recipes

Singapore Shiok!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:51:13 +0100

Hi All!

I have been up to my eyeballs these last 5 months, in this, that and the other, BUT, I have not stopped blogging - I've just been doing it somewhere else. Quickies on The Dinner Table has been a lovely introduction to the world of food blogging and a gateway to many wonderful friendships, but I crave a broader culinary scope than the one I have created here. I would like to thank each and every one of you who has read, followed, subscribed, commented, tried out my recipes, bought my book, or extended the hand of friendship through this blog. The best part of the whole process has been interacting with you. Please join me at Singapore Shiok! as I write about the food of my home, Singapore and anything else that interests or inspires me.

As I continue to receive positive feedback about Quickies, though I will no longer be updating it, I have decided to leave it as an information and recipe resource for any one who is interested. All text, recipes and photos are my own work, hence I would appreciate if those who wish to use any text, recipes or photos from this site, would contact me for permission at

quickiesonthedinnertable(at)gmail(dot)com

Sincerely,

Denise Fletcher

Pandan Madeleines by the Teaspoon!

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:59:30 +0100

Anyone who knows Marcel Proust or madeleines will connect the two, so I don't have to do join the dots for you. I haven't read the novel.

I tried, but I figure rather than run the marathon, I'd just show up at the finish line with a madeleine in my mouth, er.... half dipped in my cup of tea, and I'd get what the guy was going on, and on, and on........and ON about. And no, I'm not sure I do, but maybe it's because mine taste of pandan and take me to a whole other place ;)

Today I have no backstory, no musings - just a recipe that works (for me anyway) and some tips on how to get this finicky and preciously twee cake (cookie?) right, without selling your soul to the devil.

Before I go on, I'd like to say a big "Thank You" to my blogger buddy Biren. If not for you, these pretty madeleines would probably never have crossed over from my mind, to this page.

all the waaaaaay from Williams Sonoma in Minnesota, my pretty came

Now, let's get down to business! Eggs should be at (relatively warm) room temperature. Butter should not be above slightly warm so batter does not separate. Baking powder is optional but as this is based on the genoise recipe, which rises on elbow grease, traditionally, there is no baking powder.

eggs, sugar and green goop all whipped into shape by my kitchenAid - shrek mousse

Furthermore, as my KitchenAid takes care of the elbow grease part, I find baking powder unnecessary. But, if you need to beat the batter yourself, you get to use the magic powder and keep your kitchen cred, ok?

after the flour and melted butter go in

Rest or chill the batter before baking? DON"T rest or chill the batter? I never do and yes, I still get "le bump". But is a streamlined madeleine any less of a madeleine? I thought it was all in the taste and texture, and if you don't burn anything, you're ahead of the game? Madeleine bumps, macaron feet. *Aiiiyeeeee* Are we talking about food or pregnant celebrities and supermodels!?

Bottom line - chill, rest if you must, it helps with people, maybe it works with batter too. I'd rather not, but if you do, you could wash up while you wait and watch 2 episodes of Frasier (I recommend anything from season 4) or do a solo tango across the living room.

invasion of the radioactive spongecake bugs *arrrgggggghhhhh*

I hate to say it but cake flour is a must for that light as air, did-I-actually-just-eat-one texture. If you can't get cake flour, use a mix of 1/3 cornflour and 2/3 plain flour. Last but not least, unless you enjoy a literal ache in the neck, get madeleine tins with bigger indentations.

houston, i think we have a........... BUMP!?!?

I almost lost my mind filling up my tins using a teapsoon. But I am criminally impatient and yes, I did feel like wrapping each one in a swaddling cloth and giving them individual names. Aww! Look at the wee, wittle madeleine babieeeeeeeees!! Who's a pweetty wittle madeleine? Who is? Who is?! You! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!!

Thank you again Biren, for lugging the tins all the way from Minnesota for me. You have no idea how difficult they are to find here! I would still be baking madeleines in their wide as a churchdoor greatgrandma, if not for you...

my 'vintage madeleine tin' picked up at a church sale for $1 - now it's my baulu mould :D

Prep 15 minutes Cook 10 minutes Yields 65 - 70 tiny madeleines.

2 Eggs at room temperature
75 g (1/2 cup) sugar
1 tsp pandan paste
1 tsp pandan essence
A fat pinch salt
75 g (3/4 cup) cake flour (plain or all purpose flour will do but expect a denser texture) 75 g (1/2 cup) butter, melted and cooled

Very thoroughly grease 3 x 20 piece madeleine tin. (each tin has 20 depressions) Preheat oven at 190 C (375 F)

Combine eggs, sugar, pandan paste, essence and salt in standmixer bowl and beat at high speed until mixture is thick, creamy and mousse-like. Ribbons should form and hold their shape in bowl when beaters are lifted.

