Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Latvia

Labvakar (Good Evening) Saucers, this is Latvia calling.

You may remember from Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 that I had my heart set on making Latvian liverwurst till disaster struck when my old oven broke!

So this year it was definitely going to be liverwurst until it was announced that Latvia would sing Cake to Bake in Copenhagen.

So when you are given inspiration like that naturally you have a Cake to Bake!

If anyone reading this is thinking of entering the Latvian national finals next year, just think liverwurst.

Here's a head start "without you my world is cursed, I'll never forget your tasty liverwurst".
I'm sure it would sound much better in Latvian.

Latvia pulled off a win in 2002 with only their 3rd entry to the contest, I Wanna by Marie N.
Sadly since Intars Busulis with Probka (2009) they have been unable to qualify for the finals.

I've pick this song as today's hit from Eurovision's past as I enjoy the changing rhythms and I love an act that has a BYO projector screen.

 

Latvia also failed to qualify for the final of Chow Down to Eurovision in 2013 so I'm hoping this honey and walnut cake will put them over the line.
 

The glucose was added when I had run out of honey while doing another test batch, AB without knowing said it had more of a honey taste, plus it is so much easier to spread so it stayed.
 

 

Latvian Honey and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 200g honey
• 100g glucose
• 2 large eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsps. bi carb soda
• 600ml sour cream
• 250g mascarpone
• 150g caster sugar
• 125g walnut crumbs
• plus extra walnuts and honey to garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• In a mixing bowl combine honey, glucose and eggs
• Sift in flour and bi carb soda
• Fold through till well combined
• Spread thin layers on 5 lined baking trays (or repeat 5 times if you have 1 tray)
• Bake at 180°C for about 3-4 minutes
• They should be golden, risen a little and not crispy
• Lay on a lined wire rack to cool, slowly removing the baking paper while still warm
• Allow to cool completely
• In a mixing bowl beat the sour cream, mascarpone, and caster sugar till smooth
• Place 1 layer of cake onto a board or serving plate
• Cover with a thickish layer of filling and sprinkle with 1/5 of the walnut crumbs
• Repeat with remaining cake and filling
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
• To serve either trim up the edges of the cake or leave it rustic
• Garnish with extra walnuts and a drizzle of honey
• Figs would also be a very welcomed guest artist  

 

 So moist and addictive reminiscent of a caramel chocolate ripple cake (or scallywag cake depending on where you grew up) 

 

This year Latvia will be represented by Aarzemnieki who have a Cake to Bake but hopefully after reading this they will definitely know how.

 

Could 2014 be the year to break the 5 year drought of Latvia not qualifying for the finals?

 

A song about cake has to have a good chance, who doesn't like cake???

 lai jums veicas!

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Armenia

Բարի երեկո (Good Evening) this is Armenia calling, proudly the first contestant for Chow Down to Eurovision 2014.

It seems only yesterday the bunting was being packed away and we were celebrating the win of Norway's cardamom lard fried morsels for Chow Down to Eurovision 2013.

For those of you joining the Chow Down to Eurovision for the first time, buckle up we have 37 countries and 37 dishes to get through before we arrive in Copenhagen. 

For those of you that are back for more, I love you!

 

Armenia has been a powerhouse in Eurovision since they joined in 2006 placing top 10 every year except 2013.......oh and 2011 when they sent a lass in a giant boxing glove, fun times.

 

Armenia made it to the final of Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 with an Apricot and Nutmeg cake which has had several repeat bakes in this house. 

 

 

They were also right on the money when they sent Sirusho with Qele Qele in 2008.  

 

What could be better than a young lady in shakeable fringing singing her heart out while surrounded by 3 blokes with mullets performing a hybrid of gymnastic gyrations and liturgical dance?

 

 

Our first entrant is starting us off slowly with a salad.....just so our sequined hot pants have a little room to breath. (Not intentionally it's the luck of the running order draw!)

 

 

Eech - Bulgur and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 small green capsicum
• 6 Roma tomatoes
• 3 spring onions
• 3-4 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (approx.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Finely sliced red chilli (optional...but highly recommenced) 

Method

• Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan
• Turn off heat
• Add bulgur and stir
• Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes
• Transfer the bulgur to a mixing bowl (drain any excess water, but it should be all absorbed)
• Finley chop the capsicum, tomatoes, spring onions and parsley
• Add to the bulgur
• Combine the oil and lemon juice together and stir through the bulgur and vegetables
• Season to taste
• Garnish with red chilli if desired
• You could also go to town adding other herbs such as coriander, mint or red onions
• The perfect take to work lunch, so refreshing and many of you know my negative feelings towards tomatoes! 

