Baklazhan: Georgian Eggplant and Walnut Appetizers

I have a colleague who lived in Moscow for several years. Last spring when Anthony and I decided we wanted to visit Russia in July, I started having long talks with my colleague to hear about all the things he loved (and also those he hated) about Moscow. He said authoritatively that Georgian food was the best Russian cuisine - and I have decided he was right.

When we had a free day in St Petersburg, we used our handy Lonely Planet to go to a recommended Georgian restaurant. The photo below is of an appetiser called baklazhan we had there. Baklazhan is made with slices of fried eggplant wrapped around a walnut and garlic paste. My rendition is pictured above - and it was delicious both times!

Food Gurus by Stephen Vines [book review]--and Sesame and Dukkah Cubes

Food Gurus: 20 People Who Changed the Way We Eat and Think About Food by Stephen Vines is a collection of essays about people who have impacted food today. The figures examined range from Bartolomeo Platina (1421-1481) to current food personalities including Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Alice Waters.

The book covers a diverse collection of cooks, chefs, and writers. Platina was (arguably) the person who first created cookbooks and popularized the idea of cooking from a recipe. There are a handful of French greats included, such as Georges August Escoffier, Fernand Point, and Antonin Careme. More recent figures are Delia Smith, Elizabeth David, Julia Child, Dr Atkins, and Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's.

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

Recently I've been inspired by reading magazines. For example, my local grocery store is called Cold Storage, and they publish a cheap quarterly magazine that is full of clever recipes. This chilled cantaloupe soup is from it.

But I like to read lots of magazines--almost any type are fine by me. I read sports ones about Formula One, running, or working out. I also like house and decorating magazines. I like essay magazines like Time, Monocle, and National Geographic. While in New Zealand on holiday in July I tried out a magazine called North & South ("the magazine for thinking New Zealand") which was very informative. And since arriving here in Singapore I picked up Time Out, of course.

Veggie and Egg Cakes

These little veggie and egg bites pack well for lunch. Or they make a pretty appetizer or brunch item. I used choi sum as the green vegetable here. My recipe is adapted from a spinach-based recipe. And I would like to try them with watercress. So use any green, leafy vegetable you have on hand.

Artichoke Bites

I have written about these artichoke squares before. They are a great side dish or party appetiser. My newest version of these delectable hand-held snacks, pictured here, taste a lot like pizza bites. I adapted my previous recipe by adding tomatoes, using sriracha to add some heat, and changing the ratio of artichokes and cheese.

Meatless Meatballs

Now here's a unique way to make meatballs: with lentils and brown rice. These meatless meatballs are a good party snack or a dinner main dish with spaghetti. They are made more interesting with the addition of pesto, garlic, oregano, and paprika. They tasted scrumptious with a pesto and mayo dipping sauce.

Spicy Split Pea Dip

As part of this month's Secret Recipe Club I was assigned the blog Ilke's Kitchen. Ilke is a lovely Turkish lady who has moved to the southern United States. She writes recipes for Turkish food and other dishes that she makes at home. I was engrossed by her inventive ideas, beautiful pictures, and engaging stories.

I made this split pea dip to form part of a casual tapas meal with friends. It's smooth yet chunky, kind of like the best hummus you have tasted. It's got a spicy edge but not sharp. It's a simple recipe that I'm bound to adapt again.

creating blog community -- and party pinwheels

How do you increase community connections on your blog? This is a key question for successful bloggers. We try to create a feeling of camaraderie here on our blogs and recently I have felt very much befriended and involved with others on the web. One strategy that has helped me was joining blog events like this one, the Secret Recipe Club. My assignment this month was Jam Hands, written by Ali. She uses some incredible methods for improving the community on her blog--simple ideas that are effective, too. (Oh, and she makes some mighty tasty party pinwheels.)

The Language of Baklava, and muhammara

Diana Abu-Jaber bounced like a ping pong ball between Jordan and America as a child. Her father was an exuberant, dashing Jordanian immmigrant to the United States, her mother a quiet but stubborn American. The Language of Baklava is Abu-Jaber's memoir, in which she describes her formative years. Their family connects and reconnects to the people and places around them, leaving Diana a little confused about where she belongs. "Am I still an American?" she asks, after her re-entry to Jordan. "And it confuses me, because it seems like a kind of unbecoming or rebecoming--to turn into this other Diana--pronounced Dee-ahna, a Jordanian girl who has forgotten the taste of fluffernutter sandwhiches or Hersey's bars."

