July 6th, 2010
Belgian Biscuits Newstalk ZB Recipe
This is the recipe (with my metric adjustments) as heard on Newstalk ZB Thursday 1st July.
4 oz butter (softened) 115g
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 large cup (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
1 sm cup (3/4 cup) cornflour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 desspn (1 1/2 Tablespoons each of cinnamon and cocoa
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat again. Sift in dry ingredients and combine. If it is too soft (though mine wasn’t) chill for an hour or so until it can be rolled out to 1/8th inch thickness (dont ask me for the metric version of that!) Cut into rounds with a cutter or glass and bake on a tray lined with baking paper at about 160 fan or 180 non-fan for 12-15 mins or until nearly firm and smelling good.Cool slightly and sandwich together with raspberry or plum jam (if you are like me and hate raspberry seeds in your teeth!) Ice with a simple lemon icing if desired but they are quite sweet so be warned.Makes about a dozen or more joined biscuits depending on size.They will soften on standing so keep them unjoined until you want them, if you like crisper biscuits!Your call.
Sue Story
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Recipes, Uncategorized
July 5th, 2010
No Rain for a week in Ireland!
In the middle of May we were in Southern Ireland and were lucky enough to visit Dunbrody Country House Hotel on Wexford’s south coast.
Kevin Dundon and his wife Catherine run this gorgeous 250 acre spot. Kevin is a TV chef and cookbook author who also owns 2 restaurants in the U.S.
We had been introduced to Kevin through an Auckland chef Michael van Elzen from Molten in Mt Eden who once worked at Dunbrody .Kevin generously spent time with us showing us the marvellous fruit and vegetable gardens ,which in summer supply 90% of the restaurant needs.They even have a resident pig as well as lovely chooks! Kevin cooked us a seafood chowder for lunch with Irish soda bread and showed us the spa and cooking school which makes this a great weekend retreat. www.dunbrodyhouse.com
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel
April 29th, 2010
Ramsay’s latest in Melbourne
Here in Melbourne we tried the latest of the Gordon Ramsay chain of Maze restaurants and this was the Barramundi which my husband enjoyed. I had a gorgeous Lemon and Harissa Poussin. As Maze was full we ate at the Grill and both the food and service were excellent. Josh Emmit, a New Zealand chef who has worked with Gordon is running this Melbourne branch and we got a chance to peek at the kitchens after dinner. I had worked on a recipe test of one of Josh’s recipes for Taste magazine.Reviews seem to be favourable so far.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel
January 11th, 2010
Pickled lemons
Pickled Lemons
Pickled Lemons are very easy to make and work so well in Moroccan dishes. They can also be used to wake up bean dishes or dips and marry beautifully with smoked salmon. There are a variety of ways to pickle them but this method (you can hardly call it a recipe) is easy and a favourite with me.Choose firm lemons (Meyers tend to be quite soft) Yen Ben, Eureka or Lisbon are best.
I described the method on Newstalk ZB on Saturday where you make a cross cut almost though the lemon leaving the base intact and stuffing with rock salt but if you want to save on salt and jars try cutting them into quarters. Get about 8 lemons and a cup or two of rock salt. Cut as described. In the photo above I did some whole and some quartered and they look fine. Put an inch or so of salt into the bottom of a large sterilized jar, place the cut lemons in a large bowl and rub the salt into them. Pack them into the jar layering well with more salt and some extra juice. Top up with a little boiling water and if you like, float a layer of olive oil on top, though I didn’t for the photographed ones.
Some methods call for a few coriander seeds to be added or cinnamon stick /bay leaf, but it’s the salt that pickles them. Leave them on a windowsill for about a month. Some people store them in the fridge once opened but I haven’t found it necessary.
To use, remove from the jar with a fork (not fingers) to stop contamination. Rinse off the salty liquid, remove the flesh and most of the pith and finely slice or dice skin, as required. Add to couscous with chopped coriander or parsley to liven it up.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Recipes
December 30th, 2009
Newstalk ZB Chocolate Mousse
Here is the chocolate Mousse recipe I gave out on Newstalk ZB on Boxing Day.
Newstalk ZB Chocolate Mousse (or frozen chocolate mousse) (Makes enough for at least six good serves or 8 as the frozen one)
This classic recipe adapts well; for example try orange liqueur in it instead of rum.A coffee liqueur would work as well.
Shave some chocolate on top of the cream or even a little crunchy praline for texture.It’s all about balance of flavours and textures. You would think the cream would make it too rich but it helps cut throught the chocolate, as do tart fruits.I remember drizzling Cointreau over one indulgent version many years ago.
