Black Diamonds

They are a 3000 year old culinary mystery. I enjoy them mostly with mashed potatoes. Some prefer them in pasta or with steak. However you take them, add one to your dish and watch the price triple. They are a delicacy with a distinctive taste and an indescribable scent. At $3,000 a kilogram, Black Truffles have rightfully earned the nickname black diamonds.

At the end of May, Perth was all a buzz with the launch of the truffle season, or at least I was all a buzz with the launch of the truffle season. Living three hours north of the largest truffle producer in the southern hemisphere, I was keen to learn more about this rare fungus. With the truffle season soon coming to an end, I finally had my chance this weekend at the Mundaring Truffle Festival in “the hills,” an area 30 minutes east of Perth which comprises the rolling hills and small towns on the outskirts of the Perth metropolitan area.

The Mundaring Truffle Festival was an opportunity to eat everything truffle, purchase truffle products, and learn a bit about truffles, including watching truffle sniffing dogs in action. With options such as truffle risotto, wagyu beef burgers with truffles, and truffle pizza, I made sure I arrived on an empty stomach.

Nearly half of the world’s Black Truffles are harvested in France and Southern Hemisphere production didn’t begin until the late 1980’s in New Zealand. Today, Western Australia (specifically the southern region) is the largest producing truffle state in the largest producing truffle country in the southern hemisphere. The cultivation first came about in an effort to satisfy the large truffle markets of Europe and America during their off season. This time of year, West Australian truffles are flown to top restaurants all over the northern hemisphere. Eating local produce is all the rage these days but truffles are an exception.

So how do you grow them? Well, you don’t really. It’s a delicate combination of the right temperatures (hot summers and cool but not too cold winters), the right amount of rainfall (at least 700mm a year), the right type of soil (free draining with a ph of 8), the right trees (mostly oak or hazelnut), some well trained dogs (usually a retrieving or hunting breed such as labradors or beagles), and lots of patience (about 5 to 10 years for the first crop to sprout). Truffles begin to grow around the roots of the trees during summer and are harvested in winter. The dogs, or sometimes pigs, detect the smell and a knowledgeable grower digs them up and determines if they are ready to be released from the ground. And about that smell. I smelled my first fresh truffle today and I can best describe it as a mix of earth and vodka. Most commonly it’s described as smelling like old socks and sex which for some is kind-of like earth and vodka I suppose.

We left the festival with our bellies full of truffle infused foods and local wine and for $40 I came home with truffle oil, truffle mustard, and truffle butter from the Wine and Truffle Company. It’s safe to say, I’m all stocked up on old socks and sex.

not just for savory dishes,

a custard and truffle tart

a truffle under the cup

goodies from the Wine & Truffle Co.

A winter holiday

I’m having kittens (so excited!) because next week Shane and I are headed to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef for a week’s vacation and what will be our 2nd annual winter getaway to escape the frigid 60 degree temperatures in Perth. Although only in its second year, this is a winter tradition that I could get accostomed to.

For our first annual winter getaway we drove up the WA coast with a fishing boat, a tent, and a dog, and spent six days fishing and camping along the little known yet spectacular Ningaloo Reef in Australia’s northwest. Although the Ningaloo Reef is not as vast nor an ounce as popular as the Great Barrier Reef, it has the advantage of sitting along the coast and even holds the title as the world’s largest fringing reef. The Great Barrier Reef, as it’s appropriately named, is a barrier reef meaning it runs parallel to the coast but is separated by a deep lagoon or channel.

What’s even more enticing about the Ningaloo Reef is the isolation. If you don’t enjoy camping or at least caravanning (RVing that is) then you’ll miss out on what this incredible slice of Earth has to offer.

Our first stop was Quobba Station about a 10 hour drive north of Perth, on the southern edge of the Coral Coast. Because we departed after work, we spent our first night sleeping in our SUV on the side of the road (literally) six hours into the drive. About half way through the 1,000 km stretch between Perth and Quobba is Geraldton with a population of less than 30,000. Just before reaching Quobba you’ll pass Carnarvon with a population of 7,000 making it the second largest city on the route. Driving until you are tired and rocking up to a hotel is not an option. Neither is stopping for fuel or food always an option. You won’t get much action on this drive, unless of course you hit a kangaroo, or possibly a cow or emu.

Quobba was established as a sheep station and is a popular spot to reel in some big fish or even do some surfing. After one night we decided that the wind and treacherous waves were a bit too much for our small fishing boat and costal fishing on the cliffs should be left for more experienced fisherman. So we continued north to seek the shelter and calmer waters of the reef. In Quobba we enjoyed the beautiful jagged coastline and watched migrating Humpback Whales play in the distance. Bronson enjoyed making friends with the camping site’s pet sheep.

