Sentiamo

http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=44&r=6 I have absolutely NO idea on how I am meant to have a blued out ....here.... to click on such a messy looking link, sorry. I will take lessons someday. The above will give some Downunder ( as in New Zealand NOT Australia ) dishes at the mealmaker page. Voted best food magazine in the world for a pretty good reason. OK. So Im biased.

I have been eating an inordinate amount of cardamom and orange icecream lately, not of my own making I have to admit! This has pieces of soft candied orange added. Just gorgeous. Summer is coming to your part of the world so....???

Great blog! We are a few months away from soups just yet but I am following the ideas with much interest. My favourite Asian mussel soup is with coconut, lime, fish sauce etc so I wont post that, but if you have a chance, and have never tried, do give a mussel chowder a fair hearing and also mussel and saffron soup is wondrous. If you would like ingredients/methods etc let me know. We are so fortunate in NZ to have ginormous green lipped mussels, they are cheap and are to be found fresh, in every supermarket in the country. I have a passion for asian mussel fritters but thats for another day!

I had the pleasure of helping to provide food for the late ( and then) Shah of Persia, Tolstoy's great-great-great grandson on many occasions when he holidayed in Italy, Princess Caroline and entourage, Ronnie Corbett ( the Brits will know him!) a wonderful humble man, Kenny Everett and Hot Gossip..(my staff LOST it that night, there should be a law against stage clothes and makeup out of the theatre) Dave Allen; a wonderful comedian once again know to the Brits and yes..his dad DID chop his finger off... , Alberto Tomba the great Italian skier who left his underwear on his hotel bedroom floor then had the temerity to ask my SIL if she would like to take them home .... Versace and Valentino when they visited, and heaps of NZ people that not ONE of you will know. Give me Joe Blogs any day BTW.

Torta della Nonna is great ( with pinenuts), or maybe Cannoncini? They are easy to make and transport. Panforte to go with coffee? Panna Cotta could be an idea as a tray of individual ones would also be simple to transport. Even a sliceable semi-freddo if you can store it in your hosts freezer/refrigerator. Softly whipped cream folded through some Zabaglione is wonderful over some liqueured berries or other fruit.

' Sammie ' is a very common term used in New Zealand, Australia and the UK to describe a sandwich. I, for one, am not in the least bit snobbish about the word. Its cute.

Some basic but classic combo's I have used for years: Chicken, Cranberry and Brie Roast Beef, Red Onion and Onion Marmalade Bacon, Egg and Tomato Chutney ( great for breakfast!) Tandoori Chicken with Coriander and Indian Chutney Chicken, Spinach, Fetta, S/D Tomato Pesto Your favourite sandwich fillings will probably be great in a panini...just imagine them hot!

A stew seem to be the way to go and certainly benefits from being made a day or so earlier. I have a recipe for a Scottish stew that is similar to what Kerry has suggested and includes swede and parsnips with a good slosh of worcestershire sauce. Also usually served with dumplings. If you do go for stew, I know that for 50 pax I always split between 2 pots. Just a heck of a lot easier, and quicker! A good traditional vege dish to go with it is Rumbledethumps, a combination of cabbage and potatos. A shortcake sounds wonderful, especially if you can get hold of good priced berries. Maybe you could buy a few shots of drambuie from a local hotel or similar just to fold through your whipped cream? Gotta get whisky in somehow. ( says this wee Scottish lassie... ) Another easy and not expensive dessert is Tipsy Cake, similar to Trifle but you do need some sherry.

Cali I did Rest Home cooking for 2 years and these were my observations. Just bear in mind that what Kiwi's ( New Zealanders) like to eat can/will be quiet different from your group. Bell peppers and cucumber were not wanted by the majority because of wind/heartburn problems they can create. Onions to a lesser extent, but Sausages in Onion gravy always went down a treat. The favourite meals were: Roast dinners, Corned Beef with Mustard sauce, Liver and Bacon casserole, lightly curried Chicken and Apricots ( a choice of rice OR mash) Beef and Mushroom casserole, Macaroni Cheese ( they dont want pasta? Unbelievable), Shepherds or Cottage Pie as has been suggested, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Meatloaf, plain old Crumbed Fish with Tartare and oven wedges, Steak and Kidney with a suet crust, Pork, Pineapple and Kumara casserole, Irish Stew, Chicken or Beef Chow Mein. These are all pretty basic but the group I catered for did not want any ' fancy' food!! They were surveyed once a month and asked for suggestions re upcoming menus. This was also a rural community and we often had venison, rabbit or wild pork given to us. Duck was plentiful also and was always enjoyed. Probably because we have such a huge population of wild duck that the elderly had always had free access to them. Wild turkey was not appreciated!! The casseroles were so easy to puree for those on soft diets. Vegetables were mostly served rather plain, with the exception of cheese sauce on cauliflower/broccoli etc. Salads were enjoyed by quite a few but certainly not all. Some had denture problems and leafy fresh greens caused havoc. Likewise coconut in anything. Desserts included an awful lot of hot puddings such as Golden Syrup Pudding, a lovely self saucing Chocolate pudding, baked Rice pudding, meringue topped puddings, Bread and Butter puddings ( heaps of combo's there like Rum and Raisin, Chocolate and Banana, Lemon Meringue), Baked Apples etc. Cold desserts included Spanish Cream, fresh fruit set in jelly, Pavlova Roulades or the regular round ones, Trifles, Jelllied Rice, mousses, fresh fruit salads, Creme Caramel, etc. Many of the desserts can be made with a sugar substitute. Good luck and if I can help in any way, just let me know! Edited to add: We made all of the meals from scratch, the dressings etc also. Used canned tomatos but that was about it!

