The Bookery Cook

MOVED

2010-06-21T21:11:00.003+10:00

The Bookery Cook blog can now be found at http://thebookerycook.wordpress.com/

Bookery gets highbrow

2010-04-22T18:31:00.032+10:00

A little while back, we had some peeps over for a dinner of homemade pasta with puttanesca, fig, goats cheese & rocket salad, and rosemary and sea salt foccacias. Afterward, we decided to hand our wined and dined guests some pens and paper so they could interpret their dining experience through blind contour. How avant garde.

These are some of the results:

better than sex

salad bowl

burnt pasta

izak

whore's pasta

megs draw

sean

a whole banana

beer candle

wine wobble

table romance

Next up? Interpretive dance based on our dining experience? The meal interpreted through abstract beats or free verse poetry? Re-writing the recipes in iambic pentameter? A mural using the leftovers?

Yabby You

2010-04-17T14:05:00.036+10:00

Over the Easter weekend, we heard the call of the land, and the call of family friends' combined 18t/21st/100th anniversary of their property, so took a 5 hour drive west to Moonie (about 350km west of Brisbane, Qld, Australia)

Admiring a cotton farm on the way.. so soft!

A sunburnt country

A summary of the party: dancing, champagne, sleeping in the back of trucks, and convincing cowboys to eat bugs!

One of our fondest memories from when we were little visiting the property was being knee deep in mud catching yabbies. Word got out that we had a our heart sets on yabbing and luck was on our side a) they were 'biting' (yabby season) and b) the farmer (Don) had shot a roo the week before especially to use as yabby bait.

We slip slop slapped and headed down to the dam to try us some dinner!

surely there must be some in there?

we found a little green friend!

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to go 'yabbying' they are caught by tying a cube of meat to a string about 30cm long and the string to the stick. You 'cast' it out and then poke the stick into the mud and watch and wait for it to move.... much the same principle as fishing. The yabbies crawl/swim up to the bait and nibble on it with their big claws. Once they bite you can choose several of many techniques:

The 'slow pull up' method is neat and very precise. It involves slowly and gently pull the meat+the yabby out of the water making sure the yabby is still attached and then pop it straight in to the bucket
The 'launch as squeal' method... pull the meat+ yabby out of the water with the string and flick it behind you and squeal and giggle while you try and pick it up before it scrambles back into the water
The 'flick and catch' method, this has high risk of getting bitten, so a higher adrenaline factor. When the yabby is biting the meat, you sneak up behind it and flick it out of the water with your hand. Once it been flicked on shore, you grab it right behind it head, out of harm's way of the claws!
The 'become the yabby' method. One fellow yabbier, an outdoors veteran and general thinker, analysed what he would do as a yabby, where he would love, how far he would swim and how much meat he would like to eat. Post analysis he threw a line in and left it for about half an hour. Although his method didn't pull in the biggest numbers he caught the BIGGEST yabby we had even seen, affectionately named 'Big Blue'.

yes!

casting a line in

big blue

sneaking up on them

yes!

the flick and catch technique in action

With a bag full of yabbies to take back to the city, it was time to scrub up for the Moonie Valley Races.

Spot The Bookery Cook candidate and friend... hint: ball gowns, flashy headwear and rum cans (conveniently hidden behind speakers)

Back in the big smoke, we had a party to attend ('religious icon' theme), so decided to line our bellies with some yabby paella!

the catch

not bad eh?

YABBY PAELLA RECIPE

This was Bookery’s first attempt at cooking paella, and a risky venture with 15 beer hungry fuelled mouths to feed! Thankfully we had a paella veteran along side and the big wise man passed on 3 key facts about making a delicious paella…

1) Be careful not to add too many ingredients; paella is all about the rice and the ingredients are there simply to flavour it.

2) Do not stir - I repeat - do not stir paella. It must have a dark crust on the bottom to impart that slightly smoky, deep flavour.

3) The resting time at the end is crucial so the flavours can marry. A well-rested paella always tastes much better than one hot from the stove.

Ingredients
(Serves 6)

You can use whatever seafood you have on hand, fish mussels, prawns, yabbies, whatever tickles your aquatic taste buds!

tbsp olive oil
1 catch of yabbies large prawns
250g calamari cleaned and cut into rings
Salt and pepper

For the Sofrito

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
1/2 cup water

For the Paella

1/4 tsp saffron
2 tbsp warm water
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 litre water
1/3 cup peas
400g rice
150g white fish, cut into large pieces
handful of scallops
12 mussels, cleaned
2 lemons, in wedges
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

- Heat the paella pan. Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, scallops and calamari.
- Cook for a few minutes until brown all over and season with salt and a little pepper.
- Remove to a bowl.

For the sofrito
(This should all take about 45 mins and can be done ahead of time)
- Add the rest of the oil to the same pan and, when hot, add the onion.
- Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and golden (yum)
- Add the garlic, cook for about 7-8 minutes until lightly coloured and softened.
- To the golden onion + garlic mixture, add the tomatoes, season liberally with salt and pepper and cook slowly until the sofrito has reduced and there is no liquid left.
- Add about 1/2 cup of water and continue to cook until the liquid has again reduced.
- The sofrito should have a delicious rich concentrated flavour and pulpy consistency.

For the paella

- While the sofrito is cooking, gently heat the saffron in a small pan for a few minutes, until it changes colour and becomes fragrant… be super careful here as it burns easily!
- Remove from the heat, crush with the back of a spoon and add to 2 tbsp warm water.
- Add the scallops, calamari and paprika to the finished sofrito and cook, stirring for a few minutes, then add the water and bring to the boil. This is a good point to have a taste and see if it needs more salt (seafood, rice and tomatoes can’t ever have too much salt really!)

- Add the saffron, peas and the rice and bring to the boil. Stir briefly then turn heat to low.
- Place the pieces of fish and mussels over the rice and poke them in a little so they can cook.
- Layer the yabbies neatly in a circular pattern over the rice (they’ll get cooked via steaming)
- DO NOT STIR! As hard as it is and as much as you want to, it’s not risotto so do not stir!!!
- Remove from the heat and cover with a tea-towel for 10 mins, then remove the tea-towel and allow to rest for another 5-10 mins before serving.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve directly from the pan with some crusty bread and a glass of wine. YUM!

pre-party paella

Fortunately, there was enough so that when we stumbled in drunk during witching hour we feasted and so felt fresh as a daisy the next morning!

Melbourne times foods and wines

2010-04-10T10:31:00.044+10:00

In March one portion of the Bookery Cook cook took a trip to enjoy the cultural and culinary delights of Melbourne, and check out the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Unfortunately the budget didn't cover any of the fancy dinners or cooking classes, but it did cover a few things:

Feast of Argentina Gina Catalina at La Mama Theatre, Carlton

This the adaptation of a one-woman play to include the audience being fed prior to going into the show (in leafy floral paved courtyard) and during the 5 intervals.

"La Mama's new extended forecourt is transformed into a cantina, and as Argentina retells magical realist narratives of her life, the audience feasts on such delights as stuffed olives, jamon, seafood, chocolates and organic ice-cream. Throw in half a litre of sangria, white wine and tequila shots." (SMH review)

Vic market edibles
The Vic markets are always brimming with treats of the edible variety (as well as socks, leather goods and plenty of Fubu wares).

If you are visiting Melbourne and planning to cook your gracious hosts a meal, if you are planning a picnic or simply want to eat bountiful amounts of marinated, pickled, ash-rolled, cured, stuffed, olive-oil laden, salty, chewy, gooey, creamy treats, Vic markets is worth a visit.

Some of the offerings:

The plan was to take the fare to the park, but due to our blatant lack of foresight our perishables were stored in art the gallery, filling the VGA cloakroom with acrid blue cheese wafts whilst we took our time browsing Ron Mueck sculptures and pondering life as a giant or a 2 ft high individual.

Movie picnic
This lack of organisation did turn out for the best as we took to opportunity to eat our picnic while we took part in some afternoon activities of the Food and Wine Festival. In Federation Square there were daily chef demos followed by movie showings (eg. Mostly Martha - the German version NOT the American 'reinterpretation').

delicious spread

delicious morsel

This particular day the film showing was 'Black Gold', a documentary on the coffee trade and the gross ripping off by MNCs of farmers in 3rd-world countries (surprise surprise). Coffee is the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil, yet the growers live destitute and starving lives. The film is shocking and shockingly important, making you wonder how many aspects of our daily life are cheating millions of others from leading a normal life, when normal may simply be having enough money to eat and have a community school. Needless to say Starbucks and several other coffee moguls declined invitation for interview for the film. It was refreshing that something like this was being shown to the masses at a typically middle-upper class affair in a wealthy Western nation.

Preceding the documentary was an underwhelming chef demo for a dessert involving penne stuffed with sweeted mascarpone and topped with pineapple chunks, ground coffee beans that had been snap-frozen, dressed with willow water, rosemary leaves and heaps of other little, fiddly, slightly pretentious additions.

Sugardough
Next notable edible moment was a serendipitous train ride in the wrong direction, where we stumbled off at, we stumbled upon a cute bakery that also offered some cafe fare, where we enjoyed good coffee, leaf/pot chai tea, bomboloni (Italian cream-filled donuts) and toasted ciabattas filled with assortments like artichokes, spinach, grilled capsicum and gruyere, or bacon and eggs :)

In case you think the Bomboloni looks familiar but you don't remember it by that name, chances are it is.