 

I will also showcase the contestants that with be performing in Demark but I promise no spoilers as I know many people like to save the surprise for the night.
I use to be one of them but this year I have pre-listened and so glad I did.......No Spoilers!

Armenia will be represented by Aram mp3 who is the firm favourite to win but really who can pick it??



Հաջողություն!

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014

Time to polish off the mirror balls and decant the glitter........

 

The count down has began for Chow Down To Eurovision 2014, 7 weeks of Eurovisual arousal.

We will be passing through the 37 participating countries in this year's Eurovision Song contest on our journey to Copenhagen.

This year will be bigger and more interactive than ever, with the #eatus on twitter, more indepth voting and for the final.....I want to see you!

I would love it if you wanted to give your points via video, but only after saying how much you really, really, really enjoyed the wonderful show. (more on that as the time comes)



This clip of some of the funnier moments in voting history may provide some inspiration.

So here are the key dates:

• April 2 Semi Final 1 begins
• April 19 Semi Final 2 begins
• May 5 the Final beings
• Winner announced May 12

There will be a lot more information on how to vote, and join in as we get closer to the most Eurotastic time of the year.

If you are new to Eurovision and are thinking what on earth is he going on about, check out Chow Down to Eurovision 2013.

Will Norway be the winner again?

Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Slice

While on an excursion doing research for the upcoming Chow Down to Eurovision 2014,  the group was offered some stone age bread.

Bread with no flour? What is this crazy talk??

It was like a scene from my Big Fat Greek Wedding come to life, What you mean you don't put no flour in the bread?.........ok I use spelt?

I'd never heard of it, but loved the nutty deliciousness.

So no flour, just seeds and nuts, which makes it fit into the Paleo diet (if that kind of thing floats your boat)

The chef's reply when asked for the recipe was "Google it!"

So after some Googeling, recipe comparison and testing, this is my take on the Nordic nut bread.

There are more seeds than what I found traditionally which I think gives a better firm multigrain bread texture rather than one of crispy seeds.

I'm not one for trendy diets but for me this bread is a perfect breakfast as 1 slice will keep you going for hours....and that's just the chewing! (kidding)

The only down side is it's best not to quickly grab a piece before meeting people unless you like the blacked out tooth look.

Nordic Nut Bread aka Stone Age Bread

• 100g slivered almonds
• 100g walnuts
• 100g linseeds
• 100g sunflower seeds (kernels)
• 100g pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 50g sesame seeds
• 50g black sesame seeds
• 50g poppy seeds
• 50g black and white chia seeds (or just 1 or the other)
• 2 1/2 tsps. sea salt flakes
• 5 eggs
• 100ml olive oil

Method

• Preheat oven to 150°C
• Line a medium loaf pan  (25.5 x 14.5 x 6cm)
• Add all the seeds and salt to a mixing bowl and combine well
• Add eggs and oil to a jug and whisk with a fork
• Pour egg mix into mixing bowl and stir till the seeds and liquid is very well combined
• Pack into the lined loaf tin
• Flatten the top of the loaf and make sure there is no excess liquid (it will just be cooked egg and not look great)
• Bake for about 1 hour and 15minutes.
• It will be oily at the bottom
• Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack over a tray to cool, and release any extra oils
• When cooled it isn't oily but moist with a nutty texture
• Enjoy with cheese, salmon, poached eggs, avocado or just on it's own for that long lasting breakfast
• Some recipes use whole almonds but I think the slivered give a better end result as the nuts cook all the way through
• It will make another appearance with a slight variation when the Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 heads to Copenhagen, so watch out for that! #eatus 

Heaven is a place on earth.....with blue cheese and quince paste.

In My Kitchen March

After being a bench warmer for In My Kitchen - February, I'm back in business and ain't it grand!


In My Kitchen......
....is some delicious barely seared tuna. It's something I saw on a Jamie Oliver show years ago and just love the clean flavours. I often forget about it which is crazy as it's the perfect dinner with some miso soup.
Mental note: I need to make this more often! 

