My latest obsession is with maintaining a clean and lean lifestyle. Thankfully all of the ladies in my life are on the same post-holiday health kick so it’s been a real group effort to start the year on a health high (we’ll forget the few momentary lapses we’ve had on a couple of the weekends ).

The book that did it was James Duigan’s Clean & Lean Diet, which is not so much a diet but more of a common sense guide to how we should be eating and how to make educated, healthier choices when it comes to food. I found the book fascinating, inspiring and full of surprising nuggets of nutritional info.

So dinner parties with the girls tend to be more on the clean and lean side of late. Take last week’s mid-week catch up with Elissa as an example. We trawled my new favourite food blog My New Roots and made a slight adaption to her Lemony Leeks recipe which was packed full of the flavour and goodness of leeks.

Elissa and I were totally chuffed with our new discovery which was very clean and lean but also a super satisfying flavour bomb that packs up nicely for tomorrow’s lunch (if you didn’t eat it all!)

Lemony Leeks with Kidney Beans and Feta

Ingredients:

4 large leeks

2 cups vegetable stock

1 can or jar of kidney beans

½ cup crumbled goat feta

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. liquid honey or agave syrup

juice and zest of one lemon

pinch of sea salt + pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small bunch fresh dill

Method:

1)   Slice off the root end of the each leek, then cut the stalk into 1-inch chunks on the diagonal. Only use the white and very pale green portion of the stalk, discard the green part. Submerge leek slices in a large bowl of water to remove dirt between the layers. Be careful the layers stay intact.

2)   In a large frying pan or saucepan, heat the vegetable broth until simmering. Remove leeks slices from water and place each slice with one flat side down in the broth. Cover and let simmer for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

3)   While the leeks are cooking, make the dressing by combining all ingredients except for the lemon zest and dill.

4)   When leeks are just tender (do not overcook!), transfer into a large mixing bowl, leaving the remaining broth. Pour kidney beans into the pan and heat in the broth for about one minute, tossing to warm through. Add half of the dill and toss.

5)   Remove pan from heat and using a slotted spoon, place chickpeas on top of the leeks. Pour dressing over top, sprinkle with remaining dill, lemon zest, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

6)   Mix together and serve immediately in individual plates with a sprinkling of goat feta.

Serves 2-3

I realise it sounds so very cliché visiting my gay-BF in gay-Paree to shop and eat as often as I do, but these frequent trips over the years have made Paris my home away from home and in turn have allowed me to put together a really considered Google Map and Top 10 list of my Parisian favourites for you to check out. Enjoy!

*Tips for using the map: Clicking on the printer icon in Google Maps will bring up a list with images and details that you can print and take with you on your trip. You can also send the link to yourself and use your phone browser to view the map on the go – remember caching the map is the best thing to do to avoid spending a lot of money on data roaming!

PARIS – TOP 10 HIT LIST

NANASHI

Perfect healthy hangover lunch spot. Fuel your body with organic Japanese fusion food and spoil yourself a little with one of their delightful cakes.

Best bit: Who said hangover-cures have to be greasy? All the organic veg and fresh juice will leave you hangover-free and ready to shop.

http://nanashi.fr/

RESTAURANT DERRIERE

The idea for this apartment-style venue was to be able to entertain friends “at home” every night. The name comes from its location, right at the back of 404 (a great Morroccan restaurant) and Andy Wahloo (for drinking and dancing after dinner).

The décor and furniture are an eclectic mix of styles and the food is French, simple and wholesome.

Best bit: Diners can choose where they want to sit, whether it’s in the lounge, dining room, bedroom or boudoir. Smokers can smoke in the hidden library-slash-games room.

http://www.derriere-resto.com

ISAAC REINA

I randomly found my beloved Issac Reina leather coin purse in New York, wondered if I would ever see their products again, then stumbled across their flagship store in Le Marais – what luck!

Best bit: If you’re on the look out for beautiful crafted leather-goods, classically designed but with a modern, architectural twist, you will want to visit this store.

http://www.isaacreina.com

FRENCH TROTTERS

Where men with style shop for clothes.

