Afternoon delight

You know what’s great about eating out in Italy? Campari aperitifs.

There’s a choice of sweet or bitter but I always choose bitter. It goes better with the olive and whatever savoury snack you’re having with it; nuts, sliced meats, bread or the delightful little pizza pies pictured above.

It was a hot day and we’d been walking quite a while through the back streets of Venice when we happened past the Nobile Pasticcerie with a lot of people gathered around, smoking furiously.

A quick peek inside revealed why. Sweet and savoury snacks were carefully arranged behind a glass counter; individual pizza pies, spinach and ricotta pastries, big fluffy white meringues and pistachio biscotti were all piled dazzlingly high.

They were being eaten by locals with one hand while the other held a Campari aperitif and somehow they also smoked a cigarette (a third hand?). We immediately wanted to do the same. Not the smoking bit, but all the rest.

We ordered our aperitifs and pizza snacks and stood by the window grinning.

I love the way Italians eat quickly while standing up at the bar. Whether it’s an  espresso pick-me-up, or an alcoholic lets-get-this-party-started aperitif, it creates a certain drama and urgency to the day that’s very very addictive.

Needless to say, this drink and snack were delicious! The pizza dough was soft, made with good quality olive oil and filled with a rich tomato sauce that only the Italians know how to do so perfectly. A small slice of melted mozarella was indeed, the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Venice is a truly magical place and bursting with little hole-in-the-wall places like this to discover. Yes, it can be expensive, but when you’ve got an aperitif in your hand and a great travelling companion, it barely matters.

Pasticcerie Nobile in Venezia
30121 Venezia (VE)
1818, Cannaregio
ph: +39 041 720731

Ciao, Christie x

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More Italian travel stories:

Best view in Rome
Authentic home-cooked Italian meal
First time in Italy

More salad!

I’m back on track with healthy eating while in France. It’s for two reasons:

1. I’ve overindulged for about 4 months while travelling around the world. You read this blog, so you know what I’m talking about. Plus, I haven’t even posted all the super indulgent ones yet, it’s just too embarrassing revealing all the food I’ve eaten!
2. I’m heading to NYC next week, then San Francisco, LA and Vegas and, quite frankly, I’m scared of the huge American portion sizes I’ve read about and seen on food blogs!

Cheesy interlude

This salad was inspired by a package I received from a PR company for Will Studd’s Cheese Slices DVD series. The Series 4 DVD was in the package but it was sent to my Australian PO Box so I haven’t seen it yet.

I absolutely adore cheese of all varieties so I’m really looking forward to watching it when I get back - especially the episode in Japan with the famous Sydney Chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

You can buy the DVDs online which would be a great foodie gift. Did you know Christmas is less than 2 months away? I hate getting crushed in the Sydney-Xmas-crowd-mayhem, and besides, online purchases are so much cooler.

Back to the salad

Goats cheese and beetroot are a great match; the richness of the cheese is balanced by the sweet, earthiness of the beetroot.

I’ve been completely obsessed by beetroot while in Toulouse because you can buy cooked vacuum-packed ones in the supermarket that are really really good. Often pre-cooked ones are too soft or have lost flavour from being boiled for too long but these ones are perfect.

You can roast or boil your own beetroots but if you’ve got access to good vacuum-packed or canned ones then this salad is super speedy.

Stay healthy, Christie x

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More yummy seafood recipes:

- Chilli octopus salad (GF)
- Fish burger w/ radish and olives
- Poached salmon salad w/ creamy pesto dressing (GF)
- Sweet chilli prawn skewers (GF)
- Triple citrus tuna risoni

Goats cheese tuna salad recipe

serves 2

1 cup salad leaves (I used rocket, baby spinach, flat leaf parsley)
1 large cooked beetroot, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
300g can tuna, flaked (I like ones in olive oil, especially the Sirena brand)
1/2 small cucumber, sliced
100g goats cheese, crumbled
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
olive oil

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the lemon and oil, in a large bowl and toss gently.

2. Divide between two serving plates and then dribble with the lemon juice, zest and oil. Easy!

Hungry?

I’ve heard people complain they don’t eat salads because they still feel hungry afterward. Rubbish! They’re obviously not eating the right salads.

I’ll let you in on a secret: salads don’t have to include lettuce. Gasp! It’s a hard secret for some to swallow, but once you start to follow the no-lettuce rule, salads get a lot more interesting.

I eat salads every single day because they’re the easiest way to get lots of vegetables, and therefore nutrients, into my diet. Not to mention the fact I love the creativity of assembling a dish with different flavours, textures and colours.

