västerbottenostpaj - swedish cheese pie

It’s a little known fact that Sweden produces some spectacularly delicious cheese (ost in Swedish).

Herrgardsost is a very popular cow’s milk cheese with a slight grassy flavour, full-bodied tang and soft texture.

Hushållsost, which just means “household cheese” is a typical farmer's cheese being semi-soft and mild in flavour. It’s easily for sliced and melted which makes it good for cooking and eating.

My personal favourite is prästost, meaning "Priest Cheese" in Swedish. Apparently the name comes from the days when farms gave a tenth of their produce to local clergy. Prästost is strong, biting, moreish and reminiscent of tangy, soft Cheddar. It’s wonderful, and another cow’s milk product.

But we’re here to discuss Västerbottenost, the so-called emperor of Swedish cheeses, being reserved for the most special of occasions. It’s produced in huge wheels and aged for almost a year, making it hard, crumbly and strong. Its flavour is similar to a young Parmigiano Reggiano (which makes a good substitute) and it’s perfect eaten on its own as a decadent nibble.

Jonas made this pie and it was AMAZING.

It’s not healthy, so don’t even pretend. But it does taste wonderful.

On Easter Sunday we were hit with our first taste of winter’s cold winds and torrential rain. It was enough to make us retreat into my dad and stepmum’s cosy home to enjoy a slice of the fabulous pie followed by some sticky Middle Eastern Orange Cake and an excess of Lindt chocolate.

If you don’t have access to Sweden’s wonderful Västerbottenost, just substitute with a combination of parmesan and taleggio.

Västerbottenostpaj (Västerbotten Cheese Pie)
Jonas’ very own recipe. Serves 8.
Ingredients:
250g västerbottenost (or 200g parmesan and 50g taleggio)
1 brown onion
3 eggs, beaten
200ml thickened cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter, for frying
20g extra västerbottenost (or parmesan), for garnishing
Prepared pastry shell, as per below
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180’C.
2. Dice the onion very finely.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan then cook onion until translucent and a little golden. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Whisk together the eggs and cream.
5. Add the salt and pepper, onion and cheese and whisk to combine.
6. Pour into the prepared pastry casing and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until set.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Note: The pie can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight. The next day simply reheat and serve.

Savoury Shortcrust Pastry
Jonas’ very own recipe. Makes 1 pastry case.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
125g butter, chilled and cubed
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons hot water
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180’C. Grease and line a springform tart tin.
2. Blend the ingredients in food processer until it forms a ball of dough.
3. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.
4. On lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 5 mm thick.
5. Line the pastry tin and bake for 15 minutes until golden.

moroccan cucumber & mint salad

This fresh, juicy salad is good to munch on for a snack or as an accompaniment to roast lamb or dishes like Libyan spicy fish or Iranian walnut & pomegranate spatchcock.

Moroccan Cucumber & Mint Salad
Recipe by Family Circle. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
5 Lebanese cucumbers
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Ground pepper
Method:
1. Finely peel cucumber and slice thinly. Put in a bowl and add mint.
2. Combine lemon, oil, orange flower water and pepper in bowl / jar and whisk / shake until well combined.
3. Pour dressing over cucumber and mint and mix well. Serve immediately after dressing.

This is my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging, this week hosted by Marija from Palachinka.

For more information on the theme ingredient, cucumber, check out my previous post covering its history and health benefits.

flan napolitano de queso

Hola everyone, it's Cinco de Mayo!!!

The 5th of May, although not Mexico’s national holiday, is the day celebrated around the world as the symbol of Mexican heritage and pride. And this year it also happens to be the 30th birthday of my sister Shamu!!!

It’s hard to believe that little Shamu is 29+1, and even more scary to think I’m not far behind her . . . .

Happy 30th Shamu! I hope you have a whale of a day.

To celebrate her birthday, here's a delicious, rich Mexican cake made with cream cheese and flavoured by a sticky caramel top. Another great recipe from Robot and Tia.

