DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER ? A CULINARY QUIZ

1. Cilantro is the word Americans use for which herb ?


2. A cleaver knife is primarily used for chopping through..?


3.Sage is mostly used to compliment which meat ?


4.Which ingredient is included if a dish is cooked "Florentine " ?


5.Which common salad is named after a famous New York City hotel ?


6. What is quinoa a type of ?


7. Which spices make up Chinese five spice powder ?


8. What family does the pineapple belong to ?


9. Which vegetable can be cooked parmentier style  ?


10. What are the 3 safe methods of heat transfer ?


11. The cooking method known as poeler combines which 2 common cooking methods ?


12. Which vegetable comes in Jerusalem and Globe varieties ?


13. What type of fish is a sardine  ?


14. If a food is chiffonnade ..it is ?






Answers..
1. Corriander,2.Bones,3.Pork,4.Spinach,5.Waldorf salad,6.grain(Goosefoot family ),7.Peppercorns,star anise,cloves,cinnamon and fennel,8.berry family,9.potato,10.Conduction,radiation,convection,11.roasting and braising,12.Artichokes,13.pilchard (herring),14.Finely shredded

SATAY CHICKEN WITH RICE , AN INVITATION AND A FAREWELL

 Tonight I made satay chicken and rice ....ingrdeients  chicken fillet ,  peanut butter , butter , a little  brown sugar, garlic , chilli , sliced onion , snow  peas  and  basmati rice.

This was tea tonight but what was left will be part of the shared lunch  for Leonidas Vlahakis  and myself  tomorrow Friday 28th February 2014

 ....as we toast the end of a 12 year working relationship .

We gave people good sight . We were a team ...we were the winning team for many years.

OMG....An invitation to cook for The Mothers Day High Tea @ The Melbourne Town Hall .

May 11th  2014..

People ask me all the time .." why did you wait for so long to follow your dream ? ",my answer is always the same , I was busy living the dream being a mother to my 5 children and now is the time to follow and catch a dream to become a cook .

CURRIED PARSNIP SOUP

I only remember parsnips as the vegetable that was mashed and eaten with carrot ,  added to vegetable soup or hearty beef stews .
It has only been in recent years that I have let the parsnip be the hero of the plate .
Tried baked caramelised parsnip ??? Yum.
So is curried parsnip soup...


Melt 75 gm of butter in a pan ,
Add 100gm of chopped onions ,
450gm of thinly sliced parsnips ,
2 fat cloves of garlic crushed ,
Heat through over a low heat for about 5 minutes .


Stir in 25gm of plain flour
3 tsp of curry powder  (  You can use the commercial blend .. I make my own dry mix )
........... See at the end  for curry mix recipe .........
Now blend in 1200 ml of chicken stock and white pepper , season to taste.
Slowly bring to the boil stirring constantly ,
Reduce the heat , cover  and simmer for 20 minutes .
Cool before blitzing in a processor or blender.
Reheat until hot and stir in 150 ml of cream..
Ladel into warmed bowls  and garnish with just a sprinkle of chives


CURRY BLEND......make your own and keep on hand for when recipes call for a curry mix..


Mix the selected ground spices and store in a jar that has a lid...
1 tbs of ground coriander
1 tbs ground cumin
1tbs ground mustard
1tbs of groung black pepper
1 tbs ground fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground chilli
1 tbs ground ginger
1tbs turmeric
1tbs dutch cinnamon
1 tbs ground cloves

WATERCRESS SOUP......

Now that Dial An Occasion is in full swing , I am constantly asked to prepare Vegan , Diabetic and Gluten  Free versions of the menus offered , and am very surprised that by using alternative ingredients and a little imagination fine dining can be enjoyed by everyone .

I love soup.
The recipe shows an alternative use of a commonly used salad leaf.
This is delicious and easily made.


Remove a couple of the watercress pieces ( to use as garnishing ) , set aside.


