Blog Day 2006

It's Blog Day today. Squint a little closer at today's date of 31 08 and you can just about make out the word blog.

The premise behind Blog Day is simple. Post about 5 blogs new to you, that you find interesting, and watch the tangled web we call the Internet do its grapevine work. It's all about celebrating the diversity of blogosphere and encouraging blog surfers to continue on to sites new to you, and new to them as well. Here are mine:

1. Real Thai
There is nothing like a good bit of food porn to get you on the edge of your seat. Austin takes unbelievably good photos, and he blogs from Bangkok, Thailand, which means that in addition to insatiable food lust, you have to contend with pangs of travel lust as well.

2. Sweet Little Treat
Nicky and Tiffany are Sydneysiders who like all things sweet: the edible and non-edible kind. They are a whiz on the sewing machine and their passion for beautiful fabrics and all things Japanese is totally endearing.

3. Tasting Life
You know Julia is a committed foodblogger when she spends three days baking different recipes in search of the perfect scone. She is constantly baking tasty treats and this girl from the Netherlands writes with such youthful enthusiasm too.

4. Kitesurfing the Menu
I first met Kevin, a travelling Canadian, at a Sydney foodbloggers' meetup over a delicious high tea. Since then he's relocated to Cairns, in the far north of Queensland. His blog is part travel diary, part food diary, and I love reading his encounters and explanations of Australia's peculiar quirks and customs.

5. Still Life With...
It's not until you actually start taking food photos of your own homecooked food, that you realise exactly how talented food stylists and food photographers are. Okay so I've been reading Still Life With... for a number of months now, but it remains one of the most unique, intriguing and professionally composed sites out there. L's site is a fascinating insider's guide to better food photography with tips, tricks and secrets all divulged in no-nonsense plain simple instruction. Post topics are all archived logically for easy reference, and yes, she takes utterly amazing photos too.


Happy Blog Day 2006. Here's hoping you've found some new sites to surf over the coming year.

Technorati tags: Blog Day , Blog Day 2006, BlogDay2006

Al Sofra Pizza, Pide and Kebab House, Auburn

In Cabramatta you will find pho houses. In Auburn, it is all about the kebab.



Kebab shops line the main street of Auburn, their windows filled with pide, their backlit menus on the same sea blue background. Thick glistening columns of meat, as wide and sturdy as a forest tree trunk, rotate slowly behind the counter, a charcoal grill hisses when marinated meat skewers hit its surface.

We had skipped the kebab shops on our first food tour of Auburn. I wasn’t about to make that same mistake again.



We have lunch at Sofra, a kebab shop consistently mentioned when talk turns to "the best of Auburn". They are probably the biggest kebab shop in Auburn, too, with a long green awning lining the footpath, outdoor chairs and tables, and indoor seating as well.

We head inside to place our orders at the friendly takeaway counter. It involves a painstaking series of torn decisions; the prices make you want to weep. A beef kebab is $5 (with lettuce, tomato and onion) or $6 if you want homous, tabouli and cheese. A chicken kebab is $6, or $7 with the lot. A felafel roll stays at 1990 prices at $4.50. With our hard decision-making work finally completed, we escape the smouldering heat and take a table outside in the cool of the shade.


Hoummos, garlic and tzatziki dips $6.60 large

We start with a trio of dips: the hoummos has an intense roasted chickpea flavour that it unlike its usual watery bland counterparts; the garlic dip is deliciously potent with a garlic heat that is addictive; the tzatziki is a refreshing coolness of tangy yoghurt and cucumber.


Turkish bread

The dips are mopped up with thin sponges of Turkish bread, fresh, soft and airy, in a wicker basket that is automatically replenished throughout our meal.


Cauliflower and potato salad $6.60 large

A large cauliflower and potato salad is unbelievably good. Discs of deep-fried potato meet with battered florets of cauliflower. The cauliflower is lightly battered, fried to give a deliciously nutty and sweet flavour. Strips of chargrilled eggplant come to the party, along with a confetti of finely chopped parsley and green spring onions.


Falafel plate $6.60

We share a falafel plate which comes with side salads of tabbouleh--bright green and lemony, shreds of raw red cabbage, and wedges of tomato with batons of cucumber.



The falafel are dense squat patties with flecks of green. They are a little drier than what I'm used to, and I prefer the crunchy deep-fried version to these softer skinned patties.


Mix plate with adana, chicken and kusbasi $16.00

The main event is our mix plate, a triple serving of protein with adana, chicken and kusbasi. Aadana is named after the city of Adana in Turkey, and is a mixture of lamb mince, salt and dried red pepper flakes cooked on a wide flat skewer over charcoal. The chicken appears to be basted with garlic and chilli flakes, thick chunks of fillet that have caramelised on the edges.

