Turkish inspired pasta

During my adolescence I spent a lot of time with a particular friend, Angie, with whom I shared a love of the beautiful classic Hollywood films which were screened every Saturday night.  So whilst other teens were ogling each other at the blue light disco, we'd sit in front of the TV, transfixed by the glamour of the 40's and 50's held spellbound by the timeless beauty of starlets such as Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly...   I read as many Hollywood biographies as I could, during that time.   It was such a magnificent obsession. Well, Angie's mother looked a lot like Debbie Reynolds and was rather a femme fatale.   She had a Turkish lover who introduced her to an exotic world - which included the cuisine, amongst other delights I'm sure! So, occasionally in between Bevvy's burgers and tuna mornay we'd get a serving of this mint and garlic tinctured concoction on Saturday nights.                                                                                                        
Serves 2 .....

250g pasta, any type will do
handful of fresh mint, leaves coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2tbs olive oil
1/2 cup Greek style yoghurt
grated haloumi

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Mix all ingredients and serve.

one-thousand and one nights ratatouille

Over a restorative cup of mint tea, a friend and I were discussing how much more difficult it is dealing with our daughters than it is with our sons.    The repeated defiance, manipulation, the need for attention were some of the traits that distinguished them from their less complicated brothers.   We considered that perhaps in this age where the females of the human species are treated more equally than ever before (at least in democratic societies), the capacity to be persuasive and obtain what that they needed to survive was an evolutionary personality trait.  Not possessing the brute strength of men, they resorted to using their feminine wiles.

For me, this theory is ever so poignantly characterised in the Arabian  tale of Sheherazade who bewitched her husband, the caliph, with stories which included magic lamps, stolen purses, cloud mountains and serpent princesses, told over 1001 nights.  Her cleverness enabled her to survive a beheading, a fate that befell his previous 3 wives.   I imagine her telling these stories in a starlit garden fragrant with jasmine, serving a dish very much like this one.....    
               
                      Serves 6 generously

 
2 aubergines, chopped coarsely
3 large zucchinis, chopped roughly
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced finely
2 carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato, chopped
300g small mushrooms left whole
2 red capsicums, chopped
1/2 cauliflower, separated into florets
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 heaped teaspoons Ras el Hanout
1 400g tin of tomatoes
a handful of parsley, chopped
S & P

Pepita mix crumble
100g pepita seeds
100g sunflower kernels
50g chopped almonds
50g breadcrumbs
2tbs olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Mix all ingredients (except pepita mix crumble) and place in a large roasting dish.  Cover dish with foil and put in the oven.  Cook for 1.5 hours till softened, then uncover and increase heat to 200 degrees and cook for another 30 mins by which time the vegetables will be golden, charcoal tinged around the edges. 

In the meantime, place all ingredients for the mix crumble in a fry pan and sauté lightly (only 5 mins or so) on medium heat.

Serve ratatouille with pepita mix scattered over the top and perhaps some bulghur pilaf on the side.

German Apple Cake

The Melbourne Writer's Festival hosted an event recently called Purgatorio at one of our city's prettiest churches.  A number of  Australia's finest poets read out their creations based on their idea of purgatory as alluded to in Dante's Inferno.  It was a sublime event.  And then I thought - what is my idea of purgatory?  Probably forever forsaking sugar is one, as a few friends have done of late.  Imagine all the luscious desserts, the chocolate, sorbets....the fripperies of life that put a spring in our step, being denied us.   To me, life would indeed be bitter without these confections.  

This German recipe from Gourmet Traveller for Apfel Kuchen (which is more of a pie than a cake) is sure to keep you out of the purgatorial mind-set.  The walnut pastry is my adaptation and I think makes it just a little more special, rather than just ordinary sweet short crust. 
 ......Serves 6 - 8

4 large Granny Smith apples
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
finely grated rind of 1 orange
40g sugar
1tsp cinnamon
4 cloves
80g pure icing sugar

Pastry
100g shelled walnuts
200g cold butter, cut into cubes
125g plain flour
125g self raising flour
50g caster sugar
1 egg, whisked

Peel, core then finely slice the apples and place in a bowl with other ingredients (except icing sugar) and leave to macerate for at least an hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, for pastry, grind walnuts in processor then add butter, flours and sugar until bread crumbs form.   Add egg and process until mixture just comes together.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 40 mins or so.

