A Double Helping of Mutual Respect

Bear with me on this slight diversion from my usual anecdotes but it seems almost impossible to post a pasta recipe without mentioning the boycott of Barilla products following the homophobic comments of CEO Guido Barilla.

I spent a lot of the weekend following the story on social media and deciding whether I would or should comment on the incident. Would I have anything constructive to add to the discussion or would it just fuel the flames that have kept the issue at a rolling boil. (I promise that is my only pasta pun)

For me this issue goes deeper than the usual cries for tolerance, that is not the standard we should strive for. Tolerance refers to something unpleasant that you just have to put up with, and I believe nobody should be just tolerated.

The goal is acceptance.

To achieve this goal of acceptance we must recognise the diversity and validity of all people and in doing so we must recognise everyone's opinion with neither side being the victor.

I respect Guido Barilla's right to hold the opinions that he does but that respect also gives me the right to strongly disagree. It doesn't mean that one opinion is right and the other wrong, just that two different opinions exist.

Yes, I found him publicly communicating this opinion baffling especially from someone holding such a position of success but if I just wrote about all the reasons why I think he is wrong how does that demonstrate an environment of acceptance.

With the changes to the laws in Russia, and the Gambian President's recent address to the United Nations, I understand that many people don't approve of homosexuality but I also don't believe their approval is needed.

Too many young lives have been lost because we have not reached the point of acceptance of each person regardless of their difference to ourselves.*

As the old saying goes, let's agree to disagree.

I am not participating in the boycott of Barilla products mainly because I never really purchased them previously.

Pesto in a jar seems totally unnatural and I may even go so far as to say an abomination but I believe everyone has the right to do and be as they see fit, they don't need my approval.

Pistachio and Preserved Lemon Pesto
Ingredients

• Large bunch of basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 85g toasted pistachios
• 100g parmesan
• 1/2 preserved lemon (see note)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Good pinch of sea salt flakes
• 500g penne or pasta of your choice

Method

• Cook pasta as directed on packet
• Add garlic, pistachios, parmesan, lemon the bowl of a food processor
• Add any larger but not woody stems of the basil
• Add 1/2 the oil and process for about 20 seconds
• Add the basil, salt and remaining oil
• Process till your preferred consistency, chunky or smooth
• Stir through hot pasta
• Can be used on bruschetta or risotto, anywhere a nice hit of basil is welcomed
• It can also be made in a mortar and pestle for a more traditional approach

Note
My preserved lemon's very plain with no other added spices, just the lemons, rock salt and boiled water.
I use small jars now as I found making a huge jar by the time I used all the lemons the last ones weren't looking their best.
To make them, quarter the lemon and stuff it into a jar with enough rock salt to fill up the gaps. Fill the jar with just boiled water a little at a time so that the jar can handle the heat. Ensure the lemons are covered and store in a cool dark spot for about 4 weeks. Using lemon juice instead of water will speed up the process. So easy and much cheaper and nicer than the shop bought variety.

*"Lifeline provides all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to online, phone and face-to-face crisis support and suicide prevention services."

Backyard Chicken

Don't panic I haven't dispatched any of the girls, tempting as that may be when they "play" with the new seedlings.

The thing I love about this dish is the potential if things are growing well that most of the ingredients can come from my backyard.

The herbs, the lemon if the tree would do it's thing, the chicken if they ever stop doing their thing, the potatoes and capsicum. (just need to plant an olive tree for the oil)

Using the homemade sourdough as the breadcrumbs adds a richer flavour but as AB reminds flour only comes from a shop thus putting a halt to any plans of a mill or crop of wheat in the backyard.

This is a quick 10 minutes of effort then let the oven do the work dinner, lunch, or potential leftovers sandwich.

Fresh, zesty, herby, crunchy easier just to sum it all up with YUMMY!

Zesty Herbed Chicken AKA Backyard Chicken
Ingredients for 4-5 thighs

• 3 cups of fresh breadcrumbs (or use panko)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Large handful of herbs, mine included thyme, parsley, coriander, mint, rosemary, oregano. If it's green it's in, basil when it's warmer or some chilli would also work nicely!
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1-2 eggs for egg wash
• Flour to coat
• Olive oil or spray oil
• 4-5 chicken thigh fillets

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C (now I'm not using a gas oven I know the importance of the preheat)
• Blitz up about as much as a ciabatta roll of sourdough in a food processer, some chunky bits are ok.
• Finely grate the lemon zest and the clove of garlic
• Roughly chop the herbs, some smaller stalks are fine to include
• Add herbs, zest, and garlic to the breadcrumbs
• Season to taste
• Flour, egg, and breadcrumb the chicken thigh fillets
• Place on an oiled foil lined baking tray
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until chicken is crispy and cooked through
• Let rest for at least 10 minutes
• Perfect to serve with sautéed potatoes and roasted capsicum and a rocket salad

Soupy Stars: Pea and Bacon Quickie

The smell of a simmering pot of split pea and ham soup with the flaking succulent meat falling from the smoked hock can be a religious experience.
Oh now I might need a private moment.

Sometimes there just isn't time for the full experience so this is a quick homage.

