Food for all.....

French Journey continued....

2007-08-02T21:26:00.001-07:00

I have been some what culinarily distracted...easy to happen in the big city...one day Greek, next day Turkish, Japanese etc.

So where was I...Day 2 of the French Culinary Challenge. This is how it went...

Woke with vigour...croissants and coffee fo breakfast will I ever get sick of this?!!

Breakfast was quick as I had a busy day at work ahead of me. Lunch I had prepared the night before, so I grabbed it from the fridge on my way out the door.

Garlic Soup

2 bulbs of garlic(about 30 cloves), separated
125ml of olive oil
125g streaky bacon, finely chopped
1 large potato, diced
6 Cups (1.5 litres) of chicken stock
3 egg yolks
1 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp oregano, 3 whole pepporcorns tied up in small piece of muslin (otherwise known as a bouquet garni)

Method
1. Smash and peel the garlic (smashing it makes it easier to peel)
2. Heat 1 Tb of the oil and cook the bacon over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and potato and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the stock and bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Put the egg yolks into a deep conical bowl. Begin whisking, gradually adding the oil in a thin stream. Continue whisking until it has thickened (this is a basic mayonnaise base). Whisk this mixture into the hot soup. Strain the mixture into another bowl or saucepan. Season to taste and gently reheat.

Serve this with a fresh baguette or another fresh crusty bread.

You may wonder why I chose this soup (garlic and all) to eat at work, but the garlic is well cooked and you shouldn't really have any breath problems unless you are particuarly sensitive.

French Culinary Challenge Day 1 - Part 2

2006-05-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ahh dinner...its been long time coming!!

I think one of the key things about French cooking is their wonderful use of herbs. fresh is great, but dried also has its place. So tonight I thought the flavours of sage, rosemary and parsley should be the central to my meal. What did I decide to cook? The first vegetable that came to mind was the humble potato...leek, garlic, cheese need I say more...I made my own version of potato gratin and the recipe went like this.....

Pip's Potato Gratin

6 large potatoes, peeled and very thinly slice into discs
1 leek, sliced thinly and washed thoroughly
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 c milk
1 large handful of mixed herbs (I used sage, rosemary and Italian parsley), roughly chopped
1/2 c grated cheese (sheeps milk cheeses such s pecorino, roy de vallee or ossau irraty work well)

Method
1.preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
2.Layer the slices of potato, garlic, leek and herbs in an deep oven dish.
3.Combine the milk, cream and stock together in a jug. Beat with a whisk or fork until combined and a little frothy.
4.Pour the milk mixture over the top of the layered vegetables.
5.Top with grated cheese. Cover the dish with foil.
6.Place in the oven and cook for around 2 hours. For the last ten minutes remove the foil and remove when it is golden and bubbling.
7.Please let this dish cool for 10 minutes before attempting to eat it as you will burn your mouth out otherwise!

Ahh the perfect winter warmer!

French Culinary Challenge Day 1 - Part 1

2006-04-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

Well day one of the French Culinary Challemge is here and I am up early, hungry and eager to embark upon the trip to the bakery for my fresh croissant! I guess I could have gone last night, but that wouldn't have been very French(visits to the bakery occur daily) nor as fresh. So where did my croissant come from today? Deganni's bakery in Fairfield (there are few of the around, but good quality stuff and interesting range of cakes) most importantly they make their croissants with all butter. I have found that many Australians make their croissants with margine or a mixture which results in a very different taste and texture and the French would never dream of using anything but butter!
Now for the important details I didn't heat up the croissant (when they are fresh there is reallly no need to...) I enjoyed it with homemade plum jam and a cafe au lait.(A large milky french breakfast coffee)I have never worked out with it is ok to dip your croissant into the coffee or whether that is the height of rudeness (I did) maybe someone can let me know the etiquette?
So by about 11 o clock I am starving ( I have not yet adapted to filling up on white flour pastry only...) so I decide a classic nicoise salad might be the trick to get me through the day. Ok so these are my best tips....use tuna canned in olive oil (you can drain off the excess oil so the salad is not too oily) the texture and flavour is far superior...Boil the potatoes in stock to add some extra flavour...use the smallest sweetest tomatoes you can find and don't over boil your egg....!The recipe goes like this....

