More glorious food

(this image of Pearl Cafe is from here)

Pearl Cafe is our favourite restaurant in Brisbane. After some time in Northern New South Wales, my husband and I went to Brisbane for one night. We had pre-booked a dinner reservation and had been looking forward to dinner here for months. However, after eating this huge lunch at Liliana's we cancelled dinner and went instead for breakfast.

We slept in and took our time the following morning, with a quick cup of tea at our motel and some antique shopping beforehand, we arrived at Pearl Cafe at about 10:00am. The place was packed and we waited almost an hour to get a seat.  

Was it worth it you ask? YES!

Have I mentioned already, that we have eaten the best food ever on this trip?



My husband ordered a 'ploughman's breakfast', something he had seen someone else eating as we were seated at our table. Simple but WOW! A baguette, a dollop of onion confit, a soft boiled duck egg sitting on a scrapping of djion mustard, the most divine aged cheddar cheese I have ever tasted (ever!) and the 'piece de resistance', the beef.

House salted beef was the description. Have I already said WOW! It took all my strength, not to get up and storm into the kitchen demanding the recipe.

What cut of beef was that? (maybe brisket) What ingredients were used? (there was definitely star anise in there somewhere) What technique was used to get this amazing, delicious, falling apart, melt in your mouth, best meat I've ever eaten, house salted beef?

I guess I'll never know, with restraint, I stayed seated. But if I find out, you will be the first to know.



I chose the 'eggs in a pan' with thyme, cream and wild mushrooms, served with rye toast.  

Oh my, the flavour! You couldn't believe the depth of flavour from those wild mushrooms. YUM. Both my husband and I commented that the last time we had tasted a mushroom dish that good was in Italy. That was a very long time ago and a lot of mushrooms have been eaten since then!

(sorry there was really bad light in the chinese restaurant)

With no need for lunch, we drove the 2 hours home, collected our children from Grandma and Grandpa's house and went straight out to dinner with my Dad for his birthday. A Chinese banquet for 10 at our friendly local Chinese restaurant. The typical Chinese fare: beef in black bean sauce, mongolian lamb, chicken and almonds, fish with ginger and shallots, lemon chicken, sweet and sour pork, piles of spring rolls and piles of prawn crackers, fried rice and deep fried ice-cream for the kids. Traditional (Australian) Chinese restaurant dishes that never seem to disappoint, so fresh and so tasty.

*********

Just when I was vowing never to eat again, we were invited for a play date with one of my daughters friends. The mother had said to me, that a few other mums would be coming over too, very last minute and that I was to bring nothing. We took jam drops along.

When we arrived we found the children running around outside enjoying the the large acreage property. The mum's were sitting around large cheese and antipasto platters drinking wine. This was my first ever play date with wine and cheese. Nice. While we all got to know each other a little better, our host was jumping up and down getting more platters of food. And as the sun disappeared behind the hills, she promptly vanished into the kitchen to cook sausages and homemade nuggets for the kids. Nobody was in a hurry to leave, nobody had to, nobody wanted to.

With the children happily fed, she went again into her kitchen and brought out salads and yummy leftover nuggets. Then came home made pizzas. YUM. Finally sitting still and relaxing, it was time for me to get to know this mother a little better. She told me how much she hates to cook. I didn't believe her. For her, she cooks for her kids and her kids health. I was so inspired by this mum. Cooking from scratch is easier for me, I love to cook, but imagine if you hated it?

While sitting there I also got the secret to her yummy homemade pizzas. Her homegrown tomatoes are first roasted, then marinated for a few days in garlic and olive oil. Then she purees the lot and freezes it. This sauce is then used as a base for almost everything she cooks: pizza, pasta, casseroles, and for dipping. Brilliant.

And I thought I was just going out for an hour of jam drops and tea!

Food, Glorious Food!

(this is Harvest Cafe - image from here)

There hasn't been a lot of cooking going on around here of late, but we have still been doing plenty, plenty, of eating.

My husband and I have been away, six days child free! We stayed in the hills just outside of beautiful Bangalow in Northern New South Wales. We enjoyed quirky shops and country drives, but most of all, we feasted like kings. It was four years ago when we last visited this area and yes, I remember it as pretty much the same.

Some of the best food I have eaten.

I'll tell you about it, shall I?

I think the highlight of our trip was our lunch at Harvest. We had been there a few times before but only for breakfast or coffee. This lunch blew us away. Not only was the food amazing, but the whole experience was great. The log fire was roaring and the place was abuzz, packed with people, we had a wonderful waitress that knew all about each dish on the menu and spoke knowingly about the wines. This kind of service I find is very rare, at least where I eat out. Her happy service certainly made our lunch all the more enjoyable.

