..and the first thing she cooked was

I have a new kitchen. Slowly I am finding homes for life's little essentials. Fiddling around with spots for pots and pans (the middle, wide, pull out drawer of the ‘pantry’ seems to do the trick) and working out places for the spices. Amidst the chaos I’ve barely been able to see the granite bench top, so no real cooking yet. Saturday was spent ushering visitors through and drinking champagne, as you do. So yesterday it was down to business. Outside Melbourne was damp and grey. I needed a hearty breakfast to set me up for a hard day’s work and that was a job that only porridge could fill.

As a child I liked only super smooth oatmeal. It cooked in a moment and would be augmented with spoonfuls of brown sugar and little puddles of milk, cream if I was really lucky. These days my tastes have definitely changed. I like chunky, whole rolled oats, slowly cooked and definitely no moo! It's a creamy soymilk for me. When I am mindful, I set up the pot the night before – 1/2-1 cup of oats and twice as much water. Sometimes I will throw in a handful of sultanas or dried cranberries. Overnight it will soak, which allows the grains to puff up and it needs a lot less cooking in the morning.

In a pinch, if I have forgotten to spend 30 seconds setting this up before bed, I will cover oats with boiling water in the morning, stick the lid on firmly and let them steep for 10 minutes or so to soften before cooking.

The trick to cooking porridge is a heat diffuser mat. Don’t talk to me about microwaves – it brings out the food nazi in me! Even if the oats are soaked they still don’t taste as good. Turn one of the burners on low and let the mat heat up. On another, bring the soaked oats to a simmer. You will usually need more fluid; I tend to add soy rather than water, as it makes it taste creamier. Once the oats are barely simmering, give them a stir and place the pot on the diffuser mat, leave on low and go have a shower. They don’t stick to the pot and by the time you have finished, the porridge is ready to eat.

Ode to oatmeal

1 part rolled oats
2 parts fluid eg: water, milk, soy, rice milk, cream, juice, coconut milk
A handful of dried fruit (optional)

Soak over night and cook as directed.

Top with milk and sweet treats as desired.


plain old fashioned porridge for the lactose intolerant

Sweet treat extras:
Maple syrup
Rice malt
Apple or pear juice concentrate
Homemade jam
Passionfruit
Stewed fruit
Grated apple
LSA (linseed, sunflower and almond meal)

*Passionfruit and maple syrup make a great combo

Grainy variation
Add leftover, cooked brown rice to the oats - it makes a nuttier and even more delicious porridge.

Enjoy!

Wrapping up down south

As my couple of months in Melbourne’s South Eastern suburbs comes to a close, it’s time to award my Top 3 eating experiences in this neck of the woods. I will preface this by saying – none are worth travelling across town for, but if you find yourself at Chadstone at dinnertime, leave the confines of the shopping centre and check out these local eateries.


1. Clover
Thai and Japanese
3A Station St, Oakleigh
Though it is good advice to be suspicious of a restaurant that combines 2 disparate cuisines, it is a literal marriage of these two cultures that lead the owners do so. No doubt because of its heritage, it works.

If you want some soup – there is miso, tom yum or a tom kha to choose from. Spring rolls or gyoza (and much more) for entree. Strangely the pairings kind of work. The sushi and sashimi is averagely good but it is the stir fries (“Wok Toss” dishes) that appeal to me the most. For a healthy meal, I can’t go past the beancurd and vegetables with fresh ginger and light soy.

There is also a good choice of Thai curries, salads, noodle and rice dishes. Food is of a uniformly good standard and the breadth of choice means there is something for everyone.

The restaurant is comfortable, service prompt and also offers takeaways.

2. Gasi Busi
Korean
80 Poath Rd Hughesdale
I spied this restaurant one day while checking out the organic grocery opposite. It was closed at the time but the menu looked interesting and cheap, yet the glimpses I got of the interior looked enticing.

We rocked up without a booking on a Saturday night and lucked the last table. The décor was more of a good Japanese restaurant, than the utilitarian Korean joints in this part of the world.