Nicoise Salad

1 small can of tuna in olive oil
1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes or a couple of small sweet tomatoes,halved
a small handful of green beans
1/4 red onion, diced
a small handful of black olives
1 egg, soft boiled
1 large potato
fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
balsamic, olive oil and little mustard to dress the salad

Method
1.Wash and cube the potato and boil in stock(optional)until soft. Drain and set aside.
2.Boil the egg in fresh water until soft boiled about 5 mins.
3.Top and tail the beans (cut off the ends) and halve them if they are large. Steam them over the top of the boiling egg. Refresh with cold water once they are tender.
4.Now time to compile. Toss the potatoes in the bottom of a large bowl and mix with the onion. Toss through a teaspoon of your favourite mustard and parsley. Season lighlty.
5.Arrange the beans and tomatoes on top and drizzle with a little balsamic and olive oil. Again lighlty season.
6.Drain the can of tuna and break up with a fork, arrange on the top of the salad. Top with egg slices (obviously this means you have to slice the egg!)and finish with the olives and some extra parsley. You can add a little more balsamic and oil if you think you need it.
Enjoy......
So next instalment...dinner....

The Cheese Photo Gallery

2006-04-07T01:59:00.000-07:00

And the bread is rising....

2006-04-06T23:41:00.001-07:00

So how did my bread turn out...pretty good actually, not terribly tangy yet, but that will come as the starter ages. It also took a long time to rise, but again that will improve with time, I think the general flavour and texture of bread is improved with slow rising, I guess its just a little bit difficult to make unless you going to be around the house for a good chunk of the day. Lucky I was and I combined the day of "making stuff" by catching up on some well needed cheesemaking...I say that because I find making cheese an extremely meditative and also well needed because I have a backlog of people waiting for some cheese! I made brie, fetta, haloumi and ricotta. The haloumi will form part of dinner tonight, while I will marinate the fetta in a few days. The brie will take 3-4 weeks before it is ready.

The sourdough is bubbling

2006-04-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

The is something most satisfying about creating something from scratch as you would all well know!....but then there is an extra level of satisfaction when what you have created has several stages that take days or longer to grow...I am talking about cheese and sourdough bread....that's wht I have been up to lately...
First with the bread - I have been making my own bread and baked goods for quite sometime, but as I mentioned in an earlier entry it has been many years since I have made my own sourdough starter, although I have lways sought out bakeries who use one and I love the flavour, infact my favourite thing are the sourdough croissants I buy from the Kingfisher Bakery in Northcote, Melbourne, but I am looking forward to making my own. Now it is pretty easier to make a sourdough starter all you need is flour and water, but this time I did a little more research to find some other approaches to making the starter. I used a combination of ideas in the end.Here is the recipe -

Sourdough Starter

1 cup flour
1 boiled potato (peeled) mashed, with some the cooking water retained
1/2 cup potato cooking water, cooled
1/2 cup water
3 sultanas or raisins, chopped

Mix all ingredients together to make a smooth paste.
Place in a non metal bowl (ceramic is good) in a warm place and cover with cheesecloth or a thin material that will allow the starter to breathe.
Stir the starter everyday. It will take 3-5 days for the action to start happening ie.bubbling with a sour smell. After this time keep the mixture in the fridge. Use about 1 cup of starter to every 600g of flour and replenish the starter with equal quantities of flour and water to keep it going.

So what am I going to do about it......and other tales of a simpler life!

2006-03-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post and you are probably wondering what I have been doing lately reflectioon to my last comments?
I do feel like I have had a culinary epiphany of sorts, one that seems to have taken me back to my roots. This week I have started making cheese in ernest after sourcing some raw milk. I have also made a sourdough starter for bread which is currently bubbling away nicely in the corner(that is something I haven't done myself in years, relying on commercial yeast to cover my lack of planning!) I have done a lot of research into free range and organic meats available in my area and I am very excited about Bills Butcher in Belgrave who stock almost solely organic meats and do a great deal of their own smoking which is fantastic and it's not overly expensive. I am exploring the world of sprouted grains(apparently sprouting makes the grains easier to digest and the nutrients contained within easier to absorb)It seems that most of what I am discovering are not new ways of treating food, but very old ways, its funny how we think we have made so many advancements in technology and yet we don't always make life better, infact often its quite the opposite we make it more complicated in so many ways.
I don't think it is that strange to want to know where your food is coming from...while we are becoming more interested in artisan products we rarely ask questions about the origins and treatment of those goods and while somethings I love to source from overseas, there are some things that we just shouldn't. I enjoy eating seasonally it gives contrasting flavour and feel to the culinary year and yet there are still many people who want strawberries all year round and therefore source from big chain supermarkets and consequently have probably never tasted a good strawberry....
Growing things yourself is the obvious answer to ensure quality and taste and the purest of treatent, but obviously that is not always possible, so thats where farmers markets come in to it and roadside stalls, get to know who grows and rises what in your area, it will be quite an education. There is a certain amount of pride taken in knowing where the food your eating is from and one that I consequeently find myself raving to others about...
Change doesn't have to be big to be significant.....
and p.s.blueberries are a nutrional giant and they taste brilliant too - bonus!

