In Finland, ‘name days’ – a day in a year for a given name, or group of closely related names – are celebrated by many people almost as much as birthdays are. Recently, it was my Finnish lab mate’s name day, and in honour of the occasion I made korvapuusti – or, at least, I tried to.

Korvapuusti are cinnamon rolls. The dough is yeast-based, and flavoured – as many baked goods in that part of the world are – with crushed cardamom seeds. After it rises the first time, the dough is rolled into a sheet and smeared with butter, sugar and cinnamon and then rolled up like a swiss roll. It’s then cut into  slices, put on a tray, and squashed – the direction of roll is at ninety degrees to that of a conventional cinnamon roll.

Mine didn’t look like the ones in the photo – the dough was too wet, so the rolling out didn’t work out so well and they merged together, and I almost burnt the first batch. That said, they passed the real test – my Finnish friend rated the taste as authentic enough and very good for a first try. Personally, I think it needed more cinnamon…

Photograph: Tim Robinson

That’s me and ‘Tets’ -  or Tetsuya Wakuda for those who haven’t met him! He’s a world-famous chef and owner of the equally world-famous restaurant Tetsuya’s in Sydney.

Last week I had the privilege of being invited to attend one of his extremely coveted Masterclasses (he only does 12 a year!). I have to immediately give a big warm thank you to Electrolux, Open Haus PR (especially Nicole) and of course, Tetsuya for inviting me. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime, dream experience.

Guess what? You can win a chance to do it too!

Don’t rub your eyes, you read that right. Fig & Cherry and Electrolux are giving you the chance to attend an exclusive Masterclass with Tetsuya. Competition details are at the end of this post… Don’t want to wait? ENTER NOW!

For those of you who can wait, let me tell you about the evening…

Photograph: Tim Robinson - Tetsuya's Signature Confit Ocean Trout

The Masterclass Evening

I was collected by a chauffeured car and driven to the Kent Street restaurant where I met up with 9 other excited food bloggers (which included two of my buddies Lorraine and Peter).

We were given a tour of Tetsuya’s brand-spanking-new Electrolux kitchen – I was in absolute heaven! It’s beautifully ergonomically designed with no taps in the way (there’s a spout inside the sink controlled by a knee pad – so hygienic!), Tetsuya points out this is very handy when moving large trays of food around the kitchen, very clever.

There’s also loads of marble bench space and a beautiful ceiling-sized range-hood that’s cleverly disguised as lighting. All this is great, but BEST part is the extremely sexy Electrolux Induction Stove Tops. Those sleek, shiny black beauties have stolen my heart! Touch-slide controls, flat burners and precise temperature control are just some of the amazing features.

You might think that it takes a long time to cook with electricity? Not with induction! Tetsuya demonstrated to the group how quickly these stove tops can heat up a heavy-based frying pan… with my hand! OK, I did volunteer (see pic here), but he held my hand down on the pan and it only took a few seconds for it to be too hot to touch. Absolutely amazing.

Last thing before I finish blabbing about induction – and this is arguably the best thing about it – when you turn off the burner, the heat disappears almost immediately. It’s safe to touch after only a few seconds.

Tetsuya demonstrated this by boiling milk, which came to a boil in less than 1 minute (from a cold burner to boiling in 60 seconds!). Then he left the saucepan on the burner and turned it off – the milk immediately stopped boiling.

No more crying over spilt milk! No more burning yourself when your pasta is frothing over the edge of the pan and you drag it to another cold burner!  OK, maybe that’s just me, but you get my point. END Induction Love-making, Phew

Once the kitchen tour was over, Tetsuya showed us how to make perfect scrambled eggs (with a special ingredient, see trade secrets below), scampi tails in herb oil marinade, steamed crab claws, a stunning dinner party show-stopper of warm scallop salad, confit fish and a chicken tagine (without a tagine!).

