Sunday, 8 February 2015
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Artie and Mai - restaurant review
As Mr Pickings had a day free of clients and employees, I decided to shout him a quick lunch out. I had read good things about this fairly new cafe cum bar in Albion village, which is not far from Chez Pickings, the old ancestral. It is in a historic row of shops that has somehow survived the demolitions (and mysterious fires) that have been going on for decades around this area. I really like the look of the cafe's interior. I love the bare pendant bulbs hanging from the pressed metal ceiling, and the exposed brick walls that show through the plaster. I even like the bare concrete floors though it does make the whole place somewhat noisy with even just a few customers, as the sound bounces off the walls and floor.
Mr Pickings chose a vibrant passionfruit fizz to start, and I had a beetroot breakdown. (No really, that's the name of the drink.:) I didn't have a breakdown). My drink was very earthy and fresh, and I could feel it doing me good. There are other combos of juices - next time I want the orange, ginger and carrot - plus smoothies and milkshakes, teas, coffees, the usual suspects. This place is licensed so you can drop in for an after-work/pre-dinner drink too.
I absolutely love these jars! They were really nice to hold, and you got a hefty drink for your money.
I chose beetroot again for my lunch - a beetroot and apple rosti with smoked salmon, caperberries and horse radish which came in a quenelle-like mound on the plate. I have to say that even for a beetroot lover, this was a wee bit too much beetroot. The apple was not detectable, and the beetroot was a little under-cooked for my liking. I had actually forgotten that it was not a beetroot and potato rosti, so I was expecting more of a potato twist to it. But it was very tasty and fresh, the baby rocket delicious, caperberries - oh my I love them!- and the horse radish a lovely creamy tang along with generous smoked salmon. A really enjoyable repast.
Mr Pickings loves burgers so he chose the chicken burger with rustic chips and paprika aioli (I snuck a chip or 3). There was a large piece of chicken breast which had been coated in spices, along with tomato and lettuce. The chips were really fat and delicious, with skin still on. Mr Pickings was a fan!
I want to go back to try the sauteed mushrooms with poached egg and pecorino, and I am going to persuade Mr Pickings to go to dinner one night so we can try the pea arancini, the barramundi croquettes, the scallops, the popcorn chicken - stop, I am drooling!
Atmosphere was great, the waitress lovely, and the food came out promptly. All in all, a lovely little mid-week getaway.
The daytime menu goes from 7am to 3pm; the evening menu then starts with share plates and pizza. There is also a special lunchtime menu Mon to Thurs 12-2 pm with $12 meals.
Mr Pickings chose a vibrant passionfruit fizz to start, and I had a beetroot breakdown. (No really, that's the name of the drink.:) I didn't have a breakdown). My drink was very earthy and fresh, and I could feel it doing me good. There are other combos of juices - next time I want the orange, ginger and carrot - plus smoothies and milkshakes, teas, coffees, the usual suspects. This place is licensed so you can drop in for an after-work/pre-dinner drink too.
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| passionfruit fizz $7 |
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| beetroot breakdown $7 |
I absolutely love these jars! They were really nice to hold, and you got a hefty drink for your money.
I chose beetroot again for my lunch - a beetroot and apple rosti with smoked salmon, caperberries and horse radish which came in a quenelle-like mound on the plate. I have to say that even for a beetroot lover, this was a wee bit too much beetroot. The apple was not detectable, and the beetroot was a little under-cooked for my liking. I had actually forgotten that it was not a beetroot and potato rosti, so I was expecting more of a potato twist to it. But it was very tasty and fresh, the baby rocket delicious, caperberries - oh my I love them!- and the horse radish a lovely creamy tang along with generous smoked salmon. A really enjoyable repast.
 |
| beetroot and apple rosti $16 |
Mr Pickings loves burgers so he chose the chicken burger with rustic chips and paprika aioli (I snuck a chip or 3). There was a large piece of chicken breast which had been coated in spices, along with tomato and lettuce. The chips were really fat and delicious, with skin still on. Mr Pickings was a fan!
 |
| Artie & Mai chicken burger $16 |
I want to go back to try the sauteed mushrooms with poached egg and pecorino, and I am going to persuade Mr Pickings to go to dinner one night so we can try the pea arancini, the barramundi croquettes, the scallops, the popcorn chicken - stop, I am drooling!
