Hi girls (and guys),
If you live within about 10 mins of Melbourne Bayside area and would love to join a monthly cooking group, please let me know!
Rough idea would be that we have about 8 people in the group and someone hosts once a month with every 4th month being a restaurant outing instead. The host would make main course, another person would make entree, another person would make dessert and 1 final person would bring the wine. This would mean each person would make 1 main, 1 entree, 1 dessert and bring wine once a year. Of course we could simplify if this seems too much!
The aim of the group is to have lots of fun, form strong connections and share a love and passion for food and cooking.
Cooking does not have to be of a Michelin star standard obviously, just something a bit more interesting than the every-day meat and 3 veg! I imagine most people in the group will end up being busy mums so we can really only do the best we can around all the other responsibilities we have! Chefs for the night would supply recipes for their dish, talk through any difficult processes in the recipe and generally share the experience with the group.
Please let me know if you would be interested - I would prefer people who really do love their cooking and feel they could commit once a month (barring unforeseen circumstances obviously).
I am hoping to start the group in September - probably on a Tuesday night (although this could be flexible).
Contact me at moomookane@yahoo.com.au if you are interested.
Lisa
x
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sausage Rolls with Hidden Vegies
Who doesn't love a nice sausage roll? I confess I have blatantly stolen this idea from the MasterChef Master Class, but I have changed it slightly so feel I can call the recipe my own now! There are so many great things about this recipe - the first is that kids love it and you can easily hide some vegies within the recipe. The second great thing is that these sausage rolls freeze and reheat beautifully. To achieve this, you should partially cook them for 10-15 mins, then cool completely before freezing. A reheat (after defrosting) will then take about 10 mins just to warm them through. And finally, why not make these with the kids - they are fun and easy to make and something the whole family can get involved in!
So, without further ado, here is the recipe!
Sausage Rolls with Hidden Vegies
1 tbs unsalted butter
2 large carrots, peeled, grated4 handfuls baby spinach1 tbs olive oil
2 small brown onion, finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
800g beef mince
500g pork mince
1 tbs wild oregano
1 tbs Herbs De Provence
4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 x 375g packets frozen puff pastry (Careme brand recommended if you can get it), thawed, halved
3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
Poppy and sesame seeds, to garnish
tomato or BBQ sauce, to serve
So, without further ado, here is the recipe!
Sausage Rolls with Hidden Vegies
1 tbs unsalted butter
2 large carrots, peeled, grated4 handfuls baby spinach1 tbs olive oil
2 small brown onion, finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
800g beef mince
500g pork mince
1 tbs wild oregano
1 tbs Herbs De Provence
4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 x 375g packets frozen puff pastry (Careme brand recommended if you can get it), thawed, halved
3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
Poppy and sesame seeds, to garnish
tomato or BBQ sauce, to serve
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C.
Step 2: Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add grated carrot and cook for until carrot starts to soften. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until very soft. Add spinach and allow to wilt for a minute or so. Puree vegie mixture in a blender until smooth. Season to taste. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 3: Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat, then add onion, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until onion has softened. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and set aside to cool completely.
Step 4: Combine minces, vegetables, dried herbs, onion mixture and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt. Divide the mince mixture into 4 portions and shape into a 25cm log. Place pastry sheet onto a floured work surface and roll to about 4mm thick. Slice each pastry sheet in half lengthways. Place the sausage log across the closest edge of a pastry sheet. Roll to enclose mixture until the two edges of the pastry meet, trim and discard excess pastry. Brush a little egg wash on the join to secure.
Step 5: Place sausage rolls on a lined baking rack, brush with egg wash and sprinkle evenly with seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry. At this point, you can choose to cut the logs into smaller sausage rolls before cooking or to cook the whole log and slice afterwards. Masterchef recommended leaving whole and slicing on an angle after cooking. I personally chose to cut them before cooking as it makes it easier for freezing and also at serving time!
Step 6: Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through (reduce cooking time to 10-15 mins if you are planning to freeze and/or reheat). Slice these on an angle and serve if you haven't cut them prior to cooking.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Cafe Review - Malt Cafe, Beaumaris
So, for my first restaurant/cafe review, I thought I would stick with my "local" and review good old Malt Cafe in the Concourse, Beaumaris.
It took me a while to discover this little gem but I really am so glad I found it. Look, I will be honest, the food isn't always perfect and the menu isn't extensive, but the friendly atmosphere, warm and homely decor and divine chai lattes more than make up for any of the short-comings.
