I have been reading a compilation of food writer Elizabeth David’s writings and recipes entitled South Wind Through the Kitchen. The book includes excerpts from her most famous books: French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food and Mediterranean Food (among others).  The excerpts have been selected by people who knew, or were influenced by, Ms. David.  I enjoyed the book but found I had to wade through the superlatives.  Her food is ‘delicious’, she herself is ‘erudite’, a ‘kind and sympathetic friend’, ‘generous’, her hands, when she is cooking in her kitchen, are ‘as creative as those of any sculptor’.  Her work is ‘steeped in scholarship’, her food the ‘best’ anyone has ever tasted.  If you believe the comments in this book you would have to conclude that Ms. David could not put a foot wrong.

Having read Elizabeth David for the first time over twenty years ago I loved the three books I have mentioned above.  She writes in an evocative style and places the food and recipes in context.  For example, when she is cooking Italian seafood dishes she first vividly describes the fish markets of Italy and the characters that frequent them.  This places the reader right there with Ms. David and when you cook the dish you feel like you have had a little taste of the Italian experience yourself.  This woman can write.

David is also credited with causing a bit of a culinary revolution in Britain.  When her first books came out in the 1950s most of Britain ate a very bland and stodgy diet.  Some say Elizabeth changed all that.  I’m not sure if her influence was as far reaching as her many fans make out but I will say that she paved the way for those cooks who wanted to break free from the straitjacket of English post war cooking.  Many young women, newly married, would have been given a copy of one of her books and this would have changed their idea of what cooking was and how food was to be enjoyed.  Who knows, perhaps if there had been no Elizabeth David there would have been no Delia Smith or Jamie Oliver.  Oh no, I’m about to succumb to the superlatives myself!

In our house we have a couple of favourites that come from Elizabeth David.  My daughter makes her very simple chocolate mousse recipe whenever she can and I make a risotto that originated from the risotto recipe in her Italian Food (I have modified it a little over the years).

Elizabeth David's chocolate mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

120 g chocolate (must be at least 70% cocoa)

4 eggs

4 tbs caster sugar

Method

Break chocolate up into pieces and put in a dry metal bowl.  Place the bowl on top of a saucepan of gently simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water).  When almost melted, remove from the heat and stir with a dry metal spoon.  Put aside.  Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in another large bowl.  Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, add sugar and briefly whisk again.  Gradually add the melted chocolate to the egg yolks, whisking all the time.  Add a third of the egg white mixture and whisk through.  Add the rest and gently fold until the egg whites are incorporated, try to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.  Spoon into one large bowl or four  individual serving dishes if you prefer.  Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least four hours, overnight is better.  Serves four.

Light and airy

Spice mixes and rubs are a great way to add a quick flavour hit to your food.  You don’t need to buy those pre-mixed herb and spice mixes from the supermarket, if you have a decently stocked spice cupboard you can easily make your own.  The advantages are that, once you know what you are doing, you can adjust the mix to your liking, you can make whatever quantity you may require (excess can be stored in a jar in the pantry) and it’s cheaper to buy spices individually.  I get a lot of my basic spices these days from my Indian grocer where you can buy them in larger quantities and they are a lot cheaper than they are in the supermarket.

One of the most popular spice mixes is Cajun.  These flavours, along with Zydeco music and gumbo, hail from Louisiana where they like their food spicy.  As with the Indian spice mix, garam masala, I’m sure there are many variations.  Here’s the one I make.

Great for barbeques

Cajun Spice Mix

Ingredients

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder (this is just dried garlic, finely ground)

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cornflour (funnily enough this is usually made from wheat, use gluten free flour if desired)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried chilli powder

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Method

Mix all ingredients together.  Use to coat beef, free range chicken or fish before cooking on the grill or barbeque.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the book or the movie version of  ‘Like Water for Chocolate’, what kept me intrigued was the elaborate mole that the main character was making throughout.  Like other great food movies (think ‘Babette’s Feast’) the food was the star.  Not in a gross and gluttonous way like ‘Le Grande Bouffe’, where the characters are eating themselves to death, or a murderous way like the French movie ‘Delicatessen’.  Nor in a sinister way like Hannibal Lecter smacking his chops over a nice piece of (human) liver and a glass of Chianti in ‘Silence of the Lambs’.  No, in this story good food is to be cherished, it is inextricably bound up with love and pleasure, it is an affirmation of life, a form of therapy and a kind of alchemy.