The kusbasi is the soul of a genuine shish kebab. The chunks of marinated lamb loin taste of mint, cumin, pepper and a touch of cinnamon. A thin strap of turkish bread lines the plate, quietly soaking up the tasty meat juices.

We eat our fill, dipping and ducking amidst a tangle of arms. This is good cheap food, made for sharing.



Al Sofra Pizza, Pide & Kebab Takeaway House
35 Auburn Rd (cnr Queen) Auburn, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9649 9167

Related GrabYour Fork posts:
Auburn dining: Mado Cafe
Auburn food shopping: Harkola Food World Wide warehouse
Auburn photographic food tour, August 2006
Auburn photographic food tour, July 2006

It's Definitely Spring

Snapped last Sunday at Sydney Olympic Park during the Boulevard Market: Just Desserts--Pudding and Pie.

Just Desserts at The Boulevard Markets, Sydney Olympic Park

A little bit of Africa at Sydney Olympic Park

Please note: The Boulevard Market has been discontinued

The Boulevard Markets have been happening at Sydney Olympic Park for over a year now, but it was only yesterday that I finally headed over check them out. The lure of a cooking demonstration, titled Just Desserts--Pudding and Pie, may have had something to do with it, but I'm not telling. =)

There's a huge sign that catches your eye as you exit and enter Olympic Park station:



I was interested in neither. The Boulevard Market was straight ahead.



After completing a lap in about ten minutes, it was clear the markets were more of an art and craft fair (jewellery, baby books, lamps and personalised kids socks) with an aisle of stalls devoted to food and condiments. There was a strong family presence: kids were entertained with free hat-making activities, and a stage down the far end kept the adults occupied with the cooking demonstration.

There was still food to be had though, and where there's food, there will be photos!


Pork buns in bamboo steamers


Sausages, beef and vegetables on the grill


Pendants on ribbon necklaces


Ear-rings


Rodrom's Country Goodness stall

I was quite taken with the products at the Rodrom's Country Goodness stall where there was man's mustard, pineapple mint honey and ginger marmalades. All were handmade by the farmer himself; the pineapple mint honey, I was told, was infused by using a special breed of pineapple mint leaves, allowed to steep in the honey until the flavour was imparted.


Homemade fresh ginger marmalade $4.00

I couldn't resist the fresh ginger marmalade, a simple concoction of fresh ginger, lime zest, lime juice and sugar. It's a refreshingly zingy spread which has been united with toast. It's deliriously good as a topping on ice cream as well.


Organic custard apples


Beleafrica African Food

Lunch was sought from the Beleafrica African Food stall, where the happy servers were dishing up Kenyan chicken, stewed beef, eggplant tajine and more.


Black eyed beans, African bread, nembe triangle and
tajine pumpkin on couscous $8.50

I went for vegetarian, with black eyed beans and tajine pumpkin. Both were plain and mild tasting; the sweet smooth pumpkin, which almost tasted as if it were steamed, was a welcome alternate mouthful to the black eyed beans which were a little thick and coagulated.

The nembe triangle was a crisp deep-fried pastry of peas, carrot and potato. The African bread was a deep fried dumpling, a little like a Chinese cruller (you tiao or you zha gui) but slightly denser and spongier.

A seat was cleverly chosen at the cooking demonstration area, so we could watch and eat. Just like TV but live and aromatic!


Sydney Olympic Park Food and Groove program


Cooking demonstration with Lorraine Godsmark
hosted by Joanna Savill

We watched Lorraine Godsmark from Yellow Bistro & Food Store prepare an apple and raisin brown butter tart. The best tips we learnt from Lorraine were:

1. Be gentle with pastry dough or it will be tough and non-flaky. A sign of overworked dough is when it springs back when you try to roll it out.

2. Use fresh bread crumbs (or sourdough, cake or sponge crumbs--any will do as long as it's soft and fresh) to line your pastry before topping it with fruit. This will help soak up any excess juices that leak from your cooking fruit, ensuring your pastry base stays crisp and buttery.

3. Heat your baking tray in the oven before placing your flan tin on top of it. Then ensures the base of the tart hits a hot surface, starting the crisping process as soon as possible.

4. Cook your tart in the bottom third of your oven. I always thought that hot air rises, but Lorraine thinks that this is the best place in a home oven to cook a tart that will crisp on the bottom (maybe the temperature disparity is smaller?).

