Kristin Buesing

Beautiful Scones - Daring Baker January Challenge

2012-01-27T11:39:00.000+11:00

This month's challenge came from Audax from Audax Artifex, a fellow daring baker and also from Sydney. We had to bake scones and they turned out beautifully (well, except the first batch). I love scones but don't make them very often. But, since this is such a nice and simple recipe I made four batches of it. The first batch came out okay but because the oven hadn't been hot enough and because I had pressed the dough out too thin the scones came out a bit too flat.

The second batch was much better and I couldn't stop making them. I only kneaded them until the dough came just together and then pressed and layered the dough into a rectangle. I like them to be round in shape so I used a cookie cutter but the downside is you have to re-roll the dough and if you overwork the dough they won't rise as much. I simply layered the dough thicker the second time so they would rise to almost the same height as the previous ones. If you can't be bothered, cut the rectangle in squares and that's it, no leftover dough. I like a crusty top on my scones and therefore cooled them on a wire rack. If you want softies, wrap them in a tea towel and the steam will keep the whole scone soft.

My daughter got lured into the kitchen by the smell wafting through our house and wanted to make them too. However, of course, she wanted them sweet. So we added dried sour cherries to the dough and that goes fantastic with the fluffy and buttery little scones, especially when they're still warm. It's so delicious.

I went up to the Blue Mountains that day to see friends and we had them for afternoon tea with eggplant relish and the bacon and onion jam I made - life was really good that day.

I will definitely make this recipe again and again and again as it is a very good basic scones recipe. Thank you Audax for the challenge and for sharing your recipe. I love it!

The basic scone.

This was the fourth batch with dried sour cherries added to the dough.

Scones with dried sour cherries.

Basic scone recipe by Audax from Audax Artifex:

Basic Scones (a.k.a. Basic Biscuits)
Servings: about eight 2-inch (5 cm) scones or five 3-inch (7½ cm) scones
Recipe can be doubled
Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (⅓ oz) fresh baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt
2 tablespoons (30 gm/1 oz) frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
approximately ½ cup (120 ml) cold milk
optional 1 tablespoon milk, for glazing the tops of the scones
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.
2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.)
3. Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.
4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)
6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick (15¼ cm by 10 cm by 2 cm thick). Using a well-floured 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter (biscuit cutter), stamp out without twisting six 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch (2 cm) layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.
7. Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.
8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

Happy Australia Day

2012-01-26T19:47:00.002+11:00

Today is Australia Day and usually we would be doing a picnic or BBQ or both. Unfortunately the weather has been rather wet and so we only had a small more improvised picnic (not very German I know :-). We went for a walk in the afternoon when the rain finally stopped and started with a late lunch at a Thai place on King St in Newtown. Then off to the park for a walk and munching on the Lamingtons along the way.

Australia Day is the official national anniversary celebrated annually on 26 January. The date commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the Eastern seaboard of New Holland.
There are a lot of activities around the city but I think most families prefer to gather in parks and on the beach for a barbie or picnic with friends.

I found a very funny drawing for colouring in about what people do on Australia Day.

Okay, I admit it, we didn't do any of those activities above but instead I made the traditional and
very Australian Lamingtons to show my patriotism for Australia as a good baking immigrant.

Lamingtons for the Australia Day picnic.

So Australian!

Recipe for Lamingtons:

6 free-range eggs
150 g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150 g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
70 g cornflour
2 tablespoons boiling water

Icing:
250 g desiccated coconut
500 g icing sugar mixture
50 g Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
250 ml boiling water
20 g butter

1. Preheat oven to 180degrees Celsius. Grease a 3cm deep, 20 x 30 cm (base) lamington pan.
Line with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl on high speed for 8-10 min or until thick and pale and sugar has dissolved.
3. Using a large spoon, fold in sifted flours. Fold in boiling water. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 min or until centre springs back when lightly touched.
4. Line a baking rack with baking paper. Cool sponge in pan for 5 min then tip over onto prepared rack. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside overnight.
5. For the icing, combine icing sugar mixture, cocoa powder, boiling water and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and, stirring, bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 min or until sauce thickens slightly. Set aside to cool for 2 min.
6. Meanwhile cut cake into 12 pieces and put coconut a bowl or shallow dish.
7. Using two forks, dip 1 piece of cake in icing, let excess drip off, then toss in coconut. Place on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining cake, icing and coconut.

Sweet basil ice cream

2012-01-19T19:05:00.001+11:00

The Australian sun has come back and that means it is hot and humid - too much for me. The sun here actually really burns your skin if you don't stay in the shade or even better stay inside the house and make ice cream, like I did. I couldn't be bothered to go near a stove top to make a custard though so I used mascarpone and Greek-style yoghurt with fresh basil leaves.

It might sound weird but it's actually a very nice flavour that would go well with fruit salad. Since you don't make the custard it's also very quick and easy to make. I used an ice cream maker to churn it into a soft mix, but it will probably also work if you don't have an ice cream maker.

Here is the recipe for sweet basil ice cream:

1 bunch basil, leaves picked
500 g caster sugar
1 kg Greek-style yoghurt
500 g mascarpone
juice and rind of 1 lime

1. Put leaves and sugar in a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Put in an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions.

New food trend? Chocolate truffels to play

2012-01-18T20:15:00.002+11:00

Now that is a really cool diploma project, don't you think? I assume it's only available in Europe though.

‘Sweet Play’ is a new kind of chocolate which is, thanks to three special elements, compatible with your taste. It is the graduation work of French designer Elsa Lambinet (who partnered with Blondel, the famous Swiss chocolate maker) and is based on modular design, allowing you to create three different types of chocolate with two additional ingredients: the dark chocolate has a hole so you can add fruit to it; milk chocolate has a space for nuts; and white chocolate a space for gelatinous goodies.

Chocolate modules - ready to play.

Choose...

...and drop

Enjoy your selection.

Are marshmallows the new cupcakes?

2012-01-18T11:10:00.002+11:00

I came across an interesting article recently. Daily Mail online forecasts a new sweet trend on the horizon: New York artisan bakers have taken on the marshmallow to dress them up and make them more appealing for us grown-ups. I suppose nearly every child likes marshmallow and doesn't mind so much the bought dry stuff as long as they are pink (well, that at least applies to my daughter:-).

I had my first yummy marshmallow a couple of years ago when I was at the Yellow Cafe in Potts Point, Sydney. Homemade and fresh they are beautifully soft and sweet. The Yellow Cafe had a few different flavours but I was cautious and only tried the coconut marshmallow with toasted fresh coconut flakes. They were superb! I then made passion fruit marshmallows and since then I am hooked - but they really have to be fresh. Honestly, forget the packaged ones.

I now make them from time to time as they are not so hard to make and also very versatile (not very healthy though), you can mix almost any flavour in you can think of. What you do need is a sugar thermometer because you have to make a sugar syrup and get this to the right temperature.

I can understand why bakeries in New York have chosen the humble marshmallow to be the next big thing on the sweet sky. It's versatile and the creations I have seen look very far away from the dry and rubbery marshmallow you'll find at supermarkets.

Here is a collection of Marshmallow aficionados and their creations:


Marshmallow mug toppers by Plush Puffs.

Beautifully wrapped marshmallows by Fusion Sweets.

Watermelon marshmallows by Mia Mallows.

Cherry Clafoutis

2012-01-15T17:46:00.000+11:00

It has rained almost all weekend which is quite unusual for Sydney summer but I so don't mind. It means I can stay at home and bake naughty little desserts before I start my detox diet next month, oomph. February will be my health month and knowing that I already crave all those things I am most certainly not allowed to eat then.

Clafoutis, sometimes also spelled clafouti, is a baked French dessert of black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. The clafoutis is dusted with icing sugar and served lukewarm.

According to baking purists the cherries should still contain their pits as this releases an almond-like flavour but I don’t like biting into unpitted cherries in a dessert.

Call me lazy but I prefer to totally enjoy my dessert without having to worry about any pits.

You can, of course, use any other fruit such as berries, prunes, apples or plums but then it would be rather called flaugnarde. Whatever you call it, it is very yummy and so easy to make. Served in individual dishes it will make a great dessert for Valentines Day or be just a comforting treat on a rainy day like today.

Recipe for my cherry clafoutis:

Makes 2 individual dishes/frying pan of 15 cm in diameter each

100 g light sour cream

125 ml thickened cream

2 eggs, lightly whisked

3 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons plain flour

butter, softened, to grease dishes

200 g black cherries, pitted

icing sugar

mint leaves, optional

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Whisk together sour cream, cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and whisk until well combined.

3. Butter dishes then scatter cherries over bottom. Pour batter around cherries and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

4. Sprinkle with icing sugar and some mint leaves and serve.

Honey-roasted cauliflower salad

2012-01-12T14:53:00.002+11:00

Yesterday was another very warm day here in Sydney that asked for a light lunch such as a salad. When I still lived in Germany I used to make this cauliflower salad quite often and then completely forgot about it until a few days ago. This time though I also roasted the cauliflower in the oven with some leatherwood honey drizzled over and they turn golden and a little crunchy. It's superb! The combination of capers and raisins seems weird at first but it is actually delicious. When you use the small capers in salt (which are much tastier) be careful with adding any more salt, they are like little taste bombs and may still give enough salty flavour to your salad. I used golden raisins from Harris Farm which are massive compared to the usual one but very yummy and not overly sweet. But you can also use currants instead.

Here is the recipe for it:

1 cauliflower
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon small capers, rinsed

1. Trim cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling water until cooked al dente. Discard water and let cool. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place cauliflower on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and honey. Bake in hot oven until the honey caramelises, approx. 10 minutes.
Let cool.
2. Stir together lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Dry-roast pine nuts in a medium-hot frying pan until golden brown.
3. Combine all ingredients and serve with crusty bread.

Bacon and Onion Jam

2012-01-09T14:12:00.001+11:00

This weekend I went to visit friends in the Blue Mountains. We thought of having a picnic and therefore I made this bacon and onion jam. I got inspired by a fellow blogger here and only changed a few things. I used rosemary and it totally works its magic with the smoky flavour of the bacon and the sweetness of the onions - it's absolutely beautiful. We didn't end up having a picnic due to the weather but nevertheless enjoyed the jam on linseed bread and homemade scones with goat's cheese - a darn good combination. My friend's son really loved it too and had the leftover jam the next day the Italian way with some pasta mixed through it. My daughter, as always, didn't like it and only had scones with nothing, well why not.

Recipe:
Makes about 4 cups

4 rashers bacon
1 kg brown onions, peeled, halved and cut into slices
1 teaspoon salt
500 ml apple cider
50 ml red wine or cider vinegar
40 g brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1. Heat a large heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until it is just crisp, then remove the slices and set aside, leaving all of the rendered fat in the pan.
2. Add the onions and salt to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions soften (about 15 minutes).
3. Chop the bacon into small dice. Add bacon and the remaining ingredients to the pan. Cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced to almost nothing, stirring occasionally (about an hour).
4. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the onions are a rich medium brown color, stirring frequently (about 10 minutes). If it starts looking too dry, add water 1/4 cup at a time.
5. Remove from the heat, set aside, and let cool.

Calico and Ivy in Balmain

2012-01-04T17:29:00.001+11:00

On my last stroll through Balmain I came across a cute little fabric store called Calico and Ivy. I always buy way too much fabric and this store was no exception. On my first visit I bought very beautiful french linen there that I now use a lot for my photos. The other time I bought fat quarters to make leaves on wires to wrap around presents. It's a charming little shop and every time I am in Balmain I make sure I stop by even if it means I'll buy even more fabric I probably don't need (but then you'll never know:-). In case you end up with too much fabric and never get around to make anything they also offer classes and Cath from Prints Charming also taught embroidery there.

