Chocolatey Banana Bites - Times Three

Bananas may not be the summeriest of all fruit, but dipped in chocolate, rolled in crunchy bits, and frozen, they beat any icy treat on a hot summer afternoon.

A brief 40 minutes of slicing, melting, and rolling, a bit of freeze time, and a sweet kid-friendly treat awaits. I like it thawed out a bit, so the banana is soft, but others seem to prefer that cool banana center straight from the freezer.
 


 In the past, I've whipped these up even faster by leaving the banana whole, dunking it in the chocolate, a quick roll through nuts, and to the freezy bin. Yet when sharing, the bites are soooo much easier to pass around.

A great summer sweet-n-salty treat, and a very tasty way to reap some of those seed benefits: Vitimin E is abundant in sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are little green packets of minerals - and great for men's health. It's no wonder banana bites have been dominating the blogosphere this year!

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Chocolate-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies

Quinoa, oats, nuts, and dried cranberries in a cookie makes them breakfast appropriate, post-workout ready, and diet friendly. And they are sweet enough that kids like them too! Whatever type of people are in your family, this is a cookie that works for all.
 
Sneaking protein-rich quinoa into baked treats boarders on genius, in my book anyways. I like a little bit of 'healthy' wherever I can get it.

Dark chocolate chunks and plump dried cranberries give them a definite sweetness. Almonds are toasted before used, to intensify their crunch and flavor.

They bake up nice and chewy, and make about two dozen very substantially sized cookies. I had two after a long run, which satisfied both a sweet tooth, and a need for a bit of carbs with staying power. They should keep well for a few days, but I doubt they will last that long.

Quinoa, what else can we sneak you in?

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Banana Nut Muffins with a Maple-Bourbon Glaze

Some might splash in a little Baileys in their morning coffee. Jokes all around of tapping into ones Irishness. Living as an American abroad, I sometimes find myself tending to downplay such Euro familial connections, and instead, head straight for what America stands for. This morning, that happened to be maple syrup and bourbon. 

Yes, banana nut muffins livened up with some mapley-bourbon goodness. 

The muffins are fairly straightforward, with only a hint of maple and bourbon. But the glaze that transpired a few hours later, well, that makes them worthy of bringing to work.

For the first time, I used a bit of gelatin in a glaze. I think it helped the structure a bit. If you've got the extra ten minutes to wait around for it to 'bloom' in the water, I say give it a go. Otherwise, skip it, and the glaze should be a bit thinner, but still work out if the muffins aren't traveling far.

The deep maple-bourbon flavor marriage is grounded with a bit of whole-wheat flour and oats. Absolutely toothsome, and not overly sweet. Out. of. this. world.

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Weekend Chill {Watermelon}

The week finishes. The weekend arrives. Sometimes as early as Thursday. When we are lucky. Sometimes not.

This week finished with an abundance of watermelon in the kitchen.

One glance at the stacks of deep red triangles on the plate and I heard the sound of ice clinking in glass.

Watermelon-basil mojitos were made.

There was still more melon. What better to do while sipping our drinks than make watermelon sorbet? The blender was already out, just a bit more blitzing, mix with strawberry yogurt and the same simple syrup that was used in the bevvies, and homemade sorbet was in the works. No ice cream maker, no problem. Freeze in a shallow metal pan for five hours, then blend again with a bit of milk, and creamy sorbet was gracing my spoon by midnight.



I hope to post more weekend chill ideas using a single seasonal fruit for both cocktail and frozen treat. One moment of post-work blitzing, two very lovely ways to keep cool over the weekend.

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Pistachio Cheesecake with Cardamom-Orange Glaze

There are no words. There is only cake.

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Mandarin Cake with Amaretto Crumble

"..and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China.." Suzanne, Leonard Cohen.

Some weekends deliver that perfect setting of quietude usually found only early in the mornings. And when that introspective peacefulness can stretch over the course of the weekend, well, when it can do that, it is something to be savoured.

It can happen on a particularly grey and rainy weekend, or when one feels a cold coming on and they've been admonished by colleagues to stay tucked in bed until Monday. And it can happen especially when seeing a very close friend with whom silence is just as pleasant as anything else that can fill a room.

When that kind of weekend wraps itself around you, it's nice to have cake. Not luxurious eye-poppingly decorated cake meant for guests. But cake meant for tea. Simple cake that can be had with a quick rummage through the kitchen. A bowl full of mandarins and a half package of amaretti cookies inspired this light and brightly flavoured afternoon treat.

