Tasty Tapas!

Don’t know what to cook? And want a variety of dishes to serve everyone’s tastes? Why not try Spanish tapas?

Spanish tapas are dishes that are served in snack sizes and can be both cold and hot. A combination of dishes can be made to create a full meal. What I love about tapas is that it encourages social interaction through the sharing of dishes rather than each guest eating a meal set only for themselves.

So what do you need to prepare for a tapas night? I have collated some of my favourite tapas for you. Here they are:

Garlic Prawns 

These are very tasty and quick to cook! What do you need?
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- chili (to desired strength)
-1.5 kg of medium king prawns (peeled, cleaned and with tail still intact)
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
- Thick, toasted crusty bread to dip into the garlic-prawn oil!

Method:
1. Combine oil, chili, garlic and paprika in pan on medium heat until garlic starts browning.
2. Add prawns, cook for 2-3 minutes on high. Stirring regularly until prawns turn pink in colour.
3. Mix through parsely after removed from heat.

Patatas Bravas 
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- Chili (to desired strength)
- 1.5kg of tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 500 grams of diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup of chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Method:
Heat oil in pan at medium temperature. Add onion and stir fry until soft. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, paprika, chilli, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Once combined, add cornstarch to thicken sauce, stirring the mixture until dissolved. Keep simmering sauce until potatoes are cooked.

Cut potatoes into small bite-sized cubes and fry in saucepan with oil and seasoning (salt and pepper) until golden brown and crispy. Once cooked place in plate and drizzle sauce. Sprinkle parsley to garnish.

Churros
To finish off your night in Spain, there is nothing better than making homemade churros! All you need to do is combine 500 grams of plain flour and 500 ml of salted boiling water. Ensure that the water is boiled and not just warm. Mix with wooden spoon and place into churro machine (can be purchased from here). Turn handle to push through mixture and there you have it, a churro! place churro in very hot oil and fry until golden brown. 

Hope you enjoy these lovely dishes as much as I do! Leave a comment below if you have any questions about preparing any of these meals.

- Liana Fasanella

Out For Dinner!

Not so long ago we made a post about best places to shop for groceries in Sydney. However, after all the savings that we made, it is okay to sometimes treat yourself with a nice tasty meal somewhere outside your own kitchen and Sydney, being a rather multicultural country, has plenty of choice to help you with that. In today’s post, I will cover restaurants that will give you a tasty filling meal, without making your wallet a lot thinner. 
All these places are located in the city, since they are close to a place where I live. We will try to cover other places outside of CBD in the future.

Takumi. (3rd level Market City, Haymarket NSW 2000)
I, being a big fan of sushi, was always struggling with being able to get full without having a massive bill. So I was looking for an affordable place with nice tasting sushi. Takumi turned out to be exactly that kind of place. Overall Takumi has a massive amount of dishes to choose from and an affordable price of $2.50 per plate if you have a student card or parked in the market city parking lot. 
My recommendations among the dishes would be:




Grilled Scallops

Sashimi

 

Grilled Eel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ King (8 Goulburn St, Haymarket NSW 2000)
BBQ king is a small Chinese restaurant in the City. A decent meal here would cost you about $13, which comes with rice, veggies and meat of your choice. They also include free soup and tea when you come in which makes it a nice addition to the food.
I ]would recommend to order:

Roasted Duck

Scruffy Murphy's Hotel (43-49 Goulburn St, Sydney NSW 2000)
This hotel has a bar on the first floor; however, we have no interest in it. What we want is the second floor, which has a nice bistro. I usually come here to satisfy my craving for steak. A nice 450g T-bone steak will set you back about $16, which comes with mashed potatoes\fries, salad\steamed veggies and a sauce of your choice. However, there are plenty of other dishes as well, starting from pies ending with pumpkin soup and fish and chips. 
Here I would recommend to order:
 

T-Bone Steak

 

10-Minute Mouth-Watering Desserts

Do you ever get dessert cravings at the wrong times and you just don’t have the time to make yourself some dessert? You are in luck today because we will suggest some indulging and mouth-watering recipes which are easy and only take 10 minutes to prepare. We guarantee you that these recipes ought to satisfy your taste buds for sure. So get your stop watches ready as we begin our sweet and scrumptious journey in search of satisfying desserts. 

