I went to Mexico City for my spring break which was last week. This came about because my sousin from London is traveling in Mexico and invited me to join her. She has friends scattered in various parts of the country so I got to stay with friends of hers whilst there. Here are some highlights of my trip:
1. Getting to know Adriana, Fernanda, Jorge, and Aldo. I stayed at their lovely home in the very middle class suburb of Satelite. They made me feel like a part of their family. It was so wonderful to be in a foreign country and have warm, friendly souls open up their home to you.
2. Practicing my Spanish, which I admit is appalling, but I did enjoy being able to speak it and be understood.
3. Diego Rivera's murals - oh, what a treat, what a sensational experience - to stand in front of the enormous murals - MAN, CONTROLLER OF THE UNIVERSE - and the other famous ones - and to try to absorb them. Also enjoyed seeing Orozco's and Siquiero's murals.
4. The pyramids in Teotihuacan and being able to climb to the top!
5. The Templo Mayor and the Anthropological Museum - where I learned about the Aztecs and Mayans.
6. Frido Kahlo's Casa Azul - that was almost a spiritual experience.
7. The hospitality and friendliness of the Mexican people.
I'll blog more about my trip when I have a little more time!!
05 April 2010
28 February 2010
Red Lentil Soup
It's such a wonderful time of year in Santa Barbara. Because of a whole lotta rain this year, the landscape is a lush green. The mountain slopes look gorgeous and the wild flowers are bountiful - especially the lupines. You see purple carpets of these delightful flowers all over the place. In our garden all the deciduous trees are blossoming, the heady scent of flowering jasmin surrounds the house, and the fragrant wisteria is flowering. We've been sipping wine in the jacuzzi late in the day and enjoying the calm early spring evenings. We've also done some beach walks to watch the sun set into the Pacific. At this time of the year I always feel a great appreciation for living where I do.
There've been quite a few food events recently to write about. Because of the terrific rain in our area, the chanterelle mushrooms have been plentiful. If only I knew where to go foraging for them! However, we can get then for under $10 a pound right now. I bought 5 pounds of these yellow beauties last week and have been enjoying heavenly meals everyday - chanterelles in fresh pasta, chanterelles in rissoto, pan roasted chanterelles added to a stew of pinto beans and potatoes with Indian spices, and just plain sauteed chanterelles on crusty bread. Wow! What a feast!
My book group met at my place last week. We had read Anthony Bourdain's A CHEF'S TOUR. It was a book about Bourdain's search for the perfect meal in the whole world. He traveled far and wide - to famous, well trammeled cities and to remote back of beyond hamlets. His adventurous nature and appreciation of the world's diverse people led him to trying out some pretty wild dishes. I won't go into that! The book was a reasonably good read. More of a cultural journey than a book about food. He concluded that there was no such thing as the perfect meal!!
For our meeting I served a red lentil soup (for which there was wild enthusiasm), a leek tart, and salad. For dessert we had spicy apple cake. Everyone wanted the recipe for the soup, so here it is:
You need: a cup of red lentils, a medium sized yam (or sweet potato), half a red onion, a tablespoon of fresh ginger and garlic (ground), a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, half a teaspoon cayenne, half a teaspoon tumeric, and salt.
I used my pressure cooker to make this and it took less than half an hour!
Sautee onion in a saucepan, add cubed yams, and all the rest of the ingredients. Add 4 cups of water (or stock), and let this all cook together for about 20 minutes (8 minutes in a pressure cooker). When the yams are soft, use a hand blender to blend the soup mixture. Taste for seasoning. Add canola oil (or butter) into the soup. When serving top with some plain white yogurt and chopped cilantro (fresh coriander). This soup serves 5 - 6 people for a first course. It's a great one for the winter months.
I'm beginning to think about our spring garden. Hard to believe that it's already March.
There've been quite a few food events recently to write about. Because of the terrific rain in our area, the chanterelle mushrooms have been plentiful. If only I knew where to go foraging for them! However, we can get then for under $10 a pound right now. I bought 5 pounds of these yellow beauties last week and have been enjoying heavenly meals everyday - chanterelles in fresh pasta, chanterelles in rissoto, pan roasted chanterelles added to a stew of pinto beans and potatoes with Indian spices, and just plain sauteed chanterelles on crusty bread. Wow! What a feast!
