recent delights: organic pasta; dinner @ itali.co, st kilda; fig & fennel bread @ rustica sourdough bakery, fitzroy

Oh hello! I think I'm way overdue for another post on some of the recent odds-and-ends in my food world. Today's going to be a carb-heavy issue. Pasta, pizzas and bread. You've been warned.

So first of all let's talk pasta. I bought some organic pasta from the shops some months ago, which I've been meaning to blog about, because they're pretty different from the standard pasta I usually eat.

These lovely little morsels pictured below are strozzapreti tricolore from Montebello in Italy. Prior to this, I've not had pasta in the strozzapreti shape, so the mere novelty of it all engaged me. Plus, it apparently means priest strangler in Italian, which also brings forth the question, does everything just sound better in Italian? Also, they come in three colours. Technically, it's really four - we've got the chilli ones in red, the nettle ones in green, the wholemeal ones in brown and the classic ones in beige. They're gorgeous AND tasty. The chilli is distinctive, and it will infuse the pasta water with a good dose of heat. The nettle ones have a pleasantly earthy taste, similar to spinach. I have to confess that I've been cooking them in a rather un-Italian fashion, using them in lieu of noodles in my Asian-style broths. I quite like them that way!

Montebello - Strozzapreti Tricolore Pasta.

Getting a bit closer to home, and with less food miles, we have Australian-made pasta, too. Hurrah! These are mixed olive leaves from L'Abruzzese, a South Australian company. The green ones are flavoured with spinach powder. The "leaves" are so charmingly rustic, and they also cook up well, retaining a great al dente bite. I figured that they would go beautifully in a gentle, creamy base, so I tossed them through some mascarpone, as well as some other ingredients I no longer remember. My instincts proved correct - it was a delicious match. I've noticed L'Abruzzese also have pasta in native Australian flavours (lemon myrtle! wattleseed! excitement!!), as well as a gluten-free range made with buckwheat, chickpea, rice and lentil flours. Buoyed by my good experience here, I might try those next time.

L'Abruzzese - Mixed Olive Leaves.

I bought both of the above pastas at Ripe the Organic Grocer in Prahran Market, but you can probably find them in other stores that stock a good range of organic pasta, as well. Or you may find something else which is just as fun to cook and eat!

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Moving on. I recently accepted an invitation to a complimentary dinner at itali.co ( 1/173-177 Barkly St, St Kilda) to experience a set menu created by head chefs Piero Roldo and Lino Maglione.

Firstly, we were treated to some kitchen demonstrations - a behind-the-scenes look at how they make pasta and pizza. Here's a fleeting shot I managed to catch of one of the steps to creating a squid ink tagliolini.

The making of squid ink pasta at Itali.co.

We ate so much and I won't be posting all the photos here, but if you'd like a comprehensive pictorial summary you can check them out under the Media/PR Events album in my Facebook page.

I shall indeed share with you my favourite savoury and sweet dishes of the night, however.

Behold...

Slow-cooked boneless rack of rabbit, filled with sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil, served with a red cabbage strudel, and carrot puree.

The description alone is enticing enough, but I did not anticipate how well-executed and beautifully cooked it would be, and in turn, how much I would love it. The rabbit came out in the form of a succulent involtini, rolled with little tangy, salty and herbaceous hits from the tomatoes, olives and basil. The red cabbage strudel, put simply, was like delicious sauerkraut in pastry. The carrot puree was smooth, unctuous, and indulgent. I adored all of it.

Rabbit involtini, red cabbage strudel and carrot puree at Itali.co.

My favourite dessert of the night was the strawberry nutella pizza. You're probably not surprised.

For days afterwards, I would get random cravings for that delicious chocolatey hazelnut spread that we all know and love. I fairly blame it on this pizza. It's a simple concept and a flavour combination that has been no doubt done many times in many places, but what really elevated this pizza was that gorgeous crust. I could try to replicate this pizza at home (and ha, I probably will) - the toppings will be easy - but that perfectly cooked dough, with its beguiling stretch and crunch... I'll have to come back here for that.