As far as the food goes, I can highly recommend the steak sandwich - I have had it a few times and always enjoy it. The beetroot accompaniment is delicious and the fat chips are rustic and divine. I am not entirely sure about the wisdom of serving anything with beetroot in it on a flat bread board (my friend Samantha will vouch for this), but hey, it looks funky and, as long as you aren't wearing white, it isn't really too risky! The desserts are also yummy but they always seem to run out of the best things quickly so get in early! I have enjoyed a delicious cheesecake and chocolate mud cake there so far, and my 3 year old son adores the "frog in the pond" that is on offer every day. To top it all off, they serve breakfast through till 3pm for all the "brunchies" out there. I would actually like to see the menu extended a bit, but their core dishes are nice and they have great daily specials, so there is always something to choose from.
Malt is a family-friendly cafe - there is a basket of kids toys, crayons etc. for you to use and good options on the menu for all ages of kids. They also have high chairs and room for prams. The service is also good although the "no bill provided, pay at the register behind the cake display" arrangement is slightly odd. Prices are reasonable with several sandwich/pannini options in the $7-$12 bracket and most of the main courses falling between the $15 and $20 mark.
I confess I have had 1 dodgy meal there - the club sandwich was a bit soggy and the chips were soaked in oil but, overall, I have had many good experiences there so I will put this one down to chef having a bad day.
Now, I cannot finish this review without discussing the chai latte in some level of detail. It is absolutely divine. They don't use powder or tea leaves but, instead, they infuse the fresh spices into the honey and tea and create something like I have never tasted anywhere else. The chais are served in a huge cup and they are very rich and spicy so, if you are only moderately keen on chai, you might not like it but, if you love them as much as I do, you will be in chai latte heaven!!! I also love the Chai's at Ricketts Point Cafe so hard to pick a favourite between the 2 as they are both quite different.
Overall, Moo Moo Kane rates Malt Cafe a 7 out of 10 as far as cafes go - a pleasant experience and well worth a visit if you live close by.
It took me a while to discover this little gem but I really am so glad I found it. Look, I will be honest, the food isn't always perfect and the menu isn't extensive, but the friendly atmosphere, warm and homely decor and divine chai lattes more than make up for any of the short-comings.
As far as the food goes, I can highly recommend the steak sandwich - I have had it a few times and always enjoy it. The beetroot accompaniment is delicious and the fat chips are rustic and divine. I am not entirely sure about the wisdom of serving anything with beetroot in it on a flat bread board (my friend Samantha will vouch for this), but hey, it looks funky and, as long as you aren't wearing white, it isn't really too risky! The desserts are also yummy but they always seem to run out of the best things quickly so get in early! I have enjoyed a delicious cheesecake and chocolate mud cake there so far, and my 3 year old son adores the "frog in the pond" that is on offer every day. To top it all off, they serve breakfast through till 3pm for all the "brunchies" out there. I would actually like to see the menu extended a bit, but their core dishes are nice and they have great daily specials, so there is always something to choose from.
Malt is a family-friendly cafe - there is a basket of kids toys, crayons etc. for you to use and good options on the menu for all ages of kids. They also have high chairs and room for prams. The service is also good although the "no bill provided, pay at the register behind the cake display" arrangement is slightly odd. Prices are reasonable with several sandwich/pannini options in the $7-$12 bracket and most of the main courses falling between the $15 and $20 mark.
I confess I have had 1 dodgy meal there - the club sandwich was a bit soggy and the chips were soaked in oil but, overall, I have had many good experiences there so I will put this one down to chef having a bad day.
Now, I cannot finish this review without discussing the chai latte in some level of detail. It is absolutely divine. They don't use powder or tea leaves but, instead, they infuse the fresh spices into the honey and tea and create something like I have never tasted anywhere else. The chais are served in a huge cup and they are very rich and spicy so, if you are only moderately keen on chai, you might not like it but, if you love them as much as I do, you will be in chai latte heaven!!! I also love the Chai's at Ricketts Point Cafe so hard to pick a favourite between the 2 as they are both quite different.
Overall, Moo Moo Kane rates Malt Cafe a 7 out of 10 as far as cafes go - a pleasant experience and well worth a visit if you live close by.
Mum's Group High Tea Delights!
As usual, I spent this Wednesday having a fantastic afternoon tea get-together with my mum's group. It was at my house this week so therefore, up to me to provide the yummy food offerings.
I was feeling like a challenge and hugely inspired by my new "Women's Weekly High Tea" cook-book, so attempted a 3-tier High Tea extravaganza. Ok, so I doubt that Donna Hay would have given me 10 out of 10 for presentation but, for me, this was a pretty good effort and I was really proud of how it all looked!!!
On the top tier, I had some love
ly Pistachio Macaroons filled with a Honey and White Chocolate Ganache (WW High Tea Cookbook). I had made these once before and must confess my 1st attempt looked nicer, but these still tasted pretty yummy...definitely not recommended for diabetics though! They are so sweet and chewy...Yum!!!
