Apple crumble at home

So my visit to the Meat & Wine Co. last time had me craving for crumbles ever since.

It was towards the end of my Easter break and I was sick of being in bed with the flu once again, so with all my strength I got out of bed and into the kitchen. Apple crumble time! It felt like sunshine after a rainy day just being up and cooking.

Crumbles are relatively easy to make and can be done within 15 minutes. However the baking time is long - takes roughly 50 minutes but this just tests your patience and really you should do something while waiting (like cook dinner) unlike me looking into the oven like a child excitedly looking into the windows of a pet store.

I like my crumbles piping hot with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream (preferably Blue Ribbons). That is exactly the way I had it, while watching The Princess and the Frog.

I *love* this recipe. It is the best crumble I've made - the apples slow-cooked with cinnamon were not too soft and mushy and the crumble on top was just the right texture and sweetness. The tray of crumble was demolished before the movie got anywhere.

Sit and Stay Awhile Apple Crisp
recipe from Ann of Fidget

bake in an 8×8 baking dish or double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 dish

Note: I half the Topping and used 2 large Fuji apples instead.

Filling:
5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups)
3 tbsp granulated sugar (I omitted this as Fuji apples are sweet enough).
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1/3 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 (~176C). Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.

Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. Toss the apple mixture until evenly coated in cinnamon sugar. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture. Spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples. (I usually end up with a dough-like topping that I just lay on top of the apples).

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.

Serve hot.

Sprinkled with cinnamon

Crumbled top before going into the oven

Nom nom nom...

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The Meat & Wine Co.C

Creme brulee has been on P's mind ever since we dined at The Meat & Wine Co. a few months ago when she saw it on the desserts menu after the mains but didn't get the chance to sample it.

So we decided to make a trip back to the restaurant - just for the desserts.

After a few slices of pizza courtesy of work on a Friday, we made our way towards our 'backyard' - Darling Harbour - to satisfy our sweet cravings.

Creme Brulee

P and K both ordered a creme brulee. This elegant dessert classic always reminds me of 'My best friends wedding' - the movie, when Julianne tries to explain to Kimmy why their love interest (Michael) would prefer Jello (Julianne) to Creme Brulee (Kimmy).

----

Julianne: I'm better with food. Okay, you're Michael, you're in a fancy french restaurant, you order... creme brulee for dessert, it's beautiful, it's sweet, it's irritatingly perfect. Suddenly, Michael realises he doesn't want creme brulee, he wants something else.

Kimmy: What does he want?

Julianne: Jello.

Kimmy: Jello?! Why does he want jello?

Julianne: Because he's comfortable with jello, jello makes him... comfortable. I realise, compared to creme brulee it's... jello, but maybe that's what he needs.

Kimmy: I could be jello.

Julianne: No! Creme brulee can never be jello, you could never be jello.

Kimmy: I have to be jello.

Julianne: You're never gonna be jello. Now you have to come clean with your parents, because if you're waiting for that "Do you take this man" part, it's considered poor form.

----

This dessert, according to P after scraping her ramekin squeaky clean, is the best she's had. It might as well as how Julianne described it - irritatingly perfect!

Bruschetta + Garlic Bread

The boys also shared this platter of bread as an entree. The bruschetta looked lovely - slices of wood-fired bread topped with chunky tomatoes and olive oil.

Apple and rhubarb crumble (with cinnamon ice-cream)

A crumble to me, is so very homey and rustic - my idea of a comfort food. So when they brought out this plate, I was rather surprised by the way it was presented. I've never seen a crumble plated in this manner before. Very elegant and definitely not rustic.

One bite and I felt like I was transferred back to my living room - all curled up in front of the T.V. Comfortable and familiar. The apple and rhubarb were slow cooked with cinnamon and the cinnamon ice-cream added an extra kick to this crumble (as normally vanilla ice-cream is served with this).

The Meat & Wine Co.

31 Wheat Rd
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9211 9888

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Sushi Samurai - Neutral Bay

I have a list in my head of all the restaurants and cafes in Sydney that I want to try. It's a long list and I have carefully bookmarked all of them on my laptop. However on one Sunday lunch time, I left home for lunch without consulting my list as I was in a rush (probably because I didn't have breakfast that morning) and 20 minutes later I found myself in Neutral Bay without knowing where exactly to eat.

I've been to Sushi Samurai before and it wasn't a place on my list to visit again. Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad at all - in fact it's might be better than a lot of the Japanese places I've tried in the city and reasonably priced, but it there are other new places that I'd rather try I re-visit this place again.

However on this day, none of the restaurants in Neutral Bay seem to be opened (including Ju Ge Mu which only opens at night on Sunday). Famished and tired, I decided to head back to Sushi Samurai again.

We ordered a sashima/sushi platter for two. The fish were definitely fresh, however the rice was on the hard/chewy side. I didn't get to try the rolls but I was told they were good. I tried the tamago (egg roll) but it was a bit rubbery.

Sashimi & Sushi Platter for two

The sashimi salad was refreshing and the sweet balsamic dressing was made just right.

Sashimi Salad

I love my teriyaki fish. The one they make here is not bad, however I do find the batter a bit thick for my liking and again the rice on the hard side like the sushi in the platter.