This recipe also concludes the week of Mexican cooking, with:
1. Tamarind Margarita - tangy cocktail
2. Salsa de Chipotle y Tomato - smoky, sweet sauce
3. Conchinita Pibil - citrusy pork roasted in banana leaves
4. Sangrita - tomatoy drink to sip with tequila
5. Budin Azteca - layered tortilla casserole
6. Chiles con Queso - chillies drenched in cheesey sauce
7. Flan Napolitano de Queso - steamed caramel cheese cake

Flan Napolitano de Queso (Steamed Caramel Cheese Cake)
Recipe by Tia Bicky & Robot. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
375ml evaporated milk
375ml sweetened condensed milk
250ml (1 cup) milk
250g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup of sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180'C.
2. Carefully melt the sugar in a saucepan and allow to brown gently to form a caramel. Pour into a cake tin or flan mould.
3. Mix all of the other ingredients together in a blender.
4. Add the blended ingredients into the tin on top of the caramel, then cover tightly with aluminium foil.
5. Place inside a bain-marie in the oven for approximately 50 minutes or when an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean.
6. Leave to set in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours.
7. When cooled, turn upside down and serve with luscious cajeta.

If you have a unique take on a Mexican classic or can recommend a special Mexican dish that isn’t very well known, please leave a link in the comments section below. Let’s share the love of Mexican food around!

Now here’s some brilliant ideas from the rest of the net:

Drinks
Agua de Sandia (watermelon drink)
Agua de Tamarindo (sweet tamarind drink)
Agua Fresca Cítrica (citrus drink)
Agua Fresca de Pepino y Limón (cucumber & lime drink
Champurrado (thickened hot chocolate)
Chico (tequila & blackberry cocktail)
Horchata (almond & rice drink)
Michelada (spicy beer cocktail)
Ponche (fruit punch)
Piña y Menta Fresca (pineapple & mint cocktail)
Prickly Pear Margarita
Rompope (Mexican eggnog)
Spicy Hot Chocolate
Tamarind Margarita
Tepache (spiced, fermented pineapple drink)

Sauce
Chocolate Mole
Pecan Mole
Salsa de Chipotle y Tomato
Salsa Verde (tomatillo sauce)
Salsita de Chile Habanero (habanero sauce)

Snacks & Salads
Beef Empanadas
Cabbage, Jicama & Cucumber Salad
Chicken, Olive & Chorizo Empanadas
Elote (grilled corn)
Ensalada de Nopalitos (cactus salad)
Esquite (corn snack)
Jicama-Pineapple Salad
Oaxacan Eggplant Spread
Pickled Jalepeños

Soup
Caldo Tlalpeño (chipotle, avocado & lime broth)
Frijoles Negros con Chochoyotes (soupy black beans & dumplings)
Menudo Rojo (red chilli tripe stew)
Pozole Rojo (pork & hominy red stew)
Sopa de Fideos (noodle soup)
Sopa de Flor de Calabacín (squash blossom soup)

Main Courses
Arroz Verde (green herb rice)
Acorn Squash Quesadilla
Baja Fish Tacos
Camarones en Pipian (prawns in almond & chilli)
Cemita Strata (leftover bake)
Chilaquiles (bean & tortilla bake)
Chiles en Nogada (chillies in walnut sauce)
Chiles Rellenos (stuffed chillies)
Chile con Carne
Conejo en Mole Rojo (rabbit in red mole sauce)
Garnachas
Guisada de Guilota (quail braised in tomatillo sauce)
Huevos Motuleños (Motul-style eggs)
Huevos Rancheros (ranch eggs)
Huitlacoche Quesadillas (corn fungus toasties)
Mixiote de Carne (beef baked in banana leaves)
Mole Negro Oaxaqueño (Oaxacan black mole)
Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-style fish)
Pescado Almendrado (fish in almond sauce)
Pescado con Salsa de Acuyo (fish with Acuyo sauce)
Quesadilla Cake
Salpicón de Camarónes (Veracruz-style prawn cocktail)
Tequila Chicken
Tongue Tacos
Tostadas

Desserts
Arroz con Leche
Black Bean, Chilli & Chocolate Sorbet
Calabaza y Camote (candied squash & sweet potatoes)
Capirotada (bread pudding)
Chocolate Fritters w Dulche de Leche
Cinnamon & Chocolate Flan
Leche Quemada (burnt milk fudge)
Lime Margarita Ice Cream
Pan Dulce (sweet buns)
Pastel Tres Leches (three-milk cake)
Pepita Brittle
Polvorones (Mexican wedding cakes)
Rosca de Reyes (sweet bread for Epiphany)
Spiced Sweet Potatoes & Guava in Syrup
Torta del Garbanzo (sweet chickpea cake)

chiles con queso

This is a seriously delicious recipe of oozing hot cheese and spicy chilli.

