Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

The One Days and the Never Evers….Pumpkin Gnocchi

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 28, 2010| 43 Comments »

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage, Burnt Butter and Balsamic Vinegar

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage and Burnt Butter

There are moments in our life that stand out because we make promises to ourselves and say:

One day…

Then there are moments in our life that also stand out because we say to ourselves:

Never ever…

In 2002 I was visiting my husband in New York and we decided to have dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant with his schoolmates.  I forget the name of the restaurant but will never forget reading the menu and feeling a sense of anxiety.  For one thing, everything seemed so expensive compared what I was used to, so I decided to order a pasta dish which seemed cheaper than having a main.  My cause for distress was from wanting to order something I’d never heard of before, the Pumpkin Gnocchi.

“What the hell is gnocchi?” I thought to myself.   I realized I had an even bigger problem – how was I going to order this dish when I didn’t know how to pronounce gnocchi?  Was it Guh-noki?, Nyo-chi? I wasn’t too sure and in front of seemingly more sophisticated New Yorkers I was too embarrassed to ask the waiter what was pumpkin gnocchi and even more embarrassed to order Guh-noki (my first guess) out loud.   So when the waiter came to take my order I simply pointed at the gnocchi dish and said “I’ll have this one.”

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 19, 2010| 34 Comments »

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

I hated eating my veggies as a child.  I remember having dinner every night with the family and how my parents would insist that no one could  leave the table until all our vegetables were finished.  I knew of course this vendetta was solely targeted at me as my sibling never had the same aversion.   More than once I was forced to sit by myself, long after everyone else had left the dinner table, to finish my food.  Once, I was so desperate  that I decided the only way I could finish the spinach on my plate was to shred it into tiny tiny pieces and swallow it with big gulps of water.  I tell you, I had tears down my face as I gulped down at least three glasses of water just to finish my meal.

Sometime after that I discovered a way to outsmart my parents and this involved me pretending to swallow my vegetables but secretly spit it out in a serviette.  It seemed to work for a few months until I was found out and then had to resort back to the “swallow the veggies” technique again.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Looking back, I’m sure I had this notion that all vegetables tasted horrid and bitter and there was no way I would ever, EVER grow fond of them.   Now I realize that it’s all about how vegetables are cooked and served.  Give me boiled spinach today and I’ll resort to a number of ways to dispose of it as in my youth.  But serve me spinach enveloped in a cloud of ricotta and parmesan, served with a browned butter and balsamic sauce and I guarantee you a clean plate!

Gnudi (Nu-dee) are dumplings, very similar to gnocchi but usually made with ricotta cheese.  Other sources think of it as a ravioli or tortellini without the pasta dough around it, hence the name gnudi (naked).

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

The inspiration for making this dish came one day from a twitter conversation where I asked what I should make for dinner.  One suggestion led to another and then I remembered a recipe I saw for Gnudi for the Australian Gourmet Traveller website.  I have changed the recipe slightly (1) I used  baby spinach rather than the three bunches of english spinach called for – I found it easier to use the ready washed packets of baby spinach leaves you can easily get in the grocery (2) I used two eggs instead of an egg and two egg yolks – because I would have had no use for the two egg whites and (3) I added some balsamic vinegar to the sauce which cut down nicely on the richness of the ricotta and butter.

Overall, this is a fantastic dish and I can see myself making this many times going forward… and it’s a dish that I’m pretty sure even vegetable-hating kids would enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Serves 6, Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

  • 400 grams ricotta, drained overnight in a fine sieve over a bowl
  • 250 grams baby spinach (I used the spinach salad leaves)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 35 grams flour, plus more for dusting
  • 80 grams cold butter
  • 16 sage leaves
  • 30 ml good quality balsamic vinegar
  1. Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water for around 5 to 10 seconds and then refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain the spinach leaves and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the leaves.  When I drained the spinach leaves the weight came out to 125 grams.
  2. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.
  3. In a bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, eggs, parmesan, nutmet, flour, salt and pepper then roll into walnut sized balls. Refrigerate the gnudi balls for around 20 to 40 minutes until well chilled.
  4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Roll the gnudi balls in flour and shake off excess. Drop the gnudi into the salted water and cook until the gnudi start to float to the surface. This will take around 2 to 4 minutes and then carefully remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon. Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming and browned. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, around 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the butter. Finally remove the butter off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese.

