Sami's Kitchen

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

2009-05-31T15:35:00.004+10:00

A recent foodie magazine printed a recipe for Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes.
A few friends have made them and have had trouble with the recipe. The cakes rose quickly and then imploded. Tasty I'm sure but not what was expected.

We have had a chat about the recipe and suggested alternative ways to make it. I have contacted the magazine who will check the recipe for typos etc and get back to me.

After looking at other recipes for brownies, including the one I make all the time, which I think may have been the first entry on this blog, I attempted the recipe today.

They worked

Left cake was a half filled case, the right cake was a three quarters filled case.

I tried two three quarter filled cases. The others were half filled as I would usually do.

This is the recipe straight from the magazine. My variations are below.

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

170g dark chocolate chopped
120g unsalted butter
1 tbs golden syrup or light corn syrup
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup (80g) coarsely chopped walnuts
8 small strawberries

Frosting
250g cream cheese at room temp

1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup or light corn syrup
120g dark chocolate chopped

Position oven shelf in the centre and preheat oven to 180
Line a cupcake pan with 8 paper liners.
Stir chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water) until they melt and the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the golden syrup and a pinch of salt.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and light.
Stir in the chocolate mixture.
Add the flour and the baking powder and stir until just blended, then stir in the walnuts.
Divide the batter equally among the cupcake liners, filling them completely.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes puff and crack on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with fudgy crumbs attached.
Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile for the frosting, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with electric beaters until it is light and fluffy.
Add the golden syrup and beat for a further 3-5 minutes.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water).
Stir constantly until the chocolate melts.
Add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and beat until blended and fluffy, stopping the machine and scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the mixture is well blended.
Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cupcakes.
Garnish each one with a strawberry, then serve.

My variations

1. I used 3 eggs

2. Oven at 160C, cooked for 30 minutes

3. I used a melt and mix method.

I melted the butter and chocolate together (m/w 3mins MED)

Stir in salt, sugar and golden syrup

Stir in eggs

Stir in flour and baking powder

Stir until well mixed

Pour into muffin cases

Bake at 160C for 30mins.

They look good. We haven't taste tested yet. If there are any left they will be iced with regular chocolate icing.

Banana Bread #8

2009-05-30T16:59:00.002+10:00

Banana Bread #8 has been deleted from the experiment. On reading it a little closer it is a recipe for a cake. So somehow it snuck into the list while I wasn't looking.

There are now four recipes left to taste test so I better have a look in the bottom of the freezer for some bananas as there haven't been many left to grow old in the fruit bowl lately.

#9 is a recipe using golden syrup
#10 is one of the most popular recipes from www.taste.com.au
#11 is from a little cook book of newspaper columns
#12 is my 'wild card' and is called banana parkin and contains oats.

A parkin, according to Wikipedia, is a soft cake made with oatmeal and molasses, originating in Northern England and most often associated with the area around Leeds.

Banana Bread #7

2009-05-30T16:26:00.005+10:00

This recipe is from an older Women's Weekly cook book. It was selected as being a 'regular, traditional' style recipe.

I've used this recipe before and once again had the same problems with it, hence the quest for the best banana bread.

Nice looking as it comes out of the oven

But here is the problem, cakey at the top and dense and almost undercooked at the base.

This cake came out of the oven slightly too brown on the top. The recipe suggested an hour but I took it out at 50mins. The recipe also suggests icing the cake. When cut, it was cakey and moist at the top, but quite dense and almost undercooked at the base. It tasted better when buttered. The butter just added that little bit extra.

The Recipe

125g butter, chopped
1t vanilla
1/2 C caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C mashed banana
1 1/2 C SR flour
1t bicarb
1T milk

Grease a 14 x 21cm loaf tin.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl of an electric mixer
Beat at low speed until combined, then beat at a medium speed until mixture is smooth and has changed colour
Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour
Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

So I still have the problem of the cooked top half and the stodgy undercooked bottom half - but only with this recipe. Interestingly this recipe is the only one that uses a free standing cake mixer. All the others are mixed by hand and this one also has bicarb and SR flour, like the previous one, but no smell of bicarb overload - interesting.

Score 6/10

Looks Good, Shame About the Taste

2009-05-30T16:07:00.004+10:00

I had high hopes for banana bread # 6.

It looked great coming out of the oven, it made a large cake so ideal for the family, but ugh!, it tasted just revolting. The bicarb taste was so strong this cake smelt and tasted like fish!

It looks great straight out of the oven

Good texture inside.

The Recipe

2C SR flour

1t bicarb

1t ground nutmeg

1/2 C brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (not used)

1 C milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1C mashed banana

1T raw sugar

Preheat oven to 180C

Grease and line a large loaf pan

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl

Stir in sugar (and walnuts)

Combine milk, eggs and banana and stir into dry ingredients

Spoon into prepared tin

Sprinkle with raw sugar

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean

Stand 5 mins before turning out onto a rack to cool

Slice and serve fresh or toasted with butter or jam.

This one went straight into the bin. I was so disappointed as it looked so good. I wonder why they added the bicarb when the recipe had SR flour? If there is a next time, and I would like to try this one again as it was a good sized loaf, I might leave out the bicarb and maybe use buttermilk or yoghurt in place of the milk.

Score 3/10

The One That Nearly Didn't Make It

2009-04-23T21:06:00.003+10:00

Banana bread #5 is one of those recipes that I instinctively shy away from. Anything that calls for egg whites and oil scream of healthy, low fat and generally dry and cardboardy. This recipe is from BBC Australian Good Taste magazine and is from the kids cooking section.

The Photos

Fresh out of the oven

Can you see the lumps of flour?

The Recipe

2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
¾ C brown sugar
¼ C rice bran oil
1 ½ C plain flour
1 ¼ t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
½ t bicarb soda

Preheat oven to 180C and line a loaf tin.
Combine egg whites, banana, sugar and oil in a large bowl.
Sift dry ingredients.
Fold together until just combined and spoon into prepared pan.
Bake 1 ¼ hours until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve warm, cold or lightly toasted with butter or cream cheese spread.

The Results

Believe it or not, this banana loaf is the best so far. I was so surprised. It makes a small loaf and I used a smaller tin than the others so it filled the tin nicely. It cooked in 55 minutes, rather than the 75 minutes suggested by the recipe. It was crunchy on the outside, sweet and bananary on the inside. It was nice with butter or eaten plain. It toasted well, but was as nice to eat fresh.