My husband ate the daily special, a delicious duck curry, filled overflowing with melt in your mouth duck pieces (yes, I did taste just a little bit) the bright yellow curry was bursting with flavour and freshness. I had twice cooked caramel pork belly to die for, sticky and flavoursome. Served with fragrant rice and a Asian salad (julienned carrot, capsicum and cucumber, coriander, ginger). The meals where huge and I think value for money. Washed down with a glass of white wine, the only option for the afternoon was a siesta back at our little cottage.

I am really sorry that I did not take a photo of this meal, but we had left the camera in the car.



The newly converted old Possum Creek School, Liliana's was the place for another amazing lunch.

We had been driving past the restaurant all week and wanted to go there for lunch on our last day. After spending the morning shopping, we arrived at 1:30pm. It was a Thursday. 'Did we have a booking?' (no) We were seated up on some bar stools at a bench down one end of the verandah. We were happy with that. Once again there was a lovely vibe to the renovated restaurant, similar to Harvest. Out of the wind and in the sun, we shared a 'tasting plate' and some homemade chunky chips. Totally unexpected, the tasting plate was huge and we did not need the chips (but yes, we did eat it all!) No wine on this day, we were driving on to Brisbane, but I did have a Nana nap in the car. I am not used to eating such big meals.

Our tasting plate above: marinated olives, prosciutto, arancini, goats cheese labneh, roasted peppers, pesto, white anchovies, grilled asparagus, caper berries and house made sourdough. Not in the picture was a huge bowl of chunky chips with a bowl of aioli.



We stayed at the beautiful, beautiful, Coco's. The owner Kevin, cooks the most delicious food. Last time we stayed here, we ate way too much, so this time we choose only to have one breakfast and one three course dinner cooked for us.

We requested breakfast at 8:30. I woke (oh, glorious sleep in) at 8:29, a minute later there was a tiny knock at our door, our host, Janice was there, holding two glasses of freshly squeezed juice: orange, tangelo and grapefruit.

Our breakfast was a tasting plate. Homemade sourdough, local bacon, amazing slow roasted mushrooms and tomatoes (I'll just let you know, I hate roasted tomatoes - I could not get enough of these) avocado and a delicious layered tortilla filled with thinly sliced vegetables and so much flavour. Pure genius.



Our three course meal did not disappoint either.

I'll set the scene: (this may show my age, when I say this is the perfect night)

After a long day of shopping and exploring we sat by the fire with a glass of wine and a Scrabble game under way. Each course was delivered to our door at the ready. Our first course was a bowl of Yamba prawns and snapper tossed in a rich, but light sauce. I am going to try and reproduce this: capers, preserved lemon, finely diced tomato, finely diced leeks, butter, perhaps a little stock? - Oh soooo yummy. Served on the side with local prosciutto wrapped around asparagus and marinated olives.



Back to our Scrabble game while we waited for our second course.  A perfectly cooked sirloin steak, sweet roasted pumpkin, beetroot, onions and garlic, steamed snow peas from the garden and grilled polenta. All drizzled with an amazing red wine jus. Another huge serving, lucky for us, we enjoyed most of our meal, but were able to put some aside for the following morning's breakfast. Straight into the fridge and again, back to our game.



To end, Janice delivered a giant piece of tiramisu and bid us goodnight. We left the tiramisu sit while we recovered from what we had just eaten. Our Scrabble game finished, I admitted defeat and we tidied up the dishes. We made some espresso's and settled onto the couch by the fire. Tiramisu and a movie. Perfect. It was the yummiest tiramisu I have ever tasted.

With four farmers markets a week in their local area, Janice and Kevin source their produce locally and define there menu by what's available. When I booked our accommodation, I told them that we will eat anything except offal, and left the rest up to them. Not only was it a good rest from cooking each day, but it was also great not to have to decide what to eat. 

And what else did we eat on our travels, you ask?

• The biggest and one of the best hamburgers ever, served with yummy chunky chips at the Tumbulgum Tavern. Quiet on a weekday, we sat and looked out over the beautiful Tweed River.

• A lighter burger the next day, a fish burger with a flavour-filled Asian salad and chunky chips at Fish Heads in Bangalow.

• We were stopped in the street by the amazing smells coming from this 'hole in the wall' Balinese restaurant. We decided it was lunch time and shared a fantastic Balinese chicken curry and yummy gago gado. $20.00 for two people! I was so full I could hardly walk out of the restaurant.

