food

Some of my American readers may have noticed a recipe for paskha in the April 2010 issue of Saveur . Saveur describes paskha as " a rich, airy sweetened cheese that's traditionally served in Russian homes to break the meat- and dairy-free Lenten fast. ... Made with a Russian farmers' cheese called tvorog , as well as cream, egg yolks, butter, and sugar, the treat is flavoured with vanilla and studded with golden raisins. Then the pashka is pressed into a mold and chilled to set. " Although it's not traditionally Estonian, it's pretty popular here. I happen to love pashka, and have been making it for, well, ages :) I've shared one of my favourite pashka recipes before, but there are several ways of making this dessert. There are cooked versions and uncooked paskhas, paskhas containing raw eggs, cooked eggs or no eggs. Here's one (out of three!) I made last Spring - it's uncooked, contains cooked egg yolks - and is thus quite similar to the recipe p...

Scones with jam and cream, dainty sandwiches with the crusts cut off and a bounty of petite and sweet desserts... What's not to love about high tea?Tuesday night saw the launch of High Tea at the Victoria Room, a book by Jill Jones-Evans and Joe Gambacorta, featuring both recipes and the history of high tea. Guests mingled over mini cupcakes, flaky pork and apple sausage rolls and delicate

If Easter in some parts of the world is all about chocolate (no names named here :)), then in Estonia it's all about chicken eggs and curd cheese desserts. There's pashka , of course, on our Easter table - a delicious curd cheese pudding borrowed from our Eastern neighbour. But there will be other curd cheese desserts as well. Here's a recipe for some moreish curd cheese cookies that would be perfect for Easter table. Finding curd cheese ("kohupiim" in Estonian) is not so difficult. If there's a Russian or Polish shop nearby, then ask for "tvorog/tvarog". In Finland, look out for "rahka". If you can't find curd cheese, then try substituting dry ricotta or farmer's cheese. Estonian curd cheese cookies ( Mõnusad kohupiimaküpsised ) About 3 dozen cookies 200 g dry curd cheese 100 g butter 100 g sugar 300 g plain flour (about 2 cups) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla sugar a pinch of salt Place all ingredients into the bowl of your food...

A creeping grin.It's one that doesn't leave me as soon as I found out Billy and I have been booked in for a dinner at MoVida Aqui for our recent weekend trip to Melbourne. It's hard not be to excited - the buzz around MoVida is palpable with the success of its two cookbooks compounded by the recent opening of MoVida Aqui, its third instalment after Movida and Movida Next Door.MoVida Aqui is not

Love is a 50cm long chocolate eclair. At least that is what my eyes tell my stomach when we spy this beauty at the Daimaru department store food hall in Sapporo. At 1785 yen, or AU$22.30 (Feb 2010), it's presumably one to share, and beause I know you're wondering, alas no, I didn't indulge.But I digress. In the previous Japan post, I'd left you at the Sapporo Beer Museum. We'd continued next door

In the early days of my foodblogging (we're talking about summer 2005 here), I ended up defending the joys of Georgian cuisine on Kuidaore's picture-perfect blog (note we're talking about this Georgia and not that Georgia here!). I'm still wondering where I got the courage from!! Still, we eat Georgian food with some regularity at home -simply because it's tasty and different, and I'll be sharing some Georgian recipes with you over the next few weeks. I've recently given two cookery classes focusing on this fascinating cuisine, and I do hope you enjoy the recipes as much we enjoyed the finished dishes! There are already some Georgian recipes on Nami-Nami. I wrote about fried Suluguni cheese earlier this week, and there's a recipe for khatchapuri cheese bread and another for chakhohbili chicken and herb stew . Today I'm sharing a recipe for Georgian Egg Salad (azelila), seasoned with lots of fresh herbs and ground walnuts. It's creamy and fl...

