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The Lives You Can Help… Japan Relief Efforts and Blogger’s Auction

March 24, 2011 by trissalicious

The other day I came across an email written by a Japanese lady who lives in Australia.  I had been watching the news and was saddened about the tsunami and earthquakes that have hit Japan but nothing was quite as moving as the letter I had read.  I thought instead of summarizing the letter, I would share parts of it with you instead – in the hopes you will be as persuaded as I was to help.

You know what’s happening in Japan. It’s just so horrible.. My family is down south in Hiroshima so they are OK but still….I can’t believe what’s happening to my own country. I am very emotional. Unfortunately not everything is broadcasted out of Japan.
Current situation is very bad and even people  who have survived earthquake and tsunami are dying at shelters.  It’s so cold over there, plus they are terribly lacking food, water, blankets, clothes, petrol, everything! Babies do not have nappies or formula so they keep crying.  Mothers’ milk is not flowing under this stressful situation. (of course mothers are not having enough nutrition either)

But please do not misunderstand. They say they have got enough food etc. within the country but the power plants are not operating, roads are blocked, ports and airports are broken too so they simply can’t reach the affected area.
People can’t wash their  face, brush their  teeth, or even simply wash hands. They can’t even have a rice ball for each meal and the other day I saw a family on TV collecting water from the river to use it for cooking.

People who are looking for their loved ones can’t do so because they do not have petrol. Huge amount of food etc is stopped just so close to the affected area because the vehicles have run out of petrol.  It’s awful!

Roads there are quickly getting rebuilt and the government are carrying petrol (which is so badly lacking in the north) from the western and southern parts of Japan. So I am sure the situation will get better soon, but we need
financial help to recover everything. We are not a poor country but we surely do not have enough money to rebuild everything and support so many survivors.  So…

Big or small doesn’t matter.
PLEASE DONATE FOR JAPAN!!

Japanese Red Cross
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

Australian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org.au/japan2011.htm

Dear Friends,

Here’s another way to help… A group of us bloggers are having an auction and all proceeds will go to Japan’s Relief Efforts. The three icons of Australian cooking, Margaret Fulton, Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer  – have generously donated autographed copies of their cookbooks to be auctioned off. This is a great opportunity to get your hands on these wonderful books and help at the same time.  I am hoping you will support our efforts.

Below is a list of what’s up for auction from me (and below is a list of what other bloggers have generously donated).  I will ship for free anywhere in Australia.  The auction ends 10 April so be quick… Please help me to spread the word – let all your family and friends know, tweet this post, facebook it, and share this post and let’s make this a great success!

Thank you.

Trissa

Stephanie Alexander Gift Set –

The Cook’s Companion has established itself as the kitchen ‘bible’ in over 300 000 homes since it was first published in 1996. Stephanie Alexander has added over 300 new recipes as well as 12 new chapters to this thoroughly revised and updated edition. Stephanie believes that good food is essential to living well: her book is for everyone, every day. The book offers invaluable information about ingredients, cooking techniques and kitchen equipment, along with inspiration, advice and encouragement and close to 1000 failsafe recipes.

If you have ever dreamed of picking fresh salad leaves for the evening meal, gathering vine-ripened tomatoes or pulling up your own sweet carrots, Kitchen Garden Companion is the book for you. Follow in the footsteps of one of Australia’s best-loved cooks and food writers as she reveals the secrets of rewarding kitchen gardening. Be encouraged by detailed gardening notes that explain how adults and children alike can plant, grow and harvest 73 different vegetables, herbs and fruit, and try some of the 250 recipes that will transform your fresh produce into delicious meals. Whether you have a large plot in a suburban backyard or a few pots on a balcony, you will find everything you need to get started in this inspiring and eminently useful garden-to-table guide.