A good amount of milk is used, and it almost has a sponge-cake-like feel. So light. So bright. Perfect for whiling away the afternoon sipping black tea in white tea cups, discussing with a like-minded soul on who gave most life to the song Suzanne: Leonard Cohen's original or Nina Simone's version. I'm a Cohen girl myself, but can't deny that Nina brought an extra something to it.

Whatever the topic lazily discussed, this cake makes for a good weekend nibble.

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Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfaits

The final two heart-healthy ingredients - pistachios and cherries - make for the perfect figgy dessert pairing. Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla bean are all that's needed to prepare four super-sized, creamy parfaits.

Pistachios make for such a nice flavour with the figs, but for the next morning, the poached fig mix easily goes into breakfast mode with some muesli and walnuts stirred in with the yogurt. Either way, dessert or brekkie, it will put a smile on your heart.

The heart-loving menu:

Brekkie: Muesli-Pancakes with Honeyed Berries

Lunch: Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard

Dinner: Pan-fried Fish with Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa

Dessert: Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfaits

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Three Ways to Truffle Your Chocolate

It's good. It's bad. It's in, and then it's out. Leading up to Valentine's Day, it's always in. Chocolate.

Prevents heart disease, lowers blood pressure, minimizes risks to cancer, and maybe even turns us on. Chocolate.

Films have been made. Books have immortalized it. Blogs are founded on the stuff. Histories have been charted. Wedding fountains spout gallons of it. Chocolate.

Flavenoids. Antioxidants. Caffeine.

Dark. Milk. White.

Have wars been started over it? Here's hoping a history buff is reading and can attest to that.

It snowed in Rome last weekend. And the city shut down. Paralizzato was the word heard for days. I tucked myself away and played with chocolate.

Returning from Castroni, which is Rome's premier cloud nine for all foodies, I had a good-quality half kilo bar of 60% chocolate. By the time the snow hit, I was scanning the kitchen for assorted bits to roll up into truffles.

Three ways were found:

Marsala-Prune-Honey, the sweetest version.
Olive Oil and Orange, my personal favourite, as a small love exists in me for olive oil + chocolate.
Vanilla Black Tea, super creamy, balanced in sweetness, and covered in toasted almond bits.

All were delectable.







Truffles are best to be made the night before, and set in the fridge to firm up before rolling out the next morning. Or just put in the freezer for an hour. However you decide, they are fairly easy, and as long as you've got the double boiler lined with melted chocolate, you may as well make a variety of flavours.

The three recipes here were made with a 60% cocoa content chocolate (seems to be standard percent for truffles) totalling 450 grams. I am not sure where that other 50 grams ran off to. I've heard this is a common problem when making truffles...disappearing chocolate.

Three Ways to Truffle Your Chocolate

Makes 40-48 truffles

Eat with Port or other dessert/sparkling wine

Time 2-3 hours active time (plus chill)

General truffle making instructions:

Melt: In a double-boiler (or small pot in a bigger pot with an inch or two of boiling water) melt the chocolate and other ingredients. Line a shallow dish with wax paper and pour the melted mix into that. 

Chill: Place in the fridge overnight or freezer for one hour. Truffles made with cream are harder to roll out and should be chilled longer than those made without.

Roll: Place the cocoa powder on a plate and cover your palms with cocoa powder as well to prevent sticking. Using two small spoons, mush together a ball from the chilled chocolate. Then using your hands, cover in cocoa powder and roll between palms/on plate to smooth out. Place on another plate covered in wax paper.

They keep in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for a month.

Recipe: Marsala-Prune-Honey Truffles

Adapted from Apron and Sneakers

Makes 13-15

1/4 cup Marsala

2 Tb chopped prunes (or sub any dried fruit...raisins, cherries, etc.)

160g chocolate, finely chopped

1 Tb honey

1 Tb butter

cocoa powder

1) Put the prune bits in a small dish and cover with the Marsala. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the Marsala into a separate cup and top up to make sure it's 1/4 cups worth.

2) In a double-boiler, heat the butter, honey, and Marsala. Add in the chocolate bits and melt until smooth. Stir in the prunes.

3) Chill and roll out in cocoa powder. 

Recipe: Olive Oil and Orange Truffles

Adapted from Edible Paradise

Makes 10-12

120g chocolate, finely chopped

2 1/2 Tb butter

4 Tb best quality extra virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt

1/8 cup cocoa powder and zest of half an orange

Maldon sea salt flakes

1)  In a double-boiler, melt chocolate, butter, olive, and tiny pinch of salt until smooth.

