Potato gnocchi with ham and sage. Mise en place, misplaced

I am the queen this afternoon. 

Aurelia brought me a tiny green plastic cup and placed it on top of my study table. With sugar, Her Excellency? she asked me politely. No thanks, just a tablespoon of honey, please. I replied with my right hand holding the cup, a little finger pointing up.

While I was pretending to be part of my daughter's imaginary story, I wanted to distract my mind to more urgent matters, my next exam. I tried carefully to turn my eyes from the royal scene of the room to the screen of my computer where it was displayed, for a long time, a page about "Hygienic in restaurants" one of the subjects of the introductory course of my new career of Patisserie.

I had all the materials set up or mise en place - gastronomic French term that refers to organize and arrange the ingredients. The computer, colourful pens, stick-on-it notes for my resumes, a rubber and a new black notebook - happily decorated with stickers of cars by my second son's busy three year old hands.

Aurelia left the room to bring me a magdaleine from the kitchen to have with my tea. Sorry, Her Excellency Queen, I forgot.  I smiled at her but was thinking, Great! Back to my study. It was my fifth go after four unsuccessful attempts during that day. 

I put my invisible ear plugs to pretend I wasn't listening to the noise coming from the children in one of the bedrooms and  began to look at the screen. My sixth try. I read the first paragraph of the text, underneath the title. Something related to the direction of the food preparation, that it has to go forward so it doesn't get contaminated when…mama!!!! whereee arrre youuu?? I want my plane but baby "guanan" took it. Es mio!! I could hear now Gab crying downstairs, followed by baby Juanan. Gab was shaking vigorously the metal bars of the safety child gate at the bottom of the stairs. He was desperately searching for me.

I intentionally arranged my study on the top floor when I was enrolled in the course a month ago.  Obviously, I was hiding myself from my own family. I needed to go through my notes and get a few ideas in my obsolete head to be able to pass the first exam. I don't know why but it seemed an impossible task. I wasn't putting the blame on the demands of my children, that was unfair. It was my lack of concentration on the screen. After finishing a law degree and my masters, I hadn't really touched a book again for many years. 

I have heard that once you have children, some neurons evaporate with the birth. 

- Does it mean I have lost the only one I probably had? I asked sarcastically my girlfriend. Lucky me, she was not only my running buddy but also a good psychologist.

- Perhaps your brain doesn't get the signals of "studying" or "working" soon after you have babies. Even when you actually sit down in front of the books or are in your office, it will take you a while to concentrate, but it is normal. It is only transitory. It is like when you stop running for a long period, you cannot pretend to run a marathon on your first day!

I kind of felt relieved. Although my mise en place was misplaced by motherhood, affecting my focus on the study, it was going to be a temporary face, as I repeated it to myself. It wasn't all lost, despite my initial disappointment of not getting the habit back straight away.

On my defense, the fact that perhaps children did not like much the idea that mum was studying and not jumping in the trampoline or making figures with play doh, made me feel guilty. Like many non-working mums, my kids spend most of the day with me, until a couple of weeks ago, when I decided to shake my professional life and give it another chance on taking a new journey to follow my passion. I accepted this course as a full time job.

Believe it or not, diplomat's wives do not have always the opportunity to continue their professional life the way they wished. We need to adapt our skills to the circumstances and pass a few barriers such a language, low local salaries, degrees not recognized,…Instead, we can do short courses, study by correspondence or being part of some volunteering work, for example. 

Back to my frustrated moment when the kids were fighting about an orange plastic plane called Dusty while I wanted to continue with the food preparation chapter, I did what you supposed not to do, I gave up. I turned off the computer and disconnected from being a mum - student to be a mum, a single word. I played with the plane with Gab and Juanan pretending to be a pilot.  When my three children were all fast asleep, I left their small world and quickly went up to my cave to study. 

Eventually, within a few days, I learnt to organize my time better. Amazing the things  you are able to do if you have a good schedule in your head that suits everybody. I squeezed those two hours at night intensively…and my concentration increased. Like it used to BEFORE I HAD KIDS. My friend was right.

On the other hand, my kids accepted better the idea of "mum-student" when I made the clever decision of studying in a book shop near by, instead of playing "hide and seek" on the top floor.

Potato gnocchi with ham and sage

The gnocchi recipe is from the cookbook Rafael, which also has a fantastic restaurant in Lima. It is my favorite so far. I made up this dish during that frustrated week I shared with you above. Cooking helped me a lot to put close attention of what I did when I couldn't do it in my studies. 

And my daughter was my best support, in every sense.

Gnocchi

• 3 kg potatoes (floury)
• 4 egg yolks
• 100g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 150 g flour 00
• Sea salt
• nutmeg
• 2 kg table salt

Sauce:

• a few fresh sage leaves
• unsalted butter 
• 6 slices of Spanish jamon serrano, thinly cut in small pieces
• Freshly grated parmesan 