• We ate brownies and coffee everywhere, here and here, but we particularly loved our coffee stop at The Bank Cafe in Lismore. It was late and we were the only customers. We drank more than one coffee and shared a deliciously gooey brownie, while reading vintage magazines (they were the only reading material on the tables) What a laugh. "What does marriage mean to men?" in 1960! Italian cuisine in 1983. Home decorating in 1979 and the best fun, "Dear Abbey!"

Tomorrow, I will tell you about what we have been eating since leaving the Northern Rivers area - yes, more eating out!

Making Homemade Yoghurt

 

A couple of months ago I started making our own yoghurt. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to doing it. There is no turning back now.

1. It's so easy
2. It's so yummy
3. It's so much cheaper

We sometimes go through 2 litres of yogurt per week, depending (school lunches, breakfast, yoghurt dips, curries, smoothies and baking) We buy organic, so that is $18.00 per week. Now our weekly yoghurt bill is a meagre $4.50. Sounds like good economy to me.

Getting started:

I had read many different ways to make yoghurt; some people leave it in a low oven overnight, others in a slow cooker (which I don't have), most people I read about, wrapped it in a blanket and put it in the corner of the kitchen to set. This may sound a little pedantic, but I just didn't want a large woollen blanket sitting on my kitchen bench a couple of times a week.

I like things neat and tidy. So when my cousin suggested getting a yoghurt maker from the op shop, it seemed like the way to go for me. I got my yoghurt maker for $5:00 at my local Lifeline. On the day there were 6 to choose from and I also got the container to go with it. However, having said that, always the practical one, my cousin also suggested I buy a round one litre 'Decor' container, that fits perfectly inside the yoghurt makers. This was harder to find than an op shop 'Esiyo'. I went to five shops before finding them at a large 'Big W' store. I bought two.

I didn't know it at the time, but this was a good idea, as the container that came with my yoghurt maker holds only 900 ml, so the quantity below makes too much yoghurt for the container. Now my 'Esiyo' container has taken on another life in my kitchen as a measuring jug. I alternate between the two 'Decor' containers for making my weekly batches of yoghurt.



Barambah Organics is (was?) my favourite yogurt, so I have used it as my starter. And with the absence of a house cow in my small suburban backyard, I used either this milk or this milk from local dairies to make my yoghurt.



I put my milk on the stove top and bring it up to the required 80-82 degrees. I measure out 2 tablespoons of last weeks yoghurt and put it into a bowl. I also boil my jug ready to fill my yoghurt maker.



After the milk has been heated up, then cooled down and mixed with the yoghurt, it is time to pour it into the container. Once done, take the lid off the yoghurt maker and take out the red shelf. Pour boiling water into yoghurt maker, it is to come up to the bottom line.



Put the red shelf back into the yoghurt maker, "This side up" should be written on the shelf.



Sit your container of yoghurt into the yoghurt maker and put the lid on. Move it to a part of the kitchen where it can be left undisturbed. I usually make my yoghurt at night. It is easy to keep an eye on it while either, preparing for, or cleaning up after dinner.



"Is it ready Mum?"

This picture was taken the first time I we made yoghurt. Up bright and early the kids were eager to see if it had worked (or maybe that was me?)



It looked like yoghurt.

Yes! it had set like yoghurt.

This is when I did a little 'happy yoghurt' dance. I can't tell you the excitement. My kids, naturally, thought I was crazy, but really, I was that proud of myself!




"Is it yummy?" I asked

"YUCK!"

"What???"

I suggest that you put your newly set yoghurt in the fridge before you try. Warm yoghurt is not actually very nice.

A few hours after this photo was taken, the kids were enjoying our homemade yoghurt with fruit and honey in their school lunches. Making yoghurt has quickly become part of our weekly routine. The kids know that if we run out, then I need to make some more. Buying yoghurt just doesn't seem like an option anymore.

Here is my recipe. My sources for making yoghurt were from all over (as usual): "Saha", "The Real Food Companion", "A Greener Life", "Down to Earth" and this amazing person. Mrs Gooseberry's yoghurt maker tips were invaluable. Thank-you. Thank-you. xo 

Yoghurt 

makes 1 litre

• 1 litre full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Heat the milk in a saucepan over a high heat until it starts to froth at the edges, but hasn't quiet boiled. It should be heated to 80 - 82 degrees. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to 42 - 45 degrees. (This is when I boil my jug for the yoghurt maker) When the milk has cooled remove any skin that may have formed on the surface.

