Cooking wheat free!

I am on a new 'lifestyle' kick which includes no wheat, no sugar (refined) and no wheat!  It has been hard work but also meant I am finding lots of new ways to cook with good 'pure' foods and it is amazing how much better I feel for it (once I was over the sugar withdrawal!).

The hardest part is cutting out the sugar, I have certainly realized how much sugar we eat and how much we crave it.  So, I have been working my way through trying out different organic pure sweeteners.  My favorite thus far is making a date paste by pouring boiling water over dried dates and then using my stick mixer to puree and make a paste.  A couple of days ago I made a wheat-free carrot, zucchini & date loaf.  It turned out pretty well considering I made up the recipe!  But I have a feeling anything sweet would have tasted good, so we were happy.  It was even better toasted with a little butter for breakfast.  It could have used a little bit longer baking time, but otherwise was a moist wholesome treat (recipe below).

Don't worry the tablenosh dinners will not be affected by our new lifestyle!  I am working on a good hearty winter menu for this coming Saturday night's dinner including a signature 'dessert trio'.

Wheat-free Zucchini, Carrot and Date Loaf
1 Cup Barley Flour
1 Cup Spelt Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup (2 carrots, grated)
1/2 cup grated zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup rice milk (or maybe a little more if needed)
1 cup date paste (make with one cup of dates and boiling water to soften)
1tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons butter

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.  In another bowl cream the butter, date paste, vanilla, eggs and milk.  Slowly add the dry to the wet and then scoop into a greased loaf pan.  Bake on 180/350 for about 55-65 minutes or until done.

*Please note, I made this recipe up so you might to give or a take a little on some of the measurements.  If you want it a little sweeter add 1/4cup of maple syrup.

Sweet Potato Soufflé Crumble Recipe

I have been meaning to post this since the Christmas in July dinner.  I found a recipe on epicurious.com that I sounded good, then I made a few changes and added a crumble topping.  I really like it because I did not use that much sugar and the lemon zest and coconut add a nice touch.  It was a real hit (even with the Aussies who would never normally have sweet potato this way), one of my friend's was literally scraping the dish clean!


You will need:
4-6 sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cream 1/4 cup butter melted
2 eggs



Topping:
1/2 crushed walnuts
1/2 dark brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter melted


1. I decided to dice the sweet potatoes and bake them first with a little sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice covered on low heat until they were soft (for a quicker method just boil them).  This worked well because so much more flavor gets released this way and it also meant they were not saturated with water and I did not really have to strain them.  After they are soft mash them up in a bowl, you can use beaters to do this.


2. Then add spices, lemon zest and juice, sugar, butter and cream.  Whip with the beaters until nice and smooth and then beat in the eggs.


3.  Scoop sweet potato puree into a baking dish and bake on 180C/350F for 30 minutes.  You can then add the topping and put it back in the oven or if you are preparing ahead of time just let this cool and refrigerate.  Bring it back to room temperature before you add the topping to continue baking.

4.  To make the topping.  Mix all the dry ingredients together and then pour the butter over and use a fork to combine, should be crumbly and moist, if not then add more butter (I made this up so am guessing on the measurements!)  You could make up whatever kind of topping you like for this, using pecans, almonds, oats, whatever works.

5.  Sprinkle over the souffle and bake for about 10-15 minutes on 180C/375F or until it looks a little toasted and crunchy. 

Enjoy!

Christmas in July Dinner 2011

Even though we just returned from Fiji on Thursday, I could not give up the chance to do a Christmas in July dinner with some good friends...some meaning 24 adults and 8 children/babies!!!!  Who knew I could ever cram so many people into our little apartment, but somehow I did it!  We thought this dinner would be a good chance to have one last shindig before we farewell our Dover St. apartment and move next week.