1. Preheat oven 180 C
2. Cut the potatoes in half, lengthways. Put them together (in one piece) and place them on top of a oven tray covered by table salt (this will help to absorb all the moisture). Cook them for an hour until very soft. Peel them and pass them through a "potato ricer" twice.
3. Add the egg yolks, salt and mix well. Add the flour, cheese and nutmeg. Knead the dough gently. It should be soft, not dry.
4. Put a big saucepan of salted water over high heat.
5. Make a long thin roll. Cut it in 2cm pieces. Give it a shape with the back of a fork to help the sauce to stick to the gnocchi.
6. Meanwhile, add a knob of butter to a frypan with a few fresh sage leaves. Swirl them around once the butter is melted and continue until the butter gets brownish and the leaves crispy. Place the leaves on a piece of kitchen paper.
7. If the water is boiling, place the gnocchi carefully to cover the bottom of the saucepan. When the come up to the surface, take them out and put them on a warm serving dish. You might have to repeat this step again to finish cooking the rest of the gnocchi (I kept some, well covered, in the freezer).
8. Serve about 10- 15 gnocchis per person. Pour some of the butter on each plate, sprinkle a good amount of jamon serrano, decorate with three or four crispy sage leaves and grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Sacha tomate jam. Meeting the President

Being the spouse of a diplomat and more precisely, of an Ambassador, sometimes gives you the opportunities to do things that perhaps otherwise you wouldn't have access to. These chances are unique, break my routine and  make my life more exciting. Besides, you never know, those opportunities might lead you to something else. It is a domino game, where a piece touches another before falling down.

Two weeks ago, Nick was told that the ceremony to give the letter of Credentials was happening soon, but we didn't know when exactly and what time. The President Ollanta Humala was a busy men so it wasn't easy to find a space in his busy agenda to meet the new wave of Ambassadors arriving in Peru from Australia, Francia, Guatemala and Panama. 

Eventually, on the 27th of november Nick was going  to be officially presented as the new Australian Ambassador in Peru. The office of Protocol kept telling us different hours to meet Mr Humala, at 4pm, 8.30am, 6.30am, 7.15am...and finally, "it will be at 7.30am. It is confirmed" said the person in charge. So I arranged my nanny to be at home at 6am to look after the children and get them ready to go to school.

I am holding a photograph of Nick shaking hands with the ex Spanish King Juan Carlos. Next to him,  the Counsellor and the new Australian Ambassdor in Madrid who was presenting his Credentials. The three of them made a lovely team, a friendship that marked Nick's first posting in a memorable way.

It was October of 2000 when an excited Nick told me that he went in a carriage to the Palacio Real or Royal Palace to meet the Spanish King - at that time. It was unbelievable, like something from another century!Thank you Spain and your old rich history! You have to understand this sentence in the context of an Australian point of view.

We were in a trendy bar in Chueca street having some tapas - croquetas de jamon and a copa de Rioja red wine. For the first part of the story I listened carefully, very attentive. My ears and eyes were wide open.  I was fascinated by what he was telling me and by the fact that he lived that especial ceremony. I will never be able to meet a king, Spanish or not I accepted with resignation but happy that he had the chance to do it.

I was 24 and still new in this relationship with my charming Australian boyfriend whom I met exactly a month before his royal meeting. At the same time the words of his imperfect Spanish were music to my ears, a thought crossed my mind. It was about that domino game and how my life was flying in the right direction after a recent break up... If I hadn't caught that Easy Jet plane to visit my sister in London, I wouldn't be in this bar with Nick. I would be in a bus travelling to the South of Spain to see my andalucian ex boyfriend whom I saw a few weeks ago because we were having a long distance relationship, an unhappy one that it lasted longer than I wished.

Back to happier moments, Nick and I arrived in different cars at the Palacio del Gobierno or Government Palace, also known as house of Pizarro, who built the emblematic building in 1535. I was taken to a silent room decorated with wooden antiques, golden statues and a big painting that took almost the wall that separated two uniformed soldiers next to the sofa where I was sit. I was nervous, moving hands from the lap of my black and white skirt to my well tied pony tail that I fixed quickly in the car leaving the residence. Thank goodness I always have a travel make up box in my bag to correct the motherhood purple circles under eyes. 

I was with the spouses of the other three Ambassadors "to be". We were all waiting with much anticipation our turn to accompany our respective partners. An awkward conversation was obviously forced.

The ceremony gave me goose bumps and it was as beautiful as I always imagined thanks to Nick's previous description from his experience in Madrid in 2000. But now, it was him who was presenting his Credentials to the Peruvian President - a not very tall but charismatic men. It was a solemn occasion, respectful and breathtaking. It was...magnificent. 

Another piece of the domino fell down. I was grateful and overwhelmed for being part of that especial day. Who would it thought fourteen years ago that I would be a witness of that ceremony, and in the "darkest" Peru? I didn't during that tapas night with Nick in Madrid.

A strong cup of coffee and some flaky pastries were part of our delicious breakfast in the Club Nacional to celebrate it. 

Because life is about celebration and food is always part of it. At least for me.

Sacha tomate or tamarillo: tree tomate, a fruit from the Andes

- I am proud of this photo because I don't usually take great ones. I think I will frame it for my kitchen -

Tomate tree jam

by Maricel E. Presilla

• 16 fresh sacha tomates
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 allspice berries
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of sugar

1. Cut a shallow cross on the tip of each sacha tomate. Place the sacha tomates in a medium sauce pan with water to cover, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the sacha tomates and peel. Force the pulp through a strainer (I didn't do this step) into a bowl.
3. place the puree in a saucepan with the cloves, allspice, salt and sugar. Stir to mix well, simmer over medium low heat until it is as thick as jam.
4. Serve with savouries dishes, curries or cheese.