Best bit: Surface to Air and APC are on either side of French Trotters – so no need to wait for your man!

http://www.frenchtrotters.fr/

MERCE AND THE MUSE

A very un-Paris cafe. Reminds me of a cool cafe you would find in Melbourne, Stockholm or New York. The cappuccino is good too. They also bake their own cakes and if it’s on offer, don’t turn down the ridiculously moist coconut cake.

Best bit: Bohemian Paris and good coffee.

http://www.merceandthemuse.com/

SURFACE TO AIR

A trip to Paris is not the same without a trip to Surface to Air in Le Marais. Something about this shop makes me spend money each time I walk in.

Best bit: A Parisian Alexander Wang

http://www.surfacetoair.com/

COMME A LISBONNE

This hole-in-the-wall specialises in Portuguese custard tarts and there’s a reason why they have an eager line waiting out front as soon as a fresh batch leaves the oven.

Best bit: They are ALWAYS fresh out of the oven.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Comme-%C3%A0-Lisbonne/209638402400751

PHO BANH CUON 14

Easily the best Pho in Paris. The metro ride out there and time spent waiting in line are well worth it.

Best bit: Simple. The Pho.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pho-14/104005522998433

PANDA BELLEVILLE

The best Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) in Paris hands-down. A trip to Paris is not the same without one. If I don’t get the time I always stop past on the way (or out of the way) to the airport – a delicious plane snack

Best bit: French baguettes and French butter with Vietnamese fillings.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Panda-Belleville/182980035084075

LA BELLEVILLOISE

A really special place with a tangible creative spirit. The venue hosts club nights, lectures, art exhibitions, film screenings and concerts and even includes a restaurant.

Best bit: I can’t speak for the entire venue’s music policy but given I have been to see shows with Onra, Jessie Boykins III and Floating Points, I think I can safely say they have taste!

http://www.labellevilloise.com/

I jumped at the chance to spend this last weekend in Berlin with Mikee, who had been there all week schmoozing with industry folk at Bread & Butter. I was really in the mood for a dose of Berlin’s attitude; you know, cool, laid-back, edgy yet stylishly hedonistic – the kind of attitude that cool people have. I was not let down.

To be honest I’m not sure if my top 10 hit list for Berlin even scratches the surface of the city, in fact I don’t think any top 10 hit list could – Berlin simply has too much to offer. I bet the other recommendations in my Google Map would have made it into my top 10 – if only I had the time see. Hopefully I’ll be back soon for another Berlin update!

*Tips for using the map: Clicking on the printer icon in Google Maps will bring up a list with images and details that you can print and take with you on your trip. You can also send the link to yourself and use your phone browser to view the map on the go – remember caching the map is the best thing to do to avoid spending a lot of money on data roaming!

BERLIN – TOP 10 HIT LIST

BIXELS

I don’t know many people who would say no to a freshly baked potato and certainly not to one from BIXELS. Gourmet baked potatoes with chalkboard interiors, 1 communal table and Bob Dylan playing in the background is a nice dining concept indeed.

Best bit: Did I mention that it’s on my favourite boutique shopping street in Berlin? (Mulackstraße that is)

http://www.danielbixel.com/

Trust Bar

Enter via an anonymous door on Torstrasse into a stripped down, gritty yet glamorous bar. The cool hedonistic crowd enjoys full bottles of Champagne, Vodka and Trust brand mixers.

Best bit: The “trust” concept gets taken 1 step further here – each bathroom cubicle has a sliding door to the next. Trust thy neighbour not to bust in while you’re peeing!

http://www.trust-berlin.com/

The Barn

You can tell the owner of The Barn is passionate about coffee and offering quality food. He serves single origin beans from some notable roasters like Stumptown and Denmark Coffee Collective. If you know your coffee you will appreciate this place.

Best bit: The coffee is the draw card but you will want to eat everything on display.

http://www.thebarn.de/

Café KRONE

The perfect place to spend Sunday afternoon brunch with Kings of Convenience playing in the background. It’s bustling but warm and inviting.

Best bit: The interiors are what dream kitchens are made of.

http://www.brilliant-apartments.de/cafe_krone/hallo.html

Bonanza Coffee Heroes

Bare walls, sacks of coffee beans, a couple of bearded baristas making really good coffee is all you’ll get at this place. It’s worth a trip to Prenzlauer berg just to get one though.

