Aussie food

I will start by saying that I feel like I am waking up from the deepest, longest dream. But I am back and ready to start over.  Long overdue, the story about my trip Down Under is finally ready to be told. Australia deeply touched me, from its endless and incredible landscapes, extreme activities, dangerous animals, crazy people and, of course, the food.  I wasn’t expecting Australian food to be any different from American.  I actually didn’t know what kind of cuisine to expect, but that it would probably very much like what I eat in NYC.  To my surprise, I discovered completely new distinctive flavors and food combinations.

Aussie people are very proud of their country and culture as well as their food. Most places serve locally grown vegetables, farm raised animals, wild caught seafood as well as overpopulated kangaroos. Some of the dishes I can’t even describe; with so many different ingredients I have never tried and combinations I would have never thought of. 

Australians love their avocados – especially with their eggs and breakfast dishes. They develop so many variations of avocado toast that for 3 weeks I never tried the same dish twice. Aussies also have a fondness for avocado and Vegemite on toast. I am not a big fan of it, but I loved “Smashed Avo” - avocado on toasted sourdough, feta, lime, cashew and basil pesto with chili jam and poached eggs.  

Breakfast also means a variety of fresh squeezed juices and fresh made shakes. Options are overwhelming from beetroot /apple /ginger/ lemon/ oranges to The Nutty- peanut butter/ Nutella/banana and yogurt, to Bananarama- banana/spinach/mango/yogurt/Chia and almond milk and my favorite Cadolada- avocado/pineapple, banana, mint and coconut milk. All equally healthy and refreshing.  I was surprised by the muesli that are often served for breakfast, a mix of Chia seeds, oats, wheat germ, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, local yoghurt, poached seasonal fruit and local honeycomb, it was a wildly delicious thing.  

The best coffee I have ever had was in Thailand but the Australian latte takes second place; smooth and creamy, simply addictive. 

I never imagined combining beetroot hummus, poached eggs and pistachio yoghurt on a toast before but it works incredibly well. The sweetness of pistachio yogurt works really well with a touch of sourness of hummus and combined with the crunchiness of sourdough toast to make a tasty sandwich.     

The national product, world famous Vegemite, is just disgusting and no matter how many people tell you how awful it is, have to try it for yourself. Vegemite is a dark brown food paste made from yeast extract and spice additives. The most popular way to eat it is to spread it on bread or toast with butter. I have tried it and it not only looks and smells disgusting it also tastes disgusting. (Yuck!)

Crocodile and kangaroo meat are essential meats in Australian kitchen. Both are very lean and tasty.  Kangaroo, which is red and tastes more or less like steak, goes really well with a pepper strawberry sauce.  Crocodile is a white meat and tastes like chicken, often served with French fries and salad.Barramundi is the most popular fish in Australia.  It gets its name from Aboriginal language and it means “large-scaled river fish”.  The best one I had was grilled like a steak and served with herbed oil.  The Australian ‘lobster’- Balmain bugs or Moreton Bay Bugs has no claws and only its tail contains edible meat. I have tried them steamed, deep fried, grilled, barbequed and cold as part of a seafood platter. They all taste good.

During a river safari, watching salt water crocs in their natural habitat, I was offered one of Australia’s iconic cheap foods – Damper – soda bread make with wheat flour, water, and a pinch of salt and baked on the coals of a campfire.  Mine was served with traditional Billy Tea. On the fancier side, the popular dessert is Pavlova; supposedly invented in honor if Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova while she was visiting Australia. New Zealand claims the same thing and both countries fight forthe title of inventor of Pavlova – a meringue based dessert toped with whipped cream and fruit.  Regardless of its origin this cake is absolutely delicious.

 

Anywhere you go in the world you should always try the local food.  You might hate it or you might be positively surprised and discover new flavors and favorite dishes.  There is so much complexity and variety to Australian food that I cannot wait to go back to this magical country to explore and eat, once again. 

 

 

chilled lobster salad

Summer time is always great time to make salad, fruit salad in the morning, green for lunch, and something heartier for dinner. There are so many options to mix and match vegetables with each other or with protein…the possibilities are endless.

Last summer while I  was hosting some friends and their families, one of my friends made an incredible lobster salad, and every since I keep recreating it and passing it along to other friends. And it is a hit every single time we make it.

I got very lucky that weekend because the other friend was a great cook -originally from Italy- he grilled the best veggies and steaks. He also cleaned my grill for the first time, it was never cleaner, except when I bought it, and never thereafter. I am pretty bad with taking care of my outside cooking devices, so bad in fact, that after one year of using my grill I now need to replace it. But back to the lobster salad… You can modify the ingredients depending on your taste and what you have in the fridge. This salad is very delicious, refreshing and light. You can serve it alone or as a lobster roll. 