Blackberry fools:

Makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 jar (12 ounces) blackberry jam or jelly

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup mixed fresh berries

Preparation:

Pass jam through a fine sieve; discard solids. With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold jam and fresh berries into the cream to form swirls. Divide mixture among 4 cups, garnish with berries and/or chocolate topping. It is a good idea to chill the dessert for 30 mins to make it even more flavoursome otherwise serve immediately.

Cookies-and-Cream Parfaits:

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

16 fl oz whipping cream, cold
2 tablespoons sugar
2 (16 ounce) tubs all natural Belgian chocolate pudding
24 all natural chocolate-vanilla sandwich     cookies (crushed into chunky consistency)
1 square semi-sweet chocolate, to shave for garnish

Preparation:

In the bowl of a mixer, add the cold cream and start to whip; once thickened slightly, sprinkle in the sugar and finish whipping just until soft peaks form. In medium-large bowl, add 2 cups of the chocolate pudding (reserving the remaining pudding) and begin adding the whipped cream to it in several increments, gently folding in to keep a fluffy and light consistency, as this is the “chocolate mousse” part of the dessert; once all whipped cream is incorporated, set aside and prepare glasses.

To Assemble add equal quantities of the crushed cookies to the bottom of each glass, next a layer of chocolate pudding followed by a layer of the “chocolate mousse”. Finish by sprinkling crushed cookies and garnish with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or serve immediately. 

By Mahnum Tariq

Spiciest Food in the World

My ongoing search for the spiciest food in the world has led me to discover the intriguing Phaal curry from Southern India.

According to various sources this is in fact the world spiciest food, having been awarded the title by 'Guinness World Records' for containing the "Most Potent Pepper on Earth". It is so hot that on the popular TV show 'Man v Food'  the host proclaims it as "Hotter than Vindaloo Curry".

The fiery dish contains 10 different kinds of hot peppers which are complemented by ginger, fennel seeds, and a mixture of dried habanero, Naga Jolokia, and Trinidad’s Scorpion chilli's. It is so hot it can burn your tongue and even make your nose bleed. One of the ingredients, the Naga Jolokia Chilli is about 855,000 SHU (Schovile Heat Unit) which is 700 times hotter than average Tabasco. It also contains Trinidad's Scorpion chilli peppers, the spiciest peppers in the world which record over 1.2 million SHU's. Wild varieties have even crossed 2 million SHU's, however these are far to dangerous to use in restaurants.

Now for something different. Its not exactly the Phaal curry I talked about, because it wont contain those devilish Scorpion peppers, but its close enough for me, and I'll be directing you on how to prepare it.

If you feel fit to take on this monster of a challenge, then I will share with you the recipe used to make this practically volcanic curry. Be warned though, this isn't to be taken lightly and is very hot so please take care. In other words, "WARNING" this is very spicy.

What do you need?

• 1.5 lbs of beef or chicken (depending on your choice), chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped.
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
• 1 ounce fresh ginger, finely chopped.
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 14 ounces of tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
• 12 fresh chilli peppers.
• 300g of chopped tomatoes

Spices:  

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
• 3 teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala
• (Optional) want more spicy? add some 4 teaspoons of Patak's Madras Paste.



Directions:

1. Fry the meat in a pan using half of the oil for 5-10 minutes.
2. Fry the onion, garlic, and ginger until they become golden.
3. Mix the spices with water to make a paste.
4. Add the onion mixture, Patak's Madras Paste (optional), cumin seeds, coriander, fenugreek, ginger and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and chillies and stir these new ingredients to bring a gentle simmer.
6. Cook again for another 10 -15 minutes.
7. Finally, check the seasoning of the dish and serve with coriander. Also, if you desire, you can remove the large pieces of chilli before serving.

