This Little Green Book

Eggs Benedict (and the Perfect Poached Egg)

2010-12-19T11:49:00.001+11:00

Once again The Daring Kitchen has managed to challenge me with the very technique that I’ve been struggling with. Just the other day I was saying that the main reason I go out for brunch is to get perfectly poached eggs, so now that I’ve perfected the technique there’s no reason to leave the comfort of my home for brunch, right? Well, aside from creamy chai lattes that is...

Blog-checking lines: Jenn and Jill have challenged The Daring Cooks to learn to perfect the technique of poaching an egg. They chose Eggs Benedict recipe from Alton Brown, Oeufs en Meurette from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, and Homemade Sundried Tomato & Pine Nut Seitan Sausages (poached) courtesy of Trudy of Veggie num num.

Recipe: Eggs Benedict
Serves: 2
(printable recipe)
4 eggs (size is your choice)
2 Rossettes, halved (you can use English muffins, or any bun, or even 4 slices of bread)
Splash of vinegar (for poaching)
I small bunch of asparagus
1 tomato (roma if possible)
Salt and pepper to season
1 T Olive oil
For the hollandaise
2 medium egg yolks
1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) water
1/8 tsp. (.75 ml) sugar
6 Tbl. (85 g/3 oz.) unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
1/4 tsp. (1.25 ml/1.5 g) salt
1 tsp. (5 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch cayenne / black pepper (optional)

Halve the tomato, season with salt and pepper, and place on an oiled baking tray in a preheated 220 degree oven. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and set aside.

Whisk egg yolks and 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) water in a mixing bowl large enough to sit on the saucepan without touching the water (or in top portion of a double boiler). Whisk for 1–2 minutes, until egg yolks lighten. Add the sugar and whisk 30 seconds more.

Place bowl on saucepan over simmering water and whisk steadily 3–5 minutes (it only took about 3 for me) until the yolks thicken to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat (but let the water continue to simmer) and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Move the bowl to the pan again as needed to melt the butter, making sure to whisk constantly.

Once all the butter is incorporated, remove from heat and whisk in the salt, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper (if using). Keep the hollandaise warm while you poach your eggs in a thermos, carafe, or bowl that you’ve preheated with warm water.

If the water simmering in your pan has gotten too low, add enough so that you have about 13cm (5 inches) of water and bring back to a simmer. Add salt and a splash of vinegar (any kind will do). I added about a tablespoon of vinegar to my small saucepan (about 3 cups of water/720 ml of water), but you may need more if you’re using a larger pan with more water.

Using a slotted spoon (or similar kitchen utensil) spin the water to create a whirlpool (about 7 full circle rotations should be enough). One at a time crack the eggs very gently directly into the centre of the simmering water (or crack first into a bowl and then gently pour into the water). The vortex you created by spinning the water helps to create neat, round eggs. Cook for 3 minutes for a viscous but still runny yolk – check the progress by lifting the eggs out of the water and prodding the egg, you want to feel a firm white but still have a soft feeling yolk.

While waiting for the eggs, quickly toast your English muffin and cook the asparagus spears for 2mins in boiling water. Remove tomato from oven (after 20-30 mins, you will see the skin start to retract and the tomato will take on a slight brown tone).

Place one piece of tomato and half the asparagus in each plate. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, draining well and place one on each half of the rosette (or bun / muffin / bread), top with hollandaise and enjoy!

Food Photography Sydney brought to you by Pixelchicken.com, courtesy of Liz Laughton.

Savoury Souffle Recipe: Watercress and Parmesan Souffle

2010-11-23T22:23:00.000+11:00

This months Daring Kitchen challenge had me revisit a previously unsuccessful dish – the Souffle. Ignited with encouragement and advise from the Monkeyshine-ers I tackled this dish with confidence and determination – and it paid off with some delicious, (almost) perfectly risen souffles. Gone are the days of the sou-flops!

A souffle can be either savoury or sweet, and is a great example of just how wonderful and versatile the humble egg is in the kitchen. I mean those little beauties are just so damn useful! The basic principle of the souffle is that you seperate the eggs, use the yolks to create the ‘base’ (either roux-based sauce for savoury or a thick custard for sweet), then the egg whites are beaten into submission and added to the base just before baking. Baking sees the souffle rise magically, leaving you with a puffy creation that is deliciously firm on the outside and moiste in the middle.

Tips for a succesful souffle:

- The smaller the souffle baking dish the more likely it is to rise, I recommend starting with baking multiple individually sized portions and working your way up to a larger souffle – less likey to deflate!
- Mise En Place – get everything washed, chopped, measured and ready to go before you start the recipe. It’s important to work quickly when you make this recipe.
- Egg whipping edicate: Use room temperature eggs and make sure that the bowl and wisk (or mixer) is free of any greese, yolk, detergent etc as any interfeering substance will result in badly whipped egg whites.
- Temper the egg yolks before you add them to the base mixture, otherwise you run the risk of creating scrambled eggs when the cold yolkes are mixed with the hot base mixture. See how to temper eggs here.
- Oven edicate: the oven must be really well preheated, and fight the urge to open it during the cooking process. The loss of any heat during the crucial first 15mins of cooking will result in a deflated and sad souffle.

Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided many of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.

Recipe: Watercress and Parmesan Souffle
Makes 5 individual souffles (or 1 large, in a 1.6-2l baking tray)
(printable recipe)
2 Tbsp 1 oz/30g butter plus additional for the soufflé dish
3½ Tbsp (55 ml) 1 oz/30g plain (all purpose) flour
1 cup/8 fluid oz (240ml) milk
½ cup (120 ml) 2 oz/60g parmesan cheese, finely grated plus additional for the soufflé dish
1 cup (250ml) 2 oz/60g finely chopped de-stemmed watercress (can substitute spinach) – about 1 large bunch (this measure is the leaves after they’ve been washed, de-stemmed, and chopped)
4 large eggs, separated
½ tsp (2½ ml) (3 gm) (.1 oz) prepared mustard
¼ tsp (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) (0.05 oz) cream of tartar OR ½ tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Butter the soufflé dish(es) thoroughly, then grate a small amount of cheese in each dish and tap so that the sides are evenly coated with the cheese. Place the dish(es) in the refrigerator until needed (according to some sites, this helps the soufflé climb).

Preheat the oven to moderate 350º F / 180º C / gas mark 4.

Wash and chop the watercress if you haven’t already.
Finely grate the parmesan cheese.

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook 1 minute, then add the milk, a little at a time, and stir until just thickened, about 1 minute. Add the cheese and stir until it’s just melted. Remove from heat then add the watercress and salt and pepper.

In a larger pan, bring water to a gentle simmer. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl set just over this water until pale and slightly foamy – about 6 minutes. (I held the bowl just above the simmering water to be sure I didn’t cook the eggs).

Mix the egg yolks into the watercress sauce.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks yet are still glossy.

Fold the egg whites into the sauce in 3 additions so that it’s evenly mixed, but you don’t lose too much volume.

Remove the soufflé dish from the refrigerator and spoon the mix into it. Use a spatula to even the tops of the soufflés and wipe off any spills.

Bake 25 minutes for small dishes or 40 minutes if using a large soufflé dish, then serve immediately.

How To Prepare Aubergines For Cooking

2010-11-20T23:11:00.000+11:00

This simple ‘How To’ recipe will give you sweet, succulent aubergines (that’s eggplants to all the Australians out there) every time.

Until recently aubergine was a vegetable I loved to eat but I was never happy with it when I prepared it myself – it always had the tendency to have a slightly bland and bitter flavour. I’ve learned how to stop that from happening, and it’s a really easy process. You just soak the aubergine in salted water for 10minutes before cooking it and you have a lovely sweet tasting aubergine every time.

See my aubergine recipes for some great meal ideas.

How To: Prepare Aubergine
(printable recipe)
Aubergine
Salt
Water

Slice the aubergine in whichever way your recipe requires, then sit in warm well-salted (about 1tsp per litre) water for 10-15 minutes. The aubergine is then removed, rinsed and dried (either in a colander if you have time to let it sit for 10 minutes or with a clean tea-towel or in a salad dryer) and used as you normally would. Guaranteed to improve the flavour of your aubergine dish.

Restaurant Review: Fattoria Di Titignano

2010-11-09T20:37:00.001+11:00

http://www.titignano.com
+39.0763.308.000
Cuisine: Italian – Traditional Umbrian
Cost: $40 AUD per person all inclusive

A restaurant within a village owned entirely by Prince so-and-so of what-sit. No menu; 13 courses; drinks included. This is more than enough information to whet my appetite. It also fixed my expectation to the 'glamorous' and 'expensive' setting. Post-meal my appetite was indeed whet, flooded, gently rinsed then once again drenched. Though pleasantly my bank balance and non-designer clothes were both at home and well intact after my meal at Titignano.

Fattoria Di Titignano is the Agritourism (hotel, restaurant, food and wine producer) of Titignano, a charming microvilliage in the Umbrian hills not far from the Tiber valley. Built 900yrs B.C and currently owned by the decedents of Prince Don Tommasio di Filippo Cosini, the Titignano castle and surrounding village houses are today an insular working village that boast a unique 'from the farm to the table' dining experience.

The term's 'prince' and 'no menu' evoked images of ladies that lunch, Gucci sponsored apparel and ours being the only car not to sport a soft-top. Adversely the clientele resembled any other local Italian restaurant. Galley tables housed 20 strong families with everyone in attendance from the 90-day-old to the 90-year-old. Dress code varied from pool-wear (presumably the hotel guests) to Italian causal with just a whiff of Gucci.

Our table was politely ushered to another of the dining rooms that seated the smaller groups, as our party of four is clearly a mere shadow of an Italian lunch group. When seated and happily tucking into some Grechetto (Umbrian white wine) we notice that we are the only non-Italians in sight and instantly decide that we are indeed in for a treat. Our air of dining confidence does not dissipate through the meal; each course brings a new flavour, a new star ingredient and a new round of very appreciative noises.

Antipasto accounts for the first four courses; a herbed foccacia sandwich encasing spinach, sausage and cheese that is just the right mixture of crunch, cream and spice; wafer thin slices of cured meats; a trio of crostini; and aranchini set the tone for a very generous home style Umbrian feast.