Use 2 bunches of watercress , or a 250gm bag of watercress , wash and pat dry , do not remove the stalks. Set aside .
Melt 50gm of butter in a pot  ( Vegan.. Lightly oil pot  ..rice bran oil ..)
Add 1 sliced onion and 350gm of peeled and sliced potato , heat through without browning.
Add 600ml of chicken stock , ( commercial stock or your own . Vegan ..use a Vegan powdered vegetable stock )
Season with salt and pepper .
Bring to the boil , reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes in a covered pot.
Add the watercress and continue to simmer in covered pot for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly , then puree in a processor or blender .
Return the pureed soup to the pot , stir in 450ml of  milk  ( Vegan ..use soy milk or almond milk ) and heat through.
Warm the soup bowls and just prior to serving stir in 150ml of cream. ( Vegan.. use soy cooking cream )
Ladel into bowls and garnish sparingly with reserved watercress .
Enjoy.

SERIOUSLY......... I JUST DON`T GET IT

Middle pages of the Herald Sun , today Tuesday 25th February......10 best burgers .
All the photos show the " best burgers " accompanied by fries , oozing cheese , dripping sauce  and mayonnaise .....as stated in the print...The burger is a juicy, oozy triumph each pattie dripping with melted plastic cheese...their words not mine.
This is a celebration of the top 10 burgers in Melbourne , not one word of a backlash in face of the airing of the Biggest Loser , the healthy eating initiatives being set in place by community groups, health professionals.
What would happen if Mc Donalds placed an ad in any newpaper using those descriptive words ?
I`m not promoting Mc Donalds , but they do offer healthy options and show the kilojoule total of all their food combinations...
This article evidents blatent disregard of all the efforts going into promoting healthy eating.
 Promoting the consumtion of burgers priced from $9.50 all the way through to $22.00 , great advertising for a select few merchants selling fast food .
It is so easy to talk the talk , the Herald Sun have a healthy lifestyle supplement  in their paper every Sunday which promotes all things healthy along with healthy recipe alternatives.
I am aware that what we choose to eat is all about choice , and eagerly agree that take aways are a quick and easy meal ..but not the healthiest nor the cheapest .
Articles like these just put the cause to educate people on alternatives to take away food right back to square one.
I am not laying the blame wholly on the Herald Sun , they are about selling papers and survive on the finances from the advertisers , what really saddens me is the cooks and chefs who could really do  their paying patrons a great favour by actually making healthier style burgers.
I seriously don`t get it.
All it takes is some thought , we have such a choice of produce , healthy eating is not about boring tasteless food . it`s about  combinations , using fresh food rather than processed , its about lightly cooked opposed to deep fried ,
Healthy eating is about our body maintenance , we are what we eat.

CAJUN BEEF AND RED RICE

Mix 2 tsp of paprika , 1 tsp of ground black pepper , a good 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper , 2 tsp of dried thyme , 2 tsp of dried oregano , 1 tsp of sugar, all together .

( set aside in a cup 1 dsp of the spice mix)

Now brush 3 porterhouse steaks with crushed garlic  (crushed in mortar or a commercial blend.)

Then coat each side of the steak with the spice mix ..set aside.

Place two cups of red rice in 4 cups of water and simmer or steam till tender.

Place florets of a large broccoli head in a steamer  and cook till tender crisp.

When rice is nearing cooked , place steaks in a very hot pan  and cook for 3 minutes each side .

When rice is cooked and all moisture has been absorbed add the dessert spoon of spices you set aside earlier , stir to mix.

 Place in a warmed serving bowl and place broccoli florets  around the bowl , then rest steaks on top.

Absolutely yum !

BORSCH.......ect

Borsch......Russian  beetroot soup , or the generic name for various soups based on beetroot.....
Also goes under the alias beetroot consommé , beetroot soup , borszcz , borshchok , borshch .

Borshchok or if you prefer bortschchock , is a clear beetroot soup made by simmering beef or game stock with grated raw beetroot for roughly 10 minutes and straining through a fine sieve .
The beetroot is then refreshed in a red wine vinegar or lemon juice to preserve its rich colour and then returned to the hot stock , this is served with dry rye bread .