Mudgee and vineyards

2012-01-03T12:22:00.001+11:00

I am sure there are many more vineyards to visit while in Mudgee but we were so late and managed to only visit two. We went to Burnbrae and Blacklea and bought a few reds and a rose. A yummy muscat liqueur from Burnbrae which I am drinking right now. We also packed the award winning virgin olive oil with basil from Blacklea vineyard which we took straight to our friends' BBQ on New Years Eve. For lunch we went to Eltons Brasserie, a place that sounded nice online but to be honest I expected a bit more given it's a brasserie. The food was okay, nothing fancy thought but rather the usual pub grub such as Caesar's salad, chicken salad and fish and chips. I think next time we go to Mudgee I have to do a bit more research on the culinary side.

Mudgee town centre.

Having lunch at Eltons Brasserie.

Caesar's salad, chicken salad and chicken nuggets with chippies.

The Burnbrae vineyard near Mudgee.

Taking a nap.

Beautiful collectables at the Burnbrae cellar door.

Blacklea vineyard near Mudgee.

Farmstay near Mudgee

2012-01-01T21:47:00.002+11:00

We had a wonderful stay at the Ba Mack Homestead in Windeyer near Mudgee with sheep, alpacas, goats, kittens and lots of dogs. Julie and Dave who run the farm are very welcoming and especially kids will love the feeding time with the animals. When we arrived we were greeted by Sally the little dog and my daughter automatically fell in love with her. Julie gave us delicious cake for the afternoon tea (butter-cinnamon and fruit cake) and I couldn't stop eating. It was our first farm stay and we all really enjoyed it. My daughter loved hanging around with all the animals and carried Sally everywhere we went. I'd love to return to Ba Mack for the shearing season and also have to ask Julie for the recipe of that butter-cinnamon cake, it was so yummy!
Another highlight was the kangaroo safari at dusk. It might not be a special thing for Australians but immigrants like us do get the kick out of real kangaroos. In the beginning I often mistook them with tree stumps but after a while I could see more and more jumping around. They are fast but luckily also curious so they never hop too far away.

Oh my gosh, I love that old oven!

Fresh eggs for breakfast and delicious cake for afternoon tea

Feeding time.

Sally, little darling

Time to sleep

Gulgong

2012-01-01T17:16:00.004+11:00

Gulgong is a 19th century gold rush town north of Mudgee.

I love fancy photographic goods!

Gulgong seems to be a treasure trove for fancy goods. Shame they were all closed.

Beautiful old Millthorpe

2012-01-01T15:52:00.001+11:00

Millthorpe is only a few kilometers away from Orange and such a peaceful place. We got there early in the morning and had a little walk around, it was very quiet. At the end of the main road are two antiques shops and especially the Old Wares shop was right up my alley. I could have spent much more time in there, looking for props and would have liked to have a big truck. I think I have to go back soon.
After prop hunting we went to the Old Mill Cafe for breakfast and I had a beautiful frittata which came in its own little skillet, very cute and tasty.

Sleepy Millthorpe

Old Wares shop in Millthorpe

The Old Mill Cafe in Millthorpe

Orange

2012-01-01T12:33:00.003+11:00

Finally we managed to drive up to Orange, beautiful country side and wine region not so far from Sydney. It's about a four hours drive through the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately when we arrived most of the cellar doors were already closed but we found one door still open at the Union Bank wine store. They also have a very nice courtyard and a restaurant but that wasn't open either. Anyway, we tasted some fabulous wines and took home Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay from the Belgravia vineyard in Orange.

Settler's Cottage on Mayfield Vineyard

Yummy Japanese in Orange

2012-01-01T11:59:00.000+11:00

Just by chance we bumped into Sam the chef from the modern Japanese Restaurant Sweet Sour Salt when we were tasting wine at the Union Bank wine store in Orange.
Turned out he used to work at Tetsuya's in Sydney and we were lucky to get a table for an early dinner that night.

We had a fantastic meal consisting of deep-fried chilli salt zucchini chips as a compliment from the kitchen. As a starter we had free range son in law eggs and they were beautiful, the yolk still soft and gooey with a crisp skin. The dressing was sweet with lots of cashews and spring onions for a bit of a crunch. As a main, we ordered kung po chicken and Japanese pork belly salad with daikon and mint and especially the pork belly salad was divine. The fatty and tender pork belly featuring a crispy cruckling skin countered with the sweet and sour salad was a combination made in heaven. The dessert was very special too. Three different flavours of ice cream: ginger, cassia bark and cardamom, mmmh.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T00:19:00.001+11:00

A Happy New Year 2012 to you all!

Schneeflocken Cookies

2011-12-27T10:45:00.001+11:00

I found a very fast and easy to make cookie recipe which is called snowflakes because you dust it with a lot of icing sugar. It's very light and crumbly and buttery and sweet...mmmh! I have added a bit of anise seed because I like it so much and it's yummy with the buttery taste.
It's a bit of an old fashioned German recipe and it goes very well with a nice cup of tea not only for Christmas. In fact it could be the kind of biscuit served at an East Frisian tea ceremony.
It's a region in North Germany where tea drinking is a very important part of socialising or just to unwind. Traditionally you'll put a kandis-sugar ("Kluntje" or rock candy) in the tea cup first, then pour in the tea and then add a little cream so it looks like a little cloud floating on top. You are not suppose to stir the tea and drink the cream first, then the tea and the last bit would be the very sweet tea with the dissolved kandis-sugar. I usually skip the cream and also stir my tea as I like the crackling sound the rock-candy makes in the hot tea. Either way it's a beautiful tradition and it is still practiced in East Frisian.

Recipe:

125 g butter, softened
100 g caster sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1 egg white
100 g cornflour
100 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon anise seed, crushed in a mortar and pestle
icing sugar, to dust

1. Line baking trays with baking paper. Whisk butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
2. Add egg white and whisk again. Mix cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and anise seed and add, one tablespoon at a time to the butter-sugar mix. Whisk until combined.
3. Tip out and roll dough, on a lightly floured surface, into a roll about 5 cm in diameter. Wrap in cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Unwrap and cut into 0.5 cm slices, lay on a baking tray, leave a little room between each, and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. They should only be lightly brown around the edge.
5. Cool on tray completely then dust liberally with sieved icing sugar.

Lebkuchenwuerfel

2011-12-13T14:29:00.000+11:00

Today I made gingerbread slices to give them as teacher's present for Christmas. They are really yummy and the hundreds and thousands make them quite playful which I thought kind of fits nicely for a pre school. You can of course also ganache them with dark chocolate which also works well.
Happy 3rd Advent to everyone!

For this typical German Lebkuchen (gingerbread) you'll need a spice mix that will give those slices their authentic taste. In Germany, around Christmas time you'll be able to buy ready made spice mixes for all sorts of different Lebkuchen and Pfefferkuchen but you might not get it in Australia. However it's easily mixed together with spices available here and I'll give you a link to a recipe for Lebkuchengewuerz.

Recipe:
100 g dark chocolate, melted
200 g butter, melted
200 g brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons red wine
100 g ground hazelnuts
200 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons gingerbread spices*(see note)

Icing:
200 g pure icing sugar
6-8 tablespoons orange juice
hundreds and thousands to sprinkle

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Whisk together chocolate, butter, brown sugar and eggs.
3. Combine hazelnuts, flour, baking powder and spices and fold through the chocolate-butter mixture.
4. Line a deep baking tray (34x24 cm) with baking paper and spread dough evenly in tray.
5. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer pokes in the centre comes out clean. Let cool.
6. Make icing and spread over slice then sprinkle with hundreds and thousands and let set.
7. Cut into squares.

*note; "Lebkuchengewuerz" is called for in many German Christmas recipes. It consist of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, but also coriander and cardamom, which are not so common in in other spice mixes. If you do not have access to packets of "Lebkuchen Spice", you can make it at home, with this recipe.

Gingerbread house party

2011-12-12T12:41:00.001+11:00

This past Sunday was the 3rd Advent and it rained and rained and rained. Quite unusual to have so much rain in Sydney at this time of the year but on the other hand the best weather for staying indoors and bake and make gingerbread houses. It's a beloved Christmas tradition in Germany to bake (well, if you're pressed for time you can buy them already made as a gingerbread house kit. I saw them at IKEA the other day.) and decorate the house with smaller Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and anything that you can think of. Years ago I bought a gingerbread house mould from Chefs Tool Box. The mould guarantees that all sides are even and makes assembling the house an easy task but you'll need a lot of royal icing to stick it all together. Don't make the icing too runny or it will take too long to set. I always stick sugar cubes inside the corners to make sure the walls are standing upright and prevent them from going lopsided. My daughter and her friends were adamant to decorate the houses themselves and the three of them got quickly very busy and sticky ;-). It was so much fun to watch them but I was also very much looking forward to a nice glass of wine in the evening. However, when the evening came the rain stopped, at least for a little while, and we got invited to join in to a pre-Christmas street fete. It was beautiful to share a merry moment with some lovely neighbours and everyone enjoyed themselves including the kids scooting up and down the pathway.

In Germany gingerbread (Lebkuchen) is made in two forms: a soft form used for cookies, slices and cake and a harder form, particularly associated with carnivals and street markets such as the Christmas markets (I really miss those markets) that occur in many German towns. The hard gingerbread is used for shapes, which are then further decorated with sweets and icing. The German-style Gingerbread is often used to build Lebkuchen Haeuser similar to the "witch's house" in the German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. These houses are popular Christmas decorations everywhere in Germany and often built by children with the help of their parents.

This recipe makes one house and gives you a bit extra.

125 g brown sugar
a pinch salt
300 g treacle
1 tablespoon ground ginger
180 g butter, softened
500 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
2. Beat sugar, salt and treacle, ginger and butter in a large mixer until combined and lighter in colour.
3. Add flour and bicarb soda and whisk until mixture forms a thick dough.
4. Place on lightly floured workbench and flatten with you hands. Press dough into mould.
5. Place mould on baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes or until firm to touch (dough will crisp up once cooled).
6. Cool before removing from mould.

Use royal icing to assemble the house. I am sure your kids will love to help decorating the house with candies and Christmas cookies.

Easy as lemon-passionfruit curd

2011-12-10T14:01:00.001+11:00

I am currently working in the Breville test kitchen and my colleague and test kitchen manager there, Naomi, brought in the latest copy of Janelle Bloom's My favourite food cookbook . I cannot go past a cookbook without at least trying one recipe and the microwave lemon curd in this one got me hooked.
At home, I realised I didn't have enough lemons to make a lemon curd so I mixed lemon and passion fruit juice for the curd. The method is so simple I will ever be thankful to Janelle for sharing it.

It's also a great last minute Christmas gift or as an Advent Mitbringsel (bring along gift). Just wrap the lid with a little linen, secure with a ribbon and add a nice gift tag - and off you go.

And here is my recipe for the lemon and passion fruit curd made in the microwave:

3 large eggs (please be kind and only buy free-range)
2 egg yolks
160 g caster sugar
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated (best to use a microplane)
100 ml lemon juice
60 ml fresh passion fruit juice, strained and seeds discarded (you'll need approx. 6-7 passion fruits)
125 g butter, diced

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon rind in a large, heat-proof, microwave-safe bowl until combined. Whisk through lemon and passion fruit juice. Add the butter. Microwave, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes on Medium/50% whisking every minute until the mixture just comes to the boil and thickens. Pour into sterilised jars. Keep refrigerated.