Still digesting our antipasto we move on to the Sangratino wine and self congratulate our restraint at only accepting one encore of the antipasto dishes. I am secretly worried that if all the courses are this delectable that I may regret wearing skinny jeans.

Seamlessly the precise and yet friendly waitresses (not a waiter in sight) arrive with two pasta dishes. Taggliatelline with truffles shines here and goes on to be the star of the meal for me. The pasta, a smaller version of tagliatelle as the name suggests, is freshly made with a fluffiness that only home made egg pasta can give; the truffles are plenty without being overpowering and the absence of cheese is noted as a fabulous way to spotlight the woody flavour of the fresh black truffle.

Whilst I'm still communing on a higher plane about truffles the next courses arrive. By this time reflex has taken over any real hunger and I am enjoying the flavours of the rare roast beef, pork with carrot and apricot glaze, passata with chickpeas and vegetable flan with less gusto than the previous courses.

Dessert is a fabulous Italian tribute; tiramasu with an extra gutsy coffee tang, dessert wine with biscotti for dipping, fresh summer fruits and strong black espresso. Hindsight offers this mutual advise to diners: resist the shiny breaded temptations served first and save some room for the hero's served in course seven through to ten.

By this time the dining rooms' previous medley of noise is muted save for the occasional heady raucous laugh, and our table descends from our mountainous feast with the dreamy quiet only the found in the truly content diner. You walk away from this dining experience with just that; it wasn't just a meal it's a gastronomic marathon which we will remember as 'the big one of 2010'. And my appetite? Drowned - it will be MIA for the next 18 or so hours...

Slow Cooked Peppery Pork Wine Stew

2010-11-05T15:28:00.000+11:00

We've been inundated with rain for the past few days, which I've welcomed as it's a wonderful excuse to make a slow cooked stew. I have been reading Jamie's Italy and decided to make his Peposo - a famous Tuscan hunter's stew. So I toddled off to the butcher and not until I arrived did I realise that my Italian (I'm at the point where I no longer need my phrase book for simple conversation) did not yet include butcher talk. So after much gesticulation I walked away with a pork shin instead of a veal shin and the realisation that I'd need to change the cooking times somewhat.

The tradition behind this stew conjures up vivid images of hunting parties. Tough men-of-the-land living in the wilderness for weeks at a time; armed with nothing but their weapons, some wine and a pouch full of herbs. I envision them spending the afternoon skinning carcasses then carefully adding a pinch of pepper (pinky raised) to the bubbling pot with such finesse as to make you forget that they were blood splattered butchers not a minute before.

My re-enactment was somewhat less romantic, but the result was (I'm sure) just as rustic and fulfilling. This recipe has a lovely strong flavour that works without being too overpowering. You may shudder at the sheer volume of garlic and pepper in the recipe but I assure you that the flavours marry perfectly when the meal is cooked. I enjoyed the meal with some fresh spinach leaves (just stirred them into the hot juices in the oven tray before serving as they cook so quickly) but for those with larger aspirations this would be lovely on chunky piece of bread or with roast vegetables.

Pre-cooking notes: Warning - cooking time 4 or 6 hours, so plan ahead with this meal. Also, don't buy the cheapest of the cheap wine, my rule is that if you won't drink it you shouldn't cook with it. Any overly-acidic flavours pre-cooking will negatively affect the dish post cooking so spend another couple of bucks. You won't regret it.

Recipe: Slow Cooked Peppery Pork Wine Stew
Serves 6 with accompaniment
Recipe adapted slightly from Jamie's Italy (Jamie Oliver)
(printable recipe)
2 kg pork shin
20 garlic cloves, peeled
4 heaped tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 btls Chianti or other fruity red wine
2 bay leaves
Accompaniment
Fresh spinach leaves and sliced crusty bread

Slice the meat into chunky slabs and get it all off the bone, preheat the oven to either 150 degrees (4 hours cooking time) or 100 degrees (6 hours cooking time). In an oven proof pan, just large enough to fit all the ingredient, place a layer of sliced meat with a few garlic cloves one spoon of pepper and a little salt. Add a couple of rosemary sprigs then repeat the layering process until all the ingredients are used. Next pour the wine over the top, add the bone and bay leaf and top up with water if necessary to cover the meat.

On the stove top bring the pot to the boil then cover tightly with a double layer of foil then place in the oven for your chosen time (depending on the temperature) or until tender. Well-sealed foil will keep the moisture in the pot.

When the stew's done skim any surface fat and remove the bone, bay leaves and rosemary twigs. Taste and season if it needs it. Serve with either: fresh spinach leaves and a slice of bread or some roasted vegetables.

Plum and Mulberry Tart

2010-10-10T19:44:00.000+11:00

So I watched Julie and Julia and loved it. From the opening sequence through the expected dramatic girl-looses-guy middle and on to the unexpectedly imperfect ending. Julia Child's character is totally lovable: always hungry; graceful in a way that only large framed women can almost pull off; obsessed by butter. Lets just say I identified.

The film motivated me to refer to my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and try my hand at soufflé. Now, the soufflé didn't work. In fact it was my grandest cooking failure to date. Totally inedible, not even my loving fiancé could manage to digest and lie to me.

On a positive note, the kittens enjoyed some (almost) posh nosh and now peer in the kitchen window obsessively. And I know where I went wrong: I was successfully halving the recipe right up until where you add egg yolks to the mixture at which stage I forgot to halve-sies, resulting in a very gluey, very sunken mess. Lesson learnt.

To cheer myself up I cooked a fruit tart and I plan to work toward re trying the sou-flop another day. Being my first short crust pastry endeavour I stuck meticulously to the recipe and was not disappointed - and how could you be with all that butter? The key to a successful short crust pastry is not to let the butter melt too much, as that will result in a soggy, overly crumbly pastry. The filling I played with a little, using what was in the garden instead of buying something more traditional like cherries. I used wild plums (a smaller, more tart plum), mulberries and a little orange and the resulting flavour was a lovely harmony of sweet berry with sour plum. Yum.

Recipe: Julia and Oni's Italian Plum and Mulberry Tart
Makes 12 slices (an 8-9 inch tart)
(printable recipe)
Sweet Short Crust Pastry
150g flour
1.5 tbl castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
120g chilled butter, cut into 1cm pieces
4 to 4.5 tbl cold water
Filling
120g granulated sugar
1/2 orange
100g mulberrys
500g Italian plums (you can use any plums, or you can substitute for peaches or apricots)

Making the pastry...

Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, add the butter and rub it into the flour with your finger tips until the butter is all the size of oatmeal flakes. Do this quickly, and don't over blend as if the butter melts the pastry is spoilt and there's a step later that blends the butter more thoroughly.

Add the water (not all at once - you don't want the dough to get too moist) and mix quickly in a circular motion with one cupped hand, this will quickly gather the dough in a mass. The dough should just hold together and be pliable but not damp or sticky. Gather the dough, press it firmly into a rough ball shape and place it on a floured bench.

With the heel of one hand (not the palm - it's too warm) rapidly press the pastry by small clumps down the board away from you in a 10cm smear. This is the final combination of the butter and flour. Gather the dough into a ball with a spatula, kneed briefly into a smooth ball, lightly flour and wrap in greaseproof paper. This needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours (or freezer for 1 hour if pressed for time), it can be left for a maximum of 3-4 days in the fridge if you like.

After refrigeration roll the dough out quickly on a lightly floured surface - you may have to whack it a few times to begin with if the dough's hard. Roll the dough into a circle about 5cm larger than your baking tray, then place it inside the buttered baking tray. There's a trick to this - flour the pastry, fold it into quarters then lay it in the tin and unfold it.

Press the dough lightly into the tin, lift the edges and work it gently 1cm down the edges of the inside of the tin with your fingers to create a thicker edge crust. Then press a decorative edge around the rim of the pastry with the dull edge of a knife, prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork at 1cm intervals. Press some greaseproof paper into the base and sides of the flan and then scatter some dried beans of clean stones to provide weight that will stop the flan from bubbling.

The flan is baked at 200 degrees for 9 minutes, then the beans and greaseproof paper are removed, the tart base is pricked with a fork and it's returned tot he oven for 2-3 minutes. It's ready when the shell is just beginning to colour and starting to shrink from the sides.

The filling...

The fruit it blanched, then peeled and cut into small pieces - the exact size is up to you.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar on the tart base, then layer the fruit in a pretty pattern around the tart. Symmetrical designs work best. When completed, sprinkle the remaining sugar then cook at 190 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes - you will see that the fruit has coloured and that the filling has become syrupy.

Baked Savoury Figs

2010-09-24T21:40:00.001+10:00

The lovely property that we're care-taking has four Adriatic fig trees that are giving, and giving, and giving. The figs are plump lovelies; sensual beauties with an understated sweetness and a beautiful yellow-green hue that are delicious eaten straight off the tree. But with such abundance, I decided to mix things up and try a savoury fig dish as well.

I’ve been reading Virtually Vegetarian, by the hailed pioneer or 'haute vegetarian cuisine' Paul Gayler. His frustration at the unimaginative vegetarian cuisine created by many chefs lead him to invent gourmet vegetarian dishes, and a real buzz around vegetarian cuisine in the 5-star arena (think Inigo Jones and Lanesborough on Hyde Park). I am not vegetarian but I do eat a lot of vegetarian dishes and I've devoured this lovely cook book. So naturally when I wanted to find a savoury fig recipe I ask Paul, and he answered loud and clear: Savoury Baked Figs.

This dish is very quick to make, and delicious. Flavour breakdown: the figs are sweet while the pecorino cheese is salty, and these contrasting flavours are given an extra dimension by the heat from the mustard seeds and pepper. Texturally: the spinach and fig are smooth and creamy and the almonds provide a crunch. What can I say - it's delectable. Even two professed fig-haters enjoyed it...i think that's a good thing...

