Pisco and Ceviche

I had never had a Pisco Sour until The Hotel Boliver in Lima. A reccommendation from a friend who was in the navy and was in the know. Wow......talk about knock your socks off! Two (actually they do make a double) will leave you laughing in the street. A mix of the delicious Pisco (made from grapes...smells a little tequila-ish but not really), sugar syrup, lime, bitters and egg white is the secret potion. Hubby and I set off on the quest for the perfect Pisco (unfortunately the best was actually the first! The Boliver Hotel each year wins the title for the "best Pisco in Peru" award).

Pisco is named after Pisco which is situated on the Peruvian coast, south of Lima. The story goes that it is named after the conical vase that it was aged in called a pisco. Pisco is also the cocktail of choice in Chile and Bolivia. The Peruvians and the Chileans having argued for centuries about who in fact invented it..........sounds a little bit pavlova-ish to me. Bloody Kiwis.

Ceviche being one of my all time favorites and a Peruvian National dish - I was in heaven! Luckily Ceviche and pisco compliment each other quite well.

Trout ceviche (which my brother mispronounced in Spanish and ended up ordering a very rude part of the female anatomy!!) was on every menu. The raw fish , diced and marinated in lime juice with fresh herbs and seasoning was incredible.

I also discovered a shooter of ceviche which was loaded up with the peruvian yellow or red chillies - absolutely fantastic. I think we all know a friend who will find the  fish  shake shooter too much to even contemplate...but for those that love it. This is the ultimate shot!

But like the Pisco's not every Ceviche is born equal. This particular ceviche above was the best we had - in Hancao (said Wankao...the townsfolk are known as Wankas...TRUE STORY) up in the mountains in a restaurant whilst we were killing time until siesta had finished and the shops opened (4pm).......why oh why cant we do that here???

So now the quest continues to recreate the Perfect Pisco and the Perfect Ceviche all in time for Christmas lunch when my new Peruvian in laws are coming for lunch!

Peruvian Pachamanca

Did you know that in Peru they have 3000 different varieties of potato (papa's). The produce available in Peru is amazing.....apparently a few years agao they cleaned up in the organic produce awards in Italy, winning 28 of the 28 categories available.

My family and I have been lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in Peru as my brother married a gorgeous girl whose family live in Lima. Not any ordinary tourist holiday this one.....

For my dads 77th birthday we were up in the mountains at their house in Jauja where they threw him a surprise party! A pachamanca! Pacha means earth and manca is earthen pot. This style of cooking has been around since the Incas and is now still an important part of Peruvian cuisine. They enlisted the help of Emilio, the town pachamanca specialist, who arrived early in the morning to prepare the oven and heat the rocks. Meanwhile the girls all headed to the market for the ingredients. A typical Pachamanca meal consists of potatoes (lots of 'em!), guinea pig (yes please!), chicken, pork, beef, lamb, corn tamales and green lima beans.

Typically the rocks are heated for 3 - 4 hours then all the rocks on the top are removed and the food is layered in the earth. Potatoes first followed by the beef, lamb, chicken and guinea pig (yes it was delicious...like sweet chicken), then a few more rocks are layered in and the corn tamales are placed around the rocks. Then a layer of alfalfa and the lima beans are all thrown on top.

The corn tamales were lovingly made by Pale (92 years old and just completed his law degree!!) over the
course of 2 days! Mind you the corn in peru is like it is on growth steroids - each kernal being the size of a 5 cent piece. The raw corn is put through a mincer and then Pale stirred thru some sugar and  raisins and then packed it back into the corn husks.

Then another layer of the alfalfa and a layer of bags and then the whole mound is covered in dirt until there is no smoke escaping. A cross made with 2 sticks is then placed in the top of the mound - when this falls over the food is ready!

All the food is unloaded into baskets and taken to the table where it is consumed with your hands and accompanied by bread and a special chilli sauce - made with the ubiquitous peruvian yellow chilli! What a treat! But that was not all.........while we are eating we hear a band playing in the back yard. We go out to find a 10 piece band and dancers swirling around the yard.

