason I didn’t feel like lunch. Rather I celebrate simple food. I eat it. I cook it. I love it!

I think maybe there is something quite Maori about the English!!

2006-08-16T16:49:00.000+01:00

It’s always warm at a Gaskell Road Soirée …………

On Saturday night we went to a party. It was supposed to be a summer soirée, but typically the English summer weather thwarted our plans to saunter in the sunshine and lounge in one of the only private backyards we are associated with in London.

When it became clear that the sun was stubbornly refusing to have a part in the evening’s festivities, our host dispatched a round of ‘rusty nails’* – guaranteed to warm when the sun wouldn’t. By 8.30pm the majority of the party goers were huddled in the kitchen extension eating their canapés and chatting excitedly. Londoners are adept at partying in cramped conditions and adapting to wet weather contingency plans – if they weren't they would never get to party!

However, parties on Gaskell Road stand out. Parties at Gaskell Road are always a mixture of civility and elegance coupled with good humor and a hint of that good ole Aussie yobboism (it’s a word… ask any Aussie!!).

The music is eclectic and the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. When we arrive our hosts look refreshed and expectant. The lady of the house has her hair up, wears kitten heal shoes and is draped in sparkles and turquoise, she is never ostentatious and always delivered with effortlessness (or the illusion thereof). Lord of the manner, who tonight masquerades as the bartender spiced with a hint of tri-athlete, is freshly showered, with slick hair and a pressed shirt. Their little lady comes dressed as a Ballerina in a pink tulle tutu.

At what age is it that Tutu’s at parties go from being cute to crass?

The Gaskell Road party food is always exquisite but never fussy. At our indoor summer soirée we feasted on an assortment of oriental delights (sushi and rice paper rolls), salami and Rocket wraps, summer fruits, friands and Brownies.

For girl’s only events, such as kitchen tea parties, the table is draped with white linen and covered with glasses filled with sparkling pink champagne. In autumn the table is decorated with miniature crab-apples and flickering candles. Cheese platters with fig jam is served as a fitting expression of appreciation of the most romantic season of the year.

The bartender provided an assortment of liquid goodies that cater for all inclinations. Sparkling or non-sparkling, red or white, alcoholic or beverages for the drivers (or indeed the detoxers!). Generosity is overwhelming as the 15 year old whisky it placed on the drinks table for all to dabble in its delights.

As we leave we make our way to the door by dancing to cheesy disco songs. The bartender jumps up and down in a ‘mosh’esque style and our hostess lures us into a semi-soul train semi-aerobics routine (or was that just me…?). All the while little lady ballerina is tucked up in bed… tutu carefully stored ready for the next soirée!

On the way home I think to myself – 'Warmth always radiates at Gaskell Road …… Even when the Sun refuses to come out and play!'

* Rusty Nail

2 oz Scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Twist of Lemon

Mix both ingredients in a glass with ice, strain into a Whisky Tumbler (My rule of thumb with whisky tumblers is the heaver the base of the glass the more pleasurable the experience!!)

Garnish with Lemon

2006-08-13T09:22:00.000+01:00

Self confessed instant drinker …………

As I stood in my kitchen after a rather lazy Saturday morning’s sleep in I looked at a jar of instant coffee, the contents of which I had begun to shovel into my cup, and thought back to a time when I never would have admitted to drinking instant coffee. Indeed there was a time when I would not have even had a jar of the offensive stuff in my house.

Yes – I was a coffee snob.

In my early 20s I began working for the Australian Public Service in Canberra (Australia’s Capital city) and it was the 'APS' that introduced me to coffee - and indeed sparked what would become a life-long partnership. It was a simple time, a time of innocence. A time I like to refer to as ‘BS’ – Before Starbucks. Cafes were a dime a dozen in Canberra – but coffee houses such as Starbucks had not yet crept onto the scene. In those days a coffee break represented an escape from a life that you were not yet ready for – a life of being a subordinate to team leader and a section manager. A life of flexi time and 4 weeks holiday a year. A life that wasn’t supposed to happen until you were in your 30s and ready for kids and benefits.

I distinctly remember the joy of walking across the road from my office into one of the cafes that did take away and thinking ‘for the next 15 minutes I’m not a public servant…. I am a coffee drinker indulging in the thing I most like to do – drink coffee’. It sounds a bit extreme but let’s face it – it was Canberra in the late 90s – There was no beach to escape to and drinking coffee was about all there was to do at 10 am on a work day!!

And that’s how it started – as my years in the public service progressed and my need for more grandiose moments of escapism grew my coffee expectations scaled out of control until one non-descript day I decided that I could no longer tolerate instant coffee. The words ‘sorry, but I don’t drink Instant coffee’ were soon to become a song I sang regularly.

But that all changed one fateful trip back to New Zealand.

My sister and I had gone back to New Zealand in July 2002. Justin and I were due to move to the UK on September 2002 and this trip was going to be the last trip back to NZ for the foreseeable future. My maternal grandparents offered their place as our base and for the 2 weeks we were there we whizzed around the north island always to return home to Nana and Koro.

One of the first nights in NZ we had been out with some cousins and returned home at about 10pm. Nana and Koro were in the lounge room – Koro reading the paper and nana watching TV. As soon as we walked in the front door, nana leapt off her chair and excitedly asked about our day. As I began to recount the day’s events she put the kettle on and pulled a tray of freshly baked shortbread from the oven (one of her specialties responsible for many of my fondest childhood memories).

As she reached for a cup she asked

‘Tea or coffee dear’

‘Coffee thanks nana’

‘How do you have it?’

‘Just black, no sugar’

‘Oh, Just like me dear’ …… she seemed to like the fact that we had our coffee the same way. So did I.

And then it happened, it could have even taken place in slow motion – all pivotal moments in life take place in slow motions – don’t they?

She reached up and grabbed a jar of ‘International Roast’ from the shelf cupboard and began scoping it into our cups.

‘But that’s instant coffee ……. I don’t drink instant coffee……… especially international roast…..IM A COFFEE SNOB….’ I thought in a panic and almost out loud.

But I couldn’t get out of it – I wasn’t about to tell my Grandmother that her coffee wasn’t good enough for me to drink – so I sat down on the sofa and finished telling her all about our day.

And so the pattern was established and whenever we returned home late in the evening – this was our routine. Nana would make the coffees (sometimes followed by a duty free baileys chaser!!) and get out a plate of homemade shortbreads and we would sit and talk about the day and all our adventures.

In my memory that coffee was the best I had ever had – and maybe that’s because it was accompanied by memories in the making. It wasn’t about escapism or even status, but rather about enjoying the moment with people you love.

When we got back to Australia I bought a tin of International Roast and every morning before work I would make myself a cup and think of how Nana’s face lit up as we talked and laughed.

So as I sit in my front room on what is now Saturday afternoon I enjoy my cup of instant coffee.

My name is Tracey McGarvey-Gilbard
And I drink Instant Coffee