Pan-Fried Gnocchi with mushrooms & spinach

Gnocchi is delicious. Little fluffy pillows, made from potatoes and flour - what's not to love? I've promised to make gnocchi myself, many times. However, I just can't seem to get around to it. I've tried, once, and failed miserably. (Thanks Jamie Oliver, for saying "use as little flour as possible" - NO, don't. Because they will turn to mush after cooking. You need a fair amount of flour, actually.)

So, I usually just stick to store-bought gnocchi. It usually contains additives that I don't really like, but once in a while, I can't resist. Besides, they're a quick dinner solution, and making them from scratch would pretty much take away from that.

This recipe might seem a bit fussy, and it does dirty several pans. Sorry about that. But I hope you'll like it anyway.

Pan-Fried Gnocchi with mushrooms & spinach
Serves 2-3

500 g gnocchi
200 g mushrooms
100 g spinach (fresh - or frozen, then thawed)
50 g bacon
250 ml cream (lighter versions are fine)
50 g parmesan, grated
butter or olive oil for frying
salt, pepper

Dice the bacon, and fry until crispy, in a dry pan. Slice the mushrooms, and fry them in the same pan, until they've lost all of their liquid and start to color. Add the spinach. Pour in the cream, and cook on low heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper if you'd like.

Boil the gnocchi in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile, heat a large grying pan and melt some butter. The gnocchi is cooked through when it starts to float - so fish out all the floating gnocchi with a skimmer, and move them to the frying pan. Fry all the gnocchi until lightly golden. Serve with the sauce.

Recipe in Swedish:
Smörstekt Gnocchi med champinjoner & bladspenat

Pho Hien

I reckon Sunshine rocks.  Heaps of parking, lots of interesting restaurants and bargains galore in the various fresh food centres around.  Sunday was quiet, at least until we worked out where everyone was - at Pho Hien.

Miss J had not only tipped me off about Pho Hien's Sunday special, banh xeo or Vietnamese pancake, but set a date for us to go there.  Perfect!  It took some wrangling to organise a table to fit us all but we were persistent.  Behind us, the entranceway filled up with hungry would-be customers gazing balefully at others' bowls.

Banh xeo, $12

We had come for one thing - banh xeo or Vietnamese pancake, a huge crepe made with eggs, coconut milk and rice flour.  It comes with a very impressive jungle of greens, from classic iceberg to bitey mustard leaves, European mint to "fish mint" which actually smells exactly like stinky fish.

Inside is so much textural and flavour variation, from soft cooked pork and white radish to slightly crunchy, shell-on baby prawns; the contrast of long, crisp mung bean sprouts and sweet, mashy cooked mung beans themselves.  Take a lettuce leave, section a piece of pancake, roll it up and dip in seasoned fish sauce.  Delicious!  Now Luke Nguyen has been telling me for years not personally although I wish :p---- that you can eat the prawns with their shell on.  Honestly, they are pretty good like this!  The shell is not over-the-top hard or crunchy but gives textural variation to the soft meat inside.

Grilled chicken, $9.50

People ask, "How do you get your kids to eat in those restaurants?"  Behold my secret, ye olde grilled chicken on rice complete with token vegetables.  This chicken was yummo, very juicy, great drizzled with more seasoned fish sauce.

Sliced beef pho, $6.50 (baby size)

Persistence will pay off, though, and now my eldest loves "beef soup".  The broth here is really sweet and mellow with perfect al dente noodles of irregular width.  The beef is top quality, nice round slices.  Each table has sweet pickled onions on it in a little jar - be sure to add some!

Spring rolls, $7.50

I read on a blog somewhere once that pho is just meant to go with spring rolls while bun bo hue with rice paper rolls.  That is all the excuse I need, really.  These were very good, almost rectangular in shape and ticking all the boxes for crispy, generously-filled and above all, tasty.

As we ate I saw people going out with huge silver roasting trays containing a banh xeo, along with a bag full of greens.  I love that it's their Sunday special only - it makes me think they've put a lot of care into it.