For a fussy eater like me, there was a pleasant amount of choices. Hard to decide whether to go for a sizzling plate, be tempted by the deep friend fish with cabbage salad or opt for a traditional hot pot. The dumplings for entrée were delicious, with an oddly meaty texture despite being vegetarian. We were hungry and service was slow. When mains arrived we descended like starving wolves.

The benchmark of Korean food, for me is the hot pot. I love the little bowls of pickles that come with it. My soft tofu and seafood came bubbling in its little vessel (sadly not made at the table). The flavour was great, but the seafood was scanty – tiny little shrimps and miniature mussels. His kimchi hot pot with pork had a hotter, sweeter sauce with a greater depth of flavour. The side dishes were pleasing, except for the broccoli covered with the special bbq sauce – I just didn’t like the flavour.

It was a pleasant experience with great flavours, nice surroundings but slightly marred by the slow (though very friendly) service and small servings.

3. Nights of Kabul
Afghan and Persian
39 Portman St, Oakleigh
Try not to let the tacky décor and vastness of this too often under populated establishment put you off. What they lack in decorating taste, they make up for in efficient service in this family run restaurant. The food really is worth checking out.

I love the pastries and the rice dishes here. For a non-meat eater the menu gets a bit repetitive with many of the mains mimicking the entrees, but it is a good, cheap, tasty meal. Carnivores have a wider selection. The lovers of ridiculously inexpensive wine will marvel at the prices, but connoisseurs should bring their own.

I haven’t made it on the nights of special entertainment – with traditional music or dancing, but I’d choose it over the vast Greek one across the road any day.

Honourable mention

The gourmet pizza at the little Italian café on Atherton Rd is delicious. Lecco Pizzaria, is a cozy little eatery with red checked tablecloths and a couple of tables on the pavement. I've never eaten anything else here but the pizza was so good I came back for more – and I don’t even like pizza!

Shihans Chilli Bar, 137 Koornang Rd, Carnegie - a small shop selling Sri Lankan groceries and homemade delights from the bain marie and freezer. Great dhal. Worth stocking up on a couple of curries to keep on hand at home.

Final word
All of the restaurants would qualify for being a "cheap eat" - with mains all under $20, most between $10-15. None a foody mecca but still satisfying enough to palate and wallet.

Moroccan dreaming

With less than a week til I move back into my house, my thoughts are elsewhere (counting pennies to pay for it, for a start!). I have been cooking, but not snapping pics.

I wanted to make a Moroccan cauliflower dish, like I have eaten at the Moroccan Soup Bar but couldn’t find a suitable recipe and ended up making a basic vegetable tagine instead.

Actually it was a “saucepan” not a tagine, as it was made on the stove top without the aid of the namesake cooking vessel.

The Moroccan inspired saucepan
Flavours:
Fresh ginger, finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Coriander seeds, ground
Cumin seeds, ground
Chilli, dried or powdered (to add a little spice but not hot like a curry)
Cinnamon – 1 quill or piece of bark*

Vegetables:
Sweet potato or pumpkin, cubed
Onion, sliced
Zucchini, chopped
..ad lib with whatever you have in the fridge

Protein:
1-2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed well
(some people have been known to add meat)

Juice:
Good quality vegetable stock (chicken if going for the carnivorous version)
1-2 cans of chopped tomatoes

Fry the spices, except cinnamon, in some vegetable oil then add the densest vegetables and onion. Stir. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, cinnamon and stock. After a while add any remaining vegetables. Simmer some more. Add more stock if required to give it a ‘stew with lots of juice’ consistency. Check seasoning, add salt if necessary.

Prepare couscous as desired. If you were a purest it would have been steaming over the stew all the while, but I just did the quick method (1 cup of couscous steeped in 1 cup of boiling water, covered with a tea towel for about 10 minutes) – stir through a bit of butter and fresh chopped mint, if you have it, before serving.

* I love the strong taste of cinnamon bark, it really adds another dimension to the flavour which powdered cinnamon doesn’t quite hit.