Atmosphere was great, the waitress lovely, and the food came out promptly. All in all, a lovely little mid-week getaway.
The daytime menu goes from 7am to 3pm; the evening menu then starts with share plates and pizza. There is also a special lunchtime menu Mon to Thurs 12-2 pm with $12 meals.
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| funky interior |
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| vibrant red exterior |
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Eggplant and Capsicum Chutney
Eggplant, aubergine, eggfruit, guinea squash, pea apple, garden egg, brinjal in India - phew! And on it goes. This is such a lovely fruit, so I don't care what you call it! I think it divides the masses; you either love it or hate it. You guessed it - I love it of course. Is there anything nicer than a smokey grilled dip, or a moussaka layered with it, or a flavoursome curry? Mais oui, you are right; nothing nicer. Time to make a relish cum chutney I feel with these little beauties. I can hardly keep my hands off them; they are so smooth and sensuous and shiny. So rush down to your local greengrocer's and grab some eggplants so you can enjoy this delish spread. (And I get to use my fab and shiny new preserving pan).
This makes about 1.6 kg of chutney; I used 3 small and 3 large jars.
ingredients:
1 kg. eggplant, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 tbs sea salt
2 medium red capsicums, chopped into 2cm pieces
250g.brown onions, chopped into small pieces
150g. dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces - I used whole Medjool ones
250g. brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (and de-seeded if you are unsure of the heat factor)
1-2 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 tsp cummin seeds
500mls. white wine vinegar
method:
Put the chopped eggplant into a colander, sprinkle over the salt, and place the colander over a large bowl or into the sink
Leave for one hour - you will end up with a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the bowl
Rinse the eggplant in cold water and leave to drain for 5 minutes
Tip the now drained eggplant into your large pan with all the other ingredients
Stir frequently over a low heat till the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling
Simmer till the liquid is reduced and you have a thick jammy chutney (this will take 1 + 1/4 hours to 1 + 1/2 hours)
Remember to stir every so often, and more frequently towards the end of the cooking time
Spoon the hot mixture into still-hot jars (that have been washed in hot soapy water then placed in the oven at 130C for 20 minutes)
Store them in a dark cupboard or the fridge for a month, then open and enjoy
Definitely refrigerate after opening!
I am a big reader (and former librarian), so you can often find me at our local library. They refurbished it last year, and then had a grand re-opening with all sorts of activities, including a cooking class with well-known Brisbane cook Alison Alexander. She made a number of dishes, including this chutney which I have kept pretty much as is except for one or 2 minor changes. You can add more spices like ginger or turmeric or fenugreek, but I think this version is pretty tasty:)
I have seen recipes where they do not degorge the eggplant first, and others that suggest only doing it for 20 minutes. I had very little liquid come out and virtually no sweating on the diced pieces so it may not be necessary to do it for long or at all. It apparently depends on where and when the fruit is grown, for example if grown in colder climates, it takes longer to grow and has more of the bitter juices. So here in sunny Queensland, I am thinking we are so sweet, that we just don't have the bitter juices at all!:)
This makes about 1.6 kg of chutney; I used 3 small and 3 large jars.
ingredients:
1 kg. eggplant, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 tbs sea salt
2 medium red capsicums, chopped into 2cm pieces
250g.brown onions, chopped into small pieces
150g. dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces - I used whole Medjool ones
250g. brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (and de-seeded if you are unsure of the heat factor)
1-2 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 tsp cummin seeds
500mls. white wine vinegar
method:
Put the chopped eggplant into a colander, sprinkle over the salt, and place the colander over a large bowl or into the sink
Leave for one hour - you will end up with a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the bowl
Rinse the eggplant in cold water and leave to drain for 5 minutes
Tip the now drained eggplant into your large pan with all the other ingredients
Stir frequently over a low heat till the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling
Simmer till the liquid is reduced and you have a thick jammy chutney (this will take 1 + 1/4 hours to 1 + 1/2 hours)
Remember to stir every so often, and more frequently towards the end of the cooking time
Spoon the hot mixture into still-hot jars (that have been washed in hot soapy water then placed in the oven at 130C for 20 minutes)
Store them in a dark cupboard or the fridge for a month, then open and enjoy
Definitely refrigerate after opening!
