Assorted Foodie Bites

I've been having a bit of a tidy up in the photo file, hoping to get on track with some regular postings. Here are a few 'interesting' photos.

This is Simon Johnson's shop in Subiaco - WA. Wonderful, wonderful food. At the back the flash is reflecting off the glass walls of the cheese room - yum.

TLC Olives - Tequila, lime and chilli.

My purchases from Simon Johnson - real Turking Delight from Turkey, Valrhona chocolate, some Italian sardines and the most amazing nougat from Italy.

Lots of posts and TV shows recently about Beer Can Chicken. Confused my poor husband as I set it up but it tasted divine. The chicken is sitting on a half filled beer can and then roasted in this position on the BBQ with the hood closed. No beery taste, just lots of succulent chicken. Will definately be trying this one again.

At last I got to try a macaron. I've read about them, I've made them, I've searched for them in Hobart and Perth, WA with no success. A day trip to Sydney for the Good Food Affare meant I could drop into the Lindt shop at Cockle Bay and finally try one, or two or was that 18!

There Are Great Places To Eat

Pumpkin Meringue Tarts

After a couple of not so good restaurants I thought I should tell you about one that was good, in fact I have a few up my sleeve that are great, but I realised another great place to eat is my place.
American Thanksgiving has just passed and lot of the American blogs have been featuring pumpkin based desserts, and more specifically the traditional Pumpkin Pie. Being a Pumpkin Pie fan, I found this recipe from Tartelette, and had to have a go.

Pastry lined tart tins

Filled with baking beans

Straight out of the oven

With meringue icing - not quite as good as Tartelette's meringue

But they tasted great - and that's what counts.

Here is the recipe I used. This has been copied directly from the Tartelette website which is American.

Pumpkin Meringue Tartelettes:

Makes 8 small tartelettes (3 inches diameter) or one 9 inch round pie

Sable Dough:

1 stick (115 gr) butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (93 gr) powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 1 /2 cups (188gr) flour

2 tablespoons (20 gr) cornstarch (makes for a lighter crumb)

pinch of salt

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix briefly to incorporate. Dump the whole mixture onto a lightly floured board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Do not work the dough while in the mixer or it will toughen up. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. When the dough is nice and cold, roll it out on a lightly floured board or in between the sheets of plastic. You will have extra dough that you can save for another use in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen, well wrapped for up to 3 months.

Cut out 8 rounds two inches larger than your pastry rings. Fit the dough inside the rings with your fingertips and trim the edges with a sharp knife. Line the rings with small squares of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

For the Pumpkin Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin (not the whole can but 8 oz) (I used 1 cup pumpkin puree)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

2/3 cup whole milk

In a large bowl, beat the egg and sugar until pale. Add the pumpkin, spices and salt and mix until just incorporated. Add the milk and slowly and mix well.

Divide the batter among the cooled tart rings and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350F until the batter looks like it is just set, don't overcook or it will crack on you.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before proceeding with the meringue topping.

For the Italian Meringue:

2 egg whites (60 grams)

1/2 cup (100gr) sugar

2 tablespoons water

In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil and cook the mixture until it reaches 245-248F on a candy thermometer.

In the meantime, start beating the egg whites firm peaks but not stiff or dry.

When the sugar syrup has reached the proper temperature, slowly add it to the egg whites with the mixer on low-medium speed. Once all the sugar has been poured in, turn the speed to high and beat until the meringue has cooled.

Place it in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe rosettes of meringue on top of the tartelettes.

Use a blowtorch to slightly caramelize the tops or place them under the broiler in your oven but make sure to keep a close eye on them.

Hadley's Hotel

My Husband's work Christmas Party was held at Hadley's Hotel. They have an award winning restaurant, 1834, and when I check the menu online - as you do, I was looking forward to the evening. A wonderful Tasmanian menu with lots of lovely choices. Now seating 150 people in a restaurant like that is not usually the way it's done, and why I thought we would eat in the restaurant I have no idea, and so we were in a function room and dinner was a buffet. And typical buffet food it was.

