The Riga-Gauja Region of Latvia In the Year 2017, the Riga-Gauja region will bear the title of European Region of Gastronomy. A special concept, called "Wild at Palate".
Denmark's Aarhus and the Lombardy region of Italy will share the honor of the Gastronomy title with Riga, with the ultimate goal being to unite various regions of Europe where local dishes are a defining factor. Another objective is to jointly promote gastronomic tradition and preservation of ethnic foods and their diversity. HERE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS THAT MY 'HELLO LATVIA' TOUR HAS TO OFFER:
The program of events for the European Region of Gastronomy 2017 is organized by the tourism sector, involving the top chefs from the finest restaurants, farmsteads, proprietors and persons affiliated with the arts and entertainment. New happenings will be held, new tourist routes will appear, and the subject of food placed front and center at well-known events. Interesting to note that in Latvia one thing is quite apparent - practically all foods gracing the table came from just outside the window. Birch sap juice in early spring were/are the perfect tonic to oil up rusty bones, while the flora in the field work well as seasonings for any dish, or for a pot of tea. From the nearby woods comes the meat on the table, plus, a wide variety of nuts and berries. And the yonder stream, lake and ocean provide an abundance of fish. These traditions from yesteryear are still alive today. Food stuffs straight from the wild not only are the norm at home, but are increasingly found on the menus of the finest restaurants. Dinner ware - plates and bowls made from wood, clay, stone and glass - all natural, are also a unique addition to the world of Latvian gastronomy. This and much more will be presented in 2017 when Riga-Gauja will be the European Region of Gastronomy! CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE LATVIAN TOUR This recipe is by Eleanor Ozich from her book ‘My Family Table’. If you slightly undercook them, you will get gooey oozey centres soft like a soft pudding.
Makes 10: 300g very good quality dark chocolate, melted 250g unsalted butter or coconut oil 150g coconut or muscovado sugar 50g almond meal 160g pitted medjool dates or 180g pitted prunes 6 free range eggs Pinch of sea salt 10 fresh cherries (if out of season, replace with raspberries) Preheat oven to 180degC. Line a 10 hole muffin case with paper cases. Add chocolate, butter, sugar, almond meal and dates to a food processor. Add eggs and salt and blend until smooth. Fill paper cases with batter and place a cherry on top of each cake. Bake for 18 minutes or until they are still a little squishy in the centre. They will continue to cook ever so slightly as they are cooling. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Serve dusted with icing sugar if desired. Cakes will keep in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 3 days and can be frozen for up to two months. The Art of Dining – it is the work of chefs like Guy Savoy who allow your dining dreams to come to life. Degustation of 20 courses! Last time I sat in one place that long was when I was on a flight to Hong Kong! Watch the mesmerising website video here
Start 2 days earlier. Serves 6 as an entrée
The colours of Christmas, simple to prepare for large numbers and avoids too much work on the day. 2 x 300g salmon fillets, with skin 1 bunch of dill 2 large beetroot ½ cup/75g sea salt ½ cup/75g caster sugar ½ tspn crushed black peppercorns 2 tblspns Vodka (optional for kids!) 100g mache lettuce (or watercress) 1 tblspn extra virgin olive oil 1 tblspn lemon juice Horseradish Cream (see note below) Optional Beetroot Jelly (See recipe below) Remove bones using fish tweezers (or ask your fishmonger to do this for you). Wash, dry and roughly chop the dill. (Include and bash the stems). Peel and grate the beetroot (you should have approx 2 cups). In a bowl, combine the dill, beetroot, sea salt, sugar, pepper and Vodka and mix thoroughly. Place a little of this curing mixture into a glass dish and then the salmon, skin side down. Top with the rest of the curing mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the fish over, ensuring it is covered with the beetroot mix. Refrigerate for a further 12-24 hours. Remove the fish and wipe clean with paper towel. Remove skin and slice salmon with minimal sawing action. (This can be done in advance and kept cold). Arrange slices on plates or platter. Toss salad leaves with olive oil and lemon juice and serve with salmon, horseradish cream and optional Beetroot Jelly. To make the Horseradish Cream: 1 fresh horseradish root 2 tspns vinegar ¼ cup cream Salt and white pepper Peel the horseradish and grate finely (you will need 2 tblspns). Immediately mix with the vinegar (do this quickly to avoid the horseradish from becoming too fiery). Add the cream and season to taste. Keeps for a few days in the fridge. If fresh horseradish is unavailable, mix together 1 tblspn shop bought horseradish cream with 2 tblspns cream, sea salt and pepper. To make the Beetroot Jelly: 1 large beetroot, peeled and chopped 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar ½ cup water 1 tspn sugar ½ tspn salt 6.6g gelatin leaves (gold leaves are 2.2g each and titanium leaves are 5-6g each) Place all ingredients (except gelatine leaves) into a blender and process until smooth. Allow to macerate in the fridge overnight. Strain through muslin cloth for 1-2 hours and collect the essence in a jug. There should be about 150mls. Soak gelatin leaves in cold water for a few minutes. In the meantime, heat the juice slightly. Squeeze out gelatin leaves and add to the warm beetroot juice. Pour into a flat square tin lined with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Turn out onto a board and cut into cubes. It was a day of colour, mouth-watering exotic flavours and a lovely bunch of people.