Maggie Beer’s Maggie’s Kitchen

Maggie Beer is one of Australia’s best-known food personalities. As well as appearing as co-host of the weekly program The Cook and the Chef on ABC TV and writing books, Maggie devotes her time to her export kitchen in the Barossa Valley, which produces a wide range of pantry items for domestic and international markets. Maggie was also recognised as Senior Australian of the year in 2010 for inspiring joy to many Australians through food.

From Maggie’s own kitchen come 120 favourite recipes she has shared with her television audience, as well as the everyday basics Maggie believes form the foundations of a good food life.

Margaret Fulton Favourites

The woman who taught Australia to cook, Margaret Fulton, brings together her favourite “everyday cooking” dishes for you to create and enjoy.

This stunningly-illustrated book is a delight to read, with each triple-tested recipe introduced by the kitchen queen herself. You won’t be able to resist dishes like French Roast Chicken Dinner and Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding. There are plenty of tips too.  A special thank you to Hill of Content Bookshop for kindly donating this cookbook.

In a land far away, the tremors have yet to subside, the Earth has still not stopping shaking and continues to heave ever so often. Yet, the people from the Land of the Rising Sun, have already started picking up the pieces and putting them together, displaying enormous courage in the face of despair to reach out and help others even when they have little themselves. This display of true spirit and common bond cannot but fail to inspire and move us.

In an effort to lend a helping hand (humble as it may be) and in support of the perseverance of human spirit, a small group of international food bloggers have come together to put their passion for food to a charitable cause. The International Food Bloggers Auction for Japan is a contributive effort from these bloggers to raise funds for the Japanese Red Cross Society towards their disaster relief efforts.

Each blogger has pledged an item that will be auctioned to be sold to the highest bidder. Details of the pledges are included below. The auction will run live from March 23, 2011 to April 10, 2011, during which period, readers may bid on as many items as they wish. Once the auction closes and the highest bidder is identified, the person will receive the item that he/she bid for and the bid amount will be donated to Japanese Red Cross in entirety.
Participating Bloggers and Items Pledged

* Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen – 2 boxes each of a dozen assorted Eggless Decorated Sugar Cookies to 2 of the highest bidders
* Asha of Fork Spoon Knife – Breakfast Basket with Homemade Granola with Fruits and Nuts, Orange Marmalade and Strawberry Jam
* Asha of Fork Spoon Knife – Peanut Goodies Basket, sponsored by Peanut Butter & Co. Hamper includes 1 large picnic basket with 8 jars of a variety of peanut butters from Dark Chocolate Dreams to Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, 3 jars of fruit preserves and jelly, 1 jar of peanut pretzels and a Peanut Cookbook
* Liren of Kitchen Confidante – Afternoon Tea Basket, inspired by my husband’s family who spent 5 years in Japan. It will have a freshly baked loaf of our family’s Buttermilk Banana Bread, a tin of Samovar Green Tea, and a variety of sweets and local goodies from the Bay Area.
* Simone of Junglefrog Cooking – Traditional Dutch Basket with many Dutch food items like stroopwafels, Dutch Cheese and much more and also Muider schipperbitter which is a typical Dutch alcoholic drink
* Trissa of Trissalicious – Signed copies of cookbooks from Australian cooking icons Maggie Beer, Margaret Fulton and Stephanie Alexander
* Vanille of At Down Under – Kiwi Basket with 1 pot of NZ organic Manuka honey (J.Friend & Co – 160g), 1 pot of NZ organic Kamahi honey (J.Friend & Co – 160g), 1 bottle of Feijoa and limeblossom juiced tea (Teza – 325ml) and a reusable shopping bag (Ooid Design – 100% Organic cotton)

Rules of the Auction

1. Auction Period: March 23, 2011 to April 10, 2011.
2. The auction is open to all readers across the globe. Availability of items is as indicated in the Auction Bid Form.
3. Bid entries are to be made using the Auction Bid Form.
4. Bidding can be for one or more items. Multiple bids from the same bidder will be accepted and highest bid will be taken into account. Minimum and High bids for each item will be made available at the end of each day.
5. Auction closes at 12pm EST, April 10, 2011. Highest bidders and bid amounts will be revealed in a post by April 12, 2011.
6. The winners will be asked to transfer the pledged amount through PayPal, which, will then be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society via Google Crisis Response.
7. Winners will receive their items within two weeks of the reveal post announcing the winners.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 7 Comments »

Chocolate and Almond Biscotti

March 22, 2011 by trissalicious

Chocolate Biscotti

Chocolate Biscotti

A work colleague once asked me if I order in restaurants the same way that I order coffee.  I thought his comment was pretty funny, especially since the weekend before my husband had said I was a waiter’s worst nightmare.

