Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Australian National Final Contestant Four

 

Good Evening Australia, we have come to our fourth contestant in the Australian National Final for Chow Down to Eurovision 2015, Fiona from Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures.

 

Fiona is such a fan of Eurovision she has written about her parties so please pay her a visit and read about her adventures.

 

With Turkey absent again in this year's Eurovision line up, I love how Fiona has incorporated the long connection between Australia and Turkey into this dish.

 

Going the extra mile but stopping short of a wind machine, Fiona has even created her own logo as part of her entry.

 

Will a logo gain bonus points over contestant number one's singing? Eurovision we love a gimmick!

 

Please put your hands together for contestant number four!

 

 

Just the right amount of glitter

 

What is Eurovision without a reveal???

Turkish Cinnamon Pear Pies
Ingredients 

• 4 firm pears
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 cups water
• 2 dark plums

Filling

• 2/4 cup caster sugar
• 40g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup cream, thickened
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp rosewater
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Method

1. Peel pears and place in a medium saucepan with sugar, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and water.
2. Place on a medium heat and simmer until pears are tender but still hold there shape.
3. Whilst pears are cooking, peel plums and scoop out four balls of plum (2 balls from each plum) with a melon baller or teaspoon. Set aside.
4. Remove pears from heat and frain pears from syrup. Retain syrup.
5. Whilst pears are draining and cooling, place plums balls in cooling syrup to allow them to soak up some of the flavours.
6. Place all filling ingredients except egg white in a bowl and beat together until smooth. creamy and pale.
7. Whip eggs whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form
8. Gently fold egg whites into filling mix, being careful not to knock out all of the air.
9. Divide filling between 4 heatproof one and a half cup bowls or ramekins
10. Take pears and gently scoop out a ball from the base of each pear the same size as the plum balls. This will remove some of the core.
11. Drain plums from syrup and place a plum ball into the base of each pear. This is the hidden surprise that will be revealed.
12. Gently push a pear into each bowl approximately a third of the way down.
13. Bake in a 180c oven for 25 -30 mins until golden brown (watch the last few minutes so they don’t brown too quickly like mine did!)
14. Serve with ice cream, cream or little silver disco balls

What do you think of Fiona's Turkish Cinnamon Pear Pies?

 

Is this the dish that could win for Australia?

 

Let me know in the comments or on twitter or Facebook using #BuildingBrunches

Check in tomorrow as we meet our last contestant.

 

 

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Australian National Final Contestant Three

Mamma Mia its the Arrival of contestant number three, Super Trouper Donna from The Bountiful Hunter.

Donna is an established Eurovision fan with a particular love for ABBA and says if she had a religion it would be food! Amen to that!
 

Please read Donna's entry on her blog and be totes jelly of the fact that she got a copy of Arrival a whole 24 hours before it was released!!!

And kids this is a major scoop, it wasn't just downloaded then!
 

I was thrilled to see Donna's entry use some indigenous Australian ingredients while paying homage to Sweden and ABBA.
 

I'm sure you all know by now I was conceived the night ABBA won Eurovision, so it is fate I have a love for both.
 

Please check out these tempting wattleseed blinis with smoked salmon served so appropriately served in an ABBA shrine! (a single portion, I'd eat them all!!)

A round of applause please for contestant number three!!!

Recipe: Wattleseed Blinis with Smoked Salmon

1 tablespoon Wattleseed Roasted and Ground
3 eggs
150mL milk
150mL water
80mL canola oil
2 cups self raising flour

Methods/steps
Heat the wattleseed gently in a dry pan to release flavour.
Whisk together eggs, milk, water and oil until well combined.
Slowly add the wattleseed and flour to make a spoonable batter. Adjust the texture with extra milk or flour if necessary.
Allow the mixture to rest for about half an hour to relax the flour and to soften the wattleseed grains.
Place a teaspoon (for small blinis) or generous tablespoon (for entrée or luncheon blinis) of the batter onto a lightly greased hot frying pan or solid cooking plate. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface, then carefully flip the blini over with a spatula and cook the other side.
Serve smoked salmon, creme fraiche and some sprigs of dill.

 

What do you think of Donna's wattleseed blinis?

 

Is this the dish that could win for Australia?

 

Let me know in the comments or on twitter or Facebook using #BuildingBrunches

Check in tomorrow as we meet contestant number four.

Chow Down to Eurovision Australian National Final - Contestant Two

Our second contestant in the Australian National Final for Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 comes from the United Kingdom.

If the EBU can invite guests from the other side of the world, well so can I!!

Keep Calm and Fanny On is a marvellous blog that showcases the retro culinary trailblazer Fanny Cradock.

 

Cooking through the Cradock Cookery Programme of 1970-71 there is much anticipation with the way our vegetarian guide navigates us through Fanny's meaty curriculum, usually involving mashed potato and food colour.