The Score

9/10. The best by far.

Banana Bread #4

2009-04-20T21:47:00.002+10:00

The picture

The recipe
This recipe comes from the Canadian Food Website - Food Network Canada, and is a recipe from Christine Cushing.

Banana Bread
2 or 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup/250 ml)
1/4 cup honey (60 ml)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (7 ml)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (60 ml)
1 cup plain yogurt, full fat (250 ml)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (30 ml)
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (375 ml)
2 tsp baking soda (10 ml)
1/2 tsp salt (2 ml)
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180C
Lightly grease a 4-inch X 8-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mash bananas.
Add the honey, vanilla, sugar, yogurt and oil. Mix with a spoon or spatula to combine.
Sift flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg onto parchment paper or another bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden and tester comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
Flip onto a wire rack and cool completely.

The results.
As you can see there is no picture of the completed loaf, I was too eager to try it.
The cake was soft and moist, with quite a cakey texture. There was very little banana or spice flavour and that horrible bicarb after taste.

The next day it was still very moist but the bicarb after taste was just too much and I couldn't eat it. Although it was soft and cakey it toasted nicely and this hid the bicarb taste. I enjoyed it toasted.

The score 4/10
Although this loaf was nice toasted it was inedible when fresh because of the bicarb taste.

This Is Starting To Look Better

2009-03-31T12:00:00.003+11:00

Banana Bread #3
This recipe comes from Donna Hay's new book 'No Time To Cook'
It is one of four recipes on a page and is just written as a paragraph, rather than all the ingredients listed, followed by a small picture.

The Pictures.

We were into this one before I remembered to take a photo

All looked good inside

The Recipe
1 2/3 C plain flour
1 ½ t baking powder
1/3 C caster sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t cinnamon

Combine the following in a jug
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
½ C vegetable oil
3 mashed bananas

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients
Add the wet ingredients
Mix to combine
Pour into a greased loaf tin 20cm x 10cm x 10cm
Sprinkle with brown sugar
Bake at 160C for 60 mins or until cooked when tested.

The Comments

As you can see from the first photo we were into this before I remembered to take a photo.

It was cooked in 55 minutes so I took it out of the oven earlier than the 60 suggested.

The brown sugar sprinkled on the top gave a lovely crunch.

The batter was very stiff and I wondered if it could do with a half cup of milk or yoghurt.

This is a delicious banana loaf and if my investigations had to stop here I would be pleased with this recipe. However I'm not sure I could stop myself giving it a little tweak, as per the above point.

It was very tasty with and without butter.

It is quite firm, definitely a loaf or a bread in texture.

It was nice toasted but I didn't think this improved anything.

The Score

7 ½ /10

I'm a bit hesitant to give it an eight as there are still a few more to go.

To be 'good', future banana breads will be referenced to this loaf.

Banana Bread #2

2009-03-29T16:38:00.004+11:00

This banana bread is from a cook book published by an Australian company that claims to triple test all their recipes in their test kitchens. I'd like to see the results of this recipe - triple tested. This one is not good.

The Pictures

A bit too golden brown for my liking

Nice looking inside, but a very small loaf.

The Recipe

1 ¼ C SR flour
1 t cinnamon
20g butter
½ C firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten lightly
¼ C milk
½ C mashed banana (1 large ripe banana)

Preheat oven to hot
Grease a 14cm x 21cm loaf tin, line base with baking paper
Sift flour and cinnamon into large bowl, rub in butter
Stir in sugar, egg, milk and banana.
Do not over mix, the batter should be lumpy
Spoon mixture into prepared tin
Bake in a hot oven about 30 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Stand bread 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

The Taste Test

This recipe made a small loaf. It burnt very quickly and while the top was past 'golden' the inside was still uncooked. The top of the cake was burnt at the 25 minute mark.
At 30 minutes the loaf was fully cooked but by then the outside was obviously very over cooked.
Inside was very much a bread like texture and tasted much better with butter.
This bread was sweet tasting, but there was no obvious banana taste
When toasted the next morning, and all the burnt crusts removed there there wasn't much to toast but what was toasted, was very nice tasting. A nice spice flavour came through
The results from this recipe were so bad I'd like to have another go at making this loaf. Next time I would do it all in the food processor, double the recipe and add a third banana and of course bake it at a much lower temperature.

The Score 2/10

The Big Banana Bread Bake Off #1

2009-03-25T21:27:00.002+11:00

Cake #1 - Banana and Sultana Bread - minus the sultanas

The Pictures.

The Recipe
Banana and Sultana Bread
2 C SR Flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C caster sugar
(3/4 cup sultanas)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C milk
1 C mashed banana (2 large)

Preheat oven to 180C
Line a loaf pan 23 x 13 cm with baking paper
Sift flour, bicarb, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl
Stir in sugar (and sultanas)
Combine eggs,milk and bananas in a large jug
Whisk with a fork until well combined
Using a large metal spoon, stir egg mixture into the dry ingredients until well combined
Pour mixture into loaf tin
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes
Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely
Slice and serve lightly buttered or toasted.

The Comments
This recipes needed an extra 5 minutes (Total baking time 50mins)
The top was hard and shiny and I had trouble getting the skewer into the cake.
When tested the cake appeared to be cooked apart from a bottom layer.
I gave it an extra five minutes, retested it and it appeared fine
When cut it was perfect looking inside.
Unfortunately when tasted it was chewy and tasteless, even when eaten warm.
It was quite 'spongy' and gel like and the crust was chewy.
There was very little banana flavour.
It was nicer with butter, but definitely bread like
The next day it was still spongy feeling in the mouth, even when buttered.
It toasted nicely, was crusty but still not very flavoursome and still retained that spongy texture.

The Rating
This is hard to rate as it is the first cake. However, based on what I imagine the perfect Banana Bread to be, this version is awarded 4/10.

A Quick Catch Up

2009-03-23T21:17:00.003+11:00

Hello everyone,
It has been quite some time since I have written to you.