A favourite combination for me is blood orange juice with Campari. Try making a marmalade from them and adding a splash or two of the Campari. ( if you ever get some Sevilles, they are even better) I did have the recipe, and if you would like it I will hunt it down!!

Ahhhhh, one of the finer things in life is a burger with 'beets'. But the Kiwi version, not the Australian. Gotta have real sweet vinegared beets, fried onions, tomato relish, iceberg lettuce, a NZ lamb pattie, fresh tomato slices and some melted cheese. Oh yeah baby. Now pineapple and egg have no place on a Lamburger, but go great on a hamsteak burger. Beets too.

I have been yearning to produce Nigella Lawson's Black Bean Soup made with the liquor left from her ( I know! I know!) Gammon/Ham in Coca Cola. Hers is with lime juice, cumin, coriander black beans, the aforementioned liquid garnished with sour cream and fresh cilantro. Best of all....she is now telling us the same ham done in Cherry Coke is even better. Sigh............... Worst thing is, I believe her.

OK ....Pashmak is Iranian/Persian Fairy Floss for anyone who doesn't know. I can also tell you that it was only a couple of years ago that I discovered it but since then, creating it at home has been my aim. To the point that I actually went out and bought a home Fairy Floss maker. Yessssssss, hubster still wont let me forget that purchase, ostensibly for making floss for grandkids. Funny how those kids are never about when Im in the mood for flossing. Anyways.....has anyone ever made this gorgeous stuff at home? I have done heaps of web searches and come up with very little. The flavours I have eaten are sesame, rose and pistachio and all have been imported to stores here in New Zealand, from Iran. I think ?Foodbabe mentioned a chocolate with a floss kind of centre in Ling and Henry's recent NY Blog ( and that was such a great read!!) so maybe that was the same kinda floss. The difference between the Iranian stuff and the carnival kind is immense. The Iranian floss is almost like shanks of spun wool, not the fragile pitiable threads of the regular kind. Some research has shown that fat is added to a mix for the Iranian floss and I would say that would explain the ' fatty' taste on my tongue when consuming it. Anyone with anything to add will be my friend. I NEED to able to make this. BTW...a link to a picture of the glorious sugar threads http://www.ballaratwineries.com/rose_and_turkish_delight.htm

Some dried chili peppers and a habenero (sp?) pepper. I'm also currently 'in love' with smoked Spanish paprika, not spicy but it seems to lift the chili pepper flavor. ← Hah!! Another smoked paprika fan. Gotta get more people using this beautiful flavour. I had pork with some tiny potatos, spinach and bacon all cooked off in a lovely broth flavoured with sweet smoked paprika a couple of days ago. I have some gorgeous La Chinata S/P but the one I used this time was created by a lovely young man who uses my commercial kitchen to produce all manner of flavours in our off hours. It was worthy. And he has a great future.

Try tossing a tad into roasted carrots, just sublime! Make a great side dish by frying off some eggplant and dressing with chopped mint, parsley, EVOO, lemon juice, S&P and some molasses to taste. I have made a lovely drink by adding some molasses to water with some sugar and lemon juice added. A salad I have made on occasion: toast off some pepitas and sunflower seeds with a little cumin. Cool and add to a bowl of shredded red cabbage, grated beetroot, chopped red onion, chopped red bell pepper, grated carrots, and some cooked quinoa or brown rice. Dress with mint, orange zest and juice, olive oil, S&P and some pomegranate molasses. I did a turkey glaze with with it last year and it is wonderful in a walnut sauce ( has that been mentioned already??) Also love it with venison and lamb.

I've had a great time tagging along with you both these last couple of days, the food and company has been the best and it hasn't cost me a cent! This really has been a wonderful thread and has strengthened my resolve to visit NYC next time I am in the States. Next March we are fortunate to have Rob Kaufelt from Murrays Cheese Shop come to Savour New Zealand and hold a workshop. That will be interesting. (Also have Nancy Oakes and Bruce Aidells from SF.) I see in one of your gorgeous photos a great wheel of Humboldt Fog. It is American produced is it not? Amazed at the price!! Heard an awful lot about this cheese lately and Im not sure if we import any here, must go check. Congratulations Henry and Lorna, you sure are a match made in Heaven!