My book group met at my place last week. We had read Anthony Bourdain's A CHEF'S TOUR. It was a book about Bourdain's search for the perfect meal in the whole world. He traveled far and wide - to famous, well trammeled cities and to remote back of beyond hamlets. His adventurous nature and appreciation of the world's diverse people led him to trying out some pretty wild dishes. I won't go into that! The book was a reasonably good read. More of a cultural journey than a book about food. He concluded that there was no such thing as the perfect meal!!
For our meeting I served a red lentil soup (for which there was wild enthusiasm), a leek tart, and salad. For dessert we had spicy apple cake. Everyone wanted the recipe for the soup, so here it is:
You need: a cup of red lentils, a medium sized yam (or sweet potato), half a red onion, a tablespoon of fresh ginger and garlic (ground), a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, half a teaspoon cayenne, half a teaspoon tumeric, and salt.
I used my pressure cooker to make this and it took less than half an hour!
Sautee onion in a saucepan, add cubed yams, and all the rest of the ingredients. Add 4 cups of water (or stock), and let this all cook together for about 20 minutes (8 minutes in a pressure cooker). When the yams are soft, use a hand blender to blend the soup mixture. Taste for seasoning. Add canola oil (or butter) into the soup. When serving top with some plain white yogurt and chopped cilantro (fresh coriander). This soup serves 5 - 6 people for a first course. It's a great one for the winter months.
I'm beginning to think about our spring garden. Hard to believe that it's already March.
15 February 2010
Glimpses of spring in Feb
It's a beautiful day - warm, sunny, cloudless sky, and a hint of a breeze. A perfect spring day in mid February to reassure us in Southern Cal that winter is on its way out. Yesterday, Valentine's Day, Daryl, his sister Glynis visiting from England, and I drove down to Los Angeles. Daryl and I have decided that the idea of "someone" telling us that we should be romantic on February 14 is ludicrous. So we spent the day enjoying Venice Beach and Santa Monica instead. Most of LA was out and about and there was a very summerlike atmosphere around. The highlight of the day was going to India Sweets and Spices to stock up on Indian groceries.
So, here's the funny thing. I've always been an adventurous cook, but steered away from Indian cuisine. Even though I love Indian food and was raised on it, I favored an Italian kitchen. Then something changed a few years ago. I met my wonderful, wonderful friend Premi. She is passionate about cooking and actually ran a restaurant for a few years. She, like me, is Asian Indian and grew up in South Africa, where Indians developed their own special cuisine from local ingredients. Premi has inspired me to reach out to my Indian roots and now most of the food I make is stuff I've learned from her.
I'm going to share in this blog one of my favorite recipes from her. It's for a rich, flavorful bread called Dokla which originated in the Indian state of Gujerath.
You'll need the following ingredients:
1 cup semolina, 1 cup plain yogurt, a bunch of chopped cilantro, a green serrano chilli, chopped, 2 crushed garlic cloves, half an onion, half cup frozen sweet corn, one teaspoon baking powder, half a teaspoon each of tumeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. All of these should be mixed together.
Spread mixture in a pan and bake in a preheated oven - 350 degrees F - for half an hour.
Sautee a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds in grapeseed oil and spread over the bread after it is baked. This bread can be served with a mint sauce.
A couple days ago - Saturday - we went to the beach to watch the sunset. Premi, Sri, Daryl, Glynis, and I carried a picnic and crisp sparkling wine out to the Ellwood Bluffs. Oh, PK, Sri's dog, came along too! We found a splendid spot right at the edge of a cliff to lay out our picnic and watch the sun sinking into the water. The view in front of us - an endless stretch of rolling waves, golden sand, an orange horizon, an elegant leggy egret at the water's edge, and the sun, a glowing ball hovering over the water, then beginning its disappearance. Wow, it was quite special.
Premi made methi roti (fenugreek leaves stuffed into flat bread and cooked on a griddle) and a mint dip for our picnic. It was really special and seemed a perfect match for our wine. Glynis tried to capture the moment by clicking her camera over and over again. But, I don't think photos could do justice to how special it was.