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| salting the eggplants |
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| gathering the ingredients |
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| the tiny amount of degorged liquid |
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| rip off the top of the capsicum then pull out the membranes-easy peasy |
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| adding everything to the pan |
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| just 'cos I like my new pan:) |
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| chutney cooked down |
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| looks kinda murky |
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| all finished! |
I am a big reader (and former librarian), so you can often find me at our local library. They refurbished it last year, and then had a grand re-opening with all sorts of activities, including a cooking class with well-known Brisbane cook Alison Alexander. She made a number of dishes, including this chutney which I have kept pretty much as is except for one or 2 minor changes. You can add more spices like ginger or turmeric or fenugreek, but I think this version is pretty tasty:)
I have seen recipes where they do not degorge the eggplant first, and others that suggest only doing it for 20 minutes. I had very little liquid come out and virtually no sweating on the diced pieces so it may not be necessary to do it for long or at all. It apparently depends on where and when the fruit is grown, for example if grown in colder climates, it takes longer to grow and has more of the bitter juices. So here in sunny Queensland, I am thinking we are so sweet, that we just don't have the bitter juices at all!:)
Monday, 2 February 2015
In My Kitchen February 2015
January? What do you mean it's over already? But I'm not ready...wait on! oh alright, it's February - what can I say? Here we are again! The 2nd month of the year has already started, and it's our wedding anniversary on the first too. I didn't have a huge month in the kitchen, as my knee gave up the ghost, and I got some weird virus-y thing so I was in bed a lot of the time. A dear friend sent me a surprise package of items for blog props, and I managed to sneak in a blogging gift for myself, so all was not lost on the blogging front. So here is my fore-shortened IMK post for this month. Join in with the lovely and generous Celia from Fig Jam & Lime Cordial if you feel inspired to share your kitchen triumphs and/or goodies with other like-minded bloggers.
You can just see the novel I bought recently by Ruth Reichl, called Delicious. I have enjoyed her memoirs immensely, so am hoping her first novel is equally entertaining. I loved her stories about dressing up in costume to go to restaurants when she was the NY Times food critic, hoping that she would not be recognised. She also would book under false names, something I do myself. Not because I am famous and may be recognised (ha ha), but because I am sick of spelling my name(s) and they still get it wrong. Much better to use Smith or Jones!
And I must say an extra thank you to Celia for posting me an envelope of her dried sour-dough starter. I promise to have a go at it when my knee is better! Have a great February, fellow IMK'ers!
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| a fabulous book from the Shetland Islands |
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| local coffee roasters - organic coffee |
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| raw honey from northern NSW- untreated, unheated, natural! |
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| tea towels from a friend |
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| my new Mad Millie 9 litre preserving pan |
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| more tea towels |
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| and for a Japanese twist - instant miso soup and a tube of wasabi! |
You can just see the novel I bought recently by Ruth Reichl, called Delicious. I have enjoyed her memoirs immensely, so am hoping her first novel is equally entertaining. I loved her stories about dressing up in costume to go to restaurants when she was the NY Times food critic, hoping that she would not be recognised. She also would book under false names, something I do myself. Not because I am famous and may be recognised (ha ha), but because I am sick of spelling my name(s) and they still get it wrong. Much better to use Smith or Jones!
And I must say an extra thank you to Celia for posting me an envelope of her dried sour-dough starter. I promise to have a go at it when my knee is better! Have a great February, fellow IMK'ers!
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Who can say no to glorious Frozen Caramel Mousse? Book review and recipe.
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Caramel - oh yeah! This recipe has it in spades. And if you like, you can add a scattering of salt over the top, to give your taste buds a little surprise. I have mentioned before I really admire Belinda Jeffery. I love her cookbooks, and she devises wonderfully flavoursome and simple recipes. Never too difficult for the home cook, full of lovely ingredients, and results that speak for themselves. I received her latest book - Utterly delicious simple food - for Xmas (with a bit of prompting Mr Pickings way!) Yes, I love it! Who could possibly resist chocolate crackle and caramel ice cream loaf? Or zucchini lasagne, or blueberry fool or just a delicious potato salad? There are heaps of recipes I am dying to try here, but I have chosen dulce de leche mousse with caramel sauce for this post. I will confess at the outset, I have not made it all Belinda's way; yes folks, I have cheated and used canned caramel. Yes I could spend 3 hours watching over boiling water as I cook up 2 tins of condensed milk to turn into caramel or I could simply buy a couple of cans of caramel. Guess which I did? I am still trying not to stand too much as my knee has still not come good, so I am taking the easy way out. Ok, that's my excuse anyway:)
Belinda calls her recipe - frozen dulce de leche mousse with caramel sauce; I just call mine frozen caramel mousse.