We sat at tables of 10 with Christmas crackers, bread and Christmas coloured serviettes.

On each table was a buffet menu. The Entree Buffet listed 11 items, the Main Course Buffet listed 5 item and the Dessert Buffet listed 5 items. We were then told that there was only one buffet and then desserts would be served later. So we queued with our plates.

The turkey and pork (my favourite) were being hand carved as we waited, and we waited! As I stood and watched over my husband's shoulder, I decided the slow and laborious process to cut some dry looking meat wasn't worth the wait so I passed on to the chicken legs. These may have been nice warm, but over cooked chicken legs, served cold are just a bit too hard to handle.

Now I know this is starting to sound fussy, but in situations like this I usually bypass all the cold meat. There was ham, salami, silverside and pastrami. This is supermarket produce that I use to make the boys' lunches and I don't waste good eating space with these items.

This is a little bit of almost everything from the buffet.

Next in line was crumbed fish. That is it front right in the above photo. It was salmon! Who crumbs and deep fries salmon! What a waste of beautiful fish. It was over cooked and dry.

Then it was a line up of the usual suspect; potato salad, green salad, roast potatoes, roast pumpkin, cauliflower cheese, and garden vegetables. The price paid for this dinner included wine, beer and soft drink. Not much use to me as I don't drink, so I certainly don't feel I got value for my money.

I did however listen to the band. While they played 80's hits that I recognised and watching three grown men sing ABBA's Mama Mia, it would have been nice, given the circumstances, if the band members had given the appearance of showering and getting changed before taking the stage. They looked like they had spent a casual day at home catching up on those odd jobs before heading off to the gig. But ask anyone who knows me; I do like people to make a bit of an effort for the appropriate situation.

Plum Pudding, Kahlua Cheesecake, Duo of Chocolate Mousse Gateau.

Having been on the other side of a restaurant I have a pretty good idea what has come out of a tin and a packet. I gave the pavlova a miss, it is not one of my favourite desserts. The plum pudding was fine. You can't really go wrong serving up slices of tinned pudding. The other two, I'm sure were mix and set. The Kahlua Cheesecake was a cold set, gelatine base dessert - and I liked it because for some reason it was a bit salty and appealed to me on a plate of desserts.

So there is was, a lot of money, and I mean a lot, to eat basic buffet food and cheap wine.

But I still want to try their restaurant.

Sultana Caramel Slice

A few entries ago I showed you one of these pictures, having no plans to make it a feature on the blog. Since then I have shared this recipe with quite a few people who have enjoyed this very yummy slice.

It originally came from a local Sunday paper and was part of a Donna Hay article. I have renamed the slice to include the word caramel because it is a caramely, fudgey, squishy kind of slice. If you cook it a little longer and allow it to cool totally before cutting, it is a much firmer and neater slice. However, cut and eaten warm I think it is close to perfect. Cut it into big slices and serve warm with cream or allow it to cool and eat it anyway you like.







Sultana Caramel Slice

150g unsalted butter, melted (I used regular butter)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut

Topping
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups sultanas

Preheat oven to 180C
Place the butter, sugar, flour and coconut in a bowl and mix to combine
Press the mixture into a 20x30cm slice tin lined with non stick baking paper.
Bake for 15 mins or until golden.

While the base is cooking make topping.
Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and thick. (I've done this in a bowl with a wooden spoon)
Fold in the flour and baking powder and stir in the sultanas.
Spread the topping over the cooked base and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Allow to cool in tin (if you can wait that long) and cut into squares.

Cheesey Adventures

Sas's Deli For Lovers of Fine Foods

Subiaco, Western Australia

If all the food in the world was to disappear except for cheese I would still be a happy girl. I love cheese. I love it cold on toast, melted on toast, eaten on a biscuit or just grabbed from the fridge as I walk past, although we all know that cheese at room temperature tastes so much better.