Put the yoghurt into a large bowl (either glass or earthenware) and add a few tablespoons of the hot milk, mix well with a whisk. Add the remaining milk and whisk again. Pour the yoghurt into a plastic container and put it into the 'yoghurt maker'. Leave in a warm place, undisturbed for at least 8 hours or overnight. The ideal temperature for this is 20 degrees and never below 15 degrees. The yoghurt should thicken. Transfer the yoghurt to the fridge where it will keep for up to a week.

To continue making yoghurt from this batch, reserve a little to make another batch within 4 days.

Opps!

On Wednesday afternoon I sat down at the computer to upload two extra photos to a prewritten post. I had written up the recipes for lemon curd, meringues, chocolate and coconut meringues and eton mess earlier that day. I had added my text and all of the pictures except for the two of the eton mess.

I was answering a question from my daughter as I pressed what 'I thought' was save. I needed to leave the computer to get something for her. But when I came back my post was GONE!

What! HOW? Deleted! Gone? How? What!!! DELETED!!

Yes, there was swearing. You see, as I tend to do, I made some of the recipes up. And yes, some of the recipes where cooked weeks ago and yes, I didn't have a clue what I did. And no (as my husband scolded) I did not back up my recipes anywhere or write down the recipe as I went along. So I'm sorry to say, you will just have to wait to see those recipes here.

It looks like I will have to make lemon curd, meringues and eton mess again.  

Oh, What a shame!

Until then, I will leave you to guess what is brewing in our kitchen.

Move over Maggie Beer

 

Don't get the wrong idea. I am not trying to put Maggie Beer out of business.

I love Maggie. LOVE her!

I'm just saying, that if you can make your own quince paste, then why wouldn't you?

In fact, I think Australians owe Maggie a big thank-you for introducing us to the delights of quince paste in the first place. Really is there any better picnic food than crusty bread, quince paste and a local brie? I think not. It certainly is one of our families favourites.



This recipe is from here. I knew this recipe worked, as we have been in enjoying this yummy quince paste over the last year. There are lots of good step-by-step photo's here.



Puree the quince paste.



Ruby red and ready for the molds.



Wrap in waxed paper.



Ready to be sealed and stored in the fridge. 

Quince Paste 

Makes 3-4 cups

• 1 1/2 kilograms quinces (peeled, cored and roughly chopped)
• 1/2 cup water
• 800g caster sugar

Grease 12 1/2-cup capacity ramekins with oil or line them with plastic wrap.

Put the quince and water in a large heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. When the quince is tender, allow it to sit and cool for 10  minutes. Process the quinces (with the the water) in a food processor until smooth. Return the quince puree to the saucepan and add the sugar. Stir for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 3 1/2 hours or until mixture is ruby red, very thick and glossy. It should leave the side of pan easily and stick well to a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the ramekins. Cover and set aside for 6 hours or until set. Loosen with a butter knife and wrap in waxed paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

The quince paste will keep for up to 4 months in the fridge.

Pickles

When Grandma gave me a bag full of chokos grown in her garden, I wasn't quiet sure what I was going to do with them all.

A few days later, I borrowed a Woman's Weekly cookbook from the library, within it's well thumbed pages was a recipe for choko pickles - perfect. I had never heard of choko pickles before, but the ingredients where similar to a couple of my favourite recipes: sweet mustard pickles and tomato relish.

It is yum. If you like pickles that is. I am sad now that our (always flourishing) choko vine has not come back to life this year. I have always loved having a choko vine growing over the back fence. We've always had plenty to give away (my own Granny loves them), but now I have discovered a great way to preserve them. Best get myself a new plant!

After buying a favourite cheese on sale last week, I made myself a special lunch, a ploughman's lunch. It made a nice change from the usual sandwiches: cheese and pickles or ham, salad and pickles.

I made a simple ploughman's lunch. This is how I like it. It would have been good if I had some homemade pickled onions or perhaps a pork pie. Maybe next time. As it was just me, home alone on a Wednesday lunchtime, I served my lunch with a cup of tea instead of a pint. I thought that was still a very English thing to do, don't you?

And not to go off on a tangent here, but while we are on the subject of the English. Thank-you Mum for my new (old) willow pattern china. As you can see I am putting it to good use.



Ploughman's Lunch 

for as many people as you like

• cheddar cheese
• ham or cold roast meat
• pickles
• crusty bread
• butter
• apples
• pickled onions
• pork pie (optional)

Arrange on individual serving plates and serve.