Kenny highly recommends the bun noodle salads at Pho Hien too.

Pho Hien

3/284 Hampshire Rd, Sunshine (map)

Phone:  9311 9532

Hours:  Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm

Raspberry Quark Muffins

I love involving Titus in the kitchen. Sure, he's small, but he's definitely able to do a lot of stuff. And he is so interested! He'll move his chair, climb up and see what we're doing, and he often plays with various kitchen utensils... not always a good thing, we recently had an incident involving both Nespresso machines, a cupful of sugar and a lot of salt. Oh well. It cleaned up, eventually.



Anyway. Arla - the Swedish dairy producer - sent me two flavored quarks to review, raspberry and rhubarb. They also included a box of really cute cupcake liners, and a recipe for raspberry muffins. Well, how could I resist that? And after all, it's the perfect project with kids. To be honest, he only really showed interest in the mixing part, and later, with the tasting part.

They turned out pretty good! I know it's a rather specific recipe and revolves around a product many of you won't ever see. I don't really like doing that but I think raspberry-flavored yogurt might make a nice substitute, though!



Raspberry Quark Muffins
12

3 eggs
100 g sugar
50 g melted butter
250 g Kesella Raspberry (quark)
1 tsp baking powder
250 ml flour
24 frozen raspberries (or fresh!)

Beat eggs and sugar until very fluffy. Add the melted butter and the quark. Stir in baking powder and flour and mix gently. Divide into cupcake liners, placed in a muffin tin.

Stick two raspberries into each muffin. Bake at 200°C for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Hallonmuffins med kesella

Asian Style Pig Ear and Pork Terrine

PIG EARS ?!

yes, they're in there...that pretty  little unassuming stripe is EAR.

 introduce yourself slowly...bit by bit... to the "Nose to Tail" concept.  take the easier softer route and disguise your pig parts in a fancy terrine...sneak it in to your next charcuterie platter...or present as a creative hors d'oeuvre that will amaze your guests.

OR, if you're already gung-ho for "tip to toe"...simply enjoy this delicious Asian style terrine with some pickled ginger,  garlic chili sauce or a pinch of wasabi...yummm 

PIG EAR and PORK TERRINE

i sort of made this up, so if i've left something out please let me know and i'll fix it asap

FOR THE EARS

basically the most important part is the ear...cooking the ears.  i've posted about cooking pig ears in the past as seen ear...woops i mean HERE ...sorry, there's too many jokes readily available when talking ears.  there are a few details like removing any hairs and the pre-boil that can't be missed, please check the link.

(i know it looks scary, but i thought i better show you a photo of what you'll be dealing with...)

in a nut shell you need to cook 3 - 4 pig ears in an Asian flavored stock found HERE (without the Duck, of course).  simmer for about 3 hours or until they are very fork tender.  carefully pull out the ears and strain the broth through some cheese cloth.  let the ears (lay flat) and broth cool (separately) and get to room temp while you are preparing the ground pork.

FOR THE GROUND PORK

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground pork

2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 - 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, diced small

1/2  onion, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 - 2 tsp sesame chili oil...or just sesame oil

a dash of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

in a skillet with olive oil, saute the onions garlic and ginger until fragrant.  add ground pork...while pork is cooking separate so it is not in chunks and add the soy sauce and sesame oil...cook completely...salt and pepper to taste.  flavor and seasoning are very important in every part of a terrine.

let this cool a bit for easier handling.  process the pork mixture until it gets to a fine spreadable texture...not as far as a smooth pate, but you don't want any lumps or chunks.  you will want to add a little of the stock in to make a spreadable mixture...again, taste for seasoning when done.