We are what we eat, but are we what we think, feel and act...

2006-03-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

I have been watching the most amazing Dvd over the past few days and it has really got me thinking...the Dvd is called Food s Medicine and it is about an American man called Jerry Brunetti. It is not an unusual scenario... he developed cancer and was given 6 months to live if he didn't undergo 30 aggressive cemotherapy treatments, he chose to fight the cancer nutrionally and completely rid himself of the cancer. It wasn't the information on nutrition and the benefits of certain foods that blew me away but more his attitude to the world, our bodies and our the western approach to medicine... this man just makes so much sense! His background was in natural treatments and supplements in agricultural and lifestyle management, so he did have a headsup when he questioned the doctors about the type of chemicals they would giving him during the chemo..truly disturbing...but Brunetti's min point I think is that we are too eager to give away our power when it comes to modern medicine rarely question a doctor's advice or asessing what we put into our bodies and expect to get out of them. Do we just expect someone else to fix things for us or do we really beleive doctor's are gods and have all the answers? Nothing that Jerry says is really that new to me, but he encapsulated it so well, even those of us who are fairly aware can become complacent sometimes...
Lets not...Let's support awareness about good food and good living for ourselves and others out there doing the same

Culinary Challenge Day 7 The Final Chapter

2006-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Final Thoughts

Well well the end is nigh. My final day of the Japanese Culinary Challenge is at a close, all that is left is half a cup of green tea....My thoughts at this end of the week are mixed....I am sad to be leaving such a beautiful ritualistic way of eating that was focused by passion and intrigue...on the other hand if I ever see another grain of rice again.....

The Final Day

My day began with miso and rice. I think it would be fair to say at this point I wasn't ctually tasting flavours. I guess it is similar to those of us who have a morning ritual of cereal or toast and vegemite -we certainly are tasting all the distinct flavours day after day... Maybe I have been some what initiated into the Japnese way of life!

For lunch I returned to my favourite haunt - Bread Top for a tuna mayonnaise bun - wow I even have my Japanese comfort food! No time for anything else as I was eating on the run, but I was also anticipating my final dinner.....

Dinner tonight required something extra special and not just in the food....I found myself at a Asian chinaware place late this afternoon admiring the many beautiful platters, bowls and spoons used in the presentation of Japanese food and I couldn't resist.....

When I returned home I moved my low table into the middle of the lounge room and placed four floor cushions around it. Tonight my guests and I would eat in true Japanese style. The meal began with a bonita fish broth, then sashmi, cut myslef from a beautiful piece of fresh tuna I bought from the Queen Victoria Market. The next course was cold buckwheat noodles with a soy dressing adorned with roasted sesame seeds and spring onions. This was accompanied with grilled teriyaki fish. The fish I used was ling, soft, sweet and succulent. To finish we nibbled on some sweet chestnut dumplings (not made by me, but purchased from an Asian store.) To accompany dessert we drank warm sake. Ahh it was a memorable ode farewell to Japan.....

Culinary Challenge Day 6

2006-02-26T01:45:00.000-08:00

Nearing the End
As I near the end of my week I feel the need to return to my staple breakfast of rice and miso. While there is a large part of my imagination busy creating many new and wonderful breakfasts I can mke once this week is over I have enjoyed a certain peacefulness of the routine and ritual about eating the same thing in the same fashion each day (although I am sure I won't eat rice again for at least another few weeks!). As I sit and drink my third cup of green tea (I hope all those antioxidants are being readily absorbed!) I contemplate life after.....But alas I getting ahead of myself because tonight I am going to cook one of my favourite Japanese meals....