Another version of borsch I like to serve as a light meal is .........

Cook  500gm of  braising steak  sliced  with 2 red onions quartered in a covered pot till the beef colours but not chars.
Now add 500gm of grated raw beetroot  ( washed and peeled )
400gm of finely sliced  red cabbage
5 cups of beef stock ..( commercial stock is fine to use )
2 tbs of red wine vinegar
1 tbs of tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 dsp of dried thyme
Bring this mix to the boil , reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes in a covered pot .

While the soup is simmering peel and dice 250 gm of waxy potato and add them to the soup mix and cook for  15 minutes before serving .
Divide the soup between warmed bowls and serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of dill and fennel seeds.

Recommended reading for like minded recipes....50 Ways With Beef ...Katherine Blackmore

VERY SPECIAL KIDS.. SOMERS PARENTS RETREAT...SUNDAY 16TH FEB

It was such an honour  to be invited  back to the February retreat for the parents of very special kids .
Eager participants for the cooking demonstration were awaiting my arrival and  keen to get straight in to it.......
We made savoury taboulieh from scratch and upon completion added it to  the buffet style luncheon prepared by the wonderful volunteers that run the retreat.
The cooking class also made wraps with a Meditteranian influence and  showed my group the importance of presentation by adding a stem of fresh herbs to the packaging and watched the wraps disappear quickly from the luncheon table.
At the end of the retreat all the guests gather with their families in reflection of their weekend experience and are invited to share their thoughts , the families are from all walks of life but all share the same constraints that living with a child with disability brings .
The families are so gratefull  and appreciative of having a weekend where their meals are cooked for them , their children are cared for and parents can have a few precious hours to have their hair done , get a massage , attend a cooking demonstration , take a ride on a Harley....all provided by the most generous of volunteers who run the Very Special Kids  charity.

BLACK RICE , PRAWN AND ASPARAGUS STIR FRY....TEA SUNDAY 23 RD FEB

Cook 1.5 cups of black rice in boiling water for 25 minutes or till tender.

Drain.

Stir fry 3 sliced fat cloves of garlic , 1 red chilli sliced incl seeds until aromatic but not burnt.

Add 2 bunches of asparagus , 200gm of snow peas trimmed ,  and 2 tbs water , 175 gm packet of  sweet vine capsicums  . Stir fry for 2-3 minutes till vegetables are tender crisp .

In a separate pan  stir fry 1kg of peeled uncooked green prawns till just cooked through.

Once the rice is cooked add this to the prawn mixture  along with 4 green spring onions finely sliced and 2 tbs of chinese cooking wine.

Combine with the asparagus  and sno pea mix .

Scatter coriander leaves to serve.

GREEN ACRES ........LADIES AFTERNOON TEA AND GARDEN TOUR... SUNDAY 23 RD FEB

 On arrival the Green Acres group strolled through Castle Gardens , enjoying the different garden rooms that Castle Garden offers.
The garden tour  ended with an afternoon tea  consisting of ............


1. Stromboli


2. Mini Quiches


3. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings


4.Lemon Curd Tarts


5. Mini Fruit Muffins


6.Scones and cream


Tea and Coffee


A most enjoyable afternoon , and a booking for  a Spring return in September.

THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN.......CHUTNEY AND PICKLES

SWEET FRUIT CHUTNEY

Skin and roughly chop 2 kg of tomatoes , 3 large onions , 2 large onions ,

Place all the above in a saucepan  and combine with 750 gm  of sugar ,  1.5 cups of sultanas ,  1 tbs of salt , 1 dsp of whole cloves , pinch of cayenne pepper , 1 lt brown malt vinegar .

Stir over a low heat till the sugar dissolved ..

Then continue to simmer uncovered for 2.5 hours until the chutney is thick.

Pour into hot sterilised jars  and seal.

