TDF 2012 – are you really ready?

And you thought it was all about the bikes? Nah, not even close

Nillumbik Winter WineFest 2012

Well, that’s this weekend sorted;

Nillumbik Winter WineFest 2012
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June From 11am until 5pm

Game of Thrones – Lemon Cakes

Tom Colicchio’s Game of Thrones food truck delivered the flavours of Westeros as part of The Maester’s Path in the lead up to the HBO premier screening. The lemon cakes are mentioned throughout the books as being a much appreciated treat.

“Gods be true, Arya, sometimes you act like such a child,” Sansa said. “I’ll go by myself then. It will be ever so much nicer that way. Lady and I will eat all the lemon cakes and just have the best time without you.”
- A Game of Thrones

Lemon Cakes (Serves 6)

• 1/2 cup sugar plus additional for dusting ramekins
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• Pinch kosher salt (a variety of edible salt with a much larger grain size than common table salt)
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Finely chopped zest of 1 1/2 lemons

Heat the oven to 300 F (150 C).
Butter and lightly sugar 6 4-ounce (0.5 US cups) ramekins.
Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks then set them aside.
Sift the sugar with the flour and salt. In a mixer, using the whisk attachment, combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, egg yolks and lemon zest.
Gradually add the flour mixture then fold in the egg whites.
Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins.
Place the ramekins in a water bath (set the ramekins in a larger pan; “ll the pan with enough hot water to come half way up the ramekins) cover with aluminum foil.
Bake until the cakes rise – about 25 minutes then uncover and continue baking until the tops are lightly golden and the cakes spring back when touched, about 15 minutes more.
Unmold and serve.

Courtesy of Tom Colicchio [1]
From Craft of Cooking, Clarkson Potter, 2003

LINKS:
[1] Tom Colicchio’s recipe for lemon cakes – Making Game of Thrones (PDF) [HBO - Making Game of Thrones]
[2] HBO’s Lemon Cakes (2011-Apr-17) [Learn2Cook]
[3] GAME OF THRONES: Taste of Westeros… On a Food Truck? (2011-Mar-29) [SciFi Mafia]

Lamb, Apricot And Prune Tajine

Having been given a brand new Tajine and a Moroccan cook book last night, it was only fitting to use the tajine in anger for tea this evening. No Lamb and Apricot lamb in the book so some googling later and we had the basis of the recipie. We cycled in to town to pick up the ingredient list and

Lamb, Apricot And Prune Tajine
Mainly based around [1] but with a few modifications, adding some prunes and some chick peas. We had no stocks of argan oil in the pantry so this was substituted with peanut oil.

No charcoal burner so the heat bead burning Cob cooker base came in to use, this wasn’t totally successful as the tajine sealed on the top edge and the heat beats didn’t get enough air flow – perhaps a trivet to lift the tajine for the next run? With some pre-made spice bags this could be a good camping dish.

LINKS:
[1] Lamb tagine (2009-Mar-31) [Tagine cooking]
[2] Lamb, apricot and prune tagine (Super Food Ideas – July 2008, Page 64) [taste.com.au]
[3] Lamb and Apricot Tagine [ivillage.co.uk]
[4] Moroccan [SBS Food Safari]

Red duck curry (kaeng ped pett yang)

Mix coconut milk, red curry paste, lychee, pineapple and roast duck. YUMMO!
Cooked this one up for Saturday night. If eating with children use more coconut milk, less fish sauce and a few more lychees.

• Kaeng ped pett yang (red duck curry) [The Second Pancacke]
• Duck Red Curry [Luv a Duck]
• Red duck curry (kaeng ped pett yang) [SBS]
• Thai Red Curry with Roast Duck, Bamboo Shoots, Eggplant, and Pumpkin [Wandering Chopsticks]

Victoria’s Food Trail

The Food Trail, sponsored by the Department of Primary Industries, is a six-part television series which is being shown on Channel 7 on Saturdays at 5:30pm. It takes viewers on a journey around Victoria and celebrates the quality, abundance and diversity of food from Victorian producers.

The series is hosted by self-taught chef and epicurean, Paul Mercurio and follows him as he visits provincial areas around Victoria and gathers local produce to take to local restaurants where guest chefs created some mouth-watering dishes.[1]

[1.] Introducing Victoria’s Food Trail! [DPI-VIC]

Turkish Coffee

Started playing with a few Turkish coffee recipes after enjoying the taste last Wednesday … this is what I came up with.

Turkish Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 TB Sugar
• 1 TB Coffee
• 4 Cardamon pods

method:
Grind coffee to a powder (I use a mortar and pestle)
Combine water and sugar in an ibrik or small saucepan.
Bring to a boil; then remove from heat and add coffee and cardamon.
Stir well and return to heat. When coffee foams up, remove form heat and let grounds settle. Repeat twice more. Pour into cups; let grounds settle before drinking.

Feast of Nations

I was in need of a break by the time I was dragged off to the Union Building I great range of tasty smells wafted from the North Court as we approached the building … Korean BBQ, Okonomiyaki, Pisang Goreng, Mee Ayam, Turkish Coffee, Mango Lassi, and much much more. This event is Good Fun! “Terima kasi”, “Thank you”, “Merci,”Danke”, “Arigato Gozaimas” and “Kyai zu tin bar dail”.

Event Details: Festival of Nations [1]
FON has truly been the landmark event for MUOSS and one of the largest events of its kind to be held at the University of Melbourne. This diverse and festive event will be held over 3 days from 30th August to 1st September 2005.

Our main objectives for Festival of Nations:
1. To celebrate cultural diversity
2. To promote multiculturalism on campus
3. To foster intercultural appreciation in a causal and relaxed environment

Feast of Nations
Date: 30th August – 31st September 2005
Time: 12.00pm – 2.00pm
Venue: North Court

CHAI

Chai is a great spice milk tea from India. A recipe from last September;

Chai Tea – Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill [1]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 teaspoons Indian tea leaves (ordinary tea)
• 1 cinnamon quill, broken in half
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardamon pods
• 3-4 teaspoons sugar (more or less to taste)

method:
Put all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until simmering.
Remove from heat, and allow to infuse for 5 minutes, before straining into cups.

LINKS:

[1] Chai Tea – Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill (14/09/2004)
[2] Chai Tea – Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill
[3] Chai Tea Recipe