Sausage rolls for fussy kids. The "F" word

In the last few days I have been using quite often a word that starts with the letter "f". It is not a rude word, if that was what you thought. I give you a clue: it means the end of something or a separation from someone or from a place; sometimes it makes you sad.

Farewells.

I don't like them much. I never did in the past, but I am used to them now. I have moved countries six times since 2003 and this will be my seventh in mid-June. I know what to expect in the next few weeks and it is not always as easy as you might think. I am upset about closing another chapter of my life, an intensive one actually. But life continues and there is always something positive to look forward.

I mentioned in my post "Detachable me" that my skin has got more resistant to the pain every time I go through the process of packing and moving homes from one country to another. With each diplomatic posting the embassy provides us a house, with furniture that also belongs to the embassy, but we call it our "home" during the length of the posting (usually three years). We make sure it is our "home" and we decorate it with our personal effects (my cookbooks, Nick's favorite paintings, children's drawings…) as we were planning to live there for good. Otherwise, indifference and apathy would give us a "temporary" feeling and would not help us to get settled in that particular country - especially  our children, who move so often that they might get lost sometimes in what "home" really means for them.

And home is not going to be Manila anymore I said gently to them, well, to Aurelia really (Gab doesn't have the maturity to fully understand the situation yet ). It will be Canberra for a while, who knows for how long. We will arrive in the middle of winter! I am looking forward to packing in one of our five suitcases my warm feather grey coat that my mum gave me last Christmas in Spain. I know I will feel cozy underneath when I take the kids for a walk around the lake on a crisp but sunny morning in Canberra.

It is an awkward feeling to live your own farewell. The situation feels unreal, kafkaesque, like it is not happening to you. I have seen many of my good friends leave and I was left behind, trying to fill up the empty space with new friendships but not always succeed. Some friends are irreplaceable. I have been in their farewells, even asked them the typical questions such as how do you feel about living? will you miss Manila? what are you planning to do next? ah, what school is she going to? do you have already a house where to live?. And now that it is me who has to answer, it is my turn to be in the other side of the story, I find it challenging, and a bit upsetting. 

However, it is also exciting thinking about the next big, huge adventure ahead of us. A new door is about to be opened. I just hope Aurelia, Gabriel and Juanan cope well with the transition. The separation of their belongs and friends could give them anxiety and that's why we remind them everyday than Nick and I, papa and mama, will be with them always, no matter what happens.

I had my very first farewell lunch with some of my good friends yesterday. 

It was funny the way it began. We were meeting at 12 o'clock in a restaurant hidden in the 3rd floor of an office building close to my house. So I left home at 11.55 to be on time (I am always late and the baby is my excuse…for now). My hands smelt strongly of garlic from the marinating of the meatballs I prepared at 11.45 wearing high heel shoes and a new Zara blue and yellow dress that I bought for that special lunch. Not even the grandmother trick of rubbing parsley in my hands would take the smell off. Never mind, let's have fun. And I closed the door of motherhood behind me.

I got to the restaurant and found the table with the "reservation" name on top. But it was empty. Humm…it is strange. Time passed by and the only people next to my table were business men having lunch but none of my friends. I had that uncomfortable smile on my face as I was on my own in my farewell lunch. Where the bloody hell are they? I thought, maybe this lunch was a joke. Meanwhile, an scene from Sex and the City television series crossed my mind, when Carrie went to a restaurant to celebrate her 35th birthday dinner with her friends but they didn't turn up. In the end, she was left totally alone and went back home, crying.

Thank goodness my friends turned up…on time, actually. It was 12.30 the lunch not 12 noon.  I was so excited about my first farewell (and my first lunch out without kids!) when I left home that I didn't pay attention to the text of my friend confirming the lunch...and to change the booking for half and hour later than the previous arrangement.

We laughed about my mistake over a beautiful meal (most of us had a bento tray of poached salmon with fried rice) surrounded by the aroma from a big bunch of white and pink lilies that my friends gave me and I placed behind my chair to hide the garlic smell of my hands. They also bought me a fantastic cookbook La cocina Latina, which is like the "bible" for the Latin american kitchen. 

One of my friends asked me what are the things you will remember from the Philippines, besides of having had two babies here?  Well, it took me a while to respond.  Honestly, I could have done more or travelled more or enjoyed more with nights out or weekends away, but I didn't because of my personal circumstances. So I thought about the answer and I told her with teary eyes that I will take with me the memories I have shared with this great group of very good friends.

I don't have physically more time here with them, but I  know we will keep in touch and who knows, maybe our paths will cross again. I read recently that "A true friendship is not about being inseparable; it is about being separated but nothing changes"

Thank you. I enjoyed my farewell lunch as much as the three years we spent together.

PS: by the way, I also take with me a nice rock on my finger that Nick bought me in 2012 for our tenth wedding anniversary!

Healthy sausage rolls for fussy kids

This is one of the best recipes I came up with: I mix grated carrot and zucchini with the meat. Simple but delicious. The sausage rolls are also nice served with tomato chutney and a green salad.

Start the recipe the day before or at least 5 hours ahead for a more flavour mixture.

