These are lettuce dill and mint cakes, not fritters

These are Not Fritters, I promise!

Well, the Fritter Queen has done it again, unintentionally, this time. These lettuce, dill and mint cakes looked so cute in the magainze picture, like little balls of crispy pommes noisette but with the added goodness of green. How, then, did I end up with big, fat, flat patty/fritters?

I think it's because I didn't shredd the lettuce finely enough, so the balls didn't hold together very well. So, to make them stick, I made them bigger, as you do. And then, to cook them through, I had to flatten the big balls, and voila - fritters again. Not that there's anything wrong with that; I'm just annoyed that my 'cakes' don't look anything like the magazine picture. They still tasted sensational, though.

Get more fritters here, here, here and here.

Lettuce, dill and mint cakes
makes approx. 16


Ingredients
1 large iceberg lettuce, finely shredded and chopped
4 eggs
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tblsp finely chopped dill
2 tblsp finely chopped mint
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil or rice bran oil, to shallow-fry
Lemon wedges, to serve


Method
1. Place the lettuce with 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl and toss together. Transfer to a colander or large sieve and leave to drain for 1 hour. After the liquid has drained, place the lettuce into a clean tea towel and squeeze well to remove the remaining moisture.
2. Whisk the eggs until foamy, then add the lettuce, onion, fresh breadcrumbs, dill and mint. Season with salt and pepper then mix well to combine.
3. Roll the mixture into balls then roll in the dry breadcrumbs to coat.
4. Heat a large frypan over medium heat and add a layer of oil to cover the surface. Fry the cakes for 2 minutes on each side, flattening them slightly with a spatula while frying. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
5. Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

recipe adapted from delicious (March 2012)

Ingredients, including mint, lettuce, red onion, dill and lemon to serve.

The shredded lettuce is salted and left to drain, to draw out the moisture (it also draws out some of the fresh green colour, but never mind).

These are meant to be delicate little balls, but they look like plops of something.

To make them cook through, I flattened the plops and they turned out like... fritters.

All's well that ends well. These still look very appetising.

Extremely delish, and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for the next day.

Love the crispy outside and the luscious, minty and dill-scented lettuce-y inside!

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Tabitha vs Henry Update

episode 5: "Kitty Kornered"

Poor Tabitha. She's sitting innocently on the wall when the tinkle of a bell heralds the arrival of Henry cat.

Too late to scramble down, she's stuck.

Until her kindly owner comes to shoo Henry away (but only after shooting a couple of frames and having a giggle at her predicament).

Still in the Mood for Love

Another great restaurant in the dining precinct of Westfield Sydney Level 6. And you don't even have to wait till Valentine's Day or anything.

We've been to Chinta Ria Mood for Love a couple of times now, and each time have had the tasting menu because it's such great value. It's called "Chef John Poh's Sensual Delight Menu", and for $55 per person, you get around 8 courses plus dessert.

This menu is billed as something that you should share with that special someone, but you get heaps of food and it is so fantastically flavoursome that it would be a shame not to share the pan-Malaysian food love with lots of friends. Also, the menu has had slight changes with each visit, but it's been great every time.

Nice, dark and moody decor inside, with owner Simon Goh's version of the movie Mood for Love projected onto a wall. Waitstaff are mainly young, and helpful and friendly.

Starters

Satay chicken, satay beef (lovely charred charcoal bits)

Otak Otak - Spanish mackeral mousse (sooo spicy! sooo tasty! This has become my fave Malaysian dish)

Seduction roll - minced chicken with 5-spice seasoning in beancurd skin (reminds me of the fried ham roll in old-school Chinese restaurants, remember those?)

Chilli scallops - steamed half-shell scallops with sweet chilli sauce (nice fat scallops, very spicy sauce)

Mains

Monk's mushrooms - fried enoki, braised trumpet and shiitake, snow peas

Pearly butter prawns - prawns in buttermilk, snap-fried (lots of butter gives it fantastic flavour)

Beef rendang - braised beef with spices and coconut milk (this is great with heaps of rice)

Squeeze me squiddy - deep-fried squid with turmeric and chilli (great version of salt and pepper squid)

Roti ($3.90) - no pic; the waitress suggested some roti, but the serving was tiny and the roti were a bit chewy

Sensual Dessert Platter

Pandan sago - swimming in sweet coconut milk. Divine.

