Powered By Blogger

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is very popular outside of Italy, consisting of a sauce based on  meat and tomato served on a bed of spaghetti with a sprinkle of parmigiano cheese. This dish never existed in Bologna, where ragù is served with the local egg pasta tagliatelle or lasagna. Spaghetti is Durum wheat pasta from Naples and the Naples’s meat flavoured with thick tomato sauce clings better to spaghetti Bologna’s ground beef ragù.


Friday, March 25, 2011

Banana, Coconut and Date Bread

The history of bananas is pretty exciting, since they are the result of a genetic mutation that evolved into a staple food of our society. Bananas are probably the most widespread fruit crop in the whole world. The "Cavendish" was named after the Duke of Devonshire's family. Nowadays they are known for their sweet taste, good nutritional properties with their high content in potassium and fibers and vitamins such as B6, C and A. Best of all their ease of use, just peel a banana and eat!

This is a moist café style healthy breakfast bread I have used at breakfast as part of continental breakfast.




Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Sticky Date Pudding

In English a pudding is relating to a luscious dessert. Sticky date pudding is an Australian adaptation derived from the English sticky toffee pudding and is extremely popular, especially in the winter months. This recipe has a sweet spicy flavour and I frequently use it for many occasions.


Blue Whiting fillet in Spinach Sauce

A healthy and tasteful dish everyone will love to eat. The method is so simple and uncomplicated that the fish is allowed to speak for itself. The important thing is to buy the freshest and best fish fillet or choose whole fish. Ask your fishmonger to scale and fillet them, this way you can identify fish with clear full eyes, shiny scales and bright red gills.  Suggested fish for this recipe include Bar Cod, Blue Eye, Snapper, King George Whiting, Murray Cod, Barramundi, Mahi Mahi, Cod and Sea Bass.


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Fried Pork with Parsley Sauce

This dish is easy to make and the results is well worth it. The majority of people eat fried pork as a main dish and this high protein dish would be a great addition to your diet in moderation.


Monday, March 21, 2011

Chicken Mince Patties

If you like chicken and burgers try making these delightful patties and enjoy hot for dinner or cold for lunch served with salad or vegetable.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Burning Love (Brændende Kærlighed)

I often wonder if Crown Princess Mary ever have tasted the Danish dish (Brændende Kærlighed) Burning Love. It sounds very romantic and is in some places served on Valentine’s Day. It is a traditional Danish comfort food and made with a mound of mashed potatoes to form a well topped with fried bacon cubes. Burning Love is easy to make and I haven’t made this dish for years, therefore I decided to cook it again and have some creative enjoyment with it in the process. Here is my contemporary version of this classic Danish dish.


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Shepherds Pie

I have in many years both in my profession as a pastry cook and at home made Shepherd’s pie, which supposedly derived from Ireland. Its name is suggestive of greener fields, where a weathered shepherd enjoyed this simple meal at the end of a long cold day in the grazing land. This dish is thought to be a variation of the cottage pie from England. Its name proposes the meat should be minced mutton or lamb that is simmered in stock with aromatic vegetables until tender and flavoursome. The majority of Shepherd pies in Ireland today are made with beef. In modern day recipes it is standard to use mashed potatoes as a topping. Traditionally it was served with sliced potato layered over the meat filling, which when cooked would look like the tiles of a cottage roof.


Monday, March 14, 2011

Bernadette's Mild Chicken Curry

This effortless chicken curry dish is unlikely to burn your tongue, so if you're not used to really hot and spicy food this dish is for you. Whenever we visit friends in Sydney or overseas Bernie is always asked to make her chicken curry.  Friends and family alike stock their freezer with this delicious meal. Bernie recently took a batch of  this dish around to a sick friend who was unable to work in the kitchen.  The news of the day was this chicken curry dish, young old Ted reckons it was the best chicken curry he has ever tasted !!