Makes  a big batch, 20 medium size rolls (2 per person)

Mixture:

• 500g ground beef (if you choose lean, the sausage will be a bit dry)
• 250g ground pork
• 1 carrot, finely grated
• 1 small zucchini, grated and squeezed the liquid
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup homemade breadcrumbs, soaked in milk and squeezed (or substitute for cooked rice)
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of each sweet paprika, white pepper and mustard powder. 
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

Rolls:

• puff pastry sheets
• To brush the rolls, egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk

1. For the meat mixture, using a medium size bowl, mix all the ingredients using your wet hands until they are evenly mixed and cover tightly with a plastic wrap. Keep it in the fridge.
2. When ready to cook (calculate 1 hour or preparation time), preheat oven to 180C. Grease two baking trays.
3. Cut each sheet of pastry in half. Lay a piece of the pastry out on a clean table and use a 1/2 cup measure to scoop a portion of the sausage mixture and place it on top of the pastry. Use your hands to form it into a long sausage that goes along the centre of the pastry, keeping the same thickness (I follow this method when I make gnoquis or croquetas).
4. The tricky part is to roll the pastry over the sausage and then fold up the bottom of the pastry to meet it; it should overlap. Carefully turn the long sausage roll over so the join is underneath (and it doesn't open when it puffs in the oven). Repeat with the remaining pieces of pastry until the meat mixture is finished.
5. Cut each long roll into equal pieces.
6. Place the sausage rolls on baking trays, leaving a little space between them. Brush the top with the egg wash.
7. Put the trays in the oven and bake until the pastry is golden and flaky (about 25 minutes).
8. When they are cooked, let them cool a bit and serve them with tomato sauce and a green salad (you can also cooked them partially, cool them and keep them in the freezer)

Mediterranean tuna tart. Breakfast with the kangaroos

After living in Manila for more than two and half years, I notice that I need a break every three months or so from the pollution, the traffic, the noise, the heat, even the crowd. I have to go away for a few days to come back and see again the pretty things this place offers, which are many, and appreciate them. Otherwise, I become grumpy and impatience in my daily routine.

My whole family needed a holiday in Easter anyway, not just me. Just for two weeks, but long enough to have some fresh cool air, clear our minds and recharge batteries before our departure in June.

Why don’t we go to Australia for Easter? There is a 10 km fun run in Canberra I would love to do. I suggested to Nick one Sunday of March while we were having a  tuna tart for dinner. My idea sounded a bit silly and unrealistic, I thought. It would be difficult to get any accommodation since the schools in Australia were having the Autumn break. I was aware that we left the holiday planning for the last minute but we kept our fingers crossed.

Nick then remembered Kangaroo Valley. It is a hidden treasure- he assured- I was there many years ago with my ex-girlfriend and it is absolutely beautiful. The valley, he meant.

After spending a week in Canberra where we cached up with old good friends, I did my first 10 km fun run - pleased with my results, by the way-, we enrolled Aurelia and Gabriel in their future schools and sorted out some medical paper work to prepare our settling in July, the five of us were in a loaded car ready to start our trip towards the farm.

The driving took approximately 2 hours. It was absolutely stunning. We drove through mountains, farms, small towns with milky bars, pie shops, and of course, a pub. I realized that there was a pub per town in Australia as there was a church per village in Spain. Curious.

Perhaps because we were coming from Manila, we were please to breath clean oxygen, cool air, and lots and lots of green open space. We couldn't take our eyes away from the beautiful view in front of us. I knew in my mind that Nick's idea about spending our holidays in a farm was brilliant. The antidote we needed to our Philippine uneasiness of the last few weeks.

The farm was under construction, the owner warmed us, but we didn't mind the small inconveniences  (no windows in one of the rooms, no heating except a fire place and dust everywhere). It didn't matter, it was perfect for us and for our tropical children.

In summary, it was one of the best holidays we had in a long time, and thanks to unforgettable moments.

Every morning, as soon as Aurelia and Gabriel woke up, they put their gum boots on and went to visit the chickens of the farm. They came back covered in mud and stinky smell, under the suspicious eyes of their father, but with a big smile on their faces as  they were holding a couple of ekss!!!mum, ekkssss!!! (eggs)- said Gab-, still warm…They were thrilled. They also took their cars and soft toys to play with the chickens while the poor animals were trying to put an egg.

However, this farm experience of feeding the chickens and being surrounded by cows, llamas and kangaroos, had an unpleasant effect on Aurelia. One day I made scrambled eggs for dinner. Aurelia declared  I am vegetarian, mum, I don't want to eat eggs. As I grew up in a big family where I ate what my parents put in front of me on the plate without objection, I couldn't help but answer her, firmly, I am glad to hear that. Now, eat them darling and when you grow up  you can make the decision of being a vegetarian, if you wish.

One of the highlights of our holiday was when Nick took Aurelia to adventurous bush walks. They  created stories following the mysterious clues found on the way through the valley or across the river or next to the road. During the sunset or even in the dark. She loved being with her dad without the two brothers.

Meanwhile, I was happily enjoying my quiet time on a comfort couch with my ebook in one hand and a nice glass of red wine in the other. Nick joined me soon after Aurelia was in bed fast asleep. Time for ourselves is golden when you have hands full with three little ones.

We felt like a real scout family too. After dinner, with the warm pyjamas on, the kids and us burnt some sweet marshmallows on a stick over the fire that Nick set outside, next to the vegetable garden. I loved the deep darkness of the valley and the visibility of the sparkling starts, even the planes- you could actually hear their sound in the middle of the night-. We sang "Twinkle twinkle little start"...Then I remembered the nights of Solomon Islands where Nick and I lived in 2005.  Same absence of human lights. Just the starts. Quite the opposite to Makati city (Manila)- I thought-.