Baked Savoury Figs
Recipe inspired by Paul Gaylers' Virtually Vegetarian
Serves 4 (alone as started or as a main meal with salad or other accompaniment)
(printable recipe)

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
30g onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp almonds (flaked or finely chopped)
2 cubes frozen spinach
1/4 cup gruyere cheese
1/4 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
8 fresh figs

Grind the mustard seeds and dry fry them for 1 minute, in the same pan add the oil, garlic and onion and cook on low heat for 3 minutes. Add the almonds and spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes before taking off the heat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and adding 90% of the cheese.

Halve the figs from top to bottom, scoop out 2/3 of the flesh and add some of the flesh to the spinach and cheese mixture. Stuff the figs with the mixture and place them on a lightly buttered tray, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 10mins (until soft).

Sydney food blog brought to you by Oni Oost, Sydney, Australia. Pictures courtesy of Food Photography Sydney.

Oven Dried Tomatoes, and How to Preserve Them

2010-09-19T04:36:00.003+10:00

The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of eat4fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

I'm very excited about my second Daring Cook's challenge - food preservation is something that really interests me. I've previously dabbled with home preservation, making some mistakes (not removing all the air from a jar of pesto results in mould growing very quickly indeed) and having some success (fig jam, anyone?).

Food preservation falls into 5 categories: freezing, canning (the term used for creating a vacuum seal in a glass jar as well as in an actual can), pickling, drying and jamming (making jams, as opposed to flexing musical genius). The basic principle is that each preservation method sustains food by adjusting the acidity, temperature, oxygen and moisture levels. The changing of one or more of these conditions suspends the growth of the 'nasties' that make food go off (bacteria, moulds, enzymes and yeast). You can find more preservation information at this site and this site - including step by step techniques.

It's Italian summer, so it's no surprise that I've chosen to preserve some of the luscious tomatoes that are ardently available. On this particular shopping trip the market had 6 kilo boxes of roma (plum) tomatoes for only 4 euros - who am I to say no to a bargain like that?

I love the flavour of semi dried tomatoes, so I decided to try John's oven roasted tomato recipe then try freezing some of the batch and canning the rest. Both preservation methods were a success, so much so that we've managed to consume all of them in the past fortnight! How can we help it when there are so many delicious ways to eat them? Pesto, pasta sauce, with mozzarella slices, straight out of the jar, the list goes on...

I definitely learnt some things from this challenge (thanks John!).
- Vegetables (and tomatoes!) generally freeze better after being either cooked or blanched because cooking reduces the amount of liquid in the food, which reduces the occurrence of sogginess when they're defrosted.
- Dried tomatoes taste so damn amazing because as they cook the natural sugars caramelise, leaving a smaller sweeter version of itself for our enjoyment.
- The amount of time it takes to sterilise a jar (boil for 10 mins) increases for altitudes higher than a 1,000 ft (305 meters), an additional minute is added for each 1,000 ft (305 meters) above sea level.
- Chiffonade means to cut into uniform little strips.

With this recipe there's no need to stick to the recipe too closely - use herbs and seasoning to your taste. Also, you can do 1 tomato at a time or 2 kg like I did - just make sure the tomatoes are not touching in the oven as they won't go lovely and crispy if they are. Ok...here's the recipe:

Recipe: Oven Roasted Tomatoes
(printable recipe)

2 kg tomatoes
4 tbsp Olive oil
4 leaves Basil
9 cloves garlic
8 pinches salt

Cut the tomatoes in halves or thirds, depending on their size. Remove the core, oil (1/2 the oil) a baking tray and spread the tomatoes (skin up) on the tray. Chiffonade the basil and mince the garlic then sprinkle onto the tomatoes. Lastly sprinkle with salt and the remaining oil then bake at 165 degrees for 1 hour.

To freeze the tomatoes:

Simply allow them to cool thoroughly then place them in either a seal-able freezer bag (taking care to remove all air before sealing) or a glass jar with a seal-able lid (leaving 1cm breathing space at the top for the expansion that occurs as water freezes). I put 500g per bag, as once defrosted they'll last a couple of days in the fridge.

To can the tomatoes:

Place straight into warm and sterile glass jars; cover with a decent olive oil (leaving 1cm breathing space at the top); screw on the lids tightly; boil rapidly to seal; allow to cool on the bench-top for 24 hours then store in a cupboard. See this site for exact times and method.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Sydney based Oni Oost. Australian food blog. Sydney food blog.

Pork Stroganoff and Vegetarian Stroganoff

2010-08-25T20:45:00.003+10:00

One of the small challenges I regularly face in the kitchen is that my lovely fiance is vegetarian and I only moonlight as one. It may sound like a difficult situation but it's not. At all. For the most part it's great - I experiment much more with nut recipes, legume recipes and soy product recipes than I normally would, and when I eat meat I try to always make something interesting, challenging or new. So you could say that it helps me to appreciate meat all the more than I used to.

When the moon is full and I crave something fleshy I am always amazed at how easy it is to make a meat-etarian and a vegetarian version of my chosen dish. The famous Russian stroganoff is no exception - simply sub meat for mushrooms. Below are both recipes, they take the exact same amount of time to prepare and the vegetarian version cost a couple of euros less to make.

Recipe: Spicy And Healthy Pork Stroganoff
Serves 1
(printable recipe)
Sunflower oil
1/2 large onion
1 clove garlic
100g cherry or small grape tomatoes
180g pork fillet
1/2 tsp spanish paprika
small pinch salt
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
25g cream cheese
70g natural yoghurt

Fry the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes until softened. Increase the heat, add the tomatoes (whole if small, or halved if a little larger) and cook for 2 minutes. Cut the pork into thin strips and season with the paprika, salt and chilli. Scatter the strips into the pan and cook for a few minutes.

Lower the heat and add the mustard followed by the cream cheese and yoghurt and simmer for 1 minutes before tasting and seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately. As is for a light meal; or with a slice of chiabatta bread or mash potato if you want a larger meal.

Recipe: Spicy And Healthy Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 1
(printable recipe)
Sunflower oil
1/2 large onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
180g mushrooms
1/2 tsp spanish paprika
small pinch salt
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
100g cherry or small grape tomatoes
25g cream cheese
70g natural yoghurt

Fry the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes until softened. Increase the heat, add the tomatoes (whole is small, or halved if a little larger) and cook for 2 minutes. Slice the mushrooms and season with the paprika, salt and chilli. Scatter the pieces into the pan (in stages if needs be - don't overcrowd the pan) and cook for a few minutes.

Lower the heat and add the mustard followed by the cream cheese and yoghurt and simmer for 1 minutes before tasting and seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately either alone, or with a slice of chiabatta bread or mash potato if you want a larger meal.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Oni Oost for This Little Green Book Food Blog.

Savoury Pierogi Recipe and Sweet Pierogi Recipe

2010-08-14T20:51:00.000+10:00

I’ve recently found and joined a great online community called The Daring Kitchen – each month a cooking challenge is set, and the experience is reported back either through a blog post, or on the forum if you’re not a blogger. Each month you can chose between two challenges – one for the daring bakers and one for the daring cooks. This month I’ve chosen the daring cooks challenge…

The August 2010 Daring Cooks‟ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits 'n Bites and Anula of Anula's itchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

I chose to make two types of pierogi – one savoury recipe and one sweet recipe – and I gave them both an Italian feel by using traditional ingredients such as ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano, artichokes and blackberries (the berries I collected from the roadside just near my place). The results were delicious – read on for full recipe details…

Savoury pireogi recipe:

One thing to be aware of is the to make the almond and artichoke sauce for the savoury pierogies you need to soak the almonds in milk overnight. Don’t forget this step, as this time is needed for the milk to soak up the delicate almond flavour.

Recipe: Potato Pierogi Served In A Nut Artichoke Bath
Makes 30 (4 generous servings)
Recipe inspired by The Daring Kitchen, Anula’s Kitchen and Paul Gaylers ‘Virtually Vegetarian’
(Printable Recipe)
Pastry
2 1/2 cups (375 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
About 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm water
Sauce
200ml milk
75g very finely chopped almonds
1 whole marinated artichoke (from jar - any variety will do)
Filling
400g waxy potatoes
1 tsp butter
1 handful grated parmigiano-reggiano (or parmesan)
50mls hot milk
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp very finely chopped almonds
1 egg white

Soak the almonds in milk overnight.

Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the egg into it, add the salt and a little lukewarm at a time (in my situation 1/2 cup was enough). Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary. Cover the dough with a bowl or towel. You‟re aiming for soft dough. Let it rest 20 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain well then mash with the remaining filling ingredients and set aside. Strain the milk then bring it and the artichokes to the boil. Then either push the artichokes through a fine strainer back into the boiled milk or use an electric mixer to pulp the milk and artichokes together. Set aside to be heated later.

On a floured work surface, roll the dough out thinly (1/8” or about 3 millimeters) cut with a 2-inch (5 cm) round or glass. Spoon a portion (teaspoon will be the best) of the filling into the middle of each circle. Fold dough in half and pinch edges together. Gather scraps, re-roll and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a large, low saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop in the pierogi, not too many, only single layer in the pan! Return to the boil and reduce heat. When the pierogi rise to the surface, continue to simmer a few minutes more (usually about 5 minutes). At this stage reheat the sauce, careful not to let it boil. Remove one dumpling with a slotted spoon and taste if ready. When satisfied, remove remaining pierogi from the water.
Serve immediately: swim the pierogi in sauce and serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan. Cold pierogi can be fried. Uncooked pierogi can be easily frozen and boiled taken out straight from the freezer.

Sweet pireogi recipe:

Recipe: Ricotta and Blackberry Pierogi Drizzled With A Berry Chocolate Sauce
Makes 30 (4 generous servings)
Recipe inspired by The Daring Kitchen, Anula’s Kitchen and Paul Gaylers ‘Virtually Vegetarian’
(Printable Recipe)
Pastry
2 1/2 cups (375 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
About 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm water
Filling
250g ricotta
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grated dark chocolate
1 tsp grated lemon rind
40 blackberries
Sauce
50g sugar
50g water
25 blackberries
50g dark chocolate

Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the egg into it, add the salt and a little lukewarm at a time (in my situation 1/2 cup was enough). Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary. Cover the dough with a bowl or towel. You‟re aiming for soft dough. Let it rest 20 minutes.