Sift flour over egg mixture, a third at a time, gently folding after each addition.

Pour in melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Cover batter and set aside for an hour. (I didn't wait an hour, I mean, PLEASE!)

Spoon batter into moulds with a teaspoon. Do not level batter, which should fill each depression to the top but not exceed it. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cakes are golden and spring back when gently prodded with a finger.

Remove from oven and loosen madeleines with the tip of a knife, if they don’t turn out easily. Cool on a rack before dusting generously with icing sugar. Madeleines are at their best eaten the day they're baked as they dry out very quickly.

doing the marcel, tropical style

Where in The World is That Woman!?!

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0100

Last week I was in another country, and this may be out of place in a foodblog, but I always think the measure of a country is best judged by the state of its public loos. *Ahem* Every single public loo I was in last week was absolutely pristine and each commode had a multi function bidet attached! Without exception. In one mall washroom, there was an attendant who entered every cublicle the second it was vacated and spruced it up lightning quick before inviting the next person in line to enter! Every wondered what clean is? Or what good service means?

In this glorious land, manhole covers were works of art. The shopping was absolutely insane. There was no escaping the malls. Everywhere you turned, EVERYWHERE, there was a department store you hadn't seen before! The underground train stations were like some Enid Blyton or JK Rowling tale of enchanted labyrinthian caverns where new shopping malls keep magically sprouting and where you walked by yesterday and swore there was nothing, today stands a new treasure trove of sparkling temptations to entice you!!! Strangers left their umbrellas at your disposal, when it drizzled and you had no umbrella in hand.

me trying to look as tall as my 13-year-old

the jewel in the crown of my tea caddy collection - found in this wonderful city

The food I could eat every day of the rest of my life and not want anything else. The people were a wonder amongst peoples; the most polite, thoughtful, considerate and disciplined I have ever met anywhere in the world. That was probably a dead giveaway, so I will just tell you that I LOVE TOKYO!!!

While I was there, eating my way through the capital of the land of the legendary Samurai, the majestic Mt Fuji and the delicate cherry blossom, I saw and fell in love with a cake called baumkuchen, which is German and means tree cake because it looks like the cross section of a tree trunk. It came to Japan through a Mr Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim . While living in Tsingtao, China, he was captured and interned in Okinawa, Japan as a prisoner of war, shortly after the start of the second world war. When the war ended, he decided to remain in Japan and sell baumkuchen for a living. Take a peek here to see how it's made commercially.

Baumkuchen has been embraced by the Japanese to the extent that it's become part of their food and social culture. You will see it everywhere in Tokyo, from the most upmarket patisseries, to the ubiquitous all night corner store and ridiculously expensive, beautifully presented ones make coveted wedding gifts because of their ring-like appearance.

Back home, I couldn't get baumkuchen out of my head and in a moment of inspired insanity, I decide to try making one myself. After scouring the depth and breadth of the internet, I found what looked like a good recipe here. It was pouring outside and I only had 6 eggs instead of the required 10, so I revised the recipe somewhat and added matcha as a flavour accent. The layers came out a bit wavy but the cake tasted gorgeous, and I thought it was pretty good for a maiden effort.

hubby-sized serving for my man

The cake that emerged is something of a cross between the traditional baumkuchen and an Indonesian cake called Kueh Lapis, which has horizontal layers, as opposed to the vertical layers of the traditional baumkuchen. It was lovely, in a word. I will be making another soon, hopefully one a little less vertically challenged. Ten eggs should do the trick I think. Just a tip - it REALLY helps to have two mixing bowls for your standmixer for a recipe like this.

Before I start with the recipe, TRAVEL ALERT : If you love food and travel, here is an amazing opportunity to combine the two in An Epicurean Voyage to Sicily from 9 - 17 October 2011. Your guide will be Devaki Das from Weave a Thousand Flavors. Devaki has taken a lot of care to arrange a dream culinary vacation, so if you've never been to Sicily or would love to return, you should definitely check it out. Now let's get down to business!