We then crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and made our way four hours up the coast to Exmouth, a bustling town of 2,500 on the northwest cape of Australia. Exmouth was established as a town in the 1960’s when the US and Australian governments agreed to establish a Naval communications station. Even before then it was a US Naval submarine base during World War II and was bombed by the Japanese in 1942 then abandoned three years later after a cyclone.

The US Navy has since left and it is now a tourist hub for the Ningaloo Reef, particularly during the winter months for nomad travelers and retirees. On our fourth night we headed two hours back south to Coral Bay which is home to less than 1,000 people. If you plan to explore the Ningaloo Reef, Coral Bay or Exmouth are where you’ll pitch your tent.

When you go on a holiday and you’re provided very few options to entertain yourself, you are forced into a state of relaxation. Our days consisted of beautiful 80 degree weather, no humidity, no clouds - just white sand beaches, turquoise waters, fishing, snorkeling, reading and making friends with our neighboring campers.

Camping and caravanning in these parts is truly a culture unto itself. You could even say that staying in one of the very (very) few modern accommodations is frowned upon. The sites have modern plumbing but bring along your salt water shampoo because fresh water is only at the drinking and dish washing stations and is a precious commodity in the arid northwest.

School was in session during our time “up north” so our neighbors mostly consisted of retirees caravanning around Australia or other southwest Aussies in search of some heat up the coast. On the roads we passed caravans suitably named “adventure before dementia” or “my children’s inheritance”

The remoteness of this part of the country limits the number of visitors and allows it to remain untainted with the tourism of equally beautiful beach destinations elsewhere. I fear that by the time Shane and I reach “adventure before dementia” it will be filled with resorts and home to an international airport. Already I had noticed some changes from when I last visited this area in 2000.

This winter we’ve opted for a slightly more sophisticated winter getaway, without the dog or a tent. We’ll still have a boat. Not a small tin fishing boat, but a twenty person catamaran where we’ll spend half the trip. The fishing won’t be free. We’ll have to fork over $190/person for a day’s group fishing charter and the fish we catch won’t be feeding us for dinner.

There’s definitely something to be said about the simple pleasures of self-sustainable beach camping but this year I won’t miss the dog hogging the tent or those salt water showers.

Quobba

Quobba

Emu road hazard

fishing in Coral Bay

proud fisherman

an even prouder fisherman

 happiness

and relaxation

Olive & Fig Tapenade

It’s a Saturday and with nothing pressing on the agenda I decided to test out my salty homegrown olives to see how they fared as a tapenade. The following recipe is a variation from In Praise of Leftovers by way of Foodgawker (thanks for the tip Nikki). I was drawn to this recipe not only because it looked delicious but because I wanted something sweet to balance out the salty olives. Besides, who doesn’t love a sweet and salty combination. As a bonus, I had all ingredients in the house with the exception of an orange. Rather appropriate seeing that the recipe comes from a blog that’s all about cooking with what’s lying around the kitchen. It calls for a food processor which I don’t own (sad) so I used a blender. I’m sure if I had a
Thermomix I’d be whipping it up no sweat in seconds. Oh yeah, and it’s gluten-free, naturally.

¾ cup kalamata olives
¾ cup dried figs (no sugar added), chopped
1 small garlic clove
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp olive oil

Blend or process the olives, figs, garlic and zests till chunky.
Add orange juice and olive oil and blend till you are happy with what you see.
You may wish to add water or additional oil if needed.
Serve with crackers. Gluten-free rice crackers for us.

The original recipe called for walnuts and a pinch of salt but I opted out of both.

A dash of dark cacoa sounds like it would be a nice addition but maybe I’m just craving chocolate right now.

Olives so good I could eat 'em. Kind-of.

It’s been eight weeks since I plucked my olives from the backyard tree and placed them in brine for fermentation. Well, I’m sad to report that the final product didn’t quite turn out as I had envisioned. Although the step-by-step process of fermenting olives is rather simple, a perfect balancing act of chemicals and environment is necessary for them to end up as the plump shiny fruit you see sitting behind the deli counter. It’s easier to blame my failure on science rather than the possibility that I made some fatal amateur mistakes.

Early into the process I was exposed to the vulnerabilities of olive fermentation. At the end of week one I headed out to the garage for the first check-up. I was immediately deflated when I discovered that white spots had started to develop on most of the olives. I consulted with my local olive expert who diagnosed mould over the phone but reassured me that mould growth is rather common and the cure is a rinse in fresh water and a new batch of brine. After dissecting a couple olives and doing a bit of research I discovered that it couldn’t be mould as mould would grow on the surface and I wasn’t dealing with spots or surface growth but with a loss in pigmentation making my olives look pale and unattractive.