Saturday, March 12, 2011

Cajun Chicken

This is an exceedingly delicious, decadent chicken dish with salad. It’s a cinch to throw together and if you don’t have prepared Cajun spice in your cabinet, throw a few spices together to make your own combination. Cajun spice mixtures use diverse combinations of ingredients, however stick to the basics like cayenne pepper, paprika, white pepper, and garlic or onion powder, just get involve and enjoy.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Celebrating 500 hits

I am posting this picture of a Croquembouche I have made at work to celebrate the great achievement of this blog. I thank you all for your interest and support in my food blog, which has now passed 500 hits from all over the world. I hope my recipes, stories and information will be to some use for you in the kitchen and my aim is to post at least 2 new recipes a week for the next year. The cooking and recipes will vary over the entire range deriving from my profession as a Pastry chef, a Culinarian at home or any part of the world wherever my cooking journeys take me.

Thank you again for your support and feedback.

Alex.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is a classic Russian dish consisting of strips of lean beef sautéed and served in a sour-cream sauce with onions and mushrooms. Beef Stroganoff is an aroma rich dish with its lemon creamy texture and is particularly brilliant served over rice, noodles or potatoes. This is the recipe I use all the time at home with enormous success.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Irish Stew

The ideal Irish stew (stobhach) can arouse intense debate amongst people in Ireland about its ingredients. They fluctuate from recipe to recipe, however everyone agrees the stew has to contain lamb, onion and potatoes. This Irish stew is big on flavour. It has the support of my Irish wife (Bernadette) who says “when I eat this lovely dish I reminisce about Ireland and can hear the angels sing Danny Boy”.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Frikadeller

Frikadeller are flat pan fried dumplings made with a mixture of veal and pork mince. It is the Danish version of meatballs and I grew up eating them. They are ideal as a snack and served cold with a salad. My favourite way is with fresh potatoes brown sauce, red cabbage and red currant jelly. This is the recipe I use all the time.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Beef Curry

This mild curry is a straightforward aromatic dish that can be made in advance and actually tastes better after it is reheated. For a stronger flavour use hot curry powder.

Hungarian Goulash

Genuine Hungarian goulash is a meal with a texture inbetween a soup and a stew. If cooked properly goulash has a nice and evenly thick uniformity, more or less like a sauce. It is one of the hearty dishes I like and suggest as a comfort food.

Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is an accepted part of Asian cooking and is made from steamed rice stir fried in a wok with other ingredients. A home cooked fried rice it is mostly made with leftovers with much variation. This one is easy and quick and can also be prepared in advance.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Chicken a la can

A chicken dish with many names “Chicken on a throne”, “Beer Can Chicken” or as my brother calls it “Chicken a la can”. This technique produces a tender and juicy chicken on the inside and crispy on the outside. My wife loves any dish with chicken as an ingredient, so every time we are in Denmark my brother “Bruno” makes this chicken on a Weber BBQ with all the gadgets to advise when it is fully cooked .

Potato Wedges

Turning the humble potato into delicious wedges is the supreme simple side dish and is wonderful with anything from a home made burger to your favourite grilled chicken. I have great success with these at anytime for entertaining.

Frittata Bake

Frittata is a wonderful egg based dish similar to an omelet or a quiche enriched with further ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. They are served in wedges and are easily transportable for lunch. I use this recipe all the time with variations such as asparagus, salmon, tuna, pumpkin and sweet potato.

Corn Fritter Salad

Corn fritters are a savoury snack and are traditionally a mixture of corn kernels, egg, flour, milk and butter, which can be fried or baked. This delicious recipe for corn fritters is a real pleasure and it's also vegetarian. The batter takes only minutes to stir together and is an easy wonderful treat used as an appetizer, snack or finger food.

Carrot Cake

A marvelous moist carrot cake with delicious cream cheese topping and toasted nuts never goes out of fashion. This moist cake consisting of excellent ingredients with great flavour covered with a tangy and sweet cream cheese topping. It is appealing to see the pretty orange flecks of grated carrot giving the cake its colour, texture, sweetness and moisture. I have used this recipe for over 40 years and this carrot cake is even more popular today, if that is possible.


Ham, Cheese and Tomato Croissant

I have made croissants from scratch since my first visit to France in the 70’s,  it is an amazing breakfast roll freshly baked. This is a quick and easy lunch to assemble using elements that are easily available and it makes an appetizing and light meal.

Choc Cherry Slice

Take pleasure in this moist coconut and cherry slice with a taste of tropical Australia. I have used this recipe for years and it is extremely popular, particularly since it reminds people of a Cadbury Cherry Ripe chocolate bar.