If you are unfamiliar with Fanny Cradock I recommend this clip of Fanny instructing us how to lubricate a dry bird....oh matron!

Keep Calm and Fanny On is a must read and just might have an advantage as Fanny Cradock had already participated in a Eurovision Food Contest....the EBU really should bring that back, could I suggest a Chow Down to Eurovision perhaps??

 


Inspired by Fanny contestant two in the running to represent Australia in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 is an amazing Tim Tam and Vegemite Soufflé

Only a Scot could produce the salty sweet delight that was right under our noses, move over salted caramel it's all about the Vegemite Tim Tam!!!

Head over to Keep Calm and Fanny On to be guided through the process of making this innovative dessert and please put your hands together for contestant number two!

What do you think of Fanny's soufflé?

Is this the dish that could win for Australia?

 

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook using #BuildingBrunches

Check in tomorrow as we meet contestant number three.

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Australian National Final Contestant One

 

 

You can all imagine how much I love a certain time of the year.....well actually you don't have to imagine because you all know I talk non stop food and Eurovision.

 

The Chow Down to Eurovision is now in it's 3rd year!

 

(I will have to pause for a moment to soak up the excitement)

 

 

As most of you would be aware  Eurovision 2015 will be the 60th contest and Australia has been given a "straight to the final" wild card entry!

 

This has been an interesting development for the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 as now Australia will have to produce a dish to be in the running for the grand prize.

 

Like the real contest I thought why not throw it open as a wild card place where other bloggers could submit a dish they think would win Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 for Australia.

 

It is something new for Don't Boil the Sauce! to have guest posts and I am beyond excited and also very grateful for how much enthusiasm people have shown to me and the project.

 

With 39 other countries in Chow Down to Eurovision 2015, I'm happy to have a rest and showcase some brilliant bloggers in this Australian National Final.

 

During this week I will post the 5 dishes that are in the running to represent Australia.

 

Voting will commence once we have seen all 5 dishes.

 

Please visit the sites of each blogger to read their full posts and show your favourites some love.

 

To date I have not yet cooked any of these recipes in the spirit of fairness and non bias, but I can not wait to try them all!!!!

 

It would be traditional to start with a fanfare, but please put your hand together as we welcome contestant number 1.

 

The first contestant has been submitted by the lovely Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, who my readers would know through the monthly In My Kitchen and my adventure with sour dough.

 

Celia was first cab off the rank to submit her savoury brunch slice that is perfect for combining all our favourite ingredients, eggs, ham, cheese, bread and basil.

 

While Celia is only a newly, almost converted Eurovision fan (my work is almost done) she has skilfully presented a dish that you could make ahead of time and provide a welcomed snack/breakfast during the 5am Eurovision broadcast in Australia.

 

Please have a read of Celia's blog to see the story behind her fantastic 80's inspired photos.

 

 

 

 

"Savoury Brunch Slice by Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Ingredients

 

one small loaf sourdough bread, or half a large one

     (about 400g total, once crusts have been removed)

200g ham, preferably off the bone, sliced and then cut into pieces

100g Australian cheddar, grated

100g marinated feta, crumbled

basil leaves

375ml (1½ cups) full cream milk

125ml (½ cup) cream

5 free range eggs

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

 

Method

1. Remove the crust from the sourdough and cut it into 1cm slices. Cut any large slices in half

 

2. Oil the base of a baking dish and layer in the bread, followed by half the ham, half the cheddar, a little of the feta and a few basil leaves 
 

3. Add another layer of bread, ham, feta and basil, then top with the rest of the bread and the remaining cheddar
 

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and paprika
 

5. Carefully ladle the eggy milk over the dry ingredients. Cover the top with a piece of clingfilm, then press down to make sure the liquid soaks into the bread. Pop into the fridge for at least two hours, but preferably overnight

6. Remove the dish from the fridge at least half an hour before baking to allow the ingredients to come to room temperature. Pour over half a cup of cream and allow to sit while the oven preheats to 175C with fan

7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until deep golden brown. Check occasionally to make sure it’s cooking evenly and rotate as required. It’s worth placing a tray on the rack below to catch any drips. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least half an hour before serving"

 

 

The voting process will be completely transparent, just like all Eurovision national finals, but I will highlight that Celia did send a tweet of her singing the Don't Boil The Sauce! theme tune so that much deserve an extra vote!

My musical baked contributions to @dbtsauce Eurovision brunch chowdown! :) pic.twitter.com/Nnb6ekhXv5

— FigJamLimeCordial (@CeliaFigJam) February 19, 2015

What do you think of Celia's Savoury Brunch Slice?

Is this the dish that could win for Australia?

 

Let me know in the comments or on twitter or facebook using #BuildingBrunches

Check in tomorrow as we meet contestant number 2.

 

In My Kitchen - March 2015

In my Kitchen this month it's about preparing for the future, sharing and a bit of luck.