 

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Read Full Post »

How To Cook Like An Italian – Spaghetti alle Vongole & Your Chance To Win a Spot at a CIRA Cooking Class

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 17, 2010| 31 Comments »

CIRA Cooking Classes

CIRA Cooking Classes

It’s Italian week at Trissalicious!

That’s right a whole week of tried and tested classic Italian recipes.  A number of these recipes I learned while attending classes at The CIRA Cooking School in Annandale. CIRA stands for the Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia and was formed by twelve restauranteurs to promote the values of Italian food in Australia.  The founding members are a who’s who in Italian cuisine and include: Armando Percuoco, Lucio Galletto; Giovanni Pilu, Marilyn Annecchini; Beppi, Norma and Marc Polese; Peter Zuzza, Vanessa Martin; Elio Cordaro; John O’Riordan; George Pompei, David Cowdrill and Danny Russo.

I love the fact that CIRA is a non-profit organization – a lot of Sydney’s best chefs donate their time and effort to promote Italian cuisine as it should be and many of them sacrifice their Saturday mornings and evenings to teach at this school.

As you know, I love cooking classes.  I am constantly trying to find classes to attend as I find it very rewarding when I learn  something new that I never thought to make before.  When my Mom, the Blog Monster, was here, I took her to CIRA for a few classes.

One  class we attended was run by Chef and TV personality Darren Simpson from La Scala on Jersey.  While Irish, his food is pure Italian inspired no doubt from his stint as head chef of the iconic restaurant the River Cafe.  One of the dishes we learned to make was the classic Spaghetti alle Vongole.  The key ingredient for this pasta dish are the clams (make sure to clean them properly as sometimes they can be gritty from the sand) which, when cooked, release a flavour that marries well with white wine,  olive oil, garlic and parsley.

The Blog Monster with Darren Simpson

The Blog Monster with Darren Simpson

There are two reasons I love this dish.  First, you can make it in less than 10 minutes flat – a great dish to serve during the week when you’re pinched for time.  Second, the sauce is so versatile.  While this is traditionally made with clams, we loved it so much that we made it many times after class once using marinara mix, once using prawns, another time just the sauce alone (Spaghetti Aglia Olio) and on the net I’ve even seen it made with mushrooms.

A word of caution – because this is an extremely simple dish to make, it works better using the best quality ingredients you can afford.

Spaghetti alle Vongole at CIRA

Spaghetti alle Vongole at CIRA

To kick off Italian week, how would you like to join me in a class with one of my favourite CIRA chefs?

Logan Campbell, from two hatted restaurant, Lucio’s in Sydney, is teaching a Christmas class on the 6th of November and Dani, CIRA’s manager has kindly offered to give one slot to  a reader.  The class is hands on AND we get to enjoy what we’ve cooked at the end of the class.  I promise, it will be fun!  All you have to do is leave a comment below and let me know what Italian dish you have always wanted to learn and if you are so inclined, I’d love you to follow me (this is only optional) on twitter.  I’ll announce the winner on the 31st of October 2010.

I’ve attended two classes at CIRA taught by Logan and I always jump at the chance to learn from him.  He doesn’t spoil his students – he teaches you things that you wouldn’t think of making on your own but with his guidance these things are easily mastered.  His Eggplant Ravioli with taleggio cheese  has become my staple go to dish for any vegetarian that comes to my house (and carnivores love it too!).  I’ve also learned how to debone a spatchcock and a stuff a duck leg in his classes.