Kueh dadar - coconut and palm sugar wrapped in pandan crepe

Durian panna cotta - lovely texture, but you'd have to like durian to like this. I'm iffy with it.

Coconut slice - like kueh, I think. It was alright.

So if you haven't been to Mood for Love yet, or don't want to queue over at Chat Thai, give it a go. Not having tried the regular menu, I can't comment on it, but the tasting menu does contain items on the main menu, just smaller portions. But like I said, there's plenty of it and we'll probably experience this 'sensual delight' many times more.

Chinta Ria Mood for Love is on Level 6, Westfield Sydney, 100 Market St, Sydney NSW

ph: 02 8072 8888  web: http://www.chintamoodforlove.com/

We've always been able to get a table without a booking (in the evenings). 

PS: The restaurant is perfectly located for a spot of window shopping afterwards...

Heartbreak white chocolate cupcakes

Of all the Valentine's cupcakes in all the towns in all the world, she had to choose this one...

Well, hello! It’s Valentine’s Day again. Not to be a cynic, but is there any valid reason for such a day, apart from providing something to write about or cook heart-themed cupcakes for? Truth be told, there’s something about the rose-strewn bouquets and big, fluffy, white teddy bears that makes me feel a bit erky perky...

I understand, though, that it’s the florists’ busiest and most profitable day, so let’s not begrudge them their livelihood. Personally, I’d be very embarrassed to have a large arrangement (with helium-filled foil balloons, God forbid) delivered to me. So to all of my many, many secret admirers, please take note!

If you must celebrate this soppy day, however, how about going straight to the heart via the stomach, with these amazing white chocolate cupcakes. They are the moistest, delicious-est, smoothest cupcakes ever. And if you want to tell that particular someone how you feel about them, a broken chocolate heart sends just the right message, n’est pas?

White chocolate cupcakes
makes 12

Ingredients
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
100g (3 ½ oz) white chocolate, melted

White chocolate ganache:
125g (4 oz) white chocolate, chopped
¼ cup pouring cream
35g (1 ¼ oz) butter

Chocolate hearts:
100g dark chocolate

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line a 12 x ½ cup muffin tray with 12 paper liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
4. Add the milk and melted white chocolate and mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared paper liners and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. For the ganache: Place the white chocolate, cream and butter in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium-low setting in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until the chocolate is melted. Stir mixture until smooth. Spread ganache on the cooled cupcakes.
7. For the chocolate hearts: Place the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium-low setting in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until the chocolate is melted. Stir mixture until smooth. Spread the melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking tray, about 2mm (1/8”) thick. Place in refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Use a heart-shaped cutter to cut shapes from the chocolate, then place on the cupcakes.

cupcake recipe adapted from donna hay 'simple essentials: chocolate'

Ingredients, including white chocolate, sugar, eggs and butter.

The cupcake batter is spooned into a muffin tray and baked.

Make some chocolate hearts by spreading melted chocolate onto baking paper and cutting out heart shapes.

These cupcakes will heal that broken heart, stat!

Look at the inside: moist, smooth and gorgeous.

Spicy fish burgers - tribute to the filet de fish

Confession time: The other day, I had some McDonald's fries. It had been over 12 months since my last fry at Maccas, and it's been over a year since I last had a burger there.  The fries were okay, as was the hot fudge sundae that accompanied them, but honestly, I really didn't feel like having a burger or wrap or 'chicken' nuggets at all, so I think I've turned a corner when it comes to traditional fast food. And please don't get me started on that 'other' burger joint (rhymes with hairy backs) that makes my skin crawl every time I walk past - when pigeons stroll in and start pecking at the scraps on the floor, well, time to call the Food Authority...