2) Chill and roll out in cocoa powder mixed with orange zest. Press a flake of Maldon sea salt onto each.

Recipe: Vanilla Black Tea Truffles

Adapted from Gourmet, Dec 2002

Makes 17-20

2/3 cup cream

2 Tb butter

2 heaping tsp loose black tea leaves (vanilla flavoured or otherwise)

170g chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup minced, toasted almonds

1) In the double boiler, heat the cream and butter until just before boiling. Add the tea leaves and steep 5-8 minutes. Either add the tea leaves into the cream contained in a tea ball (then steep at least 8 minutes), or strain cream into a small dish to get rid of the tea leaves. 

2) Add the cream back into the pot, and stir in the chocolate until smooth and melted.

3) Chill, and roll out into cocoa powder mixed with the toasted chopped almonds. Press the almonds firmly into the truffle so they have staying power.

Enjoy.
- Jo

Chocolate Pavlova with Caramely Bananas & Mascarpone Cream

Christmas morning is the perfect time to justify a leisurely dessert-like brekkie. And it seems to me that the messiness of pavlova certainly mirrors the disarray of little ones rushing down the stairs Christmas morning. I don't know about you, but for me, Christmas mornings are as relaxed and comfortable as a holiday gets. No one minds if they don't look their best in front of mom's camera when there are gifts to unwrap and gasps of surprise to be heard.

While Pavlova is usually thrown together with summer berries (as in last summer's strawberry-basil pavlova) it can take a winter turn as well with the addition of chocolate in the meringue base. Sauteed bananas are coated in caramel and a sprinkling of nutmeg, and a mascarpone cream sweetened with maple syrup simply resounds of breakfast.

And did I mention it's all spiked with a wee bit of Baileys Irish Cream? Good Christmas morning!

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My (Strawberry) Morning Milkshake

Looking for more ways to get your calcium? I know I am. Thought I'd quickly share what has recently become my morning milkshake routine.

Now that we are facing the winter dearth of fresh fruit, I've been buying frozen berries again. And one of my fave, and healthiest, ways of partaking is sucking down a blended bevvie. In the warmer months I'm all about smoothies with juices and ginger...but in winter, I dream of cream.

This milkshake is an incredibly simple version that doesn't use ice cream, or heavy cream. Full fat milk, of course, but the key is using berries that are only half frozen. I take out the berries the night before, stick them in a glass in the refrigerater. The next morning, they are perfectly soft without being too watery. It gives a smooth, creamy consistency without as much fat in a traditional ice cream based shake. A bit of powdered sugar is used instead of granular, as it dissolves easier. And ground flax seed is thrown in for those happy omega-3s and a smidge of fiber.

And a good morning it will be.

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The (Chocolate Chip) Skillet Cookie

Well, it's official. The skillet cookie has finally had a showing in my kitchen. A brief showing it was though - gobbled up immediately by myself and my partner in crime.

I've seen variations of the skillet cookie weave in and out of food blogs for the last year or two. The classic chocolate chip variety was my gateway cookie last night. The evidence is long gone by this point, so I'll be starting this week cookie free. The glory of the skillet cookie is the speed and ease of preparation. Ten minutes, two dirty bowls, and in the oven it goes. The cast iron skillet does away with all the putzy rolling-out-balls business and swapping out cookie trays every ten minutes. Just pat the batter into the pan, cook 35 minutes, try to wait as long as humanly possible to cool, and eat with abandon. Eat like nobody's watching.

 
Careful, though. Normally, with a cookie-shaped cookie I am semi-consciously aware of how many I'm eating (left over from childhood I presume, when we had a 3-cookie-a-day policy: one for each hand and one for the mouth.) The skillet cookie allows for no such counting. Slice at your own risk.

Being an American expat living abroad, I had a single precious bag of chocolate chips stashed away, and I wanted a rich, classic recipe to do them justice. So we went Martha Stewart style. Partly because her recipe shows them baked in a white Le Creuset, which I've been lusting over some time. But mostly because I wanted some Americana in my belly, and fast, and I knew for this, Martha's recipe would be perfect. Crispy on the outs, gooeylicious in the middle. This thing is seriously dangerous!

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Ladies Who Lunch {Ceasar Salad & Ricotta Panna Cotta}

In an Italian restaurant, 12:00 noon on a Friday, sat the four women I was looking for. I knew them only by their English. Here was my first meeting of the local women's expat group. I was giddy. Almost blind-date giddy. I wanted to waltz up and declare, "Why excuse me, but are you the ladies who lunch?"