“What do you mean?” I asked my husband.

“Well, you like to change everything in the dish.  You want to order the steamed fish but have them fry it instead, and have the sauce on the side instead of pouring it over the fish – and if it comes with potatoes, you want rice instead!”  He said.

Surely he was exaggerating!

But I did have to concede to my work colleague that being finicky with my coffee never earned me any brownie points with the baristas.  One day I’m having a cappuccino with one sugar then the next I’m having it with one and a half sugars.  Then I learned that you get more milk with a latte so I switched to that (with one sugar).  Then I went off coffee and started having chai lattes – then soy chai lattes, then I missed my coffees and got back on to the lattes – but I wanted a weak latte, one and a half sugars and chocolate sprinkles on top…. oh and extra creamy.

And then I switched to tea – but that’s a whole different story altogether!

Continue Reading »

Posted in Bake | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments »

Saying Goodbye

March 14, 2011 by trissalicious

Blueberry and Pistachio Tart

Blueberry and Pistachio Tart

If you read my blog enough, you will know how crazy I am about my two dogs, Baci and Bizou.  They drive me crazy sometimes, and have more than once brought me to near bankruptcy with all the trips to the emergency hospital but there’s something priceless about loyalty and unconditional love.

I never did tell you about my very first dog did I?  When my husband’s dog gave birth, he had promised me the pick of the litter.   I chose Feliz – who had a gorgeous pale coat, broad head and always inquisitive eyes.  We used to have “this thing” where I would blow into her face and she would stick her tongue out as if she was blowing kisses right back at me.  This one kept me company when my husband left for New York to take his MBA.

When I left for Australia, I would call home often and my Dad would put me on speaker phone.  He told me that Feliz would run up and down the house when she heard my voice, looking for me and trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.  I found it uncanny how even after a year of being away she would still look for me when she heard my voice on the phone.

.

Feliz

Feliz

Over the years, as life got in the way, I called home less and wondered less frequently how she was doing.   At the back of my mind I always knew there were always going to be people taking care of her – so  less and less did I feel like she was still my dog.

Last week, my Dad broke the news that Feliz, who had over the years gotten weaker with age, had deteriorated dramatically.  She couldn’t stand up and had refused to eat.  The doctor said that her kidneys had failed and that she was suffering from bone disease.   My Mom told me that Feliz was in pain and had been crying.

I called home one last time and asked them to put me on speaker phone. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and that everything was going to be better. They told me that she lifted her head, wagged her tail, tried to stand up but couldn’t.

I knew then it was time to say goodbye.

Blueberry and Pistachio Tart

Blueberry and Pistachio Tart

 

Pistachio and Blueberry Tart

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

  • 225 grams flour
  • 20 grams sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 120 grams butter, cut into cubes, cold
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
  1. Sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Using the tips of your fingers, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
  2. Beat the egg yolks into the flour mixture and add the water, a little at a time until you form a cohesive dough that comes together, the dough should be slightly sticky.
  3. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pistachio and Blueberry Filling

  • 125 grams butter, softened
  • 125 grams icing sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Seeds of one scrapped vanilla bean
  • 80 grams ground pistachios
  • 45 grams almond meal
  • 30 grams flour
  • strawberry jam
  • one punnet of bluberries
  1. Cream the butter and the sugar together until the mixture is pale and light. Add the eggs, one at a time and scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go along. Add the vanilla bean seeds, the ground pistachios, almond meal and flour, incorporate the batter well.
  2. To assemble, roll out the pastry to line 6 mini tarts. Trim the excess on the sides. Chill the pastry for around 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Pre-heat a fan forced oven to 180c.
  3. Spread some strawberry jam on the base of the shell and top with the pistachio filling and place about three or four blueberries in the center of the tart.
  4. Bake for around 15 to 18 minutes.