Can you believe after all this fun we sat down to his 10 course degustation? So cool! For brilliant photos of the food check out this post by Peter of Souvlaki for the Soul. That boy sure knows how to use a camera!

Trade Secrets I learnt from Tetsuya!

• Don’t settle for anything less than an Electrolux Induction Stove top.
• Use creamed corn in scrambled eggs for a light texture and extra silkiness.
• If you don’t have anchovies on hand, replace with fish sauce in recipes.
• Only use cling film (saran wrap) in an oven that’s very low and has precision temperature control (such as Electrolux ovens!).
• Add finely chopped rosemary to egg whites for meringue desserts to stop that ‘eggy’ smell.

WIN A MASTERCLASS WITH TETSUYA WAKUDA!

HOW TO ENTER:

STEP 1. Go to the special Fig & Cherry Competition Page <— click that link!

STEP 2. Fill in your contact details.

STEP 3. Answer this question in 25 words or less: What is your favourite feature in Tetsuya’s new Masterkitchen?

(Hint: Click the ‘Take the Tour’ link on the competition page to get inspiration!)

STEP 4: Click the ‘Submit’ button and cross your fingers!

WHAT YOU WIN:

• A single invitation to a Tetsuya Masterclass at Tetsuya’s restaurant, Sydney on Tuesday 24th August 2010 from 6pm.
• Return economy airfare from the winner’s nearest Australian capital city.
• One night’s accommodation on the night of the Masterclass.
• Transportation by private car from the winner’s accommodation within the Sydney metro area (50km radius from Sydney city centre – GPO) to Tetsuya’s restaurant for the Masterclass and then back to their accommodation within the Sydney Metro area stipulated above.

THE RULES:

• You must be 18 years or older to enter.
• All entries must be received by 12 midnight AEST Tuesday 4th May 2010.
• Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Best of luck! I really hope one of my readers wins! Christie x

Rockpool Bar and Grill is seeking a career focused individual, who is passionate about food, wine and the challenge of working in a high profile establishment. 

The successful applicant will be rewarded with our on going training program that connects them to leading Australian suppliers and their invaluable knowledge. 

Please e-mail CV to Vanessa@rockpoolmelbourne.com or fax 03 8648 1919.

Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne

Would you all hate me if I all I had to say about this dinner was…

Yum.

Ok, maybe I have some more to say, because this meal was so incredibly simple I think Taylor and I were in a state of shock when we sat down to eat less than 15 minutes after we started. What? Seriously? That’s unheard of! Usually we allot/assume/plan for around 45 minutes for dinner, sometimes it is closer to an hour. After prep, chopping, cooking, and cleaning, a solid hour is usually a safe bet. But 15 minutes? We were eating before 6 oclock. I mean, the news was still on, for gosh sakes!

To stumble upon a 15 minute meal, that ACTUALLY takes 15 minutes (and not one of those meals that is only 15 minutes when you’ve got a staff there to chop and prep all your ingredients, you know those meals). I can tell you we’ve made this twice since we first made it two weeks ago. That should tell you something.

The recipe called for green beans originally, but it must be anti-green bean season or something, because the last two times we’ve tried to buy them at the store they had none. Not even a sickly little limp one. So we sprang for something that WAS in season and available, asparagus. Just as tasty.

Before I go, I will leave you with this. Because you asked so nicely, and because the number of kitten photos on my computer are slowly gaining on the number of cupcake shots. It’s a cupcake vs. kitten battle!

Salmon With Brown Butter, Almonds, and Asparagus

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Real Simple.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound green beans or asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons capers

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plates.

Meanwhile, fill a second skillet with ½ inch of water, bring to a boil, and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the green beans, cover, and steam until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes; drain and transfer to plates.

Wipe out the green bean skillet and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds and butter are golden brown (but not burned), 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the capers. Spoon over the fish and green beans.