I'm always looking in cheese cabinets and always interested in trying something different. Here are some I recently tasted, thanks to Wikipedia for the history lesson.

Camembert Aux Truffles ($75.99/kg)

Camembert is made from unpasteurised cow's milk and is ripened by the moulds Penicillium candida and Penicillium camemberti for at least three weeks. It is produced in small rounds, about 250g in weight, which are then typically wrapped in paper and packaged in thin wooden boxes. When fresh camembert quite crumbly and relatively hard, but characteristically ripens and becomes more fluid and strongly flavoured as it ages.

Camembert was reputedly invented in 1791 by Marie Harel, a farmer from Normandy, thanks to advice from a priest who came from Brie However, the origin of the cheese known today as Camembert is more likely to rest with the beginnings of the industrialization of the cheese-making process at the end of the 19th century

Queso De Manchego ($80/kg)

Manchego cheese is a sheep milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain. Manchego is aged for 3 months or longer, and is a semi-firm cheese with a rich golden colour and small holes. It ranges from mild to sharp, depending on how long it is aged.

The rich, semi-firm product is aged in natural caves for generally 3 - 6 months, which imparts a zest and exuberant flavor. It is barrel-shaped and weighs about 2 kg (4 lb). It comes in a 25 cm (ten-inch) diameter wheel, 12 cm (five in) thick, with a herringbone design on the inedible rind caused by the surface of the press used in the manufacturing process. (This traditional embossed pattern comes from the time when the cheese was wrapped in sheets of woven esparto grass.) The taste depends on the maturity: mild, subtle, and fresh; or strong and full-bodied with a tangy farmhouse flavor.

Queso Iberico ($75/kg)

Iberico is a Manchego-style cheese made from a blend of cow, goat and sheep's milk. It is made in the same type of mold as Manchego, and therefore has the same hatched pattern imprinted into its rind. One of the most popular cheeses in Spain, this firm, oily cheese is mild, yet tasty and aromatic. The blend of milks allows it to obtain the grassy, herbaceous flavors of the goat and sheep's milk while maintaining the smoothness of cow's milk. It is typically served as a table cheese, but is also good for cooking

Le Veritable Port Salut ($49.99/kg)

Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Brittany with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavor. The cheese is produced in disks approximately 23 cm in diameter, weighing approximately 2 kg.
Though Port Salut has a mild flavour, it sometimes has a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. The cheese was originally invented by Trappist monks during the 19th century at the abbey of Notre Dame du Port du Salut in Entrammes. The monks, many of whom had left France to escape persecution during the French revolution of 1789, learned cheese-making skills as a means of survival and brought those skills back with them upon their return in 1815. The name of their society, "Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis" (S.A.F.R.) later became their registered trademark, and is still printed on wheels of Port Salut cheese distributed today.
In 1873, the head of the abbey came to an agreement with a Parisian cheese-seller granting exclusive rights of distribution, and the cheese soon became popular. The abbey sought trade protection, and eventually (in 1959), sold the rights to a major creamery. The cheese is now produced in a factory; the characteristic smooth crust the result of a plastic-coated wrapper.
Handmade Port Salut cheese or "Entrammes" cheese is still produced by various monasteries throughout the French countryside, and differs subtly from its commercial cousin.

I hope the long winded stories didn't put you off, but I think it is iteresting to know the history of the food you eat.

Thou Shalt Remain Nameless

My Mother always said " If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'. So I shall say nothing.

Chicken Tenderloins with Pea and Pumpkin Puree ($17)

Pork Belly, Red Wine Cider Jelly, Wasabi Mayonnaise and

Grilled Tomato with Green Apple Slices ($18)

Grain Fed Rib Eye, Potato and Herb Mash, Bok Choy,
Mixed Mushroom Duxelle, Shiraz Jus ($33)

Lamb Rack with Rosemary and Sweet Potato Cake,

Asparagus and Herb Salad and Beetroot Jus ($30)

Souffle of the Day - Pistachio and Praline ($10)

Treacle Pudding with Golden Syrup and Ice Cream ($10)

Some Things To Look At

An assorted group of photos.

