My White Sangria

It is blood orange season again! Could not resist purchasing them at the market today for our Spanish dinner at home night.  Blood orange, it an orange with a tinge of crimson red skin and flesh. Taste wise, it is a cross between a regular orange and grapefruit. In making this Spanish favourite, if blood oranges are not available where you, use a blend of citruses that are available - main idea is to be innovative and use whatever that is in season locally.

Have fun!

What you need:

Zest, segments and juice of 1 blood orange
Zest, segments and juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoon of yuzu (a japanese citrus similar to a cumquat available at any good japanese grocer) juice
1 bottle of white wine (I used a bottle of sauvignon blanc) - chilled
1 bottle of lemonade - chilled
Ice

How to:
1. Add blood orange and lemon zests, fruit segments and juice into a serving jug;
2. Add yuzu juice (use cumquat or kaffir lime);
3. Just before serving time, add white wine, lemonade and ice into serving jug.

Note: To make it kid friendly, replace white wine with sparkling juice.

Dinner with Matt Moran

Matt Moran, the owner of Aria, through his book "When I get home" thought me to keep things simple. I purchased his book after watching Matt cook on the first season of Masterchef Australia. The book - retailing at $A55, classic french/modern australian, you will find recipes such as confit duck, french onion soup and lemon tart. My favourite recipes? Entre - A bruchetta with shaved baby fennel and orange segments; Main - grilled snapper fillet with sauted mushroom with broccollini. Highly recommended for the busy corporate citizens who enjoys good food without the compromise of time.

Book Junkies Rating: 4 out of 5 STARS.

ST. Ali update - the proof IS in the beans

With ST. Ali, the proof IS the beans. We returned last weekend for breakfast and coffee. The sound of the industrial size coffee machines working and the smell of beautifully made coffee woke our senses as soon as we walked in the door. Friendly staff greeted and seated us at the large shared table within five minutes of us arriving; now that is what I call service! The Menu; seemed simple yet a little bit out of the ordinary. We ordered the classic fried eggs with bacon and home made baked beans cooked in sage with a hint of spice. "Coffee up!" yelled the barista, and our coffee arrived. The verdict? As the Italian would say "Cosi Cosi", so-so because we had very high expectations coming to a place that earned its title as the institution for great coffee. Our meal was good but lack the gusto we seek. BUT all is not lost, the "Champion" coffee beans we bought the week before was the highlight of our Monday morning. Strong, full of depth and gusto, a definite purchase when we next visit ST. Ali.

Merry Christmas

How time slips past us with a blink of an eye. I can't believe that it is almost Christmas and not long after the new year. After many kitchen disasters and successes, my mantra still remains: be brave and explore, like most things in life, it is through mistakes that we learn. I would like to end the year with my favourite meal - roast duck with Madeira cherries featured in this month's Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. Simple and fabulous, it takes only 1.5 hours from oven to table. I used duck Maryland instead of a whole duck and dry sweet sherry instead of Madeira wine.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!

Moroccan inspired chicken with cous cous

Seasons and priorities change, people come and go but one thing remains, I am still as passionate about food and cooking. I came across this recipe for a Moroccan inspired chicken dish served with spiced cous cous in Stephanie Alexander's "A Cook's Companion" cookbook, page 295. Not having travelled to Morocco, this dish gave me a good snap shot to the depth of Moroccan culture. My top tips for recreating this dish:
1. Cut pumpkin and carrots into consistent cubes - it helps the vegetables to cook evenly.
2. Use chicken drumsticks instead of chicken thighs - chicken bones add more flavour to the stock.
3. Ghee is clarified butter.

Go forth and conquer!

Tangelo cupcakes

Anything citrus are in season at the moment! Inspired by the tangelos we bought from the market, I made tangelo cupcakes with orange blossom buttercream icing based on a orange cupcake recipe I came across in the Primrose Bakery cupcake book. I struggled with my search for a good cup cake recipe; this book answered my calling.

Top tips for making moist cupcakes and smooth icing:
1. Butter and all ingredients required for the recipe should be at room temperature.
2. Be organise! Have ready all ingredients to measure for use.
3. Allow cupcakes to cool completely prior to icing.

Tangelos can be bought from any good fruit grocer (we bought ours from "Eat More Fruit" at the South Melbourne Market) and orange blossom water can be bought from any good delicatessan (we bought ours from "Jones Grocer").