A number of things:
1. I'd like to be losing a bit of weight so trying to do less cooking and more exercise.
2. As some of you may know we have purchased some land to start a small farm.
http://howtobuildafarm.blogspot.com/
You can keep tabs on us here.

I have taken my next step in my food obsession and I'm going to grow my own and grow some so that you too can eat real, free range food, as nature intended. We will build a commercial kitchen so I can use my own fruits, vegetables and herbs to make some interesting products, as well as process the pork from the pigs we plan to free range.

I will be blogging some recipes here in the next few days.
I am starting The Big Banana Bread Bake Off.

A discussion about the perfect banana bread prompted a look through my cook books to discover over 50 recipes for banana bread. I have selected 12 as representing most styles. I will bake each recipe as it is published, taste it, comment, toast it the next morning, comment and then freeze some and invite some friends over for a taste test comparison. Then we should be able to find the Perfect Banana Bread.
Stay tuned.

Sausage Making

2009-02-13T15:19:00.003+11:00

I so innocently went to the Farm Gate Cafe in Kettering to learn how to make sausages and came away with a desire to breed pigs! Both my kids are a bit fussy with their eating but love sausages. I dislike shop sausages, so I thought if I made my own I would know what I was eating and hopefully slip some secret vegetables into the kids.

My sausages - pork and garlic. Not to bad for a first try.

Farm Gate Cafe - the secret ingredients for Lee's sausages.

First - start with lots of well flavoured pork mince

Threading sheep intestines - sausage casing - onto the stuffer

Pumping out one big sausage.

A stuffed sausage casing.

Learning to tie sausages.

I had a go at home - my Pork & Garlic sausages.

As Lee spoke about his pigs I became more and more interested in the pigs as well as the sausages.

I have since made some sausages - pork and garlic and boy does a little bit of garlic go a long way. I was very pleased with them and will make some more soon, experimenting with chicken and vegetables. Lee suggested that after the sausages were stuffed and tied, they hang overnight in the fridge. Well not having the space, it was a cool evening so I hung mine on coat hangers from the light fittings around the house. It was quite a sight to see and unfortunately I didn't take any photos. By 10pm, the smell of garlic was making us all feel ill so the sausages went into the fridge.

So while I returned home eager to make sausages I was also ready to turn my family's life upside down - with pigs. If you'd like to follow our adventure as we set up the farm have a look here.

http://howtobuildafarm.blogspot.com/

Fish 349 - North Hobart

2009-01-12T14:55:00.006+11:00

With friends visiting, it was a good opportunity to try another restaurant on my list. Our friends S & G are both fish fans so this was the ideal choice. This restaurant has a number of eating areas as well as catering for take away. We were quickly seated- they don't take booking for tables under 6 - read the menu and ordered at the counter.

There are two menus; the regular and a chef's special. They are both printed so the specials don't change. They are just a bit more 'up market'

Soon to be an Aussie tradition? The boys didn't think so....

Thai Fish Cakes $6.90

Crumbed Calamari $6.50

Grilled Tiger Prawns on Zucchini Fritter & Yoghurt Dressing $15.90

More like prawns in a pancake - but enjoyable.

Fish 349 $19.50
fish, scallops, calamari, coconut prawns, chips

My husband can't go past traditional fish and chips and he was happy with his meal.

Salt and Pepper Squid $15.90

with watermelon, rocket and pickled ginger salad.

This was my choice and I must admit to being a little disappointed. To me, Salt and Pepper Squid is not served in rings. Although it was fresh and hand cut you can't help thinking of the processed rings from the takeaway shop. Still, a generous and tasty serve.

Pistachio Dukkah Crusted Blue Eye $27.90
on saffron mash, asparagus and roasted red pepper aioli.

S ordered this and it didn't live up to her expectations. It just seemed to be fish and mashed potato.

BBQ Baby Octopus on a Greek Salad $19.50

This dish didn't really live up to expectations either. The octopus was in rather large pieces and didn't have that crunchy, just tossed on the grill taste. They were a little tough and chewy.

Steamed Chocolate Pudding with hot fudge sauce and vanilla bean gelati

$10.50

For a seafood restaurant they certainly excelled at dessert.

Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta with fresh mango & mint -ginger syrup

$10.50

This has to be one of the most amazing desserts I have tasted and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The panna cotta was so smooth and rich I would hazard a guess it had been cooked like a brulee. The mango was perfect ripeness. But the finishing touch, the basil syrup poured over both the panna cotta and the mango was sweet, but herby, in a deep and meaningful way. It cut through the richness of the custard and the muskyness of the mango and blended perfectly with both.

bills - Darlinghurst

2009-01-02T14:51:00.005+11:00

When we lived in Sydney, for some reason, I never got the opportunity to have breakfast at 'bills'. Now everyone knows of him, how he started and his famous scrambled eggs and coconut bread.

I have made the coconut bread often. I toast a slice - or two, place a generous pat of butter on top, dredge it with icing sugar, drizzle generously with maple syrup and then sit quietly by myself and enjoy the moments of bliss while I eat this divine breakfast bread.

A recent day trip to Sydney was started with breakfast at bills. While I forgot to take a photo of the beautiful deep pink juice, I did remember the large communal table and the famous scrambled eggs.
By the time we left people were standing around the walls waiting for a table.

Assorted Foodie Bites

2008-12-29T15:36:00.005+11:00

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

2008-12-10T13:06:00.005+11:00

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

2008-12-09T06:12:00.005+11:00

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

2008-12-07T12:37:00.003+11:00

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

2008-12-02T14:41:00.006+11:00

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

2008-11-30T08:14:00.005+11:00

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

2008-11-20T14:05:00.002+11:00

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

2008-11-16T07:31:00.004+11:00

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

2008-11-12T14:09:00.003+11:00

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

2008-11-01T20:35:00.006+11:00

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

2008-10-31T15:45:00.004+11:00

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.

Some Photos To Keep You Entertained.

2008-10-27T22:56:00.005+11:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. For some reason or other the days are whizzing by and I can't keep up.
Here are some photos that won't have their own post, but are just nice to look at.

Proscuitto wrapped asparagus, barbequed, served with garlic and herb butter and parmesan.

The Poached Egg Competition. My husband made me Sunday breakfast, complete with a poached egg, in response to my near perfect egg the morning before.

My near on perfect poached egg.