Recipe

1 large (2lbs or more) lobster or 2 smaller ones

2 ribs of celery chopped

1 ripe mango- diced

½ small red onions – diced

1 tbsp. of mayonnaise

I tsp. of vinegar (I used yuzu)

Salt, pepper

Boil or steam lobster, 7,5 minutes per lb. In the meantime mix all the vegetables, chill and de-shell the lobster, chop accordingly to your test.  Mix all together and serve chilled.

 

salmon tartar

My family’s favorite food is sushi, but I don't dare to make it at home… I have tried and tried and it never comes out the way the restaurants make it. Sushi is pretty much the only food we go out to a restaurant for. I really like how most of the sushi places have an open kitchen and you can watch the chefs make the food. This for me is a big bonus… to see how my food is being prepared. Once in a while I make raw fish tartars and ceviche…this is not as challenging as making rolls. I have tried many different versions, and every time I look for new recipes. A few weeks ago I decided to have a raw fish feast.  I picked up some sushi rolls on my way to the hospital and bought raw tuna and salmon for tartare. I made way too much this time I got stuck with 2 different fish tartars. As much as I was craving it… I think I am fished out for a while.

The key to a good tartar is fresh good quality fish. Usually they recommend buying sushi grade, I wanted to test if there is a difference in taste… or just a way to make me spend more money.  I bought both sushi and none sushi grade salmon and tuna. After mixing the fish with all the ingredients you can hardly tell which one is the  better….as long as the fish is fresh and wild caught it will taste as good.

I buy all my seafood at Lobster Place at Chelsea market, absolutely love this place. Any seafood you can imagine- they have it, including my favorite Hamachi collar, which is the most delicious and easiest fish to cook. I will buy it soon and " sell "you my recipe although is more like tip than a recipe. I have tried different stores including Whole Foods, Citarella, Fairway Market and the fish is never as fresh and tasty as the Lobster Place seafood.

This time I made salmon tartar with cabbage and snap pea salad and tuna tartar with goat cheese feta. By the time I finished with both dishes the sun was down and I wasn't able to take pictures. Tomorrow is another day I thought… but fresh seafood is not a cake… and can’t wait for me to finally get to the pictures. As much as salmon looked still semi presentable. Tuna turned brown and not appealing at all. This recipe will have to wait for the next time.

Recipe :

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar

1 cilantro stem, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro    leaves

½  teaspoon soy sauce

½  small garlic clove

¼  pound snap peas, trimmed

½  cup shredded green cabbage

Salt

¾  pound skinless sushi-quality salmon fillet, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small shallot, minced

1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon roasted rice powder (optional; see Note)                                               

In a blender, combine the lime juice with the fish sauce, sugar, cilantro stem, soy sauce, garlic, Puree until the dressing is smooth. In a medium pot of salted boiling water, blanch the snap peas until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool under running water; pat dry. Thinly slice the peas on the diagonal. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced beans with the cabbage and 1 teaspoon of the dressing; season with salt.

In another medium bowl, toss the salmon with the shallot, scallion, cilantro leaves, mint, rice powder. Stir in the remaining dressing and season with salt. Spoon the salmon tartare onto plates and serve the snap peas and cabbage alongside.

NOTES

Roasted rice powder - In a skillet, toast raw white sticky (glutinous) rice over moderately low heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and let cool completely, then grind to a powder. The rice powder can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.

 

Przepis :

1 lyzka swiezego soku z limonki

1lyzka sosu rybnego

1 lyzka cukru

1 galazka swiezej kolendry plus 1 lyzka posiekanych lisci

½ lyzeczki sosu sojowego

½ zabka czosnku

150gr zielonego groszku

200gr posiekanej zielonej kapusty

sol

350gr lososia dobrej jakosci (ktorego mozna spozywac na surowo) pokrojonego w kostke

1 mala cebulka dymka posiekana

1 galazka szczypiorku (tylko biale I jasno zielone czesci) drobno posiekana

1 lyzka drobno posiekanej miety

1 lyzka uprazonego proszku ryzowego (opcjonalnie- patrz ponizej)

 

W blenderze polaczyc sok z limonki, sos rybny, cukier, galazke kolendry, sos sojowy, czosnek, zmiksowac do kremowej konsystencji

 

W srednim garnku ugotowac groszek w osolnej wodzie 4 minuty. Odsaczyc i schlodzic pod zimna woda, osuszyc I pokroic wzdluz. W sredniej misce polaczyc groszek z kapusta I jedna lyzka sosu, posolic do smaku.

W osobnej misce polaczyc lososia , cebule dymke, szczypiorek, kolendre, miete, proszek ryzowy, polac reszta sosu I posolic do smaku. Podawac z salatka z groszku i kapusty.