The plane touched down on Thursday night, I started prepping on Friday and spent all of Saturday & Sunday cooking, cleaning, decorating and rearranging the furniture so all the guests would fit.  We had a table of 12 in the kitchen/dining room and another table in the lounge room and not to mention a few mothers in the hallway juggling their plate's along with the bubs.  It was a fabulous evening, I was so delighted to have our little home filled with so many beloved friends and for them all to enjoy a tablenosh dinner.

Once again I was humbled in my cooking...I cooked the Turkey on the barbecue for the first time and thought 'it sure is a lopsided looking bird', well when I went to cut it I realized I had cooked the darn thing upside down!!!! No wonder it looked so funny! So, yes I was humbled again and reminded I am still learning every day and making mistakes along the way.

The party kicked off at 4pm with a few appetizers and some winter warm-ups.  Warm Spiced Cider and mulled wine were a good way to warm up the afternoon, along side baked brie with fig jam & walnuts, salmon canapes, smoked ham with honey mustard and a few other things to nibble on before dinner.

This was the dinner menu: Herb Roasted Turkey, Sage Roasted Pork Belly, Cornbread Stuffing, Roasted Butternut, Corn & Leek Wild Rice, Aunt Isa's Mac n' Cheese, Pan Fried Green Beans, Sweet Potato Souffle Crumble,  Roasted Beetroot & Baby Spinach Salad and Sourdough bread.  (Sadly I totally forgot to put out my cranberry apple chutney!!)

It was pretty hilarious trying to get everyone seated along with getting them a plate, cutlery and food!  It felt like a family affair indeed.  We ended up with a mixture of buffet and some food on the table.  It was nice and squishy but I think everyone eventually found a seat and a plate.  I shared a seat and my husband who was carving the Turkey (last to be served) ended up eating his dinner out of a bowl!
 

After dinner we did a 'kris kringle' gift exchange, everyone piled into the lounge room, drew numbers and the fun began.  It really got crazy once people starting stealing and swapping, I think the wine glasses were the most wanted, it was all good fun and a nice pause before dessert.  I was very pleased with the berry balsamic vinegar I ended up with and fortunately no one tried to steal it off me.

I decided to do four desserts and had hoped to have a beautiful maple cinnamon ice cream to compliment everything, unfortunately it did not quite work as planned and was a bit more like semi-freddo (the taste was still good).  There was pumpkin cheesecake with a gingerbread crust and fresh cream, a dutch style apple pie, a chocolate-pecan tart and gingerbread cake w/ caramelized apples and warm caramel sauce.

The pumpkin cheesecake is always a hit and I was surprised at how many people loved the semi-freddo, I think it was the the pure maple syrup and hint of cinnamon, such a good combination.

By the time dessert was over, I was so overwhelmed by the site of my kitchen I thought I might skip offering tea and coffee!  Let's just say it is over 24 hours later and I think my kitchen is finally back in order.  It was well worth it, what a great night and a great feast.

There were piles of dishes everywhere!!!

Bula Fiji

Every year Pete heads over to Fiji for a month for work and I get to join him for 2 weeks.  This year we spent 5 nights in a local village!!!  Talk about a different way of life and a different way of COOKING!

Lanianna - my beautiful 'homestay' mother and cooking companion.

I had the delight of spending some time in the kitchen with these beautiful Fijian women laughing and sharing together.  Let me explain this is no traditional kitchen, we are talking a small gas burner and a small convection oven (only some people have these), no counter space and no refrigerator (some people have them but not everyone).  It was great fun, we sat on a simple mat in the very simple kitchen with no measuring cups or spoons, just eye balling everything!  I was taught how to make a Fijian style pumpkin pie (very different to the tradional American pumpkin pie I am uses to) it was a pretty interesting recipe with more of a cake like base and then pumpkin that we boiled and then mashed spread over it and then topped with condensed milk mixed with lime juice.

The next day I taught them how to make peanut butter cookies, a good old classic, I think peanut butter was a bit of a luxury because it can be expensive to buy.  The cookies seemed to be a hit, I wrote down the recipe for them. 

