LATROBE VALLEY FOOD AND WINE CLUB DINNER

Friday 4th April

Latrobe Valley Food and Wine Club , 2 course meal.....

Entrée ......Pork Belly Morsals with Baked Apple Slices.
                 Crab with Lemon , Parsley  and Chilli

Mains .......Roast Harissa Chicken with Olives
                   Lime and Lemongrass Beef  with Baby Bok Choy

Mains will be served with bowls of Beetroot and Mint salad
                              Polenta crusted Roast Potatoes .
                 

TEAS AT CASTLE GARDEN ,,,,,,,, 30TH MARCH -------- 4TH APRIL

MON 30TH ....
SAMBAL GORENG SOTONG ------Squid sambal ,
 Complete Asian Cookbook ,Charmaine Solomon .......pg 271.

TUES 1ST APRIL.....
SHIKAR VINDALOO -------Fiery  Goan pork curry ,
Authentic Curries  ,Confident Cooking ....pg 32

WED 2ND APRIL ......
KAI PHAT KHING -------Chicken with ginger shreds  ,
Complete Asian Cookbook , Charmaine Solomon ......pg 373.

THURS 3RD APRIL......
BEAUTIFUL BEEF MEZZE ,
Mighty Spice Express , John Gregory Smith ......pg 168.

FRI 4TH APRIL....
IKAN GORENG TAUCEO ------Fried fish with salted soy beans
Complete Asian Cookbook , Charmaine Solomon......pg 269

LARDNER PARK TAKES THE CAKES

Featherlight Sponge

The one bowl sultana cake

Lemon Slice on the right

" ANOTHER SAUCE FOR FOWL "

from : De re coquinaria ....( Of Culinary Matters )  Author... M.G Apicius
SAUCE
Pepper , lovage , parsley , dry mint , fennel, blossoms moistened with wine  ; add roasted nuts from Pontus or almonds  , a little honey , wine , vinegar , and broth to taste .
Put oil in a pot , and heat and stir the sauce , adding green celery seed , cat mint , carve the fowl and cover with the sauce .
FOWL
It was the practice to torture the animal before killing it as was thought to add to the flavour of the meat.
The fowl that was to be swathed in the sauce above would have been disjointed before being put out of its misery and cooked.
 

DE RE COQUINARIA ..... OF CULINARY MATTERS

Europe`s oldest and ancient Rome`s only surviving recipe book , De re coquinaria   ( Of Culinary Matters )   by Marcus Gavius Apicius was translated into English in 1926 by Joesph Vehling .
The cookbook is still in print but unless you are fluent in Latin  you  may be  able to find  an English translation .
It is a bumper read  of 500 recipes  and 400 of them are of sauces .
Apicius was  a stickler for perfection and was determined that his recipes should enlighten his readers and enhance their lives  ...but no sweet dishes in his recipe book .
 

HARVEST OF GIPPSLAND LARDNER PARK 2014..........KITCHEN MASTERCLASS SAT 29TH AND SUN 30TH MARCH

I am really looking forward to the  Masterclasses at the Harvest Of Gippsland  Lardner Park run in conjunction with the Farm World Expo .


There will be two classes each day  in the Evans Petroleum BP Room  Lardner Park Exhibition Centre.. 12.00 Midday and 2.00pm .


I`m looking forward to inviting questions about the menus , produce , and  maybe I`ll answer some questions you have about the cooking show Masterchef .


12.00 MIDDAY EACH DAY


TERYAKI GLAZED KANGAROO FILLET SERVED WITH A CUCUMBER AND WALNUT SALAD


THE CLASSIC LEMON DELICIOUS PUDDING


2.00PM


SALMON CURRY  WITH COUSCOUS


SHORT AND SWEET LEMON TART


The menu uses healthy ingredients that are quick and easy to prepare , using local produce .


KANGAROO , SALMON , and LEMONS


All Gippsland produce and so versatile let me show you how to use kangaroo with Japanese inspired flavours  and how salmon compliments the Indian flavours of a traditional curry .
Then there`s lemon ......let me tell you about lemon ..!

Laufa and I will have a selection of our cakes on display on the day.

Please come and say hello , and enjoy some tastings .

BARRAMUNDI WTH FRIED ONION , TOMATO AND CHILLI SAUCE

This is a very simple dish and the barramundi works so well ...

In a hot pan caramelise 2 onions coarsely chopped along with 2 fat garlic cloves sliced and a long red and I small red chilli including seeds , 1 tbs of stevia sugar .....with a good glug of rice bran oil .....Keep a close eye on the mix as it will burn quickly.
Now add 1 dsp of ginger mince
Add a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds and ground coriander , 1 tsp of chilli powder and tumeric
To the caramelised spice mix add 2 tins of canned Italian tomatoes let it simmer , till the oil separates from the spice paste .
Meanwhile brush both sides of  the barrumndi fillets with lemon juice and the fine grated rind of a lemon and sprinkle through a strainer a fine covering of turmeric powder .
In a separate pan over a med heat quickly colour both sides of the fish and then transfer to the tomato spice mix and continue to heat through and cover thoroughly with the mix and remove from the heat after  4 minutes turning once .
Garnish with chopped coriander and fluffy rice ...serve immediately.

HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY RYAN "COSTA" LAUKENS 25/03/ 2014

COSTA IS THE ONE ON THE RIGHT

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN FROM ALL AT " THE CASTLE" ..

 ......ENJOY YOUR CAKE........

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY ELLA MERSEY...... WED 26/03/2014

HAPPY 10TH  BIRTHDAY ELLA FOR WEDNESDAY 26TH MARCH.......

NANA MADE THE MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE AND LAUFA DECORATED IT JUST AS YOU WANTED .....

REACH FOR THE STARS SWEETHEART

ALL OUR LOVE FOR WED 26TH

DAD, NAN , POP ,  GREAT NAN GRUNBERG ,UNCLE  PAUL , AUNTY  NICOLE ,UNCLE DALE   , UNCLE SHAUN , AUNTY DEE AND COUSIN MAX ..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA ...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

GRADUATION SMASH CAKE

GRADUATION DAY

CONGRATULATIONS NICOLE AND DALE ...A JOB WELL DONE

Dale Murphy ..Graduated with a double degree

BATCHELOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING  ( WITH HONOURS )
BATCHELOR OF BUSINESS AND COMMERCE (WITH HONOURS )

Congratulations on your final year paper on THE APPLICATION OF LINEAR ELASTIC
FRACTURE MECHANICS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SHOT PEENING ON FATIGUE  LIFE IMPROVEMENT.....for which you have now been invited to present your paper in America in September 2014.



MONASH UNIVERSITY..GIPPSLAND.

NICOLE MURPHY  GRADUATED AS A MASTER OF NURSING IN METAL HEALTH ...

 

5 YEARS STUDY  THE LAST 2 YEARS SHARING THE WORKLOAD OF   WORKING FULL TIME IN CRITICAL CARE ...AUSTIN HOSPITAL MELBOURNE .

A young lady with courage and brains who never knocks back an opportunity to travel overseas .

Your promotions to date are an indication of your empathy to those in need of special understanding.

 

NICOLE AND DALE  IT WAS AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SHARE YOUR WELL DESERVED RECOGNITION  ...

 

"REACH  FOR THE STARS "

 

MUM , MARC , PAUL ,

AND YOUR LIFE TIME FRIENDS

RYAN , MEG AND MARION.

( Absent Ken , Shaun , Dee , Max and Ella )

 

 

 

 

PORK BELLY......

Sow`s udder or belly with paps on it is prepared in this manner ; the belly boil, tie it together with reeds, sprinkle with salt and place it in the oven , or start roasting on the gridiron. Crush pepper , lovage , with broth  , pure wine , adding raisin wine to taste , thicken the sauce with roux and pout it over the roast.in Apicius time ...the selected pig would have been starved .To torture the animal wold bring out the flavour of the meat  ( Vegans promote this  argument to day).  Hey I`m just quoting history .......in  case of the pig ...it is force fed  with figs after being starved ...then given mead to drink . the figs expand  or ferment, then the liver expands    ( the modern equivalent  Foie Gras or" fat liver " ) and the pig dies .
Apicius  - first century AD

HIOS IS

INDULGENCE ......OVER THE TOP DESSERT CAKE

With this recipe we can support the SPC tinned fruit industry and it`s ok to use some bottled toppings or if you have the time you can make your own caramel and chocolate sauce.


Beat 3 egg whites until they are stiff.
Beat in 3/4 cup of caster sugar  till the mixture is thick and glossy.
Now fold in 1/2 cup of ground hazelnuts .
Set aside.
Cut out 2 circles of baking paper  about 20cm round and place on a baking tray
Spread the mixture out to about 18cm on each circle.
Place in an oven that has reached a solid 150deg C
Cook until the meringue is dry and crisp about 50 minutes / 1 hour .
Cool in the oven.
Remove from the oven and to serve...
Fill with whipped cream  and some drained and sliced  tinned fruit
 (  your choice  I use tinned SPC cherries )
 Reserve some whole fruit to garnish.
Top with the remaining circle  and whipped cream
Drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings and garnish with remaining drained fruit ..


ENJOY

 I found the recipe in a soft covered book by Robyn Martin   for  SPC  ...... Quick and Easy Desserts.  ( back in the day when it made sense to have a thriving local fruit growing industry.....)

THURSDAY 20TH MARCH...... Kofta b`siniyah

Make the tahini paste for the base of your serving dish....