 

In my kitchen...

....is the result of the annual tomato day.

 

A very small batch this year, just 20kg compared to the 100kg 2 years earlier.

 

I'm not a real "EYE-Talian" so it's just AB and I turning the press and putting the basil leaves in the bottle.

 

I would really love one year to do the huge full on tomato day with a crowd, the music playing and when we are all molto stanco (very tired) refuelling with an enormous bowl of pappardelle just glistening with the fresh tomato sugo, a touch of chilli and parmigiano. (not too much sugo though)

 

Mamma mia how many clichés could I get into one image.....

 

The sauce is really the only way I like tomatoes...yep I'm odd.

 

 In my kitchen...
....is the joys of friendships.

I was lucky enough to be given some moorish preserves, you can probably tell from the jars being almost empty before the photo was taken.

The cucumber pickles were made by Carly who I interviewed as part of the video Eurovision and Inclusion. We had a great afternoon filming which ended with a dinner of slow cooked lamb neck and chickpeas, with condiments brought by the guests! (that's really how you do it)

Carly's fiancé Adam made a hot and flavoursome chilli sauce and her mum made the fig jam and chilli jam...only a tiny bit left. I love that though we have never met Jeanette and I have exchanged fruitcake, pickles, jam and actually I better think of something to make next.......

 

In my kitchen...

....is a loaf of bread I made as an extra/prop to go with an upcoming post about a mystery ingredient.

 

I just wanted a quick slice of crusty bread as the base and didn't want to wait the time for a sourdough loaf.

 

As I put it in the oven I did a "half arsed" slash and am so annoyed by the result as it looks better than any sour dough loaf I have managed!!!!!!

I will keep practicing...

 

 
In my kitchen...
...is the spoils of a trivia night win!!

Who knew staying in school could lead to the reward of gin!

The Melbourne Gin Company gin is a match made in my kitchen for some Sinkonah tonic syrup, which has a much deeper flavour than premix tonic water. (hence the half empty bottle, yum)
On my to do list is try the syrup in an ice cream mix for a G&T icecream.

*not sponsored, I purchased or won the items with my team's cleverness 

In My Kitchen....
....is a lantern inspired by Celia's Chinese New Year post, I'd had some envelopes left over from last year....so once I grabbed some more it set to following the instructions.

 So easy even I managed it in about 10 minutes, the bonus is if you happen to hang it up side down just say you're from Hong Kong where they apparently hang the characters upside down to signify arrival.

I was told this on twitter by someone living in Hong Kong so I'm taking it as fact.

In my kitchen....

.....is the excitement of sharing the Chow Down to Eurovision with some wonderful bloggers.

 

Starting this week I will showcase 5 dishes that could represent Australia in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 as submitted by guest bloggers.

 

Stay tuned as you will have the chance to vote for your favourite dish and decide the winner!

 

What dish do you think should represent Australia?

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

What is in your kitchen this month?

Eurovision and Inclusion: A party for everybody!

Much like the wide array of different cuisines in the Chow Down to Eurovision, the song contest is a platform for many diverse artists of varying ages, genders, appearance and abilities.

In this episode I chat with appearance activist  Carly Findlay from Tune into Radio Carly about Conchita Wurst and the participation of Pertti Kurikan Nimipaivat / PKN in the Finnish national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.



 After chatting with Carly in my spare room in Melbourne about PKN I had the honour to met the band in Vienna.

Eurovision 2015 really was a very inclusive contest for people with disabilities representing three countries, PKN for Finland, Monika Kuszynska for Poland and Bianca Nicholas for the United Kingdom.

Though the contest was celebrating it's 60th anniversary this year saw the first participation of a wheelchair user and people with intellectual disabilities. 

Given the percentage of people in our communities that identify with having a disability this isn't a great statics though i'm sure it's not going to take another 60 years and this time there might even be a ramp.

While in Vienna I met Nikke Allen (author of Somewhere in Europe) and discussed the impact that Monika Kuszyńska the first wheelchair user to represent a nation has on Eurovision.

Review of Somewhere in Europe by Nikke Allen

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen please put your hands together for the launch of Chow Down to Eurovision 2015!!!!

Do you want to represent Australia at the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015?

Entry requirements

• A short post about you, Eurovision, the dish and why it should represent Australia in Chow Down to Eurovision 2015
• A written recipe
• 2 photos of the dish in the style of Eurovision, flags, mirror balls, a wind machine (ok maybe not a wind machine)
• If selected to take part in the national final the week of the 1/3/15, the post should be published on both our blogs with links.
• The readers of Don't boil the sauce! will vote for the dish they want to represent Australia.
• There is no payment or prize on offer except the benefits of joint guest posting and the chance  to represent Australia!
• Entries close 27/2/15
• Send your entries to dontboilthesauce@gmail.com