This blog will still remain here as always, but now will not continue to be updated with posts.
To find my new site with fresh content, a new look and it's own URL head over to...
http://furikakeme.net
Thanks to all who have continued to visit this page, I appreciate it immensely, and I hope you'll enjoy the new page even more!
Camellia.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Monday, 5 August 2013
Not A Recipe - Travels to Japan!
So last month I had my mid year uni break and embarked upon a holiday with a group of my close girl friends to Japan! We traveled for just short of three weeks and stayed in four cities with some day trips along the way. We began in Tokyo and spent a lot of time exploring the districts, next was Hakone a spa town and "place for honeymooners" so we were told, then Kyoto with bike riding, the Gion Matsuri festival and countless beautiful temples with a finale in Osaka home of kuiadore; a term that essentially means "to eat until you can no longer eat anymore".
Day trips to Mt Fuji, Nara and Kobe (yes there was beef involved) also happened. And a ride on the infamous shinkansen = bullet train. Probably one of the highlights aside from the beautiful culture and amazing food. I thought I'd just share a few of my favourite food snaps from the trip here, I'll try to be concise.
Gyudon (shaved beef and onion over rice) with cod roe mayo and pickled mustard leaves.
Glorious cold soba noodles, at cold noodles nearly every day! Sooo good when it's 35 and 80% humidity out.
Still haven't been able to figure out what these were! But one of my favourite things, they were like pancakes rolled up on a stick, they had tempura bits on them and were covered in okonomiyaki sauce and mayo. So delicious! Everywhere at the Gion Matsuri festival.
Fried beancurd at a little eatery in the markets in Kyoto. Ate the whole thing along with my daily dose of cold noodles.
Gloriously rich, buttery, melting beefy Kobe beef in Kobe! We opted for the "special kobe beef set" which was a 200g sirloin cut.
Modanyaki in Osaka, okonomiyaki's evil cousin filled with yakisoba! So crazy big and delicious.
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An Osakan speciality, takoyaki! Little grilled balls of batter filled with octopus and other fillings of choice topped with a sweet tangy (okonomiyaki) sauce, mayo and bonito flakes.
My favourite daily staple alongside cold noodles, onigiri! Could get these for about $1-2 depending on filling choice from the convenience stores. And they had a genius wrapping system which let the seaweed stay separate from the rice until it was time to eat so it was always crispy!
Day trips to Mt Fuji, Nara and Kobe (yes there was beef involved) also happened. And a ride on the infamous shinkansen = bullet train. Probably one of the highlights aside from the beautiful culture and amazing food. I thought I'd just share a few of my favourite food snaps from the trip here, I'll try to be concise.
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Monday, 1 July 2013
Haloumi Haloumi Haloumi!
Glorious, squeaky, salty, tasty haloumi!
I had a friend visit recently who mentioned to me that she currently had a slightly shameful addiction to haloumi. Ever since mentioning it, I just couldn't get haloumi off my mind! I was feeling especially peckish one morning and decided to do something brunch-ey with it. It was particularly sunny and I was feeling inspired by the current cafe trend of putting stuff on ciabatta bread. This was the result:
2 thick slices of ciabatta
1/2 an avocado
1 handful of rocket
4 thick slices of haloumi
sea salt flakes (because you're fancy like that)
pepper
olive oil to drizzle
Fry the little haloumi babies in a pan over medium heat until brown on both sides and sufficiently gooey.
Tear up rocket and smash it through the avocado, add some salt and pepper.
Toast or grill your bread.
Slather the avocado rocket mix over the grilled bread and top with slices of haloumi.
Garnish with salt, pepper, olive oil and some rocket leaves (if you want to be fancy like that).
Photograph for instagram, because it's totally worthy.
I had a friend visit recently who mentioned to me that she currently had a slightly shameful addiction to haloumi. Ever since mentioning it, I just couldn't get haloumi off my mind! I was feeling especially peckish one morning and decided to do something brunch-ey with it. It was particularly sunny and I was feeling inspired by the current cafe trend of putting stuff on ciabatta bread. This was the result:
 |
| Couldn't even manage a straight photo I wanted to eat it so bad. |
Rocket Smashed Avocado and Grilled Haloumi
Serves 1 of me.2 thick slices of ciabatta
1/2 an avocado
1 handful of rocket
4 thick slices of haloumi
sea salt flakes (because you're fancy like that)
pepper
olive oil to drizzle
Fry the little haloumi babies in a pan over medium heat until brown on both sides and sufficiently gooey.
Tear up rocket and smash it through the avocado, add some salt and pepper.