Neil Perry on good food

Hi my name Sue and I am a cook-book-aholic. Neil Perry's "Good Food" cook book is the latest addition to my library, its two hundred and fifty five pagers of simple to cook recipes. Two reasons why I bought this book; for the simplicity of its recipes and the amount of heart that it permeates showing the love Neil has for his daughter Josephine through his recipes. I am my father's daughter, and if I ever publish a cook book, it would be one with as much heart as this one dedicated to my dear Daddy.

Today I made, his crispy skin salmon with braised chickpeas and herbed yoghurt (page 123). The chickpeas brought back memories of trips my father and I took to the road side Indian hawker selling steamed chickpeas wrapped in cones made out of yesterday's newspaper. I digress.

Back to the recipe. Simple to make, it takes only 30 minutes from stove to table. Top tips for reproducing the crispy skin salmon; 1. dry the fish 2. pan must be hot and 3. turn fish once on each side.

Enjoy!

The Ice Creamery

I dream a dream of owning an ice-cream maker. That dream is currently $600 away! I think the ice-cream Gods must be looking out for me when I stumbled upon a recipe on making semi-freddo. Semi-freddo is Italy's gift to us mere mortal ice-creamery dreamers... ice-cream made without an ice-cream maker!

Interested in starting your own ice creamery at home? You don't need to pay $600 for an ice-cream maker...
Email Sue at sueimn_tan@yahoo.com to book a 1 hour cooking class at your home for $25 per person or $60 for a class of 3 participants. Limited to maximum 3 participants per class. Classes only available on Sunday, 12 pm. Choose from Japanese Green Tea and Black Sesame ice-cream.

Italian Walnut Liquer Cake

I fell in love with the picture of this beautiful Italian Walnut Liquer Cake the moment I saw it in the Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. It was cake-love at first sight! You can buy walnut liquer or Nocino at any good Italian deli. A note to the wise, Frangelico is hazelnut liquer and is not to be confused with Nocino. Albeit the cream being on top, its pretty close to the real thing...

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/walnut-and-espresso-cake.htm

First Creative Happiness cooking class

I love cooking. Friends who know me know that but what I love more is the opportunity to share my knowledge with others. Today, I shared my knowledge with three wonderful hosts, two girls and a boy; Nerissa, Ann Kathrin and Markus at their humble abode. We made pork wonton noodle soup and Japanese green tea sponge cake in under two hours!

For Creative Happiness cooking class enquiries email Sue at: sueimn_tan@yahoo.com

Kaya Woman's Pandan Jam

This entry is dedicated to my late ah-ma. She was a wonderful cook - intuitive, patient and refine, as a Nonya cook should be. As I patiently stood by the gas stove, stirring the egg custard mix over a double boiler, it brought back memories of my ah-ma taking me to the local hawker man selling Malaysian pancakes for breakfast at the end of Riffle Range Road.

The jam was a success! 3 hours later, there was enough to fill 3 jars and a plastic container! I gave 3 to friends and saved the rest of ourselves... yummo!

Cook and Food Explorer.

Julia's Poulet Roti with a honey mustard salad

If there is a chef who will teach me how to cook, it would be Julia Child. I'm sure George, Frank and Matt will attest to that too. Today, I made a French style roast chicken from Julia's book.

It turned out to be a beautiful golden bird!The key takeaway from the recipe is to turn the bird whilst basting it in its roasting juices. For those who have her book "Mastering the art of French cooking Volume 1", the recipe for Poulet Roti is on page 240.

For honey mustard salad dressing.

Ingredients
2 tablespoon good quality Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and dress salad just before serving.

Pre-owned cookbook for sale

My husband gave me this idea of selling some of my much loved cookbooks in his effort to cure my obsession for cooking and to help solve my space problem. These are books that I have cooked the same recipe from over and over again. They are in pristine condition and are going for half the price that I bought each book for.

Please help me cure my obsession for cooking!

Macarons

Yesterday on my birthday, my husband took me out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants by the bay, the Anchorage restaurant in Williamstown, Melbourne. When we arrived home, I received a box of lovely macaroons from two friends who evidently loves me for all that I am - the good, the bad and the ugly. They are from La Tropenenne Pastiserrie, Glenferrie Road, Melbourne. YUM!

Welcome

Welcome to my food adventure and journey to creative happiness! A recipe or two a day and the journey begins...