thepassionatecook

Salmon & rocket omelette layer cake

As the submissions for this month's EoMEoTE#5 are trickling in, here's my own contribution. I've actually counted an unsurpassed six egg dishes on my list for the month which I could have published, not that surprising, coming to think of it, as we've just celebrated Easter. The dish I have chosen is one I've made in a similar way before, in fact, quite a few times - stacked layers of the thinnest possible omelette, interlaced with sunblush tomatoes, bresaola or other dry-cured meat, pine nuts, parmesan and basil leaves. Normally, I would fry an omelette, cut in quarters and then assemble individual portions, which means that by the time I get to sit down with my plate, my husband's already wiping his mouth with a serviette and offering to make an espresso... not an ideal set-up for a leisurely Sunday brunch.
So this time, I fried the omelettes one after another, keeping them warm in the oven and only assembling when all were done, then cutting the whole like a cake. Now, you might be asking where the toast comes in, well, I also have proof of the individual slices being served on toasted rye bread - wouldn't break my very own rules now, would I?
So this a last call for all you eggcentrics out there to post your egg-on-toast recipes and send a link to eggstravaganza at thepassionatecook dot com, even send the whole recipe if you don't have a platform to publish it on, or leave a comment somewhere on the site... I am looking forward to wrapping all the contributions up nice and warm come the weekend, so don't leave it till too late!

Yellow-fin tuna steaks stuffed with pork-scratchings

The biggest shake-up in Vienna's restaurant scene, at least judging from what I can observe here in London, was the opening of a restaurant in 2001 which kicked off a wave of new culinary initiatives inspired by Asian cuisine. I dare say that none of them was as successful as Sohi Kim, and most certainly, none was as controversial.
Leading a restaurant, shop and show kitchen at the same time, Kim also has authored a cook book (winning has won a "Gourmand World Cookbook Award" in 2004) and many of the recipes are daring, to say the least. For months on end, her restaurant was the all the rage, her name resounded throughout the country and it is not surprising that this incredible success should have gone to her head. The story goes that when someone calls and asks for a table for, say, Friday, she'll respond "I'm not interested in when you want to come, it is me who will tell you when I have an availability". Her cook book also displays a certain kind of arrogance on her part ("Japanese cuisine? Pork scratchings? Impossible! But I do make the impossible happen and everybody loves it!"), but some of the recipes sound intriguing enough for me to try them. My friend Martina, successful caterer, chef-for-hire and teacher of various cooking courses here in London, thinks differently: she doesn't think highly of the book at all, and for the recipe I chose to make last weekend, she only has one word: revolting.
And this is exactly why I wanted to try it. A further push came from Carlo of My latest supper, who suggested "taboo foods" for a recent IMBB event. I didn't have a chance to participate then, but this could sort of be accepted as a late contribution. Pork scratchings, aka "Grammeln", may be a frightening thought for many, but they are as wide-spread in Austria as they're frowned upon by the uninitiated - we eat them in dumplings (Grammelknoedel), in dripping (Grammelschmalz) on rye bread with freshly cut onions, no Sunday roast is complete without a tasty crackling and my Mum would keep the rind of our bacon to cut it into small pieces and fry them until crisp for a nibble when we gathered for a game of cards on the weekend.
To serve them with fish is quite a step from there, I have to admit, especially when paired with pears, sweet chilli sauce and sherry. But we approached it with an open mind and I declare that it DID work for me. I wouldn't eat it in large quantities (especially not without some sort of carbohydrate to support all this heavy protein), but as an amuse-bouche, this is a perfect power-play of flavours... admittedly not for the faint-hearted, but certainly a spectacular and undisputedly mind-shifting culinary experience!
Wine suggestion: we liked our Villa Maria Pinot Gris from New Zealand, but even something fruitier and slightly sweeter could work.