Strawberry Nutella pizza at Itali.co.

Other notes: The general quality of the food I sampled here was excellent. A few didn't quite grab me so much, but besides the two dishes mentioned above, there were several others that I enjoyed - the pan-fried Canadian scallops with cauliflower pannacotta, the black ink tagliolini with assorted seafood (especially when drizzled with the chilli oil condiment on the table), and all the other pizzas I tried - one was a lovely summery one with swordfish on an eggplant base, and the other a deliciously pungent mushroom and truffle pizza. Additionally, a shout out to owner, Remo Nicolini, who was an excellent host - he is clearly passionate about food and it really shows in the way he runs the place.



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Last, but not least, in this series of carb-laden treats...

Hi, bread with juicy figs and aromatic fennel seeds. Why art thou so yummy?

This is the fig and fennel ficelle from Rustica Sourdough Bakery (402 Brunswick St, Fitzroy). Apparently this bakery has been around for quite awhile, but Simon and I only stumbled upon it recently when he wanted some takeaway coffee. We went in and discovered the ficelle. I also discovered, unsurprisingly, that it is even more delicious toasted, with butter. What isn't, really.

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What are some of your recent delights?

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book review: sushi for kids, by kaoru ono

the children's book, sushi for kids, by kaoru ono.

Back in February, my friend Scott had a birthday picnic.

In the invitation he writes...

"Instead of finding something for me, let's make a donation of toys or books to the Royal Children's Hospital / Smith's Family. So if you do feel compelled to bring something, bring a kid's toy / book that you think reflects me or our friendship and we'll make a few kids happy. =)"

I met Scott a long, long time ago, when I was still new to life in Melbourne, Australia, and he was the one to first introduce me to the art of making sushi, and the loveliness of raw fish.

It stands to reason that the gift I chose for the as-yet-unknown young recipient, hopefully an adventurous food lover, is a children's book titled Sushi for Kids, by Tokyo-born author and illustrator Kaoru Ono (translated to English by Peter Howlett and Richard McNamara).

a page from the book.

The story starts with a little boy, Atsushi, enjoying sushi at his grandfather's birthday. Later, he takes a trip to the Tsukiji fish market, learns more about the history of sushi, and finally, how to make sushi. (His pet cat also occasionally makes an appearance - cute, right?)

I learnt quite a few things as I flipped through the pages - for example, I never knew that sushi has its origins as "nare sushi", where fermented rice is used to preserve fish. This combination of rice and fish evolved over time to what we know as sushi today, which is eaten fresh. An interesting fact to me! There are also instructive pages teaching the basic steps to making various sushi - nothing super-comprehensive, but appropriate and sufficient enough for a child who wants to give making sushi a go with the help and supervision of an adult.

sushi-making instructions.

A few final words about the book, for those who may be interesting in procuring their own copy. Not being experienced with kids, I'm not sure for what age range this book is suitable, but I imagine from ages 5 and up could be good - even if they're too young to read the book by themselves, the illustrations could still delight. And if your child likes Japanese food, especially sushi, so much the better!

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hammer and tong, fitzroy

hammer and tong brunch menu.

Fried chicken wings and soft drinks for brunch?

Yeah, that's the sort of thing you can get at Hammer & Tong (412 Brunswick St, Fitzroy).

Simon and I don't normally have carbonated beverages first thing in the morning, but we can be unorthodox once in a while. And, as it turns out, the housemade fizzes at Hammer & Tong are pretty nice - just a light hint of sweetness, which makes it refreshing and a not-so-unhealthy start to the day. Tropicana strikes us as predominantly passion fruit, with hints of pineapple and citrus. Turkish Delight is gentle, floral, rosy, with specks of vanilla.

hammer and tong housemade fizzes, tropicana (left) and turkish delight (right). $3 each.

It seems that our cafe brunches almost invariably includes a baked egg dish. At Hammer & Tong, the eggs are suspended in a tomato fondue, shakshuka-like, with addictive bites of manchego strewn through... please, sir, can I have more of that delicious cheese? On the side we have chorizo and flatbread to complete the picture.

hammer and tong baked eggs in tomato fondue, chorizo, manchego and flatbread. $17.

