Morsels & Musings

computer blues

2009-11-09T11:57:00.002+11:00

My computer died.

It's very sad because my backlog of photos and recipes (not to mention the last 5yrs of my entire life) was all on that computer. Hopefully I'll be able to recover it though.

But this means no more blogging for a while.

tahu goreng pedas (spicy fried tofu)

2009-11-05T06:00:00.002+11:00

This dish was made as part of a big Balinese feast I made all the way back in September 2008.

The original recipe of for this dish involves (I think) blending the tofu together with the other ingredients to create little tofu patties (bregedel tahu) but Jonas and I decided to keep our tofu slices whole and simply dip them into a spiced batter before frying.

If you don’t like the flavour of tofu much, do the patty version, otherwise this is a delicious (semi) vegetarian dish.

Tahu Goreng Pedas (Spicy Fried Tofu)
Anna & Jonas' variation of various internet recipes. Serves 4 as part of banquet.
Ingredients:
300g firm tofu
3 tablespoons fried shallots
1 red chilli, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon roasted shrimp paste
2 eggs, beaten
2 kaffir leaves, finely sliced
3 teaspoons palm sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil, for frying
Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients except the tofu and fried shallots.
2. Into the blended mixture, stir in the fried shallots.
3. Dip the tofu into the mixture to coat, then fry in hot oil, over medium heat, until browned and warmed through.
4. Served with fresh chilli or a fiery sambal.

bò tái chanh - lemon sirloin w rice paddy herb

2009-11-01T18:15:00.011+11:00

After perusing through Helen’s recent posts about her food tour in Cabramatta, I became ravenous for Vietnamese food and determined to cook my own Vietnamese feast.

Ms Correct and I set the GPS to John Street then chatted until we reached our destination: Cabramatta, effectively Vietnam in Sydney.

The place was buzzing. The fruit, herb and veggie range was extravagant and the prices were absurdly cheap. As Ms Correct correctly asks “Why don’t we shop here every week?”

The whole time we were there, we must have seen only six other Caucasians and we marvelled at how exotic, exciting and foreign Cabramatta felt, even though it was still in Sydney. Ms Correct is quite tall at the best of times, but among Cabramatta’s Vietnamese population she was like Gulliver in Lilliput. We were certainly identified as outsiders and blatantly stared at, but people were welcoming and we felt comfortable.

We both felt so excited that Sydney had such a beautiful microcosm to explore.

Both Ms Correct and I have visited Vietnam, and Cabramatta felt like a cleaner, better-dressed version of HCMC, even down to the architecture of crowded market arcades and busy main streets. The local government, Fairfield City Council, is always touting Cabramatta as a tourist destination for Sydneysiders and visitors alike, and now I have to agree with them.

Navigating the narrow market aisles was difficult, but in true Vietnamese style other shoppers took no offence, and in fact didn’t even notice, getting whacked with the odd shopping bag.

We bought a huge range of things, the highlights being (left to right):
Top: mít (jackfruit), rau răm (Vietnamese mint), mãng cầu xiêm (soursop)
Centre: bắp chuối (banana blossom), rau muống (water spinach), măng cụt (mangosteen)
Bottom: đậu bắp (okra), ngò om (rice paddy herb), ngò gai (sawtooth coriander)

Many of the shop and stall owners don’t speak English and your mere non-Vietnamese speaking presence can be a cause of anxiety for them, so make sure you bring your understanding and patience with you. Don’t take offence when people shrug and walk away without helping, they probably just don’t understand you. Instead, wander to the next shop until you find someone who can speak English. There are many who do.

Like the shop keeper Ms Correct and I discovered at the end of our day. She was full of good advice and helped us navigate the Vietnamese-only signs and food labels. After learning I planned to make ice cream, her suggestion to buy frozen soursop pulp instead of fresh fruit was genius. Not only was the pulp super ripe and flavoursome but it had been skinned and deseeded and when it was blended through the hot custard, the icy cold temperature chilled everything immediately making the base ready to churn on the spot.

Once we were loaded up with goodies, we headed back to my place to cook up a storm from the beautiful cookbook The Secrets of the Red Lantern (tick off another food challenge).

Siblings Pauline and Luke Nguyen, and Pauline’s partner, Mark Jensen, are Sydney’s tres-chic experts on both traditional and modern Vietnamese food and their first cookbook is full of amazing recipes and heart-wrenching stories (that made me blubber like a baby).

Little Em, Stinky, M.E. and Tia Bicky joined Ms Correct and I to eat:
* Bò Tái Chanh (lemon-cured sirloin w rice paddy herb)
* Nem Nường (lemongrass pork sausages)
* Nước Chấm (chilli & fish dipping sauce)
* Rau Muống Xào Tỏi (water spinach w ginger & garlic)
* Gỏi Mực Bắp Chuối (banana blossom & squid salad)
* Canh Chua Cá (tamarind & pineapple broth w perch)
* Kem Mãng Cầu Xiêm (soursop ice cream)
* Kem Dưa Hấu (watermelon sorbet)

I will post these recipes one by one over the coming months, but first up is this amazing little starter of juicy raw beef topped with the most delicious, unusual herbs. The best description can only come from the recipe’s author, Luke Nguyen:

“This traditional salad is a perfect starter. It is a ‘rare’ treat – refreshing, crisp and aromatic. Described by some as a ‘Vietnamese carpaccio’, Bò Tái Chanh is a particular favourite . . . rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander are essential for this dish and should not be substituted. The rice paddy’s sharp citrus character and the sawtooth’s powerful aroma perfectly match this lemon-cured dish.”

I discovered that I love rice paddy herb (or ngò om). The flavours are like cumin and lemon and pepper altogether and I discovered it goes quite nicely on sweet pineapple slices too.

Sawtooth coriander (ngò gai) is also very special and is much more potent than regular coriander (cilantro), but I still think you could substitute them for each other if you needed to.

But you can’t substitute the rice paddy herb!!!

Bò Tái Chanh (lemon-cured sirloin w rice paddy herb)
Recipe from Secrets of The Red Lantern. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
400ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fine white pepper
500g sirloin steak
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large handful sawtooth coriander, roughly chopped
1 large handful rice paddy herb, roughly chopped
½ small red onion, finely sliced
1 large handful bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
1 birds eye chill, sliced
Nước mắm chấm, to serve (see below)
Method:
1. Trim the sirloin or fat and slice as thinly as possible.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and fry garlic. Remove and reserve both garlic and ½ teaspoon of the oil.
3. Combine the lemon juice, fish sauce and mix through the salt, sugar and pepper.
4. Arrange the slices of beef in a single layer on a plate and marinate in the lemon juice for 10 minutes, ensuring the meat is entirely covered in the curing liquid.
5. Remove the beef from the lemon mixture and drain the excess juice,.
6. Combine with the garlic, garlic oil, herbs onion and bean sprouts.
7. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the peanuts and chilli. Dress with nước mắm chấm at the table.

Nước Mắm Chấm
Recipe from Secrets of the Red Lantern. Makes 1 cup (250ml).
Ingredients:
½ cup (125ml) water
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 birds eye chilli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
Method:
1. Combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and water in a saucepan.
2. Heat on medium, stirring, until just before boiling point. Cool.
3. To serve add chilli, lime juice and garlic and stir well.

Rice paddy herb (Limnophila aromatica) is native to tropical South East Asia and grows in water logged environments . . . like rice paddies! In the west it’s been used mostly as an aquarium plant but in Vietnamese (and some Thai & Khmer) cuisine it plays a strong role.

If all you’ve been doing is sticking in your fish tank, you’ve been missing out!

The leaves taste like lemon and cumin and is quite delicious.

Here’s some advice on how to grow your own: “Get some fresh stems from another plant or your local Thai or Vietnamese grocer. If placed in water, they will develop roots within one or two weeks; in the meantime, they must be covered with a plastic bag or the like to give them enough humidity. In this phase, direct sunlight will kill the plants, so put them in a shadowy but not dark place. When enough roots have been formed, plant the stems into a high, transparent container filled with soil to cover most of the roots. A mixture of ordinary soil plus small, porous grains of burned clay is perfect. Keep the plants warm and humid. After a few days, they will tolerate (and even appreciate) intensive sunlight.”

If substituted, it is often done so with coriander, sawtooth coriander, perilla, mint or basil.