So, here's the funny thing. I've always been an adventurous cook, but steered away from Indian cuisine. Even though I love Indian food and was raised on it, I favored an Italian kitchen. Then something changed a few years ago. I met my wonderful, wonderful friend Premi. She is passionate about cooking and actually ran a restaurant for a few years. She, like me, is Asian Indian and grew up in South Africa, where Indians developed their own special cuisine from local ingredients. Premi has inspired me to reach out to my Indian roots and now most of the food I make is stuff I've learned from her.
I'm going to share in this blog one of my favorite recipes from her. It's for a rich, flavorful bread called Dokla which originated in the Indian state of Gujerath.
You'll need the following ingredients:
1 cup semolina, 1 cup plain yogurt, a bunch of chopped cilantro, a green serrano chilli, chopped, 2 crushed garlic cloves, half an onion, half cup frozen sweet corn, one teaspoon baking powder, half a teaspoon each of tumeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. All of these should be mixed together.
Spread mixture in a pan and bake in a preheated oven - 350 degrees F - for half an hour.
Sautee a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds in grapeseed oil and spread over the bread after it is baked. This bread can be served with a mint sauce.
A couple days ago - Saturday - we went to the beach to watch the sunset. Premi, Sri, Daryl, Glynis, and I carried a picnic and crisp sparkling wine out to the Ellwood Bluffs. Oh, PK, Sri's dog, came along too! We found a splendid spot right at the edge of a cliff to lay out our picnic and watch the sun sinking into the water. The view in front of us - an endless stretch of rolling waves, golden sand, an orange horizon, an elegant leggy egret at the water's edge, and the sun, a glowing ball hovering over the water, then beginning its disappearance. Wow, it was quite special.
Premi made methi roti (fenugreek leaves stuffed into flat bread and cooked on a griddle) and a mint dip for our picnic. It was really special and seemed a perfect match for our wine. Glynis tried to capture the moment by clicking her camera over and over again. But, I don't think photos could do justice to how special it was.
07 February 2010
Biryani
I was on top of the world all week because of the many current news items on No Child Left Behind. Sounds like there are going to be some major changes. Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, is being interviewed by everyone and he seems to have some grand ideas. Now, I don't agree with all he's saying - that stuff about linking teacher quality to test performance, and raising standards so that every child graduates from high school being college ready, etc - hmmm(!) - but, I'm glad education and the NCLB Act is on the table for discussion. I'm such an optimist that any hint of change cheers me up.
Well, I needed to say that before getting to the main topic with food as the focus.
I've been going a bit mushroom crazy in the last couple weeks. Because of the terrific rain we've been having, the chanterrelles - my favorite mushroom - this year are plentiful. Glynis, my sister-in-law visiting from England, and I have been going to the Saturday morning farmer's market downtown where I load up on chanterrelles. The great thing about these extremely flavorful 'shrooms is that they are so easy to prepare. Sauteed in grapeseed oil, and seasoned with thyme, salt, and black pepper, they are superb. I've also been getting other mushrooms - oysters, shitake, and portabellas - about once a week. These I prepare with Indian spices - masala, cumin, and freshly ground coriander. They make a great stuffing for roti wraps.
Last night we had some friends over for dinner. I served up an elaborate vegetable biryani and dhal. Great comfort food on a chilly, wintry evening. You can make biryani by simply adding the special spices to vegetables and rice and stirring it all together in a pan, or you could go the route that requires many steps. I sometimes yearn for the food my mum cooked so I thought I would try for her style of biryani. Before embarking on this ambitious feat you need to make sure your playlist includes your favorite music. I listen to opera - Puccini, never Wagner - when making biryani. I ought to be listening to Ravi Shankar, I guess, but - oh well ....