Double chocolate mousse brownie

We do have a history, this cake and I. This indulgent and calorific dessert was by far the most constant and reliable companion during my pregnancy with Max - apart from my adorable husband, of course. And it was HE who would invariably suffer, when at 10:30 at night I'd exclaim that I craved a double chocolate brownie and he'd have to run and get one. Now I can confess that they weren't really cravings as such, more like a lethal combination of desire and laziness... but being pregnant is just the perfect excuse to send somebody else out to walk for miles and miles through waging storms to get you the, well, not really necessary.
For the longest time I've been wanting to re-create this favourite cake from Marks & Spencer's - a moist brownie topped with milk chocolate and white chocolate mousse, interlaced with malted chocolate bits. And now that I have, I am not entirely satisfied... I reckon I overcooked the browie a bit (in Austria we do fluffy and dry, this is what I am "trained" to bake, so a brownie represents a bit of a challenge) and the white chocolate mousse left room for improvement as well. In MY humble opinion, that is... for my husband insists that I should not attempt to get any closer to the original, because the only difference is that my interpretation just tastes home-made, without the chemicals and stabilisers etc. He might have a point...

Truffled egg on spinach-potato mash

Given that large parts of Austria are predominantly catholic, it is not surprising that the most important event in the lithurgical year should bring along an abundance of traditions. For me personally, Easter meant going to church on five consecutive days, starting with the Thursday before Easter - when I was still living at home, that is. Why exactly we call it "Green Thursday" isn't sufficiently defined - most Catholic traditions actually are Celtic rites... like burning incense throughout the house on certain days of the year to keep away evil spirits. One interpretation of the name is that it stems from the Old High German word "grinen - to bewail/to lament". To live up to its name, it is custom to eat something green on the day, usually creamed spinach with sautéed potatoes and a fried egg - which many children lament, as spinach is not their favourite ;-)
This year, I used the traditional ingredients, but prepared quite an unusual version of an old classic: a creamy potato mash interlaced with wilted spinach leaves, topped with a poached egg rolled in rye breadcrumbs and sprinkled with some truffle oil. The original recipe is taken from an issue of "wienerin kochen spezial", I did not have any fresh white truffle at hand (not surprisingly), so I used truffle oil instead - of course I couldn't be that indulging, it is still Lent, after all!

Pesto & prawn potatoes

Back from the holidays, everything's a bit upside-down here. Somehow, home doesn't live up to our high expectations anymore... what? Nobody to tidy up my room while I am having breakfast? No five-course dinner unless I slave away in the kitchen myself? Don't we have any personnel here, or what?
We had got so used to getting up late (-ish... when you have a 1-year old at home, even an alarm at 8 am means sleeping in!), having 5 servings from the breakfast menu & buffet at least, skiing for a bit, interrupted by extensive trips to the traditional chalets, and when the snow got too sticky in the afternoon, off we went for a quick snack before hitting the hotel's renowned spa area. More than 15 different wellness* facilities from steam room to a "devillish sauna", herbal spa, salt water grottos, ice pools, sensory relaxation therapy and a heated outdoor whirlpool from where you could watch the sun set over the mountains meant that there was no way we'd ever get bored with "just relaxing".
Now, we're clearly struggling to adapt to a life less luxurious than the one we've been leading and it's not easy. Dinners tend to be short and simple, after all, you don't want to spend hours on the stove when the joys of unpacking suitcases and putting through fifteen loads of washing are awaiting you!
Food in Austria was gorgeous, especially my Dad's birthday dinner at one of Austria's top restaurants was nothing short of fabulous (The Obauer brothers in Werfen near Salzburg play in the international top league, gastronomically speaking, with 4 Gault Millau toques and 19 out of a possible, but never awarded, 20) - and yet, if I had to name one thing I missed, it would be fresh seafood. So my first trip after being home was to our local fishmonger, because we're spoilt, after all, to get some succulent king prawns. As we were still in a quite rustic mood, I decided for a one-pan dish with potatoes and a home-made "pesto"... convincing through its utter freshness and simplicity, this was a quick and easy supper to prepare. Leaving me enough time to ponder over what I could be doing on this long weekend coming up - and with two new cookbooks in my collection, there's bound to be some serious cooking involved!
*for those unfamiliar with this term: it is a pseudo-English word created in the Germanic-speaking countries of Europe to define a hospitality concept of complete pleasure and well-being, always involving spa and beauty treatments, various sports offerings like golf or skiing, and more often than not glorious food. The term "wellness" has been extensively used there for more than a decade and it is only in the last few months that it has been appearing in the UK as well - one of those linguistic peculiarities I like to observe...