ingredients:
mousse:
2 x 380g. cans of Top N Fill caramel (use any brand)
80ml lemon juice, strained
80ml milk
2-3 tsp vanilla extract
600ml thickened cream
50g, crushed praline (optional)
caramel sauce:
250 ml pure cream
220g brown sugar
75g. caster sugar
60ml maple syrup
90g golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
method:
Spoon the cans of caramel into a large mixing bowl
Stir it with a large spoon to make it a bit smoother
Pour the strained lemon juice into the bowl and stir well
Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix in till smooth
Whip the cream till you have soft peaks
Spoon a small amount of the cream into the caramel and stir it in
Place the remaining cream into the bowl and fold it gently in
You will now have a luscious creamy mousse
You can either spoon it into cups or ramekins, or into lined moulds that you can later turn out
Place in the freezer overnight
Make the sauce by putting all the ingredients into a medium saucepan
Stir over a high heat till the sugar is dissolved
Stop stirring and let it come to the boil
Belinda says to grab a sugar thermometer and bring the sauce to 108C, then take it off the heat and let it cool down for at least 20 minutes - I don't have a sugar thermometer! I just brought it to the boil and let it boil for a few minutes, taking it off the heat before it overflowed. It has made a thin sauce, but extremely delicious.
You can go ahead and make the caramel sauce on the same day as the mousse, or make it the next day before serving. I made it the same day, and refrigerated it overnight. It has now become much thicker and more fudgy. I recommend making it the day before serving if you don't have a sugar thermometer, as it will give it time to firm up a bit. I have been tasting it since I made it, and it is very difficult to stop at just a tiny spoonful! Serve the frozen mousse with the sauce, and the praline if using. I prefer a softer texture, so suggest taking them out of the freezer about half an hour before serving.
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| adding lemon juice and vanilla to the caramel |
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| stirring in the milk |
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| whipped cream about to go in |
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| looking luscious already |
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| so smooth and creamy! |
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| it made 8 ramekins' worth:) |
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| sauce ingredients |
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| all the good stuff |
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| boiling the sauce |
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| frozen mousse with fudgy sauce |
The book has beautiful photos that make you want to rush into the kitchen and start cooking then and there. Recipes are well-written; easy to follow with ingredients listed separately for ease of use. Belinda tends to use ingredients that you are likely to have in your pantry and fridge most of the time. You won't have to rush off to the nearest esoteric deli, or search for items that can only be found once a year at the rise of the blue moon. Rest assured that Belinda has your back, and you will end up with delicious dishes, full of flavour and interest.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Spinach and 3 Cheese Pie
Years ago when Mr Pickings and I first met we were both vegetarian as were many of our friends. After about 10 years, we succumbed to the lure of meat, though he will often choose the vego option when we are out, and we often cook meatless meals at home. I am teetering on the edge of becoming vego again as I feel so damn guilty about all those animals dying just for me to eat them. I can never forget that ad about the little pig where they tell you the pig has the intellect of a three-year-old child, and is in the cold, dark piggery without its mum. Oohh that gives me the shivers.
As you may have guessed this is a vegetarian recipe today! One of my favourite cookbooks is by Tess Mallos - The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook. I have had it for years and it is very scruffy and well used. This recipe is inspired by one of hers but is not exact. You have to go with what is in your cupboard and fridge! And what I had was some spinach and ricotta and leftover fetta. The weather has been very strange in Brisbane lately and we have been inundated with rain over the last few days. There has been flash flooding all over the place and the local creek decided to go mad and burst its banks, swamping the footpath next to it. So it has been grey and even a bit cool so I thought pie why not pie? I have that song from the film Michael with John Travolta running in my head! You know the scene where Andie McDowell sings - "pie pie pie! I love pie!" Yep that's the one and it's really hard to get out of your head once you've heard it:). So here we have it - spinach and cheese pie for a grey and rainy day in (usually) sunny ol' Brisbane.
ingredients:
1-2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
350g. baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
250g. of ricotta
100g. of fetta cheese
80g. grated tasty cheese
3 eggs - lightly beaten
nutmeg to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
50g. pine nuts (I only had walnuts to hand but I think pine nuts go better in this)
1 sheet ready-made shortcrust pastry
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
2 tbs cornflake crumbs
milk to glaze the pastry
sesame seeds to sprinkle over the pie (optional)
method:
Heat the oil in a large frypan
Toss in the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes still going opaque and soft
Add the garlic and keep stirring till all golden and fragrant
Throw in the spinach leaves
Stir now and then till the spinach wilts down
Add the salt and pepper and nutmeg - I gave my nutmeg mill a few twirls!