175g dark chocolate, chopped (I use the 72% Whittaker’s dark Ghana or Green and Black’s Orange)
4 Tblsp strong black coffee (instant is fine)
1 Tblsp butter
4 eggs separated
1 Tblsp rum or ½ tsp vanilla essence or orange liqueur
3 Tblsp caster sugar
Warm the chocolate with the coffee (I usually heat in the microwave 1 ½ -2 mins on 50% power. It will take less if the coffee is hot). Stir in butter and flavouring. Mix in egg yolks one by one so that it thickens slightly. Let mixture cool till tepid. Whip the egg whites, add sugar and continue whipping for 30 seconds to make a light meringue. Fold into chocolate mix and place in a big bowl (or tiny coffee cups or wine glasses)to chill.Serve with a spoonful of crème fraiche or whipped cream and caramelised oranges or some tart fruit like raspberries to cut the richness. To make the frozen version add 150ml softly whipped cream and freeze.You can also serve the version with the cream added, unfrozen.
To make it dairy free , eliminate the butter (and cream of course).
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Recipes
November 17th, 2009
Heavenly Hawkes Bay
My asparagus and mushroom entree at Pacifica in Napier. (see below)
The earth moved for me in Hawkes Bay last month and it had nothing to do with meeting Dan Carter in the lift (though it was the same day!) There was actually a small earthquake (my first experience) which I felt because I was on the 6th floor of the Te Pania Scenic Circle. I was there for the NZ Guild of Foodwriters conference (my last as President). The team at Food Hawkes Bay certainly turned it on for us with a selection of tours to choose from that had us all dithering and wishing we could do them all. Oddly enough we all thought our own tours must have been the best, as we compared notes.
Despite having been to the area numerous times, it is such a dynamic place that there is always something new happening. Who knew we had a snail farm there?
Maggie Beer from South Australia was our guest writer in residence and she impressed everyone with her approachable,modest brilliance!
My personal highlights (aside from meeting Dan!) were many and varied, from the tour of the Opera House and the visit to Glen Aros lodge through to the lunch at Te Awa, tasting my first Kiwi snail, discovering the caring environment of Hohepa www.hohepa.com
and hanging out with all the conference attendees.I think I will have to post separate blogs for each one at this rate.
This was the entree of Crayfish Ravioli with a pea puree and salmon at Te Awa www.teawa.com
where we also tasted the Reserve Chadonnay 2007 which just won a gold at the Air New Zealand wine awards.
As well as all the conference activities, I managed to get to Pacifica which is a restaurant on Marine Parade, an area not known for its classy food.My meal was definitely classy though some of the food writers I was with that night were a bit underwhelmed with their choices. Guess I got lucky.
More on Hawkes Bay very soon.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel
September 4th, 2009
Weekend treat
Apple Pancakes with grilled bacon and apple syrup
This is a breakfast treat I devised when a generous friend gave me heaps of Golden Delicious apples a while ago.I have become very fond of it lately as a weekend treat. The organic apple syrup is great but non-organic versions are cheaper if price is an issue. The pork and apple match is well known.I love Freedom Farms Streaky bacon for this .
4 apples
1 Tablsp. butter
2 Tablsp.apple syrup
Pancakes
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 Tablsp. baking powder
2 Tablsp. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk or 1/2 milk 1/2 yoghourt
2 Tablsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tablsp. butter
To garnish , grilled bacon ,more apple syrup and optional yoghourt.
Peel,core and thinly slice apples. Heat butter in a frying pan and add the apples.Cook until they start to colour then add apple syrup to aid that process. When tender and golden, set aside and keep warm.
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and mix wet ingredients in another.Combine the two mixtures carefully. Dont overmix. Rest the batter for 10 mins or so.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add the second tablespoon of butter then fry spoonfuls of batter to make 12 pancakes of 8-10cm size. Add more butter for each batch if you like.When they start to bubble on top and brown around the edges, turn over and finish cooking.Grill the bacon and serve pancakes with the apples in a stack, with more apple syrup and a dollop of yoghourt if you fancy it. Serves 4.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Recipes, Uncategorized
July 22nd, 2009
A side trip to Vancouver
Isn’t it funny how, when something happens that you think is a problem, suddenly turns out to be a great bonus!This happened on my way to Chicago in June when the flight from LA to Chicago was cancelled and the only way a standby passenger could get there was via Vancouver! I have never been so unprepared to visit somewhere. Normally I do lots of homework before I go to a new city but this was a true adventure.
What to do with 7 hours in a strange city? Well it was nearly dinner time so I sought out a fish restaurant. I won’t bore you with the details of why I chose Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop house but lets say it was serendipity at work again.
My waitress Cole set the tone for the evening with her knowledge and understanding of the various fish choices and the wine to go with that. I discovered Joe Fortes follows the Ocean-wise programme which promotes the use of safe (as opposed to overfished) fish choices so I tried Sablefish (a black cod I understand)served blackened with a side of squeaky fresh asparagus and rice. She brought me a taste of a Canadian Gewurztraminer which I agreed was just right so I had that with my meal and then had a lemon tart and a short black before hopping back on the airport bus for my 11pm flight to Chicago!