At last, I thnk I have made a macaron. Given that I have never seen or tasted one in real life, this is as close as I will get. Yes, I know they look like a cheese burger. They are cinnamon macarons with a pumpkin and nutmeg cream cheese filling. They were good and didn't last long.

Some new oranges on the market. A cross between a blood orange and a navel. Sweet, juicy and pink. Compare to the navel with them.

The Coode St Cafe

2008-10-17T21:36:00.005+11:00

The Coode St Cafe in Mount Lawley, WA is open for breakfast and lunch seven days. We visited on a weekday for lunch.

The Club Sandwich ($12) was layers of bacon, chicken, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and, unusually, chopped boiled egg. I always associate Club Sandwiches with hotel room service. A toasted triple decker sandwich held together with skewers and serve with lots of hot chips or sometimes a handful of potato chips (crisps). The egg made this one rather unusual, and while it was filling it wasn't wow.

The Pumpkin and Fetta Tart ($12) was served with the salad of the day. This was my mother's choice and she was very happy with it.

The Coode St Cafe have some serious juices available on their breakfast menu. Some real kick starters and recovery juices. This is a Zinger Juice ($6.50). For an extra $1 it is served with a Beroca! This juice did have a real 'zing' to it; apple, lemon and ginger.

There was some serious dessert sampling to follow. The very friendly staff were happy to tell me that some of the cakes are brought in and others are made on site. This very unusual Citrus Tart had a pastry base, and a very citrusy filling that was not a custard as one expects but a heavy almond filling, and a layer or thick white icing. Being a bit fan of anything almond and having a very sweet tooth that loves thick icing, I found this to be the perfect end to the meal.

The black cherry muffin was served warm with butter, something I find very strange as I associate a muffin with a cake rather than a bread. It was very nice and tasted quite healthy and brany.

The chocolate chip brownie is hard to comment on. When you make a good one yourself, it is hard to find another that measures up.

The Coode St Cafe was a great lunch venue. It has a varied menu, with specials on the blackboard inside, water freely available and tables outside in the sun. Friendly staff made no complaint about making a plain toasted cheese sandwich for the kids.

Need A Quick Dessert?

2008-10-10T16:07:00.004+11:00

Looking for a quick idea for dessert or needing something sweet in a hurry? Try these pastries.
I was looking for a way to use up some ricotta cheese and came up with this strawberry danish.

Puff pastry was spread with fresh ricotta cheese, or you could use ground almond meal. I had scoured a line around the pastry and filled the space inside with the ricotta.

Slices of strawberry were layed across the ricotta in staggered lines, sprinkled generously with sugar and the edges of the pastry brushed with egg.

The pastries were then baked for about 20mins at 200C. I let them cool for about 5 minutes- that was as long as we could wait, then sprinkled them with icing sugar and served with ice cream. Home made of course.

Asparagus

2008-10-08T14:22:00.003+11:00

Sifting through the fridge for some lunch the other day, I decided to use some asparagus to create the traditional asparagus and poached egg dish. I'd never got around to making it, always meant to and now have had it twice. It makes a quick and easy, but filling lunch.

Asparagus has been used from very early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavour and diuretic properties. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’s third century AD De re coquinaria, Book III. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who were thought to eat it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. It lost its popularity in the Middle Ages but returned to favour in the seventeenth century. (Wikipedia)

Asparagus, egg, mustard and dill mayonnaise and fresh bread crumbs

Poach an egg to your liking.

Trim the asparagus and drop them into some boiling water for a few minutes.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a little oil until they are brown and crunchy.

Place the egg on the asparagus, dollop on some sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then the breadcrumbs.
Absolutely delicious.

Kakulas Brothers

2008-10-03T13:32:00.005+10:00

My shopping spree at Kakulas Brothers in Perth was one of the highlights of my recent visit.
From the outside it looks like a dusty old grocery store, but step up and through the wooden doors and it is like stepping into Aladdin's Cave for foodies. It even smelt wonderful, predominantly of cumin and mixtures of other curry like spices. By the door, an old man in a grocer's apron stood behind a long timber counter, fronted with the decorative lead panels that you see in the ceilings of old Australian homes. The floor is all timber and the shelves lines with products from Europe and Asia. I didn't get a good look at all the items on the shelves, but I did snatch up some Morello Cherry jam from Poland.
All the dried fruits, herbs, spices, grains, rice, everything you can think of, are laid out in big bags, grouped together with similar products. It was heaven to wander through the store wishing I lived closer so I could try a little bit of everything regularly, rather than remembering whatever I bought had to be packed in a suitcase.
I bought some onion flakes and garlic flakes. These have been put to use in a jar of oil with char grilled capsicum.
I was out of star anise at home and there in front of me was the biggest bag of them I had ever seen. No small supermarket plastic containers here. Two large handfuls, that managed to send their wonderful fragrance through most of my luggage cost $1.19 ($7.99/kg)
I managed to fill my basket with steel cut oats, dusting polenta, nigella seeds, black sesame seeds, all sorts of soy and rice chips and fruit balls for the kids. Cinnamon came by the bundle

Goji Berries $2.25 ($7.50/kg).

A product of Asia, goji, or wolfberries are have long played important roles in traditional Chinese medicine where they are believed to enhance immune system function, improve eyesight, protect the liver, boost sperm production and improve circulation, among other effects. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, wolfberries are sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They act on the liver, lungs, and kidneys and enrich yin. They can be eaten raw, consumed as juice or wine, brewed into an herbal tea or prepared as a tincture.

In the West, dried wolfberries are also eaten as a snack, like sultanas or other dried fruit. Their taste has an accent of tomato and is similar to that of dates, dried cranberries or raisins, though drier, more tart, less sweet and with an herbal scent. Dried wolfberries are also used frequently in raw food diets These dried Ruby Blood Plums are great for eating just as they are.
These dried strawberries, although they make a great snack, are for a cake or some muffins. These cost 84c. ($22.50/kg)

There is a similar store in Fremantle, Kakulas Sisters. The story goes that the daughters were not permitted to work in the family business, so they decided to set up their own store. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to visit - you go girls!

Kakulas Bros.

183 Williams St

Northbridge

Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Chermoula

2008-09-30T14:03:00.005+10:00

This months delicious. magazine has already been tagged with lots of hot pink sticky notes. For once, the planets have aligned so, not only are there lots of recipes I want to make, but I have all the ingredients on hand. This one is the butterflied leg of lamb with chermoula.

