COOKING WAS THE WAY MY MOTHER SHOWED LOVE

 “My earliest food memories are when I was probably about four, in a rambling old house which Dad was renovating. Endless happy hours were spent on the swing suspended from the walnut tree — that is when we weren’t eating the garden produce. This consisted of a glorious bounty of fruit trees: apples, peaches, apricots, gooseberries. I still recall our red stained fingers and mouths as we devoured raspberries warmed by the summer sun and the taste of sun ripened tomatoes from the vine.  

Mum made all her own jams, chutneys, pickles and bottled fruit and Dad was pretty good at it too, his pickled mushrooms being my favourite.There was always a fragrant offering simmering on the blackened top of the fuel stove, with cakes, biscuits, coconut ice, and amazing chocolate cake all appearing with miraculous regularity. Obviously Mum had a sweet tooth, so consequently struggled with her weight but cooking was her way of showing love. I was her greatest fan, praised for my enthusiastic efforts and held up as a fine example to my sister who had a poor appetite. 

It is therefore unsurprising that I have memories of some friends of my parents saying 
that I'd  make a good ‘front row forward’ due to my muscular frame and coverage. I had no idea what that meant but knew it wasn't what I wanted. Mum would constantly go on ‘diets’ and I recall her often holding in her stomach and 

standing sideways in order to show the progress of the diet.”

Early tastings 

“Bluff oysters are said to be the most flavoursome in the world because they are slowly grown in the cold, clean waters off the southern island of New Zealand. They would be collected from the rocks by the sackful. Dad would open an oyster and throw his head back to scull from the shell. Of course, I would do the same, in my role as intrepid taster; however I must admit to an initial sense of misgiving, reinforced by my sister’s horror.

This brave act was followed up by the tasting of Mutton Bird — valued by Māoris. The birds which are brined and stored in their fat, are said to taste like mutton with some describing the strong flavour as ‘duck crossed with anchovies’ — not for the faint palated.

There was always a substantial garden, which would yield enough produce to sustain the family. Food scraps were dug into the soil without being composted, resulting in white eggshells being visible at times, looking as if there was a crop of eggs. However, this simple method resulted in soil fertile enough to even propagate new plants such as Chinese Gooseberries and Tree Tomatoes from the seeds of the eaten fruit.

Extract from my new book 'Alfreshco - foreshore flavour' to be published later this year.

Is crostini a mini bruschette? Is bocconcini really mozzarella?

Some vital questions!   Qu 1 - Crostini or Bruschetta?   Is crostini a small bruschetta? 




The difference is fuzzy.

Give up? Yes, crostini is smaller and is served as an aperitivo but the correct answer is that crostini is usually made with white bread instead of sourdough but the difference is fuzzy.   

The Italians simply grill a half-inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt and pepper.



My favourite method, being an 'ovenphile' is to  preheat oven to 160°C/ 320 F.  Line an oven tray with baking paper and bake slices which have been sprayed on both sides with olive oil,  for about 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. While hot, rub with garlic.  Add prepared topping of your choice. For approx 12 crostini, here a few favourites but you can use your imagination and personal taste to create the perfect Italian aperitivo, whether it be a crostini or bruschette.

tapenade with goat's cheese

Intense flavours offset with
goat's cheese & basil

Process the following in a food processor; 1 cup (175g) pitted kalamata olives, 4 anchovy fillets, drained on paper towel, coarsely chopped, 1 tbsp drained capers, 1 garlic clove, crushed, then add ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil to make a smooth paste. 

