Adriano Zumbo “Tanzanie” cake
I have wanted to try something from the Adriano Zumbo cookbook released only a couple of months ago. We have all seen his crazy cakes on Masterchef and in his stores but to actually make one, I am sure many of us would not even dare. For me it is a challenge that will test me and these are the types of things I love giving a go. I know it will not be perfect and like he would do, but for your average run of the mill kitchen I think I did ok.
I wanted to give this cake a try as it involves many layers of chocolate, which I love, and it has so many contrasting textures I thought it would be really interesting to eat. I must admit that I only ‘got’ the idea of the cake half way through cooking it. Although you created each layer and froze it individually to set, it ended up being a sort of ice cream cake. The thing I did not get was how 7 layers of frozen goodness were supposed to merge into one cake…..
The first time it was served it fell apart into its layers, but after a few times it had melted a little then was refrozen it set into one form. It was very hard to cut the bottom three layers but all in all a success. The result for the best layer was unanimous too….creme brulee was so delectable, perfect by itself or with some of the chocolate mousse, which does look more like choc chip mousse as I did do a boo boo while making it. The recipe states that when you have the melted chocolate and the cream you must cool the melted chocolate so it does not melt the whipped cream, but too cold and it will set into chips rather than turn into silky chocolatey creme……so cold melted chocolate equals what I produced. I actually like the look though as it breaks up the rest of the intense chocolatiness and makes it look not as rich.
So three days and seven layers later I used up 2 dozen eggs, 4 blocks of chocolate, over a litre of cream and blocks and blocks of butter……do you still want a piece?
There is one layer which I made but did not include in the cake which was a chocolate meringue. Since the cake had not moulded very well at first the meringue layer would have just completely separated the cake in two. It was very tasty and took the longest out of every layer to prepare (nearly 4 hours) but it did not go to waste and was subsequently eaten by my family. The mirror glaze would have been the trickiest as it depended a lot on temperatures and having particular ingredients which I did not have, so I made do with what I had and it was shiny, but a little thick. The rest were all straight forward and just required patience. Overall I do think it is a marvellous cake, and definitely the best ice cream cake I have ever had…..would I ever make it again? Probably not, unless a close friend requested it for a special occasion.
Was it worth it you ask? YES I made a Zumbo cake and it nearly worked, that is an achievement in itself!
[I have decided not to put up the recipe as it is extremely long. If you would like a copy, email me and i'll send it to you.]
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Mum’s birthday. What do I cook??? She has recently deemed a new cake cookbook she purchased as her favourite thing since sliced bread….well maybe not that much, but she is very excited, so I thought I would do something out of that for her. I did think however maybe the choice should be her’s and I am glad I did as she told me to make one of her favourite cakes which I forgot I was saving to bake for this day.
I lie actually, I made it a couple of weeks ago but that recipe was stupid, or maybe I was the stupid one to listen, as it instructed to put a springform tin into a waterbath to cook the cake. It is evident that the bottom half of the cake was absolutely soaked! Straight to the bin it went….
I researched and found many recipes for souffle cakes which did not require a waterbath and decided on one. The key to this cake is creating as much air as possible and being very delicate and careful when you do finally fold everything together as you want it to be as light and airy as possible, so if you are too rough or stir rather than fold, you will get rid of a lot of the air bubbles.
Once you pout it into the springform tin (no waterbath this time) you bake it slowly for a long time. If you cooked it fast the outside would cook and the inside would remain raw, so be patient and it will turn out like this…..
Crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy, to the point of it melting in your mouth, on the inside. It is for this that it is so appropriate for any event as it is rich yet light and wont leave you feeling like you just ate a brick, you might even go back for a second one.
When I served this to my Mum she was just in heaven and did, like most girls, continue to cut slithers to make themselves feel better about not having a second slice. My twin brother was convinced it was just too rich and did not understand why I was putting a large scoop of ice cream to have with mine….some boys just don’t know how to enjoy decadence!
All in all Mum loved it, which is the most important thing. We had a simple do for her birthday this year, but I know she did not mind as she got exactly what she wanted…..the best chocolate cake in the whole wide world.
Chocolate Souffle Cake
(slightly altered from Dolcetto Confections)
400g dark chocolate, chopped
175g unsalted butter
7 large eggs, separated
¾ cup sugar
ice cream to serve
Beetroot Ravioli with goat’s cheese and sage butter
Finally the day had arrived. I organised a lunch with my capoeira girlfriends at least a month ago, although admittedly I cancelled and rescheduled twice, so in a way it is my fault, but it worked out for the better as today was a beautiful day and really the start of summer!
I woke up early for anyone’s standards of a sunday morning, 7am, and was out of the house by 8:30 for a morning coffee and to buy groceries. By the time I got home I had already prepared the pasta I had planned, which worked out quite well considering I had never made a flavoured pasta before, and by 11am all prep was done. Now at this stage I would have been stupid not to swim and tan in my pool since the sun was out and I hadn’t gotten any vitamin D in a while.
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Once I was a lightly darken shade of brown and the girls were almost here I finished the ravioli. I had wanted to make a beetroot pasta for a while as the colour is quite pretty and I flavour goes particularly well with goat’s cheese, which I love, and I was certain the girls would love it too. To prepare the filling I just mixed a marinated goat’s cheese with a goat’s chevre and powdered sage, but I left it until just before they arrived to finish as I did not want to leave the pasta in the fridge to toughen up, but did not want to leave the cheese out in the heat to ruin.
The girls actually timed it perfectly and arrived all at once not too long after I had finished the ravioli. I heated the water, made the sauce and then we served up and sat on the balcony where the sunny Sunday afternoon turned into a stormy, thundery afternoon. It did not dampen the lunch though as it made sitting out on the balcony, overlooking the water that bit more relaxing…..especially with a glass of wine or two.
The one thing I love about burnt butter sauces is that they go with so many fillings, and do not have to be heavy as many people might think, you only need a drizzle and the beautiful nutty flavours go through the pasta beautifully. I also this time bought fresh sage which fried while the butter was cooking away and really enhanced the dish. All in all I got the thumbs up from the girls and showed them that fresh pasta is not so daunting to make, you just need a good pasta maker, strong arms and patience because if the dough is not springy enough, it will rip in the pasta maker or your pasta will be tough and not enjoyable. A key I would say is to allow at least 10 minutes for constant kneading, and I’m talking full elbow grease, not just wimpy kneading, and your pasta will be delicate silky strips of pleasure.
Beetroot Ravioli with goat’s cheese and sage butter
(serves 6)
pasta
400g ’00′ flour
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
100g beetroot puree
1. put flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Put eggs and puree and beat lightly with a fork to combine.