Toast or grill your bread.
Slather the avocado rocket mix over the grilled bread and top with slices of haloumi.
Garnish with salt, pepper, olive oil and some rocket leaves (if you want to be fancy like that).
Photograph for instagram, because it's totally worthy.
Hearty Eggplant Parmigiana Bake
I go through phases of being addicted to certain foods. Currently I'm completely stuck on eggplant. Soft and creamy when it's cooked properly, it's amazing how rich tasting a vegetable can be! And it's good for ya, so it's a win-win situation for me really. I end up eating it religiously for a few weeks then move on to the next thing, but it comes back around every few months, like an old loyal friend. Oh eggplant.
Anywho, I've done the eggplant schnitzel thang, and I felt it was time to layer and bake. I ate it like lasagne, with some veg on the side the first time but then realised, hey, eggplant is a vegetable, why double up? I made up for that by adding a ton of mozzarella ;)
1 large eggplant
1 700ml jar tomato passata
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pinch thyme (dried or fresh
250g grated or slice mozzarellla
1 handful of breadcrumbs (optional)
salt & pepper
olive oil
Slice eggplant in to ~1.5cm slices, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill under a medium heat in oven or on stove top until colored and nearly cooked through.
Meanwhile, saute the sliced garlic in olive oil for a few moments, add passata, thyme, salt and pepper, and let it bubble away on a low heat reducing slightly.
Layer sauce, eggplant and cheese in a medium baking dish (I used a square cake tin), in that order, and repeat ending with a layer of sauce, cheese then breadcrumbs if desired.
Bake at 200°c for about 20mins or until golden on top and eggplant is melting and soft.
Rest for 10mins before serving or it will slop everywhere.
PS: It's even better re-heated.
Anywho, I've done the eggplant schnitzel thang, and I felt it was time to layer and bake. I ate it like lasagne, with some veg on the side the first time but then realised, hey, eggplant is a vegetable, why double up? I made up for that by adding a ton of mozzarella ;)
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
Serves 41 large eggplant
1 700ml jar tomato passata
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pinch thyme (dried or fresh
250g grated or slice mozzarellla
1 handful of breadcrumbs (optional)
salt & pepper
olive oil
Slice eggplant in to ~1.5cm slices, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill under a medium heat in oven or on stove top until colored and nearly cooked through.
Meanwhile, saute the sliced garlic in olive oil for a few moments, add passata, thyme, salt and pepper, and let it bubble away on a low heat reducing slightly.
Layer sauce, eggplant and cheese in a medium baking dish (I used a square cake tin), in that order, and repeat ending with a layer of sauce, cheese then breadcrumbs if desired.
Bake at 200°c for about 20mins or until golden on top and eggplant is melting and soft.
Rest for 10mins before serving or it will slop everywhere.
PS: It's even better re-heated.
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Winter Warmers - Slow Ham Bone Soup
Recently I picked up some weekend work at a lovely restaurant in the city. The boss has a marvelous personality and the food is delectable. It's been interesting getting to know how things go in food service, as I have visited many restaurants but never before worked in one. Working around food fortunately comes with some delicious perks like the little table by the kitchen door that treats of extras appear on for the waitstaff to nibble. And, as the place closes on Sunday and Monday, the staff get any leftover ingredients to take home as they wish.
Last week I picked up a bag of ham bones and bacon/salami trimmings, and in the spirit of the cold weather made a delightfully hearty pork soup with melting pieces of smoked ham, cabbage, butter beans and potato. The pork was reminiscent of the boiling bacon my dad used to cook up on cool nights, served with sauerkraut and mustard.
I added some fennel seeds for a lighter flavour and after being cooked for the 3-4hrs they turned soft and palatable, weakening in aroma. Surprisingly yum.
1 meaty leftover ham bone, or 1 smoked pork hock
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
~5 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a pinch of fennel seeds (optional)
400g cooked butter beans, or 1 handful dry
~1 cup chopped cabbage (any type really, just not chinese)
2 large potatoes, chopped in to chunks
Add the pork, onion, garlic, pepper, bay, fennel and (if using) dry beans to a large pot. Fill with water until the hock is covered. Don't add salt at this stage as the meat should be seasoned which will draw out in to the soup as it cooks, also it will mess up the bean cooking process.
Bring to the boil and skim if needed, turn to low and simmer for 3-4hrs or until the meat is tender and the beans are cooked. But don't forget...
About half an hour before ready to serve, increase the heat and add the potato, then 5 minutes prior add the cabbage. Boil until softened. Break the meat off and remove the bones. Leave the peppercorns for your least favourite guest.
