A Food Fair Review. The Petit Madeleine

This pretty and delicious French cake that is the petit madeleine was my choice of dish to make for the class food fair. A madeleine is a buttery French shell-shaped cake. Made of sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla essence and butter, and placed into a shell cake mold to bake, it is not too sweet but not too plain.

Madeleines are very similar in taste to a sponge cake but more versatile because you can eat these almost anywhere because of their bite size pieces. I know this for a fact because I once tried to consume cake on the train and ended up with a completely new type of cake when the train came to a sudden halt. Floor cake.

I had always pictured French sweets to be extreme works of art that tasted as good as it looked. Like Swann’s experience of tasting a madeleine, the protagonist in Marcel Prousts’s Remembrance of Things Past, my experience with madeleines was in a way, magical. Magical in the sense that it was almost misleading such a simple looking cake could taste so delicious with its crunchy exterior and fluffy inside. In an attempt to share that tastiness with everyone, I had chosen to make this cake.  

Madeleines in their shell baking molds. 

Despite its dainty size and small number of ingredients, making madeleines required more patience and careful instruction following than I expected. The biggest challenge was developing a light and airy batter. Not sifting the flour and over-folding would activate the gluten in the flour resulting in a tough batter. This leads to a tough madeleine. This led to my first batch out the kitchen. I then proceeded to make a second successful batch to not beat but to fold my batter gently and sift this time. 

 I presented the madeleines as they were: simple cakes sitting next to each other with nothing but dusted icing sugar. I was glad that they were well received as none were left at the end of the food fair and I was complimented as to how soft and fluffy yet slightly crunchy they were.  Score.

Restaurant review. Laksa King – Malaysian food that tastes like old memories.

                                                       Laksa King Flemington. 

I’ve recently started to crave Malaysian food and since my culinary skillset leaves much to be desired, I decided venture into Laksa King, a popular Malaysian Chinese restaurant in Flemington. Walking in, I could immediately see why it’s Urbanspoon Melbourne’s most popular restaurant.  The waiting area was filled, a line had formed and the noise from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen complimented the lively chatter of its seated customers. This very much reminded me of the busy streets of hawker food stalls I frequented growing up in Malaysia. 

Nasi Lemak served at Laksa King. 

Nasi Lemak. A rice dish literally meaning “fatty rice” derived from the method of soaking the rice in coconut cream before steaming. I was served this bed of steamy overpowering but fragrant coconut flavoured rice, chicken lathered in smooth curry, fried ikan billis (anchovies), peanuts, boiled egg and sambal sauce.

For just over $10, it had sparked fond trip down memory lane as nasi lemak was the breakfast dish I often consumed before going to school. School in Malaysia started early and if one didn't eat fast, one didn't eat at all. So nasi lemak sold in hawker stalls of the morning market were presented in small ready-to-eat parcels, wrapped in a blanket of banana leaves and newspaper to seal in the warmth.  

Wrapped and ready in banana leaves and the local paper. 

Nasi Lemak served in Malaysia 

As far as authenticity goes, it is wise to acknowledge that although it is not possible to recreate the cuisine of a country to its absolute genuineness outside the country itself (Ripe, 1996), the ingredients and overall taste of Laksa King’s dish was very close to home. Also, for obvious Occupational Health & Safety reasons, Malaysian food in Melbourne restaurants don’t come wrapped in the Herald Sun.

Having lived in Melbourne for over 10 years, the amount of time I've connected back to my roots through food is scarce. Eating food reveals who we are and thus who we are not.  What I am, is someone in needs to know what it means to be an Australian whilst not losing sight of where I came from.  I think it’s high time I start taking cooking tips from the Malaysian chefs in my family. My parents.  

Sources:

Ripe, Cherry. (1996) Culinary Identity. Goodbye Culinary Cringe. New South Wales, Australia. Allen and Unwin Ptd Ltd. 

Photos: 

Laksa King Flemington. 

Nasi Lemak served at Laksa King. 

Wrapped and ready in banana leaves and the local paper. 

Nasi Lemak served in Malaysia 

Cassata Siciliana

Picture this. Two layers of sponge cake soaked in liqueur, wedged between a thick layer of ricotta cheese, citron, peel, vanilla cream and chocolate. Now, encase that cake in marzipan and decorate to your heart's content with candied fruit (cherries, slices of citrus).  If that's not sweet enough for you, maybe even go wild and brush it with a sugar glaze and pipe icing. That, signore e signori (ladies and gentlemen) is the modern take of the baroque cake known as cassata Siciliana. 

Cassata Sicilliana. 

What makes this dish Sicilian are the ingredients of ricotta cheese, candied fruits and sugar. Sicily is the birthplace of ricotta cheese. Known as zammatàru "dairy farmer", ricotta cheese holds a significant place in Sicilian farming life. Sugar was introduced in Sicily during the tenth century as it came under Arab conquer. During then, many sugar plants were established in Palermo, Sicily and thus the Cassata was born. Made traditionally as an Easter specialty of eggs, ricotta cheese, candied fruits and vast amounts of sugar, it requires time to assemble due careful attention to all its intricate decorations. As a result, authorities in the 1500s had prohibited the making of this decadent cake as monastery nuns had become too distracted and preferred to bake and eat rather than pray. Now who said nuns never break rules? 

Gelato Cassata. 

 American cassata

Consumption and modern takes of the cassata outside of Sicily today vary. Often to the point where traditional Sicilian ingredients are no longer used such as replacing ricotta with gelato, resulting in a final product resembling an ice cream cake. In America, many variations have taken their own liberty of using strawberries, custard and whipped cream to cater for the American palate. This is not surprising as different groups have an “identifiable cuisine” with their own norms of food (Belasco, 2008 ). Ricotta cheese doesn't exactly scream American cuisine for most.