I had a leg of lamb in the freezer and I'm quite partial to taking to things with the knife and deboning. If you are a little squeemish or don't really have the time, a butterflied legs of lamb can be prepared by your butcher.

After removing the bone, I cut through the larger pieces of meat so it lay flat.

The chermoula mix before being liberally massaged into the lamb.

Stored in a plastic bag in the freezer for two days.

Hot off the BBQ. I served ours with some cubed, fried potatoes and salad, but it would be just as good sliced from the barbeque into flat bread and eaten in your hand.

Pink, succulent roast lamb - yum.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Chermoula.

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
5 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup finely chopped coriander, plus extra sprigs for garnish
2 – 2.5kg lamb leg, butterflied
Lime wedges and minted yoghurt to serve.

Mix the spices, garlic, oil, lemon juice, chopped coriander and 2 tspn pepper together in a bowl.
Place lamb, skin side down, on chopping board and open out. Spoon half the chermoula mix onto the meat and rub it in well. Turn over and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Place the lamb in a large snap lock bag, folding the lamb to fit. Place in a container with a tight fitting lid, or in a dish and cover well with plastic wrap.
Marinate lamb in the fridge for 1-2 days to allow the flavor of the chermoula to permeate the meat. Bring back to room temperature for about 30minsutes before you cook it.
Preheat the BBQ or char grill pan on high heat. Sear the lamb for about 4 minutes on each side.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover with the BBQ lid or a stainless steel bowl and cook for a further 13 – 15 mins on each side, until charred on the outside and rosy pink in the thickest parts of the meat.
Transfer lamb to a tray, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Thickly slice the lamb across the grain, garnish with coriander and mint yoghurt and lime wedges.

from delicious., October 2008, Belinda Jeffery.

Riche - Authentique Chocolat Belge

2008-09-26T13:40:00.004+10:00

Those of you who have been visiting me regularly may have realised by now that I'm not a coffee drinker, but do know my way around a good hot chocolate. Having drunk so many and made many more I have become very fussy as to what I will accept and how I like it made. So much so that my husband at times has almost begged me not to order one as we both know I will be disappointed. He wont even offer to make me one at home now, so specific is my 'formula' that only I can make it right.

Which was why a return visit to Riche in Mt Hawthorn was high on my list of priorities during a recent family visit to Western Australia. Knowing how much I liked a good hot chocolate my sister had taken us there on a previous visit a year ago. I was relieved to find Riche where I had left it and apparently doing a roaring trade.

There are nine basic chocolates to choose from. There is also tea, coffee and cold drinks, but I didn't give them a second glance.
Beginning at the top and working down:

Inca Recipe - Ebony Liquor 99.4% cocoa infused with honey

Sao Thome 85% - the chocolate drink of my choice read like this from the menu: A rare dark chocolate that combines a subtle fruitiness with a richly varied assortment of aromas and remarkably fine hint of vanilla bourbon. As you can see from the picture above it is served with a small whisk so that all the chocolate can be melted into the hot milk. It was wonderful.

Bolivia 72% - hints of roasted peanuts

Ecuador 71% - hints of white grape

Peru 64% - wild berry

Costa Rica 64% - almond

Santo Domingo 55% - fruity and spicy

Venezuela 43% - caramel and nutty

You could also have your choice of chocolate mixed with liqueurs such as Sambuca, Vodka, Cointreau and Napoleon Brandy. These, too, had wonderful and exotic names as well as a full description on the table menu and the menu board.

They also serve coffee in beautiful cups, and all chocolates purchased in the store are packaged in their own carry bags.

The store owners are from Belgium and import these truffles as well as make their own.
All the cabinets and the floor are beautiful timber and it is a wonderful place to take a break and fortify oneself for more shopping.

Riche serves morning and afternoon teas, with a small selection of beautiful cakes as well as lunch from a small but typically French lunch menu.

Riche Authentique Chocolat Belge

Shop 3/148

Scarborough Beach Rd (cnr Flinders St)

Mt Hawthorn

(08) 9201 0099

Father's Day

2008-09-24T13:48:00.004+10:00

At last I'm back. I've got lots of great photos and products to show you from my recent visit to WA, but first I need to tell you about Father's Day.

As it is my responsibility to pick the location for breakfast on Father's Day I chose the Jackman & McRoss Bakery in Battery Point. Of course this is totally self serving as I wanted to eat there, but my easy to please husband was more than happy. A friend had mentioned this bakery as a place we should visit and I had accidently driven past it on the way home one day, so quickly pulled over and went to investigate.

Buttermilk and Raisin Loaf $7.20

This was the highlight of our visit, so much so that I bought one to take home. The loaf had been sliced, but not all the way through, and then warmed in the oven until it was crunchy on the outside and soft and steaming on the inside.

Chorizo sausage, gruyere cheese and caramelised onion, wrapped in puff pastry with homemade relish $6.50

This was one of those really spicy chorizo sausages and my son couldn't eat it. It was certainly very spicy but we ate it for him. Not many onions in it though.

The egg and bacon and tomato pie with homemade relish ($6.80) was delicious. The pastry was crispy and the filling had plenty of bacon and a not quite set egg.

Other menu choices include croissants ($4.50), different varieties of brioche ($2, $3.50), danish ($4.50) and a hot smoked trout, bok choy, dill, horseradish and capsicum frittata ($7.50)
There is no traditional bacon and eggs as this is a bakery first and cafe second. Apart from the printed menu there was a black board menu with variations of pies and breads. There were the usual coffees, hot chocolates and a choice of 19 different types of teas. It was almost all tables for two inside and I wondered if that meant most of their patrons grabbed a quick bite before heading off to work or the Saturday markets.

Make sure you check out the bakery section and all the cakes before you leave. There are some lovely breads and one of the few places I have seen a fresh brioche loaf.

Jackman & McRoss

57-59 Hampden Rd

Battery Point

6223 3186.

Anzac Biscuits

2008-09-09T11:35:00.003+10:00

I had plans to tell you about the lovely breakfast we had for Father’s Day, but that will have to wait as time ticks by too quickly today. We are off to WA to visit family for the school holidays and there is too much to do.