Phaal Curry



-Alexander Jason Sumendap



The Iraqi way of cooking Dolma

The iraqi way of cooking dolma 

It is very rare for Iraqi food to be cooked without a touch or rice. Most of recipes include rice and dolma is one of the most famous and delicious food in Iraq. Dolma is my favorite food which I can't resist and I am happy to share my way of cooking it.

Dolma recipe

2 bunch of chard 

1 kg of beef or 1 kg of lamb, minced

3 cups long-grain uncooked rice (preferred to use basmati rice)

2  chopped tomato 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup of Pomegranate syrup

3 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 bunch of parsley

2/3 cup olive oil

water

Dressing ingredients:

2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon tomato paste. 

3 cups boiled water

Directions:

1- wash the chard, then separate the leave from the stem using a knife. 

2- Use the stem in bottom of pot.  This helps keep the chard leaves from sticking to the pot.

3- Soak rice in cold water for 10 minutes, drain it. 

4- In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, garlic, , tomato paste, tomato, parsley, Pomegranate syrup, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix the ingredients very well. Then add the rice to the mixture. 

5- Place each chard leaf shiny side down . Place 1 tablespoon of rice mixture on leaf. Roll top over once, fold ends in, and continue to roll completely (rolling away from you). Repeat with remaining leaves.

6- Arrange the rolled chard leaves in pot with side down, tightly packed in seams.For even cooking, try to have no more than 5 layers.

7- Combine the dressing ingredients and pour it over the chard leaves in the pot. 

8- Place large plate on top. 

9- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until rice is thoroughly cooked. Allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.

10- remove the plate, bring a bigger plate and flip the pot over the plate carefully.

Extra tips: there are many alternatives to chard leaves for example , grape leaves, the outer layer of onion, eggplant and tomato. You can also combine them all together to have a mixture of taste. Do not through the chard stems, they taste delicious. 

My last bit of advice is to judge food after tasting it!

                                                                                                           Fatima Albaghdadi

Time Saving Tips in the Kitchen

As a full time student, also working part time, I know what it’s like not having enough hours in a day. Sometimes you get home late and just don’t have the energy or time to cook yourself a delicious meal. But wait, don’t despair just yet, put down that frozen dinner, and for goodness sake leave that pizza menu alone because here are some of my own time saving tips that will have you cooking tasty meals in no time at all.

1: Get the right tools

Having a sharp knife and a proper chopping board is a must. Having these two key components in place will not only cut out a lot of mucking around, but as your knife skills improve you will only get quicker. Even though it can be a pain at times, once you get chopping, there is no stopping, so I find it best to prep a lot of food to serve me as the week goes on. Especially when I prep onions, I prepare a lot, use what I need, then portion the rest into bags and freeze them ready for next time.

Also in my time saving kitchen tool belt is a humble pair of cooking scissors. Any pair will do, so long as they are hygienic. Imagine when you come in after a long day and dread getting out a hundred different little utensils and cooking surfaces, you can simply grab a pair of these and slice off chunks of meat and veg straight into a pan. I love to use scissors especially with spring onions. About the width of a pen, spring onions are a perfect accompaniment to the scissor. Whether you’re adding a bit of fragrance to a stir fry, or chopping off a few pieces on top of a salad for some added flavour, nothing could be easier (or tastier for that matter).

2: Manage your flavours

When pushed for time, people tend to go for whatever is most simple, but simple doesn't have to mean boring. Making sure that you have flavours at hand can quickly transform any meal, some pan fried chicken for example, into something fantastic. Dried herbs and spices are great for this. I always keep some oregano, basil, rosemary, and parsley nearby just for these occasions. Just sprinkle over your meal as it cooks to add that extra dimension.