FOR THE TERRINE

line a medium loaf pan with plastic wrap.  i used a glass pyrex loaf dish.  use enough wrap to over hang the sides.  i suggest you lightly oil the dish before trying to get the plastic wrap all the way in.

lay a few long chives down on the bottom for decoration.  

put about an inch of the ground pork mixture evenly on the bottom...then press lightly a layer of ears cut to fit as one layer.  then spread another layer of ground pork...another layer of ears, again, cut to fit for a whole layer.  end with a layer of pork mixture.  note...sprinkle a few small bits of chives in the layers for a little color.

now this next step is terrine 101, but if you don't know it can get messy so be prepared for overflow...

pour a little of the stock over the filled terrine.  a little at a time until it looks well moistened, but not saturated.  cut a rectangle out of cardboard that will fit the inside of the terrine...cover the cardboard with plastic. use the cardboard to press down and release any extra liquid (stock) and air pockets.  this will most likely overflow a little.  i like my terrines tight and well set with no air bubbles or gelatinous areas so i let set with some weight on the terrine...a foil covered brick works well...or some heavy cans.  then refrigerate for a few hours until completely chilled.

to unmold you might need to run a little warm water over the outside...if all turns out well, you should be able to flip the terrine out on a platter and peel off the plastic wrap to reveal a beautiful Pig Ear and Pork Terrine.  cut with a VERY sharp knife and serve with pickled ginger, chinese mustard, garlic chili sauce or maybe some wasabi.

Come picnic with me!

NEW DATE!

Summer is approaching fast, and that means the season for picnicing, too! I was talking to a blogging friend, Tea of Söta Saker, about this on Twitter, when we realized we should organize one big picnic to celebrate the warmer weather. Who's invited? Well, everyone! We thought it'd be really fun to invite all of our readers, as well as all our blogging friends, so feel free to spread this invitation to anyone who might be interested!

Bring whatever you'd like to eat or drink - enough to share, if you'd like, the more the merrier! And don't forget a blanket or something to sit on. If you have Facebook, you can respond to the event, but it's perfectly fine to just show up.

Date:
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Monday June 6

Time:
12-15

Place:
Djurgårdsbrunn, Stockholm.

Wok Noodle

Melbourne seems to be going through a Malaysian restaurant explosion!  Flemington is turning into a downright little KL and there are new places popping up in the city all the time.  Bring it on, I say!  Seddon even has its own slice of the Malaysian carrot cake now with Wok Noodle.

Dumplings, $7.50

"Try the dumplings", insisted one loyal customer, so we did.  Unfortunately these were somewhat overcooked so the pastry had become flaccid.  The filling had decent flavour but I did not like the coarse texture.  They were quite lovingly presented though on nice Japanese-style ceramic with a little garnish.

Roti with potato curry, $7

This was quite a tasty sauce, thick and rich.  I was a bit spoilt after Chillipadi Mamak Kopitiam's unreal homemade roti and superb curries though, I have to say.  The roti was a little doughy but quite nice.

Hainan chicken rice, $11.50

We were very excited to learn that this house special which is normally on weekends only was available, apparently due to a large dinner the previous night.  Although the rice was tasty with rich ginger and chicken flavour, the chicken itself was somewhat lacking.

Char hor fun, $10.50

I have been so curious about this dish - lots and lots of really thick, lightly-coloured gravy on noodles.  See the wonderful 3 Hungry Tummies for a recipe.  This did have great flavour - tasty gravy, very thick but not gluey, with very, very fresh seafood and vegies.  The wide rice noodles underneath though were really soggy - I would have expected them to still have some bite?  Nevertheless I am new to this dish and not sure of the most authentic cooking method.

I so wanted to love Wok Noodle - it's close by and the proprietors are very personable.  The thing is, everything is presented with care and flourish, the place is spic and span, the tables are set with flair and it is obvious that they really care about their food.  It just didn't hit the spot for me.  Perhaps I'm missing something, ordered badly or it was an off night.  Have you been here?  What do you think?

Wok Noodle
1/92 Charles Street, Seddon (map)
Phone:  9689 9882
Hours:  Tues-Fri 10:30 am-10pm, Sat & Sun 11am-10pm, closed Mon


Wheelchair Access
Call to confirm (street seating available)

Why do YOU cook, Maria Speck?

