A clever way to use up odds and ends.

I hate wasting food. I hope you hate it too.

Tonight I’ve got 2 over-ripe bananas in the fruit bowl and no baking ingredients in the cupboard. Not even flour. Or vanilla extract. When I say none, I mean none.

I’m in my rented Barcelona apartment without the luxury of my overstuffed pantry treasure-trove. I’ve got to get back to basics (ie. nothing!).

But hang on, I’ve got some things… stale bread, eggs, sugar - are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yep. Bread and butter pudding. With banana. (And a few spare nuts and raisins). Yeah, it’s kinda weird, but beggars can’t be choosers (or wasters).

Behold an extremely bare-bones bread and butter pudding flavoured with ripe banana. These ones were so soft I mashed them into the custard rather than slicing and it turned out beautifully. I hope you enjoy it.

Don’t be wasting, Christie x

Let’s connect…
Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Banana bread and butter pudding recipe

serves 4 (Convert measurements here)

butter for greasing
3 large eggs
250ml pouring cream
2 ripe bananas, mashed to a puree
8-10 slices bread (any kind, at least a day old).
handful of walnuts and raisins (optional)
demerara or brown sugar, to taste (I used about 1 tablespoon)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and grease a baking dish really well with butter.

2. Whisk together the eggs, cream and mashed banana in a large bowl. Dip a slice of bread into the custard until fully soaked and then place into the baking dish. Repeat with remaining bread overlapping the slices slightly. Pour the leftover custard over the pudding.

3. Scatter the walnuts and raisins, if using, over the top of the pudding. Sprinkle an even layer of sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes. Bake until golden and cooked through (about 20 minutes). Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like.

You like fruit? Try these:

Pink grapefruit and sparkling water drink (GF, V, VG)
Free form fig and hazelnut tart (V)
Pomegranate granita w/ lychee and gin (GF, V, VG)

Late night dining in Kyoto - no, it’s not kebabs!

After exploring the fascinating cobble-stoned narrow streets in East Kyoto for a few hours we realised it was quite late and that we hadn’t had dinner.

We turned a corner, passed a few hostess bars, spotted a geisha walking across the road and saw some bright lights up ahead with a queue forming. It looked like the classic late-night fast food place you’d go to after (quite) a few drinks.

There was just one very busy chef making pancake / omelette things on a flat grill out the front and they smelt incredibly good. Without even knowing what it was we gestured to the waitress that we’d like to sit.

[Hard at work, he turned them out perfectly every time!]

We were seated at a corner table and within a few seconds a woman came over with a massive novelty-size menu. It was the size of a large poster folded in half and it had just one picture on it: Issen Yoshoku.

The woman pointed at the picture and nodded at us. We nodded back and held up two fingers. We also asked her for two beers and she scuttled off.

We were very amused by all this. Why have a menu at all if you only serve one thing? This restaurateur obviously has a good sense of humour, we thought!

To clarify, Issen Yoshoku is both the name of the restaurant, and the name of the only dish it serves. It’s apparently the ‘original Western food’ in Japan, created during the early 1900s and sold by street vendors for 1 US cent wrapped in newspaper. (Source: Kyoto Foodie)

[Mmm, gooey savoury goodness inside]

They arrived quickly and at a tiny 630 yen were extraordinarily good value.

The pancake part was made with wheat flour and filled with a myriad of wonderful flavours then topped with a thick brown sweet/salty sauce and strips of nori (dried seaweed).

I’m unsure of all the filling ingredients but could make out: egg, sweetcorn, dried shrimp, spring onions (scallions), pork strips (?) and cloud ear fungus diced really small (I think!).

The egg was still runny and all the flavours complemented each other beautifully; a deeply savoury and satisfying dish.

[Issen Yoshoku shopfront - see the geisha mannequin on the right?]

This restaurant is actually quite famous for having lots of Geisha mannequins seated throughout. Although there was just one out the front when we went there - can you see her in the picture above?

Apparently it’s to fool drunk men into thinking there’s some attractive single ladies to chat to while they’re chowing down on their late night snack. I wonder if it works? You never know.

Thank you, thank you

A massive thank you to Pako and Peko from Kyoto Foodie who I contacted for the name of the restaurant. I sent them my photos and they identified it immediately. Click here to read their super detailed review of Issen Yoshoku.