Another great way to quickly and easily coax flavour into your meals is by using infused cooking oils. I make my own by simply adding dried herbs or chillies to hot oil, letting it cool, and pouring it into air tight bottles which will help them last a couple of months. Be careful though because it can be dangerous, especially if you have kids running around. Alternatively you can also buy infused oils from most supermarkets, making this a best friend for your cupboard.

3: What about your ingredients?

If you’re looking to save time, stay away from starchy vegetables like potatoes and carrots that can take a while to cook. Instead, keep a stock of versatile leafy greens which you can steam, fry, boil, or serve raw (baby spinach and wombok are my favourites). You should still keep those meals balanced though, so try to include a bit of those starchy foods when you have the time to afford them.

Also, when cooking meats, make sure that they are cut into small thin pieces that will cook quickly.

4: Clean as you go!            

You don't want to face a scene like this
after your meal. Clean as you cook!

This is the most important rule. Clean up as you cook and you will save yourself a lot of time when everything is ready to eat. Utensils knives and chopping boards can all go into a sink once you’re done using them, and if you can't clean them just yet, make sure that they are getting a good hot soak.

When you return after your delicious meal, you’ll find that there isn't all that much left to tidy up and wonder how you managed to cook such tasty food so quickly and cleanly.

Want to learn more? Check out these links

Knife Skills              http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/knifeskills/tp/knifeskills.htm

Infused Oils              http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/661/how+to+make+an+infused+oil

-Alex Smith

Food for the Rich

Are you born rich? Do you have millions of dollars you don’t know where to spend? Are you expecting to win a lottery? Or do you just want to spoil yourself spending a day in the shoes of the rich? If you ticked any of the options above then you are just in the right place. Join us as we walk you through a list of the most expensive foods in the world. These foods will help you get rid of all that unwanted money you own in no time. These foods are expensive due to factors such as uniqueness, unusual flavours and rarity of ingredients. So foods are they and what ingredients make them expensive?

Le Burger Extravagant:

As we all know anything with “Le” in front of it is usually fancy and extravagant. Served at the New York restaurant Serendipity 3 this burger costs $295 and needs to be ordered 48 hours beforehand. The burger is recognised by the Guinness book of world records as the most expensive burger in the world. It is made of some of the most lavish ingredients in the world such as the Japanese Wagyu beef, white truffle butter, some fancy hand formed cheese, shaved black truffles and a fried quail egg. Still seems a little dull and boring? The burger is sure to spoil you even more as it is accompanied by a gold toothpick encrusted with diamonds.

The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate: 

Moving to the most expensive dessert in the world it seems like Serendipity is planning to create a monopoly for serving the most expensive foods. Serendipity 3 holds the record for most expensive dessert (The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate) in the Guinness book of world record. Not to mention that the previous world record for the most expensive dessert was also held by Serendipity 3. Yes, that’s true!

The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate costs $25000 and has a Lead time of around two weeks. The dessert is a blend of 28 of the rarest, secret and most costly cocoas in the world, milk, ice cubes whipped cream, five grams of 18 carat gold mixed in and shavings from the world's most expensive truffle, the La Madeline au Truffle ($2,500 a pound). The dessert is served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet lined with edible gold. To make it even more extravagant there is an 18 karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of diamonds attached to the goblet and the delicacy is served with a golden spoon decorated in white and chocolate diamonds which the diner can take home.

The Samundri Khazana:

The Samundari Khazana meaning Seafood Treasure is the most expensive curry in the world. The curry is served at the Posh central London curry house Bombay Brasserie and cost $3200. It is a mix of the most expensive ingredients found in the world including caviar, sea snails, quail eggs, a whole gold coated lobster, truffles and even more edible gold.

 The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata:

The Zillion dollar frittata is the most expensive Frittata in the world. Costing around $1000 dollars, this frittata is offered at Norma’s, Le Parker Meridien hotel, New York. The delicacy  is made with six eggs, 10 ounces of exclusive sefruga caviar ($65 per ounce), an entire lobster, cream and chives. The dish has a less expensive version costing around $100.

