Abercrombie & Feast

We’ve just returned from a long weekend in Mudgee, NSW to celebrate Australia Day.  Australia Day is a little bit like the 4th of July… big summer holiday with lots of BBQ’s, heat and fireworks.  We didn’t see any fireworks, but we did sweat a lot and cook on the barbie, so I guess we did ok.

Mudgee is about 4.5 hours from Sydney and is known for making some great red wines.  It is also, in my opinion, in possession of a hilarious and fun-to-say name.  This was actually our second trip to Mudgee and we had a blast.  We went with our friends Steve and Maja, got a little apartment near town, tasted wines all day and drank wine while watching the Australian Open all night.  With the glaring exception of a wedding / bar fight that we witnessed on the first night, it was a quiet and relaxing weekend away.

 We used the barbie in our little back yard for every meal, which was both delicious and very Australian of us.  On Saturday night, we enjoyed prawns marinated in lemon, garlic, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and olive oil as a starter.  Perfectly cooked (thanks Steve!), the prawns were gorgeous with a cold glass of white wine at the end of a scorching day.  These pics aren’t great, but I’d already enjoyed a few glasses of that white wine by this point. 

Steve throws another prawn on the barbie

Continuing the streak of light and delicious food that’s perfectly matched for crisp, lemon-y white wine, we enjoyed skewers of marinated chicken, chunks of capsicum (bell pepper) and haloumi cheese.  The skewers were so nice served over a small bed of white rice and eaten outside, dodging the grasshoppers.  A few pieces of the haloumi escaped from their skewers, but we forgave Steve for that.  He’d had plenty of wine, too.  I didn’t get a picture of the skewers after they were cooked (we were pretty hungry), but here’s a shot of the skewers all prepped and ready to be grilled. 

We also had toast for brekkie, eggs cooked on the barbie, a cheese plate for lunch and sandwiches for a late afternoon filler.  The food was simple, but that’s what you want when it’s hot outside.  Lots of cold white wine doesn’t hurt, either. 

We’re home in Sydney.  It seems like no matter where we go on holiday, I’m always so happy to come home to our little apartment in Sydney. 

We had such a great vacation.  Lots of swimming, sunning and relaxing.  Lots of memories made.

Probably my overwhelming culinary memory of New Caledonia will be the bread.  An island-sized slice of France in the South Pacific, New Caledonia is a place of burnished skies, blue water… and bread.  Every food shop, no matter how small and dusty, had large stack of fresh, golden bread.  Baguettes, mostly.

Food is very expensive in New Calendonia.  For example, a lunch of lettuce wraps and spring rolls at a local Vietnamese place cost us about AU$60.  Ouch.  So, we brought a lot of our own food to make in our petite apartment on the beach.  But, we did splash out and buy bread- daily. 

I ate the bread for brekkie almost every day.  Topped with a cold slick of slightly salted French butter, or with a sweet, rich smear of peanut butter (brought over in our suitcase from AU) and eaten on our balcony overlooking the sparkling Pacific ocean each morning, the bread was a brilliant start to my days.

The view from our hotel on Anse Vata

The bread was also our snack during the days.  After a day in the sun, on the beach or by the pool, a cold bottle of Orangina and a hunk of crusty baguette, torn right from the loaf, would revive me for the afternoon (or my afternoon nap!)

Walking the streets of Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, I would see dozens of people eating sandwiches made on fresh loaves of bread.  I would see dozens and dozens more with their newly purchased loaves peeking out of their shopping bags, backpacks and beach bags.  It seems I wasn’t the only one filling up on the ubiquitous loaves. 

With a crust as golden as the sunsets over the ocean, and an interior as white as the coral beaches, eating the bread in New Caledonia was like having a bite of the island itself.  Delicious.

We’re off on holiday tomorrow!  So excited!  We’ll be spending Christmas on the beach, sipping fruity drinks and reading good books. 

Every year we escape Sydney for the week of Christmas.  I hate the idea of sitting in our apartment alone on Christmas day, so we hit the road instead.  It’s really odd, and kind of hard, to not see our families at this time of year.  So, last night, we did the next best thing.  We invited our “Sydney family” over for a night of festive food, funny movies and holiday cheer. 

I want to keep this post short- I still have bathing suits to pack!  Here are two recipes that we enjoyed last night with our lovely mates.  Both are tasty, pretty and seasonal.  I hope you feel like celebrating, too!

Mulled wine

Serves 6
1 bottle dry red wine (I used a cab merlot)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup water 
1 large orange, thinly sliced into rounds 
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
2 cinnamon sticks, slightly crushed
6 whole cloves

Place the wine, sugar, brandy, water, orange, lemon, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a large saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture is aromatic. Do not boil- you’ll burn off the alcohol and then, what’s the point??  Remove from the heat and let stand for several hours.  I made my mixture in the morning before work and let it sit all day to infuse.