* In Argentina, they're called Berlinesas (Spanish for "Berliner") or "Bolas de Fraile" (Monk's Balls)
* Brazil, it's called Sonho - Portuguese for "dream"
* Canada, Blak's Bakey in Windsor, Ontario have been making Paczki since 1918. Nana's Bakery in Windsor Ontario
has a low fat version called the Loczki
* Chile, it's called berlín - Spanish for "berliner"
* German and Danish, they are called Berliner
* In Austria and Bavaria they are called Krapfen.
* Hungary, it is called fánk.
* Iran, they are called "Pi-rash-ki" and are very popular, especially among children
* Lithuanian cuisine, they're called spurgos.
* Mexico, it's called Bola de Berlín - Spanish for "Berlin ball"
* Netherlands, they are called Berliner bollen; similar to Oliebollen
* Poland they are pączki
* In Portuguese tradition, a similar confection called the malasada is made during Fat Tuesday. In Hawaii, where Portuguese immigrants worked the sugarcane and pineapple plantations, malasadas are a popular breakfast or dessert item that can be purchased at countless malasada bakeries
* Romania, they are called gogoşi and are a very popular snack, especially during the summer
* Russian cuisine, the word "pączki" transformed phonetically into ponchiki (Russian: пончики, plural form of пончик, ponchik) or pyshki (Russian: пышки, especially in St. Petersburg). Ponchiki are a very popular sweet doughnut, with many fast and simple recipes available in Russian cookbooks for making them at home as a breakfast or coffee pastry
* Slovenia, they are known as krofi
* Ukrainian cuisine, they are called пампушки, pampushky

(thanks answers.com)

(Photo courtesy Breakfast Out)

Feasting Vignettes

"In 2010, Feasting Vignettes explored the concept of mindful eating: understanding where your food comes from, food sustainability and the challenges of growing produce in an urban environment through a series of edible installation scattered throughout the city at key locations including State Library, Docklands and the steps of Parliament House on Spring Street."

(F&W Festival website)

This was the Vignette at the State Library. Quite impressive!

Breakfast at Trotters, Lygon st
The last breakfast out was at Trotters - 2pm and staving again (and a little hungover after a late night out at an Underground Cinema event), we stopped at the first place we came to, which was fortuitous (breakfast till 3pm).

We dined on: Big breakfast (eggs as you like them, bacon, hash brown, sausage and toast) ($16.80), and ricotta cakes with smoked salmon, poached eggs and wilted spinach ($14.50).

Lunch at Birdman Eating, Gertrude St

(Photo courtesy Breakfast Out)

The last day was on Brunswick st, making last minute rash purchases while we could still write things off as 'being on holiday', and culminated in a late lunch at Birdman Eating. This delictable joint lies next to the well-known Northside Records, where we had enjoyed banter with the staff, bought a Rick James record with an insert featuring the man himself in some alarmingly tight pants).

Though renowned for their assortment of baked eggs served in cast iron skillets, available on the daily specials board (eg. kasoundi & labne or tomato sugo & pancetta), it was mid-afternoon and we had managed to have breakfast before midday, so were ready for something more lunch-like, and opted for a warm calamari, kifpler, chorizo and lemon salad ($18.50) and cheese kransky with cheesy polenta and poached egg ($18).

(Photo courtesy Breakfast Out)

If only this had been our ride home.

Summer nibbles and sips

2010-04-01T08:37:00.000+10:00

A glimpse of other summer highlights...

Watermelon and feta salad

This salad is really good with Greek dishes such as lamb kebabs or koftas, or sometimes we have it with felafel for some freshness and colour. It is also a good BBQ/ picnic number. The basil can be substituted with mint, and a little lemon or lime can be added to the dressing for a citrus tang.

750g watermelon (deseeded or seed-free), cut into chunks or cubes (depending on your aesthetic preference)
200g Hard feta, cut into small cubes
Handful of basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/3 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp red vinegar
Black pepper

Combine watermelon, feta, basil, olives and onion in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, combine oil, vinegar and pepper and mix well. Dress the salad JUST before you serve. 2009 was a ...year with bountiful dinner parties and tasty escapades and 2010 should be no different.

Lamb and plum tagine (recipe can be found in The Bookery Cook cookbook or on request) which broke our almost-brand-new Emile Henry tagine in the process. "The Emile Henry Tagine in the Flame line is stovetop safe, oven safe and more..."

Evidently not! However, we were able to continue on using a large saucepan with no (apparent) compromise in flavour. The tagine was served with carrot and radish salad (also in The Bookery Cook), roast pumpkin some green leaves to lighten things up (considering it was in the high twenties when we were indulging).

A real tarte tatin made by a real French person!

A Sunday morning banquet. Orange juice was offered, but when an ice-cold bottle of champagne was sighted in the fridge, we thought it would be rude to just leave it there... why have orange juice when you can have orange juice + champagne?? On the platter...grilled haloumi, grilled eggplant, beetroot dip, avocado, grilled mushrooms, proscuitto, and other pickled and sundried goodness. Oh, and fruit. This is one of those times you wish for a never ending stomach.

Monteiths Crushed Apple Cider - the best cider in the Southern hemisphere (we will fight you on it). Rumour has it that this is due to the apple varieties in New Zealand (where Monteiths hails from) being similar to English cider apple varieties...

Ice ice baby. Thirsty?

Celebratory Pimms, the perfect summer bevoise

An Appleton Daiquiri from The Lark, Paddington, Brisbane - Appleton Estate VX Jamaican Rum, Sugar and Lime Juice.

Meatball Mayhem

2010-03-23T20:26:00.006+10:00

Friday night we youngsters gathered at our parents house, time to trial a BC number: Meatballs of the World. We did have a little mix up during the process - a few of them actually - which resulted in named plates (which, if you decide to do these all at once we would highly recommend doing at the beginning). Nothing to do with the wine consumption...

On the menu?

Italian, Greek and Moroccan meatballs in tomato sauce with risoni, green olive tapenade and fennel and lettuce salad with preserved lemon dressing.

Here is the recipe for the Moroccan meatballs... a sweet spin on the meatball with which most of us are familiar

Moroccan meatballs
1 onion, grated
500g mince
1 tsp garlic
¾ tsp Fennel seeds
¾ tsp Cinnamon
¾ tsp Cumin
1 egg
3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Cover breadcrumbs in water and leave to soak for 5 minutes to become soft, then squeeze all the moisture out.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (hands are best). Roll them into pleasing-sized balls ready for frying. Heat oil in a large frypan and fry balls over a medium-high heat to brown, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Do not wash the pan! You will make the

For the sauce
11/2 tblsp butter
1 onion, cut in half
2 tins of tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tblsp honey

3/4 cup risoni

1/3 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Combine butter, onion, tomato, salt, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to boil. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes (depending on how much time you have). Add the honey and stir to combine, then the risoni and meatballs and simmer for another 10 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and risoni is tender. Stir through the coriander and serve.

Rolled and ready to go

Meatballs frying

Fennel salad and gin and lime tart making

Green olive and oregano tapenade

Gin and lime tart with stewed figs and coconut yoghurt

Gin and Lime Tart by Gourmet Traveller
Coconut Yoghurt in The Bookery Cook, book

Stewed figs

½ tsp peppercorns
1 Bay leaf
200g Sugar
200mL water
1 cinnamon stick
2 orange rinds
4 cloves
400g figs, quartered

Combine peppercorns, bay leaf, sugar, water, cinnamon, orange rinds and cloves in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to a medium heat and boil for about 10 minutes. Add figs and turn heat down to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until figs are nice and soft and drunken.

Whisking cream mixture into egg, sugar, gin and lime juice mixture

Outsourcing the rolling of the sweet pastry base

Stewing figs

Mmmmm

Food coma!

Next up .. Spanish meatballs ? Swedish? Polish? Japaneses (with wagyu beef, sesame seeds and wasabi mayo.. perhaps some seaweed and served with udon)?

Summer loving

2010-02-01T11:01:00.011+10:00

2009 came to a close for The Bookery Cook in various parts of the world. 1/3 in former home and stomping ground Bristol, 2/3 eating brushcetta, rice paper rolls, caramelised onion tart, sipping champagne and many other treats that come with a bring-a-plate all-female NYE dinner party back at base camp in Australia. Treats contributed by BC included a caramelised onion tart, watermelon and feta salad, and dips (beetroot, pumpkin and sundried tomato hummous).

Christmas was a casual affair for The Bookery Cook after a big year and mammoth Christmas last year. A modest Christmas Eve party had guests dining on honey-mustard dressed baked ham, whole baked salmon, lentil and grilled capsicum salad and rice salad and reindeer cupcakes.

Christmas Day involved 3 cheese platters (3x cheese platters, not a cheese platter with 3x cheeses - this means cumulatively a LOT of cheese), and consummating in Christmas dinner finally at about 8pm that night... mostly leftovers, bar the addition of a Gourmet Traveller Rocket, parmesan and olive salad with pancetta crumbs, but we replaced green olives with artichokes. (As olive supplies were depleted post-platters).

Platter 1/3

Santa policing his loot

The cocktail fairies

The perfect gift

heheheheee hehe

OZ Day

2010-01-29T08:39:00.003+10:00

Apparently Australia Day = Meat Day

So who we were to argue. We did our part and made a couple of cracking pies - a lamb and wine and a beef and wine.

Classic meat pie

700g chuck steak
4 tbslp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic
50g butter
2 tblsp flour
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
250ml red wine
250mL beef stock
1 x tin tomatoes
1 sprig rosemary
1 piece orange rind
1 bay leaf
Puff pastry

Cube beef. Heat heavy pan with 2 tblsp oil, fry until brown, season. Heat remaining oil cook onion and garlic, season. Add butter and flour, cook few minues. Add beef red wine rosemary, orange, bay leaf and remaining liquid. Stew on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ hours.

Heat oven to 180ºc. Line a pie dish with pastry and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes to brown it up (to avoid a sloppy pie base). Fill with stewed meat and top with more pastry. Pop in the oven and bake for around 25 minutes, or until the pie is golden.

Beach food

2010-01-23T16:43:00.029+10:00

After a night out boozing and dancing to Quantic at The Step Inn and getting home at 3am, there are not many things that will get you out of bed at 6am. Double Island Point is one of them.

Catching a fresh feed (including a baby stingray which was the cutest thing ever, which we naturally returned immediately to it's big watery home)

It is much much steeper and longer than it looks, and the sand is much much hotter than you imagine

Home at the end of the day to for a big feed of pizzas...

The menu

Roast pumpkin, feta and pine nut pizza

Caramelising onions

Caramelised onion, goats cheese and rocket pizza

And for lunch the next day, the fresh catch!

Whiting - patted dry, dusted in flour and shallow fried

Finger limes from the garden

Oven-baked chips, salt and pepper calamari with finger limes, Greek salad, freshly caught fishes and a tartar sauce interpretation (Mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper).

Whilst 2/3 parts Bookery Cook were up the beach in Queensland, 1/3 was enjoying the seaside breezes, takeaway Thai tofu and noodle broth, and a tallie of beer at Manly Beach, Sydney...

The Bookery Eats Sydney

2009-12-03T12:54:00.013+10:00

A few weeks ago entailed a trip to Sydney to watch Bookery Cook favourite DubleE play at a rave underneath the M4. Other than a good dance, it was also the perfect excuse to dine out every meal for ‘research purposes’. Please note that there isn’t three meals every day, as some days sleep took the place of regular meal times and on other days it was champagne. Truth be told, it was not just serendipity that lead us to delicious haunts, but a good few days researching and asking people for advice as to where to eat. Enjoy!

Thursday:
Plane (virgin blue): glass of champagne (x 2) $15.00

BREAKFAST: Fifi Foreaux- 428 Crown St.

drink: 1 flat white, 1 long black: served with jazzles! - $3.00
eat: vege breakfast: fresh bocconchini, watercress and guacamole with lemon honey dressing on big chunk white bread - $12.50
smoked salmon Benedict with hollandaise on big chunk white bread- $12.50
Total: $32.00

Vege Breakfast

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Verdict: Delicious breakfast, just what was needed post 6.30am champagne and 4 hours sleep.
Staff were nice; however not overly friendly and welcoming and were a little bit pushy. The overall vibe of the place was not so great as it wasn’t very homely or easy to relax, but the food made up for it.

LUNCH: 1.45pm: Glemore Hotel- the rocks

drink: jug of coopers- $15.50
eat: salt ‘n’ pepper squid- $12.00
Total: $17.50

Empty bowl (of squid) It was demolished before a photo chance!

Verdict: Squid was delicious, beer was cold and the view from the roof was amazing. Staff really friendly and just a great old pub.
visit: http://www.glenmorerooftophotel.com.au/1_home/

DINNER (attempt 1): Pub on Riley St (had one too many gins to remember its name, but it was on the corner)
Drink: lots of gin
eat: forgot to eat, but everyone else around us was eating and it looked d.e.l.i.ci.o.u.s! Definitely keen to try next time.

DINNER (attempt 2): 10.40pm LOW 302 on Crown St

With it nearing 11pm and us with a gin-fuelled hunger we were happy to find a decent looking restaurant/bar that was still serving food and at a reasonable price.
eat: antipasto platter- $11
zucchini flowers: $14
wagu beef balls- $12
drink: bottle of horrible shiraz- $35
Total: $72

Verdict: Thankfully we asked to taste the wine before the waitress had poured a glass and it was terrible… it tasted worse than goon. She was nice enough about it and offered for us to try a different wine that might have been more suited to our taste, alas, it was equally as bad. Based on the standard of the wine, we made the assumption that the food too may be over priced and under flavoured; It seemed that the staff (and probably the chefs) were too busy worrying about how they looked to be bothered about the food, so we upped and left. It is unlikely the waitress noticed as she was so trashed anyway she probably thought we were a figure of her imagination.
visit: http://www.low302.com.au/

Friday
LUNCH: Noontide: Danks Street Depot
eat: zucchini fritters with smoked salmon- $19.00
special: pork sausages with eggplant, mint and shallot dressing- $16.00
drink: Bloodwood reisling (orange NSW)- $45
Total: $70.00

pork sausages

zucchini fritters

Verdict: The food was amazing, really delicious and really tasty without being too much. It was a really lovely building too, and attached to a gallery that houses several different mini galleries and studios, which were lovely to wander through on a full belly and a few glasses of wine. The wait staff were very professional, friendly and not pushy or too attentive. Will be back!
Visit: http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/

SNACK: 3.30pm: Lemon on Crown St

drink: 1 flat white, 1 long black- $6.00
Verdict: A nice place to stop for an afternoon coffee and do a spot of people watching. A cute touch was the slice of lemon in the water and ‘yellow brick road’ style tiles. Menu looked pretty average, salads and sandwiches and prices that ranged from $7-$20. Staff was friendly though and the place had a good vibe.

SNACK: 5.00pm: The Dolphin on Crown St
drink: 2 schooners of James Squire- $12.40 (for two)
Verdict: Had an ok beer garden, no pints though and it was pretty soulless!

Dinner: Thai take-way pre rave from a Thai Place in five dock, a meal probably best forgotten!

Duble E in action at GROUNDED rave!

Saturday
BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER: The Rose Hotel, Cleveland and Shepherd Sts, Chippendale

Saturday was a bit of a slow start, we didn’t wake up until 1pm (post rave). Upon waking we decided the best and only thing to heal us would be a pub lunch. We arrived at the pub at 3pm, food didn’t start till 6pm…but the $6 pint of tiger/ Monteith’s golden larger, the sunny beer garden and delicious NZ brand Monteith’s cider kept us entertained until food started.

Drink (each): 1 pint monteegs golden ale, 2 pints NZ cider, 1 pint tiger - $48
Eat: Anti-platter - $16.90, bowl of chips-$5.50
Total: $70.40

Verdict: Good amount of food, nothing ran out too quickly before another thing (no breads but lots of dips, or lots of bread and no cold meat) great sized bowl of chips too.
Visit: http://www.therosehotel.com.au/

Sunday
Newtown Festival: really lovely, weathered cleared up and great for a Sunday afternoon beers!
We forgot to remember that Newtown Festival is not BYO, so had to smuggle our beverages in our bags; however the batting of some eyelashes at the bouncers proved a successful decoy.

Drink: 1 bottle of champagne, 1 six pack of James IPA
Eat: ………

As crazy hungry lady started to take over, we walked to a near by pub which was serving up a Sunday BBQ; the perfect way to tie us over until dinner.

SNACK: The Courthouse, 202 Australia St, Newtown
Eat: ‘gourmet hot dog’ - $5
Drink: 1 pint of bulmers cider, 1 pint amber ale- $6 each
Verdict: The pub was absolutely rammed with people from Newtown festival, so it was hard to get an overall vibe/ feel of the place, although it looked like a lovely pub and apparently the food is delicious too.

DINNER: Phamish, 354 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst
Drink: 2 bottes of red (byo)
Eat: Soft Shell Crab - $18.00
Chilli and Kaffier Lime Prawns - $16.00
1 serve jasmine rice with dried shallots- $2

Chilli+ kaffier lime prawns

Soft shell crab (my favourite!)

Verdict: YUM YUM and more YUM. Food was so very tasty and bountiful! Just what the doctor ordered after all day drinking in the sun and minimal food… I’ll be ba-ack!

Monday
Home time!
Eat: Bowl of cereal and cup of tea at the house we were staying at- $0

Wish List/Places of Note
Strangers with Candy: 96 Kepos St (cnr Philip St) East Redfurn.

This place looked amazing and had been read about before venturing to Sydney. We went to stop in for a coffee post lunch at Danks St Depot but it only does dinner. Looking forward to my next trip down to visit.
Visit: http://www.strangerswithcandy.com.au/index.htm

Assiette- 48 Albion St:
This place looked very enticing but we had already organised a dinner venue. We drooled over the menu outside and had our order down to a tee: we would have eaten: Seared tuna with Japanese radish salad, smoked eel, pork crackling and basil puree- $24 and crisp snapper fillet with spanner crab and ginger congee- $35
Visit: http://www.restaurantassiette.com.au/

OVERALL VERDICT OF SYDNEY EATS: Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Reviews - Brisbane, Qld and Fremantle, WA

2009-11-22T20:26:00.003+10:00

The Chelsea, Paddington, Qld

The Chelsea is the type of place you go for breakfast and next thing you know it’s a couple of hours later and you’re ordering a crisp glass of white and bowl of mussels with crusty bread. Breakfast offers a spin on old favourites, with semolina pancakes, poached rhubarb, sweet pistachio dukkah and labna; toasted pane with roast tomato, herbed feta and basil, sauteed mushrooms and spinach with persian feta, poached eggs and toast; toasted coconut bread, passionfruit curd, strawberries and ricotta (these are the breakfast items sampled thus far). Frequent menu changes keep you coming back regularly, as does the promise that they source as many local products as possible (Wendland olives and olive oil from Milmerra, honey from Rochedale, berries from the Sunshine Coast and organic breads from Morningside), and the bistro-style interior, with olive leather booths, mirrored walls, and maroon and gold trimmings. Lots of outside tables to sit in the sun and work on your tan whilst you read the paper and the edible delights.

Little Creatures brewery, Fremantle, WA
Whilst in Fremantle for a spot of business, the Little Creatures brewery was at the top of the agenda for the first spare moment. What an impressive institution! Complete with polished concrete floors, graffitied walls, a mixed demographic of patrons, good tunes (how so many eateries get this so wrong is beyond me), and the famously delicious brews flowing freely, and young eclectic staff, who actually seemed to be enjoying working, rather than impositioned. The first visit entailed pints of Pipsqueak cider and Rogers, Cajun squid with coriander mayo and mussels in a pipsqeak cider and dill broth. The second visit involved more pints of cider, mushroom and anchovy pizza (watch the pizza bases getting made), roo skewers (which I didn’t sample but were informed the roo was of mouth-melting quality), spinach salad and buttery corn, and the best sticky date pudding I remember eating (steamed as they should be so incredibly moist). From beer to cider to food to a wicked interior, ‘book exchange’ shelf, expansive outdoor seating and happy staff – this place has it down.

Breaks, Fremantle, WA
Fruit was in order to try and atone for the champagne, white-wine and midnight-cap pint the previous night – so we were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a little cafe called Breaks. A fresh orange, carrot, ginger juice, long black and fruit salad with sweet couscous on the menu. Having heard of but never tried sweet couscous, or couscous for breakfast, it was the perfect option. The staff kindly shared that it is soaked in juice and fresh ginger, so look out for a recipe soon!

BC Kitchen Invasion #1

2009-10-02T17:09:00.055+10:00

Wanting to cook but needing a change of scenery, we packed our bags full of chopping boards, sharp knives, barmixes, kitchen scales and ingredients in preparation to invade the kitchen of our good friends at Latrobe st.

On the menu? Beetroot tortellini with citrus butter sauce, puy lentil, feta and rocket salad and pumpkin puree. For dessert pear and almond tart served with chaicecream (just chai it!). The night was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and we didn't even mind coming home down a couple of wine glasses and forks.

Maxie prepping

Ed and Georgie team pasta roll

pasta dryingtaste testing

rolling the little pasta packages

dainty beetroot tortellini morselplating up

post-dinner duz

We will happily invade your kitchen! Email us at: info@ thebookeycook.com.au

Oven version 2.0

2009-08-07T14:25:00.061+10:00

Out with the old, in with the new - After a long and drawn out battle, the Euromaid victor now reigns over Wellington kitchen. We knew it was time for a new oven when we found ourselves cooking in a campfire-style situation for a dinner party one night – a grill atop the hob to control the temperature, as the hob itself had two temperatures. For months we had ‘smoky’ bolognaises and blackened rice. Whilst not the oven of our dreams (electric rather than gas top, max top oven temperature of about 180ºc), it is still a marked improvement and welcomed member of the household.

Cucumber sandwich houseparty and platter galore

2009-08-07T14:24:00.001+10:00

Cucumber Sandwiches

For those occasions when you are expecting royalty or entertaining the polo club, or simply going to a 'British India' themed party, cucumber sandwiches are the perfect offering/ accompaniment/refreshment...

Ingredients

Cucumbers, sliced and patted dry
White bread, crusts cut off
Finest butter around

Method

Daintily lather one side of all pieces of bread with butter. Atop with cucumber slices and another piece of bread. Cut into 3 lengthwise.

However, beware how many you eat, lest this be your fate...

On a more civilized note...

Friday night calls for a Friday night-style platter - the perfect end to the week and beginning of the weekend. Delicious, varied, not too much fuss or cleaning up, perfect preparation for Friday pop-ins and the tasting stimulation can last for hours.

On the platter tonight: Beetroot dip, white bean and artichoke dip, hummous, cured meats strawberries, cheese ...

Artichoke heart and white bean dip

Blend together:
1 jar artichoke hearts
1 tin white beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Beetroot Dip

Blend together:
1 tin drained beetroot
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp tahini
Salt and pepper

Drizzle with olive oil and serve. Mmmm.

It is easy to get stuck on the same salad - side or main, but so good when you decide to try a new one and it works for you. If you enjoy all things fresh, salty and a little oceanic, this number is for you.

Reviews - restaurant and reading

2009-08-07T14:21:00.003+10:00

The learned folk at Gourmet Traveller have slaved over wagyu meatballs, spanner crab and buckwheat risotto, poached quail eggs with chardonnay dressing, palm-sugar popcorn, and legs of sucking pig with sage gnocchi, crisp pig's ear and cider to surmise an inventory of the nation’s best eateries. Ordered by state, with a comprehensive indices organised both alphabetically and by town, we suggest you check out the guide, take out a loan, and start ticking off the venues in your hood. Winners listed here.

Restaurant guide here.

We have made a start in our area, with Simpatico in Paddington - fresh-made gnocchi w braised lamb & orange gremolata, and roast duck breast w parsnip puree & citrus braised endive. Not a bad start! (Oh, and everything on the menu is $20 and under). Open lunch and dinner Tues - Sat, breakfast Sat and Sun.

Kotobuki, East Brisbane

I guarantee that once you eat here, you will have regular ‘Kotobuki’ cravings. Sushi master Kayoko hand rolls all sushi on the front counter in the shop, so everything is made fresh to order.

Keep a look out for and don't be afraid to try the theme ‘fusion’ sushi rolls – Dragon Roll, Lion roll, Caterpillar Roll... or if you dare or you are hungover enough, the 'Kotobuki Roll' - a deep fried sushi roll containing crumbed chicken, cream cheese and avocado...

Other highlights include $1.50 miso, agedashi tofu, udon noodle soups, various 'dons' (rice bowls topped to your preference - stirfried beef, tempura vege etc), green salad laden with thick creamy sesame dressing (which must be good for you if it’s Japanese…), tempura prawns - pretty much the whole menu. Pictures are limited due to the fact that the food generally isn't on the table long enough to be photographed.

Arrival...

The food begins to grace our table...

Not long later.

Friendly Japanese staff, quick service (except on a Saturday night when there is a trail of locals ordering sushi platters etc) and cheap cheap cheap.

The only criticism for Kotobuki is that it’s not open Mondays!

Tempo, West End, Brisbane

It can be hard to choose where to stop for breakfast when cruising the streets of West End with a empty stomach. With a fresh take on a breakfast menu (pork and fennel sausages, on sauteed potato, small chunks of pineapple, sauteed spinach and tomato chutney; lemony avo on ciabatta topped with scrambled eggs, haloumi and grilled lemon), good vibes and indoor and alfresco seating, Tempo is a stop worth making. Open from 7am till 5pm Tues - Fri, until 4pm Sat and 5pm Sun.

Earwax, Chicago

A brief stint in Chicago in August meant a new culinary experience. Some notable features include candied nuts in salad, blue cheese dressing, waiters nearly falling over when you ask for a meal that doesn’t involve meat, and lots of iced tea. A notable lowlight have to be the mammoth servings of food, which were a little offensive, as the two options you are faced with a are overeating or being wasteful. Amongst the many highlights include purchasing American food magazines 'Food and wine' and 'Gourmet', and lunch at Earwax Cafe, Wicker Park.

Lemongrass tea - fresh herbs in bags, spinach salad which contained a surprisingly delightful blend of spinach, carrots, banana, strawberry, walnuts and red cabbage with balsamic dressing, and felafel pita with hummous, salad and tatziki.

Edible literature

Moro East, Sam & Sam Clark

On first inspection, this cookbook appears to be set in the deep in the Mediterranean. Take another look and you’ll read that it is actually set on the East End allotment in Hertfordshire, England. Sadly, the book states that the allotment was due to be bulldozed to make way for the 2012 Olympics. Almost all pages have been tagged for trying, but so far we have attempted and thoroughly enjoyed: almond and fennel soup with scallops, fried spiced cauliflower, broad bean, tomato, anchovy and fresh cheese salad, beetroot salad with pistachio sauce, courgettes with almonds. We are keen to try, amongst everything else .. roast chicken with sumac, onions and pinenuts, bbqed onions with yoghurt tahini sauce, coca ('Catalan pizza' - thin, crisp and chewy, usually oblong in shape and topped with deliciousness such as spinach with pine nuts, currents and salted anchovies, or onion, red pepper and aubergine, and on the sweet side, rhubarb and rosewater fool. Foo'!

Thank you to a dear friend for this lovely number last Christmas :)

All that rumbled in the jumble

2009-07-29T23:47:00.019+10:00

Jumble Jungle Garage Sale Bonanza Street Party!

A couple of Sundays ago those of The Bookery Cook and related company held a Jumble Jungle Garage Sale. What better way to spend a Sunday than donning your Sunday best (which inevitably would change over the course of the day given the swamp of prime vintage wear), setting up a cute sprawling mass of second hand goods, getting your mates around, meeting some nice locals, warding off the rain, drinking homemade lemonade from homegrown lemons, eating cupcakes, firing the bbq and cracking the first stones ginger beer at 10.30am??

Big ups to all who partook in the setting up/ packing down/ selling/ buying of wares, cooking of consumables, consuming of edibles and beverages, and keepers of company and passers of by. What a good time was had by all!

Prepping the wares...

Scrumptuous silly sizzling sausages...
Some other consumables featured on the day:

Cupcakes

Although these cupcakes looked like they were made by a blindfolded toddler with their hands tied behind their back, these sweet little cakes were delicious, and devoured over the course of the day and night.

Ingredients
Sugar
Butter
Eggs
Vanilla essence
SR Flour

Heat oven to 180ºc.
Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla essence and combine, then add flour and combine.

Spoon into patty cakes. If you wish to have a more 'traditional' shaped cup cake than ours it is advisable to place the patty cakes in a muffin tray before baking.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, allow to TOTALLY cool, then ice.

For the icing
We mixed icing sugar and softened butter together, added a little milk and then away we went with the food colouring. This didn't turn out to the best move so we may try a more 'measured' approach next time.

Very choc chippy choc chip cookies

With a higher percentage of chocbits than dough, these cookies were a definite crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients
Butter
Sugar
Eggs
Flour
Baking powder

Homemade Lemonade

This wholesome beverage was made from lemons from our parent’s farm.

Lemons
Sugar
Soda water
Ice aplenty to serve

Great with ice, fabulous with ice and gin, as we were to find out later in the day...

Visit Megan Cullen Photo for more pics and words! Thanks Megs!

Cuisine supreme

2009-07-17T15:55:00.000+10:00

The latest Cuisine Magazine was purchased recently on a Wednesday morning, and by Thursday night we had made 3 dishes and had littered the pages with post-it notes.

Wednesday night was the Miso Roast Sushi Salad, a Japanese take on a roast. Roast parsnip etc are coated in miso and roasted before being tossed with rice and served with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

Thursday night saw a rendition of the Prawn and Crouton Pasta and Pear and Apple Tart. The Prawn and Crouton pasta on page ?.

For us this dish is made by the croutons. Interestingly, apparently these delicious flavourful crunchy oily treats were a substitute used by the lower echelons of society who couldn't afford parmesan. If only the bourgeoisie knew! We served the pasta with a simple salad of mixed greens, avocado and fresh roma tomatoes.

The Pear and Almond Tart took longer to cook than stipulated by the recipe (but we may have had the oven on the wrong setting), which was only a problem because it meant waiting longer before we could devour it! Warm gooey pears, atop melt-in-your-mouth shortcrust pastry and the richness of ground almonds teamed with vanilla icecream - it doesn't get much better.

Get reading and cooking!

July's sweet and sour Season Produce Feature: The Pink Grapefruit

2009-07-16T20:59:00.010+10:00

In this month's seasonal spotlight is the tart but sweet, juicy, pink (or ruby-red)-fleshed delight that is the pink grapefruit, Citrus Paradisi. A more aesthetically dramatic version of its sibling the white grapefruit, Pink Grapefruit lends its flesh and juices well for salads, eating, drinking, dressing and marmalade (surely?)…

As a hybird fruit, the exact origins of the Pink Grapefruit are contested, however it is agreed upon that it was fathered by the 'pomelo' fruit. Originating in the West Indies around 300 years ago, Pink Grapefruit now grows in many hot climates around the world.

Pink Grapefruit gets its colour from carotenoids (a class of natural fat-soluble pigments responsible for many of the red, orange and yellow hues of plant leaves, fruit and flowers) In the body, carotenoids are a good source of antioxidants. As it is thought to contain a mysterious and wondrous enzyme that speeds the metabolism, grapefruit has part of the breakfast regiment of many dieters.

Aside from its health benefits, the beauty and novelty of the roseate citrus inspired a mid-week meal based on it....

(We will INSERT PICTURE HERE next time we make it.. it was devoured faster than the flash of the camera)

Squid, fennel and pink grapefruit salad

Serves 2

2 squid tubes
¾ tsp each sugar, salt, pepper, chilli flakes
1/3 cup olive oil

For the salad:
½ medium fennel bulb, cut into 1cm-wide segments
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 pink grapefruit, broken into segments and membranes? removed
1 small avocado, peeled and cut into thick slices
1 stick celery, cut into small segments
2 - 3 cups mixed greens

For the dressing:
Combine the juice of 1/2 a lime, 1/4 cup of pink grapefruit juice, 2 tblsp of fruity olive oil with salt and pepper.

Cut the squid tubes in half lengthways. Make slits on the squid's surface, but do not cut all the way through. Then, cut the squid into rough, quadrilateral-shaped morsels and place in a bowl. Add oil, sugar, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to squid, combine well and set aside.

Steam the fennel and set aside.

Combine all salad ingredients.

Heat a frypan and add 1 tblsp oil. Once the wok is searingly hot, add the squid. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for a further minute and the squid should be done. If underdone, the squid is a little raw and rubbery, if overdone, the squid is a little dry and rubbery. If done, the squid is sofy and buttery. Serve the salad, top with squid and then dress. YUM

Delicious with a chilled Pinot Gris ;)

Asagohan!

2009-07-16T20:57:00.033+10:00

Waking up feeling unenthused about the standard toast vs cereal breakfast options, we decided to drawn on offshore inspiration to look for a satisfying meal to start the day.

One of the 5 principles of Japanese cooking is the belief in having 5 colours in the offering of a meal spread to ensure a fully balanced meal - white, red, yellow, green, black/other dark colours. Accidentally omitting the red item, we served the food in red dishes...

A Japanese-inspired breakfast

Japanese omelette
(or 卵焼き - 'Tamagoyaki' - tamago means egg, yaki means fried)

4 eggs
1 tblsp water
1/2 tblsp mirin
1 tblsp caster sugar
2 tsp soy
Oil for frying

Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Heat a dash of oil in a saucepan (enough to thinly cover the bottom and sides of the pan). Add the egg mixture. Turn the heat down to a medium flame. Cook until it half sets, then fold the omelette in half and press. Cook for a minute or two further, until cooked. Remove and roll up, then cut into strips.

Sauteed mushrooms
きのこ

1 tblsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil
400g mushrooms
3 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp mirin
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tblsp water

Combine soy, mirin, sugar and water together. Heat oil, add mushrooms and stir. Add sauce and stir until mushrooms are well coated. Cover and cool for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Stir occasionally and add a little more water if necessary.

Steamed greens
野菜もの

Steam any sort of verdant vegetable - green beans, snow peas, broccoli, spinach etc

Rice and tuna
ご飯とツナ

For the sushi rice:
Sushi rice (or just short-grain rice)
Rice vinegar
Caster sugar

Combine rice vinegar and sugar and set aside. Combine rice with water and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to very low. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered for a further 15 minutes. Please try to resist lifting the lid during this process, as you will release steam cruical for the cooking process! Once the time is up, stir through the vinegar mixture to ensure rice is well-coated and well-fluffed.

For extra pizzaz, add 1 can of drained tuna and 1-2 tblsp of sesame seeds (white are fine but black are more dramatic).

Serve all dishes together, flanked by a fresh brew of green tea and get ready to feel good for the rest of the day.

いただきます！

Reviews - Byron Bay, Sydney restaurants and lavacious literature

2009-07-16T15:50:00.000+10:00

Breakfast in Byron Bay – Bayleaf Café

Bayleaf Cafe is a small cafe establishment off the main drag. Fast service, a relaxed atmosphere and tasty food sold us and many of the obviously dedicated regulars.
Deliberating between the smoked salmon bagel and BLAT I consulted Bayleaf staff, who pointed me in the direction of a BLAT but with the added touch of grilled haloumi. Not long after, bountiful amounts of crispy haloumi, well-cooked bacon, tomatoes and fancy greens encased by delightfully mayo-laden toasted turkish bread turned up in front of me. My comrades chose the mushroom, chorizo and spinach fry with sourdough and poached egg, and a Moroccan-spiced haloumi toastie, which were both fantastic. However I noticed as they watched with envy at my obnoxiously delicious breakfast. A fresh beetroot, carrot, ginger, lime and pineapple juice was a great accompanyment. Other menu offerings included locally made organic muesli with yogurt and seasonal fruit, eggs benedict and more. You can find the Bayleaf Cafe at 8/87 Jonson St, Byron Bay.

Breakfast in Newtown, Sydney at Grub and Tucker

A ravenous appetite saw a swift decision for breakfast whilst in Sydney recently. Luckily, this decision made in haste was for the best. A busy but relaxed atmosphere, cosy interior, art-enhanced walls, and graffiti-enhanced back garden dining area made for a good balance of comfort and trendiness. The smoked mackerel with anchovy butter, caper salad and sourdough definitely was the best meal. Juicy, salty and nutritious. 191 King St, Newtown.

On the reference front

On the cookbook front, we are looking forward to getting our greasy mits all over Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous delights. Sophie Dahl follows the Dahl-family calling also followed by her grandfather, Roald. However, you will find no recipes for snozzcumbers or frogsgottle, but an offering of ‘healthy’ takes on traditional English-style meals that have a family-based anecdotal touch eg. Her dad's chicken curry, her mama's baked acorn squash, 'Paris Mash' from her student days. Visually, the book is on par with Sophie's supermodel standards.

June's Pear-shaped Seasonal Produce Feature

2009-06-25T21:26:00.018+10:00

"It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption."

(Edward Bunyard 1878 - 1939, epicure, pomologist and author of The Anatomy of Dessert: With a few words on wine)

Forsaken in the bottom of school bags, cursed by women with resemblant body shapes and dribbled down chins across the world, pears are the first produce to be chosen for Thursday fortnightly 'Seasonal Produce' update (in season from February to September).

A little history?
Pears are an ancient fruit, believed to have been known to prehistoric man. Originating in the Caucasus, the common pear, Pyrus communis, is a European native whilst the Chinese pear (the nashi variety is well known in Australia), Trunus pyrifolia, is of the Orient. Pears and their cousins, apples, both belong to the rose family. It is unknown which fruit came first, but in ancient times pears were considered the superior fruit.

Throughout the Old, Middle, Early Modern and Modern English periods, the pear has been known in various forms: peru, pere, peire, peore, peyre, peere, per, peare, pear, peer, pare, payre, peyr ....

Pears have been in Australia since the arrival of the first fleet. Stephanie Alexander (in the Cook's Companion) states that "during the 1850s pear trees were planted by diggers along the creeks, and wild pear trees can still be found today in old mining districts".

And for the botanists among us?
Pear trees grow up to 9m height with a truck up to 30cm wide, and are cultivated in cool, humid climates. Their leaves are oval and simple, and have white flowers, are borne in unbels, have 5 sepals, 5 petals, many stamens and a single pistil.

Which one to choose?
Pears come in many varieties (apparently around 5000 these days), and differ in shape, colour, taste, texture and size. Corella (can be eaten hard or soft), Packham, Williams, Beurre bosc (better for longer cooking), Red Williams, Josephine.. to name a few common varieties available in Australia.

What to do?
Pears can be eaten raw, added to salads, eaten with cheese, stewed, pureed, dried, candied, canned, preserved. They go well with nuts, cheeses (especially goats and bleu), duck, pork, lemons, berries, cinnmon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, star anise...

And for a recipe?

Poached Pears

These are delicious hot with icecream or custard, can be placed atop puff or filo pastry and baked for a pear tart or placed in a baking dish, topped with crumble mixture and baked for pear crumble... but are equally as good cold, as an indulgent addition to muesli and other breakfast cereals.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup or verjuice (or white wine )
1 stick or 1 tsp cinnamon
2 star anise
4 cloves
4 pears, peeled, halved (or quartered if you prefer) and cored (leave the stems on for aesthetics)

Method

Combine water, sugar and spices in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes to allow the spices to infuse poaching mixture. Add the pears, cover and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes, depending on the variety and ripeness of the pairs - the flesh should be soft, but still firm (ie. not mushy).

It's a JUMBLE out there!

2009-06-21T13:13:00.011+10:00

JUMBLE JUNGLE GARAGE SALE

If you're in the Brisbane/ surrounding areas precinct next Saturday, 27th June head to 46 Wellington St (off Petrie Terrace) anytime from 8am - 2pm, where you will find a a vast crop of collectables, clothes, accessories, linen, homewares, art, records, books, toys, rich-trash, one-offs and other miscellaneous must-haves...

Jumble Fever!

Yamagataya 'Petit Nori Seaweed Snacks'

2009-06-16T06:56:00.016+10:00

"an irresistible Japanese seaweed snack lightly flavoured with Wasabi. Consume as a snack between meals or more commonly serve with beer"

At a very reasonable price of $2.81, Yamagatawa Petit Nori Seaweed Snacks won us over instantly with their insistence to both eat between meals and drink beer.

We were even happy to overlook the tautology given that nori means seaweed in japanese - so petit seaweed seaweed snacks. Cf. free gift, new innovation, 2am in the morning, Sierra Nevada mountain range (Snowy Mountain Range mountain range), Gobi Desert (Desert Desert), Mississippi River (Great-river river), cheese quesadilla (cheese cheesy-little-thing), Lake Tahoe (Lake Lake), ATM Machine (Automatic Teller Machine machine), PIN number (Personal identification number number)...

I guess this is bound to happen when you draw on three languages in 4 words.

Available from (at least) Coles supermarkets, these crispy, pungent treats are highly recommended (and highly addictive!). Wasabi is especially useful for clearing those blocked sinuses in the wintry season...

Curry Flurry

2009-06-10T15:04:00.039+10:00

Yikes. A slightly tardy Bookery blog installment... but the last few weeks came down to a faceoff between uni assignments/study and the rest of life, and we assumed that our blog readers would be more empathetic than our uni tutors.

While the end of semester did it's best to suppress lavish dinner parties, the hob continued to burn and the oven run hot. Two particular stovetop affairs involved curries of different varieties - one in a more Central-Asian-style, and the other a more Southeast-Asian-style.

The first affair was a Sunday night Indian-Benglai curry feast, which was well in order after a swashbuckling Saturday night out spent walking the plank from the dancefloor to the bar at Dank Morass’ pirate-themed Davy Jones' Morass.

On the menu?

Rogan Josh lamb curry
Bengali vege cury
Lemony coriander dhal
Stir-fried coconut cabbage
Eggplant bringal pickle
Cucumber raita
Basmati rice
Pappadums

Dhal

This dhal is quite light on spices to balance out the spice-laden curries. It also has a distinctive lemony-coriandery edge to it. If coriander bothers you, feel free to cut down the amount or even omit it, as we understand personal preferences and want to encourage pluraism (although we do secretly feel it would be in everyone's best interest to enjoy coriander!)

Ingredients

Oil
1 onion, cut into thinly sliced rings
1 tblsp ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin powder or crushed cumin seeds
1 tsp tumeric
Pinch of chilli powder (or more, depending on the heat of the chilli powder and the strength
1 tsp cinnamon or 1 x 2-inch long cinnamon stick
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped
Water
Salt aplently

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and fry a little. Add garlic and ginger and fry until onions are quite soft (about 5 minutes). Add cumin, tumeric, chilli powder and cinnamon and fry for a further minute or two. Add the lentils, stir to ensure all lentils have been coated in the spice mixture. Add water and salt and stir. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Stir in lemon juice, and cook for another minute. Remove from heat when the lentils are like a thick stew and stir through coriander. Add more salt if necessary (it often is with lentils!)

Spicy fried cabbage
Oil
1 tblsp grated ginger
2 tsp tumeric
1 large green chilli, deseeded (unless you want things really hot) and chopped into rings
2 tblsp dessicated coconut
1/2 cabbage, roughly chopped

Method
Heat oil in a wok. Add ginger and fry for a minute or two. Add tumeric, chillis and coconut and fry until fragrant and the coconut is lightly toasted. Add cabbage and fry until cabbage is soft but still a little crunchy.

In the absence of our father’s legendary rendition of Asian food Godesss Charmaine Soloman’s Vambotu Pahi (eggplant pickle), we opted for Pataks' Bringal Pickle. Like Vambotu Pahi, this pickle works well with a range of foods – from hamburgers to cheese sandwiches to eggs or avocado on toast for breakfast (our father has even been known to mix it into leftover pasta – his interpretation of fusion cooking).

Procrasti-dating-Procrasti-baking

The second curry affair was borne from week 13 at university and a whirlwind romance... what better way to procrastinate study than cooking a new fancy-interest an Asian inspired 3-course meal.

Deciding on, but a little nervous about cooking, Thai curry (which always seem much more pernickety than other teaspoon-of-this, tablespoon-of-that curry varieties), plus the pressure of the meal having to be delicious enough to woo the guest of honour (and as it inevitably turned out, several pop-in-er-ers/ romantic gatecrashers), meant several hours of thumbing through cookbooks and magazines, scrap books and previous dinner party menus. The following menu was chosen:

Entrée: Prawn Wontons with 2 dipping sauces
Main: Chicken and Eggplant laksa
Dessert: Chocolate Fondants

While a mussel broth had been Plan A, the absence of a trusted fishmonger as well as wanting avoid a possible ingredient-sourcing challenge and subsequent last minute menu panic, a dish was decided upon that was based on the more reliable ingredients of chicken and eggplant. Dessert was a toss up between a pear and raspberry crumble, and chocolaty self-saucing delights. After something fresh like laksa, something rich and delicious to accompany a deep glass of red and really seal the deal was definitely in order (these turned out to be equally as delicious for breakfast the next morning with a fresh hot coffee).

Prawn Wontons
This recipe featured in the cookbook- try and it out and let us know how they are... comment/suggestions/improvements...

Ingredients
Wonton wrappers (square or round)
1/2kg prawns
1 tbsp grated Ginger
3 Spring onion, chopped finely
½ tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp fresh coriander
Sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 egg

1. Peel prawns and place 2/3 into a food processor with all other ingredients, process until just combined.
2. Chop the remaining prawns roughly and place in a bowl; add other prawn mixture and slightly beaten egg. Mix until combined.
3. Place a teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of the wonton wrappers. Fold in half and press together. You can pinch then in half again or leave them as is depending on the aesthetic you are going for.
4. When it comes to cooking them, you can either fry them, or steam them.

If you find, as many do, the texture of steamed wontons freaks you out (skin coloured and slimey), you can fry them. Opting to fry them, but being beaten by a 30 year-old electric hob that has two settings, 'off' and 'burnt', the wontons I fried turned out looking like they had a fight with a chimney sweep.
In a bid to redeem myself, and woo my fancy man with something other than charcol, I put my phobia aside and steamed the remain wontons- and despite the slimeyness, they were quite delicious.

5. So to fry: (using a functioning stove) add some oil to the pan and add wontons, cook until crisp and golden on both sides (usually about 7-10mins) depending on heat/amount of prawn inside the wrapper.

To steam/boil: bring a pot of water to the boil, and wontons and cook for about 5 mins.

2 dipping sauces to serve:
1: Lime juice + coriander + fish sauce + a teaspoon of sugar (to balance acidity)
2: Soy sauce + fresh chilli

Chicken and Eggplant Laska
Taken from June issue of Delicious p 94

Chicken breast love

Alterations:
• 3 baby eggplant, thinly sliced, were used instead of the more rotund variety for a more dainty piece
• Organic chicken breasts - they make a difference and are usually only a couple of $$ more

Chocolate Fondants
Taken from April 2008 issue of Delicious

Notes:
***You need to start this 3 hours before you want to eat them
* Handle-less coffee mugs were used instead of souflee cups and they worked a treat. These weren't lined but it didn't matter, we just ate them straight out of the mug whilst piping hot with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream mmm

cheeseycake and jammy drops

2009-05-19T17:58:00.044+10:00

Wintery weather means hot beverages and hot beverages mean sweet treats and this means some sweet treat and wintery weather recipes for you from the BC team...

First up:
New York Style Cheesecake

(Apologies for the slightly hideous picture, we often forget to take a photo of the finished product before getting stuck in - this is what was left the next morning.)

100g graham crackers (we used some wholemeal oaty Arnotts numbers and they worked a treat)

50g butter

250g cream cheese (best left to soften for an hour before using it, for ease of combining)

200mL thickened cream

200mL sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

100g raw sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

4 (generous) tblsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line or grease an 18cm round cake tin (although we used a heart-shaped number).

2. Combine biscuits and butter in a processor and blend until combined and press into cake tin.

3. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and cream and beat with electric beaters until smooth (try to minimise the cream cheese lumps).

4. Downgrade to a wooden spoon.

5. Add eggs, then sugar, vanilla essence and lemon juice, stirring to combine after the addition of each ingredient.

6. Pour mixture on to of base and pop in the oven to bake for 30 minutes

7. Reduce heat to 160 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until it starts to go golden on the top and is clean to the skewer poke - apparently when shaken, about an inch in diameter in the centre should wobble.

8. Allow to cool (about an hour) in the baking apparatus to avoid a messy encounter (and

make sure it cools thoroughly before refrigerating it)

10. Serve it up yo

Keeps up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.

NB: Most recipes will tell you not to open the oven door whilst the cake is baking. I continue to open the door and am yet to notice a significant compromise in quality. That said, I like food to look like it has soul...

NB2: On second attempt, the cheesecake was made in a fan-forced oven which seemed to cook it in half an hour, yet we let it cook for the full hour. The result was something like a quiche cake. Still tasted ok but can't recommend it (refer photo). After some research, the likely conclusion is that the temperature was toooooo hot, and cake exposed to the high temp for tooo long.

"Overcooking also makes cheesecakes crack. As the cake bakes, its weblike protein structure of egg and cheese tightens. Cooked too long, the web begins to squeeze out the moisture it holds. The cake loses its smooth texture, gets grainy, and tastes weepy."

(Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_n4_v194/ai_16998936/)

On the silicon cake tin: This was purchased not for any logistical factors such as ease of cleaning or ease of ousting the finished product, but for the fact the Valentines Day was impending and it was heart-shaped. You can find a plethora of silicon bakeware and utensils in your local department store or even Big W, to bring a little kitsch into your baked goods.. heart, stars and more. What the silicon cake/ muffin tins (?) wares (?) lack in romance compared with their more metallic counterparts, they make up for in sheer novelty.

Jam Drops

These wholesome treats are a crowd-pleaser for all ages.

Makes about 30, depending on your preferred size of drop.

125g butter, room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

jam jam jam

1. Preheat oven to 180*C and grease/ line a baking tray

2. Combine butter and sugar and beat until creamy

3. Add vanilla essence and combine

4. Add egg and beat until pale and creamy

5. Combine the flour and baking power, and gently mix into the egg mixture

6. Gather dough into a ball, cover with cling film and refrigerate for about half and hour (this mean the dough will firm up a bit and makes it easier to make textbook jam drops)

7. Roll dough into little balls and place on a tray about 5cm apart and flatten balls with a spoon

8. Make an indent about 2cm wide in the biscuits with finger or the end of a spoon, and fill with jam (about 1/2 tsp - jam will bubble and erupt when baking if overfilled!)

9. Bake for about 20 minutes

10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool while you make a big cup of tea :)

The picnic that didn't quite make it

2009-05-19T16:10:00.000+10:00

A postcard-perfect autumnal Sunday afternoon inspired a picnic in New Farm park. While the end result was a few beers and ball-throwing in the park (due to a languid Sunday morning after a large Saturday night, and having to wait for the provisions to be finalised), the post-picnic banquet was enjoyed just as much back on the safe decks of home base.

Some of the picnic trappings (both old and new - you may recognise some from the previous posts)...

Sushi cake (comprising sushi rice, smoked salmon, Japanese mayo, sesame seeds and other features from the landing of the rising sun), Lupini beans, rockmelon wrapped in proscuitto, olives, salami/ general cured meats, artichoke and butter bean dip, salsa (the result of a glut of tomatoes in our kitchen), pickles and pickled onions, various cheeses (obscenely pungent blue, sharp vintage cheddar, and creamy camembert) roasted eggplant and roasted zucchini with olive oil and mint (see the BC cookbook for recipes!)

Autumnal eats and reads

2009-05-17T16:11:00.000+10:00

Roast tomato and zucchini soup

About 8 medium - large size tomatoes (the riper the better), cut in half (don't worry about cutting the top part off)

2 zucchinis, quartered lengthways

2 onions, quartered

6 garlic cloves, in their skins

2 x 20cm long rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped off

Olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tin tomatoes

1 tin butter beans, drained (optional - for substantialness)

Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Put tomatoes, zucchinis, onions and garlic in a baking tray - splash with a liberal amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary leaves and mix with hands to ensure all vege is coated.

3. Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until tomatoes start to blacken nicely around edges.

4. Puree roast goods, then pour into a saucepan

5. Add the tin of tomatoes, a cup of water (more if you prefer a thinner soup) and the butter beans - you can blend these first for a smoother soup or leave them whole for a chunky touch.

6. Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes.

7. Serve with parmesan, crusty bread and healthy glass of red :)

Latest delicious magazine

Totally persuaded by the free block of Lindt dark orange chocolate, we purchased the new delicious magazine ($6.95). While not totally enamoured by this month's issue (freebie aside), there were definitely a few stand out recipes... fruit and nut pumpernickel loaf, a winter antipasto plate, chicken and eggplant laksa and lemon-syrup yoghurt cake with boozy prunes...

Boozy boozy boozy prunes

Plattertime

2009-05-15T16:05:00.000+10:00

Sunday night and a full moon meant champagne in the park as the moon came up, and then nibbles and tunes on the deck.

Some nibbles that featured.. (apologies for the atrocious photo - we had some settings issues on the camera) rockmelon in proscuitto, smoked salmon, capers, Jindi Cheddar, picked onions, polski olgerki pickles, semi-dried tomatoes, green olives (seeds IN), and most recent platter phenomenon Lupini beans!

"Hoyts Lupini beans in brine, a perfect niblle to go with cocktails and pre-dinner snacks. Simply delicious with just enough of a salty taste to make them the perfect partner for all types of liquid refreshments, just pop the Lupini bean out of its skin and enjoy!"

A gentle product endorsement... these are our favourite brands of pickled goods

And, in an unprecedented moment of wavering from hummous (possibly due to over-consumption of late) we concocted an:

Artichoke and Butter Bean Dip

1 tin butter beans, drained
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts (approximately 6 segments)
1 clove garlic
1 tblsp olive oil (we used the oil from the artichoke heart jar, otherwise olive oil)
Salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients together and pour into a bowl. Drizzle with oil and serve with crackers and/or carrot sticks depending on your guests and frame of mind.

Some tunes that featured….

Venetian Snares - Öngyilkos vasárnap
Lee Perry - Black belt jones
Quiet Village - Pacific rhythm
Chico Mann - who you runnin from
Fourtet - Untangle
Bootsy Collins - I'd rather be with you
Herbie Hancock - Steppin in it
Dabrye feat. Jay Dee & Phat kat - Magic says
Gregory Isaacs - Put a smile on your face
Zion Train and Rob Smith - blessed it he (steppas mix)
Bullion - Here today
Mum - we have a map of the piano

A few champagnes later....

Feast fit for a mother

2009-05-12T21:06:00.077+10:00

On the cooking front Mother's Day definitely took centrestage. Preparing for the feast, we headed to the Yandina markets. Held every Saturday at Wonga Park, North St, Yandina from 7am - high noon, these markets sell fresh fruit, vege, meats, cheeses and assorted produce as well as plants and general bric-a-brac.

'Tis the season for avocados!

Spice wonderment

So last week we recommended investing in the latest Gourmet Traveller (100s of delicious recipes and stories and juicy facts) for $8.75, well we can now even more STRONGLY recommend the investment after road-testing a couple of the recipes - the Gnudi (Italian for nude), p177. and the Crostata (Italian for Tart), p.47.

Entree: Scallops on pureed cauliflower cream topped with fresh tomato puree and toasted pinenuts

Main:

Gnudi (The ‘nude’ ravioli – ravioli without the pasta), served in a purple basil and sage butter sauce
Roast beetroot and orange salad (not in GT but will be available in the forthcoming Bookery Cook book in 2010!)
Parmesan roasted fennel (also in BC)

Dessert: Crostata di marmellata aka Rhubarb Jam Tart aka a whole lot of deliciousness... A couple of bunches of fresh rhubarb and homemade shortcrust pastry, both enhanced with fresh vanilla bean(though these set you back about $5 a bean, vanilla essence is usually around $3 for a bottle and pales in comparison. Vanilla beans can be sourced these days from most supermarkets in the spice section) Served with vanilla icecream and whipped cream for a deliciously sweet, tangy and fittingly decadent finish to the meal.

A plate of nudes pre-dip in very hot salty bath

The roasted fennel which may have upstaged the gnudi had it not been for it being served with lashings of sage/basil butter sauce

The tart to end all tarts

With a full bellies and full red wine glasses, we embarked on a post-dinner tournament of Bananagram.

Homemade sushi lunch

2009-05-03T15:58:00.000+10:00

A little unexcited about the sandwich option for lunch on Tuesday I sought an alternative. Sushi has always seemed like a several-hour-long affair to make, but finding all the necessary components in the cupboard I decided to give it a go. In not much longer than 1/2 hour I had a batch of homemade sushi. If you have the rice pre-made (it is good for about a day, so can be made the night or morning before) it would be a 5 - 10 minute affair.

Tuna and lettuce nori-maki with sesame rice

Makes about 3 long rolls

1 cup short grain or sushi rice1 1/2 cups water
1 tblsp rice vinegar
1 tblsp caster sugar
Pinch salt (about 1/4 tsp)
1 tblsp sesame seeds
1 can tuna (despite our strong affinity to the tuna slice in oil, flaked or chunked tuna in springwater or brine is a better option for sushi)
Mayo
Iceberg lettuce
Nori sheets (seaweed paper)
A bamboo sushi mat

Other ingredients you could use as sushi filling... avocado, cucumber, tofu, grated carrot...

Soy, wasabi and picked ginger to serve.

How to cook sushi rice:
1. After rinsing rice thoroughly, combine rice and water in a small saucepan and bring to boil.
2. Turn heat down to low, cover and leave for about 12 minutes.
3. Remove from stove and allow to sit, covered, for a further 10 minutes.
4. Mix sugar and salt into vinegar until dissolved, then stir through rice with a fork, fluffing the rice at the same time.
5. Add sesame seeds to rice and mix.

Mexican feasta fiesta

2009-05-03T12:33:00.006+10:00

Brisbane Markets - Prepping for the Mexican banquet, we took our green bags and appetites (lots of taste testers) to Kelvin Grove markets (held in Blamey st at QUT Kelvin Grove every Saturday, 6am till 1pm).

Mexican feasta-fiesta

Sunday night of a long weekend meant a perfect opportunity for Bookery Cook dinner partying, Mexican styles... salsa, burritos, corona, sangria, colourful skirts, Freida-inspired headpieces, a tortilla-rolling tag team and living room dancing!

NB: Recipes for the fare can be found in the BC cookbook, to be released in 2010 - if you can't wait till then, email thebookerycook@gmail.com and we'll see what we can work out :)

On the menu...

Salsa
Corn chips/crackers/or toasted corn wraps for a lighter option

The burritos:

Homemade tortillas
Shredded and refried skirt steak

Refried beans

Sweet and not-so-sweet chilli sauce (recipes below)

To serve: Lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, guacamole, grated cheese, natural yoghurt (or sour cream - these will save your mouth lest they turn into fiery furnaces!)

Chilli Sauce

Domesticated by the Aztecs in Latin America more than 6000 years ago, chillis belong to the Solanaceae family (deadly nightshade to those of you who have the misfortune of being allergic to them). Apparently when capsaicin (a colourless compound contained in chillis) stimulates nerve endings and raises your pulse, hence the 'heat' associated with them... They are also believed to release endorphins, giving you a natural high and acting as an aphrodisiac, and on top of this they chillis are also rumoured to speed up your metabolism so load up your plates!

Ingredients
7 cloves of garlic, peeled
250g large red chillies, stems removed
3 thumbs of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 thumb of galangal, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
50ml fish sauce
50ml cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketjap manis

1. Place garlic, ginger, galangal and coriander into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
2. In a saucepan, place water and castor sugar and turn the heat to medium. Stir until the sugar dissolves. When it has, bring to the boil and for 5-8min or until the syrup starts to caramelise- stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.
3. Reduce the heat back to medium and stir in the paste. Bring to the boil and add the fish sauce, cider vinegar and kitchen menace. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-3mins.
4. Place in jars and enjoy!

Note: We found that this sauce is more delicious the day after its made. So if you are planning a Mexican dinner party, try and make the sauce 1-2 days in advance, but if you aren’t that organised its still delicious hot off the press.
Also, if you and your guests aren’t so chilli savvy, you can de-seed half of the chillies to create a milder version.

For the Not-So-Sweet Chilli variation, follow the same ingredients/process except reduce the amount of sugar to ½ a cup and 2 tablespoons of ketjap manis.

Kneading the tortilla dough

Tortilla-rolling tag team sussing out their techniques

Keep cooked torillas under a warm damp cloth whilst you cook the rest - this will keep them warm and prevent them from going dry... a tip kindly imparted to us by some banquest-partakers (we have previously kept them warm in the oven where they often dry out and complicate things at rolling time)

The dinner spread post-round one

Then to finish off the meal (and any potential space in our tummies): a crumbly and moist flourless chocolate cake.

Although it's Mexican authenticity may be debatable, the delectability of this cake (made with ground almonds) is not.

This meal was made all the more pleasurable by the presence of Biome's biodegradable disposable plates, made from bamboo with 'no pollutants or environmental toxins'. These will only set you back $10 for the picnic set for 4, or about $1 a plate, and are worth every penny when it comes to washing up time!

http://www.biome.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=650

A taste of things to come

2009-04-27T19:10:00.000+10:00

A couple of weeks of diverse and somewhat fanciful culinary adventures have catalysed the launch of the Bookery Cook Blog!

We look forward to keeping you posted on BC events and hearing your food-related tales.

Some highlights from these weeks:

Bookery Doofing at Easter - equipped with a picnic basket full of homemade goodies (hot cross buns, dolmades, hummous and bread) we headed inland on the Sunshine Coast for a good old fashioned 'doof'. In a tree house...

Needless to say the basket of goodies when down a treat with revelers around the campfire in the wee hours.

(Photo courtesy of Megan Cullen! See http://megancullenphoto.blogspot.com/ for more pics and words)

Hot Cross Buns...

Ingredients
1 cups warm milk
4 tsp (2x 7g sachets) dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
60g butter, melted
1 egg
4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp mixed spice
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup mixed peel
3 tblsp golden syrup

For the crosses (solving the long-standing childhood mystery): Plain flour and water

Method

1. Mix together milk, yeast and 1 tblsp of sugar until yeast has dissolved. Cover with a teatowel and set aside for about 10 minutes, or until frothy.
2. Combine milk mixture, butter and egg and whisk to combine.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture and stir gently until just combined.
4. Place mixture onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, put the dough in a processor (if you have a plastic dough attachment ie NOT a large silver blade) and allow the processor to knead it, it will probably only take about 5 minutes this way.
5. When the dough is ready, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough with your fist (!!) and knead on a floured surface again for a few minutes. Divide into 16 portions and roll each into a ball.
7. Place balls on a greased 23cm square cake tin, about 1cm apart. Cover and allow balls to rise again for 30 minutes.
8. In the meantime, heat the over to 180°C and make the crosses - combine about 1/2 cup of flour with 1/3 cup water (more of either if necessary) to make a rollable white dough. Roll into long thin sausages and fashion crosses on each of buns. Heat golden syrup in a saucepan until runny, and liberally coat the tops of the buns.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until hollow to the tap.
10. Cool on a drying rack, but before they are too cool spread them with butter and devour!

A note on the hot cross buns. At the stage where you 'cover the dough and allow to rise until doubled in size' I realised after about an hour that the dough was NOT RISING at all. Retracing my steps I worked out that I had doubled the ingredients but omitted to double the yeast. In an effort to shed my reputation for hot cross rocks, I repeated step 1 (combine yeast and warm water and let stand till frothy) and kneaded it into the dough (with a little extra flour to prevent the dough getting too sticky). It actually worked! About an hour later, I was pleased to find a happily swollen dough, and about another hour later, fluffy (un-rock like) hot cross buns.

Other food-related highlights:

Pizza at Pizzeria 1889, The Barracks, Paddington - Being pretty staunch on our opinion of a good pizza (after having sampled the goods of the pizza utopia that is Naples) means that finding one locally that makes the cut can be a challenge. The pizza at Pizzeria 1889 did a pretty good job! We dined on a 1/2 salami, capsicum, chilli, pesto 1/2 pancetta, garlic, capers, artichoke, roast red onion, goats cheese and rocket atop lovely thin bases and really fresh tasting ingredients made for a pizza worth every bit of the $18.
http://www.pizzeria1889.com.au/

Pizza at UQ - It took me a year to eat at the Pizza Cafe at UQ (due to automatically equating uni with generally rubbish food), but what a pleasant surprise! Again, nice thin bases and delicious toppings = yum. And cheap cheap at around $11! (James Squire on tap is a bonus too)

A baby beet, dutch carrot and kipfler potato tagine (R.O.A). Dutch carrots are something we'd been wanting to use for ages... mostly because they have a strange mix of a Bugs Bunny and a fancy French Micelan-star-worthy-dish appeal. The carrots work well, teamed with baby beets to give the tagine a deeply earth flavour, flat leaf parsley gave it a bit of an edge and honey a lovely Moroccanesque sweetness.

Chocolate 'layer cake' - a roulade (roll cake) that broke when rolling so was reinvented.

It was meant to look like this.

But ended up looking like this.. soulful.

Chocolate roulade/ layer cake

For the cake:
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
6 eggs, seperated
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 tblsp cup cocoa
2 tblsp plain flour
Pinch of salt

For the icing:
300ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tblsp cocoa
4 tblsp icing sugar
Flaked almonds

1. Preheat oven to 180*C and line a 24cm x 32cm swiss roll tin (you can buy these for under $10 at most Coles and Woolies)
2. Combine chocolate and 1/4 cup of water in a bowl, rest the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.
3. Stir the mixture over the boiling water until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool a little.
4. In a seperate bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale (about 5 minutes - it must be t
thick and pale and not just mixed together as aeration is crucial).
5. Fold in chocolate mixture to egg and sugar mixture, stir until just combined.
6. Sift over cocoa and flour, and combine gently.
7. In another seperate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form (when you lift the beaters from the mixture, the trail of egg white should keep its shape in a 'peak').
8. Gently fold (this is to keep the mixture aerated) in egg whites.
8. Bake for about 10 mints or until spongey and clean to the skewer poke.
10. Turn onto a rack, and place a teatowel over the top. Gently (this is the point where there is potential for breakage) roll into a log shape, with the tea towel on the inside. Allow to cool.
11. While the cake cools, make the cream.... Combine cream, icing sugar, cocoa and vanilla until thick. This can be tricky, as first time I accidentally made butter. Previous attempts have been too runny and the cream doesn't hold. It should be pre-cement texture.
12. If the cake hasn't broken, gently unroll it, spread it with the cream and re-roll. If the cake breaks, don't distress. Trim the cake portions into rectangles, layer with cream.
13. Sprinkle roulade/ layer cake with slivered almonds and using a colander or tea strainer, coat with icing sugar and cocoa and grated dark chocolate if you feel the need.

Yum yum.