We all received tart samples to share (free dessert! Woohoo!). The apple was deliciously thick and comforting, contrasting with the crispy buttery pastry base below. The apple wasn't overly sweet but the brown butter topping was crumbly and almost biscuity with sugar. It was quite delicious so I've re-produced the recipe handout below.


Apple and raisin brown butter tart


Apple and Raisin Brown Butter Tart
By Lorraine Godsmark, from Yellow Bistro & Food Store

PATE SUCRE
250g flour
pinch of salt
175g unsalted butter
25g castor sugar
25g egg yolk
25g whole egg
40g milk

Cut butter into 2cm cubes. In a bowl, whisk together yolks, egg and milk. Place flour, salt and butter in food processor and pulse three or four times. Add sugar and pulse again. Pour milk mix through the shoot of food processor as you continue to pulse. The dough should still look lumpy. Turn out onto a bench and chop through with a pastry to evenly distribute the butter. Now smear the dough across your bench with the heel of your hand; scrape back into one mass and smear across bench one more time. Streaks of butter should still be visible. Dust dough with flour and gently work into a ball. Do not overwork dough. Flatten into a disc 3cm high, then cover and allow to rest overnight. This is a very gentle process that should eliminate shrinkage. The next day roll the disc out into a flat circle 3mm thick and trim to fit into a 28cm flan tin.

APPLE FILLING
5 Granny Smith apples
2 Golden Delicious apples
50g unsalted butter
100g castor sugar
3 whole cloves
50g raisins

Peel and core apples, cut in half and then each half into 5 wedges. Melt butter over a medium heat in a saucepan large enough to fit the apples in one layer. Add apples and saute to coat with butter. Sprinkle over sugar and cloves, continue cooking until apples have caramelised and are soft. Stir in raisins and cook a further minute to soften. Remove from pan and cool before using. This can be prepared a few days ahead if necessary.

BROWN BUTTER TOPPING
3 eggs
200g castor sugar
80g flour (sifted)
185g unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean

Whisk eggs and sugar in mixer until thick and pale. Lower speed and blend in flour. Meanwhile place butter in a pot with the split vanilla bean and cook over a high heat until butter is brown and foamy. Continue until bubbles subside and the colour turns a dark golden. The butter will continue to smoke and have a nutty aroma. Strain butter through a sieve onto the egg mixture, whisking continuously until well combined. Cool in fridge overnight.