Best bit: Simple. Cappuccino.

http://www.bonanzacoffee.de/

Das Neue Schwartz

Directly on one of Berlin’s most important fashion streets but tucked away so that only those in the know shop here. Ring a doorbell, enter through a courtyard and be greeted with some of the best avant-garde selections of vintage clothes, accessories and shoes from big-name designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Raf Simons, Bernhard Willhelm and Martin Margiela.

Best bit: These people have taste.

http://dasneueschwarz.de/

Burgermeister

This infamous burger kiosk below the U-Bahn tracks is where Kreuzbergers go when in need of a late night chilli-cheese fries and burger fix. So bad but so good.

Best bit: It’s also open for lunch.

http://www.burger-meister.de/

Feestsaal Kreuzberg

A nondescript tent below a busy underpass marks the entry of this club and music venue. Walk through and find a courtyard then a multi-storey, underground style club bringing a range of DJs an artists such as Floating Points – who we saw that night.

Best bit: A quality music policy from the posters I saw around the club.

http://www.festsaal-kreuzberg.de/

14 oz. Store Berlin

Hands down the best men’s denim store in Berlin.

Best bit: Shopped out? Rest up with a coffee in their outdoor courtyard.

http://14oz.net/

Manufactum Warenhaus Berlin

This place is special. A traditional general store selling high-end quality German products ranging from denims to home wares and foodstuffs.

Best bit: The well-selected stationary and art supplies section.

http://www.manufactum.de/

Over some caipirinhas on our Christmas trip to Rio de Janeiro, Mikee and I had a bright idea that perhaps other people could benefit from my maybe over-zealous holiday planning. Because, well, it’s all saved on Google Maps right? And after the trip I could easily edit the map keeping only the places that I really recommended. Well we thought it was a stroke of genius…

So here’s my map of favourite places to see and eat at in Rio and a quick write up about why I loved each place. There are a few bits on the map that I didn’t get to see but come highly recommended by locals and credible magazines like Monocle. Hopefully this city guide is useful to you if you’re travelling to Rio. If you’re not, you should definitely plan a trip – what an amazing city it is! Enjoy! x

RIO DE JANEIRO – TOP 10 HIT LIST

Market Ipanema Restaurant

Mikee uttered the words “best lunch ever” after we ate here. He could have been really hungry or really excited but we were definitely impressed by the creative menu, fresh ingredients, young beautiful crowd and urban summer setting.

Best bit: Get a strawberry, goat cheese, candied almond and green leaf salad with a pineapple mint and ginger juice to avoid post lunch beach bloat.

Porcao Brazilian BBQ

Starve yourself for at least a day before you eat here but you can expect to be rewarded with as much high quality meat as you can eat – a proper meat feast. There’s a salad bar if you need a break.

Best bit: No need to say you’re ready for more meat – simply turn your little card green-side-up and the waiter will be right over to slice you another piece of that succulent meat.

Via Sete

A bustling lunchtime pit-stop for healthy, gourmet, organic salads, wraps and burgers (without the bun).

Best bit: Get a seat outside as you’re on the best street in Ipanema for people watching

Sushi Leblon

Believe the hype that Sushi Leblon has the best sushi in Rio but be prepared to line up for it.

Best bit: The grilled asparagus sounds simple and boring but it’s juicy and charred to perfection.

Galitos Grill

We ate here 3 times in 2 weeks and ordered the same thing every time – you would too if you tried it.

Best bit: Grilled spring chicken in an amazingly spicy, zesty and buttery sauce with broccoli rice, fresh salad and some hot chips if you’ve got the room. I’m literally craving it now.

Bar do Mineiro

This was the source of my inspiration to cook Brazilian food. An old school bar where a local friend would take you if you were lucky.

Best bit: Get a pot of feijoada (pork and black bean stew) with rice, steamed thinly sliced kale and pork crackling. You’ll be addicted.

Aprazivel

The ambience of this restaurant alone is reason enough to go – it’s on top of the Santa Teresa hills and you dine outside amongst friends, food and nature.

Best bit: Roasted heart of palm served to you still in the palm!