Posted in Bake | Tagged , , , , | 47 Comments »

Maggie Beer’s Potato Gnocchi with Prawns

March 9, 2011 by trissalicious

Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter

Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter

Do you ever feel like yelling “STOP!”?

Time to myself has been scarce for a number of months.   There was moving house, holidays with the family, preparing the  other house to be sold… Then, for the last month or so it’s been the new job.  Working crazy hours has been tiring but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.  I’m interested, challenged and motivated all at the same time.  But getting home late has been taking it’s toll and things get neglected.  Bills forget to be paid, clothes remained piled up waiting to be washed, friends wonder why I’ve stopped calling,  cooking less, blogging declined, visiting blogs I love at a standstill…

And then last weekend I found sometime on my hands and it felt strange.  I thought it would be a welcome change to sit infront of the TV and watch reruns but the funny thing is that it took the whole of five minutes for me to get the urge to do something else.  So this gnocchi was the result of that weekend impulse – I decided to pick up Maggie Beer’s cookbook, “Maggie’s Kitchen”.  I’ve had this book for a few months already and had never cooked from it.  It was a late discovery but an important one.  I found myself thinking “Yes, yes I’ll make this!” as I flipped through the book’s pages.

Of all the dishes, that day, the potato gnocchi dish stood out.  I like how Maggie recalled how she went through three or four techniques before finding her preferred method – don’t you love it when they do all the experimenting for you?  So thanks to Maggie Beer – here is the best gnocchi I’ve tried – crispy on the outside but delightfully delicate inside.

It isn’t hard to make gnocchi – just remember these simple tips to a perfect gnocchi:

  • Use waxy potatoes
  • Steam (not boil) the potatoes
  • Use a potato ricer (instead of masher/fork)
  • Only add enough flour to bring the potato dough together, there is no need to add everything in the recipe
  • Use a pastry scrapper to bring the dough together and handle the dough as little as possible

The dish is made with a burnt butter and sage sauce, topped with pan fried prawns.   Instead of roasting the gnocchi and sage, I have pan fried mine but I have also added a link to Maggie Beer’s original recipe below.  Either way you choose to follow – this will be delicious!

Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter

Potato Gnocchi with Prawns, Sage and Burnt Butter

Maggie Beer’s Potato Gnocchi with Prawns

Adapted From Maggie’s Kitchen (Original recipe can be found here)

  • 750 grams nicola or other waxy potatoes, scrubbed (I used kipfler)
  • 2 free range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 125 grams plain flour
  • 50 ml olive oil for frying
  • 100 grams cold unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
  • 80 ml verjuice (I used good quality balsamic vinegar)
  • 40 sage leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil for cooking
  • 12 raw king prawns, peeled, cleaned, tails intact
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1. Steam unpeeled potatoes for 30 minutes or until cooked through but not falling apart. Set aside until just cool enough to handle and then peel the potatoes. Pass the potatoes through a ricer in a bowl and then add the eggs and salt. Place the flour on a work surface and spread the potato mixture on top. Working quickly, use a pastry scraper until it comes together for form a dough. You may not need to use all the flour on the surface, stop incorporating the flour when the dough is smooth and does not feel sticky to the touch. Handle the dough as little as possible to ensure a light gnocchi.
  2. Divide the dough in quarters and shape each quarter into a long sausage, around 15 cm in length. Cut off 1.5 cm pieces and gently press the tops with the back of a fork tine or gnocchi maker.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and and a hand full of salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface (it shouldn’t take very long, around 30 seconds). Drain well.
  4. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a frying pan and pan fry the gnocchi, just until golden and place in a serving plate. Pan fry the prawns and place over the gnocchi.
  5. Wipe the frying pan clean and add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to smell nutty and brown, remove from the heat and add the sage leaves. Fry off for a few seconds until crisp then add the balsamic vinegar. Pour over the prawns and gnocchi. Serve warm.