• Olive oil
• 300 grams small Asian eggplants (they are short and skinny)
• 2 heaping tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Sumac

- Heat a couple of glugs of olive oil in a skillet. Slice the small Asian eggplants lengthwise into two. When oil is hot lay eggplants cut-side down in the pan. Fry until golden brown and then turn. Fry the other side until eggplant is cooked. I like mine with crisp edges but still soft in the center. If you’d like to fry it until totally crisp go ahead!
- While the eggplants are frying, prepare the yogurt dip. Mix yogurt, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl. Add sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Store it in the fridge until ready to serve. Top with a sprinkling of sumac just before serving.
- When eggplants are done, fish them out of the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Dust liberally with sea salt and sumac. Serve with the yogurt dip.
- Serves two as a side dish.

As the name implies, small Asian eggplants are smaller versions of the long skinny eggplants most commonly used here. I love them solely based on their looks, as what’s not to love about a vegetable’s cuter version (one of the reasons I also love Brussels sprouts)? You can see them in this enticing still life of local vegetables. If you can’t find them where you are, substitute with any of your friendly neighborhood eggplants, and just slice them thinly.

Fried eggplant and yogurt is a pairing that works wonderfully for me – please have it freshly fried as the contrast between the warm eggplants and the cool yogurt adds to its deliciousness. The sumac adds a pleasing vibrancy to the whole dish, highlighting the eggplant's mild smokiness and the garlicky zing of the yogurt. We had this with our dinner, but you can easily prepare this as part of a larger spread of appetizers…or even as a video-marathon snack! If you are a bit health-conscious you can roast the eggplants instead with just a smidge of olive oil and salt. If you have leftovers (you won’t), mash the eggplants and yogurt together and you have a spread for tomorrow’s lunch.

Discovering new spices is one of my food thrills, especially if the discovery is peppered (no pun intended) with stories about royal feasts! I’m definitely glad for my introduction to sumac. Do you use it in your cooking? Any favorite ways to use it you would like to share? Yours may be the next sumac recipe that I post! :)

Right before the Olympics started, Jenkins and I were wandering around downtown one day after lunch. We were just about to head back to our respective offices when I realized that we were very close to Big City Cupcakes’ downtown location. I had been meaning to try Big City Cupcakes for quite some time but due to its slightly out of the way location downtown, it was never convenient for me to go.

Once we were inside, we were greeted with a wide array of cupcakes. I was really glad that I did not eat too much for lunch and I quickly decided that Jenkins and I should each have a cupcake rather than share one selection. Jenkins balked at this a bit but I assured him that if he had trouble eating his cupcake, I would gladly help!

I asked the lady behind the counter what she would recommend. She gave me a few choices but the one that really caught my eye was the strawberry cheesecake. This cupcake was made with a vanilla strawberry batter and had a little chunk of cheesecake in the middle. On top was a demure amount of cheesecake frosting, one of my favourite types of frosting. The cheesecake was not overly sweet and the frosting had a nice, slight tang to it. The cheesecake filling in the middle added a nice creaminess to the cupcake and was a nice little surprise. The strawberry flavour was quite weak and it could have been enhanced some more, but other than that, I had no complaints.

Jenkins had the Chocolate Mounds cupcake, which was a chocolate cupcake with ganache in the centre and was topped with a coconut butter cream with coconut and more ganache. I would say that his choice was more traditional than mine and he enjoyed his selection more than my strawberry cheesecake version. He was generous enough to let me have a bite and the chocolate flavour was very rich without being too sweet. The frosting was also just enough to complement the flavour of the cupcake itself and did not have the cloying sweetness that plagues some cupcakes.

I quite enjoyed the two cupcakes we had from Big City Cupcakes. I am not a fan of the cupcakes made by Cupcakes (the company :p) and I think the ones from Big City  Cupcakes are much better. The flavours at Big City Cupcakes are more original and the amount of frosting they use is not as excessive. That being said, I know Cupcakes has its own dedicated fan base, so if you are into a lot of frosting on your cupcakes, Big City may not be for you. The cupcakes at Big City are quite expensive though, the filled cupcakes are $5 and the non-filled versions are $4. I’m not convinced that this is the best value, but since it will prevent me from coming her too often, it’s probably best for my waistline.