Combine the filling ingredients and set aside. Bring the sugar, water and blackberries to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 7 mins (the colour of the berries will be significantly lighter) then add the chocolate, stir until it’s fully melted, cover and turn off the heat.

Bring a large, low saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop in the pierogi, not too many, only single layer in the pan! Return to the boil and reduce heat. When the pierogi rise to the surface, continue to simmer a few minutes more (usually about 5 minutes). At this stage reheat the sauce, careful not to let it boil. Remove one dumpling with a slotted spoon and taste if ready. When satisfied, remove remaining pierogi from the water.

Serve immediately: drizzling the pierogi generously with sauce. Cold pierogi can be fried. Uncooked can be easily frozen and boiled taken out straight from the freezer.

Zucchini Leaf Stuffed Tomato Recipe

2010-08-10T13:28:00.004+10:00

I might be behind the times but I’ve only just found out that you can eat zucchini leaves. And they’re really delicious. I know. Amazing. Did you all know this already?? I’m fascinated by this no-waste mentality towards food, and plan to experiment further with this lovely new ingredient whenever I can get my hands on some. It’s important to note that only the young zucchini leaves are eaten, as the older leaves are tough and bitter. The flavour of the leaves is a kind of mix between lettuce and spinach.

My first every digested zucchini leaves were prepared with mozzarella then deep-fried – tasty but not healthy. Initially I actually had a hard time figuring out what I was eating: the word zucca means both pumpkin and zucchini (they’re both in the squash family, why not?) in the Bascilicata region of Italy so after a long pictionary-like discussion I learned that I was in fact eating zucchini leaves, not pumpkin leaves.
Incensed by this dish I set about thinking of a more nutritious way to incorporate zucchini leaves into a recipe; and came up with this zucchini leaf and mozzarella stuffed tomatoes recipe.

If anyone has any other zucchini leaf recipes leave me a comment - I’d love to hear them…

Zucchini Leaf Stuffed Tomatoes
Serves 10 as entrée (1/2 tomato each) or 5 as light meal (whole tomato each)
(printable recipe)
Salt
200g mozzarella
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
120g zucchini leaves
5 large ripe tomatoes
4 tsp. olive oil
Pepper to taste

Remove the stalks from the base of the zucchini leaves, then rapidly boil them for 1 min in well salted water, before removing them and running them under cold water for 2 minutes to refresh them. The leaves are squeezed to remove most of the water then combined with the chopped mozzarella, 3 tsp. olive oil, chopped garlic, ½ the salt and the onion. Mix the ingredients until they become a smooth paste (either with a hand held electric mixer or a mix master).

Halve the tomatoes cross-ways then remove the seeds and juice with a teaspoon before seasoning with salt and pepper and placing them on an oiled oven tray. The mozzarella mixture is then spooned into the hollow tomatoes and they are baked for 15 minutes in a pre heated 200 degree oven then allow to cool for a couple of mins before eating.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Oni Oost for This Little Green Book Food Blog.

Cooking: The Perfect Way To Spend A Rainy Day

2010-08-08T01:16:00.002+10:00

After a week of gardening in Bologna's 35degree summery heat, we’ve experienced a couple of days of storms and rain – what a lovely excuse to stay indoors and cook all day. We had an abundance of silverbeet and pumpkin from the garden that we needed to use – what to do with all this lovely produce?

We came up with these two recipes: Silverbeet Pesto Recipe and Spicy Pumpkin and Silverbeet Cumin Samosa Recipe. So we cooked, and we feasted. I hope the rain continues….

Silverbeet Pesto Recipe

2010-08-08T01:15:00.011+10:00

Part one of our rainy day of cooking was this pesto recipe. This silverbeet pesto recipe is a variation of the delectable fennel pesto recipe that I cooked a couple of months back. The options are endless in the pesto recipe realm – it’s a delicious way to preserve and enjoy loads of lovely herbs and vegetables. Almost anything you have in your kitchen might be the next amazing flavoured pesto - basil, fennel, rocket, silverbeet, roasted carrot, sundried tomato, pumpkin.

I’ve recently been reading Mastering the Art of French Cooking and one of the tips given is that the french secret to cooking green vegetables perfectly is to blanch (and refresh) them first. This is especially important with silverbeet, as blanching really reduces it’s naturally bitter taste - allowing it’s other flavours to shine. Blanching is a simple matter of boiling the washed silverbeet into well-salted water for about 3 minutes and then refreshing it by placing it in cold water for a few minutes.

This recipe creates a lovely forest green pesto that has a deep flavour and goes well stirred into boiled pasta or unadorned as a dip with fresh bread. It will keep for a couple of weeks on the fridge or it can be frozen in a sealed glass jar for a number of months.

Recipe: Silverbeet Pesto
Makes approx 800g
(printable recipe)
500g silverbeet
50g parmesan cheese
5 cloves garlic
300ml Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch and refresh the silverbeet before ringing it out to remove the excess liquid and roughly chopping it. The silverbeet, cheese, garlic and ½ the olive oil are placed in an electric mixer and blitzed until combined. At this stage taste and season the pesto, then add oil in small amounts until you have the desired texture – it should be smooth yet firm so it is easy to spread but unable to be poured. When you achieve the correct texture re-season until you are happy with the flavour. The pesto can then be spooned into seal-able containers and stored.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Oni Oost for This Little Green Book Food Blog.

Spicy Pumpkin and Silverbeet Cumin Samosas Recipe

2010-08-08T01:15:00.009+10:00

I always crave spicy food more when it's cold out, so the second recipe on the agenda for our rainy day of cooking was a spicy samosa recipe.

The key to a good samosa is to get the lovely crunch (pastry) to smooth (the filling) sensation. By making sure the pastry is rolled very thin and trying to minimise areas of doubled-up pastry you can achieve that lovely crispy crust. And the filling? Make sure it's cooked long enough that the vegetables start to mush (for want of a better word), ensuring that the filling is not too liquid.

I shallow fried the samosa, then drained them well before serving - gotta keep an eye on the oil intake. However it's important to note that if you don't use enough oil then you'll end up with large patches of uncooked pastry so don't totally sacrifice flavour for health - find a happy medium between satisfying the taste buds and the waste line.

I served the samosa placed on a bed of the extra filling with some lemon steamed vegetables (steam first then squeeze on half a lemon with salt and pepper to taste), it looked lovely and tasted just delicious.

Recipe: Spicy Pumpkin and Silverbeet Cumin Samosas
Served with Lemon Steamed Greens
Makes 14 Samosas, with left over filling to serve as accompaniment
(printable recipe)
Pastry
10 tbsp. white flour
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cumin (fresh ground, or bought powder)
10 tbsp. cold water
Filling
1 large onion
1/2 medium pumpkin
4 potatoes
4 tsp. cumin (fresh ground, or bought powder)
1 tsp. coriander (fresh ground, or bought powder)
2 tsp. salt (or gomasio)
1 tsp. tumeric
3 tsp. chili powder (or 5 tsp. fresh diced chilli)
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

In a fry-pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil, add to it the cumin, coriander and cook for 2 mins then add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Next add the salt, 1/2 tsp. tumeric, chili and stir for 2 minute before adding the potato and pumpkin along with 1/2 cup water. This is cooked on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, the heat is then increased (to aid in reducing the liquid content) and cooked for approximately a further 10 minutes. Cook for a little less / more time until the consistency is mushy, thick and there is not thin liquid present.

Meanwhile…

Place the flour in a donut shape, with the oil, salt and half the water in the centre. Mix the dough with your hands and add the remaining water 1 spoonful at a time – the consistency should feel cohesive but dry. Kneed the dough for about 10 minutes then separate the dough into 7 balls. Each ball is rolled into a cirle with approximately 25cm diameter then cut in half. A heaped tablespoon of mixture is placed in the centre of each section then the pastry is folded to encase it, sealed shut with the impression of the underside of a fork and shallow fried in oil for approx. 3 minutes on each side and until golden brown.

Serve on a bed of the extra pumpkin filling, with a salad or steamed lemon vegetables if you wish.

Parsley Crumbed Cheese Fritter Recipe

2010-07-21T03:13:00.005+10:00

Recently I posted a parsley crumbed beef recipe, and this is a follow on vegetarian version of that dish – Parsley Crumbed Cheese Fritter recipe. It’s a very light, fresh crumb and is a perfect lunch if served with salad or an easy dinner if coupled with a serving of bruscetta.

I learned this recipe using frommage fresco – an Italian cheese which is solid in texture and has a creamy salty flavour – though have since substituted it with haloumi and a hard mozzarella and both work well.

Recipe: Parsley Crumbed Cheese Fritter
Ricetta di Pepo Pane
Serves 5
(printable recipe)
2 eggs
150g breadcrumbs
1 handful of fresh parsley
50g grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil
500g haloumi, hard mozzarella or frommage fresco cheese
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

In bowl beat the eggs with a small pinch of both salt and pepper. Separately mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese. The cheese is cut into 2cm thick pieces; each piece of cheese is then dipped in the egg then coated in the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to coat on the breadcrumbs lightly, you don’t want too thick a layer.

On medium heat lightly fry for approximately 3 mins on each side, only turning once. They will be a lovely golden colour and should be served immediately with a wedge of lemon.

Honey-Tahini Tofu and Carrot Stack

2010-07-11T19:37:00.004+10:00

This recipe was inspired by a honey tahini tilapia recipe on Cara’s Cravings blogspot; after reading her recipe I just had to try this greek-inspired honey tahini sauce because it’s the first time I’ve ever found the thought of tahini mouth-watering. I’ve never been a huge fan of tahini and I’ve always viewed it as an un-versatile ingredient, but this recipe makes me wonder – are there other delicious ways to eat tahini for those of us who don’t like it plain?? Please comment if you know any recipe ideas!

As I’m living in a vegetarian household I coupled the sauce with what I had available – choosing carrot and tofu – and the result was a quick, healthy and delicious meal.