What an afternoon......dancing, drinking Cervesa (beer) with the band and Emilio (the undisputed pachamanca king of Jauja) in the back yard. All the locals were in the street dancing. I don't think my dad has ever had a birthday like it......not quite sure what we are going to do next year to top it!

Chinese Style Pig Trotters

Chinese Style Pig Trotters.

Serves a few as a nibble or starter - too rich for a whole meal.

I think many people don't eat these tasty little morsels simply because they don't know what to do with them and they don't know how insanely good they taste. Heres and easy recipe. By the way piggies hoofs are cheap cheap! 6 hoofs cost me $3.20.

6 pigs trotters - cut in half lengthways and then into 4 or 6 pieces.

5cm piece of ginger chopped

5 garlic cloves - crushed

50ml dark soy

100ml light soy

100ml cider vinegar

50gm brown sugar

150ml pineapple

50 ml chinese cooking wine

1 star anise

1 cinnamon quill

Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the trotters off.

Add the garlic & ginger, star anise & cinnamon and give a quick stir to release the flavours.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Add enough water to cover the piggies trotters.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 2 and a half hours. So simple!

These are a sensational gelatinous taste sensation. Grab a cold beer and snack away to your hearts content. YUM

White Bean & Pistachio Dip

White Bean & Pistachio Dip

This is great to whip up in a couple of minutes for a tasty snack or a delicious lunch with some vegetables.

I made it last night with some kale in it as well - it gave it a nice peppery flavour. Another tip is when I am roasting up my garlic I pop a sprig of rosemary in there too - gives a great flavour.

Ingredients:

1 x tin of cooked cannellini beans – drained (get these at the supermarket)
juice of 1 lemon

70 ml good olive oil
3 cloves of roasted garlic
4 tbspn chopped parsley – generous amount
50 gms pistachios
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a bowl and wizz up with a bamix or alternatively put into a food processor and mix it all together (a milkshake or smoothie maker will do the trick)

Serve with another slug/swirl of olive oil on top - a sprinkle of dukkah is nice too.

This will take about 5 minutes to make and will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

DAMN GOOD CHICKEN PIE

THE BEST CHICKEN PIE EVER!

This one is worth the effort – make double and freeze half. Full it with vegetables and take it with you to work for a great meal when you are working hard and need to keep your energy levels up and give your soul a big nutritious hug! I like to just put heaps of celery & parsley in mine and I make about 5 pies at a time so I have them in the freezer for "unexpected" guests.

ingredients:·

1 x cooked chicken or alternatively 4 poached chicken fillets cut into nice chunks. (to poach chicken simply put in a pan and cover with water and bring to the boil then simmer for about 5-7 minutes)

· 4 stems of celery chopped

· 2 carrots chopped

. 1 bunch chopped continental parsley

· 1 pkt of frozen spinach (opt)

· Any vegetables you like really, zucchini, peas, corn, capsicum – just dice them up like the others.

· 2 cups of chicken stock – now really you can use cubes that’s fine just get good ones (massell, knorr) and add one more than they tell you or use the liquid stock you can also get at the supermarket.

· 150gm butter

. 180gm four

· 2 cup of milk

· salt and pepper to taste

· 4 pieces of puff pastry or filo (if you are gluten intolerant you may want to make a nice topping for your pie out of gluten free bread, olive oil, parmessan and chopped parsley – just sprinkle it over the top and bake as instruction)

what to do next:

1. Melt the butter in a large enough pot and whisk in the flour - cook out the flour for approx 2 - 3 mins. You are making a roux.

2. Slowly add the stock and milk in a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients and bring to the boil and turn heat down to simmer.

3. Saute all your vegetables in a pan – cook until tender (not soggy!) this should take about 8-10 minutes.

4. Add all the vegetables and poached chicken to the runny white sauce

5. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. If you need more cornflour then do so. (this is a cheats version of whats chefs call a veloute which is made with milk and stock and thickened with butter and flour)

6. Add your chopped chicken – filling is made!!

7. Here it is up to you what you do with this – eat it with rice, put it in a pie dish and top with pastry (always brush pastry with egg wash -egg mixed with a bit of milk) before cooking and always cook in a hot oven (200° for about 25 – 35 minutes)

Make filo parcels and freeze some for when your schedule doesn’t give you any time for cooking! This is beautiful and a real hug from mums meal.