Recipe from the Australian Womens Weekly Cookbook......1970 Edition ,,pg 232

 

LEBANESE LEMON AND GARLIC CHICKEN WITH QUICK TABOULI AND PUMPKIN HUMMUS

Roll  4 chicken breast slices in garlic , thyme , paprika , chilli and lemon.....
Then pan fry them till golden brown...

Quick Tabouli
Mix 1 cup of cooked couscous with finely chopped parsley , oregano , the juice and zest of a lemon , minced garlic, 1 roasted capsicum finely chopped , salt and pepper.

Pumkin Hummus
1 can of chick peas drained
The juice and zest of a lemon
Plain Greek yoghurt
1/2 cup of mashed cooked sweet potato
tsp of tahini
Meze seasoning ( Moroccan )
Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy..

Serve chicken on tabouli accompanied with the hummus ...

 

VALENTINES DAY BASKETS

I love Valentines Day...it`s fun and frivolous,,, The joy of love.

Hope my baskets invoked long conversations of dreams to be realised, promises of  unrequented love and not too much heartburn suffered in the end !



Antipasto
Jars of Gazpacho
Lemony Fennel , Apple and Banana Salad
Char Grilled Chicken Drummies
Slices of Quiche Lorraine
Beetroot , Feta , Salami and Tabouli Wraps
Hummos And Quail Hob

Fruits Of Summer
Red Velvet Cake
Caramel slice...

 

FOULSHAM`S UNIVERSAL COOKERY BOOK........ thousand recipes for 6 pence net

Pam arrived at the practice today introducing herself as being in an  audience where I spoke about  the evolution and disappearance of cooking techniques and terminology .
Pam then handed me her mothers copy of Foulsham`s Universal Cookery Book. Pam offered the book as a gift in appreciation for the afternoon where memories of food and cooking were shared .
The community of food and genorousity of cooks is alive and well ,thank you Pam .

MENU......Monday 10th ..... Friday 14th Feb

MONDAY 10TH FEB


Sticky Malaysian Roo with Creamy Spiced Brown Rice....
( an adaption of a similar  recipe from `Mighty Spice Express` on pg 166)

TUESDAY 11TH FEB


Garlic and Chilli Prawns served with Quinoa
( pg 86 ,  Simply Heaven Vol 1 )

I added two sliced onions to the chilli and garlic mix , otherwise the recipe was the same .

WEDNESDAY 12TH FEB


Artichoke and Preserved Lemon Risotto with Chargrilled Pork
( pg 103  Simply Heaven )

THURSDAY 13TH FEB
Salmon with Fennel and Tomatoes served with Wild Rice.
( Quinoa for Families    pg 121 )

FRIDAY 14TH FEB
BEEF AND CHILLI MUSHROOM SAUTE
(Middle Eastern Taste The World   pg 36 )

POLENTA CAKE WITH RED ONIONS

This is so easy , sweet sticky red onions  with a sprinkling of herbs provide a tasty topping for  this polenta cake.

Mix together ......
675 ml of vegetable stock with 1 cup of polenta  and a pinch of salt  and bring to the boil in a pot  stirring constantly .
Reduce the heat and continue  stirring  for  20 minutes until thick and pulling away from the sides of the pot.
Stir in 3/4 cup of  grated parmesan and 1 tbs of oil and 1 tsp of nutmeg .
Spoon the mixture into individual greased ramekins and bake for 20 minutes  at 180 deg C until lightly browned .

Heat 2 tbs  of rice bran oil add 6 red onions quartered
The needles of 2 rosemary sprigs
The leaves of 2 sage sprigs
The leaves of 2 thyme sprigs
2 fat cloves of garlic thinly sliced.
Cook till tender .
Turn out the cakes onto serving plates and spoon the onion mix on the top.

TEA LOAF

The night or day before  making you need to ..

 Soak  250 gm of dried mixed fruit ,
 225 gm of light brown sugar
  300 ml of warm strong black tea  (strained if you are using loose leaf tea...)  in a bowl ,
 Cover with cling film and stand overnight .

First thing the next day ...switch on your oven  and set at 170 deg C .

Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper .

Stir in 2 tsp of mixed spice
450 gm of self raising flour....
Followed by 1 beaten egg.
Make sure the mixture is well combined
.
Spoon this mixture into the tin  , levelling the surface
Bake in a well heated oven until it is golden and  a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean...
(  It is really difficult  to tell you to bake by exact time as our ovens are all different ).

Remove the tin from the oven and cool the loaf in the tin for 15 minutes .
Turn out onto a wire rack...
Serve buttered or toasted and buttered.

Simple and delicious.
Recipe from` THE  LITTLE BOOK OF BREAD `....pg 16

SHANE

Shane , Ella and Paul   ...........Monday 3rd February  2014

Paul`s partner of 13 years , a son and brother in law  , an uncle , a grandson , a friend and part of our family slipped into an eternal sleep Saturday 8th February 2014 at 7.30 pm surrounded by his family , at the Alfred Hospital  Melbourne , Victoria... Loved in life and death.

BOOKINGS ........THINGS TO COME

14th February......Valentines Day


Picnic Baskets  already ordered ........


Feb 16th..
Somers .....Very Special Kids Retreat...I`m really looking forward to the demonstration and making something special  to share.


Feb 23rd .......
Castle Garden Tour and Afternoon Tea @ Castle Garden for 25


March 2nd......


Vegan Four Course Fine Dining Occasion


March 7th .....
21st birthday cake  ordered


March 29th and 30th
Guest  cook at Lardner Park  Farm World and Gippsland Harvest ...


April ...
The local Probus Clubs have booked in for luncheons at Castle garden...dates to be confirmed .


EXTENSION OF SERVICES OFFERED...






COOKING CLASSES will resume at Castle Garden on Sundays once a month ...bookings essential..
0407561192....This year we will learn to prepare Paella , Curry ,  Bread ,  Asian , Risottos , Warm Salads......Seafood and Offal  .
I can organise classes to suit your needs




CORPORATE CATERING
Home cooked meals , soups , tagines , salads , fruits and cheeses , using local produce..


PHONE .......0407561192

VEGAN FOUR COURSE FINE DINING OCCASION

I have been booked for  a Vegan Fine Dining Occasion


The menu as offered.....


ENTREES....
Polenta Timbale  , topped with caramelised carrots and onions
OR
Savoy Cabbage Sushi...minus the fish.


SOUPS.......
Pea , Bean  and Rice Soup
A tasty green soup that is enhanced by the addition of creamy risotto rice.
OR
Cream Of  Vegetable Soup
A classical vegetable soup with the added crunch  of pistachio nuts


MAINS........
Pappardelle With Asparagus , Courgettes , and Beans
A dish that combines  a range of greens with ribbons  of pappardelle pasta.
OR
Pumpkin Curry With Bean Rice
Everyone should experience a good curry , this recipe uses pumpkin as its main ingredient and is complimented with bean rice.


DESSERTS........
Coconut Cake With Raspberries
The cake is topped with a layer of raspberries , redcurrants  and mint leaves.
OR
Pancakes With Blueberries
Caramelised banana slices wrapped in pancakes  and dressed with blueberries.

THE LAST WORD ON GRANNY...3RD FEBRUARY 2014

It`s been a tough 2 weeks .This week started with a funeral.
Paul Mersey and Luke Haustorfer spoke at their Granny`s funeral on behalf of their brothers , sisters , nieces , nephews and cousins.

"When Paul and I (Luke and I) sat down to discuss what to say today, we reflected on many of Granny’s great qualities as both a person and our grandmother, and told numerous stories of happy moments that us grandchildren shared with her. We also discussed Granny’s endearing personality and warmth that she shared with all that she met, and her enormous generosity. So, with much difficulty, we were able to sift through all of the beautiful memories we have of the amazing woman who was our Granny, and decided to share these few with you today.

 

Whilst Granny had nine grandchildren, she wasn’t just Granny to us, she was also Granny to many our friends as well. Growing up we all at various times stayed with Granny and Pa and we would often have friends either stay with us or visit. Granny and Pa would always welcome our friends into their home and treat them as if they were part of the family. Granny still holds a special place in these friends’ hearts, which has been demonstrated over the last week by the way that they have all sent us messages of support not for our Grandmother, but for Granny.

