The Eurovision 2016 final is only a few hours away and increasing thoughts of will it be Australia, Russia, France, Bulgaria, Austria or Cyprus that we will all be meeting at next year.
2013
2014....on fire
The Eurovision logo cake is a bit of a Chow Down to Eurovision highlight and this year is no exception.
I have made a cinnamon cake as an homage to Swedish buns and then decorated with a basic icing and a whole heap of fondant and metallic food paints.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Eurovision and my all our favourites wins!!
Cinnamon Come Together Cake Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup sunflower oil
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
Method
In a mixing bowl add the eggs and sugar
Beat with an electric beater till fluffy, paler and thicker about 2 minutes
Add the milk, oil, cinnamon, flour, and baking powder.
Beat till smooth, don't over beat
Grease a 16.5cm dome cake tin
Pour batter into tin
Bake in a 170°C oven for about 50 minutes
The cake will be cooked when a skewer comes out clean
Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack
With the incredible performance of Dami Im last night in Semi Final 2 it makes perfect sense to have an Australian focus on the Chow Down to Eurovision....Breakfast! Apart from crazed screaming it is difficult to put into words the feeling of being in the Globen arena and witnessing the response to Dami's performance. People jumped to their feet applauding in the biggest reaction of any song for the night. I could not be prouder of Dami representing our country to show the amazing talent and diversity that makes us a great and potential Eurovision winning nation? (I know better not put the mockers on it)
So for everyone back in Australia getting up at 5am to cheer Dami on you are going to need a good hearty breakfast......which would also work in Stockholm after leaving Euroclub in time for breakfast! (yet to find a kebab van)
I have kept the Eurovision flavour drawing from Spain with a simple hot breakfast you can just pop in the oven. You can make the sauce ahead and just put it together at 4.30am so its ready for when the Eurovision theme tune rings out at 5am!
Spanish baked eggs
Ingredients
1 large brown onion diced
4 large roma tomatoes chopped
1 red capsicum de-seeded and chopped
Olive oil
4-5 large potatoes cooked
1 large red onion
2 chorizo
100g pancetta
4 tomatoes
3 red capsicums
6 eggs
Chilli optional
Method
Sauce: Add a large splash of olive oil to a heavy based saucepan
On a very low heat add diced onions and simmer for about five minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes and capsicum and simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes
Blend
Roughly chop the cooked potatoes
Slice the chorizo and pancetta
Roughly chop red onion, capsicums and tomatoes
In a large pan add more olive oil
Lightly fry chorizo, pancetta and red onion
Add potato, tomato and capsicum
Add sauce and stir to combine
Make indents with the back of ladle and crack in the eggs
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes (15 if you like a runny egg)
You can add more eggs if required....just squeeze them in
Top with some sliced chilli to give you that extra wake up call
Some previous Chow Down to Eurovision breakfast dishes:
Its a very special day in Stockholm with the first on stage rehearsal for Australia in Eurovision 2016. Dami Im has been sensational at the live performances I've seen, so I can't wait to see what she has in store the Eurovision stage.
SBS and the #DamiArmy have been asking Australia to answer the call but you know when Julia Zemiro declares they are going to need more catering it's my cue to get on board.
The Chow Down to Eurovision has featured many dishes inspired by Eurovision songs but the only other dish created specifically for a single performer is the Conchita's Phoenix Linzer Torte and well we all know what happened to Conchita....#JustSaying
The security guards at EuroClub have told me how much they love the new Carpenters album, so let's hope that translates into votes!
This outfit is the "going to the ball puffy dress" version of the dress Dami wore in the tv commercial.
With Eurovision rules you can only have 6 people on stage......how many if they are made of cake?
After 11 shops this was the only doll I found that wasn't blonde!
Should have gone to ebay as they had a great diversity of dolls.
The base of the cake is a dense chocolate cake and then there is a whole army, or should I say DamiArmy, of fondant!
Wishing Dami Im the best time in Eurovision 2016. We are all behind you!
For the ultimate in Eurovision party food, which contestant from this year would you most like to have as a cake?
Good Evening Europe and Good Morning Australia,
it is with immense pleasure that I kick off Chow Down to Eurovision 2016 Come To Eat live from Stockholm.
With 2016 being the year of format changes for Eurovision, the Chow Down to Eurovision (never one to miss a party) will also have a couple of format changes.