Then we have the fried chicken wings - nicely done, not too greasy, sweet and sticky in a gotta-eat-with-your-hands-and-lick-your-fingers kind of way. The chilli and crispy fried shallots hint at Asian inspiration, while the mango and pink grapefruit add an extra dimension of juiciness. It was only later, after we left the restaurant, that I realised that our plate didn't seem like it included avocado, as promised in the menu description. Still, it's an oversight I can forgive, all things considered.

hammer and tong fried chicken wings with mango, grapefruit, candied chillies, crisp shallots, avocado and lime. $15.

Hammer & Tong is ridiculously close and convenient for us and I hope to return again soon with Simon. We haven't had much in the way of eating out adventures lately (as you can probably tell from the lack of cafe/restaurant posts in this blog) in an effort to be more frugal - but I would really like to try their truffled duck egg, corn fritters, soft shell crab burger and popping candy pancakes, all of which seem to be fast gaining an excellent reputation. Hopefully my next visit won't be too far in the future.



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coconut rhubarb ice pops / icy poles (vegan)

coconut rhubarb icy pole / ice pop / popsicle.

In Australia we are lucky to have rhubarb available almost all year round. While I feel I should really have produced an ice cream recipe for summer, it's never too late, especially since it's still only mid-autumn, wouldn't you agree? For those of you on the other side of the world, I believe rhubarb is in season now that it's spring, so I hope this works out to be a timely post for all.

In this ice pop recipe, I combine stewed rhubarb with coconut milk for a nicely tangy, gently creamy result. It's simple but something a little different. Try it and let me know what you think...

fresh rhubarb.

coconut rhubarb ice pops
(makes 4 - 6, depending on size of molds)

180g / 6oz / 1.5 cups chopped rhubarb stalks (leaves and ends removed)
1/4 cup raw sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons orange juice (may be substituted with another sweet acidic juice, e.g. apple juice, pineapple juice)
2/3 cup coconut milk (I prefer full-fat)
1/4 cup water

Plonk the rhubarb, sugar and citrus juice (if using) in a saucepan. Cook over a medium high heat until it starts to bubble, then turn the heat down to let it simmer, partially covered, until soft, between 5 - 10 minutes.
Blend the rhubarb mixture together with coconut milk and water together until smooth. Do a taste test and add more sugar if desired - give it another thorough blend if doing so.
Pour the rhubarb ice cream batter into ice pop molds.
Freeze until firm - I usually just freeze overnight and start eating the next day. :)

coconut rhubarb popsicle. i took a bite! and finished the whole thing after taking the photo, of course.

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giveaway! shiraz & pinot gris, from taylors wines*winner announced*

Come one, come all, wine-sipping Australians!

I'm happy to be offering a little giveaway today, thanks to Taylors Wines. One lucky reader will win two bottles of wine - the juicy, multi-award winning Taylors Estate Shiraz 2010 and a fresh, elegant Taylors Estate Pinot Gris 2011.


There is a lot to feel good about when drinking a glass of wine produced by the Taylor family. These guys are clearly dedicated to their wine - three generations so far and still going strong. Their philosophy of "bringing great wines to life" is based on the imperative of "respect the fruit" - the fruit being, of course, those luscious grapes grown in the beautiful Clare Valley of South Australia. Just as importantly, they are committed to environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible sustainability practices.

So if you'd like to win a couple bottles of wine from Taylors, one red, one white, both sure to bring a lovely warm glow to your day, then here's your chance!

Giveaway details:

This giveaway is open to those with an Australian address only. Winner must be of legal drinking age and provide proof of age upon request.

For a chance to win, please leave a comment telling me what dish you would cook, or order, to go with a bottle of shiraz or pinot gris - or, alternatively, what dish you would create with those wines. I'm looking forward to some scrumptious ideas!