Not that I want to make you jealous...

... but this is where I am going to be spending all of next week. You'll be pleased to hear, too, that it's been snowing in Austria for three weeks in a row and that from tomorrow, we're expecting the most perfect weather. Snow, sunshine, stunning scenery and gorgeous food - what more could you possibly ask for! Well, to be holidaying just with the better half, no kids in sight - much as I love them, I haven't had a carefree, just-do-what-you-please-whenever-you-please vacation in a very long time. Packing alone was a joy, taking just 15 minutes instead of the usual 2 hours... Bliss!
So  good-bye my friends, expect me back with new energy on the 20th and don't forget that EoMEoTE coming up !

Announcing the 5th EotmEoTE

I feel proud and honoured to announce that the next person to host EoMEoTE (aka End-of-Month-Egg-on-Toast-Extravaganza) will be .... MOI! I have recently had the immense pleasure to meet Jeanne, the Cook Sister! and, with Anthony of Spiceblog, co-founder of this great initiative, in person and bluntly asked her if they would consider having the event hosted by an outsider. And, as luck would have it, both agreed.
We've seen four editions so far, with an ever-growing participant list. I do hope that this time will be no eggseption, with people from near and far posting an entry towards the end of the month, emailing me or leaving a comment here with their URL or, if you don't have a blog, email the whole write-up for me to publish.
So get those eggs out of your baskets and start cooking! The beauty of the game is that you do not need to get all scrambled up over finding a fancy-schmancy recipe, as long as you've got some eggs and some toasted bread, you're in business! With Easter just round the corner there are no eggscuses for not participating! I am committed to publishing the round-up no later than the first weekend in April.
Last, but not least, I am happy to say that I can finally shed some light on that age-old dilemma:
A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face. The egg is frowning and looking very frustrated. The egg mutters, to no one in particular, "Well, I guess we answered THAT question!"

Pauli's spiced apple & pear tart

This post is dedicated to my recently re-discovered high school friend Maria - we had lost touch during the 16 years since our graduation and only got back together last summer. It's her birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIRLI!
When our friends Brigitte and Paul (also a reunion after a very long time without seeing each other) stayed with us for a few days last week, we devoted our entire Saturday to food. Shopping at the Borough Market over lunch, then cooking together and enjoying the fruit of our labour with a dinner which lasted more than 4 hours. Can't think of a better way to catch up with friends, especially after such a long time!
Now they're off to Brussels, on a fact-finding mission which might or might not be the starting point of a great new Austrian restaurant over there... although I am asking them to reconsider and build something up in London, so I could join the party and do something I am more passionate about than my day job!
I promised to reveal the recipe for the fabulous dessert turned mother's day surprise - a spiced apple and pear tart. This reminded my very much of an excellent patisserie/chocolaterie we have here in Richmond. Willam Curley's signature creation is a spiced pineapple tarte tatin - an individual pineapple slice stewed with (I am guessing) vanilla, cardamom, star anise, cloves and pepper in a crispy base of puff pastry (another dessert I'll try out soon!). Delicioso!!!
Paul's version uses a puff pastry base as well, but tops it with spiced apple purée, then layers it with the thinnest slivers of pear. Brushed with some of my friend Timi's Hungarian apricot jam, this was so delectable that I am sure Mr. Hurley could feel the breeze...