RAW Space cafe, South Brisbane

RAW space Cafe,

99 Melbourne Street,

South Brisbane

p: 3844 9952

Open Mon - Fri 7am - 2.30pm

Saturday Brekkey: 7am - 12pm

Cafes like Raw Space are hard to find - its like the "olden days" when a huge variety of homemade food was jam packed into a display cabinet - fresh daily.

Raw Cafe is just that, a friendly space that is kind of a gallery (rob kelly, one of the owners is an art curator) but leaning towards more a local food haven.

The only down side is that there is so much on offer it is hard to decide what to have: lasgane, beef or pumpkin & fetta ($9.50), salmon & potato Pie ($3.5), zucchini fritatta ($4), risotto of the day ($8.5), chicken burger ($8.5) or choose from a huge range of fresh cut sandwiches ,bagels, turkish ($5 - $8) - my hubby just loves the egg & lettuce sandwiches (some people are just easy pleased!)

There are salads galore - big colorful plates of greek, caesar, nicoise, roasted sweet potato, beetroot and green beans. Sooomuch to choose from. The top of the counter is laden with fresh muffins, cakes, biscuits - most made on the premises by the chefs Lucinda and Bimbi out back.

There is quite simply something for everyone. Breakfasts have just started on Saturdays - although it is available all week. Blueberry pancakes with whipped pecan butter ($12.5), israeli eggs with yoghurt, coriander and toasted turkish bread ($13.5),
housemade baked beans ($8.5), savoury mince cob ($10.5) and of course the BIG brekky ($16.5) with all the bits plus loads more offerings ...far too many to mention.

All meals are served in takeaway containers however if you "dine in" your meal gets placed on a funky green tray. I chose the Rice Pilaf - which was like a chicken fried rice. Just what I felt like with a cup of very good coffee (Abrisca $3)

The hubby had the steak sandwich which was great, onions, chutney, tomato & letteuce $8.50 served on a turkish bread - so big he bought half home for arvo tea. (he eats like a sparrow!)

Raw is a great little find and a cafe that we would all love to have up the road - pop in and see for yourself. I bet you won't know what to choose!

Sticky Pear Shortcake

STICKY PEAR SHORTCAKE

I have been making a version of this for years after one of my bosses when I was about 18 taught me this "everything" recipe. The shortcake here can have milk added to it and tuirned into a cake - it can have a bit more flour added to it and turned into biscuits - it is just an everything recipe.

So the other night I had some friends over and was making pear tarte tartin but didn't have any pastry - so thought I would just whip up my everything recipe and dollop it on the top of the caramelised pears and bake in the oven - the result was so delicious it was verging on perfection!

So here it is my everything recipe and the caramelised pears.

2 pears sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar

100 gm butter

1 tspn vanilla bean paste

dash of sweet wine

Cook in a pan that can also go in the oven.

Place butter, sugar, vanilla and a slug of something you mat be supping on in a pan with the sliced pears.

Cook over a medium heat until soft and caramelised - about 7-10 mins.

The "everything" part of the recipe.

Shortcake:

250gm softened butter

11/2 cups sugar

2 whole eggs

1 tspn vanilla paste

2 cups SR flour

Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and cream together.

Add the eggs and vanilla and give another mix until creamy.

Add the flour and make a delicious stiff doughy mix.

Place spoonfuls of this mix all over the pears and bake in the oven (160 degrees celcius) for approx 10 - 15 minutes.

Allow to sit for a few minutes then run a knife around the edge of the pan and place a plate on the top and flip out the tart.

I served with Maggie Beers Burnt Almond ice-cream but a big dollop of something creamy is perfect.

ENJOY - this is truly lipsmacking!