 

* Prazony proszek ryzowy:

Na sredniej wielkosci patelni usmazyc ryz , mieszajac aby sie nie przypalil az bedzie ladnie zarumieniony okolo 15 minut. Zmielic w mlynku do przypraw . mozna przechowywac w pojemniku do 6 miesiecy 

white asparagus

Cooked in milk with soft fluffy slices of bread on top. White asparagus from Provence is a delicacy, which due to seasonally appearing is quite expensive and desirable. Although I grew up in Europe and have visited France several times, I had never eaten white asparagus from Provence until I came to the States, and what a huge difference it makes in taste and look to be grown in Provence. It is much bigger and fatter than regular size asparagus and you can buy it only in early spring until early summer, if you miss that short period you have to wait until next year. 

I have only heard wonders about white asparagus from others, because I couldn’t justify to pay few times more than for green asparagus. But once I tried it, I immediately knew it was worth every penny. Compared to green asparagus, the locally cultivated so-called "white gold" or "edible ivory" asparagus, also referred to as "the royal vegetable”, is sweeter and much more tender.

Harvesting white asparagus is part of the mystery. Because white asparagus needs to be dug up while it is still hidden underground. The shoots are covered with soil as they grow, without exposure to sunlight, so the shoots remain white in color. Every stalk has to be coaxed from the sand by hand. The key to successful harvesting is to bend over and thrust the long tool into the soil from the side, not from above. Then jiggle it until it finds the center of the hard stalk and gently, firmly, lift it straight up. This requires strength (the stalks can be as much as an inch and a half in diameter) and balance.

Freshness is very important, and the lower parts must be peeled before cooking, and the hard ends cut off.  I am sure there a plenty of recipes including white asparagus, but I like to keep it simple, steamed or cooked in milk married with home made mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, vinaigrette, melted butter or parmesan and salt. Most recipes I found cook asparagus in water (heads sticking out of the water, stalks in a bundle). I cook mine in milk, I have learned this from a Per Se chef Jonathan, and after trying different ways of cooking this one is my favorite.

The asparagus season officially ends on June 24th so you still have few more weeks to enjoy this amazing vegetable.

Recipe 

1 lb of white asparagus from Provence

milk (enough to cover the asparagus)

few slices of white bread (I use challah or brioche)

Home made mayonnaise:

2 egg yolks

½ tsp. of whole grain mustard

½ tsp. of Dijon mustard

 ½   cup of grapeseed or canola oil

 1 tbl of sherry vinegar  

Clean the asparagus by peeling the skin off and cutting the ends.

In a wide pot (wide enough so the asparagus can be placed on the bottom without breaking the tips). Cover asparagus with milk; add a little bit of sugar and salt. Place slices of bread on top and cover with parchment paper. Boil for about 8-10 minutes.

Mayonnaise:

In a food processor, combine egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and process until very smooth. With the machine running, add the oil in a very thin stream until it is fully incorporated and the sauce is thick and creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the asparagus; you can serve it warm or chilled with the sauce on the side.

 

Przepis :

Biale szparagi z Prowansji

Mleko

Kilka kromek bialego pszennego chleba

Sos: mozna uzyc vinaigrette ( oliwa z oliwek, ocet winny, musztarda, czosnek, przyprawy, sol, pieprz)

domowy majonez:

2 zoltka

½ lyzeczki muszardy francuskiej

½ lzyczeki musztardy Dijon

1 lyzka octu winnego ( najlepiej sherry )

½ szklanki oleju roslinnego.

Oczyscic szpragi – obrac z twardej skory I obciac twarde konce

W garnku o szerokim dnie ulozyc szparagi, uwazac aby nie polamac glowek. Zalac mlekiem, dodac sol I odrobine cukru. Na wierzchu ulozyc kromki chleba, I przykryc papierem do pieczenia. Gotowac przez 8-10 minut.

Majonez:

W robocie kuchenym zmiksowac wszystkie skladniki oprocz oleju, kiedy masa jest kremowa dodac olej , caly czas mieszajac, wlewac cienkim strumieniem do momentu kiedy wszystkie skladniki sa dokladnie wymieszane a majonez jest gesty I kremowy.

Ulozyc szpragi na talerzu, mozna podawac albo cieple albo zimne z sosem. 


Quinoa salad with greens

Memorial day weekend…. long weekend and beginning of beach season. I know we all called Mother Nature nasty names this winter, but its time to kiss and make up and enjoy the glorious Hamptons summer season. I have been coming out to the house every weekend, so it’s no difference for me, but other people will start driving every weekend to escape the steamy, sticky and dusty city. I love summers out here and just wish other people didn’t like it as much as I do. I also enjoy the off-season time when towns are not so busy, beaches are empty and quiet and I have the ocean to ourselves. 