It was so interesting spending this time with these women, who have probably never even looked at a cook book but they are just passing on recipes verbally and doing what they have been taught from the generation before them.  I can't really imagine life with no cookbooks!  So when I get back to Australia I am going to send these ladies a little care package for the kitchen with some measuring cups, chocolate chips and a cookbook.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble

This is the part of blogging I appear to be pretty hopeless at...I do a lot of cooking but am very bad at sharing the recipe, so here goes.  This is my crumble recipe from last week's tablenosh dinner.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble


Fruit:
1 bunch of rhubarb, rinsed and diced
2 punnets of strawberries, rinsed and diced
1/4 cup muscavado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the rhubarb in a sauce pan on low heat and cook for about 5 minutes, making sure you stir, then add the sugar, vanilla and strawberries (sometimes I add a few frozen raspberries for an extra kick).  Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until rhubarb is softening and the sugar has dissolved.

Topping:
1/3 cup hazelnuts ground
1/3 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
125 g of butter melted (1 stick)

Lightly mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then pour butter over and mix with a fork until crumbly.  I pretty much eye-ball everything, so if it is to wet add more flour and if it is too dry add more butter.

I like making individual crumbles, but feel free to put it all in one pan.  Simply put fruit in first and then spoon crumble mixture on top. Bake on 180/350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Best served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

July 25 - the 'course' of the evening

I was a little nervous when the first thing I woke up to on Saturday morning was a text from my sous chef cancelling due to illness.  Oh NO...there was no way I could do this dinner on my own.  I sent a message out to the remaining people who I thought might want to take their Saturday night off to come and help me in the tablenosh kitchen and fortunately I found Sarah - she was awesome!!  And the rest of the day fell right into place...

My fabulous team - Sarah (sous chef) & Micharne (camera)

As for the 'courses'...this my biggest menu so far, somehow I think I managed to pull it off (thanks again to my fabulous help)!

Aperitif - Green Apple & Rhubarb Martini

One - Carrot & Zucchini Fritters, Tomato Jam & Pan Fried Haloumi

Two - Seared Scallop w/ Spicy Lime Aioli & Crsipy Prosciutto

Three- Roasted Garlic, Parsnip & Cauliflower Soup Shots

w/ Onion, Chives & Cheese Twists

Four - Winter Greens w/ Caramelized Walnuts, Pear & Gorgonzola

Five(Main)- Sage Roasted Pork Belly

Rhubarb & Apple Chutney

Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans

Six (dessert trio) - Strawberry & Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble

Baby Gingerbread Cake w/ Caramelized Pear & Sauce

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Spoon

Seven - Tea & Coffee

Dark Chocolate Mint Truffles

Finish - Raspberry Dessert Wine from Berry Hill Farm, a delightful little winery in my hometown of Nelson County, Virginia ( http://www.hilltopberrywine.com/ )

And then of course there were also the GUESTS...it really was a fantastic group and as usual there were quite a few connections making Sydney seem like a small world!  Hopefully they all enjoyed the evening as much as I did. 

Simple Dinner Party Tips

Okay, so I am gearing up for another BIG nosh dinner, in fact this could be my most exciting and challenging dinner thus far.  I am attempting 6-7 courses as well as the aperitif and digestif.  How on earth does it all come together?  (A question I ask myself every time I do one of these things!!) But there are definitely a few things that make it easier and more organized, so I thought I would share a few of my tips.

First create the menu in advance and if you can test the recipes you have never made before, do so.  One thing I have also realized is cooking a recipe for two is very different than cooking it for ten, so make sure you consider this when choosing your menu.  The beauty of recipe testing is you can sometimes figure out ways to enhance the recipe and make it even better.  Of course you also might figure out that it is way too tricky and not going to work or it is disgusting and you wouldn't be caught dead serving such rubbish to friends or strangers for that matter :).