Details:
1015 Howe Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-683-6603

Summary:
Food: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a
Price: $

In Rotwein geschmorte Kalbsbacken, Joues de Veau braisées, Kalbsbäggli. Kalbsbacken enthalten viel Bindegewebe und damit viel Kollagen, ein faserartiges Protein, das Hauptbestandteil von Haut und Sehnen ist, sowie die Muskelfasern umhüllt. Durch dessen molekulare Anordnung als Tripelhelix (einer Art dreifach verschlungenem Seil) ist es zäh und ungeniessbar. Erst durch längeres Erhitzen auf über 90°C werden die drei Stränge aufgebrochen und zu weicher Gelatine denaturiert. Hierzulande wurden Kalbsbacken bis Anfang der 90er Jahre in Würste gestopft. Josef Kalberer vom Restaurant Schlüssel in Mels verdanken wir in der Schweiz die Wiederentdeckung  dieser raren Köstlichkeit. Ein ganzes Kalb hat genau zwei dieser Backen, wer hätte das gedacht Heute haben geschmorte Kalbsbacken längst Einzug in die Küche  guter Restaurants gehalten.
Ich kochte das Kalb, inspiriert durch den erneuten Wintereinbruch letztes Wochenende, frei nach einer Idee  des Schweizer Spitzenkochs Gérard Rabaey mit Salbei und Dörrbohnen. Ein saftiges, butterzartes Traumfleisch an einer Traumsauce.

Zutaten
Hauptgericht für 2 Personen
für die Kalbsbacken:
4 Kalbsbacken pariert
Salz, Pfeffer, Mehl
Olivenöl
120 g Mirepoix (kleine Würfelchen von Knollensellerie, Karotten, Petersilienwurzel und Zwiebel)
1 Elf. Tomatenpüree
1 Knoblauchzehe
200 ml Rotwein (Gigondas)
400 ml Wasser
3 Salbeiblätter
1 kleines Bouquet garni (Petersilie, Thymian, Selleriekraut, Salbei)

für die Dörrbohnen:
100 g Dörrbohnen, über Nacht in viel Wasser eingeweicht
1-2 Schalotten, fein geschnitten
1 Knoblauch, fein geschnitten
3-4 Zweige Wild-Bohnenkraut (eigenes aus dem Tiefkühler)
4 getrocknete Tomatenhälften in feinste Würfelchen geschnitten
2 Elf. Speckwürfel, in feine Würfel geschnitten
100 ml Weisswein
100 ml Gemüsebrühe
1 Elf. Tomatenpüree oder Ketchup
Olivenöl

für den finish:
Butter
ein paar grosse Salbeiblätter

die Bäckchen am anbraten

der mirepoix

Zubereitung
für die Kalbsbacken:
(1) Die parierten Kalbsbacken salzen, pfeffern, ganz leicht mehlieren. In einem gusseisernen Topf in wenig Olivenöl allseitig anbraten, herausnehmen, das Mirepoix in den Topf geben, leicht anrösten, dann das Tomatenpüree kurz mitrösten und sofort ablöschen mit dem Rotwein und dem Wasser.
(2) Kalbsbacken wieder zufügen, Salbei zugeben und verschlossen bei kleiner Hitze (Temperatur leicht über 90°C) etwa 2-3 Stunden köcheln lassen. Das Bouquet garni in der letzten halben Stunde zufügen.
(3) Kalbsbacken herausnehmen, die Sauce durch ein feines Sieb passieren, den Jus ggf. noch etwas aufkonzentrieren, der Jus soll dickflüssig sein, damit man damit die Backen glasieren kann, dann die Backen wieder zugeben und warmstellen.