3. Using your hands mix to form a dough and knead until springy and silky. Leave to rest for half an hour.
4. Separate the dough into6 balls. Using the largest flat setting on your pasta machine, then close the gap by 2 notches and feed the dough through again. (each time coating the dough with a little flour so it does not stick and rip)
5. Put the setting to the thinnest you can get and slowly and carefully feed the dough through. Lay flat on a towel (do not fold over, I did this and they all stuck together even though I had rubbed flour onto them. In the hot weather they just fused)
6. Repeat with all the dough and lay flat.
filling
300g marinated goat’s cheese (drained weight)
300g goat’s chevre
4tsps powdered sage
1. Mix all ingredients together until a smooth paste.
sauce
250g butter
fresh sage
parmesan (to finish)
1. To make the ravioli add dollops (about a tsp) along the dough leaving at least a 5cm gap. Put a sheet of dough over the top and press around the filling to make the dough stick together. Using a ravioli cutter cut into squares and place on a clean tea towel until ready to cook.
2. Once all done and ready to cook, boil a large pot of water and add some salt. Carefully place the ravioli into the water and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook as the sauce will continue to cook it.
3. While cooking make the sauce by melting the butter in a pan and add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter is bubbling, has turned brown and the sage leaves and fried.
4. Once cooked strain and make sure you get as much water off as possible.
5. Plate up and then using a spoon pour the burnt butter over the top of the ravioli and then place the fried sage leaved on top.
6. Grate parmesan over the top and serve immediately.
Fresh Scallop & Prawn Spaghetti
I love making fresh pasta! I just have to state that, and until I went to Italy two years ago and learn from my friend who lived in Milan, I did not realise how easy it is. Super easy, but you really need to have patience once you form the dough and knead like crazy. I’m talking at least 10 minutes to make a super springy, glossy, smooth ball of dough. Once rested for half an hour it is all steam ahead and you will have fresh pasta in no time.
Your pasta maker will have a whole heap of different size profiles but once you start you need the flat profile open to the widest, this is to start the flattening process. After this is done close the gap two notches and then afterwards 2 notches again until you have quite a thin sheet of pasta. (throughout this whole process you must continually wipe the sides with flour to avoid it sticking on the pasta maker and ripping. Disaster!
If it has not ripped and is thin you can decide on the type of pasta you would like to make, for this recipe and most seafood or light sauced recipes spaghetti is a great option. Slowly feed your pasta sheet through the spaghetti profile and wind until it is all cut up then add more flour and with your hand grab the pasta lift up and drop, lift up and drop so that the pasta separates. Put into bundles and let it rest while you prepare your sauce.
This sauce is one that I just whipped up with a mystery bag a friend bought over, so you can use an type of seafood you like, including shellfish, bugs, prawns, mussels etc. Just remember with seafood the one thing that is a must is fresh parsley. I am very lucky we have an abundant supply in my backyard so it was just a quick trip downstairs and not up to the shops for half dead stuff. Other ingredients that are complimentary with fresh seafood pastas include chilli and garlic, but today we were adding some truffle oil to finish, so I went without as I did not want them to overpower. Instead I just added some fresh truss tomatoes and a whole lot of mushrooms.
One thing I do stress is that once you make the pasta it MUST be undercooked slightly as you need to stir it through the sauce for at least a minute so it can absorb those flavours, hence it will continue to cook, so if you want perfect pasta don’t hesitate and take it out.
NB: one last thing….. fresh pasta will always taste better the day after as it has had all that time to absorb the flavours of the sauce.
Fresh Scallop & Prawn Spaghetti
fresh pasta (serves 8)
600g ‘oo’ flour
6 eggs
1. Put the flour in a bowl and then make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs in the centre and then using a fork lightly whisk the eggs together.
2. Start combining the flour then use your hands to form the dough. Knead until the dough is very springy, shiny and smooth (approx 10 mins).
3. Let dough rest for 30 mins before cutting it.
4. Cut the dough into eight small balls and using the largest setting on the flat profile of your pasta maker, push the balls through. Dust discs of dough with flour.
5. Close the gap by two stops then put the dough through again. Dust discs with flour.
6. Close the gap to the thinnest or second thinnest setting (whichever you prefer) and slowly pass the dough through without ripping it. Dust with flour.
7. Using the spaghetti setting pass each disc through then sprinkle with flour. Using your hands separate the pasta by picking it up and dropping it, then leave the eight piles to rest until the sauce prep is done.
8. Cook pasta in salted water, take off and strain just before ‘al dente’ (as it will continue to cook in the sauce and you do not want soggy pasta). Set aside to cool.
sauce
600g baby scallops (frozen is fine, just thaw before using)
600g whole green prawns, shelled and cleaned
3 large truss tomatoes, diced
500g mushrooms, diced
2 large handfuls of parsley (although you can never have enough)
50g butter
truffle oil to drizzle
1. Before using the seafood pat it dry as it will release a lot of liquid which you do not want.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened.
3. Add the scallops and cook them for 3 minutes then add the prawns. When the prawns are nearly done add the parsley and stir through.
4. Add pasta and stir through for a good couple of minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavours of the sauce.
5. Serve then drizzle with truffle oil.
Spicy Date & Walnut Loaf
This is a long time favourite in my family and a great, much healthier alternative to ‘banana bread/cake’, but I will warn you, make 2 loaves as it goes very quickly. This version is not super sweet like some store bought varieties so you can take it for breakfast morning tea, afternoon tea or something to finish off dinner, and for that reason it does not last in my house.
I also add spices to the mixture which you do not have to do, like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, as I love this combination. We can see a similar combination of spices and fruit and nuts in Moroccan foods such as the spice mix ras el hanuot which contains cinnamon and nutmeg, and many tagines that use ras el hanout have prunes and almonds, so although this is just a basic loaf which has chucked a few ingredients together, it could be a mix that can be translated also into many other moroccon dishes. You could substitute the flour for pastry, add almond meal and make a phyllo snail roll with nuts, dates and spices, which would be a variant on their almond and cinnamon phyllo roll.
Anyways back to this loaf. It really is not a hard loaf to make, it just takes a bit of time to prepare and cook, but the only way to fast track this is to make the loaf in a very small tin so it cooks quicker, but noone will prefer a small slice to a large thick slice!
Spicy Date & Walnut Loaf
250g dates, chopped
1 tbsp bi-carb soda
1.5 cups boiling water
100g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
200g walnuts, roasted
1. Put the dates, bi-carb and boiling water in a bowl and leave it stand for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C
3. Cream butter and sugar then add eggs and mix until smooth. Add spices then remove from mix master.
4. Add flours, walnut and date mixutre to the butter mixutre and stir until just combined. DO NOT over stir otherwise it will not be light and fluffy but dense and hard.
5. Cook for 1 hour 20 mins or until cooked through. (I usually have to cover the top with alfoil after 40 minutes to avoid the top burning as I want the inside to cook, even in my weird fan forced oven)
Flourless Mandarin and Almond Cake
My Mum recently purchased a cookbook of the most simple cakes you will ever come across. This one is no exception, and features in the ‘food processor cakes’ section. With the exception if boiling some fruit, everything is thrown in, blitzed and baked. Easy peasy!
Cakes which use almond meal commonly are paired with oranges but we had just been given a bag of homegrown mandarins from the elderly couple next door, so of course I feuded to substitute these as the flavour of these mandarins were so intense, they were juicy and sweet, Much nicer than those dry ones you buy in the supermarket!
