Apr 4 2013
Manuela created this quick ‘n’ easy ravioli dish with a fusion of Italian and Cypriot flavours. This recipe uses wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta, a great alternative when you are time poor and don’t have a pasta machine. The result is still delicious!
Mix together grated Haloumi, Ricotta, and sliced asparagus until combined, add beaten egg and mix thoroughly
Using the tip of your finger or a thin pastry brush, brush the edges of the wonton wrapper with water then place a second wrapper on top of the first, carefully pressing down the filling and removing as much air as possible, sealing the edges. Using a ravioli cutter, roll around the sides of the ravioli to seal
Toast the pinenuts until golden and set aside. Place butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until butter just starts to turn brown. Add sage and cook for 1 minute or until crisp. Add asparagus tips and toasted pinenuts. Continue to cook butter until golden brown
- Who: Manuela Vasington
- Home is: Clovelly, Sydney
- Family origin: Urbino, Italy
- I can’t live without my: Pillow and mattress
- Occupation: Graphic Designer
- Dream Job: To open a wine bar or do something involving food. I love entertaining!
- Currently I am obsessed with: Argentinian Malbec and Swedish clogs. And West German pottery – but that’s a continuous obsession
- Childhood taste: Cresce with Prosciutto. It’s a thin and flaky flatbread that is a specialty of Urbino. My 3 brothers and I are so excited when Mum makes it to this day, which isn’t often as it’s time consuming
- I will always have in my pantry: Tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, capers and olive oil
- I learnt to cook from: My mum. When I was small, It was my job to turn the pasta machine and finish off the tortellini and ravioli. I then discovered baking and it took off from there
- What I’m listening to: The Lumineers, Cat Power, Ben Howard and James Blake
- The one place I must visit: Costa Rica. I’ve heard it’s amazing
- Go to meal: Penne with Puttanesca Sauce
- The unforgettable meal: Was in Cuba. It was more the circumstances that made it unforgettable. It was a black market affair – we were going to eat a 4 course meal for around $10 which included illegal lobster. Getting to the house was very cloak and dagger. Literally hiding behind corners and darting off one at a time to the next corner. On arriving, we sat in the front room watching ‘By the Rivers of Babylon’ by Boney M. I was sitting in a rocking chair rocking back and forth. The family’s 16 year old boy thought we’d like the music! It was a great evening
- My piece of Sydney: The Bronte to Bondi walk. The sea air energises me
- I do my groceries at: Norton Street Grocer, Coles, Woolworths and Daily Fresh (my local supermarket). Anywhere I can grab food quickly to be honest. I shop online a lot cause I don’t really like grocery shopping!
- Guilty Pleasure: Leftover dessert
- Who does the dishes: My flatmate Stephen, and the dishwasher
Manuela’s artwork and her gorgeous West German pottery collections adorning her beautiful home
Haloumi and Asparagus Ravioli with Burnt Butter Sauce
Ingredients - Serves 4-5
- 200g Haloumi cheese, grated
- 100g fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 bunch asparagus, sliced finely (cut off tips for sauce)
- 1 packet of wonton wrappers
- salt & pepper to taste
- 175 unsalted butter
- 3 tbs pine nuts
- 1/3 cup sage leaves
- Mix together grated Haloumi, Ricotta, and sliced asparagus until combined. Add salt & pepper.
- Add beaten egg and mix thoroughly.
- Lay out a square of wonton wrapper. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the square.
- Using the tip of your finger or a thin pastry brush, brush the edges of the wonton wrapper with water.
- Place a second wrapper on top of the first, carefully pressing down the filling and removing as much air as possible, sealing the edges. Using a ravioli cutter, roll around the sides of the ravioli to seal.
- Place the completed ravioli on a well-floured board or baking paper. Repeat until all the wrappers are used up, or you have a desired number of ravioli. These can also be frozen and placed in boiling water straight from freezer.