Stuffed Duck Legs

Stuffed Duck Legs

There are a number of other classes available at CIRA so please do have a look at their website.  You can also  contact Dani on 0405 286067 (business hours) or email cira@cira.com.au to reserve a place in one of the classes or for further information.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti alle Vongole

(serves 4) Recipe from Darren Simpson, La Scala on Jersey

  • 400 grams spaghetti (Barilla brand, spagettini no 3 is what we used)
  • 60 clams, purged
  • 6 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
  • 6 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red chilli
  • 2 pinches dried chilli
  • 300 ml dry white wine
  • 200 ml best quality olive oil
  1. In boiling salted water cook the spaghetti until al dente
  2. Place the clams in a bowl with the chilli, garlic, parsley, olive oil and white wine.
  3. Heat a saucepan until hot and then add the clam mixture.
  4. Cover with the lid and cook until the clams open (around 3 to 4 minutes)
  5. The olive oil and white wine will form a sauce – toss the spaghetti in the sauce.
  6. Serve with crusty bread.

Read Full Post »

My Version of Longanisa

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 13, 2010| 46 Comments »

Longanisa

Longanisa

I was absolutely crazy to want a December wedding.  I had this perception that it would be more romantic to get married during the Christmas holidays. Two months before my wedding I went to fit my wedding gown.

“Tsk tsk.. You MUST NOT gain any weight until your wedding! You must do WEIGHT MAINTENANCE!” she said as she shook her head.  “The dress is hand beaded, you gain any weight and I’ll have to repair the whole dress, you don’t want that!” she warned.

Oh my… What I didn’t realize was how hard it was to juggle holiday dinners, engagement parties and bridal showers.

So for the next two months, as part of my “weight maintenance”, I had oatmeal for breakfast.  Now you  have to understand that Filipinos take their breakfast very seriously.  More often than not there is a large bowl of steaming rice, fried eggs and a  protein of some sort like “tapa” (dried beef), “daing na bangus” (fish) or, my all time favourite longanisa.  In its original form these are native Filipino sausages  made with pork, a vampire killing amount of  garlic and native vinegar.  I would stare  at my colleagues as they polished off  their heavy breakfasts and swore that once I was hitched I’d eat longanisa like there was no tomorrow.

Sure enough, two months later we walked down that aisle and for the next few weeks I gorged on rice, fried eggs and longanisa sausages.

Sadly,  I never had my longanisa once I moved to Australia.  I didn’t know where to buy them and I couldn’t source sausage casings nor have a sausage maker.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Shrimp Sinigang: Guest Post with Rasa Malaysia

Posted in Uncategorized on September 8, 2010| 30 Comments »

Shrimp Sinigang

Shrimp Sinigang (Sinigang na Hipon)

There are moment in a blogger’s life where you have to pinch yourself and think “Is this really happening to me?”.  As I write, I feel like this post is probably one of the highlights of this little pursuit of mine.  Before I started blogging, I would regularly visit Bee’s blogs, Rasa Malaysia and Nyonya Food.  If  you asked me what inspired me to start this blog, in all honesty I would say that with each visit to Bee’s blog I would be  more motivated to start my own.  It’s not hard to see why, her blog celebrates the beauty  of Asian cuisine.  Her gorgeous photography entices you to want to re-create her dishes at home and guess what – they are all easy enough to do so without losing any of the cuisine’s authenticity.

It was only by chance that Ellie introduced me to Bee and luckily this chance encounter led to this post!  I am so grateful to Bee for giving me the opportunity to guest post on her site and to share one of the Philippine’s most loved dishes.  Shrimp Sinigang (Sinigang na Hipon).  Please visit Bee’s site Rasa Malaysia for a short introduction to this dish and the recipe.

Read Full Post »

Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake with Pine Nuts

Posted in Thermomix, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on August 7, 2010| 34 Comments »

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

I’ll admit, I am a creature of habit.  I can go for weeks having the same chicken schnitzel wrap for lunch (to a point where I am walking towards the sandwich shop and they will start preparing the wrap for me).  Probably, my most un-blogger like behaviour is my ability to go to the same restaurant and order the same dish over and over again.

When traveling however, I’m totally different.   I have no inclination to go to the same restaurant and have never ordered the same dish twice.