Allow to cool
Once cooled down, place the mixture into a large bowl
Beat the eggs into the ricotta till you have a smooth-ish mix
Add the 2 cheeses, and the ricotta/egg mix into the large bowl with the spinach mix
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Stir in the pine nuts
Take your lightly greased pie dish and place the shortcrust pastry in it
Scatter the cornflake crumbs over the base
Place the dish into a pre-heated 190C oven and bake for 10 minutes
Take it out and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Then spoon the spinach and cheeses mixture into the pie dish
Cover the top with the puff pastry sheet
Neaten the edges of the pie and brush milk over the top
Slash it a few times to get an air-vent
Throw on those sesame seeds if using
Bake for about 30-35 mins. till golden
Cool for a few minutes and eat!
As my bung knee is still "bung", Mr Pickings did the chopping so I didn't have to stand up too much. Being a designer, he has an eye for detail as you can see with his beautifully chopped onion! Photos were taken while I was hopping around so please just ignore the shadows and general dodginess! You can see my nutmeg mill snuck into the photos. I found some hmm hmm perhaps quite old whole nutmegs in the pantry, so used them rather than dodgy old ground nutmeg. I suggest you be careful with the nutmeg as it can be overpowering; give it a twist or 2, and go on from there.
ingredients:
1-2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
350g. baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
250g. of ricotta
100g. of fetta cheese
80g. grated tasty cheese
3 eggs - lightly beaten
nutmeg to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
50g. pine nuts (I only had walnuts to hand but I think pine nuts go better in this)
1 sheet ready-made shortcrust pastry
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
2 tbs cornflake crumbs
milk to glaze the pastry
sesame seeds to sprinkle over the pie (optional)
method:
Heat the oil in a large frypan
Toss in the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes still going opaque and soft
Add the garlic and keep stirring till all golden and fragrant
Throw in the spinach leaves
Stir now and then till the spinach wilts down
Add the salt and pepper and nutmeg - I gave my nutmeg mill a few twirls!
Allow to cool
Once cooled down, place the mixture into a large bowl
Beat the eggs into the ricotta till you have a smooth-ish mix
Add the 2 cheeses, and the ricotta/egg mix into the large bowl with the spinach mix
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Stir in the pine nuts
Take your lightly greased pie dish and place the shortcrust pastry in it
Scatter the cornflake crumbs over the base
Place the dish into a pre-heated 190C oven and bake for 10 minutes
Take it out and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Then spoon the spinach and cheeses mixture into the pie dish
Cover the top with the puff pastry sheet
Neaten the edges of the pie and brush milk over the top
Slash it a few times to get an air-vent
Throw on those sesame seeds if using
Bake for about 30-35 mins. till golden
Cool for a few minutes and eat!
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| yes there was another egg lurking there |
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| Mr Pickings doing some expert chopping |
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| see how clever he is:) |
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| wilting down the spinach- they just disappear! |
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| stir the eggs and ricotta together |
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| place everything into a large mixing bowl |
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| eek! it looks a wee bit disgusting, and this night-time shot isn't doing me any favours:) |
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| lay the pastry into the pie dish and sprinkle on the cornflake crumbs. you guessed it! more falconware. |
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| pouring in the mixture; yep you are right - it does look like vomit |
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| pie all baked! |
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| nice with salad or steamed vegies |
As my bung knee is still "bung", Mr Pickings did the chopping so I didn't have to stand up too much. Being a designer, he has an eye for detail as you can see with his beautifully chopped onion! Photos were taken while I was hopping around so please just ignore the shadows and general dodginess! You can see my nutmeg mill snuck into the photos. I found some hmm hmm perhaps quite old whole nutmegs in the pantry, so used them rather than dodgy old ground nutmeg. I suggest you be careful with the nutmeg as it can be overpowering; give it a twist or 2, and go on from there.
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| (stock image of whole nutmeg Author Baptiste Vauchelle) |
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