I did notice, though, that the Filet-o-Fish isn't on the menu anymore. I used to like the FoF, with its tender feelay on a bun that was so soft that you didn't need to use your teeth to chew it; you just needed to mash your tongue against it and it would dissolve like fairies having a hissy fit. And occasionally, there'd be a small bone in the fish feelay, just to wake you up as you dozily swallowed another mouthful of barely chewed burger bun.

Here's an alternative fish burger with a hint of spice and hardly a bone to be found. On a bun that begs a strong set of teeth to get through. Now that's a burger!

Spicy Fish Burgers

serves 2

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tblsp olive oil

1/2 tsp hot chilli sauce (sriracha)

1 tblsp lime juice

salt and pepper

1 tsp olive oil, for pan-frying

2 snapper fillets, skin on

2 ciabatta or crusty bread rolls, halved

butter lettuce and/or radicchio leaves

4 tblsp tzatziki or plain yoghurt

Method

1. Mix the garlic, oil, hot sauce, lime juice and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Add the fish fillets and coat well.

2. Heat additional olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Place the fish skin-side down in the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for another 2 minutes, until cooked through.

3. Spread the bread rolls with tzatziki, then add lettuce leaves and top with the cooked fish. Serve.

recipe adapted from donna hay (Jan 2012)

Ingredients, including hot sauce, crushed garlic, olive oil and lime.

Some baby cherry tomatoes as a side salad.

The snapper fillets are coated in the marinade.

Simply serve the fish on the bread rolls.

I actually used some toasted 'pizza bread', which comes sprinkled with herbs.

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A Tabitha vs Henry Update!

Even though he's a killer, Henry is a really playful cat. He's always rolling on his back. It's pretty funny to watch. And he loves my backyard for rolling, for some reason.

Tabitha is the complete opposite, a totally serious cat whose idea of fun is getting stuck into the catnip (when Henry's not around).

Kinda hoping that opposites attract and they will become friends, but it's looking unlikely.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake haz sugar

A couple of weeks ago, I made the grave blunder of attempting to give up sugar. It was a rookie mistake, because, as most serial giver-uppers will tell you, to stop something cold-turkey can be pretty much impossible, especially when you have as little willpower as I do.

The result was a couple of days of extreme crabbiness that would put Lucy van Pelt’s tetchiness to shame. Gosh, how snappy can you get? (Answer: Very!).

What I should have done was to pace it out, plan what to cut out, do it graaaadually. I eventually came to my senses and got some help, but I think it’s going to be a very long road. Check back here in a year’s time and I’ll let you know where things stand.

Meanwhile, here’s a delicious sugar-laden dessert to help ease the withdrawal pangs (only kidding!).

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

serves 10

Ingredients

Base:

200g sweet plain biscuits (eg. Arnott’s Scotch Finger or Nice)

100g butter, melted

Filling:

300g white chocolate, chopped

500g cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup caster sugar

1 cup thickened cream (ie. cream with added gelatine or thickeners)

2 tblsp lemon juice

3 tsp gelatine, whisked into 3 tblsp boiling water

100g raspberries, fresh or frozen (and thawed)

Extra berries, for decoration

Method

1. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.

2. For the base: Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs (place biscuits in a plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin, or use a food processor), then mix in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the base of the cake tin. Place in refrigerator.

3. For the filling: Melt the white chocolate (in a bowl set over boiling water, or in the microwave on low setting in 30-second bursts, until melted). Set aside.

4. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and mix until combined (this can also be done in a food processor). Add the melted white chocolate, cream, lemon juice and gelatine and mix well. Then add the raspberries and mix until just combined.

5. Pour the filling into the biscuit crust and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until firm.

6. To serve: Remove the cheesecake from the tin and top with additional berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar, if desired.

Ingredients, including sugary white chocolate and raspberries;

a food processer means never having to bash biscuits in a plastic bag again;

cutting the baking paper to fit the springform pan is an exact science;

lovely gooey cheesecake filling

A pretty good cheesecake, topped with fresh berries and icing sugar.

What, more sugar? It's for decoration, so it's alright.