Pour in to a bowl and enjoy on the sofa wrapped in a blanket.
Last week I picked up a bag of ham bones and bacon/salami trimmings, and in the spirit of the cold weather made a delightfully hearty pork soup with melting pieces of smoked ham, cabbage, butter beans and potato. The pork was reminiscent of the boiling bacon my dad used to cook up on cool nights, served with sauerkraut and mustard.
I added some fennel seeds for a lighter flavour and after being cooked for the 3-4hrs they turned soft and palatable, weakening in aroma. Surprisingly yum.
Ham Bone Soup
Serves 41 meaty leftover ham bone, or 1 smoked pork hock
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
~5 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a pinch of fennel seeds (optional)
400g cooked butter beans, or 1 handful dry
~1 cup chopped cabbage (any type really, just not chinese)
2 large potatoes, chopped in to chunks
Add the pork, onion, garlic, pepper, bay, fennel and (if using) dry beans to a large pot. Fill with water until the hock is covered. Don't add salt at this stage as the meat should be seasoned which will draw out in to the soup as it cooks, also it will mess up the bean cooking process.
Bring to the boil and skim if needed, turn to low and simmer for 3-4hrs or until the meat is tender and the beans are cooked. But don't forget...
About half an hour before ready to serve, increase the heat and add the potato, then 5 minutes prior add the cabbage. Boil until softened. Break the meat off and remove the bones. Leave the peppercorns for your least favourite guest.
Pour in to a bowl and enjoy on the sofa wrapped in a blanket.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Slow Braised Chinese Pork Belly
Every time I visit a chinese restaurant I always make sure pork belly is on order. I'm completely addicted to the melting fat and tender soft meat, all soaked in the flavours of star anise, soy, ginger and garlic. I had an intense craving the other day and decided to recreate some at home.
After a brief panic attack because the supermarkets were closed due to a public holiday (damn SA trading laws), I surprisingly found some belly cuts at my local foodland corner store. Chuffed, I trotted home and started preparing. Threw in some bok choy too because I figured I should probably eat some sort of greenery after all that pork fat.
4 generous slices of pork belly, about 500g
(alternatively, buy a whole piece of belly and slice 3-4cm thick)
1 small knob ginger
4 cloves garlic
8 spring onions
2 star anise
4tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp shao xing cooking wine (about $2 a bottle at any Chinese grocer)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (you can leave this out if it's too much trouble)
steamed rice and bokchoy to serve
Slice ginger in to discs and spring onions in to 5cm batons. Place all ingredients in to a pot that the meat fits snuggly (but not too snug) in.
Cover with water so the meat is submerged and bring to the boil slowly on the stove. Turn down to a gentle simmer and leave for approximately 2hrs, or until the meat is tender, but not falling apart.
Retrieve the meat, and strain sauce if desired. You can also thicken with a little cornflour mixed with water, however I like the runny but rich gelatinous taste.
Serve over steamed rice with greens and remain blissfully ignorant to the thought of eating streaks of melting tender pork fat.
After a brief panic attack because the supermarkets were closed due to a public holiday (damn SA trading laws), I surprisingly found some belly cuts at my local foodland corner store. Chuffed, I trotted home and started preparing. Threw in some bok choy too because I figured I should probably eat some sort of greenery after all that pork fat.
Chinese Braised Pork Belly
serves 44 generous slices of pork belly, about 500g
(alternatively, buy a whole piece of belly and slice 3-4cm thick)
1 small knob ginger
4 cloves garlic
8 spring onions
2 star anise
4tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp shao xing cooking wine (about $2 a bottle at any Chinese grocer)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (you can leave this out if it's too much trouble)
steamed rice and bokchoy to serve
Slice ginger in to discs and spring onions in to 5cm batons. Place all ingredients in to a pot that the meat fits snuggly (but not too snug) in.
Cover with water so the meat is submerged and bring to the boil slowly on the stove. Turn down to a gentle simmer and leave for approximately 2hrs, or until the meat is tender, but not falling apart.
Retrieve the meat, and strain sauce if desired. You can also thicken with a little cornflour mixed with water, however I like the runny but rich gelatinous taste.
Serve over steamed rice with greens and remain blissfully ignorant to the thought of eating streaks of melting tender pork fat.
Indulgent Peanut Butter and Nutella Crepe Cake
I made this cake for my birthday just recently. I'd wanted to make a crepe cake for a long time but the thought of making that many crepes freaked me out so much that I constantly put it off. Then, not long ago I visited a dessert bar with crepe cake on the menu which was deeelicious and made up my mind that I was going to conquer the beast.