Warm season is also time for me to get out and plant the garden, decorate with farm stand flowers and grow some vegetables. As a child I never like to work in the garden, endless hours of turning the soil, planting seeds (that part I liked a little bit) and weeding brrrr. Now I don’t mind it as much. I can even say I like it. I have a small garden behind the shed, protected from each side by walls, a fence and bushes that help keep out our best friends… the deer and rabbits. As much as I admire these beautiful and graceful animals, I don’t like to see my flowers and plants eaten by them. It’s frustrating to work hard all weekend, and come back the next day to see everything shredded to the ground. That was last year, this year I got smarter, and built more obstacles around the garden I also use some deer and rabbit repellent spray, which smells horribly, but it works quite well. I can finally enjoy my vegetables. 


This long weekend I spent between socializing with friends and working in my garden. I went a little bit over board with seeding vegetables that grew so thick, that I had to thin them out. Growing up we threw out the extra plants, but this year I decided to make use of them. They are excellent source of vitamins, nutrition etc.   You can use whatever grows in your garden. I had kale, broccoli rabe, beets, carrots, radishes, arugula and other lettuces. The little plants need to be washed really well, otherwise the sand and dirt will spoil your dish.  The best way to get rid of dirt is to cut the roots and submerge the stems in water, after while pick them up on a strainer. Repeat this few times until the water is clear.  You can use the greens as if you use lettuce, as a base, or add them to your salad. I made a quinoa salad with greens and still have full bag leftovers for another salad. I will have to use them quick because they don't preserve well.

On this special Memorial Day Weekend a not of thanks to all those who have bravely served this proud country. With gratitude and appreciation for the great life we have here in one of the most beautiful places in America. 

Recipe 

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water

1 cup of English peas

1 cup of garden greens or any other greens (arugula, watercress, freeze) 

1/4 cup of olive oil (I used pistachio, but you can use hazelnut or any other nut oil) 

1/4 cup of toasted hazelnuts

1/2 cup of crumble feta cheese

2 spoons of lemon juice 

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup of fiddleheads fern or asparagus 

salt and pepper to taste 

Rinse quinoa in cold water. Heat a drizzle of oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add drained quinoa, cook stirring for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to rolling boil, turn heat down, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with fork. 

Preheat oven to 425 F and spread nuts on the baking sheet.  toast them for about 6 minutes. Watch the nuts during roasting, because they can go from almost done to overdone in less than a minute. It is important to check them frequently and stir them often. Peeled off the dry skin. 

In a meantime boil some water and cook English peas with 1/4 teaspoon of salt for about 1 minute, drain and put it in an ice bath for few minutes, this will stop the cooking process and the peas will have nice green color. 

Clean fiddleheads, wash them and drain. Boil water and add fiddleheads, cook until tender about 3 minutes. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, add fiddleheads and cook 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. season with salt and pepper.  

Add all the ingredients together, toss and serve. 

 Przepis 

1 szklanka komosy ryzowej 

2 szklanki wody 

1 szklanka zielonego groszku

1 szklanka zieleniny z ogrodu ( ja uzylam warzywa ktore przerywalam na grzadkach, - marchewka, jarmuz, buraki, roszponka, rzodkiewka, mozna zastapic innymi salatami) 

1/4 szklanki oleju z oliwek , mozna uzyc oleju z orzechow

1/4 orzechow laskowych 

2 lyzki soku z cytryny

2 lyzeczki tartej skorki z cytryny

1/2 szklanki zarodnikow paproci (mozna uzyc szparagi) 

sol, pieprz

Przeplukac komose pod zimna woda, ugotowac wedlug instrukcji na opakowaniu lub podgrzac odrobine oleju w sredniej wilelkosci rondlu, dodac komose i gotowac ciagle mieszajac przez 1 minute. Dodac 2 szklanki wody, zagotowac i zmniejszyc ogien do minimum, gotowac okolo 15 min. Zdjac z ognia, przykryc przykrywka i odczekac okolo 5 min. 

W piekarniku rozgrzanym do 200C upiec orzechy laskowe, okolo 6 minut, sprawdzajac i mieszajac aby sie nie przypalily.

W miedzyczasie ugotowac wode w srednim garnku i dodac groszek, gotowac okolo 1 minuty, odcedzic i zanurzyc w zimnej wodzie z lodem, aby zatrzymac proces gotowania i zachowac ladny zielony kolor. 

Oczyscic zarodniki ( mozna nazbierac w lesie ) lub szparagi , ugotowac w osolonej wodzie okolo 4 min. odcedzic i podsmazyc na masle okolo 2 minut na kazdej stronie na zloty kolor, wymieszac wszystkie skladniki dodac sol, pieprz i podawac w temperaturze pokojowej lub schlodzona.