I really want to roll a Jaffa down the table... This is the first thought that crosses my mind as Billy and I take our seats at the table for the Viet Lane Sunday lunch in Melbourne two weekends ago.You can't really tell from the photo, but the table--set up along the narrow laneway of McKillop Street--slopes downward to the bottom of the hill. We're seated at the very top. It's the perfect stage

Everybody loves a holiday.The worst part? All the organising!Whilst the internet has made research so much easier, it's also made looking for the best deal a stressful and information-overloaded affair. HotelsCombined.com is a free and easy-to-use search engine that allows you to save time and money.Instead of wasting hours clicking through multiple web pages, HotelsCombined.com searches and

You know you're getting old when queuing for food is no longer an option.I realise this when Billy and I somehow hijack group yum cha plans and make a case for an earlier start."Eight people? At 1.00pm?" I repeat, horrified."Too late!" chides Billy."We'll have to queue for ages," I mourn.We may as well throw in a head-shaking grandmotherly "ai-yah" in there as well.And so we wangle an 11am start,

Late night munchies.It's irrelevant that Billy and I have just eaten dinner. Wandering the streets of downtown Melbourne, alive and buzzing on a Friday night, we find new energy and appetite as the touristy but still endearing horse-drawn carriages clip-clop on by, iconic trams clanging bells as they hum past - just like a scene out of The Secret Life of Us.I'd made no secret of my intent to

This recipe is mostly for my readers in countries where you can easily buy the Georgian Suluguni cheese . That pretty much means former USSR, as well as countries with sizeable number of Georgian or Russian migrants (look for "Russian shops" then). Although there are other cheeses that can be fried like this, they wouldn't taste the same, so I'm not even going to suggest any other alternatives. If you are based in Tallinn, then please look for the cheese at Tallinn Central Market, where several vendors sell white cheese rounds, weighing about 1 kg/2 pounds each, at the main market hall. There are two main makers - the Kehra cheese being slightly saltier and the Vaida cheese slightly milder in flavour. It's recommended you buy the whole round - use half of it for for this recipe and the rest for making khatchapuri, the Georgian cheese bread . Fried Suluguni cheese ( Praetud Suluguni juust ) Serves six to eight as nibble 500 g Suluguni cheese 2 Tbsp plain flour butt...

They say that if you find a job that you love doing, you will never have to work again. It sounds magical doesn't it, a perfect existence that allows you to play and be paid for it. What, then, stops so many of us living our dreams? Most of us cite money or mortgages, underlined by a fear of taking the plunge and switching careers.Occasionally you do meet or read about people who are living our

Curtis Stone is hot property. The Aussie surf-loving chef, who trained under Marco Pierre White in London, is conquering new ground - the US of A - and leaving a trail of fawning female fans in his wake. After starring in two series of Take Home Chef, Curtis is appearing in the current US season of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice, alongside fellow contestants Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Osbourne,

Wakame soba 350yen(about AU$4.40 in Feb 2010)There's a common misconception that Japan is expensive. It's not.As long as you're prepared to eat like a local, it's easy to stay within a modest budget. Of course eating like a local does mean less meat, more pickles and embracing the Japanese affection for soba, udon and ramen.After a night of deep-fried cheese, grilled scallops and a flurry of snow

Remember I promised to start a Beetroot Dish of the Month feature? Well, it's time for this month's beetroot recipe :) A very simple, yet delicious beetroot soup. The potato acts as a thickener, and the goat's cheese gives the soup a wonderful silkiness and smoothness. As always, I LOVE the colour :) Goat's Cheese and Beetroot Soup ( Peedi-kitsejuustusupp ) Serves 4 to 6 500 g beetroot, peeled and cut into small chunks 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 onion, peeled 1.5 litres vegetable bouillon 150 g goat's milk cream cheese (f.ex. Soignon), at room temperature 1 tsp dried herbs (I used Meira's Mediterranean herb mix) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Bring the bouillon into boil, add the vegetables and cook for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth and creamy (f.ex. in a blender or food processor). Return the puree into the saucepan and add the goat's cheese, spoonful by spoonful, as well as any seasoning. Simmer for a...

Every now and then I get a recipe translation request from somebody somewhere, who has spotted a recipe either on my Flickr photostream or on my Estonian recipe site . Yesterday Liza P. wrote me, asking for a translation of this recipe . Having translated the recipe and ready to click on the "Send Mail" button, I thought I'll blog about it instead. Easter is around the corner and various curd cheese/cream cheese desserts are traditionally enjoyed here in Estonia, so it's actually a very suitable time to blog about this cake anyway. The recipe is from our friend Heli, though I've tweaked it a bit. Note it uses a popular Estonian cake mixture (Juubeli tordipulber), but any yellow cake mix should do. This is for you, Liza ;) Mascarpone and curd cheese cake ( Mõnus kohupiimakook mascarponega ) 20-30 pieces Crumb mixture: 450 g packet of Juubeli cake mix (ordinary yellow cake) 100 ml plain flour (55 grams) 150 g cold butter Mascarpone-curd cheese filling: 500 g curd c...