It's not healthy, so forget about your diet, but it's great party food.

This is recipe 6 out of 7 on the countdown to Cinco de Mayo!

Chiles con Queso (Chillies in Cheese)
Recipe from Mexican by Jane Milton. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
4 fresh green chillies (fresno recommended)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ red onion, finely chopped
5 cups grated, medium strength cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 firm tomatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon reposada tequila
Tortilla chips, to dip
Method:
1. Put the chillies in a dry frying pan, over medium heat, turning frequently until their skins blister and darken.
2. Place the chillies in a strong plastic bag and tie the top to keep the steam in. Set aside for 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cut the tomatoes in half and scrape out the seeds. Slice into thin strips.
4. When the chillies have steamed, carefully peel off the skin. Slit them and scrape out the seeds, then cut the flesh into thin strips.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion for around 5 minutes until softened.
6. Add the cheese, crème fraîche and cream. Stir over a low heat until the cheese metls and the mixture becomes a rich, creamy sauce.
7. Stir in the chilli strips and tomato pieces.
8. Just before serving, stir through the tequila and transfer to serving dish.
9. Serve warm with tortillas for dipping.
Note: the original recipe called for Monterey Jack cheese, but it’s not sold widely in Australia.

budin azteca - mexican vegetarian casserole

This great vegetarian casserole is a spicy Mexican lasagne made from layers of tortillas, cheese and chopped vegetables.

It's the fifth recipe in the seven day lead up to Cinco de Mayo!

Budin Azteca (Aztec Casserole)
Recipe by Tia Bicky & Robot. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
12 corn or flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheese
Filling
1 cup corn kernels
3 finely chopped zucchinis
1 cup chopped buttons mushrooms
1 finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup chopped fresh coriander
Salt & pepper, to taste
Sauce
1 can of poblano chillies (or 2 fresh char-grilled poblano chillies)
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
1 vegetable stock cube
Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, then fry all filling ingredients (except coriander) until soft. When finished, stir in coriander.
2. To make the sauce, in a blender process the sauce ingredients together. Add more chillies to the sauce to taste.
3. Preheat the oven to 180’C.
4. Heat the sauce in a saucepan to thicken slightly.
5. Quickly fry the tortillas in oil to harden slightly. This prevents them from falling apart in the casserole.
6. In an ovenproof baking dish assemble layers of filling, sauce, grated cheese and tortillas, as you would prepare a lasagne.
7. Finish with a layer of grated cheese on top.
8. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until well heated all the way through with the cheese melted and bubbly on top.
Note: Add shredded chicken to the filling for a non-vegetarian version. If poblano chillies are not available a salsa verde or spicy tomato based salsa could be substituted.

sangrita

This tangy tomato drink is sipped alternately with high quality tequila, made to savour.

It's great aperitif to any meal, alongside dips and salsas.

This is recipe 4 out of 7 on the countdown to Cinco de Mayo!

Sangrita
Recipe from Mexican by Jane Milton. Serves 20 shots or 8 glasses.
Ingredients:
450g ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 small green chillies, seeded & chopped
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Juice of 3 limes
½ teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
Tequila, to serve
Method:
1. Score the tomatoes on the bottom and place in a heat proof bowl and cover. Sit for 3 minutes.
2. Remove the tomatoes and plunge into a second bowl of cold water. The skins will start to peel away.
3. Remove skins then cut the tomatoes and discard seeds.
4. Chop the remaining tomato flesh and combine in a food processor with onion, chillies, orange juice, lime juice, sugar and salt.
5. Process until smooth then chill for at least one hour before serving.
6. Serve in a shot glass alongside a shot of tequila.
Note: (good quality) aged or golden tequila are recommended for this drink.

cochinita pibil - citrus roasted pork

Cochinita Pibil (also known as Puerco Pibil) is a traditional Mexican recipe using recado rojo, or achiote, a paste made from ground annatto seeds. The paste itself is pretty flavourless, but its real value comes from the vibrant, natural red colour it gives to food.

Cochinita Pibil is basically pork that’s been marinated in orange juice then slow-roasted in banana leaves to lock in the moisture while cooking.

It's from the Yucatán and the traditional recipe uses bitter oranges. The orange juice gives a really interesting, fresh flavour to the rich meat.