My husband is staying at home, working and cat sitting, and while I haven’t left him any meals specifically, there are heaps of neatly labeled boxes of left over in the freezer. He is under instructions to empty the freezer in my absence so it can be refilled when I get back. Something I now keep in the freezer, and have been handy this week, is uncooked Anzac biscuits.

I was planning on baking some one day and ran out of time. I formed the dough into logs and left it in the fridge. When I had a chance the next day I cut slices and froze them flat on a freezer tray and then stacked them in a box for later baking. This has turned out to be a useful idea. If I’ve had the oven on for dinner and the biscuit tin is looking a bit empty then I can put a try of these in the oven and they are cooked by the time we are finished eating.

I plan on keeping a stock of Anzacs, choc chip, spice, and sultana biscuits in the freezer so they can be baked at short notice.

This has been a family recipe for years, I remember my grandmother making them

Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
1cup plain flour
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup coconut
125g butter
1 tbspn golden syrup
1 tsp bicarb
2 tbspn hot water

Mix together the flour, sugar, oats, coconut and bicarb.
Melt the butter, water and golden syrup together
Add butter mixture to the oat mixture
Form balls or put teaspoons of mixture on a lined baking tray
Bake at 160C for about 20mins for a crisp biscuit. A little less if you like it chewy.

Stay tuned as I plan on a couple of visits to some gourmet stores and cafes in Perth and will let you know of my adventures.

The Lansdowne Cafe

2008-09-01T14:08:00.004+10:00

This morning A and I had great plans to go for a walk and discover a new cafe. Well, not in this wet and windy weather thank you. We decided on The Pigeon Hole, a newly opened cafe on the outer edge of the city. Neither of us had noticed that it wasn't open on a Monday, so a quick change of plans and we were at The Lansdowne Cafe in West Hobart. At ten o'clock on a Monday morning it was almost full, but they were happy to pull two tables together for us and the little people.

As usual my hot chocolate and it was rich and delicious. A cute baby chino and a baby hot chocolate were delivered in shot glasses, dusted with chocolate and accompanied by a marshmallow - two happy little people.

The Lansdowne Cafe serve all day breakfast from 8am until 3pm, and it's going to take a few visits to work my way through this menu.
First on the menu was toast with a choice of seven different types of bread; including sour dough, brioche and rye.
Fruit and nut organic museli with a fruit compote and natural yoghuet ($8.50)
Fruit Compote with natural yoghurt and cinnamon ($6.50)
Waffles with bacon, grilled banana and maple syrup ($9.00)
Egg & Bacon Baguette with Vintage Cheddar and TLC tomato relish ($9.50)

A and I decide to share the fruit compote with yoghurt and cinnamon. This was very tasty and not at all tart, something that usually scares me off ordering fruit for breakfast. Rhubarb, apple and blueberries were identifiable and the yoghurt was smooth and creamy with a generous dusting of cinnamon.

While the egg and bacon baguette was a bit plain looking on arrival, it made up for it was lashings of bacon and a wonderful home made relish with nigella seeds that gave it an interesting taste. Served on a soft baguette this was a great antidote to a cold and blustery morning.

We were pleased with the speed at which the meals were served. We weren't sure if it was because we had little people or they had an efficient kitchen. Either way we were impressed.I've had breakfast here before and on both occassions have enjoyed the food and service. It's on my list for breakfast again, and it will be the waffles next time.

The Lansdowne Cafe

68 Lansdowne St

West Hobart

Apricot Tart from the Pantry

2008-08-29T14:09:00.004+10:00

What's hiding in your pantry?

I was talking with some on-line friends the other day about how much food we have in our freezers and pantries. Among us there were those that couldn’t last a week without shopping to a few that have copious quantities of food and grocery items stashed away in various locations around the house.

How much is enough and how much is too much I wondered? Do we stock pile food because it makes us feel safe, does it make us feel wealthy or good about ourselves that we can buy all these items? Are we preparing for that unknown disaster that we feel is imminent? Is it a type of genetic trait that carries through from our parents or do we just shop regularly out of habit, with little or no thought to what we have at home? Have you ever really looked in your pantry, counted the packets of casserole mix or tins of tomatoes? And here is the scary bit, have you ever tried putting a dollar value on the items gathering dust on your shelf? So are you saving money or wasting money?

At the end of this discussion, various challenges were thrown down. One lady decided she would not shop for the entire month of August. So far she is still going strong and planning on staying away from the shops until Christmas.

A friend and I have challenged each other to a $0 grocery spend for the next four weeks, and we are coming to the end of the first week. For me, I haven’t shopped for nearly a fortnight. Our challenge excludes fruit and vegetables as neither of us grows our own and allows one essential item, for my friend it is milk, for me it is eggs.

To begin our challenge I did a stock-take of all the items in the kitchen.
We have recently moved towns and into an older house and what seemed like copious amounts of cupboard space quickly disappeared as the pantry was restocked. In fact I have two pantries; one I use for ingredients that tend to make the evening meal and the other for my baking supplies. This pantry also has room to store all my useful and useless gadgets and the biscuit jars so the boys don’t starve. I have a large fridge with a two drawer freezer below and a free standing freezer.

This stock take took quite a while and when I had finish I was horrified to have taken up nine pages. I deleted all regularly used items and now have a list of 189 items that are to be used up and not replaced. So while I will have to restock with meat, fish and baking supplies, there is not much else I’ll need for quite a while.

I choose to buy my meat in bulk, and fruit and vegetables fortnightly from a local market. I then menu plan in rather a loose way by selecting a piece of meat or fish and then going ‘shopping’ in my own fridge and pantry. Perishable vegetables and fruits are eaten first, so by the time the fortnight is up the evening meal can become quite inventive – so far no one has complained.

So my task now is to use up all 189 items. The first thing I made was an apricot tart; a girl needs her sugar when confronted with a mountain like this to climb. I used a purchased pastry case and sprinkled the base with almond meal, but bread crumbs or biscuit crumbs would do fine. Tinned apricots were then laid over the almond meal and a couple of spoonful of juice from the can was poured over. This ran through to the almond meal and when cook produced a sweet cakey layer. A sprinkle of brown sugar and into the oven for 25 minutes; delicious, and two things off my list.