Other names include:
Cantonese - séui fuh yùhng, tìhn hēung chóu, jí sōu chóu, séui fā
Mandarin - shuǐ fú róng, tián xiāng cǎo, zǐ sū cǎo
English - finger grass
Estonian - järvelemb
German - reisfeldpflanze
Indonesian - daun kerdemom, selasih ayer kecil
Japanese - shiso-kusa, rimonohira
Khmer - ma-om
Korean - soyeob, soyop, soyop-pul
Lithuanian - kvapioji pelkenė
Malaysian - beremi, kerak-kerak
Polish - limnofila pachnąca
Russian - амбулия ароматная ambuliya aromatnaya
Thai - ผักแขยง, แขยง phak kayang, kayang

This week our Weekend Herb Blogging hostess is Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limnophila_aromatica
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Limn_aro.html

chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings

2009-10-30T06:00:00.007+11:00

Chinese pork & garlic chive dumplings, otherwise known as Jiu Cai Jiaozi, happen to be one of the most delicious things on earth. Pan-fried and served with strong, black vinegar and spicy chilli . . . . one of my all time favourite things to eat.

I wasn't daring enough to make the dough, but I thought I was pretty brave to attempt assembling them myself. I was very pleased with the results and even shared the excess with Stinky and M.E., who seemed very happy with that.

To decide how to make them, I scoured the internet for Jiu Cai Jiaozi recipes and came across the very simple steps provided by Billy from A Table For Two. They were so good I kicked myself for forgetting to thank him when we ran into each other at a Peruvian degustation (see Billy, there was a reason I thought I knew you).

These seriously good dumplings are my pasta offering to Presto Pasta Nights hosted by fellow Aussie blogger Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

Jiu Cai Jiaozi (Chinese Pork & Garlic Chive Dumplings)
Recipe by A Table For Two. Makes 30 dumplings.
Ingredients:
500 gram pork mince
1 bunch garlic chives (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 packet of dumpling skin (30 skins)
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp rice wine
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Add all ingredients into a large bowl (except the dumpling skins) and mix well together.
2. Fill a small bowl with water and set aside.
3. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and lay it in the centre of a dumpling skin.
4. Dip your index finger in the water, then run it around the edge of the dumpling skin.
5. Fold the skin in half from bottom to top, press the skin together and seal the mixture inside.
6. From the centre, overlapping the skin inwards from both sides until it reaches the pointy edges.
7. Run the edges and press tightly with 2 fingers to make sure the dumpling is properly sealed.
Steaming Method:
1. Inside bamboo steamer baskets, lay some iceberg lettuce and make sure is flat enough to put dumplings on top without falling over.
2. Arrange 6 to 8 dumplings inside basket without touching each other so they don’t stick together when cooked.
3. Use a wok and pour 2 cups of water and let it boil in medium heat. Place the steamer basket inside the wok and cover it with a lid. Let it simmer for 10 – 15 mins or until the dumpling skins looks translucent then it is ready.
Frying Method:
1. Heat up a frying pan with a little bit of vegetable oil.
2. Put some dumplings in the pan and lay flat on one side. Make sure they don’t touch each other to avoid sticking together.
3. Pour 2 tablespoon of water in the pan, and quickly cover it with a lid.
4. Few minutes later, flip the dumplings and fry the other side. Again, pour 2 tablespoon of water and cover it with a lid.
5. Fry the dumplings until crisp and golden brown then it is ready.
Billy's note: the dumplings usually go with condiments of soy sauce, sesame oil and black vinegar. A hot spicy chilli paste is also an essential condiment with the dumplings.
Anna’s variation: I added that grated fresh ginger for extra kick.

salpicón de camarónes (veracruz prawn cocktail)

2009-10-27T06:00:00.009+11:00

This recipe comes from Saveur, an American food magazine which I love.

The best way to explain a salpicón, is to take the words straight from Saveur:

“The word salpicón, which comes from the Spanish sal, salt, and picar, to chop, refers, in classic French cooking, to a mince of poultry, game, or vegetables bound with a sauce. In Mexico, however, it can mean anything from a shredded beef salad in the north to this citrusy shrimp appetizer”

As summer comes closer to Sydney I begin to crave raw seafood drenched in lime or lemon (but never both at the same time!). Adding chillies, coriander and avocado is an additional blessing and this dish is one of my all time favourite meals in summer.

It's also another 2009 food challenge since it's another Mexican recipe.

Salpicón de Camarónes (Veracruz-Style Prawn Cocktail)
Recipe from Restaurante Doña Lala in Tlacotalpan, Mexico.
Printed in Saveur Issue #12. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked small prawns (shrimp)
1 cored chopped tomato
½ small white onion, peeled +chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled +minced
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded +sliced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Salt & freshly ground white pepper
1 avocado, peeled + sliced
Lime wedges
Method:
1. Peel shrimp.
2. Mix together shrimp, tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapeño.
3. Stir in oil and parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Top with avocado and garnish with lime wedges.
Note: I added coriander and used cherry tomatoes.

As my Weekend Herb Blogging entry, I’m focusing on the avocado. Our host is Katie from Eat This, so go check out the round-up.

Avocado has been my theme ingredient in two other WHB posts, one in 2007 (cold avocado soup from the Ivory Coast) and one in 2008 (avocado shake from Vietnam). So here’s 2009 and some avocado information copied dircetly from my 2007 post.

The word avocado comes from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word ahuacatl, via Spanish aguacate and means “testicle”. Perhaps because of its appearance, the Aztecs believed avocadoes were an aphrodisiac and called it "the fertility fruit". Apparently during avocado harvesting, virgins were kept indoors to prevent any promiscuity taking place.

This reputation stuck with the avocado for such a long time and many people in South America wouldn’t eat it because they wanted to appear wholesome. Companies had to undertake serious PR campaigns to dispel the myths and get the fruit out to the public.

The Nahuatl word ahuacatl makes up other words like ahuacamolli, meaning "avocado soup/sauce” which the Spanish transformed into guacamole.

In 2005, the world’s top ten avocado producing nations were, in order: Mexico, Indonesia, USA, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Peru, China and Ethiopia. As trees need well aerated soils and subtropical or tropical climates to thrive, this makes sense.

Propagation by seed takes around 5 years to produce fruit and the quality is never as good as the parent tree. Commercial plantations therefore graft new seedlings.

Avocadoes mature on the tree but ripen once harvested. The fruit is high monounsaturated fat contents and contains 60% more potassium than bananas, vitamin Bs, vitamin E, vitamin K and folate.

In Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines, Jamaica and Indonesia avocadoes are blended with sugar and milk to create a milkshake.