The Mayan word "pibil" means "buried" and “cochinita” means “suckling pig”, so perhaps technically my version is “Puerco Pibil” (puerco meaning pork). But since Cochinita Pibil is the more common term, no matter what kind of pig you're cooking, I’m sticking to it!

Like many of my recipes leading up to Cinco de Mayo, this one comes from my Mexican pals, Tia Bicky & Robot.

Cochinita Pibil
Tia Bicky's adaptation from Mexico: The Beautiful Cookbook. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
1.5 kilos of cubed pork
50g recado rojo (achiote paste)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 teaspoons of salt or more as required
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 oranges
Squeeze of lime
Fresh Banana leaves
Method:
1. Dissolve the achiote paste in the orange juice using your fingers, add vinegar and salt.
2. Marinate the pork in the juice. There should be enough liquid to coat all of the pork in excess, otherwise add more juice mixture.
3. Marinate overnight or at least 6 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 180’C.
5. Prepare the banana leaves by heating them over the flame very briefly on the stove top until the oil starts to come out of the leaves.
6. Line an ovenproof dish with banana leaves crosswise so that you can wrap the ends over the top after adding the pork.
7. Mix the pork with a lime squeezed over the top and 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or more to moisten).
8. Fold the banana leaves over the pork completely and cover tightly with aluminium foil.
9. Cook in oven for at least 90 minutes or until the meat shreds easily with a fork, but ensure the pork remains moist.
10. Shred the pork completely before serving. Serve with rice or tortillas, orange pickled onions and other accompaniments such as black beans, guacamole and salsas.
Note: oranges in Australia are much sweeter than Mexico so lime juice is added. You can omit the lime if you’re using Mexican oranges. Also, the original recipe uses pork lard instead of olive oil.

Orange Pickled Onions
Ingredients:
2 red onions finely sliced
Orange juice
Lime juice
habanero or jalapeño chiles, finely sliced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Salt
Method:
Mix the finely sliced onions with juice, vinegar, salt to taste and chillies. Leave to marinate for 2 hours.
Notes: Traditionally the recipe uses habaneros but they can be too hot for some people so Tia uses pickled jalapeños instead.

salsa de chipotle y tomato

This beautiful sauce is made from sweet roasted tomatoes and smoky chillies, and is recipe Number 2 on my seven day count down to Cinco de Mayo.

Chipotle chillies are simply jalepenos that have been smoked and they have a delicious, sweet flavour while still being very spicy.

I love this sauce with lamb cutlets, steak and chicken especially when cooked on a barbecue.

Salsa de Chipotle y Tomato (Roast Tomato & Chipotle Sauce)
Recipe from Mexican by Jane Milton. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
500g tomatoes
5 dried chipotle chillies
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2/3 cup (165ml) red wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoon (60ml) honey
1 teaspoon American mustard
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them in a roasting tin.
3. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are charred and softened.
4. Meanwhile, soak the chillies in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove the stalks, slit the chillies and scrape out the seeds with a small sharp knife. Chop the flesh roughly.
5. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, let them cool slightly, then remove the skins. If you prefer a smooth sauce remove the seeds too.
6. Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add the chopped chillies and garlic with the red wine. Process until smooth.
7. Next add the oregano, honey, mustard and black pepper. Process briefly to mix, then taste and season with salt.
8. Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan. Place over a moderate heat and stir until the mixture boils.
9. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced and thickened. Spoon into a bowl and serve hot or cold.
Note: instead of dried chillies, we used canned chipotle en adobo, which are chipotles already soaked and in a thick sauce of their own juices.

tamarind margarita

This margarita is the festive drink to kick off my seven days of Mexicana, all in the lead up to Cinco de Mayo!

The 5th of May, although not Mexico’s national holiday, is the day celebrated around the world as the symbol of Mexican heritage and pride. And this year it also happens to be the 30th birthday of my sister Shamu!!!

So, in honour of my Mexican friends, who have opened my eyes to true Mexican flavours, I have decided to post a week’s worth of Mexican recipes.

On Cinco de Mayo itself, I'll also post an extensive list of Mexican recipes from around the internet.

Real Mexican food is fresh, light and dances in your mouth. Although it may contain them, true Mexican cuisine isn’t bogged down by cheese and sour cream, nor destroyed with an overload of macho chilli. It’s all about balance to heighten the flavour experience.