Recipe: Honey Tahini Tofu and Carrot Stack
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
4.5 tbsp. tahini
3 tbsp. honey
3 tsp. apple vinegar
3 tsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. finely chopped fresh mint
2 large carrots (the thicker the better)
350g firm tofu
2 tbsp. Olive oil

In a bowl mix the tahini, honey, vinegar, lemon juice and mint with 2 tbsp. cold water. The consistency should be pour-able but not runny, add more water if necessary. Next the carrot is sliced diagonally in 1cm thick pieces and the tofu is cut in 2cm thick pieces.

Heat the oil and cook the carrot on high heat for 1.5mins on each side before adding the tofu and spooning on half the tahini mixture. Turn the flame to a medium heat and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning once.

The tofu and carrot are stacked alternately then topped with some additional tahini mixture and served with a salad or side dish of your choice.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Oni Oost for This Little Green Book Food Blog.

Edible Flower Recipes Part 2: Elder Flower Fritters

2010-07-07T20:13:00.003+10:00

This recipe is a follow on from the common mallow (malva) recipe recipe that I posted a while back, both were learned from the team at BiAgriSalute and illustrate a wonderful ways to use these foraged edible flowers.

The elderberry tree (or sambuca tree, or sambucus nigra) is found native in Europe; northwest Africa; southwest Asia; and western North America. It grows quickly and without much encouragement so is viewed as a pest by many gardeners - though I think it’s a pretty amazing plant, as far as plants go. Not only do the berries provide us with various drinks and conserves but the flowers are used to make alcohol (some sambuca’s and elderberry wine), herbal teas (for colds, fevers and more), refreshing drinks and the following delicious dessert recipe...

Recipe: Elder Flower Fritters
Ricetta Di Gabrriella Ianniello
Serves 5
(printable recipe)
1/2 cup sultanas
3/4 cup rum
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. orange rind
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water (or milk if you want a thicker mix)
1 cup flour
10 elder flowers

Soak the saltanas in rum overnight. The following day, in a big bowl mix all ingredients except for the elder flowers together until you have a smooth pancake-mixture like consistency. Leave the batter to sit for at least 30mins. Wash the flowers, trim the stems to about 4 cm long then dip the flowers (stem up) carefully in batter (the flowers will fall off if you’re too rough) then gently deep fry them. Drain on paper towel before dusting with cinnamon. Serve immediately for best results, though eaten warm or cold they are also delicious.

Orange and Rum Biscotti Recipe

2010-07-03T23:05:00.005+10:00

I always assumed biscotti recipes would be complex, I think because I immediately assume anything sweet is incredibly hard to cook (yes, I’m working on expanding my sweet recipe repertoire to hopefully expel this myth). However I’ve been proven wrong, this is a very rewarding (read: delicious) recipe and as long as you keep an eye on your cooking times and folding technique it’s fool proof.

Nowadays biscotti are synonymous with coffeehouses, cafes and restaurants. I found out that this world loved dunk-able has been digested here in Italy since Roman times, originally made for soldiers and sailors because of it’s long shelf life. The reason Biscotti lasts so long - without preservatives! - is twofold: they are twice (bis) cooked (cotto) which renders them desiccate and robust; also the traditional biscotti recipe doesn’t use any butter or oil (relying solely on the eggs for moisture) the absence of which lengthens the shelf life.

However.

This recipe is not traditional; it includes a little butter. And a little orange. And a little rum. It’s very nice though, so in this instance let’s leave tradition in the past and enjoy the delight of using the wide range of ingredients that are available to us. The aromatic orange flavour becomes more concentrated as the biscotti ages, it’s just divine.

Recipe: Orange and Rum Biscotti
Makes 60 biscuits
(printable recipe)
5 eggs
50g sugar
250g almonds
1/3 cup white rum
2 tsp. dried orange peel (or 4 tsp. fresh orange peel)
10g yeast
50g unsalted butter, melted
600g OO flour

Initially the eggs and sugar are combined using an electric mixer for approx. 10 minutes, until the texture of the liquid is smooth (until you can’t feel any more sugar granules when you run your finger along the bottom of the bowl). Meanwhile the almonds are dry roasted in a 180degree oven until they’re brown and crispy – this takes about 10 minutes. Next add the orange peel and melted butter to the egg mixture. Following this the yeast is mixed with the rum then also added to the egg mixture. Continue mixing, then fold in the flour in 100g (approximately) batches. Folding it in slowly ensures a smooth consistency to the batter, so it’s important to take your time here. Next the almonds are roughly chopped and mixed into the batter.

On ovenproof paper, smooth the batter into 10cm wide and 1-2cm thick ‘logs’ then cook in a 180degree oven for 20mins. They will be a light golden brown, firm to the touch and just beginning to crack slightly. Remove from the oven and cut each ‘log’ into 2cm thick slices, then replace the pieces onto the baking tray this time lying them on their sides. The oven is reduced to 100degrees and the biscotti are cooked for a further 10-15minutes, until they are toasty and dry.

The biscotti will last for months if properly stored.

Photographs supplied by Pixelchicken (Food Photography Sydney), words by Oni Oost for This Little Green Book Food Blog.

My Favourite Food Blogs

2010-07-01T00:34:00.001+10:00

If blogs had calories these jeans wouldn’t do up.

I’ve been reading some very inspiring food blogs lately and thought I’d share…there are some very talented ladies and gentlemen out there who know a thing or two about a thing or two.

Cara’s Cravings features some really unique ingredient pairings like Wasabi Cheese with Salmon and Miso; or White Fish with Honey Tahini. She is really inventive with flavours and I find her blog really inspiring - I'm living in a vegetarian household at the moment and am going to try adapting her Fish with Honey Tahini to go with Tofu...should be delicious.

101 Cookbooks has some lovely crisp photography and some really inspired vegetarian dishes. I do eat meat. However, I love the innovation that vegetarian food inspires in chefs and find a dish like Pappardelle with Spiced Butter equally as satisfying as a meat filled meal. Heidi also has a great section on buying natural foods and how to stock a healthy kitchen cupboard – great stuff.

I am a very visual creature, and the food photography on Cannelle et Vanille is something really special. Her blog is filled with cakes, tarts, custards, souffles, cooking, sorbets and just a couple of savoury dishes thrown in every once in a while. Because I need to work on my sweets cooking I am finding her website illicitly fascinating.

Parsley Crumbed Beef

2010-06-29T01:18:00.006+10:00

I’ve never been a fan of the schnitzel. Mainly because my experience of them has been the serving of a huge, overcooked, rubbery piece of deep-fried meat accompanied by chips and bad service. But I am standing corrected and sharing with you this parsley crumbed beef recipe, which would definitely be filed away in the schnitzel section of the culinary dictionary.

The key to this recipe is the flavour of the parsley – the herb characteristic counterbalances the fried flavour with it’s robust freshness; and the leaves are purposely large so that you get decent sized chunks of parsley goodness with each piece.

Serve this dish with one of my simple salad recipes – either a savoury orange salad or my fennel salad.

Recipe: Parsley Crumbed Beef (Carne Fritters)
Ricetta di Pepo Pane
Serves 5
(printable recipe)
2 eggs
150g breadcrumbs
1 handful of parsley
50g grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1kg thinly sliced beef escalope
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

In bowl beat the eggs with a small pinch of both salt and pepper. Separately mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese. Each piece of beef is dipped in the egg then coated in the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to coat on the breadcrumbs lightly, you don’t want too thick a layer.

On medium heat lightly fry for approximately 3 mins on each side, only turning once. They will be a lovely golden colour and should be served immediately with a wedge of lemon.

Bruschetta Recipe

2010-06-17T02:41:00.012+10:00

Sicily is well known for it's Pachino cherry tomatoes, grown at the southern tip of the island in very sandy soil and noted for both their sweet taste and their pre-season natural ripening. Other naturally grown tomatoes are ripe from July to September however Pachino ripen naturally in late May / early June. So buying the first lot of Pachino tomatoes truly signifies that summer is around the corner in Italy.

This recipe can be prepared with whatever tomatoes you have, though the sweeter the better so if you have a choice opt for cherry tomatoes, roma (plum) tomatoes.

Charged with the task of preparing a quick lunch I decided on bruschetta, and decided to prepare one version with fresh tomatoes and one with blanched tomatoes to compare flavours. The outcome? For me, I'll be sticking to the bruschetta recipe with fresh tomatoes. The flavour is sweeter, lighter and (duh) fresher, compared to the blanched tomatoes in which the vinegar flavour was more pronounced and the texture was a little soggy. Some recipes say to remove the skins but I say keep them on - not only will you miss out on nutrients by removing the skins, you also tamper with the flavour and texture of the dish.

Recipe: Bruschetta
Serves 5
(printable recipe)
1kg tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4 large cloves garlic
1 large baguette, or ciabatta or a similar thick crusted bread
6 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

The tomatoes are chopped finely (I prefer to chop 80% of them into super small pieces and the remaining 20% are more roughly chopped to add some texture), place in a bowl and then add the chopped basil, vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic and olive oil. Leave this mixture to sit for at least 15mins. Meanwhile toast the bread till crunchy and either serve separately for guests to 'make' themselves or dollop the tomato mixture on the bread and serve immediately.

Edible Flower Recipes Part 1: Common Mallow Fritters (Fritella Di Malva)

2010-06-13T20:25:00.020+10:00

I’m currently sharing a kitchen with an incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable group at BioAgriSalute who have shown me (among other recipes) how to cook with flowers, nettles and the leaves of the zucchini plant. More on the other recipes later, for now let’s discuss the use of the common mallow (known as Malva in Italy), that can be found growing wild in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia and as a ‘weed’ in the Americas. They have a light delicate and slightly sweet flavour that suits both savoury and sweet recipes.

The agritourism serve the Mallow Fritters as a savoury antipasto, they harvest the flowers from right outside the kitchen door and are happy to educate others on the harvesting and utilisation of common plants.

This dish is best served hot, and luckily it’s easy to pre-prepare then cook-and-serve when desired. The fritter batter can be easily adapted to encase other ingredients, such as grated zucchini and nasturiums. I’m yet to experiment further with additional fillings, though look forward to doing so.

Health-wise this recipe has it’s flaws, so I’d advise only cooking a small amount per person and keeping it as a once in a while treat. I haven’t had the opportunity to try shallow frying them, though think it’d work well and would be a healthier option.