Note: Gnocchi can be made ahead of time, shaped and frozen.  If cooking from frozen there is no need to thaw – just drop in boiling water.  When they rise to the surface they’re done.

Posted in Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 26 Comments »

Onion, Feta and Ricotta Spanakopita (How to get your husband to do housework)

March 6, 2011 by trissalicious

Onion Spanakopita (Braised Onion Pie)

Onion Spanakopita (Braised Onion Pie)

“Why can’t you help out more with the housework?”  I screamed at my husband early on Saturday.

I must have shocked him at six in the morning but I was tired and grumpy and the dogs were whimpering for a walk and I wanted him, for once, to take care of it.

“Where is this coming from?” he asked.  “I’m always walking the dogs, cooking and washing and YOU need to do your share!”  I told him.

Now, I know that arguing with your husband at six a.m. isn’t the best of ideas and no arguments get resolved so early in the morning, but I wouldn’t back down.  So back and forth we went about who was going to walk the dogs and why I thought he wasn’t “sharing the burden” (yes, those were my words) and how he thought I was crazy for bringing this up so early in the morning and after twenty minutes we never really got to any resolution.

Instead of dwelling on our fight, I decided to take my mind off things and bake this beautiful Braised Onion Pie which I saw from the cookbook of Gary Mehigan and George Colombaris called “Your Place or Mine”  The recipe is George’s take on his Mum’s Spanakopita, a Greek pie made with spinach and feta.  Instead of the spinach, George makes onions the star of this dish.  The dish is made with caramelized onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, ricotta and a beautiful crumbly Greek feta.

Onion Spanakopita

Onion Spanakopita

A word of caution, there is a lot of onions to go through with this dish.  I normally refrigerate my onions prior to slicing them which, at least for me, helps to prevent my crying while I slice them.  But on that morning, there were lots of tears.

It was worth it though.  I started cooking at 10:00 am and at 10:30 my husband took the dogs for a walk.  At 11:30 he came back and watered the plants…. at 12 noon he took the trash out.

Something was going on.  Could it be the smell of the sweet caramelized onions making him sorry?  Was he trying to make amends so he could have some lunch?

As we sat down for lunch I asked him why he was being so nice.

“I knew you were upset, I saw you crying and wanted to make it up to you.” he said.

Crying? Should I admit that it was the onions?

Or maybe wait for him to read this post… 🙂

Onion Spanakopita (Braised Onion Pie)

Onion Spanakopita (Braised Onion Pie)

Onion Spanakopita (Braised Onion Pie)

From Your Place or Mine? Gary Mehigan & George Calombaris

  • 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 onions, thinly sliced
  • 8 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
  • 10 sprigs thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 400 grams firm ricotta cheese
  • 400 grams feta, crumbled
  • 18 sheets filo pastry
  • 200 ml butter
  • sea salt flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a heavy based sauce pan. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, picked thyme sprigs and bay leaves and cook out for around 5 minutes over high heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook the mixture gently until the onions are caramelized, this will take around 45 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the onions from catching the bottom of the pan and burning.
  2. Allow the onion mixture to cool and remove the bay leaves. Mix in the ricotta and crumbled feta.
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 170c fan-forced.
  4. Cut the sheets of filo to fit a baking tray (I used a baking tray measuring 30cm by 24 cm) and lay the sheets on top of some greaseproof or baking paper and then cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying and cracking. Take one sheet of filo and butter the bottom of the tray. Spread a layer of the filo and brush some butter to cover and then layer another sheet of filo and brush some more butter to cover. Repeat this with six more sheets, brushing some butter each time.
  5. Place half of the onion mixture on the filo sheets and spread evenly. Next, cover with three more buttered sheets of filo and then the remaining onion mixture. Finally, place another seven sheets of buttered filo (make sure you butter the last sheet).
  6. Bake the pie in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes and serve warm. If you are making the pie in advance, you can reheat the pie in a 180c oven for 15 minutes.