- To cook, gently slide 3-4 ravioli into boiling water for a few minutes until they float to the surface. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat until all done.
- Toast pinenuts until golden. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until butter just starts to turn brown. Add sage and cook for 1 minute or until crisp. Add asparagus tips and toasted pinenuts. Continue to cook butter until golden brown.
- To serve, divide ravioli between serving plates and then pour over the butter sauce, dividing asparagus, sage and pinenuts evenly.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Mar 27 2013
The Wilde family collaborate to bake this fun Easter bread
Justus used to eat Osterbrot in Germany each Easter (much the way we would eat hot crossed buns) and Zoe loves to bake and has always wanted to make traditional Italian Easter bread. So they decided to blend the two to start their own tradition with their daughter Heike. Justus and Zoe really want to create strong traditions as they live so far from Heike’s German family.
The original recipe calls for 200g mixed candied fruit. Justus and Zoe have made some adjustment here but you could add it in step 7 before kneading the dough for a more traditional German version. The German version also uses coarse sugar on the glaze – while Justus’ and Zoe’s recipe uses sprinkles for a little more fun and as you can see it here, Heike enjoys every bit of it!
Start by placing the flour in a large mixing bowl and place the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. The aim is to get it warm but most definitely not hot.
While the milk is heating, combine the orange zest and sugar and rub together with fingers until combined
Once the milk is warm to the touch, pour in the sugar and orange zest mixture, stir until dissolved, add the yeast and set aside for 10 mins until it thickens and bubbles
Dying the eggs – Involve your kids (if they are old enough) in this fun tradition while you prepare the dough
May the best dough plaiter win!
Once dough is plaited, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, form into a wreath by joining the end bits and allow to rise for another 45 mins
Lightly brush the dough’s surface with beaten egg yolk, gently place 3 dyed eggs in the centre of the dough and place in the oven on 180˚c for about 30-40 mins
- Who: Justus and Zoe
- Home Is: Balmain
- Family Origin: Justus – German/Dutch, Zoe – Anglo Australian
- I can’t live without my: Daughter
- Occupation: Justus – Online Strategy Director/Business Owner, Zoe – Mother/Marketing Assistant – both work at Amblique
- Dream Job: Justus – Living the dream (!), Zoe – Fashion or Interior stylist & writer
- Childhood taste: Justus – Mum’s Spatzle (German pasta), Zoe – Mum’s Banana Cake/Dad’s freshly caught flathead
- I always have in my pantry: Eggs, Flour, Chilli
- Go to meal: Chilli con Carne
- Currently I’m obsessed with: Rosso Pomodoro Balmain!! There is no such thing as “too much” of their pizza
- I learnt to cook from: Zoe’s Dad (both of us!) and the internet
- One day I must visit: Africa – our dream is to Safari with a brood of kids in tow
- The unforgettable meal: A spontaneous 3-course, wine paired lunch of the chef’s selection at Sean’s Panaroma in Bondi Beach. This set us off on the foodie journey about four years ago
- Currently I am listening to: Justus – Flume, Zoe – Macklemore/Robyn
- My piece of Sydney: How do we pick just one? The beautiful harbour beaches of Vaucluse, the chirpy cafes and parks of Balmain, and Westfield Bondi Junction!!!
- Guilty pleasure: Justus – Expensive scotch, Zoe – Just chocolate
- Who does the dishes: Whoever doesn’t cook
When the dough turns light brown, remove and allow to cool then use a pastry brush to glaze the Osterbrot with milk and sugar mixture
Stunning painted cast iron wall! Wall envy anyone?
Little critters from Herbert and Friends are joining Heike for the Osterbrot afternoon tea
Osterbrot
Ingredients - Serves 10
- Dough
- 8 cups flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 2 oranges, zested and juiced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 sachets of yeast
- 1 cup melted margarine
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp aniseed oil (we used 2 tsp aniseed essence, ratio is 1:4 with oil and essence)
- Glaze
- Icing/Confectioners sugar
- Milk
- 100s and 1000s (sprinkles)
- Dyed Eggs
- 6 raw eggs
- Food colouring
- Vinegar
- Place flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Place the milk in a small saucepan over low heat – the aim is to get it warm but most definitely not hot. While the milk is heating, combine the orange zest and sugar and rub together with fingers until combined.