Green Tea and Vanilla Baumkuchen (Adapted from a recipe at How-to Baker)

Prep 20 mins Cook 25 mins Serves 8

6 egg yolks
3 tsp natural vanilla extract (fake vanilla bakes up bitter in large amounts)
120 g (3/4 cup) butter
120 g (3/4 cup) sugar
120 g (1 1/4 cup) cake flour (or a mix of 2/3 plain flour and 1/3 corn flour/starch)
1/4 tsp salt
6 egg whites
3 tsp matcha

Icing

100 g (1 level cup) icing or confectioner's sugar
1 tsp matcha (I recommend half the amount as my icing turned out a swampy green)
4 Tbsp water

Thoroughly (I mean it) butter a 20 cm (8in) tube pan, so the baked cake will release easily. Preheat oven on the grill setting and shift the rack so it's about 15 cm (6in) down from the grilling element.

In one mixing bowl of your stand mixer, using the balloon whisk, whis the yolks and vanilla until mousse-like and lemon yellow. Leave till later.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. I find this quite easy by hand. Scrape butter and sugar mix into whisked yolks in the standmixer bowl and whisk together until smooth and fluffy.

Combine and sift the flour or flours and salt and sift again in two lots, into the yolk and butter mix. Gently fold in after each lot.

Wash the balloon whisk with soap and hot water, making sure it's absolutely grease free. In the other standmixer bowl, whisk the egg whites until peaks form. Fold the whites into the yolk, butter and flour mixture. Be gentle but thorough.

Divide the batter into two and gently stir the matcha into one half, leaving the other half yellow.

Pour about 1/3 cup of either the vanilla or matcha batter and gently tilt and swirl the pan until the base is completely and evenly covered in batter. Place under the grill for exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds. I am not fooling around people - anything longer and your layer will shrink. If the layers keep shrinking, you will end up with a lopsided cake or bumpy topped cake.

Remove from oven and add 1/3 cup of the other batter and again tilt and swirl until the first layer is completely and evenly covered with batter. Grill for another 1 minute and 15 seconds. Repeat the process to make up about 12 alternating green and yellow layers.

Turn off oven, lower rack and cake to the bottom of oven, close the door and leave cake inside for 2 minutes only, to dry out so it will pop out easily from the pan later.

Remove from oven and let cake cool for about 15 minutes. It should shrink away from the pan. Run a thin bladed knife around the outer and inner edge of the cake then gently turn out of pan. If you greased the pan really well, it should come out quite easily.

Cool cake completely then glaze. To make icing, combine all ingredients then stir with whisk until smooth. Pour over cool cake and tilt and swirl cake so icing coats top and sides evenly. Let icing set before slicing cake.

Serve with hot Japanese roasted green tea which is called hojicha or normal Japanese green tea.

Bee Tai Bak in Green Tea

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:06:45 +0100

What do you do when you make the grave mistake of eating laksa lemak for three meals running, in the same day? You leisurely repent for two days after, that's what.

I love laksa lemak, but really, what was I thinking? All that coconut milk, richly pungent dried shrimp, masses of fried fish cake slices, heaps of fresh prawns and overly generous dollops of fiery chilli paste?!? My boy Joseph had requested laksa for lunch the day before and when a picky eater makes a request, you sit up and you pay attention. I was so stoked, that this rail thin, delicate eater of a boy actually had a hankering for anything else apart from muffins and hot chocolate, that I bought enough ingredients to feed a small battalion. Big mistake.

Soooooo......... long story short, we ate laksa for an early lunch (YUMMM!!)........ laksa for afternoon tea (commonly done here, believe it or not) and uh, because the bottom of the laksa gravy pot was still not yet visible....... laksa again for dinner (groan). We trudged on and finally drained the gravy pot and finished most of the other ingredients except for a tiny portion of noodles and some prawns (shrimps). We were quite green around the gills by then and the next day, when I opened the fridge and saw the little bag of rice noodles, I almost heaved *eckk*

But, since there was nothing else and I really was not up to cooking anything else for myself, I threw together this very spartan bowl of surprisingly delicious goodness with the meagre leftovers. This may be the easiest, speediest lunch I have ever put together, apart from a ham and cheese sandwich. The short rice noodles I used are called Bee Tai Bak and are referred to as mouse (dropping) noodles because of their appearance. The Cantonese call them Low Si Fun. Don't you just love to know the story behind the ingredients? Well, maybe not this time ;)

You don't really need a recipe for this as I used whatever was hanging around the kitchen, taking inspiration from that homely Japanese dish Ochazuke, which is rice in green tea. Just five ingredients and after the laksa blowout, almost zen-like in simplicity and so very, very welcome. Never again *shudder*

Prep 10 mins Cook 10 mins Serves 1

1 green tea bag
1 cup bee tai bak (short fresh rice noodles) or cooked rice or your favourite fresh noodles
8 cooked and peeled prawns (shrimps)
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp sliced spring onions (scallions) or as much as you like

Boil a kettle of water.