You can use this curd for breakfast or as a filling for cookies or on top of a slice. It's always yummy!

Happy 1st Advent

2011-11-27T12:45:00.001+11:00

Today is the first Advent and the start of a beloved Christmas tradition in Germany.
Advent are the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas, and to mark this passage of time, many Germans light a new candle on their Advent wreath every Advent Sunday.
Many families celebrate the Advent Sundays with singing Christmas carols, drinking hot spiced wine, and eating Christmas cookies or a piece of Stollen, a traditional German Christmas cake.
The Advent wreath was "invented" by Johann Hinrich Wichern, a German pastor, who founded an orphanage in Hamburg in 1833. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, the children would ask him daily if Christmas had arrived. To make the wait easier, Wichern came up with his magical Christmas countdown, creating his first Advent wreath out of an old cartwheel and small candles.

Since living in Australia I need to mark this date in my calendar otherwise I would simply forget. It's 26 degrees Celsius outside and most of my friends are at the beach right now. Sounds weird for Christmas, doesn't it? Well, at least when you're from Europe.
Anyway, I kicked off the Silly Season with some very traditional German Advent baking and my first batch of Plaetzchen (biscuits) are Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars).

I love Zimtsterne and you'll get them everywhere around this time in Germany.

And here is the recipe for true blue German Christmas cookies:

Zimsterne:

3 egg whites
250 g icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
375 g ground almonds

1. Beat egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold through icing sugar, tablespoon after tablespoon until soft and glossy. Take aside 3 tablespoons of the meringue for later.
2. Add vanilla sugar, cinnamon and almonds and mix through until it all comes together and isn't sticky anymore.
3. Roll dough between two layers of baking paper with a rolling pin to 1cm thick. Rest in refrigerator for about 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 125 degree Celsius. Cut out stars using a cookie cutter and put on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Press cookie cutter in extra icing sugar if the dough sticks to the cutter.
5. Brush stars (or use a wooden skewer if you don't have a small brush) with meringue and bake for 15 min. Decrease oven temperature to 100 degree Celsius and bake for another 10-15 min. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
6. Repeat with dough until all is used.

Light 1 candle (1st Advent) and enjoy with tea or mulled wine (Gluehwein).

Waiheke Island / New Zealand

2011-11-20T20:42:00.001+11:00

If you ever going to do one thing while on New Zealand's North island you have to visit Waiheke Island. Waiheke is famous for its wine, olives and art and marketing talk aside a very beautiful island only a short ferry ride away from Auckland. It definitely helps to have a car there as the island is quite large and the vineyards are scattered all over Waiheke.

Te Whau vineyard and restaurant won "Auckland's Best Rural Restaurant" in 2008/09/10 and I am sure they up for 2011 as well. The food is outstanding and so is the wine, not to mention the view.
You can actually see Auckland from that tip of the island but you'll probably don't care as you are too busy enjoying the food and getting a bit tipsy drinking all that wonderful wine from the island's own vineyards.

Head chef Marco and one of the beautiful dishes we enjoyed for lunch at Te Whau Vineyard on Waiheke - snapper with dukkah crust, zucchini salad and tomato jus.

More delicious food: Goat's cheese and wild mushroom tart with beetroot relish; beef medallion with semi-dried tomatoes in jus.

There should always be room for dessert: sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream; cheese platter with blue cheese, washed rind and goat's cheese brie accompanied by home-made lavosh, apricot thyme compote and cherry relish - to die for!

Lunch and wine tasting at Wild On Waiheke - cafe, vineyard and brewery.

Really good coffee in the morning at Spice Cafe in Oneroa.

Holiday in New Zealand

2011-11-20T09:18:00.001+11:00

I have heard and seen pictures of New Zealand's beauty but until you see it for yourself it's hard to imagine. We had such a wonderful time, awesome weather and pristine beaches. Not to mention the delicious food we had and the view, and... just see for yourself.

Matakana Farmers' Market

2011-11-19T18:11:00.001+11:00

The Farmers' market in Matakana (NZ) is one of the cutest little markets I have seen so far. It's in the countryside up north not far from Auckland. It runs every Saturday from 8am to 1pm the and is a focal point for locals and city slickers, and growers to meet. You'll find produce from the area – fruit and vegetables, delicious home baking and Italian-style sausages, organic chocolate, fine wines and boutique olive oils, locally-brewed beer and the all-important morning coffee and live music as an accompaniment. Also a plus is the beautiful village feel, it kind of feels the time stands still. Even if the market is bustling there is always a little nook to just sit down and relax while enjoying a snack and the live music. Only at this market did I see crepes being serves on leaves instead of paper plates - that is proper organic thinking!

The market displays a great mix of fresh produce and home-made goods. The live music adds extra charm to the atmosphere.

Shop, smell, taste and enjoy. The market is a great day out for your senses.

Oh, aren't these roses wonderful?

Sculpture by the sea

2011-11-08T22:34:00.003+11:00

Now is the time to see the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition along the Bondi to Coogee Bay walk. Don't miss it!

Cherubini Cafe in Darlinghurst

2011-11-08T21:33:00.001+11:00

On Sunday we ventured out into our old and long forgotten neighbourhood - Darlinghurst. A friend organises a breakfast +1 outing every first Sunday in Sydney and I was so free (badly translated from German, sorry, but couldn't help myself) to bring my husband. The cafe in question where we met was cherubini in Darlinghurst and they serve really darn good coffee there. On top of that it's roasted in house and also rainforest alliance certified, all boxed ticked!

I didn't have any food but everything that was brought out to the table looked really yummy.
They also run their own networking event called Coffee Talk Sydney every second Sunday and,
unlike other cafes in Sydney they are open till 6pm on weekdays so, if you feel like a late coffee fix you know where you should be heading.

Nutella Brownies

2011-11-07T09:37:00.002+11:00

Thanks to pinterest and fellow blogger Brooke at Family Kitchen I came across an interesting recipe. To make brownies using Nutella instead of chocolate. Mmmh, that sounded very promising and it sure is! Nutella makes the brownie softer yet moist and the hazelnut just adds another layer of yummiest. It's even better the next day and the Nutella-cream cheese layer is an extra bonus. My gosh, this is heaven however, it means I have to run an extra mile to shed those extra calories :-).
Since you don't have to melt any chocolate it's very easy to make and so scrumptious. I tweaked the recipe a little and hope you'll like it.

And here is my Nutella-Brownie recipe:
Makes 24

For the brownie layer:
150 g butter, softened
200 g soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
100 g plain flour
50 g cocoa powder
170 g Nutella

For the Nutella-cream cheese layer:
200 g low-fat cream cheese
170 g Nutella
100 g soft brown sugar
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line a 21 x 24 cm cake tin with baking paper, let the sides overhang a little.
2. Mix butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one after the other, and mix well after each.
3. Sift flour and cocoa powder over the batter in mix until combined. Mix through Nutella until just combined. Pour batter in the cake tin and spread evenly.
4. Mix together cream cheese, Nutella and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one after the other, and mix after each until combined.
5. Pour cream cheese layer on top of brownie layer and gently spread evenly.
6. Bake in oven for 45 -55 minutes until the top feels dry to the touch and is just set (a skewer inserted into the middle won't come out clean). Let cool completely before cutting into cubes.
If you want sprinkle top with cocoa powder.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

2011-11-04T17:07:00.000+11:00

I had a butternut pumpkin left from the last photo shoot and normally I would roast it in the oven and have it with a mixed leaf salad. This time however I thought I try something sweet and et voila, pumpkin creme brulee. Creme brulee is one of my favourite dessserts, it's easy to make and so delicious. It's the best hipgold you can get apart from brownies. Well, this pumpkin creme brulee is slightly more elaborated as you have to cook the pumpkin first but that doesn't take long. The good thing about this dessert is that you can do it in advance so that you have desserts sorted for next day's dinner, isn't that fantastic? My problem is, that knowing I have creme brulee in the fridge, I can't stop eating it, which means there will probably nothing be left for my family or guests :-(

My pumpkin creme brulee recipe:

Serves 4

300 ml cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split
3 egg yolks
80 g caster sugar
150 g pumpkin puree, (see note)
4 teaspoons sugar (brown or white), extra to caramelise

1. Preheat oven to 160 C (320 F, Gas 2-3). Place four 1 cup (250 ml) capacity ovenproof dishes in alarge roasting tin. Put cream in a medium saucepan.
2. Use a small knife to scrapethe seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream. Add the vanilla bean to thecream mixture. Place cream over mediumheat and bring to a simmer (don’t boil). Remove and discard vanilla pod. Whiskegg yolks, sugar and pumpkin puree together in a medium bowl until well combined. Graduallywhisk the cream into the egg mixture until well combined. Pour evenly amongprepared dishes.
3. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting tin until it comeshalfway up the side of the dishes. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes oruntil just set.
4. Remove from oven, take dishes out of water bath and cool for 30 minutes. Cover with plasticwrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days to chill.

5. Preheat a grill to high. Sprinkle the crèmebrulees evenly with sugar. Cook under the grill for 1-2 minutes or until sugarbubbles and caramelises. Or, use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar.

Note: For the pumpkin puree you need to simmer the pumpkin until very soft and then puree it with a blender or mixer until smooth. I had 700 g of pumpkin flesh and simmered it in 200 ml milk, covered, for 10 minutes, and then for 5 minutes to let the milk evaporate. Don't boil or the milk might curdle. You'll have obviously quite a bit of pumpkin puree left which you can use for dinner or lunch, or stir it through a quiche. Or, if you know the exact netto amount let me know and I can include it in the recipe, thanks.

Hope you enjoy it.

The most common cooking mistakes

2011-11-03T12:00:00.002+11:00

I stumbled upon a website called Cooking Light which also is a US based magazine. This magazine compiled a list of the most common cooking mistakes and along gives a great insight into working with low-fat ingredients. Have a look here.

3. You make unwise substitutions in baking.

Result: You wreck the underlying chemistry of the dish.

Substitutions are a particular temptation, and challenge, with healthy cooking. AtCooking Light it's our job to substitute lower-fat ingredients―to change the cooking chemistry a bit while capturing the soul of a dish. When it comes to baking, this is as much science as art.

"I'll get calls from readers about cakes turning out too dense or too gummy," says Test Kitchen Director Vanessa Pruett. "After a little interrogation, I’ll get to the truth―that the reader used ALL applesauce instead of a mix of applesauce and oil or butter or went with sugar substitute in place of sugar." Best practice: Follow the recipe, period.

Learn more about the art of low-fat baking

NEXT4. You boil when you should simmer.

Food photography workshop

2011-11-03T08:40:00.001+11:00

Last week I attended a food photography evening called "Food Glorious Food" organised by the ACMP and held at gastronomy in Alexandria. The food photographers Penelope Beveridge and Lisa Saad showcased her style of working and setting light. Chef Miccal Cummins added tips about food styling and everyone got a delightful dinner and drinks. It's always interesting to see how different photographers approach their work and it's great that Penelope, Lisa and Miccal were happy to share their knowledge. This evening was very worthwhile and I can really recommend to check out the ACMP website for future events.

Photographer Penelope Beveridge.

Penolope Beveridge, Lisa Saad and Miccal Cummins.

Set up for food photography.

Good food photography makes hungry! Everyone is getting food.