The basic ingredients are a selection of vegetables, Basmati rice, French green lentils, spices, and yogurt. The spices include cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. These have to be roasted, then ground fine. For veggies I used carrots, cauliflower, peas, and a few types of mushrooms. I lightly sauteed the mushrooms and steamed the carrots and tossed these in a big bowl. The cauliflower had to be in small pieces and added to the bowl. Then came the following: a big scoop of plain yogurt, chopped garlic, grated ginger, chopped fresh green chili, chopped cilantro (fresh coriander), juice from a couple lemons, some tumeric, the mixture of roasted, ground spices, and salt. Toss everything in the bowl together. (I'm now in instructor mode). Next, boil the rice, but only until it is nearly fully cooked. Boil the lentils. Now it's time to layer the dish. I used a large, ceramic roasting pan to assemble the ingredients. Put a third of the rice at the bottom, add a third of the lentils. Toss half the vegetable mixture over this. Add the rest of the rice and lentils to the bowl of vegetables. Pour in some Canola oil to the mixture, then add it to the big roasting pan. Sautee an onion in a skillet until it is golden brown. Layer this over the rice mixture. Cover with a sheet of foil and put in a moderately preheated oven for an hour.
I served this biryani with dhal. I boiled yellow split peas in my pressure cook for 15 minutes. To give it it's distinctive 'dhal' flavor you do the following:
Sautee half an onion in hot oil. Add mustards seeds, cumin seeds, and red chili flakes. Stir this mixture into the boiled split peas (which should be mushy). Add veg broth to get the right consistency. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Add some crushed garlic and few lumps of butter or ghee or something of that ilk (I'm refering to noncholesterol, healthy stuff - not lard, or margarine, or nasty chemicals that look like butter!).
Well, needless to say, everyone was quite complimentary. Personally, I felt I hadn't added enough spices and the mixture should have been more moist. But, I certainly enjoyed my day.
It's Sunday evening and the work week looms ahead.
Well, I needed to say that before getting to the main topic with food as the focus.
I've been going a bit mushroom crazy in the last couple weeks. Because of the terrific rain we've been having, the chanterrelles - my favorite mushroom - this year are plentiful. Glynis, my sister-in-law visiting from England, and I have been going to the Saturday morning farmer's market downtown where I load up on chanterrelles. The great thing about these extremely flavorful 'shrooms is that they are so easy to prepare. Sauteed in grapeseed oil, and seasoned with thyme, salt, and black pepper, they are superb. I've also been getting other mushrooms - oysters, shitake, and portabellas - about once a week. These I prepare with Indian spices - masala, cumin, and freshly ground coriander. They make a great stuffing for roti wraps.
Last night we had some friends over for dinner. I served up an elaborate vegetable biryani and dhal. Great comfort food on a chilly, wintry evening. You can make biryani by simply adding the special spices to vegetables and rice and stirring it all together in a pan, or you could go the route that requires many steps. I sometimes yearn for the food my mum cooked so I thought I would try for her style of biryani. Before embarking on this ambitious feat you need to make sure your playlist includes your favorite music. I listen to opera - Puccini, never Wagner - when making biryani. I ought to be listening to Ravi Shankar, I guess, but - oh well ....
The basic ingredients are a selection of vegetables, Basmati rice, French green lentils, spices, and yogurt. The spices include cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. These have to be roasted, then ground fine. For veggies I used carrots, cauliflower, peas, and a few types of mushrooms. I lightly sauteed the mushrooms and steamed the carrots and tossed these in a big bowl. The cauliflower had to be in small pieces and added to the bowl. Then came the following: a big scoop of plain yogurt, chopped garlic, grated ginger, chopped fresh green chili, chopped cilantro (fresh coriander), juice from a couple lemons, some tumeric, the mixture of roasted, ground spices, and salt. Toss everything in the bowl together. (I'm now in instructor mode). Next, boil the rice, but only until it is nearly fully cooked. Boil the lentils. Now it's time to layer the dish. I used a large, ceramic roasting pan to assemble the ingredients. Put a third of the rice at the bottom, add a third of the lentils. Toss half the vegetable mixture over this. Add the rest of the rice and lentils to the bowl of vegetables. Pour in some Canola oil to the mixture, then add it to the big roasting pan. Sautee an onion in a skillet until it is golden brown. Layer this over the rice mixture. Cover with a sheet of foil and put in a moderately preheated oven for an hour.
I served this biryani with dhal. I boiled yellow split peas in my pressure cook for 15 minutes. To give it it's distinctive 'dhal' flavor you do the following:
Sautee half an onion in hot oil. Add mustards seeds, cumin seeds, and red chili flakes. Stir this mixture into the boiled split peas (which should be mushy). Add veg broth to get the right consistency. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Add some crushed garlic and few lumps of butter or ghee or something of that ilk (I'm refering to noncholesterol, healthy stuff - not lard, or margarine, or nasty chemicals that look like butter!).
