Pistachio & Cranberry Biscotti Dipped in Dark Chocolate

I've joined a new team in my company, and the best way to a new team's heart is through their tummies! I've already brought in some of my mini mudcakes topped with mocha icing, and this is my second goodie to bring in. 

Boeuf Bourguignon Pies

And so it's the end of 2011, and the time where we look back on the year that was, and set high expectations on the year ahead. My year in brief:

• I finally purchased my first home, and am slowly becoming accustomed to the responsibilities that come with that
• I became an uncle to the most gorgeous little girl in the world, Princess Aurora
• I went to Singapore and Borneo, got to put up my feet and relax, and see some dear friends that i miss all the time
• I felt recognized for my work (my day job) and felt like I'm finally making a difference in my workplace
• I got to meet the Iron Chefs! And better still, so did my dad. 

There was sadness and disappointment in 2011, as there is every year. But i choose not to dwell on these things, and i look forward to another year of new horizons. I hope everyone who reads this can also see some good that has come out of the past 12 months, and if they cannot, let me know i can help make 2012 a year you'll look back on with a smile.

As to 2012 for me, who knows? I want to achieve many things, and i think that these should be the subject of another recipe, and another post.

For now: Happy New Year, and below is the recipe i made for pot luck NYE dinner.

Apple Muffins with Maple Glaze & a Word on Christmas Birthdays

So, I've probably mentioned this several hundred times already over the course of this blog, but Christmas season is an especially busy season in my family. It begins with my birthday in early December, and ramps up quickly to my Father's birthday on Christmas eve and my sister's birthday on Christmas day. And let's face it, when your born so close to to the biggest Australian holiday of the year, you can tend to feel a lil bit forgotten. So before we get on to our Christmas feasting, let me take a couple of paragraphs to indulge in discussing two members of my family.

My father, Peter, shares as great a passion for food as i do, and recently he's taking more and more leaps in the kitchen and churning out dishes that are absolutely fantastic. His tangy pork curry is the most delicious curry I've ever tasted, bar none. I won't divulge his secret recipe here... yet! In some ways dad is the realist of the family, and we've always made jokes about his notorious thrift. But lets face it, together my parents brought up three kids, all of whom are successful! And when i look back at the mounds of presents i got every year on every occasion, the food we ate, the houses we lived in, i realise that the only thrift my dad ever really showed was personal sacrifices he made for the sake of his children. Thanks Dad!

My sister, Melinda, is the eldest of three siblings, and has blazed the path for my second sister and myself. First to move out of home! First to get married! First to have a baby! And she's done it all so easily, as though it were no trouble at all. With strong convictions, and a flair for some unusual inventions (orange lemon cordial anyone?) my sister is also a great cook; my favorite is her Asian style pork neck (ooh and cold chicken with chili sauce). But she's also a great mum, a great hostess, a great nurse, and has that rare gift of actually listening to you when you need someone there.

So, here's to two members of my family, who although their birthdays may get caught up in the Christmas storm, are never forgotten in my mind or heart.

Mars Bar Steamed Buns

o I've been dwelling on creating a different type of bao for a while now... trying to make my own twist of the epitome of steamed buns, the char siu bao that is obligatory at any number of yum cha establishments. The fluffy bun with the salty sweet pork, mmm, so delicious! But i was looking for something a little more refined, a little more savory, a little more, complex...

So how did i end up at mars bar steamed buns! I was so set on making bao using a filling i'd normally use in sang choy bao, with complex textures of crisp, crunchy, soft, etc, but then i was looking over a fish and chip shop menu and saw it there, my muse... the deep fried mars bar! Like a lightning bolt to the brain my synapses lit up at once and rather than funneling the energy into some sort of craving-induced coma it exposed itself as an idea - mars bar bao! And so it began.

The result was mixed. The Snickers bao i made first didn't carry that unctuous gooey deliciousness i wanted. But the mars bars, with their cavalier disregard for the nut, had the right texture. The buns themselves were fluffy but not sweet enough, so for the recipe below i've doubled the sugar content in the bun.