I met Maria Speck, the Grain Gourmet on Twitter where her recipe tweets piqued my curiosity. She grew up in both Germany and Greece and shares her recipes and mostly Mediterranean techniques for cooking with whole grains in ways you might not expect. In her beautiful new cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, you'll find cakes from quinoa and smoked trout, an easy crust from cooked polenta, a hearty frittata with wild rice and wheat berry "fool" with figs. Her recipes will surely broaden your horizons as much as they tempt your tastebuds.

It all started with a small bag of wheat berries someone handed me at a cemetery in Greece during a ceremony to mark the recent death of my grandfather. I was six years old and hungry. While I scooped up the mixture of cinnamon and cumin-scented grains, chewing on their succulent starchy centers, interspersed with chunks of roasted walnuts and sugarcoated almonds-I became completely oblivious to the crushing sadness all around me, and blissfully dug in. This culinary memory made me into the person I am today, in so many ways.

Years later a simple wheat berry salad, served to me by a friend in Germany, brought the grains of my childhood back to my table. At the time, I worked as a news agency journalist, subsisting on coffee and frozen pizza. Rediscovering the delicious chew of wheat berries made me realize what I was missing. From then on, I lit my stove and my oven with a passion otherwise reserved for boyfriends.

A few years later whole grains once more changed the path of my life. When I moved to the US in 1993 as a journalism fellow at Stanford university, I couldn't find what the German half of me calls “real bread.” Most stores sold soft, cotton-candy like bread or pre-sliced toast. Even when labeled whole grain, little did these products resemble the deliciously chewy, aromatic, and dense loaves of dark wheat and rye breads I was raised on. Eventually, I took fate into my own hands: I ordered a beautiful wooden German countertop grain mill and started baking whole grain bread from freshly ground flour. Which ultimately lead to my current career. As more and more Americans started to get interested in whole grains, I realized how much I really knew about them. I am writer and a passionate whole grain lover-so why not combine the two, I thought? Instead of reporting on technology, society and health, all I have done since is writing about whole grains. And cooking and baking with them. Naturally.

Paella, my way

I've been promising you my recipe for paella for a while, so finally, here it is! I'm not saying this is The Way, but it's my way, and it turned out really good. I made this while we were in Spain, and we have a great big electric paella pan there. It's really perfect for this, but you can certainly make it in any big frying pan. Just make sure you have a lid.

I like to eat this with lots of garlicky allioli, which is the Spanish version of aïoli. It's always the first thing I buy when we're there - a little bright yellow jar, incredibly yummy.

Paella, my way
serves 4-5

3 small, raw chorizo sausages, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1,5 litre water
2 cubes chicken stock (bouillon cubes)
300 ml risotto rice (I prefer avorio)
1/2 g saffron
1/2 red pepper, diced
100 ml green peas (frozen are fine)
1 kg mussels, cleaned
1/2 kg shrimp, prawns or langoustines
some cooked chicken (optional)
lemon wedges, to serve
allioli, to serve



Start by frying the chorizo sausage in a paella pan, or a very large frying pan. It should get some color. Add the onion and garlic and fry for an additional minute or two.

Add water, chicken stock cubes, rice and saffron. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat until the rice is softened. Add the pepper and peas when you have a few minutes left. When the rice feels soft, add mussels and shrimp and cover with the lid. Wait for five minutes, by which time the mussels should be opened. (If they're not, I'm not taking any chances, so out they go.)

Serve straight away, with lemon wedges and allioli. Add some cooked chicken at the end if you'd like, instead of or in addition to the seafood.

Recipe in Swedish:
Paella på mitt sätt

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

I should have listened to that little voice that kept telling me to stay home today.

Like when I was kept up most of the night by my neighbor's car alarm.

Or when I woke up to no electricity.

Or when I had to pry my kids out of their bed with a crowbar, bribes of a million dollars, and threats of never seeing the light of day again.