Well, needless to say, everyone was quite complimentary. Personally, I felt I hadn't added enough spices and the mixture should have been more moist. But, I certainly enjoyed my day.
It's Sunday evening and the work week looms ahead.
24 January 2010
Cuisine from South Africa
Yesterday I bought a pressure cooker - quite impulsively. Well, I mean it's shocking that I hadn't owned one before, I know, with the type of healthy cooking I do, etc., but somehow I've always been intimidated by something that could blow your head off. Yesterday, after 5 days of heavy downpours, the sun shone brightly in the sky and I was blipping around doing Saturday morning chores and feeling generally good about things. I didn't read the newspapers much this week, you see, so the Supreme Court decision about campaign financing, and the disaster in Haiti and in Massachusetts, and the Health Care bill, etc. - none of that made it to my consciousness. So I was in a good mood. Lots of rain in January usually has that effect on me. So I popped into Bed, Bath, and Beyond for some linen and noticed the pressure cooker. I eyeballed the options - aluminium, stainless steel, 6 qt, 8, qt - and settled for the 6qt stainless steel. It cost $69.99. I don't usually buy anything that's over $50 if it isn't on sale, but I just felt a sudden urgency to possess a pressure cooker, so I bought it.
We were having guests over for dinner. I decided to make a South African dish - samp. Samp is made from dried up corn kernels whch are cracked into smaller pieces. You boil it and then try to do something exciting with it to make it edible. This dish is a staple among the Xhosa and Zulu people of South Africa, but is very much enjoyed by everyone. In the US you can find hominy which is made from the same basic ingredient - dried corn kernels.
A quick Internet search for samp brought up some fairly bland recipes. Basically beans, samp, onions, oil, and salt. So, I thought, why not make it like a chili? So this is what I did:
I used my new pressure cooker to boil the samp (purchased last week by my friend, Premi, from a South African store in LA) and some red beans. I chopped up an onion and using a big saucepan, sauteed it in sunflower oil ( high smoking point). Next I added carrots, and a few minutes later, some portabella mushrooms, and chopped garlic. The seasonings were added at this point - cumin, coriander, and cayenne. After a few minutes I threw in some tomatoes. In summer I would choose fresh tomatoes and chop them in a medium sized cuisinart. Since it's winter I used canned tomatoes, finely chopped up. When the samp and beans were done - half an hour later - I added them to the sauce I'd made and let all of this simmer together for a few minutes. Then I added salt and freshly grated ginger. The dish was very close to being ready. At this point I threw in broccoli to brighten things up. It was time to look at the consistency. For this I opened up a box of Trader Joe's vegetable broth and poured it into the pan. Just before serving time I added chopped green onions and cilantro and green chilis that were minced together. I did the taste test and found I needed more salt. The very last last thing I did was to drizzle canola oil over the dish. I have to say, this hearty meal was thoroughly enjoyed!!
We were having guests over for dinner. I decided to make a South African dish - samp. Samp is made from dried up corn kernels whch are cracked into smaller pieces. You boil it and then try to do something exciting with it to make it edible. This dish is a staple among the Xhosa and Zulu people of South Africa, but is very much enjoyed by everyone. In the US you can find hominy which is made from the same basic ingredient - dried corn kernels.
A quick Internet search for samp brought up some fairly bland recipes. Basically beans, samp, onions, oil, and salt. So, I thought, why not make it like a chili? So this is what I did:
I used my new pressure cooker to boil the samp (purchased last week by my friend, Premi, from a South African store in LA) and some red beans. I chopped up an onion and using a big saucepan, sauteed it in sunflower oil ( high smoking point). Next I added carrots, and a few minutes later, some portabella mushrooms, and chopped garlic. The seasonings were added at this point - cumin, coriander, and cayenne. After a few minutes I threw in some tomatoes. In summer I would choose fresh tomatoes and chop them in a medium sized cuisinart. Since it's winter I used canned tomatoes, finely chopped up. When the samp and beans were done - half an hour later - I added them to the sauce I'd made and let all of this simmer together for a few minutes. Then I added salt and freshly grated ginger. The dish was very close to being ready. At this point I threw in broccoli to brighten things up. It was time to look at the consistency. For this I opened up a box of Trader Joe's vegetable broth and poured it into the pan. Just before serving time I added chopped green onions and cilantro and green chilis that were minced together. I did the taste test and found I needed more salt. The very last last thing I did was to drizzle canola oil over the dish. I have to say, this hearty meal was thoroughly enjoyed!!