To make the Spinach and Onion Pakhoras from Coconut Grove: Ingredients: Long slices of raw onion Chopped and washed spinach (ok to still be a bit wet) Chickpea flour (same as Besan or gram flour) Salt to taste Chilli powder to taste Cumin powder to taste Frying oil (Vegetable, canola or olive) Method: In a bowl, toss all the above ingredients (except oil). Add a little water to create a mixture but not a lot to avoid splattering during frying . Create small balls out of this mixture in your palm and deep fry . This is a very simple recipe and other vegetables such as potato and capsicum can be used to make pakoras. The word "Pakora "is synonymous with " Bhajji" . Originally only in Asian cuisine, black garlic has reached our shores (any my local organic market).
A process of low warm temperatures and humidity for a few weeks, creates a maillard reaction causing the cloves to go black with a rich, sweet and earthy flavour. Simply squeeze the gooey cloves out of their peels and either mix into a dressing, toss through hot vegetables, spread onto crostini or grate dehydrated cloves onto food to give a unique umami sensation. Twice as many antioxidants as fresh garlic and rich in amino acids. See my Fresh Pea blog article for a recipe.
So excited about fresh spring produce! Like the good old days, buy fresh peas, pod them and cook them all on the same day. (Natural sweetness turns to starch within hours of picking.) Make sure you use lots of water to boil the peas as the chlorophyll reacts with the acid causing the peas to go a drab brown grey colour. Here is one of my favourite pea recipes from Russo & Russo in Newtown which I like to serve with truffled chicken, barbecued meats or just on its own. Have you ever stopped to think how people come up with restaurant names? Is it a special heartfelt meaning or does it just sound exotic or kooky?
Here are some that I pondered about and researched the meanings: Aria: A long operatic song for a solo voice (Located near the Sydney Opera House) Mezzo: A female singer with a voice pitched between soprano and contralto / or / the Italian word for Half or Medium (Musical themes are popular. What about Filo Harmonic?) Pecorino: A type of sheep’s milk cheese / or / simply a little sheep (Better than Giraffino) Movido: Spanish for Active, swinging, abuzz, stirred (I like it!) MoVida: Spanish for Happening, Gathering Bambini Trust: Bambini is Italian for children (I don’t think they serve kids meals but their food is divine) The Golden Stool: Stop snickering, it actually means the royal and divine throne of the Ashanti people And a couple that don’t need any explanation or passionate meaning: A Salt & Battery and Just Falafs! (Love it!) Fresh organic honeycomb honey is delicious! Tear off pieces and quickly pop into your mouth for a honey explosion. The fresh honey trickles out of the hexagonal structure and the wax honeycomb is edible. It takes a bit of chewing, but it is great if you have a sore throat. Beekeepers like to return the comb back to the bees to save them some work but if you have a lovely friend like Victoria, (thank you Victoria!) you can experience the real deal.
When still in the honeycomb, it is virtually certain that the honey is raw food. This means that it hasn’t been heated, pasteurised or processed and therefore nutrients are intact. Raw honey is a natural antioxidant, is antibacterial and contains healthy bacteria and enzymes for gut health. Honey will take on the perfume of bees’ chosen pollen, making it a treat to try different honeys. Try serving honeycomb honey scattered over roasted spiced vegetables and meats or simply with fresh fruit and cheese. |
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