Maybe after those things I should know better then to take my freshly numbed and drilled son to Burger King, where he will inevitably chew his lips to bits, cry for days when his tomato falls out of his burger, and bite a chunk out of his friend's shoulder.

After said day I should have just expected that my totally innocent looking toilet was planning to completely flood the bathroom.

Thank goodness for reruns of Glee and lemon bars.

And thank goodness for recipes like this to save you after rough days. You can still end your day triumphantly with flavorful aromatic chicken thighs. Just marinate, bake, baste and enjoy.

Now let's all take a deep breath.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
Cooking Light March 2011

Ingredients

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste (such sambal oelek)
10 garlic cloves, minced
12 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (we used boneless)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chile paste, and garlic, stirring until honey dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade.

2. Preheat oven to 425°.

3. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Place chicken on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a roasting pan. Baste chicken with reserved marinade; sprinkle evenly with salt. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; baste. Bake an additional 10 minutes; baste. Discard remaining marinade. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per Serving: 306 cal, 15g fat, 27 prot, 12g carb

What do you do to recover from a tough day?

Crema Catalana

Crema Catalana is the Spanish version of crème brûlée. It's actually quite similar, but apparently it's often milk-based rather than made with cream, and it often has cinnamon and orange. I haven't made it myself - do you have a favorite recipe?


After one minute.

In Spain, since we mostly ate in, we bought some ready-made Crema Catalanas for dessert, to eat with sliced strawberries. They were delicious - and quite fun, because to get the crispy caramelized top, they had a little packet... of something. I'm not sure what. Sugar and something else, because as you sprinkled it on top of the custard, it actually turned into caramel.

Sure, you get much better results by sprinkling sugar and using a torch to caramelize it - but as that wasn't an option, this was a pretty good substitute.

Mexican Cheese Primer

Mexican cheese is readily available where I live, not expensive and yet I admit, I am often bewildered when I go to buy it. What's the difference between Cotija and Queso Anejo? Will Panela melt or crumble? If Quesadilla cheese is good for quesadillas, is Enchilado cheese for enchiladas? I have finally made sense of Mexican cheeses, thanks to lots of great information from the California Milk Advisory Board and some generous samples from Cacique, the largest Hispanic cheese brand in the US. Cacique has very detailed descriptions of all their cheeses as well as recipes when you're ready to dig in even further.

Don't be afraid to buy Mexican cheeses because you are not sure what to do with them. They are actually very easy to use and enjoy and often available in supermarkets. And they can be used in all kinds of dishes, not just traditional Mexican cuisine. Many are similar to cheeses you already know, like feta or mozzarella. It was the Spaniards who introduced cows and goats to Mexico as sources of meat and milk, so it's not surprising that Mexican cheeses bear a resemblance to European cheeses, especially ones from the Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy and Greece.

When thinking about Mexican cheese, it's better to extend the category to Mexican dairy and divide everything into three categories, Fresh Cheeses, Aged Cheeses and Cream. I've listed the most popular and commonly available cheeses first.

FRESH CHEESES
Many fresh, or un-aged Mexican cheeses will soften but do not actually melt. Some of these cheese can be crumbled or fried. Of the fresh cheeses, only Queso Quesadilla and Oaxaca are melting cheeses.

Queso Fresco
This is the most commonly used Mexican cheese. Most similar to feta, it's mild, buttery and slightly salty, it softens, but it doesn't melt. It's typically used on salads and refried beans and it's perfect for enchiladas. You could easily use this cheese on any kind of salad, even Greek salad, in cheese spreads, blintzes, or in corn pudding.

Panela
Panela is a really fun cheese! It softens but does not melt and can be pan-fried like halloumi. Put it on salads, in potato casseroles, omelets and in sandwiches. You can also crumble it over spicy dishes. It is very mild in flavor.

Oaxaca
Like a braided mozzarella or string cheese, it does melt and gets stringy when hot. Use it for stuffing, especially in chile rellenos but also on lasagna, pizza or nachos.