Teriyaki Fish Lunch Set

I probably won't be here again anytime soon. But for around $60 for 3, I was contently full and ready for my Sunday afternoon nap after this meal :)

Sushi Samurai

Shop 3

197 Military Road

Neutral Bay NSW2089

Tel: 9953 4059

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What is white and fluffy?!

Marshmallows of course! (I'm sure that was the first thing that came to mind) ;)

Until recently, marshmallows were to me one of the things that you buy from the supermarkets in packets. Never the type of food that comes out from your kitchen as it never occurred to me that you could make them and get them to taste exactly the same as the ones cafes put on top of your hot chocolate.

I woke up one morning craving for marshmallows. It was the first thing on my mind when I opened my eyes and I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. I even thought of different variations of it. Like dying my marshmallows green for Saint Patrick's day last Wednesday. But then I decided to be more conservative and make the original one first. My crazy ideas will have to be saved for another day.

I'm definitely going to be making another batch soon. The batch I made tasted squishy and chewy and fluffy! Only wish that it's colder outside so I could make a cup of hot chocolate to go with them....

Marshmallows

Adapted from Gourmet

Makes about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows

• About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

Messy sticky marshmallow batter.

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Note: Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.

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BaBa Laksa House

It didn't take long for YF and I to decide what to have for lunch. We met outside Myer on a busy Wednesday lunch time and agreed to find somewhere quieter than the noisy Hunter Connection or Myer food court. Then I remembered this Malaysian/Singapore place hidden inside the Grace Hotel nearby on York Street and also realised that their Hainanese Chicken is still on my list of to-eats! Perfect!

Their Hainanese Chicken is pricier than the other places that sells it at $10.50 but the way they plate their food and serve the dishes to your table makes up for it I guess. They even ask if you'd like chicken drumsticks or chicken breast! The photo above is of the chicken drumsticks option and the serving size is quite big, plus you get a soup to go with it. Apart from the chicken, their laksa and beef rendang are also very popular there.

All in all, it's one of the better Hainanese Chicken I've tried in Sydney. However I heard that Sayong Curry and Laksa (located at LG food court under Woolies in Town Hall) has a even better deal! That's for next time then...

BaBa Laksa House

Grace Hotel, G8 Ground Floor

77-79 York Street, Sydney NSW2000

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Chatswood BBQ Kitchen

There are a few places in Chatswood where you'd most likely need to wait in line if you visit during dinner hours - Makoto, New Shanghai, de Pho and Chatswood BBQ Kitchen.

My dear friend P and I were in the mood for some quick and well-priced Cantonese style food on a Friday night so Chatswood BBQ Kitchen it was! This place recently had a make-over and now sits roughly double the number of customers than previously. This doesn't help with the line-waiting however! We had to wait for around 10 minutes, during which we drooled over the 'window display' of hanging ducks and char siu while contemplating what to order at the same time.

Ordering took us a while as they had over 100 dishes on 3 separate menus that we were given! Here's what was on my table that night:

Egg-plant with fish paste

This isn't your usual egg-plant with fish paste dish as they used a fair amount of tomato paste in it which is not what we had expected. We also couldn't taste the fish paste and P actually wondered if they ran out of some ingredients in the kitchen! But I was hungry so I didn't mind as much.

Stir-fry beef with Chinese broccoli

This is the better dish of the night and the greens were definitely fresh and crunchy! I'm looking forward to try their other dishes next time...

Chatswood BBQ Kitchen

77 Victoria Ave

Chatswood NSW 2067‎

Tel: (02) 9419 6532

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Autumn baking - Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Finally!

It is turning cold and autumn-y in Sydney. Summer has overstayed its welcome in my book and I'm so ready to bring out my winter jackets and woolly socks!

Of all things, Autumn reminds me of pumpkins and spices, and anything that makes you warm but not quite hearty yet as that's Winter. This Pumpkin Walnut Bread is one of the dozen pages on 'The Art and Soul of Baking" cookbook that I have dog-eared (as like my other cookbooks) so what better time to make it than now?

I have found my perfect recipe for Banana Bread (I'll leave that for another post) but I still have not been able to find my perfect recipe for pumpkin spice bread. The ones I've tried before tend to be either too full of spice or lacking it. This recipe is by far the best I've tried. I love the fine balance between the pumpkin and the spices. The spices were not too overpowering and the bread is soft in texture (although denser than your normal banana bread).

I'll definitely be making this again sometime soon this Autumn. I can't think of better use of pumpkins than this bread :)

Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 1 cup (9 ounces) canned pumpkin puree (I steamed then mashed fresh pumpkin)
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavor vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped toasted walnuts (toast in the oven or in a small pan on the stove)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a loaf pan with melted butter. Use a large bowl to whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and salt. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Blend in the sugar until well incorporated, then add the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Blend these wet ingredients together well.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in the walnuts until they are evenly distributed. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the top.

This is a thick loaf, so bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the bread is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack. The best technique for serving is to use a serrated knife to saw through the bread, cutting 1/2-inch thick slices. Leftovers will keep for about two days wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up. You can refrigerate it for about 4 days or double-wrap it in foil and freeze it for a month or two.

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