für die Dörrbohnen:
(4) Bohnen über Nacht in Wasser einweichen. Anderntags das Wasser abgiessen.
(5) Speckwürfel in wenig Olivenöl anbraten, Temperatur reduzieren, Schalotte und Knoblauch zugeben und hellgelb andünsten, Tomatenmark zugeben, dann mit Weisswein und der Gemüsebrühe ablöschen.
(6) Bohnen dazugeben. Mit Wasser ergänzen, die Bohnen sollen knapp bedeckt sein, und zugedeckt garen bis die Bohnen weich sind. Etwa 45 Minuten. Nach etwa der Hälfte der Garzeit den Deckel entfernen und die Sauce stark reduzieren.

für den finish:
ein paar Salbeiblättchen in Butter frittieren. Die Bohnen als Krone auf den Teller dressieren, in die Mitte ein kleines Stück getoastetes Toastbrot, darauf die Kalbsbacke setzen, mit der Sauce nappieren, Salbei drauf. Fertig.

These baskets are a useful example: from containing hot spring eggs to hydrating pasta were not what we initially desired them for.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

NEW YORK— Today the NYT runs a list of the 30 best coffee shops in NYC, arguing that the city's java scene has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. Naturally, Blue Bottle's Brooklyn outpost (which just opened today) made the cut, as did the Manhattan location of Portland's Stumptown. [NYT]

FAST FOOD LAND — Jack in the box is retooling their french fry recipe. The new version will be crispier, and stay hot for longer. [NRN]

Cultural tourism is expected to be a windfall for the local economy. The last really big show at SAM (Van Gogh to Mondrian, in 2004) drew nearly 300,000 visitors, a third of them from out of state. The Picasso exhibition is expected to be even more of a visitor magnet.

Arts are big business. Leaving aside sports and movies, the non-profit arts sector generates 8,000 jobs, $175 million in salaries and $28 million in local tax revenues. Another study says the city's 4,000 creative industries generate 20,000 local jobs, making the Seattle area number one in the nation in per-capita arts related businesses and organizations. The related good news is that nearly 5 million people attended an arts event in 2008, spending $120 million in addition to tickets. A third of them were out-of-towners, who dropped over $30 apiece as part of their cultural experience.

But even before Picasso arrives, Kurt Cobain gets his own show. For those who remember the days of grunge and roses, it's an altogether fitting notion that Seattle's most mainstream museum would bring together works that comemorate Cobain's life, music and suffering.

There's more, much more, on SAM's schedule. Read the whole lineup here.

Photo © Estate of Pablo Picasso, courtesy of SAM

1) CNN Covers Booby Cheese Mania: As we know, a chef in NYC named Daniel Angerer started serving cheese made from his wife's breast milk at his restaurant recently, and everyone has an opinion about it. This morning, CNN interviewed the chef and compiled a clips reel of the media's reaction to the strange dish:

2) Tony Bourdain Freezes His Ass Off: The promo for the new China episode of No Reservations is up. While there is some Chinese comfort food featured in the clip, it looks like the episode is mostly about how much Tony hates the weather in China:

3) The Meat Hook Boys Make Sausage: Food Curated filmed this video of two of the three butchers from Brooklyn's hot new butcher shop, The Meat Hook, making various sausages. These guys sure know they're stuff, and they have a great sense of humor about their work:

Shit-Talking & Sausage Making: Just Another Day at The Meat Hook from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

4) The Deen Bros. Hang Out With Fox News: Paula Deen's two strapping lads, Jamie and Bobby, stopped by the Fox Business set earlier this week to chat about their new magazine and serve up some of their manly, manly food.

5) Mark Bittman's Easy Hash: Mark Bittman knows how to cook literally everything, including delicious potato pancakes. He showed off his easy recipe to Matt Lauer on the Today Show this morning:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

· Previous Editions Of The Five Food And Dining Videos That You Need To Watch Today [-EN-]

Happy 3rd Blogiversary To Me…Okay, you get the idea.