Today, the cassata Sicilliana is the most famous sweet of Sicily. No other cake brings together the sweetness of ricotta cheese, marzipan and candied fruits than this quintessential Sicilian work of art. 

Photo and information sources used:

Belasco, Warren. (2008) Identity: Are We What We Eat? Food: The Key Concepts. Berg. 

Photos: Gelato cassata, American cassata, Cassata Siciliana

Links: 

Introduction of sugar to Sicily

Cassata: The Sicilian Cake 

The Glorious History of Sicily Under The Arabs 

Cassoulet.

“War! HUH! What is it good for?.” – War (Edwin Starr).

In the midst of the Hundred Years War, during the siege of Castelnaudary in Languedoc, by the English during the 14^th century, a regional dish was born of conflict. The Cassoulet.

Cassoulet is a slow cooked casserole typically of meat (pork, sausage and duck confit) and white beans (haricot, lingot, fava beans). This assemblage of ingredients is a reflection of what little was available to the southern region and people of Languedoc during the Middle Ages.  Lore has it when Edward the Prince of Wales, in 1355 led the siege of Castelnaudry, villagers gathered beans and leftover meat into a large stew to fortify their warriors for battle against the siege. 

Different beans used of cassoulet, top to bottom: Lingot, haricot and fava. 

Cassoulet is traditionally presented in an earthenware pot (cassolle) with slanting sides local to the potteries from the terre d’Issel, Issel in the vicinity of Castelnaudry and prepared through a slow cooking method of using residual heat from being cooked in a hearth breaking down the beans allowing the fat and flavour of the meat to saturate into. Cassoulet is a dish of convivial nature best enjoyed through the pleasures of large company. It is said that because the meal created during the siege of Castelnaudry was so hearty, it gave village warriors the strength to emerge victorious. Thus, the cassoulet was deemed a symbolic defender of French culture. This is not surprising as certain foods can construct a cultural identity (Shugart, 2008) that highlights its solidarity as the meal that defeated an army. 

From top to Bottom: Castelnaudry cassoulet, Toulouse Cassoulet and Carcassonne cassoulet. 

The composition of cassoulet varies between regions based ingredient avaliability. Between the Languedoc towns of Toulouse, Carcassonne, and Castelnaudary, slight variations include meats used. Pork shoulder, sausage and duck confit for Castelnaudry Cassoulet, mutton for Carcassonne and duck confit, Toulouse sausage and bread topping for Toulose Cassoulet.

So, I’ll tell you what war is good for. Still absolutely nothing. But if any culinary good was to come out a war, it would be this particular regional dish from Languedoc, France.  

Photo and information sources used:

Shugart, H. A. (2008). Sumptuous texts: Consuming “otherness” in the food film genre. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 25(1), 68-90.

Links: 

Cassoulet photos:  Toulouse cassoulet, Carcassonne cassoulet, Castelnaudry cassoulet 

Fava, haricot, lingot beans photo 

Did you know: Cassoulet 

The Road of the « Cassoulet » ofCastelnaudary

Quel! Cassoulet! 

Gazpacho Andaluz

“It’s tomato soup served ice cold!” – Lisa Simpson.(Lisa the Vegetarian. The Simpsons season 7.05)

Just this one scene from The Simpsons caught my interest as a child as to what gazpacho was. Representations of food in the media have the symbolic ability to engage with cultural themes (Shugart, 2008). In this episode, the theme was Lisa finding her identity through her food choices, vegetarianism.

Gazpacho is a popular cold soup made of a variety of raw vegetables such as tomatoes, garlic, peppers, cucumbers, stale bread, olive oil, vinegar and water. Pounded in a mortar and strained until a liquid consistency is achieved, gazpacho is the trademark dish of the Andalusia region of Spain, typically served in summer due to its refreshing nature as a cold soup and when tomatoes grown in the area are at their best.

Gazpacho was a simple and healthy dish for peasants and shepherds in many regions of Southern Spain. As workers were given rations of bread and oil, incorporated with the local produce and new foods brought back from the New World in the 15^th century such as tomatoes and peppers, it made a dish that provided nourishment and quenched the thirst while working in the Andalusian fields. Others claim its origins derived from an Arab soup of oil, bread and water. Garlic and vinegar was later added with the arrival of the Moors and Romans. 

Gazpacho Andaluz with tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber, pepper and bread. 

The texture and ingredients of gazpacho vary from within regions depending on local produce and family traditions. Consumption outside of Andalusia does not always take a liquid form, contain tomatoes nor is it always cold. Gazpacho manchego from the east region of La Mancha is served hot as a meat stew rather than a cold vegetable soup. 

Gazpacho Manchego. Hot and meaty. 

Modern variations sometimes include the addition and fusion of ingredients that deviate from its traditional recipe. i.e. tomato juice, tomato sauce, yoghurt and salsa. What used to be a peasant dish can now be found on the menus of many sophisticated restaurants today. \

So the next time the weather gets hot, forget that cold soft drink and go for this healthier alternative. A popular Spanish refrain sings "De gazpacho no hay empacho"- there's never too much gazpacho. 

Photo and information sources used:

Shugart, H. A. (2008). Sumptuous texts: Consuming “otherness” in the food film genre. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 25(1), 68-90.

Links:

Photo taken from here

Food History: Did you know Gazpacho

History of Gazpacho 
Gazpacho Manchego