I first saw these tea bags in Perth when I was there in September. Not being a tea drinker I bought one for Mum to try. Being a regular tea drinker, this one is called 'Forte' and Mum found it very pleasant. The tea leaves are in a silk pyramid with a leaf on a cord to remove it from the water. Since I've been home I have seen these in the local homewares store with lots of accessories to match.

This is a Salmon and Asparagus Pastry. A layer of sour cream with dill is in there too. I saw this made on one of the many cooking shows I watched, but in the end it didn't really do it for me. I don't think salmon should be fussed and fiddled with like this. Nice but not exciting.

For years I've wanted to make an Angel Food Cake. I finally found a tin (expensive) and made one (lots of egg whites - 12 to be exact). It looked great, did all the right things. I decided to split it and fill it with the half jar of lemon curd that I had. The sound when I cut it and the texture in the mouth was like a wetex when you first take it out of the packet, before it gets wet. what a disappointment. Nice with some form of wetting agent on it - like custard. So what went wrong? What does a good Angel Food Cake taste like?

Dried beetroot powder. A fun purchase to experiment with. I made fettuccine and served it with cheese and green spinach. Tasted the same as regular pasta, just looked a lot brighter.

Plum, Salamanca Square

I haven't had much of a chance to eat out in Hobart. After living for five years in a country town, we are now trying to make up for the drought of quality restaurants and are dining out as often as the budget and babysitter allows. Plum restaurant goes straight to the top of the list as the best restaurant yet, and one of the two best in the last five years. It must share the top spot with Ebb in Swansea. We had walked past Plum last time we ate in town and while it was on the 'to do' list it hadn't quite got to the top, until I read a local review. It then went straight to the top of the list and I couldn't wait. Read on and you will see why.

I did try to take some photos of the menu, but didn't think they were visible. Now I know with a bit of squinting you can see what my choices were. In the excitement of arriving and the chatting with staff as we left, I forgot to take a photo of the restaurant, it's amazing lights that look like big snowflakes and its classy interior. I'll have to save that for next time.

Confit of Coal Valley Pork Belly $17

It wasn't hard to decide what to eat. I had already had an insight into the menu and didn't change my mind once I had a copy in my hand. While we waited for our entrees we were served tasty warm bread rolls with unsalted butter and herb oil for dipping.
When this beautiful piece of pork belly arrived I was in seventh heaven, pork belly being one of my favourite pieces of meat. It was soft and succulent with a crispy skin on top, some soft pea puree and beautifully turned apples all served in a caramel dressing. We were told that this was the chef's favourite dish and that he loved cooking it, I certainly loved eating it.

Trio of Macquarie Harbour Ocean Tout $22

My husband chose the tout for entree and it too was amazing. Pictured from front to back is ocean trout jerky with lime and wasabi sorbet, smoked trout with beetroot jelly and mascapone and trout tartare on brioche. The trout jerky was similar in taste to a cold smoked salmon, although slightly thicker and chewier in a good way. The wasabi and lime sorbet was fresh with enough wasabi to taste but not to overpower or burn. The smoked trout was rich with a beautifully strong smoked flavour. The standout was the trout tartare on brioche. An oil based dressing held it together and had seeped into the brioche making it particularly tasty.