Now, I'm warning you, this cake has a disgustingly large amount of butter in it, so if you're health conscious, best look away now. Also, I apologise to my friends who ate this on that weekend...
I did get some comments about it tasting like a giant Reeses peanut butter cup, which I was pleased about since they began my love for PB and chocolate many years ago.
The crepe's are chocolate and made from a martha stewart recipe for her crepe cake with a (very complicated) delicious looking hazelnut filling. The PB and nutella are my creation adapted from frosting recipes. You'll want to set it in the fridge after making it, but if the weather permits then leave it out at a cool room temperature otherwise the crepes harden up and it's less fun. Best eaten within a few days.
Apologies for the wonky photos, it was my birthday and I was so excited to eat the cake I could barely manage pictures.
170g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar (caster, raw, whatever you please)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk
200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method
Heat 1/4 cup of water over the stove and whisk in butter 1 cube at a time until all emulsified. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate until all melted and incorporated. Set aside momentarily.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk till combine, slowly add the milk until a smooth but runny batter forms. Grab the chocolate mixture that's been cooling and whisk in vigorously until it resembles a delicious chocolate drink. Don't drink it though, it's pretty tempting.
Let that baby rest for a couple hours or overnight if you want to make it in advance.
Take a break and watch some trashy daytime television.
Next step, cook the crepe's spooning a small ladle full in to the pan and swirling to spread. The first will always be a disaster so don't be disheartened. Also if you make lots of ugly ones, not to fret either, you can hide them in the middle of your cake ;)
I ended up with about 22 crepes (convenient since I was turning 22!) you may have a few more, or a few less, which is fine.
While the crepe's cool, make the fillings by beating the butter with sugar, salt, and vanilla until fluffy then adding the PB/nutella and beating a few minutes longer until it's all mixed in and aerated.
Now comes the fun part! Start layering with a crepe first, then alternate layers of PB and nutella filling, allowing one very heaping tablespoon for each layer. Top with a layer of filling or just leave the crepe bare. You can also sprinkle with grated chocolate or cocoa powder. I left mine with PB :)
Slice, and marvel at the glorious stripes!
Now, I'm warning you, this cake has a disgustingly large amount of butter in it, so if you're health conscious, best look away now. Also, I apologise to my friends who ate this on that weekend...
I did get some comments about it tasting like a giant Reeses peanut butter cup, which I was pleased about since they began my love for PB and chocolate many years ago.
The crepe's are chocolate and made from a martha stewart recipe for her crepe cake with a (very complicated) delicious looking hazelnut filling. The PB and nutella are my creation adapted from frosting recipes. You'll want to set it in the fridge after making it, but if the weather permits then leave it out at a cool room temperature otherwise the crepes harden up and it's less fun. Best eaten within a few days.
Apologies for the wonky photos, it was my birthday and I was so excited to eat the cake I could barely manage pictures.
 |
| ermagerd! cake! |
Chocolate Crepes
1/4 cup water170g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar (caster, raw, whatever you please)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk
Peanut Butter Filling
1 cup smooth peanut butter200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Nutella Filling
1 cup nutella200g butter
2 cups icing sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method
Heat 1/4 cup of water over the stove and whisk in butter 1 cube at a time until all emulsified. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate until all melted and incorporated. Set aside momentarily.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk till combine, slowly add the milk until a smooth but runny batter forms. Grab the chocolate mixture that's been cooling and whisk in vigorously until it resembles a delicious chocolate drink. Don't drink it though, it's pretty tempting.
Let that baby rest for a couple hours or overnight if you want to make it in advance.
Take a break and watch some trashy daytime television.
Next step, cook the crepe's spooning a small ladle full in to the pan and swirling to spread. The first will always be a disaster so don't be disheartened. Also if you make lots of ugly ones, not to fret either, you can hide them in the middle of your cake ;)
I ended up with about 22 crepes (convenient since I was turning 22!) you may have a few more, or a few less, which is fine.
While the crepe's cool, make the fillings by beating the butter with sugar, salt, and vanilla until fluffy then adding the PB/nutella and beating a few minutes longer until it's all mixed in and aerated.
Now comes the fun part! Start layering with a crepe first, then alternate layers of PB and nutella filling, allowing one very heaping tablespoon for each layer. Top with a layer of filling or just leave the crepe bare. You can also sprinkle with grated chocolate or cocoa powder. I left mine with PB :)
Slice, and marvel at the glorious stripes!
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