Spring Pancakes

I finally did the walk through Central Park over the weekend. Finally being the operative word here. I have been in NYC for almost a year and always, never had the strength to know where to start. It was really beautiful, cool breezes, sherbet in the air – the works. There was a waffle and pancake cart in the park that reminded me of pancakes in the morning during spring back at home. Mum/mom would be up making stacks of glorious pancakes, sometimes from a mix, much to my disapproval, even as an eight year old gay son.

This is a bit of a bastard recipe, an amalgamation from recipes I have used over the years. I’ve always been intimidated by the makings of a good pancake, but it’s a lot easier than conventional baking! They’re really light and fluffy, so cover them with butter and jam. Lemon curd is AMAZING too! I found a recipe that used vinegar to make sour milk, as an alternative to buttermilk. If you have butter milk use it, but I feel like the sour milk is a much better alternative to using more processed dairy.

Ingredients

Serves two – three

1 cup of all purpose flour

3 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup crushed walnuts

¾ cup whole milk

2 tbsp vinegar

1.5 tbsp butter

1 egg

¼ tsp vanilla essence

Directions

Add vinegar to milk and set aside. Place dry ingredients together in bowl and mix. Separately, combine melted butter and egg with sour milk, whisking lightly. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk lightly. Don’t mix through too finely, lumps and air pockets help the pancakes. Set aside for five minutes.

In a pan, melt butter and cook rested pancake batter until well browned on both sides. Serve stacked with butter and your choice of conserves. Jam, maple syrup and lemon curd spring to mind in spring. 

(Chinese) Food for Thought

With a growing concern for sustainable practices and the United Nation’s move to enforce carbon trading, many brands will be forced to reassess their environmental implications through cost increases, financial redevelopment and re-branding with ethics. Businesses everywhere have been subject to prosecution for unethical practices for many decades, but is there a new growing global concern and a need for businesses to assess the implications China will have on branding in the future.

China is now the world’s second largest economy, averaging a growth rate of 10 % per year over the last three decades. The real crunch is this; China’s manufacturing/export industry, a barometer for the global economy, will not see any forced or agreed decrease, however analysts agree China’s economy will only be remedied long term through reform, that being, a consumption driven economy. Too many economies are too far in to pull out now.

There are too many politics in play for China to ever in the near future fall into decline, this is for sure. China is for now at least, a ‘fixed variable’ for the world economy. Every business trading with China will be forced to work backwards to ensure ethical practice. But to what point will this become of great community concern? Cast your mind back to the days when manufactured goods in China were synonymous with inferior quality. Today, quality is not the key concern with Chinese manufacture, but are the correct sustainability measures in place and enforced? Will there be transference of concern? China and many other developing nations will move from the ‘country of origin effect’ to suffering from new consumer whiplash.

Will ethics soon leverage a bigger share in branding? Micro business externalities are adding up and it’s now of worldwide concern. Each economy can only move so far with given resources and dancing with the global economy will force China to address not only its own concerns and behavior, but also the global community’s. As corporations fall liable to increasing sanctions and community concern, early adoption of these business-rethinks may be a gate to be passed by many businesses in the near future. Consumers keep brands alive and destroy them, we’re unable to tip toe around a growing truth.

In Australia, and worldwide, China has been vertically integrating heavily, buying companies operating in many sectors of the economy, leading to short term cost reduction measures, questionable transparency and large domestic land purchases. I am not opposed to China’s economic movements, but I do believe it is a responsibility to map the ethical practices of investment spending against any brand, especially in the years coming. 

Google Really 'Nose' All

In Google's latest April Fools' pranks, the media giant engages, brands and showcases its influence to the world. 

 It was 12am this morning and I was in bed with my IPhone pressed to my nose trying to pick up nodes of ‘wet dog’ from Google’s new Google Nose Beta, offering searchers the chance to engage yet another sense. Maybe my IPhone 4 wasn't compatible? Or maybe I got PUNKED by Google. It was ridiculous but pretty funny. Google has yet again found a universal way of engaging everyone around the world in its latest April Fools’ buzz pranks.

Google really has proven itself, now more so than ever as a global giant with seamless reach to everyone, everywhere. Their latest pranks are a true testament to their ability to break down cultural barriers; Google is a world currency, an internet lingua franca. In a wide reaching list of pranks, everyone got involved.

Google Maps Treasure Mode, ‘Youtube’s ready to select a winner’ contest, Google +Emotion, Gmail Blue, Google Analytics Space Station visits, Google SCHMIK, Google Fiber Poles, Google Wallet Mobile ATM, Google Japan Patapata Support.