I have been making my own mole for a few years now.  Every time I make it is slightly different though it always contains chillies and cocoa.  I’m constantly reading about new versions (it seems that no two moles are the same) so I’m often trying a new ingredient.  Here is my latest version.

Grilled chicken with mole and tomato and avocado salsa

Chocolate and chilli mole

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp allspice powder

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1 large onion (finely chopped)

1 jalapeno chilli (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1-2 tbs sunflower oil

425g can diced tomatoes (Italian ones are the best)

1 cup chicken stock

3 tbsp finely crushed unsalted peanuts

Method

Heat oil in a heavy based fry pan.  Gently saute onion, garlic and chopped jalapeno chilli.  Add herbs, spices and cocoa.  Cook gently for about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add diced tomatoes and chicken stock (if chicken stock is salty don’t add any salt at this point, you can always add it at the end).  Simmer gently for 45 mins.  Add ground peanuts, simmer gently for a further 15 mins.  Season and finish with finely chopped mint or coriander.  Serve spooned over grilled chicken, beef or prawns.

Ah, the old ‘Mexican Radio’ by Wall of Voodoo, it takes me back.  In the 1980s, when that song came out, we thought that Mexican food consisted of tacos, enchiladas and nachos drenched in cheese.  In the decades since I have discovered that there is much more to Mexican food (and Latin American food in general) than these Tex-Mex favourites.  Though cheese or queso is still used, it is not necessarily the stringy, molten mess that we know and many dishes are served with a healthy salsa or salad.  In Mexico, as in the rest of Latin America, the ingredients are a mixture of ‘old world’ (foods brought by the European conquerers) and ‘new world’ (foods indigenous to the Americas).  From the ‘old world’ came herbs like oregano and basil, onions, lettuce and meats like pork and beef.  From the ‘new world’ came tomatoes, avocados, chillies, maize, cocoa, beans and turkey.  Most meals are served with tortillas for scooping up the various stews and salsas.  Two of my favourite dishes are empanadas (little cheese or meat pastries) and corn salsa.

Queso empanadas

Empanadas

Ingredients

For cheese filling:

200g feta cheese

125g ricotta cheese

1 free range egg

1-2 jalapeno chillies (finely chopped)

finely chopped coriander

For meat filling:

1 large onion (finely chopped)

500g turkey or beef mince

1 tin diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tsp each of cumin, coriander, basil, cocoa powder

1/2 tsp each of thyme, fennel powder, chilli flakes

1-2 jalapeno chillies (finely chopped)

chopped coriander

4 sheets frozen puff pastry (or you can make your own)

Method

For the cheese filling: mash the two cheeses together, add the egg, chopped jalapenos and coriander.  Mix well, season with pepper.

For the meat filling: saute the onion in a pan, add garlic and spices, then meat and toss until well browned and separated.  Add tinned tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Season well with salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is quite dry.  Allow to cool.  Chopped hard boiled eggs or chopped grilled chorizo sausage can also be added to the beef filling.

Cut each pastry sheet into four squares.  Moisten the edges of each square with ‘egg wash’ (beaten egg with a dash of milk).  Place a spoonful of the mixture on the pastry, crimp the edges together, making sure your pastry is well sealed.  Place filled empanadas on a tray lined with baking paper.  Bake at 200c for 25-30 mins. until puffed up and golden brown.