 

It was not only our friends that Granny endeared herself to, rather she endeared herself to everyone she met and became friends with people wherever she went. There was no such thing as a quick trip to the shops or a quiet cuppa with Granny, as wherever Granny went she was sure to bump into someone she knew who wanted a chat. This endearing nature stayed with Granny until her very last days, with nurses and doctors whom she met during her time in hospital going out of their way to check on her wellbeing.

 

Granny and Pa travelled often and far – for as many places as they’ve been, anyone would be left to believe the only holiday they ever went on was when they took five of us grandsons to QLD... Limousine rides, theme parks, Luke’s infamous bus ride, and everything else in between. It’s not just the holiday that brings back happy memories but the thought of how much happiness it brought to Granny whilst recalling stories from the trip.

 

Granny was also a very generous woman who genuinely got pleasure from giving to others. Granny was very generous with both her time and money, and there was never a birthday, Christmas or special occasion go by without Granny buying a gift to celebrate. Granny’s giving also extended beyond the gifts she bought, and at times it was very hard to pay her a compliment on something she had in her home without her trying to give it to you. In time I came to realise that it was often much easier to stay quiet than to pay a compliment and having to go through the ensuing debate as to why the item looks better in her home than yours.

 

Never once did Granny get angry at any of us grandchildren – her way of dealing with us when we did play up, was to threaten us that she would run away with a soldier. Effective as it was we knew Granny would never actually leave us and that she had in fact already had her soldier in pa.

 

Finally, it would not be to truly honour Granny without telling a story that reflected Granny’s ditzy side. At one stage or another we have all been afflicted by Granny’s ditzyness, and for Ben and I the icing on the cake would be Granny losing the ca in Bairnsdale. After a few relaxing days at Lakes Entrance we were heading home when Granny decided she would like to stop and have a look around Bairnsdale. After a leisurely stroll around town, we returned to where the car was supposed to be, only to find it purportedly stolen. For the next few hours we were dragged around town in search of the car, before finally heading to the local Police Station to report it stolen. It was with much relief when a local police officer informed Granny that her car wasn’t in fact stolen, it was safe and sound a few streets away and she had simply forgotten where she had parked it.

 

It is these special qualities that made our Granny such an amazing woman who was adored by not only her family but everyone she met. So of behalf of your nine adoring grandchildren, we would like to thank you Granny for being the best granny ever. Love always and forever, Marc, Shaun, Paul, Rachel, Lindsey, Ben, Luke, Reuben and Jordan."

FRIDAY 31ST JAN ...WAKE UP AUSTRALIA !

It`s hot , I`m tired and angry.
What`s happening to Australia , does anyone care about anything ?
It`s  been decided  to allow the mining companies to run overburden into a part of the Great Barrier Reef , one of the world`s greatest natural wonders .
In Western Australia it has  been decided to tackle the problem of surfers being attacked by sharks to simply kill sharks on sight even though the oceans  are the sharks natural habitat.
And about Australia`s fair trade policy ......What a joke !
Good bye SPC.
Wake up Australia !

Going solo for tea tonight...just a simple prawn and soft boiled egg vinaigrette.
The recipe for the vinaigrette comes from Stephanie Alexanders..Menus For Food Lovers  Pg 75.
1. small onion chopped finely.
1. tbs of finely chopped parsley
1. tbs of chopped basil
 Now place a large egg in boiling water for 3 minutes
Remove the shell and scoop out the yolk and add the yolk to the food processor
While the motor is running add 50 ml of olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper  and lemon juice .
Chop the egg white really finely and fold through the mix.

Place 500gm of cleaned  and cooked prawns in a warm pan for 2 minutes only to warm through . Remove to serving plate add a few flakes of sea salt and a handful of spinach leaves ....serve with the vinaigrette .
Enjoy !