What a list! I take my hat off to Google for really taking the extra mile to engage everyone. I really want to stress that the company has also shown how ‘social’ they are and also how social their many applications are. We are really already starting to redefine the idea of ‘social media’ and what we can classify as ‘social’ online. Google  is continually building up a universal currency of communication between its users and they're having fun with it. The company has been busy brand building and socializing in its global community, indeed. We do see how much influence and power Google has, but I don’t think that’s the point. We live in an increasingly barrier free digital community and Google will be its Monarchy!  We all like to dream big and Google’s helping the world actualize it's dreams in 'Science Fiction gone Real Time'.

Good work Google!  

Pancetta and Panko Midnight Trail

Late night on the job trail and I needed carbs. A really quick pasta throwing together everything I had left in my kitchen. I was hungry, so this served for one only, but it would be a great accompaniment to a meat main for two.

Ingredients

Serves two

Rigatoni pasta

½ cup diced pancetta

½ small onion diced

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

¼   cup walnuts

3 tbps olive oil

1 garlic clove

Cumin, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Start by frying the onions and smashed garlic in olive oil. In separate pan, boil pasta. Soon follow with pancetta frying until brown. This is the ideal time to flavour the meal with cumin, salt and pepper. Quickly ad d panko breadcrumbs, stir and remove from heat after a minute. The excess oils will be taken up by the breadcrumbs, leaving everything rich and crunchy. Combine with pasta and finish with walnuts.

EAT.

Nolita Clam, Mango and Gorgonzola Pasta

It’s a throwback Thursday, whip-lashing back to my earlier months in New York. This is a recipe that I had put together in the spring of last year. Walking through Nolita, everything was new, fresh and inspiring. The streets of Little Italy were crowded with tables full of sun kissed diners, enjoying seafood, pasta and wine. What more could anyone ask for? With this In mind, I made my way to the busy markets in Chinatown wanting to capture my day, the images in my head, all in a meal. I wanted spring in a bottle.

Chinatown in a strange way always provides some kind of nostalgic comfort; the markets, the grocers, the people, hell, even the smell. I’ll come back to that when I post on some of my Chinese go-to dishes. I made my way through, buying fresh clams and mangoes. I wanted to match this freshness with something a little more Italian, so I decided on pasta.

I chose Gorgonzola cheese and asparagus to pair tart with the sweetness of mangoes, butter and wine poached clams and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

Serves four

Spaghetti

1 pound of Clams

½ Mango

1 bunch of Asparagus

1 punnet of Cherry Tomatoes

3 tbsp chopped Parsley

½ cup Gorgonzola Cheese

2 tbsp Salted Butter

1 cup of White Wine

Truffle Sea Salt and Pepper

Directions

In a pan, heat wine and butter until lightly boiling. Add clams, one tablespoon of parsley and a pinch of truffle sea salt. Cook for eight minutes. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and add during last moments of cooking. Blanch and shock asparagus in cool water, then grill on a high temperature, charring the stalks lightly. Slice mango into small pieces, set aside. Cook the pasta quickly, al dente.

While the pasta is warm, add clams and 2 tablespoons of reduced wine broth. Follow with chopped parsley and mango pieces. Toss and season with truffle salt and pepper to taste. Plate pasta in swirls on top of a bed of asparagus and top with gorgonzola cheese. 

New Orleans

Possibly one of the greatest cultural melting pots in America.  Food, culture, history and architecture meet to overload the senses!

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/martyjaytsang

Piri Piri Clams

Piripiri clams is a Portuguese blend of many national favorites; heat, seafood and pork. Piri piri sauce can reach unbearable heats. As a national staple, piri piri is splashed on meats, used to marinate, glaze and dunk. Few households and restaurants serve this sauce with pão (jaw working bread), as a starter. Also, anything BBQ'd with piri piri will have you crying and sweating at the same time. It's a must!

Before coming to the states I was a chilli wimp, a weakling. I could not take the heat. But easing my tastebuds into Hispanic pepper based dishes has given me a HUGE tolerance. But anyway, if heat isn’t for you, watered down piri piri sauces are available everywhere, which is what I did to start with. Break the dish down with a light beet and goat’s cheese salad. The dairy broke up the heat and sweats. A side of starchy potatoes also makes as a great side.

Ingredients

Serves four

1 pound of clams

½ pound female pork belly

¼ cup piri piri sauce

1 tbsp butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Beet and Goat’s Cheese Salad

Rocket/arugula

½ cup walnuts

1 cup diced baby beats

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pan Fried Potatoes

1 pound red creamy baby potatoes

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp mustard powder

Directions

Female pork is better for cooking; it is less pungent than male pork. Dice pork belly and marinate in half the piri piri sauce for one hour. On a high heat, pan fry pork belly until crisp and brown. Shortly after, add the clams and remaining piri piri. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

 Halve potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Straight after pan fry potatoes in butter, dousing in mustard powder, salt and pepper. Fry until crisp. For the salad, combine ingredients and add combined olive oil and lemon juice. The acidity from lemon juice keeps everything fresh and zesty.