Escadaria Selaron

It is amazing to see how the artist (known as Selaron) has transformed these steps in Lapa from a dark and dingy drug hideout to a world famous piece of art that people from all over the world have contributed to.

Best bit: See the steps then take a photo with the eccentric artist himself who still spends all day on the steps. Careful not to sit on them for too long, as he’ll be  sure to shoo you away!

Rio Scenarium

This famous antique store turns into a great live samba club at night. Enjoy caipirinhas and dancing with a nice mix of locals and travellers.

Best bit: The interiors of this old mansion are special – a real treat for the eyes.

Bar e Restaurante URCA

Locals spill out of the bar and sit on the wall outside to enjoy the harbour views with ice-cold beers and fried cod balls.

Best bit: The restaurant is outstanding. We had serious food envy when we saw another table order the grilled octopus.

To tell you the truth the book sat there collecting dust for a few months. In spite of having enjoyed his London restaurants many times, the urge to cook from it just wasn’t there. Some cookbooks are like that, but when you finally dive into them you wonder why you held back from all the incredible food you could have been eating.

I’ll probably post a lot of Ottolenghi recipes from now on because I think he has a wonderful way of making vegetarian food flavoursome, satisfying and interesting, just like this roasted vegetable tart or “Very full tart” as he very rightly calls it.

Roasted Mediterranean vegetable tart

Ingredients:

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

About 100ml olive oil

1 medium aubergine, cut into 4cm dice

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm dice

1 small courgette, cut into 3cm dice

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

Shortcrust pastry (see recipe below)

8 thyme springs, leaves picked

120g ricotta

120g feta

7 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 medium free-range eggs

200 double cream (single is OK too)

Salt and black pepper

Ingredients shortcrust pastry:

250g/8oz plain flour

2 pinches of salt

110g/4oz butter, cubed

6 tbsp cold water

Method shortcrust pastry:

1)   Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.

2)   Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.

3)   Using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.

4)   Wrap the dough in cling-film and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.

Method vegetable tart:

1)   Make sure you have the shortcrust pastry ready and waiting in the fridge before you begin preparing the tart

2)   Heat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8.

3)   Cut around the pepper stalks, then lift out and discard, along with all the seeds. Put the peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with oil and put on the top shelf of the oven.

4)   Mix the aubergine with four tablespoons of oil and season. Tip into a big baking tin and place on the shelf below the peppers.

5)   After 12 minutes, add the sweet potato, stir and roast for 12 minutes more. Now add the courgette, stir and roast for a further 10–12 minutes. By now, the peppers should be brown and the vegetables cooked.

6)   Remove everything from the oven and turn the heat to 160C/gas mark 2½. Cover the peppers with foil and leave to cool; once cool, peel and tear into strips.

7)   Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Sauté the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown, soft and sweet.

8)   Discard the bay and set aside.

9)   Grease a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin.

10) Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick circle large enough to line the tin with some overhang.

11) Press it into the edges. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice will do)

12) Bake blind for 30 minutes, lift out the paper and beans, and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until golden brown.

13) Remove and allow to cool a little.

14) Spread the onions over the bottom, then top with roasted veg.

15) Scatter over half the thyme, dot first with small chunks of both cheeses and then the tomato halves, cut-side up.

16) Whisk the eggs and cream with some salt and pepper, and pour into the tart; the tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed.

17) Scatter the remaining thyme on top.

18) Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the filling sets and turns golden.

19) Rest for at least 10 minutes, then trim off the excess pastry, remove the tart from its tin and serve.

Serves 4-6

Well according to the butcher at the Noordermarkt, the Dutch prefer their pork belly with the skin off, meaning that you could never accomplish the crisp crackling you see above. “Sorry…” he said, “we haven’t got any and you probably won’t ever find a butcher in Holland that hasn’t already cut the skin off the pig.” Pretty demoralising considering I was at one of the best food markets in the city…

“This is preposterous!” I thought. What about all the English? And the Chinese? How would they get their crackling fixes? Surely there’s been some demand and therefore some supply of it?!

I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I dragged poor Mikee all around Amsterdam in search of a butcher that would perhaps have a pig out the back waiting to be skinned. Logic led us to Chinatown and found us the lovely piece of crispy pork belly we ate tonight

For all you Amsterdammers with a hankering for crispy pork belly, head to the Slagerij Vet at Zeedijk 99 and enjoy!