Queso Quesadilla
A buttery melting cheese for use in quesadillas, but also in any grilled cheese sandwich and has an almost nutty buttery flavor. It's similar to jack cheese.

Requeson
The sweetest Mexican cheese, and very soft and grainy, like ricotta. Use it in desserts.

AGED CHEESES
Mexican aged cheeses will last longer, and are all firm because more moisture has evaporated, but range from crumbly to very hard. Of the aged cheeses, Asadero, and Manchego are melting cheeses.

Cotija aka Queso Anejo
The most strongly flavored cheese, most similar to parmesan or romano cheese but quite as dry. A little packs a punch! This is the cheese to use with corn, roll the cooked cob in mayonnaise then coat it in crumbled cotija and sprinkle it with cayenne and drizzle it with lime. Use it in place of parmesan as a topping on pasta or in a Mexican style Caesar salad.

Asadero
A buttery, mild melting cheese you can use in quesadillas, nachos or in grilled cheese sandwiches. It's very creamy and similar to fontina in flavor but like provolone in style, especially in the way you use it, sliced and draped over food to create a melted layer of cheese. You could use this on a cheeseburger or even melted in fondue.

Manchego
In Spain Manchego is made with sheep's milk cheese, but the Mexican style of Manchego made in the US, is made from cow's milk and more similar in flavor to a mild cheddar with a nutty flavor. It melts extremely well. You could use it in grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes, or in Mexican dishes like queso fundido or chile rellenos. It's also great on a cheeseburger or in macaroni and cheese.

Enchilado
It is coated in mild chile, giving it a distinctive color and flavor. There are two versions, Enchilado and Enchilado Anejo, an even more aged style. It is a crumbly cheese that does not melt. It is milder than cotija and can be used as a stuffing in enchiladas or chile rellenos.


CREAM
There are creams from other Latin American countries but the Mexican style is generally most common. Try to find one without stabilizers if possible.

Crema aka Crema Mexicana
Think creme fraiche or thin sour cream, this rich yummy cream is thick but still liquid and not as firm as sour cream or American style yogurt. Drizzle it on spicy dishes, enchiladas, soups, chilaquiles. Crema can be used in cooking and on dishes as a finishing touch.

Tarragon Pork Tenderloin

Life of a food blogger: when you're really hungry, a photo of the leftovers will have to do. Also, this was very tasty. It's very rich, due to the cream and crème fraîche - feel free to use lighter versions if you'd like. (Even milk instead of the cream will work well, although this will make a runnier sauce.)

Tarragon Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4 (at least)

600 g pork tenderloin, in thin strips
200 g mushrooms, divided into smaller pieces
200 ml crème fraîche
200 ml cream
3 tbsp cognac
3 tbsp chili sauce (Heinz or similar - that means thick, and without much heat)
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt, pepper
butter for frying

Fry the meat in some butter. Let it color and then remove it from the pan. Brown the mushrooms and fry until they release their liquid. Add the meat back to the pan.

Whisk together cream, crème fraîche, cognac, chili sauce, tarragon and cayenne pepper, and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until your sauce looks good, and the meat is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, and whatever fresh herbs you might have.

Recipe in Swedish:
Fläskfilé i dragonsås

Sori Cafe - Japanese/Korean in Kensington

Bloggers, how do you blog?  I do so surreptitiously, self-consciously and am petrified of the day when someone tells me off.  I also know I have only a limited number of years before my kids start to self-destruct from embarrassment when the camera comes out, so am making the most of it while I can!

Sori Cafe is a real neighbourhood treasure, an authentic Japanese/Korean cafe tucked away in Kensington.  The kitchen is up a small flight of stairs at the back of the restaurant and (at lunch at least) the little ladies in gorgeous pressed aprons dart up and down, taking your order, running back up to flip the okonomiyaki, pattering back down with a bottle of water.

Complimentary banchan to start - traditional Korean tidbits eaten before the meal.  Soft, surprisingly buttery potato and carrot; a tasty folded egg omelette; zucchini cooked with sesame oil (delicious - one to make at home).  Check out the kid-friendly portion and crockery!