Mix together  150 gm of  light tahini paste , 3 tbs of lemon juice , 120 ml of water , 1 fat garlic clove crushed , 2 tbs of rice bran oil ,
Mix together and smear base of your serving plate.
Garnish with a shake or two of crushed sweet paprika .

Put all the kofta ingredients in a large bowl....
1 kg of minced lamb
1 large onion finely chopped
4 fat garlic cloves crushed
80 gm of pine nuts
50 gm of chopped flat parsley leaves
1 large red chilli plus one small red chilli both finely chopped with seeds
2tsp of ground cinnamon
2 tsp of ground all spice
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
2 tsp of groung black pepper
1 tsp of salt
Use your hands to mix everything together
Shape the meat mix into oval shapes approx. 60 gm each  and press the mix to compress and ensure the mix is tight and keeps its shape.

 Heat some oil in a pan and sear the koftas on all sides . Now remove the pan and place the pan with koftas in oven to finish the cooking process.

(about 4 minutes in a very hot oven )

Serve koftas on top of the tahini ,along with pita bread and brown rice

TONIGHTS TEA..... ...WED 19TH MAR

First serve was

baked  ricotta gnocchi on a sweet potato and fennel bed .

MAINS
Spicy Chicken Fillet with Chillli Pilaf

WHAT PLANT IS THIS ?

A gift from a visitor to my garden  , I know of these plants as nodding violets , but I am unsure .

I would love to know the correct common name as well as the botanical... Can anyone help ?

APICIUS ON STUFFED DORMICE............FIRST CENTURY A.D.

Edible dormouse known in zoology as Glis glis is a uniquely European creature .
The Romans used to fatten them with a special diet before cooking them . Seven inches long with a seven inch long bushy tail .
The edible dormouse has lost favour since Roman times , perhaps because it reminds us that a squirrel is just a rat with a bushy tail.!

( Are you aware that an adult platypus is only about 10" in length fully grown ..I was really surprised too .I always thought the " little" platypus were the babies .

Recipe For  Stuffed Dormouse.
" the dormouse is stuffed with a forcemeat of pork and small pieces of dormouse meat trimmings , all be pounded with pepper, nuts, laser, broth.
Put the dormouse thus stuffed in an earthen casserole, roast it in the oven , or boil it in the stock pot."

translated from the Latin by Joseph Dommers Vehling.




 

COOKING CLASSES @ CHURCHILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE.

I am working in conjunction with Churchill Neighborhood House to run cooking classes in the very adequate kitchen  at the Churchill Hub  Phillip Parade Churchill .

Classes will be available during the day
Childrens classes will run after school
Evening classes will also be available

For  further imformation  please phone Henry Parniak at Churchill Neighborhood House on 51222955

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE AND ORANGE SESAME SYRUP CAKE

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
REF : WOMENS WEEKLY CLASSIC CAKES  pg 121

 HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

 

NOELENES  TRADITIONAL FRUIT CAKE..OWN RECIPE 

ORANGE POPPY SEED SYRUP CAKE

REF: WOMENS WEEKLY CLASSIC CAKES  PG 169

SPELT PASTA WITH ALMOND AND WALNUT PASTE ,PEARS AND BROAD BEANS . (vegan recipe )

Today in the Herald Sun 18/03 /14 .....In the Taste section  of the tabloid   Matt Preston presents ..".Easy Nuts  To Crack".........I had to giggle..... a memory  from a Coles supermarket  long ago, my co contestant  Samira declaring  ` Don`t mess with my nuts "
As Matt Preston suggests  nuts are great with soups and braises , in salads, sauces , savoury and sweet baking, pastas , as a side dish , and an addition to stuffings  and stir fries .


 In the recipe below nuts are made into a paste , and served with pasta , pears and broad beans.
In a processor finely chop 80gm of almonds , 50 gm of walnuts , 3 fat cloves of garlic , 1/4 cup of firmly packed watercress and 1/2 tsp of ground pepper .
While the motor is still running slowly pour in 125 ml of olive oil to combine .
Season with salt .
Place 400gm of spelt penne pasta  in a saucepan of  salted boiling water and boil till almost tender.
Drain and keep pasta warm in the covered pan.


Season eight wedges of pears ( 2 whole  pears ) with the skin on .
Heat  a little olive oil in a pan and cook till slightly coloured on each side .
Drain on paper towel.
Add the nut paste to the warm pasta , thin the paste with a few drops of hot water for easier coating, do not return the pasta to the heat or the paste will thicken.
The pears can now be added  along with 240 gm of  frozen broad beans , which have been blanched and  extra watercress ,
Toss to combine .
Serve topped with 25gm shaved pecorino. Vegans can use a soy alternative.

WOMENS WEEKLY  SUPERFOODS PG 74

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MAX......