Everyday addictions

The food addiction that I confess that I have goes further than my many, many cookbooks and magazines. I've just moved house and from the recommendation of friends upgraded my Foxtel to an IQ. Yes I'm addicted!

My challenge to cook one recipe from each of my cookbook collection is now extended to the cooking programs that I record on my IQ....Ok one per series at least now way would I be able to do one per program!

My very simple oven is called Kimberley...so Miss Kim and I cooked our first meal together on the weekend. We did a Giada De Laurentiis "Angel Hair with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese" recipe from her Everyday Italian series episode "No Sauce Pastas".

Recipe to come....

C for Confession...

Its time for Miss Culture to Confess with a capital C.

I have an addiction for buying cookbook and food magazines. There is usually a reason behind the book purchases, like, I admire the cook/ chef, it has beautiful photography, it was on sale or I'm going to get the book personally signed. The magazines purchases are just to pass time on the weekends!

My girlfriends think I went through a stage of stalking for signatures...OK maybe I did but each time I got one of my books signed it was a great experience and a privilege to meet them.

So with this confession comes a resolution or lets call it a plan.

It is my aim to cook at least one recipe from each cookbook I own. Until this is completed I'm not allowed to buy one cookbook!! And that also includes magazines...lucky I got Ma Culture a subscription to Delicious magazine for her birthday this year!

To prove I'm doing this I'll update a list of the recipes and also post each recipe with a photo.

Cookbook confession list:
Bill Granger - White Chocolate Cheesecake
Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Dinners - Roast chicken with lemon and rosemary roast potatoes

The taste of Asia

The other day some little lychees caught my eye at the greengrocer. I had flashbacks to my last visit to Asia. So the temptation got me...after having a few I then moved to having them with my soggy Weet-Bix. Yes that is the ONLY way to eat Weet-Bix!!

How to peel a Lychee...step by step instructions (Miss Culture idiot proof!)
• Place the lychee with one flat side resting on the cutting board.
• Slice the outer tough lychee skin lengthwise all the way around down to the seed.
• Carefully peel away the tough outer skin along with the inner thin membrane to expose the lychee meat.
• Discard skin. (drrr)
• Remove lychee meat from inedible seed. It should release from the seed fairly easily using a knife or your fingernail. (ok I struggle with this part)
• Discard seed. (drrr)


Bizarre facts...
• Once picked a lychee will not continue to ripen once picked
• Lychee that are not fully ripe will be bitter.
• As the lychee fruit ages, the outer skin becomes tougher, so be careful cutting (no really?!?!)


And in case you didn't know...
• Raw lychee pulp may be eaten as is for a snack or used in fruit salads, dressings, chicken salad, etc.
• Cooked lychee are used in sauces, syrups, and jellies.

Can't say no to more cheesecake

I can't remember what prompt me to first try this recipe. Anyway its now becoming one of my famous desserts between friends and family...and the requests keep coming!

The last time I made it was for News Years eve dinner with close friends. Which of course is the best way to celebrate a new year. I'm not sure if it was the copious amount of alcohol consumed that evening but this cheesecake was voted "the best ever cheesecake"...which I'm happy to accept and also happy to pass onto Mr Bill Granger. Thanks Bill for helping me get this accolade.

White Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe: Bill Granger
Book: Bills Food

Ingredients:
100g plain sweet biscuits
50g butter, melted
250ml (1 cup) cream
250g cream cheese
250g mascarpone cheese
125g (1/2 cup) (superfine) sugar
500g white chocolate, melted (or about two big blocks of chocolate)
To serve suggests passionfruit pulp

Method:
Process the biscuits in a food processor until they look like breadcrumbs.

Add the melted butter, process briefly, then tip mixture into a 20 cm (8 inch) springform tin lined with a disc of baking paper.

Press biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin, then put the tin in the fridge until you need it. (This helps the base come together).

Using electric beaters, whisk the cream, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar and melted chocolate together until smooth.

Pour this mixture onto the biscuit base and put the cheesecake back into the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Served drizzled with passionfruit and cut into wedges.

Tips to melting chocolate:
# If you melt chocolate over a pan of water or in a double saucepan, be careful that the bottom of the container holding the chocolate does not touch the hot water, as the heat of the water can cause the chocolate to burn. Don't melt chocolate in a plastic container because that material is not an even conductor of heat.

# One of the easiest ways is to place chopped chocolate in an uncovered microwave-safe container in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) in 30-second bursts, stirring a little each time, as the chocolate will hold its shape even when melted. Remove the container the second the chocolate is melted. Take care not to incorporate too much air when stirring chocolate, as this makes it "gooey" and could give it an irregular surface.

Serving:
Serves 8
Best shared with chocoholic friends
Great with a cheeky dessert wine...try Punt Road Botrytis Semillon
A luscious wine with intense aromas of apricot, honey and orange. The palate is complex and rich with a fresh citrus finish. This is the ideal wine to have with most desserts although I can't go past a great blue cheese.

Winery: Punt Road
Style: DESSERT
Peak Drinking: Now - 2012
Wine Area: yarra Valley - VIC
Variety: Semillon

Miss Culture Ratings:
Very, very Easy (No cooking involved!)
Easy to adapt with other ingredients i.e. change the type of chocolate or fruits
There won't be left overs!

Curry in a hurry

I was lucky enough to work with a lovely Indian girl that came to my rescue when I was asked to cook at curry at team cook off night.

The cook off didn't really have a theme though we had to make sure we could cook without a oven or majority of kitchen utensils...just like Top Chef really!
The work kitchen wasn't well equipped but the view from the boardroom on the 30th floor in the CBD of Sydney was fantastic.

One thing I really like about this recipe was that I could make the sauce well ahead then cook at the last minute.

Mrs Parkar's Fish Curry

Serves for 4. This recipe is easy to adapt for larger groups.

Ingredients:
5-6 pieces, medium sliced fish
1-2 tbsp oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 big-sized tomato, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt, to taste
1-2 cups of water
1-2 green chillies, long, sliced in the middle
2-3 strips of fresh coriander leaves

Mrs P thins Barramundi fillets work well with this dish. If you are going to buy Indian fish then go for Pomfret, Black Pomfret or King Fish slices. That gives me some fish to look out for at the Fish Markets!

You can also change this to have Prawns, If so Mrs P recommends that you choose nice big ones or medium sized ones depending on your budget.

Method:
Heat the oil in a flat based pan, add the garlic and tomatoes. Simmer and stir on slow fire till the tomatoes turn soft, add the spices in half way through.
Now add water and boil for about 10 minutes.
Gently lower the fish pieces into the pan, making sure they don’t overlap and have enough space in between.
Cook till the fish is done and the curry is slightly thick.
Switch off the fire, add the chillies in.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with plain rice.

Miss Culture ratings:
Very Easy (Even Miss N can do it!)
Most ingredients can be out of the cupboard
Easy to adapt with other ingredients