Posted in Bake, Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments »

How to Cure a Dumpling Addiction: Crystal Prawn Dumplings (Har-Gow) with XO Sauce

February 27, 2011 by trissalicious

Prawn Dumplings with XO Sauce

Prawn Dumplings with XO Sauce

A year ago I attempted to make har gow and failed miserably.  It might have been because I used wheat flour instead of wheat starch and the resulting dough was so sticky that I had to throw the “ball of glue” away.  The experience was enough to turn me away from trying to make them for a very long time.  That is until I had a monumental craving for these dumplings. Cravings so intense that I had har-gau for lunch, FIVE straight days.  I would go to one of the nearby yum cha places and order take-away.  By the third day it was not only getting expensive – it was also getting slightly embarrassing to arrive at the restaurant and have the waiter smile knowingly, and then signal the lady in the dumpling cart to bring the har gow for me.

By the fourth day I felt like an addict trying to hide a bad craving.  My husband called at 11:30 asking whether I wanted to have Japanese for lunch.  My heart being set on the dumplings,  “I can’t, I have an important meeting that I need to prepare for.” I told him.

By the fifth day I had to admit that things were getting out of hand and vowed to try my hand at making them again.

So here’s the result.  If you are thinking of having a go at making these crystal prawn dumplings, this is a great place to start.  This version of har gow is delicious – just like the ones in the yum cha place.

Here’s the thing – after having them for five days straight and then making them on my own on the sixth day, I’ve suddenly gotten over my craving.

My husband however, is a different story.

He can’t get enough of them.

Continue Reading »

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Pancit Palabok (Philippine Style Noodles in a Prawn Gravy)

February 22, 2011 by trissalicious

Pancit Palabok - Noodles with Shrimp Gravy

Pancit Palabok - Noodles with Shrimp Gravy

Sometimes desperation drives us to do things we normally wouldn’t do in the right frame of mind.

A few months ago our bedroom door got stuck shut and I couldn’t enter the room.  I asked my husband to try and open the door but he couldn’t.

“What about using a screwdriver?”  I asked him.  After a few minutes of fiddling nothing happened. Now please understand that this happened on a Sunday afternoon and all I could think about was how my clothes were in the room and I would have nothing to wear to work the next day.

Desperate, I told my husband “I think you have to break the door down.”

So he backed up a few feet from the door… ran… straight INTO THE DOOR!  BANG!

Nothing happened.  We looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.

“Please try again!” I pleaded.  He happily obliged.  BANG!  This time, a small crack on the door.

“I have a feeling, the next one will take it down.” He said.

“Yes! Yes!  Please.” I replied.

And so he went, straight into the door and he finally managed to break the door down.

We were doubling over with laughter and to be honest, quite proud of ourselves for getting it open.

That is, until one of the people I mentioned this to came up with a very valid comment “Why didn’t you just call the locksmith?”

That’s desperation for you…

Continue Reading »

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The Cooking Basics: How To Make Pasta (with Video)

February 20, 2011 by trissalicious

How to make pasta

How to make pasta

A funny thing happened last weekend.

My husband and I were having dinner at a new Italian restaurant and half way through the meal I asked him “Did you bring any money?”

I can’t remember what prompted me to ask but his answer, “Of course”, was enough to appease my concerns.

When the time came to ask for the bill, my husband gave his credit card and the waiter looked down and said the dreaded five words no one wants to hear “We don’t take American Express.”

The waiter was kind enough to allow us to go back home and get some money but needless to say, it’ll be awhile before we recover from the shame.

Continue Reading »

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Vegetable Cake… Would Julia Like It?