18 January 2010
Food For Thought
Since I'm not traveling, or writing, or doing anything stupendously exciting at this point in my life, keeping my blog entertaining isn't easy. So at midnight on Dec 31 I made my new year's resolution. My blogs will now have a new focus: FOOD. Heck, recently it's just about the only topic on which I can make intelligent comments. As you all know by now I was in Australia over Christmas holidays. You probably also know that every second while I was there I was stuffing myself with something par excellence - both in liquid and solid form. My brother, Max, loves the fine things in life. In fact, back when we were in our teens I remember him saying, "When I start working I want to be able to buy whatever I want without looking at the price tag." Suffice it to say our family was very working class. Max has always had expensive taste - way before he actually possessed a wallet (that's another story!). Anyway, now that Max is this bigwig financial advisor with posh offices on Oxford Street in Paddington and lives in this stunning apartment near Darling Harbor with expansive views from every window, he is more or less living his dream.
In preparation for the Moodley diaspora over the holidays (the whole family from various parts of the globe descended upon him) he stocked up his liquor cabinet with the finest Australian wines, French champagne, single malts, vintage port, etc., etc. Every evening Max opened up a full bodied smooth red and poured it into an elegant crystal decanter, regailing us with the virtues of that particular wine. Sipping fine wine on the terrace with its amazing views made for an altogether special experience. With water all around us you could easily imagine you were on a huge boat.
Max isn't skilled in the art of cooking, nor is his gorgeous and gracious partner, Julia. So, meal prep fell upon my mum, my sister, and myself. We all love good food and with all the great produce available, we were quite happy to be in charge of feeding everyone. So, as I've decided that the primary focus of my blogs for now will be food, I'll cut out the backstory and get to my real topic.
For the big Christmas lunch, consumed on a blistering hot midsummer day in Sydney, I made the dessert. We had originally planned to have pavlova, but because of a lack of enthusiasm for this idea, we agreed on trifle. Now, everyone who has grown up in an English speaking country, is very familiar with this dessert and its evolution from humble beginnings into the oh so trendy kinds we find on dessert menus in posh restaurants. Americans, however, have no clue. So when I describe how I made my very special Christmas trifle, the full implication is completely lost on them, poor souls, Oh well, I'll leave it at that.
So, here's how I made the trifle that wowed the socks out of every frickin person who had it:
First I went to Paddy's market in Sydney and bought a whole lot of fruit. A big part of a good, modern day trifle is a fresh fruit salad. I got mangoes, bananas, papaya, passion fruit, kiwi, and peaches. Back home, I prepared the fruit - cutting them into little chunks and tossed them together in a bowl.
Using the biggest bowl I could find I got to work on the layering. First, a sponge cake (pound cake, for my American followers) from a gourmet bakery. In other words sugar was not the first ingredient listed. Pure ingredients: butter, sugar, free range eggs, and unbleached flour - that's important. If I'd had time I would have made my own sponge cake.
I cut the cake into little squares and arranged them in a layer. Then I poured some port over the cake to moisten it. You could use fruit juice for this if you don't like alcohol. I would have preferred to use sherry or brandy, but Max hadn't had any, so I had to use his vintage port. Next, I arranged half the fruit salad over the cake. Next came a layer of custard (best if it's homemade with eggs and cream). Apart from the US, you can buy ready made pouring custard from a grocery store in the milk section. Do read the labels. I was shocked at how hard it was to find pure custard without preservatives. In England M&S have the best custard. The final layer is thick, fresh cream. Double cream is best - that's what I used.
Repeat the layers, ending with cream on the top. I crumbled up a Cadbury's flake and sprinkled it over the cream at the insistence of my mum. The trifle had to be made on Christmas Eve so that it could set overnight.