It is also interesting to note that avocado foliage, skin and pits are said to poison animals such as birds, cats, dogs, cattle, goats, rabbits and fish.

~~~

This time previously on M&M:
2008 - Sago gula bali (Balinese coconut sago dessert)
2007 - Fatteh (Syrian chickpea & yoghurt breakfast)
2006 - Japanese-style tomato carpaccio

banana & honey frozen yoghurt

2009-10-24T15:46:00.004+11:00

It seems rather decadent to have ice cream for breakfast, and unhealthy too, but this recipe couldn’t be better for you!

Would you eat a bowl of natural yoghurt, some banana slices and a drizzle of honey? Well this recipe uses all the same ingredients only blended and frozen in an ice cream machine.

This is a case of having your ice cream and eating it too!
But, you will need to eat your frozen yoghurt on the day you make it.

Sugars and fats are what stop ice cream from seizing up so, since this recipe doesn’t have much of either, you can be sure 24hrs in the freezer will lead to one solid block. If this does happen, you can put chucks into a blender and churn out soft serve, but then you’ll need to eat it fast!

Banana & Honey Frozen Yoghurt
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes approximately half a litre.
Ingredients:
500g natural yoghurt (I used low fat)
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons honey
Method:
1. Combine ingredients in a processor or blender.
2. Taste for sweetness.
3. Chill according to ice cream machine instructions.
4. Serve (on the same day) with chopped pistachios and a drizzle of honey.
Variation: add ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon.

a taste of peru

2009-10-21T23:03:00.009+11:00

(photo from SMH.com.au)

Sometimes it’s wonderful being a blogger.

Like last night when I was shouted a great meal by Peruvian chef Alejandro Saravia whose only request in exchange was that I experience the special produce his country has to offer.

Even better I was able to bring my little sister, Stinky, who visited Peru a few years ago and remembers her time there fondly.

I was truly excited by this opportunity because I adore trying new tastes and ingredients and, having learnt so much about Andean cuisine when I made it one of my 2008 food challenges, I could finally taste some things I’d only read about.

So what did I taste for the very first time?
*ají – Peruvian yellow chilli pepper
*beef heart
*rocoto – Peruvian red pepper (capsicum)
*sea urchin
*huacatay – a herb also known as black mint or tagetes minuta
*alpaca meat
*purple corn

Croquetas de Yuca y Queso Manchego con Salsa Huancaina
cassava and Spanish cheese croquettes with Huancayo sauce
These crispy spheres were a salute to the Peruvian classic Papa a la Huancaína (or Huancayo style potatoes). Normally slices of boiled potato sit in a sauce of fresh cheese, ají, evaporated milk, salt and garlic. In this exciting version, mashed and chunky starchy yuca was complimented by an ever-so-slight spicy burn and beautiful, strong cheese that I would never have guessed was manchego. This canapé was absolutely lovely.

Causa de Trucha Orgánica del Titicaca
potato mortar terrine with organic trout from Lake Titicaca
Both the potato and trout gave these morsels a real earthiness. The fish was salty-sweet and the avocado added creaminess. It was doused liberally in rosemary and black pepper oil. Very enjoyable.

Anticuchos de Corazón y Salsa Criolla
beef heart skewers with ají sauce
This was the best taste of the night. The meat was very salty (in a good way), extremely tender and rich in iron flavour. The sauce so divine I wanted to lick it off the plate. The flavours were rich with olive oil, lemons and fresh onions and a mild spiciness lingered in the mouth moreishly. Too good.

Santiago Queirolo Pisco Sour
This cocktail made from lemon juice, syrup, egg white, bitters and pisco (Chilean/Peruvian grape spirit) was a well made Sour and similar to other tangy, lemon drinks. It was good, but I didn’t swoon even though the pisco tasted lovely and smooth.

Canete Plumgrapes Santiago Queirolo Pisco Martini
Although we ordered the Don Santiago Pisco Punch, we were served this martini in a tumbler and told it was punch. We were disappointed and then we tasted it. It was amazing! The drink was so fragrant and aromatic, with a sweet aroma, sweet entry flavour and then a sour ending that left you wanting more, more, more. It was made from plum pisco liqueur, grapefruit bitters, old fashioned aromatic bitters and a pink grapefruit twist. Simply delicious!

Kingfish Tiradito in Two Oils
The fish had a gentle flavour and toothsome texture, but I couldn’t detect the pisco it had been cured in. In fact it was slightly dry, but once you flipped it quickly in the rocoto and basil oil it bounced right back. The basil added a slight aniseed flavour which was pleasant, but at the time I thought coriander would have been a better choice. Later, finding coriander in a few other dishes, it occurred to me that the chef might have been avoid a repetition of flavours throughout the night. The Peruvian rocoto (red pepper) was delicious, adding a spiciness that many capsicum don’t contain.
Served with Brown Brothers Prosecco 2008

Passion at the Pacific
This was a ceviche using passionfruit and ají to cure generous portions of pink snapper, prawns and sea urchin. Tasting the thick fatty texture and mild salty-milk flavour of the sea urchin ticked off another 2009 food challenge. The snapper was deliciously tender and the prawns had the most perfect firm, inviting texture when so often they become slimy and soft when served raw. But best of all was the spicy and quite acidic curing sauce, flecked with coriander. I found this dish very impressive and perfectly balanced for my tastes.
Served with Brown Brothers Vermentino 2008

Pisco & Citron Granita
As a palate cleanser this granita fell a bit short since it arrived practically melted and tasted like an extreme mouthful of Pisco Sour. It was refreshing though.

Oxtail, Rocoto & Solterito Salad
I was dreading this dish because it’s premises was a stuff capsicum (pepper), a vegetable I detest. It came cold in soft shreds on a bed of lukewarm oxtail ragu which was unfortunately gristly and not very flavoursome. Interestingly it was the rocoto that lifted the flavours of the dish. This tiny round pepper was sweet and spicy all at once and tasted the way I’d always hoped other capsicums would taste. Good work rocoto! Alongside it was a truly wonderful salad of doughy, popcorn-like corn kernels (like hominy), feta cheese, broad beans and a huacatay dressing (black mint or tagetes minuta). I adored this salad, but does solterito mean bachelor?
Served with Brown Brothers Tempranillo 2006

Cured Alpaca with Quinoa Taboulé
I was really excited about trying alpaca meat, and it may have been the large amount of wine I’d consumed but it was one of the best meats I’d tasted in a long time. It seemed to be strong like beef or game, yet impart an incredible richness like pork. It certainly had the potential to be dry and chewy (Stinky’s slices were overcooked) but my pink strips were delectable. Unfortunately the quinoa’s earthiness tasted more like dirt and was overpowered by chunks of colourful capsicum.
Served with Brown Brothers Heathcote Shiraz 2006

Purple Corn Ice Cream
Our dessert seemed like a tribute to Chicha Morada, a Peruvian drink made by boiling purple corn with spices and pineapple. This was the ice cream version, slightly purple, lightly spiced with cinnamon and sitting on a bed of macerated pineapple and strawberry pieces. I just loved the flavour of the ice cream and think I could make my own version if I could get my hands on some Chicha Morada powder.
Served with Brown Brothers Moscato Rosa 2009 (delicious!)

~~~

Overall, it was wonderful to taste so many new and exciting ingredients from an area of the world so seldom featured in food media.

Thank you Chef Saravia for the amazing experience and, for those Sydney-based people who want to experience their own taste of the Andes, visit the Peru Concept website.

For impressions from other bloggers spotted on the night check out:
Not Quite Nigella
Grab Your Fork
ChocolateSuze
A Table for Two

broccoli & stilton soup

2009-10-19T19:39:00.008+11:00

This Nigella Lawson recipe is simply delicious. Jonas and I almost devoured the entire between us and I've been craving it ever since.

Luckily it's very easy to make and the ingredients aren't very expensive. Too good.

Broccoli & Stilton Soup
Based on a Nigella Lawson recipe. Serves 4 as supper or 8 as a starter.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons (45ml) garlic oil
6 spring onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1kg broccoli, broken into florets
3 cups (1.25L) hot vegetable stock
200g crumbled or chopped Stilton
freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. Put the garlic oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the chopped spring onions and cook for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the thyme and the broccoli, and stir in the heat for a minute or so.
3. Add the hot vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then cover and cook for until broccoli is soft.
4. Remove a few broccoli florets and reserve.
5. In batches, liquidise in a blender with the crumbled Stilton
6. Pour back in the pan, add florets and pepper then reheat. Serve hot.
Note: Nigella uses frozen broccoli, I used fresh.

Broccoli is from the Brassicaceae family, along with cauliflower and cabbage. It’s been part of the European diet for more than 2,000 years and was well-loved by the Ancient Romans. It’s very name denotes its origin, coming from the Latin brachium or branch/arm.

Broccoli travelled from the Mediterranean into Asia Minor, only to head back to Italy in the 16th century, northern Europe during the 17th century and then finally to England in the 18th century. Broccoli was introduced to the USA by Italian migrants in the early 1800s, but only became well known in the 1920s.

Broccoli is jam packed with dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin A. It provides the vital vitamin B that prevent birth defects, is also good for boosting immune systems, maintaining stronger bones, protecting against prostrate cancer and heart disease and contains all kinds of good stuff that equates to a major cancer fighter.

This week our Weekend Herb Blogging host is Yasmeen from Healthnut. Be sure to check ou her round-up.

The time previously on M&M:
2008 - Muzlu Süt (Turkish almond & banana milk)
2007 - Omani Spiced Tuna
2006 - Spaghetti con Zucchini

Reference:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9
http://www.freshforkids.com/veg_pages/broccoli/broccoli.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli

kentish pigeon w plums

2009-10-16T01:00:00.005+11:00

It was a case of Revenge of the Dinner!

When I stuck my hand into my pigeon to clean out the cavity, the sharp claws of the little beast dug into my flesh and scratched me quite painfully. The little bird unknowingly committed a small act of retribution before he was roasted and devoured.

As promised when I posted my Duck w Cherries recipe, here is a great Autumn recipe for those in the northern hemisphere. I suppose it's named after the area of the UK where the recipe comes from?

Like many ingredients that taste great together, pigeons and plums become widely available at the same time of year, allowing you to easily prepare this delicious Autumn dinner.

Just make sure there’s enough for everyone!

Kentish Pigeons w Plums
Recipe from cookitsimply.com Serves 4.
Ingredients:
25g (1 oz) butter
15ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
4 young pigeons, prepared
10ml (2 tsp) plain wholemeal flour
1 medium onion, skinned and chopped
2 cloves
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme) or 1 tsp dried
100ml (4 fl oz) port
450g (1 lb) purple plums, stoned and halved
Salt & pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
Method:
1. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan.
2. Coat the pigeons lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess, then add to the pan and fry, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.
3. Stir the onion into the frying pan and fry gently until beginning to soften. Spoon over the pigeons, then sprinkle the cloves and herbs over the top.
4. Stir the port into the frying pan, bring to the boil, then pour over the pigeons.
5. Arrange the plums over the top. Cover tightly and bake at 170°C for 1½ hours, until the pigeons are tender.
6. Transfer the pigeons and plums to a warmed serving platter.
7. Boil the juices for 2-3 minutes to thicken them and concentrate the flavour.
8. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the pigeons. Serve at once.

For Weekend Herb Blogging this week I'm focusing on the pretty little plum.

In Australia, where there are more than 200 varieties grown, plums are available from October to May with the peak season being February to March.

