-"Cooking is pleasure and an integral part of a balanced approach to eating"- Mireille Guiliano.
A parcel in the diplomatic bag...
There is something that the ipad or any electronic gadget can not give you and it is the enormous rejoicing when Nick brings home an issue from the Dish magazine (or anything really) sent through the diplomatic bag to Manila. The subscription of the New Zealand magazine that my sister in-law Holly gave me this year for my birthday was one of the best gifts I had.
Nick and I don't have an iPad but Aurelia keeps asking us to buy her one. She has even written a Papa Noel a Christmas letter with just one present: the iPad. We are not against it, we just prefer to leave the iPad for the school hours (there are several per classroom) so when she gets home, she plays with lego, paints or creates a story with her toys. Also Gabriel can play with her. Sometimes we go to the park, to the pool or to have an ice cream. I am sure we will end buying one in the future, when she brings homework; perhaps it is the modern way to study. It is not how we did it though.
Anyway, this is a post about finding the small pleasures that makes my life enjoyable (not counting kids, husband or cooking). For me, it is to get up earlier than the rest of my family (so, let's say 5.30am) and read slowly the Dish magazine with a strong cup of coffee. I love the photos, not only the recipes, and the interesting articles about New Zealand. For example, there was a short story of an American pastry chef that she was a successful ballet dancer for 30 years but decided to focus her career in vanilla and how to use it in sweet and sour dishes. She wrote a book Vanilla Table. I didn't know the vanilla could be so versatile!
Thanks Holly for making my day...
I believe all the extremes are not good for you. My family eats a balanced diet, a bit of everything, including occasional homemade desserts. Excuse me, but if you like to have a glass of wine now and then, you are not an alcoholic. Everything in moderation is the key for a happy life! For me and my family in this case.
A cup of coffee in the morning...
It is clear that I need a morning coffee, a least until my children are older. But just one coffee a day, otherwise my hands would shake and my heart would have fast palpitations. Saimaza coffee is the brand my mum always bought when we all lived under the same roof. I love staying at my mum's place because I know she will have Saimaza for breakfast and we will share it together.
A cup of tea in the morning is very anglo, it says one who is married to an Australian. I think traditions are fascinating and very hard to change, sometimes impossible. Why would you, anyway? My family in-law knows me for 13 years but they still ask me politely, anytime of the day, "a cup of tea?". I travel with an Italian metal coffee maker, for goodness sake!
A glass of red wine...
I am happy when I have a glass of Pinot Noir wine while stirring a risotto; when I go out for a nice meal with Nick, family or friends; when Nick comes home and it is Friday night; when I had a hard day and need to chill out (amazing the magic effect!); when I have something important to celebrate (although I would incline my preference for Champagne, to be honest). In any case, only red, please. I am not fond of white wine, like Nick.
My dream is to do a wine tour in the North of Spain with Nick and our children when they get older. I wish one of them like ethnology!
A few slices of Spanish jamon Serrano...
There is a Spanish delicatessen in Manila called Terry's. I buy the jamon serrano Trevelez, freshly cut, when I don't feel like cooking on Sundays or when part of me craves something Spanish. I have to say, it is not cheap so I cannot afford having jamon for breakfast everyday, as I would like. However, when something is difficult to get, it is more appreciated.
A piece of 95% dark chocolate
I don't have a sweet tooth like Nick. That's probably why I enjoy a piece of a good dark chocolate after dinner. It is the bitterness what I like. And it is full of antioxidants so double effect!. I would also like a creamy dessert to end a meal, but not a cake. For me, cakes are for meriendas, unless it is a birthday, in that case, a piece of cake is a "must". When I was pregnant of baby Juanan, I had a few cravings (or excuses to eat what I felt like without feeling too guilty) and I tried this Blanxart chocolate from Barcelona. I am addicted to it. Again, it is not in my weekly budget, only monthly! and back to Canberra...it will be a birthday gift.
When our very good friends Richard and Kate came to visit us last August, I made this dish for the first time because I knew Kate had a posting in Greece and I wanted to bring her some of those flavours to the table. Of course, this meatballs didn't taste as good as the ones she probably had in Greece But she seemed to be delighted when I brought the hot terracotta dish to her. I found the meatballs very tasty and with some Moroccan notes, perhaps because of the cinnamon and cloves.
Soutzoukakia, baked meatballs in tomato sauce. From Feast magazine 2011
- 500g minced pork
- 500g minced beef
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 125ml white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, dill and mint leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 100g jasmine rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 625 chicken stock
- plain flour, to dust
- 150g kasseri cheese: it is a sheep's milk cheese with a salty flavour (I used the local "queso puti")
- Tzatziki, finely chopped tomato and sliced spring onion, to serve
- Tomato sauce: 800 can chopped tomatoes, 1tbs wholegrain mustard,1 tbs ground cumin, 2tbs honey, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Preheat oven 200C. Place pork and beef in a large bowl. Knead until smooth. Add spices, eggs, wine and herbs and stir to combine.
- Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice and bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 375ml stock and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the stock is absorbed. remove from th heat and stand covered for 20 minutes. remove the lid and stand untill cool.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook until thickened. Season.
- Discard the bay leaves from the rice and add the rice to mince mixture and stir to combine. Shape mixture into oval-shaped meatballs and dust with flour.
- Place the meatballs into a deep round ovenproof dish. Season, ladle sauce over the meatballs. Pour over the remaining stock. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until they are cooked through. Add cheese and cook until is melted.
- Serve meatballs topped with Tzatziki, chopped tomato and spring onion (optional).
Buen provecho!
PS: I used this recipe again last week but the meatballs were a bit dry. I forgot to pour the chicken stock over them and I didn't cover with foil, before they were back to the oven. Nick didn't notice it and the children loved them. It is also nice to serve them in individual dishes as I did for that dinner for Richard and Kate. Of course, a glass of red wine will make the meatballs juicy, even if you have forgotten the chicken stock!
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