Salads are also a great place for healthy nuts and seeds to hang out. It’s easy to get your daily dose of those when they’re nestled in between soft greens and covered in yummy dressings.

Plating up!

An important tip for enjoying salads; take the time to present them nicely on the plate. It makes the humble salad seem much more posh. Careful though, it can become an obsession!

As you can see with the picture above, this simple chicken and pumpkin salad looks much fancier than it’s 5 ingredient list should allow. I actually got the idea to slice and serve the beetroot that way from a post I saw at Noshtopia. Scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

Delicious no-lettuce salads to keep you satisfied:

Click each one to see a photo and full recipe.

• Roast duck noodle salad
• Poached salmon salad w/ creamy pesto dressing
• Triple citrus tuna risoni
• Grilled lamb w/ eggplant and feta cous cous
• Roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad
• Spring vegetable potato salad w/ yoghurt dressing
• Grilled zucchini w/ sour cherry couscous

Chicken and pumpkin salad recipe

click here if you need a conversion calculator
serves 2 (easily doubled or tripled and lovely served on a platter)

small wedge of pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes (about 2 cups worth)
1 chicken breast, butterflied (how to butterfly a chicken breast)
1 tablespoon aioli (garlic mayonnaise)
few sprigs flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 cooked beetroot, very thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, very thinly sliced
olive oil, to serve (optional)

1. Place the pumpkin cubes on a non stick roasting tray and bake in a hot oven until tender and golden, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the chicken breast in a non stick fry pan until brown on both sides and cooked through. This should only take a few minutes as the breasts have been butterflied. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

3. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and place into a bowl. Add the aioli and parsley and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. Plate up the salad. Start with the thin beetroot slices, overlapping them slightly in a circle shape on the plate, then top with the cucumber slices. Spoon some of the pumpkin mixture on top.

5. Thickly slice the chicken into strips and arrange on top. Drizzle with olive oil if you like and serve.

Super cute, don’t you think?

I get sent a lot of press releases about various food products but not all of them stand out. This one for Sooshi did.

I really enjoy good ice cream made with fresh ingredients. I fell in love with Italian gelato in Florence and the gorgeous ‘chewy’ ice cream in Istanbul.

These adorable little New Zealand Natural ’sushi rolls’ are made with real fruit ice cream. The outside ‘nori’ sheet is apple flavoured, the ‘rice’ is vanilla or fruity ice cream and the ‘fillings’ are a shot of sweet fruit puree of raspberry, apricot, lemon or blackcurrant.

The best bit? You can ask for a squirt of ’soy sauce’ which will be chocolate syrup!

You might remember that I did a smoked salmon ’sushi’ a while back which was a thin crepe filled with smoked salmon and nori, then rolled up and sliced to look like sushi. They were really yummy.

Do you think the New Zealand Natural ice cream company saw my post and were inspired? Just kidding! I better go deflate my head.

Have fun with this fellow-Aussies. I look forward to eating some when I’m back home in Sydney in December.

Christie x

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More foodie fun:

Bacon alarm clock
Pineapple Jerky
Black eggs Japan

Enjoying Autumn / Fall in the Northern Hemisphere!

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons as I absolutely adore mushrooms of all types; oyster, ceps, truffles, portabello, enoki, chanterelle, swiss browns and more.

I’m currently in Toulouse, where they sell at least 5 types of mushrooms in the supermarket. What a joy! I don’t know if it’s because mushrooms are in season or if it’s always like that, but I’m glad to have so much choice.

Mushrooms are incredibly versatile and can be thrown into almost any dish, from omelettes to lasagne. I love large flat ones roasted whole so the cap gets all juicy or small button ones crumbed and dipped into garlicky aoili dusted with paprika.

This time I’ve sauteed some shimeji and oyster mushrooms with firm tofu and served on rustic, lightly-toasted bread. It’s perfect as a vegan breakfast or light lunch. It’s also very good served with coconut rice.

Mushrooms aren’t the only great thing about Autumn. There’s also pumpkins, fresh pistachio nuts, pears, celeriac, fennel and parsnip. All of which can be made into thick, delicious soups.

Not to mention the pretty gold, orange and brown leaves and blue skies when there’s a nip in the air.

I do love the fact I’m going to go straight from Northern Hemisphere Autumn into a full blown Aussie Summer in December though. Bring on the mangoes, berries, lychees and pineapples!