Recipe: Common Mallow Fritters (Fritella Di Malva)
Ricetta Di Gabriella Ianniello
Serves 5
(printable recipe)
6 tbsp. beer
4 tbsp. flour
1 egg
½ tsp. grated Noci Moscata
100g Malva flowers (washed and left with only ½ cm green stem on each flower)
Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients excluding the malva, mix well then allow to sit for at least 30mins – longer is ok. When you’re ready to serve gently mix in the malva flowers then deep fry in tablespoon sized clumps. Drain well on paper towelling then dust with a pinch of salt. Serve immediately.

Written by Oni Oost, food photography by Sydney-based pixelchicken, many thanks to the BioAgriSalute for the common mallow recipe, and inspiration for this food blog entry.

Getting My Sugar On Stage One - Zucchini Cake

2010-06-05T00:07:00.025+10:00

I, Oni Oost, have a confession. I've never had much of a sweet tooth; if there’s a choice between a cheese plate and a cheese cake the plate wins every time. So as a result I’ve had next to no experience with making any sort of dessert. This is something I know I need to fix.

Stage one of operation Get Me Some Sweets Experience came in the form of a Zucchini Cake –(ok, I’m clearly easing myself into the desserts realm, but have patience with me!). I also chose this dessert because it’s pointedly UN-Italian, and as much as I love Italian food I really needed something different to ingest after 5 weeks of pasta and cheese. On completion the cake was met with wary Italian eyes and sceptical expressions – sugar and zucchini?? – but I’m pleased to report that there was even a second helping given out. A success all round.

Recipe: Zucchini Cake
(printable recipe)
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
6 thin circular slices of zucchini (for decoration)
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup walnuts
Olive oil
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 175°C, meanwhile combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the zucchini mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients and the walnuts into the zucchini mixture.

Coat the cake tray (the smaller the better – I cooked in two small trays approx 15x10cm each) with olive oil then bake the cakes on the middle rack until they’re golden brown, and the top bounces back when you press on it (about 40minutes). Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the cake is done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving, best served with coffe or tea. Thus completes the first sweet recipe in This Little Green Book, enjoy!

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Liz Laughton at pixelchicken sydney

How To: Perfectly Boiled Pasta Recipe

2010-05-27T19:09:00.014+10:00

Subtitle: You Mean Cooking Pasta Doesn't Have To Include Throwing It At The Wall??

Too many cooks sometimes spoils the broth, but in this case it made for a rather hilarious revelation. Pepo (Italian agritourism owner, self made chef, Sicilian food conesuir), Sego (French traveller, fellow foodie) and I were discussing our methods to check if the spaghetti was ready. I admitted to the Australian tradition of throwing the spaghetti against the wall - if it sticks then its ready (I KNOW i'm not alone in this tradition, I've met many other Aussies who admit it). Pepo illustrated the Italian method of spinning the spaghetti around the index finger - if it twirls nicely then stays in place then it's ready. Sego followed by proudly denouncing both ridiculous ways of testing the spaghetti and told that in France, you simply taste it. We all thought it was a hilarious parallel between the three countries.

Jokes aside, perfectly cooked Pasta is a serious matter - especially here in Italy. Below is Pepo's pasta recipe, without fail it makes perfectly cooked pasta every time. An occasion springs to mind when I was momentarily distracted (conversation and vino rosso) and cooked the pasta for a minute longer than prescribed. Saying nothing, I served the dish and was unfortunately met with Pepo's correct evaluation that the pasta had been cooked for 9 or 10 minutes, not 8. To avoid this kind to reaction again, I now stick closely to the below recipe whenever I cook a pasta recipe.

Recipe: Plain Pasta Recipe (Pepo's Pasta 101)
(printable recipe)
100g pasta per person
Cold Water
Salt

Always use a large pot, to give the pasta room to cook without potentially clumping. Always start with cold water, put it on high heat and Salt the water well (about 1 tsp. Salt per 2ltr. water). Put the lid and once the water is really boiling then add the pasta, if the pasta is added before the water is really boiling then it will taste floury so this is really really important. Paste is then boiled for exactly 8minutes, you've got to keep the water boiling so use a lid to keep the heat high.

If you are cooking a pasta recipe that requires you to add cooked pasta to a sauce and combine the two over heat for a minute or two then just cook the pasta for 7minutes to avoid serving overcooked pasta. An example of this is the Pasta Al Arrabiata recipe.

So, after 7 or 8minutes the pasta is drained, and splashed with a little Olive Oil and serve as desired. Delicious every time.

Sicilian Pasta Dishes

2010-05-25T23:12:00.019+10:00

The use of breadcrumbs in recipes instead of cheese dates back to times of poverty in Southern Italy - dairy was not affordable for most Italians so a huge amount of resourceful recipes using breadcrumbs (usually dry-roasted to create a lovely crunchy flavour) resulted. Also, Italians traditionally don't eat chesse in seafood recipes, so breadcrumbs often accompany seafood.

Below is a vegetarian version of the traditional Sicilian dish Pasta Con Le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines) followed by the meatarian version. This dish also shows the african influence on Sicilain food via the sultana and chilli, and it includes one of my favourite flavours - fennel. Top recipe, absolutely scruptious!

Recipe: Pasta Con Il Pangattato (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
200g fennel (leaves if possible)
400g spaghetti
6 black olives
2 cloves garlic
3/4 lrg. red chilli
1/3 cup sultanas
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tsp. salt

Dry fry the breadcrumbs until golden, then set aside. Boil the fennel for 5mins, strain the water, then add salt and cook the pasta in the fennel-flavoured water for 8 minutes. Meanwhile fry in olive oil the finely chopped garlic and chilli for a few minutes, add the sultanas, then the cooked pasta, olives and breadcrumbs to this and stir thoroughly. Serve immediately, with a dash of olive oil on top.

Recipe: Pasta Con Le Sarde (Pasta with Fennel and Sardines)
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
200g fennel (leaves if possible)
400g spaghetti
400g fresh sardine fillets (sometimes called small herring)
6 black olives
2 cloves garlic
3/4 lrg. red chilli
1/3 cup sultanas
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tsp. salt

Dry fry the breadcrumbs until golden, then set aside. Boil the fennel for 5mins, strain the water, then add salt and cook the pasta in the fennel-flavoured water for 8 minutes. Meanwhile fry in olive oil the finely chopped garlic and chilli for a few minutes, add the small-cubed sardine and cook for 5mins, then add the sultanas and the cooked pasta, olives and breadcrumbs to this and stir thoroughly. Serve immediately.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography Liz Laughton at pixelchicken, Sydney

Caponata - Italian Sweet and Sour Vegetable Salad

2010-05-25T22:02:00.012+10:00

Caponata is the Sicilian version of the French dish Ratatouille, or the other way round, who knows. It's a lovely dish in which the vegetables are purposely overcooked to create a lovely goulash-like texture whilst the flavours hinge poignantly between the sweet (sugar) and sour (vinegar). There are many versions of caponata, each recipe adding differen takes on the main ingredients of aubergine, capers, sugar, vinegar and celery.

I have cooked a different recipe which included no sugar and although the result was still tasty, it lacked punch. I think that for this dish to work well you really need to be generous with both the sugar and the vinegar so that each mouthful plays with your palate.

Recipe: Caponata - Tizzi Style
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
2 lrg. capsicums
3 stalks celery
1 onion (or 3 Spring Onions)
2 potatoes
2 tomatoes
1 lrg. aubergine
4 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup strong red vinegar
1.5 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. pinenuts
1 sprig fennel leaves
10 sultanas
5 black olives
2 tsp. capers
2 tsp. salt

All vegetables are cubed and placed on an oiled baking dish, except for the aubergine which is soaked for 10mins in salted warm water, rinsed and drained before being placed on the dish with the other vegetables. Sprinkle the whole sultanas, pitted and roughly chopped olives, pinenuts, fennel, sugar and salt onto the vegetables then place in a preheated 250degree oven for 25minutes. After 25mins add the red vinegar, mix well and cook in the oven for a further 25mins. Serve as antipasto, a side dish or a light meal with bread. This dish is best served at room temperature though it's still delicious hot.

Home Made Tomato Sauce

2010-05-22T23:37:00.017+10:00

It seems almost obligatory in Italy to make home made tomato sauce (the kind for pasta, not the kind you dollop on chips and pies) because during summer there are an utter abundance of cheap, ripe tomatoes around so anyone who's anyone with a kitchen gets to buying a couple of boxes full and bottling a few litres of home made tomato sauce that they’ll enjoy for the following months.

I learnt a great trick to preserve the tomato sauce: recycle some glass bottles and their lids; clean them thoroughly; boil in water for 10 or so minutes to sterilize; fill, replace lid then boil for another 5mins. Boiling them after they’re filled and sealed removes all air from the bottles so they preserve the contents. Voila – your tomato sauce will last for a few months!

There are many variations of the humble homemade tomato sauce recipe, with ingredients ranging from onion, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and more - I prefer a more simple recipe, to which you can later add more complex flavours. The recipe below creates a lovely rich sauce that makes a great pasta sauce, tomato paste or also a base for a soup or stew.

You can find lots of other variations of home made tomato sauce recipes on this site and this site.

Recipe: Home Made Tomato Sauce
Make 2 ltrs
(printable recipe)
3.5 kg tomatoes (the more ripe the better)
3 tsp. salt
4 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. olive oil

Very simply; the tomatoes are blanched, skins removed, roughly chopped then fried in olive oil with salt and oregano for 1 hour, before leaving to cool and then bottling - see the above tip on how to bottle the sauce and preserve for months.