Gazelle Horns

In case it's not already apparent from the plethora of sweets i've cooked using the ingredient, i'm a devotee of almond meal. The nutty, almost creamy flavor that it imparts through a dish, with the faint hint of bitterness, makes my tastebuds rave!

The chef at the work cafeteria, Rosalee, makes the most delicious frangipane croissants, however she keeps the exact recipe a closely guarded secret! Frangipane is a sweet filling similar in flavor to marzipan. Flicking through a Moroccan cookbook i came across a couple of recipes incorporating a form of frangipane. One, a filo coil filled with the mixture, looks very easy to make, so i thought i'd take a shot at the second, slightly more involved recipe: Gazelle's Horns. These Moroccan celebratory biscuits shaped like a crescent, have a thin crisp outer shell filled with a sweet almond mixture, with faint scents of roses.

Macarons with Raspberry & White Chocolate

Macarons are de riguer right now, as several cafes have sprung up around Melbourne specializing in the delicious melt-in-your-mouth French treats. The variety available now compared to 12 months ago here is astonishing: pistacho, passionfruit, snickers, lavender, violet and licorice are all flavours that have been devised. For cooks too, the macaron is a mountain to climb.

I won't go into much depth about the difficulties surrounding the making of macarons. The consistency of the batter, the numerous ways of whipping the egg whites, fables of leaving the oven door open, using powdered colors only. So many opinions, and rightly so: the macaron is a devilish food to make, and on this, my second attempt, i only got it partially right. Again, some of the shells did not come away from the baking paper. My macarons had little peaks from the piping bag which in truth should not be there. I will keep trying, and i urge you to do the same! For when you get it right, macarons are delicious and nothing comes close.

Chocolate, Raspberry & Marshmallow Wheels

So i'm back from my jaunt over to sunny, humid, Thailand! Great trip, had a blast, got to see some amazing food (and scoff it down). Except some Thai recipes coming very shortly!! (Red curry coming up on Tuesday for starters).

Coming back, i was craving some good old fashioned Aussie food. And what could be more Aussie, nostalgically so, than Wagon Wheels!

This came out a little different looking but they really do taste identical to the Wagon Wheel we'd all be so familiar with if we grew up in Australia. Cakey biscuit filled with marshmallow and jam, topped with smooth dark chocolate. Very indulgent!

Momofuku's Pork Belly Buns

 
If there's an 'in thing' in the food blogosphere lately, it's recreating the dishes of David Chang's Momofuku. Whilst i've never actually been to the New York noodle bar i have seen his Pork Belly buns posted on countless websites, and the moment i got my hands on some good pork belly (from... surprise surprise Victoria St!) it was time to try this dish.

I don't think i've gotten better rave reviews of something i've cooked before from my family. The crisp, salty pork, the soft, fluffy buns... everything just worked together perfectly. It is very difficult not to compare this dish with peking duck, with the same balance of textures and flavors. The difference is, that despite being labor intensive, this dish probably only cost around $16 to make! Better still, it can be frozen and reheated easily, and would make a fantastic dinner party, picnic or lunchbox snack.

As per usual i have taken my own liberties with the recipe and as such this is not 100% faithful to David Chang's original. Also please note that this recipe must be started the day before you want to eat it.

Ginger Scones with Lemon Curd & Cream

I was wracking my brain last night, trying to think of something original to cook. After hours of searching for inspiration i was ready to throw in the towel for the night, my grocery list devoid of the ingredients needed to make my next dish. Sighing, i thought i'd make scones in the meantime. Wait a minute- scones! Yum! What goes well with scones? Lemon curd! And what goes well with lemon curd? Ginger!

Note that to me, the key to a good scone is as little working with the dough as possible. Working the dough will make the scones heavier and chewier. Only knead enough so that the dough is combined in 1 big ball, then it's good to go. 

Chong Yao Beng (Spring Onion Pancake)

Crisp and crunch on the outside, firm and chewy on the inside, and completely permeated with the taste of scallions, chong yao beng are a delicious snack of just a few ingredients. And i LOVE spring onions. Essentially a fried unleavened flat bread filled with spring onions, they are easy to make, and the result is very satisfying! There's a few different ways to make these, but below is the simplest.