Barbie Cake

2011-10-31T16:49:00.003+11:00

This time I made a Barbie cake for my daughter's 5th birthday party. The style is very similar to the one I made before (see the instructions here) but since my daughter loves pink and purple I included a purple layer and cape.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-20T14:36:00.004+11:00

I must admit that Halloween took me a bit of getting used to. It's not big in Germany and since it's
not even fall here in Sydney it feels kind of weird to bother with it. But, since my daughter is in
pre school they do all sorts of Halloween preparation. One morning she said we need to have a
carved pumpkin as well. I like crafting so I thought we also need some bats to go with the
Jack O' Lantern and so I we made some out of toilet paper rolls and black cardboard paper, ah, and of course, googly eyes! And here we go:

Halloween Jack O'Lantern and bats.

But why do the Americans have Jack O'Lanterns I wondered. I found a good story on pumpkin nook:

The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.

Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel, and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.

Halloween cupcakes.

These are the cupcakes I made for the Halloween party:

100 g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
110 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
150 g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons milk
60 g Nutella

For the marshmallow frosting:
200 g cater sugar
80 ml water
2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree. Line a 12 standard muffin pan with paper cases (mines are from IKEA)
2. Beat butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, flour and milk with an electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is pale and creamy.
3. Swirl through Nutella to get a marbel effect. Divide mixture among cases.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
5. Meanwhile make frosting, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved.
6. Boil, uncovered, without stirring about 5 minutes or until syrup reaches 116 degree on a sugar thermometer. Syrup should be thick but not coloured.
7. Remove from heat. Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. While mixer is running add hot syrup in a thin steady stream. Beat on high speed about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy.
8. Fill an icing bag (with a standard round nozzle attached) with the frosting and decorate cupcakes. I tried to make some of them look like ghosts and the others where for my daughter to decorate. She loves sprinkles (of course) and chose the autumn leaves which is quite suitable actually. The eyes are made with Wilton Sparkle Gel.

How to make Krausalat (German coleslaw)

2011-10-17T12:38:00.003+11:00

Mmmh, krautsalat (German coleslaw) is something that is quite as popular in Germany as sauerkraut but much quicker to make. It's also made from cabbage and we ate it together with the flammkuchen and it was very delicious.
In Germany you would use either white cabbage or a cabbage called spitzkohl (pointy cabbage) but never seen it here in Sydney unfortunately.

Anyway, normal cabbage works just as fine. Krautalat is is a popular side dish throughout Germany and there as many different recipes as there are cooks but it never goes without caraway seeds.

Shred cabbage finely.

Pickled cabbage with Halloween bat - booh!

Recipe for krautsalat or German coleslaw:
Serves 10

1/2 white cabbage
100 ml oil
140 ml cider vinegar
100 ml vegetable stock
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1. Wash cabbage and shred finely. Put cabbage in a large non-metallic bowl.
2. Combine oil, vinegar, stock, salt, mustard and sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat, until well combined and sugar has dissolved.
3. Pour vinegar-oil mixture over cabbage. Add caraway seeds and mix through. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight (if you can wait that long!).
4 Check seasoning and enjoy.

Serve with roasted meat, bratwurst or just on its on - it's delicious!

How to make Flammkuchen

2011-10-17T10:53:00.001+11:00

This weekend was time for flammkuchen or cake flambee as it called in French. The kids got pretty excited as they expected something sweet but in the end they also liked the traditional version of onions and speck. I went to a German butcher to get my smoked speck and it was delicious. Not too smokey or salty and the perfect topping for a flammkuchen. We cooked the flammkuchen in a normal oven (fan forced) and they turned out nice but if you happen to have a pizza oven or stone it will make the crust much crispier. We made our flammkuchen with yeast dough however you can also make a dough without yeast. I will try this next weekend and will compare the two version in another post.
In Germany, flammkuchen is sold at many weekend market and traditional German restaurants or biergardens and it's offered with endless variations of toppings, sauce, and dough. Traditional Alsatian flammkuchen would be with speck and onions or as a sweet version with apples and brown sugar and cinnamon, nom nom. Don't forget the beer or if you lucky enough to be in Germany and the right season Federweisser. I found German butchers here in Sydney and German beer but Federweisser - no luck. Let me know if you know where to get it here, I'd be thrilled. There is another beautiful dish called zwiebelkuchen (onion cake) that goes very well with Federweisser and I love it but that will be a different post.
In Sydney you can get flammkuchen at the Loewenbrau in the Rocks.

Flammkuchen directly translates as "flaming cake." It's considered just as much as French (they call it tarte flambée) as it is German since this pizza-like dish is from the Alsace region of France around the upper Rhine river, which has shifted between German and French control for centuries.
French kings annexed the region in the seventeenth century, which the Germans took back after the Franco-Prussian war in 1870. France won it back after World War I and Germany again annexed the region after invading France in 1940 until U.S. troops "liberated" the region in late 1944.
Legend has it that in the old days of wood-fired bread ovens, the bread bakers of Alsace would put their flammkuchen into the oven at peak heat in order to determine the temperature before inserting their bread. Hence the name flammkuchen or flaming cake—if the oven was too hot, your flammkuchen would literally catch fire. Therefore this practice became a simple method to determine when the oven would have the perfect temperature before you inserted your precious loaves.
Source:SeriousEatsBlog

Hot from the oven - mmh!

Speck and onion- traditional toppings.

Kneading the dough.

Until smooth.

Sour cream, speck and onion and heat, that's all you need!

The dough has to be very thin.

Recipe for flammkuchen with yeast dough:
Serves: 3-4
For the dough:
350 g plain flour
50 g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
250 ml lukewarm water
1 pinch sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the topping:
250 g sour cream
50 ml cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
125 g speck, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until the mixture is combined. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
2. Brush a bowl lightly with oil. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead (or use a kitche aid with a dough hook) for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in the prepared bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place to rise for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
3. Meanwhile combine sour cream, cream and garlic and season with salt and pepper, refrigerate until needed.
4. Preheat oven to 220 degrees on fan forced (Gas 8).
4. Turn out dough and knead again on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough very thin until it fits onto an oven tray. Put dough on baking paper and slide on baking tray.
5. Spread sour cream mixture on dough and sprinkle with onion and speck.
6. Cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked.

Enjoy with friends and cold German beer. Koestlich!

Crave Festival - Francis Mallmann

2011-10-05T13:53:00.000+11:00

On Sunday morning I had to make an exception from my German cooking and went to the World Chef Showcase as part of the Crave Food Festival here in Sydney. Neil Perry (Australia) was there to show us how to cook the perfect steak. Diana Kennedy from Mexico to tell us all about the Mexican way of cooking and Francis Mallmann, who is a culinary superstar in Argentina, showed us the Argentinian way of grilling. It was marvelous and so interesting. There are seven different styles of how Argentinians like to grill and and we all got a pretty good picture and delicious samples of those grilling techniques. I can still smell the smoke emanating from my skin while I am writing this.

In his cookbook seven fires he explains the seven ways of fire, there is the parilla (BBQ), chapa (cast-iron griddle), infiernillo (little hell - sounds almost cosy ;-), horno de barro (clay oven), rescoldo (embers and ashes), asador (the iron cross - that's how they do it at Porteno) and caldero (cauldron).
It reminded me a little of Smilla's Sense of Snow, yet the opposite a sense of fire, it means he really knows fire inside out.
In Australia it is more likely to have a gas BBQ with low, medium and high heat. That's about as technical as it gets. It still taste nice but since barbecuing in Germany also means to grill over coals
I quite enjoy the revival of the fire.

Francis Mallmann cooked/grilled a whole butternut pumpkin in hot ashes. He halved it, scraped out the seeds and fibre and used this for a salad (the pumpkin itself was used as a bowl) with goat's cheese, rocket and mint. It was delicious!
On the BBQ he grilled a whole boneless rib eye and served it with chimichurri sauce, so simple yet yummy. However, I especially loved his potato dominoes, which I never had before and they were soft inside but golden brown and crunchy outside. I definitely will try that when my German food month is over.
For dessert he stuffed orange slices with rosemary leaves and caramelized them on a very hot griddle until smoke was everywhere. The oranges were served with mint and yoghurt.


The showroom with two cooking benches and the wood-fired grill in the middle.

The rib gets slapped on.

Smoking away.

Turning point!

Aww!

Grilling Gaucho-style.

Francis Mallmann on stage.

Grilled pumpkin salad a la Mallmann.

Flying dishes.

Caramelized oranges with rosemary, mint and yoghurt.

Marble Gugelhupf Cake

2011-10-05T10:17:00.000+11:00

Okay, this cake is probably not only popular in Germany but in many places around the world. It was the kid's birthday cake in the 70ties when I grew up. It's easy to make and also easy to transport and to shove candles in. Usually in Germany you would only sieve some icing sugar on top of the cake but I think kids will love a chocolate glaze even more and it gives the cake a beautiful shiny look. I have included a recipe for the glaze as well.
The original Gugelhupf cake is ususally made from a yeast dough but in Germany it's only referred to as a marble cake.

Here is the recipe:
Serves 10

Cooking oil spray for the tin
200 g butter, softened
250 caster sugar
3 eggs
300 g plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
200 ml buttermilk
60 g almond meal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Extra 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Extra: icing sugar or
chocolate glaze: 3 tablespoons cream, 100 g dark or milk chocolate melts

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree. Grease a Gugelhupf tin (best to use cooking oil spray).
2. Put butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating continuously. Mix flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to batter alternating with the buttermilk, stirring, until combined. Add almond meal and stir to combine.
3. Put 1/3 of the cake mixture in a large bowl, then stir in cocoa and extra buttermilk. Spoon remaining cake batter into prepared tin. Top with chocolate batter. To create marble effect, swirl a fork gently through batter.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
6. Sieve icing sugar over the cake or make a glaze: melt cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake and let set. Decorate with sugar sprinkle if you wish.

Black Forest Cake and Kaffeeklatsch

2011-10-04T13:04:00.001+11:00

This long weekend (Australia shares the 3rd October as a public holiday) was a good opportunity to have a traditional German Kaffeeklatsch. I couldn't find out since when this word exist but it means:
gossiping over a cup of coffee. The gossip in this instance doesn't have to be mean it's rather a catching up with friends. Even though Kaffeeklatsch is quite an old tradition in Germany and what is being served depends on the region in Germany it is still very common. Celebrated mostly by the elderly on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm it involves usually a Torte with cream. Germany is quite well known for its many different Torten (at least in Germany) but the Torte that became even popular outside Germany's borders is the Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte or Black Forest Cake.

The cake is named not directly after the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany but rather from the specialty liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and distilled from tart cherries. This is the ingredient, with its distinctive cherry pit flavor and alcoholic content, that gives the cake its flavour. Cherries, cream, and Kirschwasser were first combined in the form of a dessert in which cooked cherries were served with cream and Kirschwasser, while a cake combining cherries, biscuit and cream (but without Kirschwasser) probably originated in Germany.
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934. At the time it was particularly associated with Berlin but was also available from high-class confectioners in other German, Austrian, and Swiss cities. In 1949 it took 13th place in a list of best-known German cakes, and since that time Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte has become world-renowned. Source Wikipedia.

My version of Black Forest Cake.


Our Kaffeeklatsch- German-Aussie Fusion style. Btw, sweet Shiraz from the Hunter Valley goes well			with the cake!