That is until I tried Locanda Verde’s zucchini bread which was pretty amazing.  Think a rich tea cake speckled with grated zucchini and a cinnamon undertones.  Think a generous dose of toasted pine nuts and a crumbly sugary topping… freshly baked or toasted – with a dollop of butter – no wonder this warranted a second visit!

Now, I wasn’t able to get my hands on Locanda Verde’s recipe but was lucky enough to stumble on Manggy’s blog where he recreates Tartine’s Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake.  I substituted pine nuts for the walnuts that was called for in the original recipe and here you have it – a replica of the absolutely habit forming zucchini bread I once tasted from Locanda Verde.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cakes with Pine Nuts

Adapted from Tartine Cookbook

  • 270 grams flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 155 ml vegetable oil
  • 150 grams sugar
  • 115 grams orange marmalade
  • 285 grams zucchini, grated (if not using thermomix)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 115 grams toasted pine nuts
  • 30 grams brown sugar for topping
  1. Pre heat oven to 170c. Lightly oil and flour the bottom and sides of a 23cm by 13cm loaf pan
  2. In one bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil, sugar, and marmalade until combined. Now, incorporate the zucchini. Add the flour mixture to this and mix until combined. Incorporate the nuts into the mixture (leaving some for the topping).
  4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and a handful of pine nuts.
  5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove from oven, and let cool for about 20 minutes on a wire rack then remove from the loaf pan and invert onto the rack. Turn this right side up and let cool completely.

Using the Thermomix

  1. Place the zucchini into the TM bowl and set to speed 6 for 4 seconds.
  2. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and orange marmalade. Using the butterfly attachment (from steps 2 to 4), mix on speed 4 for 15 seconds.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix on speed 4 for another 15 seconds.
  4. Add the toasted pine nuts (leaving some to top the loaf) and mix on speed 4 for 10 seconds.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and follow baking instructions above.

Stumble It!

Read Full Post »

Lychee Sorbet on the Thermomix…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on August 3, 2010| 51 Comments »

Lychee Sorbet

Lychee Sorbet

Thermomix

I saw it…

I wanted it…

TANTRUM

I got it…

Now… I know it sounds bratty… and it sounds like I had a major tantrum to get my latest (and promise, my very very last) kitchen appliance/luxury but, friends, when you want something, you gotta pull out all the stops for it… and this time…  it was oohhh soooo worth it!

My husband and I first saw the Thermomix up close during a lunch at Sergi Arola’s Gastro restaurant in Madrid.  I’d heard of it before but only thought it was a super powered food processor.  During our tour of the kitchen,  Sergi’s wife mentioned that the thermomix was one of their most indispensable appliances.  I was needless to say, intrigued.  A bit of research on the internet and I found out it could weigh, grate, mill, puree, grind, blend, cook, steam, crush, whisk, emulsify and knead… I was ready to get one and I told my husband I would get one in New York and take it home to Australia.   He said there was no way we were going to take something that heavy back home.

Enter the tantrum…  I begged, pleaded, cried, whined, and begged some more and said I really really REALLY needed one.  But he stood firm.  But the truth is, none of this mattered because no matter which store I asked –  I went to Dean and Deluca, Sur la Table and a few other kitchen stores and was surprised to find out no one stocked it.

It seemed like no one even knew what a Thermomix was… until we had dinner at Momofuku’s Ko restaurant.

“Do you have a Thermomix?”  I asked one of the chef’s while he was preparing our dinner.

“Nope. ”  He said.

“Why not?”  I asked.  “I would have thought every kitchen would want one.”

“They are not available in the U.S.” he said.  “If you are going to buy one, can you get me one too?”  he added.

“Get two, one for him and one for me.” Chimed another chef who was listening to our conversation.

On our way home my husband said “I think you should definitely get a thermomix when we get home.  If the chef’s in Momofuko want one then it’s probably worth it.”

And that…  my friends… is how I got my Thermomix!