I decided to keep on with the process to see what evolved and in the meantime I’d do some research. As the weeks went by the loss of pigmentation spread but I continued forward refreshing the brine occasionally. After about four weeks they started to smell like olives (a good sign) but I wasn’t quite ready to give them a taste test.

By week seven I was ready to risk my health and send one down the hatch. I probably should have offered Bronson the opportunity to be my guinea pig but I’m not that patient or cruel. He’s already had one adverse olive experience. Besides, I figured if it was lethal, surely I would have come across something in my research that said “do not eat olives if they change color or you will die.” The good news is they tasted like olives, albeit very salty olives and I’ve survived with no problems thus far. I decided to give them a fresh batch of brine and let them stew for one more week and on Saturday I vacated them from their home for the past eight weeks and put them in a large bowl of fresh water to sit in the fridge for a day before preserving in oil and garlic.

I wish I could tell you that a clear diagnosis has been made but after doing research at the world’s largest library, google.com, I have yet to come up with a final conclusion. One site alluded to the fruit turning white from the salt leaching into its body. Yeast colonies are a common pest however, the yeast appears as bumps on the surface and I’d already determined that it was a change in color and not a growth. I think. Even if it is yeast, the experts on google.com have assured me that the olives are still safe to eat.

But one possibility appears more likely than the rest. I used iodized salt, and after the fact, I learned on a handful of sites that you are not to use iodized salt. In fact iodized salt should not be used when brining any type of food. I also think I may have left them in the brine too long, further adding to the salty flavor. The smaller the container the shorter the fermentation period and I probably didn’t need eight weeks. Both rookie mistakes.

I was recently told that when Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga, makes a mistake he says “excuse me for living.” So live and learn I shall. I’ll do some proper research between now and next autumn and hopefully next year I’ll have beautiful olives so I can fulfill my fantasy of lounging on the sofa eating my own homegrown olives. I’m not completely giving up on this year’s crop. I plan to let them sit in oil for a while and put them to use as a tapenade. However, I don’t think I’ll be giving them out as Christmas presents this year.

Low-Carb Gluten-Free Lasagna

We’re having fun with gluten-free these days. Several restless nights with a belly ache and a pending endoscopy of the gut has motivated Shane to take his Celiac Disease a bit more seriously. I’ve experimented with gluten-free pasta on several occasions and it never lives up to the real deal. So instead of opting for gluten alternatives, I prefer to cook meals that are naturally gluten-free.

This is my variation of a recipe I found online several years ago and it’s perfect for a lazy winter’s night.

2 lbs of minced (ground) beef, turkey or chicken
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 medium brown onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
8 oz tomato sauce*
2 zucchini
15 oz ricotta
2 eggs
8 oz shredded mozzarella
½ c shredded parmesan

brown meat with garlic and onion
add tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to meat
in a seperate bowl, beat ricotta and eggs together
cut each zucchini in half then slice lengthwise about 1/8 inch thick without peeling

grease 9x13 inch baking dish and layer as follows:

1/3 of the zucchini
1/2 of the meat sauce
1/3 of the zucchini
all the ricotta mix
1/2 the mozzarella and parmesan
1/3 of the zucchini
rest of the meat sauce
remainder of the mozzarella and parmesan

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Serves 6-8.

As an alternative to store bought tomato sauce, I make my own. Boil 7-8 small tomatoes until the skin cracks. Allow to cool slightly in a strainer and then peel skins and return naked tomatoes to an empty pot. Smash tomatoes with a potato masher, add olive oil to your liking and leave to simmer. The longer the better. I also typically add 3-5 oz of tomato paste (no salt added) at the end to thicken.

When it comes to cheese, we mostly purchase block cheese and do our own shredding. There are mystery ingredients added to shredded cheese to keep it from clumping and although you might lose a bit on time, you’ll save a few pennies buying block and avoid mystery ingredients. Shane is the expert shredder in this house.

nothing but fresh tomatoes and olive oil

 

into the oven

onto the plate

in my belly

something sweet to top it off

 

everybody's happy

Puppy love

I’m fortunate to have a very special man in my life. He’s devastatingly handsome, endlessly affectionate, and even when he makes me angry, he still manages to make me laugh. I mean, who wouldn’t be in love with this man:

His name is Bronson, but he’ll also respond to buddy, mate or matie. This time last year Bronson became a member of our family. He was 18 months old, homeless and facing death. His previous owners didn’t want him anymore so they took him to the vet to be put down. Clearly the problem lay with them and not the dog.