European plums are more oval whereas Asian plums are rounder and heart-shaped.

Plum skin is usually rather tart whereas the flesh is quite sweet. Most of the sugar in plums is glucose (rather than fructose or sucrose).

One of my mother’s favourite memories was when she left me alone with her father and a tray of overripe blood plums. Since those plums were so squishy, and neither my grandfather nor I had any teeth, when she came back we were both smothered in red juices! Generational pincer movement!

I was surprised to learn than red-fleshed plums have more nutrients and high sugar contents than yellow-fleshed plums. Maybe that’s why my grandfather and I were so eager to eat those juicy blood plums!

Prunes are just dried plums, and both are known as natural laxatives. I’ll never forget how annoyed my brother was after I absentmindedly shared an entire bag of prunes with his 3yr old daughter.

Substances within the plum’s seed can decompose into hydrogen cyanide gas and in large enough doses could be harmful, so don’t leave two tonnes of plum seeds to compost in your backyard.

This recipe and the plum are my Weekend Herb Blogging entry for the week, hosted by Cinzia from Cindystar a lovely blog from Lake Garda in Italy.

Other online plum recipes:
Brioche Plum Tarts - A Whisk & A Spoon
Chicken Plum Pie - Ja Mange la Ville
Damson Jelly - The Cottage Smallholder
Dimply Plum Cake - Smitten Kitchen
Ginger Plum Jam - Andrea Meyer
Green Gage Plum & Vanilla Jam - Chez Pim
Hungarian Plum Dumplings - FXCuisine
Moroccan Nectarine & Plum Chicken Tagine - Closet Cooking
Plum & Blue Cheese Pannacotta - Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Plum & Muscat Gelato - White on Rice Couple
Plum & Peach Crisp - 101 Cookbooks
Plum & Radicchio Panzanella - Not Eating Out in New York
Plum Cake - La Tartine Gourmande
Plum Chutney - Green Gourmet Giraffe
Plum Kernel Oil Ice Cream - David Lebovitz
Plum Mayo Dressing - Simply Recipe
Plum Sorbet - Simply Recipes
Plum Tart - Rutic Kitchen
Quetsche Plum Tart w Walnut Cream - Chocolate & Zucchini
Roasted Plum Mousse Cannelee et Vanille
Rosewater & Plum Compote - 101 Cookbooks
Rosemary Plum Jam - Lucullian Delights
Upside-Down Plum Ricotta Cupcakes - Baking Obsession
Wild Plum Sauce - Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Yeasted Olive Oil Plum Cake - Wild Yeast
Yellow Plum Sorbet - The Nourishing Gourmet
Zwetschgendatschi (Bavarian plum cake) - Delicious Days

This time previously on M&M:
2008 - smoked salmon, raisin & feta spoons
2007 - moqueca de peixe (Brazilian dendê oil & coconut fish)
2006 - grape & aniseed schiacciata & pavlova martini

References:
http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/plum/plum.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum

lemonade & wattleseed scones

2009-10-13T06:00:00.003+11:00

I have wanted to cook with wattleseed for many years now, but this year I formalised it when I made it one of my 2009 Food Challenges.

Wattleseed is a native Australian product with a delicious coffee-chocolate-hazelnut flavour. Around the world there are so many species of Acacia but only about 120 species (all native to Australia) provide seeds which have delicious culinary value.

The Australian Aborigines have eaten wattleseed for around 6,000 years but it’s the recent interest in native produce that has seen wattleseed truly take off in Australia.

If you have a choice, it’s best to buy wattleseeds whole then dry roast and grind them yourself. This way the flavour remains strong.

Wattleseed can be added to coffee, shakes, whipped cream, ice cream, cookies, pancakes, chocolate sauce and muffins. It’s also useful in a savoury context, being added to beer, bread, sauces and marinades.

Lemonade & Wattleseed Scones
Recipe by Maggie Beer. Makes 8.
Ingredients:
1 cup lemonade
1 cup cream
3 cups of self-raising flour
3 teaspoons ground wattleseed
1 tablespoon sugar
Milk, for brushing
Method:
1. Preheat oven to very hot 220C.
2. Sift flour, sugar and wattleseed.
3. Add lemonade and cream.
4. Mix to form soft dough with pastry cutter or finger tips, then place mixture on floured surface. This is a soft wet mix.
5. Bring together to a 2cm thickness and cut with a floured cutter.
6. Place close together on tray, brush with milk and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

These wonderful little scones are my contribution to the High Tea Treats themed Monthly Mingle, hosted by Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen.

References:
http://www.cherikoff.net/cherikoff/index.php?id=130
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattleseed

cambozola & taleggio potato bake

2009-10-11T06:00:00.005+11:00

This is last of the Potato Week recipes and is the best potato bake ever! It’s rich, hearty, cheesy and simply delicious.

Using two oozey, melty cheeses I think we hit perfection (and the heights of cholesterol inducement).

(photo courtesy of www.gourmetgirlmagazine.com)

First up is Cambozola. If you’ve never tried it before, once you do you’re going to regret living all those years without it!

Cambozola is a soft, cow’s milk cheese from Germany. It’s white rind exterior and soft, triple cream centre is a similar to Camembert, while it contains threads of mild blue mold just like Gorgonzola.

If you had a cheese plate, buy a wedge and leave it out at room temperature before serving. The oozing, delightful result is just divine.

The name Cambozola could be a reference to Cambodunum, the Roman name of the city (Kempten) where the manufacturer (Champignon) is located. It might also refer to the cheese being a unique combination of Camembert and Gorgonzola.

(photo courtesy of www.gourmetgirlmagazine.com)

The second cheese is Taleggio, which most of you are very familiar with. It’s a soft, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Italy that melts easing with heat. It’s mild but has a strange yet pleasant flavour, not unlike overripe fruit.

Cambozola & Taleggio Potato Bake
Jonas & Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 6 as an accompanying side dish.
Ingredients:
1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
100ml milk
100g crème fraîche
200g cambozola, sliced
200 taleggio, sliced
½ cup parmigiano, finely grated
1 large red onion, sliced into half circles
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. In a large bowl mix the milk, crème fraîche, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
3. In a large baking dish, make alternate layers of potato slices, onion, taleggio and cambozola.
4. The final layer should be covered in taleggio then sprinkled with parmigiano.
5. Pour the cream mixture over the potato layers and flatten potatoes with a spatula so that the top layer is resting in the sauce.
6. Cover with foil and bake in oven until potatoes are tender (about 1hr 15-30mins).
7. Once potatoes are tender, remove foil and continue baking until top has turned golden brown.
Note: this recipe was written after we made it when we were trying to remember everything! Use your instinct with the measurements (ie more or less cheese / cream mixture etc.

patatas bravas

2009-10-10T06:00:00.004+11:00

Here's Day 6 of Potato Week with another Spanish recipe, and what better for a Friday night than this tapa with a glass (read jug) of sangria.

Patatas Bravas
Recipe from Taste.com.au. Serves 4 for tapas.
Ingredients:
1.5kg sebago potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/3 cup dry white wine
400g can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over medium-low heat (potatoes should still be firm). Drain and set aside for 15 minutes.
3. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into 2cm cubes.
4. Pour ¼ cup oil into a roasting pan. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until oil and pan are hot.
5. Carefully add potatoes to pan. Turn to coat. Roast for 40 minutes or until crisp and tender.
6. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft.
7. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add chilli powder and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
9. Add wine. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook for 3 minutes or until reduced by half.
10. Add tomatoes and oregano. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Transfer sauce to a food processor and process until smooth. Return to saucepan.
12. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir through parsley.
13. Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl. Spoon over sauce and toss gently to coat. Serve with alioli.
Note: Jonas and I like to make double the sauce quantity then scrape the serving dish clean with chunks of crusty bread. We also add a little more chilli powder to increase the heat.

gnocchi w sage & burnt butter

2009-10-09T06:00:00.005+11:00

Sticking to my Potato Week theme (today is Day 5), this is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Joanne from Eats Well With Others.

Gnocchi are really Italian potato dumplings, just like Swedish palt, German schupfnudeln, Hungarian krumplinudli, Slovak halušky and Lithuanian didžkukuliai (awesome names, huh!).

According to Wikipedia, gnocchi "was introduced by the Roman Legions during the enormous expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. In the past 2,000 years each country developed its own specific type of small dumplings, with the ancient gnocchi as their common ancestor. In Roman times, gnocchi were made from a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs, and are still found in similar forms today, particularly in Sardinia . . . The use of potato is a relatively recent innovation, occurring after the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century."

This burnt butter sauce is one of Jonas' absolute favourites.