I did no such thing, however, as I consider myself as a girl with sense (at least, on some days, and this day was one of them). 

Meeting new people during the week, at a lunch no less, does not happen that often. For one, I work. Beyond that, I have always held a slight aversion to self-professed women's groups. It feels like staring into a Georgia O'Keeffe pastel flower, that is, the softer side of feminism. Either be bold, be one hell of a chick, or embrace gender neutrality. But the idea of acting demure and using my inside voice, and drinking only tea and water, and talking about what the husbands do, and only using understated adjectives to describe one's passions...well, little appeal I suppose.

In a resolution to bond more with the ladies, though, this is exactly what I did. And it was nice. Yes, I waited my turn to speak, and kept the curse words under wraps. But I also found myself laughing until I had stitches in my sides when a proper British lady spoke of the pink skivvies which peek out of the trousers of her young transvestite gypsy gardener as he tends to her holiday home.

Skivvies aside though, as expats without local family support, it becomes even more apparent that us girls need to help each other out. Even though expat woman's groups are great ways to connect, it can be the small ways that make all the difference. A deal. A swap. A mutually beneficial arrangement that serves a purpose, and gives girls a time to bond. 

In the last few weeks a neighbour and I have started a food deal. I am now without wheels, so grocery shopping is a pain and a half. And I am recently cooking for one, which is a bit of a change to get used to. So my neighbour drives me to the supermarket, where I can load up on all my heavy things. She is a bit younger, busy with studies and work, so in turn I cook us a meal. So far, so good. Such a basic concept, but for some reason it took us ages to come up with the idea! 

What are your ways for helping out and being helped by other women? I bet you can think of some way to ease your and someone else's lives at the same time. 

Last weekend, we had a light lunch to try out a new Caesar salad dressing, followed by a vanilla bean infused ricotta Panna Cotta. I admit, it sounds a bit like fussy lady food, but home-made Caesar salads are a great way to sneak in those healthy sardine omega-3s and iron. And Panna Cotta? It's all calcium, baby.

I think I'll like being a lady who lunches.

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We Are Broken, but Back! {And with Viennese Cake: Sachertorte}

It has certainly been some time. Why, all of September and half of October flew by since the last post. And when I finally did check in, my whole blog was broken!!! Well, the pictures at least.

It turns out if one fiddles with the 'Blogger' pictures in Picasa web albums, it affects the pictures on the actual blog as well. This is news to me. So please be patient as I slowly restore the pictures that have gone missing. I must admit, part of me has been cowering under virtual blankets afraid to look at the wreckage of the the big black gaping holes (with very threatening symbols no less) where my photos used to sit. Those angry exclamation points and triangles were just too much to bear.

Sachertorte from my kitchen. Bulbous, but scrumptious.

And of course I've been busy as well. That's how life works. September in the world of a teacher is absolutely...well, one can imagine. Rather than come back with apologies though, I think it much more foodbloggish to come back with cake! Viennese Sachertorte: the original, and the one from my kitchen.

In the middle of the September new-class chaos, I also took a holiday with my mum. She flew out from Wisconsin, and since she's visited Czech Republic before, we decided to check out some other places. Since Vienna is adored by both of us, we started with a couple days there staying smack-dab next to the outdoor food market - the Naschmarkt.

But back to the cake. Sachertorte is a Viennese legend. It originated in the Hotel Sacher over 175 years ago, and versions of it are sold in cafes across Europe. The original can only be had in Vienna, and I believe also their hotel in Salzburg. In the past, I've always arrived at Hotel Sacher's Café during their busy time. Morning, mid-day, evening, it's always been packed with people. But this time, we tried a late evening approach - ten or elevinish. Seats were procured and cake was had.

And I don't know if it's the elegant 'S' icon on every pane of glass in the cafe, or the Sacher Hotel chocolate seal atop each slice of cake, but it just tasted better than any other Sachertorte I've ever had. And there have been many.

Compared to American cakes, the sweetness of Sachertorte is quite understated. Yet the smooth chocolate icing and the apricot glaze between the layers gave it the sugar edge my taste buds badly craved. Then again, to balance that out, the whipped cream served along side was also unsweetened. But then, the mug of Hot Sacher Chocolate I ordered tipped the sweet scale over again. It seems to me that Sachertorte has held onto it's popular position in Central Europe for so long precisely for this sweetness balance.