I think I burnt one of my fingers instead of the marshmallow

I was reluctant to leave Australia after having such a restorative break. However, when our plane landed in Manila on the 21st of April, I knew we came home. Not because of the wave of heat of 37 degrees at 4pm. It was Mabuhay ma'am (welcome!) from a lovely Filipina with her warm smile what made me feel content again of being back.

That sweet welcome made me realised that the place doesn't actually change after a holiday. It is the same chaotic city called Manila. It has the same  wonderful  people,  proudly called Filipinos. It is my attitude what has changed.

The negative side effects of living in Manila don't bother me as they used to. The fact that I will miss the Filipinos and their smiles, when I leave in June, it starts annoying me already.

And a holiday in a farm won't change that.

When I arrived in Manila in 2011 I tried to make croissants. I was eager to  make everything from scratch. Well, puff pastry is better to buy it. It was not only a waste of money in butter, but also of time and energy, especially because I was 7 months pregnant. What was I thinking of???

However, shortcrust pastry, which is crispy and not flaky, is not hard to make. I usually follow the recipe of Stephanie Alexander's of her book The cook's companion. If you feel intimidated by making your own shortcrust pastry, her recipe will help you to achieve a great result with a simple technique. It doesn't need any kind of shortening,  as many recipes call.

I personally like the buttery flavour of the pastry in the final tart. I make it once in a while  and for that reason I treat my family with an occasional good quality Danish or French butter. It is just a personal choice.

Shortcrust pastry

• 180 g unsalted butter
• 240 g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons of cold water

1. Remove butter from the fridge at least 30 minutes before making the pastry. Chop it into smallish pieces.
2. In a food processor, add the butter, the flour and blend until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water as you were doing a mayonnaise. It will gather together. Don't over mix. It should be 2 minutes in a medium speed.
3. Flat the dough and dust with a little flour. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. When you are ready to use:
1. Unroll the pastry over the flan tin. Press it into the edges of the tin well and trim the pastry, cutting the edge 1cm higher than the edge of the tin as it shrinks during baking.
2. Bake blind: 
1. Line the pastry with foil and fill this with dried beans to the top.
2. Bake for 15 minutes at 200C. then remove the foil and the beans and bake the pastry for another 5 minutes.
3. If the tart is to be filled with a liquid, have the filling warm or hot while the pastry is still hot. This prevents any liquid seeping.

Mediterranean tuna tart

• 1 quantity Shortcrust pastry
• 20g butter
• 1 brown onion, diced
• Custard:
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of cream
• grated nutmeg
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 can of best tuna in oil you can find
• 1/2 cup of pitted and halved kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1. Line a 20cm loose-botomoed flan tin with pastry and bake blind on a baking tray at 200C for 20 minutes.
2. Remove pastry case from oven and reduce temperature to 180C.
3. Melt butter and fry onion until very soft over low heat. Set it aside to cool over a strainer.
4. In a medium size bowl, whisk the rest of the ingredients to make the custard. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Arrange the tart first with the onion (spread it all over the pastry); then the cheese, the tuna, the olives and finally pour over the custard.
6. Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm. Cool to lukewarm before eating. 

Serve with a nice green salad and a plate of open tomatoes.

Wheat bread by hand; step by step with photos. The day I became an Australian

Australia Day is the official National Day of my adopted country and it is celebrated on the 26th of January. In Manila, we had a big event last Thursday night at the Peninsula Hotel with a list of around 700 guests. I could only stay for 90 minutes (I had to rush back home to feed Juanan who still refuses to take the pacifier or the bottle!) but at least I distracted myself from home, saw my girlfriends, wore decent clothes so I looked like a woman not a Mama,  and tasted a small snack of delicious Australian roast beef with tomato chutney

What does Australia celebrate? The anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Sydney Cove and raising of the flag of Great Britain by Governor Arthur Phillip. Nowadays, Australia Day reflects the multicultural society (and I am included!) and that's why many citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into Australian community are held on that day.

My citizenship was on the 4th of June of 2010:

I haven't framed this document yet but I should before it gets lost, ripped or dirty. On that 4th of June I was proud of having finally achieved the citizenship after going through a long annoying process that took 8 years. First, I had the Spouse visa for a couple of years then, I applied for the Permanent visa and four years later, only when I passed the citizenship test, I got the Australian citizenship and kept my Spanish one too.

I must confess I failed the first time I did the citizenship test. One of the questions in the test was compulsory (so you couldn't get it wrong but I did): "Do you have to renounce to your own nationality if you become a member of the Australian Parliament?". Of course I don't, I thought. Well, yes, you have to.

Those years presenting and supporting with legal documentation, medical exams, photographs signed by witnesses and other requirements that I don't remember exactly, to get the different visas were not much fun and created some anxiety. I was convinced the administrative process was going to be easy as I was married to an Australian diplomat but it wasn't from my experience.

When I was still with the Spouse visa many years ago, with not much English, I remember having lived tricky situations especially once when I was at the airport in Sydney, coming back from Spain. I was without Nick, standing at the long  queue waiting for my turn to show the passport to Customs and to get the stamp that it would allowed me to stay in Australia. The Customs officer looked at me unfriendly and suspicious despite my big smile and charming eyes to soften his heart. Those 2 minutes waiting for the officer to stamp my passport made me feel like an student again about to do the final exam. I was sweating like a chicken!! When I heard the sound "damp!!" I was relieved. I run  away afterwards just in case that officer changed his mind!