Second tier was my own creation of Five-Spice Infused Chocolate Ganache Tarts - this involved infusing cream with traditional five-spice and then making a standard dark chocolate ganache with the five-spice cream base (see full recipe below). Sadly I had about 100gms too much dark chocolate in the mix so it was a little bit rich, but I think the idea is still good with some minor adjustments. It is a hard one to describe but you just have to try and imagine the warmth of the subtle spices coming through under the veil of the rich dark chocolate. The flavours linger on the palate and it is easy to draw out the individual spices if you search for them.
The bottom tier was Apple Cinnamon Tea Loaves with Spiced Honey Cream (from WW High Tea Cookbook but I added 2 chopped apples to the cake mix). I also made some delicious sausage rolls (recipe on Master Chef website and a future blog) and it was all topped off with champagne on ice.
What a fantastic way to spend a Wednesday afternoon! Delicious!!! Now, if only we could hire babysitters for the next one ;-)
Five-Spice Infused Chocolate Ganache Tarts
I have shared this recipe as I think the idea of infusing five-spice is really special for desserts. It adds an Asian feel to the dish and creates a subtle but different flavour combination. I originally got this idea from a gorgeous honey and five spice panna cotta I made from my Thai cook-book, but I think the idea can be used very creatively across a few different areas.
PASTRY CASES
1 and 3/4 cups (260g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar
185g cold butter, chopped coarsely
1 egg yolk
2 tsp iced water (approximately)
FILLING
400 mls double cream
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
4 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1/2 teaspoon szechuan pepper
150-200gms good quality dark chocolate (Lindt or similar) depending on how chocolatey you want it (you can always start with 150gms then add more to taste)
PASTRY CASES
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Step 2: Process flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. With motor operating, add egg yolk and enough of the water to make ingredients come together.
Step 3: Turn dough onto floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 mins.
Step 4: Grease a 24 hole mini-muffin pan. Roll out half the pastry (to ensure it doesn't become too warm to handle) between sheets of baking paper until about 3mm thick. Use a medium scone cutter to cut rounds to fit in muffin holes. Press into holes and price bases well with a fork. Repeat with remaining pastry.
Step 5: Bake cases for about 8-12 minutes depending on your oven. Remove when golden brown and cooked through. Stand cases 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
FILLING
Step 1: Dry roast spices over low heat until fragrant. Bruise with rolling pin or in mortar and pestle to release flavour.
Step 2: Heat cream with roasted spices over low heat for 10 minutes without letting it come to the boil. Remove from heat, cover and allow to infuse for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (preferably overnight).
Step 3: Bring infused cream to the boil slowly then pour over chopped chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Pour into pastry cases and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve topped with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
I was feeling like a challenge and hugely inspired by my new "Women's Weekly High Tea" cook-book, so attempted a 3-tier High Tea extravaganza. Ok, so I doubt that Donna Hay would have given me 10 out of 10 for presentation but, for me, this was a pretty good effort and I was really proud of how it all looked!!!
On the top tier, I had some love
ly Pistachio Macaroons filled with a Honey and White Chocolate Ganache (WW High Tea Cookbook). I had made these once before and must confess my 1st attempt looked nicer, but these still tasted pretty yummy...definitely not recommended for diabetics though! They are so sweet and chewy...Yum!!!Second tier was my own creation of Five-Spice Infused Chocolate Ganache Tarts - this involved infusing cream with traditional five-spice and then making a standard dark chocolate ganache with the five-spice cream base (see full recipe below). Sadly I had about 100gms too much dark chocolate in the mix so it was a little bit rich, but I think the idea is still good with some minor adjustments. It is a hard one to describe but you just have to try and imagine the warmth of the subtle spices coming through under the veil of the rich dark chocolate. The flavours linger on the palate and it is easy to draw out the individual spices if you search for them.
The bottom tier was Apple Cinnamon Tea Loaves with Spiced Honey Cream (from WW High Tea Cookbook but I added 2 chopped apples to the cake mix). I also made some delicious sausage rolls (recipe on Master Chef website and a future blog) and it was all topped off with champagne on ice.
What a fantastic way to spend a Wednesday afternoon! Delicious!!! Now, if only we could hire babysitters for the next one ;-)
Five-Spice Infused Chocolate Ganache Tarts
I have shared this recipe as I think the idea of infusing five-spice is really special for desserts. It adds an Asian feel to the dish and creates a subtle but different flavour combination. I originally got this idea from a gorgeous honey and five spice panna cotta I made from my Thai cook-book, but I think the idea can be used very creatively across a few different areas.