Va bene, ho capito!

Lordy but this thread has me positively drooling and green and pissed off that I live SO far away from NY! What gorgeous food you both have had placed in front of you, and the prices for your lunch...well Im bowled over. $28 for 2 courses then $12 each course after? And freebie eggs and pineapples chucked in too? lolol If I could find the appropriate bowing down emoticon it would be here, a whole line of 'em. Congratulations Lorna and Henry for sharing your wonderful photos, explanations, and love of the finer things in life with us. I cant wait until you post the next installment. So. Are you awake already?

I now know so much more about Turkish cuisine after this magic carpet ride with you Sazji...thanks so much! The last series of photos in the baklava shop are exquisite and it is very obvious pistachio's cost a lot less than they do here. And yes, you sure have left lots of subjects to cover in your next blog. Coffee for one!! Have a safe and Happy Christmas!! ( just what DO you eat for Christmas??...lolol, next time maybe?)

lolol...you poor darling!! I pity anyone who has never had the absolute pleasure of feeling/tasting a well made piece of Turkish Delight in their mouth. 'Well made' being the two operative words here. I have had some totally disgusting lokum over the years but if it comes from Turkey, one would expect, and no doubt get, the real thing. Perfection included. Now, what flavour would you choose tho'? I prefer Rose or Pistachio over all others personally. I am such a greedy soul, I would have bribed Sazji for a whole box. BTW, we have a lokum producer here in New Zealand. His product is sublime. Edited to add: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe " was shot in New Zealand too, so the we sure do have Turkish Delight in common!

I also use canned tomatoes, just like every Italian I ever observed in a kitchen during my years there. An exception is in summer, for certain recipes, when toms are at their very best. My method; saute some onions in a good slosh of olive oil until nearly translucent, add chopped garlic if you like a couple of minutes before the onions are ready for liquid. Depending on what I need the sauce for, I often add chilli along with the garlic. Tip in your canned tomatoes and squish well with a potato masher or have that pre done. I add a good squeeze of tomato paste, some sugar, and here is my secret ingredient...stock cube. I know, it is not traditional but it adds a great depth to the sauce. My favourites are Knorr and Star. I always come home from Europe with a kilo or so of those cubes!! Stock powder just doesn't cut it IMO. Taste and adjust seasoning 15 minutes into cooking. The stock cube, if you use it, would have contributed some salt. I never cook the sauce with herbs added. They are thrown in toward the end and/or at serving time. Simmer for an hour or so or until you get a slick of oil on top of your sauce. It needs to reduce by at least a 1/4 to get the desired intense flavour. That again is what I like and as my suocera Piera taught me so.... I use the above ingredients and method for an Amatriciana, Puttanesca for eg. Just add black olives, capers, and anchovies to a chilli based sauce for the Puttanesca and fry off some bacon with extra chilli for the Amatriciana. Some flatleaf parsley in the sauces and you are set. May I ask why you dont boil your sauce?

Hey - if this is food porn, does this make me something like a food pimp? Yup!!! And man, those eggplant look damned good. In fact it all looks good.......

This is great! Thanks for the lokum photo's, veritable jewels to look at. I am sure you were gonna get to it, but if possible a peek at some real Turkish Sis Kebaps would be way cool... Your market looked just wonderful, and it sure is a pleasure to see how fruit and vegetables are presented in all their healthy glory. Beautiful! Now I just need a magic Turkish carpet and Id be there in a flash myself.

Can anyone give me some TNT ideas for homemade Arepas? I am so looking forward to trying them after having some long convo's with a friend in Venezuela. OK, so he has given me his ideas for fillings, and even how to make arepa's from scratch using whole white corn kernels since I cannot buy the dough mix here. But, I am also having trouble sourcing white milled/cracked corn to begin with. It seems every other nationality has migrated to NZ BUT Venezuelans. Dammit!! Has anyone ever made them from anything other than white corn? Your filling ideas? Empanada's too. Lyn

And a question from me here..... Turkish Delight. I have been talking with American friends about this wonderful sweetmeat lately and they didn't know what I meant! Even Lokum meant nothing. A wee bit of investigating led me to an American site that sells Aplets and Codlets ( I think I have that right) which are very much like Turkish Delight. But not either. Now, I adore the real stuff. I make cheesecakes with it, fill muffin centres with it, flavour panna cotta then top with Pashmak (Iranian Fairy Floss ), etc. Can you show us some photo's of Turkish Delight if you just happen along to another sweet store?? And some info on what the locals may do with it other than just mouth popping which is my habit? lolol, I would be grateful. And craving.