When water boils, make a cup of tea with the tea bag. Soak for about 4 minutes then discard bag. Keep tea hot.

Cover noodles with boiling water and soak for about 3 minutes before draining. Rinse prawns with hot water and drain.

Transfer noodles to a bowl. Combine the hot tea and soy sauce and pour over the noodles.

Top with spring onions and prawns and serve immediately.

Guest Post at The Ardent Epicure - Shirred Eggs with Mushrooms

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:43:19 +0100

Hello lovely readers and friends! First order of business - A Very Happy Lunar New Year to all my Chinese readers and buddies or as we say around here " Gong Xi Fa Cai, Hong Bao Na Lai!!! "

I am very, very happy today, to be posting over at The Ardent Epicure, virtual home of one of my lovely bloggie buddies, Alisha. Thank you Alisha for your gracious and lovely invitation; it's an honour and a pleasure!

Please head over to The Ardent Epicure to check out my post by clicking on the link below, and while you're there, please do take a little time to look around. I promise you it will be time well spent as Alisha and her posse run one of the most informative, inspiring and beautiful food blogs on the web.

Shirred Eggs with Mushrooms

Whatever's in the Fridge Wednesday - Mee Hoon Kueh

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:52:55 +0100

Well, hellooooooooo!! I'm ba-aaaack! I'd apologise for my absence, but I know you know I wouldn't disappear without good reason, and I have something for you that I hope will make up for my silence. I've actually been leaving a trail of links all over your blogs lovely friends, in your comments boxes, but alas, most of you did not bite the bait, so, I'm just going to have to come out and say it - I have amongst other things, been working on my new bread blog, other things still simmering on the stove. Hopefully more on that soon! I'm having a blast messing around with yeast and dough and hope you'll come take a look at what I've done and cheer me on! Hopefully, I will be able to divide my time equally and will post here on Quickies every Thursday and at Bread Expectations every Monday.

Today's post is what I had for lunch a couple of days ago. It's super easy, lightning fast and after the surfeit of year end holiday goodies (that don't feel so great when you can't zip yourself up in your favourite jeans :P) is blessedly stingy with the calories.

large dried split anchovies

Mee Hooh Kueh is a Hokkien (a Chinese dialect group originating from southern Fujian in China) dish that is very popular here in Singapore, especially for breakfast, but I'd happily eat it in a heartbeat, for lunch or dinner even. The literal translation of "Mee Hoon Kueh" is flour cake soup. Traditionally , this is a home cooked dish where a wheat flour dough is torn into large shreds ( a little like spatzle) and cooked in a rich and tasty dried anchovy and pork bone based stock, along with mustard greens, minced pork, sometimes mushrooms and an egg. Garnishes include crisp fried anchovies, crispy shallots and chilli slices. Alternatively, instead of chilli slices, a piquant chilli dip is served alongside it.

look Ma, I made kimchi!

This is of course, my own, slightly demented but no less delicious twist on the original because, on top of running a home, family, writing aspirations and two food blogs, I WISH I had time for a daily jaunt to the market. What we have here is an exotic hybrid that is part Chinese, part Japanese and part Korean.

it's never really good till it's mussed up good...

I hope you're thinking "Yowza!" and not "Yikes!" right now, but, don't just dismiss this as a thoughtless hodge-podge. It is pure deliciousness, born out of a desperate need to put lunch on the table, in the midst of folding laundry, vacuuming, scrubbing bathrooms, dreaming up recipes and concepts, visiting bloggie buddies and babysitting three tubs of different bread doughs. Breathe......breathe......

not spongebob's jellyfishing net

Prep 10 mins Cook 15 mins Serves 2

4 cups water
1/2 cup dry sake
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated dashi stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
24 wonton wrappers (I used square ones)
A generous handful dried, split large anchovies, fried crisp and drained
Sliced spring onions (scallions) for garnishing
1 bird's eye chilli, thinly sliced, for garnishing
Crisp fried sliced shallots, for garnishing
Kimchi - to serve alongside, if you like

Combine water, sake, dashi stock, salt and sliced mushrooms in a pot and bring to the boil.

Put another small pot of water to boil, for blanching the wonton wrappers.