This year instead of presenting a dish for every country there will be three main elements to this year's Chow Down to Eurovision.
Come To Eat where I will try the local delicacies Stockholm has to offer
Selected dishes to assist with Eurovision food and party ideas from an Australian perspective
I've got a cake to bake, when Eurovision and cake collide
Don't forget you can follow my adventures in Stockholm on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram via #MrSauceatESC
In episode One in The Chow Down to Eurovision 2016 Come to Eat food adventure I try Kex Choklad (even though I call it Chokolade)
Good Evening Europe, this is Melbourne airport calling....
Now we have finally arrived at the ultimate country in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 #Building Brunches!......I know it's only taken a year...I have been a tad busy!
So as I write this from the lounge, waiting to board my flight to Stockholm and Eurovision 2016 #MrSauceatESC (official hashtag) I will not get on the plane until this is finished.
I hear them calling me...they keep calling, cal-al-al-ing! (see what I did there)
This potato salad to accompany wiener schnitzel would be the most authentic and researched dish in Chow Down to Eurovision. Following a market tour of Vienna Naschmarkt this dish was created on location in Vienna, in an apartment walking distance from the stadhallen....it couldn't have soaked up more essence of Eurovision if Conchita had peeled the potatoes herself!
Potato Salad with Wiener Schnitzel
Ingredients
3 potatoes
1 white onion
1-2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil (or pumpkin seed)
Method
Boil potatoes
Roughly slice/dice potatoes
Slice onion
Combine potato and onion and dress with vinegar and oil
Season with salt and white pepper
Now while the dish was well researched it was thrown together on my last night in Vienna!
Some readers may be shocked to know I didn't bake the bread for the crumb on the schnitzel....though in actual fact I didn't make the schnitzel at all....in actual fact I didn't even buy the schnitzel as AB did go down to the take away under the apartment and bought the schnitzel while I made the potato salad! Bless him!
Far from the comfort of Don't Boil The Sauce! HQ there is always a way to get the job done.
The Makemakes along with Ann Sophie scored 0 points in Vienna which is outragous for a host country, so with 2016 being the year to change the voting systems I have declared Austria and Germany the winners of Chow Down to Eurovision 2015!
Bonsoir Europa this is Paris calling for the next installment of our Eurovision food tour....does anyone have a breath mint?
France's entry is a dish that I have wanted to do since the birth of the Chow Down to Eurovision, forty clove garlic chicken because I am garlic obsessed.
I could go on and on about my love of garlic but as this is the second last country I think it's best to....what is French for "just get on with it"?
Forty Clove Garlic Chicken with Creamy Garlic Sauce Ingredients
40 cloves of garlic (skin on)
1kg chicken thighs
1kg chicken legs
.5kg chicken wings
30mls olive oil
30g lard
1 large carrot
1 leek
2 stalks celery with leaves
Sprigs of parsley
Sprigs a thyme
Sprigs of tarragon
250ml white wine
80ml cream
Method
Cut the carrots into small batons (or just chop)
Roughly chop leek and celery
Add carrots, leek and celery to a large baking dish (one with a lid)
Add a handful of garlic cloves
Chop a couple of sprigs of herbs and add to vegetables
In a deep frypan heat the oil and lard and brown the chicken in batches (be careful this is a spitter)
Arrange the chicken in the baking dish and cover with remaining garlic
Add a few more sprigs of herbs
Pour the wine into the frypan and then pour over the chicken
Bake at 180 °C for 1 hour with the lid on
After 1 hour bake a further 15 minutes at 200°C lid off
Remove chicken and most of the garlic and vegetables from the baking tray onto a serving plate
Pass the liquid and any remaining garlic or vegetable through a sieve into a medium saucepan
Skim some of the fat off the top
Bring to the boil and whisk through 1-2 tablespoons of flour
When thickened add 1/3 cup thick cream
Pass the sauce through a sieve for an extra smooth sauce
Serve with extra sauce, roasted garlic and a crunchy baguette
A delicious base
Browned and ready to go in the oven
Golden and juicy the way chicken should be!
Who doesn't love a glistening thigh?
Lisa Angell delivered an incredible performance for France with one of best uses of video wall the contest has every seen! Yes I heard the people sing and I was ready to raise my banner high, unbelievably France scored just 3 points and come 25th!
I'm not sure what the voters were watching but I don't think it was this??