Choko Pickles 

makes 5-6 x 280ml jars

• 1 kilogram chokos (peeled, cored and finely diced)
• 2 onions (finely diced)
• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

Combine the choko, onion and salt in a glass or ceramic bowl (not metal) and set aside to stand overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash your jars in hot water and put into the oven to sterilise. When ready to cook, rinse the vegetables and drain well. Place the vegetables into a large saucepan and add the curry powder, mustard powder, sugar and vinegar. Stir over a high heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, and leave to cook, uncovered for 45 minutes or until the pickle is thick. Stir occasionally. Use a cup to scoop about a tablespoon of the vinegar liquid from the pickles. Add the cornflour to the cup and blend until smooth. Stir the cornflour mixture through the pickle that is still on the heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir occasionally. 

Remove the jars from the oven and pour in the hot pickles. I usually ladle my pickles into a pouring jug and then pour it into the jars. Hold the hot jars with a tea towel and be careful! Seal immediately and leave to cool before labeling. Store in a cool, dark place.

I read this Woman's Weekly Tip (after) I had cut up my chokos: Wear disposable gloves when preparing your chokos, as they will leave a sticky residue on your skin - yes they will!

Even though I have not cooked these sweet mustard pickles lately, I though that I would share this recipe anyway. We always have homemade pickles or chutney of some sort in the fridge. If not made by me, there is usually a jar or two from this lovely person (see some of Mrs Gooseberry's preserves we have been eating here) or some from my mother in law.

The last couple of batches of my yummy tomato relish (my favourite of all) has been a little runny, so I will make it again before I post the recipe. 

Sweet Mustard Pickles 

makes 4-5 280 ml jars

• 1.5 kilogram mixed vegetables – cauliflower, beans, red pepper, cabbage, carrots, onions, celery (finely diced)
• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt
• 600 ml white vinegar
• 3 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups water

Place the vegetables into a large glass or ceramic bowl (not metal), sprinkle over the salt and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Set aside to soak overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash your jars in hot water and put into the oven to sterilise. When ready to cook, rinse the vegetables and drain well. Place the vegetables into a large saucepan with the vinegar and bring to the boil. Cook on medium high heat for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Combine the remaining dry ingredients (spices and flour) with the water to form a smooth paste. Remove the pickles from the heat and slowly stir through the paste. Return to the heat and cook until thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the heat again and leave to sit for 10 minutes before bottling in hot sterilized jars. 

Remove the jars from the oven and pour in the hot pickles. I usually ladle my pickles into a pouring jug and then pour it into the jars. Hold the hot jars with a tea towel and be careful! Seal immediately and leave to cool before labeling. Store in a cool, dark place.

Remember this?

 

I have just realised that it was back in May, when I posted this ambitious cooking list. Do you remember it?

The choko's were made into choko pickle, the quinces were made into quince paste, the lemons were made into lemon curd and the Thai curry pastes were made.

All of the oranges and mandarins were gobbled up by my little monkeys, long before they could get anywhere near the jam pot. As have every other bag of citrus bought since! But I will be making marmalade soon. I didn't make any last year and recently had to buy it. This will not do, even the good quality store bought marmalade doesn't come close to homemade.

The cabbage, also, was not used as I had intended. When I read this line, in a book: "Making sauerkraut is like making beer." I decided to give it a miss. I was still battling my head cold and attempting a fermention process just seemed like too much hard work at the time. I didn't even have anything to store it in.

Instead the cabbage found it's way into soups and salads and this super yummy Scottish dish, Rumbledethumps.

I'll be honest, I made this recipe because of the name, Rumbledethumps. Just say it out loud - you see, I had to make it.  I'm not sure I was expecting to like it so much, but I did. I'd say eat it anytime; breakfast, lunch or a simple dinner, as an accompaniment or alone. Perfect peasant fare for those dark and gloomy winter days.

However, my kids were not so convinced, even when I said 'Rumbledethumps' with my best Scottish accent! They just couldn't find the fun in cabbage.

Hopefully you will.

This recipe is from Heather Williams of the Castle Hill Show Society and comes from 'The Country Show Cookbook'. I will write up the other recipes that I have cooked over the next week. I have been having a lot (A LOT) of trouble with my computer, which is why the recipes are piling up next to my computer instead of being shared with you.




Rumbledethumps 

serves 4-6

• 450 grams potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 60 grams butter
• 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
• 250 grams cabbage (finely shredded)
• salt and pepper
• 80 grams cheddar cheese (grated)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Oil a 23cm baking (pie) dish. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered until the potatoes are tender. Drain in a colander and leave to sit for about 4 minutes before roughly mashing. Set aside. 

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and gently saute the onion until soft and golden. Add the cabbage and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and season to taste. Stir to combine and then remove from the heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and transfer the cabbage mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes and serve.