My recipe for the Black Forest cake:

For the cake:
serves 6-8

200 g butter
200 g dark chocolate melts
300 g caster sugar
40 g cocoa powder (best to use the Dutch one without extra sugar in it)
300 g plain flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
250 g milk
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree. Line a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
Combine butter, chocolate and sugar in a medium pan and heat, stirring, in a water bath over low heat until butter and chocolate has melted. Cool.
2. Sieve cocoa over flour and baking powder and mix. Add milk, eggs one after the other and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir through cooled chocolate mixture.
3. Pour chocolate mix into cake tin and bake in the oven for ca. 50 minutes. If cake becomes to dark cover surface with baking paper.

Meanwhile make the cherry compott:
680 g glass sour Morello cherries, pitted in juice
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 tablespoons sugar, depending on the sourness of the cherries
3 teaspoons cornflour, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1. Heat cherries, juice, spices and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes until sugar dissolves. Using a slotted spoon take out cherries and put aside.
2. Add conflour water to the cherry juice and cook, constantly stirring, for 2 minutes or until the juice thickens. Add cherries and let cool.

To assemble the cake:
Cut cake twice in 3 layers. Whip 300 ml cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar until soft peaks form. Spread 1/3 of the cream on top of the bottom layer of the cake and top with 1/3 of the cooled cherry compott. Continue until you used all of the cream and compott finishing the with chocolate sprinkles on top of the cake.
You can eat the cake right away as I prefer it but it will be easier to cut the cake if it has set a little in the fridge first. Up to you.
I didn't use any Kirsch as we also had kids at the table but if you want to use it soak the cake layers with approx. 2-3 tablespoons before you spread the cream on.
mmmhjoy!

How to make Schupfnudeln

2011-09-27T14:34:00.002+10:00

As mentioned in an earlier post the Oktoberfest at the Concordia Club inspired me to a true blue German food month.
To kick it off I made Schupfnudeln and even got help from my daughter. I think she thought we were making Vanille Kipferln, another German recipe but a biscuit and therefore sweet.
It was hard to keep her away from the flour as she didn't believe me it wasn't icing sugar but then I thought let her find out for herself.
She really enjoyed rolling the dough into little crescent but most often they rather resembled worms which she didn't mind at all :-).
I still had silverbeet in the fridge so instead of the traditional accompaniment I sauteed silverbeet and mushroom added a little bit of cream and nutmeg and dinner was ready!

Schupfnudeln are typical of Baden-Baden and the Baden-Wuerttemberg state in southwestern Germany. It is a kind of homemade dumpling that gets its name from the Upper German word 'Schupfen,' meaning 'to shove, push, throw or chuck.' They are traditionally handmade by rolling out potato dough on a board and forming them into crescents. They are as easy as and so delicious.
You can pair them with nearly anything: Roast pork, racks of lamb, bits of bacon, sauerkraut, braised red cabbage or even silverbeet and mushrooms.

I borrowed a cookbook from a friend from the Munich Hofbraeuhaus and started cooking.
This recipe is from that book and it's very easy and the outcome very tasty:

Serves 4
350 g potatoes (I used brushed ones) cooked in their skin, then peeled
150 g plain flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg yolk
salt
freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
freshly cracked black pepper
chive

1. Mash potatoes until smooth. Mix together potato, flour, melted butter, egg yolk and a pinch of salt and nutmeg with your hands to get a firm but pliable dough. Lightly flour working bench and roll dough into a 3 cm thick sausage. Cut sausage into even portions about 1.5 cm thick. Roll and form into crescents.

Watch those little hands:-)

2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook Schupfnudeln in batches until they rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon take out and drain.

The water should only be at a simmer.

3. Heat oil and butter in a frying pan and fry Schupfnudeln in batches until golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chive and cracked black pepper.

Oktoberfest in Sydney

2011-09-27T12:34:00.000+10:00

Welcome in national colours.

I am getting thirsty!

O'zapft is! Not only in Germany we know how to celebrate the Oktoberfest. The Concordia Club in Sydney is doing it too and with every "drum und dran" and a lot of folklore and typical German fare and beer - eins, zwei, g'suffa... and everyone is having fun. The Oktoberfest is also next weekend so if you missed it you'll still got a chance, otherwise you have to wait another year.

I really enjoyed the afternoon, it was raining outside and cosy in the tent. The kids loved it as there is so much space and fun. There was a jumping castle and face painting (okay that is probably not very traditional, but as long as the kids are happy the parents are happy too) and of course music and dancing. Quite a few people dressed up in their traditional costumes that is a Dirndl for the women and Lederhosen for the men. The band played a lot of Gassenhauer music (which somehow translate into popular melody) and there were live performances as well. I especially enjoyed the new interpretation of the old time classic Schuhplattler. It shows who really is wearing the pants :-)

You can watch that movie on you tube or at the end of this post.

On the menu: Pork knuckle with Sauerkraut and Spaetzle, Leberkaes with potato mash and Sauerkraut, German Bratwurst and of course lots of German beer. There are four German beers on tab: Erdinger, Spate, Warsteiner and DAB. Especially for the Oktoberfest there is also a dark beer available that I can highly recommend. I had Leberkaes with Sauerkraut and a few beers to wash it all down. My friend who isn't German couldn't resist the pork knuckle and I am still in awe how she managed to eat it all, it's quite a portion. Anyway, inspired by the Oktoberfest I decided to celebrate our Germaness and only cook German dishes, especially Oktoberfest fare for the whole month of Oktober. Gosh, thank God I don't own a scale ;-).


Pork knuckle German-style with Sauerkraut and Spaetzle (homemade German pasta). That gets the thumbs up!

Pretzels from Germany - so good! You should try with Obatza.

German Bratwurst anyone?

Bierkrug. Prost!


Hefeweizen-Bier and Slushie - that's a tad unusual.

No Oktoberfest without Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts).

Tunes and Sauerkraut.

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit auf die Gemuetlichkeit, oompah!

For kids, oompah light.

And now some real dancing...

Beautiful Cookies

2011-09-22T14:09:00.002+10:00

This is for Mo-vember! By Sugar Belle.

Since I came across pinterest I am addicted, and I mean it. I am not watching TV any more I am scrolling through the pins of all the creative people worldwide, what a great idea to come up with.

There are post for food, gifts, DIY, craft, photography... the list is endless, and that's why I spend so much time here, there is always something new to discover or to re-discover.
One of my favourite bloggers and cookie creative is sugar belle from the US. Her cookies are beautiful, amazing and whimsy, I absolutely adore her style. Here is a short compilation of my favourites, although it's hard to really narrow them down as they're all wonderful. Look for yourself, they all come with a tutorial:

By Sugar Belle.


Ombre cookies by Sugar Belle.


Bunting cookie by Sugar Belle.

Subway cookies by Sugar Belle.

Crave Food Festival in Sydney

2011-09-20T13:35:00.002+10:00

The October is one of my favourite months in the year and not only because of my daughter's birthday and the Jacaranda tree starting to blossom. It is also the month of the annual Crave Food festival and this year it's going to be huge. South America and Mexico bringing us the new food trends and the festival organisers have invited a broad array of interesting chefs and cookbook authors from that area. I can't wait to see and meet them all in action. Hurray Sydney!

Just to mention a few there will be Diana Kennedy from Mexico, Francis Mallmann from Argentinia, Gaston Acurio from Peru and Alex Atala from Brazil.

This is what the festival site writes about them:


Diana Kennedy

No one has done more to introduce the world to the authentic cuisines of Mexico than Diana Kennedy. Acclaimed as the Julia Child of Mexican cooking, Kennedy has been an intrepid, indefatigable student of Mexican foodways for more than 50 years and has published several classics on the subject, including The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, a compilation of her first three books, The Art of Mexican Cooking and the latest, James Beard Cookbook of the Year winner, Oaxaca al Gusto. Her uncompromising insistence on proper local ingredients and preparation techniques has taught generations of cooks to appreciate the richness of Mexican cooking.

Here is what a fellow blogger "The Wednesday Chef" wrote about one of her recipes:
Last night, I triumphantly held aloft a long-clipped recipe from the LA Times for Diana Kennedy'smeatballs that I'd been hoarding all by its lonesome, since it's one ofthe only Mexican recipes I've clipped over the years. The meatballs aremade from a flavorful mix of pork and beef and stuffed to the gillswith chopped zucchini and onion more

I've done a bit of research myself and was surprised I hadn't heard of Diana Kennedy before. Her cookbook "The art of Mexican cooking" are amongst the 50 best cookbook of all times, compiled by the Guardian. Her latest cookbook "Oaxaca al Gusto" gets mentioned by the NY Times and she talks about the book which took her 18 years to put together and her busy life in Mexico. Watch it here.


Francis Mallmann

Francis Mallmann is a Argentinian culinary superstar who started as a home cook in Bariloche, Patagonia, Francis worked in eight three-Michelin starred restaurants in France in the 1980s, including stints with nouvelle cuisine godfathers Alain Senderens and Roger Vergé. He has since rediscovered traditional food and cooking - at the centre of his high-heat and short cooking time approach is fire. A recipient of the French Grand Prixe de l’Art de la Cuisine, Francis has owned restaurants in South America, Spain and New York, appeared on TV since the early 80s and has played host to presidents and world leaders. Has written four books, the most recent being Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way.


Gaston Acurio

South America’s most celebrated chef/restaurateur shakes, rattles and rolls out 500 years of food fusion in his 28 restaurants around the world. Gaston’s plan is to seat Peru at the international culinary table — with his signature, warm Amazonian ceviche as the entree. His fellow countrymen want him for president. His haute cuisine restaurant Astrid Y Gaston in Lima, debuted at No. 42 on the S. Pellegrino list this year.


Alex Atala

Brazilian food was turned on its head when Alex Atala opened D.O.M. in 1999. Using indigenous and Amazonian produce, such as açaí, pupunha and cupuaçu, Alex set out to create food that captured the essence of Brazil. His daring creations have seen him awarded every contemporary culinary award in Brazil and ranked at No. 7 on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list; the first Brazilian restaurant to break into the top 10 since 2002.

Pineapple and lemon upsidedown cake

2011-09-16T21:56:00.000+10:00

Last week my daughter asked me to buy her a pineapple because she loves it so much. At first I was a bit surprised as I can't recall her ever eating pineapple but thought it's great that she is asking for fruit and also interested in different flavours. I showed her how you can tell a pineapple actually is ripe, that a good sign is the sweet smell and also that the leaves should come off easily when you pull them. She even insisted on carrying that pineapple to the cashier and to put it in the shopping bag.
And... that was that! As soon as the pineapple arrived safely at out our house it just got ignored by her. I must admit I am not a big fan of raw pineapple neither is my husband and so had the idea to bake an upsidedown cake. Surprise, surprise, the pineapple cake found much more fans in our house and didn't last very long.

Recipe for pineapple and lemon upsidedown cake:

520 g pineapple, peeled and cut into 6 slices
200 g butter, at room temperature
130 g brown sugar
170 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200 g self-raising flour
cream, to serve (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree. Grease and line a 20 cm round tin.

2. Cut core from each pineapple slice. Melt 90 g butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolves. Add pineapple rings and cook, turning often for 5 minutes, or until softened. Arrange pineapple rings over base of tin and top with syrup.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat caster sugar and remaining butter until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest and fold in flour.

4. Spoon batter into prepared tin and carefully smooth over the top of pineapple. Bake for approx.
40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Invert onto a serving plate, sit for 5 minutes before removing tin. Serve with cream if you like.

Barbie dolly varden party cake

2011-09-08T19:21:00.002+10:00

I've made this cake today for a little girl's 4th birthday party and while making it had a very interesting conversation with my daughter who is five.