Gnocchi w Sage & Burnt Butter
Recipe from taste.com.au . Serves 4 (main) or 6 (starter)
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, chopped
16-20 small sage leaves
1 recipe gnocchi, cooked
1 cup (80g) shaved or grated parmesan
Method:
1. Place chopped butter into a large frying pan over medium heat.
2. Cook until melted then add sage leaves to pan.
3. Cook butter and sage leaves, swirling pan often, for 4-5 minutes or until sage leaves are crisp and butter has turned a deep nut-brown colour.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add gnocchi to frying pan and toss to coat in burnt sage butter.
6. To serve, divide gnocchi among bowls, spooning over any burnt butter that is left in the frying pan. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy immediately.
Note: I love to add a few tablespoons of toasted pine nuts at the end.

colcannon

2009-10-08T06:00:00.001+11:00

Potato Week - Day 4!

Now that we've got some Irish in the family, it's time I posted a decent Irish recipe. And if it's Irish, of course the recipe needs to include potatoes.

My sister, Stinky, came home from her year in Amsterdam with a lovely Irish lass whose stories about "Gordon science" and quaint villages with men reeking of silage give me stitches.

Colcannon, or cál ceannann, is a delicious way of using up leftover cabbage or potatoes by throwing them together into a tasty mash. Traditionally I think white cabbage was used, but I prefer the colour and flavour of kale in this recipe.

I could eat a plate of the stuff for dinner without anything else!

There are as many colcannon recipes as there are cooks in Ireland, so you could easily find versions with leeks, chives, garlic, ham and bacon.

This one's for you M.E.!

Colcannon
Based on a recipe by Maggie Beer. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1kg potatoes
400g cabbage, shredded
100g butter
100ml milk
3 spring onions, sliced
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water until soft but not falling apart. When cooked, drain off water and allow to steam dry.
2. Steam cabbage until tender but crisp, about 2 or three minutes.
3. Warm butter and milk in a pan. Set aside.
4. While potatoes are still warm, put through a mouli/ricer.
5. Add cabbage and spring onion and mix in the milk and butter. Season to taste.

tortilla de rosamaria

2009-10-07T06:00:00.006+11:00

Day 3 of Potato Week and guess what? It's Jonas' birthday!!!

Happy Birthday old man! I love you!

So on his birthday I'll share one of his recipes, this simple rosemary and potato tortilla.

Tortilla de Rosamaria
Jonas' very own recipe. Serves 2 as dinner.
Ingredients:
300g waxy potatoes, peeled
1 red onion
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for frying
Method:
1. Slice potatoes and onion into thin rounds.
2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan
3. Sauté onion and garlic until softened.
4. Add potatoes and sauté until soft (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat.
5. Pick leaves from rosemary twig and discard twig.
6. Mix rosemary leaves, salt and pepper into eggs.
7. Combine the potatoes and onions with egg mixture.
8. Clean the frying pan then add a little more oil and heat.
9. Add potato mixture, shake to settle evenly in pan, then allow to cook until set (5-8 minutes).
10. Lift edges gently with a spatula then flip tortilla onto a plate, sliding uncooked side into pan to be cooked a further 2 minutes.
11. Serve cut into wedges with a side salad.

tomato, caper & feta potato bake

2009-10-06T06:00:00.003+11:00

Day 2 of Potato Week!

This dish is probably best as a side, but could easily be an easy and comforting winter meal.

The flavours are almost like spaghetti alla puttanesca, but instead of pasta it's baked with slices of potatoes and topped with cheese. There's also feta throughout the dish.

OK, so it's not the healthiest, but surely it's better for you than a creamy potato bake?

And definitely delicious!

Tomato, Caper & Feta Potato Bake
Jonas' very own recipe. Serves 6 as an accompanying side dish.
Ingredients:
1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded parmigiano
½ cup crumbled feta
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup capers
500ml tomato passata
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Olive oil, for frying
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic until soft.
3. Add the tomato passata, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In a baking dish, spoon a little of the tomato sauce to “grease”, then alternate layers of potato slices, capers, feta and tomato sauce.
5. On the final layer ensure it is topped with tomato sauce then sprinkle over mozzarella and parmigiano, then dried oregano.
6. Cover with foil and bake in oven until potatoes are tender (about 1hr 15-30mins).
7. Once potatoes are tender, remove foil and continue baking until top has turned golden brown.
Note: For a non-veggie version, add anchovies to onions and fry until broken up before adding the tomato passata.

rösti

2009-10-05T06:00:00.007+11:00

Announcing the spud themed Potato Week on Morsels & Musings!

My relos, Lynn and Chris, have a farm in Robertson where they grow a number of things including potatoes. This year there was a bumper crop and Jonas and I were lucky to receive a sack of potatoes. They were the most delicious potatoes we have tasted in a long, long time.

In honour of this potato bonanza, starting today, I plan to blog a potato recipe for seven days straight. On the menu is:
Rösti (today)
Tomato & Caper Potato Bake
Tortilla de Rosamaria
Colcannon
Gnocchi w Sage & Burnt Butter
Patatas Bravas
Taleggio & Cambozola Potato Bake

Prepare yourself for a delicious starch and carbohydrate overdose!

Today I begin Potato Week with the delicious Swiss rösti. These pancakes of grated potato are spectacular for breakfast with smoked salmon, as a fair snack or for dinner alongside meat or poultry.

There are great debates about making rösti: whether to use boiled or raw grated potatoes, whether to add ham or cheese or apples, whether to only fry or also bake . . . the list goes on.

Jonas is the rösti maker in our home, and this is the recipe he uses to great, great success.

His rösti are always crispy on the outside and edges, but with a centre of soft, moist potato (yet never mushy).

The only problem with his recipe is that they are too delicious and one is never enough.

Rösti
Jonas’ very own recipe. Makes 2 large (breakfast) or 6 small (sides).
Ingredients:
5 potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Parboil potatoes in salted water, for approximately 10 minutes. Potatoes should be firm but not hard.
2. Cool potatoes to room temperature.
3. Coarsely grate potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil and butter in frying pan until very hot.
5. Form potato into patty and fry until golden (approximately 5 minutes on each side).

The potato is my theme ingredient for WHB this week.

I have already waxed lyrical about potatoes previously, so forgive me from stealing straight from my own post.

The root of the Solanum tuberosum is the world's most widely grown tuber and is in fourth place as the most produced food crop after rice, wheat, and corn. China and India are the world's largest potato producers.

Research seems to put the potato’s origin in the Andes from Colombia / Venezuela to northern Argentina and the first evidence of cultivated took place in Peru 7,000 years ago. Some 99% of the world’s cultivated potato varieties descend from a subspecies indigenous to South-Central Chile, probably due to the trading routes that carried the first plant exports.

Potatoes made the journey to Europe in the mid 1500s and quickly became a staple food crop, particularly for the poor.

Lack of genetic varieties in Europe left potato crops vulnerable to diseases, such as Phytophthora infestans, which resulted in the infamous Irish famine and a reduction of Ireland’s population by 25% from starvation, disease and emigration to the New World.

The English word potato comes directly from the Spanish patata, which itself is a compound of two Native American words for potato and sweet potato: papa (Quechua) and batata (Taino)

Many Slavic, Baltic, Germanic, Scandinavian and Balkan languages derive their word for potato from an ancient word for potato which also meant “truffle”. French, Dutch, Hebrew, Finnish all have names meaning “earth fruit/apple/pear”, whereas Slovak and Polish use words that mean simply “ground”. Different Chinese languages have meanings such as “foreign taro”, “horse yam” or “earth bean”. Although the Hindi and Nepali word for potato is aloo and in Indonesian it is kentang, I don’t know what the base meaning of these words are.

Potatoes have excellent carbohydrate content but also good levels of Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B6 and traces of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc.

The glycemic index (GI) of potatoes can vary considerably depending on the type, location grown, cooking methods and with what it is consumed.

Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids such as solanine and chaconine, which are toxic compounds found in high concentrations in wild potatoes. Light exposure and aging increases toxin levels but cooking at over 170°C (340°F) partly destroys the toxins. Affects are weakness, confusion, headaches, diarrhea and cramps and although coma or death could occur, poisoning from potatoes is very rare.

Common international varieties include Bintje; Désirée; Fianna; King Edward; Kipfler; New; Nicola; Pink Eye; Pink Fir Apple; Red Pontiac; Rooster; Russet Burbank and Spunta.

Fun Wikipedia facts!
• Potatoes are part of the deadly nightshade family, a group of poisonous plants including tomatoes and tobacco.
• There are about five thousand potato varieties world wide. Three thousand of them are found only in the Andes, where over 100 varieties of potato can be found in one valley alone!
• In France the potato was considered suitable only for cattle. In the mid 1700s Antoine Parmentier devised an ingenious strategy to encourage the French peasants to eat potatoes. Apparently he grew a field of potatoes and had it heavily guarded to make it look like a delicacy for the nobility. The peasants stole samples and started to enjoy them.
• Belarus has the world’s highest consumption of potato per capita with each Belorussian consuming 338 kg in 2005.
• The fibre content of a potato with skin equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals.
• The notion that all of the potato’s nutrients are found in the skin is an urban legend. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fibre, more than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself.