Wherever they are in the world, the family is grounded by Diana's father's cooking--his Middle Eastern food is as lively as he is. The book is full of family vignettes, focused on the relationships, the loud or quiet talk, and the flavours on the table. Abu-Jaber includes several recipes with each one, which are connected to the stories with funny titles or whimsical headnotes. I found the methods and ingredients of the recipes to be simple and accessible. I have made two recipes already and I am eagerly anticipating more creations.

Vietnamese summer rolls

Rice papers are available at my local grocery store, and at your local Asian shop. They are opaque and rigid when dry and flexible and almost translucent when moist. To use them, fill a bowl with hot water. Then dip each rice paper into the water for about 10 seconds. Place it on a clean tea towel while you dip two or three more. Then place the fillings on each one and fold over one side. Tuck the top and bottom in and roll closed. Place the roll on a plate with the seam side down while you make the rest of the rolls. In the same way glutinous rice is sticky, the rice paper is tacky to touch and rolls up perfectly into tight packets. A collection of Vietnamese rolls make a refreshing summer dinner, served with rice or salad. Or a very impressive appetiser.

summer squash and carrot pancakes

I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Our Year of Seasonal Eating by Barbara Kingsolver for the Kitchen Reader book club later this month. I won't spoil the whole book, but, in one sentence, the book is about a family that decided to eat only locally grown and produced food for a year. It's fascinating, and at the end of the month you can expect a full review.

Locally grown food is a difficult idea for me at the moment since Hong Kong is a city that doesn't produce (much?) of its own food. Everything is from elsewhere. My milk frustration is one example of trying to find a local solution that works for me. (*Milk update below.) With vegetables I have been turning the local challenge into more of a fun game. There are plenty of local vegetables, though they are not all vegetables with which I am familiar. When I shop at the "wet market" that is a short bus ride away, there are rows of stall holders all selling mounds of green things, not all of which I recognise. I have taken to buying several veggies I recognise and then picking a few I don't. This has been a very successful strategy; with the help of The Visual Food Lover's Guide and The Vegetable Bible I usually manage to identify them in English.

"ants on a log" for grown-ups

When we were children we used to eat Ants on a Log--that most North American of snacks. A stick of celery, filled with spreadable, flourescent Cheez Whiz, and dotted with raisins. Delicious. I see (from the "inter-tubes") that most kids made this with peanut butter, which seems like a health improvement to me. Maybe I just wanted a more glow-in-the-dark log than they.

sage breadsticks

Perfect party food, these crispy breadsticks had my guests crunching and dipping incessantly. They were part of the spread at our going away party in London, and were served with homemade hummus and some Tex-Mex queso (thanks to Matt and Bree for the Velveeta).


With sage and cheese added, they are tasty enough to eat on their own, or are great as dippers. Make them as long or short as you like--mine were limited only by the width of my pan and oven!


After the dough rises, punch it down and roll it out into an oblong. Now use scissors to cut long, thin strips. Either stretch them even thinner or twist them into twirls. While store-bought breadsticks are vapid tasting and full of additives, these are cheesy, savoury bites that everyone loved.

Sage Breadsticks
makes 40
adapted from 'Tis the Season: A Vegetarian Christmas Cookbook by Nanette Blanchard

1 T active dry yeast
1 t sugar
1 cup warm water (about 110 F/40 C)
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
2 T minced fresh sage or 2 T dried sage
1/4 c grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
about 2 1/2 c plain flour

Mix the yeast, sugar, and water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Add the salt, olive oil, sage, cheese and stir to combine.
Add the flour, mix, and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and satiny.
Place in a greased bowl, turning the dough to coat it in oil.
Leave in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
Punch down, then roll out on a floured surface. Use scissors to divide the dough into quarters, then cut each into 10 strips. Stretch or twirl each one, then lay them on baking trays.
Bake at 400 F/205 C for 15 minutes, until breadsticks are golden brown and crisp.

vegetable pate (for the Daring Cooks)

Our neighbours downstairs had a baby this weekend. What do you give to new parents? Pate and bread, of course! Their little darling is a gorgeous girl, and her vegetarian parents deserve a little break from cooking.


Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.


So I baked four loaves of bread and made two pates so that I could give away half and serve half to my own darling husband. The pate was easy to make and very tasty. It was easy to unmold and came out wonderfully. The bread was a bit dense this time, but was a suitable surface for eating pate!

Tricolour Vegetable Pate
serves 12
adapted from Bon Appetit October 1993 on Epicurious

Bean Layer:
2 c (500 ml) cooked pinto beans
1 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1 t dried oregano
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Layer:
1 c (250 ml) roasted red peppers (drained if jarred)
3/4 c (190 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Pesto Layer:
2 garlic cloves
2 c (500 ml) rocket
1/4 c (75 ml) toasted sliced almonds
3 T olive oil
1/2 c (125 ml) ricotta cheese

Line two bowls with plastic wrap, which should hang over the sides.
Puree the ingredients for each layer in turn. Spread the layers in the bowls, smoothing each layer before adding the next.
Cover and chill for at least eight hours.
Place in the freezer for 30 minutes before unmolding.
Serve with bread or crackers.

Seeded Whole Wheat French Bread
makes four small loaves
adapted from Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

4 c (1 L) whole wheat bread flour
2 c (500 ml) white bread flour
2 T active dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 t salt
2 1/2 c (625 ml) hot water
2 T olive oil
1 egg
2 T water
1-2 t cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

Mix together the flours, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Gradually add the hot water and olive oil; mix well.
Add more flour if necessary to make a soft dough.
Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
Punch down and leave for 20 minutes. Then divide and shape into four loaves. Place on a baking tray and make diagonal slashes on the loaves.
Mix the egg and water and brush over the loaves. Sprinkle with seeds.
Allow to rise again until doubled in bulk.
Heat oven to 400 F/200 C and bake for 20 minutes.

I would make this pate again, and change the order of the layers so the green one ends up on top--that would be so much prettier. And I would make the bread again too, and try adjusting the liquids to get a softer dough--I'm sure it would be delicious after another attempt.

And I can't wait to meet the little girl downstairs. Happy birthday to her!

party cheese balls

I was lucky enough to have Craig in the kitchen with me while I was prepping food for our party the other weekend. I was making artichoke squares and he was making cheese balls under my direction. I have to say, he did a stunning job.


Ant's friend Craig comes to visit us fairly regularly. He comes for the snooker with Ant, the freely flowing tea, and the food we eat together. He always pitches in when I'm cooking and he's full of good ideas. For example, he was the one who thought of the fork outline when I was photographing my tiramisu last month. Genius!


I'm so glad I set him to work on these cheese balls. They were delicious! And Craig had the patience to shape them all into small balls and roll them in herbs and spices. Then as soon as we brought them to the table, Ant grabbed one and squished it between two oatcakes. "Oi! I just rolled those into perfect balls!" What a shame. But they sure were tasty.

Party Cheese Balls
adapted from Tis the Season: Vegetarian Christmas Cookbook
makes about 30 balls

3 (8 oz/250 g) packages of cream cheese
2 c grated strong cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 t chilli powder
1 t dried oregano
2 T dried parsley

Mix together the cream cheese, grated cheese, green onions, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll the mixture into small balls, about a heaped tablespoon each.
Mix the chilli powder, oregano, and parsley in a shallow plate or bowl.
Roll the cheese balls in the herb and spice mixture.
Cover and chill the balls until ready to serve.

artichoke squares

I have served these easy squares at my last two parties. They are yummy, healthy, savoury (to balance out all the sweets at most of my parties!) and easy to make. They are just exotic enough that everyone wants to know what they will taste like, but they look very ordinary so they are not intimidating. Wonderful stuff!

Artichoke Squares
adapted from Tis the Season: Vegetarian Christmas Cookbook
makes 20 squares

2 cans of artichokes packed in water, or 2 jars (6 oz) of marinated artichokes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 eggs
1 slice of whole wheat bread, crumbled
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t hot pepper sauce
2 c grated strong cheese

Drain the artichokes. If you are using marinated artichokes, reserve 2 T marinade. Finely chop the artichokes.
Saute the onion and garlic gently in a pan for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Mix the onion and garlic with the artichokes and all the remaining ingredients.
Pour into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) square pan.
Bake at 350F/175C for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let cool and then cut into 20 pieces.