The benefit with this recipe is that it is not only gluten free but also completely dairy free, no butter, no milk zilch! Great for people with intolerances and this cake although it has a little but if sugar is high in protein and fibre. For those who can have dairy it is great with some natural Greek yogurt, but it is still delicious just plain.
The texture is so moist and light so great for any time of the day, if you wanted to make it an adult version you can pour 2 tbsps of galliano or cointreau over the top once it cones out of the oven.
Overall I give this cake 5/5, it is light, tasty ad super easy to make. I’ll let Mum gloat now and tell Me that cookbooks do not need to be expensive or have celebrity chefs to be good. How right she is!
Flourless Mandarin & Almond Cake
6 mandarins
1/4 cup galliano
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup almond meal
1 tsp vanilla essence
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1. Boil mandarins in a pot full of water for 40 mins or until the skin is soft.
2. Cut off any bad bits of skin and then quarter mandarins. Allow to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
4. Once cooled slightly blitz until quite a smooth purée. Add galliano, sugar and baking powder as blitz again.
5. Add among meal and pulse until just stirred through then add eggs and pulse until just combined. (do not over mix it otherwise it will be dense and heavy)
6. Line a springform tin with baking paper then pour mixture in. Bake for 50 mins.
7. Allow to cool in tin then when ready to serve dust with icing sugar.
Gazta Tarta – Cheesecake
I have wanted to cook something from my Movida Rustica cookbook and have been eyeing this cheesecake out for a long time. It is a Spanish baked cheesecake, not an Italian baked ricotta cheesecake that everyone knows well, and unlike those “Cheesecake Shop” styles, it is light and fluffy, how I like my cheesecakes. Best of all this recipe is gluten free!
Cheesecake has been one of my favourite cakes since I was a little girl. I always used to request a baked cheesecake from a particular bakery in Bardwell Park for my birthday which was as light as a marshmallow, it just dissolved in your mouth and was dangerous if you were left alone with it and a knife. Within half an hour you would just notice the cake gradually getting thinner and thinner as I took thin slithers stealthily, knowing I had overindulged but enjoyed every bite so much. I must admit though, I loved the base of that particular cake, but now since discovering my gluten intolerance, such past times are not so enjoyable and that is why this recipe is so promising, Light and fluffy but that caramelized crust on top just giving it that little extra that you do not even need a base.
This ridiculously easy recipe originates from San Sebastian in the north of Spain and once cooked in a hot oven sugar is sprinkled over the top and finished off with a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. It when served whole it could even look like a crema catalan due to this similar finishing technique, but once you take a spoon you will discover the soft luscious texture which dissolves on the tongue. Look away and it will be gone before you know it!
Today however was one of those days when you don’t quite have enough of anything and due to the gloomy cold weather you can possibly fathom venturing outside to the shops so make do and improvise, which I do actually love. Every recipe can be pulled and tugged here and there to produce a nearly the same if not better outcome. So I had a little less fresh cream, I used thickened cream. I did not have goat’s curd so in went more philli. No lemon rind, but a touch more lemon juice was added. Finally my large circular springform tin was lent out, as something always is, so out came the tart dish, a mini springform tin and 2 ramekins.
5 minutes after it started cooking I walked past the oven and almost jumped out of my socks as they had risen a lot and I was worried they would overflow, but as I discovered when I pulled them out to sprinkle the icing sugar on top for the last stint, they just sunk. It was kind of depressing as this beautiful, velvety cake, which almost looked like a souffle does what is the fear of all cooks and ‘lets off some steam’. I knew it probably was supposed to and I was to cook it for 10 more minutes but no cook likes to see something sink down in front of their eyes.
I had also lent out my blowtorch to a friend when I delivered a creme brulee last month and have forgotten to collect it, so I had to use an alternative method for the caramelization of my crust. A HOT HOT grill will do the trick, as it will to make Naan bread, I discovered once. They are very handy and can be used to do many great things. Of course the result is not as pretty as the one in the book, but I am sure Frank Camorra would be impressed for a quick effort.
Gazta Tarta
8 serves
butter, for greasing
plain flour, for dusting (for gluten free dust with almond meal)
500mL (2 cups) cream
155g (2/3 cup) superfine caster sugar
300g (1 1/4 cups) soft cream cheese – Philadelphia is the fine
5 eggs
180g goat’s curd
125g (1/2 cup) thick plain yogurt
grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
40mL brandy
2 tbsp icing sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Lightly grease a 25cm springform tin with butter, the dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
3. Place all the ingredients except the icing sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth. (about 1 minute then it will be thick and all combined). Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes or until just set.
4. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven, sprinkle the icing sugar over the top and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and using a kitchen blowtorch, brown the top until it is very dark. Alternatively, brown the cheesecake under a very hot grill (broiler). Allow to cool before serving.
“Green eggs and ham” (gluten free)
I have never read Dr Seuss, but I don’t need to have grown up with it to know the term “green eggs and ham”. In Sydney today it is currently 18 degrees C and a time to grab the jumpers, pull out the heaters and eat comfort food. I have been working away at home all day looking outside at a gloomy scene. No sun glistens off the river, no birds are chirping and I could not be further from wanting to be out there. I would much prefer to stay inside, in my pajamas and have breakfast for lunch as you would on the weekend.
I have been craving baked eggs for a while now but it wasn’t until last weekend when I purchased my first packet of gluten free puff pastry from Harris Farm Market that I decided, this week is the week I will do it. I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a plate of pastry without worrying that my stomach will hurt afterwards. Of course I have the occasional nibble but to sit down and know this will not make me sick is something I am looking forward to tremendously!
So this is a chance I decided to pay my dues to Dr Suess and make my own “green eggs and ham”. My green was the salsa verde I made last week as a topping on some steak and my ham will be some Calabrian nduja which is hard to come by in Australia. I got this one from Pino’s* in Kogarah. Pino is the king of curing in Sydney and his nduja will not let those die hard fans down. It is spicy, smoked in house and available in a sausage or in a paste.
The one thing I hate when I used to bake eggs in pastry is that the pastry on the bottom was always soggy, not matter if I baked it for a little first or in a water bath it never crisped up so I was not going to be disappointed by this GF pastry even before I started. The base of my ramekin would be juicy, sweet vibrant red capsicum topped with my salsa verde then some nduja. The pastry will go around the inside of the ramekin and then the eggs will sit inside. Finally it will be topped with some marinated feta and more salsa verde.
The result? Only a little sogginess on the base of the pastry but the rest was absolutely delicious. The capsicum had softened but still had some crunch to it and the feta had softened all over the top. What about the pastry you ask? Look I will not sugar coat it for you, gluten free tastes nowhere near the real thing, EVER. I don’t care who says they can make a product that you would not know as you will. The flavour of rice flour is so strong in every combination you can think of and the texture was thick and more like a shortcrust than a puff, but did I enjoy it? I enjoyed it enough to satisfy my curiosity and add some diverse textures to my green eggs and ham.
Green eggs and ham
(1 serving)
1/2 sheet gluten free puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs
1/4 cup salsa verde
3 slices nduja, broken up
1 capsicum cheek
2 tbsp marinated feta
1.Preheat oven at 180 degrees C.