Before serving, drain the wine so you’ve removed all the solids.  You can keep a few slices of orange and lemon for decoration, but you don’t want shards of cinnamon sticks floating in your glass. 

Return the drained wine to the pan and heat gently.  Serve warm. 

Chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts

Serves 6 as part of a meal or 2 for a big lunch
2 chicken breasts
2tbs mayo
3-4 tbs plain yogurt
1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by poaching the chicken breasts.  I have made this chicken salad so many times, with all manner of leftover chicken.  But, if you don’t have leftover chicken, poaching is a fast and easy way to get the chicken you need for this salad.  Put the chicken breasts in a pot.  Cover with water and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for about 15-20 mins, or until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the water and let cool.  Once it’s cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with two forks.  Easy!

While the chicken is poaching, put the walnuts in a dry frying pan.  Place the pan over medium high heat and toast the nuts until they are a deeper brown and they smell great.

Mix the cooled, poached chicken with the mayo and plain yogurt.  I should point out that I loathe mayo, so don’t worry if you don’t like it.  You won’t even taste it in this recipe!  The plain yogurt provides the needed moisture without overwhelming the taste of the other ingredients.

Add the cranberries and walnuts and mix well.  Add the sage and stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste (I like plenty of both in this recipe.) 

Serve in sandwiches for lunch, or on slices of toasted baguette for a party. 

It’s been really hot here for the last two days… just in time for the holidays.  No matter the temperature, something about the holidays always makes me want to bake.  Despite the fact that it’s really hot outside, we have no air conditioning and the heat from the oven makes my curls frizz up… I can’t help it! 

Today we set up our tree and decorated the apartment.  It looks so nice, all sparkly and twinkly.  The only thing missing was the homey smell of Christmas cookies wafting through the air.  So, I did the next best thing and I baked this bread.

This was supposed to be cranberry and orange bread, which would have been more fitting for the seasonal theme.  But, for the second Christmas in a row, I couldn’t find any frozen cranberries at my local store.  I swear, they stock frozen cranberries all year… but remove them from the shelves just in time for the holiday baking rush.  In the words of Stephanie Tanner, “That’s just rude!”  So I used cherries, a lovely summer time fruit, instead. 

Missing cranberries aside, this bread turned out beautifully.  Which I guess is actually kind of perfect.  This bread fits right in with our version of summer time Christmas Down Under.

Cherry and orange bread

Makes one loaf
Juice and grated rind of one orange
2 tbs vegetable oil
water
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen cherries
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).  Grease and flour one loaf pan. 

Put the rind and the juice of the orange into a measuring cup.  Add the oil.  Add enough water to the measuring cup to bring the level up to 3/4 cup.

Beat the egg and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Add the cherries, almonds and orange mixture.  Stir to blend well.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the cherry mixture and stir well to combine completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Turkey, sweet potatoes, spinach, chicken salad, enchiladas, sausage balls, Chex mix, ham, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, queso, jalapeno cheese, carrot sticks, stuffed celery, pizza, apple cider, macaroons… these are literally just a FEW of the things I ate on my recent trip home to Georgia for Thanksgiving.  God, I really love Thanksgiving.  It is a whole DAY devoted to just eating.  And, since I rarely go home, I decided to make this a whole VACATION devoted to eating.  Forget overweight luggage (I did my fair share of shopping!), I was afraid I was going to have to pay a fee to get myself on the plane… overweight passenger! 

I had such a nice time.  Airline travel really is a little miracle.  You wake up in Sydney, catch a cab to the airport, sit next to a stranger for hours on end, eat a snack at another airport, sit next to another stranger for a few more hours… then suddenly you’re in Georgia.  It’s amazing.

Here are a few pictures from the trip:

My brother Noah and me (he just got engaged!!)

One of the best parts of the trip was the chance to spend a lot of time cooking with my mom.  We made all the food for a big party (congrats Noah and Dana!) and for Thanksgiving day together.  It was a treat to spend time together in the kitchen, stirring and chatting and singing along to Billy Joel.  For me, that is what going home is all about. 

On my last night in Georgia, mom and I decided to make a few different kinds of Christmas cookies.  We ran up to the grocery store, stocked up on the essentials like marshmallows, vanilla and coconut, and then baked up a storm.  Here’s the recipe for the amaretto macaroons that we made.  We told ourselves that we liked the idea of the amaretto in the cookies… but who were we kidding?  We just liked the idea of the amaretto.  I didn’t get a picture- my camera was already packed away.  But trust me, these are delicious, festive and easy. 