Heringsschmaus - herring & apple salad

This recipe comes somewhat belated... it is a traditional Austrian dish which is popular at the beginning of Lent. We take our "Fasching", ie the carnival season)
very seriously. For us, carnival starts way back in November, namely on the 11th of the 11th (month, aka November), at precisely 11.11 am (and 11 seconds, for the very pedantic). This rings in a season of costume parties and balls (some in traditional outfits, some to a given theme) lasting until Shrove Tuesday, after which we all fall into a solemn fast until Easter Sunday ;-).
In terms of traditions, there are too many to name here, but I will list the most wide-spread and a personal favourite of mine (to do with food, of course). Every town, or even more so little village, elects a Prince and a Princess who will head up the hustle and bustle of this merry season and who will preside over the main events taking place. Events such as the afore-mentioned balls or cabaret-style performances where aspiring comedians make fun of current local issues, invariably giving local politicians a proper beating, because during Fasching, anything goes. I must say that much as we'd like to believe that we're very tough on them and outspoken, this is nothing compared to any old comedy club here in the UK - the English truly beat any nation in sarcasm and black humour, hands down! I went to the Comedy Store in Picadilly just last week and the talent displayed by those stand-up comedians is simply without par!
A great favourite of mine is a tradition we have at (mainly children's) costume parties. The seasonal food is the "Faschingskrapfen", a mean doughnut filled with jam, usually apricot, or custard. (We nowadays get a great variety of more sophisticated flavours, like custard & pineapple, spiced apple, raspberry and chocolate, etc, but the plain ones are the most common). There can be no costume party without them and I cannot remember a single party where the organiser would not sneak a bogus doughnut in - filled with ketchup or mustard! Imagine the nasty surprise for whoever ended up with this "delicacy"! They would always get a little present as compensation, though, which was mostly worth biting the bullet for (or doughnut, as it were).
The last week before Lent plays host to the best parties and carinval processions on offer - and people party until they drop. The culmination of events takes place on Shrove Tuesday, no pancakes in sight, by the way, and it is not surprising that the following morning sees the worst hangovers in the year!
We like to think that the Heringsschmaus, offering a variety of dishes involving smoked or brined fish (it's Lent, so traditionally, meat wasn't allowed), is the best hang-over cure ever invented - very salty dishes, involving lots of sustenance in the form of mayo and pungent enough to either cure your stomach or drive you to empty it rather quickly, you can only come out a winner! The varieties of fish salads on offer is astonishing, every combination from red cabbage to beetroot is on offer. My favourite always used to be one with red onions and apple, so here's my attempt at recreating it...

Quiche of blue cheese, rocket & tomatoes

Just spent a long weekend in the company of friends staying over from Austria - so it's been turbulent at home, but quiet for thepassionatecook! We have been cooking quite a bit, though, including a fabulous dinner on Saturday evening, where four excellent courses left us so filled up that we had to postpone dessert until the following day. Not a bad thing, as this meant that I had an unexpected surprise for Mother's Day.
We had started the day off at Borough Market, which always leaves me stunned and excited at the variety and quality of food you can find there - really the best way to spend a sunny Saturday morning, grazing your way through the different food stalls and drawing inspiration for a leisurely dinner later on in the day. We took our apéritif with some "pimientos al padrón", grilled in the oven and sprinkled with coarse sea salt, accompanied by some strange dired pulses I had not seen before (and no description on the pack either... I suspect they were dry roasted garbanzo and broad beans, although I cannot be sure. Delicious nontheless.
Our starter was a wintry salad of French beans and red chard, with fresh goat's cheese and chilli-roasted macadamia nuts, followed by a slow-roasted saddle of wild boar seasoned with heaps of garlic and thyme in the company of roast provençal vegetables and cheesy oven-baked polenta. After a cheese course with all the works and fresh bread (mushroom & sage, nuts, etc) we just couldn't face a dessert anymore.
And after all this time making your mouth water, I regret to say that I did not take any pictures of Saturday's cooking bonanza and also failed to take notes, but as a bit of recompensation I offer you a recipe for a delectable blue cheese and rocket quiche which we enjoyed earlier in the week... and I'll be posting the recipe for the delicious spiced apple & pear tart Pauli made for me very soon.