It's even prettier from above:

Bacon and potato patty fritters

I often wonder how cafés decide on their menus – do they copy what other popular cafés serve, or maybe they focus on what their chef’s specialties are? Problem is, when the chef departs, does the new chef have to keep making the same things? Not sure why I’m wondering about something like this, it’s not like I'll be opening a café or anything.

It does lead me to ponder: why do I usually order fritters if they are on a café menu? There is a local café here (All About Romanas) that serves some amazing corn fritters with a sweet tomato salsa. Mmm, mmm! The corn fritters at bill’s in Surry Hills are also pretty great. Give me a good fritter and I’m happy.

Looking back through some of these blog posts, it’s clear I’ve become a bit of a fritter freak. Well, they are pretty easy to make, and fritters (or patties, if you prefer), do have that hearty homemade vibe about them. They’re also ideal for lunch the next day, if there are any leftovers. Here’s a recipe for bacon and potato fritters/patties because I couldn’t find a corn fritter one.

Maybe I should rename this blog "Ooh, Look... Fritters!". Because fritters are becoming the love of my life.

 ~ Fritter Gal, out.


Bacon and potato fritters
Serves 4

Ingredients
100g bacon, chopped
500g (1 lb) desiree potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tblsp wholegrain mustard
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tblsp chopped chives
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tblsp plain flour
Rice bran oil or sunflower oil, to shallow-fry

Method
1. Place a frypan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until golden but not too crisp. Drain on paper towel.
2. Cook the potatoes by placing the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water with a little salt added. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and cool.
3. Transfer the potato to a bowl and roughly mash. Add the mustard, breadcrumbs, chives and beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Fold in the bacon pieces.
4. Use damp hands to shape the potato mixture into patties about 2cm (1½“”) thick. Dust lightly with flour.
5. Heat about 1cm (½“)of the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with salad and lemon wedges to squeeze over.

recipe adapted from delicious (dec 2011/jan 2012)

Simple: peel the potatoes, mash the potatoes (add mustard and egg), form the potatoes into patties, shallow-fry the patties

Serve the fritters/patties with some greenery and lemon. And maybe a little mayonnaise.

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Here's the latest Tabitha vs Henry installment.

*Cue Jaws music*

Henry's sneaky approach resulted him being hissed at by Tabitha.

Only a pane of laminated glass prevented an all-out cat fight from developing.

A nice, better butter rice

I've been noticing recently how many people/bloggers are making up their own recipes. I think this is incredibly clever, since I'm the type of home cook who has to follow a recipe to the letter - for a several times at least - before I even think of tweaking it slightly. Most substitutions I make are if I don't have an ingredient on hand or when leaving it out won't really make a difference.

Most of the recipes I post here are photogenic if nothing else. And most of them have been tried more than once before appearing. There's no reasoning behind this, except that the first attempt is usually too pathetic to write about or even photograph!

But here's an exception - this Butter Rice turned out perfectly the first time. It's similar to this easy Kedgeree recipe in that you cook the rice in some stock and let it stand for a bit before eating. This makes the rice more tender because it 'cooks' a bit longer off the heat. I'm hoping this winning dish will be the start of a wonderful run of luck in the kitchen for me *fingers crossed*

Butter rice

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

20g butter

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed

2 dried bay leaves

2 cups chicken stock

¼ cup frozen peas

2 tblsp fried shallots

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

2. Add rice, bay leaves and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
3. Gently stir through the peas and remove from the heat. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaves and serve the rice in bowls, sprinkled with fried shallots.

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas

Ingredients, including rice, bay leaves, lots of butter, chicken stock, garlic, ginger and fried shallots/onions.


This rice turned out surprisingly fluffy considering it's made in a saucepan rather than a rice cooker.
It's also incredibly tasty (that's all the butter in it), and would make a good side dish in a banquet.

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And for the cat that has everything - except a decent food bowl because her owner broke her previous one last year and hasn't been able to find a nice one until now:

It's also a consolation prize for having to put up with evil Henry.

This adorable bowl is from Ruche, where you can pick up vintage-y dresses and handbags as well as pet accessories. Sweet!