A picnic please, mezze style!

As the summery weather draws to a close so to do the lazy days in the sun lounging on the the white sands of bondi beach! This weekend is going to be a another great one. So grab a few of you're favourite things; tabbouleh, hummus, olives, salad, pide, cheese, baguette, Turkish Delight and head to the park, beach or wherever you like for one last long picnic in the sun. Make sure you pack plenty of drinks to match your menu and invite your yummy friends too.

Quick Tabbouleh

Traditionally made with burghul I have partnered this zesty salad with cous cous for a last minute salad when 'on the run'. Great served with lamb kofta's and pide or with grilled lamb cutlets and lemon cheeks.

the ingredients

THE SALAD

3/4 cup cous cous

2-3 large tomatoes, chopped

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup mint, chopped

Salt and pepper

DRESSING

20ml extra virgin olive oil

40ml lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt and pepper, to taste

lets have some fun

Cook cous cous according to packet directions.

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, spring onion, parsley, mint and cous cous.

Whisk dressing ingredients together until combined. Pour over salad and season to taste.

bon appetite,

love amie x

ps - Burghul is cracked wheat and requires around 30 minutes cooking and can replace the cous cous if you have more time!

country comforts...

I was given a dozen freshly laid eggs this week from a work colleague who lives in the country and visited the office. Her last months visit bought me some delicious apricot jam made exactly the way I love to eat this sticky preserve. Slightly runny and sweet but not too sweet that you can't taste the freshness of the fruit with whole pieces of apricot still visible. This present made my day and provoked memories of my childhood.

Growing up in a very small country town homemade jams, chutneys, sauces, biscuits and cakes are seemingly the norm and more readily available than their inferior branded versions from supermarkets. I didn't realise or miss this aspect of the country for a good few years until I wanted to purchase a tomato relish, similar to my Nana's. For this indulgence I was soon to learn I would have to pay a ridiculous sum of money for something I once received out of generosity and love. To my horror I found myself paying as much as $15 for something that didn't have a smidgen on my nan's relish! For the first time in a very long time I felt far away and I missed the country!

In country living friends pop in unannounced for coffee and with them bring a dozen eggs or a fresh batch of Yo Yo's they have just whipped up that very morning! My sisters and I would eagerly watch out the window on weekends waiting excitedly for my Nan's car to pull up knowing full well what she would be bringing with her. Two extra large trays filled with her famous home made cupcakes. These were no ordinary cupcakes like the ones you buy in shops that dissolve in your mouth as soon as you take a bite; these cupcakes were a childhood and now an adult dream...... Cream filled fairy and lamington cakes, passionfruit iced cupcakes and my sisters favourite the 'chocolate cupcake' decorated with pink, white and chocolate icing and sprinkled with coconut or sprinkles. We were the most spoilt children on the block and didn't even realise! I remember the tray's lined with white baking paper and the cupcakes standing neatly side by side and grouped by icing colour.

I have asked my nan for her special cupcake recipe many times but every time I do she quite casually answers.

' I don't have a recipe, I just throw all the ingredients into the bowl and mix until it looks right'.

I have since tried to perfect this treat but I have abandoned this for the moment as my own recipe just doesn't quite cut the mustard. Or maybe its that I prefer the memory much more than the cake itself!

We don't seem to receive as many treats now as we did in our childhood as my sisters and I are have all grown up and scattered across 3 different states but I do love how food can re-kindle a lost memory.

My next visit home I think I'll request a fresh batch of these, just to see if they still taste the same ;-)

Bon appetite,

Thanks for spoiling us Nan!

love amie x

Picture - Nana in pink and baby Harry (4th generation) in blue!

Delights...A turkish one!

I absolutely adore Turkish Delight and not the Fry's one you can buy in supermarkets and convenience stores. No there is a much superior choice when choosing this super sweet treat. My preferred is Rose-Water flavoured Turkish Delight, made simple and unadulterated from a combination of sugar, cornflour and water. Its sweet and sticky consistency is a delicious choice for a light dessert or when you need a sugar hit.
The name arose when an English explorer first visited Turkey and enjoyed an endless bounty of this treat falling in love with it's sweet nature. On his return to the British isle he requested loads of this pink gold to be sent by ship back to England and so the name Turkish Delight was given!
A good place to find this treat at an affordable price is in areas which have Turkish or Middle Eastern influence and its also great to forage through these shops as they are always bursting at the seams with some interesting and eclectic foods. If you don't feel like a troop to neighbouring suburbs then try the Rose Water Turkish Delight from Harris Farm, which is super sweet, soft with a slight bite of chewiness, just enough so that it doesn't stick to all your teeth!

If you feel like a challenge in the kitchen then here is a good recipe for my favourite sweet sticky lollie Turkish Delight.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/10/03/1128191632392.html?page=2

love amie x

Picture taken in Hyde Park, London eating Turkish Delight or the Turkish, Lokum.

amie's in the kitchen...

My colleague (Aimee) and I (Amie), yes there are two of us! Last night cooked up a storm and had a little bit of fun along the way.
A very special dessert was on the menu; Sticky Date Puddings. Mmmm!
I think every time I dine out with my partner we peruse the dessert menu in hope of stumbling across the elusive Sticky Date Pudding, which must be served with vanilla ice-cream.
Some places ' get it right', but others just don't so if you want a simple way to mimic restaurant style Sticky Date Pudding at home then this recipe is for you. Enjoy!