Eclectic, quirky and devil-may-care, Melbourne is constantly full of welcome surprises.Of course, unless luck happens to be in your favour, many of Melbourne's treasures are best-kept secrets known only by locals. For the casual tourist, it's likely you will walk by in complete oblivion and not even realise that you're missing the discreet entrances down alleys, hidden in basements or tucked away

I can't help it.One look at the spider roll, the nori slices sheathed in a gossamer-thin scroll of daikon, and my mind immediately wanders to comparisons with prophylactics. The phallic-shaped mound of wasabi doesn't help either."It's like safe sex sushi," I whisper to Billy, whose eyes widen in alarm."Don't say that!" he protests, trying to preserve a sense of innocence during his meal, but I

I've been busy testing recipes for two Georgian cookery classes taking place this week, hence the silence on the blog. I cannot yet blog about any of the Georgian dishes, so instead you'll get a recipe for this simple lemon cake. It's based on a recipe from a Scottish food writer, Claire MacDonald. It's a nice, lemony, moist and crumbly small cake that's perfect with a cup of tea on a cold afternoon. We still have LOTS of snow over here, so cakes like this are totally justified and even more, needed :) You'll get a small cake that feeds five to six. Scottish Lemon Sponge Cake ( Mahlane šoti sidrunikeeks ) 120 g unsalted butter, softened 150 g caster sugar 150 g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder a pinch of salt 2 large eggs, lightly whisked 5 Tbsp milk (75 ml) grated zest of 1 lemon Lemon syrup: 1.5-2 lemons, juiced 6 Tbsp confectioners sugar/icing sugar Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift flower, baking powder and salt into another bowl, mix wit...

We all recognise and appreciate the joys of good wholesome food and the home garden is rapidly becoming the latest frontier in the pursuit of sustainability and provenance.During our weekend to trip to Melbourne, Billy and I were keen to check out The Edible Garden in City Square, a public initiative to demonstrate how to grow, harvest and cook your own fruits and vegetables. Forget about hedges

Five words you don't ever want to hear? "Your flight has been cancelled."It's a small dampener to the spirits of Billy and I, and even though the next flight is full, and the one after that is delayed by 40 minutes, we're still rather jubilant when we land in Melbourne three hours behind schedule.We're a little excited you see - two food bloggers flown down from Sydney by Tourism Victoria for our

FREE BACON!I mean KEVIN BACON. Same excitement factor, no? If you don't fancy getting footloose with him, then maybe a Big dose of Chris Noth gets your heart racing instead?This week's Freebie Friday gives you the chance to win free tickets to see My One and Only, a comedy film with a jazz soundtrack that will be the perfect antidote to a long working week.My One and Only is inspired by the

If there's one thing that strikes you about Japan, it's the national doctrine of politeness. No matter whether you've spent 100yen or 10,000yen, you will be addressed with deference and given a small bow or nod of appreciation.Everybody takes their job seriously, and there's always a sense of pride by anyone lucky enough to wear a uniform. Buttons are polished, ironed creases are flawlessly crisp

Here's a super-simple ice cream with an Estonian twist. The caramelized rye bread lends a lovely slightly gritty texture (and I mean it in a wholly positive way) to the otherwise super-creamy ice cream, as well as a slightly earthy-tangy flavour. The recipe works both with ice cream machine and without one - I've given instructions for both ways. Most importantly, there's no tricky custard-making bit, as the ice cream uses condensed milk as its base (that also means there's no danger of curdling :)) Here in Estonia, I simply buy a bag of ready-grated rye bread and caramelize it with some sugar. You can obviously use stale rye bread (preferably naturally leavened type), and grind it yourself. Or perhaps even try with those rye crisp breads (knäckerbröd) that are pretty universally available, smashing them into fine powder before proceeding. K. isn't a great fan of ice cream, but he asked for this one after every single meal we had last weekend :) Rye Bread Condensed ...