Braised Beef Cheek $16

I'd never had beef cheek before, it never being on the menu of any restaurant I had visited, but I had read about it in other reviews and wasn't going to miss the opportunity to try it. I was well rewarded, this was an amazing taste, rich, soft and slightly gelatinous as you would imagine a very slowly cooked lamb shank to be. While there is no bone for the meat to fall from, it broke apart with the gentlest poke of my fork. The beef was served on a white polenta and veal jus flavoured with a hint of bitter chocolate. That in itself was a tantalising thought. There was no specific taste of chocolate and certainly no sweetness. Had I not read it on the menu I would not have been able to specifically identify chocolate in the sauce but it gave the sauce a richness and smoothness that only dark chocolate could give. Instead of the beef sitting in a thin sauce, the thicker, darker sauce clung to the beef so you had some with every bite.

Marrawah Beef Fillet served on Potato Rosti with Beetroot Jam and Mushrooms in Shallot Jus $31.50

A perfectly cooked steak, served with some broad beans as well as the potato rosti and mushrooms. You can't fault a good steak.

Warm Lemon Meringue Pot with Lemon sorbet and a Lemon Friand $13

My husband chose well for dessert. There were four items on the dessert menu, the lemon pot, a chocolate tart with banana flavoured accompaniments, a steamed cherry pudding and a creme caramel. It was a difficult choice as they all sounded good. This time the cheese board didn't even get a look in.

The pot was full of a warm, very lemony, tart but sweet curd with a soft meringue on top and the sorbet was intensely lemon but sweet, palate cleansing but never bitter.

Creme Caramel with Home Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Crisp Sweet Biscuit $13

The Creme Caramel was perfect, I couldn't fault it, smooth, creamy, full of vanilla beans as was the ice cream, but after the first two courses I had eaten I felt slightly let down. The pork and the beef cheeks were so amazingly good that the perfect creme caramel paled into insignificance in the shadow of these two dishes.

All I can say is you must eat here. Attention to detail, presentation and above all else, flavour. It was all there and made for a truly delicious and memorable meal.

Smolt, Slamanca Square

smolt (n.) A young salmon at the stage intermediate between the parr and the grilse, when it becomes covered with silvery scales and first migrates from fresh water to the sea.
And so we dined at Smolt in Salamanca Square. Smolt is co owned by Tassal, Tasmania's largest salmon producer

Have you ever read a menu and found you couldn't decide what to have, there were just so many dishes you wanted to try. Well, for me, this wasn't one of those times. After reading through the menu twice I had a horrible feeling that it wasn't going to be a good night.

Entree options consisted of nine small plates, predominantly vegetable and pickle based. Followed by a choice of five pizza, four pasta dishes, five mains and four sides.

We eventually settled on a combination of dishes that all arrived together although we had asked for the entree first.

Ham Hock Terrine with Piccalilli and Brioche $15.50

Tassal Salmon Brandade and Gremolata Pizza $19.50

Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes $6.90

Gorgonzola, Pear and Walnut Salad $8.20

This wonderful dessert consisted of a creamy hazelnut and coffee creme brulee, a chocolate cannoli and panforte $14.90

I was too busy with my chocolate plate to taste the trio of icecream, but my husband reported it to be very good.

The main course selection included: salmon with a pea and broad bean crush, venison ras el hanout, rabbit and wagyu beef.

Other desserts included: masala poached pear with crumble and buttermilk ice cream, rhubart and goats cheese clafoutis with burnt honey anglaise and a cheese plate.

When I dine out, I like to be impressed by a menu, have trouble choosing and do deals with my husband so that he orders the other dishes I want to try. This time, it took a long time to select a meal from the menu. Although what we ate was beautifully presented and very tasty, I wont be in a hurry to return.

My apologies for the quality of the photographs. The restaurant was very dimly lit and I dislike using a flash when dining so close to other people.

Turkish Delight Panna Cotta with Pistachio Ice Cream

I have a bit of a 'thing' for panna cotta. Not so much a desire to eat one when I see it on the menu (that would be a creme brulee), but more to make the perfect one. Knowing this, a friend sent me a recipe she had seen in her local newspaper. A reader's request for the panna cotta at the Azafran restaurant was printed, and knowing my desire to create perfection she sent it on to me.