Crisp pork belly with apple sauce and squashed potatoes

Ingredients pork belly:

900g pork belly (with skin on)

Sea salt

4 garlic cloves squashed with the back of a knife

3 strips of orange peel

Ingredients apple sauce:

4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters

60ml water

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 knob of butter

1 tbsp lemon juice

2-3 pinches of ground cinnamon

Ingredients squashed potatoes:

500g potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary or tbsp of dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

6 cloves of garlic

To serve:

Bitter salad leaves (like rocket, chicory or radicchio) tossed with a mustard dressing or olive oil and balsamic.

Method pork belly:

1)   Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius

2)   Score the pork belly lengthways with a very sharp knife (we used a craft knife)

3)   Rub the pork belly with lots of sea salt focusing on the skin and ensuring you get between the score marks

4)   Put in the fridge of 30 mins uncovered to dry out

5)   Line a roasting tin with baking paper

6)   Put the bay leaves, garlic and orange peels in the tin

7)   Place the pork belly on top

8)   Pour 1cm of cold water in the tin

9)   Roast uncovered for 3 hours

10)   Increase heat to 200 degrees Celsius

11)   Roast pork for another 20-30 mins or until skin crackles

12)   If the skin won’t crackle, put under hot grill and keep an eye on it until it does

13)   Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 mins

14)   Serve with potatoes, apple sauce and salad leaves

Method apple sauce:

1)   Place apples and water in a saucepan on medium heat

2)   Cover and simmer for 10 mins or until apple is soft

3)   Add sugar, butter, lemon juice and cinnamon

4)   Stir until sugar dissolves and butter melts

5)   Remove from heat and cool a little before serving

Method squashed potatoes:

1)   Wash potatoes and halve lengthways (keep the skin on)

2)   Add to a saucepan with a pinch of salt

3)   Cover with boiled water, put the lid on and boil until cooked

4)   Strain the potatoes and leave to drain for about 2 mins

5)   Add olive oil, rosemary and bay leaves to pan on medium-high heat

6)   Put the potatoes over it and drizzle with more olive oil and salt

7)   Crush the garlic cloves over the potatoes and turn heat to high

8)   Get a flat lid from a smaller pan and press down so you squash and burst some potatoes

9)   Leave to colour and then toss after 3 mins and squash down again until golden all over

Serves 4-6

Picture this. You’re in the Barossa Valley attempting to explore the endless wineries on offer. You’ve begun tasting wines at Yalumba by 10am, tasted nearly every brilliantly soft, supple wine that Two Hands has to show-off and ended the day at Charles Melton indulging in some classic big reds before realising that you somehow accidentally got drunk by 1pm.

So what do you do? You do what Mikee and I did of course… You follow through with what you planned for the day, which (very smartly) included a pre-degustation dinner nap and then a pre-degustation dinner cocktail overlooking the amazing Australian countryside. All in the name of readying one-self for the most magnificent degustation meal that’s been designed around the wines (not the other way round) – I digress.

This entry will be short so no time to ramble on about 10 or so dishes that I can’t quite recall from 9 months ago. This is about the pre-dinner cocktails and how we can try our best to re-invent them for ourselves at home.

Here are my versions of the cocktails:

Appellation’s garden Pimms

Ingredients:

A few thin slices of fresh cucumber (cut around the edges to make flower shapes)

½ cup of Pimm’s No. 1

1 shot of camomile vodka (or normal vodka)

A squeeze of limejuice

A squeeze of lemon juice

½ tsp sugars

Ice cubes

1 spring fresh rosemary

Chilled dry ginger ale

Method:

1)   Using muddler or handle of wooden spoon, mash well. Add Pimm’s, vodka, lemon juice, and sugar.

