winosandfoodies

Coffee Pavlova with Walnut Cream

We celebrate the birth of my first born, Chris, three days after Christmas.  Unbeknown to us he had plans to celebrate more than his birthday this year.  

Browsing through a Waitrose Food Illustrated, kindly sent to me by Keiko  earlier this year, he came across this pavlova and went in to raptures over it. The picture in the magazine IS amazing and sadly, mine looks nothing like it. 

Never be deceived by looks.  Despite the meringue mixture spreading before baking and then crumbling after baking, when I moved it to platter, the taste  was divine. It is a wonderful blend of flavours and textures - the crunch of meringue, the smoothness of the cream, a slight  bitterness to the sweet coffee syrup, all topped with the creaminess of walnuts.

At that point I had not planned on any specific dessert for the birthday dinner. Decision made.

Waitrose Illustrated Recipes - Coffee Pavlova with Walnut Cream

...and the extra celebration...Chris and Maria announced their engagement. We are over the moon.

No wedding plans have been decided as yet. Maria's family live in Montreal so lots to consider before decisions are made.

Happy Holidays

#Fail - George - My Big Fat Greek Fail

Dear George

You may be aware I am offering your book Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart as a prize in the 2009 Menu 4 Hope. 

You may have heard of us.  No? People donate US10 and get a ticket that puts them in the draw for various prizes throughout the world. It is something the food and wine blog community have done for several years now. We raise money to support the less fortunate communities in the world. This year our money is going to the United Nations World Food Programme.

Anyway back to your book. It's a lovely book.  Beautifully produced, pretty pictures, good recipes, nice bit of personal information about you and your family.  I enjoyed reading it.

I have some questions. Did you test all the recipes in the book? See I've made several recipes. 

Firstly I tried the Fig and Olive Relish. It was delicious. I served it with a nice Greek cheese I bought at the local deli. I even used it on a pizza. My husband hates figs.  Yes really. Hard to believe but true. He ate  the pizza, even said it was nice.  I didn't tell him about the figs.

Next the Toursi. Again very nice. Although my husband found them a bit strong. I figured next time I make them I'll dilute the vinegar with a touch of water. I'll probably enjoy them more too.

I have the most wonderful oncologist. His father emigrated from Greece some years ago. Had a little restaurant somewhere in Queensland. Up north somewhere. I can't quite remember which town. I thought he might enjoy some Kourambiethes.  With it being Christmas and all. It could have been the weather but I found I needed to add more flour. Even then the mixture was quite sticky. But not to worry they turned out fine. Bloody fabulous actually. My son said they are nicer than the ones his girlfriend makes.....and she's Greek.

Finally the Orange Peel Spoon Sweet. Now that did look interesting. I'd never eaten them before. It took me five days to complete the recipe. I changed the water religiously each day.

It could have been I  didn't boil them sufficiently. I googled orange peel spoon sweet and several of the recipes said only boil 5 minutes before starting the soaking process. I actually boiled them about half an hour. It would be helpful if you could put some timings in your recipe.  Anyway today I boiled them in the syrup. Again no indication on time so I boiled them to the jam/jelly setting on my sweet thermometer. I didn't want to go any further as I'd have ended up with toffee. Don't even ask about my experiences with pomegranate syrup.

So here's your dish and my dish alongside each other. Yours look delicious. Mine look like plain old orange peel. Can't say I like the taste much either.  Nothing like I was expecting.  I think I stuffed up somewhere. Where do you think I went wrong?

 

Anyway George you can check out all the Menu 4 Hope prizes at Tomatom . Maybe even suggest to Gary and Matt they could make a donation. It's a pretty neat Christmas present to give. If you'd like to see the prizes from throughout the world have a look at Chez Pim.

I might be down in Melbourne in 2010. Perhaps I could drop in and say hi. Maybe taste your orange peel spoon sweet.

Cheers

Barbara

Kourambiethes - Menu 4 Hope VI

Kourambiethes from Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart by George Calombaris.

Donate US$10 to Menu 4  Hope VI and go in the draw to win this book.

Donation Form here.