Our Weekend Herb Blogging host this week is Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook.

Other potato recipes on the Net are:
Beetroot & Potato Salad - Nami-Nami
Cheddar, Chive & Potato Bread - Apple Pie, Patis, Pate
Crab Boil Potato Salad - Bacon Concentrate
Creamy Garlic Potato Gratin - Freestyle Cookery
Curried Potato Chips - TriniGourmet
Cypriot Potato Salad - Morsels & Musings
Feta Mash - Morsels & Musings
Gamja Jorim (Korean braised potato) - Kitchen Wench
Jeera Aloo (Indian cumin potatoes) - Book of Yum
Lentil & Potato Curry - Cooking with Amy
Potato & Cabbage Casserole - Vanessa Barrington
Potato & Long Bean Rendang - Feeding Maybelle
Potato Breakfast Curry - Morsels & Musings
Potato Chip Cookies - Cooking with Amy
Potato Kugel - Off The Broiler
Potato Skins - Simply Recipes
Potato, Squash & Goats Cheese Gratin - The Kitchn
Pytt i Panna (Swedish hash) - Morsels & Musings
Rosemary Potato Pizza - Apple Pie, Patis, Pate
Rustic Potato Chowder - 101 Cookbooks
Schoppala (Hungarian noodles) - Delicious Days
Schupfnudeln (savoury German noodles) - Book of Yum
Schupfnudeln (sweet German noodles) - Addicted Sweet Tooth
Sour Cream, Potato & Chive Bread - Knead for Bread
Spicy Potato Empanadas - From Argentina With Love
Swordfish & Potato Tortino - The Perect Pantry
Warm Potato Salad w Smoked Trout - Morsels & Musings

-------------------------------------------------------
This time previously on M&M:
2008 - Swedish food
2007 - Mulberry & Cinnamon Cake
2006 - Caprese salad

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Irish_Famine

falooda - sweet vermicelli shake

2009-10-02T06:00:00.008+10:00

This lurid pink oddity is Falooda, a dessert-drink popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and most of the Middle East.

The falooda drink is an adaptation of an ancient Persian dessert made from noodles frozen with pistachio, rose water and lime juice, thought to be one of the world’s earliest frozen desserts (400 BCE).

Falooda drinks are unusual in composition because they contain basil seeds and wheat vermicelli noodles doused in cold milk and a variety of other flavourings.

My version is based on an Indian-style falooda with scoops of ice cream and jelly, topped off by the sweetest, most toxic-food-colour-red rose syrup that will give you a sugar headache for 3 days!

You can ditch the rose syrup and go for mango or fig falooda instead, but I think that’s wimping out. What’s the pleasure without the pain?

Making falooda was one of my 2009 Food Challenges: I have wanted to make this dessert-drink at home ever since I tried it at a local Indian restaurant. It's got few steps to it, but it's very easy to prepare.

If you like rose-flavoured sweets, you can’t beat this recipe.

One every few months can’t hurt, right?

Falooda (sweet vermicelli shake)
Recipe by Anna Fedeles. Makes 2.
Ingredients:
250ml milk
½ cup strawberry or raspberry jelly
½ cup dried wheat (or arrowroot) vermicelli noodles
2 scoops ice cream
2 tablespoons rose syrup
1 tablespoon basil seeds
Method:
1. Soak basil seeds in water. They will appear like tiny frogs eggs. Drain.
2. Boil vermicelli according to manufacturers instructions. Drain, rinse and chill.
3. In glasses, layer vermicelli, jelly, basil seeds, milk and rose syrup.
4. Top with ice cream a drizzle of syrup and a drop of basil seeds.
5. Serve with a thick straw and long-stemmed spoon.

This falooda is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by the event founder, Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

persimmon chutney

2009-09-30T06:00:00.002+10:00

This sweet and sour chutney is quite runny, but has a little texture from the firmer Fuyu persimmon flesh (see info on persimmon types here).

The flavour is certainly sweet with a tang and spicy kick, and it goes well with barbequed and grilled meats and fish.

Persimmon Chutney
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 250ml.
Ingredients:
1 ripe Hachiya persimmon
1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Method:
1. Peel the Fuyu persimmon and cube flesh. Put aside in bowl.
2. Scoop the jelly-like flesh out of the Hachiya persimmon. Add to Fuyu.
3. Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute.
4. Add persimmon pulp, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until pulp is soft and spices have permeated the chutney.
5. Pour into a sterilised jar and allow to cool.
6. Can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months.

basque oxtail stew

2009-09-28T06:00:00.009+10:00

I have always enjoyed eating oxtails but until this year I had never cooked them myself. That's why they were another one of the tasks I set myself in my 2009 Food Challenges.

I have to say oxtails were a little difficult for me to prepare. It felt like they took forever to get tender and, once they were, I had a doozy of a time picking the meat from their boney wheels. But I'd certainly cook them again.

This particularly recipe was a hearty winter dish. The flavours are warm and robust and I loved eating the rich gravy over chunks of boiled potato.

On egin!

Behi Buztanak Anda Goriren Zaltzan (Basque Oxtail Stew)
Recipe adapted from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines by Jeff Smith. Serves 2-4.
Ingredients:
800g oxtails, rubbed with salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped celery
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼ cups beef stock
¾ cups red wine
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, whole
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Using a heavy pot, brown the seasoned oxtails in the olive oil. Remove to a plate to rest.
2. Leave the oil in the pot and sauté the celery, onion, carrots, garlic, shallots, and parsley.
3. When the onions are clear add the flour and stir in well. Sauté for a few minutes.
4. Add the beef stock, red wine, bay leaves, and thyme, along with the oxtails. Simmer partially covered for 1 hour, or until tender. Stir occasionally.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste as the dish finishes.

I have actually posted about thyme previously for WHB but, since I’m only plagiarising myself, I thought I’d re-post it here:

The name thyme covers a genus (Thymus) of around 350 herbaceous plants and shrubs, native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. The stems are narrow and woody while the leaves are dense and evergreen in most versions.

Thyme has been used for millennia for a variety of different purposes: Ancient Egyptians used it for embalming; Ancient Greeks scented theirs baths and candles with it; Romans used it to flavour cheese and alcohol; and in Medieval Europe it was used to aid sleep and prevent nightmares.

It has been believed to bring courage since the times of Ancient Greece and during the Middle Ages in Europe knights and warriors would receive sprigs as gifts.

It’s essential oil contains 20-55% thymol, which is an antiseptic and apparently the active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Previously thymol was used to disinfect bandages; kill foot fungus; treat coughs, bronchitis and throat inflammation; and aid childbirth. Gargling water that has been boiled with thyme can be a useful mouth and throat antiseptic.

Unlike other herbs, thyme retains much of its flavour after being dried and is used widely in the cuisines of Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon and the Caribbean. It pairs well with game meat, lamb, chicken, eggs, tomatoes and cream. Thyme is also a feature of famous spice blends such as bouquet garni, herbes de Provence and za'atar.

This week our WHB host is Marija from the gorgeously photographed blog Palachinka! Try her red risotto, leche frita, elderberry jam or homemade orange liqueur for starters, then check out her round-up of this week's herby recipes.

Other thyme recipes from The Net include:
Baked Jerusalem Artichokes w Thyme & Lemon - Morsels & Musings
Butter Bean, Bacon & Thyme Soup - Greedy Gourmet
Corn Bite w Thyme - Eat Make Read
Green Beans w Almonds & Thyme - Simply Recipes
Mushroom & Thyme Farro Salad - Closet Cooking
Peach & Thyme Sorbet - Je Mange La Ville
Peach, Blueberry & Thyme Cupcakes - Cupcake Blog
Poached Pears w Wild Thyme & Raspberries - Dhanggit's Kitchen
Roast Chicken w Lemon & Thyme - Morsels & Musings
Roasted Figs w Thyme, Cinnamon & Honey - Nami Nami
Roasted Strawberry & Thyme Sherbet - Baking Obsession
Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Ice MilkJe Mange La Ville
Savory Pecan, Parmesan & Thyme Shortbread - Pittsburgh Needs Eated
Strawberry, Rhubarb & Thyme Shortcakes - Baking and Books
Strawberry Thyme Stuffed Cupcakes - Feeding Maybelle
Thyme-Braised Lentils w Petimezi - Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Thyme Flower Ice Cream - Chez Pim
Thyme, Hazelnut & Lemon Cookies - My Own Sweet Thyme
Tomato-Thyme Soup - Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook
Venison w Juniper, Blueberries & Thyme - Morsels & Musings
Zucchini Bake w Feta & Thyme - Kalyn's Kitchen

This time previously on Morsels & Musings:
2008 - Chorizo & Chickpea Tapa
2007 - Spelt Fettucine w Hazelnuts & Goats Curd
2006 - Lebanese coriander potatoes

the cocktails of new orleans

2009-09-26T06:00:00.000+10:00

What better post for the weekend than a whole bunch of cocktail recipes?