2)   Fill a long glass with ice and set aside

3)   Add ice to Pimm’s mixture, cover, and shake vigorously 20 times

4)   Strain into glass

5)   Push rosemary and all but 1 slices of cucumber into glass of ice and Pimm’s

6)   Fill glass with ginger ale and garnish rim with slice of cucumber

Makes 1 serve

___

Appellation’s Creation

Ingredients:

Fresh apple juice

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp finely grated ginger

A squeeze of lemon

Cranberry juice

1 shot of vodka or gin

Tall glass of ice

Method:

1)   Place cinnamon, ginger, lemon juice in glass of ice

2)   Then place the rest of the ingredients in, cover and shake vigorously 20 times

Makes 1 serve

 ___

Appellation Restaurant

The Louise Hotel

Barossa Valley

South Australia

http://www.thelouise.com.au/dine/

+61 8 8562 2722

It was a blast right into my childhood when mum cooked abalone congee for us when we were visiting in Adelaide. I hadn’t eaten the dish or even thought about it since I lived at home with mum. Eating it again reminded me of a time when I would open the fridge and it would be magically stocked with food and when being sick meant that I would get to eat congee in bed.

Mum’s congee was awesome and so fresh so I stole her recipe and added a poached egg into it. A runny egg always makes a dish taste better

Here’s the recipe:

Abalone and chicken congee

Ingredients for the congee:

3 cups cooked jasmine rice

2 chicken legs/drumsticks (about 400g)

3.5 cups chicken stock (from boiling the chicken drumsticks)

3-inch piece of ginger

Fish sauce, to taste

1 can of abalone (optional)

Ingredients for the garnish:

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

½ cup of coriander, finely chopped

½ cup Asian basil, finely chopped

½ small red onion, finely chopped

Black pepper, to taste

Soy sauce, to taste

4 poached eggs (instructions below)

Lemon wedges

Method:

1)   Slice the abalone and reserve the broth for later

2)   Boil the chicken (in just enough water to cover it) for 20 minutes

3)   Strain the chicken broth (to remove the scum) and reserve for later

4)   Shred the Chicken and set aside

5)   In a large saucepan, bring the 3.5 cups of chicken stock and ginger to a boil over medium heat.

6)   Add the rice and lower the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer until the rice is soft and the liquid has thickened.

7)   Once thickened to your preference, remove the ginger and add the abalone (remember, abalone only needs a few minutes to cook before it gets rubbery)

8)   If you would like the congee to be a thinner consistency, add the remaining chicken stock or abalone broth until you reach the desired consistency

9)   Taste the porridge and add the fish sauce to taste.

10) To serve, divide among four bowls.

11) Top each with a poached egg, then garnish with a sprinkling of spring onion, coriander, Asian basil and red onion.

12) Drizzle with lemon juice and soy sauce to taste and add black pepper if desired.

Serves 4

How to make a poached egg:

1) Bring a pot filled with water to just under a boil.

2) If your water has already started to boil, lower the heat until the water is no longer boiling.

3) Crack an egg into a small bowl.

4) Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the water.

5) Slowly drop the egg into the water.

6) Use a spoon to push back the egg whites onto the egg, so that it can form together.

7) Turn off the heat.

8) Cover the pot.

9) Let sit for 4 minutes, and then remove the egg with a slotted spoon.

This off-the-beaten-track foodie icon is Maggie Beer’s HQ – home to her entire range of gourmet food and wine produced in the Barossa Valley, a wonderful restaurant selling picnic fare which can be enjoyed on the water and also to the studio kitchen for The Cook and the Chef, her iconic TV programme which celebrates Australian food and its culinary traditions.

We watched cooking demonstrations in The Cook & the Chef's studio kitchen

Our eyes widened with pure delight after each bite of our homemade pheasant and porcini mushroom terrine with Maggie’s Cabernet Sauce. It was the sauce that made this dish. It had serious ‘wow’ factor – so much that I would pay some serious shipping money if they would actually send it to Holland.

We also indulged in the pheasant farm pate picnic basket, which was served with caramelized onion, freekah salad and wood oven bread and for dessert we had a seasonal fruit tart with the thickest, richest, freshest Jersey cream on the planet – think clotted cream, only with a stickier, gooier texture.

Seasonal fruit tart with Jersey Fresh Cream was extra delicious with Maggie Beer's strawberries & cream icecream

If you’re touring the great Barossa Valley, visit this home-grown Australian foodie hero and you won’t be disappointed. Maybe you’ll be as lucky as we were and run into Maggie Beer herself

Our Maggie Beer's Farm Shop picnic spread

A selection of Maggie Beer's products that will hopefully be sold in Holland one day!

