Pound for Pound

Ever wonder why your mum's or grandma's home made cooking always taste best? Even though you may have made the exact same dish with the exact same ingredients? Or why creating something from scratch always has that magical feel of satisfaction?

It's because you know that someone has painstakenly put it all together down to the finest detail. AND because it is almost always a labour of love. As you know - food (cooking and eating) isn't just about throwing and mixing a few ingredients together and hoping it to turn out - it is a passion and to some - an artform.

Sure, in the today of busy schedules and hectic family and social lives, we must sometimes settle for the instantaneous tools which surround us.

However, it's also wonderful for the soul to get back to basics every so often. Something as relatively simple as a Bolognaise sauce, for example, with a few ingredients tossed together or worst still one from a can or a jar, has nothing of the magic of one that has been traditionally made with the freshest of ingredients slowly simmered for hours to allow the flavours and aroma of each of the ingredients to infuse.

The minutes of blissful silence after serving out this back to basics meal (allowing for the clinking of cutlery on plates and the slurping of pasta of course) emitted by the guests is a true testament of it's magic.

In cooking back to basics I almost always instinctively look for one of my favourite tools in the kitchen. My heavy granite mortor and pestle. Virtually indestructible, it gives me power to fuse and control flavours and textures, it allows me to mix new flavours, it allows me to crush or grind or blend my ingredients to the coarseness or fineness I desire. It allows me to use my own energy (and sometimes even to vent out my frustrations). The motion and energy itself also becomes an ingredient in the food (which is why I suggest one always cooks with high spirits) essentially becoming a signature to the cooking.

Spicy Fried Chicken

This is a wonderfully (and surprisingly) moist fried chicken recipe. The secret is in the coconut cream - which seems to create a barrier preventing the chicken from drying out during frying.

I loved the flavour of the 'stock' so much that I thought it a shame to discard it, instead I reduced it to a sauce and served it with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves: 4 or 5
Preparation and Cooking time: 1hr




Ingredients:
1 cup Coconut Cream
3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
6 Roughly chopped Whites of Shallots
1 Small (around 2cm) piece of Ginger/Galangal cut into shards
4 Roughly choppped Chillies
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tsp Tumeric
1.5kg Chicken (cut into 16 pieces)
Veg oil for frying

Method:
In a large Saucepan, simmer Coconut Cream, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Shallot, ginger/Galangal, Chillies, Garlic, Salt, and Tumeric with 2 1/2 cups of water. Allow flavours to infuse.

Add Chicken pieces and cook for 20 minutes or til chicken is jsut cooked.

Remove and allow to cool on a wore rack.

Heat oil and cook cooled chicken in batches till golden.

Drain and serve with cucumber slices and Sweet Chilli Sauce.


Perfect with a Icey cold beer or a glass of chilled unwooded wine.

Not forgotten

Hello again,

I've finally cleared out the cobwebs, polished the silver and laid fresh linen on the tables and above all refurbished the kitchen - so we're ready to open shop again.

Those who have been regularly visiting this space will know that I haven't updated it for quite some time - I hope you've all had a chance to try out some of the recipes. This is not to say, though, that I haven't been hunting for and trying new recipes to use here, in fact I've had a few gastrononic stories to tell and more recipes to share enough to keep me busy for a while.

So, pull up a chair, fill your glasses and here's to making more regular appearances.

HobbieChef

Prawn Laksa

OK, At first glance this one looks confusing and involved, but in really quite simple. Making a laksa from scratch like this one is what Feel Food© is really all about. The important thing about cooking this hearty soup is to keep a close eye on the amount of heat you are using - you want your base spices to influse flavours - resulting in a blending of the fresh flavours (rather than burning). Depending on your serving size this can be used as your first course in a banquet or as a main dish.

Serves: 4
Preparation and Cooking time: 45min



Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander Seed
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp Ground Tumeric
1 Roughly Chopped Onion
4 Finely sliced Lemon Grass Whites
Small Bunch Fresh Basil Leaves
4-6 Sliced Birdseye Chillies
2-3 Tsp Shrimp Paste
2L Chicken Stock
2 Cups Coconut Cream (or Milk)
4 Fresh Kaffir Limes
4 Finely Sliced Coriander Roots
2 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Grated Palm Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
500g Medium Raw Prawns (Peeled, Deveined and Tail On)
250g Rice Vermicelli Noodles
1 Cup Fresh Bean Sprouts
2/3 Cup Fresh Coriander
4 Pcs Julienne Fried Tofu

Method:
Dry roast Coriander and Cumin seed over med heat for 2-3 minutes - do not allow to burn. Then finely grind these with a mortar and pestle.

Place all ground spices, onion, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, chillies and shrimp paste with 1/2 cup of stock into a food processor and blend to a fine paste.

Heat coconut cream in a hot wok till the oil splits from the water (generally when it starts to boil). Add in the spice paste and allow the aromas to infuse (about 3-5 minutes) stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Add lime leaves, stock, fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to boil and allow to reduce slightly.

Add prawns and reduce heat allowing broth to simmer (uncovered) and prawns to slowly turn pink. Do not allow to boil.

Soak vermicelli according to directions on packet or until soft. Drain well and divide among bowls with bean sprouts, tofu, basil and coriander.

Ladle hot soup over and serve immediately.

Jamaican French Toast Sandwich

Based on the traditional French Toast, this is breakfast with a comfort food touch... especially useful after a big night too. This doesn't take too long to make and is fantastic with freshly brewed coffee.



Serves: 2
Preparation and Cooking Time: 1/2hr

Ingredients:
4 Slices of White Bread
2Tbsp Melted Butter
Tin of Crushed Pineapple
2 Sliced Bananas
Mixed Spice
Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
Cream or Milk
Tsp Rum
1 tsp oil for cooking

Method:
Spread melted butter to edges of one side of each slice of bread.

Place a layer of sliced banana in the centre of 2 of the bread slices.

Top with a little crushed pineapple.

Sprinkle with about a tsp of brown sugar.

Sprinkle with mixed spice.

Place another layer of banana and repeat above steps.

It's up to you how many 'layers' you'd like - my personal preference is three.

Place the other buttered slice of bread on top (butter side down) and slightly press down so there is a hill in the center of the sandwich.

Dip in eggwash and place on frypan on medium heat and cook till both sides are golden brown.

Remove from heat.

Sprinkle top of sandwich with brown sugar and mixed spice.

Place in medium grill while you make your coffee (sugar topping should be slightly caramelised to give a crunchy texture).

Eggwash:
Beat eggs well with a little milk or cream. Add rum and sprinkle of mixed spice. Mix well.