I heart Japan, Christie x

Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Hey don’t go! Read some more about Japan:

Review: Mister Donut, Akihabara Tokyo
Postcard from Tsukiji Market, Tokyo

Rise and shine it’s breakfast time!

I’m a big fan of simple and nutritious breakfasts. If you eat a healthy breakfast then you’re more likely to continue making healthy choices for the rest of the day. Well that’s true for me anyway.

I’m what people call ‘a morning person’ - read: super perky to the point of annoyance. Actually, that’s me most of the time, but especially at sunrise.

So preparing a breakfast dish that takes a bit of time is fine with me but I realise for most people that’s not an option. They’d rather roll over and sleep some more and settle for a takeaway coffee and a sweet pastry or bacon ‘n egg McMuffin (please don’t do it!).

This breakfast is a happy medium. You can heat the fruit under the grill (broiler) while you’re rubbing sleep from your eyes and turning the kettle on. But when you’re arranging it prettily on the plate you feel like you’ve done so much more.

If it’s hot where you are then why not slap these babies onto the BBQ? They’ll get a delicious caramel crust and you can enjoy the great outdoors before you head off to work.

Don’t hit the snooze button tomorrow - jump out of bed and start the day with gusto!

Love your grill, Christie x

Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Grilled apricots with yoghurt and walnuts recipe

serves 4

This can also be made very successfully with ripe peaches, nectarines or plums. Just allow a longer cooking time for larger fruit. The walnuts can be substituted with hazelnuts or almonds.

Dessert variation: Sprinkle with a little amaretto liqueur and serve with whipped cream or ice-cream. Delicious!

(Convert measurements here)

8 ripe apricots, sliced in half and stone removed
2 teaspoons demerara or brown sugar, or more to taste
10-20 walnuts, chopped
4 big spoons Greek-style yoghurt

1. Place the apricots, cut side up, onto a baking tray and sprinkle evenly with sugar.

2. Put the tray under a hot grill (broiler) and cook until the sugar caramelises, the edges are brown and the fruit is softened and warmed through (5-7 minutes).

3. Arrange the fruit on serving plates allowing each person 4 halves. Sprinkle with walnuts, dollop with a spoonful of yoghurt and serve.

Looking for more breakfast options?

Mango and basil breakfast parfait (GF, V)
Blood orange w/ ricotta, brazil nuts and honey (GF, V)
Mushroom and bacon open face omelette (GF)

Proof that fresh produce needs very little preparation!

A trip to the local supermarket today in Barcelona was a very exciting adventure indeed. I got such wonderful things as fresh Jamon (ham, although that’s an understatement), Jamon stock (ham stock, amazing), Butifarra (Catalan sausage), cooked octopus (above) and canned pimento peppers. You can see a picture of my haul here.

I came back to my apartment and my head spun from deciding what to eat first. Making lunch never seemed so hard! I figured that the octopus would go bad first so being a practical girl I used that.

Well that’s not entirely true. I also got a fresh loaf of bread while up the street and the octopus was swimming in a delicious chilli oil marinade that was just begging to be mopped up. How could I refuse? Salad with fresh bread it was!

I also bought some super ripe apricots and half a pineapple and have already started devising a healthy breakfast to make with the apricots tomorrow morning.

My new toy!

Last but definitely not least. Do you like the octopus salad shot? You should, because it was taken on my brand new Olympus E-620 with 25mm macro lens. Sexy, isn’t it? I’m super excited to have it in my hot little hands. I used it a lot when shooting in Japan and the fruits of my labour are coming up soon.

Until next time, Christie x

Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Chilli octopus salad recipe

serves 2

(Convert measurements here)

250g cooked chilli octopus
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper), thinly sliced
6-10 green olives, pitted (preferably by you, pre-pitted olives have inferior flavour)
2 big handfuls of lettuce (I used lambs lettuce, also called mache)
1/2 lemon
olive oil, to dress
cracked pepper

1. Arrange all the ingredients evenly onto two serving plates.

2. Squeeze over some lemon juice and dribble with olive oil. Add some freshly cracked pepper and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Want more seafood recipes? OK then:

Salmon wasabi leaf canapes w/ wasabi and soy dipping sauce (GF)
Smoked salmon crepe ’sushi’ rolls
Fish burger w/ radish and olives
Sweet chilli prawn skewers

Afternoon tea never felt so fresh!

After a few hours of checking out the Roppongi district in Tokyo we found ourselves inside the super posh Tokyo Midtown complex. Feeling a little worn out we decided to have a healthier afternoon tea snack (ie. not Mister Donut!).