Domenico Crolla’s “Pizza Royale 007″:

This 12-inch pizza, costing $4200, is packed with the world’s most expensive ingredients such as  lobster marinated in cognac, venison medallions, caviar soaked in champagne, Scottish smoked salmon, prosciutto, sunblush tomato sauce,  and vintage balsamic vinegar. In addition to all these fine ingredients, it’s topped with a substantial amount of edible 24-carat gold flakes. 

By Mahnum Tariq

Soy Glazed Salmon

Guys everywhere should listen up, because here is a great recipe that is sure to set your partners heart (and taste buds) aflutter. Cooking a romantic and tasty meal for that special someone can sometimes be an awkward ordeal, but this recipe is so easy and delicious, it's sure to impress.

This soy glazed salmon recipe is not only romantic and delicious, its also nutritious with lots of iron and omega-3, and when served with a side of steamed vegetables it creates a wonderfully balanced meal, that still has that rare essence that makes it 'special'.

Img source: serious seats.com, 2012.

Ok fella's, get ready to impress because this is how its done.

What you need:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water              
                                                 

What to do:

1. Combine all the ingredients (except the fish) in a medium sized pan on low heat.
2. Stir the ingredients until the sugar dissolves and everything melts into a sauce.
3. Let it cool, then mix the salmon and the dissolved sauce in a bag and leave it in the fridge for 2 hours.
4. Take the fish out and wrap it with tin foil.
5. Pre-heat the oven to pre-boil 
6. Once hot, place the foiled salmon on the centre shelf and leave it in the oven for approximately 8 minutes.
7. After 8 minutes, take it from the oven (Careful it's hot), check it and make sure its cooked in the middle. Use the forks to separate the flakes. 

Best to serve with:

1. Seasoned broccoli with garden vegetables and a whole grain brown rice (Uncle Ben's brown rice is the best).
2. A dry white wine
3. Place about half a cup of cooked rice in the centre of the plate, leaning the cooked salmon against it. Finish by dotting the cooked vegetables around the plate, topping with any left over cooking juices.

-Alexander Jason Sumendap

Odd Foods

There are over 250 countries all over the world with all of them having their unique way of preparing food. However, what people in one country might eat on day-to-day basis can turn out be something rather inedible for others. So, “In this world what’s delicious is questionable.” and this post is going to talk about some of those foods that in my opinion kind of gross, they are not poisonous and are consumed by lots of people.
Century Egg.
Originated from china this egg, even though it is called a century egg, only takes a few months at most to prepare. A chicken or duck egg is covered in a mixture of dirt, ash and alkali and then buried into the ground, after a few weeks of this type of egg preservation it gives the egg a distinct green colour and a heavy smell of rotten eggs.

This is a traditional Chinese dish that has been around for centuries and according to the legend, it was discovered by one of the farmers that accidentally found eggs, that were left in the pool and decided to try them despise their dark green colour and smell.

It is usually prepared with tofu, served with porridge or rice, or served with pickled ginger root as a snack.

Blood Jelly.
This dish origin is located in South East Asia, Vietnam. This dish is said to be a result of farmers trying to use every part of the animal and getting the most nutrition out of it. Preparation includes mixing blood with fish sauce, chopped up meat, peanuts and herbs and leaving it in the fridge for up to a few hours.
This dish is often served as an entry during big dinners or celebrations.
Durian.
This fruit from South East Asia has been described as “Tastes like heaven and smells like hell”. Indeed this fruit has a very strong smell that reminds some people of rotten meat, fish and eggs. The outside of the fruit looks like an alien egg, green and covered in spikes. However what hides inside is what’s really interesting about this fruit. It is called “the king of fruits” for a reason. It contains high amount of Vitamin C, carbohydrates, potassium, protein and sugars. Durian is especially rich in natural fats that can help you to improve your health.