PASTRY CASES
1 and 3/4 cups (260g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar
185g cold butter, chopped coarsely
1 egg yolk
2 tsp iced water (approximately)
FILLING
400 mls double cream
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
4 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1/2 teaspoon szechuan pepper
150-200gms good quality dark chocolate (Lindt or similar) depending on how chocolatey you want it (you can always start with 150gms then add more to taste)
PASTRY CASES
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Step 2: Process flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. With motor operating, add egg yolk and enough of the water to make ingredients come together.
Step 3: Turn dough onto floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 mins.
Step 4: Grease a 24 hole mini-muffin pan. Roll out half the pastry (to ensure it doesn't become too warm to handle) between sheets of baking paper until about 3mm thick. Use a medium scone cutter to cut rounds to fit in muffin holes. Press into holes and price bases well with a fork. Repeat with remaining pastry.
Step 5: Bake cases for about 8-12 minutes depending on your oven. Remove when golden brown and cooked through. Stand cases 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
FILLING
Step 1: Dry roast spices over low heat until fragrant. Bruise with rolling pin or in mortar and pestle to release flavour.
Step 2: Heat cream with roasted spices over low heat for 10 minutes without letting it come to the boil. Remove from heat, cover and allow to infuse for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (preferably overnight).
Step 3: Bring infused cream to the boil slowly then pour over chopped chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Pour into pastry cases and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve topped with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Introducing the Totally Fabulous Moo Moo Kane
Hi everyone,
Well, it is the first post for my new blog...how nerve-wracking is that...the pressure...if I don't make this interesting then no one will ever read it again!
So, do I entice you with my amazing knowledge and wisdom of food? Or dazzle you with my fantastic sense of humour? Or woo you with my intelligent vocabulary and amazing sentence structure. Haha, if only I could offer those 3 as readily as I might like to...never mind, I think I will just write from my heart and hope some of you like it.
So, I am guessing the first question is..."Why on earth did you choose such a weird name for your blog? I would love to tell you it has a strong link to my past, and evokes wonderful, warm, fuzzy feelings of cooking with my mum or grandma, but all of that would just be a big fat lie. Basically the name just jumped into my head when I decided to write the blog, and I decided it would be absurd to ignore a name that was so incredibly weird, yet featured so strongly in my thoughts. Besides, the alternative was "Lisa's Cooking Journey" or something similarly boring so I think Moo Moo will provide a far more interesting alternative! To be honest, I don't even know quite who (or what) Moo Moo Kane is yet, but I think we will discover more about her (or him) as we take the journey!
Which brings me to the second question...what is the journey? Well, again, not really sure...I just know that I love food and I love writing, so I want to try bringing them the two together and see how it goes. What I can say is that I love learning and trying new dishes, I will cook almost anything and I would love to share my experiences with anyone who wants to listen. Let's hope that is enough!
I think the structure of it all will evolve over time but, for now, I will aim to write up one semi-fancy recipe, one recipe suitable for the whole family and a general hotch potch of reviews, food thoughts etc. each week. Having said that, I am a busy mum so might not always achieve this...I can only promise to try!
So, let's get onto the real stuff, let the adventures begin...welcome to the world of Moo Moo Kane!
Well, it is the first post for my new blog...how nerve-wracking is that...the pressure...if I don't make this interesting then no one will ever read it again!
So, do I entice you with my amazing knowledge and wisdom of food? Or dazzle you with my fantastic sense of humour? Or woo you with my intelligent vocabulary and amazing sentence structure. Haha, if only I could offer those 3 as readily as I might like to...never mind, I think I will just write from my heart and hope some of you like it.
So, I am guessing the first question is..."Why on earth did you choose such a weird name for your blog? I would love to tell you it has a strong link to my past, and evokes wonderful, warm, fuzzy feelings of cooking with my mum or grandma, but all of that would just be a big fat lie. Basically the name just jumped into my head when I decided to write the blog, and I decided it would be absurd to ignore a name that was so incredibly weird, yet featured so strongly in my thoughts. Besides, the alternative was "Lisa's Cooking Journey" or something similarly boring so I think Moo Moo will provide a far more interesting alternative! To be honest, I don't even know quite who (or what) Moo Moo Kane is yet, but I think we will discover more about her (or him) as we take the journey!
Which brings me to the second question...what is the journey? Well, again, not really sure...I just know that I love food and I love writing, so I want to try bringing them the two together and see how it goes. What I can say is that I love learning and trying new dishes, I will cook almost anything and I would love to share my experiences with anyone who wants to listen. Let's hope that is enough!
I think the structure of it all will evolve over time but, for now, I will aim to write up one semi-fancy recipe, one recipe suitable for the whole family and a general hotch potch of reviews, food thoughts etc. each week. Having said that, I am a busy mum so might not always achieve this...I can only promise to try!
So, let's get onto the real stuff, let the adventures begin...welcome to the world of Moo Moo Kane!
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