Jonas and I enjoyed a plethora of good cocktails in New Orleans, home of many of the world’s most famous drinks.

Did you know that New Orleans is the home of the following cocktails:
• Sazerac
• Ramos Gin Fizz
• Brandy Milk Punch
• Hurricane

Just as I suspected, the Brandy Milk Punch turned out to be my favourite of New Orleans' cocktails. Perfect to start off the day at breakfast, or end the evening with a milky treat before bed. Delicious, sweet and comforting!

Brandy Milk Punch
Recipe by the Museum of the American Cocktail. Makes 1.
Ingredients:
2 oz. (60ml) brandy
1 oz. (30ml) sugar syrup
4 oz. (120ml) milk
Method:
1. Shake with ice and serve in a punch glass. Dust with nutmeg.

The Sazerac is supposed to be America’s first cocktail, originating in pre-Civil War New Orleans in the 1830s. For those with a low alcohol tolerance, this is one dangerous drink.

Sazerac
Recipe from neworleansonline.com Makes 1.
Ingredients:
3-4 dashes of Herbsaint
2 oz. (60ml) Rye of Bourbon blended whiskey
3-4 hearty dashes of Peychaud bitters
One long, thin twist of lemon
Sugar cube, water, club soda—optional
Method:
1. Place Herbsaint in a well-chilled Old Fashion glass. Tilt glass to coat sides completely and pour off excess Herbsaint.
2. Place Rye and Peychaud bitters into cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into prepared glass.
3. Twist lemon peel over drink and drop in gently.

This photo was pilfered from MSN City Guides because I was too busy drinking to take a photo of my own!

This great cocktail is pure deliciousness. Originally called the New Orleans Fizz, it was invented by Henry Ramos in 1888. Based on a regular gin fizz, the addition of eggwhite and orange flower water gives an aromatic elegance to Ramos’ version.

Ramos Gin Fizz
Recipe by Art of Drink. Makes 1.
Ingredients:
2 oz (60ml) gin
½ tablespoon egg white (powdered)
½ oz (15ml) sugar syrup
½ oz (15ml) lemon juice
½ oz (15ml) lime juice
1 oz (30ml) cream
3 drops orange flower water
1-2 oz (30-60ml) soda water
Method:
1. Combine the gin, cream, egg white, lime juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup then shake, shake, shake until it gets creamy.
2. Then add a scoop of ice and shake for another 30 seconds. Once that is done strain the drink into a tall glass with an ounce or two of soda water on the bottom.
Tip: Don’t add the soda water after the drink is in the glass because it breaks the foam and makes for a watery drink.

According to Pat O’Brien’s (the Hurricane creators) during WWII staple booze was in low supply so salesmen would force bars to buy mass amounts of cheap Caribbean rum to get a little of the good stuff (like whisky). Pat O'Brien's owner decided to entice the crowds with cheap fruity rum punch in a novelty shaped (hurricane lamp) glass.

Hurricane
Recipe from The Gumbo Pages. Makes 1.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz (45ml) light rum
1.5 oz (45ml) dark rum
1 oz (30ml) orange juice
1 oz (30ml) fresh lime juice
¼ cup passion fruit juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon grenadine
Cherries with stems, and orange slice to garnish
Ice cubes
Method:
1. In a cocktail shaker, mix the rum, passion fruit juice or syrup, the other juices and the sugar until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the grenadine, and stir to combine, then add ice and shake.
3. Half-fill a hurricane glass with ice, then strain drink into glass; add ice to fill. Garnish with orange slice and cherries.

Napoleon House is a beautiful bar, built as a residence in 1797 for New Orleans’ mayor Nicholas Girod. It was offered as a refuge Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821, explaining how it got it’s imperial name. Although not a cocktail invented in New Orleans, Napoleon House makes such a mean Pimm’s Cup that it might as well have been their’s to start with.

Napoleon’s Pimm’s Cup
Recipe by Napoleon House. Makes 1.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ oz. (40ml) Pimm's No. 1 Cup
3 oz (90ml) lemonade (made from lemons!)
7up
Freshly sliced cucumber
Method:
1. Fill a tall 12 oz glass with ice.
2. Add Pimm's and lemonade.
3. Then top off with 7up.
4. Garnish with cucumber.

The first written record of the mint julep was published in London in 1803 and called it “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it, taken by Virginians of a morning”. Given that the mint julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, it’s most certainly known as a Southern drink and is drunk en masse in New Orleans (which seems to claim it as its own).

Mint Julep
Recipe by the Museum of the American Cocktail. Makes 1.
Ingredients:
½ oz. (15ml) sugar syrup
2 sprigs of fresh mint
2 oz. (60ml) bourbon
Method:
1. Muddle, with sugar syrup, one sprig of mint in the bottom of a highball glass or a silver julep cup.
2. Fill with crushed ice and add the bourbon.
3. Swirl with a bar spoon until the outside of the glass frosts.
4. Top up with more ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.

So which were my favourite bars in New Orleans?

Napoleon House
500 Chartres Street
Historic bar
Sit at the bar and soak up the 200yrs of atmosphere.

Chart Room
300 Chartres Street
Casual bar/pub
Local watering hole oozing with character.

Bombay Club
830 Conti Street
Martini bar / restaurant
Romantic, smoky, colonial charm.

Enjoy the drinking!

pickled smoked sausages

2009-09-24T06:00:00.009+10:00

(photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Yesterday we woke up to an eerie red glow and looked out the window to see Sydney blanketed in an impenetrable mist.

It turned out to be a huge dust storm that dumped 1000 tonnes of iron-rich dust on Sydney from the drought-stricken outback. As the sun tried to penetrate the fog, the light glinted off the tiny iron particles in the soil and created the most beautiful red glow.

Unfortunately the entire city is now filthy and anyone with any kind of breathing issue is not a happy camper.

But onto the recipe . . . during a visit to the Czech Republic in 2003 I tried my first pickled sausage "utopenci". I loved it.

Next taste was 2005 in the USA, when I found snack-pack pickled sausages as well as huge jars at Walmart. My grandfather, father and I spent a summer afternoon sitting in the shade of the garage drinking ice tea and eating pickled sausages from a giant jar (in the Florida humidity)!

These memories were the inspiration behind this 2009 Food Challenge and I made my very own batch of pickled sausages to munch on at home.

Note, these are not "Marco Polo" brand, that's just the jar I used!

I highly recommend you make yourself some pickled sausages. They sound gross, but they are truly delicious.

Also, make sure you add beetroot juice or your sausages will turn an unappetising grey hue.

Pickled Smoked Sausages
Recipe by Glenn Shapely.
Ingredients:
1kg pre-cooked, smoked sausages
500ml cider vinegar
125ml boiling water
40g sugar
15g pickling spices
5g onion flakes
A few drops of beetroot juice
Method:
1. Cut sausage to fit container and place inside.
2. In a saucepan add the vinegar, water, sugar, spices and onion flakes to the boil.
3. Pour the pickling liquid into the jar, add beetroot juice and put on lid. Turn upside and allow to sit for a few minutes to sterilise and seal the lid.
4. Refrigerate for 2 weeks before eating.

Pickling Spice
Anna's very own recipe. Makes 1 batch.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1 clove
Method:
1. Combine and add to vinegar when preparing pickling liquids.

sticky date pudding & butterscotch sauce

2009-09-22T06:00:00.007+10:00

When I eat sticky date pudding I think of three people: my mum and my two stepsisters Shamu and Stinky.

In the 1990s, between mosh pits at angsty grunge concerts, I would visit local cafés with my mum and sisters and gorge on this delicious cake. We’d even do cake runs on Saturday nights!

In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone from Sydney who didn’t overload on sticky date pudding in the 90s. It was the dessert of choice and pretty much every café and restaurant served it.

These days it’s been replaced by newer fads, but I still have a soft spot for this moist, rich cake so I made it for a friend's BBQ where it followed Tim's amazing crispy pork belly (soon to be posted for your viewing/eating pleasure).

I found this recipe in Australian Gourmet Traveller’s 40th Anniversary Issue in the 1990s section. It’s a particularly good version.