The celebration of becoming an Australian took place in Canberra during a cold winter day. Nick and Aurelia were with me but no one else, although I wish I had also some family members from my side or Nick's side. The circumstances didn't make it possible. Never mind, I thought of them and they did of me as well. 

There were hundreds of immigrants with their families in the City Hall. We were very anxious for what that big moment meant for us: Immigration couldn't kick us out!; we could work for the government!; we would have a nice quality of life: safe, good food and friendly people!. 

Going upstairs holding my daughter's hand and receiving the document you see above, it is inexplicable. I was proud of myself because I made the step to leave my country, my family and friends to follow my Australian husband around the world. I was naive when I left Spain but I grew up quickly facing all this alone, but with Nick's support, and starting a new challenging life. 

The three of us went to Koko Black cafe in Civic to have a nice hot chocolate with a piece of cake.  A bit of indulging, but there was NOT a better way to celebrate I became an Australian! 

Wheat bread (or sandwich bread)

Start a day ahead

• 6 cups whole wheat flour, plus additional for the dough
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
• 11/4 cups lukewarm water (90F to 100F)
• 1 1/4 lukewarm whey or whole milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon dry active yeast (or 150ml from the starter you have in the fridge)

By hand...

• Whisk together the flour, salt and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and oil, then combine the lukewarm water and milk in a separate small bowl. Whisk in the yeast until it is mostly dissolved. Add both the egg and the milk mixtures to the dry ingredients.
• Use a large wooden spoon and mix vigorously for at least 10 minutes until the flour has been well incorporated. Beat up he dough as you stir. 
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter and stretch and fold, like in the photos bellow. Let it sit for 10 minutes and repeat the process 3 more times.

• To be honest, I usually make the first two steps of the dough in the kitchen-aid with less effort, but I wanted to try by hand…and it was a good work out in my arms!

1. Stretch and fold process

Slow cold raise 

• Lightly grease a large mixing bowl, place the dough into it, cover with a plastic rubbish bag. refrigerate for at least 24 hours in the fridge.
• This photo shows you the bubbles of the fermentation that will give the bread its flavour although it isn't too sour because of the buttermilk, egg and sugar added to the dough.

Divide the dough and shape

• Remove the dough from the fridge 3 hours before you bake it. Lightly dust with flour the table.
• Cut the dough in equal pieces. I made 6 bread rolls and 1 big sandwich loaf.
• Flatten each piece into a rectangle and roll it up into a log. Pinch the seam closed and give the log a few rolls on the table. 
• Place each roll, either in rounds or rectangle shape, into a greased pan, cover loosely with a tea towel and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. this step is important.
• Preheat the oven to 350F.

Make a cut

• Remove the tea towels, spray water over the rolls and sprinkle some flour on top. gently, make a cut with a sharp knife in each roll or three cuts in the loaf so the bread can expand in the oven.
• Quickly, place the trays in the oven and spray with water the bread to achieve a final crust.
• Bake for 30 or 40 minutes.

Golden brown

Salted caramel ice cream without custard and dark chocolate bark. The art of entertaining

" Cooking is conviviality and sharing, especially when cooking with others- a spouse, a friend or children" Mireille Guiliano.

Nick and I like to organise occasional dinner parties at home. This year we haven't done many. If I think about it, 2013 is about to finish ( thank goodness!) and we just had two dinners at home but a few  lunches or meriendas.  I like dinners better, I don't know why. Perhaps because I am more relaxed, kids are in bed and the night has its own life. 

After baby Juanan was born and had colic for 3 and a half months around dinner time, during those loooooong months, Nick and I probably had ice cream for breakfast and toast with vegemite ( or olive oil for me ) for dinner. We had to survive! We did though, like every family does. It is only now that Juanan is five months old  that things are getting easier and dinner parties will come back to our house.

Is it always a formal entertaining? No, it isn't but of course it depends who is coming for dinner. In general, we try to make it as easy and relaxed as possible in a welcoming atmosphere. 

Why shall we be bothered by entertaining at home? Well, I like going out to restaurants but I am delighted to cook for others and share good food. It does not matter if the dish I made isn't perfect, at least I tried my best. Nick is pleased to have people over for dinner by making sure that they feel comfortable, their glass is full of water or wine but also that there is a nice music in the background. In summary, I am in charge of the food and he is in charge that the night goes smoothly and we all have a good time. When the guest leaves our house, we hope he felt very special and will remember an lovely dinner with great company, interesting conversation and delicious food.

With experience, the way we entertain is less stressful and more enjoyable. It is true that it is an art and even if you think you are not good at it, don't give up because the more you do it the easier it gets. In the worse case, just order some pizzas and organize a movie night at home!

When last month Nick told me that an old friend of us was coming to Manila for a very short work visit I was thrilled. James used to be the Special Coordinator of the Regional Assistance for Solomon Islands ( RAMSI ) and Nick worked for him in 2006.

Nick asked me to have him over for a casual family dinner. Immediately, my mind started to think about possible menus for the dinner with our dear guest.

The rule number one is to cook a dish that is highly tasteful, that you have cooked before, a few times if possible, easy to prepare in such a way that your guest is not waiting for you at the table while you are running around in the kitchen.  