With the peas being fresh (well frozen) and not dried this is like the younger version of the more mature soup, the enthusiasm and haste of youth with a hint of the glorious wisdom old age is yet to awaken.

That sounds a bit deep so I'll let my immaturity describe the soup with a little help from Iron Chef America and much peaness.

Pea and bacon soup
Ingredients

• 4 medium red onions, roughly diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 200g bacon
• 1 potato, diced small
• 1 kg frozen peas
• 1-1.5 litres of water or stock (just enough to cover)
• 250 ml sour cream
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
• 2-3 mint sprigs (more or less depending on taste)

Method:

• Boil kettle if using water or heat stock
• Splash some olive oil into a large pot on high heat
• Add onions and garlic
• Remove rind from bacon, roughly chop and add to pot
• Add potato
• Reduce heat to medium and cook till onions softened about 10 minutes
• Add peas and stir to coat
• Add lemon juice
• Cover with water or stock and cook on medium for 20-30 minutes
• Blend to smooth (removing some liquid first if you think it will be too runny)
• Season to taste
• For the sour cream, mix through the zest of 1/2 a lemon and torn mint sprigs



Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Ireland

Today we're in the beautiful green TOTALLY SNAKE FREE land of Ireland, thanks St Paddy for that one, best saint ever! While I have never been to the emerald isle I did spend some time working in an office where there was an Irish quota of at least 50% so that was like practically being there. The opportunity for a linguistic and cultural exchange was not wasted as I learnt so much about craic, it was only fair they had to "give it a burl". For a colleague's birthday I was tasked with making an Irish themed birthday cake, so shamrocks? Leprechauns? Mrs Brown? of course not Jedward. It was quite an easy decision to make. She had previously mentioned that Jedward were "beautiful boys" so why wouldn't she want them jumping out of her cake. While I am clearly not the cake boss, my fondant skills are getting better with each birthday.

 

Can't you just see Jedward jumping out of the cake??

 

With 7 wins under their belt Ireland holds the record for most wins in Eurovision, so it is only fitting that their entry in Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 has a touch of luxury. I had thought of roasting a turkey but felt it wasn't right to cook an Irish contestant.

In 2008 they thought they would enter a craic, that doesn't sound right?

 

Lobster Dublin Lawyer

Ingredients

• 1 lobster tail
• 50g unsalted butter
• 100ml whiskey
• 1/2 cup cream
• squeeze of lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Cut down the centre of the underside of the lobster tail to remove the meat but leave the shell intact
• Tidy up the edges of the shell for presentation and boil in a saucepan for 5 mins and then drain. If not using the shell for presentation this step can be omitted.
• Cut the lobster into bite sized pieces
• In a large frypan on high heat add the butter.
• Add the lobster and the whiskey
• Use a long match or gas lighter to ignite the whiskey, be careful as it is a pretty big flambé.
• Once the flame have died off add the cream and mix through
• Add the squeeze of lemon and season to taste
• The lobster should be cooked by the time the flame has gone, it is very easy to over cook it
• To serve place meat back into the shell and pour over the sauce
• This served AB and I as an entrée but if you have found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow it would be a lovely main course with a decadent buttery mash.

 

 

 

This year Ireland isn't sending Jedward but Ryan Dolan will find out if Only Love Survives, and possibly makes it to the finals again.

luck maith!

 



 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Moldova

I hope everyone made it through customs without a starring role in border security and is ready for the delights of Moldova. If you are a long time reader (first time commenter) to my blog you will be aware of my obsessive love of all things purple and my inability to not tear up at the sight of a grandmother. No seriously people we have been through this, you only need to say the words Maggie Beer and I well up.

So today is a celebration of both. For the grandmother we have Grandma Boonika, reportedly a neighbour/cousin of the band Zdob şi Zdub who they just had to bring along to the 2005 contest. I find her a true inspiration proving that you're never too old for Eurovision, there is hope for me yet. If you need me I'll be out the back practicing my little turns.

Now for the purple I found a Moldovan beetroot salad, that is so delicious with just the right balance of creamy texture and hint of garlic. You need to boil the beetroots but I suppose if you are "time poor" and don't actually like the people you are cooking for you could always use beetroot from a can. (Insert disapproving glare here) 

They placed 6th and I'm sure most of it was due to Gran.

 

 

Moldovan Beetroot Salad

Ingredients

• 4 Medium beetroots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 90g walnut crumbs
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt

Method

• Put beetroot into a medium saucepan and cover with cold salted water
• Bring the water to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes till the beetroots are tender
• When tender, remove beetroot from the saucepan and allow to cool
• Peel beetroot (or leave skin on) and grate into a mixing bowl
• Mince the garlic in a garlic crusher and add to beetroot
• Add remaining ingredients to the beetroot and stir to combine
• Salt to taste
• Let sit for an hour or 2 before serving (or eat straight away it's still yum)
• You can also garnish with extra walnut crumbs if you wish

 

Moldova will present O Mie sung by Aliona Moon in 2013.

noroc!