For now, I’ve got mushrooms, Christie x

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More Autumn produce recipes:

Pear wrapped in proscuitto w/ warm balsamic dressing (GF)
Spiced pumpkin wedges (GF, V, VG)
Pumpkin, chorizo and chickpea soup (GF)

Salt and pepper breakfast tofu recipe

click here if you need a conversion calculator
serves 2

200g block of firm tofu
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch dried chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
200-300g mixed mushrooms, sliced if large
1 teaspoon sesame oil
rustic bread, to serve

1. Pat the block of tofu with paper towels until very dry. If you’ve got time, put it on a plate wrapped in paper towels, top with another plate and weight it down with a few cans from your pantry. The reason for all this madness is to make sure the tofu is really dry so it crisps up nicely.

2. Once dry, cut the tofu into 1-2cm cubes and toss with the salt and pepper until evenly coated. Set aside.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok until very hot. Add the garlic and chilli and stir-fry for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tofu and brown the cubes on all sides, about 3 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

4. Toss in the mushrooms and saute until tender, 3-4 mins, then add the tofu back to the pan and drizzle with the sesame oil. Cook until the tofu is heated through and serve with toast if you like.

A big thank you to my friend Michelle!

Yes, that’s John Torode’s personal birthday message and signature for me (with a kiss!).

My wonderful friends Michelle and Huw went to dinner at John’s new restaurant The Luxe at Spitalfields in London last week.

They happened to see John there and asked him to sign the book for me (which they kindly bought - thank you!).

To say I was excited when she told me that she’d done this was an understatement! I’m such a fan of the Masterchef show (the British one, which existed waaaay before the inferior Aussie version - sorry guys).

When I lived in London I used to love the marathon Saturday morning sessions where they would play the week’s episodes back to back. Pure heaven. I also love Greg Wallace, aka puddingface, who I enthusiastically follow on twitter.

I don’t think John’s on Twitter? Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, I didn’t have much time to enjoy this wonderful new cookbook John Torode’s Chicken and Other Birds as it swiftly got posted back to Oz along with my other birthday cookbook pressies:

Everyday Harumi: A Japanese cookbook with easy and delicious recipes and fantastic drool-worthy photography. A big thank you to my friends Celine and Bi and their baby girl Alice for giving it to me!

Tender: v. 1: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch: Nigel Slater’s newest offering. I adore Nigel’s approach to eating and cooking, plus his cookbooks are aesthetically fabulous; the paper stock, the muted tones and the cloth cover really appeal to me. Thanks to hubby Dillon for that one!

I promise I’ll cook lots of recipes from them on my return to Australia in December. I just couldn’t bear to cause them any damage lugging them around the world.

Until then, Christie x

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Go to Alfredo e Ada’s of course!

After our posh drink and snacks at Hotel Raphael we walked through the cobble-stoned and picturesque streets of Rome to Alfredo e Ada’s.

I need to quickly brag that I read the map and got us there. I’m bragging because I’m extremely bad at reading maps and usually give up half way through in tears. But this time I persevered and got it right. A proud occasion for me!

Our mate Douglas told us to ask for the red wine as soon as we sat down because it’s home made and better than the white wine they serve. He was right, it was delicious. I love the way it’s served in a carafe with little tumblers rather than wine glasses.

The pasta course

Before we can say ‘bellissimo!’ a big plate of macaroni with fresh tomato sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan arrives.

I should mention now that there’s no menu, you simply eat whatever Ada feels like cooking. Sadly, Alfredo has passed away so Ada and various other family members and friends now run the restaurant.

The macaroni was perfectly al dente - they really do cook pasta well in Italy, although al dente is a little firmer than I thought it was meant to be. I actually really like it and will cook it that way from now on.

The fresh tomato sauce was vibrant in taste and silky in texture. It had been barely cooked so the tomatoes still tasted very fresh. The simplicity of 3 ingredients cooked perfectly and combined on the plate was pure reverence to the produce. I love that about Italian cooking.

The main course

We were surprised to get a choice. “Chicken or veal?” said the nice elderly man who was serving us. He had a cheeky smile and no explanation of what either was served with. He didn’t speak much English and we didn’t speak much Italian so we chose one of each.

A kind of lucky dip. Where both of us got very very lucky indeed.

I had the veal pictured above. Amazing! Braised so well it practically fell apart just by looking at it. Accompanied by peas and a thin but deeply savoury broth flavoured with rosemary and a hint of garlic. There was also sauteed eggplant that was soft and squidgy and nicely salty.

I ate too much white crusty bread while soaking up the juices. It was worth it.

Dillon declared this the best chicken he has ever eaten. Even from the dishes I’ve served him. I doubted him until I tasted it and realised it would probably take me quite a while to figure out how to replicate something half as good as this dish.

Slices of chicken thigh with the bone in the middle were braised in an oily broth flavoured with rosemary, chilli, garlic and saffron (I think, because of the colour of the oil).