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a bright white store with colourful items. On closer inspection they weren’t just any old items they were the most perfectly formed and carefully padded pieces of fruit I’d ever seen! Expensive too. The store was called Sun Fruits. I think they’re a chain.

I didn’t really fancy forking out the equivalent of AUS$20 for one tiny mango the size of a lime, although it did look very beautiful, so I ’settled’ for this amazing fruit salad instead. Each melon ball was perfectly formed and all the citrus had every teeny bit of pith removed. Heavenly.

Suitably refreshed, we had the energy to explore the Tokyo Tower, which looks fantastic at night! Also, does it remind you of anything? Hint: croissant. Hehe.

[Photo by Dillon @ Morning Copy]

Have a great weekend, Christie x

Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Looking for fruity recipes? OK, here you go:

Blood orange w/ ricotta, brazil nuts and honey (GF, V)
Mango and basil breakfast parfait (GF, V)
Tropical fruit skewers w/ Vegemite Caramel (GF, V)

The first dinner I’ve cooked in Barcelona!

I thought I’d be making something uniquely Spanish for my first homemade dinner in Barcelona but I let the fresh ingredients at the market and meals I had in restaurants over the weekend determine the results.

There was also another first today - shopping alone at the local fresh market - and realising I need to know more Spanish words and phrases! Like, ‘I’ll have half a kilo’, ‘Can I try those olives?’, ‘10 slices of jamon please’! It was a tad embarrassing to say the least and I’ll be rectifying it asap.

I couldn’t resist a large pile of glossy black eggplants (aubergines) and practically got pulled towards them like a magnet. They sat in a huge pyramid shape and glistened sexily - I swear one winked at me - so it got swiftly swept into my basket.

The super friendly woman at the lamb counter was mincing lamb fresh from a big chunk. How could I resist? She also taught me how to say ‘Un medio kilo’, or ‘Half a kilo’, for which I’m forever grateful.

And that brings me to why I decided to make this dish. On the weekend we went to Barcelonta which is a gorgeous beach-side neigbourhood because I’d been tipped off that the best seafood restaurants were to be found there. We did find one, more on that soon, and we ate a fabulous noodle paella, I had no idea they existed?

That afternoon on a quick trip to the supermarket for some basic supplies I passed the dried pasta aisle and saw the same pasta shape that was used in the paella. I think they call it Fideo and it’s like a thin version of bucatini in short lengths.

As usual, I was making things up as I went along while cooking, hence the addition of a splash of Rosé wine (I was drinking some), it’s not essential but what better excuse to buy a bottle and drink the rest?

It’s really warm in Barcelona and we’ve been cranking the air-con in our apartment and so could handle this warm and comforting dish even though it’s Summer time. Also, it’s a little nod to my mates back home who are rugged up by the heater.

What’s next?

We’re back to Japan for the next post! See you then

Happy cooking, Christie x

Become a fan of Fig & Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

How to make Lamb and Eggplant pasta

RECIPE (Convert measurements here)
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 medium eggplants, diced (about 3 cups)
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 fresh chilli, finely sliced
500g ground lamb
125ml rosé wine
400g can whole peeled tomatoes
large handful finely chopped flat leaf parsley
hot cooked pasta, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and eggplant. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions become translucent and the eggplant starts to brown around the edges and soften.

2. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the mince and break it up into small chunks with a wooden spoon, allowing it to brown evenly. Season generously with salt and cracked pepper.

3. Once the meat is fully cooked and slightly caramelised splash over the rosé and scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan and incorporate into the sauce. When the wine is almost evaporated add the whole tomatoes, then put a splash of water into the can and swish it around and add to the pan.

4. Break up the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally until thickened. Check the seasoning. Throw in the parsley 2 minutes before the end of cooking and serve with hot cooked al dente pasta.

Want some more lamb recipes? Here you go:

- Greek Lamb Skewers (GF)
- Red wine lamb shanks w/ herb mash
- Grilled lamb w/ eggplant and feta cous cous

The best donuts in Tokyo?

I didn’t try all the donuts in Tokyo but these are the best I’ve tasted so far - in my life. I’m a fan of the cinnamon sugar donut and I don’t like iced donuts. I might be the only weirdo who doesn’t but that’s OK. I just don’t do super-sweet.