Japanese Vegetable Garden
Today was an exceptionally busy day so my trip to the market to pick up supplies for tonight would have to be a quick one. With my head still contemplating the meals of the last few days I realised one of the biggest changes for me has been the types of vegetables I have been eating. I absolute adore vegetables in all their shapes, sizes, textures and flavours, but I realised there are some vegetables, like cabbage, daikon andleeks that I don't eat on a regular basis. It strikes me that these vegetables have a particular flavour sought after by the Japanese - savoury, oniony, slight bitterness (perhaps not the leek) that contribute to the extra taste the Japanese refer to as umami. This flavour can be fully understood by emersing yourself in Japanese food and it also describes the a level of warm satisfaction that the meal tends to give you without weighing you down - a deep savouriness that is very comforting. Hmmm.....

Curry in a Hurry
There is nothing in the world like a Japanese curry. They tend to be sweet, not hot and they also tend not to be homemade. Yes that's right the Japanese curry I love is made directly from a packet and one which I would perhaps reccomend not reading the ingredients on! But I can guarantee you if you can get past this then you will have a fast and depply satisfying meal on your hands! O.K to begin there are a few rules about Japanese curries - they must contain potatoes and usually carrots also, the vegetables are usually in nice chunks, not dainty slices and while any meat can be added I think the flavour is best with just vegetables (don't ever use fish). At this point I shoul add that if you are a Vegetarian then you must pick your packet sauce very carefully as most of them contain pork lard. As my partner is vegetarian I use Golden Curry mild which uses palm oil instead so you will be fine if you stick with that. So, the process is as follows - chop up your veegtables into chunks (best to keep it simple and only us a few different types. Heat up a little oil and quickly cook your meat if you are using (also cut into chunks). Remove from the pan once it is brown. If you aren't using meat then skip this step. Start cooking the vegetables in order from potatoes, then carrot, pumpkin. If you are using all three, leave 4-5 minutes between each. Then add the curry sauce and a little water as directed on the pack. Stir to coat the vegetables. If you are using any softer vegetables such as broccoli or eggplant add them at this stage. Also add you browned meat now too. Turn you pot down to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes until everything is tender and the sauce is thick and goopy. There you have it Japanese curry. It must be served with rice of course and for a more traditional approach with some pickles on the side. Curry sauces are available from Japanese or large Asian stores.

Culinary Challenge Day 5

2006-02-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Tasty Tofu
On one of my adventures out and about I came across some interesting tofu products.Now don't get me wrong I love tofu in many forms - smoked, silken, firm, marinated even fried (if it is done well) but there are several forms of tofu which seem to defy my logic and my tastebuds. One of these such products formed part of my breakfast this morning - shredded duck tofu! Its texture was thin and flaky and flavored with soy and five spice. I think it was supposed to resemble cooked duck meat, but it was chewy and a little cold and slimey. Some things just weren't meant to be! Consequently my breakfast this morning consisted of rice and green tea. Ah the simple things really are a blessing in disguise!

Sweet and Soft
After the tastebud tragedy of my morning by lunchtime I was hankering for something sweet and soft to erase all memories of salty slime. I knew just the thing - a sweet mochi or Japanese rice cake. They come in many weird and wonderful flavours, but I wasn't feeling very adventorous so I opted for good old apple. There are no words to describe the silkiness of mochi - a kind of texture that only the Asian cultures seem to be able to create. One mouth full of this soft green heaven, then I was ready to forgive any fake duck misadventures (surely they were led astrat by the Chinese fantasies of vegetarian meat products.) I can tell you no more about these delicacies except to say that one was enough to satisfy my tastebuds until dinner and that they are available from all Japanese foodstores. (The Great Eastern in Russell Street has some wonderful flavours.)

Beans for Dessert?
By dinnertime I was lusting after real meat. All day I had time to ponder the benefits of the real thing that I thought I would create a Japanese inspired roast chicken and vegetables. For this recipe I purchased some chicken drumsticks (3 per serve is good), a head of celery, a daikon, a leek and a pumpkin. I chopped the vegetables to roughly the same size and threw them into a baking dish with the drumsticks. I combined some sake, mirin, chopped ginger and garlic, chicken stock and a little oil together and poured over the vegetables and chicken. I then chopped up a lemon removing the skin and pips and mixed that in with the vegetable (the lemon disintegrates and gives a wonderful flavour). I left everything to marinate for an hour and then I cooked it in a hot (200 degree) oven for another hour. Served with some rice the dish was a hit. Needless to say the flavours perfectly balance each other and while this is obviously not a traditional Japanese dish after the last five days I think it was time for me to experiment a little! Dessert however was a simple and traditional affair sweet red beans (from a can!) Hmmm very interesting!