THE Original Sacher-Torte

After having had the real thing, it dawned on me that someday I might move away and not be within driving distance of Vienna, and more importantly, of its cakes. I had better learn to create some semblance of flavours and textures that mimic the original. I read up a bit and decided the recipe from Kaffehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague as found on Epicurious would do the trick. I read the reviews and followed the recipe, only baked it at a lower temperature (350°) for 45-50 minutes (rather than 400° for 35 minutes, as other reviews had suggested.)

The result is pictured at the top of the post. Not nearly as elegant as the Sacher Original. And to be honest, this was my second attempt. (The first turned into the biggest cake disaster I've ever lived through. Entire thing went to the trash. It was completely my mistake. When beating the egg whites and sugar together I used a wooden bowl, rather than glass, and those whites would not turn into anything resembling firm peaks!)

The cake bakes up with quite a domed arch shape. Since the whole thing should be sliced in half, the top should be sliced evenly flat too. And cutting off those excess top bits should give you enough for a hearty taste-test as well.

The apricot glaze is just lovely, and it pays to brush it onto the cake layer with a big rubber pastry brush, slowly, so it can sink in to the cake. Oh, and somehow my version ended up receiving chopped toasted almonds on top - not usual on a Sachertorte. But almonds suited the chocolate and apricot/rum glaze, and what's more, I really didn't find the glaze visually appealing. It turned out a bit too thin. It might be worth experimenting with a different chocolate glaze than the one in the recipe, which is perhaps too basic.

While it's a bit of a do-ahead cake (best to bake the night before, to be glazed/assembled the next day) it doesn't keep very long. Even well-covered in the fridge it seemed to dry out quickly. It's a great cake to share. Although, come to think of it, every cake is theoretically made for sharing. But the drying-out concern makes this one particularly destined for sharing, and not guilting it's way onto your plate for days on end.
Disclaimer: I may have too-much-cake-in-the-kitchen trauma.

Vienna Tips

(For a very nice Vienna write-up, check out post from earlier this year at What's for Lunch Honey?)

St. Stephan's Cathedral

A great, great, great place to stay is right next to the Naschmarkt at Wombat's City Hostel. It's newly built with private rooms as well as dorms. Very nice and clean kitchen facilities...makes eating straight from the market so easy!


If cooking for yourself is not appealing on holiday, there are plenty of cute cafés tucked between the rows of veg at the market. And for a sweet fix while walking, duck into the Schoko Company shop (in the middle of the market area) for a wide selection of über-creative chocolate creations, especially ones by my fave Austrian producer, Zotter.

Beyond the Naschmarkt are plenty of museums and other attractions depending on one's interests. Yet, one place absolutely anyone can find worth visiting is Prater (Wurstelprater) - the amusement park.

Firstly developed in the late 1800s and reconstructed after the war, Prater is the amusement park with atmosphere. Classic rides, games, and nostalgic images abound...go at night and you won't be disappointed!

A few more Vienna pictures can be found in this Picasa web album.

Next food stop on the mum-n-daughter holiday: Rome. Psst...there will be artichokes!

Dobrou Chut'/ Enjoy.
-- Jo

Dreamy Creamy Almond Pudding

Last week I discovered the fabulous Halal butcher/foodstuffs shop in my neighbourhood moved away. For other Brnáks reading this - they are now on Vídeňská street...number 37 I think. Corner of Vojtova.

While it was definitely great having them nearby (for that Easter leg of lamb, especially) the new location is fairly central, so I stopped by last week. The dry goods are more prominently displayed here, so not even in my usual rushing-to-class mode could I possibly miss the bottle of rosewater.

It had to come with me.

Just a smidge of rosewater to any honey or almond based dessert is absolute heaven. I even remember a restaurant where the drinking water was flavoured with just a hint of the stuff.

Don't be scared off, thinking 'well, I'm certainly not the flowery-food type.' There is nothing more summery than a gentle barely-there hint of rose in your dessert.

Seeing that I had some milk about to go off, pudding was in order. I admit that I made the mistake of not wanting to run to the store, so I just threw some almonds in the food processor to get the 'ground almond' effect. Next time I'll definitely get the right stuff. Powder-fine ground almonds would make the pudding extra smooth. But if you dig texture, the DIY approach would do you just fine.

The result is a not-overly-sweet pudding that is full of protein. I suggest any decadent meal end with this almond pudding for a tasty finish devoid of any guilt that a dessert can tend to instill.

And if you are in Brno, get yourself to the fabulous Halal Maso!

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Puff Pastry Strawberry Napoleons

I swear I eat more fruit than just strawberries.