2. Spray the ramekin with EVOO.
3. Break the pastry into thirds and fit around the inside of the ramekin. Slice the capsicum in the shape of a circle to fit on the base of the ramekin inside the pastry.
4. Top the capsicum with some salsa verde and the nduja. Crack the eggs inside then top with the feta.
5. Bake for 17 minutes or until the egg just sets.
6. Remove from oven and put a few dollops of salsa verde on top. Serve.
7. Use the pastry to scoop up the filling!
* Pino’s Fine Foods
45 President Ave
Kogarah NSW 2217
(02) 9587 4818
My Yiayia’s Taramousalata
This dip is a favorite in my family. Whenever there is a tub at home you can be assured it will not be there 2 days later, it is highly addictive and can be put on anything (some might say). That is how much we love it.
My Yiayia (grandmother) is a legend. Everything she cooks tastes amazing and no one can cook her dishes better.
I have been determined to learn how to make taramasalata for a long time and document these recipes she has stored in her head as I want to pass them down to my children one day and keep the passion of particular dishes alive. Also because I know she would be so proud of me.
My Yiayia came out to Australia in the 1960′s with two young boys. Of course assimilation was hard and the strength or the Greek network in the inner west was at it’s peak. Unfortunately in the early 1980′s she lost her husband and both sons had left home and gotten married, so learning English was not something she really got a lot of help with. Luckily has many friends who she catches up with everyday but until recently I did not know how much of a social butterfly she is. Coffee with friends 3 days a week, shopping 2 other days a week and then seeing her sons twice a week. You really need to plan to see her as dropping past is not always a successful plan.
As a grandchild who does not speak Greek it does make it hard to converse, but the more time I spend with her the easier it is for us to understand each other and learning her recipes brings us both so much joy. I want to share this recipe with you all as it is very unique and not many make Tarama in this way, but that is why it is so good, the best. I know you will agree with me.
Taramousalata
3 large potatoes, Boiled and mashed
1 onion
200g tarama paste*
1 3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
1. With a hand blender mix the tarama paste and onion together.
2. Slowly add the potato until it gets thick and then add 3/4 cup oil. Blend. Then add 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Blend well.
3. As it starts to smooth out add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup lemon juice until light and smooth and the texture looks like it does below.
Strawberry yogurt muffins
I always get excited when I find something my Mum really enjoys and asks me to make again, believe me there have not been many! So when I got to use yogurt (tick) in some muffins (tick) and some coconut (tick) I was very positive as each of these things she enjoys. I must admit though my Mum is obsessed with yogurt, and in these muffins it gives them quite a sour flavour which is beautiful with the fruit and coconut, but can I just set a scene? My Mum puts yogurt on nearly everything she eats, any rice dish, salads, even once she put it with Osso Bucco despite my pleads to tell her not to ruin my rich 4 hour slow cooked meal. She continued with happiness. I have accepted it now, but if it floats your boat then why not enjoy it with as much as you can. No that does not mean pouring nutella over everything to make it taste better, but it probably would!
It is an easy one bowl recipe which is quite foolproof, once you cream the butter you just throw it all in and mix. It is not restricted to strawberries either, I have used blueberries which are also a great mix with the coconut but any seasonal fruit would work well. Apart from the complete easiness of this recipe is the texture. They turn out so soft and fluffy, I was surprised to see how well they keep after couple of days, they are still extremely moist.
Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
85g butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup natural Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup milk
2 cups SR flour
1 punnet strawberries chopped (or 1 1/2 cup blueberries)
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2) Cream sugar and butter. Remove from mix master and stir in the yogurt, milk and eggs until well combined.
3) Add coconut and fruit and mix well then add the flour and mix until just combined. It should be quite a wet mixture so if it is too dry add some more yogurt.
4) Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Creme Brulee
I have never been the hugest fan of Creme Brulee. I like it but there are things I would order over it…….this was until 3 weeks ago when a friend had prepared some at his house for a dinner party. I remember I was completely absorbed by the creamy, thick, smooth texture which was so enjoyable. For that minute I completely forgot I was lactose intolerant and what lovely stomach cramps I had to look forward to. It did not matter, life it too short to not enjoy simple things like this lovely dessert.
So the opportunity came for me to devise two desserts for a dinner party I was attending yesterday. Firstly chocolate fondant popped into my head but then I decided to give this one a go too. I did however need a blowtorch for the event which I mentioned to my Mum and she said I should ask my Dad, who of course in his large workshop downstairs had a more than appropriate piece of equipment for me. (I appologize for the ugly photo, but it is not something I wished to style, but just take note of the size of Moccona in the background – not mine by the way)
When it was ready to torch I got a little excited and turned it up quite high and slightly burnt my brulee. The second ramekin was much more successful, but this did not deter us from completely devouring them. And again for that moment I was completely oblivious to what was going on around me, only concentrating of flavours, textures which left me with a very large smile.
(Yes this camera shake is the result of a kiwifruit cocktail, beautiful gamay and Napa Valley Cab)
Creme Brulee
2 cups cream
5 eggs yolks
100g caster sugar + extra for toffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
1) Preheat oven to 120°C.
2) Put the cream and vanilla into a pot and bring to the boil. Take off heat immediately.
3) Cream yolks and 100g sugar until thick and very pale. Pour cream into the yolk mixture and mix until well combined. Pour into 3 large ramekins.
4) Boil water in the kettle and prepare a waterbath to cook the creme brulee. Place the ramekins in the waterbath and cook for 45 minutes or until the top is set (do not let the brulee start to bubble)
5) Cool for at least 4 hours then when ready to serve sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on top of the brulee and using a blow torch evenly caramelize the sugar so that toffee is produced. Serve and enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Fondant
This dessert has travelled all over the word, passed by so many of my friends and brightened up dinner parties. It all started back in 2008 when I had a dinner party with uni friends and prepared the gooey chocolatey dish. I was surprised it was so easy to make and realised it is perfect for such instances as you can prepare them ahead of time.
I then went to France and made this for my friends Laura and Elwyn, in both dark and white chocolate, and after that requests from friends for the recipe poured in. Last weekend I decided it was revisit this decadent pot of goodness for a dinner party with my partner’s bestfriend and his girlfriend. It was actually quite fitting as Laura is the biggest chocoholic I know and since her birthday was only two days ago it dessert for the dinner had to be spot on.
I had forgotten how easy this is to make, the only part that is slightly hard is the whisking eggs and sugar over a double boiler for 8 minutes. I don’t like to use electric mixers so my arm got a huge workout, let me tell you, but once they are done they can last chilling in the fridge for weeks, and since they only take 12 minutes to cook, what really could be easier for a dinner party?
Nothing else needs to be said. Laura enjoyed it. So did I.
Dark Chocolate Fondant
70g dark chocolate
60g unsalted butter
20ml espresso coffee
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
50g fine almond meal
1) Over a double boiler melt the butter and chocolate until mixed together. Take off heat and then stir in espresso.
2) In a seperate bowl over the double boiler combine the eggs and sugar then whisk for 8 minutes or until thick and pale. Remove from heat.
3) Fold chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and once combined sift the almond meal in and stir lightly until just combined. Pour into 2 large ramekins. Refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.