ASSEMBLY
Remove flan tin from fridge. To maximise pastry crispness, sprinkle fresh breadcrumbs or sponge cake crumbs liberally over the base. This will help absorb any juice which may leak from the cooking apples. Cover the base with the apple filling, and then pipe a layer of brown butter topping about 2cm thick over the apples. Bake at 200C for 45 minutes and then lower the oven to 160C for 15 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream sweetened with icing sugar and cinnamon, or creme fraiche ice cream.

~~~
The Boulevard Market is on the 4th Sunday of every month
9am-2pm, Olympic Boulevard
Sydney Olympic Park
Please note: The Boulevard Market has been discontinued

The next cooking demonstration will be themed around Thai cuisine.

Rodrom's Country Goodness
Jams, Marmalades, Mustards and Chutney
GJ and NS Rodrom
"Pride of Oak", Hargraves NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9373 8502

In addition to the Boulevarde Markets (4th Sunday of every month) the Rodroms also have a regular stall at:

Frenchs Forest Organic Market
Every Sunday 9am to 2pm
Parkway Hotel. Frenchs Forest Rd East, Frenchs Forest

Riverside Craft Fair
2nd Saturday of the month 9am to 3pm
Riverside Girls High School, Cnr Huntley's Point Rd and Victoria St
Hunters Hill (next to Gladesville Bridge)

Haldon Street Festival 2006, Lakemba

It was the annual Haldon Street Festival in Lakemba yesterday. Once again I joined the family-strong crowds to stroll Haldon Street which was closed off to traffic and set up with stalls.

Lakemba is a real multicultural melting pot in the south west of Sydney. Greek and Italian migrants settled here in the 1960s, in the 1970s it received an influx of migrants from Lebanon. The Lebanese have a majority presence these days, but there are also communities from Fiji, Tonga, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The name Lakemba comes from Lakeba island, pronounced Lakemba, in Fiji.


Lakemba train station


Brass teapots


Lebanese pastries from Patisserie Arja


Indonesian samosas and dumplings


Naan waiting to be cooked in the Indian tandoor oven


Stall servers making takoyaki, Japanese octopus balls


Skewers of fish balls, fish paste and dim sim


Hontou Japanese pancakes filled with red bean and green tea


BBQ meat skewers


Gozleme stall


Ka'ak, a Lebanese bread pretzel with cheese

Last year I'd been amazed by the popularity of ka'ak, a Lebanese bread pretzel filled with cheese. The locals, it seems, couldn't get enough of them. I didn't bother trying it, and had regretted it since, so this time I had to find out what all the fuss was about.


Sandwiching ka'ak with slices of haloumi cheese

The sesame-covered bread, in a shape somewhat resembling a pretzel, was cut in half and then sandwiched with haloumi, a white cheese originally from Cyprus, made from goat and sheep milk.


Toasting ka'ak over hot coals

The sandwich was toasted over hot coals, as on the left, then compressed between a wire cage (see right) and placed back over the coals on both sides.


Hot ka'ak with melted cheesy innards $3.00
[only half a portion pictured]

The cheese had a pleasing stretchy consistency and the sesame seeds were nicely toasted. Veruca Salt and I both thought it was a little underwhelming in flavour though, wishing we had a shaker of salt nearby.

The locals were again flocking though, and many purchased bags of the plain sesame bread itself.


Winnie the Pooh with Poppy's Honey


Street performers


Homemade lemonade


Girl in pink with matching fairy floss

Who doesn't love fairy floss?


Fairy floss machine

There were plenty of rides for the kids, including a giant slide with potato sacks. As far as I could work out, the rides were all free as well. The queues were steady but patient though, and the kids were all having a ball.


Jumping castle


Kids in cars


Balloon animals

We skipped the crowds for lunch, electing instead to feast on grilled chicken, lamb kebabs, crunchy felafel, tabbouleh, foule and lashings of toum at Jasmin, a Lakemba favouite.


Cuchinta, a Filipino dessert $3.60

Browsing the shops on my way home, I picked up a tray of cuchinta from a Filipino Asian grocery store, swayed by the golden caramel colour of these steamed puddings. These were consumed with shavings of fresh coconut on top (supplied with purchase) although somewhat surprisingly these were almost savoury in flavour and tasting of not much at all.

I had somehow envisaged these to be sweetened with palm sugar, even though the ingredients only list lye water, flour, sugar, water and food colouring.


Palms Pacific Supermarket

I also spent some time browsing the Palms Pacific Supermarket in the shopping village that houses the local IGA grocer. Amidst the tins of mackerel, coconut cream and grated chestnut, I found this giant beast of a cupcake.


Fiji pudding $4.00

I was told that this pudding wasn't very sweet. "Eat it with butter or ice cream or custard," I was told. "Ohhh yes, I love eating it with custard," the shopkeeper declared. "It's sooo delicious."

So into my bag it went, and since then it has been sampled intensively. It is indeed like a dense spongey cake with minimal sugar. It has the springy texture that one gets from steamed puddings, and it reminded me a little of an English Soreen malt loaf without the sweetness.

I've sampled it hot with custard, cold with custard, and cold with ice cream too. So far cold custard wins, although I could easily see it standing up to dollops of King Island double cream too. Curiosity on its ingredients let me to find a recipe, reprinted below:

FIJI PUDDING
from NiuLife Coconut Oil

2 coconuts
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup of warm water
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Mix 2 grated coconuts with a cup of warm water and squeeze out two cups of cream.

Melt sugar in a heavy pot. Stir constantly until a medium brown caramel colour with no lumps forms.

Slowly add coconut cream, stirring until smooth, then add remaining coconut cream and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for ten minutes.

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Rub in butter with fingertips. Slowly stir the liquid into the dry ingredients.

Wet a piece of 60cm square of cloth. Place in a bowl and fill it with pudding mixture.

Holding up the edges, tie securely 5 cm [2 inches] above the batter. Remove from the bowl, place in boiling water in a large pot and cover.

Cook for 1-2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Make sure to keep the water level up during boiling otherwise the pudding might crack.

Peel back cloth and place on a plate to dry.

Serve with custard sauce or serve cold, sliced with butter.

VARIATION: Add 1 cup sultanas. Wash and then bring to the boil with coconut cream.



Back at the Festival there were performances by African drumming groups, Greek dancers, salsa dancers, Hulanesian dancers, breakdancers and a teenage mob of fans over local talent Blak Genius.

This year's Haldon Street Festival was held on Saturday 26 August 2006. This annual event is in its seventh year, and celebrates respect, unity and peace.

Jasmin
30B Haldon Street, Lakemba, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9740 3589

Palms Pacific Supermarket and Delicatessen
Shop 7, 10 Haldon St Lakemba, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9750 5148

Patisserie Arja
129 Haldon Street Lakemba, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9740 8320

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Haldon Street Festival 2005: The parade
Haldon Street Festival 2005: The food
Jasmin, Lakemba