The rule number two is to plan the menu ahead of time so you can get the right ingredients, fresh and  of good quality ( leave the cheap version for another day! ) and start preparing some of the dishes you will serve. I usually write down on a weekly calendar which day I can make the dough for the bread, when I can make dessert or marinate the beef, for example.

The rule number three that Nick and I have is to reproduce the dinner in our minds, imaging since the moment the guest/s arrive in your house and find the best way to look after them. Don't forget they are in your house because you invited them. If you are spending the night cooking in the kitchen and your husband up and down from one place to another, the guest would be better at home.

For the dinner with James, we started with a champagne to celebrate his visit, followed by at room temperature creamy French camembert and a scorched Spanish chistorra ( thin chorizo ).  I made a tasty lasagna with home-made pasta and two hours cooked bolognese sauce. James had thirds!

And for dessert...

Salted caramel ice cream without custard and chocolate bark

Ps: It was really lovely to meet the cheerful James again and going back in time  when we were together in 2005-2006 in Solomon Islands. He told us that he went back to Honiara after a few years and noticed many changes, bad traffic for example. 

This is what entertaining is all about: people+conversation+food+wine. A way to enjoy life. It might not be yours, but it is definitely mine.

Salted caramel ice cream

Recipe of Jeni Britton

Makes about 1 quart

• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
• 2/3cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Mix about 2 tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch to make a smooth slurry.
1. Whisk the cream cheese and salt until smooth in another bowl.
2. Mix the cream with the corn syrup in a measuring cup.
3. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Heat the sugar in a big saucepan over medium heat until it is melted and golden amber in colour. remove from the heat and stirring constantly, slowly add a bit of the cream and corn syrup mixture to the caramel. Stir well until combined and then add a bit more until all of it is incorporated.
3. Return the pan to high heat and add the milk. Bring to boil for 4 minutes. remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
4. bring back to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring with a spatula for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve.
5. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and whisk. Pour the mixture into a ziploc bag and place it in the ice bath until cold, about 30 minutes.
6. Pour into the ice cream machine.

Dark chocolate-almond bark with sea salt

recipe of Bon Appetit magazine, December 2011

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups roasted almonds
• 500g good quality dark chocolate 70%, chopped
• Sea salt

1. Line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or baking paper.
2. Combine sugar with 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil until caramel is dark amber. Remove from the heat and immediately add butter. Whisk until melted.
3. Add any chopped nuts  and stir until well coated.
4. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading out to separate the nuts and fruits. Let it cool. reserve 1/4 of nuts
5. Stir chocolate in a double broiler until melted (or in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted). Remove from the heat, add nuts from baking sheet, and stir quickly to combine.
6. Spread chocolate nut mixture on same baking sheet, keeping nuts in a single layer. Top with reserved nuts; sprinkle sea salt. Chill about 3 hours.

How to make yogurt. Speedy date night

Last Saturday night Nick and I had the fastest dinner ever in the story of our relationship. Exactly, 40 minutes. The reason? The wonderful joy of parenthood. Or not too wonderful.

Every beginning of December we try to save a night for a special dinner so while we are eating delicious food and drinking nice red wine, we can plan and organise Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve (and sometimes we talk about our goals for the following year). 

It is our way to celebrate the spirit of Christmas before we are both too busy with Christmas parties, work events, school functions, shopping, cooking and who knows what else. Besides, many people are away from Manila during the "winter" break from the 13 of December, so we should add farewells to the list of entertainment.

This year we left the dinner booking for too late and for this reason it was hard to get a table in the new Spanish restaurant Donosti. But there was finally a table available at 6.30pm because no one eats at that time in Manila unless you have young babies at home and need to be in bed by 9pm.

On Saturday night Aurelia had a friend for a sleep over. She was eager to be alone with her. I notice a certain increase of independence from our little, but not so little anymore, girl. It is sad to accept that your children are slightly flying from the nest, as I did ( but I actually flew to the other side of the world! too far! ).

I went with Aurelia to get the "midnight feast" for the sleepover in the morning. This feast is the most exciting part of spending the night at your friend's house, Aure insists. It means that the girls wake up around 1am to eat sugary snacks, sometimes they brush their teeth after and unintentionally wake up one of the parents. It is around 2am when they go back to sleep. They end having a broken night but lots of secret fun.

It was 6pm when I was getting ready and transforming my appearance from mum to woman.  In a few years time, when my children are a bit older, this transition will become mentally natural, I hope. 

At the same time I was adding a bit of colour to my pale and tired face, I was thinking of the succulent pollo al ajillo  I wanted to try to check whether it had the same taste that my dad's one. Hummm, I was building up my appetite opposite to the mirror.

The big mistake of the night was to leave the house with a sleep baby Juanan who usually goes to bed around 9pm. I did try to wake him up for a last feed, but he did NOT open his lips so there was nothing I could do but crossing my fingers that he wouldn't wake up while we were away. Of course he did.

We got to the restaurant  at 6.25pm and we were the first costumers. I saw the manager in a meeting with the staff when we sat down in our "reserved" table. They were going to have a very busy night ahead.

We ordered a sangria and a cerveza de grifo to start the night. The sangria was divine and for 10 minutes I was transported to one of the terrazas de verano in Madrid. My dream was radically cut off with the first text of my yaya saying : "ma'am, try to feed baby, he crying". 