Sticky Date Puddings
Makes 6-12

the ingredients
PUDDINGS
200g pitted dates, chopped
3/4 (200ml) cup water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60g butter, softened
160g light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups (200g) self-raising flour
CARAMEL SAUCE
1 x 300ml carton pure cream
1/2 cup (125g) brown sugar
80g butter
Ice cream to serve

lets have some fun
Heat 2 litres of water in the Wok.
Place dates in saucepan with 200ml water and cook over medium heat until just boiling. Add bicarbonate of soda and stir well. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Beat butter and sugar together with Silicone Whisk until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add date mixture, stirring well until combined. Spoon mixture evenly between the Flexibake 1-Cup Muffins and place in steamer. Cover and steam for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
SAUCE:
Combine all ingredients in the saucepan, whisk well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve sauce drizzled over warm puddings and a scoop of ice cream.

Your sweetie will adore this super sweet dessert.

love amie xoxo

ps - I like to freeze (double wrap in plastic) any leftover puds ready for a night in on the couch or when friends pop in un-announced...
pps - make double the amount of puds, half fill your cups or use a 12 cup muffin tray! Both ways make a filling dessert.

Cheese Please

Cheese is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It’s a sophisticated and timeless addition to any meal and also makes an exquisite meal served simply on its own.

Jazz up your delicious cheese platter with a selection of crackers, crusty bread, dried fruits, capers, smoked trout or salmon, the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine.

Soft white cheese is one of the most desirable and indulgent of the cheese family. This soft, white and runny cheese is delicious served simply with a crusty French baguette.

When travelling through Europe I wore the nickname baguetti legs! As most of you who have travelled know full well that your wallet becomes increasingly lighter and lighter very quickly when on an Aussie budget in Europe. Our immediate reaction to the dwindling funds seemed like such a brilliant idea. Moving to a diet of fresh baguettes for breakfast and lunch served with either raspberry jam or beautiful soft white gooey cheese when we wanted to be a little more extravagant was too good to be true. That was until we'd gone through both Spain and France on the same diet... Hence the nickname! My legs have since recovered from the indulgent trip to Europe but my passion for good cheese and breads continues to grow. Just not eaten every day, perhaps.

Anyone can do extravagance in their own backyard like we did and on a budget. Keep it super-simple with a few key quality ingredients & you too could be sitting cosily in a petite Paris garden as we did eating baguettes and cheese whilst listening to French musicians play.

More Cheese Please!

love amie x

Confessions of a Chocoholic

Chocolate sits teasingly on the tip of my tongue this month, literally!

As Easter closes in around us everywhere you turn you are surrounded with beautiful chocolate. Its the bride to be and a dieters most torturous time of the year testing their self restraint to the max.

When I visit supermarket's my eyes wander the aisles with child like eyes from the overflow of chocolate filled eggs. Many of my friends 'claim' to be over the Chocolate Egg even before Easter arrives. Purely due to the abundance of eggs, people are just over the humble Easter Egg! Or are they just plain old fat liars?

I used to be one of those annoying people who could take chocolate or leave it and when offered a sliver of this deliciously rich and creamy treat I would simply answer.

'No thank you, I really don't like chocolate,' I said, dis-interested.

'How could this be?' My friends asked, alarmed and highly disturbed!

Was it the fact I'd learnt too much about healthy eating and been brain washed by nutrition lecturers and do gooder dietitians!

Whatever the reason I believed I was invincible to chocolate and could very easily say no to the highly inviting packet of Tim Tams being passed around the office mid afternoon. I was truly a saint!

Now I am glad to say I have been cured! I too like my mother, sisters and the many hordes of chocolate craving woman know how to 'nurture' that craving.

Here is a chocolaty cake recipe to nurture that womanly craving!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Makes 1 cake

the ingredients

180g Dark chocolate, roughly chopped
175g butter, softened

1/2 cup (125g) caster sugar
200g hazelnut meal
4 eggs, separated
50g prunes, macerated in brandy (for at least 20 minutes)

lets have some fun

Pre-heat oven to 150 C.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
Add hazelnut meal and egg yolks to the butter mixture. Add chocolate and prunes to the mixture, mix thoroughly.
Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold half the egg whites into the mixture, repeat with remaining egg whites.
Place in large cake pan or 9L non-stick stock pot.
Bake for 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, invert onto cooling rack. Ice with chocolate butter cream if you desire.

Serve with a dollop of fresh cream and some fresh berries.

Enjoy!

love amie x

Riding High on a Budget in Sydney!

Last night we ventured out for an invited social event - a friend's farewell. Knowing our current funds were low and even after combining them we were both dreading the end of the night when the bill was passed around, knowing full well that the cost of a Fun night out in Sydney can leave you living on bread and water rations!
That was until we visited Safety Wolf in Manly for $6 burritos, please...

A tiny little hole in the wall with plenty of character is Safety Wolf. On entering you almost feel as if you are set back in time, sitting in your grandmothers living room gazing at old pictures and gorgeous art deco-style mirrors, which adorn the warmly painted walls of this little nook in Manly. It screams a comfortable and relaxed vibe serving up a modest mix of easy tapas-style food. Empanada's, burritos ($6 for one), mixed olives and bruschetta's are simple.

But the real reason to venture here is for the cruisy cocktails ($12 a piece) and the amazing tunes from local vocalist and guitarist duo who were also very obliging to our friends request to share a sing along with them!

Great for small groups on a budget (dinner under $20) looking for a fun night spent amongst friends.

32 Belgrave St, Manly 2095. (02 8966 9022)

Enjoy!

love amie x