In fact, there's a heap of freshly picked apricots on the table since morning. Yet somehow this will be the third strawberry post up this summer. First there was the elegant strawberry glasses with ricotta cream, then the splitting-at-the-seams strawberry pavlova with mint syrup.

Now up to bat is the classic brunch - Strawberry Napoleons - made easier with puff pastry.

I snapped a scant few pictures before gobbling them up, but I figure one picture is enough to toss up a quick recipe post. Really, though, I just wanted to share the fantastic ricotta cream one more time, because it is seriously that good. Same flavours as before, but much heartier, what with three layers of flaky dough. Think of this as the sturdy-legged cousin to that waify strawberry-purée-in-a-glass dish. Both are immensely satisfying, but in a night vs day kinda way.

And I promise, something besides strawberries will be coming soon!

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I Met Him in a Cherry Tree...Part 2 (& Strawberry Pavlova Recipe)

Continued from Part I

...I gasped. He was cuuuute!  

 I wanted nothing more than to fold him up and stick him in my pocket. Unfortunately, some fruit needed picking, so it was back to work for the moment. 

Ensuing days found me constantly in his path - quite literally. I did everything in my power to end up picking cherries in the same row, so that one day I could 'casually' wander over (carrying my 6-plus-foot ladder under my arm, mind you) and holler up to him - 

'So do you want to hang out some time?' 

(Embarrassingly unclever, I do realize, but in my silly-girl-nervousness state, that's all I could muster up, despite days of planning this very moment.)

He says: Uhhh, what does it mean, 'hang out?' 


Fuck. Phrasal verbs. Really? He doesn't know 'hang out'? What did they teach in English class in the Czech Republic? Well, certainly not phrasal verbs, I thought.

Once we got that all sorted out, and he vigorously agreed to 'hang out' with me that evening (his head-bobbing nearly threw him off his ladder), I 'casually' walked away. After a few steps: 'Josie!'

My heart briefly considered skipping a beat, but no use, as it was not my beloved - rather the voice of the orchard boss. 'Josie - this way!' he yelled.

I had 'casually' walked the wrong way down the cherry row. This did not exactly go unnoticed by the above-mentioned beloved, especially while turning around, what with that six-plus-foot ladder pinched under my arm.

Returning to my camp site, I furiously prepped for that 'nonchalant american cool' I so eagerly wanted to convey. He still jokes about the orange clown shoes (his words),which were actually authentic Berber loafers picked up in Morocco (my words), in which I arrived.

The impromptu date involved a dictionary, pen and paper, and wildly gregarious hand-gestures. We were in a small town with little else to do but to draw maps of our hometowns and teach one another the dearest and the nastiest of all phrases in our language. 

Within the year, we left New Zealand, and I moved to his county ('My Republic' he called it), and I have been teaching boat-loads of phrasal verbs ever since.




New Zealand = Aotearoa = land of the long white cloud = pavlova = damn fine dessert.

Pavlova.

What a funny name for a dessert. My Czech friends were a bit suspicious...hmmm, sounds Russian, they said. Well, I had to dig into the lore a bit, since when I was in New Zealand it was drummed into my head that the Pavlova is as New Zealand as can be. Then I start seeing it pop up on all sorts of Australian blogs as a -what?- classic Aussie invented dessert?! The internet tells me that it was named after a Russian ballerina, but by a Aussie or a Kiwi chef in the early 1900s is the big debate. 

I really didn't want this dessert to be too sweet, so my recipe here uses limited sugar for the strawberries and cream. Basically, it's just enough to do the job extracting the strawberry juice and flavouring the whipping  cream. But the sweetness should really be understated to let those fluffy meringue layers shine. 

The meringue itself has the added kick of a bit of allspice. It really marries well with the basil syrup. For a more traditional pairing, the basil could easily be replaced with mint, and the allspice with a some lemon zest. But I like the offbeat allspice/basil zing. It provides a little earthiness to an otherwise sugar-spun and  fairy-light mouthfeel.

It was my first meringue attempt, and I spent the morning pouring over two of my fave cookbooks (in terms of explanations and techniques) - Cook with Jamie and French Lessons. 

Both these books are excellent sources on dessert techniques, among other things. I'm not sure the confidence would have been flowing as much as it was without them. I must say, making meringues was really fun in a science-experimenty kind of way! 

Note that this cake does not keep well for the next day. Share generously and that won't be a problem anyways! It's great made the morning of some get together, keep the meringues on the counter and the berries, syrup, and cream in the fridge. Assemble just before people arrive.

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