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.