Dillon, on the other hand, has a sweet tooth. I find it strange that I prefer savoury/salty and he loves sweet/chocolatey. Isn’t it meant to be the other way around with boys and girls?

Let’s not dwell on that and get back to Mister Donut. It’s a global chain but is extremely popular in Japan with more than a thousand stores across the country. We stopped for morning tea while checking out a very cool part of Tokyo called Akihabara, or ‘Electric Town‘. It’s jam-packed with stores selling electronic equipment of every variety under the sun and quite frankly Dillon was in heaven.

As someone who’s a keen people-watcher it was really interesting to see the ordering behaviour of customers in Mister Donut. It seemed to be the norm to go there alone, order 3 to 5 donuts and sit and read manga or magazines for hours on end - I guess the free coffee and tea refills has something to do with it.

[The best donut this girl has ever eaten!]

I personally cannot eat 5 donuts in one sitting but can do 2 with relative ease. My favourite sweet flavour (above) was cinnamon sugar. There was the perfect amount and type of sugar; the grains were super small but not powdery and the cinnamon wasn’t too strong.

But the thing that pushes this donut right out in front of any I’ve ever eaten is the texture. Let me try and describe it. It’s semi-crispy on the outside and gorgeously chewy on the inside. Kind of like a really really good homemade marshmallow. Or a profiterole, but not so pastry like. It has big air pockets like freshly baked bread and it kind of stretchy like that too.

Can you imagine it? I did say I’d try and describe it. Absolutely heavenly.

My favourite savoury ‘donut’ (not pictured, it was on another visit!) was a little lattice pastry with a frankfurter inside. It also had a smear of really hot mustard and some tomato sauce. Super tasty (and a bit naughty, considering I ate it for breakfast!). Hehe.

I drank an iced tea which was just that - tea, chilled. Perfect. It wasn’t sweet at all (thank goodness) and came with an adorable little sachet of ‘liquid lemon’, lemon juice (see first pic above). You can also ask for liquid sugar if you want to sweeten it.

[Mini-hamburger 'donuts'. Super sweet lil things, sans fries]

Dillon’s little treasure find was these mini-hamburgers (above). Aren’t the the cutest?! Or as they say in Japan - Kawaii! I mean, they’re not ‘Hello Kitty’ or anything, but still. One was chocolate flavour and the other was strawberry. They were sickeningly sweet to me but if you have a sweet tooth then I recommend them.

They even came with a little packet of ‘fries’ but we didn’t get any. There’s only so much sugar you should ingest mid-morning!

[Street scene in Akihabara 'Electric Town', Tokyo]

We spent the rest of the morning checking out all the shops at Akihabara including the game arcades where we got those cute little mini photos done in a booth and added cute little characters, stars and sparkles over our faces. I have to say, those booths make your skin and eyes so shiny, it’s very flattering!

I must also mention the very cute school girls in large groups giggling and carrying on while crossing the busy roads in this area. It was very funny. If you get over to Tokyo then definitely check out Akihabara (and grab a donut or 2!).

Until the next exciting episode… Christie x

Fig and Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Feeling a little frumpy from eating too many donuts? Do what I do - use the Fitter U program! Try it out for FREE right now.

Long time no blog, hey? Sorry guys!

Well I’ve finally got some good news. Fig & Cherry is taking a world tour! First stop Japan (obviously, see pic above), then Barcelona, London, Stockholm, Budapest, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, LA then back home in time for Christmas.

I’ve been in Tokyo the last 4 days and I’m currently in Kyoto. In fact, I’ve just had lunch at the famous Roan Kikunoi. It was a traditional kaiseki meal which is a degustation using the freshest seasonal ingredients. I’ll explain in more detail in my post next week - wait until you see the photos, you’ll drool!

Until I get a chance to post up all my adventures please enjoy this funny shot I took of a man at Tsukiji market slicing up a fresh tuna. I’ve got loads more pics of the market, including the frantic tuna auction, so stay tuned.

Chat soon, Christie x

Fig and Cherry on FACEBOOK.
Want even more yummy chat? Follow me on TWITTER.
Don’t miss all the tasty action. Click here to get the Fig & Cherry RSS FEED!

Spice up your roast tonight!

It’s certainly getting a bit nippy here in the Southern hemisphere. So you know what that means? Roasts!

Beef, pork, duck, lamb, you name it, I like it. Especially if it’s jazzed up with some aromatic spices and cooked with love.