For this momentous occasion, I wanted to make something special, really special. I decided to try a recipe from the Food Network. Despite my (occasional) railings (okay, frequent…whatever) against them, I did want to commemorate in some way what this very blog is called.

Ever since I heard the name Chocoflan, I was fascinated. It looked like a party in a bundt pan to me.

It also seemed like it would take a marvelous mix of alchemy and earnest prayer to make the Chocoflan unmold with a perfectly-formed flan on top and a deep chocolate cake on the bottom.

The wild thing is that it goes into the oven THE OTHER WAY AROUND - the cake on the bottom, the flan on the top. And they actually change places in the oven. It has to be magic…or physics, which is really the same thing.

I was a bit apprehensive, I admit, about this recipe. I guess if you’ve been eating Chocoflan since childhood, it’s not a biggie. But I saw it for the first time in a quick bit on Mexican Made Easy and I couldn't figure out how it would unmold so perfectly. It looked a little TOO easy, actually.

Anyway, I figured a third blogiversary was the perfect time to challenge myself. I’ll tell you about the cajeta (caramel made from milk - often goat's milk) in my next post. But here’s how I proceeded with the Chocoflan, using this recipe.

First, I made a standard cake. Cream butter and sugar, beat in an egg.

Sift dry ingredients.

To all my readers and commenters and blogging buddies over these 3 years, believe me, that if I could have served each and every one of you a piece of Chocoflan, I would have. Here’s to you!

The charming and gracious Midori Rai helps you with your selection, Sam ordered soba with Broth, I the Duck Soba, we split a vegetable tempura to start, a beer for me and a jug of chilled sake for Sam.   Once you place your order chef and master Soba maker Tatsuru Rai takes a small amount of dough out of a large bowl and begins to roll the dough at first like you would pastry and then he wraps it around the timber Dahl and rolls it continuing changing the direction until he has a perfect thin square, then he rolls it and with the knife cuts it into perfect soba nobles, the noodles are placed in a sieve and shaken to remover extra flour.

We then had our tempura of chestnut, eggplant, snow pea, shitake, lotus root, sweet potato and green bean, it was light and delicious and every vegetable had a different texture and taste. The noodles and their broth were both exquisite, soft and tender yet with a biet you only get from fresh made noodles. This is a place where the owners put their charm and skill into every experience. Sam and I will be dreaming of this place until next year, when we will be back without a doubt!!

I tried out a new cheese bought on the Cambridge market.  It is Deepdale, a non-cow’s milk cheese that does not come from sheep or goat’s milk.  It is made from the milk of water buffalo at Deepdale, near Skipton.  It is quite near Clitheroe, where Paul used to live, but is just over the boundary into North Yorkshire.  It is a hard cheese, but one of the softer ‘hard’ ones, being quite moist.  It comes with a wax coating to retain its moisture.  It is a full-flavoured cheese, somewhat on the sweet side, but not in the sweet way you get with cow’s milk.  It has quite a subtle taste which lingers afterwards.  I found it went very well with oat biscuits and sweetmeal cookies.  The other cheese in the top photo is manchego, a hard sheep’s milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain and aged from 3 to 6 months.  I found the two quite a good contrast.

Many, many more pics of the Pulino's interior, over at Eater NY.>>

The first thing I noticed about this product was that, well, it isn't really jerky. Meaning, it doesn't have that dry chewiness that regular beef/ turkey/ bison jerky has. I opened the outer package, and then struggled a bit to open the inner one (these snacks are double sealed for freshness, they say). I took a bite of the seitan jerky and chewed, pondering. I really liked the flavor - the Peanut and Thai spices blended together really well, and added zip to the meatless base. The texture was a little hard to get used to, though; still,
after a few bites, I was really loving this savory snack.

Each 1 ounce package of the Thai Peanut Primal Strips provides 74 calories, 3% and 5% of the daily value for total and saturated fat, 15% of the DV for sodium, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar and 10 grams of protein.

Your guide to a perfect lazy afternoon is right this way.>>