The next day - Christmas Day - I was shocked to see the enormous trifle dwindling and then disappearing in front of my very eyes! I swear to god. Doesn't anyone care about cholesterol any more?
Since my decision to focus on food I have encountered so many writable food stories. So, I am sure my next blog will be appearing really soon.
24 December 2009
Christmas 2009
We're in Sydney, Australia at my brother's place in Darling Harbor. Gorgeous views from his place of harbor and the Harbor Bridge. When it comes to being trendy Max and Julia have it down to a science. Two nephews and a niece - ages 3, 6, and 9 are jumping around with excitement. Santa gave them exactly what they wanted - some weird electronic toys that I've never heard off. A huge platter of fresh fruit, toast, marmalade, mango juice and coffee was spread out for us. We'll be having lunch at the home of our cousin Sylvie who lives near the Blue Mountains. She's preparing biryani which will be served with an assortment of salads. For dessert - trifle with fresh tropical fruit soaked in port.
We've been having a fab time in Australia. The drive down from Brisbane was a great way to see a bit of Australia. Beautiful coast and beaches along the way. We spent a couple of nights in Coffs Harbor which is small and quaint. It's surrounded by tiny beach towns. Paths parallel to the beach provide excellent views. Nearby, in Dorrigo, we hiked through a rainforest. Amazing vegetation and birdlife. There are large banana plantations in Coffs and many farmstands along the highway from where to buy them. So many varieties to choose from - and all of them freshly harvested and full of flavor.
After Coffs we drove on to Nelson Bay - another quaint coastal town. The beaches here are picture perfect because of the protected bay. Excellent swimming - very reminiscent of the French Riviera without the crowds and traffic.
The weather the whole time was perfect. Well, I lie. The day we left Brisbane it rained and rained. Luckily we spent most of the day driving so it was fine. Much preferable to driving with the sun high in the sky.
We arrived in Sydney two days before Christmas and we went into a bit of culture shock. Big city and Christmas festivities in full blast. Some frantic food shopping and last minute purchase of gifts. The kids tracking Santa's route on Google map, etc. We had a fab meal on Christmas Eve. Mum went to the fish market where she bought prawns and salmon. So she prepared a fine prawn dish. I made a pasta sauce with fresh basil tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Max served French Champagne for an aperitif and a robust red with our main meal. We had mince pies and Christmas pudding served with cistard for dessert washed down with a smooth port.
There was a live concert at the domain in Sydney which we watched on telly. Silly us. We should have carried a picnic and sat on the grass and watched it live. Well, you can't do it all.
So, everyone, all the best for the last days of 2009.
We've been having a fab time in Australia. The drive down from Brisbane was a great way to see a bit of Australia. Beautiful coast and beaches along the way. We spent a couple of nights in Coffs Harbor which is small and quaint. It's surrounded by tiny beach towns. Paths parallel to the beach provide excellent views. Nearby, in Dorrigo, we hiked through a rainforest. Amazing vegetation and birdlife. There are large banana plantations in Coffs and many farmstands along the highway from where to buy them. So many varieties to choose from - and all of them freshly harvested and full of flavor.
After Coffs we drove on to Nelson Bay - another quaint coastal town. The beaches here are picture perfect because of the protected bay. Excellent swimming - very reminiscent of the French Riviera without the crowds and traffic.
The weather the whole time was perfect. Well, I lie. The day we left Brisbane it rained and rained. Luckily we spent most of the day driving so it was fine. Much preferable to driving with the sun high in the sky.
We arrived in Sydney two days before Christmas and we went into a bit of culture shock. Big city and Christmas festivities in full blast. Some frantic food shopping and last minute purchase of gifts. The kids tracking Santa's route on Google map, etc. We had a fab meal on Christmas Eve. Mum went to the fish market where she bought prawns and salmon. So she prepared a fine prawn dish. I made a pasta sauce with fresh basil tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Max served French Champagne for an aperitif and a robust red with our main meal. We had mince pies and Christmas pudding served with cistard for dessert washed down with a smooth port.
There was a live concert at the domain in Sydney which we watched on telly. Silly us. We should have carried a picnic and sat on the grass and watched it live. Well, you can't do it all.
So, everyone, all the best for the last days of 2009.
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