Corn salsa

Ingredients

3 cobs fresh sweetcorn (I prefer to buy it in the husk)

1 red onion (finely chopped)

1 jalapeno or long green chilli (finely chopped)

juice of 1 lime

good dash of olive oil

chopped coriander

Method

Remove husks from corn and strip the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.  Place in a saucepan with enough cold water to just cover.  Bring to the boil, remove from heat and drain corn.  Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Mix in a bowl with all the other ingredients.  Chopped tomato or drained and rinsed canned red kidney beans can be added to this salsa if so desired.

The perfect snack

One of the places we love is Banff at 145 Fitzroy St., St Kilda.  It has a nice atmosphere, friendly staff and, on weekday lunchtimes, very cheap pizza.  If you choose from the ‘In House’ menu on a weekday between 11am and 5pm the pizzas are 5.50.  There is quite a large range from a twist on the classic ham and pineapple to the four cheese and the more interesting squid with capers and chilli, finished with rocket and lemon.  All have a nice thin, crispy crust.

Tasty pizzas from Banff

For those who want to spend more there is a ‘Special Pizzas’ menu with a range of gourmet pizzas including Moroccan lamb, focaccias, pastas, salads and desserts.  Most are around the 10.00 mark or just above.  Throw in good coffee, 2.50 pots of beer and cheap mixed drinks (look out for happy hour) and you have a good cafe where you can take anyone, even the most impecunious of your student friends without worrying too much about the bill.

We often make our own pizzas at home and these are even cheaper.  Here’s my recipe for basic pizza dough.

Ingredients

4 cups “00” pizza flour

2-3 tsps of dried yeast

1tsp sugar

pinch salt

2tbs olive oil

2 cups warm water (you may need a little more or less depending on consistency)

Method

Put flour in a large bowl, mix in yeast, sugar and salt.  Make a well in the center and add olive oil.  Gradually add in water mixing with your hand until the dough has incorporated all the flour.  Turn onto a floured bench and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, you will be able to feel when the dough is right (usually after 5-10 mins. kneading).  Replace the dough in the oiled bowl and cover with a clean tea towel.  Put in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Divide into 4 portions.

It's a living thing

Preheat oven to 250C.  Oil an oven tray and heat it in the oven for a few minutes (or use a pizza stone).  Roll or press a portion of the dough onto the tray, try to make it quite thin as this makes for a less ‘bready’ crispy crust.

'That's amore!'

Smear with tomato sauce, I make mine from a sauteed chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, tinned diced tomatoes, dried or fresh basil, a half tsp of sugar and salt and pepper.  Allow to simmer on the stove until reduced by half.  Cover with thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.  Top with whatever you desire.  Some suggestions are olives, artichokes, roasted capsicums, thinly sliced smoked leg ham, fresh pineapple,chorizo sausage, feta cheese, goats cheese, herbs etc.  The combinations are endless the main rule of thumb being to stick to a fairly simple combination of toppings as less is definitely more with pizza.  Cook for five minutes, turn and cook for a further 5 mins until brown and bubbling.  Eat.

Delicious

I was browsing in a local bookshop the other day when I saw a copy of Marguerite Duras’ The Lover on the shelves.  I remembered reading this book many years ago, loving Duras’ beautiful spare style and the mysterious ‘Indochine’ in which the book is set.  At the time I didn’t know much about the former French colonies in the region, among them Vietnam.  I was a child when the Vietnam war ended so all I knew of the country was that there had been a horrific war and that mass protests around the world had helped to end it.  In the 1980s we had a lot of migrants fleeing from war torn Vietnam and settling in Australia, in time, their cuisine followed. Vietnamese restaurants sprang up in the Melbourne suburbs of Footscray, Abbottsford and Springvale along with fantastic Vietnamese grocery stores where you could obtain all the weird and wonderful ingredients you needed to make your own Vietnamese food at home.  In winter I love to make pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup that is all about the complexity of the broth.  In summer I make my own version of a Vietnamese chicken or beef salad that is dressed with the traditional hot, salty, sweet, sour dressing.