How much is in your pantry?

These are the fish stock cubes I mentioned in the fish pie recipe a little while ago. Worth getting if you can find them or something similar.

Waxed

2008-08-25T21:16:00.005+10:00

A family Sunday breakfast was the order of the day. We tried Waxed in Sandy Bay and had a great time. Although we were unable to uncover the origins of the name, we were met with a smile and friendly service. Nice to see a happy face on a Sunday morning. We have come across some grumpy Sunday staff on occasion.

Waxed is open seven days a week and serve breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The menu includes a simple Eggs on Toast ($7), through to Eggs Benedict ($12.50), Eggs Florentine ($12.50) and Banana and Ricotta Hot Cakes ($13)

Hot Chocolate - delivered as requested: strong

My husband enjoyed the Big Breakfast. I don't remember the price but he commented he was happy to pay it when the meal was a good as this.

I had the half serve of the Eggs Royal; Mini Eggs Roy ($9), sour dough toast, smoked salmon, beautifully poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. Both the kids enjoyed their meals and chocolate milkshakes. One had poached eggs on toast; two eggs and two pieces of toasted sourdough, he reported this to be the best eggs he had ever had. The little bloke had a small serve of scrambled eggs. This wasn't on the menu but the staff were happy to oblige.

Coca Cola Apple Fritters with Hot Cinnamon Ganache and Vanilla Ice Cream
It's not like me to have such a small breakfast, but the opportunity of a half serve meant I could try the apple fritters. The coca-cola batter and cinnamon ganache, while not the sort of item you expect on a breakfast menu, were too intriguing to pass by. Although the cinnamon wasn't overly obvious these fritters were delicious.
A great breakfast enjoyed by all the family, great food, reasonables prices and friendly service with a smile. We plan to go back and try the dinner menu one night soon.

Waxed
5 Gregory St, Sandy Bay

Bread

2008-08-23T14:34:00.010+10:00

Man cannot live by bread alone… but I’d have a good try when it tastes as good as this. Not many things taste better than a thick slice of fresh bread, spread with butter and jam.. or vegemite.. or honey.

I recently made a conscious decision to buy less processed food and bake from scratch in an effort to reduce the number of preservative we, and particularly the boys, are eating. Did you know it now takes a dead body longer to decompose than 50 or so years ago, simply because of the high number of preservatives we are exposed to? So I bake a loaf of bread every second day, and sometimes a fruit loaf as well. We are not big bread eaters, but a sandwich for school lunch and a couple of pieces of toast occasionally for breakfast are all we need.

Years ago I had a bread machine. My husband didn’t like the bread, my son didn’t like the bread, and for all the (minimal) effort I went to, all I got was a small, high loaf that was difficult to cut and most slices had a hole in the bottom. Needless to say the bread maker got pushed to the back of the cupboard and was eventually sold at a garage sale.

The hardest thing about making bread is getting organized. To get around this problem I make up 10 bags of bread mix at a time. Each bag of mix contains all the listed ingredients except the butter and water. This means making bread is as easy as dump out the mix, pour in the water and knead. I sometimes put it in the mixer and let it do all the work, but more often than not I just stand at the kitchen bench, listen to the radio and knead away. I have even sat out on the front steps and kneaded in the bowl.

I often make the bread dough first thing so that it can rise during the morning and I eventually get around to baking it in the afternoon. I have let it rise in the evening, shaped it and left it in the fridge overnight and baked it in the morning. All have been successful; it just depends when you need the bread.

This is the recipe I use, one I have adapted from the original I found on Simple Savings

500g plain flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbspn milk powder
2 tsp bread improver (or vinegar)
2 tsp yeast
1 tbspn butter
300ml lukewarm water

Mix all the dry ingredients, store if required
Add butter; squash it into the flour a bit if you feel like it
Add water, using the ends of your fingers of one hand start stirring the flour into the liquid
Keep mixing and folding it over to incorporate all the flour
Turn out onto a smooth surface and knead until smooth
Return it to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap
Leave to rise in a warm place, about 1 hour or until doubled in size
Punch the air out of the dough
Turn it out and give it a quick knead
Shape as required or place in tin
Leave to rest 30mins
Brush with water for a golden but chewy crust (egg and milk wash give a crunchier crust(
Sprinkle with seeds if desired
Bake at 200C for 30mins
To test if done, the bread should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom
Remove from tray and cool on a rack – if you can wait that long.

Now someone please pass the butter and honey.

mmm... Chocolate

2008-08-20T14:16:00.008+10:00

Compare and contrast... words that make many a student roll their eyes. Compare and contrast the writing styles of... Compare and contrast the foreign policies of... You get my drift. Well here we go again. Compare and contrast these chocolate cake recipes; chocolate fudge brownies, a recipe I cut from the Family Circle magazine years ago and the No Fuss Fudge Cake, a recent find on the Simple Savings website.

Can you tell from looking at them (probably not because I’m still learning to take good food photos) which is higher in cost and calories? You can’t and you can’t even taste the difference. The Chocolate Fudge Brownies are a traditional brownie recipe, making a solid but fudgey block that is easily cut into squares and eaten for afternoon tea or into larger pieces and served warm with chocolate sauce and cream for dessert.
The No Fuss Fudge Cake is the one you make when you haven’t had time to shop; the cupboard is empty and visitors are due. It contains no eggs, no milk, no butter and no chocolate. I now make it in a loaf tin which makes it easier to cut for school lunches, or in muffin cases.

Both are wonderful and delicious. The fudge cake recipe produces a high quality cake but is very easy on the pocket. I make it at least once a week and I’ve had no complaints from my boys.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies
250g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
150g unsalted butter (I always use salted because that’s what I have)
175g (3/4cup) caster sugar
3 eggs, whisked (or just dropped in as it is quicker)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence*
150g walnuts, roughly chopped (I leave these out as none of us like nuts in sweet food)
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour, sifted (or not)

Pre heat oven to 160C and line a 20cm square cake tin
Place the chocolate and butter – m/wave is the easiest. Zap in short bursts and stir regularly. Cool slightly
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate and stir until well combined
Stir in flour and walnuts or other ingredients that you might be using
Pour into pan and bake 35 – 40mins until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool in pan

No Fuss Fudge Cake
1 1/2 cups plain flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla essence*

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 180 C and line a 20cm tin with paper
Put the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarb and salt in a bowl
Combine vanilla, vinegar, oil and water, add to bowl
Mix with beaters until smooth. You can use a bowl and spoon if preferred
Pour into the tin and bake 35 to 40 minutes
Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the tin
Ice with your preferred icing.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie

No Fuss Fudge Cake

* You’ll notice in the pictures of ingredients, the bottle of Vodka, or what looks like a bottle of Vodka. It is my vanilla extract. It was once a bottle of Vodka, but I added two cut vanilla beans and shake it regularly. Any alcohol comes off during the cooking process and I use it in all recipes that require vanilla.