Lychee Sorbet

  • 150 grams sugar
  • 300 grams lychees (canned or fresh)
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 x 350 grams ice cubes
  1. Place the sugar into the TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9
  2. Add the lychee followed by the 350 grams of ice and egg white. Slowly turn the speed dial to speed 10.
  3. Add the remaining ice after 20 seconds. Use the spatula to assist in the incorporation of the lychee with the ice.

And by the way… that saying… I just got it off a mug I saw the other day… 🙂
Stumble It!

Read Full Post »

Quite Possibly the Easiest and Tastiest Peanut Butter and Chocolate Semifreddo

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 27, 2010| 59 Comments »

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Semifreddo

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Semifreddo

“You have to get rid of some stuff!”  My husband tells me every so often.  “Stuff”, referring to the multitude of kitchen appliances I have amassed over the years.  It has come to a point where we’ve had to put in extra shelving in the garage to accommodate my “little helpers”.

I’ve learned to engage my inner zombie every time he brings this up.  I don’t even bother pretending NOT to know what he’s talking about.  I just zone out…

Yes, it’s true, guilty as charged, I am a kitchen appliance hoarder.  Every time I make an attempt to get rid of one of them I always find myself thinking “Oh but in the future, I just might actually use it again…”  Never mind that I have only used my express pizza oven once (I find now that cranking the oven heat right up and a pizza stone works just fine.).  I don’t even want to remember the vacuum sealer that I bought a year ago after buying Thomas Keller’s Sous Vide Cookbook, which sadly, remains unopened. There’s also the smoker, the portable barbecue, the tagine…

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Food you eat alone… aka Beef with Garlic Chips

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 22, 2010| 55 Comments »

Beef with Garlic

Beef with Garlic

While I do believe that most dishes should be enjoyed in the company of friends and family, there are however, a number of dishes that are sometimes best eaten alone.  Sometimes, it’s a secret indulgence that you’d rather not let anyone know about.  After my workmate made fun of me eating a Mc Chicken for lunch (He said: “A foodie eating Mc Donalds?!  I never thought I’d live to see the day!), I vowed never to have fast food in front of anyone again.

Other times, it’s aesthetics – a friend of mine once admitted that he would never eat oreo cookies in front of a crowd after an incident where he went around the whole day with chocolate crumbs stuck between his teeth without anyone telling him.

And then there are foods that I think are quite anti-social in nature…. think dried squid… or maybe raw onions…

And on top of my list would probably be this gorgeous porterhouse steak with garlic chips.  With all that crispy, pungent garlic on top of a well seasoned steak, I’d really rather not share this dish with anyone, plus I suspect after eating three garlic cloves to myself, people would be inclined to stay away.   The recipe was adapted from a family recipe for salpicado, a spanish style tapas dish of beef strips on garlic.

And yes, I did have this for dinner one night when my husband way away…

Beef with Garlic

Beef with Garlic

Beef with Garlic Chips

  • 300 grams porterhouse steak (or other good quality cut)
  • 2 plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
  1. Marinate the steak with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce and worcestershire sauce for 30 minutes
  2. Heat the pan over high heat and sear the beef on each side for around 3 minutes each side (depending on the size of the steak)
  3. Allow the steak to rest for half of the cooking time.
  4. In the meantime, heat the rest of the olive oil and add the garlic. Fry off until golden brown.
  5. Pour the garlic chips and flavoured oil over the steak. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Serve with baked potatoes or warm crusty bread.

Stumble It!

Read Full Post »

The New Madrid

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on April 19, 2010| 58 Comments »

Tortilla Espanola from Sergi Arola Gastro

In my previous visits to Madrid, I have always had this impression that this city had such a deep and long-standing history with food.  In fact, many of the well known restaurants in Madrid (such as Lhardy, Casa Botin & La Bola)  have been around for over a hundred years.  It feels like you are stepping back in time when you have a meal as the owners have made every effort to preserve the atmosphere of these restaurants as they were generations ago.  In such a city that is in love with preserving the old, and its traditions, particularly in food – is there a place for the new as well?

One big “Claro que si!” I’d say.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »