food

Have you ever heard of an Ambrosia cake? If yes, then what's the cake like? It seems that there is no one single Ambrosia cake. When googling 'ambrosia cake', the Internet search engine returns a number of recipes that seem to contain oranges in one form or another. This version is a Finnish recipe, known as 'Ambrosiakakku'. It's a simple sugar cake that goes well with a cup of tea. Most of the Finnish recipes only use candied orange peel to garnish and juice to make the glaze. I've also added grated orange zest to the cake batter to make the cake even more fragrant and tasty. Ambrosia Cake ( Ambroosiakook ) Serves 8 to 10 150 g unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs 200 g caster sugar 115 g plain/all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder grated zest of 1 orange To glaze: 100 g confectioners/icing sugar 2 to 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice To garnish: candied orange peel Whisk eggs and sugar into a thick, pale foam. Add grated orange zest, slightly cooled mel...

Oh my GAWWWWWWD, you guys- can I just say? CAN I JUST SAY HOW MUCH I LOVE MY LAPTOP? Sorry. A big round of applause for the Geniuses™ who restored my macputa back to its original glory. I got this thing my senior year in college (big upz, pnca!) and used it to write my thesis, and it has been my faithful friend ever since. So, anyway. RIGHT BEFORE MY COMPUTER DIED, I discovered something glorious. Well, re-discovered? I know, I know. MORE EGGS. It's no secret that I have a tendency to get stuck on a tangent, and here I am rambling about eggs again. As my husband was teaching me to poach eggs, he kidded that I've been making a lot of egg posts on the ol' food blog, and of course, he was right. But really, what could be more enchanting than the humble egg? All concerns about cholesterol aside, (my backyard chicken farmer friend tells me that homegrown eggs have 1/3 of the cholesterol that store bought eggs have, but I'm way too lazy to look up a source for th...

EDIT 11/08/10: Please note that Nonna's Gourmet Sausages have now moved from Chipping Norton to Brookvale. See the end of this post for updated address details. [Video notes: I originally edited this video to a soundtrack of Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" - appropriate, no? Sadly, YouTube wouldn't allow this track due to copyright reasons, so I had to substitute an alternate song

I'm definitely on the "Take Five Ingredients" mood these days. Cooking with a small baby is possible , of course, but I haven't got the time or energy to think up elaborate menus and spend hours in front of the hob these days. Nor do I want it, to be honest. Simple, comforting, delicious dishes are much more attractive - and feasible - at the moment. Here's a very simple and delicious and comforting soup recipe for these cold wintry nights. (Yes, there's still snow out here, even if the days have got a lot longer and there's definitely spring in the air during the daytime). Silky Onion Soup ( Sametine sibulasupp ) Serves 4 50 g butter 500 g onions 2 tsp sugar 1 l / 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock 200 ml (just under a cup) whipping cream 1 to 2 Tbsp plain/all-purpose flour salt and white pepper, to taste For garnish: crispy croutons grated hard cheese fresh chives, chopped Peel the onions, halve and cut into slices. Heat a heavy saucepan and melt the but...

As I posted on my other blog, 10 dollar drawings, (where you can buy a custom drawing for 10 dollars! You should do it!) my beloved ibook finally crapped out after 5 faithful years of service. It's currently in the hands of a Mac Genius, probably revealing all kinds of embarrassing things about me (like the fact that I never do my software updates even though I know I should) and hopefully being nursed back to health. This sucks for a number of reasons, but I'm extra antsy because I'm sitting on photos for at least 2 or 3 separate posts that I wanted to put up here, and I don't have the ability to get the photos online for the time being. As it is, I'm checking my email periodically using my husband's crackberry, and occasionally getting 'real' internet access using friends' computers. (Like right now.) So, things will probably be quiet around here for the next week or so, until my firstborn laptop and i are joyfully reunited. Check you later,...

I like wasabi. I really do. But there's a strange flutter in the stomach when you first come face-to-face with the sushi roulette game at Wagaya in Sydney's Chinatown.With its touch screen menus and ordering system, affordable bite-sized dishes and smart but groovy decor, Wagaya has been an instant hit with diners since its opening late last year. Designed in the style of an izakaya or Japanese

Fancy a lactose-free and fat-free cake that's a little bit more interesting than the simple eggs-sugar-flour sponge cake? Well, this might be the answer. There's a large tin of canned pineapple in the cake, which makes it more moist and rich, so it feels like it's made with at least some butter. I must admit I couldn't taste the pineapple in the cake, not even a little, but I still liked the cake. It's covered with a simple cocoa powder glaze, but you could use some of the pineapple syrup from the can to make a white glaze instead.. Pineapple Cake with Cocoa Glaze ( Ananassikook kakaoglasuuriga ) Cuts into 12 slices 3 large eggs 200 g caster sugar 225 g plain/all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 350 g canned crushed pineapple (drained weight, that's one large 580 g can) Glaze: 150 ml icing sugar 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 2-3 Tbsp water Drain the canned pineapple, blend the pulp into until smooth. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, pale and foamy. Gently fold in th...

Hong Kong cheese are the three words that come to mind when describing Ching Yip Coffee Lounge.I mean it figuratively and literally. For where else would you find the happy collision of East meets West in this Hong Kong-style cafe that brings you the culinary delights of spaghetti bolognaise grilled with shredded cheese; spaghetti with ham in white sauce grilled with shredded cheese; and fried

The 702 waiting roomPhew! Live radio is nerve wracking!EDITED 29 OCT 09: If you missed my interview on ABC 702 Weekends this morning, you can listen to the entire segment by clicking play on the embedded video below. As I entered the studio with fellow guests John Newton and Michelle Cranston, host Simon Marnie leant over to me and said "There's been a lot of interest in your interview by

This afternoon I shared a grilled cheese sandwich with my son for lunch, using some Rogue Creamery white cheddar that my husband brought back up from his business trip the other day. I don't remember having much cast iron cookware growing up, just an odd assortment of battered pots and pans. My mom did have a huge square frying pan that she used just for making grilled cheese sandwiches, though- I am pretty sure it was cast iron. She'd throw it on the stovetop and make 4 sandwiches at a time (4 kids! Mom, what were you thinking?!) and they were always perfect. I picked up a small cast iron frying pan for us a couple of years ago from Ikea for like 10 bucks. We don't use it for everything, we have a pretty trusty set of stainless steel pots and pans for everyday use. Mostly, we use it to heat up tortillas for burritos, and occasionally we make AWESOME grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks, Ikea.

Recently I made a large batch of chicken stock. I have posted about making stocks on a couple occasions , but since we've been making our own stocks a little less than a year now, I feel like we're past the "I wonder how this will turn out?" phase and we've gotten pretty reliable at busting out a good batch when we need to. Our process is pretty simple- rough chop a large bowl of vegetables- carrot, celery, onion, smashed garlic, maybe some shallot. Lightly saute in a huge stock pot, stick a chicken carcass on top, pour in some cold water, bring to a boil then lower the heat to a slow bubble, and skim the whole time- simmering for about 3-4 hours. (By the way, I know I've pointed this out before, but making our own chicken stock really helps us stay within our grocery budget. Buying 2 large organic chicken breasts costs like 8 bucks or something like that, but 1 whole Draper Valley chicken only costs like 6 or 7 bucks, and you can break it down into porti...

I've always had a bit of fascination with red velvet cake, a traditional Southern American specialty often referred to as "the chocolate cake of the south".The cake is so named because of its incredibly soft texture, the moist crumb arising from the use of buttermilk and its fluffy aeration a result of the buttermilk's reaction with vinegar. Most red velvet cakes use cocoa although there's not an

Here's a broad bean paté I made today. K's mum and auntie came for a short visit to check out the baby girl, and I wanted something savoury to nibble (there was a cake as well, of course). I had boiled 500 grams of broad beans yesterday in order to make Egyptian falafels following a recipe by Claudia Roden , but I decided to 'steal' some of the beans and try out a broad bean paté instead. The result was really lovely. Both K's mum and auntie guessed it was made with chicken livers instead - before wolfing down another thin crisp bread spread with this lovely paté. PS I used unpeeled dried broad beans and didn't peel them after soaking or boiling either. Broad Bean Paté ( Põldoapasteet ) Makes about a cup a cup of boiled broad beans, drained thoroughly* 2 Tbsp concentrated tomati paste/tomato purée 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp dried basil a squeeze of lemon juice salt and freshly ground black pepper For garnish: fr...

SWEET MallowsSWEETNESS The Patisserie opened its new retail store and kitchen in Epping today. Located just up the road from the station, it's a gorgeous site that reflects Gena's commitment to homemade sweets and baking made with heartfelt passion and love.Whilst I haven't had a chance to see the final set-up, I did get a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen a few weeks ago, a totally new

Afternoon tea.We'd been meaning to host a girly afternoon tea at my place for some time now, an excuse to cook up all sorts of delicious morsels, and the chance to showcase the gorgeous tea cups I currently have on 'long-term loan' from a friend. I've been collecting all kinds of old-fashioned tiered stands and accoutrements from op-shops over the years as well. It's amazing what you can find in

I do like a nice paratha. Shana do a very nice frozen version (whichI may review later), but they are incredibly rich and more akin to a lacha paratha, rather than the more bread-like version that I'm familar with. These fresh Asda parathas seem to have achieved an authentic level of 'dough layering', and are slightly chewy without being too dense and heavy. Ideal for soaking up some dhal or channa masala. Price: around £0.72 for two I rate them 8/10.

Sashimi bento box $14.50 (lunch special 11am-4pm) Served with agedashi tofu, croquettes, rice, salad and miso soupI hadn't realised until someone pointed it out reecntly that I tend to feature a lot of Japanese on this blog. It's no surprise, really. I tend to eat a lot of Japanese!When asked my favourite cuisine, I invariably nominate both Japanese and Vietnamese. However unlike Vietnamese

K made macarons for the New Year's Eve party. We had quite a few friends over for that occasion, and whereas I was mainly in charge of the savoury dishes, K. had (almost) free hands in deciding which sweet dishes to offer. He had wanted to make macarons for ages, so he decided to go ahead. I must admit that I was a bit hesitant to start with. Macarons, as we all know (or at least that's the feeling I get when reading bloggers who have made them), are a tricky concoction, to say the least. They sound deceptively simple - icing sugar, ground almonds, egg whites - yet there are hundred tricks and insider tips you must know in order to succeed. Also, as you cannot buy ground almonds in Estonia, K. had to grind his own - using our small old coffee grinder - and sieve the meal again and again. Then you had to wait for the egg whites to dry and so on. In the midst of the preparations for a successful New Year's Eve party, our kitchen was a mess - and occupied by him - for much lon...

Well, you probably all remember my post about eggs that my friend gave me. After all the lovely suggestions, I ended up hard boiling all 6 of them and eating them plain with a pinch of salt, haha! (Not all in one sitting, of course.) But, a funny thing happens when people find out you're kind of a nerd about food, especially home-grown food. People just start GIVING YOU AWESOME STUFF! I remember the same thing happening when I was younger and I began my camera collection- people just started coming out of the woodwork, "Oh, you like old cameras? Here, have this Argus! I've had this Canon in my closet for 15 years, would you like it?" No complaints over here, dudes. So, imagine my delight when my husband handed me an egg carton loaded with half a dozen blue-green eggs, given to him by a coworker. Just like last time, I was faced with the decision of WHAT TO DO WITH THESE FANCY EGGS? My husband scrambled 2, and ate them for breakfast with my son. The remaini...

"This nipple tastes funny."Oh yes, there was lots of fun and frolic to be had at the inaugural Taste of Sydney festival in Centennial Park. And what's an event without a quotable quote from the always loveable Chocolatesuze. But more on that later.Crown festival currencyAvailable in booklets of 20 crowns ($20) and 30 crowns ($30)I headed to the Taste festival on its opening night, Thursday, along

Me and our little Nora Adeele (32 days old on the photo) making Annemarie's excellent chorizo meatballs . ( Chorizo lihapallid )

Grilled sausage $12Now I don't mind a hot dog every now and then. There's a bit of guilty childlike pleasure in that fluoro red skin, bouncy fatty "meat and squiggles of tomato sauce and mustard, all encased in a soft squishy bun.Frankfurters belong in buns don't they? It's like their natural housing. Even the Chinese bakeries wrap their frankfurts in sweet baked bread or steamed mantou

Well, the other night we were expecting dinner guests, but then our friend got sick, so we made ourselves a fancy dinner instead. We'd planned it in advance, making stock the night before and roasting the squash so it would be ready to go the next day. Butternut squash risotto! This is just a basic risotto recipe, and since I'm not sure offhand what the proportions were, I'm going to quote my previously posted risotto recipe with modifications for how it was made here. Butternut squash risotto: 3-4 cups homemade vegetable broth (we added a generous pinch of smoked paprika to ours) about half (use more or less depending on how squash-y you want it to be) of 1 small butternut squash, roasted, peeled, and cubed. some olive oil about a tablespoon of butter 1 medium onion, diced 1 small shallot, diced salt and pepper 3/4 cup (or more) Arborio or Carnaroli rice 1/4 cup (splaaaash) dry white wine a handful of finely grated parmesan cheese palmful of finely chopped tarragon lea...

As I get older [sigh], I find my sweet tooth isn't quite what it used to be [shock mingled with relief]. Sure there's still room for a big fat slice of banoffee pie, but I'm also starting to appreciate less sweet desserts, like salted chocolate and cranberry cookies and these chocolate and ginger biscotti.I was a little impatient with this batch, not quite waiting long enough for the baked logs

1. Steamed scallops with black bean sauceIf there's one thing I tend to avoid at Chinese restaurants it's the banquet option in the English menu. Often the dishes involve too much batter, bicarb and sugar for my liking, and besides I always think it's much more exciting and rewarding to choose and design your own array of dishes. Usually the bill is cheaper too.But when someone else is paying,

Here's a cake I made for K's mum's birthday lunch back in January. After the excessive eating during the festive season, I wanted to make something light, low in sugar and still delicious. An experiment with a pure mango pureé resulted in this delicious yogurt cake. Several people have tried this recipe, also posted on my Estonian site , and they've loved it. I used a can of sweetened Alphonso mango pulp by a UK-based East End company (92% mango), but you could use fresh mango pureé or blend some canned mangoes instead. The cake needs to set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, so make it on a night before. Mango Yogurt Cake ( Mangotort ) Serves 10 to 12 Base: 200 g gingerbread cookies or cocoa biscuits, crushed 80 g butter, melted Mango filling: 500 g good-quality mango pulp 200 g plain yogurt 200 ml whipping cream (35-38% fat content) 2 Tbsp sugar juice of a large lemon 8 gelatine leaves (or 2 Tbsp gelatine powder) Garnish: pistachio nuts, sliced or mint or lem...

Tomorrow night we're having dinner guests, so tonight we're roasting some things and making stock. It smells so good in here, I could die. I know everyone loves Summer's baker tat on her knuckles, but if I had to pick a food word to slap on my fingers, I'd be punching air with my MIRE POIX fists. Oh, holy food trinity- carrots, celery, onion. Nothing smells more like home.

Stomach's Eleven were on the move, and this time it was my turn to host our travelling dinner party. I don't naturally like organising, but I do hate being stressed, which is why everyone always laughs when they spot the usual "dinner party to-do schedule" on my fridge. But planning ahead does pay off. It means I can cook certain dishes or elements thereof a few days beforehand, and there's less

Tataki $7.90Thinly sliced slightly cooked raw beef with vinegar sauceI kept hearing about Nakashima and its hidden location down an alleyway in The Rocks, and still I would wonder why I had never stumbled across it in all my travels. As I follow Billy up Argyle Street, in search of dinner after the March into Merivale launch party, he makes a sharp left just before the overpass and proceeds up

Forget busty wenches. The women of Sydney are much more interested in hot naked chefs.With economic doom and gloom reputedly just around the corner, trust Justin Hemmes to use his trademark business nous and marketing panache to create a month-long budget-friendly Food and Wine Festival that spans all nine Merivale restaurants. Convince the head chefs to get naked for an arty photo shoot. Give it

Stuffed zucchini flowersSo Pig Flyin' had been gifted with a whole slab of scotch steak by K. He needed a few eaters to help him out, and boy, I always love to help a friend in need.I don't need to remind you that Pig Flyin' knows how to cook. In fact, as the G-man pointed out, Pig Flyin's amazing feasts have only served to make us dinner party snobs - it's increasingly hard to be impressed after

Here's a (old Estonian?) recipe for a simple dessert that costs next to nothing - and is made pretty much out of nothing (raisins, water, sugar). Yet it tastes good.. I vaguely remember it from kindergarten and elementary school lunch breaks, but it had been a looooong time since my last rosinakissell. Until I stayed at the maternity clinic early last month and had to 'feast' on the food that the hospital budget catering had to offer. The desserts were all nursery food and humble, and raisin fruit soup or kissel was served one night. Although the hospital version wasn't the best example of this dessert soup, it still brought back nostalgic food memories. Back home, one of the first dishes I cooked as a young mother, was this dessert soup/fruit soup/kissell (call what you like it). Pretty delicious, actually. For best result, use different type of seedless raisins and currants. I used small yellow and large Californian raisins. Raisin Fruit Soup ( Rosinakissell ) Serves...

Is the farmers' market the new fooding social scene?It certainly felt that way on Saturday when I headed to the first official Eveleigh Farmers' Market . A weekly undercover growers market in the inner city is a much welcomed addition to the shopping calendar.There were plenty of people milling about at 9.10am (and I can tell you it's a mere seven minute walk from Redfern train station - I timed