 

In My Kitchen.....

....are lots and lots of apples.

 

Thankfully the tree has decided to produce after last year's appleless season.

 

Apart from just eating and juicing them I've made apple jelly. It tastes exactly like McDonalds hot apple pie, which is amazing how tastes sticks in your mind as I've not eaten at a McDonalds for over 14 months now (YAY!)

 

Apple chutney is next on the list, any other suggestions?



 

 

This is a beautiful filling for cupcakes.

 
 In My Kitchen....
....there is the start of something exciting.

I have bitten the bullet and bought a new camera and accessories to enhance the visual presentation here. Though the irony of taking these snaps on my phone is not lost on me .

Stay tuned as I learn what I'm supposed to do with them.

 

 In My Kitchen.....
.....well not quite my kitchen but I thought I should share my toot paper....well you know what I mean!

I found some toilet tissue that even by just going to the loo it is creating some good in the world, and there can never be enough of that.

According to their website each roll equals a person in a developing country having access to a toilet.
*Not sponsored

 

And finally now grab a tissue....you have been warned!

 

In My Kitchen........
.......there have been more tears than socially acceptable for a 6ft, 39 year old man to shed.

Last week we lost our little darling Sailor, the bringer of ultimate cuteness to our home and the reason I am useless at cooking rabbit.

Not because I have any issues with eating rabbit, I'm ok with identifying Pets vs Food but I'm pretty sure she put a jinx on the house so no matter how hard I tried it always turned out rubbish.

No bunnies where harmed in the making of this photo but there was some pretty poorly executed photo shopping.

It was very sudden but thankfully her last peaceful moments were spent in the loving arms of AB, I can't think of a better way to go really.

Sorry to be such a downer but I'm hoping this tribute will save me a whole heap of cash on therapy!

(which, naturally I can spend on kitchen ware )

 

Thanks to Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting the monthly In My Kitchen, check out the other kitchens.

Coldcannon

I would love to say I am ultra foodie forward by creating dishes where no cooks have gone before. The truth is often there is no plan, I just make stuff up as I go along.

 

This is mainly the case around midweek dinners, racing from work, to create something spectacular with whatever is left in the fridge.

 

Our adventure begins while some Kipfler potatoes were merrily roasting.

 

I had some spring onions and wombok (Chinese cabbage) and cheddar, if only the potatoes weren't already roasting I could have made a colcannon. (I know you can mash roasted potatoes but not Kipfler, too fiddly)

 

So long story short and borrowing some wisdom from Kate Perry things can be Hot'N'Cold, so Cold-cannon was born.

 

 It has all the flavours of colcannon but with a freshness and crunch.

 

The original was meatless but I have never been one to say no to some crispy lardons, or even some speck as pictured below in another version.



 

 

Cold-cannon

• 1kg potatoes (the variety is up to you)
• 1/2 a large wombok
• 4 spring onions finely sliced
• 150g speck sliced (or 250g crispy lardons we all know not all of them will end up in the dish)
• 150g grated cheddar or parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Method

• Roughly chopped the potato into even pieces, just a bit bigger than bite size.
• Add to a baking dish with a good amount of olive oil, not drowning but enough to paddle.
• Season the potato with salt and pepper
• Bake in the oven till crisp and golden on 180°C, about 45mins.
• Finely shred the wombok and add to a large bowl
• Add the hot potatoes and combine
• Mix through the spring onions, speck/lardon and cheese
• Season to taste but it shouldn't need much with the salt from the meat, cheese and potatoes.
• I find because the potatoes go in hot out of the oil it doesn't need a dressing as such as the combination of oil, fats from the meat and cheese do this job. If you prefer it creamier stir through a couple of tablespoons of sour cream.
• I love it with a steak or on it's own as a work lunch!

 

 

 
 

More tales from the wood panel Chinese

The 2014 Chinese Lunar New Year welcomes the year of the Horse (or whores as the BBC typo read, true, Google it).

I am thrilled about this year for no other reason than that it is no longer the year of the Snake! (Still hate them)

To accompany the Ham and Chicken rolls previously mentioned, I thought I'd recreate another authentic dish from the wood panelled Aussie-Chinese restaurants of my childhood.

Now when I say authentic I'm talking a restaurant that was more like a converted house on an inconvenient bend of the main road of East Gosford, its not quite Guangzhou.