Culinary Challenge Day 4

2006-02-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

Alcoholic Dreaming

I awoke thinking about the wonderful plum wine my friend had often talked about drinking in Japan. I wondered where I could find some. Apart from a few nips of warm sake after one of my meals I had been beverage free during meals. Don't get me wrong this is not unusual for me, but I do occssionaly enjopy a glass of wine or an apertif which does completely change the feel of the meal. I was determined to track down some plum wine for dinner that night. Eager to begin my search I grabbed a handful of rice crackers (not sakata, but the chunky Japanese version wrapped in nori or filled with this strange slightly cheesy filling) and some umeboshi (salty plums) and headed out the door. Who says Japanese breakfasts can't be eaten on the run. (not sure it is too traditional though!)

The Search Begins

As I had a meeting in the city I thought would be the logical place to begin for my Plum Wine search. I was rewarded immediately upon my visit to the Great Eastern Food Store in Russell Street. There among there collection of Japanese teas nestled several brands of Plum Wine. Unsure of any brands I grabbed the one with the prettiest label (you have to start somewhere!). Before I left I picked a sheet of tofu skin, which I though would make an interesting addition to dinner. I had a quick lunch next door of believe it or not Miso Soup - half a day without it and I am missing it!

Exploration of Soy and Seaweed

With the purchase of the tofu skin I felt I should explore some more interesting tofu fillings for my nori rolls (sushi). Tofu skin is a strange thing. Wrinkled brown sheets of crispy tofu which is skimmed off during the tofu making process and dried. To use it must be soaked in boiling water. It can then be sliced and added to soups, stews or even nori rolls. For the nori rolls I have decided upon fried tofu strips, avocado, egg, red capsicum, steamed spinach, tempeh (a fermented soy bean product) and tofu skin. I soaked tofu skin in a mixture of soy and mirin. I mixed and matched my soy selection in the rolls. Before we ate though we sat down and enjoyed beautiful Plum Wine and oh my god this is definitely going to be something I enjoy regularly! For the record it is best served over ice with a slice of lemon.

Culinary Challenge day 3

2006-02-19T23:42:00.000-08:00

Rice Overload

After 3 days of solid rice eating this morning I needed a change. I am still enjoying the miso style broth so I decided to add a few extras and make a miso stew. I thought a simple combination of potatoes, spinach and tofu would be both satisfying to the hunger and desirable to the tastebuds. As well as miso I added some sake (don't worry, all alcohol will evaporate) and mirin to the broth which proved the perfect combination. The recipe for this combination will be printed in the upcoming newsletter.

Stringy Seaweed Tastes so Fine!

Lunch was out and about so I grabbed some rice and a seaweed salad from a Japanese takeway in the city. Seaweed salad has always intruiged me. The seaweed used is the thin, lime green, luminescent variety which often gets stuck annoyingly between my teeth. However I love the flavour of this salad so much I am willing to overlook this problem. The dressing is slighlty sweet, from the addition of rice wine vinegar and a little sugar and it contrasts nicely with the toasted sesame seeds. Pure, simple flavours so brilliantly combined!

Perfect Pancakes

I was really feeling like some new flavours by dinnertime tonight - in all honesty I was really hanging out for pasta, not noodles or rice, or please no more soy! Instead however I made my favourite Japanese snackfood Ominyaki or Japanese pancakes. The panckes are made with a simple egg and flour batter into which grated carrots and shredded cabbage are added. Sometime seafood is added to the batter as well. They are then pan fried and served with a spicy, barbequed flavoured mayonnaise. To make the mayonnise I added some hoisin sauce to some Japanese mayonnaise which worked really well. These pancakes are best served hot so it is good to keep the oven warm while you are cooking them and keep them warm in the oven once they are cooked. By the end of my dinner I felt satisfied that I could face another day of Japanese food again. This challenge has certainly made me realise how much I vary what I eat each day and expose my tastebuds to a large variety of flavours. It truly is a luxury to live the way we do in Western countries choosing from an endless list of cuisine types, often not restricted by season or cost.