I used the leftovers for mini pies the next day. This was a quick no-brainer, I’m hungry after working late meal thanks to the joys of frozen pastry. Drain off excess juice and mash or finely chop. Fashion into pies and bake in a moderate-hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Tastes great with tomato chutney and a salad.

sated

My weekend through food: friday night - a few drinks in the city then some average food at a joint in QV – a kiwi sauv blanc, fish skewers with middle eastern spices, couscous and rocket, crispy thin vegetable chips, spaghetti marinara…lindt intense orange dark chocolate. Saturday – short black, 100% rye toast with tahini, avocado and lemon juice…frittata with potato, red onion, garlic, olives and zucchini…a massive platter of sushi and sashimi at the little place in Brunswick with the luckiest cats in Melbourne (go figure), weird finger food at pub birthday party extravaganza, copious sparkling wine of unknown origin, pints of soda water. Sunday morning – 1 poached egg on sourdough toast with mushrooms and “baked hash browns” (mashed potato in mini muffin pans?), soy cap, tuna salad (spring onions, avocado, cucumber, semi dried tomatoes, mayo, lime juice, rocket) open sandwiches, persimmons, passionfruit, Black & Greens dark peppermint chocolate, tofu vegetable and ginger stir fry, rice noodles with prawns, veg, basil and very hot chilli, a couple of litres of mineral water, feijoas.



spot the feijoa

Colcannon

Despite meteorological promises of a brief return to temperatures in the low 20’s over the next few days, Melbourne has been decidedly chilly for a while. For me this means successive pots of soup on the stove and a return to romancing the spud.

Potatoes are a comfort food. One I tend to limit for some ridiculous reason. But it was a podcast on Irish food that got me going all over again. Just the week before I had been cooked cabbage, sautéed in olive oil til soft and more-ish. Hearing of the delights of this traditional dish, a combination of mashed potato and cabbage – I had to make it.

Not being a fan of milk, but perversely of butter, I took the notion and ran with it recipe-less in my usual manner. Here’s my ‘blueprint’ – let’s not go so far to call it an actual recipe.

Mashed potatoes and cabbage by any other name
Put some potatoes on to simmer in some salted water. I used organic coliban, which seemed perfect for the job.

In a heavy based fry pan sauté some onion, when soft add a little garlic and an anchovy or two. Chop as much cabbage as you can eat and add it to the pan. You will need to stir frequently until it too has softened.

About this time the spuds should be about done. Drain well, add lashing of butter, salt and pepper. Mash. Now combine the exquisitely cooked cabbage and onion with the mash.

Heaven.

autumn harvest

Despite the dull light of a rainy April afternoon, I had to take a picture of the fruit bowl groaning with goodness.

Although this is not the time of year for flashy tropicals or luscious berries, the humble apple is at it’s best and deserves its moment in the limelight. I got a mix of organic, red Croftons and Sweet Williams – both crisp and sweet. These little delights are best eaten as they are. I also like to grate some on soft, soaked oats for breakfast.

For the uninitiated, the green, egg shaped fruit are feijoas. You need smell-o-vision for this one, as they have a perfumed aroma. Inside there is white and almost gelatinous flesh, tasting both sharp and sweet at the same time. I love them but they are hard to get and only in season briefly in Melbourne. Perhaps, I shouldn’t talk them up too much as they are a steal at only $3 a kilo and a run on them could quadruple the price! The stall owner tells me it's mainly homesick Kiwis who buy them.



Mandarins have just come into season. These smelt great when I peeled them, but weren’t up to full flavour yet inside. Still though they have a sweetish tang and your hands smell wonderful afterwards.

The rest of the bowl comprises of grapefruits for juicing, limes, lemons and pears. Some late season grapes (green and red) sit on a platter demanding to be nibbled.

As bloggers it seems we spend so much time writing about food that is actually cooked. But spare a moment to contemplate the raw appeal of fresh fruit in season. Best enjoyed at room temperature and chewed slowly.

For those who need a recipe – here is one from my childhood.