Dome rice is the name I remember this dish by but I have no recollection whether that is what it was called on the menu.

I always found this dish magical as a kid, firstly because it had white sauce and that really should have only ever been used for vegetables. (what were they thinking??)

And secondly I had no idea of how they made the rice take on a shape, let alone fill it. I had visions of the rice being built up and around to enclose that special combination goodness. Those rice ads where the rice took on the shape of famous landmarks only further confused me.

In reflection I don't believed I was a particularly thick kid but the idea of serving an upside down bowl of rice just didn't cross my mind.

This doesn't take long to cook but there is a bit of prep at the start. It also seems like there are a million steps but it's really just a stir fry, in a bowl of rice with a white sauce but packed full of flavour and memories. 

Dome Rice
Ingredients

• 1-11/2 large mugs of basmati rice
• 2 chicken thigh fillet diced
• 200g beef diced (I had some scotch fillet)
• 2 x pinch bi carb soda
• 2 tbsp. oil (peanut/canola)
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 4 Chinese sausages, diagonally sliced
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 carrots (see note on vegetables)
• 1 zucchini,
• 1 broccoli stem
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 small thumb ginger finely chopped
• 200g green prawns (halved if large)
• 2 spring onions chopped
• small handful of sliced bamboo shoots
• Small handful of chopped baby corn
• 6-8 quartered straw mushrooms (more if they are smaller)
• 2 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
• 2-3 tbsp. Oyster sauce
• Salt and a pinch of Schezuan pepper to taste
• a few toasted almonds to decorate

 Method

• Place chicken and beef in two separate bowls of cold water and a pinch of bi carb soda
• Allow to rest for 20-30 mins (this is what makes the meat silky tender)
• Cook the rice (I use the microwave method of 1 mug rice 2 mugs water)
• Blanch the vegetables
• Make white sauce (see directions below)
• Drain the chicken and beef separately and pat dry with paper towel
• Into a hot wok add the oil and sesame oil
• Fry off the Chinese sausage them remove just the sausage and place in a bowl
• Repeat with chicken, fry till just cooked and remove to the bowl
• Repeat with beef, fry till just cooked and remove to the bowl
• Leave the juices in the wok as this forms the base of the sauce
• Reduce the heat and add the onions, garlic and ginger stir fry until tender
• Add the meats and prawns back to the wok
• Add all remaining ingredients and
• Add about a 1/4 cup of the white sauce to the wok and combine
• Take off the heat

• To assemble dome
• Spray a glass bowl with oil
• Spread the enough rice to line the bowl with a thin layer (about 3/4 of the rice)

My bowl has a diameter of 22cm and is about 12cm at it's centre

My walls are a bit thicker than I would normally have them, the rice was very hot and I was hungry!!

• Fill bowl with stir fry
• Cover with a layer of rice to enclose it all, press firmly so it takes on the shape of the bowl
• Place a plate over the bowl and then flip it over
• Remove the bowl and you'll have a great looking rice dome!

Steaming!

To serve pour over hot white sauce and top with some toasted almonds or more decorative vegetables.
There were only ever 3 almonds on the top of this dish at the restaurants but live a little and add a few more, I think I have 6!

 


 


 


 

 

White Sauce

Ingredients

• 40g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 250ml chicken stock
• 500ml light milk 

Sauce Method

• In a  saucepan melt the butter
• Add the flour and stir to combine, cook the flour for about 1 minute
• Add stock and milk together in a jug (or use all milk and a good quality stock cube)
• Slowly add some stock/milk mix  while whisking to make a smooth sauce
• As the sauce thickens add more stock a little at a time, you might not use all the stock.
• While whisking let the sauce cook to thicken further for a few minutes, it should have a thick pourable consistency (but not thick enough you can cut it!)
• Season to taste

Vegetable Note:

If you have a lot of spare time on your hands or don't mind heading to the land of all things naff, you could can use various cutters to shape the vegetables.

 

The broccoli stem adds element of surprise as it is a pale green star that looks nothing like it but tastes like broccoli.

 

The zucchini I sliced lengthy ways around the outside so I got .5cm thick slices with the skin on one side for the colour contrast.

 

Blanch each vegetable separately in boiling water for about 1 minute, then  refresh in icy water.