Fried dumplings (gyoza), $6.50

Little slippers of crunchy goodness, filled with soft vegie mash.  The pastry is actually quite crisp like a cracker.  The little side salad had a quite divine creamy sesame dressing.  Delish!

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), $6.50

Home-style Japanese pancake - a thick batter mixed with here shredded cabbage and a little diced octopus.  This was just lovely - the tonkatsu or Japanese BBQ sauce was here a home-style relish, almost jam-like, which contrasted with the sweet, creamy Japanese mayo.  These are my go-to shopping centre secret - they are tasty, filling, sort of healthy and usually cost about $4.

Hoedupbap, $16.50

Something for the last breath of summer - a warm salad of raw salmon and fresh salad vegies atop warm rice, the yin to bibimbap yang.  Drizzled with thick, mild Korean chilli bean sauce and mixed up, it was simple, honest, refreshing yet satisfying.  The miso was excellent, totally authentic.  In recent times Sori Cafe seem to have shrunk their lunch menu to the classics, so visit at dinnertime to try the full menu including japchae, stir-fried sweet potato noodles.

Exterior - check.  Food - check.  Interior - we could not resist the sunshine and so had sat outside, so how to get this last shot?  I put my camera on the counter, fumbling in my bag for my wallet while trying to corral the kids and hoping the moment would present itself.  "Are you a blogger?" said the waitress.  "Erm, yes, I am..." I trailed off uncertainly.  "Don't worry," she winked.  "So am I."

Sori Cafe

174 Bellair St, Kensington (map)

Phone:  9372 2025

Hours:  Mon-Sat, lunch 11.30am-3pm, dinner 5pm-10pm  

Wheelchair Access

Yes

My Favorite Pasta Salad

People always say that summertime is a good time to lose weight. Since it's hot out, your appetite lessens, and everyone would rather munch on fruit and veggies instead of rich soups and casseroles.

And it makes sense, but somehow summer still ends up being the toughest season for me to maintain my weight. And the reason is that I'm such a sucker for those delicious potluck and barbecue foods. Potato salad, pasta salad, apple pie, lemon bars, cheeseburgers and hotdogs grilled over charcoal, the list goes on. Give me a plate of that goodness, combined with awesome friends and a warm summer night, and life truly doesn't get better. I'm already looking forward to it, I just might have to replace the extra potato salad with a juicy slice of watermelon instead.



This pasta is one of my summer faves. It's so easy to make, keeps for several days and is delicious either cold or room temp, making it a very convenient picnic item. You have most likely had a version of pasta salad similar to this, but I had to post this anyway because it's just so dang good.


Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2 packets Italian Dressing, prepared according to directions, I used the less oil option (using the stuff from the packet vs. the bottle really does make a difference, it's worth the extra step!)
1 lb tricolor pasta
8 oz salami, diced
8 oz provolone or pepperjack cheese, diced (I used provolone for this, but next time I will use pepperjack, I like a good kick)
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green pepper
2 cans olives, sliced

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and cool.

2. Combine all ingredients and toss well. Keep chilled, it tastes best after it has a few hours to sit and blend flavors.

When is it hardest for you to eat healthy. Any tips on maintaining during those times?

Crochet a cat!

Totally, totally off topic. One of my blogging friends posted a link the other day, to Hjärtekatten. ("Heart-cat") It's a voluntary effort to collect crocheted cats for kids with heart disease. Everyone who wants to crochets, from the same pattern, and adds a heart with a few stitches on it, then sends it to the organizer. The cats are then distributed to sick kids. Isn't that just wonderful? I thought so, and immediately started to crochet. I'm happy to say that my first kitty was mailed today, and I hope she can cheer up someone's day. I named her Edith, after my own little cat with a heart disease, who passed away several years ago. (You can read about her here and here.)

I'm pretty sure I'll be making a few more of these. If you crochet, it's a fun and easy project, so join up!

Hjärtekatten's webpage
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