Groceries...get yourself to the grocery store in advance (if you are able), even if you buy some bits and pieces leading up to the date.  And definitely make the grocery list with your menu in hand!  I have had several occasions where the amount of trips I had to make back to the shops because I kept forgetting something was ridiculous and a huge time waster.  So, as you make your grocery list use your menu to guide you.

Cleaning and organizing: if I am able it is always best for me to do the cleaning and tidy up the day before or in the morning, there are always some things you might save for the last minute but try to do as much of this in advance as possible, so you are not stressed with cleaning and cooking at the same time.

If you really want to be organized I would suggest taking the time to write yourself a run-sheet.  The dinners I have done using a run-sheet made the evening so much smoother and certainly kept me on top of everything.  You can be as detailed or as basic as you like, but I highly encourage this.  Especially to help with 'timing' reminders, which can be VERY key depending on what you are cooking!

 With all of this being said it is now time for me to go and do some prep for Saturday...so one last note, if you can pick a few things on your menu that can be made in advance this will make your life SO much easier!  And I am now signing off to prep my dark chocolate mint truffles, tomato jam and apple chutney.

A delicious day in Surry Hills

My delicious day in Surry Hills was actually rather coincidental and came together at the last minute.  A few months ago I purchased one of those cheap deals on website call 'scoopon' for a cooking class at an Italian restaurant in Surry Hills called Alio (http://www.alio.com.au/).  A couple of weeks ago I booked myself in for the June 16th class.

Last Monday, I was supposed to catch up with a fellow American who is a food writer/editor who I had been put in touch with by a tablenosh diner!  Unfortunately he accidentally missed our lunch appointment on Monday, so we rescheduled to catch up for a coffee in Surry Hills on Thursday after the cooking class (check out his blog called http://gosstronomy.wordpress.com/.)

As for Foveaux, last week my husband asked me to set aside June 16th for dinner...I had no other details until Wednesday a card arrives in the mail from my in-laws (brother & 2 sisters) telling me they are giving me an early birthday present and we have a paid dinner at Foveaux in Surry Hills from them (http://www.foveaux.com.au/)!  

Needless to say, it turned out I was going to have a full day of food tasting and talking in Surry Hills on June 16th!

Alio

The class kicked off at 10:30am.  I had trouble parking and walked in a few minutes late, they were very relaxed and told me there was free parking in the back, so I ran back out into the rain and moved my car.  Came back in and they made me a latte, unfortunately I can't give great praise about the coffee, as Sydney has made me quite the coffee snob and frankly the latte did not quite cut it, nonetheless it was my first one of the day and I needed it!  There were about 10 of us doing the class, which I quickly figured out was not really a class but a demonstration.  We headed into the kitchen and had a seat while we shown step by step how to make a lovely italian meal.  

First was bread making, we were shown how to make a very versatile basic dough (which we would later enjoy as focaccia), then we some warm olives w/garlic & flatbread, I must say I don't usually eat olives but was determined to try everything and found myself for the FIRST time in my life actually enjoying them.  They were clearly fresh olives, warmed in olive oil with fresh garlic and served with a grilled flat bread.  It was pretty tasty and the glass of champagne was also a nice touch.  

Next up was making pasta, which I have never tried so this was the part I was interested in, as it turns out making pasta dough is pretty darn simple.  It is the rolling it out into different shapes that could take some practice, this is why they strongly suggest buying a pasta machine!  The type of pasta we were making for lunch was called Rotolo and was stuffed with a spinach and ricotta mixture.  We were shown how to make several different pasta shapes.

Then the chef whipped up a insalata caprese, which is a very classic italian salad using tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  The mozzarella they used was amazing!