I asked her if she also wants such a princess cake and she replied this is not a princess, it's a Barbie - which of course is so right! She then went on to say that she doesn't want a Barbie cake as she fears
I will take her Barbie's legs off and it means she can't play with them anymore - point made.
I guess I'll be making a princess castle instead for her birthday. :-)

That's how I made it: You'll need a Dolly Varden or similar shaped tin to bake the cake. In this instance I didn't bake the cake but here are some tips on how to best bake the cake).
You then need approx. 1.2 kg of white ready-to-roll fondant icing and approx. 500 g vanilla butter icing, silver and pink cachous and pink food colouring.

Invert the cake and trim the base to ensure it sits flat. Brush away crumbs. Use a palette knife to spread the cake with a thin layer of vanilla butter icing (crumb coating) and let set in the fridge.

Meanwhile colour 1/3 of the white fondant icing pink. I prefer to use gel colouring from Wilson and always use a skewer to only start with a small amount as the colour is very strong. Knead in the colour until even. Roll out the pink on a piece of baking paper until 2 mm thick and cover the cake board (if you use a very large board you might need more pink fondant icing) with it. Cut along the edges with a knife and keep the leftover for the dress layer (wrap tightly in cling wrap until needed). Set board aside.

Apply a second thick layer of butter icing to the cake and smooth then put back into fridge. Use 1/4 of the white fondant icing and colour light pink, wrap in cling wrap until needed. Roll out the remaining white fondant icing until 3 mm think and cover the cake smoothing the top and letting it crease towards the bottom so it looks like a ball gown.

Wrap leftover icing in cling wrap. Now is the time which for me is always a bit nerve wrecking. You have to move the cake from the working board to the covered board and to place the cake in the right spot. I use a big and sturdy palette knife to lift the cake up and over to the main board. Smooth and trim icing if necessary.

Roll out dark pink icing to 2mm and cut an approx. 24 cm circle (I used a plate or cake tin) and drape over the first layer, allowing the icing to create ruffles.

Roll white icing to 2 mm and cut approx. 15 cm circle and drape over the pink layer. Roll out the light pink to 2mm and cut to 10-12 cm circle and drape onto white layer.

Insert the doll into the centre of the cake and make the bodice dress part. If you don't have the half-doll topper you can use any barbie without legs. You then have to cut a wider hole to fit the torso into the cake (it's a bit of an operation really- but don't tell anyone).

Cut 3 strips from the light pink icing and wrap around two around the bodice and secure at the back. Cut a leaf shape with a cutter to make the front part of the dress. Roll up the long sides of the third strip to make it look like a belt and wrap around waist, secure ends at the back. For the neck use a tiny narrow strip and secure at the back. Cut out little flowers and use silver and /or pink cachous to decorate the doll.

How to make Germknoedel

2011-09-04T16:39:00.001+10:00

I don't know exactly why but a few days ago I felt like making Germknoedel for some friends who came over for a late breakfast. I only know Germknoedel from skiing holidays in Austria so it's a bit of a mystery to me why now I craved Germknoedel, it's not even cold enough in Sydney for it, but well.
I used a recipe from about.com and they came out very nicely and are also nice without snow :-). Because they are quite filling we only ate 4 and so I put the other ones in the freezer before steaming them. When I made the frozen ones I noticed that they aren't as fluffy as the fresh ones after steaming so I would probably rather make them from scratch.

Here is the recipe (from about.com):
Like Dampfnudeln, Austrian Germknödel are a "Mehlspeise" or flour-based meal served in German-speaking households for lunch. "Germ" is the Austrian word for yeast and these yeasted dumplings hide a surprise inside. A spoonful of "Powidl", plum butter, is placed on the dough, which is then formed into a ball.
Served either with melted butter or vanilla sauce and poppy seeds crushed with sugar, Germknödel are popular at Austrian ski resorts. Try these dumplings on a cold day, after a bowl of vegetable soup for a delightful meal.

Makes 16 medium dumplings, or 8 servings.

Prep Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 60 minutes

Ingredients:

***Dumplings***
1 package instant yeast (7g)
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (500 grams)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 T. vanilla sugar or sugar plus 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
5 T. butter, softened
1 c. lukewarm milk
***Filling***
3/4 c. Powidl or plum jam
1 T. rum (optional)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
***Topping***
1/3 c. poppy seeds
1/3 c. sugar

Preparation:

Start the dough: Mix the instant yeast with the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest and salt. Add the softened butter, egg and milk and mix, using a dough hook or with a spoon by hand, until a medium-soft dough forms.
If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, you can continue kneading in the bowl with the hook until the dough is smooth and elastic. Adjust flour or milk as needed to make a pliable, but not sticky dough.
If you are making the dough by hand, turn it out on a lightly floured board and knead for several minutes, until smooth and elastic. If dough is too stiff, knead with wet hands until it becomes softer.
Form the dough into a ball, flour lightly and place in a bowl to double in a warm place. Cover with a clean towel. Let it rise about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. The dough made with instant yeast might rise faster.
Make filling: If you are adding rum and / or cinnamon to the jam, stir it together now. You may use any jam flavor or cherries or Nutella, too.
Form dumplings: Remove your dough from the bowl to a lightly floured board. Pinch off 2 ounce pieces (50-60 grams) You may make them larger, but they will take longer to steam.

Roll the pieces into a ball and then flatten them with your palm to form 4 inch circles (10 cm).
Add 2 teaspoons of jam to the center and then pull up opposite sides and pinch closed. Pinch the other two sides closed and make sure the jam is well-sealed inside the dough. Roll the dumplings bit in your hands to round up the dumpling.
Set dumplings on the floured board, sprinkle with flour if you wish, and cover with a cloth. Let sit 10 - 20 minutes.
Prepare your steamer: My "Silit" pressure cooker came with a steamer insert which I greased and used for 3 dumplings at a time. You could also use a bamboo steamer set up that they have for woks (to make dim sum) or the metal vegetable steamer covered with a cotton cloth cut to fit.
Place 1 to 2 inches in the pan, hang the steamer over the water and bring the whole thing to a boil (you will need a lid, too).
Steam: Place dumplings on steamer over boiling water, leaving about 1 inch of room to rise in all directions. Cover pan and steam 20 minutes.
Make topping: Grind equal amounts of poppy seeds and sugar in a poppy seed grinder or a blade coffee grinder. Set aside.
Serve: Place 1 or 2 dumplings on a plate and pour melted butter over the top. Sprinkle poppy mixture over top, as much as you wish.
You may also make vanilla sauce while you are waiting for the dough to rise. Pour vanilla sauce and poppy mixture over the top when you are ready.

Roll out dough.

Add filling.

Enclose dough over filling and pinch edges together.

Dumpling with Powidl filling.

Turn over and smooth dumpling.

Let them rest.

Now steam.

I love Sydney winter!

2011-08-25T17:31:00.000+10:00

Sydney Fishmarket and Seafood School

2011-08-20T14:21:00.013+10:00

Sometimes when I am homesick I need to go to interesting food places to remind me that I actually live in a great city! One of those places is the Sydney fishmarket and also the fantastic Sydney Seafood School where I used to work. To be honest, the fishmarket itself really needs to be redone as it doesn't look too inviting at first - the only thing you notice is the big carpark and the birds. Remarkable however is the variety and freshness of the fish and seafood you'll get here. The cooking demonstrator of the Seafood School told us that the Sydney fishmarket is the second largest in terms of variety of seafood offered after Tokio in Japan, which is in the northern hemisphere (just a pun on the Australian obsession to always claim something in Australia is the best, biggest etc. in the southern hemisphere;-).
Who not only wants to come here to buy fish but also wants to see how it's being auctioned can book a behind the scenes tour at the fishmarket and I highly recommend it. You have to get up quite early but the insight you get is very worth it and the people working at the fishmarket are so lovely and knowledgeable.

Outside the Sydney fishmarket.

The fish for the day arrives.

Filleting station.

Scaling the fish.

New delivery.

Oyster bar at the fishmarket.

Dutch auction at the fishmarket.

It's getting busy.

Fish for the restaurants and fishmongers.

Fish in check.

Having fun.

Fish tail.

So much fish.

Wow!

Yes, I have a big chunk of that!

Tuna on ice.

Selected and tagged tuna.

Checking the order.

Wheeling off.

Even when I still lived in Germany I would always book in for a cooking class at the Sydney Seafood School whenever I was in Sydney. I still don't understand why Hamburg hasn't got its own Seafood School being known for its harbour and high appreciation of fish which also generated the not so flattering nickname "fish head" for the citizen of Hamburg. Nickname aside, fish is great to cook with but if you feel a bit overwhelmed by it enroll yourself in a class at the Sydney Seafood School. You will not also learn how to prepare wonderful dishes you'll also hear about sustainable fishing and farmed fish and you get the chance to come close to very well known Australian chefs such as Matt Moran, Mark Jensen and Christine Manfield (all also cookbook authors).

Cooking demonstration- Quick and Delicious class.

Bridget making red curry with salmon.

Have you heard of John Dory?

Always read the instructions first!

Cooking room.

Dining room.

Three dishes in 30 minutes - we are hungry.

Bridget Treloar, demonstrator at Sydney Seafood School and a former colleague, and myself.

Food run for a hungry friend

2011-08-16T18:16:00.009+10:00

My veggie quiche without bacon and cherry-vanilla cake

My friend just gave birth to a beautiful girl and since she had her baby at home another friend organised a food run among us to cater for her lunch so she can fully recover and focus on her baby.
I hope she liked what I cooked for her :-)
She is vegetarian and I am not so coming up with ideas that are purely vegetarian are sometimes not so easy. I love to cook with veggies and we don't often eat meat but every time I looked in the fridge for inspiration I would grab some bacon or chicken stock - so wrong!
Luckily I remembered a very nice dish from a photo shoot a while ago where I cooked the food for this cookbook:
My Kitchen - Vegetarian and decided to make the filled zucchini but didn't bother hunting down the grey zucchini as stated in the book (they are not so common). I also simplified it by halving the zucchini lengthways rather than coring them as I remember from preparing them at the photo shoot that it is a bit tricky and in this case I didn't need to stick to the Middle eastern way of cooking it.

Before shot of filled zucchini w rice and currants in tomato sauce and yoghurt dip.

Ding-dong! Here I come.

This is my version of the filled zucchini from the vegetarian cookbook:

Filled Zucchini with yoghurt dip and tomato sauce

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic gloves, crushed
1/4 preserved lemon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

400 g chopped tomatoes

ground coriander

6 thick Zucchini

80 g Basmati rice, cooked for 4 minutes

2 tablespoons currants

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

30 g slivered almonds, roasted

200 g Greek-style yoghurt

mint, chopped

For the tomato sauce heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened then stir in half the garlic. Use only half of the onion mixture for the sauce and the other half for the rice filling. Cut away flesh from the preserved lemons, rinse rind under running water then cut very finely.

Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and preserved lemons. Let it simmer until it thickens and seasoned it with salt and ground coriander.

Half the zucchini lengthways and with a teaspoon scoop out the flesh leaving 0.5 cm on the edges. Make sure not to scoop right through to the bottom. Discard the flesh. Mix the pre-cooked rice with currants, cinnamon, allspice, roasted almonds and the onion mixture. Fill ½ of each Zucchini with rice pilling it up to a dome shape. Put other half zucchini on top to enclose filling. Oil a baking dish large enough to fit in all the zucchini and seal the baking dish with foil. Bake for 45 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180degrees, turning the zucchini halfway through baking. ( I like it when the zucchini still have a bit of bite but if you like them softer just cook them longer)

Meanwhile make the yoghurt dip. Combine yoghurt, remaining crushed garlic and mint and season with salt.