Day 2 - Part 2 Culinary Challenge

2006-02-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

More Rice!

Lunch is a quick and simple affair - rice with a fresh daikon and horseradish pickle. Daikon is a staple accompaniment or garnish in Japanese cuisine. It looks rather like a smooth parsnip and tastes like a mild horseradish. For the pickle I simply grated the daikon, shredded some cabbage for extra crunch (also another popular Japanese vegetable) and added wasabi, a little mirin (rice wine vinegar) and a little salt. It was woderfully refreshingly and not too hot. It was also a nice contrast to the rice which I am beginning to become a little blase about! I am looking forward to dinner tonight though...

To Sear the Salmon

If there is one thing I truly admire admire about the Japanese it is their ability to appreciate seafood in all its glory. Not only are they experts in preparing the finest raw fish (sashmi) but when they cook it they keep it simple and allow the try flavour of the fish to shine. I am a huge fan of juicy fish, rather than the dry, flaky, overcooked version. This makes me perfectly suited to eating fish Japanese style. My fish of chice tonight is Salmon - not because I am terribly unoriginal, but because it was the freshest and best looking fish at the market. (Another skill the Japanese possess - choosing what is the best on the day) For my marinade I choose the classic Japnese 3 - soy, garlic, ginger - a wonderful combination but not the secret to my salmon success.

Salmon Secrets

I am lucky enough to possess a teppanyaki style grill, but you could use a griddle or a quality cast iron pan. The secret (and I am sure you have heard this before) is to get the pan or grill REALLY HOT! Sear the salmon quicly to create a lovely crust and don't pour the marinade over the fish while cooking because this will dramatically lower the temperature and the fish will stew. If you like your fish tender and moist then just a few minutes each side will suffice. Let the fish rest for 5 to 6 minutes after cooking. If you prefer your fish cooked more than this then finish it off in a 200 degree oven, not in the pan. Place in a dish and cover the fish with foil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until your desired doness is achieved. Cooking in the oven makes sure that moisture is maintained and that the fish is more evenly cooked - not dry and stringy on the outside and uncooked in the middle. But remember: make sure you preheat the oven.

Accompaniments

What better way to accompany my fish than with my favourite vegetable: eggplant. I prepare this in the traditional manner - grilled with topping of white miso moistened into a paste with a little mirin. The miso is quite salty so you don't need very much. It is not necessary to salt the eggplant for this type of preparation. For nice colour contrast I steam some baby spinach and serve it with a sauce of ground sesame seeds and mirin. Tahini will do rather than grinding your own sesame as they do in Japan. A meal like this is pure heaven and can only be topped off by homemade green tea icecream made by my lovely boyfriend. How was it made? I can't tell you because the secrets are all his! Sufficed to say it was divine... (For those of you without such a creative partner, the green tea icecream from Asian stores is also very good!)

What will Day 3 hold?

Day 2 of the Culinary Challenge

2006-02-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

Miso Meditations

I wake up bright and early on the 2nd day of my Japanese journey. My stomach is crying out for food. Surprisingly, the idea of the deep savouriness of miso soup for breakfast sounds very inviting. In preparation I have cooked extra rice the night before and steam it over boiling water to reheat. This is a good way to reheat rice to prevent that terrible dry, chewy texture old rice can take on. I gently reheat the miso also. It is crucial to remeber to never boil miso soup so always heat over a low heat even when first preparing it. I finish my breakfast with a nice warm feeling contemplating the benefits of miso soup as a winter breakfast. With a busy day head of me I push on out of the house early to gather ingredients for dinner and to stock up on my supply of green tea which has quickly become a consistent ritual throughout the day while I am working.

The Beauty of the Vessel

The Japanese are masters of rituals and one of the things I have embraced wholeheartedly is the attention they pay to the presentation of their food and I am not simply refering to how pretty or perfect the food looks, but the bowls, dishes and utensils used for the serving and eating of food. During my outing this morning I managed to pick up some lovely Japanese rice bowls, swirled with lovely Autumn colours which will surely enhance my daily rice experience. I also can't resist purchasing yet another teapot. This time a beautiful matted-white vessel, adorned with a single Japanese Kanji character in blood red. It has a rather unusual pouring spout. I hope it is as practical as it is beautiful!