Shirley’s Fruit Salad

Take a cross section of fresh fruit, trying to get a variety of colours and textures.
Peel if need be, slice or dice into varied shapes.
Cover with a liberal splash of Grand Marnier (or your favourite liqueur). Allow to macerate for an hour, but make sure fruit is well coated so it won’t turn brown – some fresh lime or orange juice can be added if you need more liquid.

Enjoy.

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You Are a Soy Latte

At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxed At your worst, you are: dogmatic and picky You drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn't cutting it Your caffeine addiction level: medium

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

actually I'm a soy cap with lots of chocolate on top

getting acquainted with ugly vegetables

Sometimes there is a beauty in ugliness. I flirted with some celeriac at the market yesterday. Now I have it home, I’m not sure what to do with it.


Any ideas?


Previously I have peeled and grated the root, then mixed it with a little mayo and a dash of lemon juice. It made a tasty side dish.


All thoughts greatfully received.

dip-a-liscious

In the past 6 months I have had a growing fascination with roasted cauliflower. I love the depth of flavour roasting brings out of it. I have used it as a base for fish, in gyoza and vegan ravioli previously, but there is always more that you can do with this gorgeous veggie.

The Moroccan Soup Bar, a Melbourne vegetarian haven, features a couple of dishes that taste suspiciously of roasted cauliflower and tahini. This is my version of one of their dips.

Roasting the Cauli

Clean a head of cauliflower (or what ever quantity you have handy) and break into smallish florettes. Mix in a bowl with a little olive oil (about a tablespoon or two). Spread in a roasting dish and bake.




I used a fan forced oven at 180c for about 25 minutes. In my old gas oven I would have set higher and cooked for longer.

Remove from oven when there is a fair splattering of golden brown.



Allow to cool.

Cauliflower and tahini dip

Take a little or a lot of your roasted cauliflower and place in a food processor.

Add some crushed garlic, lemon juice and tahini, then blend – use similar proportions as you would to make hommos (yes this is basically the same, substituting the cauli for chickpeas!). If unsure, start with 1 clove of garlic, the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of tahini. Keep tasting and adjust accordingly.

Season with sea salt.

Now add a little warm water and blend again. Keep adding water til you get a dip like consistency.

Goes well with crudités, pita chips or plain rice crackers.

Variation:
Toast and grind some cumin seeds.

Warning:
This dip is addictive!

My favourite stir fry

Stir fries are one of my staples. Often with tofu and vegies du jour. Too often with noodles. Brown rice when I am virtuous. But this is my all time favourite.

Stir fried prawns and vegetables with Vietnamese mint and rice noodles

Vegetables – whatever takes your fancy, but it’s always good to include at least 1 or 2 Asian greens. Julienne, slice or dice into small pieces, to reduce cooking time.
This one included: carrots, broccoli, pak choi, spring onions and green beans.

Protein – prawns shelled, and de-veined, depending on your budget about 6 large or 8 small per person. You could of course use tofu. I believe some people even include meat!

Flavours – garlic crushed or finely chopped (as much as you can stand – this was 2 large elephant cloves, chopped fresh chilli or some Chinese chilli oil, fresh Vietnamese mint and/or coriander, fish sauce.

Oil – I use raw sesame oil.

Carbs – rice noodles really make this dish. I alternate between thin and thicker noodles. Soak or cook as directed and leave soaking in cold water. Shake dry before adding to the wok as moisture turns frying into steaming.

Method:
The trick to cooking a good stir fry is a hot wok and lots of oil. I was restrained on the oil this time, but sadly more does taste better. Fast and furious use of a wok shovel is also advantageous.

Place about 2 tablespoons of oil in the hot wok, if using large prawns toss in wok with a little of the garlic for about 1 minute, til half cooked. Remove.

Start frying the most dense vegetables. Splash in more oil as required. Gradually add the other vegetables, garlic and chilli.




When these are cooked but still crispy it is time to add the semi-cooked prawns (or raw if small), fry for about a minute then add the soaked or cooked rice noodles, herbs and fish sauce. The amount of fish sauce is anywhere between 2-4 tsp per person depending on how salty you like it. But be warned – you can always add more, but can’t subtract if you overdo it!



Voila – a fabulous noodle dish made in a flash.