Australian host of Menu 4 Hope VI - Tomatom.

Toursi - Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart

Toursi, or in English, pickled vegetables, are usually eaten on Clean Monday, when Lent begins before Easter. They can be eaten at any time as a side dish. These Toursi are made from a recipe in George's book.

Greek Cooking from the Hellenic Heart could be yours for US$10. Make a donation at First Giving as part of 2009's Menu 4 Hope VI.  There is an excellent donation form on this page  to make it a very simple excercise. It is prize code AP01.

Go to Tomatom for a full list of all the Australian prize donations.

Go To Bed With George

Personally I'd rather go to bed with Gary.  But you could spend an evening propped up in bed with George's book Greek Cookery From The Hellenic Heart.

Buy you chance of taking George to bed by purchasing a ticket in Menu 4 Hope.  Register at First Giving and quote code AP01.

George's recipe for Black Olive and Fig Relish is in the book.

Full list of Australian items available for bidding are on Tomatom.

Menu 4 Hope - 2009. Bid on Greek Cookery From the Hellenic Heart

Just US$10 could get you George's book.  Australian readers, the exchange rate is excellent at the moment and will only cost you a few cents over AUD$11.

My contribution to Menu4Hope09 is the wonderful cookbook from Australian chef and  Masterchef judge  George Colambaris  - Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart.

If you are an Australian food blogger you may think George's book is the last thing you want on your shelf.   Buy a ticket and show George  we don't hold grudges. We are food lovers and we are prepared to forgive those who should know  better.

Bidding is open from December 14th - December 25th. Winners will be announced on Chez Pim at the end of the campaign.

Money is collected by First Giving.  Donors can make an on line (tax deductible in the US) donation with a credit card.

To purchase  tickets register at the First Giving  web site.  The code number to quote for a bid on  Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart  is AP01.

This prize is open to everyone.  I will ship it to wherever you are in the world. .

Menu for Hope is an annual fund raising campaign hosted by Chez Pim and a revolving group of food bloggers around the world.  

Each December, food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering a delectable array of food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. 

Pim has published all you need to know about the event over at Chez Pim.

This year, we are supporting a new initiative at the WFP called Purchase for Progress. It enables small holder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation.   Visit the WFP site for more information on this initiative.  

The number to quote to buy a ticket in Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Hart  is  AP01. This prize is open to everyone.  I will ship it to wherever you are in the world.

Ed  at Tomatom is hosting Menu4Hope in Australia.  Pop over and visit Ed for a full list of prizes available.

Over the next two weeks I'll be posting a few dishes from the book.

When you donate, please remember to:

1. Specify which bid item or items you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation.  Do tell us how many tickets per bid item, and please use the item code -for example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for the item UW01 and 3 for UW02 - please write "2xUW01, 3xUW02" in the Personal Message section when confirming your donation.

2. For US donors, if your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

3. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win.  Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on Monday January 18 for the results of the raffle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT: Please use the following convention when specifying your item choices 

"number of tickets" x "item code"

for example: 3xUE01, 2xAP06

PLEASE SUPPORT MENU 4 HOPE AND BUY A TICKET.

From Georges Book - Fig and Olive Relish

From George's book.  Come back tomorrow to see how you could get this book for just $10.

Raspberry IceCream in the Thermomix

Healthy, low fat ice cream. Perfect for non dairy diets. You don't need a Thermomix for this, it can be made in a food processor.

It contains only 2 ingredients - bananas and raspberries. The recipe is from the Jill Dupliex book Lighten Up. I have asked Jill for permission to publish the recipe but have not received a reply.

It is pretty simple though. Peel bananas, chop into chunks and freeze overnight. Freeze berries overnight. Next day remove from freezer and leave at room temperature for 20 minutes. Place bananas and raspberries into Thermomix or blender and process until smooth.

Serve immediately or freeze in plastic container to serve later.

 

The bananas give it a smooth base. Add other fruits for other flavours.

Fruit Smoothie

Mango - grape - yogurt - honey - blend - drink

Eggnog

Our decorate the tree day always includes eggnog and fruit mince pies.