Serve zucchini with warm tomato sauce and yoghurt dip.

I don't really have a recipe for the quiche as I was running out of time and just quickly threw some veggies together such as carrots, sweet corn and leek. I cooked the leek and carrots until softened then added the sweet corn. I mixed 3 eggs, sour cream and some grated cheese and chopped parsley together and seasoned it well. As I was running late and I can't stand bought shortcrust pastry I opted for puffed pastry instead to line the cake tin. The good thing, no blind baking required when you use puff pastry. I sprinkled the filling with some sunflower seeds and off it went in the hot oven until set and browned. The smell was fantastic and it was hard for me to not cut it to at least check for taste but I figured it wouldn't look so good when I delivered it to my friend :-)

Provence feature in Vital magazine

2011-08-09T12:34:00.002+10:00

I am very thrilled that the story I produced in Provence got published by Vital magazine in July.

As always we shot so many more photos and portrayed many more interesting foodies but there is never enough room to capture it all. I still so want to live there and I think the layout looks great. Thanks also to the fabulous photographer Carsten Eichner who was never afraid of my ideas.

Mikkels Cafe in Ottensen

2011-08-08T08:12:00.010+10:00

Bei meinem letzten Deutschlandbesuch habe ich natuerlich auch halt in Ottensen gemacht und es hat sich tatsaechlich einiges getan. Das Cafe Mikkels ist nun da und ein richtiges Juwel. Ein liebevoll gestaltetes Cafe - shabby chic meets industrial - in dem man gerne verweilen mag. Der Kaffee ist gut und noch viel besser ist die Auswahl an kleinen Koestlichkeiten wie Mandel-Nonnettes mit Himbeeren (kannte ich bisher nur aus Frankreich) oder Mini-Linzer Toertchen. Wer es eher britisch mag, dem seien die Scones ans Herz gelegt. Danke an meine Freundin Doerthe fuer diesen Tipp und danke an Petrus, dass wir draussen sitzen konnten, obwohl es drinnen im Mikkels an einem Regentag bestimmt ganz kuschelig ist.

The best Cafe in Sydney- Mecca Espresso in Ultimo

2011-08-07T15:54:00.012+10:00

It's no secret that Sydneysiders are obsessed with good food and coffee and that there are guides for every inch of the city. There are food guides for smart eating, for cheap eating, for fancy eating, for secret eating and of course for the best coffee source.
This year Mecca Espresso Bar in Ultimo got voted No 1 by the Sydney Morning Herald and even though I would find it hard to single out just one cafe as there are thankfully so many good ones I agree that Mecca does a very good brew. The beans are rosted on site to guarantee good quality and consistency and they use only LaMarzocco machines. I quite often stop here to get my coffee fix as I got photography classe just across the road. The coffee is always perfect and strong and especially after a few weeks in Europe I am often amazed how great coffee here is and how mediocre coffee sometimes is in parts of Europe even Italy! But that's another story.

Das Food Team des Sydney Morning Heralds war mal wieder unterwegs, um die besten Cafes der Stadt zu kueren. Ganz ehrlich, Sydney hat bereits eine unglaubliche Dichte an wunderbaren Cafes und Kafferoestereien und es ist schwer vorstellbar, dass es immer noch Raum fuer Verbesserungen gibt. Aber voila, ein relativ neues Cafe, das Mecca Expresso in Ultimo hat den ersten Platz eingenommen. Die Kaffeebohnen werden direkt in der eigenen Roesterei verarbeitet um Frische und gleichbleibende Qualitaet zu gewaehrleisten.
Mein Fotografie-Kurs ist ganz in der Naehe und damit komme ich regelmaessig in den Genuss des kraftigen Kaffees, natuerlich aus einer LaMarzocco.
Und hiermit sei gleich ein weiterer Trend beschrieben. Wer bereits alle Kochkurse in der Stadt besucht hat, moechte vielleicht mal bei einem cupping workshop von Campos Coffee Newtown mitmachen, um zu lernen wie man Kaffee richtig beurteilt. Hier wird allerdings nur schwarzer Kaffee probiert.

Spice I Am - Authentisches Thai-Resto

2011-08-07T15:25:00.007+10:00

Fotos smh.com.au

Unter Sydneysidern ist dieser Thai schon lange kein Geheimtipp mehr. Zu gut sind die Stir-Fries, Curries und Salate, die hier angeboten werden. Die Schlange vor dem Restaurant zur Lunch- und Dinnerzeit sind laenger als die Schlangen vor den oeffentlichen Toiletten beim Oktoberfest! Fuer Spice I Am muss man allerdings schon einiges an Schaerfe vertragen koennen, die kleinen gemeinen Bird's Eye Chillies finden sich in jedem Gericht und ich rate zur Vorsicht. Vieles treibt einem unweigerlich die Traenen in die Augen und Wasser oder Bier helfen nur bedingt diese Explosion im Mund und Hals zu loeschen.
Meine Favouriten: Tom Yum Goong Soup, Pad Prik King Crispy Pork Belly oder Moo Pa, Beef Salad und Green Papaya Salad.
Mein Tipp: Beim Bestellen unbedingt eine bis zwei Portionen Reis dazu bestellen, dass hilft am besten bei Chillischauern :-)

Die Laksa und Tom Yum Soup bei Nood in Balmain sind aber auch hoellisch gut, ohne dabei hoellisch scharf zu sein. Hier gibt es auch den besten Nachtisch: sago cooked in warm coconut milk with vanilla ice cream. Die gruene Farbe ist moeglicherweise gewoehnungsbedurftig, aber bei asiatischen Desserts nicht ungewoehnlich. Der weichgekochte Sago hat komplett den Karamellgeschmack des Palmzuckers und die warme Kokosmilch aufgezogen, dazu noch einige Stuecke Kantalopemelone und eine Kugel Vanilleeis obendrauf - suess und labend!

Eveleigh Farmers Market

2011-05-16T11:20:00.021+10:00

I have been to many farmers markets in Sydney but my absolute favourite is the Eveleigh Market that happens every Saturday between 8am to 1pm at Carriage Works. Not only is the site truly special it also is very spacious and you'll get everything here. Flowers, mushrooms (no Pfifferlinge though), nice bread from Sonoma Bakery, veggies, meat, cheese, bagels and even music!

If you feel you need a break or done with your grocery shopping go and get a nice cup of coffee from the Carriage Works Cafe and just relax and soak up the atmosphere. If you didn't manage to have breakfast before heading to the markets there is a lot to sample but I recommend the Chinese pancake and/or dumplings from celebrity chef Kylie Kwong. As usual you have to nicely queue up for her food but at least it's not as bad as it is in front of her restaurant in Surry Hills.

In Sydney gibt es viele Farmers Markets aber keiner ist so schoen wie der Eveleigh Market in der Naehe von Newtown und auf den Carriage Works Gelaende. Jeden Samstag Morgen findet er statt von 8:00-13:00, ob es regnet oder schneit. Zugegeben Schnee kommt selten vor in Sydney und meistens scheint die Sonne, sogar im Winter. Nach dem Einkauf entspannt Zeitung lesen und einen Kaffee trinken, kein Problem, der Kaffee im Carriage Works Cafe ist besonders zu empfehlen und als Snack die Pancakes von Celebrity Koechin Kylie Kwong. Sehr lecker!

Breakfast New York-Style.

Busker classic.

Flowers galore.

Everything fresh!

You can even get your knives sharpened.

Yummy Chinese pancakes.

Kylie Kwong busy serving.

The mushroom man.

So much choice!

Good quality potatoes only at the markets.

Since Sonoma Bakery there's hope for decent bread in Sydney.

So good!


Carriage Works in Eveleigh/Newtown.

Provence feature soon to be published

2011-04-12T12:00:00.014+10:00

I and photographer (Carsten Eichner) happily shooting and styling away. Due to all being shot digitally now one never leaves the studio without the laptop (gone are the Polaroid days) to check that everything is looking good.

Meister der Macaroons

2011-02-12T14:21:00.006+11:00

Ein neuer Star ist am Zucker-Himmel zu bewundern: Adriano Zumbo. Nach seinem Auftritt in Master Chef ist an jedem Wochenende vor seiner Konditorei eine Menschenschlange, die sich fast um den ganzen Häuserblock windet. Nur die Höflichkeit der Australier verhindert eine Strassensperrung durch aufkommende Menschenmassen, aber der Effekt ist der Gleiche. Wer was von Zumbo will, muss frueh aufstehen - oder lange warten. Bald kommt auch sein erstes Kochbuch bei Murdoch Books heraus und ich kann soviel verraten, es wird viele Tipps ueber Macaroons geben, denn dafür ist er mittlerweile so bekannt wie kein anderer. Wer sich schon mal an Macaroons oder Mandelbaisers herangetraut hat, ich meine selbst zu backen, nicht einfach nur naschen, der weiss, dass diese wunderschönen Eiweisskekse sehr divenhaft sind und besondere Aufmerksamkeit wollen, damit sie gelingen.

Adriano Zumbo beherrscht aber mittlerweile nicht nur die Herstellung perfekt, er kreiert regelmäßig neue Geschmacksrichtungen, die allerdings manchmal doch sehr gewoehnungsbeduerftig sind.

Die drei beliebtesten Kreationen sind: Salzkaramell, Reispudding und Salzpopcorn. Weniger erfolgreich liefen: Schokolade-Auberginen Macaroons und Rote Bete.

Malaiische Kueche in aller Munde

2011-02-12T13:45:00.006+11:00

Diese Wochen beginnt in Sydney ein neues Food Festival auf das ich mich besonders freue. Drei Restaurants und viele andere Malaiische Köche haben sich zusammen getan um ihre Kueche einem breiten Publikum zu präsentieren. The Malaysia Kitchen Food Markets wird im Hawker Stil gehalten sein und verspricht authentische Gerichte und Atmosphäre. Dazu wird es nicht nur genügend Essen geben, sondern auch Tanzdarbietungen sowie Kochshows. Ich bin schon sehr gespannt, ich bin bereits Fan von "Mamak", dem Malaiischen Roti Restaurant in der Goulborn Street und wollte immer schon mal ins Chinta-Ria Restaurant (Foto) gehen. Jetzt kommen sie alle zusammen, und ich denke, das wird nach den Chinese New Feierlichkeiten ein weiterer Höhepunkt hier in Sydney werden. Kein geringerer als der bekannte britische Koch Rick Stein, ist einer der Botschafter und möchte mit diesem Event die Malaiische Kueche einem breiteren Publikum bekannt machen.

My Kitchen series

2010-11-19T11:11:00.006+11:00

I was responsible as project editor for the My Kitchen series published by Murdoch Book for the six first books (Easy Gourmet, Dinner with Kids, Slow Cooker, Love the Leftovers, One-pot Wonders, Single Serves, available around Australia and overseas) of that series. After going back to freelancing I worked at the photoshoot for the My Kitchen Vegetarian book which is going to be published in Feb 2011. Photography by Natasha Milne

Weight Watchers Production

2010-11-19T10:59:00.010+11:00

I was commissioned as food editor as well as producer for the food pages in issue 6, 2010.
Photography by Natasha Milne.

Planet Cake class - Exploding stars

2010-05-06T12:30:00.005+10:00

A few weeks ago I participated in a workshop run by cake decorating shop extraordinaire Planet Cake. I was very exhausted after a very full day but learned a lot and was very pleased with the outcome. Tomorrow I'll be doing another class which teaches square cakes and figurines. Stay tuned, I'll post more pics soon.