4) When ready to cook, preheat oven to 180 degrees and cook for 12 minutes or until the top has just set. (The longer you cook it, the more like a pudding it will become) Serve immediately with come ice cream on the side.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
Basically this is ‘my’ tart. The one that I have made more times than any other. The one that I am most confident in, and the one that I have spend more time developing the recipe than any other. This is the signature of Trish.
My journey with this tart started way back in 2002 when I used to make Chocolate Caramel Slice, a cheat of this tart really, which was easy and something I could cook with my eyes closed in 1 hour flat without fail. It used condensed milk instead of a pure caramel and a biscuit base rather than pastry. It is very much loved by my family, and some even prefer it to this tart, but once you learn to make pure caramel, nothing tastes as good.
My first attempt of this tart was for my Cheese Room Xmas party in 2008. It took all day long and I was so proud by the end that it had worked. The only problem was that while making this caramel, for the first time, a bit of hot toffee squirted up and onto my thumb burning it extremely badly. It ended up being a second degree burns and it took a very very long time to heal, but now is a war scar I say, which I quite like as it has a story to it, but it just shows you the dangers of hot toffee.
Now I am much more aware and can see how the toffee is progressing so I am ready for the addition of butter, cream and salt. I do have to say that if you want salted caramel DO NOT BE SCARED to put a lot of salt it, you need to otherwise you will not get the desired result.
The second most important thing, after the caramel, is the pastry. I sourced this recipe from a great source who you could not fault, none other than Adriano Zumbo himself. Long story, if you want to now ask me, but he gave me the recipe and it is faultless every single time. MY tip? Once you make the pastry put it in glad wrap and flatten it out in a similar shape to your pan. It will make it easier to roll out after. For help on rolling it out thin, look at my link to ‘perfect pastry’. Now I use this recipe for most of my tarts as it is so easy and tastes great!
Ganache! OH how I love thee. The only thing I can say is INVEST in good quality chocolate as you can taste the difference. For this instance I was using 57% single origin chocolate from Trinidad and Tobago and it was so fruity and bright in flavour. mmmmm If you think I sound crazy please go and do a chocolate tasting course and then come back to me.
The final product. There is nothing left to say but eat quickly as it will ooze everywhere. (if you did not want it to ooze so much though, once you have made the caramel continue to cook it over a very low heat for another 20 minutes and it will thicken up)
Caramel
1 1/4 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup water
135g unsalted butter
110ml pure cream
2tbsp sea salt
Ganache
265g Valrhona Dark chocolate (between 55-75% cocao)
100mL pure cream
65g unsalted butter
1. Prepare the pastry and blind bake. Cool.
2. For the caramel, over low heat mix the water and sugar in a pot and then let it simmer away until it goes through all the sugar stages and finally starts to turn brown. At this stage do not take your eye off it as it is so easy to burn.
3. Once it starts to turn a rich golden brown take it off the heat and mix in the cream, butter and salt. Be careful as it will splatter, but mix thoroughly until it is all combined. Put it back on the heat for 2 more minutes. At this stage if you want the caramel to be gooey, take it off, otherwise for a firmer caramel leave it on for another 20 minutes.
4. Pour the caramel into the cooled tart shell. Refrigerate for 5 hours at least.
5. For the ganache, heat the cream over a double boiler until just warm then add the chocolate in and mix until combined. Add the butter and watch the shine really come up now. Cool it slightly and then pour it over your ‘firm’ caramel’ (N.B. If the caramel is not set the chocolate will push through and end up underneath the caramel)
6. Leave the ganache to set for at least 2 hours and then serve and devour in one sitting. I would not expect it to last for 2 anyways.
Seco de Cordero
This dish is one of those dishes that Peru is known for. “Seco” means dry and “Cordero” is lamb, so this dish is translated something like a dry lamb stew. Its main ingredient is coriander which makes a colourful and flavuorsome sauce. It is one of those stews where you can use those tough cuts of meat and slow cook them all day and although shoulder is the most common cut used, I have chosen to use lamb shanks as I find this cut incredibly tender.
If you are one of those people who do not like red meat, not to worry, this recipe is also able to be used with poultry and fish. You would just have to adjust the cooking time and maybe start cooking the sauce for an hour before adding your meat.
The test came when my partner sat down to eat. He started by telling me how his Mother usually makes it, with a salsa on the side of onions in lemon juice with chilli on it. Then alerted me to the fact that there was not enough liquid and usually a lot more coriander (I have added extra to the recipe below)…….but other than that pretty good. Meat was soft and juicy (tick), flavour was correct (tick tick) and just for the record he has never seen his mum use beer as many traditional recipes state (well I didn’t so that is another tick).
I have altered this recipe so that it is gluten free and easy on sensitive stomachs, but I have noted the changes.
Seco De Cordero
Serves 6
6 large lamb shanks, frenched
3 cloves of garlic
3 stalks celery halved and chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp aji amarillo
5 large coriander bunches
2 cup dry white wine**
3 cup chicken stock
10 small potatoes
2 cups rice
1. Brown the lamb shanks and set aside.
2. In a mortor and pestle grind up the coriander with some olive oil, in batches and set aside.
3. In a large pot sweat the garlic and onion until translucent, add the cumin, 1 tbsp of aji paste, the coriander paste lamb shanks and liquids. Stir and simmer for 2 hours, sitting occasionally so that it does not stick.
4. Once the stew is almost done boil the potatoes in water with the remaining aji paste until tender. Chop in cubes to serve. Cook the rice in plain water until cooked.
5. To serve plate up the meat, some rice and potatoes in a bowl then spoon the liquid over.
* I used celery instead of onion which may irritate some peoples stomachs.
** Traditionally beer is also used in the recipe so that there is 1 cup beer and 1 cup white wine, but I have removed this so it is a gluten free dish.
Dobos Torte
Yesterday was my best friend Kelly’s birthday. Happy 24th! We started celebrating the night before with dinner at Intermezzo Restaurant at GPO which was fabulous……and last night we continued with a bowling party. Although I am a terrible terrible bowler, it is surprising how much fun you can have when everyone has not done it for such a long time, I was not as bad as I thought….although compared to my competitive bowling family, scores of 82 and 75 would be shunned upon, they only get scores over 200. I might be bad at bowling but I knew that I would redeem myself with the birthday cake I baked for Kelly.
The cake is called Dobos Torte is a traditional Hungarian cake which consists of layers of sponge and chocolate butttercream with discs of toffee coated sponge on top. I appreciated that it is great in the traditional way, but I wanted to change it up a bit. I based the cake around the recipe from Canelle et Vanille, however I altered my creams a little. I decided to ditch the toffee pieces on top as I thought the cake was rich enough. The buttercreams were a bit different too, the inside being brown butter salted caramel buttercream, and the outside is that buttercream with dark chocolate and cocoa.
I must admit I was quite worried when I presented it that it would be too rich, too buttercreamy and noone would like it. This was her only birthday cake so I could have possibly ruined her birthday. Luckily EVERYONE loved it and were so impressed by it, especially Kelly. Phew! Just over 4 hours to make and it was gobbled down in 5 minutes. Definitely worth making, you just need lots of bowls and to be patient when making each component, it is worth it in the end.