Please ensure that there is some way I can reach you (e-mail address, twitter account, blog URL etc) if you win. The deadline is the 31st of March, 2013 - I'll be going by the time stamp on this blog, which is based in Melbourne, Australia. I'll announce the winner on the 2nd of April by updating this blog post, or you can also keep an eye out on Twitter or Facebook for an announcement.

I will then contact the winner to organise the shipping of the prize.

Thank you Taylors Wines for making this happen!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

*Winner announced!*

Big thanks to all those who left a comment! And the winner is...

msihua!

Thank you for your creative entry, I'll be contacting you to arrange the delivery of your prize. :)


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early autumn in the garden, and my parents in melbourne (and a bonus mango fig basil smoothie recipe)

For the past couple of weeks my parents have been visiting in Melbourne.

Most of the time, they've been staying with my uncle and aunt, further out in the suburbs, but for a few days they squeezed into my little apartment, all three of us sharing one bedroom.

Was it crowded? Yes. Was it cosy? Wonderfully so.

They have now moved on to their next destination, Sydney, to visit another uncle and aunt, and already I miss them. I look around and see how gleaming clean and neat as a pin my apartment is now, thanks to their hard work and magical touch. My fridge is filled with delicious food. My bedroom is totally spruced up. But it also feels a little empty now. You see, for the past few days I've been getting back to my apartment from work to be greeted with smiles and chatter and home-cooked meals. We would eat together, the three of us, and then hang out in my room, chatting about all sorts of things until it's time for bed...

Gah, I'm getting all sentimental. Let's move on to the pictorial part of this post. While they were staying with my uncle and aunt, I visited and had some really lovely times there, too, and I took quite a few pictures. I've blogged about my uncle and aunt's awesome edible garden before so here's more of that. I guess this is sort of an early autumn edition, though the weather has been rather warm this March so you can definitely still see traces of summer.

So, figs are in season...

freshly picked figs.

And the sweet basil is thriving.

sweet basil / italian basil.

Naturally, this prompted me to make a mango-fig-basil smoothie. I used mangoes from the markets and yoghurt from the shops, and, of course, the figs and basil are courtesy of the garden. Whiz it all with some water and ice, and we're good to go.

(Quick recipe! 1 small-to-medium mango's flesh + 4 figs + 1/4 cup yoghurt + 20 sweet basil leaves + drizzle of honey {optional} + 1 cup water + 6 ice cubes, blend and serve.)

a delicious and refreshing mango fig basil smoothie.

The tomatoes are juicy and sweet.

vibrant cherry tomatoes.

Also, purple French beans are pretty. Tasty, too.

pretty purple beans.

Last but not least, I absolutely adore their cat to bits. He would follow me all around the garden as I did my sight-seeing and herb-picking.

Other times, he just sits on the deck chair, like a boss.

cat awesomeness.

So that's pretty much my month of March so far, in a nutshell.

I hope yours has been just as excellent... feel free to leave a comment letting me know about it!

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mix 'n' match summer ceviche

A summer ceviche, made with odds and ends from the kitchen.

Okay, so I know it's not really summer in Australia anymore... but this is a nice, simple little ceviche that I made some weeks ago that I didn't get around to posting earlier. The main ingredients for creating a tasty ceviche, as far as I'm concerned, are the fish, lime, red onion and chilli components, and all other fruits and vegetables I'd say are negotiable, making this quite a versatile recipe. So feel free to experiment with what's in season, whatever fruits and vegetables you have begging to be used - those that your instincts tell you may go well in this tangy seafood dish. The mix-and-match method was how this ceviche came about for me, after all!

mix 'n' match versatile summer ceviche recipe
(serves 2 as a main, up to 6 as an appetizer)

300g / 2/3lb fresh, mild white fish (e.g. rockling, snapper), skin removed, cut into cubes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
1/3 - 1/2 cup lime juice (approximately 4 - 5 limes) - enough to generously marinate all above ingredients
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small stalk celery*, chopped
1 nectarine*, cut into cubes
a bit of chopped mint or coriander/cilantro, if you have it (I didn't... )

Additional: coconut cream, to serve.