One such example of sweet, sour and a little kick is the tamarind margarita. The sour pulp of the tamarind fruit is balanced with sugar syrup and bold tequila for the perfect, refreshing cocktail by the pool, seaside or just relaxing in your own backyard.

Tamarind Margarita
Recipe by Robot & Tia Bicky. Makes 2 – 4.
Ingredients:
125ml (½ cup) tequila
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
60ml (¼ cup) sugar syrup
Juice of 2 limes
Ice
Method:
Blend ingredients with ice in a blender until slushy consistency. Serve immediately.

breakfast miso soup

I discovered this healthy breakfast while on holidays in Australia's red heart, visiting Uluru (otherwise known as Ayers Rock).

There are so many tourists from all over the world that the resort offered a breakfast for all cultures. The Japanese station provided hot miso broth and I watched the Japanese girls whisk eggs and vegetables into it, then tried it myself and was very pleased with the results.

So once I came home I replicated it for Jonas, who also became a big fan.

You can have this for breakfast, or even have it as an afternoon or late night snack. It pretty good anytime of day.

Breakfast Miso Soup
Anna's very own recipe. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 stock cube (mushroom, vegetable or beef are best)
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon shallots, soft green part
1 tablespoon shallots, hard white part
10cm piece wakame
4 teaspoons miso paste
2 teaspoons peanut oil
Sesame oil, for drizzling
Method:
1. Soak wakame in warm water for 5 minutes. Cut into thin strips.
2. Heat peanut oil in saucepan. Fry white shallots and mushrooms until tender but not soft.
3. Add 2½ cups of water and crumble in stock cube.
4. While waiting for water to boil, crack each egg into 2 separate serving bowls. Pass a fork through the egg a few times to break the yolk and white into smaller streaks, but do not beat or whisk.
5. Add 2 teaspoons of miso paste to each bowl.
6. One bowl at a time, strain the boiling stock into the first bowl, quickly stirring the egg as it cooks in the hot water and dissolving the miso. Once the egg and miso has blended through, the soup will have milky colour.
7. Divide the wakame and mushrooms between the bowls and serve.

This week, my Weekend Herb Blogging theme ingredient is wakame.

Wakame (ワカメor undaria pinnatifida) is a sweet, edible seaweed that has been grown for food for hundreds of years in Japan and Korea. It’s leaves are cut into tiny pieces which expand significantly during cooking. It’s best in soups or salads with soya sauce and rice vinegar.

Wakame is said to help burn fatty tissue, purify blood, strengthen digestion and regulate menstruation, not to mention its usefulness as a topical beauty treatment and for aiding skin, hair and reproductive organs.

According to Wikipedia “wakame is a rich source of Eicosapentaenoic acid, an Omega-3 fatty acid. At over 400 mg/100 kcal or almost 1 mg/kJ, it has one of the higher nutrient:calorie ratios, and among the very highest for a vegetarian source. A typical 1-2 tablespoon serving of wakame is roughly 3.75-7.5 kcals and provides 15-30 mgs of Omega-3's. Wakame also has high levels of calcium, iodine, thiamine and niacin.”

Wakame has also been nominated one of the world's worst 100 invasive species and is particularly damaging in Auckland, New Zealand and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Check out the WHB round-up from our host, Janet from Tastespace.

harissa roasted lamb

One evening I came home from work to the mouth-watering aromas of this lovely lamb dinner. After I’d mentioned I was craving meat, Jonas prepared this wonderful roast smothered in spicy, tangy harissa. It’s divine served pink with a Moroccan cucumber salad and a side of yoghurt & herb chickpeas.

Harissa Roasted Lamb
Jonas' very own recipe. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1kg boneless shoulder roast
3 tablespoons harissa (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Cover lamb roast in harissa. Refrigerate for a few hours to absorb flavours.
2. Preheat oven to 160’C.
3. Roast for around 40 – 60 minutes until an inserted knife produces clear juices.

Harissa (North African chilli paste)
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 1 medium jar.
Ingredients:
2 small capsicums, char-grilled, skin & seeds removed
5 large red chillies, seeds removed & chopped
5 large red chillies, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted & then ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, dry-roasted & then ground
3 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method:
1. Purée all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pour into a jar and top with a little olive oil to seal. Keep in fridge.

middle eastern orange cake

I ate my first slice of this cake in 1996 and I couldn't believe my whole life had gone by without it.

The sticky-sweet-bitter orange flavour combined with the richness of almond meal is just too good to be true. I have fond memories of my mother and I devouring slice after slice at an ice cream parlour near her work.