 

 

 



Orange, Lemon and Lime Cordial

This is a budget saving recipe for those horrible days of summer where you just pray for some snow. Summer and I have never been friends.
This cordial is beyond easy, it really is just heating water, everyone can do that..I hope!
There is a real joy in the DIY homemade, you can create a gem with the stuff you have in the fridge.

Orange, Lemon and Lime Cordial

Ingredients

• 2 litres of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• 4 oranges
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon of citric acid (optional)

Method

• Add water and sugar and citric acid to a saucepan
• Zest all the fruit and add to the pan
• Stir to dissolve sugar and simmer just below boiling for about 30 minutes.
• Add the juice of all the fruit, strained to avoid pips.
• Leave to cool
• Strain cordial into bottles.( I didn't strain this one as the zest is ultra soft)

To use just dilute with water to your preference, weak vs strong. Or serve in a jug with more slices of fruit and some mint. (mint not pictured blame summer!!)

A splash of vodka and ice could achieve a delightful beverage for responsible adults only

Munching 9 to 5 - Carrot and cheese salad

No it's not a job as a taste tester, as awesomely appealing as that sounds.

The next offering in the War on Terrible Food aka BYO work lunch series.

This salad has had a couple of incarnations and can be used as an indicator of how our eating has changed over the years. When I was at school the major ingredient to this was a jar of mayonnaise, these days it gets a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
If I'm honest the tasty model below only got a drizzle of olive oil, no lemon or salt and pepper, and it was just as yum.

Carrot and Cheese Grateness
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots grated
• 50 grams grated cheese
• 1 fun size box (40g) sultanas
• black and white sesame seeds
• Olive oil
• juice of 1/2 small lemon

Method

• Add carrot, cheese, and sultanas to a bowl.
• Mix through a drizzle of oil and the lemon juice.
• Top with a sprinkle of seeds and run out the door to work.

Making it the night before will let the sultanas soak up the dressing and the carrots soften. You can also experiment with any seeds that take your fancy, lineseed, chia, pumpkin seeds.

I'm turning violet, Violet.

Another in the 60 second gelato range, blueberry cheesecake. With summer on the way and a predicted 38 degrees in Melbourne tomorrow, I am dreaming about anything that's frozen. Oh how I can relate to pastry, I hate the heat!!
Because this is so time consuming at 60 seconds you can spend another couple of minutes and go fancy pants with the plating. The base adds a yummy crunchy crumb, but is optional if you do have the time.

Blueberry cheesecake gelato

• 500 grams frozen blueberries
• 250 grams cottage cheese (or ricotta)
• 100 grams icing sugar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)

Method

• Blend all together in a food processor till smooth.

Biscuit base

• 60grams plain biscuits
• 30grams almonds
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup

Method

• Melt butter and golden syrup together (about 45 second in a microwave)
• Add all ingredients to food processor and blend to fine crumb
• To save on wash up you can make the crumb first, wipe out the processor and then make the ice cream. Use commonsense as if people have nut allergies, that could be an awkward end to a dinner party.
• This recipe is enough for about 6 bases and gelato to spare.

You can plate fancy in a ring mold, put it in a bowl, or just go straight from the processor bowl. I am too embrassased to admit my normal plating scenario, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

I probably need to see someone about my purple obsession.

You say gelato I say gelati

My love affair with gelato started on my first trip to Rome and a dish of banana gelato. I had ordered lemon but either the waiter was a little hard of hearing or my Italian wasn’t what it is today, but I ended up with banana. Prior to this my experience of  banana ice-cream was that hideous artificial yellow chemical enhanced iced confection that has never been next to a real banana let alone be made of any.  In one Italian mouthful my world changed, banana, and very little else, real banana.

There are so many variations of the ice cream gelato base recipe; you just need to go with one that works for your tastes. Cream, no cream, whole eggs, just yolks, and the amount of sugar can vary by the cup load.

Christmas was at our house a couple of years ago so for dessert I did a gelato bar. This gave me plenty of practice to find the base I liked, as well as experimental flavours, the highlight was meat lovers!

Lemon lime and bitters gelato

·         6 egg yolks

·         ½ cups sugar

·         3 cups of milk

·         ½ cup lemon lime and bitters butter

Method

·         In a heavy base saucepan add eggs, milk, sugar, and whisk.

·         Keep stirring over a low heat until the custard thickening enough to coat the back of a spoon.

·         Be careful not to overcook it or it will curdle.

·         Pass through a sieve and either chill on ice or in the fridge overnight.

·         Put into ice cream machine as per manufactures instructions

·         Add the lemon lime and bitters butter

·         And churn

Serve with blueberries or just as it is.

Lemon lime and bitters butter (say that 3 times drunk)

·         Juice of 2 lemons

·         Juice and zest of 1 lime

·         2 eggs

·         ½ cup sugar

·         100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped rough.

·         5-10 ml Angostura bitters (about 3-4 bottle shakes)

Method

·         Add all except the bitters to a saucepan and stir over a low-medium heat.

·         Once the curd is at the thickness required take it off the heat and add the bitters.

·         Cool before adding to ice-cream.

It can also be used for toast or as cake filling. I’m not sure how long it will last, it’s never survived overnight in my house