Abercrombie & Feast

Sydney is a city of outdoor events.  When the weather is right, you can watch movies in the park, you can eat on the balcony and you can picnic on the beach.  It’s been warming up here lately, so we’ve been trying to take advantage of all the outdoor activities that Sydney has to offer.

For example, a few weekends ago we joined forces with some mates and walked from our place in Bondi Junction to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park- the site of the Spring Food and Wine Festival.  We were invited to attend the festival by our good friends at Petersons Winery.  We’re members of the winery- and also possibly it’s biggest fans.  So we thought we’d all show up, sample some wine and enjoy some lunch. 

The day turned hot and sunny, so by the time we finished our walk we were thirsty kids.  I started with a taste of Peterson’s Sav Blanc and was immediately refreshed, and hungry!  We got one more taste each (this time a merlot for me) and strolled amongst the many booths selling tasty lunchtime fare.  There were so many choices!  Chorizo rolls, falafels or grilled lamb… oh my! 

I wandered amongst the different stalls, enjoying the smells and sites of all this delicious food cooking.  Then I saw it- my ideal lunch.  La Piadina, “Italy’s Favourite Flatbread”.  A round bread, about the size of a small pizza, the thickness of a pancake and made of corn flour is grilled, filled and folded in half.  Basically it was an Italian style quesadilla.  It was gorgeous and had everything I look for in a lunch- speedy to make, easy to eat and a great punch of flavour.  There were several choices of fillings, but I went with mozzarella, spinach and pumpkins.  Here’s a shot:

They were selling bags of the flatbread at the stall, so I grabbed a pack to bring home and play around with.  I was already thinking up all kinds of ideas!  Goats cheese, spinach and red onion!  Lamb, cranberries and rocket!  The possibilities were endless, but I only had 6 flatbreads to play with.

I used a few of the flatbreads to make dinner last night, and I have to say-nice.  These were so good and so easy.  I reduced the amount of cheese, added a bit of diced tomato, wilted spinach, black olives and thinly sliced salami.  I would like to quote my husband upon his first bite, “Whoa!”  Well said, sweetie.  Here’s a shot of mine:

I have more of the flatbreads in the freezer, so we’ll have to try a few more combinations.  I wish I knew where to buy more of these.  I’m sure they are easy enough to make at home, but I loved the convenience of just defrosting a couple and having dinner ready 20 mins later.  This is the kind of fast food I can totally support.

Andy and I are off to Japan for 2 weeks.  We are so excited!!  I won’t be able to post pictures from our journey until we get back, but I will try to pop over here and at least update you on how we’re doing.  So… see you all in Nov!

Last week, I gave you a recipe for a salad.  I know, I know.  Who even NEEDS a recipe for a salad??  I mean, it was a great salad, but I’d bet that you could have come up with the idea yourself.  I’ve been feeling a little guilty about it all week.  So today, I’m going to make it up to you. 

Enter, the Guinness chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.

I made this to bring to a games night with some of the acting class friends (HI!), but it was so dense and rich that we could only finish 1/2 of it.  I packed the other half off to work with Andy this morning and at last report it was being thoroughly enjoyed by the lovely folks in his office (HI!)

This cake is a real treat.  It’s made with lovely lovely Guinness, but it doesn’t taste at all like beer.  Instead, the beer imparts a subtle malt flavour to the cake that goes well with the chocolate and the cream cheese.  I mean, pretty much everything goes well with chocolate and cream cheese, but the beer makes this a really damp and hefty cake.  And the icing, made primarily of cream cheese, sits on top of this dark cake like the foamy head on a pint of well poured Guinness.  Genius.

Now, I feel a bit better.  Aren’t you spoiled???  Chocolate cake and beer all in one post??  I feel I’ve redeemed myself.  Although, with summer coming on, I’m afraid there may be more salads in our future.  I’ll make it up to you, I swear.

Guinness Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Feast

*Just a note, my copy of Nigella’s lovely book Feast is an AU version, so the measurements are all metric.  I adapted them for my own use and it all turned out well, so the measurements here are the ones I used. *

For the cake:
Butter for pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/8 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the icing:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
 1/2 cup heavy cream.

For the cake: preheat oven to 350F or 180C. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.  You could also make this in cupcake form which would be very cute.  In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well.  I broke my electric beaters at this stage (nothing to do with the cake, everything to do with cheap beaters), and just whisked by hand from here on out.  Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

For the icing: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners’ sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth.  Chill until needed. 

This cake is pretty heavy, so the middle will probably sink a bit.  To keep a nice, smooth top, just put the cake upside down on your serving platter and ice the nice, flat bottom.  No one will know the difference and it will look better. 

Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

Oh my goodness.  I have to apologise for this speedy post.  I haven’t been home since last Thursday night, and I’m off again tomorrow morning.  A combination of work and fun have conspired for the past two weeks to keep me out of the kitchen. 

This doesn’t mean I haven’t cooked at all.  Just that I haven’t cooked a lot.  I’ve been away with the girls and food was already sorted out.  I’ve been in hotel rooms where the only cooking devices present were a kettle and a teacup.  Not the best circumstances under which to whip up gourmet, or even actually edible, meals. 

But, I have managed to make a honey and almond cake to bring away for the girls weekend.  I made dark chocolate, almond and strawberry bark.  I’ve made a lentil and sweet potato soup.  And, I’ve made this salad.

This recipe is adapted from the one that appeared in Amanda Hesser’s book, Cooking for Mr. Latte.  I bought the book recently and this is the first recipe of her recipes that I’ve tried.  It was excellent and perfectly suited to a warm Spring evening at home.  My first, and last, evening at home for a while. 

Asparagus and goats cheese salad with blood orange vinaigrette

Serves 2

1 bunch (about 6 pieces) of asparagus
salt
2 large handfuls of rocket or arugula
juice of 1/2 blood orange
segments cut from 1/2 blood orange
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbs olive oil
4 tbs creamy goats cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus.  Bring a pot of water to boil and salt the water.  Add the asparagus to the water and cook for about 3 mins.  Drain the asparagus on a plate lined with paper towel and allow to dry.  Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces. 

Cut the blood orange in half.  Add the juice of one half to a small bowl.  Peel the other half and slice into rounds or segments, whichever is easier. 

Add the mustard and the vinegar to the bowl with the juice from the blood orange.  Whisk together.  Add the olive oil a tiny bit at a time, whisking well between each bit.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Combine the rocket or arugula, the asparagus and the blood orange segments in a large bowl.  Add the dressing and toss to combine.  Divide the mixture onto two plates.  Add the goats cheese, broken into small pieces.  Add a tiny bit of freshly cracked pepper and serve.