It’s a commonly served cake in Sydney cafés and usually comes with a dollop of whipped cream, but I prefer it alongside thick, creamy, sour yoghurt to cut through the stickiness of the cake.

When I made this for my dad and stepmum (and Jonas!) for Easter Sunday lunch, I served it with King Island Dairy’s cinnamon and honey yoghurt, but sheep's milk yoghurt would also be excellent. You could also use frozen yoghurt or natural Greek-style yoghurt sweetened (only slightly) with honey.

This recipe, by Middle Eastern expert Claudia Roden (via Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion), is the pretty much the original version.

What has always put me off making it was that you had to boil the oranges for hours to prepare them. But, when the lovely Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella posted it on her blog, one very clever cookie (Julie from Cookbook Addict) pointed out that these days all you need is a microwave and 8 minutes!

How wonderful!

Now preparing this cake consists of zapping some oranges, cracking some eggs and whizzing everything in a blender. It’s absolutely delicious and so easy to make I’d bet $100 that a chimp could do it. (Any zoologists willing to test this theory out?)

 

Middle Eastern Orange Cake
 
Recipe by Claudia Roden (via Stephanie, with help from Julie). Serves 8-10.
 
Ingredients:
2 large oranges, washed
6 eggs, beaten
250g ground almonds
250g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Yoghurt or cream, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºc fan forced. Grease and line the base and sides of a springform tin with baking paper.

2. Pierce the orange skins with a fork, microwave in a closed container on high for about 8 minutes, turning them around after a few minutes.

3. Cut oranges open, remove pips and chop roughly or pull apart into smaller pieces with fingers.

4. Blend oranges and remaining ingredients thoroughly in a food processor.

5. Pour batter into prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour. If cake is still very wet, cook a little longer.

6. Cool in tin before gently removing. Dust with icing sugar and serve with yoghurt.


This cake is unusual, because it uses whole oranges, my theme ingredients for Weekend Herb Blogging.

Wikipedia has a fascinating paragraph on the origin of the English word orange, a long journey through land and time:
“The word orange is derived from Sanskrit नारङ्ग nāraṅgaḥ "orange tree." The Sanskrit word is in turn lent itself as the Dravidian root for 'fragrant'. In Tamil, a bitter orange is known as ணரன்டம் 'Narandam', a sweet orange is called நகருகம் 'nagarugam' and நாரி 'naari' means fragrance. In Telugu the orange is called నరిఙ 'naringa'. The Sanskrit word was borrowed into European languages through Persian نارنگ nārang, Armenian նարինջ nārinj, Arabic نارنج nāranj, Late Latin arangia, Spanish naranja, Portuguese laranja, Italian arancia and Old French orenge, in chronological order. The first appearance in English dates from the 14th century. The name of the colour is derived from the fruit, first appearing in this sense in 1542.”

This week's WHB host is Katie from Eat This! Check out her round-up.

And check out what else can be made with this same cake recipe: Orange Cakes w Figs, Quince & Rose

anna in chocolate wonderland

Happy Easter everyone!

In countries where Easter wins you some days off work, this is the time for gorging on chocolate and catching up with the family.

Well, I have stumbled upon a chocolate goldmine! Lindt asked me to join an exclusive group of food bloggers as part of the Lindt Lovers Program.

I do like Lindt chocolate.
OK, so I love it.

Intense Pear, Intense Orange and Intense Mint are my chocolate bars of choice and in most recipes I cook with Lindt 70%.

So when I was asked to be part of this group, I was thrilled and said that it won’t be hard to convince me to love Lindt chocolate!

To kick off the program, the Lindt Lover bloggers were gathered in Sydney for some chocolate tasting and a Gold Class viewing of Tim Burton’s new film, Alice in Wonderland.

It was a great chance to meet the other bloggers as well as Lindt’s Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler.

Thomas seems to have such a patient, gentle manner which is probably a good thing when you regularly need to temper chocolate. But he’s also very generous with his knowledge and enthusiasm for chocolate and desserts.

New on Lindt’s Australian menu (and the favourite for almost everyone) was the “Touch of Sea Salt”, a flat, shiny 100g block of dark chocolate flecked with crunchy crystals of mouth-watering salt. The combination between the bitter-sweet chocolate and salt is just amazing and should be illegal it’s so addictive.