Food For all Culinary Challenge

2006-02-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the latest feature of Food For All!

The Culinary challenge requires that for 1 week of every month I eat every meal from a chosen country.

A diary entry will appear on site detailing my adventures that day including restaurants, recipes and ingredients I have discovered.

The Culinary Challenge is both an exploration of the tastebuds and a cultural journey through another world.

The first destination is Japan and here is day 1.....

Breakfast

Well, day 1 of my week of Japanese eating has come to an end with a cup of green tea and a long list of Japanese dishes I would like to try during the week to come. I am full of excitement and anticipation about emersing myself fully in the Japanese experience. My day began with a traditional bowl of miso soup and rice, accompanied by some pickles and umeboshi paste. I then ventured out of the house in order to gather some more unusual ingredients. There is nothing I love more then to spent an hour or so exploring the depths of an Asian food store. My one of choice today is the Great Eastern Food Store in Russell Street in the City. Consequently lunch was an out of the house affair.

Black Sesame Bubble Drink

I began with a black sesame bubble drink complete with black tapioca pearls. I must admit I have always been a bit dubious about these strange concoctions but I loved the balance of sweetness with the dark nutty flavour of the black sesame. This worked fantastically with chewy, but soft tapioca. I purchased my bubble drink from the food hall in the QV building, but there are a number of drink bars within the city that sell these drinks. To complete my lunch I was tempted by the flavours of the nearby Breadtop Bakery and chose a green tea red bean bun which was a perfect accompaniment to the bubble drink. Other unusual, but typically Japanese flavours include fish finger and mayonnaise bun, melon red bean bun and double sausage bun.

Sushi

On arriving home I put on a pot of sushi rice in preparation for a dinner of nori rolls (better known as sushi) After the rice had cooked I let it cool before adding a little mirin, or sweet rice vinegar to give the rice a little more stickiness as well as added flavour. I have the best technique for nori rolls is to prepare them 12 hours prior to serving and leave them in the fridge as whole rolls, before slicing them into smaller rolls. This allows the nori sheets to soften and makes them extremely easy to cut. For my nori I prepared a simple egg omelete with 2 eggs. I also cut red capsicum, cucumber, carrot and avocado into thin wedges. I marinated some strips of tofu in soy, ginger and garlic and mixed some canned tuna with some Japanese mayonnaise. With all my ingredients prepped I was ready to roll...Lay the sheet of nori out flat and fill a small bowl with warm water. Place 2 large spoonfuls of rice on the bottom third of the nori sheet, leaving a gap of 4 5cm at the bottom. Press the rice out into an even band across the middle. Pile on the ingredients (remember you don't need to use every ingredient in each roll!) and squeeze on some wasabi paste directly onto the seaweed. Wet your fingers and use them to dampen each end of the nori sheet. Gather the bottom end and gently roll up the sheet, encasing the filling. Seal the end of the nori by pressing along it and leaving the roll, join down. Continue under you have made the required quantity and then chill in fridge. Remove just before serving and slice into 34 cm rounds. Serve with soy for dipping and pickled ginger and extra wasabi.

Chocolate Filled Koalas

After dinner we enjoyed some Japanese chocolate filled koalas I hd purchased from the Asian store earlier in the day(I remembered being sent these from Japan as a child) and a nice cup of green tea. With my tummy content, I look forward to another morning of miso!

Food for all welcomes you all.....

2006-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hi, I am fairly new to the world of blogging, but I am not new to the world of food!There are some fantastic food blogs out there and while I feel a little strange talking about myself and the food ventures around me I am also very excited about connecting with likeminded people out there. The basis of my blog will be the journal of my culinary challenge. This culinary challenge entails spending a week eating food from a particular country for every meal of that week. I set up this challenge for myself for a couple of reasons; firstly because I found it intruiging that when we explore the food of other countries we mostly ignore the foods they traditionally eat for breakfast or sometimes even lunch, our experience is focused on dinner, I wanted to explore much deeper then that...I also wanted to challenge myself to eat the same kind of food for that long because we live in the luxury of eating Indonesian one meal, Italian the next etc. I also though it would be a great way to source out new ingredients, recipes and restaurants. I also want to use this blog to discuss other food issues that may arise along the way, hopefully some generated by some people out there! Thats what it is all about isn't it!