Cakes at Takashimaya, Namba, OsakaFor a country that exhibits remarkable restraint when it comes to snacks and junkfood, Japanese depaato (department store) food halls are a haven for dessert lovers. It's all about quality of course - each slice of cake as meticulously crafted as an exquisite work of art.We spent hours roaming these basement levels. The pastry chefs wear pristine white uniforms

Here's a humble Estonian dish that makes a great - and unusual - side dish to some grilled meat (especially lamb or mutton, as well as pork, I think). However, I've usually served this as a simple and cheap vegetarian orzotto -style dish. It's a recipe I've adapted from an old Estonian cookbook and everybody has been positively surprised how tasty it is. Barley & Swede doesn't automatically sound as something extra delicious, but if you're looking into incorporating more grains and more (root) vegetables into your diet, then definitely try this. And let me know what you thought of it :) Creamy Swede & Pearl Barley ( Kaalika-kruubipuder ) Serves 4 400-450 g swede, peeled and cubed 150 g pearl barley (about 200 ml) 250 ml water (a cup) 400 ml milk 2 Tbsp butter 2-3 tsp honey salt Wash the pearl barley, rinse and place into a saucepan with the clean water and some salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the barley has sof...

A Masterclass with Tetsuya doesn't happen everyday.What was most interesting about the evening was that ten food bloggers were chosen from around Australia to join Tetsuya Wakuda in his newly-completed Masterkitchen on the first floor of his Kent Street restaurant."You're the first to see it. Ahead of other media," we're told as we head up the stairs.Tetsuya demonstrates scrambled eggs - I have a

A super-quick last-minute dip idea that I make quite often. I love this one especially with nachos , though it also works well spread over crostini , especially those bite-sized onesd. However, I would only make it at the very last moment, as despite the addition of lime juice, this dip tends to turn from lovely green to not-so-lovely brown rather quickly. Avocado and Blue Cheese Dip ( Avokaado-sinihallitusjuustudipp ) Serves 4-6 75 grams blue cheese (I like Valio Aura) 4 Tbsp sour cream/creme fraiche/yogurt 2 ripe avocados 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh (flat-leaf) parsley 2 Tbsp lime juice freshly ground black pepper sea salt Smash the blue cheese with a fork, mix with sour cream until combined. Halve the avocados, remove the stones. Scoop out the avocado flesh and smash with a fork. Stir into the blue cheese mixture. Add the chopped parsley, season with salt, pepper and lime juice. Serve at once.

In the hustle and bustle of Japan's big cities, personal space is something you never take for granted.And yet despite the neverending waves of commuters on the Osaka public transport system, there's always a sense of order. Clear markings on train platforms indicate the precise point where doors will open, and passengers always form a polite and patient queue.On our first full day in Japan, we

I know, I know - it hasn't even been a fortnight since I posted a recipe for a colourful quinoa salad ! But trust me, this one is quite different from the quinoa-with-lobster tails-and-avocado. Yes, the quinoa and the bright colours are still here, but today's salad is vegetarian (vegan, actually, as well as gluten-free and lactose-free), and tastes just as delicious, so it's also worth sharing. This particular salad is based on a 2005 recipe from BBC Good Food. Although there aren't many components, the lime and coriander/cilantro leaves give this one plenty of flavour, so it all but a bland salad. Definitely worth trying, if you're looking for a ways to introduce the healthy quinoa to your table. Colourful Quinoa Salad ( Värvikirev kinoasalat laimi ja koriandriga ) Serves 6 a cup of quinoa seeds (about 200 g) 2 cups of vegetable stock (500 ml) 2 roasted red peppers (from a jar is fine), sliced 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 scallions/spring onions, sliced one li...

When did Sydney turn into a construction zone?After three weeks out of town, I return to suddenly notice the new escalators at the north end of QVB and the masses of hoarding in Darling Harbour and all along the front entrance of Star City casino.Last night we were shepherded toward the main gaming floor for the launch of Sydney's latest dining venture, Fat Noodle, by consultant chef Luke

Itadakimasu!Our arrival in Osaka, Japan prompted only one response: Let's eat!Fluffy clouds (taken with iPhone)The flight had been reasonably uneventful. We had taken advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free Jetstar offer on sale early last year -- the only downside was the 6.10am departure from Sydney and the transfer from domestic to international at the Gold Coast. The early check-in time and a