Spread on crostini, then sprinkle with crumbled goat's cheese and torn basil.
Or  for green olive tapenade, replace black olives with 1 cup green olives.

mixed herb crostini 

Roughly chop  any mixture of soft herbs like fennel tops,  basil, parsley, mint, chervil or thyme leaves. Take six cherry tomatoes and halve them, then rub one of the halves into each of your hot crostini. Grate some pecorino or Parmesan over the top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with good-quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

cannellini beans with garlic
Pound a couple of sprigs of rosemary gently in a mortar and pestle with a little salt. Add a good swig or two of extra-virgin olive oil and stir, then put to one side. Fry two sliced cloves of garlic in a little olive oil until lightly golden. Add 1 ¾ cups of good-quality drained and rinsed cannellini beans and continue to simmer gently for approx seven minutes. Season the beans well with salt and pepper and a little red wine vinegar, then mash to a coarse puree using the back of a fork. Spread onto hot crostini and spoon rosemary oil over the top.

prosciutto, figs, and mint
For this delicious concoction you need six large ripe figs, halved, 12 slices of prosciutto, and a small bunch of fresh mint. Drape piece of  prosciutto over  hot crostini and squash a piece of fig on top.  Finish with mint leaves and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, a drop of balsamic vinegar, and some freshly ground black pepper.

blue cheese with pear
Salty, sharp blue cheese combined with sweet, juicy pear is sublime. (75g / 3 oz Gorgonzola or any good blue cheese) 
Peel and core the pear, then slice it into 12 thin wedges.
Top crostini with a sliver of blue cheese, a slice of pear and a good grinding of black pepper.  Serve immediately. 

ham & smashed pea crostini

Use a  narrow baguette to make these crostini .  Fry  2 finely chopped shallots in olive oil , add  140 g/5 oz frozen peas and a slurp of white wine then cover and cook gently  for about 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. Turn the peas and juices into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and process to make a chunky puree.

Cut 3 strips of proscuitto into 12 pieces ( cut each in half lengthwise, then across). Prepare the toast,  spoon the smashed peas on top and finish with a twist of ham. Drizzle with a little more oil, if liked, and a grinding of black pepper.
Sprinkle the crostini with mint and serve immediately.

I'm just a baby!

 Qu 2 -  What is bocconcini - is it the same as mozzarella?
Bocconcini are Italian cheese balls about the size of cherry tomatoes. They are actually a fresh type of mozzarella. small, semi-soft, white and rindless,  unripened, usually made from a combination of water buffalo and cow's milk. Bocconcini are packaged in whey or water, have a spongy texture and absorb flavours.

buffalo mozzarella and chilli
Deseed and finely chop a fresh red chilli.  Top each hot crostini with 1/4  Buffalo mozzarella (for 12, approx 180 g / 5 oz,  torn into quarters)  and sprinkle with chilli.   Add a little seasoning and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh torn basil. 

There are endless possibilities.
Clara


"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin - Encore G

Fennel-crusted Pork with sage, sauteed apples and almonds served on a bed of spinach - inspired by a magnificent meal cooked by G this week.  Encore G.
Serves 4





Fennel-crusted pork fillets with sage
2 pork fillets - (combined approx 700 g / 22oz)
4 tsp fennel seeds (available dried)
2 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper
4 tsp chopped sage leaves (or rosemary)
Olive Oil
Place fennel, salt pepper and sage in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse mixture and sprinkle over pork.  Heat a non- stick fry pan over medium high heat.  Add oil and pork and cook for 4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.  Alternatively, after searing pork in pan, set aside then finish for a few minutes in a medium oven before serving.

Sauteed Apples
A little butter
2 - 3  green apples  - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
a little sugar - (1 1/2  tbsp or less)
1/3 cup almonds - roasted in oven  (or hazelnuts or macadamia nuts)
1/4 cup sherry (optional)
Saute apples in butter in heavy pan, add sugar and sherry.  Stir in chopped sage leaves and nuts.  Keep warm. 
(Alternatively, in a small ovenproof serving dish, cook the apples in the oven with the pork, adding sage and nuts when cooked.)  Serve separately.

Spinach with garlic, chilli and toasted fennel seeds
300g / 10oz  spinach roughly chopped - blanched in boiling water, drained to remove excess moisture
2 garlic cloves crushed or chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds toasted and crushed
jus, warmed to serve

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy based frying pan, add garlic, chilli and fennel seeds, then add the spinach.  Cook briefly until tender  - should still stay green and intact. 

"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin. . He moves on to say "Cook with love. Sit down around the table and share food with your children and your family. ....... You always communicate through cooking. You cannot cook indifferently, otherwise the food won't come across the right way."


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