- Once the milk is warm to the touch, pour in the sugar mixture and stir until dissolved.
- Add the yeast to the milk mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes (it will thicken and bubble).
- Begin mixing the milk mixture with the flour (you can do this by hand or with a mixer and dough attachment). Gradually add the melted butter, then add the orange juice.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, aniseed oil and salt. Add this mixture to the dough and beat to combine.
- At this point you may need to add more flour to get the dough to come together. We used about 1-2 cups more flour! It is really dependent on how much juice you get from the oranges. Use feel/touch here.
- Knead the mixture for five minutes on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise for up to 1hr, or until the mixture has double in size.
- Split the dough mixture in half, and then in half again, so you have four balls of dough. Shape each ball into a rope of around 50cm long. Plait two ropes and shape into a hollow circle. Do the same with the remaining two ropes. Place on two baking sheets lined with baking paper, and allow to rise for another 45 minutes.
- Now’s the time for egg dying! Place the food colouring of your choice and vinegar in a bowl and turn for around 5 minutes for a nice even coverage, or until desired colour is achieved. Don’t overdo it as it can start to peel away. Place the dyed eggs in the centre of your breads – they will cook through as the bread bakes.
- Preheat the oven to 180˚c then place the breads in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Once they are lightly browned, remove and allow to cool before glazing.
- Once cooled, mix together around 1 cup of icing sugar with ¼ cup of milk – you want a light, runny consistency. Use a pastry brush to paint the glaze onto the tops of your breads, then apply 100s and 1000s to your heart’s desire!
- Serve with tea and butter – Lecker!
Mar 14 2013
Ozlem adds her own twist on this traditional Turkish dish. A delight amongst her family and friends (and sultans).
It is said that this dish, Sultan’s Delight (Hünkar Begendi), was first created in the kitchen of the Ottoman Empire to please Sultan Murad IV (1612-1640). When Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, visited the Topkapi palace in the mid-19th century, she too fell in love with this beautiful dish and asked the chef to share the recipe with her.
Traditionally this dish is cooked with chunks of lamb meat and the eggplant is pureed and cooked with cheese, butter, milk and flour. Ozlem’s version is lighter and healthier. The lamb has been replaced with lean beef mince and the eggplants are mixed with yoghurt. Chopped walnuts have been added for a bit of crunch and texture.
Prick and roast the eggplants on the BBQ or an oven for about an hour on mid temperature – the longer they cook, the better they get
Strain the yoghurt for a thick creamier texture and mix the cooked potatoes with cream, milk, butter and cheese until perfectly smooth
Meanwhile, fry the mince in a deep frying pan with a little olive oil and spices. Add the chopped onion, 4 cloves of garlic, chopped walnuts, the sliced banana capsicum and fresh chillies. Add more olive oil if need to. Season it with salt and pepper to your taste
Take the flesh out of the cooked and cooled eggplants then mash them roughly with a spoon or fork. Mix it with the strained yoghurt and crushed garlic. Season with salt and pepper. This combination is truly delicious – a great recipe for dips as well!