How to: Blanch Tomatoes

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and make an incision through the skin on the opposite side to the stem. For smaller tomatoes just make one cut, for larger tomatoes make a cross. Tomatoes are then placed in the boiling water for 45seconds, before being removed and immediately rinsed in cold water. The skins will then be very easy to simply slip off the tomatoes.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography Liz Laughton at pixelchicken sydney

Cooking with Sardines

2010-05-22T23:03:00.012+10:00

Until this cooking lesson, I had never eaten fresh sardines (only canned), and I've definitely been underestimating their flavour. They are simply delicious, albeit a little fiddly to prepare, and have a lovely firm flesh that would be perfect for grilling (I've made a mental note to try a grilled sardine recipe in the future). Although this first recipe contains a lot of ingredients it is easy to cook and has a spectacular flavour. The second recipe reflects my favourite way to eat seafood - uncooked (well...marinated, technically the lemon cooks the flesh to a degree). Marinating is the freshest, most understated cooking technique and without a doubt my absolute number one.

Health-wise Sardines have a higher concentrations of Omega-3, Vitamin D and have less Mercury concentration than other larger fish so I'll be adding them to my cooking repertoire based on both taste and health benefits.

Recipe: Breaded Sardines with Raisins (Sarde a Beccafico)
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
1kg fresh sardines
5 Salted anchovies
150g breadcrumbs
3tbl olive oil
80g raisins
1 bunch parsley
80g pinenuts
Pepper to season
5 bay leaves
2tsp Sugar
2 lemons
Salt to season

Clean and bone the sardines; split them open, remove spine, wash them and leave to dry on a a t-cloth or kitchen paper. Remove the salt and bones from the anchovies and chop finely. Lightly saute the breadcrumbs in 2tbsp. olive oil. Soak the raisins in warm water for 5mins, then drain. Finely chop the parsley. Combine the anchovies, breadcrumbs, raisins, parsley, pinenuts, salt and pepper and mix. Coat sardines in mixture, roll, secure with a toothpick and place on an oiled oven tray with bay leaves. Now combine the sugar, juice from 1 lemon and 1 tbsp. olive oil, mix, then spoon mixture onto sardines before placing the tray in a preheated 200 degree oven. Cook for 20mins and serve with a lemon wedge on each plate.

Recipe: Marinated Sardines (Pesce Sarde Marinato)
Serves 4
(printable recipe)
3 lemons (juiced)
500g fresh sardines
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
1 small red chilli
5 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Clean and bone the sardines; split them open, remove spine, remove scales (but leave the skin), wash them and leave to dry on a a t-cloth or kitchen paper. Place skin down on a plate, pour on the lemon juice then sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, red chilli and olive oil - leave at room temperature for 1 hour. If you want - refrigerate for up to 24 hours before eating, just be sure to remove from the fridge at least 30mins before eating so that the olive oil returns to it's normal texture. Serve alone or with crusty bread. Delicious!

Pasta Round Two - Lets Add Some Colour

2010-05-22T03:32:00.031+10:00

Having found my feet during the first pasta making lesson, I've revisited (and upgraded the complexity of) the recipe, this time without Tiziana's watchful eye. I experimented with coloured pasta, namely red (tomato) and green (spinach) and the result was rewarding, and incidentally rather delicious.

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Coloured Ravioli
Serves 6
(printable recipe)
Pasta
600g '00' white flour (100g per person)
6 eggs (1 per 100g), or you can substitute up to half the eggs for the equivalent amount of water this reduces calories with only a little effect on the taste
30g tomato (paste, tinned or home made tomato sauce)
48g pured spinach (simply cook spinach for 2mins then blitz quickly in electric mixer)
2 tbl olive oil
Filling
250g ricotta cheese
200g fresh spinach
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
Sauce
1 large onion
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
200g of mince (or mushrooms if vegetarian)
1/2 glass red wine
200g home made tomato sauce

The flour is poured into a 3 separate donut shapes, eggs (and water if using) are cracked into the middle and then the tomato, spinach and olive oil are added to one donut share each. Use your hands to fold together, then knead for about 10 – 12 minutes. Rather than sticking to an exact time, you FEEL the dough turn from a floury in-cohesive clump to a firm-yet-elastic clump. Err on the side of over-kneading if you’re unsure, it’ll just make for softer more pliable pasta. Next take child-fist-sized chunks (OK, not an official measuring unit, but it makes sense to me) and either flatten with a rolling pin or use a pasta maker to make rectangles approx. 2mm thick, 10cm wide and 30cm long.

Meanwhile…cook the filling…

Fry off the garlic and onion, add the Spinach and cook for 5 minutes, allow to cool slightly then combine with the ricotta cheese.

Meanwhile...cook the sauce...

Fry off the carrot, onion and garlic for 5mins on low heat. Add the mince (or mushroom) and the red wine and let it reduce for 10minutes before adding the home made tomato sauce and cooking for 30minutes until the sauce is reduced.

Then…combine to make the pasta pieces…

Using a teaspoon, make 5 small evenly spaced dollops of ricotta mixture along the middle a pasta rectangle, ensuring the end dollops are at least 1.5cms from the edge. Fold the pasta over the dollops and use your fingers to seal around each dollop before cutting out the ravioli shape. You want to leave just under a centimetre of pasta around the dollop: enough to ensure its properly sealed but not so much that the pasta flavour overrides the filling flavour. Then repeat with all of the pasta rectangles, keep aside all the pasta that you cut away and re roll this later. If you’re anything like me the first rectangle will produce a motley crew of over sized, leaking Ravioli pieces, but a bit of practice will improve the look and by the end of it you’ll have sleek and sexy pasta ripiena pieces (stuffed pasta pieces).

Lastly…cook and serve…

Cook the ravioli in Salted, boiling water for approx. 8mins then drain and stir through the sauce then serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Delicious.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Sydney based Liz Laughton at pixelchicken

Simple Sicilian Salads #2

2010-05-22T02:43:00.019+10:00

I've found another two genius recipes, this time using oranges to make beautiful savoury salads. They are simple, can be made in under 5 minutes, and are so delicious. The sweet orange combines beautifully with the savoury flavours, a delicious yin and yang for the taste buds.

Recipe: Orange and Garlic Salad (Insalata Di Arance)
Serves 4, as accompaniment

(printable recipe)
5 oranges
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 large pinches of salt
(Optional - 50g salty ricotta or similar cheese)

The oranges are chopped roughly, combined with the thinly sliced garlic, then left to sit for 15 minutes. Add the salt, olive oil (and cheese if you wish) and serve.

Recipe: Chilli Orange Salad (Insalata Di Arance Con Peperonchino)
Serves 4, as accompaniment

(printable recipe)
5 oranges
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried chilli flakes
2 large pinches of salt

The oranges are chopped roughly, combined with the thinly sliced garlic and chilli, then left to sit for 15 minutes. Add the salt and olive oil and serve.

food photography in this post by pixelchicken, Sydney. Inspiration for the recipe and the food blog post thanks to Pepo Pane. This is a traditional sicilian recipe.

Pasta Alla Norma

2010-05-20T09:05:00.025+10:00

This next dish is one of the first Sicilian dishes that I read about; Pasta Alla Norma, literally meaning normal pasta. So I guess it’s not surprising that when I asked to be taught this dish preferentially over lasagna I was met with quizzical looks. Crazy Australians! This recipe is a go-to for any family when they cupboards are bare and the stomachs are a rumbling as it’s only got 4 main ingredients (plus herbs), all of which are readily found in any Sicilian kitchen.

Although simple, the flavours in this dish work perfectly together. The salty ricotta cheese, the sweet tomato sauce and the sweet and creamy aubergine. Note the trick of pre-soaking the aubergine to garantee that it's sweet, without that bitter edge that you sometimes find with augerbines.

I've eaten it a number of times so far, and each home has a unique way to prepare it. I prefer the more traditional recipe, as written below. Optional ingredients are chilli and garlic in the sauce, among others.

Recipe: Pasta Alla Norma

Serves 4-5

(printable recipe)
500g pasta (large penne preferably)
350g home made tomato sauce
1 small bunch basil
1/2 lrg. aubergine
olive oil
Salty ricotta cheese
Salt

Cook the tomato sauce for 30 minutes (as you want a nice thick reduced consistency) before turning off the heat and adding the finely chopped basil. Meanwhile the aubergine is cut into 2cm think round slices and soaked in cold well salted water for 10 minutes before being rinsed and drained. Next shallow fry the aubergine, drain the oil on kitchen paper and set aside. The pasta is cooked in salted water and drained. Combine the tomato sauce with the drained pasta and serve with a couple of slices of aubergine on top then a generous serving of grated salty ricotta cheese. Hey presto, the flavours are amazing.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Liz Laughton at pixelchicken, Sydney

Stuffed Artichokes

2010-05-20T09:04:00.018+10:00

This next recipe was another first time - I’d never cooked the whole artichoke before, most times the ‘leaves’ are discarded and only the artichoke heart is eaten. But interestingly, when cooked this way the leaves are more delicious than the heart. The whole leaf isn’t eaten, rather the stuffing is licked off each leaf and there is a little morsel of artichoke goodness at the base of each leaf that combines with the stuffing perfectly. This dish is more filling than you’d think, thanks to the breadcrumbs, so we’ve been enjoying it with some red wine and a simple lettuce and olive oil salad.

Recipe: Carciofi Ripieni alla Tiziana (Tizianas’ Stuffed Artichokes)

Serves 4

(printable recipe)
4 whole large artichokes, washed
3 cloves garlic (chopped into small cubes)
150g breadcrumbs
100g grated parmesan cheese
Handful parsley

Spread the leaves of the artichokes, mix the remaining ingredients together, then pack the mixture into the artichokes. These are then boiled in salted water (water should ½ cover the artichokes in the pan) for about 45minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 10-15mins before serving. Best eaten alone, and with fingers, as the breadcrumb mixture is licked of each ‘leaf’, working your way from the outer to the heart.

A special thanks to sydney based photographer Liz Laughton for the food photography. Food blog by Oni Oost. This is a traditional Italian recipe.

Riso Alla Fabio

2010-05-20T09:03:00.033+10:00

When cooking riso with Fabio, the contrast of his ‘splish of this and splash of that’ approach to seasoning and the precision of the cooking method was fantastic. His theory was that as long as the yin and yang of the dish is satisfied then it will taste sensational. In this rice dish the yin - the softened grains of rice - matched with the yang - the bottom layer of rice grains which are purposely burnt - create a lovely crunch-verses-soft sensation. Additionally lemon juice is used to oppose the creamy cumin flavour.