One chocolate fiend was so enamoured she offered me three blocks of dark chocolate for my one salt block, but being equally won-over I declined the offer. Jonas was pleased with this decision when he popped a square of salty chocolate into his mouth and swooned.

The event was great. There was some hobnobbing, some chocolate tasting, sparkling wine drinking and then a cosy Gold Class cinema chair to watch the movie (which I loved – very dark and quirky). I was surprised when halfway through the film attendants delivered enough food to count as my dinner and dessert.

Then after the film the Lindt team gave us two Lindt gift bags with delicious chocolaty treats and Thomas had prepared an egg for every blogger with our names elegantly pipped in white chocolate.


I went home overloaded with kilos of gorgeous chocolate and a goofy, chocolate-smeared smile on my face.

Too good to be true!!! Can’t wait for the next Lindt Lover event . . . . and another block of that sea salt chocolate.

povidlyanka - ukrainian semolina pudding

Povidlyanka (Повидлянка) is an ultra-sweet Ukrainian pudding that's a quick and simple dish to make on a cold evening.

I prefer the flavour of sour cherry jam, but you could use any preserve you like (blackberry, apricot or fig would also be delicious).

Povidlyanka (Повидлянка)
Based on a recipe from www.RussianFoods.com. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
150g cherry jam
100g semolina
10g rum or Madeira
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180’C. Grease ramekin with plenty of butter.
2. Beat egg.
3. Whisk in jam and rum.
4. Fold in semolina and all but a few almond flakes.
5. Pour into greased ramekin, sprinkle top with sugar.
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining flaked almonds on top.

gỏi mực bắp chuối (banana blossom & squid salad)

This recipe was part of a big Vietnamese feast I made in 2009.

I cooked up a storm using a beautiful cookbook by a Vietnamese- Australian family who run some very famous restaurants in Sydney.

Their food in the restaurants is fresh and exquisite, the flavours actually dancing on your tongue, and their cookbook truly helps you relive those memories at home.

This recipe is a combination of two separate recipes, but I wanted to combine squid and banana blossom so this was the result: tangy, spicy and fresh.

Gỏi Mực Bắp Chuối (Vietnamese Banana Blossom & Squid Salad)
Combination of two recipes from Secrets of The Red Lantern.
Serves 2 as main or 6 as part of banquet.
Ingredients:
1 calamari tube, sliced into strips
Juice of 2 limes
1 banana blossom
1 small handful Vietnamese mint, roughly chopped
1 small handful coriander, roughly chopped
1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced
2-3 tablespoons Nước Mắm Chấm (dipping fish sauce)
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons deep fried shallots
1 birds eye chilli, finely sliced
White vinegar, for soaking
Method:
1. In a small bowl, add the squid strips to the lime and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
2. Fill a bowl with water and add 2-3 tablespoons of cheap white vinegar. This water will prevent the banana blossom from oxidising and turning dark brown.
3. Remove the dark, tough outer leaves of the banana blossom to reveal tender white leaves inside. Quickly slice, then immediately immerse in the acidulated water to prevent oxidisation.
4. Cook the squid over a very hot griddle until tender (2-5 minutes).
5. Combine the squid, banana blossom, Vietnamese mint, coriander, scallion, nước mắm chấm, chilli and roasted peanuts. Toss salad well.
6. Top with deep fried shallots and serve immediately.

The banana blossom is the gorgeous, crimson, tapered bud at the end of a cluster of bananas.

The petals (or bracts) are tightly wrapped and purple-red, concealing rows of frilly male flowers and a pale, tender heart that is eaten as a vegetable. It can be boiled or stewed, often in coconut milk, or it’s served thinly sliced into salads.

The blossom is slightly astringent, like banana peels, so when raw it’s best served thinly sliced and in spicy-sweet-sour sauces, such as this recipe.

The red bracts are so pretty cleaned and used to serve the final dish.

The banana blossom is my Weekend Herb Blogging ingredient, this week hosted by Graziana from Erbe in Cucina. Be sure to visit her blog to read the round-up.

Other recipes from the internet:
Banana Blossom Curry
Banana Blossom Salad w Chicken & Asian Pears
Banana Flower Vadai (patties)
Filipino-Style Banana Blossoms in Coconut Milk
Banana Heart Salad
Banana Blossom Stir Fry
Prawn & Banana Blossom Salad
Spicy Banana Blossoms