He came to us a bit of a troubled child. In fact, the first family to adopt him returned him after the first night. But we were committed. All he needed was a bit of TLC and lots of proper training. The TLC we’ve got down, the training we’re still working on. He’s not a bad dog, just a bit crazy. And we’ve been told several times, Labs don’t mature until at least age 3 so we’ll continue to tell people that he’s 2 for as long as we can get away with it.

Aside from a couple isolated incidences, he doesn’t destroy things around the house, he’s good with kids and dogs and stays out of the garbage and off the counters. His weakness is love. He can’t get enough of it. He’s a Chihuahua trapped in the body of a 70 pound Labrador because he finds it appropriate to walk all over us whenever he sees fit. In honor of his one year anniversary in this family I thought I’d share some of my favorite Bronson, buddy boy, matie photos...as soon as I can remove this tail from my keyboard.

loves the ocean, not the waves

favorite sleeping position

nothing like a bar-b-que

my favorite fishing trip

I dream of Thermomix

Once upon a time, in the midst of casual conversation, a business acquaintance told me of this miracle kitchen appliance that will replace every domestic device you own. It can grind, whip, mince, knead, heat, blend and more. I was listening…but not for long. She may next have said that it also vacuums the house, does the laundry and cleans the toilette but when I heard $2,000 I tuned out and this miracle machine became nothing but a fleeting memory.

Fast forward seven months and my sister-in-law Kym mentions that a friend is now a sales rep for Thermomix; this kitchen appliance that does the work of over ten machines. Once again, the thought of it vanished as quickly as it had emerged because paying $2000 for a kitchen appliance wasn’t going to happen. Kind-of like meeting (insert celebrity crush). Possible, but highly unlikely so no point dwelling.

Fast forward another two months (last Friday) and the opportunity arose for me to attend a Thermomix party with Kym. Thermomix cannot be found in stores or purchased online. Instead it’s sold through Thermomix reps like the brands Tupperware or Avon. I had no intention of buying one (and neither did she) but I was keen to see it in action and find out what the fuss was all about. The verdict? Definitely worth the $2,000. I left the demonstration actually considering purchasing one.

In a matter of seconds I witnessed it turn buckwheat grains into flour, ice chunks into sorbet, and raw sugar into powdered sugar. In less than two hours we sampled homemade bread, cream cheese dip, beet salad, risotto, lemon sorbet and lemon custard. This is only a fraction of the duties it can perform. It can mince meat, make juices, dressings, sauces, yogurt, peanut butter, the list goes on. No measuring cups required. It has a built-in scale which can be set to zero after each ingredient is added without having to remove existing ingredients. Oh yeah, and it’s impossible to burn or overcook allowing more time for multi-tasking. But best of all, it has a self-cleaning function. Bliss.

I enjoy cooking. I don’t always enjoy the time it takes or the mess it produces but having a machine that does everything and does it beautifully can open up a world of cooking possibilities that I have yet to explore. I’ve taken a vested interest in knowing each ingredient that goes into my mouth. No need to buy processed foods with mystery ingredients; this will process food for you without any fuss giving you total control over what you eat. Many of their sauce and dressing recipes even tell you how long they will last in the fridge or freezer. Shane has Celiac disease and this machine is an answered prayer for those with food allergies.

So, why hadn’t I heard of it before? It’s been available for years in various countries. I wanted to know if it was available in the U.S. I located the U.S. office of its manufacturer, Vorwerk, a German company. Over a lengthy email I was told that it’s not available in the U.S. “due to tight U.S. regulations” and that if I purchased one overseas I could not use it in the U.S., even with an outlet converter because of something to do with hertz. Not to mention, it measures in grams and celsius which are not conducive to U.S. cooking. The people of America are being denied most likely due to some ridiculous import regulations or Vorwerk risking a challenge of its patent.

Am I going to purchase one? I need to think on this one a bit more. Having to part with it someday when Shane and I decide to uproot and head to the States could cause some angst. Not to mention the whole $2,000 thing. I also have this sense that it may take the old-fashioned fun out of cooking. Although if I had screaming children running around the kitchen I may not care about old-fashioned fun so I can see where this product is a busy parent’s dream where healthy yet simple cooking is a priority.

If you’d like to see if for yourself visit the Thermomix Australia site. To view a demonstration do a YouTube search on “Thermomix” although most videos are in German, Spanish or French so a “Thermomix Australia” search is probably a better way to go.