Turkish Delight Panna Cotta

The recipe for the panna cotta was followed to the letter. Even ringing the restaurant and talking to the chef via his wife (he had a sore throat) to check on some details.

Turkish delight melting into the cream

Azafran's Turkish Delight Panna Cotta
Serves 6
300ml thickened cream
1/2tsp vanilla bean paste
160gm rose Turkish Delight
30gm caster sugar
40ml milk
2 sheets titanium strength gelatine
15ml rose water
300ml cream whipped to soft peaks

Put the 300ml cream, vanilla paste, sugar, turkish delight and rose water in a stainless steel pot.
Over a medium/low heat whisk mixture to help it break down.
Soak gelatine sheets in water and set aside.
Once all the turkish delight has dissolved into the cream mix and it has just come to the boil, remove from heat and whisk in gelatine and milk.
Allow to cool at room temp (do not let mix go cold as it will set).
Pass the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.
Fold mix through the whipped cream. Place into 120ml dariole moulds or similar and set in the fridge for minimum four hours.
Just before serving, dip the mould into hot water for about four seconds but take care not to get the panna cotta wet. Run a small knife around the edge and turn the panna cotta out on to the plate.
Serve with pistachio ice cream, crushed pistachios and saffron fairy floss (available at good delis).

The above recipe was printed in a Brisbane newspaper but I have made a slight change, I soaked the gelatine in water and added it to the cream mixture with the milk.

The finished dessert was very rich with the sweet and subtle hint of roses. Of course I had to play around with it, and with apologies to the Azafran chef, here is my version.

I took what was left of the panna cottas out of their moulds and gently melted half of them and added a few drops of red food colouring. I then whipped in the remaining panna cotta and poured it into two glasses. Once this had set, I topped it with some pistachio praline and the pistachio ice cream, finishing off with saffron fairy floss and a shard of pistachio toffee.

Pistachio Ice Cream

500ml pure cream
40g (1/4 cup) pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped
4 egg yolks
155g (3/4 cups) caster sugar
2-3 drops green liquid food colouring

Combine the cream and the pistachios in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Remove from heat.
Use an electric beater to whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar in a heatproof bowl until thick and pale.
Gradually stir the cream mixture into the egg mixture.
Transfer to a clean saucepan and place over low heat.
Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until custard coats the back of the spoon.
Set aside for 1 hour to develop the flavours.
Add the food colouring and stir until combined.
Churn in an ice cream churn as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Azafran Restaurant

97 Ekibin Rd

Annerley

(07) 3892 1776

Lentil Lasagne

Many, many years ago I told my husband that we needed to eat less meat and more 'beans and things'. Not really being very familiar with this style of cooking, I looked around for a recipe as I knew if I did it off the top of my head I would have no idea what I was doing and it wouldn't be edible. So appeared the Lentil Lasagne.

That night my husband arrived home from work and I told him what was for tea. I said all we had to do was try it and if we didn't like it I would put it in the bin and we could have pizza. So, in a household of confirmed carnivores, this is now our most favourite meal.

Lentil Lasagne

Fry an onion and garlic in a slosh of oil. Add a sprinkle of Italian herbs and a tin of drained rinsed brown lentils. Add a tin of crushed tomatoes and either a tin of tomato soup or some tomato paste and water. Let this simmer gently while you make the white sauce.

Layer the lentil sauce and the white sauce as you would a meat lasagne. Bake 180C for about an hour until bubbling around the sides. Rest about 15 mins and serve, or cool and freeze.

If you know some folks with lentil phobia, you can add some mince. This makes the lentils less noticable and makes a small amount of mince go a long way. I cook it at lunch time for an hour and then reheat at tea time. This helps the pasta absorb the sauce and lasagne cuts nicely, and you are less likely to have a sloppy mess.

I like to use an egg in the white sauce that is going on the top layer. The egg makes the top layer puff up and stay firm.

Just delicious, and even better reheated the next day.