There's a bit of chopping to be done

Vietnamese chicken or beef salad

Ingredients

2 free range chicken breasts (poached gently in simmering water for 20-25 mins. and cooled in their own stock, then thinly sliced across the grain)

OR

2 beef steaks (porterhouse or rump, seasoned and seared or grilled to taste, then thinly sliced across the grain)

Mixed salad leaves

1 continental cucumber (sliced into batons)

Green beans (blanched for 5 mins. in boiling water, then cooled in iced water to stop the cooking process and retain their vibrant green colour)

1 carrot (finely julienned)

250 g bean shoots

Unsalted peanuts

Fresh mint and coriander

Fried shallots (available at your Asian grocer)

Dressing

Juice of 1-2 limes

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs grated palm sugar (or brown sugar if that’s all you have)

1 finely chopped birds eye chilli

Mix all of these together, tasting to make sure you have the balance right, if too strong you can add a little water.

Method

For each serving pile salad leaves on a plate followed by a handful of cucumber batons, a handful of bean shoots, a handful of  carrot and a handful of green beans.  Mix through some torn mint and coriander.  Place some sliced meat on the salad, scatter peanuts and fried shallots on top, along with some more torn mint and coriander to garnish.  Pour over a generous amount of the dressing.  Serves 4.

This one's made with beef but it still has the 'zing'

Hint

Other things that can be added are blanched vermicelli noodles, finely julienned green mango or finely julienned red capsicum.  If you don’t have enough dressing you can make up some more, just keep in mind the hot, salty, sweet, sour balance.

Dan Dan Noodles

I have tried spicy Dan Dan Noodles at a few restaurants and have enjoyed them every time.  After the third or fourth try I thought I might see if I could make my own.  I looked at some books and the internet (thanks Tony Tan) and found that it is quite a common Chinese favourite.  I cobbled together a recipe and headed for my local Asian grocer.  The shop I go to is the Asian Grocery at 1146 Glenhuntly Road, Glenhuntly.  I was browsing around for the ingredients and doing well until I started looking for the preserved vegetables, I wasn’t sure which ones to get.  The friendly grocer came to my rescue and as soon as I mentioned I was making Dan Dan Noodles he zipped around the shop providing me with everything I needed.  This is why it is good to establish a relationship with your food providers (something you don’t get when you visit the supermarket).  I came home loaded up with dark soy sauce, black vinegar and those preserved vegetables, here is the recipe I made.

Dan Dan Noodles

Ingredients

4tsp Shaoxing rice wine

4 tsp light soy sauce

500g pork mince

Place these ingredients in a bowl and marinate for twenty minutes.

4 tbs vegetable oil (I prefer peanut or sunflower oil)

80g Tianjin preserved vegetables (or one small packet, rinsed and squeezed dry)

1 tbs Sichuan pepper (toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle or already ground if you must)

2 tbs Shaoxing rice wine

4 tbs light soy sauce

2 tsp dark soy sauce

3-5 tablespoons chilli oil (to taste)

4 tsp Chinese black vinegar

2 cups chicken stock

500-750g fresh udon or flat rice noodles

Method

Heat the oil in a very hot wok.  Add preserved vegetables and stir fry for a minute or two ( be careful, they spatter a lot).  Add marinated mince and stir fry until the mince is lightly browned and broken up.  Add Sichuan pepper followed by Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, chilli oil and black vinegar.  Stir fry for a minute or two then add the chicken stock.  Simmer for ten minutes.

To serve

Cook udon or flat rice noodles according to directions on packet.  Place a generous amount of noodles in each serving bowl and top with the mince mixture (making sure you give everyone plenty of the delicious sauce).  Garnish with sliced cucumber and chopped spring onions. We served ours with pak choy sauteed in oyster sauce.

Pak choy in oyster sauce

The only secret  to making good porridge is to use whole rolled oats.  Buy these and, if in doubt, follow the directions on the back of the packet.  Top with honey, brown sugar or maple syrup and any fresh fruit you may have (I like banana and milk poured around to form my own ‘island’).