When mushroom broth boils, bring down to a simmer.

When blanching water boils, drop half the wonton wrappers in individually in quick succession and boil for 15 seconds. Fish out wrappers with a noodle blancing drainer and immediately drop into a large bowl of cold water to remove the starch and prevent sticking.

Fish out wrappers and put into serving bowl. Repeat with the other half of wrappers.

Ladle the boiling broth and mushrooms over each of the two bowls and garnish each with some anchovies, scallions, chilli and shallots. Serve immediately.

Quickies Noodle Challenge Line Up and Winner!!!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:47:02 +0100

The challenge, for those who may not have been following developments here, was to prepare a noodle dish of your choice. It can be your unique twist on a classic like Mee Goreng, Pad Thai, Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Fettucine Alfredo, Chicken Noodle Soup, Bucatini all' Amatriciana, Mac and Cheese, Soba, Udon, …. or a concoction of your very own creation, making its debut here. Use any type of noodle or pasta and ingredient/s you wish. It can be vegetarian, vegan or piled with meat, fried in a wok, baked in an oven, swimming in soup or broth or sweetened for a dessert. What we're looking for is a delicious sounding and interesting twist or creation. Think outside the box, turn cooking conventions on their ears, try something you normally wouldn't. The most appealing and interesting or unexpected entry, wins!

We would like to say a huge "Thank You" to all our fabulous participants and especially to our blogger friends, for taking the time to think up, execute, photograph, post and send in your entries. Without all of you, there would've been no challenge! Your enthusiasm is always amazing and we could not be more pleased with the outcome. You also made deciding on the winner, a real hand wringer for us because you gave us exactly what we asked for! I would also like to thank Lazaro for his unfailing support and friendship. If you have not experienced his creative genius, in the kitchen, please take a little time to visit his wonderful blog.

Now without further ado, Lazaro and I proudly present the parade of gorgeous entries for the

Quickies Noodle Challenge

Tagliatelle in Green Pesto Sauce by Ann Coo @ Anncoo Journal

Spagetempe (Spaghetti in Tempe Sauce) by Vero @ My Own World

Hot and Sour Rice Vermicelli by Vero @ My Own World

Perciatelli with Brocolli Rabe, Sweet Italian Sausage and Cockles by Norma @ Platanos, Mangoes and Me

Vermicelli Biryani with Tahini by Shirley @ Enriching Your Kid

Tutti Frutti Spaghetti by Biren @ Roti n Rice

Mediterranean Fusilli with Sausage and Eggplant by MJ @ Cardamon Hills

Dragon Fruit and Green Tea Pasta with Red Wine Sauce by Kristy @ My Little Space

Bun Rieu by LeQuan @ Luvtoeat

Green Tea Noodle Pancake, Gravy and Roast Chicken by Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron

Pasta Patty with Peanut Sauce by Faith @ An Edible Mosaic

Char Siew Longevity Noodles by Seah @ No Frills Recipes

Edamame, Hijiki and Pomegranate Infused Pasta Salad by Hui Leng @ Teczcape

Black Bean Chipotle Chicken Pasta with Cornflour Madeleines by Jennifer @ The Adventuresome Kitchen

Hokkien Hae Mee by Mhel @ Pens, Pans and Puns

Peanut Noodles with Spiced Brandied Butter by Alisha @ The Ardent Epicure

My Sweet Tart (Green and Red Noodles in Spicy Tart Coconut Sauce with Pan Fried Shrimp)
by Jessie @ The Happiness in Health

Seared Garlic, Artichoke and Sweet Pea Pasta by Stella @ The Witchy Kitchen

Healthy Home Made Christmas Tree Noodles (Spinach Noodles In Soy Dressing Moulded into a Christmas Tree)
by Sharon @ Sharonmoh

Didn't we tell you it was a fabulous line up?! After much deliberation and some teeth gnashing (really, must you guys make it so difficult to choose??) over so many tempting and truly creative entries, we have unanimously chosen My Sweet Tart by Jessie at The Happiness in Health as the winner! Congratulations Jessie and well done on your delightful entry! There were quite a few standouts, but we felt that Jessie's entry had the most appealing flavour profile and loved the fresh colours and finely balanced harmony of her dish! While some entries were remarkably artistic, truly unique and visually stunning, we all agreed that Jessie's offering was the one we most wanted to eat!

Once again, thank you to all who participated and made it a fantastic and fun challenge even for us!