MY EGGNOG FOR OUR FAMILY DECORATE THE CHRISTMAS TREE DAY

For 6 people

6 eggs

1 litre milk

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla essence

250 ml cream

Blend all together

Pour into glass and sprinkle with grated nutmeg

If you wish a slug of alcohol can be placed in glass before adding eggnog

I have always used raw eggs in my eggnog. You may prefer a recipe where the eggs are cooked.

 
I like the traditional red and green decor for Christmas.

The final decoration - the star.

Add tinsel and turn the lights on.

Pearl Couscous Risotto (Recipe)

PEARL COUSCOUS RISOTTO STYLE (for 2 people)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 rashers pancetta

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup pearl Couscous

1 1/2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable) or water

salt and pepper

1 cup green peas. ( I use frozen and defrost them in microwave before adding)

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

METHOD

Place oil in heavy pot over medium heat.

Add onion and pancetta, saute for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add garlic and fry until you can smell the garlic. Don't brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.

Add stock or water and bring to the boil.

Stir in couscous and seasonings.

Bring to a simmer, cover pan and cook 8 - 10 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes to stop it sticking. Add more water if it becomes a little dry.

When it is cooked, the stock will have been absorbed.

Add the peas and heat through.

Stir through the parmesan and parsley and serve.

Disclaimer: I received the Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous from a PR company.  

Please pop over and visit Jenius for other pearl couscous recipes. If you live in Australia you could win a packet. 

This Is George

He is an Australian chef and judge of the TV show Masterchef Australia. George is my project for December. As the month progresses I'll be sharing more about  George.

In 2004, the Global Food and Wine Magazine voted George one of the Top 40 Chefs of Influence in the World. An internationally successful restaurateur, George owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece. His flagship Melbourne restaurant, The Press Club, was recently awarded The Age Good Food Guide 'Best New Restaurant 2008' with George named 'Chef of the Year 2008'.

As a boy, George Calombaris says he was tied to his mother’s apron strings. These days, the ties have loosened but his Greek heritage is still very much the driving force in his life and career.

His most recent venture, Hellenic Republic, is more like a Greek tavern, offering simple, robustly-flavoured dishes that are more traditional in their approach.

Did you know he has complained about bloggers?  He is reported to have said '"Bloggers have no idea about restaurants. They've got no idea how they're run.' 

I cannot find the original Sun Herald article online but the full quote  is here with a response  to the quote, from a Melbourne blogger.

If only George had said "Some bloggers."  Read enough blogs and you will see there are a handful or more of bloggers who do write excellent restaurant reviews and then there are bloggers who have no idea bout writing a review. There are also newspaper restaurant critics who write excellent reviews and some who have no idea how to write a review.

And The Love Is Free

You all know Jules who chose a date for an evening at El Bulli from on line entries. Did you know she wrote a cookbook of her mother's recipes?

Jules is offering a 10% DISCOUNT for winos and foodies readers who purchase Jule's  cookbook 'And the love is Free'  before Christmas. Order at www.thestonesoup.com and use the discount code 'Christmas' or call Naomi Clancy on 0407 014 232. Free postage anywhere in Australia.

Apricot and Coconut Clafouti

COCONUT MILK CLAFOUTI WITH APRICOTS (Adapted from Julia Child recipe)

INGREDIENTS

4 apricots, quartered, stones removed

1 1/4 cups coconut milk

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cups plain flour, sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

pinch salt

METHOD

Set oven to 180 C

Place the clafouti pan into the oven and preheat

While pan is heating place in blender Coconut milk,eggs, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla. Blend on high speed for 1 minute.

Remove pan from oven and place a layer of apricots on bottam of pan. Pour over egg/milk mixture.

Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until cooked. Clafouti is cooked when a knife plunged into centre comes out clean.

I made the coconut milk in my Thermomix.  I have never used canned coconut milk to make it so do not how that would turn out. You could try making your own coconut milk by heating dessicated coconut in water, pulverising in blender and straining through muslin cloth. 

You might be interested in Julia's tip for measuring flour. If cooking  any of Julia's recipes I suggest using this method.