This is my recipe, or the best I can devise as I did so many things impromptu, so I apologize if you end up with bowls of buttercream or toffee leftover.
Sponge
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups icing sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
195g plain flour + 17g cornflour, sifted together
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Line 2 flat baking trays with baking paper.
3. Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup of icing sugar, and the vanilla with a mixer until pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon in the mixture (approx 3 mins).
4. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar and beat to form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the rest.
5. Combine the flour and salt then sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
6. Spread the batter amongst the sheet pans as flat as you can and bake until lightly golden on top (approx 7 mins) Let the sponge cool.
NOTE: To make the sponges a consistent flatness put a piece of baking paper over the top, just as they have come out of the oven, and using another flat tray gently press it down so that it becomes flat and even.
Burnt butter Salted Caramel buttercream
Caramel Syrup
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)
1. In a small saucepan mix water and sugar and then leave over high heat to start caramelizing. (KEEP AN EYE ON IT) Cook until it is a deep golden brown colour then remove from the heat immediately.
2. Very carefully pour in one cup of water, being mindful that it will splatter so pour slowly and step back.
3. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. (approx 10 mins)
Caramelized Butter Frosting
2 x 170g butter, softened
4 cups icing sugar
200mls cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp caramel syrup, heaped
sea salt, to your taste (I used about 2tbsp)
1. Cook butter until brown. Pour through a sieve then cool.
2. Put cooled butter into a mixer bowl and slwoly whisk in the first 2 cups of icing sugar. The mixture will start to get thick so add some of the caramel and cream, then continue to add sugar. Repeat until it looks like below and then add salt to your taste.
NOTE: You will have left over, use it for the chocolate buttercream after you have laid out the layers of your cake.
Chocolate buttercream
leftover caramel buttercream
200g dark chocolate, melted
1 cup cocoa
To assemble
1. Cut the sponge layers into thirds and place on your serving plate which is lined with some baking paper. Place the first layer of sponge and using a knife, spread an even layer of the caramel buttercream over the top. 
2. Repeat with other layers until you have placed the last layer of sponge on top.
3. With the remaining caramel buttercream make the chocolate buttercream then using a knife spread the chocolate buttercream around the edges of the cake, covering it well.
4. Decorate with sprinkles or smarties etc. Refrigerate until 30 minutes before you want to serve it.
Eating & Drinking Sydney – New food guide GIVEAWAY
Hi guys
This year I was asked to be one of the contributors to Eating & Drinking Sydney, a new comprehensive food guide for Sydney and surroundings. I wrote for the restaurants sections which meant I got to try a whole lot of new restaurants, hpi and funky places that have been there for a while and also some that are just plain institutions (which I liked the most!).
The other sections throughout the book are Cheap and Cheerful, which was edited by the popular “Grab Your Fork” blog creator, Helen Yee, and then the lucky Anna Fedeles edited all the bars around town, but I think the hat has to go to Elizabeth Meryment who read through and edited, not to mention, dined at many of the 300+ restaurants featured (is anyone wishing you had Liz’ job?…..I do!)
The book will be released September 1, 2011 and will retail for $29.95 BUT I have 2 copies to give away.
How do you enter? Just tell me, in the comments below, your favourite dining experience. This does not mean just the food, the view or the service, it is the whole shebang. Tell me Sydney! The best two comments will get a copy of the book sent to them.
For more information on the book, check out the facebook page here.
Start posting…..
Steak Diane with chips
This is the one thing my Dad requested for his birthday “I just want a really good steak diane, but not with mash, with crispy chips”. Ok Dad. Done!
I went to Pino’s Meats on President Ave to get the meat as they are a meat specialist and know their stuff. Everything is fresh and they cut to order. I ordered Scotch fillet as it has a good marbling of fat through it and will give this dish a good flavour.
Now, the second part of this dish are good chips. Recently I saw Heston Blumenthal on masterchef and I remember he talked about how to create the best chip. He said you need to boil the chips first and cool them so they are perfectly cooked once you deep fry them and so that you do not need to keep them in the oil a long time and burn them.
The only thing I would suggest doing which I did not is to get the right type of potato that he suggests, which are the charlotte or belle de fontenay varieties. Although my chips were well cooked, they did not stay crispy for long. I think maybe my oil was not hot enough either?
As you can see below, I like my steak quite rare, the opposite of my Dad who likes his well done. So I did it how he liked it, but for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the juices from this beautiful piece of meat (no sauce, my lactose intolerant stomach would have hated me!)
This is the real deal. I must admit it did look good. Dad was very very pleased and enjoyed the meal thoroughly with a bottle of Katnook Estate 2006 Founders Block Shiraz.
Steak Diane
4 thick pieces of scotch fillet ~ 250g each
abuot 20 mushrooms
50g butter
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
300mL cream
1/2 cup brandy, plus some to deglaze
bunch chives
Cold half cooked potato chips
1.Before you cook the beef I would suggest start to cook the chips in hot oil as they take a while to cook. Drain on paper towel and season.
2. Cook beef to your liking. (If they are thick, brown well and then bake in the oven until cooked enough)
3. Deglaze the pan you cooked the beef in by pouring in a good splash of brandy. Then melt the butter and sautee down the mushrooms.
4. Add the dijon and worcestershire sauce and mix in well. Then add the brandy and cream and 1/2 the chives. Simmer.
5. Once the beef is done, let the steaks sit for a couple of minutes them slice. Arrange on the plate with the pink flesh facing up. Spoon over some sauce, and sprinkle with extra chives then stack some chips on the side.
Mini Pavlovas
Today is my Dad’s birthday and one of his favourite ‘cakes’ is Pavlova. Of course for his birthday I wanted to prepare a menu for him that he would really enjoy. I knew he would be opening a good bottle of wine for the evening, but dessert really has to cap it off.
Last time I tried to make meringue it did not work as the bowl I used was too shallow and the meringue went ALL OVER my kitchen, and I am not kidding. This time I used my newish kitchen aid which has amazing power and a deep bowl. Easy! I got glossy thick meringue in no time.
You have to lick the bowl….raw meringue is soooooo yummy. Even better when you sprinkle a little bit of cocoa on top!
I was a bit scared to dollop the meringue into blobs, and I would normally use a piping bag, but I lost my nozzled (of course, what timing!) So 2 spoons together worked ok. Then the cooking process is very slow. I even think I sped it up a little, but it will take more than an hour to cook at a very low heat ~90 degrees.
So now that the meringue is done, I have to work out what will go on top and if you know me, you know I don’t like to make things that are the norm, so today we will be playing with the meringue. I have made the bases plain, so that they are gooey in the center, but for the topping we cannot use just a plain whipped cream No no no. It must be more interesting. I have decided to go with fruits for this ‘end of winter’ night and also so that we don’t finish on a really heavy dessert after steak and chips.