Preheat oven to 165 degrees.  Roll 2/3 of pastry to a thickness of 1cm and line the base and sides of a greased 23cm springform tin.  Drain apples well, reserving liquid and fill pastry case.   Roll out remaining pastry, draping it over the rolling pin and lifting it over the apple.  Press and crimp edges to seal then bake until golden brown about 50 mins.

Set aside in tin to cool for 10mins, then release sides of springform tin and set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile place 1.5 tbs of reserved apple liquid in a bowl and gradually stir in icing sugar until a glaze consistency forms.  Drizzle over cake and serve with dollops of cream.

Lamb Rogan Josh with tzatziki-inspired raita

I've always thought that winter is the season for introverts.  Nights tucked beneath a blanket reading a long, sweeping saga; baking a cake for afternoon tea with a close friend; long, solitary walks in a natural setting like the poets of old......   Considering myself an introvert, I was enraptured to stumble upon a book entitled Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking at a city book shop recently.  With gentle, well- researched persuasion the maligned introvert is venerated, even glamorised in Susan Cain's scholarly work.  With introversion being the dominant trait for 1 in 3 of us, it is not surprising that history is peppered with introverts like Isaac Newton, Virginia Woolf, Kafka, Steve Jobs .. in fact probably most writers, artists, scientists, computer geeks are introverts.  Skilfully she uses scientific research and case studies to demonstrate that this current obsession with open plan offices and schools do not always produce the best outcomes.  It is doubtful if Einstein would have discovered the theory of relativity if he was collaborating as part of a team.  There is magic and power in long periods of intense concentration, in a space devoid of distraction.   Read it if only to get a glimpse into an Anthony Robbins' (he of the uber-extrovert ilk) seminar.  Otherwise, listen to her  20 min TED talk.  It really is tremendous to come across ideas that force us to question the status quo.

Anyway, for the culinary-minded amongst us making a curry from scratch is sheer heaven in winter.  Roasting and grinding whole spices, sautéing onions with garlic and ginger on gentle heat, browning the meat in batches ... requires time and a slow, steady rhythm of which only an introvert can surrender to.                Serves 6

1 heaped tablespoon each: cardamom, coriander, cumin, black pepper
1kg boned lamb leg, cut into 2.5cm cubes
20g butter
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions, diced
5cm piece of ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 tsp each of hot and sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
5 cloves
1 cup chicken or beef stock
400g tinned tomatoes
200g plain yoghurt
scattering of coriander and slivers of almonds (optional)
Raita
1 cup yoghurt
1 small cucumber, diced finely
handful of coriander, chopped coarsely
handful of mint, chopped coarsely
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, crushed

In a large frypan, dry roast the 4 lots of  whole spices. Then grind to a powder using mortar and pestle. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, fry the lamb in batches in the oil and butter till browned. Remove from the pan.  Pour extra oil in saucepan and sauté onion, garlic and ginger with ground spices over low heat until the onion has softened. 
Return lamb to pan with the other ingredients except yoghurt and stir to combine.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 1.5hours or until lamb is tender.  Stir through yoghurt and cook on low heat for a further 15 mins uncovered.  Season to taste.

Meanwhile make raita by combining all ingredients in a bowl.

Serve curry with raita and naan bread.

Rock star lentil and vegetable soup

I caught up for a soiree with a friend whom I hadn't seen in over 6 months.  I was astonished when I first saw her, she had shed an enormous amount of weight and looked absolutely amazing.  This weight loss (minus 22kgs, in fact) coupled with her new cropped hairdo, she looked like a rock star!  This is from a woman a few months back, lamented that she found it too hard to lose weight and resigned herself to a lifetime of corpulence.  I was in awe and we talked about how she did it.  There really is nothing mysterious about losing weight - eat less, exercise more.   Eating healthful, low fat, nutrient-dense food like this lentil and vegetable soup is a start.  Even if you don't end up looking like a rock star , it's delicious!
                                                          Serves 4...............

1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 zucchini, diced
corn from 2 cobs
1 cup of lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
200g tinned tomatoes

In a medium sized saucepan, fry onion and garlic in 2tbs of olive oil with bay leaf.  After 2 mins add other vegetables, paprika and oregano.  Saute for  a further 10mins or so on medium heat till softened.

Add lentils, tomato and 1.5l of water and let come to the boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 mins till lentil are tender.  Cover with lid and let infuse for 10 mins before ladling into bowls with an extra drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and perhaps some freshly chopped parsley.