The Beach House - Sandy Bay

2008-08-18T20:45:00.007+10:00

Every second Monday, A and I meet with our 'little people' and catch up over morning tea at a cafe we haven't tried before. Today we went to the Beach House. I had forgotten it was there, hidden behind a thick hedge, the ground floor of a block of elegant apartments overlooking the water in Sandy Bay. We arrived at 10am, and while it was only 7C outside, the sky was blue and the sun was warm. Two diners had decided to brave the outdoor tables, sheilded from the carpark by the afore mentioned hedge. This will be a lovely place in summer, but we went inside, not brave enough to endure the cold with little kids.

Walking into a large carpeted interior, empty except for a coffee drinker in the far corner, we decided on the wide lounge chairs by the built in artificial but stylish gas fire. It wasn't on, but one could imagine how cosy it would feel at night.

After deciding on a second breakfast I ordered at the counter. The only hiccup in an otherwise pleasant experience was the lack of smiles and the difficulty in getting a baby hot chocolate, rather than a baby chino. Once that was sorted and the kids entertained with toys, everyone was happy. The drinks arrived quickly as did the food. The latte was thick and delicious and the little people loved their drinks: a babychino served with sprinkles on top and a baby hot chocolate with a big marshmallow.

Danish Raisin Toast. This was advertised as thickly cut, and contained nuts as well as fruit. It looked great but was suprisingly bland.

The Ricotta Buttermilk Hot Cakes were served with a banana and caramel sauce. There were 3 hot cakes the size of typical pikelets, they were fluffy and delicious covered in the caramel sauce.

The Hash Brown was the best of our selection by far. Possibly reheated in the deep fryer, that didn't matter. It was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and full of flavour. We could have eaten many more of these.

Also on the menu was Vanilla Scented Yoghurt with a Stewed Fruit Compote, Eggs Benedict, and a mushroom dish served with goat's cheese and truffle oil.

I didn't get a chance to have a look at the lunch and dinner menu as between two active kids and meals that arrived very promptly we didn't have time to fill.

I'm glad there is a stylish cafe open all day close to a park where we often take the kids, this will be a nice way to round out a weekend afternoon.

The Beach House
Open breakfast, lunch and dinner
646 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay.

Fish Pie - an amazing taste sensation

2008-08-16T12:50:00.000+10:00

Having bought a stockpile of fish after visiting a market at closing time I am steadily working my was through a freezer shelf of white fillets. Up until now I had not considered a pie. Reading elsewhere and seeing mention of a chicken and vegetable pie inspired the fish pie.

Keeping in mind that this pie was intended for anklebiters as well as adults, I set about it in a very mundane, mummy way. I diced some carrot and simmered it with dehydrated peas and corn, a very handy pantry staple. What I did though, was to simmer the vegetables in fish stock and once cooked I drained them and kept the stock, not letting it escape down the sink. I diced the fish, in this case a firm white fillet, labelled tusk fish. This was pan fried and much to my annoyance stuck to the bottom of the pan. It is a new frypan and not a nonstick coated one this time. Perhaps it wasn't as hot as it should have been. Once the fish was cooked it was put to one side with the vegetables. In the frypan, crusted with the remains of the fish, I made a white sauce using the retained fish stock. Once this was done, I added some chopped spring onions, stirred in the vegetables and fish and poured it into a baking dish.

The mixture didn't fill the dish to the top, so instead of laying the puff pastry across the top of the dish, I cut it to size and lay it on top of the filling. I decorated it with the cut off pastry, gave it a brush with a beaten egg and baked it is a 200C oven for 30 minutes. After letting it stand for 5 minutes we sat down to ate.

I cut through the crunchy pastry and scooped out the filling onto everyone's plate. Both kids turned up their noses at it and this was indeed fortunate as after one taste my husband and I devoured ours and started on the kids. What had started out as a routine fish pie had turned into a mouth watering gourmet experience. Perhaps the vegetables cooked in the fish stock, the white sauce then made with this stock, incorporating the crunchy pieces of fish stuck to the bottom of the pan had elevated this dish from ordinary to something special. We both agreed that this is a dish that shall definately be appearing on the family menu again.

When I make a white sauce now, I use a scoop from my bulk mix. Both the kids like maceroni cheese and to make up a small amount of white sauce can sometimes be somewhat tiresome. I came across a recipe on the Simple Savings web site for a bulk white sauce mix that saves a lot of time and trouble and allows you to make up as much sauce as you need.

Bulk White Sauce Mix
2 cups milk powder (skim or full cream)
1 cup plain (all purpose flour)
2 teaspoons salt
200g butter

Process all ingredients in a food processor until they resemble fine bread crumbs
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 months or indefinately in the freezer.

To use the white sauce mix
1/2 cup white sauce mix
1 cup cool water
combine the white sauce mix and water and whisk over medium heat until thick
Add cheese, curry, etc if required.

I now have a new camera, so once I have read the instructions and found the right buttons there will be pictures to accompany the words.

Happy eating!

The First One

2008-08-15T11:54:00.000+10:00

I spend the first hour of my day reading blogs. That quiet time before the sun and the kids get up, sitting in a pool of light from the lamp by the computer, nursing my first hot chocolate for the day, I read my way around the world. Reading my favourite blogs I mentally tasting the foods that others have cooked, reading recipes and restaurant reviews and wishing I could be there.

I spend a lot of my day in the kitchen, not barefoot and pregnant, but happily pottering around baking for relaxation, experimentation and for my family of boys.

So it occurred to me that if I like to read everyone elses food experiences, you might like to read mine. Here it is - my first ever blog.