I found beautifully ripe mangoes at the fruit market so I decided to make a mango cream drizzles with passionfruit and grated chocolate. However these mangoes were very deceptive. They had a very strong aroma from them but when I blitzed them their flavour was almost absent. I folded the pulp through the whipped cream but still it was a flat flavour. I resurected it though, PHEW! I cannot have bad cream, as Dad absolutely loves whipped cream, so if I was going to flavour it it had to taste good. Unfortunately I did not have any limes which would have lifted the flavour with the acidity but I did have some left over lemon curd (as you do) in my fridge from last week, so a substantial amount of that in and now it tasted great. With the addition of some gelatin (just to make it a bit firmer after all the liquids I added ) I think it is done.
Now time to assemble. The scary part! I feel like one of the finalists in masterchef when they wer assembling Rene Redzepi’s snowman….so if they can do it surely I can too! I searched high and low for my piping bag as I can carefully pipe my mango lemon ‘mousse’ now on top in a neat pile then top with passionfruit and shavings of chocolate.
Meringue with mango lemon mousse
(makes 7 blobs)
6 egg whites
pinch salt
375g sugar
1 mango
300mls fresh cream
1/2 cup lemon curd
3 gold gelatine leaves
passionfruit
70% dark chocolate
1.Preheat oven to 90 degrees Celsius.
2. Put egg whites and salt in your kitchen aid and whip until stiff peaks. Then slowly add the sugar until thick and very glossy.
3. Using a piping bag, or spoons, put blobs on a flat tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 1 hour until outside and base is just set. Let cool.
4. Now prepare the cream. Pulp mango flesh and put through a sieve. Fold into cream.
5. Fold in lemon curd.
6. Melt gelatine leaves in a little bit of hot water until completely dissolved. (You may need to put the water and leaves in a pot and boil until dissolved). Pour into a seperate and let cool slightly so it does not curdle the cream. Then add to cream and mix in well. Refrigerate.
7. Take all of the passionfruit out of the shell. Set aside.
8. Grate dark chocolate and set aside.
9. To assemble, pipe some cream gently on top of the meringue, leaving a pit in the center. Spoon some passionfruit in the center of the cream and then sprinkle with some chocolate.
Lemon Curd Tart
I decided to make this tart after a challenge was given to me where someone said to me how HARD lemon curd tarts are to make. I thought pfft, they are not, I am confident I can make them well as I have done so in the past and they were very successful.
Unfortunately I did loose my recipe when my website was deleted so I had to do some research and play with the recipe before posting. I ended up using Skye Gyngell of Petersham Nursery’s recipe as a base and change it around a little. I like the curd to be quite tangy and sour as it balances the extreme richness of the butter and many yolks….also it allows you to pair it with creme fraiche or ice creme and still be balanced instead of just rich.
Basically you just need to make sure that when making the curd you do it slowly so it does not curdle, then you are set. I always use the same pastry recipe for most tarts and once the pastry is cooked you let it cool and fill it with your cooled curd.
This is my adapted recipe.
Use my perfect pastry recipe
9 egg yolks
4 lemons zested
3/4 cup lemon juice (but add it slowly and taste in between so it is to your liking)
250g sugar
300g butter
1. Using the perfect pastry recipe cook the tarts and let them cool.
2. In the meantime, over a low heat melt all the curd ingredients slowly, so it does not curdle (approx 10 minutes).
3. Pour mixture into another bowl and allow it to cool.
4. Pour the mixture into the cooled pastry cases, but do not overfill.
5. Bake in oven at 240C for 5-6 mins.
6. Cool to room temperature then place in fridge for 2 hours.
7. Serve with ice cream or creme fraiche.
Empanadas
A small pastry which can be claimed by many countries all over South America, from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Peru. But none of these cross over to Greece, although we do have something similar which we call Bourekia, but this is not good enough for some Chileans I know who say “You are a nice girl, really, but you CANNOT make Empanadas. You are NOT Chilean”.
Well I was on a mission to prove them wrong. I was perfectly able to make such a simple little pastry….simple? Well apparently not. There are so many rules with empanadas. Factors to do with the pastry, amount of filling, how much olive and egg, size and their shape. Ok that is fine, I can research, I can youtube it to watch and learn particular techniques such as the repulgue (the plating on the rim).
The name comes from the word EMPANAR which means to wrap or coat in bread. They can be baked or fried, and this determines the type of pastry (tapas) that is required. Traditional tapas are made with flour, water and lard, so not really for the vegetarian, who would have to prepare their own tapas.
There are many types of Empanadas including the traditional Carne, made of beef which is then chopped very finely, like mince but with much more flavour; queso and jamon (ham an cheese); chicken; spinach and cheese…..the list goes on now and really anything and everything can be put inside. They can be made as a sweet with fruits inside. In Uruguay actually they are famous for their sweet Empanada which is filled with quince, dulce de leche and chocolate and is then covered in sugar or the pastry is brushed with apple jam.
But today I needed to start from the beginning. Carne con huevo y aceituna (meat with egg and olive). I had to perfect the most common style before moving onto interesting filling. There are many things that need to focus on. 1) Getting the pastry right. It needs to be thick, not soggy and similar to a shortcrust;
2) The filling needs to be balances, and this means the correct amount of spices, then portion of egg and olive for the amount of meat filling; and
3) The repulgue needs to be neat, tight and make the empanadas look pretty.
Once the pastry was made, which is arguably the most important part of the process, I think, then the filling is prepared and then each item is laid out as if in a production line for the filing to be completed. The pastry should be rolled out to about 2mm, this will give it enough thickness to cover the filling and keep it in without breaking, but also is not so thick that you end up with bites of only pastry.
A spoonful of meat, but not too much, there needs to be ample pastry for the repulgue. Only one small slice of egg, and half a GREEN olive. Many countries also add currants, but I prefer to not mix sweetness with my meat.
The repulgue is the twisting on the edge of the pastry. It is not easy, let me tell you. I watched many youtube videos to learn how to do it and then even after that it still took a bit of practice. Overall though, I think I did well. (My Latino-ness is increasing by the minute!)
Before baking they are glazed over with eggwash and then baked for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. They should be golden brown when they come out.
Eating them is the fun part FINALLY. It is not a quick afternoon task, it does require a good couple of hours to prepare, fold and cook them all. I made around 50 or so, many of which I gave away, cause there are only so many you can eat, however everyone who received them was very thankful and said they tasted good.
BUT the test is what a Latino thinks…..unfortunately, my friend who said ‘I could never make them’ was not around to try them, so ‘the Peruvian boyfriend’ was quizzed on how good they are. Some might argue this is a bit subjective, as he would say they are good either way. WRONG. The first time I attempted them, I followed a silly recipe I was given which required me to boil the meat and ended in disaster. He sweetly told me how much I had failed. This time though, he gave them the thumbs up and even took left overs home.
Mission accomplished.
RECIPE TO COME
Perfect Tart Pastry (for desserts)
265g plain flour
160g butter, slightly softened
70mL cold water
7mL white vinegar
40g caster sugar
1. Pulse flour, butter, salt and sugar until it creates a dry crumb.
2. Add chilled water and vinegar and mix until it forms a ball.
3. Flatten the pastry onto some cling wrap and wrap around well. Refrigerate until firm.
4. Roll out pastry. (I find it easier to roll out the pastry in between two large pieces of cling wrap. This means that if the pastry is sticky it will smooth out easily and not stick to your roller. It also allows you to achieve an even and thin sheet of pastry).