Orange - Job for Horticulture Australia

2010-04-12T21:38:00.005+10:00

Photography by Craig Cranko

Cherry - Job for Horticulture Australia

2010-04-12T21:29:00.009+10:00

Photography by Craig Cranko

'My Kitchen' hits the bookshelves

2010-04-06T17:19:00.006+10:00

I am very excited as I've been working on a new cookbook series and the first two books are now in the bookstores. It's always quite a long and involving process until the finished book and therefore always so exciting when finally the book is printed and on display.

These are the first two titles in a new, down-to-earth series that deals with many of the kitchen dilemmas and challenges faced by modern men, women and families of all shapes and sizes.
The My Kitchen series is written in a savvy style, packed with recipes that are nutritious, easy, budget-friendly and use only commonly available supermarket ingredients. Each title in the series addresses those who are time poor, or budget conscious so that cooking remains a joy. It celebrates good food, and the simple but important act of taking time to eat well.
This series also recognises the growing awareness of the quality and provenance of the food we eat, featuring fresh food wherever possible, with a license to cheat.

Cake jobs

2010-04-06T12:54:00.005+10:00

I am very excited as I have enrolled again in a Planet Cake class in April and I can't wait to get started. The classes are very popular and you have to be quick to get a spot so I've been lucky to get in. I have always been a fan of cake decorating and Planet Cake but since I worked with Paris Cutler on her Planet Cake book I admire them even more. In the meantime I've been making cakes for kids' birthdays parties so that I am not just spending money :-)

A new bathers' pavillion

2010-03-28T23:53:00.004+11:00

Dafür liebe ich Sydney: dieser Hafen, diese Strände und die Kunst, das alles auch kulinarisch einzubinden. Das Bathers' Pavillion am Balmoral Beach, unter der kulinarischen Leitung des Chefkochs Serge Dansereau (unter anderem auch Kochbuchautor), ist schon lange ein Institution und es gibt nichts schöneres als nach einem langem Strandspaziergang dort einzukehren und bei einem guten Glas Wein und leckerem Lamm den Sonnenuntergang zu geniessen.
Nun gibt es also auch einen in Manly - nicht weniger spektakulär gelegen und mit Sicherheit einen Besuch wert. Zugegebenermaßen wird es nicht billig sein, hier zu speisen aber der Blick ist einfach grandios. Die neuen Chefköche Jonathan Barthelmess und James Parry (er wurde 2009 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year) bieten mediterane Küche an mit dem gewissen australischem Twist und Unverfrorenheit. Erlesene Weine und Cocktails - sie sind ja grad wieder so hip - dürfen natürlich auch nicht fehlen.

Die Eulen sind los

2010-03-28T23:30:00.005+11:00

Okay, dieser Eintrag hat nicht besonders viel mit Kulinarik zu tun aber doch mit den Sinnen, den alles was man auf dem Finders Keepers Market findet, ist von Hand und mit Liebe gemacht. Im May findet der nächste Markt in Carriage Works statt und es ist ein Event was man nicht verpassen sollte. Nicht nur Niedliches wird hier präsentiert, auch Mode-von tragbar bis schräg und Kunst wird hier zur Schau gestellt. Die Eule ist gerade besonders präsent und wohl so etwas wie im Trend. Ich habe mir sagen lassen, das die Eulen es bisher anscheinend nicht weiter als bis Athen geschafft haben, denn in Deutschland sind sie noch nicht angekommen. Dabei sind sie doch so attraktive Geschöpfe, besonders die Exemplare hier oben von: Cocoon, Bride and Wolf und Herbert & Friends.

Vic's meat

2010-03-24T15:52:00.006+11:00

Gehen sie zum Schlachter ihres Vertrauen, wenn sie gutes Fleisch und einige Tipps haben wollen. Victor Churchill im feinen Stadtteil Woollahra oder Vic's meat wie der online Versand heißt, ist nicht nur der beliebteste Schlachter in Sydney, sondern wohl auch der Extravaganteste. Auch ich bestelle mein Fleisch für Produktionen bei Vic's meat und bin damit in bester Gesellschaft. Chefköche und andere Food-Redakteure ordern ebenfalls bevorzugt bei ihm. Dieser Laden ist ein echtes Muss für alle Fleischliebhaber. Von weitem denkt man eher an ein Juweliergeschäft als an Fleischerware. Dieser Showroom stellt alles auf den Kopf. Ich habe wirklich noch nie einen Schlachter gesehen, bei dem das Fleisch besser weg kommt als bei Victor Churchill. Daran hat sicherlich auch die freundliche und gut ausgebildete Belegschaft zu tun, diese Damen und Herren wissen was sie tun und sie tun es mit Leidenschaft. Die Schlachter- und Kochkurse sind ebenfalls sehr beliebt, wenn auch nicht guenstig. Mehr Informationen dazu gibt es hier.

The Real Food Companion

2010-03-10T14:47:00.005+11:00

by Matthew Evans

In The Real Food Companion, renowned food writer Matthew Evans shows us how to ethically source, cook and eat real food. Written with gusto and filled to bursting with information to inspire and a huge range of recipes to nurture the soul and family, The Real Food Companion outlines everything you need to know to navigate today's complex food world. It's the farmer, butcher, fishmonger and baker by your side.
It will appeal to dedicated foodies as well as novice cooks looking for a reliable and up-to-date kitchen companion.

So steht es geschrieben auf unserer Verlagswebsite und ich kann es kaum abwarten, in dem fertigen Buch zu lesen und die Rezepte nach zu kochen. Ich persönlich habe Matthew Evans bereits vor sechs Jahren kennengelernt. Damals war er noch der Chefrestaurantkritiker für den Sydney Morning Herald und ich habe ihn interviewt über die Küche Sydneys. Ein Thema, das ich für die Brigitte 1998 recherchiert und produziert hatte. Gestern hat Matthew uns im Büro bei Murdoch Books besucht und ich hatte somit Gelegenheit mein eigenes Exemplar von ihm signieren zu lassen, und mich dabei ein wenig mit ihm zu unterhalten. Er erinnerte sich sofort daran, dass ich damals bemerkte wie beliebt Rote Bete in Australien sei und Platz findet auf jeder Menükarte, sei es im Cafe oder im feinen Restaurant. Ich liebe Rote Bete und fand das natürlich grandios, besonders da in Deutschland die erdige Knolle leider nicht so häufig zum Star avancieren darf.

'Mamak' in Chinatown

2010-03-03T10:53:00.005+11:00

Wir haben ein neues Lieblingsrestaurant entdeckt: 'Mamak' ein malaysisches Fast-Food Restaurant und 'fast' wird hier wörtlich genommen. Der australische Restaurantkritiker Simon Thompson hat geschrieben, ...dass das Essen schneller auf dem Tisch steht als Michael Schumacher Formel Eins fährt. Und es stimmt, wir waren zum Mittagessen da und das Essen kam ratzefatze. Schon am Eingang bekommt man einen guten Überblick darüber wofür 'Mamak' so bekannt ist: Roti. Auf deutsch würden wir wohl Pfannkuchen dazu sagen. Bei 'Mamak' bekommt man sie entweder pikant gefüllt oder als Nachtisch in Form eines knusprigen Zylinders. Es gibt aber auch andere Köstlichkeiten, so zum Beispiel die Nationalspeise 'Nasi lemak' was soviel wie 'Reis in Sahne' bedeutet. Serviert wird es entweder eingewickelt in Pandang Blätter für Unterwegs oder aufgetischt als Reishaufen in der Mitte, umgeben von anderen Zutaten, wie zum Beispiel frittierte Anchovies, Gurken, gekochtes Ei und natürlich ein scharfes Sambal. Wer kein Bier dazu trinken möchte bestellt milchigen Eis-Tee, entweder aus schwarzem oder grünem Tee. Ist wirklich ganz lecker, allerdings schon ein bischen wie ein Dessert aufgrund des ganzen Zuckers der darin ist.

Chefkoch John Lanzafame eröffnet neues Restaurant

2010-02-02T16:38:00.002+11:00

John Lanzafame, Besitzer und Chefkoch der Lanzafame Trattoria zieht von Star City nach Woolloomooloo (kein Tippfehler!). John Lanzafame ist 2008 bei der Pizza Olympiade in Deutschland (was es alles gibt und auch noch in Deutschland, ich hatte ja keine Ahnung!) Weltmeister geworden und ist hier in Sydney natürlich schon lange kein unbeschriebenes Blatt mehr. Bevor er sein eigenes Resto eröffnete hat er in Pete Evans (auch kein Unbekannter) Restaurant Hugo's als headchef gearbeitet. Lanzafame hat ein Pizzabuch mit Murdoch Books veröffentlicht, das 'Pizza modo mia'. Ich habe noch keine Rezepte nachgekocht und war leider auch nicht beim Testen dabei, aber die Rezpte klingen sehr interessant. Natürlich gibt es die altbekannten, aber es gibt auch etwas ausgefallenere, z.B foot-ling quail confit and roasted fig pizza oder black pudding pizza (nicht das ich ein fan von black pudding bin, aber man kann es ja mal probieren). Foie gras pizza finde ich allerdings pervers, aber die Geschmäcker sind da ja durchaus verschieden...Eine lustige Idee für die nächste Kinderparty ist jedoch, Banana split pizza, da könnten sogar die größeren Kleinen schon mithelfen.

Über gute Vorsätze

2010-01-06T23:28:00.006+11:00

Meine guten Vorsätze für 2010: mehr Blog schreiben. Gesund bleiben und leben-mehr Sport machen. An ganz vielen, tollen Projekten arbeiten, und das Leben genießen.

Melbourne

2009-11-18T22:37:00.007+11:00

Super cooles Cafe in St Kilda in der Nähe der Bahnstation Balaclava. Keine Ahnung wie das Cafe heisst, aber wenn man aus der Station kommt ist es in der nächsten Seitenstrasse links. Ich glaube man kann sogar bereits das Grafitti von der Station aus entdecken. Traumhafter Kaffee mit guter Crema und nicht zu heiss geschäumter, seidiger Milch. Dazu eine sensationell fettige und leckere Nußschnecke, mmh! Ach, daher mein Muffintop!

Laneway in Melbournes Innenstadt

Ich hatte leider gar nicht so viel Zeit für kulinarische Genüsse in Melbourne, da ich diemal aus einem ganz anderem Grund hier war: mal so richtig girlie-mäßig shoppen zu gehen! Alle Sydneysider schwärmen davon, wie toll man in Melbourne shoppen kann und es stimmt. Die Brunswick Street ist mein Favourit. Die Gegend ist schon sehr hip aber, so scheint es, viele Touristen kommen nicht hierher.

Besondere Restaurants habe ich leider nicht besuchen können, aber die laneways in Melbournes Innenstadt sind großartig. Als ich dort saß und meinen Bagel aß, der so voll gestopft war, dass ich mir alles auf meine neuen Schuhe tropfte, fühlte ich mich ein bischen wie in Barcelona oder Hongkong. Interessante Mischung, nur leider rauchen in Melbourne mindestens genauso viele Leute wie in Spanien oder China. Dafür ist das Fahrradfahren sicher angenehmer, alles so schön flach, ach ein bischen wie in Hamburg. Auch das Tramfahren hat mir gefallen, eine super Art der Fortbewegung, allerdings auch nur so lange wie die Dinger sich auch von der Stelle bewegen. Auf unserem Weg zurück ins Hotel blieb unsere Tram stecken, mitten auf der Kreuzung und legte so den ganzen Verkehr lahm und so hieß es dann aussteigen und brav marschieren.