*Instead of celery, you may also consider cucumber, fennel, radish, and avocado, to name a few. 
*Instead of nectarine, you may also consider other stone fruit e.g. peach, apricot, plum; or melon fruit e.g. honeydew, rockmelon/cantaloupe, watermelon; and how about grapes, strawberries, or corn?

Thoroughly mix fish, red onion, chilli, lime juice and salt together in a glass bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Just before serving, toss through the celery and nectarine or other vegetable/fruit, and the herbs if using. Season with more salt if desired.
Add a dollop of coconut cream on top, if you like, for a smooth creaminess to help balance out the acidity.
Enjoy!

A mix 'n' match, odds 'n' ends ceviche!

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cookbook review: ripe

Let's get excited about fruits and vegetables today. Yes!

Late last year, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway at Zo's lovely blog, Two Spoons, the prize being a copy of the vibrantly presented Ripe, a collaborative cookbook by food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule and photographer Paulette Phlipot, which promises "a fresh, colorful approach to fruits and vegetables".

It delivered.

Ripe, a collaborative cookbook by Cheryl Sternman Rule and Paulette Phlipot.

Ripe is an interesting cookbook, with chapters based around colour groupings of fruits and vegetables: red, orange, yellow, green, purple & blue, white. The pages are flush with vivacious hues and wholesome recipes, all vegetarian, a fact that did not cross my mind until much later, so taken in I was by the tome's dazzling good looks.

Cheryl has a charming, conversational style, and I enjoyed reading her notes on each fruit and vegetable, as well as her tips on how to choose or store them. The recipes are all pretty accessible, with some slightly more involved than others, but none are truly terrifyingly complicated.

This is a book for those who are open to adventure. Each fruit and vegetable comes with only one full recipe, which may be a minus for some, but if you take it as an invitation to work your way through as many different fruits and vegetables as possible, it's a positive, which I think is the intention here. Moreover, Cheryl also garnishes each headnote page with a "Simple Uses" passage, giving an additional three recipe ideas - which are basically just ingredient combinations - for the produce. For those who require explicit instructions, this may be a little daunting, but if you're fairly comfortable in the kitchen, it proffers some lovely inspiration.

the introductory page for green beans.

I ended up picking two very simple recipes from the book to try.

The first one was the Green Beans with Smoky Pistachio Dust. It's no secret that I am rather hopelessly in love with smoked paprika. So when I saw the superbly easy recipe for green beans, vegan and gluten-free to boot, I knew it was mine to devour, and devour it I did. It was just as fabulous as I imagined - al dente green beans, just slightly silky with olive oil, encrusted with crumbled-up, smoky paprika-infused pistachio.

I wrote to Cheryl asking for permission to reproduce one of her recipes here, if I may, and she gave me her blessings. Aren't you lucky? I'll just make it a quick one here, with modified quantities and in my own words:

Prepping the green beans:
Boil 300g / 2/3lb green beans in a pot of salted water for a couple minutes or until al dente, drain. Rinse or drench quickly in cold water, then drain again. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Conjuring the smoky pistachio dust, and assembling it all together:
Combine 1/3 cup toasted pistachios, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Process or grind into a fine-grained mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste, then scatter and toss through the green beans. Enjoy.

By the way, this smoky pistachio dust is not only fabulous but also versatile - see this post in Cheryl's blog for more ideas.

my very own green beans with smoky pistachio dust!

The recipe for Smashed Cherries, Amaretti and Ricotta also caught my eye with its straightforward simplicity. I had trouble thwacking them as instructed, but pitted and halved them as I usually do and breezily moved on to the other steps. It turned out well - the amaretti cookies, cacao nibs and sweetened ricotta gave tasty contrast to the fresh and juicy cherries. Also? This is totally the kind of dessert I could happily eat for breakfast without guilt.

my very own smashed cherries, amaretti and ricotta!

In conclusion? I think Ripe is a gorgeous, engaging cookbook that would suit someone with an interest in embarking upon a series of fruit and vegetable encounters. And if the recipes I've trialled so far are any indication, those encounters will be very, very delicious indeed.

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