"Oh, no, this is not promising" I thought.  I ignored the message and drank my second sangria even faster. You might think I was a bad mum but I thought I was a good wife!.

Making the story short, we gobbled up the pintxo de tortilla, the tapa of huevos estrellados, the lamb liver ( I swallowed a whole piece of liver ) and by the time the fritura de setas with alioli arrived to the table, I received 4 texts from my desperate yaya urging me to settle the baby as he was starving. A few tears wouldn't do any harm ( I say it now after having three children ).

It was 7.13pm when we paid the bill and went back to the car. I think we were still chewing the pollo al ajillo driving home. 

I have started to make yogurt at home from scratch ( I don't mean the easy- yo powder you get in the supermarkets, which is totally delicious by the way ) as I used in Solomon Islands in 2005. Once you begin your homemade yogurt, you will become addicted to have it for breakfast, snack, merienda or dessert and of course, for baking cakes ( instead of buttermilk). You can also experiment with flavours.

If your kitchen is cool, place the yogurt in warm water and change the water when it gets cold again. It is important to maintain a warm temperature so the yogurt gets settled. 

Homemade made plain yogurt

• 4 1/2 cups of pasteurized milk
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt or any plain unsweetened full-fat yogurt.

1. Add the milk to a big pot and heat over medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 180C.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and let the milk cool to 110C.
3. Add the yogurt to the milk and whisk until slightly foamy.
4. Fill a large and a small jar with the mixture and screw on the lids. Warp the jars in a towel to keep them warm and place them in an insulated cooler. It takes around 9 hours. Better to make it before dinner and leave it outside until next morning.
5. Note: 
1. if it is too runny, you can add a bit of non fat milk powder to the yogurt before mixing it to the milk.
2. Make sure to use sterilised glass jars.
3. Makes 1 big jar and one little, 5 cups in total. It lasts 4 days in the fridge. Keep a little for the next batch or simply buy greek yogurt and start again.

How to make fruit roll-ups. When you make a promise

When last Monday I told Aurelia that if she was obedient and helped me with her two brothers this week I would buy her some fruit roll-ups as a special treat, I didn't know how this suggestion would end.

If you have never tasted or seen a fruit roll-up, it is a very popular "healthy" snack, made of pectin based fruit. It comes flat and wrapped in cellophane because it has a quite sticky consistency. The costumer, usually a child, has to unwrap it.

Apparently, it has been very successful in the United States from the 1980s. As Philippines has a strong American influence, it is here too, specially in the school of ISM where Aurelia goes to.

The thing is, I completely forgot about those malditos (translation: "damn") roll-ups until yesterday afternoon when she reminded me in the car after I picked her up from the school. And again when we got home. Again when we went to the park, to have a bath, during dinner time, while reading her story before bed time...and when I WOKE UP!!!  When I went down to the kitchen at 6.30am she had handwritten on the fridge: "Mum goes to buy fruit roll-ups at S&R tomorrow" and before she left home, she added "now!".

So I had this pressure on me all day of getting the dammed fruit rollups because a promise is a promise. And also because I knew my daughter has my Spanish blood and wouldn't let me alone until she had them. She is a bit stubborn in matters related to food...although "the apple never falls far from the tree".

My inner pioneer or my ego, to be honest, decided that if I could make things from the scratch, such as pasta, ice cream, bread, ricotta cheese or yogurt, I was perfectly capable of making those fruit snacks. How hard could it be? Besides, it would be healthier than the bought ones.

But I didn't trust myself with this new experiment in my kitchen, and neither Aurelia who saw me to place all the ingredients on the counter: frozen wild berries, lemon juice, honey and applesauce. Before I was cooking the berries in the saucepan, Aurelia said :"oh, no, mum, you are going to make the healthy version, aren't you? what about if you also buy the roll-ups just in case these homemade are not good?". She had zero confidence in her mother's culinary skills. Who could blame her!

I left home at 8am with two big trays laid with berries puree in the oven, and specific instructions to my yaya to not turn it off! I rushed to S&R ( a big shop where you can buy in industrial quantities) to look for the rollups. I asked the filipino workers where to find them, I knew they didn't have any idea of what I was talking about because they smiled me back and replied : " Out of stock, ma'am".  Sometimes Filipinos are too shy to say they don't understand you, specially if you are a non-filipino so they tell you this gentle fib. No one gets offended.

With empty hands I got home, checked the fruit trays, touched them with my finger and to my surprise..it had worked! I was thrilled to make my very first rollups.  However, when I unwrapped one and tasted, it was to acidic for my liking. I felt a bit disappointed thinking that Aurelia wouldn't like them, as she predicted, and I didn't find them in the shop. It wasn't a big deal, but it was a promise.

Aurelia loved them, and Nick too. I was amazed and delighted by the healthy snack I made from  scratch. Next batch will be mango rollups, that's a promise! 

Berries fruit roll-up, 

recipe of Alana Chernila

Makes 32

• 3 pounds fresh or frozen fruit. I used frozen cranberries, blueberries, puree strawberries. 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup of honey or to taste. These berries are very acid so you might need to adjust. I should have added a bit more.
• 1 cup of apple compote

1. Combine the fruit an lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until softened, about 30 minutes. 
2. Pass the cooked fruit through a food mill. Add honey and the apple compote.
3. Preheat oven to 165F. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread the puree over the trays and cook for 8 hours!!! or until dry to the touch.
4. Cut both sheets in rectangles and roll them!