After this they starting plating up the rotolo drizzled with a sage butter & chestnut sauce and we were sent back out to the dining room to enjoy lunch together.  Overall it was a lovely experience and I may have picked up a few good pointers, I ended up have a great chat with Tracey afterwards who is one of the owners.  Had I known it was not going to be an interactive class I never would have made the purchase, but oh well at least I had a very nice lunch and met a few new people!  Lunch was made complete with a beautiful tiramisu - heaps better than the one I attempted a few weeks ago!

The Falconer - coffee meeting

I left Alio with a full stomach (but not too full for a good coffee) and headed off to find a cafe on Oxford St. called The Falconer.  This is where I met up with a Michael, the American who I had been looking forward to meeting.  We had a great time chatting and sharing the stories behind our food journey's, he is quite the foodie, now I am just hoping I can convince him to be a guest cook at tablenosh one of these days!!!  

Foveaux

After the meeting I headed home to do a quick change of clothes and grab my dinner date, my darling hubby!  As much as I love food and love trying new places, eating out in Sydney is not cheap so we were both looking forward to the evening ahead!  My sister-in-law also happens to be friends with the head chef and his wife, so we felt like we had a special connection, which was also nice.

Anyhow, it was absolutely delicious and I even ate snails for the very first time!  Here are a few pics of the experience - the lighting was pretty dim, so it was hard to get great shots but I tried...

warm & crusty bread roll

the amuse-bouche (spicy lentil soup w/fresh cream)

My entree - too many things to describe - delicate & delicious!

Herb baked leather jacket w/bertolli beans & escargot

Ginger sponge, carrot marmalade, cream cheese ice cream and walnut powder

Petite Fours - Roasted Marshmallows & Mini Scones

It was an absolutely fabulous evening.  The service was delightful, the ambiance was romantic and best of all I was in good company.  We even said hello to the chef at the end of the night.  Who knows maybe he'll want to be my guest chef at tablenosh sometime...or even better a guest.

tablenosh donations - putting food on someone else's table

Many people have heard me say what an exciting journey tablenosh has been over this past year.  Growing my culinary skills and learning more about cooking, hospitality and food with every event has been truly delightful.  But, the gathering of people from different suburbs across Sydney and seeing what happens around a table of good food in a cozy atmosphere has been the highlight by far.

At the beginning of the journey there were several different the reasons I want to give the underground restaurant thing an attempt: one being to expand on my culinary skills and capabilities (learning), second was to give people from all different backgrounds, ages, vocations and interests a chance to join together around a table and enjoy a meal together and the third with the hope that tablenosh actually have the chance to put food on someone else's table with any extra proceeds from the dinners.  Tablenosh was not started to be something that I would necessarily make any profit from and since I rely on donations to cover the food costs and other expenses I was not sure if this third idea would ever come to fruition.

  

The exciting news is that people have been very generous!  I have slowly been adding up the small profits from each tablenosh event and have decided on two things to put that money towards.  One is the 'tablenosh pilot' project, which is a TV show based on underground dining that I am in the process of writing and working on.  The other is donating a percentage of the profit to feed those in the world who have no food.  

What a privilege it is to be in a country where food is so readily available and to have jobs that enable my husband and I to be well fed every day.  Sadly this is not the case for a large portion of the world we live in and my heart breaks for those who struggle to find food daily.  I recently heard about the major hunger problems in East Timor and was once again overwhelmed at how blessed I have been and continue to be.  For more information on East Timor check out this article http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/16/2392728.htm .

So, although it is only a small amount, I have decided I want to tablenosh to be a table that not only feeds the people who come to dinner in my cozy inner west apartment, but on a larger scale is a table that helps to feed those who struggle to find food each day.  This month's tablenosh donation to the hungry is going to an organization based in Australia  http://www.feedthehungryaustralia.org  I hope this might encourage those who attend tablenosh that their generosity will not just cover the food costs of their dinner, but more importantly will help to put food into the stomachs of the people in our world who are truly starving. 

