Monthly Archives: April 2012

Oh Maya God! 2nd day and another Georgian feast. Tonight—eggplant rolls with walnut stuffing!

If you LOVE eggplant like I do, these delicious Georgian eggplant rolls will change your life.They’re a popular menu item in Georgian resteraunts here in Russia, and one of my favourite discoveries since moving to Moscow.

So, here’s  a summarised version of the notes I took as I watched Maya make them this afternnon.

Start by pan frying sliced eggplant (3 medium size) in a little olive oil till tender.Make sure you peel each side of the eggplant before you slice so you each slice has skin running all the way around it and there are no end pieces.

The filling is made by finely grinding 1 cup of walnuts in a food processor and adding 1 tsp of white vinegar, a pinch of salt, 3 crushed garlic cloves, and a little water (it needs to form a paste consistency, so add a teaspoon or so if it’s too dry)

The Georgian flavour comes from 3 spice mixes that I’m yet to identify (Maya brought them in mysterious recycled jam jars). She claims they’re impossible to find outside Georgia, but I’ll keep you posted on their true identity if and when I can crack the flavour code.

I’d suggest seasoning with a pinch of dried mint, a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and perhaps 2 threads of saffron soaked in a little of the water used to moisten the paste.

Once the paste is made, simply roll each eggplant slice up with a tablespoon of paste inside and ta-da—done! You’ll die and go to heaven when you taste them. So delicious and so good for you too!

Oh Maya God! 2nd day an another Georgian feast- tonight eggplant rolls with walnut stuffing!

Lest we forget

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest we forget 

You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries…

Wipe away your tears.

Your sons are now lying in our bosom

And are in peace.

After having lost their lives on this land, they have

Become our sons as well. – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Anzac biscuits are traditionally baked and eaten on Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand, but they’re good with a cup of tea on any old day in my opinion. There’s no egg in the recipe—eggs were scarce during World War 1. The omission of eggs means they store well (they were sent by wives and mothers to their son’s on the battlefield i.e. A LONG way from two islands at the bottom of the globe ) but trust me, they don’t last long in my house.

  • Anzac Biscuits
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut
  • 4 oz butter
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (or approx. 375 degrees F).

Grease a biscuit tray or line with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

In a small saucepan over a medium heat (or in a microwave proof jug or bowl in the microwave), combine the butter and golden syrup until the butter has melted.

In a small bowl, combine the boiling water and bicarbonate of soda.

Add the bicarb and water mixture with the melted butter and golden syrup.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Place teaspoonfuls of the biscuit mixture onto the greased baking tray. Don’t forget that the biscuits spread during baking!

Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool.

Alas, Golden Syrup is not available here in Moscow (although if anyone know’s of a secret stash please let me know). Don’t try to substitute with honey or anything else—trust me I’ve tried, and failed.

 

Mama Maya!!!!!

Maya (aka Cato) our new Russian speaking Georgian nanny started this week.

I walked in this afternoon to the smell of fresh bread in the oven and oh my goodness— it was every bit as good as it looked (and smelt)

So far, so good with the kids. The Tobinator (our youngest) pulled off all of his favorite babysitter stunts to test the waters yesterday, and all to no avail. It appears Cato’s also the equivilent of a kiddie horse whisperer! She had him totally under her control from the get go!

It just goes to show—90% of all communication really is non-verbal!

Georgian flat bread (one glazed with butter, one without).
Cato's first day and our guesthouse if her 'daily bread' ohhhhhh Cato - we love you!

Need to watch another good movie?

 

This is good— SO good! For those of you who follow Bills column  in The New York Times or loved The Devil Wears Prada & The September Issue, this one’s going to make you smile.

If you go to New York and spot this beautiful man, you’ll want to give him a hug as much as I do after watching this documentary. What a legend,and what a great insight into his solitary and somewhat poignant life behind the lens.

 

Need to watch a great movie?

I watched this movie a few weeks ago.

It gives a great insight into the inner workings of the Eames office as well as the dynamics of the relationship that cemented some of the greatest mid-century contributions to modern design, art and architecture.

Here’s to you Ray and Charles!

Oh, and if I can just jump onto my soap box for just a brief moment, when it comes to real vs replica—PLEASE— support designers, not cheap Chinese copies. Some things are worth waiting for—I promise!

 

argau

Banana Ice cream…without the cream

Its spring now; really really spring. This morning I walked Spike in the park in just a sun dress and flip-flops. In fact, the weather this weekend has been heavenly— hovering around 20 degrees, with perfect blue skies . The leaves are just hours off smothering the city with a lick of luscious green and consequently, everyone seems to be smiling.

In honour of spring, I’ve used some of the many  bananas in my freezer to make this delicious dessert. My brother introduced me to this amazing culinary mystery many years ago. Its very Heston Blumenthal, in that it consists of just one ingredient—frozen bananas. What’s that you say? It’s so creamy; there’s got to be eggs—cream? No. It’s so sweet—there’s got to be sugar?

No, my friends, this one’s just for you—a guilt free, gastro-science miracle. Simply freeze your ripe bananas (mine seem to ripen within minutes of arriving home with the heating in Russian apartments over the cooler months—hence the stockpile) Then all you have to do is take them out of the freezer and whack them in a food processor until creamy. One tip I might offer though is to leave them out on the bench for 10 minutes or so before you put them in the blender (I’ve made the mistake of not waiting, and having to catch my precious Magimix as it jumped off the kitchen bench on more than one occasion).

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