It was served with boiled potato chunks smothered in a rich tomato pulp and lots of crusty white bread to mop up all the heavenly sauces.

Dessert

We’d been given the tip to save a bit of red wine for the last course. It was hard to do because the wine was so drinkable and went really well with the pasta and the meat courses. But were really glad we did when these yummy biscotti came out.

Not too sweet, although covered in granular sugar, they were the perfect ending to the meal when dipped into the red wine.

I don’t think that’s Ada up the back there in the kitchen, but it’s definitely the lovely lady who cooked our meal.

If you’re in Rome please check out this restaurant - it’s absolutely delicious and excellent value.

Alfredo e Ada’s
Via Banchi Nuovi, 14, Near Castel St. Angelo, Tel. (06) 6878842

Christie x

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More travel stories:

Best view in Rome at sunset
Cooking course Morocco
Postcard from Tsukiji Market

My birthday

Last week it was my birthday and I celebrated with some of my family at St John Bread & Wine. It was delicious! I took some photos so expect them up soon.

Today I’m off to Borough to have lunch with a work friend I haven’t seen for more than 5 years! We used to work in a cafe together and I’d cook him yummy breakfasts with smoked salmon and eggs (he’s Swedish!) and he’d make me some very delicious coffee, although I didn’t appreciate it at the time, good coffee is one of my relatively new foodie-loves.

Our favourite thing to do was hide the freshest raspberry friands as soon as they’d arrive in the cafe. I hope our old boss isn’t reading this! They were made by Bloomspoon and were very moreish so we absolutely couldn’t help it. I’m sure you completely understand.

A show

On Friday night we made a last minute decision to go and see the brilliant play 39 steps at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. We quickly dined at Zilli Fish in Soho and almost missed the show! But it was worth it for the steamed mussels with lime, ginger and coconut and the halibut with roasted vegetable couscous.

Plus, Aldo Zilli was there and I got to tell him the meal was wonderful. So that was pretty cool. No photos though, I’m afraid.

A film

Yesterday I saw the film Julie & Julia and loved it! Those two women are amazing and their husbands were absolute dolls - so lovely and supportive. I thought Meryl Streep was fabulous in the role of Julia Child and all the French food made me so hungry for top quality produce that  I couldn’t eat the cinema popcorn.

Next month we’re in Toulouse in the South of France so I look forward to sharing some delicious French recipes with you then.

OK I think you’re all up to date now. More posts coming soon!

Chat soon, Christie x

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Simply have a drink at Hotel Raphael’s gorgeous terrace bar.

You can make a reservation if you like, but we didn’t. It’s a super posh hotel so dress up nicely and waltz on through the lobby and up to the terrace bar.

You’ll be absolutely stunned at the the incredible view and you didn’t have to queue up or pay an entrance fee. If you’ve been to Rome, then you’ll know that’s quite a feat and definitely something to brag about.

Sure the drinks are expensive but they come with complimentary snacks. Yummy ones. Click ‘read more’ to see pictures of them.

Gin & Tonic.

My drink of choice after a long day of sightseeing. It was very refreshing and on the cheeky side too, plus don’t you adore the cute swizzle stick? Maybe that’s just me.

Complimentary snacks!

The bread was smeared with mayonnaise which was a little weird and there were small slices of chorizo - hey, am I still in Spain? But anyway, they were free and got served on a little silver tray so I shouldn’t complain.

Complimentary nuts!

A generous amount. We even left a few there because we thought we’d ruin our appetite for dinner. The pistachios were particularly good; big and green and crunchy.

That’s me!

Enjoying the view and being photographed by The Bear, my lovely hubby.

Thank you

A very big thank you to the wonderful Douglas for the tip off. If you’re ever in Italy you should definitely try one of his Rome walking tours or Italian art workshops.

Ciao, Christie x

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We made it to Italy!

We were in Rome for 4 nights which was absolutely wonderful and made even better by the insider tips we got from our mate Douglas from Icon Tours.

You’ll hear all about it in posts coming soon, including:

• The best place to go for a drink at sunset and enjoy stunning views of Rome - free entry!
• Where to get a home-cooked meal made by an Italian Nonna.
• How to gain entry into an age-old Italian wine cellar and have a fantastic meal at a family run restaurant in the Trastevere district.

We’re now in Florence for another 4 nights before heading to Venice, just in time for the film Festival. Toy Story is playing in 3D - should I go see it? Perhaps after an Italian film

I still haven’t posted loads of stories from Istanbul and we’ve just gone through Budapest for a few days to visit my Hungarian Nagy Mama (grandmother). We had a delicious traditional meal and yes, I took lots of photos!

OK, I’m off to get some gelati, chat to you soon.

Ciao, Christie x

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