The avocado smoothie or ‘sinh tố Bơ’ is a delicious creamy, sweet dessert drink made from blended avocados, ice, milk and condensed milk. Springtime and avocado season are nearly here so I’ll be posting a recipe for this luscious drink as soon as I can get my hands on some good avocados!

Broken rice (Cơm tấm) is a dish that was historically eaten by rice farmers who couldn’t sell off their leftover broken rice grains. Instead, they would use it for themselves. I am thankful for their ingenuity because now we can enjoy the softer texture of broken rice, which soaks up all the wonderful flavours of the marinated pork chops and tangy fish sauce.

Vietnamese broken rice varies a lot around Vietnam, but it’d be safe to say that the dish is normally made up of broken rice, marinated pork chops, shredded pork skin, steamed pork and egg patty, a sunny side up fried egg, pickled carrots and daikon, sliced cucumbers and tangy fish sauce for dipping.

Here’s the recipe:

Cơm Tấm Bì Sườn Chả (Vietnamese broken rice with pork chops, shredded pork skin and steamed pork and egg patty) – Serves 6-7 people

Ingredients for the shredded pork skin:

450g cooked, shredded pork skin (found in Vietnamese /Asian grocery stores in the frozen section)

220g pork shoulder, cut in 3×2 inch rectangles

85g roasted rice powder (found in spice section in Asian groceries)

55g garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Method:

1)    Thaw the pork skin in the fridge the day before you plan to make this.

2)    Submerge pork skin in slightly lukewarm water with a pinch of salt. Do not use hot water as this may congeal the pork skin together.

3)    Let the skin rehydrate about 20-30 mins. Drain and allow to dry before mixing.

4)    Also day before, cook the pork by boiling it. Cook until done and store in fridge overnight or until cool.

5)    Thinly slice into matchstick size.

6)    Mix the dry pork skin, pork, salt, most of the roasted rice powder and garlic thoroughly.

7)    Add the rest of the roasted rice powder or garlic to taste.

8)    Set aside in the fridge until ready.

9)    This mixture stores well in the freezer 1-2 months.

Ingredients for the steamed pork and egg patty:

450g ground pork

1 small bundle of bean thread noodles (soaked, drained, cut into 2-3 inch length)

1/2 cup dried wood-ear fungus (soaked and drained)

2 tbs pepper

1 tbs salt

2 egg whites

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp annatto seeds

1 tbs oil

Method:

1)    Mix pork, bean thread, fungus, pepper, salt and egg whites together and set aside.

2)    In sauce pain add oil and annatto seeds and cook for about 1 min or until desired orange/red colour seeps into oil. Do not burn seeds.

3)    Strain seeds and mix cooled oil into egg yolks to get a beautiful orange/red colour.

4)    Place pork mixture into baking pan or individual ramekins or in a cake tin.

5)    Generously layer on the egg yolk mixture and steam for about 30 minutes.

6)    This will vary with your pan and thickness of the patty. Check using sticking fork or toothpick.

Ingredients for the pork chops:

3 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs minced garlic

6 pork chops

Method:

1)    Marinade the pork with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, oil, and dark soy sauce for min 2 hrs.

2)    Pan fry or grill the chops.

Accompaniments:

Broken rice (cook according to the packet instructions)

Sliced cucumbers for garnish

A sunny side up fried egg

Dipping Fish sauce (recipe from the ravenous couple)

Pickled carrots and daikon (recipe from the ravenous couple)

Sliced spring onions fried in hot oil

Chef’s notes:

Arrange everything you’ve made above onto separate plates like this:

To make this dish in true authentic style, you will need access to a good Asian grocery store where you can buy shredded pork skin and broken rice.

However, you can still enjoy the flavours of this dish by substituting or even removing some parts of the dish. For example, you could leave out the shredded pork skin or swap the broken rice for plain jasmine rice.

The key flavour ingredients that must be present in the dish are the pork chops, pork and egg patty, fried egg, fish dipping sauce and pickles.

Enjoy!

Van Restaurant
90 Alicia Street
Athol Park SA 5012
Australia
(Open lunch and dinner, no reservations needed)