Also, as long as you use the ratio of 1 part rice to 1.25 part water, this rice can be chopped changed and infused with whatever seasonings you choose. I’d like to try ground coriander seeds, salt and ginger. Or fresh chilli and ground fennel.

Recipe: Riso Alla Fabio – Cumin Rice served with Pumpkin

Serves 6

(printable recipe)
Rice
3 cups rice
3.75 cups water
Salt (approx 2tsp.)
Cumin (approx 3tsp.)
½ lemon (or orange if you’d prefer)
Pumpkin Accompaniment
1 medium pumpkin
2 onions
1 large red chilli
3 tsp. ginger
Thyme (2 tsp.)

In a large pot combine rice, water, salt and cumin and mix well before putting on maximum heat with the lid tight (pressure cooker if possible but this is not essential). Once the dish is boiling and steaming, the heat goes on minimum for 9 minutes then maximum again for 1 minute. Importantly the lid is not lifted nor is the dish stirred. Heat goes off and dish is left to sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile…

Cook off roughly chopped onions until tender, add Chilli and Ginger (finely chopped) then a couple of minutes later add the pumpkin and about ½ cup water. Cover and cook until tender, stirring and adding more water if needed. Towards the end use the stirrer to create a smooth-ish consistency. Take off the heat and add the thyme.

Serve on a large plate or large shallow bowl (on which the lemon or orange is squeezed beforehand) with rice in a donut shape and the pumpkin mixture both in the centre and in a ring around the rice.

photography and recipe inspiration from pixel chicken sydney and Fabio Granziano respectively.

Simple Sicilian Salads

2010-05-20T09:03:00.032+10:00

The simplicity of these salads really stood out, as did the practicality of them - you've got to love a recipe or two that use left overs. I'm finding that many Sicilian dishes are uncomplicated, with a real emphasis on using food seasonally and highlighting one ingredient per dish. Historically Sicily has suffered quite a bit of poverty, and the cooking style reflects a real no-waste theorem. Although they're plain singularly, these are versatile dishes and I think they'd particularly suit some rare roast lamb and a green salad.

Recipe: Sicilian Potato Salad
Serves 4, as accompaniment

(printable recipe)
3 x roasted or boiled potatoes (cooked in their skins)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt

The cooked potatoes are peeled and chopped roughly, then combined with all ingredients and served either warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Sicilian Onion Salad
Serves 4, as accompaniment

(printable recipe)
2 x roasted onions (cooked in their skins, large onions are better, any colour)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt

The roasted onions are peeled and chopped roughly, then combined with all ingredients and served either warm or at room temperature.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Liz Laughton at pixelchicken Sydney

First Ever Pasta Making Session - A Success!

2010-05-20T09:02:00.034+10:00

Since arriving at Casa Di Tizzie for our 3 week stay I’ve been salivating for the promised pasta-making lesson, and it did not disappoint. We dove straight into ravioli and chose to fill it with pumpkin simply because we’d found a massive pumpkin in the garden and it needed using. The filling in this recipe could be substituted with practically anything! A traditional spinach and ricotta (lightly cook the spinach with a little onion, then blend with ricotta) perhaps? Personally I’d quite like to try fennel and chicken mince as I’m still feeling a little swoony for that aniseed kick.

Recipe: Pumpkin and Parmesan Ravioli (Tizzie’s Pumpkin Ravioli)
Serves 4

(printable recipe)
Pasta
400gm '00' white flour (100gms per person)
4 eggs (1 per 100gms), or you can substitute up to half the Eggs for the equivalent amount of water this reduces calories with only a little effect on the taste
Salt
Filling
1 med. onion
1 fresh red chilli
1 med. pumpkin
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
400gms parmesan cheese
2 tsp. salt

The flour is poured into a donut shape, eggs (and water if using) are cracked into the middle and a pinch of salt is added. Use your hands to fold together, then knead for about 10 – 12 minutes. Rather than sticking to an exact time, you FEEL the dough turn from a floury in-cohesive clump to a firm-yet-elastic clump. Err on the side of over-kneading if you’re unsure, it’ll just make for softer more pliable pasta. Next take child-fist-sized chunks (ok, not an official measuring unit, but it makes sense to me) and either flatten with a rolling pin or use a pasta maker to make rectangles approx. 2mm thick, 10cm wide and 30cm long.

Meanwhile…cook the filling…

Fry off the onion and chilli; add the pumpkin and season with salt and pepper before adding ½ cup water. Cook until tender, then smooth (either in pan with a utensil or in a kitchen mixer) before removing from the heat and adding the thyme and grated parmesan cheese

Then…combine to make the pasta pieces…

Using a teaspoon, make 5 small evenly spaced dollops of pumpkin mixture along the middle a pasta rectangle, ensuring the end dollops are at least 1.5cms from the edge. Fold the pasta over the dollops and use your fingers to seal around each dollop before cutting out the ravioli shape. You want to leave just under a centimetre of pasta around the dollop: enough to ensure its properly sealed but not so much that the pasta flavour overrides the filling flavour. Then repeat with all of the pasta rectangles, keep aside all the pasta that you cut away and re roll this later. If you’re anything like me the first rectangle will produce a motley crew of over sized, leaking ravioli pieces, but a bit of practice will improve the look and by the end of it you’ll have sleek and sexy pasta ripiena pieces (stuffed pasta pieces).

Lastly…cook and serve…

Cook the ravioli in salted, boiling water for approx. 8mins then drain and serve with some olive oil tossed through and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Buon.

Wow, I said dollop a lot in that recipe. I think I’ve filled my dollop quota for the month. Almost. Dollop. There, done.

Gomasio: A scrumptious Salt alternative

2010-05-20T09:02:00.031+10:00

I mentioned gomasio in an earlier recipe, which is originally a Japanese product. This lovely seasoning is a delicious replacement for salt, and is part of a macrobiotic Diet as a healthy salt alternative. I’ve just been introduced to this seasoning and am currently enjoying it on salads (combined with olive oil to make a lovely dressing), and in many other dishes in the place of salt. It’s really scrumptious and adds a depth of flavour to many meals that you wouldn’t achieve with salt. Of course there are some instances in which I believe salt cannot be substituted – on roast potatoes and with any tomato-based sauce to name two.

Recipe: Gomasio
(printable recipe)
Sesame seeds (unhulled)
Salt

Use a ratio of between 5:1 and 15:1 sesame seeds to salt depending on individual taste to combine toasted sesame seeds (the seeds are to be dry pan fry until golden brown) and Salt, grind to a dust either in an electric mixer or with a mortar and pestle.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Sydney based Liz Laughton at pixelchicken

Sicily: The Discovery of Fennel

2010-05-18T23:19:00.031+10:00

I’m not sure how I’ve eaten 3 (sometimes more) meals each day for over 26 years and not discovered the fresh aniseed-ey goodness of fennel. At any rate, I have discovered it and I have definitely folded it into my ingredients list. To begin my first blog post on a note of such awe is fitting, if I can keep discovering such simple, natural and vital wonderments as fennel then I'm on the right track.

In my new (but thorough) experience (I've eaten fennel every second day for the last 2 weeks) I think the strong and unique flavour of fennel is best enjoyed in uncomplicated dishes such as a fresh fennel pesto that can be enjoyed with pasta or simply with fresh bread or crackers and a simple 5 Ingredient fennel salad.

A lesson I’ve learnt is to work with what you’ve got, with what’s in season. Once you know what role each ingredient plays within the flavour of a recipe you can change, adjust and tweak the recipe to adapt to seasonal availability. For example the fennel pesto easily becomes the more traditional basil pesto or a rocket pesto depending on what ingredientsd are the freshest. If its Spring (fennel), Summer (basil or silverbeet pesto) or all year round (rocket grows during all seasons).

FYI ginger and fennel do not a good combination make. I attempted the fennel pesto recipe with ginger instead of garlic and the outcome was a little disastrous – methinks the somewhat bitter fennel and the hot and sweet ginger should be kept at opposite sides of the fry pan.

Recipe: Fennel Pesto

Makes approx 500gms

(printable recipe)
100gms fennel leaves. You can use the fennel bulb if it's sold without the leaves - if so use the whole bulb for this recipe.
200 – 300gms olive oil
1 clove garlic
100gms parmesan cheese (or any strong cheese, as long as it’s not too salty)

Simply place all ingredients in an electric food processor and blitz it until you have a paste. Easy! Amounts will depend on individual tastes; being a little health conscious I added more fennel then instructed though if you prefer a creamier dip then let the cheese flow! The pesto can be either stirred into cooked, drained pasta and served immediately or eat it as you would any dip (with wine and crackers…). It can also be stored in the fridge for a few days – simply add more oil if it gets dry.

Recipe: 5 Ingredient Fennel Salad

6 small serves, or 3 large

(printable recipe)
2 fennel bulbs, dissected and washed thoroughly
1 large spring onion
3 tbs. olive oil
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. gomasio (or ½ tsp. salt)

2 fennel bulbs are chopped roughly and combined with one large spring onion, pepper, gomasio or salt and a generous slurp of olive oil (the good stuff, don’t be cheap when it comes to olive oil) and stirred before serving. I ate it with fresh panini, cherry tomatoes and smoked cheese as a delicious lunch, it would also be a great accompaniment to a plain pasta dish or would go well with creamy flavours such as avocado, cheese and yoghurt.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by Sydney based Liz Laughton at pixelchicken

About This Little Green Book

2010-05-18T06:33:00.008+10:00

This Little Green Book - a Sydney food blogger sharing delectable recipes; tempting food photography; Sydney restaurant reviews and Sydney market reviews.

Why This Little Green Book?
Just before embarking on a 6 month eating holiday in Italy I was given a green leather notebook to document all of my food discoveries during my trip. The notebook evolved into this blog, so hommage was paid.

Photos throughout the blog are mostly courtesy of Sydney based photographer Liz Laughton of pixelchicken photography though there are a few of my very own. Basically all the average ones are mine, any that are speccy are Liz's.

This Little Green Book food blog bringing you Italian recipes, Sicilian recipes, Australian food recipes and online recipes. Words by Oni Oost, food photography by pixelchicken