5. Now put the pastry into your tin and put into the edges and along the sides.
6. Now using your rolling pin, roll along the top of the edges to break away the pastry cleanly.
7. Now refrigerate until firm.
8. Using a form, prick the base and then blind bake. (This requires you to put baking paper inside the dough and pour either dry beans or rice inside. This prevents the pastry from puffing up. Once the pastry is set you remove the beans/rice and let the pastry brown. Keep the beans/rice in a container and continue to reuse them as your blind baking weights)
9. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 15 mins, take out beans/rice and continue to bake until golden brown (approx 10 mins).
Peruvian Scallop Ceviche
Last christmas I really wanted to contribute to our family’s lunch but (and I know this might be blasphemy) I am sick of the Greek food we have year in, year out. It is nice, but it is boring to me now and I crave new flavours and recipes. I am not saying that I dislike lamb off the spit, pastitio, my Yiayia’s amazing dolmathes which are the best (I don’t care what anyone says about theirs), or a nice big Greek salad, what I am saying is that I need change from the norm. This year we even had the company of cousins from Cyprus, so what do my family do, but try to find everything Greek for us to do, from watching Greek movies to eating a lot of Greek food and buying special Greek coffee to make them. It is just fitting that of course we also had Greek games to play such as Tavli (backgammon) and Gounga (Rummy)
Over the past year and a half I have been trying to learn the cuisine of many new cultures including Italian, Spanish, Peruvian, Argentinean, Venezuelan and Mexican, so it is just my personality that I want to learn more and try out new recipes. So I did say to myself that this Christmas I will cook all new recipes and challenge myself. I forgot about the obvious however, although “I” want to try all new things, my family is not so adventurous and I know in the past when I have cooked something a bit different, it goes wasted. It does make me upset and think to myself ‘why bother’, but it is to satisfy my curiosity.
I did do something I have never done before and that most people would never even attempt….Panettone. It is not necessarily ‘hard’, but it just takes A LONG time as you need t let it rise 4 times which means if you do it in one solid block, it will take at least 9 hours. That was an achievement and it sounds very impressive too, which makes me happy. But for the Christmas lunch I decided to only make one thing and to do it for me as I know I will enjoy it and consume a large proportion…..Ceviche
A Peruvian raw fish dish which is cured with the acidity of lemons and limes and cooked also with the aji chilli paste. It is always served with sweet potato and corn, but normally Peruvian corn called Choclo which is much larger than our yellow corn and with a more buttery flavour than sweet. These vegetables cut through the high acidity of this dish. In the marinade there is also garlic, corriander, chopped red chilli and Spanish onion. Traditionally a white fish such as Perch or Snapper would be used but now there are so many variations, literally thousands, there is no one true recipe. I really like to use Scallops as they are a bit tougher and can sit in the marinade for hours without ruining, whereas white fish will cook straight away so should be eaten soon after pouring the marinade over.
So what was the verdict from the family? Well a few of them tried it which was great, but I did take home a fair bit and ate it for lunch Boxing Day. I enjoyed it as it was a refreshing dish on the hot day……………….but I think I just need to accept that my family still love the traditional food and will never change. That is fine, I can handle that, but I will still be on a quest to learn as many cuisines as I can.
Ceviche
500g Japanese scallops, halved as they are quite thick
1 spanish onion, chopped finely
1 red chilli, chopped finely
bunch coriander, roughly chopped
2 tsp aji amarillo paste
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup lime juice
1 large sweet potato
2 large corn cobs
cinnamon quills
1/2 cup sugar
1. Mix the onion and chilli through the scallops.
2. In a seperate bowl mix the juices and aji paste and season. Pour over the scallop mixture and then mix through the coriander.(This will need a couple of hours to ‘cook’)
3. Cook the sweet potato and corn in a large pot with water, sugar and cinnamon quills. Take out when ready – cooked but not soft.
4. To serve put some of the corn and sweet potato on one side of your plate, then fill the other side with the ceviche and juices.
N.B. If you are game you can drink some of the left over juices which are called Leche de Tigre as it is very spicy!
Pão de Queijo
I am always looking for new recipes from different cuisines and I happened to stumble upon this one from one of my capoeira friends. This recipe originates from Brazil and translates to Cheese bread. They are made as little balls and eaten as snacks. Before I even had the recipe I was determined to make them for all my friends in my class, but when I did a bit of research I discovered to my delight that they did not use flour, but rather tapioca starch which is gluten free. KA CHING! additionally they only had milk and parmesan, so it was easy to substitute rice milk into the mixture to make them also lactose free (as parmesan and other very matured cheeses do not have any lactose) I have hit the jackpot!!!
So I went out and bought the tapioca starch, which is easy enough to find from any Chinese grocery store. NOTE: do not bother going into a supermarket like Coles as they will probably charge you $6 a packet as it is in the heath food aisle, but if you go to the Chinese store, they will be max $2 a packet as it is something they use in a lot of cooking.
My first attempt was a DISASTER. It was based on choux pastry where you heat the milk, oil and water in a pan then add the flour and other ingredients. I think without proper full cream cow milk and butter, my substitutions hindered the stressfulness of that method. They were startchy, chewy and transparent in the centre. The outsides were beautifully cooked and tasted delicious so I actually got a spoon and pulled all the insides out and ate a plate of crusts. You could call it finding the best of any situation, yes, but to me I still needed to make it better, properly. I knew it was not a hard snack to make, but I just needed a new better recipe.
I then found a blog, Kitchen Corners, from a Brazilian girl who rather than heating the liquid first, just blitzed everything together in a blender. It seemed very very liquidy at first and I was skeptical about its stressfulness again. Thoughts ran through my mind of “will this even cook”.
BUT I reminded myself to be patient, something I am terrible at, have faith in the recipe and let the wonders of the oven take over. Instantly these liquid pots had puffed into magnificent balls of goodness. SUCCESS!
Hot out of the oven I eagerly ripped one apart, not caring if I was going to burn my fingers, I wanted to see if the inside was as good as the outside. YUP, the inside was soft and fluffy, just like a good freshly made bread. I knew I would be indulging on them all afternoon as I have not had a slice of bread for about 7 weeks now since I found out I am gluten intolerant and am missing it terribly. They were soooo good that I ate at least 10 over the next four hours. I could not help myself, they just tasted so good and I knew I could enjoy their flavour and texture, but the best thing to indulge in is the thought that they will not make me sick, have stabbing stomach aches and not be able to sleep, so devoured I did.
The true test will be my Master and his daughters who know all about the real thing and I must admit will be harsh critics, but I am sure they will approve. I am completely confident and am so happy to have stumbled upon Pão de queijo.
Pao de Queijo
500g tapioca starch
6 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup rice bran oil
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1. Put everything bar the parmesan in the blender until well combined then add the parmesan.
2. Spoon into mini muffin tins only 3/4 full otherwise they will overflow.
3. Bake for 15 mins or until well browned.
ENJOY!