February 13, 2011 by trissalicious

Vegetable Cake with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms

Vegetable Cake with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms

Dinner parties hosted by my family are a curious thing.  I grew up with a Mom who prepared for them with the same enthusiasm that sportsmen would train for the Olympics.  She would spend weeks planning and revising elaborate menus with no less than six or seven courses to be served.  Because we had a restaurant, it was easy for her to borrow some of the cooks to help out.  She would set up “stations” at different areas of the house.  One time there could be a grilling section where steaks were cooked to order for the guests.  Another station could be the carving station where she would serve maybe a suckling pig, or  a turkey and a ham.  Inevitably, the night would also end with a post-dinner commentary among ourselves about how the dinner went.  The assessment would go at length about whether the guests enjoyed the food, who went back for seconds (or thirds), who wore what, and god forbid, who didn’t show up when they said they would.  Then the wrap-up would end with a critique on what could be improved on for the next party.

Continue Reading »

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Serendipity Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

February 9, 2011 by trissalicious

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies


This last week has made me reflect on the many happy accidents in my life.  Starting, in fact, nine months before I was born.

I always thought it was cool that my sister and I were the same age for a month during the year.  I liked it when I told people we were sisters, “same age but not twins”. I found it hilarious when they would give us this puzzled look. It only dawned on me one day, when  I was around thirteen or fourteen, my family was having dinner at the house of some friends they had just met.  The lady was introducing her four children.

“The eldest is James, he is sixteen, followed by Natasha, she is twelve.” She said.

“Then this is Raul, he is eight.  Bea, my youngest, is also eight.”  Then the lady patted her youngest daughter’s head and said as she smiled cheekily and said “She’s the accident of the family!”, to everyone’s amusement.

Everyone, except me, as I was shocked.  If Bea and Raul were the same age and Bea was an accident… I started to think about the age gaps between all my other siblings – everyone was around two years apart except for me and my sister.  I felt my face turning red. Could this mean I was an accident too?

It was only after the dinner that I confronted my Mom about this discovery.

“Am I an accident too?” I asked.

This is why my Mom is so fantastic.

“If you were, you’d be the best accident ever!”  she said.

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Which brings me to these Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies.

Last week I had some friends over who wanted to learn how to make macarons.  I had prepared the almond meal, cocoa powder, icing sugar and caster sugar in little bowls so that all we needed to do was make the meringue and mix.  I pointed to the  almond meal, cocoa powder and icing sugar and told them to mix all of it.  I turned my back to separate the eggs.

“Do you want me to add the sugar?”  My friend asked.

“Yes please.” I told her.

As we started to make the meringue, I asked where the caster sugar was”

“It’s with the almond meal mixture!”  They told me.

“What?  We needed it for the meringue.” I said.

“But I asked you if I should add the sugar.” She said!

I just had to laugh.  Of course I did tell her to add the sugar!  So she added even the caster sugar. Silly silly me!

But that’s okay, because just when I thought that my Trissalicious World’s Best Pistachio cookies couldn’t get any better, I made this with that accidental supply of almond meal and sugar mixture. So here you have the the chocolate and pistachio version, gluten free, easy to make, and terribly delicious.

Serendipity!

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

Trissalicious Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies

  • 180 grams Pistachios (raw, shelled)
  • 225 grams almond meal
  • 120 grams caster sugar
  • 125 grams icing sugar
  • 30 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 75 grams eggwhites (from around 2 to 3 eggs)
  1. Chop the pistachios roughly and set aside.
  2. In a bowl place the almond meal, sugars and egg whites. Mix well until you form a paste.
  3. Scoop the cookie batter and form into logs around 5 cm long, (at this point, if you find the batter too sticky add a little bit more almond meal to the paste) then roll them in the pistachios.
  4. Place them in a baking sheet, around 2 cm apart and bake for around 13 minutes at 150c (fan forced).
  5. Update on recipe: Dust with icing sugar when cool.

 

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