Amaretto Macaroons
Makes about 20 macaroons

3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (this will probably be about 5-6 eggs)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp amaretto
1/4 tsp almond extract

Place the coconut, sugar and egg whites in a saucepan, and stir to combine well.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently for about 10-12 minutes,

The mixture will be a bit grainy for a while, then it will get more creamy and liquid as it heats.  The mixture will slowly get drier as you continue to stir. Stop cooking when the mixture is still a bit creamy- not too dry.  Remove from heat.

Mix in vanilla, amaretto and almond extract. Spread this mixture onto a large baking sheet. Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 150C or 300F. Line another baking sheet with baking paper. 

Using your hands, roll the coconut mixture into balls.  I have been struggling to think of a way to tell you what size balls to roll.  Basically, you’re going for the size of a large marble.  Place these on the baking sheet.

Bake the macaroons until golden, approx 30 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and cool.

And, finally, here’s a picture of the sunrise as I flew back into Sydney.  I have so much to be thankful for. 

Last November, I got homesick.  Big time.  Living abroad is a great adventure, and I wouldn’t trade this life we have for the world.  But, every now and then I miss the USA and all the lovely people in it.  So, after a few glasses of wine one Thursday night in October, I decided I was going back to the States for Thanksgiving.  I booked my flight, packed lightly (shopping!) and hopped on a plane to LAX.  My gorgeous husband joined me for the first (and loooongest) leg of the flight, then we split up… he flew to Atlanta to be with his family, and I met my parents in Rhode Island to celebrate with my grandfather.

Oh man, we had fun.  And oh man, did we eat well.  Seafood, clam chowder, turkey, sweet potato casserole good enough to make you slap yo’ mama.  We mostly stuck to the classics, as Americans tend to do around the holidays.  But, when we experimented with a new recipe to enjoy one afternoon by the fire, we hit on a huge winner, and a new classic in my house.  Behold, the Newport Cheese Puff….

I will admit, I have no idea where this recipe came from, so I’m sure I should be giving credit to someone and I’m not.  Sorry!  I do know that these are easy to make with things you probably already have on hand, are a really simple party snack and are goooooood. 

I’ve since made these numerous times for a wide variety of occasions.  Sunday afternoon snack, easy first course for a dinner party (just add some salad greens), game-time finger food… these puffs fit the bill no matter what the event. 

I am going home to Georgia this year for Thanksgiving- the first time I’ve been home in over 2 years.  I am looking forward to it so much.  I know these cheese puffs, and so many other gorgeous, nostalgic dishes will be on the menu. 

Newport Cheese Puffs

Makes 20-25 puffs
1 loaf plain white bread
3 egg whites
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs mayo
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
chilli powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

Preheat your oven to 180C or about 350F. 

Cut out small (1-2 inch) rounds of white bread, avoiding the crusts (you can save the crusts for bread crumbs later!)

Whip egg whites until stiff.  Carefully mix in mayo, cheese, garlic powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper.

Spoon the egg white mix unto bread rounds.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake about 10-12 mins or until golden brown. 

Oprah once said, “My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.”  Once again, the wonderful Ms. Winfrey has got it right.  Potatoes are divine.

Perhaps it’s because of my Irish background, but I believe that the humble potato is one of the greatest things you can cook.  Roasted, baked or boiled, potatoes are versatile and delicious.

At this time of year, potatoes are everywhere.  It’s rare to see a holiday table that doesn’t contain potatoes in some form.  So, for your next holiday, or cozy Sunday night dinner, why not move beyond traditional mashed potatoes?  Branch out past roasted spuds?  Instead, try this… gratin dauphinois.

Cheesy and rich with a golden top and layers of tender potato slices, gratin dauphinois would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.  And the leftovers from last night will make a great addition to my lunch today!  All I need now is someone to share it with… do you think Oprah would be interested??

Gratin Dauphinois

Serves 6-8

1 kilo (about 2 lbs) potatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups double cream
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 170C or about 325F.  Thinly slice the potatoes.  I used my new mandoline and it was much easier, but you could simply slice the potatoes by hand.  You’re aiming for really thin slices. 

Butter a 9 x 6 1/2 inch ovenproof dish.  Layer the potatoes in the dish, adding a bit of cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic between each layer. 

When you’ve layered all the potatoes, pour the cream and milk on top.  Then top the whole thing with the rest of the grated cheese.

Bake for about 45mins to 1 hour.  Test with a knife to make sure the potatoes are completely cooked and the liquid is absorbed.  If the top starts to get too brown, cover loosely with tin foil for the rest of the baking time. 

Let rest for 10 mins before serving.