Free-form Pear & Raspberry Tart and Little Lime & Coconut Friands

Yesterday in the midst of trying to be social media savvy, lunch dates, scripting my pilot, and putting the wrong kind of fuel in the car I was driving...I therapeutically did a little baking too!

I had a bunch of egg whites left over from something I made the other day and a whole heap of lime juice I had squeezed, so I thought I would make coconut-lime friands.  I snagged the recipe out of my Women's Weekly Cook and made a few adjustments (they were a little too sweet so I have cut the sugar back by a half cup).  For those of you who are not familiar with friands, they are very popular in Australia basically a nice little cake, primarily made with almond meal instead of flour and lots of egg whites which makes them gluten free.  They are yummy and moist and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

(GF) Little Lime & Coconut Friand Recipe

6 egg whites

185g butter (melted)

1 cup almond meal

1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon lime zest

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/3 cup dessicated coconut

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F degrees and lightly grease mini muffin pan holes, or regular sized.

2.  Place egg whites in a medium bowl, whisk lightly to combine.  Add butter, almond meal, sifted sugar, coconut and flour.  Stir to combine and then add lime zest and juice and stir just to combine.

3.  Divide among holes and top each friand with coconut or sliced almonds.  Bake for about 15 minutes and then let stand 5 minutes before removing onto a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Next I decided to whip up a little tart for dessert last night.  This is a very EASY recipe and I promise you can do it too.  I had some extra pie dough in my fridge left over from last week, so that is what inspired me.  I also had some leftover mascarpone cream which I thought would be perfect to serve it with.  For a quick and easy dessert it was perfect, we enjoyed it with a warm after dinner drink.  Yum.

Free-form Raspberry & Pear Tart

pastry dough

2 pears

1 cup raspberries

1/3 cup raw or brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1.  Prehear oven to 200C/375F.  Roll out the dough on a flour surface, not to thin.

2. Peel and dice pear.   Mix with raspberries and toss with sugar.  

3.  Put pie dough onto a baking tray and pour ingredients into the center of dough.  Sprinkle with pieces of butter and a little more sugar if needed.

4.  Fold the sides of dough up around the fruit and pinch together where needed.  Use a pastry brush to brush the edges with cream or a little egg yolk and sprinkle with raw sugar.

5.  Bake for 45 minute or longer depending on how soft you want the fruit.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

'slightly italian' tablenosh dinner recap

Another 'noshing' night in my cozy little Sydney apartment!  I had 10 guests, only 4 of whom I had met before at least once, it was a great night mixed with interesting people as well as discussion.  Hot topics seemed to be film, television, social media and technology.

The menu was called 'slightly italian' and consisted of a few things I had been practicing and a few new recipes as well.  I was not perfectly pleased and a few of these still need a bit of work, but overall I think the guests were well fed and went home full!

Here are a few pictures of prep and the final product...

Nothing like homemade apple pie!

And it is always nice to be able to pick something out of my garden...even if the only thing growing at the moment is mint!! :) 

The aperitif was a pomegranate martini.

For starters I made a 'caprese' bruschetta (fresh mozzarella, basil & tomato on crusty sour dough)

And a mushroom, pecorino and crispy prosciutto bruschetta.

The entrée was a 'tricolore' salad - 

which included endive, radicchio, rocket & parmesan w/ a lemon garlic vinaigrette.

The main was a parmesan encrusted chicken stuffed w/ ricotta & sun-dried tomato pesto, 

creamy gorgonzola risoni & pan fried asparagus.

Dessert was a trio including, tiny tiramisu cakes, deep dish pink lady apple pies and lemon mascarpone custard.

It was a great night, as always worth the time and energy that goes into it.  Once we retired to the lounge room for tea and coffee (and some chocolate truffles) I had the chance to relax and chat with everyone.  We ended up having a good discussion about my pilot and I even got a few great ideas...I'm just hoping someone also might have a really good connection for me!  

Next tablenosh dinner is June 25th (all proceeds go towards the pilot!)