Bobby's Chilli-Stew

I am really thankful that I have at least one non abusive crutch when I get down and stressed. Being in the kitchen and cooking comfort food will always be my go-to when I’m down and out. Today that dish was a cross between a chilli and a stew. I kind of adapted this from a Two Fat Ladies recipe that I LOVE. It was originally a peasant’s dish, throwing together a lot of cheap, accessible and long lasting meats and vegetables to feed a whole household.

Ingredients

Serves four

1 cup of diced salted and cured pork

½ pound of diced beef

2 small chorizo

5 small creamy red potatoes

1 capsicum/bell pepper

½ large onion

4 cloves of garlic

½ cup tomato paste

1 cup canned whole tomatoes

1 cup red kidney beans

1 cup black beans

2 cups of water

½ cup port wine

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp mustard powder

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

5 bay leaves

1 crusty loaf

Directions

Start with all of the prep work. Cut meats into small pieces, dice onions, parsley and keep potatoes whole. In a hot pan, heat olive oil and seal beef. Set aside and quickly add salted pork, onions and whole garlic cloves. Next, add port. Using alcohol will lift the flavors from the pan and using port will add warmth. Cook until brown and oily. Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes, all beans, potatoes, parsley and herbs. Stir and transfer to a large oven proof baking pot also adding beef and one cup of water.

Set aside the baking pot and char grill the bell peppers over a gas stove top or in a broiler. Sweat and peal back burnt skin. Once diced, add to pot and stir. Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 Celsius. Be sure to stir regularly and add remaining water if liquid reduces too far.

Serve with a crusty loaf. 

French Onion Soup

The art of perfecting this dish isn't overly difficult; it’s all in the timing.

French onion soup is a dish that dates back as far as Roman times. The modern day version, as we know it came to life in France, originally as a peasant’s dish, as onions were cheap and in surplus.

Combing butter, sugar, wine, cheese and bread, this dish marries many pleasures and creates a decadent dish that nobody will ever say no to!

Ingredients

Serves four – six people

1.5 Pounds of Onions

1 Cup of Salted Butter

½ Cup Raw Brown Sugar

1 Small Garlic Clove

½ Cup Sherry

¼ Cup Bourbon

3 Cups of Beef Stock

Stale Crusty Bread

2 Tbsp Flour

2 Cups of Gruyere Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

As important as the flavors are, texture is equally important; when dicing the onions, cut them in half, the slice long ways to achieve long pieces. As the onions do soften and break down and being the only ingredient, it’s quite nice to have the longer pieces.

 

Melt the butter into a pot, once heated, cook onions and garlic for 15 – 20 minutes. The onions must be well browned. Do not add salt at this point, there is enough in the butter and despite much debate about the pros of sweating the onions, it’s better for a long cooking process for them to retain as much juice as possible. After this add the sugar and caramelize the onions. Onions have a naturally occurring sugar and caramelizing with brown sugar adds a wonderful mellow flavor that pairs well against the saltiness of the remaining ingredients.

Once caramelized, add both alcohols and cook for 5 minutes until the initial alcohol has cleared. After, add the flour to the onions and cook through to remove the taste of flour. Once done, add the beef stock and stir well and leave to stew for an hour on a low heat. This is one of the most important things to pay attention to, the soup flavors need to meld and good soup takes time.

Grate the cheese and slice thick pieces of crusty bread. Gruyere cheese has the consistency of mozzarella with the taste of a full bodied cheese; it’s a win-win. If you don’t have Gruyere, mixing mozzarella with a strong cheese of your choice is a perfect substitute. Next, toast the bread until it is crisp.

After an hour of cooking, the soup should be thick and rich with texture and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste then place the soup in soup ramekins that are oven friendly. The soup should be thick enough to hold the bread and cheese on top. Once dished, melt under a grill or broil until the cheese is well browned and melting ridiculously over the edges.

A Berry Special Spring Salad

The salad is best served with crisp white wine and fresh cold prawns on a spring day.

When I arrived in NYC last year, the Chelsea Food Market was one of my first culinary discoveries. A huge space dedicated to the freshest of produce, seafood and sweets galore. I wanted make a salad that was completely inspired by spring time in New York, with ingredients that I didn't often cook with.

A good salad should always leave your taste buds confused or weeping with joy. I wanted to use vegetables and fruits, as well as the sweet and savory elements of a regular salad. Using gorgonzola cheese in this salad heightens the contrast in sweetness the fruits offer. 

Ingredients

1 cup pearl couscous

1 small eggplant

1 cup of black berries

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

¼ cup of pomegranate seeds  

½ cup of gorgonzola cheese

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Slice the eggplant lengthways and sweat out bitterness with salt. Cook the pearl couscous and set aside to cool. When the eggplant has sweated juices, pat dry with a paper towel and grill press them quickly to score the outside with heat. In a bowl, combine the couscous, eggplant, berries, tomatoes, pomegranate and gorgonzola, tossing lightly. For the dressing combine Dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. Splash liberally.