Quickies Noodle Challenge Closing

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:49:20 +0100

From Lazaro and myself, a big "Thank You" to everyone of the 19 bloggers who sent in entries to our challenge! As usual, there was no shortage of creativity, imaginative concepts and truly unique presentations, all of which make our decision only harder!!

The contest is now closed and we will no longer be accepting entries.

Be sure to check this space again - we will be posting the line up of entries with photos and blog links on 15 Dec EST (16 Dec GMT+8) .

If We Can Make it There....

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:32:03 +0100

Quickies Noodle Challenge Update : I am pleased to announce that we've now received 19 very interesting entries! Thank you very much and remember this is open to everyone, worldwide, so keep them coming! As this may be the last Quickies Challenge for a while, we really hope there will be a fantastic turnout. Of course, if you really want more challenges, let us know and we'll do our best to oblige! Send in as many entries as you like, just remember to get them in by midnight of December 14 2010 (EST) - we're looking forward to shouting out the winner and showcasing a fantastic line up of entries on December 15 2010 (EST) !! What's your motivation? A gorgeous autographed cookbook! (take a peek here) And now on to the day's post....

the view outside our Washington Heights apartment kitchen widow

Hello readers and friends! I have gotten a few mails from some of you, asking about my "disappearing act" but no, I haven't abandoned my blog or any of you - I've just been in New York the last week or so. My apologies for not visiting or responding to your questions and comments on my last post, as I was on pins and needles the last two weeks. You see, our trip to New York was on very shaky ground. After a false start which included the onset of a sudden and ferocious fever, days before the trip, a dearth of affordable hotel accomodations and getting bumped off the flight from Singapore, two nights running, we were ready to write off the entire holiday. On the third night, we trudged to the airport, brimming with doubt and frustration, taunted by visions of our week long, paid-in-full, non-returnable apartment rental in Washington Heights fizzing away like an opened bottle of soda, quickly going flat. This time, however Lady Luck smiled down on us and one 24 hour, cramped cattle class flight across 2 continents and several bodies of water later, we were in JFK Airport.

Have you ever experienced having your perception of something you have no real knowledge of, coloured by hype? Every person I asked, every online forum I read, repeatedly warned that the area we would be staying at, and in fact, any place, upwards of 120th St on Broadway, was a hotbed of crime, drug culture, youthful unrest, and almost certain muggings and even death, at night, in a predominantly Hispanic and Black neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the truth is always some version of the swirling rumours, and in this case, season after season of NYPD Blue, crime stats, rivers of anecdotal evidence of rude and crazy New Yorkers and Marshall Eriksen's passionate rant about the tiny, bruised elbow inducing, elf doorways of New York City....... or is it?

the guggenheim, in passing.......from a bus window *sigh* five days in new york is just not enough

We left home with heavy hearts, minimal cash, one tiny camera and 2 cell phones amongst the five of us and no laptop, regret creeping ever higher that we hadn't researched the Washington Heights neighbourhood before committing to our apartment rental. We came and saw a quiet, unglamorous neighbourhood, yes, teeming with Hispanic and Black residents. We were spoken to in Spanish all the time, and when it became clear we didn't understand, ticklish lessons in Spanish ensued in restaurants, supermarkets and on street corners. We were served huge portions in restaurants and we had prices slashed off our restaurant bills. We found huge London Broil steaks at the corner supermarket, enough to feed 5 cold and hungry travellers, for around USD 12, with enough left over for a breakfast hash the next day, for Pete's sake!!!

lunch at margot restaurant - plastic tablecloths and the best rice and red beans and beef stew i've tasted, ever

So, what can I tell you about New York City, that hasn't already been said? Everyone knows it never sleeps, it's the throbbing, pulsing centre of the planet, the definition of cool, the essence of diversity, a rich, beguiling tapestry of old and new, the rough hewn and the perfectly polished. It's glittering in parts, decaying in others, a hot mess of delightful, confusing, mesmerising contradictions! The Mecca of the modern world, the financial and cultural capital of billionaire wannabes and culture vultures. But, did anyone ever tell you, that New York is nice, and that New Yorkers down the length and across the breadth of Manhattan, are NICE?!?!?

Not once, did I get a door slammed in my face - everyone held doors open for each other, stood in line, waited their turn, said "Thank you", and "You're welcome", "Please", and "Excuse me" at the slightest brush of an elbow!! People bent down and picked up stuff you'd unwittingly dropped, chased after you, made sure it was returned safe, to your hand. People struck up conversations in shopping malls and on buses and we were told how magical Singapore seemed and how it was a must-go-to destination! I didn't know if I was in the Twilight Zone, before or after New York!