Sticky Date Pudding
Recipe from Gourmet Traveller (August 2006). Serves 8-10.
Ingredients:
170g dates, pitted & chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60g butter, softened
170g (¾ cup) sugar
2 eggs
170g (1 cup) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Butterscotch sauce (see recipe below), to serve
Double cream, to serve
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160’C. Grease and line cake tin.
2. Combine dates and 300ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
3. Remove from heat, add bicarbonate of soda and stand.
4. Beat butter and caster sugar with electric beaters until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add flour, date mixture and vanilla and mix to combine.
7. Spoon into a cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre withdraws clean.
8. Remove from oven and pour a quarter of butterscotch sauce over warm pudding then return to oven for 2-3 minutes so sauce soaks into pudding.
9. Serve pudding with extra butterscotch sauce and double cream or vanilla ice cream

Butterscotch Sauce
Recipe from Gourmet Traveller (August 2006). Makes approx 500ml.
Ingredients:
200g (1 cup) brown sugar
125ml (½ cup) thick cream
130g butter, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. For butterscotch sauce combine all ingredients in a saucepan
2. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer or 3 minutes.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a miraculous plant, providing so much to the people that rely upon it.

Dates have been part of the Middle Eastern diet for thousands of years and archaeological evidence shows cultivation as far back as 6000 BCE. They probably came from the Persian Gulf and spread though Mesopotamia into prehistoric Egypt

Dates are so important to the Middle Eastern diet that all four stages of the ripening process have their own word in Arabic: kimri (unripe), khalal (full-size, crunchy), rutab (ripe, soft), tamr (ripe, sun-dried).

Wikipedia lists over 40 different kinds of dates and not surprisingly, the Middle East leads the way in date output with the world’s top five producers being Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Date palms can take up to 7 years before they bear fruit but once they do they can make up to 120kg (264lbs) per harvest. They are not only the source of palm sugar but they also can be used to produce syrup, honey, vinegar and alcohol. There’s even sparkling date juice!

Apart from the fruit, young leaves and the palm heart can be cooked as a veggie, ground seeds make flour or flavour coffee and the flowers are added to salads.

And you don’t even need to eat date palm products. You can make soap from the sap; cosmetics from the oil, specialist charcoal and beads from the seeds; brooms from the fruit stalks; thatching, mats, screens and baskets from the fronds; and even a leather waterproofing agent from the syrup.

Dates can be eaten fresh once soft or also eaten dried. Fresh dates are high in Vitamin C but it’s lost in the drying process.

Dates are an amazing 80% sugar and the rest is protein and fat. They are high in fibre and potassium. Their high tannin content makes them useful in treatments for sore throat, colds and fever relief.

Date by-products are also used for treating diarrhoea, urinary problems and toothaches and in Nigeria the fruits are added to flavour beer because its believed they counteract intoxication.

Dates are my Weekend Herb Blogging theme ingredient this week, hosted by Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs).

Other recipes using dates:
Bacon-Wrapped Date 'Cannolis' w Pine Nuts - DISHtrict
Banana-Date Smoothie - Pink Bites
Bengali Date & Tomato Chutney - Ahaar
Date & Coconut Burfi (Indian fudge) - Laws of the Kitchen
Date & Earl Grey Madeleines - The British Larder
Date & Ginger Charoset (sweet Syrian paste) - I Heart Kale
Date & Walnut Loaf - More than Words
Date, Molasses & Cardamom Cake - Arabic Bites
Date Scones - Vicious Ange
Drunken Date & Blue Cheese Flatbread - Choosy Beggars
Kharjura Payasa (Indian date dessert) - Monsoon Spice
Kobz Abraj (North African breakfast pastries) - Kitchen Chick
Lärabars (date, nut & cocoa bar) - Chocolate & Zucchini
Mandarin-Date Sweet Potatoes - The Gluten Free Hippie
No-Cook Apple, Date & Onion Chutney - The Cottage Smallholder
Persimmon Fruit Salad - Morsels & Musings
Pistachio Stuffed Dates - Elana's Pantry
Pumpkin-Date Loaf - Culinary in the Country
Sesame-Date Muffins - I Think I Have A Recipe For That

From the M&M archives:
2008 - finger lime martini
2007 - kimchi jjigae (Korean spicy cabbage stew)
2006 - artichokes w lemon & garlic

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Palm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Freshdates.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kajur.jpg

paneer bhurji (fried paneer)

2009-09-19T06:00:00.004+10:00

Bored of bacon and eggs?
Toast just not cutting it?
Cereal getting you down?
Then here’s a brekkie recipe for you!

Chilli and spices are tempered with the mild creaminess of paneer (cheese) in this Indian breakfast best served with flatbread.

Paneer Bhurji (Fried Paneer)
Anna’s very own recipe based on various internet versions. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
300g fresh paneer, crumbled coarsely
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
Pinch of asafeotida (hing) powder
Chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
Rice or flatbread, to serve
Method:
1. Heat the oil, add the onion and green chilli and fry until soft.
2. Add the cumin seeds and fry until browned and fragrant.
3. Add the pepper, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and asafeotida (hing) powder and fry until fragrant.
4. Next add the grated ginger, sugar and chopped tomato.
5. Now add the paneer and salt and fry, stirring continuously, until heated through.
6. Remove from the heat and stir through lime juice and fresh coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with rice or Indian flat breads like roti, chapati or naan.

Interested in some other exciting breakfast recipes from the M&M archives?
Baked Eggs & Beans V
Blackberry Breakfast Cake V
Blueberry & Sour Cream Wholemeal Pancakes V
Blueberry Focaccia V
Breakfast Crumble V
Chilaquiles (Mexican bean, tomatillo & tortilla bake) V
Çılbır (Turkish eggs w spiced yoghurt) V
Fatteh (Syrian chickpeas, tahini & yoghurt) V
Grape & Aniseed Schiacciata V
Jonas' Breakfast Beans V
Khabeesa (Omani rose & cardamom porridge) V
Khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread) V
Moringa Omelette V
Mulberry & Vanilla Muffins V
Pears Poached in Passionfruit Juice V
Persimmon & Bourbon Bread V
Persimmon Fruit Salad V
Potato Breakfast Curry w Poached Eggs V
Quinoa Porridge V
Ricotta, Strawberry & Choc-Chip Muffins V
Roquefort Popovers V
Zucchini, Mint & Feta Bake V

mâche w chive & mustard dressing

2009-09-15T06:00:00.005+10:00

On recent visits to specialist green grocers, I’ve discovered Sydney is awash with packages from a new company selling fresh, wonderful mâche.

I remember when I was about 12 and my mother started growing mâche. I would happily eat the nutty, sweet leaves.

Looking back on it, I was very lucky I had a mother who grew sorrel and rocket and mâche when all the other kids ate nothing but iceberg lettuce (all that was available in the supermarket in those days).

But after that mâche supply ended, I was without my favourite salad green until 2 months ago when I found Sydney’s new supplier. Now mâche is back on the menu!

Mâche has a gentle, sweet flavour that is easily overpowered with too much acidity. To be honest, the dressing I’ve used below could be considered “too much”, so use your own judgement.

Instead I would probably recommend using a gentle oil (like walnut or hazelnut) and a light acidulant like verjuice.

Mâche w Chive & Mustard Dressing
Anna’s recipe. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
100g mâche rosettes
1 heaped tablespoon wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chive paste (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Method:
1. Carefully wash mâche rosettes, being sure to remove any residual dirt in their layers.
2. In a jar, shake Dijon mustard, chive, olive oil and vinegar until well combined (is emulsified a word or have I been ruined by George W?).
3. Combine mâche and dressing and serve immediately.

Mâche (Valerianella locusta) has many common names like corn salad, lamb’s lettuce, field salad, field lettuce and rapunzel

Mâche grows in pretty rosette clusters so dirt easily gets caught in the folds. Make sure you clean it well to remove any hidden grit.

Mâche grows wild in parts of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia and often pops up in unused fields. It was once a green foraged by peasants but by the reign of France’s Sun King (Louis XIV 1643-1715) it was part of the royal garden.

Full of vitamin C, B6, B9, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, mâche is a very healthy green.

The Weekend Herb Blogging host for this week is Chriesi from Almond Corner. Be sure to check out the round-up.

Other blogger recipes:
Algerian Clementine, Onion & Mâche Salad - Mediterranean Creole
Goat Cheese & Mâche Risotto - La Vie
Lamb's Lettuce & Chicken Soup - Chocolate & Zucchini
Mâche & Jicama Salad - sophistimom
Mâche Green Smoothies - She Simmers
Mâche w Orange Cumin Dressing - Kitchen Parade
Mâche, Raspberry & Viola Salad - Lekker, Lekker, Lekkerste
Vegan BLT - Healthy. Happy. Life.

From the M&M archives:
2008 - Drumstick Masala
2007 - Poire & Prosecco (cocktail)
2006 - Lentil Potage

References:
http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/products/articles/anti-stress-anti-fatigue-and-full-of-vitamins/
http://www.foodreference.com/html/fmache.html
http://www.noblefoodsfarm.com/GreensGuide/mache.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_salad
http://www.foodreference.com/html/flambslettuce.html
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/lambs-lettuce/