I’d like to offer my top tips for cooking a beef roast today. The roast pictured above is a bit overcooked for my liking as I prefer it rare. But my family likes it well done and I always aim to please my dinner guests!

As you’ll see in the following shot, I cooked it so it was pink in the very centre, meaning those who like it well done ate slices closer to the outside. Then everyone is happy.

[Don't you love that plate? It's my Mum's. That's a traditional Hungarian pattern.]

How to make the perfect roast beef

• Take the meat out of the fridge 20-25 minutes before you’re going to cook it. This is especially important if you like your meat rare as room temperature meat will cook more evenly. Marinate if you’ve got time.
• Elevate the meat in the roasting dish. Either with a rack or on top of vegetables (I’ve used garlic cloves in this recipe). I like using vegetables and herbs because they permeate the meat and flavour it.
• Baste the meat regularly with the pan juices. If for some reason there aren’t any then add a splash of stock to the dish during cooking. This will mix with the fat that drips off and will be very tasty.
• Cooking times are important. These are all per 500g. Rare: 15-20 mins. Medium: 20-25 mins. Well done: 25-30 mins. So for a 2.5kg beef roast, cooked rare, it would be about 1 hour and 40 mins.
• Use a meat thermometer. If you’ve got one. It’s not essential but very helpful. Rare 55-60C, Medium 65-70C, Well done 75C.
• Rest the meat before carving. I cannot stress this one enough. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil, leave in a warm place (ie. near the oven), and rest for at least 15-20 minutes. Resting redistributes the juices back into the meat. If you slice your roast and those precious, flavoursome juices gush out onto the plate - slap yourself - you didn’t rest it long enough.
• Carve across the grain. Any other way and it will be tougher than an old boot. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste when you’re right at the finish line.

Eat with gusto, enjoy and keep warm.

Happy roasting! Christie x

Garam masala roast beef recipe
Spiced pumpkin recipe

2.5kg beef roast (boned and rolled)
10 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons garam masala spice mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small pumpkin (cut into wedges)
pinch of paprika
pinch of cumin
pinch of cinnamon

1. Take the beef out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Place the garlic cloves in the centre of a roasting dish in one layer.
3. Rub the roast all over with the garam masala and place on top of the garlic cloves in the roasting dish.
4. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and place in the oven. For medium, roast for 20 minutes per 500g, 1 hour 40 minutes.
5. Mix the remaining spices together and sprinkle over the pumpkin wedges. Drizzle with the other tablespoon of oil and roast with the beef for the last 40 minutes.
6. Once the beef is done, rest for 15-20 minutes covered loosely with foil. Serve the beef and pumpkin together with any pan juices.

Still hungry for more beef recipes? Here you go:

Baked meatballs w/ tomato and tamarind sauce
Chilli beef and broccoli stirfry (GF)
Pepper crust beef fillet w/ vegetable skewers (GF)

I know it’s showing off but I’m really excited about it. I’ve been a fan of Matthew’s recipes and writing style since I first encountered them in 2005, so to think he may have read this blog is a thrill, to say the least.

Matthew, I know it’s cheeky, but I would have loved a blog mention *winks*.

Here’s what he said about me in his Food for Fort column in the UK’s Guardian Weekend magazine.

Wasabi part II

The other week (25 April) I failed to track down fresh wasabi for a disconsolate lover of this eye-watering Japanese condiment. Once again, you lot leaped into action.

[My email to him] “I recently received a gift package from Tasmania, from Shima Wasabi (shimawasabi.com.au). Fresh wasabi is the most delicious thing I’ve tasted in ages. I’m not sure if they post to the UK, but it’s worth a shot.” You’re a wonder, Christie Connelly.

Yep, he called me ‘a wonder’. Pretty cool, huh? A big thank you to Caitlin who let me know about the mention on Twitter.

Oh, and Matthew, I tried to comment to thank you for mentioning me but the comments were closed on the post.

Help me please! Caramel cake recipes + decorating tips.

It’s my Dad’s birthday on the weekend and I want to make him a birthday cake. His favourite flavour is caramel but I’ve never made a caramel cake before.

I’d love it if you’d leave links to your wonderful recipes in the comments. Thanks a million!

Also, he’s a shoemaker, so I’d like to attempt to make it boot shaped. Any tips, ideas or links would be very much appreciated

Thanks guys, Christie x

ps. Keep your eyes peeled for a very interesting article about Choice’s latest report on Takeaway Food - coming soon!