I had a chance to get a feel for the city and it certainly piqued my interest in returning. It may just become my new route to Chicago each year.I have been told it has the feel of Auckland and there is an element of that and it certainly felt very safe for a woman on her own so next time at Joes I will look at the huge range of oysters and compare them to the Bluff variety. see the link to the restaurant on the links column.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel, Uncategorized
July 13th, 2009
USA 2009
Long Island in the State of New York has long held a fascination for me but without a car it seemed too difficult to get to.However this time I managed to get there thanks to my US resident Kiwi-born friend who offered to drive down from Boston to help me achieve this.We drove through from La Guardia airport and within a short time we were at Pinder Winery which has been operating for 30 years! I bet most people didn’t even know they grew vines up here.We tasted an interesting selection, from a “quincey-flavoured” Viognier to a very nice Mythology 2008 which was a Bordeaux blend but they had something for everyone there and Terri was a knowlegable host.She even guided us to a great inn with a restaurant which had an interesting name, the Jedediah Hawkins Inn.
Recently restored from a near-ruin this was a beautiful spot (see photo) for dinner of the more formal kind. www.jedediahhawkinsinn.com We were treated to a look at the accommodation including the Belvedere Suite but every room was individually decorated and rather gorgeous.At dinner I particularly enjoyed the fresh foie-gras from Upstate New York served with a tiny blue cheese souffle , seared artichoke hearts and a drizzle of a sweet-tart glaze.
The following day we explored the Hamptons, very smart towns indeed especially Southampton and Bridgehampton. I later found out where the Barefoot Contessa, cook, Ina Garten lived but the huge mansions all around the area were certainly impressive. They must need a team of gardeners working fulltime to maintain the enormous hedges and immaculate lawns. Some places only had that much visible to protect their privacy!This area has a feel of Cape Cod about it and makes a nice escape from the city of New York for those lucky enough to own a property there.
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel
June 6th, 2009
Magical Queenstown
Dont you love it when a place you haven’t been to for many years turns out to be even better than you remember it?In 1982 I had been to Queenstown and Arrowtown briefly while touring with the musical “Evita” so when friends suggested I come down in the autumn to catch the fabulous colours, there was no hesitation.Even though I knew the stone fruit and cherries would not be in season and the Cromwell Farmers Market was over at Easter, lets face it, grapes had well and truly imprinted themselves on the landscape and what was bad about that!
Flying into Queenstown was almost like a natural version of the old Hong Kong airport with mountains replacing the high-rise buildings.Spectacular! The wind must have been blowing the right way as we swept up the Frankton arm of Lake Wakatipu giving us a grandstand view of the area(planes often land from the north).Stepping out of the terminal, all I could say was WOW as the Remarkables towered above me and my eyes were drawn magnetically to these dramatic hills. Last time they had some snow on them I remembered in a flashback.My friends had given me a whistle-stop tour of the area around the back of Queenstown and Arrowtown and all the way up to Cromwell so the following day I went back to the spots that I had picked out as photo opportunities and good food spots.On a perfect autumn day there is no better way to spend the day than tootling around at leisure, photographing the stunning scenery, sampling the produce of the region and visiting local artists.
I had lunch at Gibbston Valley Winery that day after doing their wine tour and smelling the aroma of crushed grapes (vintage time here)The day was warm enough to sit in the courtyard and I enjoyed a Duck Rillette with muscatels, pickled vegetables and toasted Turkish bread followed by a Valhrona Manjari chocolate tart with mandarin sorbet, chunks of brownie, Persian fairy floss and dried chillies! Yes,chillies. They were crunchy and fab with the dark chocolate.
When I travel and stay with friends, I cook dinners for them and finding the wonderfully stocked Mediterranean Market out the back of Queenstown was a bonus. They even had my favourite Rachel Scott Ciabbata but on the Monday , no fish, so a quick trip to the Fresh Fish Co in Arrowtown provided me with the best fat Groper fillets I had ever tasted .I served this grilled with a hint of Moroccan Ras el Hanout spice and a salsa of coriander , semi-dried tomatoes ,lemon rind and olive oil.We were all swooning with delight at the quality of the fish.
The dinner guest that night was the amazing Da’Vella Gore, an artist ,marriage celebrant,and gardener who has created along with her son, a chapel recycled with the timber from an old church on the West Coast,a reception lodge like something out of Lord of the Rings and fabulous garden bordering Lake Hayes in a setting that would bring tears to your eyes.Do check out the website (see links) and dont miss it if you are in the area. 
Posted by Sue Story // Filed in Gourmet travel