We made burger runs, on foot, at 2 in the morning, in what was supposed to be one of New York's roughest neighbourhoods, and returned to our apartment, unharmed, unmolested, unmugged.....untouched! We were more than safe on the subway, which we rode everyday, even at night - we were entertained by zealous street preachers, amazingly talented amateur bands and ridiculously limber dancers who plied not only the station platforms, but even the trains themselves!

the almost blinding spectacle that is times square

And oh my God!! Did I tell you about the food? Some of the best hotdogs going for about USD 2, pizzas bigger than car tyres, oozing with so much cheese, you'd think it grew on trees, all down the sidewalk.... Chinese food, Japanese food, Italian, Mid Eastern, Southeast Asian, Korean, Mediterranean, Latin American, at every other turn! Damn if my point and shoot camera hadn't succumbed to the biting cold and died on the second day of our trip! Reason enough to return with a better camera and my trusty laptop to better capture the amazing spirit and essence of this unbelievable place, and more conveniently navigate it's streets and attractions by harnessing the power of the internet!

the empire state building of course!

Thank you New York City, for the beautiful impressions and memories! You're worth traversing two continents and the Atlantic, and risking deep vein thrombosis!! And hell yeah, we'll be back!

Eating cheaply and well in New York City

El Malecon (the signboard only says Malecon)
4141 Broadway
(between 175th St & 176th St)
New York, NY 10033
Neighborhood: Washington Heights

A noisy, family style restaurant with a mostly Hispanic clientele, serving good and cheap Caribbean and Latin food. Service is fast and friendly. Staff speak little English but are very helpful and ordering in English is not too difficult. A meal for 5 with 2 drinks and 1 dessert (with enough leftovers to take home for a very hearty midnight snack) cost USD 50. Portions are generous.

Recommended

Spit Roast Chicken - USD 12 (Very tasty and moist with crisp skin)
Avocado Salad - USD 4
Tres Leches Cake (3 milk cake) - USD 5
Morir Sonando (A Dominincan drink of milk and orange juice) - USD 3.50
Be sure to ask for more of the killer green flecked, citrus and cilantro based sauce served with the chicken

Margot Restaurant
3822 Broadway
(between 159th St & 160th St)
New York, NY 10032
Neighborhood: Washington Heights

A rustic, small and slightly cramped family restaurant with a mostly Hispanic clientele, serving authentic home style Dominican and Latin food. Service is efficient and friendly. Staff speak mostly Spanish, but there was one guy who spoke English and took our orders. A meal for 5 with 3 drinks cost USD 70. Portions are generous enough to split between two small eaters.

Recommended

Res Guisado (Stewed Beef) - USD 10 (served with rice and salad) Incredibly tasty, meltingly tender beef with luscious gravy
Tostones (Fried Green Plantain Slices) - USD 2.50
Rice with Red Beans - USD 3 (Amazingly tasty with a gorgeous smoky aroma and meltingly tender but not mushy beans)
Guanabana (Soursop Drink) - USD 3

Ray's Pizza

We were cold, hungry and our feet were aching for a chair when we stumbled on this pizza heaven - can't remember the exact adress but it was a couple of streets north of Chelsea Market (75, 9th Avenue, Between 15th and 16th Streets). It's a utilitarian place, and they're serious about their pizza. We had what looked like a two food wide monster, piled with pepperoni, garlic and mushrooms and bleeding cheese for around USD 30. By the way, The Fat Witch Bakery at Chelsea Market (the smell will lead you there) had the most incredible brownie smells I have ever sniffed in my life. No, we did not stop for brownies, but I will, next time.......

Papaya King
179 East 86th Street, New York, NY, 10028

A standing room only, tiny corner joint with a lot of jostling, shoulder and elbow grazing as part of the experience. Think constant streams of people coming in and going out, punctuated with hunger inducing smells of caramelising onions, chilli, cumin and bubbling cheese. Papaya King hotdogs were part of Ted Mosby's argument about New York being better than New Jersey, or was that the best place in the world to live, and apparently, Julia Child thought they make the best hot dogs in the world. I don't know if I totally agree, but you do get really good, really juicy hot dogs from around USD 2. My favourite was the "Side on Top" - a dog with beef chilli, curly fries, melted cheese and onions on top. The Papaya Pride smoothie (a mix of papaya, orange and strawberry) and the curly fries were both to-die-for. Sorry, can't remember the exact prices - it was such a mad house when we went :P

NOTE - prices may not be exact or may change or I may just be fogged up by jetlag, and yes I am a "How I Met Your Mother" fan.