Durian is usually served as a desert by itself, however nowadays it can be found in candies, pies, ice-cream and pastry.

Fugu.
If it’s poisonous, don’t eat it this is one of the main rules that people usually follow in regards to food, however Japanese are famous in creating their own exceptions to the rules. Fugu fish has become one of those exceptions. Normally Fugu or puffer fish has a lethal amount of poison which is enough to kill. This type of fish has been consumed for centuries and was once considered as one of the most delicious type of fish that river could give. Today it is a popular tourist attraction, since it gives you the chills of eating a fish that could kill you. Chefs that prepare it are supposed to go through lengthy 7-year training, before they can start preparing it for the customers. Chefs with a lot of experience like to leave a tiny bit of poison on, which will make your tongue numb and they call it “the taste of death.” Just something to make the experience more exiting.

These 4 dishes are only a drop in the ocean of a vast variety of dishes, that are weird and unique, yet still amazing as they reflect the culture of the country of origin. I will try to cover them in my future posts.

Lycopersicon esculentum! aka Tomatoes!

The tomato is one of the most versatile fruits and has many uses and benefits.

A bit about tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and A. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant helping protect cells from damage and Vitamin A assists the immune system and sight. Did you know that the phytochemcials in tomatoes have the ability to reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease? 

So how do we make use of this wonderful fruit? Below are some recipe ideas that will surely make your mouth water!

Sausages in tomato and onion sauce
This has to be one of my favourites! In fact, I even had this exact meal for dinner last night! It’s very simple and easy to cook. All you need to do is cook some sausages in fry pan. In another fry pan cook thinly sliced onion and chopped garlic on medium heat until brown and soft. Then, add diced tomatoes (I like to use Truss or Roma tomatoes) and stir until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce has thickened. (Make sure you keep the lid off so that the excess water in the tomatoes can evaporate). I like to season the sauce with a pinch of oregano and half a tea spoon of sugar (this helps to reduce the acidity).
 
Lastly, place the cooked sausages in the onion and tomato mixture and cook until heated.

Bruschetta
Bruschetta is a great dish to prepare as an entree to any meal. To make Bruschetta combine finely diced tomatoes, garlic, Spanish onion, parsley, olive oil and salt. This mixture is then placed on toasted Italian bread.

I also like to add to this mixture an Italian cheese called bocconcini. This provides a different texture and flavour to break up the tomato mixture. For the full recipe, click here. 

If you are trying to steer clear from bread and carbohydrates an alternative, which I absolutely love is buffalo mozzarella and tomato. Simply slice buffalo mozzarella into 0.5cm thick slices and place a slice of tomato on top. Drizzle with oil and salt. Buffalo mozzarella can be quite pricey so I normally save this meal for special occasions. 

If you are trying to steer clear from bread and carbohydrates an alternative, which I absolutely love is buffalo mozzarella and tomato. Simply slice buffalo mozzarella into 0.5cm thick slices and place a slice of tomato on top. Drizzle with oil and salt. Buffalo mozzarella can be quite pricey so I normally save this meal for special occasions.

Where to buy cheeses? I preferably like Paesanella, situated in Haberfield.  You can visit their website: Paesanella

Pasta with tomato sauce and pancetta

Another one of my favourites (as you can see I love tomatoes!) is pasta with tomato sauce and pancetta. Pancetta is an Italian cured meat and can be sourced from most butchers and supermarkets. For a great recipe check out Food network’s pasta recipe here.

If you have extra time you can even make your own tomato sauce, here are some photos of when I made tomato sauce with my family in January this year. 

La Tomatina 
And for those who can’t get enough of tomatoes there is always La Tomatina, a tomato throwing festival in Valencia, Spain. Fear not, you have not missed this year’s festival as it will be held on 28 August 2013! For more information click here.

- Liana Fasanella