On a serving plate put a layer of mash potatoes, add a layer of the mince mixture and then top with the eggplant mixture. Garnish with chopped parsley and sliced chillies
- Who: Ozlem Ennor
- Home Is: Manly, Sydney
- Family Origin: Balikesir, Turkey
- I can’t live without my: 2 boys Jake and Tyler and husband Mike
- Occupation: Now a full time mum, previously a pre-school teacher
- Dream Job: To open my own bakehouse cafe anywhere in the world where all my closest friends and family could visit regularly. (Our friends an family are all over the world as this is a “dream” it would be great for everyone to be close)
- Childhood taste: A dish that my grandma use to serve me as a child when I was sick, was basically dried bread soaked in milk and sugar
- I always have in my pantry: Olive Oil, Yoghurt and good bread
- Go to meal: Scrambled eggs with onion, pepper and tomato on toast, in Turkey we call it Menemen
- Currently I’m obsessed with: Magnificent Century, a Turkish TV series about the Ottoman empire I got into while back home on holiday in 2012
- I learnt to cook from: Initially from my Mum but then began adapting my food after moving away from home and working in various restaurants and cafes in Istanbul and London
- One day I must visit: I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, their food and culture is something I’ve always wanted to experience
- The unforgettable meal: Xmas eve in Interlaken, Switzerland 2004 me and Mike had travelled all day and were looking forward to a nice diner, we got off the train to find the whole town was closed, we almost gave up hope when we stumbled across a pub who invited us in to eat for free with the locals, we had the most amazing ham cooked inside a loaf of bread with salads and beer
- I contribute to this world: My Kids
- My piece of Sydney: Early morning on Manly beach with a good coffee, before the crowds come out
- Guilty pleasure: 5 in 2 hot chocolate sauce on ice cream with berries
- I buy my groceries at: Anywhere local depending on quality and price, most delis stock Mediterranean ingredients, however every 6 months or so we head out to Auburn where we shop at a Turkish supermarket (Gima 31-35 Queen Street)
- Who does the dishes: Mike
Marble Tea Cake
Ingredients - Serves 12
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup + 4 tbs milk
- 1/2 cup liquid cooking oil
- 2- 2 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 lemon rind
- 4-5 tbs cocoa powder
- 4-5 tbs poppy seeds
- Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C .
- Mix the eggs and sugar until it turns to pale cream colour. (Takes about 5-7 mins).
- Add the oil, 1 cup of milk, vanilla essence and the lemon rind continuing mixing. Gradually add the sifted flour and mix. Add the poopy seeds and mix.
- Grease the cake tin with butter and dust it with flour. Pour 3/4 of the batter in to the tin.
- Add the cocoa powder and 4 table spoons of milk to the remaining cake mixture and beat until it is all combined.
- Pour the cocoa mixture on the top of the plain cake mixture. With the help of a chopstick marble the two colours and bake it about an hour until the skewer comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool down then dust with icing sugar. My son Jake calls it the snowy cake.
Sultan’s Delight
Ingredients - Serves 2
- 2 average size eggplants
- 4-5 tbs of drained plain Greek yoghurt
- 4 average size potatoes chopped
- Splash of milk and cream (about 4-5 tbs full each)
- 1 tbs butter
- A hand full of grated cheddar cheese
- A hand full of chopped walnuts
- 500 gr of lean beef mince
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 gloves of garlic, 4 sliced 1 crushed
- Fresh chillies to your taste, sliced
- 2 medium size Banana capsicum, thinly sliced
- Mild chilli flakes
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to your taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- Olive oil
- Prick and roast the eggplants on the BBQ for a rich smokey flavour about an hour on mid temperature. The longer they cook, the better they get. If you don't own a BBQ then put them in the oven on about 150˚C.
- While they are roasting, boil the chopped potatoes with two teaspoons of salt for a mash.
- Fry the mince in a deep frying pan with little olive oil and spices. Add the chopped onion, 4 cloves of garlic, chopped walnuts, the sliced banana capsicum and fresh chillies. Add more olive oil if need to. Season it with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Mash the cooked potatoes with a hand mixer and add the cream, milk, butter and cheese.
- Scoop the flesh out of the cooked and cooled eggplants then mash them roughly with a spoon or fork. Mix it with the strained yoghurt and crushed garlic. Season it with salt and pepper.
- On a serving plate put the half of mash potatoes, put the mince mixture in the middle and the eggplant mixture at the top. Garnish it with chopped parsley and sliced chillies.