Roasted Cauliflower and Mimolette Tart

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:20:11 +0100

Quickies Noodle Challenge Update : I am pleased to announce that we've now received 6 very interesting entries! Thank you very much and remember this is open to everyone, worldwide, so keep them coming! As this may be the last Quickies Challenge for a while, we really hope there will be a fantastic turnout. Of course, if you really want more challenges, let us know and we'll do our best to oblige! Send in as many entries as you like, just remember to get them in by midnight of December 14 2010 (EST) - we're looking forward to shouting out the winner and showcasing a fantastic line up of entries on December 15 2010 (EST) !! What's your motivation? A gorgeous autographed cookbook! (take a peek here) And now on to the day's post....

I doubt you would like mites in your linen, furniture or bed. What about in your cheese then? No? You sure? I stumbled on this gorgeous cheese called Mimolette. Come on, say it with me ..."Mi-mo-lette" Doesn't it sound pretty, coquettish almost? Well, what would you say it I told you that the aging process for this very distinctive looking and delicious cheese, may sound questionable to some, if not in fact, utterly disgusting?

The Mimolette originated in the Netherlands, before making it's way to France and it's beautiful, deeply golden, cantaloupe like colour is derived from the annato seed. It's distinctive flavour, is the result of it being intentionally infested with..... mites! YUM. Every week, mites are allowed to swarm each sphere and every week, the old mites and their excrement is swept off before a fresh batch of mites is introduced. On and on it goes until the desired level of maturation and intensity of flavour is achieved. Fascinating. And utterly delicious. All this flurry of mite activity results in a very distinctive rind that is deeply pitted and bears a striking resemblance to the skin of a cantaloupe.

Judging from the firm texture of the wedge in my possession, I estimate it must have been aged for quite a while as it didn't have much of the Parmesan flavour that young specimens of this cheese are famous for. Instead, I found it very buttery, nutty and rich, with a satisfying chewiness. It was almost like cheddar, without the biting saltiness. Mine was packaged and sold minus the distinctive rind, possibly because cheese buyers here are easily freaked? Wish they had left the rind on, so I could've shown you just how uncannily it looks like a slice of cantaloupe sans seeds, but I did find the next best thing.

I thought that with its cheddar-y overtones, it would make a good savoury tart with cauliflower - a favourite I haven't eaten in a while. If you love quiche, this would almost certainly be right up your alley. A heap of green apple slices, a mound of watercress and a vinaigrette pebbled with whole grain Alsatian mustard would make a beautiful light lunch. oh, yes...

Prep 20 mins Cook 45 mins Serves 4 as a light lunch, 8 as an appetiser

Pastry

200 g (2 cups) plain or all purpose flour
100g (2/3 cup) soft butter
4 1/2 Tbsp cold water

Put flour into a bowl and put butter into the middle of flour. Using a spatula, cut butter into the flour with swift and light movements until you have a bowl of uneven and coarse crumbs. Add the water and keep stirring with the spatula until mixture begins to form a ball.

Use your hand to push mixture together into a dough. Avoid kneading. Shape dough into a disc, divide into two and cover with a plate. chill for 15 minutes or so, while you clean and wash up.

Filling

400 g (2 ozs short of 1 lb) cauliflower, trim and cut into evenly sized florets
1 clove garlic, brutally bashed and skinned
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp light vegetable oil
Generous pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
100 g (1 1/4 cups) coarsely grated mimolette
2 eggs
200 ml cream
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper

You will need two 15 cm (6 in) pie/tart plates or dishes. Preheat oven at 230 F (450 F)

Combine cauliflower, garlic clove, salt and black pepper. Toss until thoroughly mixed. Add the oil and mixed through again until caufilower is evenly coated. Transfer to a parchment lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 190 C (380 F).

Roll out pastry on a large square of parchment to a circle about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Line plate or dish with pastry. Remove parchment and press pastry flat against pie plate, ensuring there are no air bubbles. Trim off pastry overhang, neaten edges and prick bottom with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape so the pastry base does not blister of puff up too much. Repeat with the other half of pastry.

Bake pastry shells for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 160 C (325 F).

Divide roasted cauliflower between the two baked pastry shells. Scatter half the cheese over each, reserving a little to sprinkle over the custard before baking. In a jug or bowl, lighlty whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper.

Pour half the egg and cream mixture into each tart and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.