Apple latkes

Daily I am the happy recipient of blog posts from a content marketing site called Copyblogger.  The subject matter varies but ostensibly it is about online marketing and it is replete with creative ideas about writing with success in mind.  Despite their bewitching titles (e.g. why you should fire yourself; the hipster’s dilemma) I don’t get to read them all but there have been a number of posts that have captured my imagination.  One majestically entitled ‘In the dairy case, ripe prose’ featured a story on how the fromageries (or cheesemongers, if you will) of New York attempt  to lure customers to try, and of course buy, a range of cheeses which are unfamiliar and patently foreign to most, with displayed written descriptions laden with wit and cultural allusions.   For example, a cheesemonger from the Upper West Side describes Adelegger as “Just think of a scene in a movie where the lead actress, obviously one of the greats, turns around slowly and walks away from the camera taking your entire attention with her.”  Another description which is blindingly alluring is Galets de Cher   “Yes, it looks a tad, well, funkee, no? but this latest creation from our man Rodolph melts on your tongue, suggesting complex herbal ecstasy. It’s like getting the high of a Bikram Yoga class without the heat, the postures and the drill sergeant instructor”.  I am in complete ardour at the idea of how a tormented writer can be unleashed in the world of cheese! Do yourself a favour and look up this charming article.

One of my favourite cheeses to cook with, although I hasten to unnecessarily add in the same league as the above, is ricotta.  I wanted to make something for afterschool teatime and found an apple latke recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Feast.  Latkes tend to resemble fritters.  As usual, I made some variations and came up with the following which were devoured in no time by the hungry pupils.  “You wouldn’t even know there were apples in it,” my daughter declared.  I took that as a compliment.             Makes about 14…….

1 egg

200g ricotta

100ml milk

150g self raising flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground ginger

2 tbs caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

250g apples (peeled, cored and grated)

Vegetable oil for frying

Maple syrup or icing sugar and ground cinnamon for serving

Beat egg with ricotta and milk till fairly smooth.  Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger and sugar in a separate bowl.  Pour the ricotta mixture into the flour bowl and fold together with the grated apple and vanilla.

Pour enough oil to come to about 5mm up in a frying pan and put on the stove to heat.  Once oil is hot, dollop irregularly sized and shaped spoonfuls into the pan.  Fry for a minute or two, until the latkes are a golden brown on the underside; you can see from the top as they start firming up underneath. Flip them and cook for another minute on the other side.

Remove to a tray lined with kitchen towels, to blot excess oil , and continue cooking until you’ve used up all the batter.  Dust with combined icing sugar and cinnamon or drizzle with maple syrup.

Luscious lemon slice

At this time of year we always have a glut of lemons.  One thing I'll attempt for the first time is making preserved lemons - but not quite ready to yet.  This recipe from Belinda Jeffery is a voluptuously sweet way to use up some of your surplus lemons.  It is very tangy and as she herself says, it is more lemon tart than a slice.  I've varied my recipe by including coconut in the base and using less sugar in the topping.  Her photo is much prettier than mine!  Makes 20 -24 medium sized bars

base
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
180g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp iced water

lemon topping
6 eggs
2 cups caster sugar
finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1 cup strained lemon juice
1/2 cup plain flour
icing sugar
chopped pistachio nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease and line a baking tin measuring 32x24x5 cm.
For the base, whiz flour, coconut and sugar together in food processor.  Add butter and process till it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  With processor still running add vanilla and iced water and whiz until the mixture forms a ball around the blade. Take it out and press evenly into the tin.  Gently roll a glass tumbler across the top of the dough to smooth it out.  Bake the base for about 18mins till edges begin to colour and the top is pale golden.
In the meantime, make the topping.   Beat vigorously the eggs and sugar until frothy.  Whisk in the lemon juice and zest and sift the flour over the top gently incorporating until the mixture is smooth.
When the base is ready transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Reduce oven temp to 150degrees.  Once the base has cooled, pour the filling over the base.  Return the tin to the oven and bake for another 35 - 40 mins or until the topping has set..  Place tin on wire rack to cool.
Allow the slice to cool down completely before slicing in squares or elegant diamonds.  Dust with icing sugar just before serving and sprinkle with a few chopped pistachio nuts.  Quite lovely with a dollop of thick cream....